2012: The Year in New York Sports

Who would have thought on January 1st that the team closest to a championship on December 31st would be the Knicks? 2012 was a crazy up and down year for our local teams, including a Super Bowl win, two overnight superstars who rose and fell in the Big Apple, a New York Cy Young winner, and a $30 million superstar riding the pine in the playoffs.

MLB

Yankees: The Yanks got business done again in the regular season, winning their 17th Division Title. This was the first time in 16 years though that they did it without future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, who missed almost the entire season with an ACL tear. Andy Pettitte was having a good comeback season before injuring his leg on a comebacker. However, once October came around the Bronx Bombers' bats went silent. After squeaking out of the ALDS in 5-games against the Orioles (with some heroic late-game homers from Raul Ibanez), the Tigers swept us in the ALCS. Derek Jeter was injured in the first game of the ALCS, and adding insult to injury, A-Rod was benched in the playoffs after he hit on some female fans when he was in the dugout. 

Mets: The Mets had the best bad season a team has maybe ever had. Despite the continued financial troubles from the Wilpons stemming from the Bernie Madoff scandal, Citi Field was jumping for the first half of the season. The high point for the Mets season occurred on June 1st when Johan Santana, coming back from a serious shoulder injury, pitched the first No-Hitter in Mets history. The knuckleballer, RA Dickey had a season for the ages as well. The Dickster went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA with 230 strikeouts and won the Cy Young Award, becoming the first Met since Dwight Gooden (1985) to win the award. The Mets locked up David Wright through the 2020 season, ending 2012 on a good note.

NY MVP: RA Dickey

Breakout Star: RA Dickey

Biggest Disappointment: Alex Rodriguez

Predictions: The Yankees will always be playoff team, but don't have the talent to be considered serious World Series contenders anymore (especially with the Angels and Blue Jays stocking up). The Mets are in a rebuilding mode, and will be playing small-market ball in the Big Apple. Mets fans have to hope for meaningful games late in the season 

NBA

Knicks: Perhaps no team in any sport had as much of a roller coaster year as the New York Knicks. After starting off the year poorly, including a 1-9 stretch, the Blue and Orange gave a point guard out of Stanford a chance. Jeremy Lin took the NBA by storm winning eight-games in a row and scoring over 20 points a game. After things went south, the Knickerbockers fired Coach Mike D'Antoni, and promoted Mike Woodson on March 14. The team finished the season with an 18-6 record, and a date with the Heat in the first round of the Playoffs, where they were defeated in five games. After a 3 month Cinderella run, the Knicks made the unpopular decision to let Jeremy Lin leave and go to the Rockets (replacing him with a combination of future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and the former Knick Raymond Felton). The decision hasn't hurt them so far, as they have started the 2012-2013 season on 

fire, and currently have the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference.

Nets: On April 23rd the Nets played their last game in New Jersey. Between then and November 3rd, their first game in Brooklyn, the team made a lot of changes. Owner Mikhail Pokhorov emptied out his pockets to re-sign Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Gerald Wallace, as well as acquiring Joe Johnson from the Hawks. Aside from changing cities, he team also changed their color scheme to black and white and moved into a new arena, the Barclays Center. Despite an early-season win against the Knicks, the team has been on a downfall, leading to the firing this week of head coach Avery Johnson. 

NY MVP: Carmelo Anthony

Breakout Star: Jeremy Lin/Brook Lopez

Biggest Disappointment: Amare Stoudemire

Predictions: Both local teams should make the playoffs. The Knicks at the very least have to make it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000 or the season would be considered a huge disappointment. I see them making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Nets are going to try and bring in a high-profile head coach, and will likely be around a 6 seed. How much fun would a Brooklyn vs New York playoff series be? 

NFL

Giants: The Giants started 2012 with a must-win game against the Cowboys for the rights to be called NFC East Champions. After beating Dallas in the Meadowlands, the G-Men caught fire beating the Falcons, Packers, and 49ers to earn another chance to beat the Patriots at Super Bowl 46. Being known for their 4th quarter comebacks, the Giants scored the last 9 points of the game, including a 6-yard scamper by Ahmad Bradshaw with 2:49 left to give them the lead and their 4th Lombardi Trophy. After starting off this season 6-2, the team has collapsed, losing 5 of their last 7, and are hanging on to slim playoff hopes going into the final week of the season. 

Jets: The Jets hands down have had the strangest year of any sports franchise. After a on and off field collapse ended their 2011 season on New Years Day, the franchise made a headline-stealing move by trading for Broncos QB Tim Tebow. Despite Rex's continued boasts, the franchise is now one of the worst in the sport. Our big money franchise quarterback Mark Sanchez has had a nightmare season with 25 turnovers, including the infamous butt-fumble on Thanksgiving. Rex Ryan has refused to use Tim Tebow, opting to bench Mark Sanchez for 3rd string quarterback Greg McElroy last weekend. Now it has come out that McElroy has a concussion, and Mark Sanchez is back in as starting QB for the season finale against Buffalo. I'll have a lot more to say about this in next week's post. 

NY MVP: Eli Manning

Breakout Star: Victor Cruz

Biggest Disappointment: Tim Tebow/Mark Sanchez

Predictions: Both New York football teams will be coming into the 2013 season significantly different.  I wouldn't be surprised if Tony Sparano, Kevin Gilbride, and Perry Fewell are looking for new jobs. The Jets are in a complete rebuild, but the Giants just need to tinker a couple things to compete for a title again in 2013. 

NHL

I'm not much of a fan of hockey, but I got into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Devils and Rangers met in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1994, with the Devils getting the upper hand. The run ended with the Devils losing to the LA Kings in the Finals. A lockout is threatening to cancel the entire 2012-2013 season.

I started this blog in February and wasn't sure if I would keep up with it, but I have a lot of fun writing every week. I like to wish all of you a happy and healthy new year. I'll see you back here bigger and better in 2013.

Yankees Stay Warm While the Stove is Hot

R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, and Jose Reyes are now Blue Jays, Josh Hamilton traded in his Rangers blue for Angels red, Zack Greinke is crossing town to the Dodgers, and B.J Upton is now playing for the Bravos. It has been an exciting offseason so far for baseball (something that can't be said about the Jets offense). However, the team that usually is in the middle of everything has taken a back seat in December.

Sure the Yankees brought in Kevin Youkilis (whoopee!), and resigned Andy Pettitte, Ichiro, and Hiroki Kuroda. However, the small market Yankees let Eric Chavez become a D-Back and Russell Martin join AJ Burnett in Pittsburgh. October hero Raul Ibanez, Nick Swisher, and Rafael Soriano are still on the market.

Fear not though Yankee fans, because I am in the Christmas spirit, and am writing a letter to Santa for our Bronx Bombers.

Dear Santa,

I am worried about my favorite baseball team, the Yankees. While other teams are wheeling and dealing this offseason, we have taken a backseat on the Hot Stove. Here is my wishlist for next season:

Catcher

Losing Russell Martin leaves a hole in our backstop. If Austin Romine is fully rehabbed from his 2011 back surgery than I wouldn't mind seeing him and either Francisco Cervelli or Chris Stewart split time this year. Mike Napoli and AJ Piezynski are the only everyday catchers left in free-agency, but they come with a high price tag.

First Base

Mark Teixeira is due a little over $18 million this season, so there really isn't much wiggle room here. Last season was the first time since 2007 that he played in under 150 games, and he isn't getting younger. I don't see Nick Swisher resigning, so we are on the market for a solid backup. I wonder if Lance Berkman is looking for a part time job in the Bronx again?

Second Base

We are set here, exercising our option on Robinson Cano for the 2013 season.

Shortstop

Brian Cashman expects Captain Jeter to be ready for Opening Day following his ankle surgery. Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix are suitable replacements to relieve Jeter early in the season.

Third Base

The Yankees have over $40 millon invested in third base between Alex Rodriguez, who is possibly out until the All-Star break following hip surgery, and new signee Kevin Youkilis. Signing the former hated Red Sock was met with expected uproar from fans, not only because of his past, but because is another veteran with declining stats. Youkilis' average has dropped from .307 in 2010 to .235 in 2012 (a drop of .072). I would have liked to see us bring Eric Chavez back, but he didn't even want to hear the Yankees offer.

Left Field

The Yanks signed Brett Gardner to a one-year deal worth $2.85 million, so he is likely the incumbent to left field, following an injury that derailed his 2012 season. Reports are that we are talking to Raul Ibanez, who was excellent for us in October.

Center Field

Curtis Granderson's option was exercised for 2013, so the 40+ home run hitter will be back in pinstripes.

Right Field

The Yankees locked up Ichiro to a 2-year, $13 million deal this week, almost insuring him the starting right field job.

Starting Pitchers

Right now the Yankees rotation is projected to be CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and either Ivan Nova or Michael Pineda. I wouldn't mind taking a flier out on a guy like either Rich Harden or Jonathan Sanchez because you can never have enough starting pitchers.

Bullpen

It looks like Rafael Soriano is as good as gone after a great 2012, closing for the injured Mariano. I wonder if the Yankees would look into adding Jose Valverde who was released by the Tigers, to be the potential heir to throne of Mariano Rivera.

Game Over

I'm sick and tired of it all. I'm tired of Rex and Sanchez making excuses and giving canned answers in the post-game press conferences. I'm sick of watching #6 keep going out on the field as our starting quarterback, and making the same stupid mistakes of throwing off his back foot into double coverage. I'm tired of Tony Sparano's offense, who has proven to be even worse than Brian Schottenheimer. And finally, I'm sick of this defense that talks a big game, but can't make the big play and stop the other team when our putrid offense finally gives us a lead.

After that abortion of a game last night, the Jets season is thankfully over. Rex Ryan has given the Jets fans an early Christmas present by announcing today that Greg McElroy will be our starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Chargers.

It makes you wonder if Rex had stuck with his gut (which isn't as large as it used to be) than maybe we would be talking about Greg McElroy in the midst of a 3-game winning streak with the Jets are only a game out of the Wild Card. Instead, he went back to Sanchez, and now for the first time in Rex's tenure as head coach Gang Green is out of the playoffs before play begins on Week 17.

According to Jets beat reporter Rich Cimini, the franchise wants Tim Tebow to dress so they don't have to deal with more backlash about the league's most popular backup quarterback. So does that mean that Mark Sanchez will go from starting back-to-back AFC Championship Games, to being a healthy scratch in less than two years? Also, if Woody and Rex are so worried about what people think about Tebow, is that why Greg McElroy wasn't dressed, and possibly given a chance to come into the game last night when it was clear that Mark Sanchez didn't have it?

I would love to be a fly on the wall in Rex Ryan's office to know what really goes on behind closed doors in Florham Park. The quarterback carousel is almost hard to fathom, and unfortunately only 3 men know the truth (Rex, Woody, and Mr. T). That is what makes being a fan of the Jets and writing this blog increasingly difficult. Everything we read about this is pure speculation.

I would like to wait and see how the final two games of the season play out before giving my opinions on the quarterback situation, as well as the rest of the team, for next season. The facts the way I see them are that Sanchez is owed too much money to just be cut, and no team is going to want to trade for him. Tim Tebow came here and said all the right things, but Tony Sparano and Rex Ryan either didn't know the right way to use him, or flat out just didn't want to play him. Greg McElroy has a chance in these final two games to impress the Jets front office and secure at least a roster spot and maybe be embroiled in a legitimate starting quarterback competition for next year,

For now though, pack up the clowns, elephants, and trapeze artists. The circus is closing, and it will be significantly different the next time it comes to town in July in Cortland.

UFC on Fox 5 Preview

Tomorrow's UFC show is potentially a make or break show of the company's early run with Fox. After the first show, Velasquez vs Dos Santos, averaged 5.7 million viewers, the following three cards averaged less than half of that, with around 2.5 million fight fans tuning in. This card is huge in keeping   a good relationship with Fox, and Dana loaded it up with stars and an intriguing title fight. Shogun Rua, making his second free-tv fight, and Octagon legend BJ Penn, who is fighting for the first time in over a year, will bring in the casual MMA fans. The Lightweight Championship fight between Ben Henderson and Nate Diaz (who earned his #1 contender shot by beating Jim Miller on Fox in May) is almost guaranteed to be an entertaining fight. Fox did their part too, by heavily promoting the show during football this past Sunday, and producing a great countdown special.

Mike Swick vs Matt Brown

With his back against the wall, coming off a two-fight losing streak as well as an 18-month layoff, Mike Swick pulled off what was the feel-good story coming out of UFC on Fox 4 by knocking out DaMarques Johnson in the second round. This time he is matched up with the man with the "iron chin", Matt Brown. This is a fight seven years in the making. When Swick was on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, a young Matt Brown looked up to him, and wrote to him on Myspace. Swick never responded, and now they open a nationally televised card facing off in the Octagon.

Swick is a kickboxer who goes for the knockout, 8 of his 15 wins came via knockout. While Matt Brown has never been knocked out in 26 professional fights, he has been submitted nine times. Both fighters match each other stylistically, and this fight should provide good fireworks to start off the main card.

Shogun Rua vs Alexander Gustaffson

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is a mixed martial arts legend, dominating in the Japanese promotion Pride from 2003-2007, before coming to the UFC. Rua has beaten a who's who of the sport, including Lyoto Machida, Chuck Liddell, and Rampage Jackson, with a strong right hook. The 25-year old Gustaffson is trying to get the first big win of what looks like a promising career. Gustaffson is coming in on a 5-fight winning streak, most recently beating Thiago Silva by unanimous decision. This looks like another can't miss fight, with the winner being in contention for Jon Jones' Light Heavyweight Title (along with the winner of February's Dan Henderson-Lyoto Machida matchup).

BJ Penn vs Rory MacDonald

This is another fight where a UFC icon is going up against a young up-and-comer looking to knock him off of his thrown. "The Prodigy" BJ Penn had his first UFC fight in 2001, when Rory MacDonald was still in middle school. Throughout his legendary career, Penn has held both the Welterweight and Lightweight Championships. MacDonald has made a name for himself, training with fellow Canadian Georges St. Pierre.

Instead of showing respect to a legend, like Gustaffson has, MacDonald has taken every opportunity to take a shot at the future Hall of Famer. After Rory called out BJ on Ariel Helwani's podcast, Penn agreed to fight his rival GSP's protege. After their fight, scheduled for September, was canceled because of a cut MacDonald suffered in camp, the two began trash talking. Penn said that Rory was scared, MacDonald responded that he's going to wind up killing Penn. BJ Penn took offense to Rory's comments on the preview show that "I am fighting to hurt him... not someone else's opinion", perhaps taking a veiled shot at BJ's UFC legacy.

With a lot of pent up frustration between these men, this is going to be a war. Even at this stage in his career, BJ Penn is one of the best strikers in the welterweight division, but his cardio is going to be questioned against the younger MacDonald. Penn has only been knocked out twice in his UFC career (by GSP and Matt Hughes), with his other six losses coming via decision.

Nate Diaz vs Ben Henderson

The Championship Main Event, has been overshadowed by the MacDonald-Penn drama, but it should be the best fight on the card. Coming off of two questionable decision victories against Frankie Edgar, Ben Henderson is trying to cement his legacy as UFC Champion. Nate Diaz, one half of the infamous Diaz brothers, is fighting just because he loves to kick people's asses.

Ben Henderson, the former WEC Lightweight Champion and current UFC title holder, is a good fighter in all-aspects of the sport, with a blackbelt in Taekwondo, a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and an NCAA All-American wrestler. Henderson's last six fights have ended in decision (5-1 record). Nate Diaz on the other hand is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, training with Cesar Gracie.

This is going to be a fun cat and mouse game, with Diaz looking for the submission (11 of his 16 wins have come via submission), but Henderson is an expert on the ground as well, not being submitted since his 3rd professional fight back in 2007.

With the Pacquiao-Marquez 4 fight later on Saturday, it's going to be a great night to gather your buddies up, order some pizza's from you favorite pizzeria, bring a case of beers, and enjoy a great night of fights. I'll be back to wrap it all up on Monday.

McSanBow

We've created a monster. By benching Mark Sanchez for Greg McElroy during the 3rd quarter of this past Sunday's game against the Cardinals (which set football back 50 years by the way), Rex Ryan made a decision that could potentially change the course of this franchise. With a returning Tim Tebow, the Jets now have a 3-headed monster at quarterback, but unfortunately neither of them are very good.

Mark Sanchez may have sealed his fate after another multi-turnover game, bringing his turnover total to 20 (13 interceptions, 7 fumbles). Sanchez led the offense to 162 yards an 0 points in 10 drives on Sunday. With McElroy running the show, the team gained 150 yards and a touchdown on four drives. It seems to me like the former 5th overall pick has lost all self confidence, and actually looked relieved when he began to jot notes down on a clipboard. Maybe this benching will finally be a wake-up call to Buttfumble and he will start to play with some passion again, or his Jet career is ticking down.

Greg McElroy didn't light the world on fire, going 5/7 for 29 yards with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland. However, McElroy did seem to ignite the team and energize the JetLife crowd (without Fireman Ed for the first time in years), who was lifeless for most of the game, except for when they were booing the offense. I don't expect McElroy to be the next Tom Brady, be maybe he could be another Chad Pennington. A quarterback that won't put up huge numbers, but will be smart with the ball and win you football games. In fact, McElroy has said that he hasn't lost a game that he started since Middle School.

Where does all of this leave Tim Tebow? The man who led Denver to the playoffs last year, before miraculously beating the Steelers in the first round before Tom Brady ended his Cinderella season. After the Jets made a blockbuster trade in the offseason to bring him in, to say he's been used sparingly is an understatement. Tebow is 6/7 passing on the year, and is averaging 8.7 yards per game running the ball. Does Rex even dress Tebow on Sunday against his hometown Jaguars, or is Robert Malone's punt protector not worth a roster spot? 

Rex is keeping his poker face so far, and isn't giving any of the three guys a vote of confidence in the media. Personally, I'd like to see McElroy play a whole game. Despite the win on Sunday, the Colts, Steelers and Bengals all walked away with W's also, leaving us 2 out of the Wild Card. Maybe we can strike fire with McElroy, and he could give us Jets fans something to look forward to in 2013. With games against the 2-10 Jaguars and 4-8 Titans, now is the best time to give a young quarterback some starts under his belt and help gain some confidence. If he struggles against the dredges of the NFL, then maybe you see if Sanchez learned anything, and worse case scenario, if all else fails, you still have Tebowmania. 

Jet Crash

Before I start this post, I'd like to thank Fireman Ed for his years of supporting the Jets both at Giants Stadium and JetLife Stadium. Yelling J-E-T-S at the top of my lungs like a maniac with 70,000 other Green and White fans will NEVER be the same without you.

Jet Crash

How did the Jets go from this.....

to this.....

in less than two years? Is it because of a general manager who began to believe in his own hype? Or was it because of a head coach who is really more suited to be a defensive coordinator? Or could it be because of their "franchise quarterback" who never really lived up to the team's expectations? I'm going to look at all three of these men, Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan, and Mark Sanchez, and let you come up with the conclusion.

The Rise

Mike Tannenbaum was a Bill Belichick guy. He got his start in the NFL working as an assistant with Belichick in Cleveland in the early nineties. In fact, it was Belichick that recommended Tannenbaum to Bill Parcells in 1997 to be hired on as the Jets Director of Player Contract Negotiatons. Known as a master "capologist", Mr. T was very good with numbers. He eventually worked his way up to Assistant General Manager, before replacing Terry Bradway in 2006 as the Jets GM.

With the help of then head coach Eric Mangini, Tannenbaum drafted future Jet starters D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Leon Washington, Darrelle Revis, and David Harris in the 2006 and 2007 Draft. After trading for Brett Favre prior to the 2008 season, Woody had huge expectations for the team. However, when things went south at the end of the season, it was clear a change needed to be made.

After firing Eric Mangini in 2008, the Jets went in a completely different direction from the mild-mannered Mangenius. In stepped a character that was larger than life. Rex Ryan is a blue-collar guy that Jets fans could relate to (a guy you wouldn't mind having a couple cold brews with). He didn't kiss rings, but he loved to lick feet, and was always ready to eat Goddamn snacks. His bravado mixed with a great sense of humor took New York (and the national media) by storm. 

With it being clear that Brett Favre wouldn't be coming back to New York, the first big decision Mr. T and Rex made was to draft a franchise quarterback. The man they chose was USC junior Mark Sanchez. Taken fifth overall, Sanchez was a star before he even took his first snap in the NFL, appearing shirtless in a now infamous GQ article. 

In 2009, the team was playing with house money. Nobody expected them to play well with a rookie head coach and quarterback, but they caught a couple lucky breaks (yes, I'll finally admit it 3 years later) and wound up making it to the AFC Championship Game, losing to Indianapolis.  With a reloaded roster (including LaDanian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, and Antonio Cromartie) Rex began his second year with more swagger than the first year. HBO's Hard Knocks featured the team in it's annual series following an NFL training camp. The team backed up the talk, making it to another AFC Championship Game, this time losing in Pittsburgh. With a young nucleus of players, this was supposed to just be the beginning of Rex's Gang Green's run at a Lombardi Trophy.

The Fall

Prior to the 2011 season, the Jets made a few questionable decisions by letting go of some of their veteran locker room leaders. The organization parted ways with Jerricho Cotchery, Shaun Ellis, Damien Woody, Jason Taylor, and Tony Richardson (they let also Thomas Jones and Alan Fanceca go before the 2010 season). Mike Tannenbaum signed a fresh out of prison Plaxico Burress to replace Braylon Edwards, and we all know how well Derrick Mason worked out replacing Cotchery.  In addition to that, Mr. T never really replaced Faneca or Woody, instead choosing to give Matt Slauson/Vlad Ducasse, and Wayne Hunter the jobs at their respective positions.

While they weren't as good as in previous years, going into their Week 15 matchup with the Eagles, the team controlled it's own destiny with an 8-5 record. After getting thrashed by Philly, the Jets met their Stadium rivals, the Giants in a game that changed the fortunes of both franchises around. The Jets held the lead until Victor Cruz caught a pass and ran it 99 yards for a touchdown, that gave the Giants the lead that they never relinquished. Big Blue took the momentum from this game all the way to a Super Bowl win.

The Jets meanwhile, ended their season in Miami, as Santonio Holmes sat and sulked on the sideline as the season ticked away. This was just the tip of the iceberg, and as the offseason began many anonymous Jets and ex-Jets took to the airwaves to say that this was the worst locker room they have ever been in. Rex Ryan had his first strike against him.

Before the 2012 season, the Jets released offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and Wayne Hunter, two guys who became scape goats for the offense's struggles. Rex brought in former Dolphins head coach, Tony Sparano, to help install his ground and pound offense. Rex and Mr. T made another decision though, that could wind up fatal to their Jets careers.

On March 22, the Jets traded a 4th round pick to the Broncos for their controversial quarterback Tim Tebow. Not only did the trade bring in un-needed media attention and raise expectations, but the only thing it was successful in doing was undermining their "Sanchise" quarterback. After every mistake Sanchez has made this season, the Metlife crowd has serenaded him with chants of "We Want Teeeeeebowwwww".  Instead of building around their quarterback, by bringing in a good lineman or a play-making receiver or running back, they brought in the NFL's most famous backup.

The low point of the season had to be this past Thursday's game against the Patriots. Gang Green was embarrassed on national tv, giving up 35 points in the second quarter to their biggest rivals. Never during the Rex Ryan era has the talent level between the two teams been as far apart as they are this season.

The Future

At this point, the Jets are in limbo. They still have some really good players (Mangold, Revis, Cromartie, Harris) and some other pieces you can build around (Ferguson, Pouha, Coples, Wilkerson, Landry, Bell). However, I don't believe that the team has a true starting quarterback. Mark Sanchez can still be a good quarterback in this league, but with everything that has gone on the past two years, he and the Jets need a divorce. Unfortunately, Sanchez is guaranteed a little under $9 million for the 2013 season, so the team is practically handcuffed to him for next year. Tebow should be traded, perhaps to the Jaguars where the Florida fans will get behind him.

While I still like Rex, his act has grown stale. He used to be the funny fat guy, now he is skinny and people are tired of his schtick. He has tried to tone down a little bit, but now he seems almost phony by making a complete 180. The two most damning things on Rex is that his pride and joy, defense, has taken a step down every season. Secondly, the two teams Rex attacked the most, the Giants and Patriots, met in the Super Bowl for the second time in 4 seasons (a game the Jets haven't seen in 43 years).  In Hard Knocks Rex said he wants to lead the league in "fucking wins" but the team is 4-10 in their last 14 games.

Mike Tannenbaum hasn't had a great draft since 2008. Vernon Gholston, Mark Sanchez, Vad Ducasse, and Kyle Wilson are all considered busts. When you look across the city and see how well the Giants are drafting every year it is even more apparent. When things were going well "Mr. T" felt like he could do no wrong, bringing in guys with checkered pasts. Both he and Rex need to look in the mirror now because the blame of the locker room problems fall on both of their shoulders.

Jets fans want blood, so I'd be surprised if Mike Tannenbaum is brought back. The only way I can see him staying is if Woody wants to give this trio of guys one last chance to turn things around before clearing house before the 2014 season. In 2009 when Tannenbaum hired Rex, and then made the decision to draft Sanchez, he tied the careers of these three men together. After reaching the mountaintop of back-to-back AFC Championship Games, the curse of the Same Old Jets has reared it's ugly head again. Let's go eat some Goddamn snacks. 

Sanchez Ran Into His Lineman's Ass and Fumbled the Ball

Happy FUCKING Thanksgiving. This team is an embarrassment, and almost everything Rex has done his first two years to change the culture of this team has been erased. We are and always will be the Same Old Jets. Just the feeling of helplessness of watching a beat-down like this, it's sad. I was too young to remember the Rich Kotite team, but it couldn't be too much worse than the crap I watched today.

I will always support the Green and White, but at nights like these it is very difficult. We were flat-out humiliated on national television. This is the type of game that causes people to lose their jobs, Tannenbaum, Rex, Sparano, Sanchez, we're looking at you.

The game got so bad that they shot off fireworks after we kicked a field goal, when we were down 35-0. Also, apparently Jets superfan, Fireman Ed left at halftime.

Offense

THEY STINK!!!!!!

Defense


THEY STINK!!!!!!

Special Teams



THEY STINK!!!!!!

Good Night

Week 12 Picks

Jets-Pats

For millions of Americans, today was about family and turkey dinner. However, for a small percentage of lunatics, including myself, the day is about Gang Green. In less than an hour, the Jets kickoff against their rival Patriots, just two games out of a Wild Card spot.

A win here will keep the Jets season alive, and they can watch as the Colts (6-4) play the Bills (4-6), the Steelers (6-4) possibly without Big Ben for a second straight week against a chippy Browns (2-8) team, and the Bengals (5-5) host the Raiders (3-7). With an easy schedule coming up (Cardinals, @Jaguars, @Titans, Chargers, @Bills (who have a combined 17-33 record)) they could finish 9-7. A loss though will likely put them out playoff contention for the second straight year.

Not much has changed matchup wise from their first meeting. The Pats still have a great offense, as seen by their 59 point output against the Colts on Sunday. The injury to Rob Gronkowski wiill be somewhat offset by the return of Aaron Hernandez. However, their 30th ranked pass defense is susceptible to the big play.

For the Jets, the keys are simple. They have to loosen the reigns on Mark Sanchez, and give the fourth-year starting quarterback the proverbial keys to the car. If you play too conservatively and keep giving the Pats offense the ball you are going to lose. You might as well give yourself a chance and take advantage of their porous secondary. Defensively, we know the Pats better than perhaps any team in the league, but Grey Hoodie always has something special in store for his favorite Green Guys. If we hold Tom Brady to around 27 points, than we will have a chance to win this game.

Prediction:

Jets 27 Patriots 24

I believe that we can pull off a Thanksgiving miracle to keep our season alive.

Week 11 Picks

Last Week: 4-1
Season: 33-19-4
Lock of the Week: 4-4-2

Lock of the Week: Seahawks -3 over DOLPHINS

Ravens -1 over CHARGERS

SAINTS Pick'Em over 49ers

BUCS +1 over Falcons

GIANTS -2.5 over Packers

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

St.Louis gets Ram-med by the Jets

Jets-Rams

It was all smiles on Sunday, as the Jets, with their backs against the wall, went to St. Louis and faced an offense with more problems than their own. While I'm not going to get too excited about the game, it gives Jets fans hopes going into the Turkey Day game against the Patriots. Plus, it helps cool down Rex's hot seat.

Report Card

Offense

B+

As a whole, the offense played pretty well, putting up 27 points, and protected the football. A 12 play, 63 yard drive, in the third quarter gave Gang Green a comfortable 2-score lead. It was also their only drive over 40 yards during the game.

Mark Sanchez had a workman-like performance and was very efficient, going 15-20 for 178 and a touchdown (including a couple drops). Chaz Schillens (4 rec, 48 yards) and Jeremy Kerley (3 rec, 43 yards) were the teams leading receivers, and had a solid all around day. Stephen Hill was shutout for the second straight game, with a drop. Hill is having a bad rookie year, after recording two touchdowns in the opener. The running game was solid. Shonn Greene had 18 carries for 64 yards, and Bilal Powell tacked on an additional 42 yards on 11 carries. Tim Tebow was used sparingly, running twice for -5 yards, and throwing for -1 yard on a failed fake punt attempt.

Defense

A

The Jets defense played their asses off, and some bad coaching from Brian Schottenheimer (remember that guy?) helped them out. After allowing 86 yards on the Rams opening drive, the Rams had 118 yards on their next 9 drives. The defense forced three turnovers (an interception and two lost fumbles). The run defense had a tough time against Steven Jackson (13 carries, 81 yards), but Schotty took the ball out of his hands, instead opting to have Sam Bradford throw 44 times. LaRon Landry recorded 8 tackles to lead the team. Mo Wilkerson had a great game, including a strip sack that led to the Jets first touchdown.

Special Teams 

C+

The Rams almost had a kickoff return for a score that was called back because of a questionable holding call. Nick Folk was 2/4, having one field goal blocked. Joe McKnight and Kyle Wilson did a good job on punt and kickoff return duty.

What's Next

The Jets are going back home to play the division rival Patriots, who will be without Rob Gronkowski. A win on Thursday will officially put the Jets back into the Wild Card hunt, but a loss will pretty much put them in the same spot they were in before this win.

Around the AFC

This was a crazy week of NFL action.... The Texans needed overtime to avoid an upset at the hand of the Jaguars. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson were the stars of the game, with Johnson finishing with 273 yards (and the decisive score), while Schaub finished tied for the 2nd most passing yards in an NFL game, throwing for 527 and 5 touchdowns. With the new overtime rules in effect, Houston became the first team to score twice in overtime. I'm sure this game was just an aberration for the Texans and their top 5 defense..... It looks like running up scores has finally come back to bite Bellicheat. During their last touchdown drive of a 59-24 rout, Rob Gronkowski suffered a broken forearm. The Patriots 21 points off of returns (punt and 2 pick sixes) in a game against the Colts that was closer than the final score....  In an ugly Sunday Night game, the Ravens squeaked by the Roethlisberger-less Steelers. Baltimore's lone touchdown came off of a punt return by Jacoby Jones. The Ravens have a two-game lead in the division, but both teams meet again in two weeks, with a possibly healthy Big Ben.... The Broncos won a big divisional game, sweeping the Chargers this season. While Peyton had another great game, with 270 and 3 scores, Phillip Rivers struggled, throwing 2 picks. Norv Turner appears to be playing out the rest of the season as a lame duck head coach. 

Around the NFC

The Cowboys tried to hand the Browns the win, but Cleveland may be even worse than Dallas at closing out games. Believe it or not, the Cowboys are now a game out of the division, with a big game against the Redskins awaiting them on Thursday..... The Falcons came back from 13-0 down, and survived 5 interceptions by Matty Ice to beat the Cardinals. Atlanta doubled Arizona's yardage (178-354), after Matt Skelton was benched for Ryan Lindley..... In another crazy game, the Bucs scored 11 points in just over 4 minutes to force overtime against the Panthers. A 7-play, 80 yard drive tied the game at 21, and another 8-play, 80 yard drive in overtime put them ahead for good. Josh Freeman is having a great season under Greg Schiano..... It looks like the clock is ticking on Andy Reid's Eagles career as Philly suffered another rout at the hands of the Redskins. Nick Foles was 21-46, turning it over twice playing for the injured Michael Vick. To make matters worse, LeSean McCoy was injured near the end of the game. RG3 passed for 200 yards and added another 84 on the ground, as he goes neck and neck with Andrew Luck for the Rookie of the Year..... The Saints are rolling right along, winning five of their last six. The Raiders were the victim this week as Drew Brees threw for 219 and three touchdowns. New Orleans is back to .500, and are a game behind Seattle, Tampa, and Minnesota for the Wild Card. 

Week 11 Picks

I'm going quick pick style for Week 11 because of the GSP-Condit post. I love a lot of road teams this week.

Last Week: 6-1
Season: 29-15-4
Lock of the Week: 3-4-2

Jets +3.5 over RAMS

Lock of the Week: The Jets are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and a win here will keep their faint playoff hopes alive going into a Turkey-Day battle with the Cheatriots. Rex has usually done a good job of turning controversy off the field into motivating the team on Sunday. We'll see if he can do it again with possibly his job on the line.

Chargers +7.5 over BRONCOS

Just like Rex, Norv Turner is coaching for his job. San Diego has been overlooked by a lot of NFL pundits, and they can make a statement here. I don't know if they're going to be win, but they will keep it close.

Colts +9 over PATRIOTS

Bottom line, these are too many points for the Pats, with their porous secondary, to give Andrew Luck and the Colts. I see a 42-35 type of shootout here.

Bengals -3.5 over CHIEFS

The Chiefs almost pulled off the upset of the Steelers with Big Ben only playing a half. Andy Dalton has been playing better lately and I love the Bengals here until the Chiefs prove to me that they can win a game.

Bucs -1.5 over PANTHERS

Schiano has the Bucs playing balls-out, and they are on the outside looking in on the playoff race in a tough NFC. NFL defenses have figured out Cam Newton, and he just doesn't look the same as he did in his rookie year.

He's Back!

With football season going on, it's been hard to keep up with MMA. I'm dedicating this post to some thoughts on MMA topics from the past month.

UFC 154: GSP-Condit

After a 19-month absence from the Octagon, Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre returns to defend his belt against Carlos Condit in Montreal. GSP will be looking for his tenth straight win and his 7th consecutive title defense. This is St. Pierre's biggest test to date, as he is not only battling "The Natural Born Killer", but he is also coming off an ACL tear that he suffered in October of 2011.

GSP and Condit were supposed to meet in October after Nick Diaz went crazy and was taken out of the main event title fight. St. Pierre had to back out of the fight with what he thought was a minor knee injury. Once the severity of his injury was known, Condit and Diaz fought for the Interim Welterweight Title, which Condit won in a controversial decision. After their fight, Diaz failed a drug test for marijuana and is currently serving a one-year suspension. In August, GSP was given the green light to return to training, and this unification fight was scheduled shortly after.

Condit isn't following in the footsteps of Dan Hardy or Josh Koscheck, instead the two have kept the build-up to the fight friendly, with mostly complimentary remarks being traded between the fighters. Both guys normally train under Greg Jackson, but Jackson has decided not to help either fighter (a decision he probably should have made when dealing with the Jon Jones-Rashad Evans rivalry). Carlos is training mainly with Mike Winklejohn, while Georges has trained at Tristar Gym in Canada with Firas Zahabi.

As for the fight itself, it should be a competitive, but if St. Pierre is back to 100 percent, than I find it hard to see Condit winning. Carlos has knockout power, finishing Dan Hardy, Kim Dong-Hyung, and Rory MacDondald; before fighting conservatively against Diaz. St. Pierre will never be as flashy as Anderson Silva (I'll talk more about this if GSP wins on Saturday), but he is the most technically sound fighter in UFC history, and picks his opponents apart.

In the Co-Main Event, Martin Kampmann and Johny Hendricks battle for a potential number one contender in the Welterweight division. Hendricks made a name for himself knocking out Jon Fitch, but didn't look impressive in a split decision win against Josh Koscheck. Kampmann is coming off of a big knockout win against Jake Ellenberger. This has Fight of the Night potential.

As for the rest of the card, there are a lot of exciting fights on paper. Submission expert Francis Carmont takes on "Filthy" Tom Lawlor. Costa Phillipou and Nick Ring is a matchup of two good BJJ fighters. Finally, the always exciting Mark Hominick battles Pablo Garza in a Featherweight battle.

RIP Strikeforce: 2006-201

In a move that doesn't come as much of a shock, Zuffa announced that Strikeforce's last show will take place in January, with all fighters being swallowed up by the UFC, including their women's division. Since Zuffa purchased the company in March of 2011 most of their top level talent has already made the switch, including Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson, and "Mayhem" Miller.

This is mixed news for fans of the sport. On one hand it's good because UFC fans will see dream matches with the Strikeforce stars Gilbert Melendez, Luke Rockhold, Josh Thompson, and Daniel Cormier. In effect, UFC cards will be deeper and with recurring injuries that's a huge plus. Also, with Showtime canceling two events in the past year, Strikeforce was beginning to give Zuffa a black eye. 

More importantly perhaps is the addition of women's MMA to the UFC. Bottom line is that Ronda Rousey has become a superstar of the sport, and she became impossible for Dana to keep his hands off of her (not that way, you creeps). A superfight between Rousey and Cris Cyborg is going to give the UFC a HUGE main event for a Fox show in the future. 

The negative is that UFC loses another competitor (even though they technically own them), and there are going to be less fight cards (and jobs for fighters). It's going to be interesting to see how Dana White reacts with some UFC-castoffs that he had/has feuds with, including Frank Shamrock and Nate Marquardt.   

Strikeforce is welcomed by Pride and World Extreme Cagefighting as now the third promotion to first be bought by Zuffa then intergrated into the UFC. 

Jones/Sonnen

It was announced that Chael Sonnen gets his wish again, and will be fighting Jon Jones for the Light Heavyweight Title in Newark in April, after the two coach opposing teams in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). MMA purists were up in arms over how a guy coming off a title loss in another division is getting a title fight at another division, but I for one love it. 

UFC is a business, and fans want to see Chael and Jon fight. This already has the potential to have one of the biggest buy rates of next year. Sonnen is the master at selling fights, whether you're a fan of his or you want to pay to see him get his ass kicked. He used the situation over the summer to talk himself into another blockbuster fight, and I can't blame him. 

Plus it helps save a fledgling TUF franchise. The past few years, TUF has grown stale, and the shown has seen record low ratings on FX with it's current Friday night time slot. FX already announced that with these superstar coaches, they would move Ultimate Fighter to a weeknight where it would get more eyeballs.  

Rex's Mess

Jets-Seahawks

For the first two plus seasons in New York, the Jets brought a different type of team that Jets fans could get behind. Rex's braggadocio and swagger, along with a swarming defense, and a ground and pound offense, Gang Green took the town by storm. There were goddamn snacks on Hard Knocks, they weren't "kissing rings", and they wanted to "no longer be the little brother" in New York. Little by little, Rex and Tannebaum made this team weaker, and now we are what they tried to dispute at the beginning of the season, they are a circus.

At 3-6, the New York Jets are now an irrelevant football team, just playing out the string of their schedule, and possibly hoping to get a high draft picks. I don't want to hear Rex say he still believes in Sanchez, I don't want to hear Antonio Cromartie say we're a playoff team, and I sure as hell don't want to hear Mark Sanchez say he is still confident, because he hasn't shown any confidence on the football field all season. 

I feel like I'm writing the same blog every week now with this team, and I'm sick of it. Fact of the matter is we are not a good football team. Our offense is the worst in the league, and could be one of the worst in Jets history (where is Browning Nagle and Bubby Brister when you need them?). The best thing for both parties now is for the Jets to divorce Mark Sanchez. He won't be able to succeed for this franchise anymore, and in part we can't win games with him either. I don't love Tim Tebow either, but at this point there is no harm in letting him play out the last 7 games of the season, and going into next year with an entirely different quarterback.

Report Card

Offense

F-

50 plays, 11 first downs, 185 total yards, 0 points scored. That is what the Jets offense did on Sunday, and it is inexcusable. We only had three drives of over 30 yards and all of them ended in turnovers (on downs, interception, and a fumble). The Jets offense has scored 9 points in their last 8 quarters.

Mark Sanchez finished 9-22 for 124 yards with an interception and a fumble. This is the fifth game this season that Sanchez had a completion percentage under 50%. Mark's completion percentage of 52% is lowest in the NFL, and his quarterback rating of 70.4 puts him 30th (ahead of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel, and John Skelton). Sanchez is still making the dumb mistakes that cost this team wins. His interception in the red zone (his fourth of the season inside the opponents' 20) killed momentum while the game was still tied. Then, down 14 in the fourth quarter, Sanchez fumbled trying to make a plays instead of just taking the sack, and pretty much took the Jets out of the game. Before these past few games, Sanchez was trying to lead a team with bad offensive talent, now it looks like he has given up.

Jeremy Kerley continues to be a solid pass catching target, catching 5 ball for 57 yards (including a 43 yarder). Dustin Keller played poorly, and the interception could have been avoided if he made a better play for the ball. Tim Tebow played well when given an opportunity, going 3/3 in the air, and adding 14 yards on the ground.

Defense

B+

The D came to play, but in the end they were just on the field way too long. They sacked Russell Wilson four times (Scott, DeVito, Lankster, Harris/Thomas), and scored the only Jet points of the day on a 21 yard fumble return by Muhammad Wilkerson.

Special Teams

C

Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt in the second quarter that led to Seattle's go ahead score. Other than that nothing good or bad happened on special teams.

What's Next?

The Jets travel to St. Louis to face a Rams team that is coming off a tie with one of the best teams in the NFC. The Rams play the NFC West style that has given Gang Green nightmares this season.

Around the AFC

In a battle of the two of the top teams in the NFL, the Texans won a sloppy game against the Bears. There was a total of six turnovers, but the difference maker was when Jay Cutler got a concussion on the Bears last drive before the half, knocking him out of the game.... Three interceptions by Ryan Tannehill and 126 yards on the ground for Chris Johnson was the key for the Titans upset of the Dolphins. Couple that with another Colts win Thursday night in Jacksonville, and the 'Phins season is pretty much over..... The Patriots improve to 11-0 in Gillette Stadium against the Bills. After being down 14 in the third quarter, Buffalo almost came back to win, but Ryan Fitzpatrick threw an interception in the end zone with seconds left in the fourth quarter.... The Ravens won in a laugher over the Raiders. Joe Flacco threw for 341 yards, and had 4 scores (1 rushing). The Ravens didn't make any friends by faking a field goal when they were already up 27 points..... The Broncos took care of business in Carolina. Peyton Manning had another 300-yard performance and is looking like the better Manning brother again.....  The Chargers kept things close against the Bucs before a Phillip Rivers pick 6 turned the tides in the fourth quarter. San Diego is facing a must-win game next Sunday in Denver if they want any chance to win the division.

Around the NFC

The Saints handed the Falcons there first loss of the season in a thrilling game in New Orleans. The home team needed a goal line stand up four with under 2 minutes left, stuffing Michael Turner on 3rd down and an incomplete pass Roddy White on fourth down. Two of the best offenses in the NFL didn't disappoint, with both teams combining for just under 900 yards and 58 points..... The Cowboys handed the Eagles their fifth straight loss (the first time under Andy Reid) and knocked Michael Vick out of the game in a 38-23 victory. Three Cowboys' touchdowns within a three minute span (passing TD, punt return, interception return) early in the fourth quarter put the game away. Nick Foles (22-32, 219 yards) played well subbing in for Vick aside from one crucial mistake. The loss pretty much ends Philly's season, and you have to wonder if we've seen the end of the Andy Reid era in Philly..... Alex Smith was the third quarterback of the day who was taken out of a game after suffering a concussion, as the 49ers and Rams was the first NFL game to end in a tie since 2008. The 49ers came back from 17-7 in the third quarter, and needed a David Akers field goal as time expired to force overtime. The Rams played the role of underdog to their advantage, faking two punts (including one in their own end zone). St. Louis should have won the game on their first OT possession, but an 80-yard completion to Danny Amendola was called back because of illegal formation, and a questionable delay of game call on their second possession took away a 53-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein..... Something is up with the Giants as they lose their second straight game to an AFC North opponent. AJ Green backed up his talk early with a 56-yard touchdown catch, and the Bengals never looked back. Eli threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as rumors swirl of a possible tired arm. Coach Coughlin is going to need the bye week to get his team to regroup and get healthy again..... Adrian Peterson rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth-straight game, as the Vikings rolled past the Lions. It is remarkable that AP leads the NFL with 1128 yards, after tearing his ACL last season.