Ship-Rexed?

Another offseason has come and gone, and now, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!!

Gang Green has had a quiet offseason, by Rex Ryan's standards, and truth be told are in rebuilding mode. That isn't to say that there isn't anything to be excited about as a member of Jet Nation. We will see rookie Geno Smith get a chance to start this season, hopefully our young receiving corps will show some sparks, and as always with Sexy Rexy we'll have a hungry (for goddamn snacks) and aggressive defense.

Quarterback

The offseason competition between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith had a clear winner in my opinion, that was until Rex brought Sanchez in the 4th quarter, to take home the Snoopy Trophy in the annual MetLife Bowl, not the real Bowl game the stadium will be hosting in February. Jets fans know what you're going to get with Sanchez. When you ask him to be a game manager, he is an adequate player, but when asked to lead a team, he is a rumbling, stumbling, butt-fumbling turnover machine.

Geno Smith is the question mark. He fell to the second round for a reason, and there are some questions about his leadership and work ethic. Scouts say he has good arm strength, but could struggle with accuracy, as you saw against the Giants in the preseason. He was announced the starter and will play the first game of the season. Despite that, Rex has said that the QB competition is ongoing, and the job isn't Geno's to keep, if he struggles early.

Grade: C-

Running Backs

Chris Ivory will get his chance after playing behind a variety of backs in New Orleans. After playing in only 24 games in 3 seasons with the Saints, Ivory will be given a chance to be a star in this run-first offense. Ivory's physical running style makes him susceptible to injury though. Second year back Bilal Powell showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year. He is a good runner and decent in the passing game.

Grade: B-

Wide Receivers/Tight End

The main question for this group is if/when Santonio Holmes will be back. Despite a rough 2011, Holmes was showing more maturity in the first few weeks of the 2012 campaign, before suffering a season-ending lisfranc injury. Holmes is a playmaker who has history of coming up in the clutch, and will be a play-maker in an offense in desperate need of one. Stephen Hill is going to have to improve from a rough rookie season. He was targeted 47 times, only catching the ball 21 times, and had a problem with the dropsies. Jeremy Kerley reminds me of a Jerricho Cotchery type player. He runs good routes and has great hands, a prototypical possession receiver.

Kellen Winslow and Jeff Cumberland will have to replace Dustin Keller in the offense. Winslow is an athletic tight end, but his age and injury concern leave legitimate question marks. Cumberland has had a good preseason, and we'll see if it carries into the season.

Grade: B-

Offensive Line

Pro Bowlers Nick Mangold and D'Brickshaw Ferguson are the anchors on the o-line. They are joined by Vlad Ducasse, Austin Howard and former Steeler Willie Colon. The big guys up front are going to have their work cut out for them on what will be a run-first offense.

Grade: B+

Defensive Line

The front-seven is the Jets strength. Mo Wilkerson has the makings of a star defensive end, and this could be his breakout year. Kendrick Ellis and Damon "Snacks" Harrison are the big bodies in the middle. Both guys have had a great camp. First round pick Sheldon Richardson will man the other end.

Grade: B

Linebacker

David Harris is going to have to step up his game after a poor 2012 season. Demario Davis is taking over for the retired Bart Scott, and should add some great speed to the linebacking corps. Calvin Pace returns for his 6th season in the green and white, and is still a good pass rushing outside linebacker. Quinton Coples will miss the first few weeks of the season with a hairline fracture of his ankle. Coples came on strong in the second half last season, playing defensive end, and may struggle a bit this year adjusting to his new position.

Grade: B-

Secondary

Revis who? Without the best cornerback in the league, the Jets were still the 2nd ranked pass defense in the league. Antonio Cromartie returns after a great 2012, and he is out to prove he is the second best corner in the NFL. Rookie Dee Milliner takes the other side of the field, and he has a lot of potential coming from the National Champions, Alabama. Kyle Wilson will move back to the nickle spot, after playing on the outside with Revis' injury last season. Dawan Landry will be replacing his brother LaRon in one safety spot, while preseason standout Jaiquawan Jarrett mans the other spot.

Grade: B+

The Jets are in a strange spot this season. They are in rebuilding mode, but they aren't good enough to compete for a playoff spot, and not bad enough to get a top 5 draft pick. After going 6-10, with some of the worst quarterbaThcking in the history of the league, you have to imagine Geno is going to be an upgrade. Plus, our younger players, Wilkerson, Hill, Kerley, and Coples ony getting better I think we're looking at an 8-8 season for Gang Green.

Week 1 Preview

Only the Jets will trade Darrelle Revis, and then have to play him on Opening Day, as the Bucs come to town. This game will be a good litmus test for the team, since Tampa is a decent but not great team. How they perform here will give us a good idea of what to expect the rest of the season. 

Tampa had the top run defense in the league last year, and they may force rookie Geno Smith to beat them. The good news for Jets fans is that it looks like Santonio Holmes is going to start for the first time since Week 4 last year. Rex Ryan already said that he's warned Smith not to test Revis, who is recovering from an ACL tear. 

Josh Freeman is going to struggle against our secondary, with Cromartie matching up well against Vincent Jackson. The Jets had problems against the run last season, and they will be tested by Doug Martin. 

This should be a close game, with either Geno or Freeman being forced to make a play late to win it. I think Gang Green makes the JetLife Stadium crowd happy with a home opener win, before going to New England on Thursday night.  

Prediction: Jets 20 Bucs 13

Hail to The Kings?

Avenged Sevenfold's sixth studio album, Hail to The King was introduced to the world via a free Itunes stream on Monday. After listening to the album a few times, and having some time to absorb it, I'm ready to give my review.

Shepherd of Fire sets the tone for the album, and is going to be a great song to open up concerts, with the ominous tolling of a bell and the sound of rain falling in the beginning. Their first single, and the title track Hail to The King has grown on me, and is a pretty damn catchy song. Doing Time checking in at 3 1/2 minutes is the shortest A7X song. It sounds like it would belong on Appetite for Destruction. This Means War follows in the footsteps of Metallica's Sad But True, and is the heaviest song on the album. Requiem finishes out the first half of the album strong, and is my favorite song so far. It is the most original song on the album, and I like M Shadows chanting/singing here. Synyster Gates adds a sick solo to the song.

Crimson Day is your typical rock-ballad. I think it's easily Avenged's worst ballad. Dear God, Seize the Day, and So Far Away blow this out of the water. Heretic is a good song, but sounds out of place on this album, It sounds more like a track from City of Evil, but that's not a bad thing. Coming Home is another solid track, but nothing really special. This is where the album falls off a cliff in my opinion. Planets isn't bad instrumentally, but I don't like anything about the lyrics or Shadows singing here. Acid Rain wins an award for the worst Avenged Sevenfold song ever. It sounds like a bad pop-rock song, and would be better on a Nickleback album.

I was skeptical about the album, hearing the band talk about putting out a stripped down record, and emulating the bands they grew up listening to. My hopes were raised when I heard critics praising the album as the band's best work. A7X is always evolving as a band, constantly experimenting and tinkering their sound, so hopefully this was just a bump in the road. To me though, this sounded as if Avenged Sevenfold were a cover band of 80's and 90's metal. They took out all the things that separated Avenged Sevenfold from every other band, the dueling guitars, fast drums, harmonizing vocals, and threw them out the window.

Overall I would give Hail to the King a 6/10. The album starts off really well, and Crimson Day is an average ballad, but the last two tracks were so bad, it knocks it down from an 7.5 to a 6 in my opinion. Shadows said in a few interviews that the writing process was tough without the help from Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan for the first time in their careers, and it showed here. Don't get me wrong, even though this album disappointed me, I still and am and will be an Avenged Sevenfold fan foREVer.

Jets Preseason Under Way

The Jets season unofficially started on Friday night with their first preseason game against the Lions. While the final score of these games don't matter, it is important to see who is improving or declining, and look at various position battles. I'm going to break it down into 3 categories, the good, the bad, and the buttfumbles.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!

Good

• I really like what I saw from our new offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. For the first time in God knows how long, the offense looks fluid with a good mixture of passing and running plays. Mornhinweg's West Coast offense is a quarterback-friendly system, with a lot of high percentage passing plays.
• The 7-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter. Sanchez bounced back nicely from a terrible interception, capping it off with a 26-yard strike to tight end Jeff Cumberland. 
• Kellen Winslow looked really good on Friday night. If the 9-year veteran can stay healthy he could be the most explosive weapon on this offense. 
• The defense did a good job of getting after Matt Stafford. Quinton Coples and Mo Wilkerson provided a consistent pass rush. Rex has a lot of young talent to work with in the front seven.
• Dee Milliner looked good in his first taste of NFL action, tipping a pass away in the end zone. The first-round pick from Alabama has a lot of expectations, replacing Revis Island, who is now a butt-pirate. 

Bad

• Jet Nation held their collective breath when we saw Geno Smith hobbling away after diving out of bounds on a play early in the 3rd quarter. Geno finished his day 6-7 for 47 yards, however only led the team to two first downs on 3+ possessions before his injury. The good news is he is reportedly in pads for Sunday's practice, so hopefully we'll get a better look at the rookie on Saturday. 
• Mark Sanchez looks like an assclown with that long hair and goatee. He is doing naked butt dances in ladies apartments, so what the hell do I know?
• The running game had a rough time getting going, with 16 carries for only 37 yards. Chris Ivory and Joe McKnight were held out of the game though, with injuries.  
• I don't know what the coaches were thinking leaving Braylon Edward on the field late into the 3rd quarter. I understand that they would want Geno Smith to work with our best wide receiver, but after he went down it was an unessacary injury risk. 

Buttfumbles

• On the offense's first possession of the new season, we started off right where we left off last year. Mark Sanchez was under duress, and threw a pass right into the hands of Ziggy Ansah, who returned it 17-yards for a touchdown. The only other player near the ball was Ndamukong Suh, another Lions defensive lineman.
•  The backup offensive line was getting Greg McElroy murdered. McElroy took a couple huge hits, and also fumbled the ball once. 

Goodbye A-Rod, Hello Geno

MLB

On the heels of Ryan Braun's suspension, in the ongoing Biogenesis scandal, The New York Post has reported that Major League Baseball has come to a decision, and is ready to hand out suspensions this week. The report states that 15 as of yet unnamed players, have cut a deal to serve a 50-game suspension, which will put them out for this year, but able to play Opening Day 2014. Alex Rodriguez isn't going to be so lucky. A-Rod is looking at the best, a 200+ game suspension, that will keep him out until Opening Day 2015, where he would likely retire, and collect a $60 million check from the Yankees for the 2015-2017 seasons. If A-Rod refuses to accept that deal, then he is facing a lifetime ban, which essentially tears up his contract.

When the suspension drops, it puts an end to a tumultuous nine years for A-Rod in the Bronx. Rodriguez has experienced the highs (two MVP seasons and a World Series ring), and the lows (benched by Joe Girardi in the 2012 Playoffs and his struggles with the New York fans and media) of playing in the Bronx. His ten-year extension that he signed in 2007 will go down in history as one of the last moves made by late owner George Steinbrenner. Rodriguez will finish 5th on the All-Time Home Run list with 647 long balls, and he leaves an additional $30 million on the table for failing to hit milestone homers 660 (Griffey), 714 (Ruth), 755 (Aaron), and 762 (Bonds).

The suspensions will likely be one of the last major moves made by commissioner Bud Selig, who is retiring after his 21-year run as commissioner. Selig will forever be connected to the steroids scandal, which rocked the sport since the early 2000s. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are likely never going into the Hall of Fame because of their reported steroid use, and other players such as Mike Piazza may never get in because of strong rumors that he was on the juice. The game is considerably cleaner than it was ten years ago, but there is always going to be a cat-and-mouse game between new drugs and tests that are able to catch them.

NFL

Thank God Football is Back!!!!! The Jets began their training camp this week, and I am optimistic about their 2013 campaign. They should be the the second best team in a very weak division. I'll go over this in more detail in the coming weeks with my NFL Preview, but the Jets have a solid defense, and an offense that has to improve from last season. 

One of the main stories in camp this year will be the quarterback competition between rookie Geno Smith and veteran Butt-Fumbler Mark Sanchez. I'm torn on my feelings here. While Mark Sanchez played some of the worst quarterbacking I've ever seen last year, I feel like a lot of it had to do with the fact that he had a revolving door of receivers to throw to. Even if Santonio Holmes isn't able to play the first quarter of the season, Braylon Edwards has great chemistry with Sanchez, Stephen Hill can hopefully show some improvements catching the ball, since he's proven that he could get open, and Jeremy Kerley, who I like, I like a lot (but not more than Brandon Inge) in the slot. At this point, Sanchez is really playing with house money, as most Jets fans expect him to be God-awful, so there aren't any high expectations playing games with his mental state. 

On the other hand, you have Geno Smith, whose draft stock fell considerably during the second half of his last season at West Virginia. We don't know how he's going to fit in the NFL, and how he is going to deal with the pressure of playing in New York. With the success last season of Luck, RG3, and Russell Wilson, you have to remind yourselves that this is a boy entering a man's game, and just five years ago most rookie quarterbacks weren't expected to start Week 1 of their first season. We'll get our first real taste of Geno on August 9th when the Jets kick off the preseason against the Lions. 

While I'm on the subject, the fact that there is a controversy whether Rex Ryan or John Idzik have the final say on who the starting quarterback is going to be, proves that you either have to give Rex some job security or just fire him now. I'm a big Rex supporter, and the front office isn't doing the right thing leaving him twisting in the wind. The team is not built to win now, so while it would be beneficial to begin giving younger and unproven players a larger role, Rex is trying to save his job by playing the veterans. That is especially the heart of the issue in the quarterback competition. 

In more Jets camp news, we have a cornerback holding out, and his name isn't Darrelle Revis. Rookie Dee Milliner is already reminding fans of the ex-Jet by looking for more guaranteed money in his rookie contract. Milliner is one of just four first-round picks that are still unsigned. Hopefully the two sides can reach an agreement soon, since we are counting on Milliner to start Week 1 opposite Cromartie, and he can't afford to miss too much practice.

UFC

UFC on Fox 8 happened last night, and it doesn't really seem like anyone cared. If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?

As good as the fall/winter is going to be, the 2 August Pay-Per-Views combined with a stacked Fox Sports 1 Debut card on August 17, left last night's show lacking something. It isn't Dana White's fault that the Rory MacDonald- Jake Ellenberger put the crowd to sleep, but I don't like headlining these Fox shows with the Flyweight Championship. No disrespect to Demetrious Johnson, but the division has less than 10 fighters in it. The challenger, John Moraga had previously only fought on the prelims. 

Fox could be a very beneficial tool when used to build young fighters, or set up big championship fights that people would want to order on pay-per view. It doesn't help the company when you just throw together a second rate card. Once people think that the fights are skippable, than you start to lose your base audience. 

Hail to the King

Hail to the King

This week, Avenged Sevenfold released the title track to their sixth studio album, Hail to the King. At first, I wasn't really blown away by it, but after replaying it a few times, and doing some research into the album I am slowly beginning to like it. Before I go any further, take 5 minutes to listen to it for yourself

It's obvious reading and listening to interviews with the band that Hail to the King will be different from every other Avenged Sevenfold record. Sounding the Seventh Trumpet and Waking the Fallen were classic metal albums. Then, the band underwent a change before City of Evil, in 2005, moving away from the hardcore and more to a heavy metal/hard rock sound. 2007's Avenged Sevenfold, saw the band add a more melodic tone to their music and experimented with everything from country music to an orchestra. 

A7X was riding high, before the unfortunate passing of their drummer and friend Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan in 2009. As a result of that, Nightmare, which was released less than a year after The Rev's passing was an emotionally heavy album, and you can tell that the band was in a dark place during that period.

While Jimmy will never be forgotten, the time has come for the band to move on. Arin Ilejay was brought in to be the the band's next full-time drummer. Matt Shadows has said in various interviews that the band decided to go back and listen to a lot of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and have come out with a more blues-rock and classic metal sound. 

It looks like the band is going through it's most drastic change since 2005. That being said, I'm looking forward to hearing the entire album on August 27th before I pass any judgement. A7X has never let me down before, and I'm expecting whatever they put out to be good. 

MLB

From the kings of modern day metal, to the king of relief pitching. Mariano Rivera had one more last this week, his last MLB All Star Game. As unlikely as it seems now, unless the Yankees make the World Series, this will be the last time all of Major League Baseball gets to show thanks and say farewell to the greatest closer of all time.

It was a touching moment at Citi Field Tuesday, as every player stood on the top step of the dugout as Rivera ran out to the field with his typical entrance theme "Enter Sandman" blaring through the speakers in Queens, just miles away from his home in the Bronx. A visibly emotional Mariano pitched a perfect 8th inning, en route to being voted the All Star Game MVP, completing the Triple Crown, of All-Star Game, ALCS, and World Series MVP.

The Yankees only have 67 games left on their regular season schedule, and now each appearance Mariano makes in the game will become more special, culminating on September 26th, the team's last home game. Mo will be missed.

On another note, Citi Field and the Mets were great hosts to the Mid-Summer Classic. Matt Harvey and David Wright starting for the NL is a bright spot for a franchise that has had so much go wrong for them the past 6 years. As a Yankee fan, baseball season hasn't been as much fun without our inner-city rival, so I hope that the Amazins' are on the rebound.

Spider Squashed

History was made at the MGM Grand Saturday night, as the nearly 7-year title reign of Anderson Silva came to an end at 1:14 of the second round. Chris Weidman, who's record improved to 10-0, has become the 6th UFC Middleweight Champion, and with one fight, will be remembered forever.

Leading up to the fight, a lot of UFC fighter, including Frankie Edgar, GSP and Chael Sonnen, thought that the Long Island native could put an end to the Brazilian's win streak, with a strong wrestling base. The beginning of the first round went exactly as they predicted, as Weidman easily got a takedown and began a vicious ground and pound, similar to Sonnen's first fight with Silva. After Anderson wiggled out of a heel hook though, it appeared that Silva was trying to goad Weidman into his style of fight. Silva was taunting Weidman by keeping his hands down and bobbing and weaving, hoping to find an opening like he's found countless times before. As the first round ended, it looked to me like Weidman was becoming frustrated, as Silva hugged and kissed him.

The second round started like the first round ended, with Silva showboating, with his Matrix-like defense. However, after Silva taunted Weidman by pretending to be out on his feet, Weidman hit Silva right on the button, knocking him down and out.

The Brazilian-heavy crowd turned on their national hero after the fight, cheering for Weidman and booing Silva during Joe Rogan's post fight interviews. Silva gave off a weird vibe during his interview, congratulating Weidman, and hinting that the title had become a burden on him, initially turning down an immediate rematch. At the post-fight press conference, Dana White said he respects Anderson's decision to take some time off before deciding what his next move is going to be. 

It has been almost 24 hours since the fight, and I'm still speechless. Even though I thought Weidman had a legit chance at the upset, I never saw it ending the way it did. This loss will quiet all the talk of superfights with everyone from Georges St Pierre to Jon Jones, and even a proposed boxing match against Roy Jones Jr. As far as Anderson's legacy is concerned, I really don't feel like this loss did too much damage. In combat sports it is nearly impossible to keep a winning streak alive, since one slip-up can leave you staring up at the lights. This just makes what Floyd Mayweather has done even more impressive.

I agree with Dana, that the idea the fight was a fix is a "fucking joke", but Anderson didn't seem to be taking Weidman as seriously as he should of leading up to and during the fight. If anything, let's hope that his actions teach the up-and-coming stars that those types of antics are a no-no in the cage. The only damper on the night, is that a lot of MMA pundits aren't giving Chris Weidman enough credit, instead saying that Anderson cost himself the fight. Weidman has had a rough year, since his house was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and this win is life-changing. 

I will be shocked if Anderson doesn't change his mind, and these two men will enter the Octagon one more time soon (it's been rumored already by Dave Meltzer that they may main event in New Jersey Super Bowl weekend). If we don't see the rematch, Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami are two potential challengers for the belt.

The main event overshadowed what was a really fun show. In the co-main event, Frankie Edgar and Charles Oliveira put on a war, with non-stop action that has become the norm when "The Answer" fights. Frankie used a combination of boxing and wrestling to stop the Brazilian, and get his first win at 145 pounds. An elated Edgar said "T.R. (Toms River), NJ, take this ride with me again. Let's go!!!". I think either Ricardo Lamas or Chad Mendes makes sense as potential future opponents for Edgar as he tries to climb the ladder for a rematch with Jose Aldo.

It was a great night for the 145-pounders as Cub Swanson and Dennis Siver had a great fight (Edgar and Swanson both won Fight of the Night) as Swanson knocked Siver out at 2:24 of the third round. With this win, Swanson may have done enough to earn a shot against the winner of Aldo-Korean Zombie.

After a rough year, it was nice to see Mark Munoz rebound with an impressive performance against Tim Boetsch. Munoz seemed to be in great shape, and was very aggressive on his way to a unanimous decision. Edson Barboza is shooting up the Lightweight ranks, with a violent win against Rafaello Oliveira, chopping him down and eventually finishing him with leg kicks. 

Turning the Page

As the calendars change from June to July, the sports world begins to heat up. Baseball is reaching the mid-way point of the season and NFL talk is heating up as training camps open at the end of the month.
The Heat walk away back-to-back NBA Champions after a really fun NBA Finals with the Spurs, and CM Punk's team, the Chicago Blackhawks win Lord Stanley's Cup.

UFC

This weekend is UFC 162 from Las Vegas. The July 4th weekend card is now a staple of the UFC year, and it is no different this year. Pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world Anderson Silva defends his Middleweight strap against Chris Weidman. Silva is putting his incredible 17-fight win streak and 10 consecutive successful title defenses up for grabs as well. Love him or hate him, just like when Floyd Mayweather or GSP fight, you have to watch even if it is just for the small chance of seeing his historic reign come to an end.

Either the UFC is really selling "wolf tickets" (thanks Nick Diaz), or the 9-0 Chris Weidman really has the secret formula to squash The Spider. The Long Island born fighter is looking to pull off the shocking upset, much like his trainer Matt Serra did to GSP many years ago. With a strong wrestling base, Weidman does have a chance if he can keep the lanky Brazilian on his back, much like Chael Sonnen did in their first fight. Win or lose though, Weidman is very confident in his abilities and this should be a very entertaining fight.

In the co-main event is my boy, Toms River's own, Frankie Edgar. The Answer is on a three-fight losing streak, with two losses to Ben Henderson, and another to Jose Aldo, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Frankie should get back in the win column this time around, against Charles Oliveira. "Da Bronx" has a good ground game, winning nine fights by submission, but I don't think he will be able to stand and trade with Frankie.

It is clear that Frankie Edgar needs a win here. A loss won't put him on the chopping block, but will put him further away from every fighter's goal, 15 pounds of gold around your waist. Even with a  win against Oliveira, Edgar is still probably two more wins away from a potential rematch with Jose Aldo for the Featherweight title.

Barring injuries, UFC should finish off 2013 strong, with Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustaffson scheduled for 165 in September, the trilogy with Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos concluding at 166 in October, and GSP and Jonny Hendricks slated for 167 in November.