Mets spring training: Wilpons speak!

As spring training approaches, the Mets are meeting expectations head on.  Expectations being that there are none.  David Wright isn’t too thrilled with ownership’s response to the underdog mentality according to Peter Botte of the Daily News.  Mike Puma of the Post gave Met fans the news they DIDNT want to hear:  Fred Wilpon has no intention of selling the team.  Adam Rubin of ESPNNY gave us the transcript of the 22 minute press conference that ownership had with beat writers and reporters alike.  Tyler Kepner of NY Times writes that perhaps the Mets can view the Wilpons as their version of Howard Spira, the gambler who was paid $40,000 by George Steinbrenner to spy on Dave Winfield which led to his suspension and stewardship being taken over by executives who managed to keep the core of a championship team together.  

I have never said I questioned the Wilpons devotion to the Mets.  As twisted and as corrupt as their ideal is, they love being the owners of the Mets and treasure the position they are in.  They care about baseball and we can’t question their desire NOW when they were spending over $100 million for a good part of the last decade.  But the constant with holding of information and trying to make everyone look like fools for suggesting that the Wilpons are in a bad state financially when everyone knows that to be the case makes people NOT like you.  Its bad press I get that, but at some point you have to face the reality of the situation which is this:  the New York Mets ownership situation, as murky as it is, has to be truthful.  Just tell fans that you are struggling and are trying to make a better product in a different way.  That the uncertainty of the Madoff litigation is forcing you to address baseball needs in a more frugal manner and until they know exactly what they are on the hook for, if anything, they can not make long term commitments and while it was tough to see one of the faces of the franchise go, they HAD to because they were mired in this rut.

Why not thank Jose for years of service and sticking with them?  Why not tell David Wright that they are being held hostage by this situation?  Why continue to lie to the public that suddenly you decided to address the needs of your club by cutting $50 million in payroll and acting like it was a baseball decision?  Why talk like you had a $100 million offer to Jose Reyes when you NEVER made a public offer to him?  Why take a helicopter to a Miami Heat game when everyone is watching you?  These are things that idiotic people do, not ones who made their fortunes through hard work and the like.  These are the kind of things that make fans mad at you.  And more importantly, these are the things that make fans not come.  When Opening Day comes, I wonder how many cardboard cutouts of fans they will have to make the crowd look more full than it is.  I wonder how much noise will be created by the PA system to make it sound like a crazy atmosphere.

Sadly all it will take is for wins to be produced.  I love our manager.  Terry Collins deserves to manage a winner and I hope they renew his contract.  He has elements of Bobby Valentine except the front office prior to this one stripped the Mets of any depth they may have had.  There are too many IFs to this Met season and that’s what worries me.  A last place finish isn’t only realistic its almost a given.  Do YOU expect anything to go right for the Mets after all the years of it NOT?  The season is long and its cruel because its long.  But hope springs internal, never let it get out though.

Thoughts on Knicks after the Heat game

The Knicks fell to the Miami Heat 102-88.  The Heat won their 8th in a row.  Jeremy Lin scored 8 points on 1-11 shooting which marked his worst performance thus far since his meteoric rise.  Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News writes that the learning curve just got harder for Lin “an emerging young playmaker.”  Mike Vacarro of the Post wrote that as the Knicks entered the All Star Break they got a gut check on where they have to go to compete with the best in the NBA.  Frank Isola wrote that perhaps Lin’s confidence looking shaky and running into the Miami Heat wasn’t just mere coincidence.  Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald wrote that no matter who’s playing the Heat these days the score winds up pretty much falling in line with the usual.  

Look, I went into this game fearing the worst and what I got….wasn’t all that bad.  The Knicks were competitive.  The Knicks looked hungry.  But some of the things that worry me came back to bite them.  Everyone will point to Lin’s 8 turnovers and 1 for 11 shooting as the major culprit in this loss.  But I just think that AT THIS JUNCTURE of the season, with all the new players that are working themselves into the rotation.  With all the guys learning to play under the Mike D’Antoni offense and the Knicks having a point guard who can do a reasonable Steve Nash impersonation since the good ole days of Raymond Felton, there’s an obvious learning curve the Knicks have to play under.  I’m not saying that Lin has to know where every guy is at this point because he just started playing with Amar’e again two weeks ago.  He just started playing with Carmelo again on Monday.  He started playing with Baron Davis, JR Smith on Sunday.  These are all new guys that he has to grow more comfortable with and its interesting to see Lin embrace the challenge and difficulty of having to please multiple scorers on this team.

It won’t be easy and I believe he recognizes it.  Many people are going to wake up this morning and talk themselves through this game saying “the Heat are the best team in the NBA, what did you expect?” Or, “Linsanity wasn’t going to last forever”.  Yes, and those arguments would be correct but let’s take some of that truth serum and augment all the forthcoming with this:  the Miami Heat are beating EVERYBODY.  And i mean, EVERYBODY.  And its with defense.  I waited with baited breath to see Lebron or Wade on Lin but it was neither.  It wasn’t a sign of disrespect that Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole were defending him, it was a sign that the Knicks are more than just those guys on offense that they can afford to keep their best defensive players on Lin.  Lin’s forays to the painted area were in limited view because they clogged up the lane so quick.  The Heat were prone to three pointers on the wings because of that and Steve Novak made them pay.  Then, Mike D’Antoni didn’t play him much after that.  In fact, Novak didn’t get any minutes in the fourth quarter which kind of boggled the mind because EVEN WITH the Heat’s defensive intensity, which wore the Knicks down, they were within reach with about 3 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.  But never got their offense going while the Heat began to make baskets.  The Knicks were done in because something about their offense isn’t right.

One thing I don’t understand is that when Lin is attacking, Amar’e and Chandler should just immediately be converging to the basket so that Lin has two options to go to there OR be able to kick it out to Carmelo so he can either stop and pop or attack the hoop.  The Knicks would be unstoppable.  And here’s where things get trickier.  Remember that experimental option of Carmelo as point forward?  Me thinks that the Knicks should continue to push that idea in Melo’s head.  Its something that Melo took to heart early in the season and tried his level best to embrace.  Melo is a scorer yes, but he’s also a fantastic passer which sometimes gets overlooked.  Its further proof that Melo’s offensive game is so multifaceted that he should easily be averaging around 25 and 7 assists.  On the chance that the defense keys in on Lin driving or clogging the lane, Melo must begin looking to push the ball here and there to give the defense a different look.  Lin can not be the only guy pushing the rock and setting up the defense.  I’m not saying that its a bad thing that he does it, I’m saying that if you have an advantage anywhere, its in Melo’s ability to do so much more.  I believe Melo’s mind can fathom being an ultimate play maker because I’ve seen him take that role in a few games thus far and he will learn to pick his spots.  In the fourth when the lead had dropped to 8, Melo began taking the ball and taking shots and yes they didn’t fall but I liked it.  He KNEW when he needed to take over and while those shots didn’t fall (who can blame him, Lebron was on him), most of the time those shots will fall and what OTHER TEAM has a defender like Lebron that can easily rotate over and contest EVERY SINGLE SHOT at four different positions?  My point is, Melo has an understanding of when to take over and while it may not be solace to Knick fans to wake up this morning and digest that L after such a huge uplifting blowout win against Atlanta you can take this with you: the Knicks know where they measure up.  Against the best team in the NBA, the Knicks took their lumps and hung in there.  Deep into the third.

Yes, Mike D’Antoni is still learning who to rotate in and out.  I dont know how the second half is going to play out and who’s going to get playing time and who won’t.  Yes, Baron Davis looks rusty as all HELL.  Yes, I think he’s going to need MUCH more playing time if we want him to be a viable point guard.  Yes we have three guys who will chuck up shots at inopportune times but I’m not too concerned about all that.  The job of a great point guard is to figure out how all of those pieces work.  To align everyone in the right spots.  And I insist that Melo also take up that responsibility.  I ask that Melo look to that as a challenge to his offensive game.  Take this weekend to figure it out.  Talk to Lebron and work out with your buddies.  Steal some moves.  Understand the nuances of the game when you’re being coached up by some other coaches.  I would take Jeremy Lin and start practicing.  I would fly RIGHT OUT of Orlando and into NY and then start practicing heavy Monday morning.  Tuesday Morning.  Fly out Tuesday night.  Talk through the game.  I want Lin and Anthony to be buddies.  Yes they walk in different circles but they both serve the same purpose in my mind.  THOSE TWO are integral parts of the offense and those two make the offense go.  I’m convinced Amar’es lift is reserved for key moments in games.  I have no confidence in his ability to drive to the basket.  His athleticism is deteriorating right before our eyes.  He’s being routinely blocked underneath the basket because he can barely lift to dunk the basketball.  He has no confidence to dunk it on people.  He needs to be fed the ball while he has a head of steam.  Chandler has no post up game or offensive arsenal to speak of.  I don’t expect him to though.  His game is predicated off of drive and dishes to him underneath the basket or alley oops.

The fact is this, the Knicks are a team that is finally NOT a team of transition.  When they open against Cleveland on the 29th, their next game is on the 4th against Boston.  So between today and Boston, they have 9 days and two games.  They can work in three, or four good practices in that time.  These practices HAVE TO BE good.  I love JR Smith’s defense.  He looks intense out there and out to prove something.  I love Steve Novak’s confidence in his shot.  I love that this game happened to Lin because he will bounce back.  I love Jared Jeffries defense and the overall intensity he brings on the court whenever he’s there.  I love Tyson Chandler.  He’s such a man.  I like this Knick team.  Hold on to your butts Knick fans.  This second half is going to be fun.

Sports Rounds 2/21/2012

The Knicks lost to the Nets last night 100-92.  Deron Williams had 38 points and could’ve had 40+ had he not fouled out.  Tim Smith of the Daily News writes that perhaps Deron Williams, like the NBA, isn’t too fond of being a backstory to Linsanity.  Marc Berman of the Post says that Carmelo Anthony’s return proved disastrous as the Linsane Knicks looked confused after getting off to a fast start in the first quarter.  Tim Bontemps of the Post wrote that Baron Davis didn’t prove to be the presence that Knick fans had hoped for a month ago but having a motivated and healthy Baron would help too.   Stefan Bondy of the Daily News writes that Deron Williams had a point to prove and circled this date on his calendar.    

Before people look at the scoreboard and put two and two together that because of Carmelo Anthony’s return the Knicks lost should promptly roll up their newspaper or turn off their IPads, close up their laptops and promptly smack themselves in their face with it.  I will continue to insist that despite the return of the Melo-Man, Linsanity should only be strengthened despite conventional wisdom stating the opposite.  We all know that Carmelo loves to ISO and take his own shot but so does JR Smith, why bring two one dimensional players on board?  At least JR looks like he gives a damn on defense.  And that’s where the Knicks have been brutal.  Carmelo AND Amar’e logging major minutes on the other end of the ball creates a bigger problem than anything on the offensive end.  The Knicks defensively looked lost and couldn’t stop Deron Williams coming off screens, on help defense, on drives right into the painted area, they just do not help the cause.

There was a bit of me that wanted to see the original group that helped the Knicks to so many wins these last few nights on the floor but D’Antoni rightfully so (Can’t believe I’m saying this) stuck with the new group for as long as he possibly could.  The grouping you want on the floor is the one where Lin is the PG, Landry is the shooting guard, and its Melo, Amar’e and Tyson Chandler.  THOSE GUYS need to learn how to play well together on both sides of the ball so its counterproductive to immediately remove them for a lesser team despite the success.  Melo’s man is routinely left open and routinely has open shots and should camp out in the corner.  Melo’s always been lax on the defensive end and that more than anything is what scares me about his return.  IF Melo’s return is a problem on offense I put that squarely on the shoulders of the point guard.  We’ve now removed the interim tag off of Jeremy Lin and have approved his status as NBA point guard and not as overnight fluke.  The boy can ball but now what?  Easy.  His job is to provide the ball to his scorers in the best way possible.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Does that mean less shot attempts?  Maybe.  But knowing the flow of the game must be one of his duties and that is something that Lin didn’t do until late.

He seemed hesitant to be aggressive because Melo was there.  Why on earth did he do that?  His job is to distribute the basketball to the open man but you can’t do that when you’re NOT driving.  The defense won’t collapse and defenders won’t leave their man thus leaving no one open.  Melo wasn’t running through screens, the Knicks were still running the pick and roll offense without any one actually rolling.  That was their problem offensively.  Ball movement doesn’t just mean that Spalding touches everyone’s hand.  It means that there are guys moving around constantly shifting position causing havoc on the defense trying to read and stay in front of their man.  There was more of that wonderful: stay in one spot and let the ball come to you and let’s everyone move out of the way as Melo posts up his defender.  That’s the kind of shit that brought Lin into the world, hopefully its not the shit he creates that will take him out.  Lin must realize this and end it quick.  HE must be aggressive to the rim if no one else will.

But the reason the Knicks lost is because they  missed their threes while Deron Williams threw up enough threes and made enough to put the gellin in progress Knicks in enough of a hole that they had to abandon their live-game practice and had to actually play ball.  By then the Nets had hit too many threes and had too many buckets and Kris Humphries had taken Tyson Chandler, and Carmelo Anthony off their games by doing it the old fashioned way: boxing out on the boards and causing mayhem on offense.  Say what you will about his dating life but he sure was a disruptive presence, enough for Tyson to go chasing after him on the bench (though I thought that it was just Tyson going to ask him if it was ok if he saw Kim for a date) and for Melo to trip him while going up the court and draw a technical.

The game was way too physical early on and by the time the referees started calling it tight both teams were already pissed off at each other that there was going to be some frustration let loose.  The Knicks were just outshot and the fact was Deron Williams put on a clinic.  The man couldn’t miss.  Even when the Knicks trapped him, they immediately ran screens for him and Landry couldn’t get through them in enough time to disrupt his shot which was just Drain-O all the time.  Forget the fact that this is a top-tier point guard who took to heart alot of the negative press he had recieved as a result of Linsanity’s arrival at his expense.  Having to read the musings of some fans who felt that Deron had gotten schooled by an Ivy Leaguer must’ve gotten him bent out of shape and decided to give the Harvard grad a little taste of state run higher education from Arizona University.  The former Wildcat did enough on offense to put the Knicks away but it was the rebounding of Kris Humphries NOT allowing the Knicks to get second chance points like they did against the Mavs.  Fact is, the Knicks lost this game because the other team outplayed them, namely two guys.

As for Iman Shumpert’s absence being a major miss, yes I would agree his defense would’ve helped on Deron Williams.  He’s got the quickness to stay with him and the long reach to disrupt his shots which the other Knicks just don’t have.  We dont know if it would’ve mattered with Deron Williams being this hot but it couldn’t have been worse.  Either way, the major thing the Knicks don’t need is to limit the minutes of the rotation.  If that means less minutes for guys like Melo and Amar’e then so be it.  The fact is, the Knicks are in the business of winning games and for the next few, while the results may not be there, D’Antoni has to go with a steady mixing and matching to figure out who can play with who without the defense completely collapsing.  The Knicks rested Shump today and will probably do the same against Atlanta in order for him to be at close to 100% for another major test against Lebron, Wade and the Heat.

Yesterday, with pitchers and catchers reporting and the first sign that baseball is coming back, Mariano Rivera decided his fate after the end of the 2012 season….but isn’t JUST YET SAYING WHAT IT IS.  But that didn’t stop reporters from suggesting that the 42 year old baseball player is considering retirement.  Joel Sherman of the Post writes that his early arrival to Spring Training was a sign.  John Harper of the Daily News wrote that perhaps vocal chord surgery put a scare in Rivera making the immortal Mariano feel mortal again.  Erik Boland of Newsday writes that despite all the uncertainty Mariano tried to convey it was clear what he was trying to spell out.  

Like Mariano himself said: every year he comes in with a mindset that this may be his final season and while this may very well be his last, the thing about this announcement is that Mariano is pretty certain about his fate.  Despite my anti-Yankee sentiment I’ve always maintained I look at them with open eyes.  Mariano is the greatest closer hands down, in the history of the game.  I know other closers will say that this version of the closer is different than the guy who would routinely pitch two or three innings to earn a save but there aren’t many guys who do what Mariano does at such a high level with just one pitch.  Nobody who has his kind of accuracy in locating pitches and keeping hitters routinely off balance.  Nobody who came into a game and the opposing team’s confidence fell flat.  During that late 90′s run, NOBODY wanted to see Mariano Rivera in the game except the Yankees and their fans.  Much of his later years success was built off that reputation and much of his record was accumulated and padded thanks to a menacing stare and an ability to put the ball wherever he wanted to much to the hitters dismay.  He never threw it right down the middle, instead, nibbled on corners and broke bats and hearts.

He wore number forty two and at age 42, he seems ready to call it quits and perhaps his early arrival to Spring Training did say something: that perhaps he’d like to savor EVERYTHING about being a baseball player one last time.  That perhaps going through a spring training and a full complement of workouts is something he doesn’t need for his playing career as much as he needs for his memory.  To store.  To cherish.  To be able to bond with his teammates over a hot spring day in sunny Floriday.  To enjoy Jeter, the final Core Four Member still remaining, and his company.  To teach his magical cutter to young teammates who had his poster on their wall growing up.  To take a victory lap through all the ballparks in baseball and enjoy the cheers AND the boos (both signs of respect) for a man who was a champion in spirit as much as occupation.  A man who grew from humble roots and origin to become a success here in America.  A man who never forgot who he was and his Christian background.  A man who never allowed himself to be poisoned by fame and fortune but remained humble in victory AND defeat.  I’ve long considered Mariano Rivera one of the greatest players in the history of the game because of his accomplishments but he’s one of my favorite players because of his personality, attitude and his ability to be humble about it all.  He’s great.  He knows it.  He just wants to take in Spring and Summer, October and perhaps the Canyon of Heroes all one last time.

Daily Round up 2/17/2012

We’ve got Lin-Sanity.  We’ve got pitchers and catchers but before that, we’ve got sadness.

Mets Hall of Fame Catcher Gary Carter, who earlier had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of Brain cancer, died from complications of it at the age of 57 yesterday.  So many reactions including Mike Lupica of the Daily News,  Newsday’s Steven Marcus and David Lennon, George Vecsey of the New York Times writes a touching piece about how the pain of his mother’s death remained in this happy go lucky guy.  Howie Rose remembers the trade that brought him here and thinking that this was the final piece of the Mets championship puzzle according to Mike Vaccaro of the Post.  Marty Noble, formerly of Newsday and now for MLB.com wrote what I think is the quintessential piece on Gary Carter and is a must read for those who never knew him.   

I wasn’t there for 1986 and wasn’t a baseball fan until the 1992 season when the Mets had all but traded away the remaining pieces of the great 80′s teams so I never got a true appreciation for them.  I read about them in Jeff Pearlman’s book, “the Bad Guys Won” which for anyone who has read it will tell you, gives you about as clear a picture of the destruction and absolute chaos that reigned during that period.

It will also tell you the story of Mr. Gary Carter who was as straight laced and nice as they come.  Teammates mocked his clean lifestyle though he never tried to openly rub it in their face.  Of course, others never saw that.  Carter loved the spotlight, loved being the guy and many always accused him of having a nose for the camera because he liked that sort of thing.  There was a duality there that can’t be ignored according to players but as an outsider I think you CAN overthink.  Being the goody-two shoes in a clubhouse full of rowdies and drug users and alcoholics can make you seem weird and different and not like the rest of them but Carter fit into the Met dynamic.  He was an integral piece.  He was the missing piece for sure on a team that was determined to shove their greatness into other teams faces.  There were the 1985 Bears who Super Bowl Shuffled and the 1986 Mets who tap danced on opponents face.  The classic line is that before he went to bat in Game 6 of that infamous World Series of 1986 he screamed out that he “wasn’t gonna be the last out”.  It was a point of pride and an almost boastful tone for a guy who everyone knew to NOT be that.

In his later years he openly campaigned to be the Mets manager.  Even then it seemed boastful but it couldn’t be completely the Kid.  His nickname tells you everything you need to know about him.  Marty Noble writes that much like Peter Pan, the kid who never grew up, Carter needed to crow too.  He had plenty of things to say about plenty of issues.  He was openly Christian before it became all the rage in 2011 and 2012.  The thing is, Gary Carter was indeed the conscience of the Mets.  Darryl Strawberry was on the Mike Francesa show and admitted that the world would be a better place if everyone cared like Gary Carter or acted like Gary Carter and he himself knows, on his own road to recovery from the demons that took hold of him in the 80′s and still live in him, that had he taken Carter’s advice back then he would be in a better state.  But the Mets weren’t perfect and much of his clean living wasn’t cool enough for the Mets in the 80′s when it was all hard living and hard partying.  Gary Carter in my book will be remembered as a Met legend and the admitted final piece of the puzzle that sent the Mets from potential contender for a World Series title to favorites.  The Kid will live on through the memories Met fans have of him and as they pour in today, let’s remember that he died way too young just like the old saying always warns us, but we’re happy that the pain of his cancer won’t affect him anymore and his family has peace.

Linsanity has gone above and beyond everyone’s sorted expectation of it.  Its lasted well beyond its 15 minutes which makes you think that this is indeed more than just a fairy tale, its a real deal story about hard work and perseverance that can be a testament to everyone concerned.  Peter Vecsey drops some hardcore Knowledge on you suckaz in his latest column including a few shots at Money Mayweather who seems to be out of it when it comes to opining about the Knicks Cinderella man.  Frank Isola of the Daily News brings the thunder on Knicks assistant Kenny Atkinson who is the man BEHIND the man.  Marc Berman writes about the disbelief that Lin and Melo have over the theory that these two can’t co-exist when they are on the court together.  

Look, three weeks ago the Knicks were in a bad place mentally and physically.  Now, we are talking about challenging for the four seed in the East.  Go ahead, tell me I’m crazy for actively thinking about it?  Conventional wisdom says that if the Knicks avoid the Bulls or Heat in the first round the Knicks have a great opportunity to build up momentum and the idea is to get a home series in the first round and with this built up momentum its very realistic that happens.  I love the story of Kenny Atkinson because it shows that there are so many moving parts to this Jeremy Lin story and its not just a fairy tale-out-of-the-blue type of deal.  This is a moment he’s been coached up for and he’s improved and it goes to prove the theory that he is a guy who is READY for the opportunity presented before him.

As for the Mayweather comments, I hate to say it but there is a racial component here that can’t be ignored.  IS he getting the attention that he’s getting now because of his race?  Maybe.  But was he overlooked for this long because of it too?  YES.  The race issue isn’t something that’s eagerly brought up because it can lead to a dangerous conversation that ends up with some kind of racially insensitive comment that is misconstrued.  Here’s what I will say about it:  the race factor plays a role in Lin’s story but to say that black players don’t get this kind of attention is beyond foolish.  Look at Lin’s numbers: the only guys that are doing what he’s doing over the last seven games are guys named Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo and you mean to tell me Floyd that THEY DONT GET ATTENTION?  This is the kind of faulty logic and reasoning that I can’t comprehend and this kind of situation invites unfortunately.  EVERYONE wants to be part of the discussion and have a an original point of view on.  EVEN  IF it don’t make no GOD DAMN SENSE!

The Kenny Atkinson story goes to show you that this is not some sort of fluke and not some sort of magical pixie dust that fell upon him to give him this ability.  Its actual skill and talent that has been harnessed by good coaching and sound fundamentals and a willingness to be ready when the time came for it.  No matter HOW he got here, the fact is, he’s here.  If the Laker game proved anything its that the kid can score if he wants to.  The Minnesota game proved that he can will his team and lead his team back even when all signs point to a loss.  The Toronto game proved to us that IF he’s tasked with taking a last second shot, he isn’t afraid of the moment and is willing to do what is necessary.   What the Kings game showed is that when he has superstars to throw the ball to, his points go down but his assists go up.  I’m not too worried about the turnover stat line because that just goes with the growing pains of knowing where his players WANT the ball.  His ability to find them in stride will come and I’m happy that its coming in games against lesser opponents.

The biggest effect this Lin-Sanity is having is this:  look at his teammates.  Look at how they are reacting.  Look at how they have been galvanized and brought together.  Incredible how this kid can do that for this team.  It was interesting to me, watching the reaction of his teammates after hitting the game winning shot in Toronto, who came to embrace him:  Jared Jeffries, who he’s singlehandedly turned Knick fans opinion on, Steve Novak, who seems like the deep ball shooter to spread the defense out that the Knicks have been waiting for, and Landry Fields who’s playing like the player we saw in the first half.  Billy Walker, who I absolutely abhor has played some semblance of good basketball and for me the biggest kudos goes to Toney Douglas who could have been bitter.  Who could’ve sulked and complained.  He’s been practicing hard and waiting for his moment to contribute and trust me on this:  there will be a moment this season when Toney Douglas will make a HUGE PLAY for the Knicks because he’s capable and he’s never afraid of the moment.  TRUST ME.

I’m not worried about Melo joining the party though league sources say it won’t be tonight.  With the addition of JR Smith, the lethal 3 point shooter, the Knicks should be a much deeper team and imagine this: you get Josh Harrelson and Baron Davis back in a few weeks and then look at this team that Mike D’Antoni has:  Lin, Fields, Melo, Amare, Chandler as starters, Davis, Shumpert, Harrleson, Novak, Jeffries, Smith as part of the rotation.  That’s eleven deep.  ELEVEN.  What a difference two weeks makes!

Giants Round up 1/26/2012

With the Giants and Patriots renewing acquaintances on February 5th for all the marbles, Mike Lupica of the Daily News writes that the Giants road to Super Bowl fame and fortune begins and ends with the defense.  Paul Schwartz of the Post goes even more specific and cites the resurgence of Justin Tuck as the reason.  The Giants will have their hands full with the TE duo that the Pats have but as Ohm Yungmisuk writes the Giants feel they match up pretty nicely with them.  Dan Graziano writes that despite the knowledge they have in defeating Tom Brady before, they use that respect to continue to be diligent in finding new ways to win.  

Look, am I happy that the Giants are facing off against the Patriots? No.  There’s a sick feeling in my stomach because that’s Brady and Belichiek on the other end.  No matter what talk of psychological advantage is coming out, I dont want to hear it.  Its nice to hear the respect come pouring out for a guy who’s going to his fifth Super Bowl.  Brady has an aura about him that has transcended his own ability which means he’s an all time great.  He’s the kind of guy that you have to give credit to and honor everytime you play against him.  The Giants know what Brady is capable of and despite recent success, there isn’t much to point at and be overconfident if you are a Giant supporter.

Because that’s still TOM BRADY!  While there may be a recipe for disaster and the Giants being the perfect cooks to serve it up come Super Bowl time, the fact is, the Giants know not to lay back on their laurels.  Their healthy respect for Brady is prevalent watching him.  Yes, Brady will come in motivated having lost the Super Bowl when they were on their way to immortality in Glendale.  They lost their first home game to an NFC opponent since 2006 to the Giants this year as well.  The pass rush is something Brady sees in his nightmares.  All these things are true.  However, its STILL Tom Brady.  A sentiment that leads one to believe that Brady holds magical powers beyond the norm of a human.  We may find out how extra-terrestrial he is come Super Bowl Sunday.  His legacy will not be complete if every sentence about his greatness is abruptly cut short by the news that he could never beat Eli Manning and the Giants in a game that actually mattered.

The great ones can draw inspiration from even the tiniest of slights and yet I doubt that the Giants can say anything over the next two weeks that could motivate Brady anymore than their last two meetings have already.  Brady admitted Monday that he can’t re-watch Super Bowl 42.  I’m sure tape of this season’s contest won’t bring back fond memories for Brady but you can see that he’s taking every single step to correct any flaws.  He phoned his quarterbacking guru in California to help fix whatever needs fixing after an awful performance in Baltimore.  He’s not chuckling this time if Giant players call out a low scoring game for him and his offense.  This Tom Brady is scary because he’s got a chip on his shoulder.  A chip on the shoulder of a sixth round draft pick.  A guy you may as well have assumed came via the heaven opening up and dropping him into Foxboro and onto Bill Belichiek’s lap.  His divine presence has meant a dynasty for New Englanders, a term hardly mentioned in those parts given the former state of the Boston Red Sawx and the curse.  Brady’s emergence and Belichiek’s ability to get his defense to play up to par have given the Patriots the kind of team that most would be jealous of.

But if there is a mental advantage to be had by the Giants its this:  they know not to expect a hesitant Tom Brady on February 5th.  They know not to expect a giddy Tom Brady who overlooks the Giants.  They know to expect an angry Brady playing behind a no name defense on a ho-hum team that has a few offensive weapons.  A team that draws its strength from its tight ends while merely glossing over the fact that they also possess the league’s best slot weapon.  The Giants know that in order to defeat Tom Brady they can not allow him space or time to operate his offense.  The Giants have this knowledge and at this moment are playing the kind of football that would have you believe that they will be prepared.  If not, it will be Brady’s crowning achievement and the final jewel in his amazing crown of accomplishments.  THIS will be Brady’s BEST win ever.  Only the Giants stand in his way.

 

 

NFC Championship preview

That’s it.  All the talking is done.  The Giants and 49ers will square off for the NFC Championship.  Mike Lupica of the Daily News writes that this game is for the Giants opportunity to write another chapter in a long and storied history.  Mike Vaccaro of the Post writes that regardless of the forecast, these Giants have shown a propensity for coming through in the harshest of conditions.  Tom Rock of Newsday writes that if Eli Manning wants to really be elite?  Then win one more championship and then we can mercifully put that to rest.  Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com writes that in the midst of all the anxiety that a NFC Championship can bring, Tom Coughlin is cool as a cucumber, a lesson he learned on his last Super Bowl ride.  Greg Bishop of the New York Times writes that these Niners remind us of their glory teams.  Mark Purdy of the Conta Costra Times writes that the Niners are a hit show.  Cam Inman of the CCT writes the Frank Gore story, a must read for any who appreciate a story about a player who has had a tough road to this particular moment.  Jerry McDonald of the CCT writes about laid back Eli and why NOT being his brother is the best compliment ANYONE could give him.  Eric Branch of the San Fran Chronicle writes that Alex Smith thinks there’s only one guy who’s had it worse than him: Eli Manning.  

Well its finally time for the game and its now at the point where you can put all the festivities aside and get down to what’s important here and that’s this:  the Giants and Niners are going to play A CLASSIC NFC Championship game.  Its almost as certain as the reports of showers coming in.  Why?  I’ll give you a few reasons why:

1. The Weather-  If this were the 07 team, I’d tell you that the advantage was clearly on the Giants side since that was an offensive line that could obliterate any run defense.  Remember the game against the Ravens the season after the Super Bowl win and the Giants ran up over 250 yards on the ground?  The Ravens were the number one rushing defense.  THIS team is not built on the run like the Niners are.  But the Niners aren’t really built on the run either.  As they showed in their first game, if you dare Alex Smith to throw on first and second down like the Giants dared him to do Smith CAN make plays.  Hitch routes and slant patterns can effectively stop a pass rush if need be.  Both teams will need to air it out, but that game will be affected by reports of rain AND 20 MPH winds.  The QB better able to make the plays will prevail.  Both teams will have to make effective use of the running game and the team that can run up the middle without having to go outside into the edges will be the one who wins.  Look for the biggest plays to come over the tackles, the team that can effectively run off tackle against the defensive ends will be victorious.  Look for the Niners to put Justin Smith, their ALL-Pro tackle in the middle on first and second down and then their second team All-Pro defensive end Justin Smith (yes, same person.  Yes, its the first time a player has made it on to the team in two different positions) on third down at the edge, JUST in case the Giants try and go off tackle on their now-infamous draw plays.

2. Pass rush vs. Pass Rush-  The Giants are known for getting a pass rush from their front four, especially when the Giants get their NASCAR front.  But the Niners have two Smiths that aren’t average Joe’s at their position.  Justin and rookie Aldon, are two extreme motor guys who will continue to keep coming and will give it everything they’ve got.  Justin is probably the best defensive player on the field with JPP coming in a close second, since he can play a multitude of positions and plays it well enough to earn ALL-PRO honors, it will be important for the Giants AND Niners to get the pass rush.  I think the Niners have an excellent chance to get pressure up the middle against Eli thanks to Sopoaga, and Smith and the Giants will depend on C David Baas and their interior lineman to hold the fort down.  Expect the Giants to go with Tony Ugoh on several downs in place of Jake Ballard who will come ONLY on passing downs to try and neutralize the rush coming from the Niners who will also rush Navarro Bowman AND Patrick Willis.  On the Niners side, don’t expect Vernon Davis to have A HUGE game considering he will be used to block and chip on most downs so any catches that he will have will come as a result of it being Alex Smith’s last option or a blown coverage on the Giants part.  Since Ted Ginn’s injury and Michael Crabtree relative ineffectiveness, the onus is on these two to play critical roles.

3. Offense of Giants vs. Defense of the Niners-  The Giants have the superior offensive weaponry.  There’s no denying that.  But, the Niners have speed.  Last week, Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman played a lot of man coverage against Jimmy Graham AND Darren Sproles, lining up speed vs. speed.  Now, the Niners don’t have to commit those guys into coverage like that on single players.  They can have one OR two of these guys back there making tackles and making plays or going on blitzes.  This will be extremely beneficial to the Niners since this will be a comfort zone.  Why does this effect the Giants?  Because now, the Niners can use them to go against Victor Cruz in the slot.  They will play bump and run coverage.  They will use Willis or Bowman to try and muscle them within five yards and delay their routes.  They will try to throw off their timing.  Cruz’s strength is an undeniable weapon that i’ve seen him use to go and get those jump balls or go and make plays against corners who just can’t match up against him.  They will try to delay the timing and HOPE that the jam will throw them off routes.  Of course what makes Cruz and Nicks so tough to stop IS their physicality and they risk getting beat and those guys going deep which is why they will have safety help over the top on those guys which brings us to the match up that I think will decide the game: Carlos Rogers vs. Mario Manningham.  This will be one on one ALL DAY in my opinion.  They will try and match him up,  and if i were the Giants i would try and get Manningham routes going to one side of the field and Nicks and Cruz’s routes going on the other side of the field and making the safeties make a choice where to go.  Eli will have to make a decision where to go and depending on where he goes, it will decide the game.  Manningham has a case of the dropsies here and there, but there’s no denying that all it may take is one or two huge plays and the Giants will be in business.  If Manningham is torching them early watch for the Giants to get more favorable match ups against Cruz and Nicks and having no safety help and then it being just pitch and catch for the Giants.  As for the running game, I think if the Giants get a huge day running the football game the Niners have absolutely NO shot of winning which is why I DONT think the Giants will have a great day running the football.  But the Giants MUST stick to the run to keep the Niners honest.  If they are playing coverage Jacobs and Bradshaw MUST get into the second layer with regularity.

4. Offense of the Niners vs. the defense of the Giants-  This will be where the Niners MUST win.  Up front that line will HAVE to give Frank Gore lanes to run.  Its interesting that nobody is talking about this but this Giant front is playing the run SO much better even with only one true defensive tackle in there.  In my opinion when its 3rd and 5 or 3rd and six, and the Giants show that NASCAR look, I would run the football.  I know fans may not like it if they get stopped but that’s where the Niners must run it.  They have to run it to Osi’s edge.  If I were coaching the Niners I’d tell the Niner offensive lineman who’s going against Osi to hard sell the interior and give up the edge, IT WILL OPEN up huge holes.  Osi can’t play the run.  His biggest strength is when you line him up and its a passing down.  Delayed hand offs, draws, running to his side will be good.  Don’t run it to JPP’s  side because even with a lack of real fundamental awareness, his long athletic body can make plays and so you don’t want to run into that.  The Niners best bet is to run to the tackle side where Osi is and identify that area as to where the Niners will run the football.  Once that happens, the Giants WILL keep Osi out of the field on more plays which can only benefit the Niners.  I think you’ll see more of what the Niners did in the first game.  Three step or five step drops at the most, identify the best match up adn go to it.  I expect the Niners to attack whoever Aaron Ross is covering OR Prince Amukamara who will see extended action today as well.  It will be interesting to see how the Giants play their safeties.  Do they play them close to the line of scrimmage or keep one or two guys deep?  The Niners will take three to five shots deep in this game and it will be interesting to see how and when they choose to do the play action.  It will be run heavy early on in my estimation.   The Giants will have to watch for Delanie Walker who made some huge first downs for the Niners because all of the attention was on Vernon Davis.  Now, even more attention will be paid to Davis given his breakout performance against the Saints.  The Giants may just put Michael Boley on him and have Jacquian Williams OR Deon Grant against Delanie Walker.  They MUST make Vernon Davis a non factor and have Delanie Walker as a non factor as well.  Alex Smith will look to his tight ends as I don’t think their routes will go deeper than seven yards.  They are move the chains kind of guys.  They will be used to get first downs and the more they stop them the more the Giants will get off the field.  The Giants will need Corey Webster go against Michael Crabtree and have him put up a zero.  The match up will be Aaron Ross/Prince Amukamara vs. a very hobbled Ted Ginn Jr.  His speed is a nightmare which means that Prince will be in there to offset that.  But a double move was seen as very effective against the rookie when the Giants faced the Packers this season and so expect on a few of those play action passes for Ginn to put a double move on the young’n and get points that way.  The Giants win if they play tight coverage and FORCE Alex Smith to wait for receivers to open up.  Again, he’s NOT going to beat himself and throw into tight windows.  He will throw it away and take a three and out instead of give the team a short field because he knows his punter, Andy Lee WILL put the other team on their heels.  The Giants will need to force a BUNCH of three and outs.

5. Special Teams-  Andy Lee and David Akers are All-Pros at their position and Giant fans know about Akers history.  He’s used to playing against Giants.  He’s been a HUGE signing for the Niners and now they have the best special teams in California which is saying something when you share the same state as the Shane Lechler/Sebastian Janikowski tandem.  Lee is the fifth most important player on the field today behind ONLY Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Justin Smith and Aldon Smith.  Lee MUST put the Giants up against their backs.  He’s done it all year so no doubt he does it again.  Lee’s most important test will be to angle his kicks.  I think Lee wants to kick it to the Giants special teams returner Will Blackmon because he’s not exactly the best option they have.  With the wind and the slick ball CATCHING that football will be tough.  If Lee booms punts and then suddenly there’s a slip and the Niners recover deep in Giants territory it could be bad news and the same for the Giants.  Last year’s Matt Dodge experiment was a horrible failure and the Giants went and stole Steve Weatheford from the Jets.  His directional punting has been a God-send to this team and shored up a glaring hole.  It will be very interesting to see teams kick it straight up the middle or angle it a bit with the wind gusting at nearly 25 mph at game time and see how the ball lands.  It could be a comedy of errors.  It could be alot of short fields for both teams.  It will be interesting to note how the teams handle punts if it lands anywhere inside the ten.  Do you try and handle it?  Do you just let it bounce and hope for a good bounce?  I think both teams will concede punts inside the twenty even.  They dont want to give either team a good field IF there is a mishap.  The Niners have a clear advantage and the Niners will be happy with a field goal even if they don’t score seven on a horrible special teams mishap.  The Giants faithful don’t have nearly the faith the Niner faithful do in their kicker so it will be interesting to see late in the game if the Giants are trailing IF they go for it on fourth down IN field goal range OR try and get closer through the field goal.   But that means both teams will be wary of handling it which gives BOTH defenses the edge because BOTH teams will have to travel longer fields to score points.  Lee is the more trust-worthy commodity so I would take him in this fight.

6. Coaching-  I expect a few trick plays from Jim Harbaugh who is a slam dunk coach of the year candidate despite Tom Coughlin’s job late in the year.  He woke up Justin Tuck and look at what a monster he’s been late in the season.  Coughlin’s take it easy demeanor is in stark contrast to Jim Harbaugh who’s football INTENSE and OBSESSED.  It works for both their teams and credit them for knowing what works.  Harbaugh does an excellent job preparing his team for battle each Sunday.  He’s never been blown out this year DESPITE not having a full training camp and despite having to mend a lot of relationships along the way.  He’s done it his way.  Coughlin is a steady manager and these last four Sundays while coaches are trying onside kicks in the second quarter and going for QB sneaks on fourth and one when it hasn’t worked already instead of taking the points, Coughlin’s steady hand at understanding game management has been on full display.  He knows when to go for two.  He knows when NOT to go for it on fourth down.  Having a feel for your team at any given moment is a gift that only the truly great coaches have.  Coughlin has that and I believe that Harbaugh has that.  Look, Harbaugh is going to have one or two very sneaky plays that make you jump out of your seat like “Holy shit did he just do that?”.  Like that 3rd and 7 QB bootleg that scored a TD late against the Saints.  He has the guts to trust his team and their ability to execute.  He’s coached them up well.

These are the reasons that this game will be close.  All of these match ups are WAY too close to call.  The slick weather and field and ball will make the Niners only really glaring advantage over the Giants completely moot.  That is if the Giants don’t have a brain fart and try and handle a ball deep in their own territory and it turns the game because it becomes a turnover.  I think the Giants allow the punts to go deep into their own territory and it will become so important for Weatheford to punt the Niners deep into their territory.

The Niners will come head hunting these Giants receivers.  It will be important for the Giants to protect themselves against those hits and hope that they can make plays.  The Giants won’t try and hit with shoulder pads they will wrap up on tackles because the Niners know the difficult of just trying to lay the lumber on these Giant receivers as Charlie Peprah found out.  Peprah tried to come in hard with his shoulder and Nicks just bounced off him like a pinball and off he ran for a long touchdown which set the tone.  The Niners MUST wrap up and i have no doubt they will.

No matter how much confidence Giant fans have, this will be a close game and even if you tried, I won’t predict a winner.  Enjoy the NFC Championship game.

Daily Rounds 1/20/2012

The Giants and the 49ers are over 48 hours from dueling at the Bay.  But before that, Bob Glauber of Newsday writes about Jerry Reese’s conventional approach to get his team here.  Who’s the best linebacker in all of football?  Well that’s Patrick Willis and he has a story that may sound very familiar says Kevin Kernan of the Post.  Mike Lupica of the Daily News writes how close this season was to being for naught.  Mark Purdy of the Conta Costra Times writes that Candlestick Park is a fortress for the 49ers.  

Forget the hype and delirium that I’m feeling while typing this.  As a Giant fan, its unnerving to know that most prognosticators will pick them because they have been flying under the radar throughout these playoffs and during their run.  Its an unusual position to put the Giants in but they have to be weary of an opponent who plays possum.  Alex Smith’s career was done when this season was about to start.  Now he’s led his team to a playoff victory in dramatic fashion and remade his legacy in San Fran.  He’s now one win away from a Super Bowl berth.  Meanwhile the Giants are standing in his way.

The Jerry Reese story is funny because during his first full year as GM, Reese had seven draft picks whom all played and had a role in the Giants success during their first Super Bowl run.   But he’s had to go out and remake the roster and after sitting and lying in wait this off season as the Eagles were signing every marquee name, the Giants were able to stick to what they knew best: player development.  Victor Cruz.  Will Beatty.  Kevin Boothe.  Henry Hynoski.  Chase Blackburn returning.  Read out the names and you wouldn’t give him any offseason awards, but read those names again before the NFC Championship game and you may give him props and were it not for all the gold that the Niners found among all their free agent nuggets perhaps Jerry Reese would be a slam dunk for GM of the year, but alas, all is well if the G-Men go out and play the game that we know they can play.

While the Giants have found their offensive punch, the Knicks haven’t found theirs as Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News writes, they had better find it soon.  According to Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks need to speed up their offense says Marc Berman of the Post.  

Its perplexing to me as much as Mike D’Antoni and he said it right: if with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire the Knicks cant score 85 points they don’t deserve to win.  My problem is that the offense has yet to be in synch because there isn’t enough spacing in D’Antoni’s offense and also because there’s too much iso play going on.  There are moments when the Knicks can look good, and feel good but their reliance on a 3 point shot is beyond foolish and they continue to shoot with reckless abandon even as they miss and miss and miss.  Yet every single shot they miss they don’t get offensive rebounds so most of those opportunities are missed because there are no second chance points.

Will Baron Davis help?  Perhaps they need a better floor leader capable of handling the point but here’s the dilemma.  Too much one on one play and too much standing around while superstars shoot must stop.  The Knicks have been prone to making those mistakes and frankly its tough to watch and tough to stand.  Watching them play this way is the reason that people drink these days during the mid afternoon.

What will help the knicks?  If you have answers please do share with Knick management.  Its gotten so bad that James Dolan began making hockey predictions and forgot that he has a basketball team.

Daily Rounds 1/19/2012

Chris Canty doesn’t expect Sunday to be a pretty offensive showing.  In fact, he expects it to be a bloodbath according to Sean Brennan of the Daily News.  Mike Vacarro of the Post writes that the pain threshold of a football player is unlike anything us normal human beings know about.  Neil Best of Newsday writes about Jerry Rice’s criticism of one Brandon Jacobs which frankly I and many Giant fans have wondered too.  Eric Branch of the San Fran Chronicle writes about the career that Alex Smith could have had, if one Norv Turner had stayed in San Fran.  Then again, Troy Aikman agrees.  Jerry McDonald’s piece in this morning’s Contra Costa Times about how the Niners secondary was assembled is a must read for football heads.  Classic story by Steve Politi of the Star Ledger about John Mara forced to miss his first Giants playoff game in forty years because his two daughters were up for awards at the Golden Globes.  His line to a stranger who was a Packer fan is classic.  Ohm Yungmisuk of ESPN writes that 15 seconds of that game against the Jets helped the Giants save their season.  SI’s Jim Trotter goes in depth on the Alex Smith saga in a must read.  Finally, Ian O’Connor writing about Bill Parcells talking about the Giants.  LOVED this article.  

Look, I’ve said this repeatedly that this game will be the end all, be all.  As good as that Saints/Niners game was, purists will thoroughly enjoy Sunday’s game at Candlestick for two reasons.  The Niners will have to earn every point against the Giants defense and the Niners will make the Giants earn every point when they have the ball.  The Niners have the better defense, but the Giants have the better overall team playing RIGHT NOW.  As it stands its a coin flip.  I won’t give you a prediction because I’m not in the business of picking games when it comes to the Giants since I have a certain rooting interest and in fairness, my objectivity would be questioned had I made one but I will tell you that this game will come down to the final five minutes.

That last drive by the Saints was fantastic for one reason: Jim Harbaugh made some calls at the end of that game that made Alex Smith feel like he believed in him so much.  It does wonders to your confidence as a player if a coach can put that kind of trust and faith in you.  I’ve always said that there’s a reason these guys are getting paid millions of dollars to play a sport.  Its because they have genuine talent.  That talent doesn’t magically just go away, but you need the right mindset to keep it up.  Alex Smith’s career has never had stability and Troy Aikman said it best, having Norv Turner for three years to guide his maturation as a QB was vital to his career.  Once Aikman was given direction, Norv was no longer needed to guide him later.  Eli has had Kevin Gilbride throughout his professional career.  The stability of having Tom Coughlin as his coach for the last 8 years.  These things can’t be overlooked and glossed over, yet they are because we want immediate results.

Could Alex Smith have been a star had Norv stayed on as offensive coordinator of the 49ers?  You can’t answer that question because it never happened, but if you want to prognosticate on that, I will entertain that question and say yes.  I think Smith could’ve been more than serviceable.  Coming out of Utah the kid was smart and as Urban Meyer said it, “Tebow before there was a Tebow” and as crazy as this sounds, that’s saying a lot.  Not everyone benefits from the stability that others enjoy.  Its amazing what Jason Campbell could do playing on a team that DIDNT change its offensive coordinator every year like he had in Washington.  It takes time for QB’s to become who they are.  It takes time to mature into that position and its always a good story when QB’s or even high draft picks make good for your franchise.

The Giants head into San Fran as the most complete team left.  Does that matter?  No.  Because ALL of these teams have the ability to win the Super Bowl.   I learned nothing about the Patriots defense after that Denver game.  You give Bill Belichiek and Tom Brady two chances to play you and then add the former coach of that team to the staff days prior to the game, and you expect what exactly?  The Pats to lay an egg?  Come on.  The Ravens haven’t proved they can pass the ball and the Pats will play the run all afternoon, but that’s of course playing to the Ravens strengths because like Phil Simms said on NFL today, did anyone see Joe Flacco miss a pass?  No.  Did I see the run game disappear? Yes.  And then there are the Niners and as good as the offense was against the Saints, the Saints don’t have a defense that scares anyone.  Like the Packers they aren’t physical and depend too much on the takeaway.  This will be an interesting match up and I will have a preview of that game up shortly after I finally finish the wrap up from Sunday’s game.

Daily Rounds 1-17-2012

I dont know if you heard, but the Giants won.  The Giants defeated a mistake prone Packers team to land a chance to face the Niners in the NFC Championship game.  Mike Vaccaro of the Post warns that its an avalanche heading to San Fran.  Bart Hubbuch of the Post says despite Jim Harbaugh heaping praise on the Giants, the hope is that severe weather will give his team an advantage.  Mike Lupica of Daily News writes that Tom Coughlin is now writing his place right next to Bill Parcells as the greatest coach in team history.   Confidence, is riding super high for these Giants and uncharacteristically Tom Coughlin is allowing his players to feel and express how confident they are.  So if its Michael Boley saying “we’re the better team” or Antrell Rolle saying “we won’t be denied”, Coughlin is now allowing his players to talk out their feelings and its been good.  During the 08 playoff run, the storyline was how Tom Coughlin had changed for the better.  He began becoming more communicative and caring towards his players.  Not completely giving up his ways he added an extra dimension that allowed his players to see who he was as a man.  It was one of the reasons that team worked.  So keeping away from the obvious comparison, the Giants know that this season’s ride will have to come also at the expense of the 49ers magical season.  Nobody, at the beginning of the season, expected Jim Harbaugh to lead this unit to where it is currently.  But he has.  Its been the consummate coaching job by a guy who’s quickly earning rave reviews.  Especially a guy who came from college to the pros.  He has a very good defense and an offense that isn’t all that great, but can create points when it needs to and has a tough edge about it.  The Niners haven’t required a great performance from any offensive player but got it from Vernon Davis who is a match up nightmare as the Saints found out. Are the Niners capable of being beat? Yes but so are the Giants.  No team in these playoffs are unbeatable like I’ve been saying.  Each team has a fatal flaw so counting the Giants out now would be a mistake. My only worry is that people will jump on the Giant bandwagon and push the line in favor of the boys in blue.  We’ll see if there’s any negative effect there on Sunday.  By the way the weather is calling for extreme rain and winds.  That benefits a good running game like the Niners and negatively affects the Giants passing game which has been their hallmark.  Also ball security will be an issue.  Niners and Giants were actively looking for the strip during their games and will continue to Sunday.  It will be an interesting match up to say the least.   More on this game as the week goes on.

In their annual MLK showing, everyone but Carmelo Anthony forgot to show up.  Anthony’s 33 points were not enough to slow down the Magic say Frank Isola of the Daily News.  Marc Berman says that the Knicks are not meshing well with both Melo and Amar’e even on an offnight for Superman.  John Jeansonne of Newsday says that Carmelo Anthony had more of everything for the Knicks, but not enough to overcome the bad.  

Its not to anyone’s surprise that the Knicks are not playing well against the bad teams in the league.  They started a stretch against Philly at home, and since winning that game have lost their last three games against quality opponents which raises eyebrows.  I said this before and I’ll say it again, judging the Knicks can’t be done till mid February or early March at the latest because we wont know how D’Antoni’s team will react to having another quality player in Baron Davis on the court.  IF good Baron shows up, this team can patch up a lot of their problems pretty quickly and allows for Iman Shumpert to come off the bench.  IF bad Baron shows up we can forget this season and pray that they convince the Suns to give up Steve Nash and he comes aboard.  Its going to be a very tense next few weeks but D’Antoni and the Knicks deserve a few more weeks to allow themselves to get fully healthy and have their complete squad before we start handing out pink slips to coaches and begin charging up the trade machine to see what we can get for Amar’es contract.

Interesting article in the Houston Chronicle detailing Javale McGee’s performance yesterday in which his Wizards lost again, to the Rockets.  During the game he threw an alley-oop off the backboard and slammed it home as if he were in practice and his defense was that he was trying to hype up his teammates.  Minutes later they were trailing by 19.  Whatever run he was trying to convince the team to have, he did so for the Rockets who blew them out.  Johnathan Feigen said, that’s how teams become 1-13, they become about themselves.  Michael Lee of the Washington Post says Flip Saunders defended McGee’s actions by saying that he wants to build up his confidence and so whatever he does to do that he needs to keep doing.  MMM, okay coach.  

As a fan of a team that routinely disappointed me over the years and only started getting expectations for winning again, I can tell you its demoralizing to see the difference between a good team and a bad team.  A good team knows what it takes to win and knows it takes five guys playing in synch and rhythm to win.  All of them individually have earned their right to play on a professional level, but all of them have earned teh right to play on a team.  The Wizards are talented and they have the kind of talent that can go very far, but its clear that Saunders is not the guy to deliver that message OR to make sure that the message is being driven home.  He’s defending McGee’s actions to protect him.  Meanwhile, he’s doing nothing for his growth.  McGee possesses one of the most athletic frames for a true center in this league.  He can lead the league in blocks.  He has some kind of idea when he’s on the offensive end.  They have an all-world Point guard in John Wall waiting to break out.  The problem is that they don’t have veteran leadership in that locker room and worse they don’t have a coach who will put his foot down.  Saunders is so passive its not funny.  The guy looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks and is waiting for the game to end so he can finally rest except he doesn’t.  He goes home and watches hours of skinemax.  The Wizards are a mess and until they get a coach who can hold these players accountable it won’t end.  Also, naming Andray Blatche a captain is a HUGE problem.  Apparently Rex Ryan runs this team too.

 

Daily Rounds 1/15/2012

On a relatively quiet sports….ok fine, even I couldn’t hold back.  The 49ers defeated the Saints 36-32 in a 60 minute thriller/Instant classic game that will go down as this season’s best game likely.  While people are trying to come up with a proper title for that amazing comeback engineered by Alex Smith (the Post?), thirty years after “The Catch”, these Niners are writing their own legacy writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Tim Kawakami of the Contra Costa Times (bad ass name for a newspaper by the way), says that Vernon Davis authored one of the greatest moments in Niner legacy which, looking at team history, is extremely difficult to do, but he may just have done it.  Monte Poole of the Contra Costa Times says that despite Alex Smith’s modesty claiming this was just one more step, let’s face it, it was his moment and one that he deservedly could take bows on.  Don Banks of SI.com writes that Alex Smith, “ran out of town years ago”, stayed home and rallied his team to victory.  Jeffrey Chadiha of ESPN.com writes that San Fran was just the toughest team out there yesterday and it showed up in jarring hits that forced 5 turnovers for the Saints.  John DeShazier of the Times Picayune writes that this loss is going to hurt for a while for these Saints.  

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the game of the year and its not even close.  Let’s put this up there now in the top 10 greatest games ever played in the NFL.  It had everything you could ask for.  It had a great offense against a great defense.  It had a maligned QB seeking redemption.  It had a head coach looking for further validation that he is indeed the coach of the year.  It had a super team going for a ninth victory in a row.  It had the hits that will be played over and over again in those epic NFL Film highlight videos.  It had that five minute stretch in the final quarter that saw one huge call (the Alex Smith 3rd and 7 play which in my mind is one of the gutsiest calls you can make in that situation), one huge game breaking play (the Jimmy Graham catch and run and think about it this way: the guy had back spasms where he could barely move) and then Vernon Davis replying on the other end with two great plays to seal the win for the Niners.

I can’t begin to describe how much emotion was flowing through me during that game.  I was at my anniversary dinner with my wife and I’m sitting there almost choking on a T-Bone Steak (no homo), watching the game.  The owner of the shop is watching with me and keeps going its over three separate times when both teams traded punches.  I thought it was over when Brees hit Graham for that big play when Patrick Willis lost his footing and Graham turned and ran with the ball.  But there was too much time for (gulp) Alex Smith with 1:32 remaining and anyone who thought Alex Smith was going to finish that comeback had to be on meds.  Or a 49er homer.

As far as the rest of the game is concerned.  I can’t remember a game where one team hit the other harder and faster than the 49ers.  Every time Donte Whitner hit somebody there seemed to be chunks of the other player flying off him or he just unconscious.  The guy was hitting people like somebody slapped his momma in the stands before the game (stolen from Deion) and played like this guy.  The Niners were so fast limiting the ability of the Saints to run their screens that the Saints had to go north and south ONLY as opposed to using all parts of the field.  That’s what having Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis can do for you when they are spying on guys like Sproles.  But when the Saints lost RB Pierre Thomas who was slipping tackles all last week against the Lions, I thought that the Niners had effectively eliminated their complement to Sproles.  I love Sproles but when the Saints were winning their Super Bowl it was due to Pierre Thomas’ own ability to shed tackles and be a tough run after the catch or run after the first guy gets their hand on him.  He’s so hard to stop and when the Saints got him on the field he was being laid out by Donte Whitner who hit him with a helmet to helmet and aside from the hit you knew something was wrong when Thomas just went limp while going down.  Those are the toughest hits to watch because its not about pain, because the guy can’t feel anything and you just hope that the guy gets up.

But on this day it was about Alex Smith.  Everyone will talk about Alex Smith’s amazing finish and about how he’s seeking redemption and not to jump on the bandwagon but has any guy been under more scrutiny?  We all knew coming into the league he was a smart kid having completed a bachelor’s in Econ in 3 years at Utah.  He was Urban Meyer’s last great QB prospect.  He had the pedigree heading in to the NFL but as most great college QB’s do he fell into a terrible situation.  The Niners have had five offensive Coordinators heading into this year.  He has been called out by the media, the fanbase who wished they took North Cali’s own Aaron Rodgers, and by former head coaches who either called him soft (Mike Nolan) or just never believed in him (Mike Singletary.

Enter John Harbaugh.  It takes a former maligned QB to know one and that connection has propelled this Niner team.  They had the defense but they never had an offense help out and that’s what happened.  If ever there was a game to show a microcosm of a team’s season it was yesterday.  The defense playing lights out for most of the game and just giving up one big play and needing their offense to come through, and them coming through was kind of a watershed moment for this team when you think about it.  The 49ers will be a great team for a few years.  It starts with Alex Smith who doesn’t make mistakes.  Who doesn’t beat himself.  A guy that follows the game plan and is athletic enough to make plays when the original one breaks down.  The bottom line is this: the San Francisco 49ers have made over the organization on the fly in a year.

That is the hallmark of this great coach.  I said before the season that perhaps Harbaugh left a year early from a plum Stanford job JUST to tank the season so he could get Andrew Luck with the number one overall pick.  I felt that in my heart of hearts, that would be the best situation for this team in the longterm and that Harbaugh had the job security to do that.  But of course what we got instead was a dominant defense, an All-Pro filled Special teams and an offense that controlled the clock built behind a good offensive line and a physical running back that runs hard behind his blockers.  No mention of their QB yet right?  Because he was a liability heading into this season but Harbaugh’s greatest job coaching was building back that quarterback from Utah.  Six years of naysaying and doubting had to be erased in order for Harbaugh to get Smith prepared to handle his job and what a remarkable job he’s done in such a short limited time.  That week they spent in the east coast when they had to travel two straight weeks was a blessing in disguise and one that Harbaugh used to unify the team.  Small things like that give you a sense of what kind of coach he is and how much he understands the nuances of his title.  Its not just about drawing up game plans, its about instilling in your team a sense of togetherness and pride.  Its not players that win games, its teams.  The 49ers beat Drew Brees yesterday and that’s all you need to know.

From a great team finish to a complete rout.  The Denver Broncos got blindsided by the New England Patriots yesterday in what was a mismatch from the moment the teams took the field.  Peter King of SI says that Tom Brady and the Patriots have never looked better.  Jackie MacMullan of ESPN writes that everyone was worshiping the wrong guy coming into the game.  Greg Bedard of the Boston Herald wrote that the Pats defense hadn’t played that well from beginning to end since they faced a fellow southpaw in Tyler Palko.  Woody Paige of the Denver Post writes that the wild ride of Tebow time came to a close because there was never anytime for Tebow to work his magic.  Forget the negativity of the loss says Dave Krieger of the Denver Post, the rebuilding process that was supposed to take years is way ahead of schedule.  

I’m not here to jump on everyone’s parade about this guy but let’s put things into perspective for everyone to understand how Tebow crazy this entire country had gotten.  We love a great story and that’s what Tebow was.  He was a crazy, improbable, out of the loop and out of left field kind of success that we weren’t ready for.  Our football sensibility tells us that Tim Tebow is not a good quarterback capable of doing the things he did over this NFL season and yet those who hold out belief and understand that sports can stop reality for a moment and have us seeing things that suspend our own understanding of things and believe in something magical know that anything was possible heading into Saturday night’s contest between the Pats and the Broncos.  Take for instance that the Patriots had a running two game losing streak.  The Pats secondary was a maligned group who could be taken advantage of.  The Broncos had this feel about them as riding a wave of something into their contest.  It was probable and I get all of that emotion.

But the reality set in early.  And often.  The Broncos couldn’t run.  And when they can’t run, we know they can’t pass.  And there was Tebow scrambling around like a chicken with his head cut off and trying to make something happen and one too many three and outs cost them against an offense that never stopped moving from the moment the opening kickoff got lofted into the cool air of Massachusetts.  Gilette Stadium was the arena in which Tim Tebow and all his Tebowmaniacs would get a lesson in Football 101.  NO QB that played with such an unconventional and simplistic offense could win in the playoffs against the best of competition and that’s what the Patriots were.

The Pats defense put the clamps on and held on tight to Tebow affording him no room, maintaining gaps and not giving him outside lanes.  Their secondary covered the limited options that they had.  Let’s be real, the Broncos offered a subpar receiving group that couldn’t possibly offer up any kind of contest to a former 3 time Super Bowl winning team.  Brady and Belichiek though were the major players in this game.

Two full weeks to rest and get their team playing sharper and install new wrinkles.  The Josh McDaniels from the Patriots returned in time to see the offense move with a rhythm and execute on a scale that hadn’t been seen before.  Aaron Hernandez as a running back?  Yessir.  Julian Edelman getting more and more snaps as a cornerback?  Sure why not.  Brady with the hurry up through much of the first half? Yep.  Six touchdowns later the Broncos had long thrown in the towel and were left wondering exactly what had been done to them.  I watched only portions of that game but never was there any doubt.  Even when Brady threw that interception.  He made a bad throw.  He knew it.  He also had enough confidence to know that he would NEVER give them another chance.  He was methodical and so dominating in a performance that made you think that the Patriots were conjuring up remnants of that 2007 offense that blitzed the league and gave defensive coordinators nightmares.

And trust me, with McDaniels back, the Patriots have gotten the right guy back at the right time to make it work.  They have an almost unguardable TE in Gronkowski.  They have the best slot receiver in football in Wes Welker.  They have an offensive line that’s relatively healthy.  They have a creative playcaller in Josh McDaniels.  They have a great QB and a great defensive minded head coach.  They have the elements to make another Super Bowl Run.  Watch out.  The Patriots are now the Patriots of their great teams from the earlier part of the milennia.  Big time QB play.  Solid defense.  Good offense.  Great game planning.  Watch out NFL.

As for the Broncos, look: you have a decent QB.  Next year will be super important and it will be interesting to see how the Broncos go about this offseason especially draft wise.  The Broncos aren’t trading up to take any QB’s.  But let’s say a kid like Russell Wilson falls to them in the first round (unlikely) or a Taylor Martinez (more likely in the third or fourth), why wouldn’t the Broncos take him and stash him away?  The Broncos need immediate help on the defensive end.  They need defensive tackles to stuff the middle.  They need help in the back end.  They need another pass rusher to help Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil who has taken a step back.  They need to get better playmakers.  But let’s say next year the Broncos don’t duplicate the magic carpet ride run they had this year which is a near certainty.  Remember, literally every team they faced had something go horribly wrong either due to injury or having already had a few guys injured, before they faced Tebow and had a lot of defensive coordinators not taking Tebow seriously.  That won’t happen next year.  Tebow won’t sneak up on anybody.  The team will see what they have in Tebow as a QB.  Let’s see what improvements Tebow makes.  Yes, the intangibles are out of the planet for this kid.  Yes, he will try his hardest to improve.  If nothing is improved and Tebow remains the same mechanically flawed QB he is today trust me the Broncos organization will scrap the Tebow Time t-shirts and send those to needy kids in Africa and chart ways to get a franchise QB.  The Broncos are a rebuilding project and yes, they are ahead of schedule.  But the question still remains: WHAT do we do with Tim Tebow?  The answer to that question will come next year.  Unless we’re in for another crazy season next year, hold on to your bottoms.

And now to today’s game.  Mike Lupica of Daily News writes that despite the similarities that people want to draw, this time beating the Packers at the Frozen Tundra will be far more difficult.  Stefan Bondy of the News writes that the Big Blue offensive line are out to be tougher Sunday than BJ Raji gives them credit for.  Mike Vaccaro of the Post writes that winning at Lambeau is as difficult as they come because of the history and fable surrounding the place.  Steve Serby of the Post writes that if the Giants are All In like they claim to be, they will write their own history.  Paul Schwartz says that if the Giants want to win today, replaying that Road Warrior mentality in their heads will be a good start.  Tom Rock of Newsday says despite Justin Tuck saying there’s nothing to gain from their last meeting on December 4th, there is plenty of material to be gained for their next showdown.  

Let’s manage to calm down all the hype and glamour out of the match up and let’s say this for the Giants: they are not the 2007 Giants.  They are the 2011 New York Giants.  A completely unique identity and entity unto themselves.  Fifteen players remain from the team that went on that improbable run in 07 and frankly I, like them, are tired of hearing the remarkable similarities in seasons.  We all need points of comparison to draw up some kind of response to everything and we all want to believe that THIS version of the New York Giants will duplicate that run but that would be an injustice to both THIS current squad and the group of men who marched into the sure-fire no doubt coronation of the greatest team ever, New England Patriots and decimated their dreams and sent Patriot fans packing as Super Bowl chumps.

Yes, that team deserves its credit and its OWN unique place in Giant and NFL lore and don’t deserve the injustice that’s been placed on them by the media over the last few weeks.  Comparing the two teams are like apples and oranges and we all know that using numbers we can conjure up any comparison we want and have anyone believing anything we want.  Yes, that 38-35 score is indicative of something.  But its only telling you what the score was on December 4th.  Not some harbinger of things to come today at the Frozen Tundra.  I believe what’s happening here is that a team is coming together.

Now, you all may be asking yourselves, wait is this the same guy who wouldn’t change his underwear or game day traditions because he had some remote belief that it ultimately mattered in the context of the Giant playoff run?  Yes.  I’m not saying I don’t believe in de ja vu.  I’m not saying that these events don’t bear a striking resemblance to the one from 07 and that having several players from that team on this one doesn’t make these comparisons apt.  I’m just saying that we should appreciate what 07 did and not overshadow what this team is doing currently by comparing the two.  They are two different teams with different identities on offense and newer leaders on defense.

I said this when it happened and I hold on to this one belief: what the 07 Giants did will stand the test of time and I am assured that I will never see a run like that EVER AGAIN.  But that’s not to say that this team can’t put together a run that could rival the one the 07 team did.  That’s not to say that the championship earned at the expense of a 18-0 team is any less credible if they do it again against a team that had a loss coming INTO the Super Bowl.  All I’m saying is that let’s leave the comparisons at home because it would only be right for both teams.  MMkay?

Moving on, here are my final thoughts on this game before it happens:  The Giants must run the ball and rush the passer.  They can pass on this team but if the Packers only have to defend the pass they have the corners to make game changing plays that can eventually cost the team the victory.  Erase the Clay Mathews pick six and the Giants win that game 35-31.  The fact is, the Giants held the ball for only 26 minutes and allowed Aaron Rodgers to hold the ball for 34 minutes and no matter how good your defensive line is, in those 7 minutes that offense can score two- three touchdowns in that time.  The Giants must control the clock and take their chances deep.  Drawing in their linebackers, who they have healthy today will be key.  If AJ Hawk and Desmond Bishop aren’t in coverage and the Giants can  get their running game going and keeping Rodgers on the sideline, and their pass rush constantly gets the Pack off the field because of hurried throws and bad decision making, the Giants can win.  But it won’t be easy.  Not against Aaron Rodgers who seemingly performs under ANY kind of condition given to him.  Want him to run wtih the ball? Sure.  He was the leading rusher in the game.  He, like Alex Smith won’t beat himself.  He wont give you a game.  You have to beat the Packers square.  So what the Giants need is a great game from Eli (or a continuation from last week minus the safety), and a great game from their front four who need to play lights out.  The Packers have a good offensive line but Chad Clifton and Josh Sitton haven’t played for quite some time and only got reps in Week 17 after missing chunks of the regular season.  Bryan Bulaga is hurt.  That banged up front is going against a defensive line that is aching to continue their great stretch.  IF the Packers front keeps the Giant pass rush at bay it will be a long day.  Expect the Pack to go two tight end a lot and having them chip and giving Rodgers 3 to five step drops early and get their guys running slants.  They will run into the middle of the defense because they know that the Giants best attribute is speed and those ends can cover the run.  They will run off tackle every once in a while but doing that at Jason Pierre Paul will be disastrous and I expect the Pack to stay away from his side.  They want Rodgers sitting in the pocket.  In my opinion the Giants MUST win the battle up the middle.  THEY MUST have Chris Canty, Justin Tuck win their matchups against the guards.  They MUST have Mathias Kiwanuka be able to come right over the middle and go after Rodgers and have him running.  If they win the interior battle, I have no doubt they can win the outside battles against the two tackles.  Osi’s speed and JPP’s overall play are excellent.

Here’s where I think the Giants may have problems.  The Pack may play hurry up depending on personnel.  They may run the ball against the Nascar package (four defensive ends) if they get it and when they see Osi off the field, they may hurry up to keep the big guys Canty/Rocky Bernard in the game and wear them down.  JPP is going to see a majority of the snaps as is Tuck and Canty.  A pristine Giant game has Osi playing between 40-50 offensive snaps and coming off either end.  I don’t think the Giants can be effective with JPP coming as a speed rusher by standing up.  They must attack him as as down lineman.

The matchups for the Giants are out there.  The Giants have the offensive weapons to light up the scoreboard and must lean on their strengths.  They are a passing offense.  But I do think they MUST run the football effectively.  They may not need 170 yards today but they need Brandon Jacobs running over people and Ahmad Bradshaw catching passes out of the backfield.  They MUST win time of possession handily.  Even then, if they don’t score touchdowns it won’t matter.  If the Giants can get off to a fast start and have the ball at the end of the game, which I think will be a close game they can win.  OTHERWISE, Aaron Rodgers will torch them.

If the Giants don’t get enough of a pass rush, or the Giants can run the ball or you give Aaron Rodgers even a three minute advantage in possession time, you’re asking for trouble.  He does NOT get rattled under pressure.  He won’t beat himself by forcing passes into tight coverage.  He has really good receivers who have a very good relationship with him that can understand when to abandon a route so that he can move the ball forward.  Unlike the Saints who you know are looking for the deep ball, the Packers are more than happy to just hit short passes and move the chains.  They can live either way.  The fact is, this Packer team coming in will play lights out for their head coach who lost his son.  The Giants must remember that.  Absorb the early blow and go out and punch them in the mouth and then knock the Pack out.

Its going to be close and that’s all I’m going to say on that.