The Spark Ignites!

Sean Avery has returned to the New York Rangers as he was claimed off waivers by his former team. Avery is a huge help to the Rangers and this should greatly help the Rangers as they attempt to maintain a playoff spot and make a run in the playoffs.

Avery is the heart and soul of the team. He provides a great spark. There is just one difference this time around. The spark may not just be on the ice.

Earlier in the season, Tortorella called Avery "an embarrassment to the game." So Avery and Tortorella may not get along so well and Tortorella may not want to use Avery the way us Ranger fans want him to be used and how he has been used in the past. Tortorella is not a fan of Avery's "nonsense." Ranger fans know he needs to be on the ice as much as possible and he needs to get in the heads of the other players.

So we know Avery ignites a spark on the ice, we just need to hope that Tortorella chooses to continue that and also hope that that spark does not carry over into the locker room.

But for right now, this was huge for the Rangers and greatly needed.

It could be argued if Avery was a Ranger prior to the firing of Tom Renney, Tom Renney may still be the coach.

Oh well.



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Jets Land Bart Scott / Lito Sheppard

The New York Jets may not have a QB but they are adding strength elsewhere, especially their defense. The Jets have added Bart Scott to their group of linebackers to a 5 year 42 million dollar deal. Rex Ryan will know how to coach Scott and he also adds a lot of depth to the Jets linebacking core. Good signing.

The Jets went further and also acquired Lito Sheppard. That is huge. Sheppard is an incredibly talented defensive back. The Jets had to give up just a 5th round pick for him and a conditional pick. Essentially this is a one-year tryout with the Jets. Sheppard will receive $3 million in 2009 - his scheduled salary - but he's due a $10 million option bonus on the fifth day of the 2010 league year. That should force a re-negotiation or release, which will get Sheppard on the free agent market like he wants.

But he should perform well with the Jets and as long as he is cooperative, they can sign a little extension after the 2009 season.

An excellent last couple of days for the Jets.

Now they need a QB...




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Giants Land Michael Boley

The New York Giants have signed Linebacker Michael Boley to a 5 year deal worth 25 million dollars. This was a great signing for the Giants as even with their strong defense, their Linebacking core was always one of the weaker links. The Giants defense should be a good fit for Boley.

So with Pierce in the middle and Boley and possibly Kiwanuka on the ends along with Umenyiora back up front with Justin Tuck, the Giants can still hold their title as one of the best defenses in the league.

Hopefully Bill Sheridan can keep everything together.


Well John Tortorella has received his first win as a Ranger. Of course, the common theme continues. When Drury and Gomez both score, the Rangers win. But they were not the only two to score. Naslund, Zherdev, Callahan, and Prucha also received goals in the 6-1 win over the Avalanche at Madison Square Garden.

All the Rangers that fans love and want to score did in fact score. We all of Prucha, Callahan, Gomez, Drury, and Zherdev. Naslund is whatever but in the end it was a much needed win and a big win.

Hopefully this gives the Rangers some momentum moving forward. Lundqvist had another outstanding day allowing just 1 goal.

Lundqvist should be incredibly angry with the team but after tonight, he should be very happy. This was a textbook game. Lundqvist is a great goalie. One of the best in the league and even with all the losses Lundqvist has shown that. The Rangers have a lot of offensive talent, and scoring 6 goals every so often should not be out of their reach.

Good Job boys.




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Big Win for the Rangers

Well John Tortorella has received his first win as a Ranger. Of course, the common theme continues. When Drury and Gomez both score, the Rangers win. But they were not the only two to score. Naslund, Zherdev, Callahan, and Prucha also received goals in the 6-1 win over the Avalanche at Madison Square Garden.

All the Rangers that fans love and want to score did in fact score. We all of Prucha, Callahan, Gomez, Drury, and Zherdev. Naslund is whatever but in the end it was a much needed win and a big win.

Hopefully this gives the Rangers some momentum moving forward. Lundqvist had another outstanding day allowing just 1 goal.

Lundqvist should be incredibly angry with the team but after tonight, he should be very happy. This was a textbook game. Lundqvist is a great goalie. One of the best in the league and even with all the losses Lundqvist has shown that. The Rangers have a lot of offensive talent, and scoring 6 goals every so often should not be out of their reach.

Good Job boys.




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Tortorella... 2 games, 2 losses, 2 goals

Ok so ummmm this offensive minded coach in John Tortorella is not really working. Maybe the coach was not the problem. It is clearly not a wake up call. And this can't make Tom Renney any madder. This team is still this 1 goal scoring team per game and they continue to lose and the firing seems pointless.

Yes it is only 2 games but come on. Time to wake up. Time to play some hockey!

Naslund scored the goal for the Rangers this time. Where are the offensive weapons?!?! Drury, Gomez, Dubinsky. Where are they?!?!!?

You can't ask for better goaltending performances. It is not fair. Giving up 2 goals night after night should lead to wins!

At this rate, the Rangers have zero chance of making the playoffs.

Pathetic.


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Tortorella... 1 game, 1 goal, 1 point, 1 loss

John Tortorella in his first game as Rangers head coach in 2009 could not produce more offense than Tom Renney. Tortorella who was supposed to help the Rangers offense, and who has a style that is supposed to fit Drury and Gomez well, failed in his first attempt as the Rangers fell to the Maple Leafs in a shootout. The game went to overtime tied at 1. Of course, the Rangers 1 goal was scored by defensemen Wade Redden. How Ironic.

The Rangers' wake up call went unheard. Better luck next time.

ugh.




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Tattoo Removal

It looks as though the long saga is finally over. Stephon Marbury and the Knicks have agreed on a buyout, meaning Marbury is free to sign with any team. In fact, word on the street is that Steph has already committed to signing with the Boston Celtics.

Knicks fans can now rejoice, as every team that Stephon has ever left has gotten better. The Minnesota Timberwolves reached the Western Conference finals post-Stephon. The Nets were back to back NBA finalists A.M. (After Marbury), and the Phoenix Suns increased their win total by about a billion after Stephon's dismissal. So yes Virginia, there may be better times ahead for the New York Knicks.

Celtics fans? They may want to duck, as the biggest question regarding the franchise killer might be how to change that tattoo on his head, as 3 and 33 are retired by the club.

(But imagine if Stephon actually hits a buzzer beater to put the Celtics in the finals for the second straight season ... that would be enough to drive a Knicks fan to drink, or perhaps consider hurling himself off a bridge.)

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Renney Fired!

Well I have been calling for drastic changes and here it is. Tom Renney, the head coach of the Rangers has been fired. Assistant coach Perry Pearn was fired right along with him. Hopefully this will be a wake up call for the Rangers. Mike Pelino and Benoit Allaire will remain on the coaching staff.

We will see who the Rangers name as the next head coach.

TIME TO WAKE UP RANGERS!



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Knicks Newbies Not Impressive

Chris Wilcox and Larry Hughes got their first action for the Knicks against the Toronto Raptors. As both players are trying to get into game shape and fit themselves into Mike D'Antoni's fast paced offense, both players combined for just 8 points. Wilcox scored 5 and Hughes scored 3.

The Knicks did not give up much to acquire these players so we will just wait and see if they can make an adjustment. Not a great debut though. The Knicks gave up Malik Rose, Tim Thomas, and Jerome James for the couple of players.



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Jeter Sore Hamstring Could Mean More Than You Think

Derek Jeter is sitting out of spring training for a little while with a sore hamstring. No big deal right? Well normally I would agree. And there certainly is a great chance this is no big deal. Most likely, Jeter's hamstring will heal, no longer, be sore and Jeter will again be up and about playing baseball at 100%.

But let us think for a second. Jeter has of course been injured before but it was injuries like the dislocated shoulder which occurred from a slide into third base.

But when was the last time Derek Jeter had a hamstring injury? Well as far as I can remember, and I could be wrong, the answer is never. Jeter has never had an injury like this. So what does it mean? Well I think that Jeter is getting older. And Jeter is getting older. That is how the world works. You get one year older every year.

This sore hamstring could possibly mean that Jeter's body can no longer handle the day to day baseball activities as well as it used to be able to. Yankee fans must hope that more hamstring injuries do not come and that this does not mean that Derek Jeter's body is starting to break down due to old age.

Just something to ponder.....


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Rangers... Tisk Tisk Tisk

The Rangers continue to struggle. After a win against the Islanders in dead last, the Rangers continue to struggle scoring as they lost to the Sabres 4-2 and then the Maple Leafs 3-2 the next night in overtime. Bathgate/Howell night was not inspiring enough to lead the Rangers to a win against the Maple Leafs. The late game tying goal with under a minute left in the third period, did not give them any momentum either as the Rangers did fall to a short handed 4 on 3 in overtime.

The Rangers continue to be incredibly pathetic. They are on the verge of losing a playoff spot and and this rate they will not get back in.

It is time to do something drastic. What will it be....?



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And I am Right Again!

So once again, after I make a "RE" post I am correct. The last time I made a "RE" post, I said that if Drury and Gomez can perform the Rangers are in good hands. Well last time, Gomez and Drury both scored and the Rangers both won.

And yet again, I make the "RE" post. Drury gets 3 assists and Gomez scores 1 goal in the Rangers 3-1 win over the New York Islanders. Maybe a win over the Islanders is not saying much but it was a much needed win and Drury and Gomez played very well.

It is important for Drury and Gomez to keep their play consistent and at a high level and the Rangers will be fine like I expressed in the past!

This does not necessarily change the opinions towards Tom Renney. And I do believe he is a good coach. But again, we may want to wait it out.

The Rangers rank dead last in Goals For Average.



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RE: So It's Drastic Changes You Want ...

And just when I thought I was the only person contributing to this blog, Metstradamus has chosen to give me a piece of my own medicine. Well played sir!

Now one must keep in mind that I am not against having Illya Kovalchuck but you do not want to give up too much. I and many other Ranger fans love Brandon Dubinsky and he has become a bit of a fighter and a boost of energy. Now of course I don't need to defend Dubinsky and if we compared straight numbers, of course Kovalchuck comes way out on top.

But also keep in mind, that in the article where I mentioned I may be a genius, I was still 100% correct. If Drury and Gomez play to their full potential every game and score goals, the Rangers are in good hands.

Also, we did not expect the Rangers to be nearly as good as how they were playing. But it is appropriate to panic. The Rangers do need to get Sean Avery though. That is important. He should provide a huge boost for the team.

Also, there is a lot of talk about "Tom Renney taking the fall for Glen Sather." And sure Tom Renney has had success with the Rangers but, us fans would prefer more success. I think that a change would not be so wrong and would hopefully also be a wakeup call to the team.

So yes I have called for drastic change, possibly the firing of Renney, and certainly signing Avery. And I did say something must be done at the trade deadline but it must be smart. And not just smart for this year or next year but for the long haul.

Let us wait and see....



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So It's Drastic Changes You Want ...

With the Rangers recent struggles, it seems that there are now calls for drastic changes, and calls for a big move at the trading deadline.

Hmmm.

I seem to remember having suggested a fairly drastic move about six weeks ago in this space, having explored the possibility of bringing Ilya Kovalchuk to New York. The price might have been somewhat steep, but it was something I felt might have been worth pursuing.

Upon having made that suggestion, I was told to have "patience" (along with being publicly being sent to the Principal's office for not signing my name to these posts ... sorry, I just can't shake the rebel out of me). I was then proven wrong once and for all when the Rangers won their next game, proving once and for all that the Rangers were fine and dandy and that we can go about our patient lives, blah blah blah.

Except that now it's six weeks later and, lo and behold, the Rangers are not fine and dandy. They can't score, they have no game changing defenseman (at least not one who changes the game in the Rangers favor), and a good coach is most likely going to take the fall for a GM that has put together a flawed roster with cap issues (and don't think that it's merely coincidence that this has happened since Don Maloney left for Phoenix.) Oh, and they're also sinking like a rock in the standings with a tough schedule coming up.

So my question is this: should I still be patient? Or is it okay to push the panic button right about now?

It gives me no pleasure that the Rangers are in this position. Believe me, I would rather be wrong and have the Rangers in first place than to have been proven to be somewhat prescient and have the Rangers playing the way they're playing. And I still hope to be proven wrong by this team, who have about three weeks until the trade deadline to turn the ship around and save some jobs and some careers in New York. But the proof is in the pudding that the Rangers have made the last six weeks ... and the pudding tastes awful. And if there is a way that the Rangers can make a drastic move (and I'm not sure that's possible with the cap situation the way it is), perhaps a trade for Kovalchuk is worth looking into.

But what do I know? I'm certainly no genius.

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Lack of Rangers Offense (again) Leads to Rangers Loss (again)

The Rangers have now dropped 8 of 9 and this time it was the St. Louis Blues who got the best of them. A 2-1 victory in St. Louis. A much better performance by Henrik Lundqvist but of course the offense could only for the Rangers could only manufacture 1 goal of its own.

The New York Islanders beat the Penguins tonight. It was the Pens first game after their head coach was fired. The Islanders will roll into the Garden on Wednesday.

We always thought the Rangers were a much better team than the Islanders but even so, the Islanders always seem to play the Rangers real tough. Well now with the Isles coming off a win after losing 5 straight, and the Rangers losing 8 of 9, the odds are really not in favor of the New York Islanders.

The Rangers continue to keep falling and falling and falling.

The Tom Renney clock seems to be ticking a bit faster. Drastic moves must be made.




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Rangers = Pathetic

Yesterday in a nationally televised game, the incredibly awful New York Rangers completely embarrassed themselves in a 5-2 loss with the Flyers. The Rangers have now dropped 7 of 8 including two overtime losses. Lundqvist clearly does not look the same in net. He did not look comfortable in net at all. He seemed the be much slower moving than usual and after giving up a 4th goal, Lundqvist gave way to Steve Valiquette who gave up a goal of his own. The Flyers scored 1 goal in the first period, a goal early in the second, and then 3 more goals in about a 2 minute span.

The Rangers allowed their 14th shorthanded goal while on a 5 on 3 powerplay.

The Rangers need to make a big move at the trading deadline, and get Sean Avery back in a Rangers uniform.

Tom Renney is also on the hot seat.


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Abreu Signing Not Good for Yanks

We all knew Bobby Abreu would not be a Yankee. In fact the Yankees had no interest in pursuing him. But with Abreu signing with the Angels, that is probably the worst place Abreu can sign.

The reason why? The Yankees always have a tough time vs the Angels. Let us just look at some of the stats from 2005-2008.

In 2005, in Yankee Stadium the season series ended in a tie at 3-3. In 2006 at Yankee Stadium, the season series ended at 2-2. In 2007 at the Stadium, the season series ended at 2-4 with the Yankees on the short end. Last year, in the Bronx the season series was tied at 2-2.

In Anaheim in those same years the Yankees were 1-3, 2-4, 1-2, and 1-5 respectively.

So as you can see the Yankees can't even win a series vs the Angels and in Anaheim the Yankees struggle greatly.

The last thing they need is Bobby Abreu adding to the Angels' success against the Yankees.


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Favre Says He Will Retire...Again

Well it is another case of deja vu all over again. Favre's agent supposedly asked the Jets for his immediate release and the Jets declined. Sounds familiar does it not? In the end, Favre told the Jets that he plans to retire. Hmm that seems to be quite familiar sounding as well. Well I don't think we will know that Favre will officially retire until his press conference. Oh wait, that doesn't mean anything either. I guess we will have to wait until the start of next season.

But if Favre retires, I feel that this is good for the Jets. I think it is time for the Jets to draft a big time QB and get their franchise quarterback. It is time to move on. Jet fans should be happy. Yes when Favre came the Jets went from 4-12 to 9-7 but still they did not get into the playoffs.

With a new coach should come a new quarterback and maybe we can see another dominate Jets team like back in the old days. No need for the old guy sitting around. The Jets have a nice core of young players on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball and all that of course coupled with a new coach and potentially solid young QB, it should lead to good things with the Jets.

Brett Favre's potentially last game in the NFL was of course with the Jets in Giants Stadium. Favre and the Jets fell 24-17 to Chad Pennington and the Dolphins. Favre in the game through for a 50% completion percentage completing 20 passes on 40 attempts. He threw for 233 yards, 1 TD and 3 interceptions.

Certainly not the ideal final game but oh well.

Goodbye Favre. Enjoy your Wrangler Jeans.


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The Worst Decision Ever Made

Remember the post I made a while back saying the Giants won't be as good next year? Well click here for a refresher.

The Giants have made a decision to add to my point. For pretty much no reason whatsoever the Giants will be going with Lawrency Tynes instead of John Carney next year. Damn that stupid 5 year deal. Because Carney is old (and ignoring the fact he is very efficient) and because Carney got such a dumb contract, Lawrence Tynes will be the starting kicker for the Giants next year.

Without getting into specifics, Tynes is awful. I would prefer someone paralyzed from the waist down. Tynes will lose a guaranteed 4 games for the Giants next year and maybe more.

Even in the above pictures, the Carney picture is so much more lively and colorful. Just a coincidence? I think not!



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Don't Wake Daddy!

Remember this game? Well the Rangers are playing like the Daddy on top. In fact in this game, the Rangers are winning. In fact, they are doing a stellar job! But unfortunately, hockey does not work that way. And last night the Rangers lost their 5th straight game against the New Jersey Devils. In fact in the last 4 games, the Rangers have been shutout twice and in the other 2 games they scored 3 goals combined. The Rangers are not only heavily struggling but ignoring the 10-2 loss to Dallas (in which Valiquette was in goal), the confidence of Lundqvist will continue to decline despite the fact these games are for the most part not at all his fault.

I am also beginning to think that head coach Tom Renney is on the hot seat. It may be that time to shift our focus to the coaching staff and not necessarily the players.

Now let us see if the Rangers try and get Sean Avery back.



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A-Rod Interview

Below is the A-Rod interview in its entirety. I just have to say that I hate what Peter Gammons was doing. Anyone who does not notice it was an idiot. Of course everyone was curious how A-Rod would respond to the allegations. It seemed as though once A-Rod made the smart choice of apologizing, he tried to make A-Rod look bad. Asking questions of how he got the steroids or who he got them from trying to get A-Rod to rat other players out and make him look bad. The idea of the interview was to get A-Rod's reaction to the allegations.

He said he was stupid and whatnot and he apologized. The other bogus questions afterward was uncalled for.






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Before and After

OK I am hating the talk about A Rod prior to steroids and A Rod after steroids so let us put that discussion to a sudden halt. Below is a picture of A-Rod as a Mariner and then as a Texas Ranger when he was on the juice.



Now anyone who sees a real significant change is blind. There is barely any change whatsoever. You also have to remember anyone out of High School or College will look somewhat stronger with or without steroids because when you are working out on a more rigorous level with more professional trainers, you are going to be stronger. You cannot be the same strength in High School or College as in the Major Leagues. You will fail miserably so everyone will be stronger. There cannot actually be anyone out there who believes these pictures show a significant change.

If you want to see a significant change, below is the before and after of Barry Bonds.



This is significant. Whether you believe or not he did roids, well he did. Bottom line. Bonds is on the juice. I am not telling you that this particular before and after proves it. But this is a significant change.

A-Rod has not had a significant change.

And also keep in mind what steroids is. Steroids are not magic pills. You know how Popeye the sailor pops in his spinach and his muscles grow instantly? Yeah well that isn't how steroids work. Steroids allow you to build stronger muscles quicker and also expands the capacity your muscles can grow a bit. But just because someone does steroids does not mean he becomes the instant muscle man. It would be nice if it worked that way but it does not.

Without steroids, it may have taken A-Rod a little bit longer to get to the stature he is at but he would have gotten there anyway. But still, the change in stature is rather insignificant.


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A-Rod Shows Class.... Makes the Smart Move

Alex Rodriguez in an interview with Peter Gammons admitted to doing steroids and was regretful and apologetic for doing so.

A-Rod said he did steroids from 2001 through 2003. If this is true, he never did steroids during a time where he would be punished by the MLB.

However, this was an incredibly smart move by A-Rod to admit and apologize for using steroids.

If we compare Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens with Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte, we see a huge difference. (By the way this was also discussed on Sports Heaven with Mark and Evan after the interview with Bob Papa.)

But bottom line is, Clemens and Bonds continue to deny deny deny and they make appearance after appearance in court and their image is awful.

What do you still hear about Giambi and Pettitte? The answer is nothing. Sure they may be looked upon a little bit differently, but when you come out and apologize you look a lot better.

A-Rod is now in the same boat as Pettitte and Giambi and Yankee fans will be happy to know that (at least if A-Rod is telling the truth), he never did steroids as a Yankee.

Excellent job by A-Rod.

There is still question however about his image as he put up big numbers in those 3 years. But he also has had big numbers in other years and as a Yankee. But hey, just 3 years in the early 2000's? I wouldn't necessarily give him and easy pass, but I do believe he only did steroids during the time period he mentioned and any other numbers he puts up are 100% legitimate.

This admittance should take some of the pressure and heckling off of A-Rod.


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What Does Bob Papa Think of Eli Manning?

On Sunday night, Sports Heaven with Mark and Evan concluded football season after the Pro Bowl with the voice of the NY Giants, Bob Papa,

About 20 minutes into the episode, Evan Brandoff proposed a question with regards to New York Giants Quarterback. Just an FYI, Sports Heaven with Mark and Evan is my show.

But some may argue that Bob Papa is not a huge fan of Eli Manning. Click the play button below to hear what Mr. Papa had to say. Everything Bob said was fair, but was it too harsh?





To hear the interview in full please visit www.sportsheavenradio.com and click on the past shows page.




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A-rod Steroid Positive

According to reports told to Sports Illustrated, Alex Rodriguez was tested positive for steroids in 2003 when he was in a Texas Rangers uniform.

No other reports have been filed regarding other steroid use...yet.

In 2003, Major League Baseball had no penalty for doing steroids.

So whatever your stance on A-rod was, well he was at least a steroid user once. He may still be doing it or he may have thought better of himself and quit. For right now we do not know. Keep in mind however, that for the time being all we know is he did steroids in 2003 for the Texas Rangers. It was just that one year on that one team. So for all of you Yankee haters out there, until they prove A-rod has done steroids in a Yankees uniform, I would keep my mouth shut for the time being.

In 2003, Alex hit .298 with 47 homeruns and 118 RBI's. Since coming to the Yankees in 2004, A-rod hit over 47 homeruns twice in 2005 and then in 2007. A-rod was above 118 RBI's 3 times with the Yankees from 2005 through 2007.

Alex Rodriguez's best years of his career exlcuding playoff time was probably during his years in Texas to date.

Stay tuned....



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Rangers Woes Continue...

Ummm 10-2? Really? I am sorry but how do you manage to lose a hockey game 10-2? The Rangers after an embarrassing loss in Dallas have now lost 4 games in a row. Lundqvist has a bit of a Flu which is why Valiquette played in Dallas.

But overall, the entire Rangers team has been just incredibly pathetic. Awful display of hockey. They are not scoring goals. The Rangers have scored just 5 goals in the 4 losses and in the last 8 games have scored 15 goals. In those 8 games, they were shutout twice.

On February 4th, I can't remember if I blogged about it but this is from Rotoworld:

New York Rangers head coach Tom Renney was not at all happy with the way the New York Rangers practiced on Wednesday.

The Rangers practiced for 30 minutes before Renney had had enough. He got rid of the pucks and had the players spend the last 30 minutes of practice doing sprints, crossover skating drills and rink-width laps. The punishment practice hopefully hit home for the Rangers. "It's not the first time I've been a part of that, but I guess that's what the coach felt was necessary to get his point across," Markus Naslund said. "We know we have to play better, we know we have to score. If Tom thinks we're not scoring because of a lack of effort, I guess that's why he asked us to skate." It should be interesting to see how the Rangers will respond to this. Their next game is Friday in Dallas.

Source: NY Post

Awful job Rangers. Time to step up.

WAKE UP!


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Rejection Feels Good

I just figured I would throw this very short post out there. The Yankees offered a minor league contract to Andruw Jones which Andruw Jones went on to turn down.

Thank goodness. Andruw Jones is the complete opposite of what the Yankees need right now. Like having Nady, Swisher, Matsui, Damon, Gardner and prospect Austin Jackson isn't enough.

Granted this was a minor league contract, it would be awful for the Yankees to turn to another old washed up outfielder that they do not need.

Hey Yankees, you are on the right track right now sticking with the young Austin Jackson, giving Brett Gardner a chance, keeping the young Cano and keeping your young pitching. No need to try and get Andruw Jones.

And as for you Mr. Jones, thanks for the rejection. It is greatly appreciated.



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Rangers Honor Graves with Banner Raising but not with Win

On a very special night at the world's most famous arena, Adam Graves, a legendary Ranger had his number put up in the rafters. (See my post below)

Unfortunately, the Rangers were unable to defeat the Atlanta Thrashers who are currently dead last in the Southeast division and almost dead last in the Eastern Conference sitting atop a team we all know as the New York Islanders.

This was a great game for the most part.... greater than it should have been. There was no score have the first 2 periods as Lehtonen and Lundqvist were fantastic.

It was not too deep in the period before Joseph Motzko gave the Thrashers a 1-0 lead.

And hey you remember that whole Kovalchuck debate a little while back? Well you can click here for the refresher. This was the original Kovalchuck post and the most recent post not written by me. I responded to the post here.

Anyway, with just under a minute left and Lundqvist sitting on the bench Kovalchuck and some room up the right wing. From the blue line he took a shot at the open net to seal the deal. But guess what? The choker missed! So do we know who was right in that Kovalchuck debate above?

So then because of the miss, the Rangers still had a chance and they took full advantage. With 6 skaters on, Markus Naslund received a beautiful pass in the high slot and it went right past Lehtonen.

The game was sent to overtime where after some tough 4 on 4 hockey the game remained time.

So it was shootout time but the Rangers failed to win.

The conclusion? Lundqvist is not the same. He gave up 6 goals in the All-Star game. He gave up 6 goals shortly after against the Penguins. And now in the shootout where we have seen Lundqvist be one of the best, he allowed 2 goals on 3 shots.

Poor job by the Rangers, poor job by Lundqvist.

Not good..... not good.


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#9 to the Rafters!

Click the beautiful mini white box below to view Adam Graves' career numbers.

Right below it is a video of the banner raising.

And below that is another one of my fantastic blog posts.






Ranger fans finally saw what the wanted to see. Adam Graves' number 9 is up in the rafters. Adam Graves was a nitty gritty kind of player and was of course a member of that legendary 1994 Stanley Cup team. Graves was a Ranger from 1990 through 2001. Earlier in his career, he spent time with the Red Wings and and Oilers and ended his career with the San Jose Sharks. Graves continues to be a big part of the New York Rangers organization whether it be skating around with players or participating in charity events.

Graves will always be in the hearts of Ranger fans as a legend whether people agree or not.

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Mets, Perez Agree to Terms

The Mets have signed Oliver Perez to a 3-year 36 million dollar contract. In 2008, Perez went 10-7 with a 4.22 ERA in 197 innings pitched. Perez performed extremely well in July and August of last season.

He was not great during the other months but he was alright.

Hey Mets, whatever helps you sleep at night. There is nobody out there who should really criticize the signing. 12 mil a year may be a stretch but its alright. We have seen what Perez can do.


This particular blog post is based solely on this link so I figured it would be appropriate to share it with you.

And thanks ESPN. Nice job!


http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/gamelog?playerId=5192


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Cardinals, Commercials, AND Springsteen an Epic Failure

Well the Steelers won the Super Bowl to the surprise of nobody. Arizona did put up a good fight especially in that 4th quarter but in the end they were just a complete failure. I mean all the penalties and such. What a poor job. And then there was of course that second to last play of the game. You know, the one before the kneel down? The fumble by Kurt Warner? Awful job.

Also the commercials. What was up with those. Maybe one or two made you chuckle. But overall what a terrible job. Huge waste of 3 million bucks for many of those companies. A rather large disappointment.

There was of course that little segment that said "Want to watch the commercials again? Go to hulu.com!" Yeah, no. I do not want to see those commercials again. I appreciate the offer.

And yes, Bruce Springsteen was an EPIC fail! Bruce coming out screaming his lungs out and moving around and by the time he had to sing... oh man. Bruce made Simon Cowell cringe. He had no voice, was pretty much talking and especially during born to run was WAY off tune. I do not care how big of a Springsteen fan you may be. Go back and listen to the performance and pretend you never knew who Springsteen was. You will wish you never hear him again. I mean the music was great and the fireworks and whatnot were great but as far as the actual singing, that was terrible.



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Tom Coughlin to Live in a Jim Fassel Era?

Remember back in the day how sloppy the Giants organization was and how much of a joke it was under Jim Fassel? Just awful defense, no togetherness, and just a terrible time to be a Giants fan.

Welcome back to that era Giants fans! Although it is possible the era may not return there is a chance. Of course by Jim Fassel era I do not mean Jim Fassel is coming back. Don't worry it is not that bad. This post really has nothing to do with Jim Fassel.

I would just like to quote one of my favorite sports websites, Rotoworld. The site reports news picked up from other news sources. This is from January 27:

Antonio Pierce believes Plaxico Burress holds the key to his own Giants' future.

GM Jerry Reese has hinted that Plax could be retained if the troubled receiver showed a tangible attitude adjustment, but coach Tom Coughlin wasn't so willing to forgive and forget. Plax's legal situation remains the biggest hurdle to his return.

Source: ESPN.com

Does anyone else see how this can lead to a mess? At this point a Giants fan should hope that Burress is put in jail to avoid any conflicting views regarding a Plaxico Burress return. It is impossible to play football while in prison.

But if Burress avoids jail, and the Giants choose not to bring him back, and then other players choose to leave or not play because of it..... well yeah. That is a huge problem.

Pierce is without doubt the defensive leader of the New York Giants and they cannot afford to lose him at this time. There may be many other players who agree with Pierce.

I feel like there is a grenade just sitting in the Giants locker room. The question is whether or not somebody is going to pull the pin.

Brace yourself for a Giant mess...... Yes the pun was in fact intended.




***UPDATE***

I wrote the above earlier today and then I read this, again on Rotoworld:

Amani Toomer lashed out against the Giants' coaching staff in an interview at a charity event Wednesday.

"The last couple of games I wasn't a big part of the offense and we lost a big percentage of the games," he said. "You can't tell me (that) didn't play a big role. I questioned (the coaching staff's) approach going in. Ultimately my suspicions came true. (The Giants' coaches) have an agenda." A 34-year-old impending free agent, Toomer won't be back with New York in 2009.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

I think I have said this before, but I believe I am a predictor of the future.





Jan 29 ***UPDATE****




Again from Rotoworld:

Impending free agent Brandon Jacobs wants the Giants to retain Plaxico Burress for next season.

"If we have Plax...we go 15-1 and we win the Super Bowl," Jacobs said. "We had a different identity with him. (Defenses) did a little better each week because they had that eighth guy in the box." Jacobs also said he thinks Plax has changed since his self-shooting. Asked if he'd re-sign without Burress on the club, Jacobs replied "If I'm here, I need 17 back on that roster."

Source: Newark Star-Ledger

Not good.... not good.








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Pettitte and Yanks Agree to Terms

The Andy Pettitte talks with the New York Yankees have almost been as annoying as the Favre talk during last year's off-season but just a little less public. Andy Pettitte was being quite stubborn for a while and holding out for money the Yanks would not give him. Pettitte ideally wanted roughly 14 million dollars but the Yankees would not budge and it is good they didn't.

Pettitte is not worth 14 million dollars for one year. He was not even great last year. Pettitte was 14-14 last year with a 4.54 ERA. Not 14 million dollar material.

The deal is now agreed upon as a 5.5 million dollar deal for one year but Pettitte can earn himself up to 12 million.

The Yankees rotation should now be Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Joba, and Pettitte. We may see some Phil Hughes mixed in some where but the signing should take away time for Ian Kennedy, Kei Igawa (thank g-d), and Alfredo Aceves (at least as a starter).

Of course we could see those 3 pitchers in the rotation at the same time if the Yankees face the worst case scenario. Burnett has shown to be injury prone, we are not really sure what the deal is with Joba yet and Pettitte is getting a lot older. The Yankees hope those guys are not hurt but you never know.

But for those of you Yankee haters with the whole buying players argument and whatever, you may see a rotation with Aceves, Hughes, Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlain if things are bad. Plus there is Wang as well. These guys are all young and Yankee prodigies.

So stop whining.




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SportsTalkNY Show Update: Mascots

Anyone who tuned in to the latter 20 minutes of SportsTalkNY on Wednesday January 21, you heard a very in depth discussion regarding mascots.

Until I am told or can come up with something unique to write or until AJ decides to make a post, you can feel free to look over this list of college mascots courtesy of Wikipedia.

Keep in mind that it is not necessarily a complete list and also that it is Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._college_mascots

The archive of Wednesday's show can be seen at the very bottom of the blog page. I know convenient right? That was all me.....


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Rex Ryan is new Jets Head Coach.... and he Wants Favre!

Well Jet fans there is good news and bad news. The good news is, you are going to have a good coach in Rex Ryan. He should be able to fit over well with the Jets and one would expect the Jets to have a successful season.

The bad news is, Rex Ryan wants Brett Favre. How about ummm no! Rex Ryan may be a good coach but he may not be that smart. Rex Ryan wants Schottenheimer to stay as offensive coordinator and the Jets feel with Schottenheimer still there, it will convinve Favre to come back.

This is the very wrong approach. Ryan said in his press conference that he would rather play with Favre rather than against him. He said in 2001 Favre had maybe his best game ever against the Ravens.

Great! Who cares? 2001 was 8 years ago! That is nearly a decade. Do you know how big a difference that is? Brett Favre is not that QB anymore! He is old and oh yeah just in case you did not realize Jets and Ryan, THE JETS MISSED THE PLAYOFFS WITH FAVRE!

It is time to force Favre into retirement. Rex Ryan, Brett favre will play for the Jets or retire. He won't play for another team he won't play against you. Brett Favre will fail down the stretch again, if not maybe for the whole season and it is time for the Jets to find their Quarterback of the future and that obviously is not Brett Favre.

Idiots.


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P.S. I am a diehard Giants fan but stupidity makes me angry...

Dipietro out for Season... LOL?

I think we are getting to a point where discussing the Islanders is just ridiculous. I feel really awful for anyone who broadcasts the Islanders, anyone who hosts any Islander shows or anyone who is an Islanders beat writer. Find a reason to take a leave of absence and just take off. I mean it is so ridiculous.

Dipietro is done for the season with a knee injury after playing just 5 games this season. Dipietro won only 1 of the 5 games.

It was great the Islanders signed him to such a long contract. An injury prone goaltender who is not really that great. Certainly not worth a 15 year deal!

But my post ends here. No point of continuing on.


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Giants Hire Bill Sheridan as new DC

The Giants have decided to hire linebacker coach Bill Sheridan as defensive coordinator to fill the vacancy of Steve Spagnuolo who is the new head coach of the Rams.

Bill Sheridan should be able to keep the strong Giants defense in tact. Sheridan knows Spagnuolo's system, he knows what system works well with this Giants team, and a hire from within the system was probably a smart choice by the New York Giants.

He has seen how this team operates and has been there along the Super Bowl run and whatnot. Even Stave Spagnuolo was trying to bring him along to St. Louis. If Spags liked him, then he must be a good fit to fill in.

Touche New York Giants... touche!




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Islanders May Move to Kansas City... Finally!

Well it has been a long time coming but the Islanders will play a pre season game next year in Kansas City as there is a chance they may move there!

It really is about time. The Islanders are making New York look awful. This will move the spotlight to the New York Rangers where the spotlight truly belongs. We will leave the Sabres out of this for the moment.

The Islanders are a perfect fit in Kansas City. The fans there love awful teams! The Cheifs were 2-14 this year, the Royals are always terrible and finished 4th last year and now they can have the awful Islanders. Is this not the perfect world?

So much for that new Nassau Coliseum. In America, we call that "a waste."

It will be interesting to see what the current Islander fans do if the move does happen.

I gotta say though, the team name does not really fit. Kansas City isn't really an Island. I mean we all know the Islanders made sense since they were on Long Island. But we see the teams in Kansas City being people high in power with the Royals and the Chiefs so I was thinking the Kansas City Congressman. We all know congressman suck!


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Giants to Sign TO?

According to Mike Lombardi of the Nation Football Post, the Cowboys are having serious discussions about releasing Terrell Owens.

Well this timing could be perfect because with Plaxico Burress, on the verge of serving a 3 year jail sentence, the Giants lack a number one wide receiver which is a big reason why the Giants failed to win against their division rival Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

Owens is 35 years old but if the Giants want any chance of winning a Super Bowl again in the near future, Owens can certainly help. Despite being 35 years of age, Owens still has great skill and would probably draw as much attention as Plaxico Burress did. Owens is 4 years older and 3 inches smaller, Owens is a much bigger upgrade over Hixon.

There are sometimes distractions that come along with Terrell Owens but, Plaxico Burress of course has plenty of his own. Ya know... like shooting himself in the leg? A two-year contract may not hurt so much. Obviousy Owens has a lot more issues than Burress but I think it may be worth the risk. The Giants would not have to trade away good young talent and they would be able to get a number 1 caliber receiver.

Of course as of this post Owens is still a Cowboy and the Giants have had zero discussions regarding Terrell Owens. Owens averaged 18.9 YPC with five scores in the last eight games.

If TO is released I think it would be worth it for the Giants to have some discussions regarding TO.

If the Giants are really skeptical about him I would wait a little bit. If TO cannot find a team in the time frame he would like you can probably get a pretty cheap 2 year deal for him. If you don't like him after 1 year, you would not be missing out on a whole lot of money.

It is worth a shot....


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What to Expect: Gaints vs Eagles

The game between the Giants and Eagles might be the greatest one in this year's playoffs. It will be a close, hard fought, and intense match up. So let us cut to the chase:

Both teams are going to rely heavily on defense. First on the Giants side, they need to make sure to contain Brian Westbrook. Westbrook is very dangerous on the running attack and even as a wide receiver. They must know where Brian Westbrook is at all times. Whether he is split out wide or in the backfield, someone must be on him. If Westbrook is in the backfield, linebacker Antonio Pierce will most likely have his eye on him. If Westbrook is split out wide, he is good enough to earn himself a corner which will open up other options for Donovan Mcnabb. The Giants secondary needs to be tight and they need to be smart. The Giants are a blitzing defense. If they bring the blitz, they need to make sure they are getting to Donovan Mcnabb. If the blitz is not working, the Giants may need to drop some more people back to stop the big play.

Main Key for Giants Defense: Know where Westbrook is and play tight, smart defense.

On the Eagles side, they need to watch for big Brandon Jacobs and of course Eli Manning. The Giants of course do not have Burress so they probably do not have to double cover anyone. The Giants are known for a power running game with Jacobs and if they can stop Jacobs, the Giants will be in trouble. If Jacobs is contained early, Eli Manning will be forced to pass more. Without Plaxico Burress, defending the pass game of the Giants has gotten much easier.

Main Key for Eagles Defense: Put the game in the hands of Eli Manning.

On the offensive side for the Giants, they need to establish the running game. They need to use a good mix of the powerful Jacobs followed by the speedy Derrick Ward. People constantly mention Ahmad Bradshaw. I personally believe the Giants need to use him more but the bottom line is, the Giants have really only been using him in the 4th quarter if at all. Don't expect Bradshaw to get moe than 6 carries. If the Giants can establish the run early, Eli Manning needs to make good use of the play action. Eli must also spread the ball to everyone. Everyone means Kevin Boss, Michael Mathews, Madison Hedgecock, Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Amani Toomer, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, Domenik Hixon, and Steve Smith. If every one of those players have at least one reception, plus the Giants can establish the running game, the Eagles will be lost on defense.

Main Key for Giants Offense: Establish the run early and spread the ball around to everyone.

For the Eagles offensively, they need to establish the run with Westbrook. Mcnabb needs to recognize where the Giants are blitzing from and have Westbrook rush in the opposite direction away from the defense. The Eagles also need to give the Giants many different looks. Put Westbrook wide, or in the slot. Put him on the left side, right side. The Eagles need to confuse the Giants defense and cause mismatches. They can do the same with LJ Smith. He can block but you can also put him in the slot or on the outside. Mcnabb has lost some of his mobility over the years but he may have to get some back with the Giants pass rush. Mcnabb needs to be able to move and make passes on the run.

Main Key for Eagles Offense: Establish Westbrook and show the Giants many
different looks.




Prediction: These teams know each other very well. Home field for the Giants means absolutely nothing in this game. Giants stadium does not rattle the Eagles. This game may come down to the very end and may even go into Overtime. But Mcnabb need not worry as there are no ties in the playoffs.

Final Score: Giants 23 Eagles 21



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There is a Small Chance I am a Genius

The idea of this blog probably isn't for me to gloat but I think now that I have the opportunity, I am going to do so. Granted the Penguins have lost 4 straight games before the Rangers destroyed them 4-0, I still believe that what I said in my last blog post is 100% correct.

I said that Metsradamus' assertion blah blah blah was wrong. But I also stated that if Drury and Gomez played like the players we all expected them to, the Rangers all of a sudden have 2 dynamic players.

Well wouldn't you know that just 3 days later, Drury and Gomez each get a goal and an assist vs the Penguins and the Rangers embarrass Crosby and his gang 4-0. Of course there are so many people that deserve credit in this game but it just further proves that getting rid of Dubinsky for Kovalchuck is not necessary.

When Drury and Gomez are on, the team is on. Dubinsky for Kovalchuck would be an unnecessary trade.

Just throwing that out there.....

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