The New York Giants have surprised many by going with a cornerback as their first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Giants have selected Prince Amukamara out of the University of Nebraska. The Giants have a need at offensive lineman as well as a possible need at running back. Although Mike Pouncey was unavailable, their was still a couple of lineman that were projected to be picked in the first round.
The Giants didn't expect Amukamara to be available at 19, but when he was, they jumped on him. They added to their CB depth of Terrell Thomas, Aaron Ross, and Corey Webster. These players have all struggled with injuries in the previous seasons, and as Giants GM Jerry Reese has done before, he chose the truly best available player when his team was on the clock(See 2006 1st round pick Mathias Kiwanuka).
Amukamara is a beast. He won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, his Junior year. He is a natural athlete who needs to work on some fundamentals, but should thrive in the Giants defense, especially with the great pass rushers they have.
Amukamara was featured on Sport Science. These guys do a great job on analyzing a players athletic abilities. You can't help but be excited after watching this video if you're a Giants fan. Give it a look.
Overtime Sports
Thursday, April 28, 2011
NFL Draft tonight at 8 PM on ESPN
The 2011 NFL draft will take place tonight at 8 PM on ESPN. We will take a look at the local teams and where most project they will go with their first round pick.
The New York Giants will have the 19th pick in this years draft. The Giants have multiple offensive lineman who are coming off surgeries during the off-season. With this is mind, many of the experts believe that the Giants will select Florida guard/center Mike Pouncey with the 19th pick. He is the twin brother of Maurkice Pouncey who was a 2010 first-round NFL Draft pick and is currently the starting center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maurkice started all 16 games as a rookie and was selected to the Pro Bowl. The Giants could only hope that Mike could be as good as his brother if they selected him. If Pouncey isn't available at 19, the Giants might look to select Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo.
New York Giants:
If both Castonzo and Pouncey are unavailable, the Giants might look to go in a different direction with their pick. There has been talk that the Giants are interested in Alabama star running back, and former Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram. Ingram is the son of former Giants Wide Receiver Mark Ingram,SR. Although Mark Ingram JR won the Heisman as a Sophomore, he struggled during his Junior season after he missed the first two games due to minor knee surgery. With Bradshaw being a free agent, and the NFL still in labor talks, the Giants might select Ingram to sure up their backfield.
New York Jets:
The New York Jets have the 30th pick in the upcoming 2011 NFL draft. Experts predict that the Jets will select defensive tackle Phil Taylor from Baylor University. There is some debate whether the Jets will go for the best player available or for need. If the Jets go for need, they might select a linebacker. If they select a linebacker, outside linebacker Akeem Ayers from is most likely their choice UCLA. Another option at outside linebacker would be Brooks Reed out of Arizona who had a very strong combine. The Jets need to infuse some speed and youth into their front seven to help get pressure on the quarterback. Their has also been discussion that the Jets will trade down out of the 30th pick if they don't like any of the available players.
The draft is extremely important to a teams long term success. The teams that draft well are the ones that stay near the top of the league the longest. Good drafting teams can have a seamless transition from year to year as players leave to free agency or retire. Both the Giants and Jets have had recent success in the draft. Let's hope it can continue tonight.
In case you missed it: Messi's phenomenal goal vs Real Madrid
Lionel Messi's second goal during the first leg of the Champions League semifinal vs Real Madrid on April 26th. Barcelona won the game 2-0.
Red Bulls start off season on a tear
The New York Red Bulls are currently in 1st place through six games of the 2011 MLS season. The team is made up of a mix of International Superstars, MLS veterans, as well as some exciting young players.
Through six games, the Red Bulls defense has only let up two goals against. The strong defense, along with the hot goal scoring from Theirry Henry, Juan Agudelo, and Luke Rodgers has the Red Bulls atop of the Eastern Conference. The Red Bulls are currently 3-1-2 though six games for a total of 11 points, 1st in the East and 3rd best in the MLS.
The Red Bulls recently added midfielder and MLS veteran Dwayne De Rosario from Toronto FC. De Rosario is a Canadian International and has been a star in the MLS for years while playing for Toronto FC. He is a five-time All-MLS player and has won four championships in his career. His presence was immediately felt in his first game as a Red Bull. De Rosario entered the game against the Houston Dynamo on April 2nd at halftime, and assisted on a goal two minutes later to tie the game at 1-1.
De Rosario has continued to help the Red Bull offense as the team has scored seven goals in their last two games, after scoring only two goals in their first four games. Although he has only one assist and no goals in his first four games, he has helped control the midfield and has had good chemistry with the other Red Bulls players.
If the Red Bulls continue playing the way they are playing now, they will surely be near the top of the Eastern Conference come season end. The MLS has been gaining interest as the surge of International Stars into the MLS continues. The Red Bulls are sure to garner some interest from casual soccer fans as they have Superstars, a year old arena, and have been playing well. The Red Bulls have had an average of 16,000 fans in their first three games, and with the summer coming up and their recent play, that number is going to increase.
Through six games, the Red Bulls defense has only let up two goals against. The strong defense, along with the hot goal scoring from Theirry Henry, Juan Agudelo, and Luke Rodgers has the Red Bulls atop of the Eastern Conference. The Red Bulls are currently 3-1-2 though six games for a total of 11 points, 1st in the East and 3rd best in the MLS.
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| Photo courtesy of Getty Images |
The Red Bulls recently added midfielder and MLS veteran Dwayne De Rosario from Toronto FC. De Rosario is a Canadian International and has been a star in the MLS for years while playing for Toronto FC. He is a five-time All-MLS player and has won four championships in his career. His presence was immediately felt in his first game as a Red Bull. De Rosario entered the game against the Houston Dynamo on April 2nd at halftime, and assisted on a goal two minutes later to tie the game at 1-1.
De Rosario has continued to help the Red Bull offense as the team has scored seven goals in their last two games, after scoring only two goals in their first four games. Although he has only one assist and no goals in his first four games, he has helped control the midfield and has had good chemistry with the other Red Bulls players.
If the Red Bulls continue playing the way they are playing now, they will surely be near the top of the Eastern Conference come season end. The MLS has been gaining interest as the surge of International Stars into the MLS continues. The Red Bulls are sure to garner some interest from casual soccer fans as they have Superstars, a year old arena, and have been playing well. The Red Bulls have had an average of 16,000 fans in their first three games, and with the summer coming up and their recent play, that number is going to increase.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Knicks poor execution down the stretch has them coming home down 0-2
The title says it all. The final two minutes is where they separate the men from the boys, and unfortunately for the Knicks, they have some maturing to do. The Knicks had a lead in the final minute of each of the last two games, and have come away empty handed in Boston.
Many analysts believed that the Knicks had to win at least one game of the first two in order to upset Boston, and I agree with them. Winning 4 of the next 5 games against a powerhouse like Boston would be an incredible feat, but it is extremely unlikely that it would happen, especially with the uncertainty of stars Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups.
In Game 1, the Knicks were simply wetting their playoff whistle. Having only half of a season together, this group of players is still trying to gel. Their finish to the season raised excitement in Knicks nation, and the fans thought they could take on the world. Well the two games in Boston gave them a dose of reality. The Knicks are on their way, but are not an elite team yet. Elite teams can get a defensive stop in the last minute and make big shots when the game is theirs for the taking. The Knicks were dominating game 1, even with Carmelo Anthony being in foul trouble for most of the first half. The Knicks led basically the whole way, by double digits for a time, but you always knew that the Celtics were going to make their run, which they did. Some questionable calls by the refs down the stretch definitely helped them out, but when your an elite team and your playing at home, your going to get those calls. Still the Knicks were in it and had poor execution in their final possession. First off, not having a timeout to advance the ball is poor management by coach D'Antoni. I know he used a lot of timeouts to try and stop the Celtics runs, but you have to leave yourself with a couple of timeouts when you know the game is going to close. After a couple of poor defensive possessions the Knicks were down 2 with about 15 seconds to go. So with no timeouts, and no play called, the Knicks put the ball into Melo's hand to win the game. If they had a timeout, maybe they would have called a play to get the ball to Stoudemire who was on fire, and who made two ridiculous plays in the final minutes to keep the Knicks in it. Now I don't have a problem with Melo taking the shot, I just wish it was a better shot and not a 29 foot 3 pointer. He missed, and the Knicks didn't even try to foul Garnett even though there was a couple of seconds left. It was an extremely heartbreaking loss for the Knicks and their fans.
In game 2 the tale of the first 46 minutes were a little different, but the final 2 ended up the same. The Knicks were struggling shooting the ball, had to battle to keep the game close. The Celtics led most of the way, with the Knicks chipping away every minute trying to come back and take the lead. The Knicks lost Amare to injury in the 2nd quarter, and he missed the entire second half. This was the second time in two games the Knicks had to play without one of their stars, this time without Amare and Billups, and they still managed to be right there in the end thanks to Carmelo Anthony's brilliant 42 point 17 rebounds performance. But again it came down to the final minutes, and again the Knicks struggled with execution and strategy.
After the Celtics took a :20 timeout with about 30 seconds remaining, coach D'Antoni took a :20 timeout right after the Celtics broke their huddle. I'm criticizing this because again at the end of the game the Knicks had no timeouts left to advance the ball.
They let Garnett score with some defensive pressure, and then after their last timeout they come with a play. Carmelo gets triple teamed and dishes it down low to Jared Jeffries who was wide open, and despite his offensive ineptitude, had scored a beautiful layup a minute earlier. Garnett comes over to Jeffries, and he tries a bounce pass to Bill Walker but Garnett's long arms grab the ball and as he is laying down he call timeout with about 4 seconds left. Down by 1, if the Knicks fouled quickly, they still would have had about 2 seconds to get off a good shot that could've won or at least tied the game, depending on if the Celtics made their free throws or not. But for some reason Anthony had no idea that Delonte West could go in the backcourt, which he did, and caught the ball and burned off 3.4 seconds and eventually go fouled with .6 remaining. You have to wonder if D'Antoni mentioned anything in the huddle if the Celtics could catch it in the backcourt, but even so, you should know that as a player. So West made both free throws, and the Knicks were left down by 3 with no timeouts, and had to heave a 3/4 court shot that came up well short. Another disappointing loss where the game was up in the air and the Knicks couldn't close the deal.
Just getting to the playoffs is a great accomplishment for the Knicks this season, and they seem to be heading in the right direction for the future, but after watching these two games, what fan couldn't ask for more from this team. They are going blow for blow with one of the best teams of recent years and they are lasting until the final seconds. Hopefully they can win a game or two at home and make this is a series, but if not, the Knicks fan who has been in pain for many years can now truly feel that the Knicks' time is almost here. It might not be this year, but with other teams getting older and most of the Knicks players being in their prime or younger, you can bet that the Knicks are back to being a perennial playoff team, and with a tweaking here or there, they could be a championship contender. The Knicks have been the laughing stock of the league for far too long. The regular season is the regular season, but with the last two tight, hard fought playoff games, the NBA better take notice that the Knicks have arrived and that these Knicks will be around for sometime.
Many analysts believed that the Knicks had to win at least one game of the first two in order to upset Boston, and I agree with them. Winning 4 of the next 5 games against a powerhouse like Boston would be an incredible feat, but it is extremely unlikely that it would happen, especially with the uncertainty of stars Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups.
In Game 1, the Knicks were simply wetting their playoff whistle. Having only half of a season together, this group of players is still trying to gel. Their finish to the season raised excitement in Knicks nation, and the fans thought they could take on the world. Well the two games in Boston gave them a dose of reality. The Knicks are on their way, but are not an elite team yet. Elite teams can get a defensive stop in the last minute and make big shots when the game is theirs for the taking. The Knicks were dominating game 1, even with Carmelo Anthony being in foul trouble for most of the first half. The Knicks led basically the whole way, by double digits for a time, but you always knew that the Celtics were going to make their run, which they did. Some questionable calls by the refs down the stretch definitely helped them out, but when your an elite team and your playing at home, your going to get those calls. Still the Knicks were in it and had poor execution in their final possession. First off, not having a timeout to advance the ball is poor management by coach D'Antoni. I know he used a lot of timeouts to try and stop the Celtics runs, but you have to leave yourself with a couple of timeouts when you know the game is going to close. After a couple of poor defensive possessions the Knicks were down 2 with about 15 seconds to go. So with no timeouts, and no play called, the Knicks put the ball into Melo's hand to win the game. If they had a timeout, maybe they would have called a play to get the ball to Stoudemire who was on fire, and who made two ridiculous plays in the final minutes to keep the Knicks in it. Now I don't have a problem with Melo taking the shot, I just wish it was a better shot and not a 29 foot 3 pointer. He missed, and the Knicks didn't even try to foul Garnett even though there was a couple of seconds left. It was an extremely heartbreaking loss for the Knicks and their fans.
In game 2 the tale of the first 46 minutes were a little different, but the final 2 ended up the same. The Knicks were struggling shooting the ball, had to battle to keep the game close. The Celtics led most of the way, with the Knicks chipping away every minute trying to come back and take the lead. The Knicks lost Amare to injury in the 2nd quarter, and he missed the entire second half. This was the second time in two games the Knicks had to play without one of their stars, this time without Amare and Billups, and they still managed to be right there in the end thanks to Carmelo Anthony's brilliant 42 point 17 rebounds performance. But again it came down to the final minutes, and again the Knicks struggled with execution and strategy.
After the Celtics took a :20 timeout with about 30 seconds remaining, coach D'Antoni took a :20 timeout right after the Celtics broke their huddle. I'm criticizing this because again at the end of the game the Knicks had no timeouts left to advance the ball.
They let Garnett score with some defensive pressure, and then after their last timeout they come with a play. Carmelo gets triple teamed and dishes it down low to Jared Jeffries who was wide open, and despite his offensive ineptitude, had scored a beautiful layup a minute earlier. Garnett comes over to Jeffries, and he tries a bounce pass to Bill Walker but Garnett's long arms grab the ball and as he is laying down he call timeout with about 4 seconds left. Down by 1, if the Knicks fouled quickly, they still would have had about 2 seconds to get off a good shot that could've won or at least tied the game, depending on if the Celtics made their free throws or not. But for some reason Anthony had no idea that Delonte West could go in the backcourt, which he did, and caught the ball and burned off 3.4 seconds and eventually go fouled with .6 remaining. You have to wonder if D'Antoni mentioned anything in the huddle if the Celtics could catch it in the backcourt, but even so, you should know that as a player. So West made both free throws, and the Knicks were left down by 3 with no timeouts, and had to heave a 3/4 court shot that came up well short. Another disappointing loss where the game was up in the air and the Knicks couldn't close the deal.
Just getting to the playoffs is a great accomplishment for the Knicks this season, and they seem to be heading in the right direction for the future, but after watching these two games, what fan couldn't ask for more from this team. They are going blow for blow with one of the best teams of recent years and they are lasting until the final seconds. Hopefully they can win a game or two at home and make this is a series, but if not, the Knicks fan who has been in pain for many years can now truly feel that the Knicks' time is almost here. It might not be this year, but with other teams getting older and most of the Knicks players being in their prime or younger, you can bet that the Knicks are back to being a perennial playoff team, and with a tweaking here or there, they could be a championship contender. The Knicks have been the laughing stock of the league for far too long. The regular season is the regular season, but with the last two tight, hard fought playoff games, the NBA better take notice that the Knicks have arrived and that these Knicks will be around for sometime.
Monday, April 18, 2011
A Tale Of Two Injuries
The Yankees and Mets have absolutely nothing in common except for the city they share, until now. As of this past weekend both teams have starters that have been placed on the DL, not aces but starters that could make a difference for their respective clubs. In case you've been living under a rock or need a refresher allow me to break it down. For the pinstripes Phil Hughes was spot on in last years ALDS giving up 4 hits in 7 scoreless innings helping the Yankees sweep the Minnesota Twins and the bronx bombers hoped they'd see more of that this season...we'll they haven't. In 3 games started this year Hughes posted a record of 0-1 with a 13.94 ERA while allowing 16 earned runs. Critics have blamed the velocity or lack there of on Hughes pitches and has elected to head to the DL rather than be demoted to Scranton.
On the other side of town Chris Young is headed to the DL with right bicep tendinitis, arguably the Mets best pitcher this season. In 2 starts he's given up 2 runs on 6 hits in 12 innings (note: I chose not to post Youngs W-L due to the lack of support the rest of the team has given him in his starts, go figure). Now which one of these teams need their injured starter worse? I think this ones cut and dry: the Metropolitans.
The Yankees needed a solid start until Freddy Garcia came to the rescue on saturday pitching an absolute gem in what was a breath of fresh air, not that the starting rotation has been horrible but nobody has showed the domination that Garcia did to this point in the season for the bombers. A.J. Burnett has won all three of his starts this season and although CC's record hasnt show it, he has held down his side of the deal thus far. With Bartolo Colon making his first start since the 09' season in place of Hughes, the Yankees should be alright without him but the Mets have bigger issues.
The "Ace" (and I use that term loosely) for the Mets Mike Pelfrey has averaged 4 innings per start and has given up 18 earned runs this season. Even though the Chris Youngs injury is short term as tendinitis if treated properly is not serious, it could not have come at a worse time. The Mets are losers of 7 of their last 8 games and need a rock in the rotation. Every game started has Mets fans holding their breath and without Young to provide some relief (no pun intended) even more pressure falls on the shoulders of R.A. Dickey who hasn't pitched bad but unless Dickey is going to start 5 days a week for your club, it might be time to start exploring some options with the status of Johan Santanas return changing on a week to week basis.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Knicks face off with rival Celtics in opening round of the playoffs
The New York Knicks are in the playoffs. Man it feels good to say that. The Knicks have missed out on postseason play since 2004, when they got swept by the New Jersey Nets in 4 games. The last time they actually won a playoff game was 10 years ago in 2001 when they defeated the Toronto Raptors.
The Knicks who are the 6th seed, will face off with the Boston Celtics, who finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have dominated the Knicks in recent years after the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen In 2007. The Celtics have been a force since revamping their roster, winning a championship in 2008, and they have consistently been at the top of the East in the past couple of seasons. The Knicks have played them tough during the season series, and with the roll that they have been on recently, have some confidence entering the playoff series.
The Celtics on the other hand have been playing poorly in recent weeks. They traded away their big man Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green at the trade deadline, and haven’t been the same team since. If there was ever a good time to catch the Celtics, it would have to be right now. A lot of people were saying that the Miami Heat would be a less daunting opponent than then the Celtics, but I tend to disagree. Don’t get me wrong, these are two great teams that I am talking about, and Paul Pierce is a Knicks killer, but I much rather play the aging, struggling Celtics, than the young, athletic, and thriving Miami Heat. Hopefully we have the opportunity to play the Heat later in the playoffs.
The Knicks and Coach Mike D’Antoni have transformed their style of play since the early struggles following the blockbuster trade, which brought in Carmelo Anthony. They have become more of a traditional offense, using the fast break when it is available, but really pulling back and setting up the offense. This better suits the team as presently constituted, as Melo and Stoudemire like to have the ball in their hands and create their own shot. Melo is especially good at this. It took some time to figure out, but the new style has the Knicks playing as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in the recent weeks, and Anthony received back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors during the stretch. Also since the change in styles, the Knicks have suddenly started to play some defense. I wouldn’t call them a shut down defense by any means, but the way Carmelo and others have hustled and played determined defense when it matters most, you can see they want to win. We can only hope that this will continue in the playoffs, as they are going to need to get big stops at the end of games to be able to compete with the defensive minded Celtics.
The New York-Boston rivalry will be renewed on Sunday night, and it should make for a gritty and physical series. Don't count the Knicks out, who now have three legitimate big shot makers in Melo, Stat, and Billups to go to at the end of the game. Most of the games should be close, and it will come down to who can make a couple of stops, and who can make the big shot at the end. The Celtics have proven in the past that they are capable of this, and it's the Knicks turn to show what they are made of.
The Knicks who are the 6th seed, will face off with the Boston Celtics, who finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have dominated the Knicks in recent years after the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen In 2007. The Celtics have been a force since revamping their roster, winning a championship in 2008, and they have consistently been at the top of the East in the past couple of seasons. The Knicks have played them tough during the season series, and with the roll that they have been on recently, have some confidence entering the playoff series.
The Celtics on the other hand have been playing poorly in recent weeks. They traded away their big man Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green at the trade deadline, and haven’t been the same team since. If there was ever a good time to catch the Celtics, it would have to be right now. A lot of people were saying that the Miami Heat would be a less daunting opponent than then the Celtics, but I tend to disagree. Don’t get me wrong, these are two great teams that I am talking about, and Paul Pierce is a Knicks killer, but I much rather play the aging, struggling Celtics, than the young, athletic, and thriving Miami Heat. Hopefully we have the opportunity to play the Heat later in the playoffs.
The Knicks and Coach Mike D’Antoni have transformed their style of play since the early struggles following the blockbuster trade, which brought in Carmelo Anthony. They have become more of a traditional offense, using the fast break when it is available, but really pulling back and setting up the offense. This better suits the team as presently constituted, as Melo and Stoudemire like to have the ball in their hands and create their own shot. Melo is especially good at this. It took some time to figure out, but the new style has the Knicks playing as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in the recent weeks, and Anthony received back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors during the stretch. Also since the change in styles, the Knicks have suddenly started to play some defense. I wouldn’t call them a shut down defense by any means, but the way Carmelo and others have hustled and played determined defense when it matters most, you can see they want to win. We can only hope that this will continue in the playoffs, as they are going to need to get big stops at the end of games to be able to compete with the defensive minded Celtics.
The New York-Boston rivalry will be renewed on Sunday night, and it should make for a gritty and physical series. Don't count the Knicks out, who now have three legitimate big shot makers in Melo, Stat, and Billups to go to at the end of the game. Most of the games should be close, and it will come down to who can make a couple of stops, and who can make the big shot at the end. The Celtics have proven in the past that they are capable of this, and it's the Knicks turn to show what they are made of.
Hughes put on 15-day DL with dead arm
In response to my story from yesterday, the Yankees have placed Phil Hughes on the 15 day disabled list with what they're calling a "dead arm." Obviously there was something wrong after his last start on Thursday. Hughes will continue to long toss to try and strengthen his arm and hopes to be ready to pitch when he comes off the DL.
Taking Hughes' place in the starting rotation will be Bartolo Colon. Colon has pitched well out of the bullpen, and hopes to take advantage of the opportunity to presented to show he is still a viable starting pitcher. Colon lost out to Freddy Garcia in the battle for the Yankees 5th rotation spot during the spring.
Lance Pendleton was promoted from Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Hughes' roster spot and will take Colon's spot in the bullpen as the long man. Pendleton retired all 9 batters he faced in 3 innings of work on Friday night in his first appearance in the big leagues.
Taking Hughes' place in the starting rotation will be Bartolo Colon. Colon has pitched well out of the bullpen, and hopes to take advantage of the opportunity to presented to show he is still a viable starting pitcher. Colon lost out to Freddy Garcia in the battle for the Yankees 5th rotation spot during the spring.
Lance Pendleton was promoted from Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Hughes' roster spot and will take Colon's spot in the bullpen as the long man. Pendleton retired all 9 batters he faced in 3 innings of work on Friday night in his first appearance in the big leagues.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Hughes Continues to Struggle as Yanks Win
Phil Hughes struggled again last night, only lasting 4 and 1/3 innings and giving up 5 runs. He has given up 5 runs in his first 3 starts. His consistently touched 90mph on the gun, which means his velocity is back, but he still struggled with location and with finishing guys off. Hughes only has 3 strikeouts this season in 3 starts.
Originally, his velocity was deemed to be the problem, as he had trouble reaching the 90mph mark. After last night in which he did get the gun up in the low 90’s and still struggled, there is a cause for concern as to what else is wrong. Maybe he was rearing back yesterday, trying to show his critics that he could get back into the low 90’s, and in turn making his control and location suffer. If it was just 3 starts, people wouldn’t be so worried, but Hughes struggled for the second half of the season last year after getting off to a tremendous start.
Bartolo Colon again had a solid outing coming out of the bullpen last night, as he pitched 3 scoreless innings, keeping the game close, and allowing the Yankees to stage a comeback. People are quick to name Colon as the replacement for Hughes in the starting rotation, but coming into a game down 5-0 comes with a lot less pressure than starting a game. Colon did pitch well, throwing strikes and allowing 3 hits while striking out 3, but at 38 years old, I believe he is best suited in the role that he is in now. An innings eater that can help you stay in the game if your starter struggles. Hughes should get at least one to two more starts, and if he has the same problems, than the talk of replacing him will be justifiable. Yankee fans are always quick to judge, as Hughes received some boos while walking off the mound, but the kid deserves some more chances to work out the kinks.
As for the rest of the game, the Yankee bats took until the 5th inning to get a hit, and they continued to chip away at the 5-0 deficit, leading to a Jorge Posada HR in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game at 5. The game went into extra innings and Mark Teixeira led off the 10th inning with a walk. After a double by Alex Rodriguez and a line out by Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher came up to the plate needing just a sacrifice fly to get the run in. Swisher hit a fairly deep pop to right, giving Teixeira ample time to make it home on the tag up to win the game. Swisher got the post game ritual pie to the face, and all was well in Yankee land after struggling for most of the game.
Now most would call Posada’s game tying Hr or Swisher’s walk off sacrifice fly as the play of the game, but the real play of the game came from Joba Chamberlain. Joba entered the game replacing Bartolo Colon in the 8th inning with men on first and third and one out. Joba proceeded to throw one of his nasty sliders that got away from catcher Russell Martin, and speedy Felix Pie broke for the plate. Chamberlain sprinted home to cover for Martin, who chased after the ball, as Pie sprinted down the line and was on the verge of touching home plate. Joba made a phenomenally smart baseball play, a fundamental that we are all taught as youngsters, but most players rarely carry out, he used his leg and foot to block off home plate from Pie, giving Martin more time to get him the ball. Joba then applied the tag on Pie as Felix tried to get around Joba’s big frame. Most of the fans in the stadium thought he was safe at first glance, because Pie beat the ball by at least a step. When fans saw the umpire signal that Pie was out, the Stadium was first perplexed, and then erupted in cheers. Only after seeing the slow motion replay did the fans see what an exceptional play that Joba made, and then gave him a standing ovation. Now for a catcher, that is a routine play, but for a pitcher running full speed from the mound to have the wherewithal to block the plate, that is rarely witnessed. Without that play, the Yanks would have been down 2 runs, and who knows what the outcome could’ve been. But if it would’ve played out the same way, Posada’s HR would’ve been meaningless, and the Orioles would’ve come away with the victory.
If the bullpen continues to pitch well and make plays, the Yanks should be able to stay afloat until the starting pitching comes around. The 7th, 8th 9th inning combo of JoSoMo ( Joba, Soriano, Mariano) is one if not the best in baseball. This shortens the game to 6 innings as these guys are almost guaranteed to have a solid outing. If the starters can get you 6 quality innings every outing, the Yanks will be in good shape for the rest of the season.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Rangers vs Capitals Playoff Preview
After last years debacle in which the Rangers failed to make the playoffs by losing in a shootout on the last day of the season, again Ranger fans had to wait until the final day to see if they would be cheering on the blueshirts in the playoffs. The Rangers backed their way into the playoffs after a crazy final week of the season in which they became fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they needed a Lighting win over Carolina to gain the 8th and final spot.
With the 8th seed comes a first round match up with No.1 seed Washington Capitals. The Rangers are familiar with the Capitals and have taken 3 out of 4 of the season series, including a 6-0 win at the Garden on Dec 12th, and a Feb 25th 7-0 domination at the Verizon Center in DC. The Capitals have transformed into a different team since these two teams last met. They made some trades at the deadline and Coach Bruce Boudreau has adapted to a more defensive style of play. Although they are the 1 seed, the Capitals still have some questions. They're starting rookie Michael Neuvirth in goal has only has 64 career NHL games under his belt and his making his playoff debut. Also in question is the struggling Alex Ovechkin. Although he finished with 32 goals, which would be a great season for anyone else, Ovechkin is held to a higher standard. Boudreau gave Ovechkin some rest during the season during his struggles, which may benefit him now in the playoffs.
Keys to the series:
Goaltender match up:
Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has started the last 26 games in a row. We all now he is a workhorse, but with having to fight until the last day to make the playoffs, will Lundqvist be tired during the playoffs. The Capitals are starting rookie Michael Neurvirth, who has played well but is untested in the playoffs.
The edge here goes to the Rangers, and they will need Lundqvist to stand on his head a few times if they want to win the series.
Keeping Ovechkin Quiet:
Although Ovechkin only had 32 goals and 0 against the Rangers during the season series, he loves playoff time. If Ovechkin is skating hard and finishing his checks, the Rangers could be in trouble. They won't hold him off the score sheet, but the less Ovechkin has an effect on the game, the better the Rangers chances.
Rangers Power play:
The power play is 1-27 in the last 9 games and the one goal came on a 5on3 by Bryan McCabe. The former Islander will need to help out the blueshirts with his heavy shot from the point and hope to get some shots on net to test Neuvirth and to hope for some juicy rebounds.
Prediction: Capitals in 7
Lundqvist will steal a game or two, but the Capitals and Ovechkin will be too much in the end for the Rangers to handle. Both teams are pretty even, that's why it should go 7, but the Capitals should come out in the end. This will be a physical and exciting series, and if Lundqvist makes a save here or there in game 7, it could go in the Rangers favor.
With the 8th seed comes a first round match up with No.1 seed Washington Capitals. The Rangers are familiar with the Capitals and have taken 3 out of 4 of the season series, including a 6-0 win at the Garden on Dec 12th, and a Feb 25th 7-0 domination at the Verizon Center in DC. The Capitals have transformed into a different team since these two teams last met. They made some trades at the deadline and Coach Bruce Boudreau has adapted to a more defensive style of play. Although they are the 1 seed, the Capitals still have some questions. They're starting rookie Michael Neuvirth in goal has only has 64 career NHL games under his belt and his making his playoff debut. Also in question is the struggling Alex Ovechkin. Although he finished with 32 goals, which would be a great season for anyone else, Ovechkin is held to a higher standard. Boudreau gave Ovechkin some rest during the season during his struggles, which may benefit him now in the playoffs.
Keys to the series:
Goaltender match up:
Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has started the last 26 games in a row. We all now he is a workhorse, but with having to fight until the last day to make the playoffs, will Lundqvist be tired during the playoffs. The Capitals are starting rookie Michael Neurvirth, who has played well but is untested in the playoffs.
The edge here goes to the Rangers, and they will need Lundqvist to stand on his head a few times if they want to win the series.
Keeping Ovechkin Quiet:
Although Ovechkin only had 32 goals and 0 against the Rangers during the season series, he loves playoff time. If Ovechkin is skating hard and finishing his checks, the Rangers could be in trouble. They won't hold him off the score sheet, but the less Ovechkin has an effect on the game, the better the Rangers chances.
Rangers Power play:
The power play is 1-27 in the last 9 games and the one goal came on a 5on3 by Bryan McCabe. The former Islander will need to help out the blueshirts with his heavy shot from the point and hope to get some shots on net to test Neuvirth and to hope for some juicy rebounds.
Prediction: Capitals in 7
Lundqvist will steal a game or two, but the Capitals and Ovechkin will be too much in the end for the Rangers to handle. Both teams are pretty even, that's why it should go 7, but the Capitals should come out in the end. This will be a physical and exciting series, and if Lundqvist makes a save here or there in game 7, it could go in the Rangers favor.
Islanders remove interim tag from Capuano
The New York Islanders have removed the interim tag off coach Jack Capuano to officially make him the man behind the bench for next season. The terms of the deal haven't been released, but this deal is well deserved as Capuano help turn around the Islanders season after he was promoted from the Islanders AHL affiliate Bridgeport Soundtigers. Capuano coached the team for the final 62 games and had a record of 26-29-10. This is a great accomplishment considering that the Islanders had around 600 man-games lost due to injuries, the highest total in the NHL. The team also used a total number of 6 goalies throughout the season and they were without arguably their best player, Mark Streit, for the entire season due to a shoulder injury suffered in training camp.
Things are looking up for the Islanders as they had five 20 goal scorers this year and great seasons from John Tavares (team high 67 points), Calder trophy candidate Michael Grabner (34 goals), and Matt Moulson who had his second straight 30 goal season. The Isles will have the 5th pick in this years NHL draft in June, and hope to add another top flight young player to add to their already deep pool of young players.
Things are looking up for the Islanders as they had five 20 goal scorers this year and great seasons from John Tavares (team high 67 points), Calder trophy candidate Michael Grabner (34 goals), and Matt Moulson who had his second straight 30 goal season. The Isles will have the 5th pick in this years NHL draft in June, and hope to add another top flight young player to add to their already deep pool of young players.
Monday, April 11, 2011
MSG in April; Does It Get Any Better
Photo courtesy of New York Rangers
Now that playoff time has come for the NBA and NHL and the Knicks and Rangers are still relevant, one question must be asked; does it get any better?? The answer is No with a capital N and regardless of what late april brings its the fashion of how both teams advanced to the post season that made it all worth it. First the Knicks, go back to the morning of March 28th, 2011, losers of 6 straight including a loss on the previous night to the Bobcats and hope was dim. Fast forward 2 weeks (and 7 wins later) and the Knicks are arguably the hottest team heading into the playoffs. They'll have no easy task as they face a team thats beat them all three times they've faced off this season; the Boston Celtics.
Out of all the teams the 'bockers' could have faced in the opening round, the C's are the absolute worst matchup for them. The nucleus of this team has been together since 2007 and have been to the NBA Finals twice since then, taking home one ring in 2008. The Miami Heat would have been a much more suitable matchup for the Knicks who are in the playoffs for the first time since the 03-04' season, splitting the season series 2-2 with Miami and if your a history buff you know that the Knicks own a 3-1 lead in the history of these two franchises meeting in the post season, the Heats only series win was the 1997 Eastern Confrence Semifinals in which the series went 7 games and the Heat would go on to lose 4-1 to the eventual world champion Chicago Bulls and the imfamous game 5 "flu game" for Michael Jordan.
If the playoff series is anything like the first 3 meetings of this season, the Knicks and Celtics can both expect a hard fought blood bath in the opening round of what seems to be only the infant stage of a long string of playoff runs for the rejuvenated New York Knicks in the coming years. Over to the Blueshirts, although their playoff drought hasn't nearly been as long as the team they share the building with, the ability to produce in the post season hasn't been there in a while, do I even have to state when the last time that was? (I'll give you a hint: the NHL All Star Game was hosted at MSG that year and Mike Richter was the MVP of the All Star Game).
The Rangers face the Capitals in the opening round of the playoffs, two franchises that respect each other but love to beat each other as well. The Rangers are looking to avenge a playoff loss from 2 years ago that had New York up 3-2 in the series and lost 2 straight to be sent packing early. The Washington Capitals are looking to avenge losing 3 of 4 to the Rangers in this years regular season series as well as a first round exit from last years playoffs to the underestimated Montreal Canadiens. The last time both the Knicks and Rangers made it to their respective championships I was 4 years old so I certainly don't know how it feels to have both teams successful simultaneously but it's definetely a good time to be in the greatest city in the world especially if your a fan of both these teams.
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