Knicks Cool Off the Heat with a Huge win in Miami

Honestly, up until this year when a Amare came to New York, I never had a reason to watch the NBA. I always thought, and still think that there is no point in me watching teams not play defense until the last 2 minutes of the 4th quarter so they can win. But what I saw from the Knicks tonight made me want to watch them more and more. I found myself cheering and screaming at the TV as if it were the Super Bowl or an MLB game. It was unreal. The Knicks put on a show tonight and showed the desire to win the whole game, which I think more teams need to do.

The Knicks big three of Anthony, Stoudemire, and Billups shut down Lebron and Co. tonight in a big way. The defense stepped up and held the Heat to 86 points while Anthony dropped 29 points for the Knicks. But the big player was not Anthony or Amare tonight, it was Chauncey Billups. Billups rallied the Knicks back in the fourth quarter coming up with big steals and difficult contact shots (which should have been called as fouls) to fire the Knicks up late in the game.

What I saw tonight was solid NY Knicks Basketball. They played hard and wanted to make a statement to show that they can contend. Of course, it is going to take time for the team to get "in sync" with one another, as they are, in essence, a new team. But I think if they can win with a small amount of team chemistry, give them a few weeks and they will become a huge threat in the NBA.

Get Him Out of New York!

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6164981

Here is a video of New York Mets pitcher Oliver Perez after his first spring training start of the season in which he gave up 4 runs in two innings which is absolutely ridiculous. Here you have a pitcher who was a solid part of the Mets rotation a few years back, who can't even seem to pitch to players who most likely won't even be making the team and who will be starting the year in the minors. I never understood why they gave this man a contract extension last year. He not only has control issues, but Perez struggled to throw over 90 MPH, something that is expected of most major league pitchers.

Also in the video when asked how he thought he pitched, Perez responded with, "It was the first outing, I was excited and nervous at the same time." These are not words you expect to hear out of your veteran pitchers. You're not supposed to be nervous, especially in a spring training game, when you have experience pitching in big-time situations. These are words you expect to hear from an inexperienced rookie pitcher. Unless he's nervous about getting cut, which he should be, he should be buckling down and stop making excuses for himself.

The Mets need to dump this guy NOW. Bring up some young prospect who has the velocity and control that you're not getting out of Perez or trade him...to whatever team decided they want a pitcher with no ability whatsoever. But hey, if there is some poor sucker of a team out there who will take him, good for the Mets..its less baggage they need to deal with.

This sounds harsh, yes. But the excuses coming from Perez are ridiculous and they've been heard too often from him. I guess its the frustration that comes with being a Mets fan.

Melo-Drama ends with Carmelo Anthony coming to the Big Apple

Carmelo Anthony finally got what he wanted from the start of the season: to become a New York Knickerbocker. But was it a good trade? Well for the superstar who has played with the Denver Nuggets since his entry into the league in 2003, the Knicks had to give up some big time players. Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov along with 3 million dollars in cash and the Knicks 2014 second round pick. In exchange, the Knicks received Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter, and former Knick Renaldo Balkman. Seem fair? Well in my opinion, yes and no. The Knicks NEEDED to get this trade done to be actual contenders in the East. Stoudemire could not have carried this team on his own. Granted, Gallinari, Felton, and Chandler were doing a stellar job at their respective positions but everyone is replaceable; especially if it means bringing in Carmelo Anthony. In the case of Felton, he is replaced with an equally good, if not better player in Chauncey Billups, who, although he is getting older, has won previous championships. Criticizers would say that the Knicks gave up too much, especially in the case of Gallinari, but particularly in the case of Mozgov. I have to 100% disagree with this statement. Mosgov is in his first year in the NBA and, in 34 games played has averaged 4 points per game...4!. Why not give him up?! Sure, he might have shown them something in the future, but why not get people that have already proven themselves? Carmelo should help the Knicks at least be a contender in the playoffs this year and who knows, maybe an NBA Championship will come to NY this year (although that is very unlikely).

Blake Griffin and the Dunk Contest

With the 2011 All-Star Game coming up in the next few days, NBA fans will be able to see the always highly anticipated Dunk Contest. This year will feature the NBA's human highlight reel, Blake Griffin. It is Griffin's rookie season and not only has he made it to the All-Star game as a rookie, but he has also brought Clippers fans much excitement during the year as they watch him soar through the air and slam it home like they have never seen before. Here is just a taste of what could be in store for this year's dunk contest

Griffin's 137 Dunks

Albert Pujols and Cardinals unable to reach deal for next season

Albert Pujols, the face of the Cardinals franchise, has not reached a deal with the Cardinals for next season. Pujols, whose contract is up at the end of this season, wanted to have an extension or new deal done for next season by last Wednesday so that there would not be any distraction for the ball club during this season. He was quoted as saying "You have to put a deadline because you don't want to bring distractions to the ball club." (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2011/news/story?id=6131069). Pujols is absolutely right. He did the right thing by setting this deadline so that the team could focus on the season and not have to deal with questions about his status for next year. I believe it is the little distractions that take away from a team's chances of winning.

With that said, I do not know what the Cardinals are thinking here. Pujols is their number one player and quite possibly one of the best players to ever play the game. You have to sign your franchise player in this situation. You do whatever it takes to bring back the player that the fans come to see play who is keeping you in the playoff hunt year in and year out. I understand that you need money left to pay the rest of your players, but signing Pujols for what he wants is a deal that the Cardinals absolutely need to get done at the end of the season.

Pujols has not said that there is no chance that the talks will reignite between ownership and himself, but for now, he is focusing on the season and will deal with his contract later.

Big Baby's Big Flop

In their game against the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics delivered a huge win (their third in a row against Miami) against their rival team. However, there was one laugh out loud moment that left even the Celtics players in tears of laughter. Watch it for yourself.

Chances of Jose Reyes reutrning to the Mets after the 2011 Season?

Via ESPN New York

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said "it's unlikely" contract extension talks with shortstop Jose Reyes would take place during spring training.

Alderson added that he did not expect the $1 billion lawsuit against Mets ownership would affect his ability to sign Reyes to an extension if the GM wanted to pursue it. Reyes will earn $11 million this season and is eligible for free agency next winter.

"Now, I'm confident I can do anything with any one individual player," Alderson said. "Anything we do is going to be viewed through the prism of what's going on in New York. There's no question about that. All I can do is try to make the best baseball judgments. And at this point I'm not facing any limitations. At this point I don't expect to."

Mets: Spring Training 2011

As all eyes turn to Port St. Lucie to watch the Mets prepare for the 2011 season, ESPNNY.com has you covered!
Spring Training Center | Mets blog

By "what's going on in New York," Alderson was specifically alluding to trustee Irving Picard's lawsuit against Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz seeking to recover money to disburse to victims of convicted swindler Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Mets ownership has denied any advance knowledge of wrongdoing by Madoff.

"What do you think I'm referring to -- the snow?" Alderson said.

Alderson also disputed any suggestion Reyes is not his type of player. The GM comes from the sabermetric philosophy that does not place a high value on stolen bases.

"I had a lot of different players on a lot of different teams, many of whom had very different profiles. That probably alludes to his reliance on speed and my sense that maybe speed is not as critical," Alderson said. "But he brings so many different things to the table, as I've said earlier, that you can't just focus on the speed element. The speed element is a plus. There's no question about that, and well-appreciated by me, by the way."

Alderson said he wants to review Reyes in-season before making any decision whether to sign him to an extension, although he doesn't necessarily need the full season.

"I'm the kind of person that likes to get a feel for people and how they tick and be around them a little bit," Alderson said. "So this isn't just about scouting evaluations. This is getting comfortable with Jose and other people who are in camp as someone who hasn't been around."

Does Alderson worry he would lose exclusivity and expose the Mets to an outside bid for Reyes' services from a team willing to offer a deal similar to the one Jayson Werth signed with theWashington Nationals (seven years, $126 million)?

"The answer is no," Alderson said. "I understand given any approach to things there are positive and negative consequences. We happen to think that approaching it as we are on a net basis is the right way to go."

...I am a HUGE fan of Jose Reyes and really would hate to see him leave this organization. He is a high energy player that can really get the team going in need to win situations. Over his last seven years with the team, Reyes has stayed around the .300 batting average mark, averaging .286 over the seven years. He is in the tope tier of all players in the MLB in stolen bases every season which adds to his value greatly. But unfortunately, sometimes that doesn't fit into a new GM's overall plan for the club. It is no question that the Mets do need to make some MAJOR changes in the squad and get some big time players to bring a championship to the team, but I do not think that getting rid of Reyes should be part of this change. I think by combining Reyes with some of the more talented players in the league could bring the Mets a much better chance at a World Championship. 

Greg Jennings..Put the Team On His Back!!

Greg Jennings Put the Team on his Back- WARNING: This video contains potentially offensive language

Yes, Greg Jennings put the team on his back and helped the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XLV. It turned out to be a very good game in the second half when the Steelers got their act together and started playing like they deserved to be there. Even though Aaron Rodgers played a phenomenal game, throwing 3 TD passes, I think Greg Jennings stole the show, catching 2 TD passes, his longest a 31 yard reception. He played an MVP caliber game and made big catches when the Packers needed it; especially given the fact that other Packer receivers were dropping balls left and right.

The Packers really shocked me tonight, and beat one of the best teams in the NFL. They overcame adversity being the number six seed in the playoffs, being injury plagued during the year, and losing a key player in Charles Woodson late in the second quarter of the Super Bowl.

Congrats to the Packers for bringing the Lombardi Trophy back home to Green Bay.

A Look At the New York Mets Upcoming Season

Since football is ending tomorrow, its about that time of year again...Baseball is here! It's definitely my favorite time of year when there are only a few months until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. Even though as a Mets fan I've had to put up with the roller coaster of emotions that come along with being a Mets fan. After coming off a very disappointing season, I would like to see something big out of the Mets this year. Unfortunately, I don't think this is their year for many reasons. The two main reasons being: 1) They don't have a solid starting rotation and, 2) The Phillies have possibly one of the best rotations of all time.

The Mets have a very uncertain starting rotation going into the 2011 season. With their ace Johan Santana out until June or July after surgery in the off season, Mike Pelfrey is going to have to be the number one guy in the rotation. He had a surprising season last year, going 15-9 with a 3. 66 ERA, but I am not confident that he can be consistent enough to give the Mets a solid performance every week. After Mike, the whole rotation is up in the air. I think second they will go with the knuckle-baller R.A. Dickey, who like Mike, was a HUGE surprise last year. He was an offseason pick-up by the Mets last year and was called up mid-season to help the Mets. He went 11-9 with a 2.84 ERA. Again, I do not have faith that he can perform at the level the Mets will need him to. After Dickey, the Mets have Chris Young and Chris Capuano, two injury prone pitchers that they picked up this offseason who could potentially be good but their past injuries could get in the way. Jonathan Niese, a young up and coming  pitcher, will probably also be thrown into the mix somewhere.

Compare this to the Phillies power house rotation and there seems like there is no hope for the Mets. Cliff Lee, one of the best pitchers in baseball is starting off their rotation, followed by Roy Halladay who tossed a perfect game AND a no hitter last year. Next is Roy Oswalt, who seemed to be in the form he used to be in in his prime in the mid- 2000's. The rotatoin rounds out with Cole Hamels who led the Phillies to a World Series in 2009, and Joe Blanton who is a solid pitcher in the rotation.

Overall, the Mets need to really show something this season. With Johan out till June, the younger players are going to have to step up and be productive players both on offense and defense. Hopefully, we have heard the last of the "New York Mess."

My Pick for the Winner of Super Bowl XLV

After being distraught like many other Jets fans last week, I unfortunately have to pick someone else to win the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. Even though they beat the Jets, I have to pick the Steelers to beat the Packers. I believe that they not only have the leadership necessary to beat the Packers, but they also have the most talent, hands down. They have and incredible leader with a lot of talent in Roethlisberger, who I think is the best quarterback in the league. Since entering the league in 2004, he has led the Steelers to two Super Bowl Championships with a potential third coming this Sunday. They also have Troy Polamalu, a defensive powerhouse who was just voted the AP's Defensive Player of the Year and, according to other sports writers, is a potential candidate for MVP, even though I think it should go to Michael Vick. Also, last weeks star of the game versus the Jets was the Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, who ran for 121 yards and scored a touchdown against the Jets defense.

Overall, I expect the game to be close, but I think that in the end, the Steelers powerhouse offense and defense will shut the Packers down.