Stop Me If You've Seen This Before

Eli Manning and the Giants are headed back to the Super Bowl

It could only end this way. After a tumultuous season filled with ups and downs, the New York Giants are going back to the Super Bowl, where they will once again face the New England Patriots. It could only end this way. And how fitting is it that the Giants once again stamped their ticket to the Super Bowl on leg of Lawrence Tynes, sealing an overtime win? It could only have ended that way. What I would have given to be a fly on the wall in the Brady/Belichick households as they watched Tynes' FG split the uprights. Surely, they were hoping not to face the Giants. There are so many parallels between the 2007 Giants and the 2011 Giants, but before the book on the magical run of these Giants can be closed, there's still one more game to play. If the Giants do complete this improbable run and beat the Patriots, how fitting would it be that Eli Manning will win his second championship on the home field of his big brother, Peyton Manning? It could only end that way.



The Giants beat the 49ers 20-17 in overtime on Sunday night in windy, rainy conditions that made the playing field at Candlestick Park less than ideal. The Giants looked sluggish on offense for most of the game even though they controlled the time of possession game. The Giants held the ball for 39:06 as opposed to the 49ers, who held the ball 28:18. Eli Manning was excellent again last night, completing 32 of 58 passes for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Manning obliterated the Giants records for completions (29) and attempts (44) and was the first Giants quarterback to throw for back-to-back 300 yard games in the playoffs. What really surprised me was just how tough Eli Manning is. The San Francisco defense punished Manning last night, sacking him six times. Manning shrugged the hits off and continued to be the beacon of calm for the Giants.

The Giants running game failed to impress me as they only rushed for 85 yards combined and no touchdowns. Brandon Jacobs stunk, rushing for only 13 yards on 5 carries. They're going to have to do a better job running against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. I cannot say enough about my fellow UMass alumni, Victor Cruz who was spectacular again last night. Cruz caught 10 balls for 142 yards with 125 yards coming in the first half. It seemed like Cruz was there whenever the Giants needed him to step up and make a big catch. Who would have thought that an undrafted player out of UMass would become a star and make the departure of an accomplished wide receiver like Steve Smith seem like an afterthought? Speaking of unknowns rising from obscurity, how about Bear Pascoe catching his first NFL touchdown in the first quarter last night? What a hell of a time to catch your first pro touchdown in the NFC Championship game.

The Giants defense shined last night, recording 2 1/2 sacks and holding the 49ers offense to a measly 1/13 on 3rd down conversions. The lone conversion happened to come on the last play of regulation. I thought the defense did a great job containing Frank Gore, keeping him to 74 yards on 16 carries with no touchdowns. The star of last week's divisional round matchup against the Saints, Alex Smith was unspectacular, completing just 12/26 passes for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns, both to TE Vernon Davis. Davis finished with 3 receptions for 112 yards and 2 scores. Davis also had a terrible 15-yard, unsportsman like conduct penalty after he scored the 49ers first touchdown on a 73-yard completion from Alex Smith. I saw an interview with Davis where he claimed to have grown up and been a more complete player. No one can deny his talent but he has to mature mentally. You cannot have stupid penalties like that, especially when you're battling for the NFC Championship.


What won the game for the Giants was their play on special teams. Steve Weatherford was phenomenal last night. Weatherford punted 12 times, which also broke a Giants record. The Giants took advantage of two critical miscues by punt returner Kyle Williams, who was subbing in for an injured Ted Ginn, Jr. The first turnover occurred on a Weatherford punt that hit the knee of Kyle Williams and was recovered by Devin Thomas. The initial call on the field was that Williams had not touched the ball, which was challenged by Tom Coughlin. Coughlin won the challenge and the Giants received the ball on their own 29 with 11:06 left in the fourth quarter. With the Giants trailing 14-10 Manning found Mario Manningham in the end zone to recapture the lead 17-14 with 8:34 left in the fourth quarter. The 49ers would complete a 6 play, 48 yard drive and tie the score with a little over five minutes left in the fourth quarter. The second miscue from Williams came in overtime when Jaquan Williams stripped the ball from Kyle Williams right hand and was subsequently recovered by Devin Thomas, his second recovery of the game. The turnover proved to be the final dagger to the hearts of the 49ers as Tynes hit the game winning field goal.

So here we are on the day after the Giants won the NFC Championship. It's hard to imagine a better ending to the script than beating the Patriots on February 5th. The early line has the Pats at a 3 1/2 favorite but I think the Giants have a better team. Brady may be the better quarterback but I think Manning is playing on a higher level. As they say, we'll settle this dispute on the field.

3rd Down & 49ners

Will the Giants Hoist the Lombardi Trophy Again This Year?

The New York Giants are 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl. Believe me, it's a week later, and it's still hard to wrap my brain around this thought. After last week's dominating win over the 15-1 Packers, the Giants are looking for their fifth straight win and their third straight in the playoffs, thus completing their improbable run to Super Bowl XLVI. For those who know me, you know that I am an ardent supporter of all my teams. I live and die with my teams, feeling crushed when they lose and exuberant after a win. Yet, I'll be first to admit that I had left them for dead following a dreadful 23-10, week 15 loss to the lowly Washington Redskins. The loss dropped the Giants to a mediocre 7-7 and to second place behind the hard charging Dallas Cowboys. In order for the Giants to earn a playoff berth, they had to win out or go home. It seemed inevitable that this team would fold like a cheap suit and complete their third straight second half collapse. The first test would be the Jets, who themselves were in a tailspin and were watching their playoff hopes slip through their grasp, although you couldn't tell by the way that fat, blowhard, idiot, Rex Ryan had been running his mouth all season when he should have been running on a treadmill.

In the week leading up to the Giants/Jets, week 16, Christmas Eve matchup, fans swarmed the airwaves of WFAN, voicing their ire for Tom Coughlin, demanding that he be fired. As a team, the Giants lacked cohesiveness on both sides of the ball, playing an uninspired brand of football, while desperately searching for an identity before it was too late. The team's gritty 24-20 victory over the New England Patriots seemed like a distant memory. Those Giants were 6-2. Those Giants looked every bit like the class of the NFC East. These Giants had lost five of their last six, including a 27-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that started this losing streak. It was a game the Giants should have won. Manning continued his 4th quarter dominance, yet the Giants failed to protect a lead late. If there was one shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel that Giants fans could pin their hopes to, it was the play of Eli Manning. Manning had become Captain Comeback, engineering game winning fourth quarter drives with relative impunity. Eli's shoulders had carried the extra weight all season, but he needed some help from his supporting cast. And then it happened. With the Giants trailing the Jets 7-3 in the second quarter, facing a third down and one from their own one yard line, Manning hit Victor Cruz who eluded a tackle and was off to the races. 99 yards later, Cruz gave the Giants a 10-7 lead that they would not relinquish and a shot in the arm that propelled them all the way to today's NFC Championship game.

Today's game will be a good one. I have listened to fans all week dismiss the 49ers as if it were preordained that the Giants will win today. This is not the case. The 49ers have one of the best defenses in the NFL and will not be intimidated. The Giants have not seen a defense like they will see today in quite some time. This defense plays fast and is stout in giving up points. Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and NaVarro Bowman comprise one of the best cores of linebackers in the NFL.

On offense, the 49ers rely heavily on the legs of Frank Gore. Gore had another productive season in 2011, running for 1,211 yards and 8 touchdowns. Alex Smith has finally realized his potential and has proven why he was drafted as the number one overall player taken in 2005. The Giants defense must stop the run and must contain Smith, forcing him into third and long situations. The front four must keep the pressure on Alex Smith, making him uncomfortable in the pocket and interrupting his timing.

On offense, the Giants have to get the running game going. This may prove to be a daunting task as the weather is supposed to be rainy, which could make the field a sloppy mess. The Giants only ran for 95 yards combined against the Packers last week. That is not going to cut it against this Niners defense. Eli Manning will be the best offensive player on the field today and he must assert himself as the best player. The 49ers are going to bring the blitz and are hoping to make Eli force the ball into receivers hands, causing interceptions for the Niners defense. The Giants have a huge advantage in the passing game with both Nicks and Cruz, who both possess tremendous speed and big play ability. Mario Manningham woke up from his slumber last week, catching three passes for thirty nine yards and a touchdown. Manningham also had his best game of the season in week 10 against the 49ers, catching six passes for seventy seven yards and a score. Manningham also dropped a sure touchdown that would have won the game for the Giants and completed their 4th quarter comeback. The Giants receivers drop a lot of passes and the poor field conditions do concern me as it may exacerbate the penchant for dropping passes.

If you're someone who likes stats and numbers, here's a few that will make Giants fans feel good. The Giants are 4-0 all-time in NFC Championship Games, including two wins against the 49ers in 1986 & 1990. Both times the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl, beating the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. If the Giants win this game and do advance to the Super Bowl, either of their opponents will present a rematch of past Super Bowls for the Giants. The Giants got beat down 34-7 by the Ravens in the 2000 Super Bowl, which was the Giants only Super Bowl loss. The Giants met the Patriots in the 2007 Super Bowl, upsetting the heavily favored, 18-0 New England Patriots 17-14.

PREDICTION: Giants 23 - 49ers 17

"I'll Take The Rapists for 200."

For those of you who didn't catch this the other day, here a clip from a real Jeopardy show, where a  contestant makes complete fool of himself, a la SNL Jeopardy.  What an idiot!

Amazing Beatles Cover

Hey, guys. Check out this cover of the Beatles, "In My Life," by Andrew Stein. I first heard the song on a Sleepy's commercial and had to find out who sang it.  Anyway, enjoy the rendition of this song, it's pretty amazing.

Golden Schnoooz

Did anyone else find the Golden Globes Awards (GGA) last night to be one big zzzzzzzzzz?  After last-year's face ripping roast put down by the uber-tiny but uber-hysterical Ricky Gervais, this year's GGA's felt about as harsh as a Betty White smile.  Ricky, I know the truth is funnier than fiction but the jokes about the Kardashians being trashy are getting a bit long in the tooth.  In addition, I found the Ashton-Demi divorce jokes to be stale and even the reference to Jodie Foster's beav lacked ooomph.  I mean...can we please keep our beav references to actresses under 40?

Well, with the exception of Elle McPherson..wait, which brings me to my next point...did anyone see Elle being interviewed on the red carpet by Giuliana Rancic?  Now I know why young girls in our culture are so messed up about their self-image.  I have never seen more adoration bestowed on a human being for simply being attractive than I saw last night.  Giuliana Ran-o-Rexcic (please eat a meal one of these years) started out the interview very subtly: "I just wanted to tell you that you are the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth."  Every follow up comment centered on Elle's beauty, the fact that she's more attractive than every other human being, how does she stay so hot, etc...you get the point.  We get it...she's hot.  Did anyone see Jhonny Depp?  Was it more or did he look like he had a few marbles jarred loose and more wobbly than with a peg-leg on a pirate's ship.  Someone needed to remind Jhonny he was at the GGA's and not a remake of Edward Scissorhands.  On a final note, mila kunis is really dope, yea I really just said it.    

Deja Blue!!!

The Giants are one win away from the Super Bowl after beating the Green Bay Packers 37-20 at Lambeau Field Sunday

The Giants are going to the NFC Championship game next Sunday after beating the top seeded Green Bay Packers 37-20 at Lambeau Field. Eli Manning proved the doubters wrong once again by managing the game and making the big plays when they mattered most. Manning finished the game 21-33 for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns and one interception. The Giants were all business on Sunday, opening the game with a 13 play, 67 yard drive that lasted 6:27 and resulted in a Lawrence Tynes field goal. Green Bay answered with a 47-yard field goal from Mason Crosby to tie the game at three, but the Giants answered back when Eli Manning hit Hakeem Nicks on a 66-yard touchdown pass to put the Giants back up 10-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Packers quickly tied the game at ten early in the second quarter, when Aaron Rodgers found John Kuhn for an 8-yard touchdown scamper into the end zone. The Giants kicked a 23-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes to take a 13-10 lead with 3:37 left in the second and it appeared as though the Giants were going to take a 13-10 lead into halftime. The Giants got the ball back with 0:41 left in the half and rather than attempting a 47 yard field goal, Eli Manning launched a Hail Mary pass that was pulled down by Hakeem Nicks as time expired. Nicks finished the day with 7 receptions for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns. The touchdown stunned the Packers and gave the Giants a 20-10 halftime lead.

The Packers were their own worst enemies, losing three fumbles, including one by Rodgers himself. Aaron Rodgers wasn't particularly sharp as he was 26 of 46 for 264 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception. He was also sacked four times by the Giants pass rush. Green Bay looked out of sync and never seemed to find their stride. Receivers missed key opportunities to capitalize on blown Giants coverages, dropping wide open passes. The Green Bay defense failed to make critical stops when they needed to and never got that big turnover they relied on so heavily in the regular season. Still, as good as the Giants were in the first half, they began to wane in the second half. The Giants held the ball for a total of 3:26 in the third quarter and failed to record a first down. The Packers put together a 10 play, 63 yard drive that resulted in a 35-yard Mason Crosby field goal that cut the Giants lead to 20-13.

The Giants finally awoke from their slumber in the fourth quarter. With Green Bay driving down the field, Michael Boley and Osi Umenyiora sacked Aaron Rodgers on a key fourth and five to regain possession. Lawrence Tynes hit a 35-yard field goal to extend the Giants lead to 23-13 with 7:48 left to play. Green Bay started the ensuing drive on their own 29. Aaron Rodgers hit Ryan Grant with a short pass on first down, but was stripped of the ball by Kenny Phillips, which Chase Blackburn recovered and ran the ball back forty yards all the way to the Packers four yard line. Eli Manning then hit Mario Manningham in the end zone to make it 30-13, all but sealing the Packers fate. The Packers would drive down the field quickly with Rodgers finding Donald Driver in the end zone, cutting the Giants lead to 30-20, but the resilient Giants never panicked, as they came right back and scored with 2:37 left on a 14-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs, making it 37-20, Giants.

The Giants (11-7) have now won their last two playoff games in Lambeau Field, the last game being the 2007 NFC Championship game, when they beat Brett Favre and the Packers 23-20 in overtime. The Giants will now head out to San Francisco, where they will play the 49ers next Sunday at 6:30 PM. If the Giants win, they will reach the Super Bowl for the second time in the last five years, while Giants fans everywhere are beginning to think this just might be 2007 all over again.

Tim Tebow's Fire...Extinguished

Tim Tebow needed more than prayer last night after his team's 45-10 loss to the New England Patriots.

Well folks, we knew this day would come.  Tebowmania finally met its match and came to a crashing halt. The New England Patriots, led by the almighty Bill Belichick and the anointed one, Tom Brady at the helm, dismantled the feeble Denver Broncos, 45-10 at Gillette Stadium last night. How good was Tom Brady? Brady was so good last night, he even managed to kick a 48-yard pooch punt, which caught the ire of rookie standout linebacker, Von Miller. Brady threw for six touchdowns, which tied a playoff record held by Steve Young and Daryle Lamonica. Brady also set a record for most touchdown passes in the first half with five. It was a rough night all around for Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. Tebow was constantly in trouble, getting sacked five times against the league's 31st-ranked defense. Tebow finished the game an unimpressive 9-26 for 136 yards with zero touchdowns and one fumble lost. New England also shutdown Tebow in the run game, as Tebow managed to rush for just 13 yards on 5 carries.

Brady, looked unfazed by the 24-degree temperature (12-degree with the wind chill) and showed why he's won two MVP's. Brady, who threw for 5,235 yards and 39 TD's this season, engineered a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive after the Broncos won the coin toss and deferred to the Patriots. The drive lasted just 1:51 and was capped off by a 7-yard touchdown strike to Wes Welker. This proved to be a harbinger of things to come for this high octane offense. Pro-Bowl Tight End, Rob Gronkowski continued his dominant ways, catching three touchdowns for 145 yards on 10 receptions. New England's other Tight End, Aaron Hernandez, had 4 receptions for 55 yards and scored a touchdown. Hernandez also had 5 carries for 61 yards rushing, including a 43-yard run on the Patriots opening drive that brought the Patriots down to Denver's seven yard line. Former Super Bowl MVP, Deion Branch hauled in a 61-yard touchdown reception to complete Brady's six touchdown night. Brady would finish the night 26/34 for 363 yards. The Broncos lone touchdown came on a Willis McGahee on a 5-yard touchdown run. McGahee's touchdown made the score 14-7. It was the closest the Broncos would ever be in this game.

New England's 45-10 drubbing of the Broncos ended their three game playoff losing streak and snapped a two game home playoff losing streak at Gillette Stadium.  The game also ended the improbable run of Tim Tebow and his loyal disciples. Tebow was inserted as Denver's starting quarterback after the team went 1-4 through their first five games. Tebow went on to win six games in a row and six of eight overall. Tebow's win streak ended when the Broncos lost 41-23 to the New England Patriots back in week 15. The Broncos went on to lose their next two regular season games and backed into the playoffs following a Raiders loss. Tebowmania reached its crescendo after last week's come from behind overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Denver rallied back to win on the first play in overtime when Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas in stride for an 80-yard touchdown reception.

New England (14-3) now sits one win away from earning a Super Bowl berth as they await the winner of today's Texans/Ravens game.  The winner of today's game will head to New England next Sunday at 3:30 PM. If the Patriots win next week, it will be their fifth appearance in the last eleven years and their first appearance since Super Bowl XLII, where the then undefeated Patriots lost to the New York Giants, 17-14.

Yankees Remind Everyone Why They're the Yankees

The Yankees upgraded their rotation in a big way tonight by trading for young fireballer Michael Pineda. In return, Seattle receives the Yankees No. 1 prospect Jesus Montero. Pineda entered last season as the No. 16 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America. Pineda, 22, threw 171.0 innings last year and pitched to a 3.74 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and 173 strikeouts. Montero, 22, hit .328 with 4 HR and 12 RBI in 69 PA with the Yankees. The Yankees also received minor league pitching prospect Jose Campos from the Mariners and Seattle received pitching prospect Hector Noesi from the Yankees to complete the deal.

Shortly after this trade was announced, the Yankees also came to terms with free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda on a one-year deal, which is believed to be worth $12 million dollars. Kuroda, 37, spent the last four years with the LA Dodgers.  Kuroda proved dependable for the Dodgers, throwing over 200 innings and finishing with a 3.07 ERA in 2011. While Kuroda's record was a disappointing 13-16 for a bad Dodgers team last year, look for him to rebound nicely next year and win 15 games in the Bronx.

The Yankee rotation now appears crowded with CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Kuroda, Freddy Garcia, Michael Pineda, AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes. One has to wonder if the Yankees will now turn around and trade an arm for a bat or if they will go into spring training with this pitching depth? Could the Yankees move Hughes to the bullpen, where he flourished in 2009 as a set-up man to Rivera? And what is to happen to the beleaguered AJ Burnett? Have the Yankees finally seen enough of his act? I have no problem letting Burnett go but, I urge the Yankees to take a step back and be prudent about trading Phil Hughes, who still has potential and will still only be 26 this June.

I love both of these moves. The Yankees main objective this offseason was to upgrade the rotation. They remained in the shadows for most of the offseason, refusing to overbid for the Japanese phenom Yu Darvish, who the Texas Rangers won the right to negotiate with by doling out a whopping $51.7 million.  The Yankees passed on lefty CJ Wilson, who went to the LA Angels for five-years and $77.5 million. Mark Buehrle received a ridiculous four-year, $58 million contract from the suddenly free-spending Miami Marlins and refused to meet Scott Boras's demands for Edwin Jackson after chatter that Hal Steinbrenner and Boras had met to discuss Jackson. The Yankees also kept many of their prized prospects such as Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos. Those baby bombers were coveted by teams like the A's in a trade for Gio Gonzalez (who ended up being traded to the Nationals) or the Cubs, who are looking to trade Matt Garza. These moves instantly upgrade the rotation and make the Yankees the clear-cut favorite to win the AL East. It was believed that the Red Sox were very interested in Kuroda, with reports the other day claiming that the Red Sox were closing in on a deal.

Losing Montero is a shame since the Yankees were intent on keeping him, but getting a soon to be 23-year-old power pitcher in return makes the loss of Montero palatable.  Many in the Yankee organization worried that Montero lacked the defensive skills to be an everyday catcher.  Montero was known more for his bat and showed flashes of his hitting ability in 2011 when he was called up. There is a very good possibility that Montero could develop into a terrific catcher someday, but keep in mind that the Yankees also have Austin Romine in the minor leagues, as well as 19-year-old catcher Gary Sanchez. Austine Romine is a very good defensive catcher and may even challenge incumbent Francisco Cervelli to be Russell Martin's understudy in 2012.

With the Yankees aging stars like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter getting older, the Yankees could not afford to carry Montero as a full-time DH. Look for the Yankees to sign a left-handed bat such as Carlos Pena, former Yankee Johnny Damon or Yankee World Series MVP Hideki Matsui to compliment Andruw Jones off the bench or at DH. Pineda stands at 6'7",  260 lbs. and has top of the rotation stuff.  Pineda went 9-10 last year but his fastball sits at 97 mph with the occasional triple digit heat and secondary pitches that are knee-buckling. Look for Pineda to be a force in the Yankee rotation for years to come.

Say Cheese!

Giants fans are hoping for a 2007 redux on Sunday

It's beginning to look a lot like 2007 for the 2011 NY Giants. The once reeling Giants have found their stride and are riding high after last week's 24-2 drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons. The Giants front four was dominant, constantly getting in Matt Ryan's face and disrupting Ryan's timing. The defense twice stopped the Falcons on key fourth and short situations. The offense got a much needed boost from Ahmad Bradshaw & Brandon Jacobs in the backfield by rushing for 155 yds combined.  Eli Manning had his best playoff game since his MVP Superbowl performance against the Patriots, throwing for 277 yds and tossing three TD scores.  Hakeem Nicks had a huge day on offense finishing with 115 yds and two TD scores.  The victory was a statement game by the Giants, as well as a momentum builder for them going into Green Bay this week.

With the Giants new found winning ways, whispers are abuzz comparing this team to the Giants of 2007 that made an improbable run and knocked off the undefeated New England Patriots. Taking nothing away from the Packers of 2007, but that team is not this year's Green Bay Packers. The 2011 Packers are the defending Superbowl champs, finished the regular season at an impressive 15-1 and looked dominant every step of the way. These Packets also have Aaron Rodgers, not an aging Brett Favre at the helm. Rodgers had a splendid 2011, throwing for 4,643 yds, 45 TD's against only 6 INT's. Numbers that are sure to warrant strong MVP consideration.  Rodgers has a terrific supporting cast of WR's in Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Donald Driver and TE Jermichael Finley.  Green Bay's ground attack is average at best.  James Starks and Ryan Grant lack big play, breakaway speed, but they are serviceable backs who managed to put up 1,137 yds and 2 TD's combined.  It's a well known fact that the Giants defense is terrible against the run, however, I'd be surprised if either back gave the defense any trouble.

The defense of the Packers has some big playmakers with AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews, Nick Collins, B.J. Raji and Charles Woodson, but they rank last in the league in yds allowed and last in the league against the pass, allowing 411.6 yds and 299.8 yds per game respectively.  The Packers defense is an opportunistic defense that relies heavily on turnovers and takeaways.  The Giants must hold on to the ball in the run game and Eli has to avoid throwing interceptions to keep the Packers defense in check.

My keys for the Giants to win the game is for them to play a crisp, efficient game without committing dumb penalties.  On offense, the Giants must control the ball by using the run to set up pass.  Eli Manning is at his best when the Giants run game is running smoothly and Manning is given time to pick apart opposing defenses.  Manning threw for a career-high 4,933 yds, 29 TD's and cut down on INT's, which had been a bugaboo in the past.  This was by far Manning's best year as a Giant and put the critics to rest on whether or not Manning is an elite quarterback in the NFL.  Everybody is aware of Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks and their big play ability.  Cruz emerged from obscurity to become a star wideout with 1,539 receiving yards, 9 TD's, seven 100+ yard games this season and three receptions of sixty yards or more, which ranks him ahead of Green Bay's Jordy Nelson who had 2 catches of sixty yards or more.  Hakeem Nicks finished with 1,192 and 7 touchdowns making Nicks and Cruz the first WR's in Giants history to both gain over 1,000 receiving yds each.  I expect Green Bay's corners to make adjustments to account for Nicks and Cruz's big play threat.  I'd like to see Mario Manningham show up for this game and makes a solid contribution in the pass game.  Brandon Jacobs needs to be the punishing bruiser that we've seen flashes of this season.  He needs to soften up the defense enough to allow Ahmad Bradshaw to hit the holes and use his speed to eat up a good chunk of yards and keep the Giants offensive drives going.  This dynamic duo must run for over 100 yds combined like they have done in the past.  The longer the offense stays on the field, the less time Aaron Rodgers has to abuse the Giants poor secondary.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants front four must reek havoc and disrupt Aaron Rodgers timing.  Jason Pierre-Paul has been eating quarterbacks for lunch, but Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka must find a way to get to the quarterback as well.  The Giants secondary is simply not good enough to contain the explosiveness of Green Bay's receivers and is not good enough to play from behind.  Eli Manning has been clutch in the fourth quarter of games this year but he cannot be the only player to step up when it matters most.  I like the Giants chances in this game but in the end, the Packers will be too much for the New York football Giants.  Look for the Packers to advance to the NFC Championship game, beating the Giants 33-19 in the frozen tundra of Lambeau.

Mum's the Word in Yankeeland

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how eerily quiet the Yankee offseason has been?  With five weeks to go until spring training, Brian Cashman and the Yankee brain trust have shown tremendous restraint by not making a big splash in the free agent agent pool.  Instead, the Yankees have focused on keeping their own players rather than overpay for mediocre talent. This year's free agent season has not been dominated by the Yankees and their seemingly blank checkbook, it has been the LA Angels who have  made this biggest splash this offseason by backing up the truck and wrangling away the King, Albert Pujols from St. Louis to La La land for ten-years and $254 million dollars guaranteed.  The Angels also committed five-years, $77.5 million to CJ Wilson, who was arguably the best pitcher on the market.  Before the Angels stole the show, the new look Miami Marlins stirred up quite a buzz by signing Heath Bell to close games, Mark Buehrle to bolster their rotation and coerced Jose Reyes to take his talents to South Beach for six-years, $102 millions dollars, much to the chagrin of Hanley Ramirez.  The Marlins are moving into a new stadium and are eager to put butts in those seats.  I like the moves that the Marlins made, but I hope this doesn't turn out to be 1997 when the Marlins assembled a fantastic team and won the World Series, only to have a fire-sale and dismantle the team in 1998.  The Texas Rangers acquired the right to negotiate with Japanese free agent phenom Yu Darvish by outbidding all teams and paying an astounding $51.7 million dollars.  On the trade front, the Washington Nationals pulled off a nice trade and acquired Gio Gonzalez from the A's for a package of young prospects.  Billy Beane also traded Trevor Cahill to Arizona for another package of prospects headed by Jarrod Parker.  There have been some other moves such as San Diego acquiring Carlos Quentin and Houston Street, but I'm not going to waste too much time talking about them.  Instead, I am going to turn my attention to the Yankees and their current offseason.

The first order of business this offseason for the Yankees was to re-up with CC Sabathia to ensure that the burly lefty would not opt out of his current deal and test the free agent waters.  The Yankees and Sabathia reached an agreement on October 31st, adding one-year, $30 million dollars on top of the remaining four-years, $92 million dollars remaining on Sabathia's deal.  The result translated into a five-year, $122 million for the Yankee ace.  The Yankees also brought back the surprisingly durable, surprising effective Freddy Garcia on a one-year, $4 million dollar deal.  Garcia managed to stay healthy in 2011 and posted a respectable 3.69 ERA in 146.2 IP.  Nick Swisher will be patrolling right field for at least one more year as the Yankees picked up Swisher's $10 million dollar option.  Swisher, 31, saw his average dip from .288 in 2010 to .260 in 2011, but still managed to hit 23 HR and drive in 85 runs and came at a much cheaper price than the two-years, $26 million dollars that it took to sign Carlos Beltran, 34 who's playing with arthritic knees.  The last move of significance was the Yankees picking up Robinson Cano's $10.25 million option, which is a steal for Cano, who I feel is the best 2B in baseball.

As a Yankee fan, I am pretty happy with the restraint the Yankees have shown.  The Yankees have a tremendous farm system with the likes of Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances and Jesus Montero primed to make an impact in 2012.  The Yankees are hoping that Phil Hughes can revert back to his 2010 form and are praying that AJ "Nook LaLoosh" Burnett can give them something.  Ideally, I'd love to see the Yankees trade him, but that would be a pipe dream on my behalf.  While the new Yankees are operating on a budget and attempting to reduce payroll, I do think they should make a run at free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder. 

We are in mid-January and the first baseman still has yet to sign.  If these were the George Steinbrenner Yankees you can bet your bottom dollar that Fielder would be wearing pinstripes by now.  Fielder is 27, in the prime of his career and would do real damage with that short right field porch.  Fielder's build begs for him to sign with an American League team where he can DH and occasionally fill in at 1B.  The Yankees have one of the oldest left side of the infield with Jeter, 37 and A-ROD, 36.  Jeter was mired in a deep slump last year and started to show his age.  While he did rebound nicely in the second half, you can expect the regression to further advance in 2012.  A-ROD hasn't been able to stay healthy and is beginning to break down.  He has missed significant time in 2010 and 2011 with hip and knee surgeries.  It was once thought that Fielder and his agent, Scott Boras were seeking a ten-year contract similiar to tha of Albert Pujols.  That seems less and less likely as we get closer and closer to springing training.  It is my belief that the Yankees could sign Fielder to a 3-5 year deal, which would be the perfect length for a player such as Fielder.  It appears as though the Nationals have tremendous interest in Fielder and signs point that he will sign with them, however, keep in mind that prior to the 2009 season, it was a virtual that Mark Teixeira would end up in Boston until the Yankees decided to step in. 

The Yankees may now be run by Hal Steinbrenner instead of his father but you can never count them out on any free agent, nor can you dismiss any trade rumor.  Only time will tell how these last few weeks will fill out.  If there is one thing I am sure of, it is that this Yankee team as it is composed now will not be the same Yankee team that takes the field on opening day.

The Impetus That Inspired This Blog

Is Tim Tebow the New Touchdown Jesus?

Many of you received a ranting email from me yesterday questioning whether or not Tebowmania has finally gone to far.  For those that didn't get the email or want to catchup on the post, here is a repost.

As most of us grew up in the late 70's / early 80's, many of us are familiar with the 1985 movie St. Elmo's Fire and the theme song, "Man in Motion (St. Elmo's Fire)," written by John Parr.  Well with Tebowmania at an all time high, John Parr found it necessary to rewrite the 80's classic and change it to "Tim Tebow's Fire."  I haven't had a problem with anything Tebow's done to this point and feel that he receives a ton of unnecessary criticism for his actions.  I personally think he's a good role model.  People complain about his religion but keep in mind that those are his beliefs and he's not asking you to share them.  I do however have a problem with this John Parr remake.  To me it's completely ridiculous and over the top.  Here's the NY Daily News article, along with the YouTube clip of the song embedded in the article.  Check it out for yourself.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/john-parr-re-writes-lyrics-80s-hit-st-elmo-fire-honor-denver-broncos-qb-tim-tebow-article-1.1004083

Welcome to the World!

What's this blog about? Nothing. Nothing? Exactly!

So here it is... our very first post.  In many ways, I feel like a proud papa.  Like your typical (Jewish) father, I worry about my new creation instantly.  What am I worried about?  Hmm, let's see.  I worry if my blog will be liked?  Will people embrace it or will it be shunted aside; swallowed whole in the miasma that is World Wide Web?  Will it be something that I show off to my friends like any good (Jewish) father would do, or will I constantly fret that it doesn't have enough followers?

If there's one thing I am confident of, it is that this blog will be a blog that all can enjoy.  Think of it as Monk's, the famous Seinfeld coffee shop where the crew gathered to, well, discuss nothing.  The beauty of Monk's is that it brought the crew together and gave them a forum to discuss anything and everything going on in their lives.  This blog was created with the same vision and fundamentals.  Trust me, I have no delusions of grandeur that this blog will be the next Facebook and I the next Mark Zuckerberg.  The mission of this blog is to provide provocative information that stimulates thought.  Whether that be the scores in our fantasy baseball matchup (yes, we are fantasy geeks) or the chances Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination, this site will be a virtual cornucopia of relevant information that appeals to all.

So as I sit here on January 12, 2012 and attempt to project the future prosperity of this blog, I realize that the ultimate success or failure resides in you the reader.  With that I say a L'chaim and send this blog off into all that is the World Wide Web.  Go out there and make me proud son!