Makes You Wonder

How ironic is it that the New York Jets are going to have to play their last game against exiled quarterback Chad Pennington and his resurgent Miami Dolphins? There is a very good possibility that the Jets season will come down to that game. So how do the Jets make sure that they don't end their season like the New York Mets did? First off, the Jets must not, I repeat, must not take the Seahawks lightly when they travel to Seattle this Sunday. It is Mike Holmgren's final home game as the Seahawks' coach and could be one of his last games all together. Even though the city of Seattle has become the laughing stock of professional sports, the fans still know how to get it up at Qwest Field, AKA "The 12th Man". The forecast for Sunday, calls for snow, and Brett Favre and his former coach, Holmgren, have way too much history involving big wins and cold weather. The reality of this game is that the Seahawks are a terrible team and the Jets should win. Although, that fact doesn't hold much weight for the Jets this season. After losing to Oakland and San Fransisco, both horrendous teams, the Jets haven't been able to put away the inferior teams. The Jets barely beat the Chiefs, who like the Raiders and 49ers, had under 3 wins at the time and they should have never won against the Bills three days ago. It is a mystery to fans where the Jets team, that won five straight games this season, has gone to, but regardless they need to win out the last two games. If the Jets do beat the Seahawks in Seattle, then they can stay focused, and put pressure on Miami and its wildcat offense, led by Pennington. The Dolphins could be the biggest surprise of this NFL season. They were 1-15 last year and after this 180 degree turnaround, are fighting for first place this year. If they somehow win their last two games and the division, then Tony Sparano should win coach of the year and Bill Parcells should be name ultimate NFL guru. The Jets did beat Miami on the road this season in week one, and they do have the advantage of playing at home, but again, the Jets struggled in that win as well, escaping with a game saving interception of Pennington in the last minutes of the fourth quarter. So what does this all mean for the Jets? It means that, like the New York Mets, the Jets control their own destiny and if they win their last two games it will result in a division crown and a home playoff game. If the Jets lose one or both of their last two games, they will join those Mets as a big market, big payroll, big name, underachieving franchise, that choked away a chance for a championship.

J E T S, Jets Jets Jets!

Has anyone noticed that the Jets have moved to the top of all of the NFL power rankings?? Most Jets fans are trying not to because they are afraid if they do, something bad will happen. For the past four seasons starting in 2004, the Jets have had the most inconsistent records causing more indigestion in the NYC area then a slice of pepperoni pizza. In 2004 they went 10-6, in 2005 4-12, in 2006 10-6 and in 2007 4-12. If someone were to draw a line graph it would like a heart monitor. Now in 2008, the Jets have put together a five game winning streak, during that streak they have beaten the big bad Patriots in New England and have knocked off the only undefeated team, the Titans, in Nashville. There shouldn't be any flights booked yet for Tampa in February, but it is hard not to notice these accomplishments. Jets fans have been waiting for this kind of season since 1998, when a 35 year old Vinny Testaverde, came out of nowhere to lead the Jets to the AFC Championship. Only John Elway was able to stop the Jets, it seemed that all his stars had lined up and he went on to win the Super Bowl. Could it be a coincidence that an older, veteran, Brett Favre, has come back to bring the Jets to the threshold of dominance? Could it also be a coincidence that the Jets will play the Broncos this weekend looking for their 9th win in 13 games? The Jets should get a lot of credit for playing balanced football every week. Aside from a Favre interception here and there, which was to be expected from him, the Jets offense has averaged more then 30 points a game in their 5 game winning streak and 29 per game overall for the season. Their defense has made other teams' running attack disappear, allowing only an average of 78 yeard per game and have gotten to almost every opposing quarterback sacking them 35 times already this season. To complete the triangle of a football teams identity, the Jets special teams has been dominant, missing only 4 field goals all season and averaging a league high 26 yards on kick off returns. All of these stats say something for the team, they say they can play sound football, but the swagger and the confidence the team has says so much more. Thomas Jones, the Jets running back, scored only once all of last season. Jones has now scored 9 times this year and is running behind an offensive line that is revamped and energized, opening up holes for him to have the chance to eclipse 1,000 yards this weekend. Everything is clicking and the Jets have the potential to really make a run at the big trophy. Jets fans should be excited and must cherish these times because as they all know, it may not last.

Why are they called “World Champions”?

In sports, teams work hard all season to get to the promise land, to the final championship series of their respective sport and when they win it all, gladly call themselves champions. In the US, when teams win their leagues and are handed the coveted trophy, they are deemed “World Champions”. Except there is one problem, they are not. How can they receive the title of best in the world, when they only play teams from other states in the US? Why are the New York Giants of the NFL (NATIONAL football league) called World Champions? They beat a team from Massachusetts, which is ironically from a region called New England, but not the European England. All the teams they beat to get to the Super Bowl were from one of the 50 states. Plus, outside the US, the real “football” players around the world or “Soccer” players to us, actually play other countries to win it all. In Canada, for example, there is the Canadian Football League, which has teams from all parts of Canada play, each other. When a team wins the Grey Cup, they are called CFL Champions. The champion defeated other teams within its countries borders and they got an award
Why are the Boston Celtics World Champions? It is a fact that they did beat a team from a city 3000 miles away, but Los Angeles is part of the United States. There is an organization called, FIBA. The abbreviation 'FIBA' derives from the French 'Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur'. A ton of countries are represented in FIBA, even the USA; and the winner could definitely declare itself the champion of the World. Boston did not get a chance to play Bosnia or Germany in the NBA finals, only LA. Yet we as American sports fans still call them the “World Champion Boston Celtics”.
What made the Boston Red Sox the best baseball team in the World? Did we miss the telecast of them defeating the Yomiuri Giants from Japan? They didn’t even play the one team outside the US in the playoffs, the Toronto Blue Jays, to have a slight argument for being World Champions. Also, just having teams from Canada, doesn’t mean it can represent the rest of the World in competitive sports. The name, the World Series, is even more confusing. It sounds like there will be a series of games where teams from all around the World will compete for a trophy, symbolizing their status as best on Earth. What it really sounds like, is that America is the embodiment of all things baseball and no other country would have a chance to challenge that, so Americans can then assume that as long as one team from the US beats another, they are the best in the world by default. There are plenty of international players in Major League Baseball. Countries like Cuba, Korea, Dominican Republic, Taiwan and many others are represented in baseball every game, even as recent as this years World Series. SO there is an international aspect to the Series, but no country alone wins anything, one of the States here in the US gets that honor.
Securing the title of “World Champion” in a sport played only by American teams is somewhat of a debatable topic. Some might say that because the sports played here are only played here, the team that wins is the best in the world. Others might say that it is unfair to deem yourself the worlds best until you beat an international team within the sport. Still, others don’t care either way. Imagine this, the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europa win the league championship series or what is called the “World Bowl” and then parade around the streets of Germany as “World Champions”. They succeeded in defeating the Amsterdam Admirals and then the Frankfurt Galaxy en route to the trophy. Are they the real “World Champions”? Are the New York Giants the real champions? Should they play each other in a real world bowl to see who really is the best? We’ll never know because the NFL closed the book on its European league last year due to significant monetary losses. They replaced it with regular season games between NFL teams over seas in Europe. Maybe that would be the answer? Have American teams play over seas in other countries, so that when it comes time to crown a world champion, there will be no argument as to why or how. Major League Baseball did it this past year, with the Oakland A’s and the Boston Red Sox playing in Japan. The National Basketball Association did it as well, but not during the regular season, it was two pre season games where the Heat, Nets, Hornets and Wizards competed in four European cities. So the answer to why they are called world champions lies within the extension of American sports into other countries. By representing itself and presenting its product over seas, American sports as a whole is making a strong case for being able to say, “Our teams are the best in the world”. It also helps that the athletes who play these American sports are enormous celebrities worldwide and are more recognizable then most international politicians. The fan base has stretched so far for these athletes that other countries are willing to double some of their salaries to play overseas permanently. If that were to happen, organizations might follow their players and we all might see a change of scenery for sports, opening the door to a fully international field of play and creating a real World Champion.

Your New York Knicks!!

For years in NY, the Knicks have relied heavily on the big man and on the center position to be the focal point of their offense. Starting in the late 1970’s and right up until the end of last season, the Knicks’ offensive style of play has been a half court, post up type of offense. From Bill Cartwright, to Patrick Ewing, the team has always focused on them, getting things going through the biggest guy on the court. That type of play is a slower kind of offense, utilizing the clock and setting up a controlled situation. Now with the addition of a new coach, Mike D’antoni, that whole entire scheme is getting thrown out the window. D’antoni coached for four seasons in Phoenix, prior to coming to NY. There in Phoenix, the Suns averaged 110.07 points per game, that is good for third highest in the league over that span. D’antoni’s coaching stems from a run and gun philosophy, allowing any player who has an open shot to take it at will. He wants his teams to get the ball across the half court line under 7 seconds. He also wants his teams to play fast and aggressive, scoring as much as they can. When D’antoni has had the right players in his system, he has been very successful and it showed in the win column where he averaged 59 wins a season in Phoenix. After finally getting out from under the Isaiah Thomas fire blanket, the Knicks as an organization can start new in this upcoming 2008-2009 season. They have a new coach, as well as a new GM, Donnie Walsh, a New York City native. Walsh has come into a position of power with the future as bright as he wants it to be. Walsh can do no wrong this season due to the fact that he is following such an abysmal GM and President like Thomas. Isaiah left the team in turmoil, failing in all aspects of his job that resulted in a playoff draught and a significant drop in attendance never seen at Madison Square Garden. Walsh has tried desperately to separate himself from all of that and he has vowed to bring the Knicks back from the dead while he is in NY.
D’antoni has made it clear that every player on the team, regardless of contract and star power, is auditioning for their role. Nobody is a lock for a starting position or for playing time. He has said that whoever can get up and down the court the fastest, passing and scoring as much as they can, will see the most action. The Knicks, however, didn’t make that many changes to their roster to give D’antoni players ready to perform up to his standards. The Knicks acquired Chris Duhon; a point guard who didn’t play much in Chicago and was a pass first, shoot second guard at Duke University. He is really a back up and there are questions about whether he can lead a team and orchestrate the offense. With the 6th overall pick, they did draft a 19-year-old Forward from Italy, named Danillo Gallinari. Gallinari is a player who could flourish in D’antoni’s system when he’s healthy; unfortunately he has begun his American Basketball career on the disabled list with back problems. So, the Knicks haven’t really changed at all from last year to this year, leaving little room for the coach to maneuver his lineup into something he would like to see everyday. The Knicks predominantly have never been a team that consistently ran up and down the court, scoring at will. None of the players currently on the roster have been on a team like the one D’antoni wants to mold this one into. It really takes good team chemistry to create the mixture D’antoni wants to serve up to the league and the Knicks have not shown any signs of that in the last four years. So the question still remains, why D’antoni?
There is a lot of truth to what D’antoni preaches. He believes that any player that puts his best out on the court, game after game, will have the chance to do well under him. His approach, to coaching and to the game itself, is structured in a loose and relaxed manner. He smiles a lot on the sidelines and doesn’t get too tight about losses. That could be the reason for his hiring. Loosening things up at the Garden would be a real breathe of fresh of air, after all the tension during the Isaiah years. He does have a tough task though, in trying to turn the ship around in New York. Although, if he gains enough trust from the players and if they reciprocate with enough effort, things will only get better. There is another problem. This new situation can be a recipe for disaster if the team doesn’t win very much, early on in the season. Knicks fans have endured too many losing seasons, witnessing their team become the joke of the NBA and it can get real ugly if things don’t change. NY sports fans in general are very passionate about the teams they root for. Since the 1991-1992 season and up until the 2003-2004 season, the Knicks made the playoffs. But once Isaiah Thomas began his stay here in NYC that all came to an end and the Knicks have now failed to reach the postseason for five straight years. It is going to be hard to fill seats at the Garden, especially with the prices where they are and the economy where it is. Even though Thomas is gone, the damage he did still remains and Donnie Walsh and Mike D’antoni will have to try to fix it all, while hoping to lure fans back.

Hey, YOU SUCK!

In the last decade or so, fans of every sport in almost every country have come to use the screaming phrase, "You Suck!" as their battle cry towards their favorite teams rivals and opponents. In American sports, especially, fans in stadiums around the country have now gone past just yelling this intelligent put down, they have gotten more specific. "Jeter Sucks!" "Manny Sucks!" Favre Sucks!" Cincinnati Sucks!" and “Other Fans Suck!” These negative and obnoxious chants have made the people who blurt them out look and sound like morons. How much knowledge of a sport does someone have to have, to come up with the term, "BLANK Sucks!”? None. Any fan can attend a sporting event and randomly pick a player, choose one of the cities the two teams are from or just pick another fan and scream that he or she thinks they "Suck". The problem with that is usually what happens next. The evocations of others to either join in or disagree. This then creates the always-popular chaotic mob effect. One person screams, another one screams back and a chain reaction occurs and all the fans soon begin taking sides, turning the stands into an angry sea of drunken looters. While I was at a New York Mets game, sitting in the upper deck, I noticed in front of us, that a fan had told more then one person or player that they "Sucked". This fan was gradually getting intoxicated and he felt that everyone and everything around him "Sucked" and he let us all know very loudly. At first, I kind of laughed it off with my friend, with both of us agreeing that there is no place like New York. But then, as the game went on and this fan inhaled more and more beers, it started to get annoying. A person in a white hat would walk by and the fan would yell, "White hats suck!” Then a woman with a Polo shirt on would walk by and the fan would of course yell, "Polo shirts suck!" No one was safe around our upper deck section and neither were our attention spans. My friend and I began to lose focus on the game and could only hear what this creative individual was spewing. We both looked at each other and knew that if we reprimanded this guy, we too would "SUCK!" and since the stadium was sold out, we had nowhere else to move to. Everyone likes to get a "You suck!" chant in there somewhere during a game, but this fan in particular over stepped his boundaries and ruined the fun. The most interesting thing about this fan was that he was a Yankees fan, who wasn't there to cheer on the Mets, the Braves or anything concerning the games. He was just there to get drunk and yell, "You suck" to everything. The chants finally came to an end when this fan told the wrong woman that "She sucked" and ended up meeting her husband, who didn't agree. Security then escorted all three of them out of the stadium, with the innocent bystanders whom the fan thought "Sucked", missing out on a great ninth inning comeback from the Mets. How much did this fan accomplish when he declared that all things "SUCKED"?? Did he make a statement as a smart sports enthusiast?
When a referee or official like, Ed Hochuli, blows a huge call during a crucial time in a game, a fan has every right to tell him from the seats that “He Sucks!” When a player like, Sage Rosenfels, tries to hurdle two linemen instead of just laying down on the football to get his team a win, he too must be told, “He sucks!” There are so many rules and plays in sports, giving fans numerous choices to yell about. Telling another fan that they "Suck" because they have on a yellow windbreaker is not one of them. Sports have always been and always will be something for fans and non-athletes to argue, scream, fight and agree on. Sporting events are not outlets for people to insult others just for the heck of it. I have been to too many games where I am embarrassed by the way other humans act and sound. When someone clearly has no clue what they are talking about and just compensates for it by screaming profanities and “You Suck!” at random things, it takes away from the enjoyment of sports. Americans are prone to following the mob; this is ever so present at sporting events. But the mob can’t be led into the fire by someone with no regard for the aspects of intelligent heckling.

SHEA Goodbye: In A Parallel Universe

Bottom of the eighth inning, Jose Reyes on second base, Carlos Beltran on first, two outs and here comes the hot hitting Carlos Delgado to the plate. Delgado has a chance to right the wrongs of the top of this inning, when Scott Schoenweiss and Luis Ayala gave up back to back home runs to give the Florida Marlins the lead at 4-2. This is it. Right here. The New York Mets season and their beloved Shea stadium hang on for dear life, everyone hoping that Carlos Delgado can extend the season and give these 56,000 die hard fans and all of New York a chance to see the postseason. There hasn't a been a bigger at bat for Delgado in his career. He has come up clutch throughout this season, getting the big hits when the Mets needed them and all he has to do is get one more. So Arthur Rhodes, the journey man pitcher comes to his set stance and gets ready to pitch to Carlos here with the game on the line and the go ahead runs for the Mets on base. Rhodes is set, he delivers and its low and outside, ball one. Delgado steps off the plate for a second, fixes his batting gloves, you can see the determination in his eyes. Carlos steps back in the batters box and gets ready. Here's the second pitch from Rhodes. It's a called strike on the inside. Wow, that was close. So the count is even now at one ball and one strike. The crowd is getting increasingly louder as the pressure and tension mounts with every pitch. If Delgado can get his bat on one here and drive it out, then we are all going to be rejoicing and hugging. This Mets team has been through a lot this season and as you can see from last inning, they have had to endure a very shaky bull pen. But Carlos Delgado can make that all disappear right now with one swing. So, Reyes has a small lead at second, as does Beltran at first. Rhodes gets set and gets his sign from the catcher. Here comes the pitch....bam...its a deep, fly ball, going towards the warning track is the center fielder Maybin, going back, going back.....its...its....its OUTTA HERE!!!!! A three run home run for Carlos Delgado. He has done it again and the Mets have taken the lead here in the bottom of eighth inning 5-4. Can you believe it!?!? Delgado rifles one to deep left center and he has given this ball park a shot in the arm and everyone is going crazy. Oh my God! That was awesome! The scoreboard here at Shea stadium had just flashed the final score out at Milwaukee and the Mets and Carlos Delgado knew they had to win to force a one game playoff tomorrow back here at Shea Stadium and Delgado comes up in the clutch one more time. This place is rockin' and the Mets are 3 outs away from playing a significant game in September to see if they will get to the playoffs. What a way to send off Shea Stadium. All of the old timers here today and the legends that wore the Mets uniforms have witnessed the beauty of baseball and for one day the Mets can celebrate an astounding win.


That is how things would have happened if my mind could control the way the Universe goes. The Mets would have won the game and with their momentum sky rocketing, they would have beat the Brewers the next day and moved on to play the Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series. Unfortunately, my mind control also would have had the Mets lose to the Cubs in four games, but it would have been back at Shea for a memorable last moment and the Cubs would go on to win the World Series against the Angels, overcoming their 100 year curse of not winning the World Series.

THANK YOU OHIO!

Once a year, a group of football loving friends from Brooklyn, New York get together and travel to another city away from the friendly confines of their home stadium to watch the New York Jets play an opponent as the visiting team. These buddies usually consist of the same crew, sometimes substituting one or two different guys here and there. They plan this trip based on what tickets are available at the other teams stadiums and when the travel plans all work out for the group. They know they must travel with at least four guys because it makes for easier sleeping arrangements in the hotel rooms and when the other teams fans start a fight they know they have a chance to get one guy out alive to tell all the families about what happened.
In 2004, one of the guys in the group came up with the plan for the annual "away" trip. He had played collegiate baseball for the Columbia University Lions and during his summers he would play baseball in the Ohio amateur leagues. During these summers, he befriended many fellow college students from the great state of Ohio, who were attending the Ohio State University and were playing on the universities baseball team. He kept in touch with these lads and maintained a friendship that, unbeknownst to them, would be the key component to this amazing trip. After securing the 4 tickets to the November 21st, Jets versus Browns game in Cleveland, the orchestrator of this memorable weekend somehow snagged 4 more tickets for the day prior to that, the November 20Th Ohio State/Michigan college football game in Columbus, Ohio. These tickets were not only for one of the greatest sports rivalries ever, they were also on the 50 yard line, which is basically the best seat in the house. And the house in which they were going to see this game is known as the "U". With its present seating capacity of 102,329, Ohio Stadium or the "U" (which describes its shape) is the fourth largest on-campus facility in the nation. Since the opening game against Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 7, 1922, more than 36 million fans have streamed through the stadium's portals. To be able to see a game there is an experience, but to see a grudge match against the Michigan Wolverines there is something that cannot be duplicated.
So the tickets were gotten and the table was set for what was beginning to look like one of the greatest weekends for Football fans ever, all occurring in the wonderful state of Ohio. One phone call later, the summer baseball friendships that had been developed, came back to help them and lodging was set up. All the parts began to fit together and the trip was now a reality for these adventurous bunch of die-hard sports fans. They rented a car and left for Columbus on the morning of Friday, November 19Th 2004. After several stops for gas, food, bathroom breaks and driver changes, the crew arrived on Ohio State's campus just before 8:30pm local time. They pulled up to the apartment complex where the previously mentioned friends lived, with the rest of the Ohio State baseball team. Tired and somehow still hungry, the Brooklynites stumbled out of the car, stretching and complaining of sore backs and immediately were met with cheers from the already partying hosts. They told them to get their Buffalo-wing-eating-pants on and to get back in to the car to follow all of them to the local sports bar for beers and of course, Buffalo wings. The next thing to happen solidified this trip as one of the most unforgettable ones there ever could be. Just as they all got to the bar to order beers they noticed the pockets of people wearing blue sweatshirts with the stamped MICHIGAN in yellow on them and they also noticed that every ones jaws were dropped. It had been from watching the most brutal brawl in Professional Basketball history. Everyone, including the crew, had just witnessed the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers go punch for punch and blow for blow with each other on the court in Indianapolis. Ron Artest, Jermain O'Neal and Stephen Jackson were the main contributors of the fight, which resulted in numerous suspensions. There were fans getting punched square in their faces court side, there were beers and miscellaneous debris getting thrown onto the court from the stands and there were players off the court climbing up in the stands pummeling other fans on their way up. It was complete mayhem and it was happening right in front of their eyes, live on TV. What a way to start a fun filled football weekend! So they watched the brawl, ate some hot wings and drinks some beers and went back to the apartment complex to get geared up for the 6 am wake up call they were going to get the next morning for the tailgate.
Next morning, 8 am, the crew and the guys on the baseball team get down to the streets in front of the stadium and they did their tailgating. What a great time, mingling with Alumni, current students, parents and families. What a sight to see. All these supporters of a college football team, with such tradition and history. They will always have these fans, no matter how bad or how good they do because as it is with college sports, fans usually are alumni or family of alumni and that bond is stronger then it is with pro sports teams. These college fans were there to experience the atmosphere everyday. They were a part of the team, whether they played on them, supported them, had classes with them or payed for them to be there. College sports has so much heart and soul, nothing will ever change that. Each person that wears their schools colors has an unquestioned pride because they know that this school was a part of their life.
So these four friends from Brooklyn engulfed themselves in this phenomenon, which couldn't compare to nights at Madison Square Garden or afternoons at Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium. This crew that just drove nine and half hours west, walked into the Ohio Stadium and took their seats at the 50 yard line and as the rest of the fans filed in all they could do was look on in amazement at the sights and sounds of this enormous sporting event. The game itself was just awesome. The Ohio State Buckeyes upset the Number 7 Michigan Wolverines 37-21. The most memorable highlight for the crew was watching Teddy Ginn Jr. run back an 82-yard punt return for a score in the third quarter, which caused an eruption of thunderous cheers from the 103,000 fans at the "U". Never had any of these guys heard such a raucous before, especially at a football game. After the game the crew enjoyed the festivities of the campus wide parties celebrating the win over the hated Wolverines. The Ohio State experience was really only half the fun. The boys had another game to get to. They woke up the next morning, Sunday, with severe hangovers and piled back into the rental car and headed to the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Indians and the Browns, Cleveland. They arrived just in time to get in some tailgating and do a couple of J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets chants. Then they made their way to their second stadium in the state of Ohio in as many days. They gazed upon this modern sports arena that sits on the shores of Lake Erie. Cleveland Browns Stadium, with its Dawg Pound in the bleachers on the east side of the stadium and its Kentucky blue grass field, is one of the nicest facilities these guys had ever seen, but it really didn't matter how nice it was, their beloved Jets were about to play and all they cared about was another win. The crew got just that. With a 10-7 win for the Jets, the boys from Brooklyn ended up with a perfect record for the weekend going 2 for 2 thanks to teams from "the birth place of Aviation".
When it comes to big sports weekend trips, this one is at the top of the list. Many men and women would give up a lot, to experience something like these friends did together, especially seeing so many different sports happenings. And being able to find one state in our great union that offers up a chance to experience all this in a span of three days just goes to show that fun times are out there where ever you live.

Stop Me If You've Heard This Before....

This might sound familiar. The Mets have 2 weeks left in their season, have a lead in their division and the teams they have left to play, except for one, are out of playoff contention. The Mets have full control of their destiny, they have the power to step up and put away sub par teams when it matters most. They need one or two good outings from their starting pitchers or they need that one big hit from their stars. For the most part, the Mets have more talent and bigger payrolls then the teams they will have to face down the stretch. At the most, they only have to win a couple games to ensure their playoff birth. Does this all sound too familiar? If it does, then you were watching baseball last year and you witnessed the Mets collapse and now, you are seeing the same thing happen all over again exactly the same way. It feels like the Twilight Zone. How is it that a team can end their season exactly the same way, with the same negativity and embarrassment two years in a row? In sports history, no team has collapsed in consecutive seasons. There has never been a team that with the lead in their division, gave it up the last two weeks of the season twice in two years. Although, if you watch closely, you might see history in the making. If the Mets continue to lose to below average teams this year, like the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves these last two weeks, then they will go down in sports history as the biggest choke artists ever assembled. Why is it so difficult for them to learn from their mistakes? What does it take to motivate a team to win? Could it be the thought of utter collapse again? Could be the sound of boos coming from your home stadium? Could it be your heart telling you to just push it a little farther? Could it be the desire to be a champion and to succeed? The Mets have one more chance tonight, September 17th, 2008, to show to their fans and quite frankly to themselves, that they are beyond the dark shadows they cast at last season's end. That they have the fire within, that will finally be let loose to burn down the images of the epic collapse that has been following them around for the last year. This is it. There are no more second chances. There is not another opportunity out there to try again. If the Mets lose and find a way to miss the playoffs again this year, the repercussions will be drastic. There is a dim light of hope still shining in New York that our wonderful city will be represented in the 2008 Major League Baseball postseason, but the energy that powers that light is quickly running out. Lets all hope that last year doesn't happen again.

Here We Go Again

As the 2008 major league baseball season comes to a close, a lot of attention will be payed to what the NY Mets will do compared to last year's epic collapse. Many players on the Mets have told the media, time and time again that last year is behind them and that this year is a different scenario. These players seem to be trying to convince themselves that this is not going to be the same as 2007. But there are some of the same things happening now that were happening last year. Pitching decisions and clutch hitting with players in scoring position are severe problems all over again. Jose Reyes for instance, is batting .211 in the month of September this year, he hit .205 in September of 2007. Without Reyes getting on and stealing bases at the top of the lineup, the Mets as a team will not succeed and it was one of the main reasons the Mets couldn't get wins last year. This year, although the team leads the league in runs scored the first three innings of the game, the big bats seem to disappear late in games when their are players in scoring position. Last year, the Mets failed to get guys on base, in to score when the game was on the line and now, this year, the same thing is happening. The pitching last season in September was just bad and guys like Glavine and Pedro looked as if they were dreaming of playing golf and attending cock fights. This year, the Mets bullpen can not secure any lead what so ever. No matter how big or how small the Mets lead is in the game, the bullpen has found a way to give it away and lose it. They have blown 28 saves this season, that is a horrendous statistic. Jerry Manuel is really just handcuffed by his options in the bullpen and it is hard to blame him entirely, but when situations like last night occur, as an observer, you have to scratch your head. Last night, the Mets were down 4-1 starting the 8th inning and Jerry Manuel brought in Rincon from the bullpen to pitch. Rincon immediately retired the first two batters he faced and he did it easily. Manuel then decided to bring in Duaner Sanchez to face the next guy, why? No one really will know, probably because of the match up situation. Of course, Sanchez then allows guys to get on and then gives up a three-run home run to Elijah Dukes to push the lead to 5 runs. Why did Manuel take out Rincon who seemed to be pitching well? It doesn't matter now, but fans have to hope that the Managers and players learn from all these mistakes. That's how you separate this year from last year, its learning from the mistakes. If the Mets don't do the same things and don't make some of the same mistakes as last year and if they are more in tune to the urgency of their predicament, then things won't end up like they did during that epic collapse. Get hits with players in scoring position, be careful with the choices of pitches thrown and the pitchers throwing them and be aware that any more losses this year will mirror last year and the Mets will be home once again while other baseball teams play in October.

How To Lose to the Brady-Less Patriots in 10 Steps

Step 1: Miss a 31 yard field goal in the first quarter, after a long drive down the field to start the game.
Step 2: Get penalized 6 times for a total of 60 yards on mental errors like, 12 men on the field, twice.
Step 3: Give the Patriots great field position on every one of their drives.
Step 4: Start on your own 20 yard line on every one of your drives.
Step 5: Trade for a hall of fame quarterback in the off-season and then don't use him on all three downs from the 5 yard line in the red zone when trying to take the lead.
Step 6: Punt the ball out of bounds.
Step 7: Throw an interception.
Step 8: Drop key passes.
Step 9: Let a quarterback who has not started a meaningful game since 1999, while he was in high school, beat your defense with slant passes and short routes.
Step 10: Maintain your status as Bill Belichick's Bitch.

Headshot and Comp Card

Carlos Del-Got-It!

Since June 27th, slightly one week after Willie Randolph was fired from the New York Mets, Carlos Delgado has been one of the best hitters, leading all the majors with 65 RBIs during that span. It looks like the tale of two Carlos'. Prior to the Willie firing, Delgado was hitting .229 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. Very dim numbers for a power hitting slugger like Delgado. The New York Mets, coincidentally were in fourth place and one game under .500 at the time. And then things changed. Jerry Manuel becomes the new Manager of the Mets, replacing Willie and the new Carlos Delgado becomes the slugger and spark plug the Mets needed replacing the old Carlos Delgado. No one has admitted or stated that the firing of Randolph was what got Delgado going, but having Jerry Manuel as a coach made things a little easier because there was no more discussions everyday of when Willie would be gone and the team could now focus on baseball and winning. Manuel is an honest guy, who tells it like it is and he has no problem calling out players on their mistakes and on their accomplishments. Manuel doesn't play contracts he plays the hot hand, so for instance when Delgado was struggling, Manuel moved him down in the batting order, ignoring his big contract, but knowing that would allow Delgado to adjust and get back to form. That is exactly what happened and when Delgado stayed hot, Manuel moved him back up in the order and neither of them have looked back since. These are the things that Coaches and Managers do to get the most out of their teams and its also being able to trust your abilities and your communication skills as a Manager that will spawn success. Delgado has flourished and as recent as last night (Sunday, September 7th), he has been the difference maker in big games, hitting home runs and lifting the team on his back and carrying them to a win. He has driven in runs when the Mets were down and he has made defensive plays at first base that some people were shocked to see, given his shaky fielding history. All of these positive things going on around Delgado are so much more important now, because the Mets have to make a decision on his contract at the end of the season. They can either buy him out for $4 million or they can pick up his option and pay him $12 million. This is an $8 million decision, but when you think about what he has done and if the Mets make the playoffs, it is more like a no brainer decision. There aren't many first baseman out in the market, other then Mark Texeira, that the Mets can afford to bring in. Delgado's numbers so far rival those of any first baseman out there currently and he ends up being cheap compared to that of a free agent like Texeira, who will be demanding a hefty amount of money. To be able to have a veteran leader like Carlos Delgado on your team is hard to come by. A lot of baseball teams are young and don't have a veteran leading them with his voice and his bat and glove simultaneously. The Mets will need Carlos next year, especially with the emergence of young players like Daniel Murphy, Nick Evans, Mike Pelfrey, Jose Reyes and David Wright. When teams talk about their future and their young talent, they are talking about investments and they always hope they can surround them with veterans like Delgado to protect those investments.

Green Living (pick your shade): PART 2

So, after all the information and confusing circumstances surrounding the Jets/Dolphins game yesterday (Sunday, September 7th), things ended up like they always do. The Jets defeated the Dolphins, narrowly escaping a comeback at the end of the game from Chad Pennington wearing his new white and teal green jersey, but still looking like the old Chad when he wore the gang green jersey for the Jets. Brett Favre, fortunately, looked like the old Brett Favre as well, throwing a 61-yard touchdown pass to Jericho Cotchery. Then, later on in the game, after finding out that Mike Nugent, the place kicker for the Jets wasn't able to kick because of an earlier injury, Brett used some of his old magic and on 4th down and 13 yards to go, he eluded a tackler and just before he went down with a sack, threw a up a prayer of a pass and hit Stuckey, a wide receiver for the Jets in the end zone for another touchdown. Watching Favre move around the field and sling rifle shots everywhere was like watching a different Jets team that none of us have seen in the last decade. Favre instantly brought a sense of leadership and talent that has not been seen during a Jets game for a long time and he gives them a chance to win any game they are involved in.
After Favre threw his first touchdown pass as a Jet yesterday, you saw the youth and excitement inside him and you understood at that moment why he returned to play the game he loves so dearly. You saw him jump and flail his arms about with utter glee as if he had just thrown his first pass ever. Favre knew he could still compete and that he still had the passion to win and play football for at least another season and as a Jets fan, I am very happy he chose to do that wearing a new shade of Green, here in New York.

Green Living (pick your shade)

This weekend there will be a couple of shades of green being worn by players in the NFL that have never donned them before. For 16 years, Brett Favre wore Packer Green as the main color on his jersey in Green Bay, Wisconsin. For 9 years, Chad Pennington wore Gang Green as the main color on his jersey in New York, NY. Tomorrow, September 7th, 2008, Mr. Pennington will be wearing the new shade of Teal Green in sunny Miami, Florida for the Dolphins, while playing against Mr. Favre wearing the previously mentioned Gang Green for the Jets. To even further the confusion and deep rooted storyline, the Dolphins and Jets are rival teams in the same division. So, here it goes, Brett retired from the NFL all together, then came back to play for the Packers again, but they didn't want him so they traded him to New York, who then released the popular yet short armed Chad who was immediatley picked up by the enemy Dolphins, who are coincidentally managed by the man who drafted Pennington, Bill Parcells. Interesting chain of events huh? At 1pm this Sunday, for the first time in NFL history, two quarterbacks who were basically traded for eachother will meet for the opening game of the season starting against eachother.

Baseball and All Its Beauty

There has always been a saying in baseball, "its a long season". This quote has so much depth and meaning that it basically defines the ups, downs and ins and outs of baseball as a sport. Every season, fans and media alike get super excited about spring training and the start of another year of America's past time. Sports writers get together and cover all the news they can in March and April in Arizona, Florida and Las Vegas as each Major League baseball team plays meaningless spring training games, gearing up for the long, hot summer days approaching. No one realizes that we are all about to embark on journey that lasts "a long time". And we, as fans, eat it all up. We debate and squabble about whose team is going to win it's division and which players look skinnier and more fit. Then the day finally comes, peanut bags start flying through the air, beer is getting sold at sky rocketing prices, hot dogs spin on metal rollers cooking slow and squirting beef juices everywhere. And as you enter these stadiums, these shrines to one of the greatest games ever, the smell of food and brew, dirt and grass, pine tar and leather fill the atmosphere letting everyone know "the long season" has begun.
162 games, no other sport has so many in it's season. The reason baseball has so many games, I believe, is so that everyone has a fighting chance. Some teams begin the season, the first 30-40 games playing mediocre or below average baseball, staying at the bottom of their divisions and making their fans think, "man this is going to be a long season". But, as the All-Star break nears, things begin to change. Teams who hadn't shown any life yet, start to come alive and win same games. These teams try and put together a streak that will give them some momentum before they stop for about ten days. These teams do this and begin the second half of the season with a new perspective and a new feeling of empowerment. The "long" baseball season allows teams to go on hot streaks and cold streaks ans still be able to have a chance at the post season. We saw it last year with the Colorado Rockies and I see it this year with my favorite team, the NY Mets. The Mets are one of those clubs this year, who didn't have an identity the first half of the season, who were hovering around third and fourth place in their division. But they did something a lot of teams have done it the past and that's show resilience. They went through a manager change and a face lift of sorts. The Mets began to show their fans and the media in NY that they weren't going to collapse again like they did last year. But that they were going to do just the opposite. They were going to rise from the dead and make a run for the postseason. Baseball gave the Mets a chance to try again, because of "the long season", the players on the Mets started to come through with big hits and pitch deeper into games. They moved up in the National League Eastern division, beating the teams ahead of them and displaying a trait that represents baseball to its fullest, endurance. Being able to endure "the long season" and come out on top is a difficult task. Other sports, like football for instance, don't have any room in it's season for error. If a team begins 0-3, that hole they have dug for themselves goes too deep most of the time to climb out. There is no luxury in football like there is in baseball, where a team can lose a lot and the win a lot and still be able to compete for the top spot in their division.
Baseball is a fans sport, a sports writers sport, a family sport and a fun, exciting and "long lasting" sport. To know that 6 out of the 7 days of the week there is a baseball game going on that you can watch or attend is priceless. There is nothing better then coming home and watching Baseball Tonight on ESPN every night, hearing the opening music and seeing John Kruk, Tim Kurkjian, Karl Ravech and Peter Gammonss sit there, ready to tell you everything they know about the day in baseball. I feel like a little kid, glued to the Saturday morning cartoons, when I watch Baseball Highlights. Baseball gives you that feeling, it gives you that opportunity to be young and anxious about something. Every time I walk into a baseball stadium, I want to grab my father's hand again and walk out into the vastness of the field and the stands. I want to eat three hot dogs right away, with mustard and sauerkraut and I want to scream at the opposing team, telling them that they are not that good, even if they are. I enjoy basking in the beauty of the sport and all its statistics and all its rules. I get goosebumps just thinking about the postseason and those playoff games where the big slugger comes up in the ninth inning with the game on the line. If I had my way, I would extend the season to 250 games so that I could watch baseball two thirds of the year. I would have two breaks, the All Star Break and the Winter Break and then play the rest of the season at dome stadiums. That last part is crazy and is inconceivable, but it just shows you how much I love the game and that it can never be "too long".

ACTING RESUME

ADAM TOSTO
AFTRA ~ SAG Eligible

EMAIL: adamgtosto@gmail.com
HEIGHT: 6’ 1” WEIGHT: 180 lbs HAIR: Brown EYES: Brown

FILM & TELEVISION
One Life to Live Prison Guard/U-5 ABC
Indecent Space Sid (lead) Moreda Prods.
As Planes Take Off Jeremy (supp.) DeRuve Prods.
On 31st Street Undercover Cop Ikseni Prods.
Without A Trace FBI Agent CBS
A Shave and A Haircut Lead NYU
Dirty Laundry Bobby (supp.) MoJam Ent.
Rescue Me Season 2/Stand-In F/X
Carlito’s Way: Rise To Power Featured Waiter Universal Pictures
Saturday Night Live Terrorist NBC
As The World Turns Supp. Player CBS
Law & Order Minister of Justice NBC
Rescue Me Season 1/ Featured F/X
Guiding Light Supp. Player CBS
The Red Envelope Jack (lead) Vitality Media Prods.
Waiting In Woodsbury Carlos (lead) Cue 22 Productions
A Hero’s Diary District Attorney Taino Pictures

COMMERCIALS & PRINT
Represented by the Gilla Roos Agency
Conflicts and jobs given upon request

REGIONAL & THEATRE
Upright Citizens Brigade Troupe Member UCB Theatre
Much Ado About Nothing Don John Curan Rep. Theatre
Death of a Salesman Biff URI Theatre
Hurly Burly Eddie URI Theatre
Improv Group Player URI Theatre

TRAINING
Upright Citizens Brigade, Improv 101, NYC
Private Coach-John Mabry, NYC
TVI Studios- Cold Reading/Audition Course, John Mabry, NYC
Creative Artists Studio, Henry Ravelo, NYC
The Acting Scene Studios, Henry Ravelo, NYC
University of Rhode Island, Major in Journalism, Minor in Theater

SPECIAL SKILLS: Basketball, Soccer, Football, Horseback Riding, Baseball, Bartending, Weight Training, Cycling, Accents, Spanish and Italian.

Lord Of War Scene, Starring Adam Tosto and Greg Hansen

Headshot

WHAT ABOUT BRETT FAV-RA?

Well, they finally did it. The Packers sent their golden boy Packing and it was far, far away from the NFC North. They sent him so far away that they would never have to see him again, ever, because the NY Jets won’t play Green Bay for three years and Favre will most likely be done by then…MOST LIKELY. Why were the Jets the ones with the winning ticket stamped for Favre-Land? Well, the first part of that answer was already mentioned, because they are out of the NFC all together. The second part of the answer is a bit more complicated.
Chad Pennington is a smart and savvy NFL quarterback who can think on the fly with out making too many mental errors while doing so. Chad also is one of nicest guys on the field, who always knows what to say and when to say it. He is polite and his rural, southern accent comes across so inviting, you would think he was running the local general store in town with his name on the front door. Chad, in my mind, is also the reason why Brett Favre is in NY wearing Gang Green. For nine years Pennington wore the number 10 for the Jets and after taking over for the journeyman Vinny Testaverde in 1999, started every game he was healthy enough to start. When he was unable to play, the Jets were mediocre at best with their other options and ever since Chad went down the first time with a shoulder injury, the QB position has been a revolving door of rookies and not so good veterans. The one problem that has kept Chad from achieving that high praise and success other QB’s have found is his arm. His arm is and never was strong enough to throw consistently down the field past then ten yards. He is known as a “dink and dunk” type of thrower. Which means he is very good at short, slanting type routes where he can hit the receiver in a crossing pattern or out on the flats. It also means he can’t throw far. Unfortunately, during a game, when the Jets’ running game is off and their defense is untrustworthy, not being able to rely on their QB to win with his arm ends up being a crutch for them. They lost a lot of games because Pennington under threw his receivers during a last minute drive, trying to win or tie the game. They also lost a lot of games due to interceptions thrown by Pennington, when he was trying to stretch the field and his ball just ended up being a lofty object floating in the air like a Frisbee. Season after season Jets fans had to wonder if Chad was going to be old Chad with no arm or if maybe he had found some miracle that transformed his arm into one like, uh…I don’t know, Brett Favre’s.
So trading a draft pick and releasing Chad Pennington was all that needed to happen to get a guy who still might be able to do what he did last year. He got his Packers to the NFC Championship, putting up MVP type numbers and turning 38 during while doing so. If Favre can perform like that, the Jets win out in the trade because last year they were a bad 6-10 and you have to think that anything is better then that. The Jets, prior to trading for Favre, also spent $140 million on upgrades to their Offensive Line and to their Defense as a whole. Who benefits from all that? Brett Favre and Thomas Jones, the Jets pro bowl running back returning for his second season. That also means that if Favre does make mistakes or his arm becomes fatigued, the new Offensive Line can carry a running game and the defense can secure a win, hopefully. I say hopefully because football is a sport where one or two injuries can change a team dramatically. Favre isn’t young and you might think that he is susceptible to injury because of that, but if you just take a look at his record of consecutive starts (257-check stat), which is still in tact, that thought seems far-fetched. There is one more thing that makes this situation seem like a plus for New York. The maturity, leadership and respect Favre brings to a team who never really had it. One guy who is going to reap the benefits of that is Kellen Clemens, the Jets sophomore and now second string QB. Clemens is a good athlete, with a great arm and good size; he stands at 6 feet 4 inches (check stat). He took over the starting position last year as a rookie when Chad was benched, but showed his lack of experience in almost every game. He also showed his potential, throwing 50-yard passes and moving in and out of the pocket well. What he needed was someone like Favre to take him under his wing and to teach him everything he knows about the game and their position. Having a teacher in Favre for Clemens is priceless and if he is going to be the future of the franchise, who better to learn from then the Mississippi Kid?

A Back up is a back up is a back up

So Brett Favre is back. I think thats great. This is Brett Favre, this isn't some schmo who had a few good seasons with one team, this a guy who made Green Bay a significant stop on the NFL supremacy train route. Favre IS Green Bay and he is the heart and soul of the city and franchise with the cheese on it's head. When you think of the Packers, you think of three things, Vince Lombardi, Cheese and Brett Favre. Bart Starr is a guy you think of as well, but not as much unless you live near or in Green Bay. How can a team turn its back on someone like the Packers have been doing for the last couple of months? They were shopping Favre around for trades, denying his reinstatement, treating him like a cancer spreading throughout the body. Why? Who is Aaron Rodgers? Who is Ted Thompson? They don't hold a torch to what Brett Favre has done for the city and for the team in Northern Wisconsin. Just because Favre thought he wanted to retire and was sincere about it, doesn't mean that if he decides he was wrong he should be ignored and thrown to the way side. Are you kidding me? All the players, all the coaches, all the front office personal can thank Brett Favre for their existence, because if it wasnt for him none of them would matter a bit in the NFL. The Packers owe Favre a lot more then just the chance to come back and compete for his "old" job. Aaron Rodgers is good guy, he is close to Favre and he has really taken this whole media circus well and with a touch of class. Not a lot of guys who were back ups to one of the best players in the NFL would be able to deal with this whole situation, but Rodgers has taken his lumps and been respectful because he knows this is all about Brett Favre. Which is actually the first time it has been just about Favre. Never has Brett Favre put himself before the city of Green Bay or the team, ever. He has been one of the most unselfish employees and team players anyone has ever known. So I think that if he wants to make it about himself once, I think that he is owed that and that if he wants to play again let him play. All these media people think it is open season too rip him apart and make him seem like a flip flopper and some devious guy. I am sorry, did anyone realize that this is Brett Favre, this is the guy whose name is on street signs and restaurants in downtown Green Bay. He has been the clean, golden boy of the NFL for 17 seasons. With all the big egos in the NFL, like Chad Johnson and Deion Sanders and Warren Sapp and so on and so on, Brett Favre has been as humble and as modest as can be and he has also been a bright ray of sunlight in this brutal and dark sport we have come to love. There is nothing I am taking away from the job of backing up a starting quarterback, it is tough and I am damn sure I couldn't do it, but the fact is, your a back up. Its like on Broadway when someone is an understudy to the star of the show. What it means is that they have talent and they have enough to be good, but not good enough yet to be the star. And as long as the star is alive, he/she is going to be that star because they have something the understudy or backup does not, thats what makes them the star. Its called life. I am sure deep down inside, the backups and understudies of the world are secretly hoping the person in front of them is going to break their leg and have to leave, but if that does happen are they ready to lead and take on the responsibility of winning and losing?
And one more thing. Who does Ted Thompson think he is? He has been the GM for about one minute, does he think he can tell Brett Favre to take a hike when he asks to come back and play for the team he has given his life for? If he wants to make this 2008 Green Bay team his own, with is stamp on it, then he can't just forget about Brett Favre because he was confused and emotionally drained after losing his father and playing in the biggest game other the Super Bowl. Thompson should give Brett whatever he wants or he should go work for the Atlanta Falcons where the fans don't care and would rather have Big Bird then Michael Vick as their quarterback.

Every ROSE Has It's Thorn

For baseball teams searching for that one coach/manager to lead them to the World Series, searching for that one person who knows more about the game and about how it should be played, need not look further then Las Vegas. Nestled in the corner of a sports memorabilia shop, in the Forum of the Ceaser's Palace Casino and Hotel, in "Sin City", is a man who many believe committed the ultimate sin against the game of baseball. Pete Rose sits at a table strewn with his jerseys, with baseballs, helmets, and anything he can sign with a sharpie marker, from 12 in the afternoon until 6 in the evening twice a week, every week. Rose is the all time, hit king in baseball, who at one point hit in 44 consecutive games, challenging Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak. Rose had a career .303 batting average, with 160 home runs to go with his 4,256 hits. He is living history of how the game was played and should be played now. Rose hustled on every play, even during the 1973 All Star game, barreling over Ray Fosse, catcher for the American League, separating Fosse's shoulder and scoring the winning run. Rose gave all he had physically and mentally to the game and is one of the smartest baseball gurus around. He knows how to hit, how to field and how to win. There is only one thing holding Rose back from getting in a dugout again since 1989. Rose has admitted to the public and to baseball that he gambled on the game and on his team, the Cincinnati Reds, while he was the manager. Rose is serving a lifetime ban from the game, which in my opinion is too harsh of a sentence. Why is it, that guys like Andy Pettite or Jason Giambi who have admitted to cheating the game and taking performance enhancing drugs, can continue to play and collect a paycheck just because they said that they were sorry and told the truth? To me, doing drugs that enhance your chances of exceeding your standard performance is far worse then betting on your team to win. Rose never did anything to alter his God given talent, he never cheated to give himself more of an edge over other players and he never did anything other then play as hard as he naturally could. Why has baseball forgiven these players and continued to let them play without any consequence? Why is Pete Rose stuck handing out baseballs to 9 year old kids instead of handing them to his starting pitchers before they take the mound? This is the hypocrisy of baseball. I think there should be a balanced set of rules for all players. We should not let a living legend sit in a Casino signing baseballs, when he really should be sitting in a dugout signing lineup cards. There are far too many teams in baseball with tons of talent, but no one to lead them and to guide them to winning. Young players would flourish if they had the opportunity to learn from a man like Rose. Players would learn what it is like to run out every ball you make contact with, and I think that if Rose were a manager, we would see a sweeping change in how the game is played. Pete Rose has more to offer baseball than Jason Giambi ever will and I think we are missing out by not giving him a second chance. If the current trend is for everyone to get an opportunity to right their wrongs, why can't Pete Rose?

What's Next?

Well Mets fans, the time has come. The team has sunk to a low only seen during last September's collapse. The Mets have found new ways to give games away and lose ones that even high school teams can hold on to win. Although Billy Wagner is the up in your face, clear cut scape goat and person responsible for the last string of losses, there is much more out there in Mets world to blame. Here is my take on why things have fallen so far down for the Mets. Age. The average age of the Mets is 29.65 years old. Basically 30. The main reason for that is because the General Manager, Omar Minaya has seriously lost control of himself when it comes to handing out contracts. Minaya was under some impression that Moises Alou, 43 years old, El Duque, 67 years old, Luis Castillo 32 years old, Damion Easley, 37 years old, Pedro Martinez, 37 years old and Carlos Delgado, 36 years old, all could push the Mets into the postseason. Any average sports fan knows that with these particular group of guys at their respective ages, they couldn't push a fruit cart down the street, let alone a team into the playoffs. Alou, Mr. DL, as recently as today (6/13/08) is looking like he is going to back on the disabled list. Right after coming off the DL four days ago. But how come I knew and everyone else knew that Alou was injury prone and too old to rely on? Why didn't Minaya know this? Minaya is supposed to be a "baseball guy" and is supposed to know more then the average fan. There is not much to say about El Duque, he hasn't even played this year so basically the owners of the team are paying for a dead body. Luis Castillo had surgery on his knees in the off season and Minaya knew about this, but gave him an extension anyway. Wasn't there anyone else out there who could play second base, that wasn't coming off knee surgery and turning 33? I guess not. Pedro was already in the middle of his contract, so there is no fault there because back when Minaya signed him, it was a smart move and Pedro is great clubhouse presence and if he does pitch it should be considered a bonus. Now, with that said, Minaya made the mistake of banking on Pedro being healthy and picthing 30 games this year. Obviously Minaya was wrong because Pedro's first game of the season in April, he only lasted 3 innings and immediately went on the disabled list for two months. I can't really say too much about Damion Easley, its not like his contract broke the back of the organization, it didn't, but did we really need to bring him back as one of the only options off the bench? Probably not. And now I come to a special case, the last of the players I previously mentioned, Carlos Delgado. I question the length of his initial contract and I also question his desire to actually win. Last year we as fans began to see the dark side of Carlos Delgado, where he hits for a .200 batting average, swings at everything out of the strike zone and when he does make contact he hits directly into the shift the other teams defense continually puts on for him. How can a major league slugger like Delgado not be able to go the opposite way when he hits? How is that a problem for someone who has almost 500 home runs? Again, you would think and hope Minaya was watching for this last year and would have made an adjustment for this year, like getting another first baseman to compete for the job. But, alas, Minaya didn't do any of that, he apparently hoped Delgado would get better with age like a fine red wine.
So, here we are, 65 games into the 2008 baseball season and the Mets are 31-34 and are coming off three straight games where they left thousands of men on base and in scoring postion and the closer Billy Wagner has blown 3 out of 3 saves during that span. In these three games the Mets' whole season can be summed up. They get decent, but inconsistent starting pitching. They haven't been able to rely on their bullpen. They strand too many runners and don't get the clutch hits to put away teams when they have the opportunity to. Their manager has no fire in him. They have bad luck when it comes to hitting balls directly at the other teams fielders. And last, but certainly not least, the Mets play with ZERO HEART. There is not one person on that team that cares about winning, about the team, about the other players, about losing or about anything but their paychecks. The Mets have so much potential and talent and yet they don't seem to care enough to tap into that and pick themselves up from the bottom of the whole they have dug. I am and always will be a fan of the New York Mets, but that doesn't mean I have to like the players and managers they currently have.

Average Collapse

So he we are, just over one quarter of the baseball season in the books and things don't look much different then they did at the end of last season for the Mets. The only differences are, Johan Santana is leading the pitching staff, Ryan Church is the leading offensive player on the team and Willie Randolph is finally coming under fire for the mediocrity and lack of intensity the NY Mets have displayed. What has remained from last year is, losing big games against lower tier teams, being dominated by the Braves, Aaron Heilman is still horrible out of the bullpen, Oliver Perez is still inconsistent, Pedro is hurt, Alou has just begun his second stay on the disabled list, El Duque (Orlando Hernandez) is nowhere to be found even though he is making a lot of money with an extended contract, Luis Castillo is not hitting much, Delgado is hitting a little, Beltran is hitting a little more and David Wright and Jose Reyes are still the only thing the team has to be proud of. What can fans in NYC expect from their favorite team, The Amazin's? I will take a hack at answering that question, but it might be a bit bias since I still have a glimmer of hope of winning. By the middle of this season, when the All-Star game comes to NYC at Yankee Stadium, the media will be focusing on all things New York and will throw Willie Randolph under the bus and the owners of the team, the Wilpons, will force GM Omar Minaya to look elsewhere for leadership in the dugout. When a team with a lot of talent and a large payroll like the Mets underachieves so much, the Manager of the team usually takes the blame. Its especially apparent when a team like the Mets collapsed at the end of the year last year, missing the playoffs and Willie really didn't show much emotion about it. Willie got another chance to take the reigns this year and to try to lead the team to victory, how he pulled off keeping his job is a mystery to me and to many fans. Other managers and head coaches have lost less then Willie did last year and were fired for it. The Mets need a manager who can evoke emotions from his players and the fans no matter what happens win or lose, so that people know he is actually there giving his all for the team and the city. Willie claims he is a "Joe Torre" type of manager, who is quiet, yet gets his message across. Joe Torre has won more championships then most managers have been involved in, he has the track record of being effective in the clubhouse and has also endured being fired by teams in the past, including the Mets. Willie needs to have his own way of managing, even though he was on the bench with Torre throughout the winning years with the Yankees, he has to separate himself from that and prove that he is his own type of manager. I wish that things were working out for Willie and the Mets, but its not and unfortunately the manager is liable for the record and state of the team and eventually he has to take the blame, it comes with the territory. The Mets are an average team right now and although they claim last years collapse is behind them, in reality it is still right in front of their faces.

Intsantly Relpaying Baseball

Last night (May 18Th) on ESPN Sunday night baseball, the New York Mets and New York Yankees played the last of their two-game Subway Series at Yankee Stadium. The Mets won the first of the two games on Saturday, behind a solid performance from their ace pitcher, Johan Santana and big HR's from Jose Reyes and David Wright. The Mets had to face the Yankees only star this season so far, pitcher Chen-Ming Wang. He has a 6-1 record this season and really is the only bright spot for the Yankees. The Mets faced the challenge and performed the way all Mets fans thought they would from day one. In the fourth inning of the game, the mets were leading 3-0 after Moises Alou hit a 2-RBI single to right field with one out, setting up a great situation for the next batter, Carlos Delgado. Delgado came up to bat with Alou on first base and Ryan Church on third base. Delgado hit a slicing fly ball to the left field corner of the stadium, the ball made its way over the wall and appeared to stay fair, resulting in a big three-run home run for Delgado. The umpire working the third base line, Mike Reilly, initially called it fair and signaled it a home run. That would have opened the game up for the Mets and would have given them a 6-0 lead. Then what happened next was something commissioner Bud Selig should be wary of. The Yankees short stop, Derek Jeter challenged the call, saying the ball was foul, prompting the officials to have a conference on the field. The home plate umpire, Bob Davidson, eventually overruled the call and said it was a foul ball. Mets bench coach, Jerry Manuel and head coach, Willie Randolph began arguing the call, knowing Davidson blew the call. Manuel, usually a soft spoken guy, was livid, screaming in defense of the initial home run call which was evidently the right call. Davidson ejected Manuel from the game and threatened Randolph he was next if he didn't stop arguing. What makes this whole situation frustrating, is that viewers like myself, watching the game at home got the opportunity to watch the replay over and over again. Getting to see the ball hit almost two feet fair inside the foul line and then seeing the umpire at home plate who is an older man and is almost 320 feet away decide it was foul was horrible. Just to make sure Mets fans had the right to be mad, Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, the ESPN Sunday night baseball commentators were stunned to see the umpires call this foul and did not stop talking about the incident for the rest of the game, making the case for Instant Replay. Viewers at home and Joe and Jon had the advantage of replay. But, why is this an advantage? Its not like instant replay is this amazing technological endeavor that only NASA can afford to have. Football, basketball and hockey all have inserted instant replay into their mainstream decision making and it has worked in favor of fairness for all teams involved. Baseball and Bud Selig are making it seem like Replay is something that will taint the "purity" of baseball and it's history. I thought steroids, HGH, free spending and astronomical ticket prices already did that? If a beer and a hot dog can cost $15, why can't baseball have instant replay? Last night, fortunately for the Mets, the botched call didn't affect the outcome of the game because the Mets creamed the Yankees and didn't even need the 3 runs missing from the Delgado foul ball home run. Other times, teams, including the Mets, have been on the other side of botched calls. For example, the Mets' Carlos Beltran hit a shot to left center during the teams third game of the season in Miami, it looked like a home run and was called that initially, but after the umpires conference, they overruled and said it was a double. That did affect the outcome of the game. I think Bud Selig should implement some sort of replay for baseball, especially with the playoffs coming in September and the umpires' calls being the last word in decision making. There should be one other tool available to back up the umpires and make sure they don't have to give statements like Bob Davidson had to do this morning. "I (expletive) it up. I'm the one who thought it was a (expletive) foul ball. I saw it on the replay. I'm the one who (expletive) it up so you can put that in your paper," Davidson said. "Bolts and nuts, I (expletive) up. You've just got to move on. No one feels worse about it than I do."

Obama/Edwards Ticket

I support and will vote for Barack Obama for President of the United States. I am tired of watching Senator Obama and Senator Clinton duke it out during their run for the Democratic nomination. Obama has the lead and seems to me, to be the clear cut winner, he just needs Hillary to back out, swallow her pride and help support her party. The Democratic Party as a whole is suffering while the two candidates fight over the one slot. Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate, is campaigning around the country like he is already the President. The Republican party has always been strong when it came to uniting as one party. The Dems need to come together and realize their goal of ousting the Republicans from the White House, form a unified party and point all their attention towards beating McCain, not each other. When Senator Obama does finally achieve the status of "Democratic Nominee", I believe he should ask Senator John Edwards to be his running mate as Vice Presidential Nominee. Senator Edwards was and still is a very popular speaker and Senator. He was widely popular around the country during his first run for office in 2004, running solo and then with Senator Kerry. He also had good numbers during this current election, but he gracefully bowed out, hoping his fellow Dems would follow suit once one of them came out ahead. He is very smart and is one of the most successful lawyers in North Carolina. He has always campaigned for ending poverty in America, he has also endorsed efforts to slow down Global Warming and amongst many other positions, is Pro-Choice. Although he has said he won't accept, if he is asked to run as VP, I think that if Obama calls and speaks to Edwards as eloquently as he does to the rest of America, Edwards would then change his mind and they can then change the world together.

God is Watching Us

Within the last two weeks, our world has seen the wrath of Nature and possibly God. In Burma, there was a Cyclone that already has killed 35,000 people and is on its way to killing an estimated 100,000. In China there was an Earth Quake that lasted for 3 minutes and was a record 7.8 on the Richter scale. This Quake has claimed 5,000 people and has trapped more the 3,000 students in around 900 school buildings that have collapsed. In Chile, a Volcano erupted killing thousands and here in our country Tornadoes and storms have ripped through the south, and mid-west, killing 50-100 people. Whether your are spiritual or not, you have to think to yourself that we are causing these catastrophes to occur because of our neglect for our environment and mother nature. There are people who believe the world will end in 2012, that God or whatever higher being you believe in will cast his spell on us and restart with a human race that cares about their world and that doesn't take advantage of what we were given. It goes back to the Adam and Eve story from the Christian religion. God gave Adam and Eve anything and everything that they wanted, the only thing he said was don't eat the apple from this particular tree. Of course, as all humans do, they didn't do what they were told, ignoring the advice and ate the apples and were punished dearly. Now I am not religious, although I do believe in God, I don't however believe in a church or the bible. The story of Adam and Eve has significance because it is an example of what is going on now, just on a much smaller scale. Humans have been given this amazing world, with vast amounts of resources and opportunities to live healthy, meaningful lives. Everyone has the capacity to save what is left of this planet and even help promote new growth for our future, it is only able to happen if you choose to do so. Most people choose not to, and continue to abuse our world and continue to think no matter what they do, the earth will keep on giving. Unfortunately that won't only affect those people, it will affect all of us. I hope that there are others out there that are seeing these global catastrophes occur and are thinking about what they can do to help. The problem, is that there are plenty of citizens out there that still believe Climate Change is a Liberal way of thinking. They also believe that God will save them as long as they went to church on Sunday. Thats fine, but when God strikes down upon us with furious anger and vengeance like he/she has started to with the natural disasters, going to church on Sundays will be a distant memory of wasted time. I am not saying that God is causing these natural disasters, I am not saying that he/she ISN'T. I am only saying that nature is acting in a way that makes it seem like it has had enough. It is the same concept of the bully/victim situation in High School. Eventually the victim can't take the abuse anymore, and repercussions follow. I wish our news sources (American Media Outlets) would make some sort of connection to these disasters and catastrophes happening around our globe. Because a lot of people in America, sadly, follow what is said on CNN and Fox News like a clock, instead of thinking for themselves. I say American news because BBC world and other International news channels offer more in depth investigations, leaving the ego-centric and ethno-centric reporting to us. That topic is a whole other blog post that I will get to soon enough, but for now, just watch Headline News and then watch BBC World News and you'll see what I mean.