Isn't Sunday A Day Off?

Sunday's are generally an off day, right?  Not so fast.

The men's basketball team had a game on MSG at noon, so this guy had to be in at around 7:45am.  Not too pleased with that, but I guess whatever pays the bills, right?  The camera guys and TV crews were there around 5:00am, so it could be worse.  Granted, they probably make somewhere north of what I earn.  Met one guy, Pete, a Packer Backer - a grizzled older guy with long white hair underneath his GB beanie.  Oh yeah, and he had on a Packers vest.  He mentioned how he's worked a bunch of Sunday Night Football games.  I feel like I missed an opportunity to make a connection.  Damn it.

They lost in case you were wondering, to St. Peter's, 62-53.

I got home around 4:15pm with a bag of food for Nathan and caught the end of the Packers/Bears game.  It looked almost like the Packers were trying to give it away there towards the end.  I then whipped together some turkey burgers and roasted potato fries for dinner and realized I hadn't posted today.  And here I am now.  Here's something I always punish myself with - red onions.  I can't resist putting them on top of burgers or in pasta salads, but they give me the worst indigestion ever.  It's hasn't stopped me from eating them and I don't think it ever will, just thought I'd share my dietary issues with you all.

Steelers just went ahead of the Jets 7-0.  Haven't watched any of the game yet, but I'll bear down after this post.  I wished all my friends who are Jets fans good luck (like they're part of the team or something) and that was all.  I support NY sports (Yankees, Giants, Islanders mainly) so the Jets header is for New York, not necessarily the Jets.  Seeing how they were the only football team to make the playoffs, I felt compelled to show my support.  If they lose, it comes down tomorrow.

The weather here is frigid - low 20's seem to be the high lately.  I wear my Under Armour mask under my wool hat, and I think sometimes it scares the older people living in the building.  They look at me like I am a nut job.  I'm not, and they realize that once they see Nathan.  I can give a shit what I look like, I'm trying to stay warm.

I've been tweeting a lot lately, not that anyone on there gives a shit what I have to say, but you never know.  I still feel privileged to have all you people (my Blog Army) following my blog.  I hope I don't piss you off with the amount of posts that I put out.

OK, I need to get something to settle my stomach.  Damn you, red onions!

Jets vs. Patriots

The Jets are now making a big deal over Tom Brady rubbing it in after a TD pass to Deion Branch in the Patriots 45-3 win earlier this season.

Who. Gives. A. Shit.

They're enemies.  They compete for division titles.  Their coaches hate each other.  Their players despise one another. 

There is nothing but taunting in the NFL, so why the hell are the Jets throwing themselves a pity party?  Because Brady jawed at their sideline after a poor job of tackling by the Jets secondary?  Are the Jets better than that?  Don't they have strength coaches who stick out an inadvertent knee to trip up a Dolphins player?

Cromartie sounded off in an expletive filled tirade directed at Tom Brady.  Rex Ryan simply said, "In this country you're allowed to have opinions and all that kind of stuff" - but if the Patriots responded to that, there'd be a shitstorm in New York media.

Bottom line, who cares.  It's football.  It's a rivalry.  It's the end of the season on the line for one of these teams. 

As the chairman says on Iron Chef America, "Let the battle begin"!

Indianapolis Doh'lts

All credit to the New York Jets for pulling off the upset - unless you ask their players, coaches, or fan base.  Jets fans were convinced they'd win, partly because of Rex Ryan's personal vendetta against Peyton Manning.  It began when the Colts called the timeout with seconds ticking down.  Peyton couldn't believe it, and neither could I (there was some logic to my thinking).

Dirty Sanchez did not outplay Peyton Manning.  Braylon Edwards won that game.  He showed why all his off the field issues (albeit numberous and embarrasing) are static compared to his play in yesterdays 17-16 Wild Card win over the Colts.  He's what the Jets have been missing in the past - a go-to guy.  Santonio Holmes is good, Super Bowl MVP, but Edwards' athleticism won them that game.  He stepped up.  Cromartie did it for his 9 kids (4 of whom are under 3).  LT showed he still has fresh legs.  Folk became a hero - and probably sold a few more of his #2 jerseys.  Never has #2 been so substantial in Jets history since the days of K Raul Allegre. 

I'm a Raiders fan, as you all probably know, so I'm still basking in their undefeated trudge through the AFC West despite the fact that they didn't get make the playoffs.  Al Davis proved he's deadbeat by continuing to make a mockery out of a once proud organization.  And I am still in awe of the fact that they let go one of the best coaches to come to town in a while, in Tom Cable.  I digress.

Good for you NY Jets.  Now you have a tougher road, a four hour trip up I-95, to take on the surging New England Patriots.  Impossible?  Nope.  That's trying to beat the Raiders if you were an AFC West team.  Unlikely?  Perhaps, but they did split this season, and the Jets did bury the game ball after they were embarrassed 45-3.  45 to 3.  Worst loss of the year, by far.  Something to learn from but forget at the same time.  Will they do it?  The impossible two weeks in a row?  Rex will tell you that Mark Sanchez would win the vote for President of Mexico if he ran in 2012.  He believes.  And based on throngs of Jets fans, they'll tell you the same thing. 

Oh the joy of playoff football - where the Seahawks can take down the reigning Super Bowl champions in the first round after a pathetic 7-9 regular season; where the Jets can upend the mighty (and always hilarious Peyton Manning).  Today, I'll be trapped here in the tin bin watching men's college basketball.  Maybe I'll catch some of the Packers/Eagles game. 

Gotta go set up for this game, sa-weet.

Later goons!

Playoff Season

The NFL Playoffs are officially upon us.  Last night the final team was anointed postseason bound - the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks - following a less than stellar 16-6 win over the drop-happy Rams.  Hey, Danario, catch the damn ball.  Fells, you too.  Bums.  At least an 8-8 team is justifiable.  7-9 is a joke.

Here's a little rundown of the match-ups this weekend in the NFL.

Jets v. Colts - There are some good match ups in the first round, including the Colts hosting God's team, the Jets (the Jets are 2-1 in the playoffs against the Colts).  The Colts ended the Jets season last year with a 30-17 win at Lucas Oil Stadium.  Peyton Manning always seems to rally his troops, regardless who's out there.  The Colts are at home, laying three points.  They've won four straight heading into this match up, and I  like the Colts.  Plus, I'm kind of hating on the Jets because everyone thinks they're God's gift to football.

Packers v. Eagles - The Packers got in on an interception from Nick Collins with just seconds left against the Bears, to seal a 10-3 win at Lambeau, and a postseason berth.  They'll travel East to take on Michael Vick, err...Kevin Kolb and the Eagles.  The Cowboys took down Philadelpia yesterday, so the Eagles aren't exactly rolling, having lost their last 2 games (both at home).  Luckily for them, the Packers are only 3-5 on the road this season.  The Eagles need to find their offense if they're gonna have a chance - problem is, the Packers let up an NFC low 240 points all season (PIT led the NFL with 232 points allowed).  I like the Packers in this one - they showed off their electric offense against the Giants (who I'll decline comment on) and their stellar defense against the Bears.  The Pack is +2.5 points, and I'll take them in this one.

Saints v. Seahawks - Really, this one shouldn't even be close.  The Seahawks got in because the Rams couldn't catch the damn ball.  They're 1-2 against playoff teams and 6-7 against everyone else.  Their defense is suspect at best (25.4 PPG) and their offense (19.4 PPG) is bad.  The Seahawks were outscored by 97 points this season, the worst differential EVER by a playoff team.  The Saints, well, they've won 7 of their last 9 games.  Their defense is stout (19.2 PPG) and their offense is pretty decent (24 PPG), led by a guy named Drew Brees who threw for 4,620 yards this year.  Let's compare:  Brees - 4,620 yards.  Seattle Seahawks - 5,080 yards.  The entire Seahawks team only outgained Brees by 460 yards.  Think about that.  Saints giving ten points and I think they'll cover easily.  But it depends which Saints team shows up - the one who lost to the Browns or the one who stifled the Steelers 20-10.

Ravens v. Chiefs - Baltimore heads in having won 4 straight - two on their offense, two on their defense.  They're finally a well-oiled maching on both sides of the ball.  Wacco Flacco had a great season and their running game (Ray Rice) is a beast (1,220 rushing, 556 receiving).  They got the X-factor in Anquan Boldin and a defense that speaks for itself.  The Chiefs, well, let's just say my Raiders beat up on them twice - 23-20 and 31-10.  KC comes in playing some decent football, and surprisingly, they have some weapons.  Matt Cassel is finally showing fans in KC why they got him from NE (3,116 yards, 27 TD, 7 INT).  Jamaal Charles (1,467 yards) and Thomas Jones (896 yards) are also key factors why they Chiefs have a chance - besides the fact that they're 7-1 at Arrowhead - their running game was #1 in the NFL.  In a ball control game, the running game always plays a major factor.  Baltimore is -2.5.  I like the Chiefs in this one though.

Those are this weekends games, and who knows how much I will actually watch - there's basketball games both days this weekend - talk about being sour.  The game on Sunday is at 2pm though, so I should be able to catch the Packers/Eagles game.

Now I am going to head over to iTunes and listen to the new release from GlassJAw, Our Color Green EP.  It's only available for digital download, so I may be forced to wait until I get home to purchase this beast.  Based on what I heard the other night, these five tracks should rock and roll.

Tim Tebow = Kent St.

He has quite the following.  It began with his days on the campus at UF.  It continued when the Broncos drafted him.  And his harem has followed the wannabe QB on Twitter (73,875 followers).  As a devout man of faith, it's easy to see why his good-guy image attracts swarms of followers.  Every team who passed on him in the draft was scorned by throngs of Tebow fans.  Shit, he probably has people over in his native Philippines tuning in last Sunday.

Everyone was singing his praises after the Broncos game in Oakland this past weekend once again, because the Golden Boy was given his shot to shine in the league.  The results were very, very average - maybe even below average - in a 39-23 shellacking at the hands of my beloved Raiders.

8/16 for 138 yards and 1 TD - the Raiders are 5th in the NFL against the pass
7 carries for 78 yards and 1 TD (an exciting 40-yard run) - the Raiders are 26th in the NFL against the run

His QB Rating was great (100.8 - however the hell that's calculated is still a mystery to me).  He had a hand in 207 of the Broncos 235 total net yards (88%).  He ran a stale offense that has plenty of weapons, as was indicated during the revival of Kyle Orton earlier this year.  Brandon Lloyd became a go-to receiver.  Jabar Gaffney is having a career year in his 9th year in the NFL.  Knowshon Moreno is having a decent season (I just wanted to try to type his name and get it right - took me 3 tries).  There's just no QB in Denver right now to lead that team.

Tim Tebow is not the answer.  He is certainly not the savior in Denver - that title was given to Orton when he was hot as a pistol at the start of the season.  Everyone was talking about him breaking records for passing yards and whatnot - he had very good numbers on a terrible football team.  Orton - although benched and/or hurt - is 5th in the NFL in passing yards (ahead of Wonderboy Tom Brady, Wacco Flacco, Eli Manning, and Matty Ice).  You know why?  Because they are busy getting pumped every week and have to throw the ball.

Tebow cannot win a game with his arm in the NFL.  Yes, they've cleaned up his throwing mechanics, but he is still a work-in-progress at best.  He is as athletic as any player in the league, don't get me wrong, but a franchise, long-term QB in the NFL - no shot.

Tim, you're a great story and God loves you, but you may be headed down the path of Brad Smith (QB at Mizzou, WR NY Jets), Julian Edelman (QB at Kent St., WR NE Patriots), and Josh Cribbs (QB Kent St., WR Cleveland Browns).  He has the fact that he went to Florida and not Kent St. going for him, but I don't think that's enough.  Heisman or no Heisman, he's not a next level QB. 

I have to take Nathan out.  He's gonna break off a 40 yard TD run.  Then maybe follow Tebow on Twitter.

Giants up; Jets down

  Although the Jets faced a much more formidable team in their Week 1 match up (Baltimore), the Giants did look like the better team this first week.  Carolina isn't anywhere near the caliber team the Ravens are, but the Giants made them look like second-stringers in the second half.

  I'll admit, I didn't see much of either game because of my split with the dickheads at DirecTV, but Anquan Boldin seemed to have a pretty easy time racking up 110 yards on 7 catches.  And did Revis even play Monday night?  Cromartie had an INT but couldn't find the end zone after returning 66 yards.  And the 0-1 record looms to be 0-2 when the Patriots (who looked pretty damn good last week) come to town.

  The G-Man looked pitiful in the first half, but once General Coughlin had at them at the half, they came  out with a little more fire.  Carolina manages a measly 2 points in the second half, while the Giants put the game out of reach with 17 points of their own.

  My Raiders looked mighty hapless against the Titans.  They get the Rams this week, so here's to a W by the Silver & Black.

  We got approved for the new apartment, move in depends on when the management allows.  We met with two board members last night (one of whom will live next to us) and they seemed to like us.  So that's a weight off our shoulders.  Time to move out of the shithole apartment we currently reside and into a nicer, well-maintained building with a doorman and all the fixings. 

  Time to get an idea for what practice will consist of and maybe take a tour around the facility.

  Game On!!

The Yanks Lost!?; Revis Island back on the NY/NJ Shore; Scrabble Dominates

  For the first time in 8 games, the Yankees found themselves on the losing side.  No surprise who pitched - Phil Hughes.  Almost as inconsistent as AJ Burnett but making much less.  For that reason alone, he's the less criticized of the two. 

  Hughes is 5-5 with a 5.47 ERA in 10 post-All-Star game starts.  Get your game right dipshit.  They got you on an innings limit.  Maybe he thinks pitching like shit will get him out of the game earlier, thus allowing him to prolong the inevitable.  Figure it out.

  Burnett (who starts this afternoon) has seen his ERA steadily creep up in his past seven starts - from a 4.52 to an gaudy 5.15 when he takes the hill today.  TOR, SEA, CWS have been the last three to light him up.  Time to get it together AJ.  Don't let a one game losing streak become a two-game slide.  With TB right behind them (2.5 GB) and Boston (10 GB) and CWS (9.5 GB), the Wild Card isn't a lock either.

  Maybe he needs to get another tattoo to remind him he's getting paid an ass ton of money to win games.  $16.5 million.  $16.5!!  Get it together.  You're leaving too many ???'s in the rotation.  C.C. is the man, that much is the only certainty.  But he ain't God.

  In NFL news, The Jets defense once again became the #1 defense in the league when Derrelle Revis decided to come to his senses and sign a contract.  What a dick.  Way to put yourself out on an island.  I understand you're the "best" cornerback in the NFL, but I still think it was messed up to not play out the current contract before bitching about it.  You need to earn your stripes.  I hope Nnamdi Asomugha has a better year and you get flattened by Anquan Boldin on MNF.  Greedy mo-fo.

  My Raiders travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Week 1.  At least they'll be in first place until the early games end.  I'm expecting at least 7 wins this season.  OK, maybe I should temper my expectations - how's 6?

  And as far as gaming goes, Scrabble is far and away the best game out.

  Time for lunch yo!

Tens-Day

Ten points of emphasis that are running through my mind this morning:

1. MAAC Tournament.  Game one at 3pm vs. Canisius.  Game one is ever important in a double elimination format, and I think we'll come out loose and ready to play.  We're the #4 seed after all, and we have nothing to lose.  Everyone else is supposed to be better than us, all we gotta do is play the game hard, have a little fun, play some defense, pitch well enough to keep us in the game, and score more runs.  That formula translates to wins.  That's pretty evident.
2. A Mosque at Ground Zero?  I don't think this is something that NYers should have to deal with.  I was watching Channel 5 and there was a debate on it and all three on the panel said it wasn't a good idea.  The money ($100 million) is being funded by Islamic countries, and how the hell do we know who this money is coming from?  It also serves as a reminder of that grim day on September 11, 2001.  "I don't deny anyone a church or a mosque, but if I were to walk by that mosque, I would think of my son's plane," Hanson, of Easton, Conn.  (NY Daily News).  I am not against it either, but the fact remains that almost 3,000 Americans perished in the 9/11 attacks.  NYers did a great job of coming together and bouncing back, but they don't need any more reminders.  Not 100' from where Tower 1 once stood.
3. DWTS winner announced.  I'll be honest, I watch this show but generally don't pay much attention.  The Bruno guy is hilarious though, and I look forward to hearing his comments.  Nicole Scherzinger beat out figure-skater Evan Lysacek and ESPN's Erin Andrews.  Not sure if this was a shocker or not, but either way, I'm looking forward to seeing this Bruno Tonioli guy again.
4. Phoenix Suns tie series with Lakers 2-2.  I hate the Lakers, as I've stated before.  What won them the game?  Simple, their bench, which was non-existent in the first three games of the series.  The Suns bench scored 54 points last night (76 previous three games).  Good for you Phoenix, take the series.  I don't need another Celtics-Lakers finals.
5. 2014 Super Bowl at Meadowlands Stadium.  Good to see a Super Bowl being played in a cold weather state.  Bloomberg said it, this region is a great place to come to.  NYC is an awesome place and I know people from all over the country attend the Super Bowl every year, and many probably have never been to the NYC area.  Bob Golic is saying that weather shouldn't be an issue in the biggest game of the year, but in 2007, Super Bowl XLI was played in the rain down in Miami.  It's cold in February, sure, but why not.  Why the hell not?  Good for you NFL, now let's hope the Giants or Jets are playing.
6. Yankees woes!  A.J. Burnett finally settled down and was throwing a good game - 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K and 75 pitches before the rains came and washed out the game against the Twins.  His last three starts before last night were a mixed bag.  He got rocked vs. Tampa on the 19th, pitched well vs. the Twins on the 14th, and was tattooed by the Red Sox on the 9th.  I hope he uses it as something to build off, because his stuff is way better than he's showed the past few.  The Yankees, however, are 6-3 in games he starts.  Still waiting for a 10+ strikeout game.
7. King beds.  At home, me and Lindsay and Nathan share a double bed.  After sleeping in this king bed in the hotel last night, it brings me back to my thoughts whenever I stay in a hotel - king beds should be mandatory.  It's like sleeping in an in-ground pool.  The thing is huge.  Maybe it's the hotel bed idea, that they are always so comfortable (except at a Days Inn).  
8. "Future gay terrorists."  This is stuff that shouldn't happen.  A soldier is under investigation after a video was posted on Facebook.  The video showed two children who were asked, "Are you going to grow up to be a terrorist?", to which the children gave thumbs up.  Chances are they didn't understand English, but seriously, are you that stupid that you'd:  1. say something so ignorant to two kids, and 2. post it on Facebook?  Stupid ass.
9. Flying anytime soon?  Here's a few tips to securing some cheaper airfare.  1. Very few seats are ever on sale - when you see a low price deal, book it.  2. Tuesday is the best day to shop for airfare, at around 3:00pm.  3. Friday and Sunday are the most expensive days to fly, so plan accordingly.  4. Book at least two weeks in advance, maybe even three weeks.  Here's a test I just did on Southwest Airlines - if I wanted to fly from NY to Denver: in 5 days, $311; in 12 days, $219; in 20 days, $189.  5. Pack a carry on bag.  Baggage fees suck.  6. Fly midweek.  Have a good flight.
10. Back to the Bronx.  Some local news from the Bronx.  This morning, two parents are under arrest after leaving their baby in a parking lot near 161st St.  Both parents say they thought the other had the child.  Maybe they thought there was a Yankee game that the kid wanted to see. 

OK, time to get ready for a late breakfast.  It's nice not having to wake up at 7:30am and get to the park at 9:15am to start batting practice.  Let's hope we can dust the sand out of our eyes and play a great game today.  Lindsay is coming up today, Nathan is staying in Long Island.  We'll miss that pup.  He's become the unofficial mascot of the Jaspers.