Open

This is a big deal.

This means nothing in terms of actual sport, but culturally, the ramifications are endless. Finally, Jason Collins is able to feel free and open with how he lives his life. Openness is the theme here. Everyone should feel open to how they live their relationships. The sport world requires machismo and toughness. Jason Collins clearly has shown in his years in the NBA that he has both. He breaks the stereotype of a gay man. A stereotype that is quickly dying when men like him and these two beardfaces come out as gay. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-awesome-bearded-guys-from-washingtons-wedding

I've seen many people on Facebook and Twitter question why this is a big deal. "It's 2013. Why does it matter what anyone's sexual orientation is now? We're in a society that will support Jason Collins, not bash him." And all of that is true. Most of the comments about Collins have been extremely positive. 

"@BruceBeck4NY: "@darrenrovell: In exactly half a day, @jasoncollins34 twitter followers grew 1873% from 3,700 to 73,000 followers." Class guy!"

But the issue is that there are still tons of people who are afraid to do what Collins did and openly profess how he really feels. Whether they are other athletes in the public eye who could face scrutiny and heckling or they are kids in high school afraid of bullies and judgement from their parents. We need to reach a society where the color of your skin, your gender, your sexual orientation, none of it, matters. Everyone deserves the basic human and American rights. Until that happens, this will continue to be a big deal. The next athlete to openly come out will be as celebrated as Jason Collins, as it should be. This is a bold move for him and he should be praised for finally being open with his feelings and who he really is. Hopefully he can play at least one more year in the NBA to see how the real reaction is from fans and players. 

Power

First of all, let me say that this issue inspired me to the point that I actually called 'The Michael Kay Show' on my commute home last night when they were discussing it. I subsequently was pulled over for using my cell phone and ticketed for cell phone usage and not being able to provide insurance (mine expired March 31st and I hadn't put the new insurance in the glove box yet). Fun times.

Anyway.

I'm writing this under the assumption that Mike Rice will be fired as head coach of the Rutgers basketball team no later than Friday. (Update: At 10 AM EST, it's been reported that Rutgers fired him. Good riddance.) After ESPN aired that video yesterday, there is no other punishment for his actions that will appease his victims, the taxpayers of NJ and the general public. Tim Pernetti should have fired him in December, but he can fix the situation now by finally doing the right thing.

Mike Rice is a bully. The video evidence proves him to be an abuser. He physically and verbally abuses his players. He is able to do that because of his power as head coach. These young adults had to take the abuse and turn the other cheek. If they spoke up or fought back, they'd likely be cut from the team and thus lose their scholarship. The Rutgers basketball team doesn't have a rich history of sending their ballplayers to the NBA. These students need their education and need their scholarship to stay in school. As you can see in the video, they're numb to the abuse. They learned quickly how the coach behaves and what to do in order to stay on the team.

Mike Rice failed at his job. His job as a coach and educator is to mold these young men into respectable adults and win games. He certainly hasn't won games at Rutgers; they haven't had a winning record since he's been head coach. And he obviously failed in educating. He's just an angry, abusive man who should be nowhere near a teaching space. In addition to not wanting him near current students, how could you expect him to recruit?

Tim Pernetti also failed at his job. Once evidence was provided that Rice was a terrible human being, the termination should have been given. The behavior, on the hours of video, proves he does not deserve to coach. Pernetti  basically covered up the situation by keeping Rice as head coach. A three game suspension for a head coach on a team that doesn't win games is nothing. After the Sandusky PSU scandal, our collective sensitivity for abuse is heightened. Because Pernetti didn't fire Rice upon first seeing the videos, he too needs to go.

The NCAA failed at their job (yet again). A head basketball coach in the best basketball conference was suspended. Did they investigate why he was suspended? If not, why not? If so, why were they OK with the self imposed punishment? The NCAA perpetually protects coaches and punishes players.
Mike Rice was free to bounce from school to school. Student athletes must sit a year regardless of why they're transferring. Coach is verbally and physically abusing you? Oh well, sit a year if you want to transfer. Coaches make millions. Players try to trade their jersey for a tattoo and they're punished. The NCAA is a hypocritical joke but they have the power. Until something more powerful than them steps in, (federal government?) the NCAA will continue to not care about the student athletes.

Trouble, Trouble, Trouble

The Knicks finally broke me. After that 18-5 start to their season, my hope for them was at its highest level since Patrick Ewing was on the team. They were beating everyone, including the defending champs, Miami Heat, twice! They really seemed as if they could be the team to dethrone the champs and were doing it all sans Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire. Since that red hot start though, they've been exactly average, 14-14 and losing to anyone, including the Washington Wizards. The hope of a championship has vanished and been replaced with hope for simply escaping the first round.

This is my breaking point because of what went down in Indiana and at the close of the trade deadline. That 36 point loss in Indiana was an epic embarrassment. There is no sugar coating that display of ineptitude. Sure, this could be the kick in the arse they needed to jolly them out of mediocrity and there's still plenty of season for Mike Woodson to figure out what's needed to have this team playing like they did to start the season. I hate living and dying with each game as the season is long and 'anything is possible', but this team just doesn't feel like a winner anymore.

The biggest problem with the game against Indiana, and the main reason I don't think this team capable of beating the Heat, (among others) in a seven game series, is that it happened already against the Bulls in December. In that game, Melo, Tyson and Woodson were all ejected. The Bulls established a giant lead, that dwindled, but ended with a victory. In that game, it seemed nothing was going the Knicks' way, especially the refs' calls. Once the game went south for the Knicks, which happened early, they shut down. They lost their fight and lost the game in the 1st quarter. The same happened last night as they were down twelve by the end of the 1st quarter.

Fool me once...

What scares me most about this team is their age. If this season isn't going to result in a championship, (with the way the Heat, Spurs, Pacers, Nets, Clippers, Thunder are all playing, the Knicks don't have a chance), then we are to hope for next year, right? Well the Knicks are the oldest team ever, and that was before they traded away Ronnie Brewer (27) and signed Kenyon Martin (35). That means the hope for next year rests on an even older, oldest team ever or a very different roster. Neither are all that appealing, so this year might actually be a must win year for Carmelo and the Knicks.

Even if Woodson is able to right the ship, the Knicks may end up facing the same fate they encountered in the 90s. Michael Jordan was unstoppable then and left many Hall of Famers ringless (Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, and Charles Barkley). LeBron James is playing at a different stratosphere than everyone else right now. He may end up going on a Jordanesque type run of NBA titles, leaving his own trail of ringless Hall of Famers in his wake. Melo could be in that trail. He and Woodson and the Knicks need to fix this mess they're currently in and fight for that title, before the old men crumble.

I'm tired of waiting for next year.

Superheroes

Athletes are role models. As are firefighters, police officers, the military, our parents. But athletes are definitely role models. They may not want to be, but once they put on a uniform, people look up to them and they are expected to be better than the rest of us. In many cases athletes live up to the role model standard, but in many cases they stumble (DUI, PEDs, small misdemeanors) and sometimes they fall on their face as Oscar Pistorius just did.

It's terribly sad when heroes fall from grace, but never more so when that hero inspires to such a degree of Pistorius. The magnitude of what he was able to achieve given the obstacles set before him were inconceivable. He proved you don't need legs to run track. Combining science and willpower, Pistorius competed against able-bodied athletes inspiring the nation of South Africa, every disabled person ever, and the world. People watched in awe as he ran and it didn't even matter that he didn't win. He competed.

How then are we not to look at athletes as role models? Guys like Pistorius, Lance Armstrong, Tedy Bruschi, etc, overcoming impossible obstacles to turn their dreams into reality are truly something to look up to. They should be idolized for the faith they give to people trying to conquer their own obstacles. The problem with idolizing humans though is that we forget that they are human and prone to making the same mistakes we make. Americans drive while intoxicated daily. It's wrong and a terrible choice to make, but we are shocked when athletes choose to make that mistake as Todd Helton most recently did. He should know better, he's a hero to some people. He's got plenty of money for a driver, why would he do this?

It's a tough dilemma we face when idolizing humans. You couldn't help but feel inspired when Lance won the Tour de France multiple times, or when Tedy Bruschi played his first game after suffering a stroke. Athletes accomplishing great success spurs an immense amount of feelings and turns them into heroes. Some athletes even play that persona into superheroes, calling themselves Supermen; Dwight Howard, Cam Newton. Athletes are Supermen. Average men can't dunk a basketball, run a 40 yard dash in less than five seconds, or hit a ball 400 feet.

Superman is not human though, and these athletes are. When realizing Pistorius is human, he is viewed completely different. He is no longer the Blade Runner, now just a guy charged with murder. Whether his story of accidental murder or the investigation's story of premeditated murder is accurate, is irrelevant. OJ Simpson was found not guilty of murder, but according to the public, he was not innocent and was hence done being a public hero. Pistorius never denied shooting his girlfriend, and because of this, he's no longer a superhero. An idol had fallen and it's incredibly depressing. Exceptionally depressing for his girlfriend's family and the people she inspired. Depressing for him and how his life will now play out. And depressing for all of those who idolized and were motivated by a superhero only to find out the real superheroes are only in comics.

What if?

I started writing a similar post before the NFL Divisional playoff games. Back when it seemed certain that the Patriots would be playing the Broncos and the Packers would be playing the Seahawks in the Championship games. Those were the perfect storyline scenarios; Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning and the Packers trying to enact revenge on the Seahawks 'Fail Mary' victory. Those would have been the NFL's best options for the Championship games, but I neglected to factor in the best narrative for the Super Bowl being the Harbaugh Bowl.

I have one question for you. What if?

This is purely hypothetical and just a thought I had. Just a conspiracy theory with plenty of holes.

If the NFL wants the highest ratings possible, in order to make the most money possible, why wouldn't they do everything in their power to make that happen? Paying the referees to make sure a certain team win a game would be so easy. The zebras would just need to throw a couple drive killing holding penalties to help the defense and a couple illegal contact downfield flags to help the offense. There is almost always holding and illegal contact downfield on every play, so it's not as if we'd notice blatant fixes.

Commentators and fans complain about bad calls all the time. Basically anytime your team loses, there was a couple calls the refs made, (or didn't make) that caused your team to lose. It happens in every sport nearly every time your team loses, even if it's a blowout. 'If the refs didn't kill our momentum in the first minute of the game, the other team wouldn't have scored six touchdowns.' 'Our team never stood a chance with the refs making those terrible calls.'

Of course we want to believe what we're watching is true and pure, but the athletes have already proven that to be false by taking PEDs. Why can't this be plausible also? In basketball, the refs just have to call a couple phantom fouls on a team's best player early in the game. In baseball, the home plate umpire can control everything with how he calls the strike zone. In hockey, the refs can throw a player in the penalty box. The referees can control so much that a sporting outcome being predetermined doesn't really seem all that crazy.

Holes.

Until of course you realize it's just a crazy conspiracy theory, like the US government causing 9/11, or the Sandy Hook 'hoax'. There's entirely too many people involved to keep quiet. All it would take is one person to go to TMZ or Deadspin with evidence of a league controlling the outcome of games and that sport is finished. The refs aren't being told to fix games, they're just making mistakes. It's just easy to see their mistakes with the camera angles provided in slow motion. As fans we just need to come to terms with our team sucking a fat one and hope for better next year.

The NFL didn't need the Harbaugh Bowl for people to watch the Super Bowl. There are 52 players on every team. That's 52 unique and interesting stories that would have us fans fascinated and glued to the game. I was rooting for neither team this year, for the first time in awhile but I was still sitting right in front of the TV the whole time. The NFL, or any other league, doesn't need to predetermine outcomes. There is too much risk involved.

If next year's Super Bowl us a Manning Bowl though, there's obviously a fix.

Because, what if?

Honesty

Ray Lewis has been accused of taking deer antler spray in order to heal from his torn triceps injury quicker. He has denied taking anything, but if it were to be true, not many people would care. The NFL is basically the only sport that performance enhancers aren't an issue because no one cares.
If the accusations were true, how would Ray Lewis be any different than someone like Andy Pettitte. Both allegedly took banned substances in order to recover from injury quicker. Andy Pettitte is guaranteed to hold that stigma for the rest of his life and will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame. If Lewis were to admit to using a natural supplement that he didn't know contained a banned substance in order to more quickly heal his triceps and help his team, he would still be a Hall of Famer.
NFL players, for some reason are held to a different standard than MLB, or cycling, or track, etc. We see how massive footballers' muscles are and marvel, just as we did when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were jacking home runs. We aren't blind to performance enhancers anymore as we were then, but for the NFL, we don't seem to care.
Footballers are recovering from injuries quicker than Wolverine and we choose to look the other way. Sure, medicine is constantly improving, but when a player is expected to miss a year due to injury, how is he back on the field in eight months? We just marvel at their superhuman ability and ignore what could be the reason behind it. When a guy like Alex Smith, who misses a game due to a concussion, is benched for the remainder of the season,  it's not all too surprising athletes would take supplements to get back on the field from injury as quick as possible, in order not to lose their job as well.
Lastly, regarding these accusations Ray Lewis and Alex Rodriguez are facing; we all assume they're true, right? We live in a country where every citizen is innocent until proven guilty, unless you're an athlete accused of performance enhancing. Once the accusation is brought against you, you're guilty. Just ask Roger Clemens. He never failed a test and won court cases clearing his name. The baseball writers didn't seem to care. Once the association is connected, you're guilty and in every sport except football, you're chastised for the rest of your life.
As Lance Armstrong said in his interview, he couldn't have won the Tour de France without doping. The same applied for baseball players a decade ago. In order to be the best, you have to push your body to it's limit. Once you reach that limit and it still isn't good enough to beat the best, you performance enhance until you can. Of course, not everyone is doping, but the winners are.
We, as fans are as much to blame as the athletes. We want to see bigger, stronger, faster. Initially, we are disgusted upon hearing of athletes doping, but in reality, wouldn't you do the same? With the promise of fame and fortune within your reach, would you take some supplements in order to attain it? It's not as if the athletes are asked to return their fame and fortune if found to be a performance enhancer. Some even rebound from it once admitting; Pettitte, McGwire, possibly Lance in the future.
Our main problem now is the lying. All performance enhancers are liars. Their initial lie is to themselves that doping is OK to do. It is obviously not OK, because it has to be done in secret. Once caught though, athletes are given a chance to change. Most, keep lying; Lance, every home run champion during the Steroid Era, etc. Once they truly come clean and tell the truth, they are given a chance at respect and forgiveness.
While Pettitte will never be forgiven by baseball writers, he is certainly respected and forgiven by NY. If Ray Lewis came clean and said he took deer antler spray to heal quicker and didn't realize there was a banned ingredient in it because it was a natural substance, he would be forgiven (not that it matters because he's already forgiven since he's in the NFL). Even if we can't be honest with ourselves in how we view athletes, we want them to be honest with us.
Didn't 'Liar Liar' teach us anything?

Death of a Sport

I wake up this morning to the news of the Jets being interested in JaMarcus Russell, and of Alex Rodriguez still taking HGH. Can I go back to bed, please?

The Super Bowl is on Sunday. I know, duh. But instead of hearing analysts discuss the Harbaugh brothers facing off, or Ray Lewis playing his last game, or Joe Flacco still trying to prove he is elite, or Colin Kaepernick fearlessly running rampant through the NFL, I have been hearing something else over the past couple of days.

CTE, concussions, and head trauma.

Head trauma may signal the eventual demise to the NFL. Football is a violent sport with collisions happening on every play. The NFL tries to put rules in place to make the sport safer, but completely removing injuries and head trauma is impossible. With more and more former and current players (and the President!) coming out to say they probably wouldn't let their hypothetical sons play football knowing the dangers of head trauma, who will be the future of the NFL?

The future has to decide whether short term fame and fortune outweigh potential long lasting effects on the brain that can result in suicide. As we learn more about CTE and how it is caused and what it causes, the NFL could look very different

The NFL has a dangerously thin line to navigate in the future. As fans, we watch because these athletes are extraordinary. They run faster, throw farther, jump higher than us. But maybe most importantly, they are infinitely tougher than us. We want to see big hits, and players playing through pain but we are also more aware now the damage they may cause. Rule changes down the line may drastically change how the game is played and people at that point might stop watching. The draw right now though is too big. There is too much money and too much glory to be had. For now, I'll gladly keep watching and sadly keep rooting for the Jets (JaMarcus Russell, really???), but it will be interesting to see how the NFL changes over time.

I know if I'm lucky enough to have a baby boy, he won't be encouraged to play football. I'm now happy my mom discouraged me from playing, even if she was only worried about broken bones. But I also know there well be plenty of people drawn to the fame and fortune that will ignore the warnings. If those people keep playing and the hits are still big, we'll all keep watching. The NFL isn't dead yet, but Roger Goodell can't be happy this is even a topic before the Super Bowl when the game should be celebrated, not given a death sentence.

The LOLkers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an absolute joke this year. They are terrible and will not make the playoffs. This is a big deal because they are the Los Angeles Lakers, not the Los Angeles Clippers, and because they stacked their roster with perennial All-Stars. This team actually proves that chemistry and coaching play massive factors into success. It is truly surprising how big a role they actually play in the NBA.

Mike D'Antoni is not a good coach. He was extremely lucky in Phoenix that Steve Nash (in his prime) was there to successfully run the offense. His system, when provided with the right pieces is quite excellent, as his time in Phoenix proved. But his tenure in New York showed that, as a coach, systems and schemes must be adapted to the players on the roster. The Knicks couldn't run the 'Seven Seconds or Less' offense, but D'Antoni couldn't figure out how to make the pieces work. The Knicks have two all-stars, (three if you include Stoudemire), and Melo and Chandler were Olympians. That being on your roster should be enough to win some games.

In LA, the Lakers roster is even more ridiculous. Kobe, Nash, Dwight, Pau. How is this roster not above .500 at least?? Kobe and Nash are guaranteed Hall-of-Famers, and Dwight and Pau could also end up there. With those four on your roster, success should be a given. But as stated earlier, coaching and chemistry matter. The coaching hasn't been able to figure this team out and that's a failure on D'Antoni (and Mike Brown).

The chemistry is a failure on the players.

Athletes should have one goal, and that is winning a championship. When that becomes priority for everyone, chemistry falls into place. Sure, it takes time. The Miami Heat didn't win a title in LeBron's first year there, but they still had a year in which they made it to the NBA Finals. The Lakers are so far from that. This team needs another new coach, though I doubt the owner would be bold enough to fire two coaches in one season.

They also need to revamp their roster. This Steve Nash and Dwight Howard experiment isn't working. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the trade value of their players is low. Pau or Dwight are their most likely players to be traded. Some teams may want them, but won't be willing to give up enough to appease the Lakers. They're in a tough spot now and won't be interesting until the season ends (unless they actually make some moves). Their chances at winning this season are over. They've dug too big a hole and show no signs of turning anything around (even though that's all they keep saying). That elusive sixth ring for Kobe may never happen. The worst part for them during this season though? The Clippers are one of the top five most exciting teams. How the tables have turned.

Cooked!

(Cooked is apparently the new burnt. I'm old.)

Avery Johnson was just cooked though. The Brooklyn Nets just announced they're relieving him of his coaching duties. Something had to change with that team as they were underperforming and their showing on a national stage on Christmas was atrocious.

This is a team that should be battling for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, not a team trying to sneak in and hope for the best. Deron Williams has not been playing like the point guard the Nets expected. In Utah, him and Chris Paul fought for the title of best point guard in the NBA. Currently he's far from that. He needs to step his game up and the Nets are smart to put him and the whole team on notice by firing Avery Johnson.

The Nets were expected, by their management, to battle the Knicks for domination of the city. While the games between the two teams have been exciting and have ignited a dormant rivalry, the Nets need to be winning more games to truly earn the city's respect. A change was definitely needed as the Nets are in a win right now mode. Now they just need to find the right coach to bring this team to greatness.

Paging Stan Van Gundy!

Stan could provide a big help to Brook Lopez in his hopes to be the best center in the East. Look how well he worked with Dwight Howard till Howard turned on him. He's coached a superstar before and he's probably the best coach available. The only other name that comes to mind is Jerry Sloan. He's got a controversial history with Deron but hopefully the superstar would play better with the familiarity.

This is a desperate move by the Nets but a necessary one. They need to have a team with lasting greatness, not mediocrity. They have some of the pieces needed for a championship; a superstar, solid starting lineup. They just need a coach that can get them there and some more depth. The right coach is imperative to the team's chemistry though so until they find one they will settle being the second fiddle to the Knicks.

Just don't hire Mike Brown.

Too Legit to Quit

The NY Knicks are back to being an elite team in the NBA again. I became a believer after their second beatdown of the Miami Heat. Last night's buzzer beater was just another example. This is the first year since Patrick Ewing that the Knicks have a legitimate shot to bring a trophy back to the Mecca for the first time since 1973. And for the first time in over a decade, I'm excited for playoff basketball. And it's still just December!

Since the Jets season is over (it was over before it started), and the Giants season is most likely over (false hope believing they'll win, AND the Redskins beat the Cowboys, AND the Packers beat the Vikings, AND the Lions beat the Bears), it's nice to have a sports team bring excitement through the winter months till baseball season starts, especially considering the NHL doesn't exist.

The Knicks aren't just good either. They're one of the most exciting teams to watch. Whether it's Jason Kidd or Raymond Felton lobbing passes to Tyson Chandler to throw down. Whether it's Kidd, or JR Smith or Steve Novak or Rasheed Wallace or Chris Copeland or seemingly anyone on the team draining threes. Whether it's Carmelo Anthony, a top scorer in the NBA, taking over and finding his groove. When the Knicks are on TV, it's hard to look away (unless they're playing the Rockets).

On top of their excellent play, the Knicks are also cementing a pretty solid foundation for a real rivalry with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets, like the Mets and Jets, were never respected by their local counterparts. It made sense for the Yankees/Mets and Giants/Jets. The Mets are good once every 2 decades and the Jets are the model of dysfunction, while the Yankees and Giants are model franchises in their leagues and consistently build long term sustained success. The Knicks on the other hand, are not really that much better historically than the Nets. The Knicks haven't won since 1973 and have been to as many NBA Finals as the Nets since then.

A third of the games have been played and the Knicks are in position to make a deep run through the postseason, barring a disaster. With Amar'e Stoudemire set to return shortly and Iman Shumpert returning later this season, the Knicks will only get better. Mike Woodson has proven to adapt his coaching to the team he's given, unlike Mike D'Antoni, who can only coach well if Steve Nash is on his team. Amar'e's return will only strengthen this team's depth chart and hopefully bring not one, not two...but forty more wins!

Goodbye Timmy

Now that the New York Jets season is officially over, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. We've been fighting the inevitability of this day since the restructuring of Mark Sanchez's contract. Fans knew that was an awful idea but Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum, and Woody Johnson thought otherwise. To compound that issue, they brought Tim Tebow in to be Mark's backup. I can't decide which decision was worse.

Mark Sanchez is not a good quarterback. Watch any of the last four games and it's painfully obvious. He's not accurate, makes poor decisions and lost any ounce of confidence he's ever had. The Jets certainly didn't help his maturation process as a quarterback. Instead of surrounding him with talent, he was consistently stripped of it.

Bringing in Tim Tebow was a bad move for both parties, the Jets and Tebow. They lied to him by calling him their backup quarterback. That's obviously not his job or he would have come in for Sanchez in the forth quarter against the Titans. He would also be starting next week. This year was a complete waste for Tebow. Hopefully, for him and the Jets, he can get traded to Jacksonville for a 7th round pick.

With that distraction gone, the Jets can deal with more pressing matters. Namely what to do at starting quarterback, head coach, offensive coordinator and general manager. I've defended Rex Ryan all season, but my opinion may have been swayed due to this week's events. The Jets defense is still top notch and their pass defense especially, has been stellar, even with the absence of Darrelle Revis. That is Rex's specialty, but he has to oversee the entire team. The offense, special teams, and overall talent on the team is abysmal. Unfortunately, given his comments to put the blame of not making the playoffs solely on him, it may be time for him to go. If he is fired though, it'll take awhile for this team to rebuild.

The starting QB dilemma is easy to fix. Keep Sanchez. Keep Greg McElroy. Sign or trade for a competent game manager. There will be plenty rumored to be on the market, ranging from excellent (Alex Smith), to mediocre (Joe Flacco, Michael Vick, Matt Moore), to not very good (Kevin Kolb, Brady Quinn), to undetermined (Matt Flynn). Going into training camp make it a competition and determine how to proceed from there.

Lastly, Tannenbaum and Tony Sparano have got to go. This is a second year the Jets missed the playoffs. Much of that can be blamed on the lack of talent and lack of creativity on offense. Bringing in Tebow and drafting only defense when trying to build around a quarterback you traded up for in the draft was a sabotage to his development. Into Week 15 of this season, Sparano still can't figure out how to make this offense function. Not asking for a high powered Patriots offense, but something with less turnovers and a semblance of competence would be nice.

So the Jets have two options: a band-aid or open heart surgery. The band-aid would be keeping basically everyone except Tim Tebow. Find a QB in a trade or free agency and have a QB competition in training camp. Sign/trade for help at running back and wide receiver. Open heart surgery would be cleaning house. Fire Rex. Fire Sparano. Fire Tannenbaum. Cut or trade (who on earth would take that trade?) Sanchez and Tebow. Start over. I vote for the band-aid. If they can pick up Alex Smith, with the defense they have, playoffs are attainable.

Or maybe I'm just suffering from false hope again.

New York, New York

I'm back. Back in the New York Groove.
So I've been struggling with happiness for the past few years, given my employment situation. I have a job, but I can't stand the job. I desire a career in sports, but I work in the complaints department for a plastic manufacturer. Glamorous. I need to get my happiness back so I decided to restart this blog. I enjoyed writing, both for myself and my millions (dozen) of readers.

I will continue with the same basic format, although I may write more about the New York based teams. Who really cares about anyone else?? Jk, jk. Additionally, I will be writing and posting direct from my phone. Before, I was writing and emailing to my fiancée, who edited and added the photos. Hopefully I won't allow too many typos to slip through. Critiques and comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. And with that, here comes day one, both for me and the New York Jets.

Little Brother Strikes Again

It's Tebow Time in New York. Count me as less than excited. What a complete farce of a trade by the Jets. They have proven with that trade, and the other moves made this offseason that they don't care about winning, just money. Although they never really had a chance at obtaining Peyton Manning, trading for Tebow makes no sense. They don't need to pressure Mark Sanchez with the 'left hand of God'. Signing Drew Stanton was enough to light some fire under his ass. Mark doesn't need 'Tebow Time', just time with a valuable QB coach and a not a terrible offensive coordinator (Brian Schottenheimer).

There is only one reason the Jets move to trade for Tebow, immediate cash in their pocket. They just snatched the back page from the deserving Super Bowl Champions. They also guaranteed a rise in merchandise and ticket sales, though they weren't really struggling in that regard.

The Jets seem to love drama. It's as though they never got over being on 'Hard Knocks'. They continue to play mediocre football and frustrate their fan base. Sure, they needed a leader in that locker room, but it'll be hard for Tebow to lead while sitting on the bench. The Jets go on a losing streak and unintelligent fans will immediately call for Tebow to start. Hell, they're already in favor of Tebow starting over Sanchez on ESPNNY.com.

Sanchez certainly is nowhere near being the best QB in football. But I believe he is capable of playing at Alex Smith's level given the right OC and game plan. This needs to be a run first team, so unless Tebow doesn't mind paying halfback, the Jets will miss the playoffs again and Rex Ryan will need to look for a different employer. Their needs were to strengthen their offensive leadership, and fill defensive holes. Instead they just created unnecessary drama. Have fun competing with Miami for last place Gang Green, I won't have fun watching.

NBA Europe?

Obviously I am rooting for a NBA season to occur. I don't need it as much as a needed a NFL season, but I would prefer to see live basketball games come fall. It may actually benefit the NBA to not have a season though, or at least a delayed, shortened season. The unexpected influx of players willing to play overseas shouldn't be frightening the NBA, it should encourage them. Sure, in the short term, owners and players not willing to play overseas (and risk injury) are screwed. But in the long haul, an extended lockout with elite NBA players showing their talent in Europe is the best thing that could happen to the NBA.

A perfect example of what I am getting at is the MLS. Americans don't care about soccer. It's a fact. Some (like me) try to pretend during the World Cup and other big soccer events. Sure, there are some people that truly like the sport, but most really don't care. I try. I can easily sit through a game without knowing any of the players' names. And I would enjoy those 90+ minutes. But once that game is over, I don't care about the next one or other ones. I'm sorry. I wish it were different. Soccer seems awesome and the players seem like cool dudes to hang out with. I just can't, and I know I am not alone.

MLS is somewhat popular because of international stars coming to play in the US. David Beckham is the biggest star to play here and Thierry Henry playing in NY/NJ helps. Soccer in Europe doesn't need the US to expand its sport. Soccer is already the most popular sport on the planet. Basketball though isn't nearly as popular. It is the third most popular in the states at best. Hockey is gaining, and in the short term, a lockout may bump the NBA down to four. But remember about the long haul.

NBA players such as Kobe, Deron Williams, Meta Worldpeace, among others considering to be worldly travelled, benefit the NBA. To expand their market to Europe is huge. The NFL is doing the same with a possible team popping up in Londontown. If the NBA can get Europe excited about basketball and possibly have a league there, what would be so wrong with a lockout causing that? The NBA isn't even trying and they could see an entirely new market open up big time without even trying.

It's tough to say this with the NBA coming off one of its best season in years, but the NBA needs a lockout. The players are overpaid, and the league isn't making as much money as it could. A boost in revenue would benefit the NBA. So instead of freaking out about no NBA, rejoice in the NFL having a season and let the NBA just take a much needed break. Let the players spread the good word of alley-oops to Europe and see what happens. Let Meta Worldpeace reach superstar status in the UK and we'll see what happens when David Stern backs down.

My Apologies, LeBron

In response to http://omfgregg.com/post/6019835447/nba3

First of all, a Philly fan can never question my drug habits because of my love of the NY Yankees. I was born a Yankee fan. Win more than one title as a city every 25 years and then come at me bro. Now that's out of the way, I will apologize for hating LeBron. Kind of.

LeBron made the wrong "decision" in making "The Decision". There is no denying that hour long mockery of Cleveland turned him into a villain. I don't have an issue with him fleeing Ohio for South Beach. I would love to live in Miami. Choosing where you work is what we'd all like to do. But he made a promise to the city of Cleveland that he would deliver a championship. Then he bailed for beautiful weather, a better team, and to play with his friends. He also bailed while stringing along the Cavs as well as the Knicks, da Bulls, the Clippers, when all the while, this move to MIA was planned years ago. Not telling the Cavs from the beginning was his only mistake.

Michael Jordan played with 2 Hall of Famers, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen with a Hall of Fame coach in Phil Jackson. LeBron has played with scrubs. As D-Rose proved this year, one man can not win by himself. LeBron would have won with Cleveland, but he probably never would have won as many titles as Jordan, so he joined a team with two proven winners and in Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade. This was taking the easy way out. I'm going to join 2 all-stars to win as many titles as possible instead of sticking with my hometown to get them the championship they've been struggling to get since the 1940s.

LeBron would have never been compared to Jordan by only winning one or two titles in Cleveland. Sure, the city of Cleveland would build him statues and monuments, but he would never be Jordan. Now, in Miami, where he'll win not one, not two...but seven titles, he will have been elevated above Jordan. The nation outside of Cleveland will have forgotten about how or why he chose Miami in free agency and will declare him the best ever.

My hate for LeBron is waning. I will still be rooting against him, though that will likely be futile. He took the cowardly way out, which then turned him into a villain. It's also a lot easier to root against him since his jersey is black. Dirk Nowitski will retire ringless, at no fault to him. Great player, played on some good teams, with some good coaching, but could never put it all together. Kind of like Patrick Ewing. He was unfortunate to play in the Jordan era which allotted him only a couple of real chances at a ring. LeBron will win his first of seven this year and I don't know why I didn't see this happening from the beginning. The best athlete on the court is proving his decision to be validated. But, Go Mavs anyway!

Equal, but not the same

Gareth Thomas, gay rugby player. Talk about breaking the mold of a stereotypical gay man.

Sean Avery has bravely come out in defense of the gay community, speaking out for gay marriage and standing by any NHL player that would come out as being gay. He is the first New York athlete to openly voice support to the gay community.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGGH3M9NKBI

There has only been one professional athlete to be openly gay while being a current player- Gareth Thomas, a rugby player from Wales, who is so tough that anyone who would try to bully him would like end up crippled.

Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has also voiced his support to the gay community as well as started a campaign to make the NFL a more open business to gay athletes. Baby steps are being made, but giant leaps are necessary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5IpTdbE5ts

A day after Avery's video was released, NHL agent,; Todd Reynolds tweeted his opposition to Avery's statements. "Very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender "marriage". Legal or not, it will always be wrong." He goes much further in his disdain to gay marraige, while also claiming to not be a bigot. I can't understand the logic. That’s like saying, “I respect who you are, but not enough to give you certain rights I am allowed."

Sounds familiar to me; a group of people being discriminated against because they are a minority. We fought for equal rights. We fought for women's rights. Now it's time to fight for gay rights. Gays and lesbians are not marching to the Vatican and forcing the Pope to agree that Jesus would approve. They are simply asking that the US government recognize that they are equals to heterosexuals. They should be allowed to marry and live their life how they see fit in the "Land of the Free". The religious world has no right to decide what rights a free democratic country can give. All of this sanctity of marriage nonsense if very hypocritical. Divorce rate are over 50%, people remarry, and commit adultery. What is this "sanctity of marriage are they referring to?

Unfortunately, it is doubtful that any American athlete will come out of the darkness. While a majority of their teammates would be accepting, there will be some that fight back. The biggest resistance though would be from the fans. The same fans that rock out to Freddie Mercury at games, would throw insults at their favorite player. Fans are ruthless and, if given any ammunition, their trigger fingers would be relentless.

Brendon said what I was thinking perfectly. I don't believe this subject is up for discussion. If the United States wants to claim that everyone is created equal, gays and lesbians need to be allowed to marry. We need to be accepting and embrace the fact that everyone in this country is just striving for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Well done Avery and Ayanbadejo, among others, for stepping up. Hopefully others will follow suit.

Moment of Zen

Now that the Lakers were disgraced and Phil Jackson has begun his "retirement", speculation has already begun as to when and where he will make his triumphant return. He will likely take a year off, if not more. The NBA will take a year off with him as their collective bargaining situation is even worse than the NFL. The obvious landing spot for Phil Jackson would be with the New York Knicks, not just because that is what I want, but because NY is close to his heart. NY is where he won his first championship, as a player. How fitting would it be that he closes out his professional career by bringing a title to the "Mecca of Basketball".

The front office of the Knicks have quite a challenge ahead of them. After the lockout, they will likely relieve Chauncey Billups. That leave Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemine, and a team of scrubs. The Lakers are proof that you can't settle with having a bench of Matt Barnes and Steve Blake. Depth is necessary, and the Celtics are trying to prove that against the Heat. More than depth though, the Knicks' fans are clamoring for more superstars. In this era, one superstar is not enough.

Dwight Howard, according to the lamestream media will be taking his talents to Los Angeles. Following in Shaq's footsteps, Howard would team up with Kobe, without Phil Jackson. This makes no sense to me. Obviously the Lakers would try to do as the Yankees did from 2001-2009. Instead of rebuilding, the Lakers need to retool. With Kobe as the centerpiece, the only one on the team that showed heart, the Lakers will need to convince Howard, among others that Kobe is not old. An old Kobe and an unproven coach does not seem like a desired location.

Howard should probably head to the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. With Amar'e there to bang the boards with him, and Carmelo's daggers, Howard would not be double teamed. Obviously NY has a reputation for being a hot mess because of Isiah Thomas, but Amar'e and Carmelo have made the team respectable again. An addition of Howard, and/or Chris Paul, would clearly make staying retired very difficult for the Zen Master, hopefully too difficult.

No Fun League, Indeed

(This post is contingent on an agreement not being met by 11:59 PM on March 3, 2011.)

When the clock runs out tonight on the negotiations between the soon to be decertified NFLPA and the owners, the clock runs out for any chance of seeing professional football in the fall. Sure, we can hope for a miracle and see an agreement between the two sides, but that's what it would have to be, a miracle. Obviously neither side wants to skip a season or miss a few games during the season, but neither side wants to budge and the primary issue is money.

Sure, the owners want to lengthen the season to 18 games even though fans don't care for that. Obviously we'd like to see more football games and the NFL would clearly make more money from it, but if given the choice between 18 game seasons and this upcoming season being locked out, I'm sure we'd all choose to keep the current 16 game system in place.

Players get injured all of the time. Not all of those injuries come from illegal hits. Many come from freak accidents where a player lands on another player. Adding two games to the schedule increases a player's chance of getting injured. Obviously they'd be opposed to lengthening the season.

There is also the institution of a rookie pay scale. Currently, the number one pick in the NFL draft can bring in $50 million in guaranteed money. That's obviously wrong. You're awarding a player without him proving his worth. Yes, he was great in college, but that doesn't always translate. I agree with lowering rookie wages so that proven talent can rake in more dough.

The main issue is the $9 billion "pie" that the NFL makes each year. The owners want more and the players want more. It always comes down to money and they can try to hide that with the other issues as much as they want, but it's simply about money.

So if you want to follow football when August rolls around, you better start brushing up on law because all we'll be hearing about is lawsuits, injunctions and lockouts.

(Side note: ESPN is doing an excellent job at exciting people for the draft while this lockout drama in unfolding. Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay are definitely bringing in viewers for round 1 of the draft even though there may not even be a season.)

2012

Wake me up in a couple of years. That's when the Knicks will have a chance at winning a championship. Not this year, not next year. This trade needed to happen, but it needed to happen not for a chance to win this year, but to attract the free agent class of 2012.

Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

Both will become Knicks as the team is beginning their slow rebuild and becoming the Boston Celtics version 2.0. In 2012, after signing Howard and Paul, the Knicks will have fully assembled a team of ring less stars yearning for that championship to validate their careers. Howard and Paul won't be winning a title this year or next year. There is no doubt in my mind that these two will vacate their current homes and will likely move into the Garden.

OK, maybe there is some doubt, but there's a lot of hope, and that hasn't been a word in the Knicks' vocabulary recently.

Chris Paul has already expressed desire to be traded and with the uncertainty of the Hornets' franchise, he will likely leave if given the chance. Dwight Howard is the second coming of Shaq. Both started their careers with the Magic and became the best centers of their generations. Shaq left the Magic for La La Land and Dwight will leave the team for New York, New York.

The Knicks had to make this trade. Sure it weakened their depth by losing Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Timofey Mozgov, but they're gaining a superstar now and maybe more in the future. They couldn't back down from this trade just because they didn't want to give up the players they already have. The players they have are good, but Carmelo is great. There's no guarantee their players may not become great, but with this much potential for greatness, you have to make it happen.

Because of their lack of depth, the Knicks simply do not have a chance at winning the championship. The Celtics are too deep. The West is too deep. Heck, even the Heat is too deep. Without Carmelo, they wouldn't be winning this year or anytime in the future. You need stars to win. Lakers have stars, Celtics have stars, Spurs, Heat, Mavericks, Bulls. The Knicks wouldn't win with just Amare, and they won't win with just Amare and Carmelo.

So I'm looking to 2012. By then, either the Knicks will have Amare, Melo, Howard, and Chris Paul. Or the Knicks will have Amare, Melo and depth. Amare has brought some magic back to the Garden, Melo brings super high ticket prices. Howard and Paul will see that along with the allure of rings and bring their talents to NY. Until 2012, Knicks' fans just have to be patient and be satisfied with a very competitive and exciting team. Just not a champion.

Winning is Everything, Part Deux

LeBron James is on pace to win another MVP this year. That elusive ring is dangling in his face but he needs to navigate through the postseason first, which he has yet to prove. The MVP, though, seems prime to return to him. Sure, there are contenders for the crown who will take away votes, but LeBron is a sure thing, as much as it pains me to say.

There's Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. All would be worthy for the MVP award if LeBron weren't playing. Amare is the best Knickerbocker since Patrick Ewing. He is consistently scoring 20+ and has singlehandedly brought the Knicks back to relevance. They are sliding as of late and just barely playing over .500, but I thought they'd barely be able to sneak into the playoffs. If they can 'right the ship', the Garden will be an exciting place to be come playoff time.

That's not enough though. The Knicks would have to work their way past the Hawks, past the Magic and obtain home court advantage to give Amare a shot. That's not going to happen. Amare may get a couple East Coast voters, but that's it.

Kevin Durant is one of the three best players in the NBA, grouped in with Kobe and LeBron. The Thunder will probably win the division they're in. Sure, he is the most valuable player on his team but without Westbrook, this team is not winning their division, especially being that they play in the West. Durant and Westbrook are probably the best combo since Stockton and Malone. How many MVPs did Malone win?

Derrick Rose is probably the toughest competitor, both for the MVP and a Finals appearance this season. The Bulls are nothing without him and he carried the team through early injuries to Carlos Boozer (great name) and Joakim Noah. If Noah can somehow guide his squad to the number one seed in the East, the MVP is definitely his. I don't see the Bulls overcoming the Heat and Celtics in the regular season though, so he loses votes for the Bulls finishing below the Heat.

The easy answer is LeBron. The Heat didn't make the playoffs last year, and now they're battling the Celtics and Bulls for the top seed in the East. The Cavaliers were a number one seed last year and they're now the worst team in the NBA. LeBron was thought to be giving up on personal achievements by taking his talents to Miami. He has seen his numbers drop slightly, but not enough to lose votes. Assuming the Heat finish number one in the East, the MVP is his. The Heat will then need to do what they have been unable to do all season though. Beat Boston.

Winning the MVP won't hurt LeBron's image, obviously. Winning the championship is his main goal though and until that happens, he is the number one villain in the NBA. Because winning is everything.