Elster's World

Sc-Fi With A Side Order Of Life's Lessons - Galactica's Final Flight

2009-03-23T22:19:00.003-04:00

So I'm not sure what exactly it says about me that the only thing that can drag me out of my quasi-retirement from blogging is not the depressing US economy, the depressing state of the housing market, the depressing state of Israeli politics of the depressing state of anything else in the world - rather the series finale of one of my favorite tv shows of all time - Battlestar Galactica.

The truth is I've started and abandoned at least half a dozen posts since I last wrote some such nonsense about the Jets - and I've written a dozen more in my head that I never even started typing. I simply don't have the juice to write these days; real life seems to have changed me to the point where I lack the creativity I once had - or at least thought I had.

But enough about these depressing things. Tonight I just want to blog about my thoughts on BSG. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE FINALE - OR ARE CONTEMPLATING WATCHING THIS SERIES ONE DAY (WHICH I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE ANYONE READING THIS TO DO), PLEASE STOP READING THIS POST.

When they first announced a re-imagining of the BSG series I was mildly excited and skeptical. I loved the original, campy BSG - right down to the silly Daggit (fake dog). I certainly had no thoughts of watching it. Any any such thoughts were out the window when they announced Starbuck was going to be a chick. Starbuck? A chick? How is that going to work?

But a friend got me season one on DVD and told me to give the pilot a whirl. He said I'd be hooked and I'd thank him forever. Well I watched the pilot. I got hooked. And I'll be thanking him forever.

In its first season I blogged about how the remake was better than the original. But praise like that simply doesn't do this series justice. The show morphed after the first season - from a wonderful drama that just happened to take place in space - to a true morality play - tackling all the tough issues - drugs (remember the pilots taking speed in 33 Minutes to keep awake) to questions of abortion, terrorism and the morality of suicide bombing to in its end, the existence of god and the idea of a master plan.

While the creators of the show have no insights into the nature of god - they do raise some excellent points. The show ends with a warning and a lesson - man (and Cylon) is, by nature a destructive animal. When left to his own devices, man will eventually be destructive. This is the pattern of the world of Galactica, from Kobol to the colonies, from Earth One and New Caprica - eventually man finds a way to destroy himself. The show ends with a positive message - that, perhaps this time (Earth Two) things will be different - that maybe, just maybe, the pattern of destruction, even by accident, won't repeat.

Look at our history - world wars, Holy Roman Empires, death camps - is the show so far off on its message? Is man simply a destructive machine destined to destroy everything he creates?

Further - Is BSG's god - the god who builds and walks away - only to move the pieces in the right direction towards the next rebuild - the real version of god? Blaspheme of course - but I have met many a smart person who held this belief. All pretty heady stuff for a sci-fi clanker.

The funny thing about me is I usually prefer shows that don't require me to think. While I'm no dummy, I like my entertainment to be an escape from using my brain. But BSG (and Lost) are highly worthy exceptions. Never well received by the masses, but highly critically acclaimed, BSG raises all the hard questions - and often even sares to answer them. I have a tremendous respect for that.

Yes, just a tv show. But so much more.

My last plea - to anyone who might read this. Go get your hands on the pilot and watch it. If it grabs you like it did me (and many other people who got sucked in based on my recommendation), you'll thank me for it later.

But be prepared to learn a thing or two along the way.

Since It's Been So Long...

2008-12-18T16:21:00.002-05:00

- I heard WFAN's Evan and what's his name (Jaren?) show this afternoon and they had on JJ Pooh-tz right after his presser. He certainly sounds like the real deal - comfortable with himself, comfortable with being the set-up guy for "Freddie", comfortable with the bright lights on New York and comfortable with a rivalry with the hated Phillies. Pooh-tz admitted he's never been a part of a rivalry before (not much to be rivals about in Seattle), but he can probably get into it.

- Speaking of Seattle, I think the Jets will win on Sunday - only because the drama that sets up for the following week against Miami - Pennington and Parcels vs. Favre and the Mangenius for first place in the East and a playoff spot. Way too juicy to not happen.

I hope.

I'm A Believer

2008-11-23T19:54:00.002-05:00

Call me a cynical Jet fan. Call me a victim of too many Get Your Hopes Up Only To Have Them Crushed By The Same Old Jets. But despite the four victories in a row after a bad loss to the Raiders and despite the big (if not flawed) win against the Pats in New England last week, I still was not ready to believe the 2008 New York Jets were a very good football team.

I expected a tough, hard fought game against the Titans in Tennessee today, a game the Jets were going to lose something like 17-13, and my thought process was "Geez I hope Favre doesn't get too beat up on Sunday". In other words, I didn't believe.

But after the 34-13 pasting of the Titans, I admit I'm becoming a true believer. I believe that Alan Faneca and Damien Woody were the right offseason moves - not only stabilizing the offensive line but slowly forming it into one of the better lines in the league (slowly as in - this is an ongoing process). I believe the trade for Kris Jenkins has turned the Jets into one of the better run stuffing teams in the league. I believe that Thomas Jones is actually a good, tough runner when he has stronger blockers like Tony Richardson leading the way. I even believe that Ty Law has helped solidify the secondary. I continue to believe that Revis is a true shutdown corner.

All in all, I am starting to really believe in the New York Jets. The team has been up to the challenge in their two biggest games (back to back no less) in the season - a credit to both their own unity as well as their coaching staff. Brett Favre, after many early season struggles, is looking more comfortable in the system and, in turn, is making alot more smart throws than dumb throws.

The Jets ripped off 192 yards on the ground against one of the best rushing defenses in the league, owning the clock in the first half but making me very nervous with the number of points they let slip away in the first half (the drive that failed at the 2.5 yard line and the Leon Washington fumble to be exact). Despite the 10-3 lead, I was not feeling particularly good if only because the Jets played too well to only be up 7 at the half. Like Simms said, when 2 good teams play each other, usually they each will go on a run at some point in the game. But the Titans had some really bad miscues and the Jets jumped all over them and that was all she wrote. Even Mangini managed a post game smile as he walked over to Coach Fisher. Nice bounce back game for Coles. And it would be a shame to not mention the inspired play of Eric Barton since Harris went down with the groin.

Now the coach must keep the troops focused for a game against Denver next week - good passing teams exploit the Jets worst quality, their pass defense.

But I think he will - since I've become a believer.

Super Bowl Thursday

2008-11-12T09:50:00.000-05:00

Really, there is no other way to describe it. Tomorrow night's tilt against the Patriots in the dreaded land of Foxboro, is the Jets regular season Super Bowl. Sure, beating the undefeated Titans will be a nice feather in the cap. Sure finishing the season 2-0 against the Bills and hated Dolphins will be awesome. But beating the Patriots on Thursday is actually a so-called "must win" for the jets for several reasons:

- It will plant them solely in first place in the East - a pretty swell place to be with 10 down as 6 to go. The Jets will then be in the driver's seat to get first place in the East and secure a possible bye and home playoff game (yes I know I'm getting way ahead of myself but hey the jets are 6-3 for pete's sakes). It will put destiny pretty much in their own hands in terms of winning their games will take care of their playoff positioning.

- It will make next week's probably loss to the Titans less painful. If the Jets lose next week and sit at 7-4, big whoop. But suddenly adrift at 6-5? Not so good. The Titans first loss is going to come against a bad team that "shocks" the Titans, not a possible playoff matchup. So if the Jets lose this week, they are staring at a 2 game losing streak in my book. (Hopefully Joe will be showing me these last two sentences when the Jets are jumping around the field 2 Sundays from now and point out what an idiot I am.)

- It's a tremendous statement game. It says - "we can walk into Foxboro, stare down the team that pretty much owns us, and win that game with no fear." A loss has just the opposite effect - it shows the Jets aren't ready for the big time - will struggle to earn a wild card spot, and will get crushed on the road in the first round by Pittsburgh or Indy.

- The Pats are ripe for a loss. No Brady. No Adalius Thomas. No running game to speak of. The Jets don't really have any significant injuries and are firing on all cylinders. If the Jets can't win it with this kind of mismatch, what kind of chance will they have next season when the pats have re-tooled?

- If the Jets can run with Thomas Jones, Favre can exploit their bad secondary. The Jets are running now as well as they have in a long time. The Pats have a great front 7 (though diminished by injuriy to Thomas), but if the Jets line can create room for Jones, that will open things up for the passing game.

So there it is - a Super Bowl type setting in the regular season.

I will not be making a prediction on the game.

Rough Times Ahead

2008-10-17T12:20:00.004-04:00

Heard on CNBC this morning:

"What's the difference between a Hedge Fund manager and a pigeon? A pigeon can still make a deposit on a Ferrari."

Haha. Well, it is kind of funny. Obviously in a sad way. The economy is slumping badly, led by the destruction of the banking industry and its satellites. All the predictable results follow. The stock market tanks, there's no money to be had - the banks have tightened up their lending (finally). The whole slump feeds on itself causing a correction, recession and/or depression. It remains to be seen which of the three happens, though I think even the most bullish will admit we are past correction and into recession.

The scary part to me? The real estate bubble has yet to burst. Prices for offices building are still way too high. I'm afraid of what happens to the overall market when this last ingredient is added to the mix.

The truth is, the last ten years have led people to believe that there are only good times, that real estate and hedges and hedge funds are cash machines with arrows that only go north. The lack of fiscal responsiblity is amazing. Those who made this mess are now paying a very terrible price.

Sadly, they have taken us all with them.

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In other sad news, I can't help but have a bad feeling about Sunday's game. Sure the Raiders are terrible, but isn't this exactly the type of game the Jets would always lose? The absolute sure thing? I think the Jets will win in the Black Hole but I fear it will be ugly and very close.

In happier news:

The Jets signed Calvin Pace to be a pass rushing specialist after he racked up a whopping 6 1/2 QB kills last season. Of course, the Jets didn't get a pass rushing specialist. Instead they got an all-around linebacker who plays the run and pass very well. He has made up for David Harris' slow start and has allowed guys like Bryan Thomas to focus more on pressuring the Quarterback. Has he had more of an impact that Kris Jenkins? Probably not - Jenkins has made the Jets defensive line relevant again, something I didn't think was possible.

On the whole, the Jets defensive acquisitions this year have been very good. Pace and Jenkins have helped shore up the front seven (the Jets have been very good against the run this season) and Dwight Lowery won the starting cornerback job as a rookie. He has been uneven, but more good than bad. The jury is still out on Vernon Golston.

On the offensive side of the ball, the new arrivals rank like this. Favre, Keller, Faneca/Woody.......the Franks and Richardson. As John Madden would say, Favre is Favre. Keller has fit in nicely and needs more touches. The addition of Faneca was supposed to turn the Jets into an elite offensive line. Since they cannot run the ball, the are not elite - though they do pass block well. Richardson has been a non-factor in helping the running game and Franks is...I'm not sure what Franks is.

Overall, I'm still not sure what about this Jets team. I doubt the Jets are too sure about their team. Still the team is 3-2 going into games at Oakland, home against KC, at Buffalo then home for St. Louis. Thus, they have a legitimate chance at being 7-2 or 6-3 going into their second joust with New England (yes, I know that I'm getting ahead of myself). So you can't really complan about that.

Anyway - the key to surviving bad times in economic sense and in sports sense is to be well prepared, then strap on your helmet and take the worst of it as best you can.

Slooooow Friday

2008-10-03T11:00:00.002-04:00

Since I'm sitting here anyway reading about sports online, I might as well write about sports online (I'm sure Joe would disagree):

Mets Post-Mortem

All in all, another horrifically disappointing season. There were some ups (most notably the All Star Break run, Johan Santana living up to expectations, Delgado's return to performance enhancing...I mean his second half surge, Mike Pelfrey's breakout, Ryan Church's April, Jerry Manuel's run and the return of Duaner Sanchez - ok the last one was a joke) but there were mostly downs (including David Wright's quiet 124 RBI, the bullpen, John Maine's injuries, Pedro, the bullpen, Alou's quad, the bullpen, Willie's first half, the bullpen, Carlos Delgado's first half and the bullpen - oh and let's not forget Billy Wagner's 120 blown saves and the meltdown of his arm down the stretch..again).

At the end of the day, a team that's been built to WIN NOW has managed to not make the playoffs two straight years. The blame - well there's plenty of blame to go around. Omar Minaya did an awful job of constructing the bullpen (did the Mets really need two lefty specialists?) and for all the accumulation of "power arms", Aaron Heilman was the only guy who could throw harder than 90 miles an hour for the majority of the season. Minaya was silly to rely on Alou and Pedro - both famously falling apart in their twilight years (and yes Joe - I will still defend the Pedro signing for all eternity so feel free NOT to bring it up below) and was bailed out only because Nick evans and The Murph managed to be effective players in left - neither of their natural positions. Willie was just terrible this season until he was infamously canned at 2:00 am in California - another embarrassment for the front office. David Wright had a statistically great season but every Met fan will tell you he astoundingly morphed into A-Rod this year. Carlos Beltran was way too quiet for way too much of the season after making the "team to beat" statement in March (no Carlos, we haven't forgotten) and Oliver Perez was way too inconsistent.

(Speaking of which, when the evil Scot Boras starts shopping him around for 6 years at 14 million per, wouldn't you rather take C.C. Sabbathia at 7 years and 18 million per? At least he's totally money And then you have a rotation of Santana, Sabbathia, Pelfrey, Maine and Parnell or Neise - hey it aint my money. But my point is, there's no way the Mets should overpay for Perez)

Minaya got an extension and hopefully the Mets will work out something with Manuel. Minaya must must must fix the bullpen, upgrade left, hope the Murph can play second base, find a number 5 starter on the cheap, find a closer and upgrade the bullpen (notice a theme here?).

So that's the Mets.

Jets Quarterly Report

The Jets went into the season with new acquisitions and high hopes. After the first four games they are pretty much exactly where everyone thought they would be: 2-2. How are they getting there?

QB - Favre is an upgrade over Pennington - to me that's not opinion, it's a fact. Obviously he comes with risk that Chad never did (terrible picks, crazy decisions) but he gives the offense a new dimension - he buys himself time to make throws and he can get the ball down field...HARD. he had an awful game against the Chargers (but the team did too) and he was brilliant against the cards. He's somewhere in between those 2 games - and should get better as he clicks more with his receivers. Grade B+ (on the way up)

RB - Um, well let's see. Thomas Jones has been awful (I admit, i did not see that coming) and Leon Washington has been underused (though he's not an every down back) but he's too small to be a good blocker. Tony Richardson has not made an impact. Offensive line hasn't helped the cause. Grade D+

Receivers/Tight Ends - Getting better as the season goes on. Coles and Cotchery are a good tandem and have shown the ability to stretch the field with a stronger armed QB. Keller is good and Chasney Stuckey is showing why he was the original name of Joe's fantasy football team (until his season ending injury). Chris Baker has been quiet so far this season. Not a big fan of Bubba Franks. A

Line - In a few words - not bad pass protecting but terrible running. Have not seen any signs that Alan Faneca is making the players around him better. One of the writers I read said Brick has been better this season and I'll take his word for it. If the line can improve significantly from where it is right now, the jets are a good offensive team. C

Defensive Line - Much better against the run. Actually pressuring the QB. Jenkins has been good, Ellis has been good and I've even heard the name "Coleman" this season. The backups aren't making too much of an impact. B+

Linebackers - So in retrospect, wouldn't an inside of Harris and Vilma have been an upgrade over Harris/Barton? Is Barton the best late hitter in football? Is it possible that he's lost 5 steps? In other words, the inside LB's haven't been very good. Calvin Pace has really impressed me this season against the pass AND run and it's nice to see that Bryan Thomas can play well every other year. Really, that's nice. Vernon Gholston's 7 sacks have been remarkable. B

Secondary - There's Rhodes and Reevis, half a Lowery and pray for rain. Is the suspension of Eric Smith really a bad thing for the Jets? Eric Smith is such a made up name anyway - it sounds like the name you'd put on a hotel register if you were there for an affair. By the way, I'm officially adding Reevis to the Shut Down Corner roster and I'm also begging Rhodes to start making more fantasy plays for me. C

The Jets defense has for the last few years made nice strides after the bye week. if that continues, and the offensive line gets better, i believe the Jets are a 10-6 playoff team.

Knicks and Rangers

New personnel (Rangers), new system (Knicks) so everything remains to be seen.

On Faith

2008-09-25T12:53:00.001-04:00

Chana at The Curious Jew has quite a blog post up about her struggles as a Jew . It's very long post, and I'm certainly not doing it any favors by putting its essence into one line, but what I took of it is basically her struggle to be an individual in a religion that requires a large amount of conformity to basic ideals. There is very little wriggle room for you to have beliefs outside of those ideals. There's much more to it, but that's the main theme that ELSTER took away. Feel free to read it and form your own theme.

I have thought alot about the struggle of Individual vs. Jew. That's not exactly what I'm going to write about here. In short though, I've heard Rabbonim speak about the fact that there is room for individuality in Judaism and in fact, one should use their individual talents (assuming you have any) to serve God. It's a nice sentiment and if you don't study on it too hard, I guess it's an answer to the issue.

But Chana's post thrust a larger issue into my head. In my comment response, I noted that it is my belief that most Jews struggle with issues of faith at some point or another in their lives. Many simply aren't intellectually honest enough to deal with it. They simply shove it to that dark place inside themselves where you put all those things you don't like dwelling on and let it simmer there until death.

Do I believe in God? You bet. But why? And to what extent? What does it even mean to believe in God? These are much harder questions to answer.

I was brought up in an observant home where no one ever questioned Judaism's principles or beliefs. They existed, we followed them, end of story. As I get older, I find nothing in life is as black and white as my parents taught me. Maybe it's better for things to be black and white, it's certainly a lot simpler to not have to study the other side, but I digress.

Joe and I have touched on this issue in our emails and live discussions. If an infant dies, or a young child, or a married man or woman universally held to be a wonderful human being, it's certainly "God's Will". But how does God's will fit into the teaching of a fair and just god? How can it ever be considered FAIR for a 3 week old baby to die of SIDS? How is it just? We comfort a mourner that her 7 year old son's death is part of Hashems' plan which we simply do not understand. And while I believe this to be the case (the idea that the world is simply a random continuum of events is too scary for me to even contemplate), I feel it's cold comfort at best.

So many questions to which there are no satisfactory answers. Did dinosaurs exist? I say they did. Many Rabbonim will argue they did not. Does anyone really believe their bones are here as a grand test? Am I failing as a proper Jew because I believe something that is not well accepted in the Jewish faith?

I have failings. Many. As I grow older, I am more willing to see the other side of things. less rigid. If homosexuality is something that is inherent in you, something literally put inside some people BY God, how can we simply say to them suck it up? How can that be a fair test for anyone?

I once met a very, very smart person who went off the derech. Her reasons were a combination of a bad chareidi high school experience as well as the fact that there were simply too many questions that she couldn't answer. Stock answers simply do not work for everyone. Neither does the maxim that "this is the way it is so don't question it". For intellectuals and others who like to use their brains, sometimes this doesn't fly. Not everyone will be willing to make the Leap of Faith.

We are taught that the rabbonim exist on another plane - that their teachings are almost literally the word of Hashem and we cannot think of them as mere mortals like the rest of us. We cannot ascribe to them the same failings that we have. They do not suffer from temptation, lust, greed or more simply, lack of knowledge. But when Rabbonim over extend their Gedarim, their fences, to the point of insanity - when they ban Jewish music concerts and wholesale internet bans, when they protect child molesters and the like, when they use their influence to keep families together that would actually be better off apart, how can I look at them as those of a higher order? Have I failed as a Jew?

I remember this past Erev Pesach i drove to Brooklyn to catch a Shiva Shacharis. My plan was to go early so I would have plenty of time to burn chometz and prepare for Pesach. A Garmin screwup put me on the wrong side of Brooklyn and as I raced to get to davening on time, I got stuck behind not one, but 2 garbage trucks making pickups on streets too narrow to pass or back up. I remember thinking to myself, exasperated, "I try to do a mitzvah, I try to do the right thing, and THIS is my reward?"

What's my absolute defining proof that God exists? The world around us, it's natural beauty but the variety of beauty in its different parts. The almost perfect machine that is the human body - the intelligence in humans. The animals. These things cannot have been created by pure chance. Even if you hold from the Big bang, the big bang had to have a switch thrower behind it.

Maybe you think this is a silly reason for belief. That's ok with me. I have believed in sillier things for sillier reasons. For example, I believed that firing Willie Randolph would suddenly make the bullpen better and look how that turned out.

Ani maamin B'emunah Sh'leima - these are the words we say. Our belief is to be a perfect one. Whole in every way without even the hint of doubt. We are asked as Jews to give ourselves totally and completely over to something we cannot see, cannot hear or feel. we are asked as Jews to conform to these ideas. we are encouraged to not question them in schools. Is there any wonder why people who have had more ....radical shall we say strains of religion foisted upon them their whole lives suddenly turn off the derech? Are we to be surprised by this?

Ok - I feel as though I have rambled on enough about this issue - especially since my audience has dwindled down to Jewboy. so let me wrap it up with the reason I've written this all out. Yomim Noraim are almost upon us. next week is Rosh Hashana, followed by Yom Kippur. In recent years I find it increasingly difficult to daven on these days with the same intensity and fear i had when I was younger. It's not like I have less to ask for or I did less sinning this year. Rather, I feel I have opened the door in my head to too many new ideas - that I've lost some of my spark that I used to have. I thought that maybe spelling it all out would help get me closer to where i need to be.

So thanks for keeping the faith.

Innocence Lost

2008-09-11T10:10:00.002-04:00

Confusion was the first reaction. Confusion as to how a small plane could possibly have hit the trade center tower. Even more confusion when the second plane hit. "What do you mean a plane hit the other tower?", I remember asking. "What are the odds that 2 planes could randomly hit the tower like that???"

And then it hit me. It wasn't random at all. America had been attacked.

In the hours that followed, the confusion only grew. 10 more planes were unaccounted for. The Pentagon was hit. A plane crashed in Pennsylvania. The White House was a target. More planes unaccounted for.

And then came the fear. I called my dad desperately seeking news of my brother in law, who worked in the towers. Thankfully, he was one of those lawyers who liked to go into work late. He was ok, actually in Brooklyn in my dad's office.

From there, surreal. My friend and Iwalked south towards lower Manhattan, to give blood. But the lines were so long, they told us to come back another day. We saw people covered in white - realizing only later they were covered in ashes.

We prepared for a long walk back to Riverdale, but amazingly, the railroad was running and we were home by 2:00 or so. We spent all day watching coverage on the news.

Everyone who was in the City that day has a story. Mine is nothing compared to those who died, those who lost loved ones. My cousin, a Hatzalah EMT who ran down to help, was buried in an ambulance for like an hour, covered in the fallen tower. That's a story.

But my retelling of my own little tale is my way of remembering the day New York, and America too, lost its innocence - September 11.

Big Sunday

2008-09-07T22:34:00.002-04:00

I'm writing this post with one out in the 8th inning of a huge game for the Mets. Santana has just been pulled for Feliciano in a must win (in my opinion ) game. Coming into this series my only thought was this "don't get swept". I had no grandiose plans for a 3 game sweep by the Mets. That would simply be too easy. Rather - don't get swept. But after a tough loss Friday night and a bad loss Sunday afternoon, getting swept was suddenly a real possibility.

UPDATE: HOWARD JUST GROUNDED OUT - 2 OUTS IN THE EIGHTH.

And there came another big game performance from Santana - 7.1 innings, 2 runs on 5 hits. ERA at Shea - 1.99 in 15 starts. Big game outing from a big game pitcher. Huge game too from Delgado, whose 4 RBI are currently powering the Mets lead. This is a must win for the Mets and let's see if they can hold on.

Earlier in the day, the Jets gave an uneven opening performance in their win over the Dolphins.

UPDATE STOKES GETS BURREL TO GROUND OUT TO END THE 8th.

The Jet coaching staff cannot seem to play with a lead. They become ultra conservative on both sides of the ball. Favre is so different than the Jet QB's of recent past that it will take some time to get used to his high risk, high reward style of play. His bomb to Cotchery was something missing from the Jet offense for years. Jones ran well behind his line and Pace, Jenkins, Bryan Thomas, Reevis and Lowery really stood out. Mike Nugent also stood out but for all the wrong reasons.

Lets hope the Mets hold on for one more inning.

Jets Prediction

2008-09-04T15:34:00.002-04:00

I saw Joe's 8-8 prediction and his bad feeling regarding Favre. I disagree. Yes, it may take a while for all the new players to jell but in reality, the jets are probably going 2-2 in their first 4 no matter what. After that, the schedule isn't exactly a killer.

I expect Favre to play and play well - I expect the running game to be better (thanks to Favre and the offensive line pickups) and I expect the defense to be much better. That and a relatively easy schedule (only 2 Pat games, the San Diego game and maybe the Seattle game are definite losses) should produce a 10 win season.

A Balm For Mets Mediocrity

2008-08-07T14:23:00.002-04:00

The trade for Brett Favre for a conditional draft pick is an excellent move by the Jets. As much as we all love Chad Pennington, with the amount of money the Jets spent in the off season to improve their team, they still left a large hole at quarterback.

Hole filled.

The Jets now have on the better quarterbacks who ever suited up starting for this coming season and maybe next. They now have the offensive line, the running game and the defense that is good enough to win. Are they a top 3 team in the AFC? No. But as the Giants proved last year, you simply need to get into the playoffs to win the Super Bowl.

Of course there are questions. How quickly will Favre learn the Jets playbook? How much magic remains in that right arm? How will Favre, used to being a god in Green Bay, deal with Eric Mangini's tough guy ways?

But for today, the Jet's trade is a celebration. The team finally stabilized the quarterback position and will hopefully have a great year.

Hakoras Hatov and Some Scattered Thoughts

2008-05-30T09:25:00.001-04:00

Last night had the pleasure of attending Shea to watch the Mets beat the Dodgers, courtesy of MOC. The lineup featured MOC, MOC's Israeli son and the infamous Joe Schick (who, by the way, is eagerly awaiting this post so he can use it as fodder of his own this morning).

First special thanks to MOC who (i) snagged us a field box halfway between first base and the right field wall (extra special because the right field corner also doubles as the Place Where You Can Get Kosher Food At Shea) on what was just a perfect night for baseball and, even better, (ii) provided door to car us transportation from the game. Once again proving the tried and true rule - It's totally cool to have connections to well connected guys, no matter how tenuous those connections may be).

Some highlights of the evening:

- Game-wise, David Wright hit 2 home runs and Carlos Delgado showed he still gives a crap by making a nice diving stop on a ball for an out. And yes, the ground shook when he hit it. Endy Chavez chipped in with a great throw out at home plate AND brought his rbi total for the season up to 2. Big win for the Mets, matching the season's longest winning streak at a whopping...three.

- It seems Joe keeps 120 days of sefirah - or at least he's machmir with regards to getting haircuts. It appears as though his last one was some time in 2006. I would wonder if he was still mourning Beltran's strikeout in the final game of the playoffs, but he swears that season never took place.

- The Met fans showed they have no loyalty when they stood and cheered for Joe Torre during a pitching change in the 7th, prompting me to ask "Joe Torre is still alive?" Joe was incensed enough that I feared we were about to have a brawl in my section.

- MOC is like a Met starting pitcher. He attends about 400 games a year but has trouble lasting into the 7th. Last night was a breakout performance - we managed to stay until the middle 8th - leaving only because of the fear of watching Aaron Heilman surrender back to back to back home runs to blow the game.

- Joe's favorite section in Shea is the loge - right behind home plate. I mention this because he did - about 35 times. In his defense, we were sitting in "crappy" field level box seats so I totally get his issue. And yes, I'm being sarcastic.

- High point of the evening - listening to MOC and Joe snarkily ripping on bloggers I have never heard of who stopped writing in 2004. Low point - paying $354 for food at the stadium. UPDATE - THERE WAS NO RIPPING - JUST SOME GOOD NATURED RIBBING.

All in all, a good time was had by all - courtesy, once again, of MOC.

Weekend Thoughts and Secrets Revealed

2008-05-27T09:33:00.000-04:00

- So after a two-hour meeting with management and ownership where he clears the air and learns his job is not in (immediate) jeopardy, Willie's Mets go out and get trounced by the Marlins at home behind awful defense and poor pitching - pretty much all of the reasons Willie's job was in danger to begin with. When Santana flames out tonight (I'm prediciting a 7 inning, 4 run, 11 hit, 2 strikeout gem), can we start the Willie Watch all over again?

- I spend a pretty nice weekend doing pretty much nothing. Which, by the way, isn't necessarily a terrible way to spend your holiday weekend. My daughter finally got untracked in little league, getting off the schneide by reaching in the third on an error, then scoring her first run of the season. She also hit a line shot in the last inning which was snagged by the clearly over aged robo-boy playing shortstop. Good times. All my home tutoring is finally paying dividends.

- Had a very nice BBQ with some old friends last night. Discovered that not only does DB catch Elster's World, but so does Mrs. DB. I was actually flattered. This also expands the count on my "known readers who don't comment" list to at least 5. Therefore, I think I have surpassed. It also means that I will probably try to once again focus this blog on life more and sports less. But I've said that, and failed at that, in the past so we shall see.

- Joe update - So we were invited to good friend of ours for first day Shavuous lunch - they will actually be hosting some other really good friends of ours who will be in from NJ. After my wife accepts the invitation from Hostess, Hostess mentions she will be having one other couple with us - wouldn't you know it, it's couple that feels the need to constantly make fun of my boy. My wife has already put me on notice that if he makes one comment, shes going to turn it into the most uncomfortable Shavuous lunch in history. And I told her I don't blame her. Stay tuned.

An Open Letter To My Friend, Roger Ebert

2008-05-22T10:10:00.000-04:00

Dear Ebert (and yes, even though we have never met, never spoken or conversed in any way, I feel comfortable enough calling you simply by your last name, the way I have referred to you countless times over the years):

I just wanted you to know you are the only film reviewer I have ever trusted. You are the only person whose opinions on movies I actually care about. You are the only person who, when I'm on the fence, you can sway me spend the 10 bucks or wait until it hits On Demand.

Sure, this may not seem like such a big deal. Movies are, after all, just movies. Silly flights of fancy to eat up 2 or so hours every once in a while. But to me, movies have been about more than simple escapism. They have have been one of the great ingredients that have fueled my imagination.

So yes, perhaps Deep Blue Sea isn't exactly On The Waterfront, but still the image of those terrifying sharks means more to me than "Rosebud" does. And while it may not be for all, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was captured by Peter Jackson so well, it was almost like he made the movie using the images from my head.

And you, Roger, understand that perfectly. Movies serve not one pompous purpose, but two totally distinct purposes. Yes, some movies shoot for greatness, for the level of "art". But others simply want to entertain you. Roger, you always seem to understand that. It's why you gave Aliens (my favorite action/alien shooter movie of all time) three and a half out of four starts which probably had poor Janet Maslin rolling in her bed (she isn't dead yet so no grave rolling allowed). It's why your fantastic, 4-star review of Pan's Labyrinth made me grab if from Blockbuster (I no longer go there, fear not) despite my hatred of all films foreign.

You saved my marriage by giving such a favorable review to Juno, that I allowed myself to make it my "one movie in the movie theater every six months or so" when I had great concerns that it was a total girl movie. But hey, if Ebert said it was good, that was good enough for me. (It goes without saying that it was great, we both loved it, and Ebert was right).

On a whim we watched Superbad. It was hilarious. After the fact I read your review, assuming you would have disliked this sophomoric tale of two high school seniors trying to get laid. Nope, three and a half stars. You found it as funny as I did. Why should I be surprised Roger? You and I are always of like mind. You want movies to amaze you, to thrill you and show you art - but sometimes you are simply happy with a movie that lets you have fun.

The thing I like about you is that you write it like you see it. You don't have to impress me with your intelligence, instead you let your intelligence come out in the down to earth review that makes sense. AO Scott bludgeons me over the head with fancy text and allegory, and when I finish reading the review I have no idea whether or not he liked the freaking movie!

But I always understand you and I trust you. When you gave Son of Rambow three and a half stars, I was excited. But when I read that the film disappointed you, I put it on the back burner. Hey, we will eventually get to it on Fios.

I just read your review of the latest Indiana Jones flick. Some early reports leaked that it was terrible. But you have restored my faith in humanity. Thanks.

I know you have had a lot of health problems recently. it's gotten so that you cannot even speak anymore. I cannot even imagine what that must be like. But just know that hundreds of thousands (millions) of people still hear you each week. We listen to you and we trust you. You shape our movie plans.

And we hope you continue to do so for many many years.

Reverse Jinx

2008-05-20T12:31:00.003-04:00

- I have a really bad feeling about the lottery tonight. There's no way in hell the Knicks will get the number 1 pick. The cries of "fix" will be heard from Miami all the way to Seattle. And really, do the Knicks deserve anything good to happen to them after all the misery of the last five years?

- I'm also concerned about John Maine. He's a stopper, sure, but the Mets have a 2 game winning streak going. I think that may affect his confidence.

Live Blogging - D'Antoni Presser

2008-05-13T13:24:00.000-04:00

Listening to the D'Antoni presser on WFAN.com. Some impressions:

Just got on - missed Donnie Walsh comments - they were short and sweet.

MD speaks for 30 seconds and then throws it open for questions:

- Addressing Knicks personnel (or the lack thereof) - Having Donnie is great asset (presumably talking about Walsh, not Wahlberg) - I can adjust my style (good times). We were 7 seconds or less, but we have 24 seconds or less. At least he SAYS he's open to changes as necessary.

- It's Warner Wolf! - He kills the roster - asks if the Knicks will be overhauling 50% of the roster. D'Antoni is diplomatic. If put in the right position they will succeed.

- MD laughs when asked about defense. - Answer we average 58 wins a season, so 58 times a season we had the better defense on the floor. Well, at least he handles the pres well. Can laugh. Not as stone faced as most coaches.

- Bruce Beck - How long until the team is "respectable"? - He jokes that he heard the press will give him "plenty of time" to get it turned around.

- The Post asks about Marbury - He deflects it.

- Well, we may not be seeing 7 seconds or less at MSG after all.

- The Star Ledger asks is the Knicks will run. Yes, will also play defense, rebound, etc.

- Newsday - what traits does he like to see in players? Shooters, defenders, rebounders...blah blah generic.

- Question about changing the culture - Only way to do it is to win. True dat.

- Some dumbass asked if MD wants to bring Nash into NY - Can you say tampering?

And that's a rap. Short, sweet and a waste of time.

Why Don't Sportswriters Factor In Contracts?

2008-05-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

The Times had an article this morning on Mike D'Antoni and players on the current Knick roster that might fit his system. The two players named as the worst fits for the system were Jerome James and Zach Randolph (huge surprise). So, says the Times, Randolph is now officially trade bait. (Note, all numbers and years come from ESPN's Trade Machine)

Um...huh? Did the Times forget that Randolph has three years remaining on his contract starting at 13 million a year? Did they forget that the Knicks tried to unload Z-Dolph last year only to find no takers? Did they forget that it's hard to find a good fit for an out of shape malcontent who hogs the ball and doesn't play defense? Did they forget that the only way to trade Randolph was to take on additional salary - the absolute antithesis of everything Donnie Walsh and the Knicks say they will (and should be) do(ing)? I guess so. Sloppy reporting.

On point though:

The Knicks have a few pieces for a higher octane system - Crawford, Lee, Robinson, Chandler and Balkman. Let's also not forget that Q-Rich had his finest season under D'Antoni (however that was before his back surgery and subsequent gaining of 50 pounds. Oh and he can't shoot anymore either. Oh and how the hell does he still have two more years on his contact?). The Time suggest that surprisingly nimble Eddy Curry can be effective in the new system since D'Antoni doesn't care about defense anyway.

In short, the Knicks need to stay the course, hope to land Derrick Rose, try to unload Randolph, Marbury, James and Malike Rose without adding salary (Rose, Marbury and James may at least have some value as expiring contracts at the trade deadline - though they also have value to the KNICKS as expiring contracts at the deadline - to the tune of some 30 million dollars), keep reducing salary, hire a defense coach and start teaching the players to be the complementary pieces Lebron needs to win a championship on the biggest stage, New York.

On the bright side, I think the Walsh/D'Antoni combo will be enough to keep David Lee from bolting next year as a restricted free agent.

Non-Sports Weekend Thoughts

2008-05-12T09:40:00.001-04:00

- I have the extreme pleasure of hearing Rabbi Lau speak this past Shabbos at the Young Israel of Woodmere. He was fantastic. He told a very interesting story of a meeting he had with David Ben Gurion in 1972. Sadly, I only got to hear him speak once. If ever he returns, I will try to hear him as many times as he speaks.

- After about a month of taking my eldest daughter to little league, the smartest thing I have heard about the experience has been "don't you know, little league is for the parents, not the kids". A more poignant statement I have not heard. What a mess. I'd go into detail about how awful the experience is for me (it's by far the lowlight of my entire week) but quite honestly, it's too painful.

- One of the problems with "coming out of the closet" on this blog is that, now that people know who I am (and a few of them read here as silent lurkers), I can no longer write everything I want to. I had an incident take place with me over Shabbos that I would have liked to have vent about but now I can't. Alas. Suffice it to say, We know these people from the neighborhood who, for some reason, feel the need to pump up their own child in their eyes by talking negatively about my poor four year old boy. The whole thing is so asinine. Why on God's Earth would anyone turn their children's friendship into a competition of who has the better kid? And the worst is me, sitting their and taking it, because don't feel like getting into a fight about it. (And I won';t even mention the fact that their kid is a bit wild, to the point where his teacher had to mention something to his parents recently. They, of course, were proud - proving once again that most people are blind when it comes to seeing faults in their own children.)

Am I wrong for keeping my mouth shut? Am I wrong for not defending the "honor" of my family because some jackass feels the need to tear them down? I think not. Instead, my wife and I came home, processed what happened (this is by no means the first time we have had to do this with this particular family) and decided we simply won't put ourselves or our kids in that position anymore. No more playdates, no more meals together, etc. Very simple.

Hey look at that - I was able to vent about it after all. I'm so artful.

- Ok I lied, a little sports. The Mets had a successful weekend against the crappy Reds. Beltran and Reyes look like they are waking up - 2 very key pieces for the Mets. as much as Beltran says no one player can carry a team, he can carry the Mets for a month if his bat wakes up. His 8 RBI in 2 days is a nice start. Even Carlos Delgado seems to be hitting is a bit better. All in all, what a difference A lou makes. Get is? Alou?

- Finally - I wrote last week how I was against trying to merge D'Antoni's run and gun style with the crappy Knicks. I have since read a few reports at least that he is, in fact, much more of an innovator than he has been given credit for and can merge his style to fit his pieces. Also, it appears he will hire a defensive coach. If the Knicks can get a Rose in the draft, who knows?

Some Sports Musings For A Rainy Friday

2008-05-09T10:50:00.000-04:00

- The Knicks are reportedly about to offer silly money to coach Mike D'Antoni to be their next head coach. Something in the range of 6 years and 30 million dollars. Now, obviously we have have seen the Suns have a lot of success under D'Antoni's reign, but let's take a deeper look at that. The Suns had a tremendous nucleus of talent, including all-world point guard Steve Nash, the Matrix and Amare Stoudemire. It's easy to have success with players like those on your roster. The Knicks counter with Zack Randolph, Eddy Curry and Nate Robinson. See the difference? The Suns played created the modern "Seven Seconds or Less" era. The Knicks are full of mismatched plodders who can't run and have no point guard to lead them.

Also, let's not forget, the Knicks are going to suck for at least 2 more season while Walsh holds onto his crappy, expensive players in order to clear cap space for the 2010 Lebron Sweepstakes. If D'Antoni's teams suck for the next few years, the Knicks will just sour on him anyway, tune him out, and he will be useless by then.

Whey not just hire a less expensive option and basically say "screw it, we are going to suck for the next two years, but we are going to develop guys like David Lee, Wilson Chandler, Renaldo Balkman, Mardy Collins, Nate and Lottery Picks 2008 and 2009 (one of which better be a point guard by the way) into great role players for our Lebron-dominated 2010 team". Wouldn't this be the logical thing to do? Doesn't that make more sense than watching D'Antoni try and make guys like Curry and Z-Dolph into 7 seconds or less players?

Maybe I'm wrong here - maybe Walsh is thinking he needs to have a great coach in place first to lay the groundwork for what comes next. Maybe he feels D'Antoni is the guy who, along with a good assistance coach for defense, mold the young players into solid complimentary pieces. If so, I hope he is right.

- I was going to do a whole post-mortem on the Rangers but Game 5 really sucked the wind out of me so instead just a few thoughts. I agree with Joe that the Rangers need to let Steven Valiquette play more next season or find a reliable back-up who can. Lundqvist clearly ran out of gas in the Penguin series - the result of being overworked, especially down the stretch when he had to play every game as the Rangers fought for playoff position.

The Rangers should let Shanahan and Straka go, find a better scoring winger to play with Gomez, and re-sign Jagr for a fair price. The problem is Jagr is a primma donna who will want superstar money or else go play for his father's team in Europe. The truth is, if the Rangers lose Jagr as well, they will have to do major reconstructive surgery on their top line (only Dubinsky left). I would absolutely LOVE to see a third line of Dubinsky, Callahan and Dawes flying around next year.

After watching a Rangers legends show on Jeff Buekeboom last week, I am more convinced than ever that the Rangers need a physical, stay at home defenseman who can really stand people up and intimidate. They have not had that for years. If Rozseval wants superstar money, I'd let him walk, bring in a physical defenseman, and maybe try to fill a hole from within. If Bobby Sanguetti isn't ready, maybe Michael Sauer or Ivan Baranka is.

- With Hank Poteat back in the fold, the Jets now have not one (Barrett), not two (Coleman), not three (Lowery), not four (Miller), not five (Woolfolk) but SIX crappy or not ready cornerbacks to start opposite Reevis. Sometimes I guess the theory is you can stop a sprung leak but dropping enough dead corpses on it.

- John Maine - clutch stopper. Even without Pedro the Mets are fine at the top of the rotation. It's 3, 4 and 5 spots that are a concern. and the bullpen. Oh and Beltran, Reyes and Delgado. Oh and now Wright as well. and now Pagan hurt his shoulder. On the bright side, Castillo is slapping that ball to left real well. And el Duque took of his boot. Word from Florida is that he will be ready to go by June....of 2009.

Proof That YouTube Is The Greatest Invention Of The 21st Century

2008-05-08T09:45:00.000-04:00

- The Battle At Kruger. This is a masterpiece

- Man Surfing A Tsunami - Insanely cool surfing video

- Amazing video of a shark attack. I can't help it, I love this stuff

- Video of mudslide destruction - either in Japan of California

- The effing Matt Damon video - if you haven't seen this yet, I don't know what to tell you

- Guillmo's version of Bourne Ultimatum

In other news, I've finally gotten a major writing gig! A very well know baseball player has asked me to ghost write his book about hitting. It will be out by September. It's called How To Keep Your Batspeed After 35 and it's by, I'm excited to say, Carlos Delgado! I don't know how he came to me, but I'm sure glad he did. Hopefully when it comes out he will be back in his clean up spot in the NLCS.

The Weekend That Was

2008-04-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

So the second days of Pesach caused me to miss:

3 Met games

2 Ranger games

1 NFL draft

And a partridge in a pear tree.

- The Mets managed to take 2 of three from the Braves (despite Aaron Heilman's best efforts on Saturday).

A quick thought: Too much is being made of each game at this point. After 2 horrid games against the Nats, I was willing to write off the season. Now it's 2 big wins later and we see little signs. A strong bullpen on Sunday, Delgado's 2 home runs. Nelson Figuora's strong outing with Santana on the hill tonight. The fact is, the team is floundering up and down right now and we have to give it a little time to see how it goes. It's simply too soon to say what this team is.

As for Delgado "snapping out" of his funk - talk to me on May 28th and let's see where his BA/HR/RBI numbers are.

What in the world is wrong with Jose Reyes??? My dad thinks last September killed him. I think he's in shut down mode because he thinks he's being unfairly singled out by Willie. How can he be this unproductive? He should be able to bunt for 2 hits a game.

- The Rangers 2 losses in Pittsburgh are disappointing, but probably not too unexpected. These are 2 of the three best teams standing in the Eastern Conference. One is going to have to fall. Since I didn't see either game, I really have nothing to add. All I hear about are rumors of bad bounces, flops and whining. Sounds like a great series! Let's hope the Rangers can recover, take 2 in NY, and then get it right in Pitt.

- As for the draft. The truth is, I didn't know what to make of the draft before it happened and I still don't. Gholston was the obvious pick at 6 (everyone else was gone - kinda makes it easy). If he's ore than a workout wonder, then he may turn into LT II or even LT Jr.. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? Word is the Jets were trying to move up for Howie Long's son but who knows.

Moving up 6 spots for Dustin Keller, a tight end who can't block, is curious at best. Another sign to the players that you can't mess with management? If so, they are sending mixed signals after guaranteeing Coles and extending Rhodes. You can't eat your cake and have it too, team Tangini. While I agree that Baker doesn't necessarily deserve a huge raise, I hope the Jets don't cut him out of spite. Though to be fair, the Jets do need a seam threat for their quarterbacks.

Lowery is a small dude who doesn't run fast. Doesn't sound like the answer at CB to me. Is Hank Poteat still available?

Danny Ainge's nephew has a weak arm and can't take a hit. Um....ok. On the bright side, he's a wonderful game manager.

Update: Joe found some scouting reports on Ainge which are more favorable (re: arm strength) than the ones I saw. So hopefully this will turn into a good value pick. Also, Kiper seemed to like this pick as well (for whatever that's worth).

Marcus Henry is intriguing in the 6th round. Big target with possibly good hands (depending on which draft review you read). Not too fast. But when you average out him and Chasney Stucky, they are pretty fast.

Some fat dude who can't run went in the 7th round. He will one day start next to the immortal Jon Bender. Bender and Garner. Has a nice ring.

Much Ado About Nothing (At This Point)?

2008-04-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

In a fast German car, I'm amazed that I survived - Radiohead.

I was brought up in a home where we hated everything German. The perpetrators of the Holocaust were never to be forgiven and the best way to honor that was to never buy German products. Germans were all Nazis and every German product was taboo city. My dad shook his head when my wife and I purchased our first set of JA Henckle knives (though let the record reflect that a few years later, he did the same thing!).

But the creme de la creme of German hating was the disdain for their automobiles. Mercedes. BMW. Audi. These were akin to curse words. Who cares if the Germans make some of the finest cars. Other cars would simply have to do. There was, to put it bluntly, no excuse for ever buying a German car.

I don't think my dad was unique in his thinking on this subject. I'm pretty sure his generation mostly felt this way.

But it seems there's a new generation now. And a new way of thinking. I leave shul in the morning and I always see a few minyan-goers pulling away from the curb in their Beemers or Audis. My around the corner neighbor has a Mercedes SUV and my friend swears by his Volkswagon.

My guy reaction has always been that these German auto owners are just wrong. That it's a slap in the face to Jewish survivors to drive around in these cars. This is the way i was brought up. That buying German products is, in a sense, a statement of forgiveness for the Holocaust.

I guess the question is, is that fair? Does that logic still work? If they could, would the Germans still ethnically cleanse the Jews? Is that really the national desire, though obviously well hidden, or was that the expression of one insane man in a very insane time which somehow spun out of control?

And while, of course, we can never forget - the question is, are we correctly remembering by boycotting German products? Is that really the way to keep the legacy of the Holocaust?

As usual, when I have questions, I don't have answers.

Ah Youth

2008-04-22T13:55:00.000-04:00

This year's New York Rangers playoff squad is full of the typical movie-like story lines:

- There's the aging gunslinger, looking to will himself on for one more shot at glory (Jagr and Shanahan)

- The two seasoned gunslingers brought in to bolster the run to glory (Gomez and Drury)

- The goaltender who has done it on the big stage (Olympics) but not yet on this big stage

- The antagonizer who you love when he plays for you and hate if he plays against you (Avery)

Interestingly enough, these ingredients probably sound familiar to Ranger fans. For years the team struggled to make the playoffs with the aging gunslingers and overpriced veterans all brought in to make runs (just change the words "aging" and "seasoned" to "done" and "cooked"). They had the goaltender in Richter, but they had nothing in front of him.

The difference with this team? Brandon, Marc, Nigel, Ryan and Dan.

Sure they sound like the makings of a prep-school hockey team in Connecticut - more likely to throw Friday night parties at the parental manses where Santonio Holmes-like photos get taken - than make big plays on the ice. But at the end of the day, the Rangers re-energized themselves by letting the younger players crack the lineup and contribute.

And the results have been great to see.

Dawes and Callahan have been terrific together - Callahan the banger, Dawes the shifty, tricky stick magician. Dubinsky has earned the right to play with the Rangers best scorer - and has done it well. Girardi continues to be a steady blue-line presence...and Marc Staal is slowly turning himself into the team's best all around defenseman - displaying a grit and toughness (not to mention strength) belied by his lanky frame and wispy facial hair. All of them are really talented, not the typically overhyped and underperforming New York prospects. All of them fly around the ice and play with young legs - something Ranger fans have not really seen in a long time.

The younger player seem to re-enegrgize the older players and the older, wiser players are there to help these kids learn what it takes, on the fly, to play in the supercharged atmosphere of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

So yes, the Rangers will still need to lean on Jagr's scoring, Gomez' skating and Drury's clutch play - but they won't have to completely reply on them.

At the end of the day, the perfect mix of veterans and kids makes for the best team.

Hopefully we are seeing that play out in New York.

Opening the 'Bag

2008-04-17T19:35:00.000-04:00

We here at Elster's World are always searching for another tired gimmick to trot out. So without further ado, it's time for the very first Elster Mailbag!! Since no one actually emails me any questions, I invented my own.

1. What's your take on Jose Reyes' decision to start celebrating again? Is it bad for the game or good for the Mets? - Mr. Met, Queens (yes the one with the giant head).

Excellent question MM. The truth is, baseball is our purest, most traditional sport. It's always been about being reserved and acting in the best possible fashion....ah screw it, who am I kidding? I love it. Who cares if he ticks off some people. Do you think Jimmy Rollins cares if he ticks off some people with his big mouth? All I know is that in the 2 games since Jose decided to be Regular Jose instead of Reserved Jose, he has 2 singles, a double, a triple and a home run. By all means, please stand on the top steps of the dugout and do elaborate multi-step handshakes with anyone you want. Please smile all the time and actually look like you are having fun out there. I know this is crazy, but a team that enjoys what it is doing will probably beat the miserable team - all talent being equal.

2. At the end of the day, the signings for Scott Gomez and Chris Drury turned out to be pretty good moves no? - Joe Antagonizer, Long Island.

Well, obviously it's not the end of the day yet, but certainly, those 2 signings, and the contract extension, look to be some pretty smart moves by Glen Sather. Things got off to a bit of a slow start for these two, but these have always been considered "what can they do for us in the playoffs" signings. They have really picked up their games as of late. They finished 2 and 3 respectively on the team in scoring this year during the regular season. Gomez has been one of the best (if not the best) forwards on the ice for the Rangers so far against the Devils (leading the team in points and plus/minus) and Drury has been great on face offs and intangibles.

Lundqvist was great down the stretch (phenomenal) and just as good in the playoffs. He makes all the saves he should, some great saves and even some impossible saves. He has a chance to be one of the true elite goaltenders in the NHL - and he can start by leading his team to the Stanley Cup.

3. How great has Lost been this season? John Locke, The Island

How great? SOOO great. Unlike last year, which started slow and ended strong with the flash forward twist, this year has been like a vintage Pedro Martinez season - the producers are throwing 1 run, 3 hit, 13 strikeout performances each week. The new characters all bring something to the table and all fit in seamlessly with the show and the regulars remain interesting. The plot twists continue to fascinate and the acting continues to be top notch. Throw in the Desmond-Penny Christmas episode (in my opinion, the greatest stand-alone episode of Lost ever) and this season might be the best one yet - even if it is strike shortened. The only peeve I had with the entire season so far has been the one episode that centered on the evil Michael. After what he did, I simply didn't feel he deserved a whole episode to himself.

4. What else are you watching besides Lost? Matt Rousch and Michael Ausiello, TV Guide.

Hey guys, I had no idea you were readers!! Anyway, pretty much the only thing I'm watching right now besides Lost and sports is the great Battlestar Galactica - sadly in its final season. I will not waste time trying to talk up the show - you all remember my mammoth BSG post after I watched the first season on DVD - instead I will simply share the following with you. Mrs. Elster, who would rather watch someone suffering in the final stages of the AIDS virus than watch sci-fi (in other words, she REALLY doesn't like sci-fi) is watching the final season on the strength of just a pre-season interview show they did with producers. That alone was enough to suck her in.

For the last time, it's really just a great show that happens to take place in space - it's not a great show about space. Whatever.

5. Who is your pick for MVP this season in the NBA? I personally think that coach of the Knicks is the man - Isiah, NYC.

Hmmm, well Isiah, it's like this. By all accounts, this was supposedly a great NBA season. The Celtics were reborn, Kobe and Lebron dominated, 2 great point guards grew up (Deron Williams and Chris Paul), a 45 plus win team didn't make the playoffs in the West. Sadly, I'm a Knick fan and I had grown so disgusted with the team, I pretty much stopped watching basketball months ago. So for me to try and chose between Paul, Kobe (did he really leap that car by the way?), Lebron and KG would be silly.

I do, however, have a few thoughts on the Knicks.

A. They are going to suck next year. And the year after that as well. Assuming they don;t take on big salaries though, enough salary will come off the cap for a serious run at Lebron. What Walsh needs to be doing right now is building up a team full of complimentary pieces - so that when Lebron is a free agent in 2010-2011, he can sell the team to Lebron as a championship contender just missing the superstar.

B. It must really suck to play for the Knicks. Clearly they have no on court chemistry. Worse, by all accounts,they all seem to hate each other off the court. And the absolute worst, David Lee looks despondent out there. Just miserable. He no longer plays with the same energy - all of which seems to have been totally sucked out of him. Walsh needs to rid this team of the cancers and quick (I'm talking about you Zack Randolph - and you Eddy Curry - and you Jamaal Crawford - oh and you too Q-Rich - and....... oh sigh).

C. On the bright side, the Knicks are about to fire Isiah Thomas. That alone is worth some happy points. I'm officially excited about Mark "Action" Jackson coaching the team for the ext few years. So what if he has no experience? The team is going to suck either way. At least this way we will have a cool coach.

6. What's your gut feeling on how the Jets will perform next season? Fireman Ed, JETS Stadium

My gut on the Jets is that...I have no gut yet. It's too early. On the bright side you have a pretty favorable schedule (though with alot of travelling for away games), some shiny new free agent signings, and some high draft picks. On the other hand, we have no idea how any of these free agents fit in, how good any of them are, or how much Faneca has left in the tank (it better be alot). Also, the fate of the playoffs still rests in the hands of either weak armed Pennington or jittery Clemens. So I don't feel like I can make a call on this yet. Let's see how the draft and practices go before we can get an idea of this squad.

Mocking the Mocks

2008-04-16T16:05:00.000-04:00

Ok, for starters, let's state for the record - I LOVE mock drafts. I love extended coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine. I love the excitement over a 4.37 40 and the utter devastation of a 4.55. How high can that 320 pound offensive lineman jump? Let's look it up.

(Mind you, I don't really care about any of this stuff or follow it too closely, it gets way too over-analyzed and it can often be a total crap shoot, but I love the fact that it exists. I mean Mel Kiper Jr. gets paid to rank draft prospects. It's a full time job for him and his hair. all he does is rank 'em and then discuss 'em at the draft. No one really remembers or cares if he's right or wrong. What a life. But I digress)

What I love the best of the coverage? Mock drafts. Every so-called expert and hack takes their stab at projecting the first (and sometimes even second or third) round of the draft. It's especially exciting when your team has a high pick (as a Jet fan this can be quite often) and when you have the pick right above your most hated enemy, the evil Patriots. So yes, I've been following this year's crop of mocks quite closely. Will the pick be Ghoulston and his scary speed (and even scarier speed)? Will one of the Long brothers drop? Can the Jets possible pass by McFAdden? Will the pick Cromartie and stun everyone? All in all, it's fun to get yourself caught up in the excitement.

But this article really made me laugh. Mike Lombardi tells us that teams he worked for in the NFL used mock drafts as part of their draft day calculations. How absurd. It's one thing for Elie Hecht to get into this stuff, it's quite another for the guys actually making the decisions to use this as a tool. Can you imagine Mike Tannenbaum, in an exclusive article for SI 15 years from now, cranking out the following:

"We were really looking forward to nabbing McFadden with our sixth pick but then we saw Joe Schick had the Raiders taking him at 4. We really felt that we were set at every other position after spending $400 million in contracts in the off season. So after consulting with Eric, we decided to give the Raiders our 2008 number 1, as well as our 2009 1, to move up two spots and grab McFadden. Alas for us the Rams took him at number 2, but heck, it's the thought that counts. And "

I think the Jets can get an impact player at 6 or trade the pick to move down a bit and pick up another first day choice. The problem is the Jets draft records are abysmal. So the draft becomes even more of a real crap shoot when the Jets are involved.

Speaking of the absurd, why are people making a big deal of the Jets-Pats first meeting next year? The Jets and Pats already played after Spygate. The Jets lost but didn't embarrass themselves by losing by 50. In case some sportswriters forgot, the Jets and Pats play twice a year. It's time to put this non-story to bed.

Even more absurdity

How scared should we as Met fans be that the team's best pitcher right now is Mike Pelfrey? If you said "terrified", you are correct! On the bright side, getting 12-14 wins and a sub-4 era from Pelfrey this season would be a HUGE and unexpected (read season saving?) boost to the squad. After el Duque hurt el Foote, it was assumed that the fifth starter's spot would be a giant void to be filled with scrap heap parts such as Jorge Sosa and last season's emergency number 5, Jose Lima. Now the question is - how long can Nelson Figuora do his Pedro imitation? I'm guessing he's done. We shall see.

A Fitting Tribute

2008-04-11T14:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning I attended the funeral for a man I had never met before. He was the father of one of my best friends, but a friend who came from far away from where I lived.

My friend, his three siblings, the Niftar's ex-wife (my friend's mother), the Niftar's sister and a niece all spoke. 7 speeches in a month of no eulogies. And you know what? It was fitting. I walked out of the funeral parlor with a real appreciation for a man I had never known. His kindness towards everyone he met, his love of learning, his love of reading and culture. And when 7 people all echo the exact same sentiments, you get the idea that they weren't made up simply to honor the deceased.

I know 2 of my friend's three siblings. They are all good people. My friend likes to act like he hates people and doesn't care about anyone, but in reality he is one of the best friends you could want. He would do anything for you, including giving you the shirt off his back. We have vacationed with his family a number of times (the highlight being Miami, 2006) and I think I cried more at this funeral than any other I've ever attended.

My friend and his siblings are strong. They will mourn and recover. But it appears that the Jewish Community suffered a loss this past week and I wanted to note it.

Double Standard

2008-04-10T14:50:00.000-04:00

Can anyone take a stab at explaining why Willie gave Pelfrey a free pass for only going 5 innings (100 pitches) but he killed Oliver Perex for not giving up a run in 2 starts this season? Yes, Perez did not make it out of the 6th inning on Tuesday, but he left with a 2 run lead and a shutout on the line.

Sure I understand that Willie needs to boost Pelfrey's confidence. But don't forget, Perez is only a season removed from the year where he went 3-75. Doesn't he require some soft treatment as well?

Of course, I don't know these guys or their personalities, so maybe Perez needs more a kick in the pants and Pelfrey more of a love tap. That could be. But I don't buy that. It strikes me as another example of Willie's uneven nature. When does he start bashing Jose Reyes for stinking out the place? Do you realize his RBI last night came as a result of the double play he hit into? The Catalyst is now batting a whopping .200 on the season. When does he get the kick in the pants?

Taking A Break From The Lakewood Controversy

2008-04-08T16:35:00.000-04:00

While all worthwhile yidden are now focused solely on the events unfolding in Lakewood right now, a few of the fallen have managed to allowed themselves a quick reprieve for....

OPENING DAY AT SHEA!

As we speak the Mets and Phils are scoreless after 1 - on a cold and clear day in Queens. I'm forced to "watch" the action on the MLB GameCenter - which sucks, but what can you do? I need to remember to bring in a radio or something.

Bloggers report Johan Santana got the biggest ovation by the Mets faithful. Makes sense. Even in a loss this past Sunday he was a dominant force (1 run, 7 innings).

Let's go Mets.

Quick Update - In recent months I have been talking about getting back into the writing gig. I am happy to report that I have, in fact, started writing again. It's been a very slow process, though partly due to the fact that I actually have to do research for this story (biblical fiction).
Anyway, this topic is deserving of its own post.

Donnie Walsh

2008-04-02T16:40:00.000-04:00

Listening to the Donnie Walsh, new President of Basketball Operations, press conference. Here are some highlights:

- He's saying the magic words - We will spend the next three years making sure we have cap flexibility in three years. In other words - we need to make sure we have enough money for Lebron for the 2010-2011 season. Though he denies that's the goal, that's obviously the goal here.

- Oh, and we will try and keep the team competitive over the next three years too.

(My take - Done and done. The Knicks are going to have to suck for a few years, but if they are building something, that is ok.)

- Refusing to discuss Isiah's role next season. Of course, no one expected him to say "Thomas is done" at this presser. But he won't discuss it today. He needs to analyze the situation. In other words, let's think about it and then fire him.

- "I think there are some good players here" - Where?

- "There is no magic wand here. it is going to take alot of work." - Um, DUH.

- He's stressing the short term goal is just being competitive. And no more crazy free agent signings.

- By the way, the goal is to be competitive for the next few years and then gain cap room (for Lebron).

- On the changing of media policies - I heard it was a problem - we plan on being more open and accessible. Looks like no more draconian, scary anti-press policies.

- He has been given autonomy by Dolan (per Dolan's own words). He says he wouldn't have come but for the autonomy.

- He felt compassion for the organization and wanted to come help fix it. Now that's embarrassing.

- He's making people laugh. That's a good thing.

- On Marbury - I need to speak to him before I make any decisions. He's pretty much talking about the injury, but he mentioned "the thing that happened at the beginning of the season".

- On the team's talent: "When you are on a bad team, no one looks good." Mentioned Curry, and Crawford as talented guys. as for Z-Ran: we need to find a place for him; can't have 2 guys in the low post. He did not mention Lee - let's pray this was a oversight.

- Not sure if he's going to bring in a GM to run the day to day stuff.

Gut reaction - He was brought here to bring in hope and for the first time in a long time, I have some hope. He at least sounds like he knows what he's talking about. He wants to change the culture - stay away from free agents in the short term and get cap flexibility - and the culture with the media as well.

Mets Pick

2008-03-31T12:40:00.000-04:00

With first pitch scheduled for 4:05, it's time to get it on. here's one man's (quickly put together) prediction for how it will play out. I cannot wait for Joe to quote this article in September and kill me for it.

The Mets will win in the low 90's (90-92 games) because they have the best pitching staff in the East and their bullpen will be better in '08 than it was in '07. Also, while the Phillies have a better lineup (3 studs to the Mets 3 studs, but Phils lineup has less holes) the Mets can still score runs and play relatively good defense.

I think Johan Santana will win the NL Cy Young.

I think David Wright will compete for the MVP this season (and by compete I mean be a top three finisher).

I think Jose Reyes will tone his act down and get his numbers up.

I think Moises Alou will play in no more than 70 games this season.

I think Pedro Martinez will stay healthy and have a very good year.

I think John Maine takes 3 steps forward from last year.

I think Oliver Perez takes 3 steps back from last year.

I think the Mets will be ok with el Duque and Pelfry in the number 5 spot.

I think Carlos Delgado will underwhelm (.260 22 hr 87 rbi)

I think we won't see Duaner Sanchez before May. I think he will end up being the 8th inning guy and Heilman the 7th inning guy.

It's hard to predict how the Mets will finish in the playoffs because there are way too many variables (their health, the competitors' health, etc) but if you don't get something on paper, you are just a big weenie so....

I'll take the Mets losing in the NLCS in 7 painful games. I hope I'm dead wrong.

Gotay Away?

2008-03-27T13:20:00.000-04:00

The Mets have placed Ruben Gotay on waivers - probably ending his career as a Met.

Hey, just because Willie doesn't want a 25 year old second baseman who can rake (.295 last year in 190 at bats) and a little bit of speed, you know, the guy who can eventually replace an ailing Luis Castillo at third, doesn't mean no one else will.

This means that Fernando Tatis, who (i) is 33, (ii) is a career .260 hitter and (iii) has not had a major league at bat in the last three seasons is going to make the team in all probability.

The question is, where is the logic here? If the Mets are so worried about Angel Pagan in left, then trade for a veteran left fielder. As Joe pointed out in an email, Tatis isn't going to get many starts ahead of Endy Chaves and Marlon Anderson anyway. So why is it so important that he can play the outfield? This seems like another example of Willie just not liking a guy and refusing to give him a fair chance. 25 years old, .295 hitter with the ability to add some power in his game, the chance to replace Castillo when his knees finally snap like twigs and the Mets are giving up on his for Fernando Freaking Tatis. These are the "little things" that kill franchises over the course of the long haul.

So the Mets got a bit older and, in my opinion, a little worse. I'm hoping that Gotay miraculously passes through waivers and the Mets can keep him.

I'm not holding my breath.

For Shame

2008-03-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

Shame on the folowing peolpe/things for the following reasons:

- Shame on Georgetown for losing an 11 point lead at halftime, letting Dell Curry's son torch them for 25 second half points (after playing stifling D in the first 20 minutes) and losing to freaking Davidson in the second round of the Tournament (sorry, it's taken me a few days to get over this loss even though I kinda saw it coming). As I had written before, this Hoya team was very flawed and I had them as a sweet 16-er no better. Without a clutch scorer who can make his own shot, you can only go so far.

Roy Hibbert was exposed this season without the Jeff Green crutch, and Jessie Sapp and Dajuan Summers did not take steps forward. Sadly, the Patrick Ewing Jr. era is over after only 2 seasons.

The good news, major help is on the way in the 2008/2009 recruiting class.

- Shame on Joe for erroneously(or, at least prematurely) reporting (in an email) that the Mets cut Gotay, scaring the bejesus out of me and forcing me to unfairly criticize perfect GM Omar Minaya. Why on earth would the team give up on a younger player who can hit .300 and between 15-20 home runs, eventually replacing Luis Castillo as the regular second baseman? Oh, because you need to find a spot on the bench for 73 year old Jose Valentin of course!

And way to secure that number 5 spot in the rotation Omar. When El Duque and Pefrey go a combined 3-17 this season, will you then not shelling out a bit more for Livan or Lohse?

- Shame in the Knicks. Period. Truth is, while Donnie Walsh is probably the right move, who wouldn't be rooting for a Mark Jackson/Greg Anthony GM/Coach combo?

- Shame on the Rangers for letting another point slip away against Philly last night. They had the lead into the third and failed to seal the deal. Then they gave up a breakaway in overtime. Let's hope that this one doesn't come back to bite them. At 89 points, they sit in 6th place with a mere one point lead over the Flyers.

On the bright side, I will be winning my Rangers islanders bet with Noyam - so there's a free dinner headed my way.

- Finally, shame on me for not getting nearly enough sleep the last few weeks. it's starting to affect me. I am having weird vision of Mets world series wins and the Jets in the super bowl. I think I need a shrink.

Reader Poll

2008-03-17T19:10:00.000-04:00

Should I force myself to write even if nothing seems to be coming? I have a few ideas I'd like to pen, but every time I sit in front of the computer, I lose interest.

Breaking News - Law and Herm a Package Deal

2008-03-12T13:35:00.000-04:00

Reports are coming in from sources in both New York and Kansas City that the Jets are close to a deal with free agent cornerback Ty Law as well as (soon to be former) head coach of the Chiefs, Herm Edwards. This stunning development should serve as the last piece to what has been an "on paper" Super Bowl winning off-season for the New York Jets. Edwards will serve the triple role of defensive coordinator (replacing the ineffective Bob Sutton), assistant head coach to Eric Mangini and, perhaps most importantly, game clock manager. The best news? edwards will only cost the Jets this year's second round pick as compensation to Kansas City.

Law played corner for the Jets in 2005 Edwards of course is a former head coach of the Jets. These moves serve both to (i) solidify what is slowly becoming a dynastic Jet team (the additions of Alan Faneca and Damien Woody are drawing comparisons to the great Redskins line of the 80's and the Cowboys line of the 90's and Kris Jenkins and Calvin "You Never Heard of Me Before, But I had 6.5 Sacks last Season" Pace, plus the addition by subtraction of talentless non-playmakers like Jon Vilma make the Jets defense especially fierce) and (ii) tweak the New England Patriots (the Pats reportedly had interest in Law and it is well known that nobody out-coaches Bill Belichick like Edwards).

Edwards has announced that Darelle Reevis, the Jets first round pick last season, will move to dime situations to make room in the starting lineup for Law. "My man Ty will be going against the other team's fastest receivers each week," said a grinning Edwards, "and he hasn't lost even a quarter step."

Said Law: "It was a tough choice man, the Pats really wanted me, but the truth is that even though I only played one season there, my heart has always been with the Jets."

Said Mangini on these almost historic moves: "Every season is different. You cannot look backwards as to what we accomplished as a team last year. Last year was last year. This year is this year. Herm will help us immensely, especially late in ballgames when the clock becomes so important. Herm's added benefits on the sidelines completely outweigh anything a second rounder could ever do for us on the field. As for Ty, we will evaluate him like we evaluate each player every week. " Mangini then stepped out of his tightly controlled veneer to announce that Law was cemented in at starting right corner, opposite Hank Poteat at left corner.

Edwards on the Jets going 4-12 last year and his expectations for his defense this season. "Hello? We play to stop opposing offenses. We play to win the game. Reevis, he's a nice player and all, but when you have a Ty Law....man you have the league;s top shut down corner...it allows you to do so many things." Edwards also noted that he plans to rotate middle linebacker David Harris out a lot more to keep him fresh.

General Manager Mike Tennebaum announced that the Law signing was for three years and $6 million a season, all $18 million fully guaranteed. Law's contract also includes a guaranteed roster spot for all three seasons.

Analysis - What's to say? The Jets have gone all out this offseason and have put together the greatest Jet team money can buy. All fans I've spoken to are beyond thrilled by the moves and look forward to the enriched team chemistry these moves will make.

In other words, with Herm and Law on board, start printing your Super Bowl tickets now!

Military Operations Vs. Murder

2008-03-07T14:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's killings at Merkaz Horav take on a slightly (and I stress the word slightly) personal note for me. When I was learning in Israel, I used to spend many Shabbosim my first year at cousins of mine who lived in Givat Shaul, walking distance to the Yeshiva. Every Friday night we would walk to the Yeshiva for Mincha, Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv before returning to my cousin's for the meal.

To be honest, I don't remember too much of those experiences. I was usually exhausted by the time Friday night rolled around, dreaming more of chicken soup and a loooooong sleep than another hour or so davening, but I certainly remember the teffilah there being powerful and serious and the singing done by people who were very serious about their Yiddishkeit.

And now eight of them are dead - some of them just 15 year old children.

How someone can walk into a room full of children with a rifle and clips and clips of ammunition - and proceed to start firing at innocents - is something I will never be able to understand. It takes even less of a heart (assuming such a person even has a heart) than the detonation of a bomb - at least with the bomb detonation, you die instantaneously. Here you have to fire until your gun runs out of bullets, stop, eject the clip, slap home a new one and pull back the slide, all while the sounds of people screaming in horror and pain fill your ears.

How can a person do such a thing? What drives someone to be so full of hate that they can gladly give their own lives so that innocent blood can be spilled?

The answer, sadly, is simple. Someone who is born in hate, who is raised in hate and is immersed in hate their whole lives knows nothing other than hatred. Someone whose parents raise a mourning tent draped in the flags of Hamas and celebrate the death of their child as part of the greater good. Someone who probably ran in the streets and fired his weapon in the air when he heard the news that another bus or restaurant filled with innocents was just vaporized by a bomber. Can you really blame someone who knows nothing but murder when he commits murder?

And therein lies the biggest problem faced by Israeli people. They want nothing more than to just live their lives normally - without fear. But that will never be the case. They are surrounded on all sides by lands teeming with people who know nothing other than hatred towards them. People who don't know about George Clooney, Brett Favre, Lebron, Radiohead or Lindsey Lohan. They know about poverty (from their own leaders), they know about hatred and they know about death. They reside in depths that free people could never possibly understand. They are filled with hatred since their inceptions, it if injected into then as surely as the inoculations our children receive for small pox and measles.

Is this the first of a new wave of terror against our people or an isolated incident? What will be the fallout of these attacks? I don't know. What I do know is that when the internet sites describe how the funeral procession began in the courtyard in front of the Yeshvah - I know that i have stood in that courtyard many a time after shul on Friday night, watching hundreds of people milling around and talking to each other before their Friday night meals and their Friday night sleeps.

And I'll never think of that courtyard the same way again.

The New Contract

2008-03-06T15:33:00.000-05:00

From the Daily News:

The Daily News has obtained the contract breakdowns for The Big Four - Alan Faneca, Kris Jenkins, Damien Woody and Calvin Pace.
Observations:

• Technically, Pace’s deal has $12.5 million in guarantees (including an $11 million signing bonus). It was widely reported as $22 million in guarantees. What gives? Well, he’s due a $9 million roster bonus in 2009. That can’t be counted as guaranteed money, although, for practical purposes, it is.

• GM Mike Tannenbaum frontloaded the contracts. Of the total value of the four deals ($137.75 million), $79.2 million is due to be paid out in the first three years. For cap purposes, this makes sense.

• Pace’s contract borders on mind-boggling. He’s due to make $26 million in the first three years, topping Faneca ($24 million). For that price, Pace had better perform like an All-Pro. On his conference call the other day, Pace said, “I’m not a savior.” Well, guess what, dude? With that kind of contract, you’ll be expected to produce more than 6½ sacks a year.

• Not surprisingly, Woody, like Fat Man Jenkins, has workout and weight clauses in his contract. He can make $400,000 a year by working out and making his prescribed weight.

• Strictly an educated guess here, but I’d say they have anywhere from $6 million to $8 million in available cap room - even after the spending spree. They will recoup another $8 million when DT Dewayne Robertson is sent packing.

As I mentioned previously, the Pace deal seems to be the most (insane??) curious of this bunch. It just feels like way too much money for a guy no one's ever heard of before. Of course, if he averages 10 sacks a year, all will suddenly make sense. Also seems insane that the team has money to spend, but they still have to sign their draft picks, including a top 6 pick (unless they trade down).

The more I think about it, the more this smacks of desperation on the part of team Tangini to keep their jobs beyond the season. I hope it works out or the team is ruined for years to come.

- Jets also signed Tony Richardson, a 36 year old pro bowl fullback, to a one year deal.

Exclusive ElstersWorld Interview!

2008-03-06T13:10:00.000-05:00

My buddy Brian did some work for the Mets and has some contacts there. He managed to score me the cell phone number of one Diego Vargas, who works in the Mets trainers room at their spring training facility. In other words, he's a huge "in" on the Mets current injury situation. I managed to get a hold of him at 1:00 am this morning to discuss the injuries and their impact on the coming season. Here is a transcript of our call:

Elstersworld: Diego how are you?

Diego Vargas: Not so good man, I just dropped a sixer of Dos Equis at some seedy bar, I'm reeling pretty badly right now. But since your such a good man, I'll answer some questions. The twenty dollars is in the mail right?

EW: Uh, yea. Sure. So tell me, what role do you play in the training room.

DV: Janitorial.

EW: Jane...but you DO work there right?

DV: uh huh.

EW: So based on our conversation, who do you see as the biggest of the issues?

DV: Lessee here...um, I guess Sosa, Schoenweiss, Heilman...

EW: Wait, those guys aren't hurt??

DV: Ohhhh, you were asking about the hurt guys. I though you meant issues like as in "sucking". Hmm. Well, we can start with Alou and that hernia. Not an easy injury for a 45 year old to come back from.

EW: You mean 41?

DV: (Snickering) You think Danny Almonte was the first Latin American to fake a visa compadre? (Cackles).

EW: And besides Alou?

DV: Well Delgado is suffering his second hip injury in 6 months. He's also 35 and a little heavy. All things considered would anyone really be shocked if he snapped in half while bending down for a low grounder this season?

I'm also terrified about Orlando. He's also close to half a century old and all of a sudden he has to learn a new delivery to compensate for a bunion injury. First of all, bunions? Second of all, talk about an old dog learning new tricks.

EW: But couldn't that really be a blessing in disguise with Pelfrey getting the number 5 slot and El Duque going to the pen?

DV: Hey I'm the janitor, not the Manager. Go talk to Willie or Mr. Minaya about that Senor.

EW: Who else should worry us Diego?

DV: Well, me and Luis Castillo go drinking and to strip clubs pretty much every night and he's looked a step or two slower. Since the Mets are looking to him for speed at the top of the order and defense, I dunno. Beltran's knees will be fine, it's his big mouth I'd be worried about. Churchie jus got a bad headache. He'll be ok by May. Same with that Jewish catcher. It's jut a hammy and Lord knows he can't run or hit anyway (another cackle). My other compadre Gotay - I dunno man. But even if he hit .750 this spring he'd be gone. you know, no options and loco manager. Easley will be ok too. I mean ok as he's gonna be you know? And Endy...(trails off into unintelligible Spanish).

EW: So not a pretty picture is it? It seems like there's a good chance the Mets will dig themselves into a huge hole in April and maybe May. where are they going to get a first base/corner outfield righty bat? Should Mets fans start panicking?

DV: (Laughs). No way man. Why worry. We still got Johan, Pedro, Maine and Ollie baby. That erases a lot of mistakes. Besides, as the guys proved last year - it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Now i gotta go find a bathroom before my rental Ford becomes a urinal.

EW: Good night Diego.

DV: (Snores softly)

What It All Means

2008-03-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the flurry of posts abut the Jets, but so much has happened since free agency began last Friday - it's been positively dizzying. So you need to bear with me while I try and sort this all out in my own head.

Since Friday, the Jets have added 2 interior offensive linemen, a nose tackle and a pass rushing 3-4 linebacker. In other words, they have spent gobs and gobs of money to shore up the two weakest parts of the team - the lines.

From left to right, the Jets will now trot out D'brick, Faneca, Mangold, Woody and Clement to protect the quarterback (more on that later) and open up holes for Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. Assuming Faneca still has enough left in the tank (and presumably while he isn't the same guy he was when he was 27, 28, he still has something left in the tank), this should solidify the left side of the line. Bringing in Damien Woody to play with Clement means the right side is much stronger as well. Assuming he isn't cut, Brandon Moore provides needed depth at the position.

UPDATE - The Jets axed Clement today, meaning they plan on playing Woody at right tackle. So much for the above paragraph.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Jets are slotting Jenkins in at nose tackle, to play along side the Big Cat (Ellis) and defensive end X (perhaps Dewayne Robertson - the trade with Cincy fell through and with his size and quickness (when he tries), he wouldn't be a terrible option if they can re-do his contract). If Jenkins is healthy, happy and engaged (all big ifs), he could be the nose the Jets 3-4 scheme has been desperately seeking since the switch. Sione Pouha and Kenyon Coleman (assuming he isn't cut) provide decent depth at best.

At linebacker the Jets look to go Linebacker X, Barton, Harris and Pace across. Pace and Bryan Thomas are the same type of linebacker (rushing type, not guys who can cover tight ends) so this might spell the end of Thomas' career with the Jets. He's a bit too expensive to be a backup. Bowen will be gone too. Despite Team Tangini's talk of depth, Jets seem a bit bare at linebacker still.

The quarterback position is still a mess. Certainly, the line should be much better this season at keeping either Clemens or Pennington upright, but the choice at quarterback remains Pennington or Clemens - one is too raw and the other still has a weak arm. With the additions the Jets made through free agency, the quarterback position is the most glaring weakness on the team right now.

The signings mean the Jets can draft less for need and more for talent with their picks. I don't believe Darren McFadden will be around at 6, but if he is - go get him. I think the Jets might be better served trading down a bit to get a few more picks or maybe a corner or speed receiver - available a bit lower down in round one.

All in all I like the moves the Jets made - especially Jenkins (a good calculated gamble - and his contract is not nearly as bad as originally thought), Faneca (sure they overpaid, but what choice did they have? They needed him) and Woody. I think they totally overpaid for Pace but to be honest, I don't know anything about him. Perhaps they could have gotten more value drafting Vernon Ghoulston, but time will tell.

On some level, these moves smack of a bit of desperation - desperation on Team Tangini's part, knowing that they have to win now or they will be jobless next January and desperation of an owner, Woody Johnson, who is sick of watching the Patriots and now worse, the Giants, bringing home the glory. Maybe the Jets needed this kick in the pants to succeed - and certainly the Giants super bowl win has taught us you don't need to be a perfect team to win - so with a few breaks and a good draft, this could end up working out great.

If not, the Jets just saddled themselves with a number of bad contracts.

Let's pull for the former.

Even More Jets

2008-03-03T18:55:00.000-05:00

The Daily News is reporting (via ESPN.com) that Calvin Pace has agreed to the Jets offer (including 22 million in guaranteed money) and that the Jets are close to sifgning Damie Woody for 5 million a year too.

Was the salary cap abolished over the weekend?

Cimini Hates the Proposed Robertson Trade

2008-03-03T13:30:00.000-05:00

"GM Mike Tannenbaum panicked on the Robertson trade, giving him up for a couple of second-day picks."

True - but as he also points out, the Jets lost their leverage when they traded for Jenkins. Also, Robertson had a big cap number and the Jets are in the process of signing 340 free agents this off season. Trading Robertson saves about 8 million according to Cimini.

Looks like Damien Woody might be joining the fold to play right guard for the Jets, who suddenly have a decent (but not great, unless D'brick gets a whole lot better this season) offensive line.

Jets are also looking at RB Jessie Chatman from the Dolphins (a move I don't get) and are still waiting on Pace to get back to them.

The signings allow the Jets more flexibility on draft day - since they aren't locked into a need position.

Lots To Recap

2008-03-02T00:10:00.000-05:00

Pardon the spelling and grammar - I'm going to pump this out and go:

- Looks like Faneca is a Jet - 5 years and 40 million dollars - 21 of which is guaranteed. A bit much, and he'll be 36 when all is said and done, but I think the Jets need to make this move.

- The Vilma trade is for a 2008 4th rounder. IF Vilmas hits certain levels this season, the Jets could get a 2 or 3 NEXT year and give the Saints back a 4th rounder.

- Tannenbaum indicated that the Jets could keep Dewayne Robertson, which would entail restructuring his contract. He also said trading Vilma had most to do with his free agent status next year (BS) and the fact that the Jets have good depth inside (even more BS).

All in all, landing Jenkins, getting a 4th rounder this year and landing Faneca = a good 2 days for the Jets.

- G'town escaped Marquette with a very much needed, though apparently controversial, win. Huge win for the Hoyas, who desperately needed a big road win and got one against the 21st ranked Golden Eagles.

- Ryan Church collided with Marlon A - both are hurt - Church has a concussion and needs a CAT scan.

- Carlos Delgado has a bad hip and needed to fly back to NY for an MRI.

In other words, very bad day for the Mets.

Jets Buzz

2008-02-29T14:05:00.000-05:00

Tons to talk about here including:

- Jets trading for 3 time pro bowler Kris Jenkins for a third and fifth round pick (good - even if his health is somewhat suspect)

- Jets being a front runner for the services of left guard Alan Faneca (at 8 million bucks a year) to stabilize the left side of the line and tutor D'brick and Mangold (good - hey, it's not my money and the cap got bigger)

- Jets trading Dewayne Robertson or moving him to an end position if they trade for Jenkins (depends on what they get)

- Jets trading Jon Vilma for a conditional pick in 2009 - topping out at a third rounder terrible terrible terrible)

As I have said may times, Vilma is a talented play maker who didn't fit in as the middle guy in the 3-4 of Mangini. So.....move him outside. He can't be as good as the Victor Hobson's of the world? Wouldn't you want this guy blitzing from the outside? It makes no sense. The Jets defense needs help now - getting a possible third rounder in '09 isn't going to stop the run or sack the QB this season.

AND A BIT OF MET BUZZ

Johan Santana gets his first start today. Gentlemen, start your engines.

Be Nice To Me...

2008-02-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

I'm giving blood today. To me this is not a big deal. Some people get all creeped out watching their life force escape through a thin, clear tube, but not me. Nor do I suffer any particular after effects. So yeah, it's pretty easy. Not to mention free apple juice.

But it got me thinking about what this simlpe act symbolizes to the recipients of all this blood - the idea of basic human kindness. Basic Human kindness. The process by which you stop and help someone carry their groceries to their car, carry their suitcase up a flight of steps for them at Penn Station, or hell, even saying good morning to them on the street.

Basic human kindness. It's such a no brainer. Say hello, ask if you can help, say thank you. Don't wait to be asked to help alleviate someones burden - as the great Nike would say "just do it".

Sadly, I feel the modern era is an era of great selfishness. It's all about me, what's in it for me - how do I get mine. And like everything else, the further away we get from something, the harder it is to do. The further we sink into self-centered-ness, the harder it it to think about other people.

I'm no saint. Often, I help people because it makes me feel good about myself, not necessarily out of any sense of altruism. But at the end of the day, this certainly is a case of the ends justifying the means. After all, what's the downside of being nice to someone, even if you get something out of it too?

So be nice to me, I'm giving blood today. And remember, what goes around often comes around. Many cultures incorporate the idea of karma into their philosophies in some form or another. Do good to others and, perhaps, the karma gods will smile on you.

And besides, you never know when your back will be hurting and someone might offer you help with the groceries.

Or, heaven forbid, it might be you who needs that pint of blood.

Thoughts In Green And Orange

2008-02-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

While I formulate a few non-sports posts (perhaps even a foray into fiction again?), a couple of notes to hold you over:

- So Carlos Beltran has decided to step into the void and become a Team Leader. After giving the impression the last two seasons that he was possibly mute, Beltran provided the Phillies with some early season fodder by saying the Mets are the team to beat in the East this season after getting Santana from the Twins. Take that Jimmy Rollins!

Even more bizarre (and I'm using the version of the story I heard on Boomer and Carton, not the one reported in the papers), Beltran complained to manager Willie Randolph that the batting practice pitchers (usually fringe guys trying to make an impression) were bringing too much heat/pitching too inside/not letting him go out there and hack 1o homers. So Willie, being the guy he is, says sure, no problem. He then has Johan Santana pitch to Beltran. Santana then immediately drill Beltran in the arm so hard, the stitching of the ball was still imprinted on his skin several hours later.

I can't help but love this story (assuming it's true). I'm all for Beltran stepping up as a team leader but seriously son, where were you during the September collapse? Where were you while David Wright stood in front of the cameras last season and took it like a man? You want to be a team leader, earn it.

As for Santana - shows he has a nasty streak in him as well - definitely something you want to see from your ace.

As for this dividing the clubhouse - I am not concerned. I think this type of behavior, if properly cultivated, galvanizes everyone.

- Rumors are now out that the Jets are actively shopping both Jon Vilma and DeWayne Robertson. Robertson's huge contract (I believe he has a 6.8 million dollar salary with a 3 million dollar roster bonus coming soon) makes him definitely worth trading but, I imagine, very hard to trade. Word on the street is that the Broncos are interested in the 26 year old underweight nose tackle if they can restructure his contract. I'd take a third rounder to get rid of him - assuming the cap hit won't be too monstrous.

As for Vilma - I simply cannot understand it. As I've said many times before, if Vilma truly is not a good fit to play inside backer in Mangini's 3-4 scheme,fine. Make him an outside linebacker. Are you telling me he's not a vast improvement over guys like Victor Hobson and Bryan Thomas? You are telling me he can't cover a running back out of the backfield or rush a quarterback. He's fast and strong. In fact, he's probably BETTER suited to play outside. I'm much more comfortable knowing I have a Vilma and a David Harris on my roster rather than just having one. Imagine if the Jets draft a Ghoulston type at 6. Then you have Ellis and Ghoulston at the edges, nose tackle X, Harris, Vilma, Linebackers X and Y - and a pretty decent secondary behind them. all of a sudden your defense just upgraded from Crappy to Not So Bad.

Living a Torah Life in a Very Un-Torah World

2008-02-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

Some anonymous comment in Joe's blog linked to this op-ed in the Five Towns Jewish Times (be sure to read the highly entertaiing comments attached at the bottom of the page). Without me getting started on my personal thoughts about Mr. Gordon and his weekly right-wing agenda filled paper (yes, they are almost entirely negative - and not a week goes by where at least three "articles" in there make me riled up enough to send an angry letter in - until I realize that they wouldn't print anyhting with four letter words in it anyway; and hey, if they want to push their agenda, what right do I have to stop them? After all, no one is forcing me to read it - I could use it for a better purpose like kindling for firewood), the op-ed did, unintentionally, bring up a very interesting line of thought for me.

The op-ed itself discussed a story of a Rav who was told that some rich dude from the Five Towns spend a quarter mil on a private plane to go to the Super Bowl in Arizona and watch the Giants defeat the evil Patriots. This Rav could not wrap his mind around the fact that people would spent so much money on frivolity while there are people in the neighborhood who can barely afford their kids' tuition bills.

[A quick aside (rant): Now, just about everything that there is to be said on the subject of tuition, giving tzedakah and the like has been said. I am not going to sit here and say that Rich Person X has no right to spend his money on frivolity, nor am I going to tell you Rich Person X should spend his money this way. I am also not going to tell you how or where people should give their tzedakah, nor will you be hearing me giving any halachic rulings on maasar money like Mr. Gordon does in his. (I am no expert on the "20% rule" as he appears to be.) I am not going to bemoan the fact that there are so many people in my neighborhood (and I bet in yours too) that feel that they must take the family on vacation over winter break even though they really cannot afford it, that they must spend $6,000 on sleepaway camp even though they can't really afford it. Pretty much everything that can be said on these issues has been said. I understand social/economic pressue and how it can rip a hole in a family. I understand (whether right or wrong) the people who do these things but then ask for a tuition break from the school because they cannot afford to send their 4 kids to school at a cost of 12 to 15 thousand dollars a kid. Because why should your kids be the only ones who have to stay home during intercession or over the summer? That's the new world order that we live in. That people who make decent livings can no longer providers for their family. The pressure to provide for your family is immense these days. So yes, somewhere along the line we went trerribly wrong. But I'm not going to get into that today - it's a topic for another time. End rant)

The op-ed did touch upon an issue which almost all orthodox jews struggle with in modern times (yes, even the rich ones) - the fine line we all must walk between being a so called "Torah Jew", but one who lives in a modern society. Rabbi Hershel Billet, Rabbi at the Young Israel of Woodmere, often mentions in his drashas that these are extremely difficult times to live in. At first glance, this sounds silly. After all, these are (current real estate recession notwithstanding) generally prosperous times - people are making lots of money and living well above the poverty line. (Of course this is not the case for everyone - but again, the idea that we all must give tzedakah, while imperative, is not the thrust of this article.)

Even so, with great wealth, they say, comes great responsibility. Not to mention great difficulty. We all have computers giving us access to pretty much anyhting and everything there is (including high risk areas for our kids such as instant messenging, Facebook and Myspace). We all have 52 inch LCD tv's to watch people like Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan self destruct for all to see in glorious high definition. Even if you do not allow a television in your home and have Koshernet, our kids are exposed to things that would have been completely unheard of 20 years ago. You can't even walk in the City anymore without being exposed to many images which don't fit in to most people's idea of tznious. Especially in summer.

So yes, despite our relative prosperity, or perhaps because of it, these are difficult times with many challenges. More money means the ability to blow; if not $250,000, then maybe 10 grand on going to see your beloved Giants. It means dropping between 6 and 8 thou on 5 glorious days in Miami over winter break - where you get to see a jaw dropping amount of activity that makes you wonder if our children are even being taught Jewish subjects in school. It means packing up the family for Pesach at the Biltmore.

And it's not just about money. It's about ideas and attitudes that change (erode?) over time. My dad is a very smart man. But he's also a man very set in his ways and ideas. His beliefs when it comes to Judaism tend to be very rigid. I tend to be more open to new ideas than he is. I tend to take the position that I believe what I believe, you believe what you believe, and neither one of us is necessarily "correct" - rather, each person must live the way they so chose based on what they know.

Without trying to sound preachy or corny, there is a framework that we all must work within - the framework of the Torah. And as each generation goes by - as each generation becomes more and more receptive to the outside influences, well then I guess we all lose just a bit of that connection we have with our past.

Do I have answers? Of course not. I know it's easy to say "go live in a cave". It's more difficult to try and navigate the world. It's also impractical to tell everyone to go live in that cave. After all, someone's father-in-law is paying for all the cave dwellers.

So navigate the world we must. In trying times with trying challenges. So regardless of whether you are rich as hell and blowing your money on silly, pretty things or late every month on your cell phone bill in order to make sure you can have company this shabbos (average price of that, about $200), these are problems we all have to face. No one is immune from the slow shredding of a moral fiber.

Perhaps Mr. Gordon will provide us with the answers we seek in next week's FTJT.

We can only hope.

Thoughts From The Last Few Days

2008-02-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

- Yes Georgetown is 20-3 and controlling the Big East with a 10-2 conference record. Yes, they has the best field goal defense in Division I. Yes, they have a franchise type college center and a number of athletic swing guys who can shoot and play D. But this team is seriously flawed.

Consider:

* The guards consistently fail to run more of the offense through Roy Hibbert despite the fact that not only is he 7 freaking 2, but he's a very good passer.

* John Wallace (and Jesse Sapp) all of a sudden can't hit threes.

* The team looks severely disinterested on offense for large stretches of them game.

* They won a game on a miracle Ewing block, a miracle Villanova fouls with .1 seconds on the clock, a miracle Hibbert three - they could just as easily be 17-6 right now.

* DaJuan Summers has not taken the leap forward i was expecting since last year. Therefore, G'town lacks the second scorer. Summers has a good shooting touch and is athletic and tall enough to get to the rim. He seems to lack the motivation.

Yikes. When you factor all this together, a sweet 16 "upset" in the NCAA tournament wouldn't shock me at all.

- This is an excellent breakdown of yesterday's congressional Clemens hearing. Enjoy.

- And now the antithesis of the Clemens scandal - Johan Santana has reported to spring training for the Mets. This is huge news and very exciting for Mets fans. But please can we stop with the prognosticating of a 25-4, 1.60 era and 300 k's? Please?

- How long until the NFL draft?

Congress Grill Clemens

2008-02-13T14:15:00.000-05:00

I'm watchig this live on ESPN.com. WOW.

But seriously, is this really what we are spending our tax dollars on? Poor Mike Stanton just got his name thrown under the bus.

And Jose Conseco's BBQ? sounds like a good time. Roger claims he was playing golf at the time. Riveting stuff.

Not Quite Belichick But.....

2008-02-08T12:30:00.000-05:00

Some thoughts for a Friday:

- While my dislike of Miami turncoat Pat Riley doesn't get to the level of disdain I have for that coach of the Pats, it's still pretty high on the hate meter.

Still, massive kudos to Riley for not only trading away a 35 year old, out of shape player for a better talent, but he managed to trade away Shaq's huge (over 50 million remaining over the next 2 and a half years) contract. Unbelieveable trade for the Heat and a huge gamble for the Suns.

- Can't see this Schilling thing ending well. Sadly, now the Sox only have 5 front line starters (The Ace, Dice K, Buchholtz, Lester and Wakefield) going into the season to battle the hated Yankees. I hope they can be ok (sarcasm).

- The stunning footage of the Israeli policeman shooting the suicide bomber in Dimona is just that - stunning. It's right out of a movie. One wonders if this first bombing in over a year was an isolated case or if more will follow.

The Foil Theory

2008-02-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

I know someone who makes terrible decions. I mean realy, truly, deeply terrible decisions about how to live her/his life. Relationships, opportunities, etc.; you name it, he/she seems to pick the dead wrong approach 9 out of 10 times. That's a 90% Wrong Rate for you non-math majors.

After hearing a story about a recent poor life choice by this person, it got me thinking. Why do people make poor choices? Who is making poor choices more often and why? Is it intelligence? Is it an inability to think critically on an issue? Certainly these things all play a part, but there seems to be more to it. Many smart people make dumb choices. So why?

And from this grew Elster's Foil Theory.

Now, I fully admit to not being particularly learned, so if this is some famous psychological theory, well I didn't steal it - I'm just not a very original thinker. With that disclaimer out of the way, onto the theory.

The Foil Theory is simple. When making decisions of any type, but especially when making major decisons, it is very helpful for a person to have a foil - that person or persons who can examine your idea from an impartial distance and let you know if it makes sense or it you are making a horrible mistake. Someone to say to you "um, I think that maybe sleeping with that hooker with the red blotches on her face and neck isn't a very good idea".

You get my point. Sometimes a person is too close to an issue to see it clearly from both sides. That's when mistakes get made. That's where the foil comes in.

When you are a kid, your foils are your parents. They guide you and help you make (hopefully)smart decisions. As you get older and stop listening to your parents, your friends become your foils (and this is the reason that it's important to surround yourself with good, smart and trustworthy friends - as if you needed a reason). Eventually, your spouse/partner becomes your foil.

In fact and upon further review, part of finding your "soul mate" is finding that person with whom you have a symbiotic foil relationship with. For example, in my house the missus makes sure my tie matches my suit (foils can help with the small stuff too).

Foils are key to our decision making process. How often we regret making uninformed, spur of the moment decisons versus decisons that were properly contemplated? The truth is I don't know, but if I had to guess, it makes sense to say that the former is more regretted.

It also brings up an interesting issue. When people get married later in life, we often admonish their decisons and cal them "too set in their ways". Well, isn't that the same thing as saying they lack foil? A 40 year old (wo)man isn't going to listen to their parents, their friends are married and out of the day to day of their lives, and they don't have the partner/spouse foil. Thus, they begin to make all of their decisions on their own - without the voice of reason telling them that x, y or z may not be such a good idea.

Of course, older, unmarried people can have foils too. I'm not suggesting otherwise. You can find your foil in many places, not necessarily in the Big Three (parents, friends and spouses). I do not mean to say that the Big Three is all inclusive. But those are certaily the most common.

So...the Foil Theory. I kind of like it.

What Does This Say About Me?

2008-02-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

As I walked through Penn Station this morning on the way to the office, I saw literally hundreds of Giant fans decked out in blue (or white), smiles on their faces, as they headed to the Canyon of Heroes and the Giants ticker tape parade.

Am I resentful of them? No. Do I wish they hadn't won the Super Bowl? No again. I hate the Giants but their team did win one for the ages, so let them have their celebration.

But as I watched them gather - as I saw a father and son get off the train together to head to see their guys, for the first time really I realized how badly I want to go to that parade. Before it was always about how badly I wanted the Jets to win the Super Bowl - but now I see it's something more than that. I want to take part in the celebration of that win. And for the first time, I'm starting to wonder if it will happen in my lifetime. I mentioned this in my post yesterday as well. The Jets are a crappy franchise, snakebit by bad luck, poor management and poor coaching. They have had exactly one transcendent player in their history (Joe Willie) and have come ohsoclose already a few times, never being able to seal the deal. There were bad losses in the mud in Miami and the thin air of Denver - always coming up just short of the ultimate date.

So what do I feel? Bitterness, jealousy, hell even a touch of sadness. As i come tantalizingly close to 35, I would have thought winning a Super Bowl would have been a been there done that experience by now. Instead, I'll be watching a weak armed Chad Pennington figh with interception machine Kellen Clemens for the right to get sacked 75 times next year behind a terrible offensive line. Not exactly the kind of thoughts you should be having whrn your city is gearing up for a Super Bowl champions parade.

On second thought, yeah - I DO hate those Giant fans after all.

And David Flung The Stone At Goliath....

2008-02-04T13:40:00.000-05:00

And so it all ended last night. The game ended with a Giants victory. The Patriots season ended with a horrific thud - the perfect, copyrighted 19-0 season vaporized like the Pat offensive line behind a wall of Big Blue. My evening ended with a stomach ache featuring too many buffalo wings, too many beers and too much hard Calabrese salami.

And sure, as a Jet fan watching the hated Giants beat the even more hated Patriots wasn't any fun. In fact, it was downright awful. My buddy Andrew ket muttering "Giant fans don't deserve this" under his breath as Eli pulled a Peyton and kept getting the Giants back. Not after they had turned on Eli all season, not after they had pushed to fire the coach all season.

Maybe he's right and maybe he's wrong but last night, a 12 point underdog went to Arizona and pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in Super Bowl history (though not bigger than my Jets beating the Colts with Broadway Joe and putting the unified NFL on the map).

Sure, it could have gone the other way. Manning threw a number of wobbly floaters that could/should have been picked off. Assante Samuels dropped a killer on the final drive. David Tyree's catch seemed more miracle than skill. Toomer got away with a very obvious offensive pass interference on a scoring drive.

But at the end of the day, you need to give credit where credit is due. The Giants defensive line was the best unit on the field and Super Tom looked very human while sitting on his butt and glaring at his offensive line. The Giants are Super Bowl champs. Eli justified the draft day trade and goes into the New York Legends sports book alongside Joe Namath and Phil Simms. An old and angry coach is a media darling and earned himself a fat new contract. A defensive coordinator is about to become a well paid head coach. Good for them (I saw with bared teeth and deep bitterness).

As my 35th birthday rapidly approaches (March 8 - Elster is taking gifts of all sizes), I am begining to wonder if my beloved Jets will ever win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. I've seen a Stanley Cup (greatest sports highlight of my life) as well as a World Series (and who knows, maybe another is in my future...you listening Mr. Santana???) but nothing would mean more to me than a Jets Super Bowl win. But will it ever happen? The Jets seem to be a snakebit franchise constantly made worse by poor management.

On the bright side, at least the Patriots lost - their dream of perfection laying tattered on the turf. Though it's hard to root against that Wes Welker.

On a final note - not to be outdone as the sleazeball I keep telling you all he is, Bill Belichick ran off the field with time remaining on the clock. He's a real class act all the way. At least he shook Coughlin's hand.

Super Bowl Prediction

2008-02-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

I've been running this game around in my head for a few days and none of the numbers I come up with make me comfortable....still I need to get on record.

The spread is 12 points as of today. Barring a miracle, the Giants should cover. The Pats are a boring story which is why all the press coverage has been focused on Eli's miraculous string of games, Plaxico's insane prediction and the Giants ability to get after a one legged Brady. This is putting the "buzz" in the Gint's corner.

But you can't give Belichick two weeks to prepare for anything. Belichick could win the war in Iraq if he had 2 weeks to prepare for it. Throw in the Giants decent but not great secondary vs Wes Welker and Randy Moss and the inevitable Eli Manning horrible interception...

All that being said, tough moral dilema here. I'm a New York fan who hates all of the other New York teams. But I also hate the Pats. Also, shouldn't I root for the AFC over the NFC?

No contest. I'll be (begrudgingly) rooting for the Giants, who will lose to New England 41-20.

Everything's Coming Our Way - Santana (Greatest Hits, 1974)

2008-01-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

I first heard the NEWS from Joe in the afternoon. It's done, reported USA Today. The Mets had traded for Johan Santana, giving up, in essence, four ok prospects for arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

Within two hours I had sent or received about 45 Johan Santana related emails with my buddies. Joe even purchased a Sunday game plan on the spot (right after my excited - this is the first legit ACE the Mets have had since Gooden - email), professing his re-kindled man love for the Mets after The Collapse.

On the street to the train, it was the buzz. One dopey fan was even talking about a Mets-Yankees world series. On the train, bitter Yankee fans bemoaning how much better the Yanks offer was. Don't worry guys, you still have Andy Petite, the Steinbrenner brother, and a horrible steroid cloud hanging over the Bronx.

Good trade? Oh. I'd say so. ESPN's baseball analyst Peter Gammons could barely keep the disdain out of his voice when discussing the Mets prospects given away. Gomes is ok, Humber "is not a prospect", Mulvey has "a decent arm" and then there was "the guy in A ball". WOW, sounds a little like a dollar for 2 quarters trade to me. I'll take it.

Are the Mets a shoe in for the world series? No. But all of a sudden you are looking at a rotation of Santana, Pedro, Maine (who, don't forget, pitched a one hit, 8 inning gem in a do or die game the second to last day of the season, a game I'm predicting will be leap game in his development) and OP - followed by the discount menu of Pelfrey, el Duque (for about 10 starts) etc.

Sure, the bullpen still sucks, but what if Sanchez comes back healthy? What if Schoenweis has a bounce back year? what if Heilman can get himself together? What if the Mets sign Livan (Mr. 200 innings) Hernandez to a reasonable contract, move El Duque to the pen (unhittable in short stretches) and move Pelfrey (unhittable for short stretches) to the pen? Now you have Johan, Pedro, Main, OP and Livan starting and Duque, Pelfrey, Heilman, Sanchez, Schoenweis and Wagner in the pen - with a little Jorge Sosa thrown in since we don't have enough Latin Americans on the team. And you have 3 guys in your pen who can start if a starter gets injured. All of a sudden not so bad right?

Sure, this is all in the dreaming stage. Santana has to pass his physical and sign a contract (shouldn't be a problem) and the Mets have to perform. But this is a great start. This is buzz. This is stealing the back page from the hated Yankees. This is about hope and excitement.

Now picture this. You are a Wilpon. You are worried about how this move (and all the moves that need to happen to make this work) will effect your bottom line. You are nervous about giving Johan 6-7 years and 150-160 mill. Wait a second, you think. I'm opening up a new stadium (cha-ching) and ad revenues at my tv network are about to rip through the roof (cha-ching). You relax, sip your frozen beverage and light up your Venezuelan cigar. Life is good.

Now please Omar, let's get that contract signed.

Slow But Steady

2008-01-29T12:10:00.000-05:00

Nice to see that the mainstream media is finally picking up on what I mentioned months ago - that Jason Kidd was intentionally tanking his season to force a trade. Wow, thanks for playing guys, we have some nice parting gifts for you at the door.

This does have a nice karmic circle to it though. A few years ago Vince Carter (recently voted one of the 4 biggest underachievers in the NBA - nice) tanked his way out of Toronto and the Nets picked him up for 10 cents on the dollar. Now the Nets will have to trade Kidd for expiring contracts and another 10 cents on the dollar - then watch him lead some team deep in the playoffs. It actually sounds kinda fair - unless you are a Nets fan.

Pre-Vacation Thoughts

2008-01-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

Since I'll be out of the office next week for my kids winter break, here are some quick thoughts on sports:

- There seem to be more Knick rumors of shot down trades flying around; Balkman and Nate for Artest (like we need another insane forward on the team), Crawford package for Larry Hughes package (isn't that a step DOWN??), 2 different scenarios for Vince Carter (um, no thank you - we already have enough quitters on our team).

It's unclear if Isaiah Thomas is just being true to his word that all players are "untouchable" or if there is a Dolanian mandate not to add salaries. Either way, I'm not thrilled about any trade that adds salary to this team unless the Knicks are getting back a true point guard. Sadly, my trade scenario involving Andre Miller no longer makes sense because (a) since he's opted to take the rest of the season off, er I mean have surgery, Marbury is untradeable now until next year when he becomes an expiring contract and (b) despite the fact that he cannot score, David Lee should really be untouchable - he is one of only a few players who plays hard all the tie and he rebounds too well.

In the interim, the Knicks have won three straight and are playing their best basketball of the season. Jamaal Crawford is starting to show his otherworldly skills, taking over games at the rigth time AND at the same time, not making all the dumb mistakes that have plagued him up until now. And they want to trade him for Larry Hughes?

- The editor of Golfweek Magazine was fired today after putting a noose on the cover of the 'zine after the Kelly Tilgman's "lynching" comment about Tiger Woods. I wholeheartedly agree this guy deserves to get canned. Tilghman's comment, while idiotic, was harmless. Tilghman (who made the off the cuff comment, possibly with 2 seconds of thought) didn't seem to mean it in a racist way (though admittedly I don't know this). Tilghman got suspended (which I disagree with but I can certainly live with - I would have argued a public reprimand would have been enough) but Dave Seanor consciously made a decision to fan flames. Why? To sell a few more magazines that probably no more than 10 people read anyway? So bad judgement call on his part and he's paying the price.

- And now for what you truly want to hear, my predictions for this weekend's championship games.

Giants/Pack - Everyone seems to be waffling on this one. The Giants have a great D-line which can put pressure on Favre, making him less effective. Eli has been much improved and the running game (important in cold cold weather) is fantastic right now.

But here's the thing - Playing in zero degree conditions in Lambeau Field - one of the hardest places to play in general, with Brett Favre looking like a guy of destiny at 38 - with the freezing field and the crazy crowd and the frigid temperatures - who would YOU put your money on, Eli Manning or Brett Favre?

Exactly. Packers 24-Giants 17.

Pats/Superchargers - No one is waffling on this one. What's to say. Tom Brady is playing out of his mind, the Pats are healthy and the Chargers are not. Antonio Gates is hobbled at best and don't think for one second the evil coach Bill Belichick isn't giving the "sweep the leg Jonny" speech to his locker room about LDT. And Phil Rivers, even if he goes, hasn't practiced all week. How confident are you with Billy Volek out there? On the other hand, the Chargers can get at Brady, they have Cromartie blanketing Moss and Jammer on Welker and they have 2 game changing linebackers.

But in the end, let me quote Peter King:

"But football is such a great game because who could see the Jags winning twice at Heinz Field in a month and the Chargers defeating the Colts with Tomlinson and Rivers on the sideline? So I would never say San Diego doesn't have a chance -- especially after giving up 12 points a game over the last eight games. They'll send the house at Brady and hope to force some turnovers. But we've read that script throughout this season, and it always ends the same way."

Pats 34-Chargers 20.

Have a good week.

Couple of Thoughts on a Slow Afternoon

2008-01-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

- Bill Simmons linked this amazing story about former Jets head coach Pete Carroll. While obviously he didn't have great success on the NFL level (33-31 in four seasons), I will never look at him the same way again. Sometimes we get a little too caught up in short term success. Perhaps Carroll wasn't ready in 1994-98 to be a head coach in the NFL.

Regardless, reading this piece completely changed my view of Carroll (unfairly that of a crappy NFL head coach). Just the part about his regular trips into South Central LA make me remember that your success or lack thereof at your job should never define the person that you are. Go Pete.

- If there is a more selfish player in New York sports than Stephon Marbury, please point him out to me. Despite his diminishing skills, the over hyped point guard continually refuses to play a team game, and, after a string of bizarre incidents this past summer:

1. selfishly bailed out on the team and flew home during a pivotal west coast trip, effectively killing any positive karma that may have existed

2. selfishly took WAAAAY too much time off after his father died. Look, I know people mourn in different ways, but imagine taking an entire month off after your parent died at work. How would that go over?

3. selfishly (reported) decided to have surgery on his ankle and is taking off the remainder of the 2007/2008 season.

Well guess what Steph? The Knicks are 2-0 since your latest injury and are playing much better team basketball without you. Isaiah Thomas was quoted as saying the team is playing crisper, ball movement basketball without Starbury. So by all means, go have your surgery.

Sadly, the Knicks cannot get out from under Steph's contract. However, if I was Dolan and trading Steph is impossible (which, of course, it is), I'd tell Marbury to take a seat at the end of the bench - there to remain until his contract expires and then he can then fulfill his lifelong dream of playing in Italy. But I wouldn't let Thomas or any other coach let him step one foot on the floor to play except meaningless garbage time. This would wound the ego of any self respecting player. On the other hand, Marbury continually shows he has no self respect so maybe this wouldn't work after all.

- Can I Get A Side Order Of Insanity With That?

- Gawker.com has released this unbelievable video of Crazy Hollywood Start Du Jour, Tom Cruise, that the Church of Scientology uses to promote its nutty cult. On the heels of last week's rumors that his baby with Joey Potter is really the spawn of the late (he's not really dead, just in another galaxy) L. Ron Hubbard himself puts Scientology back on the great map of kool-ade drinkers everywhere.

In this brilliantly zany video, Cruise describes how Scientologists are the ones who can bring about world peace, save lives, stop accidents - all while having a grand old time. Really, you have to give credit to someone who can whip up that kind of crazy fervor and insane laughter in a 10 minute span. Kudos Tom. You've done it again. And here I thought you peaked in A Few Good Men.

On the same vein, coincidentally I got a call from an old classmate yesterday about the possibility of an elementary school reunion. while we were talking about a venue, my friend laughed and reminded me that I had the dubious honor of going to school with the hottest leader of the new Kabbalah movement - "Rabbi" Michal Berg -son of Philip Berg - the noted Kabbalah "scholar" and possible charlatan.

I remember spending time in his house in Kew Gardens as a kid and even then, the word "cult" sprung to mind. Watching the followers of the Kabbalist Berg cleaning up dog poop from the rug and generally being mistreated by Michael and his older brother Yehuda, even a 12 year old kid knew this wasn't normal behavior. Shabbos at the Berg house was even more loopy. (In retrospect, I'm shocked my parents would even let me go there. I'll need to have a talk with them about that when they come back from their Israel vacation.)

And now Michael and Yehuda are running the show in California, hanging out with notables like Madonna and writing self help books that don't help. What a world.

Running The Gamut

2008-01-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

One of the local Jewish papers had an "expose" article this past week regarding a letter that was supposed to be sent home to all high school age students in the Five Towns and Far Rockaway areas. The letter was a stern warning about proper behavior during upcoming winter vacation breaks - acting properly, dressing properly, etc. Basically it can be loosely translated to say that just because your parents let you go to Miami alone for a week doesn't mean you should be doing copious amounts of sex, booze and drugs will walking along the boardwalk virtually naked.

According to the Jewish Star, every principal in the FT and FR agreed in principle to the letter and it was supposed to go out, in some form or another, to all students. Each school could tweak it as they say fit, but the message about being on vacation doesn't mean you are on vacation from Judaism remains. However, it appears a few of the principals of certain righter wing yeshivas dropped out at the last minute and momentum ground to a halt as the wheels came flying off.

For starters, I personally think the letter was a good idea. I've been to Miami during intersession and there is a free for all - type element that does exist there. I'm not saying that every teenage kid down in Miami is acting in an inappropriate manner, but what I am saying is that there is a very decent sized population of orthodox kids who are behaving in a way that defy any religious rationalization.

The sad thing is, the "evildoing" kids are simply written off as "oh, those kids are from Haftr/Halb/Flatbush/Ramaz etc." Sadly, despite being a silly oversimplification about who the "problem children" tend to be, it's completely untrue. It is my understanding that many children in even the more right wing schools are not immune to sowing their wilder oats during vacations with girls, drugs and booze.

So the question I have is, why did these yeshivos pull out? Why would ANYONE be opposed to this idea? Even if you are a good kid, does it ever hurt to be reminded not to act like a jackass?

It got me thinking. Perhaps some of the principals pulled out for fear of being associated with the letter. Perhaps Yeshivah ____ ____ did not want to be grouped into the same association with a Haftr or Halb type school. Perhaps by not agreeing to be included in the letter, the principal believes the message he is sending is, "yes we recognize there are issues with teens acting inappropriately, but that type of behavior doesn't happen in MY school so there's no reason to be included in this letter". To me, that's misguided thinking. I understand it, but I disagree with it. And of course, once one school bugs out, others are sure to follow.

Of course, I don't know what's going through anyone's head - if this is the reason why a Minahel would decide against a letter (some of the rabbanim who pulled out were quotes as agreeing with the letter's contents and saying it was a fine idea - well if it's such a fine idea, put your name to it?) but I was struggling to come up with plausible alternatives. After all, our society is almost as much about perception as it is about reality. No yeshiva wants to be included into anything which even whiffs of looking bad.

The reality is, however, ALL our kids need to be warned about proper behavior. The Yetzer Horah, as far as I can tell, attempts to thwart the deeds of all kids, not just Modern Orthodox ones. And yes, I certainly am aware that the wrongdoers on frolicking on the beaches of Miami in full view of the public tend to be the more modern kids, but don't kid yourselves into thinking more right wing kids are immune. I guaranty you they are not. I could fill a book with just my own personal knowledge.

If it were up to me, this letter would have been put in every knapsack and sent home to every parent. Parents need to be aware there are problems, especially those exceptionally blind ones who think their kids can do no wrong. But it won't be - another good idea tossed to the side of the road like a used wrapper.

People are quick to forget. They are quick to forget the tragedy that took place last year during intersession when a kid committed suicide (quickly swept under the rug after it happened) and they forget the distaste they had seeing all these kids whooping it up like they were participants in the MTV beach house. They forget that in order to fix problems you first need to admit there ARE problems.

End rant. Here's wishing everyone who reads this (or doesn't read this) a wonderful winter break.

Thoughts From The Last Few Days

2008-01-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

- Overheard a group of men in shul this morning arguing about people's requirements to support the shul the daven in sometimes but don't consider that particular shul their "regular" shul. One guy was arguing that if you daven in a particular shul every day except Shabbos, you should support it. The other group countered that by dropping your dollar in the shul's tzeddakah box every morning, you are contributing about 200 bucks a year to the shul and that's good enough.

When I was growing up, we davened in a little shteible on shabbos, and that was out shul. we also davened at one shul Friday night and a different place shabbos afternoon. It was a real mishmash. However, my dad always gave money to each one, though he saved his biggest support for the REAL shul, the shteible we all hated going to.

For the first time in my life, I now have only one shul to call "my shul". I daven there both during the week and on shabbos. And while their dues are insanely high (1,200 bucks a year, not counting the building fund), at least I no longer have to fret over this issue.

But since you are all curious, I think that while it's all well and good to call your shabbos shul your "shul", if you are constantly using another facility, even if it's "only" for shacharis during the week, you should pony up to support that shul. it only seems fair.

- Though I have not watched much rangers hockey as of late, they seem to be in big trouble. There is so much firepower on this team (on paper at least) yet they cannot score.43 or so games into the season, you can no longer make the argument the players are still gelling. It's time to start playing.

Also, is Jagr done? Is the tank finally empty? I for one am hoping for the Alex Ovetchkin upgrade this off season.

- The Knicks suck - even if they did manage to win last night on the road for just the second time this season in 15 tries. And can coach Thomas please stop making insane comments about winning championships?

- Georgetown was dominant against an inferior Depaul team last night. They are so deep and so talented, that despite their early season loss to Memphis, I believe this team can win a national championship.

Report: Ryan to take over for Sutton

2008-01-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

Note: This is based on a report and is unofficial:

ESPN.com is reporting that soon to be fired Rob Ryan, the current defensive coordinator for the Raiders ( son of hallowed defensive mind Buddy Ryan and brother of Ravens coordinator Rex), will replace soon to be fired D-coordinator of the Jets, Bob Sutton. Ryan the younger and Mangini worked for 4 years together in New England.

On the negative side, the Raiders defense performed below expectations this year. And Mangini brings in a crony.

On the bright side, the Jets are firing Bob Sutton, who I'm pretty sure has been dead since 2004.

On the negative side, Ryan hasn't run a 3-4 defense, the defense of choice for Mangini, since he tried it (and failed) in his first year with the Raiders. Also, Raiders fans on message boards say Ryan is very conservative and doesn't blitz much.

On the negative side, Jets fans on the message boards seem pretty pumped, usually a harbinger of doom.

We shall see if any of this happens.

Jets Post Mortem

2007-12-31T18:15:00.000-05:00

And so the 2007 season finally crashed to a halt with yesterday's awful game against the Chiefs in the first inaugural Meadowlands Herm Bowl - a 13-10 overtime stinker which propelled the Jets from the 3rd pick in the draft to the 6th. Alas.

And so with the season in the books, it's time to give our post-season grades of the good the bad and the ugly - and take a quick look at the 2008 season improvements which need to be made to get the Jets back on track.

As a quick aside - after the game it was announced that Mike Westhoff will not be back with the Jets next season due to his bad leg. He will be sorely missed. The jets have been very good on special teams during his tenure. Here's hoping his replacement doesn't screw anything up.

OFFENSE:

Since everything starts in the trenches, we will too. The best word to describe the Jets offensive line this season is...TRAINWRECK. Simply put, with the exception of, in my opinion, Nick Mangold, the line did a horrendous job this season. The couldn't open up holes for runners Leon Washington or Thomas Jones and they certainly couldn't pass protect their quarterbacks - giving up over 50 sacks this season. The loss of left guard Pete Kendall seemed to break the will of left tackle D'brickashaw Ferguson, who certainly took no steps forward this season and remains, at best, an average left tackle. Adrien Clarke did a horrible job and left guard, as did Brandon Moore at right guard. Anthony Clement was crappy on the right side as well. We didn't see enough of any back-ups to know if any of them are any good.

Overall grade: F. Sorry Nick, but you need to be graded with your whole unit.

For Next Season - Jets need 2 new guards and a new right tackle. They need to give Ferguson another year or 2, if only because of how high they took him. He has the tools, I think he lacks the mental makeup. Doesn't seem mean enough.

Quarterback:

Chad Pennington, fan favorite, was benched after being pounded into submission (see above). Once it became clear the season was lost, Mangini brought in backup Kellen Clemens to see what the team had in him. The results are unclear. Clemens was unimpressive in his 8 starts, but in his defense it's difficult to throw the ball from your ass. Or on the run. I'm pretty sure I can count on my fingers and toes how many times a Jet quarterback was able to set up and scan the field this season. The line was really that bad.

That being said, Clemens, while clearly displaying a strong arm (an attribute Pennington lacks) and alot of moxy, did not display an ability to read opposing defenses (10 picks vs 5 tds) or throw with accuracy. It's impossible to know what the Jets have in Clemens.

Grade: D - (the only reason thy aren't getting an F is that I believe with a better line their grade would have been higher).

For Next Season - tough calls for the Jets. Do they take a quarterback at number 6 if one is available or take a chance that Clemens is the real thing? Do they keep Pennington or try and dump him for a third rounder? Who do they bring in to compete with Clemens if guys like Culpepper or Mcnab are available on the cheap? I'm glad I don;t need to make these decisions.

Running back:

Thomas Jones was brought in the bolster a playoff team that did it with smoke and mirrors the year before. The Jets were supposed to employ the thunder and lightening combo of Jones and Washington to throw off opponents. Instead, Jones and Washington were routinely thrown back for losses and the line struggled to create any holes. To his credit, Jones ran for over 1,100 yards this season and looked good when there were holes to hit. To his detriment, Jones scored a whopping one rushing td this season, averages a mere 3.6 yards per carry, and routinely failed to get that one yard on blank and one situations. Leon Washington added another 350 yards on 71 rushes (5.0 average) and three rushing tds - and remained a potent threat as a receiver as well as returning kickoffs.

Grade: B- (again, more due to the line than their individual efforts.)

For Next Season - IMPROVE THE OFFENSIVE LINE.

Receivers:

Coles and Cotchery and gutty guys with good hands. Both are good yards after the catch guys as well. What they both lack is deep pass speed. In essence they are the same type of receiver. Brad Smith shows flashes of promise as well as flashes of inconsistency. Wallace Wright made the catches when he was given the opportunity and did a great job on special teams. Justin McCareins needs to be dumped ASAP. Another step forward for Chris Baker.

Grade: B

For Next Season - There is a real chance the Jets will lose Coles over his contract number next year. Coles fought off injury the whole season and, after 8 seasons in the NFL, the Jets need to decide if he has enough left in the tank to work with him on the number. Cotchery is a keeper and went over 1,000 yards for the season. The Jets need to add a speed receiver and need to figure out if Brad Smith can ever be an effective number three type guy.

DEFENSE

Line - The Jets finished 29th in the league in rushing defense - they gave up over 136 yards a game - and that all start up front. Robertson, Coleman and Ellis did a poor job of both stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. Poor depth behind them didn't help. Sione Pouha showed some promise backing up Robertson.

Grade: D.

For Next Year - The Jets need a widebody run stopper to slot into the nose tackle next year. It is a top three priority.

Linbackers - Jon Vilma was having a second poor season in a row when he got hurt. The bright spot of his injury was the bright spot of this linebacking corps. David Harris stepped in to the middle linebacker spot and finished 8th in the league in tackles. And he flew around the field the way Vilma used to. Eric Barton, Victor Hobson and Bryan Thomas underwhelmed.

Grade: C -.

For Next Year - The Jets should slot Vilma into Eric Barton's position and let Vilma and Harris terrorize running backs and QB's. Is there anyone in the world who thinks Vilma can't be a more effective BArton than Barton is? The Jets also need to upgrade the outside backer spots.

Secondary - Probably the strongest part of either the offense or defense. The Jets finished 9th in the league in pass defense - a stat that is actually phony in the respect that why on earth would teams throw the ball when they have so much success running it. However, the Jets got outstanding play from rookie Darrelle Reevis, great play from safety Kerry Rhodes (who got jobbed on a pro bowl spot) and solid play from safety find Abram Elan, a very hard hitter.

They got less than outstanding play from Barret, Dyson, Poteat and Coleman.

Grade: B.

For Next Year - Time to cut the cord with Eric Coleman and upgrade the depth at safety. Also need to get a second corner to start opposite Reevis.

Special Teams - The Jets are going to miss Westhoff. He turned first Justin Miller and then Leon Washington into world class kick returners. For some reason, the magic didn't hold true for returning punts. Jets were also good on covering kickoffs and punts, despite subpar years from Nugent and Graham (netted just 37 yards a punt).

Grade: B

Coaching and GM - major step down for the Mangenius - he went from a rookie 10-6 campaign to a terrible 4-12 follow up. And please don't tell me how the Jets "competed" in every game - not good enough. Also heard some grumbling about how the Jets don't enjoy playing for him. The braintrust took a 10-6 team, tweaked it, and turned it into a 4-12 team. Not good at all. Brian Schottenheimer, the other resident genius, turned in too many overly predictable gameplans.

Grade: C--

For Next Year - These guys all need to prove themselves.

OVERALL

In this league, it's not all that hard to go from 10-6 to 4-12 and back again. All it takes is a few good free agent signings, a couple of decent draft picks and some luck. The Jets can turn it around if they make the right moves. If not, its back in the depths in 2008.

Thoughts From The Last Few Days

2007-12-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

- After coach Isiah Thomas challenged his team's collective heart, it was very telling who responded.

Eddy Curry? Nope, he played only a few non-impact minutes after quick foul trouble.

Steph? Nope - sat out the game with "flu like symptoms".

Crawford and Randolph submitted their usual fine (if sometimes uneven) games. So who was it?

David Lee of course. Lee, pretty much the only likable Knick, went off for 22 point and 11 boards as the Knicks took it to the Cavs (who, by the way, really stink once you get past King James).

Lee has been having a very pedestrian season to date. If seen writers who have wondered if he's put on too much weight and others who have questioned whether he has allowed himself to be pulled down by the collective listlessness of his teammates. But last night we saw the David Lee we have come to love - finishing with dunks around the rim, rebounding with energy and playing with all out hustle.

- Is any sports owner not named Dolan having a worse year than Arthur Blank? First his franchise quarterback, who Mr. Blank completely trusted, lies to his face about his involvement in dogfighting. IN the aftermath, the team completely falls apart. His new college savior coach bickers with his players (who hate him), then, in a shocking move shakes Mr. Blank's hand, turns him around, and stabs him in the back with a bread knife. THEN, in what can only be described as a panic move, Mr. Blank tries to get the completely washed up Bill Parcells into the fold to run the team, only to fly to Bill's house and find out he's negotiating with the Dolphins (not that I can blame Parcells - all things being equal, wouldn't you rather live in Miami than Atlanta? - no offense JB). In fact, it appears now that Parcells indeed has a deal in place to run the Dolphins into the ground for the next 4 years.

As an aside - As a Jet fan, I cannot be more excited by this news. The idea of Parcells calling all the shots and undermining his coach and GM for the next four years makes me giddy.

- I most strongly disagree with ESPN's Mike Greenberg on this whole Curt Schilling's blog thing. Mr. Greenberg asserted on his radio show this morning that, whether or not you agree with Schilling's position regarding stripping Clemens of his Cy Young awards after 1997, you have to respect Mr. Schilling for being an active players with the balls to make the comment.

With all due respect, to me, Schilling sounds like one of those female tennis diva's who makes catty locker room comments about other female players on the tennis circuit - or the male golfers who snip at Tiger Woods. I'm not saying Mr. Schilling is jealous of Mr. Clemens, but I'm just saying that, to me, the oft-outspoken Schilling sounds more petulant than brave.

- The injury to Kellen Clemens (who may or may not play this week), is bad luck. It would have been nice to see if Clemens was making any improvements over his uneven performances since becoming the starter. With the last two games basically serving as auditions for players, his was a big one - especially with the Jets in position for a high draft pick in the coming draft.

No Time But....

2007-12-19T20:20:00.000-05:00

- I think Chris Simon got off easy with his 30 day suspension. Betman should have suspended the dangerous alkie for the entire season, including the playoffs. Assuming allowable under the CBA, of course. This is a 7 time loser who intentionally tried to hurt someone in a premeditated way. In reality I'd have him banned from the sport if I could.

- Kerry Rhodes, despite a very slow start to the season, deserved a spot on the Pro Bowl team ahead of Troy Palumalu - who wan not particularly effective this season, slowed once again by injuries.

Doesn't This Make Sense?

2007-12-18T18:45:00.000-05:00

This Knicks need a point guard. Badly. They also need a clean break with Stephon Marbury. Badly.

The 76ers have Andre Miller on the block. And Miller is a good point guard.

Hmmmmm.

How about this:

Knicks send Marbury (2 years at $19 per) and David Lee to Philly for Miller (2 years remaining at $9 million per) and Samuel Dalembert's (4 years and $10 mill per) crappy contract. The Sixers get to wash Marbury away in 2 years (plus make a minor splash by adding him) and they replace most of Dalambert's points and rebounds by getting rebounding fool (though one dimensional) Lee at $990,000. Plus Lee has upside.

The Knicks get their point guard, get rid of Steph, clear $9 million a year after Miller comes off the books in two yeas and get a shot blocking rebounder to start at center and protect the rim.

Why doesn't this trade make sense for both teams? Sure Marbury sucks and is a head case, but his salary is a wash with Miller/Dalembert and it comes off the books in 2 years instead of the 4 for Samuel.

excuse me while I call the Knicks front office and make this happen.

Isiah Trying To Get Fired?

2007-12-18T12:20:00.000-05:00

After last night's debacle at the Garden (giving up a career high 36 to Mike Dunleavey Jr.? How can that happen under any circumstances?) Thomas blasted his team's grit, courage and heart, saying the team doesn't play with the type of heart that Thomas himself has.

This team is now commencing full self destruct mode. The players are apathetic, the coach is throwing them under the bus, and Spike Lee is quoted as saying there's still plenty of time to get the ship right.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2007/2008 New York Knicks! Jim Dolan, you must be so proud.

Weekend Thoughts

2007-12-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

- The Jets defense, aided by the weather, played pretty well. The offense was horrible. The Jets employed three quarterbacks in the game and managed exactly three offensive points, despite a number of trips inside Pats territory. This team is lacking in so many areas, I'm chomping at the bit for the season to be over and to do the post-mortem.

- Andy Petite - was that really the best your spin mavens could come up with? Really? Do you expect anyone to buy the drivel you came out with? Only did it for 2 days? How many days was it again? Oh right, 2. And some mea culpa. IF I did anything wrong? of course you did something wrong.

The only positive to his pathetic statement was that it puts Clemens squarely in the fire. Will Clemens join Bonds as the two Co-chairs in the League of Infamy? Only time will tell.

- After an initial like of WFAN's Boomer and Carton show in the morning (probably just because it was different than Mike and Mike), I am quickly boring of it. The ten minutes I sit in my car waiting for the train in the morning have suddenly become more tedious. I really enjoyed when WFAN guest hosted John and Patrick McEnroe (Mac and mac in the morning) for a few days. They are both highly intelligent guys and play well off each other. Boomer is too non-controversial on the show and Carton is simply a pig in human clothing - talking up strippers and sometimes being controversial for controversy's sake. at least the show doesn't feel as scripted as every second of Mike and Mike does.

A Mid-Winter's Day Nightmare

2007-12-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

A Trage-comedy by Elster.

Scene I:

A tinted glassed Range Rover pulls into the GM's spot at the parking garage at Madison Square Garden. There is a prominent bumper sticker that reads
"How's My Coaching? Call 1-800--J-I-M-D-O-L-A-N."

Isaiah Thomas walks past the security guard.

Thomas: 'Sup Nigga?

Narrator: Pursuant to unwritten Garden policy, an African American man can call another African American man such a name without it being considered offensive.

Thomas continues past the Garden floor where the Knick City Dancers are completing a practice.

Thomas: What's up my bitches and ho's? Anyone wanna get into the back of my SUV?

Narrator: Pursuant to unwritten Garden policy, calling a female employee a "bitch" or "ho" is frowned upon, but still acceptable.

Scene II

Thomas sits in the office of James Dolan.

Dolan: IT, what's going on with the Knicks? We are 9-32. I thought at this point in the season we'd have at least 12 victories.

Thomas, flashing a 1,000 watt grin: Jim, as I've explained to you in the past, basketball is about confidence and psyche. The team is still recovering from Stephon's father's death, not to mention the ignorant fans who are booing me. It really is not allowing us to pull together as a team.

Dolan (contemplatively): Hmmmm, maybe we should consider banning fans from attending games...

In comes Dolan's servant.

Servant: Sir, there appear to be over 300 people in front of your mansion protesting your ownership of the Knicks.

Dolan (outraged): What? Damn those Nets fans! Jeeves, get me another line of cocaine. Isaiah can I get you anything? Line of coke? Frozen Stoli? Anything?

Thomas: No sir, I had some Valium before got in.

Dolan: Excellent IT, excellent. I want to tell you again how well you are doing with the franchise. That loss to Minnesota on Monday? By only three points? I thought we really competed for 35 of the 48 minutes. Well done.

Scene III

At practice the Knicks seem listless and confused. Thomas gathers them in for a pep talk.

Thomas (exasperated): Guys, we have been over this before. All I can do is coach you, I can't step on the floor with you. I can't teach Steph to share the ball, Jamaal not to take horrible shots, Eddy to stay out of Wendy's, David to shoot a jump shot or Nate to stay in control. All I can do is say positive things to support you and chide the crowd for booing you. But you guys are the team, you need to pull together and play better basketball tonight.

Scene IV

It's thirty minutes to game time. Dolan is talking to the head of security.

Dolan: And another thing. looks like Harvey Araton from the Times is here tonight and he brought his own food. I specifically want everyone eating the same rubber turkey so make sure you confiscate that. Also, Vescey looks smug - he probably has some evil story to write about me. I want him tossed out of the arena.

Scene V

Gus Johnson, sitting courtside with tears streaming down his face: And with 3 and 25 remaining in the first half, the Knicks are down to the Supersonics by the score of 89-34. Kenny what can we make of this Knick team?

Kenny Smith: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. What? Oh, well yeah the Knicks have a talented roster, they just need to focus on doing the things they know how to do.

Fan Number 1: Hey Marbury, you suck!

Thomas to fan: Shame on you. Steph lost his father 3 months ago and is still very emotionally fragile. (Picks up a bull horn and addresses all fans). You should all be ashamed of yourselves, booing this great franchise. Can you see how hard they are competing? The effort is there. The reason we are currently loosing by 55 points is you fans. If you were cheering instead of booing, Eddy would be 11-12 from the field instead of 0-12. Don't you see that?

Garden security comes in to the stadium en masse and throws out all fans sitting within earshot of the court.

Scene VI

Thomas is up at the podium, explaining the loss.

Thomas: I thought the effort was really there tonight. I'm proud of the guys. The really tried hard out there. The competed. They competed hard for a part of the game. We were just outdone tonight by a few mistakes.

Reporter 1: The team committed 34 turnovers in the second half tonight. Is that really "a few mistakes"?

Thomas: Basketball is a team sport, and when the team comes together, it will be beautiful to watch.

Reporter 2: Isaiah, during timeouts, the players are openly turning their backs on you and putting on their Ipods seemingly to drown you out. Do you feel like you have lost the team?

Head of Garden security moves to throw out the reporter.

Thomas (waving him off): No, no. I'll take the question. See, it's like this. Basketball is about the team coming together in adverse times. When I was a kid growing up on the mean streets, I survived the adversity and it made me a better ballhandler.

Reporter 3 (looking confused): So have you lost the team?

Thomas: What we need is for the world's greatest fans, Knick fans, to get behind this team. To put their hands together, to raise up and to embrace Isaiah Thomas and the Knicks. We play in the greatest city in the world.

Reporter 4: Isaiah, with the Knicks playing so poorly, are you worried about your job?

Thomas: Over lunch with Mr. Dolan, we discussed my job security. I have no issue with that.

Reporter 5: Isaiah, would you like to comment on the article in GQ where Stephon Marbury is quoted as saying he'd like to disembowel you with a sharpened spoon?

Thomas: Steph and I are neighbors. We have a great relationship. Sometimes things are said in the heat of battle. I don't take stock in those things.

Reporter 5: This wasn't the heat of battle. It was his living room. Is it true he has "something" on you so the team can't get rid of him.

Garden spokesman (hustling Thomas from the podium): That's all gentlemen. We will make our number 1 fan, Spike Lee, available in a few minutes.

Scene VII

Dolan and Jeeves are in the executive office. Jeeves puts down the phone and turns to his boss.

Jeeves: I'm sorry sir, but the number of protesters seems to be growing instead of diminishing. The staff says the driveway is blocked with tents sir. Perhaps a hotel?

Dolan: Damn Nets fans. Let's wait 'em out. It's damn cold on my driveway anyway. Get me another line while we wait.

Scene VII

Thomas sits in his car, talking on his cellphone.

Thomas: They wanna buy the popcorn company? For how much? That's million, not thousand right? Perfect. [He hangs up the phone and flashes a smile that lights up the interior of his car] They can take away my pride and my dignity, but they can't take away my money.

He drives off.

Fade to Black.

Goodbye To A Kibbitzer

2007-12-13T12:40:00.000-05:00

Manny, when they announced in shul this morning that you had passed away, everyone was sad, including me. I barely knew you, probably said no more that 20 words to you these last few years we davened together, but I watched you grow old before my very eyes.

When I first started davening in the minyan, everyone knew you. You came in, turned off the lights to a chorus of "Manny's here", walked to your seat giving everyone you passed a wise ass remark.

"Good morning Manny." - "Who says it's a good morning?" you would have replied, a twinkle in your eye. Or maybe you would have given a more caustic reply. But you were always just trying to be the funny guy - still the class clown at 70 plus. I remember the time during the Rabbi's Shabbos Hagodol drasha when he made a joke asking everyone if he should stop talking and in a room full of maybe 500 people, you were the jokester who raised his hand.

All of a sudden, though, you were way older than your years. I think you were in your seventies, but all of a sudden you looked 90.

I saw your spiral down with my own eyes. As an impartial observer. Your walk to your seat became a cane aided shuffle. You seemed confused sometimes. Your son had to start coming to shul every day to make sure you were alright. You couldn't put your tallis and teffilin on by yourself.

But still, there you were giving the Rabbi a hard time, wise-ing off to everyone who approached you. Still always dapper in a crisp shirt and pressed pants.

On Thanksgiving you had a heart attack. You never returned to shul. Your son came every morning after staying with you all night at the hospital - I listened as he gave all your concerned friends (and fans) a daily report. "Dad's not doing well, he's very sick." My impression was you weren't going to come back - no more "same to you" comments to the crowd of morning kibitzers.

And so when they announced in shul this morning that you had passed away, everyone was sad. I saw a few men tear up. I was sad too, though I hardly knew you. Still, you were a daily staple in my life and now you are gone. And for some reason it has effected me more strongly than it perhaps should have.

So this is my goodbye to you Manny - my salute to a bona fide shul kibbitzer. I will miss you and your personality when I daven every morning.

Please Jimmy D

2007-12-13T01:25:00.000-05:00

Jimmy:

I know there is no chance you are going to read this. I totally understand that this is more about me venting than trying to actually convince you to fire Isaiah Thomas. But....

1. Look, you already settled your suit with Anucha. It's over. There no longer is any reason to keep Thomas around for form's sake. It's over. The embarrassment that the two of you (with a side order of Stephon's SUV) have caused the organization is now immortalized in the 11.5 million dollar settlement. The embarrassment you 2 have brought to the team and its fan base are seemingly insurmountable. Help us start the surmounting process by dumping the face of the suit - Thomas (especially since no one thinks you will actually dump yourself).

2. The Knicks lost to the Sonics tonight. The SONICS! They stink. But the beat the Knicks in the Garden. I didn't not watch the game - I am no longer watching the Knicks in protest - but I did see in the post-game show a forlorn Gus Johnson almost in tears while Kenny basically said that the problem with the Knicks is they don't know what the Hell they are doing.

3. When your fan base spends as much energy shouting for the coach to be fired than they do shouting for the players, it's a bad sign.

4. When your coach tells longtime season ticket holders that the reason millionaires are missing layups is because they are getting booed at home - it's a bad sign.

5. When those same multi-millionaires cannot scrape together a consistent effort game in and game out - it's a bad sign.

6. When the team appears listless and unmotivated every night - it's a bad sign.

7. When your "star" point guard walks out on the team, the team unanimously votes to not have him play next game back, and the coach overrules them, pays the guard and they lose anyway - it's a bad sign.

How many more bad signs do you need Jimmy? How many more terrible loses? Since the Knicks "only" lost by 7 tonight (they have been regularly blown out of games this season), does that count as improvement for you? Are you simply angling for the first pick in the draft? Remember there's a lottery system.

This disaster is only going to grow worse. And with the Garden emphatically throwing its support behind Thomas, are we really going to have to suffer all season?

Please Jim, let some of this sink in to your brain. Your team's fans hate you. They hate what you have done to the team. Hell, even the press hates you for the Big Brother atmosphere you have created for them.

Maybe firing Thomas isn't enough after all - maybe you should, instead, fire yourself.

Your successor will know what to do with Thomas.

Announcement and Some Thoughts

2007-12-10T12:30:00.000-05:00

In light of New York Knicks ownership's announcement that they are steadily and unfailingly behind coach and general manager Isaiah Thomas, I am officially protesting in the only way I, a faceless, voiceless fan can - I am no longer going to be actively following the Knicks.

Since I don't pay to go to games, and I a not a Cablevision subscriber,Jimmy Dolan could care less about what i think. Still, what else can I do? In light of 2 embarrassing loses to Philly, the team looks less and less interested and the coach is getting an absolutely free pass.

Sure the team has gone through tons of turmoil. But the mark of a good team is - they rise up. They come together and they come through it. The Knicks have completely fallen apart.

So as of now, unless the team suddenly rips off 7 of 10 (showing they are playing for the coach) or they fire the coach - I'll be checking box scores in the morning papers and that's it.

- In light of the Jets loss yesterday - well, in all honesty, what's to say? I have serious doubts about Kellen Clemens as a starting quarterback but I think it would be a huge mistake to start Pennington again this season. Give Clemens the final 3 games as his final audition. Let's be 100% sure this guy isn't our man before the Jets burn a first round pick on a QB.

- I think the 24.5 point spread for the Jets/Pats game (mentioned on WFAN this morning) will be heading north in the next few days. In light of the hurt the Pats put on the Steelers (a good, not great team) for a guaranty by some silly safety, what kind of hurt do you think they will want to smack down on the coach they have used as motivation for the entire season? As much as I fail to see what Eric Mangini did wrong by exposing a cheater, apparently, it was really bad form.

- On a similar note, I was very happy the Steelers lost for two reasons. 1. You do not want to be the team the pats play the week after a team snaps their pursuit of perfection and 2. - Can you imagine how awesome it would be if the Jets actually won now? Sure it will never happen, but it would make up for alot (though certainly far from all) of this season's major disappointment.

- I've written about it before (as has pretty much everyone else) but Laverneous Coles is one of the toughest players to ever strap up a green helmet. Playing through serious pain, barely able to get up after catches, he had some big first down grabs in a meaningless game. Why? Because his team needs him. I hope he has a good money manager because he's going to have serious medical issues when he retires (try Googling Wayne Chrebet's name and see how he is living these days).

Top 10 Things You Can Accomplish While Watching TV

2007-12-04T17:40:00.000-05:00

10. Change a lightbulb (so long as the offending light is in the same room as the TV)

9. Eat breakfast/lunch/dinner

8. Add to Joe's contempt

7. "Babysit" your kids

6. Gain weight

5. Earn points towards your official "Couch Potato Fan Club" membership

4. Learn all kinds of useless facts

3. Destroy braincells

2. Travel (but only with a Slingbox)

1. Spend quality family time (but only if you and your family enjoy the same programs)

And they say TV is bad for you......

Sour Grapes and Other Thoughts

2007-12-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

- In the understandably sad aftermath of a 40-13 dismantling by the New York Jets, several key Miami players basically spent their press conferences saying how they can't believe they lost at home to the Jets. Veteran Jason Taylor even went so far to say"they stink too", before he was basically pulled of the stage by Dolphin press people.

Um, shouldn't you guys show a little more humility? You just got dismantled by 27 points by the team you claim to be better than - meanwhile you haven't won a game all year.

In fact the Jets have won the last four meeting with the 'Fins and reports are now surfacing that they had been seething all week after being proclaimed underdogs to a winless team.

So kudos to the Jets who instead of talking sour, went out and crushed the team that was the cause of their embarrassment.

- Well Jets fans who are concerned about Clemens - it could be worse - your QB could be Beck. Congrats Miami fans - if management decides this guy is the future, prepare yourselves for 5 years of 7 yard pass plays and screen passes.

- Hate the Minaya trade - look my my comments on Joe's blog for this.

- Love that the Rangers beat Ottawa on Saturday. Even if they did catch them during a downturn, it's important to gain confidence against your key rivals.

- Hate the speculation in the papers that the Rangers are considering packaging their young talent into another superstar. Why? How many more scorers do you need? The offense is starting to click. Make smaller moves - upgrade at backup goalie - maybe try to find another defenseman or an upgrade to the fourth line. But Matts Sundin?

Need More Proof Jimmy?

2007-11-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

Last night's game against the Boston Celtics provided anyone with a set of eyes and even a tiny brain all the proof you need top see Isaiah Thomas has lost the Knicks. It provided undeniable evidence that he needs to be fired and he needs to be fired right now. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Do not coach tonight's game against the Bucks. Just go. Let Herb Williams coach out the string if you don't want to pay anther salary this year, but get rid of Thomas.

It's addition by subtraction. Not only has his team quit on him, but he's a terrible distraction too. He has the Anucha Brown Saunders thing hanging over the entire organization like the Sword of Damocles - his point guard is threatening to dish the dirt - I mean how embarrassing does it have to get before Jim Dolan smokes this guy?

The Knicks lost to a better team last night. Granted, the Celts have three all stars on their roster. But 45 points??? They were threatening to not break 50 halfway through the 4th quarter and only were saved from the Knick record low score when Nate Robinson his a 37 footer at the buzzer to get to the magical 59 number. Has there ever been a bigger tank job by a team since the Black Sox lost the world series in 1918?

The good news out of all this? Twofold - Dolan cannot possibly keep Thomas around much longer - even his unfailing loyalty has limits and - I was able to watch the Rangers beat the Islanders without having to flip too much.

In fantasy news - I eschewed the experts advice and started Favre over Anderson this week. The result? Favre left the game with an injury and I will lose my fantasy match against Akiva - despite really liking my lineup this week.

Bummer.

Kudos To Omar

2007-11-29T12:10:00.000-05:00

While the Yankess and Red Sox prepare their bid for Johan Santana, let's not overlook the move the Mets made yesterday - purchasing a middle reliver who went 2-7 with a 7.7something era last year for the Devil Rays(!!!) to shore up a horrible bullpen. But I'm sure he has a power arm?

I continue to want to give Minaya the benefit of the doubt but this one's a bit of a head scratcher. Though I'm sure our pitchnig coach can probably fix him in 15 minutes.

Rangers Ranger Rangers

2007-11-28T19:20:00.000-05:00

Because I'm really bored:

"Cullen was an excellent #3 center and the Rangers have now taken the strongest position and created questions on the 3rd line and on the PK unit - which already was weakened by the inexplicable letting go of Jed Ortmeyer."

So said Joe - in response to an earlier post I wrote this offseason about the Cullen salary dump trade.

The Rangers are currently fourth in the league in penalty killing, at just under 87%. The have fantastic penalty killers in Blair Betts, Scott Gomez (new addition), Chris Drury (new), Sean Avery, Brendan Shanahan and even Marcel Hossa has done some nice work out there. Losing Jed Ortmeyer was not a big deal at all.

At the time, I mentioned that the Jed Ortmeyers of the world are a dime a dozen. The Rangers fourth line (Betts, Orr, Hollweg) is as energetic as it was with Ortmeyer and their penalty killers are even better (would you honestly rather have Ortmeyer out there or Brendan Shanahan?).

As for centers - The Rangers strut out Brandon Dubinsky (a fantastic addition), Scotty Gomez and Chris Drury - with Blair Betts doing the honors for the fourth line. In other words - the Rangers are stronger top to bottom than they were last year - and they have not missed Cullen or Ortmeyer at all.

I'm just saying......

Catch-Up

2007-11-27T13:50:00.000-05:00

My home computer is down (again) so I'm going to rip out some quick hitters:

- The Jets were truly horrendous on Thanksgiving. SO bad, in fact, that I had trouble holding down the many pounds of turkey I ate earlier in the day. Kellen Clemens was terrible, but not as bad as his offensive line. He barely has a second to set up in the pocket - pressured on almost every possession. I have major concern about his accuracy.

- With the Original Evil Empire opening talks with the Twins re: Santana, and the New Evil Empire probably not far behind - I have trouble seeing Omar making a serious play. The Mets just don't have the pitching prospects to build a deal around. Isn't a Milledge, Gomez starting point a bit repetitive? Are Humber and/or Pelfry worth anything on the market at this point? If Minaya can really swing a deal for any legitimate "ace" this offseason, I will be impressed.

- Turkey makes me sleepy.

- Sunday afternoon's game aside, the Rangers really look like championship material to me. Their forwards play defense, their defense is solid. The goaltending is spectacular. Assuming they ever start scoring, they can be a juggernaut.

- Despite their 2 game winning streak, the Knicks have a long way to go. They are talented, no question, but their energy second team can't really score. They lack a consistent outaide shooter and they need a shot blocker who can protect the rim. As much as I love David Lee, his offensive game is very limited. If he's not dunking, chances are he's missing a 15 footer or bricking a layup. I hate Thomas and want him fired badly.

Wait a Second....

2007-11-21T12:40:00.000-05:00

Did Omar just make a really good trade? Did he just trade the biggest embarrassment of 2007 for a switch hitting catcher with some pop?

And yes, I know he threw out something like 13% of base stealers last season and is coming of knee and elbow surgery but still - we got rid of Mota so how bad can it be?

Now let's see if Omar can make this "trade for a front line starter" he's been promising.

Ten to Twelve Years Too Late

2007-11-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

This is the story of my life.

For the second time in the last three years or so, it occurs to me that if I could do it all over again, I'd have really enjoyed being a _______. Of course, unlike my other career change idea (the now infamous failed writing career), becoming a ______________ requires probably something like three years of schooling and then some post-grad work (unpaid or very low paying). Since I'm 34 years old, have three kids and a mortgage to pay, the ability to simply chase after this new dream is....well it's an inability. It simply cannot happen (without a significant government grant anyway).

Here's the sad part. Unlike being a writer (at which I probably would have ended up being mediocre at best), I would make a fantastic ______. I am basing this on (i) the feedback of a number of people whom I have helped acting as a sort-of unofficial _____ over the course of the last few years, (ii) my own personal understanding of who I am and (iii) the fact that I would really enjoy doing it. I know now that loving your work automatically gives you a leg up over your competition who are simply showing up to work everyday without putting heart and soul into it.

Of course I have come to this conclusion way to late in the game for it to be anything other than another late breaking goal I cannot realize. Another pipe dream, another disappointment in my journey.

And yes, it is great to follow your dreams when you have them. But no, following your dreams does not pay for the aforementioned kids, house or food. If I was single, sure I'd punch out and take the plunge. Heck, if i had just finished law school, maybe even then (tens of thousands already in debt) I'd have gone for it. But now? It's simply not possible without divine intervention.

I can't help but think that people are forced into too many of their most important decisions in life well before they are ready for them. Marriage at 20 comes to mind. Picking a career while still in undergrad, especially in a university that doesn't offer enough in the way of career guidance, is another. I took a course or 2 in the field of ______ in college and at the time it was simply a schedule filler. Intro to ______ didn't excite me back then, the way it might have now. Instead I followed the herd (as we so often do at that age) and studied for my LSAT's. How are we supposed to do anything else without the road map that the lucky people all seem to have?

Truthfully and to be fair, it's not like at the time I had aspirations to be a _______ and someone talked me out of it. It simply wasn't on my radar. And as a 21 year old punk, how could it have been? How could a kid like me possibly know what he wanted to do with himself at 21 when I had barely worked a day in my life up to that point? Again, no road map for me.

Despite the dull ache that accompanies these little "if only I'd become a [fill in the career category here] back then" moments when you realize you are 3,650 days late and $1,000 short, I don't plan on stopping my pursuit of career change. If not writing, if not _______, then [fill in career category here]. I'm young. Too young to give up hope. Too young to stop being optimistic. Too young to resign myself to a fate of of counsel or non equity partner. Because the minute I stop dreaming for something better is the minute I have given up hope.

So I will (eventually) watch a career in _____ walk right past me with nary a "hello and how are you?" and continue down the street to someone else's house - to someone else's fulfilled dream. But I won't quit on my own ending.

I just need to find the damn thing without a map.

Additional Thoughs (On everything)

2007-11-19T13:20:00.000-05:00

- It was embarrassing how there were more Steeler fans in the house yesterday than Jet fans. It was even apparent on TV just listening to the cheering. Though I guess when your team has one win and 32 losses, it's harder to sit outside in the cold and watch.

- When your entire fan base breathes a sigh of relief that you decide to nix a free agent deal you had in place, does that automatically mean it was a bad move to begin with?

- If the Mets replace Glavine (something like 0-5 with an infinity ERA in his last 7 starts) and his 200 innings with Livan Hernandez and his 200 innings, is that such a huge drop off? Can't we use some of the money we will save on some much needed relief help?

- What does the Castillo 4 year deal mean for Rubin Gotay?

- When you win a game getting 4 goals from your low scoring defense it means either (a) your big guns just aren't producing enough, or (b) something extremely special is happening with your team.

- In a related story, I'm watching so much hockey these days because, just 9 games into the season, the Knicks have already become an unwatchable mess. Kudos to Isaiah Thomas for taking a team vote about playing Marbury and going against the reportedly unanimous decision not to play him. Way to hold on to your locker room.

- Though I know they will get killed, I'm excited to see the Jets play on Thanksgiving and Revis running with Owens.

- Got to side with Chipper Jones on this whole David Wright wins the Gold Glove thing. David Wright? Gold Glove? Really?

- At this point, the only question is will the Pats run the table on their way to beating the Cowboys/Packers in the Super Bowl.

-

Thoughts On The Jets Victory

2007-11-19T01:15:00.000-05:00

- It was a long time coming.

- I really like Kellen Clemens and his ability to play beyond his year. I like his mobility, his abilily to read drefenses. So far, I have been less than impressed with his ability to throw the ball accurately.

- As I predicted a few weeks ago, the Jets opened the playbook more in KC's second start - throwing more long passes. They still dinked and dunked too much, but at least they took their shots.

- Kerry Rhodes isn't dead, as had been earlier reported.

- The worst Jet on the field this week was D'brickashaw Fergeson, followed closesly by Brad Smith. Smith gets a free pass because he's still learning to be a wide receiver.

- Besides Fergeson, the offensive line was impressive run blocking, slightly less impressive pass blocking.

- Thomas Jones is effective when he gets some holes.

- For a team that sacked the QB 7 times, Big Ben didn't take that much of a pounding.

- SEVEN SACKS!!!!

- All those years of punishment to Laverneous Coles seem to be taking their toll.

- Harris is one heck of a linebacker.

- Revis is going to be one heck of a corner.

- Where's Jerricho Cotchery?

- Best game of the season by the Jets this season.

The Knicks As Inspiration

2007-11-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Knicks awful, soap opera like start have driven me to new levels of...I'm not exactly sure what. Is it pain? Anger? Disgust? Actually it's all of the above. And things aren't looking up with 2 more loseable games out west.

A long time ago a reader (whose name escapes me) wrote poem about the Yankees and one of their first round playoff defeats. Well, I have been inspired to do the same.

So, without further ado, I bring you Dysfunction - A Poem About the New York Knicks:

Dysfunction
It breeds disaster
We must fire Isiah
as soon as possible

Stephon
brings discord
and horrible defense
and weird religion
and a sex scandal
with him every night

Eddy
we fear for your heart
(and we aren't talking about the defect)
and your ability
to play with Zach
every night

Jamaal
your skills are otherworldly
why can't you
bring it every night?

Lee
your energy is contagious
your rebounding sublime
but you could not score 10 points a night in
an empty gym

Nate
I used to hate you
but you are growing
on me

Zach
you average a double-double every night
despite the fact
that you are overweight
please stay out
of nightclubs and
fast food restaurants

Q
when you were on Phoenix
you were good
what happened?

Renaldo
your hustle
your defense
your hair
why can't you shoot?

And Jim
you worst of them all
everyone hates you
sell the team.

What do you think kids? I think it's genius.

Ah Youth

2007-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Last night, the New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 at the new Prudential Center in Newark. One of the he goals were scored by Jaromir Jagr, which of course is no great surprise. The pleasant part - the other three tallies were by Nigel Dawes, Marc Staal and my new favorite Ranger, Brandon Dubinsky (and not just because he has a possibly Jewish last name). The Rangers committed to playing younger players the last 2 years and as a result are getting contributions from the three above, as well as Dan Girardi and Ryan Callahan (injured). Also nice to see the older guys chip in with assists on those goals by Jagr, Shanahan, Drury and Gomez.

When you combine youth (see above), veteran leadership (Shanahan, Drury Gomez), proven scorers (Jagr, Shanahan, Drury), forwards committed to defense, a solid defensive corps and a great goaltender (King Henrik) you have all the right ingredients for a championship team. The Rangers have all of these ingredients and Rangers fans have alot to be excited about this season.

Unlike the Knicks, whose poor start has inspired me to poetry, which I will hopefully unveil later today.

Post 325

2007-11-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

First off, if you haven't seen the post below, it's worth checking out.

Second - check out this awesome link. If you love either nature, the ocean or surfing, this is also worth checking out.

*******

Finally - Local tabloids are reporting that the Knicks are internally discussing ways to get rid of crazy person du jour, Stephon Marbury. Whether by trade (not likely - Steph is owed something like 42 million bucks over the next 2 years), a buyout (Knicks modus operendi) or simply reducing his minutes dramatically ( I for one am in favor of a combination of Crawford, Nate Robinson and Mardy Collins getting the lion's share of the point guard minutes), they seem to be thinking of pulling the plug on the Starbury era in New York.

Personally, I think anything short of a trade has all the makings of a very ugly situation. While Marbury has been playing decently and under control so far this season, his disastrous final minutes against the Heat on Sunday show why other, more deserving players should be getting his minutes. He has lost alot of his explosiveness - very problematic for a score first point guard. The team doesn't need messy, protracted buyout negotiations while they try and find themselves (especially with a potential horror show of a west coast swing coming up) or having Steph grousing on the bench (same huge distraction).

But since a trade is almost out of the question, we will have to see how this plays out.

A Lesson From Our Forefathers?

2007-11-12T01:15:00.000-05:00

Chana had this post a week or so ago and it got me thinking.

Throughout Sefer Bireishis, each of the central figures of early Jewish history displays certain behavior, or patterns of behavior, which indicates major flaws in their personalities. While we have always been taught that the Avos, the forefathers, were extremely righteous people, consider the following:

Off the top of my head - Eve eats from the tree of knowledge after she and Adam are specifically warned off of it by Hashem himself. Eve then "tricks" Adam into doing the same. One of Adam's son's kills his brother.

Noah, after saving mankind from the flood, immediately gets himself drunk and passes out. At least one of his sons is punished for taking pleasure in his father's embarrassment.

Abraham lies to a king about his marital status. According to Medrashim, he also commits acts of destruction against his father's personal property and then lies about it. His son, Yitzchak, also lies to King Avimelech about his marital status. Yitzchak also completely missed the boat on his older son - thinking a killer worthy of his berachot. His wife, Rifka, spurs on her son to commit an act of treachery against her husband (his own father).

Yaakov uses his brother's appetites to blackmail him into selling Yaakov the right of first born. Yaakov, on his mother's advice, tricks his blind father into thinking he was his older brother, thus securing the aforementioned berachot.

Yaakov's beloved, Rachel, commits an act of deceit against him by giving her older sister Leah the passwords to their marriage bed, thereby tricking Yaakov into marrying her first. Rachel also steals her father's property and lies to him to keep the property hidden.

Leah is extremely jealous of her sister despite the fact that Rachel gave her the passwords earlier.

Yehuda sleeps with a prostitute. Reuven, according to at least one interpretation, sleeps with his father's wife. Yosef acts with great arrogance towards his older brothers. Levi and Shimon wipe out an entire city of people. The brothers as a whole plan to kill Yosef, instead simply kidnapping him and selling him into slavery.

All in all, Sefer Bireishis is loaded with some sordid tales of lies, deceit, prostitution, murder, debauchery, drunkenness and sexual misconduct. What makes this all so especially troubling - that these tales are recorded in the Torah regarding our forefathers - those people who we are taught all of our lives were the epitome of how we are all supposed to live and behave.

So the question I was pondering this weekend was - what is the lesson learned from this? And, humbly, I set forth this - perhaps the lesson is, that while are forefathers were indeed the epitome of how to live, they were also something else. They were human. And they made mistakes. And sometimes they let their emotions and their own weaknesses get the best of them, just like us regular people.

And maybe that's the lesson to be learned by us all fro their seeming misdeeds. The Torah contemplates that we are all human. While certainly it is incumbent on us all to live out our lives as best we can within whatever halachik framework we live in, we need to also understand that we, as humans, are going to make mistakes - that we are not going to be perfect all the time. And if we do err, we are able to, perhaps, look to the Avos and understand that just because we have fallen, perhaps all is not lost for us. Just like they erred, we can too. The key is to try and lift ourselves back up, just like they always tried to do.

Sailor's Warning

2007-11-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

So for quite a while now I've wanted to jump back into the writing game. Nothing fancy, nothing too ambitious, just a small project. A nice short story or even a snippet of fiction.

The problem is, I'm completely stumped for ideas.

Ever since the Failed Book Incident of 2006, I've been snake-bit. The disillusionment I've felt from the whole process has left me, well, with a scar.

At first, I just hated the idea of writing again. I had tons of ideas, had even started 2 full-length projects, but I had no desire to write anything. I felt betrayed by an industry that wouldn't even take the time to look at my work, let alone tell me it wasn't good enough. Subsequently, I realized that the work probably wasn't good enough (despite what you may believe, many authors' first works never see the light of day). Feelings of betrayal towards the industry became feelings of bitterness that I somehow lacked the ability to do what I loved to do.

I stayed away from the computer for almost a year.

Then the Feeling returned. The Feeling, for me anyway, is the desire to write. I wanted to get back in front of the keyboard, take out the pad and pen, and get cracking again.

However this time, the Feeling returned without one slightly important ingredient - the spark.

I don't know anything about writing - how it works, where it comes from. Heck lots of people argue I don't even know HOW to write. But I know one thing. For me, it was a spark inside me that formed the words, almost like a well from which everything flowed. When I was writing my book, the well was overflowing. I was making lists of ideas for "my next project", I was jotting down dialogue to use in specific works. Heck I was even outlining intricate plot points.

And now? Now all I can do is stare at blank computer screens and empty legal pads. Now not only do the words not come, the ideas aren't there anymore. Did I lose the spark? Am I just too scared to try again? Am I just suffering from an overlong, though temporary case of writers block? I have no idea. All I know is that now, when I finally have the will to write again, I simply can't do it.

Why do I tell you all this? Two reasons, I guess. For starters, in the past I have found it therapeutic to write it all out - it clears the soul. Also, it's a warning to all of you too. Don't think that the gift you possess, the creative spark inside of you (whether it manifests in prose, poetry, art, photography, music or even skin art) is something you should take for granted. It's not a switch to be turned on and off at your whim and fancy. It's a gift - it can be taken away as easily as it comes. I seem to have lost mine. Whether temporary or not I do not know.

I still feel as though if I just had that one idea, I could write it. I just don't know what to write. So yeah. Therapeutic? Maybe. Helpful to you? Who knows. I'll just leave you with the creative person's prayer. Written some time in the 21st Century by a struggling writer with a lightly read sports blog.

The creative person's prayer - "Lord give me the power to recognize I have something special and the ability to use it - and Lord please, please please - don't take it away from me."

Knicks 2007/2008 Preview

2007-11-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

Before we get to the Knicks, a quick word about the Rangers:

- Henrik Lundqvist has been otherworldly so far this season. Third in the league in goals against, fifth in save percentage and second in shutouts, plus he's started every game of the season so far for the Rangers. If the team could score, he'd probably be 13-0.

- One "positive" of the early season scoring drought is watching how well the defense is meshing together. I particularly enjoy Dan Girardi's play. When the team finally starts scoring, at it should be just a matter of time, the defense will be an added bonus.

- Finally, it's nice to see the younger generation get important minutes on a team with real championship expectations. Nigel Dawes, Girardi, Marc Staal, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan (before his injury) are all playing real roles for this team, something that often didn't happen in the past when the rosters were way too veteran heavy.

*********************************
I had meant to write this preview before the season started but I got sick (still am) and was unable to even sit and write anything. So forgive me for putting this out after the season had already started.

The 2007/2008 season got off to a bad start with a tough loss to the Cleveland Cavs, who rode Lebron James' 45 points to victory. The off season was even tougher. Between the crazy ramblings of Stephon Marbury, the shoulder injury to Eddy Curry and last and most damaging, the Isiah Thomas/MSG sexual harassment debacle. All in all, a mess.

(And speaking of off season messes, why trade a pick to draft Demetrious Nichols (a very good move by the way) when you didn't have a spot for him anyway, and then simply cut him when he refused to play in the D-League? Couldn't the team have done a little more home work on him and seen if he was willing to go play for a year down there? It makes no sense. A total waste of a pick.)

The Knicks come into the season with a couple of huge questions, the answers to which will determine how this season goes:

- Can Eddy Curry and newly acquired Zach Randolph, both low post players, play together?

- Can Marbury of Nate Robinson run the offense unselfishly?

- Can anyone on the team protect the rim?

- Will the team play defense?

- Can the Knicks get consistent perimeter scoring?

- Is Marbury legitimately insane?

Isiah has a lock down defender in Fred Jones (whom Thomas loves), 2 possible lock down guys in Mardy Collins and Renaldo Balkman (who won't get much time this year barring injury - well Balkman might), a failed lock down guy in Jarrod Jeffries (don't see him getting much time) and a guy who tries hard in David Lee (but who is a poor defender). Everyone else on the team is a below average defender. No one on the squad blocks shots or even pretends to. Doesn't make for a great defensive team.

Curry and Randolph can work together if they can check egos. Randolph has range on his jumper and can float out on the perimeter or the high post, allowing Curry to get his touches in the paint. Randolph can post up too, to give defenses more looks. Neither team can pass out of a double team.

I have real reservations about either Marbury or Robinson running this team unselfishly. Robinson has been under control so far in the preseason, but I fear with him it's just a matter of time until he backslides. If he can keep himself in control, he can be a quality backup point guard.

Quentin Richardson has a balky back which limits his effectiveness. Jamaal Crawford is a hot and cold shooter who lacks consistency. Marbury's game is based on quickness and he's lost a step. In other words, the perimeter game is spotty.

However, the message is not all doom and gloom. The roster is very talented, the problem has always been getting the individuals to play within a team framework. They have 2 excellent low post scorers (Curry and Randolph), a high energy rebound and hustle guy (Lee), a very talented shooter (Crawford), and a number of players who bring things to the table. If everything breaks right, this is a playoff team.

The problem is, everything won't break right. There is a cloud hanging over the organization and the cloud's name is DolanThomas. If the Knicks start slowly (they have a huge chance to make sure that doesn't happen by putting the hurt on the Timberwolves today), the weight of the sexual harassment off court stuff will kill this team. If they can start winning, well, winning is a great cure all.

My prediction, the Knicks will lose early and often, and be unable to bail themselves out. They will win in the upper 30's (37-39) games and fail to make the playoffs in a stronger Eastern Conference. I hope I eat my words in June. In fact, I'm hoping that In May or June Joe is quoting my awful prediction when the Knicks win their 50th game.

Mike Cameron Took Drugs!!!

2007-10-31T15:15:00.000-04:00

Wow

A Few, Subtle Changes

2007-10-31T14:35:00.000-04:00

And lest anyone think this is some sort of Halloween joke to scare all of you, rest assured it isn't:

Though there are no viewers to take heed (not being bitter, just realistic), I have made some slight changes to Elster's World. That's right, Elster's World is now once again known as Elster's World - no longer to be called Elster's Sports World.

This change is a long time coming I think. I made the initial change simply because I was getting tired of cranking out posts I had to give significant thought to when I had such a limited viewership to begin with. If no one was going to read, I reasoned, then I'll just write solely about sports. Yes, I know the logic is a tad difficult to follow since you need to give thought to sports posts as well. No one ever said I made any sense.

However, these past few months I have been getting the desire to branch back out. Since this blog has always been about me first and the viewers (however many or few) second (no offense to any of you of course), and since I've actually enjoyed writing the Elster Reviews for In Rainbows and Friday Night Lights, I think the time has come to officially become a blog about everything again.

For those of you who read regularly, once in a while or who pop in on the "Jarrod Mustaf" Google search, I hope you all enjoy...

Elster Reviews - Friday Night Lights

2007-10-30T14:00:00.000-04:00

NOTE: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, DON'T READ IT. JUST KNOW IT IS AN IMPASSIONED PLEASE FOR YOU TO START WATCHING THIS FANTASTIC SHOW.

Sure, I'm about a year late on this but what the hey:

When ESPN.com's Bill Simmons wrote an impassioned plea to get people to start watching Friday Night Lights (FNL), it was the final straw. I had heard many, many great things about the show (including other impassioned please from TV Guide's respected Matt Roush and the slightly less respected Michael Ausiello), I decided to give it a try. Not often are shows described as being perfect for both men and women so on a very very slow day at work a month ago (a rare occurrence but hey, I take what i can get) I watched the FNL pilot online. When the 45 minute (no commercials) episode was done, I was hooked like a brook trout. I immediately called the wive and told her that we were in for the first season. Hey, for 14 and a half bucks on Amazon (plus delivery of course) I can be a big spender.

The 5 disc, 22 episode boxed set (very weak on the extras, by the way - couldn't they have thrown in a few bloopers or an interview or 2???) arrived a few days later. I sat down with Mrs E hoping that I hadn't made a big mistake expecting her to like a show about high school football in West Texas. By the end of the first episode (my second viewing), she, too was drying her eyes and proclaiming herself in for the season.

Over the course of the next 10 days we ripped through all 22 episodes of season one and the first 4 episodes of season 2, catching us up with America.

Which begs the question - how can a show THIS GOOD be struggling this badly? It is absolutely mind boggling to me. It has something for everyone. The sports scenes and sports story lines will surely hold the interest of any football lover, the depiction of small town life is dead one perfect (or at least feels perfect) and with one notable exception, the action is some of the best you will see on TV. Starting with the show's core family, Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his with Tami (Connie Britton) and daughter Julie (Amy Teegarden) the characters are extremely true to life.

The Pilot revolves around the event leading up to the first game of the season. Dillon High School's team is rated top in Texas thanks to wonder QB Jason Street (played with a goofy Peyton Manning-like awe shucksness by Scott Porter) and stud running back "Smash" Williams (Gauis Charles). Coach Taylor is getting his first real shot at big time HS football and already the media is wondering if he got the job on the heels of Street. Meanwhile we are introduced to the other characters in the Dillon Universe - Street's best friend and always drunken fullback Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch - who my wife thinks is really hot), Street's girlfriend and head cheerleader Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelley, the worse, most annoying character on the show) Lyla's dad and Dillon football booster Buddy Garrity, bad girl Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki) and footnote back-up QB Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) and his semi nerdy buddy Landry (Jesse Plemmons).

Everyone's world comes apart when Jason Street is horribly injured in the first game of the season paralyzed (he ends up a paraplegic). While the stadium basically is in shock, Taylor rallies back up Saracen who, after performing horribly, throws a (ridiculously improbable) miracle pass for a win.

The rest of season one centers on Street's adjustment to his condition, Coach Taylor and his family, and the lives of Riggins, Saraen, Smash, Tyra and Landry - all as Dillon tries to save its season and make it to the State championship.

Sure, there is a soapy quality to the show that might be off putting to TV snobs (of which i am certainly not one - heck I watch Reaper), but as I said, what sets this show apart is the acting. Chandler, Britton and Teegarden portray the most believable family I've ever seen on television, even rivalling the likes of the Seavers, the Cohens and the Keatons. And Gilford's Matt Saracen, shy, afterthought QB thrust into the spotlight, is perhaps the finest TV acting job I've ever seen. His endearing stutter and his shyness - all while Taylor tries to mold him into a QB - he just nails is. When I watch Matt Saracen, I don't feel like I'm watching a TV character, I feel like he really exists. And that is about the highest praise one can give an actor.

Without giving away too much, the show hits on all the big issues - adultery, steroids, rape, coming of age, and they do it inoffensively and without jamming it down our throats. Of course the Dillon Panthers make it to state and of course it comes out right before the big game that Taylor has accepted a job next year as Texas Methodist University's QB coach and then - well if you want to find out what happens, I suggest you splurge on the boxed set or sit in front of your computer. All 26 episodes of the show are watchable online with limited commercial breaks.

The show is filmed with a haunting soundtrack and very interesting camera angles and closeups. Many of the cameras are handheld and shaky, which adds a gritty element to it.

And yes, there have already been complaints that the second season is failing to live up to expectations. The Taylors begin the season living apart and in turmoil over it and there is a plot twist involving Landry and Tyra that is waaaaay out of character for the show - but hey, the ratings for this show are awful and the creators are doing what they can to solve it.

And it's happened before. Some shows have just one great season in them (my wife will tell you this is the case with The OC but i have no way to confirm or deny that - and many will tell you this is true of Lost as well, but those people are just stupid). And some will say that why should they put the effort into a show that will probably be getting cancelled before the end of its second season. To which I say - hey get off your butts and start watching and maybe it won;t be getting cancelled. And besides, watching SOME of a great, but short lived show beats not watching it at all.

So there you have it. On the Elster Scale (1 to 10, 10 being the best), we are giving Season 1 of Friday Night Lights a crazy high 9.5 rating. That's right, it scores a near perfect rating. Because the show, well it's near perfect.

So what are you waiting for. Amazon.com is just a click away. In fact, I'll even link you. Go to it people and remember - Full Hearts Clear eyes Can't Lose.

You Must Watch This

2007-10-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

Youn have got to see this play so the next time it happens in a movie you won't say "oh please, like that could ever happen". Extra kudos to the announcers for not even getting excited about this until the very end.

Are The Pats Looking For A BCS Win?

2007-10-29T13:30:00.000-04:00

Watching the New England Patriots annihilate team after team, a few things are becoming clear:

- This Pats team is the deepest, and best team to strap it on since the San Fransisco 49er glory years.

- Bill Belichick is doing everything in his power to win Tom Brady the elusive MVP he so richly deserves.

- Belichick has turned his cheating into an Us Against Them rallying cry for his team - once again proving he's by far the best coach in the National Football League right now.

What else have we learned? That the only thing worse than running up the score in these games is whining about it afterwards. These are NFL teams the pats are playing, not division II schools getting rolled by Florida State. If these teams had any pride, they would make some stops and lose games by 20 instead of 35. Crying and whining about it afterwards is jut embarrassing.

So when the Jets play the pats in New England later this season, I fully expect (barring catastrophic injuries to all of Seymour, Vrable, Thomas, Brady, Moss, Welker, etc.) the final score to be 62-13. I expect Belichick to disdainfully walk past a shell shocked Eric Mangini and refer to him as "the other coach" in the post game interview. I expect myself to hate the Patriots even more than I already do. But I hope that I don't hear a defeated, over the hill Eric Barton crying after how "the Pats have no respect for the league" or "I can't wait to see these guys again next year". Because you know what Eric, the pats can't wait to see you again either.

They are looking to hang 62 points on someone again.

What Else Is There To Say?

2007-10-28T22:45:00.000-04:00

The 2007 Jets are a disaster of epic proportion. The coaching is awful, the offense is terrible and the defense is terrible. As crazy as this sounds, Jon Vilma's knee injury is a blessing - getting Harris on the field and making plays. He seems more suited to the 3-4 middle than Vilma.

Other than that, Clemens finally got in with under three to play. What was Mangini waiting for? He obviously doesn't trust Clemens at all - why else keep an ineffective Pennington in that long?

What a mess. I would write more, but really, what else is there to say at this point?

Elster Reviews - In Rainbows

2007-10-25T15:00:00.000-04:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Sports Blog for a slice of pop culture.

Instead of writing another lament regarding the Jets quarterback non-controversy or the utter silliness of the Mets firing Omar Minaya and replacing his with ...... Joe Torre????, I am going to be dropping a few non-sports related topics on my legions of readers every so often. And I will be introducing a new feature at Elster's World - Elster Reviews - where I, well where I review stuff. Up first, Radiohead's newest effort, In Rainbows. As soon as the wife and I finish ripping through season one of Friday Night Lights, I'll get that up as well.

On positive to a long train ride to and from work is that, when I don't have anything good to read, there is plenty of time to get lost in my Ipod. So when the Radiohead album became available on October 10th, I waited for the initial barrage of people and then grabbed it the following Sunday.

Now anyone who reads Elster's World knows I think Radiohead is the most important, and best, band of the last 20 years (and yes I know this is a very arguable position, I just choose not to argue it).

Either way, the band has not released an album since Hail to the Thief back in 2003 and fans have been chomping at the bit, or at least logging on to YouTube so see more of their favorite band. And finally, almost four years in the making (and after a number of false promises and threats that the band was done recording), out came In Rainbows.

So how does it stack up? Well for starters, like all their albums since 1995's The Bends, it takes multiple listenings to really have an opinion. Radiohead's music is intricate and, with some exceptions, it isn't something easily digested. In Rainbows is no exception. However, once you have digested it, it's a wonderful addition to the Radiohead catalogue.

In Rainbows is a sorta, kinda return to Radiohead's earlier, more guitar/instrument driven sound, yet it continues to push the envelope with new sounds (including a chorus of school children at one point on the first song, 15 Step). Each listen gives you something you missed the time before, and what else can you really ask for in an album. except good music of course, of which there is plenty.

The music starts off with 15 Step, currently my second favorite song on the album. It has a snazzy beat and a very interesting guitar backing. It's followed by the crunches of Bodysnatchers and the first dirgy song, Nude. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi seems to be the most talked about song, the one fans have been quick to compare to Paranoid Android, off of 1997's Ok Computer (for the way it mixes two songs into one) and it's way out there.

All I Need is the perfect anti-companion song to Ok Computer's Climbing Up The Walls (a sane companion if you will) and Faust Arp is a folksy little number backed by what sounds like a series of strings. It's very different and a nice listen.

Reckoner follows. I am at a loss to describe my personal favorite track on this album. It's just...great. Thom York, who seems to be able to sound like a dozen different people (the first time I listened to The Bends, I thought I heard U2's Bono and the guy from Smashing Pumpkins) sounds just beautiful on this song. The backing music is terrific, the shift in the middle is lovely ("Because we separate......it ripples our reflections......(in rainbows)").

House of Cards and Jigsaw falling Into Place are two fine tracks which just get lost among all of the solid pieces here. And Radiohead brings its depressing best on the final track, Videotape, which closes things off nicely ("This is my way of saying goodbye.......Because I can't do it face to face..........I'm talking to you after it's too late.........From my videotape") .

On the whole, In Rainbows plays much more like an album than its predecessor, Hail to the Thief did. It is much more similar that way to Kid A (not a real favorite of mine) or Amnesiac. A second disc with additional songs is available for people wanting to spend serious cash, but the album itself rings...complete... just the way it is. All in all, a very enthusiastic thumbs up.

Because It Needs To Be Said

2007-10-24T18:30:00.000-04:00

Sticking with Chad Pennington this week against the Bills makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The season is done. DONE. Why not give Clemens a shot? If he falls flat on his face, the Jets will get a nice high draft pick next year.

What is the logic here? Mangini talked after the game about how no ones job is safe. So besides making David Harris a starter and bumping Erik Coleman for Abram Elam, what exactly does he plan to do? Making a change at quarterback is at least a bolder move.

Can someone please explain this to me?

Black Day For ESPN?

2007-10-23T12:20:00.000-04:00

Am I the only right minded person in the world who thinks Rick Reilly is completely unfunny? His back page articles are silly and his Riffs of Reilly thing on SI.com is almost embarrassing.

Why is ESPN turning the Dan Patrick switch to SI into a Biggie Tupac war. Let Patrick go and be done with it. Did they really need to "retaliate" by bringing in the most unfunny funny guy in sports? Wouldn't they have done better giving Joe Namath a bottle of scotch, some "pain medication" and a microphone? Who wouldn't watch that? Instead, we will all be subjected to Reilly and Simmons get into a pissing contest for funnyman turf at ESPN - a lose lose situation for Reilly, who isn't funny to begin with.

Note - I have no idea if Reilly was really hired by ESPN in response to the hiring of SI of Patrick and I don't really care. I'm just upset that, with the way ESPN over promotes everything, Reilly is going to be in my grill 24/7.

In other news, Eric Mangini refuses to name a starter for Sunday's game against Buffalo. Isn't that the equivalent of naming Clemens the starter or am I crazy here?

Grounding the Jet?

2007-10-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

Sure, you cannot blame Chad Pennington solely for this week's disaster. He didn't give up 800 rushing yards and 3 rushing td's to a Rudi Johnson-less Bengal team. He didn't let the Bengals march up and down the field at will in the second half. He didn't shank a punt. He didn't coach the team - or drop 3 passes. He didn't fail to open up any holes or fail to run through them.

In other words, though his weak arm is a problem, it's far from the only problem.

But, and here's the big but, Eric Mangini can't get rid of his defensive line. Or his offensive line. He can make a change at QB. He can throw Clemens out there and let us see what we have. Start planning for next season. Start figuring out who stays and who goes. Because right now, the whole mess ain't working.

For fantasy purposes - I am the kiss of death. If you play for my fantasy team, it means that not only will YOU get hurt, but anyone connected to you will as well. If you are a receiver, your QB, and backup QB, will both be out for extended periods. I started Schaub this week, desperate for a healthy body. Result - injured in the first quarter. I am pulling backup running backs off the scrap heap week to week because none of my backs are healthy. My wide receivers are healthy but they have 3rd string qb's throwing to them. I can't get a break. The result - Tom Brady's 48.5 points was the same as my ENTIRE STARTING OFFENSE gave me this week. By right, I should lose every fantasy game the rest of the season. all my best players are hurt. I'm using my 4th string and 23rd string RB's and 5 or 6 qb's have been on my roster. A total mess.

Just Throwing It Out There - and other random thoughts

2007-10-17T12:45:00.000-04:00

The Jets are 1-5. No matter who they toss out to start at quarterback the remainder of the season, the chances of going 9-1 in their last 10 and making a playoff spot (or even 8-2 and sneaking in at 9-7) are so remote, it doesn't even really pay to consider. (Though with my skill as a prognosticator, watch the Jets go 9-1, make the playoffs, and then we will have Joe taking the above as a quote on The Zionist Conspiracy, telling all of his loyal readers how dumb I am. Actually, I hope that happens.) After all, neither Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens can stop the run, consistently make field goals, and/or tackle wide receivers who make 10 yard catches before they turn those into 55 yard TDs.

That being said, if it's true that QB hungry teams were inquiring after Mr. Pennington, why wouldn't you have dealt him for a player or draft pick at this point in the season? Are Messrs Mangini and Tannenbaum worried about the season turning into a rout? The season IS turning into a rout. What, exactly, was the downside of such a trade? Worse case scenario, we find out in an already down year that Clemens isn't the guy and we know we need someone else next year. Best case scenario, you find a way to get Pennington off the books without the embarrassing benching sequence, you get to test your young QB in an already lost season and you get a player or draft pick in the process.

Obviously it would have been had to trade Pennington because of cap issues and maybe no one was really asking. But if there were real inquiries, why not pursue them? Am I missing something but what was the downside here?

- Speaking of Tannenbaum read this quote. Then read it again:

"I think the team got better over the course of the season. That's what I'm looking forward to this year. We're heading in the right direction. They're getting coached well, they're being developed and they're getting better. Although we haven't seen it with our record yet, I have seen progress."

Huh? Is he watching the same game I am? Where, exactly, is the progress? The Jets defense, which played pretty well the second half of last season, has been awful. They can't tackle, can't fill gaps, can't stop little plays from becoming big plays. John Vilma continues to go in reverse and Kerry Rhodes has taken a step back since his monster season last year (though I suspect that's partially due to the scheme). A rookie cornerback who didn't even play during the preseason is leading the team in tackles. The defensive line didn't get better. The running game is, for the most part, terrible. The loss of Pete Kendal seems to have dropped lines play back a few steps too (though give them credit for a decent job of pass protection so far this season).

Coached well? They miss tackles, blunder about with poor game plans and generally seem to lack fire.

All in all, not exactly his finest hour as GM of the Jets.

Look, I like the Mangini/Tannenbaum duo. They seem to have a plan and it's unfair to not give the plan time to develop. Keep in mind that the Patriots under The Evil Genius got a gift from the Jets when Drew Bledsoe got injured and unproven Tom Brady had to step in. That sped up New Englands ascension. These things take time. Let's give the brain trust the rest of the season at least to show this so called "progress".

- At the urging of several people I don't know (ESPN's Bill Simmons as well as TV Guide's Matt Roush and Michael Ausiello, the wife and I spent $14 plus shipping and handling for the first season of Friday Night Lights. Have to tell you, $14 bucks very well spent.

Any show that can grab both the wife and I has to be diverse. She hates football and I hate soapy type crappola. What raises this show to another level: Two things - the football scenes don't look staged and the acting is top rate. Zach Gilford's Matt Saracen, the back-up qb thrust into the starting role, with a dementia ridden grandmother, a crappy job flipping burgers and a very endearing stutter when he talks to girls, is the most believable tv character I have ever seen. Coach Taylor and his wife (Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton) are perfect and the character that make up Dillon, Texas' universe are all well acted and believable. And This is after only watching the first 7 episodes. I simply cannot understand why this show is floundering.

Now supposedly the second season started with a horrendous plot twist which has fans reeling. Sometimes shows are forced to leave their own blueprint for success when the ratings aren't there. i don't know, nor do I want to know, the twist - yet. Until I catch up. But until then, I am deeply enjoying this ride. Some shows peak in their first season. I have watched shows like that before too.

But for 14 bucks, you can take a chance on greatness.

Thoughts From Last Night's Game

2007-10-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

Just some quick thoughts from last night's Knick - Maccabi Tel Aviv game to get you all through the weekend:

- Last night's crowd resembled a UN rally for Israel - some married people, some Israelis and about 15,000 high school aged kids, most of whom couldn't identify Stephon Marbury from Nadav Henefeld (not playing).

- The crowd was at least 75% Jewish - and the Rabbi of Migdal Ohr, the organization the proceeds of the game went to, led the Am Yisroel Chai song at halftime from mid court - AND EVERYONE SANG. Pretty neat.

- MTA got off to a quick start against a very listless Knick team, but when Jamaal Crawford scored the first 7 points of the second half, the game was over.

- Good to see Vonteego Cummings and Marcus Fizer back in action. I had missed them since the college days.

- The game itself sucked, but i have to say it was a great experience. I was 2 rows from courtside, right near the MTA bench - not the loudest group of guys you will ever hear. It's amazing how BIG these guys are up close. The crowd, lots of Israelis in the house, made the game very festive. Lots of Mac-A-BI chants during the game and the crowd was clearly for the visitors. Well, this WAS a Knick game so not all that surprising.

Well, I'm off to cull together a fantasy squad to get beaten into submission by Moc. Have a great weekend.

Tel Aviv Basketball

2007-10-11T16:15:00.000-04:00

I will be sitting courtside tonight for the exhibition matchup between the Knicks and Maccabi Tel Aviv. If anyone is going, let me know. If anyone is interested in the game, I'll be glad to share my experiences.

On A Happier Note

2007-10-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

Team Jetropolitans have clearly responded to my roster shake-up and waiver wire moves and laid the smack down on Team Phan this week.

Going into my match up with MOC, they question is which of my 4 excellent receivers to go with each week? And i have been effective and waiver wiring a running back each week while my 2 starters rest their various injuries.

After Dallas plays tonight, Joe and I should be tied for second to last place in the league. For me it is the begining of my climb to the top. However Joe, after his impressive start, seems to be fading....

Time To Make A Move

2007-10-08T02:00:00.000-04:00

Ed's note: I wrote this post when very tired. When you write when tired, you make mistakes. The Ravens of course won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer. It shold be noted, however, that his opponent that day was Kerry Collins - not exactly an all world model QB himself. Apologies for the mistake (which I will leave in for the world to see) but perhaps that exception proves the rule - you need to be able to play on both sides ot the ball to win the big one - unless you are playing a crappy Giants team that had to "push all its chips into the middle of the table" to be in the big game too.

I like Chad Pennington, noodle arm and all. I do. I recognize how important a role he has played to the New York Jets organization. How he makes up for the weak arm with smarts, moxy and savvy. How well he runs the no huddle offense and how well he recognizes defenses and makes all the right calls at the line.

But, sadly, with his weak arm it doesn't make any difference.

In the NFL there are 2 types of playoff teams. There are those teams that make the playoffs and those that actually have a chance to win the Super Bowl. With rare exceptions, teams need to be able to play both ways to win the big game.

Look at Baltimore. They have had a great defense for a number of seasons now and every year they are included in the list of "Super Bowl Favorites". But they never win. Why? Because you don't win Super Bowls with Trent Dilfers and gimpy Steve McNairs. You win Super Bowls with Brett Favres, John Elways and that guy from the Patriots.

The Jets made the playoffs last year by being JUST GOOD ENOUGH. They scored just enough points, ran the ball just enough, held on to the ball and played just enough defense to eek out 10 wins and a chance to get stepped on by the Patriots.

And sure, if the Jets aspirations are to be perennial playoff contenders - if they are happy with just being there, then yes, Chad Pennington is your guy. He runs the offense well, doesn't usually turn it over (today's disaster notwithstanding) and so long as you don't need yards in chunks, he can get you down the field in slow, 14 play, 9 minute drives.

But it's becoming increasingly, and painfully, obvious that you can only go so far with Pennington as your quarterback. Simply put, he can't throw hard. He can't throw deep. He only has a changeup when sometimes you need a fastball.

I am a big Pennington fan - I'm not a basher. Sure I have bashed him in the past, but as a fan, that's been my right. I am trying to write this dispassionately. As a BLOGGER. As a Jet observer. If we could sew Kellen Clemens arm on Pennington, I'd say you would have the best quarterback in the league bar none. Including Manning and Brady. But you can't. It's a fantasy.

The Jets are 1-4. They are going nowhere fast. The defense, 4 years later, still can't stop the run. They still cannot pressure the opposing quarterback. They still can't run and they still can't block. If Mangini sticks with Pennington can the Jets make the playoffs? Possibly, though doubtful. Not with guaranteed losses to Dallas and the Pats still on the schedule.

But then what? Another first round flame out at New England or Indy? Is that what it's all about for the Jets? Is being a perennial playoff satellite good enough?

I'm not saying that Kellen Clemens is the next John Elway. For all we know, he's the next Browning Nagle. But we also know what we get with Pennington. They guy who moves the ball, slowly and methodically, doesn't turn it over, doesn't do anything flashy. Good leader. Etc.

But he's also the guy who floats his 40 yard vertical throws. And the guy with no gas on his 20 yard outs. The guy, in other words, who never wins you a Super Bowl.

So Mangini and Tannenbaum and the rest of the gang need to figure out what kind of team they want to be. And how best to get there.

While the anticipated decision hangs in the air like a Pennington wounded duck.