Gotham Times

Let's Go Bowling

2007-12-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

Just a quick roundup of the College Football Bowls so far...

Im utterly speechless as to what happened last night in the Pacific Light Holiday Bowl.

This is why everyone should sit down and watch the Liberty Bowl.

Is the possible Number One pick of the 2008 NFL Draft in trouble?

The team that everyone wants USC to play in the Rose Bowl.

Only in Texas do they pick on 80 year-old men.

Would someone please explain why there is so much controversy with this Michigan job?

Amidst all these suspensions, one player is granted a second chance.

Finally, who would have thought that THE Ohio State University would be in the exact same place as they were this time last year? After losing horribly to Florida, watching their Heisman QB, top RB, and top two WR's head off to the NFL, and putting their hopes on the shoulders of an unhearalded defense and a guy nicknamed Beanie, few outside of Columbus would have believed that the Buckeyes would be ranked Number 1 in the BCS, facing another SEC powerhouse in the BCS Championships for a second year in a row.

NFL PIck Six Recap: Week 16

2007-12-23T21:29:00.000-05:00

Another bad week in the books. I'll look to keep my season mark over 70% by having a great wee next week. Also next week I'll compare my pick percentage to some of the more well known guys out there.

Dallas at Carolina: Dallas
-T.O. gets hurt a couple weeks before the post season. sound familiar?

Cleveland at Cincy: Cleveland (Cincy)
-Battle of O-H-I-O goes to the Bengals in fact. Derek Anderson threw for 4 picks and 2 TDs and the stripes found a run defense they have been missing all year

Kansas City at Detroit: Detroit
-The Lions have found a resurgent TJ Duckett into the mix. I was wondering when this guy was going to find more playing time. He was always a solid contributor with Atlanta and seemed to never get his wheels going in DC. Good for him

Houston at Indy: Indy
-...and the third leading receiver in this game for the colts was...Devin Aromashodu..I've heard of ever inconspicuous player to grace NFL box scores. From Craphonso Thorpe to Ian Small and not once have I ever heard of Devin Aromashsodu. Never will i forget your name again Dev.

Green Bay at Chicago: Green Bay (Chicago)
-Looks like Chicago found something their eerily similar counterparts in Baltimore can't. PRIDE. Made Brett look like Brett of circa 04-06

Giants at Buffalo: Giants
-Coughlin better get out of the first round but something tells me unless he makes the NFC championship game or more, he's a goner.

Oakland and Jacksonville: Jacksonville
-Dark horse of the playoffs right here ladies and gentlemen. Fred Taylor is the new Curtis Martin (albeit more injuries and similar in age) and these Jags have a nice solid identity, they will grind it out in any weather.

Philadelphia at New Orleans: Philadelphia
-Good for Mcnabb

Tampa Bay at San Fransisco: Tampa Bay (San Fran)
-Turns out it did go the other way. nice classy move for Young's teammates to carry him off.

Atlanta at Arizona: Arizona
- Finally this pick worked out for me..

Miami at New England: New England
-Giants game should be an interesting one. I'm throwing a party for that game let me tell you, Jet fan or not.

Baltimore at Seattle: Baltimore (Seattle)
-Billick has got to go, simply put

Jets @ Tennessee: Jets (Titans)
-Battle of the old Titans vs. new Titans was terribly pathetic. Chad Pennington to me is the biggest anomaly at QB i have ever seen. His stat line will look good except for those two or three incomplete passes which happen to actually be interceptions in the red zone or forth down misses..At least he'll get a good look at his future team next week..

Washington at Minnesota: Minnesota (Washington)
-Todd Collins seemed to be the answer at QB..interesting to see how this plays out in the off season.

Week 16 record: 8/14 (58%)

Overall record: 29/44 (67%)

Musings

2007-12-21T14:21:00.001-05:00

We mentioned earlier we were going to drop a post with some musings and We decided to give it a try. Let us know if this works for you over Early Edition (which we haven't published as of late) or Time Out. input would be really appreciated.

~Anyone remember when highly touted Marcus Vick was supposed to be better than his brother. He had to move in with Mike so Mike could watch over him and instill priorities and maturity..those were the days, talk about the "Michael Vick Experience".

~Kenyon Martin was more of a beast then I remember (click here). The last player to have the same emotional tenacity as K-mart was Mikki Moore. If Sean Williams can find that inner fire, He could really be the replacement for K-Mart we've been looking for but god damn do I wish we had Martin, Micro fracture surgery or not, he brings a level of play that the Nets need.

~Marbury is going to retire. So much time in contemplation, I think he's lost the drive to play. All personal matters combined with Isiah sucking the love of basketball out of the Knicks players makes Marbury a prime candidate another notch in the ring of crazy players to leave the sport unceremoniously. If the Knicks were smart, they'd look to trade Marbury to Sacramento for Artest. They won't lose any production in the nut department and Marbury would definitely have a re-awakening on a team that could use a guy like him considering their starting back court of Bibby and Martin is MIA

~Roger is guilty.

~Where's Santana Moss gone to?

~Here's a weird thought. Reeves returns to the Falcons? Would be a good move considering he is a patient coach who is renowned for turning QBs into gods. Bring in a QB throughthe draft, let him learn under Reeves who will bring in a proper staff for a team that needs guidance.

~Bert Bell is the greatest commissioner the NFL ever had. Without him, we'd be saying Rozelle/Tagliabue/Goodell who?

~I hate the "unwritten rules" in the NHL. They are the very reason we refuse to cover this niche market product.

~If Tony Romo can't perform Sunday, will all the "next Favre" talk stop or am I going to have to hear about his thumb on the WWL for another week?

~Vernon Davis is the most poorly utilized Tight End talent in the NFL

~Arizona Tight End Ben Patrick is this years version of my Marques Colston pick (last year i bragged to my friends pre draft that if Colston learned to not body catch (like he did at Hofstra) and catch with his mitts, he will be a great wide receiver in this year. Patrick will take a little longer but considering he will get the chance to start in injured Leonard Pope's stead, we might see flashes of who I think can turn into the next great Tight End in this league.

~If the Pats go undefeated, will the 'Fins and Pats have combined champagne parties to celebrate when the last undefeated team goes down each year?

~I was watching an interview with Lawrence Taylor a couple days ago and he said (and i quote) on the topic of the career ending Injury he inflicted on Joe Theismann that "Joe should thank him because he made him a lot of Money". According to LT56, He was on the down in his career anyway and by hurting him, he got a lot of acclaim he wouldn't have had and thus made him money he wouldn't have made. It is true that he was at the end of his career but he should thank him? Thank him for...inflicting great pain, lots of hospital bills (the 'skins paid for of course but you get the picture), endless hours of rehab just so he could walk, and the possibility that in the future, he won't be able to walk at all? Hey LT, Thanks for your thoughts.

Pick Six: Week 16

2007-12-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

I want to apologize again for the complete lack of posts the last few days. We'll be running back on full schedule this Monday. We might post an ad-libbed musings post later on just to quench your GT thirst and now my week 16 picks (i know i missed last night so it will be excluded from the picks):

Dallas at Carolina: Dallas

-I'm so sick of hearing about Carolina. They need a new regime in place because they have the pieces but Fox's pre-game speeches have clearly lost their luster more than the Spears and Vick families combined.

Cleveland at Cincy: Cleveland

-Battle of O-H-I-O goes to the Browns. what linebacker is going to stop running back Jamal Lewis from pummeling the line of scrimmage.

Kansas City at Detroit: Detroit

-I expect a big game from Calvin Johnson. Larry Johnson has really flamed out this year. Maybe he'll report to training camp this year?

Houston at Indy: Indy

-Sadly Houston is out of the hunt for the playoffs but they really have a lot to be excited for. If they can get a young back to complement Green and the offense coupled with a good complementary receiver. This team could find itself in the play off hunt all the way to the end next year.

Green Bay at Chicago: Green Bay

-I think this game will be closer than many people expect but it will be because of GB lapses of concentration and nothing else. This is a young team that needs one more big test before the playoffs to begin.

Giants at Buffalo: Giants

-Too much is at stake for the Giants in this game. Playoff future, Coughlin's future, and IMO, Eli Manning's future. If he bombs this game, don't be surprised if his "future of the franchise" status is revoked.

Oakland and Jacksonville: Jacksonville

-I think this game will be close as well. I expect to see a lot of Maurice Drew for Jax and Russell should get a lot of snaps for Oakland which could prove to be a problem for the Jags considering the lack of game film on him to game plan with.

Philadelphia at New Orleans: Philadelphia

-This is a very proud team and they're going to show it in New Orleans this week. If Bush plays, i do expect his speed to be a difference (for a change).

Tampa Bay at San Fransisco: Tampa Bay

-I could see this going the other way but Garcia's first return to the 9'ers will be special for him. I don't expect the Bucs to go far in the playoffs; they lack that 'tude needed.

Atlanta at Arizona: Arizona

-IF Arizona loses to a team in more turmoil than the 'fins....nothing else to say.

Miami at New England: New England

-Although I think it would be a great story line for this 1-15 to beat the Pats to preserve their franchise's record as the only undefeated team in NFL history..Cleo Lemon is the QB and that serves as a problem.

Baltimore at Seattle: Baltimore

-This a proud defense that now has the biggest chip on their shoulder of '07..Losing to the Dolphins

Jets @ Tennessee: Jets

-They're pulling every trick out of the book in this game. Mawae vs. Robertson is going to be fun to watch.

Washington at Minnesota: Minnesota

-This is a hard pick because the plethora of linebackers at the Redskins disposal could be the solution for the soon-to-be rushing leader but i think that left side of the line for the Vikings is just too potent for Washington to stop.

I can't believe someone wasted their life with this.

2007-12-20T15:05:00.001-05:00

Tuna flew the coop for a Dolphin?

2007-12-19T19:20:00.000-05:00

Finally the 'fins make a smart move in Front Office Personnel. Gone are the days of Wandstat (who wasn't that bad in retrospect), Johnson, Sabean, and lets not forget the short run of Marino. If we know anything about what Parcells is going to bring, it's going to be football smarts, good draft picks, and a level of credibility that will help out in the free agent market and any possible sale of the team.

When a prospective owner sees Parcells is now in charge of football operations, he knows that at least talent is on the way. The same goes for possible free agent signings. If you're a frequent reader of GT, you'd know we have an affinity for Parcells draft picks (read below for a full list of notable draft picks).

My guess is that Parcells is going to keep Cameron around for at least another season and possible one more after that then (after his coaching itch comes back), He'll take over a team full of young talent that he picked. He will get to skip over some development years for young defensive corners and Quarterbacks (of course it's debatable that they wont develop the way he wants if he doesn't do it himself) which always seem to be the years that drain him. In any case, this is a great move by the dolphins, it will energize the older players who are downtrodden and it will stabilize a team that dearly needs it. As a Jet fan, I'm not happy about this move of course. I think Bill likes playing old teams in rivalry games (Pats vs Jets, Jets vs.

Dolphins, Giants vs. Cowboys) and the AFC/NFC Easts.

The other side of this is the Falcons getting snubbed again. The move was smart but they just don't have what a guy like Parcells wants to come to. The Falcons need need a young success hungry GM. They should look into teams with budding Assistant General Managers who have been in the draft war room before because this team is going to grow through the draft, not development and free agency.

EXTRA EXTRA:

Carl Banks
Mark Bavaro
Jumbo Elliot
Troy Brown
Willie Mcginest
Drew Bledsoe
Ty Law
Curtis Martin
Terry Glenn
Lawyer Milloy
Tedy Bruschi
Keyshawn Johnson
Ray Mickens
Marcus Coleman
James Farrior
Jason Ferguson
Jason Fabini
Randy Thomas
JP Machado
Jason Witten
Terrence Newman
Tony Romo*
Bradie James
Julius Jones
Patrick Crayton
Demarcus Ware
Marcus Spears
Marion Barber III
Anthony Fasano

*Wasn't drafted but was signed as undrafted free agent

The Natural

2007-12-19T05:18:00.000-05:00

This post isn't concerned with the names on the Mitchell Report, but with the biggest name left off of it...

Ever since 1995, I have been a huge baseball fan. Derek Jeter, Paul O'Neill and Bernie Williams were heroes to me. Yankee Stadium was the Cathedral in the Bronx. Nothing, or no one, could be better than anyone or anything associated with the Yankees.

However, I grew up knowing that there was always one player that was larger than life, almost like a baseball god. And especially since he played on the West Coast, he seemed closer to a myth than a human being. Now, after 19 seasons of giving his all to the game of baseball, while managing to stay away from all of this steroid controversy (his name has never, ever been mentioned by anyone associated with steroids), I am just about ready to proclaim "The Kid" as the best player of this generation. I repeat, Ken Griffey Jr. is the best baseball player of this generation.

Just a brief outline of his Major League Career: 19 Major League Seasons, .290 Career Avg, 2558 Hits, 593 Hrs, and .553 Career OBP. His swing is one of the prettiest I've ever seen: its fluid, quick, and majestic. As he rotates his powerful hips, his hands fly through the zone, and the ball soars off of his bat. Up until 2000, he was regarded as the top defensive centerfielder, with cat-like reflexes and a cannon for an arm. He hustled on every play, and always wore a big smile on his face. Just one of two active players to be named to the All Century Team at the 1999 All Star Game at Fenway (Rocket was the other), Griffey was at the top of his sport, and seemed destined to become the greatest player ever.

After an ugly dispute with Seattle Mariners managment, Junior signed with his hometown team, the Cincinnati Reds. At the time it seemed like a great move: a player in his prime moving into one of the top hitter's parks in the game. However, as everyone knows, injuries derailed his career. Griffey missed substantial time in 2002-06 as the result of a slew of unfortunate accidents and physical let-downs. As players like Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez rose into national prominence, Junior's star began to fade. 2007 was a comeback year for the "The Kid," where he played in 144 games, hit 30 HRs and had 93RBIs, a respectable line for a 38 year old corner outfielder.

Perhaps Griffey's most incredible achievement is the fact that he has stayed away from all of the steroid controversy. After the "Revival" Season of 1998, Griffey could have gone down the same road as Bonds, looking to boost his already large homerun totals in order to compete for the national spotlight. Or, after one of his many injuries, Junior could have asked his team's trainer for HGH or Anabolic Steroids in order to help speed his recovery and give him the power that he had in the mid 90's. But he stayed away from it all. Maybe it was due to his character, or just that he understood that the PEDs would hurt his body more than it would help. Regardless, Griffey stayed clean, and recovered from everything through hard work and patience.

Remember, Griffey was supposed to be the one who broke Aaron's 755. Griffey was supposed to be the one who was on all the covers of the magazines, and on all the talk shows. Griffey was supposed to be the one who was celebrated throughout all 30 Stadiums, recognized as the greatest player many of us have ever seen with our own two eyes. But a slew of injuries took that away from him.

Just because he's lost the past few years, doesn't mean that he should lose his legacy.

In my eyes, Ken Griffey Jr. is the greatest player of our era. And as he was ten years ago, everyone can call him, "The Natural."

Time Out: Full of Shit

2007-12-18T18:38:00.000-05:00

-Do you shit bricks...of gold? (DVICE)

-A classic site for any New Yorker. Things overheard in New

York is a MUST have bookmark. (Overheardinnewyork.com)

-Castro sets the record straight(?) (BBC)

-Poor K-man..

What Major League Baseball should do.

2007-12-18T06:36:00.000-05:00

After much discussion and debate between us here, I decided it was time for GT to chime in on what we thought should be the result of the Mitchell Investigation and how MLB and the Union should handle it.

If you recall, one of repercussions after the 1995 strike ended with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was that all players who were scabs (players who crossed the picket line during the strike for an opportunity to play) would no longer be members of the Union. What does that mean? It means all merchandise revenue, pension plans, and union voting was lost for them. Kevin Millar formally of the Red Sox was honored by the organization after their first championship in 2004 because the official MLB merchandise for their championship did not have Millar listed (because he was a scab in '95). The organization had new shirts printed up independently with his name included on the team roster.

As you can see, these players are still able to live the lives of ballplayers, take part in the sport and be apart of championships, they just reap none of the rewards.

What i propose for proven steroid and HGH (from when it became illegal on) users is something similar. I believe all players caught should not only be suspended according to what Major League Baseball mandated already but should also have their name erased from all individual all-time record lists. Many now would argue that they did what they did and it shouldn't be taken away from them and my response to that is that i agree. I believe they should be allowed to keep all statistics accumulated, just not have it listed on any individual record lists. If you looked up baseball's all-time leaders in wins for a starting pitcher, Roger Clemens would not be featured in the 8th position but if you specifically looked up Roger Clemen's stats, his 354 wins would be there in plain view.

What exactly does this do? It acknowledges that these players accomplished what they did but by taking them off the all-time lists, it takes away the credit and attention they might relish (Bonds?!?) for their accomplishments. Furthermore, they should receive the same treatment scabs receive albeit they can be union members, they just cannot receive any economic benefits from merchandise sales and considering they are baseball veterans, they should also receive a reduced pension plan (but still get something). The reduced pension plan punishes past players who might not care about the credit or the merchandise sales (because they're now retired. Right Dykstra?). Reducing their plan will show all future retirees that there is a consequence for this actions even after leaving the game.

To Sum it up, Caught Steroid/HGH users would

Receive MLB mandated suspension
Lose merchandising rights
Receive reduced pension plans
lose individual all-time records and standings
lose any Individual awards rewarded to them (MVP, Cy Young, etc)
Get to have their individual statistics continued to be displayed if looked up specifically for that particular player.

So those are our thoughts here at Gotham Times. Its asterisk free but still gets the job done IMO.

CLICK HERE TO GO THE GOTHAM TIMES MAIN PAGE

Early Edition

2007-12-18T05:51:00.000-05:00

-Rodriguez might learn to eat his own words soon enough. I don't think this is a good hire at all. Michigan doesn't have the proper personnel to run his offense and considering the effort and talent type already in place, this might not be the best four seasons (while the player change over begins) Big Blue has ever seen. (WWL)

-An amazingly clear article on the Mitchell Report (Ours later). (thesportslawprofessor.com)

-God that Pam Oliver really sticks to her guns. (Profootballtalk.com)

-Washed up Antoine Walker took some pot(belly) shots at his former coach before the game between the Heat and the T-wolves. Maybe he should thank him for letting him ride D-Wades curtails during the championship run. (RealGM)

-This successor business seems to be a real trend in collegiate sports these days. (Yahoo.com)

-Prior is really attracting some interest. Who wants to bet whoever gets him will be disappointed? (RealGM)

-God Vina is running in circles with his answers isn't here? At least WWL didn't hide him from the public. Bob Ley was the smart choice for the interview.

EXTRA EXTRA:

I got my MNF pick correct making me three for three on monday night.

Monday Night Football Record: 3/3 (100%)
Overall Record: 21/30 (70%)

Time Out: Photos, uniforms, and pipes (multiple cases)

2007-12-18T05:29:00.000-05:00

-Diane Arbus, a personal favorite portrait photographer of mine is having her shit donated to the Met. I hope they open it up to the public. (NY Times)

-A cool looking Lennon movie is coming out in a couple weeks, check it out. (Joblow.com)

-In case you couldn't remember what American Airways wore in '92, here you go. (Uniformfreak.com)

-I Can only wonder what the story is behind this. (BBC News)

-A great Internet classic. Wonder what Requiem for a Dream would be like if Toy Story characters played the roles? (AlienPanic.com)

MNF Pick

2007-12-17T21:09:00.000-05:00

Don't have time to drop a long post on why (work is going to very heavy till end of week, sorry guys) i think so but our pick is the Vikings. You can guess why.

Prediction: Vikings

EXTRA EXTRA:

Monday Night Football Record: 2/2 (100%)

Overall Record: 20/29 (70%)

Time Out: Raps,Traps, and Chaps (with a few laughs)

2007-12-16T23:44:00.000-05:00

-This is probably the greatest freestyle battle I've ever seen.

-The link is a link to the first six minutes of The Dark Knight (it's a prologue and pretty cool)

so click here if you wish. (Youtube)

-Ill article on a drug dealer turned good and helping support his community. It's all about community y'all. (NY Times)

-New York based clothing brand, Reason Clothing put out their new line. Some sick stuff, Check it out. (Reason Clothing)

NFL Pick Six Recap: Week 15

2007-12-16T19:53:00.000-05:00

Week 15 presented an abysmal result for my picks. I accidental skipped the Pitt-Jax game so i apologize. At the end of the regular season, I'm going to compare my results to that of more "Credible" game pickers like Dr. Z and some of the cast on the WWL and see how their results for the last four weeks stacks up with mine . Like usual, If the pick was wrong, the correct winner is in parenthesis next to my pick. Enjoy

1:00 PM

Cincinnati at San Francisco: Cincinnati (San Francisco)

-Frank Gore woke up finally rushing for 138 yards and Shaun Hill did a great job managing the offense. It's time for Cincinnati to look for a new coach IMO.

Tennessee at Kansas City: Tennessee

-Vince realized he's not a RB for the first time this season, congrats.

Baltimore at Miami: Baltimore (Miami)

-The once vaunted defense seems to be the only team still impressed with their dying reputation. How does the owner give his support to Billick still? one Superbowl victory seven years ago is really saving this guys job.

Jets at New England: Jets (Patriots)

-Jets played reasonably well. Thank Mike Nugent and Mcantcatchins for this game.

Buffalo at Cleveland: Cleveland (Buffalo)

-This game was fun to watch. Andre Davis was all over the field in the biggest snow storm i can remember for a game since the Jets-Steelers a couple years ago in the Running Back Snow Bowl (Curtis Martin vs. Jerome Bettis)

Seattle at Carolina: Seattle (Carolina)

-Anyone else think Shaun Alexander is done besides me? his violin TD dance was some foreshadowing.

Arizona at New Orleans: Arizona (New Orleans)

-This team is so close to the hump, they just can't seem to get over it..

Atlanta at Tampa bay: Tampa Bay

-Since Miami won, is Atlanta now the official worst team in the league (records aside)?

Green Bay at St. Louis: Green Bay

-Congrats to Brett for passing yet another great record.

4:15 PM

Indianapolis at Oakland: Indianapolis

-Closer than a i thought but is anyone worried about the running game on both sides of the ball for Indy? They should be because this offense is beginning to get figured out by the rest of the league

Detroit at San Diego: San Diego

-Better look out for LT in the playoffs. The perception his production isn't great this season is wrong, just check the stats.

Philadelphia at Dallas: Dallas (Eagles)

-WHAT OH MY GOD! ROMO? HE ISN'T PERFECT? HE ISN'T A TOP THREE QB YET? NOO ;)

Washington at New York: New York

-This is assuming that New York's hurt are going to play because if not, the G-Men's secondary has no shot against a plethora of wide receivers.

EXTRA EXTRA:

Week 15 Results: 6/13 (46%)

Overall Results: 20/29 (70%)

NFL Pick Six: Week 15

2007-12-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the complete lack of comments today but I've been very busy with work and I don't expect I'll have time to post many over the weekend unless something unbelievable comes out but here none the less, here's my week 15 Pick Six:

1:00 PM

Cincinnati at San Francisco: Cincinnati

-The 49'ers can't buy an offense and I don't see their defense stopping the Bengals resurgent offense.

Tennessee at Kansas City: Tennessee

-Last weeks game was a heart breaker for the Titans but i think it taught them they can hang with the big fellows in this league and Kansas City seems to have no QB to rally around. [Gotham Note] maybe they should try relying on Croyle's wife, i know we'd like to.

Baltimore at Miami: Baltimore

-I wouldn't be surprised if the Miami crowd starts routing for all the Baltimore Hurricanes out there over their Dolphins in this game...

Jets at New England: Jets

-Yeah i know, this pick makes me lose all credibility with you people but with the conditions being what they'll be, anything can happen.

Buffalo at Cleveland: Cleveland

-Cleveland's confidence is just too high right now but i do see this game to be determined by a touchdown or less.

Seattle at Carolina: Seattle

-Moore might be making his first career start for the Panthers and as much as i dislike the 'hawks, they're a solid (but boring) team.

Arizona at New Orleans: Arizona

-I know they disappointed me last week but going up against with a weakness at corner back and lack of a running game, this game is made for the pickings!

Atlanta at Tampa bay: Tampa Bay

-I jut feel bad for Warrick Dunn in the middle of all this but going up against his former team, his birds just don't stand a chance at the culmination of this tumultuous week

Green Bay at St. Louis: Green Bay

-St. Louis should let Mark Bulger sit and give Brock Berlin a chance considering this season is dead and he filled in quite well. He might have something there so its worth pursuing.

4:15 PM

Indianapolis at Oakland: Indianapolis

-I don't think much needs to be said here other than I hope Marvin gets back soon?

Detroit at San Diego: San Diego

-Detroit lost their edge and as much as I'd love to see them make 10 wins or the playoffs, neither one is going to happen but this has definitely been a promising season for them regardless of how you look at it.

Philadelphia at Dallas: Dallas

-So funny that on the week leading up to his newest showdown with his old team, T.O. reminded us all about why he left in the first place..His mouth.

Washington at New York: New York

-This is assuming that New York's hurt are going to play because if not, the G-Men's secondary has no shot against a plethora of wide receivers.

Quick Prediction

2007-12-13T19:41:00.000-05:00

Just a quick prediction on tonight's game. I'm picking the Broncos to beat the Texans (although I'd love to see them stay in the playoff this deep into the season)

Prediction: Broncos

EXTRA EXTRA:

Just a note, I'm 14/16 (87%) in terms of overall picks and 2/2 (100%) on Monday Night Football Picks.

ANDY! ROGER! DAVID! MIKE! GARY!, and CHUCK! (Jason exempt)

2007-12-13T14:25:00.001-05:00

First of all I want to say that is correct, I exempt Jason Giambi from my wrath (which means the world of course). He has suffered physically because of his mistakes and was willing to admit it in public as well as help the investigation and for that, he is the only one in my opinion who has repented for his actions.

Roger,

You were considered one of the greatest pitchers in the game just 30 minutes ago, now? You're a cheat and a lier. You brought your little steroid shooter along with you and got Andy involved. You make me sick. I hope the Steinbrenners go after every dollar they gave you last year and years prior. Did you let Koby watch you shoot up in the ass? You are a coward and a thief.

Andy,

How dare you question whether to come back or not. I adored you as a player and now i question how to feel. You were once a Yankee great and now? Now you're a shame to the stripes.

David,

I don't care much about you except for the fact you've had the gall to sit there on the YES set and criticize players who have taken steroids. You should be fired you wife beating cheat.

Gary,

Oh Gary Gary Gary, looks like steroids are something you rub on your legs too huh. Guess the "Shot in the butt" routine has gone sour. Let your dumb gospel singing wife sing you your goodbye song you moron.

Mike,

you're nothing anymore and your city-wide (Mets and Yankees) respect is gone. I suggest you don't step foot in my city anymore for your own safety. My anger might come out in words but many Yankee and Met fans won't take the same route.

Chuck,

You've tarnished many things with your actions. Torre's faith in you and turning your career around. Your magic in the Bronx and the Yankee championship days and whats most sad about it is that you probably only took them in 2001 and 2002 but that's two years too many. You've tarnished great child hood memories for me and for that you are a crook. You've been cheating every Yankee fan you charge for an autograph, every baseball fan who says you were a great story, and every fan that loved your hustle. Your game seemed so gritty and pure and now? Now it's steroid infested. Don't come back, ever.

-Gotham Times

OH SHUT UP

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

T.O. and the rest of the Cowboys staff needs to shut up about Parcells not being the reason for this resurgence. Parcells picked the ingredients, cooked them, but Phillips got the opportunity to serve them to put a twist on an old tuna line.

Parcells found Romo and kept him on the roster even when management WANTED DREW HENSON! He drafted Demarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, and Terrence Newman who he turned into a shut down corner and lets not forget he also drafted Jason Witten in the third round! He also drafted the two headed punch at Running back of Julius Jones and Marion Barber III and brought in all the receivers on the roster that T.O. boasts so much about (I'm a fan of Crayton and Hurd but don't you dare believe they wouldn't be cut if Keyshawn said he'd pay for the same salary they're getting).

Maybe the atmosphere Parcells created wasn't ideal for the general psyche of this team and that's fine but don't knock a man who put a lot of effort into this team and even brought you on board and dealt with your bull for a season (do we forget the pills incident or the WR coach blowups?) and still begrudge him because he didn't mention your name in press conferences. Bill Parcells has become a punching bag for the 'boys and that's not fair or right. He hasn't retaliated with a single comment even though he stands with the WWL's pulpit at his disposal where it would be played hour after hour like you know it would. He has given his honest and fair opinions on the Cowboys without any malicious intent.

The fact the new head coach / owner's sock puppet makes a comment about mentioning #81's name in his very first press conference is a testimony to the unexplainable vindictive nature of this team towards Parcells. You can argue that Parcells did a better job with the Cowboys, than he ever did with the Jets. Does anyone remember the laughing stock team he inherited that consisted of Quincy Carter, Troy Hambrick, and Dan Campbell? DOES ANYONE EVEN REMEMBER TROY HAMBRICK? Bill took them out of cap hell, brought in viable talent, and restored order to "America's Team".

I feel bad for Parcells as he sits at the NFL Live set and has to hear these numb skull comments from a team that without him, would be complaining about Dave Campo and his draft picks that consisted of Dwayne Goodrich, Quincy Carter, Pete Hunter, and Tony Dixon (with one exception being Roy Williams who is as overrated a safety as there is in this league as it is but a solid player) that stuck this team in cellar dweller turmoil.

It's like Parcells dropped the coin into the slot machine, walked away for a second and Phillips pulled the lever and got all cherries. Maybe Instead of Mentioning T.O.'s name, Wade Phillips should mention Bill Parcells and thank him for setting up the jackpot for him.

P.S. Notice i didn't mention his name either ;)

Early Edition

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

-The Astros got a steal in Tejada but doesn't anyone else find it odd that on the eve of the Mitchell Reports unveiling, The O's dump Tejada for five nobodies? (WWL)

-This mouth off on T.O.'s part is what makes me hate the fact the 'boys released Keyshawn and never let the pair play together..Now that would be some show. Expect a post on this later. (WWL)

-San Fran Grabs Rowand for 60 mil and could spell the end of the Hedeki to Giants talk. (WWL..Again)

-Making DB coach your interim head coach could be a ploy to keep stud Corner? Who knows.. (Yahoo Sports)

-Whenever Ben Wallace and the Pacers meet. Bad stuff happens. (NBA.com)

-A Penny for your thoughts? not anymore, Miami releases Hardaway and Signs former 1st round pick Luke Jackson. (RealGM)

-MJ wins in court just like he won on them. [Gotham Note] Now if only he could teach his Bobcats how to do that. (RealGM)

-Great..Now I'm going to get the pleasure of seeing Cliff Floyd's crippled stance and and hobbled run 18 times a year. (RealGM)

-the Zen master is staying put. [Gotham Note] Which is good because he has no hips to get anywhere anyway. (Lakers.com)

Time Out Movie Review: Deconstructing Harry

2007-12-13T00:53:00.000-05:00

At the middle of every month, I will be posting a movie review and possibly an album review of my choice (you can of course send suggestions to gothamtimes@blogspot.com) and it will replace that day's installment of Time Out. This is the first of those review editions so enjoy!

Deconstructing Harry:

Summary: Deconstructing Harry is about a short story writer fighting a bad case of writers block. All his pieces of work have real life references to people who have surrounded him over the years and they are starting to take notice (and are not too happy about it). Meanwhile he is having love life issues which seem to be at the core of all his problems. The story takes place at a time when his Alma Mater (who kicked him out before he graduated) is honoring him and he is going to take the trip to the ceremony but everything around him seems to be in chaos as he decides to.

Details: The cast is unbelievable. It is of course a Woody Allen film in which plays the lead. The rest of the cast consists of Robin Williams, Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal, Demi Moore, Judy Davis, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Toby Maguire and many more..

Review: There is a classic Woody Allen line every five lines. If you can figure out how the following scenario plays out without seeing the movie, you are a comedic genius and need to get into the business to bring about more gems like this: a writers block inflicted short story writer is driving up to an university that kicked him out before he graduated because they are honoring him. In the car with him is his kidnapped son, his dead friend, and a prostitute named cookie...The movie will keep you constantly enthralled and laughing and if you're not, you either don't have a pulse or you're Jay Payton (who I'm sure has never laughed before today this day and might not be laughing after the Mitchell Investigation comes out either ;) ).

Rating: 4.5/5

Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?

2007-12-12T12:19:00.000-05:00

EXTRA EXTRA: Detlef Schrempf is from Leverkusen, Germany.

Les Miles is a possible Genius?

2007-12-12T02:48:00.001-05:00

Les Miles is staying at LSU...with a buyout clause if he decides to go to Michigan. For those of you unaware of what a buyout means, it means that for a certain "x" amount of dollars, Miles can leave LSU without any further penalties from the school as opposed to leaving and having to possibly pay back some money he has already earned of a breach of contract.

Stay with me here because this could seem to be a stretch and I'm not saying it isn't but it's a thought I've concocted while watching the undying re-runs of Les Miles specials on the WWL.

Miles is trying to raise his own stock price. By getting a contract extension at LSU, that tells Michigan and any other suitor school (or NFL team) that he really likes where he is and doesn't intend to leave unless the price is right. There are several reasons why i think he is using LSU as a bargaining chip

The contract does not increase his salary. It will stay at 2.8 million annually.
He still has one buyout clause in the contract and the one buyout clause is if Michigan comes calling!

To me the extension of years means nothing since the buyout is still in place which is for the circumstance of Big Blue knocking on his door. I don't think there's any worry of him leaving for the big leagues, after all, look at all the recent failures of former college coaches that have left for the pro programs and came right back (most recently Petrino yesterday.). If Les is going to leave this school and football team he loves so dearly, it would be for one school and one school only, Michigan University. LSU has become one of the best college jobs there is. Ohio State isn't calling nor is USC or Notre Dame (though they should consider it), or even Miami. Michigan is not a program known for having a coaching carousel either. I don't expect the next coach to be there for only a couple years unless he is colossal disaster. The only things Les is saying with this contract extension to me are that Michigan is going to have to come with more money and if not, he'll be happy to stay at LSU.

Miles has set himself up real nicely so the ball is now in Michigan's court and I expect them to give Miles what he wants. When Miles leaves this program post-championship game, don't call him a liar or a traitor, He's just doing business because that's what this is, a business.

EXTRA EXTRA:

Miles set himself up nicely with a new termination clause if he does decide to stay and they do fire him. If they fire him without cause, he can be owed up to 15 million from LSU.

CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO THE MAIN GOTHAM TIMES HOME PAGE

Where has Stu Scott gone?

2007-12-12T01:30:00.000-05:00

Many of you hate him and many of you love him but regardless, it's become very clear over the past couple weeks that WWL host/sports center caster and failed TV show host (stump the schwab, Teammates, etc) is missing from the air. He has been replaced with Sal Paolantonio on the Monday Night Football set and by many others on his usual sunday night spot.
Could it be a contract dispute? a hidden sexual assault allegation? No no, nothing that tantalizing. In fact, Stu had his appendix removed after he became ill a few weeks ago prior to the mud/turf bowl between the Dolphins and Steelers. His return date is up in the air so feel better Stu..BOO YA..

NY Buzz

2007-12-12T01:29:00.000-05:00

NFL

-Spy Gate just wont die will it? Now the Pats are claiming the Jets had video cameras on the sideline too. Jets claim they were in accordance with NFL rules. (WWL)

-Gang Green and Shotty are coming with all they have this week. Tomorrow expect a post on how the Jets have a shot at beating the pats, schemes and all. (Newsday)

-Resurgent Coach Tom Coughlin (who is most likely in line for a contract extension) is making sure his players understand that this season, the motto needs to be "no pain, no gain". (Daily News)

-G-men are going for the five spot in the playoffs. (North Jersey.com)

MLB

-Yanks looking to offer Wang, Betemit and Cano contracts. (RealGM)

-Godzilla could say be leaving town. [GOTHAM NOTE] and we'll gladly "waive" bye to him. (NY Post)

-Pavano thinks he'd be giving up a lot of options by signing a minor league deal. [Gotham Note] The only other option we see for him is sitting on his couch watching the phone and hoping the Pirates or Marlins call him with the same minor league deal. (Hartford Courant)

-Wasn't he supposed to be the Mets next Piazza? (RealGM)

NBA

-Remember when "fire Chaney" chants were considered heinous? God, those were the days. (WWL)
-Phone has been off the hook in the Nets front offices lately for Kidd's services... (NY Post)

-Net fans booed VC in the fourth. [GOTHAM NOTE] I've been arguing for a long time with a friend of mine that Carter is a solid player but over the last couple years, I have to admit i have seen nothing but decline in his game. His three is erratic, he hardly drives to the hoop with the same vigor and tenacity i was accustomed to seeing the first season and a half he was here. IF we decide to break up the big three and not try to just add to it, I say VC goes for a big man down low. (Daily News)

EXTRA EXTRA:

Sonics (5-17) @ Knicks (6-14)-7:30

Early Edition

2007-12-12T00:53:00.000-05:00

-According to Pro Football Talk.com, Niners Defensive coordinator Mike Singletary is an early candidate to take over the helm at Atlanta. [Gotham Note] This could be a great move. although his defense is ranked 22nd this year with all their key free agent signings, they have gotten better every year he has run the D. His tenacity is infectious as you see with his defenses as they never give up on games. Bringing a guy in with a name like his could also convince key players like Deangelo Hall who want to leave, to stay. Hall was developed by the Falcons so to not completely prosper from their work would be a sad thing for them. It's hard to get a top corner in this league and many people argue numbers saying he isn't but unlike baseball, football is not a game of numbers and name presence on that side is nothing but good. (ProfootballTalk.com)

-MLB is starting their 48 hour review before the Mitchell investigation report is released to us excited public..something tells me the WWL is going to get their hands on it before we do..stupid WWL and their stupid press credentials.. (WWL)

-Les Miles is a possible genius. He says over and over again he won't be leaving LSU but something tells me all of this is contractual ploys to up the ante on Michigan..a post on this later. (WWL)

-Ford went down hard for his third or fourth (we've lost count) possibly severe neck injury. We wish Ford the best. Click here for High(low)lights of the game. Also, if anyone makes a suggestion the foul was malicious, they clearly don't know Al Horford and his demeanor dating back to his college days. (WWL)

-Fukedome made a quick decision apparently opting for a four year deal with the Cubs. (WWL)

-Buc's TE Stevens drops the ball again..This time he couldn't see it though. (RealGM)

Time Out: the re-up

2007-12-12T00:38:00.000-05:00

After a one day hiatus, the time out section is back!

-Not a big fan soulja boy (he reminds me of what Flava Flavs legitimate crack child would look like) but this rendition is just too good.

-a great post of some ridiculous freestyles.(Allhiphop.com)

-What is...a heart aneurysm?(TMZ.com)

Going to be swamped

2007-12-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

I'm still recovering from my food poisoning yesterday and with so much work on my plate, posts will not be possible for the next couple days so i apologize. Expect me to get back on schedule soon though

MNF Preview

2007-12-10T18:39:00.000-05:00

Prediction: Saints 17, Falcons 10

However, the Saints are in trouble. Reggie Bush is out for the year. Good Luck getting into the Playoffs New Orleans

Sick + Vick

2007-12-10T13:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Sammy's pizzeria and their wonderful food poisoned chicken parm last night at 1 in the morning, I have been entirely bed stricken today (except for the occasional roll over and purge into my make shift vomit contraption but that's TMI) so forgive me for not posing the NY Buzz and of course our take on Vick's Decision.

Because I don't want to leave you guys strapped to your seat waiting for my prediction like i know you are, Let me just say a few words on the matter. The 23 month sentence does NOT end his career as a NFL QB, just as a long term option. What ironic is a guy tonight is doing what he will attempt to do in three years, start at QB after a FOUR year absence, the only two differences here being Vick doesn't suck (contrary to popular belief} and Redman wasn't in jail. I will say I'm sure when Vick gets brought back, he will tried at wide receiver or more of a utility role (like Brad Smith) but he's definitely not done in the NFL. I don't know how good he'll be but he's not done.

EXTRA EXTRA:

I wrote an article about a year ago comparing Vick to Brees and why the hating on Vick as a QB needed to stop, Click Here

Early Edition

2007-12-10T07:23:00.000-05:00

-Michigan must be desperate. Apparently they're possibly interested in Cam Cameron.They do realize it's 2007, not 2006 right? (Pro Football Talk)

-Vlad says he's healthy from his injury plagued 2007 season. [Gotham Note] Apparently his teammate Gary Mathews Jr. had some cream that really helped ;) (RealGM)

-Rangers sign Milton Bradley to an one year deal. Considering he gets back to 100%, this could be a nice home for him, a place where Carl Everett's mentality fit in nicely several years back. (WWL)

-Fukedome has decided to make the switch the MLB. Buyers beware, these Japanese players do find success here but not necessarily in the field you envisioned them doing so (Hedeki is not a HR hitter, Kaz has not been an elite SS, Dice-K has been good but not an ace, and don't even get me started on Kei Igawa). (Yahoo Sports)

-I'm outraged by this move of Gagne to the Brew Crew for 10 mil but there has been debate here at GT about this so we'll save it for a possible later post. (Yahoo Sports)

-Hester and Briggs talk for the depressed Bears fan. Look on the bright side,Grossman isn't even an option. (NFL.com)

-Cavs looking at 76'ers PG Andre Miller? This would be a great move for the Cavs, they need a good distributor (not named Kidd)
(Ohio.com)

Time Out: Pong, City Blogs, and Crazy Jobs

2007-12-10T06:45:00.000-05:00

-This is simply ridiculous...

-Gotta Show love anytime you see some city flavor spread. Boulevard NYC is bringing exactly that to Central New York. (BoulevardNYC)

-My boys back home started a blog, not exactly ok for work but has some funny/ill stuff on here. (lickmyblogsack)

-The Roots reaction to 2 girls 1 cup..Sweeping the nation worse than goastse.

NFL Pick Six Recap: Week 14

2007-12-09T22:45:00.000-05:00

With week 14 in the books, my pick selection was pretty solid. Every game has a sub line discussing an issue or something topical about the game. If the pick was wrong, the correct winner is in parenthesis next to my pick. Enjoy

St Louis @ Cincy: Bengals.
-The game was surprisingly closer than I expected with Brock Berlin leading the Rams. he was a solid 17/28 for 153 yards and one pick which shows they weren't afraid to put it in his hands..well, does Linehan have a choice? he's trying to save a job that he's most likely already lost.

Dallas @ Detroit: Dallas
-Talk about a thriller all the way down to the last 18 seconds. According to the "analysts", this only enhances Romo's "legend". Stauback, Elway, Marino, and Favre are legends. Don't give this guy anything more than he deserves. Just under two seasons don't make you a legend... If this keeps up for say another season, then the talk can just begin but before then, he's a solid QB who idolized Favre..big whoop.

Oakland @ Green bay: Green Bay
-This is going to be an exciting team to watch in the playoffs. Their wide receiver core is very under appreciated.

Miami @ Buffalo: Buffalo
-Two 100 yard rushers for the Bills and poor Jason Taylor lost his cool at the end. I feel for this team, Dolphins or not, it's sad to see a team so inept and when you look at the starting talent level (not depth because my old high school has better depth and they don't even have a football team) you wonder how they can't pull out just one win!

Tampa Bay @ Houston: Houston
-With Sage Rosenfels filling in for Schaub, the Texans didn't shy away from the air. Kubiak has quietly put together a nice system and team here and if they have a nice coming off-season, look for a really solid team in 08.

San Diego @ Tennessee: San Diego
-Much Tighter game then i assumed but LT, the best Running Back in the game (and of all time in my opinion) really carried this offense today. Rivers is having one hell of a slump. Maybe it came too easy to him last year?

Carolina @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville
-It's time for Fox to go, enough said.

G-Men @ Philadelphia: G-Men
-Was definitely a classic Giant-Eagle battle but Plax really stepped up (Get it? ;) ) big for the G-men today.

Arizona @ Seattle: Arizona (Seattle)
-This was a trouncing and a huge disappointment to me. Kurt Warner looked like a grocery boy stock boy ( ;) ) out there throwing five picks.

Vikings @ San Fran: Vikings
-Nice win for the vikes but definitely the most ridiculous stat of the day, Adrian Peterson ran the ball 14 times for...THREE YARDS!? What happened to the "best back in football"

Pitt @ New England: New England
-Once again, enough Said.

Cleveland @ Jets: Jets (Browns)
-I don't understand why shotty doesn't run the same plays he runs in the 2nd half, in the 1st half. Got to give credit to the browns for exploiting the Jets weaknesses but at least we see there's fight in this Mangini group no matter the record or score.

Kansas City @ Denver: Denver
-This is ridiculous. Chiefs need to get themselves a QB next season and furthermore, i guarantee Herm will be back for another season (but i don't know why)

Colts @ Ravens: Colts
-It was good to see Troy Smith finally play. He could be a fun spark plug for this team by being the new generation's Doug Flutie but we all know that Bill Billick doesn't do what is good for his team so what am I thinking

Week 14 result: 12/14 (86%)

Overall Result: 13/15 (87%)

Is Derrick Mason Muslim?

2007-12-09T22:35:00.000-05:00

Not that I have anything against it but an interesting thing that i noted while watching this sunday night football game blow out is that when Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason's shoe came off, they zoomed in to him putting it back on and on the right outside of the heal, Arabic script was featured. Players are typically know for placing their name, moniker, number, favorite sayings, religious icons on the back but never had i seen Arabic scripture as a decal and furthermore have i ever seen a non-Muslim athlete display Arabic on their items. If anyone has any info on this, please send it to us (gothamtimes@gmail.com)...We'll try to find a picture and more on the matter.

Mark Jackson Brings It

2007-12-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

Being a Net fan, I wasn't very happy two years ago when they announced an all new commentary team of Marv Albert and former NY great/completely inexperienced play-by-play guy Mark Jackson. I didn't like Marv taking over the majority of the games from my personal favorite commentator, Ian Eagle and for Jackson, we had Kelly Tripuca who was a pretty bright guy with a great basketball IQ.

Jackson was terrible at the beginning sputtering and murdering more words than Emmit Smith. His style though over the past two years has improved and grown on me. I never took him for a very articulate or passionate guy but tonight, I'm watching my Nets look worse than I've seen them during the Jason Kidd era and the angriest guy on the Nets staff appears to be...Mark Jackson. He's really giving it to the Nets verbally, telling it like it is. He's not just throwing out the typical regurgitated answers like "they just don't have it tonight" "this is a team that needs to regroup and find who they are". Mark is really pointing out they know their game, they just don't care and even questioned if the coaching staff's fire stronger than the players. Tonight's broadcast really made me respect him more, if he gets the GM job to replace Ed, we at least know he's going to care..

Mayweather vs. Hatton & The Heisman

2007-12-08T17:41:00.001-05:00

It's going to be a slow posting weekend but i thought i should touch on two big events tonight. Tonight Pretty Boy Floyd is putting his belt on the line against Britain's boxing god, Ricky Hatton. Being a big fan of the "sweet science", this match up intrigues me. Floyd's speed and counters verses Hatton's brute strength and iron jaw. I see it going to a split decision in favor of Mayweather. I think in the end his speed will be too much for Hatton. I will say though (and this is not a flip flop) that i wouldn't be surprised if Hatton landed a nice one on Floyd and ended it. If it goes the whole way, it's Mayweather, if it ends in rounds, it's going to be Hatton.

Now the Heisman...what can i say? I like Tebow, he's a good QB but i don't think he deserves it. To me, there are three main criteria when assessing Heisman winners: Consistency, one big game, and losses. To be a Heisman winner, its not like the MVP trophy in any other sport. The Heisman winner is a player that is the reason his team is great and if they lose, it's because he didn't do his job (which is why it's so hard for defensive players to win it because to gauge a defensive players game is a lot more difficult then an offensive players game who has more statistical categories to rely upon). Tebow has three losses this season and even worse, they were all in conference losses.There is no doubt that his stats are eye opening to say the least but if i was to pick, it would be between Colt Brennan and Darren McFadden. Colt Brennan broke countless records (system or not) this season, his team is undefeated; he was the model of consistency so if was a purest voting, it would be Colt. McFadden had the memorable game (against LSU in that OT thriller) and amassed nearly 1800 yards, 304 carries without a single fumble albeit yes he had four losses, his Constancy was much stronger than Tebows.

To sum it up, Tebow will win but if i was a Heisman purest, Colt would win (but my personal pick is McFadden).

What are the A's thinking?? (+ More)

2007-12-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

Even in the wake of Bonds's not guilty plea today in front of federal court, the Oakland Athletics are apparently still serious about signing him. WHAT!

A GM and team renowned for making the cost saving, low budget, "money ball" moves are thinking of bringing the sultan of shots himself and the media circus that follows? Billy Beane needs to wake up. The one thing this shows is that the A's are looking to increase their attendance and this without a doubt would do the trick, I just don't know if they will be able to handle the hell hole of reports and seeing Pedro Gomez's face every damn day. From a financial stand point, the move is brilliant keeping him in the bay area, it will tap into a fan base never before touched by the A's. A fan base unsure of the Giants and the Athletics are banking on the fact that his loyal fans will flock to see him close by..If he's not in jail...

Now that the legal proceedings have begun, the World Wide Leader had an interesting point. They state that:

"Several former San Francisco Giants teammates and other players, including Detroit's Gary Sheffield and the Yankees' Jason Giambi, also could testify if the case goes to trial, which wouldn't start until late next year at the earliest."

This brings up a question that surely has been quietly creeping into the clubhouses of Major League Baseball. Are these testimonies given by Giambi and/or any one else who participated in the Mitchell Investigation snitching? Will players begin to feel the snub a "rat" would receive? I think the underpinnings of all this is that yes the players know steroid are illegal and what not and although not all players did it, it was very wide spread and if names are given, are those players who participated in the investigations helping clean up the game, snitching on brethren, or saving their own hides? Something to think about.

Stay Tuned...

NFL Pick Six: Week 14

2007-12-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

Considering how late into the NFL season this blog was started, our final numbers in terms of picks obviously won't be complete but without further adieu, we introduce our NFL pick segment, "Pick Six" (a play on NY Post's Page Six):

St Louis @ Cincy: Bengals.
-Both teams have been playing much better as of late but I'm feeling a late season surge from the Bengals.

Dallas @ Detroit: Dallas
-I said it earlier and I'll say it again, Dallas is gonna stomp the Lions who will be without their top receiver, Roy Williams for the rest of the season.

Oakland @ Green bay: Green Bay
-Although this has the smell of an upset to me, I'm going to play it safe and go with the packers (but don't be surprised if the raiders steal this one!)

Miami @ Buffalo: Buffalo
-Bills could get Lynch back this game. Miami said they're going to implement a new defense by placing Zach Thomas in the back of the end zone and have him do the Soulja Boy ;).

Tampa Bay @ Houston: Houston
-With Garcia being questionable and it being in Houston, i can see the under dog Texans grab a nice win here.

San Diego @ Tennessee: San Diego
-Everyone is talking about how the hype machine for Reggie Bush has died but what about Vince Young? To say he's been horrible this season would be real accurate. Madden Curse? Don't you have to be consistently good for a while to have this curse strike you?

Carolina @ Jacksonville: Jacksonville
-Got to love Vinny T but the Panthers have been the most underachieving team for the past three seasons. Fox still has his job thanks to that unpredictable Superbowl Appearance but his time is up.

G-Men @ Philadelphia: G-Men
-Even though the Giants are really banged up in the secondary, i think they'll get enough pressure on McNabb thanks to the front 7 to win this one.

Arizona @ Seattle: Arizona
-I've been pulling for the Cards to put it all together for some time and i think that time is now. Anyone else think that Seattle is possibly the most boring team in the NFL?

Vikings @ San Fran: Vikings
-I'm not on the "We want to have Adrian Peterson's children" band wagon yet but i do think he's the best pure runner (not best running back!) in the game today.

Pitt @ New England: New England
-Enough Said.

Cleveland @ Jets: Jets
-I'm not just being a homer with this hometown picks, i think the jets D is starting to click and with coles back and Shotty realizing he has playbook beyond HB dive and five-and-out, I see us pulling out a nice win here.

Kansas City @ Denver: Denver
-This game used to have so much buzz a few years back and now?..What else is on TV?

Colts @ Ravens: Colts
-Thank god the ravens didn't play the cowboys this week or that would have been a lot of grievance paperwork for Rolle to fill out.

NY Buzz

2007-12-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

NFL

-S Kerry Rhodes has been coming on strong for Gang Green as of late. This report attributes it to film study (and also talks about his two new film study partners since Vilma went down) but he's been doing that all season just like he did the season prior so I don't know how it all just magically clicked. [Gotham Note] Rhodes recent success IMO is thanks to the Mangenius and Sutton using him closer to the line of scrimmage where he plays at his best. Having him play closer to the line requires the opposing QB to question the possibility of a blitz coming from his blind zone (if he's a right handed QB) which can result in a change of blocking schemes at the line or if Rhodes will drop back in coverage. There's been a lot of talk about the Jets D not being full of play makers and although I admit there's been some free agent signing mistakes this off season (Kenyon Coleman is a situational pass rusher, not a every down 3-4 linemen like we've been trying to use him), we can't ignore the pool of young talent that we have (Kerry Rhodes, Jonathan Vilma, David Harris, Dewayne Robertson, Darelle Revis) and some pretty sturdy veterans like Shaun Ellis and Eric Barton. (Daily News)

-David Harris earns Rookie of the Month honors. (Newsday)

-Banged up Giants secondary really sucking it up for a possible playoff clinching game.
(Newsday)

[CLICK READ MORE FOR NY NBA AND MLB NEWS]

EXTRA EXTRA:

Vinny T is considering playing beyond this season. I wouldn't mind seeing him backing up Clemens next year.

NBA

-Kidd defending his migraine and talks about a possible extension in the works. [Gotham Notes] I was the first to admit during the game that Jason Kidd's migraine was suspect but if you think about the broken ribs, bruised thighs, stitched up eyebrows, torn up knees, etc Kidd has played with for with the nets, why question his loyalty to the organization, regardless of how fishy it sounds, you need to give him the benefit of the doubt. (RealGM)

-Knicks are once again are on top of Forbes list of Most Valuble NBA franchises for the third straight year. Hey, at least they're winning something. (Yahoo Sports)

EXTRA EXTRA:
Tonight:

-Knicks (6-11) @ Sixers (5-13), 7:00

-Nets (9-10) vs. Rockets (10-9), 7:30

MLB

-A-Rod is apparently no (Name of 3's company landlord). (NY Times)

-Yanks in talks with career choke artist LaTroy Hawkins. (Daily News)

-Hedeki to (SF) Giants picking up steam? (Real GM)

Early Edition

2007-12-07T01:30:00.000-05:00

-the NFL network thursday night game definitely was an interesting one. Both teams lost their starting QB with what appears to be severe knee injuries. You just have to feel good for the Redskins right now. People forget that not only have they lost Sean Taylor this season but starting CB Shawn Springs is dealing with the painful situation of his comatose father, former NFL RB Ron Springs. Those off the field issues coupled with plenty of injury woes makes the Redskins the 2007 version of the 2006 Saints. I may be a Jet fan and will always root for the hometown Giants over the Redskins, this season is just different. Final score, 24-16 Skins. (NFL.com)

-People need to calm down with the Newman-Kitna Hype. The 'boys are going to blow the resurgent Lions out. the Lions lost leading wide receiver Roy Williams this week for the season and although they have Calvin Johnson, Martz has seemed to forget about him in the offense opting to throw to Shaun Mcdonald (who he had in St. Louis) more. Kitna said those remarks at the end of a poor 2006 season and Newman still holds a grudge? First off, talk like this isn't uncommon; Bart Scott got into some trouble last year for making similar remarks. Second, this is very unusual for Newman to get so angry and be so vocal. Newman has always let his play speak for himself so maybe he should keep doing whats working for him. (USA Today)

-This is a joke so I'm not even going to comment on it. Don't even get angry, just let the video speak for itself.

-Astros are having serious talks regard Miggy Tejada so if he was the Angels backup plan, they might want to act upon that quickly. (RealGM)

Time Out: Court Quotes, Mclovin, and verses

2007-12-07T01:09:00.000-05:00

-The top 20 verses of rap of all time. Feeling the love for all eras. (Allhiphop)

-Judd Apatow is a god among men these days. Anything he touches seems to turn to gold especially when he brings back fan favorite Christopher Mintz-Plasse or...(Hollywood Reporter)

-A friend of mine sent me this a while back. God court is so much fun.

-Is this sick or funny? (Cofanifunebri)

The Turkney Team Brand Index

2007-12-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

The Turkney Team Brand Index is a poll that was given to 12,000 adult sports fans in the 47 north American markets that home at least one team from the NFL, NBA, or MLB. they were given 20 question surveys that they believe conclude a brands worth in terms of loyalty and popularity locally. Below you'll find the results of the top 56 out of the 122 teams ranked in the survey brought to you by Sports Business Journal.

( Click read more for the results and some input from us.)

If you really look at the numbers and what the poll was looking at, there aren't thaaat many surprises here. Smaller market teams with less attractions surrounding the area equals better scores for sports brands. One thing to note is that this poll was given once and obviously teams popularity can easily fluctuate over a period of time. If they compiled indexes of maybe a five to ten year span, I'm Sure teams like the Saints wouldn't be ranked as high then.

-Pittsburgh being number one isn't entirely surprising considering the current state of the market there and lack of surrounding sports teams...

-The Yanks are ranked 29 (BUT on an international scale, they're easily number one with an index scale of 499.60...)

-Some notable surprises: Lakers at 73, Buffalo Sabres at four(!) with the Buffalo Bills at 40, Saints at seven, Rangers at 95, Devil Rays at 89, 76'ers at 113...

-The worst brand name with a score of 74.39 and a ranking of 122 is .....the Arizona Cardinals.

New York Teams Rankings:

Yankees-29
Mets-43
Giants-56
Jets-65
Knicks-106
Nets-108
-----
(I don't consider Hockey a sport but for you deranged enthusiasts out there..)

Rangers-95
Islanders-111

NY Buzz

2007-12-06T11:11:00.000-05:00

This is really delayed because the blogger duddas mistook my blog for a spammer but nevertheless here you go.

NBA

-The Starbury/Curry-less Knicks beat the heavily depleted Nets in the first installment of the cross-river rivalry this year. Not only did the Nets have the usual suspects (Marcus Williams, Daryl Armstrong, and Nenad Krstic) out as well as Antoine Wright for the second straight game but BOTH Josh Boone AND the captain Jason Kidd came down with migraines (which to me is very fishy). Fourth string point guard Eddie Gill got in early foul trouble causing Vince carter to take over the point. VC's poor shot selection in the fourth quarter along with the Nets bigs coming down with a bad case of foul-itus, let the Knicks sneak by with a win. Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson came through late and Richard Jefferson poured in his usual 30+ points. (WWL Highlights click here.)

-George Vecsey creates a great contrast between the current states of the Nets and Knicks. (NY Times)

NFL

EXTRA EXTRA:

I have to say I really am a big fan of the Titan's throw back and although I'm sure I'm the minority, I'd like to see them wear them once or twice annually and not just for this one year sales gimmick.

MLB

-Mets Catcher possibily looking at a one year deal with the Jays. (Newsday)

-Boomer is trying to find a place cross town in Queens? (Daily News )

-Recently traded Yank has a shot to make the Nats rotation. (Washington Post)

Early Edition

2007-12-06T07:05:00.000-05:00

-Andruw Jones is moving to tinsel town for two years and 36 million. (WWL)

-25% of the supplements tested had small amounts of steroids in them and 11% has banned substances...Maybe all those athletes who claim "it was something in their supplements" were onto something? (USA Today)

-..and on that note, Jose Guillen reaches a three year deal with the Royals...then gets suspended for his use of HGH. (Yahoo Sports)

-Rolen finally says he wants out. Could it be that the release of La Russa's video to the public pushed him so far over the edge that now not only does he not want to talk to him, he now can't even look at him? (WWL)

-Heisman invites went to Tebow, Brennan, McFadden, Daniel. Expect a post on the Heisman later. (WWL)

-Cavs Match the Bobcats offer for Varejao. Danny Ferry should thank the Bobcats for completing the negotiation for him. (WWL)

-Highly Unlikely but worth mentioning this trade posibility to the Mets. (RealGM)

-Pats CB Asante Samuel won his right to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He signed a one year tenure this season that states if the pats won 12games this season, he would earn that right. Could this mean Asante could join his old defensive backs coach/ defensive coordinator Mangini in Gotham? If they offer him Nate Clements money then why not. Pro Football Talk

-Nats have been making a lot of really bold moves so far this off season being very pro(?)active on the trade market. They traded for Mets lightning rod Lastings Milledge while getting rid of some ridiculous contracts and traded for possible 3-5 starter Tyler Clippard. What might have gone under the radar is that they also acquired Elijah Dukes "my baby mama" for nothing. Considering they took on Lastings Questionable (although i thought entirely misinterpreted for intensity and excitement for the game) Attitude and were willing to bring on the notorious bad boy of the minor leagues, it appears the Nationals are willing to sacrifice character for skill and frankly with their attendance quickly dwindling before they even move to their new park, do they have any other choice? (Washington Post)

-If you have a good 15 minutes to spare, here's a good interview with Joe Frazier on his life. Smokin' Joe isn't look very healthy but still dapper none the less. (WWL)

Time Out: Albus, Aunt Jemima, and Broadway Joe

2007-12-06T07:04:00.000-05:00

-old school Broadway Joe commercial. (NYGlob)

-A look back at an era of Americana where the only problem with Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima was that you were out of both.> (Slate)

-It's Albus Bitch! (Youtube)

Too Good to Be True?

2007-12-05T19:42:00.000-05:00

Just found this rumor...it's too epic to ignore

Mets send Jose Reyes, Kevin Mulvey, and Hector Pellot to A's
A's send Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson to Mets
A's send Dan Haren to Twins
Twins send Johan Santana to Mets

Mets get Johan Santana, Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson
A's get Jose Reyes and Kevin Mulvey
Twins get Dan Haren and Hector Pellot (MLB Trade Rumors)

This deal, if it were to happen, would be momentous for both leagues. Thoughts?

Oh, and if you haven't inferred it yet, the trade talks between the Red Sox and Twins have slowed down, and Baseball Prospectus believes that chances are Santana will still be a Twin at the end of the Winter Meetings.

Mangini-Belichick (with a sprinkle of Ryan)

2007-12-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

This article was written last year so consider it a tad dated. I thought it would be a good follow up to the Ryan-to-the-Jets talk and also give an in-depth look at why the relationship is where it is. Enjoy..

I am a die hard Jets fan, I must admit that before going forward. I live and die by the Jets. For this post though, I'd like to put aside my love for them and talk about the Mangini-Belicheck relationship. Yes it is very well known, Bill doesn't talk about or to his former Coordinator and does not explain why. Well that's why I'm here, I think it is very clear why and i will map it out for you to understand.

Eric Mangini is the former defensive coordinator of the Patriots, yes, all football followers know, the "teacher and protege" dynamic that has gone sour. Sure Mangini learned a lot from Bill but i think it goes farther than that.

All of the other coaches that left Belichick's regime were his counterparts, Weis and Crennell came from the Parcells era where they all learned together. When Charlie was the offensive coordinator and Romeo was the defensive coordinator, Bill was merely a head man on a team stacked with three more than qualified head coaches each running a separate division of the team. That two coaches left on Bills natural side of the ball (defense) had learned under him, Eric Mangini and Rob Ryan. Rob's entry into the coaching ranks of football was certainly much easier than Eric's. Rob's father happens to be football legend Buddy Ryan. When Rob left to become the Defensive Coordinator of the Raiders, other than losing a good coach, I don't think Bill saw any problems with it. He would be in a division separate than his across the country. They could meet once in a season, if that much.

Now there's Eric. Eric is a guy that Bill who happened to stumble upon in the copy room late one night when Eric was a ball boy in Cleveland where Bill was the head coach. They started talking and found out they went to the same college (Wesleyan University) and were members of the same fraternity ( Chi Psi). Belicheck found out Eric's ball boy internship was up the next day so he got him a job in the film department putting tape together. They became fast friends and when Bill became defensive coordinator under Parcells in 1999 for the Jets, Eric became the assistant defensive coordinator to Belichick. Bill was determined to teach Eric everything. When he named Mangini his defensive coordinator, something he didn't do the year prior when Romeo left, it was because he trusted Mangini so much with everything he taught him, he knew the defense would be run just the way he wanted.

You see, Bill trusted and opened up to Mangini in a way the most strategic coach of all time never did to anyone in the game. His trust no one mentality was rule for everyone but Eric so when Eric took the job as the Jets coach, the Patriots rival in the same division, Bill felt betrayed. Eric left knowing the blueprint for a championship team that he learned while being under Parcells and Bill. He also knew all of Bill's strategies which he could utilize twice a year against his mentor. That's why they don't talk, that's why it's strained. Eric is the brain child of Bill. Bill fears Mangini because he knows what he knows and understands how he works.

NY Buzz

2007-12-05T10:45:00.000-05:00

NFL
-The G Men can clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a win and:

• The Giants win at Philadelphia
• The Panthers lose or tie at Jacksonville
• The Saints lose or tie at Atlanta
• The Lions lose to Dallas
• The Cardinals lose at Seattle
• And either: The Redskins lose or tie against Chicago (Thursday night) OR The Vikings lose or tie at San Francisco.

(Daily News)

[NBA AND MLB NEWS IF YOU CLICK READ MORE...]

-The Jets have made a miraculous discovery over the last three weeks. Defense! They've learned that if you make the system fit the players and the other way around, defensive stops are a possibility. (Daily News)

-Jets lose Ward a couple years ago, now practice squad gem (seriously) Danny Ware heads to the Giants..expect to see him in action real soon real soon. (NorthJersey.com)

EXTRA EXTRA:
There's talk that Buccaneer's Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin might want to join his son, Head Coach Lane Kiffin in Oakland after this season since his Tampa Bay contract will be up. Why does this matter to us NY sport enthusiasts? it means there is a great possibility current Oakland Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will join good friend Mangini ( They worked in New England together. I wrote an article that touches on this a while back, I'll look to re post it later) with the Jets. I'd love this move.

NBA

-Starbury might play tonight in the cross river rivalry game... (RealGM)

-There's a possibility Kiki Could replace Ed? I'd love this move (NYPOST)

-Fourth leading scorer in the NBA is? (NBA.com)

EXTRA EXTRA:

My Nets are going to kill the Knicks tonight ;)

MLB

-Mets quietly going hard after Bedard. (RealGM)

-Yanks end their blind pursuit of Santana, look for them to after Haren even though their asking price right now is out of this world (Kennedy and Hughes). (NY Times)

NOTE TO READERS
Just fyi, all links are the final words of each summary or their citation.

Early Edition

2007-12-05T02:11:00.001-05:00

-OJ Mayo and the USC Trojans really gave it to the Derrick Rose led Memphis Tigers pushing them into Overtime .
A HUGE jump in Daniel Hackett's production from last season (5.3 PPG to 21.1 PPG in only eight more minutes per game) gives the Trojans and nice back court duo that I'd be worried about playing in March. Rose looked unsure of himself throughout the game though and USC's fast paced approach surprisingly showed a weakness in the second ranked Tigers. A game like this would make Jimmy V proud. (Yahoo Sports)

-Kobe and Bynum must be so friendly now, they're sharing each others food. (WWL)

-Bobcats do Cavs a favor . (Yahoo Sports)

-Travis Henry scores a win with his appeal of his drug suspension. (The Red Zone)

-According to Sports Business Daily, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue is joining his old DC law firm, Covington & Burling. According to SBD (go ahead laugh),

he will be a business adviser to the NFL, will advise clients in the firm’s “communications and media, technology and international groups.

I wonder if this marks the first time a former commissioner of a sports league serves as an employee with the same league after his tenure as commish was over. (SBD)

-Dolphins put Zach Thomas on IR which he wasn't very happy about. I think the video below was enough evidence to prove some brain damage has been caused by all these concussions (Sun Sentinel)

Time Out: Liqour, baby's daddy, and oh Canada?

2007-12-05T00:07:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent me a fine interview on "bilingualism and equilibrium" in Canada . (Not OK for work)

Good ol' hallucinogens are back and ready for action. (NY Times)

As a kid, I was a huge fan of Batman so how can't i get excited for this? (joblo)

Be careful who you give your sperm as a gift to. (CNN)

Tigers Pounce on D-Train, Cabrera

2007-12-04T20:33:00.000-05:00

How many people thought that the blockbuster trade of the day wouldNT involve Johan Santana?

Well after Day One of the Winter Meetings down in Nashville, the Tigers and Marlins pulled off a blockbuster deal:

Tigers Get: Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis
Marlins Get: Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabello, Three Minor League Pitchers to be later

Analysis: Tigers once again propel themselves into the elite of the American League, and seem poised to challenge for the World Series crown. They add a power bat in between Magglio Ordonez and Gary Sheffield, making a dangerous lineup even more potent. With Jim Leyland watching over Cabrera, Tigers fans shouldnt worry about an out of shape superstar. Willis is a good pickup, though I feel he's overrated: 4.50 ERA in 2007 in a pitchers park down in Florida? I question how he'll fare against tougher lineups. I have to really applaud Florida GM Larry Beinefest for this one. In my opinion, hes a Top 3 GM in the sport: he always trades his stars at their highest value, and makes sure to get great players in return (see Josh Beckett trade, circa 2005). Maybin and Miller are two of the top players in the Minor Leagues, and within a few years, should be leading the Marlins back into contention.

AL Pecking Order
1. Boston Red Sox - Can't be better than the Champions until you beat the Champions
2. Detroit Tigers - This trade, in addition to getting Edgar Reniteria and resigning Kenny Rogers make them legitimate contenders in the Central
3. New York Yankees - Filled all of their major holes, while retaining their bright young pitching. Last year in Yankee Stadium is promising
4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Biggest losers so far, the addition of Cabrera would have had them challenging for the top spot. Torii Hunter helps, but not that much: this team is a year older, and are still missing that big bat to protect Vlad
4a. Cleveland Indians - Although they are a strong team, they drop because of the Tigers moves

Major League Roundup

- Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins are still haggling over that last player, but seem ready to make a trade. In exchange for Santana, Twins would receive either a package based around CF Jacoby Ellsbury, or SP Jon Lester. If this trade goes through, it gives the Sox one of the best rotations I've seen in a long time. But would anyone care to notice that if the trade does go through, Boston is starting to evolve into the new Evil Empire.
-New York Yankees have turned their attentions elsewhere, particularly to Dan Haren. However, Billy Beane will demand a very high price. Don't expect this trade to happen
- Chicago Cubs seem close to signing Japanese prize Kosume Fukodome to play RF
- Kansas City Royals are finalizing a 3-year deal with Jose Guillen
- Seattle Mariners have their nose in everything, Id be surprised if they leave Nashville without making a splash

... More to follow if anything major occurs/Santana deal is finalized

EXTRA EXTRA:
Yankees have traded Tyler Clippard to the Nationals for reliever Jonathan Albaladejo. Deal is a bit of a wash. Clippard will be a 4-5 Starter in the majors, and no one is sure as to what Albaladejo can do at a Major League level. Small Risk, Small Reward for both teams. Though its nice to see the old Expos franchise being proactive

Merry Christmas

2007-12-04T17:08:00.000-05:00

Looks like Santa is dropping an early present off for us this year. According to the WWL, the Mitchell Report will be distributed before christmas. oh joy!

Boy oh boy

2007-12-04T16:10:00.000-05:00

Talk about nit picking by Samari Rolle. Like we mentioned earlier, Rolle and a lot of his teammates are very upset that a ref repeatedly called him "boy" during last night's Monday Night Football game. The first thing that of course crosses your mind is "was the ref black or white?". The referee in question, Phil McKinnely is in fact black and not only that, he is a former NFL safety in the 70's and 80's.

Does it cross any of the Raven's minds why Ray Lewis calls them boy or baby for words of encouragement? Would "lets go boy" sound weird to Rolle if his teammates were hollering it at him while he was running down the sideline after catching the game clinching interception last night (hey a Jet fan can dream right)? I doubt it. If Phil McKinnely was white and never played a down or stepped foot in an NFL locker room before, this issue would have some validity to it but it doesn't. The term boy just like the term baby or n**ga has been used as a term of endearment in locker rooms dominated by a majority of black players for years and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm sure the lingo has been so embedded in Phil's mind over the years that it simply came out. Rolle and his Birds need to worry about communication with their coaching staff much less what's being said. TIME OUT?

I need an Intervention

2007-12-04T15:05:00.001-05:00

For the last few months now, I've been obsessed with the "greatest show about nothing" and i don't know what to do about it other than to embrace it. I've watched seasons one, two, three, and five in their entirety and I'd watch season five if i had it on DVD and was all hopped up on sugar. Considering the show is based in our 212 (although filmed in LA), I decided to find sports comparison to the shows greats. The one rule being they must be have worked or played in New York. Here you go:

Jerry Seinfeld-George Steinbrenner: We all want to know what he does, we may not like him but we all know if we don't laugh..we're gone.

George Costanza-Billy Martin: Enough said.

Elaine Benes- Joe Namath: Everyone loves him, very much needed like Elaine but like his character counterpart how much did he really do?

Cosmo Kramer- Ricky Henderson: Ricky thinks Ricky could be anyone but Ricky likes esoteric Kramer best..

Newman-Bill Belichick: Devious little creep who never really seemed to like being around and people never seemed to like being around him when he was here.

Uncle Leo-Joe Torre: If he got his hands on you, expect to hear "what an amazing bunch of guys" the Yankees were.

Jeffrey-Mo Lewis: you heard he did "all these great things", you just never saw him do it.

Frank Costanza-Bill Parcells: he could use Frank's mansiere at this point in his life..God knows he steals Estelle's hair dye

Estelle Costanza-Latrell Sprewell: All he did was complain!

P.S.

If you got my "hopped up on sugar" comment, you are unique my friend.

Early Edition (Late)

2007-12-04T14:07:00.001-05:00

-The 76'ers FINALLY dropped President/ General Manager Billy King and plan to hire Nets General Manager Ed Stefanski. It's about time Philadelphia got rid of this guy. Being a Nets fan myself, i know a bit about Stefanski and i think this is a great move for Phili. He won't be afraid to pull the trigger on trades and considering how long he headed the scout department, expect him to put some good pieces around Andre Iguodala aka AI version 2.0. I'm surprised the Nets let him go though..I really expected him to be the heir apparent to Nets President Rod Thorn. (Nets Daily)

-Utah Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan has signed on to coach
another seasonafter this one making it 21 years with the franchise. Although this team is great at running Jerry's methodical pick-and-roll offense, once he leaves this team, i assure you they will bring in a more fast paced mentality that really fits this teams personnel. Jazz are going to be one and done in the playoffs for the next two years anyway. (RealGM)

-You know things are bad in Atlanta when a 30 year old Quarterback who has been out of the league for four years could start over two recent first round picks. Click Here (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

-First Milton Bradley, now Rolle? I think the word used taken out of context sounds a lot worse than it could be but see for yourself.(WWL)

-Jets offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer who we affectionately refer to as Shotty here talks about the ability to stretch and confuse using his weapons at wide receiver and running back. I know Coles was out for a long time but why not try to use this stuff the last few weeks? we still had Cotchery (who by the way might be out the rest of the season with a broken index finer). Maybe he should stop worrying about the gadget plays until our line learns the meaning of blocking. God I miss Kendall. (NJ.com)

Time Out: Bin laden, Jena 6 Plea, and ST21 and Lavar..

2007-12-04T01:56:00.000-05:00

First he attacks the "Bun", now the Bin? Eat your heart out Michael Moore (a personal favorite film maker of ours here at GT) Click Here (Joblow)

Talk about become such a lightning rod for racial debate and then dying faster than Joey Harrington's career, Jena Six has reached a Plea (CNN)

On a much more serious note, Sean Taylor's funeral was held yesterday at the University of Miami. 1000's of people showed up. Many great eulogies were spoken but one that touched me most was former NFL linebacker Lavar Arrington's moving depiction of what Taylor was to him and furthermore what his teammates meant to him. What made his eulogy (featured below) so touching is that this was the first time Lavar spoke publicly since his own personal dance with death. in June of this past summer, Lavar, was in a terrible motocycle accident that forced the former Redskin and Giant to retire from the game in september. Lavar was in tears when speaking about what the comrodery of his teammates meant to him and what Taylor whom he called his Guardian Angel, meant to him. In the midst of many eulogies from many former famous canes and NFL players who saw no reason to take off their sunglasses (cough clinton cough) at their friends funeral, here was a man, once considered the best at his position, fall from the top, land on the bottom with his priorities in check.

I don't feel the need to go into the Sean Taylor case. As polorized as it has become, I don't feel adding my two cents to the matter will do any good. Rest in Peace Sean Taylor...

Super Santana? Try Again

2007-12-04T00:21:00.001-05:00

Ever since their first round lost to the Cleveland Indians in the 2007 Divisional Series, the The New York Yankees have experienced various changes. First, the Joe Torre era is officially over: the pride of Brooklyn has packed his bags for Tinseltown, and the firm-handed Joe Girardi has taken over the reigns. Hank and Hal Steinbrenner (Baseball and Business, Dumb and Dumber, Hankalstein, ive heard them all) have now replaced their father as dictators of the organization. We lost the best player in baseball because he wanted too much money ($350M), only to end up signing A-Rod to a contract that could end up costing the Yankees $314M. The organization came close to losing three of its cornerstones, Andy, Jorge, and Mo, but our willingness to dole out money has kept them back in pinstripes.

At this point in the offseason, I'd give our team a B+. We've kept all of our major free agents, and although we lost a Hall of Fame coach, we hired a manager that made the Florida Marlins respectable. Although we did all this through throwing money at people who probably didnt deserve it all, the Yankees have the resources, so why not use them to our advantage.

However, every Yankee fan seems to have their eyes set on a bigger prize: Johan Santana

Not me.

Now don't get me wrong. Johan Santana has been the best pitcher in baseball for the past four years, and Jayson Stark does a masterful job of explaining just how dominant Santana has been over on ESPN.

As of right now, if the Minnesota Twins were to accept the Yankees proposal, here's what both sides would be getting

New York Yankees: Johan Santana (Under the assumption that he'd be signed to a 7/$130M deal)
Minnesota Twins: Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera, Player to be Named Later (A good prospect, but not top 5)

I have two issues with this current proposal:

First, its the inclusion of Phil Hughes. Most New York Yankees fans are notorious for their short memory spans, and "What have you done for me lately" mentalities. Ever since Joba Chamberlain's debut on August 7 (as a reliever mind you), the Yankees have proclaimed him as the savior of the franchise, the guy who could match up to a Josh Beckett, CC Sabathia or a Jake Peavy. Everyone forgets that on May 1, Phil Hughes went 6 1/3 innings of no-hitting the Texas Rangers in Arlington (a notorious hitters park). Given, he went down with a hamstring injury and ultimately derailed his season. First, Phil Hughes is not injury prone: Wang, Matsui, and Mussina were all ailed by that same injury, and thats why our conditioning coach was fired. In addition, at this point last year, Phil Hughes was considered THE BEST pitching prospect IN ALL OF BASEBALL according to Baseball America. And yes, I'll admit it, I love the guy. He has become the poster boy of the Yankees new regime** (headed by Brian Cashman) in which the Bronx Bombers would use their money to develop big time pitchers, not overpay aged veteran bats.

Now why wouldnt I give up Phil Hughes? First, its cost effective. Over the next six years, he will not earn more than $4M at any given point. Over that same period of time, regardless of what team Johan ends up with, he will presumably command over $100M. Before I continue, I will acknowledge the argument that the road of a young stud pitcher is arduous, and anything could happen. Johan is already established, having won 2 Cy Youngs, and arguably deserving of a third. Next, look at the next five years for the Yankees rotation: If we were to keep Hughes, these are the possible pitcher who could make up the 2012 Yankees Pitching Rotation: Joba Chamberlain (27), Phil Hughes (27), Chien-Meng Wang (31), Ian Kennedy (28), Alan Horne (28), Andrew Brackman (28), Dellin Betances (25)... A later blog will analyze each major prospect's potential, but the bottom line is that if the Yankees keep Phil Hughes, they have the potential to mirror the 1990's Braves.

Second, Johan Santana is too much of a risk to give a 7 year, $130M contract to. For that matter, its too risky for just about any pitcher. I know that Santana is the best one out there, but pitchers constantly endure physical stress, and theres no certainty to what could happen from now until 2014. Theres one thing thats bothered me this season that very few people have brought up. Johan Santana had an awful second half to the 2007 season. Maybe he gave up on his team (questionable character), or maybe he just lost his stuff. To be honest, I'd rather have a pitcher have an off year than an off half. If I were at the helm of the Yankees, I just wouldnt feel comfortable signing off on that extension. No if's, and's, or but's.

Bottom Line: If the Yankees end up trading for Johan Santana, I wont be crying in the corner. But I will have lost a certain level of respect for the organization, and I will cringe every moment that I see Phil Hughes flourish in the isolation of Minnesota.

UPDATE: As of 12:20AM, there are conflicting reports as to the outcome of the Yankees and Twins meeting late Monday night. More to follow soon

** This regime will be referenced often. It started on May 22, 2005, when Robinson Cano replaced Tony Womack (old and decrepit), and Chien-Meng Wang replaced Kevin Brown (older, more decrepit, and overpaid). It marked the beginning of the Yankees resurgent Farm System

THE ONLY UPSET WAS SCOTT: 27-24

2007-12-03T23:33:00.001-05:00

In the words of the always bubbly Dennis Green, "They are what we thought they were" and indeed that is sure to be the feeling in the minds of all Ravens fans, coaches, and players. Before I go on a rant about how great the Ravens defense was and how well Boller played, let me say that the total collapse of communication and professionalism in the final two minutes basically sealed a perfect season for the Pats.

Forget the ridiculous called timeout on the forth down stop or the great scrambling play by Brady right after an out of character false start call on the Patriots O and imagine if you will that those 35 yards that were docked (thanks to a combination of Bart Scott's stupidity and Ed Reed's over eagerness to block yet another kick). The average starting field position for the Ravens was their own 30 yard line. Boller was able to move the ball 89 yards on three plays so if Scott's stupid penalties never took place, this really could've been a win for the Ravens.

That ending undertones the overall feeling surrounding the Ravens the last couple of years. Lack of Communication, Offense too little too late and the Defense giving it its all only to be extremely frustrated in the end.

The Ravens D looked like old. Ngata looked so much like the "goose, Tony Siragusa freeing up Lewis to look like Lewis in his prime.

The Patriots showed if you attack the center of the field through the run and pass, their older corps of linebackers tires quickly and they have lost a lot of depth there as of late (putting former starter Rosie Colvin on IR and just recently signing Chad Brown.

Gaffney certainly made up for his mishap in the first half by catching the game winning touch down (which i personally think should have been overturned).

The Birds had their number today and the number sadly was 35 thanks to Bart Scott and Bill Billick.

Gotham Times MNF Record: 0-1

EXTRA EXTRA:

Looking at Young's 2-4-6-8 last time ( see pre-game MNF post) , we see the final numbers are 2/2-1/4-3/6-4/8. Let's hang on to this Young formula, there definitely is something there and maybe later this week, i'll analze and tweak it more in depth.

State of the Bombers

2007-12-03T22:45:00.000-05:00

As of 10:45, The Yankees have interpreted the Minnesota Twins non-action as a rejection of their deal, and the teams have begun moving in other directions. Matthew Cerrone and Tyler Kepner broke the story.

Barring any major stories following the MNF Game, expect an extensive post on the New York Yankees Offseason

MNF HALF: 10-10

2007-12-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

Don't get too excited yet but this guy is keeping the 26th ranked offense...for now. looking back to Young's 2-4-6-8, lets take a look at how they're doing:

1/2-1/4-1/6-2/8..not bad for a first half but according to Young's formula. not good enough.

Look for the Raven to run the ball more up the middle and work Boller and his receivers on deep crossing routes off play action. The Baltimore D needs to keep doing what their doing but don't expect these receivers to drop anymore than they already have (I don't think you'll see more of Gaffney tonight thanks to his hands of steel).

No Chains or Fitteds but Mics, yeah they're ok.

2007-12-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

According to Sports Business Daily,

The NBA, beginning this week, is requiring coaches to wear a microphone during national games and do one in-game interviews, and there "will also be a camera in the locker room to look in on pre-game and halftime meetings,"

WHAT! YOU MEAN NOW I CAN HEAR WHAT KOBE REALLY THINKS OF MR. BYNUM AND HOW SKILES USES TYRUS THOMAS AS A VERBAL PUNCHING BAG IN THE LOCKER ROOM TOO??

In all seriousness though, this is absurd. The sanctity of what goes on "inside the locker room" is being ignored. Coach Skiles actually put it best by saying

I don't know that I'd be comfortable [as a player] being frank with the coach if I knew he was miked and it could be on TV. Quotes get taken out of context. And people make judgments on those quotes

. There's a level of separation that needs to be maintained between spectator and the players and coaches and this is crossing it. This idea needs to be canned before it does more harm then good...besides, we dont want anymore Kobe videos popping up again do we Kupchak?

Monday Night Football NE @ BAL

2007-12-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

Monday Night Football Pick: Patriots

We're moments away from the Ravens attempting the impossible..defeating those damn Patriots this year. As we will do for the rest of this season and in the future, we're going to keep track of our picks record for both the season as a whole and good ol' MNF. For our first ever and with great sadness, we pick those damn Patriots..

EXTRA EXTRA:

The Ravens put QB Steve "Air" McNair on the IR today. This could spell the end for one of the great and extremely underappreciated QB's of the last decade. Salut..

Steve Young had a great line about the only way the Ravens could win this game-"2-4-6..two touchdowns, four Brady interceptions, six sacks, and 8 scores in total."

GIVING THEM THE...

2007-12-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

...And with that, welcome! Gotham Times is going to give a New York feel to this growing field of blogging journalism. Football, Baseball, Basketball with some nicely sprinkled in pop culture and you got us. You think we're only going to cover New York sports? FORGETTABOUTIT!

Stay Tuned...