From the desk of: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH
BROOKLYN NETS - Flatbush Salvages Back End Of Home-And-Home Against Atlanta. Team Saves Face In Brooklyn.
Last Wednesday was supposed to be Joe Johnson's night in the spotlight as he was due to face his former team for the first time since being traded to the Nets. But the Brooks showed up lethargic in Atlanta and lost by a deflating 109-95 disparity. As it turned out, it was former Nets guard Devin Harris who had himself a rather enjoyable game with eighteen points and five assists against his former team.
In the Friday night follow up, the Nets were having to work hard in order to play with the Hawks at Barclays. The teams were tied after the first period, and remained tied after the second period, and third period. However, Brooklyn's first half effort was marked by turnovers that really kept Atlanta hanging around.
With just over a minute remaining in the game, the Hawks pulled down a defensive rebound and quickly went into transition. Josh Smith received an outlet pass and fended off Brook Lopez as the two headed up court. Once they gained the paint, Josh Smith shoved down a vicious dunk in the face of Lopez that pulled the Hawks within a point of Brooklyn, in what was now a 90-89 game. The play punctuated a 7-0 run by the Hawks......
I then sensed the sharks beginning to circle. There was sure to be a wave of media criticism headed the Nets way if they dropped the back end of this home-and-home series. The knock on Flatbush during their inaugural season is them only being able to defeat sub-par teams. And heading into Atlanta Wednesday evening, the numbers supported that growing sentiment. The Nets were only 7-14 against teams with winning records before facing the Hawks. After Wednesday, they had dropped to a 7-15 record.
Despite Atlanta's 7-0 run late in the fourth quarter, the final quarter was actually highlighted by a much improved defensive effort in which the Brooks limited visiting Atlanta to fifteen points.
For the game, Deron Williams led all scorers with twenty four points. Brook Lopez dropped twenty points. Joe Johnson improved by three points over his effort in Atlanta and scored eighteen points Friday evening at home. Andray Blatch joined the double digit scorers club with eleven points in sixteen minutes off the bench. Keith Bogans was Nets high man logging twenty one minutes off the bench, in which he scored eight points. Of the starters, Joe Johnson logged in a whopping forty one minutes.
Brooklyn out-rebounded Atlanta by a formidable 48-35 margin. Reggie Evans was a monster on the glass, recording twice as many boards as Atlanta's top rebounder, Josh Smith, who pulled down nine. Reggie Evans pulled down twenty rebounds. Fifteen of those came on the defensive end.
Atlanta actually out-shot the Nets in all respects. From the floor, the Hawks shot 43% versus just 40% for Brooklyn. Both teams hit nine three-pointers. But Atlanta came in at almost 43%, while the Brooks shot 34% from behind the arch. And from the free throw line, the Hawks enjoyed a 71% versus 68% edge. However, Brooklyn bested the Hawks twenty five points versus ten.
Crash Wallace was on the floor Friday. In his first game back since bruising ribs against Phoenix, he played twenty nine minutes and scored a quiet eight points, pulled down four rebounds, and issued three assists. He had one block and managed one steal.
Brooklyn held on Friday evening. The Nets salvaged the back end of this home-and-home by a 94-89 final score. The Nets are now 16-7 at Barclays. They upped their record to 10-2 under P.J. Carlesimo. But more importantly, they provided a response. They rebounded, and improved their record to 8-15 against teams with winning records. Perhaps the media sharks will remain docile, and not bite on Saturday.
Mike.BTB
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
N.J. Devils: Jeff Vanderbeek and Travis Zajac Moving Devils Forward
From the desk of: THE BRICK CITY DEMONS
NEW JERSEY DEVILS - Carving A New Path Without Zach Parise.
Money changes everything.
New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek went from having the NHL threaten to separate him from the team, to recently buying out his partners, and solidifying his place as sole owner. In the process, he refinanced the team's debt, and ultimately removed the Devils from under a constant cloud of organizational uncertainty.
With Jeff Vanderbeek's new found operational certainty, I guess comes operational flexibility as well. And with a new CBA in place, I guess operational predictability plays a part too. The result? Wednesday, Lou Lamoriello announced the Devils signed their seventh year center, Travis Zajac, to an eight year contract extension worth $46 million dollars. Last year, Zajac's season was derailed by an Achilles injury. He only managed to play in fifteen regular season games before participating in the Devils inspired playoff run to the Cup Finals. Zajac would have become a free agent at the conclusion of this season.
In the 2010's at least, it seems as if the Devils have turned over a new leaf. This is twice now the Devils have bucked the trend and doled out major dollars for a player. Money couldn't solve all the Devils problem though. Sandwiched between signing Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk's pact, was the departure of free agent Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild. The Devils offer was representative. But apparently, Zach Parise wanted to be home. And speaking of home, Ilya Kovalchuk finally returned from Russia and reported to Devils camp.
So what do the reigning Eastern Conference champions do now? They continue the relentless search for interchangeable players, like the Devils always have. This is not the first time money came between a player and the Devils. Instead, this is a way of life in New Jersey. They will absorb the impact of Parise's defection, who was a Devils 2003 first round pick, and somehow find themselves right in the mix again this Spring. It is now the turn of more recent first round selections like Jacob Josefson, Mattias Tedenby, and Adam Larsson, and an outstanding hockey player picked in the third round named Adam Henrique to carve a new path. But without a suitable replacement for Zach Parise, the Devils certainly have their work cut out for them indeed. However, if we've learned anything about the New Jersey Devils in the Lou Lamoriello era, it is to never count them out until they're out.
Mike.BTB
NEW JERSEY DEVILS - Carving A New Path Without Zach Parise.
Money changes everything.
New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek went from having the NHL threaten to separate him from the team, to recently buying out his partners, and solidifying his place as sole owner. In the process, he refinanced the team's debt, and ultimately removed the Devils from under a constant cloud of organizational uncertainty.
With Jeff Vanderbeek's new found operational certainty, I guess comes operational flexibility as well. And with a new CBA in place, I guess operational predictability plays a part too. The result? Wednesday, Lou Lamoriello announced the Devils signed their seventh year center, Travis Zajac, to an eight year contract extension worth $46 million dollars. Last year, Zajac's season was derailed by an Achilles injury. He only managed to play in fifteen regular season games before participating in the Devils inspired playoff run to the Cup Finals. Zajac would have become a free agent at the conclusion of this season.
In the 2010's at least, it seems as if the Devils have turned over a new leaf. This is twice now the Devils have bucked the trend and doled out major dollars for a player. Money couldn't solve all the Devils problem though. Sandwiched between signing Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk's pact, was the departure of free agent Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild. The Devils offer was representative. But apparently, Zach Parise wanted to be home. And speaking of home, Ilya Kovalchuk finally returned from Russia and reported to Devils camp.
So what do the reigning Eastern Conference champions do now? They continue the relentless search for interchangeable players, like the Devils always have. This is not the first time money came between a player and the Devils. Instead, this is a way of life in New Jersey. They will absorb the impact of Parise's defection, who was a Devils 2003 first round pick, and somehow find themselves right in the mix again this Spring. It is now the turn of more recent first round selections like Jacob Josefson, Mattias Tedenby, and Adam Larsson, and an outstanding hockey player picked in the third round named Adam Henrique to carve a new path. But without a suitable replacement for Zach Parise, the Devils certainly have their work cut out for them indeed. However, if we've learned anything about the New Jersey Devils in the Lou Lamoriello era, it is to never count them out until they're out.
Mike.BTB
N.Y. Giants: The Off Season Search For Daylight
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL - Don't Let Big Blue Fool You. The Running Game Didn't Improve Much.
It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another. When Eli Manning was a wee QB still wet behind the ears, he was protected by the best offensive line in football, and supplemented by the league's number one running game. Two Super Bowls later, now that Eli is the Mann he plays behind an offensive line that is painstakingly undergoing an overhaul, as well as getting little to no help from a largely non existent running game.
Don't let them fool you. The Giants protected Eli well enough. They also improved upon their dreadful 2011 season when they ranked dead last in rushing. They upped their ranking to 14th in the NFL running the ball this season. But that could unfortunately make it easy to overlook their real dilemma. Not only have they have lost their ability to dominate the clock utilizing the run, worse, after Andre Brown went down Big Blue became exceptionally futile in short yardage situations. Far too often, the Giants settled for field goals because they puttered in the red zone. If they failed to gain short yardage, then naturally they failed to gain first downs.
Once again Ahmad Bradshaw showed he is a compromised player. Yet he still posted another 1,000 yard season. But how much longer can he last before his lower appendages break apart? Does Jerry Reese plan on bringing Andre Brown back? Does he even bring Bradshaw back? Will Coach Coughlin and the Giants feature David Wilson more often in the backfield next season? Has David Wilson sufficiently learned how to pick up a blitz yet? The Giants have three uncertain scenarios in their backfield. For two backs at least, the future seems unclear. However, I think it is unlikely Jerry Reese uses a top two pick on a running back in the next draft. So perhaps David Wilson's starting time will be born of necessity.
Up front, the biggest question facing the Offensive Line is what to do about David Diehl. Let's face it, he's fading fast. He is clearly not coming off a good, or healthy, two year stretch. The time has come to replace him, or, move him back to Guard again, which is where he came from. Tackle is just not his forte. Although he was far from being a liability, David Diehl just wasn't effective enough. Sean Locklear was clearly the better Tackle when given playing time. But as luck would have it, Locklear was felled by a season ending knee injury.
At Right Guard, Chris Snee had himself another good season, but continues to pay a high physical toll. His time is growing shorter. And at Center, I still maintain David Baas is undersized. The left side of the line was manned by Will Beatty and Kevin Boothe. Individually, I do not have much to gripe about. But collectively, this line has become very average. Will Beatty is a pending free agent.
If I had my way, Jerry Reese would be spending a high draft pick on a Center or Tackle. The Giants need a stud on the line. And in the mean time, hand the starting Right Tackle position to Sean Locklear assuming he is okay to return. Then relegate David Diehl to back up Guard. Re-signing Will Beatty almost seems necessary right now. The Giants lack depth. So keep enough money within the cap and see which free agent linemen might possibly fit in. If Locklear doesn't heal up, the Giants will need to find someone fast.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL - Don't Let Big Blue Fool You. The Running Game Didn't Improve Much.
It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another. When Eli Manning was a wee QB still wet behind the ears, he was protected by the best offensive line in football, and supplemented by the league's number one running game. Two Super Bowls later, now that Eli is the Mann he plays behind an offensive line that is painstakingly undergoing an overhaul, as well as getting little to no help from a largely non existent running game.
Don't let them fool you. The Giants protected Eli well enough. They also improved upon their dreadful 2011 season when they ranked dead last in rushing. They upped their ranking to 14th in the NFL running the ball this season. But that could unfortunately make it easy to overlook their real dilemma. Not only have they have lost their ability to dominate the clock utilizing the run, worse, after Andre Brown went down Big Blue became exceptionally futile in short yardage situations. Far too often, the Giants settled for field goals because they puttered in the red zone. If they failed to gain short yardage, then naturally they failed to gain first downs.
Once again Ahmad Bradshaw showed he is a compromised player. Yet he still posted another 1,000 yard season. But how much longer can he last before his lower appendages break apart? Does Jerry Reese plan on bringing Andre Brown back? Does he even bring Bradshaw back? Will Coach Coughlin and the Giants feature David Wilson more often in the backfield next season? Has David Wilson sufficiently learned how to pick up a blitz yet? The Giants have three uncertain scenarios in their backfield. For two backs at least, the future seems unclear. However, I think it is unlikely Jerry Reese uses a top two pick on a running back in the next draft. So perhaps David Wilson's starting time will be born of necessity.
Up front, the biggest question facing the Offensive Line is what to do about David Diehl. Let's face it, he's fading fast. He is clearly not coming off a good, or healthy, two year stretch. The time has come to replace him, or, move him back to Guard again, which is where he came from. Tackle is just not his forte. Although he was far from being a liability, David Diehl just wasn't effective enough. Sean Locklear was clearly the better Tackle when given playing time. But as luck would have it, Locklear was felled by a season ending knee injury.
At Right Guard, Chris Snee had himself another good season, but continues to pay a high physical toll. His time is growing shorter. And at Center, I still maintain David Baas is undersized. The left side of the line was manned by Will Beatty and Kevin Boothe. Individually, I do not have much to gripe about. But collectively, this line has become very average. Will Beatty is a pending free agent.
If I had my way, Jerry Reese would be spending a high draft pick on a Center or Tackle. The Giants need a stud on the line. And in the mean time, hand the starting Right Tackle position to Sean Locklear assuming he is okay to return. Then relegate David Diehl to back up Guard. Re-signing Will Beatty almost seems necessary right now. The Giants lack depth. So keep enough money within the cap and see which free agent linemen might possibly fit in. If Locklear doesn't heal up, the Giants will need to find someone fast.
Mike.BTB
Brooklyn Nets: In Search Of More Legitimate Wins
From the desk of: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH
BROOKLYN NETS - Are The Nets Oppressors Of The Weak? The Best Of The Bad?
Back in Hot-Lanta! - the place Joe Johnson became an all-star, to play the team that didn't want him anymore. Games like this always make for a good story, in any sport, in any league. And the timing couldn't have been more right. For Joe Johnson is heating up. But the Hawks aren't all the worse for trading him. At 21-16, they only trail the Miami Heat by 3 1/2 games in the Southeast Division.
The Nets enter the game with a 23-15 record. But the Nets are white hot right now. They are undefeated in the new year, and are 9-1 since P.J. took over the reigns. Have the Nets been getting fat on sub-par competition? Yeah, absolutely. But their victories over the Thunder and Pacers gives this latest stretch legitimacy. Tonight, the Nets will be tested by another competitive team. Or will they? Atlanta's top scorer, Josh Smith, has been suspended one game by the Hawks for conduct detrimental to the team. The Nets may still be without Crash Wallace for a third game, after he bruised ribs against Phoenix.
But has too much been made of the Nets success against weaker opponents? Fourteen of their fifteen losses came against the Heat (2), Warriors (2), Bucks (2), Knicks (2), Lakers, Thunder, Bulls, Jazz, Celtics, and most recently, the Spurs. The fifteenth loss came very early in the season against Minnesota. Minus the T-Wolves, those are all above .500 teams. On the win side, Brooklyn defeated the Clippers, Blazers, Knicks, Thunder, Pacers, and the Celtics twice. So that makes them 7-14 versus above .500 teams, and 16-1 against sub .500 teams. The Nets had a stretch where they lost consecutive games to the Heat, Thunder, Warriors, Bucks, and Knicks. But they also had a string of victories over the Clippers, Blazers, Knicks, and Celtics.
They've had two good months. One in November, and so far, January has been pretty successful. They had one bad month in December which cost Avery Johnson his job. I think they can hang with the big boys. So how harshly are you judging?
Mike.BTB
BROOKLYN NETS - Are The Nets Oppressors Of The Weak? The Best Of The Bad?
Back in Hot-Lanta! - the place Joe Johnson became an all-star, to play the team that didn't want him anymore. Games like this always make for a good story, in any sport, in any league. And the timing couldn't have been more right. For Joe Johnson is heating up. But the Hawks aren't all the worse for trading him. At 21-16, they only trail the Miami Heat by 3 1/2 games in the Southeast Division.
The Nets enter the game with a 23-15 record. But the Nets are white hot right now. They are undefeated in the new year, and are 9-1 since P.J. took over the reigns. Have the Nets been getting fat on sub-par competition? Yeah, absolutely. But their victories over the Thunder and Pacers gives this latest stretch legitimacy. Tonight, the Nets will be tested by another competitive team. Or will they? Atlanta's top scorer, Josh Smith, has been suspended one game by the Hawks for conduct detrimental to the team. The Nets may still be without Crash Wallace for a third game, after he bruised ribs against Phoenix.
But has too much been made of the Nets success against weaker opponents? Fourteen of their fifteen losses came against the Heat (2), Warriors (2), Bucks (2), Knicks (2), Lakers, Thunder, Bulls, Jazz, Celtics, and most recently, the Spurs. The fifteenth loss came very early in the season against Minnesota. Minus the T-Wolves, those are all above .500 teams. On the win side, Brooklyn defeated the Clippers, Blazers, Knicks, Thunder, Pacers, and the Celtics twice. So that makes them 7-14 versus above .500 teams, and 16-1 against sub .500 teams. The Nets had a stretch where they lost consecutive games to the Heat, Thunder, Warriors, Bucks, and Knicks. But they also had a string of victories over the Clippers, Blazers, Knicks, and Celtics.
They've had two good months. One in November, and so far, January has been pretty successful. They had one bad month in December which cost Avery Johnson his job. I think they can hang with the big boys. So how harshly are you judging?
Mike.BTB
N.Y. Rangers: Blueshirts Set To Finally Rid Themselves Of Redden
From the desk of: RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS
NEW YORK RANGERS - Providing For The Common DEFENSE, And Promoting The Blueshirt Welfare.
"Hey, hey Paula..., I wanna marry you!"
That little diddy was sung by Boone and his girlfriend Katie in the movie Animal House, while they were getting high at their college professor's house. And that's how I feel right now - high, and with a need to sing.
"Bye, bye Redden..., we're finally through with you!"
The New York Rangers will work out the terms to finally waive useless defenseman Wade Redden, and rid themselves of a financial albatross. He no doubt had to be one of the highest paid players in AHL history! In a nutshell, terms of the new collective bargaining agreement allow each team to jettison two costly club mistakes. This was the big break the Rangers needed. Damn the cap hit..., the season is a resounding success already.
Six years at thirty nine million dollars.... What the hell was Glen Sather thinking? Those were the years Sather was possessed by the devil himself; Mike Milbury. Redden, Scott Gomez; Chris Drury; - need I say more? By the way, Montreal called, they want their defenseman back. If I said it once, I said it a thousand times. If you want to pat someone on the back for turning this organization around, credit Gordie Clark and John Tortorella. But if you must, credit Sather for hiring Clark after Don Maloney left to work for Wayne Gretzky in Phoenix. These two have kept Glen Sather on the straight, and narrow, and have made him look far smarter than he deserves credit for. But hey, that's just me.
With or without Wade Redden, a compressed schedule poses a challenge for the Rangers blue line. The third and fourth lines are more important than ever. The onus will be on guys like Stu Bickel, Steve Eminger, Matt Gilroy (who recently agreed to a deal), and Anton Stralman to gain Coach's trust, and share the burden he places on Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are no doubt kicking themselves in le posterior, after handing Scott Gomez a pink slip and watching Ryan McDonagh develop into a blue line star. And now that Michael Del Zotto is signed, we know the Rangers are confidently three lines deep. The trick will be in creating a good fourth line pair. Here's a nice stat that should go a long way. All eight Rangers defensemen are below the age of thirty.
On a more distressing note, I think Michael Sauer's career might be over. He is still unable to shake the effects of a concussion suffered back in December 2011 when Toronto's Dion Phaneuf checked him into the boards. Sauer missed the rest of 2011-2012, and all of last season.
I think the Rangers have the best collection of defensemen in the division. Sure the Penguins still have Kris Letang. But without Jordan Staal, I think they are substantially compromised. Philly's defense corp is unsettled. They are trying to infuse some youth among a collection of fossils like Kimmo Timonen and returning dinosaur, Chris Pronger. The Islanders? No, stop. Really.... But the Devils are the Devils. Their defense will be stout and physical. They played in the finals for a reason.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK RANGERS - Providing For The Common DEFENSE, And Promoting The Blueshirt Welfare.
"Hey, hey Paula..., I wanna marry you!"
That little diddy was sung by Boone and his girlfriend Katie in the movie Animal House, while they were getting high at their college professor's house. And that's how I feel right now - high, and with a need to sing.
"Bye, bye Redden..., we're finally through with you!"
The New York Rangers will work out the terms to finally waive useless defenseman Wade Redden, and rid themselves of a financial albatross. He no doubt had to be one of the highest paid players in AHL history! In a nutshell, terms of the new collective bargaining agreement allow each team to jettison two costly club mistakes. This was the big break the Rangers needed. Damn the cap hit..., the season is a resounding success already.
Six years at thirty nine million dollars.... What the hell was Glen Sather thinking? Those were the years Sather was possessed by the devil himself; Mike Milbury. Redden, Scott Gomez; Chris Drury; - need I say more? By the way, Montreal called, they want their defenseman back. If I said it once, I said it a thousand times. If you want to pat someone on the back for turning this organization around, credit Gordie Clark and John Tortorella. But if you must, credit Sather for hiring Clark after Don Maloney left to work for Wayne Gretzky in Phoenix. These two have kept Glen Sather on the straight, and narrow, and have made him look far smarter than he deserves credit for. But hey, that's just me.
With or without Wade Redden, a compressed schedule poses a challenge for the Rangers blue line. The third and fourth lines are more important than ever. The onus will be on guys like Stu Bickel, Steve Eminger, Matt Gilroy (who recently agreed to a deal), and Anton Stralman to gain Coach's trust, and share the burden he places on Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are no doubt kicking themselves in le posterior, after handing Scott Gomez a pink slip and watching Ryan McDonagh develop into a blue line star. And now that Michael Del Zotto is signed, we know the Rangers are confidently three lines deep. The trick will be in creating a good fourth line pair. Here's a nice stat that should go a long way. All eight Rangers defensemen are below the age of thirty.
On a more distressing note, I think Michael Sauer's career might be over. He is still unable to shake the effects of a concussion suffered back in December 2011 when Toronto's Dion Phaneuf checked him into the boards. Sauer missed the rest of 2011-2012, and all of last season.
I think the Rangers have the best collection of defensemen in the division. Sure the Penguins still have Kris Letang. But without Jordan Staal, I think they are substantially compromised. Philly's defense corp is unsettled. They are trying to infuse some youth among a collection of fossils like Kimmo Timonen and returning dinosaur, Chris Pronger. The Islanders? No, stop. Really.... But the Devils are the Devils. Their defense will be stout and physical. They played in the finals for a reason.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
N.Y. Rangers: Farewell Old Friends and Hello Expectations
From the desk of: RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS
NEW YORK RANGERS - Time To Don The Blueshirts And Lace Up The Skates. The2012-2013 Regular Season is FINALLY Upon Us.
NEW YORK RANGERS - Time To Don The Blueshirts And Lace Up The Skates. The
First things first. To the Commissioner and the owners of the NHL - For the simple fact you instigated a lockout for the second time in a decade, you're all a bunch of puckin' idiots!
Thank you very much.
Welcome back my Blueshirts Brothers and Sisters to "Raise Gresch With The Greats" - the New York Rangers portion of my BrooklynTrolleyBlogger. Its been a long time since last summer ended on a sad note..... Can't wait to get started again.
Thank you Artem Anisimov and Ruslan Fedotenko. And so long Brandon Prust. I'm upset to lose Prust like I was upset when the Rangers let Colton Orr get away. And sadly, bye bye Brandon Dubinsky. He was one of Coach Torts original core players. Without a doubt, he helped rebuild the Rangers into the contender they are today. Inevitably, his last act as a Rangers player was smashing a water cooler on his way off the ice versus New Jersey. In hindsight, that was a great way to go. I'll remember him well. But in the bigger picture, last season was the Blueshirts greatest season in some time. And so, they will all be missed.
But nothing ventured, nothing gained. With success come expectations. The bar has been set. We've been to the conference finals and lost out by a goal and a game. Now we want to win round three, and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. That said, securing a second high profile player in consecutive years also brings expectations. So hello Rick Nash. This ain't Columbus chum. Show me.
Rick Nash is actually the player the Rangers have been seeking on the wing for for decades, or at least since the days Nick Fotiu played. Difference being, Nash is a legit scorer. He is big, and tough like Fotiu was, but a vastly more skilled forward than Fotiu could ever aspire to be. And he's young. He is entering his prime years. Alas, recent years of making mistakes with Scott Gomez and Chris Drury seem like ages ago - perchance to dream.
Dare we? Dare we dream of the Finals? Or do we follow Coach Torts' dictate, and just try to win shifts, periods, and games? Well, as fans, WE could do all that, and chew gum too. But what about the Media? Problem is Staal, Callahan, Girardi, and Lundqvist are no longer considered kids anymore. They are full fledged vets now, as are Brad Richards and Nash. Fact is, with a conference final appearance under their belts, Coach Torts has a veteran team now. The "We're not good enough for..." tact may no longer fly with the scribes.
One veteran the New York Rangers will have to rely heavily on this season in particular because of the condensed schedule, is back-up goalie Marty Biron. Damn I'm glad he's back.
This was my first hockey warm-up. I'm sore already. But I'm glad they're all back.
Mike.BTB
Friday, January 11, 2013
BKN Nets: Flatbush Kicks Off Weekend With Friday Night Win
From the desk of: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH
BROOKLYN NETS - The P.J. Era Keeps Rolling Along. The Flatbush Hoops Are 7-1 Under Their New Head Coach.
So far so good right? All is proceeding smoothly under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo. Under him, the Nets are 7-1 since the firing of Avery Johnson. Prior to their Friday night contest against the Phoenix Suns at Barclays Center, several outlets were reporting a Nets source as saying P.J. would be able to finish out the season. And why not? That only makes sense. Three coaches in one season would be absurd. And besides, P.J. is well equipped to handle the head coaching position, as well as Brooklyn, N.Y. itself. He is a long time resident of the metro area. Whether you like him or not is a matter of preference, and something for next off season. For now, there is an appreciable difference in Deron Williams' game, and that of the overall team. If this success is coming against the lesser teams of the league, so be it. You can only play who is on the schedule.
There is no doubt a different atmosphere around the team. Avery Johnson was always very intense. Two things about Coach Avery - he was forever going to exert his will, and he would forever be pushing, pushing, pushing. In a subtle manner, P.J. has given the team a little less structure, and a little more playing time and discretion.
The Phoenix Suns, in the midst of an awful 12-25 season, and sporting a 2-16 road record, gave the Nets more troubles than the home crowd in Brooklyn cared to mind. After jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead, the Nets were behind 19-17 with 1:42 left in the opening quarter. Midway through the first, Gerald Wallace had to leave the game after receiving a hard foul by Shannon Brown which was ruled a flagrant. Brown caught Wallace in mid-air as he drove to the basket. In attempting to close the angle and block, he sent Wallace spiraling feet over head to the floor. Gerald's right shoulder and arm took the full impact of the fall. It was later reported Crash suffered bruised ribs. The Nets had a chance to tie the game at 21-21 with under 0:30 left in the first, but a travelling violation called on Andray Blatche turned the ball over. The first quarter ended with Phoenix staked to a 25-21 lead.
With 3:40 left in the half and the Suns holding on to a 40-37 lead, I watched C.J. Watson, Marshon Brooks, and Reggie Evans, run a fast break that made Spain's running of the bulls look artful. With less than two minutes left in the half, Phoenix opened up a double digit 52-42 lead against the Brooks. The teams went into the break with the Suns ahead by a 53-46 score.
To begin the second half, the home crowd watched Deron Williams drop to the floor after knocking knees, or perhaps his thigh, with Phoenix guard Goran Dragic at the high elbow. D-Will limped off the court in very obvious discomfort, but did not leave the game.
Three minutes into the second half, the Nets closed to within 55-54, then went ahead 56-55 on a Brook Lopez rebound and put back after Joe Johnson's drive failed to drop. Halfway through the third quarter, Phoenix went ahead by four again, 60-54, as Brooklyn started settling for lazy perimeter shots.
Unlike in the second quarter, C.J. Watson and Blatche actually converted on a fast break after a Phoenix turnover, and looked smooth doing it. Blatche finished with a slam at the other end to bring the Brooks within two. C.J. Watson factored again on the next possession when he tied the game at 60-60 with a high arching jumper from the left corner. The teams muddled through scoreless possessions until Andray Blatche broke the deadlock with 2:30 to go. But Phoenix responded on their next possession with a trey for a 63-62 lead. But Andray Blatche struck again, driving, scoring, and drawing a foul. A free throw later, the score was 65-63 Brooklyn. Then it was Blatche yet again with two more points on a scoop lay-up to make it 67-64 Nets. Marshon Brooks nailed a three before the period expired. And the Nets finally won their first quarter of the night. They held a 74-66 lead heading into the final session.
After the Suns shot 55% from the floor in the first half, the Nets were clearly much more committed to defense in the second half. They had a series of defensive stops to start the fourth quarter. Brook Lopez finally scored the first points of the fourth, and gave the Nets a ten point 76-66 lead. Deron Williams' own scoop layup gave Brooklyn a 78-66 lead, making Phoenix call time out. After the break, back-to-back three pointers by Joe Johnson opened up an eighteen point 84-66 lead for Brooklyn with 7:30 still left on the clock. With two minutes left, the Nets were staked to a 93-75 lead.
Finally in the end, Tornike Shengelia, who hadn't seen action all night, made his way on the court and gave the Nets their first twenty point lead of the evening. The buzzer then sounded making official the Nets defeat of the Suns by a 99-79 final. The win was Brooklyn's fifth consecutive victory, and sixth in seven games under P.J. Carlesimo.
Joe Johnson led all scorers with nineteen points. Five Nets scored in double digits. Marshon Brooks and Andray Blatche contributed handsomely off the bench. Marshon was next high man with seventeen points. Andray Blatche dropped another fifteen. Deron Williams, although somewhat hobbled in the second half also finished with fifteen points. Brook Lopez dropped thirteen points and came up with several key rebounds.
But Friday night, rebounds were Reggie Evans' department. He led all players in rebounds with fifteen. Ten of those boards came on the defensive end. Brook Lopez pulled down eight rebounds, as did Andray Blatche. Overall, the Nets out rebounded the Suns by a 44-39 margin.
With only six assists, Deron Williams still managed the game high. In the second half, the Nets cut down their turnovers, and only lost the ball eleven times for the night. Phoenix turned the ball over eighteen times. The Nets pounded Phoenix from the line. They got to the stripe twice as many times as Phoenix. The Suns shot ten for sixteen, while Brooklyn buried twenty five of thirty two free throws, good for 78% shooting.
Phoenix shot the ball considerably worse from the field during the second half, and ended the evening shooting 39% from the floor versus a consistent 45% by the Brooks. Again, credit the Nets' second half defensive effort which clamped down on Phoenix, and limited the Suns to thirteen points in each of the third and fourth quarters.
The Nets next opponents are the Indiana Pacers, who will visit Barclays Center for the first time this Sunday afternoon.
Mike.BTB
BROOKLYN NETS - The P.J. Era Keeps Rolling Along. The Flatbush Hoops Are 7-1 Under Their New Head Coach.
Friday Night Final:
Phoenix Suns 79
BROOKLYN 99
So far so good right? All is proceeding smoothly under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo. Under him, the Nets are 7-1 since the firing of Avery Johnson. Prior to their Friday night contest against the Phoenix Suns at Barclays Center, several outlets were reporting a Nets source as saying P.J. would be able to finish out the season. And why not? That only makes sense. Three coaches in one season would be absurd. And besides, P.J. is well equipped to handle the head coaching position, as well as Brooklyn, N.Y. itself. He is a long time resident of the metro area. Whether you like him or not is a matter of preference, and something for next off season. For now, there is an appreciable difference in Deron Williams' game, and that of the overall team. If this success is coming against the lesser teams of the league, so be it. You can only play who is on the schedule.
There is no doubt a different atmosphere around the team. Avery Johnson was always very intense. Two things about Coach Avery - he was forever going to exert his will, and he would forever be pushing, pushing, pushing. In a subtle manner, P.J. has given the team a little less structure, and a little more playing time and discretion.
The Phoenix Suns, in the midst of an awful 12-25 season, and sporting a 2-16 road record, gave the Nets more troubles than the home crowd in Brooklyn cared to mind. After jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead, the Nets were behind 19-17 with 1:42 left in the opening quarter. Midway through the first, Gerald Wallace had to leave the game after receiving a hard foul by Shannon Brown which was ruled a flagrant. Brown caught Wallace in mid-air as he drove to the basket. In attempting to close the angle and block, he sent Wallace spiraling feet over head to the floor. Gerald's right shoulder and arm took the full impact of the fall. It was later reported Crash suffered bruised ribs. The Nets had a chance to tie the game at 21-21 with under 0:30 left in the first, but a travelling violation called on Andray Blatche turned the ball over. The first quarter ended with Phoenix staked to a 25-21 lead.
With 3:40 left in the half and the Suns holding on to a 40-37 lead, I watched C.J. Watson, Marshon Brooks, and Reggie Evans, run a fast break that made Spain's running of the bulls look artful. With less than two minutes left in the half, Phoenix opened up a double digit 52-42 lead against the Brooks. The teams went into the break with the Suns ahead by a 53-46 score.
To begin the second half, the home crowd watched Deron Williams drop to the floor after knocking knees, or perhaps his thigh, with Phoenix guard Goran Dragic at the high elbow. D-Will limped off the court in very obvious discomfort, but did not leave the game.
Three minutes into the second half, the Nets closed to within 55-54, then went ahead 56-55 on a Brook Lopez rebound and put back after Joe Johnson's drive failed to drop. Halfway through the third quarter, Phoenix went ahead by four again, 60-54, as Brooklyn started settling for lazy perimeter shots.
Unlike in the second quarter, C.J. Watson and Blatche actually converted on a fast break after a Phoenix turnover, and looked smooth doing it. Blatche finished with a slam at the other end to bring the Brooks within two. C.J. Watson factored again on the next possession when he tied the game at 60-60 with a high arching jumper from the left corner. The teams muddled through scoreless possessions until Andray Blatche broke the deadlock with 2:30 to go. But Phoenix responded on their next possession with a trey for a 63-62 lead. But Andray Blatche struck again, driving, scoring, and drawing a foul. A free throw later, the score was 65-63 Brooklyn. Then it was Blatche yet again with two more points on a scoop lay-up to make it 67-64 Nets. Marshon Brooks nailed a three before the period expired. And the Nets finally won their first quarter of the night. They held a 74-66 lead heading into the final session.
After the Suns shot 55% from the floor in the first half, the Nets were clearly much more committed to defense in the second half. They had a series of defensive stops to start the fourth quarter. Brook Lopez finally scored the first points of the fourth, and gave the Nets a ten point 76-66 lead. Deron Williams' own scoop layup gave Brooklyn a 78-66 lead, making Phoenix call time out. After the break, back-to-back three pointers by Joe Johnson opened up an eighteen point 84-66 lead for Brooklyn with 7:30 still left on the clock. With two minutes left, the Nets were staked to a 93-75 lead.
Finally in the end, Tornike Shengelia, who hadn't seen action all night, made his way on the court and gave the Nets their first twenty point lead of the evening. The buzzer then sounded making official the Nets defeat of the Suns by a 99-79 final. The win was Brooklyn's fifth consecutive victory, and sixth in seven games under P.J. Carlesimo.
Joe Johnson led all scorers with nineteen points. Five Nets scored in double digits. Marshon Brooks and Andray Blatche contributed handsomely off the bench. Marshon was next high man with seventeen points. Andray Blatche dropped another fifteen. Deron Williams, although somewhat hobbled in the second half also finished with fifteen points. Brook Lopez dropped thirteen points and came up with several key rebounds.
But Friday night, rebounds were Reggie Evans' department. He led all players in rebounds with fifteen. Ten of those boards came on the defensive end. Brook Lopez pulled down eight rebounds, as did Andray Blatche. Overall, the Nets out rebounded the Suns by a 44-39 margin.
With only six assists, Deron Williams still managed the game high. In the second half, the Nets cut down their turnovers, and only lost the ball eleven times for the night. Phoenix turned the ball over eighteen times. The Nets pounded Phoenix from the line. They got to the stripe twice as many times as Phoenix. The Suns shot ten for sixteen, while Brooklyn buried twenty five of thirty two free throws, good for 78% shooting.
Phoenix shot the ball considerably worse from the field during the second half, and ended the evening shooting 39% from the floor versus a consistent 45% by the Brooks. Again, credit the Nets' second half defensive effort which clamped down on Phoenix, and limited the Suns to thirteen points in each of the third and fourth quarters.
The Nets next opponents are the Indiana Pacers, who will visit Barclays Center for the first time this Sunday afternoon.
Mike.BTB
N.Y. Jets: Mike Westhoff Offers Insight Into Jets Dilemma
From the desk of: A BLUE BLOODED GIANTS FAN
NEW YORK JETS - Former Coach Mike Westhoff Airs Jets Dirty Laundry.
The old saying goes thus - Things must get worse before they get better. Except if you're part of the Jets that is, where things tend to go from worse to catastrophic. For Gang Green, the arrival in Dis was thought to be the end of the 2012 regular season, and the subsequent house cleaning. But then came the recent, and now laughable Ren and Stimpy routine called a press conference. And today, this....
It was an absolute M - E - S - S Mess - Mess - Mess!
In an interview on a Miami radio station, former Gang Green special teams coach Mike Westoff, characterized the Jets handling of Tim Tebow as an absolute mess. This just exacerbates the question of who wanted Tim Tebow. Coach Westhoff offered the Jets neither planned to incorporate, nor practiced to utilize Tim Tebow on offense at any time. Sure, the Jets talked about it. But they never followed through. Or, does this raise the question of whether Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano together, were clueless in their struggle to fit him in? Westhoff also intimated that Rex and Sparono kind of dumped Tebow on him to make use of.
In my opinion, the more damning aspects of Coach Westhoff's comments strike at the organization's very core. His words reveal the true state of the Jets and speak poorly of them. Why? Because for long Mike Westhoff has been one of the most respected assistant coaches in all the NFL. Originally, you had to take Mike Westhoff on his word that he was retiring from coaching. It can now be safely assumed Coach Westhoff was running from the Jets as if the team's practice hangar were on fire. What is also clear to me at least after grasping the whole of his interview, is he no longer wanted to be a part of the utter chaos that presently consumes the Jets. Mike Westoff also appeared on the Michael Kay Show Friday afternoon to further clarify himself. And he continued to bomb away.
Woody Johnson is the genesis of said Chaos. It is his team. He is the owner. However, blame shouldn't be that simplistic. The organization lost its semblance of normalcy somewhere between the extremes characterized by their two most recent head coaches. Eric Mangini brought in talent and disciplined them. But A) - the team underachieved under him, and B) - he was a media cold front. At the other extreme, Rex Ryan is a turbulent tropical warm front consumed with, and by the daily media maelstrom. At first, his team overachieved FOR him. But the talent level under Rex has depleted over the last two seasons, not to mention, they have become quite an undisciplined bunch under his reign as well.
Woody Johnson might be committing a huge mistake by making a new General Manager retain Rex Ryan for at least one more season. Several very good candidates, one from the Giants who took the Panthers GM position, are already off the market, and rumor is they would have nothing to do with the Jets present situation. So what exactly is the Jets present situation?
Woody Johnson purchased the team in 2000, and inherited an agreement whereby Bill Parcells would move into the front office, and hand over the head coaching reigns to Bill Belichick. But Belichick in turn immediately handed Woody Johnson his letter of resignation as HC of the NYJ and bolted for New England. Al Groh was forced to step in and coach the Jets, which he did for one season and salvaged a respectful 9-7 record. After the 2000 season, both Bill Parcells and Al Groh left the organization. Overall under Bill Parcells the team achieved a 39-26 record, and a 1-1 mark in the playoffs. Bill Parcells left behind Mike Tannenbaum who was originally brought on board to be the team's salary CAPologist.
Woody Johnson then made what many considered a good football decision when he hired Terry Bradway from Kansas City to be the team's new General Manager. Bradway ushered in the Chad Pennington/Herman Edwards era. Very simply, Herm may have been a victim of Chad Pennington's limited health and overall arm strength. I do not want to dig too deeply into those five years. They were good years by Jets standards even though the era only amassed a 39-41 regular season record. The Jets made the playoffs in 2001, 2002, and in the 2004 season. After the 2005 let down, the Edwards and Bradway tandem ceased to be. Herm Edwards left for Kansas City. But Woody Johnson retained Terry Bradway within the organization, albeit with a demotion. But twelve years with the Jets now, he still currently serves as the team's Senior Player Personnel Executive.
By 2006, Mike Tannenbaum had progressed enough through the front office ranks to where Woody Johnson felt compelled to name him the next General Manager of the Jets. Eric Mangini was then hired out of Bill Belichick's staff in New England to replace Herm Edwards as head coach. The first season under Mangini was terrific. The rest of his three year reign was not. Mike Tannebaum, Eric Mangini, and the Jets compiled a 23-25 regular season record. Whether inspired by Tannenbaum, or perhaps against Mangini's better judgement or not, the era went down in a blaze of glory with Brett Favr%#!?$vre at quarterback.
Eric Mangini was out. Mike Tannebaum got to stay. Rex Ryan is in. The Jets then trade up to draft Mark Sanchez. Four years later Rex Ryan stays, Mike Tannebaum is pushed out the door, and Mark Sanchez is the poster child for futility. The assistant coaching staffs are decimated by firings and mass exodus. The roster is riddled with questionable talent and bad contracts. Additionally, the Jets are capped out.
Meanwhile, the office of General Manager has been filled in Jacksonville, Carolina, and San Diego, by who many in the media consider to be stellar candidates. The Cardinals promoted from within. Not only have the Jets not settled on a candidate yet, Woody Johnson will let Rex Ryan exercise a measure of approval over the potential hire.
Ponderous! The Jets hired a firm to line up candidates. At this point, Woody Johnson is just throwing his money away. Here's the deal. Woody Johnson or a firm should not be conducting a GM search. His President of Football Operations should. Oh wait! He doesn't have one. Exactly. Because if he did, Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum would have remained linked together. The hiring and firing of the General Manager is perhaps best left to good football people. Not Woody Johnson.
As things stand right now, Terry Bradway is the senior most football executive Woody Johnson has. And next to Rex Ryan, Bradway is the only football mind Woody has left. If the Jets keep missing out on qualified candidates for their GM position, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the Jets are forced to promote from within, and perhaps elevate Terry Bradway to the office of GM once again. In my opinion, that would be the way to go, and here is why.
Woody Johnson needs to clean up his entire organization and fill it with better football minded people. Terry Bradway has been here since the 2001 season. Since then, the Jets are exactly 96-96 over that time. If you add in Al Groh's 9-7 record from the prior season when Woody first purchased the team, the Jets are now 105-103 in the Woody Era. But once the Parcells Era ended, thank Rex Ryan for elevating the team to a .500 record because both Herm Edwards and Mangini posted sub .500 marks. So far Rex Ryan has posted a 34-30 record in four years. Bradway has been the only constant member of the Jets, more so than Tannenbaum, who's work directly contributed to the product on the field over the last twelve years. Woody should now attach Rex Ryan and Terry Bradway at the hip and let them sink or swim together.
Why take on a new General Manager from outside the organization at this point? If Rex and Terry succeed, Fine! But if they fail Woody can rid himself of both of them, then truly rebuild his organization from the ground up. He would have a clean slate to work with, and have the luxury of being methodical and getting it done right. Therefore, his first move should then be recruiting a qualified Team President of Football Operations, and let that person hire the next GM of the Jets.
Why a team president? Because the Jets have posted a .500 record over the last twelve years! Because Woody Johnson is an heir of a very different world from outside football. He is not a Rooney, or a Mara. In the absence of a good Team President, an unlearned owner operating on his own behalf risks exposing the organization to dysfunction. Without the GM, the owner is alone. Look how long it took Daniel Snyder of the Redskins to realize that. Sometimes this dysfunction manifests itself in the owner firing his General Manager but leaving histeddy bear head coach on board for the next guy to worry about. That's not the way to build football teams. That's the way companies operate in the corporate world. That's why the economy and the Jets are so messed up.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK JETS - Former Coach Mike Westhoff Airs Jets Dirty Laundry.
I Say The Jets Next Move Should Be....
The old saying goes thus - Things must get worse before they get better. Except if you're part of the Jets that is, where things tend to go from worse to catastrophic. For Gang Green, the arrival in Dis was thought to be the end of the 2012 regular season, and the subsequent house cleaning. But then came the recent, and now laughable Ren and Stimpy routine called a press conference. And today, this....
It was an absolute M - E - S - S Mess - Mess - Mess!
In an interview on a Miami radio station, former Gang Green special teams coach Mike Westoff, characterized the Jets handling of Tim Tebow as an absolute mess. This just exacerbates the question of who wanted Tim Tebow. Coach Westhoff offered the Jets neither planned to incorporate, nor practiced to utilize Tim Tebow on offense at any time. Sure, the Jets talked about it. But they never followed through. Or, does this raise the question of whether Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano together, were clueless in their struggle to fit him in? Westhoff also intimated that Rex and Sparono kind of dumped Tebow on him to make use of.
In my opinion, the more damning aspects of Coach Westhoff's comments strike at the organization's very core. His words reveal the true state of the Jets and speak poorly of them. Why? Because for long Mike Westhoff has been one of the most respected assistant coaches in all the NFL. Originally, you had to take Mike Westhoff on his word that he was retiring from coaching. It can now be safely assumed Coach Westhoff was running from the Jets as if the team's practice hangar were on fire. What is also clear to me at least after grasping the whole of his interview, is he no longer wanted to be a part of the utter chaos that presently consumes the Jets. Mike Westoff also appeared on the Michael Kay Show Friday afternoon to further clarify himself. And he continued to bomb away.
Woody Johnson is the genesis of said Chaos. It is his team. He is the owner. However, blame shouldn't be that simplistic. The organization lost its semblance of normalcy somewhere between the extremes characterized by their two most recent head coaches. Eric Mangini brought in talent and disciplined them. But A) - the team underachieved under him, and B) - he was a media cold front. At the other extreme, Rex Ryan is a turbulent tropical warm front consumed with, and by the daily media maelstrom. At first, his team overachieved FOR him. But the talent level under Rex has depleted over the last two seasons, not to mention, they have become quite an undisciplined bunch under his reign as well.
Woody Johnson might be committing a huge mistake by making a new General Manager retain Rex Ryan for at least one more season. Several very good candidates, one from the Giants who took the Panthers GM position, are already off the market, and rumor is they would have nothing to do with the Jets present situation. So what exactly is the Jets present situation?
Woody Johnson purchased the team in 2000, and inherited an agreement whereby Bill Parcells would move into the front office, and hand over the head coaching reigns to Bill Belichick. But Belichick in turn immediately handed Woody Johnson his letter of resignation as HC of the NYJ and bolted for New England. Al Groh was forced to step in and coach the Jets, which he did for one season and salvaged a respectful 9-7 record. After the 2000 season, both Bill Parcells and Al Groh left the organization. Overall under Bill Parcells the team achieved a 39-26 record, and a 1-1 mark in the playoffs. Bill Parcells left behind Mike Tannenbaum who was originally brought on board to be the team's salary CAPologist.
Woody Johnson then made what many considered a good football decision when he hired Terry Bradway from Kansas City to be the team's new General Manager. Bradway ushered in the Chad Pennington/Herman Edwards era. Very simply, Herm may have been a victim of Chad Pennington's limited health and overall arm strength. I do not want to dig too deeply into those five years. They were good years by Jets standards even though the era only amassed a 39-41 regular season record. The Jets made the playoffs in 2001, 2002, and in the 2004 season. After the 2005 let down, the Edwards and Bradway tandem ceased to be. Herm Edwards left for Kansas City. But Woody Johnson retained Terry Bradway within the organization, albeit with a demotion. But twelve years with the Jets now, he still currently serves as the team's Senior Player Personnel Executive.
By 2006, Mike Tannenbaum had progressed enough through the front office ranks to where Woody Johnson felt compelled to name him the next General Manager of the Jets. Eric Mangini was then hired out of Bill Belichick's staff in New England to replace Herm Edwards as head coach. The first season under Mangini was terrific. The rest of his three year reign was not. Mike Tannebaum, Eric Mangini, and the Jets compiled a 23-25 regular season record. Whether inspired by Tannenbaum, or perhaps against Mangini's better judgement or not, the era went down in a blaze of glory with Brett Favr%#!?$vre at quarterback.
Eric Mangini was out. Mike Tannebaum got to stay. Rex Ryan is in. The Jets then trade up to draft Mark Sanchez. Four years later Rex Ryan stays, Mike Tannebaum is pushed out the door, and Mark Sanchez is the poster child for futility. The assistant coaching staffs are decimated by firings and mass exodus. The roster is riddled with questionable talent and bad contracts. Additionally, the Jets are capped out.
Meanwhile, the office of General Manager has been filled in Jacksonville, Carolina, and San Diego, by who many in the media consider to be stellar candidates. The Cardinals promoted from within. Not only have the Jets not settled on a candidate yet, Woody Johnson will let Rex Ryan exercise a measure of approval over the potential hire.
Ponderous! The Jets hired a firm to line up candidates. At this point, Woody Johnson is just throwing his money away. Here's the deal. Woody Johnson or a firm should not be conducting a GM search. His President of Football Operations should. Oh wait! He doesn't have one. Exactly. Because if he did, Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum would have remained linked together. The hiring and firing of the General Manager is perhaps best left to good football people. Not Woody Johnson.
As things stand right now, Terry Bradway is the senior most football executive Woody Johnson has. And next to Rex Ryan, Bradway is the only football mind Woody has left. If the Jets keep missing out on qualified candidates for their GM position, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the Jets are forced to promote from within, and perhaps elevate Terry Bradway to the office of GM once again. In my opinion, that would be the way to go, and here is why.
Woody Johnson needs to clean up his entire organization and fill it with better football minded people. Terry Bradway has been here since the 2001 season. Since then, the Jets are exactly 96-96 over that time. If you add in Al Groh's 9-7 record from the prior season when Woody first purchased the team, the Jets are now 105-103 in the Woody Era. But once the Parcells Era ended, thank Rex Ryan for elevating the team to a .500 record because both Herm Edwards and Mangini posted sub .500 marks. So far Rex Ryan has posted a 34-30 record in four years. Bradway has been the only constant member of the Jets, more so than Tannenbaum, who's work directly contributed to the product on the field over the last twelve years. Woody should now attach Rex Ryan and Terry Bradway at the hip and let them sink or swim together.
Why take on a new General Manager from outside the organization at this point? If Rex and Terry succeed, Fine! But if they fail Woody can rid himself of both of them, then truly rebuild his organization from the ground up. He would have a clean slate to work with, and have the luxury of being methodical and getting it done right. Therefore, his first move should then be recruiting a qualified Team President of Football Operations, and let that person hire the next GM of the Jets.
Why a team president? Because the Jets have posted a .500 record over the last twelve years! Because Woody Johnson is an heir of a very different world from outside football. He is not a Rooney, or a Mara. In the absence of a good Team President, an unlearned owner operating on his own behalf risks exposing the organization to dysfunction. Without the GM, the owner is alone. Look how long it took Daniel Snyder of the Redskins to realize that. Sometimes this dysfunction manifests itself in the owner firing his General Manager but leaving his
Mike.BTB
N.Y. Giants Wrap-Up: The Defense
From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL ~ The Defense That Wasn't.
No Super Bowl title defense for you... So what happened? For me, the failures were equally on both offense and defense. I am also inclined to agree with the coaching staff's general consensus that there was a tremendous lack of execution this past season. After Hurricane Sandy, I didn't get to watch many games on TV. In hindsight, perhaps that was best. But I certainly didn't like what I heard on radio.
I will start this post season assessment with the Defense, and coordinator Perry Fewell. His victory parade is over. It's time for him to get back to the drawing board. I'll let him slide for throwing his players under the bus at season's end regarding their overall performance. But next season, his defense must yield far better results. There is much change that needs to emanate from the top, meaning from Mr. Fewell. He doesn't exactly fit the mold of Giants offensive coordinators and their strategies of the past. Bill Belichick, John Fox, Steve Spagnuolo - they were very good coordinators here. Perry Fewell's Read and React schemes however drive me batty. His defenses are not terribly aggressive. But that's as far as I'll criticize Perry Fewell. Many other factors contributed to an overall poor defensive effort. As a unit, the Giants Defense couldn't stop the run. They couldn't stop the pass. And they couldn't stop themselves from looking downright amateurish at times.
At Cornerback, year one in the post-Aaron Ross era was a disaster. For starters, the secondary was ravaged by injuries for a second consecutive season. On that note, for the second consecutive season Terrell Thomas was lost for the year. Michael Coe was lost for the season as well. Prince Amukamara is still yet to play like a #1 draft pick but showed improvement. And Coery Webster had perhaps the worst season of his career. Rookie Jayron Hosely had his moments. But he is too short for the position I believe, and is easily picked on.
At Safety, I feel yet another injury to Kenny Phillips was also a huge blow to the defense. He was turning into an impact safety until sidelined....again. On the bright side however, Antrel Rolle had a stellar season. Will Hill and the amazin' Stevie Brown filled in tremendously.
Next, there are two ways I would describe the Giants situation at Linebacker - average and without impact. Chase Blackburn, we hardly knew ya. Where would the Giants have been without him? Because truth be told, Michael Boley, Keith Rivers, Jacquian Williams, Mark Herzlich, and Spencer Paysinger put forth rather inconsequential seasons.
Up front, it's like the Defensive Line kept bumping into each other in the fun house. No one ever adequately explained what happened to the Giants pass rush last season. Osi was his own worst enemy, constantly playing his way out of a sack or tackle. The league made adjustments against JPP. He will now be taking lessons from Michael Strahan on how to deal with getting double-teamed. That's not a bad idea. But Justin Tuck remains a bit mystifying. I was satisfied with Chris Canty when he managed to stay on the field. He only played nine games.
Staying on the field - what a task. With regard to injuries, the Giants have questions that need answers. How long should the Giants stick it out with Terrell Thomas before cutting the cord? As mentioned, he has missed the last two seasons with the same injury. Kenny Phillips can be viewed similarly. We also need to consider Chris Canty missed almost half the season. And Keith Rivers, dealing with his fair share of injuries, also has not fulfilled his potential here.
On the free agent front, GM Jerry Reese has his hands full. Osi's situation is well known to us by now. He has most likely played his last game as a New York Giant. Kenny Phillips is also an unrestricted free agent. I do not want to see him leave. But since he first hit the field as a rookie, he's had troubles staying on it. When Chris Canty went down with an injury, Rocky Bernard teamed up with Linval Joseph and plugged the Tackle position well. Rocky Bernard is also now an unrestricted free agent. Some very fine play at linebacker just might have earned Chase Blackburn a handsome little raise for him and his family. It just won't be with the G-Men. I can't see them paying-up for Chase. The Giants cap situation is too restrictive for that.
What now? If I had my druthers, I'd have Jerry Reese address the linebacker situation. The Giants need more impact from that position. While Boley is still a fine player, and Rivers is worth a further look, the rest of the corps perhaps needs fresh meat. Unfortunately, I do not believe there is any money in the budget to spend quality dollars here. If Osi has indeed played his last game as a Giant, then Mathias Kiwanuka seems certain of returning to the defensive line.
In spite of the injury to Kenny Phillips, I'm hoping he can be re-signed to an extension. In his absence however, Stevie Brown was able to show what he's capable of. And it was good. With Antrel Rolle, the Giants are looking pretty good at Safety. It is the Cornerback situation they need to fix. Jerry Reese faces a quandary as to how, be it holding out hope for a healthier Thomas, revamping the position, or throwing money at it. And we know the latter suggestion is simply not the Giants way. That said, Jerry Reese also has a very hard decision to make regarding Corey Webster as well. After two very sub par seasons, Webster comes with a mighty hefty price tag next season. He could very well get cut.
On the defensive line, my concern is at Tackle. The Giants might be forced to take a closer look here. While Chris Canty has an ally in me, the position has not been right since Barry Cofield left. Linval Joseph played okay. No major gripes. But overall, the Giants ability to stop the run must improve. Improvements to the linebacker and tackle positions would be my way to go about that. As far as stopping the pass, give me less Jayron Hosely and give me more size at the corners.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL ~ The Defense That Wasn't.
No Super Bowl title defense for you... So what happened? For me, the failures were equally on both offense and defense. I am also inclined to agree with the coaching staff's general consensus that there was a tremendous lack of execution this past season. After Hurricane Sandy, I didn't get to watch many games on TV. In hindsight, perhaps that was best. But I certainly didn't like what I heard on radio.
I will start this post season assessment with the Defense, and coordinator Perry Fewell. His victory parade is over. It's time for him to get back to the drawing board. I'll let him slide for throwing his players under the bus at season's end regarding their overall performance. But next season, his defense must yield far better results. There is much change that needs to emanate from the top, meaning from Mr. Fewell. He doesn't exactly fit the mold of Giants offensive coordinators and their strategies of the past. Bill Belichick, John Fox, Steve Spagnuolo - they were very good coordinators here. Perry Fewell's Read and React schemes however drive me batty. His defenses are not terribly aggressive. But that's as far as I'll criticize Perry Fewell. Many other factors contributed to an overall poor defensive effort. As a unit, the Giants Defense couldn't stop the run. They couldn't stop the pass. And they couldn't stop themselves from looking downright amateurish at times.
At Cornerback, year one in the post-Aaron Ross era was a disaster. For starters, the secondary was ravaged by injuries for a second consecutive season. On that note, for the second consecutive season Terrell Thomas was lost for the year. Michael Coe was lost for the season as well. Prince Amukamara is still yet to play like a #1 draft pick but showed improvement. And Coery Webster had perhaps the worst season of his career. Rookie Jayron Hosely had his moments. But he is too short for the position I believe, and is easily picked on.
At Safety, I feel yet another injury to Kenny Phillips was also a huge blow to the defense. He was turning into an impact safety until sidelined....again. On the bright side however, Antrel Rolle had a stellar season. Will Hill and the amazin' Stevie Brown filled in tremendously.
Next, there are two ways I would describe the Giants situation at Linebacker - average and without impact. Chase Blackburn, we hardly knew ya. Where would the Giants have been without him? Because truth be told, Michael Boley, Keith Rivers, Jacquian Williams, Mark Herzlich, and Spencer Paysinger put forth rather inconsequential seasons.
Up front, it's like the Defensive Line kept bumping into each other in the fun house. No one ever adequately explained what happened to the Giants pass rush last season. Osi was his own worst enemy, constantly playing his way out of a sack or tackle. The league made adjustments against JPP. He will now be taking lessons from Michael Strahan on how to deal with getting double-teamed. That's not a bad idea. But Justin Tuck remains a bit mystifying. I was satisfied with Chris Canty when he managed to stay on the field. He only played nine games.
Staying on the field - what a task. With regard to injuries, the Giants have questions that need answers. How long should the Giants stick it out with Terrell Thomas before cutting the cord? As mentioned, he has missed the last two seasons with the same injury. Kenny Phillips can be viewed similarly. We also need to consider Chris Canty missed almost half the season. And Keith Rivers, dealing with his fair share of injuries, also has not fulfilled his potential here.
On the free agent front, GM Jerry Reese has his hands full. Osi's situation is well known to us by now. He has most likely played his last game as a New York Giant. Kenny Phillips is also an unrestricted free agent. I do not want to see him leave. But since he first hit the field as a rookie, he's had troubles staying on it. When Chris Canty went down with an injury, Rocky Bernard teamed up with Linval Joseph and plugged the Tackle position well. Rocky Bernard is also now an unrestricted free agent. Some very fine play at linebacker just might have earned Chase Blackburn a handsome little raise for him and his family. It just won't be with the G-Men. I can't see them paying-up for Chase. The Giants cap situation is too restrictive for that.
What now? If I had my druthers, I'd have Jerry Reese address the linebacker situation. The Giants need more impact from that position. While Boley is still a fine player, and Rivers is worth a further look, the rest of the corps perhaps needs fresh meat. Unfortunately, I do not believe there is any money in the budget to spend quality dollars here. If Osi has indeed played his last game as a Giant, then Mathias Kiwanuka seems certain of returning to the defensive line.
In spite of the injury to Kenny Phillips, I'm hoping he can be re-signed to an extension. In his absence however, Stevie Brown was able to show what he's capable of. And it was good. With Antrel Rolle, the Giants are looking pretty good at Safety. It is the Cornerback situation they need to fix. Jerry Reese faces a quandary as to how, be it holding out hope for a healthier Thomas, revamping the position, or throwing money at it. And we know the latter suggestion is simply not the Giants way. That said, Jerry Reese also has a very hard decision to make regarding Corey Webster as well. After two very sub par seasons, Webster comes with a mighty hefty price tag next season. He could very well get cut.
On the defensive line, my concern is at Tackle. The Giants might be forced to take a closer look here. While Chris Canty has an ally in me, the position has not been right since Barry Cofield left. Linval Joseph played okay. No major gripes. But overall, the Giants ability to stop the run must improve. Improvements to the linebacker and tackle positions would be my way to go about that. As far as stopping the pass, give me less Jayron Hosely and give me more size at the corners.
Mike.BTB
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
N.Y. Knicks: For Those Who Said Talk To Me In January
From the desk of: DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP
NEW YORK KNICKS - Many Said Age And Injury Would Start Taking Its Toll In January And February. The Team Is Certainly Not Without Issues.
I can't fault Melo for continuing to go after Kevin Garnett. What KG does, he does supremely well. He talks vicious smack. But we've known that for a long time. And I get it. That gets players even more mad. Especially when the dude starts poppin' off about your wife and honey nut Cheerios in the same sentence.How rich! That was unnecessary on KG's part. But as a highly paid professional athlete, you have to learn to ignore guys like Garnett and the Dennis Rodmans in life and stay within the game. Riiight. But yeah, on a more primitive level, a trip to the bus after the game might have been warranted. That's so 1970's of me. I know. So now if you're Melo, you shut up and take your one game suspension like a man. Too bad however, Melo didn't make the trip to the parking lot truly worth the effort. You know what I mean. If you're going to get punished, might as well go all the way. What happened to the Carmelo Anthony we all knew and loathed in 2006; the punk who threw a cheap punch at Mardy Collins, then ran away? He should have given KG some of that.
Grab yourself some Hatorade. There's plenty.
With a 23-11 record, the Knicks are tied with the Heat for most wins in the Eastern Conference. Indeed, the Knicks enjoyed a stellar start to the season, raining three pointers upon opponents and playing surprisingly good defense. But staunch pragmatists decided to hold off till January before assessing the team. And well, here we are. The Knicks are in first place of the Atlantic Division.
Happy New Year.
While earlier in the schedule the Knicks were playing like the team many thought they could be, they are now slowly morphing into the team many feared they might be. Problem one? Life has been a struggle without Ray Felton. That's just my take. Pablo Prigioni is nice off the bench. But I don't think the Knicks want him getting extended minutes. The longer Felton is out, the more minutes Jason Kidd must play. The more he plays, the sooner he burns out heading into March and April. That's the traditional thinking. The Knicks also probably do not want to potentially head into the playoffs with Ronnie Brewer at the two and Kidd at point. Do they? I think Felton is more important to this team than he gets credit for.
Regardless of how I started this posting, I have nothing but good things to say about Carmelo Anthony this season. He, Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith have been stellar. The return of Iman Shumpert will add a lot of youthful spring to the Knicks legs too. These four lend much to be optimistic about.
The same can't be said of Amare Stoudemire. The doctor is ordering his minutes get cut back. He will remain a compromised player for the foreseeable future. Then consider the limited contributions of Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas, and it is easy to deduce the Knicks have major depth and size issues moving forward.
The age factor and injuries many thought could hamper the Knicks the deeper the season went, are indeed starting to hinder the Knicks as the New Year settles in. The next seven weeks of Winter will reveal much about this team. For now, I think Knick fans have to be happy with their season so far. But the real fun, or pain, lies ahead.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK KNICKS - Many Said Age And Injury Would Start Taking Its Toll In January And February. The Team Is Certainly Not Without Issues.
Knicks Needs Ray Felton Back On The Floor.
...And Honey Nut Cheerios Too.
I can't fault Melo for continuing to go after Kevin Garnett. What KG does, he does supremely well. He talks vicious smack. But we've known that for a long time. And I get it. That gets players even more mad. Especially when the dude starts poppin' off about your wife and honey nut Cheerios in the same sentence.
Grab yourself some Hatorade. There's plenty.
With a 23-11 record, the Knicks are tied with the Heat for most wins in the Eastern Conference. Indeed, the Knicks enjoyed a stellar start to the season, raining three pointers upon opponents and playing surprisingly good defense. But staunch pragmatists decided to hold off till January before assessing the team. And well, here we are. The Knicks are in first place of the Atlantic Division.
Happy New Year.
While earlier in the schedule the Knicks were playing like the team many thought they could be, they are now slowly morphing into the team many feared they might be. Problem one? Life has been a struggle without Ray Felton. That's just my take. Pablo Prigioni is nice off the bench. But I don't think the Knicks want him getting extended minutes. The longer Felton is out, the more minutes Jason Kidd must play. The more he plays, the sooner he burns out heading into March and April. That's the traditional thinking. The Knicks also probably do not want to potentially head into the playoffs with Ronnie Brewer at the two and Kidd at point. Do they? I think Felton is more important to this team than he gets credit for.
Regardless of how I started this posting, I have nothing but good things to say about Carmelo Anthony this season. He, Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith have been stellar. The return of Iman Shumpert will add a lot of youthful spring to the Knicks legs too. These four lend much to be optimistic about.
The same can't be said of Amare Stoudemire. The doctor is ordering his minutes get cut back. He will remain a compromised player for the foreseeable future. Then consider the limited contributions of Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas, and it is easy to deduce the Knicks have major depth and size issues moving forward.
The age factor and injuries many thought could hamper the Knicks the deeper the season went, are indeed starting to hinder the Knicks as the New Year settles in. The next seven weeks of Winter will reveal much about this team. For now, I think Knick fans have to be happy with their season so far. But the real fun, or pain, lies ahead.
Mike.BTB
The BTB Baseball Hall Of Fame Ballot
The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger
2013 Hall of Fame Ballot
I put much of the blame for the Steroid Era on Commissioner Bud Selig. Well..., that's what happens when you're put in charge. You get blamed for everything. But let me explain myself and not be so simplistic about it. At the very minimum, Bud Selig could have challenged the former head of the Players Union; Donald Fehr; and put the onus on him and the membership to step up and maintain the integrity of the game on their own for a change.
Bud Selig - "Dear Mr. Fehr, based on strong, and mounting reasonable suspicion, I believe there is a disproportionate number of players cheating and using PED's. I want for you and me to begin a dialogue regarding this issue, and I would eventually like for this matter to be addressed in the next collective bargaining session. Thank you. Signed, the Commissioner of Baseball."
That's all he had to do. Had the Commissioner done that anytime between 1988 and 1993, the game's record books might not have been so utterly perverted by cheats. By challenging the Union on the issue and putting the ball squarely in their court, the Union might have felt far more direct, public, and national pressure than they endured, and as a result, might have been compelled to open up the matter of PED's in collective bargaining much earlier.
In that respect, the Commissioner's hands were tied. Nothing could change unless the issue was addressed in collective bargaining. In my opinion, Donald Fehr was the major obstacle in cleaning up the game earlier in the process due to his continued refusal to even entertain the discussion. But what the Commissioner could have done was make steroids a more public issue, bringing attention to it, pressuring the union membership through suspicion, and acting like Baseball's steward by accepting the challenge of safeguarding the integrity of the game. He should have been launching a campaign against the union with dogged determination. Mountain Landis to Bartlette Giamatti would be turning in their graves if made aware of the incompetence exhibited by the modern day commissioner.
Instead, once upon a time what Baseball owners did was take the owner of Milwaukee, voted to put him in charge of the rest of the owners, to make sure all the owners got their way. The strike of 1994 came and went like several strikes of the past. But this time the owners piggy-backed steroid users to recoup their monies and fan interest lost due to the strike. Give or take a year according to your personal time line. But by the time Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa engaged in the great home run chase of 1998, I felt we were ten years into the steroid era. And the prolonged neglect and failure to challenge steroids with any kind of conviction had finally started making its mark, and beginning to take a greater toll on baseball's sacred numbers.
As we witnessed, the next ten years after 1998 wrought even more destruction upon Baseball's all time records. Today, everything is askew. The records are now indecipherable. A tradition lost. The Commissioner of Baseball, the head of the Players Union, individual users, greed, and the overall decline of humanity and modern western civilisation have all conspired to destroy the greatest game ever known to mankind.
I do not know how the era should be treated moving forward. The quandary is right up there with creationism versus evolution. But for today's posting, my rules are simple. If you were implicated in a steroid/HGH investigation/test, you're out. Period. If your name never surfaced or was attached to some credible/official investigation or news reporting, you're in. I wouldn't have a problem if absolutely no one who played between the years "1988-2008" ever gained election into the Hall of Fame. Unfair blanket punishment is OK with me. My real point is, I am opposed to selective justice. I would rather not have a system where players are denied a fair vote based on unfounded suspicion alone. That in essence is no different than the Salem witch trials. What innocent person would appreciate being jailed based solely on a judge's inclination to believe you're guilty regardless of facts that say otherwise?
As a Mets fan, of course I'm speaking about Mike Piazza. I sense the voters might lump him together with known and outed steroid users, with baseless and radical suspicion. I do not believe we as fans, or writers for that matter, get to arbitrarily choose who was and who was not taking steroids. I personally suspect many players of using. In fact, my list is rather long. But until something credible surfaces on a given player, I feel we should reserve final judgement. It sucks. I'm the first to say it. But I'm just trying to be fair about something I'm so passionate about - Baseball. It is a perfect game played by imperfect people.
Eligible Players Omitted From the BTB Ballot:
Barry Bonds
Roger Clemens
Rafael Palmeiro
Sammy Sosa
Mark McGwire
The 2013 BTB Hall of Fame Ballot:
Mike Piazza
Craig Biggio
Jack Morris
Lee Smith
* Ted Simmons
* Gil Hodges
Mike Piazza swung a lethal bat, and offensively dominated his contemporaries for at least ten years. The guy was also clutch. His accomplishments at the plate speak for themselves. While not exceptional behind the plate, he was under-rated defensively. I saw Johnny Bench play. He was the total package. But Mike Piazza's bat took a back seat to no one. He was the dominant figure in two of America's largest markets and handled the burden like a gentleman.
He came into the league as a catcher. He made his name as a second baseman. Craig Biggio gets in because he generated consistent productivity over an extended period of time. His was not prolonged excellence per se. Biggio's career is again, marked by prolonged consistency and productivity from the top of the order, and as a second baseman. Players like Biggio need to be kept in the context of the classic middle infielder. Longevity, prolonged productivity, and sportsmanship are all HOF considerations. Biggio was not a flashy or glamorous player however. He was a grinder. With 3000 hits, 1800 runs scored, 600+ doubles, 291 home runs, over 1100 rbi, and 400+ stolen bases, he is well deserving as one of the best all around lead-off men in baseball history.
For ten years Jack Morris dominated the American League, and in particular to the times, the A.L. East, at a time when the Tigers, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox, and Brewers were all capable of winning ninety games a season. The A.L. East was insanely competitive in the eighties. No pitcher won more games in the decade than Jack Morris. He led his team in a romp during the Tigers 1984 world series winning season. His playoff exploits in Toronto and Minnesota late in his career are now legendary.
It is my belief the baseball writers still do not know how to handle relief pitchers/firemen/closers with regards to being a legitimate position, and as to whether the Save stat is an anomaly. When the Save rule was changed into its modern form, yes, it changed things considerably. The age of the Goose Gossage type fireman was over. But that is a separate debate. Fact is, Lee Smith was of the most fearsome pitchers opposing batters ever had the displeasure of facing. He was big, intimidating on the mound, highly effective, and one of the most dominant players at his position for at least a ten year period. He retired as the all-time Saves king, and is still ranked third on the list. He retired after the 1997 season, so it can be argued his accomplishments as a closer are withstanding the tests of time. He is one of only five closers to surpass 400 saves in a career. It is time to open up the doors to a legitimate and dominant closer of the day.
***Gil Hodges - Why? Why have the voters and Veteran Committees forsaken him?
***Ted Simmons - When you crunch his numbers versus those of Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Carlton Fisk, Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, and Pudge Rodriguez, you will be surprised how well he ranks in many categories such as hits, batting average, doubles, and rbi.
There it is.
Mike.BTB
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Brooklyn Nets: Discord In Hollywood Rekindles Trade Talk
From the desk of: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH
BROOKLYN NETS: There Goes That Dwight Howard Trade Talk Again.
Dwight Howard of the Lakers sat out Monday's action with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Initial reports suggest he will be out at least a week before being re-evaluated. Why should we here in Brooklyn care about that? Because Monday, Stefan Bondy of the N.Y. Daily News reported Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant are not exactly getting along out in La La Land. The two Lakers stars were reportedly involved in a post-game New Year's Day dispute. Kobe Bryant took to Twitter to douse the story. Subsequent media coverage questioned the validity of Bondy's source, whether the altercation did indeed happen, and why such a report came out one week later. That's not for me to decipher though. But what the story also did was kick up the Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets talk again.
Is Dwight Howard still a fit in Brooklyn? He keeps supplying me with reasons which indicate no. Let me not mince words here. Dwight Howard was too wishy-washy in Orlando. He did not conduct his business with any conviction and it cost him an extra season of being a nomad. So far, his resulting stay in Los Angeles hasn't exactly been a trip to Disney World. Howard wasn't too complimentary of his team mates or their effort on the floor recently. Clashing with Kobe will only get you so far. Criticising team chemistry to the media isn't always advisable either. It must be remembered that Dwight Howard is coming off back surgery, and is now saddled with an extended injury. The twenty-seven year old center is averaging 17.4 points this season with twelve boards. He will be a free agent after this season. So if he is to become a Nets player, he must be traded for as the Nets are maxed out. Then a new pact must be struck.
Minus a week long scare after slightly twisting his ankle, Brook Lopez is showing no lingering effects from his foot surgery. The twenty-four year old is averaging 18.9 points per game, with seven boards. Not coincidentally, per the CBA and his new contract, Brook Lopez can be made available for a trade again January 15th. So it seems natural for these rumors to resurface. Of course Brook Lopez would have to be traded. But if the Nets can't move Kris Humphries, I don't think a deal gets done. Before the season, I argued by keeping points and rebounds separated, Lopez and Humphries would be a good way to hedge against Howard's potential back issues, and avoid having two huge aspects of the Nets game go down with the loss of one body. Feeling the Nets were sure to get twenty points from Lopez, I was hopeful Kris Humphries would continue progressing into a dominant rebounder. Scratch that! Kris Humphries is far far away from what he could be. Avery Johnson isn't here anymore, so he's out of the proverbial dog house. Now Humph is nursing a sprained ankle. And that was the good news. Truth is, with a completely different cast around him this season, Kris Humphries is a totally different dynamic now. Throwing pity parties in the VIP of the Lonely Man's Club doesn't exactly endear one to the greater fan base either. Not after his very brief marital history. Whether that has hampered him on the court or not, with the exception of maybe two games his ineffectiveness just might warrant a trade for Howard, if...Billy King can push him. Kris Humphries, while signed for the max still has a favorable, movable short term contract.
The Nets offered the Orlando Magic Brook Lopez, Marshawn Brooks, Kris Humphries, and picks for Dwight Howard. The Magic didn't bite. Although a trade is very doubtful, if L.A. will take Humphries off the Nets hands, maybe Billy King should try. We'll worry how Dwight Howard fits in Brooklyn later.
Mike.BTB
BROOKLYN NETS: There Goes That Dwight Howard Trade Talk Again.
Dwight Howard of the Lakers sat out Monday's action with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Initial reports suggest he will be out at least a week before being re-evaluated. Why should we here in Brooklyn care about that? Because Monday, Stefan Bondy of the N.Y. Daily News reported Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant are not exactly getting along out in La La Land. The two Lakers stars were reportedly involved in a post-game New Year's Day dispute. Kobe Bryant took to Twitter to douse the story. Subsequent media coverage questioned the validity of Bondy's source, whether the altercation did indeed happen, and why such a report came out one week later. That's not for me to decipher though. But what the story also did was kick up the Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets talk again.
Is Dwight Howard still a fit in Brooklyn? He keeps supplying me with reasons which indicate no. Let me not mince words here. Dwight Howard was too wishy-washy in Orlando. He did not conduct his business with any conviction and it cost him an extra season of being a nomad. So far, his resulting stay in Los Angeles hasn't exactly been a trip to Disney World. Howard wasn't too complimentary of his team mates or their effort on the floor recently. Clashing with Kobe will only get you so far. Criticising team chemistry to the media isn't always advisable either. It must be remembered that Dwight Howard is coming off back surgery, and is now saddled with an extended injury. The twenty-seven year old center is averaging 17.4 points this season with twelve boards. He will be a free agent after this season. So if he is to become a Nets player, he must be traded for as the Nets are maxed out. Then a new pact must be struck.
Minus a week long scare after slightly twisting his ankle, Brook Lopez is showing no lingering effects from his foot surgery. The twenty-four year old is averaging 18.9 points per game, with seven boards. Not coincidentally, per the CBA and his new contract, Brook Lopez can be made available for a trade again January 15th. So it seems natural for these rumors to resurface. Of course Brook Lopez would have to be traded. But if the Nets can't move Kris Humphries, I don't think a deal gets done. Before the season, I argued by keeping points and rebounds separated, Lopez and Humphries would be a good way to hedge against Howard's potential back issues, and avoid having two huge aspects of the Nets game go down with the loss of one body. Feeling the Nets were sure to get twenty points from Lopez, I was hopeful Kris Humphries would continue progressing into a dominant rebounder. Scratch that! Kris Humphries is far far away from what he could be. Avery Johnson isn't here anymore, so he's out of the proverbial dog house. Now Humph is nursing a sprained ankle. And that was the good news. Truth is, with a completely different cast around him this season, Kris Humphries is a totally different dynamic now. Throwing pity parties in the VIP of the Lonely Man's Club doesn't exactly endear one to the greater fan base either. Not after his very brief marital history. Whether that has hampered him on the court or not, with the exception of maybe two games his ineffectiveness just might warrant a trade for Howard, if...Billy King can push him. Kris Humphries, while signed for the max still has a favorable, movable short term contract.
The Nets offered the Orlando Magic Brook Lopez, Marshawn Brooks, Kris Humphries, and picks for Dwight Howard. The Magic didn't bite. Although a trade is very doubtful, if L.A. will take Humphries off the Nets hands, maybe Billy King should try. We'll worry how Dwight Howard fits in Brooklyn later.
Mike.BTB
Saturday, January 05, 2013
New York Jets: A Blueprint for Disaster
From the desk of: A Blue-Blooded Giants Fan
NEW YORK JETS: Striking Out In Their Bid To Secure Nnamdi Asomugha Sent Gang Green Into Tailspin.
Tim Tebow is a good place to start this discussion. Why was he brought here and who wanted him? The only four suspects involved are Coach Sparano, Rex, Mike Tannenbaum, and Woody Johnson.
Somehow Tony Sparano actually made Coach Brian Schottenheimer look good. Schotty's departure shed light on Mark Sanchez' game. Evidently there was a reason Schotty never unleashed Mark Sanchez. Coach kept the QB, who Pete Carroll claimed was not ready for the NFL, within his limits. Without Schottenheimer, Mark Sanchez was a complete disaster in his fourth NFL season.
Being methodical and play-calling within an offensive unit's means is easily confused with being boring, unoriginal and/or displaying lack of creativity, and things of that nature. So in a town like NYC, Schotty wore on the fan base; naturally. In obvious hindsight, I offer Schotty gave Sanchez structure, in-game management, and direction. Save the issue of talent surrounding Sanchez for Mike Tannenbaum. But perhaps it was Schotty who squeezed and manipulated Sanchez into being a capable enough QB that could HELP his team qualify for back-to-back AFC title games. Clearly by 2011, the talent level around Sanchez started to erode. And today it is very clear the coaching Mark Sanchez received under Tony Sparano was substandard. Matt Cavanaugh has been his Mark's QB coach under both offensive coordinators. If Matt has been the constant for Sanchez, the difference in his performance under Schotty and Sparano are made even more stark. Tony Sparano was fired in Miami and helped make the Jets worse. Schottenheimer was fired by the Jets then helped make the Rams better. Go figure, right? Schottenheimer had previous experience as a QB coach with the Chargers. Sparano did not.
The Jets claimed all along Tim Tebow was the back-up to Mark Sanchez. And to their credit, they handed Mark the season. They even avoided giving Tebow the ball late in the season. Even though Sparano utilized a wildcat system in Miami, whatever the plan for Tim Tebow was, it became very clear to me Tony Sparano had no idea how to implement a two QB system. There is a big difference. And based on the way Tebow was utilized this season, there was indeed no plan for Tim Tebow; at least no evident plan exhibited by Tony Sparano.
So did Tony Sparano want him around? Doubtful. Ditto goes for Rex Ryan. I do not subscribe to the Wes Welker Effect. When with the Miami Dolphins, Welker repeatedly burnt the Patriots. So Bill Belichick traded for him. Because Tim Tebow was instrumental in defeating the Jets the year prior doesn't make me believe Rex lobbied his GM to trade for Tebow. Everyone has already chimed in about Rex's ignorance with regards to offense. But even as the head coach, he strained and often found himself at a loss for words when trying to rationalize Tebow's existence, much less his role. Rex Ryan straining for words?
The truth about Tim Tebow lies somewhere between Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum. Whether the GM was just acquiescing Woody Johnson and his bottom line, or whether GM Mike Tannenbaum instigated the trade himself are no longer important. The GM is gone. The offensive coordinator should be shown the door shortly. Tebow will soon be gone too. And you can't fire the owner. Rex however, might survive to coach another year depending on the next General Manager.
But what wreckage the former General Manager left behind. The talent he and Eric Mangini assembled served Rex Ryan well during his first two seasons as coach. The talent assembled by Rex and Tannenbaum over the last two seasons have not. Or, they did a poor job replacing outgoing players. Pick your poison. But in my opinion, the Jets really did themselves a disservice when they cleared players and cap room in an all-out effort to secure cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. By the time Nnamdi signed with Philly, quality players left on the open market, much needed by the Jets to fill other holes, were all gone.
And that's how I think the Jets have arrived upon today.
The defense has been solid enough. But they were asked to do way too much for four seasons. Their window is now just about closed. Offensively, the Jets have problems at QB, offensive line, receiver, and with the running game. If you include Dustin Keller's contract status, the Jets have problems at tight end too. Great.
The next General Manager of the Jets better eat his Wheaties and brew a lot of coffee. He has lots of work to do.
Mike.BTB
NEW YORK JETS: Striking Out In Their Bid To Secure Nnamdi Asomugha Sent Gang Green Into Tailspin.
How Do You Like Brian Schottenheimer Now?
Tim Tebow is a good place to start this discussion. Why was he brought here and who wanted him? The only four suspects involved are Coach Sparano, Rex, Mike Tannenbaum, and Woody Johnson.
Somehow Tony Sparano actually made Coach Brian Schottenheimer look good. Schotty's departure shed light on Mark Sanchez' game. Evidently there was a reason Schotty never unleashed Mark Sanchez. Coach kept the QB, who Pete Carroll claimed was not ready for the NFL, within his limits. Without Schottenheimer, Mark Sanchez was a complete disaster in his fourth NFL season.
Being methodical and play-calling within an offensive unit's means is easily confused with being boring, unoriginal and/or displaying lack of creativity, and things of that nature. So in a town like NYC, Schotty wore on the fan base; naturally. In obvious hindsight, I offer Schotty gave Sanchez structure, in-game management, and direction. Save the issue of talent surrounding Sanchez for Mike Tannenbaum. But perhaps it was Schotty who squeezed and manipulated Sanchez into being a capable enough QB that could HELP his team qualify for back-to-back AFC title games. Clearly by 2011, the talent level around Sanchez started to erode. And today it is very clear the coaching Mark Sanchez received under Tony Sparano was substandard. Matt Cavanaugh has been his Mark's QB coach under both offensive coordinators. If Matt has been the constant for Sanchez, the difference in his performance under Schotty and Sparano are made even more stark. Tony Sparano was fired in Miami and helped make the Jets worse. Schottenheimer was fired by the Jets then helped make the Rams better. Go figure, right? Schottenheimer had previous experience as a QB coach with the Chargers. Sparano did not.
The Jets claimed all along Tim Tebow was the back-up to Mark Sanchez. And to their credit, they handed Mark the season. They even avoided giving Tebow the ball late in the season. Even though Sparano utilized a wildcat system in Miami, whatever the plan for Tim Tebow was, it became very clear to me Tony Sparano had no idea how to implement a two QB system. There is a big difference. And based on the way Tebow was utilized this season, there was indeed no plan for Tim Tebow; at least no evident plan exhibited by Tony Sparano.
So did Tony Sparano want him around? Doubtful. Ditto goes for Rex Ryan. I do not subscribe to the Wes Welker Effect. When with the Miami Dolphins, Welker repeatedly burnt the Patriots. So Bill Belichick traded for him. Because Tim Tebow was instrumental in defeating the Jets the year prior doesn't make me believe Rex lobbied his GM to trade for Tebow. Everyone has already chimed in about Rex's ignorance with regards to offense. But even as the head coach, he strained and often found himself at a loss for words when trying to rationalize Tebow's existence, much less his role. Rex Ryan straining for words?
The truth about Tim Tebow lies somewhere between Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum. Whether the GM was just acquiescing Woody Johnson and his bottom line, or whether GM Mike Tannenbaum instigated the trade himself are no longer important. The GM is gone. The offensive coordinator should be shown the door shortly. Tebow will soon be gone too. And you can't fire the owner. Rex however, might survive to coach another year depending on the next General Manager.
But what wreckage the former General Manager left behind. The talent he and Eric Mangini assembled served Rex Ryan well during his first two seasons as coach. The talent assembled by Rex and Tannenbaum over the last two seasons have not. Or, they did a poor job replacing outgoing players. Pick your poison. But in my opinion, the Jets really did themselves a disservice when they cleared players and cap room in an all-out effort to secure cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. By the time Nnamdi signed with Philly, quality players left on the open market, much needed by the Jets to fill other holes, were all gone.
And that's how I think the Jets have arrived upon today.
The defense has been solid enough. But they were asked to do way too much for four seasons. Their window is now just about closed. Offensively, the Jets have problems at QB, offensive line, receiver, and with the running game. If you include Dustin Keller's contract status, the Jets have problems at tight end too. Great.
The next General Manager of the Jets better eat his Wheaties and brew a lot of coffee. He has lots of work to do.
Mike.BTB
Friday, January 04, 2013
Brooklyn Nets: Coach Avery Rings In New Year With Pink Slip
From the desk of: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH
BROOKLYN NETS: A New Year Ushers A New Effort To Make Borough's First Season A Successful One.
I'm not going to say Coach Avery got a raw deal because he sort of earned his termination. But not entirely. He is tough, and a task-master. I like those qualities in a coach to a certain extent. But Coach Avery was too stubborn. That was his downfall - not a quick start and a cooling off period on way to a .500 record. And yes, not catering to his star partly got him fired in Dallas as well. Coach's style took Deron Williams far away from his game. But it was more than that. If you're a rookie like Shengelia, Tyshawn Taylor, or Teletovic, you weren't getting on the floor much. Some coaches just don't like rookies. And then you can ask Kris Humphries how hard it is to get out of Coach's doghouse. But in Avery Johnson's defense, an abbreviated pre-season, and only thirty games to get his new team to gel was a bad break. Continued fourth quarter and overall second half collapses however screamed for attention. And apparently, even GM Billy King couldn't save Coach from the team's basketball knowledgeable owner.
I walked out of Barclays Center on Christmas Day after that debacle against Boston saying to my son, this game just might get Avery Johnson fired. I felt a simmer had been brought to a boil that afternoon, and there would be consequences. However, I was thinking along the lines of what Coach Avery was going to do to the team. Instead, the situation turned into a case of what Mikhail Prokhorov did to Coach Avery.
I'm old school. So I can appreciate a good old fashioned post-up game and isolation offense. But in the Nets case, something had to give. And Avery Johnson wouldn't bend. I never checked the official stats, but in that game I do not believe the Nets scored a single fast break point, nor one transition basket. They additionally had an atrocious day at the line. But that sort of thing (cold shooting) happens. Problem was, nothing was happening Boston didn't see coming. The Celtics see that brand of basketball everyday in practice. It's what they're all about. So why wouldn't they be ready to defeat it?
It is too bad Coach Avery got fired. He was tasked with unceremoniously ending the New Jersey era and couldn't last the first season in Brooklyn. Being just a bit too stubborn was enough. I'm sorry to see him go. That said, I would like for the Nets to rectify their coaching situation quickly. Until then, while he does not have a strong supporter in me, I'm sure P.J. will do fine.
Mike.BTB
BROOKLYN NETS: A New Year Ushers A New Effort To Make Borough's First Season A Successful One.
I'm not going to say Coach Avery got a raw deal because he sort of earned his termination. But not entirely. He is tough, and a task-master. I like those qualities in a coach to a certain extent. But Coach Avery was too stubborn. That was his downfall - not a quick start and a cooling off period on way to a .500 record. And yes, not catering to his star partly got him fired in Dallas as well. Coach's style took Deron Williams far away from his game. But it was more than that. If you're a rookie like Shengelia, Tyshawn Taylor, or Teletovic, you weren't getting on the floor much. Some coaches just don't like rookies. And then you can ask Kris Humphries how hard it is to get out of Coach's doghouse. But in Avery Johnson's defense, an abbreviated pre-season, and only thirty games to get his new team to gel was a bad break. Continued fourth quarter and overall second half collapses however screamed for attention. And apparently, even GM Billy King couldn't save Coach from the team's basketball knowledgeable owner.
I walked out of Barclays Center on Christmas Day after that debacle against Boston saying to my son, this game just might get Avery Johnson fired. I felt a simmer had been brought to a boil that afternoon, and there would be consequences. However, I was thinking along the lines of what Coach Avery was going to do to the team. Instead, the situation turned into a case of what Mikhail Prokhorov did to Coach Avery.
I'm old school. So I can appreciate a good old fashioned post-up game and isolation offense. But in the Nets case, something had to give. And Avery Johnson wouldn't bend. I never checked the official stats, but in that game I do not believe the Nets scored a single fast break point, nor one transition basket. They additionally had an atrocious day at the line. But that sort of thing (cold shooting) happens. Problem was, nothing was happening Boston didn't see coming. The Celtics see that brand of basketball everyday in practice. It's what they're all about. So why wouldn't they be ready to defeat it?
It is too bad Coach Avery got fired. He was tasked with unceremoniously ending the New Jersey era and couldn't last the first season in Brooklyn. Being just a bit too stubborn was enough. I'm sorry to see him go. That said, I would like for the Nets to rectify their coaching situation quickly. Until then, while he does not have a strong supporter in me, I'm sure P.J. will do fine.
Mike.BTB
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Getting Back On Track
From the desk of: The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger
This Bad Boy Is Rollin' Again
Photo: Red Hook trolley in maintenance bay at Pier 41
This trolley is about to roll again folks. There is still a ton of post-Sandy work to be done. But my schedule has broken up sufficiently enough so as to devote quality time to the Brooklyn Trolley Blog again.
At this point what can I say? I'm half informed on some matters, and fully aware of others. Then there are topics which slipped me by all together. I have been out of the loop for two solid months. So there is really nothing I can say now that hasn't been said already. But I will try my best.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to write about LIU Blackbirds basketball yet this season. I'd still like to chime in about Avery Johnson's firing and talk Nets. Before the season ending game against Philly, the last Giants game I watched was against Green Bay. The Jets should just be happy I didn't have much time to address their debacle. And lastly, there is so much hockey to discuss - NOT.
This was just to say, hello - I'm back.
Happy New Year!
Mike.BTB
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