PIGSKIN ~ Conference Championship Weekend

2011-2012

Season

National Football League

Playoffs

PIGSKIN

* CONFERENCE * CHAMPIONSHIP * WEEKEND *

REGULAR SEASON RECORD:   120-99-10

PLAYOFF RECORD:   6-2

WILD CARD WEEKEND:   3-1

DIVISIONAL ROUND WEEKEND:   3-1

Regular Season Results

Wild Card Results

Divisional Round Results

TOTAL BAGELS in the BASKET:   +10

(Friday's Line ~ NYDN)

American Football Conference Championship

Baltimore Ravens

@

New England Patriots

PICK:  Ravens +71/2 (PATRIOTS)

I'm primarily picking the Ravens to cover.  But I like them to win as well.  This is Joe Flacco's game to either win or loose all by himself.  Tom Brady is a great quarterback, but the Ravens have a great defense who's window of opportunity is closing.  So desperation is on their side.  Tom Brady is also a statue in the pocket.  That should also benefit the Ravens.  New England's problem is they have a pedestrian Defense.  Therefore all Joe Flacco has to do is just be good; not great - but just good enough.  The Ravens need to be patient enough to stick with the run.  Then New England will definitely dare Flacco beat them.  When they sell out trying to stop Baltimore's ground game, Joe Flacco should get very good opportunities against New England's Secondary.  But that's only if the Ravens can withstand the Patriots' early charge up the hill.  New England is all about scoring early and often to compensate for their defensive shortcomings.  It's been their plan all along while Coach  Belichick drafts the foundation of another defense this coming off-season.  The bottom line is I believe the Ravens Defense will put Joe Flacco in a position to with the game.  Whether he rises up and seizes the moment remains to be seen.

WIN- 23-20; Patriots

National Football Conference Championship

NEW YORK GIANTS

@

San Francisco 49ers

PICK:  Giants + 2 1/2 (49ERS)

Post:  Coach Fewell's New Dogs of Winter

Post:  LEFT With Questions About the Running Game

Post:  California, Here We Come

WIN - 20-17; O.T. - Giants




POST GAME:
Championship Weekend Record:   2-0
Playoff Record:   8-2
Overall Record:   128-101-10

Happy Championship Weekend Everyone!  And Good Luck!

Mike.BTB

N.J./BKN Nets ~ Team Lacks a Head of State

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Neighborhood view; Barclays Center from Bergen Street.

N.J./BROOKLYN NETS:

On This Snowy Morning, Brooklyn History Was Made.

The Nets' Owner is Far Away and Took the Team's Only SIZZLE With Him.

With the Knicks in distress, Mikhail Prokhorov should be present and leading his team

through the duration of the season.

On the court, the Nets already have more problems than a math book.  And now cracks seem to be appearing in their foundation.  Their principle owner; Mikhail Prokhorov; for the moment at least, has better things to do.  If his Russian political aspirations turn out favorably, he has announced he will indeed sell his team shares into a Blind Trust; which effectively takes him out of the picture, without having to relinquish ownership of the team.



While the Net owner's quest to be a benevolent modern day tsar is not new, his endeavours none-the-less detract from the organization's dwindling level of whatever cache they still have in light of their move to Brooklyn later this year.  And in my opinion, his absence has hindered..., or, has done little to sway the opinion of two players who seemingly want to play in Brooklyn.



Prokhorov's arrival on NYC's basketball landscape sent shock waves throughout James Dolan's monopolistic empire; more so than Bruce Ratner created with his initial announcement to move the Nets to Brooklyn.  There is no denying since Prokhorov took over the Nets, it's hard to talk NYC basketball without mentioning both teams now.  He came to town and added sizzle.  That's more than the Nets organization could ever lay claim to before.  Last season, the Nets and Knicks off-court battle for Carmelo Anthony brought good exciting anxiety to the city as well.



Today, not so much.  At present, the media scours through a thesaurus seeking synonyms for the word futility when ever the conversation turns to the area's state of basketball.  Additionally, much of the initial skirmishing between the competing capitalists has long since subsided.  The Billboard Wars are something from before the Lock-Out, and since threatened with direct competition due to the construction of Barclays Center, Dolan's haste to renovate Madison Square Garden is well underway.  These days, both teams quietly remain in their neutral corners and left to deal with their own  respective problems.



It's increasingly becoming more critical to the Nets' immediate future that Mikhail Prokhorov again becomes an in-area presence in order for the Nets to gain a sure footing in Brooklyn.  The Nets need that media presence and the sizzle he added to the newly created inner-city rivalry.  James Dolan is on the hunt for microphones and TV time again as evidenced by his latest N.Y. Rangers press conference. But for the Nets, an on-site owner like Dolan is needed as well.  Merely being available for comment or to do a radio spot could go a long way towards keeping the Nets relevant in light of a poor season thus far.



Any proactive measure right now couldn't hurt.  The Nets situation with Deron Williams is tenuous at best.  On the one hand he's very open to staying and signing on with the Nets.  But not if the future looks bleak.  Deron Williams has displayed open dissatisfaction with the state of Nets right now.  Brook Lopez may not only be injured physically.  By now he must be injured emotionally as well with all the proposed trade talk.  All other plans remain stuck in the mud until the Dwight Howard situation comes to a head, or Deron Williams leaves first.  The clock is ticking.



To borrow an old Cold War phrase, for the Nets it's two minutes to midnight.  Mikhail Prokhorov's newest problem on the Howard front is not what trade package Orlando might accept; Orlando themselves; or anything of the kind.  The problem is now Patrick Ewing's attempts to convince Dwight Howard that New York and Brooklyn are staunch Knickerbocker loyalists, and that the Brooklyn Nets have no real chance of building nor enjoying a dedicated fan base of their own.



The Nets' owner is dropping the ball right now.  He needs to be on hand to at least reinvigorate  interest around town and bring back some of the sizzle he brought last year.  If he doesn't, Dolan surely will.  Jimmy Gigs may not know basketball OR hockey, but he knows show business and owns his own channel and cable network.  So who knows what he's liable to do.



Truth is, Reality has both teams in one hand and slapped them across the head with the other.  This is precisely why it's a prime time for Mikhail Prokhorov to be a visible head of State.  James Dolan's Knicks are reeling, and have been for years now in spite of their roster overhaul.  Someone with Mikhail Prokhorov's swagger can potentially one-up James Dolan when ever the need arises.  But he must also be an active member in creating an environment; and not just an arena; where marquee players will want to play in.



Owners do that.  Not General Managers.  Lest we forget the Knicks still don't have one.  Just watching James Dolan trip over himself is proof enough that Mikhail Prokhorov has had a tremendous impact in Dolan's life.  And right now, the Nets are in dire need of some new sizzle.  They need to give Deron Williams a reason to stay and Dwight Howard a reason to come here.  Patrick Ewing has been promoting himself as somewhat of a Brooklyn expert lately and telling Howard how WE can't be a viable fan base.  As a former player; one of the NBA's Top 50 All-Time Players; and being a former Knicks great; maybe that carries some weight in Howard's eyes.  That's why Mikhail Prokhorov must be at the lead and ensure the first steps this team takes into the Borough of Kings are taken with strong confident strides.  Those steps are taken by Owners.  Not General Managers.



Something happened over the night that has never happened before in the history of Brooklyn.  For the first time ever, snow fell and accumulated on the roof of an arena where the Borough's new professional basketball team will play starting later this year.  Unless Mikhail Prokhorov puts his rubles where his mouth is, his prediction of a championship within five years has as much a shot as the Germans did in the snow drifts at Stalingrad.



Both teams are floundering right now.  Therefore there is nothing to rave about.  But Mikhail Prokhorov brought to the area what no Net player, nor anyone else in the organization has thus far.  He brought some sizzle.  For right now, he's the only one who can bring some sizzle back until something else gives.  And by that, I don't mean the roof of Barclays Center caving in under the weight of it's first ever snow fall.

All buttoned up for Winter.

Flatbush Avenue

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ The Battle for Conference Supremacy

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

ORIGINAL SIX

New York Rangers  vs.  Boston Bruins

ROUND ONE:

The Battle for Eastern Conference Supremacy

NEW YORK RANGERS:   The Stanley Cup Is Silver and Not Part of Our Vocabulary Right Now.  Silence on the Other Hand, Is Golden.  Coaches Should be Heard.   GM's Should Be Heard. For the Most Part, Owners Should Just Shut Up.




What ever possessed and compelled James Dolan to speak-out on the State of the Rangers needs to be exorcised from his entitled and inherited being at once.  In the short term, hopefully John Tortorella's stern rebuke of his current employer is enough to alienate Jimmy Gig and keep him away from the team till well after the season is over; - in which ever manner this season ends.  For certain, nothing good can come out of Jimmy Jam's want for sticking around locker rooms, much less talking to the press about something he knows absolutely nothing about.  For the only thing he ever knew was that he hired Glen Sather and his past accomplishments.




Way back in 1940, he and Glen Sather came up with this plan which just magically propelled the Rangers to sixty-two points and the Eastern Conference lead?  Really?  How about hatching a plan to lower my cable bill?  With all due respect to the guy who signs the checks, - Shut Up!  As a Ranger Fan, his anecdote about a stupid little gift he gave Sather was nothing less than an embarrassment.




The Big Dolt thinks we're closer to a Stanley Cup.  Ya think?  And all this time I thought he didn't care (as if).  But amazingly, he's right on at least two counts.  He's right in a sense about being closer to a Stanley Cup since the day his Pop purchased the team and gave it to him to play with.  And yes, the New York Rangers are closer to winning a Cup than we were on Day One of Sather's administration and for the entire DECADE that followed.  So yeah, I'd define that as being closer too.




Ponderous.




As for the General Manager, getting his share of credit comes with the territory; he's GM after all.  But I'm sure most feel like I do in that much of the new talent we've procured and developed these last few years would not likely be skating in Ranger uniforms today for having been traded were it not for what I perceive as John Tortorella's influence in the Front Office as well as behind the bench.  Although I have never been shy about crediting Glen Sather with hiring Gordie Clark after Don Maloney left for Phoenix.




I couldn't have been prouder of Coach Torts than I was at that moment he called his boss's comments "Bullshit".  Look - three cheers for seemingly good hockey and even better moments in the future.  But I'm with him.  We have a big January game against the Boston Bruins and that's where the team focus should be.  Here's my angle though.  Coach better be careful he doesn't wind up like Donnie Walsh.  Because like Donnie Walsh, Coach Torts stands in the way of Dolan's impetuousness and claims to glory for turning this team around.  That press conference was all about steeling some limelight.  Other than having no experience in the art of winning championships, why else would he act out in such a self-serving manner?




I like many Ranger fans would have fired Sather long ago.  But that's for another day.  Because over the years he's actually served a most under-spoken and crucial role for us fans of the Blueshirts.  Glen Sather has long shielded us from the Coney Island-like freak show that became and still qualifies as the New York Knicks.  What Glen Sather meant for the Rangers team itself, like I said is another matter.  But at least with Sather around, Ranger Fans were shielded and largely immune from random Acts of Dolanism.




Perfect example - Jimmy Gotta Gig pushed little kids out of the way and kicked old ladies to the curb, not to mention trampled all over Donnie Walsh's toes in his pursuit of Carmelo Anthony.  In taking the lead role in that transaction, he left the Knicks bereft of role players; a bench; and depth of talent; not to mention assembling an inharmonious product on the court.  The manner in which Dolan out-negotiated himself  was really no different than the recent press conference in which The Dolt shared an anecdote of a gift he gave Sather, and that only through winning a Stanley Cup can it be returned.  Both instances demonstrate the attributes of a giddy amateur.  And Coach Torts isn't afraid to point one out when he sees one either.  I just hope that doesn't get him in trouble with the Boss' son one day.  It's not like he's Isiah Thomas.




And now, back to our regularly scheduled season.  Without looking beyond Saturday, there were three games I badly wanted to win.  Not so much the Winter Classic, but I really wanted to win the December 23rd game against Philly which gave us our initial taste of first place.  The Blueshirts won that game in fine fashion.  The second game of major importance to me was our recent victory over Toronto just so we knew that at some level, we've dealt will all comers this season.  And now, game number three is upon us.  Saturday afternoon's game against the Bruins in Boston begins the season's second half struggle to maintain this level of play and protecting the Blueshirts' position in the standings.  This is the time of year when the schedule is just one game against adversity after another.  And with today's game, the season series against Boston is only just beginning.




We are also entering the time of season when the sceptre of the trade deadline looms and two things remain true; the Rangers need more scoring; and still need even more help on the power play as Brad Richards has yet to emerge as the answer.  I'm not entirely sure how far I'd like Sather to go in trying to secure someone (ex.- as if Bobby Ryan were still available).  I'm hesitant to move anyone right now.  But we all know you have to give quality to get quality.   And well, if they can't maintain this level, there's always the ol' battle for eighth place again.  Then of course there's Plan C - playing for self-respect and dignity.  And by the way, that last moment of humility was brought to you by the Fans Jimmy.  Try some.




For now, the New York Rangers have sixty-two points and lead the Eastern Conference.  The Boston Bruins, with one less game played are one point behind with sixty-one points.  Both teams are thus far the only Eastern Conf. teams to break the sixty point plateau.  The mighty Bruins are leading the NHL in goals scored with 160.  That number spiked earlier in the month after a 6-1 bashing of the Devils, and a 9-0 romp over Calgary.  Defensively, Boston is also the League's best.  The Northeast Division leaders have allowed a League low 89 goals against.  The Rangers rank second in the NHL with 94 goals allowed.  But the Rangers' 126 goals scored only rank fourth within their own division, much less ranking ninth in the Conference.




Boston and the Rangers are playing near identical Hockey at the moment.  Both teams are 6-3 in January.  And both teams enter Saturday's game caught within the eddy of a win-loss-win-loss trend.  In Boston's last game, the Devils failed to do what I hoped they would.  The Bruins abused Marty Brodeur and New Jersey again by a 4-1 score while the Rangers are coming off a mistake-riddled loss to Pittsburgh.  Based on the strength of two shut-outs the Rangers have allowed eight goals in the last four games to go along with eight goals for.  Boston has scored twelve goals over their last four games but have allowed eleven.




BOSTON ~ Last Four Games:
WIN  4-1; N.J.
LOSS  5-3; T.B.
WIN  3-2; FLA - S.O.
LOSS  4-2 CAR

RANGERS ~ Last Four Games:
LOSS  4-1; PITT
WIN  3-0; NASH
LOSS  4-1; MON
WIN  3-0; TOR




The schedule couldn't have set this game up any better.  This is what you call a great regular season match-up.  Today, like the December 23rd game against Philly are statement games.  This is the type of game good teams seize.  Also-rans merely participate.  Days like today make for equally great stories.  Today marks only the first chapter in the season series between these Original Six Eastern Conference foes in what will no doubt turn into a second-half battle to be king of the hill.  And if history has taught us anything, we've learned the one's who get to write the history books are the winners.




This game has been two years and half a season in the making.  And now, it's time to get it on.  We beat these guys before.  For two seasons running we've hung around with Boston.  Last season in particular, we learned these young Rangers can skate with the Bruins on any day.  Both teams have sputtered lately, so that puts us both on equal ground this afternoon.  As a word to the wise, skate with heads up through the neutral zone so as to not wind up getting crunched by Zdeno Chara...., and look out for Boston's latest tactic; the hip check.  Otherwise, let's drop the puck!

SATURDAY

NHL

EASTERN CONFERENCE

SHOWDOWN

#1 - NEW YORK RANGERS

29-12-4   62-Points;  1st Place - Atlantic Division

vs.

#2 - Boston Bruins

30-13-1   61-Points;   1st Place - Northeast Division

From,

Bean Town's North Side

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Win 8th Straight; Bring on Wagner!

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:   Defeat Mount St. Mary's for Eighth Consecutive Victory.  Remain Undefeated at Home and All Alone in First Place of Northeat Conference.

Coach Jim Ferry and Julian Boyd

On the same night Coach Jim Ferry presented junior forward Julian Boyd with a souvenir ball in commemoration of his 1000th point scored, fellow LIU junior forward Jamal Olasewere equalled his team mate's accomplishment with twenty points in Thursday night's 77-62 victory over Mount St. Mary's.  Thursday night's effort landed him spot on the 1000th point mark in his own collegiate career.  His twenty points were also tied for game high with The Mount's Danny Thompson.

Junior; Jamal Olasewere scored his 1000th point Thursday night.

Mount St. Mary's had better shooting percentages than LIU on all counts.  They also won the points battle in the paint and even had more points off the bench.  But that's all that can be said of their visit to the Ashland Place Gym.



LIU contended with an uncooperative rim on the offensive end early on.  But Jamal Olasewere was on hand to lead all players in rebounding as well as points.  He had five offensive boards and seven more on the defensive end for a game-high twelve rebounds.

Jamal Olasewere at the line.

The Hoops of Flatbush additionally played a cleaner game than did their opponent limiting The Mount to five of eight shooting from the free throw line, while Flatbush cleaned up burying thirteen of nineteen attempts.  Then from behind the three-point line, Brooklyn nailed ten treys versus five for Mount St. Mary's.  Jason Brickman in particular shot five for eight from beyond the arch.  Twenty-four LIU points off turnovers were also perhaps more than The Mount could over come this game.  And if not that, they just had no answer for Jamal Olasewere then; not this night; not his night.

The Blackbirds jumped out to an early lead against The Mount and never looked back.  Five minutes into the first half, Brooklyn was up by a 15-2 margin.  Jamal Olasewere and C. J. Garner both scored ten first half points to help stake the Blackbirds to a 39-24 halftime lead.  When play resumed the Blackbirds' lead grew by as much as twenty-two points mostly led by Jason Brickman's fourteen second half points and Jamal's ten.

For the LIU Blackbirds, this was their eight consecutive victory.  The defending NEC Champs are now 13-6 overall this season and remain in first place of the Northeast Conference with an unblemished 7-0 record.  They also remain undefeated on their home court inside the Wellness Center with a 7-0 record.



Up next - Bring on Wagner!  Flatbush has been a little less successful on the road this season as their 4-6 record away from Ashland Place attests.  None-the-less, the Boys from Brooklyn will be crossing the Verrazano Bridge and heading into Staten Island for this Saturday's Battle of the Boroughs.



Wagner and Central Connecticut State kept pace in the standings with wins of their own.  They are both locked in a tie for second place in the Conference with 6-1 records.  And don't look now, but in addition to LIU, Wagner is also riding the wave of an eight game winning streak.  They are also playing equally impressive at home sporting a 6-1 record on their court.  And I'll let you in on something else.  Wagner is even having a better overall season with a 15-3 record to prove it.  They also own a big win over (then ranked No.15) PITT this season back over the Christmas holiday.  Coach Danny Hurley took over a once terrible program and turned things around very quickly and into the formidible challenge they'll present Flatbush in Staten Island this weekend.



The defending NEC Champs have a real contender on their hands this weekend.  For Wagner, a piece of first place is at stake.  For Brooklyn?  Bragging rights are on the line.  Of course.

SATURDAY NIGHT HOOPS

Battle of the Boroughs

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS
vs.

Wagner Seahawks

FROM

Staten Island

N.Y.C.

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Now Trending; The Flushing Infirmiry

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Hey Doc; It Hurts When I Do This. Doctor Says - Let Me Take a Look.  Mets Say, Just Don't Do That Anymore.



Bu-dmp bmp!   Hey, Take my Mets...., Please!



I'd just like to add to what Adam Rubin of ESPN so wonderfully riffed about on Twitter recently as he admonished a certain team's medical staff and organizational decisions.  If you're not up to date on the story, check out this article on Deadspin.com and this article on AmazinAvenue.com




*Add John Maine's shoulder uncertainty and how Dan Warthen bullied him into pitching.

*Add confusion over Oliver Perez' knee upon his arrival from the Winter Leagues.

*Add anything and everything that was ever wrong with Luis Castillo, whom at times, the organization not so directly questioned his mettle.

*Add Carlos Beltran and Operation Gate where both parties were never on the same page of music regarding the status of Beltran's knee(s).

*Carlos Delgado's hip?

*What about all the second-guessing they did over Bobby Parnell's arm?

*They were even equally befuddled over what ailed Pedro Martinez.

*And with regards to Jose Reyes, this is the same team that tried teaching him a new way to run.

*  ...and there's more.  You know that.  Sigh.




And those are just the players off the top of my head in addition to all the cases stated by Adam Rubin.  I have long said I wouldn't trust the Mets' Medical Staff to put a band-aid on me. - Not with their record over the last five to seven years.  Most Met Fans I know have always found this dynamic utterly ponderous.  We always suspected being snake-bit was one thing.  But in the back of our minds, we suspected incompetence, or worse yet, some nefarious in-house standard operating procedure was at work.  And in a few cases, even malingering was suspected.  But of course, no one knows anything for sure.  Right?




The Mets and MLB face the same strains health care costs impose on everyone these days.  Sports companies are not immune to that; pardon the pun.  Don't take that as a veiled accusation of anything.  But what we know is that the Mets suffered an inordinate amount of injuries, and in a preponderance of cases during this era in question, is that most were misdiagnosed the first time around or as we're slowly finding out, ignored.




Not that I was a Cindy Lauper fan of any kind, but she did a song; Money Changes Everything.  And in the Mets' case, it has done just that; Changed Everything.  Take that for what it's worth.




And speaking of worth; how much is a car worth when you sell off the doors; bumpers; radio; and the spare tire?  The sale of Met mini-muffins shares is said by the Club to be almost completed.  But that money is already earmarked to pay bills and debt.  Will that balance the books?  We're going to find out in March.  But until then, the longer this whole Wilpon mess lingers, the more we learn.  And the more we learn about the inner-functions of the Mets, the more sick we've become.  But if we just stay away from the Met doctors, we should be fine.

Pitchers; Catchers; and the Walking Wounded:

33 Days and a Wake-Up

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Life in the Sixties is a Grind

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS






NEW YORK RANGERS:  Blueshirts Exhibit a Short Memory after Losses to Ottawa and Montreal.  Answer Back Each Time With Shut-Outs of Toronto and Nashville.

GAIN POINTS NUMBER SIXTY-ONE and SIXTY-TWO

I assure you.  This is not the typical win-loss-win-loss-loss-win-loss-win kind of year we're used to.  The other shoe will not be falling off these Rangers.  So take these last four games with a grain of salt.  Ottawa has been beating us in our house for years.  And the Montreal Canadiens have been beating us in their house for years as well.  So in that respect, no, some things have not changed.  We'll just have to wait till the next time we meet to even out the respective season series against them.



If there is anything this team has earned from us, is that we take the high road first before peeling back layers to find things to bicker over.  So I'll look at how they responded to the two losses instead.  Beating the Toronto Maple Leafs was very important to me after the way they manhandled us in two prior meetings.  The fact Marty Biron pitched a shut-out in that game just added to the sweet taste of victory; not to mention his effort propelled the Rangers to sixty-points before any other team in the NHL.



Then Henrik Lundqvist followed up the drubbing we took at the hands of Montreal by shutting-out the Nashville Predators for points sixty-one and sixty-two of the season.  And yes, they are the first to achieve these heights too.  It was also the Rangers' fifth and sixth shut-outs of the season and the fourth for Henrik Lundqvist.  It was also win number twenty on the season versus nine losses for our goalie.  Against Nashville, he faced twenty-seven shots and turned them all away.



Another Ranger All-Star; Dan Girardi; got the Rangers on the score board in the first period with his fourth goal of the season.  John Mitchell provided an insurance goal in the second.  And Captain Callahan put this game away when he was awarded a goal after getting interfered with on an empty net attempt.



This game was characterized by sheer hard work.  There was absolutely nothing flashy about it.  The effort was as lunch-pail as you get.  They played superb defense, dominated the neutral zone, and kept the majority of play in Nashville's end.  It was a BLUE-collar game to be proud of.



A game against Pittsburgh is next for the Blueshirts.  And then, the showdown against Boston will be upon us.






Mike,BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Undefeated and Alone in First Place

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:   Perched All Alone in First Place.



OVERALL RECORD:   12-6
CONFERENCE RECORD:   6-0; First Place
HOME RECORD:   6-0



Look who's Number One!  Well actually, they've been number one.  But this time, the LIU Blackbirds will be heading into Thursday's game against Mount St. Mary's undefeated and all alone in first place of the Northeast Conference.  Central Connecticut State lost last Saturday night's game to Wagner, and now both Central Connecticut and Wagner, along with St. Francis (NY), sit tied with 5-1 records in second place behind LIU-Brooklyn, who defeated Monmouth last Saturday afternoon.



The Blackbirds' next game will be the last of a three game set at the Downtown Brooklyn Wellness Center before they hit the road to take on Wagner in Staten Island, for not only a Battle of the Boroughs, but with a piece of first place at stake as well.



The Blackbirds will be putting their seven game winning streak on the line, as well as their undefeated in-conference record when they hit the Ashland Place Gym Thursday night.




Last Game:  Flatbush Wins 7th Straight; Stay Undefeated After Defeating Monmouth.


RELATED ARTICLE:  Julian Boyd; Third Straight Blackbird to Earn NEC Player of the Week Honors - from liuathletics.com





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Coach Fewell's New Dogs of Winter

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE - NFC Championship Game Edition

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

NEW YORK GIANTS
vs.

San Francisco 49ers

Post ~ LEFT With Questions About Run Game

Post ~ California, Here We Come!

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   A Still Growing BIG BLUE Wave of Destruction Spotted Off The California Coast.

Perry Fewell is in Position to Place an Indelible Stamp on

a Whole New BIG BLUE Demolition Crew.

N.Y.G. 29  -  N.Y.J. 14
N.Y.G. 31  -  DAL 14
N.Y.G. 24  -  ATL 2
N.Y.G. 37  -  G.B. 20



Going back to the Jets game, the New York Giants have outscored their opponents by a combined 121-50 score.  Obviously, the other way of saying that is the Giants have held their opponents to fifty points in their last four games.  That averages to 12.5 points allowed per opponent.  Say hello to the new "Crazed Dogs" of Winter.



The Giants have slowly and methodically regained their Defensive dominance and poise via health, cohesiveness, and adjustments made by the adaptable Defensive Coordinator; Perry Fewell.  In the previous four games prior to the Jets (WSH; DAL; G.B.; N.O.) the Giants gave up (144 points) an average of thirty-six points.  What started when the Saints marched over us with forty-nine points, dropped to thirty-eight points against the Packers.  That number dropped to thirty-four points against Dallas.  And the number dropped again to twenty-three against Washington.  The Jets game followed and here we are today.



On the Defensive Front, since returning to action Osi Umenyiora has no doubt had a tremendous impact on this Defense.  He had two of the Giants four sacks against Green Bay.  Justin Tuck, is finally healthy again but lately has only provided flashes of his former dominating self.  Perhaps that changes next week because he's close; really close.  And looking ahead to Sunday, Rex Smith doesn't present the bi-pedal problems Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers do; ...or did.  However what we view as a 90% Justin Tuck is still more than most of the League can handle.
 


Jason Pierre Paul has been getting banged up these last few games but the kid is holding up very well and remains highly effective against the run when he isn't getting sacks.  With all his team mates behind him again, JPP may be a force in trying to stop Frank Gore this coming Sunday.  And the emergence of Chris Canty continues.  He says he's OK and Sunday will not be an issue.  Good!  Because his game is coming on like a hurricane.  Most importantly heading into Sunday's game, this unit has all it's depth back.  Dave Tollefson and Linval Joseph are turning into big blocks of granite in the middle.  Even Rocky Bernard is getting a piece of the action.



Now let's eliminate any doubt about what they've been doing together.  The Giants' Defensive Line battered Marc Sanchez and basically made him give up.  But many naysayers said that was due to Brian Schottenheimer's play calling.  The Giants similarly battered Tony Romo into submission.  But the naysayers said Tony Romo wasn't able to do more with a swollen throwing hand.  So, the Giants then proceeded to batter Matt Ryan and effectively made him quit also.  And the Giant detractors said "Matty Ice" wasn't up to the challenge of the playoffs.  Then this last Sunday in Green Bay, the Giants held the offensive juggernaut; Aaron Rodgers of the Twenty-Fourth and a Half CENTURY! - to twenty points and under three-hundred yards passing.  Along the way they sacked Rodgers four times, induced an interception, forced him to fumble, and flushed him from the pocket all night long.  Because of that, the Giants turned him into Green Bay's leading rusher.  The naysayers still insist the Packers dropped too many passes.  But how do you explain ALL of them, to include Aaron Rodgers, having a bad day together?  There is no answer why Rodgers was so off his mark as well other than a recent lack of games played.  So what next?  Credit the Giants for sound pressure, coverage, and tackling.



Unlike the last game we played against the Packers, while Aaron Rodgers did in fact inflict damage with his legs again, he still wasn't about to take any chances this time around with a healthy Michael Boley patrolling the middle and leading the team in tackles along with another pair of resurgent Dogs..., Antrel Rolle, and Deon Grant.  The three led the team and accounted for twenty-three hard hitting tackles.  Michael Boley got the other two Giants sacks of Aaron Rodgers and recorded a sack against the Falcons too.  Additionally, in consecutive weeks, he made Dustin Keller; Jason Witten; Tony Gonzalez; and Jermichael Finely all disappear. And if you remember his dive over the pile to stop Tony Romo, then you know he's had three dominating performances now.  The Giant Linebackers once again led a group of Safeties and the Line in limiting Green Bay's backfield to seventy-six yards rushing before taking Rodgers' yardage into account.  Since Michael Boley came back from a hamstring injury in the first Packers game, the Giants have effectively shut-down all attempts to run against them.  And the fact that Michael Boley is getting sacks shows Coach Fewell is indeed being more aggressive with the pass rush now that he has most of his Blue henchmen back.



The Giants' Secondary has not given up the deep play that plagued them from Week One all the way through Week Fifteen.  Since then, not only have there been few down field completions against them, there have been even fewer pass attempts made against them.  Quarterbacks are pumping, double-pumping, and triple-pumping their way into trouble waiting for something to open up down field.  And to the credit of Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle; and Kenny Phillips, it just hasn't happened like opposing QB's were hoping.  In this latest Giant Lambeau Field conquest, it can be argued the pass rush rode the backs of the Secondary.  Marc Sanchez was just an all out mess.  But Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, and most recently Aaron Rodgers, all took very good and long looks down field, saw nothing, then ran for their lives.



It was recently revealed and reported in the tabloids that ever since the first Packers game, Antrel Rolle said he and the Secondary reinvested their efforts and routinely met for weekly pre-game prep pow-wows where ever they could on their own.  Their efforts are paying off at the best time possible.  Theoretically, the biggest threats to the Giants; Rodgers and Brees; are behind them or in Drew Brees' case, already gone.  Next up is Alex Smith; the guy who led a tremendous comeback against the mighty Saints, and who beat Drew Brees at his own game. -  And who incidentally beat us in a well played game by both teams back in Week Ten.



Not incidentally, Perry Fewell has long turned away from the Turtle Shell zone-coverage he devised when both Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck were injured and out of action at the same time.  The new system left the Secondary admittedly in a trance because there were too many options they needed to think through. -  Hence, the mass confusion we were witnessing on a near weekly basis; replete with blown assignments and receivers with nary a Giant within twenty yards of the play.  Today, man-coverage and good ol' cover-two is back and working to a tee.



Lastly, many didn't care to understand why the blitz disappeared from our game plan.  The health of Michael Boley, Osi Umenyiora; and Justin Tuck were at the heart of that matter.  All that is behind us now.  The Blitz stands poised to ride in like the cavalry just in time for the NFC Championship Game.
 


But that's because everything else is now working again as well.   As in Perry FeWELL.







Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ LEFT With Questions About Run Game

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

Kevin Gilbride and the Giants' Running Game:

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   It's Back to the Old Drawing Board With Big Blue's Running Game.  The Super Genius Was at it Again.  Coach Gilbride Led Them Away from Daylight and LEFT Them in the Dark.




The next time a hot looking mechanical female rabbit blows up in your backyard, a guy named Mud will soon appear introducing himself as the cause.  A wise ol' Wabbit once reminded us, "...remember kids, Mud spelled backwards, is DUM!"




The New York Football Giants' offensive coordinator is the Wile E. Coyote of the NFL.  They are both egomaniacs and both are super smart; too smart for their own good.  One is engaged in a fruitless and constant chase for some road-runner or rabbit.  While the other is in constant search of the perfect pass play at the expense of common sense.  At the same time, they're the genesis of some of the most insidious yet befuddling schemes ever hatched from the minds of an idiot.  One uses ACME products to help facilitate his cunning yet disastrously humorous failures, as the other nefariously calls running plays for the New York Giants that sometimes work as well as those wacky overly complicated ACME products do.




He shows up and says he's not trying to sell us anything nor is he working his way through college.  He's simply someone of superior intellect with a pressure cooker who wants to rip our hearts out, stew it along with the Giants' running game, add diced celery, onions, carrots, and eat it.  So the next time someone unfolds a portable door on your front porch, rings the bell, and starts off by saying,  "Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Wile E. Coyote Kevin Gilbride; Super Genius..." - Do me a favor and punch him in the face!  And don't worry.  He's used to it!




Yes; This is about Kevin Gilbride and the Running Game - Again.  If you're tired of hearing about it, I'm equally tired complaining about it.  But I need serious help grasping what Kevin Gilbride was trying to achieve Sunday night in Green Bay.  Because what he designed was either a work of genius with a hitch, or a serious failure of epic proportion on his part.  I've done a lot of kidding but you'll see I'm really trying to understand.




First - Eli, Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and the Defense were great Sunday.  As the passing game goes, Kevin Gilbride deserves his share of credit for their success.  And..., we won!  But once I'm done you'll see I'm not being nit-picky; nor am am I thrill-seeking negativity.  The following are just facts supported throughout DO IT FOR THE DUKE.  So with that out of the way, let's get on with this.




The Packers made little effort to run the ball.  Aaron Rodgers was their leading rusher with sixty-six yards on seven carries.  Yet, due to Aaron Rodgers' ground efforts, the Packers out-rushed the Giants.  The Packers also held a slight lead in time-of-possession.  Additionally, Green Bay ran-off more plays from scrimmage that the Giants; seventy-three versus sixty-one.




Now - the Giants rushed the ball twenty-seven times versus twenty-three for Green Bay.  Yet due to Aaron Rodgers mentioned above, the Packers out-rushed the Giants 147 yards versus 95 yards for Big Blue.  Twenty-seven rushing attempts by the Giants was only six less pass attempts by Eli.  As far as the number of rushing attempts and balance of plays, I'm content.  No issues there.  As a matter of fact, I commend Kevin Gilbride for sticking with the run all game long.  He rushed the ball twelve times in the first half, and eleven more times in the second half.  Even thought the Packers defended the run very well, and held the Giants to a 3.5 yards-per-rush average, Gilbride stayed with it.  There was a time he would have abandoned the run all-together.  So far I'm cool on all counts.




Here now is everything wrong with Kevin Gilbride's plan Sunday.  It has long been established, with new Center David Baas, there has been absolutely no running game up the middle to speak of.  The left side of the Offensive Line with Kevin Boothe and David Diehl only has slightly better results.  Although, they have run outside David Diehl at Right Tackle with more success that between the Guard.  Rushing didn't improve until Baas was forced to miss games and Boothe played Center, and Mitch Petrus played Guard.  With them in the game, the middle opened to the run.  Then the Giants reinserted Baas at Center again once he was cleared to play.  On the other side of the Offensive Line, the Giants have run with great effectiveness behind and between Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie all season long.  There has been even more Daylight outside Right Tackle Kareem McKenzie.




The Atlanta Falcons game was the epitome of this season long trend.  The following stats were reasons for me to begrudgingly give Coach Gilbride a pat on the back after a season long beef regarding everything being discussed here-in.  The main issues I've had have been with Gilbride's play selection.  All season he's insisted on running up the middle and left where there were rarely holes to be found while knowing full well the Daylight was shining on the other side.  Then against the Jets and Cowboys, Gilbride opened up the gates and let the boys run right.

In playoff game one versus Atlanta....

* The Giants rushed LEFT nine times for thirty-one yards. 3.4 average gain.

* The Giants rushed UP THE MIDDLE eight times for thirty-one yards. 3.4 average gain.

* The Giants rushed RIGHT thirteen times for one hundred-one yards. 7.8 average gain.

Of the Giants' running plays that went for fives yards or more versus ATL, here is your break down:

* LEFT - Three Plays ~ eight yards; eight yards; fourteen yards.

* MIDDLE - Two Plays ~ ten yards; fifteen yards.

* RIGHT - Four Plays ~ thirty four yards; thirty yards; seven yards; nine yards. And they didn't need any help from Center.

To reiterate, the Giants have done their best running off Right Guard and Right Tackle all season long.  Kareem McKenzie in particular is having a tremendous season.  So this is what Kevin Gilbride chose to do this last Sunday:

*LEFT - Thirteen Plays ~ for net fifty-four yards.  Three plays combined for -9 yards.  In the first half, Ahmad Bradshaw started left, then changed course and went *right for +23 yards; setting up Eli's Hail Mary pass.  Ahmad Bradshaw broke another +24 yard gain running off Left Tackle.  And on the last N.Y. touchdown of the game, Brandon Jacobs once again started a play running left, then turned back *right for a fourteen yard touchdown run.

*MIDDLE - Six Plays ~ for fifteen yards, and one No Gain.  Two plays went for five yards; tops.

*RIGHT - THREE PLAYS!  One play negated by a Holding penalty.  Two plays for negative yardage.  Only one gain for +4 yards.

For fifty seven minutes of this game, I wanted to reach into the TV and strangle Gilbride.  Ahmad Bradshaw's +24 yard run just before the second half was successful by his own doing.  The play was designed left and Bradshaw busted it back.  That was not counter-motion.  Bradshaw reversed field.




Then in the third period it started to dawn on me.  I saw this before.  Mike Ditka used to do this all the time with the Bears.  He'd pound the ball incessantly.  Then when he lulled you in, he went over the top to Willie Gault.  I started thinking, maybe Gilbride was waiting till the end of the game to spring someone off the right side to seal the deal.  And for as long as the Giants were leading, I was a) - willing to let his plan play out and see, and b) - willing to give Kevin Gilbride the benefit of the doubt that he wouldn't have continued that course of action if the Giants were trailing.  If that were the case, I feel he would have changed sides.




Brandon Jacobs did just that; he popped one off the right side to put the nail in Green Bay's coffin.  And I'm willing to give Kevin Gilbride the benefit of the doubt again, and say that last touchdown play was designed to be a counter-motion play.  I know Gilbride knew our strength was running right and maybe he was trying to set Green Bay up by getting them to over pursue.  I'm willing to go with that.  But Gilbride really makes you scratch your head.




If I do not give him the benefit of the doubt in thinking that was his plan all along, the only conclusion I can come up with as a result of his game plan is that he's a complete idiot when it comes to the running game; of which I have no problem saying.  But if he was indeed trying to bait the Packers all game for something in the fourth quarter; and for as long as he was doing this with a lead; and I'll even say maybe he was looking towards next Sunday and trying to get the Left Side up to snuff, then I'll be glad to call his plan for what it was - ballsy.  After all, you have to have a lot of footballs to try some of the stunts Wile E. Coyote attempts in trying to capture a little bite to eat.




"Oh well, some people just have to learn the hard way."  -  quote, Wile E. Coyote.




But having said all that, you decide now. I said my piece.







Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ California Here We Come

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE

DIVISIONAL ROUND:

NEW YORK GIANTS   39

Green Bay Packers       20

FINAL

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:  "We're Baaack!"


Down goes Title Town!   Down goes Title Town! 




They did it.  Eli Manning and Perry Fewell's Defense beat the mighty Aaron Rodgers of the Twenty-Fourth and a Half CENTURY..!  They beat the rich history of famous Lambeau Field.  They beat the legend of the Green Bay Packers.  They knocked off the defending Super Bowl Champions.  They defied all the doubters and naysayers.  The Giants even overcame referees that seemingly were  conspiring against them as if forced by some diabolical plot hatched by the Networks.  But no matter.  The Giants beat all that; and the odds too.

"We're going back to San Francisco fellas."  -  Lawrence Taylor, January 1991 

"We're Baaack!"  -  Carl Banks, January 1991

 

That's right.  The New York Football Giants are back.  And now they're headed to San Francisco to try and rip their hearts out too; just like they did to all the cheese-heads in not-so-frigid Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sunday night.  Yes Momma, you heard correctly.  You can shed that winter coat.  We're going to sunny California.




And now, I guess all the comparisons will shift from the 2007 team towards the 1990/91 Super Bowl run and the classic NFC Championship Game the Giants played against the 49ers twenty-one years ago.  But before we pack our bags and go there, there is so much to revel about and celebrate right here in Giants Town.

With ice still in his veins since January 21, 2008, Eli looked Mission Impossible in the eye again, and Green Bay blinked on cue.  The Giants went up 3-0 on the first drive of the game and never trailed the Packers and their vaunted offense the rest of the night.  Eli Manning deserves a much better descriptive account regarding his night than I can humbly attempt tonight.  But what I can say with certainty though, is that on January 15, 2012, Eli Manning was far better than Aaron RODGERS of the Twenty-Fourth and a Half CENTURY....!  So how many more ELITE quarterbacks does a guy have to beat in order to get some respect around here anyway?




They say luck is the residue of skill and design.  In the Giants' case, a HAIL MARY! - didn't hurt either.  Eli Manning attempted thirty-three passes and completed twenty-one for 330 yards.  He connected with Hakeem Nicks for two touchdowns, and once with Mario Manningham for another.  But there was so much more than just that play.  Eli carried the day, put us ahead, and kept us there, while Coach Gilbride relentlessly baited Green Bay by running the ball to the Left Side all game long.  Then in the final minutes, Coach Gilbribe finally counter-motioned the run towards the Right Side (where they've run the ball most effectively all season long) with Brandon Jacobs who scampered down field for the game's final touchdown.  Jacobs' run sent Lambeau Leaping for the exits and his Giant team mates packing for a trip to play the Niners - Just like the old (older) days.




But it was Victor Cruz and Eli Manning who really made all the throws and catches Aaron Rodgers and his arsenal of weapons could not complete or replicate.  Where the Packers receivers continually dropped their passes, time and again Victor Cruz was making big catches for critical third down conversions.  He did his damage Sunday in the middle of the field, where for Green Bay, there were only incompletions.  Scoring plays are no doubt great.  But the plays that get you in position to score are no less important.  And in this game, Victor Cruz exploited an area of the field where good Safeties dispense pain.  But there was no such threat coming from the Packer Secondary in this game.  Victor Cruz also smartly recovered a 4th quarter on-side kick attempt by the Niners.




Defensively, Perry Fewell employed the same scheme that defeated the Jets; the Cowboys; and the Falcons.  For the fourth consecutive game, the Defense took away the deep pass and forced their fourth consecutive quarterback to accept the underneath play instead.  So far, the plan has worked out brilliantly for the Giants for as long as they continue to make sure tackles.  That said, enter Michael Boley, who played his third consecutive great game; games like Linebackers of the past used to have around here.  It was the Giants' Linebacker who led Sunday's pass rush with two of the Giants four sacks.  And collectively, they harassed Aaron Rodgers many more times through-out the game.  The down field coverage stayed tight for lengthy periods which in Sunday's case, helped the pass rush along.  So give the Secondary a huge assist there.




The Safeties also deserve a bit of mention as well.  Along with tight coverage that left Rodgers scrambling about, Deon Grant; who intercepted Rodgers by the way; and Antrel Rolle, both had brilliant games making sure tackles, combining on fourteen solo tackles between them.  Michael Boley led the team in tackles with nine.




Also credit the Defense for creating four turnovers (three fumbles) Sunday and for forcing Aaron Rodgers to become Green Bay's leading rusher of the game.  Watching him run all over the place for key first downs time and again was enough to make me scream.  But the Giants Defense was more resilient and more relentless than Aaron Rodgers was great this game.  For on this day, the Giants reduced him to just being good.  He was held to 264 yards on 26/46 passing; two touchdowns; one interception; and one lost fumble off an Osi Umenyiora strip.




The fact the Packers attempted an on-sides kick in the second quarter I believe is a testament to Green Bay's fear of playing the Giants from behind, and risk having their pass rush tee-off on Rodgers.  Why else take such a huge gamble so early in a playoff game?  Because they remember the trouble the Giants put them through last game, and knew this time, the Giants were bringing something extra to the dance.  Like I said in my pre-game post - We can score, and Green Bay can score.  But I said our Defense was more physical and better than Green Bay's.




If many had their way, Tom Couhlin would have long been in a park somewhere feeding pigeons and playing chess.  Luckily for all of us, Coach Coughlin and his staff will start going through the San Francisco game films and initiating preparations for the next game.  Why?  Because unlike twenty-eight other teams in the NFL, we still have more Football to play.




And one last word to Tom Coughlin detractors.  Frozen Tundras and getting taken out at the legs have done little to hinder his ability to Coach this team.  He coaches hurt.  There's no question about his toughness.  Coughlin also has the undivided attention of each and every player in his locker room.  As the final seconds ticked down, Brandon Jacobs could be seen going over to his Coach and congratulating him.  See?  Brandon Jacobs loves his Coach.  He loves being a Giant.  He loves his team mates.  He just hates the Media and in return, they've created trouble for him.  Back to the point, the Giant players will play for and respond to Tom Coughlin.




For those of you who sought change when things weren't going so well, consider this.  After Bill Parcells left, Ray Handley was the in-house promotion and a miserable failure.  Then Dan Reeves came in as the successful more experienced approach.  The Giants then turned to the off-campus approach and brought in Jim Fassel.  By the time he left here, the locker room was like a diva version of Delta House.




It is no coincidence the Giants organization has enjoyed the most success under the regimes and styles of Tom Coughlin and Bill Parcells.  We've already tried alternatives.  And around here, this system seems to work very well for us, Thank you.




This will be a fun week of posts.   See You in Cali.







 Mike.BTB

N.Y. Giants ~ Has History Taught You Nothing?

From the desk of:   DO IT FOR THE DUKE * Playoff Edition

2011

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Divisional Round Weekend

NEW YORK GIANTS

vs.

Green Bay Packers

From,

Lambeau Field in

THE FROZEN TUNDRA

of Green Bay, Wisconsin

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL:   No One Ever Gives This Team a Shot.  And That's Just The Way We Like It!

BRING ON THE PACKERS!

Let the Pain Begin

There was no way the Giants were supposed to do what they did to Joe Montana on their way to doing what they did to John Elway.  Deep down, no one other than Giant Fans thought they'd pull that off.  In 1990, no one thought the Giants would be able to do the same thing to Joe Montana that we did to him in 1986, again.  Then people gave the Giants even less of a chance to do anything to stop Jim Kelly.  There was no way the Giants were going to stop him and Buffalo's mighty offense.  And remember how there was no way in hell the Giants would go into Green Bay and beat the NFC's top seeded team and Brett Favbrvrevbrb in sub-zero weather?  And remember how everyone predicted DOOM for the Giants when they went up against Tom Brady?



If history has taught us anything, it's that any quarterback can be beat.  Just ask Drew Brees, and all those quarterbacks I mentioned above.  A guy named Rex Smith beat the mighty Drew Brees at his own game Saturday because the Saints' defense wasn't as good as San Francisco's.



For the Giants, a guy like Phil Simms; who was almost laughed out of the building when drafted out of Moorehead State; beat Montana and Elway multiple times.  His back-up; Jeff Hostetler; stepped in to beat the mighty, and defending Super Bowl Champion Joe Montana...again!  But not before a guy named Leonard Marshall erased Montana from competition with one hit; just like Jim Burt did five years prior.  Then Jeff Hostetler out-did Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, in Super Bowl XXV.



Eli Manning?  He didn't have four full years in the league yet before he stepped on a frozen field and defeated Brett Favre in such frigid weather no one would willingly expose themselves to.  And even then, there's probably millions of people on Earth who would have come up with an excuse not to be out in that cold because they're weak minded.  Yet Eli Manning kept finding Plaxico Buress and Amani Toomer using his bare right hand.  Eli and the Giants were even less likely to topple the undefeated New England Patriots, and their ELITE quarterback; Tom Brady.  But little Eli and the Giants did it anyway.



Who cares where Eli Manning ranks on the Elite Quarterbacks list!  That's not a question.  That's a statement.  The Media banter regarding Eli's elite status is becoming one of the most tired topics of the day.  He's the New York Giants' quarterback; he's good enough for us; and he's good enough to beat Aaron Rodgers.  We Giants Fans could care less who's ahead of him on the subjectively great list of QB's.   He's our guy and that's who we want handling the pigskin; Period!  So please, keep that conversation in your cubicles.  Lists are for the have-nots and slow news days.  Debate with yourselves; go ahead and keep telling each other how great each other is.  In the mean time, we have our guy and that's it.   I can't reiterate enough - Who Cares!



The Media always loves to wax nostalgic whenever the Giants do anything well, or unexpectedly.  But prior to the fact, they kill them any chance they get.  So, this is old hat for us fans, isn't it?  And so, here we are again.  No one is giving this team a shot.  They'll say we have a good chance today just to cover their behinds.  But relatively no one is decidedly picking the Giants.



Me?  I could care less what the Packers can and can not do.  They interest me not.  If you're my age, we get that from Bill Parcells.  He told other teams he was going to run the ball.  He just dared you to stop him.  And so, all I care about is what the Football Giants can and can not do; and what we do well, and what we do not.  Because if the Giants show up today and play Giants Football, we fans have nothing to worry about.  But then again, thinking like that is not in our nature now is it? 



Speaking for myself, I root scared unlike our green-counterparts of the city.  And I think most Giants fans do too.  We are a confident and smart Blue Bunch.  But sometimes the Media can wear on anyone.  I think we relish the moment people start putting the underdog tag on our collars.  But when the "Crazed Dogs" get let off the leash and prove people wrong, the sharp-tongued doubters scatter, and the naysayers silently slither away hoping to get away un-noticed.



Welcome back to Green Bay folks and here we are again.  This time is like any other time for the New York Football Giants.  We are tasked with yet another Mission Impossible.  Aaron Rodgers has been deified by the Media and has a statue of his likeness located on ESPN/Bristol University Campus which was carved from a single block of cheese in his honor.  How dare the Giants even entertain the prospects of winning this game?  Shame on them and anyone else who thinks the Giants can win.  Just leave your Man-Card at the door and leave before they have you arrested for trespassing.



....Because an Aw-Shucks kid from the South ain't gonna beat no quarterback who does THE BELT move every time he throws a touchdown pass. - Especially when that's what the corporate suits at the networks want also.  Yeah..., because Aaron Rodgers just oozes testosterone like sweat pouring down the brows of those Dancers With The Stars, which is what American Pop TV hounds and leaches suck on these days.  So get in step they say!  Because the Giants' Secondary can't Do The Hustle with; nor can the Giants' pass rush Tango with Lord Rodgers of the twenty-fifth and a half.... Century!!!!



Problem is, the dance is over.  Let the game begin.  This team is exactly where Jerry Reese said it would be.  In the second round of the playoffs it doesn't matter how the Giants got here.  The fact is, the Giants' General Manager and I expected them to be in this position.  And now that they are here, I assure you they aren't just happy to be here and they certainly didn't travel all the way to Green Bay to congratulate their friends after the game on a job well done either.



I don't care how many weapons Aaron Rodgers has because we have weapons too.  I don't care how good Aaron Rodgers is, because our quarterback is good too.  I don't care how cold it is in Green Bay, because when I left my house this morning, it was pretty damn cold here as well.  And I don't give a damn about the history and nostalgia of playing in Lambeau Field because we are the New York Football Giants - Established in 1925.



January Football, to me, is still all about physicality.  And from the Packers' defense, I'm just not feeling it.  They can't bring the pain like a healthy Giants squad can and will.   And with all Perry Fewell's DOGS in place, I know this Giants Defense can bring three hours of violence upon anyone; especially the Packers' Offensive Line.  I pity the fools!  Aaron Rodgers will still need that BELT of his for when they strap him onto a stretcher.




Yes, I'm predicting a Giants victory tonight.  Has history taught you nothing?  So look out!  Bad Guys coming through.





LEAD-IN POSTS:

Gilbride; Art of Deception or a Babbling Fool?
Coach Perry Fewell's Time Is Now
Big (Offensive) Line of Contention
Reintroduce Yourselves to Giants Football; Win Over Falcons
Playoffs Return to the House of Blue
Rushing to the CENTER of the Problem
Defensive Synchronicity
G-Men and the Department of Defense
Don't Worry Pop.  I Got This. - Dallas Game






Mike.BTB