Brian Cashman: Master of his Domain

Lately this blog has become the mouthpiece of “In Cashman We Trust.” And when Ben and I got a chance to meet Brian Cashman in person last week, I think that increased my feeling that Cashman is truly the man for the job. We lamented that things would never be the same after Cashman left for greener pastures and worried that time would come after this season was over. But the more I’ve thought about the situation this past week, I realized that not only is Cashman not going anyplace, but this off-season has provided the greatest example of how much of a master he truly is in his own domain of negotiation and people management.

My grainy pic of Cashman doing his best as barkeep at Foley's last week

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” you’re probably saying. “What about all that Jeter garbage and his public blowups and his talk of leaving after this season and not getting Cliff Lee and walking off the company line and, come on, CARL PAVANO!?”

I think that it has all been part of Cashman’s master plan. I don’t think he wanted to see Cliff Lee spurn the Yankees for the City of Brotherly Love, but I think it allows Cashman to actually build the team in his image; home-grown talent supplemented by smartly acquired free agents and reclamation trade targets. Think about the current team: it’s an equal amount high-priced free agents (CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira), buy-low trade targets (Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson), and young home-grown players built from smart international and domestic drafting (Robinson Cano and Phil Hughes).

I don’t think Cashman would have minded trading prize prospects for Lee, but after seeing him escape in July and again this winter, Cashman has the luxury of watching some of those prospects like Jesus Montero and The Killer B’s (I hate giving them a nickname and dooming them to that fate, but it works so well) develop in the system. Would Cashman’s life be easier if Andy Pettitte would come back and he would have only one rotations spot to worry about between the likes of Ivan Nova or Manny Banuelos or Sergio Mitre or *gulp* Bartolo Colon? Would he like A.J. Burnett to "pull a Gil Meche" if he doesn't produce this next year? Of course. But with a farm system greatly improved and stacked with some top prospects, Cashman has the assets to either find the candidate within or go out in July and acquire that arm.

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Optimist Prime: A Look at the Jets Free Agents

Despite his Jets failing him once again in the AFC Championship Game, Russell is back with another Optimist Prime post on his team. Even though there's a Super Bowl still to be played, Russell is looking ahead to the off-season and free agency. Here is how he sees the Jets off-season shaping out:

Tough decisions coming for Mike Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson (Star-Ledger)

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It has been a tough week for Optimist Prime. He took the jets loss in the AFC championship game hard, not leaving his room and feasting on gallons of Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream. While he’s put on some pounds Optimist is, well, optimistic about the Jets chances next year, but it will be a tough offseason for sure. The Jets have 18 total free agents, and will need many of them back if they want to make another run at the Lombardi trophy. Here’s a list of the free agents…

UNRESTRICTED	RESTRICTED  (If There is A Salary Cap This Season)
Shaun Ellis	David Harris
Steve Weatherford	Nick Folk
Brodney Pool	James Ihedigbo
Tony Richardson	Robert Turner
Braylon Edwards
Santonio Holmes
Wayne Hunter
Trevor Pryce
Antonio Cromartie
Lance Laury
Eric Smith
Brad Smith
Drew Coleman
Kellen Clemens

Now there are a couple of variables in determining how many of these players the Jets will be able to keep. The new collective bargaining agreement will put a salary cap in place and owners have already said that it will be lower than the one that was in place prior to this year (in 2007 it was around $127 million). This will make it tougher for the Jets to re-sign all of their important pieces especially if Holmes, Edwards, Harris and Cromartie all ask for big money.

Also under old CBA rules a team that makes it to a championship game must release a player in order to sign a free agent. The final four teams will not be permitted to negotiate or sign any unrestricted free agent to a player contract unless he is cut from his team or originally belonged to the team that is trying to sign (or re-sign) him.

With this in mind here is a rundown of who the Jets must keep, and who they can let go…

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Optimist Prime: Jets face Tough Questions This Offseason

Wide Right!! Happy Belated 20th Anniversary, Giants Fans

Amidst all the hoopla surrounding next weekend's Super Bowl, I think it's a great time to reflect on our own Super Bowl history here in New York.

Yesterday was the 20th Anniversary of Super Bowl XXV, in which the New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills by a score of 20-19.  I distinctly remember watching this game because it's my very first memory of seeing pro football.  My dad and I ordered a pizza and watched the game, start to finish, just the two of us.  No girls allowed!

But getting back to the game itself, this remains the only Super Bowl ever decided by one point.  Scott Norwood blew it wide-right and thus began a string a four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills.  Norwood's big miss also inspired the plot of Ace Ventura, in the form of a soccer-style kicker named Ray Finkle.  Hopefully Frank Reich remembered to keep the laces out...

Anyway, since the Giants missed the playoffs and because Jets fans are surely still reeling from their second consecutive loss in the AFC Championship Game (but who's counting?), here's a chance to relive the sweet, sweet feeling of Super Bowl victory:

Big East: College Basketball's Version of SEC Football

The Big East might not be much of a football conference, but its 16 basketball schools dominate the hardwood. Just like the SEC dominates the BCS.

Fact: Joe Lunardi's most recent Bracketology predictions have 11 Big East teams in the tournament, with Pitt as a No. 1 seed and both UConn and Villanova as No. 2 seeds.

Fact: 7 Big East teams are currently ranked in the Top 25.  Another 2 are receiving votes after just dropping out.  That's over half the conference.

Fact: The Big East's 7 ranked teams have a combined 82-6 non-conference record.

Fact: The Big East is the toughest conference in the country.  Just ask  Providence College basketball fans (they do exist -- Facebook claims there are 3,742 of them).  Their Friars just took down Villanova by 15 at home.  Even better, Seton Hall beat Syracuse by 22 points in the Carrier Dome in what was the Orange's third-biggest home loss in the Jim Boeheim Era.  Possibly most impressive was Notre Dame overcoming a 5-point halftime deficit to beat Pitt in Pittsburgh, where the Panthers had won 51 of their past 52 games.

Fact: UConn's Kemba Walker is still atop the National Player of the Year poll.

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Brian Cashman Has No Ego

Earlier today, I was fortunate enough to be featured in The LoHud Yankee Blog's Pinch Hitter Series.  I used this opportunity to write a piece defending Brian Cashman's ability to evaluate minor league talent and his skills at determining which prospects are worthy of playing for the Yankees and which prospects are not.  In my evaluation, I came to the determination that Brian Cashman has successfully made such evaluations and has, in most cases, kept the prospects worth keeping and dealt the prospects worth dealing.  The Blog's Chad Jennings agrees with me.

Coincidentally, Andrew and I had the opportunity to meet Brian Cashman at Foley's Bar in New York last night, where he was serving as celebrity bartender.  Cashman had no shame and fully embraced the roll.  Donning the wig he wore during an event from this past December, Cashman was dishing out drinks with the flare of a regular barkeep.  He couldn't have been any nicer and played the crowd well.  When someone asked for a Sam Adams Boston Lager, he proceeded to fill the glass up with mostly foam.  When posing for a picture with a bartender wearing a Mets hat, he gave her bunny ears (On a more relevant note, he also acknowledging that the team still needs more starting pitching and he jokingly acknowledged at multiple points that he may not be long for his job). 

He also was kind enough to let Andrew pick his mind.  When asked about how to get a job with the Yankees, he reminded us of how he started as an intern and couldn't possibly have imagined getting to the position that he is in today.  Basically, it was a reminder that any of us are really capable of doing anything.

But the best moment of the evening came early on.  Andrew and I got to the event early enough where we were able to talk to Cashman while he was pouring us our drinks.  I mentioned my blog entry to him.  He jokingly thanked me, acknowledging that right now, he could use whatever support he could get.  After then mentioning the title of my piece, I was shocked to hear him tell me that he had read it and enjoyed it.  While I was skeptical at first, he mentioned a few of the players that I spoke of in the piece, which confirmed that he had indeed read it.  Needless to say, I was thrilled.

If I learned anything from today, it was that there is no one better equipped for the the job of New York Yankees GM than Brian Cashman.  He has no ego to please and his priorities are clear: develop a farm system, reduce payroll, and, most importantly, win a championship.  If the ownership doesn't approve of his methodology in trying to achieve these goals, then it is their prerogative to make alternate decisions.  If the Yankees do not want him to lead their front office, then that is also their prerogative.  However, let us be clear - he will not be intimidated into making decisions that he does not agree with.  Being that he has no ego to feed, he does not have an emotional need to stay in the position that he is in.  The absence of such needs make him the best man for his current position.  His focus is clear and an unimpeded by personal reputation.

Hot Stove Coal: Former All-Star Acquisitions Aplenty in AL East

There have been a lot of former All-Stars acquired by the five teams in the American League East. Here's a look at all those All Stars with one player per team I was surprised wasn't in the Summer Classic (or at least the best player acquired not to make an All-Star Team).

Toronto Blue Jays: Chad Cordero
Surprise: Octavio Dotel

Tampa Bay Rays: Manny Ramriez and Johnny Damon
Surprise: Kyle Farnsworth

Baltimore Orioles: Derrek Lee and J.J. Hardy
Surprise: Mark Reynolds

Boston Red Sox: Bobby Jenks, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez
Surprise: Dan Wheeler

New York Yankees: Andruw Jones, Rafael Soriano, Russell Martin, and Mark Prior
Surprise: Pedro Feliciano

The Yankees have the most former All Stars acquired but the Red Sox have the players who have been All Stars most recently. It doesn't really say anything about the teams' offseasons but just a general overview of the starpower assembled this off-season in the American League East.

Will Someone Please Explain the Justin Morneau Situation?

The Minnesota Twins have asked Justin Morneau to skip the team's annual fan festival this weekend so he can "keep concentrating on his recovery from a concussion."

Twins GM Bill Smith says that although Morneau has been working out hard, he is still 7-to-10 days away from starting any baseball activities, such as swinging a bat.  I'm not sure how hard Morneau has been working out, if he's not even capable of swinging a bat yet, but that's a different story.

Here's what I don't understand: Morneau suffered his concussion on July 7, 2010.  That's six and a half months ago.

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A Standing O: Merlin the Arch Enchanter

The New York Knickbockers finally got back to the win column last night against the Washington Wizards and today we get another great post about the win from Alex O in a new running column series we'll call "A Standing O": 

When you need to get back on track, call a Wizard

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“The ways of this Wizard pass all understanding” Merlin the Arch Enchanter

Nice to get the Wizards in town last night to help the Knickerbockers get back on track, and end the slide at 6. More on that later.

I remember when I heard Pat Riley had signed on to coach the Knicks. As a long time Lakers & Knicks fan growing up, I was very excited and thought it would guarantee a title for the Knicks---- if not several...Jordan, Hakeem, and others had other outcomes in mind. Thinking of that Rockets team, always reminds me of one of the all-time great nicknames----- E.T. for Sam Cassell.

I think my Dad got an even bigger kick out of that one then me. Sam is now an assistant coach with the Wizards.

I also had some decent feelings when the Knicks hired Lenny Wilkens. I did not get good vibes when they hired Larry Brown. I did get excited about Mike D’Antoni. I was happy about the signing because I love run and gun hoops like the Magic/Kareem/Worthy Lakers, UNLV Runnin' Rebels, and Kimble Gathers Loyola Marymount squads. The jury is still out on D’Antoni even though there were some rumors about him losing his job the last time the Knicks had a 6 game losing streak.

I am willing to give him time (as if I have choice), since the roster has lots of new faces and is the first decent roster Pringles has had to coach. It is worth a discussion on how he has done, and my bottom line is that I hope he gets more creative as the season goes on. Let Mozgov foul…. I mean play a little. I would like to see if Anthony Randolph can play. We still need to defend the rim better.

There are no secrets in the NBA. Teams need to adjust as the season goes on, especially if they have a weakness that gets exploited every night. Teams are able to drive on the Knicks at will, many times working on their chin-ups. Charles Oakley is an assistant with the Bobcats trying to toughen those guys up. Maybe the Knicks should have hired him. Maybe Pringles D’Antoni needs to try some zone and clog the middle?

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Hot Stove Coal: Would You Trade Robinson Cano for King Felix?

Felix Hernandez for Robinson Cano and others? This is just a hypothetical, but if Felix Hernandez was available, would you, as a Yankee fan, trade Robinson Cano in a package for him? That was the debate my dad and I just had and I figured I'd open it up to blog discussion.

Should the Yanks give up Cano for King Felix & his Cy? (Seattle Times)

Cano had his best season in 2010 as he vied for the American League MVP award and established himself as one of the top players in baseball and with Chase Utley and Dustin Pedroia, among the top echelon of second baseman in the Major Leagues. He backed up that offense with very good defense and has seemed to really find his own as the #5 hitter in the lineup and as a good teammate in the clubhouse. He hit .319/.381/.534 last season with 29 HR and 109 RBIs and put up a career high 6.4 fWAR.

Felix Hernandez is a unique power pitcher with durability. Young and already incredibly accomplished with a Cy Young (and a second place finish) and to his name, Hernandez is one of the top pitchers in baseball. Besides maybe the Phillies, there is no rotation in baseball where King Felix would not join and be the ace. Over the past two seasons he is 32-17 with a 2.38 ERA, with 8 complete games, 34 starts each season, and an average of 244 innings and 224 strikeouts per season and a 3.18 SO/BB ratio. He has led the league in hits per 9 innings each of the past two seasons. He's put up a total of 13.0 fWAR over the past two seasons.

So that sets up the scenario: would you trade Cano in a package for King Felix? It would probably take Cano plus a few other prospects to get a deal done and all signs point to the fact that Hernandez isn't available, but would you trade the Ribbies from Robby for the Ks from the King? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below?

If you say yes, what would be the maximum package you would be OK with? Would Cano plus Jesus Montero be too much for you? Would Cano plus Montero plus a Killer B be too much? Or would you only do the deal if it was Cano straight up for King Felix? This is a hypothetical so give us your hypothetical in the comments.

Trick Shot Video Featuring UConn's Caroline Doty

Yesterday I heaped praise on the streaking UConn men, so today I'm going to give some love to the UConn women.  Thanks to a tip from the Hartford Courant, here is a video compilation of trick shots by UConn guard Caroline Doty.

Given the nature of women's college basketball, the first thing you'll notice is that Doty is easy on the eyes.  But more importantly, she has serious talent.  It's just too bad that, due to her long history of ACL tears and subsequent surgeries, we haven't seen much of it during her time at Connecticut.  It's especially frustrating since depth is at a premium now that Geno is down to just seven players following the departure of Samarie Walker.  Despite the fact that Doty is begging to play, it doesn't look like she'll be in uniform anytime soon.  So I guess you'll just have to be content with watching her highlight clips instead:

Hot Stove Coal: Is This Brian Cashman's Swan Song in the Bronx?

A quick post for this morning, but as I sat there watching football yesterday, I wondered if this could be Brian Cashman's final season as the General Manager of the New York Yankees. We've had this discussion a few times previously only to have Cashman return to the only team he calls home. We've seen his name in the newspapers linked to dozens of teams, especially when the stress of George Steinbrenner's reign seemed to rob him of every one of his remaining hairs. There's a whole section in Buster Olney's "Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" that is dedicated to Cashman's stress level. But with The Boss having passed, Cashman in control, and a seemingly gentler regime in charge, it seemed like the days of Cashman leaving were well into the future. After the last few weeks of the Yankees' off-season, I'm beginning to think they're closer than we think.

Is this Cashman's final year answering that question in NY?

Brian Cashman has an odd sort of off-season as General Manager. He and the rest of the Yankees management had a very public negotiation (spat?) with the Yankees' captain, Derek Jeter. They put all their eggs into signing Cliff Lee and then watched him make them his third choice in the process. They signed Russell Martin and all seemed to be quiet except for rumors of a possible Rafael Soriano signing. But many of us thought that Cashman wouldn't make a move like that and when he came out and blatantly said he wouldn't give up a first round draft pick for Soriano, we all breathed a sigh of relief.

And then news of the Soriano signing broke. We all wondered what had happened and figured that we would never know if this was a move done by Cashman or by ownership. We figured that Cashman would toe the company line and talk about building that beautiful mythological "Bridge to Mariano" and we would just continue to push out the motto of "In Cashman We Trust".

That didn't happen either. Cashman didn't totally go all Peter Gibbons from Office Space and try to get himself fired, but he did make sure to let everyone know that he wasn't the one pulling the strings of the Soriano signing--even doing so at the press conference with Soriano sitting there. He went so far as to admit to a confused Yankee fan base that he had actually tried to bring back Carl Pavano--the American Idle himself--for another run in Pinstripes. At a time when the fruits of Cashman's drafting and developing labor are starting to ripen, we have to wonder whether he will be around to see the results.

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UConn Men's Basketball: We're Going Streaking, Through the Quad and Into the Gymnasium!

Roscoe Smith (credit: Hartford Courant)

NYaT readers, we interrupt your regularly scheduled NFL programming to bring you this breaking news story: UConn men's basketball is for real.  And they're streaking, to the tune of a 16-2 record and the No. 8 ranking in both the AP and USA Today polls.

Oh, and with their 72-61 win over Tennessee yesterday, the Huskies finished with an undefeated nonconference record, beating such quality teams as Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas (on the road), Wichita State, and Tennessee, not to mention winning the Maui Invitational.  The last time UConn went 12-0 in nonconference play?  In 2008, when they reached the Final Four.

Leading the pack (get it?) is Kemba Walker, of course.  Walker, who ranks 2nd in the country in scoring with 25 ppg, is already leading straw polls for the Player of the Year, ahead of other big names such as BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger.  Walker is also the unofficial leader in buzzer-beating, door-shutting, coffin-nailing clutch shots to win big games.  (See, e.g., the Villanova game, the Texas game, the Michigan State game.)

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NYaT Roundtable: AFC Championship Picks

Yesterday we gave our AFC Championship picks and today we're going to pick the AFC Championship game. The Jets and Steelers also played once this season with that game being taken by the Jets. Tonight is the rematch in Pittsburgh, but this time with Troy Polamalu in uniform. Will that make a difference? Let's see what our roundtable had to say:

Can Sanchez lead the Jets to the Super Bowl this time around? (Reuters)

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers (Steelers favored by 3.5)

Russell: First of all I'd like to welcome everybody back onto the Jets bandwagon, and I'd like to add that more people will be joining us after the Jets beat the Steelers on Sunday. The Jets are soaring after the incredible win against the Patsies and fly in to Pittsburgh to face a team that is very similar to the Jets. Both teams have solid receivers, and running backs and while the Steelers have an advantage at QB, defense wins championships and the Jets D is better then the Steelers O. It will be hard to score points for both sides, but I look for the Jets to win a low scoring battle where Sanchez and the offense will make enough plays to win. Also the football Gods wouldn't tease me by having the Jets go to the AFC championship game 2 years in a row and lose both games, right? Jets

Ben P: If it's any comfort to Jets fans, I've picked against them in the two previous playoff rounds as well. The Jets have played and won two very emotional games. First they beat the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year and then they played their big bad bully of a division rival. Will they have anything left this week? The Jets were able to beat the Steelers earlier this year, but in that game the Steelers were without Polamalu and the Jets scored on a kickoff return and had a safety (fluky much). The Steelers will be able to shut down the Jets running game and force Sanchez to beat them. Sanchez was great last week, but the Steelers will put more pressure on him than the Pats did and will be able to do a better job exposing the loss of Damien Woody at Right Tackle. The Jets Defense has played well against the passing offenses of the Colts and Pats, but the Steelers have a wealth of speed at the receiver position that those other teams didn't. There are few schemes that can slow down Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders. It'll be cold in Pittsburgh. Coach Ryan better make sure his players bring an extra pair of socks. Steelers

Sarah: Steelers/Pats - Oh wait, the Pats aren't in? THE JETS WON LAST WEEK? I abstain. No pick.

Jay: While I refuse to compare the Jets' run this year to the Giants' road winning streak leading up to Super Bowl 42, I have to hand it to Rex Ryan and his team. They have defeated Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road in back-to-back weeks. No easy task. Now all they have to do is finish the job in Pittsburgh against two-time SB champ Ben Roethlisberger. BFD. I actually think the Jets can do it. The key is winning the battle for time of possession by controlling the ball on the ground. If the offensive can eliminate turnovers and Greene/LT can consistently gain yardage, I think the Jets will win. But like the cliche goes, you can't stop Roethlisberger, you can only hope to contain him. Making sure Big Ben doesn't burn them will be the Jets' second key. If they can do that, I think the Jets win in a close game. Jets

Elissa: Jets and Steelers are a toss up b/c of their great defenses. I think Big Ben will give the Jets D more problems than Brady did last week b/c he doesn't go down as easy, but I think if the Jets don't turn the ball over (just like their play last week) they'll beat out the Steelers. Jets

Andrew: The Jets built their team this past off-season to beat the Colts--and they did so. Rex Ryan came in as Jets coach and said the goal was to beat the Patriots--and they did so. You wonder after two emotional wins if the Jets can get back up for yet another game? I'm not so sure they can. They played their championship game last week. They've beaten two teams with great offenses. Now they'll have to find a way to beat one with a great defense. I don't think it'll be so easy for the Jets. Mark Sanchez has been great so far but both the Pats and the Colts rank near the bottom half of the league on defense while the Steelers are probably the best. Sanchez has had success because of the threat of the run game. I don't think the Jets will have the same success running the ball in this game. The Jets have been great on the road but I fear their season will end once again in the AFC Championship game. Steelers

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NYaT Roundtable: NFC Championship Picks

The NYaT Roundtable gave you their picks for the Wild Card round (none of us picked Seattle) and the Divisional Round (none of us picked the Jets), so we're going to try to have someone go for a perfect week as the Conference Championships are being played out. #2 seed vs. a #6 seed in each conference. We'll start in Chicago where the Bears are Packers are playing for the third time this season but the first time in the playoffs since 1941. Here's what our panel thinks:

Jay Cutler vs. Aaron Rodgers III. Winner to the Super Bowl (NYT)

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (Packers favored by 3.5)

Russell: These teams met week 17, but over the last 2 weeks the Bears have played the Seahawks, while the Pack beat Philly and then demolished the Falcons. They have all of the momentum and they are going to beat the Bears. Packers

Ben P: In this game we have two teams that are fairly similar. They both have dominant defenses and depend on their quarterbacks to score points. Given this shared formula, I like the Packers since they have a better and more consistent quarterback as well as better receivers. I think this game will come down to who puts more pressure on the opposing quarterback . Both teams have players that can get at the quarterback, but I think the Packers Offensive Line is better than the Bear's line and Rodgers mobility will also help him buy time to look downfield. The Packers' west-coast style offense will also suit them better than the Mike Martz down the field attack that the Bears will sport. Packers

Sarah: Its tough to judge here. The Bears had it easy last week as the Hawks were never a real threat so hopefully they saved up some energy for this weekend's matchup. I also hear Obama wants to go to the game if the Bears made it to the Superbowl. I still think Rodgers is strong though, and they gave the Falcons a good whooping. I'm going Green Bay. Packers

Jay: Aaron Rodgers's coming-out party as one of the NFL's elite QBs will continue. Aside from the Jets/Pats trash talk, the most compelling storyline of the postseason has been Green Bay's dominance on both sides of the ball, but most notably their offensive production. And it all comes back to Rodgers, whose 77-for-105, 969 yard, 10 TD, 1 INT performance so far in these playoffs has been incredible to watch. Just think: he threw for 366 yards and 3 TDs on the road in the Georgia Dome, where Matty "Ice" Ryan had only lost twice in his entire career. Amazing. He will carry this team to the Super Bowl. Honestly, despite Chicago's resurgence following their dreadful losses to the Giants, Seahawks, and Redskins, is anyone really scared of them? I feel like we are just waiting for the other shoe to drop, perhaps in the form of a classically dreadful Jay Cutler multi-INT stinkbomb. I think the Packers continue their road dominance, winning by 10. Packers

Elissa: Green Bay has the QB I trust more down the stretch and Chicago's not as consistent of a team. I've thought Green Bay was a Super Bowl team all playoffs, so I'm going to stick with them now. Packers

Andrew: I've learned my lesson but overlooking the Seahawks against the Saints and the Jets against the Patriots (and what's really the difference between Rodgers and Brady?). The Packers are favored by more than a field goal on the road in the playoffs and although I don't think a lot of the Bears, I think that may be motivation enough to pick them. After the Giants demolished the Bears early in the season, I felt like they were done for as a team but they've been resilient behind an air-tight defense, an underrated running game, and a scary special teams attack. In Week 17 these two teams played in Green Bay with everything on the line for the Packers and nothing on the line for the Bears and yet the Bears dominated quite a bit of that game. Even though they lost in the end, do you think the may have kept a few plays secret just in case they played them again in the playoffs? Of course. The Packers biggest weakness is the running game and how do they expect to win this playoff game without one? I think while everyone is thinking "Packers blowout" here, I'm going with the disrespected Bears and *gulp* Jay Culter (that was difficult to type). Bears

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Optimist Prime: Why the Jets Will Beat the Steelers

We'll get to the NYaT roundtable picks later but for now we need to go back to Russell who predicted the Jets would beat the Colts and the Pats. Now he says that they will beat Big Ben and the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Tell 'em why, Russell:

The Empire State Building has been lit up in the Jets green and white

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It’s been a fun week for Jets fans. From the incredible win against the Patriots to Bart Scott’s “ANYBODY CAN BE BEAT” interview, excitement is running high as the Jets are once again playing for a berth in the Big Game. This time the Jets fly into Pittsburgh to face a team very similar to themselves, and with the punishing defenses on both sides it should be close. Well Optimist Prime is back again and (real shocker here) says the Jets will beat the Steelers and advance to their Second Super Bowl. Here’s why…

The Jets Will Be Able To Ground And Pound Them

Defensively Pittsburgh only gave up an average of 62.8 yards on the ground during the regular season. That being said the Jets running game has been brilliant so far in the Playoffs, rushing for 152 yards against the Colts and 119 against New England. The Jets can rely on one of the best running back tandems in the NFL with Shonne Greene and LT. The backs play with different styles, which definitely helps the Jets, as they can go from the run you over to get the extra yard style of Greene to the shifty Tomlinson, and frustrate the Steelers defense with long drives. The Jets were able to rush for 106 yards the last time they played Pittsburgh and if they can run the ball successfully they’ll be in good shape.

Sanchez Can Win The Game Too

Sanchez played one of his best games as a pro from the second quarter on of last weeks win in New England. Sanchez passed for 3 touchdowns and 194 yards, and will pick up where he left off this week. Mark has handled blitzing, aggressive defenses like the Steelers pretty well and with the Jets all-pro offensive line he won’t be under siege by the likes of James Harrison. The Steelers defense has actually been pretty average against the pass; they’re twelfth in the league in passing yards against. Joe Flacco was able to shred the Steelers secondary for much of the first half, and if Sanchez can play like Flacco for four quarters not two, the Jets have a good chance at winning.

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Hot Stove Coal: Reviewing Yankees Worst Case Scenarios from 2010 Pt 2

Back in December we took a trip in the time machine back to last off-season and looked at how close the Yankees came to the "Worst Case Scenario" series we did last year. We started with Part 1 and the starting lineup. Well let's continue that with theme today with Part 2, which was the starting pitching staff. By then I realized that non-Yankee fans were taking a lot of joy in my scenarios but it didn't stop me from looking at what would go horribly wrong if the pitching staff fell apart. Let's see how close we got to that scenario:

AJ Burnett was a "black eye" for the Yankees (FanHouse)

CC Sabathia
What I said worst-case would look like: "Alex Fernandez after Marlins won the 1997 World Series...According to Baseball-Reference's Play Index, the hefty lefty is second in innings over the past two years, first in innings over the past three years, second in innings over the past four years, first in innings over the past five years, and over the last decade was 9th in innings pitched despite the fact he was a rookie in 2001. The worst case scenario are that all those innings goes to Sabathia's arm. The guy isn't doing himself a favor by eating so many Subway clubs and if CC fails in his ability to button his pants, it doesn't do the rest of his body any favors. Without CC, the Yankees truly have no ace and it puts a lot more pressure on the other guys."

What actually happened: Sabathia's arm and body held up another year's grind, starting an AL-leading 34 games, pitching 237.2 innings, and winning a Major League-leading 21 games. Sabathia was an All-Star, came in third in the Cy Young voting, and 13th in the MVP voting. He pitched about as well during the regular season as he did in his first year in Pinstripes (with less strikeouts but more groundballs). The issue for CC was when he hit the playoffs. After being stellar in 2009, he was so-so to bad in 2010. He started three times but only pitched a total of 16 innings, giving up a whopping 22 hits and 10 earned runs, striking out 15 but walking 7, hitting a batter, throwing a wild pitch, and being charged with a balk. Sabathia was a huge reason the Yankees made the playoffs (from August 7th-September 2nd he won every time he started), but for them to win the World Series in 2011, they need him to carry it through to the playoffs.

A.J. Burnett

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Pee-wee Herman & Andy Samberg's Digital Short on SNL

In case you were busy watching the NFL playoffs and didn't catch Gwyneth Paltrow hosting SNL on Saturday night, here is what you missed:



Say what you want about Pee-wee Herman.  He has already heard all the jokes.  And he's still a loner, a rebel.  But none of that really matters, because Pee-wee's awesome.  He not only made the most underrated movie of all time, which also introduced us to the magical Tim Burton, but he's also a heck of a live performer (as modern audiences are rediscovering in NYC).  Here's some more good news -- HBO is going to film the latest live show for another special.  It's the 80's all over again on premium cable!!

So until you subscribe to HBO or -- better yet -- buy a ticket to see the Broadway show, tide yourself over with this SNL Digital Short featuring the timeless and ageless Pee-wee Herman and Andy Samberg.  Three cheers for Pee-wee's return to television!

Hot Stove Coal: Yankees Reportedly Close to Andruw Jones Signing

Yahoo!'s Tim Brown is reporting that the Yankees and outfielder Andruw Jones are "nearing a one-year deal." Previously the Yankees were said to be looking for an outfielder who can play all three outfield positions, but were off on salary according to MLBTradeRumors. For the right price, Jones would certainly be a good fit for the Yankees' fourth outfielder, filling in vs. lefties and providing a good defensive and offensive player for the bench. If it isn't a lot of money, I think that Jones is certainly worth the gamble.

Andruw Jones may be heading to the Bronx for 2011 (AJC)

Finding a value for Andruw Jones may be tough, though judging from the fact he signed a $500K deal last off-season with incentives, it doesn't seem to be much of an outlay from the outlook. Even if he gets a raise on guaranteed money from that deal, he's still worth it for the Yankees.

Jones burst on to the scene in 1996 at 19 and killed the Yankees in that year's World Series. From 1998 to 2004, Jones averaged over 30 HR and almost 100 RBI per season while winning a Gold Glove every year. Then Jones really took off. He led the majors in HR (51) and the NL in RBI (128) and a .922 OPS in 2005 when he finished second in the MVP voting (with an 8.3 fWAR) and followed it up the next season with 41 HR and 129 RBI. That was at age 29 and he looked prime to continue on that path. 2007 was a down season for Jones as he hit .222/.311/.413 for the Braves and was scooped up by the Dodgers in the off-season. The Dodgers season was a disaster for Jones and the contract was a bust for the Dodgers as Jones hit an awful .158/.256/.249 before being released. He's been slowly building up his value with the Rangers and White Sox in the American League the past two seasons.

Jones will turn 34 in April and has now been relegated for 4th OF duty. For the Yankees, that may be a perfect place for him. The Yankees have left-handed hitting outfielders in center and left and can use a Marcus Thames-like righty bat for the bench. Thames was a lefty masher last season, and Jones is not too shabby himself hitting .261/.361/.501 vs. lefties in his career and .256/.373/.558 last season. He also had a great second half last season hitting .272/.380/.565 and providing some hope that maybe he has gotten that Hall of Fame swing back.

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Guest Post: Why The Jets Will Beat The Patriots

Maybe we'll call him Optimist Prime for the Jets season: Russell is back for another guest post and he thinks the Jets will prevail on Sunday unlike the rest of our panel. For his last guest post before he becomes a full-time writer (and congrats to Russell on that!), here's Russell Simon back to tell us why the New York Jets will repeat their early-season performance and prevail against the Patriots in Foxboro on Sunday.

Mark Sanchez is licking his chops for a rematch with the Pats (NYT)

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The Jets will beat the Patriots on Sunday…While most of you probably think that’s the funniest joke you’ve heard all day, the Jets do have a shot--believe it or not--of winning. Last week I said the Jets would establish the ground and pound, and beat Indy. We all know how that turned out, and now they return for some payback…and this is how they’ll get it:

Keep Brady On The Bench

For the Jets to win they will have to go on the same type of drives they did in the second half against the Colts. The Jets had touchdown drives of 9:48 and 9:59 last week and it must be more of the same if the Jets will win. The Jets used the ground-and-pound to go on mind numbingly slow drives in the second half. On the first drive of the second half, Sanchez threw twice, and it has become clear that LT, Shonne Greene , and the offensive line will win it for the Jets--not Mark Sanchez. Both running backs carried the ball nearly 20 times and they will have to go on the slow drives, eat up tons of clock, and get into the endzone to beat the Pats.

Do Not Have Any Defensive Lapses

And we're looking at you, Antonio Cromartie. Garcon burned Cromartie for the Colts first touchdown on a hideous defensive lapse, and the Jets can’t have any repeats of that on Sunday if they want to win. Cromartie put the target on his back by saying about Tom Brady what Jets fans have been saying about him for years, and with whoever Tevis is covering (probably Welker vacationing on Revis Island) all the pressure will be on Cromartie to step up. Other then Revis, Brady will target the Jets secondary just as he did in the 45-3 bloodbath when he passed for 326 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Jets can’t have any defensive lapses that go for big yards for the Pats and it's up to the secondary to keep the Jets in it.

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NYaT Roundtable: Divisional Round NFL Picks

Well that was a fun first weekend of football. The first NYaT Roundtable of the playoffs resulted in Ari, Jay and Ben W taking the cake as the best pickers with Ben P and I bringing up the rear. None of us saw the Seahawks winning that game (though, in my defense, I did say they would cover). Now we're up to the big time as the bye weeks are over and the winners go on to the Conference Championship Game. So which teams will advance? Our NYaT panel gives their opinions:

May The Force be with you, Rex Ryan...
...you're going to need it

New York Jets at New England Patriots (Patriots favored by 9)

Ben P says: "It is always difficult when two team plays each other three times in one year. These teams know eachother very well and in these situations I think the team with superior coaching has the edge. Rex Ryan knows defense and has done an excellent job as the Jets head coach, but there is nobody better than Belichik especially when it comes to gameplanning and adjusting mid-game. The Patriots are too good offensively and if they turn this into a shootout, the Jets will be in big trouble." Patriots

Elissa says: "I can't bring myself to make a prediction for the Jets game. I choose to abstain rather than throw my team under the bus. Instead, I'll take this time to follow Rex Ryan and Cromartie's lead...F*#$ Tom Brady and his ridiculous Justin Bieber hair and F*$# Bill Belichick and his stupid cut off sweatshirts. It's personal!" No pick (but check out her post on the "War of Words")

Sarah says: "I'm TRYING to be classy and say to Jets fans I know- hey we each took a game this year - but let's face it: We are going to STOMP them" Patriots

Ari says: "I wish otherwise, but common sense says Brady mauls them. Cromartie will regret mouthing off with each passing slant strike over the middle that he can't cover. In the battle of 4 letter team name, the one that sounds like Mets sees the same result." Patriots

Jay says: "Nothing that Rex Ryan or Antonio Cromartie can say will change their fate: New England will roll at home. Face it, Jets fans, the 2010 Patriots may be boring, robotic, and soulless, but they are a dominant football team. They won their last 8 games and defeated the Jets 45-3 in their last meeting. Tom Brady hasn't thrown a pick in months and Belichick will be ready for whatever defensive schemes Rex Ryan has cooked up. The Patriots also don't make any mistakes, giving up the ball only 10 times this season (!!) and creating more takeaways than anyone but the Giants. Although the Patriots have the home field advantage, there are some things the Jets can do to help their chances: (1) take advantage of New England's bend-don't-break offensive line and get to Brady, (2) stop the Woodhead/Green-Ellis running attack and force Brady to test Darrelle Revis and Cromartie; and (3) ignore McCourty and have Sanchez attack the weaker parts of the Patriots' secondary. But all that said, I still see New England winning relatively comfortably. Double digits are likely." Patriots

Andrew says: I want to find a way to pick the Jets here but I just can't do it. Rex Ryan and company won their Super Bowl last weekend when they finally beat Peyton Manning and the Colts and I see a huge letdown this week against their divisional rivals. I will say this, though. I think that the Jets will cover. My prediction is that Jet preseason cut (one of the all-time horrible personnel moves by Rex Ryan confirmed by anyone with all their lobes intact who saw Hard Knocks), Danny Woodhead, will scramble on 3rd and 9 with less than two minutes left and the Jets out of timeouts, down by 6. A first down seals the game but anything less makes the Pats punt back to Antonio Cromartie and the Jets. Woodhead scrambles and is about to be met by Cromartie when out of no place Tom Brady runs up, pancakes Cromartie, yells "who is an asshole now?", and Woodhead gets the first by a foot. This is followed by an offseason of jokes that Rex Ryan has now lost twice because of a foot." Patriots

Baltimore Ravens at the Pittsburgh Steelers (Steelers favored by 3.5)

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The Jets' War of Words

With all the media attention and fighting words hurled up and down I-95 this past week, you'd think there is a prize fight scheduled for this Sunday in Foxboro.  There isn't, but let's pretend for a second that there is.  In the green corner, wearing the black sweater vest and white mock turtleneck, is the boisterous, big mouthed, super heavyweight REX RYAN!!!  In the blue corner, wearing the wrinkled, cut off, dirty sweatshirt stolen from a bum on the street, is the scowling, cheating, welterweight BILL BELICHICK!!!  This bout is going to get nasty.

On Monday, Ryan threw the first blow: "This is about Bill Belichick versus Rex Ryan. There's no question, it's personal. It's about him against myself. That’s what it’s going to come down to."  The instant Ryan said those words, Jets fans got bombarded with harsh criticism from Pats fans: “How dare your coach call out the legend that is Bill Belichick?”  “Does Ryan really think this game is about him versus Belichick?” “Doesn’t he know the players will win or lose this game, not the coaches? What an idiot!”

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Hot Stove Coal: With Money to Burn Yankees Reportedly Sign Rafael Soriano

Sometimes the New York Yankees are reported to make moves that make you hope that it's a mistake and it's not real. That was certainly the case when I heard they had signed Jaret Wright and again was the case when the Yankees re-signed Damaso Marte. The latest report that the Yankees have signed Rafael Soriano to a three-year, $35 million deal leaves me feeling the same way.

Rafael Soriano is thanking the heavens for the Yankees' deal (Newsday)

And judging by the reaction of the rest of the blogosphere, I ain't the only one. According to the New York Times' Tyler Kepner if Soriano opts out after 1 year, he gets $11.5M. If he opts out after year 2, he gets $21.5M total. If he stays all 3 years, he gets $35M. To make this contract worse, after Brian Cashman says that he won't give up his first-round pick for any pitcher on the market, well, he does just that for Type A free agent Soriano. Maybe the money that Cashman didn't give to Cliff Lee was burning a hole in his pocket? Maybe he was getting bored? Maybe Scott Boras and Cash hadn't done much business lately?

Is it the draft pick, the years, the money or Soriano a friend asked? How about all four of those. I don't particularly love Soriano, the draft pick is an extremely high cost for a middle reliever, the years (and opt-out clause) are not friendly to the team, and the money is ridiculous for a non-starter not named Mariano Rivera.

Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave Blues put it best: "The draft pick doesn’t bother me as much as the contract. The Yanks get an expensive setup man for two years before he possibly slides into the closer role after Mariano Rivera‘s contract expires. Though, as we know, you can never count on Mo to call it quits."

The last thing Joe adds is the most intriguing of this all: "The one thing I will add right now: I dislike this move less if it moves Joba back to the rotation."

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Review: The Walking Dead

Photo Credit: fearnet

Nearly two feet of snow fell today in Connecticut.  Thanks in part to the timing of the snowfall, the storm was strong enough to close the federal courts, so I had a grownup snow day.   I spent most of it sleeping and watching TV, but cabin fever got the best of me once the sun went down.  So I bundled up and headed outside to dig out my car.  Not wanting to drive anywhere in such lousy conditions, I decided to walk around West Hartford Center.

Out of over 140 shops and restaurants, only one place was open: Chipotle.  I ate dinner there, along with maybe a dozen other people.  I left around 9:00 p.m. and walked home.  I saw only a handful of cars, plus a few plow trucks.  Every store window was dark and every parking space was empty.  Snow covered everything and it was eerily quiet.  I plodded through the snow alone, and passed just one person on the street -- the only person I'd seen outside all night.  As we shuffled past each other, unable to see eye-to-eye because of our scarves and hooded jackets, I felt like I was in the world of The Walking Dead.  This woman and I were "walkers" or "geeks," as the zombies are called on the show, stumbling around in deserted and inhospitable conditions, hungry for relief (not relief of a thirst for human flesh, but for a warm apartment!).  Given the late hour and the extreme weather conditions, the snowstorm definitely created a subtle-but-perceptible post-apocalyptic feel.

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Knicks (and Rangers) Bringing Excitement Back to MSG

A few years ago the best part of going to Madison Square Garden for a New York Knicks game was to boo Isiah Thomas. The team wasn't just bad, they were boring and--maybe even worse--extremely difficult to root for. Eddy Curry, Stephon Marbury, and others would put together a lackluster effort on the court and the once-proud Knicks franchise was reduced to a joke. After the Knicks had mortgaged the future for LeBron James only to see him take his talents to South Beach, I thought the Knicks would continue along this path of futility. But after a third of the season, the New York Knickerbockers are not only fun to watch and easy to root for--but they're also a playoff-caliber team for the first time in a long while.

MSG is alive once again for both the Knicks and Rangers (USA Today)

The New York Rangers have had a lot of the same story but with a bit of a different path. The Rangers suffered from the same uncontrolled spending for years before a lockout and subsequent salary cap forced them to change their ways. They made the playoffs every year after the lockout until last year when a shootout loss in the last game of the season kept them out of the playoffs. The Rangers have been extremely rootable for the past few years with guys like Henrik Lundqvist, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan leading the charge. The problem is that they've been saddled with tough contracts (Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival to name a few) which has put a salary cap crunch on the team. Yet the current Rangers have been fun to watch, easy to root for, and are producing wins despite a ton of important injuries.

The Rangers have been killed by injuries all season long. Their most recent game against the St. Louis Blues saw them lose Alex Frolov for the rest of the season. Vinny Prospal has been missing in action most of the season, Chris Drury has missed a lot of the first half, and in the past month they've seen Ryan Callahan, Derek Boogaard and Erik Christensen go down to injury (and Michal Rozsival has missed the past few games as well). They've been forced to dip into the minor leagues but have found some guys who look like they could stick around for a while like Derek Stepan (hat trick in his first game), Mats Zuccarello (a few huge game-winning goals recently), Mike Sauer (+11 rating leads all rookies), and, most recently, Ryan McDonagh (the prize of the aforementioned Scott Gomez being dumped on Montreal). And now comes word that Glen Sather has traded Rozsival for some forward depth in what the National Post is calling a "legitimately great trade." The Rangers have somehow managed to scrape by and after an impressive win against Dallas, they are in 6th place in the Eastern Conference and shown as a force in the East.

The Knicks have been building with youth as well, albeit in a much different way. After draft bust upon draft bust, Donnie Walsh has hit gold with guys like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and, most recently, Landry Fields. Amar'e Stoudmire is a sure-fire MVP candidate a third of the way in and the point guard, Raymond Felton, has been astonishingly good. What was seen as a huge drop down from LeBron and Bosh has actually developed into a pretty solid Starting 5. And that is even without Carmelo Anthony who seems like he's headed to New Jersey. Although it would be painful to see him go to their division foe, I think Knicks fans should feel content that the Knicks didn't give up the players (and the future) it would require to acquire him. Anthony would make them better--but if it isn't enough to bring them a championship, it probably isn't worth [further] mortgaging the future.

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NYaT Roundtable: Wild Card Round Picks

I was watching ESPN the other day and the "Fact or Fiction" question came on the screen that read: "No home team will win a Wild Card game." I was shocked seeing that until I realized that this prediction could really come to fruition. Now the real debate starts is this because of the lack of homefield advantage or the fact that some divisions are not equal to others. I side with the latter but I think we'll see some interesting things this weekend as we do every playoffs. If you're still trying to figure out who is going to win this weekend, here's some thoughts for you from Ben P, Ari, Jay and myself:

Can Marc Sanchez make magic happen on the road again? (NY Mag)

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts (Colts favored by 2.5)

Ben P says: "The Colts are vulnerable with their injuries, but I don't think the Jets have the defense to pull this out. You can't beat Manning without pressure, but the Jets can't apply pressure unless they blitz and Manning eats up the blitz like Rex Ryan eats up feet. On the other side of the ball the Jets lack consistency on offense on home field is a key here for the Colts." Colts

Ari says: "Because I want to hear Rex Ryan yap for another week" Jets

Jay says: "The Colts overcame a four-point halftime deficit to beat the Jets in last season's AFC Championship game.  In seeking revenge in this year's playoff rematch, Rex Ryan says "it's personal."  I believe him.  Mark Sanchez has improved and shown even more poise than he did last year.  Darrelle Revis should do a good job of locking down Reggie Wayne, which leaves Peyton Manning with fewer options than ever before in the playoffs, thanks to injuries to Austin Collie and Dallas Clark.  Since the Colts' only rushing options are a still-recovering Joseph Addai (89 yards in his last 2 games) and a still-developing Donald Brown (UConn in the house!), I think the Colts will be overmatched offensively.  As long as the Jets protect Sanchez from Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, I think the Jets will escape from Indy with a close win." Jets

My opinion: Last year I had my same issues with the Jets: a mediocre QB, an overrated defense (and the Jets passing D is not as good as last year), and a team lucky to even be in the dance. But after watching the Jets prove me wrong last year, I'm not going to discount them--even with some holes in the secondary. It's not just that the Colts are banged up (and they certainly are) but the fact that they're not as good a team this year as they've been in the past. Like The Office, the Colts are just expected to be good despite the fact that the leading man and all the people around him have declined. The Colts pass rush is weak and if you're not going to get to Mark Sanchez, you're not going to beat the Jets. The Colts beat exactly one playoff team (the Chiefs) and really just breezed through an easy schedule. I wouldn't be shocked if they won, but I'm going with my man Russell and picking the J-E-T-S. Jets

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Guest Post: Why the Jets Will Beat Indy

Later today we'll post the NYaT picks for the Wild Card round, but in the meantime we had one guest blogger who wanted to let us know why the New York Jets will beat the Indianapolis Colts this weekend. Russell Simon first gave us a great Knicks post and he's back today talking J-E-T-S. If the Jets are going to win the Super Bowl they're going to have to do it all on the road starting with where their season ended last year: in Indy. Here's what Russell had to say about the Jets: 

Rex Ryan aims to finally beat Peyton Manning on Saturday (Reuters)

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Even I’ll admit that given the greatness of Peyton Manning, the Colts probably have a great shot of winning the Saturday night clash against the Jets. They’re the defending AFC champs, with the second best QB in the game, on their home turf, against an 11-5 Jets team that has been inconsistent for much of the year. However, I have confidence in the ground and pound, and faith that Rex’s D will step up, and the Jets will beat Indy, in a huge upset to start the playoffs. This is why it will happen…

The Colts Have Lost Too Many Weapons

If you look at the AFC Championship game last season the Colts were successful because they were able to spread their abundance of weapons out, and abuse the Jets secondary. This year, despite the injury to Jim Leonhard, the Jets have two quality corners, while the Colts have no Austin Collie or Dallas Clark, due to injury. We can assume that whoever is covered by Darrelle Revis will be spending their Saturday on Revis Island, with no escape. Revis could cover Pierre Garcon--who torched the Jets last year with 11 Receptions, 151 yards and a touchdown--and leave Antonio Cromartie to help cover Reggie Wayne. This year the Colts simply don’t have enough quality players that the Jets will have to single cover both receivers while worrying about Dallas Clark and Austin Collie. If Cro and Revis can lock up the two receiving threats for the Colts the Jets have a shot.

The Jets Will Hit Peyton

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Winter TV Review: The Best (and Worst) TV of 2010

I know I'm late to the party, but I have planned to get back to more television writing here at NYaT. I have to admit, I'm far from a TV expert. I don't have time to watch every show (and there are a few on my list to pick up in 2011) but I wanted to compile a list of shows I like a lot--and a few I couldn't stand. So without further ado, let's get to my list top television series of 2010:

Miss Blankenship was one of the best characters of 2010 (AMC)

Top 5 Series

1. Mad Men: It was a really weird year for Don Draper and SCDP but what made it different, made it great. In my opinion it was their finest season yet. The season started with the question "Who is Don Draper?" and by the end of the season we realized that it may be a man (and a company) headed for some rocky times. The omission of the very annoying Betty Draper for much of the season was enough to bump up the season and "The Suitcase" was one of the all-time great episodes of the show. The latter episode should get someone an Emmy (Elizabeth Moss who I have been critical of in the past was excellent) and I don't know what award we can give to "The Queen of Perversions", Miss Ida Blankenship, but maybe they can add her to the "in memorium" part of the Emmy's. Her death joins the "lawnmower scene" as the two most sickly funny things that have happened on the show.

2. Breaking Bad: Every once in a while I'll decide I've had enough of not watching a show that everyone else loves and catch up on it. Breaking Bad was an easy choice and I zoomed through two seasons of the show. I found it entertaining and was excited for the third season. And the third season blew me away like Jesse Pinkman blew that guy away in the finale. The shootout scene in the parking lot at the end of "One Minute" was something the Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarantino would have been proud of. The season finale left a lot of questions in the air for Walter White, Jesse Pinkman and the whole drug operation, but the season answered a lot of questions about the contender status of this show: it's truly one of the best. The mark of a good show for me is that when I can recommend it to my dad and we both really like it. Dexter and Breaking Bad are two of the best and they both fall under this category.

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