A Standing O: NBA Playoffs Talk

Last Saturday night I was heading home from the bars when it started to rain. I put my head down and started hoofing it to get home. All of a sudden I knocked into a really large person and looked up to see Blake Griffin staring back down at me. I got over my initial shock, apologized and went on my way. Since the Knicks failed to win a game in these playoffs, that was about my personal excitement in these NBA playoffs. But as usual, Alex O has many more insights to give in this post:

http://www.burdandkeyz.com

-------
Pretty exhilarating stuff if you have been able to watch a lot of these games.

This was a great regular season of NBA basketball: The ups and downs of the “talents from South Beach”, the amazing MVP worthy year of Derrick Rose, the surprise year by the veteran Spurs, the Melo-drama, Blake Griffin!!!

A) Unfortunately the Knicks are no longer in the party. It seems they blew their load in the first 2 games and left us all wondering “what if” they closed out those games. Now we Knicks fans have chock full of teams (nemisi?? Is that the plural of nemesis?) to root against: Heat, Celtics, Bulls, & Lakers.

B) I for one was rooting for Chris Paul and the Hornets to topple the Lakers. Is it possible that the Knicks (who just picked up Chauncey Billups option for next year) could trade Burps for CP3 since their contracts are a match--- both making $14M and free agents after next year? I guess it depends on the owner of the New Orleans Hornets who is……… David Stern/NBA. Maybe the toast from LaLa/Melo’s wedding will come true?!?

C) The action I have seen these playoffs been extremely entertaining, and I missed Durant’s end of game performance that sent the Denver (Old Knicks) Nuggets packing. I did see Ibaka have a couple of nasty blocks early in the game. There is little doubt that I agree with Bill Simmons that to win the NBA crown you must be able to protect the 6 feet around the bucket. I also missed the improbable 5 points in under 5 seconds that extended the Spurs vs. Grizzlies series. I was very bummed that game was not on TNT last night. Grizzlies go home and are a 2.5 point favorite to complete the 8 beats 1 seed rarity. It is 9 pm Friday night---- only game on that night since Heat and Thunder took care of biz last night. I recommend all hoops fans to youtube the play Darell Arthur of the Grizzlies made in game 4 where he blocked the shot then chugged downcourt full speed and finished an amazing alley-oop.

Read more>>

Book Review -- Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil, by Jerome Charyn

I'll begin this book review by doing something that Joe DiMaggio himself rarely did: I openly admit that I made a mistake.  You see, when I agreed to review Jerome Charyn's Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil, I assumed I would be reviewing a baseball book written by a sportswriter.  It appears that I forgot what happens when people assume things.  Needless to say, I was wrong in judging this book by its cover. 

To be sure, the book is about Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, the sweet-swinging Yankee Clipper who was one of the best to ever play the game, and certainly one of America's greatest sports heroes.  But Charyn is not a sportswriter (he considers himself a "novelist and cultural critic" and has won several prestigious fellowships and awards for his fiction) and baseball is, at most, a supporting actor in this story about DiMaggio's darkest demons.  Rather than retell the ubiquitous story of The Streak, or spend a half dozen chapters drooling over the "Jolter's" awe-inspiring talent, Charyn assumes the much more difficult task of exposing DiMaggio's struggles to the public eye.  He succeeds, and the resulting pages are simultaneously compelling, frustrating, and perhaps most poignantly, depressing.

For many Yankees fans in my generation -- those who grew up in the eighties and nineties -- Joe DiMaggio was first and foremost a Hall of Famer.  An all-time Yankee great with a 56-game hitting streak, a prized single-digit uniform number, and a giant plaque in Monument Park.  He was a famous song lyric within a famous Simon & Garfunkel song and, unavoidably, we knew him as Mr. Coffee and Mr. Marilyn Monroe.  Perhaps we're a little too young to remember how DiMaggio looked when he played the game, but that's where Charyn steps forward in chapter two, "The Walloping Wop."  He hits all the usual stuff: the Dago's graceful strides in center field, his strong, quick wrists, his fierce (a favorite word of Charyn) and unbreakable concentration.  But he also discusses some aspects of DiMaggio's time in pinstripes that we don't hear about often.  How Babe Ruth left a leadership void in the Bronx that Lou Gehrig, "just a good old plowhorse," could not fill and DiMaggio could.  How DiMaggio effortlessly hit his way into the majors in 1936.  How long it took the Yankees to integrate after Jackie Robinson, and how blind DiMaggio was to the introduction and significance of black ballplayers, even after he went head-to-head with Jackie Robinson in the hotly-contested 1951 World Series.  How intense DiMaggio would approach the game; intense enough that teammates were afraid to fail and therefore "risk DiMaggio's displeasure."

Read more>>

Blast From The Past

I was browsing around YouTube today when I found the following clip.  It is the full, uncut footage from the Yankees-Orioles on May 19, 1998, when the gutless Armando Benitez hit Tino Martinez.

A few things stick out at me:

• The stadium was empty.  I know it was a middle-of-the-week night game, but the left field bleachers were empty and the upper tier was a ghost town.
• What a shot by Bernie Williams.  I definitely miss those upper tier homers.
• You really don't see baseball brawls like this anymore, mostly because the umpires have taken too much control over regulating games with the "warning system."  Joe Torre was always very vocal about his opposition to this, yet he seems to have done very little to try to change the system since joining MLB's front office.  In this instance, the umpires stayed out of it until the very end, at which point they merely got involved to ensure that the game would get going again.  They did toss Benitez immediately, since it was pretty clear that Benitez hit him intentionally and threw behind Tino.
• I'm not sure I've ever seen such camraderie amongst teammates.  In an age where players are worried about contracts and not getting hurt in order to potentially make more money in incentives, Tino's teammates went out and took it right to Benitez.  After Graeme Lloyd, Jeff Nelson, and Scott Brosius managed to get few weak hits, Darryl Strawberry blindsided Benitez with a left hook.
• I remember George Steinbrenner being interviewed after the game and he was so proud of them.  If I recall correctly he said "I'm proud of them.  Aren't you proud of them?"
• Later that season, there was another brawl, although not of that magnitude.  I believe Roger Clemens hit Scott Brosius and Hideki Irabu retaliated.  The Yankees went on to lose the game, but proved once again that they were a team to be reckoned with.
• The best part of the whole thing was when Tim Raines hit the first pitch after the brawl in to the right field bleachers.

I was convinced for a long time that Tino was never the same player after the brawl.  His average and power declined over the next two years and although he had a resurgence in 2001, he never came close to being the middle of the order offensive force that he was during his first few years with the Yankees.  Through the first 38 games of that season, he hit .326 with 6 homers and 37 RBIs, with an OBP of .415.  That's a pace of almost an RBI a game!  From May 22 through the end of July, he hit only .178 with a .267 OBP and only drove in 20 runs.  From May 22 through the rest of the season, he hit only .264 with an OBP of .332.  He still hit 22 homers and drove in 86 runs, but it seems clear that he wasn't the same.

View from the Seats: White Sox at Yankees

I'm sitting in Terrace 333, Row 1 for Ben W's birthday. He even got his name up on the scoreboard tonight (which, by the way, is such an archaic and stupid process here at Yankee Stadium). The Yankees had a 2-1 lead until Rafael Soriano gave up a two-run shot to Paul Konerko which put the Yankees behind 3-2 here in the 8th.

For the Yankees, it's been living and dying by the longball as Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner (of all people) went deep for solo shots. Otherwise, Gavin Floyd has shut the Yankees down here in the Bronx. Ivan Nova was just as good for the Yankees but the bullpen couldn't help him get the "W".

Another inning to catch up and avoid a disappointing loss here in the Bronx.
-Andrew

Celtics Break Out The Brooms, And Knicks Can Only Wonder What Could Have Been

Painful, but expected. While the Knicks could have, and probably should have won games 1 and 2, once Garnett swiped the ball out of Jared Jeffries hand like he was stealing candy from a baby, it was only a matter of time before the Knicks vacation began. And while the vacation was delayed for a couple of weeks thanks to Amar'e and to some extent, Carmelo, the Celtics sweep ensured it will have to be 11 years before the Knicks even have a chance to win a playoff game. The Knicks squandered their chance in 2011, as a furious rally couldn't withstand pinpoint Celtics execution and questionable officiating.

At least they battled. With an incredible third quarter, led by a couple of fast break slams, and the three point shooting of Anthony Carter, the Knicks once again had the Garden rocking, and me screaming like a girl at a Justin Bieber concert. With STAT obviously hurting he still managed to play 44 minutes and have a double double, and Melo also carried the load with 32 points, in willing the Knicks to within 5 points. Even after game 3, and after an atrocious first half that left the Knicks trailing 55-38, they battled back.

But it wasn't enough. Just when it looked like the Knicks were about to make that final breakthrough the Celtics responded every time. Whether it was a Pierce charge, or the pivotal Allen 3, Boston had a response to every New York run. When things got chippy with Melo's flagrant foul on Rondo and the tech on STAT, the Celtics never overreacted, relying on incredible execution and a myriad of pick plays to frustrate the defense and get good looks for the big men.

And it was the big men who led the way for Boston in game 4. While Rondo and Allen dominated in game 3 the Celtics exemplified some of the many ways they can win. With the Knicks overplaying every Allen screen and trying to be physical with Rondo, it was KG and Big Babies turn to kill the Knicks. KG led the way with 26 scoring on jumpers and getting to the bucket in taking advantage of Stoudemire's back injury and Turiaf's lack of speed. But it was a Glen Davis elbow jumper that pushed the lead up to nine and was the nail in the coffin for the Knicks 2010-2011 season.

Read more>>

Knicks and Rangers Fooled Me Again

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — [pauses] — shame on you. Fool me — [pauses] — You can't get fooled again." -
George W. Bush

There really isn't much to say after last night's loss

I've been trying to write this blog post all day but it has been tough to figure out where to begin. I think that quote from Dubya seems like as good a place as any. As I look down at my hands to find that I've bitten through all my nails, I wonder how we got here? When the season started there was no reason to think that the New York Rangers or New York Knicks were real contenders. Heck, a few days before their regular seasons, I was going to be happy if one of them made it out of the first round. This is a Rangers team that got the ultimate luck to even get into the playoffs and a Knicks team that started calling random games must-wins down the stretch because they looked so helpless.

And yet I sit here with that uneasy feeling in my stomach thinking about my two teams from Madison Square Garden.

The problem is that I got fooled into thinking that they were better than they were. The Rangers have been a gritty, gutsy team that you love to root for. They block shots, they check, they forecheck, and they really seem to leave it all on the ice. Their best player is their goalie and the rest of their team is young and inexperienced and missing some of their top line forwards to injury. And yet I sat there last night thinking that a 3-0 lead was safe and lamenting that they didn't win a very winnable Game 1 because they could have been up 3-1 in the series.

Then the Caps scored two quick goals and I sadly knew the game was over. Reality set in. I sat there for the rest of the third and two overtimes just waiting for the Caps to win the game. You knew that the Rangers chances would fall by the wayside either because of a bad call or because the referee couldn't get out of their goddamn way. You knew that going 0-7 on the powerplay was going to kill them just as every poor game with the man advantage has killed the Rangers all season long. And you knew a fluky goal was going to put their season on the brink--and then it happened (off the stick of Gaborik of all people).

The problem is that the same exact thing also happened to the Knicks just a day earlier. Faced with a second consecutive chance to steal a game in Boston, the Knicks fell apart at the end. While the Rangers are young and inexperienced, they play a mostly disciplined game. The Knicks, when things fall apart at the end of the game, look like they're an 8-year-old playing basketball for the first time and their coach looks like Morris Buttermaker coaching the Chico Bail Bond Bears--before he sobered up. If the Knicks had a 15 point lead with 15 seconds left, I'd expect them to find a way to let Ray Allen drain 5 treys. It's gotten that bad.

Read more>>

Knicks Losses Getting More And More Painful, I Can't Take It Anymore

Unbelievable. Deja Vu all over again. In what has been the most painful sports week in recent memory the Knicks have somehow made fans feel as if they were tortured, escaped, recaptured, and tortured again in the same day. First Ray
Allen and now KG, this is ridiculous. And again the Knicks can't close out a game. Again they had a lead, again the Celtics come back, and as usual all systems shut down. This is maddening. Carmelo made the right play, the pass to Jeffries was on the money, and he somehow couldn't rotate his body towards the basket and finish, instead fumbling and allowing the ball to be recovered by KG. Great play by Garnett to shield his body from Bill Walker to get the timeout, but again another lapse by the Knicks. On the Celtics inbounds, with OVER 4 SECONDS TO PLAY, the Knicks don't put a guard on Delonte West. They stand there, and don't realize that the clock is winding down, and foul him with under a second left. Astounding. The Knicks could have gotten the ball back down 3 with 3 seconds left, plenty of time to try and get a good look. But no, as usual a lapse at the worst time. Again the Knicks were out of timeouts, again had the lead with just over 30 seconds to play, again got outsmarted, outcoached and outplayed in the end.

And who is to blame for this? Look no further then Mike D'Antoni. Both games he has been brutally outcoached from start to finish. How can a coach not be aware of the situation around him? How can a coach not tell his players to foul as soon as the ball is inbounded, with four seconds left? Only Mike D'Antoni can achieve that. It is incredible to me that the Knicks have had so many mental lapses, and plays Doc Rivers drew something up and the Celtics immediately went to town on the Knicks. I don't even care about the fact that he is a terrible defensive coach, but when you can't coach to the situation at the end of a game you don't serve a purpose.

But the worst part is that yet again, they played so well! Carmelo was off the charts, 42 points and 17 rebounds in one of his best games ever. He was just stunning for much of the second half, just putting the Knicks on his back with tons of incredible shots. Again the Knicks played great defense, and just got out everythinged in the last 30 seconds. Even without STAT the Knicks stuck with them and took a lead, only to see it vanish like the mirage that very well could be the Knicks 2-0 series lead.

Now the series shifts back to New York, where fans are left crushed by the events in Boston. The Celtics are taking on a Reggie Miller against the Knicks persona, and it is terrible to witness. The Knicks have to win the next 2, but at this point I don't want to look that far ahead. Just lead by more then 20 with 37 seconds left, and then I might breath easier.

Knicks Show Flashes, But Tough Loss Makes Playoffs An Uphill Battle

The ball hung in the air for what seemed like hours, released from the old pro who had came up clutch hundreds of times before. The Knicks battled, playing one of their most complete games all year, but this one will still be the one that got away. As Ray Allen's three whistled through, and Carmelo Anthony's prayer (Why didn't he drive!!???) went unanswered, the Celtics survived, in a loss that certainly leaves the Knicks playoff hopes much bleaker then they looked with 30 seconds left in the 4th.

The way the Knicks dominated for much of the first half, and then withstood a Celtics assault in the third, certainly gives Knicks fans hope for the rest of the series, but we may look back on the the final 37.3 seconds as those that eventually killed any chance of the Knicks advancing. It started inconspicuously enough, with Rondo throwing a beautiful lob to KG for the slam. But after a stupid offensive foul by Melo it was only a matter of time before Allen delivered the dagger into the hearts of Knicks fans everywhere.

In the end, unfortunetly, it came down to Melo. Anthony had a brutal night from the start, picking up a quick two fouls, and watching from the bench as the Knicks lead grew. Melo finished with 15 points and only 2-8 from behind the arc. The Knicks played together for the whole game but in crunch time, Anthony didn't give it to Stoudemire, instead opting to try to be the hero. This isn't the movies! Melo should have tried to penetrate to try and get an easier shot, he didn't need a three and with the time left on the clock should have definitely given it to STAT for a short jumper from the wing that he can knock with his eyes closed, as opposed to a 30 foot, double teamed, chuck.

The Knicks loss overshadows a stunning performance by Stoudemire. Amare was brilliant, with 28 points and 11 rebounds hitting difficult shot after difficult shot. If there is any way that the Knicks can come back and win this series, it will be with him, not Melo, taking the last shot. Amare's offensive performance was still not even as good as his defensive performance, and the Knicks team D as a whole. Having watched the Knicks give up easy buckets, and have maddening defensive lapses throughout much of the season, it was refreshing to watch them play sound defense for basically the whole game. Only a KG screen and a beautiful shot prevented a big win.

And in the end it was that shot, that sunk the Knicks and makes this series an uphill battle for the Knicks. While this loss hurts New York must be able to respond on Tuesday, it should be interesting to see if the Knicks can recover from such a tough loss. The loss of Billups kills as New York will have to go with inexperienced guards for game 2, assuming Chauncey is out for that long. Now it's a one game season for the Knicks, and with this tough loss it could be a full year before they get as good a chance to take the lead in a playoff series.

View From The Seats: UConn Championship Parade

This afternoon, Elissa and I joined approximately 75,000 fans on the streets of downtown Hartford to watch the parade and rally celebrating UConn's national championship.  Here are some pictures of the festivities.  Go Huskies!

Jonathan the Husky leading the way!

Coach Jim Calhoun at the front of the bus.

Kemba Walker is sitting down above the "U"

Kemba, Shabazz, Alex, Chuck & Co.

A Standing O: Schwartzel, Landis & Anthony etc.

Alex O is back with some thoughts on a little bit of everything from the Masters to the Knickerbockers with a little baseball in between. Some great notes in there from Alex who I have to apologize for posting this a day late (which is why some of the dates look funny). But it doesn't mean this Standing O is any less awesome. Enjoy!

The Canadian Press

---------------
You gotta love the Masters! I think it is even greater when a relatively unknown player wins it coming from behind. Charl (pronounced Sharl--- I never would have guessed that) Schwartzel, a 26 year old from South Africa won the Masters 50 years after Gary Player (also from South Africa) became the first International player to win the tournament. He was also the first player to win while making 4 birdies in the last 4 holes. It is always awesome to see someone win rather than the others lose. Schwartzel qualified for the Masters by being top 50 in the year end 2010 world rankings. He has been a pro on the European tour for 7 years and in 2011 has his PGA Tour Card. Pretty cool little story below from the AP:

Schwartzel had played in only one previous Masters — he tied for 30th a year ago — but he got a very helpful tutorial from a guy who's won more green jackets than anyone.

After finagling a lunch with six-time winner Jack Nicklaus at a charity function, he deftly broke the ice with one of their shared interests beyond the golf course.
"I've never met Jack. I was really excited," Schwartzel recalled. "I knew he sort of liked hunting a little bit. That's the way I got the conversation going, just by talking about hunting."

Of course, the talk soon turned to Augusta National.

And, boy, did the Golden Bear open up.

"I'm thinking it's going to be just a vaguely quick little thing, and he actually took the time to take me through all 18 holes," Schwartzel said. "The way he used to think around Augusta. The way he used to play it, which flags he used to attack."

Read more>>

Reliving My Memory of the 2003 ALCS Game 7

Right now MLB Network is airing their 20 Greatest Games series with #6. The game? 2003 ALCS Game 7, the Aaron Boone walk-off game. I'm currently on a bus on my way back from--of all places--Boston so I will be watching it later on Tivo. But while any mention of that game brings a smile to my face, it's about time that I relived the memory of that game on NYaT.

Victory!

I'm not sure there was ever a game in my entire life that had the up-and-down emotion of this game. Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals as a Rangers fan was close (and the recent comeback against the Bruins by the Rangers brought those emotions back in a bid way). But regardless of how emotional this game was, it was so much more emotional for me. I was a sophomore at Brandeis University. Brandeis is in Waltham, Massachusetts, a close suburb of Boston. Many of my school-mates were Red Sox fans and I had just started doing a radio show with Ben W and Jay which was full of Red Sox callers wanting to tell us how the Sawks were going to kick the Yankees butts all over the place.

I decided to go watch Game 7 with a mixed group of people. Mixed as in some Yankees fans, some Red Sox fans and some agnostics. I stayed about 30 minutes as the Yankees early hole left the Red Sox fans arrogant and ready to celebrate. If the Yankees were going to do go down in 2003, I was going to be sitting in Jay and my room watching it sans "Red Sox Nation".

As soon as Jay and I got back to our room, the tide starting turning. I paced around the room as the Yankees slowly ate away at the Red Sox lead and when Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in, Jay and I were hopeful for the first time all night. There was a chance. We couldn't sit, we couldn't stand still...we could hardly even watch.

And then Jorge Posada's hit fell and we went nuts. Like nuts-nuts. Like the type of nuts that make your college neighbors really mad at you.

Read more>>

View from the Seats: Yanks vs Sox at Fenway

I'm here at the "musical little bandbox", Fenway Park in Boston, MA to see the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are leading 7-4 here in the bottom of the 5th.

I'm sitting in Infield Grandstand 21 today and except for the stupid pole in my way and seats that aren't exactly comfortable, these are really nice seats.

The Red Sox have a great system in place where they provide an area for scalper-free resale of tickets. So if you want to make sure you get legit tickets, this is the way to do it as they scan the tickets to make sure before offering them to you at face.

Now on to the game so far. Curtis Granderson had his second homer of the season (both off lefties amazingly) and Russell Martin connected as well to give the Yankees 5 runs in the past two innings. But the Red Sox are chipping away against Ivan Nova and trying to come closer.

The Yankees are trying to hold on and even the series while the Sawks are trying to get their second win of the season.

-Andrew

NYaT Roundtable: Belated 2011 National League Picks

And I thought I was behind with the American League picks. These are even further behind. Luckily, all the picks were done before the season started so while some of them will sound funny now, they are still genuine expert picks. Well "expert". Because, as we saw from the American League, some of our predictions are already not working out. Here's what we think about the NL:

NYaT writers think that Doc Halladay's Phillies will take it all (Star-Ledger)

NL East

Ben W: When a team's starting pitching is as good as the Phillies' staff is, it's hard not to predict them as division winners. I understand that there are questions about their bullpen and their lineup, but their 1-4 starters are just too good. Braves will be a close second. Don't count out the Marlins either. They have good, young starting pitching and Mike Stanton is gonna be a superstar. Mets might improve marginally. Nationals got Jayson Werth but still won't contend. Phillies.

Ben P: The Phillies probably have the best rotation I've ever seen and their lineup isn't too shabby either. Can anyone beat this team? The Braves have a lot of young talent and will probably take the wild card. Florida and the Mets both seem like 500 teams. Both have more questions than answers on their rosters but Florida's pitching and the Mets lineup will make them competitive. The Nationals simply don't have the pitching to compete and have a few too many Zimmermans for my taste. Phillies.

Jay: I realize the Phillies' offense is aging and that Brad Lidge is injured, but the starting pitching is just too strong. I think the Braves, backed by Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, Martin Prado, and the newly acquired Dan Uggla give them a run for their money, but fall a game or two short. Phillies.

Alex O: Let’s go with another surprise pick and not pick the Phillies--- who start season banged up. I am going with Hotlanta. Heyward has a breakout year and the Braves surprise most with a division title. Braves.

Andrew: I'm going to side with Alex and pick the Braves. Although the Braves rotation isn't as good as the Phillies, their bullpen and lineup are better and I think they find a way to overtake them this year. I said that last year as well and look what happened, but I think the maturation of their youth and Dan Uggla make the difference in Atlanta. The Marlins will be around .500 and the Mets will be just under. The Nats are going to be more competitive than most people think and may actually not finish last Braves.

Read more>>

UConn-Yankees Ticket Offer @ Yankee Stadium

On Wednesday, April 13, the Yankees will be honoring the 2011 NCAA Basketball Champion UConn Huskies.  There will be an on-the-field pregame ceremony, and Kemba Walker will throw out the first pitch.  The actual Yankees game against the Baltimore Orioles will begin at 7:05 p.m.

Here's the kicker for all the fans: use the promo code "UCONN" and get $5 tickets in the Main Level Outfield, Terrace Level Outfield, Grandstand Level and Bleachers seats.  Not a bad deal.

So come on, UConn Country, show up to cheer on your Huskies.  Besides, the sagging attendance figures at Yankee Stadium could use your help!

Fun With Sports Law: Video Game Edition

Have you bought a new copy of Madden or NCAA Football since 2005?  If so, you stand to make some free money.  A couple of dudes from California filed an class action antitrust lawsuit against EA Sports, the company that produces these two video games.

Unlike the famous American Needle case, where the plaintiff was a small family-owned company that got squeezed out of the football merchandise industry by the NFL's exclusive licensing agreement with Reebok, these two gentlemen claim that the NFL's exclusive agreement with EA Sports resulted in a higher video game price for consumers.  They may or may not win (depending on the outcome of the rule of reason test) but all sports fans should thank American Needle for preserving their opportunity to win.  Had American Needle lost its case at the Supreme Court, professional sports leagues would have had free reign to exclusively license anything it wanted to anybody at all.  Imagine $50 baseball caps, $125 video games, and $800 Sunday Ticket.  Not a pretty sight.

At this point, you're probably thinking, "You said something about free money?"  Right.  If you bought a new copy of Madden or NCAA Football since January 1, 2005, you are automatically a member of the class action lawsuit.  And if you're a class member, it's probably best to do nothing.**  The only real advantage of opting out of the class (rather than staying in) is being able to file your own antitrust lawsuit against EA Sports on the same grounds.  I don't expect many of you to go that route.

So, assuming you remain in the class by doing nothing, a small army of lawyers will represent you and the literally millions of other plaintiffs around the country.  In a few years, the case will probably settle, and the court will probably approve the settlement.  How much do you stand to "earn?"  Well, suppose it settles for $20 million.  The attorneys will get their twenty-five percent cut, or $5 million.  That leaves $15 million for roughly 10 million video game owners.  You can expect to receive a compensation check for $1.63 in ohhh, I don't know, about four years.  Isn't the American legal system just the best?!

**In no way does this constitute legal advice. If you're seeking legal advice on this matter, you should consult an attorney licensed in the jurisdiction in which you reside.

For your convenience, here is a copy of the email that our own Andrew Katz forwarded me last night:

Read more>>

Russell's Mea Culpa: Biteless Bulldogs Lack Fight, and Now I'm Eating Humble Pie

After Russell picked the Butler Bulldogs to take the NCAA Championship Game, we knew that he would be back here with his tail between his legs to let us know why he was wrong. Here's what Russell had to say:

Like the Butler Bulldogs, Russell is upset by the finale (Arbiter)

---------
Throughout the history of sports there have been dozens of ridiculous statements made by athletes. From Pete Rose "I did not bet on baseball" to Rafael Palmeiro "I did not take steroids period" as well as the myriad guarantees made by athletes that, in retrospect were total nonsense. Well after the the national championship game last night we may need to add my "They may be underdogs, but Butler will be Top Dogs on Monday" to that illustrious list. I believed in Brad Stevens, I believed in Matt Howard, I believed in the Butler defense, and now I believe I will be served humble pie at lunch for the next week.

In what was easily the most painful championship game to watch possibly ever, Butler battled early before folding like a cheap tent. But as UConn settled down the Bulldogs just got more frazzled, shooting heavily contested long jumpers that only contributed to scoring droughts that seemed to last almost as long as my Physics class. A team renowned for their defense and hustle did some of that, but their inability to score was truly astounding. Butler missed 22 out of 23 shots in the start of the second half! It was one of the most atrocious offensive performances in the history of basketball, and they picked a heck of a night to do it. Butler shot 18.8% from the field. Butler shot 3-31 from inside the paint with no points inside in the entire first half! Yes the Huskies big men were solid but this reflects badly on Butler not well on UConn's D. The Bulldogs got open looks, they had layups that rolled around and dropped out, they had good looks at the basket, but just couldn't get anything to drop.

Read more>>

Was Cashman Right?

Brian Cashman has recently re-entered the spotlight for his comments regarding reliever Pedro Feliciano.  In reference to Feliciano's workload while pitching for the Mets, Cashman called the team's usage of him "abusive," sparking an exchange of words between Cashman, Mets Pitching Coach Dan Warthen, and Feliciano himself.  While Cashman may have been out of line in taking such a public stance, it also furthers one's respect of Cashman for his brutal honestly.  In a city where anything but a token PR response generates controversy, Cashman has never shied away from the truth, regardless of what kind of drama his words may generate.  Whether or not we agree with his opinions is another issue entirely.

This past offseason, Cashman was heavily criticized for not acquiring a front-line starting pitcher after failing to sign Cliff Lee.  Rather, he turned to low risk options Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, signing them to minor league deals.  He was even in talks to bring back hated ex-Yankee Carl Pavano.  Yankee ownership and top brass, not satisfied with Cashman's work, decided to improve the club by signing closer Rafael Soriano to an overpriced contract to pitch the 8th inning ahead of Mariano Rivera.  Cashman, who has usually been of the opinion that the club can build the bullpen from within, was quite frank when asked about the signing, stating that he was opposed to the signing and that he had made this opinion well known to Yankee ownership.

Read more>>

Review: "Lights Out"

Patrick "Lights" Leary  (Credit: FX)

What better way to help put the "T" back in NYaT than by reviewing "Lights Out," the boxing drama that just finished its first season on FX?  Although I'm a little revved up, having watched the finale just a few minutes ago, I'll try my best to see the forest among the trees.  But if you watched along with me, I think you'll understand how difficult that might be.  Here we go.

I'll start by saying that "Lights Out" is the only fictional sports show on TV right now.  Gone are the days of Playmakers, Friday Night Lights, and Arli$$.  FX somehow stands alone in the sports niche, which I find amazing.  Think about how many successful sports films -- not just comedies, but dramas too -- are produced every year.  From Invictus to Seabiscuit to Million Dollar Baby, sports movies are all over Hollywood.  So how and why has the small screen abandoned the genre?  And how did FX beat every other network to the punch (get it?) by creating a very, very good boxing drama?

For the purpose of this review, the answers to these questions are irrelevant.  I'll let the TV executives figure it out.  I just hope that some other networks meet the obvious demand for good original sports programming.  While they're at it, why not get rid of some of the lousy reality shows that are clogging up the evening hours?  Does America really need another weight loss show?  Viewers can already choose from the following options: Biggest Loser, Celebrity Fit Club, I Used To Be Fat, HEAVY, and Shedding for the Wedding.  Six shows about fat people...six!  I know that people secretly like these shows because they feel better about themselves after watching even fatter people on TV, but come on.  We need to encourage the networks to invest more in quality original sports programming like Lights Out.  Attention all executives -- follow FX's lead.  Here's what they did well.

Read more>>

A Video Tribute To The 2010-11 UConn Huskies

Here is a great 2 1/2 minute clip about UConn's incredible and unlikely run to the 2011 NCAA championship, narrated by the extremely underrated Rece Davis.



And here is the official 2011 "One Shining Moment" clip, set to the soulful sounds of Luther Vandross.



Once again, hats off to the UConn Huskies -- 2011 NCAA champs!

Best In Show: UConn Huskies Defeat Butler Bulldogs To Win 3rd NCAA Championship

UConn Huskies: 2011 NCAA Champs!  (Credit: Hartford Courant)

Five months ago, who saw this coming?  Not Sports Illustrated, which didn't put UConn in its preseason bracket of 68.  Not the Big East coaches, who predicted that UConn would finish 10th in conference play.  Not even me, a lifelong Huskies fan -- I was just hoping we could avoid the NIT for a second straight year.

But these puppy Huskies, led by embattled head coach Jim Calhoun and transcendent superstar Kemba Walker, believed they could be something special.  It was just a matter of harnessing young talent, balancing strengths (defense, speed, Kemba) with weaknesses (penetrating the zone, inexperience, shallow bench).  After a strong start (17-2) the team cooled off (4-7 down the stretch), and the question became: could they put together a sustained run in the postseason?  Well, now we know.

Without further ado, let's take a look at how UConn won tonight and where the program will go from here...

Read more>>

View From The Seats: Tigers at Yankees

I'm back with my 2011 Season debut of the View From The Seats, from 431A (my weekend plan). The Yankees have the chance to go for the sweep today but right now are trailing 9-6.

This was not a good start for Phil Hughes who picked up where he left off last season with the inability to finish off hitters and--at least according the radar at The Stadium--decreased velocity. Bartolo Colon has not been much better in his Yankees debut.

The bats have tried to bring the Yankees back as the "New Yankee Stadium Wind Tunnel" has returned today, highlighted by two blasts from Jorge Posada and Mark Teixiera's third homer in three games. The problem is that everytime the Yankees have put up a crooked number, the Tigers have answered back.

Three innings left for the comeback as the Yankees go for the sweep in the big ballpark in the Bronx.

-Andrew

Underdogs As Usual The Bulldogs Will Be Top-Dogs On Monday

It’s David VS Goliath all over again, two teams, near opposites in every way battling it out to be national champions. For Butler, another chance avenge their loss in last years national championship game, for UConn, a chance to ride their star player all the way to the top. The grizzled coaching veteran with violations hanging over his head vs. the baby faced 33 year old coaching his second Final Four. Kemba vs. the physical Butler defense. It’s no easy decision picking a winner in this one, but here’s why Butler will be cutting down the nets on Monday Night.

Butler Wins Close Games

There average margin of victory if only 4.2 points and this Butler team knows how to get it done in the closing seconds. Their 2 point win over Old Dominion, 1 point win over Pitt, and 3 point win over Florida make last nights 8 point win over VCU look like a blowout. The Bulldogs keep their cool late in games and can get quick buckets from Howard and Mack if necessary. The Bulldogs have a ton of experience in late game situations in the tourney, which helps prevent them from making boneheaded plays a la Texas in late game situations. The Huskies have only been involved in two real close games, against Arizona and Kentucky, while the Bulldogs have multiple options down the stretch that should help them out late in Monday’s game.

Their Physical Team D Can Stop The Huskies

Tom Izzo said last year after the national semi-final that Butler was the most physical team the Spartans had played and that style has been on display throughout the tournament. Brad Stevens’s intense defense has played a huge role in getting Butler to the national championship game. Their rotations at the end of the VCU game were things of beauty, as the guards clamped down on Joey Rodriguez in the paint and won the game convincingly. While Kemba is certainly is a step up, Butlers team D can contain Walker. Their man defense is strong and you can bet Brad Stevens won’t be playing a lot of zone and letting Walker stroll around the three point line. Butler can force Walker to take tough long jump shots, which he isn’t as strong at as his running drives to the lane. If they can keep Walker on the perimeter Butler should be able to win on Monday.

They Too Have A Star

While he’s no Kemba, Matt Howard is also a dominant offensive player, and his physicality on the defensive end has made him one of the best players in the tournament. Howard leads the team in points and rebounds, and gives Butler a great chance in beating the Huskies. He can make big shots (Old Dominion) and timely buckets (The rebound put back that helped seal the deal against VCU). He’ll probably be guarded early on by Roscoe Smith, who is 6-8 but certainly lacks the speed to keep up with Howard. Howard gets rebounds and scores, and butler should win if he goes off for a big game.

Brad Stevens Will Lead The Way

While Jim Calhoun has the luxury of having Kemba Walker, Butler relies way more on strategy and set plays to win which should bode well for them in the championship game. If Walker is contained Calhoun doesn’t have a lot of options while Butler is well prepared for basically any scenario. Stevens is certainly a big game coach, and Monday should be a shining moment for one of the games best coaches.

NYaT Roundtable: Belated 2011 American League Picks

I know, I know, we're behind schedule, but on the first Saturday of the season, I felt it was a good time to make sure that I got up all of our baseball picks. I mean with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver back to ruining my baseball experience, I thought there would be no better time to distract me. We'll start with the American League with the National League hopefully coming tomorrow. Here's the NYaT picks, which come with a no-money-back guarantee (these were all done before Thursday):

NYaT bloggers think that A-Gone is the key for the Sox (CBS)

AL East

Ben W: Baseball's toughest division got tougher. No one team in the division can be taken lightly. Toronto has a young, but talented rotation. The Orioles should continue to improve as they did during the second-half of last year. The Rays also sport a young, but talented pitching staff. And then there are the Yankees and the Red Sox. The Red Sox clearly improved their offense and it is more than on par with the Yankees. I give the Red Sox the edge for the division because they are more established with their #2 starter. Red Sox.

Ben P: Maybe I'm a homer, but I think the Yankees are just as good as Boston. Both rotations have question marks, but I think the yanks have a deeper offense and a better bullpen, so I'll pick them to take it. The Sox will take the wild card. The Rays lost too much to compete at the same level but they still have a lot of youth and talent and will be hard to beat if their young pitching comes through. The Blue Jays and Orioles are also improved teams. It will be very hard for any team in this division to get 95 wins. Yankees.

Jay: Let's face it - Boston has a deeper starting rotation than New York. And they significantly upgraded their offense and defense by acquiring Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. Meanwhile, the Rays lost too many weapons in the offseason and the Yankees have too many holes in their starting rotation -- Nova/Garcia/Colon aren't going to get it done in the Bronx. The Red Sox smell like division champs with a shot at 100 wins. Red Sox.

Alex O: Gotta start here. Boston improved and is getting healthy but they also have an older Papi, and their starters are no more of a sure thing than the Yankees. Yanks have some good young blood in Montero and Banuelos to keep the old guard energized. I think Jeter will have a year closer to 2009 than 2010, but still hope Girardi has the stones to bat him second and lead off Gardner. Comparing Yankees and Red Sox I think starters (slight edge to Sox) and bullpen (slight edge to Yanks with Soriano addition and Paps not what he once was) are a wash. I give the line-up edge to the Yankees since I think their 3-4-5 of Tex, Arod, and Cano are best in mlb. Defense is not enough of a factor to change my mind that my very biased opinion is that the Yankees will win the AL East. An interesting side show will be watching Manny and Damon deal with Tampa---- I root for the rays since my folks live in that neck of the Earth, and wish TB all the best. Yankees.

Andrew: This is the Red Sox division to lose. They still need to be healthy and to get their starting pitching in order, but they acquired two of the best players in baseball this off-season and bolstered an already very good bullpen. But fortunately for the Yankees and Rays, divisions aren't won in the off-season. Unfortunately for the Yankees and Rays, they both have huge question marks on their teams--the Yankees in the back of their rotation and the Rays in the middle of their lineup. The Orioles pitching stinks but their hitting should be just as good as anyone in the AL East (I love Adam Jones to have a huge year) and the Blue Jays have a good young nucleus (H/T G-C). Since they almost won it last year even with all their injuries, I still think that this is the Red Sox division. Red Sox.

AL Central

Read more>>