ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!

Yes, yes I am. As word came down today that the lockout was over one could practically hear all of America breathe sighs of relief. The players association is very close to voting to end the lockout, start free agency, and get back to football as opposed to the legal drama that seemed like it would never end over the course of the last 130 plus days. Football is back, teams will soon be signing free agents and the world can get back to focusing on football, rather then focusing about what was going on in a conference room in Washington D.C.

As the terms of the lockout come to light, fans have seen happiness from both sides that the deal was done, but frankly from a fans perspective, I would rather this be totally behind everyone, today. I don't want to hear about when the NFL PA is going to vote, all I want to know is when free agency will start, when teams will report and when the season will start. Of course we will be inundated with useless chatter for the next day or so about how both sides are happy with the terms of the deal, and how Goodell and Smith are pure geniuses for putting together a deal that worked out for both sides, and I suppose, to some extent fans should be thankful to the guys who made the deal an actuality.

However the effort spent talking even more about the lockout is a waste, at this point, with the season on the brink of delay, one can't help but crave the useless football chatter of yesteryear. What with all this lockout chatter you forgot? You know, the endless speculation about which players will end up where, how your teams going to do this year, the quarterback battles and all the real football drama that makes the NFL pre season enticing for fans. For know we can go back to trash talking friends, making fantasy teams, and returning to the real NFL we all know and love. Are you ready for free agency, training camp, practices, a Rex Ryan super bowl guarantee, days spent in the bar, in the living room, or in the stadium parking lot? Are you ready for an end to the legal drama and a start to the gridiron drama? Are you ready for some Football? IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

Dallas Too Cold? Let's Do New York!

The Super Bowl is on the line. The kicker stands ready to kick the field goal to either win the game or lose it. The crowd stands breathless, waiting to see if the Super Bowl will end 5-3 or 6-5. It's snowing again at New Meadowlands Stadium, more than a foot now, and the temperature has dipped below 15 degrees. The snap, spot, and the hold is botched in the snow, game over. While this is the NFL's worst nightmare it could very well be a reality since the 2014 Super Bowl will be played in East Rutherford New Jersey, in February, at night. Considering the Winter that the tri-state area has had this year, it is mind boggling to consider that a Super Bowl will be played here. Here's why this is a bad idea...

It Is Bone Chillingly Cold At New Meadowlands Stadium In February

The weather tonight at 6 p.m. at the home of Super Bowl 48 is a balmy 38 degrees, windchill 33, with a 90% chance of rain. Are you ready for some football!?!? While the organizers of Super Bowl 48 will tell fans to "Bring your coats" they are dreaming. Having been to dozens of Jets games in January they should be telling fans "Bring your under armour, turtleneck, long sleeve shirt, fleece jacket, winter coat, ski mask, winter hat, 2 pairs of gloves, long johns, sweatpants, winter pants, 2 pairs of wool socks, and winter boots. Considering what it costs to go to the Super Bowl it is ridiculous to pay that money and freeze, outside.

The Weather, And The Stadium Will Affect Play

Even if it doesn't snow the elements will still have a major role in the game. Just as the old stadium was New Meadowlands Stadium is a proverbial wind tunnel. At times kicking and punting can be downright impossible, I wouldn't feel confident in any kick over 45 yards. This isn't what the Super Bowl should be about. It should be two great teams, with an even playing field playing for the Lombardi trophy. Playing at New Meadowlands Stadium is advantageous to teams with strong running games, as throwing can be very difficult with the intense cold and wind. The team that wins the coin toss will have a huge advantage since they could possibly determine whether the kick to win the Super Bowl will be going into a 25 MPH wind, or against it. That's unfair.

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A Look at the Giants: Giants Could Clinch a Playoff Spot This Week

Towards the end of the NFL season I always check out CBS Sportsline's Clinching/Eliminating scenarios for the week. I was shocked today to see the Giants appear on the list as one of the teams that could clinch a spot this week (this was especially true after playing around with ESPN's awesome Playoff Machine and finding out there are scenarios that the Giants could win 11 games and not make the playoffs). So there's a chance the Steve Smith-less Giants we talked about earlier could find their way into the postseason in Week 15. Here's the scenario:

Mario Manningham and the Giants could clinch a spot (MSNBC)

NY Giants clinch a playoff spot:
1) NYG win + CHI loss + GB loss + TB loss + NYG clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Tampa Bay

Ok, simple enough, right? Well...no.

NOTE: The explanation of the NYG tiebreaker is as follows:
If CHI and GB both lose, then if GB finishes 10-6 they win the North (beat CHI h2h in Wk 17 and would split h2h, finish tied in division and common opponents and would have better conference record because CHI would be losing to MIN this week). So since CHI could not finish ahead of NYG in tiebreaker with a h2h loss and at best 7-5 conference record, that would mean three teams in South would have to beat out Giants -- and if Giants clinch SOV over TB that would be impossible

And...the WORST CASE SCENARIO for NYG is a tie in strength of victory (SOV) tiebreaker with TB.

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A Look at the Giants: Giants Tested By Injuries Headed Into Eagles Matchup

The Giants had Steve Smith back for one catch. That catch ended his season. Before the most important game of the season, the Giants learned they were going to have to go without Steve Smith, their top 3rd down possession receiver for not only the upcoming game against the Eagles, but for the entire year. So the Giants, who have also lost wide receivers Ramses Barden, Victor Cruz, and Domenik Hixon to injured reserve and have Mario Manningham questionable for Sunday with a hip flexor will once again have to dip into the well to find replacements.

Manning will be without Steve Smith the rest of the season (ESPN)

It seems that's when the Giants perform best.

In 2007 the Giants lost Mathias Kiwanuka and Jeremy Shockey during the season and had Justin Tuck and Kevin Boss step up for them. This season they lost fullback Madison Hedgecock and had former tight end Bear Pascoe step into the role and perform brilliantly. They lost Kiwanuka again and Jason Pierre-Paul has emerged. When Smith and Manningham went down for a few weeks Derek Hagan came off his couch to play a huge role. Now they will have to find a way to adjust to the loss of Smith (and Clint Sintim who they also placed on injured reserve).

In 2008 the Giants lost Plaxico Burress and played the Eagles at home right after--but lost and never seemed to recover. The hope is that in 2010 they've learned from that and can find a way to win. The Giants still have two deep-play threats in Hakeem Nicks and Manningham and while winning that battle is what wins games, they will miss Smith as a third-down target. Hagan and Boss will certainly be looked at to help fill that role. You love to see a guy like Manningham playing through the pain and promising his teammates he'll be out there. That's what drives a team.

One huge positive for the Giants is that their patch-work offensive line is starting get healthy with Shaun O'Hara expected back soon. Although the backups played admirably, I think a rested veteran line down the stretch will be huge for the Giants--especially as they've just gotten then run game really going. On Monday night both Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw topped 100 yards for the first time since...2007 (sense the theme?).

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A Look at the Giants: Why the Metrodome Roof Collapse is Good for Week 14

Usually a huge snowstorm that collapses an entire dome and leaves one team stranded hundreds of miles away isn't a good thing for anyone involved. Questions were asked whether this game would be moved to the University of Minnesota outdoor field (which would have never worked because the Giants didn't bring their cold-weather gear with them and the college field would supposedly take a week to be ready), New Orleans, Indianapolis, or Detroit. But with no one reportedly injured in the Metrodome (or is it Mall of America Field?) roof collapse and the game now reportedly being moved to Monday night at 7:20 PM EST at Detroit's Ford Field (according to ESPN), the Giants look like the big winners in this situation.

Eli Manning and Big Blue have been stuck in KC

Eli Manning never plays well against the Vikings but playing in Minnesota against the Vikings at the Metrodome--one of the best home-field advantage fields in the NFL--would have been a tough match-up for his audible-heavy system. Now Manning and the Giants get to go to a neutral field for an away game which certainly swings the game in their favor. Now, think about all the injured guys around Manning who get one more day of rest: David Diehl, Hakeem Nicks, and Steve Smith. A day and a half more rest can only be good for that trio.

On the Vikings side, this also means that Brett Favre gets a chance to be healthy enough to play. According to Favre, he would not have been able to play had this game been played at 1 PM on Sunday--but thinks he'll be able to go with the extra rest. This keeps his streak alive but it also means that the Vikings will have a QB who won't be 100% healthy. Although the New York Post may be a little over the top saying that "the Giants should be doing somersaults in celebration", I think that Favre on the field swings the advantage back to the Giants. The Vikings have a ton of talent, but the Giants would seem to be better equipped to deal with their offense with Favre slinging the ball under center.

When the Giants may be hurting because of this scheduling change is in Week 15. With the most important game of the season to be played at home against the Eagles next week, the last thing the Giants needed was a short week to prepare for the battle for the NFC East. Now they'll have to worry about the Vikings while simultaneously getting ready to play Michael Vick. But one of the things they won't have to deal with? The Metrodome noise which is certainly going to be a plus for Week 14.

A Look at the Giants: Black and (Big) Blue

8-4. That's a pretty good place for this Giants team to be considering they started 1-2, have suffered through a ridiculous amount of injuries on the offensive end, and looked to be dead at halftime of the Jaguars game two weeks ago. Now, with a game coming up against the Vikings this week followed by a home game against the Eagles next week, the Giants have to be eying a division win. But while it's fun to look ahead, let's take a look back at this big Giants drubbing of the Redskins.

Brandon Jacobs had the Giants off to the races Sunday (NYT)

It's a bad idea to judge a team right after playing the Washington Redskins, but with all the Giants injuries, it was impressive to see how they methodically worked their gameplan on offense. Brandon Jacobs got 8 touches for 103 yards and two TDs (I don't have a problem resting him at the end of the game...Jacobs' biggest issue is he gets run down from so much physical running) and Bradshaw carried 25 times for 97 yards and a pair of TDs (getting him to 1,000 yards on the season). The most important part for me about the early run success is it allowed the Giants to start fast for the first time all season.

Derek Hagan has filled in fantastically at wide receiver catching eight tough passes on Sunday for 65 yards. Rich Seubert has adjusted to playing center so well that not only is he not a liability, but if you look at most of those Giants runs, Kevin Gilbride was running his backs right up the middle with Seubert--and the guards Chris Snee and Kevin Boothe--leading the way. Bear Pascoe has been awesome as well, having to fill in at fullback and not only throwing "some hellacious blocks", but proving to be a viable passing option as well coming out of the backfield (and with Kevin Boss and Travis Beckham gives the Giants three legit passing TEs). And on special teams Danny/D.J. Ware gave them a legit kickoff return man (can we just cut Darius Reynaud at this point?) while former Redskin Devin Thomas had a superb game on special teams with the triumvirate of a big tackle, punt downed inside the 5 and a blocked punt.

But while the offense was impressive, let's not forget what the defense did: 6 turnovers--and it could have been two more if Deon Grant had held on to an easy interception or pounced on a fumble he had his hands on. When Mathias Kiwanuka went down with a season-ending neck injury, the Giants looked to be in trouble but Jason Pierre-Paul (like Justin Tuck when Kiwi went down in 2007) has stepped up big time. Two more sacks for Pierre-Paul after two last week to go along with a forced fumble, a defended pass and a fumble recovery. He seems to be motivated by teammates and coaches challenging him. And the man plays special teams with speed that is usually reserved for guys half his size.

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A Look at the Giants: Eagles Flying High Heading Into Giants Match-up

In an episode of Season 5 of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Charlie, Mac and Dennis debate the merits of being "birdmen". These are sort of like eagles, but as the song they end up singing states "'Cuz we're birds of war now, but we're also men!" In some ways, this is Michael Vick too. As an Eagle he's been  a bird (attacking through the air) as well as a man (attacking on the ground). It is with that convoluted story that I bring you to the greatest challenge for the Giants defense: how to contain Michael Vick.

The Giants want to see Vick on the ground a lot Sunday (SI)

Justin Tuck tells SI's Peter King that the Giants gameplan is to pressure Vick. After watching Vick pick apart a passive Redskins defense, the Giants have decided to disrupt Vick's timing which makes a ton of sense. I think with Vick's ability now to be a pocket passer (and also the fact that the Eagles very wisely play Vick out of shotgun to keep him away from the line) makes him too dangerous to just sit in the pocket. When Vick was with the Falcons, the Giants would basically allow Vick to run around the pocket with a "shadow" designed to watch him from the linebacking position. With Vick's passing ability, you can't do that anymore. Especially not with the Giants' serious issues on deep throws.

The real issue for the G-men on Sunday may actually not be Vick--it may be themselves. Already with injuries at the offensive line and wide receiver, the Giants saw Ramses Barden hit Injured Reserve and now Shawn Andrews isn't even a definite for Sunday. If Andrews can't go, Will Beatty will get the start at left tackle with Kevin Boothe at left guard. This normally wouldn't be such an issue if Eli Manning had his best short yardage receiver, Steve Smith, to go to. But with Smith out until at least early December, Manning will have to find some way to gain time to throw the ball (more tight end sets? more shotgun? more bootlegs? more playaction?). Or the Giants will have to win the game on the ground with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs leading the way to victory.

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A Look at the Giants: The Dreaded Coughlin Trap Game Bites the Giants...Again

Yesterday's Giants game had all the makings of a trap game: a bad team that just fired its coach, a Giants team with a few key injuries, no one giving the opposition a chance to win the game, and, most importantly, a big match-up coming up the next game that the Giants were looking forward to and maybe looking past their current game. Every year under Tom Coughlin the Giants seem to play one of these games. For a coach who is supposed to be a disciplinarian who keeps his troops focused, this seems like it never should happen. But yesterday afternoon, as the power went out at New Meadowlands Stadium, the power went out of the Giants. Let's take a look at the trap games losses throughout the years under Coughlin:

A big Eli Manning INT again led to a Giants "trap game" loss (Star-Ledger)

Nov 14, 2010 (Week 10): Dallas Cowboys at Giants. The Giants had spoiled the home opener of the Cowboys in their new stadium and then had walloped them a few weeks ago. You knew that the Cowboys were going to come in and play with a purpose (so you thought maybe the Cowboys would cover the 14-point spread). But a 13-point win marred by a ton of Giants mistakes and 3 key turnovers? Awful. The Giants had plenty of chances to get back in this game and instead gave up long 3rd down gains, had a huge touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks overturned because of a penalty, threw a 101-yard Pick 6 after first down at the 1, and generally looked like, well, the Cowboys of the past few weeks (the Cowboys have the 4th-worst defense and point differential in the NFL). With the Eagles looming on the schedule, the Giants were definitely looking ahead to that game and totally underestimated their opponent. The Giants are now going from a possible 1st round bye to possibly having to fight for their playoff lives in a span of one week. Trap game, indeed.

Nov 26, 2009 (Week 12): Giants at Denver Broncos. The Broncos had lost 4 in a row and looked totally lost when the Giants came in town having just won a huge post-bye week game against the Falcons but had a quick turnaround to play a Thursday night game only 4 days later against the Broncos. With Dallas coming next, the Giants got caught looking ahead once again as they fell behind 16-0 and were unable to recover. The Giants committed three turnovers including a costly fumble by Eli Manning in the 4th Quarter to seal the deal for the Broncos. The Giants got killed on the ground game with Brandon Jacobs and Danny Ware sharing the rushing lead with only 27 yards. The Giants defense continued to get slaughtered as they would finish the season giving up the 3rd-most point in the NFL (26.7 per game). The Broncos finished the season 8-8 and the Giants missed a golden opportunity to win a game and have a chance at a playoff berth.

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A Look at the Giants: New York at Seattle

For the rest of the NFL season one of us who are fans of Big Blue will be providing you a mini-preview of the Giants game coming up on the Friday before. Now as we say Bye-Bye Bye (week), the 5-2 Giants head up to the great Northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks, a team coming off a drubbing. Here's what I see:

Pierre-Paul and the Giants D are looking to stop the 'Hawks (WSJ)

The Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning Giants don't play well in Seattle. In 2005 the Giants went into Seattle and lost in OT. A year later the Giants got the tar beaten out of them (the score made it look a lot better than it was as the Giants reeled off 27 4th Quarter point in garbage time). The Giants head into Seattle again with Eli Manning at the helm and this time, they're hoping for better results. But with a Seattle crowd to disrupt Manning (who is always dangerously close to an expiring play-clock), a careless manner to their recent play, and the Giants special teams in disarray, can they win a very winnable game and take down the 'Hawks?

The 2010 Seattle Seahawks have been easy to bet: beasts at home (thanks to a league-high 99 false starts since 2005) and brutal on the road.  But this is a different level of home game. A quick look at ESPN's Power Rankings from the time that Coughlin took over in 2004 shows that most of the Giants teams he's coached have peaked around this time of the season (except for the disaster that was last year). This Giants team is no exception with Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks providing a QB/RB/WR combination as good as any Giants team and a defense that has stepped it up, especially Defensive Player of the Month, Osi Umenyiora and improved rookie Jason Pierre-Paul. It's usually bad news, however, when people start picking the Giants for the Super Bowl.

So what happens on Sunday? The Giants need to control first downs on both sides of the ball as well as they have so far this season--which can be a natural noise reducer--but they need to find a way to stop Leon Washington from killing them on special teams. With a much healthier Giants team (only missing their center, Shaun O'Hara with the dreaded Lis Franc sprain) than the Seahawks (who are without their starting quarterback), this should be a blowout. But, alas, the Giants seem to be unable to blow any bad teams out this season, winning closer-than-needed-to-be games over Detroit and Dallas--and I see another one of those this week. My prediction: Giants 20 - Seattle 16. 

Bad News for the New York (Football) Giants: Kiwanuka May Be Out for the Season

"Indefinite" timelines for injuries are never a good thing, usually signaling that the end of the player's season is near. Giants' Mathias Kiwanuka reportedly got that news today as ESPN New York reports that the herniated cervical disk in his neck will send to him to Injured Reserve, ending his season. The Blue Screen wonders if this means the end of Kiwi's Giants career as well.

Mathias Kiwanuka is done for the season (Star-Ledger)

This is not good news for a Giants team that we discussed more fully earlier is a team with a great record, but is a team with holes. It's a really sad end for a guy who has showed so much promise as a Giant. Through the first three games, Kiwi had 4 sacks, leading the Giants team and was an extremely versatile player in Perry Fewell's new defense, playing end, linebacker and even tackle. He was "The Guy" on defense and looked to be in the middle of a monster season. It looked like he was willing to rehab and come back this season. And his willingness to be flexible could have been invaluable for the Giants going forward. But it was reported that after speaking to Antonio Pierce whose career ended after a similar injury, Kiwanuka realized it wasn't worth rushing back and risking further injury.

This isn't the first time that an injury has derailed one of Kiwi's seasons; in November of 2007 the Giants placed him on IR as well after fracturing his left fibula. The Giants would, of course, go on to win the Super Bowl that year without Kiwanuka. This year their depth will certainly be tested without his presence.

To replace Kiwi on the roster, the Giants will reportedly sign former Packer DB Will Blackmon who worked out for Big Blue yesterday. Why they wouldn't just cut the inept Darius Reynaud is mind boggling, but Blackmon at least gives them another (read: better) option at kick and punt returner. The G-men seemed to come into the season believing that D.J. Ware was going to be the kickoff returner and Aaron Ross was going to return punts until Reynaud showed up. It seems that Blackmon will now take over some of those duties.

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NYaT Roundtable: World Series Picks

We gave you our division series, ALCS, and NLCS picks but now it's time to figure out who is going to win the World Series. Here at NYaT, we didn't do well last round but we'll try to do better with the World Series which starts tonight. Here are our predictions:

Will the Giants pitch to Josh Hamilton in the World Series? (NYT)

Ari: "Texas hitting is just too strong. San Fran pitching behind the Freak has been iffy recently. The MVP will Hamilton if they pitch to him--potentially Cliff Lee if they don't." Rangers in 6 - Series MVP: Josh Hamilton

Ben P: "San Fran pitching is better than the Texas hitting" Giants in 7 - Series MVP: Pat Burrell

Ben W: "Tough choices here. No doubt in my mind it goes 7, since both teams have great starting pitching and strong bullpen arms. After Lincecum vs Lee, take your picks. I'd take Sanchez over Wilson and Cain over Lewis. But I'd also take Hamilton, Guerrero, and Cruz over Posey, Huff, and Burrell. My vote: pitching wins." Giants in 7 - Series MVP: Brian Wilson

Jay: "Just like last year, Cliff Lee will win his 2 starts. This should be a lower-scoring series than the ALCS, but the Texas lineup will score enough runs off Matt Cain and the fading Jonathan Sanchez to pull out the other 4 wins. Elvis Andrus will continue to harass the Giants by stealing 2nd and 3rd seemingly at will. Hamilton won't be walked every single trip to the plate, and he'll make San Fran pitchers pay when they finally pitch to him. Cody Ross will cool down but Buster Posey will shine on the biggest stage of them all. The ageless Vlad Guerrero will come up clutch one more time at some point, not unlike his line drive double in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Yankees." Rangers in 6 - Series MVP: Cliff "Soon to be a Yankee" Lee

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This Year's Giants Look a Lot Like Last Year's Giants

24 hours after the New York Giants buried the Cowboys in Dallas, Giants fans are elated. Another game over and another quarterback knocked out. Moore, Cutler, Collins, Hill, and Romo has become a personal injury firm of beaten down QBs (and in the age of putting every hit under a microscope, all of those hits were legal). The passing game looks lethal and the defense looks dominant. The Giants are 5-2 heading into their bye week, tied for first in the NFC, on top of the NFC East, and looking like one of the best teams in football.

Overcoming injuries like Kiwanuka's is a sign of a good team (Star-Ledger)

And it really doesn't feel too much different than last year.

At the quarter mark last year, the Giants were 4-0 and looked unstoppable. I predicted 11 wins, but Jay was more bold saying they were a 13-win team "at worse". Yeah, well, it was much worse. The injuries piled up. They got embarrassed on Monday Night Football to fall to 5-4. The Giants finally won their first game in 42 days and looked like they could jump right back into the playoff race. And then they laid down to end the season.

So what's different a year later? Well Big Blue has turned into "Jet Blue" and the Giants offense seems to be more in sync. Osi Umenyora is back as a defensive force and Perry Fewell's defenses are not just imaginative, they're effective. But although the defense has looked better, they still have allowed the opponents to stay in the game every game this season--a bad sign for a team that's supposed to go deep into the playoffs. They turnover the ball way too much and although Eli Manning is probably on his way to a Pro Bowl, he still makes decisions that make us all show our "Manning Face". The special teams is anything but special and actually has been the Giants biggest problem area. And let's not forget this team is less than a month away from calls for Tom Coughlin to be fired.

My thoughts? I think this is a playoff team, but the road there is not going to be easy. The Giants have a bye week at the worst possible time considering they're hot and they're healthy. They come back from the bye and go right to Seattle to play a Seahawks team who is very, very good at home, play Dallas at home in a very winnable game, and then they have to go to Philly for a very tough division match-up. After playing Jacksonville and Washington at home (again, two winnable games) the G-men's last 4 games will truly test their might as they play at Minnesota, host the Eagles, and then close at Green Bay and at Washington.

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NYaT Roundtable: National League Championship Series Picks

Well that was an exciting first round, eh? A no hitter, comeback wins, heroes, goats, umpire mistakes--everything. But now that we've gotten done with the first round, it's time to pick the pennant winners. We'll start today with the National League:

Will Halladay add an NLCS MVP to 2010? (ModBee)

Ben W: Phillies will win this series but the Giants will certainly be a bigger challenge than the Reds. The Phillies hitters will see much better starting pitching than they saw against the Reds and since their bats have been relatively cold, this series will be a challenge. However, don't be surprised if you see Roy Halladay start three times during this series. They will have to out-pitch the Giants to win this series, which will be difficult but they would be the favorites to do so. Phillies in 7 - Series MVP: Roy Halladay

Jay: Everyone seems to be on the Philly bandwagon right now. I'm not quite there yet. Everyone is raving about how dominant the Phillies' rotation is. Yes, Roy Halladay threw an amazing no-hitter, and yes, Cole Hamels was outstanding in Game 3. But Tim Lincecum (9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 14 K, 1 BB) and Jonathan Sanchez (7.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 11 K, 1 BB) were similarly dominant, albeit against Atlanta's weaker bats. So I don't see Philadelphia having a tremendous pitching advantage over San Francisco. I think Halladay will slightly edge out Lincecum in Game 1, but after that I just don't know. What I do know is that the Giants' offense (4 games, 28 hits, scored 8 earned runs), as much as it has been criticized, wasn't that much worse than the Phillies' offense in the LDS (3 games, 21 hits, scored 7 earned runs). So are the Phillies that much stronger offensively? I say no. But having home-field advantage, and 2-possibly-3 starts from Roy Halladay, gives the Phillies the edge in seven games. Phillies in 7 - Series MVP: Roy Halladay

Ben P: The Giants might be able to pitch with the Phillies but they certainly can't hit with them. Phillies in 5 - Series MVP: Jayson Werth

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NYaT Roundtable: Division Series Picks

The Yanks' bobblehead and I

As I walked through midtown today, I saw a giant Yankees and Phillies bobblehead right outside the Major League Baseball offices (the picture on the right). TBS was sponsoring it and it reminded me that they're back doing broadcasts (sans Chip Caray) and playoff baseball is back. We're also back here at NYaT to give our picks (and quick thoughts) about the division series starting this afternoon:

New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins

Jay: "Yankee pitching (even sans AJ Burnett) keeps Minnesota in each game, but Yankees scratch out enough runs to escape in five games. Small ball and an effective bullpen help the Yankees win games on the road." Yanks in 5

Sarah: Yanks in 4

Ben P: "The Yankees offense has enough to carry them over the Twins in this series. The Twins do everything well, but nothing great. CC wins his two starts and the Yanks find a way to get one more win." Yanks in 4

Ari: "Minny is missing some big pieces. And they don't have many to miss. Yanks gut this one out." Yanks in 4

CC Sabathia will target the Twinkies tonight at Target Field (CBC)

Elissa: "Just like with the Rays, it all comes down to pitching. The Yankees have a shaky starting rotation at best. Andy Pettitte has only pitched in 3 games since coming off the DL (3 underwhelming outings), Phil Hughes has been relatively ineffective in August and September, A.J. Burnett needs no explanation on why he's a liability in the rotation, and although CC pitched outstanding in the 2009 playoffs, his previous experiences in Milwaukee and Cleveland were less than stellar. I really don't see how the Yankee's pitching staff can pull it together this week." Twins in 5

Ben W: "Yanks need to turn on the switch and there's no better opponent to do it against than the Twins. Liriano matches up well against Sabathia but he's still CC. After that it's Carl Pavano and the illustrious Brian Duensing. The Yanks will put their faith in Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes. The Yankees know better than any other team that you start over again in the postseason and that their poor September is but a piece of history. Look for the Yanks to play like they did for the first five months of the season." Yanks in 4

My opinion: "The Yankees and Twins have met quite a bit recently in the postseason and despite optimism things would change, they've stayed the same. Although the Yankees have holes after their #1 starter, the Twins holes look just as bad--and worse considering the Yankees have an edge in the top tier of their bullpen. If the Twins had Justin Mourneau and Joe Nathan, I would feel differently about this series, but without them, I'm not sure the Twins have enough firepower or pitching to go toe-to-toe with the defending champs." Yanks in 4

Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays

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TiqIQ Giants Ticket Preview: Giants vs. Bears

Here at NYaT, we're always looking for smart partnerships to bring better coverage to you, the reader. During this football season we'll be working with TiqIQ to help you find great tickets on the secondary market to the New York Giants. They'll give you a breakdown of the prices per section for the Giants home games so you can make an informed decision when you go to get tickets.

TiqIQ's slogan is "Tickets Meet Intelligence" and if you're looking to procure tickets on the secondary market, you need a tool like this to make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck. River Ave Blues partnered with TiqIQ back in July to bring you the information you needed on Yankees tickets and now we're working to make sure you are up-to-date on tickets for Big Blue as they battle in their first season of New Meadowlands Stadium. Here's a preview of what this Sunday's big match-up between the Chicago Bears and New York Giants looks like:

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An Up-And-Down Day in New York Sports

A quick rundown of how yesterday went in New York sports:

The Orioles walk-off was a "trending down" yesterday (Star-Ledger)

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys: A 1 PM game ends very well for Giants fans as the Dallas Cowboys disappoint the home crowd and fall to 0-2, despite holding the Bears to 38 rushing yards (2.0 yards per rush). Jay Cutler goes 21 of 29 for 277 yards and 3 TDs and puts up a 136.7 QB rating on the Cowboys who blew two leads in the game and committed 3 turnovers. Trending up

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Tampa Bay Rays: Scott Kazmir won for the first time in six weeks and beat his former team. The Angels have been dead for a month and a half but found a way to win the first series any team has won in St. Pete since mid-June. Even better, potential playoff starter, Jeff Niemann lasted just 4 1/3 innings and has an ERA of 14 since returning from a shoulder injury. Could the Yankees take advantage and move 1.5 games up? Trending up.

New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles: Nope. A 3-1 lead evaporates in the 8th and 9th inning as Luke Scott and the Orioles come back against the Yankees and win the game in extra innings, denying the Yankees a much-needed sweep. This occurs on a day when Tampa Bay loses which makes the loss even more devastating to the Yankee faithful. Worse yet, the Yankees had bases loaded and only one out in extras when Lance Berkman rapped into a GIDP. The Yankees woes with runners on continued as they lost a golden opportunity to gain another game on Tampa. Trending down.

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"Rookie of the Year" and the Rest of the Sports Movies of My Youth

I have to admit I was shocked today when CNBC's Darren Rovell tweeted and then HarballTalk's Aaron Gleeman wrote that this is the 17th anniversary of Rookie of the Year. Although the movie is about as ridiculous as it gets, it was always, as Gleeman mentioned, my goal to have Henry Rowengartner's arm after breaking my arm--but it never happened. I was still shy of my 10th birthday when the movie came out and this movie, plus a bunch of other sports movies from the era, helped to shape me in some strange way. Here's a quick look at 5 sports movies (1990-1995) with a tidbit about each--and a few others worth mentioning:

Internet Movie Poster Awards Gallery

Rookie of the Year

• My Tagline: "Boy breaks arm and befriends Gary Busey who throws the high cheese".
• Real Tagline: "The Chicago Cubs needed a miracle... They got Henry Rowengartner" 
• IDMB plot summary: "When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs."
• My quick thoughts: Just a great movie and "pitcher's got a big butt" must have been said on the baseball field at least once a game after this. Can still go back and watch Daniel Stern as the pitching coach and laugh.
• The adult/child stars of the movie: Thomas Ian Nicholas as Henry Rowengartner and Gary Busey as Chet "Rocket" Steadman".
• Where the stars are now: I can't believe Nicholas is 30, but after his American Pie days, he's sort of fizzled out a bit. Gary Busey is still insane.
• "Wait, they were in this movie<": This honor goes to the future Scrubs Janitor, Neil Flynn, who played Okie, the Cubs first baseman in the movie
• Lasting effect on my childhood: After I broke my arm, I was sure I was going to be a pitcher. Damn, you Hollywood!
• Jay's Take: "Loved this movie. Loved that the villains were the Mets and specifically a goon named Heddo. Loved Gary Busey and his grunts."

Pics Digger

The Mighty Ducks

• My Tagline: "Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack. The flying V! Watch out for the knucklepunk, cake-eater!"
  
• Real Tagline: "He's never coached. They've never won. Together they'll learn everything about winning!" 
• IDMB plot summary: "Gordon Bombay, a hotshot lawyer, is haunted by memories of his childhood, when, as the star player in his champion hockey team, he lost the winning goal in a shootout, thereby losing the game, and the approval of his coach. After being charged for drunk driving, the court orders him to coach a peewee hockey team, the worst in the league, Gordon is at first very reluctant. However, he eventually gains the respect of the kids and teaches them how to win, gaining a sponsor on the way and giving the team the name of The Ducks. In the finals, they face Gordon's old team, coached by Gordon's old coach, giving Gordon a chance to face old ghosts."
• My quick thoughts: There were two others after it but the original still stands out. I think that it brought other kids to love hockey as much I did--at least for a little while. And what kid didn't try a triple deke at some point while playing hockey after seeing this movie? 
• The adult/child stars of the movie: Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay and Joshua Jackson as Charlie Conway
• Where the stars are now: I have no clue where Estevez is since Bobby (which he wrote, directer and acted in). Jackson is in Fringe but was recently pushing Pacey-Con.
• "Wait, they were in this movie?": My Cousin Vinny's Jim Trotter III (Lane Smith) as Coach Jack Reilly. LOST's Tom Friendly (M.C. Gainey) as Lewis. Wet Hot American Summer's Katie (Marguerite Moreau) as Connie Moreau (they were real original with that last name). Law & Order: Criminal Intent's Detective Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) as Michelle MacKay in the sequel. 24's Larry Moss (Jeffrey Nordling) as Coach Ted Orion in the third. Great cameos from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Cam Neely, Chris Chelios, Luc Robitaille, Greg Louganis, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Wayne Gretzky. And, of course, Kenan Thompson as the knucklepucking Russ Tyler.
• Lasting effect on my childhood: I was involved in a P.E. class shootout and triple deked the goalie for the win and gym class glory.
• Jay's Take: "The girl who plays Henry's crush in Rookie of the Year is the same girl who played Julie "The Cat" Gaffney in Mighty Ducks 2"

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Super Bowl to Hit the Meadowlands

Quickly throwing up a post on this, because I'm sure most have heard already, but the New York/New Jersey group won the bid for the Super Bowl and so in 2014, they will be playing outdoors at the New Meadowlands Stadium. I have expressed to many friends that I am highly in favor of this move. After 16 weeks of playing in weather (plus a few rounds of playoffs) I always found it odd that the game that counted the most would be one where the National Football League would try to control the weather the most. I understood it from a financial perspective: no chance of snow delays for planes, sponsors get to do presentations outside, and, most importantly, there's the perception that there's more offense in cleaner weather.

Well I say throw it all out. There is no "slippery slope" of all games being moved to cold-weather areas (Bob Kraft already said this was a unique situation after 9/11 and the economic downturn in New York) and even if there was, why would that be so bad? The one time that New Orleans didn't host the Super Bowl, they made it--but imagine if they got to play that game in the Superdome? Why shouldn't every team that has a nice enough stadium get that chance?

And people tell me: "Andrew, but what if it snows?" Truthfully, I think it would be the highest rated Super Bowl ever. Who wouldn't turn in to see that game? And people who paid all that money for the seats will show up regardless as they do for every other game of the season. I think it'll make the game more genuine instead of one that the NFL tries to tweak. And imagine if the Jets or Giants make the playoffs in 2014 with a chance to make that Super Bowl? Imagine the pressure they'll have that year especially to do so. Amazing. I think it's a great idea and I'm excited it's coming. Honestly (and I'm not trying to sound biased since I'm from the area), I can't think of one good reason NOT to have approved it. Kudos to the NFL for doing something cool and smart.

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How to Correctly Use a Bullpen

Many times I shake my head at the bullpen usage of Major League managers. No matter how many new tools are available to managers, they find more ways to micromanage bullpens and use relievers in rigid, antiquated ways. Roles are set and cannot be undone regardless of the circumstances. Closers can only pitch the 9th and will only do so in save situations. But sometimes you see a manager do something smart and it helps his team win a game. Yesterday in the Colorado vs. San Francisco game, Jim Tracy made one of these good decisions.

The Rockies were in desperate need of a win after falling in the first two games of the series. They started a rookie, Jhoulys Chacin, in his second career start and he was really good, giving the Rockies 7 innings of one-hit ball, striking out 7 and walking only 3 as the Rockies held a 4-0 lead into the 8th. Right handed reliever Matt Daley allowed a double, got an out and then served up a single to Aaron Rowand leaving the situation for Jim Tracy where he had runners at first and third and one out. Coming up next was left-handed hitting John Bowker, switch hitting Pablo Sandoval (who has an OPS 334 points higher and wOBA 124 points higher from the left side), and, potentially, left-handed hitting Aubrey Huff.

Tracy decided not to mess around with middle relievers. He realized the game was right here. He went straight to his closer, Franklin Morales, a power lefty. Morales struck out pitch hitter Andres Torres and then struck out the Giants' best hitter, Pablo Sandoval. Inning over and threat diverted. That was your high leverage situation and Morales was brought on at the right time to get the Rockies out of it.

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Battle for the Naming Rights of the New Meadowlands Stadium

Sometimes a tweet seems so brilliant that it needs to be turned into a blog post: @markelderallen: @NoYoureATowel serious question (from a Giants fan): shouldn't team w/ the better record from prior year get their name on Stadium 4 season?

Mark, I love this idea. There is no sponsor currently for the new stadium so this theoretically could work. Every season the Jets and the Giants would not only battle for the Super Bowl, but for "Meadowlands Stadium" naming rights as well.

Imagine this season where the Giants went into the last game of the season with no shot at making the playoffs. They basically laid down and let the Vikings run all over them in the final game. Truthfully, other than pride, they had no incentive to go all out in this game. Actually, they had a disincentive to win the game because of draft pick ordering.

But if the Giants were playing for stadium naming rights for this year, it would actually give them some incentive (albeit, not as much as the draft pick) to play hard. They may still not have gotten the naming rights (if the Jets won like they did, it would come down to NFL tiebreaking rules and I'm not sure who would have gotten it), but at least they would have had a chance.

In the end, this distinction is probably along the lines of "This One Counts" for the MLB All Star Game (where it determines home-field advantage for the World Series), but I think this gimmick could actually work to entice teams to play a little harder for the chance to play in a stadium with their name on it the next year. And I guarantee you if the Giants were playing in "Jets Stadium" next year, they'd have plenty incentive to get that name back for 2011.