Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 04, 2008 
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MLB’s new replay system was used for the first time and guess who was right in the middle of it? But A-Rod’s homer counted as the Yankees again beat the Rays.
Alex is happy he’s moving up the HR list. He just wishes the team had more on the line. This notebook also has updates on Brian Cashman, Mike Mussina, the playoffs down below and Joba’s thoughts on his impersonator.
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The NFL season is upon us. If you’re a fan of the Giants, Sam Borden’s story on Ann Mara is required reading.
As for the NFL, here’s my totally biased take:
AFC playoffs teams: Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Chargers. Wild cards: Jags, anybody but the Jets.
NFC playoff teams: Cowboys, Bucs, Packers, Seahawks, Wild cards: Giants, Saints.
AFC title game: Pats over Chargers.
NFC title game: Seahawks over Cowboys
Super Bowl: Pats over Seahawks.
Stupid baseball writer analysis: Patriots will get a big year out of Laurence Maroney. Their defense will get bolstered by Adalius Thomas finally being what they believe he can be and some big hits from Brandon Meriweather. The Colts are banged up. Jeff Saturday is a huge loss. The Giants cannot repeat the magic of a year ago but can still make the playoffs. I want to hate the Cowboys but they have a great roster. As a Pats fan, I must hate the Jets. But I do sort of admire Brett Favre for taking the risk he’s taking. Hopefully Richard Seymour crushes him in a nice way.
My NFL stats: Two fantasy teams, three suicide pools.
The three best people to talk NFL around the Yankees: Kim Jones, Johnny Damon, Xavier Nady. Mark Feinsand and Tyler Kepner know their stuff, too. Baseball people love to talk football for some reason.
Hope your team has a great season. Unless your team is the Jets.
18-1
My ultimate dream is to find a corner of this planet devoid of Sox and Pats fans, without having to move to a third world country. Or at least, a corner of NYC. A close second: beat the daylights out of whoever came up with the NFL’s scheduling scheme; seriously 18-0 and they get that cakewalk of a sched? Really??? ANYWAYS…a sweep of the Rays would be really nice.
Pete,
I’m right there with you man, grew up as only a baseball fan in NY, then moved to CT for college and became a Pats fan. My friends (most of which are Sox/Pats fans) refer to me as the Criss/Cross…Daddy Mac will make you Jump, Jump!!!
GO YANKS & PATS (actually, that sounds a bit dirty…maybe I better say Yankees and Patriots)
H
Your a “Big” Pats fan huh…it’s Laurence Maroney…you PUTZ
“Rodriguez was 3 for 5″
3 for 4.
“We all believed it was a home run, but since the technology is in place, we made the decision to use the technology and go look at the replays,” Reliford said. “And the replays we reviewed were conclusive.”
As “owine” posted at 12:29 a.m. in the previous thread, this was NOT how it was supposed to go.
According to an article on MLB.com, 08/26/2008 11:11 PM ET, Umpires See Replay as an Aid, (Alyson Footer):
“[I]f after steps one (umpire makes the call), two (manager argues the call) and three (crew convenes to discuss the call) the umpires cannot conclude whether a home run is indeed a home run, they’ll turn to the newest step — instant replay — to help make the correct determination.”
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....8;c_id=mlb
Reliford said his crew was unanimous that it was a HR. Still they caved in because he didn’t want to argue with Maddon and they had the video to fall back on. Exactly wrong. In its first use, MLB umpires abdicated their authority to the video tape. It’s a sign that IR will become an automatic appeal, or at the least a very frequently used “tool.” MLB clearly needs another rule, and more umpire training, to restrict its use.
Here’s an exclusive for you, Peter:
Pats WILL NOT make the Playoffs in 2008!
Their defense is old & slow and there offensive line is shaky.
Pats over Seahawks? Seahawks?
“Hope your team has a great season. Unless your team is the Jets.”
My team is the Jets. As a Pats fan, why do you hate the Jets so much? What have they ever done to your patriots exept expose them as cheaters? If anything, you should like the Jets for the easy wins and taking out Bledsoe. Hopefully Vernon Gholson crushes Brady in a not so nice way.
“Pats WILL NOT make the Playoffs in 2008!”
As long as they are in a divsion with crapbag teams like the Jets, Fins and Bills in ’08, they’ll be in the playoffs.
Peter – hate to break it to you but the Pats will not be nearly as good as last year. They could make the playoffs due to a weak division but will not make the Super Bowl as you suggest. The league now knows how to beat them – send a ton of guys at Brady, who has a foot injury. There is a 50% chance that they are 8-8 or worse.
S.A.-Taking it one game at a time. This offense is still offensive.:
There are a lotta flawed teams in the NFC, the Seahawks? Why not?
I think the Fins, Bills and the Jets will be better this season and that the Pats might actually…lose some games this season!
I don’t see them going back to the Superbowl either. Definitely not against the Seahawks.
“I think the Fins, Bills and the Jets will be better this season and that the Pats might actually…lose some games this season!”
I’d agree the Jets and Fins don’t finish 12+ games behind the Patriots like they did last year. This year, they’ll probably only finish 5-6 games behind ‘em.
“There is a 50% chance that they are 8-8 or worse.”
If Brady’s hurt to the point where he can’t play, it’s better than 50%. If he plays, it’s 0%.
There are a lotta flawed teams in the NFC, the Seahawks? Why not?
I mean sure, anything can happen. But the Seahawks don’t scream out at me: Superbowl team.
But, we will see. The Giants didn’t scream out Superbowl team last year at this time either.
G-MEN RULE ! ! !
Patsie time has come and gone. Getting old and too controversial.
“AFC playoffs teams: Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Chargers. Wild cards: Jags, anybody but the Jets.”
The Jets scream mediocrity, but I do think they are definitely in the mix of 3 or 4 teams competing for that 6th playoff spot and the right to be thrashed in the 1st round by a good team.
Big Blue over Steelers in Super Bowl …..
Anyone catch what Joe said the post game? I think he was asked what if the call was over turned. He said well you can’t argue you get thrown out. But I would have argued it’s okay. Something along those lines.
“But I would have argued it’s okay. Something along those lines.”
What would the point be???? Apparently it’s the same as Balls and Strikes. If you argue them, you are tossed. It’s not like he’s going to get the call reversed (or would that be re-reversed?).
the Giants are going to be a much more confident team, they won’t need “magic” again. if they stay healthy – especially Eli & Justin Tuck – they’ve a great shot
Un-sarcastically speaking, A-Rod will have a hot finish to the season. Working in his favor is the fact that the games do not really mean anything as the yankees are all but eliminated, barring a 25 game winning streak of course.
I like A-Rod, I feel for his person, and it saddens me that he tightens his physical and mental grip on the bat when a game is on the line resulting in meaningless ball/bat contact.
Real Jets fans stand with Chad.
What is with the fascination with the packers. They have ZERO career starts in their QB coprs. If this was any other team but the packers with this quarterback situation, the media and everyone else would be saying they wont win more than 6 games
Come on people. they can finish 3rd in that division
Vikings are winning it and hold your breath, think the lions can be an 8 win team. I see the pack winning 6 or 7 games. Rodgers will have his share of growing pains.
I just don’t understand how people can think they will win the division with rodgers and a ginat cast off, grant, who had 10 good games in his whole career.
can we not anoint them great yet?
well pats are still very good, can’t argue with that, sea isn’t good though having say that, i am sorry , but i have to STOMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. pats will atleast make the afc title game
off topic:
Have I not been paying attention or has the fact that David Wright is hitting .240 RISP been ignored by the NY media?
NFC East- Giants 11-5 Cowboys 10-6 Eagles 8-8 Redskins 5-11
Giants vs Saints in the NFC Championship game
AFC East- Patriots 12-4 Jets 9-7 Buffalo 7-9 Dolphins 5-11
Jaguars vs Patriots in the AFC Championship game
“Have I not been paying attention or has the fact that David Wright is hitting .240 RISP been ignored by the NY media?”
Guess that’s one of the perks on playing for a 1st place team that’s has won 17 of their last 22. People ask a lot fewer questions and poke a lot fewer holes when things are going well.
Is there no football blog to go to?
off topic:
Have I not been paying attention or has the fact that David Wright is hitting .240 RISP been ignored by the NY media?
They are probably too busy blaming Alex for something to focus on that.
Kim Jones covers football for the Star Ledger (NJ paper)…of course she knows her football!!
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS
Don’t worry, Pete, I hate your Patriots just as much as you hate my Jets.
Guess not…
Chris Russo makes his debut on Satellite Radio today.
I hate the Pats and their fans. You couldn’t find a Patside fan pre-2001 and all their Super Bowls are with asteriks next to them.
Gholston will injure Brady.
Pete,
Look at that! Justin C. is predicting that the Pats go 18-1 again. Gotta be. Who else could he be talking about?
Go Patriots! Go Brady’s foot! Go Yankees!
Go Jets.
Also, I live in Boston, and it’s painful watching Sox fans route for the Yankees during these games with the Rays.
Oh well!
DMan,
People were actually suggesting that it’d be better for the Yankees to lose to the Rays to stick it to the Sox. I was thinking WTF are you talking about? Now if Boston were behind us, it might be a different story. Bottom line, a loss is a loss.
I couldn’t care less who a Boston fan roots for, certainly not now…
“As a Pats fan, I must hate the Jets.” That’s true, I suppose, but you are really taking that Superbowl loss in stride…I would be thirsting for Big Blue Blood if I were I Pats fan, but I’m a Giants fan so I’m sitting pretty content right now in the football dept (I’m more into baseball, then hockey, then football and tennis…yes, tennis!)
With the Sox only 3 games back of the Rays now, the results of NY, Tampa and Boston’s games in the next 4 days might find Yankee fans rooting for the Sox to beat Tampa when they meet to play on Monday.
The twists and turns of a baseball season does make for same strange bedfellows
Giants 17 Patriots 14
Peter Abraham,
You have committed a foul sir and now you must be punished.
You will be receiving this message every Sunday and on every Feb the 4th.
“Eli Manning out of the shotgun… He takes it… facing pressure… He’s in trouble… He’s spun around… He’s able to get away… looks to throw… He does, downfield…And a leaping catch is made downfield at the 25! David Tyree comes up with it!”
Yes it was at that moment that the dream season died. How did it feel? Probably something like an Ortiz single off Rivera circa 2004. The pain does have a way of lingering. Get used to it as it will occasionally bite.
I believe the Pats are actually more hated than the Yankees outside New England which is actually impressive. I hate the Pats more than I hate the Red Sox. Why? Sox earn their title s sans cheating.
Hey MLB, did it really need to be a night game before the Yanks fly one of the longest trips across the country you can fly, to Seattle?! Tampa drew 20,000 last night. Not exactly a huge gate by virtue of the night game…I guess the Yanks will just have to sleep on the plane.
Now that Alex Rodriguez has passed Mike Schmidt for total home runs I think it is fair to ask: Overall, Has Alex Rodriguez been effective for the Yankees? Before answering yes or no, think about the Yankee’s place in the standings this year, last year, the year before etc. They have not won a championship since he came to the Yankees. Now that they are practically out of the race he continues to compile records that are empty as far as the Championship Season is concerned. The same could be said for other home run sluggers. These would include Griffey, Thome, Aaron, Sosa, Bonds etc. Put anyone of the teams that these sluggers played for up against Mickey Mantle and the teams for which he batted. Mantle’s teams win, hands down. He was an important part of a total baseball team. Individual records are important but the context in which they were achieved should not be overlooked. After all, baseball IS a team game.
And, overall, the answer to the question concerning Alex Rodriguez is a resounding “No”. The team has not won a championship since he arrived. It’s impossible to tell if someone else might have been more effective.
Jim DeChesare
Interested Reader, where do you get the credentials to post about football on the internet?!
bardos started out his comment about ARod at 9:16 am
“Un-sarcastically speaking”…
I have to tell you, I’m more than a little sarcastic about ARod being the poster boy for hubris when he says:
” ‘I’m the first player. Next time I’m going stealth and go under the radar screen,’ Rodriguez said. ‘It’s very fitting I’m involved. I was just glad we got the right call.’ ”
Yeah, it’s all about you, ARod.
J-E-T-S!
I don’t hate the Patriots, but I do take joy in rooting against them.
And, most importantly, let’s go Yanks tonight.
Pete, you make me laugh with “the Colts are banged up” statement. Yes, we lost Saturday, but that’s not going to affect the entire season. Peyton will start on Sunday and he’s going to be fine. And we still have one of the best defenses in the league.
GO Colts & Giants! (Yes, I like both teams. Sue me.)
P.S: 18-1.
I cannot understand why fans of the Pats (*cough*18-1*cough*) hate the Jets so much. I’m a Giants fan, so hating the Cowpatties and Iggles and ‘skins is natural and appropriate. The Cowdroppings were the best team in the division when I first became a fan in the late 70s, the Iggles had beaten the Giants time and again before the Jints finally broke through in ’81, and the ‘skins were generally hateable.
But the Pats-Jets thing doesn’t work from the Pats’ perspective — the teams have rarely been good at the same time; the Pats whomp the Jets regularly when the Pats are good, vice versa in some of the dry Patriots years when the Jets didn’t suck; the Pats took the Jets’ designated coaching successor to Parcells from the Jets and won three Super Bowls with him as head coach (NOT FOUR!!!); the Jets have made only one AFC title game since 1985 and no Super Bowls, the Pats have won more AFC titles since ’85 than any other team (6); the Pats have won both playoff games that the teams have played against each other; and the Pats’ main rival in the ’80s and ’90s was the Dolphins (NE had been 0-for-Miami before the 1985 AFC title game and at least 2-3 of their losses in Miami had cost the Pats a playoff spot).
So the Pats-Jets thing doesn’t work for Pats fans . . . as for Jets fans, that would be a reasonable main rival (although the Jets’ main rivalry used to be Jets-Dolphins before Miami reached its current level of irrelevance).
alas. My favorite Yankees blogger/beat writer is a PATS fan??
Wherefore art thou?
Pats strength was the o line. More so than the skills positions. Pats will not nearly be as good this yr. Albeit still good – I hope jets can steal one from the pats this season.
the giants will go 19-0 this year, and dolphin fans will go from loving them to hating them!
you heard it here first!
18-1
You couldn’t find a Pats fan pre 2001.
Pete – I always knew you were a little off and that explains it. You’re a (bad word) Pats fan???
Say it ain’t so. A little piece of me just died.
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!
Seahawks ? I’m with SA on this one. Think back. 2 full seasons ago the Cowboys went TO Seattle and if not for a botched Tony Romo hold on a FG, Dallas wins in the playoffs on the road against Seattle. Dallas is a vastly better team 2 years later and I would defy anyone to explain how Seattle is better than they were 2 years ago.
I would eat my hat if Seattle went to the Super Bowl this year.
PS – Dallas may not go to the Super Bowl, but I would be ridiculously shocked if they lost to Seattle. At least the in losing to the Giants they lost to a team that was a) hot and b) a division rival.
NO WAY the packers get by the Vikings in the NFC North
The Jets are so mediocre they should pay people to see them.