Monday, January 12, 2009

Post Football

If you were to tell me in Sept. that the G-Men were going to lose Strahan, Osi, and Burress and still finish 12-4 and win the division . . I'd take it.

It was a good season, however, it does bothers me with how they played to end the season. Eli was visited by the ghost of seasons past --throwing wobbling balls and slouching etc. Definately finished at a low. And to see that 3 of the 4 remaining teams are ones the Giants slapped around - it is disappointing to say the least.

Gilbride called a horrible game and hope he gets fired.

Anyway, I now find myself pulling for a Cardinals - Steelers SB.

If Kurt Warner takes the Cards to Tampa - he's a first ballot HOFer.


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I'm with Scooter - let's start the countdown to Pitchers and Catchers.

32 comments:

57 said...

Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in Football.

Crash said...

The Giants missed Buress down the stretch. I think I heard M&M on the way in this morning saying that Eli's passer rating dropped by more than 30 points after Buress was suspended. The ending was a disappointment but the season as a whole was very good.

Pitchers and Catchers report February 14th, so 33 days (if my math is right). All other players may report between Feb 17th and 22nd.

Swisher and Nady seem to be the hot trade topics. Let me throw a hypothetical out there...if both of those guys get traded (Nationals seem to be the latest interested party...also a Mike Cameron for Swisher trade has been floated) could the Yankees bring back Abreu for 1 year at $10MM? No one else is even sniffing around Abreu. He obviously fits right back in to that #3 spot and improves the depth of the line-up. He's going to give you .300-20-100-100-20, the Yankees didn't want him at $16+MM, but at $10MM he would seem like a bargain, considering Milton Bradley signed for $10MM...

The Scooter said...

I wouldn't mind having Abreu back at one year 10 Mil. No way that gets it done though. There will be someone out there willing to go 2 years 24 or 3 years 30 for him.

I think the Mets might be in play for him before it's all said and done.

57 said...

If the Mets get Abreau, I'll quit being a Mets fan.... he is a TERRIBLE fielder and we DONT need another bat.

The Scooter said...

LOL @ the Mets not needing another bat. 57 have you taken a look at your roster lately?

old professor said...

Without Burress, the Giant's passing game became very ordinary. The fumble by Smith near the end of the game was symbolic of how the Giants played. No one hit him and he flings the ball away. Burress let the team down by being the idiot he is. While no one can argue with his talent, he is not worth bringing back. (By the time he gets out of jail, he won't be able to play anyways). At the least he will be facing three felony counts - possession of an unregistered weapon (felony), discharging an unregistered weapon (felony) and with the discovery of yet another gun at his residence, a second unregistered weapons charge (felony), let's not even consider obstruction of a police investigation. He should be out in about 15 years.

Regarding possible trades, the Yankees seem more intent on keeping Swisher and letting Nady go. Abreu has seen his value fall with some of the free agent signings. He will land somewhere with a two or three year contract, but it will be in the 8-10 million range not the sixteen million he was making. Same with Andy Pettitte.

Crash said...

Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice get in to the Hall of Fame. Rickey received nearly 95% of the vote. Not sure which idiots would not vote for him.

Jim Rice makes it in on his final year of eligibility. I think we talked about last year a little, Jim Rice was a very good hitter, widely feared, but in my opinion not a Hall of Famer. Not sure why a player wasn't good enough for the HOF for 14 years but is now. The eligible player pool is small for the next 3 years. I could see 1, maybe 2 players at the most getting in each of the next 2 years and none in the 2012 class.


57, I would think that Abreu would be a huge upgrade offensively, over any of your other corner OF players...Ryan Church, Dan Murphy, or Fernando Tatis...with the existing Mets pitching staff, the Mets will need all the bats they can get.

57 said...

Why is Pete Rose not in the Hall of Fame?!?! You watch some of these scumb bags today get into the Hall 10 years from now and it will be a TRAVESTY!. I am heading to Oneonta next week for a meeting and will stop off at the Hall of Fame at the end of the day to pay my respects to Gary Carter's plaque (one of the greatest hitting catchers of ALL TIME)

Crash said...

Wasn't Carter inducted as an Expo?

57 said...

Crash, low blow...

old professor said...

57, for the first time we seem to agree on something. Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. While he has been banned from baseball because of gambling, MLB still seems it is okay to display artifacts from the Big Red Machine which includes items from Rose. His accomplishments were not tainted by use of steroids or growth hormones. It has never been proven that he threw a game or changed how he played (or managed) due to gambling.

Oh and on a side note, if they someday let Rose in, they need to reconsider the issue of Shoeless Joe Jackson who was banned after the black sox scandal. And no Scooter I never watched Shoeless Joe play.

The Scooter said...

I have boycotted Cooperstown until Charlie Hustle is allowed in. 57, you should do the same.

Better yet...Make a sign..maybe something like "FREE PETE" and picket in front of the building....come on, we're counting on you.

Crash said...

Looks like the Atlanta Braves have reached an agreement with Derek Lowe. It is reportedly a 4 year deal worth $60MM.

The Scooter said...

"Looks like the Atlanta Braves have reached an agreement with Derek Lowe. It is reportedly a 4 year deal worth $60MM."

AND THE METS JUST SLIPPED TO THIRD IN THE NL EAST

Crash said...

Don't worry 57 the Mets did sign Tim Redding...and they have an offer out to Oliver Perez, 3 years $30MM.

old professor said...

Hot stove rumors have the Braves and Yankees possibly talking a trade. Braves are interested in Swisher and Nady, but more interested in Swisher. No information as to who the Yankees would get in return.

57 you must be celebrating, Mets made a move by signing Alex Cora as a backup infielder.

Crash said...

Interesting that the Braves would be looking at Nady and Swisher. Not sure who the Yankees would get in return. There's literally no one on ther 25 man roster that would fit with the Yankees. Maybe a minor league pitcher or 2??? There are so many teams calling about those 2 guys we'll really have to wait and see what plays out. They may not even be moved before spring training starts.

The Mets are interested in Ben Sheets and may make an offer later this week. They are obviously considering his injury history. A lot of teams are worried about his shoulder, not the elbow. Also the Oliver Perez offer has been denied by both sides but an offer could be made shortly.

Crash said...

Saw this in the Daily News. The Inaugural Season Patch for both the new Yankees and Mets stadiums.

This is just the latest display of differences between the two franchises. Which would you prefer? Which one says "classy"?

Here's the link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2009/01/13/2009-01-13_love_em_or_hate_em_yankees_mets_reveal_2.html

old professor said...

Neither patch floats my boat. Leave the patches in the box and just play the game.

Speaking of playing the game, it appears the Giants will extend Eli's contract before the start of next season and the view is he will get a $100 million contract. That seems like a lot of money for a guy he seems confused at lost way too often.

Crash said...

I don't think it was all Eli. Despite what you think of Buress, on the field he was very good and became the focus of the opposing defenses. Take him out and yes the other receivers could step up for a game or two but they just don't have the same impact as Buress.

If the Giants release Buress they need to get a big time receiver. Maybe a trade for Calvin Johnson or Aquan Boldin. May be sign a free agent TJ Houshmandzadah is an unrestricted free agent. May be not a primary receiver but a deep threat like Devery Henderson is unrestricted. Don't forget Toomer's contract is up and his Giant's career may be done.

I wonder what defensive improvements the Giants will make...LB's Ray Lewis & Terrell Suggs are both UFA, DL Julius Peppers, Albert Haynesworth and Bertrand Berry are also UFA. I know the Giants built up a good young secondary but Asomugha from Oakland is UFA and is a shut down corner. Giants lose McQuarters this year.

The Scooter said...

Prof, how quickly we forget. Eli led the Giants to the promised land last year and if I remember correctly was the Super Bowl MVP. He played like a stud down the stretch last year. SO he had a tough game in the wind last weekend. The kid is an elite QB and if nothing else, it's fact that you could win a Championship with him.

That being said, he needs a top 5 receiver to throw to. I like the Boldin idea, Crash.

I doubt you will see them bring in any high priced free agents on the defensive side. Especially since they will be getting Osi back. Remember they still have to give Jacobs a big shiny new contract.

old professor said...

Scooter, Eli did not have just one bad game. The Giants lost four of their last five. In each of those four loses the offense was sluggish and not overly productive. It would be a sad commentary if it all rests with the fact that Burress was not in the line-up. On forth and INCHES they could not convert on a quarterback sneak because Eli's form was pathetic. The play calling during the game was also pathetic.

My commentary was to question whether Eli Manning is worth a $100 million investment. I don't think so. Eli better get used to not having Burress around because by the time Burress gets out of jail, Eli will be retired and talking to his grandchildren about how special his super bowl MVP was (that would be singular super bowl).

The Scooter said...

Well tell me what you would like to do, Prof....NOT pay Eli and maybe go with Carr as your QB?

For better or for worse, I think the Giants will hitch their wagon to the guy who has proven he can win a Super Bowl for them.

Maybe you should be all over Gilbride for calling a quarterback sneak to begin with, when you have Brandon Jacobs in the backfield.

If you don't want to pay Eli, then tell us what your options are.

Crash said...

Old Prof don't be so foolish to place this all on Eli. Not only were the Giants without Buress during that time, but Jacobs was pretty much on the shelf as well. The only game they won was when he was back in the line up. The receivers that were in there seemed to be dropping big passes every game. Didn't Hixon drop 2 bombs in consecutive weeks that would have resulted in TDs? So let's see no running game, without the team's #1 receiver, then ask the OL, whose strength is run blocking and not pass blocking, was asked to, you guessed it, pass block all game long for essentially a month. Now let's factor in that Gilbride regressed about 20 years in his play calling abilities. And one last thing the defense looked very tired the last month of the season and was pretty banged up. They were one of the best defensive units in the NFL and toward the top in sacks at the half way point in the season. They weren't putting pressure on anyone down that final stretch and as a result were giving up big plays because QBs had hours in the pocket.

Eli played like crap but he was just one spoke in the wheel. I'm not sure if he played near perfect if it would have mattered, the outcome may very well have been the same but just a little closer.

Eli deserves a long term commitment from the Giants, I really don't care if it's $100MM (I'm now numb to the amount pro athletes make). He's taken them to the playoffs 4 consecutive years now, with 1 SB win and SB MVP. He deserves it.

old professor said...

Crash, bottom line, the quarterback is the offensive leader of the team. Great quarterbacks find ways to get it done, good quarterbacks will more often than not rise above adversity, mediocre quarterbacks go to the line of scrimmage with the deer in the head light look. McNabb did not have a running game to speak of in the playoff game with the Giants, yet he made things happen; he bought time when necessary and fired bullets to his receivers. Manning's throws looked like wounded ducks. He threw over his receivers, underthrew them, and just plan missed them. And Scooter, if David Tyree doesn't pull the ball of the top of his helmet, the Super Bowl champs would have been New England and Manning would not have won the MVP. The winning drive was kept alive my one very lucky grab (which by the way didn't help Tyree this year get into one game and who will probably be unemployed next year - ahh yes fleeting fame!!!!!).

The Scooter said...

Prof, do you actually watch any of the Giants games, or do you comment based on fantasy numbers and sports columns (like you do with the Yankees). Truth is, Eli was brilliant down the stretch last year...and pretty brilliant for most of the year this year. What ot proves is, like most QB's, he needs a high quality receiver to be successful.

old professor said...

What a great country this is. Andrew Jones hits .158 forces his team to release him and gets them to defer to a later date 22.1 million dollars. Oh and he is hoping to hook up with another team as a free agent. The Dodgers had to be really desperate to get rid of him to be willing to eat that kind of contract.

One of the NY papers is running a poll asking Giants fans to comment on - if Dallas releases TO should the Giants go after him? Let's see he forces his way out of San Francisco, wears out his welcome in Philly while trashing his quarterback and has become a sideshow in Dallas. Scooter he would fit in as the go to receiver Eli needs. It would be interesting to see how quickly Eli would crumble with TO's constant verbal abuse - Shockey would be considered a pussy cat.

Crash said...

I was discussing some Yankees & Mets offseason stuff with a buddy last night, and became really fearful that the Yankees are significantly weak on the field, especially up the middle. There's huge questions about Posada, Jeter is losing range, Cano is a lazy piece of crap, and no one knows who is playing CF. This could end really bad. OK...someone talk me back off the ledge please.

One other non-related note...I saw this morning that Bonds is trying to suppress evidence in his perjury case. You ask what evidence...how about 2 samples (one blood, one urine) that tested positive for steroids and his ex-mistress who will testify that his body blew up because of steroids. The audacity of this guy absolutely kills me.

The Scooter said...

Crash, the Yanks are adequate up the middle. Not great, but certainly not as bad your buddy and the media (Prof's buddies) would have you believe.

Jeter's lack of range is overblown. He gets to most of the balls that he should, and with Tex at first his errors will certainly be reduced this year.

We all have to believe that Cano will have a bounce back year in '09. I said it at the time and i still believe it...Losing Larry Bowa really hurt his development. I think Cano see's that if he doesn't pick up his game both offensively and defensively he just may be playing second base for Pittsburgh or KC next year. We know the kid has the talent, he just needs to show up every day.

Center Field will be fine. I'm still not sure if the starting center-fielder is on the roster yet, but if it's Damon/Melky/Gardner, you can get by (at least defensively) with that.

Posada is the wild card. If he can't play behind the plate effectively, then they always have the Molina fall back option. Molina won't hit, but we all know that he is an above average defender. That would put Jorge in the DH slot for the most part.

No way on T.O.

He has absolutely destroyed every team he has been on from the inside out. Plus he's now 35 years old, his production is on the downslide and his hands aren't what they used to be.

The guy the Giants need to get is Boldin. Crabtree would be ideal, but he will be gone long before the Giants pick. I can also see them talking a run at TJ Houshamazzilli as he is an unrestricted FA

old professor said...

It has to be the cold weather or possibly a drug induced statement, but Crash actually said Jeter is losing range - YOU CAN'T LOSE WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE. Scooter, when Bowa was with the team, he indicated Jeter had an issue with range. He tends to shade (I won't use the word cheat)toward second base to compensate for his lack of range.

Posada is currently by his own words about 75% and should be ready for Spring Training. However, there seems to be a brewing issue where he wants to play for Puerto Rico in the World Classic and the Yankees have said NO!!

Winning teams are strong up the middle, being adequate up the middle doesn't equate to winning. It will be interesting to see how the Yankees address centerfield.

On a side not there are still a significant number of free agents out there waiting for the phones to ring. It would appear no one is calling Andy Pettitte and offering more than $10 million.

And Scooter, it is really nice we seem to agree on TO.

Crash said...

I think I mentioned a week or so ago that the Nationals have called inquiring on Nady and/or Swisher. I'm reading today that some are speculating that Lastings Milledge would be part of the return package and thrown into the CF tryout in spring training. The assumption seems to be that Austin Jackson would be up in 2010 to play CF, then Milledge/Gardner/Melky would be in LF and the Yankees could have a very young, fast, athletic strong OF situation.

Old Prof you mentioned the Braves were calling too, they are not willing to meet the Yankees asking price. Which I think is a good sign, this means they're not just giving them away. By the way the Atlanta GM Frank Wren should be fired immediately. He couldn't pull the trigger on the Peavy trade because he didn't want to give up the youngsters, he let Burnett get away from him, he let Smoltz walk away after 22 years and what came down to $1.5MM in guaranteed money, as a result they had to overpay for Lowe. He got totally played by Furrcal and his agents. He's considering bringing back Andruw Jones, who is the worst OF in MLB (no joke statistically the worst OF, by a lot). Now he's griping about the Yankees wanting too much in return for Nady or Swisher. This guy has single handily destroyed the Braves in one off season. If Schuerholz was still the GM you better believe none of this would have happened.

old professor said...

Crash, should I remind you the Mets let Milledge go because of his attitude and behavior. Apparently he hasn't grown up yet. The other issue may be Jackson. He had a less than stellar winter ball season. There may be an organizational question as to whether he will be ready for 2010. Swisher is still a better than average answer for center. Damon in left, Nady in right and Swisher in center with Gardner as the #4 is not necessarily that bad of an option. Nady gives you a good hitter and RBI man in right and he is better defensively than Abreu. Damon has shown he can play left and Swisher played more games in center last year than at any other position.

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