I don't know why, but I always listen to whatever Joe Namath has to say. He always fascinates me. Whether it's from his playing days or present interviews, hearing him talk always puts a smile on my face. It's so great that the face of our franchise still takes an active effort and wants to still remain a part of the team.
Eric Allen of newyorkjets.com interviewed him today at Training Camp in Cortland. You can hear Joe's thoughts on Rex, Mark and a whole lot more on the Jets facebook page here:
My favorite Namath quote, aside from the guarantee of course, was something I saw on I think an MSG Special, "I can't wait to wake up in the morning, cause I just get better looking everyday." That to me is just typical Joe and fits in with this current group of Jets. He's brash and confident and speaks (and played) with a swagger that Rex's Jets have as well. It is always good to see the past and present together, especially when they have so many similar qualities.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Brunell Aboard; Pre-Training Camp Roster
After about three months of speculation, the Jets have finally signed free agent quarterback, Mark Brunell. Brunell served the last two years as Drew Brees' backup in New Orleans and hopefully can help turn Sanchez into the same type of quarterback Brees is. Brought in more for his experience, Brunell will serve as Sanchez' mentor. Known for his accuracy, Brunell should help Sanchez as he tries to cut down from his 20 interception rookie season.
With Training Camp just days away, I'd like to give my first crack at what the roster might look like come September 13:
OFFENSE
WR - Cotchery, Edwards, B. Smith, Clowney, Woodhead
QB - Sanchez, Brunell, Ainge
LT - Ferguson, Hunter
LG - Ducasse, Slauson
C - Mangold, Turner
RG - Moore, Slauson
RT - Woody, Hunter
RB - Greene, Tomlinson, McKnight
FB - Richardson, Conner
DEFENSE
RE - DeVito, Gholston
NT - Jenkins, Pouha, Kroul
LE - Ellis, Pitoitua
OLB - Pace, Thomas, Taylor, Westermann
ILB - Harris, Scott, Cummings, Laury, Reamer
CB - Revis, Cromartie, Wilson, Lowery, Cole, Coleman
S - Leonhard, Pool, E. Smith, Ihedigbo, Warren
SPECIAL TEAMS
K - Folk
P - Weatherford
LS - Purdum
A few things about THIS 53-man roster:
Biggest note - no Santonio Holmes. He's been suspended for the first four games. My 53rd man was Drew Coleman. My guess is Rex will add another guy to the special teams unit until Holmes returns.
Strongest unit - Linebackers. Starters Pace, Thomas, Harris and Scott need no mentioning, but the depth behind them this year is supurb. I expect Jason Taylor to have a nice year as a situational pass rusher and Jamaal Westermann had a very good rookie season as an UDFA out of Rutgers. On the inside, Kenwin Cummings was one of the stars of the offseason, often the recipient of praises from Rex. Lance Laury and Cory Reamer are special teamers who could see some time at ILB. Laury will be the new Larry Izzo and Reamer has impressed with him ability to digest the playbook.
Weakest - Specialists. I don't think I'm alone in my fears with Nick Folk as the kicker and Steve Weatherford back for another year of mediocre punting. I do expect guys to be signed to compete, (P T.J. Conley is on the roster already) but right now, I see those two being the guys once the season starts.
With Training Camp just days away, I'd like to give my first crack at what the roster might look like come September 13:
OFFENSE
WR - Cotchery, Edwards, B. Smith, Clowney, Woodhead
QB - Sanchez, Brunell, Ainge
LT - Ferguson, Hunter
LG - Ducasse, Slauson
C - Mangold, Turner
RG - Moore, Slauson
RT - Woody, Hunter
RB - Greene, Tomlinson, McKnight
FB - Richardson, Conner
DEFENSE
RE - DeVito, Gholston
NT - Jenkins, Pouha, Kroul
LE - Ellis, Pitoitua
OLB - Pace, Thomas, Taylor, Westermann
ILB - Harris, Scott, Cummings, Laury, Reamer
CB - Revis, Cromartie, Wilson, Lowery, Cole, Coleman
S - Leonhard, Pool, E. Smith, Ihedigbo, Warren
SPECIAL TEAMS
K - Folk
P - Weatherford
LS - Purdum
A few things about THIS 53-man roster:
Biggest note - no Santonio Holmes. He's been suspended for the first four games. My 53rd man was Drew Coleman. My guess is Rex will add another guy to the special teams unit until Holmes returns.
Strongest unit - Linebackers. Starters Pace, Thomas, Harris and Scott need no mentioning, but the depth behind them this year is supurb. I expect Jason Taylor to have a nice year as a situational pass rusher and Jamaal Westermann had a very good rookie season as an UDFA out of Rutgers. On the inside, Kenwin Cummings was one of the stars of the offseason, often the recipient of praises from Rex. Lance Laury and Cory Reamer are special teamers who could see some time at ILB. Laury will be the new Larry Izzo and Reamer has impressed with him ability to digest the playbook.
Weakest - Specialists. I don't think I'm alone in my fears with Nick Folk as the kicker and Steve Weatherford back for another year of mediocre punting. I do expect guys to be signed to compete, (P T.J. Conley is on the roster already) but right now, I see those two being the guys once the season starts.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Season Premiere
It took me around two months, but last night I finally completed all three seasons of AMC's Mad Men. With the season premiere being tomorrow (Sunday 7/25 at 10:00pm), I was pressed for time these last few weeks. But I am very happy that I am finished, and cant wait for tomorrow nights season premiere.
If you don't know what Mad Men is, it was only won the Screen Actors Guild Award for the best television drama in 2008, 2009, and 2010. So yea, it's good. The main plot revolves around Don Draper (Jon Hamm) as the creative director for the fictional New York advertising company, Sterling-Cooper in the 1960s. I don't want to give away any spoilers or anything for those who haven't seen any episodes or sound like Wikipedia, which gives good information on the show, so I will try to be brief.
What originally drew me in in season one was the culture and seeing how life in New York was in the 60s. I won't lie, I didn't think the first few episodes were all that great, but it was the historicism that kept my interest. It wasn't until later in the season that you were able to see some kind of direction and form relationships with the characters.
It truly so different from today and yet it was only around 40 years ago. Historical topics such as the Space Race and the fear of Russians and the assassination of President Kennedy come up on the show and do a far better job of portraying the emotions of the time than any text book.
Though there isn't an actor on the show that is a household name, that doesn't mean that this is poor cast. The acting is tremendous and it is good to see Jon Hamm getting bigger within Hollywood. His supporting cast, Betty Draper (January Jones), Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) and Peter Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) are all young actors with bright futures.
The season three finale that I watched last night, was really a phenomenal episode. Though I suggest trying to watch all 39 episodes if possible (I watched nearly all of them online and they are all easily found) if you are going to watch one episode in advance of season four, make sure it is that one.
If you don't know what Mad Men is, it was only won the Screen Actors Guild Award for the best television drama in 2008, 2009, and 2010. So yea, it's good. The main plot revolves around Don Draper (Jon Hamm) as the creative director for the fictional New York advertising company, Sterling-Cooper in the 1960s. I don't want to give away any spoilers or anything for those who haven't seen any episodes or sound like Wikipedia, which gives good information on the show, so I will try to be brief.
What originally drew me in in season one was the culture and seeing how life in New York was in the 60s. I won't lie, I didn't think the first few episodes were all that great, but it was the historicism that kept my interest. It wasn't until later in the season that you were able to see some kind of direction and form relationships with the characters.
It truly so different from today and yet it was only around 40 years ago. Historical topics such as the Space Race and the fear of Russians and the assassination of President Kennedy come up on the show and do a far better job of portraying the emotions of the time than any text book.
Though there isn't an actor on the show that is a household name, that doesn't mean that this is poor cast. The acting is tremendous and it is good to see Jon Hamm getting bigger within Hollywood. His supporting cast, Betty Draper (January Jones), Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) and Peter Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) are all young actors with bright futures.
The season three finale that I watched last night, was really a phenomenal episode. Though I suggest trying to watch all 39 episodes if possible (I watched nearly all of them online and they are all easily found) if you are going to watch one episode in advance of season four, make sure it is that one.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Guest Podcast
Check out http://bigdansports.blogspot.com/ for a podcast I did for Dan's blog. Talked about baseball and a little Madmen.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Did Garth Snow Fail?
It's hard to say what was going on in the minds of the Islanders, Devils and Kings front offices. I don't know for sure how hard of a push the Islanders made for Ilya Kovalchuk or if he ever even considered signing here. I do know one thing though. If I were GM Garth Snow, I'd have done everything I could have to bring him year.
He ultimately signed a 17 year deal to return to New Jersey. Rough numbers are that it was at 102 million and it could reach much higher. That is a lot of years and a lot of money. Chances are, he wont play it out - he'll be 44 at the end of 17 years. What I heard though, is that the Islanders just barely had their feet in the water with Kovalchuk. This is unacceptable. There is a chance the team is moved and what is being done to convince ownership to stay?
The Lighthouse project seems like it was a wash. That could have been great for Long Island and Nassau County, but it appears no one other than Charles Wang and Islander fans wanted it to happen. It has long been known that Long Island is a tough draw for free agents. Despite the proximity to NYC and the great beaches, free agents just do not want to play at the Nassau Coliseum.
Snow had the money to bring in a BIG free agent like Kovalchuk, but did nothing. This team is losing fans and money and Kovalchuk might have been a franchise savior. Along with Tavares and Okposo, fans would have been selling out the Coliseum to see them play together. Kovalchuk would have brought hope and life to this dying team. I can't say for sure if the team is going to be moved, but if I'm Charles Wang there is nothing that makes me want to stay here and I can't blame him. If the team is moved to Kansas City or wherever, we can always look back at the day Kovalchuk resigned with the Devils and wonder if we missed our chance.
He ultimately signed a 17 year deal to return to New Jersey. Rough numbers are that it was at 102 million and it could reach much higher. That is a lot of years and a lot of money. Chances are, he wont play it out - he'll be 44 at the end of 17 years. What I heard though, is that the Islanders just barely had their feet in the water with Kovalchuk. This is unacceptable. There is a chance the team is moved and what is being done to convince ownership to stay?
The Lighthouse project seems like it was a wash. That could have been great for Long Island and Nassau County, but it appears no one other than Charles Wang and Islander fans wanted it to happen. It has long been known that Long Island is a tough draw for free agents. Despite the proximity to NYC and the great beaches, free agents just do not want to play at the Nassau Coliseum.
Snow had the money to bring in a BIG free agent like Kovalchuk, but did nothing. This team is losing fans and money and Kovalchuk might have been a franchise savior. Along with Tavares and Okposo, fans would have been selling out the Coliseum to see them play together. Kovalchuk would have brought hope and life to this dying team. I can't say for sure if the team is going to be moved, but if I'm Charles Wang there is nothing that makes me want to stay here and I can't blame him. If the team is moved to Kansas City or wherever, we can always look back at the day Kovalchuk resigned with the Devils and wonder if we missed our chance.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Arrivals and Departures
It seems as though the Mets are going to have a number of roster moves to make in the next two weeks to go along with the ones they already have so far after the break:
A team source said Luis Castillo is expected to return tomorrow which likely spells the end of Justin Turner, who is starting today in the series finale against San Francisco.
Oliver Perez is also finishing up his rehab assignment and could rejoin the team by the end of the week in what Jerry Manuel calls a "lefty vs. lefty" situation.
Jose Reyes is supposedly on track to start tomorrow in Arizona, but we could never be certain until we actually see him take the field. If he doesn't, you have to think about putting him on the DL as it just a waste of a roster spot.
If Castillo returns and Turner is demoted back to AAA Buffalo, that still leaves 4 middle infielders on the roster assuming Reyes isn't placed on the DL. That's too many in my opinion unless Alex Cora becomes the primary backup 1B and 3B. That then makes you wonder what will happen when Fernando Tatis comes back.
If Perez comes back this week, my guess is that Raul Valdes would be sent back to AAA. However, a move like this could really damage the bullpen long term. Valdes just pitched 2.1 innings last night of mop up duty. Yes, he let up two runs during that time, but he was able to get through 2 full innings of work. If Perez is only going to face one or two lefties at a time, there is no long man in the bullpen. The only way to fix that problem would be to move Takahashi back to the bullpen and call up someone like Pat Misch and hope lightning strikes twice with him and R.A. Dickey.
If I had my way, Castillo comes back and BOTH Justin Turner and Ruben Tejada are sent to AAA. Along with Castillo, Nick Evans gets called back to be the primary right handed PH off the bench. He could also played 1B and, not that its needed right now, but OF. (This is contingent on Reyes starting at SS tomorrow in Arizona).
Takahashi is moved back to the bullpen, indications are he will make his next scheduled start Thursday, but I still want him in the pen regardless of that outcome. Pat Misch is recalled to be the starter long term or until the team acquires a pitcher. Oliver Perez is then recalled for his "lefty vs lefty" situation and Valdes is sent down.
Oh, and the team is still carrying three catchers.
A team source said Luis Castillo is expected to return tomorrow which likely spells the end of Justin Turner, who is starting today in the series finale against San Francisco.
Oliver Perez is also finishing up his rehab assignment and could rejoin the team by the end of the week in what Jerry Manuel calls a "lefty vs. lefty" situation.
Jose Reyes is supposedly on track to start tomorrow in Arizona, but we could never be certain until we actually see him take the field. If he doesn't, you have to think about putting him on the DL as it just a waste of a roster spot.
If Castillo returns and Turner is demoted back to AAA Buffalo, that still leaves 4 middle infielders on the roster assuming Reyes isn't placed on the DL. That's too many in my opinion unless Alex Cora becomes the primary backup 1B and 3B. That then makes you wonder what will happen when Fernando Tatis comes back.
If Perez comes back this week, my guess is that Raul Valdes would be sent back to AAA. However, a move like this could really damage the bullpen long term. Valdes just pitched 2.1 innings last night of mop up duty. Yes, he let up two runs during that time, but he was able to get through 2 full innings of work. If Perez is only going to face one or two lefties at a time, there is no long man in the bullpen. The only way to fix that problem would be to move Takahashi back to the bullpen and call up someone like Pat Misch and hope lightning strikes twice with him and R.A. Dickey.
If I had my way, Castillo comes back and BOTH Justin Turner and Ruben Tejada are sent to AAA. Along with Castillo, Nick Evans gets called back to be the primary right handed PH off the bench. He could also played 1B and, not that its needed right now, but OF. (This is contingent on Reyes starting at SS tomorrow in Arizona).
Takahashi is moved back to the bullpen, indications are he will make his next scheduled start Thursday, but I still want him in the pen regardless of that outcome. Pat Misch is recalled to be the starter long term or until the team acquires a pitcher. Oliver Perez is then recalled for his "lefty vs lefty" situation and Valdes is sent down.
Oh, and the team is still carrying three catchers.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Bay Batting Second?
Tonight's lineup vs. San Fransisco:
1 - Tejada - SS
2 - Bay - LF
3 - Wright - LF
4 - Beltran - CF
5 - Francoeur - RF
6 - Davis - 1B
7 - Barajas - C
8 - Cora - 2B
9 - Niese - P
Yes. Jason Bay is batting 2nd. Rookie Ruben Tejada is batting leadoff. Beltran is back, which is supposed to make the lineup better, but is this really better? I know Bay has not at all been what we paid for, but is putting him at 2 going to do any good? We cant expect Beltran to be the all star he has been before right away, look at how long it took Reyes to come back. I'd much rather see Beltran at two and Bay at five. That would take much more pressure off Beltran and allow Davis to go back to the clean up spot. Just because Beltran is back doesnt mean the entire lineup needs to be flipped.
It sucks that Reyes is out for the time being, but with that, wouldnt it be nearly impossible to remove Pagan? Jerry has a problem of holding onto players just a little too long. Matthews started opening day and was still around in May before Jerry finally gave Pagan everyday duties. Tatis and Jacobs were our opening day starters at 1B and it took way too long before Carter and Feliciano were called up. How long is he going to play Francoeur while Pagan sits on the bench, just because.
This is a crucial time in the season, we're facing a tough stretch of teams on the road and falling behind in the standings. God knows when Reyes is going to return. We're hopeful that Beltran is going to be the old Beltran, but right now we don't know. We need to stick with what works, which is Pagan leading off in the absence of Reyes and Davis batting higher than six.
1 - Tejada - SS
2 - Bay - LF
3 - Wright - LF
4 - Beltran - CF
5 - Francoeur - RF
6 - Davis - 1B
7 - Barajas - C
8 - Cora - 2B
9 - Niese - P
Yes. Jason Bay is batting 2nd. Rookie Ruben Tejada is batting leadoff. Beltran is back, which is supposed to make the lineup better, but is this really better? I know Bay has not at all been what we paid for, but is putting him at 2 going to do any good? We cant expect Beltran to be the all star he has been before right away, look at how long it took Reyes to come back. I'd much rather see Beltran at two and Bay at five. That would take much more pressure off Beltran and allow Davis to go back to the clean up spot. Just because Beltran is back doesnt mean the entire lineup needs to be flipped.
It sucks that Reyes is out for the time being, but with that, wouldnt it be nearly impossible to remove Pagan? Jerry has a problem of holding onto players just a little too long. Matthews started opening day and was still around in May before Jerry finally gave Pagan everyday duties. Tatis and Jacobs were our opening day starters at 1B and it took way too long before Carter and Feliciano were called up. How long is he going to play Francoeur while Pagan sits on the bench, just because.
This is a crucial time in the season, we're facing a tough stretch of teams on the road and falling behind in the standings. God knows when Reyes is going to return. We're hopeful that Beltran is going to be the old Beltran, but right now we don't know. We need to stick with what works, which is Pagan leading off in the absence of Reyes and Davis batting higher than six.
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