Post Super Bowl Wrap Up

If you paid attention on Friday you would have done like The Peoples Champ and given up the 3 points and taken the G-Men +130 on the money line and been counting your quickly devaluing Greenbacks today. You might also have taken the Giants winning between 4 and 6 points and gotten 5-1 odds on that. Yes, Vegas was giving away free money this weekend folks but beware.  Vegas doesn't have all those nice new buildings and shopping malls because they lose more than they win. In other words, be careful out there. It's gonna get ugly for the handicappers.

With that said, after contemplating the game and the post game reactions  (including Gisele's tirade) here is what we learned.


1. Eli Manning is officially "The Most Clutch QB in the NFL" right now and on the short list of Greatest Comeback QB'a of All Time. You want to still say silly things like "Eli isn't Elite" and that he turns the ball over too much, had only one very good statistical year, has great receivers, blah blah blah. Fine. There are some statistical proofs one might bring to back up those idiotic claims, but what one can't do is deny Eli's greatness with the game on line. A record 8 Game Winning comeback drives this season and now 2 comebacks on the last possession to win 2 Super Bowls (and MVP awards) affirms this claim. In 8 playoff wins, Eli has gone head to head with Brady twice, Farve and Rodgers on the road, Romo and Matt Ryan (both who just as recently as this preseason were ranked higher than Eli by more than a few talking heads).
The People's Champ has always held the position that Eli is a top flight NFL QB and  a great leader of men. Eli just keeps proving the point more and more each year.

2. Justin Tuck is the Eli of Giants defensive players. Before the 2007 Super Bowl, Tuck was considered a very good up and coming defensive lineman. In Super Bowl XLII, Tuck was arguably the MVP; playing one of the great defensive games in Super Bowl history and basically nailing the door shut on the Patriots last drive with a critical sack of Brady. Turn ahead the clock to this year, a very trying regular season for Tuck, who by all accounts had a very disappointing year(mostly due to injuries) until Week 15 when he got healthy and not coincidentally, the Giants D became a championship D. He also played his best game in 5 years in the Super Bowl with 2 sacks, one being the initial safety and the other a sack on Brady on 3rd down which put the Pats in Hail Mary mode.

3. To win a Super Bowl in the "new rules" NFL you need a great QB. I've heard a lot of talk out there that Baltimore and San Fran could have easily been here and were just as good as the Giants or Patriots. Well, you know what? They weren't and as good as Alex Smith was this year and as good as Flacco played the final 3 Quarters against the Patriots, the difference was Manning and Brady. Look at the last 11 years of Super Bowl winners and here's who the QB's are: Brady 3, Eli 2, Big Ben 2, Rodgers, Peyton and Brees 1. Only Brad Johnson and his win in 2002 doesn't belong. In other words, if you want to win a Super, get yourself an Elite QB and your chances go up astronomically. Personally, I thought San Francisco were the best coached and best defensive team I saw all year. Houston was the best all around team I saw in the AFC (I'll give them a pass because they sustained season ending injuries to their QB and best defensive player). The Patriots were mediocre at best sans Brady. They had an awful defense and a pedestrian running game but still Brady put up enough points to win 13 games. Same with the Giants. Their running game was awful. Besides their punter, their Special Teams was anything but special. Their defense was horrible all season until Week 15. Rex freakin Grossman shredded the Giants Defense twice. But they had Eli, who when given the ball 8 times (including the playoffs) losing in the 4th Quarter, he delivered.

4. Tom Brady is still Great. Another idiotic subject of yahoos out there is that Brady is overrated, not clutch and hasn't won anything since spy-gate. While the latter might be true, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SPYGATE. It has to do with the fact that Brady continues to do more with less than any QB in NFL history. The problem with Brady is that he's too good. If Brady was merely mortal and winning 8-10 games a year with this rag tag squad and keeping his untainted 3-0 Super Bowl record, no one would say a peep. The problem is Brady carries teams on his back with no running games, no defense and one good WR (this year he did have the two TE's though). He has carried 3 totally different offensive type teams to Super Bowls (name me one other QB who has come close to that challenge) and if not for a dropped ball made 99 out of 100 times  by Welker and The Tyree Catch (which could have been called back for 3 holding penalties and 2 in the grasps calls) he would be the only QB with 5 Super Bowls and Mr. Montana would be know as the Greatest QB who ever lived that wasn't named Tom Brady.

5. Belichek still has it.  The legend that is Bill Belichek really began the day the NE Patriots and an unknown QB named Tom Brady upset the Greatest Show on Turf- the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. It was then that Belichek became known as the Master Game Planner- the Genius. Up to that point he had been a great defensive Co-Coordinator and Assistant Coach for the NY Giants and an unsuccessful coach with the Cleveland Browns. What changed that day was Belichek devised a game plan to hit the Rams receivers at the line (negating their huge speed advantage in a timing offensive scheme) and take Marshall Faulk (at the time the greatest fantasy football player of all time and the top offensive player in the NFL) out of the game by having 2-3 guys follow him at all times. NE would go on to win 2 more Super Bowls in the next 3 years and now people were talking about Belichek in the same sentence as Lombardi, Noll, Parcells, etc. All the accolades were deserved. However a funny thing happened along the way. The NFL changed the rules to make it incredibly harder to play certain type of defenses, NE defensive personnel got weaker and Belichek's once great penchant for drafting quality players late in the draft and filling in needs through free agency was waning. Well, he's still got it. As outlined in the Super Bowl preview, the Giants had far more talent. They also have an explosive offense with 2 great WR's and one good one. NE has been the weakest team all year against the pass with the worst secondary in the NFL. So what does Belichek do? He figures out a way to basically take Victor Cruz out of the game, eliminates any big plays by the Giants (except for the unbelievable throw and catch from Eli to Manningham) and then has the cajones to let the Giants score a TD and give Brady a chance with a minute left in the game. I thought this season, from beginning to end was his best job yet.


In the end the Giants are Super Bowl Champions for the second time in five years because they were able to do something no one else can. They figured out how to beat the Patriots. In the two Super Bowl seasons the Patriots were 32-2 against the NFL and 1-3 including two Super Bowl losses to the Giants. Figure out how to beat the Pats and there's a good chance you'll be wearing the ring.

Back in Business- The People's Super Bowl Pick

After yesterdays heart wrenching post, I felt it best to go back to my roots and start bringing The People's Blog back to The People. No, this isn't a one day "guest appearance" ala The Return of the Ultimate Warrior, and it's a far cry from the Ferris Buehller shill sure to be one of the best Super Bowl commercials even though everyone saw it already (thank you Honda for that much needed bathroom break in advance. I'll always have you in mind over Toyota and Nissan). Will The Champ post every day? Come on.....Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Creativity doesn't come in a bottle you know. With that we proceed.

I'm not going to break the game down like all the talking heads. You've heard all the angles, you've seen video, broken down the game tapes, listened to the crazy interviews at media day and even read poor Giselle's prayer to the Lord Above. No, I will tell you what will happen how it will happen and how at the end of the day, the Super Bowl Champ will be ____________.

To start, Boston has been a royal pain in the rear for New York for way to long, and despite 2007, 2004 really sticks in our craw. We could care less about the historic Red Sox collapse this past September/October (ok, that's a lie. We enjoyed it very much...) or that the Giants beat The Pats earlier this year with the JV starting. No. We need to bury Boston. Stick a fork in them and send the Patriots and Red Sox back to being the cursed franchises they always were.

NE last Super Bowl team was a squad that had a throwback defense- was tough, a team that would smack receivers down at the line, that was led by guys like Teddy Bruschi, Asante Samuel, Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison and Mike Vrable, a team that intimidated, a team that stood toe to toe with the Greatest Show on Turf and came out standing. A team that is remarkably similar to this New York Giant squad.
This years version? Yes, they have the possible GOAT in Brady (as I have discussed prior), they have Belichek, who even though I think is slightly overrated is still an All Time great coach, they have the great Gronk- Hernandez TE combo; but in the end they lack toughness. They get pushed around. They get scored on. Even the GOAT gets a little frazzled when he gets hit.The toughest guy they have will be far from 100% (in Gronk).

The Giants? They are New York tough to the bone. They have a QB who personifies toughness. A guy a few years ago was being run out of town in ways that would embarrass Mark Sanchez. A guy that despite throwing 59 times and getting hit on approximately half those throws by the NFL's toughest and most turnover driven defense, kept coming back like Rocky Balboa, not turning it over and throwing for over 300 yards and 3 TD's and led his team to another NFC Championship ("he's not human" in Drago voice). They were battle tested all season, barely getting into the playoffs and then taking the toughest road possible (after beating a soft Atlanta squad- on a separate topic has there ever been a tough Atlanta squad in any sport?) by beating the defending World Champs and All World QB on their home turf and then doing the same to the NFL's toughest defense.The Pats? The best QB they since October was Tebow.

Did the Giants under achieve all season? Of course they have. Yes, they had huge injuries to Tuck and Osi but still. Everyone has big injuries. This is the National Football League for crying out loud! It's my biggest knock on why Coughlin cant be considered in the class of Belichek, Walsh, Parcells, et al.  His teams go to war with him but they also quit on him. Remember in 2007, he was on the verge of being fired before their great run. Still, when he gets the troops going, they go. And despite their 9-7 regular season record they have far more talent on both sides of the ball than does NE. It's not even close. If they put all their players in a pool and had a draft today, here's how it might come out.

1. Brady 2. Manning 3. Pierre Paul 4/5 Nicks/Cruz 6. Tuck 7. Gronk 8. Mayo 9. Osi 10. Light

Maybe you switch a guy here or there but generally the talent lies on the NY side of the ball. The toughness lies on the NY side of the ball. Even the GOAT is ofter now that he's married to Giselle (ok, I don't really believe it but you gotta love the New England paranoia that does) Experience? Even. Only advantage the Pats have are on Special teams as the Giants are very weak and vulnerable there. That's it. And I think the Giants find a way to adjust there.

At the end of the day, after all the wings, the beer, the stupid prop bets you made when you were  drinking too much and throwing around way too much testosterone, the New York Football Giants will once again be Kings of the Football Road.

ED NOTE: I am a full fledged Oakland Raider fan so no bias except a singular pure hatred of New England sports went into this post.

Ayelet Nation- The Most Inspiring Family I never Met

"It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see
But not for me
I sit and watch
As tears go by

My riches can't buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I hear is the sound
Of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch
As tears go by

It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Doin things I used to do
They think are new
I sit and watch
As tears go by"
                 Mick and Keith


I'm still crying three days later......

I was perusing Facebook one day being asked by a friend of a friend of a friend to pray for a little girl, Ayelet Yakirah Galena, who was having complications from a bone marrow trasnplant a few months prior. Keep in mind that I probably get 5 emails and 10 Facebook updates a day from various friends or friends of friends to pray for a sick relative, friend, stranger, old or young,  doesn't matter.  We've all seen them and we say a few words (at best) and move on with our dispassionate lives. Same thing happened here except for some strange reason, I went back a few minutes later and clicked on the page of this little girls story for absloutely no apparent reason.  From then on I was no longer a stranger being asked to pray for another stranger. I became a family friend. Then a few days later I clicked the link to the family blog reading the most incredible story I have ever read, a story written by parents living through the stormy seas of hell but handling it like they were going to Sunday morning brunch (at least that's what I think Sunday morning brunch would be like if your into that type of thing), I became a relative. A close one at that. No, I never met them and they have no idea who I am but every morning I would check on MY Ayelet and every night before going to bed I went to see how My Ayelet was doing- me and 14,000+ other people who claimed her to be their own.

I thought she would make it because all Fairy Tales end that way.  Just read Seth and Hindy's words and you thought there's no way this ends any other way but good. Girl gets sick. The whole world unites. Girl gets better. She lives happily ever after.

And that's why it hurts so much.

Every day people die. Tragedies happen. Circle of life. You don't need to turn far to see it. We all get the phone calls of the young father who just died for no apparent reason and we get the email about the 35 year old mom who has just been diagnosed with cancer and we pray and we try to be better people and we hope they get better and we really do. But they never enter the inner soul of who we really are and never penetrate the depths of who we should be.

Ayelet did that and more. Her parents Seth and Hindy Galena showed us a strength and resolve we didn't think was possible and made us think of the potential of who we can and should be if we just stopped for a moment and appreciated what we have and how we have it. If we just cared about what's important and ignored what is not. They did it with honor and humor and humility and gracefulness  that should be the standard for us all. What we should be and how we can become what we should be.

Ayelet Nation. Jewish, Non Jewish. Religious. Secular. Black. White. Celebrity. Rabbi. Atheist. Didn't matter. We were all there hoping, praying, wishing, whatever it was we thought would help. We did. We became better. She aroused a cause most of us never heard of and in the meantime- to date- had 21 lives saved because of her.

For me- she touched something that has never been touched. I have lost Grandparents, relatives, good people I knew and knew well, yet I never cried like I have the last three days. I've been in Martial Arts my entire life but will never approach  the fighter she was nor the courage Seth and Hindy displayed.


I want to thank Seth and Hinday and Ayelet for making me cry again. For making me finally care about others they way I always should have. For making people I dont know and should never have known my family.
When Hillel- the Great Talmudic Scholar was asked by a potential convert to teach him the entire Torah on one leg, he brought the Biblical passage- "VeAhavta Leraicha Kamocha". Love Your Neigbhor (really friend)  as You love Yourself. The rest of the Torah is just commentary".

Ayelet and her parents made me fulfill that Commandment for the first time in my life. They taught us what the Rabbi's and teachers and secular critics couldn't. They taught us it doesn't matter where you sit on the bus or how long your skirt is or what certification you follow that we are all the same and the only way to be better the only to be great is to become like the Galena's.


And I'm still crying........



To make a donation in Ayelets name click here for the Gift of Life Foundation and under "fund allocation" drop down menu, click Ayelet Galena

Clemens Indicted for Lying to Congress

Former Major league Star Roger Clemens is being indicted for being an ass. Actually he's just an ass for being an ass but is being indicted for lying to Congress about his use of Performance Enhancing Drugs.
I'm glad the federal judicial system has nothing else to do these days. It's not like the taxpayers could use that cash elsewhere.

The Boss No More

Major Sports Media outlets are reporting Yankee Owner, George Steinbrenner has passed away at the age of 80.

The Worst "Decision" in Sports History

I have taken the last 48 hours or so to reflect, understand and contemplate a chain reaction of events that started around 9:30 EST as Lebron made his infamous "Decision" in the most fabricated, narcissistic display we have ever witnessed on the ever deteriorating stage of sports heroes.
To place things in context I am a lifelong Boston Celtics fans, first drawn to the team by the hustle of Havlicek and Cowens, the coolness of Jo Jo White and was lifted to Basketball Euphoria when Larry Legend donned the Shamrock. The "Decision" affected me as a sports fan, not as a Cleveland Cavalier or New York Knick or any other type of fan. It's why the "Decision" was so awful. It pissed of people who weren't fans of any of the teams involved.
I was driving to Upstate NY with my wife, 2 year old daughter and my yet to be disillusioned 8 year old boy- a die hard sports nut, all 54 pounds of him . We were listening to all the hoopla, the commentary, the experts assessments on the Pre Decision shows and everyone was saying he was going to Miami. We knew it, however we were hoping he would go to the Knicks. I was hoping for my kids sake, that he would get to watch this conquering hero, the Knicks version of Mark Messier, the man that would reclaim the greatness of the City's Game to the most famous sports arena. I was also still thinking how in the world is this guy going to devastate his hometown like this on national TV.
You see, as a sports fan I want to see greatness. real Greatness. Not Kobe's 6-24 MVP trophy contrived greatness. Not Peyton Manning's Super Bowl MVP greatness. Not Bonds steroid induced greatness. Real Greatness. I'm talking Tiger at Pebble. Montana and his Super Bowl Perfection. Jeter. Larry Legend and Magic. Messier coming to NY and at his press conference saying he is coming here for one reason. To win a Cup. Anything short and it's a failure. Gretzky. And the greatest Basketball Player ever, Jordan.
Ever since watching Lebron in his first high school game live from Akron on ESPN, we were all convinced we were seeing Jordan 2.0 just like Jordan was Dr. J 2.0. We thought we were watching the NBA's next version of greatness. We watched his in his rookie year and he didn't disappoint. He continued to display his immeasurable and incomparable talents winning his MVP's taking an over matched Cavs team to the NBA Finals and 60 wins in consecutive seasons (you want to see how great Lebron is, watch the Cavs next year win 25 games with that roster). We were convinced he was the Next One. Except he wasn't. He didn't have Jordan's fire. He was more concerned about his "Brand" than his "Legacy". He liked to be the King except he didnt do anything yet to be the King. Imagine where the Yankees would be right now if Jeter thought that way?
As a sports decision, I don't like the move to Miami because it shows us that Lebron isn't cut out to be Jordan or Kobe. As a basketball fan, nothing would have been better than Lebron coming to NY. The leagues best player coming to the leagues best biggest stage to recapture the buzz. The Garden is the most electrifying arena in the world and having James play there with a championship contender would bring back the buzz we heard when Ewing and Oakley were leading the charges and when there was a real King winning scoring titles in NY. No, we would have none of that.
What we also saw was the most classless move ever done by an athlete, especially someone on the level as Lebron. What was the purpose of the show? To show the world what a class A jerk he was? And how can a born and bred Cleveland guy, with all their history, do that to the Cleveland faithful? How could he stab the back of his hometown franchise, embarrassing them on national TV like that.
 I don't blame Lebron for leaving Cleveland. Truth is, we saw what Gilbert the Cleveland owner is truly like. (before that letter, Cleveland couldn't get anyone to go there, now it will be impossible). Who would want to play for a guy like that? yes, i loved his letter but not because it was the right thing to do, but because of its pure entertainment value. The fact is, Lebron made this guy 10's of millions of dollars and he should have acted a little more classy than that. although you cant really blame the guy, especially after seeing how much he bent over backwards for Lebron while he was in Cleveland. Still, he just made Cleveland an even worse play to consider after his rant.
Lebron wants to win and deserves that right. He gave Cleveland 7 great years. Turned their franchise around from nothing to NBA elite. They weren't going to win with that squad and had no salary maneuverability to get Lebron someone legit to play with. However, he could have done it so differently. He could have held a normal press conference and thank the Cleveland fans for 7 great years and how he will never forget them, ala Gretzky when he was traded to LA. He could have even used the Decision as a saying goodbye party for Cleveand. He didn't need to have this phony build up with his paid for announcer on the fake stage of a Boys and Girls Club to make him look good. It was all so contrived. He went from the worlds most famous and liked athlete to the worlds most hated athlete. He turned me from a life long card carrying member of the I hate Kobe Fan Club to a someone who cant wait to see Kobe tear him apart on the court.
I am not upset that he went with Wade and Bosh to Miami because I think it's bad for the game, it makes Miami like the Yankees, etc. (it says here that this experiment will not go that well, especially if they don't win right away and the 3 Kings start getting pissy that they sacrificed all this money to play together- somewhere on the $15M range). I'm upset because once again as a sports fan, we were let down. Once again as a father of a sports fan, I have to once again explain to my son why these guys are not special people, just very not special people with very special talent- and it's getting very tiring. The kid is only 8 and I've had to explain why Barry Bonds might go to jail, why Arod is apologizing for doing steroids, Tiger being Tiger and how Lebron decided to rip the hearts out his hometown on national TV for no apparent reason but to feed his giant ego. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of sports doing this to you when it's supposed to be captivating and inspiring. Supposed to give you chills and dream of the possibilities. Instead I have some more explaining to do.

TPC's Post Super Bowl Thoughts

 An amazing game all around. Exciting from start to finish, an all time great performance (Brees), gutsy coaching as well as some very questionable coaching. In the end, this game created or sealed a lot of history for many involved.

1. Drew Brees enters the discussion of All Time Great QB's. His regular season statistics have always been superb (including his 65% all time completion percentage) and he now has a Super Bowl MVP and a career 103.7 QB rating with 13 TD's and 2 INT's in 6 career playoff games. He has now solidified his spot in the current Top 3, along with Manning and Brady and being the youngest of the 3, he has the most upside. He's obviously still behind the Montana, Brady and Unitas class, but he should now feel very comfortable in any argument to be in the top 20.

2. Peyton Manning, for all his regular season greatness- and he is the greatest NFL QB of All Time IN THE REGULAR SEASON, has once again showed his chink of armor in the Postseason. Consider Brees' numbers above, here is Manning's all time Postseason marks: 9-9 87.6 QB rating (as opposed to 96 for the regular season) 28TD's and 19 INT's. His QB ratings in AFC Championships and Super Bowls are in order:
35.5, 79.1, 81.8, 123.6, and last nights 88.5. Hardly the stuff of legends. With all that said, with a Colt loss last night, provided Manning was able to get them in the end zone and tie the game at 24, the arguments could still be made. However, notwithstanding Wayne's huge drop, Manning threw the game breaking INT, that Montana or Brady would have never thrown. You know how we know that? Because given the same situation with both QB's in numerous occasions, they always came through. Always. Manning doesn't. And for that reason alone, he stays in the class (albeit a great class) with Favre, Marino, etc.

3. I dont remember two huge consecutive coaching blunders than what we saw at the end of the first half last night. First, the Saints trying to claw back into a game in which they were totally outplayed early on, on 3rd and 4th down, try to run the ball when you have Drew Brees and all those weapons along side him. You see it so many times where coaches get too cute and try to do something different than what got them to that point. this was a classic case in point. The Saints are a pass first offense with an incredible Field General in Brees. let him win the game for you (which they finally did). So, of course the Colts stop them, and now with Manning who to that point was flawless, had the ball with 2 minutes left in the half, a 10-3 lead, and a chance to bury the Saints- especially considering they were getting the ball back to start the second half. So what does Caldwell do? He freakin runs it 3 times and gives the Saints back the ball. Brees drives them down the field, they get the field goal, erase the memory of the failed goal line attempts and gives Payton a reason to go for the onside kick. You have to let Manning bury the Saints there. You have to. Forgetting what happened at the end of the game, you have to assume Manning will at worst case, move the ball a little and get you better field position. Instead, they went 3 and out and gave the Saints back the ball at midfield.

4. Great job by the Saints kicker, Hartley. We all saw in the playoffs how costly missing field goals are, both in terms of not getting the 3 points and giving the other team great field position. All Hartley did was knock down 3 over 40+ yard jobs which has never been done before in the Super Bowl. On the contrary, up 17-16 the Colts try a 51 yarder, which missed and gave the Saints the ball back at the 41. Brees led them down the field for the score and the rest is history.

5. Back to Brees. Here is a guy who was one of the top QB's in the AFC for a few years, was getting run out of San Diego by their QB of the future in Rivers, on the last day before he becomes a Free Agent tears apart his throwing shoulder, possibly ending his career. Two teams show interest. The Dolphins and Saints. Miami passes, the Saints take him. Katrina happens. Brees gets down and dirty helping both physically and emotionally in the rebuilding of the city, the city embraces him, and now he delivers what may have been the best game ever played by an NFL QB (only Simms SB win could compare, but Simms had a much better running game to lean on). Great stuff for a truly good guy.

McGwire comes clean, admits steroids use

Too little too late? If Big Mac went this route a few years ago he might be in the Hall of Fame today. Instead he just looks like some guy who had to fess up to the Principal because he doesn't want to miss recess.

McGwire comes clean, admits steroids use

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Yankees Acquire Javier Vazquez

The New York Yankees have acquired Javier Vazquez from the Atlanta Braves for Melky Cabrera and Mike Dunn, sources told ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney.

In addition, the Braves are sending right-hander Boone Logan to the Yankees, sources said.
Vazquez, with a 15-10 record, ranked second in the major leagues last season with 238 strikeouts and sixth in ERA at 2.87. This is his second time around with the Yankees, having pitched in New York in 2004, when he went 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA.



You gotta wonder what the heck is Omar Minaya doing on the other side of town..........

27 Thoughts on #27

1. TPC said it was inevitable and it was. When you have better starting pitching and a better bullpen, you usually win. The Yanks did just that.

2. Arod is officially forgiven and all those naysayers have nothing left to say as he performed unbelievably in the postseason (setting many Yankee records) and is now a "True Yankee" by all accounts.

3. The Captain earns his 5th ring by hitting .407 . He All Time leading postseason hit total is now at 175 and before it's all said and done, that record might be as untouchable as Cy Young's 511 Wins.

4. Pettitte pitched a great game despite being squeezed by the blind umps. He won his 18th (ML career leader) postseason game and record 6th Series clinching game. He might have just punched his ticket to Cooperstown with this latest run.

5. I love the rivalry and I love the theatrics with Pedro, but in some ways it was sad to watch one of the greatest of all time, have nothing in that type of spot. It reminded me of Ali vs. Holmes or Holmes vs. Tyson. The once great Heavyweight getting knocked around as a shell of his former self.

6. Matsui had the single greatest World Series clinching game since R-E-G-G-I-E. Great stuff.

7. With that being said, you can't give the MVP to someone who only started 3 of the 6 games. Seems a little ridiculous to me, no matter how great Matsui did play.

8. For my money, I would have split the MVP. Pettitte and Matsui. Or Pettitte and Arod. Pettitte won 2 games, maybe the two most crucial games and should have garnered consideration.

9. Damon had a great Series and continues to show what a great big game player he is. Remember, he was one of the main reasons the Red Sox came back on the Yankees in 2004.

10. What more can be said about Rivera? The guys greatness knows no bounds. He puts such pressure on the other team to be ahead after 7 it's amazing. Even Jeter said "Everybody" knew it was over when Mo came in the 8th with a 4 run lead. What he has done on the biggest stage might be the most remarkable thing about this whole run. He has defied everything and we take his greatness for such granted.

11. C.C. was the horse we expected which means a lot considering everything that comes along with all that cash. Just a big guy for the big game.

12. Why didn't Ryan Howard play in the Series?

13. A year ago this time Brad Lidge was being compared to Mo and Cole Hamels was the next Josh Beckett. What a difference a year makes.

14. Jeter has more rings (5) than The Babe (5).

15. The Yankees opened the old Stadium with a Series victory in 1923 and did likewise in 2009. Should be the start of a great run.

16. For all the hits Girardi took (some rightfully so) he did a few things that should be absolutely commended for. He had the guts to move Jeter up to leadoff and Damon down to #2. They both had superb seasons and thrived in their new roles. He did a great job of managing the bullpen during the regular season, not overworking anyone. He stuck to his guns with the 3 man rotation and it paid off.

17. How does Manuel leave Pedro in to face Matsui the second time around? Pedro had nothing. He had no fastball and Matsui was all over him the last at bat. Season on the line, Manuel had to go to Happ a lot quicker there. Just a bad job.

18. For as horrible as Cano was this postseason his bat was coming around the last two games. Should be in midseason form for the Winter Games.

19. For as good and clutch as Posada seemed at the plate, he was just as awful behind the plate. He called a shaky game every time out- was constantly being shaken off by the pitchers, any pitch that wasn't close seemed to turn into a passed ball and Jason Giambi probably could have stolen at will on him.

20. Home A.J. is a lot different than Road A.J. Pettitte really bailed out Girardi last night. Burnett on normal rest at home would have been a lot more effective than Road A.J. on 3 days rest.

21. Texiera had a rough time at the plate all postseason but his few hits were big and his defense was stellar, proving 1B is a very important position, and not one where "just anyone" can play it.

22. I would have loved to have seen Arod at the plate in Game 5 with a chance to win. Amazing what a difference a year makes. This time last year Yankee fans were praying Arod got no where near the plate with the game on the line.

23. I thought Joba had some electric stuff and he probably worked his way back to being the 8th inning guy next year with Hughes going into the rotation.

24. What a remarkable turnaround for Marte. He went from being a punching bag to a huge weapon against those Philly lefties. Great move by Joe for sticking with him.

25. Robertson showed a lot of guts and I would have no issue with him and Aceves working the 7th and 8th next year if both Joba and Hughes go to the rotation.

26. This would have been a lot easier with a healthy Chin-Min Wang.

27. Parade down the Canyon of Heroes this Friday. Party NY style!

TPC Explains Why #27 is Inevitable

Despite AJ Burnett getting beaten while showing Steve Phillips type control in a room full of Lewinsky look a likes, despite Texiera evoking memories of Vintage Postseason Arod 2005-2007 and despite a lineup in Game 5 that featured 3 hitters (Jeter, Damon and Arod), the Yankees are still in complete and utter control of this seasons fall classic.
Here's TPC's take and why Yankee fans should get the Budweiser ready (I hate Champagne. For starters it's French. Secondly, it tastes like cheap Beer and Third, it's French.).

1- Going into the Series, we knew the Yankees had two clear cut and distinct advantages. a) They would have a huge edge in starting pitch in at least 5 of the 7 games. That has not changed. Pettitte and Sabathia are distinctively better than Pedro and whoever has the guts to take the ball from Manuel in Game 7 (gotta love Lee copping out and not going Game 4 and & and Hamels hoping the season ends already. It's Ph-aaan-tastik!!! Philly style). b) They have a big edge in the bullpen (which is magnified by their starting pitching edge) especially with Rivera at the end. Games 4 and 5 showed us exactly how big that edge is. Lidge blew Game 4 despite having 2 outs and no one out in the 9th, and Madsen all but gave away last nights game except Jeter and Tex decided to be nice and cho--and make big outs late.
The Phillies will not be able to breath easy, no matter the score until the final out has been made, while the Yankees know if they have a lead going into the 8th, it's game, set and match. That edge has mentally worn down the Twins and Angels and will continue with the Phillies, especially after last nights near implosion by the Philly pen.

2- The lineup changes the Yankees make in their home park is a decided advantage for them. Just look at last nights lineup with Swisher, Cano, Gardner, Molina and the Pitcher now being replaced by Matsui, Posada, Cano, Swisher and Gardner. Your going from a borderline Triple A end of the lineup to one that has some real pop. The length of the lineup will cause Pedro- even if he has his good stuff- to max out at 6 innings and that will lead to the parade of clowns we saw yesterday. Pettitte is used to throwing against the extra hitter and despite his big hit in Game 3, he will gladly take a seat for Godzilla's stick in this one.

3- Manuel made a very curious decision last night leaving in Lee to start the 8th. Lee was not his usual sharp self all game, walking 3 to that point and going deep in counts all night. He was already at 100 pitches and Manuel knows he's going to need him in relief if there is a Game 7. Knowing he has no confidence in his bullpen, Manuel left Lee in too long. It did a few things that I think sealed the Phillies faith. a) It showed the utter lack of trust Manuel has in his pen which is going to kill him the next two games when he will need to go to that same pen early and often. b) It gave the Yankees confidence that no matter what the score they can and will come back on the Phillies. c) if they do face Lee in Game 7, the armour has been pierced. The Yanks know they can get to him. Plus, Lee will be thinking a little differently now that he gave up those 3 late runs. He might also be a tad more tired which is the most curious of all reasons why Manuel left him in.

4- This Yankee team is much different than the 2004-2008 versions. It used to be the Yanks would go down a few runs and it was over. This year it's different. Anyone who has watched these Yankees knows they feel they should win every game, and no lead is safe. It's why the Yankees leading the league with 51 come from behind wins was no accident. It's the result of a good bullpen keeping them in games, a deep lineup which allows them to get to the other teams middle relief and the confidence that they can and will win when down late no matter who they are facing.

5 -Redemption for Pettitte. The last time Pettitte had a chance to close out a World Series for the Yankees he got shelled in Game 6 of the 2001 Series against Arizona and Randy Johnson. Pettitte has been a fighter all his career and will gut his way out to this win. He will beat Pedro and will pitch well in doing so.

27 for 27

One more win is all the Yankees need to make #27 a reality. 27 more outs for Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Mo to win one for the thumb and for Arod, C.C. and co. to win their first.
Tonight, Burnett goes for the clincher against this seasons best postseason pitcher in Cliff Lee. Burnett will be going on 3 days rest while Lee is going on his usual 4, but facing a 3-1 deficit and the burden of lengthening the season squarely on his shoulders.
It seems interesting that just a few short days ago, Girardi was getting run out of town for his "over managing" and for his curious decisions (including here). Now? Well, Girardi has done a masterful job this World Series. His bullpen managing, his lineup maneuvers (although letting CC to hit in the top of the 7th was a very curious decision), even his critically acclaimed pinch running moves have worked out. He has out managed Manuel and now has a chance to change his number to 28 next season.
Can a player who has only 2 hits through 4 games be considered an MVP candidate? Yes, when your first hit is a 2 run HR in Game 3 with the series tied at 1, down 3-0 when your team is looking listless at the plate and when your second hit is a 2 out top of the 9th run scoring double that breaks a 4-4 tie and gives your team a commanding 3 games to 1 lead. Arod has done the unthinkable. It used to be he was a collector of stats and only failed when it counted. This Series he has only done something when it counts MOST. Amazing turnaround from Arod.

Damon would also be in consideration with his clutch hitting and great baserunning, except if he played even average in Left Field, C.C. would have given up only 1 run through 7 and not have to labor nearly as much. He misjudged and misplayed Victorino's bloop which led to the first Philly run and should have caught Feliz RBI single in the 4th or at least thrown out Howard at the plate. I love Damon's stick especially in bug games, but they can only re-sign him as a DH next season. With that being said his taking 3rd on that steal made Lidge throw the fastball that hot Tex inside instead of going to his slider, which was nasty last night. Ledge didn't want to bounce one and it allowed Tex to reach base and allowed Arod to drill one down the line.
Posada's catching abilities, both calling the game and throwing out runners has severely declined over the last two years (yesterday's game really proving this out) but he is as clutch as they come. Not sure where he will play next season, but looks like he might be a part time catcher- more time DH.
2nd game in a row CC didn't have his good stuff and 2nd game in a row he went 6+ and gave the Yankees a chance to win. It's why he's the Horse and the Ace and why the Yankees are in this position.
All MVP talk will be put to bed tonight if AJ throws anything similar to the way he pitched in Game 2 and the Yankees wrap it up in 5.
It's really nice having Mariano to close things out. Showed again yesterday. Lidge dominated Matsui and Jeter, 2 outs two strikes to Damon and he couldn't close the door. It's why the Sandman is arguably the most important player on the Yankees for the last 15 years.
Maybe you didn't notice but Jeter is hitting .412 for the Series. True greatness.
Pettitte pitched a really gutsy game in Game 3. Early on, we were seeing shades of Game 6 vs, Arizona in 2001 (Yanks led 3 games to 2 when Pettitte gave up 6 runs in two innings losing Game 6 and eventually the Series). Somehow Andy got it together and pitched 4 solid innings after that and delivered a huge hit to tie the game. Amazingly, the Yankees almost didn't sign this guy this past offseason. Needless to say, he earned everything they gave him.
I thought the home plate umpire was horrible last night, incredibly inconsistent with his strike zone and is also why CC struggled early and Blanton didn't. Seemed to me Blanton was getting the calls that CC wasn't.
That Ryan Howard is really scary huh? Scary as Arod circa 2006 postseason that is.

Marte has been huge for the Yanks this postseason and has finally made that trade from last seasons trade deadline pay off. Remember, Marte was supposed to be the bridge to Mariano but injuries and then ineffectiveness stopped that. He is now showing why he was once considered the toughest pitcher in the league against lefthanded batters.

TPC's Game One Thoughts

Two words describe what happened to the Yankees in Game 1. Cliff Lee. Lee threw a brilliant and as dominant a performance as we have ever seen pitched in a World Series game. It was the first time EVER that a pitcher had a complete game with 10 Strikeouts, O walks and 0 Earned Runs in a World Series. Just dominant stuff that Lee threw at the Yankees last night. However, going into the Series we knew the only reliable starter the Phillies had was Lee, so nothing really has changed except the affirmation of what we all knew. The Phillies had to have that Game and Lee delivered.

CC pitched a very good game, albeit without his best stuff. he gave up 2 ER in 7 innings a usual formula for Victory behind the great Yankee offense. He made two mistakes to Utley which was all Lee needed. Sabathia should be good to go for Game 4, as it looks like he will be needed.
Lee will obviously not pitch game 4 as Manuel left him in the game in the 9th with a 6 run lead and Lee finished with 120+ pitches thrown. Manuel isn't a big favorite of pitchers on short rest, so he let Lee finish what he started.

Utley had a monster game, his real coming out party for his postseason career, which date hasn't been anything to write home about. Last night will end that. He blasted two shots off Sabathia, making both mistake pitches dearly paid for. Keep in mind those were the first two HR's given up by Sabathia to a lefty at the Stadium this year. Good stuff by Utley.

Girardi has a huge issue now in the 8th inning as Hughes has now proven he cant be trusted. We were told his "mechanical" problems were fixed after the Minnesota Series and we were told the same after the ALCS. We were lied to. He has huge issues as his control and stuff are not nearly what they were in the regular season. We have to hope he's not hiding some type of injury. Hughes is having a postseason meltdown along the lines of Byung-Hyun Kim and Armando Benitez. Girardi has to go elsewhere- either Joba or Robertson at this point as Hughes can not be trusted.

Derek Jeter continues to Amaze. On a night when Lee was as dominant as anyone we have seen, Jeter rolled out a 3-4 and continues to show why October Baseball was made for him. It's uncanny his ability to step up in the game games.

Arod and Tex went a combined 0-8 with 5 strikeouts. If the Yankees have any thoughts on #27, this obviously needs to change tonight.

Marte has been a pleasant surprise in the postseason. He will be needed with all those lefties in the Philly lineup. Girardi's confidence in him has to be growing with each performance.

World Series 2009- TPC's Take

Elvis impersonators, Casinos and bachelor parties belong in Vegas. Surfers, freaks and Movie Stars belong in Hollywood, the World Series has come back to where it belongs, the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium in 'da Bronx, NY.
Yankee Stadium will host Game 1 tomorrow night featuring the AL's best, Bronx Bombers and the NL's best (for two years running) the Philadelphia Phillies in a very intriguing matchup with numerous subplots, which The People's Champ will breakdown right here-right now!

Who will be A Team for the Ages

The 2009 version of the Yankees have drawn comparisons to the Great 1998 Yankee squad, which many consider the greatest Yankee Team of all Time. This years version features what may be the greatest offensive infield ever to play the game at one time, with the AL's HR and RBI leader, Mark Texiera playing 1B, Robinson Cano and his .320+ average, 25HR's and 204 hits at 2B, Derek Jeter in one of his finest seasons hitting .334 and 214 Hits (Jeter and Cano became the first middle infield combo in MLB history to both amass 200+ hits in a season) and the Great Offensive force in Baseball, Alex Rodriguez at 3b (30HR and 100RBI in only 124 games after his preseason hip surgery). They have a borderline Hall of Fame Catcher in Posada, a productive OF in Swisher, Damon and Melky. Their starting pitching, although lacking in depth, features CC Sabathia, who will finish at worst, top 3 in this years CY Young Voting and was the ALCS MVP, AJ Burnett and the winning pitcher in postseason history, Andy Pettite. Despite his struggles to date in the postseason, Phil Hughes was as dominant a force as any out the bullpen this year and the Greatest of them All, Mariano Rivera is as dominant as ever (statistically speaking, Mo's best two seasons were his last which is incredible considering most closers lack of longevity).
The Yankees led the league with 103 wins. They led the league in HR's, Runs, On Base Percentage and were second on Batting Average. They were tied for third in the AL in ERA despite playing in the friendliest hitters park in the league and led the league in Strikeouts. They dispatched a good Twins team in 3, and beat an Angel team that has been a nemesis for them for years in 6. A win in this World Series would justify their offseason $400M shopping spree on Tex, Sabathia and Burnett (not to mention the already inflated payroll). It would also cement their place as one of the great Yankee squads of all time.

The Phillies? Well, all it will do for them is become the first NL team to win back to back World Series since the Big Red Machine in the mid 70's. While the Yankees were slugging their way through the AL, the Phillies were doing likewise to the NL, leading the circuit in HR's and Runs. A lineup featuring the games biggest slugger in Ryan Howard, all World 2B Chase Utley, former NL MVP and the only legitimate comparable to Jeter, in Jimmy Rollins at SS. They are clearly the most stacked team in the league and their postseason bludgeons of the Dodgers have not veered anyone off that opinion. While their pitching has been an issue (we'll get into that soon) and their bullpen is their biggest weak spot (despite the apparent re-emergence of Lidge being a dependable closer), the Phillies are as tough as Rocky Balboa (Philedelphia's best known athlete). They get hit, they get bruised but they keep coming back. A win here will cement their place in history and with a core in their primes, they could be the next great Baseball Dynasty.

Arod and Howard
Coming into this postseason, Arod was the most maligned star this side of Lindsey Lohan. We all knew about his failures to perform in the clutch. He was Mr. April thru September to Reggie and Derek's Mr. October (s). He was the guy managers would intentionally load the bases to face in big spots. He was the guy with all glitter and with no glory. But a funny thing happened on the way to 2009. He got divorced in a public mess. He was named as the only one of 104 MLB players that were supposedly anonymously tested for steroids (after of course proclaiming many times he never touched the stuff- most famously on 60 Minutes). He then went public in an interview supposedly in a tell all interview that many felt was staged and didnt tell all. He then missed the first month of the season and Spring Training with hip surgery. He then realized that maybe all this stuff has gotten the "I always need to be perfect" monkey off his back. It got him to relax. To enjoy the moment and to trust his teammates. He no longer cared that this was Jeter's town and he should be happy to be along for the ride. He started getting big hits. Big Home Runs. He played a flawless 3b all season. But all tjis would mean nothing if he couldn't carry it into October. Well, all Arod did in October was produce the most clutch and dominant offensive performance we have ever seen. He has 5 HR's so far, 3 of which tied games in the 7th, 8th and 11th innings of games. He has been walked 6 times in the last 3 games, including twice late in the game with 2 out and no one on, a situation so against the book but with Arod, it's the right move now- rewriting a new book. He looks possessed. You see his eyes and you know he's going to do damage. He has become Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Mark Messier and Tiger Woods all rolled up into one. It says here he will have a World Series for the ages- if Manuel decides to even pitch to him.

Howard had fared a little better than Arod through his run last year and has been as dominant as Arod this season, albeit without the huge clutch hit. Howard had a dominant NLCS with 2 HR and 8 RBI's in 5 games. He is already the games most feared HR hitter and a great World Series will fuse his place forever in baseball lore.
This years winner between the two titans will play along way as to who wears the ring.

When the Yankees let Buck Showalter go and brought in Joe Torre, the famous headline of "Clueless Joe" was printed on the front cover of the New York Daily News. Well, seems like the Daily News was about 14 years early. In what has been the running of theme of these playoffs, Girardi's managing- or rather mismanaging has finally cost them a game and has also gotten the Angels right back into this thing.

There was the micro managing of the bullpen in round one. The pulling of Pettite early in Game 3 and some other not-so-worthy moments that we glanced over because of Arod and Jeter's heroics, we didn't seem to care.
Game 2 in the ALCS saw Girardi pinch run for Nick Swisher in the 7TH Inning of a tie game, using Coke and Chamberlain for too short a period in a tie game that eventually could have burnt Girardi and then using another pinch runner in the 9th, to now having Guzman and Gardner protect Arod in the late stage of a tie game of an ALCS (which makes Arod's HR off Fuentes the other night that much more amazing. Plus, how does Fuentes throw a down the middle fastball there with those guys in the wait?).

Well, last night the Yankees Magic couldn't bail out Girardi's Knumbskullness (new word?).
I don't really have a problem with leaving Pettite in there for the 7th. He was pitching well and had not thrown too many pitches. You can't kill Girardi there. He brought in Joba and Marte when we was supposed to. Marte did the job, getting Figgins out with one pitch and a runner in scoring position to end the inning.
Here's where Girardi's micro managing, mismanaging, drunken stupor, whatever you want to call it started. It's a tie game. Late innings. Just coming off a 13 inning game two nights before. So of course, Joe removes Marte after ONE PITCH, to bring in ANOTHER LEFTY ( Coke) to pitch to ONE BATTER, and now, he is left without a single lefty in the pen in a tie game- late. Ummmm, why? What possible reason could there be to make that change?
Ok, so in the top of that inning Matsui leads off with a walk. He brings in Gardner to pinch run. No problem there. Stay out of the Double Play, score on a ball into the gap, first to third on a single, it's the right move. Posada is up, first pitch strike. 0-1. Pitcher throws over to first base a few times. And then Gardner tries to steal second on the IDEAL PITCHOUT count. So of course, Scocia, a real Manager, pitches out, nails Gardner easily and there goes the threat. Now keep in mind, John Sterling- probably the most clueless baseball announcer in history was saying this prior to the pitchout so how doesn't a Major League Manager know this? Inexcusable. Of course, Posada then goes deep and ties the game which potentially could have been a go ahead HR.
Now the inexplicable of inexplicabilities happens (another TPC addition to the Miriam Webster Dictionary). Bottom of the 11th, postseason star Dave Robertson (who also mind you led the majors in Strikouts per Nine Innings this season) was in the game cruising along, easily getting out the first two batters. Now remember, tie game, again, 11th inning. Yankees have only Gaudin and Aceves left in the pen. So, for no reason whatsoever, Girardi pulls Robertson (after a whopping 11 pitches) for Aceves, who has been very shaky in the postseason (he gave up the run in the 11th the other night when Arod bailed him out). First batter singles, next batter doubles, game over. Angels go crazy on the field, get a major pump of life back into their chests in their homefield and now it's a series again.
I have seen many bad managerial moves and second guesses. Torre had tons of questionable moves. But they were "questionable". These moves had no rhyme, reason or defense. Coaches can win Football games and basketball games. They can only lose Baseball games and Girardi just cost the Yankees big yesterday.

NFL 1st Quarter Report

Here we are prior to Week 6, and The People's Champ- FINALLY- has something to say on the NFL. With respect to the millions of TPC's fans, without further pomp and circumstance, here we go......
Is there anything more surprising this year than Steve Smith- no, that Steve Smith- leading the NFL in receiving yards through Week5? Look at the other names on the list, in order- Wayne, Clark, Ward, Andre Johnson, Vince Jackson, and Randy Moss. How the heck is The Other Steve Smith doing it............
Eli Manning. He has slowly (and as TPC has been saying this for years) developed into a Top 5 NFL Quarterback- at worst, to this point. Going into this season, every single major NFL expert and Fantasy Football Guru, were saying how Manning would suffer greatly without Plaxico, and the Giants would only be able to win if Jacobs and Bradshaw went nuts. You know what, Eli is doing exactly what the Great Ones do. He is making players around him better. Smith, Manningham, Dixon, et al. The Giants have had a dominating passing attack and that falls squarely on the shoulders of Eli. His 2nd ranking NFL QB rating (Peyton is first) 0f 111.7 with 10 TD's and only 2 INT's is not a fluke. And he isn't doing it with Reggie Wayne or Randy Moss.
The second biggest surprise so far has been the job Josh McDaniels has done in Denver. It was only a short while ago that Denver fans (and all NFL fans for that matter) were calling for McDaniels head for dealing Cutler- a 25 year old franchise type QB- for a sub worthy Kyle Orton and a first round pick. For crying out loud, the Giants gave up a ton more than that for Eli- prior to him ever throwing an NFL pass. Well, Orton has proven to be a very good NFL QB in the right situation, McDaniels has built a surprisingly very solid defense in Denver (fewest points allowed and second to the Giants in yards allowed) and even Brandon Marshall is happy in the Mile High City. Looks like Denver made a great deal. Chicago is happy too. Cutler has performed admirably and the Bears are off to a very good 3-1 start. Looks like a deal which benefits both squads.
I love what Rex Ryan has done in NY. For anyone living in NY, living and breathing the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS, Ryan has given the J-E-T-S a personality and an edge that they haven't seen since Parcells was the coach. I love his brashness. I love his attacking defensive style and I love that he isn't afraid to let his Franchise Rookie QB make plays. On that note, Sanchez has proven to be the QB the J-E-T-S and their fans hoped he would be and the NY football scene has a very good QB situation, seemingly for a long time to come (although it wasn't that long ago that a young Chad Pennington was talk of the town and being compared to Montana and Brady, so let's just relax a little on Sanchez for now. These are the J-E-T-S, remember).
For all the annoyance that has become of Brett Farve, he has given the Vikings a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl title. His miracle play against the 'Niners was one for the ages, a play only Farve can make (interesting side note. While watching the game with my 7 year old son, prior to the last drive I told my son the game was over. he said "Daddy, but the Vikings have Brett Farve" and I explained he is no longer THAT Brett Farve. Well, a few plays later, I told my son "you know what, your right. he is Brett Farve"). While Farve might cost them at times, he can single handedly win games like that and gives the team a huge confidence factor in that huddle. Don't forget, the Jets were 8-3 last year and had people talking Super Bowl after the win against Tennessee, prior to his injury. He has the leagues best running back, a good defense and a game changer in Percy Harvin. I think they are the second best team in the NFC behind the Giants.
As long as Peyton Manning is playing at these levels, the Colts are always a force. Yes, their defense has holes. Yes, the running game is so-so. But Peyton is the great equalizer. Watching him play is truly a privilege. The guy gets better every year and to this point, the only better QB's I have ever seen play are Montana and Brady and even that is very arguable at this point.<
I don't remember a season where such a vast amount of horrible teams existed at one point. The Oakland Raiders might be the worst sports team I have ever seen and JaMarcus Russel is clearly the worst NFL QB I have ever seen. Their coach is facing possible criminal charges- for attacking his assistant coach!- and their prized Franchise RB (McFadden) cant stay on the field.
The Rams (although now with Bulger back they should go from Putrid to just very bad), the Chiefs, the Lions (both these teams at least seem to be heading in the right direction with young talent), the Bucs, Redskins, Browns (only win against the Bills), and the Bills (lost to a team that's starting QB went 2 for 17). It's really the first time I remember such horrid teams in the National Football League, where any given Sunday and Team can win. Well, not anymore. These teams cant beat good teams. They cant even beat average teams.
I like what the Saints and Bengals have done with their defense this year, but markedly improved from prior seasons, but I'm not 100% sold on either. I like Brees a lot, but I'm not putting him anywhere near Brady-Manning status because he has gaudy numbers in a great system. Let's see some long term success before you compare him to two of the Greatest Ever.

Goodbye Captain Lou

Captain Lou Albano, one of The People's Champs all time favorite wrestling personalities died today at the age of 76. Albano managed some of the most famous Tag Teams of All Time including, Teh Wild Samoans, The Moon Dogs and Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito. He also managed such revered personalities as Don Muraco, George "The Animal" Steele and "The Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.
Captain Lou will be missed.


The People's Champ would like to also say, he is back and will posting NFL and MLB news very soon. Stay tuned.......

The King is Dead- A Sad Day in America

America, a country built on fundamentals such as "all men are created equal" (albeit not woman or the black man who were only given 3/5 status of an "equal man" when these words were created; nonetheless...), a country and home where one could practice their choice of faith and religion in freedom and peace (ask the Iranians how they feel about not having this policy) a place where people from all different cultures and ideals can come together and still stay apart, an example of Advanced Society for all others to follow, took a major turn for the worse yesterday.
Michael Jackson, the self proclaimed (and probably accurate claim) "King of Pop" died yesterday at the age of 51. Jackson first appeared to us as the Uber Talented 5 year old and leader of the Jackson 5, a family that produced a bevy of talented artists- albeit an extremely dysfunctional one at that. He then went on to his solo career, a career rivaled in fame and popularity only by the King himself, Elvis Presley. Jackson revolutionized the music industry with his music video- 'Thriller". Thriller was probably the single biggest reason MTV became what it did and Jackson and his super talent, from songwriting, singing and dancing (not to mention his theatrics- although that would soon be his downfall) was the man most responsible for that.
Unfortunately, like many children whose parents made the choice of sacrificing those precious early years of development for fame and fortune, Jackson was never able to become a card carrying member of society. Even worse, his fame and popularity only increased as opposed to most child stars that usually just fade into the sunset (or darkness of drug and alcohol abuse). His development curtailed to such a point that he was forever stuck in that children's mind with sexual tendencies (allegedly......) toward the same.
Jackson built his estate, Neverland, as an amusement park geared towards 10 year old boys. You don't think this is a little weird? A far cry from Graceland. There were allegations against the King of Pop of sexual misconduct and payoffs to multiple families of multi millions of dollars to quiet those rumors. Still all were put on the back burner to the mans immense talents.
So what does this all have to do with the despicable state of the current American lifestyle? Instead of being relatively relieved that a true evil doer has now left our World making it a far better and safer place (as it would be whenever any rapist, murderer or pedophile leaves this world), American media took the time and opportunity to create a celebration of Jackson's life. Check all the major media outlets today and see what it says about Jackson. Look at the majority of Facebook and Twitters status and tweets today and you'll find lines like "RIP-The King is Dead" and "I'm in tears, Michael is dead" etc, etc. The basic message being said is a man of enormous talent is dead- oh, and he had an eccentric lifestyle that might have had some allegations against him. You don't pay millions and millions of dollars to multiple familoies unless there is some serious fire behind all teh smoke. This is a man who no sane person would leave alone with their children for more than 6 seconds and the Media brushes it off because he was a Pop Culture Icon and incredible performer?
People, we need to wake up and stop idolizing shallowness and perversion and start admiring people for acts of human greatness. I was at CitiField yesterday and took my son (7 years old) to his first game. When we walked in to the Stadium we saw the huge #42 in the lobby and was proud to answer when my son asked "who was #42". When we talk about the greatness of Jackie Robinson we talk about the sacrifice he made for all mankind, someone who experienced tremendous persecution, torment and torture all because he was a Black Man playing a White Mans sport. We talk about the fact that through all this he never lost his temper, never lost his cool and never acted out because he knew if he did, his mission for all Black and White America alike would be dashed. He was a true American Hero. And ONLY THEN do we talk about the overwhelming athletic talent of Robinson, how despite all this he was a the first NL Rookie of the year, a consecutive 6 time all star, World Series and NL MVP, not to mention the first player in NCAA history to letter in 4 sports in college (Football, Basketball, Track and Baseball-his worst sport while at UCLA).
You see this difference folks. It's first about who you are, then it's about your talent and if your exceptional enough like a Jackie Robinson, your talent can make the world a better place. But when you have to brush away faults that those less rich and talented would be spending lifetimes in prison, because someone was an exceptional talent- why there America, is the problem.