It’s The Silly Season And The Whole Sports’ World Is Now Watching , Waiting and Listening ……..
By tophatal ………
So what happens now with the move of Tim Tebow as the backup to Mark Sanchez ? The New York Jets swooped in as the Denver Broncos sought to jettison the player who’d been their starter for less than eighteen months . That being said midway through the 2011 season when the player was brought in by John Fox to lead the team on their improbable run into the playoffs .
=============================================================================================================
==================================================================================================
Slide show for your perusal .
Now you’d be hard pressed to think that Tebow wouldn’t be welcomed by his new teammates but that just happened to be the case when Antonio Cromartie rather vocally stated that the quarterback wasn’t needed by the organization and their needs were elsewhere . Cormartie , may well be right on the money with his assessment but there was a reason why Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan agreed to bring in Tim Tebow . If anything , it should be viewed as an incentive for the team’s starting quarterback Mark Sanchez to raise the level of his play after a rather lackluster season in 2011. Sanchez’ QB rating and completion percentage were amongst the lowest in the AFC and NFL as a whole . Other than several first year rookie and his new teammate the former ……. USC starter was amongst the least efficient quarterbacks in the league .
Undoubtedly the pressure is on Sanchez to succeed as one the league’s highest paid quarterbacks , a number of fans will question Tannenbaum’s opinion that it was right to offer the player a three-year contract extension . But Sanchez isn’t solely to blame for the Jets’ under-achievement last season . In large part , it came down to a lack of leadership from the seasoned veterans on this roster , as well as the complacency of Rex Ryan and his coaching staff . It was that lack of leadership , no accountability and the ever-present verbose demeanor of the head coach that pretty much summed up the New York Jets and their mediocre season .
Can you imagine what might happen this upcoming season if Mark Sanchez should have a string of poor performances for the Jets ? The fans will no doubt be clamoring for Tebow to start with the hope of the player pulling off some of the regular and postseason heroics of 2011. Then what for Mark Sanchez ? Another USC Trojans’ quarterback deemed a bust in the NFL over the past decade ? Count them ? Matt Leinart , Matt Cassel , Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart . Need need one say anymore on the matter ?
With a now a mere two weeks before Opening Day for the regular season of baseball . I am not so sure as manager of any of the teams within the game I would be extremely happy at this juncture ! The craziness of this all just happens to be the number of players now said to be on the DL . A number of these high profiled stars are considered to prime starters on their respective rosters on Opening Day . The Philadelphia Phillies are sure to be without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley for their season opener . Both players were a major part of the team’s offense last season and with the loss of Raul Ibanez to free agency with the player being acquired by the New York Yankees .
It’s a pretty safe bet to say that of all the teams in the National League the Phillies are under the most pressure to succeed . With so much at stake manager Charlie Manuel , his coaching assistants and in particular GM Reuben Amaro Jr have to win this season. And nothing short of the World Series will be of no satisfaction to front office and David Montgomery as the senior managing partner of the ownership group.
Now we all know the proficiency of the pitching rotation of the Philadelphia Phillies led by Roy Halladay , Cliff Lee , Cole Hamels and the team’s newly closer …. Johnathan Papelbon . And for the former Boston Red Sox closer has a great deal prove after the team’s meltdown in the final month of the 2011 season .
I’ve always maintained the moment you hear of a front office executive stepping down from a senior position there either has to be some sort of impasse between the executives or the individual simply is choosing to pursue other opportunities elsewhere . Jeff Moorad the senior managing partner in the San Diego Padres’ … ownership group is said to be stepping down in that role while still retaining a 49% stake in the ball-club . Moorad is still at the forefront of a television deal with the local Fox tv affiliate that will net the organization $75 million this season but be raised incrementally which will see the Padres receive $1 billion over the next two decades in total , as part of this prearranged deal . It is becoming apparently clear that teams within MLB (baseball) can no longer rely upon the business template in presided over by the league hierarchy . Especially in light of the incomprehensible business dealings of the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets .
The Dodgers still seek a new owner as the league and the Blackstone Group sift through the listed applicants , seeking to bid for the beleaguered franchise . Blackstone is working in conjunction with the league and US Federal Bankruptcy Courts in Delaware in order have the baseball franchise back in a healthy financial state . Much of that will be predicated upon the prospective bidders and their financial status . At present the process has left us with six consortium groups seeking to own the Los Angeles Dodgers . We have yet to be made aware as to what the sale price will be . But the rather asinine and outrageous claim by Frank McCourt that the organization is worth upwards of $1.3 billion ($1,300,000,000) clearly shows the sort of reckless owner that McCourt had become ! Not content with taking the ball-club into Chapter 11 , having plundered the coffers of the organization , while senior executives mindlessly stood by Frank McCourt was as reckless and as premeditated in his actions , as a homicidal maniac ! As to what this would suggest about GM Ned Colletti , CFO Peter Wilhelm and Tommy LaSorda , well I will let you all be the judge of that !
The New York Mets for their part dodged a bullet when they reached and a settlement agreement of $ 165 million with the plaintiffs in a civil suit filed in US Federal Court , that sought to recoup $ 1 billion ($1,000,000,000) in monies said to have been received by that organization in light of the “Madoff Ponzi Scheme ” scandal . As defendants in the case along with the team’s co-owners …. Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon , the organization still faces a steep financial crevasse solely from the mismanagement of the ownership group led by the duo . And it certainly doesn’t look as if the Mets’ fans have a great deal to look forward to this upcoming season based on the ineptitude shown by the team in 2011.
I am not so sure that both the New York Mets and San Diego Padres can be considered to be viable contenders within the NL this season . However, anything is possible but based upon their standings within their respective divisions in 2011 ! It could very be that we will ultimately see a repeat of last season by way of their final positions . Neither team to my mind has really made any moves that can be considered to be major by way of improving their respective rosters to an extent you might even consider them a credible wildcard candidate , much less a divisional winner !
So the New York Knicks are back to winning ways , with interim head coach Mike Woodson having succeeded his predecessor Mike DAntoni . The former Atlanta Hawks’ coach having seen his team win five consecutive games there seems to be some sense of normalcy with the Knicks’ players. Far be it for me to suggest but with Carmelo Anthony now playing even more defense than ever before , either hell has indeed frozen over . Or there must have been some sort of financial inducement to the player beyond $18,500,000 that he will earn this year . As to what GM Glen Grunwald and team owner James Dolan might have suggested to Woodson as an incentive , one can only speculate upon at this juncture . Just kidding ! It’s about time ‘melo showed that he had some cojone`s rather than perpetuating notion that he’s amongst the elite players in the league , when he’s clearly not !
The New York Knicks’ next game will be against the Toronto Raptors (15-32) at the Rogers Center in Toronto , Ontario , on the 23rd March , 2012. The Raptors are coming off a rather lopsided defeat against the high-flying Chicago Bulls , who might just have the ” hottest player ” in the league at present with John Lucas III . The player a stand-in for the injured Derrick Rose has provided the team with the additional offense they need to meet their needs , as they seek to add a seventh NBA title to the organization’s illustrious history .
The Knicks hold a one game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks (21-24) for the eighth and final berth in the Eastern Conference . Am I about to suggest that with this all new-found resolve the Knicks can be seen as palpable and credible contenders ? Well that remains to be seen dependent upon whether or not these players buy into what Mike Woodson now happens to be selling . If they inconceivably comprehend what DAntoni was asking of them in the first place I hardly think it likely that Jeremy Lin , Tyson Chander , Amare` Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert at this juncture are still intelligent enough to comprehend what is now required of them ! As good as this team appears to be on paper there’s no denying that their record (21-25) simply bears out what they are . And that is a team that is barely average at best , if nothing else ! In reality the quality of the play in large part can be best described as abysmal by the vast majority of the teams within the NBA but nowhere has this been more evident than within the Eastern Conference .
Now while there has been great praise for the Chicago Bulls and Tom Thibodeau’s …. team . And the mere fact that they lead the conference with some ease over the more highly favored Miami Heat . I would preface this by saying , as much as the NBA pundits and fans may favor Erik Spoelstra’s …. team merely because of the presence of their trio of major NBA All Stars and a rather impressive home record . The fact that the Heat gives up on average 93.6 ppg and their point differential in victories is a mere 8.2 ppg leads me to believe that the roster engineered by Pat Riley still has some ways to go before they can truly convince me as to their legitimacy ! I still harken to last year’s astonishing NBA Finals’ defeat against the less favored but far more determined …… Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki .
===============================================================================================================
By clicking on an individual frame you can view that picture in its original formatted size.
======================================================================================================
Picture gallery for your perusal .
What thought if any do you have concerning the points raised within this piece ? Simply leave a comment as you deem fit .
😉
😉
Picture and slide show details below .
===================================================================================================
(1) New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan talks to reporters about acquiring NFL quarterback Tim Tebow from the Denver Broncos at the LSU football Pro Training Day in Baton Rouge, Thursday, March 22, 2012. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert ..
(2) OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 06: Tim Tebow (15) of the Denver Broncos prays before their game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 6, 2011 in Oakland, California. It was reported that the New York Jets have traded a fourth-round pick for quarterback Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos March 21, 2012. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images ….
(3) FILE – In this Nov. 17, 2011 file photo, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) walk off the field together after an NFL football game , in Denver. Tebow has been traded from the Denver Broncos to the New York Jets. AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez …
(4) Antonio Cromartie (31) of the New York Jets looks on during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium on January 1, 2012 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Getty Images / Mike Ehrmann ….
(5) Reuben Amaro Jr (left) and Charlie Manuel take questions posed by the convened press at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The team is seeking to rebound in 2012 after last season’s postseason ….. debacle . AP Photo / Matthew Cameron …
(6) New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and guard Jeremy Lin (17) talk prior to a free throw against the Philadelphia 76ers during an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, in Philadelphia. The Knicks won 82-79 . AP Photo/The Wilmington News-Journal, Daniel Sato …..
(7) ” ‘melo let me ask you once again can you spell the ” word” ‘defense’ much less play it ? (Woodson) PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 21: Head coach Mike Woodson of the New York Knicks talk with Iman Shumpert (21) and Carmelo Anthony (7) during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 21, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Knicks won 82-79. Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images …….
===================================================================================================
🙂
=======================================================================================================================
NBA Standings by division & …. playoff picture
NBA schedule 23rd March , 2012
NBA results 22nd March , 2012
😉
😉
MLB standings (Spring Training)
MLB results 22nd March 2012
MLB schedule 23rd March 2012
MLB probable starting pitchers
====================================================================================================
Lizz Robins comes courtesy of King Magazine .
Share this:
Tophatal's Blog 
I don’t know whether to comment about this article or Lizz Robins’ voluptuous ‘melons’ or comment about this article ! Your thoughts ? In all honesty Cromartie is an a#s and should he devote more time looking after his numerous kids and pay the friggin’ child support he owes to his kids’ mamas !
As for the Phillies it’s now or never for this team in its current guise !
This is just a passing fad with ‘melo playing defense , mark my words it won’t last to the end of the Knicks’ regular season schedule , if that !
tophatal ……..
LikeLike
The Jets don’t have a ton of confidence anymore in Mark Sanchez and it’s evident. However, there’s one thing to think about… If there were ever any chances in Sanchez turning out to be a great QB, this is definitely a good challenge for the 4-year signal caller.
LikeLike
Blog Surface/CDR
If you were the coach of the Jets would you still have implicit faith in Mark Sanchez ? Hence the reason Tannenbaum and Ryan … got Tebow in the first place . QB’s coming out of USC in the last few years haven’t been that good to begin with . Simply look at the stats and it bears this all out ?
Only time will tell if Sanchez truly improves and takes his game to the next level . As for Tebow , he too remains a work in slow progress !
tophatal …
LikeLike
I’d have even greater confidence Sanchez if he’d “done the deed” with former Sorpanos’ actress Jamie Lyn Sigler ! Apparently he couldn’t get her into the prone position to slip her the big one . Sort of conjures up the Jets as it relates to their season in 2011 !
” I think we out to take in a Broadway show as I love show tunes , Jamie ” !
😉
Sanchez had problems hitting his receivers when they were in stride last season and I guess we now know why , because he certainly wasn’t hittin’ this either !
I’d have even greater confidence Sanchez if he’d “done the deed” with former Sorpanos’ actress Jamie Lyn Sigler ! Apparently he couldn’t her into the prone position to slip her the big one . Sort of conjures up the Jets as it relates to their season in 2011 !
tophatal ……………..
LikeLike
The Jets are a blanking zoo. Who gives a crap what the moron players think. They stunk the joint out. Will Tebow bring them success? no one knows but at least they’ll have a player who lives a moral life not a joke like the rest idiots on the jets roster. The Bums will be hurting. Let’s see if the big bucks spent on pitching is a wise move.
LikeLike
Bobby Gee
The Jets became a three ringed circus the moment Rex Ryan blew into town as its ringmaster and he now has enough clowns and performing animals on that roster to give the fans what they want . And so far all they’ve done is to proceed to show the rest of the NFL that they’re absolute crap !
The Phillies have become the NL’s answer to the Yankees when it comes to spending money .
tophatal ……..
LikeLike
The chain of events in the NFL is insane. Because of Peyton Manning’s injury, the Colts were horrible and got the first pick, because of that they dropped Manning, because of that the Broncos signed him, because of that they traded Tebow to the Jets, and because of that Mark Samchez has more pressure on him.
So, because Peyton Manning got injured, Mark Sanchez has more pressee on him.
LikeLike
Sam’s Sports Brief
The issue concerning the cutting of Manning had more to do with it being an business move and the fact that Grigson and Irsay simply didn’t want to pay the $28 million roster signing bonus due . That in of-itself wasn’t the thing that placed pressure on Sanchez but the fact that the player regressed this past season in comparison to his first two years in the NFL . The Jets’ qb placed pressure on himself and consider also that he’s amongst the highest paid players at the position within the NFL . And the idiocy of Tannenbaum and the front office gave him a three year contract extension . What business sense did that actually make to begin with ?
tophatal ……
LikeLike
Screw the Jets….bunch of whiners who believe they have the answers….Tim ain’t it…..But mebbe he could be developed but not by them.
He deserved better.
LikeLike
al clements
The Jets have always bitched and whined about everything and it has all changed ever since Rex Ryan came in with his three ringed circus and the franchise one of the biggest jokes in the NFL . Now the coach hasn’t even got the balls to rein in the mess going on in the team locker room amongst his players . Basically tells you all you need to know about the guy as a coach to begin with !
tophatal …………
LikeLike
Not that quarterback ratings mean anything but if you took Tebow’s from last year (27.2) and Sanchez’ from last year (33.6), they wouldn’t even add up to Matt Hasselbeck’s.
Ouch!
LikeLike
Chris Humpherys (@SportsChump)
The only ratings that concern me are those of the NYSE as it relates to the shares I own ! As for the NFL quarterbacks who cut it in the league . As Louis XIV said to the French people prior to the French Revolution ………….” let ’em eat cake ” ! They’re overpaid , over glorified and the majority of the time a complete pain in the ass !
tophatal …………
LikeLike
The Ryans from papa on down to the sons/brothers are old school football lifers that can’t adjust to the new high tech era. Oh, they are good, but runners up in all aspects.
Sanchise? They gave him a vote of confidence with a contract extention. Will that do any good? Doubt it. I remember a quote from Sanchise’s old coach Pete Caroll at USC. Paraphrasing Caroll, ” Mark, you better stay in school for your senior year. YOU’RE NOT READY FOR THE NFL.”
LikeLike
Ronbets
Buddy Ryan , Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan with the Cowboys are a fu##ing joke ! . The NFL glorifies idiots like that for all of the wrong reasons !
As for the Jets it’s plain to see that the ownership and front office simply don’t know what the ##ck they’re doing in offering Sanchez a three year contract extension !
Like I said the quarterbacks that’ve come out of USC under Carroll’s tutelage over the past decade have done sh#t in the NFL ! They’re a bunch of pussies who were coddled at the collegiate level and expected more of the same once they entered the NFL .
LikeLike