Tagged: Football
Eli Manning Talks Guiding Eyes, Derek Jeter’s Influence
For the third time in my career today I was given the chance to catch up with Eli Manning. Just thought I’d throw my story up here on the blog. I asked him about the game he and Peyton attended the other day and he gave me some great thoughts on Derek Jeter.
Here’s some video and the story from the evening:
WHITE PLAINS – Throwing a game-winning pass in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl with time winding down is nothing New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning is unfamiliar with, having accomplished the feat twice.
Being a Super Bowl hero may mean a lot to the veteran QB. Yet being a participant in Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s annual Golf Classic at the Mt. Kisco Country Club might just mean a little bit more to him. This evening Manning announced at Mulino’s of Westchester in White Plains that he would be hosting the event for the eighth straight year at the spring tee off event.
Guiding Eyes, a Yorktown-based nonprofit guide dog school, is thrilled to welcome Manning back into the fold – and Manning couldn’t be happier to be back, as his interest keeps on growing over time.
“Each year there’s different stories about the impact it has on people’s lives,” he said. “They’re not just helping someone’s life, they’re changing it and it’s such a great program. They (Guiding Eyes) are now helping out people with autism, and it’s really an honor to be associated with a great program like Guiding Eyes.”
On June 9 Manning will put on a blindfold before the golf game begins, and he’ll try to sink a putt on the practice green. Last year Manning missed the shot from 10 feet away, although two years ago he hit it from 14 feet out. The golf classic will feature 14 blind golfers from around the country, competing for the Corcoran Cup – the prize for the winner.
“I think it’s all luck,” Manning said of the blind putt demonstration. “I don’t think it’s more challenging, I think it stays just as difficult every time. I can assure you I’m not getting any better at it, but it gives you a great appreciation for all the golfers who are playing in the tournament and playing blind. It’s a great feat to watch, to play golf without sight.”
Manning also talked about the goings-on of the Giants’ offseason, including his ankle surgery, which he said went fine. In fact, the surgery affected his preparation for the upcoming golf classic but added he’s been concentrating on getting back to football form.
“The last week I’ve been out on the field, passing,” he said “I’ve been doing all the routes and all the drops I can do, but I feel no issues. The injury kept me off the golf course; my main focus is getting back healthy and learning the offense.”
Manning took in some down time at a Yankee game last Sunday with his older brother Peyton, though he didn’t get a chance to wish retiring Yankee captain Derek Jeter well. However he plans on attending a game before the baseball season ends to say a proper goodbye to Jeter, who gave him a lot of career advice over the years.
“I didn’t see him – Peyton went early and saw batting practice and did the whole deal,” Manning said. “I figure I might see Derek down the road, but it was Peyton’s last chance. Derek’s been great to me over the years; been a really great role model for me.
“Even at this stage in my life I still have role models and Derek ‘s been someone that you look up to, and you see how he conducts himself, how he handles being in the spotlight, how he plays the game, and he’s been a great example for me to follow.”
Manning was in Nashville, Tenn. When the Giants selected wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. (LSU) in the first round of this past week’s NFL draft, and he’s excited to be playing with someone he’s familiar with. Beckham attended the Manning family’s football camp while in high school, giving the Giants a decided edge being that the QB and WR know each other.
“The more skilled players and good players you can add to the team, the better,” Manning said. “Odell has always been a professional. The first time I worked ever out with him I think he was a junior in high school, and he was a different athlete from the guys that were there. He stood out and it’s been fun to watch him grow as a player. I’ve been impressed.
“Now with a new energized offense, we can come in and get refocused on playing better football.”
Early off-season yapping
Here we are roughly a month and four days removed from the Yankees’ ugly elimination in the American League Championship Series at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, a nasty sweep to end the season.
But Karma, I suppose, always comes back to collect because the Tigers went on to get broomed themselves by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Giants have now captured two world titles in the last three years. What makes it funny to me is the fact that the football Giants and the baseball Giants were both champions in 2012.
The “Romo” factor also made me believe the sports gods work in mysterious ways.
Allow me to explain.
On Oct. 28 the San Francisco Giants closed out the Fall Classic – the same day the New York Giants faced off with the Dallas Cowboys, beating them 29-24. The football Giants defeated a Romo (Tony) while the baseball Giants ended the World Series with another Romo (Sergio) on the mound.
Fascinating. But maybe I’m over-thinking things.
At any rate, the Giants will enter the 2013 season wearing the title of defending champs. As for the Yankees: they remain the last American League team to win the World Series, three years ago in 2009.
Now, all the attention is focused on off-season news, and building the team for next year. There hasn’t been a “big bang,” so-to-speak, at least not yet. The Yanks’ front office hasn’t made a blockbuster move, but then again, the off-season is remarkably young.
The Baseball/General Managers Winter Meetings will take place next month in Nashville, so perhaps by the time they conclude, there will be a lot more to consider.
Until then, quite a few minor things around baseball and the Yankee community have transpired.
- Robinson Cano finished fourth in the AL MVP voting while Derek Jeter finished seventh. As much as I wanted to believe either Yankee could win the MVP, no one was beating Miguel Cabrera. The Triple Crown sealed the deal for him. At least Cano and Jeter both captured Silver Sluggers for their respective efforts.
- Just last night, the Yanks and Hiroki Kuroda agreed to a one-year deal. I had read Kuroda, 37, was deciding whether or not to pitch here in the states next season or return to Japan. After such a solid year in pinstripes in 2012, I for one am glad he opted to stay in America – and not just in America, but in the Bronx.
- Mark Teixeira didn’t have the best year offensively, but he still proved what a fantastic defender he is at first base, claiming a Gold Glove Award. Cano also took one home – and home to the good old U.S.A., I guess, because he recently became a U.S. citizen.
- Rafael Soriano opted out of his contract, after declining the Yankees’ qualifying offer. Good luck, buddy.
- Nick Swisher is as good as gone, also declining a qualifying offer. His absence will obviously create a void in right field the Yankees will need to fill.
- The Yankees’ 2012 first round draft pick Ty Hensley favorited a tweet of mine. It was “Skyfall” related. If you haven’t been to the movies lately, treat yourself to “Skyfall.” It will blow your mind.
- Raul Ibanez wants to come back. Being the player who did the heavy lifting and carried the team toward the end of 2012, he may have earned a chance to play in New York again.
- Two classics, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, have expressed interest in pitching next year. I don’t really have any predictions or ideas on what to expect. If anything, Pettitte will come cheap if he returns and Rivera will probably be looking for a sizeable amount of money. I think I’ll just kick back and see what happens with these two.
- There will apparently be a Broadway play about the Yankees. I’m not much of a theatre guy, although I have seen “The Lion King,” “Beauty & the Beast,” and “Mary Poppins” on Broadway in New York. I might have to get some tickets, however, to see this Yankees production. If and when I do, you can be sure I will write a full review of it.
- Ichiro sent some favors to the woman in Seattle who manned the “Ichi-meter.” What a guy.
- According to MLB trade rumors, the Yankees (among other teams) are interested in shortstop Stephen Drew and catcher Mike Napoli. Again, I’ll kick back and see what happens. Both players would be key additions to any team.
- The Toronto Blue Jays decided they want to try and be contenders. I almost wish the season started tomorrow – that’s how anxious I am to see if all these additions pay dividends for them.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
There will undoubtedly be a lot more to report on as the off-season continues and the MLB hot stove cooks, or boils, or broils, or bakes, or does whatever the heck it does.
In the meantime, everyone have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
Something to hang our hats on
Tonight Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale dominated the Yankees, and for as crummy and as inconsistent as Phil Hughes has been this year, he didn’t pitch poorly. Hughes, allowing just two runs in a solid seven innings pitched, came up on the short end of the stick – as did the Yankees, losing 2-1 and getting swept in three games at the hands of the pale hose.
The best part of this trip to Chicago for the Yankees, aside from leaving: Derek Jeter, who homered in all three losing efforts. It marked the first time in the captain’s career he went deep in three straight games.
Thankfully for the Yankees, they will not play the White Sox again during the regular season. However if the two teams meet in October, Chicago can head into the series with a positive mindset, knowing they took five of seven games from New York this season.
If you saw my tweet from earlier tonight, the White Sox scare me.
But the Yankees can concern themselves with the postseason when the time comes, and for now worry about fending off the Tampa Bay Rays – who have pulled to within three games of the AL East lead. That once comfortable nine-game division gap has thinned and the Rays now have a chance to swipe the East from the Yanks.
Better pitching and series wins are what the Yankees need to put first and foremost in their minds down the stretch and into September.
For tonight, though, I’d like to make reference to something that not a lot of people really know about; perhaps it’s my way of dealing with the recent sweep and being at the mercy of the White Sox.
If you follow football, which is rapidly approaching, you know that the New York Giants won the Super Bowl in February, beating the New England Patriots, 21-17. Their last game before the Super Bowl, as most fans know, took place in San Francisco. The Giants beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game on a game-winning field goal booted through the uprights by Lawrence Tynes.
What most people don’t know is that Kyle Williams – San Francisco’s punt returner who fumbled the ball, setting up the Giants’ game-winner – is the son of White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams.
That’s right. The White Sox GM’s son was the goat of the NFC Title game.
Chicago may have completed its little sweep of New York tonight, but if you ask me, the NFC Championship game is proof of why Chicago is called the “second city” and New York is number one – which they’ve proven 27 times in baseball and most recently in football.
It may not be much, but hey, it’s something to hang our hats on.
Catching Up with Eli Manning
Look out, baseball world. The Yankees have caught fire.
A power surge in the eighth inning of last night’s game led to a 6-4 win for the Yanks over the Atlanta Braves, the fifth consecutive win for the boys from the Bronx. The Yankees have now won 15 of their last 19 games and are in sole possession of first place in the American League East – a game ahead of both the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.
Alex Rodriguez did his best Superman impression, saving the day for his team. The Bombers trailed 4-0 in the eighth, and with the bases chucked, Rodriguez delivered. He launched a game-tying grand slam, a screaming line drive off reliever Jonny Venters that took practically no time to leave the yard.
It marked A-Rod’s 10th homer of the season and his 23rd career trip to granny’s house, tying him with another Yankee, Lou Gehrig, on baseball’s all-time grand slams list.
One more homer with the bases loaded, and Rodriguez is the all-time leader.
Nick Swisher then finished the job with a two-run homer later in the frame, his ninth of the year, to put the Braves away for good.
While the Swisher and A-Rod came through in the clutch last night, this week I had the opportunity to meet and interview (along with a number of other reporters) another New York sports hero who always comes up big when it matters: two-time Super Bowl Champion and MVP Eli Manning.
For the sixth straight year Manning hosted the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic in Mount Kisco, N.Y. The Giants’ quarterback was asked by Pat Browne, a blind golf champion and friend of the Manning family from New Orleans, to attend the event six years ago. He happily accepted and each year since, he’s come back.
When I got the call from my editor to cover Manning’s appearance at the golf outing on Monday, I was absolutely ecstatic. Obviously I followed the Giants during the regular season this past year, and certainly enjoyed their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots on Feb. 5.
I arrived to the Mount Kisco Country Club where the tournament was held and there were a lot of other media outlets present – both local and national. The Journal News, Patch, News 12, the New York Daily News, and even ESPN were all on hand.
Manning arrived and met with the press in what’s called a “media scrum,” or an informal press conference in which journalists/reporters gather around an interview subject and ask questions. On the High School sports scene, media scrums aren’t very common, so it felt extremely good to be a part of one among a group of fellow press members.
That’s me…well, the back of my head, on the right, next to the cameraman.
One reporter asked him about the recent arrest of teammate David Diehl, who was charged with a DWI earlier this week. Not knowing a lot about the situation, Manning had no comment.
After he fielded some questions, the reigning Super Bowl MVP then stood on the practice green for a demonstration. He sank a putt blindfolded, getting the feel for what blind golfers like Browne experience when they are putting.
He felt attempting to golf without sight was more difficult than throwing a game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of a football game.
“I don’t think I could play football blindfolded,” Manning said of the demo. “It’s a totally different game and I had no idea how long I was going to hit that putt.”
I then got a chance to ask him how excited he was, being that not only was he at a good event for charity, but after the golf classic he was heading to mini-camp with the Giants.
“It’s always been the day before mini-camp starts, so it’s an exciting week,” Manning answered me.
“The tournament is fun and it seems that it’s just grown and grown each year, and Guiding Eyes has grown – it’s moved on to helping kids with autism, so I’m just happy that it affects so many different people and helps peoples’ lives.”
Since no one had mentioned anything about it up until the end, I just had to go there…
“I heard Denver got a new quarterback during the off-season, and I heard he’s pretty good. If the Giants happen to play the Broncos in the future, what are you going to be thinking about?” I asked.
Manning kind of shot me that all-too-familiar “awww shucks” expression; he darted his eyes and smirked, right after I mentioned the Broncos.
“I’ll be thinking, how are we going to get some points on the board against that guy?”
Manning, myself, and the scrum of reporters let out a good-spirited laugh.
Overall, it was a great experience; one I hope to experience again with other big-ticket athletes. Manning was a great interview subject and it was a little bit of a challenge for me to keep my cool; maintain my excitement level (even as a reporter) being such a huge fan of his and the Giants.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what I am: a fan.
That Championship Season
*To all of my football lovers out there: this one is for the Giants. Because we were ALL IN.*
Before Super Bowl XLII in February of 2008, then-Giants’ wide receiver Plaxico Burress predicted his team would beat the Patriots by a score of 21-17. New York wound up beating New England in exciting fashion, 17-14. It may have taken another four years but last night Burress’s prediction finally came to fruition.
In Super Bowl XLVI the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17, in another exhilarating title match.
I can’t really explain why – maybe it’s just God’s way – but whenever the Giants and Patriots meet, the Giants seem to have their number. Two weeks ago I wrote about all the similarities between this year and their last Championship season.
And both Super Bowls proved to be just as comparable.
2007: The Patriots led at halftime, but not by a lot: 7-3.
2011: The Patriots led at halftime, and again, not by much: 10-9.
2007: Eli Manning had the ball on his own 17-yard line, Giants trailing 14-10 with just 2:39 left in the game.
2011: Eli Manning had the ball on his own 12-yard line, Giants trailing 17-15 with just 3:46 left in the game.
2007: On third and five Manning evaded what looked like a sack, threw up a Hail Mary, and miraculously hit David Tyree, who pinned the football up against his helmet for a 32-yard completion and a first down. The catch laid the groundwork for the winning touchdown.
2011: On the first play from scrimmage, Manning found Mario Manningham near the sideline and beating double coverage, hooked up with him for a 38-yard gain, giving the Giants prime field position to set up a score.
2007: Manning hit Burress in the end zone for a TD with just 35 seconds left on the clock. Tom Brady and the Patriots failed to move the ball into field goal range as time ticked down and lost by three points, 17-14.
2011: Ahmad Bradshaw hesitantly ran the ball into the end zone for a TD, leaving Brady and the Pats with only 57 seconds to score a touchdown. And once again, Brady and his receivers failed to move the ball down the field, losing by four points, 21-17.
2007: Manning wins the Super Bowl XLII Most Valuable Player award. He went to Disney World and the Canyon of Heroes – in that order.
2011: Take a guess who won Super Bowl XLVI MVP….Yes. It was Manning again. Today Manning was once again at Mickey Mouse’s home – and tomorrow he’ll be with his teammates in the Canyon of Heroes.
This year truly was, as Yogi Berra would say, déjà vu. Or déjà blue, depending on which way you want to phrase it. New York once again triumphs over New England, and gets the opportunity to celebrate a huge win.
Jubilation in New York. And for the fans in Boston; New England: more heartache.
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe had it right today when he wrote,
“History Repeats:
Instead of celebrating a grand slam–championships in every major sport over a period of four years and four months–New Englanders are spitting out pieces of their broken luck, bracing for the avalanche of grief from those annoying New Yorkers.”
Yeah, pretty much spot on.
Every fan of the Patriots must be saying “Mario (bleeping) Manningham” right now, the same way four years ago they were undoubtedly saying “David (bleeping) Tyree” – and just like most Red Sox fans in the past have exclaimed, “Bucky (bleeping) Dent” and “Aaron (bleeping) Boone.”
A win like yesterday is the type of victory that can carry New York bragging rights over New England for a long way.
I know as a fan of the Giants, and as a fan who doubted they would go anywhere this season, I was enthralled; fascinated. The familiar feeling of sports joy overcame me. One of my favorite teams won a title and I was so happy I got down on one knee and…I’m not calling it “Tebowing.” In the spirit of the win, I prefer to call it “Manning’ing.”
That’s what I did.
Tom Coughlin, the Giants’ Head Coach, seemed just as happy as I was, seeing as how he was on the hot seat when the Giants scuffled. Coughlin became the oldest Head Coach in the NFL to win a Super Bowl at 65 years. He is also only the second coach to lead the Giants to a Super Bowl win. Bill Parcells was at the helm of the squad for the Giants’ first two Super Bowl victories in 1986 and 1990.
As for Manning…well…
At the outset of the season he called himself an elite quarterback; a top five-caliber manager who deserves to be put on the same level as Brady. The media jumped all over that statement and put Manning under the microscope. When he struggled, they doubted his words.
But now that he has beaten Brady three times in his career – and twice on the worldwide stage – his bold words are now inarguable. Manning is an elite quarterback, and he is as every bit as good as Brady, if not better. He led his team in a total of eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter this season (including the postseason).
If that isn’t considered clutch, what the heck is?
And now, if anyone tries to call out Manning; say he isn’t one of the best QBs in the league, their point will be invalid. The proof of his greatness lies in his stat columns and the number of Super Bowl rings on his fingers.
No more Manning-bashing.
The Giants became only the fifth team in NFL history to win four or more Super Bowls. The Pittsburgh Steelers own six titles, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers both have five. The Green Bay Packers have four, and now, so does the so-called “Big Blue Wrecking Crew.”
That’s right. The Steelers have the most Super Bowl titles in history with six. Football certainly is a different game than baseball as far as the Championship goes, looking at the 27 World Series titles the Yankees have.
And speaking of the Yankees, Spring Training will be starting shortly. Pretty soon camp will start and before we know it camp will break, bringing the 2012 MLB season. Now that football season has come to a dramatic and happy ending, baseball is soon to begin.
And while we wait, we can enjoy yet another New York Championship.
Déjà Blue
Editor’s note: I know this blog is basically reserved for baseball highlights, personal Yankee-related stories, and analysis of the Yankees, but given the circumstances surrounding yesterday night’s game, I made an exception to write about my favorite football team, the New York Giants.
I spent Yesterday night in the same place I spent Game One of the 2011-12 NFL season on Sept. 11 – at my best friend’s house watching the New York Giants.
The Giants played the Washington Redskins in Week 1, and didn’t look very good coming out of the gate. Sometime during the first half of the game, Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning was under heavy pressure, he scrambled, and ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.
I jumped out of my seat and yelled out in sarcasm,
“Rushing touchdown for Eli Manning! Hey, this might be a good year after all.”
After getting laughed at by my friends and hearing from certain people how “The Buffalo Bill” (yes, the Buffalo Bill, not the Buffalo Bills) were the “only New York team” (inside joke, being that the Giants and Jets play their home games in New Jersey) the Giants went on to lose 28-14 to the typically bad Redskins.
Yet, my skepticism didn’t start during their first game. I was incredibly skeptical before the season even started. The so-called “Big Blue Wrecking Crew” allowed a number of their players to walk away, losing them to free agency. I thought for sure it would be another season in which the Jets – the other New York team – would overshadow them on the back pages of the newspapers.
The Jets had been to the last two AFC title games and came dangerously close to winning them both times, nearly punching their ticket to the Super Bowl. Not to mention the Jets added former Giant hero Plaxico Burress, who caught the game-winning TD in Super Bowl XLII to beat the 18-0 New England Patriots.
We all remember that happy story, right? I thought so.
Knowing the Giants were playing the Jets on Christmas Eve when the NFL schedule broke, I called and text messaged some of my friends who are Jets fans saying, “Congrats on the win on Christmas Eve. The Giants are going to have a horrible year.”
My faith in the team was just nonexistent.
However, it picked up a little bit as the season progressed, and the G-Men got on a little bit of a roll. They sort of came together, going 6-2 after eight weeks. The Giants began playing smash-mouth football, and most importantly they got healthy.
A number of their key players on the defensive end and their secondary were hurt, rendering them vulnerable to teams that weren’t necessarily stronger, but dictated games a lot better.
Case in point: their game vs. the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 9.
The Giants were certainly playing like the better team, but a few miscues on defense and a big mistake on offense – a fourth quarter interception by Manning – cost Big Blue the game.
Still, they were able to hang with teams, stay in the playoff race, and they obviously got healthy and red-hot at the right time. And it all started with, believe it or not, their game against the Jets.
Manning began a 29-14 rout of the Green Team with a 99-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Victor Cruz, who seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the Giants’ top offensive weapons – and one of the league’s top receivers. The 99-yarder tied an NFL record, and his 89 yards after the catch is the most by a receiver on a 99-yard TD.
Not bad for a player who went undrafted.
Needless to say I was extremely happy the Giants beat the Jets and I learned a valuable lesson from that game: never lose faith in your team. Always have faith and always believe in them, even when it’s hard to and it looks as though defeat is imminent.
For a fan who congratulated fans of the other team months before the game even took place, and to have my team win – and win by a lot – was certainly humbling, to say the very least.
From there the G-Men just got on a win streak: a 31-14 victory over the Dallas Cowboys to get into the playoff dance, a 24-2 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Wild Card weekend, a 37-20 spanking of the heavily favored, 15-1 Green Bay Packers, and finally a 20-17 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.
And now we’re back to where we were in 2008: Giants vs. Patriots in the Super Bowl.
As Yogi Berra would say, “It’s déjà vu, all over again!”
There are so many eerie similarities between this season and the 2007-08 campaign in which the Giants defeated the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Let me count the ways…
2007: The Giants lost their first two games, but eventually caught fire and held a 6-2 record after eight games.
2011: The Giants lost their first game and became a bit streaky, yet held a 6-2 record after eight games.
2007: Up against tough odds, the G-Men played an undefeated 15-0 Patriots team on the last day of the regular season. Big Blue hung step-for-step with the Pats, but wound up losing 38-35.
2011: Again, up against unfavorable odds, the Giants played the defending champion Packers, who were 12-0 heading into their game vs. New York in Week 13. The G-Men kept themselves in it, and looked to be clicking on all cylinders. However, some sloppy defense at the tail end of the game led to a loss, 38-35.
2007: On the road, the Giants won 10 straight games – and if you include the Super Bowl, 11 wins in a row away from the Meadowlands.
2011: The Giants are currently on a four-game win streak on the road – and they will be the away team in the upcoming Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 5.
2007: In the NFC Championship Game on the “Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field,” the Giants and Packers played to a 20-20 tie in subzero temperatures. In overtime, a key turnover by Brett Favre (an interception, which was picked off by cornerback Corey Webster) set up a field goal for the Giants. Kicker Lawrence Tynes, from 47 yards out, booted Big Blue into the Super Bowl.
2011: In the NFC Championship Game at a wet and soggy Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the Giants and 49ers played to a 17-17 tie after regulation, forcing the title game into overtime. Niners’ punt return specialist Kyle Williams was stripped of the ball by New York linebacker Jacquian Williams. The fumble was recovered by Giants’ wide receiver/specialist Devin Thomas, a costly turnover. The play set up a 31-yard field goal – which was made by Tynes to send New York to the Super Bowl.
2007: The Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers in the AFC title game, only to lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl.
2011: The Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC title game, and will once again play the Giants in the Super Bowl.
It’s pretty incredible how many parallels can be drawn between this year and the magical championship run the Giants put together a few years ago. I never thought when I was sarcastically saying “this could be a good year after all” and when I was giving the Jets the win over the Giants months before the game that the G-Men would be where they are now.
After the big win over the 49ers, Giants’ safety Antrel Rolle said, “No one gave us a shot.”
Yes sir. I will admit I was guilty of that, even as a loyal fan.
Yet Rolle even admitted that at times throughout the season, the team didn’t even give themselves a shot – so maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on myself as far as my wavering faith in the G-Men.
I went into this NFL season as a fan with the lowest of expectations. The Giants just by making the postseason proved me wrong. And now as NFC Champs, going to their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history, have gone above and beyond anything I ever expected out of them this year.
There might not be as much pressure on the Giants, being that New England isn’t playing for an undefeated season this time around. The Giants had to win Super Bowl XLII, otherwise they would always be remembered as “that fluke Super Bowl team who the Patriots beat to go 19-0.”
Instead they became “that pesky, resilient team who stopped the Patriots from going 19-0, and embarrassed them in front of the world.”
As far as the rematch goes, I don’t know what to anticipate; I have no idea what to expect. But if history has shown us anything, things look good for the New York Football Giants. It’s bound to be another good game; one the world will undoubtedly be watching.
Think of Yankees vs. Red Sox in Game 7 of the ALCS – that’s the type of feel this game is bound to possess.
No matter what happens in Super Bowl XLVI, I am proud of the Giants. They turned a season in which I expected nothing into a season that could very well be something special.
True Colors: Athletes and Expression of Self
Famed martial artist and actor Bruce Lee once said, “Always be yourself, express yourself, and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”
One could say any professional athlete is successful at what they do. If they were not, they wouldn’t be where they are. Whether it is starting shortstop for the New York Yankees or starting quarterback for the New York Giants, pro athletes are where they are because of their capabilities.
But what about their personalities? Should they be allowed to express themselves on the field after they accomplish something or reach an achievement?
A lot of critics these days are saying no.
When Joba Chamberlain was first called up in the summer of 2007, he was a flame-throwing middle reliever who tossed fastballs clocked in the high-90s and he sometimes struck triple digits on the speed gun. Usually after he fanned a batter to end an inning Chamberlain would wildly pump his fists in pride as he gleefully marched off the mound.
Fist pumping is defined as, “A celebratory gesture in which a fist is raised before the torso and subsequently drawn down and nearer to the body in a vigorous, swift motion.
The fist pump is sometimes carried out in parts of the Western Hemisphere, Europe, and Japan (where it is known as guts pose) to denote enthusiasm, exuberance, or success and may be accompanied by a similarly energetic exclamation or vociferation. The gesture may be executed once or in a rapid series.”
Knowing that, a big strikeout can call for a little fist pumping. So why exactly did critics jump all over Chamberlain and call him on his jubilation, turning his joy into a topic of debate?
Some analysts and sports pundits suggest that getting overly excited and expressing it is a way of “showing up the other team” or in other words rubbing it in their faces after they have failed to some capacity.
I don’t happen to see it that way. I see it as a player simply being honest and outwardly showing how they truly feel after they have done something noteworthy.
And it can work both ways. When a player is on the other end of it – losing – should they be allowed to express it?
I think so.
Think back for a moment to Oct. 16, 2003: Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, otherwise known as the famous “Aaron Boone game.”
When Boone crushed that home run in the 11th inning sending the Yankees to the World Series – and broke the hearts of every fan in New England – the Red Sox were, for the lack of a better term, crushed. I specifically remember the reaction of one Boston player, namely outfielder Trot Nixon.
On his way to the clubhouse, Nixon took his frustration out on a Gatorade cooler, picking it up and then slamming it to the dugout floor in what looked like unadulterated anger.
Nixon and every other Red Sox player were well within their rights to be frustrated in terms of the outcome of that game and the series overall – and they had the right to express that frustration after it was all over.
These days expression in sports has gone to a new level. Looking outside the world of baseball for a minute, ESPN and every other form of sports media seem to be on the case of a young quarterback by the name of Tim Tebow.
After the Denver Broncos’ stud scores a touchdown, or when his team wins, he takes a knee, bows his head and offers a prayer of thanksgiving to God. In fact, the pose has taken on a life of its own and people have turned it into a verb: “Tebowing.”
Everyone and their mother has put Tebow under the microscope and criticized him for this particular pose after a TD or a win. Tebow let it be known when he played football at the University of Florida that he lives his life a certain way (I.E. he has chosen to remain chaste until he gets married) and strongly holds onto what he believes in.
Is it wrong of him to show it when he does something good?
In my view, no. I think it is perfectly fine.
If Tebow feels taking a knee and praying is how he wants to express his happiness when his team wins, I see nothing wrong with it. In fact, I view it as a more civil way to show a good feeling when something positive happens.
A lot of people have made claims that, because it’s a sort of religious action, it’s wrong and should not be permitted. But it’s not as if Tebow is constantly projecting his beliefs onto other people; he isn’t standing on the sideline with a microphone in hand and trying to get every fan who attended the game to convert to Christianity.
If that were the case I’d be opposed to it – and probably feel Tebow is out of his mind.
What I find strange about the criticism of Tebow expressing his faith is that other athletes also express their faith – yet nothing is said about it, or even mentioned.
Before Derek Jeter steps into the batter’s box, he makes the sign of the cross. Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, a one-time Yankee and journeyman catcher always makes the sign of the cross; as a matter of fact, he crosses himself before every pitch during his at-bats.
Where is the barrage of criticism and religious outrage directed at Jeter and Pudge?
Nowhere to be found. It just doesn’t sound very fair to me.
All Tebow is doing is expressing his true personality and incorporating it into what he loves to do – just as I incorporate my personality sometimes when I write these blog entries, with funny inside jokes and obscure references.
As good as it for an athlete to show off their personality, it can get out of hand. It doesn’t happen so much in baseball, but in football and other sports it can certainly be brought to a whole new level. The NFL has banned touchdown celebrations, and if a player crosses the plane, scores, and expresses it, that player’s team will be penalized.
In my view, that’s fair. It’s fine for a player to be happy, and to express that positive energy when they score a touchdown; maybe leap up and bump their teammates’ chests. But spiking the ball and dancing around just makes the player look like a fool, and the NFL did the right thing by outlawing such unprofessionalism.
Perhaps in football things are a little different because there is more contact and physicality; maybe more “heat of the moment” moments. But that’s not to say it hasn’t happened in baseball.
In 2007 former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon began to exhibit a different side of himself when he Irish step danced at the conclusion of the American League Championship Series. After Boston defeated the Cleveland Indians in seven games, Papelbon danced around the Fenway Park infield like a loon celebrating the win.
There was no need for that. It’s fine to be happy and celebrate a pennant, but do it in the clubhouse with your teammates. There is no reason to run back out onto the field and commence dancing like a ballerina.
The bottom line is, it’s fine to express yourself as an athlete. Be creative and be yourself; incorporate your personality into your playing style and do it in a respectful, professional manner.
If you’re excited, pump your fists.
If you’re mad, body slam a cooler or two.
If you have a certain belief system, feel free to show it, without projecting it onto to others.
If you want to dance though, become a Rockette not an athlete.
It’s OK to wear your heart on your sleeve.
Only a Dream
First thing is first: I’m sorry to all the Jets fans who had to witness their team fall in the AFC Title game this evening. I know how emotionally invested a lot of Jets fans are, but I suppose they cannot get too attached. Now, two years in a row, the Jets have lost the last game before the Super Bowl–and bear in mind they haven’t won the big game since 1969.
I watched the game in a New York City bar with a group of friends, one of whom is a huge Jets fanatic. In fact, he is such a huge fan that when they lost, he broke down and tears were in his eyes.
And I don’t blame him. I know the feeling. 2002, 2003 (well aside from Aaron Boone’s home run), 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 were all years I went through that awful feeling. His number one favorite team is the Jets. My team is the Yankees, and I know as a fan how hard it is to have your heart set on winning a title, or even getting to a title game or series.
And I know how hard it is to have your heart set on that…and not get it. Believe me, I am familiar with the agnony of defeat. So I do feel for him and the Jets fans everywhere. Yet, as a fan of the New York Giants, I can at least take solace in my memories from 2007-08….
Now onto the main reason I am blogging…
I had a STRANGE dream the other night. And when I say strange, I mean it’s extremely random and very farfetched.
In the dream I had the other night, the Yankees, much like in the 2009 World Series, were playing the Philadelphia Phillies. I guess it was an interleague game…but then again I have no idea, it was a dream. But I do know the Yankees will not be playing the Phillies in 2011, unless it’s in the World Series.
Anyway, it appeared to be before the game and the Yanks were warming up on the field. Cliff Lee walked up to the Yankees with a smile on his face and mockingly said,
“Hey guys…”
I have never woken up from a dream in such anger; in such frustration. I was legitimately annoyed at Lee for something he said IN A DREAM. Maybe I am simply harboring bad feelings because the Yankees have had no luck signing any starting pitchers and they really pushed hard for Lee. That, and in reality, there are two spots in the rotation that are currently voided.
Not only that, but the problem doesn’t look as though it will be solved any time soon. I don’t see the Yankees making a huge blockbuster trade for a viable starter before the season begins. A few names have been thrown around. I have heard Freddy Garcia and Nate Robertson, who might be good for a number five spot.
At this point, I don’t have an answer. I just know that I am sick and tired of every off-season having to go through the dilemma of starting pitching. We always need it and it’s quite tiring.
And not having Lee, knowing he was so close to becoming a Yankee, also apparently irritates me–so much to the point where I am having weird dreams about it.
So I say to “Dream Cliff Lee” who mocked the Yankees: you suck. That was not polite at all and I hope I have another dream…where I run onto the field and break your arm for being such an arrogant jerk.
On a side note (and another funny, little story) I was looking through some of my old Yankee ticket stubs the other day. Yes, I am a packrat and I keep them because they spark so many memories when I look at them.
I picked up one from June 29, 2002–a Yankees vs. Mets game I went to with a number of my relatives from my extended family. That of course meaning, I went to a Subway Series game as a Yankee fan with a ton of Mets fans.
Looking at the stub, I remember what my crazy cousin Joe did. A Mets fan, he made a sign that read “Jason Giambi Stole My Car” and brought it with him to the game.
Why he did this, I will never know. But I will admit it was funny.
The Yankees wound up losing that game 11-2 and yes, it was difficult to stomach that. However, and Derek Jeter hit a home run, which was cool to see. Plus, the Yanks won the other two games in that series, so they had the last laugh. As they usually do against the Mets.
Stadium Slugfest Provides Great Boxing
“This kid has got guts! Guts and more heart than Hallmark on Valentine’s Day.”
This was all me and my friends could say after watching the boxing match between Super Welterweight Champion Yuri Foreman and challenger Miguel Cotto last night.
Cotto defeated Foreman in the ninth round to capture the title, but both fighters won over the 20, 272 fans who jam-packed the new Yankee Stadium to see the match. The last time boxing was contested at Yankee Stadium was in September of 1976, when Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton fought across the street in the old house.
In the ninth Cotto beat Foreman up with a combination of jabs and hooks. The Puerto Rican challenger finally landed a nasty body shot to Foreman’s ribs, ending the match. Cotto was declared the winner and new Super Welterweight Champion.
With the victory, Cotto has now won four World Boxing Association titles in his career.
Foreman, coming into the match with an undefeated record of 28-0, slipped twice in the seventh round. Wearing a brace on his right knee, it turns out the Israeli-born Champion was injured at the age of 15 in a bicycle accident. He could never go to the doctor to rectify the injury because he had no health insurance.
However, he managed to regain his vertical base, get back on his feet, and continue the match. Although he was clearly hurting, Foreman kept on fighting and made it through the remainder of the round without being knocked down or out.
Talk about a never-say-die attitude. That’s what I like to see.
Hobbling around the ring at the beginning of the eighth round, Cotto punished Foreman with his signature left hook. Foreman is known for great footwork in the ring and with his knee in its weakened condition, he was unable to dodge Cotto’s power punches.
With his man taking a good amount of abuse, Foreman’s trainer Joe Grier threw in the white towel which caused referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. to stop the fight with 1:12 left in the round. Even Foreman’s wife Leyla screamed for the ref to stop the fight because he could not move around the ring and properly defend himself.
Foreman threw up his hands, as if he wanted the fight to keep going. Mercante recognized Foreman’s effort and allowed the fight to continue after the towel was thrown in. He lasted the rest of the round and the fight moved on to the ninth round before it concluded.
The crowd seemed to be behind Cotto for the most part, as they lifted the Puerto Rican flag high over their heads as he made his way to the ring (which was positioned in right-center field). Foreman received a mixed reaction from the capacity crowd, although a strong fan base of Israeli supporters were on hand.
I have to admit, it was a great fight. I wanted to see Foreman successfully defend his title, but it doesn’t matter that he didn’t win. His stock and reputation raised probably tenfold after last night’s match. Both fighters wanted it and if Foreman was at full strength, the match could have gone a little differently.
After it was over, I gained even more respect for Foreman. Max Kellerman questioned him on why he kept fighting, even after he slipped and the towel was thrown in. Foreman said that, even though he was badly injured, he had to continue because he is the Champ; he said he had to keep fighting because the belt was on the line.
That is what you call discipline and respect–for the sport of boxing and for the title.
Over the last few weeks, I have come to appreciate boxing. Like Foreman, I have gained a lot respect for it. To thank for it I mostly have my friend and his dad, who have been boxing fans for years and years. They are what I like to call “old school boxing fans” since they know about everyone from Rocky Marciano to Mike Tyson; from Jack Dempsey to Manny Pacquiao.
But my appreciation for boxing did not just begin these last few weeks.
Last year I took a sports reporting class and we spent a week studying boxing. We watched the documentary When We Were Kings, which told the story of the famous Ali vs. George Foreman fight held in Zaire (which is now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
The match was dubbed “The Rumble in the Jungle.”
The documentary chronicles Ali’s wit, charisma, and amazing athletic ability. The people of Zaire were behind Ali so much that they chanted “Ali Bomaye!” which means “Kill him, Ali.” Understand that this particular chant did not mean, “Kill George Foreman in the match and win it, Ali.”
In reality it meant, “Kill him–end his life, Ali.”
The boxing fans took the sport so seriously. It just goes to show there are fans in other sports that are just as passionate as Yankee fans. Just as Derek Jeter is the face of the Yankees, Ali was the face of boxing; he was the fighter a lot of fans identified with and they backed him up all the way.
Boxing is a great sport. It saddens me that it is not a sport that is always on the back page of the newspapers; it doesn’t seem to get enough attention. I understand that football and baseball are the two sports in this country that are usually covered mostly in the mainstream athletic media.
I can only hope more people come to appreciate boxing and what it has to offer as I have. It’s nice to learn about the different backgrounds of each fighter and where they came from; what their lives have been like and how they became boxers. Usually every fighter has an interesting story.
From what I have gathered, many fans want to see Pacquiao take on Floyd Mayweather. Both boxers are revered as the best in the sport at the moment, but they have never faced each other. If they were to square off, a number of analysts and boxing writers feel the match would “bring boxing back” to the mainstream.
I’d love to see it happen. There’s nothing like watching the best face the best.
Football or Baseball: Part II
Welcome to part two of my analysis of baseball and football. Let us continue! Here’s part one if you missed it.
Why Football is Better than Baseball, Part II
13) The NFL draft is actually relevant.
Agreed. The MLB draft is not nearly as talked about as the NFL draft. Since 1936, the NFL draft has attracted people from all over the world; people come from everywhere to find out which pro teams the eligible college players are going to go to. As long as I can remember the NFL draft has been on TV and everyone I know talks about that last weekend in April.
Only up until recently has the MLB draft been televised and simply put, nobody cares about it. Analysts on ESPN have gone as far as saying that the baseball draft is just not interesting. Some of these baseball players who get drafted do not show up in the MLB for years, if they make it at all.
In football, there are a large majority of players who get drafted out of college and the next year they are either starting or at least standing on a pro football field.
This kind of leads into the next point, which is…
14) College Football matters.
Excellent point. My philosophy has always been, the more years you play organized before turning pro, the better and more disciplined you will be as an athlete.
There just are not a lot of baseball players who go to college, whereas basically all the NFL players go to school. In fact, before some of the football games (when the teams are going through their starting lineups) the players come on and give their name and alma mater. For example, Eli Manning will come on and say, “Eli Manning: Ole Miss.”
I tend to have a lot more respect for the baseball players that do educate themselves. Mike Mussina is a perfect example. He attended Stanford University and pitched there for four years before turning pro.
Mussina was never the most overpowering pitcher in the MLB, but he had wits; he was one of the smartest pitchers in the game. He could change speeds like no other pitcher during his playing days. He never threw a 100 mph fastball but it didn’t matter. He perfected his craft on the collegiate level before turning pro and he’ll probably be a hall of famer because of it.
15) Every football team has a specific philosophy on offense AND on defense.
I see where he is coming from, but I don’t know if I completely agree. In football, there are certain ways to execute different plays on offense and defense. For instance, if a quarterback is in the pocket looking to hook up with an open receiver, the defensive end must fight to flush him out, apply pressure on him, and force him to scramble.
On defense in baseball, you have to make plays. If the ball is hit to you, it’s your job to ensure an out by making a putout, catch, or assist. I guess you can say philosophies are quite different, but I’m not sure what he was getting at with this point.
In my view, in both baseball and football, teams have to play both sides of the field.
16) The American and National Football Conferences play by the same rules.
ABSOLUTELY YES. This is an advantage football has over baseball. The same rules apply to both conferences whereas the National and American Leagues in baseball have a different format, in terms of one position.
I never understood the designated hitter rule. Why does the AL have it and the NL doesn’t? It’s an unfair advantage the NL has over the AL in the World Series, not to mention the DH extends players’ careers. Mike Piazza, Frank Thomas, Jim Thome, and countless others have been able to keep their careers going because of the DH rule.
I suppose in that regard it’s helped players, but to me it’s ridiculous. I’ve even heard people say it should be done away with. Both leagues should go by one rule. Either have the DH in both leagues or don’t have it at all.
17) Coaches spend more time coaching in football. Baseball managers only manage.
I can’t really speak for this statement.
In baseball spring training and in batting practice and in football mini camp and practice, I really have no idea what goes on and neither does anyone. Unless you are standing on the sidelines or on the field with the team, you have no clue what the manager or coach is telling their players.
I agree that baseball managers are simply there to manage, with their coaches doing a lot of work (bench coach, bullpen coach, hitting coach, base coaches, etc.) but they are also most likely doing a good amount of instructing as well.
Yet in football, there are defensive and offensive coordinators, wide receivers coaches quarterback coaches…and so on and so forth.
I do know that head football coaches manage games just as baseball managers manage games; collectively they are in charge and (in certain ways) dictate what’s happening on the field. Baseball managers decide who plays and who sits but football players can take themselves out of a game if they want.
18) Football plays can be diagramed and discussed. Baseball only uses sequences.
OK, it’s a point. Football players can literally sit down and map out with Xs and Os what to do in certain offensive and defensive situations. There can be numerous scenarios on what plays are being used and what to do when those plays are utilized by the opposition.
In baseball it’s different. When there is a runner on first base and the ball is hit on the ground to the second baseman, the shortstop must cover second base to get the lead runner out first, and then throw to first base to turn the 4-6-3 double play.
By that example, the point is valid. It’s just a sequence. The players do not have to diagram a double play and discuss it because the play is simplistic.
19) The climax of a football game always comes at the end. A baseball game can be over by the second inning.
This statement is false. The biggest play in any game can happen at any time. If anyone happened to catch the New Orleans Saints vs. the Arizona Cardinals this past Saturday, the game was over by the second quarter.
The Saints came out and absolutely dominated the Cardinals, and before halftime everyone knew which team was going to win. Just as a baseball game can be over by the second inning, a football game can be over by the second quarter.
Furthermore, a baseball game’s climax can also come at the end of a game. It’s called a walk-off home run.
20) A baseball game can theoretically go on FOREVER.
This is true. In football the game is designated to 60 minutes, but includes three timeouts for each team (in each half), a 15 minute halftime, injury timeouts, challenges, etc. But you know that unless the score is tied, by the end of the fourth quarter, someone wins and someone loses.
If there is a tie, 15 minutes of overtime is played. Whoever scores first wins. If no one scores, the game’s over in a draw. Those are the rules, I did not write them.
In baseball the game can, as stated, go one forever. Aug. 7 of last year comes to my mind. 15 innings of Yankees vs. Red Sox until Alex Rodriguez finally ended the game with a walk-off home run at 1:00 in the morning.
Fun game to watch, but absolutely brutal in terms of time. It was going on forever.
21) In football, team depth matters. The third-best wide receiver matters whereas the third-best shortstop does not.
A valid point. You could be the third, fourth, or even fifth best player at your position in football and still get a chance to prove yourself and play on the professional level.
I’m just going out in a limb, but Yankee farmhands who play shortstop and third base probably won’t be seeing the big leagues anytime in the near future. And…does Ramiro Pena really mean as much to the Yankees as Derek Jeter?
On the other side, Sinorice Moss can mean just as much to the Giants as Amani Toomer did; Toomer was a number one receiver, Moss is a second team player. And even though he’s a second team player, he’s made a touchdown catch in the NFL.
Not to single out Pena, because he has started at shortstop for the Yankees, but other Yankee farmhands have not even had the chance to hit a big league home run.
22) Football features team slogans and cheers: (eg.) J! E! T! S! JETS JETS JETS!!!”
This has got to be the worst reason on this list. I don’t even know if I should go into it or not. I’ve heard “Waltzing Matilda” chants from games at the World Cup in soccer.
“Let’s Go Yankees! (Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!)”
I rest my case.
23) Football rivalries are bitter and plentiful.
There are rivalries in every sport.
The most significant rivalry in baseball and probably in sports in general is (gasp!) Yankees vs. Red Sox (it’s a shocker, right?) Other than that rivalry in baseball, I can really only think of Yankees/Mets, White Sox/Cubs, Giants/Dodgers, and Cubs/Cardinals.
I’ve noticed as a football fan that rivalries among division opponents are more prevalent. I am a Giants fan and I can see how badly the Giants hate both the Cowboys and Eagles. As a Yankee fan, we hate the Red Sox, but really don’t care as much about the Orioles or Blue Jays, who are also in our division.
Plus, football rivalries extend beyond the division. I mean, the Ravens hate the Colts because the Colts moved out of Baltimore and into Indianapolis. Now whenever the Ravens play the Colts, the fans in Baltimore feel the Ravens should crush the Colts because in their eyes, the Colts ditched them for another city.
I guess in football things can get rather personal whereas in baseball, everything is basically dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry.
24) There is parity in football. You can stink today and win it all tomorrow.
I could not agree with this statement more. Equality is where it’s at.
When the Giants went on their incredible run in 2007-2008 to win Super Bowl XLII, they were coming off a miserable 8-8, 2006-2007 campaign. They were literally abysmal one year and won the whole thing the next year.
The Miami Dolphins are another example. They didn’t win anything from 2007-08, but in 2008-09 they came back to edge out the Jets, Bills, and Patriots to win the AFC East. They were horrible one year and won their division the next.
In baseball, all the same teams are expected to be there at the end–the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Angels, the Phillies…it’s almost like we already know who’s going to win the majority of the divisions and who’s not.
In baseball, do we really expect the Royals to be a playoff team at the end of the year? There are teams in baseball who haven’t been contenders in quite some time and are not getting any better anytime soon. Any given year, a football team can win.
Plus, many of the races are a lot more exciting in football; the Giants were in the race up until the second to last game of the year, and really it was any team’s title to win. The Cowboys and Eagles were also contending and there was no clear winner of the division up until the very end.
Eventually the Cowboys claimed it with the Eagles winning a Wild Card spot. Unfortunately, the Giants were left out, but that doesn’t mean they can’t come back next year and win it.
In 2009, the Yankees practically had the AL East won by the beginning of August. The baseball regular season almost got boring toward the end.
25) There is a salary cap in football.
Probably one of the biggest reasons many people feel football is fairer and more equal than baseball. It’s a great point and again, it goes back to fairness.
At the end of 2008, the Yankees spent almost a quarter of a $billion on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira…added on to the $290 million they are paying Alex Rodriguez…and so on and so forth.
There is nobody telling the Yankees no. They can spend as much money as they want without anyone blinking an eye. With that, they dominated their division in 2009 and subsequently won the World Series. I will never feel in my heart that money can buy a championship; titles come from team chemistry and the will to win, coupled with everything going right for the team.
But I can’t help but notice how much money the Yankees spent. And if you don’t notice a problem in payroll disparity, you are blind. I love the Yankees very much, but they helped create the problem of unequal payroll (even Yankee writers have noted this)
In football, each team is given only a certain amount of money to spend and with that they can sign players, draft picks, etc. With each payroll, every team has a chance to win every year. It’s equal, something baseball hasn’t been for a long time.
When free agency in baseball arose, it changed the game. And there’s free agency in football too, but even the best football player will not make the type of salary Rodriguez, Sabathia, and Teixeira make.
Yet…some people may not know this, but George Steinbrenner learned his baseball methods as a football coach. Quite ironic, if you ask me.
It’s a really tough argument. I think there are many great points the author made in his column as to why football has an edge over baseball. I personally enjoy both sports and baseball will always be my first love. But football is a great sport too.
There are some other reasons I thought up on my own as to why football might be considered better than baseball. For starters, the Pro Bowl (the NFL equivalent of MLB’s All-Star Game) has no bearing as to where the Super Bowl is played. I think that’s a great point.
The team with the better record should have home field in the World Series; MLB just instituted that stipulation to entice the players to care for the game and actually play. MLB says, “Winner gets home-field in the World Series.” They might as well just say, “Act like you care about this game and play.” Football doesn’t have that.
Another reason (and it kind of goes back to territory) is the Super Bowl location: it’s always played on neutral ground. The World Series is not like that. One team has an advantage and the other doesn’t.
I’ve read some silly arguments, like football is better because of the cheerleaders. Well, not that it’s too disturbing watching pretty girls cheer on their team from the sidelines, but baseball doesn’t need them. That’s always been my take. And it’s not like every football team has cheerleaders. The Giants don’t.
Baseball can be looked at as better because there is a game every day, despite the slow-moving action it is fun to watch, and players can be extremely smart and still win.
My overall opinion: it’s a tie. Baseball has been around a lot longer than football and it owns the label as America’s pastime. It always will. I think there are a lot of problems with the game today–payroll disparity, an unequal playing field on many levels, and greed among the players.
But I’ll always love baseball. I’ve developed unconditioned love for the sport.
I’ve been a football fan for about seven years now and I also have a great admiration for the sport. It’s a fast-paced, high-action, and fun sport to watch. I love the game and even though it wasn’t my first love, it still holds a great place in my heart.
But never mind my opinion. What really is better: football or baseball? After what I’ve written, it’s up to you to decide.
Yankee Yapping 