LET US PLAY!!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/235384-a-message-from-us-soccer-to-the-world-let-us-in?just_published=1

Sorry Cleveland, But This One is OVER

LeBron, maybe it's time to relocate... Click Here

2009 New York Giants: What to Expect?

Fifteen months ago, all the questions had been answered.

The New York Giants had beaten the greatest team ever assembled, the New England Patriots, in Super Bowl XLII to cap what had turned into a Cinderella story and magical season for Big Blue. Eli Manning-to-Plaxico Burress had become one of the most lethal passing combinations in all the NFL. The defense, led by Steve Spagnuolo, had gone from giving up 80 points in the two first games to shutting down the most explosive offense in the NFL, holding them to just 14 points.

Now, entering the 2009 season, the Giants have a lot more questions to answer than they did last February. After an 11-1 start to the 2008 campaign- and making it look less and less like their championship the previous year was more of a fluke than anything else- the Giants finished the season 1-3 and were knocked out of the playoffs by the Philadelphia Eagles in second round. Many of the Giants problems in the last six weeks of the season can be attributed to the absence of Burress, who was suspended indefinitely (and eventually released) after being arrested on illegal gun charges. And as for Spagnuolo, the architect behind the now catastrophic Giants defense, he has packed his playbook and headed to St. Louis to become the head coach of the Rams.

So with the start of training camp only weeks away, here's a look at the 5 biggest questions the G-Men will be asking themselves this season:

5. How healthy is Osi Umenyiora?

Despite losing both of their starting defensive ends before a single regular season snap in '08, the Giants defense did not miss a beat and continued to be one of the most consistent and reliable units in the NFL. And while one of those DE's is not coming back, the other is.

Giants fans and players alike will have their fingers crossed as Osi gears up for the 2009 season. After tearing a lateral meniscus in his left leg in a preseason game against the Jets last season, Mathias Kiwanuka and Super Bowl hero Justin Tuck instantly became the new 1-2 punch at the ends. If Osi can come back healthy, the Giants will have a whole new bounty if options on defense that they did not previously have. Kiwanuka has been the subject of many trade rumors this summer for the Giants, and despite his excellent play during parts of 2008, he has become an expendable part of the defense. Of course, they could simply continue to play him at OLB like he did in his first year with the Giants, but Kiwanuka's natural position is on the end of the D-Line. Regardless, everything mentioned all relies on Umenyiora and the strength of his leg.

4. Can Brandon Jacobs stay healthy enough to lead the league in rushing?

Skill wise, Jacobs has the ability. Just ask LaRon Landry. However, durability is the issue with this big bruising back. Jacobs averaged almost 5.0 yards per carry in 2008, but it came on only 219 carries. He missed two games in '08 with re- occurring knew problems, yet still racked up 15 touchdowns on the ground.

This year, Jacobs will be asked to shoulder more of the load than, perhaps, ever before. With the departure of another 1,000 yard rusher, Derrick Ward, Jacobs may be in line for upwards of 300 carries this season. There is no questioning Jacobs' physical and mental toughness. Still, with an offense with plenty of question marks at the skill positions, Brandon will easily find himself as Option #1 on the Giants offensive side of the ball. He made a promise to lead the league in rushing before the '08 season. And while his ypc suggest he could still accomplish this feat, his knees and shoulders will be the deciding factor.

3. Will the signings of Michael Boley, Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty pay off?

Hopefully. Boley is two seasons removed from a breakout year with Atlanta which saw him rack up 125 total tackles playing the "Sam" linebacker position for the Falcons. He'll join Antonio Pierce and, presumably, Danny Clark as the starting LBs for the G-Men. Bernard is 30 years old and will probably not be a 3-down player, but his 300+ pounds and still have enough in the tank to be an imposing 4-3 defensive tackle on a very good line. A DT rotation of Bernard, Fred Robbins and Jay Alford can be one of the most productive- and freshest- in the NFC.

The most intriguing of the three signings, however, is Canty. Since his days at Virginia, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has been all over this guy. At 6'7, 310 lbs., Canty is a blend of height and bulk which you do not see on many defensive lines in the NFL. Giants GM Jerry Reese has said that the $42 million Canty will "play all over the front." If they decide to play him as a 3-4 DT, then the Giants can use more packages to utilize their depth at LB (Zach DeOsi, Chase Blackburn and rookie Clint Sintim will all be looking for playing time this season). In 4-3 formations, Canty could line up at end to give Tuck or Umenyiora a breather in the right situations. Whatever Canty's role ends up being, there is no doubting he will be seeing the field quite a bit in 2009 and beyond.

2. How big of a loss was the loss of Steve Spagnuolo?

Last offseason, Spags spurned the Washington Redskins after being offered their head coaching position. This year, however, the Giants could not keep the most sought after defensive coordinator in the league in East Rutherford. Spagnuolo got the head coaching position he most certainly deserved, but the Giants lost a lynch pin to their recent run of success.

While players play the game and are obviously the most important ingredient to any recipe for success, the loss of a coordinator should not be overlooked. In 2007, the Giants finished 7th in defensive yards per game. In 2008, that ranking increased to 5th. They totaled 95 sacks over those two years, including a league high 53 in 2007. Spagnuolo never had the biggest D-Line to work with, but it seemed like that was his choice, utilizing the agility and finesse of the line to get to the opposing quarterback. His mentor, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, has been the architect behind blitz packages for years which have driven opposing teams crazy. Most of the blitz's relied heavily on LBs and DBs disguising their coverage and rushing the line at the last minute. The Giants line bulked up big time this offseason (Bernard, Canty), and there is a good possibility Big Blue will show more 3-4 formations than they ever did under Spagnuolo. It will be interesting to see what kind of schemes new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan uses on defense. Whatever he brings to the table, it will take alot of production for Giants fans to forget about Spags.

1. Did the Giants make the right decision with their potential wide receiver merry-go-round?

After the departure of Plaxico in Week 14, the Giants were searching for a #1 wideout. When the Giants lost 4 of the 5 games they played with out Burress, the search became a full blown manhunt. As they begin 2009, the Giants are still holding open auditions for the lead role. The availabilities of Arizona WR Anquan Boldin and Cleveland WR Braylon Edwards were two of the worst kept secrets in the NFL this offseason. Numerous reports suggested Boldin could have been acquired for a 1st and 3rd round pick in the 2009 Draft, while Braylon was rumored to have a price tag of a 2nd and 5th.

The Giants went out and used their 1st round pick on North Carolina wideout Hakeem Nicks. While Nicks has shown flashes of brilliance, the fact is that for one additional pick, they could have had Boldin. If your a Giants fan, odds are you would take Boldin over Hicks and a 3rd round pick for numerous reasons. For one thing, Hicks is only 6'0. As history has shown, Eli likes throwing the ball to big targets. If his #1 wideout is only six feet tall, his numbers will suffer. If anything, fans should be excited about 4th round pick Ramses Barden, a 6'6 freak out of Cal Poly. His physical presence will remind many viewers of guys like Burress and Terrell Owens, assuming his hands can keep up with the rest of his body. With Amani Toomer gone, the Giants will have a rotation of so-so wideouts- Nicks, Barden, Sinorice Moss, Steve Smith, Domenick Hixon, Mario Manningham, Derek Hagan- who will all be looking to prove themselves as Eli's new favorite target.

The numbers without Plaxico don't lie. Jerry Reese will take a lot of heat in the media if Hicks does not immediately step up, or if the Giants' passing games stumbles like it did at the end of 2008. Yes, the Giants are a run first team behind that trecherous offensive line, but no team can win at a high level with sucha one dimensional offense. Not to mention, the wear-and-tear on a team which is forced to run the ball 30-40 times a game will eventually catch up with you. If the offense falters, New York will be wishing they had landed one of the two high profile WR's previously mentioned.

Fearless Forecast:

W-L (division): 11-5 (4-2)

Playoffs?: Yes

Seed?: #2 (NFC East champions, Minnesota with the #1 seed in the NFC)

Super Bowl Champions?: Sorry, but I don't think this offense can win it all.

Brandon Jacobs: 285 carries, 1,450 yds, 15 TDs

Eli Manning: 3,300 yds, 24 TDs, 18 INTs

Hakeem Nicks: 45 catches, 750 yds, 4 TDs

Defensive MVP: Corey Webster

Offensive MVP: Jacobs

When the Dream Just Isn't Enough...

This one is a little too long to put on the blog, so check it out on Bleacherreport.com

Click here.

The Team You SHOULD Be Rooting For

With 4 teams left in the NHL Playoffs, the team you are predicting to win it all probably isn't the team you should be picking. At least not if you want the league to thrive from the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals.

Confused? I'll explain.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. The days of teetering on the verge of bankruptcy seem like ages ago to Penguins fans with the emergence of guys like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc Andre-Fleury. Pittsburgh is once again relevant on the NHL map and, beyond that, are one of the hottest tickets in the NHL with the amount of young talent they put on the ice every night. The Hurricanes won the 2006 Stanley Cup, and have been a contender each year for the past decade or so. They fly under the radar, but put a great team on the ice each season.

In the Western Conference, the Detroit Red Wings are squaring off with the Chicago Blackhawks. Detroit's nickname- HockeyTown- is no hyperbole. The Motor City has had reason to bleed...umm, red... for a long time now. In fact, since legendary coach Scotty Bowman ended his dominant tenure as Wings coach 4 years ago, Mike Babcock has lead the team to 50+ wins in each of the following seasons. There is no shortage of talent or fanbase in Detroit. Unless, of course, you end up at Ford Field and not Joe Louis Arena.

But the one team people seem to be sleeping on is the one team which can cause the biggest stir with a Stanley Cup victory. The Chicago Blackhawks are back in the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 17 years. Seventeen years ago, Jeremy Roenick scored 53 goals for the Hawks, Chris Chelios had just been acquired from the Montreal Canadiens, and Ed Belfour was starting over a budding young star by the name of Dominik Hasek. They have not won a Stanley Cup since 1961, the second longest streak in NHL history (ask a Rangers fan what the longest ever was).

Yet, despite these Chicago Cubs-esque numbers, these Chicago fans also show up to the games. Blackhawks games sell out each and every night, and fans have truly stuck with the franchise through thick and thin. I like to compare these fans to Yankees fans of the Don Mattingly Era, or present day Knicks fans (and to a lesser extent, all Knicks fans). For Yankee fans, that 20 year period of constant mediocrity was a far cry from the excellence the Yankees seemed to be the definition of for the prior 50 years. Yes, attendance took a hit in the Bronx, but the fanbase never dwindled.

For the Knicks and their fans, it has been 40 years since Willis Reed, his one leg, and the rest of the New York Knicks took home their last NBA Championship. Along the way, the Knickerbockers have had their share of ups and downs. The ups never reached the summit of excellence- thank you, John "2-19" Starks- and the downs have seemed to be Hades-deep, but Knicks tickets at the Garden remain one of the hottest tickets in all of sports. And that trend even survived the Isiah Thomas Era, proving that it can survive pretty much anything short of a worldwide apocalypto.

But there is no denying one thing these two situations had in common. When baseball was good in the Bronx, and when the Knicks were runnin' and gunnin' with the likes of Ewing, Oakley, and Mason, the MLB and NBA were thriving, respectively. Leagues feed off of their big market teams, but the markets vary from sport to sport.

For hockey, Chicago is a market which they need to keep interested. It's obvious that the fans have stuck with the Hawks through this past quest for success, but imagine what a Stanley Cup victory could do. It's not like Chicago is on a Cinderella run, they do have a bunch of good young players on their team- Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toewes in particular. The team, if it can stay together, should be a contender for years to come. It is a story which seems eerily similar to the Penguins from the past year or two, just without all the hoopla since the Hawks don't have a superstar with Sidney Crosby level hype. But this is a situation which the NHL could really feed off of if the Blackhawks can find a way to win the whole thing.

Go Hawks.

A Game 7 for the Ages

Game 7s in sports are like nothing else.  For 9 innings, 4 quarters or 3 periods, every integral move by every single person on the roster is digested, evaluated, and stored in the memory bank in case a hero/scapegoat is needed when the final buzzer sounds.  In my eyes, every Game 7 in the four major sports should be broadcast on national television, so that all sports fans have a chance to witness two teams who are guaranteed to be, as the saying goes, "giving it their all."

Think about it.  In anywhere from a week to two weeks time, six games will be have been played between the same two teams on the same two venues.  Six games could not determine who was the best between the two.  When one team was down 3 games to 2, they did what had to be done to ensure that everything they had done the past ten months did not go to waste in one game.  To us, that's cliche.

To these guys, that's ten months of suicides, weight training, full contact practices, coaches chewing them out, digesting plays, missing your family (and your own bed)... it's ten months of your life wasted.  In the blink of an eye.  Or better yet, the buzzing of a horn.

Which is why it pains me to say that the best Game 7 of the 2009 playoffs to this date- and pending a Kobe-LeBron game 7 in the NBA Finals, the best Game 7 of the entire 2009 professional playoffs- will be viewed by only a select audience of the sports world.  

When Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby square off tomorrow in Washington for Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals, we will have the two best NHL hockey players of this generation, who play with more fire and competitiveness than the majority of the league, scratching and clawing for every inch they can get in what is the definition of a "must-win-game."  

The rivalry between the two playmakers heated up in Washington about three months ago during a  Capitals 5-2 win.  The trash talking has carried through into the playoffs and has clearly brought out the best in both players.  

In Game 2 of the series, Washington won 4-3. 

Seven goals were scored in the game.

Crosby had 3.

Ovechkin had 3.

Clearly, the two superstars have not disappointed.  In 13 playoff games, Ovechkin has recorded 20 points, while Sid the Kid has 17 points in 12 games.  In the six games between the two in the playoffs up to this point, they have netted a combined 13 goals.   These two are like Tiger and Phil, or Kobe and LeBron, or even Federer and Nadal.  Alone, they are already Must-See-TV.

Together?  You better have TiVo.

More importantly, you better have a good cable provider.  The game will be seen on the all-so-well-known Versus Network.  To me, that's Channel 408 (or 719 for the HD feed).  It's not NBC, or CBS, or even ESPN...2.

However, given Versus' ever so envied monopoly over the NHL and its games (before I continue, that last comment was doused with sarcasm), it has focused on its broadcasters and commentators for such events.  Doc Emerick, who should be doing Game 7, is the Michael Buffer of NHL play-by-play.  The guy's voice is so enigmatic and, more importantly, he knows the game of hockey like Bill Cosby knows pudding.  For those who love to hear a good game of hockey called- and played- Versus is the place for you.

So I urge you, please, if you have it within your means to watch Game 7 tomorrow night- that means being a sports fan, having nothing to do after 7pm tomorrow night, and having access to the Versus Network- please do yourself a favor and turn it on.  This matchup should not be undersold simply because its hockey and no one watches it in the Unites States.  Ovechkin and Crosby are just as dominant as any other two athletes in pro sports (I'll argue Ovechkin is the most dominant athlete in sports, but that's for another day).  And don't forget about the other 48 guys playing, too.  These two teams bring a lot of talent to an NHL rink and, as you may have guessed, are two of the most exciting teams to watch in all of hockey.  So kick back and forget about Brett Favre storylines every time you turn on ESPN, or the Cavs and LeBron beating every one by 20, or Albert Pujols hitting home runs every twenty minutes.  

Because this is not your everyday hockey game.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda Been...

Lakers-Cavs

With LeBron James tearing up the league, Kevin Garnett showing his first real signs of aging, and a Western Conference with one King and seven princes, the matchup in this year's 2009 NBA Finals is already a foregone conclusion to most fans. In fact, before KG's injury, one betting website offered this promotion:

Bet on any team except the Lakers to win the Championship (up to $50) and, if the Lakers win, we will fully reimburse your bet.

The logic? Simple. If you weren't betting on the Lakers, you were betting on one of two teams—Boston or Cleveland. So let's say the wagering goes pretty much 50-50 on those two teams; half the population pick the Cavs, the other the Celtics.

If either one of those teams wins the Finals, the site breaks about even by collecting the losing half and paying it out to the winning half. If the Lakers win, it is as if nothing happened.
The promotion ran until Apr. 17. The news that KG was done for the year hit the wire on Apr. 16. Now just picture the chaos for that particular Web site...

Getting back to my point, this year's power struggle in the Association has been a contest between the three aforementioned teams. But one team, which has not even made the playoffs in almost a decade, could have been a formidable contender in what is now a one-team race in the East:

The New York Knicks.

Knicks fans, let us all now take a moment to lament what has become of the organization. Sure, we have seen some big names like Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston (H20 is still one of my all-time favorite basketball nicknames), Steve Francis...ummm, Antonio McDyess...uhhh...Keith...Van...Horn? Jerome...(sigh)...Jerome James?!

OK, well we have at least seen our fair share of legendary coaches. Lenny Wilkins, Larry Brown, Don Nelson, hell even Jeff VanGundy was a pretty damn good NBA coach (and apparently never fell off a rope in his life, just ask Alonzo Mourning). But no question the runs each of these men had was less than legendary.

So we've pinned players and coaches so far. But the two men Knicks fans will forever point the finger to for this span of not-even-mediocrity watched it all happen in Armani suits and Gucci boots. Scott Layden and Isiah Thomas.

You want to know what got me thinking for this article? I was pondering the legitimacy of Denver's No. 2 seed in the West. I thought to myself, "Portland has the best size to match up with Bynum and Gasol, and they are playing great basketball right now."

Then I said, "Nene had an amazing season defensively for Denver, but he may not be enough. Birdman (Chris Anderson) gets his fair share of blocks and rebounds, but he's no Marcus Camby. If those two were still together, that would really give them a shot...wait a minute..."

That's right Knicks fans. Seventh overall pick, 2002 NBA Draft. Marcus Camby. Nene. Antonio McDyess. "Fire Layden!" Is this all ringing a bell?

Not only had Knicks fans not gotten the player they wanted (Caron Butler, a native New Yorker, was still on the board and was much more well-known than Nene), they had drafted Nene and instantly traded him along with Marcus Camby to Denver for the brittle Antonio McDyess.
The same McDyess who had played in only 10 games the previous season.

Was that not enough of a red flag? And was it worth it to trade two defensive big men for one smaller, older, and more injury-prone one just to sell a couple more jerseys? Ask Knicks fans that question now...

What did the Knicks do when he blew out his knee in the preseason? They traded him for Stephon Marbury, starting another saga in New York. But here is something many Knicks fans have forgotten about that trade.

Two first-round picks were given up, the first of which was traded to the Celtics who picked Rajon Rondo. In case you haven't noticed, Rondo is a beast, and a point guard is exactly what the Knicks need right now. So chalk that one up for Team Laymas.

The other pick, however, will not come into play unless the Knicks do not make the playoffs next year. Included in the Marbury deal was a lottery-protected first-round pick. The Suns eventually traded the pick to the Utah Jazz (essentially for Tom Gugliotta).

Next year, however, the pick is unprotected, so if the Knicks fail to reach the playoffs they will be handing over a lottery pick to Utah. Yet another slam dunk for the dynamic duo.

I forgot about the idea to write this article until later that day. I turned on the Lakers-Jazz game, expecting to see an exhibition being put on by Kobe Bryant.

There was indeed a show taking place, but Kobe was not the host. You know who it was? Take a second...Trevor Ariza. That's right, the same Trevor Ariza who rode the bench in New York while the Knicks lost seemingly every night. The same Trevor Ariza who was shipped to Orlando for another salary cap mortality, Steve Francis.

You know, "Stevie Franchise." The guy who never lived up to the hype around a guy with that nickname, a guy who demanded he be traded while walking up to put on his Vancouver Grizzlies hat on Draft Day.

That guy.

I'll give Isiah credit, he did—and probably still does—have an eye for talent. He has drafted some good players—David Lee, Nate Robinson, Renaldo Balkman (he is a good player, regardless of what you say), Ariza—but he has never understood the concept of a team.

He has never understood the philosophy of building team from the ground up and not just capsizing it with overpaid "me-first" players. Which is why the Eddy Curry trade is his masterpiece, his symphony.

Knicks get: Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis.
Bulls get: Knicks' 2006 First Rounder, Knicks' 2007 and 2009 Second Rounders, Tim Thomas, Mike Sweetney, and the right to swap 2007's first round pick with the Knicks.

Translated into present day, the Bulls package is Tim Thomas, Sweetney, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and this year's second rounder (the second round pick in 2007 was traded numerous times before it ended up being Demetris Nichols, who was actually shipped back to the Knicks on a draft day trade).

Now, had the Knicks still had Nene and Camby, odds are they would not have drafted Thomas and Noah. However, the 2006 pick was No. 2 overall, and the 2007 pick was No. 9 overall.
In the situation they were in at the time, the Knicks could have picked, say, Brandon Roy and Rodney Stuckey?

Sticking that route and taking Wilson Chandler in the same spot in 2007 would give you a starting five of:

Rajon Rondo, Brandon Roy, Chandler, Nene, and Camby.

Throw Stuckey, David Lee, and Nate Robinson on the bench—oh and don't forget Ariza—and this is an nine-deep team playing with a "win now" mentality. I mean, look at that team.
Listen, I understand this is strictly woulda-coulda-shoulda material, but its feasible, and sad at the same time. For now, Knicks fans just have one time on their minds.

2010.