your end of season Top 5

The regular season is over, going out with a big bang in a very exciting Week 17. As the smoke settles on the season with the playoffs starting this week, here are your Top 5 headlines for the weekend.

1. All Day. Adrian Peterson and the Vikings won in the best game of the season. AP (or AD, if you prefer) scored two touchdowns and ran for 199 yards, including a 27 yard run with 30 seconds left that set up the game-winning chip-shot field goal that sent Minnesota into the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers led his team back time after time, scoring on 7 of their last 8 drives, but it was the Vikings that had the ball last. Vikings went from 6-6 to 10-6. Adrian Peterson finished the season with 2,097 yards, including an astonishing 1,013 yards after contact, and should be named league MVP.

2. Taking care of business. Every team that needed to win to secure a playoff berth won. In the games with two playoff teams, the one going for the Wild Card always won. The Giants, Bears, Vikings, Redskins, Seahawks, Bengals, and Colts all did their job. The 49ers, Patriots and Broncos won their easy matchups to secure their week off.

3. Rookies leading the way. The playoffs include an incredible group of rookie quarterbacks: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson. (You could also include Washington’s Kirk Cousins, who helped lead the Redskins to two wins in RG3’s absence.) The Redskins were also led by rookie sixth-round-draft-pick running back Alfred Morris, who set the franchise single-season rushing record, including 200 yards in Sunday Night’s game where RG3 passed for only 100 yards.

4. Black Monday. The end of the season isn't all good news. The following coaches and general managers are being fired today: Bears’ Lovie Smith, Eagles’ Andy Reid, Chiefs’ Romeo Crennel, Bills’ Chan Gailey, Browns’ coach and GM Pat Shurmur and Tom Heckert, Chargers’ coach and GM Norv Turner and AJ Smith, Cardinals' coach and GM Ken Wisenhunt and Rod Graves, Jaguars’ GM Gene Smith, and Jets’ GM Mike Tannenbaum. That is nine front offices. Along with those head coaches, most of their staffs will likely be out of a job, too. Rough day. How Jim Schwartz and Rex Ryan can survive their debacles I have no idea.

5. Nose diving out of it. The Bears started the season 7-1, the Giants got out to a 6-2 start, and the Steelers were at a comfortable 6-3, and none of the above made the playoffs. Both the Bears’ and Steelers’ swoons coincided with their quarterbacks getting knocked out, but while both Jay Cutler and Big Ben were able to finish the season neither was effective in their returns. As for the Giants, they have no excuses at all. At least their rings are still shiny.

(honorable mention headlines: Romo chokes again, Hail to the Redskins, Peyton's good season, Calvin Johnson sets the receiving record, Texans and Ravens limping in)

a Nets fan happy with the coaching change

After another ugly loss to Milwaukee, the Nets' tenth loss of December, Avery Johnson was finally "relieved of his coaching duties." Most of the attention and blame has been directed at Deron Williams. I don't agree. In fact, I thought this coaching change came late enough.

Avery Johnson is not a great coach and he was underachieving with the Nets. His record with New Jersey/Brooklyn was 60-116. You want to point at his record in Dallas? Then remember that he lost three straight playoff series, including 2007 when a 67-win Mavs team got blown out by the Golden State Warriors. He was fired because he couldn't get his team to play to their best potential. And this season he was given a lot of talent but he doesn’t get the most out of his players. It was not working.

Deron Williams did not force Avery out. This was an ownership move. Deron Williams has certainly played poorly and is having a bad season. But so are Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries. They are all having the worst seasons of their careers. I like the guys on the bench, but C.J. Watson, Keith Bogans, and MarShon Brooks are not being used effectively or playing effectively, either. So what is the coach doing? All Deron Williams said was that he was having a hard time adjusting to the current system. Is that so heinous? Everybody on the team can say the same thing!

Gerald Wallace has called out his teammates, saying “guys are content with the situation that we are in, and I’m **** pissed off about losing, especially losing the way we are losing.” Kris Humphries was benched and didn't even get off the bench, even before he got hurt. Yet D-Will is the reason Avery Johnson was fired. Gimme a break.

The Nets have been the slowest-paced team in the league. The majority of their offense is isolations. That's fine if you have LeBron, Durant or Kobe. But that doesn't fit the players on the Nets. It shouldn't be a surprise that D-Will enjoyed and thrived in a "system offense" like Jerry Sloan's Jazz. So what is Avery Johnson doing about that? The defense has been bad, especially in December. And two things that surprise Nets fans the most is how they have lost. They get outplayed in the third quarter every single game. Isn't halftime when coaching adjustments are supposed to happen? Johnson gets outcoached every night. And on top of that, not unrelated, the Nets have lost four straight games in which they had a double digit lead. That is pathetic.

Brooklyn is starting new; new home, new logo, new players. They have plenty of talent on the team and an owner who is anxious to spend money to make his team better. Avery Johnson has done nothing to impress during his time with the Nets, and while the season hasn't even made it to New Years, it’s as good a time as ever to make a change.

And you know what, it’s not just about this season. I’m thinking about next season and the year after that. That’s been my stance ever since they moved to Brooklyn and got all these players. In a conference with the Miami Heat, the Nets won’t the Finals this year anyway. So they might as well finish putting the pieces together now to make a serious run for the next several years. That includes bringing in a head coach that can bring them up a level.

I thought this was the right move. The season is still salvageable. The Nets have enough talent to be a #3-5 seed in a weak Eastern Conference. They have been underachieving. But getting the right guy in can also prepare them for the upcoming seasons. Look at the difference in the Knicks with Mike Woodson instead of Mike D'Antoni. But unlike the Knicks who with all the age on their roster are built for now now now, the Nets have potential to contend for several more years.

I expect them to even win a playoff series this year. I know I've said a lot about "talent" and "potential." Of course, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson will have to play better than they have. Let's hope a new sheriff in town can make it work.

changing of the guard

On Saturday night I was glancing at the NBA standings. It was pretty shocking. Lakers, Mavericks and Suns are all on the bottom half of the conference while the typical punching bags of my youth (Clippers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Warriors) are suddenly powers of the West. Seems like the league has turned upside down. So I dug a little deeper.

I know it's still relatively early in the season. We haven't even hit the new year. But the comparison is remarkable, and especially not just in the West.

(Click the picture, open in a new tab/window for a reference)

Of the seven teams outside the playoffs in the East five years ago, six find themselves on the right side now. And in the West, five of the seven would be playing postseason basketball. When I was thinking about this on Saturday night, Portland was 13-12 (.520) and Denver was 15-14 (.517), so that would tip the Blazers up and even things at six for both conferences. Only the Kings and Bobcats are left out of the fun.

And not only that. The Sonics-turned-Thunder and the Heat have gone from bottom to top in their respective conferences, and the Knicks have gone from second-worst to second-best. Of course, the Spurs continue to be the epitome of consistency in all of sports, staying in the #3 hole. In fact, San Antonio has missed the playoffs only one time since 1989, and that one year off year gave them Tim Duncan.

It is hard to believe that the Miami Heat only won 15 games in 2007-08. Dwayne Wade missed much of the season. And the following NBA draft they chose Michael Beasley. Imagine how they would be had they selected Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, or Brook Lopez.

So that's your daily NBA fun fact. Sports are usually cyclical. Especially in the NBA, where the superstars start with terrible teams. The recent new bargaining agreement changes also played a big role. Luck in the draft certainly helps. But seriously, twelve of fourteen teams outside of the playoffs find themselves firmly in the picture five years later! In the sport that is rumored to have the least amount of parity, it may just have the most!

Following up in the NFL

A couple days ago I wrote a spot addressing the five most important players to keep an eye on this Sunday: Peterson, Romo, Roethlisberger, the Giants d-line, and Russell Wilson. Here's how it all played out.

Adrian Peterson may not have set the rushing record, but he did do a lot of damage and took all the defensive attention, allowing Christian Ponder to have his first effective game since November 11 as the Vikings went into Houston and destroyed the 12-2 Texans. All Day had three 20+ yard carries in the game, putting the Vikings on the brink of a surprising playoff berth. One more game to go and Peterson should still be the favorite to win MVP. Grade = A-

Tony Romo’s numbers were impressive, 416 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions. He threw a game-tying touchdown pass on fourth down with fifteen seconds left to send the game into overtime. Romo had a great game. But the defense did not, yielding 562 yards and 11 third down conversions. DeMarco Murray fumbled at the Cowboys five yard line. One way that Romo could have helped his team out more was on third down. After halftime Romo was 1 for 7 passing on third down with a sack. For the whole game the team was 2-10. But still, he did his job to help his team win but everyone else let him down. Grade = A-

Ben Roethlisberger’s first interception was returned for the Bengals’ only touchdown, and for the second game in a row, Big Ben got picked off late which set up the game-winning kick. Steelers only scored ten points in a must-win game. Maybe he should have sat out a few more games; the Steelers lost three in a row since he came back. Grade = F

Giants defensive line: Justin Tuck didn’t even dress, Chris Canty spent the second half on the sideline, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora were non-factors, and Mathias Kiwanuka’s team-leading one sack happened in the fourth quarter of a 30-7 game. The Ravens offensive line dominated the game, giving Joe Flacco his best game in seven weeks and getting practically no pressure. The Ravens also rushed for 173 yards and at one point had outgained the Giants 531-121. This area that is supposed to be the G-Men’s strongest point is exposing the entire defense. Grade = F

Russell Wilson, what can you say? Wilson tore up one of the league’s best defenses. Just look at the numbers: 15 of 21 passing for 171 yards, four touchdowns, six effective carries, and 42 points. He converted 11 of 12 third down opportunities against the best third down defense. That is a mind-boggling number. And like Foxborough for Colin Kaepernick last week, it was pouring rain in Seattle. This was one of the most impressive performances of the year, and if I had a vote for Offensive Rookie of the Year, it would go to Wilson. Grade = A+

5 players to watch out for on Sunday

With five playoff spots still up for grabs there is still so much on the line. Along with teams battling, people playing for their jobs, and with records in sight, these are the five individual players that are under the most pressure and deserve the most attention this weekend.

1. Adrian Peterson (Vikings at Texans)

Duh. All Day is having one of the greatest seasons ever for a running back.

a) Right now he has rushed for 1,812 yards, 294 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s NFL record with two games to go. But that’s not even close to the whole story.
b) He has a 433 yard lead over the NFL’s second leading rusher.
c) AP is doing it on a team with a bad quarterback and no other help on offense. He is the complete focal point of the opposing defenses, which stack eight or nine guys in the box to stop him. And they can’t!
d) This is in a league where passing has become king. Consider this: last season there were three 5,000 yards passers. There was one in the entire history of the NFL before that. And this is the time that he may break the record. He is beating the system.
e) Over the last 8 games, AP has rushed for 300 yards more than his quarterback has passed for. Consider that Arian Foster (fourth in rushing with over 1300 yards) has been outgained by his quarterback by over 2,200 yards.
f) Calvin Johnson will likely break the receiving record, but unlike Megatron’s Lions, the Vikings are actually winning games! They currently stand at 8-6 and hold the last Wild Card spot.
g) All this is coming after Christmas Eve 2011 where he tore his ACL and MCL, an injury that typically takes a running back a couple years to come back from effectively, if at all. He came back in 9 months.

AP must continue to be insanely productive to break the record or for Minnesota to make the playoffs. They have a tough schedule ahead, especially facing a Texans team with a very strong defense led by fellow MVP candidate J.J. Watt. He has certainly been reading the news and knows that AP is coming to town. He would like nothing better than to shut him down. The Texans are playing for home field advantage throughout the playoffs, so this is an important game for them, too. If AP has another big game in Houston, he could lock up the MVP.

2. Tony Romo (Cowboys vs. Saints)

Did you know that Tony Romo is third, only 7 yards behind Tom Brady for second most passing yards in the NFL? The Cowboys traditionally have their annual collapse in December, but Romo has led them to a 3-0 month, including big come-from-behind wins over the Bengals and Steelers. Dallas is 8-6, tied with the Giants and Redskins for first in the East, so this is obviously a crucial game for Big D. They are hosting a Saints defense that is ranked 31st in passing and two games under .500, yet they shut out the Buccaneers a week ago. This is Romo’s chance to win when it counts, with a game in Washington to follow.

3. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers vs. Bengals)

Big Ben has been to three Super Bowls, winning two, and a better pressure-beating quarterback there may not be. Right now his Steelers are in a must-win game against the rival Bengals for the last playoff spot in the AFC. Big Ben is still recovering from a dangerous rib injury along with an injury to his throwing shoulder, and fortunately his offensive line has given him lots of time the last couple weeks to complete passes. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh lost both of those games. Especially with an unpredictable running game, the Steelers success rests on Roethlisberger and this is a game they must win.

4. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chris Canty (Giants at Ravens)

The Giants won a championship last year because of their historically dominant pass rush. This year the team has really struggled, mainly because the defensive line has not done their job. JPP and Tuck have been hampered by injuries but at this point in the season, nobody cares. Even the Buffalo Bills have more sacks than the Giants, who are 16th. On the flip side, the Ravens have struggled to protect Joe Flacco and their offensive line is really hurting so this is an opportunity to right the ship in time for the playoffs. After meltdowns against the Falcons, Bengals and Redskins, the Giants must win now if they expect to defend their Super Bowl.

5. Russell Wilson (Seahawks vs. 49ers)

Since the 49ers host the terrible Cardinals next week, this game probably won’t determine the NFC West title. But this is still a game that will make or break Russell Wilson’s Offensive Rookie of the Year aspirations. He has largely been overshadowed by RG3 and Andrew Luck, but Wilson’s season has been no less outstanding. The Seahawks have stayed in every game, never losing by more than 7 points, and Russell Wilson plays pretty mistake-free. Wilson’s worst game came against the 49ers in October. Since then he has thrown 13 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions and the ‘Hawks have won five of their last six. The Seahawks look like a very complete team, capable of make a Super Bowl run. The only question is this young quarterback. A big game against the 49ers will alleviate doubts, avenge that loss in San Francisco, establish the Seahawks as a legitimate title contender, and launch Wilson to the spotlight. Or expose him as a rookie third round quarterback yet to win a big game. Colin Kaepernick also has a lot to prove, but he shined against the Patriots; this time the Sunday Night Football spotlight is on Wilson.

Yankees miss out; looking like last guests to the party

There is a report that catcher A.J. Pierzynski has agreed Thursday on a one-year deal to join the Texas Rangers.

There has been only one free agent (from another team) that I've been adamant about the Yankees going after this winter--this guy. A few weeks ago, Brian Cashman said that the Yankees would not pursue Pierzynski and they were preparing to play with Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart fighting for the starting catcher position. As if that makes any sense.

What's Cashman thinking? The Yankees couldn't offer A.J. a one or two year deal for $6 or 7 million? Even though they do sign a declining Kevin Youkilis for a ridiculous $12? In fact, among any of the significant players they did sign (Pettitte, Rivera, Kuroda, Ichiro, Youk) all of them were signed for over $10M, much more than A.J. was asking. And it's not like A.J. was dying to go to Texas. He felt slighted that Rangers' skipper Ron Washington left him off the All Star team during a well-deserved season. The Yankees could have gotten him easy.

They lost Swisher. Pierzynski is another fiery, energetic guy that could fill that void. He's durable, playing at least 128 games eleven straight seasons. He has hit at least .270 for five straight years with the White Sox. (Jorge Posada never had three in a row.) He's a career .300 hitter in the postseason (not Swisher). A.J. also hit 27 home runs in 2012, one less than most in the majors among catchers. He's no Mike Piazza, but he is a helluva lot better than Stewart and Cervelli.

Not only did the Yankees miss out on him, but he is going to Texas, one of the Yankees' toughest opponents. That's a double whammy for New York. I don't like the strategy of signing a player just to keep him away from a rival, but when you and the team that has beat you to the World Series two of the last three years are both in need of a catcher, and there is just one legitimate catcher available, and the asking price is reasonable, what are you waiting for?

The Rangers have been losing key players (Napoli, Hamilton, Young) so there was a chance this was one less team the Bronx Bombers would have to worry about. But after losing the top hitting free agent catcher they are able to sign the number two. Not too bad.

A.J. is not my favorite human being. He is probably most well known for being punched in the face. And maybe Cashman just doesn't want to deal with another A.J. after Burnett. However, catcher is one of the toughest positions to fill and there are so few that provide anything on offense. This offseason the Yankees have let loose Russell Martin and watched as the Red Sox reeled in Mike Napoli and the Rangers grabbed Pierzynski.

Cervelli and Stewart offer nothing offensively or defensively. They should be contending for the backup job. It won't take long for the Yankees to realize that in a season where competition in the AL East is a lot tougher, lacking a legitimate catcher is costing them wins. And it's a shame because this guy would have given them a good boost.

2012 = not the year of the Jets

In case you missed it (you probably didn't): the Jets have finally been eliminated from postseason contention. Thus ends one of the most poorly-run calendar years in professional sports. It has really been amusing to follow because you could see it coming a mile away. Following is a time line of events for the 2012 New York Jets.

January 1
Despite rampant bravado about a Super Bowl, Jets finish the regular season losing their final three games, including one to the local rival Giants and the final to the division rival Dolphins. A single win from any of those would have been a playoff birth. “Team Captain” Santonio Holmes quit on the team, and Rex Ryan admitted he had lost the pulse of the locker room.

January 10-11
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is essentially fired, becoming the scapegoat for the team’s offensive woes. Tony Sparano replaces him.

In 2011 compared with the other NFL quarterbacks, Sanchez ranked 22 in yards per game, 23 in passer rating, 27 in yards per attempt, 28 in completion percentage, 30 in Total QBR, and #1 in most turnovers.

March 9
Yet after a year of regression, the Jets give Mark Sanchez a three-year contract extension, including $20 million in guarantees, instead of pursuing the available Peyton Manning.

March 21
Less than two weeks later, the Jets trade for Tim Tebow.

April 26
Jets trade up to draft Stephen Hill to make up for losing Plaxico Burress.

July
Jets say they are implementing a two-quarterback system, with 15-20 plays a game specifically designed for Tim Tebow.

July 31
Antonio Cromartie says he ranks himself as the second-best wide receiver on the team. (He’s a defensive cornerback and has never even played receiver.)

August 7
Jets players break out in fights during practice for the second day in a row.

August 13
Jets have top-secret practice to work on plays for the Tim Tebow offense.

August 30
Jets finish preseason 0-4, go their first three preseason games without scoring a touchdown, becoming the first team in 35 years to do so. In the fourth game, Greg McElroy and the third stringers finally get them one.

Regular Season
Week 1
Jets “silence the critics” by dropping 48 points on the Bills. Taking advantage of 4 turnovers and torching a defense that would have a record four games allowing 45+ points, Jets give illusion that they are actually competent on offense.

Week 2
Jets follow up win in opener with an embarrassing 27-10 loss in Pittsburgh, where they go scoreless in their final 9 possessions.

Week 3
Jets beat the Dolphins in overtime. In OT, the Dolphins missed a field goal (second of the game) and blocked a Jets field goal, but the Jets got another try because a timeout was called. Darrelle Revis gets hurt and is out for the year.

Week 4
49ers shut out the Jets 34-0. Sanchez goes 13-29 for 103 yards and Santonio Holmes gets hurt and is out for the rest of the year.

Week 5
Jets lose to Texans 23-17. Mark Sanchez throws an interception in the red zone with 20 seconds left in the first half, and then throws another after the two minute warning in the fourth quarter with the Jets down by 6 points. Sanchez finishes 14-31, his fourth straight game completing less than half his passes.

Week 6
Jets blast the Colts 35-9. Sanchez passes for 82 yards with two touchdowns while Shonn Greene runs for a career-best 161 yards and three touchdowns. Rex Ryan says, “We want to be a team no one wants to play, and we’re on our way.”

Week 7
Jets lose in overtime to the Patriots 29-26. The Jets kick a field goal with 2:06 left to tie the game, and on the ensuing kickoff, the Patriots fumble and Jets recover at the 18 yard line. The Jets are only able to run 24 seconds off the clock and after Sanchez is sacked on third down, they kick a 43-yard field goal. Tom Brady leads the Patriots down field for a game-tying field goal. In overtime, after the Patriots kick another field goal, the game ends when Mark Sanchez is sacked and fumbles.

Week 8
Jets lose to the Dolphins 30-9, despite Miami losing their starting quarterback early in the first quarter. Dolphins led 20-0 at halftime.

Week 10
Coming off a bye week, the Jets fail to score a touchdown on offense, losing 28-7 to the Seahawks. Sanchez passes for 9 of 22 for 124 yards and two turnovers.

Week 11
Jets have an impressive and efficient win over the Rams 27-13. Says Sanchez: “We can become a team that just doesn’t turn the ball over. That could be our identity, if you want it and if you work at it.”

Week 12
On Thanksgiving night with the whole world watching, the Jets put on one of the most embarrassing performances in NFL history as the Patriots go up 35-0 in the second quarter, en route to a 49-19 win. The Patriots scored three touchdowns in 53 seconds. Included in that, coming off a timeout, is the play where Mark Sanchez and the running back botch a hand off, Sanchez runs into his own offensive lineman, drops the ball and the Patriots run it in. What they were talking about during the timeout I have no idea. Jets finish with 5 turnovers, and Mark Sanchez played the whole game.

Week 13
Playing a Cardinals team that had lost 8 in a row, went 0-15 on third downs and gained only 137 yards of offense, Mark Sanchez throws 3 interceptions before getting benched in the second half with the Cardinals winning 3-0. Greg McElroy came in and led the Jets on a touchdown drive that won the game 7-6.

Week 14
Mark Sanchez remains the starter, Greg McElroy is deactivated for the game, and the Jets defeat the 2-10 (now 2-11) Jaguars 17-10. Relying on the ground game with Bilal Powell and Shonn Greene, Sanchez threw for 111 yards. The win moved the Jets to 6-7 and mathematically still have a shot for the playoffs as long as they win their remaining games against weak opponents.

Week 15, December 17 (Monday)
Mark Sanchez remains the starter in the must-win game against the 4-9 Titans, one of the worst defenses in the NFL, on Monday Night Football. Greg McElroy wasn’t in uniform. Rex Ryan said that they planned to use Tim Tebow for the third offensive drive, “no matter what.” And they did, even though Sanchez was 3-3 the previous drive. Trailing 14-10 with 47 seconds to go, the Jets got the ball at the Titans 25 yard line after a 19 yard punt. On the first play, Mark Sanchez fumbles the snap, the Titans recover and the game over. The fumble was the 5th turnover of the game for Sanchez, including one on each of the final three possessions of the game. Hard to believe, but the actual game film is worse than this description.

December 19 (Wednesday)
Rex Ryan announces that Greg McElroy will be the starting quarterback in their next game.

December 20 (Thursday)
Jets reveal that they will explore trading both Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow after the season.

In 2012, Mark Sanchez is ranked 30 in yards per game, 30 in yards per attempt, 32 in completion percentage, 33 in passer rating, 36 in Total QBR, and #1 in most turnovers.

Come on, Tim Tebow couldn’t even play that poorly.

The entire year has been like witnessing a terrible car accident unfold; watching a wreckless driver heading full steam off the side of a cliff. Not one move the Jets made this year made sense. In the offseason they threw more money at a below-average starting quarterback, immediately traded for a controversial backup and pledged a significant share of the snaps. When the starter struggled mightily in game, Rex Ryan replaced him with a third quarterback, who actually had success. The next two games that third quarterback didn’t even dress. Despite the fact that Sanchez was the worst starting quarterback in the whole league, Ryan stuck with him for 14 games. And now when their season is officially failed, he doesn’t even give the ball to the backup, Tebow, he goes with the #3 guy McElroy. Why they got Tim Tebow in the first place I have no idea.

And it’s not just the decisions that are backfiring. New York is struggling at the fundamentals of the game—hiking the football, handing off, protecting the ball on kick returns, punt block protection, and a litany of bad throws that are thrown off the back foot off line into double and triple coverage. Says Trent Dilfer: “This is dysfunction at its highest level in the National Football League.”

why trading Dickey was the right move for the Mets

Trading your ace right after he won 20 games and the Cy Young award is never a popular move. But for the Mets, this was a great trade. Below are 5 reasons why, as well as why this was good for the Jays and Dickey himself.

1. First off, the Mets are rebuilding. They are not contending in 2013, with Dickey or without him. With him, best case scenario they win 83 games. They are in rebuild mode. Do you rebuild with a 38-year old knuckleballer? The Mets are preparing for 2014 (more accurately 2015) and beyond, and Dickey doesn't fit in that plan.

2. The said 38-year old knuckleballer wants and deserves a new contract extension with a big raise. The Mets have been trying to shed payroll for a couple years now. Should a rebuilding team trying to shed payroll extend and raise a 38-year old pitcher?

3. If the Mets didn’t do anything with Dickey now then he would be gone after 2013 anyway with nothing in return. Right now his trade value is the highest it will ever be.

4. The Mets hate Josh Thole but don’t have any other catcher to use. Now they have a solid starting catcher AND the best catching prospect in the league. They also landed a 20-year old pitching prospect with (according to ESPN’s Buster Olney) potential to be a future front-line starter. For a team like the Mets, you couldn’t have asked for more.

5. This trade is a way for the Mets to reward R.A. Dickey for an incredible season (really, three outstanding seasons) and do so in a way that doesn’t cripple the team or skew its direction. (Joe Mauer and the Twins, anyone?)

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays gave up an extra catcher to get another front of the rotation starter. They already have J.P. Arencibia, a young catcher with great power. Might as well get an actual backup (Thole) and uprade pitching. Besides, John Buck played a total of 0 games for Toronto.

The Jays are looking to win now. In a season where the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays will likely be vulnerable, Toronto sees the one great chance to compete they haven’t had in two decades. They have five excellent starting pitchers (Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero) with an excellent hitting team to support them. They gave up a lot, but they are a better team than they were a week ago. There should be no doubt that the Jays have the best team in the division.

And obviously, the trade is great for R.A. Dickey. The 38-year old is obviously just a few years away from the end of his career. And now a season after he picked up the hardware, he gets paid ($30 million the next three seasons) and he is on a team that has a legitimate shot at a championship.

This won’t be a popular move for the local New York fans and attendance at Citi Field will likely slump again. But it is a great trade for all parties involved: the Mets get a starting catcher, great hitting catcher prospect, pitching prospect, and financial flexibility. The Jays get a great veteran pitcher who can help them win now. And R.A. Dickey gets money and a chance to win. The only group that should be disappointed is the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles and Rays, as already-stiff competition just got a little tougher.

what did they work on in practice?

While the Knicks were destroying the Lakers Thursday night, some of you may not have realized there was a football game going on between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Phumbles.

It was not a pretty game. There’s no way to even pretend it was. I hope you didn’t watch it. Especially if you were an Eagles fan.

Halfway through the third quarter, the Eagles actually had the lead, 13-10. Here is the chronological sequence of their offensive plays, starting from a 2nd and 2 inside Bengals’ territory with 9:46 left in the third until 11:32 left in the fourth.

- Eagles 10 yard penalty
- Completed pass for 4 yard loss
- Eagles 5 yard penalty
- Handoff for 2 yard loss
- Punt

(next possession)
- Interception returned 44 yards (first play)

(next possession)
- Competed pass for 8 yards
- Nick Foles (Eagles QB) fumbles. Bengals returned it 25 yards for a touchdown

(next possession)
- Eagles penalty on kickoff, 1st down at the 9
- Completed pass, receiver fumbles to the Bengals

(next possession)
- Eagles fumble the kickoff, Bengals get it back

(next possession)
- Eagles penalty on kickoff, 1st down at the 9
- Nick Foles sacked
- Handoff for 1 yard gain
- Incomplete pass
- Punt

That translates to two positive plays (half of those being a one yard handoff) and 14 negative plays, including 4 turnovers within 6 plays. And by then the Bengals had quickly scored 24 points without breaking a sweat. Tough to get much uglier than that.

All this was after this great play from the first quarter.

A week after ending an 8-game losing streak, this? Fans were restless after Michael Vick turned the ball over a lot earlier in the season but that was nothing like Nick Foles’ group lately. Maybe Vick wasn’t so bad after all. Coach Andy Reid should be wearing a bag on his head. For a team that threw around the words “Dream Team” and “Dynasty,” this is the most embarrassing team I’ve seen in a while.

Well… a while being less than a week ago when the Cardinals were shut out 58-0.

Or… three weeks ago in the second quarter of the Jets debacle on Thanksgiving.

Gosh, there has sure been some bad football lately.

7 remaining games with huge playoff implications

Week 14 just finished and I know you are anxious for more football. There are just three weeks left in the NFL regular season and 11 teams are jockeying for 5 spots. The good news is there is too much uncertainty to guess right now. Here are the games that will shape the playoff picture that you will want to keep an eye on.

Week 15
- Vikings vs. Rams. Did you know that the Rams still have a shot at the playoffs, as do the Vikings? One of these teams will be out after this game.

- Giants vs. Falcons. Look, the Giants (8-5) have to beat either the Falcons or Ravens (Week 16) on the road. If all three teams (G-Men, Skins, Boys) finish 9-7, the Redskins win the division and the Giants miss out.

Week 16
- Bengals vs. Steelers. The two teams are tied for the last playoff spot. ‘Nuff said.

- 49ers vs. Seahawks. Seattle doesn’t lose at home. And if they can win this one, they win the division. And after that Golden simultaneous possession win over the Packers, they would even have a shot at a bye. On the flip side, 49ers could clinch a bye themselves.

Week 17
- Ravens vs. Bengals. Here’s the scenario for the Jets. New York should be able to handle the Titans, Chargers and Bills. If the Cowboys beat the Steelers next week, Bengals beat the Steelers in Week 16, and then the Ravens win this game (all very possible), the Jets are a Wild Card.

- Bears vs. Lions. In all likelihood, the Bears have to win to get in.

- Cowboys vs. Redskins. The winner has a good shot at either the division or wild card spot. And if the Redskins win, it will also virtually eliminate the Bears.

the eyes see more than W/L

A week ago all the voters on ESPN, CBS, Yahoo!, etc. most everywhere else put the Texans at #1 in their Power Rankings. They were 11-1, what choice did they have?

Look at their team. They seem so balanced; so strong in every position. Arian Foster = top level running back. Andre Johnson = top level receiver. J.J. Watt = pass rush specialist. Jonathan Joseph = top level cover man.

Watch the tape. The Texans got blown out at home on Sunday Night Football to the Packers, giving up 6 A-Rod touchdown passes. They were terrible in a win over the Bears. They gave up 37 points and got dragged to OT by the terrible Jaguars. They should have lost to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, had Jim Schwartz not made two bonehead coaching mistakes. And now on Monday Night Football, they got carved up by Tom Brady’s Patriots.

This is not a Super Bowl contending team. They are fools gold.

People point to injuries--Brian Cushing was obviously a crucial loss--but everybody’s dealing with injuries. Tom Brady was missing Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. Who cares? Donte Stallworth, Shane Vareen, Brandon Lloyd, welcome to the show.

Gary Kubiak is a bad coach. He should have been fired years ago. Matt Schaub puts up tons of numbers compliments of one of the NFL’s best receivers and running backs, but he’s not a winner. And in the biggest moments and biggest games, they crumble.

The way the NFL is going, there is no doubt that it takes a great quarterback with a good coach to win a Super Bowl; smart leaders that come up big in the biggest moments. That would be Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, of course (they’ve won previously). I would add Philip Rivers (with a different coach), Tony Romo (with a different team), Matthew Stafford (with a different coach), Josh Freeman, and soon Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck. The 49ers with Alex Smith could probably win a Super Bowl. I do not include Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler, or Matt Schaub.

The Texans are still likely to get a bye and home field advantage in the playoffs. That can probably be viewed as a successful season. But they’ve been more lucky than good. They play their worst when the whole country is watching. They will still get beat in their first playoff game. And that is unfortunate for a team with so many great players.

Bears, Bucs, Bengals, and others leave fans scratching their heads

The college football cliché is “every game is a playoff game.” That’s not exactly true in the NFL. Things happen. Atlanta lost to the Saints and Panthers and will still get the #1 seed. Patriots lost to the Cardinals (who have now lost 9 in a row) and followed that up losing to the Ravens, but should still get a playoff bye. But if you blow too many chances, especially at this point in the season, you will end up watching the playoffs at home on TV.

Some teams came into the week and took care of business. Peyton Manning and the Broncos handled the Raiders with ease. The Giants dropped 52 on the Saints. Seattle put on a show for the home crowd with a 58-point victory, solidifying their playoff hopes. But it was crazy how many teams that needed a win simply wasted a soft spot in their schedule, blew a lead, and missed an opportunity to improve their postseason chances.

-- Buccaneers gave up a last-second touchdown from Nick Foles to end the Eagles 8-game losing streak. As the Seahawks, Redskins, Cowboys, and Vikings all won, the Bucs season is over. And it happened in a home game against one of the worst teams in the NFL.

-- Facing a slumping Christian Ponder and Percy Harvin-less Vikings, the Bears loaded the box but still couldn’t contain Adrian Peterson as they stumble again. After looking like a playoff lock they are now hanging on the verge of missing out after losing 4 of their last 5 games with a game against the Packers due next.

-- The first place Falcons got blown out by Cam Newton and the last place Panthers. However, since clinching the division last week, they still have a 2-game pad on home field advantage in the playoffs so they could afford a loss here.

-- The Steelers got Big Ben back but still got their butt kicked by a bad Chargers team. Despite stunning the Ravens with third-string quarterback Charlie Batch last week, four of Pittsburgh’s losses are to the Raiders, Titans, Browns and Chargers. And suddenly the terrible Jets emerge as a playoff possibility.

-- The Ravens knocked RG3 out of the game only to let Kirk Cousins lead a Redskins comeback.

-- Moments after seeing Pittsburgh and Baltimore go down, the Bengals blew a great opportunity at challenging for the division when they gave up a 9 point lead in the final 7 minutes at home to the Cowboys. Emotional or not, with the playoffs on the line you have to beat the Cowboys at home. They are now are back to the outside of the Wild Card picture looking in.

this is what Yankees fans have been afraid of for years

Time to panic.

It is still early December and Spring Training is months away. The Yankees are coming off a 95-win season in which they won the division. But there is no doubt that Yankee fans everywhere are getting more nervous every day.

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” That’s not something you expect to hear from Brian Cashman, the GM of the New York Yankees, no matter the circumstances. But Hal Steinbrenner’s new wallet pinching strategy is coming at the worst possible time.

We have seen what Baltimore can do. After winning a wild card and defeating the Texas Rangers in the playoffs, they will be formidable again. The Blue Jays just reloaded and have put together the most talented roster in the division. And the Rays always contend.

So far the Yankees have signed three free agents, Hiroki Kuroda ($15M), Pettitte ($12M), and Rivera ($10M). That is $37M for three pitchers with a combined age of 121. They don’t have a catcher, third baseman, or right fielder. Actually, they don’t even have a designated hitter, either.

Cashman did not pursue an A-Rod trade with the Marlins, and now that opportunity is dead after Miami made their mega-deal. Now he is even more damaged goods and creates a massive hole.

With eyes set on resigning Eric Chavez or Jeff Kepinger, they got neither, as both signed with other teams on Wednesday. The front office has said there is no chance Nunez plays third base. That leaves… Bueller, Bueller?

Russell Martin is gone and that’s fine. But they are not going after A.J. Pierzynski, who would be the best fit for the team. Instead, Cashman says he is comfortable with Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli battling for the starting catcher. Not backup; Stewart or Cervelli for starting catcher for the New York Yankees. Jesus Montero would look really good in pinstripes right about now.

They made no effort at bringing back Nick Swisher and I don’t blame them. But now they missed out on Nate Schierholtz (signed Wednesday), and Ichiro is pissed off at the Yankees lack of attention.

Raul Ibanez is a Bronx Bomber hero, but for a guy turning 41 next summer, he can go back to Seattle.

So that means that the Yankees are losing Swisher, Chavez, Martin, and Ibanez, and Ichiro is probably gone, too. Alex Rodriguez, if he ever comes back, will probably not even play third base, and Derek Jeter (38) is coming off a broken ankle and the Daily News reports he is getting fat.

The most troubling aspect is the lack of effort to fill those gaps! I haven’t even heard of a deal offer made for any replacement. And players are flying off the shelves to other teams as we speak.

Update: I read now that the Yankees made an offer to Kevin Youkilis for $12M. Great, $12M for an older player with a bad back with diminishing numbers for three consecutive years. That sounds like par for the current course.

The bullpen is depending on a 43-year-old Rivera while the rotation depends on 40-year-old Andy Pettitte, 38-year-old Kuroda, and a 32-year-old, 300 pound Sabathia, who is averaging (including postseason) 250 innings pitched for the last six years and is coming off offseason arthroscopic elbow surgery.

Isn’t that enough fodder for panic?

And oh, by the way, there will be no new contract for Robinson Cano, the Yankees best player, who is headed for free agency after next season. Have fun bidding for that while trying to stay under the luxury tax threshold.

This is the dark area that the Yankees and their fans have been dreading yet building towards for the last five or six years, when their entire roster is old and mostly injured, the farm system is empty, and the front office is finally hesitant to spend money. While even the reference of the Yankees as “beggars” is laughable, it is also an indication of the precarious situation the team is in.

Rajon Rondo, get a hold of yourself!

Late in the second quarter of the Nets-Celtics game, with the Nets up by 16, Kevin Garnett drove to the basket and Kris Humphries fouled him hard, sending him to the ground. Rajon Rondo took umbrage from the play, pushed Humphries hard, got in his face and threw some punches, starting a fracas that went into the stands.

(see the video here)

Rajon Rondo is a punk. What was he thinking? First off, going after another player will immediately get him ejected and he knows that. Doesn’t he know that he is the team’s most important player? Doesn’t he know that the Celtics can’t win without him? Doesn’t he know that this is a divisional rivalry game against a good team that has already beaten his team once? The game was still early enough for the Celtics to possibly come back. Isn’t he also aware that he has a personal streak, a historical 37-game streak of double-digit assists on the line?

The foul wasn’t even egregious. Garnett was driving down the baseline, Humphries was defending him, KG went up, Hump made a weak attempt at either blocking the ball or disrupting KG to make sure he missed it, knocked him hard as KG was already off balance, and Garnett helped the ref out by theatrically tumbling to the floor. Hump came down on his shoulder, not the face. It was a hard foul between two large men, one that happens in nearly every quarter of every NBA game. It was going to be a personal foul for two free throws. And Rondo decided to pick a fight over it.

Some will say, “Wow, what a great teammate, sticking up for his friends.” No sir, this is a bad teammate, one that stuck his nose into a play that didn’t even involve him, caused a huge fight that spilled into the stands, and the only question now is how many games will he miss because of it. Is KG so fragile that there is a need to start a fight because of a one-armed push during a defensive play? Does Rondo have that little control over his emotions that he must react to a hard foul by creating a brawl? Sadly, this isn't the first time RR has done something like this. Rondo is too important to his team to miss games because of immature, punk actions like this. This was an ugly mark for the NBA, and an incident that hurts Rajon Rondo’s teammates and team.

and these guys are professionals?

I know box scores don’t tell the whole story of a game but it can sure tell a lot. And there have been a couple crazy games already this week in the NBA that caught my eye.

On Monday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 114-69. In the middle of the 3rd quarter the score was 79-25. And then the Thunder coach pulled the starters. If this was last year when they were the worst team in the history of the NBA it would be a little easier to understand the Bobcats’ struggles. But they have actually been competitive this season. In fact, coming into that game they had a record of 7-5 (as many wins as they had all last season).

On Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant was sick with the flu but played anyway. Meanwhile, his teammates didn’t. The Lakers lost 79-77 in Los Angeles to a 6-8 (now 7-8) Pacers team. Kobe Bryant committed 10 turnovers (understandable; he was sick) but scored 40 points. The rest of the team might as well have stayed home. Outside of Kobe’s and Dwight Howard’s shooting, the rest of the Lakers were 5 for 38 (13%). They turned the ball over (7) more times than they got it in the basket (5). Kobe scored 40, the rest of the Lakers scored 37.

And lest you think Dwight Howard also carried the team, his free throw numbers continue to leave even Shaq shaking his head in shame. Howard was 3-12 from the charity stripe. 25%. And he’s actually getting paid to play basketball. This was already the sixth time this year that he has missed at least 6 free throws, third time he’s missed at least 9. I don’t know what it is about playing center for the Lakers but the way things are going, three of the top five worst free throw shooters in history are Laker centers (Wilt Chamberlain, Shaq and Howard). Steve Nash or not, a team with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard should not be 7-8. But especially in the NBA where games are usually close, leaving free points on the floor will continue to pile up losses.

the blooming of a Big Apple rivalry has begun

Wow, do I wish I had gotten tickets to the Barclay Center on Monday. The game had a playoff atmosphere and also resembled a high school rivalry game as the crowd was buzzing for both teams. It is the beginning of a really exciting rivalry. The Nets have established their position and the Knicks have assembled a very strong and deep win-now team. And New York certainly is big enough for both.

This was a statement game for the Brooklyn Nets. In a game where Deron Williams didn't have his shot and Joe Johnson again struggled, the Nets did what they had to do to win. The main numbers:

- Reggie Evans 14 rebounds (in 17 and ½ minutes)
- Jerry Stackhouse 4 for 5 shooting three pointers
- Brook Lopez: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks
- Deron Williams: 16 points, 14 assists, 3 steals
- J.R. Smith, Rasheed Wallace, Ronnie Brewer, Raymond Felton combined 8 for 43 (18%) shooting
- Carmelo Anthony 10 for 16 shooting free throws
- Steve Novak 2 points in 18 minutes

A big talking point before the game was who had the better bench. The Nets proved, like they have all year, that they have a group of role players off the bench that don’t have the star power other teams’ second units provide, but are better overall. Reggie Evans is clearly one of the elite rebounders in the NBA. In his last three games he has grabbed 40 boards in just 62 minutes. Stackhouse, Watson and Bogans can all hit a three pointer off the bench, MarShon Brooks is a future star and Andray Blatche provides big man offense. Every player on the team knows his role.

The Knicks have been the toast of New York basketball for a long time, even though it’s been 40 years since they won a championship. But the Brooklyn Nets didn’t just move across the river and join the party as an annoying little brother like the Mets, Islanders or Clippers. They marched in to stay, to make a statement, and to compete now. Not only did they move, but they moved to Brooklyn with authority, created an identity, built a beautiful arena, and assembled a contending team.

The Knicks have a great team. Even without Iman Shumpert and Amar’e Stoudemire, on paper they have everything you want in a team: two strong point guards, a lock down perimeter defender, a defensive anchor in the middle who also owns the paint on offense, a scoring machine, and a bench with a sharp shooter from deep, a big man who can score from deep, a couple other big men defensive anchors, and a guy who provides instant offense. On the PS3, especially with Amar’e and Shumpert, this is a dream team.

But as history shows as well as we’ve seen early in this season, the Knicks are combustible and at times have a real lack of composure. When things start to go wrong they get bad in a hurry. Carmelo, J.R. Smith, Rasheed and Chandler are easily emotionally charged. And the other problem is they have a tendency to put up brick after brick enough to build a small house, especially Rasheed and Smith. Somehow at the end of regulation and in overtime, Carmelo never got the ball as Raymond Felton decided to take all the shots; and when he did get the ball in crunch time, Carmelo missed a half dozen free throws. What happens when Stoudemire comes back and expects to play? That sure didn’t work last year.

The Nets are set up to contend in the Eastern Conference for the next several years. Yeah, that probably sounds like an overzealous fan 13 games into the season, and this will probably be another Heat year, but next year and after that? The Nets made some crazy moves, trading for Joe Johnson and his bloated contract, signing Lopez to a max deal, paying top dollar for Kris Humphries, re-signing Gerald Wallace after giving up big picks, but what the Nets have is a championship nucleus. Humphries is signed for two years, but the rest of the starters (Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace, and Joe Johnson) are all contracted to be together for the next four. This is how the Pistons made it to the Finals three years in a row including a championship, having the same group of players together for several years: Billups, Rasheed, Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince. And this Nets group is better! Deron Williams is an elite point guard and Brook Lopez is quickly becoming an All-NBA center. Gerald Wallace does everything well, Joe Johnson has the potential to drop 40 on any given night (as spotty as he is from time to time there’s a reason he got a $119 million contract) and Humphries is a top level rebounder. They have size that can give the Heat trouble. I think they can develop the chemistry to be a championship team. And considering that I’m saying this two years removed from finishing 12-70, that is remarkable.

Norwich scores three goals late to stun Middlebury

In some Division III college hockey action, host team Norwich University defeated rival Middlebury College 5-4 at the 15th Annual PrimeLink Great Northern Shootout Tournament Championship Saturday night in one of the wildest and most exciting hockey games you’ll ever see.

The teams met after each won their opening game of the weekend on Friday, Middlebury defeating Plattsburgh State 3-2 and Norwich edging the St. Thomas Tommies by the same score. The 144th all-time meeting between the two Vermont schools was an instant classic. Right from the opening drop of the puck, both teams were very aggressive and the scoring came early and often. Norwich got on the board first with a power play goal by junior Chris Duszynksi at 12:25. Middlebury responded with a goal of their own, as Matt Silcoff scored the first of his two goals on the night three minutes later to tie the score. Silcoff, The freshman from Ontario, picked up an assist in the tournament opener Friday night to tally 3 points on the weekend and earn the Top Rookie award.

Looking for their second PrimeLink Shootout trophy in a row, Norwich took the lead again early in the second period when Tory Allan scored (assisted by Colin Mulvey and Corey Hale), but Middlebury scored twice in a 42 second span to take a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.

Middlebury Panthers extended their lead to 4-2 with 7:38 remaining in the third period as freshman Brendan McGovern found the back of the goal unassisted. But Norwich took advantage of some opportunities to get right back into it a short time later. With a delayed penalty coming, Travis Janke from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, scored to cut the lead to one. 1:57 into the ensuing power play, Colin Mulvey took a nice pass from Janke in front of the goal and scored to tie the game 4-4 with 4:12 remaining in regulation.

It looked like we were headed to a shootout but Mulvey and Janke weren’t finished. With the final seconds winding down, the Panthers turned the puck over in their own end, Janke found Colin Mulvey who shot over Middlebury goalkeeper Nick BonDurant’s left shoulder and the Cadets took the 5-4 lead with 6.7 seconds remaining in the game as the home crowd went wild. Norwich (7-0-0) scored three goals in the final 7 minutes to come back from a two goal deficit to claim the victory and remain undefeated on the year.

It was a weekend to remember for Colin Mulvey. The senior forward from Worcester, Massachusetts scored the game tying and game winning goals for the #2 ranked Norwich Cadets. Mulvey assisted in his team’s second score and added another assist in Friday’s match against St. Thomas, earning him the Tournament Most Valuable Player, and a cream pie in the face during the postgame press conference from his teammates. The championship was the Cadets eighth title in the 15-year history of the Thanksgiving-weekend tournament.

The heartbreaking loss for #12 ranked Middlebury drops their record on the season to 2-1-1, but the weekend was a good sign that the Panthers, a traditional Div. III powerhouse that has been down for the past few years, is back on track and is once again a force to be reckoned with. “I am so happy with how my guys played; I thought the weekend couldn’t have gone any better,” said longtime Middlebury head coach Bill Beaney, “unless of course we had won it.”

a fan perspective on the NBA's best rivalry

In the 2005 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz selected Deron Williams with the #3 pick and Chris Paul went #4 to the New Orleans Hornets. Since that day this has been quite a rivalry. And frankly, it’s been pretty lopsided.

Actually, the rivalry started seven months earlier, when on December 1, 2004, Paul and the #1 ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons marched into Champaign and got buried by Williams and Illinois 91-73. The Fighting Illini promptly took over #1 and went on to play in the National Championship Finals. Friday night continued one of the biggest Player vs. Player rivalries in the NBA when the Nets faced and shut down the Clippers 86-76.

Everyone loves Chris Paul. In ESPN's silly poll he was the highest ranked point guard, #4 overall. I don’t know why. Because he’s small and fast. He had a quick start in the NBA winning the Rookie of the Year nearly unanimously and going runner up in the MVP a couple years later. He’s been selected to five straight All Star games. Okay, yeah, he’s really good.

But when push comes to shove, Deron Williams has dominated Paul. In fact, it seems that CP3 has never played well against D-Will. Heads up in the NBA, Deron Williams is now 14-4 against Chris Paul’s team after Friday’s win as Paul struggled again.

Deron Williams has played 20 more regular season games and has done better in the playoffs. Williams has led his team to win 4 playoff series compared to Paul’s 2. Williams led the Jazz all the way to the Western Conference Finals in just his second year, and then in 2010, D-Will became the only player to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in five consecutive playoff games.

If you think it is just a product of better teammates, I invite you to compare Carlos Boozer’s career before and after he had Deron Williams for a teammate. Deron makes everyone around him better.

I love watching D-Will play basketball. His expression never changes. He is always in control. He is the strongest point guard I think we’ve ever seen and he handles the ball with pure authority. He plays through pain. He is a masterful ball handler, great passer, and can score anywhere. (Not only that, I love playing with him on PS3, where on NBA 2K11 he earned MVP honors two seasons in a row for me. And he’s even better in 2K13.)

Deron Williams is finally getting recognition he deserves, making 3 straight All Star games. He joined one of the worst teams in NBA history and has helped them become a preferred destination in just a year and a half. Consider that Mikhail Prokhorov was willing to swallow Joe Johnson’s bloated contract just to pursuade D-Will to stay.

Whether it’s Wake Forest and Illinois, Hornets and Jazz, or Clippers and Nets, the result is usually the same. And while Chris Paul gets the attention, Derrick Rose gets an MVP trophy, and Russell Westbrook scores the other half of points leftover from Durant, I’ll take Williams who simply goes about his business quietly and doesn’t care who likes him or not. I look for him to win an NBA Championship before those other three guys.

But for my very biased opinion, Deron Williams is the best point guard in the NBA. And heads up, no one has proven otherwise.

rookies: the good and the bad

Everyone loves rookie quarterbacks. The only predictable thing about rookie quarterbacks is that they will be unpredictable. A year ago, Cam Newton was the most amazing thing the league has ever seen. In 2012 after seven weeks, Robert Griffin III was the greatest rookie quarterback we’ve ever seen. The next week it was Ryan Tannehill who would lead the Dolphins to the playoffs. A week later, Andrew Luck is the second coming of Peyton Manning. Next is Russell Wilson is unbeatable at home and Nick Foles is the answer in Philadelphia.

And now, Week 11, RG3 is once again the main story.

On Sunday, Robert Griffin III had one of the most impressive and efficient games any quarterback has ever had. Taking advantage of an Eagles team that has now lost 7 in a row and recently fired their defensive coordinator, RG3 had a near perfect day. He completed 14 of 15 passes for 200 yards (13.3 yards per pass attempt) and four touchdowns for a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. Those 14 completions went to 9 different receivers, and the four touchdowns came in all four quarters. He also ran 12 times for 84 yards, a tidy 7 yards per carry. The Redskins whooped the Eagles 31-6.

On the flip side, Eagles fans finally got what they wished for as rookie Nick Foles started in place of an injured Michael Vick but the results were not different. Foles was sacked four times, fumbled three times, and threw two interceptions as the Eagles had their worst game of the season.

Meanwhile, we’ve been hearing a whole the last few years about how poor the Patriots’ defense is and everybody is in love with Andrew Luck. But the Pats D sure made Luck look bad this week. The rookie sensation had three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, and got strip-sacked for a fumble. The Colts lost by 35 points.

Another rookie, Ryan Tannehill, is in a part of the schedule that looked like Christmas for anybody else in the league: a 3-game winning streak and consecutive games against the Colts, Titans and Bills, three of the worst defenses in the NFL. Unfortunately for him and the Dolphins, it has turned into the best week for each of those defenses. After getting shellacked by the Titans 37-3, the Dolphins lost in Buffalo 19-14. Tannehill completed just 50 percent of his passes, was intercepted twice and sacked 3 times. He has now had a quarterback rating under 51 in five games this season.

As for Russell Wilson, he had a bye week. He may have a 5-0 home record but his next two games are on the road, in Miami 3300 miles away from friendly Seattle followed by a trip to Chicago to face those bad news Bears. Check back in a couple weeks.

not much of a snoozer in Houston after all

In case you missed it (and unless you live in Houston you probably did), the most lopsided matchup of the week turned out to be very exciting as the 8-1 (now 9-1) Texans came back to defeat the 1-8 (now 1-9) Jacksonville Jaguars in one of the wackiest games of the season.

Coming into the game with the #2-ranked defense at home facing a 1-8 team missing injured Maurice Jones-Drew, and where the starting quarterback got knocked out of the game early in the first quarter, this game shouldn’t have been close, much less a shootout. The game provided a laundry list of highlight notes:

- Matt Schaub completed 43 passes for 527 yards, the second most ever, and five touchdowns.

- Chad Henne came off the bench to throw for 354 yards, 4 touchdowns and no turnovers against the aforementioned #2 NFL defense.

- Andre Johnson caught 14 passes for 273 yards.

- Rookie first-round pick Justin Blackmon caught 7 passes for 236 yards. In nine previous games he totaled 250 receiving yards.

- It was the first time in NFL history opposing receivers each received over 200 yards in the same game.

- With six minutes remaining, the 1-8 Jaguars actually had a 14 point lead over the 8-1 Texans.

- Matt Schaub mad more completions (43) than the Arizona Cardinals had passing yards (41).

- Texans became the first team in NFL history to score twice in overtime.

- The two teams combined for 1098 yards of offense.

The Texans have a short turnaround as they fly to Detroit for a Thanskgiving showdown against the Lions. By the way, I think it's safe to say that Calvin Johnson is a little scarier than Justin Blackmon.

those wheelin' and dealin' Jays

Could we be looking at an Orioles-Jays race for the top of the AL East in September?

Okay, they don’t even have a coach yet. They finished in fourth place a year ago. The Yankees are still the Yankees. And as we can tell from the three teams in Los Angeles and Miami, baseball is won on the field and not on paper. But there is real excitement north of the border for the first time in 20 years and it is impossible to ignore what the Toronto Blue Jays are doing.

The Jays just signed Melky Cabrera, coming off a suspension-shortened season where he hit .350. It is a low-risk, high-reward move that fills a need in left field. They just traded away spare parts for a top-level shortstop, All Star catcher, a speed demon who plays anywhere, and two top of the rotation arms. Last week they also signed Maicer Itzuris, a utilityman who will compete with Bonafacio for second base but like Bonafacio can pretty much play anywhere. And they probably aren’t done yet.

So anyway, as their team presently stands:

SS Jose Reyes
3B Brett Lawrie
RF Jose Bautista
DH Edwin Encarnacion
LF Melky Cabrera
1B Adam Lind
CF Colby Rasmus
C John Buck
2B Emilio Bonafacio

SP: Josh Johnson, Ricky Romero, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow, Drabek/Laffey/Villanueva
Bullpen: Sergio Santos, Casey Janssen, Jason Frasor, etc.

That is an exciting lineup! Better than what the Yankees will have. And they have flexibility. Bonafacio can play second base or center field. On the bench they have a backup catcher with 30+ homer upside (J.P. Arencibia), outfielder who’s averaged 42 stolen bases the last four years (Rajai Davis), and a utility veteran player they are paying $3 million to play somewhere (Maicer Itzuris). They can use Arencibia or Rasmus as trade bait.

As a Yankees fan I hope Toronto is as improved as they look to be. A strong division is good for the Yankees. Tampa Bay is always good and a stronger Baltimore and Toronto makes the season so much more interesting. Boston is down right now but there is never a dull rivalry game with them. The bullpen is a cause for concern, and moving to the AL East is usually death for pitchers so we’ll have to see how Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle fare, but the Blue Jays are in position to really compete. And suddenly with a very strong lineup around him, Jose Bautista is poised to bounce back with an MVP season.

early season love in the NBA

I bought NBA 2K13 on presale this year. I love it. I’m also in a fantasy basketball league for the first time, pretty much winging it. I recently just moved from New Jersey, where along with hearing about the Knicks constantly I became a big Nets fan even before they upgraded their team. These three factors have made me more interested in the NBA now probably than ever before.

I think there is more talent in the league than ever before. And while there are still some superteams, many teams are really solid. And after watching a couple great games the last couple nights (Nets-Celtics and Knicks-Grizzlies), I’ve never been more excited about basketball in mid-November.

The season is really early I know, but the best team in the league could be the Memphis Grizzlies. Sheesh, that sounds weird to say. Who?? I’ve pored through tons of statistics and the Grizzlies don’t stand near the top of any other than wins and points differential (like those matter at all). But this team is as fundamentally solid as there is in the NBA. And they are constantly improving. And the other thing I love about Memphis is that nobody talks about them and they couldn't care less.

When you assemble a hypothetical great team what do you want: a smart and skilled, thick center with a strong post game and soft touch who can hit the mid-range shot, is an exceptional passer, and gets to the foul line at will; a big, strong power forward who gives you 20 points and 10 rebounds every game (more like 14 rebounds); a smart playmaker point guard; an elite lock-down defender; and an acrobatic small forward averaging 20 points a game who does everything well. Marc Gasol has become one of the best centers in the league, perhaps second only to a healthy Dwight Howard. Zach Randolph continues to be a magnet rebounder, and those two are just too much size for smaller, “finesse” teams.

The Grizzlies are 7-1. In the last week they beat the mighty Heat by 18 points, Thunder in OKC by 10 points, and then knocked off the 6-0 Knicks by 10 points. Tough to have a better week than that. They finish it off with a game tonight against the Bobcats that should bring them to 8-1.

Yes, they caught the Knicks at a bad time; second night in a row on the road against two great teams. But watching the game, it was such a bad matchup for the Knicks that it probably doesn’t matter. Gasol put Chandler, Carmelo, and Rasheed Wallace in foul trouble and went 12-13 from the line. Randolph had like 5 offensive rebounds in the first quarter. There were a lot of fouls and most went the Grizzlies’ way. But it wasn’t just the whistles; the Knicks completely unraveled. Most of the calls were legit but the Knicks are too emotionally volatile that it got out of hand in a hurry. And that’s what bothers me and has always bothered me about the New York Knicks. And Memphis sure took advantage of it Friday night.

With the Grizzlies, Knicks, Heat, Lakers, Nets, Thunder, Celtics, Spurs and Clippers locked and loaded, with the 76ers, Bulls, Pacers, Mavericks and Timberwolves hopefully getting healthy as the season goes along, this is a great year to be an NBA fan. Look out for those bears.

Miguel Cabrera should edge out Mike Trout

This afternoon the AL MVP will be announced and it should be a close contest between Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout. The stats are pretty astounding. I don’t know why anyone else is even on the ballot.

- Cabrera ranks first in batting average, OPS, home runs, RBI, and total bases; second in runs, hits, and runs created per 27 outs (RC27); third in wins over replacement (WAR).

- Trout ranks first in runs, stolen bases, RC27 and WAR; second in average, OPS; third in triples. And plays really good defense.

One of the biggest things going for Trout is his defense. He plays lights out center field, no doubt. He’s a human highlight reel. Cabrera is maligned for his defense. But he also did something special for his team, and that was moving from first base to third base so Prince Fielder could have a spot on the team. His defense was below average, but I cut him a little slack because of his flexibility. And speaking of Fielder, he didn’t exactly provide Gold Glove defense at first base to hide poor plays from his teammates.

Trout is a complete player. He’s like Jose Reyes plus 30-homer power. Defense, speed and baserunning, power, and hits for a high average. There are probably a whole bunch of sabermetric stats that he leads in that I’ve never even heard of. He is crazy-exciting.

Cabrera is a big-time slugger who won the Triple Crown, a landmark accomplishment that hasn’t been achieved in 45 years. He is the league’s best and most feared hitter.

It’s a cheap shot I know, but for being renowned for his defense, Trout wasn’t picked for the Gold Glove at his position.

Both players’ teams underperformed for much of the year. Trout definitely sparked a resurgence for the Angels but in the end they still couldn’t even stay with the Oakland A’s or Baltimore Orioles, despite having a roster full of stars. The Tigers got behind the White Sox but surged strong in the second half and won the division handily before advancing to the World Series.

It’s not a lifetime achievement award but hey, Cabrera deserves MVP. He has hit above .320 in 7 of the last 8 years, tallied 30+ homers in 8 of the last 9, and averaged 118 RBI in his 9 full seasons. He could have won MVP three other times. He's the most consistent slugger in my lifetime. He won the Triple Crown in a pitcher’s park. Mike Trout likely had the best rookie season ever but he missed the first month of the season. I can’t wait to see what he can do across 162 games. Trout will have plenty of opportunities to collect multiple MVP awards but for now, my unofficial vote goes to a very deserving Miguel Cabrera.

Rex Ryan is riding a sinking ship

I really don’t like the Jets, mostly because they are blinded by their own arrogance. Last year Rex Ryan continued to tout his team as a Super Bowl contender instead of paying attention in the clubhouse. They rewarded a mediocre quarterback coming off a disappointing season with a contract extension. They declare that they are a ground-and-pound team despite not having personnel to fit that profile. They trade for Tim Tebow, boast about their innovative and complex offensive schemes, and then never use him.

There are decisions that just make no sense. Mark Sanchez completes a 32-yard pass to Dustin Keller and then the coach pulls out Sanchez for Tebow, who hands off to Shon Greene the next two plays. Back in comes Sanchez, who gets sacked and fumbled. How does running on and off the field help a quarterback, or help an offense that has struggled to move the ball all season?

The Jets have scored 10 or fewer points in more than half their games and are holding onto a 3-6 record. In a report on ESPN New York, Rex Ryan was asked if he would bench Sanchez for Tebow, even to save his job. Rex responded, “I’m not going to make a decision one way or the other in order to save my job. I’m trying to win games.” “We’re going to get this done or die trying.”

That sounds very nice. But why the undying love and support for Mark Sanchez? The numbers are not impressive. We aren’t talking about Joe Montana here.

Sanchez’ rankings among NFL quarterbacks:
- #26 in passing yards per game
- #29 in yards per attempt
- #30 in quarterback rating
- #32 in total quarterback rating
- #33 (last) in completion percentage

Minnesota, San Francisco and Houston don’t have great passing numbers either but they don’t need it; they have big name running backs carrying their offense and a great defense. The Jets are a below-average ground team and a below-average defense.

With Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy waiting in the wings, why does Rex Ryan so defiantly put his job in the hands of Mark Sanchez? He is a struggling, below average quarterback directing a poor offense. The team is sputtering. Looking at what Tim Tebow did for a sputtering Broncos team last year, what do you have to lose? Give him a shot.

five teams moving up

As the election has finally concluded I can once again turn my attention to the other big season. Here at the midpoint the NFL landscape is taking shape. While things are tight, wins are incredibly valuable but also getting harder to come by. Here are five teams whose situations improved dramatically this week.

Colts. In a midseason playoff game, Andrew Luck led the Indianapolis Colts over the Dolphins for a huge win that really helps them in the hunt for January. After an early season surge by Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck has tightened his own grip on the Rookie of the Year Award in record-setting fashion. Against a pretty good defense, Luck completed 30-48 passes for 433 yards and two touchdowns in the win that gives the Colts four wins in their last five games since the bye (strangely, the loss was a beat-down by the Jets) and a record of 5-3, tied with the Steelers for the two Wild Card spots, a full game ahead of the Chargers and Dolphins. And the head-to-head over the Dolphins practically counts as a 2-game lead. And up next is a game against the Jaguars, a road game the Colts should be able to win handily.

Seahawks. Nothing like home sweet home. Luck isn’t the only rookie with playoff aspirations. After a couple road losses, Russell Wilson moved to 4-0 in Seattle, including an impressive line of 9 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in those home games. More importantly, the Seahawks defeated the Vikings, and while both teams are tied at 5-4, the Seahawks are in control for the final Wild Card spot. Things should stay bright as the Jets come into town next before a bye week.

Steelers. Big Ben led Pittsburgh defense went into Metlife Stadium in New York and beat the Giants. And it wasn’t just that they won but how they won. Traveling the day of the game, napping in stadium hallways instead of hotel rooms, getting the raw end of every call during the game, missing several key players and losing more to injury; completely shutting down the league’s top passer, Isaac Redman running wild, and Roethlisberger completing 8 of 9 passes on third down. Even without Troy Polamalu, the Steelers have the best pass defense in the NFL (in a passing league) and even without a consistent face in the backfield, Pittsburgh has the best third down conversion rate in the NFL. The win not only puts them in good position to take a Wild Card but also gives them an opportunity to overtake a battered Ravens team for the division. The Steelers get a home game against the poor Chiefs before two matchups with the Ravens in a span of three weeks.

Broncos. The pressure was on when the Chargers easily handled the Chiefs on Thursday, and then the Broncos fell behind the Bengals in the fourth quarter Sunday after two Peyton Manning interceptions. But Denver turned things around with a Champ Bailey interception sandwiched between a pair of Peyton touchdown passes. That was Manning’s 48th game-winning drive, moving him ahead of Dan Marino for the most all-time. The Broncos have outscored their opponents by a league-best 103-23 in the fourth quarters of games and stay a full game ahead of the Chargers. The Broncos head to Carolina this week in a possible trap game, but one where they are clearly the better team.

Giants. Yes, Big Blue lost a tough game to the Steelers where they got completely outplayed in every phase of the game. But at this point in the season when they already have a big lead in the division, losses by the Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins essentially count as a victory. All three combustible teams are in a free fall and the Giants head to Cincinnati with a 3-win lead in the division standings.