Best Trades the Yankees Never Made

Here is a look at some of the best trades the Yankees never made.  This was done off the top of my head so if I am missing something please feel free to chime in with a comment.  Here we go, in no particular order:

Joe DiMaggio for Ted Williams – This was pretty close to happening.  In fact, there was a verbal agreement between Yankees GM Larry MacPhail and Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey in 1947.  Both men were drinking and bouncing ideas off of each other.  MacPhail saw Williams and his left handed bat using the short right field post at Yankee Stadium to demolish opposing pitching.  Yawkey saw DiMaggio and his right-handed bat abusing the Green Monster in left field.  When the two men sobered up the next day, Yawkey came to MacPhail and said he just couldn’t trade Williams.  He was worried about the backlash from the Boston fanbase for trading another superstar to the Yankees, even if he was receiving Joe DiMaggio in return.  In hindsight, it is hard to imagine the Yankees without DiMaggio or the Red Sox without Williams.  I think both would have put up better numbers than they did but they were both legends in their cities and this was a deal better off not done.

Frank Thomas for Mariano Rivera and others – Once upon a time Mariano Rivera was a fringe starting pitcher.  That was in 1995, when Rivera filled in as a starter for a bit.  The Yankees coveted Thomas and his awesome bat but were unwilling to deal Rivera.  It turns out the Yankees were right not to do so.  Can you imagine how different the 1990’s would have been had Rivera not been a part?  Can you imagine what Frank Thomas could have done as a Yankee?  Well, we got to see Thomas in a Yankee uniform to whet that appetite in one of the opening scenes in the Tom Selleck movie Mr. Baseball where Thomas is the young rookie that supplants an aging Selleck who reminds me a little of Don Mattingly.  The Yankees ended up trading Russ Davis and Sterling Hitchcock to the Mariners for Tino Martinez, Jim Mecir, and Jeff Nelson.  That trade worked out for the Yankees big-time.

Andy Pettitte for Reggie Taylor, Adam Eaton, and Anthony Schumaker – This was pretty close to happening in 1999.  George Steinbrenner was getting fed up with Pettitte’s slow start and wanted Pettitte traded to send a message to the team.  GM Brian Cashman resisted the urge to deal one of the greatest lefties the Yankees have ever had.  Believe it or not, Reggie Taylor was once a pretty highly regarded prospect but he never got beyond that.  Adam Eaton was another pretty decent prospect but again, he never got beyond that.  Schumaker only made 8 big league appearances.  Phew.  Can you imagine if the Yankees made this deal?  Wow.  The Yankees supposedly would have flipped two of those guys to the Devil Rays (as they were then called) for reliever Roberto Hernandez.  Dodged a huge bullet on this one.

Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and others for Johan Santana – The Twins were dangling their lefty ace.  The Yankees needed pitching.  Talks went back and forth and the Twins asked for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy among others.  The Yankees said no.  That was five years ago.  Santana was traded to the Mets for Phil Humber, Carlos Gomez, and Kevin Mulvey.  Humber is now with the White Sox.  Gomez is with the Brewers.  Mulvey is still toiling away in the minors…I think.  The Yankees told the Twins they could have either Hughes or Kennedy.  The Twins wanted both and ended up getting nothing in return for their ace.  The Mets invested big dollars in Santana and got a little return for their money as Santana was an ace before hurting his shoulder.  Now, he is kind of like Carl Pavano for the Mets but if and when he does come back at least he will be better than Pavano.  Ian Kennedy was traded for Curtis Granderson so that worked out, even if Kennedy did win 20 games this past season.

Robinson Cano for anyone – There was a time when Robinson Cano seemed to be mentioned an awful lot in trade rumors.  Here are some of the guys he was in trade talks for:  Freddy Garcia, Jamie Moyer, Alex Rodriguez (Texas chose Joaquin Arias instead of Cano in the Soriano for A-Rod trade), Troy Glaus, Russ Ortiz, and Randy Johnson among others.  The Yankees eventually landed Garcia to a deal last year.  They managed to get A-Rod because Texas chose the younger Arias.  Russ Ortiz was signed as a minor league free agent a couple of years ago but was terrible.  Randy Johnson became a Yankee but Arizona didn’t want Cano.  It would be hard to imagine what the Yankees would be like right now if Cano had been traded away. 

Every winter and every year n June and July we hear different rumors swirl around the Yankees.  It is hard to tell which trades were close to happening and which were just rumors.  We know about the DiMaggio-Williams swap and that the Yankees came close to trading Cano and Mo and Pettitte.  We also know they were close to letting Bernie Williams walk as a free agent and would have instead signed Albert Belle in 1998.  Belle was an offensive force.  However, he happened to have a degenerative hip problem that cost him his career while Bernie is only an All-Time Yankee great.  We all also know how close the Yankees came to signing Greg Maddux, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Vladimir Guerrero in recent years.  Maddux chose Atlanta in 1993 and the Yankees beat him in two World Series in 1996 and 1999.  Bonds went on to the Giants and setting records as well as getting involved in steroids.  Bonilla was good for the Mets for a couple of years but didn’t live up to the contract he signed.  Vlad’s back scared Yankee brass away.  He went on to be a dynamic player and is still playing, albeit at a much lesser level.  Instead of Vlad the Yankees signed Gary Sheffield.  Yankee fans can’t be too upset given what Sheff did as a Yank. 

I just wanted to visit the things that almost altered Yankee history, and ultimately baseball history.  There is no telling what would have happened had any of these moves taken place.  Would a World Series even have been a possibility without Mo?  Would the Yankees have become the most dominant team in sports if they had signed Maddux, Bonds, and Bonilla instead of Danny Tartabull, Jimmy Key, and Wade Boggs?  There is no way to know but it sure is fun to remember.  Sometimes, keeping the prospect is better than trading him.  We might soon be able to add the Jesus Montero for Cliff Lee trade to this list in a couple of years.  Who knows?

Can I Get a Do-Over? The 2001 NBA Draft

There are good drafts, filled with talent and poised to bring in the next batch of NBA superstars.  Then, there are bad drafts, with talent so thin you have to scratch your head and wonder how these guys ended up taken where they were.  Let's take a look at the 2001 NBA Draft:

The first overall selection belonged to the Washington Wizards.  The Michael Jordan-led Wizards.  Who did they deem to be the best prospect in the entire draft?  Kwame Brown.  In Brown's defense, he is at least still in the league.  Brown was taken right out of high school during a time where every NBA team was looking for the next Kobe Bryant (aren't they still?).  Brown went on to average 4.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in his rookie year.  Hardly numbers worthy of a #1 overall pick.  he has gone on to play for 6 different teams and has never come close to realizing his potential, or at least the potential everyone thought he had.  Perhaps he didn't have any to begin with.

The second pick of the draft was another high school prodigy, Tyson Chandler, who was taken by the Clippers and traded to the Bulls.  Chandler has been a very good player, helping the Mavericks win the championship last year.  Worthy of the #2 overall pick?  Nope.  Very nice player to have on your team?  Yep.

Pau Gasol was taken with the third overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks who would trade him to the Grizzlies who now reside in Memphis but were still in Vancouver at the time.  Whew.  Finally, a pick worthy of a top three selection.  Gasol has been a very good big man in this league and has helped the Lakers win a Championship.  By the way, the Lakers traded Kwame Brown, who they acquired from the Wizards, for Gasol.  Yeah, I know, confusing.

Moving along to Eddy Curry, the 4th pick in the draft, selected by the Bulls.  Wow, the Bulls with basically two top four picks.  What was supposed to be the ushering in of a new era in Chicago turned out to be nothing more than a continuation of the old era.  Curry did have a couple of decent seasons, one with the Knicks.  However, he either developed a heart condition or just became lazy and vanished from the Knick radar.  He is, amazingly, still playing, sort of.  He recently signed a contract with the Miami Heat who are struggling to find anyone to fit under their cap to play even two minutes of basketball.  However, Curry has yet to play a single minute for the Heat.  Another thing Curry is noted for?  Allegedly soliciting gay sex from his limo driver.

OK, the fifth pick in the draft has to be much better, right?  Enter Jason Richardson, taken by the Golden State Warriors who are the only team in professional sports who don't list a city or state in their name.  Perhaps because no state really wants to associate with them, not since Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin left anyway.  Well, Richardson was good enough to make the All-Rookie team which is either saying he is talented or that everyone else from this class was lacking.  Nah, Richardson is a good player.  He just doesn't play for Golden Showe....errr, Golden State anymore.  The "Warriors" traded him for the rights to Brendan Wright.  So wrong.  He's on Orlando now and still a threat to score.

Shane Battier was taken with the sixth overall pick.  I grew up loving the way Battier played the game, still do.  The guy won't put up huge numbers but he is someone you want on your team.  He plays this thing that used to be played in the NBA called defense.  Yeah, hard to come by and most of the other players think he has some communicable disease but it's just defense.  Not worthy of a sixth pick in a draft but I would love to have the guy on my team.  He'll make a great coach one day.

Now we get to the 7th pick, Eddie Griffin.  Wait, doesn't this guy make bad B movies?  Oh, different Eddie Griffin?  OK.  Griffin was selected # 7 overall by the Nets who traded him to Houston.  Can you believe the Nets got Jason Collins, Richard Jefferson, and Brandon Armstrong in return for him?  Wow.  Griffin would become an alcoholic, get released from the Rockets, go to rehab, sign with the Wolves, got drunk again, got into car accident with parked car, got released, got drunk and then got hit by a train and died.  Sad.

OK, hopefully the 8th overall pick will bring about some better news.  With the 8th pick the Cavs selected DeSagana Diop.  Yet another high schooler, Diop is yet another huge high school prospect that failed to live up to expectations.  I swear, because of this draft the NBA banned high school kids from entering the draft. Diop averages less than 2 points per game and has averaged 2.1 PPG for his career.  Hey, the good news is he still plays for the Bobcats and that he his career high for points in a game is 10, a plateau he has reached 4 times in his career!  Awesome!  Wow.

Rodney White is out #9 overall selection.  Oh wow, Rodney White.  Yeah, the hits just keep on coming.  The Pistons were dumb enough, or maybe they were drunk enough to select White with the #9 overall pick. White never did much in the NBA but apparently he is branching out into new fields of endeavor.  He was recently arrested and charged with felony manufacture of marijuana and 4 other things.  Good job, Rodney.

The number 10 pick is at least someone who is still playing and someone who is still good.  That man is Joe Johnson who was chosen by the Celtics.  Midway through his rookie season he was traded with Randy Brown, Milt Palacio, and a first rounder to the Suns for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk.  Wow, Boston.  Guess the Celtics wanted to see if they could top the Jeff Bagwell to Astros for Larry Andersen or Babe Ruth being sold to the Yankees.  It's ok though, Johnson has only made 5 All-Star teams since leaving Boston.

Boston also had the 11th pick and chose Kedrick Brown.  Did you know that Kedrick Brown is still playing?  He is....in Turkey.  He averaged a little over 3 PPG during his stay in the States.  Way to go Kedrick!

OK, moving on to the twelfth pick now.  Phew, my head is about to explode.  It can't get any worse than this, can it?  Enter Vladimir Radmanovic who was taken by the Seattle Supersonics, who no longer exist.  Awesome.  The Radman is still playing, but for the Hawks.  He isn't a terrible player.  He isn't a very good player.  At least he is a player.

Who is lucky #13?  Richard Jefferson, come on down!  Jefferson was taken by the Rockets in this position who then traded him to the Nets for Eddie Griffin.  I assume that the Rockets really wanted the actor and not the guy they actually got.  Anyway, Jefferson went on to help lead the Nets out of obscurity with Jason Kidd and Co. and into the NBA Finals.  Jefferson has had a nice career and now is a capable backup, no longer being the slashing threat he once was.  At least he was good enough to make some money playing in this league.

At #14, the Golden State Warriors (seriously, can't they just say the Oakland Warriors or something?) selected Troy Murphy.  Troy is of no relation to Brittany Murphy the late actress.  He is still playing basketball in the United States with the Lakers.  He was born in Morristown, NJ and grew up in Sparta Township near where I currently reside.  for a local hero you would think there would have been more fanfare when he came to the Nets last season.  Murphy was traded from the "Warriors" to the Pacers.  From the Pacers he was traded to the Nets.  Then the Nets traded him back to the Warriors who bought him out allowing the boy with the Irish name to sign with the Celtics.  Now he is a Laker.  Cool.

Pick #15 brings us to the Orlando Magic's selection of Stephen Hunter.  Mr. Hunter, I think, is playing in Italy somewhere.  He is 7' tall so I'm sure he is averagin at least 4 PPG in Italy.

Pick #16 belonged to the Charlotte Hornets (who are now in New Orleans).  They chose, Kirk Haston.  Yeah, I don't know who he is either.  He averaged 1.2 PPG and played in 27 more NBA games than I did. Good for you, Kirk!

Pick #17 belonged to the Toronto Raptors, the only team to be named after a movie villain from Jurassic Park.  They chose Michael Bradley.  Bradley went on to have a much more successful career than Kirk Haston.  Yep.  Bradley played in 173 NBA games for 5 teams while averaging 2.8 PPG.  He's now a coach at The Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati.  I'm not sure if that's a grammar school or high school.  Either way, he is probably the only one in the gym that can dunk anyway which makes him the closest thing to an All-Star he'll ever be.

Pick #18 was another one belonging to the Rockets.  They chose Jason Collins before trading him to the Nets.  Apparently, the Rockets felt bad for the Nets and wanted to give them all of their draft picks for a DVD compilation of Eddie Griffin's standup routines or something.  Collins wasn't exactly a world beater.  Oh, I was just informed he is still in the NBA!  Wow.  Collins is a backup center for the Atlanta Hawks.  Good for you Jason!

The 19th pick in the draft was used by the Portland Jai...Trail Blazers to select Zach Randolph.  Hey, finally a guy we've all heard of.  Wow.  A guy who is better than the previous five picks combined!  Usually, you aren't supposed to find better talent at #19 than you do at #1 but, hey, sometimes the world gets tossed around a little bit.  Randolph is still a very good player.

The Cleveland Cavaliers used the #20 pick to select Brendan Heywood.  Heywood never suited up for the Cavs because he was traded to the Magic.  He never suited up for the Magic because he was traded to the Wizards for Laron Profit and a first rounder.  Either Heywood was the most unwanted man or the most wanted.  Hard to tell which.  Heywood is still doing some pretty good work out there in Dallas.

The 21st pick belonged to the Boston Celtics...again.  Again, the Celtics screwed the pooch with their pick. They chose Joseph Forte who apparently went to school at North Carolina.  According to Wikipedia, his most memorable NBA moment in the NBA came when he wore a Scooby-Doo t-shirt on the bench during a playoff game.  He averaged 1.2 PPG for his "career" in the NBA.  He has also been arrested in MAryland for drug AND gun charges.  He was also later charged with assault for punching a man during a pick-up game giving him a better Crimes Committed Per Game Average than his PPG stats.  Great work Forte.

With the 22nd pick, the Magic took Jeryl Sasser.  Sasser played 2 years in the NBA and actually managed to put up a better PPG career average than the aforementioned Forte.  Yep, Sasser averaged 2.5 PPG.  He would later go on to play basketball in Kuwait...who knew they had pro basketball over there?

The 23rd pick was used by the Rockets to select another guy for New Jersey, Brandon Armstrong.  Armstrong went on to have a slightly better career than Forte and a slightly, though less productive one than Jeryl Sasser.

The 24th pick brings us to the Utah Jazz's selection of Raul Lopez.  Lopez, otherwise known as the "Spanish Fly" was featured on the Spanish version of the 2004 version of NBA Live.  Cool, I guess.  that's a much better accomplishment than well over half of the guys drafted before him.  Senor Lopez no esta aqui.  That means he isn't here anymore, I think.  Lopez only played 2 years in the NBA but he had better numbers than Forte, Sasser, and Armstrong.  The Spanish Fly flew back to Spain to play in the pro leagues over there where he was good enough to make the National Team and win a silver medal in the Olympics.

Pick #25 belonged to the Sacramento Kings and they chose Gerald Wallace.  Wallace is a pretty good player.  He barely played for Sacramento, mostly because Sacramento barely remembers they have a team. Anyway, the Bobcats chose him in their expansion draft three years later.He averaged 11.1 PPG his first year with the Bobcats which is better than almost 70% of the players previously mentioned.  Wallace also plays that thing called defense.  He would go on to average over 19 PPG with the Bobcats in in 2007-08 which is better than 80% of the previously mentioned players on this list.  Wallace is still playing and averaging over 15 PPg for the Jai...Trail Blazers.

The 26th pick was Samuel Dalembert by the Philadephia 76ers.  Dalembert was born in Haiti, moved to Canada, and then was drafted to Philly.  He isn't a terrible player.  He's a big man who can rebound and block a shot which gives him skills that 90% of the NBA no longer want or possess.  He is now on the Sacramento Kings.

Pick #27 belonged to the Vancouver Grizzlies.  No, the Grizzlies weren't good enough to earn the 27th pick they had to trade for it.  They chose Jamaal Tinsley.  Tinsley apparently passed gas when he was being welcomed to the Grizz because he was immediately dealt to Atlanta.  The smell must have lingered because he was then immediately dealt to Indiana.  Tinsley is a pretty good backup point guard these days.  He went from the Pacers back to the Grizzlies once the Grizzlies wised up and moved to Memphis.  He now plays for the Jazz.

And now, here we are, the last pick of the first round, pick #28.  The San Antonio Spurs sat here wondering what talent could possibly be left.  After all Kwame was gone.  Forte was gone.  Sasser was gone.  Whom to take?  Dilemma, dilemma.  The Spurs put some names into a hat and emerged with Tony Parker.  Yeah, the same Tony Parker that has helped them win like 100 Championships and stuff.  Yeah, the French guy who slept with Eva Longoria and then married her.  I think they are divorced now or something, eh, the French can get annoying after a few years of being around them and I'm sure Tony Parker (seriously, how is he French with a name like that?) grated on Miss Longoria after a while.  Parker might be the best steal in the draft.

Other notables, ok, ok, notable from this draft was second round pick Gilbert Arenas by the Golden State Warriors.  Seriously, they have to make some of the WORST personnel decisions in sports.  First was to draft Arenas, then to trade him.  Arenas went on to play and star for the Washington team formerly known as the Bullets, aka the Wizards where he would become embroiled in one of the strangest gun cases I've ever heard.  Anyway, the team with the #1 overall pick actually ended up with a player worthy (at least among this bunch) of the #1 pick.  Weird.  Arenas is now in Orlando where he likes to scare little kids at Disney World in his spare time.

Just Some Stuff

Just some random thoughts on the world of sports.

Now that the NFL season is over I don't think we will see a better end zone celebration than this:



Congrats to Michael Boley of the New York Giants for winning this year's Sportsaholics Anonymous TD celebration award.

A few weeks later the Giants Corey Webster would accidently slug a Patriots security guard after missing an interception.  That can be seen here:



Nice to see there were no hard feelings.  I could swear I remember seeing a Giants player slug a security guard who was standing behind the goalposts after a TD too but I guess I must be mistaken.


Anyway, Manny Ramirez is back in the news.  Well, let me rephrase that, ESPN is putting Manny Ramirez back in the news.  In a recent interview with the sports giant, Ramirez stated that he wanted to make a comeback to be a good role model for his children.  He said he didn't want to leave them with the impression that when things get tough you quit.  Instead, I'm guessing he wants to make sure that they understand when the going gets tough you cheat.  Then you quit.  Then you change your mind and try to make a comeback.  Really, who will give Man-Ram the time of day?  MLB pitied him and only levied a 50-game suspension on him instead of the 100-game one he should be serving.  Why would anyone take a chance on a washed-up mental case who has been officially caught cheating 2 times and 1 time unofficially?  He can't play defense and when he could he didn't want to.  I'm sorry Man-Ram, baseball has left you behind and rightfully so.  Bye.  No, Manny, seriously.  Bye.

I have watched enough of Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith to make me sick.  OK, so one can get sick if watching for more than a few minutes, I realize that.  However, I am a little annoyed at Stephen A. Smith and his hatred of Tim Tebow.  I don't understand why Smith hates Tebow so much?  Is it because Bayless likes him or is there some other motive?  If Tim Tebow were black would Smith like him and Bayless hate him?  Although, to Bayless' credit he did think the Eagles were better with Vince Young under center.  Nobody said Skip was smart.  But, I can't help but wonder if discrimination plays a part in their minds.  Of course, neither will admit it if it were the case.  It's just a thought.

The New York Rangers are sending Henrik Lundqvist, Dan Girardi, and Marian Gaborik to the NHL All-Star Game.  Personally, I would throw in Michael Del Zotto and Brad Richards too.  Maybe Ryan Callahan as well.  Anyway, nice to see some Rangers get some love.

There were rumors swirling last night that Scott Boras met with Hal Steinbrenner to discuss Edwin Jackson. Before Yankee fans get all crazy allow me to point out that while Jackson is just 28 years-old he is not worth a five-year deal which is what many think he is pursuing.  He also isn't worth $14 million a year.  The Yankees have stayed quiet all winter long and with good reason.  A pitcher that makes, say $13 million will actually cost the Yankees $17 million or so because of luxury taxes.  That means the Yankees better think good and hard about anyone they bring in.  Is Edwin Jackson a huge upgrade over anyone they already have?  If so, by how much?  Is Hiroki Kuroda worth $16 million for one year?
If the Yankees truly want to make a pitching splash they can wait until next year when Cole Hamels becomes a free agent.  Though, Hamels is reportedly being offered a one-year extension by the Phillies.  I honestly don't see the Yankees breaking the bank for anyone.  Hell, they could technically go out and get Prince Fielder and plug him at DH and trade Jesus Montero and Manny Banuelos or  Dellin Betances for an ace.  That isn't cost-wise though.  Montero will make less than $1 million and in the future when Tex, A-Rod, and Montero are all DH types where are you going to play these guys.  Pipe dreams are nice but they usually don't escape to see the light.
A realistic scenario for the Yankees would be to sign Jackson to a one-year deal.  Maybe a two-year deal.  In two years the Yankee rotation will be in need of an overhaul anyway.

My next post will be about the hilarity that was the 2001 NBA Draft.  Man, I bet some teams wish they could have a do over.

The New York Giants: Strength Through the Draft

My last article focused on the New York Jets and how a lot of their problems stem from poor drafts.  Now, I'm going to take a look at the New York Giants and how they have fared through the Draft since 2000.  I'll be going a bit more in-depth here with the Giants because its my blog and I'm a Giants fan.  There, I admit it.

The 2000 Giants were a team on the rise.  They would make a Super Bowl in 2000 and get trounced by the Ravens.  However, the Giants drafting has been pretty decent in the years following.  Let's take a look:

The 2000 Draft was probably one of the worst in recent memory, if only because the 2000 Draft was pretty crappy in general.  Still, high expectations came with First Rounder Ron Dayne who was coming off of a Heisman Trophy season at Wisconsin.  Dayne was supposed to bring smash-mouth football back to the Meadowlands.  Dayne had a decent rookie year, pairing with Tiki Barber to form the Thunder and Lightning combo that helped the Giants to the 2000 Super Bowl.  Still, Dayne never lived up to the expectations that came with his trophy and he was gone after a few years.  Second Round pick Cornelius Griffin, 4th Round pick Brandon Short, and 6th Round pick Dhani Jones have had decent careers in the NFL but nothing to write home about.  Jones is probably most famous for his television show than his football work but he might have had the best career of all of the players the Giants drafted.

The 2001 Draft is noted for the Giants using their first two selections on cornerbacks.  Will Allen showed blazing speed and some decent cover skills, but again, he never lived up to the expectations.  Allen was a pretty good corner but nothing more.  Will Peterson, now known as Will James, showed a lot of promise but injuries derailed his career.  Nobody else the Giants drafted that year really made much of an impact in the NFL.  Jesse Palmer is the most notable name in the group and he is now doing analysis on College Football after his stint on ABC's The Bachelor.  Hardly a Draft worth writing home about.  OK, maybe this was worse than the 2000 Draft.

The 2002 Draft brought in Jeremy Shockey, 3 borderline linebackers, and nobody else of note.  Shockey emerged as one of the NFL's best tight ends before wearing out his welcome in New York a few years later.  Still, they got a few Pro Bowl seasons out of him and the linebacker fodder filled in when injuries hit the Giants pretty hard.  The Giants of these years were trying to rebuild on the fly, something that is pretty hard to do in any sport.

The 2003 Draft showcased one of the worst 1st Round picks in recent memory in William Joseph who was taken with the 25th pick in the Draft.  Joseph never lived up to expectations.  Osi Umenyiora was taken with the 56th overall pick.  Umenyiora has recorded 69 sacks since becoming a Giants and helped the Giants win the Super Bowl in 2007.  He is part of a long list of 2nd round success stories for the Giants, joining Amani Toomer and Tiki Barber among others.  Also taken in the 2003 Draft was David Diehl in Round 5, David Tyree in Round 6, and Kevin Walter in Round 7.  Diehl has been a staple on the Giants offensive line for several years now.  Tyree was a Special Teams standout and who can forget his catch in the Super Bowl?  Walter didn't do much with the Giants but has been a pretty good player for the Texans as a receiver and special teams returner.  Walter is evidence that the Giants do their homework on later round players.  (Disclaimer:  A lot of teams do their home work on late round picks, just using Walter as an example for the Giants.)

The 2004 Draft is probably the most infamous of all the Giants Drafts and was GM Ernie Accorsi's last with the Giants.  2004, as you may remember, is when Eli Manning went #1 overall to the Chargers.  The Giants wanted Eli and Eli wanted the Giants.  With the #4 pick in the Draft, the Giants selected Philip Rivers and traded him, and a couple of other picks to San Diego for Eli.  Eli is on pace to shatter every Giants passing mark, has a Super Bowl MVP under his belt, and almost passed for 5,000 yards this past season.  The Giants second pick in this Draft is just as good as their first (see Giants 2nd Round successes) because they took guard Chris Snee with the 34th overall pick.  Snee is the leader of the offensive line for the Giants and is a Pro Bowl type player.  In the 7th Round, the Giants drafted Derrick Ward>  ward was mostly a filler player for the first few years of his career before he exploded for 1,025 yards and a 5.6 yard per carry average in 2007.  Ward hasn't been nearly as good since leaving the Giants but they got a quality season out of Ward who was a 7th rounder.

The 2005 Draft was the year the Giants had only 4 total draft picks because of the Eli trade.  However, of those 4, the Giants nabbed Corey Webster in the 2nd Round, Justin Tuck in the 3rd, and Brandon Jacobs in the 4th.  When you can grab an All-Pro defensive end, a starting corner, and a 1,000 yard running back in the same draft you must be doing something right.  This was GM Jerry Reese's first draft and he came away with an A+ rating.

The 2006 Draft saw the Giants take Mathias Kiwanuka with the 32nd overall pick.  Many people scratched their heads afterall the Giants already had Tuck and Umenyiora at defensive end.  Well, Kiwanuka has developed into a pretty good linebacker who can line up at DE and get to the QB when needed.  Injuries have hurt his career track but he figures to be in the Giants plans for years to come.  Second Rounder Sinorice Moss didn't pan out and barely saw the field.  He was the complete opposite of his brother Santana.  Fourth Rounder DT Barry Cofield was a very nice pick.  Cofield left as a free agent prior to this season, taking his services to Washington but Cofield did help solidify the middle of the Giants line.  Fifth Rounder Charlie Peprah had a breakout year this past season with 5 INT's and 69 tackles.  However, those picks  and tackles came while he was wearing a Packer uniform.  Again, a serviceable player taken in the later rounds.

The 2007 Draft might be one of the best in recent history.  Why?  Well, First Rounder Aaron Ross has been a solid corner in the NFL though he looks like he might not be re-signed this offseason.  Second Rounder WR Steve Smith set the Giants single season receptions record with 107 in 2009 (another second round find!).  Jay Alford, taken in the third round, had a couple of good years but injuries robbed much of his playing time.  Fourth Rounder Zak DeOssie has been the Giants long-snapper and backup linebacker since being drafted.  Fifth Rounder Kevin Boss was a favorite target for Eli until he left as a free agent prior to this past season, getting a pretty big contract with Oakland.  In the 7th Round, the Giants took a little known running back with some personal problems named Ahmad Bradshaw.  Bradshaw is currently the Giants starting running back.  He is also the third running back taken by the Giants that has put up a 1,000 yard season.

The 2008 Draft wasn't too bad either.  The Giants tapped Kenny Phillips with their first selection.  Phillips has dealt with injury problems to his knees in recent years, robbing him of a lot of the potential he possessed.  However, Phillips is still a very good safety and he did have 4 picks this season.  Second round pick Terrell Thomas was considered the best corner on the team going into this season.  However, he went down for the year with an ACL injury.  Thomas figures to be healthy for 2012 and should regain his spot as the Giants best corner (no offense to Corey Webster).  Mario Manningham was the Giants third round pick and he has been an excellent receiver who has scored 18 touchdowns and amassed over 2,000 yards receiving.  Jonathan Goff was taken in 5th Round and was slated to be the Giants starting middle linebacker before going out for the season with injury in the preseason.  Goff should resume his duties at the MLB spot next season.

In 2009, the Giants drafted Hakeem Nicks to help offset the loss of Plaxico Burress who shot himself in the leg in a nightclub and then went to prison on a firearms charge.  Nicks, when healthy, has been a go-to guy for Manning and he continues to emerge as one of the better receivers in the league.  In the second round the Giants reached on linebacker Clint Sintim, another linebacker who hasn't lived up to expectations and has battled injuries.  They also nabbed Will Beatty, who was the starting left tackle before being lost for the rest of the season after suffering a detached retina against the Eagles.  Beatty has shown a lot of promise in his young career and he should be healthy and ready to go for next year.  Tight End Travis Beckum, taken in the third round, hasn't lived up to expectations but has shown some flashes.  Ramses Barden, another wide receiver who was drafted to help replace Plaxico, also has not lived up to expectations.

The Giants 2010 Draft produced Jason Pierre-Paul in the First Round, who led the Giants in sacks this past season with 16.5.  Starting defensive tackle Linval Joseph was taken in the second round.  Third Round pick Chad Jones was a player the team had high hopes for but he was injured in a car accident that nearly took his life.  He continues to rehab with the hopes of one day getting back on the field.  If he does that can only be a plus for the Giants.  Phil Dillard and Mitch Petrus were taken in the 4th and 5th rounds respectively.  Dillard is nothing more than a backup and Petrus was on the inactive list much of this year.  However, Petrus was tabbed to start a few games for the Giants after injuries decimated the o-line and he performed very well.

It is way too early to judge the 2011 Draft but every player the Giants drafted made the team, with the exception of second rounder DT Marvin Austin who was lost to injury.  Austin was a bit of a gamble because he didn't play his last season at North Carolina due to eligibility issues.  Oh, hell, who am I kidding, the guy broke NCAA rules.  Still, he has loads of talent and he will be counted on to help anchor the Giants defensive line in the future.  First Rounder Prince Amukamara is a cornerback and going into this season the Giants already had three corners that were taken in either the first or second round.  They lost Thomas to injury so taking Amukamara didn't seem like a bad idea.  Then Prince went down with a broken foot and he was behind the learning curve already because of the lockout.  Still, going into the Draft, Amukamara was considered the best cover corner in the entire Draft and the Giants picked him up with the 19th pick.  Linebackers Greg Jones (6th Round) and Jacquin Williams (6th Round) have had to fill in as starters at times after the Giants linebacking corps was hit hard by injuries.  Both have made some big plays as well as made some rookie mistakes.  However, considering they were 6th round choices, the Giants seem to have found some good players who should at least serve as capable backups, or maybe even improve into very good linebackers.  Only time will tell.  The Giants other 6th Round selection was Tyler Sash, a safety who has shined on Special Teams.  Fourth Round selection, OT James Brewer, is a project but the Giants believe he can become a very good offensive lineman in the near future.  Jerrel Jernigan and Da'Rel Scott are both speedsters.  Scott showed some flashes during the preseason with his ability to break out a big run but got into Tom Coughlin's doghouse with his fumbling.  Jernigan was a bit of a reach for a 3rd rounder but the Giants see a Special Teams player who can help stretch defenses with his speed at WR.  He better improve next season or he will not be a Giant much longer.

The point of this post was to point out how many starters the Giants have gotten in the Draft.  There really hasn't been a huge free agent splash in recent years, not since Antrel Rolle signed a couple of seasons ago.  Most of the Giants players come to the team from the Draft or are rookie free agents.  WR Victor Cruz and LB Mark Herzlich both came to the Giants in this manner.  Also, RB Ryan Grant was another undrafted free agent who has gone on to a pretty good career in Green Bay as their feature back.  The Giants QB was acquired through a Draft-day trade.  Both of their feature running backs came in through the Draft.  Their top three wide receivers were either drafted or signed as rookie free agents.  Their offensive line was built primarily through the draft. Three All-Pro defensive ends were drafted.  Four cornerbacks and one starting safety were drafted.  All of their linebackers are homegrown.  One of their starting defensive tackles was drafted.  Their starting tight end, Jake Ballard, was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 Draft.  Fullback Henry Hynoski was an undrafted free agent signed after the Draft this past season.

The list goes on.  Giants GM Jerry Reese believes in building through the draft and supplementing his players with a small sampling of free agents like Chris Canty, David Baas, and Antrel Rolle.  The majority of this Giants team has grown up under Tom Coughlin's regime and have been integrated into the Giants framework since their first days in the NFL.  Most NFL teams are like this.  When compared with the Jets, one can see a huge difference in homegrown players.  The Jets, for example, feature a team mostly built around free agency or through trades.  Building through the draft offers a lot more flexibility than through free agency.  For one, the players are younger and cheaper and grow up in the system.  Free agents come from a variety of different systems and might not be as productive, or are content just collecting a paycheck as has happened in the past.

Are the Giants the best team in the NFL?  No.  I'm not saying that.  However, the Giants wouldn't have won their Super Bowl in 2007 or made the playoffs this year if it hadn't been for strong drafts in recent years.  The Packers are another example of a team that has built itself through the draft and complimented those players with a sprinkling of free agent signings.  The Giants, so long as Jerry Reese is GM, will always look to the draft before free agency.  This is one major reason the Giants have made the playoffs, and won 10 games last year (even though they missed the playoffs it is hard to be upset at a 10 win season).  The Draft is the thing.

What is Wrong with the Jets?

The New York Jets are a team in turmoil right now.  They entered the season with Super Bowl hopes and leave it without even making the playoffs.  During their loss to the Dolphins in Week 17, several Jets players called out WR Santonio Holmes for his quitting on the team.  Later, during the cleaning out of the Jets practice facility, several Jets got themselves into hot water by cursing at the media or giving the middle finger to photographers as Bart Scott did.  Then, last night, Offensive Coordinator was basically told either he goes or he finds a job elsewhere.  He's gone and former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano is in his place.  Time will tell if Sparano can get the Jets offense moving in the right direction.

The Jets problems really stem from poor drafts.  Yes, poor drafts.  Aside from Darrelle Revis, who is on his way to becoming the greatest Jet to ever wear the uniform, the Jet's drafts have left a lot to be desired.  What's worse, the best players not named Revis and Mangold whom the Jets have drafted are all playing for other teams right now.  Let's take a quick look:

In 2000, the Jets had four first round draft picks and used those to nab John Abraham, Shaun Ellis, Chad Pennington, and Anthony Becht.  Pennington's career was derailed by injuries.  Becht was not worthy of a first-round pick in retrospect.  Ellis and Abraham were supposed to be cornerstones of the Jets defense.  Ellis left after last season as a free agent to the Patriots and Abraham was traded to the Falcons for a first-round draft pick, #29 in the 2006 Draft which was used on Nick Mangold.  Abraham was the best pass rushed the Jets have had since Mark Gastineau hung them up.  Ellis would have a nice career with the Jets but he was never the impact player Abraham was.  The Jets have been searching for a pass rusher ever since.  Granted, the 2000 Draft is known as a big bust draft and the Jets walked away with one of the best players in the draft in Abraham but they traded him.

In 2001, the Jets drafted Santana Moss with the 16th pick in the draft was another good pick.  However, Moss has made more of an impact for the Redskins than the Jets.  He was traded to bring former Jet Laveranues Coles back in 2005.  Moss went on to have the best season of his career and has recorded 3 1,000 yard seasons since leaving the Jets.  Coles is pretty much done with football now while Moss is still 31 years old and able to put up some pretty decent numbers.

In 2002, the Jets wasted a first round pick on DE Bryan Thomas with the 22nd pick.  Two picks later the Baltimore Ravens selected Ed Reed.  Clinton Portis was selected with the 51st pick.  Andre Gurode was taken by the Cowboys with the 37th pick.  Thomas is still with the Jets, albeit on injured reserve.  He is a backup linebacker but is considered one of the worst first-round picks in recent Jets history.

In 2003, the Jets selected DT Dewayne Robertson, who was supposed to be the answer to the Jets struggles against the run.  Robertson has not played football since 2008, never living up to any expectation that came with being the 4th overall pick of the draft.  The Jets passed on a lot of good talent, such as Nnamdi Asomugha who was taken with the 31st pick, Troy Polamalu with the 16th, Dallas Clark with the 24th, Larry Johnson with the 27th, or Willis McGahee with the 23rd.

In 2004, the Jets selected LB Jonathan Vilma with the 12th overall pick.  Vilma has been an excellent lineback, sadly, most of that work has come with the Saints.  Vilma was traded to the Saints for a 4th round pick in the 2008 Draft and what turned out to be a third round pick in the 2009 Draft.  Vilma should be the leader of the Jets defense right now but instead he is leading the Saints defense.

In 2005, the Jets didn't have a first round pick.  Why?  Because they traded it to Oakland for TE Doug Jolley and a second round pick.  The JEts leadership felt there wouldn't be any good prospects available at that pick.  Roddy White was taken with pick #27.  TE Heath Miller was taken by the Steelers with the 30th overall pick.  Logan Mankins was taken with the 32nd pick.

In 2006, the Jets selected two offensive linemen in D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold.  These were two solid picks and they are two of the best offensive linemen the Jets have had.  Too bad the others on the line weren't this good.

In 2007, the Jets made another great pick in Darrelle Revis.  Imagine if the Jets had taken Nnamdi in 2003 or Troy Polamalu.  Wow.

In 2008, Vernon Gholston and Dustin Keller were taken. Gholston was supposed to be the answer as a pass rusher.  He was awful and never even recorded a sack in his career with the Jets.  He is no longer with the team.  Keller, the third tight end the Jets have gone through since 2000 using a first round pick either by trade or draft, and the 4th since 1995 (Kyle Brady).  Keller was the Jets leading receiver this past season and looks like he could be the answer at tight end for years to come.  Gholston was the 6th overall pick.  Surely they could have found someone better.  Jordy Nelson was taken with the 36th pick in the same draft.  But, to the Jets defense, not many guys who were drafted in the first round in 2008 have made an impact with the team that drafted them.

In 2009, the Jets picked QB Mark Sanchez.  Sanchez looked like he was going to be the answer to the Jets QB woes.  Going into this season he looked like he might be ready to make the next step.  After all Sanchez did help lead the Jets to two consecutive AFC Championship games.  Now, there are reports that Jets players are sick of Sanchez and are lobbying for a trade for Peyton Manning.  Many question Sanchez's drive and commitment.  This is all very harsh for a QB that has not even been in the league for 4 years.

In 2010, the Jets used their first rounder on Kyle Wilson.  The jury is still out on Wilson but he doesn't look to be anything more than a nickel corner.  Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham were both available but the Jets had taken Keller two years before.

The 2011 selection of DT Muhammed Wilkerson seems like it might be a solid pick.  Wilkerson won't make a Pro Bowl anytime soon but he should be a decent player, able to play both DE and DT depending on the need.

Three picks used to solve a problem at TE.  Three Pro Bowlers traded away in Moss, Abraham, and Vilma.  The Jets have been forced to look for answers in the free agent market, settling on older veterans and underwhelming draft choices taken in later rounds.  A quick look at the Jets roster and one has to wonder why the Jets have swung and missed so many times in the draft.  Sanchez's top two receivers were both brought in from other teams.  Holmes was brought in through a trade with Pittsburgh and Plaxico Burress was brought in from his prison hiatus.  The Jets did sign Derrick Mason at the beginning of the year to give Mason an extra target.  That didn't work out and Mason was released after only a handful of games.

Head Coach Rex Ryan can only do so much with the talent on the roster.  Without anyone getting to the QB on a consistent basis, the Jets defense is forced to rely on blitzes which can leave the team exposed for a big play.  Give any QB time and eventually they will make a play, Revis or not.  This is more indicative of GM Mike Tannenbaum, who also almost lost Revis during a contract dispute a couple of years ago.  The GM has failed this team because he hasn't done his draft homework.  No QB, not even Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, or Peyton Manning, can win when the supporting pieces are not in place.  The Jets best chance at a Super Bowl was last season and there were no significant upgrades to the holes the team had, mainly in the pass rush department or on the offensive line.  No really big playmakers were added at WR or RB, giving the Jets a very basic offense.  Holmes has ability but Burress was coming off of a long stint in prison.  Mason's best years were behind him and the Jets drafted two wide receivers in the 2011 draft, Jeremy Kerley and Scotty McKnight.  McKnight never stepped foot on the field this season because of injury and Kerley never made an impact.  With no second round pick, the Jets drafted Kenrick Ellis from Hampton in the 3rd round.  He collected 7 tackles.  Fourth rounder Bilal Powell carried the ball only 13 times all year and averaged just 1.6 yards per carry.  QB Greg McElroy was placed on injured reserve.  Wilkerson was the only one in this draft that had a real positive impact on the team with 3 sacks and 49 tackles.  Kerley, who made the second largest contribution had 29 catches for 314 yards, was really a non-factor until later in the year.  He didn't even have a catch until Week 5.

The Jets have failed to surround Mark Sanchez with the necessary pieces for success.  Right tackle Wayne Hunter was not the answer.  Vladimir Ducasse, the Jets 2nd round pick two years ago, has not developed into a starting offensive lineman as the Jets had hoped.  The Jets problems are the result of poor decisions by Tannenbaum and nobody else.  For the Jets team to put the burden of this past season on the shoulders of Mark Sanchez is not only unfair, it is wrong.  Was Sanchez on the field when Denver marched over 90 yards on the game-winning drive?

What can the Jets do to improve?  Well, they need to decide on whether or not Mark Sanchez can lead this team after this offseason.  Can the Jets players who spoke out against Sanchez put their opinions away and play with him at QB?  Can Sanchez deal with the criticism?  Personally, I think giving up on a QB after only three seasons as a starter is foolish.  It's not like he was putting up Jamarcus Russell numbers.  Then, they need to figure out what to do with Santonio Holmes.  Did he quit on the team?  If so he has to go.  There are some impact receivers like Steve Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker, Reggie Wayne, Mario Manningham, Vincent Jackson, Brandon Lloyd, and Marques Colston to name a few that are going to be free agents.  The only QB worth a shot would be Matt Flynn but he has one start under his belt.  The Jets are pretty much stuck with Sanchez at QB unless they work out a trade.  In the pass rush department, Robert Mathis, John Abraham, and Mario Williams are the best available.  Abraham is getting old, Williams is likely to be re-signed by Houston so that leaves Mathis.  Mathis would give the Jets something they lacked all year, a guy who can get to the QB.  Maybe Aaron Maybin improves on his team-leading 6 sacks and emerges as the player many thought he could be when he was drafted by Buffalo.

The point is, Sanchez isn't going anywhere.  If the Jets trade their draft picks for Peyton Manning they are foolish.  Manning is 36 and coming off a potential career-threatening injury and is slated to make over $26 million.  That money could be better spent on filling the holes that have been created by poor drafts.  Like right tackle, guard, and defensive end.  Maybe a safety since Jim Leonhard can't stay healthy.  A running back to replace the aging LaDainian Tomlinson wouldn't be a bad idea.  It doesn't look like the Jets are high on Bilal Powell or Joe McKnight, although McKnight showed some explosiveness on kick returns.  If I owned the Jets I would replace the GM and get someone who knows how to draft well.  That would go a long way to building a team that Jets fans can be proud of.

C'mon Jets fans, let me know how you would fix your team.

This, That, and Tebow

- Does anyone else find it interesting that Tim Tebow throws for 316 yards in his first playoff game and the first game he throws for over 300 yards?  Think about it.  316 yards, 3:16.  This has to be a coincidence, right?  Tebow completed 5 passes of 30 yards or more against a defense that had allowed only 7 passes of 30 yards or more all season.

- Speaking of Tim Tebow, 2011 was the 25th Anniversary of the Giants-Broncos Super Bowl.  During the course of the 2011 season, the Giants and Broncos both made it into the playoffs.  Denver did on the legs, and sometimes the arm, of Tim Tebow who engineered enough 4th Quarter miracles to make John Elway do a double-take.  

- Lost in Tebow-Mania has been the play of Denver's defense.  Denver's defense deserves a lot of the credit for Denver's resurgence.  Also, the ability of Denver's wide receivers to get open.  Have you seen how wide open these guys are when Tebow throws?  I don't know if it is defenses breaking down because they don't want to be beaten by Denver's rushing attack or if it is the wide receiver's ability to get open.  I think it is a combination but whatever it is it is helping Denver win football games.  

- I think Denver's run in the playoffs ends against New England.  The Patriots beat the snot out of Denver earlier this season and I think they can do it again.  But, then again, I thought Denver didn't stand a chance against Pittsburgh either so take it for what it's worth.

- The New York Giants defense played their best game of the year yesterday.  They didn't allow a single point to Atlanta's vaunted offense.  Atlanta was held to just 247 total yards.  Matt Ryan threw for 199 yards but the Falcons accrued only 183 yards through the air when you take sacks into account.  Michael Turner was held to just 41 yards rushing and a 2.7 yard average.  Roddy White was targeted 12 times but came away with only 5 catches for 52 yards, thanks to stellar play by Corey Webster.  Julio Jones was targeted 8 times and had 7 catches but was never able to break free, averaging just over 9 yards a catch for 64 yards.  The Giants defense had only 2 sacks but also had 7 QB hits and never allowed Matt Ryan to get comfortable in the pocket.  

- Eli Manning is proving to everyone that he really is elite.  First, he sets all-time single season team records for yards passing, shattering Kerry Collins' mark of 4,073 with a 4,933 yard season.  He throws for the 4th highest TD total in franchise history with 29, falling 2 TD's short of his career high of 31 set last year.  He went from throwing 25 interceptions last year to just 16 this year despite throwing a franchise record 589 times.  He also beat his own franchise mark for completions in a single season, completing 359 passes.  He has had four straight seasons of a 60% or higher completion percentage.  Yes, kids, Eli is elite.

- The last three teams to beat the Falcons in the playoffs have gone on to the Super Bowl.  The Eagles in 2004, the Cardinals in 2008, and the Packers last season.  Could the Giants make it 4 for 4?

- The officiating in the playoffs so far has been dreadful.  In yesterday's Giants-Falcons game both Troy Aikman and Joe Buck made light of missed calls or calls that shouldn't have been made, like the David Diehl holding penalty.  In the Denver-Pittsburgh game, the officials dropped the ball by ruling a pass by Ben Roethlisberger incomplete when in fact it was a backwards pass and should have been ruled a fumble.  Denver fell on the ball but a whistle blew and the refs told John Fox he couldn't challenge the ruling on the field.  The Steelers maintained possession and ended up scoring.  If that play is called correctly, there is no overtime, there is no chance the Steelers would have had a chance to win the game.  In the Lions-Saints game, the officials might have cost the Lions a defensive touchdown.  In that play Drew Brees was sacked and the ball came loose. The ball was recovered by Detroit's Justin Durant who might have scored easily had a referee not blown his whistle.  They upheld the fumble but because of the whistle they didn't allow any advancement.  That is 2 calls this round that official's whistles have blown and might have influenced the momentum of the game.  To make matters worse, the officials in the Lions-Saints game and the Steelers-Broncos game had similar plays with different applications of essentially the same rule.  Inadvertent whistles are not reviewable but the Lions were allowed possession while the Broncos were not.  Hmmm.  Seems like the NFL has some cleaning up to do.  I see a rule change coming this offseason.

- The Giants' Aaron Ross left yesterday's game with a concussion.  There is no telling whether he will be healthy for the Packers game next weekend.  If Ross can't go, the Giants will have to depend on rookie Prince Amukamara to fill in.  Prince has had a spotty rookie season, mostly due to missing almost all of camp and nine games this season.  He has the talent but this could be an area of concern given the ability of the Packers receivers to exploit secondaries around the league.  However, if the Giants can get pressure on Aaron Rodgers, that would mean less time for Green Bay receivers to get open and so Amukamara might not get exposed.  Then again, it might not matter.

- Tonight is the NCAA Championship game.  LSU vs. Alabama, again.  LSU won the previous meeting, a defensive 9-6 OT battle that also featured 3 missed field goals by Alabama.  This time, I think Alabama wins.  I don't think it will be such a defensive battle, and even if it is I don't think Alabama will need to kick as many field goals, or attempt to as the case may be.  I just see Alabama winning this thing.  

- If I had a vote in the NFL MVP race I would give it to Aaron Rodgers.  Despite Drew Bress' record setting season, Rodgers threw one fewer TD pass than Brees in 155 fewer attempts.  He also ran for 3 TD's while Brees only ran for 1, giving Rodgers more TD's than Brees this season.  I do have a hard time overlooking Brees' season, however, especially when you take into account that the top two receivers on the Saints were the tight end and a running back.  It's also hard to overlook Brees' 71.2 completion percentage.  Okay, if I could I would have them share the award.

Tidbits

- Giants WR had more yard receiving (1,536) than Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress combined (1,266).  This goes a long way to help people understand why the Jets weren't as good as they could have been.  Most of the Jets problems lie in the trenches.  Aside from Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson the Jets offensive line wasn't that great.  And aaron Maybin, who played 13 games as a Jet, led the team in sacks with 6.  The Jets finished 22nd in the NFL in rushing, and 21st in passing offense this season.  That's just not good enough.  Dustin Keller continues to emerge, however, as a legitimate star at tight end in this league.  He led the Jets in receiving yards with 815 and averaged slightly above 50 yards receiving a game.  The Jets also suffered because they were unable to get consistent production from the number three wide receiver slot.  Derrick MAson was supposed to be that guy but he found himself out of a job after only five games with the team.  Jeremy Kerley stepped up to grab 46 passes but averaged under 11 yards a catch.  The Jets will need to address this situation if they really are serious about making the Super Bowl.

- The Rams fired head coach Steve Spagnuolo and Jeff Fisher might be his replacement.  Fisher, formerly of the Titans, would be a good fit in St. Louis, adding some toughness to a team otherwise devoid of it.

- The Buccaneers also fired Rahim Morris.  Morris' Bucs lost their last 10 games and finished a paltry 4-12.  This was a big fall from grace after the Bucs finished a strong 10-6 last season.  There is obviously talent on the Bucs roster, beginning with young QB Josh Freeman and running back LaGarrette Blount, but the team might have tuned Morris out at points during this season and anyone who does take the Bucs job will need to be someone who is tough enough to command respect in the locker room every week.

- I don't understand what san Diego's fascination is with Norv Turner.  He was deemed safe this week in San Diego.  Turner has gone 17-15 in his last two seasons and has missed the playoffs each of the last two years.  He has never brought the Chargers deep into the playoffs, and has earned himself a bit of a reputation for not getting the most of his team come playoff time.  I just don't get it.  Turner is a great coordinator and I think he would be better off focusing only on one side of the ball.

- The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers put on a show for the ages yesterday in the NHL's Winter Classic.  Watching hockey played outdoors is special and to see two teams with some pretty good recent history battling each other was definitely entertaining.  Kudos to the folks that made Citizens Bank Ballpark into an icy wonder.  Even Mother NAture provided some ambiance when a little snow began to fall.  The NHL Classic is one of the best ideas the NHL has ever had and has brought a lot of attention to the game, which I think, is rising in popularity, at least in certain parts of the country.

- Speaking of the NHL, who would have thought the Rangers would be tied with the Blackhawks for most points in the NHL?  Not me.  This Rangers team is gritty, focused, and playing some of the best hockey I have ever seen on Broadway.  John Tortorella has this team believing and it showed yesterday when, despite being down 2-0, the Rangers battled back and fought through some questionable non-calls and calls to beat the Flyers 3-2.  Torts will surely be fined for his comments following the game when he called the officiating disgusting but the fact that the Rangers were able to persevere is something that has been lacking in recent years.

- The Yankees are now being linked to Edwin Jackson, the best available starter left on the market.  It is believed Jackson, who is represented by Scott Boras, is seeking $15-17 million per year.  For a pitcher with a career ERA of 4.41 and a .00 record that is just nuts.  Sure, Jackson is only 28 and has been a bit of a workhorse but he isn't worth that money.  I don't see the Yankees giving in to his price, not for the amount of years it would take to secure him.  The Yankees would be better off signing Hiroki Kuroda or Roy Oswalt to one-year deals and hope for the best.  Investing that much in Jackson severely crimps the Yankees future budget goal of a $189 million payroll by 2014.  Then again, the Yankees are unpredictable but I just don't see them breaking the bank for a marginal talent such as Jackson.

- If I had a vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame here is whom I would cast my votes for:
Jeff Bagwell.  449 homers, 1529 RBI, 488 doubles, 1517 runs scored.  The guy was an offensive force.  His career was cut short a little early due to injury but he was one of the games best and he deserves to be in the Hall.
Tim Raines.  Raines is arguably the second-best leadoff hitter in baseball history.  Sadly, he was overshadowed by the best, Rickey Henderson, when he played.  He stole 808 bags in his career, collected 2,605 hits, and hit .294.  Raines is so often overlooked it is sad.
Fred McGriff.  493 homers is nothing to sneeze at.  It used to be that the only player with 400 homers that wasn't in the Hall was Dave Kingman.  Now, due to the steroid issue, it looks like there will be more (Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire).  McGriff was one of the steadiest power hitters of his generation and if Jim Rice is a Hall of Famer then McGriff is as well.
Alan Trammell.  His numbers pale in comparison to the steroid sluggers he played with and against but Trammell was one of the best shortstops in the game on both sides of the game.  He was a 6x All-Star and won 4 Gold Gloves.  He finished as high as second in the MVP voting in 1987, which was his only year with more than 100 RBI (105).  Still, Trammell helped revolutionize the shortstop position with Cal Ripken, Jr. from light-hitting small guys who could field to big guys who could field and win the game with the bat.
Barry Larkin.  Larkin won the MVP in 1995, appeared in 12 All-Star games, and was one of the best shortstops in the game when he played.  He hit, he stole bases, he fielded, he did everything.