In case you missed it and you weren't around, here's a roundup of things that went down in NY sports this weekend.

Eli Manning and the Giants snapped their four game losing streak with an overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons yesterday at the Meadowlands. Manning had a career day as he completed 25 of 39 passes for 384 yards. The G-men nearly blew a 14 point second half lead. The Falcons tied it in the final minute of regulation but after winning the coin toss in OT, the Giants got a game winning field goal from Lawerence Tynes on their first possession. The Giants are now 6-4 holding on to second place in the NFC East.

Mark Sanchez and the Jets didn't have it together yesterday in Foxboro. Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the Patriots took the rookie QB to school. Sanchez threw 4 interceptions and not all that effective. The Pats coming off a much talked about loss to the Colts last Sunday night, came in and released their fustration on their divison rivals. The Jets, after starting the season 3-0, are now 4-6 and a chance at the playoffs appears to be very slim. Brett Favre and his 8-3 start last year wasn't so bad was it?

The Knicks beat the Nets Saturday afternoon in the Medowlands and thus the Nets remain the only winless team in the NBA at 0-13. The Nets came within 1 point of the Knicks in the 4th quarter, but the Knicks started pulling away in the final minutes. The Knicks also played the Celtics yesterday at MSG and lost by 2 in overtime. A hard fought game by New York but Boston got the best of them late in OT.

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Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Basketball, Boston Celtics, Eli Manning, Football, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Mark Sanchez, Nets, New England Patriots

Does anyone notice these days that the Knicks and the Nets are two really bad teams? The Knicks made their franchise changing trades a few weeks and haven't been good since. The Nets have gone on a roller coaster all season and find themselves hovering the .500 mark again. The two NY area NBA have taken a backseat to everything and I have to say that's disappointing.

Once upon a time, the Knicks use to be the talk of the town. They use to have people talking and watching. Now, they just have people laughing. Now granted the laughter isn't nearly as bad as it has been in recent years but the point is, the Knicks still stink up the joint far too often. They are currently going through a season worst five-game losing streak, the latest coming at the hands of the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, a team who went into the Garden Friday night losers of 13 straight. A team with so much promise can't find any consistency. The lack of defensive ability has really hurt them this season as there have been countless times where they have had a lead only to blow it. Coach Mike D'Antoni knew he had quite a mess when he took over as coach but at some point he needs to at least try and preach some defense, please in time for the new year.

The Nets are a different story. They have a consistency of being average. The problem with that is that they have shown times of brillance but end up losing games they should win. They lose to bad teams and blow leads just like the Knicks but unlike them, they have two superstars in Vince Carter and Devin Harris. Harris is putting together one of his best seasons but for what? A .500 team? The Nets traded their main stars in the last year, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson so they can sign Lebron James in 2010 but the Knicks did the same thing so someone is losing for no reason right now. I gotta say I think if Lebron does come to the New York area, it'll be with the Knicks, the money in endorsements alone will outweigh whatever the Nets can offer him. The Nets should add another scorer and a couple of quality guys off the bench to help their team win. It wasn't too long ago where they were the best team in the Eastern Conference.

The local NBA teams need help in a bad way. They need it soon because once football is over, what in the world is gonna get us through the winter to baseball season? I shutter to think, maybe I'll be better taking up a new hobby. In that case, I better psych myself up for the World Baseball Classic in March!

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Tags: Basketball, Devin Harris, Jason Kidd, Knicks, Mike D'Antoni, Nets, Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter

Good morning to all, here's some of my thoughts on a few topics going on in the New York sports scene.



Yankees streaky play

The Yanks are 19-19 after 38 games.It's amazing to see how this teams goes in spurts of winning three, losing three, winning two, losing two. This has been a result of the inconsistent production by the back end of the rotation and the offense. No Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada to go along with sub .200 hitting from Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano can be best to blame for the .500 play. Cano seems to be coming out of his funk as he quietly has a six-game hitting streak, he plays a big part of the lineup if he's able to get it going.

Darrell Rasner had another good outing yesterday and provided the Yanks with a win. He has accomplished more in his two starts than Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Kei Igawa have combined. He has two wins, the other three...zero. Keep the guy in the rotation as he seems to have the tools to stay with the big club for awhile. It's very important if he can prove to be a reliable starter. Not just for this season but for next year too. There won't be a Mike Mussina or possibly Andy Pettitte come 2009 so his quality pitching proves to be bigger than you think.


D'Antoni to Knicks
Not sure how this will play out at The Garden for Knicks President Donnie Walsh and company but anything is better than Isiah Thomas and his monopoly of control. For a team that needs to focus on defense, hiring an offensive style coach is questionable, but it'll be interesting to see if the Knicks continue to make moves to fit D'Antoni's style. He couldn't do much with the Suns as far as the postseason was concerned, but bringing the Knicks back to respectibilty seems like more of an accomplishment. With that being said, let's see how the players respond to the new coach, assuming there are no drastic changes,


Jefferson Assualt Charges
I happen to believe that Richard Jefferson is a good guy. I find it hard to believe that he choked someone out and I think he side of the story seems to be legit.

"There were no punches thrown. They were saying there was choking. ... This individual doesn't have a scratch on him. There was no mark. There was no blood. There was no anything," Jefferson said. "Obviously, we have a target on our back and it is unfortunate that these people would even do this."

He says that the accuser, Lyle Fox, a 28-year-old South Dakota resident was drunk and was being disrespected. According to police, Fox is still having trouble swallowing and speaking. The police report also has Jefferson yelling "Do you know who I am?"

This story can go either way but the fact that Fox is having trouble speaking and swallowing to this day is a little sketchy to me. The incident took place Janurary 28th. Also, one would think if Jefferson really did choke this guy out, wouldn't this be a big story in Janurary?? Not to mention, have people come forawrd with their accounts of the story siding with Fox? We'll see where this story goes.

Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day goes out to all the moms out there that make us who we are. Enjoy today with your mother and whoever else is deserving of this special day.

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Tags: Baseball, Basketball, Knicks, Nets, QUITE FRANKLY, Yankees

Looking around the 'net and watching tv these days, one topic that seems to cause a stir are predictions. Our own J Platt reported on John Kruk's bold prediction of the Mets finishing third. So I thought I'd throw my two cents in as well. Here's how I view the NL East finishing up:

1- Phillies : Still the team to beat. You have to like Rollins and Howard leading a team that steamrolled their way into the postseason down the stretch last year. A year later, more confident and more expirenced.
2- Mets : Too many questions regarding the bullpen and injuries. If they can stay healthy, then the Mets will be very tough to beat, even with an "old" Pedro.
3- Braves : Gotta like the rotation even if it has question marks (Glavine,Hampton). How well those guys perform will tell a alot in terms of what direction the team will be going.
4- Marlins : Good youthful team, but don't expect them to pose a threat to place any higher in the divison.
5- Nationals : Well, let's just say Lastings Milledge will have a lot of time to record in the studio.

I'm sure I'll get debate on my predictions, but isn't that what makes predictions so great?

Apparently Derek Jeter is one of the worst fielding shortstops in the game. That's ok by me, tell me how many other shortstops have four World Series rings? Jeter is the man I would build my team around if I was starting from scratch. He's a team player and his attitude is ALWAYS team first. A mentality that gets lost in today's world. Ex: Red Sox closer Jonathan Palbelbon claimed he's worthy of top dollar beacuse he's a "championship closer" and he's now in the same class as Mariano Rivera. Jeter personifies the way the game should be played...the right way.

The Mets have continued to downplay the string of injuries that have hit the team this spring. How many times are they going to downplay MAJOR issues? They did it last September/October when trying to explain their collapse. Now they're collapsing before the season even starts! What would the Amazin's look like now if they didn't have Johan Santana? Barry Bonds all of a sudden doesn't seem like a bad option. It's New York, we're used to scandals and criminals, so why not sign Bonds? At least he wont be dancing in the dugout or after a homerun.

Jason Kidd faced the Nets for the first time last night since the Feburary 19th trade that sent him to Dallas. The Mavs are 5-5 while the Nets are 3-7 since. A blockbuster trade it was right? Kidd scored all of three points last night, I agree with Mavs' coach Avery Johnson, he needs to shoot the ball more. Last night showed Dallas can afford a three point night from Kidd. The Nets used to be like that...ahh those were the days.

Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury should have their own reality show on MTV, they might get better ratings there than they do on the MSG Network.

The Roger Clemens saga seems to have died down for the moment. It's about time. It came to the point that I did believe Clemens was innocent, even after the Congressional hearings but when you listen to Andy Pettitte, you have to believe him over Clemens. The mysterious syringes, gauge and pictures of Roger at Canseco's party didn't do it for me. Pettitte being the man he is told the truth and I don't question his credibility, even if he used HGH. He's human and he makes mistakes just like all of us. He did it to help his teams at the time, I'm not syaing that justifies what he did, but give the guy a break. He admitted he was wrong like a man, he held a news conference and admitted his wrong doings again, like a man. That type of character is something that I hold credible and therefore Pettitte should be forgiven. He was put inbetween a rock and a hard place and still stood tall...can't say the same about Clemens.

A lot of people are counting the Yanks out of the playoffs....didn't this also happen last July? How bout we let the season play out for a few months and come back with the playoff predictions.

(Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY and HotStoveNewYork.com)

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Tags: Andy Pettitte, Baseball, Basketball, Isiah Thomas, Jason Kidd, Knicks, Mariano Rivera, Mets, Nets, QUITE FRANKLY, Roger Clemens, Stephon Marbury, Yankees

Jason Kidd is still a Net and will be in tomorrow night's NBA All-Star Game representing New Jersey. It appears Kidd will be heading back to the Medowlands after the game instead of going to Dallas.

The proposed trade of Kidd, Antoine Wright, and Malik Allen to Dallas for Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, D-League guard Maurice Ager, two future first-round draft picks and $3 million is still on hold. The reason is due to George invoking his no-trade clause thus blocking the trade from going through. Both teams are trying to work out an alternative deal in the event George stands his ground.

Via NY Daily News:

"If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen," Nets president Rod Thorn said yesterday in New Orleans, where he was attending All-Star Game festivities. "Everyone expected to get this done. I don't know what's going to happen here. This is totally unexpected."

"In life when you make decisions you can't make everybody happy," Kidd said yesterday. "That's just the way it goes."

In addition to George holding up the deal, Stackhouse was quoted saying "I get 30 days to rest, then I'll be right back. I ain't going nowhere." That's a big no-no. It hints at an under-the-table agreement between Stackhouse and the Mavs. According to NBA regulations once a player is traded, he must wait at least 30 days to sign with his former team once the team he was traded to buys out his contract. Both sides have until Thursday's 3pm trade deadline to work out a deal. One would think a deal can be worked out by then, if not Kidd returns to Jersey.

I wonder how Kidd would feel if he stays with the Nets through the remainder of the season. You requested a trade, ownership gave it to you and you packed your bags for new surroundings. Surroundings that appeared prime for a run at the NBA championship and now you're back with a sub .500 team. How are the fans going to react? How are the teammates you left behind going to react? Very compelling questions going into All-Star weekend. We will get our answers in the days to come. For now Jason Kidd is a Net...and that's just fine with me.

Frank's articles can be found at OnTheBlockNY and HotStoveNewYork.com

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Tags: Basketball, Jason Kidd, Nets

"It is time for us all to move on."

That was what Jason Kidd told ESPN The Magazine in an interview on Monday. A day earlier it was reported that his agent had asked the Nets to trade his client to a contender. Kidd said he had no knowledge of the situation, but now the truth is out. Jason Kidd and the Nets appear to going in two different directions.

"It used to be if I got a triple-double, that was an automatic win. That's just not the case now. We tried to make this work," he told ESPN The Magazine. "We have found out it doesn't."

The Nets ended their 9-game losing streak Tuesday Night against the Milwaukee Bucks as Kidd had 9 points and 11 assists to help end the worst losing streak in over three years. The hometown fans at the Medowlands still cheered Kidd as he was introduced prior to the game.

Kidd has started 43 games this season, with an average of 11.3 points, 10.4 assists, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. He's earning $19.7 million and is set to make $21.2 million next season.

"The reality is we are only looking to make deals that make sense for us," Nets president Rod Thorn said. "If every time someone said, 'I want you to trade me,' you acquiesced, then you put yourself in a very vulnerable position because you have a revolving door."

Should the Nets trade Kidd away, they have second year point guard Marcus Williams of whom they think will make an impact in the league in the years to come. The Nets almost traded Kidd away last season to the Los Angeles Lakers but ultimately the deal never went through.

Kidd leaving the Nets is not a good thing, for the fans, the team or the franchise. He's one of the NBA's elite point guards and is electric on the court, especially when he's on his game. We've seen that when Kidd is on and his supporting cast around him is on, there are endless possibilties for this team. As they've shown before, they can be a threat in the Eastern Conference. They've made it to the NBA Finals twice under Kidd so maybe it's not Kidd who's causing the losing. Could it be the players around him? Rebuilding a team around an aging point guard is alot to ask of a GM, but so is trading away your best player. Maybe Jason Kidd won't go to the All-Star Game representing the Nets, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this develops...I mean we have seen this before so I won't hold any truth to the matter until I see Kidd in another uniform.


(Frank's articles can also be read at OnTheBlockNY andHotStoveNewYork.com )

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Tags: Basketball, Jason Kidd, Nets, New Jersey

Life doesn't look good for the Nets these days. After losing last night to the Denver Nuggets 100-85, the Nets have now lost eight straight. It's their longest losing streak in over three years. They are now 0-5 on a six-game road trip.

It was only a few weeks ago where they were at .500 for the season but now find themselves fading. It didn't help that New Jersey started out shooting 5 for 22 and scored only 11 points in the first quarter. At halftime, they trailed 47-31.

"We just didn't have the energy and they did," New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank said. "They were much more aggressive and really attacked us in the paint."

Jason Kidd did what he could to help the struggling Nets by posting his 98th career triple-double and 11th of the season (13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.) Richard Jefferson contributed 19 points to lead the Nets scoring but that proved to not be enough. The Nets got within 5 points in the fourth quarter before Denver started to pull away.

The Nuggets (26-16) were playing without All-Star Carmelo Anthony who missed his second straight game with an ankle sprain. Fellow All-Star starter Allen Iverson carried most of the load as he scored 30 points. Former Net Kenyon Martin scored 20 points before he fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

"We need wins and we need them badly," Nets' Josh Boone said. "It would help if we got off to better starts and played better defense."

The Nets (18-25) head to Minnesota to complete their six-game road trip. Yesterday Jason Kidd was named as a starter for the East in the All-Star Game on Feburary 17 in New Orleans. Hopefully by then, the Nets will turn things around and not be so dreadful. Otherwise Kidd participating in the All-Star Game will be one of the only things to cheer about this season for Nets fans.

Frank's articles can also be found at OnTheBlockNY.com and HotStoveNewYork.com

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Tags: Basketball, Jason Kidd, Nets, New Jersey, Richard Jefferson

Friday night was another step in the right direction for the New Jersey Nets, as they won their fourth straight game. The 102-96 win over the visting Charottle Bobcats .was the Nets' sixth win in their seven. It also put them at .500 (16-16) on the season.

"We haven't turned any corner," said Jason Kidd. "What are we? 15-15? 16-16? Have we turned the corner? Until you get 10 games over [.500] you haven't turned the corner. We're just at the starting line."

Kidd finished with 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Vince Carter contributed 30 points and 7 rebounds to go along with Richard Jefferson's 28 points and six assists. The Nets were down as much as 13 in the first half and didn't take the lead until the final seconds of the third quarter.

"We're getting extra efforts," Carter said. "Guys are focusing. We are limiting our lulls. During the course of this game, we didn't have as many."

For the Bobcats (11-20), the loss was thier 11th straight on the road. Jason Richardson scored 33 points while Gerald Wallace had 25. Charottle turned the ball over 21 times which resulted in 29 New Jersey points.

Next up for the Nets, Saturday night against the Altanta Hawks.

(Frank's articles can also be found at HotStoveNewYork.com )

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Tags: Jason Kidd, Nets, Richard Jefferson

Richard Jefferson had his second straight 30 point game and New Jersey needed every one of them last night. A double digit lead in the second half almost disappeared, as the Sonics (2-11) made a run late but were held off for a 98-93 Nets win.

Vince Carter back in second game since missing five games due to his ankle injury scored 15 off the bench. Jason Kidd added 14 points but Jefferson was the story. He also had 4 rebounds and 5 assists to go along with his 30 points. He is season average of 24.5 points a game is his career best.

Via ESPN.com:

"With all of us out there, it just makes us hard to guard and everybody benefits," Carter said.

In the fourth quarter with a minute to play the Nets lead was down to one. Seattle had various opportunities to tie but could not deliver. The victory was the Nets' second straight after a six game losing streak (five of those Carter was out with his right ankle injury).

Via Julian Garcia NY Daily News:

"You never take for granted winning, especially when we tasted six losses in a row, especially playing on the road," Lawrence Frank said

The Nets (6-7) finish their west coast swing Sunday in L.A. against the Lakers.

(Frank's articles can also be read at HotStoveNewYork.com )

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Tags: Basketball, Jason Kidd, Nets, Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter

The rivarly continued last night at Madison Square Garden, even if it was still the preseason. Unfortunately for the Knicks, so did the Nets' dominance. New Jersey has beaten New York in it's last 6 meetings, dating back to last season. Both teams were playing in their preseason finale. After beating the Knicks on October 18th in Jersey, the Nets pulled out another win against their rivals from across the river, 102-86.

For the first time since last December, the Nets had their starting 5 on the court. That included center Nenad Kristic and point guard Jason Kidd. Kristic was sidelined in December with a knee injury that ended his season prematurely. Kidd made his preseason debut after sitting out the first 6 games with a lower back strain. The Nets appeared to click on all cylinders, as Kidd was the catalyst for a fast paced attack, the type of motion the Nets are known for. Kidd finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in 30 minutes.

Via Matt McQueeny, NJNets.com

"He is one of a kind. He is a first ballot Hall of Famer. It is amazing the impact he has even in an exhibition game. He is one of those rare guys who makes everyone raise their level. Not only their energy level but their accountability level" Said Head Coach Lawrence Frank.

Vince Carter added 22 pts, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, Kristic helped out with 4 pts and 5 rebounds after sitting out Thursday's game against the Sixers.

"I had two good practices. I have done my treatments. I feel great and I am ready to go." said Kidd.

The Nets certainly hope so, he's one of the main cogs for New Jersey, along with Carter and Richard Jefferson. They will need all 3 to be healthy and play up to their capability if they want to make a run for the Atlantic Divison crown. Next up for the Nets, the season opener Wednesday night in Chicago, against the Bulls.

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Tags: Basketball, Jason Kidd, Knicks, Lawrence Frank, Nenad Kristic, Nets, Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter

The new look Boston Celtics came to town Tuesday night and invaded the Izod Center, formerly Contential Airlines Arena to face the New Jersey Nets. The end result was a 82-71 Nets victory. Celtics coach Doc Rivers decided to rest his main attraction, the All-Star trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. They weren't in uniform for Tuesday's contest as Rivers wanted to go with 8 players.

The Nets got production from Vince Carter who had 12 points and 7 assists as a fill-in point guard for the night. Jason Kidd who is the usual starting point guard was absent for the game due to a lower back strain, and back up point guard Darrell Armstrong sat out with a sore left ankle. Richard Jefferson scored 11 points, but did not see any action in the 4th quarter. Carter also sat out the 4th. Bostjan Nachbar added 15 points and Antoine Wright scored 14 in the win.

With the victory, the Nets are 3-1 on the preseason. They have two remaning preseason games,Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, and Friday against the Knicks at MSG. The Nets open up the season at home against the Chicago Bulls next Wednesday, Halloween night.

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Tags: Basketball, Boston Celtics, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Nets, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter

If you didn't already know, the New York Yankees are worth alot of money. What you probably don't know, YES, the cable network that carries the Yankees is worth even more. According to Fortune Magazine the Yankees are looking to sell the YES Network. The estimated worth of the network is 3 billion or more. The estimated worth is based on cash flow and on how other regional networks have been worth.

The YES Network (Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network) made its debut on March 19, 2002. It has claimed to be the number sports regional network in the country. It is home to the Yanks and to the NBA's New Jersey Nets. Ownership of the network belongs to Yankee Global Enterprises, the team's parent company, which owns 35 percent of the network. The remainder is controlled by the Goldman Sachs Group and Providence Equity Partners, and an investment group headed by former New Jersey Nets owner Ray Chambers.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's ailing health has become the major factor in all of this. One of other the reasons given for the sale is for estate tax reasons. Yankee brass have not given an indication of a possible sale,"The YES Network is not for sale," Yankees president Randy Levine said, although did give insight on perhaps having interest on the issue saying there was some "testing of the market."

Via ESPN.com

"We've owned the network for the past six years. All we're doing is getting a current view from the marketplace on the network's value," Goldman Sachs spokesman Peter Rose was quoted Thursday by The Associated Press. "From Goldman Sachs' perspective, we have made no decision to sell. If we got an offer that in our view reflected the premium value of the network, we would consider it." .

Fortune Magazine first broke the story on their website early Thursday morning. ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio and ESPN 2 were the first to break the story to the public via media. It is also reported that if the Yankees do in fact sell the YES Network, then the team itself will be the next to go on the bidding block. The team is believed to be estimated at 1.5 billion. The sale of the network can be completed as early as the end of the summer. It is not known if the sale of the network would directly influence the everyday production of television programming, Yankees telecasts, Nets telecasts, YES Network personnel or to the Yankees themselves.

More on this story as it becomes available.

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Tags: Baseball, Basketball, Nets, Yankees, YES Network