History of the Game

Baseball had a very important place in society during the 1940’s and 1950’s. Baseball was officially America’s national pastime. President Franklin D. Roosevelt threw out his ninth ceremonial "first pitch" on April 14th 1941. On that day he set the record for most presidential first pitches ever thrown. The record can never be broken because of the new two-term presidential restrictions, that restrict olding office for more than 8 years. FDR was an avid baseball fan and devoted much time to watching games and reading about sports in newspapers. Eventually World War Two would dampen the spirits of all baseball fans becuase of the draft. During that time there was a lot of racial unrest. The draft summoned two of baseballs best Hank Mulcahy and Hank Greenberg, the latter being the first great Jewish baseball player. Greenberg was a hero and even got standing ovations when he went to worship at synagogue. Joe DiMaggio was an upcoming Italian superstar and society still did not know what to make of him. Life magazine published this about DiMaggio in a 1939 issue:

"Italians, bad at war, are well-suited for milder competition…Although he learned Italian first, Joe, now 24, speaks English without an accent, and is otherwise well adapted to most U.S. mores. Instead of olive oil or smelly bear grease he keeps his hair slick with water. He never reeks of garlic and prefers chicken chow mien to spaghetti"

I find it astonishing that articles like this were even published for the public to read. The article is evident that during that era race was a big issue. Joe DiMaggio was one of the best players to ever live. He holds the current Major League record for hits in 56 consecutive games, a feat unmatched by any. It was said that when DiMaggio was batting, it seemed the old rules and dimensions longer applied to him, and that the game had grown unfairly easy.

NFL Draft

The NFL draft is right around the corner. It has been long awaited by many football fans since the Super bowl ended. There are many options available for the Jaguars in this year’s draft. I believe the Jaguars need improvement on the defensive line. If there is a reputable defensive end on the board when the Jaguars pick at 26 they will surely select him. Another possibility for the first rounds is a cornerback. Keep your eye on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Phillip Merling they could be possible selections. So in the first and second rounds I have the Jags selected some defensive line help and cornerback help. In the third round they have two selections. I think they could take a runningback because Fred Taylor is aging and should have one or two more years left. In the fourth round a quarterback could be possible. There is no way of telling exactly which teams will select which players and trades are always happening. I wrote this post two days before the draft but never got to post it. It turned out the Jaguars packaged four picks to move up to the 8th pick of the first round. The Jaguars selected defensive end Derrick Harvey.

Meeting John Maine

On Saturday, New York Mets starting pitcher John Maine held a signing event at BC sports in the Staten Island Mall. I had been looking forward to meeting John Maine last season but the event had to be cancelled because John was actually pitching that night. He finally made his long appearance Saturday night from 6:00-7:30. There was a very long line to meet the young, rising star but it moved quickly. Although the line moved quickly it felt like it took forever to get to him. It probably felt so long because I had been anticipating it for so long. It is always interesting when meeting celebrities because you never know what type of personality they really have. People have a predisposed opinion on what they think the person will be like. I was not surprised to find out that John Maine is a very nice guy. Mr. Maine was very polite to all of his fans and had no problem posing for countless pictures. I kind of always knew John Maine was a good person. Anyway, I had purchased a wonderful 8x10 picture for John Maine to sign. He signed the picture with no problem and even posed for a picture. Along with the signature I received a certificate of authenticity to prove the autograph is valid. I was very happy I attended and look forward to meeting for sports players. Yesterday, John Maine secured his first win of the season with a dominating performance over the Washington Nationals.

Golf

I am not a very big fan of the sport of golf but I have a tremendous amount of respect for golfers and the sport itself. Some debate if golf can even be classified as a sport. I agree it does not require much athleticism or body condition but it is a sport nonetheless. As a sports fan I greatly admire the precision, patience, and calculations that are necessary to succeed. How could a golfer hit a tiny golf ball over three hundred yards away and make it land within feet of the cup? It is actually quite astonishing. It is amazing how skilled theses golfers must be in order to succeed. I feel golf as a whole deserves more recognition and support. Tiger Woods is a household name and might be the best golfer to ever play the game. He is often compared to Jack Nicklaus but some say he is not as good because he does not have a signature comeback victory in the Majors. I admire what tiger has done for the sports and I hope the popularity of golf increases.

Red Sox Jersey Unearthed

The Red Sox jersey that construction worker Gino Castingnoli placed in cement mix under the stadium as finally been unearthed. Yankees owner, Hank Steinbrenner and co. decided to act when they heard the construction working Boston fan buried the David Ortiz jersey in the cement mix to curse the new stadium. At first the Yankees brushed it off as just ridiculous nonsense but after further research they decided it was factual. It turns out Yankees brass was actually quite annoyed about the whole situation I don’t blame them. The Yankees hired new construction workers to dig for five hours in order to remove the jersey form the depths of the stadium. The funny part about all this is the Yankees are looking into pressing charges. What would they sue for? What would the worker be accused of? Attempted Jinx, Attempted cursing. The Yankees already took this far enough by searching for and finding the jersey. They just need to let it go. The red sox jersey is being auctioned with the money going to a good cause.

Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry

Even the birds at Fenway Park are Red Sox fans. Recently before a game at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, a hawk that lives in the stadium attacked a young girl. The hawk swooped down and as it passed by over the young girl the hawk lowered its talons in order to scrape the girls scalp. As it turns out the young girls name was revealed to be Alexa Rodriguez, one letter shy of the exact name of Boston’s biggest rival Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees. I think that it is so weird that a freak accident would take place with a girl with the name Alexa Rodriguez. It is actually quite amusing. It was also just revealed that while building the Yankees new stadium construction workers threw a red sox t-shirt into the concrete mix that was used to build the visitors clubhouse at the new Yankee stadium. The construction worker was said to be a longtime Boston fan and hopes the t-shirt trick puts a curse on the Yankees for years to come. If I was a Yankee fan or the Yankees organization Id be pretty pissed. Sure it’s just a t-shirt and who knows if it’s true but if I was spending millions beyond millions to finance the building of a new stadium I would make sure nothing like that ever happened. That new Yankee stadium opens next year in 2009.

The Many Skills of David Garrard

David Garrard is a fantastic football player. His arm strength and athleticism are unmatched. If you are going to beat David Garrard you are not going to do it physically. This off-season David signed a 7 year contract extension that will keep him the Jaguars quarterback for many years to come. Although David has finally found success in the NFL, his journey has not been easy. He has endured many hardships and roadblocks throughout his life. When David Garrard was only a teenager his mother had unexpectedly passed away. On top of that David was diagnosed with Chrons disease and had to have over 12 inches on intestine removed. Despite all this David is an upcoming superstar in the league. He has been on the Jaguars since being drafted for the team some years ago. I look forward to watch David lead the Jaguars to another winning season. Hopefully he leads the Jaguars all the way to their first Super bowl victory ever.Here are some fantastic plays from the 2007 season.

Week In Review

There has been tons of action going on in sports lately. First of all, the Kansas Jayhawks are NCAA Champions. They defeated Memphis in dramatic fashion to steal the game and become immortal. In my earlier blogs towards the start of the tournament I predicted the Kansas team to be the winner. If I had just stuck with them on my Sweet 16 Pool (I went with UNC) I would be a few hundred dollars richer. I will just have to wait till next March when the tourney rolls around again. Baseball season is in full swing and the Mets and Yankees have been pretty inconsistent so far. The Mets already lost one of their aces, Pedro Martinez, to a hamstring injury. They also have been playing pretty unmotivated until last night. Last night the Mets played their rivals the Philadelphia Phillies. Left fielder Angel Pagan hit the game winning single to drive in Jose Reyes in the bottom of the twelfth inning. The Mets were on track to win the ballgame in the ordinary nine innings but as usual Aaron Heilman pitched terribly. I honestly believe Aaron Heilman is the most unclutch player in baseball. In his six innings of work this season he has been horrendous. Last year he was just plain awful and always seems to give up a big hit with the game on the line. It was after all Heilman who gave up the game winning hit to Yadier Molina in the 2006 NLCS. If the Mets had won that game they would have advanced to the World Series. Although I think Heilman stinks, the public does not. There is this altered perception that Heilman is one of the Mets most reliable pitcher when in fact he is the opposite. He needs to be traded or put back into the starting rotation because it is clear that relief pitching is not his thing.

When I Played

Throughout my life I have been highly involved in sports and athletic activities. Since 1st grade I have been on organized sports teams. I have been on baseball, basketball, and football teams. I have also been involved in intramural sports in high school and other activities. Out of all the sports I have had the most fun playing basketball. I started out as a guard and point guard but over the years I converted to a forward. My forte was my ability to play great defense and prevent the other team from scoring. I also had a pretty good outside shot. My parents used to come to all of my games and they loved to watch me play. Although none of my teams ever won a championship I always felt that the seasons work was worth it. I also played baseball for many years. The main positions I played were second base and outfielder. I wasn’t the best hitter but in the field I was very aware of my surroundings and fielded well. My most memorable moment came in my last season. The game was tied and it was the last inning. The bases were loaded and there were already two outs. Of course it would wind up being my turn to bat with the game and our dignity on the line. My coach gave me the signal that I should bunt before I went up to the plate. I don’t know how, but I laid down the most perfect bunt ever and as I ran my fastest to first base I looked back to see the runner from third base cross the plate just before the catcher tried to tag him out. He was safe and scored, and I had done it. My team won the game and I was awarded the game ball for my bunt that helped the team win. In high school, I played football for one season. I played offensive guard and defensive end. The offensive guard has the responsibility to protect the quarterback and also set up blocks so the running backs can gain positive yardage. As a defensive end my responsibilities were actually the exact opposite then those of the offensive guard. Defensive ends must try to sack the quarterback and try to tackle an offensive player if they have the ball. It felt great to be a part of the team and I loved the camaraderie that came along with the hard work. Our team went 7-1-1 that year and we dominated almost every team we played.

Scenes from "The Sandlot"

Best Sports Movies

The theme of sports is usually a common theme is many movies. This blog post is to honor my favorite sports movies of all time. Some of these movies are funny, some dramatic, and some serious, but they all have to do with sports. Here are my top ten favorite sports movies ever.

10. Rookie of the Year (1993, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey)
9. Cool Runnings (1993, John Candy)
8. Major Leagues (1989, Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen)
7. Remember the Titans(2000, Denzel Washington, Will Patton)
6. We Are Marshall (2006, Matthew McConaughey, David Strathairn)
5. BASEketball (1998, Matt Stone, Trey Parker)
4. Rudy (1993, Sean Astin)
3. The Replacements (2000, Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman)
2. Happy Gilmore (1996, Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald)
1. The Sandlot (1993, Tom Guiry, James Earl Jones)

What It Takes To Be A Fan

Fan hood is something we should all be proud of. We are all fans of one thing or another at some point in time in our lives. As fans we are passionate about our sport and will defend it to the best of our ability. Fan hood means watching every second of every game that you could. Its feeling like something terrible happened in your life when your favorite team loses. From a young age I have been following sports and I feel they are a part of me. Baseball season start tonight and the Mets will play the normal 162 games this year. That’s 162 nights give or take that I will be watching the Mets play. I have been a Jacksonville Jaguars fan since their inception into the NFL in 1995. I began to like the Jaguars because their colors, teal and black caught my eye. Today I am a fan of more than their colors but that is how it all started. After so much time and dedication to your team fans like to feel they are a part of the team. People speak in terms like “we won today” or “my patriots will beat the giants today”. Fan hood is a special thing, that no one can take away from us and for that reason it should be cherished.

FInal Four Set to Score

For the first time in history the Final Four teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament are all number 1seeds. Since 1979 when seeding began this phenomenon never occurred until last night when Kansas edged underdog Davidson to complete the final four number one seed quartet. North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis, and UCLA are the four remaining teams in the tournament that started with 64 teams. I am surprised that all four number 1 seeds have not made the final four before. After all if they have the number 1 seed distinction then they should be the best teams and therefore they should be expected to go further in the tournament. The final games of the tournament should be interesting because all the teams remaining are very complete teams. North Carolina plays Kansas, two powerhouses with one thing in common, Roy Williams. Roy Williams now head coach at UNC was a longtime legendary coach of the Kansas Jayhawks. It should a very good game with both teams scoring close to one hundred points. It was my prediction that Kansas would win but so far in the tournament North Carolina has a certain mystique. I think Memphis will defeat UCLA and there will be a North Carolina v. Memphis Championship game.

My First Game Ever

The first ever football game I attended was the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. The New York Giants at Giants stadium. I remember that day as it were yesterday and I can still feel the freezing cold wind on my face. It was so cold that day I had multiple layers of clothing and even brought a sleeping bag in order to combat the cold. As a Jaguars fan I was dressed in teal and black and all my clothes were emblazoned with the jaguar’s logo. Many giants’ fans found it odd and even questioned my father as to why I was a Jacksonville jaguars fan. I found it amusing that these fans actually found it offensive that I was a jaguars fan sitting at Giant’s stadium. I vividly remember waiting in the line at the stadium in my Jaguars gear standing behind a barrage of middle aged men who all were proudly wearing their giants garb. Even though the Jaguars lost the game I enjoyed it because it is was an exciting game with many lead changes. Ironically At the time the Jaguars head coach was Tom Coughlin, who is now as we know a super bowl winning coach with the New York Giants. No one could have guessed that less than ten years later Tom Coughlin would be coaching the giants to one of the greatest Super Bowl wins ever.

Creative Non-Fiction

Creative Non-fiction is a broad genre of literature that writers use to blend the facts with interesting detail, insight, and ideas. Most likely the author of a creative-non fiction work is trying to send a message or invoke strong feelings in the reader. Creative non-fiction is different from basic non-fiction because of the inclusion of artistic ideas, literary techniques, and opinions. The writers of creative non-fiction usually write works on topics that interest them. Creative non-fiction writers are passionate about the subject matter of their works and therefore their works are very good pieces of literature. The writers of creative non-fiction tend to use literary methods writers would use in order for their works to be as compelling and captivating as a novel. Writers of creative non-fiction use techniques like suspense, drama, and others to make their works hold the readers attention and inspire a reaction. According to Bruce Dobbler’s Creative Non-Fiction Compendium, creative non-fiction is a branch of writing that includes literary techniques and artistic vision to portray actual people, ideas, and events. There are many different types of works that can fall under the creative non-fiction umbrella. Types of works like personal memoirs, prose, narratives, non-fiction novels, and even poems can be considered to be creative non-fiction. Creative non-fiction is also sometimes referred to as, “literary journalism”, or “journalism of fact”. Creative non-fiction is different from genres like “creative writing” and “journalism”, but is similar because the genre consists of aspects from both categories. Creative non-fiction must hold a readers attention and be interesting like creative writing, which uses imagination and literary techniques in order to grasp the audience. Journalism is a genre based solely on the facts and nothing else. Journalism writers are restrained because their writing should never include opinions or their own ideas. In creative non-fiction there can be much more flexibility in literary style and method. Creative non-fiction authors use their own ideas, beliefs, and opinions to give birth to the work. Overall, creative non-fiction is more efficient than both creative writing and journalism because it can include both facts and ideas and get a point across more effectively. The book, “The Curve of Binding Energy”, written by John Mcphee is a prime example of a creative non-fiction work. John Mcphee, an acclaimed creative non-fiction writer, uses the life of nuclear scientist Theodore Taylor and the inclusion of personal opinion on nuclear materials to create a thorough creative non-fiction work. Mcphee is successful in alarming his audience and I believe that was his intention in using the creative non-fiction genre to publish this work. He uses the experiences of Theodore Taylor with nuclear materials to inspire deep feelings within the reader. “The Curve of Binding Energy”, starts with a series of quotes from nuclear professionals and what they reveal are at times frightening. I think it is interesting how John Mcphee uses the quotes of the scholars and the opinions of Ted Taylor to portray to his reader the dangers of the nuclear existence. “The Curve of Binding Energy”, is the epitome of all creative non-fiction works and uses the creative non-fiction style thoroughly.

Sweet 16

March Madness is in full swing as the final four draws closer and closer. It is truly Sweet 16 time. There are only sixteen teams remaining in the tournament from the original 64 teams trying to become the national champions. We already have seen our share of upsets with Davidson defeating Georgetown and Villanova defeating Clemson. Teams like Davidson and Western Kentucky all advanced by playing great and better than their competition. Davidson is led by young guard Stephen Curry who has been the MVP of the tournament so far. He has averaged about 35 points per game in the tournament. It will be interesting to see if Davidson and Curry can outplay a very good Wisconsin team. Anything can and probably will happen during March Madness. All four number 1 seeds are still in the tournament but if history repeats itself one of them will be gone come the Elite 8 next round. Stanford has been playing well and I think they will upset a highly touted Texas team when they face off this weekend. I also think Michigan St. will defeat the number 1 seed Memphis, a team that many people think will win it all. The sixteen teams remaining are North Carolina, Washington St., Western Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Kansas, Villanova, Davidson, Wisconsin, Stanford, Texas, Memphis, Michigan St., UCLA, Xavier, and West Virginia. Although I still think Kansas can win it all I also think North Carolina has a great chance. Both Kansas and North Carolina have teams that I think are superior to the competition.

March Madness

This is the time we have all been waiting for. The month of March is among us and March Madness is set to start in the next couple of days. March Madness is the yearly NCAA Mens Basketball Championship Tournament. Every year teams across the nation compete throughout the season in order to qualify for the big tournament. The tournament starts off with 64 best teams in the nation and ends in April when the two remaining teams play for the National Championship. After Round 1, 32 teams are reamining. After Round 2, there are only 16 teams left. This round has become known as the "Sweet 16". After the Sweet 16 round is complete. the 8 teams remaining are known as the, "Elite 8". The next round is the "Final Four", where the four best teams still remaining fight for a shot at a National title. March Madness is very entertaining and many people and fans even have pools or tournaments amongst themselves usually with a cashprize going to the winner. The tournament is so unpredictable and thats what makes it so much fun. Miracles occur annualy and teams that shouldnt win one game could wind up going all the way. My picks this year for the "Final Four" are Kansas, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, and UCLA. I think Kansas will win it all because they have the most balanced and complete team. Dont take my word for it, because you never know who is going to win.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have one of the best teams in all of baseball. What makes them so good is that they have a lot of depth and experience on their roster. They have big name players like veteran catcher, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, outfielders Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez, starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis, third baseman Miguel Cabrera, and many others. The Tigers also recently acquired all-star shortstop Edgar Renteria who will probably bat lead off to set the table for a lineup full of power hitters. The Tigers added young stars like Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera from a trade with the Florida Marlins. The Marlins were willing to part with both players because their contracts were close to expiring and the team realized they probably wouldn’t have the money to resign them to new long-term deals. The Tigers have been getting better every recent year after a long period as the worst team in baseball. Don’t be surprised if the Tigers are the best team this year because they really do have a loaded roster. Their roster is just full of big name guys who draw a lot of attention and fans. Other players that will make a good impact are outfielder Jacque Jones and smart second baseman Placido Polanco. I think the team this year is similar to the Yankees teams who dominated so much in the 1990’s. The Tigers are by far the best team in the American League Central Division that includes the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and the lowly Kansas City Royals.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been one of the most active teams this off-season and will have a new revamped team on the field next year. The Jaguars have pulled of some great trades hoping to make the team younger and faster on the field. The Jaguars traded a 6th round draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings for speedy wide receiver Troy Williamson. Troy Williamson is a former 1st round draft choice that came with high expectations that he never quite accomplished. This move has a small risk and high reward possibilities because the Jaguars received Williamson at a very low price but he could have a huge impact on the field next year. Williamson gives the team a deep threat that the team has lacked for a few seasons. The Jaguars also signed wide receiver Jerry Porter to a six year contract and will look for him to be the leading receiver in the Jags passing attack. Another good signing by the Jags was signing cornerback Drayton Florence. Florence had a good season for the Chargers last season and had two interceptions in the playoffs. The Jaguars also traded the often injured star defensive tackle Marcus Stroud in return for a 3rd and 5th round draft choice in this years’ draft. The extra draft picks will help the team with rebuilding the defensive line and hopefully they can draft some impact players that can help the team reach even further in the playoffs next year.

Mets

The baseball season starts in less than a month and I couldn’t be more excited. I haven’t watched a baseball game since the dreadful collapse of the Mets that concluded with the last outing of Tom Glavine's career as a Met. In less than one inning the hall of fame pitcher have up a career high seven runs. Throughout the playoffs, the World Series, and a long off-season Mets fans have been depressed. Something died on that day, the last day of the season. Maybe it was Tom Glavine’s popularity in New York that died because since that game he is not very liked anymore. Or maybe it’s just the fact that he resigned with his former team, the Atlanta Braves who just happen to be the Mets biggest division rivals. But it is time to forget all about that. Glavine will probably face the Mets about three or four times next season as a brave and it is my prediction that he will get rocked. Glavine is way too old and has nothing left in his crumbling left arm. A new season is upon us and the Mets will look to dominate the division like they did most of last year. The Mets season kicks off on March 31st against the Florida Marlins with ace Johan Santana on the mound. Young pitcher Mike Pelfrey is pitching great this spring training and is making a push for the fifth and final spot in the rotation. Odds are he will get the spot instead of veteran Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez who is working to perfect a new more conventional pitching style. The Mets will do big things this season and another team to watch out for is the fully loaded Detroit Tigers.

NFL Off-Season

So far the NFL off-season has been pretty interesting. There have been a lot of trades, signings, and retirements already. Just a few days ago one of the best players in football history has retired. That man is Brett Favre, who over seventeen seasons has seen it all and accomplished everything. He like most NFL players have had his up and down years but his best span of football was the around the 1993-1997 seasons where he won 3 MVP awards. Brett Favre holds records for most consecutive games started, most touchdowns ever thrown, and ironically even the most interceptions ever thrown. It is funny that Brett Favre is known as one of the greatest football players ever yet he has the most interceptions ever. He averaged at least 1 interception per game.

Players all over the league will have new teams next season. Superstars like Randy Moss have been resigned to huge deals and salaries have never been higher. Randy Moss signed a new contract with the Patriots that is worth almost 30 million dollars over three years. Never before in history has so much money been spent in free agency. Even mediocre players are drawing big money offers just to play the game they love.

"Patriot Games"

With one second still remaining on the clock during the Patriots stunning Superbowl loss, Patriot head coach Bill "Belicheat" stormed off the field, refusing to watch Eli Manning kneel down and seal the deal for the New York Giants. Bill Belichick's poor sportmanship and lack of class only added to the scrutiny that he and the Patriot organization have faced. In the first game of this season against the New York Jets, the Patriots were discovered to be secretly taping the opposing teams coaches and stategic signals. The league came down hard on the Patriots organization fining them $250,000 along with a fisrt round draft pick. The league also fined head coach Bill "Belicheat" for the amount of $500,000. This scandal has become know as, "Spygate", a pun referencing the the infamous Watergate Scandal that took place within our government. The "Spygate" scandal has been a pain in the ass for the Patriots, and the story has followed them throughout the season. Some sportwriters even went as far as placing an asterisk next to the Patriots team name when writing about them. About a few days before the Superbowl, a story had just been released that the Patriots were accused of taping the St. Louis' Rams pre-Superbowl walkthrough the night before the 2002 Superbowl. The Patriots were underdogs in that game but thanks to some nifty camera work they upset the St. Louis Rams to win the Superbowl. The Patriots organization has denied this accusation but sooner or later someone will want answers from the Patriots. The U.S. Congress is now stepping into the matter and there is a chance they will subpoena the Patriot cameraman who was accused to testify. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has also been taking heat lately for deliberatly destroying the videotapes that were confiscated from the Patriot organization after he issued his punishment to the team. The Patriots organization even had the nerve to apply for a trademark of, "19-0 The Perfect Season", before the Superbowl was even played. Im glad someone shut the Patriots up.

Pair of Aces

The 2008 New York Mets are now one of the favored teams to win the 2008 World Series title. The Mets made a monster aquisition last week after trading for, and signing left handed starting pitcher Johan Santana to a long-term contract. Johan Santana, only 29 years old, became the highest paid pitcher in baseball history after signing a 7-year/ $150 million dollar contract. The Mets now have one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball. Along with Johan Santana, the Mets will see the the return of Pedro Martinez this season. Pedro Martinez was injured all last season while recovering from rotator cuff surgery. Pedro was once one of the premier pitchers in baseball but that title may now belong to a younger Johan Santana who will probably start on Opening Day. Besides aces Johan and Pedro the Mets will rely on fan-favorites John Maine and Ollie Perez who both had breakthrough years pitching in 2007. During the offseason, the Mets also aquired by trade from the Washington Nationals, the young outfielfder Ryan Church, and a veteran catcher, Brian Schneider. Church and Schneider will fill the postitons of ex-Met outfielder Lastings Milledge, and catcher Paul Lo Duca, who ironically will play their respective positions for the Nationals this season. Overall, the Mets have a solid lineup with the perfect balance of speed and power, thanks to speedster Jose Reyes and the homerun hitting Carlos Beltran. This new season can be a great one for the Mets if they play to their potential and listen to guidance from mananger Willie Randolph.

A Giant Victory

The New York Giants have just pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NFL history. On Sunday, in SuperBowl XLII (42), the New York Giants defeated quarterback Tom Brady and his "perfect" Patriots 17- 14. The New England Patriots came into the game being touted as one of the "greatest teams ever", but were stifled by a ferocious Giants defense, and a poised Eli Manning. Tom Brady was sacked a season high 5 times and was unable to get his offense rolling for the first time this season. Brady hit the dirt and hit the dirt hard. Tom Brady was hurried all night by the Giants defensive line and the pressure caused by veteran Michael Strahan, and fifth year player Usi Umenyiora restricted Brady from throwing the deep ball. That is how you beat one of the the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. The Giants played their best game of the year and it came at just the right moment to derail the Patriots on their quest to the perfect season. About a week before the game Giants wide reciever Plaxico Burress predicted a Giant win and predicted the score would be 24- 17. When pretty boy Tom Brady was told about Plaxico's prediction he found it humurous that his record-setting offense would only score 17 points. The actual funny part is that the Patriots only managed to squeeze in a season-low 14 points in the most important game of the season, the Superbowl. The last time the Patriots lost before Sunday was in the 2006 AFC Championship game. That game was against the Colts and their star quarterback, Peyton Manning, the older brother of Eli Manning. In that game, Peyton Manning led the Colts to a comeback win over the Patriots and went on to win the Superbowl two weeks later.