Now THAT'S How You Get a Fan Base Buzzing!

Well, lookee here. 

Dare I say that the house that was previously thought to be empty is now currently being re-occupied by the team they call 'The Cuse'?  ... Oh my God, oh my God...

The Cal win on Thursday night was good, but Cal just had NO answer for the zone... so to see North Carolina get equally dominated was a real exclamation point to the hypothetical sentence Syracuse posed the night before.

Are they really that good?!

And you could tell that Jimmy B wanted that one... Did anyone else see the little fist pump to himself after the postgame handshake with Roy Williams?  He wanted it bad... The win may have even gone to HIS head after the win, telling the press about Wes Johnson, "I told you so.  What have I been saying?  I told you so.  Have I ever lied about a player?"

Easy, Jimmy.

Now comes one of the hard parts... The Hype.  Doubters will be converted.  Doomsday-scenarios are scratched.  The Wes Johnson bandwagon's gonna get crowded.  Real crowded.  The whispers are going to start soon...

Does this team have the look of a National Title contender?

It's tough to say already.  It's clear that last year's team was really, really good... and it was a FAR CRY from a National Contender, since it got smoked by a great player who got smoked by a truly great team.

And as good as Johnson is and will be, the difference with this Syracuse team from last year is the balance/depth.  I know it's only been four games but there's SEVEN players averaging at least 8 PPG so far.  I dropped this nugget in last year's SU season preview and I'll bring it back here... Since 2000, EVERY National Championship team has had at least FIVE players average 8 PPG or more.

But last year's team had that too.  The only difference?  Balance and depth... WITH CONSISTENCY.

Paul Harris... Eric Devendorf... a Rick Jackson thrust into the starting lineup midseason.  You didn't know what you were going to get from those guys.

But now you got a 2-headed rotation at PG that you can find production from if one of them is off that night.  Andy Rautins is developing into a heady senior type who does a little bit of everything.  Wes Johnson is a well-adusted, mature 22-year old.  The two major rotation players not in their 3rd year removed from high school are Brandon Triche (coming from a family of mature hoopsters) and Kris Joseph (ditto).

The other major difference from '08-09?  Length.  Sure there's no Paul Harris and his never-ending tease of talent, but Flynn & Devo were shorter.  Imagine a 6-1 Scoop Jackson or a beefy 6-4 Triche at the point... 6-5 Rautins, with Johnson's pteradactyl arms, Onuaku's gerth and Jackson's tree arms in the back of the zone.... wait, you don't have to... because it just shut down the defending National Champs.

OK, let me put it this way:

The Vitals
2002-03 Rotation vs 2009-10 Rotation
PG: 6-2 Gerry McNamara vs 6-1 Scoop Jardine
SG: 6-6 Kueth Duany vs 6-5 Andy Rautins
SF: 6-8 Carmelo Anthony vs 6-7 Wes Johnson
PF: 6-8 Hakim Warrick vs 6-9 Rick Jackson
C: 7-0 Craig Forth vs 6-9 Arinze Onuaku
G backup: 6-4 Billy Edelin vs 6-4 Brandon Triche
F backup: 6-9 Jeremy McNeil vs 6-7 Kris Joseph

Again, it's STILL EARLY, but the composition is eerily similar.  It loses a little shot-blocking potential but has some added 3-point potential if Joseph and Mookie Jones can contribute there.  Just put it in the memory bank for later.

For now, there's 4 "gimmies" before the SEC Challenge game against Florida on December 10.  When you watch the sure-fire victories, just look out for smart basketball and consistent scoring support for Johnson.  Then we'll check back in and see if the similarities with a National Title Contender still remain.

But in the meantime... Damn, this is exciting.

Off-Day Jitters

It seems like we were just in this situation... Feeling uneasy after a lost opportunity in a Game 5.

Sure, part of it has to do with dealing with the Syracuse football team dropping like flies and partly with Le Moyne making Jim Boeheim's defense look like a women's JV basketball team.

People are writing more articles about 2004 than the fact it's Election Day.  But like I described a week ago, I think this is all in people's minds because of recent history... Let's look at this rationally.

The Yankees are up 3-2.

The Yankees are the home team from here-on-out.

The Yankees have the signature win in this series, and have yet to shoot themselves in the foot, while their opponents have done so in each series so far.

The Yankees get to hit against a cocky old man in the cold who they've seen a lot of.

The Yankees starting pitcher wants this a lot.  And it could be the last start in his career.

Think about it... They call them the "Core Four"... Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Posada.  And all could figure prominently in the New Yankee Stadium Wednesday night... Pettitte could get the win.  Rivera could get the final out.  Jeter and Posada could get big hits.  They could deliver the long-awaited title.  It would be a pretty amazing story.

It's a story that I want to be told badly... It's still no gimme, but there's a lot to like about their spot here. Get 5 innings from Pettitte on three days' rest. Jump on Pedro as his pitch count balloons.  Survive a couple innings then lean HARD on Mo Rivera.

It's a plot that I desperately want to see unfold... Bring it home boys... 27 outs from Championship 27.

Six is Good

I nailed my last Yankees series prediction with a Seinfeld-themed headline, why not go for it again?

Let me get this out first... The Phillies are a more-than-worthy foe.  Honestly, the only team in the 2009 Postseason that scares me to my bones.  That lineup has no let-up.  And their confidence is just FLOWING right now.  Scary stuff.

But this series will come down to pitching.  When you have this many All-Star mashers in each other's lineup and everyone is expecting homers to fly out of the two homer heavens, the pitchers will dictate the flow of this series... you can BANK on it.

And I just think the Yankees, combined with home-field advantage, have more.

CC vs Lee is a toss up, but if CC wins tonight, look out, Philly. Because I'm not seeing a strong outing out of Pedro Martinez.  The man made nine starts this season and he went past 90 pitches just three of those starts.  The Yankees' patient lineup could have him at that point by the 4th inning!  And if Charlie Manuel wants to have him go over the 100-pitch mark in NY in the playoffs again... be my guest.

The bullpen advantage is a real one... And even when playing with NL rules, the Yankees will have subs like Matsui and Gardner to alleviate the Phillies advantage there.

Don't get me wrong.  There will be anxious moments and big Phillies hits and second-guesses of Girardi... but I think in the end, the Yanks will be too much.

NICK'S PICK
Yankees in 6

I Know Why This is Bugging Me So Much... Don't Let It

And we head back to New York with the American League Championship still raging on.

Man, that game was epic. There was only runs in three half-innings, but I think it aged me a bit. Was I the only Yankees fan who was more confident down 4 runs in the 7th when Lackey reacted that way to the Posada walk than being down just 1 run with the bases loaded and stone-cold Nick Swisher at the plate?

And in between that, the Yanks were up 2 with a steady, rested bullpen waiting in the wings to bring the pennant home - and I was more awed than excited. More sitting wide-eyed than giving Jeter fist-pumps.

But a couple hours later, Phil Hughes coughed up the lead, Nick Swisher couldn't walk in the tying run and I'm feeling worse and worse about this loss... Why is that? Why is this low so much lower than the high I should have been feeling on the precipice?

Friggin' 2004.

That feeling is back. I hate admitting it, giving Red Sox fans something to take pride in as their team sits at home, but it's true. I've gone down this road of hope mixed with heartache and constant number-crunching and mental reasoning before. And it didn't end well last time... The scar is healed, but it's still a scar. It leaves a mark, like the healed piece of skin that you keep tonguing a week after you bit the inside of your lip.

But that doesn't mean it's going to end the same this time... Yankees fans like me have to keep telling ourselves that and not to get too down right now.

Just because we are going home for a Game 6 after a missed opportunity doesn't mean we're going to be vicitimized by a friggin' bloody sock.

This team is different. They've got too many good vibrations going right now. Confidence is king in postseason and while the Angels got a big boost tonight, well, the Yankees did too in some respects.

And yeah, the NYY manager will get pounded for some choices he made, but so will the LAA manager.

And only one team has guys named Jeter... a warming-up Teixeira... and a fully-functioning A-Rod.

The Bronx has been home to a couple special wins already this October and I think those chilled October ghosts will still be there in the rain Saturday. My original prediction still stands...

Yanks in 6.

I Don't Want To Sweep Alone

Does it feel good to be a predicting champion? Yeah... yeah it does.

The truth is, as much as the sweep of the Twins was vintage Yankees with comebacks wins, clutch hits and Jeter-esque fielding plays, I still wanted a piece of the Red Sox in the ALCS.

This is the team that wouldv'e erased the sting from 2004. Shut them down and silence Fenway - maybe get a walk-off hit in there to end the series - real redemption. But I guess I'll have to take some revenge vs the Angels.

Of course, I like the Yankees' chances in the series, but these Angels have some good "it" factors going for it too. Bobby Abreu vs his former team. The Player Formerly Known as Vladimir Guerrero getting key hits. Another capable power pitcher in Scott Kazmir.

But this Yankees team is just firing on all cylinders. I won't get into all the details like I did with my Twins preview, but a lot of the same reasons still apply.

NICK'S ALCS PICK
YANKEES IN SIX

It sometimes gets lost even by big fans like myself, caught up in checking fantasy football scores and hoping for back-door covers on days like this, but a title this year would be so sweet. Andy Pettitte holding off the hands of time, pitching big. Mariano Rivera making up for the Fluke of 2001 Game 7. Maybe getting to see Derek Jeter show some real emotion for another long-overdue title. Hell, even A-Rod winning one and getting the monkey off his back. This would rival the 1996 title in my mind.

That's enough for now. Still work to be done.

I Think This October Will Be Different

OK, I've pushed the pause button on my baseball emotions for over a month now... Football had kicked off and the Yankees were cruising in for the division title, but it's time to ramp things back up.

Time to start patting the cute, little Twins on their collective head for their nice run to the AL Central Tiebreaker win, but... that'll be enough.

Look, I'm very conscious of the stigma that Yankees fans have. Big, bad bullies pushing people around with their wallets. But let's face it, it's a fact that once you get to The Big Dance in October, money means nothing. It's about the players you have on the field and if they can deliver. Payrolls mean nothing. The Twins will have bats in their hands just like the Yankees do and will have to get 27 outs to win, just like everyone else strapping it up.

So like all postseason series, Minnesota is dangerous... but I like New York's chances.

I'm not even going to get into the whole "Tiebreaker hangover" factor because it's overrated. This is purely a Yankee thing. I have such a different feeling about this team than years' past. 2008 had an ugly feel to it all year long. In 2007, we took a little too much pride in winning the wild card. In 2005 and 2006, we were depending on guys like Jaret Wright, Andy Phillips and Shawn Chacon too much.

This year, it's an overachieving, fun-loving bunch. It's hard to argue these things that are factually-based. Nick Swisher and AJ Burnett are keeping everyone loose. Brett Gardner gives them a late SB-threat that they've never had before in those close October nail-biters. Derek Jeter is healthy. Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera have a combined 1.61 ERA in 117.2 relief innings this season. The offense is hitting .316 in "late-and-close" situations.

And then there's a slew of "gut feels" that seem obvious to me.

Joba in the bullpen will unclench and just unleash now that he's unshackled in the bullpen and he'll be a useful weapon at some point... Alfredo Aceves is the new Ramiro Mendoza as a dependable long man... Robinson Cano is hitting when it counts for the first time that I can remember... We haven't even mentioned Mark Teixeira yet... And Jeets... well, I have the feeling that he's feelin' good and will be vintage Jeter.

And the Granddaddy of them all: A-Rod. I think this is the year he finally officially and definitively earns his postseason pinstripes. Why? He's not the focus anymore. It's on CC and how he pitches in cold weather. It's on Posada and him being benched for Burnett's Game 2 start. It's on the new stadium. All of those things are getting more headlines than him lately. And I'm betting that that puts his mind at ease and he delivers in a big way all month long.

Not that it means anything, but 15 of ESPN's 22 experts like the Yanks to win it all. I think they're seeing a lot of the same things I am.

Hey, the Twins have a good team, and despite that hangover from last night, have to be feeling good about themselves right now. Coming back from 3 down with 4 to play without Justin Morneau? Wow.

I'm gonna let them finish their good season... but the Yankees have one of the best teams of all-time!

NICK'S PICK: YANKEES IN 3

Yankees Postseason Time

No, I haven't posted in over a month... No, I don't have much time... And no, we don't know who they're playing... But dammit, it's October and the Yankees are back in the dance.

Who's gonna be on the roster?

Here's my take:

Pitchers (11)
CC Sabathia
Andy Pettitte
A.J. Burnett
Joba Chamberlain
Chad Gaudin
Alfredo Aceves
Dave Robertson
Damaso Marte
Phil Coke
Phil Hughes
Mariano Rivera

Position players (14)
Jorge Posada
Mark Teixeira
Robinson Cano
Derek Jeter
Alex Rodriguez
Johnny Damon
Melky Cabrera
Nick Swisher
Hideki Matsui
Jose Molina
Eric Hinske
Brett Gardner
Jerry Hairston
Francisco Cervelli

NO Freddy Guzman please... I'd rather have too many pitchers than pinch-runner possibilities...

As for which opponent I'd rather face from Tuesday's Tiebreaker game? I'd guess Twins. Yeah, they'd have all the momentum in the world, but I don't want no part of Verlander shutting the Yanks down at home in Game 2 and putting doubt in their minds playing at Comerica in a Must-Win Game.

But I'm good either way.

More coming on this series later as I try to get back in the blogging flow.

Eagles Fans are The Vick-tims

It's August 13 - and my season as an NFL fan is virtually ruined.

It's no secret that I was especially excited for the 2009 edition of the Philadelphia Eagles. And it all came to a crashing halt when I saw "Michael Vick signs with Eagles" cross the wire.

I guess I should give some background info here, since I haven't written about Vick much since I've started this blog... you know, with the whole prison thing and all.

See, I hate Mike Vick. Hate him with the heat of a thousand flames. It started out innocently enough. He was a hot shot recruit who looked up to Donovan McNabb, my burgeoning hero in late 1997. He ended up scorning the Orange for Virginia Tech because he didn't want to be in McNabb's shadow. Ok, suit yourself, kid.

(Kind of ironic now that he's going to be wearing parkas and handing McNabb his Gatorade all season, isn't it? But I digress.)

Then two years later in the 1999 season. As a freshman, Vick and the 5-0 Hokies welcomed 5-1 Syracuse to town along with ESPN College GameDay for a titanic showdown between two ranked Big East teams. It still remains the Orange's last appearance on the show after an embarrassing 62-0 blowout. Vick and his coach, Frank Beamer, really enjoyed running up the score in a blazing show of disrespect on a national stage. Frankly, it sucked.

And the life-long hatefest was on.

Don't get me wrong. The kid had off-the-charts skills, especially for college. I was mildly surprised when he went No. 1 overall. Would those skills translate? They obviously did on some level, because he was a sensation. No one had seen speed like that in a QB. The overtime TD run in the Metrodome where Vikings defenders are bouncing off of each other is the stuff of legend. But the media and fans were blind to some facts in this honeymoon period of 2002-2004.

Those facts said that Vick SUCKED as a quarterback. He made for great highlights, commercials and video game likenesses but defenses were catching up. At least the good ones were (most clearly shown by Vick's postseason record: 0-2 vs the Eagles, and they weren't even close). He hated sitting in the pocket... hated pressure in his face... For being so elusive, he got sacked a shit ton (46 times in '04, 2nd most in the league) - mostly because he had no idea how to read a defense. And he could barely complete half his passes in a dumbed-down, basic version of Atlanta's offense with the benefit of a great ground game.

And we're just talking about football stuff. Let's dive head-first into the rest of The Case Against Michael Vick.

HE'S A JERK OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

Maybe prison has changed the man - but you can color me skeptical. The guy's clearly a world-class jerk.

You gotta love how he saluted his home fans with the bird in 2006.

Think McNabb would ever hear the end of that if he - or any other QB - had done that?

And then there's the whole Ron Mexico story - having sex with a girl while you have herpes and conveniently forget to tell her about your genital herpes, so you have to buy her off to shut her up.

And here's something Eagles fans should love. Here's something from an article before the 2004 NFC Championship Game (a game in which Jim Johnson's defense shut Vick DOWN by the way).

Clearly, the Eagles see Vick as more of a threat to run than pass.
Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson even went as far as to say he believes Vick
prefers it that way, a notion Vick dismissed.

"Honestly I don't think he knows what he's talking about," Vick said. "I don't
look to run first. I look to pass first then run. I disagree with that statement
totally. When I'm outside of the pocket, I also look to pass first. I don't know
what Jimmy Johnson's talking about."

What a scum bag idiot. Which brings me to my next point.

HE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF STUPID

Throw out the whole fact that the man ran a dog-fighting ring for years on end in his backyard.

As Scoop Jackson once wrote: "Win $30,000 in a dog fight, lose a $130 million contract. $30K minus $130M = stupid."

He lied about it to the nation when initially confronted about it because he thought he was going to get away with it. But then his buddies squealed on him, and then he tried like hell to play the "contrite nice guy" card. I'm not over-selling this point when I say that I was extremely satisfied as an American when the judge and jury called him out on it and put him away for two years.

You've got to laugh at a guy who signs the richest deal in NFL history who is now in financial ruin a half-decade later. That sort of thing would make AIG blush.

How about the audacity of a man trying to win an uphill public relations battle spending his first night as a free man with Allen Iverson at a strip club?

Quarterbacking an NFL team is hard enough... do you really want someone this dumb trying to do it?

HE WASN'T EVEN GOOD WHEN HE PLAYED QB

Ok, what if I told you that your favorite NFL team which has Super Bowl aspirations could have a scattershot QB who hasn't played competitive football in two years? I can guess where you would have me shove that guy.

And now Andy Reid wants to use him in some sort of hybrid QB, Wildcat RB role? He wasn't even good at those things when he played... We're just supposed to hope for the best from a convict who spent the last two years rotting in federal prison? He's gonna be sharp in reading defenses - strong ones in the NFC East at that - while protecting the football, fighting for short yardage vs multiple tacklers when he's not getting into open space quite as easily as he was when he was in his prime?

Peter King thinks that Philly and Vick are somehow a perfect fit. Right, maybe Vick wants stability because he's incapable of providing it on his own, like most normal adults. And because career 53.8 pct passers are just perfectly-tailored for the precison of the West Coast offense.

And it's not like the Eagles are currently starving for playmakers. A receiving corp of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant & Hank Baskett is GOOD. Then you still want to get 30+ combined touches per game from Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy. And Brent Celek is a quality TE. The offense is not going to be a problem. How about we sign a veteran linebacker to replace Stewart Bradley?! Tom Brady just sliced up the 1st-string defense tonight - how about a little help there?

And man, it makes me sick to think McNabb and Vick are actually friends. I'm going to go on thinking that they're more "friendly" than friends - because I just can't wrap my head around the image of McNabb inviting Vick over for fondue night with the wife for date night and then maybe we'll catch the new Mad Men after the kids go to bed.

OK, time to put a bow on this crapfest and go to bed. But sleep will not heal this problem. Mike Vick is on my favorite team. Every broadcast this season will show him on the sideline when my favorite player throws an interception. He's going to run for a 1st down at some point and I'm going to have to deal with my fellow fans cheering.

Oh yeah... and he tortured and killed a bunch of dogs!

My stomach is churning already. My season is ruined. My favorite team is tainted.

Nike tells us that we are all witnesses to one of their current clients - but with one of their former ones, we are all victims.