Getting Knicked Up

Successful.  Improved.  Satisfied.  These are some of the positive words that Knicks fans use when describing their season.  I however like to use the words - disappointing, unfulfilling and over-achieving when I recap my beloved New York Knicks 2012-2013 NBA season.  I do hesitate to say the season was a failure though as many of my Knicks brethren have thrown that word around...

I didn't expect them to make the NBA Finals nor did I expect them to beat the Miami Heat in a 7 game series.  I did however expect the Knicks to at least show up and play ball this post season.  They looked pretty good after the first 3 games in the 1st round of the playoffs against the Celtics.  Then J.R. Smith got a technical foul and suspended for a game after throwing an elbow into Jason Terry's face.  New York subsequently lost their next two games before taking the series from Boston (4- 2).  But the truth is that the Knicks never looked the same after Smith threw that elbow.

But the Knicks didn't lose the conference semi-finals because of an elbow.  They lost because the Pacers absolutely dominated them and exposed the Knicks for what they really are...and average team.  Sure they won their division for the first time since the Great Depression and had a sweet 13 game win streak, but besides Carmelo Anthony, what are teams really worried about when playing the New York Knicks?

It certainly isn't Tyson Chandler and his 10 points a game.  Not the overpaid bench riding Amare Stoudemire.  We know J.R. Smith is a very streaky player and Raymond Felton is completely unreliable.  Everyone else on the Knicks are old and past their prime like Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin who actually gave the Knicks some good defense for a while.  Chris Copeland, a youngster with potential was able to knock down a 3 pointer but couldn't play defense at all against the bigger guys.

The one player I really do like on this Knicks team besides Melo is Iman Shumpert.  This kid is better than I think he even realizes.  And it's not because he hit 3 three pointers in a row on Saturday night.  It's because he plays excellent defense and is extremely athletic.  He needs the opportunity to open up his game a little more and drive to the basket.  The problem is that's a hard thing to do when Carmelo Anthony is in isolation every other time down the court.  But if they can find a way to work together then I believe they can be an excellent combination.

Realistic Knicks fans know they can't hang with the Heat and now know they can't even hang with the Pacers either.  More moves need to be made and money will have to be paid.  Some pretty big names pop up on the free agent list over the next couple of seasons.  The Knicks need to decide if they are content with being at best in the conference finals or do they want to go to the NBA finals, which would mean beating the Heat in a 7 game series.

May Struggles of the Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox surprised everyone by finishing April with the best record in baseball. While April was better than fans and experts expected, May has been catastrophic so far. 

The excellent offense we saw the first month of the season has all but disappeared in May. The Red Sox have averaged 3.3 runs in its past 11 games. In their last two games, the Red Sox are 0-for-20 with runners in scoring position and 3-for-37 in the past three games.   

David Ortiz, who got off to a hot start has seen his bat cool off in May as he’s hitting .179 for the month so far. Leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury is only hitting .204 in May and his on-base percentage is .259. Ellsbury is the table setter for the Red Sox and if he’s not getting on base, then hitters like Ortiz and Mike Napoli can’t drive home runs. Hitting isn’t the only concern for Red Sox players and fans, the pitching hasn’t been good in May either.

The Red Sox ERA during the first month of the season was 3.58 ERA, but so far in May it’s 4.76. Even the starters’ ERA has gone from 3.24 in April to 4.54 in May. Ryan Dempster was having a good start to the season before Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays as he had a 2.93 ERA entering the game. Dempster’s ERA went up to nearly a full run after Sunday’s game to 3.75.

The bullpen has been in been in shambles as of late with Andrew Bailey going on the disable list and Joel Hanrahan is out for the season a  torn flexor tendon. Junichi Tazawa has been named closer by manager John Farrell, but it remains to be seen if Tazawa can handle the role long-term.

Tuesday will mark the start of a nine game road stand for the Red Sox. With the Yankees surprisingly playing well despite all their injuries, the Orioles in second place and the Rays starting to play better, this is a crucial stretch for the Red Sox. They start a three game series against Tampa Bay Tuesday night, followed by trips to Minnesota and Chicago before coming back home on May 23 against Cleveland.

This could be the trip that determines if April was a fluke, or if the Red Sox really are contenders in the American League East.

My Confession

Here is the deal. I was born in Boston , many of you know that and you also know that I support all of the Boston teams . It's a must or your birth certificate suspiciously disappears. With that being said ...I have a confession to make and I know it is going to anger a lot of people. However, I can no longer hold it in. So ...

Wait a second let me give you insight

My family and I moved to Miami in 2003. I was offered a great job and I couldn’t take the cold weather anymore. I had visited Miami several times to seal the deal on employment and fell in love with the Beauty that is Miami. The ocean, the causeways , the palm trees etc....We tried to gauge the sports “vibe” down here and we were disappointed greatly. There was no fervor for sports. Residents go to the beach , go to festivals, go anywhere except to sporting events. We were puzzled. I mean come on , Im from Boston! You don’t dismiss your teams in any capacity...its unwritten LAW!

We took a dip

With that all being said. We decided what the hell, let's go to a Marlins game. We even bought some swag. It was a lot of fun and back then The Marlins had Cabrera, Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett to cheer on. Good times! We went to several games, however they were never ever sold out. It was a shame, especially considering they won The World Series in 2003. We went to the parade and the celebration. I wanted my kids to see what winning a series was like. I had never experienced that in Boston. Not to mention they beat the Yankees – hell I was almost converted into a full blown Marlins fan just for that reason alone! Almost.....

What I hear that you don't

There are two things in Miami that we hear about that the mainstream media does not cover. Number 1. Cruise ship catastrophe's are so common that you will never see me on a cruise EVER! I am not kidding. We have 2 ports for all of the cruise lines and not a week goes by without some cruise ship having an issue. Number 2. I listen to Miami sports radio and I hear all the interviews with the players of every team. Some make me shake my head and I feel blessed to be from Boston. However...sometimes I hear things that make me go hmm. As is , I never knew that or Wow , what a great guy etc...You will never hear what I hear as these stories are not covered and/or the interviews won't make it on your city's sports radio program. Due to the fact that I have heard and have seen these instances happen is why I am writing this piece and have a confession.

Can you handle the truth?

I may lose a lot of respect for this confession and I understand, I get it. Before you judge me ask yourself if not The Red Sox then who ? If not The Patriots then who ? If not The Bruins then who? If not The Celtics then who? Most Boston fans have a plan B. They are teams we keep an eye on if ours do not make the playoffs. Its a given and ok unless it is a rivalry team. I will NEVER root for The Yankees, The Lakers , The Jets , The Giants etc...can't and won't do it. My confession is quite stunning and I am not sure Bostonians can handle the truth. My allegiance to my Boston teams is of no question here. I’m die hard , all in , balls to the walls. I have all the shirts, hats and bumper stickers to prove it.

You are why this is so hard

Boston fans are why making this confession is so damn hard. I will be judged. I will be torn to shreds by a few and possibly lose some friends. I realize that. I have to question though , really? This one confession could make or break a friendship or acquaintance? I lost some friends due to my comments about NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and his unwillingness to help his team mates. Whatever ...I’m not crying a river. If that comment alone made you decide that I was no longer of some value , then good riddance. I believe people can agree to disagree without such vitriol. It is what YOU believe that is is the issue here.

Here it is …

I have only seen this team play three times. Each time I had fun. They are an entertaining team and I see the bandwagon fans and they make me ill. If I was born and raised here I would go to as many games as possible. I would have all the swag. I do not get why Miami only jumps on board during the playoffs. Its a mystery. I am talking about …..The Miami Heat. So there it is...my confession. I forced myself to watch three games and I enjoyed myself. I hear all the players interviews and as stated you don’t hear what I hear , you don’t know what I know. Lebron James has matured so much and his biggest regret was “The Announcement” he stated that it was a learning experience and he regrets it deeply. Chris Bosh , Dwayne Wade and LBJ all do so much for the community of South Florida its astounding. They give back all the time. They don’t take their fans for granted as they realize during the regular season all they have are the few diehards and celebrities that use them to be seen. How sad is that? You're a Championship team yet your own community will not be there unless you are in the playoffs and purchase your “ White Hot “ T shirt. I am and always will be a Celtics fan however, if The Celtics are out of the playoffs I have to root for my home team, my plan B ….The Heat. I think they need me more than I need them.....

Forgive me Boston for I MAY have sinned...or maybe not.

Do You Know Evan Gattis?

Most see players in the major leagues as lucky—lucky that they are millionaires—lucky that they get to play the game they love every night. As the casual fan, we think they get it easy. We assume that their lives have been cakewalks. Maybe not always, but in most cases, these guys have been living the dream ever since the little leagues.
Not Evan Gattis.

The right-handed utility player for the Atlanta Braves is living that dream now, but his life has been anything but “lucky”.

Gattis grew up in Northeast Texas doing the thing he loved, playing baseball. He wasn’t your average, everyday baseball player; he had a true gift. The coaches at Texas A&M University realized this when he was just a teenager, as they offered him a scholarship to play baseball.

Millions of little-league players share the same dream game after game—being good enough for a big-time college coach to see them, and want them enough to offer them a shot to be well-known big league ball player.

Gattis got the chance that millions will never get, but he didn’t ever get the opportunity to take one step on the diamond at Texas A&M, and he never would.

Just before turning 20 years old, the talented baseball star sharply decided he wasn’t going to take the opportunity, and fell into the world of drugs and alcoholism. Some say it was because of anxiety. Others make the case that Gattis was afraid of failure and didn’t want to go to college because he might not produce. Either way, Gattis’ hopes of being a big-league player came to an abrupt halt. What came next was anyone’s worst nightmare.

His mother decided that he needed help with his addictions, and would go on to enroll him in a drug rehab facility, which would end up being the beginning of four months of rehab and therapy. He would try to play baseball at a small school in 2006, but he injured his leg and quit the team.

According to an article on MLB.com, Gattis’ first job after abandoning baseball was as a valet driver in Texas. From top-baseball prospect to valet driver, Evan Gattis had experienced the biggest high of his life, to see all of his dreams and potential diminish. Where would he go now? Battling depression, just getting over addiction, and having to battle odd-jobs like being a valet driver and ski-lift operator, Gattis probably didn’t know where he would be next week, nevertheless next year.

Thankfully for Gattis, things picked up in life. He became successful at doing something that kept him occupied with his brother, Chase. He worked as a janitor at Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems. Imagine this:

Being a janitor became the best thing Evan Gattis had accomplished in years. That surely put’s things into perspective looking at his current state. “Lucky” and “cakewalk” aren’t the words we would use now.

After another mishmash of odd-jobs and towns, Gattis decided that he wanted to play baseball—again. His skills were certainly exceptional years ago, surely they could be enough now, right? With the work ethic that he possesses, his size, and of course his raw talent, Gattis got back into doing what he loved most—playing baseball. After a short stint at a small school in Texas batting over .400, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 23^rd round of the 2010 MLB Draft.

Gattis would work his way up the minor leagues in just three years. This season, the Braves invited the big kid from Texas to join them in spring training. He impressed coaches by batting over .350 in their games in March and got the perfect opportunity when Atlanta catcher Brian McCann starting the season on the DL. Gattis made the opening day roster as a catcher, and certainly made the most of his opportunities. He earned NL Rookie of the Month honors in April for slugging six home runs in a limited role.

Currently, Evan Gattis, former janitor, ski-lift operator, and drug addict, is batting .243 with 7 home runs and 19 RBI’s. He is emerging as one of the MLB’s best rookies of the season and it’s only May.

The next time you see a major league player, don’t jump to conclusions. They might be “living the dream” now, but you don’t know what got them there. In some cases, they may have beaten all of the odds to get where they want to be.

In Evan Gattis’ case, that would be true.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the Ranks

It's impossible to deny that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the best boxers we have ever seen.  He's smart, tactical, defensive, strategic, quick and determined.  His (44 - 0) flawless pro record is outstanding.  He's beaten every fighter that stepped in the ring with him in his professional career.  While he usually wins by unanimous decision, boxing fans are left without what they really crave.  And that my friends is the knockout blow.

Mayweather has one K.O. in the past 14 years.  That is one of the many variables going against Money Mayweather from being atop the greatest of all time.  Names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Louis and etc get named in the boxing ranks ahead of Floyd in almost every debate.   And to be fair, that's not exactly his fault.

One of the biggest reasons why is because of the era he is currently fighting in with a huge lack of worthy opponents.  He has been able to dominate most of his fights but another knock against him is the fact that he doesn't knock people out.  He has 1 K.O. since 1999.  While winning the fight is the most important thing, a K.O. is what the fans want to see and is also something that separates the greats from the greats.

But everyone will say "oh well even Ali and Joe Louis lost, Sugar Ray Robinson the all time greatest in many eye got beat several times."  We all thought Mike Tyson was the best.  Maybe at ear biting!  We said to ourselves, man this Roy Jones Jr. is legit.  Then he met Antonio Tarver in 3 fights and lost twice.  The one that Jones won was highly controversial.  Good bye, Good night Jones.

Now all the Mayweather supporters of being the best pound for pound fighter have one key phrase they love to use and only use..."(44-0).  Yes his record is unblemished, undefeated, yet not unanimous by my account. Having a perfect record is extremely impressive after 40 professional bouts.  But did you know he's not the only undefeated fighter?

You guys ever hear of Lazlo Papp, Joe Calzaghe, or Jimmy Barry?  How about Ricardo Lopez 51-0-1 pro boxing record.  Does the name Rocky Marciano ring a bell?  Yeah, his record was a perfect (49-0).  Besides Rocky, have you guys ever heard of any of these people before reading this article? In an honest moment most of you would say no.

The reason you don't know these boxers names are because they are insignificant when it comes to the era they fought in.  The competition wasn't as fierce and competitive way back in the day.  As the years went on, towards the 60's and 70's, boxing became quite possibly the most popular sport in the world.  Even with perfect records, the casual boxing fan has forgotten all about those aforementioned because of the era's they fought in.

The same may be said about Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is currently fighting in the one of the worst era's professional boxing has ever seen.  He beat Oscar de La Hoya when he was at the end of his days and the same can be said about Shane Mosley.  Miguel Cotto gave Mayweather a bit of a scare by buckling his knees a few times in the early rounds.  But again the problem is lack of competition.

The only competitor that that the fans felt worthy to fight Money Mayweather is Manny Pacquiao.  After years of treadmill discussions began about a possible bout between the worlds 2 best fighters, the match and mystery came to a screeching hault when Manny got mashed in the face by Juan Manuel Marquez and lost by K.O.

But before that all occurred Mayweather was viewed by many in the public eye as ducking Manny Pacquiao.  Floyd asked for all sorts of demands during these negotiations.  Things like blood testing close to fight time, money discrepancies and who gets top billing.  Mayweather continuously shot down Pacquiao's request at a 50/50 money fight and to have the test just a bit earlier so it doesn't effect his fighting stamina and endurance.  Seems reasonable to me!

So there you have it my friends.  If Floyd Mayweather Jr. is to become the greatest ever, he'll have to fight and beat Pacquiao, even after his loss to Marquez.  He must then also beat the #2 ranked fighter and prove he can take on some young hard hitting studs coming up in the game.  Plus he fights once a year whereas fighters used to have 3 to 4 matches a year.  His competition is relatively speaking, awful.  And they call him Pretty Boy Floyd for a reason.  He doesn't like to get hit and gets shaken when he does, and he fights way too defensively.  You have to go for the K.O. sometimes.  Going 12 rounds throwing 20 punches per round is not a champion to me.  A smart fighter, yes, but not an all time great.

W.A.R., What is it Good For?

Absolutely nothing...

I have been a baseball fan for a long time, and I've loved the statistical part of it the entire time. I do NOT like the new "statistics" that people have been coming up with in the last few years, and I don't like that there are people that actually use them for comparisons! I am one of those weird people who actually likes math. I love messing around with numbers to see what I can come up with, which is exactly what Sabermetrics are. There are some of those stats that take actual statistics and combine them to make new ones, and that isn't always a bad thing. However, there are some that don't make sense to a lot of people.

I can not stand the "statistic" W.A.R. or Wins Above Replacement. Here is a definition from Wikipedia which states: "is a NON-standardized (emphasis mine) sabermetric baseball statistic developed to determine the value of a player's total contributions to their team, derived from baserunning, batting, fielding and pitching. It is claimed to show the number of additional wins a player would contribute to a team compared to a replacement level player at that position, usually a minor league player or a bench player."

I can appreciate taking into account the entire aspect of a player's contribution but to compare it to a "replacement" player who doesn't even have a name is ridiculous. To attribute the "statistic" to an MVP discussion is even more ridiculous! I would like to state right now that I have always been against this being used in any major discussion for years, not just because of the Miggy-Trout debate last year. I pointed out in my last post that I am a Tigers fan, but I am also a baseball fan and I will be objective in my view of the players during debates about awards.

So, Trout had an unbelievable W.A.R. last year and people were citing that as the reason he should have been MVP. Let's see why that makes no sense. Check out the first few words of the Wikipedia definition: "is a NON-standardized (emphasis mine) sabermetric baseball stat..." This stat is different on 3 different sites, all with different ways of calculating it! How can that be considered a statistic?!? I know there are ways to manipulate to any kind of numbers to say what you want but to have 3 different ways for W.A.R makes no sense, especially in an MVP debate.

So far this year Mike Trout has a 0.4 W.A.R. while batting .263/.336/.466 in 118 ABs with 3 HRs, and 4 SBs. He has also struck out 26 times but he has 14 Walks. Are the Sabermetric people really telling me that Jeff Baker, who sits at 0.5 W.A.R. batting .321/.406/.679 with 3 HRs in a measly 28 ABs is better than Trout at this point?!? I dare someone to say that Baker is better because he has a good average and a few home runs in very limited time at the plate.

No one would say that but this is the statistic that a lot of people were pointing to last year. Here is the other thing I don't like. How can a set of numbers tell us that a certain player is worth more wins than someone who would be called up from the minors? We could see a player called up to replace Trout and go off on a 4 month nut like Trout did and then what? Would Trout still be worth a number wins over that player? Probably not. No matter how you stack the statistics you can not say what a replacement player would or would not do given the chance. There are probabilities, of course, but no one can say for sure.

I don't think anyone saw Trout doing what he did last year. I thought his career numbers would be closer to what they are now (which is what he did in his 150 or so plate appearances the year before, coming in just shy of being considered a rookie). I still think he is the best candidate for that team at that position and I will not accept that Baker is 0.1 wins better than Trout. It just doesn't make sense.

This article is not here to defend the MVP selection last year. This is to say that I want to see those non-statistics go. I want ESPN to STOP putting so much stock into them. It makes you guys look foolish when, instead of congratulating a guy for winning the MVP, you write an article the day after to say how wrong it was. I have no problem with opinions, but to use W.A.R. as the basis of the article is downright stupid. Let's go back to just looking at the contributions of the player who is here and not what he is doing compared to an unnamed player who may actually rake for a few months.

The Ultimate Let Down

The New York Knicks came into the 2012 - 2013 NBA playoffs with an extreme amount of confidence.  They racked up a 12 game winning streak near the end of the season, Carmelo Anthony was playing like an MVP, J.R. Smith became the 6th man award winner and were the 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.  Then they began their series against long time hated rival, Boston Celtics.  The Knicks took a commanding 3 - 0 series lead before you could even blink.  Then you blinked and all of a sudden we have a series.

The Celtics won the last 2 games of this series, one in each city, and are headed back to Boston for a game 6.  If the Celtics win this game tonight then Red Sox vs Yankee talk will begin.  What?!  Well the Sox were down 3 games to none in the 2004 playoffs.  Then miraculously Boston won the next 4 games to win the AL Championship against long time hated rival, the New York Yankees.  Many New York fans are anticipating and fearing another meltdown.

If the Celtics win game 6 then I'm not sure the Knicks have it in them to win a pressure packed game 7, even on their home court.  The Knicks have been knocked out of the first round the last two seasons and therefore have relatively no playoff experience.  The Celtics however do, just winning the title a few years ago and one game away from going back to the Finals last year.

The point is that the Celtics won't feel the pressure.  They've been here before, they have an excellent head coach and some of the smartest players in the game.  The Knicks are an erratic, jump shooting team that should be at the free throw line 50 times a game with guys like Melo, Smith and even Felton.  The Knicks don't penetrate to the hole enough and rely on pull up jumpers and long three point attempts.  The Knicks have proven they can win games that way but you cannot rely on that style every single game.

Carmelo Anthony is the best player on the floor.  He needs to act like it and play like it.  No more settling for the mid-range jump shot.  Take the ball to the hoop and create plays and get your butt to the free throw line. The Knicks must stop the momentum now which has completely swung in the Celtics direction.  I'm just no sure these Knicks can overcome such a shocker of a game 7 after being up 3 - 0.

And one last parting shot that I mentioned on my show yesterday along with others.  The wearing of black funeral type suits was stupid, immature, thoughtless and flat out wrong.  After the darkness surrounding the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, the Knicks never should have even given this a thought.  It may cost them the series as it lit a fire under the Celtics and it showed Tuesday night.  Let's see if that momentum carries over to tonight's game.

Route 4 Sports Podcast

Boy oh boy, do we have a lot to cover on the show today.  We got NBA playoffs, Jason Collins "coming out" as gay, Geno in - Tebow out with Jets.  We'll talk Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard plus how playoff basketball differs from the regular season.  Check out me and Ray at 1:00 pm EST this afternoon for 2 hours of LIVE sports talk.  We welcome all sports fans to call and voice their opinion.  Click the link and call 347-996-5176 to listen or call in. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thesportschroniclesradionetwork/2013/05/02/route-4-sports-podcast

Three Possible Landing Spots for Tim Tebow

“Tebow Time” came to an abrupt end as multiple media outlets confirmed that the disaster of an experiment in the Big Apple concluded with Tebow’s release. The 26 year-old quarterback lasted just one season with Rex Ryan’s circus that is called the New York Jets.

The drafting of Geno Smith by new GM John Izdik further solidified that Tim Tebow was really never in the plans for Gang Green. Now that his time in the media-infested New York is over, let’s take a look at some potential landing spots for everyone’s favorite (well, maybe not) backup QB.

Fan comments appreciated. Follow me on Twitter @JoeWedra to find out how your comment could be featured in my next article.

New England Patriots: Personally, I would love it if Tebow went to New England to play with Tom Brady. Notice I didn’t write “behind Brady”—with reason! The New England offense already has enough weapons, and certainly Bill Belichick could figure out something to do with Tebow, maybe even insert a college form of offense. Brady only has a few years left, and “Tim Terrific” could add an interesting dimension to an already powerful offense.

New England fans can be just as brutal as Jets fans, but let’s be honest—it would be great to see him play the Jets twice each year.

Nathan Pratt, FaceBook reader comment: New England. Tebow could fit into his offense somewhere and Brady is already the established starter so there won't be so many people starting drama and wanting him to start.

 Ben Alexander, FaceBook reader comment: New England! Belichick is a creative guy and could surely fit Tebow in somewhere.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Tebow going back to Florida and being a Jaguar could certainly be an option. Jacksonville was certainly in the running for Tebow’s destination when he left Denver, and it seems just as sweet now.
 
We all know that the Jaguars offense is brutally awful, and adding the “Tebow element” would surely fill the seats of a stadium that needs every fan they can get. General Manager Dave Caldwell didn’t address the quarterback need in the draft, and Tebow might just be the perfect fit for the new-look Jaguars.

Mark Bradley, FaceBook reader comment: The Jags! The whole town would love him. Also, with MJD (Maurice Jones-Drew), they already have a threat there so imagine another threat. The Dolphins would be good too, but I think the Jags would fit him best.

The Canadian Football League: Let’s start with the reader comment on this option, and then we will explore the possibility:

Austin Weiss: The Canadian Football League. I don’t think that Tebow possesses the skill-set that NFL coaches are looking for.

I agree with you, Austin, that Tebow might not have what it takes to be the conventional, modern-age, quarterback, but teams could certainly work him in their offense in an interesting way.

If every team decides to pass however, Tebow could play in another league. The Montreal Alouettes have rights to Tebow, and might grab him to be a staple in their offense.

Sure, it’s a totally different game, but let’s remember how Kurt Warner got his name!