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Easy E or Big Ben: The Debate of the Class of 2004

Oct 25

Posted by admin in 2004 Nfl Draft, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, New York, Pro Sports, QB controversy, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Steelers, Uncategorized, draft, giants, online sports community, pittsburgh, quarterback | 1 Comment

By Matt Valentine

The 2004 NFL deaft will certainly go down as one of the best drafts for Quarterbacks, perhaps in the history of the game.

That draft gave us 3 outstanding QB’s in Eli Manning the Number 1 overall pick, Ben Roethlisberger, and Phillip Rivers. Roethlisberger felt overlooked by the Giants when they chose Rivers with the fourth overall pick and packaged him in a trade to San Diego.

Big Ben vs. Easy E

Big Ben vs. Easy E

This Sunday’s marquee match-up between the 5-1 Steelers and the 5-1 Giants takes us back to a question many have been asking since that 2004 NFL draft: Which QB was the better pick?

It’s really a tough call, even for a Giants fan like myself, both QB’s have excelled at the game since entering the league though it is undeniable that it took Eli Manning more time to mature.

If based on pure stats Big Ben would seem to have the edge on Easy E. In his career thus far Roethlisberger has a better completion percentage (63.2), more yards (12,836), more TD (93), and less interceptions (57) then Eli.

In Eli’s career thus far he has a completion percentage of 55.4 has thrown for 12,774 yards, and has tossed 85 TD’s with 68 INT.Eli also led his team to a Super Bowl win last season against the undefeated Patriots.

In Roethlisberger’s first season he was dominant, going 13-0 and leading his team to a 15-1 record. In his next season he won the Super Bowl.

Manning’s first season was nowhere near as dominant. The Giants went 6-10 that year, with Manning compiling a 1-6 record.

In fact, Roethlisberger holds the edge in every statistical category including wins. Big Ben’s career record stands at 44-17 while Mannings’ stands at 35-26

So, if the game was measured in statistics alone clearly Roethlisberger would have the edge, but there are other factors to take into consideration.

For example, Manning was instrumental in leading the Giants on their playoff run and eventual Super Bowl win. Roethlisberger on the other hand, struggled mightily in his Super Bowl appearance and many would argue that his team won in spite of him not because of him.

Manning played superb in the Super Bowl and throughout his playoff run, leading his team on one of the most classic drives in history culminating with a 17 yard TD strike to Plaxico Burress to seal a 17-14 win over the then undefeated New England Patriots.

Also, Roethlisberger went to a team that was ready to win, and could suffer the occasional rookie mistake. Manning went to a team that was on a down swing and in just four years took them to a Super Bowl.

The debate will continue long after Sunday’s game and can only truly be measured when one of the two ends their football career. However, this Sunday at Heinz Field we get a measure of an answer with the winner taking the crown…at least for the time being.

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Padres Ace Peavy on the Market

Oct 17

Posted by admin in Baseball, Braves, Cy young, MLB, New York, Peavy, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, Yankees, atlanta, jake peavy, online sports community, padres, san diego, trade, trade talks | 1 Comment

By Matt Valentine

In what I would deem a fairly surprising move, the Padres are considering moving ace pitcher Jake Peavy to the highest bidder.

Peavy, a Cy Young winner had somewhat of a down year this season with 10 wins and 11 loses, but performed quite well in every other pitching category. He had the third lowest ERA in the National League with a 2.85 and struck out 166 batters.

Peavy does have a no trade clause in his contract which could help him get his choice of team, but apparently his top five choices have not expressed enough interest to make them a viable option. Among Peavy’s top choices are Atlanta, St. Louis, the Chicago Cubs, the L.A. Dodgers and the Houston Astros.

Jake Peavy is on the trading block

Jake Peavy is on the trading block

Yet, none of these teams have made a viable offer and the Padres have begun reaching out to other teams.  Of course, when any big name comes on the market the Yankees are always in the mix, but many believe that Peavy would not enjoy playing in New York or in the American League for that fact, and are unsure if he would sign off on a deal that sent him to the Yankees.

The Braves seem to be the team in the best position to make a deal for Peavy which would have to include some young pitchers and perhaps a few outfielders. The Braves have promising young talent in pitchers such as Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson and center fielders Jason Heyward and Jordan Scaefer. However, the Braves are reluctant to talk about dealing their best prospects.

Peavy is an extremely attractive trade option because he is under contract until 2013 and is just 27 years old. It is very rare that a pitcher of Peavy’s talent and youth is even considered trade bait, but many in the Padres front office feel the team needs to get younger now, and Peavy is their best bargaining chip.

Where Peavy will land is anyones guess, but one thing is for sure… it won’t be in San Diego.

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Giants Players Side with Coach on Plax Suspension

Oct 3

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, New York, New York Giants, Plaxico Burress, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Star Player, Suspension, Uncategorized, giants, online sports community, star, wide receiver | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

Make no mistake about it Plaxico Burress is an extremely talented player…he’s also quickly becoming a distraction in the Giants lockeroom.

Burress standing on the sidelines, which is where hell find himself this Sunday.

Burress standing on the sidelines, which is where he'll find himself this Sunday.

Plax spent much of the off-season posturing (with the aid of his agent Drew Rosenhaus) for a new contract after a year in which he hauiled in a career high 12 TD and caught the game winning TD in the Super Bowl. So what did Burress do? He sat on the sideline for most of the off-season, training camp and pre-season with a supposed “ankle injury”. In fact, Plax was just refusing to play until he got what he thought he deserved.

And how did the Giants star wideout return the favor to the team that granted him his wish and gave him a lucrative contract extension? By missing practice the Monday following his teams overtime win over the Cincinnatti Bengals on Sunday and not even bothering to phone in and tell the team why he was not in attendance until later that evening.

Burress was dealing with a “important family matter”, what exactly that matter was, was not disclosed, but it should be noted that Burress has been involved in a number of domestic altercations since joining the Giants in 2004.

The Giants and Burress recently settled on the terms of the suspension levied by the team after Burress appealed the original suspension through the NFLPA. Burress was originally fined $235,249 or two weeks pay, but that fine was cut in half to $117,000, though he will still be suspendend for this Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The decision to suspend Burress was made by both Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and GM Jerry Reese, and has received support from nearly every player in the Giants locker room.

“I can’t speak for Plaxico, but as a team it’s indicative of our coaches trying to make a statement as far as every guy on this football team is equal and I think (Tom Coughlin) got his point across,” defensive end Justin Tuck said. “I hope he got his point across.”

Giants players are not the only ones who hope Coughlin made his point loud and clear to Burress, Giants fans also have to be concerned with the receivers seeming discontent with practicing.

Many felt that Burress was a warrior last season for playing through bothersome ankle and knee injuries, but recently there has been some grumbling around the league that any player that sustained similar types of injuries would have at least attempted to practice or would have been forced to do so by the team.

Now the Giants will be forced to play without their leading receiver heading into Sunday’s contest against the Seahawks and the team and fans are praying that his absence doesn’t cost the team its perfect record.

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The Jets Are Not Getting Their Money’s Worth

Sep 24

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Favre, Football, Free Agents, New York, New York football, Offseason, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, defense, jets, offense, online sports community | No Comments

by Matt Valentine

The NY Jets were the most active team during the off season this year revamping their offensive and defensive units with what many thought would be some key signings. Then just when you thought they couldn’t do much more they added future Hall of Fame QB Brett Fave and instantly turned themselves into a playoff contender. At least, that’s the way most people thought it was going to happen, but after the first three weeks of the season that scenario is looking less and less likely.

The Jets opened the season promisingly enough holding off former Jets QB Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to capture a 20-14 victory. Since that game however, the Jets have looked anemic on both sides of the ball in loses to New England in week 2 and San Diego on Monday night.

The loss on Monday night seemed to magnify some of the Jets most glaring weaknesses. For one they had an extremely hard time moving the ball in the first half and though the Jets defense did score the games first points on a pick six by linebacker David Barrett, the offense turned the ball over 3 times in the half, twice on Favre interceptions and once on a Thomas Jones fumble.

Another obvious weakness was the Jets inability to convert on third downs. The Jets were just 1-8 on third downs, while Phillip Rivers and the Chargers were 9-13.

Though Favre’s final stat line looks decent enough ( 30-42, 271, 3TD, 2INT)  it is pretty deceptive. First, Favre should have finished the game with at least 4 INT, he threw the ball directly into the hands of Charges defensive backs Antonio Cromartie, and Clinton Hart ,but neither were able to haul in the pick. Second, Favre racked up most of his passing yards and touchdowns late in the second half when the Chargers had a large lead and went into prevent mode allowing Favre and the Jets to catch passes underneath and drain the game clock.

Favre has struggled to learn the offense and it has showed on the field. He has yet to establish timing with his receivers which has resulted in a number of miscues that have cost the Jets in the first three weeks. Add to that that the Jets supposedly revamped line has not afforded him with the time or protection to make plays down field and you have the makings of a 1-2 record.

The O-line has also not given Thomas Jones the type of running room you would like for the money. If they could give him more space to operate then maybe he could take the pressure off Favre and allow him to settle in, instead of basically placing the entire outcome of the game in his hands.

The Jets defense has struggled as well. The one thing that did become clear Monday night was that without Kris Jenkins manning the middle the Jets could be run on and run on often. Calvin Pace the Jets other defensive off-season acquisition has yet to make himself heard and he better start soon if he wants to earn the paycheck the Jets are handing him each week.

Then for the second week in a row there was questionable play calling by head coach Eric Mangini. With the Jets trailing by just 3 points (14-17) Mangini decided to go for an onside kick in the second quarter. The kick was recovered by the Chargers, who scored on the ensuing drive and all momentum was lost for the Jets.

The one bright spot for the Jets was their special teams. Leon Washington had two nice returns one 94- yarder and one to mid-field which eastablished excellent field position for the Jets.

If the Jets want to go anywhere this year they’re going to need the guys they brought in, in the off-season to play up to their contracts or this 1-2 record may not just be growing pains, but a sign of things to come.

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Are the Mets Due for Another September Collapse?

Sep 17

Posted by admin in Basbeball, Baseball, Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Historic collapse, Mets, New York, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, Wild Card, online sports community, playoffs | No Comments

It’s that time of the year again for Mets fans and I’m sure many of them are cringing, and feeling almost the exact same emotions as the did the same time just one year ago.

If you recall it (and I’m sure every Mets fan does) it was this time last year that all Mets fans were watching their teams historic September collapse, giving away a 7 game lead with just 17 games to play and surrendering their NL East lead to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Well, here we are in September again, and here the Mets are, this time surrendering a 3 game lead to the Phillies who now own sole possession of first place in the NL East after Ryan Howard’s go-ahead homer in the 8th inning Tuesday night gave the Phillies an 8-7 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Once again, the Phillies and Howard in particular, seem to thrive in September while the Mets and their offense seem to fold.

The Mets who lost to the Nationals in back-to-back games while surrendering their NL East lead just can seem to get  it clicking on all cylinders when it matters most. They received an outstanding pitching performance from Mike Pelfrey but let it go to waste by providing him with no offense in a 1-0 nothing loss to who else, but the Washington Nationals, the same team that squandered the Mets playoff hopes late last season.

This loss came just one day after John Lannan held the Mets to one hit over seven innings, New York managed just two hits against Odalis Perez Tuesday night.

This time around there will be no one to blame except for the Mets players themselves, no Willie to take the heat for a team that just cannot get it done when the pressure is on. If its not the bullpen surrendering runs in late innings of what should have been wins, then its the Met offense whose bats go quiet at the most inopportune times.

And while the Mets remain just a 1/2 game behind the Phillies for the NL East lead their fans grow restless that another September swoon may be on the horizon.

There is still the wild card, even if the Mets do surrender the division to the Phillies, but even that is not a certainty as another team whose had a September to forgot, the Brewers, are just a 1/2 game back.

Perhaps worst of all for the Mets is that they’ve now lost both Fernando Tatis and Damion Easley to injuries. Two right handed bats that the Mets can ill afford to lose down the stretch. Tatis has been an especially nice surprise for the Mets returning from baseball after a prolonged absence to put together some clutch performances when the team needed them most.

Speaking of clutch performances that’s exactly what the Mets are going to need down the stretch to avoid their second consecutive season without a postseason appearance. They need their stars to step up now more then ever, players like David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Pedro Martinez need to demonstrate to their team, and most importantly their fans that this September will not end like last years did.

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Giants Beat Skins in NFL Season Opener

Sep 5

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, New York, New York Giants, Pro Sports, Season Opener, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, online sports community | No Comments

Before the game began fans of both teams had questions on their minds about this coming season.

Would Eli play like he did during his magical playoff run which led to a Super Bowl MVP? Would the Giants defense be able to apply the same pressure without Osi Umenyiora, and Michael Strahan? Would the Redskins look as dismal as they did in their final two postseason games?

Actually the answer to all these questions seems to have been a resounding yes.

After Michael Strahan came out to fire up the crowd with the Lombardi Trophy in hand the Giants took the opening kick off and drove 84 yards in 11 plays with Eli running a boot leg in the endzone to secure a 7-0 first quarter lead. During the drive Eli and his favorite target Plaxico Buress, who was awarded with a contract extension hours before the game began, connected on some big third down conversions to keep the drive alive.

Manning scores first touchdown of the NFL year.

Manning scores first touchdown of the NFL year.

Then the Giants defense on their first play from scrimmage, were able to answer the questions about their ability to apply the same type of pressure on QB’s that helped lead them to a Super Bowl Championship. Justin Tuck and Fred Robbins both broke through the Skins line and sacked QB Jason Campbell. It was a foreshadowing of things to come for both the Giants defense and the Redskins offense.

The Redskins looked befuddled under new head coach Jim Zorn’s West Coast scheme. Jason Campbell in particular looked like he had little idea of how to run this offense, on many occasions electing to check down for three or four yard gains in 3rd and long or fourth and long situations.

Washington’s defense didn’t look too much better allowing the Giants to drive down field on three consecutive drives, but holding firm in the red/green zone, relenting field goals instead of touchdowns. Perhaps the closeness of the game was more a result of conservative play calling from the Giants rather then stellar defense from the Redskins.

The Giants have to be happy about their performance on both sides of the ball. Brandon Jacobs was an absolute beast last night, literally plowing over Redskins on his way to 116 yards on 21 carries. Just ask Redskins safety Dawan Landry about what its like to try and tackle Jacobs. Manning completed 19 of 35 passes for 216 yards and 1 interception. He looked very good on third down conversions, but did throw some of those trademark ill advised passes that could have reversed the course of the game had Washington been able to make a play on them. Plaxico Burress who is finally healthy after fighting through knee and ankle injuries last season had a dominant 10 catch 133 yard performance and at times made the Skins secondary look like high schoolers. Despite the win though the Giants left a number of points on the board and allowed Washington to hand in the game much longer then they shouuld have. They also did not score a point in the second half, but then again they didn’t really need to.

The Giants defense was outstanding. New York limited the new-look Redskins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards and gave indications that these Giants are back for another run despite the preseason predictions that there chances of repeating are slim.

With one in hand now each team will go back to the drawing board and try to improve on this weeks performance. The Redskins will have to make a lot of adjustments if they are to be contenders in the ultra competitive NFC East. The Giants on the other hand have to be happy about picking up right where they left off, now they just have to focus on finishing drives instead of setteling for field goals and all should be well in New York.

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Giants and Strahan In Talks about Comeback

Aug 26

Posted by admin in Fantasy, Fantasy Sports, Justin Tuck, New York, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Strahan, Umenyiora, Uncategorized, comeback, giants, inury, knee damage, ligament, online sports community, retirement, season ending | No Comments

It happened in the blink of an eye. What was once the Giants greatest strength coming into the season quickly became a glaring weakness and now the Giants have reached out to the recently retired former Giant great Michael Strahan in hope of having him return to the team to replace the inured Osi Umenyiora.

Umenyiora’s injury occured in the second quarter of the Giants preseason game against the Jets. While trying to bull rush a lineman Osi twisted his knee awkwardly sustaining ligament damage that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Inital reports from the team had stated that there was no ligament damage to the knee, but upon further examination docotrs discovered that Umenyiora would require season ending surgery.

Now the Giants are left hoping that Strahan can come out of retirement and continue to play at the level he did last season. Strahan is currently on vacation in Greece, but his agent Tony Agnone has been in talks  with the Giants officials about a possible comeback.

For the time being, however, the Giants have moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end, the same position he manned throughout his college career and in his first season with the Giants. Linebacker Danny Clark who was signed by the Giants in the offseason will move to strong side linebacker , while Gerris Wilkinson will man the weak side.

Strahan had mulled retirement last season , missing all of training camp before returning to the team to help lead them to their Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. However, unlike last season when Strahan had continued to work out to try and maintain a football physique he has done little this off season to keep himself in playing shape.

Sources have stated that Strahan is seriously considering the comeback, but he expects to make at least $8 million for the season and could demand as much as $12 million. The Giants do have $12 million available under the salaray cap, but it is unlikely that they would offer Strahan the full $12 million just in case moves need to be made during the season.

Strahan is scheduled to begin work for Fox’s NFL pregame show, yet executives at Fox have told Strahan that his job would be waiting for him should he decide to accept the Giants offer.

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch has expressed his interest in Strahan returning to the Giants,

“Would I like Michael to be a New York Giant this season? Absolutely. Absolutel. Will he be? I have no idea. I don’t even want to put a percentage on it but things changed very quickly [Saturday] night and if one of the potential solutions is to reach out to Michael, worst-case, it’s certainly worth a phone call.”

While there is some optimism about a possible Strahan return around the organization, many of Strahan’s former teammates are not as optimistic.

Justin Tuck the man who replaced Strahan at defensive end has this to say,  “As I know it, he is probably on a beach somewhere sipping on some pina coladas, so I doubt football is the first thing on his mind today.”

What we do know is that we’ve already seen one great make a return from retirement in New York and now its possible that we may see another. The Giants season may hinge on it.

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Bretty and The Jets

Aug 7

Posted by admin in Fantasy Sports, Football, NFL, New York, Pro Sports, Sports, Sports Events, Sports Stars, Uncategorized, brett favre, condiotonal pick, jets, online sports community, trade | No Comments

By Matt Valentine

The Favre saga in Green Bay has finally come to an end…allow me a moment to rejoice.

With a late night deal announced around 12:30 AM EST the Favre era in Green Bay officially came to an end and a new chapter will begin in the city that never sleeps.

Favre who is no stranger to the camera, will now find himself paying under the bright lights of Broadway, or more accurately the bright lights of Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It must be a stunning upset to Buccaneers fans who thought they were the front runners in the Brett Favre sweepstakes, only to wake and find that the Jets had lured Favre to New York for a conditional draft pick in 2009.

According to NFL.com, the Packers will receive a fourth-round draft pick in 2009. The selection would turn into a third-rounder if Favre plays in 50 percent of the plays this season, a second-rounder if he plays in 70 percent and the Jets make the playoffs, or a first-round pick if he plays in 80 percent and the Jets make it to the Super Bowl.

Favre will most likely have to pass a physical before the trade becomes official, but the more important aspect of the deal is that Favre, who was once seemingly opposed to playing in New York, apparently signed off on the deal.

Favre’s arrival in New York signals the beginning of one era and the end of another, that is the end of the Chad Pennington era. Pennigton who is due to make $6 million will be traded or released by the Jets to make room for Favre who is scheduled to earn $12.7 million in 2008. I feel for Pennington, who was a player that poured his heart and soul into the Jets organization  fighting throw significant arm injuries to return to the team he loved. Yet, there are plenty of teams out there, perhaps the Bucs or Vikings, who could use the services of the weak armed but accurate QB.

The Jets stock has risen on many fronts with what could prove to be one of the best off seasons in the leagues history.  The Jets made significant additions through free agency to shore up some of their most glaring weaknesses. Particularly the addition of Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca to a young and improving line that contains promising starters Nick Mangold and D’brickashaw Ferguson should provide Favre with plenty of time to air it out.

How long Favre will be a Jet remains to be seen. The Jets have stated that they are taking it year by year and with the way Favre has handled things in the past that’s probably the best way to look at the situation. For now though, the Jets may have just turned themselves into a legitimate playoff contender and could even challenge the Patriots for the top spot in the AFC East.

Now that the move has finally been made, the media can focus on Brett’s moves on the field instead of off the field and I for one am happy as hell. Still, I wonder if the Packers and Favre will ever be able to mend their relationship in the future, considering that just a brief time ago the two were pretty much synonymous with one another.

And while Green Bay fans are probably in a state of deep mourning, or anger depending on how quickly they’re moving through the grieving process, Jets fans are in a deserved state of euphoria.

A euphoria which will only last as long as the Jets and Favre win.

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