January 2011 Monthly Thread

[Hanging out with Lori]

Happy New Year everyone!

Anyone into today's bowl games? I'm more into tomorrow's NFL games. I think the Giants might win, but so will Green Bay so they will miss the playoffs.

[ICouldCareLess]

Originally Posted by Hanging out with Lori

Happy New Year everyone!

Anyone into today's bowl games? ...

Sadly, the BCS has really taken a good deal of the fun out of New Year's Day. Now that the Cotton, Orange and Sugar Bowls have been moved there is a real lull to the rest of the day. I used to think that Jan 1 was the best day of the year ... and then the rest of the year was downhill.

On the flip side, having all of these extra Bowl games stretched out over the past two weeks has been amazing. I've actually watched all 26 games that have been played thus far!

Too bad about the rain in Pittsburgh, since the Rangers will be playing in addition to the overlap with The Rose Bowl Game and the Fiesta, so I probably won't see much of the game at all. When it comes down to it, that first (CBC) game in Edmonton was successful, but all of the subsequent outdoor NHL games have suffered pitfalls ...

[deanezag]

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/met...r-mets-hitters

Here's a good article for the Met fans that visit this site about the lineup and things to look at next year,

Interesting facts like: [Thole] showed he could hit the fastball, as most major leaguers can, but his numbers against everything slow (curves, sliders, changeups), were below-average. Thole’s OPS against non-fastballs was .363. For everyone in the sport, it was .625.

[ICouldCareLess]

Originally Posted by deanezag

... Here's a good article for the Met fans that visit this site about the lineup and things to look at next year ...

You really can't listen to a guy who thinks Jason Bay and Luis Castillo should be in this lineup next year ...

[deanezag]

Originally Posted by ICouldCareLess

You really can't listen to a guy who thinks Jason Bay and Luis Castillo should be in this lineup next year ...

That has nothing to do with the stats presented?

And what is your plan for Bay and his 40m? Bench him?

[Hanging out with Lori]

Originally Posted by deanezag

That has nothing to do with the stats presented?

And what is your plan for Bay and his 40m? Bench him?

Bay has to play. It could be just that last year was an off-season before he got the concussion. I was never impressed with him before he came to the Mets but he did put up big numbers especially in Boston.

[ICouldCareLess]

Originally Posted by Hanging out with Lori

... I was never impressed with him before he came to the Mets but he did put up big numbers especially in Boston.

He's a nice enough guy, but I never thought him to be anywhere near as good as the stats he routinely posted. I almost hate to take a Chris Russo approach to things, but I have always discounted his performance based on context. How many challenging ABs did he have with the Pirates? The team lost 100 games a year while he was there. I don't think pitchers were too afraid of allowing five-run homers to him. When he was with the Red Sox he was a latter-day George Foster; a guy who could turn on a fastball, but far from the most dangerous hitter in the lineup.

It does not surprise me that he got injured and missed the remainder of the season, but even before the year started I expected 16/75/.270 from him, nothing more ...

[Hanging out with Lori]

Time to re-visit one of Mike's week 1 NFL picks. He said that Tampa Bay shouldn't be favored over anybody on the planet, not even some college teams, and that they would have a terrible season. Check around the 2:00 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zj475dEcjA

[ICouldCareLess]

Originally Posted by Hanging out with Lori

Time to re-visit one of Mike's week 1 NFL picks. He said that Tampa Bay shouldn't be favored over anybody on the planet, not even some college teams

The Bucs were a fun team to watch this year. I thought LaGarrette Blount proved to be the biggest steal of the draft, though his demise was entirely self-induced. But unlike the Bucs, there were a lot of pretty bad teams this year, and some of them (like the Chiefs) are headed for the playoffs. I don't normally watch the Sunday night game, but I find this Rams-'Hawks game intriguing, so I'll probably check it out ...

[tnt1528]

before the season started i told you all im a seahawks fan in bklyn, and stated all im looking for is 8 and 8 and the division title...well ill take 7-9 too..before you all want to change the rules because a losing record might get in,just ask yourself this,,,if your favorite team in any sport made the playoffs with a losing record,do you care what the record is?????i didnt think so...if seahawks make it i think mike is wrong (as if he is ever wrong),some announcer cpl of weeks ago (sirigusa??) said they got in at 7-9 and had no regrets about being there......seattle would be first ever division winner with a losing record but mike never acknowledged that,at least not when i listened today,,,,

[ICouldCareLess]

Originally Posted by tnt1528

... before you all want to change the rules because a losing record might get in,just ask yourself this: if your favorite team in any sport made the playoffs with a losing record,do you care what the record is? ...

I wouldn't care, and I think they are as entitled to their playoff spot as anybody else. The only problem I do have is with people who bash the Bowl system and the BCS in favor of a playoff. You know. All of those NFL zealots who ignore it when an 8-8 (or in this case, 7-9) team makes the playoffs or a 9-7 plays for the league championship ...

[tnt1528]

patriots,11-5 not in playoffs,,,,,cardinals/steelers both in super bowl 9-7...so before experts figure out how to keep out7-9, try to "fix this disgrace" first

[tnt1528]

about only thing mike got right this season was saying someone will win with a 7-9 record,of course he said it when they were both 5-6....there goes mangini,and why would oakland fire cable??this is their 1st winning season in how long?????(i consider 8-8 winning season because it sure isnt under 500)

[ICouldCareLess]

Man, I realize Mike runs on negativity, but has he really waited until 3:00 to talk about the New York team that is actually headed to a postseason?

[Hanging out with Lori]

Originally Posted by ICouldCareLess

Man, I realize Mike runs on negativity, but has he really waited until 3:00 to talk about the New York team that is actually headed to a postseason?

Francesa tells Kyle in Patterson he is a "Jet fan without a brain":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0y07veX-1s

[ICouldCareLess]

Originally Posted by Hanging out with Lori

Francesa tells Kyle in Patterson he is a "Jet fan without a brain"...

Well, he clearly was. He said "the Jets are the team to beat because i think they are" ...

[Gordon Gekko]

Not to bother HOWL but I'm asking if anyone has the audio at around 4:36 in which Mike claimed once again that the Jets lit a fire under Tom Brady this season. First Mike claimed it was the Jets week 2 victory which is not what he stated weeks ago, after the game in which the Pats destroyed the Jets, he said it happened a few weeks before, I'm assuming he meant after the Cleveland game.

I don't know what the Cleveland loss has to do with the Jets, I don't remember any Jets players or coaches specifically taunting the Patriots at all this year. A second caller challenged Mike saying he never heard anyone in the media or surrounding the Pats thinking Brady wasn't taking this year seriously at any time. Mike kept referring to people, I guess these are Mike's sources but Mike should check out the specific game stats, can anyone find a two game stretch in which Brady played bad or even semi mediocre.

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/player/tom/brady/5228/gamelogs/


This idea that there were a stretch of games in which Brady played lackluster but then heard the Jets talking loudly, got upset and decided to play like an MVP is utterly absurd.

Also Mike claims there was talk that Tom Brady had been distracted by a jet set lifestyle. I did an archived news.google.com search and could not find anything to substantiate Francesa's claims, you have to love how he makes things up from nothing but his imagination.

[HelterSkelter]

The Patriots started playing at the level they are at now after the Cleveland loss that commenced with their destruction of the Steelers. As a Steeler fan, I was worried how poorly they played against the Brown and lost by 20 believing they would rebound. To say they rebounded in that game and in the games thereafter would be an understatement.

I never understood Mike's statement re: the Jets, since the 45-3 game was at least a month later and Brady and co. were playing at a high level before the Jets game.

[Gordon Gekko]

Originally Posted by HelterSkelter

The Patriots started playing at the level they are at now after the Cleveland loss that commenced with their destruction of the Steelers. As a Steeler fan, I was worried how poorly they played against the Brown and lost by 20 believing they would rebound. To say they rebounded in that game and in the games thereafter would be an understatement.

I never understood Mike's statement re: the Jets, since the 45-3 game was at least a month later and Brady and co. were playing at a high level before the Jets game.

Audio is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KAApT2lEcM

Yes but Mike was specifically referring to Brady's play. Before the Jets game in week 2 he had 3 TD's and 0 INT with a 120 QB rating. Up until the Browns game he had 14 TD's and 4 INT's with a QB rating of 100, he finished the year with a QB rating of 111.

Certainly he played even better after the Browns game but it was not like he was playing mediocre before.

[Gordon Gekko]

Somebody put together a nice Youtube of Mike's week 12 pronouncement that the Chargers would definitely win the AFC west.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZVvL7PFIik