My Letter to Mark...

Dear Mark,

Let's be honest, you thought of it probably before any of us Jets fans thought of it, and just like us, you thought of it half-serious/half-jokingly, right? I mean, the biggest circus in professional sports is available, why wouldn't the biggest circus of a franchise take a chance on him? Whatever the ratio of serious to kidding was for each of us, none of us really thought it would happen because we all knew it just didn't make that much sense. I mean, Woody, Mike, and especially Rex keep talking about how they're committed to you (they gave you a freaking extension the week before!), and as a sensible fan I'm committed to you too.

Everyone who watches you guys play consistently knows that you need another tackle to protect you, and it's no secret that your receivers and running backs are getting progressively worse. Even the defense, Rex's prized possession, hasn't made the evolution that we thought we'd see after the first year of this roller-coaster ride.

But while it's been a roller-coaster ride, it's been a whole lot more ups than downs, and I want to thank you for that. Mark, I can't lie, you've had your pretty awful moments; where were you for the first half of the 2010 AFC Championship? And how about the end of this past season? We're counting on your leadership, we used to refer to you as the Sanchize, we need you to be the man! With that said, thank you for the playoff road wins, the fourth quarter comebacks, and quarterback play that a Jets fan really isn't used to seeing.

I mean, you've turned the ball over a lot, which we all know maddens Rex more than a gross, callus infested foot, but you're also just three years into your already successful career. Last year was the year that you were supposed to make the jump into the top tiers of quarterbacks. Little do people know that your third-year numbers were comparable if not better than those of Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and mister Jets critic Joe Namath. You've been good and getting better, but it hasn't been good enough for our shit-talking coach, the New York media, and our overhyped, under knowledgable fan base. I don't know what they expect out of you when your right tackle lets guys hit you like it's his job, your number two and three receivers your first two seasons are gone, and your offensive coordinator only knows how to call screen plasses, slants, and RB draws, but apparently you underwhelmed what was expected out of you.

Here's where you're gonna learn Mark, that no matter what you do, you can't win with this organization. You play well enough to win 28 regular season and four playoff games in your first three years (more wins than a Jets quarterback has compiled in a three-year span since Namath from 1967-69), with an intelligent and innovative offensive coordinator on everyday of the week but game day, making big throws after said coordinator keeps you on a short leash long enough to get behind, and it still isn't good enough.

Well here's what I'm going to tell you, keep your head up and let Tim take some of the pressure off of you. I, and most knowledgable football people know, that it takes more than three seasons to really grow into the quarterback position. You've been good more than you've been bad, something I can't say for your new teammate, adversary, whatever we're calling him these days. Let these "geniuses" figure out how to run a wildcat offense, and you just make your plays when you're in the game, which for the time being, has to be somewhere between 65 and 75 percent of the snaps.

I know that's not the number you want it to be, but contrary to popular belief, we believe in you! We don't really believe in Tim. Despite his success and moxy, he makes you look like Aaron Rodgers when it comes to pocket passing, which is what wins in this league. I'm going to be honest with you, the defense and running game have been pretty good the majority of your tenure, so we're not all as attached to you as I am, and Tim's going to come in and play his ass off because he doesn't know how to do anything less. I believe that you put in work, I believe that you want to win as bad as anyone, now you need to make your teammates believe it, and you have to really play smarter to avoid those dumb boo birds.

Stop dicking around with Santonio on Twitter and actually command his respect. Invite Tim to Jets West and get everybody on the same page. You're not going to win this QB battle with your good looks, you have the tools to beat him out and be the starting quarterback of this team. Remember how you made everyone fall in love with you before the 2009 draft? Well get back on that hustle, times 10. We've seen you at your best and we've seen you at your worst, unfortunately New York finds a way to bring out the worst in people, now's the time for you to overcome that!

If you were playing anywhere else you'd have at least this next season and maybe the one after to keep proving that you're developing, but with this organization you don't always get what you deserve. We consistently under appreciate the guys who need our support, and give more to the guys who suck but sell jerseys. It's a vicious cycle, but know it's not you, it's us. It is kind of part you, but it's not really you, it's the position you play and the lack of success the team had last season. Who else can say they beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in back-to-back road playoff games?

I guess essentially what I'm trying to say to you Mark is I'm sorry that you're in the middle of the same old Jets being the same old Jets, but we brought you and Rex in to differentiate from that pattern, and up until the end of last season, it seemed that the transformation was taking place. Just because Tim thinks he's a quarterback, know what Rex knows; he's going to be more of a running back that is (semi)capable of throwing the football from time-to-time. Keep putting in work, become Tony Sparano's best friend, and show us how badly you want to KEEP winning.

These three years have been the best three years of my life as a Jets fan. It's funny how quickly everything soured when we stopped winning games, but non prisoner of the moment needs to realize that par for the course would have been a 4-12 season last year, not one where we almost made the playoffs and competed against some good teams. As long as you're my guy I don't want to call your team the same old Jets, and I just want you to know that you have my support, and you deserve every Jets fans support this season moving forward.

Make this your team, keep making the progress that you're noticeably making every season, and lead the best way you can, by example. That first pick or that first 3-and-out is going to be tough, but it's not gonna be the end of your season or career even...hopefully. Then again, you are a Jet. Keep your head up buddy.

Best Wishes,

Jared Mintz

P.S. Please don't punch Rex in the face this season.

It's Super Bowl weekend but all I wanna talk about is Basketball!

Well it's Super Bowl weekend, but there are more pressing issues (not really) that I need to talk about! I've been seriously neglecting the sport of basketball, and I need to acknowledge some of the things that I can't believe are happening, and some of the trends that quite frankly, I can believe are happening. Let's get into it!

- I can't believe that I have to eat my words, but I can believe that Eli Manning is an elite quarterback and the Giants are a better team than the Jets. I shouldn't even be mentioning the Jets in the same sentence as the G-Men right now, but the Giants really pulled it together and it's mainly due to Eli putting the team on his back and leading on the field and on the sidelines.

I said I wanted to see Eli continue his strong season in the games when it mattered; in the last game of the season against a desperate Dallas team he threw for 346 yards, 3 scores and completed over 70% of his passes, clinching the division and a playoff birth for the Giants. In the Wild Card matchup against Atlanta, Eli was at it again throwing for 277 yards and 3 scores, again with a completion percentage over 70. Then against Green Bay and San Francisco (both road games), who went a combined 28-4 in 2011, he threw for 330 yards and 316 yards respectively with 5 total touchdowns. The key stats in these games is 4 wins and one total interception!

Eli's in the zone and ready to defend his elite status, against a less than stellar Patriots defense. If sports were all logic this game should go to the Giants and Eli should take home his second Super Bowl MVP trophy. I'm not going to make any predictions, but I think we're in for a good game between two of the elite quarterbacks in the game. You happy now Giants fans? Sorry, Eli.

- While on the topic of New York teams, I can totally believe that the Knicks are off to the start that they're off to. I'm not going to say I'm not disappointed in their slow start, but to have expected them to be at the top of the standings at this point in the season, without a point guard, would have been incredibly wishful thinking. The fact of the matter is this is an incomplete team, playing in a lockout shortened season, in a system that really can't thrive without an offensive facilitator.

Look up and down the Knicks roster, who do they have that can successfully run an NBA offense? Toney Douglas is a shooting guard in a point guard's body, and quite frankly never played the point or has run an intricate offense. Mike Bibby's a dinosaur. Iman Shumpert has a tremendous skill set but hasn't been called on to be a distributor at any point in his basketball life. Jeremy Lin can't crack the rotation. It's sad but the Knicks last hope on their current roster is Baron Davis, who isn't going to be near 100% until around the All-Star break.

The Knicks had two main issues to address this offseason, point guard and big man. They did more than address the second of those issues, but if Baron Davis can't get healthy, or when he is healthy can't be the Baron Davis of old (which would make sense, because he hasn't gotten any younger and his work ethic probably hasn't gotten better), this Knicks team is going to disappoint a fan base that unrealistically thought they were further ahead in their rebuilding phase than they actually are.

And don't go blaming all of this on Carmelo Anthony. It doesn't look good for Melo when he takes the amount of shots that he takes and his teammates don't get the touches they need, but what do you expect when D'Antoni asks him to bring the ball up court and start the offense? The offense runs through Melo, so when he brings the ball up and gets to within 30-feet of the basket with the ball already, it's essentially Melo time. We've seen how efficient he and Amar'e Stoudemire could be together with a point guard getting them the ball, and without that catalyst for the offense, it could be a long, disappointing season.

But please be patient as this is a REBUILDING phase for the Knicks. Knicks fans all want them to be back to competing for a title because they have two all-star caliber players, but it takes a complete team to really compete in this league...unless you have LeBron.

-Speaking of LeBron, I can totally believe that the Heat, Thunder, Bulls, and Nuggets seem to be the cream of the crop in the NBA this season. This is going to be (already is) one of the more wild regular seasons in NBA history, where the playoffs could have completely different results than the season. Obviously everyone expected for the Heat, Thunder, and Bulls to battle for supremacy all season long, but where are the Mavs, Celtics, and Lakers? It was surprising to see such experienced teams get off to such slow starts, but this season is going to be a grind where the more athletic teams with the younger, fresher legs really prevail and run away with better records.

Even teams like Indiana and Philadelphia are playing better than anyone expected because they're comprised of young talented players that are familiar with one another. This is the season for a surprise team to take the league by storm, and that team could end up either being the Sixers or the aforementioned Nuggets. I don't want to tie the Nuggets in with the Knicks, but adding guys like Danilo Gallinari, Corey Brewer and Al Harrington to an offense run by Ty Lawson, who's one of the most underrated players in the league, really works better for an up-tempo offense than having a very talented guy like Carmelo Anthony who tends to slow down an offense.

As for Philadelphia, the core of the Sixers have been together for 2-4 seasons at this point, and with young quick guards like Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams, veteran wing players like Andre Iguodala and and Thaddeus Young, and complimentary big men who demand attention on all parts of the floor like Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes, this is a dangerous team. Consider that they're playing in a division that neither the Celtics or Knicks seemingly want to win, and this could be the year that the Sixers end up getting past the first round of the playoffs.

-Last NBA topic, I can't believe how good the Clippers are already. I know how good Chris Paul is, and I knew he'd be the perfect guy to play alongside two athletically gifted (understatement) bigs, but the other offseason additions that the Clips made are the difference between them competing and contending this season.

Between Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler, the Clippers added two guys who can score in a variety of ways, offer veteran leadership to a team of guys who haven't competed at the highest of levels, and most importantly, fill out a roster. Those two guys with Chris Paul make up 3 of the teams 5 starting spots, and allow Mo Williams to come off the bench where he has already earned a spot next to Jason Terry and Jamal Crawford as the league's best spark plug scorer's. Add Randy Foye, Reggie Evans, and now Kenyon Martin to this equation and this team is as good on paper as any team in the league. Watch out!

-A little college charm: I can't believe how good Aaron Craft and Thomas Robinson are. I originally was going to go out on a limb and declare each the best at their position, but Craft really doesn't have the numbers. Robinson on the other hand, is averaging 17.6 ppg and 12 rpg (#2 in the NCAA), and has done everything in his power to make the Jayhawks faithful forget not one, but two Morris's.

At this point, Robinson has posted 15 double-doubles in 22 games, including lines of 30 and 21, 21 and 18, 20 and 17, and 27 and 14 against a Baylor team that may boast the best frontcourt in the nation outside of Kentucky. Robinson showed signs of his capabilities as a Sophomore, but with the offense essentially running through him, he has led this top-10 Kansas team and will keep them in every game through late March.

Speaking of leading, I just can't get over how incredible of a player Aaron Craft is. I've watched a fair amount of Ohio State games (as everyone's on Sullinger watch), and I haven't seen a point guard play like him since Steve Blake. He's the type of player that hits big shots, gets his guy the ball where they're the most effective, and plays lockdown defense. I'm sorry for comparing him to another white point guard, but he's possibly the most efficient facilitator (I know it's Kendall Marshall) in the NCAA, and possibly the best defensive guard as well.

The Buckeyes have stifled guard heavy teams like Duke, Michigan, and Florida, and part of that has been Craft's intensity on the defensive end. He single-handedly took Seth Curry and Erving Walker out of their respective games, and caused Trey Burke to commit 5 Turnovers, his second worst output of the season. As important as Jared Sullinger is to the Buckeyes and their title hopes, Aaron Craft is the engine that makes that team go.



Those are my quick thoughts, I hope to post my hoops thoughts a bit more frequently, and will definitely address the state of the NFL shortly after this weekend. As always, thanks for reading, and enjoy the Super Bowl!

"I'm Really Sick Of..." and "Without a Doubt!" - NFL Late Season and NBA Offseason Edition

After 13 games of the 2011 NFL season, there are a few themes of the season that can be debated. Here are some topics that I don't think should make that list:

1) Aaron Rodgers is Without a Doubt the best quarterback in the NFL. I may come across like a clown by saying this but the way Aaron Rodgers has been playing over the past 20 games or so might be the best quarterbacking I've ever seen. Ever! Now I'm not calling Rodgers the greatest ever, not even the greatest of all-time amongst active quarterbacks, but this guy is making plays I've never seen made before. It's almost as if you took Tom Brady's arm and IQ and mixed it with Steve Young's athleticism and creativity.

I don't want to get too caught up in what he's doing just this year (see Manning, Eli), but he leads the league with 39 touchdowns, and he's throwing for around 317 yards a game, with a completion percentage just shy of 70, and here's the kicker, he's doing it with a QB rating of 123.3! The only other quarterback in NFL history to have a QB rating above 120 for a full season was Peyton Manning in his (then) record setting season of 2004. We're witnessing something special not just this year (in five playoff games : 67.8 % Comp, 303.4 yds/gm, 13 TD 3 INT, 112.6 QB Rating), but for many years to come.

Rodgers already has as many rings as fellow elite quarterbacks Manning and Drew Brees, and with a very talented defense and an abundant amount of skilled receivers catching his crisp passes, Big Ben and Brady better watch their backs or they'll be looking up at Mr. Discount Double-Check too.

2) Speaking of elite quarterbacks, I'm Really Sick of Eli Manning being called Elite. People, especially Giants fans, are always so concerned with where Eli Manning ranks amongst other quarterbacks in the NFL. Whether it's the younger brother complex, or the fact that fellow 2004 draft class QBs Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger are both incredible, Eli Manning has probably been one of the more debated quarterback for the past few seasons, and this year shouldn't end that debate! If what you're really seeking is the classification of elite then how can you put Eli in that conversation? Because he has a Superbowl championship? Because the Giants seem to be in the mix every season? These are factors that definitely play into Eli being a "top" quarterback, but elite?

I don't mean to take anything away from Eli, who is having an absolute career year and is really one of the better quarterbacks in the game, but how many players can you really consider elite? Rodgers, Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Bress...maybe Roethlisberger. Those are unarguably the five best quarterbacks in the league (lets give Peyton the benefit of the doubt and allow him to be innocent until proven guilty). If you want to say Eli's one of the elite quarterbacks this season, that's fine, he's having a monster season, but when he performs this way over a stretch of multiple seasons, not to mention starts winning more playoff games (all of his playoff wins are from 2007) then he'll undoubtedly be elite.

You don't become elite by winning in the middle of the season, and as great as Eli's playing, this season for him (and the Giants) will only be remembered by how it ends. Now we'll see how elite Eli really is.

3. Can we say it yet? Tim Tebow is Without a Doubt an NFL quarterback! What are the two most important things you're looking for out of your quarterback? Arm strength and accuracy or wins and leadership? Because yes, you're clearly not getting top notch pocket quarterbacking out of Tebow, but you clearly are getting leadership, and MOST importantly, wins. Yes, they're ugly wins, they're wins that the defense keeps the hopeless looking offense in for the majority of the games, but they're also wins that wouldn't happen if Tebow doesn't make multiple huge plays that end up being deciding factors.

This isn't a conversation that needs any stats other than 8-3. While an 8-3 record isn't necessarily enough to put on a resume and expect to land any open quarterback position, it should be enough to put confidence in an organization that saw its last quarterback go 12-21 over the past three seasons. If the Broncos win the AFC West this year, which is looking like a real strong possibility, John Fox absolutely deserves Coach of the Year for throwing out his old playbooks and drawing his offense up around Tebow, but how can Tebow not at least walk away from this season as a legitimate starting quarterback?

I'm not asking for him to be considered elite (let's see how many more games he can win before we even think about opening that can of worms), but I am completely sold that he can play the position, and do so with at least mild success, which he's proven he can over his 11 career starts. I can't lie, I'm intrigued by Tebowmania, in fact, I've gotten over the fact that my Jets got Tebowed when they shouldn't have lost to that team. I've gotten over it because despite the fact that the Jets allowed him to lead a game-winning 95-yard drive, they knew all he was going to do was run, and he still did it, successfully.

Real recognize real, this kid's been a successful quarterback. I'm not really sick of Tebow, just sick of the Tebow haters.

4) I'm already Really Sick of hearing about Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Yup, I said it, get used to it, because it's clearly not going anywhere. You think you're sick of hearing about it during Week 14 of the 2011 season, wait until the season's over. Then wait until the NFL Draft. Then wait until Training Camp 2012, followed by the preseason where both Luck and Peyton Manning look great. Then it's going to get worse by the week, possibly by the day. Sports fans, we have entered our new Brett Favre is retiring saga.

If Andrew Luck is the LeBron James, Stephen Strasburg, Sidney Crosby can't miss talent that everyone's been saying he is for over a year now, then how can the Colts not take him? Idiot Owner Jim Irsay hasn't said one thing either pro Peyton for 2012, or anti Luck for 2012, and face it, this Colts team will be lucky to win a game, let alone two before the season ends. The Colts intentionally didn't place Manning on the injured reserve this season so he could receive his full contract, could they possibly be ready to move on?

If they are, I hope they trade Manning early enough so that we don't have to live with this annoying story, or at least I hope they commit to Luck spending a year on the bench so he can learn from the best. Just know that if the two are on the same team, every game will end with questions as to who could have done a better job, and with both Manning and Luck's fathers being former quarterbacks, expect an even uglier dimension of annoyingness added to this story. Get better soon Peyton.

5) Jim Harbaugh is Without a Doubt NFL Coach of the Year. Assuming John Fox won't get the recognition he deserves for getting a 9/10 win team into the playoffs, Harbaugh will get the recognition for taking a team that hasn't won more than 8 games since 2002 and winning 11-13 games. Harbaugh inherited pretty much the same team that Mike Singletary was showing his weiner to for the past couple of years, and has turned them into a smash mouth football team. The niners have given up the least amount of rushing yards, and boast one of the best o-lines in the league, and most importantly, know better than to ask more out of Alex Smith than he can deliver. It was never a secret that Frank Gore was a premier running back, nor that Patrick Willis was a top defensive player, but Harbaugh has gotten the guys around those two stars to play their roles and this team could be playing deep into the winter.

Alright if you read my writing you know I'm an NBA FREAK! Here are my 5 NBA "I'm Really Sick Of..." "Without a Doubt!" points:

1) I know that my team was the beneficiary of the "Melo Drama" that lasted literally from mid-summer of 2010 until February of 2011, but I'm Really Sick of this Chris Paul drama. Whether this is all happening now because Paul played hardball with David Stern and other NBA Owners during labor negotiations, or the owners really just don't want to see stars ganging up, this story is awful and may be with us for months to come. I think it's a really sensitive matter to trade Paul to a large market team seeing how the NBA owns and operates the New Orleans Hornets, but Hornets GM Dell Demps has agreed now to multiple trade offers, let me clear that up, he's agreed to multiple FAIR trade offers, and for a number of reasons the deals haven't been approved by the league.

This isn't the portion of my opinion where I provide a solution, rather where I continue to sulk over how sick this situation could potentially make me. While I was really hopeful that the Knicks would be able to land CP3, realistically I knew it would be difficult, and I was almost relieved when he was traded to the Lakers as I thought it would be the end of the rumors. This probably would have been the best move for the Hornets as they would've scored Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Lamar Odom, and Goran Dragic, four very talented, diverse players who could really help fill out a roster that's been depleted by free-agency and a lack of time to acquire new players caused by the lockout. The Hornets would've landed several solid contributors, as well as a draft pick to help start over, but as you know the deal was vetoed. And if a Lakers trade was vetoed, why wouldn't a Clippers trade be vetoed? After all it would end up landing Chris Paul in one of the two biggest NBA markets on either team. With that said, Golden State, maybe spend your efforts looking for someone else to trade Monta Ellis for.

At this point I don't know how or if the Hornets will be able to get Paul traded, which is a shame as they could really start rebuilding their team by letting go of their star. It's understandable that the owners are against players using leverage and dictating where their teams trade them, but this almost seemed like the league cutting its nose off despite it's face. Believe me, I don't want to see the Lakers end up landing Paul and still having the potential to bring in Dwight Howard, and maybe this will create some way for the Knicks to get back in the CP3 mix, but I think these trades being vetoed is just the beginning of what will be a long, dragged out saga with Chris Paul and the Hornets.

2) While on the subject of potential Knicks (sort of), Tyson Chandler was Without a Doubt the guy for the Knicks to add this offseason. It would have been sweet if the Knicks were able to bring in Chandler, and still add a point guard, but Chandler will give the Knicks something they haven't had in close to 15 years. Chandler is a relentless rebounder and feared shot-blocker (see LeBron's passiveness in the Finals, yeah I'm giving Chandler partial credit for it!), and at the same time is the perfect athlete for Mike D'Antoni's tempo. Chandler is also a great pick-and-roll defender, and with the teams point guard still to be named (come on, anyone but Mike Bibby), it's good to know that they'll have big Tyson defending the paint and picking up the slack for his other frontcourt-mates.

The marriage of Chandler to the Knicks really works as Chandler will not only help Stat and Melo out on defense, his efforts will allow his star forwards to save more of their energy for the offensive end, where they'll both undoubtedly put in the majority of their energy. Chandler is without a doubt a top-five center in the league, and even higher if you're only talking about defense. Welcome to New York Tyson, now go clog the middle.

3) I'm Really Sick of Dwight Howard's inconsistency. I understand that Dwight's one of the game's nice guys, but you can't go around sending mixed messages day-in and day-out. One day Dwight wants to go wherever Chris Paul is, the next day he's illegally (NBA police are watching) being wined and dined by Nets brass, and then the next it's Orlando thats the place he wants to be for the rest of his career. What gives? Say what you want about Melo, but you knew all along where he wanted to be, and as much as Nuggets fans may dislike him for it, he kept it real. This is one of those situations where keeping it real, really can't go wrong.

Dwight will without a doubt give his all for whatever team he suits up for this season, but please, you know he's not resigning with the Magic. Whether he follows Shaqs suit and goes out West, or comes up North, he won't be with Stan Van Gundy's bickering ass or whatever underachieving wing players who are shying from the moment in Orlando come playoff time. When the long-standing president of the team steps down from his job after drunk-dialing you and begging you to stay, you know that he knows you're gone, and you too know that you're gone.

4) The Miami Heat will Without a Doubt win the NBA Championship in 2012. Who else? The Thunder? The Bulls? Come on, those teams were at least a year away come last spring/summer, and without a chance to really lure in free-agents or build team commodity this offseason, it's the perfect time for LeBron to come back and win his first championship. LeBron and Wade spent the whole summer together, Chris Bosh is ready for a bounce back season, the bench is filling out, they signed do-it-all Shane Battier, I'm not endorsing Eddy Curry at all, but he sounds motivated and definitely lost significant weight (we've heard this before), and they're just ready to start winning.

I'm going to stand by this statement all season, the NBA is without a doubt LeBron James' league. He's the best player in the league, and it's just not logical for the best player to be with another great player and not start winning championships. I think Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose are really giving everything they have to get on LeBron's level, but both are at least a season away. With several amnesties still to be applied, this Heat roster may not be final yet, but with LeBron and Wade, the Heat have enough. This is the year that they prove it.

5) I'm Really Sick of all of the rumors. This past weekend was overload! You just took months of free agency and crammed it into a weekend pretty much. I swear, I must've thought 20 different guys were going to be Knicks this weekend, maybe 2 of them are. I'm glad the NBA is back, but with that said, let's get the season started already!

Season Preview to follow soon...

What a night for Baseball!

Are You FREAKING Kidding Me???

Within fifteen minutes, both the Red Sox and Braves completed two of probably the five worst collapses in baseball history, and the Rays walked-off to put their stamp on the final Wild Card spot in the American League...after coming back from being down 7-0 in the bottom of the 8th inning!

If you were watching baseball on Wednesday night, night 162 of 162 games of the MLB season, you witnessed a night that won't be forgotten, truthfully until Friday night when the playoffs get underway, but in a historical sense for a really long time. Four teams competing for two playoff spots, two teams having blown tremendous leads throughout September, one night with the potential for two one-game playoff series if all four teams won.

Spoiler Alert! There won't be a 163rd night of the regular season.

We'll go chronological. The Cardinals took care of business as they should have, getting an 11 strike out complete game shutout out of their ace Chris Carpenter, the Cards smoked the wack-ass Astro's 8-0. Staying in the NL, the Braves, who led St. Louis by 10 games just a month ago, hosted the NL-best Phillies, and jumped out to a 3-1 lead through the first seven innings mainly thanks to Dan Uggla's 36th homerun of the season.

Jump over to the American League. You already know the story. The Red Sox held a nine game lead on the Wild Card earlier in the month! Well coming into today with wins in just 7 of their last 26 games, it's needless to say they had some problems on their hands, mainly the come-back kids, otherwise known as the Tampa Bay Rays. Both teams tied for the AL wild card, the Rays hosting the AL-best Yankees, and the Red Sox on the road against the lowly Orioles.

The Rays came hungry, going with hard-throwing ace David Price. Price got LIT-UP to the tune of two Tex-messages, translated into six runs in four innings, which led to a 7-0 deficit. With the Rays down early, the Red Sox failed to capitalize and fell behind 2-1 after three, until grabbing the lead back and ultimately taking a 3-2 lead through the middle of the game.

NL...the Braves held on to their 3-1 lead until the Phillies scrapped together runs in the seventh and the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra's. AL...while things took a turn into latter innings in Atlanta, rain started falling in the seventh in Baltimore with the Sox up 3-2, and AJ Burnett came into the game for a relief appearance in the bottom of the eighth in Tampa. Burnett got a ground ball out and was taken out of the game, and that's when things got weird.

While it was strange to see Burnett in that situation, it was even stranger to see what followed. With a 7-0 lead, the Yankees loaded the bases, then walked two runs in, then gave up a GRAND SLAM to Evan Longoria! Baseball caps turned inside out, fairweather fans going nuts, smiles and celebration prevailing from a recently depressing looking dugout, and a seven run lead reduced to just a one run lead, yup, we were in the midst of a rally.

With the Braves and Phillies duking it out, the Yankees survived the eighth and got the ball to Cory Wade with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Then the unexpected happened. Joe Maddon had seen enough of Sam Fuld, who pinch-hit just the inning before, and needed a big stick with two outs in the ninth and his team basically dead to rights. Enter Dan Johnson. The back-up catchers last hit came on April 27th, last long-ball on April 8th, this is your guy Maddon?

There's a reason he's a former Manager of the Year and I'm...not. Dan Johnson goes yard, ties the game up, the Trop's freaking out, except for the 75% of the stadium that're Yankees fans, this is baseball! Speaking of baseball...the tarp comes off the field at Camden and the Red Sox know the pressure's on.

NL...The Braves finally get a runner to third in the bottom of the 12th on a wild pitch, but can't bring him in. Sadly for Atl-iens, Hunter Pence bloops one in front of Jason Heyward and brings Brian Schneider home, Phillies take the lead, force Freddie Freeman into a 3-6-4 double-play in the bottom half, and complete the Braves collapse. Sorry Atlanta.

Speaking of sorry...the Red Sox get their guy Jonathan Papelbon into the game for the bottom of the ninth and a chance to at worst play for a playoff spot on Thursday. Paps fans Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds, two down, 163 here we come!

Tampa...top 12, Jorge Posada on first and Eric Chavez on second with one out. Rookie Jake McGee gets a Chris Dickerson strikeout and a Brett Gardner ground out, the Rays live to see another day.

Baltimore...two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox up one. Chris Davis hits a bullet to right on the first pitch, double. Uh-oh. Nolan Reimold up next to try and keep Baltimore alive in their World Series. Reimold goes 2-0, Papelbon gets him swinging at the next two, 2-2, Sox up one...not for long, tie game. Reimold goes to deep center, ground rule double, double uh-oh! Papelbon's pissed, Boston's scared, I'm going NUTS!

B.J. Upton's going to the on-deck circle as he leads off the bottom of the 12th back in Tampa. Upton sees four pitches, foul-ball, ball, swings and misses at the last two, Evan Longoria your move. But before the man who changed the game with one swing earlier in the night comes up, we have a runner on second with two outs in a tie game back in Baltimore.

The slumping Robert Andino comes to the plate, extra's would be fine as it would extend the O's season, but Andino's not looking for an extension, he's looking for...a hit? Andino rips one to left, Carl Crawford makes the shoe string slide, ball in his glove, ball OUT OF HIS GLOVE! Ball laying on grass, Reimold rounding third, throw coming in late, Orioles...Winning!

Minutes later Tropicana Field is shaking! Everyone in the stadium knows this won't be their "beloved" Rays final game of the 2011 season, especially Evan Longoria. Unfortunately for the Yankees, reliever Scott Proctor knew it as well. After six tough pitches came clarity, this will be the Rays final game of the regular season. This team is going to the PLAYOFFS! Longoria hits a laser just feet to the right of the left field foul line over the left field wall, Rays win, Red Sox lose, somewhere Dick Vitale is acting like he found the lost 92 Duke porno.

Within minutes we saw the Braves crumble, the Red Sox collapse, and the Rays surge. For the Braves it tied for the worst collapse in September in National League history, for the Red Sox it was the largest September collapse in Major League history, and for the Rays it was the largest deficit overcome in September to clinch a playoff spot in Major League history.

What will this mean for the postseason? I'm not sure. Are the Mets off the hook just yet? That I'm not sure about either. But I am sure that this was the most incredible night that Major League Baseball has seen in years. Wow!

June 22nd, 2011: A break in the clouds of the looming NBA Lockout

Last we checked, the Dallas Mavericks upset the Miami Heat and everyone was happy in the basketball world. The NBA is coming off of a monumental year with ratings and popularity, and star power is at an all-time high. However, as happy as basketball junkies have been with their sport of preference, there’s been a looming cloud over the NBA with a potential lockout on our hands.

On Wednesday there was a break in the clouds, only metaphorically speaking of course. Steve Nash held his fourth annual charity soccer game in New York City, and several household NBA names participated in the event. Aside from Nash and Tony Parker – who were mobbed with questions about recent trade rumors - former teammates Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell, and current teammates Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat showed off their agility on the pitch. But aside from seeing Gortat play a so-so goalie, and Jared Dudley flop on a chest dive after an impressive goal, IamaGM had the privilege of spending some time with a few significant basketball personalities.

Young Buck is Back and Ready to Win

We start with the new-school. Fresh off of a trip to India to help globalize not just the NBA, but the sport of basketball, Brandon Jennings put on a pair of cleats to show his love for Steve Nash. While Jennings looked a bit more impressive playing soccer than he did playing cricket in India, Jennings spoke highly of the week he spent on the real East Coast.

“Ah man, it was great. To be able to help the game grow globally is real cool.” Jennings said that Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson are the two most popular basketball players in India, with their more relatable size playing a key factor. “I went over there and showed them that you don’t have to be 7-feet tall to be a good basketball player.”

Jennings scoring average may have gone up this season, but he is coming off of a disappointing season for not just himself, but his team as well. “We really struggled this year, and me not being out there definitely played a part in that.” Jennings missed 19 games with a broken foot in his sophomore campaign, and the Bucks won 11 less games this past season than they did in 2009-2010. Jennings said that he likes playing in Milwaukee and that he and his team “expect to make the playoffs next season.”

Age and Adversity have nothing on Patience and Professionalism

While Brandon Jennings’ NBA stock is rising, Grant Hill’s sitting on a stock that was red hot, and then ice cold, but at the tender age of 38 is as solid as any role player in the NBA. Coming off of his third straight season of playing at least 80 games, Hill played in his teammates charity soccer game as well, and even admitted that soccer was his “first love.”

Hill, although a bit tall, looked like a natural on the soccer field, and spoke like a true professional off of it, even about the previously mentioned clouds. “I’ve been through a lockout…you know at some point it’ll get handled.” Hill, who serves as a mentor to plenty of his teammates, is just telling everyone to remain patient. “It’ll get done…it’ll happen.”

The lockout is approaching at a funny time for Hill as he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. “When I came to Phoenix back in 2007 I thought maybe I had a couple of years left in me,” Hill said of how surprised he is by how good his body feels. He will be 39 before the start of the 2011-2012 season, but isn’t worried about his future. “I’m having a good time in Phoenix, I’m just focused on staying in shape and doing everything right.”

Hill addressed not just the lockout and his free agency, but reiterated his stance on tolerance towards homosexuality, and spoke further about his relationship with Doc Rivers. “You know his name is Doc, but he isn’t a Doctor,” Hill said jokingly. Grant spoke angrily about his tenure with the Magic, whom Rivers coached for four of Hill’s six seasons, just a couple of months ago. It was the first time that he had expressed anger over the fact that he spent so much time on the Injured Reserve, and felt he was completely mismanaged by the Magic. “I’m still really close with Doc, I’ve been working out with his son, Austin, who’s going to Duke.” Hill also works out with Rivers other son, Jeremiah, who completed his senior season at Indiana in the spring.

From Dominating the Court to Dominating the Camera

While one Duke great was able to overcome serious injury, current ESPN college basketball analyst and 2002 Naismith Award winner Jay Williams was watching the soccer game from the sidelines. “I almost went to Rutgers for soccer,” said the second overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Williams was at a loss for words when asked about Grant Hill’s durability, but cited Hill as the most intriguing player for him to watch out for during the game Wednesday.

Williams was in high spirits, and even spoke excitedly when asked if he ever thinks of making another run at the NBA. “You know, if it were two games a week I might have a chance,” Williams said with a sense that he was holding back emotion. “My body just can’t take the wear and tear of the season.” “Although,” Williams being the ultimate competitor ended the conversation by saying ,“I might’ve been able to offer the Heat more than Mike Bibby did.”

Despite the rain storm that came during the second half of the game, it was a good day for soccer, and an even better day for basketball. Hopefully those won’t be too hard to come by in the near future.

A Day in the Life

This isn't why I got into this field, but it was definitely an inspiration.

I had the pleasure today of covering the Showdown in Chinatown. For those of you who don't know, I'd imagine that number will be the majority, every year Steve Nash holds a charity soccer game in Chinatown (the Manhattan version) that features famous soccer players and famous basketball players. It's for the Steve Nash Foundation, which ultimately gives back to kids, which you could file me under thanks to this great opportunity.

While I was the recipient of Brandon Jennings "are you kidding me" faces about other reporters questions, and the journalist responsible for finding out that Marcin Gortat had aspirations of keeping goal, I was also the lone member of the media more in awe of a fellow person in a golf shirt with a press pass than of the NBA All-Stars around me. While I tried my hardest to get in interviews with Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Tony Parker, and Jennings, I found myself drawn almost like a magnet to one of my teenage idols, Jay Williams.

It's no secret that I'm a Duke fan, and as I always tell the story; it's because I really liked Chris Duhon coming out of High School. I was in need of a college team to root for as St. Johns had entered irrelevancy, and I wasn't going to watch a sport that I love without any rooting interest. So I thought the world of Duhon and really took notice of his backcourt mate, Williams. At the time he was Jason and there wasn't a thing he couldn't do, save for maybe hit the free throw to complete a four-point play.

Williams handled the rock, ran the offense, played tight defense and had a mean cross-over, those were the things he was good at. He was GREAT at shooting from deep, getting to the basket, and even throwing it down with force from time to time. Williams won a championship in 2001 and a Naismith Award in 2002. He was a prolific collegiate athlete, that had a terrible, you could even say dumb, injury ruin his career.

I worked at ESPN when Williams came on as a college basketball analyst, but I never had the fortune of meeting him. I had gotten in whatever interviews I could get in at the Showdown on Wednesday, and noticed him standing right near me looking almost lost, this was my opportunity.

"You're playing in this too," I asked the guy who I feel like I've known for the last decade. "Na man I'm on the other side of the fence today," responded Williams with a smile as if we had known each other. Jay clearly wasn't playing in the soccer game as he was sporting an ESPN Polo shirt with several other ESPN reporters and camera men in his vicinity. We went back and forth for a little bit about how the Knicks need a point guard and I think he'd be the perfect fit, as well as how he isn't fit to play in the NBA due to his past injury but wishes he could. He even cracked a joke that he would've given the Heat more than Mike Bibby did during the Playoffs, at least I think it was a joke.

The fact that I was able to have a personal conversation with a person whose jersey I'm sitting in as I type this, a man who is responsible for getting me to fathom the idea of rooting for the Bulls after killing my Knicks repeatedly throughout my childhood, and a personal inspiration to me, just blows my mind. I went into today drilling into my head that I have to be a consummate professional and not a fan, and here I am, talking to Jay Williams about his career and his thoughts on Grant Hill.

I love what I do because being a professional in this field is better than being a fan in it. I wasn't talking to Jay Williams as a fan to an idol, we were talking as professionals, and the aftermath feels hardly any different if not more gratifying. Beyond Williams, working on a field and trying to get Steve Nash's attention for a question and having him give me a respectable answer is way more memorable than being a kid and having Donyell Marshall give me an autograph so I would leave him alone. Having Jared Dudley tell me he's got me for an interview when he gets away from the cloud of reporters completely trumps the hope that maybe Anthony Mason will sign for me when he feels like it later. Standing next to Grant Hill with a voice recorder inches from his face has to beat floor seats.

While I'm not out on the court playing with them, getting their respect, and engaging conversations with them is as cool as it gets. Standing with Jay Williams I didn't feel like I was talking to a guy who was faking being nice to me because that's what he gets paid to do, I felt like I was conducting business in a friendly manner. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries so I thanked him for his time after about two minutes, and walked away after he gave me a familiar dap as if he were one of my friends that I regularly see.

An experience that I won't forget, but just a day in the life.

Just Can't Stick up for LeBron Anymore

I could still argue after Game 3 that LeBron was doing enough that he didn't need to dominate the game in a scoring aspect for the Heat to win, but when the offense looked desperate and LeBron had zero to offer in the third straight fourth quarter blown lead, it's enough sticking up for him. While I do believe that fans and the media will look for any reason to give LeBron James a hard time, scoring four combined points in the fourth quarter of three straight NBA Finals games is atrocious.

When LeBron was asked about shrinking from the moment after a Game 3 win that came on the base of Dwyane Wade's scoring, and LeBron helping distribute and set the tone for the defense, LeBron reacted as if he's been the beast mode LeBron that everyone's come to…hate. Even if he's playing great defense, which he didn't do in the fourth quarter of Game 4, LeBron has been hailed one of the leagues greats because he can dominate both ends, he hasn't done anything remotely close to dominate the offensive end this series. He's kicking the ball out with less than five seconds to go on the shot clock, he's bombing long range jumpers instead of taking the ball to the rack, he's only attempted 14 free throws all series…he got to the line 13 times in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals!

The Heat have had the Mavericks beat in every single game they've played in the Finals, and the only reason this series isn't over, sweet Dirk Nowitzki aside, is that LeBron hasn't put his stamp on the game and he's tinkering with his chances at winning a championship. I don't think the two blown games will effect the Heat in the long run during the Finals, but unless LeBron James can make a difference in these games offensively, the Mavs have a lot of guys who want to take and make big shots. I'm hearing excuses that LeBron's exhausted from playing big minutes, Dirk's played just about as many minutes and has made the fourth quarters Dirk time, fever or not.

LeBron can defer to Wade in the fourth all he wants, but when Wade's already scored high 20's, low 30's, and LeBron's passing the ball to Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh of all people, he's not giving his team their best chance to win. Just like with Cleveland, LeBron's team wins when he takes games over…that's the whole point of being the best player in the NBA. Wade does it, Dirk does it, and up until these NBA Finals, LeBron did it too.

This isn't even about LeBron making the big shot anymore. LeBron has almost achieved a Jordan-like state in the NBA where he can win MVP every season and whatever team he's on will contend just because he's that good. This is hands down the biggest series of his controversial career and he's been that bad. LeBron has three games left to shut everyone up, if he doesn't, he won't get any more support from this apologist.