My Thoughts on the Revis Trade and The Upcoming Draft

I'll start with the Darrelle Revis trade.  It's tough to lose (who I thought was) the best defensive player in the NFL but I'm in support of it.  Ideally I would have liked to get another mid-round pick in this year's or next year's draft but still, I think it's a move that had to be made.

I'm in agreement with the Jets philosophy that no matter how good a player he might be, you don't pay a corner back $16,000,000 a year.  I'm shocked that Revis took no guaranteed money in his deal.  There is no way he plays out that contract.  Right now Tampa Bay can afford that luxury because most of their contributing pieces are still on their first contract.  When Doug Martin, Lavonte David, Mike Williams, Mark Barron and Mason Foster (etc.) start needing new contracts, on top of deciding whether or not to give Josh Freeman big money, freeing up Revis' money as he gets to 30 years old is going to start looking more and more like a good solution to those problems.

I'm also tired of hearing that the Jets could have offered the same deal with no guaranteed money.  What would have been the point?  The Jets aren't Darrelle Revis away from a Super Bowl.  Why pay him 16 million a year if the they are trying to rebuild?  Having two picks in the top half of the first round is a great opportunity to accelerate the rebuilding process a little.

One thing I'm not going to miss about Darrelle Revis is the constant threat of holding out and accusing everyone of lying to him.  Every off-season (including this one) has been exhausting as fan.  And he's going around saying the Jets never even tried to offer him a contract.  If his agents made it clear that they weren't budging on 16 million a year and the Jets are philosophically opposed to paying a CB that type of money, why should he have expected them to?  And as far as the Jets telling Revis that they planned on him being a Jet this year is all part of the business.  The Jets had little to no leverage to begin with, if Idzek tells Revis that they have every intention of trading him the they lose even what little they had.  He needs to stop taking the business side of football so personally.  Especially since somewhere someone always is willing to pay him.  It's not like he's ever been getting ripped off.  Out of college, after his holdout, the Jets paid him above slot.

After all the bad press the Jets get, it is very important they don't mess up this draft.  Especially the first round.  That's why, although it's not the sexy thing to do, I play it super safe.  I'm worried that most mocks have the Jets taking Barkevious Mingo at 9.  He's undersized and only managed 4.5 sacks his last year in college.  That sounds like too much bust potential for me.  I'm not interested in Jarvis Jones at 13 either.  Normally I'm all about the guy who produces over the guy with measurables but if I'm the Jets I can't risk taking a guy with Spinal Stenosis.  It has already cut short a few careers already and Jones is already going to be a 24 year old rookie.  Too risky.  I think with one of the two picks they need to take one of the guards, Jonathan Cooper or Chance Warmack.  Putting one of those on a line with Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson in their prime would be a can't miss pick.  I also would like for the Jets to immediately replace Revis.  Granted, Dee Milliner can't replace Revis but I've been very disappointed in Kyle Wilson's development and the thought of him lining up as the other starting CB does scare me a little.  Chances are he's not around by the 9th pick but if he is, I think they have to grab him. 

I know everyone says the Jets need a pass rusher in this draft.  I don't disagree but their situation cries out for just taking the best player available.  It'd be nice if it Dion Jordan or Ezekiel Ansah fell down to them but other than those guys I'd stay away from a pass rusher in the first round.

Some other guys I wouldn't mind seeing the Jets take later:

-Miguel Maysonet, RB, Stony Brook
Being a Long Islander, having a local guy on the Jets would be fun.  And they do need another RB.

-Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina
I love Lattimore.  I don't think I'd take him before the 4th round but based on who he is, and how hard he works, someone will take a chance on him somewhere in the 3rd.

-Denard Robinson, ATH, Michigan
Granted, he has little experience as a WR but instead of taking Tavon Austin at 9 overall, why not take a chance on a play maker in the 4th or 5th round.  **Added bonus, if Rex still believes in the Wildcat, this guy is ideal.

**I'm only partially kidding

-Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State
The Jets are in dire need of safeties.  They signed Dawan Landry who is more of an in the box safety and while I really can't speak to Thomas' coverage skills on tape, I value production and he had 8 picks last year

I Really Like (And Am Going to Miss) New Jersey

In the winter of 2001, I moved from Long Island to a cozy one bedroom apartment in Lawrenceville, New Jersey with my soon to be wife. From that day forward, New Jersey has hosted almost all of my major life events. It has seen me change jobs not once, not twice, but three times. It has seen me get engaged and married, both events taking place in New Jersey. It has also seen my wife and I get pregnant and have our first child. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the great state that I called home…until now. Starting today, I officially work in Connecticut. And although I still own our dream home in Collingswood (anyone want to buy it?), it’s only a matter of months before that chapter is closed. In honor of New Jersey, here are my top ten things I will miss the most.

10. Not Pumping My Own (Cheap) Gas: This may seem trivial, until you live here and have to leave the state for any reason. Quite simply, this is a major luxury. As if getting gas for 30-50 cents less a gallon wasn’t enough, pulling up during a rain or snow storm and not having to get out of the car is very big deal.

9. Princeton:  This is the town by which I measure all towns. It has the perfect blend of shopping (Zoë), fantastic restaurants (Mediterra & Triumph), bars (Tigers Tale) & culture. Throw in one of the most beautiful college campuses and you’re all set for a perfect weekend.

8. The Jersey Shore: Admittedly, I never became quite the shore aficionado that I wanted to. That being said, The Jersey Shore is fantastic. No other state can boast the amount and variety of beach towns that Jersey can which makes it impossible not to find the one that’s right for you. Me, I’m a Cape May guy.

7. Sports Culture: Other than the Devils, NJ claims no other major team to be their own. But try telling that to the Yankees and Giants fans of North/Central Jersey and the Phillies and Eagles fans of South Jersey. And yes, we have the New Metlife stadium where both the Giants & Jets play, but we also have Campbell’s Field & Arm & Hammer Park which are beautiful kid friendly parks.

6. Philadelphia: Before you curse me out, hear me out. I know that New Jersey doesn’t need Philadelphia to be awesome. But we have it, and that’s awesome too. More than half the population of New Jersey can get to Philadelphia in less than an hour and I have had the luxury of living 5 miles away for the past 7 years. This city is easy to get in and out of, boasts restaurants that rival New York’s best and have without a doubt the best selection of live music venues of any major city I have ever been to.

5. Live Music: As I just mentioned, Philly has no shortage of great music venues. But you can add that to the plethora of bars, coffee houses, and stadiums of NJ. From the larger Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden and the PNC Banks Arts Center in Holmdel to the more intimate Maxwell’s in Hoboken and the famous The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, one could ask, who needs New York?

4. Location, location, location: This is real estate 101, and the whole state qualifies. Proximity to everything is a huge advantage to living in New Jersey. And if you can deal with the occasional logjam on the Turnpike, you can get to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, The Shore and even Washington DC in less than a few hours.

3. Collingswood: Man I am going to miss this town. As my wife and I scouted potential towns in Connecticut, I couldn’t help but think that none offer the culture, cuisine and comforts of Collingswood. The BYOB restaurants are second to none (see Zeppoli, Indeblue, & Sappori) and the farmers market remains the best I have ever been to. If that’s not enough, throw in best restaurant for families in South Jersey (The Pop Shop), a Patco Station & the Scottish Rite Auditorium.

2. Jersey Pride: I don’t even love Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, or Pork Roll but I love the fact the New Jerseyans do. The people of New Jersey have a pride that is unmatched in other states and that is evidenced any time the people of the state need to band together. Anyone who witnessed the pride and resilience of the towns affected by Hurricane Sandy no exactly what I’m talking about.

1. The Food: This could be a separate blog all its own. It has been near impossible to lose weight in this state (Gov. Christie I feel your pain). Everywhere you turn, there are the best wings, the best Italian food and the best hoagies. And as restaurateurs leave the major cities for the suburbs, we are starting to see 4 star restaurants popping up everywhere from New Brunswick to Jersey City.

A Quick Thought on the Mike Rice Situation

Really quick on Mike Rice, he should have been fired and now he was.  Now the focus will be on Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti and should he retain his job.  In my opinion I can't make that decision without knowing whether or not his coaching methods calmed down after his suspension and fine earlier in the year.  A part of me respects the fact that he gave Rice another chance and opted to try to "rehabilitate" him over firing him immediately.  Now your hearing stuff like, "how can Pernetti fire him now when he saw the tape and chose not to fire him in the fall?"  To me, the answer is obvious.  Now that the tape became public, Mike Rice will never be able to walk in to a recruits house and win the living room ever again.  This day in age, every recruit and their family will see this video.  No parent is going to be okay with their son playing for Rice and subjecting them to that kind of treatment.  The video hampers him from being able to be an effective college basketball recruiter which cripples his ability to put a quality team on the floor.  Maybe Pernetti believed in Rice's coaching ability and second chances.  It's not what I would have done, but I can't fully fault him for that.

Reinventing The Ultimate Fighter: Why This May Be The Best Season Ever

I have come full circle on The Ultimate Fighter. What started out as my introduction to MMA instantly became must watch TV for me as I followed the show and it's fighters season after season. But, admittedly, I began souring on it the last few seasons for many reasons. Every component of the show started to seem stale, and with very few of the fighters actually making a mark in the UFC it was hard to consider this the same breeding ground that produced Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez, Josh Koscheck & Rashad Evans. Instead we were starting to see winners sporting a sub .500 record and many of them getting the pink slip before we could even say coaches challenge. But, to Dana White's credit, he doesn't resist change. He embraces it. And that is what smart businessmen do. Dana revamped the show and is now in the midst of the best season I can remember. Even Entertainment Weekly listed it atop their "Must List" a few issues ago. So what is different?

Most importantly, the fights. Great fights make great seasons. This season, thanks to Urijah Hall, we've enjoyed some devastating knockouts, a few sudden victory battles, and many surprises. There have been some disappointments as well, but they pale in comparison to the seasons that seemed to only have boring fights (see The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights). Perhaps the vetting process to make the show got better, or perhaps they just got lucky. But no matter how Dana assembled this cast, it worked.

Next, the coaches. It is easy to utilize TUF as a platform to create juice for otherwise juice-less fights (see Bisping vs. Miller) but Dana White knew that the formula wasn't working. So he offered the gig to two of the best guys in the sport, who needed no extra promotion to sell their fight, and man has it paid off. Not only are these guys good on TV but they are also tremendous coaches. Sonnen in particular, has somehow transformed himself from UFC carnival act to a motivational guru. This season has also shown that you absolutely do not need trash talk to make a season. These coaches seem to get along fine and that hasn't hurt at all. The trash talk on previous seasons had become transparent anyway and it very seldom translated into fireworks inside the octagon.

Lastly, the show has very subtly changed the way it is filmed. It has moved from a standard reality show format and now mirrors the well produced Countdown shows that they use to promote upcoming fights. There is a much greater sense of urgency in the filming of the fights, the interviews and the training, which makes it feel much more intense. Speaking of training, there is more of it and less of the bullshit in the house. Which is good because if I saw one more Junie Browning or Julian Lane I was going stop taking The UFC seriously.

So lets see if Dana White can keep this TUF magic up. The Ultimate Fighter has been on my "Must List" for a while, but it'll take a few more seasons like this to continue getting EW type press.

Some 2013 New York Mets Predictions

It's another year where the Mets are not going to the postseason.  Before the season officially starts, I'm going to offer up some predictions:

-I was all prepared to like Collin Cowgill.  He comes across to me as a gamer.  I guy who I'd like having around as a 4th outfield.  I'm not sure he is an everyday player and I'm afraid I'll turn on him at some point this season.

-Jon Niese will win 14-15 games and pitch well causing people to say things like, "he could have won 18 games on a contender."

-Ike Davis will again hit around 32 homeruns and drive in 90 runs.  But his batting average will get back to the .260 range.

-Marlon Byrd does not finish 2013 as a member of the New York Mets.

-Shawn Marcum has a 3.50 ERA...but only has 11 starts.

-Brandon Lyon has double digit saves.

-Lucas Duda will hit 25 home runs.

-Daniel Murphy will miss an extended period of time and will never regain the second base job from Jordany Valdespin.

-Once again the Mets will be surprisingly around the .500 mark around the All-Star Break before the wheels come off and the cream starts rising to the top.

-The Mets will finish over their Vegas win total of 74.5.

Happy Opening Day!

NCAA Tournament Play In Game Picks

 I'm all for these NCAA Tournament games on Tuesday and Wednesday.  What I'm not okay with is calling them the "First Round."  To me, they always will and always should be called "Play In" games.  The NCAA is the one bracket with 64 teams on it.  Not 64 lines with 8 other teams shoved in to open nooks and crannies of the bracket. 

While I'm here, I'll also mention that I do believe the Play In games should be all 12 seeds or the last 8 teams in the tournament.  Teams like Liberty, James Madison, LIU-Brooklyn and North Carolina A&T have earned their way in to the field of 64 by winning their conference tournaments.  Teams like Boise State, Middle Tennessee State, LaSalle and St. Mary's didn't do enough to be locks on Selection Sunday and should play on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Wouldn't it make a better night of TV if instead of having a game with two 16 seeds battle it out each night, you added Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland and Virginia to these play in games? 

All that being said, here are my picks for the tonight and tomorrow's Play In Games:

Liberty (+3) over North Carolina A&T

In picking a game like this you can't go by which team is hotter right now since they both came out of nowhere to win their conference tournaments.  But one thing I look for out of these smaller schools is what's the one thing that each of these teams does best.  In this case, Liberty is good at shooting the three and NC A&T is good at blocking shots.  Liberty is limited offensively in the front court and rely heavily on the three so I don't see NC A&T's interior defense really coming in to play that often.  Also, NC A&T is one of the worst three point shooting teams in the country.  I think this 20 loss fairy tale continues for one more game.

Middle Tennessee State (+3) over St. Mary's

I've gone back and forth on this one.  MTSU has only beaten one team of St. Mary's quality all year and it was at home.  St. Mary's will have the best player on the floor in Matt Dellavedova.  A part of me wants to take St. Mary's because I think he deserves not to have his career end in a play in game.  I also would like to pick St. Mary's so I would have two games to raise my arms above my head and yell "STEVE HOLT!" every time Stephen Holt scores.  But I think MTSU is a bad match up for St. Mary's.  They both are capable three point shooting teams except MTSU defends the three well and St. Mary's does not.  Also, St. Mary's lacks depth and MTSU can run 11 deep at you.  And honestly, a part of me is taking MTSU because in my friend and I's attempt to predict the bracket we had MTSU out in favor of Tennessee.  Usually I take the team I miss to lose in their first game and it never works out for me.

LIU-Brooklyn (-1.5) over James Madison

Jump all over this game now while the line before it moves.  James Madison suspended their best player for the first half of the game for getting arrested this week.  And that is on top of the fact that LIU is the better team anyway.  This is LIU's third consecutive tournament.  Their three best players have participated in the last two.  If the Colonial Tournament wasn't decimated by conference re-alignment and APR sanctions, there is a good chance JMU isn't even here right now. 

Boise State (-1.5) over LaSalle

I went back and forth with this game as well.  I actually changed over to Boise State for the last time while I was in the middle of typing this.  One interesting thing about Boise State is that their losses have usually come when they were massively outscored at the FT line.  Their last few loses were by 6, 4 and 10.  They were outscored at the free throw line by 8, 15 and 14 respectively.  The Mountain West was an outstanding conference this year and Boise played the upper echelon of that conference pretty evenly except for that one area.  LaSalle on the other hand is one of the worst teams in the country at getting to the free throw line.  Now that can be largely due to their reliance on the three point shot.  But as good as LaSalle is at the 3, Boise is actually better.  Wait...I just learned that LaSalle is one of the best teams in the country at defending the three.  I'm stopping before I change again.


I was actually looking for an image of brackets to put at the top of this post.  I did a Google Image search and ended up with more images of the inside of people's mouths than I was comfortable with.

Some Quick Bracket Thoughts

**The "first round" tournament games will always be the play-in-games to me and therefore will be referred to as such.

It's been stated over and over, but Oregon is wildly under seeded.  I understand they got bumped a line for procedural reasons but I don't see how Oregon was not the highest seeded Pac-12 team let alone two seeds lower than Colorado and six seeds lower than UCLA.  They slumped to a 5-4 record after Dominic Artis got hurt but still finished second in the conference regular season and won the tournament.  I honestly thought that once Oregon got a 12, that Cal and Colorado were in trouble.  In the bracket that me and my friend do each year, we had them as a five figuring Arizona and UCLA would be around the 6 or 7 area.  

I'm a big supporter of the mid-majors but I'm still curious as to how Middle Tennessee State is in over Tennessee.  It's fine they had the #6 Strength of Schedule in the country but I think scheduling is only half the battle.  They have to win some of them.  Their best win was at home to Ole Miss (who as a 12 seed might not have made the tournament without Sunday's win).  And not for nothing, look at that schedule and tell me how that's the 6th best in the country.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for them and honestly am more intrigued by what MTSU can do in this tournament than what a middle of the pack team from a lousy power conference can do.  I'm just surprised is all.

The selection committee says they don't set up potential match-up on purpose.  I don't believe them.  I was actually shocked that with Kansas as a 1 seed and Missouri as a 9 they didn't try to set that up as a potential round of 32 game.  I started thinking, "Hmm.  Maybe they don't set those up on purpose" as they announce Roy Williams could be sitting there facing Kansas in the second round.  Guess they weighed that as more interesting than rekindling an over 100 year rivalry that was killed just this year.