SCARY AS HELL

This is one of the most frightening pictures I've ever seen. A "white" Michael Vick. It was published by ESPN along with its very socially relevant article about race and the treatment of Mike Vick. Then it was taken down, then put up again. Sometimes I think they literally have interns over at ESPN just playing with the site - these people can't get their facts straight or make up their minds on their site.

Vacation's Over, Time to Get Hurt

   I've been gone for a little over a week and in that span my Mets absolutely nosedived out of the sky into a mountain down a valley erupting in a fireball. Their whole team is injured as per usual and they're getting beaten down by the Phils 28-0 every night...AKA it's officially football season. 
   As a Jets fan I've seen my fair share of preseason injuries and subsequently barely watch the games at all. I look at a recap afterwards and just pray that no one of any significance got hurt. The only thing good that can come out of preseason in my opinion is that everybody stays healthy and gets in a few reps. The Jets have been a little dinged up this preseason, but luckily nothing too bad. Some groins and calves and sore backs, a la Plaxico Burress. But nothing close to the extent of the New York Giants.
   In all the time I've watched the NFL I honestly can't remember ever seeing a slew of season-ending injuries such that the Giants have had. Terrell Thomas, Prince A., Marvin Austin, Brian Witherspoon, all have gone down in the last couple of days. They literally have only 2 corners left, and as we all know in a passing league, this hurts. Osi, although he wanted out via trade, got his wish via injury also. Not to mention they've lost Eli's favorite target in Steve Smith, and their above average TE, Kevin Boss.
   It's been a rough go for the G-Men thus far, and as the annual Jets-Giants preseason game nears, I can only pray their bad luck doesn't infect the Jets on the field. I don;t understand how people can get hyped up about this game, frankly this game just scares me. If I were Tom Coughlin I'd wrap my players up in styrofoam like that nasaly little kid in Little Giants. And if I'm Rex I keep rubbing my lucky feet because thus far it's worked.

Dicky get your weight up and keep blogging, I'm out for a week.

Wherefore Art Thou Tiger?

   I was never a huge Tiger Woods fan, I was always a Mickelson guy first. But, I've always wanted Woods to do well because his greatness was unmatched and it was exciting to watch the history unfold before my eyes. I've been to major tournaments and followed Tiger through crowds at least 15 people deep, everyone with the look of awe on their face as he bombed it down the fairway and proceeded to pitch a nice up and down for a birdie, and probably a runaway victory. But, for some reason, I fear we'll never see it again.
   Now, more so than ever, I am in Tiger's corner. He's almost become a sort of underdog, as most athletes become towards the ends of their careers. He gets called out by young have-not-yet-beens such as Rory McIlroy, old caddies who owe their whole careers to him, and Europeans who feel he needed to be calmer and nicer on the course. Unfortunately the cover stories we see regarding Tiger Woods still continue to be about off-the-course issues, press-conferences, and peers' comments. Will the story ever be about his play again? Will it ever be about his charge on the back 9 on a Sunday to capture a U.S. Open or Players Championship?
   As I write this Tiger Woods has posted a +7 (77) in his first round at the PGA. It's very sad, because I see a man who cannot master the things that used to make him so great - most notably, his focus and desire. It's been over 2 years now and still we all wait for Tiger to do something, to make a mark, to shut the critics up. But as time continues to roll on I fear we have seen the best that he has to offer.  And not even the most popular, and at times most revered athlete in the world, can recover from the circus that began to encompass his life on that November night.
   Tiger is all but out of contention for this major, so we wait, to see if he can compete again in April, and so on. Like an aging Wilt Chamberlain, or a failing Patrick Ewing, it hurts to see them go. Unfortunately for a country that worships individual greatness, we wait with bated breath for Tiger to return, or fade into oblivion.

- Tone

Steve Smith = Tough Sell

And BOOM goes the dynamite.

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed former New York Giant receiver Steve Smith to a one year deal. I am honestly flabbergasted by this one. These guys (Steve Smith, Kevin Boss and Plaxico Burress) must REALLY hate Eli Manning and/or REALLY hate Tom Coughlin. That is the only excuse I can come up with to explain the complete disinterest these players have shown in joining the G-Men for the 2011 season.

The owners, Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin seriously need to get their acts together before this football team implodes. If I see Steve Smith OR Plaxico Burress make a game winning catch against the Giants this year, I might just lose it. If I see Michael Clayton drop a pass at wide out or Jonathan Goff miss a tackle at linebacker, I may shell up and never speak again.

This summer has been dreadful for the Giants. I almost wish the lockout had continued and wiped the whole season out so that I wouldn't have to witness what may now be a lock for a disappointing year. With the Eagles adding solid player after solid player, the Giants might as well give up on free agency, save their money, play for a high draft pick and hope for better luck next year.

Never thought I would know what it felt like to be a Met fan, but the way things are going with the Giants right now, I must be pretty close.

- Dick

Steve Smith an Eagle

   Dicky will write much more about this tonight/tomorrow because he's the big Giants fine here, but I just had to say something. Wow. As an avid Giant "disliker," I feel for the Jints here, I mean, the nerve of this guy to spurn an organization that gave him everything he has today. And to turn to the hated Eagles nonetheless. Unless Jerry Reese really felt as if Smith would never be the same after that microfracture surgery, but you have to keep some of Eli's targets around. If I'm not mistaken the Giants are now down to Nicks and Manningham essentially, for their sake I hope Reese reaches out to Cotchery or trades for a wideout.
  Unbelievable, I'm really getting sick and tired of the Eagles' act here and my team isn't even in the NFC. Can someone look into the Eagles' cap numbers, how is it possible they can give out this many contracts. They have to be going for broke this year because no way they aren't in cap hell for the next couple years. Straight disrespectful man, c'mon Mr. Reese score one for the home team, just one time.
- Tone

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up

  I know nobody gives 2 craps about the Mets besides for me, as usual. But what is the deal with all these injuries, Pagan leaves the game now, so what are we down to 3 starting position players? Back spasms? Dude, every morning I wake up I have back spasms. And leg spasms, and arm spasms. I slept on my arm the other night and the needles were unbearable, but did I ask out of my day of unemployment? No way, I woke up and went to the couch to watch TV like I normally would, no excuses.
   For realsies though, there has to be a curse on this Mets team, like no doubt about it. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, fool me 5 seasons in a row -  auto Gypsy curse. No other way to explain literally 50% of your starters going down for extended periods of time every single year. Like that shit's extremely unlikely but when it's the Mets it's what's expected. Rooting for the Mets is like rolling deep to a bar in the city on your friends birthday - you always do it no matter what, but you know some shit is going to go wrong, inevitably, and you'll feel like absolute donkey dump afterwards.
   Get well Angel, we'll need you for the wasted at bats of the home stretch.

- Tone