A Last Hurrah for Our Childhood

What happened in last night's game was both surreal and yet not at all surprising. We didn't need another iconic moment out of The Captain, we have already been spoiled enough.

But yet, when David Robertson nearly pitched his way out of New York and into a mob of pitchfork wielding fans, irate that this heir to the great Mariano Rivera had sucked the life out of the stadium and ruined Yankee Christmas, up from the despair came a glimmer of hope and a familiar confidence.

The YES Network graphic showed that Derek Jeter was due to hit third in the bottom of the 9^th. The Captain would have a chance to be a part of another miracle in the Bronx, one last time.

Jose Pirela singled. Antoan Richardson pinch ran and Brett Gardner bunted him to second. As Ian O’Connor wisely points out, not even the ultra-competitive Buck Showalter could make the intelligent baseball play and walk Jeter, setting up the force.

The game meant nothing and yet, the moment meant everything. Two innings earlier, in what we thought was the final at-bat, Jeter reached on a throwing error, but picked up the go-ahead RBI in the process. It wasn’t the dramatic moment we were waiting for, but it would have been OK.

I recall quite vividly the day of hit number 3,000. As my friend Sean and I watched Jeter smash a home run to left-center for the historic hit, we both wondered allowed if we were watching Jeter’s last great moment.

To that point, a staple of our childhood, the wizard of the jump-throw, that we and thousands of others impersonated on the fields after school, was having his worst statistical year. Who knew what would happen the rest of the way. Of course from that point on Jeter returned to form and backed that up with a strong 2012 season, before an ankle injury and the image of the immortal Jeter being helped off the field brought it all crashing down.

Three years later, up walked The Captain, Mr. November, master of The Flip, architect of The Dive and the iconic baseball player of an entire generation ready to bid farewell with one last moment, one last inside out swing, one last leap in the air with a smile and clenched fists and one last mob of Yankees teammates mobbing him.

And out walked Jorge and Andy and Tino and Mo and Bernie, and then there was Mr. T. and of course the Jeter family, complete with his nephew tipping his cap to his famed uncle. The crowd roared, chanted, and cried.

Finally, The Captain addressed the thousands of fans in attendance and millions more who had always been around for the ride. And for the first time in his 20 years, admitted that the emotion of the moment had even gotten the better of him, Derek Jeter, Mr. Calm. He thanked the crowd, thanked his teammates, congratulated the opponents, though it pained him to mention the Orioles were headed to the playoffs and he was headed into the sunset.

It was one more moment for us all to enjoy, but it would never have been possible for it to happen with those many that preceded it. And it would have never happened if Robertson had just gotten that save in the first place…I bet he was relieved.

A Personal Remembrance of 9/11

My family rolled forward onto the Throgs Neck Bridge and we all craned our necks in anticipation. It was our first trip over since the tragedies and the first real time look at a newly empty skyline.

Where Two Towers of prosperity were, was now filled with a thick, black smoke, a cloud that was created in just seconds, but remained for weeks.

I rolled down a window and as vivid as the cloud was, the smell that filled our SUV was now upon us. It smelled like Death.

***

Rumors spread through the halls. Some were in panic, some devastated, some excited, and some didn’t know what to be. The Red, White and Blue of untargeted patriotism was already beginning to show itself in the halls of my suburban high school, about an hour north of where destruction and chaos and death rang like a bell that my generation had never heard before.

Someone said that their history class had a TV and the teacher had turned on to the coverage. Perhaps the teacher knew the significance of the history in the making, the students, almost certainly, did not.

I was in my third period band class, drumming away on the tympani. For those of us in that room, in that school and in this country, it was the waning moments of what we thought as normalcy.

Through the belting brass section just in front of me, down through clarinets, oboes and flutes and back up the wall past our conductor, rang an inaudible declaration of change from school administration. Our music faded, the song ended and the loudspeaker delivered the message that in essence would shape our lives and change our future.

“If any students have parents that work in the World Trade Center, please report to the main office.”

Cryptic and vague, but powerful, the message set off a curiosity of which resolution may never come. “Why?” We all asked.

Forgotten are the days of loose security at an airport. Forgotten are the days where a bomb sniffing dog and soldiers were rarely seen in public. Not Forgotten are the names of those who lost their lives and families who shared death.

When I look back on the fateful day, 10 years removed in history, but vivid as ever in memory, it is shocking to imagine the naivety that was true for so many of us. Who is Al Qaida? How could someone bring knives onto an airplane? How could this happen in the United States of America?

In the immediate aftermath that followed, America vowed to be unbroken. A feeling of patriotism and nationalism emerged from the ashes, bringing a subtle Red, White and Blue comfort to the tragedy that touched us all.

Shortly after the outpouring bereavement and support that brought the USA as closely together as any time possibly since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the full pain of Osama bin Laden’s work began to manifest itself.

On September 11, 2001 I returned home from school to find my mother and a family friend watching the news unfold on TV. As the pair helped answer what must have been an abundance of questions, my mother looked at me and said, “This is the Kennedy assassination, of your generation. You’ll always remember exactly where you were, when you heard the news.”

Not only do I remember where I was when the Towers were attacked, I recall the closeness that we all showed and the way this nation came together. However now, 10 years later, that closeness, sadly, has eroded.

With political bickering and rhetoric at an all time high, with the economy in shambles and a new President whose message of “Hope” has so far rung hollow it seems difficult to imagine a country so close as it was following the attack.

It is my hope that as we all pause to remember those who were lost on this day 10 years ago, that we also remember the time when we all came together, because it is that time, when this country is at its best.

May we never let the smoke rise again.

From a Cold Bench to a Hot Seat

Mike D'Antoni's days as Knicks coach could be numbered

As the New York Knicks wandered off the court at Madison Square Garden Sunday evening the outlook of a new bright future seemed to be no more than hopeful hyperbole.

On the one hand, the Knicks found themselves in the playoffs for the first time since 2004, snapping a painful streak that lasted seven long years, but on the other hand, the team has now extended its string of seasons without a playoff victory to 10 years and growing, a feat that dates back to 2001.

Fair or not, the blame will certainly fall on the shoulders of one Mr. Mike D'Antoni whose injury ridden team floundered when it mattered most. But aside from the latest postseason flap, it is D'Antoni's inability to mold his team that features two of the NBA's top 10 players into a cohesive unit that could lead to his demise as the Knicks' general.

The argument for keeping D'Antoni is a sound one. He is under contract for next year for starters and on top of that he has been at the helm as the Knicks returned to the spotlight after a decade of futility and disaster. While ultimately coaches are judged by wins and losses (the Knicks are 103-147 under D'Antoni), it is somewhat unfair to do that in this case.

When Donnie Walsh hired D'Antoni, he did so knowing that the first two years would almost certainly be a wash and they were. It was the third season-this season- that Walsh hoped would be the turning point.

And while 2011 ended in frustrating fashion, it is easy to give D'Antoni the benefit of the doubt. After all, his team was gutted midway through the season, leaving the Knicks with just 25 games to learn a system that was practically created on the fly. He was asked to make a happy blend of two volume shooting superstars, neither one of which brings a dominant secondary skill; it was no simple task.

But still there are glaring problems with the Knicks; problems that inherently fall on the pile of work that the head coach is assigned. As an example, the team gave up 105.7 points per game in the regular season, tied for second worst in the league. While billed as an offensive genius, the Knicks offense stalled in the playoffs, where the effort was inconsistent and the shooting was abysmal. His supreme distrust of role players and short rotation hurts the team on a regular basis, and his doghouse that more closely resembles Alcatraz has been well documented.

The Knicks have two options. They can opt to allow D'Antoni one more season, a season in which they must keep one group of players (an improved group of players) together and see if the team finds the effort and talent needed to be a force in the playoffs.

Under this option though, the Knicks must go for it next year. The fan base will absolutely not be OK with the repeated proverb of "it just takes time," that the Knicks and their brass have preached for far to long.

The other option is to fire D'Antoni, and while fan reaction is sure to prefer that, finding the correct replacement will not be easy, particularly with the threat of a lockout looming. If the Knicks do decide to go another direction for their head coach, an experienced veteran would be the only possibility.

Rookie head coaches such as Mark Jackson or Patrick Ewing should be discounted immediately. With Amar'e Stoudemire's knees and the relatively short window that NBA teams seem to have, the Knicks simply don't have the time to waste on an experiment at head coach.

Other names that may come up will be John Calipari, Jeff Van Gundy and Doc Rivers, whose Celtics just dismantled the Knicks in the first round.

Certainly the Knicks will need an experienced coach who can navigate the egos of Amar'e and Carmelo Anthony, but should they fire D'Antoni, it is a defensive whiz that they must hire. Someone who is willing to let the stars handle the offense, but demand the defense that is required for teams to win championships, the same defense that D'Antoni has never proved he can get out of his players.

It is to early to tell what the Knicks will do, but it is not too early to raise the questions, and in the next few weeks we will see exactly how patient the Knicks are.

Analyzing the Jets Free Agents

As Jets fans hoping to recover from the painful reality that the team did not "lead the league in wins," we can take solace in the fact that the team has a strong young core, an intriguing and successful head coach and an owner that's willing to spend. But with an entire slew of free agents and an unknown and uncharted new labor agreement to come (hopefully), the Jets' most important piece this off-season will be GM Mike Tannenbaum, who adeptly loaded the team with talent for a Super Bowl run this season. Tannenbaum will have his hands full adding the pieces that will hopefully make the Jets a contender in 2011. Here is a breakdown of the Jets most important free agents.

David Harris-MLB: The only member of the "Core Four" that has yet to be offered a long term contract, Harris is coming off a season in which he led the team in tackles and at age 27 is in his prime. His partner in crime, Bart Scott is on the decline and the Jets will need Harris back to maintain their position as one of the league's best defenses. Once the CBA is in place, expect Harris to be the Jets' first priority, but beware, Harris waited all season for this negotiation as the other three (Mangold, Revis and Ferguson) got deals, and he will fight hard for what he thinks he deserves...think Darrelle Revis.

Santonio Holmes-WR: Let's make no mistake: Holmes is the Jets best receiving threat and "Tone Time" is not a myth...it's real. After serving his four game suspension, Holmes worked his way into the starting lineup and gave the Jets a threat that they haven't had since Keyshawn Johnson was in town. Braylon Edwards (see below) is also a free agent, and the Jets have said they want to bring both back. If they can't, expect the Jets to target Holmes as the guy, but this is not certain, it may make sense for them to sign Edwards, who is expected to be a cheaper (if only slightly) option.

Braylon Edwards-WR: Edwards had a very strong year for the Jets, finishing second on the team in receptions and first in receiving yards. He cut down on the drops that plagued him the last few seasons, and is always a good vertical target for Mark Sanchez because of Edwards' size and athleticism. As I said before, the Jets would love to keep both him and Holmes, but we'll see if this is possible. Edwards is a far superior blocker in the open field than Holmes, and certainly has the tools to be a number one receiver, but we'll have to see how much money he commands once free agency begins. It will also be interesting to see if the possibility of Edwards being suspended by the NFL (because of his DWI and past issues) affects the Jets decision to sign or prioritize him ahead of Holmes.

Antonio Cromartie-CB: Cromartie was a fantastic compliment for Darrelle Revis this season. He was brought to New York for that purpose and it certainly worked, but in terms of his overall season–well it was up and down. Cromartie is a good ball hawk and an above average coverage-guy, but he has a tendency to get beat in big spots, and gets flagged for ridiculous penalties way too much. Oh yeah, and his tackling makes Deion Sanders look like Dick Butkus. The fact of the matter is that the Jets spent a first round draft pick on cornerback Kyle Wilson last season and while Wilson had a rough rookie season, he did look useful at times and may be able to take over opposite Revis next season. Cromartie will want/need a lot of cash in the offseason, and the Jets quite frankly may not have the resources to pay him.

Shaun Ellis-DT/DE: The longest tenured Jet heads to free agency this season, and as much as Jets fans will want him to be back (none more than me), it seems his days are numbered. Ellis has played 11 seasons for gang green, and only missed 6 games. Ellis is still a good run defender and a fantastic leader, but he's clearly on the down side of his career and plays a position the Jets must improve. Most of the experts expect the Jets to draft a DT of some sort in the first round to try and improve the team's pass rush–and area that killed them all season, and with Ellis as the only member of the D-line that is a free agent, it seems that he will either not be asked back, or be offered a contract with very little guaranteed money. Ellis may seek employment elsewhere or retire, either way, he will be a Jet for life and enter the Ring of Honor in the near future.

Brad Smith-KR/WR/QB: This is an interesting one. Smith was a crucial part of the offense all season, coming in for the wildcat/option packages that were pretty effective. The problem is how much money will he seek and is he really an essential member of the team? With Sanchez entering his third season, usually the coming out party for quarterbacks, will the Jets really use Smith enough to warrant him coming back? He is a dynamic Kick Returner and Special Teamer for sure, but if Cromartie comes back, that role could be filled. Also, don't forget that the Jets still have Joe McKnight who can also return kicks. Also working against Smith is that the team showed it can be effective on offense without him–beating New England in the playoffs when he was injured and nearly coming back against Pittsburgh without using any of the Wildcat offense. That being said, it is unclear what kind of market their will be for the multi-talented Smith, and if there are few suitors, perhaps the Jets can get him back as a steal.

Kellen Clemens-QB: I expect Mark Brunell to retire and despite the accepted notion that Kellen Clemens will not be brought back, I disagree. Clemens will not have many offers elsewhere, and with his knowledge of the offense, should be a cheap and steady backup for Mark Sanchez. After all, the Jets felt comfortable with Clemens as the backup when Sanchez was a rookie, why not now?

Nick Folk-K: Folk is too inconsistent and my guess is that the Jets really regret not bringing back Jay Feely. Though he started the year strong, Folk hit a mid season stretch that had Jets fans turning over stones to find John Hall. It's too early to see who is available, but is there anybody Jets fans wouldn't take?

Make sure to comment with your thoughts and follow me on Twitter @awolffster!

Delayed Reaction: The UCONN women, Favre and Amare

I have some free time so let me go ahead and give you my take on a few things in the news this week.

UCONN Women's Basketball
First it was the streak, Geno Auriemma's rant and a wide range of opinions regarding the 90 game win streak's significance. Now the mighty have fallen, and my bet is that Geno Auriemma couldn't be happier, but why?

The truth is to say that women's college basketball stands in the shadow of the men's game is the understatement of a century. But if we've learned anything from the past decade, it's that hype sells and Auriemma could sell an HDTV to a blind man. Instead of basking in the glory of his streak, Auriemma dove head first into starting a controversy and it was brilliant. The following week was dominated by discussion of women's basketball, when was the last time that happened? And I mean women's basketball, not Don Imus.

Now that UCONN lost to Stanford last night, the same team that handed them their last loss back in 2008, perhaps the storm will settle, but as a testament to this streak's success for women's hoops, I can't deny that if come tournament time, if UCONN plays Stanford, I'll be watching.

The Penske File
Gary Williams, former co-host of sirius/xm and Mad Dog radio show Gary and Phillips in the Morning remarked several weeks ago that Roger Goodell's "investigation" into the Brett Favre/Jen Sterger alligations of sexual misconduct were equivalent to "The Penske File," and that couldn't be more true.

For those unfamiliar with "The Penske File," the reference is to an episode of "Seinfeld" in which George, unsure of whether he has or has not got a new job, decides to show up to work anyway. Countless hours are spent working on "The Penske File," however George is actually locked in his office, sleeping.

It comes as no surprise that Goodell's ruling is both inconclusive and conveniently timed. The NFL was afraid of the ramifications of suspending Brett Favre. The story itself would be shattering to the already tattered legacy of the NFL great. So after making examples of countless NFL players, some of which were not charged with or convicted of crimes, but were punished as such, Goodell has decided to throw Favre a bone, what a joke.

Consider that Isiah Thomas' behavior in a somewhat similar situation cost Madison Square Garden $11.6 million. Now doesn't Favre's fine of $50,000 seem like a slap on the wrist?

Here's Something That Grinds My Gears
The Knicks are remarkably improved from a year ago. Amare Stoudemire has given them an offensive force in the paint they have not had since the Ewing era and Ray Felton honestly could be the team's best point guard since Clyde. BUT it pains me to read a box score and find that Stoudemire who is listed as about 6' 10", was out-rebounded by Dwight Howard 18-4 in the Knicks' loss to the Magic last night. Look inside that number and you'll find Howard had 9 offensive rebounds, or more than double Stoudemire's total output for the game. That is just not a winning formula.

That's all for now. Wishing everyone a happy and safe New Year. Comment with your own take on these subjects or anything else!

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Rex Reaches Crossroads, Must Define Himself

Hype is an amazing thing. It can make a great player hated, serve as a mechanism for unrealistic expectations and become a gravitational force for attention. The New York Jets have made it all three.

Rex Ryan has done nothing but bring hype to the Jets since he took over last season. Some of it has been good considering the team certainly no longer feels like the Giants' less talented little brother, but some of it has led the Jets into an incredibly uncomfortable position.

After all, in what world do we live in that an early morning Braylon Edwards DUI arrest easily trumps a much more important and tragic story such as the apparent suicide death of Denver Broncos' Wide Receiver Kenny McKinley?

But that is the world the Jets are living in now and regardless of how many big personality players are inhabiting the Jets' locker room (aka the 'Animal House'), the man who is responsible is the same man who must fix the problem, yes I mean Rex Ryan.

The second year coach has done a world of good for the franchise. He has identified himself with the fan base, befriended his players to a point where they play hard for him and to this point has proven himself as maybe the best X's and O's coach the team has had since Bill Parcells. But an undeniable string of ugly events has cast a dark shadow on the team, changing its perception from the lovable underdogs of last year, to a hated band of misfits this year. It must stop now.

Ryan has to prove that he can put his foot down, the obvious next step in his coaching maturation. He has to create a divide between him and his players and that is something that will be tough, but necessary for him to do. If he doesn't, there will be story after story on the misfit Jets, some of them could potentially trump the Edwards incident, the foul language on Hard Knocks, the Ines Sainz debacle and even Ryan himself flipping the bird to some obnoxious Dolphins fans.

His own career depends on it. Honestly, how many incidents/distractions will it take for the Jets zoo to run them out of contention? With a team of trash talkers and players with substance/personal conduct issues, what clout will he hold if he looks for another head coaching job if he can't prove he can control a team?

The change should start with Braylon Edwards Sunday night. the NFL and NFLPA labor agreement prohibits the Jets from suspending or deactivating Edwards for the game, but the Jets have already said he will not start. The question is, will he play at all, and if so, how much? The right move would be to sit him the entire game and make him (or at least try) learn a lesson about putting his team in a bad situation.

More likely, Edwards will sit the first half. After all, the Jets are short of wide receivers as it is (Santonio Holmes is suspended until week 5) and a divisional game at Miami is no time to waive a white flag, especially with all this hype.

Breaking Down the Jets...Groan

Sitting on my couch, my home Revis jersey on and a cold one in my hand, only one phrase was fitting for Monday night's debacle at the Meadowlands.

Yes, is was the words of Chicago Bulls announcer Neil Funk of "NBA Hangtime" fame echoing in my head, "What a disaster," over and over and over again.

Where to begin is tough, as it always is when discussing the Jets woes, so I'll lay out the analysis in no particular order, lets start with concerns.

1) Kris Jenkins is out for the season with a tear to the same ACL that caused him to miss all but six contests last season. This is sad on a number of levels, not the least of which is that he worked hard to come back a fully recovered and potentially more effective version of himself. His hard work lasted less than one quarter, and his career may now be over. The good news is that Rex Ryan was gracious enough to tell us which leg was injured...

2) The Jets Secondary was horrible last night and horrible truly does not say enough about the play of Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson last night, each cost the Jets multiple times on horrendous penalties, seemingly all when the Jets had forced the Ravens into difficult 3rd and long situations. Unfortunately, these situations only proved difficult for the pair of corners not on Revis Island. I never thought I'd see the day when I was SCREAMING for Dwight Lowery to get into the game in place of Wilson, but the rookie was just flat out not ready. Rex says that Revis will be on Randy Moss all game against the Patriots on Sunday, I'll be interested to see how the size dependent Cromartie does against the speedy Wes Welker.

3) No question that Mark Sanchez and the offense were looking to control the ball and not cough it up to the Ravens, but it seemed like Sanchez was using his progressions as a formality to go through before hitting the check down. I'll be the first to tell you that he has to be careful with the football, but less than 80 passing yards against a team with a depleted secondary? Yikes. Also, Shonn Greene anyone?

It's very difficult to be anything but Mr. negativity, but there were a few positives to be had. Lets give out the game balls.

1) Shaun Ellis, I assume is the longest tenured Jet and maybe one of the most underrated defensive ends EVER. Here's a guy who rarely if ever has a full practice because of his knee, but yet on the first defensive snap of the season turns the corner for a sack and forced fumble. When Jenkins went out, all Shaun did was what he always does, stuff the run.

2) Sione Pouha is another run stuffer who gets no glory. He stepped in for Jenkins after last year's injury and took over without missing a beat. He won a starting job this year and if he continues to play the way he has, don't be surprised if he makes a pro bowl this season.

3) Brad Smith....I had to pick someone on offense, he was the least terrible. Runner up is Ladanian Tomlinson who also wasn't terrible.

This Sunday is going to be a tough one for the Jets. They host the Patriots who romped the Bengals last week. I wasn't too high on Cincinnati to start with, so we'll see. It's not a must win for the Jets, but it would help them a TON. A lot of people look at the season in quarters, the 0-1 Jets have the Patriots followed by road games against the Dolphins and Bills, both of which the Jets should win if they hope to win a division this season. They've already lost one home game, you don't want to start 0-2 before you even hit the road. If they beat the Patriots, they have a good shot at starting 3-1, doesn't that sound nice?

* Notes*
--While Darrelle Revis was his normal self against the Ravens, there were some apparent negatives from him missing camp. Being talked about is Rex admitting he didn't have Revis on Anquan Boldin to try and spell him some extra running, not being talked about is the affect the holdout had on Kyle Wilson. Nick Mangold said he DIDN'T hold out in part to help with the mentoring of Matt Slauson and Vlad Ducasse, Wilson didn't have the luxury of Revis, instead he had Antonio Cromartie as a mentor, I won't go further on that point. Also, people take for granted that Wilson was a starter lined up on one side of the field during preseason and training camp, he's now being asked to play in the slot, sometimes an easier task sometimes not, particularly for a rookie who hasn't done it at this level.

--I personally don't think the Jets have the cash to do it, but expect rumors about acquiring Albert Haynesworth to begin shortly, especially if the defensive line has issues on Sunday. On the issue of the D-line, I think Vernon Gholston is going to see plenty of time against the Patriots, if that doesn't work, when Calvin Pace comes back the Jets might try to pair him with Jason Taylor on the outside and move Bryan Thomas to defensive end, a position he played during the Mangini era.