Ravens win SB 47

Joe Flacco was the SB MVP as the Ravens defeated the 49ers 34-31. It was like two different games. A 108-yd. kickoff return to start the second half gave Baltimore a 28-6 lead, then there was a power outage. It’s like the power outage affected the Ravens, enabling SF to almost pull out a miracle come-from-behind win.

Congrats Ravens (even though I was rooting for SF because I can’t root for Ray Lewis).

… and yes, I really wish the NFL would knock it off with the Roman numerals already.

Yanks sign Hafner

It hasn’t been announced officially yet, but the Yankees have signed Travis Hafner, formerly of the Indians, to be their lefty-hitting DH.

Hafner still has a good bat….when he plays, that is. This could be a good move for the Yanks, if Hafner can stay healthy.

The problem is, Hafner hasn’t been healthy for a while. Hafner, who finished top-10 in the MVP voting in 2005 and 2006, hasn’t played the field since 2007 and only once since 2007 has played in 100 games in a season.

Last year, Hafner hit .228-12-34 in just 66 games. His OPS+ was 121. For his career, he is a .278 hitter with 201 HR and an OPS+ of 137.

From 2004-2007 he averaged .296-32-108, OPS+ 156. But that was so long ago.

Meanwhile, Earl Williams, a C-1B-3B for the Braves, Orioles, Expos and A’s in the 1970s died at the age of 64. He was the 1971 NL ROY when he hit 33 HR for Atlanta. He hit .247 in his career (1970-1977) with 138 HR. An average year for him would have been about .246-20-65, OPS+ 105.

I never got into the X games. The death yesterday of a snowmobiler is why. I mean, why? Why do somersaults at God knows what speed on a snowmobile? To me, the X games are just reckless.

I’ll be rooting for SF on Sunday. I can’t root for Ray Lewis.

Update: The Hafner deal is $2mm, 1 yr., + incentives. Hafner will turn 36 in June.

Brother vs. Brother

You wonder how their parents will handle it.

John and Jim Harbaugh will be coaching against each other in the Super Bowl since each of the brothers coached their respective teams to wins in today’s AFC and NFC title games.

Ravens vs. 49ers it is. I think the 49ers will be about a 4-pt. favorite from what I saw.

I’ll be rooting for the 49ers, even though if the 49ers win, they’ll tie my Steelers for most SB victories with six.

I just can’t root for Ray Lewis.

As for Atlanta, they blew a big lead last week vs. Seattle and got away with it. Not this time as they blew a 17-0 early lead.

Forgetting the past.

I can’t root for Ray Lewis or the Ravens. First of all, I’m a Steelers’ fan. But mostly, I can’t root for Ray Lewis because of this (from Wikipedia):

Murder trial

Following a Super Bowl XXXIV party in Atlanta on January 31, 2000, a fight broke out between Lewis and his companions and another group of people, resulting in the stabbing deaths of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Lewis and two companions, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were questioned by Atlanta police, and 11 days later the three men were indicted on murder and aggravated-assault charges. The white suit Lewis was wearing the night of the killings has never been found. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard alleged the blood-stained suit was dumped in a garbage bin outside a fast food restaurant.^[36]

Lewis’ attorneys, Don Samuel and Ed Garland, of the Atlanta law firm Garland, Samuel & Loeb, negotiated a plea agreement with Howard, where the murder charges against Lewis were dismissed in exchange for his testimony against Oakley and Sweeting, and his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice.^[12] Lewis admitted he gave a misleading statement to police on the morning after the killings. Superior Court Judge Alice D. Bonner sentenced Lewis to 12 months’ probation, the maximum sentence for a first-time offender,^[37] and he was fined $250,000 by the NFL, which was believed to be the highest fine levied against an NFL player for an infraction not involving substance abuse.^[38] Under the terms of the sentence, Lewis could not use drugs or alcohol during the duration of the probation.

Oakley and Sweeting were acquitted of the charges in June 2000.^[39] No other suspects have ever been arrested for the crime.

The following year, Lewis was named Super Bowl XXXV MVP. However, the signature phrase “I’m going to Disney World!” was given instead to quarterback Trent Dilfer.

On April 29, 2004, Lewis reached a settlement with four-year-old India Lollar, born months after the death of her father Richard, pre-empting a scheduled civil proceeding. Lewis also reached an undisclosed settlement with Baker’s family.^[39]

 

Now Lewis may have tried to make amends since, and may have been a good citizen since. I can’t answer that.

What I wonder about is his degree of culpability in what happened. Should Lewis have gone to jail? Did he commit murder or manslaughter?

What I don’t wonder about is this:  that the Ray Lewis farewell tour media suck-up disgusts me.

The kissing up that the media is doing disgusts me completely. It’s one thing to call him the greatest middle linebacker ever. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t.

But ask yourself, outside of what you just read, have ANY of the media that is currently sucking up to Lewis and kissing his ass in his final games mentioned ANYTHING about what happened those many years ago? Has any media outlet mentioned it at all?

That’s what disgusts me. There are two sides of the coin here.

Praise Lewis for his football career, but don’t forget his involvement, whether major or minor, in the deaths of two people.

Happy New Year! Things are quiet….

As we usher in the New Year of 2013, things have been quiet in Yankeeland.

There are no hot rumors of trades or signings as we still wonder who will be the Yanks’ catcher and DH in 2013, not to mention who’ll fill out the bench.

A couple aging Hall-of-Famers are coming off major injuries (Jeter, Rivera) and another (?; steroid abuse, Alex) will miss half the year if not more because of an operation.

Meanwhile, there are a couple of free agents still available. None of the major ones really fit the Yankees needs, and with the Yanks cutting back on spending, the $$$ isn’t there for them.

Michael Bourn, Kyle Lohse and Rafael Soriano are still out there. Soriano could be a fit, only because he went 2-1, 2.26 with 42 saves in filling in for the injured Rivera last year. But Soriano probably wouldn’t want to go back to the setup role he was unhappily doing in 2011. But after a strong year, it’s interesting that he opted out and still is unsigned.

Boston has been talking to Adam LaRoche, since the Napoli deal may fall through.

Shaun Marcum and Joe Saunders are out there. So are Jose Valverde and Delmon Young.

Young is a righty bat, which the Yanks could use, and a .284 hitter. He was the ALCS MVP vs. the Yanks last year. Although his 162 g. average is .284-16-89, his OPS+ is just 98 due to a poor BB/K ratio. (27/115).

There is still Scott Hairston. There’s Thome or Berkman.

There’s …. (fill in the blank).

But it appears the Yanks are “dumpster-diving.” Who they pick up between now and the start of spring training (and it’s getting closer), who knows?

As of now, who will  be the C, DH or bench?

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has gone up 2%… and that’s just from all the NFL coaches and GMs being fired. Black Monday indeed.

 

S.T. Game 19 Hughes strong in Yanks 5-2 win

Phil Hughes had another strong outing, and is making his case for a spot in the rotation. He pitched 5 innings today, and made just 1 mistake. 2 R, 3 H, 1 walk and 3 K.

Clay Rapada and Rule 5 pick Cesar Cabral are in an interesting competition to be the second lefty out of the bullpen. Rapada had a 1-2-3 inning with 2 K. Meanwhile Cabral pitched two scoreless innings, gave up two hits and a walk, and recorded all six of his outs via the strikeout.

Mike O’Connor wrapped up with a scoreless inning, 1 H, 1 K.

Hughes gave up a 2-run HR to Matt Joyce in the second.

The Yanks tied it in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Ibanez with the bases loaded. The key hit of the inning was a ground-rule double by A-Rod. Ibanez was o for 3, and once again didn’t look good. At least the groundout was pulled. He was late on his first two at bats, flying out to left both times. His S.T. batting average is now .059.

Jorge Vazquez had an RBI double in the seventh.

The Yanks won it in the 9th on an RBI double by Justin Maxwell and a 2-Run HR by Gus Molina.

The win puts the Yanks’ exhibition season record at 10-9. Tomorrow night they’ll be on ESPN vs. Boston, with Dave Phelps scheduled to start.

It’s been an interesting NFL day. Tebow traded to the Jets, but it could fall through…and Saints’ coach Sean Payton suspended for a whole year—and he’s not the only one involved in that Saints’ bounty who got suspended.

S.T. Game 18. Trying to stay healthy

S.T. Game 18: The Yanks will be playing tonight at 7:05 vs. Pittsburgh. Game on YES. Michael Pineda scheduled. Some banged up Yankees (Jeter (calf), Swisher, Martin (both groin strains)) are expected back in today’s lineup. Let’s hope for no major injuries between now and Opening Day (like with HBP which bruised the hands of Nunez and Cano, or comebackers such as what Garcia got). Heck, all we have to do is look a little south, where the Phils will be w/out Utley and Howard for quite some time. That’s a lot of lefty power hitting out for a while down there.

TV  ALERT: The Wed. 1:05 game and the Th. night 7:05 game will be on ESPN.

Lineups later.

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Now that Peyton Manning is going to Denver, to where will the Broncos try to trade Tim Tebow? Miami? Back to the state of Florida? Just wondering.

S.T. Game 5 lineup vs. the Rays, Jeter’s boyhood home, and Yogi shows up

Yankees 3/7 lineup vs. TB:

Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Cano 2B
Swisher 1B
Ibanez DH
Chavez 3B
Jones RF
Martin C
Gardner LF

Kuroda P

That’s a solid lineup, even with backups at certain positions.

It’s our first look at Kuroda.

From the NY Post today: It’ll cost you, Yankees fans, but here’s your chance to own the biggest piece of Derek Jeter memorabilia — ever.
The team captain’s childhood home in Kalamazoo, Mich., is going on the market for $140,000 in a matter of weeks, the owners told The Post. (see link for more).

A sighting. The 86 (87 in May) year-old legend, Yogi Berra, has arrived at spring training.

So, turning to football, where do you think Peyton Manning ends up? Arizona, Washington, Miami, Tennessee? The Colts and Manning are parting ways. As with other legends (think Montana, Rice, Namath, Franco Harris, heck, Jimmy Taylor ended his career a Saint, not a Packer…) it’ll be strange seeing him in a different uniform. I wish Peyton would retire. He has a ring, is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, is 36 and coming off major surgery, has enough $$$ … why risk your health?

Carlos Guillen retired. the 36 year old infielder retires with a .285 career batting average, OPS+ 111, 124 HR. Seattle 1998-2003, Detroit 2004-2011. He was a 3x All-Star who finished 24th in the 2004 MVP voting and 10th in 2006. His 162 g. average was .285-15-82, OPS+ 111. In nineteen postseason games, he hit .344-2-7. He torched the Yanks in the 2006 ALDS, going 8 for 14, 3 doubles, 1 Hr and 2 Rbi.

Should Peyton retire?

Forget the salary, whether or not the Colts pick it up. Forget Andrew Luck, supposedly the next chapter in Colts’ history after Peyton.

Let’s talk health here. Peyton Manning turns 36 next month. 36. It’s being reported that he had a fourth procedure on his neck, one that until now, was previously unreported. There is bone spurs, and he’s trying to get strength back in his throwing arm. There’s been cervical fusion, and reports are that more cervical fusion could be in his future. Yes, he got the ok from doctors, but at what price?

Really, what more is there to prove? It’s an irony that it appears as if Eli will wind up with more rings than Peyton (both made two SB’s, Eli and the Giants winning both, Peyton and the Colts winning one (Bears) and losing one (Saints)). But Peyton may be coming back to a team (Colts) that was flat out horrible last year. If the Colts decide that he isn’t worth the $28mm, then we are treated to the strange sight of Peyton Manning wearing another team’s uniform, and that’s always kind of sad. Namath/Rams; Montana/Chiefs, Unitas/Chargers, heck, the enlongated, enough-already Brett Favre farewell tour…

If Manning does come back, you don’t know how good he’ll be, either. Will he be a shell of his former self? That too, would be sad to see.

I hope it doesn’t come to that with Peyton Manning. Actually, I hope, but don’t expect, him to do what I want him to do. Retire.

Honestly. There is little left to achieve anymore. His HOF credentials are cast in bronze, or whatever they make those busts from for Canton.

What he needs to think about is the rest of his life, and making it as healthy as possible.

Which he won’t do by returning to the gridiron.

Giants win SB 46, 21-17.

The Giants beat the Patriots 21-17 to win their fourth Super Bowl, and thus became the first team to win a Super Bowl in four different decades (the seasons of 1986, 1990, 2007 and 2011). Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning took the Giants some 88 yards for the game-winning TD (scored with only 57 seconds left). Eli now has two SB rings, his brother Peyton, who got more of the accolades, one. (That’s taking nothing away from Peyton, but it just goes to show that Eli isn’t just “Peyton’s little brother” anymore).

I thought Nicks had a good shot at the MVP. The Patriots pretty much shut down Cruz except for one two-yard TD pass, but Nicks caught some ten passes or so.

As in SB XLII (42, screw the roman numerals) four years ago, a great catch by a Giant on a bomb was the Patriots undoing. Four years ago it was Tyree, this time Manningham.

Once again, the Hoodie shows his lack of class postgame. I was rooting for the Giants. Mostly because I have more Giants fans as friends than Patriots fans. Really, the only reason I could root for the Patriots was new PSU (my alma mater coach) Bill O’Brien–New England’s offensive coordinator.

Still, it all comes down to a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game, and you never know how those plays may work out. One lucky ricochet, and maybe a Patriot catches the ball and New England wins.

Both QBs were superb. Eli Manning was 30 for 40, and Tom Brady 27 for 41. Eli started the game with a record nine completions in a row to start a Super Bowl, and Brady set a record by completing sixteen in a row at one point.

A great game, and congratulations to Giant fans.

Update: I almost forgot.

On Twitter, Jon Heyman (CBS) had this:

coughlin has as many rings as shula or  lombardi. And eli has doubled his brother. #crazy

Personally, I found it a bit not too nice that Heyman casually dismissed (with that statement) the three NFL titles (1961, 1962, and 1965) that Lombardi won BEFORE there were Super Bowls.