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Baseball’s fandom fall into one of two categories. They either are glass half empty or glass half full in outlook. The adage: hope springs eternal either means everything or nothing. It’s just how it goes in spring training.

As a Met fan, even when the glass looks half full, somebody comes and pours some hope out just to temper the hope of its faithful. The rallying cry of: “Ya Gotta Believe” has sounded more like a plea and perhaps a more appropriate phrase would be “Ya gotta bereave”.

But over the span of the last seven days hope began filling the glass of even the most pessimistic of Met fans. Let’s take a look, one by one, at what occurred for me to suggest this:

– Chase Utley, the elite second baseman of the Philadelphia Phillies, was sent back to see a specialist on his knees. The Phillies are not commenting on the severity of it but think it significant that they are not providing a timetable but immediately ruling him out of opening Day. While his injury alone may have been bad, that coupled with Ryan Howard out until June (at the earliest), is devastating to a lineup that suddenly lacks a true clean up or number three hitter and now more than ever leans on a stable full of true ace horses who will have to be pushed to eat as many innings as possible and keep games low scoring.

– The Miami Marlins are opening up their brand new stadium and relying on a host of high priced imports to create a compelling product, enough so that their market will come in droves to a state of the art ballpark, to root for a team the area has never had an affinity with despite the fact that in the last twenty years they are one of three teams to win multiple World Series titles. Their ace is recovering from Tommy John which usually takes two years to fully come back from and a suspect pen.

– The Nationals too went after the big catch but only netted Gio Gonzalez in exchange for prospects. The team’s strength is their minor league system where they hope to unveil their next phenom number one pick, Bryce Harper, soon and hope to get their already established Phenom, Stephen Strassburg, back from major elbow surgery.

– The Braves responded to the biggest collapse in League history by not making wholesale changes, a rarity in today’s reactionary sports climate, and having one of the greatest players in the history of the organization announce his retirement. Its been a while since Chipper Jones had a eff you moment against the Mets but he remains one of the sharpest thorns on the side of the team. His retirement is just another Met killer leaving the league which is good for a fan base used to bad news.

So to sum up, the National League East in one year is going through what the Mets have been through over the last five years. This years Met is picked to finish last by virtually all of the experts which is fair. Nothing the Mets have done this offseason make it’s fan base excited about the prospects of this upcoming season. They are hoping that the favorable ruling in the Madoff trial and getting Ike Davis and Johan Santana back from injuries will help the team offset what it lost in Jose Reyes.

Johan is set to be the Mets opening day starter if all things go well and has looked good thus far. His overall health has been the biggest question during Spring Training and his spot in the rotation the most pressing need for the Mets. Last year’s over confidence in Mike Pelfrey backfired big time as the team found out what it should have probably known from the start: Mike Pelfrey is NO ace. Johan’s arrival means that everyone moves down a peg which seems like it should be the natural order of things.

The Wilpons legal problems, hanging over the franchise and how it operated financially, finally was given a verdict and despite the wishes of the majority of the fan base it was much better than predicted and it allowed the Wilpons to publicaly celebrate even if no one else was partying with them. Invariably this would mean that the owners have more money to spend, the kind they either offered or didn’t to Jose Reyes depending on who you believe. This is important considering the Mets will have virtually the same dilemma come this All Star Break.

Last year during the All star break, GM Sandy Alderson had the opportunity to ship Jose Reyes in trade for prospects. If Carlos Beltran net the Mets a prospect in the area of a Zack Wheeler, surely they could get a better haul if not quality, certainly quantity for an entering his prime lead off bat. That didn’t happen. Instead the Mets dealt Beltran and kept Reyes.

David Wrights situation is slightly different this year. Wright has a club option that automatically gets waived if hes dealt so even if a team acquires him they would do so knowing he’s perhaps at worst a half season rental. Wright is truly the face of the franchise thus making his decision potentially more important. Imagine what the trading of Wright, or worse, outright losing him to a higher bidder would do to the morale of the fan base or the reputation of the Mets? Alderson knows how big a move it is and Wright’s first half may dictate which direction he moves.

My belief is that Wright should be traded. As tough as it would be to lose him, Alderson’s role in this tangled mess that are the Mets is to restore and rebuild. I believe we have seen David Wright’s best. He is not comfortable in his current role as leader of the clubhouse. I don’t blame him. He was forced into this role without decision makers ever properly assessing whether or not he was ready for that spotlight. For too long the Mets had cast Wright as their version of Jeter. The truth is, Wright could NEVER be Jeter and whether it takes a fully healthy first half of the season for Sandy Alderson to recognize it or not I believe he will not repeat the mistake of letting Reyes walk for nothing. He will trade him either now or during the next offseason and get pieces for the future that he is diligently building towards.

Despite reasons for optimism, a cloud hangs over the Mets. The Wilpons beat the Madoff rap but their long term financial stability is still a huge question mark. Out of twelve $20 million shares they have sold, atleast 8 are either SNY, or have the name Wilpon or Katz attached to it. One billionaire’s name, Steve Cohen may disappear if his group wins the bidding to acquire the Los Angeles Dodgers. In reality, they haven’t gotten anywhere to acquire investors to help keep the Mets afloat. On the field, the Mets hope that injured stars on other teams, similar misfortune having familiar results and their own top flight minor leaguers come out of nowhere. Hey, it happened for the Knicks and Giants, why couldn’t it happen for the mets right? Of course that would require the Mets to be helped out by lady luck, something NO Met fan, in spite of all the optimism Spring Training falsely brings, is counting on.

This week stands to be one of those exciting, hold on to the pleat of your pants kind of weeks.  People began filling out their brackets on Sunday for the NCAA tournament.  Then there’s the NBA’s trade deadline expiring this Thursday at 3pm just as the fever of the NCAA tournament is stopping all work in virtually every office in America.  Of course there’s the NFL Free Agency beginning today at 4pm.

But all of that pales in comparison to the Knicks problems and the Mets injury woes that we’ll get to during the week.

The Washington Redskins gave up three number one draft picks (2012, 2013, 2014) and their second round draft pick this year to the Rams for the right to select second overall in this year’s NFL draft where they will select Robert Griffin the Third.  RGIII is now the story and will be.  Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post has a fantastic story about the development of a leader.  Thomas Boswell writes what I’m sure every Skins fan is thinking since the trade was announced: “RGIII will either demolish an amazing losing streak or confirm a curse.”

These are the kind of big splashes that Daniel Snyder is known to make.  Loud noises meant to get the attention of the league in order to show them that he too is daddy long pockets capable of throwing money around on the whim in order to get what he wants.  The question though to ask for Skins fans is: what exactly is it that he wants?  If its a winner, then he certainly hasn’t thought too deeply about the process.

Creating a championship team takes character guys mixing well with guys with a bit of an attitude problem but obvious talent.  Everyone has talent in this league, but those guys with the elite talent sometimes come in weird packages of ego and me first attitude.  The Washington Redskins however have chosen to go where no Daniel Snyder team has gone before: they have decided to trade for a character guy with talent.  Call it luck (ok maybe Luck is an incorrect usage), but definitely call it a marriage of convenience.

Robert Griffin III is in fact the first free agent signing that most Skins fans and talent evaluators and analysts will sign off on in union.  He’s the son of a member of the army.  He’s a guy who was being looked at as an Olympic hurdler.  But he is a Quarterback first and foremost.  A leader by virtue of his position and by disposition.  He’s the kid that every father will welcome into his home and bug his daughter to go out with and he’s a player that coaches dream about having.  He’s perfect, almost as if he were conjured up in some Manchurian Candidate kind of way and for most Skins fans, this perfect QB has to frighten them.  They’ve been burned one too many times by high priced free agents that were signs of promise but never anything more.

Daniel Snyder built his reputation on building through free agency yet he never won anything.  He is loved by players because when push comes to shove, if you are indeed an elite player chances are that you can use Washington to drive up your price and if money is the only thing that matters in the end, then that’s where you go.  I don’t fault players for going for the biggest pay day, Lord only knows how screwed up the sport is when no contract is guaranteed while playing in the one sport that ultimately will ruin your chances at living a pain free life after retirement.  But there’s a bit of selling your soul to play in Washington that’s in the air.  The almost sly grin players have at their press conferences “yeah I know I took the money..so what?  You would too.”  Chances are, you’re right.

But you get the overwhelming sense that Washington hit the nail right in the head.  Chances are that in DC, Griffin will finally begin to undo all the wrong.  You get the sense that his persona will lend itself to cleaning up the mess that most believe was created by TRYING to buy itself a championship team.  You get the sense that NO amount of draft picks is ever enough for a QB who can singlehandedly change the fortunes of a franchise.  Ask Colts fans.  Or better yet, ask Giants fans who have a two time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP in Eli Manning if they regret trading all those picks for Eli.  I’d bet the answer is an overwhelming NO.

You see, guys like Griffin don’t grow on trees.  Guys like Griffin come along every once in a  while.  He was born to be great.  He was challenged by parents who expected great things.  He was groomed to be respectful and productive member of society.  His parents did their job by instilling a work ethic that Redskins fans and team officials hear about and drool over.  The Skins aren’t just getting a QB, they are getting a leader of men.  A guy who has more than just football on his mind.  He’s got bigger fish to fry.  His aspirations may lead him to do even greater things long after his playing career is over.

I’m not saying that there isn’t an opportunity for failure here.  Lord only knows that the Skins have been down that road before way too many times but this feels different.  He’s not a washed up veteran looking for a pay day.  This is a kid with a chip on his shoulder with something to prove.  He’s a guy that everyone rants and raves over.  The biggest question is: “could he be worth THIS much?”  Let me ask you one thing: what certainty is there that any of the four draft picks the Rams get are worth remotely close to what RGIII is?  You can’t.  Not for a franchise QB.  Not for a guy that will almost certainly become instantly the most popular athlete in the metro DC area.  This is Presidential territory. This is nation’s capital stuff.  He makes it big there, he will open up so many doors for himself within that community that the world will literally be at his fingertips.  Is there a price too high for RGIII?  I ask this:  Is there a price for immortality?  You take your shots in life, THESE are one of those moments.  Good for you Redskins.

I sat watching last night’s post game of the Knicks 120-102 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and I had a look of worry on my face.  I sat there thinking about the most unbelievable of problems that I could have never foreseen this current group of Knicks having: too much depth.  Needless to say that the last month has been borderline insane for any Knick fan to properly take in without the feeling that you’re on one large acid trip.

Yesterday’s win affirmed a major problem in my head.  Jeremy Lin is NOT some fairy tale hoax.  Steve Novak IS a gifted shooter.  Baron Davis MAY NOT just be a corpse taking up space on the roster.  Jared Jeffries is probably one of the most important guys coming off the bench.  Iman Shumpert’s defense is imperative.  JR Smith is a streaky shooter.  And Mike D’Antoni is still the coach that has to figure out how to mix in all these guys with a starting five (minus Tyson Chandler) who by the way looked better coming off the bench.

I don’t apologize for my blatant Knick fandom.  I’m not bound by the laws of the journalistic enterprise that says I must be fair and impartial.  I love the Knicks and for as long as I’ve actively followed them, this is the most depth this team has had since Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, Chris Childs etc were coming off the bench giving the Knicks a deep and talented roster.  The problem is that when playoff time comes, and its safe to say that any team a game or two south of the hemisphere holding the 7th spot in a conference by the midpoint of the season, will find its way to the post season, even if its the Knicks barring the bubonic plague striking lower Manhattan tomorrow, teams only play 8-9 guys.

The problem becomes WHICH of the 8-9 can you afford to play?  I’ve briefly listed some of the charming aspects of the bench player’s game while glossing over the more important tangible parts of it.  Jared Jeffries, who has been booed as often as a Kardashian ex, has practically transformed into a charge inducing, defensive complement.  Not only that, he frantically boarded the Lin bandwagon because Lin actually gave him the ball with regularity because he was ::gasp:: the open man due to the fact that nobody worth their soul had any faith in Jared Jeffries conquering the two between he and the rim.  Now Jeffries steps back from beyond 10 feet without hesitation despite the groans of the fans who still don’t fully trust him.

You don’t need to be an expert to know that last night was NOT Steve Novak’s first time around a three point line while holding a basketball.  He has been prodigious in short stints and is a few games away from locking down his rotation spot.  Iman Shumpert was a virtual question mark heading into the season because NOBODY had evidently heard or seen him and there are rumors that the Knicks had used the money saved on Eddy Curry’s food stipend (did you hear Eddy Curry lost 390 pounds and he’s still 310?) to create him in a lab somewhere.  Given his freak natural athleticism and long wingspan we can only hope that the Chinese never figure out how to replicate him.  His defense has been a God-send for the ten people who came to Madison Square Garden waiting for the Pat Riley Knicks* to come sliding down from a cloud to play defense like its 1993 again.

*= for those of you who feel that New York fans are overrated as basketball fans and aren’t hungry for a championship- the majority of us look back on the glory days of losing in horrendous fashion to Michael Jordan’s Bulls and Hakeems’ Rockets and Duncan’s Spurs.  So yeah, we’ll freaking take a title.  

But here comes the difficult part.  What to do with Baron Davis and JR Smith.  Its obvious that these two have tied their lots with each other and consequently forced the Knick brass to consider both of them as integral cogs in the evaluation process.  Lin’s minutes have been staggering since he became a worldwide sensation and Baron Davis’ back still hasn’t healed since he got depressed after learning that his starting job that every fan was frothing at the mouth for him to take was usurped by an Asian kid that he thought was the team’s accountant.  This naturally led him to his local Popeyes where he tweaked his back while reaching for his 7th thigh.*  But yesterday, thanks to a mix of circumstance and good play, Baron Davis logged 15 minutes.  A season high for those counting and registered 8 assists which leads overanxious Knick fans to wake up this morning believing that they have the best point guard duo in the league since Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury.**

*= I’m still waiting on a Knick official to confirm my report, but I do have unnamed sources who will back me up.  

**= Ok even I admit I was a little mad I made that joke, but the 15% comedian in me snuck that one in there over the 80% sport fan.  

JR Smith’s value is pretty easy: he’s a streaky shooter with a pedigree from behind the 3 point line.  And if you aren’t familiar with JR’s game he’s not shy about shooting it either.  The Knicks play a system that require perimeter shooters and playmakers, both of which JR is.  As sarcastic as I may be, I’m fully aware of the fact that JR Smith can singlehandedly win us at least two playoff games and thus his value is extraordinary.

So now that we’ve established that there are 10 guys who deserve to be on this team what seems to be the difficulty?  Look at that second unit, see something wrong?  Yeah, they don’t have size.  I get that Steve Novak has size (he’s 6’11) but anyone who believes that he can be counted on to stop premier power forwards in the game when the game is on the line is kidding themselves.  Which brings us back to the bench looking deeper.  Can you trust Josh Harrelson?  He’s shown glimpses of being good but I doubt he will do the Knicks any good this season.  His 3 point range is decent but nothing earth shattering that merits discussion.  Then there’s Jerome James who went down to the D-League with Jeremy Lin, during his final stint in anonymity.  Apparently Jeremy drank all the super juice and left none for poor 7’2 James which would’ve been awesome if he had since you know, guys seven feet and taller with any kind of offensive game are uber valuable.*  So there’s no trusting him.

*= Add selfish to the list of faults that we found in young Lin.  The other?  Common sense.  I mean, anytime you’re linked on a date with Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj you at least try and parlay that into a shootout during an episode or a lyric in a Billboard Top 20 song.  DUH!

So what we have left are 10 guys playing valuable minutes.  Only you have to play Josh Harrelson minutes just to keep Tyson Chandler healthy since you know it looks like he’s going to spontaneously explode once he realizes that he’s the only guy who can play defense in that starting unit.  The luxury of being able to rest your players is a major plus that you have.

But here’s the monkey in the room: what if you make a trade?  Isn’t the opportunity to strike now?  Isn’t the entire league fawning over the incredible depth the Knicks have and can’t you swindle a draft pick from a gullible trade partner?  Just hear me out Knick fans because I like you am drinking the juice and loving how this Knick team is gelling.  And yes I am the same guy who poo pooh’d the Carmelo trade when it happened because I’m a proponent and major believer in team chemistry and how it plays into wins and losses.  As this team reaches its apex of high fives and funny handshakes, isn’t the problem the Knicks have that they don’t have enough pure shooters that worry you?  I mean there’s Carmelo and Novak.  You can’t trust anyone’s shot on a day to day level.  Shumpert’s game is incomplete.  JR Smith is good news/bad news every night and your head hurts coming into games fearing the worst and hoping for the best.  Amar’e Stoudemire is open on every single 15 footer and until he proves he can hit that shot I don’t trust him.  What I do trust are my eyes and the fact is this: the man can barely get over 5 feet off the floor anymore.  Tyson Chandler has virtually NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE on the offensive end since he expends so much energy covering about 20 feet around the basket on nearly every possession.  Then there’s Jared Jeffries who for some unknown reason is more reliable hitting a 10 footer rather than a lay up, which he’s routinely given by the defense*.  Baron Davis’ back is about as good as Tiger Woods psyche every time he goes for a 8 foot putt.

*= They actually beg.  

What if the Knicks offered up JR Smith and Bill Walker for Anthony Parker and Ramon Sesssions?  I’m sure Cleveland would laugh right out of the building but there are trades like these to be made and for teams trying desperately to get from under burdensome contracts that cripple cap flexibility the Knicks would be an eager buyer considering their owner is oblivious to market considerations since he’s been busy raising ticket prices three years in a row despite growing economic concerns.  Of course, like the suckers that we are, we’ve been buying.  I doubt it would take much convincing from management’s part that doing so would be in the best interest of the team.  I mean after years of leaving this team in the hands of the inept (read: Isiah Thomas) wouldn’t it behoove for the James Dolan to repay the fan base’s patience with his obvious hallucinogen dependancy and give them a team on par with exorbitant ticket prices?  Wouldn’t it make sense?

No?  Ok then fine.  Let’s try our luck with Mike D’Antoni who has the unenviable job, along with his assistants, of whittling his list of trusted playoff ready athletes to a good 9.  Who do you tell among that group of players of whom I did not include Bill Walker OR Josh Harrleson who I also expect to see get minutes during these next few weeks, that they are the weakest link?  It will be interesting to say the least.  The next few weeks will be interesting.  But I hope that the Knicks do make a move since they are now operating under a pseudo-point of strength.  Let’s build off this momentum, and try and get a shooter.  Let’s finally take the Bull by the horns and bring the Heat to the rest of the league.  Its Showtime.  Ok fine I’m done.*

*= You have no idea how many of those idiotic statements I deleted.  These were the best.  

But if this season is truly going to be magical, I think there’s still a piece left to be added.  I believe that the Knicks must make another move.  Every move has been pretty good thus far, what’s the point of not trying?

As spring training approaches, the Mets are meeting expectations head on.  Expectations being that there are none.  David Wright isn’t too thrilled with ownership’s response to the underdog mentality according to Peter Botte of the Daily News.  Mike Puma of the Post gave Met fans the news they DIDNT want to hear:  Fred Wilpon has no intention of selling the team.  Adam Rubin of ESPNNY gave us the transcript of the 22 minute press conference that ownership had with beat writers and reporters alike.  Tyler Kepner of NY Times writes that perhaps the Mets can view the Wilpons as their version of Howard Spira, the gambler who was paid $40,000 by George Steinbrenner to spy on Dave Winfield which led to his suspension and stewardship being taken over by executives who managed to keep the core of a championship team together.  

I have never said I questioned the Wilpons devotion to the Mets.  As twisted and as corrupt as their ideal is, they love being the owners of the Mets and treasure the position they are in.  They care about baseball and we can’t question their desire NOW when they were spending over $100 million for a good part of the last decade.  But the constant with holding of information and trying to make everyone look like fools for suggesting that the Wilpons are in a bad state financially when everyone knows that to be the case makes people NOT like you.  Its bad press I get that, but at some point you have to face the reality of the situation which is this:  the New York Mets ownership situation, as murky as it is, has to be truthful.  Just tell fans that you are struggling and are trying to make a better product in a different way.  That the uncertainty of the Madoff litigation is forcing you to address baseball needs in a more frugal manner and until they know exactly what they are on the hook for, if anything, they can not make long term commitments and while it was tough to see one of the faces of the franchise go, they HAD to because they were mired in this rut.

Why not thank Jose for years of service and sticking with them?  Why not tell David Wright that they are being held hostage by this situation?  Why continue to lie to the public that suddenly you decided to address the needs of your club by cutting $50 million in payroll and acting like it was a baseball decision?  Why talk like you had a $100 million offer to Jose Reyes when you NEVER made a public offer to him?  Why take a helicopter to a Miami Heat game when everyone is watching you?  These are things that idiotic people do, not ones who made their fortunes through hard work and the like.  These are the kind of things that make fans mad at you.  And more importantly, these are the things that make fans not come.  When Opening Day comes, I wonder how many cardboard cutouts of fans they will have to make the crowd look more full than it is.  I wonder how much noise will be created by the PA system to make it sound like a crazy atmosphere.

Sadly all it will take is for wins to be produced.  I love our manager.  Terry Collins deserves to manage a winner and I hope they renew his contract.  He has elements of Bobby Valentine except the front office prior to this one stripped the Mets of any depth they may have had.  There are too many IFs to this Met season and that’s what worries me.  A last place finish isn’t only realistic its almost a given.  Do YOU expect anything to go right for the Mets after all the years of it NOT?  The season is long and its cruel because its long.  But hope springs internal, never let it get out though.

The Knicks fell to the Miami Heat 102-88.  The Heat won their 8th in a row.  Jeremy Lin scored 8 points on 1-11 shooting which marked his worst performance thus far since his meteoric rise.  Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News writes that the learning curve just got harder for Lin “an emerging young playmaker.”  Mike Vacarro of the Post wrote that as the Knicks entered the All Star Break they got a gut check on where they have to go to compete with the best in the NBA.  Frank Isola wrote that perhaps Lin’s confidence looking shaky and running into the Miami Heat wasn’t just mere coincidence.  Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald wrote that no matter who’s playing the Heat these days the score winds up pretty much falling in line with the usual.  

Look, I went into this game fearing the worst and what I got….wasn’t all that bad.  The Knicks were competitive.  The Knicks looked hungry.  But some of the things that worry me came back to bite them.  Everyone will point to Lin’s 8 turnovers and 1 for 11 shooting as the major culprit in this loss.  But I just think that AT THIS JUNCTURE of the season, with all the new players that are working themselves into the rotation.  With all the guys learning to play under the Mike D’Antoni offense and the Knicks having a point guard who can do a reasonable Steve Nash impersonation since the good ole days of Raymond Felton, there’s an obvious learning curve the Knicks have to play under.  I’m not saying that Lin has to know where every guy is at this point because he just started playing with Amar’e again two weeks ago.  He just started playing with Carmelo again on Monday.  He started playing with Baron Davis, JR Smith on Sunday.  These are all new guys that he has to grow more comfortable with and its interesting to see Lin embrace the challenge and difficulty of having to please multiple scorers on this team.

It won’t be easy and I believe he recognizes it.  Many people are going to wake up this morning and talk themselves through this game saying “the Heat are the best team in the NBA, what did you expect?” Or, “Linsanity wasn’t going to last forever”.  Yes, and those arguments would be correct but let’s take some of that truth serum and augment all the forthcoming with this:  the Miami Heat are beating EVERYBODY.  And i mean, EVERYBODY.  And its with defense.  I waited with baited breath to see Lebron or Wade on Lin but it was neither.  It wasn’t a sign of disrespect that Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole were defending him, it was a sign that the Knicks are more than just those guys on offense that they can afford to keep their best defensive players on Lin.  Lin’s forays to the painted area were in limited view because they clogged up the lane so quick.  The Heat were prone to three pointers on the wings because of that and Steve Novak made them pay.  Then, Mike D’Antoni didn’t play him much after that.  In fact, Novak didn’t get any minutes in the fourth quarter which kind of boggled the mind because EVEN WITH the Heat’s defensive intensity, which wore the Knicks down, they were within reach with about 3 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.  But never got their offense going while the Heat began to make baskets.  The Knicks were done in because something about their offense isn’t right.

One thing I don’t understand is that when Lin is attacking, Amar’e and Chandler should just immediately be converging to the basket so that Lin has two options to go to there OR be able to kick it out to Carmelo so he can either stop and pop or attack the hoop.  The Knicks would be unstoppable.  And here’s where things get trickier.  Remember that experimental option of Carmelo as point forward?  Me thinks that the Knicks should continue to push that idea in Melo’s head.  Its something that Melo took to heart early in the season and tried his level best to embrace.  Melo is a scorer yes, but he’s also a fantastic passer which sometimes gets overlooked.  Its further proof that Melo’s offensive game is so multifaceted that he should easily be averaging around 25 and 7 assists.  On the chance that the defense keys in on Lin driving or clogging the lane, Melo must begin looking to push the ball here and there to give the defense a different look.  Lin can not be the only guy pushing the rock and setting up the defense.  I’m not saying that its a bad thing that he does it, I’m saying that if you have an advantage anywhere, its in Melo’s ability to do so much more.  I believe Melo’s mind can fathom being an ultimate play maker because I’ve seen him take that role in a few games thus far and he will learn to pick his spots.  In the fourth when the lead had dropped to 8, Melo began taking the ball and taking shots and yes they didn’t fall but I liked it.  He KNEW when he needed to take over and while those shots didn’t fall (who can blame him, Lebron was on him), most of the time those shots will fall and what OTHER TEAM has a defender like Lebron that can easily rotate over and contest EVERY SINGLE SHOT at four different positions?  My point is, Melo has an understanding of when to take over and while it may not be solace to Knick fans to wake up this morning and digest that L after such a huge uplifting blowout win against Atlanta you can take this with you: the Knicks know where they measure up.  Against the best team in the NBA, the Knicks took their lumps and hung in there.  Deep into the third.

Yes, Mike D’Antoni is still learning who to rotate in and out.  I dont know how the second half is going to play out and who’s going to get playing time and who won’t.  Yes, Baron Davis looks rusty as all HELL.  Yes, I think he’s going to need MUCH more playing time if we want him to be a viable point guard.  Yes we have three guys who will chuck up shots at inopportune times but I’m not too concerned about all that.  The job of a great point guard is to figure out how all of those pieces work.  To align everyone in the right spots.  And I insist that Melo also take up that responsibility.  I ask that Melo look to that as a challenge to his offensive game.  Take this weekend to figure it out.  Talk to Lebron and work out with your buddies.  Steal some moves.  Understand the nuances of the game when you’re being coached up by some other coaches.  I would take Jeremy Lin and start practicing.  I would fly RIGHT OUT of Orlando and into NY and then start practicing heavy Monday morning.  Tuesday Morning.  Fly out Tuesday night.  Talk through the game.  I want Lin and Anthony to be buddies.  Yes they walk in different circles but they both serve the same purpose in my mind.  THOSE TWO are integral parts of the offense and those two make the offense go.  I’m convinced Amar’es lift is reserved for key moments in games.  I have no confidence in his ability to drive to the basket.  His athleticism is deteriorating right before our eyes.  He’s being routinely blocked underneath the basket because he can barely lift to dunk the basketball.  He has no confidence to dunk it on people.  He needs to be fed the ball while he has a head of steam.  Chandler has no post up game or offensive arsenal to speak of.  I don’t expect him to though.  His game is predicated off of drive and dishes to him underneath the basket or alley oops.

The fact is this, the Knicks are a team that is finally NOT a team of transition.  When they open against Cleveland on the 29th, their next game is on the 4th against Boston.  So between today and Boston, they have 9 days and two games.  They can work in three, or four good practices in that time.  These practices HAVE TO BE good.  I love JR Smith’s defense.  He looks intense out there and out to prove something.  I love Steve Novak’s confidence in his shot.  I love that this game happened to Lin because he will bounce back.  I love Jared Jeffries defense and the overall intensity he brings on the court whenever he’s there.  I love Tyson Chandler.  He’s such a man.  I like this Knick team.  Hold on to your butts Knick fans.  This second half is going to be fun.

With the Giants and Patriots renewing acquaintances on February 5th for all the marbles, Mike Lupica of the Daily News writes that the Giants road to Super Bowl fame and fortune begins and ends with the defense.  Paul Schwartz of the Post goes even more specific and cites the resurgence of Justin Tuck as the reason.  The Giants will have their hands full with the TE duo that the Pats have but as Ohm Yungmisuk writes the Giants feel they match up pretty nicely with them.  Dan Graziano writes that despite the knowledge they have in defeating Tom Brady before, they use that respect to continue to be diligent in finding new ways to win.  

Look, am I happy that the Giants are facing off against the Patriots? No.  There’s a sick feeling in my stomach because that’s Brady and Belichiek on the other end.  No matter what talk of psychological advantage is coming out, I dont want to hear it.  Its nice to hear the respect come pouring out for a guy who’s going to his fifth Super Bowl.  Brady has an aura about him that has transcended his own ability which means he’s an all time great.  He’s the kind of guy that you have to give credit to and honor everytime you play against him.  The Giants know what Brady is capable of and despite recent success, there isn’t much to point at and be overconfident if you are a Giant supporter.

Because that’s still TOM BRADY!  While there may be a recipe for disaster and the Giants being the perfect cooks to serve it up come Super Bowl time, the fact is, the Giants know not to lay back on their laurels.  Their healthy respect for Brady is prevalent watching him.  Yes, Brady will come in motivated having lost the Super Bowl when they were on their way to immortality in Glendale.  They lost their first home game to an NFC opponent since 2006 to the Giants this year as well.  The pass rush is something Brady sees in his nightmares.  All these things are true.  However, its STILL Tom Brady.  A sentiment that leads one to believe that Brady holds magical powers beyond the norm of a human.  We may find out how extra-terrestrial he is come Super Bowl Sunday.  His legacy will not be complete if every sentence about his greatness is abruptly cut short by the news that he could never beat Eli Manning and the Giants in a game that actually mattered.

The great ones can draw inspiration from even the tiniest of slights and yet I doubt that the Giants can say anything over the next two weeks that could motivate Brady anymore than their last two meetings have already.  Brady admitted Monday that he can’t re-watch Super Bowl 42.  I’m sure tape of this season’s contest won’t bring back fond memories for Brady but you can see that he’s taking every single step to correct any flaws.  He phoned his quarterbacking guru in California to help fix whatever needs fixing after an awful performance in Baltimore.  He’s not chuckling this time if Giant players call out a low scoring game for him and his offense.  This Tom Brady is scary because he’s got a chip on his shoulder.  A chip on the shoulder of a sixth round draft pick.  A guy you may as well have assumed came via the heaven opening up and dropping him into Foxboro and onto Bill Belichiek’s lap.  His divine presence has meant a dynasty for New Englanders, a term hardly mentioned in those parts given the former state of the Boston Red Sawx and the curse.  Brady’s emergence and Belichiek’s ability to get his defense to play up to par have given the Patriots the kind of team that most would be jealous of.

But if there is a mental advantage to be had by the Giants its this:  they know not to expect a hesitant Tom Brady on February 5th.  They know not to expect a giddy Tom Brady who overlooks the Giants.  They know to expect an angry Brady playing behind a no name defense on a ho-hum team that has a few offensive weapons.  A team that draws its strength from its tight ends while merely glossing over the fact that they also possess the league’s best slot weapon.  The Giants know that in order to defeat Tom Brady they can not allow him space or time to operate his offense.  The Giants have this knowledge and at this moment are playing the kind of football that would have you believe that they will be prepared.  If not, it will be Brady’s crowning achievement and the final jewel in his amazing crown of accomplishments.  THIS will be Brady’s BEST win ever.  Only the Giants stand in his way.

That’s it.  All the talking is done.  The Giants and 49ers will square off for the NFC Championship.  Mike Lupica of the Daily News writes that this game is for the Giants opportunity to write another chapter in a long and storied history.  Mike Vaccaro of the Post writes that regardless of the forecast, these Giants have shown a propensity for coming through in the harshest of conditions.  Tom Rock of Newsday writes that if Eli Manning wants to really be elite?  Then win one more championship and then we can mercifully put that to rest.  Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com writes that in the midst of all the anxiety that a NFC Championship can bring, Tom Coughlin is cool as a cucumber, a lesson he learned on his last Super Bowl ride.  Greg Bishop of the New York Times writes that these Niners remind us of their glory teams.  Mark Purdy of the Conta Costra Times writes that the Niners are a hit show.  Cam Inman of the CCT writes the Frank Gore story, a must read for any who appreciate a story about a player who has had a tough road to this particular moment.  Jerry McDonald of the CCT writes about laid back Eli and why NOT being his brother is the best compliment ANYONE could give him.  Eric Branch of the San Fran Chronicle writes that Alex Smith thinks there’s only one guy who’s had it worse than him: Eli Manning.  

Well its finally time for the game and its now at the point where you can put all the festivities aside and get down to what’s important here and that’s this:  the Giants and Niners are going to play A CLASSIC NFC Championship game.  Its almost as certain as the reports of showers coming in.  Why?  I’ll give you a few reasons why:

1. The Weather-  If this were the 07 team, I’d tell you that the advantage was clearly on the Giants side since that was an offensive line that could obliterate any run defense.  Remember the game against the Ravens the season after the Super Bowl win and the Giants ran up over 250 yards on the ground?  The Ravens were the number one rushing defense.  THIS team is not built on the run like the Niners are.  But the Niners aren’t really built on the run either.  As they showed in their first game, if you dare Alex Smith to throw on first and second down like the Giants dared him to do Smith CAN make plays.  Hitch routes and slant patterns can effectively stop a pass rush if need be.  Both teams will need to air it out, but that game will be affected by reports of rain AND 20 MPH winds.  The QB better able to make the plays will prevail.  Both teams will have to make effective use of the running game and the team that can run up the middle without having to go outside into the edges will be the one who wins.  Look for the biggest plays to come over the tackles, the team that can effectively run off tackle against the defensive ends will be victorious.  Look for the Niners to put Justin Smith, their ALL-Pro tackle in the middle on first and second down and then their second team All-Pro defensive end Justin Smith (yes, same person.  Yes, its the first time a player has made it on to the team in two different positions) on third down at the edge, JUST in case the Giants try and go off tackle on their now-infamous draw plays.

2. Pass rush vs. Pass Rush-  The Giants are known for getting a pass rush from their front four, especially when the Giants get their NASCAR front.  But the Niners have two Smiths that aren’t average Joe’s at their position.  Justin and rookie Aldon, are two extreme motor guys who will continue to keep coming and will give it everything they’ve got.  Justin is probably the best defensive player on the field with JPP coming in a close second, since he can play a multitude of positions and plays it well enough to earn ALL-PRO honors, it will be important for the Giants AND Niners to get the pass rush.  I think the Niners have an excellent chance to get pressure up the middle against Eli thanks to Sopoaga, and Smith and the Giants will depend on C David Baas and their interior lineman to hold the fort down.  Expect the Giants to go with Tony Ugoh on several downs in place of Jake Ballard who will come ONLY on passing downs to try and neutralize the rush coming from the Niners who will also rush Navarro Bowman AND Patrick Willis.  On the Niners side, don’t expect Vernon Davis to have A HUGE game considering he will be used to block and chip on most downs so any catches that he will have will come as a result of it being Alex Smith’s last option or a blown coverage on the Giants part.  Since Ted Ginn’s injury and Michael Crabtree relative ineffectiveness, the onus is on these two to play critical roles.

3. Offense of Giants vs. Defense of the Niners-  The Giants have the superior offensive weaponry.  There’s no denying that.  But, the Niners have speed.  Last week, Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman played a lot of man coverage against Jimmy Graham AND Darren Sproles, lining up speed vs. speed.  Now, the Niners don’t have to commit those guys into coverage like that on single players.  They can have one OR two of these guys back there making tackles and making plays or going on blitzes.  This will be extremely beneficial to the Niners since this will be a comfort zone.  Why does this effect the Giants?  Because now, the Niners can use them to go against Victor Cruz in the slot.  They will play bump and run coverage.  They will use Willis or Bowman to try and muscle them within five yards and delay their routes.  They will try to throw off their timing.  Cruz’s strength is an undeniable weapon that i’ve seen him use to go and get those jump balls or go and make plays against corners who just can’t match up against him.  They will try to delay the timing and HOPE that the jam will throw them off routes.  Of course what makes Cruz and Nicks so tough to stop IS their physicality and they risk getting beat and those guys going deep which is why they will have safety help over the top on those guys which brings us to the match up that I think will decide the game: Carlos Rogers vs. Mario Manningham.  This will be one on one ALL DAY in my opinion.  They will try and match him up,  and if i were the Giants i would try and get Manningham routes going to one side of the field and Nicks and Cruz’s routes going on the other side of the field and making the safeties make a choice where to go.  Eli will have to make a decision where to go and depending on where he goes, it will decide the game.  Manningham has a case of the dropsies here and there, but there’s no denying that all it may take is one or two huge plays and the Giants will be in business.  If Manningham is torching them early watch for the Giants to get more favorable match ups against Cruz and Nicks and having no safety help and then it being just pitch and catch for the Giants.  As for the running game, I think if the Giants get a huge day running the football game the Niners have absolutely NO shot of winning which is why I DONT think the Giants will have a great day running the football.  But the Giants MUST stick to the run to keep the Niners honest.  If they are playing coverage Jacobs and Bradshaw MUST get into the second layer with regularity.

4. Offense of the Niners vs. the defense of the Giants-  This will be where the Niners MUST win.  Up front that line will HAVE to give Frank Gore lanes to run.  Its interesting that nobody is talking about this but this Giant front is playing the run SO much better even with only one true defensive tackle in there.  In my opinion when its 3rd and 5 or 3rd and six, and the Giants show that NASCAR look, I would run the football.  I know fans may not like it if they get stopped but that’s where the Niners must run it.  They have to run it to Osi’s edge.  If I were coaching the Niners I’d tell the Niner offensive lineman who’s going against Osi to hard sell the interior and give up the edge, IT WILL OPEN up huge holes.  Osi can’t play the run.  His biggest strength is when you line him up and its a passing down.  Delayed hand offs, draws, running to his side will be good.  Don’t run it to JPP’s  side because even with a lack of real fundamental awareness, his long athletic body can make plays and so you don’t want to run into that.  The Niners best bet is to run to the tackle side where Osi is and identify that area as to where the Niners will run the football.  Once that happens, the Giants WILL keep Osi out of the field on more plays which can only benefit the Niners.  I think you’ll see more of what the Niners did in the first game.  Three step or five step drops at the most, identify the best match up adn go to it.  I expect the Niners to attack whoever Aaron Ross is covering OR Prince Amukamara who will see extended action today as well.  It will be interesting to see how the Giants play their safeties.  Do they play them close to the line of scrimmage or keep one or two guys deep?  The Niners will take three to five shots deep in this game and it will be interesting to see how and when they choose to do the play action.  It will be run heavy early on in my estimation.   The Giants will have to watch for Delanie Walker who made some huge first downs for the Niners because all of the attention was on Vernon Davis.  Now, even more attention will be paid to Davis given his breakout performance against the Saints.  The Giants may just put Michael Boley on him and have Jacquian Williams OR Deon Grant against Delanie Walker.  They MUST make Vernon Davis a non factor and have Delanie Walker as a non factor as well.  Alex Smith will look to his tight ends as I don’t think their routes will go deeper than seven yards.  They are move the chains kind of guys.  They will be used to get first downs and the more they stop them the more the Giants will get off the field.  The Giants will need Corey Webster go against Michael Crabtree and have him put up a zero.  The match up will be Aaron Ross/Prince Amukamara vs. a very hobbled Ted Ginn Jr.  His speed is a nightmare which means that Prince will be in there to offset that.  But a double move was seen as very effective against the rookie when the Giants faced the Packers this season and so expect on a few of those play action passes for Ginn to put a double move on the young’n and get points that way.  The Giants win if they play tight coverage and FORCE Alex Smith to wait for receivers to open up.  Again, he’s NOT going to beat himself and throw into tight windows.  He will throw it away and take a three and out instead of give the team a short field because he knows his punter, Andy Lee WILL put the other team on their heels.  The Giants will need to force a BUNCH of three and outs.

5. Special Teams-  Andy Lee and David Akers are All-Pros at their position and Giant fans know about Akers history.  He’s used to playing against Giants.  He’s been a HUGE signing for the Niners and now they have the best special teams in California which is saying something when you share the same state as the Shane Lechler/Sebastian Janikowski tandem.  Lee is the fifth most important player on the field today behind ONLY Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Justin Smith and Aldon Smith.  Lee MUST put the Giants up against their backs.  He’s done it all year so no doubt he does it again.  Lee’s most important test will be to angle his kicks.  I think Lee wants to kick it to the Giants special teams returner Will Blackmon because he’s not exactly the best option they have.  With the wind and the slick ball CATCHING that football will be tough.  If Lee booms punts and then suddenly there’s a slip and the Niners recover deep in Giants territory it could be bad news and the same for the Giants.  Last year’s Matt Dodge experiment was a horrible failure and the Giants went and stole Steve Weatheford from the Jets.  His directional punting has been a God-send to this team and shored up a glaring hole.  It will be very interesting to see teams kick it straight up the middle or angle it a bit with the wind gusting at nearly 25 mph at game time and see how the ball lands.  It could be a comedy of errors.  It could be alot of short fields for both teams.  It will be interesting to note how the teams handle punts if it lands anywhere inside the ten.  Do you try and handle it?  Do you just let it bounce and hope for a good bounce?  I think both teams will concede punts inside the twenty even.  They dont want to give either team a good field IF there is a mishap.  The Niners have a clear advantage and the Niners will be happy with a field goal even if they don’t score seven on a horrible special teams mishap.  The Giants faithful don’t have nearly the faith the Niner faithful do in their kicker so it will be interesting to see late in the game if the Giants are trailing IF they go for it on fourth down IN field goal range OR try and get closer through the field goal.   But that means both teams will be wary of handling it which gives BOTH defenses the edge because BOTH teams will have to travel longer fields to score points.  Lee is the more trust-worthy commodity so I would take him in this fight.

6. Coaching-  I expect a few trick plays from Jim Harbaugh who is a slam dunk coach of the year candidate despite Tom Coughlin’s job late in the year.  He woke up Justin Tuck and look at what a monster he’s been late in the season.  Coughlin’s take it easy demeanor is in stark contrast to Jim Harbaugh who’s football INTENSE and OBSESSED.  It works for both their teams and credit them for knowing what works.  Harbaugh does an excellent job preparing his team for battle each Sunday.  He’s never been blown out this year DESPITE not having a full training camp and despite having to mend a lot of relationships along the way.  He’s done it his way.  Coughlin is a steady manager and these last four Sundays while coaches are trying onside kicks in the second quarter and going for QB sneaks on fourth and one when it hasn’t worked already instead of taking the points, Coughlin’s steady hand at understanding game management has been on full display.  He knows when to go for two.  He knows when NOT to go for it on fourth down.  Having a feel for your team at any given moment is a gift that only the truly great coaches have.  Coughlin has that and I believe that Harbaugh has that.  Look, Harbaugh is going to have one or two very sneaky plays that make you jump out of your seat like “Holy shit did he just do that?”.  Like that 3rd and 7 QB bootleg that scored a TD late against the Saints.  He has the guts to trust his team and their ability to execute.  He’s coached them up well.

These are the reasons that this game will be close.  All of these match ups are WAY too close to call.  The slick weather and field and ball will make the Niners only really glaring advantage over the Giants completely moot.  That is if the Giants don’t have a brain fart and try and handle a ball deep in their own territory and it turns the game because it becomes a turnover.  I think the Giants allow the punts to go deep into their own territory and it will become so important for Weatheford to punt the Niners deep into their territory.

The Niners will come head hunting these Giants receivers.  It will be important for the Giants to protect themselves against those hits and hope that they can make plays.  The Giants won’t try and hit with shoulder pads they will wrap up on tackles because the Niners know the difficult of just trying to lay the lumber on these Giant receivers as Charlie Peprah found out.  Peprah tried to come in hard with his shoulder and Nicks just bounced off him like a pinball and off he ran for a long touchdown which set the tone.  The Niners MUST wrap up and i have no doubt they will.

No matter how much confidence Giant fans have, this will be a close game and even if you tried, I won’t predict a winner.  Enjoy the NFC Championship game.