With today’s rumored trade rumblings surrounding Matt Leinart, the New York Football Giants may now have found the veteran quarterback they wanted to backup Eli Manning. The question, though, is Leinart the right veteran quarterback for the Giants? I say no.

However considering Eli Manning’s ironman nature Leinart probably wont see field anyway [...]]]> By Benjamin C. Klein

With today’s rumored trade rumblings surrounding Matt Leinart, the New York Football Giants may now have found the veteran quarterback they wanted to backup Eli Manning. The question, though, is Leinart the right veteran quarterback for the Giants? I say no.

However considering Eli Manning’s ironman nature Leinart probably wont see field anyway if the trade happens so it almost doesn’t matter.

Two things that jump out about Leinart when breaking down his first years in the league; Leinart loves the things that football affords him and Leinart believes himself to be a starting caliber NFL quarterback.

From the Giants perspective I find both these things troubling. Eli is not going anywhere, and the last thing the Giants need is a whiny man-boy quarterback walking around the locker room with a sense of entitlement. Eli doesn’t do it, why would the Giants accept that attitude from Eli’s backup?

The other part of the equation is that Leinart loves the nightlife, but does he love the game? The fact that people were making it a big deal this offseason that Leinart was training in MMA with Foxsports analyst Jay Glazer, to me was telling.

Was it a big deal because he previously just partied all offseason? Was it a big deal because that was the first time Leinart actually endured a tough training program in the offseason? Based upon his play on the field I would imagine the answer to that question to be yes.

But to be clear those two issues aren’t the main reasons why I believe Leinart might be a bad fit for the Giants. The main issue is that Leinart’s skill set does not match up well with what the Giants do offensively or with where they play, the east coast.

The Giants are a power running team but they rely on Eli Manning to get them out of tough spots. Close game; go win it in the fourth quarter. Third and eight, go get us the first down no excuses. I don’t think Leinart has the moxie to play in such a high-pressure offensive style.
Then there is the issue of Leinart’s arm strength, which is just ok. On the west coast where a cloudy day is bad weather Leinart’s arm strength is just fine. However on the east coast where bad weather is normal, and 20mph gusts of wind standard, I don’t think he has the arm to muscle the ball through those conditions.

Lastly there is the Tom Coughlin issue. Leinart likes to carry himself about like a star, yet on the field he still makes bad mistakes. Those are two things Tom Coughlin hates, arrogant people and mistake prone players.

If Leinart ever mouthed back to Coughlin, or if he acts holier than thou in the locker room of the Giants he might find himself cut after getting traded. However if Leinart shuts his mouth, sits on the bench and learns from a Class-A quarterback and coaching staff maybe Leinart could become a starter after he left the Giants.

Now do I think that will happen if the trade goes through? No. While Leinart is a smart player who has decent size and physical skills, the NFL is all about taking advantage of opportunities. Several times Leinart had a chance to be the Arizona Cardinal’s starting quarterback and he failed to capitalize every time.

Leinart is a check-down player on the field and in life. Instead of taking the bull by the horns and going deep, he constantly checks down.

From the Giants’ perspective this deal does make a modicum of sense. Jim Sorgi is on the IR and Rhett Bomar is not ready to even be a backup quarterback let alone play. Leinart offers a backup with actual game experience. To top it off Eli Manning’s backup is as pointless as Peyton’s. In other words they are both ironmen, they never miss games so a backup is almost a pointless thing. Almost.

Now a lot of Giants fans are thinking, “Given the David Carr experience trading for Leinart makes sense.”
And I say to that, “No it doesn’t.”
Carr was a sad story, you could write a book on how to ruin a quarterback focusing on just Carr’s time with the Texans. He tried as hard as he could on the field, never partied and always tried to improve. Can you say the same thing about Leinart?

No. So while Carr was a great locker room presence, Leinart has the chance to be the exact opposite of that. Carr was affable, charismatic and a leader. Leinart by all accounts is grumpy, mercurial and entitled. Carr and Leinart are two different players with two different situations.
Now this is not to say that I believe Leinart’s failure with the Cardinals was his entire fault. Once upon a time he showed great promise his rookie year against a Bears’ team that was a powerhouse at the time.
But from the moment Ken Whisenhunt was hired as their head coach it was obvious that Leinart was not his guy. Had Whisenhunt actually attempted to establish a real rapport with his young QB maybe things would have turned out differently.

But that didn’t happen so here we are with Leinart’s career in the dumps and his future prospects looking dim. Can Leinart salvage his career with the Giants if this rumored trade goes down? Sure. Will he? Probably not.
So while the Giants are in blatant need of a veteran backup quarterback, trading for Leinart is probably not the right move.

The sky seems to be falling around the Jets in recent days. The Darrelle Revis situation is yet to be resolved and news come out that the team’s leading pass-rusher will, for the second consecutive season, miss time at the beginning of the year—this time for approximately five weeks.

Mark Sanchez has been [...]]]> By Jayson Love

The sky seems to be falling around the Jets in recent days. The Darrelle Revis situation is yet to be resolved and news come out that the team’s leading pass-rusher will, for the second consecutive season, miss time at the beginning of the year—this time for approximately five weeks.

Mark Sanchez has been erratic to say the least for the better part of training camp. Annointed backup Mark Brunnell has been even worse. Another complaint is that Kellen Clemens is being treated unfairly because he is relegated to No. 3 and been asked to restructure his contract.

There is always drama in Jet-land.

You see, Jets fans are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Most of them believe that Revis will never get signed and that the defense will take a major hit without Pace. Jason Taylor is done. Nick Folk has missed a big kick already, and Rex Ryan is too boisterous. Oh, and don’t forget, Vernon Gholston is a bust.

While the NFL season is just 16 games long, it is still a marathon. You cannot overreact in August. Players get hurt, they go through rough spots, and you need quality depth and timely good play to put a good season together.

The injury to Pace is a blow to the defense. However, Jason Taylor is ready to fill the shoes. He will simply need to be involved in more snaps. The opportunity also opens the door for Gholston. It will be interesting to see how he reacts the first few weeks of the season.

Revis and the Jets appear to be talking, according to AOL Fanhouse, but if a deal isn’t done, it is an opportunity for Kyle Wilson to show what he can do.

Nick Folk is the kicker for now. His powerful leg will be a major asset on kickoffs and maybe he can re-kindle his Pro Bowl ability.

Sanchez has indeed struggled, but he is a young quarterback and can learn from these mistakes while the games don’t count.

The point of all of this is that instead of worrying and always thinking the worst, look for the opportunities each obstacle presents. No team has ever cake-walked through a season and won the championship.

If this is truly a team that is championship caliber, they will be able to handle this early season adversity. If they needed everything to break perfectly this season, then a Super Bowl probably was not in the cards for 2010.

Come on Jets fans, new attitude!

Every spring, it is the same scenario. As the leaves bud into a beautiful, green bloom and thoughts of spring renew hopes of glory, there comes a revitalization of interest from each fan. For the New York Mets, if spring hopes eternal, then autumn is where those hopes die.

Throughout the scorching summer months [...]]]> By Frank Gray

Every spring, it is the same scenario. As the leaves bud into a beautiful, green bloom and thoughts of spring renew hopes of glory, there comes a revitalization of interest from each fan. For the New York Mets, if spring hopes eternal, then autumn is where those hopes die.

Throughout the scorching summer months that follow the resurgence of life in spring, the team keeps their chances alive and their fans’ interest piqued. However, as the leaves wither away into a cold, shriveled shell of their former selves, they begin to gracefully fall to the ground. So with the change of the season, the visions of grandeur change into delusions as the team also withers away into irrelevancy.

As players begin to fall one by one, some in not so elegant fashion while others float into another team’s back yard, one thing is clear. The chances are growing more dim by the hour. As the seasons begin to change, so the baseball season has already done so. Both changing into an icy, cold and still demise. The eerie quiet of winter will be upon us much sooner than we anticipate. Just as the change in seasons is inevitable, it is equally so for the Mets.

There will be change. This current management cannot withstand the awesome weight of multiple collapses and multimillion dollar busts much longer before it buckles under the enormous pressure. The one carrying the brunt of the weight, is GM Omar Minaya. How much longer can sustain the scrutiny and weight of the future on his shoulders?

He is balancing two enormous anvils, one on each shoulder. The first one is the metric ton that is the manager, Jerry Manuel. His inept media presence and poor managerial skills have created an examination so intense, that it reflects on Minaya for hiring him in the first place. The second shoulder bears the anvil of inconsistency and injured key players with enormous contracts.

These players make up a minority of the roster, however they tie up the majority of the payroll. Player after player have gone down to injury or mediocrity. Each time, it causes Minaya’s decision making to be called into question by the masses. Even with all of the weight on him, he could balance it if he were not handcuffed and limited in his transactions by ownership’s budget restrictions.

This is the real reason he was unable to make a midseason trade or multiple offseason signings of significance. Now, several months later, we all see with our hindsight sharpened and our wit fully prepared to lash out. Let us remember, however, before we do, that change will come about regardless of our venting.

If it does not occur in management by season’s end, it will most definitely cost Minaya his job at some point. Either way, change will come about. Whether it be now, or a year from now, it is inevitable. It is the thing that never changes in baseball or life: everything changes. As the calendar changes to September and the roster expansions make room for the younger kids, let us think back to the collapses of seasons’ past.

It is the only way we can learn for future seasons. As the dreadful summer swoon sets up another possible mediocre finish to another wasted season for this team’s core, the lesson is clear. Though hope is all but gone for this season, we will endure the cold winter with growing optimism that warms our hearts as we think of that mid-February day when pitchers and catchers report.

The flowers and leaves will bloom again after the harsh winter chill is gone. Then, our team will return to Port St. Lucie healthy, with a bounce in their step and a chip on their shoulders. As the seasons bring renewal of life, so they bring hope. It is eternal after all, just like baseball.

This winter Derek Jeter will be paid a lot of money by the New York Yankees.

The New York Yankees are a team that promotes their history better than any franchise in sports today. Jeter is the living embodiment of the team’s return to glory. That makes his value unique to [...]]]> By Tom Lianos

This winter Derek Jeter will be paid a lot of money by the New York Yankees.

The New York Yankees are a team that promotes their history better than any franchise in sports today. Jeter is the living embodiment of the team’s return to glory. That makes his value unique to the Yankees, but not to the rest of baseball.

He will make more money than any other shortstop in baseball in 2011 (and a few years thereafter) and by a significant margin. This is undeniable. There is no chance that Jeter or the New York Yankees end in divorce.

Jeter’s resume speaks for itself.

•Five World Series titles, plus a World Series MVP
•Rookie of the Year
•12 All-Star Selections
•Four Gold Gloves (no laughing please)
•One ESPY for Play of the Year
•Career Playoff numbers (nearly a full season’s worth of games) mirrors his Career Regular Season numbers – .313 Average / .385 On-Base / .454 Slugging.
•The No 1. Jersey over the last 15 years.
We also know that Jeter is on the wrong side of 35 years old and is having his worst season as a professional. Those two significant statistics should give the Yankees would normally give the Yankees strong leverage in negotiations.

This is not the case. There is one final number that is the determining factor in how much the Yankees will pay to retain their shortstop. That is $33 million.

We all knew it would come down to Alex Rodriguez.

That obscene figure is how much A-Rod made in 2010. This ridiculous contract runs an additional seven years at an average salary of $27 million. The Yankees already regret signing this contract.

Now they have more reason to do so.

Jeter wants to remain at or near the top of the Yankee payroll. The Yankees cannot see themselves paying nearly $60 million for the left side of the infield indefinitely. A contentious negotiation is inevitable.

Or is it?

If I were in the Yankee brain trust, I would make the following offer to Jeter.

•3 years – $60 million dollars.
Year 1 – $35 million dollars. Derek Jeter gets to add another notch on his belt – leagues most expensive player for one year.
Year 2 and 3 – $12.5 million dollars. Still more money than the nearest shortstop, but somewhat fiscally responsible.
If Jeter is looking to retire from baseball at the end of this three year deal, this would be a fair offer. If Jeter is intent on playing until he breaks the hits record (a goal that I strongly believe he is after) that will take him to about 44 and would require a seven year contract. I would offer.

•Year 1 – $35 million dollars. The most for one year…
Year 2 and 3 – $10 million dollars. Approaching normalcy…
Years 4 through 7 – $7.5 million dollars. Normalcy…
Bonus for the hit record – $25 million. Worth every penny. That’s at least two Yankeeography’s and a year of hype at the stadium. Imagine the merchandising.
That would put the overall compensation for seven years at $75 million without the bonus, which is financially prudent for the Yankees. It gives Jeter two giant carrots in the form of that huge checks at the front and the back of the contract.

More contracts like this would allow the Yankees the opportunity to get their payroll under $200 million sometime in the next few years.

It is no secret that professional athletes go where the money is, and a player staying with the same team for their whole career is rare.

Trade markets and free agency are always going to be explored and tested by both player and organization.

So the question is, do teams keep the players that their [...]]]> By Wendy Adair

It is no secret that professional athletes go where the money is, and a player staying with the same team for their whole career is rare.

Trade markets and free agency are always going to be explored and tested by both player and organization.

So the question is, do teams keep the players that their franchises are built around?

The Mets have two of the most dynamic and beloved players in recent New York history: Jose Reyes and David Wright, AKA The Dynamic Duo.

Reyes is one of the premiere leadoff hitters and base stealers in the game, and Wright is a speedy slugger. They both are proud to get their uniforms dirty in the process.

Their teammates love having them for their energy and smiles, but more importantly they are typically the first to give out high-fives, hip bumps, and hugs for a big hit or win.

Reyes and Wright both came up through Mets minor league system more than six years ago and in 2006, both signed extensions that will have them on the Mets for at least another year.

Reyes has a contract through 2011 and Wright is signed through 2012, but both have options for another season.

They are both 27 years old and have been Mets since before their 21st birthdays. To have them both play another five or ten years is likely, and the Mets should do their best to retain both of them.

Reyes has been sidelined for much of the last two years with injuries and Wright is bouncing back decently from an aberration of a low productivity season, but they are both forces to be reckoned with by any pitcher or team.

This coming winter, it is a possible that the Mets will sign them both extensions that will make them Mets for at least another five years. And that is a move the Mets should make.