R.F.S.F.- Part II

Welcome back to the show! Well, the NFC West was riveting and thought provoking, but I think it was a little much. So for part 2, we will cram two divisions into this. Half the information, double the teams. It all works out. We will continue in the NFC, doing the North and the South today. It's the Civil War edition. Hope you guys enjoy it...

NFC North (Projected Order of Finish)

1. Minnesota Vikings (10-6 Last Year)

I proclaimed the Vikings as serious players in the NFC in a previous blog, so I won't bore you by repeating those points. Brett Favre has arrived, eliminating one of the few holes they had. He, Adrian Peterson, and the defense will make the Vikes the favorite in nearly all the games they play this year. But Favre better have it for the whole season. Minnesota's last three games (about the time Favre turned into Bruce Vilanch last season) are @Carolina, @Chicago, and hosting the Giants in what may be the battle for the #1 seed in the NFC. Keep it together, Brett.

2009 Projected Record: 13-3

2. Green Bay Packers (6-10 Last Year)

From Favre's team of new to Favre's team of old. And his replacement, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, isn't too shabby at all. His top receiver Greg Jennings still doesn't get the lovin' he deserves, but that's just fine with him as he quietly puts up one monster season after another. He and Donald Driver are nice weapons for Rodgers, while I see a bigtime bounce-back year for Ryan Grant in the backfield. They don't have the defense to challenge for the division, but they'll be in the thick of the wild card for sure.

2009 Projected Record: 8-8

3. Chicago Bears (9-7 Last Year)

Another NFC North team, another quarterback at the forefront. Jay Cutler takes his hurt feelings from Denver to the windy city, and we'll all find out if his crybaby act was worth it. He takes the reigns at quarterback and will throw to....uh oh. After having great receivers last year with the Broncos, Cutler has a box of Jujyfruits with the Bears. I see this as the reason for Chicago's step backward in '09. While the Bears' QBs sucked last year, at least they knew they sucked and didn't force any passes they knew would be disasters. I think Cutler, with all his baggage and so much to prove, will force too many crazy passes to too many subpar receivers, which will absolutely kill them in close games. With his great receivers in '08 with Denver, Cutler still threw more interceptions than anyone with less than 3 retirements. They will need their great defense and emerging superstar Matt Forte in the backfield to come up big if Cutler struggles.

2009 Projected Record: 7-9

4. Detroit Lions (0-16 Last Year. Ew.)

They were the first 'defeated' team in the history of the 16-game NFL season last year....They will probably improve. Let's just give 'em 4 games. Their fans must be happy with that, right? Right??

2008 Projected Record: 4-12



NFC South (Projected Order of Finish)

1. New Orleans Saints (8-8 Last Year)

This division is usually the most topsy-turvy in all of football, and I expect that to continue. The Saints were in last place in '08, and I have them 1st in '09. This isn't a groundbreaking prediction though...one of the biggest mysteries of last season was the Saints' inability to win those close games with their phenomenal offense. Drew Brees threw for 5,000 freakin' yards. His top target Marques Colston (from Hofstra, baby!) got hurt last year, and a full 16 games from him makes the offense even scarier. The defense is loaded with turds, but they are led by Reilly Sports Blog favorite Jonathan Vilma at linebacker. It won't matter. If their opponent scores 30, they'll score 40. Score 40, they'll get 50. You get the idea.

2009 Projected Record: 11-5

2. Carolina Panthers (12-4 Last Year)

The Panthers were phenomenal in the regular season last year, going 12-4 and seemingly ready to go deep into the playoffs. Then Jake Delhomme played like Bruce Vilanch after 16-18 beers in the playoff game against Arizona. It was horrific. It was graphic violence. It would have gotten a TV-MA rating if shown on HBO. Five (5) interceptions against a Cardinal team known to have a crummy defense. Granted, the Cardinals were operating under something divine in the playoffs last year, but it was a game that he still might not have shaken off yet. He better, because the only thing uglier than Delhomme's playoff game is their 2009 schedule. Look out. Their fantastic runners and above-average D will keep them in the hunt. But forget 12-4.

2009 Projected Record: 8-8

3. Atlanta Falcons (11-5 Last Year)

The only mystery bigger than the Saints going 8-8 last year was the Falcons going 11-5. I still don't get it. The magic of rookie QB Matt Ryan and new runner Michael Turner could seemingly only go so far. But then it went further. And further. Then 11-5 further. New Orleans is criticized for their Dunkaroo defense, but don't think of Atlanta's D as superior. The post-Mike Vick magic was incredible for one year, but I think they fall to earth and fall short of the postseason.

2009 Projected Record: 8-8

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7 Last Year)

Boy, did the heads roll down south last year. It was the most carnage you could have after an above-.500 year. GM, gone. Head coach Jon Gruden, now a Monday Night Football announcer. Long-time players who were staples of the team, tah tah. The growing pains will be immense for the Bucs as they go in a new direction. In such a tough division, they really cannot contend in '09. Byron Leftwich, Derrick Ward, and Kellen Winslow are all newcomers on the offense. And there is pretty much nothing left of the defense that dominated earlier this decade. Kicker Matt Bryant is one of the best players on the team.

2009 Projected Record: 5-11


Well geez, that was a long one. I hope you enjoyed the accompanying logos...they took far more work to do than it appears. The wait is over on Wednesday, Giants fans. A detailed NFC East overview will be then. Have a good few days.

Ready For Some Football, Part I

Hello again followers and friends. Thanks for coming back to the show, and as promised, the start of Reilly Sports Blog's NFL preview. We still got a couple of weeks til the Thursday Night opener on September 10th, so we're gonna take this slowly. I'm thinking one division per blog, complete preview of that division. I'm not gonna jam pack the whole thing into one or two blogs, because you guys won't have the capacity to absorb that much knowledge, and my fingers don't have the stamina to type all that knowledge...

But let's just jump right in. I realize about 85-92% of the readers of this blog care most about the AFC and NFC East divisions...so I'll do those last. Sorry to make you wait, but I want to make those the most detailed and informative. I'll practice on the other divisions first. Lets just start westward, do the good ol' NFC West division. After all, the champions of the NFC came out of this division, as Kurt Warner and the Cardinals shocked the world last winter. Can they do the same? You came to the right place to find out. Without further adieu...

NFC WEST (Projected Order of Finish)

1. Arizona Cardinals (9-7 Last Year)

If someone said in April of '06 that the Arizona Cardinals would be in Super Bowl 43, everyone would have one reaction: Damn, Matt Leinart must be a stud. The hot-shot quarterback out of USC seemed to start a new era for the Cardinals, filling in for the seemingly-finished Kurt Warner toward the end of his 2006 rookie season.

Well...the old-man wasn't finished. Warner has turned back the clock and now leads the best passing attack in football. He gets to air it out to his all-world buddies Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, while Leinart rides the bench and parties away his heartache.

Nobody seemed to take this team for real when they won the division early in the year, and then looked awful at the end of the regular season. But all that can change when you have a receiver like Fitzgerald, who made the 2008 playoffs into his own personal playground. He has created an insane amount of buzz for himself going into '09, but if anyone's able to meet those expectations, it's him. Boldin is just as important to the offense, as he keeps coverages honest so they can't put 8 guys on Larry. Both are easily top-10 NFL wideouts. Rookie running back Chris Wells joins the gang, as a first-round pick out of Ohio State. Edgerrin James has moved on to Seattle, and Tim Hightower is a low-yardage touchdown goblin. Wells should step right in and is certainly an early candidate for rookie of the year.

So what can go wrong? Rejuvenated, established quarterback, check. Promising rookie runner, check. Monstarz at receiver, check. But let's go over to the other side of the ball...

24, 56, 27, 37, 48, 35, 47.

Nope, not a crazy powerball sequence. Those there are the points scored by opponents in the 7 regular-season losses by Arizona. It kinda makes you wonder how they lost just seven, right? The Cardinals defense will naturally get better this season with some emerging players, but come on. 103 points allowed in two games against the Jets and Brady-less Patriots--both who weren't even playoff teams?? This is quite worrisome, but just for the playoffs; because as you will read later on, the Cards play in the NFL's pit-stain division. They will win the West, but they won't sneak up on anybody this year.

2009 Projected Record: 10-6


2. Seattle Seahawks (4-12 Last Year)

I like these guys! Sure, they got dunked on by Patrick Chewing last year, but Seattle has a good foundation on both sides of the ball. They're not great anywhere, but they're pretty OK everywhere. And in this division, that's all you need to compete. Though backup Seneca Wallace did everything he could last year, it's a healthy Matt Hasselbeck that makes this team go. He has back issues that could flare up at anytime for the rest of his career, but he has shown the ability to be an elite QB. He won a playoff game just two years ago, back when the Seahawks used to trounce this division year after year. For 2009 he's got a new toy in receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh, who's is ready to shine after being in the constant shadow of Chad formerly known as Johnson in Cincinnati. Add him to tight end John Carlson and veteran Deion Branch, and look at that nice little air assault. Julius Jones and newly-arrived Edgerrin James are also quite serviceable in the backfield. If Hasslebeck is good to go and pain-free, this 4-12 team from a year ago can't be disposed of.

But I won't let you get too drunk on my Seattle Kool-Aid. There's plenty of reasons why they were 4-12 last year. And it could have been even worse without face-saving wins over the St. Louis trash-heap. It would not surprise anyone if Hasselbeck struggled with his back again this season--he is at that point of his career. Not everyone is Kurt Warner and can sling it into their 60's. Aaron Curry will be a fantastic rookle at linebacker, and I like the Marcus Trufant/Ken Lucas secondary. But besides that the defense is a bit ho-hum. They are banking on new coach Jim Mora to kickstart the D, we'll see if he's got the personnel. As I said before: great nowhere, OK everywhere. We'll see where it gets them. But I like 'em!

2009 Projected Record: 7-9


3. San Francisco 49ers (7-9 Last Year)

I'm not sure if any Niner fans read the blog. I guess it doesn't matter, because they have now probably boycotted. Yes, San Francisco finished the season 3 games better than Seattle last year, and I rank them lower. Yes, they went 5-2 to finish the 2008 season. Yes, they have the crazyman/motivational genius Mike Singletary as coach. I have seen them as a sleeper pick in many-a-2009 preview...

But allow me to interject...

Number of wins they had against 2008 playoff teams: 0.
Wins against 2008 teams over .500: 1 (the 9-7 Jets...damn it.)

Games in 2009 against '08 playoff teams: 7

Sometimes, the schedule just gets the best of you. And I realize the same can probably be said about my upstarts in Seattle, but I'm not getting the same vibe from this Niner team. I see the Seahawks as a high-risk, high-reward proposition that I'm going in on, while I see the 49ers as a low-risk, low-reward that is ultimately done in by their schedule. It's just a vibe, and I know it's against the grain. But despite what players and coaches say, a worse record from season to season does not always represent a step back. Sometimes it just represents a wrong schedule at the wrong time.

As for actual analysis of the team, Patrick Willis is the team's superstar. The young linebacker is an absolute rock that can make up for mistakes all on his own. There are many ways he can turn a game. On offense, quarterback Shaun Hill can be good in the NFL, but he treats the football kind of like a hiking stick he found in the woods..."Yeah, it's pretty sweet to have, but I can live without it." He's gotta cut down those turnovers and treat the ball like it's his last boda of water in the woods--gotta cherish it. Look for Frank Gore to have a sneaky great year as he creeps back to his place among the NFL's top runners. And for rookie superstar-in-the-making receiver Michael Crabtree, (I can say this because I'm 11 days older than him) sign the deal, punk. You're too good for your head to get in the way. Sorry, Niners fans (those that refused the boycott,) but next year should bear a more fruitful schedule...

2009 Projected Record: 6-10


4. St. Louis Rams (2-14 Last Year)

I'm willing to stake the reputation of this blog on the fact that you'd all rather watch this than listen to me talk about the 2009 St. Louis Rams. Our spirits are with you, Steven Jackson.

2009 Projected Record: 1-15


We're crunched for time, so no What About Conor this week. I'll come extra special on that next Wednesday. Feel free to comment or post your own standings in the comments section. Thanks a lot for reading.

Queasy as One, Two, Three

What is there to say? I am starting this blog in the bottom of the 6th inning between the Sox and Yanks (NYY up 7-3,) and would be absolutely shocked if I was done by the time the game was over. Sometimes sports--particularly that baseball team in orange in blue--throw my brain into some kind of shutdown mode of incomprehension. I'ts like the movie Wall-E, when they all return to Earth and everything seems fine, but Wall-E is not himself anymore; lacking his inner personality and emotions. Today, the Mets drove me to this indifferent, puzzled, Wall-E shutdown mode.

I sat in front of the television dumbfounded. I has stuck through a game in which the Phillies went 1-2-3 on Oliver Perez in the 1st inning (3 batters, 3 runs before an out was recorded,) took a 6-0 lead before the interminable inning was finished (thanks, Ollie,) and were up 8-2 when the Mets came to bat in the 3rd. But for some reason, this game was never over for me. Though it was probably over in real life, I just didn't think that was the case. And don't get me wrong...I'm not some kind of Mets angel of optimism. I've seen the Mets go down by 2 or 3 and declared the game to be over. But not this one. Not with a jittery/emotional/just plain old Pedro Martinez on the mound for Philadelphia, and not with some members of the Mets lineup being ridiculously hot with the bat (Angel Pagan, Dan Murphy, Jeff Francouer, and most of all Luis Castillo.) Something just seemed different on this particular Sunday. And boy oh boy would it be different...

Now it must also be said that in order to put Conor into Wall-E mode, something extraordinary had to happen between the 3rd inning where it was 8-2 and the end of the game. If the Mets simply mailed it in and took their whoopin, I'd understand and get ready for tomorrow. But the Mets lineup (probably better than the best AAA team, definitely not better than a league-wide AAA all-star team) gave the fans a reason to stay, and a reason to keep hope in the face of an alarming amount of Philly fans in attendance. The top-half on the lineup kept clawing and clawing, one run at a time, to make it a 3-run game in the 9th.

That's where everything lost control. The game became a circus. It was like James Taylor turning into Rob Zombie. Like Golden Girls turning into Metalocalypse. Like a white wine spritzer turning into a Sparks. Wall-E mode mode is a brainchild of the 9th inning of today's game. Pagan reaches 3rd on a Ryan Howard error, then scores as Castillo reaches on an error by some cake-eater named Eric Bruntlett, (who's Eric Bruntlett? We would all know soon enough...) and Murphy reaches on another play Bruntlett can't make. Done and done, first and second, no outs, down by 2 with Jeff Francouer coming up.

Francouer is the best hitter in the Mets lineup. And though I hate myself everytime I do it, I actually expected something big to happen. As cited in an earlier blog, the 2009 Mets have taught us to never expect, just always appreciate. This time, I expected. And though my expectations of a walk-off homer were a longshot, the chances of it happening were probably 800,000 times more likely than what actually happened. Castillo and Murphy both took off, and Francouer did his part on the hit-and-run play by smoking the Brad Lidge offering up the middle.

And, well...if you haven't seen/heard about it by now...my words won't be enough to describe the carnage. Bruntlett, who was racing to cover 2nd (remember, both runners were in motion) catches the liner, lands on second after the jumping catch, and tags out Murphy who was now standing right next to him. Unassisted triple play. By Eric Bruntlett. The three-tier emotion swing felt by Mets fans was extremely unique. There were three distinct feelings, all strong, but none lasting more than a second. Francouer absolutely laces the ball (Hell yeah!) to Bruntlett being in position to make the catch (a Scooby Doo "Gawououuuu" noise) to realizing that Bruntlett is only in position because the runners went and now have no chance to avoid a triple play. (This)

I don't even know what to think anymore. It's about 6 hours ago when this all happened (Yankees just won by the way), and Wall-E mode has mostly worn off. But is anything out of the question for this Mets team? Can anyone really discount the notion that they can lose on an unassisted triple play? More importantly, if someone that didn't see the game hears that an MLB team lost on an unassisted triple play, would it take more than 1.6 seconds for them to know it was the Mets? I can't be surprised anymore. After today, I will have some small form of Wall-E mode in every game for the rest of the year. If and when (mostly if) the Mets win a title in my lifetime, a good amount of that immense joy might just come from 2009. All of this failure, all the bad luck, all the Wall-E modes...might someday be turned on their head.

And that's what it's all about. Sports would be boring if it were easy every year. Finishing a marathon wouldn't feel the same if you ran the entire thing on an airport-like treadmill thing. It's the aches and pains and doubt and worry and endless hope that makes it incredible. (I think this is true...the Mets/Jets/Isles/Knicks have been unable to confirm this for me. But I guess under the theory of failure and heartache, they will be the greatest titles ever experienced.)

The bottom line...when in doubt, always seek the the guidance of Miley. It's all about The Climb. And soon enough, there will always be an Eve robot to revive Wall-E mode, if only for a little while (J,E,T,S, JETS JETS JETS.)

NFL preview starts Wednesday, thanks a lot for reading.

Holy Vick! What the Favre??

Football! Welcome to the premier NFL edition of the Reilly Sports blog. I was going to start the football preview next week, but the comebacks of two quarterbacks have thrust the NFL into the forefront of sports this week. Michael Vick proved he wasn't lying when he said NFL teams had interest in him; and Brett Favre proved that when it comes to lying...well, you can just finish that sentence yourself.

Nevertheless, both are back...and the Minnesota Vikings looks pretty darn zesty now, don't they? Sure, Brett Favre made the Jets look like the cast of Hostel, Part 3 in the second half last year. But if the injury he cited turns out to be healed, are we going to see the 'good' Favre from the first half of 2008? Or perhaps even the 2007 MVP-caliber Packer that took the eventual-champion Giants to the brink in the playoffs?

If Brett can get his head on straight and put his ego aside (I don't know which will be harder,) the Vikings shoot right to the top of the NFC in my book. The defense is a rock, and Adrian Peterson is a super-duper-looper star in the backfield. The only obstacle the Vikings seemed to have was that Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels could lose games for them. There is no doubt that Favre has more ability than these two. But again, he is just as capable of losing a game by being headstrong and trying to make the home run pass when he shouldn't. If he pushes that ego aside and sticks to the Vikings' style of play, those passes will still be there. Opposing defenses will cheat in close to stop Peterson, and Favre will be able to pick his spot and launch it as far as he wants. And you better believe speedy receiver Bernard Berrian will run them down.

Now onto the newest Eagle. Despite the confused response from Philadelphia fans and shameful response of some Philly media outlets, I think there is one undeniable point here: Either you liked the Eagles as favorites in the NFC and now feel stronger about it, or you didn't consider them in the NFC's elite and now feel stronger about it. In simpler terms, at this moment, this is not a make or break move. Because in this moment, Vick is a welcomed luxury to the Eagles. Wide receiver, trick plays, the wildcat, you name it. He has proven to be a tremendous athlete and a franchise player. In this moment, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb are buddy-buddy, happy to share the field with one another. McNabb lobbied on Vick's behalf to come and help the team win.

That's in this moment. The hypothetical moment when this move becomes make-or-break is if November 23rd, 2008 ever repeats itself. Baltimore, Maryland. Eagles vs. Ravens. Kevin Kolb playing quarterback in a futile effort against Baltimore...with McNabb benched on the sidelines. I know, I know, I'm not the first one to make this point. And I know the Eagles went 6-1 with McNabb afterward, on their way to the NFC Championship game. But I also know (and you know too) that the relationship between McNabb and Philly fans is similar to a boy-girl 'relationship' in the 8th grade. Love, hate, love, really hate, really love, hate, indifferent, love, hate. Except this relationship started with the hate (Eagles fans booing McNabb when he was drafted in 1999.) So, this is a cyclical 8th grade relationship from somewhere in the Eastern Hemisphere, where relationships are arranged.

The fans will deny it, saying the whole thing with McNabb is overblown. And maybe it is. But all I know is that in November of last year, head coach Andy Reid fell into the 'hate' cycle of the relationship, and benched his guy for Kevin Kolb. He was on the road, with no fan pressure or practical reason to do so, and he benched him. Was it just to light a fire under him? That argument certainly looks great seeing what happened the rest of the way. I'm not sure. But I do know that Michael Vick is not Kevin Kolb. So if Donovan struggles and everyone hits the 'hate' cycle of the relationship, you better believe Andy will be tempted. If and when Andy gets tempted, then we look at August 13, 2009 as a day that makes or breaks the Eagles.

But we all know that's hypothetical. Right now, the Eagles and their fans are expecting a huge year from the team led by McNabb. Vick is simply a luxury. At this time, the Eagles are not in a transformation. At this time, that talk is exclusive to Minnesota.

Well I hope you guys enjoyed that NFL opener. It feels good to shake some football rust off. In a not-so-smooth segway, let's go to the "What About Conor" segment on this Wednesday blog. This time, let's go Hollywood! Right now, it's August and the dog days of baseball are the only sports events going on. Needing our sports fill, sometimes we resort to sports movies. I generally like sports movies, and here's a glimpse into some of my favorites. Here are my top 5.

5. Miracle
Perhaps the pinnacle sports moment in American history. Not only did hockey matter in this country, it was numero uno, if only for a few weeks. Disney was able to recreate the story in a realistic way that wasn't overly sappy or over-the-top. They knew they story was good enough on its own. The movie was able to rekindle memories for those who were around in 1980, and for mine and younger generations, give an educational and entertaining account of what happened in those Olympics. As for the drawbacks, well...the ending didn't exactly shock anyone. Everyone knew going in what would happen; it was a necessary evil for such an amazing story. After all, if it hadn't actually occurred, Hollywood would have rejected such an outrageous outcome.

4. Hoosiers
I get extremely, extremely excited when Hoosiers is on cable. There are several powerful storylines that revolve around the small-town basketball team, which give the movie a realistic charm. For the critics that were disappointed by Gene Hackman in The Replacements, this movie would be the reason. Hackman was the perfect coach in Hoosiers. Inspirational speeches, tough love on young players, and a love story that doesn't kill the film. It's the prototypical 'oldie but goodie' that is well worth the watch if it ever pops up on cable. And please give me a call if it does. I get excited.

3. Rocky IV
Though Rocky IV is #3 on the 'favorite sports movies' list, I'm certain it would be #1 on the list from an entertainment standpoint. I have definitely seen this one more than the others on this list, and would still drop whatever I'm doing to watch it again. Rocky ended the Cold War with his iron fists and eloquent speech at the end. The story throughout is great: the insecurity of an aging star (Apollo Creed,) avenging the death of a friend the only way you know how (Rocky,) and a bad-guy that is legitimately terrifying and gives a realistic feeling that Rocky might actually be killed by him. Tack on the incredible montages, and this drops in solidly as #3.

2. Rudy
Yes, that is a fan-made, 'fake' trailer for the movie. But it does a great job highlighting what truly is an amazing story. Though I prefer to watch the NFL, I must admit there is a certain charm that goes along with college football. Guys playing without all the money involved (unless you're Reggie Bush,) the indefinite players and fans that experience change-over every year, balancing school and practice. It all makes for something special, and this movie captures it all. And I know people hate Notre Dame and this movie works like a laxative for some of them (way over-the-top, factual disputes) but I genuinely enjoy it. Deep down inside I'm confident you do as well, Irish haters. Deep, deep....deep down.

1. Major League and Major League 2 (Tie)
I can't seperate them. They are both just too good to have one go ahead of another. With a gun to my head, I'd have to say I'm in the minority and like part 2 just a tad more. (Two words: Jack Parkman. Two more words: Randy Quaid) But these two movies are exactly what I look for from the sports genre. Plenty of comedy, doesn't take the sports aspect too seriously. It knows what it is, and doesn't try to be anything different or bigger. The infectiously-likeable characters are bigger than the story itself: Rick Vaughn, Pedro Cerrano, Willie Mays Hayes, manager Lou Brown and announcer Harry Doyle. I think this franchise is incredibly underappreciated and I implore you, if you haven't seen one or both, do so immediately.

Honorable Mention: Remember the Titans, D2: The Mighty Ducks, The Wrestler (will probably move up with time,) All other Rocky movies, Glory Road, The 6th Man.

Additional H.M.'s Shamefully Forgotten: Happy Gilmore, The Sandlot, Caddyshack, Cool Runnings, Little Giants, Rookie of the Year, Eddie.

As always, go ahead and post your own favorites in the comments section.

Matt Cain: The New Hybrid of Hatred?

Roger. Rocker.

Nope, that is not a character's name from Guitar Hero. It's two names that describe absolute villains in my lifetime of watching the Mets. Roger Clemens beaned Mike Piazza in the head after years and years of Piazza domination. It was disgraceful, it was pathetic, and we're starting the be absolutely certain it was 'roid rage. The 'Freebird'-like encore from the coward was picking up a jagged broken bat and hurling it within inches of Piazza later in the year. It would be a while before the Mets could take actual revenge, since Clemens conveniently pulled these stunts behind the protection of the DH in the American League. When Clemens finally hit against the Mets..pitcher Shawn Estes missed. Threw behind him. Just typical stuff. What nobody saw coming was the home run Estes would hit later in the game that defeated Clemens. Just another weird scenerio by a weird pitcher on the historically weird franchise known as the Mets.

That's Roger. Let's get to Rocker. You know, the whackjob of a closer employed by the Braves about a decade ago. The Mets-Braves rivalry really got heated in the late '90s/early '00s. But Rocker went well beyond the field, lacing a tirade against New York and its inhabitants. I'm not going to dignify them with print space in this esteemed blog, but you can get some details here.

Roger and Rocker. Though almost ten years since they became Gotham villains, we caught an unwelcomed reminiscence of them both today with San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain. First, I will acknowledge that strictly comparing Cain to both of them is too harsh. But I can't help the thoughts that conjured in my head when Cain drilled the Met's last-star-standing David Wright with what Fox announcers called a 94 MPH fastball. Not one Mets fan didn't see the image of Piazza flash back to them when Wright hit the dirt, helmet launched off his cranium.

I can't say Cain meant to hit him in the head. He had no motive to do it, and he showed legitimate concern after in happened. To accuse Cain would be unfair to an up-and-coming superstar pitcher, and it would cheapen just how much of a buttmunch Clemens was. And though Cain kept on mowing down hitters (in a good way, not the Wright way,) I actually thought it would phase him mentally. This was until he was removed in the 8th inning, when Cain showed that though he is an up-and-coming star, he's still able to be a classless punk.

No, he didn't flip off the fans or shout at the Met dugout or take a bat to Mr. Met's head. This wasn't Rocker 2.0. But before Rocker went into hyper-maniac mode, he would just get a little too into it with the fans instead of being smart and walking back to the dugout, head down. Today, Cain must have known the fans would boo. The Mets crowd that pays for tickets already knows they won't see 3 core players who they thought would being a title to Flushing. Cain took out their fourth with a heater--they are going to be upset. I don't care if you think the fans are being unfair...you walk to that dugout with your head down. Instead, Cain gave a sarcastic tip of his cap to the irate Mets fans.

It's not criminal, it's not a baseball tragedy, but why do it? To tell the fans that you're in control, whether they like it or not? Wright's condition wasn't known to the Fox announcers, so you must assume Cain didn't know either. If David is out for the rest of the year with concussion symptoms, is Cain still going to feel good about tippin' the cap? I know that's extreme, and a Giants fan that stumbles across this blog would call it a Met fan bitter over a loss. So be it...Cain may not be on the level of Roger or Rocker, but he showed today that his maturity has some work to do in order to catch up to his immense talent.

Now, on to this latest Picasso-like masterpiece loss by the Mets. After Wright got dropped, Santana did what he had to do the following inning, facing the Giants' best (and only) hitter Pablo Sandoval. Completing the Estes-Clemens comparison, he missed and threw in behind the rather large target that is Sandoval. But while Estes hit the redemptive homer later, Santana instead surrendered a homer to Sandoval just pitches later. Santana lost his shot at revenge, and pretty much lost the game in the same at bat.

The Mets' rag-tag lineup was quite impressive late, scoring 3 runs in the 8th to tie the score. The stage was set for another nightmare at Citi. Francisco Rodriguez actually managed to keep the Giants off the board in the 9th, quite a refreshing change. But it was just one batter into the 10th inning when he was back to his old suck. Homer Bengie Molina, game over. I think we're at the point where the Mets fan just prays the Giants would have won that game 4-1. Wright was hit, and that was bigger than the loss. Let's get 'em tomorrow. I truly think the Mets fan can accept that. What they can't deal with is their insanely high-paid closer to come in every night and implode out there. The triple-A lineup worked their asses off for three runs in the 8th. It's not the way it's supposed to be. A 4-1 loss wouldn't have been awful on this day. Another K-Rod loss makes this just infuriating.

So, due to the popularity of the Wednesday blog, I nominate the Top-5 songs that Citi Field should blast when K-Rod comes into the game. Enjoy. And don't worry, I will be in a better mood next blog (Mark Sanchez, baby!)

5. Hurt- Johnny Cash
4. Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman- Britney Spears
3. Don't Know What You Got Til It's Gone- Cinderella (Billy Wagner we're SO sorry.)
2. Lonely- Kim Jong Il (Please excuse the language)
1. Bringin' on the Heartbreak- Def Leppard

Feel free to suggest your own in the comments section!

New Wednesday Tradition

Welcome back to the blog! It's been a pretty jacked last 2 days (Team Reilly & Friends going 3-2 in volleyball on the path to greatness...Rick Porcello hitting Kevin Youkilis and simply inquiring "why?" with his arms as Youk charged the mound like a 28 Weeks Later zombie...The US caring about soccer for another solitary day and going away empty-handed...the Mets avoiding a desert sweep at the hands at the Diamondbacks and now watch Pedro Martinez don the hated Red cap of Philadelphia.)

Still working out the kinks of the blogs, I'm not gonna keep driving you guys nuts with game recaps of the Mets/Yanks every night. ESPN's game recap can do that for you in 20 seconds. No, I'll give you reasons to actually come here. So expect 2, maybe 3 blogs a week about baseball. Of course, if anything big comes up I'll blog the hell out of it. Also, expect some NFL previews coming up in the next week or so, as I am very excited to predict and track the activities of Big Blue and Gang Green.

But for now, let's go ahead and introduce a new weekly blog segment. After all, some new readers may know absolutely nothing about me except the ridiculously small, jolly picture of me over there to the left. And for those that do know of my being, a little more couldn't hurt anyone. So, here it is...Let's call it the first installment of "What About Conor Wednesdays." A top-5 list that gives a better idea of who I am and what churns inside my skull.

The first topic (thought of at random today) will be "Songs that Conor would use if he were the closer of a Major League Baseball team." You know, everyone has a theme-song of sorts they come out to...it helps to pump up themselves and the crowd. Billy Wagner and Mariano Rivera have 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica. Trevor Hoffman has 'Hell's Bells' by AC/DC. K-Rod has a Latin-beat of sorts at Citi Field, but I'm soon expecting opposing stadiums to play this whenever he comes into a tie game on the road. (Sorry, but that could have been avoided if he didn't gave up yet another run in tonight's win...) Of course, I won't use the songs that I know are already used in the MLB. I'm my own (hypothetical) man. Well without further ado, the songs you would hear if fate would have it that Conor Reilly ever came out of a bullpen and into a game. In descending order, of course. The links for each selection will allow you to hear the song upon clickage. Just try to open them in a new window if possible, so you don't get annoyed using the Back button to get back to the blog. Enjoy.

5. American Bad Ass- Kid Rock

Upside: Look at that video. Please, I beg you. Kid Rock is gonna go down in history as one of the most ridiculously entertaining humans in history. And the word 'ridiculously' is not an adjective for how entertaining he is. They are two seperate entities. The ridiculous-ness of Kid Rock is the essence of mankind's entertainment. We might as well just call him Entertainingly Ridiculous. Either way, this song absolutely qualifies for what I would look to come out to in a baseball game. It naturally skyrockets the confidence of whoever comes out to it, with the incredible attitude and lyrics.
Downside: Too many to count. The curses and vulgar language are an immediate turnoff in the family atmosphere, and an edited version would not be the same to me. The song also gets criticism since the background music is taken from Metallica's 'Sad But True.' I don't buy the criticism, but it still must be mentioned. Finally, the fans probably want to be pumped up in a way that's better than Kid Rock musically listing the tens of thousands of reasons why he is awesome. Watch the video though. It'll brighten your day.

4. Freakin' It- Will Smith

Upside: If nothing else, a fantastic change of pace in the ballpark. I think this song would immediately get me some play as an oddball of sorts and also a fun-loving closer. Everyone is always looking for a crowd favorite, and this rap song of Will Smith relates to both the older and younger generation. Finally, I would truly enjoy the crowd joining along for the "Yeah Yeah" during the chorus and making up some kind of dance or something. It makes me giddy. While it's true that some closers already utilize rap songs, I'm pretty sure 40-90% must be edited out to make it ballpark-acceptable. The curse-less jiggy of Mr. Smith has no such worries.
Downside: Suffers from the same baseball irrelavance as Kid Rock. The song's beat gets the crowd pumpin', but they don't want to hear the meteoric rise of Will Smith that the lyrics provide. Also, the "Yeah Yeah" from the crowd won't be so fun or realistic if I suck as closer for a week or so. So overall, though it is fun, the staying power isn't where it needs to be for this to be an official closer song.

3. Kickstart My Heart- Motley Crue

Upside: From top to bottom, a phenomenal rock song. My favorite from Motley Crue. There is a tremendous energy from this song and it gives the younger generation of baseball fans some real '80s rock that they don't hear enough of. The slow bridge at about 2:30 in the song is perfect for slowing it down before bringing it back up again. And the potential for the crowd to join along for the "WHOA!...YEAH!" is a cherry on top. This could be swapped in for #1 and I would have no complaints about it.
Downside: Not too much. It may perhaps be a tad too fast for this discussion, which could put the fans more on edge than they need to be in a close game or something. The title Kickstart My Heart doesn't help with this cause, as a lot of fans could already have their hearts 'kicked up' to a maximum level by the time I entered the game.

2. Everybody Have Fun Tonight- Wang Chung

Upside: This song is all-or-nothing. If you don't go all out, don't go at all, right? And I know, this could never work for an all-business team like the Yankees. It would have to be the right situation. But this could revolutionize the relationship between ballplayer and fan. If a major league player actually trotted out to this song in crucial games, think how delightfully twisted it would be. At first, everyone would love the change and wonder what in the world was going on. But once it becomes "routine," once the fans get used to it, the scene would be incredible. Just think in a world series game in which the home team takes a 1-run lead into the 9th inning, and this song blares over the loudspeakers as I come running out. Everyone knows it is coming, but do the fans and players still stay eager/serious about the upcoming inning? Is that possible? I can just imagine the TV cameras having a still shot on the managers, as they try to stay in the moment and focused in possibly the most important game of their lives...with this blasting in the background. I can't get enough. It would change baseball forever.
Downside: I think the song speaks for itself in terms of downside. Some purists (and teammates) would not go for this at all. Also, any kind of prolonged slump would be fatal for this cause. Media, fans, everyone would question my focus and seriousness as a player. If I had an ERA of 5.38 in August and came out to this song, nobody (including myself) would 'have fun tonight' during it. They would actually want to dig themselves a hole and jump in due to akwardness. But as I said, the right situation (Papelbon in '07, anyone?) and this is baseball's revolution.

1. Jukebox Hero- Foreigner

Upside: The pinnacle of this genre. A slow-yet-building start that's infectious and gets the crowd interested, followed by a sudden jump in tempo that would drive the crowd bonkers. My favorite aspect of the song is the lyrics, describing the rise of a rockstar. The parallels between the rise of a rockstar and the rise of an athlete are numerous. Seeing an idol (be it at an arena or ballpark,) doing everthing you can to get there someday (be it lower end gigs with no audience or playing college ball/in the minors,) and once your there, doing whatever it takes to stay on top (be it practicing every single day or taking steroids WHOOPS, I mean...practicing every single day.) Bottom line...Beat/Melody, check. Lyrics, check. Pump-up-ocity, check. Perfect closer's song, check.
Downside: None. but that steroids gag was pretty clever, wasn't it?

Broomsday in Boston?

I'm terribly sorry this blog is so late, no time for the midnight run after last night's primetime game between the Sox and Yanks. Since that time, the extremest thoughts of Boston's demise have been tempered with tonight's win over a solid Tiger team. It was an unspectacular-but-steady start from Brad Penny, which is usually all it takes for the Sox to win with their lineup. Penny's performance in his win didn't quite measure up to the losing performances of Josh Beckett, Clay Buckholz, and Jon Lester against the Empire. But for today, the Sox lineup is back, getting their usual early lead and putting together hits when needed late. They have broken their 6-game losing streak and now must do some serious work over these next two weeks before the rivalry renews up in New England. So submitted for the approval of the Midnight Blog Readers, the Reilly Sports Blog's recap of the Bronx Beatdown.

• First, this was just a beatdown...not a beheading. As mentioned earlier, the two titans meet again from August 21-23 in Fenway. I think all inklings of psychological advantages were met head on and deposited in the toilet this weekend. It's all about the raw data for me, and the most important number as of tonight is (5.5 GB.) The Sox downed the Tigers and the Yanks fell to Toronto. A few more nights like this, and Boston has New York in their sight by the time they play at home with the Fenway advantage. It'll be easy.
• It won't, in any way, be easy. The schedule leading up to (and following) the big showdown looks like it was sent straight from the desk of Bucky Dent. Including tonight, the Sox play 35 games from now until Thursday, September 17th. Of those 35 games, precisely eight (8) will be against teams under the .500 mark. And six of those eight games are against the Blue Jays, who after tonight are just 3 games below. The winning teams who the Sox play the in the other 27 games aren't slouches, either. They're all there...Angels, White Sox, Rays, you name it. 35 games to make or break the Sox. So far, 1 for 1...
• The Yankees won't be on dream street either. They will be kicking themselves bigtime if they don't take this series from Toronto at home, because after Wednesday's game they wont see their friendly fans nor 250 foot fences until the 25th. In the meantime, it's potentially-tough sledding on the west coast with the Mariners and Athletics and certainly-tough sledding over in Kenmore Square. So far, 0 for 1...

It should be fun to watch. The schedules for both teams will provide some solid tests and fine-tuning as the teams gear up for Fenway. Don't discount the guys defending this division title though. Tampa Bay (it still sounds bizarre) isn't going anywhere, and they will get their head-to-head tilts against these teams as well. The moment the Yanks and Sox start thinking this is a two team race is the moment where the Rays are most dangerous. They snuck up last year and got all the way to the World Series. The Empire and Nation can't let them sneak again.

Well, that officially concludes the analysis of the series that in reality concluded over 24 hours ago. Look for a few more Mets posts in the coming days, none of which I will enjoy writing. They just lost to the Diamondbacks, who really looked ripe for the picking after getting swept by the Nationals. But no team is ripe to pick in the Met's harvest. Even if they were ripe, the Mets would take a bite and find a tapeworm inside.

I better stop; this conversation isn't gonna go anywhere I want to be. Enjoy the weather.

Hyper-Active Supplements, Not-So-Hyper Game

I learned my lesson yesterday. From now on, no more waiting for Mets games to end before entering the blogosphere. It makes me a very cranky individual, and it shows in my writing. Blogging about today's Yankees win over the Red Sox is made far more enjoyable knowing the Mets are a good 4-5 hours away from further obliteration.

Before the game we were treated to the latest player explanation of why he is different (innocent) from all the others. It was another super-supplement that made David Ortiz pop up on the 2003 list that was promised to be anonomous. I really have nothing new to offer on this routine of "name pops up then we choose the best words to convince the public that it doesn't belong." I have nothing to offer now, and I will probably have nothing to offer when the dozens and dozens more names inevitably come up in the future. Unless Mike Piazza's name comes up. Then I can only offer tears.

The game that followed Papi's press conference never had a chance to live up to last night's showcase. Sure enough, it didn't. And it didn't really come close. I was half-hoping that the Yankees would say the most exciting part of today's victory was making th Reilly Sports Blog a perfect 1-1 on Perfictions in 2009. They talked about CC Sabathia instead. I guess he deserved it.

Two hits and two walks over 7.2 innings pitched. The numbers actually look better than Burnett's the night before. But since pretty much every Yankee (and general) baseball fan were fairly certain that AJ Burnett blew, he'll get all the love at the end of the day. Both the Yankees' big fish acquisitions came up huge in a series that started with thoughts of "0-8" and is ending with thoughts of "psychologically-crippling sweep."

Besides Sabathia (and an overlooked strong game by Sox starter Clay Buckholz), the 5-0 game was a tad lackluster. Bloop RBI here, sac fly there. Home plate umpire Jim Joyce seemed to agree, as he took the stage all to himself in the 7th inning and put on a show. In all of his genius, Joyce saw it coming from a mile away that the Sox would want to hit A-Rod while already down 2-0 in a game of complete desperation. He tossed pitcher Ramon Ramirez from the game instantly. While manager Terry Francona was arguing with Joyce, the predominant word coming out of his mouth wasn't the F word nor the S word nor the B word nor the other S word nor the F word again. It was just "Why?" Joe Buck and Tim McCarver wondered the same thing on the Fox broadcast. I have no answer, and would pay moderate money to hear Joyce's bizarre logic.

I'm not saying the Red Sox were coming back to win if the whole thing hadn't happened. They are the ones who pulled a Mets and walked a guy with the bases loaded. (Sorry, it's approaching an hour until game time and the rage is consuming me.) It's an inexcusable mistake at that point of a must-have game. Then Jeter finally sealed the game (and stopped his crap-fest at the plate during the series) with a homer in the 8th.

I honestly am not sure if it's been awesome AJ and CC or bad Red Sox these last two games. We'll certainly know by tomorrow, when ageless Andy takes the rubber on ESPN primetime Sunday. The Sox have to get to Petitte. They know this, and despite the last two games, they know they have the ability to do it. I think Lester comes up huge tomorrow. But he could throw a perfect game and the Sox still wouldn't provide the run support to win with their run production from the last two games combined. Every thread of momentum is with the Empire right now, but I'm not buying into the whole "flush the Sox season down the toilet" bit. The Yankees have beaten them three straight. I seem to remember that exact feat in the fall of 2004, and the Sox had a little something to say about that one.

(Insert Papi super-supplement wisecrack here.)

Instant Classic

It is 1:04 in the morning. This game technically started yesterday. I'm supposed to be up for work in under 6 hours. I just spent a gorgeous summer Friday night by myself in front of the television. But this one was all worth it. Gladiators battling swing for swing, pitch by pitch, until the thrilling conclusion. Tonight proved on any given dog day of summer, baseball immortality can be achieved.

With every eye of the baseball world watching... Francisco Rodriguez blows it again. And he is the worst baseball player on the face of this planet. He came in with a 2-1 lead. Then he faced 5 batters. All of them scored. Here is a special lesson for those new to baseball. In order for 5 runs to score in the bottom of the 9th inning when the visitors are leading 2-1, a grand slam must occur; a walk-off grand slam to be concise. Good God in heaven...This is truly the classic we have all been waiting for.

Ok, ok, enough giggles. I'm sorry but it's quite late (early) and sometimes my only remedy from the New York Mets is silly humor. Onto the game advertised. I must say, I should probably start taking down little notes, little tidbits during games so I can better write the blog later. It was almost 6 hours ago when Josh Beckett of the Sox and A.J. Burnett of the Yanks began their utter domination of two powerhouse lineups. That's a long time. So here, in bullet-point form, in no particular order, are my thoughts of tonight's phenomenal display of baseball (for real this time.)

• Burnett and Beckett were really, really, really good. They say good pitching beats good hitting. But it takes some truly special pitching to beat good hitting in a miniature-sized ballpark. A park that yielded multiple homers in game one of the series that would be pop flies at Citi Field. But hopefully not at Luis Castillo. (I'm sorry. I'm bitter. I hate the Mets.) But those two former Marlins really put on a show tonight in the Bronx.
• Pedroia/V. Martinez/Youkilis/Ortiz: 2-20, 6 K. Eesh.
• Jeter/Damon/Teixeira: 1-20, 5 K. Goo.
• Beckett and Burnett were GOOD. So were the bullpens.
• Watching a game on the YES network is brutal. First off, they air the unbearable Johan Santana/CC Sabathia Subway commercial with no regard for viewer sanity. Santana says Zee Zee instead of CC and it takes him 9 syllables to say 'chipotle.' It doesn't work. Second, Micheal Kay sounds too fake trying to make the classic witty line. The "long night's journey into day" bit on the game-winner just didn't work. When you listened to a play like the JD Drew game-saving catch, it's real emotion, real announcing that's good. He's gotta stick to that. Genuine always beats cute.
• JD Drew is a Rock n Roll Jesus. I don't bestow Kid Rock's valiant nickname on any old schmo. Drew is one of my favorite players in baseball and I will defend him until the end. Hopefully soon, all the "14 million dollar grand slam" and "14 million dollar catch" gags will end and the Nation will say "Hey, he's not Youk or Pedroia, but we got pretty much a five-tool player out there in right for us. We Red Sox can drop $14 mil on that. How much did we give Dice-K again??" Just ask the Yanks if they'd like a lefty like Drew for their old, decrepid outfield corps.
  
• The Red Sox were in deep, deep trouble when they didn't score in the top of the 15th. It was a baseball miracle that the acclaimed Junichi Tazawa survived the 14th, when both the hits and the outs by the Yankees were lasers. With those big boppers were coming up, compounded with the lead off hit by Jeter, the clock struck 12 for the Nation. (Actually, it probably struck 12 about 2 innings earlier. But you get the point.)
• A-Rod is still A-Rod. He's hitting .260 on the year, he was 1-6 in the game up to that point, but the man is still A-Rod. Similar to how Ortiz can still show the ability to be Ortiz.
• I hate the Yankees. I do. Believe me. But I didn't want that Victor Martinez pop fly to right field to go over the fence. This pitching brilliance didn't deserve that. I know the ballpark was quite unkind to the Sox on Thursday night, but the baseball purist in me is saying two wrongs don't make a right on this one. I know it sounds incredibly foolish to say. But Beckett and Burnett were the story of this game, and God forbid the media focused on the 270 foot-homer that was the only run scored.
• It really sucks to be the road team in a game like this. Everytime your team goes scoreless in an extra inning, the home half of the inning is one big ulcer. Especially with the Yankees tonight, who just knocked on the door so many times. I felt bad for the fans. Well, until a few minutes later when Francisco Rodriguez put a weedwacker to my soul. Then I kinda thought how good Sox fans have it. (Sorry, that was the last Mets attack.)

On a final, personal note, the inaugural Perfiction (perfect prediction) of the Reilly Sports Blog is looking pretty good right now. If the Yankees take one of the next two, we're 1 for 1. If they don't, the team I hate loses and I'm still happy. It's a classic win-win situation.

Actually, I'm a Mets fan. Call it a lose-lose situation.

Those Other NY Ballplayers

Thusfar, this blog has been pretty (completely) Mets-heavy. As I try to get my feet wet with getting back in writing, I'm gonna try some new stuff on this blog to see how it works. I can tell that so far it's been perhaps a little diehard-intensified, with the casual fan sometimes getting lost in the shuffle. I appreciate all the feedback I've been getting from you guys, and I'm gonna try everyday to make this thing as readable and entertaining as possible.

With that in mind, I think now's the perfect opportunity to temporarily shift the focus of the blog. The Mets are 3,000 miles away geographically, and they are that far away metaphorically as well in New York's baseball scene. For the next four days, it's the latest installment of Red Sox-Yankees. For some fans, (sometimes me included) BOS-NYY has a "stop hyping it so much and wake me up in September" feel to it. But for now, this thing has a whole bunch of ramifications on a whole bunch of levels. So rejoice, Yankee fans (Sox Nation, too.) For the first time in the short and non-storied history of the blog, we turn to the American League East for a preview/analysis hybrid that's sure to please the masses.

First, game one tonight. If I had to choose just one game of the four to watch, there is no question it's tonight. In the first bold perfiction, (perfect prediction--just thought of it, not sure if it's used and I will get a cease and desist from someone. I will keep you updated) I say without a doubt that whoever wins tonight will take at least 3 of 4 in this series. Not the boldest statement, but the consequences are huge. If the Yanks win 3 of these games, they erase the disgusting "0-8" mark that has delighted the Sox fans all summer long. They also take a meaty 4 1/2 game first place lead. If the Sox take 3, they will have rolled into Yankee Stadium and turned a 2 1/2 game deficit into a 1/2 game first-place lead. Quite a feat. Furthermore, they may drive A-Rod and Kate Hudson into couples therapy, as Rodriguez tries to comprehend an unfathomable 1-11 record against the Red Sox that would carry through until the end of August.

So the perfiction states whoever wins tonight will do some serious damage on their opponent, be it in the standings or psychologically. For me, it comes to down to one guy. The lights-out reliever-turned mediocre starter-turning into a perhaps awesome starter-whose first name sounds like a species of chameleon. Tonight we see if Joba Chamberlain is for real. The 7-2 record looks rock n' roll, but the guy struggles in his home park, especially with his control. He is 0-1 against the Sox this year, and it's usually never a good sign when you go just 11 innings overall in 2 starts against a team. But Joba might have found his mojo, as he rolls into this series after 3 tremendous starts.

Like Joba, this Sox team is changing. But they aren't going the right way. There's only so much you can nitpick when the team is only 2 1/2 games out in a real tough division. Lord knows the Mets would give a few bench players' limbs for that right about now. But it's been almost 2 months since the Sox and Yanks faced off, and last time they did, Boston was in 'best team in baseball' mode. Their starters were great, the bullpen was lights-out, and Jason Bay was nothing short of Optimus Prime. Looking at Boston's post All Star break performance, I see a lot of beating up on Baltimore and ho-hum games against everyone else. A moderate fall down to earth was inevitable for Bay, but he blew right past earth's surface and started plummeting toward the core with that .192 July batting average. And now we're hearing he will miss both tonight and tomorrow's games with a bum hamstring (not good in terms of the perficiton.)

With J-Bay out of commission, David Ortiz will really have to show up this series. Lord knows it will get ugly tonight, in his first Yankee Stadium appearance since his reported appearance on the 2003 performance-enhancing drug list (also referred to in the Bronx as Christmas in July.) This is coupled with the agony that Fenway Park bestowed upon A-Rod in his first Boston appearance since his own allegations. While Ortiz's 2003 partner-in-crime (a term perhaps becoming literal as far as baseball's integrity) is now a Dodger, he's got a new sidekick with Victor Martinez. Boston's new acquisition as been everything they could have asked for in a deadline deal. He is thrust into his first Yankee-Red Sox circus and could just be Boston's X-factor.

The Red Sox definitely have the unfavorable pitching match-up tonight, but maybe Smoltz can get that veteran moxy working in the heat of this rivalry. Look for the Sox to do everything in their power to jump on Chamberlain early, and try to rekindle some 0-8 Yankee jitters with a lead. If they can't, Joba will only get more and more confident in his stuff, and it will be tough sledding later in the game. Either way, it should be real fun to watch. And the blog's thoughts are with you, Ortiz. It'll only get easier after tonight, and even tonight will be easy if you plant one on that short porch in right. Enjoy the game.

Gettin' Figgy Wit It

And the roller coaster goes back up.

The Mets of '09 have actually shown a pretty good ability to take a punch. You know, those losses that are so painful that they can turn into a huge losing streak. But this season, the Mets two biggest losses came at the hands of the Dodgers in May and the Yankees in July.
Not to talk the fans back onto the ledge, but the Mets committed 5 errors in one disasterous loss in Los Angeles, lowlighted by Jeremy Reed's errand throw home on the losing play. Ryan Church also cancelled out his own go-ahead run in the top of the inning, by somehow missing third base. (Which, every fan can attest, was the beginning of the end of his utterly bizarre tenure in the orange and blue.) Despite this disaster (and the two LA hangover losses after) the Mets went into Fenway and defied a whole bunch of odds by taking two of three from the Red Sox. One of these games was the signature win of the year thusfar, with Omir Santos taking Jonathan Paplebon deep and stealing a win in the 9th inning.

The second 'punch' game will take far less explanation than the LA game. Yankee Stadium. A-Rod pop-up. Luis Castillo. Moving on as quick as possible, the Mets took their one and only season game from the Yankees the next day.

In the latest tough loss (gory details in the previous blog post), The Mets turned in a beatdown of the Cardinals today. By winning 9-0, they actually put up 16 runs in this abbreviated 2-game series. David Wright and Angel Pagan 2.0 (triples machine!) ignited the offense again, which has very silently put up 34 runs the past 6 games.

But the true tale today was Nelson Figeroa. Maybe it's just me, but the name Nelson Figeroa sounds more like a hero at the battle of the Alamo than a serviceable major league pitcher. In his start just two days ago, Figeroa went a long way in justifying my mindset: 1.2 IP, 10 hits, 6 runs, game over.

But look what happened today! Figeroa went from minor league-bound to the Mets' guardian angel. Jonathan Niese went down in the second trying to make a stretch play at first base. And true to form, the training staff let him take warm-ups afterwards instead of shutting him down for the day. What resulted was an image that was horrifying to watch, as Niese collapsed during his warm-up pitch, his leg looking like it shattered in approximately 47 pieces. Thankfully it wasn't that bad, but who knows when he'll be back...

But worry not, Prince Nelson is here. Four innings of scoreless relief just two days after the implosion, proving perhaps those gaudy minor league numbers may be legit. Hell, why not just add a 2-run triple for the cherry on top. Man, this team is painfully bizarrely fun to be a part of.

So now off to San Diego. And looking at the schedule, it's gotta be all work no play in that California sun. The Mets need to beat down on the Padres and D-Backs before the enormous homestand that follows. The offense is clicking, now the pitching must follow suit. And not just for one or two games. To quote Lou Brown, "If we win three games in a row, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before."

Two Sides to Every Story

"It's over"

That was what I uttered over and over again at the tail end of the Mets-Cardinals game tonight. And no, it wasn't when Albert Pujols launched a Sean Green pitch somewhere between Ohio and Nevada for a 10th inning grand slam. Hell, it wasn't even when Green plunked the previous hitter with the bases loaded with his first pitch out of the bullpen.
Nope, those are too easy. This year, the Mets fan just knows when it's over...and it doesn't take much. Tonight is the latest of oh-so-many examples why fans of the orange and blue probably vomited on their keyboards reading my previous post. For each win that makes you proud to root for this scrappy bunch, there are 4-5 games of tonight's variety.
Tonight, the Mets lost the game on a ground ball to second base. In the top of the 10th, Pedro Feliciano did his job yet again by inducing a ground ball to second. Though a tricky play for Alex Cora, it's one that can be made, and must be made to stop the Card's avalanche of momentum. But instead of making the hurried throw to Dan Murphy, Cora deemed it a better idea to throw the ball wildly, hitting runner Rick Ankiel dangerously close to his private parts. And before Mets fans blinked next, it was another infield single and a walk to load the bases before the Sean Green comedy show came to town.
The Mets needed to have this game. They fell tantalyzingly short yesterday, nearly coming back on Cy Young candidate Danny Haren. This time they threw their own ace, and he did enough (both arm and bat) to give his team a victory. But in what has become commonplace since Johan Santana joined this staff, defense and the bullpen failed when they were called upon. When the Mets score 7 runs on double-digit hits with Mr. Santana on the mound, anything but a solid win is shameful.
But somehow it happens. Nobody thought this game was over when Francisco Rodriguez came in with a 2-run lead. Bouts of wildness and perhaps overconfidence have drove him right back to the ranks of Billy Wagner and perhaps Armando Benitez in the minds of Mets fans. (Sorry Braden Looper, no one could ever fall to the abyss of you as a closer.) But the Mets games are never, ever over until that final out is in the mitt (take a bow, Luis Castillo.) And though the fans take special joy in the victories by this JV-level team, it doesn't make the losses less sucky. And each defeat puts one more brick on the already-giant wall the Mets must now climb.
That's why the Phillies aren't the least bit scared of this team. They are the champs, and the Mets can have however many moral vicories they'd like. Right now, the Phillies' talent and composure is something the Mets can't touch. August may be moving along, but the Mets are still standing still in this race. I've been saying for weeks that the Mets' only hope is to pick their spot and play their best ball head-to-head against Philadelphia; and maybe something big can happen in just one series. After nights like this one, that notion is looking more and more wishful.

A New NY State of Mind

The 2009 Mets have taught many lessons about life, loss, and challenging minor leaguers to fights while shirtless. But now I ask you to think of something utterly ridiculous...
Think of all the positives for the fans to take away from this insane roller coaster year. Be honest, Mets fans: ever since 2006, we have taken stuff for granted. That year, as magical and memorable as it may have been, made us a bit spoiled. The next few years, we expected to win each and every game, because the 2006 team seemed to accomplish that feat. All choke jobs and meltdowns aside, nothing less than a deep playoff run was expected in 2007, 2008, and, at one point, 2009.
But now something crazy has happened. After failures in '07 and '08, The team is currently in 4th place in their 5-team division. The Mets lost seemingly all of the all-stars in their lineup, and now field a hybrid-like team composed of current mediocre players and mediocre players from 2002.
Seems like a nightmare, right? But look what's happened this year. Are there any, I mean ANY, Met games taken as a 'given?' Are there any victories assured? Instead of demanding victory for 162 games and getting all pissy when it doesn't happen, I think 2009 has taught the Mets fan to take a certain joy from each and every win. In the last couple of years, fans have booed Carlos Delgado for a slow start to the season. They grilled Willie Randolph for not making every single correct move. They wished a slow and graphic demise upon Aaron Heilman.
Now, the fans at Citi appreciate a sacrifice bunt by Daniel Murphy. They will take notice if Cory Sullivan hits the cut-off man. And Aaron Heilman has probably saved months of his life by getting the hell out of New York. The point is, the fans can no longer go by the mindset of "We better win this game because this team is nothing compared to us and after this win we are one game closer to the title." Now it's "Ok, let's get our hits in bunches at timely spots and get those big outs when we need them, and maybe we can take this one." It may be more stress and more heartache, but tell any Mets fan at this time in '06 that they won a game a certain night, you may get a shrug of a shoulder; a nod of the head. Tell them they won in '09, you may get two or three follow-up questions about how they managed to do it. Instead of the acknowledgment of the obvious, it's the excitement for hope.
Maybe the Mets' cavalry of hitters will be back soon and they will have one monster stretch to get back on top. And if they do, I hope this new 2009 mindset could have some staying power. As the Mets know all too well from the past two years, each and every win counts. If the Mets' stars make them a potential powerhouse down the stretch, don't forget this hybrid team of mediocrity that kept them afloat in the dog days. And don't forget how good each individual win made you feel as true fans.

Welcome to the show

My name is Conor, and this is my therapy. I graduated Boston University in May '09 and am currently looking for a job in broadcast journalism. My passion is sports, and this blog will cover everything i find to be interesting in the athletic universe. My favorite teams are the New York Mets, Jets and Islanders (also, like Kevin James' character in 'Hitch," the Knicks when they're good.) Expect most of the writing about those teams. For those readers that care about Conor the human in conjunction with Conor the writer, I will keep updates on my job search. You can also see my on-camera work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5kcSO8dZx4.

I think that's all for now, but get ready world. The age of Reilly has dawned, get'cha Twinkies ready.