Big Blue on the clock

Over the last few seasons the Giants have played well through the first half of the season an then gone through a second half melt down.  Tom Coughlin was brought back for another season and he has some work to do, he has to get the offensive line which has been together for a long time through an entire season healthy, find a consistent running back, dependable linebackers, and avoid a second half let down.   Thursday is the NFL draft in NYC and the New York Football Giants have the 17th pick. I believe the Giants biggest draft needs are Offensive line ( the center out of Florida or the offensive lineman out of Boston College), secondary (safety).  I might take a Running Back in the later rounds, but we still have Jacobs and we can find a back-up through free agency.   Whenever the big money owners stop being greedy and we have an NFL season, the Giants can be back to glory.      

Hockey and Basketball are back in the Big Apple

Its nice to have the Knicks who haven't won a championship since 1973, playing meaningful basketball in April.  Those die-hard Knick fans who have been patiently waiting for a return trip to the Playoffs and a Championship.  The Knicks probably will not win a championship this year, they may win a round or maybe just a couple of games this year but the playoffs are the first step. The Knicks are really a consistent point guard and someone with size away from being in that elite group of NBA teams.  One of the next two years, definitely within four, look really good to bring a Championship back to New York with the Knicks.  Along the same lines the Knicks arena mates are in the Playoffs as well, the New York Rangers who haven't won anything since 1994.  It seems like although the Rangers are in the same spot each year, a really good start and then they battle some injuries and have to fight for the final Playoff birth.  If the Rangers can just get some consistent play they have the potential to be really good.  I don't expect much from the Rangers this year, they might be able to win a round against the Washington Capitals who seem inconsistent in the playoffs.  The Rangers are a hard team to read.  the New York Rangers as well as the New York Knicks have a lot in common inconsistent play, yet both teams seem to be on that right track towards a championship when they put all the pieces together.              

Baseball

Well it doesn't feel like spring weather wise, but baseball is back so it must be.  The Yankees look good but  so does the rest of the American League East, teams in the east are going to beat up on each other this year.  Baltimore is much improved under Buck Showalter, Tampa will still find a way even though they have a completely remade bullpen, Toronto is always tough, Boston looks good on paper their line up can hit I just don't know if their pitching will hold up.  The Yankees did their best in the offseason with a bleak free-agent class and the retirement of Andy Pettite.  Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia are now at the back end of the rotation.  Sabathia, Burnett, and Hughes are proven, Nova showed promise when he came up last year and Freddy Garcia has shown he has something left at least until something possibly opens up on the trade market. The bullpen looks great with Chamberlin, Robetson, Rafel Soriano, and Rivera at the end of games.  The Yankees have a catcher in Russel Martain who can run a little bit.  Across town the Mets are already being bitten by the injury bug, they have potential finincial problems to, they'll be about a .500 team this year, maybe.  The Philadelphia Phillies have that great rotation however I don't know if the offense will be able to keep up.

Picks:
AL East                                        AL Central                                  AL West
Yankees (96-66)                            White Sox                                  Athletics                  
Red Sox (94-68)    

AL Wild Card                            NL East                             NL Central                                                   Tigers                                         Braves                                 Cubs      

 NL West                                    NL Wild Card                World Series                                                                                     Rockies                                       Phillies                            Yankees-Cubs