Monday, February 06, 2012

Parcells Snubbed by HOF


Americas Game 1986 New Giants part (1).mp4

I could watch this documentary on the Giants 1986 season a million times and still get goose bumps. The Parcells-Simms relationship drama, the genesis of the Gatorade dump, the Parcells - Taylor marriage, the ups and downs of how a team is built under one of the biggest microscopes in sports.

At the time, I thought Parcells was the best coach I had ever seen (in some ways, I still do). He was the BCOPE (Best Coach on Planet Earth) to Barry Bonds' BPOPE (Best Player on Planet Earth).  Apparently, greater minds than mine disagree. For now.

Bill Parcells not elected to Hall of Fame
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/35973/bill-parcells-not-elected-to-hall-of-fame

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was the first year in which former New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and New York Jets coach Bill Parcells was eligible for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so the fact that he did not make it is not devastating. There's reason to believe he will get in eventually, but on Saturday night, he was not among the final candidates. Neither was former Cowboys great Charles Haley. My personal opinion is that they both should be in, but Parcells is the more surprising omission, so let's take a look at it.

I get some of the reasons stated, if they are what kept Parcells out, but some of the "logic" makes no sense at all.

Parcells should be in and Phil Simms should be in. You watch how fast the debate begins around "Is Eli a HOF QB?" now that he has two rings and Coughlin will be debated as a coaching candidate as well.

Folks forget that Simms has two rings as well, and he led the Giants team and organization through the wilderness.  They helped blaze the trail and lit the path for those that followed.

 It was a much tougher road traversed by the Simms - Parcells combo than Manning - Coughlin. And in many ways -- they actually made things easier -- if "easier" is a term that can be lightly tossed into a discussion about winning Super Bowls.

Hopefully, you get my point. If Manning - Coughlin are deemed worthy, I'm not sure why Simms and Pacrcells are meeting with such resistance.


Parcells 11 Comandments



Parcells on Responsibility
http://youtu.be/9ztDGM7qYj4

Thursday, January 26, 2012

All quiet on Tim Lincecum contract front, but Giants say talks with Matt Cain have been “healthy, ongoing” | Extra Baggs




Good news for Giants fans. It seems like down the road we may have to reconcile the staff to include Lincum OR Cain rather than Lincecum AND Cain, but this may have pushed that date down the road a little bit.

Lincecum, Giants agreed to $40.5M, 2-year deal

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/012412_Lincecum_Giants_agreed_to_405M_2-year_deal.html



All quiet on Tim Lincecum contract front, but Giants say talks with Matt Cain have been “healthy, ongoing” | Extra Baggs:

"The Giants are known to prefer a four-year structure that would take Lincecum through arbitration and buy out his first two seasons of free agency. Lincecum’s camp has preferred a one- or two-year deal that would preserve his ability to hit the open market after the 2013 season, although they proposed an eight-year structure that the club had no interest in pursuing.

The Giants have been just as public in their desire to wrap up a long-term extension with Matt Cain, who is under contract for $15 million this season but will be a free agent at the end of the year. Unlike Lincecum, Cain isn’t tied to the arbitration schedule. So there was the assumption the Giants might wait until after they clear their arbitration docket (they have Angel Pagan, Melky Cabrera, Sergio Romo, NAte Schierholtz, Santiago Casilla and others to prepare for, too) before turning their attention to Cain.

But as Evans told me today, “Hey, I can multitask.”"

Report: Jets Rip 'Lazy' Sanchez


Paving the way for NY to become a "dual-Manning" town? Why not? The press will eat it up.

Report: Jets Rip 'Lazy' Sanchez:

A sampling of the criticisms:

- "He's lazy and content because he knows he's not going to be benched," said one player.

- "How can we when he's not improving at all?" another teammate said. "He thinks he is, but he's not. He has shown us what he's capable of."

- "So many games, he looked defeated before he ever took the field. He didn't have much confidence in what he was about to go do. ...He never felt comfortable with some of the things we were doing. It was too much for him," said a team source.

- "He just doesn't have the mental toughness to be great... especially in New York," added another source.

Ouch.

Hey, 99 Percenters, You Call This 'Fair'?



Too many people riding in the cart, not enough people pulling the cart. These 99% folks don't realize that they don't speak for about half of the people they think they do. Reality bites and it bites hard. Occupy a job.

Hey, 99 Percenters, You Call This 'Fair'? | Fox News:

A study by the New York City Independent Budget Office was released this week, and you didn't hear much about it in the mainstream media because it hurts their candidate's message.

"New York City has a little more than 8 million residents. Of those many millions, 1% -- ONE PERCENT -- pays 43% of the income taxes. You know how many people that works out to? About 35,000 people.

Picture in your mind's eye the City of New York, not just Manhattan, but all five boroughs. Imagine the throngs here right now enjoying the holidays. Think about the police presence, the sanitation, the schools brimming with children...East Side, West Side, The Village -- a hell of a town! 8 million people!

Now imagine Yankee Stadium, or any average Major League ballpark, and fill it except for the nosebleed seats. That tiny number pays almost HALF the operating costs for the city. How's THAT for fair?

Another kick in the head is that ten percent of New Yorkers pay 71% of the taxes. Guess how much income it takes to crack that ten percent?You don't have to be one of the millionaires or billionaires whom the Divider in Chief loves to vilify. You need not be an evil fat cat making $200,000 -- perish the thought! What's it take to crack the top ten percent in the most expensive city in America? $105,000. Yep, a buck five."


The top 1% of income earners, those who earn over about $400 thousand a year pay 40% of all the income taxes

*** FORTY PERCENT of taxes are paid by 1% of taxpayers ***

In other words, the government collects 40% of all the income taxes it gets from only 1% of the people who pay taxes.

The other 99% of taxpayers COMBINED only pay the other 60%.

And half of all adults DON'T PAY ANY INCOME TAX AT ALL.

If I have my math correct.

- The 1% pays 40% of the freight

Of the 99%

- 49.5% pay the Other 60%
- 49.5% PAY ZERO

Too many people riding in the cart, not enough people pulling the cart.

Raise taxes on the 49.5% of the free-loaders.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Is Eli the Greatest QB in Giants' History?


This is an interesting question. My wife asked me if Eli has made the leap over Phil Simms in my mind as the Greatest Giants QB of all time. And it was tough for me to answer.

Is Eli the Greatest QB in Giants' History?:

'via Blog this'

In the same way that the prior generations (my Dad) cling to Y.A. Tittle and Charlie Connerly as the best, for me, it comes down to the old saying "you never forget your first" and Phil Simms delivered the Giants first Super Bowl. Not only delivered it, but persevered in spite of many naysayers (the 'Simms Sucks' brigade) who continued chirping even up until the eve of of the Super Bowl. If you think that Tim Tebow has vocal (and sometimes irrational) doubters, you haven't spent enough time with full-throated Giants fans in unrequited heat.

So Simms will always be #1 in my heart, but Eli is slowly but surely building the case to be #1 if I'm leading with my head.

UPDATED: Giants reward Ryan Vogelsong with two-year contract plus option for 2014 | Extra Baggs


A long, frustrating road for Vogie, but he is being justly rewarded.

UPDATED: Giants reward Ryan Vogelsong with two-year contract plus option for 2014 | Extra Baggs:

"Vogelsong made it clear he wanted to commit to San Francisco after resurrecting his career with the same organization that drafted and developed him a decade earlier. Vogelsong arrived last spring as a minor league free agent and pitched so well in camp that he became the first line of defense when the Giants needed a starting pitcher. He came up to replace an injured Barry Zito in late April and never lost his spot in the rotation, finishing with a 13-7 record and 2.71 ERA that ranked third in the NL — better even than heralded rotation mates Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

Vogelsong, 33, also joined Lincecum and Brian Wilson on the NL All-Star team — a huge accomplishment for a pitcher whose career was sidelined by injuries and inconsistency. Before replacing Zito, Vogelsong hadn’t appeared in a major league game in almost five years, spending most of the interim in the Japanese leagues."

Miami Heat's LeBron James says he can relate to Denver Broncos' Tim Tebow - ESPN



From ESPN:
Miami Heat's LeBron James says he can relate to Denver Broncos' Tim Tebow - ESPN:

Strange that the two best comments about the Tebow craze have come from Ben Roethlisberger and LeBron James. Players get it. Better late than never.

""I can relate to him a lot. I see how the media plays it sometimes and how the critics go at him," James said. "To see him prove them wrong ... he continues to stay positive and move forward. You respect that."

In August, James came to Tebow's defense on Twitter during Broncos training camp. When several analysts criticized Tebow on ESPN, James wrote: "Tim Tebow will succeed in the NFL. He's a hard worker, a student of the game, a natural born leader and most of all a WINNER! It takes time and he'll be nice.""

Roethlisberger's quotes before the Pittsburgh - Denver playoff game:
"I don't think Tim's really calling ESPN and asking them to talk about him," Roethlisberger said. "I would assume his teammates understand it. It's a tough thing. It's the position we play."

Interestingly enough, LeBron took a drubbing among fans and some in the media for his stance.


From somewhere in the Twittersphere:
http://tsminteractive.com/lebron-james-tim-tebow-twitter/


Citing James’ own inability to win a championship and the way he fell apart while playing for the Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals, Twitter’s version of the peanut gallery sprang into action.

A few examples:

ESPN’s Skip Bayless tweeted: “Can’t wait to talk about LeBron’s tweet about Tebow. If only LeBron could say that about himself …”

Chris Burke of SI.com tweeted: “Takes one to know … oh wait.”

And Fufu Pounder tweeted: “I wish I could say the same about U in 4Q.”

In a nutshell, without all the talk-show histrionics, here is the crux of the debate.

From YahooSports:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_tim_tebow_broncos_steelers_suggs_elway010612


Earlier this week, Baltimore Ravens All-Pro pass rusher Terrell Suggs took some shots at Tebow on ESPN’s “First Take.” T-Sizzle expounded upon those thoughts during a phone conversation on Wednesday, saying he had nothing against the quarterback personally but felt that “he’s held to a different standard than the other 31 quarterbacks” in the NFL.

“I’m a Christian,” Suggs continued. “I have no problem with him being a Christian. But it’s like, you know, God forbid anybody say anything against Tim Tebow. Oh, we’re just giving him a hard time because he’s a Christian? No, that’s not it! We’re giving him a hard time because he went 6-and-22 for 60 yards!

“That’s terrible quarterbacking. Are you kidding me? Donovan McNabb had a game like that [early in the season] and got the hatchet. The hatchet! And we never heard from him again. And then Tim Tebow plays in a game where they need to win the AFC West, and he had a game like that, and we’re still talking about the Tim Tebow phenomenon?”

The MAJOR differences between the examples that Mr. Suggs cites are a) Tebow is WINNING despite his lousy stats and lousy mechanics, McNabb was not and b) Tebow is a YOUNG QB who is somewhat expected to have statistical ups and downs related to his youth and inexperience, McNabb was a VETERAN QB.

BIG DIFFERENCES THERE, CHIEF. But thanks for your insight.

When and if Tebow combine lousy stats with losing, Denver will pull the plug on him in a heartbeat or two. Rest assured about that my little Schadenfreuders. Until then, how about a healthy dose of STFU?

Sandoval Agrees to 3-Year Extension -- Details Here



Sandoval Agrees to 3-Year Extension -- Details Here:


The Giants and Pablo Sandoval have agreed to a three-year extension, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The deal is worth $17.15MM plus incentives, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News tweets. Morgan Advisory Group represents the 25-year-old third baseman.



Sandoval, who was arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, had a projected $3.2MM salary for 2012 and would have been in line for raises in 2013 and 2014 via the arbitration process. The deal doesn't delay his free agency -- he's still on track to hit the open market after the 2014 season.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Casey Crosby coming to Chicago? COOL!!!


If this report pans out, perhaps.....How cool would that be? One of my favorite players to keep tabs on, although it is a growing list (thankfully). This will give me a much better reason to trek out to Wrigley Field again. Winning would help.

Report: Cubs, Tigers Working on Trade for Matt Garza | Bleacher Report:

"The Cubs could, however, realistically ask for one of Detroit's intriguing left-handed starters, as Andy Oliver, Casey Crosby and Drew Smyly all rank in the Tigers' Top 10 prospects, according to MLB.com. Oliver has seen the show, and probably wouldn't be packaged with Turner. Smyly is a softer tossing left-hander, which the Cubs already look to have two of with the recently-signed Paul Maholm, and Travis Wood, who was acquired in the trade for Sean Marshall."

This leaves Casey Crosby. Crosby, 23, has battled arm injuries in the past, missing out on the 2008 season due to to Tommy John surgery, and had all but three appearances in 2010 because of an elbow injury. However, the 2007 fifth rounder is still considered to have front-of-the-rotation stuff, simply needing the time to refine his craft. Already having lost two seasons to arm injuries, Crosby seems like the perfect candidate for a change of scenery. He was simply okay in AA Erie in 2011, going 9-7 with a 4.10 ERA over 25 starts, logging 131 2/3 innings.

Crosby is also a Chicagoland native, hailing from Elburn, IL and pitched for Kaneland High School, where he won the Illinois Gatorade Player Of The Year in 2007. While it's hard to judge whether he'd be a Cubs or White Sox fan having pitched so far from the city limits of Chicago, it's not hard to say that the potential to play as close to home as he could get would be an added motivator for the young lefty. With a mid-90's fastball, a nasty curve and a developing changeup, Crosby could find himself in the Cubs' rotation by 2014.

Even if the Tigers were to offer Turner with Crosby, it still likely wouldn't be quite enough to sway Hoyer and Epstein to move Garza. However, the Tigers could offer a couple of farther-off prospects, preferably an outfielder or two with potential not unlike Ronald Torreyes, the wild card of the Marshall trade.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Who Owns The Media? The 6 Monolithic Corporations That Control Almost Everything We Watch, Hear And Read - BlackListedNews.com




Who Owns The Media? The 6 Monolithic Corporations That Control Almost Everything We Watch, Hear And Read - BlackListedNews.com:

The Bad News:

Back in 1983, approximately 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the United States. Today, ownership of the news media has been concentrated in the hands of just six incredibly powerful media corporations. These corporate behemoths control most of what we watch, hear and read every single day. They own television networks, cable channels, movie studios, newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, music labels and even many of our favorite websites. Sadly, most Americans don't even stop to think about who is feeding them the endless hours of news and entertainment that they constantly ingest. Most Americans don't really seem to care about who owns the media. But they should. The truth is that each of us is deeply influenced by the messages that are constantly being pounded into our heads by the mainstream media. The average American watches 153 hoursof television a month. In fact, most Americans begin to feel physically uncomfortable if they go too long without watching or listening to something. Sadly, most Americans have become absolutely addicted to news and entertainment and the ownership of all that news and entertainment that we crave is being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands each year.


"The six corporations that collectively control U.S. media today are Time Warner, Walt Disney, Viacom, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., CBS Corporation and NBC Universal.  Together, the "big six" absolutely dominate news and entertainment in the United States.  But even those areas of the media that the "big six" do not completely control are becoming increasingly concentrated. For example, Clear Channel now owns over 1000 radio stations across the United States.  Companies like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are increasingly dominating the Internet.

But it is the "big six" that are the biggest concerns.  When you control what Americans watch, hear and read you gain a great deal of control over what they think.  They don't call it "programming" for nothing. "




The Good News:

Fortunately, an increasing number of Americans are starting to wake up and are realizing that the mainstream media should not be trusted. According to a new poll just released by Gallup, the number of Americans that have little to no trust in the mainstream media (57%) is at an all-time high.

That is one reason why we have seen the alternative media experience such rapid growth over the past few years. The mainstream media has been losing credibility at a staggering rate, and Americans are starting to look elsewhere for the truth about what is really going on.


-------

As a citizen and a patriot, I demand that the liberal media end their campaign of religious bigotry. As Speaker Gingrich pointed out in the Republican debate on January 7th, it has gone too far for too long.

I pledge to expose, confront and neutralize all instances of anti-Christian bigotry in the liberal media.

Stand with the MRC against Media's anti-Christian bigotry
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams

Watch Speaker Gingrich call out the liberal media for their anti-Christian bigotry and sign our petition demanding the media to end this disgusting behavior.



Former Speaker Newt Gingrich in the Republican Primary Debate on January 7, 2012.

Giants Top Minor League Prospects

  • 1. Joey Bart 6-2, 215 C Power arm and a power bat, playing a premium defensive position. Good catch and throw skills.
  • 2. Heliot Ramos 6-2, 185 OF Potential high-ceiling player the Giants have been looking for. Great bat speed, early returns were impressive.
  • 3. Chris Shaw 6-3. 230 1B Lefty power bat, limited defensively to 1B, Matt Adams comp?
  • 4. Tyler Beede 6-4, 215 RHP from Vanderbilt projects as top of the rotation starter when he works out his command/control issues. When he misses, he misses by a bunch.
  • 5. Stephen Duggar 6-1, 170 CF Another toolsy, under-achieving OF in the Gary Brown mold, hoping for better results.
  • 6. Sandro Fabian 6-0, 180 OF Dominican signee from 2014, shows some pop in his bat. Below average arm and lack of speed should push him towards LF.
  • 7. Aramis Garcia 6-2, 220 C from Florida INTL projects as a good bat behind the dish with enough defensive skill to play there long-term
  • 8. Heath Quinn 6-2, 190 OF Strong hitter, makes contact with improving approach at the plate. Returns from hamate bone injury.
  • 9. Garrett Williams 6-1, 205 LHP Former Oklahoma standout, Giants prototype, low-ceiling, high-floor prospect.
  • 10. Shaun Anderson 6-4, 225 RHP Large frame, 3.36 K/BB rate. Can start or relieve
  • 11. Jacob Gonzalez 6-3, 190 3B Good pedigree, impressive bat for HS prospect.
  • 12. Seth Corry 6-2 195 LHP Highly regard HS pick. Was mentioned as possible chip in high profile trades.
  • 13. C.J. Hinojosa 5-10, 175 SS Scrappy IF prospect in the mold of Kelby Tomlinson, just gets it done.
  • 14. Garett Cave 6-4, 200 RHP He misses a lot of bats and at times, the plate. 13 K/9 an 5 B/9. Wild thing.

2019 MLB Draft - Top HS Draft Prospects

  • 1. Bobby Witt, Jr. 6-1,185 SS Colleyville Heritage HS (TX) Oklahoma commit. Outstanding defensive SS who can hit. 6.4 speed in 60 yd. Touched 97 on mound. Son of former major leaguer. Five tool potential.
  • 2. Riley Greene 6-2, 190 OF Haggerty HS (FL) Florida commit.Best HS hitting prospect. LH bat with good eye, plate discipline and developing power.
  • 3. C.J. Abrams 6-2, 180 SS Blessed Trinity HS (GA) High-ceiling athlete. 70 speed with plus arm. Hitting needs to develop as he matures. Alabama commit.
  • 4. Reece Hinds 6-4, 210 SS Niceville HS (FL) Power bat, committed to LSU. Plus arm, solid enough bat to move to 3B down the road. 98MPH arm.
  • 5. Daniel Espino 6-3, 200 RHP Georgia Premier Academy (GA) LSU commit. Touches 98 on FB with wipe out SL.

2019 MLB Draft - Top College Draft Prospects

  • 1. Adley Rutschman C Oregon State Plus defender with great arm. Excellent receiver plus a switch hitter with some pop in the bat.
  • 2. Shea Langliers C Baylor Excelent throw and catch skills with good pop time. Quick bat, uses all fields approach with some pop.
  • 3. Zack Thompson 6-2 LHP Kentucky Missed time with an elbow issue. FB up to 95 with plenty of secondary stuff.
  • 4. Matt Wallner 6-5 OF Southern Miss Run producing bat plus mid to upper 90's FB closer. Power bat from the left side, athletic for size.
  • 5. Nick Lodolo LHP TCU Tall LHP, 95MPH FB and solid breaking stuff.