otium cum dignitate

Giants 17, Patriots 14

After draft day four years ago, I wrote this post.   Last  night, Eli Manning  and the Giants beat the best regular-season team in the history of the NFL.  The NFC beat the AFC.  The Patriots finished their historic season 18-1.  The 2007-08 Giants won 11 straight road games (counting last night).  Tom Brady was sacked 5 times.  The Patriots scored less than 20 points for the first time all season.  The Giants out-rushed the Patriots (91 yards to 45 yards), and out-passed the Patriots (247 yards to 229 yards).  The Giants are the best team in the NFL.  The Patriots are no longer perfect.      

21-17

Giants defeat Cowboys 21-17. 

Current forecast for Green Bay next Sunday night: 11 degrees, snow.

The Giants Head to Dallas

Let’s take a break from politics to talk about the suddenly formidable New York Football Giants. I’ve been a Giants fan my whole life, and typically watch almost every game, but this season has been a strange one. With Tiki Barber retiring, and new general manager Jerry Reese taking the reins, most Giants fans, including myself, predicted that this NYG team would manage only 4 or 5 wins in an utterly hopeless season. This team’s 0-2 start seemed the beginning of a painful display of ongoing incompetence.

But suddenly, the system of new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo began to click, and the Giants, after giving up 70 points in their first two games, went on to finish the regular season #7 in the NFL in total defense (305.5 yards allowed/game). Moreover, the Giants finished #1 in the league in total sacks (53). The 2007 NYG defense is vastly improved over the 2006 version which finished #25 in the NFL in yards allowed, and #23 in total sacks.

Offensively, the 2007 Giants were very much the same team they were in 2006. In 2006, the NYG ranked #14 in offensive yardage, and in 2007, they ranked #16. Most impressive, however, was the Giants’ improvement rushing the ball – they ranked #4 in the NFL in rushing yardage this season, up from #7 last season. No one could have predicted that Tiki Barber’s departure would actually improve the Giants as a running team overall.

So now, after easily dispensing with the pathetic NFC South-leading Buccaneers, the Giants head to Dallas this Sunday for a 2^nd round playoff matchup against the rival Cowboys.  The Giants are hot, having won 8 straight road games and challenging the New England Patriots machine in a 38-35 thriller in week 17.  The Cowboys, on the other hand, are slumping.  Dallas limped into the post-season, losing 2 of their final 3 games with abysmal offensive showings. 

This will be the third time the Giants and Cowboys play each other this season, and conventional wisdom says that it is extremely difficult and also rare to beat an opponent three times in one season.  The Cowboys are clearly the more talented team, but TO's ankle and Romo's Mexican vacation could make for an upset this Sunday in Dallas.  Go NYG!

Romo's Girl

She couldn't have been too happy about Romo's three-interception performance in a 10-6 loss to the Eagles in Dallas this past Sunday.

The Mitchell Report

The report was just released.  I skipped to the section on former and current players who have been named as steroid/HGH users at some point in their career.  Here's some of the big names:

Roger Clemens
Andy Pettite
Miguel Tejada
Eric Gagne
Mo Vaughn
David Justice
Kevin Brown
Mike Stanton
Brian Roberts
Lenny Dykstra
Rondell White

More on this to come...

Update: Davidson in the top 25

Davidson did end up losing a heartbreaker to UNC, but the team still found its way into the top 25 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll this week for the first time in 37 years.  I have to admit, I am truly surprised that we made it into the top 25, especially after a loss (Davidson is the only current team in the top 25 with a loss).  We are for real, and I can barely believe it.  Davidson gets its next shot at a major contender when we face UCLA, Duke, and NC State in the coming weeks.  I think we can knock at least one of these teams off, and maybe two.

Davidson Basketball 2007

After trampling Emory in its season opener, Davidson's men's basketball team faces a much tougher test tonight against #1 ranked UNC.  Davidson's unlikely 29-5 season last year has propelled the team into the national spotlight, and tonight's game should bring even more attention to Davidson, this year's mid-major favorite. 

It's always unwise to get too ahead of yourself when it comes to sports, but the expectations for this year's Davidson team probably are higher than they have been for any Davidson squad in thirty or more years.  Stephen Curry, now a sophomore, has a lot to do with the newfound respect that Davidson has garnered from a host of NCAA basketball "experts" this past pre-season.  Curry is a superstar, and he is only at Davidson because a host of ACC schools deemed him too small to compete for a starting spot on their teams.  Ironically, Davidson's schedule includes 3 marquee ACC matchups this season (UNC, Duke, NC State).  With a non-conference game against UCLA also on Davidson's schedule, this team has multiple opportunities to prove its mettle on the big stage.

I'll be at Union Pub cheering Davidson on tonight.  Obviously, a win would be historic and would require immediate consumption of hard alcohol, but I do expect Davidson to be competitive for most of the game.

Shock and Awe

Much has been made of the New England Patriots' ridiculous 8-0 start to the 2007 NFL season.  The Patriots aren't just winning easy, they're pounding teams into brutal submission (41.4pts scored/game and only 16pts allowed/game).  Unfortunately, the Patriots, like any hegemon, have begun to incite a significant amount of resentment among players and fans of the NFL.  This week's 52-7 demolishing of the Redskins only added fuel to the fire.

The most controversial play involved the Patriots opting to "go for it" on 4th an 1 in the 4th quarter when the score was already 38-0.  Tom Brady converted the 4th down on a QB keeper, and the Pats went on to score twice more, driving the score up to an absurd 52-0.

Joe Gibbs, the Redskins Coach, decided to take the high ground and refused to openly complain about the apparent disrespect that many saw in the Patriots' late-game tactics.   In a league where injuries and freak turnovers can change a team's fortunes on a weekly basis, most coaches know not to push their luck when things are going well. 

More directly, though, what sense does it make to have Tom Brady and the rest of the starting lineup out on the field with your team up 38-0 in the 4th quarter?  What good can come of such a decision?  Last week, Brady's backup came in late in the game and promptly threw an interception for a TD -- bluntly indicating the difference a good QB makes, even for the mighty Patriots.  Does anyone doubt that this team would become everyone's favorite punching bag were an angry and resentful lineman to "accidentally" fall on Brady's knee in the 4th quarter of an upcoming (and inevitable) rout? 

Apparently, Bill Belichik is willing to take such a risk in order to inflict a pointless embarrassment on his opponents.  If I were a fan of the Patriots, I'd be a little bit concerned that my coach was less interested in the future of the team than in another obligatory touchdown in a week 8 blowout.

Teixeira Update

Enough said. 

Baseball Post #2: Mark Teixeira to the Braves??

All season long, there has been speculation that Mark Teixeira, the all-world slugging first baseman for the Texas Rangers, could be traded before the 2007 trade deadline.  Teixeira's contract expires after the 2008 season, and because he is represented by GM nemesis Scott Boras, it is known that "Tex" will demand big money in his next contract. 

Just recently, a rumor started swirling that the Atlanta Braves could make a move for Teixeira before the trade deadline.  As a Braves fan, I was immediately psyched to hear this unexpected development.  Teixeira, a 27 year-old first baseman who has already hit 30 or more homers 3 times in his career while also showing the ability to hit with a .300 batting average,  is a foundational player who could support a franchise like the Braves for a decade. 

Factors suggesting that the trade could be a possibility:

-The Braves lack any consistent player at first base
-Andruw Jones (a free agent at the end of 2007) is likely off to another team --thereby clearing out a huge chunk of payroll to sign someone like Teixeira
-The Braves have multiple prospects to trade, including rookie catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
-Teixeira went to Georgia Tech -- (Atlanta homecoming?)

Factors suggesting the trade is an unrealistic rumor:

-The Braves seem to be stubbornly refusing to trade Jarrod Saltalamacchia
-Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras, will make it hard on the Braves to lock up Tex long-term without drastically draining payroll reserves
-The Braves are usually apt to rely on their minor league teams for a steady stream of good young hitters, and in the past few years have made trades only for pitching
-Teixeira is a Baltimore native and has expressed interest in playing for the Orioles

My recommendation?   Make the deal for Teixeira!  The Braves should take advantage of the overhyped value of Saltalamacchia (sure I think he's good but...Mark Teixeira good? Probably not).  Also, "Salty's" natural position is catcher, and the Braves already have an all-star catcher in Brian McCann.  With Andruw likely gone after this year, and Chipper Jones showing obvious signs of aging, the Braves could really use a steady big bat who could remain an anchor for the franchise for years.