Mark Sanchez

Assessing Mark Sanchez

As an impartial Giant fan, I am torn on Mark Sanchez.

 One part of me says this:

The guy has no quality receivers, a below-average offensive line, and no running backs that inject any fear whatsoever into opposing defenses. So why don’t we give the guy a break.

Another part of me says this:

Whenever you evaluate a young quarterback and his progression over his first few seasons, besides analyzing his statistics and how he has improved the team, you look for a certain attribute in which he particularly excels. If he has one exceptional attribute, you say, “Alright, there’s something there, if he can develop some other facets of his game…he can be a good quarterback in this league.”

For example, let’s take Matthew Stafford—the first overall pick in the same 2009 draft as Sanchez. Through his first four years Stafford has displayed some palpable flaws. He only played 13 games through his first two seasons which hinted physical fragility—and when he did play, he could be wildly inconsistent and inaccurate (13 td’s and 20 int’s in his rookie season). He has since avoided injuries, but actually still displays moments of wildly inconsistency and inaccuracy. However, Stafford is also blessed with one of the strongest arms in the NFL and can throw the deep ball better than almost anyone. Although he has seemingly regressed from his breakout season last year, those two attributes ultimately keep you from dismissing his overall ability. Those are two things that he does at an elite level.

Now, back to Sanchez. Let’s ask ourselves this: What does Mark Sanchez do exceptionally well? What trait does he possess that makes you excited?

(crickets)

(more crickets)

Is he especially accurate? No. Does he have a big arm? No. Does he read defenses and put his offense in a better position to make plays? No. Does he have above-average mobility? (Infer the correct answer).

When the Jets reached back-to-back AFC Championship games, Sanchez’s above-average attribute was considered to be a knack as a “winner”. But now that the Jets are losing, and when makes throws like this with his team’s playoff hopes on the line, and this, and this, the whole “this guys is a winner” notion has disappeared. Not only has Sanchez exhibited an alarming lack of progress in four seasons as an NFL quarterback, but his body language suggests that the National Football League has defeated him, that Tim Tebow’s media circus has defeated him, that the barrage of MetLife Stadium boos has defeated him—and as of today, we have found out that Greg McElroy has defeated him for the starting quarterback job.

Maybe Mark Sanchez is David Carr. Maybe Sanchez is dealing with a team so egregious that we cannot fairly assess his ability.

More likely, I think Mark Sanchez is Alex Smith. A quarterback who is not a first round caliber talent, but was drafted there to satisfy a desperate need for a QB-starving team. In result, expectations are too high, and eventually (like Smith), we find out they are just not good enough to start in the National Football League.

Maybe some coach can get his hands on Sanchez and resurrect his career like Smith last year. Maybe the Jets fire Ryan, keep Sanchez, and a guy like Norv Turner can design a system in which Sanchez excel. Maybe in five years, when some of us had forgotten about Mark Sanchez’s existence, he will take over for a failed-Matt Barkley and will his team to one last playoff run.

The more likely scenario: Mark Sanchez’s career will ultimately be remembered for his role this upcoming Sunday…a backup quarterback.

-Chris Collins

Follow Chris @ChrisCollins127

Follow Chris and PJ @IceBathReport

Hurricane Sandy

A Summer After Sandy

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy’s unimaginable devastation along the Jersey coast, Jersey Shore teenagers will face an endemic question this summer: Where will they work?

Little Silver lies in Monmouth County New Jersey, just a few short minutes inland from the aesthetic Jersey beaches, and a place where roughly six thousand people call their home. But like many Jersey Shore towns, “home” is not restricted within each town’s respective borders. Home encompasses the surrounding towns, the entire strip of vibrant beaches and beach clubs, the restaurants, the hot dog stands, the ice cream shops and the many recreation options and boardwalk amusements so unique to this very special piece of Oceanside geography.  This is the place that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each summer to the benefit of most and somewhat bothersome to others.  For Little Silver residents, it’s all home.

Historically, the town’s teenagers and college students have found employment along the lucrative and vibrant Jersey Shore. Beach clubs need beach boys, lifeguards, and snack stand workers. Restaurants need busboys, waiters, waitresses, and bar-backs. Shops need cashiers and stockers. Most Little Silver kids can claim one of these titles as their job; for some, a job that they have held since they were 14 years old. For others, it’s a job that they keep much longer and in some ways shapes and influences the way the progress through their adult lives.

For many, these jobs have been passed down through family and entire generations. Michael Reardon, a sophomore at The University of The Holy Cross, has worked at Sands Beach Club for six years and planned to return for a seventh. His two younger sisters have followed in his footsteps and his 14 year old brother hoped to join this upcoming summer.

Sands, a long standing weekend retreat and social beach club sits at the foot of the iconic Rumson bridge leading into Sea Bright New Jersey, one of the towns that was hardest hit by “Super Storm Sandy”.  After two days of relentless battering, Sea Bright, its residents, and most of the businesses that defined the personality of the Jersey shore were obliterated.

With The Sands Beach Club reduced to rubble, all four Reardon’s will be looking for a new place to work this summer.

Like Michael and his siblings, an entire town of teenagers is faced with fear and uncertainty regarding work this summer. Like Sands, almost all beach clubs have been completely destroyed. These beach clubs not only provide work for Little Silver teens, but also ignite business in surrounding restaurants and entertainment establishments—which in turn offers more employment opportunities for local teens and returning college students. 

The complete destruction of the Sands and so many other beachfront attractions will also significantly affect the number of people who visit the Jersey Shore in 2013, and possibly many years to follow given the magnitude of the devastation.  Less people, less spending, fewer businesses, and fewer jobs all add up to a very unfamiliar challenge for a group of eager workers.

Michael himself hopes to find work in the rebuilding process, “I want to help out in any way shape or form. I’m trying to restore the shore, that’s my home that has made me who I am today.” 

This is the mindset of the many teens and returning college students as the rebuilding begins.  The workload is massive and help is needed, but such an undertaking and the demand level for unskilled construction labor will be a completely new animal for this group of young workers.

How do they find such work? Where do you start? Am I capable of a summer filled with carrying wood and pushing wheel barrels full of cement along the beachfront of eight to ten hours a day?  Will these jobs be available to me or will they go to others with experience or the thousands who are converging on New Jersey right now to grab these jobs before these kids have a chance?

These are all new questions and concerns racing through the heads of hopeful and anxious teens that are used to a far different employment landscape in New Jersey. Many available jobs can’t wait for school to recess or college kids to return. Things have to start happening right now. There is an urgency to get people back in their homes, return some level of normalcy and hope to have some resemblance of a summer attraction for potential tourists. 

What will all of this look like with the new reality of life after “Super Storm Sandy”?

This summer will be far different than any in this area could have ever imagined.   The signs of the devastation will still be clear.  There will be holes in the landscape that may never return.  Iconic amusements and vacation spots that accounted for so many childhood memories are in many cases wiped off the map and will never return. 

With that, the job opportunities in such places are also gone forever.  Although there is a strong urgency to rebuild, questions still remain on how it will be done and how long it will take. Beach clubs and oceanside businesses that want to start over need to tackle insurance costs and may face strict sanctions on the construction of their foundations.

One thing is certain: There is a lot of work to be done. Many of these employers worked so hard to hold onto their beachside businesses, in the process employing the local kids for a summer and continue what were generations of memories on the Jersey Shore.

The extraordinary circumstances will inevitably pose unique and daunting challenges for Little Silver teens, as well as the surrounding towns that rely on the same employment opportunities. The 14 and 15-year-old kids may have to wait longer for them to enter the workforce. The kids older than them may have to get creative in order to find work. Hurricane Sandy has presented a new reality for an entire generation.

Donovan’s Reef, a famous, renowned outdoor party scene with several bars, which attracts a full-scale dichotomy of age groups in Sea Bright, holds a simple but declarative sign outside its decimated structure that reads: “We will rebuild.”

For Little Silver residents, the summer after Sandy will be the hardest and in many cases, the most difficult of their lives. But one thing this is for sure: They will rebuild, they will recover, and they will revive the Jersey Shore.

-Chris Collins

Thanksgiving Blog

First off, Happy Thanksgiving everybody. As I watched four football games (including my high school's game) today, I had some thoughts racing through my head....

-I am 19 years-old, and I have watched pretty much every Thanksgiving football game in that timeframe. From what I can remember, I cannot recall a more entertaining game than today's Lions-Texans game. We also got to witness probably the two greatest/most talented wide receivers of this era on the same field (I'll include Larry Fitzgerald in that category as well). But man these two guys are just gifted. Big. Fast. Sticky Hands. Fast. Just physical freaks.

Andre Johnson: 9 receptions 188 yards
Calvin Johnson: 8 receptions 140 yards and a TD

I don't know about you, but it was a treat watching these men.

-Another thought, today we saw Matthew Stafford's "Sometimes I can look like the best QB in the league" side today. You would be hard-pressed to find a QB with a bigger arm than this guy and he had a few of those "wow" throws today. Unfortunately, his inconsistency has also produced a few of those "wow that was awful" throws this year. Hence, the Lions are now 4-7.

-Another reason the Lions are now 4-7: the (insert adjective here) rule in NFL history. We all saw. We stopped eating cheese and crackers just to digest the stupidity of the rule. Although EVERY scoring play is subject to review, after Jim Schwartz challenged the "Justin Forsett wasn't really down" call out of pure rage and disgust, the Lions were penalized and then the play was no longer able to be reviewed. If you don't understand it that's OK. What you need to know: this rule is why the Lions are now 4-7. And why the Texans are now 10-1.

-I guess you can say that Jason Hanson's 47 yard missed field is another reason why the Lions are 4-7. How many times have we seen Jason Hanson on Thanksgiving? The guy has been around forever. I wanted him to nail that game-winning field goal so badly. C'mon! These guys have lost every Thanksgiving game for 9 years...let them win! The Texans are already making the playoffs, give these guys some love! But somewhere out there, somebody just did not want the Lions to win this game. It was only fitting when that sucker clanked off the upright.

-O, and if you actually want an answer to that question, Jason Hanson has been on the Lions since 1994, so we have seen him on Thanksgiving 18 times. So I have seen Jason Hanson on Thanksgiving more times than 100% of my extended family.

- (Trying to analyze that statement)

-And this 4+ hour war of two quality teams was decided by a flawed rule and two kickers. That's football.

-Let's move on to the Washington-Dallas game. Giants fans came to some scary realizations today:

1. Robert Griffin has the talent and intangibles to become one of the greatest and most explosive football players this game has ever seen
2. He is a rookie
3. He is 22 years-old (had to add this because Brandon Weeden broke the 20-24 year-old rookie age standard)
4. He is in on the Redskins who in our division
5. Therefore, we will be playing/having to deal with him for the next two decades
6. Alfred Morris was 5th in the league in rushing before eclipsing 100 yards for the fourth time this year
7. He is a rookie
8. He is 23 years-old 
9. He is on the Redskins who are in our division
10. Therefore, we will be playing/having to deal with him for the next two decades
11. Not only will have to be dealing with them for the next two decades, but we have to deal with them right now
12. If we lose to the Packers who are crazy hot, both the Redskins and Cowboys will only be one game back
13. The Redskins look really good

-RG3 last two games: 34/43 511yards 8tds 1int -- 18 carries for 113 yards -- I rest my case

-Also a thought coming away from this game: Dez Bryant activated his "I can be one of if not the best receiver in the league when I want to" side of him today. Despite dropping a late touchdown after a hard hit and also fumbling (after an amazing catch), Bryant displayed the skills that warranted the Cowboys decision to trade up for him in the draft. If he can get rid of the antics and straighten out his head, this guy could be scary good. Unfortunately, I don't know if that is going to happen. Or I guess as a Giants fan, I should say: Fortunately, I don't know if that is going to happen.

-Jason Witten added his typical 9 catches for 74 yards, seeming to catch every 3rd-and-important ball thrown his way. He is one of the toughest guys in the NFL and is apparently a great all-around dude. Jason Witten would definitely be on "my team".

-Let's go to the Jets and Patriots game...

-Or should I not even bother?

-Alright I will. I said to my dad before the game that I thought the Jets would play one of those "F the world we are going to give the Patriots all they can handle" type of games. I even thought they could win. I don't know, I just had that weird feeling. For about 17 minutes, I was licking my chops. Then...how do you want me to describe the ensuing 43 minutes? Debacle of epic proportions? Complete display of football ineptitude? Total embarrassment on the national stage where people who don't even like/watch football are watching? "The night the Jets died"? "The night that Rex Ryan sealed his fate"? "The night that Mark Sanchez sealed his fate"? 

All of these would probably suffice. But on a serious note, how can the Jets go into next season with Mark Sanchez as their starting quarterback? Is this experiment over? How do they bring back Rex Ryan? My answers: They cant, Yes, and they can't. 

They need fresh faces and new energy. Ironically, much like what Rex Ryan brought to the organization in his first two years. But the act has just gotten old. The energy is gone. With Revis gone for the year, this team does not perform at an above-average level in any facet of the game. Look, I actually feel bad for Mark Sanchez. I'm not saying this guy is a pro-bowler. I'm not even saying I think he is an adequate starting quarterback in the National Football League. But his career has been ruined by having NOBODY to throw the ball to and the signing of Tim Tebow. I won't even go into the complexion and semantics of that horrendous decision. I'll leave the explanation to the chant of "Tebow" that broke out right smack in the middle of the debacle that took place this evening.

-But really, the Jets receivers are just next-level deplorable

-It's well after midnight and I am sitting comfortably in my bed as I write this, while thousands of people are out shopping on this disgusting phenomenon known as Black Friday. I totally understand shopping tomorrow (technically today) and taking advantage of sales, but camping out or waiting in line for hours? Are you kidding me? It's just pathetic. No sale could replace or make me leave the confines of my home while enjoying a Thanksgiving meal(s). 

On that note, I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving, and good night.

-Chris Collins

Follow Chris @ChrisCollins127

Follow Chris and PJ @IceBathReport

Return from the Dead

Contrary to popular belief, Pj and I are both still alive. We both apologize again for the lack of posts, we have had papers and exams kicking our ass lately and haven't had the spare time for columns or blogs. 

But as I sit here after my 8 o clock class with an unusual amount of energy, I am here to change that! Let's do some quick hits:

-First and foremost...JASON BAY IS GONE!!!! Met fans around the world can rejoice! Once I saw Jason Bay trending on Twitter, I didn't know what to think. "Wait, could the Mets have possibly given him an extension??!! Did he manage to somehow strikeout with the bases loaded in the offseason??!! Hold on...he probably grounded into a double play in the 9th with the tying run on base!!" Remarkably, none of these were true! The day Met fans have been waiting for came earlier than expected, with the Mets essentially paying this man to leave the premises as soon as possible. Good for Bay though honestly. He knows he can't help the team and is deeply disliked (tried to be nice) throughout the New York fan base, not necessarily because he is a bad guy (he always hustles), but because we paid him 60 million dollars and he did his best Rey Ordonez impression in the batter's box throughout his Mets tenure. He took his money and left, and now both parties can move on from one of the biggest debacles in Mets free agency history. And to make that list is truly an honor by the way...that list runs extremely deep and requires a "came to the Mets and ruined my chances at making the Hall-of Fame" aspect, or some sort of "I was a perennial All-Star until I came to the Mets" resemblance. Congrats Jason Bay, you definitely fulfill the latter. You can now join a "horrendous history of horrendous Mets free agency signings" club that includes George Foster, Bobby Bonilla, Roberto Alomar (still made the Hall of Fame), Mo Vaughn (are we still paying him??), Kaz Matsui (Remember that guy!!). And I can't forget the most recents: Luis "the guy who dropped a routine pop-up that let the Yankees win and single handily steered our season in the wrong direction" Castillo. Francisco Rodriguez and JJ Putz...and maybe most infamously...the great Oliver Perez. There's too many more to name. I fully expect the Mets to dish Albert Pujols a three-year contract worth $60 million when he is done in LA at the age of 42. Just brace for it Met fans.

-Let's stay right here and let's congratulate R.A. Dickey on winning the Cy Young, representing the only positive outcome of the 2012 season minus Jason Bay's departure, of course. Dickey's story is truly inspiring and he truly deserved the award for a magnificent season.

-Here's where I end the ecstasy of Dickey's season and share my strictly-business opinion. Look, I love the guy. He's really a great man. However, as a 38 year-old knuckleballer who just won a Cy Young, and for someone who is reportedly asking for a lot of money, the Mets NEED to take advantage of this opportunity. I'm not sure exactly what Dickey could bring in return, but the Mets are in desperate need of outfield help and I'm quite certain that Dickey could bring back a starting outfielder at the very least. I'm sorry, we can't afford to give this guy Cy Young money. Hell he probably deserves it, but this has too many "this guy starts to suck after he gets paid" warning flags for me. Met fans know this all too well. We aren't going to win this year, and I reiterate that he will be turning 39 during the season. Yes, I know knuckle-ballers last longer and Tim Wakefield pitched until he was 67; but if the Mets are going to win in the next five years, they need to pay a man named David Wright, not R.A. Dickey.

-Sorry R.A.

-Sticking with baseball, I must acknowledge the most widely debated MVP race in my lifetime. Both Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout deserved it and I can't complain either way, but as a fellow Jersey-ian I was rooting for Trout. This was such a cool debate because the two represented a clash of generations--old school who value the traditional Triple Crown statistics against the new school computer nerds who worship sabermetrics. The old school vowed for Cabrera while the new school marveled at Mike Trout's historical season. For any of my fellow horse racing fans out there, this was an Alydar-Affirmed type of battle. But 22 out of 28 1st place votes for Cabrera? C'mon. Should have been much closer than that. 

-Personally, I value Trout's overall numbers and production higher than Cabrera's Triple Crown feat. Trout hit 30 homeruns batting lead-off, knocked in 83 runs batting lead-off, scored 129 runs and stole 49 bases, leading the MLB despite being called up a month into the season. O, and he only got caught stealing 5 times. 49 of 54? Unbelievable. I  just think his season was more remarkable and improbable. Trout was the first player EVER to hit 30 homers, steal 45 bases, and score 125 runs. Not to mention, Cabrera is a defensive liability while Trout may already be the best center-fielder in baseball. If I can quote Jayson Stark from ESPN, "No player in the history of baseball has combined in so many areas of excellence into the same season." 

Wins Above Replacement Comparison (The favorite stat of new schoolers)

Trout's WAR: 10.7
Miggy's WAR: 6.9

Trout's WAR was the highest in nearly over twenty years for guys that aren't named Bonds. To also put that in perspective, his WAR was higher than Mantle's in 1961, Mays in 1954. Some names that surround Trout's war total: Ruth, Hornsby, Cobb, Gehrig, Williams...I think you get the point.

The bottom line I guess was that Cabrera's team made the playoffs and Trout's didn't. However, I would like to add that the Angels did win more games than the Tigers despite missing the playoffs, and their winning percentage with Trout in the lineup was greater than that of the Tigers with Cabrera.

I guess I am new school.

-Even though I strongly dislike the NBA (I promise I will eventually explain why in detail), I'll take this time to honor the Knicks current undefeated season. I don't watch them, but I am always on board with a local team contributing to the local sports buzz. Also consider me on board on anything that can possibly derail the Lebron James and Miami Heat train. Go Knicks! <<I've never said that before in my life.

-My sport of choice at this time of the year to compliment football still sadly remains in lockout. Truly a shame. Gary Bettman has all but clinched the "worst commissioner in sports" title. Three lockouts during his tenure, and this one coming just when the NHL started to gain a little bit of steam. Sigh.

-Speaking of football, thank god the Giants are on a bye. I couldn't stand another week. I guess I shouldn't be complaining considering I definitely have Jet-fan readers, but I cannot remember a worse three-game stretch of football exhibited by Eli Manning since his rookie year. Once again, I am complaining about a two-time Super Bowl champ/Super Bowl MVP, but he has truly been awful in the last three games. The bye is much needed.

-For my Jet-fan readers, I guess it's funny that I mention "worse three-game stretch of football." How many times can you have said that about Mark Sanchez? I would imagine multiple. Or several. If Sanchez is once again awful this week, how can you not at least give Tebow a chance? How can he be worse? The Jets offense carries 8-5 odds of a 3-and-out on any given possession. I don't know, if they once again are getting embarrassed come the 4th quarter...give the man a shot.

-Finally, can the NFL PLEASE get rid of Thursday Night Football. It is unbearable. Both teams are running on fumes, every matchup is comically unappealing, and the quality of football on three days rest is drastically reduced. And if the NFL is so concerned with the safety of players, how does playing two football games in a five-day span support their concern? What about all of those "mini-concussions" that players speak of? The concussions that go unreported. These are guys are playing three days earlier than usual and are putting themselves at a greater risk. It's just not worth it. Put an end to it Goodell.

That's all I got. Enjoy the weekend everybody and a Happy Thanksgiving.


-Chris Collins

Follow Chris @ChrisCollins127

Follow Chris and PJ @IceBathReport

Chris's Study Zone: Volume 4

Instead of doing a business paper on FDI in Bangladesh (I'm serious)...

-Not to kill the mood of this entire post, but I would first like to send my prayers to all of the people affected by Hurricane Sandy. As a Jersey Shore resident, this has obviously affected my family, my friends, my town, and a lifetime of memories. I wish everyone along the Shore the best of luck during these times, and thank everyone for their support. Special thanks to Govenor Christie for handling this unimaginable disaster with leadership and courage. The Jersey Shore may never be the same, but as he has said: make no mistake about it...we will rebuild.

Sorry if that killed the vibe.

-Trust me, I understand nobody likes to hear people bitch and moan about their fantasy football teams. Everybody loves to let the world know about their own personal struggles and misfortunes, but we all hate being the recipient of a fantasy owner's rant. "RANDALL COBB SCORED 21 POINTS ON MY BENCH!!" "CAN YOU BELIVE I PLAYED THE BEARS D AND THEY SCORED 3 TOUCHDOWNS??!!""

Despite my acknowledgement of this incredible annoyance in the fantasy community, I am going to inflict pain on all of my readers with my own personal account of my fantasy football Sunday.

So I go into the second wave of afternoon games thinking I have the fantasy football world as my oyster. I am tied with my opponent, and I have Darren McFadden, Hakeem Nicks, Antonio Brown, and Jimmy Graham still ready to roll. The guy I am playing only has Josh Freeman and Doug Martin.

(By the way, I am facing PJ)

-The rest is a nightmare. Two catches into his day, Brown sprains his ankle. Seven carries into his day, McFadden sprains his ankle. Hakeem Nicks and the rest of the Giants offense decided to take the day off. Meanwhile, Doug Martin turned into Barry Sanders for the day. 51 POINTS?!?!!? ARE YOU KIDDING??!! Unbelievable. The progression of frustration from a fantasy owner that played Doug Martin this week can be roughly mapped like this:

11 points: "Damn."
21 points: "SHIT!"
31 points: "SHITTTTTTTTTTT!"
41 points: "IS THIS A SICK JOKE??!!!" (with several expletives mixed in)
51 points: (Silence)

That was my fantasy day along with probably many others. I went from thinking I was sitting pretty to losing by 60 points. Gotta love fantasy football.

-O, and Mikel Leshoure scored 3td's on my bench.

-Seriously though, the Giants offense has looked miserable for the last two weeks. I love Eli Manning, absolutely love him, but he has done a decent Matt Cassel impersonation lately. And let's not even get into Isaac Redman doing his best Jerome Bettis impersonation today. Or was it that his O-Line provided holes that could fit a Boeing 747? I may be going with the latter.

What Giants fans can take away from today is this:

• Our offense played awful and we still almost beat a good team
• The Cowboys lost so we still have a nice hold on the division
• Let's work out the kinks now before we enter the most brutal six game stretch in football scheduling history
• Maybe Eli Manning has used all of his "Random Bad Eli Games" for the year

-The Bears Defense/Special Teams unit continues to dominate. Urlacher pick six'ed Matt Hasselback and they also blocked a punt for a TD to give the unit 8 TD's on the year.  To put that in perspective, Detroit led the league with 5 last year. Unreal. 

-Running out of adjectives to describe Adrian Peterson. He shredded a very stout Seattle defense for 187 yards and added two scores. Sorry Marshawn, this guy is the real beast.

-Amidst RG3 mania, Andrew Luck continues to compile maybe the best rookie season in the history of the NFL. He threw for over 400 yards today, setting a rookie record for quarterbacks in the process. He has guided a very OK Colts team to a 5-3 record, and defeated a Super Bowl champ and reigning MVP. He may be a top 10 QB right now. 

-I was not a big Ryan Tannehill guy during the draft, but the kid has played pretty well. He leads the league in downfield throws at 30+ yards has the Dolphins at 4-4, or "5-3 minus Dan Carpenter's horrendous performance that handed the Jets a win."

-His wife isn't bad either.

-I am dying without hockey. Baseball is over, I can't watch the NBA (I'll explain why later), and NFL Sunday is only one day a week. Now that the Breeders Cup is over (Yes, I love horse racing), my sports action meter dips to like a 3 out of 10. I am only comfortable when that number is a 5 or higher, otherwise my whole life is jammed up.

-In result, I don't have as much to talk about tonight. I have a tough week with exams and papers coming up, but I'll try to get something out to you. To everyone along the Shore, I hope you guys get power soon and some resemblance of normalcy can be restored--even though I understand our post-Sandy version of normalcy may never be the same. 

Good night everybody.

-Chris Collins

Follow Chris @ChrisCollins127

Follow Chris and PJ @IceBathReport

A Foregone Conclusion

The San Francisco Giants will be World Series champions

Easy to say now isn't it? 

The Detroit Tigers entered this World Series as the favorite to win in six games. I cringed at that line at first glance. Really? The Giants are riding an unmatched emotional tidal wave right now, and you can't just stop tidal waves.

But then I thought: Maybe Vegas is right. The Tigers have the best pitcher in the world, the best hitter in the world, and they just embarrassed the most prestigious franchise in the world. If Verlander pitches three times in a series, nobody can beat them right?

But then my baseball senses kicked back in. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I was an all-state caliber baseball player or even all-conference. Hell, I didn't even make all-division (still lose a little sleep over that). But up until college I had played the game all of my life and my baseball senses far outweigh my talent. Let me explain.

As I mentioned the other night, baseball is just a funny game. Is Barry Zito a better pitcher a better pitcher than Justin Verlander? Absolutely not. But on October 24th, 2012, Game 1 of the World Series, he was. That's what great about baseball. 

Baseball, more than any other sport, on any given night, talent can be completely excluded from any form of analysis or prediction. One team can play a game or even a group of games that drastically exceeds their ability. A player who has never hit over .300 in his life can suddenly hit .500 in the postseason. You rarely say, "Man, Blaine Gabbert really outplayed Tom Brady tonight." Or, "Wow, JJ Reddick just made Kobe Bryant look silly tonight." Yet that happens all the time in baseball. Pablo Sandoval is hitting better than Miguel Cabrera right now. Marco Scutaro (Marco Scutaro!) is the best hitter on the planet right now.

The more I think about, the more the Detroit Tigers were doomed at the start of the series. Sweeping the Yankees...great. That's awesome. But that was probably the worst possible result for them.

The Giants postseason run? Best possible result.

After going down 0-2 to the Reds in the NLDS, the Giants did the unthinkable--winning the next three on the road, reserving a series with St. Louis where they would have home-field advantage. 

Down three games to one, they did it again.

They won two in a row to force a Game 7, where a towel-waving, energy-infusing, max capacity crowd lifted their team to levels of baseball acumen that the players didn't know they possessed. 

The same Kyle Lohse who has gone five and two-thirds of one run ball just four days earlier, got bounced out of the game after two innings of a Giants hit barrage. 

With a 9-0 Giants lead going into the 9th, a relentless bombardment of rain seemed to hover around AT&T Park and meticulously avoid every other region in the San Francisco area. Somewhere, someone out there wanted to suspend this game. Puddles accumulated on the infield in an instant. You didn't even have enough time to process that instant before the field turned into diamond shaped reservoir in the next instant. But nothing was stopping this tidal wave.

Skip Schumaker grounded into a fielder's choice for the first out, and then after a John Jay strikeout for out number two, Fox focused their super slow-mo camera on Marco Scutaro--looking up to the sky and raising his arms in triumph, soaking in the rain as if it was the last drops of water left on Earth. 

Fittingly, Scutaro camped under a Matt Holliday pop-up to send the Giants to the World Series.

All the meanwhile, the Tigers sat 2,400 miles away awaiting their destination, soaking in the honorable feat of sweeping the New York Yankees. 

Imagine watching that though. You haven't played a baseball game in four days, and you are watching team riding an emotional ecstasy and performing at an inconceivably elite collective level. A level that drastically exceeded their talent. And now you have to travel to their place and try and beat them?

Doomed.

The Tigers didn't have any emotion in their series because they didn't need it. The Yankees were never in it. Once Jeter went down, the Yankees signed off. It was easy. They didn't have any momentum, their hitters weren't in a groove, and their pitchers weren't loose. 

Ask any baseball player--baseball is all about rhythm, about getting in a zone. A zone like Marco Scutaro's, where every pitch seems hittable and the ball just seems bigger. When there is a break in games like the Tigers, everything gets thrown off. The ball seems smaller and the plate seems wider.

For the Giants nothing was easy. They had to win three games in a row twice to even clinch a birth in the World Series. 

And now they are going to win it.

The Tigers are psyched out. They are probably thinking: "This team is out of their minds right now. They are possessed."  That's because the Giants are. 

It's the baseball zone. You start doing things that you can't even explain.  You square up a fastball that would wind up one-hopping the wall for a double on any other day--but on this day or this series, it clears the fence by twenty feet. You start throwing 95 instead of 90. You react to everything without even thinking about it. Something just takes over.

For the Giants, that something has taken over. That something is more powerful than a triple crown winner or pitcher that throws 100 mile per hour in the 9th inning.

Madison Bumgarner came into tonight's game losing both of his previous two postseason starts, allowing 10 runs in 8 innings. Tonight, he shut down the Tigers for seven. 

That's baseball.


-Chris Collins

Follow Chris @ChrisCollins127

Follow Chris and Pj @IceBathReport

Chris's Study Zone: Volume 3

Instead of doing accounting homework and starting one my 4 research papers due in the next 5 weeks....

-This may be a day late and a dollar short, but I am going to start this on a football note. We learned two things Sunday during the Giants-Redskins game:

1. Robert Griffin III is the real deal
2. Eli Manning isn't just an elite quarterback, he may be the best in the NFL

Seriously though, RG3 is unbelievable. I'll be honest, I was very "all of the people who think he's better than Luck need to shut up" at first, but that notion may actually be a reality. Obviously, we can't decide who is better off 6 games, keeping in mind that RG3 has a much better supporting cast. But there is not a more electrifying player in the National Football League than Robert Griffin III. Play zone, and he picks you apart. Play man, and he takes off for 30 yards. He has world-class speed and a world-class arm. How about his 4th and 10 scramble and chuck conversion with the game on the line? Or he absolute dime to Santana Moss for the go-ahead TD? As a Giant fan, I am scared to face this man for the next 10+ years. 

O, and his fellow rookie, runningback Alfred Morris is the league's second leading rusher. Yikes.

-Back to Eli though, I think every Giant fan (besides the idiots that curse him out Manning after every interception) had a shit-eating grin on their face when Eli got the ball with a minute and thirty seconds on the clock. I guess I've gotten greedy, but I just had that "Eli feeling" like we were winning that sucker. And we did. Yes, I said "we" because I consider myself a part of the Giants community.

There will always be those "Eli Moments" where he throws an interception where you say to yourself "wait, did that just happen?" But with the game on the line, two minute drill, I'm taking Eli Manning every time. Twenty-two times he has won a game facing a 4th quarter tie or deficit. He has beaten one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play football twice in the Super Bowl as a massive underdog. He made the greatest throw in Super Bowl history to propel the game winning drive, facing a 4th quater deficit. The guy is as clutch as it gets. 

Staying on football...

-Man, the Ravens got their ass beat. That was the greatest "don't writes us off after one loss" performance ever by the Texans. Joe Flacco was comically horrendous, and with Ray Lewis done for the year and pretty much the entire defense hurt, the AFC just got a lot worse than it already is.

-(Cue Bengals and Steelers to try and steal the AFC North)

Moving on...

-It's easy to say this now, but didn't you just get that feeling that with all of the Verlander hype going into tonight's game that something wasn't going to go as planned? I don't know maybe that was just me, but he got absolutely shellacked. Barry Zito somehow shutdown a vicious lineup with a fastball that topped out at 85mph. 85...most high schools have a pitcher that can hit 85. Pitching is such an interesting phenomenon. Verlander has a fastball that sits at 95, a slider that looks like this, and a changeup that isn't even fair. Yet...he gets hammered. That's why I love baseball. 

-KUUUNGGG FUUUU PANNNDAAAAA!!!!

-O, and add Marco Scutaro to the "former Met that becomes relevant when they leave" list. The only longer list pertaining to the Mets is the "All-Stars that come to the Mets and and become outrageously awful baseball players" list. Scutaro is silly hot right now. He hit .500 in the NLCS and added another two hits tonight. Why does this have to happen to us (Met fans).

-Lost in all of the Panda-Monium (that was good!! Can I patent that??!) and the shock of Justin Verlander getting shelled was Barry Zito's "F you all" performance. I truly admired it. I said before the game that they would need a heroic effort from Zito and boy did he deliver. After being awarded a monster seven year deal and pitching terribly for six years of it, after getting left off all three postseason rosters in the Giants 2010 World Series run, Zito pitches a gem in a game that completely changed the whole complexion of this series. Good for him.

-So excited for the NBA to start!!!!

-Not...

-I'll explain why I hate the NBA in a future column.

-For the love of God (I'm not even that religious) can we please have an NHL season. Hockey was just starting to gain some steam, starting to attract new fans, and now this son-of-a-bitch Gary Bettman and even-bigger-pricks owners have locked the players out. Show some respect. The players deserve it. 

That's all I got for tonight people. Pj and I are looking for new writers and contributors to take our blog to the next level. You can Facebook message me, tweet me @ChrisCollins127 or tweet at us (even though I handle the twitter) @IceBathReport, if you are interested. 

-Chris Collins

What Money Can't Buy

As a Yankees fan, I have been told my entire life that the main reason behind the Yankees’ recent dominance is their league-leading payroll. If you are one of these people still making this argument, I’m going to be rather blunt and tell you that you are a dumbass. The four World Series rings that the Yankees won from 1996-2001 had very little to do with the team’s salary. The unity of those teams was unbelievable, and they were built on a core of homegrown players like Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Bernie Williams. But after they lost to the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series, the front office panicked and started giving out monster deals to big-name free agents and trading away our young players for washed-up All Stars. Sure, some of these deals have panned out for the Yankees. I don’t regret the money that was given to guys like Hideki Matsui or CC Sabathia. But so many of these stars, like Gary Sheffield, Randy Johnson, and AJ Burnett, just didn’t fit in in New York. Yes, the Yankees won the World Series in 2009. But for the amount of money that they spent in the past decade, one ring is not a success by any means. And now as the Yankees are down 3-0 in the ALCS, it appears as if our spending has once again bitten us in the ass.

Today’s game is much different than it was a few years ago. There is a greater emphasis on defense, base running, and small-ball hitting. Home run hitters don’t have nearly as much value as they used to. There is a lot more strategy involved, and I think it’s good for baseball. Small-market teams with low salaries are winning at a higher rate. Team chemistry and smart management are more important than ever. The culture of professional baseball is changing before our eyes, but the Yankees don’t seem to notice. They continue to value the name of the player over the player’s performance. The roster is full of guys who swing for the fences in an attempt to be the hero but just end up striking out. The defense is average at best. It’s really just painful to watch.

Clearly the guy who has been taking the most heat recently is Alex Rodriguez, and it couldn’t be more deserved. A-Rod is the Adam Sandler of the MLB. Back in the day he was the best there was, and it wasn’t even very close. In the middle of his career he might not have shown the same speed or range but he was still pretty damn good. Now, he literally does nothing right and he still manages to always find a way to look worse than he did before. A-Rod does not have one hit against a right-handed pitcher this postseason. NOT ONE HIT. It’s hit the point where I’m surprised if he doesn’t strike out. And when he comes up in a clutch situation? They might as well end the game at 26 outs. Other guys on the team should be thanking A-Rod for overshadowing how badly they’ve been playing as well. Nick Swisher has been a flaming piece of crap. I love Swish as a person, but I have no faith in him as a baseball player and can’t wait until he leaves New York. Eric Chavez has looked nothing like he did in the regular season. Curtis Granderson has been awful, striking out even more than he usually does. Robinson Cano looks like he just doesn’t want to be on the field anymore. Mark Teixiera continues to look like a .250 hitter. Add this all up, and you aren’t going to win many games. The Yankees have been shut out 29 of the 31 innings in this series. I know their pitching has been good, but come on. Doug Fister isn’t Nolan Ryan. Anibal Sanchez isn’t Pedro Martinez. The hitting just sucks.

I know the Yankees’ season isn’t over quite yet, and I haven’t completely lost faith. Obviously I hope they pull it together. I’m just saying that they don’t deserve to advance any further. Us Yankee fans have high expectations year in and year out, but if you look up and down this year’s roster you’ll realize that this team just isn’t that great. The Orioles probably outplayed us in the Divisional Series. The Oakland A’s probably would have beaten us. The Yankees have better players, but they are better teams. I’m actually very proud of the Yankees this season. I think they completely overachieved and some guys deserve a ton of kudos. Joe Girardi did an unbelievable managerial job. Cano probably would have won the MVP in a normal season. Derek Jeter led the league in hits at age 38 and came up big in the playoffs before his injury. Ichiro played his ass off ever since he got to New York. Raul Ibanez was more than clutch for us. And the pitching as a unit was phenomenal all year. Whether or not the Yankees win or lose this series, I’m glad with the results. I don’t think expecting a World Series out of this team would be reasonable. Sure, we’ve got some of the pieces in place, but we aren’t nearly as complete as some other teams. Those teams have adapted to the change in the air of the MLB, and it’s time that the Yankees do too.