Doesn’t it seem like every New York team is collapsing?
Well, that might be a tad, bottom-line harsh. After all, we still have several competitive, exciting teams who either made the playoffs or are heading in that direction. But every major sport (by the way, in my book, hockey no longer counts) is now home to a dysfunctional New York team or two, a fact made all the more harsh by the manner in which Boston sports are thriving. Here is a look at some of the struggling local franchises and what they can do to improve their fortunes in the near future.
Baseball
New York is a baseball town and our two franchises are struggling in very different ways. The Yankees survived a tumultuous regular season and bounced back to make the playoffs. But as everyone knows, in Steinbrenner-land (now Hank, not George), resiliency over 162 games is far less important than a mediocre week in October. So Joe Torre was let go – a scapegoat if there ever was one – and the organization has taken a “get tough” stance on its soon-to-be two-time MVP, Alex Rodriguez, claiming it will not pursue Pay-Rod now that he has opted out of his Yankees contract. Add to all of this the free agency of stalwarts Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte and the Yankees look like a team in transition.
But this is New York and these are the Yankees and there is still plenty of talent, a brand of talent that is – perhaps – geared for a period of sustained excellence. The Yankees’ rejection of A-Rod signals a philosophy change. Brian Cashman now believes he has four superb young arms – Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Chien-Ming Wang – that will lead the Yankees to The Promised Land for years to come. Young pitching and just enough offense: hasn’t this been the blueprint for so many previous champions, including this year’s Red Sox, who had those two boppers in the middle of the order and a gaggle of great role players (Mike Lowell had an unexpectedly good season.)? So if it’s not an A-Rod-led squad, that’s fine. Just stick with these young pitchers unless a can’t-miss deal comes along (are you listening Johan?) and hope there are enough veterans around to help with the inevitable growing pains. Joe Girardi will be a good manager. The Yankees aren’t as bad off as this chaotic offseason has made it look.
As for the Mets, they are coming off the worst regular season collapse in Major League history, giving New York the dubious distinction of host city for the worst regular season and postseason collapses ever. The Mets are worse off than the Yankees, though. Their pitching is so old, most of them can expect their AARP cards in the mail any day now. So they should let Tom Glavine go, not count on too much from El Duque, hope Pedro has one more good year left in him and concentrate on acquiring young pitching. How? Well, they should do whatever it takes to get Johan Santana up-to-and-including trading the underachieving Jose Reyes.
The Mets have enough bats to win in the National League. They simply have to get younger in the pitching department. Let’s see what Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber have got over a full season. You think the collapse was a coincidence? Old guys can’t take the rigors of 162 games anymore. Glavine was terrible down the stretch, El Duque wasn’t around at the end and though Pedro was good in September, he missed most of the year. You think Pedro for a full season might have helped the Mets avoid such a monumental catastrophe? Get to work, Omar.
Football
I don’t think the Jets’ situation is as bad as it looks at 1-8. They are simply having the season in 2007 everybody thought they’d have in 2006. True, it’d be better – in retrospect – if the seasons were reversed, because this year looks like a giant step backward. But everyone knows the Jets don’t have any big-play guys and were simply able to take advantage of a weak schedule and the surprise factor last year. Eric Mangini didn’t become an idiot in the offseason. He still gets his team to play hard and will bounce back from this debacle. It’s hard to make trades in the NFL, but the Jets need to start getting guys on offense or defense who scare you; their draft pick will be very high, obviously, so that could be a start. And the bad record might be a blessing in disguise because it allows the team to play Kellen Clemens now that it doesn’t have to hide behind the “Chad Pennington just wins” excuse.
The Giants might be worse off. Yes, they are 6-3 and just came off a six-game winning streak. But their shoddy play against top-flight opponents speaks volumes about Eli Manning, who has received somewhat of a pass in New York because of his nice-guy demeanor. Eli simply never raises his play in a big spot and they are wedded to this guy for the long haul. The defense is similarly weak in the clutch, despite the presence of studs like Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka and the aging Michael Strahan. It seems like the Giants are stuck in a bit of a rut: they make the playoffs or come close but never seem like genuine contenders. It’s too early to pull the plug on Eli, but perhaps it is time for head coach Tom Coughlin to go just to inject a new energy into this group. Hey, the Yankees are trying it
Basketball
Oh, my poor Knicks. After a rousing victory in the season’s third game against the potent Denver Nuggets, the Knicks reverted to form with demoralizing losses against Orlando and a previously winless Miami squad. Now comes a report that Isiah Thomas is considering cutting Stephon Marbury’s playing time or buying him out, causing Marbury to go A.W.O.L. before Tuesday’s game against Phoenix. Those who ignored the Knicks last season conveniently forget that Marbury’s play was much improved last year, particularly on defense. But despite decent offensive numbers this year, it appears Starbury is back to his lackadaisical defensive ways, causing the higher-ups to consider other point guard alternatives. Yes, getting rid of Steph might be the first step into making the Knicks more about winning than drama, but perhaps the guy making that decision should also be on the wagon out of here. After all, his offseason behavior wasn’t exactly exemplary and the on-court product is nothing to brag about. Until Isiah is gone (and James Dolan too, really, but there’s not much to be done about that), the Knicks will always be about everything besides basketball. So while the talent is decent, the environment at Madison Square Garden is simply not set up for consistent winning.
And so New York, take heart. There are ways to get back to our rightful place at the top of the sports world. Now it’s up to the men in charge to take the necessary steps. I wonder if any of them read The Dutchess Beat?