Well….maybe that’s what the Yankees were told.  Regardless, they’ve gotten off to the usual rocky start in April and May.  Their 20-24 start is good enough for the cellar in the AL East, six games back of the Boston Red Sox.  And I know folks will say, “It’s still early.”  I don’t buy this whole a game in September means a significant amount more than an April game.  It’s garbage - they all count.  It is vital the New York Yankees get back to .500 baseball by the end of May.

We’ve seen it just about every year now.  This time last year they were off to a dismal 18-23.  We all recall the 11-19 start of 2005.  You can’t rely on the bats to come around every July and August, make these huge runs, and then run out of steam come ALDS time.  And this may be performance wise the worst of any New York start in the past few years.  The hitting, well, it appears as if they are swinging toothpicks up there.  You can guaran-dam-tee when Alex Rodriguez makes his return to the Yankee lineup, he will be cheered louder than ever.  With the ups and downs of his Yankee career, his production is the reason the Yankees have a formidable lineup. 

Melky Cabrera - .255

Johnny Damon - .240

Robinson Cano - .204

Jason Giambi - .191

The only ones who have hit over .300 are the obvious culprits in Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui.  Those two truly are, in my mind at least, Yankees.  I think Johnny Damon is as washed up as they come.  In every post game interview - dry, dry, dry as the Sahara Desert.  He says the same thing after every game - “we played hard, we’re trying to come out of this, we just need some breaks.”  He’s lost his drive to play the game.  He wasn’t the same player when he jumped ship from Boston in 2006.  Not the same guy.  Jason Giambi?  Forget about it (no pun intended New Yorkers).  He had one good year and that was it.  Throw in the steroid fiasco and injuries - he’s been as worthless as they come. 

Robinson Cano has been living off the rookie season since 2005.  God, if I hear he’s “going to win a batting title one of these days” discussions again, I will dig Ty Cobb out of his grave and have them beat all these talking heads into a pulp with his golden bat.  He’s an average to above average player.  You would think he’d learn some plate discipline in his years with the club.  Nope.  Same story - chasing pitches like it’s going out of style.  In his career he has struck out 224 times and has only walked 82 times.  So for every three strikeouts, he’ll only walk once ?  GOOD RIDDANCE !!  That’s all i got for those chuckleheads in the order, now to the pitching.

Ian Kennedy continues to get rocked yet believes he should stay up with the club because he is getting better.  Clearly, allowing one walk an inning is ok in his mind.  He’s got a nice Olympic score for an ERA at 8.38.  I think we now know that Ian Kennedy is really not special at all.  He doesn’t have a great fastball and he’s breaking stuff is OK at best.  I still hold out hopes for Phil Hughes though.  As I do for Ohlendorf.  Kyle Farnsworth is pure garbage.  And folks, Joba Chamberlain has to stay in the bullpen, otherwise every Yankee starter has to pitch 8 innings to get to Mariano Rivera.  Granted, Mussina and Wang have been awesome, Pettitte has been mediocre and the afforementioned kids haven’t impressed.

This team should be fine if the hitting EVER gets going.  But how late is too late?  We’ve seen this team make comebacks to get into the playoffs but after they do, they don’t have much left.  They have to salvage May and it starts right now.

Rant over.

Well folks, it’s not only NHL Playoff time … but it’s the Devils vs. the Rangers.  A rematch of two years ago.  In that matchup, the Devils got the best of the Rags, sweeping them right out of Madison Square Garden.  This time around, things are just a tad different.  Let’s recap.

Well, of course Scott Gomez crossed the river from New Jersey to the Big Apple this past offseason to get his big payday.  The Rags also went out and got stud centerman Chris Drury.  Early on, neither move was seeming to pan out as the Rangers were struggling to make the playoffs.  But a switch went on halfway through the year and those two guys really started producing again.  Sean Avery is still a pest, Jaromir Jagr is not the player he once was, but is still a pest to score goals.  Henrik Lundquist is having another stellar year entering the playoffs.  The Rangers also found young keepers in contributors like Brandon Dubinsky and Nigel Dawes.  Rangers have been peaking for a while now and enter the playoffs strong.

The Devils had a tough time getting situated.  Starting the season off on the road for the first 9 games didn’t help.  Losing Gomez and Brian Rafalski on the backline also hurt as Martin Brodeur tried to get situation with his new defensemen’s tendencies.  But once that happened, the Devils hit their normal groove.  Zach Parise is continuing to grow as a star, Patrik Elias has been heating up lately, and Jamie Langenbrunner was named captain midway through the season after his return from a groin injury.  David Clarkson has made himself a mainstay in the lineup and new acquisition Dainius Zubrus has shown flashes of brilliance down the stretch.  Martin Brodeur, per usual, has been splendid.  However, after leading the Eastern Conference for most of the year - the Devils hit a block in the road.  In the last month and a half, the Devils have struggled to produce goals, losing many close games.  They fell out of the conference and the division lead, falling into the 4 spot.

Now between these two teams, it was pretty much a one sided afair.  The Rangers went 7-0-1 against the Devils this year.  Although, three of those wins were in the shootout, which of course, does not happen in the playoffs.  And none of these games were blowouts by any means.  The Devils finally beat the Rangers in the season finale last Sunday, defeating New York in the shootout to seize home ice advantage for this first round matchup.  Well, here I am to break down the matchup between these two rivals.

Rangers offense vs. Devils defense - Obviously, should be a good matchup.  The likes of Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and Brendan Shanahan vs. Martin Brodeur and the gang.  The Rangers boast four pretty solid lines that balance very well.  They can score in a moments notice.  We know Marty is going to be good - it’s whether or not they can get quality minutes out of their defensemen.  Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya have been pretty reliable all year.  Colin White has been a big defensive presence in his return.  Bryce Salvador has looked great in red and black since coming over from St. Louis at the trade deadline.  He’s a big guy with some good skating ability and a great hockey mind.  After that it’s question marks galore, starting with Mike Mottau.  In late 2007, Mottau looked like the Hobey Baker award winner he was back in his college years.  Lately, he’s been a bit more spotty.  He needs to steady his play.  Another guy who looked promising early on - Andy Greene.  In his work towards the end of last year, he was a near candidate for Rookie of the Year.  And he looked like he was on his way to becoming a solid defenseman for New Jersey.  However, he has regressed considerably since late 2007 and has become a big liability.  His skating ability and poise seems to have rescinded and his lack of size seems to have caught up with him.  Vitaly Vishnevski and Sheldon Brookbank at times have played very well but have been caught at times missing defensive assignments.  Those two will not start the series.  And of course the oft-injured Karel Rachunek - he’s been great when in the lineup but injuries hit him hard this year.  We’ll see if he can make a return in this series.  That being said, if Mottau, Greene, and the whoever else makes their way into the lineup can give quality icetime with no mental mistakes, this may take a big burden off of Martin Brodeur, who has played incredible despite the sometimes shoddy play in front of him.  If the Devils can get their defenseman to play well, they can really help themselves to limit the Rangers scoring chances.

Devils offense vs. Rangers defense - This comes down to one thing - can the Devils score goals against Henrik Lundquist.  At times they’ve been ok, but more often than not, Henrik has really shut down New Jersey.  They constantly struggled to score goals against the Rangers this year and get that one big goal that can put you over the top in a game.  At times down the stretch, Devils forwards have been nowhere to be found.  Zach Parise disappeared for a long time.  Travis Zajac had a very difficult sophomore campaign.  Brian Gionta is clearly not the same guy he was during his 48 goal year 05-06 season.  The Rangers D has stepped up considerably under head coach Tom Renney.  With parts like Marek Malik, Dan Girardi, Fedor Tyutin, and rookie Marc Staal, they’ve overachieved, but did so for the whole year, making a case as being possibly the best defense in the NHL.  Henrik Lundquist has been phenomenal again this year and is the most important matchup in this intense series.

Coaching - Tom Renney is in his third year as head coach of the Rangers and has led them to three straight playoff appearances after 9 years of missing out on the postseason.  They were swept by New Jersey in 05-06. swept Atlanta the year after, and took Buffalo to six games before bowing out.  This is Brent Sutter’s first year behind the bench and did a pretty good job considering the sole fact that he wasn’t fired right before the season ended.  Sutter has brought a defensive system with a quick counter-attack to New Jersey that has worked pretty well for the majority of the season.

X-Factor - The Zubrus/Rupp/Clarkson line.  We know the Parise/Elias/Langenbrunner line is the most talented and should get its fair share of points.  But the Rupp line has really come along down the stretch and they’ve been a nice surprise.  These guys have used their size well to not only create for themselves but to crash the net and wreak havoc there.  If these can continue to get scoring chances and also finish them, they could definitely give the Devils better chances of taking the series.

Prediction - Ok, we’ve dissected, broken down, and discussed this opening series and now I have to make a pick.  The Devils finally pick up their play just in time for the playoffs, and are able to steal a win or two at MSG.  This series may come down to which goalie blinks first.  And in that case, it’s tough to bet against the Hall of Fame goaltender in Martin Brodeur - Devils in 7.

Well, that’s it for now folks.  I’ll have more soon.

Sorry to my faithful readers out there.  It’s been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long since we last spoke.  As you can see NFL free agency has died down, March Madness has come and gone, the NHL playoffs begin shortly, and Major League Baseball has finally returned.  Folks, I promise to have some stuff up in the next few days.  We’ll catch up and move forward.  I guarantee it!

Oh, by the way - MY KANSAS JAYHAWKS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS !!!!

O man, we’ll chat soon.

UPDATED 10:09 PM - Detroit Lions release CB Fernando Bryant

-  Dallas Cowboys are trying to work a deal for Denver Broncos WR Javon Walker

-  Denver Broncos are trying to work out a trade for Lions DT Shaun Rogers

-  Chicago Bears extend the contract of QB Kyle Orton

-  Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly have traded a second day draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for WR Troy Williamson

UPDATED 10:03 PM - Chicago Bears extend contract of TE Desmond Clark

-  Carolina Panthers are close to a deal with WR Muhsin Muhammad

-  Oakland Raiders S Michael Huff is reportedly on the trade block

-  New England Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi may retire

-  LB Derek Smith signs a one year deal with the San Diego Chargers

-  Tampa Bay Buccaneers buy out CB Brian Kelly

Sorry folks.  Been doing some work at my college radio station.  Here’s the update:

UPDATED 7:15 PM - Eagles DE Jevon Kearse apparently on his way out of Philly

-  LB Zach Thomas signs with the Dallas Cowboys

-  QB Rex Grossman re-signs with Chicago Bears for one more year

-  New York Giants TE Jeremy Shockey cleared for offseason workouts

UPDATED 9:00 PM - Detroit Lions DT Shaun Rogers to be traded within the week

-  Cleveland Browns and QB Derek Anderson are still hammering out the details of his new contract, most notably, the amount of years.

-  Tennessee Titans have met with TE Alge Crumpler

-  LB Dan Morgan has visited with the New Orleans Saints

-  New York Giants appear to be one of a few teams interested in CB DeAngelo Hall, whom the Atlanta Falcons have put on the trade block

-  New York Jets LB Jonathan Vilma is seeking a trade

UPDATED 11:19 PM - New Orleans Saints make offer to LB Zach Thomas

-  New England Patriots hire Dom Capers to their coaching staff

-  Seattle Seahawks re-sign RT Sean Locklear to a 5 year deal

-  Tampa Buccaneers consider trading for Denver Broncos WR Javon Walker

5:29 PM - New York Giants sign offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride to a two year extension

New York Giants release S Craig Dahl, C Todd Londot, and DT Dek Bake

-  Carolina Panthers release RB DeShaun Foster

-  Seattle Seahawks may release RB Shaun Alexander

4:37 PM - New England Patriots will not place the franchise tag on WR Randy Moss

- Dallas Cowboys franchise S Ken Hamlin

-  Cleveland Browns agree to deal with RB Jamal Lewis 

1:29 PM - Giants GM Jerry Reese said this morning that the Giants have a good shot at signing both FS Gibril Wilson and LB Kawika Mitchell before free agency begins 

1:12 PM - Denver Broncos restructure contract of RB Travis Henry

-  Cleveland Browns and RB Jamal Lewis are close to reaching a new deal

UPDATED 9:45 PM - Oakland Raiders apply franchise tag to CB Nnamdi Asomugha

-  Minnesota Vikings release S Dwight Smith

-  Seattle Seahawks franchise CB Marcus Trufant

-  Green Bay Packers place franchise tag on DT Corey Williams

-  Indianapolis Colts re-sign TE Dallas Clark to 6 year deal

-  Tennessee Titans franchise DT Albert Haynesworth

-  Green Bay Packers release TE Bubba Franks

11:22 AM - Indianapolis Colts re-signed G Ryan Lilja to a 5 year contract

Sorry folks, WordPress was down this morning and I couldn’t update.  Here we go… 

UPDATE 9:16 PM -  Cleveland Browns close to signing a three year deal with RFA QB Derek Anderson

8:56 PM - Carolina Panthers officially place the franchise tag on T Jordan Gross

-  Tennessee Titans interested in TE Alge Crumpler

-  Houston Texans release TE Jeb Putzier

-  Washington Redskins re-sign LS Ethan Albright 

-  New York Jets sign S Artrell Hawkins

7:20 PM - Atlanta Falcons have put CB DeAngelo Hall on the trade block

7:18 PM - Indianapolis Colts franchise TE Dallas Clark

7:01 PM - Detroit Lions not expected to re-sign RB T.J. Duckett, CBs Kevin Smith and Travis Fisher, and OL Damien Woody

6:01 PM -  San Francisco 49ers release LB Derek Smith

3:38 PM - New England Patriots to bring in WR Marty Booker for a visit

-  Chicago Bears make offers to WR Bernard Berrian, DT Tommie Harris, and LB Lance Briggs

-  Baltimore Ravens franchise LB Terrell Suggs

-  Dallas Cowboys will reportedly let T Flozell Adams walk

-  Keyshawn Johnson will soon decide if he will return to the NFL