Like Clockwork: 602

There are very few players who have clearly distinguished themselves as the greatest of all time at his or her respective position. The level of both regular and post-season greatness needed to achieve such an elite title is almost unheard of. Mariano Rivera took over the Yankees closer position with big shoes to fill. His illustrious career from that point on made John Wetteland’s 50 saves in 1996 (7 of which were in their championship playoff run) one of the greatest personal seasons to be quickly forgotten. The numbers don’t lie with Mo; his 2.22 ERA through over 1200 innings has left hitters in a state of complete and utter confusion for fifteen strong seasons. Putting Rivera’s career into perspective is no easy feat, but no one has to. In this case, in depth appreciation will do.

Mariano’s weapon of choice has been a product of his machine-like delivery and production. His cutter has the ability to saw an opposing bat in half, and moves in on left handed batters so violently that many switch hitters have opted to bat right handed against him. Right handers don’t have much luck either as the cutter runs away from them. The consistent success and effectiveness of using just one pitch doesn’t make much sense; a batter who knows what’s coming should have the advantage. But Mo suspends logic by finding the loop hole in an MLB swing. While his velocity has taken a slight hit in his later years, his delivery and precision are unlike anyone else in baseball. Consistency is the one word to describe Rivera and how he has been unaffected by the wear and tear of a long pitching career. As a result of this gift, Yankee fans are exceptionally spoiled when it comes to their team’s 9^th innings. I am as good an example as any, it never occurred to me that 9^th inning leads aren’t safe at all. The few saves that Rivera blows every year are devastating because the game is assumed to be over. For many, Metallica is the opener to the post game show. As Mo’s career inches closer and closer to its final trick, I have become more and more awestruck by what he brings to our team. Even more importantly, I no longer take it for granted because it has become clear that what he has done is not normal or routine; it is extraordinary.

Mariano embodies what it means to be a New York Yankee. From his performance to his overall demeanor, he is a true professional. The image of Jorge Posada literally pushing Mo back into the center of the diamond symbolizes the mystery behind how one can remain so humble despite such consistent dominance. I would note that his unassuming and gracious personality is unlike the majority of five time champions who carry a sub-1 ERA in the post-season, but I’m in no mood to search for another guy who possesses those numbers. No man has ever slammed so many doors shut, all while holding one open to keep his team’s championship hopes alive for years. When he finally does retire he will be as missed as any to have played the game of baseball. While they will breathe a much needed sigh of relief, even fans of other teams will miss Rivera. It is not every day that a fan of any given sport can watch the greatest of all time take the field and do what he does best. Mo will be missed one day, but not yet. After all, who knows the age at which that cutter becomes ineffective? Either way, I am happy the last man to ever sport a 42 jersey every day in baseball has done the honor such justice.

But let me clear up one misunderstanding. Mo did not just become the greatest closer of all time. Truthfully, the greatest closer of all time now has the most saves. To sum it all up, Mariano is the closer of all closers. He is the exclamation point on the thrilling sentence that is a Yankee game. After watching a star studded and powerful lineup battle through eight innings, the crowd’s excitement begins to grow as they anticipate the most predictable yet still awesome ending in sports. The call to the bullpen. The crowd stands up. And then…enter sandman. That goofy rocker guy with the long hair in the crowd goes up on the big screen. A roar of applause greets the man himself. Then comes business as usual. Cutters painting corners; the ump basically uses them to check how his strike zone was throughout the game. A broken bat or two later, the crowd stands again for the final strike. Whether by swing or just window shopping, the final batter takes a seat. Cue music as Frank Sinatra fills the stands and the fans make their way home. And just like that, like clockwork, the sandman strikes again. 

A Tale of One City

The pre-season game between New York’s two prominent NFL teams (sorry Bills…) previewed their actual showdown in week sixteen of the regular season as the Jets and Giants look to overtake their respective divisions’ favored rivals. The Patriots have consistently been atop the pre-season odds to win the AFC through much of the past decade. Despite their incredible victory in last year’s playoffs, the Jets have yet to officially overtake New England as the AFC East’s powerhouse. Their goal will be the divisional title and, eventually, a playoff run that doesn’t fall short. On the other hand, the Eagles made this off-season’s biggest splash and look to take their faux-dream team to their franchise’s first championship. They edged out the Giants last season by a few minutes in one fatal game, but this season they are expected to beat out the G-Men by the margin of a few games. The Giants are the only recent champion in that division, but one more mediocre season would remove them from contention for NFC East supremacy. Now that the stage is set for their own divisional battles, who is in better shape for this upcoming season? While the rivalry itself is irrelevant in the grand scheme of the NFL, the Giants-Jets debate is fun to have between devoted fans. While both have considerable potential, there are gaping holes in both teams that could be a collective detriment to their success.

Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan, in their only two years as Jets, have taken their team to consecutive AFC championship games, losing to the Colts and Steelers. These additions have clearly launched this franchise among the league’s best. Despite this, I have ironically found that these two may have been the biggest obstacles in the way of the Jets’ ultimate goal. Overall, the talent amassed by GM Mike Tannenbaum is impressive, but they have taken a few steps in the wrong direction this off-season. Defensively, losing Shaun Ellis and James Ihedigbo to the Patriots will be costly on multiple fronts; both were valuable role players on the Jets defense and will also be able to provide some valuable information and experience for the Patriots defense. New England has proved in the past that they can win with a little extra help, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do it again. The Jets’ defensive weakness has been their pass rush, which puts extra pressure on Revis and company to cover opposing receivers. Losing their best defensive lineman and pass rusher to a divisional rival simply cannot be a good idea. They will still have an elite defense, but will not be a complete one. Offensively, they replaced most of their receiving core. Plaxico Buress will be the new Braylon Edwards, and Derrick Mason will fill the void left by the combined efforts of Jerricho Cotchery and Brad Smith. I actually believe these are slight downgrades, but the difference is marginal enough to not cost the team in the long run. In terms of the running game, each back is a question mark. Shonn Greene has failed to emerge as a top tier runner, and one cannot expect a repeat performance from LT, who was a saving grace for the Jets last year. Despite these many concerns on offense, Mark Sanchez has the power to overcome any difficulties if he has a true breakout year. While he has had success, he has largely been carried by a ship that he has simply managed not to sink. The Jets baby him and ask that he avoids losing games instead of winning them. While this can earn a degree of success, no team aside from the unnatural Ravens team of 2000 has managed to reach the promised land with a similar strategy. I am harder on Sanchez than most, but even I will acknowledge that he has significantly improved when it comes to limiting turnovers, managing the game, and even delivering a clutch performance here and there. With all that said, he still lacks the ability to carry a team, which he will have to for the first time this year. Rex Ryan is another issue, and not because of his press conference antics. From a football standpoint, he simply has not yet become a well-rounded coach (pun intended, seeing as he is most likely the roundest coach in the NFL). He is well liked and respected by his players, but he still cannot draw up an offensive system to even come close to his defensive productivity. He is a defensive genius, but his simple approach on offense does not make the job any easier for an already struggling Mark Sanchez. To me, he is a glorified version of Wade Phillips, who brought a similar persona to Dallas and has since been fired. The reason I have such high hopes for Dallas is while they still have a defensive stud in Rob Ryan, they are also led by an offensive coordinator with head coach Jason Garrett. In order to go any farther than they have in recent years, Mark Sanchez will have to develop into a quarterback worthy of his roster, and Rex Ryan will have to raise his level of thinking to his level of talking. If those two pieces can fall into place, the remaining pieces will be there waiting for them. The Jets have made it to consecutive AFC Championship games with, arguably, sub-par performances from the two most important positions on the team: quarterback and head coach. The brains of the entire operation haven’t even been fully tapped into. If Sanchez and Rex can meet their potential, the Jets may be unstoppable this year.

The Giants are faced with very different problems that are equally troubling and, in many ways, are the polar opposite of their AFC counterpart. Unlike the Jets, they have a dynamic offense and a proven head coach who has a championship ring to his name. However, while their offense can move up and down the field, they are the most turnover prone team in the NFL. Between a pair of running backs that carry the ball like a loaf of bread while fighting for extra yards and a quarterback whose decision making skills couldn’t outsmart Madden on rookie, the G-Men frequently shoot themselves in the foot despite their productivity. The offensive line has gotten progressively worse since their incredible victory over the Patriots, which won’t help matters at all in terms of stabilizing the offense. It would take quite the anchor at head coach to piece this team back together after the many hits they have recently taken. While Tom Coughlin’s credibility surpasses that of Rex Ryan, he is largely disliked among his current and former players. Osi Umenyiora has been a quality example of how excited players are to work for him. The Giants can ill afford disputes with their defensive stars considering the many injuries they have already suffered throughout the pre-season. Their decimated secondary and linebacker core will have to be carried by their defensive line, which has been among best throughout the past decade or so. With Justin Tuck and a strongly emerging Jason Pierre-Paul, and even minimal contributions from Osi, this is actually possible. Things are messy on the Giants’ half of New York, but it is no stretch to predict a strong season. After all, they are coming off of a 10-6 season that was one game away from a division title and a first round bye week in the playoffs. While the roster has gotten slightly worse, the players can be exponentially better. I believe that if Eli could manage to keep his interception total around fifteen, which isn’t exactly MVP material, his yardage and touchdowns would be more than enough to overwhelm NFL defenses. He will likely have a bounce-back season because of targets like Hakeem Nicks, who has potential to propel himself into the top ten receivers this season. Since Plaxico and Steve Smith, or even Amani Toomer, the lesser Manning has always needed a security blanket receiver to succeed. This either comes from a jump ball receiver to hit when no one is open or a reliable slot receiver who can provide yards after a short gain through the air. Nicks can provide both if his play reflects his talent. If Jacobs and Bradshaw can stay on their game and last for sixteen games, the Giants can run behind a ground and pound approach en route to a playoff appearance. The NFC East has briefly lost its exclusive title as the best division in football, but has the potential to claim it once again. With the miraculously assembled Eagles, the Cowboys preparing a season of redemption, and the Redskins possibly not being terrible, the Giants have the chance to complete that higher level of competition that would prepare them well for the playoffs. All the Giants need to do is tighten up the screws and stay as healthy as they can from this point on. While they may not have everything, the Giants have the running game and defensive line necessary to dominate both lines of scrimmage.

Both New York teams have uphill battles to fight in order to even be as good as they were last year; to surpass their last performances would be very impressive. If I had to pick which team was in better shape, I would lean towards the Jets because of team stability, a weaker division, and the fact that their quarterback is still undergoing the improvements and overall development that could significantly help his team. With that said, the Giants aren’t far behind if at all, and could easily be an explosive team if they only limit their mistakes. With the Patriots and Eagles, New York teams are in an unfamiliar position as they lie (relatively) under the radar. When discussing teams that are usually suffocated by hype and scrutiny, sometimes playing the role of an underdog can be a blessing in disguise.