The Mariano pomp and circumstance before the game, during the game, after the game....while the game itself was an elimination game. The Yankees lost and they're treating it as if its a party. He pitched the 8th inning. Why? Metallica, patches on the hats- a typical money grab from the Yanks. You do these types of things on Opening Day- not during a pennant race. What happened to the non scripted Paul O'Neill sendoffs? Would be funny if they canned Girardi and they miss the playoffs by a game.
For the Rivera celebrations? I thought that sounded kinda cool. I hate the Yankees but have always held Mariano in very high regard. I'm glad he is being treated to a fond farewell. I could do without all the memoribila crap though. Too many people trying to make a buck off of his retirement.
I hold Mariano in a high regard to. I love the guy, but wait till next year to do the party. Not during an elimination game.
When a team that goes 9-7, barely winning half their games during the season, reels off 4 straight wins against good teams it is fluky. Not to mention some of the teams beaten had better rosters/QBs/coaches, etc. Anything can happen in ONE game, but four straight is fluky
Then all of these playoff runs are fluky. Rarely do you see the team with a bye and home throughout win anymore.
The last two were. Giants and Ravens both needed extremely improbable plays and turns of events in games to advance. Neither was considered even close to the best team during the season. Before that, the Packers I would say no even though they were a wildcard. They had arguably the best player at the most important position (Rodgers) and a top 3 D. Injuries during the season relegated them to wildcard, but many had them as the SB winner prior to the playoffs starting. Nobody was predicting the Giants or Ravens to go anywhere because there was no evidence to suggest they would, from their rosters to the seasons they just had.
They honored the greatest Yankee since Mickey mantle, players like this don't come along that often. That ceremony was well earned and the Yanks did an outstanding job w/ it. Paul O'Neill was not Mariano Rivera, the team wasn't likely to make the playoffs anyway and I'll bet the Yanks thought it would make them "win for Mo" when they decided to do it.
It was an obvious money grab by a team desperate to stay relevant. There was no reason that couldn't have been done on opening day next year. I don't doubt they'll have another MO day next year. Patches on the hats? Metallica? Why? The game didn't start to close to 2pm yesterday.
or if the Giants didn't get thrashed at GB the next week they would have made it. The Philly game didn't cost them, the GB game did. This is 2013, it's always about money. This shouldn't offend anyone. The ceremony was great and well earned by a great player. The Yanks were going to make money of memorabilia either way, they sold Mariano patch jerseys and caps long before the game. They should have started the ceremony at noon though- actually they should have done it Saturday so it didn't go head to head w/ the NFL and get a little lost.
Mike Boy Francesa was depressed today. The Jets won and the Giants got blown up. The Jets in spite of penalties and other nonsense got a win and Eli got a loss. I really think that all the NFL prognosticators should quit because they let the uniforms not the players dictate their picks. You will with players. The Jets have some really good players in important positions.
I was talking about the Packers not the Giants. If Jackson doesnt return that punt the Packers miss the playoffs.
You could tell Francessa is concerned he is going to look REALLY bad if he is wrong about the Jets. He praised the D Line, said the offense looked good but continued to say that for the Jets sake, if they can go 2-4 over the next 6 games, then they can have a season. He said if they can get to 4-5 they can have a 6 or 7 win season and "have a season". You could tell he sees some building blocks, especially on D, but continues to stand by his guns that the Jets wont make .500
Man oh man is he a Giant homer. He kept going out of his way to mention 2007 & the like. It was pretty pathetic. I was too young to remember what he was like during the Dave brown/Jessie Armstead era..that couldn't have been pretty.
Thanks to the salary cap, teams in the NFL are closer than ever. So close that a lucky bounce here or there or a bad call can change the outcome of a game or even a season, as we see happen every year. edit: which also got me thinking because teams are so close, the NFL is probably the easiest sport to rig on the planet.
I still think hoops is the easiest sport to rig. But yeah, I agree with you on some games being rigable.
I think the injury factor makes the NFL hard to rig. It's too easy for a star player to go out in a game of for a season and his team is in deep trouble all of a sudden. I also think the scrutiny both by the league and by the media makes shenanigans a hard proposition. All of that said, things like the Brady Tuck do happen in the home stadium all the time. I think the NFL has a big bias towards the popular teams in their home parks.
Doing business I don't think about the honesty of NFL games often. But if I were a bettor it would occur to me every week. Buying an official would be so easy. The calls are crazy and the downfield holding and interference are so easy to manipulate.
He acknowledged how horrible the Giants were but pointed out that they can rebound from it and turn it around. Imagine what he would've said had we lost a game 38-0? Francesa, as well as most NFL guys this year always spin the Jets the wrong way. Always.
