Mile High Manning??

Peyton Manning could be going to Denver for his final NFL years.  The thought excites me and at the same time makes me uncertain if thats such a good idea.  The big question here is what the Broncos will do with Tebow if Manning decided to sign with them.  On one hand I see the Broncos as a playoff team lock if Manning takes the helm.  They have a defense that will improve in the offseason, and lots of cap room to go out and get some weapons for Manning.  Bad news for Tebow im afraid, unless he can step up his passing skill set significantly.  If Peyton was in Denver though, I'm sure that Tebow would be absorbing as much from the future hall of famer as he could.  There is plenty of things that Tebow could learn from him, and Peyton being the classy guy he is, I'm sure wouldn't have a problem being a mentor.  That part is idealistic however, Peyton's priority will be to win a superbowl.  If the Broncos choose to trade Tebow, whichever team gets him will also get the shares and expectations of Tebowmania.  Even when he's bad, he still brings in money for the organization like no other player out there.  We will have to keep watching to see what Peyton decides, but I wouldn't be suprised if he's wearing a Broncos uniform next season.  Arizona and Miami are the only other places where I can see he'll end up, Arizona beating Miami for dome and division purposes.

In case anyone was wondering, the Rangers are in first place

This is a bit of a sensitive topic to write about.  I grew up a New York sports fan; I rooted for the Yankees, Giants and Knicks mostly because of the influence of my dad (my dad is actually a met fan but the first World Series I remember was in 1996 when the Yankees beat the Braves).  I remain a fan of all three today.  Every morning I wake up and read about each of them.  I tune into WFAN in listen to what they have to say and I watch television to see what all of their input is on the recent developments.  I would consider myself to be a pretty avid and loyal fan not just of the New York teams but of each sport.  I do have a pet peeve though.

Where is all the love for the Rangers?

There was one team I left off of the aforementioned list and that was the Broadway Blue Shirts.  I have always been a big Rangers fan.  The team that won the cup in '94 is nothing but a scrapbook memory for me.  I was a little too young to appreciate how special it was.  I vaguely remember the Gretzky years when they battled the Flyers in the Conference Finals with Messier, Graves, Richter Leetch.  So for pretty much my entire life has been filled with the signings of over the hill, over priced superstar signings and bad teams.  They've made some post season appearances but have never really been a true competitor.  Basically hockey's answer to the Mets.

The past few years though, the Rangers and infused their roster with young, home grown talent like Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi.  They've also added key veterans like Marion Gaborik, and Brad Richards to help bolster the squad.  GM Glen Sather has worked hard to put together a contender that as of Tuesday afternoon leads the Eastern Conference with 93 points and for the first time in years is a touted Stanley Cup favorite.

A lot of the credit for the recent success should be given to head coach John Tortorella who has come in changed the culture of the franchise.  They are scrappy, they play hard and they don't quit.  The Garden is 'rockin every night as sell out crowds cram the arena to cheer on the home team.

So with so much excitement surrounding this storied franchise, why do they still have to fight for back page headlines?

We as a city and a society give so much attention to baseball, football and basketball so why not hockey?  I understand the appeal of the Knicks with Linsanity and Melo and Amare and all of that.  I am guilty of it for sure.  I am fan through and through, win or lose so I get caught up in all of the hype.

But why not the Rangers too?

It isn't like there aren't fans out there who want to talk and read about it.  Hockey is one of the most exciting sports in the world.  Sure that's subject for debate but it's fast paced, hard hitting and keeps you at the edge of your seat, especially when your team is winning which the Rangers are doing.  I think New York media has to open up its eyes and see that.  The Rangers don't have to be the focal point of the city but a little love wouldn't hurt.

Ode to Peyton

Appreciation is what he deserves, but will he get it?

Many people are now looking at Peyton as the inferior brother, who seemingly can’t keep up with his younger brother. Many people nowadays have short term memory, especially when it comes to a athletes astonishing accomplishments. Peyton, though only winning one superbowl, will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, and rightfully so. People forgot just how great Peyton was, Two Super Bowls, four NFL MVPs, 11 Pro Bowls, and 11 playoff appearances is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

            I think Peyton should quit while he is ahead, and not risk another life threatening neck injury. Although doctors and surgeons are saying he’s been given the stamp of approval, they are paid to do so. He’s got two young kids at home, why not just spend more time with them?But I digress; I just don’t want him to go out like Brett Favre, frankly old and cranky. Peyton should retire now, he’s got nothing to prove, as I will always see him as the superior Manning brother, even though he’s got one less ring than his brother .In true Peyton fashion, you won a superbowl while it rained Miami. Why? Because you’d practiced throwing wet footballs for weeks because it “might” rain. You put a team on your back and eventually you put them on the map. And for that, you will be missed.

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Peeling the Orange

With the NCAA tournament a few days away and everyone in America filling out their brackets, people are scrambling all over the place doing their best to research the match ups and figure out which team has the best shot of winning it all this year.

The number one seeds always look great to win it all on paper, but for some reason it doesn't always translate onto the court. Recent news struck today that could affect millions of brackets around the nation. The Syracuse Orange, who are the number one seeded team in the Eastern Region, will not have their 7 foot center Fab Melo throughout the tournament due to academic violations.

Syracuse every year seems to have a scandal hit them and it never makes the papers too much. Earlier this season Melo was forced to miss three games because of another academic incident. However, this time, with Melo out for the tournament the Orange should start to worry.

Priding themselves on their 2-3 zone defensively, Melo is the rock in the middle that controls the paint. Without Melo, teams are likely to attack the paint repeatedly on the Orange hoping to pick up a lot of points in the paint.

This is a huge loss for the Orange who went 31-2 in the season only losing to Notre Dame and Cincinnati. Melo was averaging around 8 points and six rebounds a game, but his presence on the court is what affected most opponents. Players are forced to alter their shots and put the ball up quicker than normal because of the long armed 7 footer in the paint.

Syracuse is in one of the harder regions in the bracket this year with Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, and a few others.

Brackets are going to be a mess for most people and Syracuse may not be the favorite to win the eastern region anymore. The Orange have a lot to overcome this year without their big man and they will have to ultimately prepare for the vigorous competition they are going to see in the tournament.

Source: http://espn.go.com/new-york/story/_/id/7681715/2012-ncaa-tournament-syracuse-orange-announce-fab-melo-ineligible-tourney

Tef-Lin...Really?

Just a few weeks ago everyone and their mother was a Jermey Lin fan but now that he and the Knicks have been going through a rough patch its back to the dirt the Knicks go. Recently the Knicks lost to the Sixers and while a lot of "fans" gave up hope and went searching for a new team to follow, Jeremy Lin has at least one main supporter, his coach. Saying Lin plays a certain way and is still learning- coach Mike D'Antoni defends Lin saying he still has time to grow while fans blame it on Carmelo. Granted, the fans may have a point considering the Knicks have lost the majority of their games since he came back.

I hope all clears up soon because there is a world of Lin pun's to explore.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/antoni_lets_jeremy_off_hook_for_qYTYASwjLi9xA53WsYVX7J

With the NCAA tournament now in progress,  it seems that your either a huge fan of college sports or you really dont care. Recently an article was written about St. Bonaventure grasping a birth in the NCAA tournament and its a fair question, to ask, does any one care? If your a fan of the school then you obviously care, but what if you attend Duke, are you really so afraid of St. Bonaventure getting a birth in a tournament that you probably are going to win. Lets say you've never heard of the school before, will them making the torunament all of a sudden make you like the tournament that much more? That question can be answered because the answers will vary, but the consensus is: if your a team who barely makes it into the tournament, if you dont advance deep into the tournament, then you are nothing but an after thought.

The Jets are stil Sanchized

When news got out that Peyton Manning was going to be a free agent, lets just say the NFL went into a frenzy. Possible teams were getting thrown out left and right as places he might end up. One of those possible teams was the New York Jets. There has been a lot of quarter back controversy within the Jets organization. Many are wondering whether Mark Sanchez, the highly sought out quarterback, can hold up the team and win them a Superbowl. Well all the speculation is over in New York for any hoping for a sibling rivalry because the Jets just announced that they are signing Sanchez to an extension of three years worth about $40 million. Sanchez who is 31-22 as a starter has been given a lot of criticism because of a lack of team leadership and some poor game performances. Now there will be something new to focus on in New York and something else to put criticism on, and that is the decision to not pursue Manning. The Jets organization should prepare and brace for the heavy load of criticism coming their way from fans, especially if their woes continue.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ArowMwjwgyDwk45jfmGJtOQ5nYcB?slug=ap-jets-sanchezscontract