My thoughts on the last week of April

Jeff Ireland to Dez Bryant: "Was your Mom a prostitute?"

The news broke this week that the GM of the Miami Dolphins, Jeff Ireland, asked WR Dez Bryant, in a pre-draft interview, if Bryant's mom was a prostitute. We will probably never know what context this question was asked in, but there is no doubt that this question was completely out of line.

Dez Bryant did have a difficult childhood and when he was born his mom was 12 and his dad was 40. Those ages jump out at you and it's only natural to want to know more, but the way Ireland phrased his question to Bryant was horribly wrong. If you're about to pay a guy millions of dollars to catch a football, you have the right to know about that person and if he will cause problems down the line, but still Ireland should not have brought Bryant's mother into the equation. I applaud Bryant for not straight up punching Ireland in the face, I probably would have.

Even if Bryant's mom was, or still is a prostitute, it has no bearing on how Bryant will play football. If Ireland wanted to find out if Bryant was going to be a troublemaker down the line, there are many other questions he could have asked. Imagine if the Dolphins ended up drafting Bryant, instead of the Dallas Cowboys (that woulda been fun to see).

You can't spell Ovechkin without a C-H-O-K-E.

Coming back from a 3 games to 1 deficit, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Washington Capitals in game 7 to complete one of the biggest upsets in first round NHL playoff history. It looked

like it was going to be an easy series for Alex Ovechkin and his Washington teammates after taking a resounding 3 games to 1 series lead, but thanks to the unbelievable goaltending by Montreal's Jaroslav Halak the Canadiens were able to win.

The gap between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby is as large as it has ever been now. In the past 12 months, Crosby has a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal (with the game winning OT goal in the gold medal game), and beat Ovechkin's Capitals in a playoff series last year. Crosby has proven he knows how to win and perform in the clutch while Ovechkin hasn't won anything. Ovechkin may have more talent than Crosby but in the playoffs Ovie seems to shrink, and the playoffs is when it matters most.

Jaroslave Halak proved how any team can win any series with a hot goaltender and Washington's collection of all-stars were not able to gel together as a team quickly enough to beat Montreal. Ovechkin is gonna have another really long summer, as he seems to be turning into the pre-2009 Alex Rodriguez of hockey.

Jacques Lemaire retired! What?

I was completely taken by surprise, along with everyone else, when Jacques Lemaire suddenly announced his retirement from coaching in the NHL. For the third year in a row, the New Jersey Devils will be looking for a new coach in the offseason. I would really like a coach to stay for longer than one year, so how about Scott Stevens. Stevens is

one of the best Devils of all time, would command immediate respect from his players, and would probably stick around for longer than a year. If not Stevens, the Devils will go with John MacLean.

The Spurs win; the Mavs don't

Seemingly a perfect example of my "82 Games of Boredom Theory," the San Antonio Spurs upset the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games. The Spurs seem to win a championship every couple of years so don't be surprised if they go very, very deep this year. With a top ten player of all time in Tim Duncan, the best coach in the NBA in Gregg Popovich, and a really good supporting cast with Ginobli, Parker, Jefferson, and Hill, the Spurs can beat any team in the league. Don't ever count out experience in the playoffs, it's important.

I kinda feel bad for Mavs owner Mark Cuban (not really 'cause he's really rich but ya know). He wants to win so badly but can just never seem to make it work in Dallas. I don't think Dirk Nowitzki will ever win a championship, he just doesn't have that killer instinct that someone like Kobe has, and I think Jason Kidd is coming to the realization that he will never win a championship either.

The Disgraceful Devils

Disappointed. Yes, disappointed would probably be the word that sums up my feelings about the New Jersey Devils and their way too short playoff run. Or perhaps, shocked would be a better word. I really thought this was the year the Devils were going to at least get out of the first round, and maybe even go deep into the playoffs. But no, for the third year in a row, the Devils have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs - and it doesn't help that they've been eliminated at home all three years.

Perhaps, the Prudential Center is cursed. Ever since the Devils moved out of East Rutherford and into the Rock in Newark the Devils can't seem to escape the first round of the postseason.

Maybe, Martin Brodeur is done. The 38-year-old goalie just can't seem to steal a playoff series for Jersey the way he used to. Outplayed by Flyers third string goalie, Brian Boucher, Marty played well against the Flyers but certainly not well enough to win.

Or could it be, that the Devil's stars such as Langenbrunner, Elias, Parise, and Kovalchuk just forgot how to score goals in the playoffs. In the four Devil losses to the Flyers, the Devils scored just four goals.

I think that the Devils seemed unmotivated and uninspired and and it certainly looked like the Flyers wanted to win a hell of a lot more. I definitely was not happy with the coaching of Jaques Lemaire. The Devils were looking sluggish and down after falling behind three games to one, and Lemaire simply called for the Devils to stay the course. Stay the course!?!? How about throwing a chair across the room, or at least a little yelling? Lemaire seemed way to calm throughout the series and never made adjustments necessary for the Devils to win.

The Devil's power play was atrocious and their penalty killing wasn't anything special either. And most of the times on five on five, it might as well have been a Flyer power play.

As a Devil fan, I'm sick of being teased for 82 games only to be let down right away in the playoffs. I invest way too much time in this team for them to give the effort, or lack of effort, that they give in the playoffs. Maybe the Devils don't realize this, but no one cares about winning the Atlantic Division - all that matters is a Stanley Cup!

I'm sure the Devils will be back in the playoffs next year, because they always are. And for making the playoffs consistently I applaud them, but it's been seven years since a Cup and three years since getting out of the first round.

Alright, it's officially baseball season in NY/NJ...

Chillin' on a Sunday with Jared from Jersey

• Imagine if the Mets lost that 20 inning game. I mean, they played 18 scoreless innings got a run in the 19th, then K-Rod blew it. They are so lucky they won it in the 20th 'cause if they lost, it would have been possibly the worst Mets loss in the past three years (and there have been a lot of 'em).
• I love watching position players pitch, so thank you St. Louis Cardinals for that. I feel like the Cardinals weren't even taking that game seriously after awhile (their whole bench was laughing watching Felipe Lopez pitch) , while the Mets were playing like it was game 7 of the World Series. That's what happens when your team is 3-7 and the manager is on the hot seat, I guess.
• Just a borough away from where the Mets play, the Yankees are rolling through opponents like Hit-Girl rolls through bad guys. It's still very early but right now it looks like it's gonna be the Yankees and Rays contending for the AL East, unless the Sox can pull it together (which, ya know what, they probably will).
• Speaking of Hit-Girl, I saw the movie Kick-Ass yesterday and it was very, very good. It easily joins the list of movies that you love to say the title of 'cause it gives you an excuse to curse. It's Right up there with Inglourious Basterds in that category.
• Also, saw Hot Tub Time Machine yesterday which joins the list of movies with hilarious titles that tell you everything about the movie. But unlike Snakes on a Plane, which leads the category of hilarious titles that tells you the whole plot, Hot Tub did not live up to the title and was very disappointing. Instead of going to Hot Tub Time Machine, rent Snakes on a Plane, which I'm convinced will one day get the credit it deserves, and be looked at as a classic (nah probably not, but I can dream, can't I?).

NHL Playoffs

• So far, the NHL playoffs have been incredibly thrilling. It seems like every game is being decided by one goal. If you haven't been watching, turn on Versus tonight and watch. Versus is a channel (yes, you have it).
• If the Devils had lost Game 2 to the Flyers, it would have been over. There was no way the Devils were going into Philly down 2-0 and winning that series. Ilya Kovalchuk is a fascinating player to watch, 'cause he wants to win so much that he's basically trying too hard. I never though I'd criticize a player for trying too hard, but Ilya's gotta chill out. He took three penalties in game 2 and in many ways he's hurting the team more then helping. If he calms down and plays his game, the Devils will be very tough to beat.
• It was funny watching game 1 of the Blackhawks vs. Predators series, with the entire Chicago Cubs team watching from a box. I mean, I highly doubt Carlos Zambrano knows how to play hockey.
• The Washington Capitals are so lucky they won game 2 yesterday, or it would have been panic mode in Washington. I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like Alex Ovechkin underperforms in big moments while Sidney Crosby shines. Sure, Ovie got a goal in game 2 but it was really Nicklas Backstrom who won the game for Washington, while Crosby will literally do anything to help his team win (Check out this play). Crosby's one of the best winners in sports today (Check out this play too, while your at it).

NBA Playoffs

• It's not even close to as exciting as the NHL playoffs until about the semifinals. In my opinion an Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks series isn't exactly the most enthralling thing in the world.
• I am excited to watch the Lakers, Thunder series though. I don't think L.A. will have a problem steamrolling to the finals, but It'll be interesting to see if Kevin Durant can take over the series for a bit and maybe make the Lakers sweat a little.
• It's 74 days until Lebron's a free agent, and then maybe basketball will be relevant in New York again.
• While most of the playoffs games yesterday were low scoring, Denver and Utah forgot they were in the playoffs apparently. The Nuggets beat the Jazz 126-113. That's a lot of points.

And Finally...

This is not related to anything I've just been talking about, but if you live in the New York area go check out the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). There's a really cool exhibit on the top floor (don't bring young kids though; you'll see why).

The best team in sports that no one talks about

The New Jersey Devils are a team used to playing hockey in the Spring. For the 13th season in a row, that's right 13th, the Devils will be playing playoff hockey. The Devils play in the least popular league of the four major North American sports, they have one of the lowest payrolls in that league, and aren't even the most popular team in their own market. Yet somehow, year after year, even though no one talks about them, the Devils are a perennial playoff team and they always contend for a Stanley Cup.

There are two reasons for the success of the New Jersey Devils: Lou Lamoriello and Martin Brodeur.

First, the Devils have the greatest general manager in professional sports in Lou Lamoriello. I may be biased as a Devil's fan but honestly there is no other GM in sports who keeps his team competitive every year with the lack of resources Lamoriello has. Playing in New Jersey, with one of the lowest payrolls in the NHL it is truly incredible how Lamoriello can sign the players that he does (look at the Ilya Kovalchuk signing this year), but especially keep the players that he does. Players are proud to play for the Devils and though they might get bigger contracts and more media attention playing somewhere like Toronto or New York, rarely does a player bail on New Jersey if Lou wants to keep him. And if a player does leave (Scott Gomez) they almost always come to regret it, whether they'll admit it or not. Lamoriello has built a class organization that teams throughout the NHL are jealous of.

Look at the recent olympics, There were a ton of Devils and former Devils representing various countries: Jamie Langenbrunner, Zach Parise, Patrick Elias, Scott Niedermayer, Bryan Rafalski, Martin Brodeur, and more. The amount of Devils and ex-Devils in the Olympics is a testament to Lou Lamoriello. Olympic teams know what they're going to get when they select someone who played for the Devils: someone who puts his team first, always hustles, and plays defense. The New Jersey Devils produce quality players because of the way Lamoriello runs his organization. And Lamoriello's organization wins.

The second reason why the Devils are a consistently great team is their goalie Martin Brodeur. He is, and I'm saying this as a hockey fan not a Devil's fan, the greatest goalie of all time. With three Cups, four Vezina trophys (best goalie of the season), 10 all-star games, the most 40 win seasons of all time, the most shutouts of all time, and with over 600 wins and counting, the most wins of all time. Marty, as the fans in New Jersey affectionately call him, has played his entire career wearing the Devil's red and black. Since he came up to the NHL in 1993, Marty has been lights out for the Devils in net and in 1995 Marty won his, and the Devil's first Stanley Cup. Easily the best athlete to ever play for a New Jersey team, Marty has carved a legacy for himself that will live on forever in the minds of Devil's fans. If he played in say, New York or Montreal or Detroit, Marty would be even bigger than what he is now, but Marty never left. Always loyal and always winning, Martin Brodeur makes the Devils a Stanley Cup contender every single year.

On Wednesday night the NHL playoffs start as the #2 seeded Devils take on the #7 seeded Philadelphia Flyers in Newark. Besides the Rangers, the Flyers are the Devil's biggest rival and this series will surely be as intense as they get. I'm picking the Devils to win for two reasons: Lou Lamoriello and Martin Brodeur.

Playoff baseball in April?

It's amazing how quickly utter panic can turn to utter confidence. With the Yankee's loss in game one of the season to the Red Sox, I, along with millions of other Yankee's fans, was worried that the Yankees weren't going to be able to match their magical World Series winning season, and possibly not even win the AL East. Just two games later though, all that concern is gone, and has been replaced by a winning feeling. The bullpen has pitched great the last two games, after that rough first game, and even Chan Ho Park pitched three scoreless innings yesterday. Curtis Granderson hit a very clutch home run in the 10th last night which proved to be the winning run and Andy Pettitte looked like he was 25 years young. The season is only three games old, but winning any series against the Red Sox is cause to celebrate, and I'm feeling good about the Yankees.

The three games in Boston were as intense as the opening three games of a season could possibly be. It felt like the playoffs even though the playoffs don't start for seven months. I don't think the Yankees and the Red Sox can play a normal game and that's why it's the best rivalry in sports. Every game in the series was decided by two runs, they all took almost four hours to play, and one went into extra innings. Every single Yankees vs. Sox game is highly dramatic and perpetually thrilling.

I'm a little worried about Mark Teixera who went 0-9 with three walks in the series, but he's a notoriously slow starter and I'm sure he'll be fine. It's great to see David Ortiz so ineffective as he seems to be a shell of his former self. He used to be one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball, but he has been reduced to a guy pitchers actually want to face. Overall, I was not to impressed with the Red Sox lineup and even though they put up nine runs in the first game, I think they're going to struggle scoring runs this season. The Red Sox are gonna have to rely on their pitching to win games, and yesterday the Yankees proved that they can win pitching duels as well as slugfests. It's gonna be a good season.

Chan WHO Park and other thoughts on game 1 of 162

• Why is Chan Ho Park a current member of the New York Yankees? The guy had a 4.43 ERA last season, in the National League! He should not be a Yankee, especially since the Yankees made him shave off his hilarious Asian beard.
• The Yankees bullpen performed worse than Sandra Bullock's acting in All About Steve.
• Since when is Dr. Dre a Red Sox fan? He's from California. Also, I didn't know they let Black people into Fenway. Huh. Maybe you have to be famous.
• At first I didn't really like the YES Network's new graphics, but they grew on me. Good job YES.
• Pedro Martinez is like an attention hungry eight-year-old.
• Neil Diamond, you traitor!! You're from Brooklyn!! And the Dodgers moved a long time ago bud.
• I was kinda hoping the whole Curtis Granderson can't hit lefties thing was being overhyped, but it wasn't. He actually can not hit lefties.
• This is a quote from my brother Ezra: "Nick Johnson looks like a professional eater." Not bad Ezra, but he also looks like that crazy guy who killed himself in Full Metal Jacket.
• That throwing error by Brett Gardner made Johnny Damon's arm look like Melky Cabrera's. That means Gardner's throw was bad.
• It's a long season, the Yankees have nothing to worry about...except the fact that their bullpen sucks, their outfield is shaky at best, and Sandra Bullock could hit lefties better than Curtis Granderson, especially if that lefty was Jesse James (I don't know if Jesse James is a lefty but you get the idea).

It's time for some New York Yankee's baseball

The MLB season gets underway Sunday night when the World Series Champion New York Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox at Fenway. And like most seasons, unless some pesky team from Tampa Bay has anything to say about it, it will be the Yankees and the Red Sox competing down the stretch for the AL East title. I think the Yankees are going to win the AL East and repeat as World Series Champions.

• The Yankees are the best team on paper in Major League Baseball. Playing in the hitter friendly confines of Yankee Stadium with the most powerful lineup in baseball, it's pretty safe to say that the Yankees will have no problem scoring runs. The infield, which remains intact from last year, is one of the best infields of all time. One of the best hitters of all time plays 3rd base: Alex Rodriguez, you might've heard of him. At SS is a five-time World Series champion and one of the greatest shortstops ever, as well as the all time Yankee's leading hitter: Derek Jeter, you probably know him too. Robinson Cano plays 2nd base in his first season as a Yankee without hist best bud Melky Cabrera, who was traded to Atlanta. Last season Cano hit .320 with 25 HRs, and I only see him improving in the future. And at 1st base is a perennial 30 HR guy, who hit 39 HRs last year to go along with 122 RBI. He is the best defensive 1st baseman in baseball, and knows exactly how to handle the New York spotlight: Mark Teixera.
• The Yankees outfield will look a little bit different from last season. The biggest change is acquiring Curtis Granderson to play CF. With the losses of such key players as Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, and Melky Cabrera, Granderson has big shoes to fill. He really needs to step up and produce wherever the Yankees bat him, and he need to do better than his .249 AVG from last season. The Yankees also acquired Randy Winn, a nice veteran player who can step in and play the outfield successfully. Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner will probably be playing the outfield very regularly. Swisher is a very important locker room presence who has good power and Gardner is one of the fastest players in baseball and will steal bases at will.
• The Yankees Catcher will hopefully be Jorge Posada if he stays healthy. Posada is one of the best hitting catchers of all time so his contribution is obviously very important. If Posada can't play, the backups are Francisco Cervelli and P.J. Pilittere. Also, the Yankees acquired DH Nick Johnson who was on the Yankees from 2001-2003. Johnson doesn't hit for average well, but he gets on base, as he had a .415 OBP last season with Washington.
• Starting Rotation: CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Javier Vasquez, Andy Pettite, Phil Hughes. The biggest offseason pitching story was who will have the fifth spot in the rotation. Hughes or Joba? Hughes won the job and Joba will come out of the bullpen, which is the way it should be. Sabathia has looked shaky in spring training but he's one of the best pitchers in the league and when the season starts and his adrenaline gets flowing, he will be fine. Burnett is a pretty good number two guy, but the problem with him is you never know what you're gonna get. He might pitch a perfect game, but he also might walk 10 guys and give up six runs in three innings. Burnett's main problem is control and consistency. This is Javier Vasquez's second stint with the Yankees. Last time with the Yankees in 2004, he had 14 wins with a 4.91 ERA but he's improved since then and had a 2.87 ERA last season with Atlanta. Andy Pettite is Andy Pettite; he'll have about a 4.00 ERA but will keep the Yankees in games and he's one of the best big game pitchers in the league. And for Phil Hughes I have no idea what to expect.
• In the bullpen the greatest closer of all time will hold any lead after eight innings: Mariano Rivera. It's gonna be really fun watching Joba Chamberlain pitch as the bridge to Mo, which is what he should be. Damaso Marte is a good lefty specialist out of the bullpen and pitchers like David Robertson, Sergio Mitre, and Alfredo Aceves will fill in nicely.
• The Manager Joe Girardi will have some pressure off after winning a championship, but there's always pressure when you're the manager of the New York Yankees.