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Friday, December 16, 2011

Jets Playoff Hopes Still Alive


The Jets season has come down to a game by game scenario.  Each and every game has their playoff hopes  on the line. The Jets control their own destiny the rest of their way as of right now.  They hold the six seed in the AFC playoff race.  The problem is the tie breakers are not in their favor.  The easy way in for the Jets would be to win their last three games and finish the season 11-5.  That would give them the six seed and a chance to make a playoff run like they have the past two seasons.  The problem is that the Jets have to play on the road against a talented Eagles team, home against a Giants team with all the motivation in the world, and on the road against a Dolphins team who loves to play spoiler against the Jets in the last week of the season. (cough cough Brett Favre days)  It is not going to be an easy road for Gang Green, but if they keep playing the style of football we have seen the last couple weeks out of them, the Jets look like they can be a team to be reckoned with come January.

Monday, December 5, 2011

End of an Era in Queens


Since 2005, Mets fans have been used to seeing the same man run out to shortstop every day.  They have been used to seeing the same guy go diving into second base safely on a steal.  They have seen the same guy round second and head for third for a triple a dozen plus times a year.  They have been used to the same guy being called at the top of the lineup every day.  They have been used to the same man teach them new Spanish words every home game.  Now, yet another man will be taking his talents to south beach.
Jose Reyes will now be a member of the Miami Marlins.  Reyes signed a 6 year, $106 million deal on Sunday night.  The deal includes a $22 million option for a seventh year.  Reyes will leave the Mets for the team that looks to have a lot of promise in the future.  The Marlins have already signed closer Heath Bell.  They have been in contact with Albert Pujols and are prepared to make a huge offer.  Also, they are going to be looking for a starting pitcher, with Mark Buehrle being a definite option.  Not to mention, they have a brand new stadium next season and have changed their name from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins.  This move obviously changes the Mets team completely as well as the National League East.  The Phillies, Braves, and Marlins are now looked at as the major contenders in the NL East while the Nationals and Mets seem to be on the outside looking in.
Mets fans saw it coming.  They knew there was no way the Mets could bring an offer higher to the table than what the Marlins brought.  The Mets just do not have the financial room to keep Reyes and then add more pieces, which they clearly need after having an extremely disappointing last couple of seasons at Citi Field.  Losing Reyes completely changes up everything in Queens.  It ends an era of one of the most exciting players we have ever seen in baseball.  Reyes was exuberant on the field and a one of a kind type player.  From his stolen bases to his triples to his flashy fielding, Reyes will be missed in every sense of the word.  Taking over for Reyes as shortstop will be 22 year old, Ruben Tejada.  Tejada got a good amount of playing time last season playing in 96 games and batting .284.  For Mets fans, it will never be the same.  Reyes is a guy that you do not see everyday.  He is a special player and a guy who changes the face of the team.  Tejada will not be that guy and still is developing as a player.  The Mets lose a leadoff hitter, a leader, and an all star and replace him with a bottom of the lineup type hitter who is solid defensively.  The Mets will learn in the coming seasons that nobody can replace what they had in Reyes and it is a tough road ahead for the Mets, who seem to be in a rebuilding mode.
For at least the next six years, Mets fans will now have to watch Reyes compete against them 18 times a year.  Fans have to see Reyes run out to shortstop nine times a year at Citi Field….in a Miami Marlins uniform.  For nine times a year, the first pitch at Citi Field will be made to Reyes.  It is going to be a bizarre feeling for Met fans.  It is a tough loss for the Mets to swallow, but it is time for the Mets to move on and try and build pieces to somehow replace one of the best shortstops of our era.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Merry Christmas NBA Fans


This Christmas is going to be an extra special one for basketball fans.  Fans get to not only wake up on Christmas day to family and presents, but will also get to watch NBA basketball for the first time since June.  Early Saturday morning, the NBA owners and players would come to a tentative agreement to end the 149-day lockout.  The league plans to open up training camps and free agency on December 9th and have the first games on December 25th.  It is planned to be a 66 game season, 16 games less than a regular 82 game season.
The specifics of the deal have not been confirmed yet.  The players accepted a deal somewhere between the range of 49-51% in favor of the owners.  The exact details of the deal should be known in the coming days.  Most importantly, basketball will be played and both sides wanted to end this lockout as soon as they could.  Commissioner David Stern said it would take around 30 days from when the deal was made to begin the season.  In just two weeks, the craziness that we all saw once the NFL lockout ended will be seen in the NBA.  Trades and free agency signings will be in a frenzy as lots of moves will be made.  It happened to be one of the most exciting weeks in sports when we saw all the moves made in July following the end of the NFL lockout.  Plan to seen all that madness come again in December.  Owners, players, and fans are all relieved to see the end almost near.  It has been months of negotiations and meetings that at times had many extremely frustrated and had fans in disarray.
In New York, fans could not be happier.  We get to see 66 games of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire together on the same floor.  ”Stat and Melo” had Madison Square Garden packed every night for the three months they got to see of them.  There is no question that MSG is going to have the same excitement this season as they get 75% of a season to see them suit up together.  The Knicks have a bright future to look to, but are going to need more than just two stars to win.  Veteran point guard Chauncey Billups played a pivotal role in the Knicks success late last season as well.  This will most likely be Billups only full season with the Knicks as he is a free agent after he makes $14.2 million this season.  The Knicks are going to need a lot more depth and some more size if they want to achieve success this season.  They struggled mightily at the center position last season.  They lacked size and depth to help out Stoudemire in the paint.  The Knicks are going to need to make moves adding depth to this team.  Rookie Landry Fields had a very solid season for them, but was nonexistent in the playoffs and spent most of the time on the bench.  Big man Jared Jeffries is a liability on offense and cost the Knicks a playoff game in the first round against the Celtics.  Guard Roger Mason did not get much playing time throughout the season and when he did was very ineffective.  One bright spot the Knicks did see last season was the play of backup point guard Toney Douglas.  Douglas was very effective off the bench and has a very bright future ahead of him.  The Knicks need help but have the pieces to build a championship contender.  Of course, they will have to compete the “big three” in Miami as well as Derrick Rose and the Bulls and the division rival Boston Celtics.
Knicks fans and all NBA fans are looking forward to Christmas day.  Mark down December 25th on your calendars NBA fans, it is a rare day where you get to celebrate two holidays in one day.  The season tips off at noon at MSG as the Knicks play the Celtics.  The Mavericks will host the Heat in a rematch of the NBA finals.  FInally, the Lakers will host the Bulls in a classic matchup of two past rivals.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Vince Young Does it Again to the Giants


Vince Young did it again to the Giants on Sunday night.  He beat them for the third time in his career.  Young is now 3-0 as starting quarterback against the Giants.  Young looked very sharp as he started for the injured Michael Vick Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.  Young led a nearly nine minute drive ending in a touchdown, which would turn out to be the game winning score in the 17-10 victory.

The Giants offense was silent for most of the night.  They key to this one was the lack of any running game by the Giants.  They had 29 yards total rushing by three running backs on the night.  There is no way any team can win that absolutely no running game whatsoever.  The Eagles were running very successfully and Vince Young was throwing to all different receivers.  The Eagles had 136 total rushing yards led by LeSean McCoy with 113 yards.  Young did have three interceptions, but looked very sharp throwing the ball.  He was 23 for 36 with 258 yards and two touchdown passes.  For a guy who has been on the bench all season, Young looked like the player he once used to be with the Titans.  Young has had his troubles on and off the field, but he has been a winner in his career.  He has won games.  The Giants know that very well.  The Giants are 0-3 against Young.

Giants punter Steve Weatherford was very busy in this game.  Every Giants drive in the first half ended in the punt until their last drive when they finally scored on a field goal.  Every drive in the third quarter would also end in a Giants punt.  The Giants offense was stagnant Sunday night.  Injuries have been a problem for the Giants and without running back Ahmad Bradshaw and losing offensive lineman Chris Snee really hurt them tonight.

The dagger in this one came in the fourth quarter.  Vince Young led an unbelievably long and well-executed drive that was 8:51 long and 18 plays for 91 yards.  The Eagles started the possession with 11:36 remaining in the fourth quarter.  They slowly moved down the field eating the clock away.  The Eagles went an astounding six for six on third downs on the drive.  The Giants defense had no answer and could not get stops when they needed to most.  The Giants would get the ball back with 2:45 to go.  They had plenty of time to get down the field and send it to overtime.  They were put in nearly the same position as last week.  They had the ball, down a touchdown, with a chance to tie the game.  They would get a huge completion to Victor Cruz who would have a catch and run for 47 yards getting the Giants all the way to the Eagles 21.  For the second week in a row, the Giants looked to have life late, but Eli would scuffle late again.  Manning got sacked from behind and fumbled the football and the Eagles would recover.  Two heartbreakers in two consecutive weeks for the Giants.  It was a tough way to lose another dropping them to 6-4 on the season.

The problem for the Giants now is that they have the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL.  They have to go to New Orleans next Monday night to face the Saints.  That is followed by the defending Super Bowl champion Packers.  If that is not enough, they have to go to Dallas to face their division rival Cowboys, who have been on fire of late and tied with the Giants for first in the NFC East.  Following that, they play the Redskins, Jets, and Cowboys.  Five of those six games are against teams that are .500 or better.  It is going to be a tough road to the playoffs here on out for the Giants.  The road starts in New Orleans next week.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Tebow's Magic Hands Jets Pivotal Loss


Tim Tebow might not have the greatest arm.  He may not be the most accurate passer. He might not be the most fundamental quarterback.  With that being said, Tebow does do one thing very well.  That is winning football games.
Trailing 13-10, the former star at the University of Florida led a magical drive down the field late in the fourth quarter to win the game, 17-13, and hand the Jets their second straight demoralizing loss.  Starting at their own five yard line with 5:54 remaining on the clock, Tebow led his best drive of his short NFL career to win the game for the Broncos.  Tebow, who has predominately ran himself or handed the ball off in the games he has started, was forced to throw more than usual on the drive and was extremely successful.  The drive would end with “Tebow magic.”  On a third down and four at the Jets 20 yard line, Tebow would have a miraculous run to the left side running 20 yards into the end zone with just 58 seconds left on the clock.  The defense came blitzing and Tebow read it perfectly scrambling to the left finding a hole and finding the end zone.  It was one of the best and most clutch plays seen all season.  The play put Denver on top, got them to 5-5 on the season, and gave them their third straight victory putting them right in the thick of the playoff race in the AFC West.  Since taking over for Kyle Orton as quarterback, Tebow is 4-1 in just his second NFL season.
The Jets really hurt themselves in this game.  There is a lot of fingers that could be pointed in this one, but it was a team effort and a very sloppy performance by the Jets in a game they should have won.  The Jets came out playing very poorly on offense in the first half.  It has been the same story all season for the Jets.  They come out of the tunnel and never have a great first half.  They have to play from behind put themselves in a position they should not have to be in.  There is not one specific finger to point for this.  The coaches have to do more to prepare the team early to come out of the gate firing.  In the Jets last four games they have three total points in the first quarter.  They cannot expect to be a playoff team if they cannot play four good quarters of football a game.  Mark Sanchez needs to come out making smarter throws as well.  Sanchez made a throw that should not have been made in the third quarter that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.  Also, last night special teams play was very poor.  T.J. Conley punted a ball for a measly 13 yards.  It would lead to a field goal by the Broncos. Kicker Nick Folk missed two field goals as well.  That is a nine point swing that completely could have changed the outcome of this game.  All these mistakes costed the Jets an important football game not only for the standings, but for the Jets morale as well.
The Jets really needed to win this game and they came out with one of their worst performances we have seen this season.  In order to win, this team has got to play mistake free.  It starts with the coaches.  Rex Ryan has to prepare his team better than he did as well as all the other coaches.  Offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer has been questioned all year for his questionable play calling.  The Jets have been very conservative and predictable offensively this season.  A lot is going to need to change if the Jets want to get one of the two wild card spots in the AFC this year.  They are currently 5-5 with six games remaining.  They will return home next Sunday to face the Bills.  The Jets are in dire need of a victory as their playoff hopes start to slip away with each loss.

Monday, November 14, 2011

AFC East Falls Out of Jets Hands in Crushing Loss to Pats


The Jets may be loaded with talent defensively, solid receivers, and a good running game, but they do not have the one man that can make the difference to put them over the edge. That man is Tom Brady. 
The Jets came into Sunday night's game against the Patriots with a great opportunity to get a win that could get them into sole possession of first place.  They were riding a three game win streak coming in.  They were at home where they were 4-0 on the season.  The Pats had come in losing two straight games and struggling defensively.  The Jets were looking for revenge for their 30-21 loss at New England in week 5.  The winner would stand alone in first place.
The Patriots handed the Jets a crushing loss, 37-16 to essentially take a two game lead in the AFC East.  They hold the tie breaker by defeating the Jets in both games this season.  The Jets had no way of stopping Brady, the three time Super Bowl champion.  The future hall of famer had an extraordinary amount of time in the pocket to throw the ball.  The Jets defensive line was atrocious in forcing Brady into any bad throws.  Brady's offensive line was remarkable in allowing him all the time he needed to get it to his receivers.  The extra time allowed him to hit his tight ends alone for 12 receptions and 154 yards.  Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were unstoppable down the middle of the field.  Pats receivers also had big games against a Jets secondary who is considered one of the best.  Wes Welker and Deion Branch had 104 yards and 11 receptions combined.  Even Chad Ochocinco, who has been ineffective this season had two catches for 65 yards.  The Jets had no problem stopping the rush.  They only allowed 60 rushing yards total.  Brady was just too good throwing for 329 yards to six different receivers.  The Jets had no answer for arguably the best quarterback in the league. 
The turning point of the game came in the second quarter with around 1:20 to go in the half instead of letting the clock run down all the way then using a timeout, Sanchez called a timeout with plenty of time still on the play clock.  The Jets would score the touchdown on the next play, but they left the Patriots 1:20 on the clock and two timeouts to drive down the field.  Rex Ryan told NBC at the half it was "The stupidest thing in football history." Clearly, Ryan was in fuming that Sanchez used a timeout with so much time remaining for a Patriots team that is known for their offensive capabilities.  The Patriots would end up scoring a touchdown with nine seconds left and go into the half with all the motivation in the world.
The Jets were outplayed and out-coached by Bill Belichick and the Patriots Sunday night.  This was a demoralizing loss for two reasons.  One being that the Patriots looked dominant in both games this season against the Jets.  The second being that the Patriots remaining schedule is one of the easiest in the NFL for the final seven weeks.  Of their seven remaining games, the only team above .500 that they play is the last game of the season at home against a Bills team that has lost three of their last four after starting 4-1.  The Jets will only play two more teams with a winning record as they face the Bills and Giants.  Five of the Jets last eight games will be on the road.  When asked if his team still had hope to win the division Ryan said, "It looks doubtful right now."  The division seems to be a long shot for the Jets.  They will hope to get one of the two wild card spots in the playoffs. 
The Jets will now have a short week as they hit the road to face the Broncos in Denver Thursday night.  Tim Tebow has had the Broncos playing well of late and still in the race in the AFC West. It is going to be a tough road for the Jets from here on out.  The key will be to come out strong Thursday night with no signs of a hangover effect from a pivotal loss Sunday night. The Jets will need to avoid any "Tebow magic" and head back home with a victory under their belt as they face Buffalo the following week at the Meadowlands.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Jets Surge Into First With Dominant Win over Bills


Sunday might have been the best all around performance we have seen by the Jets all season.  They finally played the lights out defense that everyone expected to see all season.  The Jets beat the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium 27-11 Sunday afternoon.  The Jets played an all around impressive performance not only defensively, but offensively as well.

The key early in this game was turnovers.  Both teams were turning it over early and had trouble putting up points.  The first half's only points was a 49 yard field goal by Nick Folk.  It was all about defense early.  In the second half, the Jets offense would kick it into gear.  They would get a 50 yard field goal from Nick Folk early in the third quarter.  The Bills would then fumble on the first play of their drive giving the Jets great field position in Bills territory.  They would get a nice catch and run by Plaxico Burress followed by a 1 yard touchdown run by Ladanian Tomlinson to take a 13-0 lead.  The Bills would finally score on a field goal making it 13-3.

From there on, it was all Jets.

They would have a 1:20 drive ending in a gorgeous play action touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes making it 20-3.  They would put the dagger in the Bills in the fourth driving and ending it with a 1 yard touchdown run by "the terminator" John Connor.  That would make it 27-3 and put the Bills away.   They would add on a touchdown late to make it 27-11 after converting the 2 point conversion. That would be all. The Jets closed it out with the final being 27-11.

The key to the game was the Jets dominant defensive performance.  They forced three Bills turnovers with one leading to a Jets touchdown.  The Jets finally put pressure on the quarterback allowing Ryan Fitzpatrick to be completely shut down.  Fitzpatrick was 15 for 31 for 191 yards with a touchdown and 2 interceptions.  They only allowed 96 combined rushing yards as well with 82 of them coming from starter Fred Jackson.  The Jets defense was aggressive and played their best game defensively.

The offense was solid as well. Mark Sanchez played one of his better games besides the early interception he looked like a veteran in the pocket.  Sanchez threw for 230 yards and a touchdown.  The Jets ran for 126 yards combined by Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight and Tomlinson.  The offense had a chemistry that we have not seen all season.  They looked very comfortable playing a Bills team who has been a pleasant surprise this year.

Next comes the game everyone has been waiting for.  The Jets and Patriots will face off in New Jersey on Sunday night.  The Pats beat the Jets at home and now with both teams being tied for first place in the AFC East, the Jets look to break the tie and continue their winning ways on Sunday.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Cardinals go from 11 Games Out to 11 World Series Rings

At the end of August, the St. Louis Cardinals seemed to be out of the playoff race and off to a disappointing season.  They were trailing the Wild Card leading Braves by 10.5 games.  Making the playoffs, let alone winning a world championship seemed improbable.  Friday night, they would complete the miracle.

The Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers in game 7 by a score of 6-2 to capture their 11th World Series title.  Their 11th title is second to the Yankees, with 27, for most World Series championships in baseball history.  The Cards came back from being down three games to two and being just one strike away from defeat.  Coming from behind did not faze the fighting Cards one bit.  From being 10.5 games out of the playoffs to being a strike away from losing the World Series, the Cardinals did the unthinkable to end it by winning a ring.  This was the Cardinals second championship within the last 5 years after they won in 2006 over the Tigers.

After trailing 2-0 in the first, the Cardinals did exactly what they have done best...comeback.  They would score two in the bottom of the first.  Allen Craig would hit the tie-breaking home run in the third and they would never look back.  They would score a couple more to win the game by a score of 6-2 and win the series in the deciding 7th game.  Ace Chris Carpenter threw a gem as he went six innings and only gave up two runs and getting his second win of the series.  David Freese turned out to be the World Series MVP as he had a remarkable series going as he went 8 for 23 with a home run and 7 RBI. It was quite the series for youngster and hometown boy Freese.

The Cardinals ended a remarkable season with their 11th World Series trophy.  Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa's team battled perseverance and a large deficit to make the playoffs.  They would then defeat the best team in baseball in the Phillies in five games.  They would then go on and beat their division rival Brewers in six games.  As if that were not enough, they would come back from being down three games to two and a strike away from going home to win the remarkable game six with multiple rallies and then rally to win game seven as one.

The 2011 Cardinals were a never say die team and stories like this in sports are truly remarkable and remind us all why.....you gotta love the game.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

25 Years Ago Today....The Ground Ball


25 years ago today, we (well the people who were alive at the time) witnessed one of the most monumental plays in one of the most thrilling games in the history of sports.  The only words necessary are...."and it gets by Buckner!"  Game 6 of the 1986 World Series was one that no baseball fan will ever forget.

The Mets were down 3 games to 2 to the Red Sox.  They were down 2 runs in the bottom of the 10th inning.  They were 1 out away from being the team that would help break the "Curse of the Bambino."  The unthinkable would then occur.  The Mets would string a couple of base hits together to make it a one run game.  Then Mike Stanley would make a pitch to Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson that he wish he could get back.  The pitch would go wild and go to the backstop tying the game.  The Mets, who just minutes earlier seemed to be demoralized and getting ready to head home, were alive again and were a hit away from sending the series to a game 7 at Shea Stadium.  

Just two pitches later, one of the most memorable moments in the history of sports would have the city that never sleeps staying wide and awake.  

Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball to all star first baseman Bill Buckner.  It looked to be the simplest of ground balls.  The ball would trickle down the line and go right under the glove of Buckner.  The ball would roll onto the outfield grass and change the history of baseball and the life of Buckner forever.  World Series MVP Ray Knight would score the game winning run sending the series to a game 7.  A series that seemed to be over was now tied.  Buckner's impressive career would now be known for just one play.  A guy who would finish his career with 2,715 career hits and a batting crown in 1980 was known by many baseball fans as the guy who lost the 1986 World Series.  The people of Boston who have been waiting since 1918 to win a World Series were stunned in disbelief and "the curse" would live on.  

The Mets would go on to win game 7 in comeback fashion after trailing the series 3 games to 2.  One play changed the face of a franchise, the face of a player, and the face of baseball history.  The Red Sox would go 18 more years without winning a World Series.  Finally, after 86 years of waiting they would break "the curse" in 2004.  

The series of events that went down in this game were moments that we will never see again.  It was an ending that no person could ever script.  It was an evening at Shea Stadium unlike any other.  It was a night that every one of the 55,078 in attendance will relive for the rest of their lives.  October 25, 1986 would go down as one of the most memorable of all time.  

Monday, October 24, 2011

Plax Leads Jets to Comeback Victory Over Chargers


One trip to the endzone would not be good enough for Plaxico Burress.

Two would not be sufficient either.

A third touchdown would have to do.  Jets wide receiver finally decided to have the breakout game fans would hope to see from him on Sunday.  Plax only had four receptions but three of them would be for touchdowns.  It was a spectacular performance by the first year Jet and former Giant.  The Jets would fight back from being down 21-10 at the half to defeating the first place Chargers 27-21.

The Jets were coming off a win against the worst team in football last week.  They needed a win against a very good Chargers team if they wanted any sort of momentum going into their bye week.  They started off a little shaky in the first half, but once again they turned on the jets (no pun intended) in the 2nd half.  Their defense played lights out only allowing 96 total rushing yards.  They forced two interceptions off of pro bowl quarterback Philip Rivers.  Rivers was 16 for 32 with 179 yards and two interceptions and one touchdown.  The Jets did not give up one point in the second half.  It was the best their defense has played in a while.  The turning point came when the Jets trailed 21-17 early in the fourth quarter and the Chargers were driving to the Jets 25 yard line.  Darrelle Revis would intercept Rivers and nearly do the same thing he did last week and run it for a touchdown.  This time he got to the opponent's 19 yard line and the Jets would get one of their three touchdowns to Plaxico Burress to take the lead and hold on for the win.

The Jets were led by their rushing attack.  Shonn Greene ran for 112 yards.  Sanchez ran for 25 yards.  Ladanian Tomlinson ran for 14 yards and Joe McKnight ran for 11 yards.  They had 162 yards combined on the ground.  Mark Sanchez was good enough to get the Jets offense by throwing for 173 yards and the three touchdown passes to Burress.

It was a masterful second half performance by the Jets and another comeback victory.  The Jets are now back over .500 at 4-3 and the Chargers fall to 4-2 with the loss.  The Jets will have a bye next week before they hit the road to face the Bills.  The Chargers return home to face the Chiefs next Monday night.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Jets Snap Losing Streak and Get Back to .500


The Jets were in dire need of a victory on Monday night facing the winless Dolphins.  It started off sloppy early in the game, but the Jets kicked it into gear after an abismal start to defeat the Dolphins 24-6 at Metlife Stadium.  The Jets moved to 3-3 with the win, including 3-0 at home and the Dolphins fell to 0-5 with the loss.

The Jets came out of the gate at home not as expected.  Their first four drives were all three and out.  They could not get one first down the first four drives.  They still held a 7-6 lead in the second quarter without having a first down thanks to a 100 yard interception return for a touchdown from cornerback Darelle Revis.  Many questioned whether it may have been a pass interference committed by Revis to get the pick, but nothing was called and Revis would weave his way through defenders to take it from one endzone to the other.

The Jets would finally get offensive yardage on their 5th drive as they drove down the field for a touchdown to take a 14-6 lead.  That would be the score at the half.  The Jets would get a field goal in the 3rd quarter to take a 17-6 lead going into the 4th.  The Dolphins offense was stagnant.  They could not get the ball down the field whatsoever in the second half.  The Jets defense dominated and Matt Moore proved why he is a backup quarterback in the NFL.  He struggled all night, especially in the second half.  The Jets would score early in the 4th quarter thanks to a 38 yard catch and run by Santonio Holmes with the help of a couple great blocks down the field.  The Jets had a 24-6 lead and would hold on by that score.

Mark Sanchez had an average game throwing 14 for 25 for 201 yards and one touchdown as well as a rushing touchdown.  Shonn Greene ran for 74 yards and the Jets finally got back on the winning side.  Meanwhile, nothing is going right for the Miami Dolphins.  They have struggled mightily all season.  Matt Moore, who was playing for the injured Chad Henne did not look sharp throwing 16 for 34 for 204 yards and an interception.  It seems as the Dolphins will be in the race for quarterback Andrew Luck this year as they are looking like they will have one of the top picks in the upcoming draft.

The key thing for the Jets is that they won the game.  This was a much needed win just to get them out of their funk.  Yes, they beat a team who has been awful and arguably the worst team in the league, but it was a win that could build them some confidence going into next week.  The Jets will face the surprising Chargers team at home hoping to get back over the .500 mark. The Dolphins face Tim Tebow and the Broncos in Miami.

Monday, October 17, 2011

World Series Preview


Did anyone think that the World Series this year would end up being the Cardinals and the Rangers? Many came into the playoffs believing it would be a Yankees Phillies matchup, a rematch of the 2009 World Series.  There were not many who would have predicted the Cardinals, a team who seemed to be out of the playoff race in early September, to be in the fall classic.

The Rangers come into the World Series for the second consecutive year as they defended their American League crown.  This year, they hope to do what they did not last year and that is winning their first ring in their 40 year franchise's history.  They have the team this year to do it with a good blend of solid pitching, a great bullpen, and a powerful lineup.  Outfielder Nelson Cruz had an unbelievable American League Championship series after struggling in the division series.  Cruz recorded 6 home runs and 13 rbi in the ALCS against the Tigers after hitting below the interstate in the division.  It was an unbelievable turn around that was extremely essential in powering the Tigers into the fall classic.  Cruz had at least one hit and at least one home run in every game in the series except game 3.  He chose the perfect time to come up with clutch hits for the Rangers.  With other powerful bats such as Adrian Beltre, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, and Mike Napolini, the Cardinals pitching is going to have a rough go for it coming up.

The Cardinals come into the World Series as a team that is scorching hot.  After trailing the wild card to the Braves by 10.5 games they have become a team that does not want to lose and never says die.  They surged into the playoffs in comeback fashion.  They beat the best team and best pitching in the league in the Philadelphia Phillies and they beat a Brewers team on the road who was favored to win the series.  The Cardinals have been the hottest team and a lot of times momentum is key coming into the postseason. (cough cough 2006 Cardinals) The 2006 Cardinals were a mediocre team at best barely sneaking in the playoffs barely finishing over .500.  Yet, they had the momentum and confidence coming in the playoffs and that is all they needed as they won the World Series.  The Cards come in with a powerful lineup as well.  Led by "the machine" Albert Pujols, the red birds have power bats around Pujols to protect him in the lineup.  Outfielder Lance Berkman had a terrific season and earlier in the year was an MVP candidate.  Matt Holiday also had a very good season supporting Pujols and Berkman.  Realistically, the Cardinals do not have as good of a lineup as the Rangers do.  The key is that they have a solid lineup, one of the best pitchers in the game in Chris Carpenter, and they have the confidence.  That might just be all they need.

With that being said, I believe the Rangers lineup has been flaming hot.  Yes, pitching does win championships.  The Rangers do not have the best starting pitching, but they do have the bullpen that comes in and brings the heat.  For their bullpen and powerful lineup, I see the Rangers winning the World Series, but taking 7 games to do it.  Although this may not be one of the best matchups television and ratings wise, I believe this is going to be a thrilling world series with a lot of action and a dramatic finish.  The Rangers will finally get their first ring and Texas will finally have a team that can close games out in the end. (cough cough Cowboys)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Jets Lose 3rd Straight and Fall Below .500


The New York Jets had visions of a Super Bowl victory this season, but after five games they have a losing record and do not resemble the championship team they aspire to be.
So far this year, the Jets defense just has not been able to make the big stops and their offense has been extremely inconsistent. Sunday afternoon proved no different. The New England Patriots defeated the Jets in Foxboro Sunday 30-21. While Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and his offense played better than in previous weeks, their once highly touted defense was once again disappointing.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw for an impressive 321 yards and running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Patriots offensive attack dominated dominated the game. While Brady deserved lots of credit for his team’s performance, the sagging Jet defense played at times as if they were in another league. Maybe they are.
On the other hand, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez had another average day, throwing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Fans waiting for Sanchez to have a “breakout” game will have to wait. Jets running back Shonn Greene ran for an unremarkable 83 yards and a touchdown against the Patriot’s swarming defense.
In all reality, the Jets just are not as good as they were predicted to be coming into the season. The offense has not been very aggressive and the defense has brought little pressure on the opposition quarterback and it has struggled mightily to stop the run. If the Jets want any shot at getting to the playoffs, they are going to need to get their act together on both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. If not, the Jets are looking like a team that will be on a couch in January watching the Patriots compete in the playoffs.
The Jets nest chance to redeem themselves with be a home game against the Miami Dolphins next Monday night. The meeting could be especially timely for the Jets because the Dolphins haven’t won a game this season and they lost starting quarterback Chad Henne to injury.
The Jets need to win this game to get back to the .500 mark and gain some confidence. Especially since they play the explosive and division leading San Diego Chargers the following week.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Ball Game Over. Series Over. Season Over.


Pitching wins championships.  The Bronx Bombers have had the bats going for them all year long but fatigue becomes a factor in October as well as players breaking down in clutch situations.  The New York Yankees did just that.  The Tigers defeated the Yankees Thursday night at Yankee Stadium in game five by a score of 3-2 to advance to the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees had ample chances in game five to win the game.  The problem is that they lacked the clutch and timely hits they needed from guys who are getting paid big bucks to get those hits.  In the bottom of the 4th with only 1 out and the bases loaded, the Yanks failed to get a run in.  In the bottom of the 7th they left the bases loaded after only scoring one run off a walk.  The most expensive player in all of sports struck out in yet another clutch situation.  Nick Swisher who also has struggled in October struck out to end the inning following Mark Teixeira's walk to score a run.  The Yankees complied 10 hits together, but none of them in a timely manner to get another run on the board.

This was 27 year old Tigers pitcher Doug Fister's biggest game since he joined the majors in 2009.  He pitched an absolute gem in his 5 innings only giving up a solo home run to Robinson Cano.  Both teams used all the pitching they could Thursday night going through multiple pitchers and putting everything on the line to try and advance.  The Tigers bullpen did the job and finally got the Tigers into the ALCS.  Since 1988, the Tigers have made the playoffs only one other time in 2006 when they made it to the World Series but lost to the Cardinals.

It has been 27 years since the Tigers have won the World Series.  Could this be the year they finally win it again?  They have got the pitching that can get them there.  The Tigers will face the Rangers Saturday in Texas to start the ALCS.  They will try and defeat the defending American League Champs and prove to a star studded Yankees team that good pitching will always go further than a good lineup.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Yankees Take Risk and Force a Game 5


Tuesday night, the Yankees took a monumental risk in starting 80 million dollar man AJ Burnett.  Burnett had struggled during the season and has struggled on the road in the playoffs throughout his career.  Nobody would have known after watching game 4.  Burnett pitched a great game going 5 and 2/3 innings pitched and only giving up one run and getting the victory as the Yankees manhandled the Tigers in Detroit 10-1.

AJ Burnett won the one game he needed to forget any of what he has done in the past.  Burnett gave up just one run walked four and struck out three and only allowed four hits.  It was not dominant, but it was just what the Yankees needed to force a game five.  Burnett has outfielder Curtis Granderson to thank as Granderson saved three runs from scoring in the first.  With the bases loaded, Don Kelly hit a line drive to center field and Granderson made an unbelievable leaping catch.  He would make another catch later in the game that would save some runs from scoring as well.

The Yankees banged out 13 hits and 10 runs showing what they do best.  Their offense is what carries them as that was clearly seen Tuesday night.  They strung together a lot of timely base hits driving in runs as they would cap it off with a 6 run 8th inning that would make the game out of reach.  They knew what they needed to do and the Yankees did just that. They forced a game five.

Game five will be Thursday night as Doug Fister faces Ivan Nova at Yankee Stadium.  Nova pitched a masterful game one beating Fister as he hopes to do again in front of the home crowd.  The Tigers will have a second chance to send the Yankees home packing.  Can the Tigers finally beat the Yankees in the playoffs? Can they stop the powerful lineup of the Bronx Bombers? Thursday night at 8:00, we will get the answer.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Jets Do Not Want to Return to Baltimore


Baltimore seems to be where all the wild things are.....Wednesday we saw the Orioles beat the Red Sox sending the Sox home in a crazy game and Sunday right next door we saw the Ravens make a mockery of the Jets.  The Ravens defeated the Jets 34-17 Sunday night in a wild game that was more of a defensive battle than the score indicated.

For the first time in NFL history Sunday night, we saw 5 touchdown returns.  The craziness started early. The first touchdown return was a 6 yard fumble return by Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain.  It was the result of Mark Sanchez not getting rid of the ball fast enough causing a fumble and the recovery for a score.  Immediately after that score, (just over 3 minutes into the game) Jets running back and special teams specialist Joe McKnight ran back a kickoff 107 yards for a touchdown.  Most returners would have just took the knee and taken it at the 20.  McKnight decided he may have a chance at a score and he followed his blockers and was left with just the kicker to beat for the touchdown.  He was nearly untouched.  3 minutes and 17 seconds into the game we saw a fumble return for a touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown.

It was due to be a wild game in Baltimore.

After a rushing touchdown by Ravens Ray Rice and a field goal by kicker Billy Cundiff the Ravens would go up 20-7.  The third return touchdown and most controversial would come after that in the second quarter.  Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson would run back a fumble by Sanchez for 26 yards for a touchdown.  The play was reviewed, but the call stood that Sanchez did not have the ball as his arm went forward.  The fourth return of the game for a score would come soon thereafter with 6 minutes left in the first half.  Joe Flacco would make a careless pass right in the hands of Jets linebacker David Harris who took it 35 yards to the endzone for a score.

At the half, the Jets trailed 27-17.  The final return touchdown would come almost midway through the third quarter as Sanchez made a pass that we would have saw him make in his rookie season lobbing to to a receiver and not seeing Ravens cornerback Ladarius Webb there who would take it back 73 yards for the fifth return touchdown for a game, which was the new NFL record.

That would be the last scoring of the game as well as the Jets were destroyed in Baltimore.  The Jets were playing without pro bowl center Nick Mangold.  This would prove to be pivotal for the Jets as well as the Ravens defense.  They were blitzing all night and Jets inexperienced center Mike Baxter could not stop them.  Sanchez had one of his worst games of his career throwing 11 for 35 for just 119 yards and the interception.  His counterpart, Joe Flacco had just as bad of a game throwing 10 for 31 for 163 yards and the interception.  Both quarterbacks were awful in the game as the Ravens offense was led by their running backs Ray Rice and Ricky Williams running for 112 yards combined.

This road trip has been a disaster that the Jets want to put in the past.  They suffered a double digit loss to Oakland and to Baltimore.  Now, to end the road trip, they have to travel to Foxboro to face Tom Brady and their division rival Patriots as they hope to get back over .500 to improve to 3-2.  They hope to have Mangold back for the game as he will be much needed with the new and improved Patriots defensive line.  The Pats are coming off a dominant win at Oakland.  The Jets have a lot to work on this week and Sanchez and this offense is going to need to be a lot more aggressive than what we have seen if they hope to live up to Rex Ryan and the fans hopes for this season.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

October Has Arrived


October is here which only means one thing...playoff baseball. After a crazy ending to the season, the playoffs have begun.  In the American League, the AL East Champion Yankees have home field as they face the AL Central Champion Tigers.  The AL West Champion Rangers are home against the surprising AL Wild Card Champion Rays.

In the National League, the NL East Champion Phillies have home field as they play the NL Wild Card Champion Cardinals. The NL Central Champion Brewers are home as they face the NL West Champion Diamondbacks.

Let me give my preview of the playoffs and my predictions.

In the American League, I see the Yankees Tigers series being a very close series.  The Yankees had an unbelievable season with a lineup that will scare any opposing pitcher.  The problem is that their starting pitching is somewhat suspect.  After former Cy Young winner C.C. Sabthia, they are starting rookie Ivan Nova, followed by veteran Freddie Garcia.  Nova did have a great season going an astonishing 16-4 with a 3.7 ERA.  The problem is starting a rookie pitcher in the playoffs does not always turn out good.  Garcia did not have a bad season by any means going 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA.  What the Yankees are going to need is some good pitching throughout the playoffs.  The good thing is that they still have that lineup and it is rested and healthy now.  I believe their powerful lineup will get them past the Tigers, but I believe it will take five games to do it.

In the other American League matchup the Rangers face the Rays.  The Rays are a team coming into the playoffs as one of the hotter teams in the league and feeding off a thrilling comeback to win the wild card after trailing by nine games coming into September.  That reason alone makes me believe they will surprise the Rangers.  Great young pitching, a solid lineup, and an inspired team have me picking the Rays to beat the Rangers in four games and have Tropicana Field rocking once again.

In the National League, I have got to go with the Phillies over the Cardinals.  The Phillies have been just too good this season.  When you have a starting pitching rotation of Halladay, Lee, Hamels, and Oswalt, it is hard to lose in a short series. For that reason, I am picking the Phillies to advance in four games.
In the other National League matchup it is a tough pick and also a fun series to watch.  The Brewers and Diamondbacks had unbelievable seasons.  I know I did not see either of these teams....well at least the Diamondbacks doing what they did this season.  Arizona has a very young team that exceeded everyones expectations this year going 94-68 led by the young starting pitching of Ian Kennedy going a remarkable 21-4 this season.  With that being said, I believe the Brewers offense lead by Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and starting pitching of Yovani Gallardo and Zach Greinke and just a little more postseason experience will get them by the Diamondbacks in five games.

In the end, I see the Phillies beating the Yankees in the World series in seven games.  The Phillies have been dominant all season and I see their dominant starting pitching continue to win through the playoffs as they get revenge against the Yankees from 2009 and take it in 7 games closing it out at home in Philadelphia.

One Night of Baseball That Will Never Be Forgotten


On Wednesday night, September 28th, 2011, Major League Baseball experienced enough events in one night to make a story for an entire season.  In no other night in baseball history, did we see the multiple meltdowns and dramatic finishes to three games that were all the determinants of the final playoff spots.

There were four games Wednesday night that would determine the winners or whether there would be a tie in the American League Wild Card as well as the National League Wild Card.  The Red Sox were playing the last place Orioles.  The Rays were playing the first place Yankees.  The Cardinals were playing the Astros and the Braves were playing the first place Phillies.  The Red Sox and Rays were tied for the wild card lead in the AL.  The Braves and Cardinals were tied for the wild card lead in the NL.  The events that would take place that night, I have considered making some sort of film for.  Never have I, nor any baseball fan seen such events happen in one evening and in such an important time as we did on this magical Wednesday night.

The Yankees led the Rays 7-0. The Red Sox led the Orioles 3-2.  The Braves led the Phillies 3-2.  The Cardinals had already won easily 8-0.  Boston fans were saying, "Ok we can breathe. The Rays are down 7 runs with 6 outs to go and we just got to close out the last place Orioles." Braves fans were saying, "Well, at worse we will play a one game playoff against the Cardinals and have a shot at the NLDS." Let's just say a lot of baseball fans were biting their tongue as it came close to the midnight hour on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals-Astros game would be the first game to end for the night as they won easily thanks to the complete game effort by Chris Carpenter.  The Braves saw the final score to this game, and maybe it put a little pressure on the entire team ton win as now it had become a must win game.  The Braves had a comfortable 3-2 lead going into the 9th inning with a closer having a career season with 46 saves and an ERA just above 2.  A single, 2 walks, and a sacrifice fly later and the Braves hopes of playing a one game playoff the next day would begin to vanish.  Closer Craig Kembrel had blown the save and the game was headed to extras versus a Phillies team who already had clinched home field and were just playing for pride and to prepare for the playoffs at this point.  The Phillies would go on to win the game in the top of the 13th inning.  The Braves had entered September with a 10.5 game lead in the NL Wild Card.  This arguably is the worst collapse in baseball history.  In 2007 the Mets blew a 7 game lead with 17 to play.  It seems like the NL East has trouble swallowing victories come September.

Just minutes later, the AL Wild Card race would define "wild."

The Yankees were cruising through into the 8th inning in a game that had no significance for them as the Rays were just 6 outs away from what looked like to be the end to their season.  Then the bottom of the 8th inning came, and the Rays postseason hopes went from dead to alive in an instant.  It was like watching a man die, only to come back to life again out of nowhere.  The fighting Rays, who trailed the first place Red Sox by 9 games coming into September saw life again.  They strung together a couple of hits, a couple of walks, and a couple of hit by pitches along with a sacrifice fly to make the game 7-3.  Evan Longoria came up and hit a 3 run home run that would make a 7-0 game just minutes earlier a one run ball game.  If that was not dramatic enough, trailing by one in the bottom of the 9th with 2 strikes and 2 outs, Dan Johnson would come up for the Rays and crank a solo home run just over the right field wall to tie the game.  Tropicana Field could be heard from Disney World....well at least from the fans who stuck it out.  Many fans had left after trailing 7-0 thinking that is was a good run, but it looks like the season would be over.

Meanwhile, in Baltimore it was the bottom of the 9th and Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon struck out the first two batters to start the inning and was one out away from a victory.  Then, the inevitable would come not only in this game, but also in Tampa Bay.

The Orioles would hit a two doubles to tie up the game and put the winning run on second base.  Just like that, the game was tied and the Red Sox season was on the edge of a cliff about to end.  It seemed like it could not happen.  It seemed as it could not go down the way it was going.  The Rays had made a sparkling comeback and the Red Sox were choking right in front of our eyes.  Then, September Red Sox killer, Robert Andino came to the plate and would hit a liner to left.  140 million dollar man Carl Crawford looked to might have a play on it but as he slid to catch it, the ball dropped in, and his throw home was too late.  The Red Sox had blew the game they were one out away from winning.  Their only hope was to hope the Yankees, who were playing for nothing in Tampa, would get an extra inning win over the Rays to send it to a one game tie breaker.

Minutes later, all of Boston would go silent.

About two minutes following the Red Sox defeat, Rays star Evan Longoria would step to the plate again in the bottom of the 12th.  Seconds later, he would be at home celebrating with his teammates.  Longoria had done it again.  He hit a line drive home run just clearing the left field wall to not only to win the AL Wild Card for the Rays, but also knocking the Red Sox out.  The series of events did not seem real.  It was a fairy tale ending to an unbelievable month of September for the Rays and an epic collapse for the Boston Red Sox.

From 7pm until midnight on this Wednesday night on the last day of the regular season in major league baseball, we saw events that we most likely will never see again in the history of the game.  It was the most exciting, thrilling, heart capturing night in the history of baseball.  The way everything had gone down was absolutely bizarre and out of the ordinary.  The style we saw the Braves and Red Sox lose and the timing of it was insane and the way we saw the Rays come back was absolutely incredible.  It was one night, as a baseball fan, I know I will never forget.  It was a very disappointing night for the millions of Braves and Red Sox fans and quite the evening for Rays fans as well as Cardinals fans.

A night like this reminds me just why I love sports and the game of baseball, especially.  Teams just never give up and never say die.  It is something about sports that is truly inspirational.  25 players working together as one to try and fight for one goal....a world championship.  The events that took place Wednesday night were a good showing of what we love to see in sports.  We love to see the fight. We love to see the desire.  We love to see the hustle.  Its the factors of the game that true fans love to see and reminds all of us just why we love the game.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Jets Get Raided in Oakland 34-24


Once again....defense wins championships.  Darren McFadden must have not got the memo. McFadden's 171 yards and two touchdowns helped the Raiders get by the Jets Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum in Oakland.

The Jets were sloppy with the ball and their two turnovers truly cost them the game on Sunday.  Sanchez had a bad interception thrown in the endzone that ruined a great punt return by Jeremy Kerley.  In the second half, Antonio Cromartie bobbled a kick return and fumbled it and the Raiders ended up with the ball and scored a touchdown.  Those two turnovers were monumental in the loss.

They came out of the tunnel in the second half with nothing.  They did not score in the second half until there were 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter.  The offense did not play with the fire that we see from this offense when playing from behind.  Mark Sanchez's stats were not bad as he threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw 43 passes and completed 27 of them and also had the interception thrown in the endzone. Center Nick Mangold missed the game due to injury.  Clearly, this was a huge hole for the Jets that was seen throughout the game.

The story of the game was the unbelievable performance by Raiders running back Darren McFadden.  He carried the ball 19 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns.  That is an astounding 9 yards per carry.  Michael Bush also ran for 22 yards and a touchdown.  Jason Campbell played a fairly mistake free game and let the run game do the bulk of the work in the victory. Campbell was 18 for 27 with 156 yards and no touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Jets have to go on the road to Baltimore and on the road to New England next.  This was a game they really needed to pull out.  Now they will hit the road to face two of the best teams in football.  They are going to have to step it up defensively and not make any more careless turnovers if they want to head back home with a winning record.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Jets D Dominates in 32-3 Win Over Jags


They say defense wins championships. Well, that is how it is looking to be for the New York Jets. Their offense did not look too pretty against a Jacksonville team with a lot of bumps and bruises and a starting quarterback by the name of Luke McCown. The defense, on the other hand was absolutely dominant.  Even with the futile play by the offense, the Jets obliterated the Jaguars 32-3.

The release of quarterback David Gerrard may have the seats in Jacksonville as empty as they were in the fourth quarter at Metlife Stadium Sunday afternoon.  Rookie QB Blaine Gabbert got to see some playing time Sunday in the second half and may be seeing a lot more playing time coming up. Luke McCown had 1 of the worst games ever seen by a QB.  His QB rating, an astounding 1.8. Yes, you read that correctly. Was it the Jets defense or the poor play of McCown? Well, a good combination of both.

The Jets secondary was nearly unstoppable as they hope to be all season long retaining pro bowl cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Darrelle Revis.  Both had spectacular seasons last year and both have looked good the first two weeks.

On the other hand, the Jets offense did not look like the fired up offense in the fourth quarter the week prior against the Cowboys. Coach Rex Ryan told the team in meetings the day prior that he would like to see the offense come out firing.  That, they did....for the first possession. They quickly scored a touchdown ending with a 17 yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the endzone.  After that, Sanchez struggled throwing two interceptions.  Luckily, the defense's dominant play had him very relaxed and not having too worry too much about carrying the team.  Cromartie and the rest of one of the top defenses last season took care of that.


One thing that I did notice and am starting to notice in Sanchez though is that he is starting to look very comfortable in the pocket.  He does not seem to be forcing as many throws and making too many mistakes like we have seen in the past.  The fourth year quarterback is starting to look more like a veteran out there.  He will try to take the Super Bowl hungry Jets to their first Super Bowl win since prior to when the first man walked on the moon.

The Jets are off to quite the start with two wins to start the season.  One coming in comeback fashion and the other in blowout fashion.  Gang Green will be tested these next couple of weeks as they play at Oakland, at Baltimore, and at New England.  Sanchez and the rest of the Jets are going to need to play a more complete game on both sides of the ball if they hope to keep their early successes going.