Utterly Satisfying

Giants 29, Dream Team 16.

It's been a rough past 3 years for the Giants, so at the risk of overreacting to one regular season victory...I'm going to savor this one. Make no mistake, this post isn't analysis, it's gushing. So here we go!

The Giants didn't play a flawless game, but they put it all together and showed what they are capable of. Eli Manning played mistake free. Victor Cruz made the most of his opportunity, in Mario Manningham's (temporary) and Domenik Hixon's (permanent) absences. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs ran hard, and Jacobs contributed unexpectedly in the passing game. Aaron Ross really responded after a subpar performance, and benching, last Monday night. The offensive line kept Eli upright and the running game on track. The defensive line made Vick uncomfortable all day (more on this in a moment). The linebackers, and the rest of the secondary, kept the Eagles' playmakers in check.

And much respect to the Giants' coaching staff on the game plan. On both sides of the ball, the Giants were well-prepared, and seemed to have the Eagles off balance.

A couple more things that brought me personal joy:

*The Giants just have a knack for making opponents cry, don't they? If you'll recall, it was the Giants who beat the Cowboys in the 2007-08 Divisional round, resulting in Terrell Owens' "That's my quarterback..." moment. Then last night, we saw Michael Vick whining about being on the ground all the time, implying that referees don't protect him enough. Maybe your offensive line couldn't protect you enough, under relentless pressure from the Giants' front four, Mike.

*Eagles' WR Steve Smith was a non-factor in this game, and Aaron Ross's first interception came after it bounced off Smith's hands. This isn't to say one game proves the Giants were vindicated for not being able to re-sign Smith and letting him go to the Eagles. And it is still disappointing to think about his defection. But over the past month or so, Smith sort of became better than he was in hindsight. Yes, he was good, but he had his flaws (drops from time to time, and not a deep threat), and wasn't the world-beating superstar that it's sometimes tempting to think of him as when remembering his time as a Giant.

I'm going to thoroughly enjoy this win for the next few days. But it's time for the Giants to keep the momentum going and immediately shift their focus to the next opponent, Arizona. A golden opportunity to take care of business and move to 3-1, in a stadium where they achieved the greatest victory in the history of sports less than four years ago.

This win doesn't solve all their problems, and there will surely be plenty more bumps along the 2011 road. But for now, as I said before Week 1, let's go have ourselves a season!

Case study on how not to run a business

I am having fun reading the comments at the bottom of this Netflix announcement. For all the jokes we make about the average person or consumer being dumb, this is a great example of not a single customer being fooled by an egregious rate hike and accompanying corporate spin-job.

I'm honestly impressed...Netflix has handled things so badly, that they've united 100% of respondents' opinions in one direction. Do you realize how hard it is to get every last person to agree on anything? Especially on the Internet? If I posted a blog called "Food and water are necessary to live," and enough people respond, I think a disagreement would break out eventually.

The great thing about our free market is that a company run this poorly, is going away. Blockbuster, Hulu, and Amazon are coming for you Netflix.

Classless

In an interview this week, Patriots' Quarterback, troll genius, and spygate beneficiary Tom Brady urges fans to get nice and drunk before their home game Sunday against the Chargers.

Great idea. Fans are stabbing and shooting each other, and beating each other into comas, but by all means everybody get "lubed up" before coming into the stadium. Oh never mind, the Patriots' PR person just explained he meant to drink water and stay hydrated. Don't you just love when you're talked to like you're stupid?

Say, wasn't Brady the opposing QB for the Giants' Super Bowl XLII victory, the greatest in the history of sports?

The single dumbest thing ever said about baseball

Mariano Rivera recorded his 600th career save yesterday. He now trails current record holder Trevor Hoffman by 1. Saves are one of the least important stats in baseball, but some people think they are important. Rivera is the greatest pitcher who ever lived, but when he breaks the record for saves, that will not be the reason why.

Anyway, I don't know how I missed this a couple weeks ago, but better late than never...

Ted Leitner, San Diego Padres' radio play-by-play announcer, on August 22, at the ceremony to retire Trevor Hoffman's number:

"And I know baseball fans...baseball broadcasters...we love to argue. So we argue who's better, who's the best. But there is no argument. This is not a Padre broadcast bias, it's not a Padre fan bias. We know this. The only true measure of a closer is how many saves did you get. So today without any fear of argument I tell you that today the San Diego Padres retire the number of truly by that benchmark - the only benchmark - the greatest closer in the history of major league baseball."

Stare. Blink. Stare. I don't even know where to begin. This statement has already been torn apart, and this is one of those times I wish FJM was still around because no one did it better...but it would be kind of lazy for me to say absolutely nothing, so here goes...

But there is no argument.

NO ONE DENIES THIS!

This is not a Padre broadcast bias, it's not a Padre fan bias.

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

We know this.

Have you seen Mariano Rivera pitch?

The only true measure of a closer is how many saves did you get.

Some might offer up that ERA, or WHIP, among other things, might be a better measure. How about postseason performance?

Hoffman: 13 innings, 3.46 ERA, with 4 precious, only-measure-being saves.

Rivera: 139 2/3 innings, 0.71 ERA, 42 saves. And 5 championship rings.

Is that cherry picking? How about just leaving it at regular season performance then...over their entire careers, Rivera's ERA has been greater than half a run less than Hoffman's (2.22 to 2.87). Hoffman pitched his entire career in the National League. ERA+: Hoffman, 141. That's really good. 14th all-time, in fact. Rivera, 205. That's highest of any pitcher who ever lived. To put it in perspective just how far and away Rivera is the best, Pedro Martinez is 2nd in ERA+, at 154. But by all means go on, Mr. Saves...

So today without any fear of argument

Again with the "No one dare argue with me, the subject is closed" gambit. Always a secure move. "Vin Diesel is the best actor ever and I fear no challenge because there is no other way to measure this other than how many cars blew up in his movies."

I tell you that today the San Diego Padres retire the number of truly by that benchmark - the only benchmark - the greatest closer in the history of major league baseball."

The sad thing is that Mo is about to pass Hoffman on the all-time saves list - the one metric Leitner thought was safe, and could use to call Hoffman "the best." What, like Mo wasn't going to get another 10 saves or so in his career at that point in August?

Look, I know you were there to honor Trevor Hoffman, but you could have done that by talking about his longevity, how he was beloved by the fans of San Diego for so many years, or how he's among the best of his generation. But you can't just say whatever and not expect to be called on it.

2011 Giants Preview

I like to play the "win-loss-win-loss" game with the schedule every year, but it doesn't seem like it would work this year. (As if it works other years, right?)

Every time I look at the schedule game-by-game I come up with 8-8, yet the way the preseason went, I just want to throw up my hands and proclaim, "Season's over, 5-11." And that disastrous preseason came after losing Steve Smith, Barry Coefield, and Kevin Boss to free agency. Either way, I can't confidently predict playoffs, and I'm trying to fight a feeling of impending doom that would make me the kind of "Woe is us" fan I have always vowed not to become - even though that would arguably be understandable the way the past three seasons have gone. I wouldn't call it "karma" because that would imply the Giants have done something to deserve the bad luck, but I do have a theory that because 2007 was so incredible - greatest victory in the history of anything, remember - that the football gods feel they need to punish the Giants to balance things out in the grand scheme of things.

As you can already tell, much like my league preview I don't have a cohesive approach here. But what I do have, are a few reasons the Giants could have a good season. In spite of six defensive players lost for the season, I'm selling optimism!

*The Giants have too much talent on paper to go 5-11, or be a team that's out of the hunt early. Sure, they lost some key players, but in a league with so much parity, it takes a special kind of dysfunction to win 5 games or less. You almost have to go out of your way to be that bad.

*The 2007 Giants were not predicted to be a juggernaut before that season began. And this team seems to perform best when expectations are low.

*The first half of the schedule appears to be soft. A good chance for the new players to gel, and time for the injuries that actually didn't put the players out for the season, like those to Prince Amukamara (foot) and Osi Umenyiora (knee), to heal before the competition really ramps up.

*Hey, at least the Giants don't have the Colts' problem: Franchise QB out indefinitely. As irreplacable as Terrell Thomas and Jonathan Goff seemed, neither are Peyton Manning. I believe in Jerry Reese's ability to evaluate talent and build a deep team with capable backups. Aaron Ross and rookie Greg Jones, it's your time to shine.

Now, let's go have ourselves a season!

2011 NFL Preview

In past years, I've released more of a structured season preview, for both the Giants, and the NFL as a whole. This year, I either didn't have the time, the heart, a cohesive enough vision...or all three...to be able to put it all together.

But to do the bare minimum (What do you think of someone who only does the bare minimum?)...here are my playoff picks.

NY Jets

Baltimore

Houston

San Diego

New England (WC)

Pittsburgh (WC)

AFC Championship: NY Jets over New England

Philadelphia

Green Bay

New Orleans

St. Louis

Atlanta (WC)

Dallas (WC)

NFC Championship: Philadelphia over Green Bay

And in my nightmare scenario Super Bowl, which I will title "Unbearabowl XLVI," the Eagles defeat the Jets, as the Eagles' dog killing QB narrowly escapes Jets' defenders, and sideline-tripping strength trainers, to lead the Eagles to their first Lombardi Trophy. Like Alien vs. Predator, the headline for this one: "No matter who wins, we lose."

Understatement of the (early) season

The normally money Greg Cosell, on WTEM 980 in Washington with Andy Pollin and Steve Czaban, when asked where the Giants will be hurt most by their injuries:

"I think defensively."

Moneyball

One of my favorite books was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt that opens September 23. While the book was great, I wonder how they'll give it the kind of story arc one would expect from Hollywood. Unnecessary love story for Billy Beane?

I'm going with a Fight Club type twist...BILLY BEANE AND PAUL DEPODESTA WERE THE SAME GUY ALL ALONG!

Also, I wonder if Joe Morgan will pan it without having seen it.