New York Jets Draft Grades

The New York Jets had a ton of holes to fill going into the 2013 NFL season, but I feel that new general manager John Idzik did a great job to help kick start the rebuilding process.

Pick #9, first Round: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

This was the obvious pick for the Jets here, given the Darrelle Revis trade a few days prior to the draft. Milliner was easily regarded as the best cornerback in the draft, and will be a nice number 2 corner opposite of Antonio Cromartie. This pick also lets Kyle Wilson move back to covering the slot, where he plays much better than on the outside. Milliner comes from college powerhouse Alabama, so getting coached under Nick Saban and playing against top SEC talent will help him to be more ready for the NFL. Scouts say he has to improve his hands, but he did have over 20 passes broken up last year. Milliner won’t be Revis, and he has injury concerns (5 surgeries in college), but if he can stay healthy, Milliner should have a big impact for the Jets.

Grade: A, only because this was the most obvious choice the Jets had at 9, and they got one of the best defensive players in the draft.

Pick #13, first round: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri

I admit it, I get hyped into the big names. So when the 13th pick came around I expected the Jets to take Jarvis Jones (LB) or Kenny Vaccaro (S), which were more need areas. When the Jets selected for the third straight year another defensive line player, I was furious. I didn’t know who Richardson was and wanted Shariff Floyd or Star Loutelei instead. I would like to apologize to Mr. Richardson. The guy has a motor, and last year blew through the Alabama offensive line (which had two first round draft picks in this years draft) for 14 tackles! He is very fast and can line up in different spots on the field. Richardson was nicknamed the drive stopper for his abundance of tackles on third and fourth down.

Grade: B-, with Wilkerson and Coples, this can be a formidable front line. Still, the grade is lower because I would have liked to see another position taken here. This pick will also be linked to Revis, so hopefully Richardson pans out.

Pick #39, second round: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

This was a weak draft class for QB’s. I wanted the Jets to wait until the stacked QB class of 2014, but when the Jets saw what many considered the best QB in the draft still sitting at number 39, they pounced and took Smith. Tim Tebow was just cut as a result of this move, and many Jets fans are hoping the same for Sanchez. Lets face it, Sanchez doesn’t deserve to take another snap for the Jets, and the team knew this. Woody, also desperate for PSL sales and headlines, just made his team the talk of the town again (cause talking wins championships…). Like Richardson, I was upset at first, but I can’t help but feel excited now.

The Good: Geno Smith is a football junkie, and people say he was all about football and academics at school. He seems to be an excellent leader and already appears much more tougher mentally than Sanchez. Smith has a very strong arm, and scouts say he can make all of the throws in the NFL. He is also very athletic, running a 4.59 40 yard dash (same as Cam Newtown). The Jets saw what mobile quarterbacks like RG3, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaperenick did to the league last year, and hope Smith can do the same. Smith put up great numbers his final year at school, throwing 42 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

The Bad: Scouts say he is sometimes painfully inconsistent with his accuracy, and struggles with sideline throws. He also tends to underthrow a lot of passes, and the best of the best will pick him off with ease. While he is mentioned to be mobile, sometimes he is reluctant to take off. Smith’s pocket awareness is also a concern (like Sanchez) and he struggles to pick up blitzes.

Grade: B, this is a high grade because 1. The Jets got the best regarded QB in the second round 2. Using a second round on Smith doesn’t mean they have to fully commit to him if he struggles this year (taking a QB next year can still be possible) and 3. the Jets absolutely knew they couldn’t put Sanchez out there. Geno Smith is already looking like the week one starter.

Pick #72, round 3: Brian Winters, Guard, Kent State. Grade: C+ Can be a good player, but concerns about how he will transition from guard to left tackle

Fourth round pick traded for Chris Ivory, running back from Saints. Grade: B+ Love this move, as Ivory will bring a ferocious running style to the Jets. With Bilal Powell and Mike Goodson, the Jets backfield is looking nice.

Pick#141, round 5: Oday Aboushi, OT, Virginia. Grade:B- Jets needed o-lineman, high upside. Like more than Winters pick because he doesn’t need to transition to another spot on the o-line.

Pick#179, round 6: William Campbell, G, Michigan- Grade: C-

Pick#215, round 7: Tommy Bohanon, FB, Wake Forest- Grade: D isn’t this position pretty much dead in the NFL now?

Overall grade: B. It sucks the Jets had so many premiere draft picks in a draft many considered weak, but John Idzik did a great job with his first draft. The team didn’t add a linebacker, tight end or safety, some concerns, but filled other areas. The Geno Smith pick pretty much means Sanchez is done, and Dee Milliner should help the secondary improve. For people saying that the Jets were stupid for not taking a premiere offensive player in the draft, I laugh at them. Tavon Austin was the ONLY wide receiver/running back/ tight end worthy of being taken at either 9 or 13, and when he was gone at number 8, Idzik was smart to not force the team picking an offensive player that early. The rebuilding process is in full swing, but like 2009, when many thought the Jets were rebuilding, maybe they can surprise some people and make a run. A lot of things would have to go right, but it is fun to have some faith.

I have faith in Idzik’s plan

Darrelle Revis Traded to the Buccaneers: My Misery Continues

Back during the 2007 NFL draft, my father and I were driving down to our house on the Jersey shore. We listened on the radio as the first few picks came in, and wondered who the Jets would draft. When we got to our house, we did some work outside, then I ran in to turn on the draft and see who the Jets drafted. As the names on the bottom of the screen rolled by, I was shocked to see the Jets had traded up to 14. My dad yelled from the kitchen asking who we selected. I saw the name, “Darrelle Revis,”. I replied, “Daryl Revis…Dar-a-relle Revis, I have no clue!” Me and my dad shook our heads, a cornerback?! Of course the Jets screwed this one up again. I got texts from a bunch of my friends all going, “Who the hell is Darrelle Revis?!”

Revis turned out to be one of the best cornerbacks in the game, and one of the best Jets players in our sad and futile history. I remember week 1 of the 2007 season like it was yesterday. My dad and I watched as Revis got burned constantly by Randy Moss and Tom Brady week one at Giants stadium. I still remember what the announcer said, “Hey rookie welcome to the NFL, now go cover Randy Moss,” Over the next few years though, he would turn into a player that would shut down half of the field. I’ve watched Revis cover wide receivers such as Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Randy Moss and many more, and saw those receivers do nothing on the football field. So if anyone doesn’t think Revis is that good, you have not watched him play enough. Yes folks, he is that good.

That’s why this trade pains me even more. No matter what, we would never get equal value back for him. The Jets completed the trade yesterday to the Tampa Bay Bucs, the only team surprisingly interested in the best cornerback in football (yes, even over you Richard Sherman). What did the Jets get back? The 13th overall pick in a draft that isn’t that great, and a 2014 conditional 4th round pick that can change into a 3rd round pick.

Analysis of the trade

Tampa Bay Bucs: In my opinion, the Bucs easily win this trade. Anytime you get the best cornerback in football for just TWO draft picks, that is a steal. I understand Revis is coming off of ACL surgery, but he is still only 27 and I feel that he will be back to dominating wide receivers like he always has. The Bucs were one of the worst teams in terms of defending the pass, and they gave up the second most passing yards per game in NFL history. Adding safety Dashon Goldson and now Revis should see those numbers improve, especially in a division where you have Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cam Newtown throwing the ball.

New York Jets: The Jets are a mess, and are going to be bad this year, plain and simple. I like general manager John Idzik though, so I trust in his plan. He will rebuild the roster (look at the Seahawks team he assembled). Having the 9th and 13th overall pick should help the Jets, as they have a ton of holes to fill. Still, you just don’t get enough for Revis in this trade. Yes, the Jets can go out and draft another stud cornerback, or they can go out with that 13th pick and draft the next Vernon Gholston! Just the thought makes me want to puke. Rex Ryan has his work cut out for him in 2013, and now Antonio Cromartie becomes the teams number one. Mike Wallace burned Cro last year, and now he is in the division as a Dolphin, sick!

Speaking of Cromartie, why not move him? Cromartie is going to have a cap hit of over 6.5 million per season, and I know that is a lot less than the 16 million per year Revis wanted. But looking at the 6 year/96 million dollar deal Revis got with the Bucs, there is NO GUARANTEED MONEY! The Jets couldn’t do this? I understand Woody Johnson didn’t want to pay him top dollar, or deal with his asshole agents, but come on, the guy is a billionaire! Revis may be viewed as greedy, but if you were the best, you wouldn’t do the same thing? Revis was well respected, for his work on and off the field, as well as for being a leader in that locker room. What does Cro bring? Just some stupid headlines and 25 kids! Cromartie is a good player, but he is no Revis, not even close. Many will point out that the Jets were fine without Revis, as their pass defense was still good. To that I say baloney! Teams were just scoring so many points off of Sanchez turnovers that they barely had to throw the ball!

 It’s up to you Cro

Again, you could see this coming, but it didn’t have to be this way. Woody Johnson should have looked past the holdouts and greed. Revis was one of the best players in our teams history! Pay the man! You might as well fire Rex Ryan too, as this trade doesn’t help your team right away. Rex must be thrilled to see Revis go (yes, thats sarcasm). Ryan is clearly the sacrificial lamb for this season, which will be a long and ugly one. Oh wait, who is that we are playing week one at MetLife stadium?! Its the Tampa Bay Bucs! I swear if the Jets even throw it to Revis’ side of the field just ONE TIME I will give up on this team forever.

It is such a shame really. I blame both sides here. Revis, you said you wanted to be a Jet for life, but that was clearly a lie. You could have came down from your demands a little bit, but no, your ego needed to see that you were the highest paid cornerback. Woody Johnson, you didn’t have to run your star player out of town. I know you are sick of dealing with his crappy agents, but you didn’t even TRY to make an offer or attempt to resign one of the best players your team ever had. Good luck trying to fill the stadium this year, who are the fans going to come out and watch? Mark Sanchez behind center still sucking? I don’t even have a single Jets jersey to wear now! Shonn Greene, gone. Tomlinson, long gone. Bart Scott, adios. Mark Sanchez, donated that jersey to kids in need. Now my authentic Revis jersey, unwearable. At least I have my Tebow T-shirt!

 I got to meet Revis in 2010

I have seen a lot of great players come and go, from Keyshawn Johnson to Jonathan Vilma. This one pains me the most. Revis was one of my favorite football players ever.  He is so good at what he does, and not only good at stopping receivers, but helping out in run defense as well. It is such a shame I only got to watch him in 2012 for a few games, as his ACL injury wiped out most of his season early on. I wish all of the best to Revis in Tampa, but this trade really, really sucks. The pain of being a Jets fan continues, and just add this to a list that keeps on growing. Revis Island has been kicked off of the Jets island.

One Of My Favorite Basketball Players Ever: Rasheed Wallace

I don’t think there was anybody more entertaining to watch in the NBA than Rasheed Wallace . Originally selected by the then Washington Bullets (ironic, how Gilbert Arenas?) in 1995, the man fans know as “Sheed” has played for a plethora of teams. Sheed was instrumental in helping the Portland Trail Blazers in 1999 and 2000, and by 2001 he was a well know All-Star throughout the league. Other teams Sheed played for include the Atlanta Hawks (he played one game), the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. For me, Sheed is best remembered for being a Piston, and beating the Lakers super team 4-1 back during the 03-04 season. Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace, man what memories. Sheed played with the Celtics until 2010, then retired for two years until the New York Knicks came calling.

Seeing an opportunity to play in New York City, Sheed decided to come out of retirement, and was a huge factor in the Knicks starting off the season 17-5 (for the 21 games he played). Sheed shocked many NBA fans by just how well he was playing for the Knicks after nearly two years out of the game. Coach Mike Woodson was playing Sheed an average of 14 minutes, and his solid defense, attacking the rim and even hitting some long threes made him an integral part of the team, and instantly a fan favorite at MSG. Things were looking good for Sheed, until he went on to miss most of the season though with a stress fracture in his left foot. Sheed was said to be feeling better, and could even be ready for the playoffs, which would be huge for the Knicks. Sheed played in only 4 minutes against the Bobcats on April 15th before leaving the game with a sore left foot, then he had to retire again.

Growing up, there was no better player in my opinion to watch than Sheed. I say this not just for his game, but the way he reacted to foul calls. Someone should have put one exclusive camera on him at all times, because he has some of the best, most hilarious reactions to foul calls I have ever seen. The man was pure entertainment, and a joy to watch. Sheed has the most technical fouls in NBA history with 304, so every time you tuned into a game he was playing in, you knew you had a good chance to see something hilarious go down. I mean come on, man got thrown out of a game for staring at a referee, literally!

I would have loved to watch Sheed with the Knicks come playoff time, but things didn’t work out, sadly. I wish Rasheed Wallace all the best in his retirement. Thank you for providing me with countless NBA memories, it was a joy to watch you this year when you did play!

Some of the best of Sheed:

Lets not forget, he was a great basketball player as well:

Ball Don’t Lie!!!!!!!

From Joy to Terror

Nothing pisses me off more than a terrorist. In my opinion, there is no bigger coward anywhere in the world than a terrorist. Osama Bin Laden? Coward. Any member of Al Qaeda? Coward. Domestic terrorists? Coward. You can even go back years and years and label Adolf Hitler a coward. These types of people are the lowest of the low, the biggest scumbags you could ever imagine. What is their purpose? To attack and kill the innocent, to ruin lives and to fill the world with terror.

Growing up in the tri-state area, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 hit my family hard. My dad, who worked a few blocks away from the towers, lost a lot of his best friends. My mom lost her cousin. I thankfully had an Uncle able to make it out of the South tower. Others I knew weren’t so lucky. I had to see good friends grow up without a farther and it not only made me sad, it made me angry. Sadly since 9/11, we now live in a world where the word “terror” is uttered everyday of every week. The terror up in Boston yesterday renewed our fears.

The Boston Marathon is a symbol not only to the people of Boston, but to the country as well. The day is known as “Patriots Day”. The Boston Red Sox always have a home game, which was won in thrilling fashion in the 9th inning, when Mike Napoli hit the game winning RBI double. There was another big game later that night between the Ottawa Senators and the Boston Bruins. But in between those two big games was the marathon, a 26 mile trek through the heart of Boston. Many of the races elite runners finished the race earlier in the day, and the marathon was wrapping up with many runners still crossing the finish line. Many spectators were family and friends of the runners, beaming with pride and happiness as they crossed that finish line.

No one knew that the finish line was going to turn into a horrific scene. Around 2:50 pm, the first explosion went off near the finish line. The explosion happened right where a lot of spectators were standing. People started screaming in terror, trying to leave, when suddenly about 10-14 seconds later, a second explosion went off right down the road from where the first explosion went off.

At first, many news stations were speculating that it may have been a gas leak, but TWO gas leaks one after the other, on a day where there are thousands and thousands of people crowding the street, come on! Right away you could tell that it was terrorism!

I have some thoughts on what happened:

1. Right away, Muslims were being blamed: Right after the bombs exploded, “Muslims” was trending worldwide. It is sad that when a terror event happens in America, they are the first people to be blamed. This is life post 9/11 though, so nowadays Muslims being blamed first is not uncommon. If you look at some pictures of people helping those injured in the blast, you can see people of Muslim descent helping others. It’s a shame because they’re are many good Muslims in this country. Many on Twitter were condemning blaming Muslims, so it was good to see some intelligence online.

2. Don’t believe everything you read on Twitter: There were rumors of multiple bombs, the JFK library exploding, that Al Qaeda was behind this, or that North Korea was involved. People tweeted out that the police had a suspect in custody, but that turned out to be false. Kevin Smith, of “Jay and Silent Bob” and “Clerks” fame, tweeted out a link that people could access to listen to the Boston police radio. scanner. Smith’s purpose of doing this was to say that if you want accurate news, get off of Twitter!

3. It may be a hassle, but don’t complain next time you are in line: Long lines at sporting evens, at the airport, at concerts and much more are never fun. Now, I will happily wait on any line to any sporting event I go to. Ushers need to check inside bags much more thoroughly, maybe have a bomb sniffing dog on the premise and have more metal detectors. ANYTHING to continue to keep us safe, especially when places in New York and Boston will continue to remain high profile targets.

4. It can happen anywhere: I truly hope this attack doesn’t inspire more copycat terrorists.  When I was heading into New York City on Saturday, I looked around the train and thought to myself, “No one checks any luggage or anyone getting on this train, someone could have a bomb or something inside one of their bags.” It is eerie that that thought went through my mind. If you think about it, airport security is probably a 9/10. But to take the NJ Transit line to the city, security getting onto a train is 0/10. Add in the fact that there are reports that these bombs were small enough to be hidden in trash cans, then you have a very serious and scary situation, especially in cities. I am sadly going to be much more paranoid walking around the city now, and this attack reminded me of when a man put a bomb into a van and drove to Times Square a few years back, hoping to kill as many people as possible. Luckily that bomb didn’t go off, but sadly terrorists were able to succeed yesterday in Boston. I just really hope that these type of crowd bombings, like those you see happening in other parts of the world, don’t start happening more and more here.

5. America should use more lethal tactics: This is my opinion, and I know a lot of people won’t agree, but the American public has gotten EXTREMELY sensitive. Just look at this ad for Kmart, called “Ship my pants”. You can watch it here. My point for showing this is the fact that there is outrage over this commercial. I understand it sounds a lot like “shit my pants”, but guess what, they are saying “ship” so you can’t really go and call Kmart bad or insensitive. The fact that this is what upsets people in this country is pretty pathetic. Again, I understand parents don’t want their kids to hear something that is very similar to “shit”, but they aren’t saying it, so no harm done. How am I connecting this with terrorism? I feel that more tactics should be used to interrogate terrorists in custody. People cry foul and torture when we dump buckets of water on their head, aka water boarding  But seriously, I couldn’t believe people in this country were mad how we handled our terrorists in captivity. If we needed more lethal tactics to keep this country safe, then do it! I have zero sympathy for anyone associated with terrorism. America says they don’t want to show the world that we are torturing people, but as terrorists use more guerrilla and lethal ways to harm people inside this country, why not go a little farther?! The more extreme terrorists’ tactics are, the more extreme our tactics should be. I am sure there are more interrogation methods the US uses and I obviously do not know what they are. But if the news comes on about  public outrage over dumping some water on a terrorists head,  then those complaining should have their head examined. Again, I have no sympathy for any terrorist, especially those captured. Do what you have to do America.

 Obama briefed on the attack

The Boston bombing was horrific, and a truly cowardly act by whoever did this. It just makes me angry, sad and sick to my stomach. People lost limbs, blood was everywhere and   what was a joyous scene hours earlier looked like a a war zone  As of 4/16 at 11 AM, there are three confirmed dead and over a 170 injured. It is reported that an 8 year old boy passed away, which just makes me want to vomit. Peoples lives will never be the same, and the marathon will never be the same. Hopefully, something like this will never have to happen again, but it seems like more of these attacks will sadly continue to happen to us and others. There is no way to fully stop evil, and it makes you wonder just what kind of thoughts runs through a persons sick, twisted mind. I guess terrorists just want their straight path to hell when they die.

To all the people of Boston, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Stay safe and be strong. Just like New York years back, you will rise up, overcome and be back stronger than ever. We will not let these terrorist cowards ruin our ways of life. We showed that after 9/11, and we will show that again in 2013.

Also, to all of the Boston police, firefighters, volunteers and anyone else who stayed to help those hurt, you are all heroes and thank you for your bravery.

God Bless America.

More Baseball Fights!

During last nights game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, a memorable little scuffle broke out between the two teams. Fast Forward to the bottom of the sixth inning, where Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke plunked Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin with a pitch. Check out the video below.

First off, I have never seen a “fight” start off like this. Usually when a batter charges a pitcher on the mound, the two exchange some punches or shoves (or in the case of Robin Ventura, a beating). Still the way the fight between Greinke and Quentin unfolds is pretty funny. After Quentin gets hit, he stops for a second and stares at Greinke. In another video of the incident, from a different angle you can see Greinke say something to Quentin. Once Quentin makes up his mind and decides to charge the mound, Greinke slams his glove down, and the two run into each other with their shoulders. Again, it was an odd way of starting off a fight, with two players charging into each other shoulder first.  The two get thrown down to the ground and are at the bottom of  a huge scrum, but no punches seemed to be thrown, and many players were trying to separate everyone. So basically, this fight was not on the level of the epic Canada vs. Mexico brawl at the World Baseball Classic a month ago.

The shoulder lunge

Bad news has come to both players after the fight. Zack Greinke, who signed a six year, $147 million dollar contract in the offseason, has a broken collarbone. This injury could keep Greinke out for months, a big blow for the Dodgers. Meanwhile, Carlos Quentin is still stuck on a team that seems to be going nowhere, as they have started the season with a putrid 2-7 record. Luckily for both players, there is a lot of baseball season left to turn things around.

After the incident, both teams have blamed the player who is on the opposite team. Don Mattingly, the Dodgers manager, said it was a 3-2 pitch in a 2-1 ballgame, basically saying it would be stupid for Greinke to have hit Quentin on purpose. Greinke agreed, saying it was not the right situation to purposely hit a batter.

Maybe what got Quentin so mad was the fact that last nights hit was the third time Greinke has hit him. According to ESPN, the last time was in 2009, and involved different teams for both of the players. Another ESPN article also points out that in the 86 games Quentin played in last year, he was hit 17 times, which is the most in the league!

Quentin will figure to get suspended for a couple of games. Mattingly however, wants an eye for an eye, stating that Quentin should be suspended for however long Greinke is out with his broken collarbone. Obviously Mattingly won’t be getting his wish, but Bud Selig should give Quentin some form of punishment. I am not blaming either fully, as I look at it as both of their faults. I don’t think Greinke was really trying to hit Quentin on purpose, as putting a hitter on base purposely in that close of a game would be moronic. Dodger fans are saying that if Quentin just walked to first base, nothing would have happened. Padres fans are pointing out that other angles show Greinke saying something to Quentin, which sparked his rage. Regardless, the whole situation was stupid and uncalled for. Now the Dodgers have to deal with not having one of their aces for the foreseeable future, but at least this will make for some entertaining ball games between the two California teams.

Greinke was asked if there is bad blood to this rivalry now, which he replied…

“Now, there probably is”

Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (left) got into it with Carlos Quentin (right, face covered) after the game. Kemp is apparently livid that Quentin broke Greinkes’ collarbone.

Nate Robinson Goes Off!

Call the Chicago Bulls “Streak Killers”. Yet another team went into Chicago with a double digit winning streak, and yet again the Bulls were happy to end it. First it was the Bulls beating the Miami Heat to end their 27 game winning streak a few weeks ago, and the Knicks were the latest team to have their 13 game winning streak snapped in the Windy City.  No Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah or Taj Gibson, no problem. The man who carried the Bulls for most of the night was a familiar one to Knicks fans, as point guard Nate Robinson did his best Rose impression, and put the team on his back.

Robinson scored a team high 35 points last night, with 18 of them coming in that crucial fourth quarter. Robinson also hit five huge three point shots, and was instrumental in the Bulls coming back from a 17 point deficit in the third quarter. The win not only ended the win streak for the Knicks, but also helped push the Bulls a half game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth seed in the East. I know regular season games mean nothing come playoff time, but if these two teams should meet again, you have to think the Bulls will have the psychological edge having beat the Knicks four times this year. Even without many of their key stars, the Bulls are still a physically imposing team, and will not back down from anyone. As a basketball fan, one could only hope that these two teams meet again in the playoffs, where some bad blood will surely resurface.

It appeared briefly again last night as well, as Novak and Robinson have a little feud going on. When Nate Robinson hit a three pointer over Knicks player Steve Novak, he looked right at Novak and did the “championship belt”  right in Novaks face. This isn’t the first time Robinson has done this to Novak, as  it happened earlier this year, with Novak throwing a little dig at Nate afterwards. Nate replied on Twitter later on, saying..

@stevenovak20 lol at ur comment … I forgot u invented that move u must play for the packers and ur name is Aaron Rogers #FOH clown

While the championship belt celebration was made famous by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ( and State Farm’s discount doublecheck commercials), Novak has commandeered the celebration for himself, while being mimicked by thousands of basketball fans after they hit a three point shot. Different sport, no harm done.Novak has done this celebration for a little while now, and if Novak hits some three’s and does the belt, you know the Madison Square Garden faithful would be pumped. The problem lately is, Novak hasn’t been hitting his three’s as well as he can. So when Novak was in the game last night for over 12 minutes and held scoreless, Nate Robinson was lighting it up, and wanted to make sure Novak and the Knicks knew it. Robinson did the belt celebration repeatedly towards the end of the game, which was actually pretty hilarious.

So things between the two aren’t on good terms, but who cares, it makes the Knicks-Bulls rivalry that much more fun. Nate Robinson is a great player, and I used to love watching him when he was on the Knicks a few years ago. While he is a normal height of 5’9″, whenever I see him out on the court running around with players who are extremely tall, I need to remind myself that Nate is actually a normal sized man, not a little person. Despite him being short (in the basketball world) Robinson has constantly hung around and played active roles in the NBA. He won’t let his size be a disadvantage, and Nate plays bigger than he actually is. Just look at this block he committed on Raymond Felton last night. Or how about when Nate dunked over Dwight Howard in the dunk contest back in 2009?

Nate Robinson is a great player. While some teammates and coaches have been known to get sick of Robinson’s attitude, it seems like the Bulls are embracing their little point guard, who brings energy and enthusiasm on a nightly basis. If this team can get back to being healthy, they will be an extremely formidable opponent, not that they aren’t already. The Bulls will carry their swagger and physical intensity into the playoffs, and there will be some team in for a rude awakening once they play Chicago.

Some NHL Quick Hits

The NHL season is coming to a close (that was quick, wasn’t it?). Some teams are sitting comfortably in a playoff spot, others are fighting just to make it to hockey’s second season. Lets take a look at some interesting stories throughout the league.

1. The Columbus Blue Jackets- Yes, the Blue Jackets, the team that finished last in the West last year with 65 points. Once the team traded captain Rick Nash, many were expecting another last place finish. But the Blue Jackets have shown true resiliency, sitting only two points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the 8th playoff spot. The team made another huge trade with the Rangers at the trade deadline last week, acquiring Marian Gaborik to add some scoring punch, and so far he has delivered. Let’s not forget the stellar play of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The former Flyers backup is the reason the Jackets are where they are, and some are even calling for Bobrovsky to win the Vezina (he is 6th in the league with a .205 Goals against average and .930 save percentage). He has four shutouts in the past 15 games, and has clearly taken his game to another level. I am rooting for the Jackets to make the playoffs, and hopefully make a nice playoff run.

 Bet the Flyers wish they had Bob now..

2. The Islanders- Another team making a playoff run are the New York Islanders. The team is currently sitting in 7th place with 44 points, surprising many with their recent great play. Like the Blue Jackets, the Islanders are having success due to the stellar play of their goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov. The man who didn’t want to play for the Islanders when he first was acquired by the team has now fully embraced his role. According to NHL.com, Nabokov has stopped 146-158 shots and has gone 6-1-1 in the past eight. The team is well rounded, with superstar John Tavares carrying the team with his superb play. The Islanders are one of the top scoring teams in the league with Matt Moulson, Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo all contributing. It will be interesting to see if the Islanders can hold on, as they will be dangerous come playoff time.

 Next big thing, John Tavares

3. Marc Staal skating- Rangers fans got great news yesterday, and that was an official update on how defenseman Marc Staal is doing. If anyone doesn’t remember, Staal suffered a horrific injury when a puck was deflected into his face, right above his eye. It was one of the scarier plays hockey fans had seen. When the injury first happened, I thought season ending, or *gulp* even career threatening. Luckily, Staal was skating at the Rangers facility yesterday, and skated hard. When he spoke with the media, he said he is feeling fine, but his vision isn’t back to 100%. There is no timetable on his return, but some people are speculating by the end of the regular season Staal can return. Staal echoed that sentiment, saying he doesn’t need his vision to return to 100% to play. I sure hope so, as the Rangers defense has been rocky since he went down, but I want Staal to play only if he is fully healthy. Staal is easily the Rangers best defenseman, and would be huge for a playoff run. It is reported today (4/10) that Staal is skating again, his third straight day! When Staal does return to the ice, yes, he will wear a visor.

 It’s great to see Staal ok

4. It’s good to be Ovie again- About a month ago, I wrote an article about Ovechkin’s struggles. The Caps had just come off a brutal Sunday loss to the Rangers on national television, and Ovechkin’s play was uninspiring to say the least. Lately though, Ovechkin has played like the Ovechkin of old. The Great Eight has six goals in his past three games, including 17 goals in 15 games. Since Ovi’s offensive explosion, the team has gone on a nice tear, winning six of their past seven. The winning streak has propelled the Caps to the top of their division,and in third place with 44 points. Many thought the team was dead in the water a few weeks ago, but Adam Oates (The Caps third coach in a season and a half) has gotten the best out of his team, and Ovechkin is scoring goals that look like goals we are used to seeing from a player that is as talented as he is. The Caps will be a dangerous team if they can hold on and make it to the playoffs, and a rejuvenated Ovechkin will lead the way.

5. Giguere calls out teammates- Following a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday, Colorado Avalanche veteran goaltender called out some of his teammates in pure frustration.  He is what he said…

“Some guys are more worried about their Vegas trip at the end of  the season than playing the games, playing every minute of the games. Quite frankly, I don’t care about your Vegas trip right now”

Boom goes the dynamite! The Avalanche came into this season with a young team, led by exciting players such as Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny. However, the teams contract fight with center Ryan O’Reilly must have been a huge distraction to open the season. The team is also awful defensively as well, constantly leaving their goalies all alone to make a difficult save. I respect Giguere calling out his team. Look, the Avalanche record is 12-22-5 with an embarrassingly low 29 points. Despite the awful season, it is good to see a player still care and want to win every game regardless of what the standings say. Maybe the way Giguere went about it, talking to the media and all, was not the right way to go about it. But this team needs a kick in the ass, and stop with the lackadaisical play. The Avalanche need to make some moves in free agency and get some more veteran presence into that locker room. Look for the Av’s to have a top three draft pick this summer as well (might I recommend drafting a defenseman).

Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene, Milan Hejduk, Ryan O’Reilly, Gabriel Landeskog…this team has WAY to much talent to be last in the NHL