Hope everyone had a Happy Easter/Passover:
I've said this many times before, but I believe it bears repeating: There are many things I could ask the Pope that are much more important, but probably the thing I would end up asking him is if he could PLEASE have Easter be either the second or third Sunday in April. Having Easter in late March or very early April is an absolute buzzkill. If you are a student/teacher, it means you have to slog through three more months of work. For the rest of us, it usually means freezing our butts off on a day where we look to dress in nice spring outfits. Instead we have to bundle up like we do on Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Speaking of things starting too early, baseball season starting on March 29 was another head scratcher. Don't get me wrong, in some ways baseball couldn't come soon enough, what with another disastrous winter of football and basketball to suffer through, and not even hockey to save us. The Rangers and Islanders both spit the bit this year, and the US Olympic hockey team under performed in South Korea this year.
But starting the baseball season at the end of March is really just asking for trouble. Especially in a year that it looks like we are going to have snow all the way till Memorial Day. March had 4 Nor'easters and April 3 we had 5 inches of snowfall. That April 3 snowstorm postponed the Yankee home opener, forcing them to play in the cold rain the next day.
A priest I knew used to say "Common Sense is very uncommon." That should be the official catchphrase of 2018 so far.
Anyway, I don't have any audience with the Pope scheduled, so I guess I'm S.O.L about Easter, but lets break down our teams on this second Sunday of April..
THE GOOD...
The Mets, healthy and with a new attitude have gotten off to a nice start. I realize it is WAY to early to count on them, but they have been a fun watch so far. And beating the Nats, in Washington nonetheless is always a treat.
The Yankees have also gotten off to a solid start, but some of their fans were up in arms over new manager Aaron Boone use of the bullpen in the first week of the season. Look, I thought they were nuts to turn the team over to a guy who had never managed or coached on any level before, but I'd give him more than a week before we start calling for his head. $h-t, I'm not even that much of a maniac, am I?
THE BAD...
The Rangers decided to mail it in around the beginning of February, are besides a nice three game swing through Western Canada, they have pretty much stunk the place up. Whats worse, they lost all their games to the Islanders this year. When the Mets are in tank mode, which they usually are, all I ask of them is that they beat the Yankees. In 2013, even though they were awful, the Mets swept the season series with the Yanks, and it made that season easier to swallow. And the Yankees are almost always good.
The Islanders, after a couple years of playoff appearances, have regressed to the point where they are in danger of losing their best player. According to two of my Islander sources, (Timmy's babysitter Liz and my Post Colleague Kathianne) the Islanders win over the Rangers at Barclays Center felt an awful lot like a farewell for John Tavares. Look that would be great for me, but for the Islanders, that would be a shame. When they drafted him back in 2010, it was at a time where agents for top prospects were warning the Islanders not to draft their players. JT91 made no such demands, actually said he wanted to play on the Island. And he has stuck it out and been a good no a great representative for the organization. As a Ranger fan, I hope he goes out west somewhere. As a human being, I hope they can work it out for him to stay in Brooklyn/Elmont.
As for my Rangers, well they just did last night what I told them they should do last year and sent Alain Vigneault packing. Last year he literally (IMHO) coached the team right out of the playoffs. This year they tossed in the proverbial towel, so as much as I really don't blame him for this mess, I can't totally defend him either. His first two years here were fun, a trip to the Finals in the first year and a trip to the Semis in year two. The last three seasons haven't been good. Elimination in the first round in 2016, the second round last year (a series they really should have won) and this years disaster. Canning someone after missing the playoffs for the first time seems kind of harsh, but hey, this is NY folks. Go big or go home.
Actually, I believe this is more because the brass feels like they don't want to go through this rebuild with him. He'll no doubt end up behind someone's bench next season. His record is solid and by all accounts he's a genuinely nice guy.
So be it. I wish him the best. But I'm not that sorry to see him go.
THE UGLY:
I honestly can't remember the last time all 4 of my pro teams didn't make the playoffs and my college basketball team (St. John's) didn't make the tournament in a given fall/winter. Actually you can see for yourself right here... http://barroombs.blogspot.com/2018/04/playoffs.html
But that's the case here. Since September 2017, only the Yankees made the playoffs. The Mets, Jets/Giants, Knicks/Nets and Rangers/Islanders are all going to be teeing off while their sports playoffs roll on without them. (yes I know the Devils made the playoffs, bully for them).
But even one of my five losers have usually manged to at least get into the first round of the playoffs. Not this year. Hopefully my Mets keep it up, and the fall/winter of 18-19 is more fun, but there's a lot of baseball left. We shall see.
MEDIA: WFAN vs. The World
Mike Francesa and Chris Russo had a mini Mike and the Mad Dog reunion on March 29th edition of High Heat on the MLB Network. After Fatso and Fruit Loops gave their annual over/under predictions for the upcoming baseball season, Russo started woofing on their former station, saying "they’ve got nobody on” after Boomer. That was clearly a shot at not only the new afternoon drive show, but Joe and Evan in the midday as well.
“Oh, we can make fun of FAN all day,” Russo said.
Esiason took exception to the dig, firing back at Russo and Francesa for being "classless."
Dick!
WFAN program director Mark Chernoff said that "knowing Dog, I think Dog thought he was being funny. It wasn't funny." That's probably it, but at this point of his career, he should know better. As Esiason's new co-host Greg Gianatti said, "They've (been on the air for 2 1/2 months, and they have been genuflecting to those two, our afternoon show now, nothing but respect they've shown to those two...nothing but respect they've shown those guys. I mean it's totally uncalled for. It really was."
Gio was right.
The problem is so are Jerk and the Fatman.
Because that new afternoon show, really has been awful.
I had to stop listening to it for a while... How much more talk about Odell Beckam Jr. could I listen to? Bart Scott knows nothing about any other sport besides football. Chris Carlin is a good straight man, but you need someone with some personality to be a good straight person. Maggie Gray knows her stuff, but is hopelessly dull.
If I'm Mark Chernoff, I send Bart Scott packing forthwith. I'd then move Joe and Evan to afternoon drive and put Carlin and Maggie on in the midday. Maggie could be excellent with some practice. Joe and Evan have paid their dues and deserve a shot at afternoon drive. (Even Francesa acknowledged this during the vetting process). Bart Scott never going to be anything more than a football guy, and as Russo (correctly) pointed out, Scott tried to lead a media boycott when he was with the Jets.
Bernard McGirk and Sid Rosenberg's Bernie and Sid show replaced Imus in the Morning last Monday, and Sid, who had been hoping to replace Francesa before he was considered to replace Imus, took the Mad Dog's side.
..."Boomer, it’s very nice that he’s loyal and on the air he says one thing, but there’s no way if you shoot Boomer Esiason up with truth serum and take him in a corner somewhere he’s not going to tell you the afternoon show isn’t a disaster.”
I love Sid, but I think he's rationale was off. Yes, the show sucks, but Mike and the Mad Dog should take the high road. Either come back to the FAN and do the show, or shut the f--k up.
Think that's all I got folks.
Have a Great Week
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