Hi there:
So first and foremost, on this Veteran's Day Weekend, we here at WM want to thank all of the men and women who have served our nation, defending our freedom and our way of life. I tell my son often that he's fortunate to have had both of his grandfather's serve in Vietnam, as I was fortunate to have had both my grandfather's serve in WWII. To them and all our other relatives and friends who were willing to sacrifice their lives for our liberty, we give thanks from the bottom of our hearts.
BASEBALL: The Mets new manager
As we were publishing and posting last week, the news broke that the Mets were naming Yankee bench coach Carlos Mendoza as our new manager. That meant either Craig Counsell was staying in Milwaukee or heading somewhere else besides Flushing. Turns out, he was named the new Cubs manager, which apparently was news to the current Cubs manager, who had no idea he was on the hot seat.
I realize baseball is a bottom-line business, but it seems a bit cold what the Cubs did to David Ross. I guess it no different than if they had talked to Counsell in the last week of the season, then cut Ross loose to being him in. But it felt different. It felt Ross was planning on coming back in 2024, only to have the rug pulled out from under him. I could be wrong about all that, but that what it looks like from where I'm sitting. And that just doesn't feel right.
But that's the Cubs and Brewers problem to deal with. Here in NY, my team has once again decided to hire a first-time manager. And look, there is something to be said for giving someone their big break, right? I mean that's the stuff that makes the world go round. And he's paid his dues. He bounced around the minors as a player for 13 years, then coached and managed in the minors before becoming Aaron Boone's right-hand man in the Yankee dugout. He could turn out to be a great hire.
But the fact remains they had an experienced winning manager already in Buck Showalter. And the last two first time managers we hired didn't turn out so well. The team played hard for Mickey Calloway but didn't win often enough and then he turned out to be a total screwball. I still think Luis Rojas has the makings of a good manager, but he looked overmatched much of the time he was here. I realize it's two different men and two different situations, but the similarities between Rojas and Mendoza are spooky.
Again, I would have kept Buck, or maybe someone who had won previously like Joe Girardi. The last time the Mets hired a first-time manager who was any good was Davey Johnson 40 years ago. Maybe Carlos Mendoza will turn out to be as good. Or maybe he'll be Luis Rojas. Time will tell. For now, they have done nothing to make me feel any less disappointed in them. All of them.
Speaking of disappointing....
FOOTBALL: Jets Primetime Disasters
The Jets last two games, last Monday night vs the Chargers and this past Sunday night vs the Raiders, were equally aggravating. They were both games that they were capable of winning, both games they should have won, and didn't.
The Chargers game was a blowout and the Raiders game was a bit more competitive. The difference was that the Chargers have a halfway decent QB in Justin Herbert and the Raiders have a rookie QB named Aidan O'Connell.
The Jets of course have their own QB woes with Zach Wilson, but the thing is, 'm not sure they win the Raider game with Aaron Rodgers and I know they don't win the Chargers game with him.
The QB didn't do them in in either one of those games.
Penalties did.
They were penalized 8 times in each game, for 40 yards against the Chargers and for 83 yards against the Raiders. But that only tells part of the story. The penalties killed drives and in the Raiders game actually cost them a touchdown, something they haven't been able to accomplish since the first quarter of the Giants game.
Wilson wasn't good in the Charger game, but he made a few nice throws in the Raider game and actually ran in the right direction a couple of times. (He was the Jets leading rusher against the Raiders.)
Zach Wilson isn't blameless here, not by a long shot, but I really don't think he's as bad as the media has made him out to be. I really do believe it's the poor discipline that has screwed the Jets over, the self inflicted wounds. And I hate to say it, because I really like the guy, but that falls on the coach.
I'm not calling for Robert Saleh's head just yet. I do believe he has good qualities, the guys play hard for him, and let's face it, he deserves at least some of the credit for the solid defense. But he also deserves blame for the crappy offense. And the penalties have got to stop.
Saleh needs to figure this the f--k out or else it will be impossible for me to defend him anymore.
ELECTION WRAP UP- The first time I voted was when I turned 18 in 1991. Like this year, it was an off-off year election. Growing up in Queens, you voted for President one year, the mayor the next year and the governor after that. Then there was the year where it was all local races. Like this year.
And I know its hard to get motivated sometimes to go out and vote if it's people you are not familiar with, but still I feel it's our duty to go out and make your voice heard.
There were a couple of governor's races outside New York, including Kentucky, where a Democrat won re-election in a state dominated otherwise by Republicans. In Mississippi, the Republican incumbent beat by a challenge by a second cousin of Elvis Presley. He ended his concession speech by saying "A-Thankya. Thanya very much."
And in Ohio, which I had put into solid red state category, they voted for codify abortion rights and to legalize marijuana. WM will adhere to it's strict "No Abortion Discussions" rule except to say that this was a noteworthy development. And once again we've gone from "A Chicken in Every Pot" to Pot for all us Chickens." Party on Ohio!
I did not watch any of the Republican debate the other night in Miami, hosted by NBC, I relied on the counsel of some good friends and of course the interwebs to keep me up to speed. I will have to start watching though as we are now less than two months away from the raucous Iowa Caucus. From all the reports I got, Nikki Haley seemed to be the most competent of the lot, especially after that creepazoid Vivek Ramaswamy dragged her daughter into the fray in a discussion of Tik-Tok.
Like I said, less than a couple months till the circus kicks off.
And in the "Well that's not a good sign" department, Mayor Eric Adams had his phone and other media seized by the FBI this week. His chief fundraiser had her apartment raided by the feds as well. The investigation is looking to see if the mayor received any illegal campaign contributions from Turkey via a Brooklyn construction company. Adams attorney said he was cooperating fully with the investigation. We will be keeping an eye on this.
On a positive uplifting note, two hero cops saved a man who fell onto the tracks of my beloved 7 train last Saturday morning. This all took place at the 90 Street Elmhurst Station. A man walking too close to the edge of the platform took a header onto the tracks. When the man didn't respond officer Jonathan Valle jumped onto the track bed and hoisted the man up to his partner David Canarte. Canarte had been trying to get the attention of the engineer of the 7 train that was rapidly approaching the 90th Street Station.
Officers Valle and Canarte are two years out of the academy, and as Valle told Channel 7 Eyewitness news, "All those pushups at the academy helped."
We always hear about the bad stuff. We need to appreciate and be thankful for the good stuff as well.
Probably won't publish next weekend. If I don't have a Happy and Restful Thanksgiving
Stay Safe
and Have a Great Week
No comments:
Post a Comment