The Knicks and Allen Iverson…will it happen?

I’m sure you’ve been inundated with everyone’s two cents these past few days on whether AI is a good fit at MSG, but who cares what blogger nerds like me think (and Bobby, who weighs in one post below).

We caught up with a couple of Knicks tonight and got THEIR opinion – the only ones that matter, really – on whether or not they think Allen Iverson is a good fit with the Knicks.

Check out the video below for interviews with David Lee, Jared Jeffries and Chris Duhon (who will lose significant playing time if Iverson becomes a Knick – you can feel the tension!!).

So the Knicks are considering bringing in Allen Iverson. I have mixed feelings on this, as should most Knicks fans, Apparently the Knick brass has misgivings about A.I. too.

Mark Sanchez called ‘my bad’ today after his weird post game press conference Sunday following the Jets’ loss to Jacksonville (click to watch the weirdness below).

If you’re not hip to Sanchez’s latest gaff, here’s what happened:

After the game Sunday, the Sanchize stormed the post game podium, told the gathered media (yours truly included) that he was going to read from a prepared statement (a tattered piece of notebook paper), then proceeded to go a mile a minute spewing talking points while motoring through his media responsibilities.

It was all very strange. And from a TV perspective, very unusable as far as sound bites go.

Again, take a listen for yourself…the video is below. I’m sure you’ll agree it was a tad askew.

Anyway, the new news today is that Sanchez said he knows the unconventional rant “didn’t go over very well” and that he believes it’s “hopefully a one-time mistake.”

Here’s to hoping the rook learned his lesson.

As it was going on, the 20 or so media members in the room were looking around at each other with “what the hell is going on here” looks on their faces.

Ditto for the Jets’ PR staff, as I spotted a pair of them whispering to each other while Sanchez was imploding on the stage.

Ok. That’s pretty much it for this blog. I’ll now accept any comments you guys may have but I can’t imagine you’d have any now that I’m done.

Meet Kevin Laue...nice guy, good student, and great basketball player. Kudos to Manhattan College for taking a chance on the 6'11" center when others would not.

Laue is believed to be the first one handed athlete to play Division I basketball. Check out the video player or after the jump!

Bill Belichick

Couple of things from the NFL this weekend... Sunday night Bill Belichick made a gutsy call and it backfired on him. I'll leave that for last. Let's start with the Jets and supremely confident Rex Ryan. His defense needs to go back to the drawing board... Whenever they needed a big stop Sunday against the Jaguars, they came up small. Second quarter... 4th and 4... David Garrard throws to Mike Thomas. Keeps the drive alive. Then in the 4th on the Jags winning drive... 3rd and 9.... again, Garrard finds Thomas. Another crucial conversion. Then there was the Maurice Jones Drew play and you know the rest.

I don't blame the offense for the loss. I thought they played pretty well... except for Mark Sanchez's interception that should have been a pick 6 if the guy didn't trip over the 10 yard line... But Sanchez after the game was ridiculous. He actually read from a piece of paper in the post game presser. I guess his line of thinking was that if he touches on subjects that are of interest, then the media will not ask him those questions, thus taking "The Hammer" away from the media. He should know better and if he doesn't someone should tell him. Just go up to the microphone talk to the media, answer their questions and go on about your business. When did he have a chance to prepare this little cheat sheet anyway? Maybe during the Jags final drive because the defense did nothing to get their offense back on the field.

Another week, another stinker by a New York football team.

This time around the honor goes to the Jets, who didn't bother showing up for the first half against a below average Jacksonville team.

It wasn't until the 3rd quarter that the Jets' vaunted "D" made an appearance, but alas, it was short-lived as the Jets crumbled on the last drive of the game.

The Jags drove into Jet territory, Maurice Jones-Drew made the unselfish play of the year opting to take a knee in order to burn clock instead of accepting a gimmie touchdown and Jacksonville kicked the game winning field goal as time expired.

Take a listen to the interviews below and you'll get a sense that the Jets know they let one slip away today, and the theme going forward is "finishing games."

That's certainly something the Jets didn't do today.

Enjoy:

It was another star-studded turnout for the 7th annual Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation Gala tonight at Chelsea Piers.

A mix of current Yankees, former Bronx Bombers and celebrities mingled on the red carpet long enough for us to ask them a couple of questions.

In addition to giving all a chance to say why they support Torre and his worthy cause, the Yanks and their 27th championship were also a hot topic.

Also discussed were the Yankees’ current free agents, what it was like for former Yanks (Torre, Don Mattingly, Don Zimmer and David Cone) to watch their former teammates win the World Series, and Derek Jeter’s acting ability.

Click below to hear from this eclectic bunch:
Yankees: Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano
Dodgers: Joe Torre and (my personal hero) Don Mattingly
Former Yankees: David Cone and Don Zimmer
Actors: Steve Schirripa and James Lipton (Host, ‘Inside the Actors Studio’)

Enjoy!

Jeez!!!....can the Yankees catch a break these days??

This might be a day late but it’s no less relevant – WHERE THE HECK IS ROBINSON CANO’S GOLD GLOVE!!

Sorry, I shouldn’t use such strong language, but this one really burnt my biscuits!

Placido Polanco, the capable 2nd baseman for the Tigers took the title (announced yesterday) instead of Cano.

Usually when I write blogs such as these questioning an award (MVP, Cy Young, etc.), I like to back up my argument with some cold hard facts. But I’m not even going to go there this time.

Do you really care about Cano’s UZR versus Polanco’s? What about his VORP? I say B-S!!

I had the best time hanging out with the Long Island Hurricanes. They were kind enough to allow me into their first practice of the season this past Saturday. As a female athlete, I never underestimate an ALL woman team but I was even more impressed by the tenacity, toughness and the multitasking talents of the ladies. They are women of all ages and all skill levels. I must admit, I was initially going to step on the ice and try to play but chickened out. Even the novices look pretty damn good and hockey is not something I take lightly. I will be taking lessons soon! Check out the story in the video player and GO HURRICANES!

For more information on the team and the Port Washington Family Skating Center:
http://www.pwskating.com/

Now that the baseball season is FINALLY over, I thought I could finally catch my breath, a sports induced break. Yesterday was a strange day for me. For the first time in OVER 8 MONTHS, there was no baseball-exibition, regular season, All Star or postgame to worry about. No baseball whatsoever.

But then, you realize: All the awards are given out (like the AL Gold Gloves today), then the "hot stove" league as free agents hit the market. You just NEVER get a break with baseball. We're only about 90 DAYS from pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training.

Then I got to thinking: All our sports overlap. Baseball went into November this year because of the foolhardy World Baseball Classic. When I was born, America's Pasttime ended NO LATER than mid October.

Check out football. Back in the day, there was only 1 game on Thanksgiving Day. Now, thanks to advertising dollars, there are 3. Good chunks of America will be sleeping when the Giants play the Broncos, right here on PIX, too. Thanks to the day we stuff ourselves, we'll be ready to nap rather than cheer on Big Blue. The NFL now goes into February, as the NHL and the NBA become relevant. BUT-spring training now begins in February instead of March.

College football used to end January 1st. Today: up to 35 cash cow bowl games from Mid December through the BCS Title game the first week of the year. Hockey and hoops: 9 months-most of which is ignored till playoff time. The Knicks won their last title in early May of 1973. Now, the Finals go past mid June, as does the NHL.

Less than 7 weeks till Christmas, and all the major sports are in play. Sports never takes a vacation because, like it or not, money generated ratings make the world go round. Why else would there be 5 games on Christmas Day?

I shouldn't be surprised. I saw holiday catalogs in August. It's all commercialized. I can remember the days when the Yule Log ran on TV Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, a traditional part of a restful holiday. This Christmas, I'll probably be stuck with playoff lacrosse and an inspiring Gossip Girl holiday extravaganza.

Oh boy, there’s trouble in Giant-land.

Big Blue laid another big egg at the Meadowlands today, falling to the Chargers 21-20…their 4th straight loss since opening the season 5-0.

Lots of second-guessing to go around for all you Monday morning quarterbacks.

Personally I would have liked to have seen the Giants go for it on 4th down on their opening drive instead of opting for the (eventually botched) field goal attempt.

And then of course there was Tom Coughlin’s decision to play it conservative in the 4th quarter after Terrell Thomas picked Philip Rivers.

With 1st and goal at the 4 the Giants did the following: penalty, short pass, run, run.

I know the penalty set them back, but they had 3rd and goal from the 9 with Jacobs and chose to run instead of taking a shot at the end zone.

To me that was the uninspiring play call that doomed the Giants.

But don’t take my word for it (Reading Rainbow, anyone?)….here’s what Big Blue had to say after their Big Stinker.

Listen to Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara, Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss and Corey Webster:

Ok, so now that baseball season's over, what are we supposed to watch?

The obvious answer is football, basketball and hockey.....3/4 of our sports! But if you're like me, you just can't ease into the "lesser" three so easily after seven months of fantastic baseball.

Thought I'd be able to make the transition tonight, given that EVERY New York-area basketball and hockey team was playing....but nope....just wasn't that exciting.

Nights (other than NFL Sundays) during the wintertime don't get much more jam-packed than tonight, and I was still left wondering "now what?"

Anyone else feeling this same way?

With the World Series in the books and the Yankees' victory parade a few short hours away, we felt it fitting to unload the best of the best video from last night's victory celebration.

As you know, our cameras were rolling after the final out, as intrepid anchor Lolita Lopez and the rest of the PIX sports crew interviewed a bunch of the Bombers (check it out two posts down).

What you didn't see, though, were the rest of the festivities from inside the locker room, on the victory podium and on the Yankee Stadium field.

What follows is a short compilation of the best moments from the Yankees' World Series party last night....Game 6's "Greatest Hits," if you will.

Some moments are candid, some were meant for all to see, and others just an excuse to show champagne being poured on everyone.

Check it out:

Congratulations to the Yankees on their 27th World Championship. It is very well deserved. They were the best team in baseball once Alex Rodriguez returned to the club in May.

The Mets? It has to be a tough day for the club and more so for their fans.Their season pretty much was done June 12th, when Luis Castillo dropped a pop up that cost the Mets a game at Yankee Stadium. Still, if you're a fan of this blog, you know that I officially "ended" the Mets season on July 17th. The only sound you hear at Citi Field is the wind howling past the Shake Shack. I got several looks, curious to hilarious, wearing a Mets cap today.

As the Yankees celebrate their title, I hope that Fred and Jeff Wilpon wake up and see that it is days like today, with fans rejoicing and media outlets going gaga over the Yankees (rightfully) that should spur them to make the right moves to bring a World Championship back to Flushing. Right now, the Mets are as relevant in the Big Apple as air conditioning at the North Pole.

It took nine years since the last one, but the Yankees are finally World Series Champions again, besting the Phillies 4-games-to-2.

Seems like it was a different hero every night for the Yanks, and tonight was no exception with Hideki Matsui’s record-tying six RBI night.

But of course title #27 was a group effort and WE HAD THE LOCKER ROOM COVERED, talking to nearly everyone and anyone wearing pinstripes.

We’ve got all the video below, so click to hear from:

Jeter, Mariano, A-Rod, Pettitte, Nick Swisher, AJ, Hughes, Joba and Brett Gardner.

Way to go Yanks! Enjoy!

I love this World Series! I love baseball! I love the nervous energy the WS has created across the city and beyond. I mean the Yankees are just a game away from their 27-th world title. But I am struck by how the Yankees dominated all talk radio today even the non-sports ones. (well except NPR, thanks Brian Lehrer!) I understand the Yankees/Phillies are big news but when there are big elections across the Tri State area, I am concerned. It seems from what I heard, that folks knew more about why Andy Pettitte was pitching in Game 6 (from his little rest to his previous game stats) than information (real information) about Mayor Bloomberg's education record.

I went to vote at my local polling station and saw the names before and after mine were blank, which means those folks haven't voted yet (I hope). There were some biggies in my area: D.A., Mayor, County Executive,and City Council. From NY to NJ, there are many positions up for grabs that have a huge impact on many of our lives. So why do people in general not care so much? Polls are down all over but mention the Yanks and it's electricity. Elections aren't as exciting as the World Series. I think anyone can agree with that. I just hope we, as a group, know that whether the Yankees win or lose, our lives will go on. What they do in the 2009 World Series won't affect whether my child's school has an arts program, whether my taxes go up...but who we put in office WILL.

Will tonight be the night? I still say, "no", the Yanks WONT beat Cliff Lee this series, but they are on track to win #27 in the Bronx. Nice and tidy in front of their home fans.

By the way, I still say Charlie Manuel threw away this series by NOT pitching Lee in Game 4. Huge mistake. Manuel couldn't let this series get to 3-1, and Lee was the only way to stop that from happening (plus he'd have him for a potential appearance in Game 7...probably not going to happen now).

Great game tonight that featured what some are calling the biggest hit of Alex Rodriguez's career. I guess you could argue his two-out double off Brad Lidge was his biggest hit ever.

But my favorite play of the game came a couple minutes earlier when Johnny Damon stole second base, then, realizing nobody was covering third swiped that bag, too.

Ted Ginn returns a kickoff for a TD

The Jets are crashing... After starting the season at 3-0, they have lost 4 of their last 5 games. Sunday, they lost to the Miami Dolphins. The Fish have swept the season series against the Jets, dealing them losses in games that have come down to the last play. The Jets allowed two 100 yard kickoff returns to Ted Ginn and the offense and defense could not make enough plays to offset Ginn's heroics. We were at the Meadowlands to get the Jets reaction after the game. We start with a very annoyed Bart Scott who takes a sarcastic jab at the Dolphins.

Bart Scott
 

Rex Ryan
 

Mark Sanchez
 

The World Series heads to Philly tied at a game a piece after the Yanks' 3-1 win in game two (as was guaranteed in this space....one post below).

Kudos to AJ Burnett for picking up his first career post season win, all the while putting the Yankees on his back until the baseballs finally remembered they're supposed to carry out of the new stadium.

If you've been keeping up with our thought process here on the blog, game two was a must win for the Yanks.....as is every game NOT started by Cliff Lee.

Check game two off the list. Next up, Cole Hamels in a hostile Citizen's Bank Park.

As for tonight's game, we were in the locker room(s) and talked to some of the big shots from the game.

Also, as a BONUS for our loyal Huddle readers, we actually trudged our lazy butts over to the visitor's locker room and stuck a mic in Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins' faces.

So take a listen to what they have to say along with: Jeter, A-Rod, Mariano, Jose Molina and Jerry Hairston Jr.

Enjoy!

The Yanks got an up-close and personal look at why the Phillies made it to the World Series -- namely dominating pitching from Cliff Lee and offense from the power hitting infielder de-jour (Chase Utley tonight, Ryan Howard or Jimmy Rollins any other game).

While I'm 99% sure the Yanks will win Thursday night and send this thing to Philly tied at a game a piece, I think the Yanks have to be concerned about possibly facing Lee two more times.

I'm not sure what Charlie Manuel's plans are for the rest of the series as far as starting pitching is concerned, but this i know:

The Yankees WILL NOT beat Cliff Lee this series.

Catch my drift here?