This article is only published now because management was left to hit print on the piece. Serves me right. I should just publish and move on.
EL BARRIO, EL FALLS – : I really had to do some digging around to find something worth talking about this week. It is the usual problem when you bat last, but this was a really slow news week. After a sports story hunt, I found game worthy enough to be this weekend’s headlines. They are Sam Darnold’s Development, NBA Least, MSG Bums!.
Sam Darnold’s Development: I am not looking to make excuses for the kid. I just saw the stupid post earlier this week in Angry Ward‘s piece claiming that Sam Darnold is becoming the next Browning Nagle. That is nonsense of the highest order. Darnold already looks better than Nagle with far more potential. He won’t be all-world but he maybe Ken O’Brien decent which will be better than what the Jets have gotten out the QB position in ages. The problem experts are seeing with Darnold and some 400 pound guy in his mom’s basement are not is the lack of weapons. His center, Spencer Long has a hand injury that has cause errant shotgun snaps. The longest serving player on the team and 3rd down back, Bilal Powell, just suffered a season (possibly career) ending injury. Powell was a great blocking back on passing downs as he read the blitz and knew who to block, now Darnold has lost that. Powell’s backfield partner Isiah Crowell, the early downs RB, is carrying a knock that is hurting his ability to run well. In addition, top possession receiver Quincy Enunwa (ankle) is out this week, Terrelle Pryor (Groin) is no longer on the roster as he had to be cut to make room for other replacements. Deep threat receiver Robbie Anderson’s likely absence from this weekend’s game taxes the Jets‘ Week 8 wideout corps. Jermaine Kearse is thus the team’s top healthy top option at the position, with Rishard Matthews (former top reciever with the Tennessee Titans, signed this week) as his other starting WR option. This kind of injury crisis means the young QB is not developing in an optimum situation. The hard times may force him to grow up even faster which maybe a positive in the long run but while he struggles over the next couple of weeks, lets not act like the kid doesn’t have what it takes. He just doesn’t have the help he needs.
NBA Least: Did you know that the Detroit Pistons are currently undefeated in the NBA? Me neither. Do you know why? That is because the Eastern Conference of the NBA may as well be the ABA. Actually that is an insult to the ABA since it revolutionized basketball for the better, make it the G – League plus. Nobody takes any team from the East seriously. The West is the dominate conference and the East is just there to make up the numbers. If the 16 playoff spots were done regardless of location, there would be 12 Western conference teams in there with only 4 Eastern teams (Boston, Philly and uh Detroit maybe, and uh uh Atlanta??). There has been imbalance in the league before, so it will likely correct itself but this won’t happen for probably another 5 years or so. In the meantime just know that whoever makes the Western Conference Semi-finals is most likely the best team in the East.
MSG Bums: The Rangers and Knicks are both gonna suck big time this year! This sucks for MSG fans because neither franchise is gonna bring down their ticket prices or concession prices. Both teams need to suck and just get a high draft pick or two. The funny thing is, I thought this was the case for most of the last decade until I did some digging. In a reminder of just how bad the Nicks have been in comparison to the Rangers, look at these stats. During the previous 12 seasons, the Rangers finished below .500 once (last season), made the playoffs 10 times and advanced to the conference finals twice and the Stanley Cup finals once, in 2013-14. There were no championships in that span, but a lot of good hockey. On the other hand, The Knicks, in that same time frame, finished below .500 eight times, made the playoffs in just three instances and won exactly one playoff series — that’s right, one. If the Knicks were taken to a vet they would be put down, the Rangers will get some medicine. I recommend all fans take some of Cheesie’s favorite medicine, Whiskey, while watching these two teams play this season.
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