NEW YORK, NY – Its Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament and half of your brackets are busted before the first round of games are through. Did you really think Valparaiso would go to the Elite 8? That was just silly. Most of the rest of your brackets will be completely shot to sh!t by the time the weekend is over. Now you will watch the rest of the games knowing that you wont be winning any money and that Louisville will win it all. And there isn’t much else you’ll want to watch to get away from the Madness. New York is in the middle of March Sadness.
If you want to watch baseball, you can catch the last few Yankee spring training games in Tampa. But most of the overpaid and under-performing geriatrics on the Yankees team are injured. Derek Jeter is the latest to join the walking wounded in pinstripes. His temperamental ankle still isn’t right and he might not be ready for opening day. I have a feeling that this injury is going to linger all season. With Granderson, Teixeira, and A-Rod already on the shelf, the Yankees will need to rely on their C-squad to get them through the season. So while you’re watching these spring training games, keep in mind that the team that looks like a split squad playing at Steinbrenner Field will be the Yankees actual lineup for the first half, maybe more, of the season.
Over in Port St. Lucie, things aren’t any better. The Mets are set to be about as bad as they were last season. They did jettison Jason Bay, so I guess they’re better off than they were a year ago. But Johan Santana looks set to miss a significant chunk of the season again. So while you’re watching at Tradition Field, keep in mind that the team that looks like the minor league St. Lucie Mets will actually be the team playing at Citi Field in a couple of weeks. Things are not looking good for New York baseball this season.
On the ice, things are looking just as bleak. After winning two in a row, the Rangers lost at home to the worst team in the NHL. The Hurricanes leapfrogged the Rangers into 8th place in the conference and the Blueshirts are back on the outside looking in. The team can’t score. They’ve only managed six goals in their last six games. Lundqvist has been good but not great. And lately he’s been giving up a lot of rebounds. A lot of times he looks like he has no idea where the puck is. It all doesn’t instill confidence that the Rangers will make a run in the playoffs, or even make the playoffs.
On the hardwood, the once impeccable Knicks suddenly look set to make an early exit in the playoffs. Their entire front court is injured, so the Knicks have signed the 76-year-old Kenyon Martin to get them through the rest of the season. The Knickerbockers will limp towards the finish line and make an early exit in the playoffs.
At least the Knicks will make the playoffs. Its more than can be said for the Rangers or either baseball team. When does football season start?
Glen “Preacher” Collins, tomorrow.
