EL BARRIO, EL FALLS – Happy Monday. The dogs days of summer are beckoning. The Rangers have now been followed to the golf course by the Knicks. We are still far from the NFL season, so I really had to work to find topics. With that, here are today’s topics: Can Slumping Mets Win Series? Knicks Golfing, Celebrating My Rival.
Can Slumping Mets Win Series?
No, not the World Series. We’re talking about this series vs the Nats which continues today. If they can by these no-name Nationals, they will be back to to .500… ICYMI, the Amazins have one of the worst records in the last 20 games (6-14). Up until this recent series against the Nationals, the Mets had lost 6 consecutive series, including getting swept by the Detriot Tigers. They got a good win on Friday and then had a suspended game after a few innings on Saturday. They lose the continued game before taking 2nd game of the makeshift twin-bill. Max Scherzer finally put together a quality 5 innings. It was those 5 innings that the Mets needed, as they had an 8-run bottom of the 5th inning to secure the win. I hope this can jump-start them. Winning their next few series and getting 14 wins from 20 games would help.
Knicks Eliminated
The Miami Heat eliminated the Knicks. The Knickerbockers lost Game 1 and Game 3. Coincidentally, the game they won was the one Jimmy Butler sat out. Full credit to the Heat for winning their play-in series, then upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks before dispatching NY. There is debate on what is the best way forward for the Knicks. Some say they need to keep Julius Randle and RJ Barret. Others want to get rid of Coach Tom Thibodeau. I honestly think some moves need to made. I saw a fan page arguing the Knicks should trade Julius Randle to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns and Barrett to New Orleans to join his college buddy Zion Williamson – for Brandon Ingram. The deal would have picks and Derrick Rose going to New Orleans, too. I am not sold on that deal. I think they should keep Thibs for one more year and get them closer before making a move for a mountain-top coach. NY may need to make improvements and I am thinking bench players like Emmanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin are the ones that need to be removed. The Knicks need more from the bench, especially as Jalen Brunson was looking fatigued in game 6. Let’s see what changes are made to push the team to the next level.
Celebrating a Rival
A decade or so ago the Phillies faced the Yankees in the World Series. At the time, the Mets and Phillies were bitter rivals. People asked me who I wanted to win, I said Phillies because I knew one real Phillies fan, but I was surrounded by Yankee fans. It was easy to go for the Phillies… Yesterday in English soccer, Arsenal lost a game that effectively means they are out of the running to win the regular season. That would mean no postseason for them. After leading for 95% of the season, Arsenal have botched it and Man City will win… Friends thought that as Man United fan, I would not want City to win it, thus the Phillies and Yankees reference… I know plenty of Arsenal fans and have never met a City fan, so I have has some fun on social media and chat groups. It is delicious watching a rival fail, if your team can’t win.
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below. Check out Ben Whitney, who is gleefully enjoying the Mets slump.
