BRONX, NY – It’s been hovering around 70 the last couple of days here in New York, and more than a few people are acting like they just got released from some icy gulag. Not me, of course, I lean into these cold and snowy winters with all the force of a 60 mph wind gust. Spring is just fine, but those that shove all their happiness chips in on the promise of warmer weather are bound to get them raked away by one more snowfall. That warning aside, let’s talk some sports.
Knicks Need to Win Now. This past NFL season we saw two AFC teams with two high-profile quarterbacks squander their best possible chance to make it to the Super Bowl. Josh Allen and the Bills and Lamar Jackson and the Ravens may get other cracks at it, but they will possibly look back on a playoff field without guys like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow and wonder how they let it slip through their fingers. I’m bringing this up because this NBA season seemed to be ideally set up for the New York Knicks to finally make it back to the NBA Finals. Major injuries to big-time players on the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Pacers seemed to clear the path for the long-beleaguered franchise. But instead of running away with the Eastern Conference, the Knicks find themselves in third. Not bad, but also not what they could have wanted. Making matters worse for New York, Jayson Tatum is back for the surprising second place Celtics, a team that could easily catch Detroit (who have owned the Knicks all year) for the number one spot. Maybe Jalen Brunson and Co. have another gear come playoff time but, right now, they sure look like the Bills and Ravens.
Geno Jets 2: Electric Boogaloo. Best headline yesterday was: Jets Get Their QB, Trade for Geno Smith. As most everyone knows, this will be Geno’s second time around with Gang Groan™. The first time he got his jaw broken by a teammate and got exiled. He eventually had a brief moment of success with the Seahawks before going to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he led the league in interceptions last year with 17. This is an awesome move for the Jets, particularly if they are trying to finish with the worst record in the league (good chance!) and attempting to teach their defense—which had zero INTS last year—what it’s like to catch a ball from a QB. Kudos all the way around, you idiots!
I think that’s quite enough for today. Come back tomorrow for Buddy Diaz, who will try to explain how the Eagles are going to do when they fail to trade disgruntled wide receiver AJ Brown. But he never really talks about the Eagles, so maybe he’ll just wax poetic about some New York Yankees prospect who is never gonna amount to anything, or Aaron Judge striking out with the tying run to lose to Italy… Cheers!
