NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Yay. It’s Monday. Last week felt like it lasted a month. I spent it home with both kids. I love them dearly, but with school out, it’s becoming very clear this is going to be a long summer. But enough of the Donnie Downer stuff! Let’s get to this week’s topics: the Mets’ Week, Knicks’ Draft Night And World Cup Update.
New York Mets’ Week
The dog days have officially arrived, and for Mets’ fans they’ve been here for weeks. The big news: Carlos Mendoza is out as manager.
This season has been a complete disaster. The Mets opened with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and entered the weekend at 34-47, buried in last place in the NL East. The breaking point came after a four-game sweep by the Cubs, capped by a doubleheader in which the Mets committed six errors in the nightcap. Mendoza called it “embarrassing,” and ownership agreed.
Mendoza deserves credit for guiding the Mets to the NLCS in his first season, but the last two years have been a steady decline. He leaves with a respectable 206-199 record, yet expectations are much higher when you’re spending that kind of money. Steve Cohen admitted the season has been unacceptable, while David Stearns said a change was necessary.
Andy “Gang” Green takes over on an interim basis, but don’t expect miracles. A new manager can’t suddenly fix sloppy defense, inconsistent hitting, and an injury-riddled roster. Green’s debut extended the losing streak to eight before the Mets finally won Saturday. Naturally, they followed that by blowing a chance to win the series, allowing a go-ahead Phillies homer in the seventh before stranding six runners over the final three innings.
Stay tuned. It looks like it’s going to be a very long summer in Queens.
Knicks’ Draft
I honestly didn’t realize the NBA Draft was this past week until a friend mentioned it. The Knicks’ draft was about as confusing as their offseason strategy.
They selected a Spanish prospect, traded with Dallas to move up, then flipped that pick to Phoenix for additional second-round selections. In the end, they came away with a German prospect and a player from Vanderbilt.
The bigger issue is the salary cap. With the luxury tax becoming increasingly restrictive, the Knicks will probably have to make difficult decisions involving Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Keeping both may not be realistic. Jose Alvarado also needs a new contract, and owner James Dolan reportedly isn’t interested in paying the highest tax penalties.
Still, if anyone has earned the benefit of the doubt, it’s Leon Rose. He built a championship roster once, and while success usually means players start wanting bigger roles and bigger contracts, Rose has shown he can navigate those challenges before.
World Cup Update
The World Cup continues to deliver. All three host nations advanced, with Mexico cruising through the group stage undefeated. Maybe this will finally be the tournament where Mexico reaches the long-awaited “fifth game”—the quarterfinals—that has eluded them for decades.
The United States lost its final group match on the last kick of the game but still advanced, while Canada survived with a dramatic late victory over South Africa. Ghana was one of nine African nations to reach the knockout stage, highlighting the growing strength of African soccer in this expanded tournament.
Next up, Ghana faces Colombia. Many people favor Colombia, but I think my Ghana has a real chance to pull the upset.
Finally, if you need a laugh, watch videos of Europeans discovering Popeyes or Waffle House for the first time. They’re amazed by the portion sizes and prices. Their stomachs may not be nearly as impressed the next day.
Come back tomorrow for The Big Aristotle.
