INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN – It’s freezing outside. A young man’s gaze has turned to the sun baked fields of South Florida. Pitchers and Catchers are now just 28 days away. This young man is ready to turn the page on a winter of discontent. A winter that included the local NFL teams whiffing on the playoffs and in the Giants’ case… on respectability, too: How Coach Tom Coughlin was made the sole scapegoat is beyond comprehension.
The Mets have spent the entire off-season doing what they do. Which is very little. The latest example (as though we needed any additional examples) of how “broke/crooked/incompetent/cheap/uncommitted” Mets ownership is), lies in how they’ve sat on the sidelines as the price tag on Desperado Yoenis Cespedes drops.
As soon as we started hearing slanderous innuendo about Cespedes’ work ethic, motivation, etc you knew the #Mets were “out” on him and things were back to normal in Flushing. Remember when fan favorite Justin Turner was thrown under the bus upon his release? The whispers about his “lack of hustle?” Turner did nothing BUT hustle as a Met. Rather than white smoke, slander leaks signal the Mets’ intentions. Stay classy with your Lyin’ Eyes, Jeffy.
The other stud Free Agent outfielder, Justin Upton signed with Grinding Ax’s Detroit Tigers last night. Cespedes’ people have spoken all Winter about seeking a 6 year deal with an average annual value of $22M. Those are the exact numbers Upton received from Detroit. Hmmm.
I thought I would point out some guys who SHOULD have nasty and slanderous things written about them. They ‘aint all what they seem.
NFL. Peyton Manning is so done and so out of his element now that it’s hard to believe the choir boys running the league haven’t divined this match-up in which Manning will end his career losing again to Tom Brady. Nothing in the NFL is what it seems. The fluctuating late game score in the Denver-Pittsburgh game (4 lead changes in the last 4 minutes) suggests that external forces are directly involved in Roger Goodell’s weekly shenanigans.
NBA. Alleged Championship contenders like the Cleveland Cavaliers should no longer be spoken of in terms of excellence. 
Not when the actual defending champ Warriors come to town and put on a clinic on the Cavs’ home floor. Right now, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are the best of friends. That won’t last. A full season of playing together will result in LBJ finding out that Irving is an overrated shoot first “point” guard. I haven’t seen a chucker like Irving since the days of World B. Free and Freeman Williams.
NHL. The Islanders’ move to Brooklyn has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. They are near the bottom of the league in attendance, and even one time wunderkind John Tavares is showing signs of fatigue, lack of motivation, and just plain general displeasure with the state of the organization. No one goes to Barclay’s Center to see this team. 
The arena is a disaster with 30% of the seats for hockey being at least partially obstructed. You can check out any time you want from this place, but you can never leave.
Soccer. Ha ha!-just kidding! Got nothing for that! Check in on Saturday for Mr. Blaber though!
Stay warm and come back tomorrow for the Glenn Frey of the Meet The Matts team, @Angry_Ward!
