SB Nation New York: All Posts by Jeff Freier

Eagles vs. Giants: The history

2012-12-28T17:19:25Z

Philadelphia vs. New York equals intense hatred, in whatever sport or rivalry one chooses. Flyers-Rangers, 76ers-Knicks, Phillies-Mets and even the old Philadelphia A's and Yankees were rivals. In football, it dates back to 1933, when the Eagles were born and began playing the Giants. The two teams have faced each other 161 times, with the Giants having a slight edge over the Eagles, with a 83-76-2 record, which includes four playoff games. The Giants have also won more titles (eight) than the Eagles, who have won three NFL Championships (1948, '49 and '60) but are still looking for their first Super Bowl win. The history between the Eagles and Giants is so long one could write a book about it, so we'll just rummage through the wreckage, the pain, the triumph and the thrills, and pick a few facts, highlights and lowlights.

The first-ever meeting occurred on Oct. 15, 1933 (eight days after baseball's New York Giants defeated the Washington Senators to win the World Series), at the Polo Grounds, and football's Giants kept the winning momentum going at the field of champions, by destroying the Eagles, 56-0, in Philadelphia's NFL debut game. The Eagles finished with a 3-5-1 record in their first season, defeating the Cincinnati Reds for their first win (and again for their third victory, in the Reds' second and final year of existence) along with the Pittsburgh Pirates (to be renamed the Steelers in 1940), in the somewhat National League baseball-themed season. The Giants went 11-3 in that year but lost to the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship Game, thwarting the chance for three New York champions, as the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in the spring of '33. The first time the Eagles beat the Giants came on Oct. 28, 1934, in their fourth try, defeating New York at the Polo Grounds, 17-0.

The Giants and Eagles have squared off in the playoffs four times, with the first coming almost 50 years after their first game, on Dec. 27, 1981, at Veterans Stadium. The teams split the season series, each winning a game. The Giants' win was the first time they defeated the Eagles since 1975, and this was their first playoff game since 1963. In the 27-21 victory, the Giants jumped all over Philadelphia in the first quarter, when Scott Brunner threw touchdown passes to Leon Bright and John Mistler while Mark Haynes scored on a fumble return. The Eagles got on the board when Ron Jaworski hit Harold Carmichael with a 15-yard pass, but Brunner connected with Tom Mullady on a 22-yard pass to give the Giants a 27-7 lead. Wilbert Montgomery ran for two more Eagle touchdowns but the Giants prevailed when Brunner successfully kneeled down to end the game, avoiding any Joe Pisarcik-like mishaps. Rob Carpenter was the offensive star for New York, rushing for 161 yards, and Herm Edwards intercepted a Brunner pass for the Eagles.

The Giants won again the second time around, on Jan. 7, 2001, 20-10, at the Meadowlands, as it was the first step toward their Super Bowl appearance. The Giants defeated the Eagles twice during the regular season, and the playoffs would be no different. The game couldn't have begun any better for New York, when Ron Dixon returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The Giants added three points in the second quarter on a 37-yard Brad Daluiso field goal, and seven more on the signature play of the game, a tumbling, acrobatic 32-yard interception return by Jason Sehorn. The two teams then traded field goals, and the Eagles finally scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter (a Donovan McNabb to Torrance Small 10-yard pass), but it was all over by that point. Each team turned the ball over three times, but Kerry Collins was efficient (12-for-19, 122 yards, no picks) and the Giants' defense sacked McNabb six times, with Michael Strahan recording two.

Six years later to the day, the Giants and Eli Manning weren't quite up to Super Bowl material just quite yet, as they lost to the Eagles 23-20, at Lincoln Financial Field. The Giants and Eagles split the season series, but Philadelphia prevailed in the playoff meeting. The Giants scored first on a Manning to Plaxico Burress 17-yard connection, but the Eagles eventually took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter. The Giants came back to tie the game on a Jay Feely field goal and another Manning-to-Burress touchdown strike, but the Eagles, with five minutes left, methodically marched down the field, and David Akers booted a 38-yard field goal as time expired to win it. The Giants had no answer for Brian Westbrook, as he rushed for 141 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown run. Tiki Barber gained 137 yards in a losing cause.

The Giants fell to the Eagles again two years later, 23-11, at a cold and windy Meadowlands. Ahmad Bradshaw returned the opening kickoff 65 yards to give the Giants great field position, but they had to settle for a field goal, which was the theme of the day, as the Giants' points came on three field goals and a safety, while the Eagles made into the end zone twice to go with a trio of field goals. The Giants rushed for 138 yards to 59 for the Eagles, but it didn't help.

Besides getting the better of the Giants in the last two playoff matchups, the Eagles have also authored three nightmares in Giants history that will never be erased from the minds of Giant fans, as hard as they may try. The first came on Nov. 20, 1960, when Chuck Bednarik knocked out Frank Gifford and sent the halfback into an 18-month retirement. Things began well for the Giants that afternoon at Yankee Stadium, when Joe Morrison ran for a one-yard touchdown and Pat Summerall kicked a 26-yard field goal. But the Eagles, led by Hall of Fame quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, in his last season, scored 17 unanswered points in the second half, and won 17-10, with Bednarik's blow to Gifford being the cherry on top. Gifford, who would return in 1962 while changing positions to flanker, rushed for 24 yards that day, completed a 13-yard pass and caught five passes, for 89 yards. Philadelphia also defeated the Giants a week later, 31-23, and went on to win the NFL Championship when they beat the Green Bay Packers.

The play that ultimately changed the Giants franchise for good occurred on Nov. 19, 1978, at the Meadowlands, and it was, of course, the Joe Pisarcik fumble. The Giants, who were 5-6 and on the verge of snapping a three-game losing streak, had built up a 17-12 lead on a pair of Pisarcik touchdown throws, one to Bobby Hammond and the other to Johnny Perkins, along with a 37-yard Joe Danelo field goal. All that was needed was a kneel-down in the victory formation, but the hapless Giants failed to perform that basic task, when Pisarcik instead handed the ball off to Larry Csonka. The ball bounced off the fullback and was scooped up by Herm Edwards, who ran it 26 yards into the end zone to give the Eagles a 19-17 win. Pisarcik, who went 13-for-23, with 181 yards, two touchdowns and one pick, started four games for the Giants in 1979, and then spent five seasons with . . . the Eagles, as Ron Jaworski's backup (who didn't have a great game himself that fateful day: 15-for-31, 164 yards, three interceptions, no touchdowns). Csonka (13 yards on two carries against the Eagles), played two more games as a Giant, gaining 12 yards, before going back to the Miami Dolphins for his final NFL season, in 1979. The Pisarcik/Csonka fumble along with the 6-10 record of the '78 team ushered in the George Young era, and with it prosperity.

One can replace the names Joe Pisarcik and Herm Edwards with Matt Dodge and DeSean Jackson, but the outcome was just as horrifying, on Dec. 19, 2010, at the New Meadowlands. The Giants were rolling, with a 31-10 lead with 7:28 left in the game . . . yada, yada, yada, Dodge boots a punt, not out of bounds, but to Jackson, who returns it 65 yards for a touchdown as time expires, and the Eagles win, 38-31. The Giants couldn't corral Michael Vick in the fourth quarter, who, for the game, rushed for 130 yards while throwing for 242, with three touchdown passes and one rushing score. Eli Manning tossed four touchdown passes, but the defense just couldn't stop the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Dodge played two more games with the Giants, to finish out the season, and hasn't resurfaced in the NFL.

The biggest losing streak the Giants have had vs. the Eagles: 12 games from 1975 to 1981.

The biggest winning streak the Giants have had vs. the Eagles: Two nine-game streaks, the first from 1938 to 1942, and the second from 1997 to 2001.

The Giants have 11 shutout wins vs. Eagles, and the Eagles have five against the Giants.

The Giants' record by the decade vs. the Eagles: 1930s: 11-3; 1940s: 9-10-1; 1950s: 14-6; 1960s: 11-7; 1970s: 4-15-1; 1980s: 12-9; 1990s: 11-9; 2000s: 10-13; 2010s: 1-4.

The top 5: New York sports stories of 2012

2012-12-26T19:32:16Z

While trying to whittle down the top New York sports stories of 2012 to a measly five, plenty of worthy stories won't make the cut. The city's most storied franchise, the New York Yankees, did not find a spot on this list. Sure, there were highlights (Raul Ibanez's heroics, albeit in a losing cause) and lowlights (the Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter injuries), but it was really just business as usual for the Yankees: Jeter had another 200-hit season, Andy Pettitte pitched for the team, Alex Rodriguez was a controversial lightning rod and underperformed in the postseason and the Yankees fell short of a World Series title for the 11th time in 12 seasons. Just another season. And you know it's a busy year stuffed with memorable stories when a New York Rangers-New Jersey Devils Eastern Conference Finals showdown can't make the Top 5, even with the Devils playing in the Stanley Cup Finals. And Zach Parise leaving for Minnesota while Rick Nash comes to town (eventually) doesn't crack the final list either. Nor does Henrik Lundqvist winning the Vezina.

Former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Eli Manning threw for 510 yards in a comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Coughlin moved up to No. 2 on the New York Giants' all-time coaching wins list with a victory over the 49ers. David Wilson set numerous records with his 327 all-purpose yards in a romp over the New Orleans Saints. The Giants collapsed at the end of this season, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. The New York Knicks finally won a playoff game for the first time since 2001, though Amar'e Stoudemire gouged his hand by punching a glass case holding a fire extinguisher and the Knicks fell to the Miami Heat in five games. They've resoundingly bounced back, though, with a hot start to the 2012-'13 season under Mike Woodson in his first full season as coach of the Knicks, after Mike D'Antoni "resigned" last season. David Wright broke numerous New York Mets franchise records (hits, RBIs, runs scored), and signed on with the team for eight more years. But none of those slipped into the Top 5. Even Johan Santana's no-hitter didn't make the cut, which is the hardest omission of all. Maybe if the list were Top Moments or Top Performances it would be on and even close to No. 1, but this is Top Stories, which is a different story. And there is a self-imposed rule that the Top 5 have to represent a different team, to spread the wealth. Of course, one man's Top 5 is another man's six through 10, so if anyone disagrees . . . it is fully understandable. So, here are the Top 5 New York sports stories of 2012:

5. Tim Tebow Comes to New York: And . . . the whole thing's a dud. Maybe this would have been a bigger story if Tebow were allowed to play. If he led the Jets to success, or even failure, this could have been a much bigger deal. But it's still Tim Tebow, who caused a stir just by doing a little training-camp jogging. Woody Johnson denied his team traded for Tebow for the headlines and attention, but what else could it have been? The coaching staff clearly wanted nothing to do with him, and his presence on the roster has been one huge distraction, and it has also symbolized the Jets' season of incompetence. The season-ending injuries to Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes put the team behind the eight ball to begin with, but the rest of the not-so-talented roster didn't rise to the occasion, leading to another playoff-less season, with the lowlight being the Thanksgiving night debacle, getting humiliated on national TV by the New England Patriots, with Mark Sanchez's face-into-butt fumble being the signature moment of the season. Even Fireman Ed resigned after that game. And when Rex Ryan finally benched Sanchez it conveniently came at a time when Tebow was inactive due to a couple of broken ribs. Greg McElroy led the Jets to victory over the Arizona Cardinals, and, of course, he was immediately benched. Sanchez came back, was worse than ever, and was benched again. With Tebow nowhere to be seen. And the Jets' season fizzled into a bungled, mishandled pile of smoky ruins.

4. The Nets Move to Brooklyn: The Nets have new colors (or lack thereof), new uniforms, a new logo, a new identity and a new brand -- but first they had to say goodbye to New Jersey (for the second time), their home for 35 years (or 36 if you count the franchise's first season, in 1967-'68). The final game in the Garden State occurred on April 23, at the Prudential Center, and the Nets lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 105-87. Armon Johnson scored the last-ever Nets points in New Jersey, while Lou Williams of the Sixers scored the final points with a three-pointer. Johan Petro took the last-ever shot for the New Jersey Nets, but (maybe fittingly) missed. The last win in New Jersey for the Nets came in April 8, when they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, 122-117. Over the summer, Deron Williams re-signed with the team, as did Gerald Wallace, and they acquired Joe Johnson, Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche, and the Brooklyn Nets were stocked and ready to go. Hurricane Sandy canceled the first scheduled game, against the Knicks, so the Nets instead defeated the Toronto Raptors for their first-ever Brooklyn victory, on Nov. 3, at the brand-new Barclays Center. Their face of the franchise, Williams, took and made the first shot in Brooklyn Nets history, a 14-foot jumper, and Brook Lopez, who was the first to miss a shot for Brooklyn, led the team with 27 points. And when the Knicks finally came to Brooklyn, on Nov. 26, the Nets beat them, too, 96-89, in overtime. After a great start to their debut season in their new home, the Nets have hit a bump in the road, but the move to Brooklyn has changed the landscape of New York basketball. And speaking of Brooklyn, let's not forget the New York Islanders, who found a new home there as well this year, with the move coming in 2015 (if the NHL still exists by then).

3. R.A. Dickey: He won 20 games without an ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm. He threw back-to-back one-hitters. He tossed 32 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. He was the first-ever knuckleballer to win a Cy Young Award. He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Any of these things in their own right might have qualified as one of the top stories of the year, but all of them put together? That's quite a tale. Dickey went 20-6 in 2012, with a 2.73 ERA and 1.053 WHIP, while striking out a league-leading 230 batters and only walking 54 in 233 2/3 innings pitched (most in the NL). He also led the NL in shutouts (three) and complete games (five). The intriguing, thoughtful knuckleballer was the third Met to win the Cy Young and the sixth to win 20 games, and when he reached that mark on Sept. 27 in a 6-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, at Citi Field, it was an event worthy of a 1985 Dwight Gooden start. The drawn-out saga of his trade to the Toronto Blue Jays was also headline news, and as Graig Nettles once said of Sparky Lyle, Dickey went from Cy Young to sayonara.

2. Linsanity: When Jeremy Lin stepped onto the court on Feb. 4, 2012, in a win over the New Jersey Nets, until his last game with the Knicks, on March 24 (a win over the Detroit Pistons), it was like a brief, electric, colorful fireworks display in the middle of a cold, dreary, dark winter. The Jeremy Lin era didn't last long, but it was fun while it lasted. Like Dickey, he had storylines trailing him as far as the eye could see: Harvard, Asian, undrafted, humble, seemingly coming out of nowhere, a last resort for the Knicks -- it was a perfect storm forming a spectacular mania not seen around these parts in a long time. And when Lin finished that win against the Nets with 25 points and seven assists Linsanity (and every other pun one could imagine) was born. Two nights later he poured in 28 points with eight assists in a victory over the Utah Jazz, followed by a 23-point, 10-assist game against the Washington Wizards. But could he do that against an elite team? The answer was ‘yes,' when he lit up the Los Angeles Lakers for 38 points, as the Knicks won again. On Valentine's Day, in Toronto, he coolly dribbled as the clock wound down, and, with ice in his veins, hit a three-pointer to win the game. Linsanity squared ensued. He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated two consecutive weeks. And even the couch he slept on in Landry Fields' apartment became famous. The Knicks won seven games in a row once he was inserted into the lineup, but on the court it wasn't all about Lin, as his success was predicated on selfless, team play, hitting the open man, spreading the ball around and playing an exciting brand of all-for-one basketball. The Knicks went 16-10 from that Nets game until his season ended due to a knee injury. Mike D'Antoni resigned, Mike Woodson came aboard and the season ended with the Knicks losing to Miami in the first round of the playoffs. And then, like that, Lin was gone. Off to Houston. As things stand right now for the Knicks, there are no regrets (except for when Lin returned for one night in December and Linsanity arose again, though for the wrong team this time). But Jeremy Lin will never be forgotten.

1. The Giants Win the Super Bowl: If you're the only team in the area to win a championship, then that earns you Top Story of 2012 honors. Championships trump all else, as that's what we're all about in New York (ok, with a little sensationalism thrown in -- see Nos. 2, 3 and 5 above). And the Giants did it in an exhilarating, thrilling fashion to boot. The theme of the year for Tom Coughlin was "Finish." And after standing at 7-7, finish they did, defeating the New York Jets, keyed by Victor Cruz's 99-yard touchdown, and the Dallas Cowboys to sneak into the playoffs. The other theme that cropped up was "Déjà vu," as this Super Bowl run was eerily similar to their previous Super Bowl in 2007-'08. Win three road playoff games? Check. Defeat the Packers in Green Bay? Check. Win the NFC Championship Game on an overtime field goal? Check. Beat the seemingly unbeatable Patriots in the Super Bowl? Check? With an unbelievable, all-time great catch on the winning drive? Check. Eli Manning wins the MVP, outplaying Tom Brady? Check. The game itself was one of the most memorable in Super Bowl history, with Mario Manningham's catch, Eli Manning's throw, Ahmad Bradshaw's accidental, falling-down touchdown, Chase Blackburn's interception, Justin Tuck's two sacks and the final Hail Mary when Bill Belichick's team's prayers went unanswered. The Giants were crowned Super Bowl champions on Feb. 5, 2012, in Indianapolis, and they were New York's Top Story of the Year.

Giants vs. Ravens: The history

2012-12-21T16:09:18Z

Ok, this is going to be short. And painful. There's not much history between the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens, and what history exists heavily favors the Ravens. There's plenty of history if we count the original Cleveland Browns, the Art Modell-owned franchise that relocated to Baltimore, but that would be cheating, since the Browns are still the Browns, though the Ravens were also sort of the Browns. (Can't the NFL go back and fix things the way they did when they designated the expansion Cleveland team the Browns while re-attaching their history, and do the same thing with Baltimore? If the Cleveland Browns can magically reappear, why can't the Baltimore Colts? By all rights the Baltimore team should be called the Colts, but I guess that ship has sailed. And I digress . . .) The Giants have a 1-2 regular-season record vs. the Ravens along with a nightmarish Super Bowl loss. Here's a recap of each of the games, three blowouts and a nail biter.

The two teams first met in the Ravens' second season of existence, on Sept. 14, 1997, at the Meadowlands. Both teams came into the game with 1-1 records, and it was the only close contest between the two teams, with Baltimore edging out the Giants, 24-23. Former Colts coach Ted Marchibroda was the first coach for the Ravens and the team still featured a few players closely associated with the Browns, like Vinny Testaverde and Ernest Byner, while original Raven Ray Lewis was in his second season. Baltimore finished the year with a 6-9-1 record, while the Giants went 10-5-1 in Jim Fassel's first year on the New York sidelines. Dave Brown (28-for-46, 269 yards, one touchdown, no picks), in his final year with the Giants, and Tiki Barber (64 rushing yards), in his first, led the Giants offense, along with Chris Calloway, who caught eight passes for 79 yards. Testaverde (22-for-35, 223 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), playing his last season for the Ravens/Browns franchise before moving on to the Jets, and Byner (57 rushing yards, five catches for 20 yards), in his swan-song NFL season, led the Ravens. Testaverde hit Derrick Alexander with a 22-yard pass to open up the scoring. The Giants almost tied it in the second quarter on a one-yard rushing touchdown by Barber, but Brad Daluiso missed the extra point (he also missed two field goals in the game). Jay Graham crossed the goal line for the Ravens, while Charles Way caught a one-yard pass from Brown, with the Giants failing on the two-point conversion, making the score 14-12 at halftime. In the second half the Giants took a 23-14 lead on a Tyrone Wheatley one-yard score (with Brown hooking up with Barber for the two-point conversion) and a Daluiso 27-yard field goal, but they couldn't hold on as Testaverde connected with the "other" Michael Jackson on an 11-yard touchdown pass and Matt Stover nailed a 37-yarder for the winning points.

The next time the Giants and Ravens met came in Super Bowl XXXV, on Jan. 28, 2001, at Raymond James Stadium. The Giants had plenty of experience losing NFL Championship Games (11 in all, while winning four), but this was their only Super Bowl loss in five tries. Do we really want to relive the ugliness? When Trent Dilfer completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley to give the Ravens a 7-0 lead? When Jesse Armstead's 43-yard interception return for a touchdown was nullified on a dubious holding call on Keith Hamilton? When Stover booted a 47-yard field goal? When the only Giants score -- a 97-yard kickoff return by Ron Dixon -- was sandwiched by two Ravens touchdowns (a Duane Starks 49-yard pick six and a Jermaine Lewis 84-yard kickoff return), all three coming in the span of 36 seconds? When Jamal Lewis and Stover finished off the Giants with a three-yard touchdown run and a 34-yard field goal, respectively, to make the final score 34-7? When Kerry Collins threw four interceptions and had a passer rating of 7.1? When the Giants only gained 152 total yards? When Ray Lewis won the MVP with a five-tackle, four-blocked-pass performance? Do we really want to relive that nightmare? Ok, I guess we just did.

Eli Manning's infamous 0.00 passer rating came in the third meeting, on Dec. 12, 2004, at M&T Bank Stadium, with Baltimore crushing the Giants, 37-14. It was Manning's fourth career start, and he only completed four of 18 passes, threw for 27 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns. His counterpart that day, Kyle Boller, tossed four touchdown passes without a pick, going 18-for-34, throwing for 219 yards. In his final appearance as a Giant, Kurt Warner (6-for-9, 127 yards) relieved Manning. The only highlights for the Giants were an Osi Umenyiora 50-yard fumble return for a touchdown and a too-little, too-late Barber one-yard touchdown run. It was Eli's worst-ever game, but two Super Bowl MVPs later, it all worked out in the end (though he looked like he was doing his 2004 impression in last Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons).

The Giants finally defeated the Ravens, on Nov. 16, 2008, at the Meadowlands, by a decisive 30-10 score. The victory put the Giants at 9-1 for the season, but a few weeks later Plaxico Burress did his Barney Fife impression and the season went down in flames. The Ravens fared a bit better, with an 11-5 regular-season mark, and made it to the AFC Championship Game, but fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A pair of Brandon Jacobs one-yard rushing touchdowns and a Manning to Darcy Johnson one-yard pass gave the Giants an insurmountable 21-0 lead (it was one of only nine career catches and two touchdowns for the tight end). Baltimore scored the next 10 points when Stover kicked a 38-yard field goal and rookie Joe Flacco connected with Le'Ron McClain on a 10-yard pass, but the Giants put the icing on the cake with an Aaron Ross 50-yard pick six (one of two interceptions for the cornerback) and a Lawrence Tynes 19-yard field goal. The Giants piled up 207 rushing yards, splitting it up three ways, with Ahmad Bradshaw gaining 96 yards, Jacobs 73 and Derrick Ward 41. Manning managed a 73.3 passer rating this time around, going 13-for-23, throwing for 153 yards, with a touchdown and interception.

Dickey follows Lin out of town: Can the Mets emulate the Knicks?

2012-12-19T14:52:00Z

Jeremy Lin mesmerized a city, and to a certain extent the world, for a month or so last winter, helping to drag the New York Knicks out of the muck they were stuck in and into contention. He became a full-blown sensation and phenomenon along the way, with his exciting brand of team-first basketball. R.A. Dickey also exploded onto the scene, seemingly coming out of nowhere, like Lin, and a smaller, yet passionate mania surrounded the knuckleballer. He wasn't able to lift his team up into a playoff situation the way Lin did, but when he took the mound, his team usually won. But now, both are gone. Letting Lin move on to the Houston Rockets has worked out swimmingly for the Knicks (well, at least so far, but not on Monday night) -- can the same thing happen to the New York Mets?

It's a tough decision to let a fan favorite and drawing card go, especially when the player is just entering the prime of his career. Lin and Dickey are a decade and a half apart in age, but both may have their best years ahead of them (though it will be hard to top 2012 for Dickey). The Knicks' point guard replacements for Lin -- Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni -- have thrived and helped transform the Knicks into one of the top teams in the league, but, let's face it, there was some luck involved. What if Steve Nash and his brittle health came to New York instead of Kidd? Who knew how Prigioni would translate to the NBA? But letting Lin go, and not doling out all that money to keep him, seems to have been the right move.

Can the Mets be so lucky? They received two high-ceilinged, top prospects in Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard when they dealt Dickey, but there's surely no such thing as a sure thing. Those two could join Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jon Niese, Ike Davis and David Wright to anchor a young competitive team in the mold of the 1980s Mets or, of course, neither could pan out, and Dickey would have been dealt away for nothing. For every Jesse Orosco, Ron Darling and Sid Fernandez that's come to New York in a trade for prospects, there's an Alex Ochoa, Ryan Thompson and Dan Norman to throw a bucket of cold water over one's hopes for the future. It's a gamble and a crapshoot. But once the Toronto Blue Jays ponied up d'Arnaud and Syndergaard, it was one the Mets had to make.

Lin and Dickey both had something special that fans could relate to. Their storylines and narratives, of seemingly appearing from out of the sky and attaining a high level of success, while being articulate, thoughtful and grounded -- good guys -- were similar. The Knicks' and Mets' situations are and were different, of course, as the Knicks are in a win-now mode and the Mets are attempting to build for the future, but the Mets are crossing their fingers that their blockbuster transaction will be as successful as the Knicks' moves that involved Lin.

Jeremy Lin and R.A. Dickey were both beloved, but fans also love something else, maybe even more than those two favorites -- and that one thing is, of course, winning.

The top 5: Best things about R.A. Dickey

2012-12-18T14:00:37Z

R.A. Dickey spent three productive -- and at times magical -- years with the New York Mets (of course they weren't magical for the Mets, just Dickey). He was a fan favorite, he was the team's best pitcher and he has been one of the most fascinating players the franchise has ever had. And now he's gone, traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. The deal may make loads of sense logically, seeing where the Mets stand talent- and contention-wise, but emotionally, it will leave a hole in Met fans' hearts. He may be gone, but he won't be forgotten. Here are the Top 5 best things about R.A. Dickey.

[ANALYSIS: Mets make out well in Dickey trade]

5. His rags-to-riches journey: Dickey's journey to success has been remarkable, and one that pegs him as the everyman, and not a spoiled prima donna who hasn't had to work for what's he's earned. When he was drafted in 1996 by the Texas Rangers, it was learned that he was mysteriously missing his ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm, which means he shouldn't be able to throw a pitch without pain let alone have a major league career. He made his big-league debut in 2001, and he didn't fare very well. He eventually transformed into a knuckleball pitcher, and in his first game back in the majors, in 2006, he gave up a record-tying six home runs. Two years later, he tied another dubious record, by throwing four wild pitches in one inning. It wasn't until his first season with the Mets, in 2010, that he finally flourished, at the age of 35.

4. He's just flat-out interesting: Dickey's a little more thoughtful, a little more intelligent and a little more honest than the average professional athlete. He doesn't speak in clichés. His sesquipedalian ways are a refreshing change of pace in the field of post-game interviews (ok, I tried hard to find a really long, erudite word such as "sesquipedalian" that Dickey himself might use). He's an avid reader, and has named his bats for the literary swords Orclist the Goblin Cleaver and Hrunting. His humbleness and intentions have been questioned lately by a few members of the media, especially after his comments at the Mets' holiday party last week. But why in the world did the organization choose Dickey, of all players, to attend and participate when he was in such a delicate position and standing with the Mets? And the questions about his contract status came from a reporter who works for SNY, essentially an employee of the Mets. So the Mets' brass was angry he answered the questions? And he did so in an even-tempered, fair way, as well, without any bitterness or harsh words. Conspiracy theorists would say there was a smear campaign going on.

3. He throws a knuckleball: The unique pitch, which he's mastered wonderfully, is as different and captivating as Dickey himself. Old knuckleballers, such as Phil Niekro, came out of the woodwork to comment on and praise Dickey. The knuckleball's unpredictability is just plain fun to watch, especially with Dickey's amazing way of controlling the uncontrollable pitch. When he won the Cy Young Award, he won it for knuckleball pitchers everywhere.

2. He's a good-deed-doer: While many athletes spend their free time committing crimes or tweeting inane idiocies, Dickey climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. And he, of course, did it for charity, raising over $100,000 for an organization called "Bombay Teen Challenge," which helps those in India affected by human trafficking. He also penned his autobiography, confessing that he was sexually abused as a minor, and now he's an outspoken advocate to end that evil.

1. He's damn good: If Dickey weren't any good, then all the other stuff wouldn't mean very much, or at least we may have never learned about it. He's had three seasons where he's been one of the elite pitchers in the National League, with his Cy Young being the icing on the cake and a tangible prize for his production on the mound. Besides winning 20 games and leading the NL in strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games and shutouts, he had a streak of 32.2 consecutive scoreless innings in 2012, along with tossing back-to-back one-hitters. He also threw a one-hitter in 2010, vs. the Philadelphia Phillies, with Cole Hamels getting the lone hit. In his three years with the Mets, Dickey went 39-28, with a 2.95 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He struck out 468 batters in 616.2 innings (6.8 strikeouts per nine innings) and walked only 150 (2.2 per nine innings), threw eight complete games and four shutouts, and had a 129 ERA+ and 12.1 WAR.

Spotlight on: Jeremy Lin

2012-12-17T12:47:27Z

The Houston Rockets come to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks on Monday night, which is, of course, the return of Jeremy Lin. The hysteria and hype of Linsanity has moved down to Texas, as Lin tries to avoid all the distractions that surround him and concentrate on being a basketball player and growing as a young point guard. For the season, he's averaging 11 points per game and 6.1 assists (through Saturday's games), while shooting 39.7% from the floor, which is short of the numbers he put up last year with the Knicks (14.6 points, 6.2 assists, 44.6%). His turnovers are down, though (2.7 per game this year compared to 3.6 last season) and his steals are up (1.8 this year, 1.6 last season). What does Houston think of Lin? Here's a Q&A with Patrick Harrel of SB Nation's The Dream Shake, which covers all things Rockets.

How would you assess Lin's performance so far this season?

Without a doubt, I would say that Lin's play in this young season has been a serious disappointment for the Rockets. Nobody could have reasonably expected Lin to maintain the extreme level of play he displayed in those 25 starts with the Knicks, but Lin's sub-40 shooting percentage, his lack of lift and general lack of aggression have all been huge causes for concern.

Thus far in the year, Lin has shown a couple of things: he has the potential to play at a very high level, but he is not there yet.

Obviously, there are mitigating factors like the fact that he has not yet fully recovered from the knee injury he suffered last March, but to say his performance has been anything but a disappointment would be unreasonable.

How is his chemistry with James Harden and other teammates, and with coach Kevin McHale?

In the early going with the Rockets, it's clear that Lin is very well-respected and well-liked by his teammates. In particular, Lin has appeared to become friends with Chandler Parsons and James Harden. In terms of his relationship with Coach McHale, it's clear that McHale respects and admires Lin's hard work and treats him as a team leader.

On the court, the issue of chemistry is a little foggier. There were serious concerns going into the season about Lin and Harden's ability to coexist on the court, and those fears have been realized in the first quarter of the year. In times where Harden has been off the court, Lin has shown off the superior aggression that got him going last season, but, playing alongside the star shooting guard, Lin has been far too content to stand in the corner and spot up for threes. Unfortunately, this issue is not going away.

What do the Houston fans think of him? Is he meeting expectations?

The discussion of Lin among Houston fans is a quite divisive one. In our very binary world, it seems like many are forced between saying that Lin is Tony Parker 2.0 and saying he's awful. In reality, he's somewhere in the middle, but it seems like Lin, much more so than any other player on the roster, generates a lot of controversy in Houston.

Regardless of the discussion of Lin, there is no doubt that he is not living up to expectations thus far. A point guard who routinely gets pulled for Toney Douglas late in games is not meeting any reasonable expectations.

Has there been any sort of carryover hoopla and hype from Linsanity and his New York days? Or is he just another free-agent signing?

One look at the crowd of media attending the Jeremy Lin press conference after he signed with the Rockets would tell you that Lin was anything but another free-agent signing. The addition of Harden certainly has a something to do with this, but Jeremy Lin has propelled the Rockets into relevance that hasn't been seen in Houston since the Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady era.

With that, unfortunately, comes unnecessary hype and unrealistic expectations. Lin found himself third among Western Conference guards in the All-Star voting, well within striking distance of Chris Paul for a starting spot, and Lin is constantly hounded by various media outlets with questions about his lack of success early in the season. If anyone can handle a crazy situation without losing his head, it's Jeremy Lin, but I'd imagine the pressure has been a burden for him.

Lin's still in the infant stages of his career, but would you say he was worth signing and taking a gamble on?

The debate of whether the decision to sign Lin was the right was is quite interesting. On July 6, after Goran Dragic had agreed with the Phoenix Suns on a four-year pact, the decision was undoubtedly the right one. New York fans know as well as any that a season with Toney Douglas starting at point guard would be an absolute disaster.

However, going back to before Dragic signed with the Suns, when the Rockets were negotiating with both point guards, the decision to sign Lin over Dragic because of a fourth-year player option looks like a bad one. The Rockets signed Lin with the expectation that he was going to be the primary ball handler and scorer, and with that in mind, he probably would have been the better fit with the Rockets as they were built in July. However, after Daryl Morey acquired James Harden a few days before the season started, the equation changed. Dragic is a better off-ball player and can thrive playing alongside a playmaker, while Lin hasn't shown that early on in his career. It's not fair to look back and say that signing Lin over Dragic was the wrong move because Morey could not have anticipated acquiring Harden, but I think if Morey could have done it again, he would have signed Dragic.

Fortunately enough for the Rockets, they can afford to wait for Lin to develop. This year is not about winning any titles, it's about developing young players and figuring out what they have on this roster. Lin has essentially played just a full season of NBA minutes, so the inflated expectations for immediate success were probably unfair. Given that he has shown that ability to play at an elite level for a reasonably extended stretch, the hopes are that he can approach that level of play again.

Giants vs. Falcons: The history

2012-12-15T13:00:59Z

The New York Giants head down to Georgia on Sunday to take on the Atlanta Falcons. The two teams are deadlocked in the all-time regular-season series, with 10 wins apiece. The one difference is their only postseason meeting, which the Giants, of course, won, in the first round of last season's playoffs. The Falcons entered the NFL in 1966, after the city petitioned both the AFL and NFL for a team, after Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was built. The AFL was all set to grant Atlanta a franchise, when Pete Rozelle swooped in and gave them an NFL team (the AFL then turned to Miami and the Dolphins were born). The Falcons got their name, by the way, from a high school teacher in a name-the-team contest. Here is a little Giants-Falcons history.

The Falcons began their debut season of 1966, by losing their first nine games (their first game in franchise history was played against the Los Angeles Rams). On Nov. 20, at Yankee Stadium, though, they notched their first-ever victory, at the expense of the Giants. One former Giant (running back Ernie Wheelwright) and two future Giants (quarterback Randy Johnson and running back Junior Coffey) played big roles in the Falcons' 27-16 win. Johnson hit Wheelwright with a nine-yard pass to open the scoring. Pete Gogolak got the Giants on the board, with a 24-yard field goal. Johnson then connected with Verne Burke and Wheelwright again for touchdown passes to give Atlanta a 20-3 cushion. Joe Morrison hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from Giant quarterback Tom Kennedy (in his only NFL season), but the Falcons came right back with a Johnson three-yard touchdown run. Morrison's second touchdown, a 12-yard run, was too little, too late for New York. Johnson (15-for-25, 177 yards, three touchdowns, one interception) was a rookie that year, and spent five seasons with Atlanta before becoming a backup for the Giants for three years in the early '70s. Coffey led the Falcons in rushing that day (and for the season), with 64 yards, while Wheelwright gained 51 yards on the ground while also catching five passes. Former Rams defensive back Norb Hecker was the first Falcons coach, and in two-plus years he put up a 4-26-1 record.

The Giants recorded their first win over the Falcons the third time that the two teams faced each other, on Nov. 14, 1971, in Atlanta. The Giants went 4-10 that season, and this was their last win of the year, which was also Fran Tarkenton's final win as a Giant. His quarterback counterpart that afternoon was Bob Berry, who was his former and future backup with the Minnesota Vikings, and the Falcons' coach was Norm Van Brocklin, who clashed with Tarkenton when he was the coach of the Vikings, which led to both men's departure from Minnesota. The Falcons scored first in the game, on a Harmon Wages two-yard run, but Tarkenton connected with Bob Tucker on a 10-yard touchdown pass to tie things up. Atlanta kicker Bill Bell booted a 17-yard field goal and Berry hit Jim Mitchell with a 23-yard pass to give the Falcons a 17-7 lead. But Giant running back Bobby Duhon rushed for a score and Tarkenton ran one in himself for the winning points in the fourth quarter, to give the Giants a 21-17 victory. The Giants would lose their final five games of the season, though, and the Norm Snead era would follow.

After not qualifying for the playoffs since losing the NFL Championship Game in 1963, the Giants finally returned to the postseason in 1981, and one of their nine wins that season came against the Falcons. The 27-24 victory was their fifth win of the year and first of three overtime games they would play (losing to the Redskins and beating the Cowboys in the last game of the year). Phil Simms faced Steve Bartkowski and both would toss two touchdown passes, with Giant defensive back Mike Dennis, returning a fumble, and Lynn Cain of the Falcons scoring the other two touchdowns. Mike Luckhurst kicked a 29-yard field goal for Atlanta, while Joe Danelo (who led the league in field-goal attempts that year, with 38 -- making 24 of them) booted a 27-yarder and a 40-yarder in overtime to win it. Johnny Perkins had a big day for the Giants, with six catches for 126 yards, one touchdown and an 80-yard reception. New York would defeat the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs but lose to the 49ers the following week. The Falcons coach that season was Leeman Bennett, who would go on to coach the Buccaneers in 1985 and '86 to a 4-28 record, which is tied with Rich Kotite of the Jets for the worst coaching winning percentage of all-time.

The season that Atlanta went to their one and only Super Bowl, 1998, they defeated the Giants along the way, 34-20, on Oct. 11 at the Meadowlands. It was a close game at halftime, with the Falcons holding a slim 14-13 lead, but they blew it open with 20 straight points, before Kent Graham scored a five-yard rushing touchdown for the Giants. He and Danny Kanell split time in that game and were sacked a total of six times. Falcon Jamal Anderson rushed for 110 yards, while Chris Chandler threw a pair of touchdown passes without a pick. The Falcons were led by former Giants coach Dan Reeves, who lost to his other old team, the Denver Broncos, in the Super Bowl.

The biggest blowout in the series came in last season's playoff game, when the Giants won 24-2 at MetLife Stadium, on Jan. 8, 2012. The Falcons scored for the first and last time when Eli Manning was penalized for intentional grounding while in the end zone, giving Atlanta their two points. Manning (23-for-32, 277 yards) hit Hakeem Nicks (six catches, 115 yards) twice with touchdown passes, one of four yards and the other for 72. Mario Manningham also scored a touchdown, and Lawrence Tynes kicked a 22-yard field goal. The discrepancy in rushing yards told a big story, as the Giants gained 172 yards, while the Falcons were held to 64, with Michael Turner only running for 41. The Giants also had a pair of 21-point wins over Atlanta, with one coming in 1979 (24-3, which was Simms' sixth career start and fifth win) and the other in 2007 (31-10).

A 27-7 Falcons win on Nov. 9, 2003, at the Meadowlands, was the largest margin of victory for Atlanta in the series. The Falcons defeated the Cowboys on opening day that season, then lost their next seven games before beating the Giants, and finished with a 5-11 record. New York had topped the Jets in overtime in the previous week to give them a 4-4 record, but they lost the remainder of their games to finish at 4-12, which put an end to the Jim Fassel era. Warrick Dunn gained 178 rushing yards in the game, with a touchdown, while Kurt Kittner only completed nine of 23 passes for 65 yards. Kerry Collins threw for 202 yards, with two interceptions, and the only touchdown for the Giants was scored by Dorsey Levens, one of three he would tally in his one year with New York. Tiki Barber ran for 120 yards in that game.

The Giants have won the last four times they've faced the Falcons: A 2006 27-14 win (Barber gained 185 yards, while Dunn piled up 146), the 2007 blowout, a 2009 34-31 victory and last season's first-round playoff win.

The Giants' record vs. the Falcons by the decade: 1960s: 0-2; 1970s: 2-3; 1980s: 4-1; 1990s: 0-1; 2000s: 4-3; 2010s: 1-0.

The George Steinbrenner Dilemma

2012-12-12T15:02:09Z

The New York Yankees are taking a very un-George Steinbrenner course these days. Where is the spending spree? Where is the winning at all costs? Where is the angry demand for a World Champion after the failures of the past three seasons? And "Where's my calzone?!" while we're at it. With all the "George Steinbrenner wouldn't put up with this" comments being thrown around with the new frugal way his son, Hal, is doing business -- outbid by the Pittsburgh Pirates for Russell Martin? -- has everyone forgotten that that's how the Yankees got into the state they're in? By doing it the George Steinbrenner way.

The two lengthy eras that featured multiple Yankee World Series titles followed a pair of George Steinbrenner suspensions. And that wasn't just a coincidence. Gabe Paul and Gene Michael were the masterminds behind the '70s and '90s teams, by building from within while making wise baseball trades, with some free agents sprinkled in. Sure, there was a Big Stein move here and there -- get me Catfish Hunter! and Reggie Jackson! -- but they mainly won despite their owner, not because of him. When Steinbrenner was in charge, truly in charge, things tended to go badly. Yes, spending more than everyone else gives you a better chance of winning, but it can also hamstring your team with bad contracts for years to come, hindering your ability to upgrade your roster. Winning at all costs may at times actually cost your team from winning.

Yes, Alex Rodriguez helped the Yankees win a World Series in 2009, but is a contract like his worth it? Could they have won with a cheaper third-base option? Maybe. Maybe not. But now look what's happened. They need to replace him and pay him at the same time. Maybe some fiscal sanity will do the team good in the long run. Let the Los Angeles Dodgers buy up every player that comes sniffing around looking for $100 million. Stand back and see how that works out for them.

Do we need another lecture from George Costanza on how George Steinbrenner turned a sacred public trust into a laughingstock with his impatience and outrageous spending habits? Even Tony Banta, in an episode of Taxi, wanted to have George Steinbrenner declared mentally unfit to run the Yankees. And now we want to go back to that? Knee-jerk spending because the Arizona Diamondbacks beat them to Eric Chavez? Of course, it would be nice if the Yankees had a catcher in waiting to replace Martin or maybe if Eduardo Nunez could actually field in a competent manner so he could temporarily fill in at third. But do the Yankees really need an All-Star at every position?

Kevin Youkilis is a former All-Star (former being the emphasized word here), but Brian Cashman again went with a reasonable team-friendly one-year deal in signing the third baseman to replace A-Rod. There was no panic, no overspending, as the transaction fit right in with the other moves the team has made this winter, in bringing back Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Hiroki Kuroda, all for one year, with the intention of winning in 2013 while getting under the $189 million magic number in 2014.

With one World Series title in 12 years, outspending every other team hasn't really been working. They have the money, so they should spend it, but it should be spent wisely and prudently, not emotionally or just because they can. If George Steinbrenner were still alive, he may have scooped up Josh Hamilton by now, overspent to keep Martin and Chavez on multiyear deals, along with making other big-name, big-splash acquisitions, but that rarely worked in the past -- so why go back to that now?