Good morning, New York/New Jersey sports fans! I'm thinking this morning that Don McLean's 'American Pie' is an appropriate theme song for today's edition of 'Morning Coffee.' The music didn't die in New York over the weekend, but the playoffs did.
↵After missing two opportunities to win in Boston, the New York Knicks never really had a chance in their NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics. The Knicks played like a team ready for summer vacation Sunday during a 101-89 loss to Boston, and now that vacation is exactly what they have. This could not have been what James Dolan and Donnie Walsh envisioned when they made the trade for Carmelo Anthony. The franchise remains winless in the NBA playoffs since 2001.
↵The New York Rangers' season ended on Saturday night in Washington. The Rangers also played like a team ready to hit the golf course in a 3-1 season-ending loss to the Capitals.
↵Let's face it. Neither the Knicks nor the Rangers were championship-caliber clubs. If you are a fan of either club, though, you had to hope for better playoff performances than the teams delivered.
↵Don't bury the New York Mets quite yet. The Mets have now won four straight games after completing a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. Enjoy it while it lasts Mets' fans. It says here that your season isn't likely to include a whole lot of bright spots.
↵The New York Yankees won a Joe Girardi Special on Sunday in Baltimore. The Yankee skipper turned what looked like an easy victory into an extra-inning affair the Orioles eventually handed the Yankees with an 11th inning defensive implosion with some questionable handling of his pitching staff. Girardi took starter Freddy Garcia out after six innings when Garcia was working on a two-hitter and had a low pitch count despite the fact that primary setup man Rafael Soriano was not available to pitch. Girardi is a terrific manager, but he tends to overthink some situations, and this was one of them.
↵The SB Nation New York Mock Draft is rolling along. The New York Jets are on the clock.
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