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Jets set to talk to Seattle's Quinn, Among Others, for HC

The Jets are not wasting any time compiling the names of people that they want to speak to about their vacant head coach and general manager positions. Woody Johnson said on Monday that he would prefer to hire a GM first before picking a head coach, but, said there is always the chance that the opposite could happen. Well, it looks like the Jets are at least tempted to get their head coach before they settle on a general manager. The Jets are scheduled to sit down with Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Friday. Reports have stated that Johnson, along with Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf will interview Quinn. This is ironic since it was believed that ex-GM John Idzik was very interested in tapping Quinn to be the Jets next head coach. In fact, Quinn is the first guy the Jets have reached out and actually scheduled an interview with. He comes with an interesting pedigree.  Quinn is a Morristown , New Jersey native, went to school at Morristown High School, and ...

Giants Make Right Move, Coughlin Returns for 2015

The New York Giants ended any and all ambiguity regarding the future of their long time head coach, Tom Coughlin, when they informed the Super Bowl winning coach that he would be back for 2015. It is the right move by Big Blue. While the 2014 season was not a success, and the team suffered it's third straight season out of the playoffs, Coughlin can't shoulder all of the blame for what happened this season. Injuries, poor personnel decisions, and a terrible defense spelled doom for the Giants in 2014. Now it is up to Coughlin and Jerry Reese to fix it once and for all. While John Mara said that Coughlin and Reese deserve to return for another season, when asked if he thought 2015 was a win or else for many within the organization, Mara said that was a "fair statement." It is always a gamble to have a coach work with 'lame duck' status, but the Giants are hoping that Coughlin, who will not get an extension, wins big in the final year of his contract and r...

NY Jets: Rex Ryan Era Finally Comes to an End

An arduous, strange and at times interesting era has finally, at long last, come to an end. Rex Ryan and John Idik have both been fired by the New York Jets. It is about time. Woody Johnson needed to clean house after an embarrassing 4-12 season, and is off to the right start by canning two guys who didn't work well together, and two guys who were big parts of a sad sacked era in Jets history. As for Idzik, nobody has to debate it, he had to go. This was a guy who was really bad at being the GM of this franchise. His inability to spend money wisely on the salary cap, including leaving $20 million unspent was inexcusable. The Jets needed help in the secondary and Idzik never addressed those issues. He sent Darrelle Revis packing, not just once, but twice. He decided not to re-sign Antonio Cromartie, and passed on several qualified free agents, including Cromartie's cousin, Domique-Rodgers. Not to mention Idzik's drafts were poor (i.e. Geno Smith, Dee Milliner, Jale...

2014 NFL Playoffs Are Now Set

The 2014 postseason is now set. Three division titles, and various playoff seedings were all determined in Week 17 as the regular season came to a climax on Sunday. To recap: the Steelers won the AFC North with a 27-17 victory over the Bengals, although it might have been costly as Le'Veon Bell left the game with a knee injury. It was ruled a hyperextended knee injury, so he should be alright for the playoffs. The loss by the Bengals means Cincy will travel to Indianapolis for the Wild Card round. The Steelers will host the Ravens, who captured the sixth seed with a 20-10 win over the Browns. The Ravens got some much needed help from Kansas City, who defeated the Chargers 19-7. In the NFC, the Packers clinched the North and the number two seed with a win over the Detroit Lions. While Aaron Rodgers was carted off the field at one point in this game, he still came back in the second half to spur the Pack to a 30-20 win. The Seahawks clinched the West and the number 1 seed wit...

Giants Mistakes Ruin 2014 Finale, Now Mara Must Decide Coughlin's Future

EAGLES 34 GIANTS 26 The Giants season could not have ended any worse. A microcosm of a lost season, the Giants put together another inconsistent performance against their division rivals from Philadelphia. There were moments of brilliance, moments of frustration and moments of ineptitude all afternoon in a 34-26 defeat at MetLife Stadium. That is what happens when a team finishes 6-10 on the season. The Giants got off to a fast start. They took the opening drive 80-yards on six plays, culminating on a one-yard plunge by Andre Williams, then watched the Eagles chew up their awful defense. Mark Sanchez, of all people, chewed up the Giants woeful secondary on the Eagles first possession, when he connected on a 44-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews to tie the game at seven only one minute into the drive. While Sanchez wasn't great, he turned it over once and was sacked four times, the Giants allowed him to move around the pocket to make plays with receivers who had all day t...

Jets Defeat Dolphins, Now Woody Must Decide

JETS 37 DOLPHINS 24 For the second straight season finale, the players that comprise the New York Jets roster "played hard" for embattled Head Coach Rex Ryan, and for the second straight season finale they beat the Dolphins soundly.  Now the Jets front office must decide what to do with Ryan, something that is becoming an annual tradition like Christmas, Chanuka and New Year's. Only the jets. Geno Smith had his best game of the season, if not his career, by picking apart the Dolphins leaky secondary for 358 yards and three touchdowns. He looked good. He connected with Eric Decker on a 74-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass to get the Jets to within three points, 24-21. He even hit Jeff Cumberland on a 23-yard touchdown pass to the corner of the end zone to blow the game wide open at 34-24. Who knew that Smith could actually play well for longer than two minutes? The ironic image of the day had to be that of Smith and Rex Ryan chest bumping one another after the Jets ...

Jets Rumors: Idzik will be fired, Rex Ryan may not be

If the rumors are true, then Woody Johnson could be in the process of making the same mistake he made two years ago. ESPN is reporting that embattled General Manager John Idzik will be fired on Monday, but Head Coach Rex Ryan might survive Black Monday, with his fate TBA until the next general manager is appointed. Chris Mortensen who reported the news said that Johnson "remains fond of Ryan and would prefer that Idzik's replacement make the call on the coach." If this is true it's a hideous error of judgment on Johnson's part. Here is an owner who has enlisted the help of quality football people like Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf as consultants on the subject of the Jets GM and HC situations, and if the best advice that Johnson can garner from it all is to keep Rex until the next GM arrives is a joke. The last time the Jets made this decision, Johnson decided to fire Mike Tannenbaum and keep Ryan after the Sanchez-Tebow fiasco. Johnson said at the time...

Rex Ryan Cleans Out Office, Expect Jets to Fire Him

Rex Ryan knows the end is near. When word came down that Woody Johnson was prepared to bring in former Redskins GM Charley Casserly to fix the mess that both Ryan and John Idzik have left, Ryan seemed to get the message: pack your stuff. That is exactly what Ryan did. NJ.com reported that Ryan packed up all of his things in his old office in preparation of being fired shortly after the Jets-Dolphins game on Sunday. The report also said that Casserly has made contact with a number of candidates to replace both Ryan and Idzik. So comes the end an era of both bravado and buffoonery. From empty Super Bowl guarantees, to Sanchez tatoos, footgate,  stubbornly relying on bad quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith, the Ryan era is coming to an end. Yes, there were some good moments, like the two surprising runs to the AFC title game, but there was plenty of bad things that went on during the Ryan era. He had two good years at the start, four bad years at the end. He has to be fi...

Devils' Lou Lamoriello Names 3 Head Coaches to Replace DeBoer

What in the world? Just when you thought you have seen everything something like this happens. Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello has named not one, not two, but three men to replace Peter DeBoer as head coach of the franchise. According to multiple reports, Lamoriello has decided to name former Washington Capitales coach Adam Oates and Devils legend, Scott Stevens as co-head-coaches. And in case you are wondering, Lamoriello will oversee this from the bench as a third head coach. Like I said, now I have seen everything. Lamoriello believes in order to replace an embattled head coach, he's better off putting nobody in charge rather than fixing the problem with one voice. He expects Oates and Stevens to split duties, with Oates handling the forwards and Stevens the defense. I never heard of anything so ridiculous. If there is an old saying in sports if you don't have one solid player at a position you don't have any, the same applies to the head coach. How does La...

Yankees' Kuroda heading back to Japan

The Yankees will need to get back into the hunt for a starting pitcher after news broke Friday afternoon that Hiroki Kuroda will return to his native Japan to pitch in 2015. According to a blog post on Yankees Media 101 , Kuroda has agreed to a one-year deal to pitch for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp for $3.3 million. The Yankees didn't have a strong interest in bringing him back, having declined to make him a qualifying offer back in November. However the Yankees lose a guy who gave them innings the past few years, something they have had a hard time finding. The current Yankees rotation is as follows: CC Sabathia Mashiro Tanaka Michael Pineda Nathan Eovaldi Ivan Nova Not exactly a stellar group, the Yankees already lost out on Brandon McCarthy, who signed with the Dodgers. The team did acquire Eovaldi in a deal with the Marlins. At 25-years old he has a lot of upside, even though he is under .500 in his career as a starter. The Yankees are hoping that both Pineda and Nova can...

Devils Fire DeBoer as Head Coach

Playing mediocre hockey is not good enough anymore for Peter DeBoer and the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey fired DeBoer on Friday after 3 1/2 seasons with the franchise. Unable to score consistently, advance the puck, play with fire, and take advantage of power plays -- it has been a sluggish first half for the Devils who stand at 12-17-7 (or if you count the OT loses as such, 12-24) on the season. A change was going to be made by the Devs, and holding the league's third worst record is too much for Lou Lamoriello to stomach. While DeBoer took the Devils to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance three years ago as a number six seed in the East, it has been downhill since. The Devils are 66-65-35 since the 2012-13 season, having failed to make the playoffs the last two seasons. There is a very good chance this will be a third straight season out of the mix. It is anyone's guess who the next head coach will be for the team, at least on an interim basis. Dave Barr, Tommy Albelin, ...

2014 NFL Playoff Picture Coming into Focus

Week 16 of the NFL season is in the books and with it the majority of playoff spots that were once up for grabs, now have been locked in place. All that is left to determine in Week 17 is the NFC South champion, NFC North Champion, AFC North Champion and the AFC number 6 seed. How did all these seeds get locked up? Lets recap: 1) Philadelphia Eagles Buttfumble their chances: About a month ago you couldn't find a person who thought the Eagles were going to roll into the playoffs even with Mark Sanchez at the helm. Heck, some people were going as far as to say Sanchez was going to avenge his critics and become a superstar since he was no longer on the Jets. Guess what? There is a reason why the Jets dumped this guy, he flat out stinks. Sanchez sunk the Eagles chances with three horrendous performances in a row to send the Eagles (9-6) out of the postseason. His two turnovers against the Redskins, including an interception that iced a Skin's comeback spelled doom for Philly. ...

Jets look to ex-Skins GM Charlie Casserly to fix franchise

Inspite of reports last week that the current Jets GM John Idzik was working with Woody Johnson in the Jets pending coaching search it is now coming to light that Idzik is indeed on his way out, and former Redskins and Texans GM, Charley Casserly is on his way in , as a consultant. While everyone expect Ryan to be on his way out, the status of Idzik and people inside the Jets personnel department, like Terry Bradway, have come into great question. The Jets need to clean house and Casserly is likely coming aboard, not to take over the Jets front office, but to advice Johnson on who to hire to be the new Jets GM and Head Coach. Casserly has excellent credentials, having spent 23 years in the Redskins front office, and put together some great Super Bowl teams, including one that won it all in 1991. Casserly also served as the first ever Houston Texans GM, and got that franchise started on the right foot. For the Jets and Woody Johnson to go out and hire a guy who actually has an NF...

Giants keep fighting and winning for Coughlin

GIANTS 37 RAMS 27 In a game that saw plenty of fistacuffs and penalties the Giants earned a hard fought victory against the typically hapless St. Louis Rams for their third straight victory. To say that the Giants don't care about Tom Coughlin, think again. The Giants want to win for this head coach and they are sending a direct message to ownership to keep the Super Bowl winning coach on the sidelines for a 12th season. The Giants dominated the Rams with one of the best offensive showcases all season. New York rolled up 514 yards on St. Louis, blowing the game wide open by the second quarter. Eli Manning torched the Rams; the 391 yards passing was the most Manning had thrown in a game all season. Manning's monster day started in earnest when he connected with Odell Beckham Jr. on a 9-yard touchdown to give the Giants a commanding 10-0 lead in the first quarter. New York had three skills players in triple digits, with Beckham leading the way with another 100 + yard eff...

Ultraconservative Jets, again, lose heartbreaker to Patriots

PATRIOTS 17 JETS 16 This one was a microcosm of the Rex Ryan era in New York. The Jets got off to a hot start, had a great gameplan against their arch rivals, but still found a way to lose once the game was over.  The final score read Patriots 17, Jets 16, but if the Jets had actually taken full advantage of the opportunities before them, they could have won this game convincingly.  So is the life of the Jets. The Jets baffled Tom Brady and the Patriots offense. They sacked Brady four times, hit him a dozen times, and confused him throughout the day. On one of those rare occasions, Brady actually looked rattled. He didn't know where the Jets were coming from as they dazed him with different blitzes from all over the field. Yet, it wasn't enough. Why? Because the Jets anemic offense couldn't put the Patriots away when there was a chance to do so. The Jets held a 10-7 halftime lead, because they were aggressive offensively to go along with their intense defensive schem...

Tulowitzki to Mets? Time has come for Mets to stop talking, start acting

The New York Mets are in pursuit of Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, at least sort of. CBS Sports is reporting that the Mets have been in discussions with the Rockies for the All Star shortstop for weeks, but nothing is really eminent in getting done. Both the Rockies and Mets have been throwing names around, and it is believed that Mets prospect Noah Syndergaard would be the blue chip in the deal. However, finances, concerns over Tulo's injury history and stubborn ownership could be in the way. "it still feels like they are almost in the early stages with several hurdles to go, including ultimately whether the Rockies-owning Monfort brothers would sign off on such a deal for their beloved superstar shortstop. Rockies GM Jeff Bridich has consistently said he is listening -- though it is known that Dick Monfort rebuffed an attempt or two on the part of other teams to start trade talks involving Tulowitzki, ( Heyman, Jon. CBSsports ).  One of the hurdles might be...

Is John Idzik safe as Jets GM? Joins Woody in Coaching Search

Woody Johnson is on the precipice of making the biggest mistake of his tenure as New York Jets owner, and that's saying a lot.  Last week I wrote an article questioning why we hadn't heard any rumblings about John Idzik's job security with the Jets. Rumors have been running rampant on coach Rex Ryan, but Idzik seemed to be avoiding it, even though fans have been calling for his ouster. In that piece I questioned whether Woody Johnson would even be willing to pull the plug on Idzik and clean house. Well, it appears that Idzik might be safe. According CBS Sports , Idzik is working with Woody Johnson on finding the next Jets head coach, something he would be doing if he were safe. " La Canfora reports that, at this time, the organization isn’t using a headhunter or a search firm to find Ryan’s potential replacement. Only Idzik, Johnson and team president Neil Glat are discussing a new head coach ." So the same General Manager who failed to spend $20 mil...

NY Post: Tom Coughlin 99.9% chance of Return

If the New York Post has it's way , Tom Coughlin will be back as head coach of the New York Giants. Steve Serby of the NYP, said that sources have told the paper that there is a 99.9 % chance that Coughlin will return to the sidelines come next season, inspite of the team's 5-9 record this year. For many the issue regarding Coughlin isn't so much that he's lost the team, the issue has been his age; Coughlin will be 69 next year. To some, his advanced age might be keeping the coach from making proper decisions as the game advances around him. However, Coughlin has said repeatedly that he feels great and wants to coach. Looking back at this season it was never Coughlin's fault. Sure the team has missed the playoffs four times in five years, and is about to endure its second consecutive sub .500 season, but there are many reasons, beyond the head coach, for the teams ills. For one, and Serby pointed this out too, the Giants have never been healthy this year. Vi...

NJ Jackals 2015 Schedule Released

The New Jersey Jackals baseball franchise released its schedule for the 2015 season. The 2014 Can-Am League runner up will welcome two new franchises to the league in the form of new cross town rival, Sussex County Miners, and the Ottawa Champions. The Can-Am League is also adding a seventh team, a road team that will square off with all league opponents throughout the year. The League will keep the interleague play with the American Association in tact for next season. All together the Jackals will play 98 games in 2015 starting May 25 at Sussex County. The Miners will be taking over Skylands Stadium, once the proud home of the New Jersey Cardinals and Sussex Skyhawks. The Jackals will play 19 games with the Miners this season. The Jackals will then travel to Trois Rivieres to face their old friends, the Eagles before opening up the 2015 home schedule against their arch rivals, the Rockland Boulders. Ironically with the addition of two new teams, the Jackals will see less of t...

Jets Won't "Suck for Duck," Beat Titans

JETS 16  TITANS 11 Amidst a call from mostly media and some fans for the Jets to intentionally choke the rest of the way in order to draft Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, the Jets said "No" to sucking for the duck, and beat the Titans for their third win of the year. In what had to be the ugliest, most boring and down right putrid football game ever played, the Jets managed to beat the Titans, because Tennessee was just worse than the Jets. Believe it or not this felt like a really, really dull baseball game as Tennessee held a 5-3 halftime lead thanks to a field goal and a safety. Even the most boring affairs still find a way to provide some fireworks, e specially in the form of a brawl . With the Titans up 8-3, Geno Smith actually hit a perfect pass to Eric Decker down the sideline for what would have been an 81-yard touchdown pass, Smith started taunting Tennessee defensive end Jurrell Casey. Casey wouldn't have any of it, and punched Smith in the jaw, sen...

Undiscipline Redskins Help Propel Giants to Victory

GIANTS 24 REDSKINS 13 It was supposed to be 17-7 Redskins at halftime. Washington had dominated the Giants through the first half of Sunday afternoon's contest, and Robert Griffin III, who started the day on the bench had just scored on an option play, but the officials had other ideas. Griffin appeared to initially fumble the ball as he was diving into the end zone, then recovered the fumble in mid-air as he flew over the goal-line, but the officials decided that Griffin had fumbled it and turned it over to the Giants. Instead of 17-7, Skins, it was 10-7. The Redskins sideline erupted, and Santana Moss got ejected for yelling at the officials right before the half. The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty certainly helped the Giants. The opening third quarter kick-off was spotted at midfield, and New York opted to go with the surprise onside kick, and recovered it. Yet, the ineptitude of the Giants offense couldn't even take full advantage of Washington's misfortune. T...