Weekend Wrap-Up: Rangers, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Yankees & How WWE Is Similar to WCW 2000

Ironman Dan Girardi

Welcome to another blog here, on the new DOINOW.com. As always, make sure to check out the archives section on the right hand of the site for all my previous columns and topic discussions. There is a lot to get into today, so let's roll.

Yesterday, 12/14/14, was a huge day for NY sports. Both NFL teams were in action, as were both MSG tenants, the Knicks & the Rangers. The Yankees also made a head-scratching move and there was also a WWE Free-Per-View on the WWE Network.

The Rangers started Henrik Lundqvist in net last night, the first time he's played a back-to-back all season. The Rangers were looking to extend a two game win streak and match their season high of a three game win streak.  The Rangers would succeed with Henrik Lundqvist posting a shutout, albeit only making 16 saves.

For me, this was perhaps the second most boring game the Rangers have played all season, as there was a 1-0 loss against the Winnipeg Jets at home this season. Whether it was a back-to-back game, a different time zone, or the Oilers are just tedious, this was a tough game to watch.

The game was mostly a defensive game, with the neutral zone being clogged for most of the game. There weren't many scoring opportunities or even shots for that matter. It was a relatively clean game, with the Rangers catching their sole powerplay with four minutes left in the game. 

This was just a brutal and ugly game, but two points is always two points. I had a feeling the Rangers were due to for a disgusting game like this, because it seems that whenever you blow someone out, the next time you play, you seemingly have blown your load the game before. At the end of a day, you need to get two points and that's what the Rangers did.

Henrik Lundqvist, despite not being tested much, did his job. If he can have performances and stats like this consistently, then he will be worth his contract. Until he starts playing consistent, I still say Cam Talbot is the way to go, from a Billy Beane "Moneyball" perspective. The Rangers need him to be "THE KING" if they are to make any type of playoff run this year. As I said in yesterday's blog, perhaps this western Canada road trip is the start of Hank getting his bearings back.

There's not much to say about this game except the defense played extremely well. They didn't give the Oilers many chances.  The biggest cause for concern is that the Rangers were playing a last place team, but struggled to score. Perhaps they were a victim of the schedule, but at least they did enough to win. The Rangers defensemen had their second strong game in a row, with the game winning goal coming off Girardi's stick while McDonagh, Klein, Staal & Boyle playing well defensively. John Moore seemed to lose ice time as the game went on, which is not good for him, as he seems like he could be replaced by Hunwick tomorrow.

From the bad news department, Derick Brassard was diagnosed with the mumps. I don't understand these mumps. I thought you could only get them in the "Oregon Trail". The league's biggest pussy star, Sidney Crosby was also diagnosed with them. Rangers forward Tanner Glass has just recovered from them. It's an epidemic in the league. The NHL needs to get rid of the mumps, then get rid of the shootout as well.

Rangers return Tuesday night with a 9PM match-up with the Calgary Flames. The Rangers are playing well during this trip, and due to Hank's horrible performances earlier this season, are in catch-up mode for a playoff spot. The Rangers must keep on rolling here.

Giants Coach Tom Coughlin with the man who may have saved his job

I am of the believer that since the system encourages it, tanking for a draft pick is worth it. What's the point of finishing 7-9 and missing the playoffs, when you can finish 2-14 and get the first pick?  As I've said in my NBA columns, the only way to get rid of tanking is to disqualify the four teams with the worst records in the league from getting the number 1 pick. At least this way, they are forced to play and try to win. Let whoever finishes with the fifth worst record get the pick. I'd also force every team, in every league, that finishes in last place, to refund their season ticket holders.

I've been saying this since the Giants were eliminated from the playoffs around Election day. I can't wait until next year. Beckham & Cruz together is going to insane for the Giants offense. I am a Tom Coughlin & Eli Manning supporter. Where I have been negative on Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist for demanding the most money in the league at his position, despite never winning anything, both Tom & Eli have produced two Superbowl wins here. They are NY Giant legends forever.

While every time has to fight injuries, the Giants just had a huge rash of injuries and have lost more time than any other team due to injuries. This stat doesn't even include David Wilson, who officially missed all 16 games this year due to a career-ending injury that led to an abrupt retirement. 

The Giants have always been a well run organization. I believe they will fix their holes for next year. Plus, next season will mark four years since the Giants last won a Superbowl. The Giants, in recent years, won in 2008 and 2012. Next year's Superbowl is in 2016. Could we experience the drive for five next year?

I've mentioned this before, but it's hard to repeat in the NFL. The salary cap handcuffs you from doing that. Every time a team wins a Superbowl, most of the team is broken up due to money and bigger offers coming elsewhere. You also have to deal with retirements, a tougher schedule following your SB win and teams pumped to play you. The Giants have been consistent, historically. While these last two years have sucked, I believe the Giants will be a playoff team next year. 

Yesterday, while watching Beckham snag three TD catches, during the Giants 23-14 win over the Landover Racists, not only made me ecstatic as a Giants fan, he also put me over the top in my fantasy football playoffs! No one knows how  Cruz will be when he return, so it's nice to know that we have a young stud in Beckham. Being 5-9 sounds better than being 3-11, but I hope the Giants didn't hurt themselves in the draft. They need a lot of defensive help next year.

For anyone screaming about firing Coughlin or Eli, you are nuts. There isn't any other coach/QB combo in the league that have won 2 Superbowls in the last 7 years. The only fanbase in NY that has any right to want their coaches, personnel and players fired, are NY Jet fans.

 

 

Even when the Jets win they lose. The Jets, who defeated the Tennessee Titans, 16-11 yesterday, effectively knocked themselves out of getting a Top 5 draft pick, improving to a 3-11 record. Obviously, quarterbacks usually go first during the draft and the Jets need one desperately. The win may have earned Rex Ryan some toe-sucking time, but it cost the Jets franchise as a whole.

I've done countless columns on the Jets already, so I'm not going to rehash the same stuff you can read in the ARCHIVES section, but everyone needs to go. Woody Johnson is a horrible owner and usually teams with horrible owners don't win Superbowls. Unfortunately for Jet fans, Woody Johnson doesn't seem like he's in the mood to sell the team anytime soon, because he's making tons of money off the idiot fans who still pay for tickets to these shit show games.

It's without question Rex Ryan is a goner after this season. The debatable topic seems to be John Idzik. He needs to go ASAP, in my opinion. There is no point giving Idzik the time to hire his own coach, because when the Jets fail again, it will set the franchise back another four years. The Jets need a clean sweep. Get rid of Idzik, Ryan and for the love of shit, get rid of these black quarterbacks. I did a column on this already. Black QBs, for the majority of the time never work out, just like you don't see white running backs. You need a cerebral person as your QB, not some idiot running and scrambling around aimlessly. 

Still, Jet fans and Jet observers can make all the sense in the world. People who follow the Jets will not be shocked to see a Jameis Winston/Johnny Manziel QB competition next year, along with the signings of Ray Rice & Adrian Peterson. SAME OLD JETS!

 

I've talked a lot about the low life malcontent Knicks this season, on the archives, here at DOINOW.com. I said it before the Knicks even made the signing - SIGNING CARMELO ANTHONY TO A MAX DEAL WILL CRIPPLE THE FRANCHISE FOR THE LENGTH OF HIS CONTRACT. Didn't they learn anything from the Amare signing? THE KNICKS WILL NEVER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH CARMELO! Even if the Knicks were decent, they have the same problems as they did in the 1990's - a transcending, once-in-a-lifetime player in the same conference. Just like MJ owned the Knicks in the 1990's, the Cavaliers would make short work of the Knicks, even on their best day, in a best of 7 playoff series.

The Knicks are a fucking mess. Sitting at a lowly 5-21, the Knicks should try to trade anyone and everyone and stock up on draft picks. This is a team of the future and can not compete in the now. As I said with the football teams and on other columns here at DOINOW.com, the NBA embraces tanking. Might as well trade everyone. How's that max contract Melo? YOU GAVE MELO MAX MONEY FOR 5 FUCKING WINS MID-WAY THROUGH DECEMBER!

Outside of Tim Hardaway Jr., who is easily replaceable, the Knicks have no winning pieces or even desirable players. The Knicks will be luckily to get picks and a bag of balls for their guys. Carmelo is the worst leader of a team in the NBA. There is no one worse. Hate to keep plugging the archives, but I did a column on this, explaining why, already. He constantly talks about himself and not the team. He is an egomaniac. He got his max deal, now it's time to waive his no trade clause and let him try to win a championship somewhere else. 

Knickstape has been unraveled, like an old dusty cassette wasting away at the bottom of your junk drawer. It's KNICKSRAPED after every game now. I do see a lot of Knick fans blaming Phil Jackson, but what can you do when this team has been haphazardly and incompetently managed for 14 years? The only thing I could knock Phil for is giving Melo that highway robbery deal. Melo's contract for the Knicks was worse than the looting & pillaging in Ferguson.

All I can hope is that the mainstream sports media, here in NY, will give hockey some burn as all the other teams suck ass.

I wake up today to not only find out that Edmonton Oilers coach, Dallas Eakins, was fired but to hear that the Yankees signed 3B Chase Headley to a four year contract for $51 million dollars. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? A-Roid is still on the hook for 3 more years, which means nearly, $43 million dollars this season is being paid at the third base position? You have to be fucking shitting me.

The Yankees have sat patiently while the Red Sox have made splashes this entire off-season, from landing Pablo Sandoval (fucking sell out cocksucker) and Hanley Ramirez (malcontent). Lester goes to the Cubs. All the Yankees can respond with is CHASE FUCKING HEADLEY?

My good friend Dayna Palotta, who runs HipHopShortStop.com, thought I was nuts when I said the Yankees would suck last year, during spring training. Unless something magical happens, like the Red Sox team plane crashing into the Rays team plane and it lands right onto the Orioles team bus, the Yankees will miss the playoffs for the third straight year.

I'm a diehard Yankee fan either way. I'm with this team win or lose. It will be interesting to see who stays with the Yankees, when it looks like the Mets will be the stronger team this year. I've been fortunate to see five world series wins in my lifetime. I'm sure there will be more. I started off as a Yankee fan in the lean years, and it looks like the next era of lean years are among us.

 

I have a lot of people who used to read my old wrestling work visiting the new DOINOW.com, so from time-to-time I like to talk some 'rasslin. Last night, I had the Knicks then Rangers game on my bottom TV, Cowboys/Eagles on my top TV and the WWE TLC Free-Per-View on my iPad. I definitely booked my screens correctly, unlike this show.

I wanted to do a review on this show, but it was so bad, I don't want to waste my time. Go read my NXT review instead. I don't know how people can still watch and support this product regularly. What a terrible show.

Just a couple of thoughts on this garbage:

- Roman Reigns is going to be booed in Philly during the Rumble. His promos are terrible and he's being forced-fed already.

- Ziggler must be retarded. Why does he take these life-changing bumps when he's always going to be a mid-carder?

- Who laid out the match order? Bray Wyatt sucks. He shouldn't be main eventing. How many times will Dean Ambrose lose the big match? WWE has killed his momentum.

- WWE in 2014, is looking a whole lot like WCW 2000. How so? Where to start, where to start? How about that guys have control over their dates and choose when & where to work. You got Lesnar, the champ, who hasn't appeared in three months. You got Sting who has his own deal. Rock can come in and out. Same with Taker, who wrestles one match a year. I understand why these contracts are made, and the respect to the careers of the men who have them, but WCW did the same thing.

How about all the meaningless celebrities? Larry The Cable Guy? Was Robocop already booked? Seth Green? Was Chucky doing a Monstercon somewhere? How about the terrible forced music? Florida-Georgia who gives a fuck line? I guess Kiss was busy. 

Then you got the dumb ass characters, straight out of WCW. What, you couldn't see The Bunny vs Hornswoggle dressed up as a gator, during the main event of a Thunder.

There's also too much content, which killed WCW. Thunder was one of the downfalls of WCW. WWE has way too many fucking hours to fill and it's the same repetitive shit.

WCW also held guys down and wouldn't let guys organically grow. That's why Jericho, the Radicalz and countless others left. Dean Ambrose will never become a main eventer. WWE already has it set in stone that spot is for Roman Reigns. 

Towards the end of WCW, you had 34838384 bookers. WWE currently has 27 writers, plus their agents and whoever else on staff. In today's WWE, a Stone Cold Steve Austin or Rock would never exist. They wouldn't be able to do their own material and grow naturally. 

There are countless comparisons you can make, but I've never been more frustrated watching the WWE as I am now, especially with the WWE Network, where I can see how great things used to be on a daily basis.

- At the end of the day, this was filler show. WWE has no reason to do any work for their PPVs, because no one buys them anymore. There will be more shows like this in the future. It's just a downward spiral.

That does it for this Weekend Wrap-Up. I'll probably be back late Tuesday night after the Rangers/Flames game. LGR!

Feedback, death threats, and all that jazz can go to:

Sean McCaffrey

BULLSMC@aol.com

@NYCTHEMIC on the twitter