The Sissification of NY Sports Fans and Omar's Slumber

Do you think Omar set his alarm clock for tomorrow morning? Do you think he even knew the trading deadline was today? I mean, seriously, for all the garbage that was traded for useful players over the past few days, Omar couldn't snag one player? I mean, the Frenchy trade was a trade for the sake of making a trade. I liked it, for that reason and it's worked out well for the Mets. At the time, however, it was panned across the interwebs as a horrible trade. Still, I didn't care and Omar appears to have lucked out. I have to say, I was terrified that I was going to hear something like Wright and Pelfrey for Halladay so I'm glad that didn't happen. But, I mean, he couldn't grab a LaRoche, V. Martinez, Hairston or someone like that? He sucks.

Now, I was listening to Richard Neer this morning (cure for insomnia) and all I heard all morning was a repeat of the following:

- Tiger throws his clubs. I can't watch him. Boo hoo. My kids, bad example, etc.
- Big Papi, boo hoo, steroids, boo hoo, media ripped Alex, boo hoo

I am so glad the rest of the country can't see and hear what a bunch of sissies NY area sports fans have turned out to be. It's a GD embarrassment.

REALITY CHECK(for the MMB mothafuckas)

Since this blog has evolved into a free for all where Mike's diet soda habits might be as likely discussed as a Frank Zappa song(and for the record, I do have the Valley Girl album on vinyl. But strictly for that one song. 'oh my gosh. Like, totally.'), I figured I'd delve into this post-modern discussion.

Tonight was a great lesson in that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

As I was preparing to clean the dishes, I decided to spin some vinyl(Loki, that is a record, in case you don't know). So being the sort of current lad that I am, I pulled my favorite MJ album...Off the Wall, of course. I had barely played Can't Stop til you Get Enough when my wife pleaded for Thriller. I admitted that I also owned Thriller on vinyl. But I remembered that my daughter was going with my mother to Mamma Mia this weekend in the Queen City. So I pulled The Magic of Abba on vinyl(stay with us Loki). I put on Dancing Queen. Any reader of this blog who defames either the Boss or Hippie music will admit that the aforementioned ABBA song is a classic. Fuck. ABBA outsold the Beatles for Chrissakes.

I couldn't get through Dancing Queen before my wife repeated her cry for Thriller. At this time, my son said, "Michael Jackson? You mean Michael Phelps?". So I threw on the record(sic) of Thriller. Then, a light bulb went off in my head. What is Thriller w/o the video? So I grabbed a laptop, punched up Thriller on youtube and hooked it up to the 46' Sony Bravia using a VGA connector. As my kids watched Thriller, then Beat It, then Eat It(Loki - Weird Al Yankovic made a bunch of parodies of 80's videos. Some say Eat It is his finest. After watching it 18 years later, I concur.), I realized a few things:

1) Michael Jackson wouldn't have been half as popular w/o his videos.
2) I appreciated the idea of transitioning from vinyl to internet. Why is it a generation gap? We can appreciate both. Right?
3) MJ was quite talented. My wife is not from this country, which means she loves MJ w/o all the pretense. His relationship with Americans is tricky at best. But watching his old videos, you can't deny his talent. His originality. He lost me after Thriller, but that's neither here nor there. He was a great entertainer. And along with Sports, that's what we Americans do best. That and growing wheat and cows.

I was inspired to post, not because of Mike nor Chris(both as stale as bags of rotten Fritos) but because there had been some cross-generational debate on this site, which included music. I don't like Bruce, but I respect him(speaking of which, there is a great story which illustrates this point. Rolling Stone spoke to Prince back in the day and he talked about how he was backstage for a Bruce show and remembered when a band member missed a note and Bruce shot a look at that person in disgust. Prince appreciated that.) I prefer lots of bands that no one here knows(Brian Jonestown Massacre, Deerhunter, Slant 6, Les Thugs, etc), but I appreciate when a lot of other people appreciate someone. Like Bruce. Or the Spin Doctors. Or Live. Even when it's against my instincts. And after having seen my kids marvel at MJ, through vinyl and the internet, you have to realize that a lot of things transcend time. You may not like it, but you have to semi-respect it. And isn't that we have done on this site?

Man Rammer and Big Sloppy on "The List"

Whoops, todays news that Manny and Ortiz tested positive in 2003, has the Beaneaters crying in the World Series trophies. My advice, don't worry, there were probably a few juicers on Colorado and St. Louis. Needless to say, this is the hot topic on sports-talk radio across the country today.

I think we all knew Manny was juicing all along and after his failed test for female fertility drugs typically used to follow a juicing cycle, that was pretty much confirmed. But Ortiz had been adament that he was clean and been a staunch supporter of stiff penalties for player who test positive. So let me share some quotes from Ortiz on the subject.

"You can test me, All you gonna find is rice and beans"
"I think you clean up the game by the testing," Ortiz said. "I test you, you test positive, you're going to be out. Serious. I know that if I test positive for using any kind of substance, I know that I'm going to disrespect my family, the game, the fans, and everybody. I don't want to be facing that situation, so what I will do, I won't use."
And before today's game against the Oakland A's (where all this steroid stuff began in the first place), Ortiz had this to say: "I'm not talking about that anymore. I have no comment

And then Ortiz hits a 3 run, go-ahead homer..

Pete Fornatale's Woodstock top 5

Here's Pete Fornatal's Top 5 Woodstock performances (off the top of his head):
1 The Who
2 Jimi Hendrix
3 Sly & The Family Stone
4 Joe Cocker
5 Santana

Tough to argue since it is personal taste and this is a neverending type debate...BUT No CSN? That's crap. If you don't get goosebumps from this, you have no taste in music. I'm talking to you Loki. And Sha Na Na needs some love too...I would bump The Who for CSN. I think they stole the show.

Dog seems shocked that there was recreational drug use at Woodstock - on behalf of the entertainers AND the audience! Stop the presses. New headline: Hippies smoked pot and tripped on LSD 40 years ago at Woodstock!

ps: I have a buddy with a Cocker Spaniel pooch and he named her "Joe" just so he could say he had a "Joe Cocker Spaniel"

Who kidnapped Mike?

So I heard a split second of WFAN at 1:15 and I heard Evan Roberts yabbering on about Omar and San Berdino (Zappa reference, can anyone out there name the album?).

I thought Mike just had a week off this month. So for those of you cheap bastids that refuse to shell out $150 a year for (almost) commercial-free radio, enjoy the punk kid who thinks he knows stuff but really isn't old enough to sit at the adult table for Thanksgiving...As opposed to the curmudgen who sits at the head of the table and demands the turkey leg and choicest white meat cuts.

I get a feeling that Dog is going to be on a Woodstock kick today. 40th anniversary coming up and he's reading Pete Fornatale's book on the subject. Of course, Dog has never even seen the Woodstock movie, but in his defense, it was released after 1965 so why would he bother...?

The Bore that is Bernazard

Quick! Name one other VP of Player Development in MLB...Come on now, just one. Can't do it, huh? Me neither. Is no one concerned that we hear more about Tony Bernazard than we do half the players?

This is just another sign of the dysfunction that is the NYM. Not the 2009 NYM, specifically, the entire franchise, all-time. What a horribly run franchise. Never, and I mean never, do they make the right move. Personally, I think this ridiculous story (and it is ridiculous; I mean, who cares what a minor league exec says or does to a bunch of also rans in Binghampton) and the ridiculous trade rumor for Halladay are simply smoke screens originated from the Wilpons to keep the attention of the horrible team trotting out there daily. It's political and it's bad form.

Turn on either of the sport stations and within virtually every segment some idiot, caller or host, is calling for Bernazard's head. Why? Why this outrage? Who cares? You think the Mets have 52 HR's for the year because of Tony Bernazard? Think Ollie is walking 7/9 innings because of TB? Think you put TB in the NYY system that ARod and Tex will stop hitting 4 HR's per game? No way. Leave Bernazard alone and let's put the blame where it belongs: Players, GM and manager, in that order.

Joe Posnanski: My Top 100 Players

SI.com put together a list of the top 100 players in MLB. I don't really agree with most of Posnanski picks. Let's flood Mike and Dog with our opinions.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_posnanski/07/21/top.100/index.html?eref=sihpT1
1. Albert Pujols
KBilly thinks this is a no-brainer.

2. Joe Mauer
Um, no.

3. Hanley Ramirez
Not quite.

4. Zack Greinke
No freaking way.

5. Chase Utley
Hard to argue. But, as a Mets fan, I still hate him. I think Rollins is better all around.

6. Alex Rodriguez
Roids, enuff said.

7. Tim Lincecum
A little too high for a kid having only his second good year.

9. Johan Santana
He's great but doesn't go deep enough and doesn't turn it on until July.

10. Roy Halladay
Are you kidding? He's the best starter in MLB (slight edge because of his complete games).

11. Prince Fielder
I think Ryan Howard gets the slight edge here.

Click the link and add further comments.

Talk Show Host - Mad Dog Radio

Talk Show Host - Mad Dog Radio
About the Job
Company Overview: SIRIUS XM Radio is America's satellite radio company delivering The Best Radio on Radio TM to more than 18 million subscribers, including commercial free music, and premier sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather. SIRIUS XM Radio has content relationships with an array of personalities and artists, including Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis, Jamie Foxx, Barbara Walters, Frank Sinatra, Opie & Anthony, The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tom Petty, and Bob Edwards. SIRIUS XM Radio is the leader in sports programming as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, NBA, NHL, and PGA TOUR, and broadcasts major college sports. SIRIUS XM Radio has arrangements with every major automaker. SIRIUS XM Radio products are available at shop.sirius.com and shop.xmradio.com, and at retail locations nationwide, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Sam's Club, and Wal-Mart. SIRIUS XM Radio also offers SIRIUS Backseat TV, the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network; XM NavTraffic® service for GPS navigation systems delivers real-time traffic information, including accidents and road construction, for more than 80 North American markets. Position Description: Position Summary: Prepare and host daily talk program for MAD DOG RADIO Duties and Responsibilities:
Prepare and execute talk program on a daily basis
Present topics in an entertaining way; with passion and opinion
Preparation to perform program with or without guests and callers
Work with Senior Director, Sports Programming to design overall sound and image of program
Do research necessary to conduct interviews and present topics effectively
Performs other duties as assignedMinimum Educational Qualifications:
BS/BA Degree and/or equivalent combination of education and experience preferredMinimum Years of Relevant Experience:
Minimum five to ten years experience as major market talk show hostRequirements and General Skills:
Thorough knowledge of MLB culture, MLB players and PR contacts.
Ability to prepare and execute entertaining program on a daily basis
Ability to work on a team and be flexible as opportunities arise
Good public speaking skills
Interpersonal skills and ability to interact and work with staff at all levels
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work independently and in a team environment
Ability to pay attention to details and be organized
Ability to project a professional image on the air, over the phone and in person
Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast paced environment
Willingness to take initiative and to follow through on projects
Strong organizational skills and attention to details
Strong interest in current events and pop culture, as related to assigned channels / programs
Comfortable working with talent, artists and high profile individuals
Excellent time management skills, with the ability to prioritize and multi-task, and work under shifting deadlines in a fast paced environment
Must have legal right to work in the U.S.Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer M/F/V/D
http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.aspx?JobID=82045983&brd=1&q=pr&cy=us&where=new+york&rad=20&rad_units=miles&pg=3&pp=25&dv=1&re=4&AVSDM=2009-07-09+04%3a23%3a00&seq=12&fseo=1&isjs=1&re=1000

Mets passed on Halliday???????????????????????

If Hayman's report is correct, and Omar and the Mets passed on the best pitcher in MLB, then someone needs to get Steve McNair'd.

Screw the bat, this year is toast. To have the two best pitchers in all of baseball at the top of the rotation for the next five years - while simultaneously preventing Halliday from going to the top division rival - should be kind of paramount. F-Mart, a couple of mid-level pitchers and a SS that the Mets don't need for the BEST pitcher in baseball, one who rests the bullpen with his 44 complete games?

Why am I not a GM?

Omar, PLEASE get that deal done. Take on the Wells contract. Don't be myopic.

Mike wants Halliday on the Mets, NOT the Yanks

Mike thinks that Halliday plus Santana would be a pretty good 1-2 punch. YaThink? But on the Yanks, Halliday would just be Conspicuous consumption, despite the fact that the Yanks have had the highest payroll in all sports for the past 32 years.

Also, the Mets aren't winning any more games this season, Carlos Beltran hates the team and the team hates Jose Reyes.

That's a lot for the big guy to spew in 45 minutes plus commercials.

Baba Booey to you all!

I'm bored, so let's start a debate

Top 5 pitchers in the past 20 years:
1. Clemens
2. Maddux
3. Unit
4. Mo
5. Pedro

If you want to throw Clemens out for his alleged steroid use, Glavine is on the outside looking in. Think I'm missing anyone? Sound off.

Pair of Aces

So, Saturday we get C.C. Sabathia at 1 p.m. and Johan Santana at 4:00.
I don't even want to talk about Pelfrey last night. Tex rescued the Yanks.
Both Mike and Dog return Monday, so I guess the summer is over.
This post brought to you courtsey of Kars 4 Kids...Yes, I am a sell out. That song is just so catchy.

KBilly Gets Some Play

Didn't see this posted or noted yet but I thought you might like to see this.

If you read the BTF thread you can see M & MB mentioned.

I'm ready for Mike to come back. I mean, I did prefer Mad Dog to Mike an always preferred Chris's Saturday solo show to Mike's NFL Now show (even though it was the NFL, c' mon) but Chris has lost his way. Or, never had it. Here is why I think Chris is doomed:

- Satellite radio is a luxury. Times are bad
- He knows very little about sports, including tennis
- He's not a fan of any teams, except the SFG
- He's compelling, not too dumb but still, nationally unmarketable
- He refuses to acknowledge legit stats
- His book(s) are laughably stupid
- He needs Mike

So, that's why I never subscribed. Take heart MD, a job awaits you in NY. No way you get as crushed as Kay is getting right now. That man probably lays off his pisspoor ratings on the fact that he's never there. Also, you'll never, ever be as creepy as Rich Cuttino (spelling?; I'm not looking it up) when he interviews Mets players. I just get this picture of him sliding his chair closer and making his voice a little a lower and inviting them for an after game drink at the Super 8 Motel. Creeptastic, he is.

You know things are going poorly for your team when:

- Julio Lugo might be your 3rd best player behind Frenchy
- The announcers are waxing poetic about Walter Cronkite (RIP) in the 3rd

Good weekend boys.

Back to baseball

Now that Black Wednesday is over, we can get back to baseball. Mets in Atlanta and Yanks have Thursday off. Ollie Perez toes the slab for the Mets, so it should be interesting. Pedro signed with the F--king Pilthys and I would be worried if I didn't see him over the last 3 seasons. Yanks are trying to get Halliday, which would give them a sick rotation. But why on Earth would Toronto trade him to the Yanks?

Tom Watson is leading the British Open with a 5 under 65. Tiger is 6 back at 71. Vijay is 2 back at 67. Sergio is five back at 70. Padreig and Daly are still playing.

But I can't listen to Joe and Evan on WFAN or Gary Williams on Sirius.

For those of us that are Mets fans, they are hiring:
Fan Photos Staff Photographers
Amazin’ Fan Photo staff photographers take photos of fans (not coaches, players etc.) during games and events, which are then made available via mets.com for purchase.
We require our photographers to be here 2 hours prior to game time to shoot the pre-game crowds. We usually shoot until the 7th inning, after which you are free to watch the rest of the game in the standing room only sections.
http://baseballjobs.teamworkonline.com/teamwork/r.cfm?i=24795

All-Star Game hit pool

Ok everyone. Here is the ONLY way to enjoy the MLB All-Star game...

You get together with at least 4 friends. Everyone puts $1 per batter in the kitty. Point man rotates clockwise. Every time there's a hit the point man takes the pot. No hit and it rolls over to the next person in the rotation, and everybody re-antes up.

I hope that makes sense, but it is pretty simple if you think about it.

Worst Sports Week of the Year?

Trivia Question: What are the only two days of the year with no American sporting events scheduled?
Answer: The day before and the day after the MLB All-Star Game.

Maybe you consider tonight's Home Run Derby a sporting event. But then again maybe you consider the Second Ammendment a privlege and not a Constitutional Right (Sorry, gman26).

So that leaves Mike aboslutely nothing to talk about until Friday. Dog, wisely, took the week off after last week's meltdown.

Mike has some fodder for today, Yanks getting swept by the Los Angeles Angels of Ananheim Sounthern California, United States but catering to the Mexican market by pretending that Ananheim isn't over an hours drive from L.A....and the Mets winning two of three from the Small Red Machine, including back-to-back HRs and the Apple failing to recognize either until after the inning was over.

A Swoon?

Yanks could head to the break on a 3 game losing streak if they don't bounce back today. They've also relinquished their 1st place tie in the meantime. What does it mean? Probably nothing but we'll get legions of fans, burning up the airwaves in the coming week, miserable that their team cannot beat the good teams.

Personally, I don't think this Anaheim team is very good at all. I put them on the same level as Minny, without the star power.

So, looks like Gatti was murdered by his wife. What a joke. Maybe he had some issues and maybe he wasn't the best husband. Whatever. He didn't deserve to go like that and we've been robbed of his future and he'll never re-visit some of his classic fights like Ruelas, Rodriguez and Robinson. I am interested in hearing Micky's take so if anyone finds it, please pass info along.

Nice day for the Mets yesterday. Johan went Johan and they have a chance to go into the break on an upswing. Careful optimism, right JD.

Sunday Funday fellas.

This Goes Up Before I Know Details

Mike will NEVER, EVER, EVER, NEVER put this on his stupid show with his ridiculous jingle. Arturo Gatti, the man who created a generation of fight fans is dead. What the eff? Guys like Pacman Jones, Shawn Kemp and Jim Leyritz still roam this earth and Gatti does not. Where is the GD justice?

I don't wanna get too insightful here or I'll cry all over my wife's expensive Mac, but:

1. I rooted for Gatti in every fight he ever fought except for three
2. He always seemed humble and cool
3. He was often the show, even as the undercard
4. He lived hard and settled into life; I hope his soul is not damned

Thanks to KB and the rest of the M & MD family to bring this up. It's a sad MF day here at M & MB and our thoughts and prayers go to his family.

Goodgoddamotherfuckingbullshit. Take the cast of Oceans 13. Gimme back Gatti

RIP my man. You gave us all everything.

The End of the World as We Know It?

That's great it starts with an earthquake...

Yeah, that's what they think. Shoot, I was happy when I heard Church was heading south and Frenchy coming north. Now, not so sure. You have to click that link and read the comments. Some of them are downright hilarious.

Would've been a perfect day for Mike as the NYY lost one to the ANA Angels. He loves to pontificate on their ineffectiveness against these guys. Plus, Joba <>

Yeah, Mike had 3 of his favorite arguments made for him in one singular night. If only Inge had hit a walk off grand salami Mike might have done his show and retired immediately. Oh well.

Back to Frenchy: I know ATL hated him and the intelligent baseball crowd thinks he's borderline worst every day player in baseball. Me, on the other hand, thinks this was a good move since we get a righty bat and a youngish RFer. If he can OBP .350 or so, I think he'll add some value. The roster is punchless right now with Wright being a singles machine so any hint of power is a plus. Maybe in a week I'll change my mind but for now I am kinda happy.

Enjoy the weekend boys. If anyone out there is throwing 'em back today, I wanna hear about it.

Mutiny on the Bounty

So Doggie's firing of Program Director Steve Torre and threats to fire everyone else on Mad Dog Radio has triggered a mass negative reaction by all the hosts on his station - even the fill ins.

Today's morning host, Casey Stern (filling in for the regular host and with a job on XM MLB station) ripped Dog over the phone on the air. Now, his afternoon guys, The B-Team, just basically called him an antiquated has-been. "[Dog] is in a time warp," one of the guys said. "He should have been born in the 1940s. He wants to talk about the 1946 all-star game and he thinks the best movie ever is 'The Best Days of Our Lives.'"

Not only is Dog getting ripped by his employees/hosts on the air, but callers have generally stuck up for them too.

"I want you to fill up every line on Dog's program and tell him he's a moron. Ruin his show. Then ask him about the Quebec Nordiques," said one of the B-Team guys.

Editorial note: The Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995. Maybe Dog is onto something here.

Neil Best is on vacation, but I am here for y'all.

UPDATE: The B-Team just compared Dog to Mile Holmgren as a General Manager.
UPDATE #2: Rich Ackerman just reccomended that - in protest - nobody call into Dog's show today.
UPDATE #3: Gresh is ripping Dog now and making good points.
UPDATE #4: Mario from Minnesota just compared Dog's firing of Steve Torre to Saddam Hussein shooting a soldier in the head in front of his troops.
UPDATE #5: Maybe it was all a big publicity stunt. Dog just said he'll invite Torre back next week while Dog's on vacation and then threw Mia under the bus, saying "she stinks anyway."

BREAKING: Erin Andrews in ball on chin action

During last nights Mets game, sideline-reporter hottie Erin Andrews took a ball to the chin. And not the way gorgeous blonde University of Florida grads usually take a ball to the chin.

From TMZ:
"Andrews — who serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN — was struck in the chin by a foul ball hit by New York Mets player Alex Cora during the 4th inning."
http://www.tmz.com/2009/07/09/erin-andrews-takes-one-on-the-chin/

Reports are that she is just fine. Let's hope she recovers quickly, so she can resume the more normal (although illegal in Georgia) ball to chin activity.

UPDATE: Suzyn Waldman has never had a ball near her chin.
UPDATE #2: Kim Jones has.
UPDATE #3: There is a ball on Kim Jones' chin RIGHT NOW.

All Kinds of Wrong and Some General Nitpicking

I didn't hear much of the Fan today so I can't really comment on much of what was said earlier. I missed the Johnny Franco experiment along with nearly all of Joe and Evan. I'm sure there was some doozies, but alas, I cannot mock much of it. If you can, please do. In the meantime, I wanted to speculate on what Franco probably said. I am sure it included phrases like:

- leader

- clubhouse presence

- orange T's

- Brooklyn boyz

- intangibles

- playing the game the right way

He's a broken record and he's not alone. It's just his turn to get picked on. The above phrases, of course, are in reference (mostly) to his analysis of the Mets season.

OK, now, there is an article (does she write with a Baaastaaaan accent, too?) from Suzyn Waldman which is just puke. The mocking of said article can be found at Baseball Think Factory. Enjoy.

Couple more things since I am really feeling nitpicky.

Heard a few seconds of Donnie Pucks interviewing Larry Bowa today (ex-Phil, ex-Phil manager and ex-NYY 3rd base coach; big fav of mine) and he asked him whether he was surprised about ManRam's heroes welcome over the weekend and whether or not he thought he'd receive same welcome if he played on the East Coast. Larry responded by saying that he wasn't surprised and that he'd not get that reaction in NY, Bos or Philly. Which of course, is an outright lie. Does he think if Utley got a 50 game ban, came back and homered Philly wouldn't cheer? If the same thing happened to Wright, Citi Field wouldn't cheer? Is he mental? Brain tumor for breakfast, or what?

Lastly, I want to introduce a name that I don't think we've discussed here at M & MB: Seth Everett. Has anyone here listened to him? Well, I caught his opening monologue today and the steady barrage of nonsense is staggering. First, he's wondering why no one is making a big deal about Torre's "return" to NY since "the book." Here are some reasons:

1. We all forgot about the stupid book

2. He can't hit the ball 450 feet and stare into the Queens night

3. He can't throw 98 MPH to David Wright

4. He was never that important

5. Mets fans don't care and never did

6. Yankees fans moved on Opening Day 2008

Then, he goes on and on like Torre wanders the Earth curing the blind and ruining bullpens. Oh yeah, he also said that Manny Ramirez is now on his "No Interview" list. Nothing like a little self-importance when 90% of the listening audience is tuned into 660 or 880. Idiot.

Bulls and Dogs

With Mike out this week it looks like this site will be slow for all non-Sirius subscribers. But as Jerry Garcia said: "If the horse don't pull, you got to carry the load." That's why I'm here.

The lineup on WFAN this week is Adam the (wanna be Francessa) Bull today and Beningo and Roberts the rest of the week. We don't even get a Mets day game (is that a good thing or a bad thing?).

So, it was a pretty eventful long Halliday weekend. Yanks won three against the Jays (Game 4 at 1:05 pm on 880 AM), beating a top-5 pitcher in the process. If Mike were on air today, Joba to the bullben would be a hot topic after he gave up 8 runs yesterday and was bailed out by a Who Dat reliever, who's name I can't spell.

Mets looked like magic elixer for struggling teams, getting swept by the Phillies, depite throwing out their own top-5 pitcher. David Wright went 0-22 in the two series against the Yanks and Phils, including the one-out, two-on double play he hit into yesterday.

Former Titans and Ravens QB Steve McNair cheated on his wife and caught the bullet train for it. McNair is a married father of four, who (in my opinion) was under kicking his coverage with that sour-puss chick (the dude is a multi-millionaire and if he's gonna cheat on his wife, he should do it with something nicer than a Dave & Buster's waitress).

JKidd turned down the Knicks. 'Sheed is heading to the Celtics. Tiger won some stupid golf tournament.

But for those of us with Sirius...Get ready for a mind numbing dose of Roger Federer and his "epic" match against Andy Roddick yesterday morning, which took place as I was nursing a July 4th hangover. The Wimbledon championship gave him one more Grand Slam victory than Pete (I married a hottie and my game fell off the table) Sampras. Whooptee freaking doo!

The 4th

Well, no real surprises yesterday. Mets made the collective fan base turn the game off by the 4th and the Yanks won a well pitched, efficient game. ARod went Arod and Mo went Mo on the Jays. Nothing shocking. I was thinking, however...

- Do you think Toronto's in town for a little more pro-American sentiment? Not that it's needed but maybe, right?

- Will Ronan Tynan be a part of the festivities today? If so, I mean, can't they find, you know, like an American to do it?

Anyway, as a patriot, I am a little embarrassed to admit that I am rooting for Kobayashi to win back his crown and Federer to topple Sampras tomorrow. I know, I know but I can't help it.

Happy 4th and be safe kids.

A Day Off for Mike

I am not working today and am BBQ'ing the backyard. It's my birthday, after all. Anyway, wanted to try and figure out what the rest of the M and the MB crew were up to on this fine Friday. I listened in to Richard Neer who is snoozalicious although, he seems like a nice guy. There is no doubt, however, that if you met him out for a beer or two, he'd wax poetic about Simon and Garfunkel and order a glass of Pinot Grigio.

Watching the Yanks of course and put a little 10x action on the Jays. Few things:

1. Is it me or did Texeira stop hitting? Not a Yankee fan here so I need some help.

2. When I said I'd take Wells contract if I had to give up nothing I obviously didn't know he was OBP'ing .300. I may need to reconsider that.

3. Burnett is really good or really bad. Is that worth $82MM? Not to mention, the $50MM the Jays already paid him?

4. Michael Kay just suggested that Damon may bunt Jeter over in the 7th with no outs. I wonder if he understands baseball at all.

Well, as I sit in my backyard and watch the game I am assuming the following:

- gabagool is trying to figure a way to pull a Nancy Kerrigan on the big fella

- loki is cutting people off and flipping them the bird

- kbilly is camped outside Mad Dog's studio dying for an autograph

- jd is secretly happy about the Mets 2 game winning streak and is cautiously optimistic about the Philly series

Enjoy the 4th y'all.

Quick Hits for Discussion

I guess there is no Mike again today as the Mets give Pit the opportunity to complete the 4 game sweep that was interrupted due to rain. I am sure Pit will oblige them and put Mets fans out of their misery sooner rather than later. In the meantime, here are some topical items. Some would've been included on Mike's show and some, not so much:

- To Larry from Massapequa...Thanks, from all of us, that squirmed uncomfortably in our seats while you gushed all over Kim Jones this morning. Kim has now hired a bodyguard and entered the witness relocation program. Kudos to you stalker.
- To all Monday Morning Quarterbacking Mets Fans...Please shut up about Dunn. The Mets could've SIGNED him, not traded for him, 3 months ago. SHUT UP! I missed the clamor for the big bat in March from you idiots and I don't want to hear it in July.
- To Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni...Put the name Jason Kidd out of your heads. He's a shell of his former self, a malcontent and a waste of a 3 year contract. He will get brutalized on the defensive end and is not the offensive player he once was. Live with Duhon and Nate and wait for another option. JKidd should turn off every Knick fan.
- To Me...Luis Castillo is not approximating Orlando Hudson's season. Stop trying to convince yourself that he is.

It's Christmas in July

At least, that's what I think Mike is thinking today. Don't be surprised if Mike brings in a case of the Diet Coke and commandeers the station all day. Yesterday, was a perfect sports day for one, Mike Francesa. Observe:

1. Joba has pedestrian outing. Throw him and his sideburns back in the pen

2. Boston blows 10-1 lead to Baltimore. Theo is overrated.

3. Mets continue to play exactly like the Mets. Johan continues his transformation to Shawn Estes.

The chuckling and fake laughing and teasing and bragging and grandstanding will be at an all time high today. Add in that the Mets are playing before Mike comes in and when Milwaukee completes the sweep, Mike cannot add that to his aresenal. The only way the show could get better for Mike was if St. John's hired Carnesseca back.

Now, I did not watch the Yanks and I know Joba's line was less than perfect. I'd still leave him in the rotation. Good SP provides much more value than good RP. Mets loss will be blamed on FMart for dogging that fly in center. That's BS. This game and that inning falls squarely in Santana's shoulders. Walking the pitcher? Giving up the big hit to Braun on 0-2 count? C'mon, you're Johan "6 Inning" Santana. These things should not happen. Let's see if Mike takes him to task for these things.

I turned the game off after the bases clearing double from Braun. Did Jerry go all Jerry on us and get Daniel Murphy up in the pen? Or, maybe tried a sac bunt with 2 outs? What managerial miscues did he bring to the table last night after the game had gotten out of reach?