Steve "The Greek's" Superbowl Pick

Well, at long last the day of The Big Game is within striking distance. After NBC's 6 hour pregame of "happy horse manure" the game is due to kick off at about 6:30. I'll tune in at 6:25 and skip all the nonsense filler stories including the obligatory "rags to riches" or "player who raised 14 brothers and sisters because both parents were crack addicts" human interest stories.

Countless hours of pouring over minutia and obscure stats that will convince us of who will win the game. Even President Obama will be part of the pre-game. I'm already "Obama'd out". Get on with the game already!

As a Patriot fan I would love to the Steelers lose to the upstart Cardinals. On my list of "hatred for NFL teams", the Steelers rank third behind the Jets and the Colts. Unfortunately, I think the Steelers win this game.

The game is a classic "Big Offense" against "Big Defense" game. Kurt Warner has played this type of Superbowl game before in 2001 when his heavily favored Rams fell to the Patriots. I think one can say the offense from the greatest show on turf has to be considered batter in overall talent and depth than Arizona's. Even with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and the remaining weapons in the Cardinal arsenal, I would have to give the nod to the Ram's offense of Marshall Faulk , Isaac Bruce, Torii Holt and others.

I just think the Steelers defense is too good. In 2001 the Pats chose to blitz Warner sparingly. It would not surprise me at all if the Steelers to adopt a similar approach, play more cover defenses and blitzing less than they normally do. Warner torched the Philly blitz in the first half of the NFC Championship game. After half time adjustments the Cards had three straight 3 and outs before the game winning drive.

History has shown us that great defenses can take away any offense's biggest weapon. Look for Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Stephen Breaston to get pounded in " bone crushing" fashion anytime Troy Polamulo, Ryan Clark or any of the other beasts on the Steelers "D" have the chance. Remember it was Clark that sent Willis McGahee off in a stretcher in the Championship game and nearly decapitated Wes Welker earlier this year.

All indications are is that Big Ben will be good to go health wise. In his first Superbowl Rothlisberger passes went 9-21 and he had a downright awful game. I'm sure he remembers that and has something to prove this time around. Although Hines Ward is iffy with a bum knee, Santonio Holmes and Willie Parker are poised to step up. Look for TE Heath Miller to have a big game for Pittsburgh. It kills me to say it but, if I were a betting man, I would say the Steelers win by at least 10 points 27-17.

Enjoy the game and see you next week. Oh by the way, on our radio show last week Paul and Mike each had Arizona winning the game outright and Alex had Pittsburgh winning but not covering. Just wanted to get that on the record.

Come Monday, we'll see who "The Greek" really is.

- Steve

Joe Airs Yank's Dirty Laundry

OK. So maybe you have been under rock for the last couple of days and haven't heard. "The Yankee Years", a book written by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci, is due to on book store shelves Tuesday, February 3.
In it, Joe seems to air the dirty laundry of that classy Steinbrenner empire known as The New York Yankees. Joe takes swipes at everyone from Brian Cashman to AROD. In the book Joe claims that players on the team had a myriad of issues with star players. A-ROD is referred to as "A-FRAUD" by many of his teammates, according to Saint Joe- and that's just the beginning. Joe claims Brian Cashman, Yankee GM and Steinbrenner buffoon, hung him out to dry (oops another laundry reference) when it was time to negotiate the skipper's new contract. Joe also says everyone on the team hated Carl Pavano. How could they? Carl was never around, spending nearly his entire Yankee "career" on the DL, appearing in only 57 games over four years. Pavano must have been a real pr*ck to have earned such scorn in such a small time frame.
Seems that Joe's doctor also told old Georgie Porgie that Joe had prostate cancer before he told Joe. AHHHH! Yankee class and tradition! Oh, to don the Pinstripes!

All this has us asking one question: "Why"? With all the money Joe has earned in his career, why would a guy perceived to be a "player's manager" and always told his players and the media

"everything stays in the clubhouse" write the book? What's an extra million bucks or so to one of MLB's highest paid managers in its history?

I wonder if Joe ever read his own book he wrote a few year back entitled:
Joe Torre's Ground Rules for Winners: 12 Keys to Managing Team Players, Tough Bosses, Setbacks, and Success written by Joe Torre and Henry Dreher.

Who knows what's true and what's not. I guess we'll have to wait for the book to come out. One thing is for sure. It is a brilliant marketing campaign launched by the publisher to leak juicy tid-bits then launch the sale of the book two days after the Superbowl. Hardly a coincidence, wouldn't you say? I bet A-ROD et. al. are looking forward to their first day of spring training when The Bronx Zoo hits Florida. I know I can't.
-- Steve

Starting NYNE 1-25

Click here to check out the Starting NYNE's newest episode that aired on 1-25. Paul, Alex and Steve talk with WFAN's Ed Coleman about the Mets moves so far and the moves they have yet to make. Then the guys switch to football and tackle the Superbowl and the Jets recent hiring of coach Rex Ryan.

NFL Championship Sunday is Upon Us

Alas! The bittersweet day known as "Championship Sunday" is upon us. This is truly the last "real" Sunday for the NFL. The final four teams will be reduced to two by the end of Sunday night and we will be left with the Super bowl remaining. Rumor has it the pregame show for The Big Game will begin Monday at 8AM.

After all the workouts, training camp, games, all the plays, the injuries, upsets, and drama ( both on and off the field ) we are left with an improbable matchup in the NFC if Philly vs. Arizona. How many in week 16 of the NFL season saw that coming?

In the AFC Pittsburgh and Baltimore a pair of bitter division rivals will play for a third time this season. The previous two matches have been decide by a total of 7 points with Philly come up on top in both games.

Last week I went 3-1 with my sole loss being the Cardinals coming out victorious over Carolina and Jake "6 turnovers" Delhomme doing his best Brett Favre impersonation.Once again: who saw that coming?

Anyways here are my picks:

NFC Championship Game: The Eagles are a 4 point favorite heading into the desert. After their upset last week ( you may recall I picked them to beat Big Blue outright), the Eagles are one game away from the Big Dance. It will be the 5th and probably last time the duo of McNabb and Reid will be in this position in the last 8 years. That should give Philly a lot of emotion and motivation heading into the game. But I smell an upset here. The Cards just took it to the Panthers last week without Anquan Boldin.
He looks like he will play this week. Coupled with all world receiver Larry Fitzgerald and a guy named Kurt Warner I am taking the points and the Cardinals. Don't be surprised if Arizona wins outright.

In the AFC game Baltimore is a 6 point dog to the Steelers. As a Pat fan I would love to see the Steelers lose this game but I think Baltimore is going to come up short. I don't believe in that "it's tough to beat a team three times in one year" philosophy. Each game is an independent event and Baltimore really should have lost last week as they were outplayed by the Titans and won as a result of Titan turnovers in the red zone and penalties. The Steelers got a great game from Willie Parker last week and Big Ben seems to have shaken off the injury he sustained in the last regular season game. It kills me to do this but I am giving the points and taking the Steelers.
-Steve

Hall Calls Rice and Rickey

The Baseball Hall of Fame announced its 2009 induction class. Rickey Henderson made the Hall on the first year he was eligible while Rice made it on his last year of eligibility. Henderson got 94.8% of the vote and Rice just slipped in at 76.4%. Induction requires a minimum of 75 % of the vote from the Baseball writers of America.
Henderson is regarded by many to be greatest lead-off hitter in the history of the game. A unique character both on and off the field, Henderson's first year induction came as no surprise to anyone. The only question we have is: why did he not get 100% of the vote?
WIth a creer OBP 0f .401, Henderson holds many MLB records including: runs scored, stolen bases, and lead off home runs (to begin a game). One has to wonder what it takes to garner 100% of the vote inasmuch as it has never happened.
Rice made the Hall on his last year of eligibility before going to the Veteran's committee for election. The 1978 AL MVP was dominant at his position in offensive categories for over a decade yet his election was never a lock. His election mark the succession of three Red Sox left fielders to make the grade. He followed Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski at the position and now joins them in Hall. Rice's relationship with the press is often cited as a reason for his lengthy wait, which if true, is utterly ridiculous. Performance and results on the field, really should be the only measuring stick. Writers harboring grudges who decide to "get even" against any great player by not voting him into the hall should have their vote taken away.
Congrats to both players. We look forward to the weekend of July 24 for the formal ceremonies . Rickey's acceptance speech alone would be worth the wait.
- Steve

New Episode of The Starting NYNE

Click here to listen to the newest edition of the Starting NYNE that aired on 1/11. Paul, Alex and Steve talk about the NFL playoffs and get a little heated when Paul voices his opinions about the teams left. The guys also touch on a little BCS. Above, Donovan McNabb tries to get through the busy phone lines to the show........

NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend- The Best Football Weekend of the Season

We are coming up on the NFL Divisional Playoff weekend. This weekend, in my mind, is the best weekend for football in the entire NFL season. The Eight best teams, four games, in two days. What a great way to spend 48 hours! This week of the season really represents the second to last "real" weekend of football.

After this we have Championship Sunday and of course then the Superbowl. The Superbowl has so many other things going on that make it an entirley different event... a week off in between Championship weekend and The Big Game....the media.... the hype... and of course Superbowl Sunday itself which has become an unofficial holiday in the country.

Anyways more on that later.

Be sure to tune onto our show on at 9 pm on http://www.sportsradiony.com Sunday and we’ll be talking all about the events of the weekend.

Here are my picks for the weekend ( for entertainment purposes only of course)..

Game 1 Baltimore at Tennessee- I'm taking the 3 points and the Ravens over the Titans- I think Tennessee has not been quite as good a team as its record would indicate. Ravens defense will come out on top in a low scoring game

Game 2 Arizona at Carolina- I’m going to take the Panthers and give up the 10 points. Arizona has been awful on the East Coast this year and played poorly down the stretch. Panthers are looking pretty fierce depite the late season loss to NY.

Game 3 Philadelphia at New York- It will be the third time these teams meet this year with each team winning on the opponent’s home field. Giants will look to control the line of scrimmage their running game of "Earth, Wind and Fire". Brandon Jacobs has looked great in practice this week which bodes very well for the "G-Men". Justin Tuck looks like a game time decision with a leg injury- a big loss for NY of he cannot play. I think the Giants are primed for getting picked off this week. They have not played well in the last month, and have had distractions off the field which we are all familiar with. I’ll take the points and say the Eagles win the game outright.

Game 4 San Diego at Pittsburgh- Both teams have health concerns ( which team this time of year does not?). San Diego looks like they will not have LT and also wide receiver Vincent Jackson is facing the distraction of a drunk driving charge which allegedly occurred on Tuesday. I am looking for a low scoring game and Pittsburgh to cover the 6 point spread.

Let the games begin. Tune in Sunday at 9pm for all the post games analyses

– Steve

"TEX" message to Yank fans: "She's the Boss". "Starting NYNE" predicted Yankees would land slugger

The recent Texeira signing was seen a surprise by many. Most pundits had him going to Boston. But we at The Starting NYNE did not. On our show on December 21 we said to keep an eye on the Yankees and 2 days later the Yanks swooped in. Check out the link below to listen to the cut from that show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzBbdna_6ro

You can also listen to the whole show by clicking on http://www.sportsradiony.com/
Scroll down for previous shows for all our back shows

On Tuesday, Mark and Leigh Teixeira got the full treatment. The Yanks rolled out the red carpet, broke out the carving stations, prime rib, and caviar, called the florists , polished the silverware and brought out the Steinbrenner family china for yet another press conference announcing the signing of their third premium free agent this off season. The pinstripe Front office has now committed over $ 420 million dollars in Free agent contracts thus far this off season. Hooray for the rich! Poverty sucks.

Bad Economy? What bad economy? "Thank God for Tax exempt bonds or I would really have to work at finding these guys" Brian Cashman had to be thinking yesterday as he handed a bouquet of roses to Leigh Teixeira, Mark’s wife. BTW-When did it become fashionable to start seeing wives receiving gifts for showing up at press conferences?

During the entire process Boston and Anaheim were seen as the two likely spots for Teixeira to call home for the foreseeable future.The Sox even took John Henry’s private plane to Texas to talk with the slugger while Brina Cashman was taking a commercial flight to visit CC Sabathia in California to convince the big south paw to take the 166 million over 7 years- "we’re not the Red Sox" quipped Cash when asked to compare the Yanks and Sox traveling accommodations.
In the end it appears that the Sox flight to Texas was a waste of time. As Teixeira said yesterday, "in the back of my mind the Yankees were always on top". The Sox visited Teixeira on December 18. IN his press conference, Tex said that two weeks before Christmas his wife had told him she wanted him to be a Yankee- so the trip to Texas is now seen by many Sox fans as another opportunity for Scott Boras to pit the Sox vs, The Yankees in a bidding war.

Even with the signing of the big three can we call the Yankees the favorites to go to the World Series this year? To this writer’s eye the Yankees still have pitching questions to answer- the bullpen is not a lock – will Joba start or set up? Who are the 4th and 5th starters?. How much has the starting rotation actually improved ? Mike Mussina is retiring and Andy Pettitte appears to not be coming back, Those two alone had a combined 34 wins and 404 innings pitched for the team last year. How much more in terms of wins and innings will Sabathia and Burnett give the Yanks in 2009?
Given Burnett’s propensity for injury in non contract years and Sabathia’s lack of coming up big in a big spot in the playoffs one could argue the staff is still ha a long way to go to catch up to the Rays or Sox starting rotations. The Yanks obviously have improved the offense which was a 7th in the AL in scoring runs last year . But in case you haven’t noticed the team still has a lot of questions- Derek Jeter will be 35 in June and was voted the worst fielding shortstop by STATS inc. AROD will be 34 in July. Will Robinson Cano return to form? Or does Larry Bowa have to come back from LA to be his personal baby sitter? Matsui? Damon? Posada? All coming off injury riddled years. The Yanks do not look like the "Lock" Buster Olny and other pundits if you ask me. Congrats to the Yankee fans for getting Texieira! Remember one thing though- you heard it first on the Starting NYNE. - WE know our sports!

-Steve