OLD-TIME FOOTBALL

The New York Giants are back! Beating the Green Bay Packers in their own ball yard, a 15-1 team, and the Super Bowl Champs makes them that. I bet against the Giants this past Sunday, and I must say, if I had to do it again, I still would.  But it is what it is and so go Giants.

When I think about the great Giant teams, I think about their defense. The great teams were always defensive works of art, with stars like Sam Huff and Lawrence Taylor.  In 1920, the NFL was founded and five years later, the Giants, owned by Wellington Mara joined the league. For 80 seasons they have been around, and have won their share for the most part, and are mostly competitive. From 1964 until 1980 they had only 2 winning seasons, but in 1981 to 1990 they qualified for 7 playoffs! In 1987 and 1991 they were the Super Bowl champions.

San Francisco, or the 49ers as they are known, were founded in 1946 and joined the NFL in 1950, are the first professional team on the West Coast, and the first NFL team on the West Coast. All five of their championships come after the inception of the Super Bowl. Their greatest star has been Joe Montana, who was a contemporary of Marino of the Miami Dolphins, the two often compared. In the 1980’s they won 4 of their 5 Super Bowls, when they were know as the team of the 80’s.

And so this coming Sunday promises to be a great defensive game, with the highly charged defensive unit of the Giants, and perhaps the best defensive team this year going at it. Offensively, I think the Giants have the upper hand, as Elite Manning has proven himself to be a great quarterback this year.

So I take it all back, the Giants are a good team, but once again, I will bet against them. I think good defense beats good quarterbacking, especially a team with a so-so running game like the Giants. But I hope this is a knockdown dragged-out fight.

FLACCO/BRADY

The Baltimore Ravens are a very good team, better than most, probably better than the opponent this coming weekend, as far as balanced goes. But there are two factors that will negate all that: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

T.J. Yates was not ready for prime time yet, and so Baltimore persevered, and Tebow was no match for the playoff pressures and the New England Patriots. The two best teams in the AFC are meeting and that is the way it should be. I don’t think that Flacco can do it in this case, and I don’t feel the offensive line of the Ravens will do a good enough job of protecting the quarterback, in spite of what I said.

JOHNNY DAMON

The Yankees pulled off a spectacular set of deals this past Friday that makes me think that Brian Cashman is a great GM, with or without money behind him. I think he is very wise in waiting like he did, (Kuroda, Pineda and Campos for Montero and Noesi) trading for what he needs without over paying for the goods. Granted the trading of Montero and great prospect and catcher usually isn’t a best swap for the guy giving up his catcher for a pitcher, but the guys Cashman traded for make it worth the risk.

Now they are entertaining bringing back Johnny Damon. Here is a guy that plays hard, loved being a Yankee, and if he comes back, will probably play from the pure joy of being a Yankee once again.

Bobby Valentine has a right to be skeptical to a degree about the Yankee starting pitching. He proved to be a great manager with the Mets, taking them to a World Series, and winning over in Japan. He has a great baseball mind, instincts and knowledge for the game, so I think we need to heed what he says; Basically he thinks the trade of Kuroda and Pineda “might” improve the starting pitching, let’s not give the pennant to the Yankees just yet.