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This site will undergo a major overhaul. Maybe then I’ll actually participate on my own site. Stay tuned, mythical reader.

10) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Whenever I walk into a movie with a near 3 hour running time, I generally expect the worst. Amen to Fincher with great pacing, and just generally great storytelling.
9) Religulous
As a documentary, Religulous wouldn’t even crack my top 50 of the year. As a comedy, Religulous is top 10 material. The reason the film fails as a documentary is that it is the far from an honest look at religion in America and abroad. I felt as if any person interviewed for the film who put up any decent argument, was not included in the final cut. As an atheist myself, I do agree with many of Maher’s points but the film was basically just 101 minutes of ridicule. The ridicule was certainly nothing short of hilarious, but in no way can this film be considered a documentary.
8) Bigger, Stronger, Faster
The only true documentary in my top 10. Bigger, Stronger, Faster examines the use of steroids in American society. What made the film so interesting is that the core of the documentary involved the director and his family. All 3 Bell brothers are power lifters, while 2 of the brothers openly use steroids and 1 is morally against them. By using the Bell family story as its centerpiece, Bigger, Stronger, Faster contains what most documentaries lack; a heart. Furthermore, the movie fails to fall into the expected cliche of choosing a side on this debate. Instead it asks its audience the questions. Where do we draw the line for what is acceptable “performance enhancement?” Would America actually accept athletes that weren’t using steroids? Bigger, Stronger, Faster is 2008’s documentary of the year.
7) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
While the Apatow comedy machine seems to be slowing down, Forgetting Sarah Marshall still had enough laughs to make my top 10.
6) Cloverfield
Pure popcorn fun. The end.
5) Iron Man
Who knew a May blockbuster would actually be good? To say that 2008 was a career year for Robert Downey Jr. would be the understatement of 2008. Watching RDJ’s fantastic portrayal of Tony Stark, I could only think one thing; coke and heroin are some powerful drugs. No other actor this year nailed every role he was in the way RDJ did. Iron Man is as good as a superhero movie can be… or was it?
4) Wanted
Despite grossing over 100 million, Wanted was criminally overlooked by many. While writing this, I have officially realized that I may have to forfeit my pretentious badge after publishing this list.
3) The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke should be a lock for the Oscar, and he surely deserves it. As a professional wrestling fan, I have never seen such an accurate portrayal of the industry. The story of “The Ram’s” quest to regain lost glory is nothing short of exceptional.
2) Slumdog Millionaire
I often have trouble sleeping at night. It is pure guilt that keeps me up at night. The guilt I feel is a result of me ranking Slumdog Millionaire at number 2 for 2008. In my heart, I do believe that Slumdog Millionaire is the best movie of 2008. I could not give it the number 1 ranking for reasons I will explain later. Simply put, Slumdog Millionaire is like no movie I have ever seen. The way the story unfolds is truly unique, while Danny Boyle’s visual presentation is nothing short of fantastic. If you have not seen this movie yet, you should be punished.
1) The Dark Knight
Saying that Slumdog Millionaire should be number 1, is in no way meant to be a knock on The Dark Knight. Let me set the record straight and say The Dark Knight is one of the greatest movies of all time. The reason the Dark Knight gets the number 1 ranking if quite obvious in my opinion. Whether it be its box office performance, Heath Ledger, the action sequences, Chris Nolan’s fantastic direction, or just an extraordinary script, no movie captured America’s attention and wallets in 2008 the way the Dark Knight did. For this, I award The Dark Knight the esteemed position at the top of my list.

While it is apparent that all my money goes to movies these days, I have found some time to listen to music, here is my 2008 top 5.

1) My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
2) Lil’ Wayne - Tha Carter 3
Who knew?
3) TV On The Radio - Dear Science
4) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
5) The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely

20) Ben Folds – Way Too Normal
I have always had a soft spot for Ben Folds because he has sporadically put out some toe tappers. His lyrics have a great range too. No one else around can transition from a song filled with hilarity and then hit you with a real heart stopper. This album has its moments, but was just a little too silly for me.

19) Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
I was obsessed with “Sex On Fire” for at least two weeks. It is a great track. I love how KOL’s lyrics are right in your face. They never sugar coat anything and seem to churn out albums very quickly. That is my criticism here. I think they need to take some more time between albums and really put out that classic album that turns them into super stars. For now, this album was alright.

18) Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
These guys were a folk group that received a lot of critical hype. I was very skeptical because I usually don’t listen to anything that resembles the sound they are going for. I liked the album’s fresh sound, but I wouldn’t foresee myself taking a long term interest in these guys.

17) Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
I am very disappointed with the outcome of this album. I liked Oasis for the pop engine that they are. This album is a strange voyage into the psychedelic rock. A lot of the tracks have a very spacey sound. It wasn’t all bad, I enjoyed some of songs, but I was expecting something very different.

16) Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
No doubt in my mind that this album was weaker then it’s predecessors. It definitely went in a different direction. “I Will Possess Your Heart” is an awesome song, but I don’t see the need for the three minute intro. The rest of the album is more guitar heavy then all of their previous work. That experiment didn’t work for the best.

15) Jack Johnson – Sleep Through The Static
I was really big on Jack Johnson. I thought he had the capability of being a modern day Jimmy Buffet. This album ran in a different direction though. The lyrics on this album are much more depressing then the old albums. The bright spot is that the sound on this album progressed for the better. The early stuff was a little too simplistic. I would say a good step forward for Jack, but let’s go back to the good times lyrics.

14) Nada Surf – Lucky
I have always heard great things about Nada Surf and I decided to give this one a listen. There are some decent tracks on this album and I would say for the most part I enjoyed it. It was a bit of a snooze fest though. It is great if you are awake and attentive and want to hear something relaxing. I listened to this album two times in a row after the Cowboys lost and it had a very calming effect on me.

13) Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
More than a decade and thirteen million dollars in the making rendered a solid result, but it wasn’t worth the wait. Axel just tried to do too much. It seemed like almost every song was like “November Rain.” Music doesn’t need to be that complicated.

12) The Whigs – Mission Control
I hadn’t really heard of these guys until this year and I’m glad I did get to hear them. The sound is rough, but the bass really keeps the songs driving. “I’ve Got Ideas” and “Production City” are two of the better songs if you want something to sample. Basically this is a great garage rock album; that’s all I got.

11) The Killers – Day & Age
I was very skeptical and really didn’t want to like this album. I think Brandon Flowers is just a tad too full of himself. The last album was a horrible follow up to the debut and this album should have been the one that followed. The only thing I didn’t like about this album is that the “Goodnight, Travel Well” just plain drags on. That is not good way to end an album. I liked the use of the saxophone instead of annoying sythn stuff in some places. Overall it is a solid album.

10) Metallica – Death Magnetic
No more annoying steel drum and the guitar solos live again! Metallica has had lyrical prowess in recent times and that is present on this album, however the incredible sound behind those lyrics has return for the better. This album doesn’t quite stick in your head like the Black Album did, but I never got bored.

9) Blues Traveler – North Hollywood Shootout
Run Around! Remember these guys from the early 90s and their two hits “Run Around” and “Hook”? Well they have always been much more than that to me. The past couple of albums have been very good, but this album especially deserves your time. John Popper is the greatest harmonica player of all time and his voice is leaps and bounds above almost all of the singers around. I tried playing this album in the car in front of friends and family and almost everyone had positive feedback. Give John Popper his due people.

8) Fall Out Boy – Follie A Duex
I can’t really explain why (horrible guilty pleasure), but I guess I do have a flickering of teenage girl inside me that keeps me listening to Fall Out Boy. This album actually came out just a few weeks ago I might be getting ahead of myself with this ranking because I am listing to it pretty frequently, but what the hell. For the most part the songs are composed decently and actually make okay use of special effects thanks to Patrick Stump. Pete Wentz is still a lyrical master and this album gives nothing less than FOB’s previous efforts.

7) Phantom Planet – Raise The Dead
Phantom Planet has come a long way from their OC theme song days; certainly a good long way. What they made here was a cool theme album that has lyrics to die for. “Do the Panic” is a hell of a pop song and “Dropped” makes you want to stand up and sing. “Leader” is the champion of the album. It was apparently about time the lead singer spent poorly experimenting with a cult. Great to see a band become more mature and turn for the better, for once.

6) The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
I never really got into the Hold Steady. They have been around for a while but for some reason their sound was always a little too fuzzy for me. On this album they have a more mature, refined sound. The lyrics were what really drew me in on this album; “Constructive Summer” was a song I really felt a connection to. It really is a nice listen straight through.

5) AC/DC – Black Ice
Sometimes bands get boring because they don’t adapt their style. Sometimes bands change their sound for the worse. AC/DC did neither of those. They stuck to their formula of power chords and good times/chill to the bone lyrics and I will never get tired of it. I don’t know about you but every now and again you need something that just plan rocks. When I say rock music one of the first bands that comes to mind is AC/DC. To keep churning out hits with as much fire as they did 30 years ago is an impressive feat that I don’t think anyone else has/will accomplish.

4) The Kooks – Konk
I went to see these guys over the summer with C-Wod himself. I was very impressed. They gave off more energy than a lot of the performers out there today. This album does just the same. If you want the best pop music you are going to find from this year then you should go buy this album. My feet didn’t stop tapping the whole album. I am wholly serious on that claim too. These guys are severely under appreciated and I hope they stick to the same formula again on the next album.

3) Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords
This album was a long time in the making, but it was finally put together after their successful hit TV series for HBO. Brett and Jermaine have been signed up for another season and the hilarity will hopefully continue. The thing that distinguishes the Conchords from previous musical comedy duos is that the music is actually really good. The lyrics are witty and you will fall off your chair laughing, but these guys are talented musicians as well. They really are a jack of all trades. I really hope they can keep it up, but word is that they are running low on ideas. I know that one more season won’t satisfy me, I am going to need more of the Hiphopoppotmus and the Rhymenocerous.

2) The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely
This is the third year in a row that Jack White has been involved in a project that came in the top 5. I mean the man has to be a genius. Complete credit to Brandon Benson and Co. on this album too. Although it does sound like a follow up to the White Stripes’ “Icky Thump” at times it keep you listening. “Carolina Drama” was probably my favorite track of the year. The song tells a deep story, something I think has gone missing in music today. The song transitions are done really well too. I keep listening to this album and seem to notice something new every time. Do yourself a favor and listen to this one.

1) Weezer – Weezer (The Red Album)
Weezer came back with a vengeance on this one. Rivers went back to basics and produced some dandy pop songs. I was actually pleased with “Pork and Beans” mainstream shelf life. I still find myself listening to this album here and there and that’s probably because I didn’t hear the singles over and over again. Scott, Brian, and Pat also got in on lead vocal duties and I think that experiment work out pretty well. Please do yourself a solid and listen to “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived.” That song has pretty much been my anthem of the year. Well done guys! Weezer just released a nice little Christmas album and be on the lookout for a compilation of unreleased tracks at some point in 2009 as well as potentially a new album in early 2010.

=W=

Monday morning has been very slow thus far. I am awaiting a conference call to find out what I am responsible for, for the remainder of the week. After reading a plethora of Cowboys and Mets news I turned my attention to the recent auto bailout decision/indecision. I wanted to once and for all formulate my opinion on the heated debate. I didn’t really know what to think, but then I turned my head, looked out the window and saw the Statue of Liberty and I knew what has to be done.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the current situation. The three major American automobile manufacturers (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler) went before congress and asked for 35 million dollars in relief so they could all avoid bankruptcy. These dire straits came on because of pension costs associated with their unionized workers. Up until now it was never obvious how damaging and draining pension costs were going to be. People are living longer and original accounting estimates are out the window. In case you were wondering, like I was, General Motors must make a least an additional two thousand dollars of profit per car than Toyota does on their vehicles; in order to cover costs associated with former employee pensions. The public responded . . . and as expected . . . everyone (including myself and my parents) said no thanks, I will buy from Toyota, Honda, or Nissan.

Well that one has backfired on everyone. These big three manufacturers cannot fail because they simply employ too many Americans. So, the American car companies are going to get bailed out and everyone is going to pay for it . . . through taxes. Basically were all going to wind up paying some portion of that additional two thousand dollars per car through taxes, regardless of whether we bought/buy American car. That doesn’t sound like fun at all.

This is one of the many issues that is facing our great nation and unfortunately will cause it’s demise. There was once a time when American made goods were considered elite. Today American manufacturers are forced to make products of lower quality because of rising labor costs. What I am going to say now should turn a few heads. Although sometimes American made consumer goods are slightly lower in quality, you must buy those goods and not their foreign counterparts. If we were all buying American cars for the last twenty years we wouldn’t have seen the collapse of three major automobile manufacturers.

In the past a war has always seemed to bring the American economy back to the top. The demand for American made war supplies forced American companies to increase outputs. Thus, they would produce more, employ more people, and make more money. The same has to happen now, but you all have to realize that a war shouldn’t be the only thing that inflates your pride in your country. This is a “war” to me. Anyone that thinks they are saving a buck by buying a foreign made consumer good is sorely mistaken. The essence of capitalism is cash flows. It is all a giant circle you are employed by a company and they pay you to create a product or service. Then you go out and buy that product or service from that company or some other company. Then that company takes the money they just made and pays someone else that works for them. Around and around it goes. When you purchase a foreign good, money flows out of country and winds up in the hands of say a factory worker in China, India, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I am not that guy who hates all things Un-American, but I am someone that watches out for my own well being first.

I am saying that the demand for American made consumer goods needs to be inflated, now. Money needs to flow within the country. Screw all this globalized economy stuff. A globalized economy is code for a weaker American economy. Don’t be fooled people. If we keep buying foreign made consumer goods, American manufacturers will eventually fade away and with so will everyone’s job. Nobody wants to see that day. So, I urge you (the three people that will read this) buy American and save our economy!

In the wake of the tragic loss the Cowboys just went through I have some commentary on specific football strategies that you all should hear. I am not even close to a football player, I have no experience on an organized football field, but I have watched a hell of a lot of it in my day. Some packages and schemes work and some don’t. If you ask me the defensive side of the ball controls the game and the offensive side can adjust their plan and beat the defense, or they can keep trying to do the same things that the other team knows is coming. In the event that the offense does adjust, then it’s the defense’s turn to devise a new strategy conducive to stopping the offense’s new strategy. The way you win games in the NFL is based off of how quickly you can adjust to a style that can defeat your opponent.

I saw a couple of things in the Cowboys game that displayed why Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, and Co. should no longer have their jobs. I want to start with Jason and the offensive side of the ball. As any team would expect a game against the Steelers defense was going to be a hell of a challenge. What was even more challenging was the Steelers were not blitz happy. Jason, as I would have done, prepared for a heavy blitzing defense and therefore stuck to the delayed runs and quick curls and outs for the receivers. Well the Steelers didn’t bring the heat and Garrett didn’t change his play calls until half time. Romo threw two interceptions because the Steelers cornerbacks were jumping the routes they knew would most likely be coming. The defense kept Dallas in the game and the half time adjustments (that could have been executed a hell of a lot earlier) allowed the Cowboys to take over the game after the half. The ball started going downfield to Jason Witten and Choice was running more up the gut. The Cowboys had a chance to put the game out of reach, but the Steelers knew what was up and they started blitzing and jamming the receivers. Now, you would assume that Garrett would have been saying “crap, let’s go back to what we were doing in the first half.” Well they didn’t. They should have throwing curls, screens, and sweeps to the outside once the heat starting coming, but the Cowboys didn’t and the offense disappeared when they needed it most.

The defensive strategy was phenomenal. Wade Phillips really had it right. He kept the blitz coming from different angles and he had Big Ben frustrated beyond belief. The Steelers couldn’t adjust to the Cowboys pressure and they seemed confused beyond repair. The Steelers offense appeared ready to admit they had been out coached and they were ready to roll over. Keep in mind what I outline above; It is the offensive’s turn first to react to what a defense is doing. The Steelers never adjusted, so you would assume that Wade understood that no defensive strategy alterations would be necessary. Wrong! Wade called his defense in a prevent, zone coverage style defense with half of the last quarter remaining. He adjusted to a defense that the Steelers were prepared to defeat. I am someone that has a huge distaste for the “zone” defense. However, it can be appropriate against a west coast style offense that likes to throw outside and to the flats. That was not what the Steelers were doing. They were trying to get 20 yard passes over the middle and slam the run down the Cowboys throat. The prevent defense is set up to not allow a 10 yard pass to the sideline or 30 yard bomb downfield. The corners stay near the first down markers and the safeties stay over the top to “prevent” a game changing deep ball. Big Ben starting throwing the ball in the middle of the field on 15 yard slants into the holes the Cowboys zone now possessed. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. The only thing a prevent defense can do for you at the end of a game is prevent you from winning. I mean if you want to run a prevent defense when you are up by 20 points, go for it, it probably is the right strategy, because you don’t want to give up the big pass and let the other team back in quickly. When you are only up 10 points and there is 7 minutes to play the prevent is just plain stupid.

The offense took too long to adjust in this game. Granted the Cowboys offense did adjust, unlike the Steelers’. If they had changed up their strategy in the first half and subsequently responded to the Steelers’ defensive scheme in the fourth quarter, I guarantee they would have scored more points and put the game out of reach. That didn’t really cost the Cowboys a win though. The switch to the prevent, zone defense at a time when the Cowboys were dominating the game with their previous defense scheme was what caused this loss.

Sorry Wade, you are fired. If I was Jerry Jones, this would have been the last straw for me. When I agreed to Wade Phillips being a good selection for the head coach, I did so understanding that he would devise a defensive scheme that moved away from zones and towards blitzes and man coverage. There wasn’t much else I liked about him. I supported his selection because I thought he wouldn’t delegate the defense to Brain Stewart and he put the Cowboy’s superior talent to good use. I have yet to see that.

UPDATE #3:
As you can tell I am obviously very, very busy at work. Having said that I have more Mets news for everyone. Scott Schoenweis was traded to the Diamondbacks for Connor Robertson. Can’t say I really understand this deal, besides the need to trim salary. Robertson is a right handed reliever who had over a 5 ERA last season. He has shown potentially in triple A, but at 27 years old potential needs to turn into production. Robertson should compete for a bullpen spot in spring training with Eddie Kunz. Why I didn’t like the deal was because the Mets traded a lefty for a righty. Schoenweis was overpaid and didn’t perform especially well, however this leaves the Mets with Pedro Feliciano as the only lefty out there. That just isin’t smart. Now finding another left handed reliever is an issue. (Current bullpen projection: Rodriguez, Putz, Green, Feliciano, Kunz, Sanchez, O’Day).

UPDATE #2:
Late last night the Mets moved Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Joe Smith, Mike Carp and additional minor league guys for J.J. Putz, Jeremy Reed, and Sean Green (not the Sean Green that used to play for the Mets). My initial reaction was that the Mets gave up way too much, but after further analysis, it looks ok. Putz will take over as the set-up man in front of K-Rod. Putz has good stuff and I think he will fit in very nicely. There have been some rumors of trying to rework his contract, because he is due $5 million this year and he has a $9 million dollar team option for next season. I doubt they will rework the deal because Putz will want to test free agency in two years to see if he can get a closer job. Reed is a defensive outfield specialist and really is the same player as Endy Chavez. Green is a righty reliever that gets a lot of ground balls, much like Joe Smith. So, basically the Mets had to throw in Carp and the three prospects as the incentive for the Mariners. I guess that is alright. I would have liked to have held onto Carp because I thought he would be able to take over for Delgado in 2010, but o well.

UPDATE:
Looks as if Fransisco Rodriguez will be signing with the Mets, as I suggested they shouldn’t do. I am actually alright with the move, if he signs the proposed three-year deal worth $36 million. That is fair for him and he won’t get that type of deal anywhere else.

There has been talk of moving Brian Schneider to Boston as well. Then the Mets would turn around and go after Varitek or Pudge Rodriguez. That would be a mistake if you ask me. I think Minaya is getting too nit picky, too early in the off-season.

Ben Sheets is meeting with the Yankees and they are considering proposing him a two-year $30 million deal. That is a hell of a lot of money for him. I still the Mets can swoop in and get him, but there hasn’t been any talk of that. In fact there hasn’t been any talk about the Mets besides focusing an getting a closer. Omar, pick your head out of your ass and get another damn started, and please have be a decent one.

After running into Jose Reyes on the subway last week, my feeling of distaste with the state of the New York Mets was reinvigorated. The hot stove is just about on fire and the Mets are being fairly quiet. My plan to fix the Mets in my previous column is already out the window. What I wanted to do got way too expensive.

What They Should Do:

I still think my proposal for a Luis Castillo/Eric Byrnes swap is an incredible idea for both teams. Minaya should be on the phone making that one happen. Throw in Brain Stokes, or some other mid level pitcher that will never make it, if that makes the deal more appealing. There really won’t be a possibility of this trade going through until later in the off-season and I don’t think the Mets can afford to toy with that.

The Mets need a more stable left fielder and a closer. I believe that Dan Murphy has to be the second basemen next season, if he isn’t then another huge mistake is being made. Minaya has explored trading for Jermaine Dye and Bobby Jenks and I think this would be a more than viable option. A recent report came out saying that the Mets will not part with Fernando Martinez, which is a huge mistake. The only two guys I view as untradeable in the whole organization are David Wright and John Neise, otherwise trade away. Martinez has been injury prone and flakey at the Double-A level. I say trade Fernando Martinez, Eddie Kunz, and Brain Stokes for Dye and Jenks. Dye will add a right handed bat that is sorely needed and Jenks will serve as the closer. In return the White Sox get Martinez, who will bust, Kunz, who will eventually become the White Sox closer, and Stokes, who will make some spot starts and fade away.

Sabathia is going to sign with the Dodgers, Giants, or Angels, whoever comes up with the most money. The Yankees are not going to get him. That means that they will over pay for AJ Burnett (who is destined to be another Carl Pavano) and Derek Lowe. I actually like Lowe a lot, but at 35, you can’t give him more than three years and he wants six. So, those two are going to off the table. Oliver Perez is Boras client and he will want some outrageous deal, I would refuse to negotiate with him. That leaves Ben Sheets, who the Mets should be hard after. Sheets has been offered arbitration of $11 million. I think if the Mets come in with a three year, $40 million deal and they can get him. Sheets had injury problems, but I am not too concerned about that. He is a gamble worth taking.

Please move Aaron Heilman and a Pedro Feliciano for Huston Street, who is now a Rockie. In my opinion the Mets don’t have a setup man or a closer on this roster. Street can be the setup man. Heilman is a starter and he deserves to be one. He just doesn’t fit for the Mets right now. Colorado will make him a starter like he wants. That takes away a distraction and adds a potential asset. Feliciano gets thrown in the deal because Colorado wants something more. I really don’t see much value for Feliciano for the Mets. I mean are they really not going to acquire a set-up man because they want to hold on to a situational lefty that they could find elsewhere? This was the deal that Colorado proposed, so you know it is out there and I say they get it done.

That means a situational lefty is going to need to be found. In my original column I said they should sign Aaron Fultz to serve that role and I see no reason that they can’t.

In summary, The Mets should: trade Fernando Martinez, Eddie Kunz, and Brian Stokes for Jermaine Dye and Bobby Jenks; sign Ben Sheets; trade Heilman and Feliciano for Huston Street; sign Aaron Fultz.

What They Will Do:

Overpay for K-Rod, retain Oliver Perez, sign Raul Ibanez, and actually pull off the Heilman and Feliciano trade for Street. This way the Mets will have a lockdown closer for the coming year, who will eventually fizzle, like Wagner. Have no proven second starter . . . again. Finally, add another left handed bat to the lefty dominated lineup. I hate the Mets and I should be the general manager.

The Mets need some fixing and this year they are going to have to listen to me if they want to do it the right way. This is the second year in a row now that the Mets have collapsed with 17 games to play left in the season. There are so many questions that a fan is left with after two years of utter disappointment. Is this the fault of executives? Is it the manager and his staff’s fault? Are the players themselves to blame? There is no real easy way to answer those questions but I am going to try to.

The Mets immediately announced at the end of the season that Omar Minaya would be receiving a contract extension for his position as general manager. I think that was a mistake. This off-season is a make or break for Minaya. If the Mets make the playoffs next year, then yeah, why not keep the guy around. If the Mets fail to address their shortcomings, like last off-season, he needs to be shown the door. Last year Minaya pushed after Johan Santana and pulled one hell of a trade off. However, he lost sight of the big picture. He failed to address the bullpen woes and he chose to pick up Moises Alou’s option. I think Omar deserves a chance to fix this one last time. I am not saying I would have fired him, but certainly would not have extended his contract just yet.

This past season was a roller coaster ride for the two different managers of the Mets. Willie Randolph got off to a bad start and left everyone calling for his head. Most people, as well as me, thought his complacent attitude and eternal optimism was the cause of the collapse in 2007 and the bad start to 2008. He was shown the door right before all-star break and his bench coach Jerry Manuel stepped in. Along with Manuel came new pitching coach Dan Warthen. Manuel seemed to light a fire under the team. Together they shook up a lot of what was in place and it seemed to be working. Manuel had the team energized and Warthen make the pitching staff more relaxed. It seemed like everything was on cruise control and then the Mets collapsed once again. They blew a division lead with less than twenty games to play. It left me wondering was this Manuel’s fault.

My immediate reaction to this was that Manuel was not responsible. Obviously he deserves some of the blame, but I don’t think he takes the full wrap here. I had reached the conclusion that like Minaya, he deserved another chance. Then two days ago a story broke that talks with Manuel were proving difficult because he wanted to long-term commitment. That was followed by Bobby Valentine saying he was open to speaking with the Mets about coming back as manager. When I heard all that I was ready to write Manuel off and jump on the Valentine train. Bobby V was quirky, the players loved the guy, and he was filled with passion. He should never have been fired in the first place. Remember what I said at the end of the 2007 season? Fire Willie Randolph and bring Bobby Valentine back. Much to my chagrin that didn’t happen and the 2008 season didn’t end the way we wanted it to. It was announced earlier today that the Mets reached an agreement with Jerry Manuel to remain as manager. I can’t say this was a mistake, but Bobby Valentine is the guy for this job and they should have spoke to him first.

Saving the best for last, I want to talk about the players. In total there are nine free agents. I would consider keeping Fernando Tatis at a reasonable price. Pedro Martinez, Moises Alou, Damion Easley, Oliver Perez, Orlando Hernandez, Luis Ayala, Ricardo Rincon, and Matt Wise should be shown the door. That arguable frees up somewhere around $30 million to reinvest in this team. The next issue at hand would be addressing Carlos Delgado’s option. I had originally thought the option was for $21 million, but I have later discovered that it is only $12 million. So, I am no longer averse to picking him up for one more year. After next season Aubrey Huff will be available and Mike Carp might be ready to make a jump to the big leagues. The final hot issue is Billy Wagner. He says his career with the Mets is over and unfortunately I believe him. He won’t pitch next season. That leaves the Mets with a few areas that need attention. Second base is up for grabs, left field has uncertainty, two rotation spots will be open, the closer role needs to be filled, and a plethora of middle relief helps needs to be found.

This is part that I love. Now I get to make the decision and I promise you they are the right ones. I am going to list the moves I want the Mets to make below to avoid confusion:

1. Trade Luis Castillo for Eric Byrnes. Castillo has been a complete disappointment at second base and the Diamondbacks want to get rid of Byrnes’ big contract. The Diamondbacks are also unlikely to retain their second basemen, Orlando Hudson. Byrnes would play left field and then Daniel Murphy could take over second base fulltime. (Note: going after Manny Ramirez or Matt Holiday would be a big mistake)

2. Win the C. C. Sabathia sweepstakes. Give him $17 million a year over five years. He is an innings eater and seems incredibly durable. The only problem here is that Yankees could get out of control. After losing Santana to the Mets last season, it seems unlikely that they would let themselves get shown up by “the other team” again. I think the Mets could land him though because he wants to stay in the National League. (Note: I would rather have Jake Peavy, but the Mets have nothing to trade for him)

3. Sign Brian Fuentes to be the closer. Fuentes drew a lot of interest at the trading deadline, but the Rockies were unwilling to part with him. I think he is a little shakier then someone I want as the closer, but I think the next move will help ease people’s minds.

4. Trade Aaron Heilman for Hudson Street. Heilman seems misplaced on this team right now; I just don’t think he is happy. Street could step in and seize the setup man role that Heilman has never embraced. Beane has always wanted to make Heilman a starter, so this makes sense for both sides. (Note: Beane loves prospects, so look for someone to get thrown in to make this more attractive to Oakland)

5. Sign Aaron Fultz to be the lefty specialist in the bullpen. He is coming off a solid year and he pitched for Philadelphia two seasons ago. In other words he knows that lineup well.

6. Sign Juan Cruz as middle relief help. He has put solid numbers Arizona the last two seasons. Hopefully he will fly under the radar a little bit and they can steal him at a cheap price.

7. Bring back Chris Woodward from the Yankees as a utility infielder.

Leaving you with the following depth chart:
1) Jose Reyes – SS
2) Eric Byrnes – LF
3) David Wright – 3B
4) Carlos Delgado – 1B
5) Carlos Beltran – CF
6) Daniel Murphy – 2B
7) Ryan Church – RF
8) Brian Schneider – C

1) Johan Santana
2) C. C. Sabathia
3) Mike Pelfrey
4) John Neise
5) John Maine

Bullpen:
Brain Fuentes
Hudson Street
Aaron Fultz
Juan Cruz
Pedro Feliciano
Joe Smith
Brian Stokes
Scott Schoenweiss

Bench:
Ramon Castro
Fernando Tatis
Argenis Reyes
Chris Woodward
Endy Chavez
Nick Evans

There you have it ladies and gentlemen. I would much rather have had Bobby Valentine managing this team, but Jerry Manuel will suffice. Like last off-season, they have their big splash getting C. C. Sabathia. However, I have outlined some solid moves to reinforce the team depth, especially in the bullpen. If someone is reading this and knows Omar Minaya make sure he gets a copy.

Over and out.

Week two of the NFL had plenty of excitement, even more then week one. I know that this is week 2 and I can’t possibly make an outrageous statement because it is so early in the season, but you know me and I will. The two best teams in each conference played each other this week. I would love to say they were previews of the NFC and AFC Championship games, but these were division games. The best part about it is that everyone gets to watch these games will take place again this season.

Obviously I have to start with my Cowboys. A shootout game it was, but the Cowboys came away victorious with a defensive stand at the end of the game. Tony Romo looked shaky early and Donovan McNabb looked like the quarterback of old. The tables turned in the second half though. The Cowboys switched to developing the run game and grinded down the Eagles defense; something the Eagles had done to the Cowboys in the first half. The Cowboys need to get more pass rush and eliminate the penalties if they are going to be the Pats of last year. The Cowboys are certainly the team beat right now. The Eagles are still the second best team in the NFC. I just don’t think this loss was good for McNabb fragile psyche.

What game showcased the best two teams in the AFC you ask? That’s right Denver against San Diego (Spanish for a whale’s vagina, in case you were wondering). I hate to see an official change the outcome of a game and that is what happened here. Jay Cutler’s fumble was called down because of an inadvertent whistle and the Broncos scored with minimal time remaining. They then went for and converted a two-point conversion for the win. San Diego again lost as time was running out. The ending wasn’t fair and San Diego should have won that game. I tell you though I love Jay Cutler (fumble aside). He has a stern demeanor and he looks cold as ice. I love unemotional guys the girt there teeth and just destroy everything in their path.

Did I not say that New England remains the team to beat in the AFC East. The Jets are a decent team, but I am not even close to ready to pencil the Jets in as a playoff team. Brett Favre, a guy who everyone here in New York thinks is some super hero that will lead the Jets deep into the playoffs, played on the same level as a guy who hadn’t started a football game since high school. That statement is more of a reflection of Matt Cassel though. He can lead the Patriots and he will lead them deep into the playoffs, unlike Mr. Favre. The Patriots are here to stay atop the football world and Matt Cassel will make a name for himself.

The Colts squeaked out a last minute win against Minnesota. Viniteri made up for a missed field goal early in the game by banging one through for the win. I don’t really think that is good news for them though. Barely beating (what I believe is) a crappy team doesn’t really bode well for them. Peyton Manning and the Colts still look like they are in for some trouble to me. Staying on the end of the game heroics theme, Carolina again put together a nice comeback against the Bears. I am still very skeptical of Carolina though. I don’t think they are a top tier team. I do like the Bears though. I was disappointed they lost because I think they are capable of big things this year. Buffalo also put together a fourth quarter comeback to take down the Jaguars. Thus, sticking with my assurance last week that Trent Edwards is good and the Bills will make the playoffs.

In a breakout performance, Darren McFadden saved a very poor performance by JaMarcus Russell in an Oakland win over Kansas City. This win probably saved Lane Kiffin’s job; one that I think he is more then deserving of having. Washington beat New Orleans in a win that no one saw coming. I don’t even know what to make of that. Basically it is all bad news for the Saints and decent news for the Redskins. The Saints looked as if they were going to become a powerhouse, but not after a showing like that.

I want to conclude with something I feel pretty passionate about. That is Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers. The Packers almost gave the game away to Detroit, but Aaron Rodgers came to the rescue and the Pack won. Rodgers couldn’t be better for this team. Brett Favre is the most overrated quarterback in the history of the NFL and pretty soon people in Green Bay will see that. I said the Packers would win their division before the season started and I said they would win at least 9 games. Well that all looks very possible now, doesn’t it?

I leave you with that after week two. Take care, have fun, see you next week.