Yes, Eli Manning Belongs In the Hall of Fame

That was quite a nice game Daniel Jones had against the Redskins. 28 for 42, 352 yards, five touchdowns and, most importantly, no turnovers. Whatever else you can say about this abysmal season, one thing's for certain: the Giants have found their quarterback. Jones is the real deal. Going into week 17, he has thrown for 2726 yards and 23 touchdowns - both franchise records for a rookie QB, going all the way back to Charlie Conerly in 1948. While he has had a problem with fumbles, his TD to Int ratio 23 to 11 is better than what Sam Darnold - his counterpart on the Jets - posted in his rookie year. It's now all too apparent that he was the best QB taken in the 2019 draft. Imagine where this team might've been if they had had any defense this year.

But while the future certainly looks bright with Jones under center, the man who started his last game for the team against the Dolphins last week will likely be out of football when the season comes to a close. And when that happens the discussion will immediately pivot to whether he belongs in Canton. Let me just cut right to the chase here. Yes, Eli Manning deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Just compare and contrast his stats with another Hall of Fame QB: Joe Namath.

Manning:
Completion %: 60.3; TD-Int ratio: 366-244; Total Yards: 57,023.

Namath:

Completion %: 50.1; TD-Int ratio: 173-220; Total Yards: 27,663.

Yes, Broadway Joe will forever be remembered for his "guarantee" win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, and, yes, he was hobbled by injuries throughout his career, but Eli beat the greatest quarterback in NFL history not once, but twice in Super Bowls 42 and 46. And he was the MVP in both games. You wanna say he was lucky? Fine, but was he lucky twice? I doubt it. Consider this: as incredible as Ron Swaboda's catch in the '69 World Series was, there's no way in hell he makes that catch again. Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.

My point is that every successful athlete at some point has lady luck shine on them, but the truly great ones, more often than not, make their own luck. And Eli, when his team needed him the most, came through in the clutch. No he wasn't as prolific as his brother Peyton, but in the postseason he was a better quarterback than Peyton. And as I wrote in an earlier piece, had this franchise done a better job of providing him with the weapons he needed, he might've had a third ring.

The sad truth is that Eli is going to be judged for the last six years of his career; a period that admittedly wasn't as spectacular as his first ten. And that's both unfortunate and unfair. Show me one potential hall of fame quarterback who could win with the team Eli was saddled with. I doubt even Tom Brady would be able to overcome this level of incompetence. What John Mara and Steve Tisch have allowed to happen to this once proud franchise is a disgrace. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Look, if it was up to me, Eli would be in the Hall of Fame in a heartbeat. Pound for pound, he was the best signal caller the franchise has ever had. He belongs in the Hall of Fame, right up there with fellow Giant Lawrence Taylor. To not punch his ticket to Canton would be to do a disservice to a good man who has done nothing but distinguish himself for an organization that in my opinion never truly appreciated what it had.

Memo to John Mara: Forget About Jason Garrett!

Look, I know I've been critical of your organization over the last six years, and with good reason. As principal owner, you've allowed a once proud franchise to deteriorate to the point where, were it not for the hapless Cincinnati Bengals, you'd be in line to get the first overall pick in next year's draft. Even with the Bengals in the mix, you're still the odds-on favorites to get the second pick. That would make two out of the last three years in which your team had a pick that high in the draft, and the other year you went sixth. Not since the '70s, when your father Wellington ran the show, has this franchise been this inept. Shame on you for letting that happen.

But as bad as things are now, they could get worse. I know that's hard to believe given the fact that you could finish the season with a record of 2-14, but yes, it could get worse. And that's because there's a rumor floating around out there that beleaguered Cowboys coach Jason Garrett would like the chance to coach the Giants should Jerry Jones decide to fire him at the end of the season.

Let me just be as direct as I can here. Jason Garrett deserves to be the head coach of this team the same way I deserve to be the starting center for the New York Knicks. Have you watched the Cowboys this season? They look like a herd of deer caught in some motorist headlights. Never have I seen a team this talented be this completely overmatched on the playing field. Despite outgaining their opponent on Thanksgiving day, the Buffalo Bills embarrassed the Cowboys on national TV by forcing three turnovers and converting on key down after key down. Josh Allen in his first full season at quarterback looked like a ten year veteran, while Dak Prescott played like a rookie making his first start.

Of course, the problem for Prescott is that this is his fourth season in the NFL, and not only hasn't he improved from his rookie year, he shows every indication that he's going backwards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that Prescott isn't a good QB; it's just that given the level of talent around him, he's nowhere near where he should be. Compare and contrast Prescott's stats with those of Russell Wilson. While Prescott has averaged more yards per game than Wilson - 315 to 267 - he's thrown eight more picks. And his passer rating is 13 points lower than Wilson's, and five points lower than what it was in his rookie season. Put succinctly, Prescott has not improved as a quarterback over the course of his career, and that is a direct result of having a head coach who doesn't know how to get the best out of his players.

Think about it: a team that has Ezekiel Elliott in its backfield, the best offensive line in the game and a front seven that can instill fear in opposing quarterbacks and running backs alike, and they're 6-6 with four games to play? And that's after they got off to a 3 and 0 start by beating the likes of the Giants, Redskins and Dolphins. There's no excuse for what's going on with this team. The mystery here isn't how Garrett has somehow managed to last this long as Cowboys' head coach, but why any team in its right mind would want to hire him for anything more important than, say, ball boy.

He's a terrible clock manager who has virtually no abilities as a play caller. Just last week in a game against the Patriots in Foxborough, Bill Belichick badly outcoached him. And it's crystal clear from all the available evidence that Garrett doesn't command the respect of his players, either. No less a Cowboys' legend than Jason Witten, when given the chance to back his coach, instead threw him and his assistants under the bus. As every sports fan knows all too well, when you lose the locker room as a coach or manager, you're toast.

What the Giants need is a teacher; someone who can develop young players like Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. But they also need a no-nonsense coach who will bring discipline to the sidelines. This team hasn't just been bad this year, they've been sloppy. The amount of mistakes that are committed on both sides of the ball are indicative of a team that not only doesn't know how to make critical plays at critical moments in the game, but is not held accountable when it fails to do so.

The play calling has been equally abysmal, both offensively and defensively. While it's true you can't overcome a dearth in talent - not in this league anyway - you can mitigate it if you know how to utilize the talent you do have. A good coach can give even the least talented team a fighting chance on Sunday. But instead, Pat Shurmur and his assistants look like a pack of absentee landlords in a slum.

If the Giants do in fact fire Shurnur and his assistants at the end of the season - as they should - and if Jerry Jones does the same with Garrett and Co. in Dallas, both franchises should do themselves an enormous favor and hire replacements that can bring out the best in their respective teams. For the Giants, that means looking outside the box and going with someone who, for lack of a better expression, kills both birds with one stone.

And after considerable consideration, there's only one name that comes to mind: Jim Harbaugh. Yes, I know he's currently coaching at Michigan and, yes, I'm fully aware that he hasn't exactly done a bang up job there. But that shouldn't disqualify him from being the next head coach of this team. It certainly didn't disqualify Pete Carroll when the Seattle Seahawks were looking for a head coach and I'm fairly confident that nobody would argue that his hiring hasn't transformed that franchise, and indeed the entire city. Were it not for a bad call late in Super Bowl 49 against the Pats, the Seahawks would've won back to back titles.

But getting back to Harbaugh. When he took over as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, that franchise hadn't made the postseason in almost a decade and he managed to get it to three consecutive NFC championship games and a Super Bowl appearance in four seasons. And let's be honest, Giants fans, if Kyle Williams doesn't fumble that punt in overtime, it might've been two Super Bowl appearances. That's how good the 49ers were under Harbaugh.

Prior to Harbaugh's arrival in the Bay area, Alex Smith was at best an average quarterback. But in Harbaugh's first year at the helm, Smith not only became a solid signal caller, he led the team to a 13-3 record and an appearance in the conference title game, which as I mentioned above, might well have been a Super Bowl appearance had it not been for some shoddy ball handling.

Then the following season, Harbaugh took the biggest gamble of his coaching career by benching Smith for second-string quarterback Colin Kaepernick. At the time, the 49ers had a record of 6-2-1. With Kaepernick under center, the team went 5-2 down the stretch and made it all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the Baltimore Ravens, who were coached by Harbaugh's brother, John.

The bottom line is that Jim Harbaugh knows how to win in the NFL. He reversed the fortunes of a moribund franchise that was going nowhere fast. He also turned two mediocre quarterbacks into championship caliber quarterbacks; just imagine what he could do with Daniel Jones. Think about this for a moment. If Harbaugh had had a running back as talented as Barkley in his backfield, he might've won that Super Bowl against his brother. Hell, he might've won two of 'em. Here's another morsel to chew on. Had 49ers' CEO Jed York not fired Harbaugh after the 2014 season, as his GM Trent Baalke wanted, he might've been spared the ensuing four years of losing records. There's a lesson to be learned here: great coaches, unlike their general managers, do not grow on trees.

Now before we all get carried away, a reality check is in order. No matter who the Giants hire to replace Shurmur, it will not be an easy task putting this franchise back on the winning path. A lot of bad decision making went into creating this catastrophe masquerading as a football team. But while hiring the right football coach may not be the silver bullet Giants fans have been dreaming of ever since Tom Coughlin was shown the door, hiring the wrong one again could set things back a decade or more.

Consider this. Barry Sanders, the legendary running back Barkley is most compared to, had exactly one postseason win to show for his ten seasons with the Detroit Lions. As tragic as that fact may be, the Giants are in jeopardy of one upping it.

Food for thought this holiday season, Mr, Mara.

End of an Era.

Before I proceed to slice and dice the New York Giants for the brutal way in which they handled this whole, ugly affair, I wanted to say a few things about Eli Manning first.

With the exception of Lawrence Taylor, who was the best defensive player I ever saw play the game, no one had a bigger or more profound impact on this franchise than number 10. Eli was a class act and a true professional. He's the only quarterback in NFL history who can boast with pride that he beat Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl. And I'm also pretty sure he's the only quarterback who went into Lambeau Field twice and beat Brett Favre and Aaron Rogers in a playoff game; the former in sub-freezing conditions, the latter against a 15-1 team. Had Jerry Reese done a better job of drafting offensive linemen during his tenure, Manning might well have won a third title, that's how good he was.

Many "critics" have opined about how Manning's skills have deteriorated over the last few years. You try getting your ass pile driven into the turf six, seven, eight times a game and let's see how your skills hold up. The fact that he hasn't missed a game due to injury in his entire 16 year career is nothing short of miraculous, given how little protection he's had the last six seasons. Were it not for Ben McAdoo's decision to bench him for, of all players, Gino Smith in 2017, he would've entered week three of this season having started 233 consecutive games, second only behind Favre. Not bad for a guy the so-called experts said was overrated.

For all the talk about how great the David Tyree and Mario Manningham catches were in Super Bowls 42 and 46 respectively - and they were great - the fact is that it was Manning who delivered both throws. The Manningham ball, in particular, was perfectly placed. Had it been thrown slightly to the left, Manningham would not have been able to catch it; had it been just to the right, it would've been batted away. Without those plays, the Patriots and not the Giants would've won both games. That's why Manning, and not Brady, was the MVP in those contests. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, New England fans.

On behalf of every Giants fan out there, I wanted to say thank you, Eli, for all the great memories. I still have your jersey and I will wear it proudly this Sunday when your team goes up against Tampa. Daniel Jones has some mighty big shoes to fill.

And now onto the main course.

Once more, this franchise botched what should've been a graceful transition. Dave Gettleman's refusal to admit that the Giants were in rebuilding mode when he took control over a year ago, meant that the team was compelled to retain Manning and his $23 million salary going into this season. It's now painfully obvious that he was going to select a quarterback in this year's draft, having passed on one last year. Fine, I have no problem with that. I'll say it again: Saquon Barkley was the best player in the 2018 draft. You don't pass on a generational player like that.

But if Gettleman was determined to choose a quarterback in 2019, he should've jettisoned Manning before the season began and put that money to work where it was sorely needed: the secondary. It was inevitable, given how well Jones performed during the preseason, that he was going to eventually be named the starter. Gettleman could've chosen to do what the Jets did a year earlier: let his number one draft pick learn how to be a successful quarterback under center rather than on the sidelines. I'm not saying the Giants' record would've been any better with Jones as the starter, but at least the expectations would've been set a whole lot lower.

So now this team, with arguably the worst secondary in the league and a front seven that at best is below average, has a $23 million quarterback riding the bench and a rookie quarterback at the helm. And for that, owner John Mara must take full responsibility. It was undoubtedly his call to keep Manning this season, rather than release him and allow him to sign with another NFL team that could've used his services. Imagine Eli taking over the reigns in Pittsburgh, where Ben Roethlisberger is done for the season. Or perhaps landing in Jacksonville to take over for Nick Foles, who is also out for the remainder of the year. How sweet would it have been to see Eli reunited with Tom Coughlin? Now he's forced to sit while Jones starts in his place. If you don't think that's humiliating, you've never watched a football game in your life. There are bench players in this league that are treated better.

Face it: the Giants are the laughing stock of the NFL. Their ownership and G.M. have managed to take a bad football team and somehow make it worse. Going into this season I thought they might go 7-9. As things stand now, they'll be lucky if they match last year's record of 5-11. But one thing's for certain, the man who proudly wore number 10 for 16 seasons had nothing to do with this train wreck. In fact, had his team performed with the same level of professionalism he exhibited game in and game out, I dare say the Giants would be one of the league's premier teams; right up there with the Patriots.

Predicting Where the Giants Will Finish

The last time I made a prediction regarding the Giants was six years ago; let's just say that one didn't turn out so well. I had them in the Super Bowl against the Ravens. The Jints finished 7-9 that year. Oh, well.

That being said, I think that those who are predicting this team will finish 3-13 or 4-12 might be in for a shock. No, I'm not predicting they're going to be in the Super Bowl. I'm not making that mistake again. But I do think they will be better than last year, when they went 5-11. That's because of two factors: one, their schedule is somewhat easier than last year's; two, their offensive line is considerably better than last year's.

And it's the latter that will ultimately determine the fate of this team. I feel bad for Eli Manning. Over the last six seasons he has had to play behind arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL. Think about it: he's the same age as Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger, and he's younger than Tom Brady. Yet no one has asked if any of these quarterbacks are over the hill. That's because the organizations these quarterbacks play for have given each of them the tools they've needed to succeed. The Giants, for some unknown reason, have left Eli out in the cold to fend for himself. And for a man who moves about as fast as glaciers melt, that has spelled disaster for him and his team.

But in the second half of last year, there were signs that this beleaguered offensive line was starting to jell. Both free agent Nate Solder and first year starter Will Hernandez got their legs under them. Eli finally had the time he needed to throw and the team went 4-4. The season finale at Met Life against the Cowboys went down to the wire. Only a last minute touchdown by Cole Beasley saved Dallas from a stunning loss.

This season, the offensive line will be even better with the additions of Kevin Zeitler and Mike Remmers, plus the return of Jon Halapio who broke his leg in week two last season. Granted, it still is ranked only 17th in the league, but given where it was last season, that's saying a lot. When you consider that last year the Giants scored the most points in their division, it's reasonable to assume that this year's team will score even more.

And they will need to. That's because the defense, which was a sieve last season, could be even worse this year. Dave Gettleman's decision to pass on Josh Allen with the 6th overall pick meant they lost an opportunity to draft a premiere pass rusher. Dexter Lawrence, who they took at 17, is good at stopping the run, but is a huge question mark against the pass. With this secondary, if the Jints can't get to the QB, Eli might have to put up 40 points a game just to have a shot at winning.

Overall, though, I like this Giants team's chances more than last year's. Saquon Barkley will improve upon his stellar rookie season and the receiving corps will more than compensate for the loss of Odell Beckham Jr., who is now Cleveland's headache. They should have no problem splitting the first four games, and if they stay healthy, they will be in the playoff hunt going into the last couple of games of the season.

Barring John Mara and Gettleman switching to Daniel Jones halfway through the season, which I don't think is likely given how both feel about Eli, I predict a 7-9 record and a third place finish.

Daniel Jones Has Earned the Right To Start

Before we go any further, let me just reiterate what I wrote back in April. The decision to draft Daniel Jones with the 6th overall pick was a big mistake. By all accounts, not one NFL team had Jones rated that high on their board. The Giants could’ve drafted Josh Allen 6th overall and Jones would’ve still been available at 17. Having said that, and after having seen him in the preseason, it’s clear that of all the quarterbacks taken in the 2019 draft, Jones is by far the best of the lot. It’s not even close.

Just look at the stats. After 3 preseason games, Jones’s passer rating of 140 is off the charts. He has completed an astounding 83.3 percent of his passes, going 25 of 30 for 369 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Compare and contrast him with Dwayne Haskins – the quarterback everyone wanted the Giants to take. He’s completed just 22 of 41 passes – a 53.7 completion percentage - for 305 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions and a passer rating of just 66.

And Jones has looked good both in the pocket as well as in the shotgun. He has thrown the deep ball well, which was a huge question mark with him, and more importantly, he has thrown the ball where only his receivers can catch it; a feat that Eli Manning still hasn’t mastered after 15 seasons. The kid has handled himself better than could be expected, given the controversy surrounding his drafting. If there’s such a thing as ice water in a person’s veins, Jones’s nickname should be Mr. Freeze.

Based on his performance, he has earned the right to start the regular season under center. Yes I know Manning is the starter, and yes I know he’s getting paid over $23 million. You don’t pay that kind of money to a bench player. But let’s be honest here for a moment. Unless Eli and the Giants get off to a fast start, you and I both know the boo birds will be chanting “We want Jones” every incomplete pass or interception Eli throws. Do Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur – not to mention John Mara and Steve Tisch – really want that nightmare hanging over this team the entire year. Face it, if the plan is to not sign Eli for 2020, then it’s only a matter of time before the kid takes over the reigns. The longer this drags out, the more painful it will be for all involved.

Loyalty is a good thing; and this franchise has certainly been loyal to Eli. And he has repaid that loyalty by being a good soldier. But there comes a point where loyalty has to take a back seat to common sense. If Jones had had, say, an average preseason like Haskins, then I would say sit him for a year and let Eli play out the string. But Jones has had anything but an average preseason. In fact, he’s been exceptional. With a revamped offensive line in front of him, the best running back in the league in Saquon Barkley behind him and a number of talented receivers who are more than capable, Jones will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. It’s not like he’s going to be Kyler Murray out there.

Deep down, Manning knows the end is near. 15 years ago, he was the new kid on the block who took over for a Super Bowl winning quarterback. Now the shoe is on the other foot. Football, like all other sports, is a business. And that business can be cruel and exacting. But it is what it is. Mara’s responsibility, first and foremost, is not to consider the feelings of any one player, but to look after the long-term interests of the team. And those long-term interests are best served by making Jones the starter now.

This Thursday, Jones will start against the Patriots in the last preseason game. It'll be the toughest test of his brief NFL career. If he continues to perform the way he has so far, Shurmur will be faced with the toughest decision of his coaching career.

Look, what Eli Manning has done for this franchise is incalculable and will be hard, if not impossible, to replicate. After all, it isn't every quarterback who can boast that he beat Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl. Those accomplishments notwithstanding, he shouldn't be allowed to determine when he rides off into the sunset.

What the Panarin Signing Means For the Rangers

Now this is what I call an off season. Since hiring John Davidson to be their President of Hockey Operations, the Rangers have been on quite a roll.

First they acquired defenseman Adam Fox from the Carolina Hurricanes for a second round pick. Next they fleeced the Winnipeg Jets out of defenseman Jacob Trouba for what amounted to Neal Pionk and the same first round pick they received for Kevin Hayes at last year's trading deadline. Then with their own number one pick they drafted Kaapo Kakko, the player everyone agrees is going to be a star in this league.

For most organizations, that would be a pretty good haul. But Davidson and company weren't done. On the first day of free agency, they signed Artemi Panarin - arguably the best player on the board - to a 7 year $81.5 million dollar contract. The cap hit comes out to $11.6 million per year, meaning the Rangers will have to do some pruning in order to sign their other players and still remain under the salary cap. As of this moment they have just over $8 million in cap space and they still need to sign their RFAs: Trouba, Brendan Lemieux, Pavel Buchnevich and Tony Deangelo. Assuming Trouba gets $7 million - he was making $5.5 last season - Buchnevich gets $3 million and Lemieux and Deangelo each get a million, that puts the Rangers $4 million over the cap. With the deadline for buyouts expiring this past Sunday, trades are the only option available to G.M. Jeff Gorton.

So who goes? The smart money's on Chris Kreider who, at $4.6 million against the cap, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after this season and, apart from Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, is the team's most marketable player. He could easily fetch a first round pick. But ask yourself this question: Does this team really need another first round pick or bodies that can help them win? I submit the latter. With that in mind, I think Gorton should do everything possible to keep Kreider. Players who can score between 25 and 30 goals a season don't grow on trees. In fact, the Rangers just ponied up $81 million to get their hands on one.

Yes, I know Kreider can be an enigma. He had 20 goals halfway through last season and just 8 the rest of the way, but part of that slump was due to the fact that Mats Zuccarello, his line mate, had been dealt at the trade deadline. I'd hate to give up on him only to see him become a star elsewhere. Will he demand a huge pay raise? Of course, but keep in mind, the Rangers are currently carrying $3.6 million in dead cap space courtesy of the Dan Girardi buyout two years ago. Next year, that number goes down to $1.1 million. That's a net gain of $2.5 million, all of which can go to Kreider.

If I were management, I'd try to get what I can for Vladislav Namestnikov, who at $4 million against the cap, has been a bust since he came here as part of the Ryan McDonagh deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Even if all they get is a second or third round pick, it's worth it. I'd much rather move an underperforming player than one who could play an integral part in a resurgent team looking to make its first post season appearance in three years.

But apart from the cap concerns, Panarin is the most significant acquisition this team has made in quite some time. He isn't just a scorer, he's a complete player who makes others around him better. He was clearly the best player for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season and he led the team in playoff scoring with 11 points in 10 games. He's Rick Nash, if Nash had been a clutch player. Don't be surprised if head coach David Quinn doesn't have Zibanejad centering a line with Panarin on the left and Kakko on the right.

And now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Does Panarin get the Rangers into the playoffs? That depends on whether the "kids" develop the way everybody hopes they do. Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson - both centers - will be entering their second NHL season and one of them has to blossom in order for this team to have a legitimate second line. Brett Howden and Ryan Strome will likely center the third and fourth lines. If Kreider stays, his presence will greatly enhance the team's chances of a post-season spot.

One thing's for certain: this year's Rangers will be a lot more entertaining to watch than last year's, and the following year will be even better. As this core grows up and begins to establish itself, we could be looking at a truly solid team for years to come. Once Henrik Lundqvist and Marc Staal are gone in two years, this will be one of the youngest teams in the league.

The group of players that Glen Sather assembled over a decade ago came close a couple of times to drinking from Lord Stanley's Cup. Maybe with Davidson at the helm this time around, lady luck might shine her light on this organization and bless it with a championship or two.

1994 is getting to be a long time ago.

Bill Buckner Didn't Cost the Red Sox the '86 World Series

"Little roller up along first. Behind the bag, get's by Buckner. Here comes Knight and the Mets win it!" - Vince Scully

As a Mets' fan, I have watched the above play from the bottom of the 10th inning in game six of the 1986 World Series hundreds of times. With the exception of the Giants' upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl 42 and the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup in 1994, it remains my favorite sports moment.

Up in Beantown, however, it was anything but a fan favorite. Bill Buckner's flub at first base became the latest in a long line of late season collapses that proved beyond a doubt that the Bambino curse was real. Buckner was the perfect scapegoat for frustrated Red Sox fans. It would not be until 2004, when Boston finally won their first World Series in 86 years, that the Fenway faithful would "forgive" him.

But looking back at the play, while it's clear that Buckner did commit the error that allowed Ray Knight to score the winning run, he was NOT responsible for the eventual outcome of the Series. There were two culprits who must share the blame. The first was the Red Sox bullpen, which was simply dreadful, particularly in the last two games.

After taking a 5-3 lead in the top of the 10th inning off Mets reliever Rick Aguilera, Calvin Schiraldi, who was working his third inning of relief, got the first two outs but couldn't close the door. One after another, the Mets kept the inning alive. First, Gary Carter singled, then Kevin Mitchell and Knight followed with singles of their own. With the score 5-4, manager John McNamara brought in Bob Stanley to get the final out, but Stanley wound up throwing a wild pitch allowing Mitchell to score the tying run.

Two pitches later, Mookie Wilson got just enough of the ball to hit a weak grounder down to Buckner. The first baseman, playing back and protecting the line, and no doubt worried about Wilson's speed, took his eye off the ball just long enough to let it slip under his glove. But here's the thing. Even if Buckner had come up with the ball cleanly, there's no way either he or Stanley, who got a late break off the pitcher's mound, would've beaten Wilson to the bag. In other words, the inning would've continued and the Mets would've had runners at the corners with Howard Johnson at the plate. The way Stanley was pitching, does anyone have any doubts at all that Johnson wouldn't have gotten a hit?

Lightning struck again in game seven. After being staked to an early three run lead, starter Bruce Hurst gave it back in the sixth. Enter Calvin Schiraldi, who picked up where he left off in game six by allowing the Mets to score three runs in a third of an inning and take a lead they would never relinquish. They would go onto to win the game 8-5 and the series 4-3.

But as atrocious as the bullpen was, McNamara's managing was even worse. It was his decision to go with four starters instead of three that limited Roger Clemens - the best pitcher in baseball that year - to only two starts in the Series. Oil Can Boyd started game three and, had it not been for a rain out which delayed the start of game seven, he would've started that game as well. Imagine, the most important game of the season and your best pitcher is unavailable.

And speaking of Clemens, why did McNamara pull him in game six after only seven innings? He was cruising along, allowing only two runs - one earned - and recording eight strike outs. Thanks to an error by Knight in the top of the 7th, which allowed Boston to score the go-ahead run, he had a lead to work with and only nine outs to go. You've worked hard all year to get to this point. Why on Earth wouldn't you give your Cy-Young award winner the chance to close out the Series? But no, McNamara pulled him and asked Schiraldi to get the final six outs. Schiraldi promptly gave up the lead in the 8th and imploded in the 10th.

But McNamara saved his best move for last. With his team up by two going into the bottom of the 10th in game six, instead of pulling Buckner for a defensive replacement, McNamara opted to keep him in the game, later explaining that he wanted Buckner to be on the field when the Red Sox finally won. The move, like so many others he made, was inexplicable. Buckner may not have been the worst defensive first baseman in the league, but he was hardly Keith Hernandez. No manager should ever put loyalty to a single player above the welfare of his entire team. As I mentioned above, the Wilson miscue did not cost the Sox the Series, but it definitely cost them that game. And as any sports fan knows all too well, when you blow a chance to close out a series - especially when you're on the road - it can affect the psyche of the whole team.

Bill Buckner had himself a pretty good career. He was a solid hitter and a clutch player. It's a shame that many fans only remember him for the one play he didn't make instead of the many he did. And had his manager and bullpen both done their jobs, he most likely would've been celebrated as a member of the team that broke the Bambino curse, rather than the scapegoat who prolonged it.

The Rangers Find Their Man and, Oh Baby, Does He Have A Lot On His Plate

The search for Glen Sather's replacement has officially come to an end. John Davidson, former President of Hockey Operations for both the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets, is coming to the New York Rangers to become their President of Hockey Operations.

Let's cut to the chase. This isn't a repeat of 1986, when the Rangers' braintrust turned the keys of the kingdom over to Phil Esposito, a former player and team announcer who thought he had what it took to build a Stanley Cup championship team. However, a series of bad trades - most notably Mike Ridley and Kelly Miller for Bobby Carpenter - set the franchise back years and Esposito was eventually fired after only three seasons. But while Espo bombed on Broadway, Davidson won't. That's because this isn't his first rodeo. He has already successfully built two teams in both St. Louis and Columbus; the latter having completed a sweep of this year's President Trophy winner Tampa Bay Lightning. He knows the league inside and out and is well respected by his peers. The Rangers appear to have struck gold here.

That being said, Davidson has quite the challenge on his hands. As a result of a purge that started two seasons ago, the Blueshirts have more kids on their roster than the freshman class at Hofstra, as well as two picks in each of the first two rounds of this year's NHL draft. Thanks to a fortuitous bounce in the lottery, their own number one just happens to be the second overall pick. The last time the Rangers had a pick this high was 1966, the year they selected Brad Park. The pressure couldn't be greater.

Assuming they don't pull a Gettleman and go for some obscure player that won't play for maybe three years and is at best a second rounder - unlikely - they will probably wind up with either center Jack Hughes or right wing Kaapo Kakko. Kakko, at 194 pounds, is the more developed player and could conceivably make the team this season, so let's hope the Devils take Hughes at number one.

But apart from the draft, Davidson will have to contend with a depleted bench and whether or not to use the team's considerable cap space of $20 million to address areas of need via free agency. It's no secret that the Rangers have had their eyes fixed on free agent Artemi Panarin of the Blue Jackets for quite some time. Davidson traded for him two years ago, and while the smart money has him going to the Florida Panthers, it's possible J.D. could convince him that the bright lights of Broadway would be a better place for him to lace up his skates than the palm trees of South Beach.

Panarin will not come cheap, though. He's probably looking for a long-term deal somewhere between $10 and $12 million per, and based on his stats he's worth every penny. At just 27, he could easily play another 8 or 9 years, and yes, he's a winger in a long line of wingers on a team that desperately needs a center, but couldn't you just see him playing on the same line with Kakko on the right and Mika Zibanejad in the middle? Now that would be something to behold.

But even if Davidson and G.M. Jeff Gorton can't entice Panarin to come to Broadway, one thing they must not do is entertain the thought for even a second of trading for Pengiuns center Evgeni Malkin, who will be 33 next season and is coming off a down year in which he missed 14 games. No matter how tempting the offer might be - and let's be honest, for Pittsburgh it would basically be a salary dump - Malkin is a terrible fit for a young team like this. If he were five years younger yes - make that definitely yes - but with the Rangers at least two years away from possible contention, it would rank as one of the dumbest moves this franchise has ever made; and, let's not forget, this is the same franchise that gave away Rick Middleton for Ken Hodge.

Then there's the decision about whether to buy out the contract of Marc Staal. At 32, Staal is clearly showing his age. He has two seasons remaining at $5.7 million per. If the Rangers buy him out it they would have to carry four years of dead cap space, the majority of which would be in the first two years: $2.9 million and $3.7 million respectively. That's $6.6 million for a player not even on the roster. On the bright side, they would free up $2.8 million this season that they could put towards acquiring a player like 28 year old Matt Duchene, the center the Blueshirts desperately need and who, as an unrestricted free agent, will command a healthy raise from the $6 million he made last season with Columbus. Let's say Davidson offers $11 million to Panarin and $10 million to Duchene and they each accept. That would give the Rangers two outstanding lines going into next season. Not bad for his first month on the job.

Think about it: a solid draft, two significant signings, a contract buyout, plus a trade or two, and just like that the 2019-20 Rangers could have themselves a fairly promising season.

The Last Word on Giants' Draft

Dave Gettleman has a message for Giants' fans who are criticizing him for choosing Daniel Jones with the 6th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft: "In three years we'll find out how crazy I am." With all due respect to Gettleman, I don't think it'll take three years.

I'll say it again, there's no excuse for picking Jones at 6. The suggestion by Gettleman that there were two teams that would've drafted Jones ahead of the Giants at 17 is absurd and simply not supported by the available evidence. Apart from the Giants, there were four teams that were looking for a quarterback. The Cardinals took Kyler Murray with the number 1 pick. The Broncos identified Drew Lock as their quarterback and, after swapping first round picks with the Steelers, took him at 42 (the second round). The Redskins were clearly interested in Dwayne Haskins, and when the Giants passed on him, took him at 15. And the Dolphins were so enamored of the current crop of QBs that they were in negotiations with the Cardinals to acquire Josh Rosen, last year's overall 10th pick. Spoiler alert: the Fish got the best QB not named Murray.

I'm well aware of the fact that Gil Brandt thinks Jones is the second coming of Peyton Manning. Know what? I was convinced my Acura ILX was just a cheaper version of a BMW 328. It isn't and it never will be. But at least it isn't a Toyota Tercel. Considering Brandt has been out of football for more than three decades, I'll rely on the expertise of professionals who realize that the league has moved on from the '80s.

The fact is Gettleman committed two cardinal sins: the first is he severely overvalued Jones. Not one team or analyst had him ranked in the top ten. Most had him pegged anywhere from a late first rounder to a late second rounder. The fact that Lock, who is considered a much better passer, went at 42 is proof that the league was not overly impressed with this year's class. But the second sin might be even worse. Gettleman appears to have been bidding against himself. Like a customer who talks himself into a buying a car that he fears won't be there if he waits, Gettleman pulled the trigger sooner than he needed to, and as a result, he lost out on an opportunity to draft arguably the second best player in the draft in order to grab a player who might not start for another two to three years; a player that would've still been there at 17, perhaps even at 37.

Astonishing. A man with, as he so "eloquently" put it, such an impressive resume, ostensibly panicked and, in the process, might very well have set his team back five years or more. Compare and contrast Gettleman's draft with that of Denver's John Elway. Elway had traded for Joe Flacco during the off season, yet still felt he needed to draft a quarterback. But rather than panic, he bided his time and, on his terms, got the player he wanted at the slot he was worth. That's how you draft in this league. The first round of the draft is typically reserved for players who can make an immediate and positive impact on your team, not for projects like Jones and situational players like Dexter Lawrence.

In 1979, the Giants drafted a little known quarterback from Morehead State named Phil Simms with the 7th overall pick. Those who attended the draft were quoted as saying, "Phil who?" Seven years later "Phil Who" led the Jints to victory in Super Bowl XXI. Dave Gettleman thinks he will be vindicated the same way then GM George Young eventually was.

There's just one small problem with Gettleman's logic. Young didn't pass on someone like Josh Allen when he chose Simms. Indeed, the Bears, picking 4th, drafted Dan Hampton, one of the best defensive ends to ever play the game, and part of that vaunted 1985 Super Bowl defense that led the league. Before his career is over, Allen could well eclipse Hampton, that's how good a player he is.

Think about that, Giants fans, when Daniel Jones makes his Giants debut and Allen is already a three-time all pro.

Big Blew!

So much for not forcing a pick. So much for a plan.

The Giants went into this year's NFL draft with two glaring needs: pass rusher and offensive line help. They ended up with three first round picks - one via a trade - and failed to address any of them. To say this was an epic fail would be putting it mildly. I've watched this organization pull some boners over the years, but nothing could've prepared me for what happened last night.

First, thanks to the Raiders choosing Clelin Ferrell with the fourth overall pick, the Giants were guaranteed a shot at getting a defensive stud at number 6. Once Tampa took Devin White at 5, the only question that remained was whether the Jints would snag Josh Allen or Ed Oliver. Either would've been a solid pick that would've instantly stepped in as a play maker on defense. Instead, Dave Gettleman chose Daniel Jones, a quarterback that most football experts thought was a late first rounder at best and will likely sit at least a year, maybe two, behind Eli Manning.

There is no excuse for this pick. Even if Gettleman "loved" the guy, he could've had him at 17. Once they passed on Dwayne Haskins - which several mock drafts had going to them at 6 - the urgency of picking Jones early went out the window. Given that the Broncos at 10 traded down with the Steelers and the Redskins ended up with Haskins at 15, the Giants could've had their cake and eaten it too just by being patient. Imagine landing your edge rusher AND your quarterback of the future in the same round without having to trade up. Now that's what I call killing two birds with one stone.

But the news only got worse for the Giants as the evening progressed. After Gettleman passed up Allen at 6, Tom Coughlin's Jaguars took care of business and took him at 7. Then the Bills snatched up Oliver, the other stud the Giants could've had, with the 9th pick. Then, one by one, every defensive player who could've made a difference, from Devin Bush to Rashan Gary to Brian Burns, came off the board. By the time the 17th pick came around, Gettleman was forced to settle for Dexter Lawrence, who's basically a nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme. And while he's outstanding against the run, he's somewhat average as a pass rusher. In three years at Clemson, Lawrence had a grand total of 10 sacks. Allen, by comparison, had 17 in his final year at Kentucky. So instead of drafting a potential hall of fame linebacker, ala a Carl Banks, the Giants come up with, at best, a two-down lineman who will likely play out of position because they already have a nose tackle.

The only saving grace was Deandre Baker, a highly regarded cornerback, whom the Giants traded back into the first round to get. The price tag was one of their three 4th round picks along with their 2nd rounder. They traded up from 37 to 30 to get a player they likely could've gotten had they stayed put. So, to sum up, no premium pass rusher, no offensive line help for Eli, and a slightly above average to mediocre quarterback who will likely go down as the next Dave Brown. Astonishing!

Spare me the ridiculous Kansas City model comparisons. For one thing, Daniel Jones is no Pat Mahomes. For another, the Chiefs are a winning organization with talented people in charge of it. The Giants, from the looks of it, are run by the Three Stooges, and two of them are named John Mara and Steve Tisch. Mara's father, Wellington, must be spinning in his grave.

The thing that hurts the most is that I defended Gettleman when he traded Odell Beckham, Jr. last month. I thought then, and still do, that it was the right move. Beckham's act was getting old fast. Despite his considerable talent, he never delivered in the clutch. The only winning season the Giants had in his five-year stint was 2016, and as I pointed out, that was because of a great defense. The good people of Cleveland will now have to contend with his antics.

I also defended his decision to pick Saquon Barkley over a quarterback with the overall 2nd pick in 2018. I agreed with him that he was the best player in the draft that year, and nothing I've seen since has convinced me otherwise. The rule is you always choose the best player on the board when it's your turn to pick. It was the case last year, and it should've been the case this year. Gettleman's decision to ignore that rule could end up costing the Giants dearly. It is well understood that if you go for a quarterback and he doesn't work out, it can set your organization back years. It's been 42 years since Joe Namath retired and how many quarterbacks have the Jets drafted trying to find a suitable replacement? Even now, they still don't know if Sam Darnold is the real deal.

The moral of the story is that Super Bowl quarterbacks don't grow on trees. The Giants have been fortunate indeed to have two that have taken them to the promised land: Phil Simms and Eli Manning. And while the latter may be a couple years passed his expiration date, that's still no excuse for forcing the issue, especially when next year's class of quarterbacks looks like it'll be considerably better than this year's.

That Dave Gettleman didn't know that is deeply disturbing; that the owners of the Giants didn't find that out before hand is even worse.

Addition By Subtraction

Sorry this took so long; I would've written it earlier but I was trying to decide whether to jump off a bridge or just hang myself. Seriously, based on the responses I've been reading on social media and from the so-called football experts, you'd have thought the world came to an end yesterday. "The Giants got fleeced." "Worst trade since Ruth."

Let's be very clear here. Dave Gettleman did not break up the '79 Steelers. Yes, Odell Beckham, Jr. is a world-class receiver who now has a chance to turn the Cleveland Browns into a legitimate playoff contender - MAYBE - but the fact is that in the five years he played for the Giants, they had exactly one winning season - 11-5 with a wildcard berth in 2016 - and that was owed almost exclusively to one of the best overall defenses in the league.

His receptions were the stuff of legend, I get it. In fact, I can still remember that one-handed catch he made against the Cowboys at Met Life stadium on a Sunday night. Al Michaels to this day hasn't stopped hyperventilating over it. By the way, in case you were wondering, the Giants lost that game, along with so many of the games in which Beckham made otherworldly grabs. And that was the problem. He may have played as though he were descended from Mount Olympus, but his teammates never benefited from all that greatness.

And then there were the headaches. When you live among the gods, it's hard relating to mere mortals, and Beckham had more than his fair share of moments when the wrong thing would come out of his mouth. Last season's interview with ESPN in which he criticized the offensive play calling as well as his own quarterback may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Yes, some of his concerns were valid, but the point is you don't throw your fellow players under the bus.

And who can forget the game against Carolina three years ago where Beckham got into a physical altercation with Panthers' cornerback Josh Norman. It was a disgraceful performance that earned Beckham a one-game suspension, and may very well have been responsible for accelerating the end of Tom Coughlin's coaching career. The Browns will now have the "pleasure" of dealing with his nonsense.

Face it, despite his talent, Beckham had become a distraction for this organization. For a team looking to rebuild, this was the best and only move they could've made. Frankly, given what the Steelers got for Antonio Brown - a third and fifth round pick - I’m kinda surprised Gettleman got the haul he did. In return for a troubled receiver that never got his team over the hump, the Giants landed the Browns' first and third round picks, plus a very good safety. The only downside to the trade is that because of the way his contract was structured, the Giants are saddled with $16 million in dead cap space. Ouch!

But apart from that bit of bad news, they can now go after Haskins with the 6th overall pick, assuming he’s still on the board by the time their turn comes up, and with the 17th pick they can choose a premium pass rusher. And if they still elect to trade for Josh Rosen, they can package a third and fourth round pick to get him without touching their top picks. In other words, Gettleman has a lot of leverage. If he doesn't trade any of them, he will have a total of 12 picks at his disposal to retool this team: both number ones, two picks in both the fourth and seventh round, three picks in the fifth, as well as single picks in the second, third and sixth.

Naturally, all this assumes that Gettleman has a good draft, but given his results from last year, I'm not that worried. With the exception of fourth rounder Kyle Lauletta, I thought the Giants had a pretty good draft. Second rounder Will Hernandez is a solid offensive lineman and both third rounders - Lorenzo Carter and B.J. Hill  - have been two of the few bright spots on an otherwise dreary defense. If anything, Gettleman has more picks to work with this year than he did last year.

Look, I'm not defending every move Gettleman has made. Why he didn't trade Landon Collins last season when he might've gotten a third rounder in return is baffling to say the least. And he did overpay for Nate Solder. But the first trade he made with Cleveland in which he got offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler in return for under-achieving linebacker Olivier Vernon sorely addressed a team need and saved $1.5 million in cap space, to boot.

In fact, the only major decision Gettleman has to make - apart from who he picks in the draft - is whether to bring back Eli Manning for what will likely be his last year in big blue. The 38 year old is set to make $23 million this season, but $5 million of that is from a bonus that's due to be paid March 17. If Gettleman decides to release Manning now, he would save that money and the dead cap hit would only be $6 million, but then that would mean turning over the reigns to a rookie quarterback on day one. I'm not sure Gettleman wants to put that much pressure on Haskins or Lock or whomever he picks as his next signal caller.

Bottom line, I think the Giants are in a better position now than they were 24 hours ago. No they aren't going to the playoffs, much less win a Super Bowl. But then only an incurable optimist would've thought they were a contender prior to the Beckham trade. When it comes to running a sports organization, I subscribe to the Bill Parcells theory: if you can't win with what you have, tear it down and start over.

If we know anything about the NFL, it's that, with the exception of the Patriots, a team's fortunes can turn on a dime. This year's rebuild can become next year's playoff team. Want proof? Take a look at the '83 and '84 Giants teams. The former finished in last place; the latter made the postseason.

Exploring the Options for Giants on Draft Day

There's one thing everyone can agree with. There's no Saquon Barkley in this year's NFL draft. That's not to say there aren't a lot of talented players who could make a difference, but generational players like Barkley don't grow on trees. The Giants were indeed fortunate to land him with the overall number two pick last year.

This year, however, the Giants have the sixth pick in the draft and there are several options available to them. Do they finally pick a quarterback to take over for Eli Manning? If so, which one? Do they trade for a quarterback and use their number one to shore up one of the weakest front seven of any defense unit in the league? Or do they use it to draft an offensive lineman to protect Eli for what will likely be his last year in blue?

A lot depends on what the Arizona Cardinals do with the overall number one pick. Rumors continue to persist that despite drafting UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen with the tenth pick in last year's draft, the Cardinals are seriously contemplating drafting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray. Viewed by many as the best QB in this class, Murray would instantly become the starter, thus relegating Rosen either to the bench or to some other team's roster via a trade.

If that scenario does indeed play out, where would Rosen land? The Jacksonville Jaguars could certainly use a quarterback, but reports indicate that they are almost certain to sign former Eagle and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. If that happens, that would be sweet music to Giants' GM Dave Gettleman, because it would mean that the Jags would not leapfrog in front of him to draft a QB, and it would also mean that there's one less team that Rosen could be traded to, thus keeping open to option to trade for him.

Why would Gettleman trade for Rosen? Two reasons. One, he made a very good impression with the Giants at last year's combine, particularly ownership, who were quite taken with his maturity. His passing skills were rated as the best among that year's class, and despite a rough rookie year, there are a lot of knowledgeable people around the league who still believe he has what it takes to be a number one quarterback.

Secondly, if Gettleman can get Eli's heir apparent without having to part with either of his top two picks, that would give him the chips he so desperately needs to address the biggest problem staring down this franchise: the defense. Put succinctly, this is one the best drafts for defensive linemen we've seen in quite some time. Ohio State's Nick Bosa, Alabama's Quinnen Williams and Kentucky's Josh Allen are clearly the best of a deep lot, and all three could well be gone by the time the Giants pick. But that leaves a lot of excellent players, such as Houston's Ed Oliver, Mississippi State's Montez Sweat, Clemson's Christian Wilkins, Michigan's Rashan Gary and Ohio State's Dre' Mont Jones still on the board.

In fact, if that is where Gettleman is going, I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he trades down - not up - and winds up with not just an excellent pass rusher but an outstanding offensive lineman. Imagine a scenario in which the Giants swap number one picks with the Dolphins - currently 13th - and end up getting a second and third round pick. They could still get an outstanding defensive lineman, plus use one of the second round picks to shore up the offensive line. Perhaps Cody Ford falls into his lap. And with the other second round pick, plus the third they picked up, they could address the secondary. Talk about retooling on the fly.

But if that's too rich for your blood, there's always the possibility that Gettleman will stand pat and hope that Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins is still available by the time they pick sixth. There's no doubt that this New Jersey native has what it takes to be a star in the NFL. The kid threw 50 touchdowns! And what better storyline for the Giants than to have a homegrown player take the reigns of his child-hood team.

But given how highly rated Haskins is, that's quite a gamble. The Raiders - currently at number 4 - could decide at the last minute they don't think Derek Carr has what it takes to lead them back to the promised land and pick Haskins. With three number one picks in this draft, they could use the other two to fill holes on their defensive and offensive lines. Hell, they just acquired Antonio Brown from the Steelers for a song and a prayer. And then there's the Redskins sitting at number 15. What if they don't feel like waiting for Alex Smith's broken leg to heal and decide to trade up? Yes, they acquired Case Keenum from the Broncos. So what? If Keenum is your idea of a starting quarterback get used to finishing no better than 8-8.

So what do I think will happen? Well, I don't think Gettleman will trade up to get Haskins, so that's out. If Arizona picks Murray, and they're reasonable as to the asking price for Rosen - say a 4th and 7th rounder - the Giants have their quarterback for the future. They will then take a defensive lineman with their first round pick and perhaps an offensive lineman with their second.

One thing I can predict. There will be a lot more wheelin' and dealin' at this year's draft than last year's, and don't be too surprised if the Giants are one of the teams doing the wheelin' and dealin'.