Making Sense of the KAT, Hart Negotiations

With the start of the 2026-27 NBA season just two weeks away, the big story swirling around Madison Square Garden isn't whether the Knicks will repeat as champions, but whether they will be able to re-sign Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart to extensions. Both players, it should be pointed out, are currently under contract this season. To hear some people put it, the sky is falling.

At the risk of throwing cold water on the hypochondriacs out there, some of whom should know better, this is much ado about nothing. Don't get me wrong: Towns and Hart are essential to this team, and the Knicks should make every effort to re-sign both, if possible. No doubt Towns was not thrilled with the initial offer he received from Leon Rose. You gotta admit, $180 million over four years is pretty low. But as someone who spent a quarter century in sales, you never start out a negotiation with your best offer. Typically, both sides have their preferred number and eventually will meet somewhere in the middle. Remember, we don't know what Towns is looking for; all we know is that after this season, he has a $61 million player option. He can either opt in or opt out. It's his choice.

Here's what we know so far:

The Knicks have no intention of going over the second apron, and at the risk of repeating myself, it has nothing to do with the money. To sum up what I wrote back in June, there are profound consequences for teams that go over the second apron; consequences that Rose wants no part of. So if you still think that this is about James Dolan being stingy, don't. The fact is if Dolan went into Rose's office tomorrow and gave him permission to go $20 million over the second apron, Rose would still refuse. The man built a championship roster, for God's sake. He has forgotten more than most GMs will ever know about contract negotiations. Why on Earth would he paint himself into a corner?

KAT is eligible for a four-year max extension of $276 million, which comes out to $69 million per season. Hart is eligible for a four-year max extension of $132 million, which comes out to $33 million per season. The chances of either of them getting that max deal from the Knicks is nil.

As I mentioned above, both players are under contract this season. KAT has a player option for 2027-28; the Knicks hold a team option on Hart for the same season. So you can forget about either one of them getting traded during the season. Barring something extraordinary, the Knicks will defend their title with the same starting lineup and bench, sans Mitchell Robinson, that they had last season.

But this is where things get tricky. It isn't whether Towns and Hart re-sign, but when and for how much. In the case of Towns, Fred Katz wrote an excellent piece in The Athletic about this which is required reading. To sum up, the best-case scenario for the Knicks would be for a deal to get done by October 19, the day before the start of the season. That would allow Towns to opt in to his $61 million player option while simultaneously allowing the Knicks to structure the remaining three years at a lower AAV.

Why is that important? Because the real problem for the Knicks isn't the next two seasons, it's what comes next. You see that's when Jalen Brunson will be eligible for an extension. In a nutshell, he's looking at a max contract of somewhere between $290 to $323 million, or $72.5 to $80.75 million per season. If you think he's leaving money on the table like he did the last time, you're on crack. If ever there was a player who's earned the right to get paid what he's worth, it's Captain Clutch. The issue isn't whether he'll get paid, but whether Rose will have enough money left over to construct a roster around him. 

And that's why these next couple of weeks are so important. What happens with the Towns extension, and to a lesser extent Hart's, will determine whether the core Rose assembled over the last two years can stay together or whether it'll have to be broken up. In short, if Towns sticks to his guns and demands the Knicks pay him his max deal, Rose will have no choice but to trade one of his starting players; if he's willing to follow in Brunson's footsteps and "leave some money on the table," than the core stays intact. 

Towns has indicated he's amenable to taking less than the max, which is good. The question is how much less? Let's assume that the initial offer from Rose of $180 million was just a bargaining ploy. If both sides can meet halfway, that comes out to $228 million, or $57 million per year. That's about what he's making this season, and roughly $4 million less than his player option next season. And if the deal gets done before October 20, and Towns opts into his player option - absolutely essential - Rose can incorporate that player option into the overall contract, thus lower the remaining three years, perhaps enough to avoid having to shed salary in another two years.

If Towns elects not to sign an extension and opts out of his player option next summer, believing he can get a better deal elsewhere, there is currently only one team that would be able to accommodate his demands without having to get rid of a player: the Brooklyn Nets. The Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers will have $56m and $54m respectively, meaning they would still need to shed salary in order to sign him. All three teams are not considered contenders. Translation: KAT doesn't have the leverage he thinks he does. He can pout all he wants, but if he wants to play for a contender, the Knicks are his best and only choice.

As for Hart, I'm less worried about him. The Knicks can always pick up his team option of $22.3 million next season and kick the can down the road until 2028. They'd be taking a chance that Hart doesn't bolt, but given how tight he and Brunson are, it's a chance worth taking. Besides, with that finger the way it is, there's no guarantee that Hart will be playing basketball in another three years. Signing him to a multiyear extension would not be a wise business decision. And if we know anything about Leon Rose, it's that he makes excellent business decisions.

How concerned should Knicks fans be? On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say about a 4. The closer we get to October 20, the more that number climbs. But even if we get to the 20th and no deal is done, that doesn't mean a deal can't happen later; it just makes it harder for the numbers to work.

My point is this: the Knicks won the NBA championship last season. The man responsible for assembling that roster has earned the benefit of the doubt. Don't panic; avoid the naysayers who feel the need to stir the pot. They don't know as much as they say they do.

To quote the late, great Bob Marley, "Don't worry about a thing. Cos every little thing gonna be alright."

Banks A Lot

They say baseball is a game of redemption. They obviously never watched a football game. Going into yesterday's contest between the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium, Deonte Banks was a man with something to prove. The beleaguered cornerback had a brutal 2025, and many thought he was certainly going to be a goner in the offseason.

But rather than cut him, John Harbaugh elected to keep him, believing his skills could be harnessed with a new defensive coordinator. Through the first three games of this season that faith had not been rewarded. Though Banks was marginally better than last season, he was still a far cry from the player the Giants thought they were getting when Joe Schoen traded up in the 2023 draft to take him with the 24th pick.

And then, just like that, a switch flipped and Banks had the game of his pro life. He broke up no less than five passes thrown by Jacoby Brissett. But it was the last three that proved to be the difference maker. With Arizona on the Giants four-yard line, and trailing by six with 22 seconds left in the game, Banks broke up passes to Michael Wilson and Trey McBride at the goal line. And then on 4th and goal, Banks jumped the route, intercepted a pass meant for Wilson and ran it all the way back 98 yards for the icing on the cake. 

Final score: Giants 36-24.

On a day when Jameis Winston proved he could still throw a football in this league, the outcome came down to a goal-line stand from the unlikeliest player on the roster. Indeed, it was the second straight week that the Giants needed a defensive stop to preserve a win. What a difference a year makes. Last season both these games would've been losses. You know it and I know it.

While Banks may have earned himself a game ball, he was not the only defensive hero on the field for Big Blue. For the second game in a row Arvell Reese made his presence felt. He had nine tackles - one for a loss - and one interception. The former Ohio State phenom leads the NFL with 27 solo tackles this season. He has been everything the Giants could've hoped for when they took him with the 5th pick in the 2026 draft. It is inconceivable that two teams with defensive needs passed on him; one of those teams just happened to be the Jets.

Go figure, right?

But defense was not the only story of this game. The offense had its best showing since opening week against the Cowboys. Malik Nabers caught 6 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown. It was the first time since the loss at Dallas last season that the all-pro wide receiver cracked the 100 yard mark. And just days after the Giants acquired J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 5th round pick, Winston had arguably his best game as a Giant. The 12 year veteran threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns. 

It took a while but the Giants offense finally got going late in the second quarter. Winston hooked up with Malachi Fields and Nabers to put the Jints up 19-14. In typical Winston fashion, however, he also threw two picks which led directly to 10 points for the Cardinals. You take the bad with the good with Jameis. Remember, this was the same guy who in 2019 led the league in passing yards AND interceptions. It's 50 / 50 whether the hits his own player or the opponent's.

That the Giants are 3-1 after losing both Jaxson Dart and Brian Burns is a testament to Harbaugh and his coaching staff. He simply refuses to let his players feel sorry for themselves. You can tell by their demeanor that they expect to win. And on a day when the franchise honored the 1986 championship team, the 2026 team found a way to do just that. 

For the time being, New York sits alone in first place in the NFC East. They travel to Washington next Sunday to play a 1-3 Commanders team that lost at home to the Indianapolis Colts and is missing its starting quarterback Jayden Daniels and its backup Marcus Mariota both to injuries. After that, the New Orleans Saints come to MetLife. Dare I say a 5-1 start is in the offing.

I'm getting ahead of myself, you might say. Perhaps you're right. But after watching this team find new ways to lose winnable games over the last few years, maybe it's time to dream big. 

After all, what have we got to lose? 

2026-27 Rangers and NHL Preview

It's that time again. Opening night in the NHL. The New York Rangers open the 2026-27 season against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. After missing the playoffs two years in a row, Chris Drury made some roster changes over the summer to make sure the third time would be the charm.

Gone are Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Edstrom, Will Borgen, Taylor Raddysh and Jonathan Quick.

In are Pavel Dorofeyev, Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Joonas Korpisalo, Joe Veleno, Eeli Tolvanen and Alberts Smits. 

Dorofeyev, though not the playmaker Panarin was, is a better scorer. Pettersson, Durzi and Smits stabilize a defense corp that was one of the worst in the league last season; Korpisalo replaces Quick as Igor Shesterkin's backup; and Bjorkstrand, Valeno and Tolvanen add depth to the bottom six. The one loss that may be difficult to replace is Trocheck. He was a solid 2C / 3C who was excellent on face-offs, could kill penalties and was effective on the power play. His presence will be missed.

It's not a stretch to say that this is a make or break season for Drury. There's no telling what Quentin Dolan might do if the Rangers fail to make the postseason again, especially with the Knicks being so successful. Nothing pisses the Dolans off more than lost playoff revenues. 

Also on the hot seat is Mike Sullivan. The two-time Stanley Cup winning head coach begins his second season behind the New York bench. His fate is tied to Drury's. They sink or swim together.

I gave Drury a B+ during the offseason, which I thought was a fair grade. The moves he made have improved this roster. The sixty-four thousand dollar question is did they improve it enough to qualify for the postseason? That depends on the following:

Can the Rangers get enough production from their bottom six? Noah Laba, Will Cuylle and Tolvanen will have a lot to say about that. Cuylle has had back-to-back 20 goal seasons. The Rangers need him to do that again. Laba showed some promise last season, but he needs to take the next step. As for Tolvanen, he scored 23 goals for the Seattle Kraken two seasons ago. He needs to repeat that on Broadway.

Will Alexis Lafreniere finally deliver on his promise? Since he was drafted number one overall in 2020, the Rangers have been patiently waiting for Lafreniere to blossom into the player scouts thought he could be. From time to time he has shown signs of being elite. It's time for him to shit or get off the pot. The Rangers need to see consistent scoring from him to become a legit playoff team.

Will J.T. Miller regain his former scoring prowess? Last year, the expectation was that Miller would anchor the number one line and be one of the scoring leaders on this team. But an injury sustained in the preseason severely hampered his play, and Miller finished with just 53 points in 68 games. Without Trocheck, the Rangers need him to become the player he was in Vancouver when he averaged over a point per game.

Is Gabe Perrault the real deal? His hockey I.Q. is off the charts. There's no doubt he can play. But can he ascend to the next level? He had 27 points in 49 games last season, but 19 over his last 28. That comes out to 57 points over the course of a full season. He needs to improve on that to remain in the top six. Seeing action on the power play would help.

Can Adam Fox stay healthy? Last season, Fox appeared in 55 games for New York, scoring 53 points. The Rangers record with him in the lineup was 26-23-6; without him, it was 8-16-3. Clearly a healthy Fox is essential to whatever playoff hopes the Blueshirts have. He's one player they can't afford to be without.

Admittedly these are a lot of questions that need to be answered for the Rangers to make the playoffs. And here's the thing: even if they are all answered in the affirmative, there's still no guarantee that will be enough. That's because the Eastern Conference has gotten better and deeper over the last couple of years. If we assume the Hurricanes will finish first in the Metro, the Flyers and Devils - if they stay healthy - could easily finish second and third respectively. And the Atlantic is so deep, it's conceivable both wild cards will come from that division. That means if the Rangers are going to avoid the trifecta of missing the playoffs they are going to have to finish in the top three. A very tall order.

Prognosis: If everyone stays healthy, Lafreniere pops and the third line does its job, the Rangers will finish in third place in the Metro. If not, Rangers fans will finally have the satisfaction of seeing their nemesis get the boot. Some might say that's a win / win.

Prediction: 45-34-5, 95 points

Below are my predictions for the rest of the league. As per usual, I will pick the top three teams in each division, both wild cards for each conference, and the close, but no cigar contingent. 

Eastern Conference:

Metropolitan Division:

Carolina Hurricanes: They finally won a Cup in the Brind'Amour era. Now they intend to run roughshod over the league in the regular season.

Philadelphia Flyers: A good, young core that is fast and up and coming. 

New York Rangers: See my review above.

Atlantic Division:

Florida Panthers: They were decimated by injuries last season. With the exception of Brad Marchand, they're healthy now, and even without Sergie Bobrovsky, they are still a legitimate threat to get back to the finals.

Montreal Canadiens: The Habs made tremendous strides last season and appear on the verge of greatness. They have one of the most explosive lines in the NHL and the signing of Chris Kreider was a coup that could pay dividends.

Buffalo Sabres: They came out of nowhere to win the Atlantic last season after missing the playoffs 14 straight years. They are no fluke. No fanbase in the country has suffered more than Buffalo.

Wild Cards:

Tampa Bay Lightning: Never count out a Jon Cooper coached team.

Boston Bruins: Despite not being blessed with a ton of talent, this team always manages to make the postseason.

Close, but no cigar: 

Toronto Maple Leafs: They won the Marchenko / Knies trade, barely; it won't be enough to get them in.

New Jersey Devils: The injury bug will strike them again.

Western Conference: 

Central Division:

Dallas Stars: On paper they should have at least one Cup, that's how deep they are. This is the year they  finally break through.

Colorado Avalanche: I could literally cut and paste last season's prediction about them. Best top four players in the NHL. However, it's their depth that keeps tripping them up, and they did not address that in the offseason.

Utah Mammoth: I'm going out on a limb here but I think this may be the team to watch in the West, especially with Vinny Trocheck to help them.

Pacific Division:

Vegas Golden Knights: Even after losing Pavel Dorofeyev, the Knights are still the team to beat in the Pacific.

Edmonton Oilers: Could this be Connor McDavid's last season in Edmonton? That depends on what happens in the Spring.

Los Angeles Kings: Maybe it's the romantic in me but Artemi Panarin and Mats Zuccarello together on the same team intrigues me.

Wild Cards:

Minnesota Wild: Bill Guerin always seems to get his team into the postseason. Unfortunately that's as far as they go.

San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini could be the best player in the NHL. And he's only 20.

Close, but no cigar:

Winnipeg Jets: You think Connor Hellebuyck knows something? 

Anaheim Ducks: Boy did Pat Verbeek really screw up this franchise. That's what he gets for dealing with Chris Drury.

Playoffs:

Eastern Conference Finals: Panthers over Hurricanes 4-2

Western Conference Finals: Stars over Golden Knights 4-3

Stanley Cup Finals: Stars over Panthers 4-3

Year End Awards:

Presidents' Trophy: Carolina Hurricanes

Art Ross Trophy: Connor McDavid, Oilers

Hart Trophy: Macklin Celebrini, Sharks

Norris Trophy: Quinn Hughes, Canucks

Vezina Trophy: Igor Shestrkin, Rangers

Jack Adams Award: Rod Brind'Amour, Hurricanes

Conn Smythe Trophy: Mikko Rantanen, Stars

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

So far this season, we've seen the Giants play three games: one good, one bad and one ugly. Week one, they played their most inspired game in almost a decade, beating the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium 28-20. Week two, they played arguably their worst game in a decade, getting smoked by the Rams in L.A. 28-6. And week three, they played the ugliest game I've seen them play quite possibly in my lifetime; a game in which they hung on to beat the lowly Tennessee Titans 12-7.

Let's not beat around the bush. If the Giants had played a better team out there, they'd be 1-2 instead of 2-1. The offense, without Jaxson Dart, continued to sputter. Twice the Jints had a first and goal inside the Tennessee five yard line, yet had to settle for a field goal both times. Since week one, when they put up four touchdowns against Dallas, New York's only scoring has come from their place kicker.

For the second straight game the pass rush was non-existent. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter combined for zero sacks, zero hits, zero hurries and one tackle. The only bright spots on defense were Arvell Reese, who had 13 tackles - one for a loss - and Jevon Holland, whose interception with 24 seconds left in the game, sealed the win for the Giants. 

Special teams continued to impress. Dominic Zvada is a perfect 6-6 this season; Jordan Stout has averaged 51.1 yards per punt, including a 78 yarder; and Braxton Berrios has averaged 28 yards on kickoff returns. Harbaugh deserves a ton of credit for addressing what was a weak spot on this team last season. 

But the 600 pound gorilla in the room continues to be Jameis Winston. Coming off an abysmal performance against the Rams, he was only marginally better against the Titans, going 14 / 22 for 118 yards. The timing on his passes was still off, and his inability to run with the ball has hampered his team. On the bright side, at least he didn't throw an interception.

Before you blame the weather, remember Cam Ward had to play in the same elements and he was 23 / 36 for 181 yards. And had it not been for a great play by Holland in the end zone, Tennessee would've won this game 14-12. In his two starts, Winston's QBR is 22.9. That's 30th out of 30 starting quarterbacks.

Clearly this cannot continue. While no one believed for a moment the Giants were a legitimate playoff team, having a quarterback with a diminishing skillset playing this poorly is going to eventually take its toll in the locker room. Look what happened last year with Russell Wilson. No way in hell Harbaugh was going to let that happen again.

That might explain why he traded a fifth round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for J.J. McCarthy today. A former 2024 first rounder, McCarthy was 6-4 as a starter last season for the Vikes. He threw for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Like Dart, he is a dual-threat QB with a good arm, who fits Matt Naggy's system more than Winston. Supposedly Harbaugh called his brother Jim before pulling the trigger.

At first, I was ambivalent about this trade. But the more I think about, the more I like it. Despite Harbaugh's insistence that Winston is his starting quarterback "for as long as I can see into the future," I seriously doubt he would've given up a fifth rounder when there were alternatives out there that would not have required draft capital to acquire unless he intended to use him. Ask yourself this question. Three weeks from now when Harbaugh finally pulls the plug on Winston, who would you rather see under center, McCarthy or Jake Haener?

With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised if we see McCarthy start against the New Orleans Saints two weeks from now. In fact, we might even see him sooner than that. Harbaugh could use him on certain third down situations the same way Brian Daboll used Dart last season before he became the starter. One thing's for certain: having Winston stand in the pocket like a statue isn't working. No one is fooled. This isn't the '80s or the '90s anymore. To win in this league, you've got to keep defenses honest. Unless your name is Jared Goff, mobility is no longer an option in an NFL quarterback; it's a requirement.

Credit Harbaugh for realizing that much.

As if things weren't bad enough. Before I posted this piece, it was reported by Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport that Brian Burns suffered a torn ACL in yesterday's game and is out for the rest of the season. He led the Giants in sacks last year with 16.5. It was yet another blow to a Giants roster that was already reeling from the loss of Dart last week.

When it rains it pours.

What's Next for Giants After Dart Injury?

The good news: Jaxson Dart did not injure his ACL in Monday night's loss against the Rams. The bad news: unfortunately, he tore his MCL and meniscus, which required season-ending surgery. And just like that, what looked like a promising year went up in smoke.

Or did it?

As I wrote in my last piece, I never thought this was a playoff team; in fact, I had them going 8-9 even with Dart. With two very winnable games coming up at MetLife Stadium over the next two weeks, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the Giants demise are greatly exaggerated.

John Mara didn't hire John Harbaugh just to coach his team; he hired him to manage it as well. And part of managing a team is to fill roster vacancies. Well brother do the Giants have a roster vacancy. 

But while losing Dart for the season is a huge hole, that doesn't mean Harbaugh is required to overpay to fill it. No sooner had the news broke about the severity of Dart's injury than every talking head had the Giants acquiring every Tom, Dick and Harry to replace him. 

Let me be as direct as I can. Under no circumstances should the Giants panic here. Yes, they need a backup for Jameis Winston. But, no, they don't need to overpay for that replacement. If they can't find someone on their own practice squad, they can always look elsewhere. There are plenty of choices. Joe Milton is currently on the Cowboys practice squad and all he would cost is cash. Sacrificing valuable draft capital for someone else's backup would be making a bad situation considerably worse.

Think about what's just happened. The guy you designed your entire offense around is out for the season. Even the most seasoned veteran is going to need time to learn that system. Despite what we saw Monday night, Winston is more than capable of stepping in. If the Giants didn't think he was up to it, they wouldn't have extended him another two years. I have every faith that Matt Naggy can make the necessary tweaks to the offense to accommodate his strengths and, hopefully, mitigate his weaknesses. And if he can't, no high-priced backup is likely to change that.

Like it or not, losing Dart for the rest of the season was a gut punch. You could see that it sucked the air right out of the Giants ballon. Even Harbaugh looked like somebody had driven over his dog. The way they played that night, the Miami Dolphins could've beaten them. In times like this, you move on and prepare for the next opponent. Injuries are a part of the game. The fact is there are still 15 games to go in the schedule. Last year's team would've folded like a cheap tent; I doubt this one will. Indeed, Harbaugh indicated in his latest presser that he believed the Giants could still make the playoffs. Bravado? Perhaps, but it does underscore the toughness this team has exhibited since training camp. 

As for what happens after this season, the Giants have no intention of drafting another quarterback, nor should they. Dart has shown he is more than capable of leading this team. Yes he's been snake bit by injuries his first two years, but so have other quarterbacks. Matthew Stafford started only 13 games his first two seasons in the NFL due to injuries. In his third year he started all 16 games, threw for over 5,000 yards and led the Detroit Lions to their first playoff appearance in over a decade. Dart can be the next Stafford if given the time to develop. 

And in the event that the season goes sideways on the Giants and they wind up with a top five pick again, the best thing they could do is to trade back and continue to fill out this roster. Throwing good money after bad is not the solution.

The bottom line? When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Given their bad luck over the last few years, the Giants should probably open up a stand outside MetLife. 

Giants Come Crashing Down To Earth

If we're being totally honest here, last night's Rams game in L.A. was an L on the schedule. You know it and I know it. Yes, it would've been nice to start the season 2-0, but let's face it: after getting embarrassed by the 49ers on opening week in Melbourne, you had to know that Sean McVay was going to have his team ready to play the Giants. In fact, I believe I said as much in an earlier piece:

"You can bet the ranch Sean McVay will have his team ready by Monday," I wrote. Damn, I'm good.

But no way in hell I saw this coming. Eight days after playing their most inspired game in a decade, they turned in their worst performance since a 40-0 drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in 2023. Not only did the Rams win 28-6, they knocked Jaxson Dart (knee), Malik Nabers (shoulder), Brian Burns (ankle) and Andrew Thomas (groin) out of the game.

You can count the number of things the Jints did right in this game on one hand and still have a pinky left over. How bad was it? Punter Jordan Stout and safety Jevon Holland were the only stars for New York. Stout had six punts for an average of 52.5 yards, while Holland had an interception and a forced fumble that he recovered at the Rams 11 yard line.

In a nutshell, the Giants couldn't throw the ball; couldn't run the ball; couldn't pass block; couldn't run block; with the exception of one Rams possession couldn't generate a pass rush; and their secondary couldn't cover a kitchen table. Other than that, everything was peachy keen. In eight days they went from a prince to a frog. I could've sworn I saw Brian Daboll on the sidelines. 

And as if things weren't bad enough, the injury to Dart, which was initially thought to be an MCL sprain, appears to be far more serious. Ian Rapoport is reporting that after getting an MRI, the second-year QB may need season-ending surgery. If that's true, the Giants season may have ended. 

Unless of course you think Jameis Winston is capable of stepping in and taking over the reigns for this team. Based on what we witnessed last night, the jury is out. Winston looked totally unprepared, going 11/27 for 111 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. How inept was the offense with him on the field? Davante Adams had 195 yards for the Rams; the entire Giants team managed 182.

It's reasonable to assume Winston will improve his level of play in his next start. After all, he was exceptional against the Lions in Detroit last season that had the Giants played any kind of defense would've resulted in a win.  But he's also the same quarterback who in 2019 led the NFL in passing yards and interceptions. So anything is possible.

That means John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen will have some decisions to make. Do they shore up the QB position via trade or do they ride out the season with Winston and hope for the best? That all depends on what happens over the next two weeks. The Giants host the Tennessee Titans this coming Sunday and the Arizona Cardinals the following Sunday. Even without Dart, both are winnable games. If Winston plays well and the Giants are 3-1 going into week five, I could see Harbaugh and Schoen standing pat. But should they be 2-2 or, God forbid, 1-3, and Winston plays terrible, all options are on the table. After enduring the worst period of football since the 1970s, I don't think the fanbase can stand another lost season.

The sad thing is they may not have any choice.

Cohen and Stearns Are To Blame For Alonso's Exit

Monday night at CitiField, two things happened at once. The first involved a game in which the New York Mets lost to the Baltimore Orioles 2-1, officially eliminating them from postseason contention for the second year in a row and the fourth time in six years. The second involved an emotional tribute to a player who for seven seasons personified what it meant to be a fan of this team. 

For the record, Pete Alonso was hardly the perfect ballplayer. Despite his enormous power at the plate, he was still vulnerable to pitches out of the strike zone. And while he was a fair fielder, his throws to pitchers covering first base were adventurous to say the least. But pound for pound, he was among the best players to ever wear the uniform. His 264 home runs are the most ever by a Met. There was no doubt that had he been re-signed that number would've been north of 500 by the time he retired. 

But, alas, not only was he not re-signed, his agent didn't even get the courtesy of a return call by David Stearns, the man Steve Cohen hired three years ago as GM. Alonso is now an Oriole, and just like he's done every season since he made his major league debut in 2019, he is leading his team in homers and RBIs. Going into Monday's night's game, the Polar Bear's slash line was .269 / 35 / 100 / .859. He's played every game for Baltimore this season, just like he did the last two seasons in New York. Indeed, not counting the Covid year of 2020, Alonso has missed a total of 21 games during his career. Some players miss that many games in a single season.

And yet Stearns actually believed giving him a five-year contract was a bad risk. Meanwhile, Juan Soto, the man Cohen moved heaven and earth to sign to a 15 year, $765 million deal, has missed 51 games this season with a calf strain, while the guy Stearns signed to replace Alonso at first base has played a grand total of 37 games. In all, four players have started at first for the Mets this season. Collectively they've hit .236 with 18 HRs and 76 RBIs. You couldn't make this shit up if you tried.

But, I'll save my assessment of Dumb and Dumber until after this train wreck of a season is over. For now, I want to talk about what we witnessed last night at CitiField, because it was truly something rare, even for New York sports fans. In short, it was cathartic. 35,800 fans finally got the chance to get a few things off their chests, and to their credit, they didn't hold back. The "Fire Stearns" chants were louder than the "Pete Alonso" chants.

Well, apparently, some "fans" weren't thrilled with what happened. It's one thing, they said, to stand and cheer for a former player who was beloved by the fanbase; it's quite another to root for him to hit a home run against your team. They took to social media to lecture the rest of us on what it means to be a "true" fan. 

I have a message for all the lecturers out there:

GO FUCK YOURSELVES!

I've been rooting for my teams since the early 1970s and I'll be damned if anyone is going to lecture me on what it means to be a true fan.

In November of 1975, the New York Rangers waived Eddie Giacomin. He was subsequently claimed by the Detroit Red Wings. Rangers fans were incensed. So much so that when Detroit came to the Garden a few days later, they not only cheered Giacomin, they actually booed the Rangers whenever they scored a goal.

In June of 1977, the Mets traded Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds. Like Rangers fans two years earlier, Mets fans were grief stricken. Two months later, the Reds came to town and Seaver was on the mound. 46,000 fans showed up at Shea Stadium to not only give him a standing ovation, but to cheer whenever he struck out a Mets player. 

After the 1996-97 season, Rangers GM Neil Smith elected not to re-sign Mark Messier, the man who delivered the Cup in '94. When Messier returned as a member of the Vancouver Canucks that November and scored a goal against Mike Richter, the Garden faithful gave him a standing ovation.

Those fans were no less true than the ones who showed up at CitiField Monday night. This is New York, the city where Ed Koch used to ask, "How'm I doin'?" And people would tell him. This is the only place in America where you can be a hero on Monday and in the witness protection program on Tuesday. When we have something to say, we say it, and we don't give a rat's ass whether you like it or not. You gotta problem with that? Deal with it.

35,800 people came to the ballpark Monday night to show their love for a player they honestly feel should still be in a Mets uniform and to let those responsible for him being in an Orioles uniform know how they felt about it. It was not subtle; it wasn't meant to be.

If you're still pining for a GM who took a sledge hammer to a roster that was two wins away from its first World Series appearance since 2015, maybe you're the one that needs a lecture. And if you think 7 years, $158 million was a serious offer for a player with Alonso's abilities, you need more than a lecture; you need professional help.

Postscript: Within minutes of me posting this piece, Alonso hit a game-tying home run for the O's; his 300th in his major league career. CitiField erupted as the Polar Bear rounded the bases. Again, if you have a problem with that, fuck you and the horse you road in on.