The Return

After a long time away from the blog to finish up schoolwork and get settled back at home, I have returned to revive this blog. I want to get back up and running, giving you all the best I have to offer regarding NY-area sports. For my first post, I want to look at all the of current head coaches/managers and take a look at who has done the best job. Few have been around for a while (Coughlin) while many are just getting started (Manuel, Tortorella, Gordon). However, let's take a look at what they've done so far, see who's done the best and worst job, and who has potential for future success:

Joe Girardi

Team: New York Yankees

Arrived: October 30, 2007 (hired by Yankees)

Record: 116-93

Playoffs: None

Overall Consensus: Girardi had big shoes to fill after Joe Torre left, and has been okay so far. The Yanks didn't make the playoffs in his first season, missing out on October baseball for the first time since 1993. In '09, the Yanks have shown some signs of life and increasing chemistry. He continues to make questionable decisions but overall has done a decent job. I think he'll continue to have success, find his way back into the playoffs, and has a chance at a championship. However, he won't have the same success that Torre did.

Jerry Manuel
Team: New York Mets

Arrived: June 17, 2008 (replaced Willie Randolph)
Record: 72-52
Playoffs: None
Overall Consensus: Manuel took over for Randolph midseason in '08 and helped stabilize a struggling Mets team, only to watch them collapse in September for a 2nd year in a row. The team removed his interim tag, and he's started 2009 off okay despite the team being riddled with injuries. It still seems like he has some relationship issues with players in the clubhouse, namely Jose Reyes, but overall he has held down the fort. If he's going to be successful, he needs to find a way to get the team focusing on the fundamentals of baseball (baserunning especially) and prevent another choke job late in the season. I think it's possible.

Tom Coughlin

Team: New York Giants
Arrived: January 6, 2004 (hired by Giants)
Record: 47-33
Playoffs: 4 times (Super Bowl Champs in 2008, lost NFC divisional game to Eagles in '09, lost NFC wild card games to Panthers and Eagles in '06 and '07, respectively)
Overall Consensus: Tom Coughlin has been around the longest among the NY sports coaches and has done a fine job. The team has made the playoffs in four out to his five seasons at the helm and has won a Super Bowl as well. Not much to complain about here. As long as he keeps the team in the playoffs, he has the talent on the roster to keep them mentioned in Super Bowl talks year after year.

Rex Ryan
Team: New York Jets
Arrived: January 21, 2009 (hired after Eric Mangini was fired)
Record: None, was with Ravens who were 5-11 in 2008
Playoffs: None, won Super Bowl in 2000 with Ravens as Defensive Line Coach
Overall Consensus: Eric Mangini didn't fulfill the dreams of Jets fans, and now, Rex Ryan has the chance to do that. He stresses defense, a major issue for the Jets last season, and brings in a lock-down package that has been lacking in recent years. He still has to figure out who will be the starting QB in 2009 (Kellen Clemens or Mark Sanchez) and who his wide receivers will be, but he has the foundation for a playoff team. He has the potential to succeed but needs to build up his offense a little more.

Mike D'Antoni
Team: New York Knicks
Arrived: May 10, 2008 (hired by Knicks)
Record: 32-50
Playoffs: None, made playoffs previous 4 seasons as Head Coach of the Suns
Overall Consensus: D'Antoni has a major, major task to try and build this Knicks team into a winner. The organization is banking on a big free agent signing in 2010 (namely, Lebron), but as of now, the team is very weak. They have some bright spots in David Lee and Nate Robinson, and showed brief success in 08-09, but not enough to warrant a playoff berth. I don't think he finishes his time in NY with an NBA title, but I do think if he's around after 2010, he can lead the team back to the playoffs.

John Tortorella
Team: New York Rangers
Arrived: February 23, 2009 (hired by Rangers after firing Tom Renney)
Record: 12-7-2
Playoffs: Once in 2008-09, Rangers lost to Capitals in 1st Round
Overall Consensus: He was brought in after Tom Renney was let go to lead the Rangers into the playoffs, and he accomplished that. After blowing a 3-1 series lead, it is now his job to help restructure the team to his liking and use a full season to build a team that can go deep into the playoffs. He has a good style of play that's aggressive and stresses scoring, but lacks a big-time scorer. If he can nab someone like Ilya Kovalchuk, the Rangers have a great mix of young and old talent that can lead to success. He can have a temper though, and he needs to learn to keep his cool. No more squirting water on fans behind the bench! I say he brings the Rangers back to the playoffs, but won't win a Stanley Cup during his time at The Garden.

Scott Gordon
Team: New York Islanders
Arrived: August 12, 2008 (hired by Islanders after firing Ted Nolan)
Record: 26-45-9
Playoffs: None
Overall Consensus: Just like D'Antoni, he has a tall task to take this team of youngsters and bring them to the playoffs and beyond. The Islanders are the joke of the league and will not get any true, proven talent as long as they are playing at Nassau Coliseum. Until they get their new arena, IF they get a new arena, they will continue to struggle because simply, no one wants to play there and fans don't want to go and watch. I don't see a bright future for Gordon and the Islanders, and I think he's gone before the end of the upcoming season.

That does it for this debate. I left out Lawrence Frank (Nets) and Brent Sutter (Devils) since they're mostly NJ. However, Frank had some early success with the Nets but has struggled since, and Sutter has helped the Devils continue making the playoffs and will do so with the teams he keeps producing. Let me know your thoughts on all of the coaches.

In addition, since baseball is in high swing, I will try and do some liveblogging later on tonight with the Yanks at Cleveland and the Mets hosting the Marlins. I will especially be active with this when the Yanks and Mets play each other in June. Until then, I plan on being more active once again!

Trade Deadline Happenings

So the trade deadline came and went on Wednesday afternoon with all of the New York teams getting involved some how. I'll list the trades made and give some analysis:

New York Rangers:
-Acquired C Nik Antropov from the Maple Leafs for a 2nd round pick and a conditional pick.
-Acquired D Derek Morris from the Coyotes for Dmitri Kalinin, Petr Prucha, and Nigel Dawes.
Analysis: The Rangers gave up a lot, especially for Morris, but they were all expendable parts, at least in the eyes of John Tortorella and Glen Sather. Antropov and Morris both bring physicality and should help boost the league's 2nd-worst power play. Kalinin was pretty weak and wouldn't be a Ranger much longer. Prucha and Dawes were not going to get much playing time and were seen as not having a real future in New York. Good luck to them elsewhere! The Rangers got what they needed, which is what's important.

New York Islanders:
-Traded RW Bill Guerin to the Penguins for a conditional draft pick
Analysis: Really Garth Snow? Really? You trade away an aging veteran, get a draft pick, and don't try to get rid of any other garbage for a decent player or more draft picks? This is why the Islanders struggle year after year. They rely on using draft picks to help the team get better, but the picks never seem to pan out, and no one wants to come play on Long Island. The Islanders did basically nothing again on deadline day and now will have to hope they get the draft picks they want come the summer and hopefully a decent free agent or two.

New Jersey Devils:
-Acquired D Niclas Havelid and F Myles Stoesz for Anssi Salmela
Analysis: The Devils really did not need to improve too much as they have been playing great without and now with Marty Brodeur in net. This team helped fortify the blue line a little bit which certainly helps and brings some more veteran experience to the team. The Devils are set to make a strong playoff run if Brodeur keeps playing well in net and the forwards keeping scoring like they are.

Buffalo Sabres:
-Traded RW Ales Kotalik to the Oilers for a 2nd round draft pick
-Acquired C Dominic Moore from the Maple Leafs for a 2nd round pick
-Acquired G Mikael Tellqvist from the Coyotes for a 2010 4th round pick
Analysis: It doesn't seem like the Sabres did only a little to help improve themselves tremendously to make a big playoff push. Getting rid of Kotalik loses 32 points of production in exchange for what could be a good draft pick next year. Moore is having a great season and can certainly help, but I'm not sure he's the type of player who can carry give the team that extra spark to get ot the playoffs. Tellqvist could help in the goaltending as Ryan Miller is still hurt. He was having a solid year with and will split time with Patrick Lalime. However, I still don't think this is a big move. I think the Sabres could've done a little better.

DP Done...Again! And Yanks/Mets Signings

Sorry to share the news Islander fans, but goaltender Rick DiPietro, the face of the franchise, will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season due to continuing problems with his left knee. DiPietro had surgery on the knee in June, but swelling has continued throughout the season.

According to the team, they felt it was the best decision for him considering the team is not in playoff contention. General Manager Garth Snow commented, "This will allow Rick ample time to make a full recovery for next year." With the problems he's had recovering from other injuries, the Islanders are smart to let him take all the time needed to get fully healthy.

DP was signed to a 15-year contract in 2006 and since that point has had to have four surgeries. His hip was repaired once, along with his right knee as well as left knee twice. With all these problems, even DiPietro himself knew this was the right move. "This has been one of the most frustrating situations I have ever had to deal with, but this is the right decision for me and the team," said the 27-year old goalie in a statement on Tuesday.

For the sake of Islander fans everywhere, DP and the team definitely made the right choice. The team is going nowhere higher than the bottom five teams in the league. Rather than risk further injury, let him rest and recover as best as he can and be ready for next season. Then again, who knows with DP?
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Briefly just wanted to note some contract signings the Yankees and Mets made today. The Bronx team agreed on a one year $6.65 million deal with Outfielder Xavier Nady, avoiding arbitration. This allows the Yanks to move him a bit easier now that he has a set salary. However, I wouldn't be shocked if both he and Swisher went to camp as Yankees. Melky Cabrera also signed late today. Not sure how much the deal was for. Report is that he asked for $1.7 million while the team offered $1.2 million. Shocking considering he made just $461,200 last year and was flat out awful. The other Yankee who went to arbitration was Brian Bruney. He apparently request $1.55 million while the team offered $1.1 million. No deal was done as of yet.

As for the Mets, they avoided arbitration with Ryan Church and Angel Pagan. Church got a one year $2.8 million deal while Pagan got $575,000 for a year. Both players suffered from injuries last year. Church played just 90 games due to a pair of concussions while Pagan appeared in only 31 before having surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder.