New York Yankees, New York Jets and Jesus: 2012

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Dallas Cowboys- Tragic Friendship

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

One of my best friends is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Every time the Steelers lose and the New York Jets win, he hears from me. It is usually via text or a phone call. Of course, if you follow football you know this doesn't occur too often. He and I go way back to my freshman year in college, I love him like a brother. I texted him right after the Steelers lost to the Cowboys because I knew I had one day to gloat ( the Jets were playing on Monday night). When we were in college I was blessed to have him as a designated driver on many occasions. But like a lot of people- we were not perfect. There were times when I drank and probably should not have drove. We were just fortunate/blessed enough to never have a situation together like Jerry Brown and Josh Brent of the Dallas Cowboys. Wine is a mocker, drinking alcohol and driving is never alright. People who do it always feel they can "handle their liquor", and maybe they can- until that day that when someone dies or gets seriously hurt. Then it is too late and you just seriously injured a stranger- or killed your best friend.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Thinking about Quarterbacks, Free Agency and......

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

- Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

The other night I was putting my four year old daughter to sleep. I thought she was dozing off when she asked me if I was mad. I said no. She asked me if I was frustrated. I said no. Finally, I asked her why was she asking me these questions. She said, “ because you look mad.” I assured her I was not mad, that in fact, I was in a good mood. It had been that way all day long, I was in a good mood. However, the truth is I was looking at my Blackberry and reading about another New York Jets loss at the time. That particular night it was after the Seattle Seahawks debacle, (it could have easily been after the now famous "ButtFumble"game, or the Jet offense on Sunday before McElroy came in the game against the Arizona Cardinals). My daughter saw and sensed the anger and frustration I was feeling about how awful the New York Jets had been playing. I was not even aware of it. She was right, I am sure that while I was reading about that game- I looked mad. I am sure that was not a great way for her to fall asleep. That was a good reminder to me that the Bible is the Truth. What I was thinking about was having a direct result on my feelings (even though I was having a good day), and my daughter's feelings. I am sure my looking "mad" did not have a great effect on her psyche. The things we think about and dwell on really have a strong effect on our mood and mental health. Over the years it has been very clear to me; the more I read the Bible, the more my mind is focused on God. The more I focus on God the better I feel and the better it is for my family and those around me. I am going to make a conscious attempt to remember this. There are many things in this world that are lovely, admirable, noble, right and pure. I will focus on them, because the God of comfort who loves us all told me to.

So after the New York Jets victory against the Arizona Cardinals, we now have a quarterback controversy. Mark Sanchez was awful and Greg McElroy was king for a day. I think back to Sanchez's rookie year, there were games the New York Jets lost that they could have easily won (see Buffalo Bills) if Ryan had just pulled him from that particular game. It never came back to haunt the New York Jets as they went on to the AFC Championship game. I am not a fan of a team losing a game they should have won just for the growth and development of one player, even if it is the quarterback. However, when that happens, when you leave someone out their to take their bumps and bruises and the expense of a win, you better get something for your investment. Here we are four years later and Sanchez just got pulled. Where is the return on that investment? It does not appear to be there. But, lets look a little deeper. There is a formula for success for Mark Sanchez. Ground and Pound. It is very clear that if you give him a strong running game and pass protection, he does well. If you give him real NFL caliber WR's to throw the ball to with a strong running game, he does well. In fact, get him to the Playoffs and he seems to thrive under the spotlight. But he is not good enough to carry a team by himself. Quarterbacks drafted in the first round (6th pick) should be. Unfortunately, Sanchez is not. It pains me to look at RGIII, Andrew Luck, Russel Wilson(5th round), and Ryan Tannenhill and realize they are better as rookies than Sanchez is in his 4th year. Mark Sanchez was good enough to take his team to two AFC championship games, but he needs to be surrounded by really good players on offense and defense to do that. It's too bad The New York Jets brain trust do not know that. It's time for them to make a decision: either get rid of Sanchez and try to find an elite quarterback or surround him with talent that can help him succeed. Time for Woody , Rex and Mike T to think about such things.

It is time for the New York Yankees to think about their offense for next year. Apparently, they now need a new 3rd baseman. Their initial plans of Jeff Keppinger(not their fault, they offered enough money 3yr. 12 million- he said no) and Eric Chavez have been thwarted. I hate the idea of Kevin Youkilis coming to the New York Yankees. It is not because he used to play for the Boston Red Sox, it is because he has a bad back and his best days are behind him. I do think the New York Yankees will now have to make a trade for an everyday 3rd baseman. The problem is the whole league is aware of it and will try to take advantage. Perhaps if Placido Polanco is healthy he might be a viable free agent option.
I continue to be a fan of a DH platoon of Delmond Young and Raul Ibanez. In fact, if money becomes an issue( I cannot believe I am writing this) they could get away with just signing one and resting other starters in the DH slot. Both Young and Ibanez can play the outfield in an emergency situation.
I am not sorry to see Russell Martin go. The guy hit .200 and under all year. You can find good defensive catchers that can't hit. They normally don't cost that much money. It is harder to find a good defensive catcher, who can hit. These guys have to be paid. That was not Russell Martin last year. Good luck in Pittsburgh. I would love to see A.J. Pierzynski behind the plate for the New York Yankees with Austin Romine being groomed as the back-up.
For some reason, everyone thinks the New York Yankees are set with their pitching. I think that is far from true. The New York Yankees will be set when they sign the guy who is going to pitch when one of our old veteran starters get hurt for an extended time. That pitcher is going to go along way to defining the success for the New York Yankees. If the Yankees starting 5 stayed healthy all year and makes the majority of their starts, they will coast into the playoffs. The chance of that happening is very slim. Last year they counted on Freddy Garcia and David Phelps for quite a few quality starts. The previous year Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia literally saved the New York Yankee rotation. I would certainly make a pitch for Joe Saunders as a likely candidate for that role. As the cliche goes; You can never have too much pitching. I would sign him, bring him to camp, and wait for someone to get hurt. He is left handed, a veteran and is not afraid of the spotlight. Right now if one of the starters go down, the loser of the David Phelps -Ivan Nova 5th spot battle gets the nod. That is fine- but with the age of Andy Pettitte, Kuroda, and CC's elbow it is certainly possible more than one starter can easily get hurt. They better sign one more veteran pitcher, I say Joe Saunders.
Finally, right field. If Granderson stays- sign Ichiro and one more contact right handed hitting corner outfielder. They way you can mix and match with all the outfield positions. Since Brian Cashman is looking for inexpensive players, I say Grady Sizemore would be a good fit- if he were right handed. But he's not so my search continues.

Now that I got that off my chest it's time for prayer and a devotional before bed.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Hurricanes and Storms

a shelter from the storm.

-Isiah 25:4

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

-Romans 10:9

My prayers go out to all those people who suffered, and are continuing to suffer, as a result of Hurricane Sandy. I felt blessed that my house suffered no damage and we never lost power. I praise God for that. I was very concerned about trees on both sides of my house coming down. But I was spared any hardships. The same cannot be said for many of my friends and family. I am proud to say that I have some family members (my in-laws in particular) who maintained a loving, thankful and serving attitude through the whole experience. Maintaining a loving attitude in the midst of adversity is no small feat. It is during adversity that some become depressed and resigned.

However, for those who know Jesus and know God loves them, you will see a loving and hopeful attitude. My mother and father in law have maintained that type attitude and also taken people into their home, even when they had no power themselves. I am sure they drew on the strength of the Lord and His assurances to accomplish this. People who know Jesus are blessed with the ability to handle adversity well. I am not saying that we always do- because we are all sinners and are not perfect. But I am saying that if you know Jesus, you will have the ability to handle adversity well. God loves us and will protect us through any storm- whether it results in loss of power, home or even life. It is a blessing to understand that, and to know that God is with us – no matter what. My in-laws know that, and many others who focused on God during the adversity of the storm know that. If you would only believe in Him, you would too.

The great part is that it is free and easy.

The Bible says: "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved".

If you do this you will know there is no storm, unexpected difficulty or emotional pain that you cannot handle with Jesus.

I am not sure this New York Jets team can handle a storm or adversity. I originally gave up on this team after being badly beaten by the San Francisco 49ers. However, they came back and played a good game against the Houston Texans (6-1), they beat the Indianapolis Colts (6-3) and lost a heart breaker to the New England Patriots (6-2). I foolishly began to feel this team could actually be good. However, true to form the New York Jets then get trounced by the Miami Dolphins (and a back- up quarterback). This team will no longer fool me. They are not good, they do not have a lot of talent. I have been a supporter of Rex Ryan, but his team was not prepared to play against the Dolphins. They will not be prepared to play the Seattle Seahawks and they will be badly beaten. If some miracle happens and they win, they will then loose to at least two poor teams after that. But the bottom line is they will not beat the Seahawks- I wish I was wrong, but I won’t be. Ricky Sapp will not all of a sudden become a dominant pass rusher. They were better off with a young Antonio Allen on their team (than on the practice squad). I think the only thing to look forward to is to see how players like Quinton Couples, Kenrick Ellis, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Demario Davis develop on defense. Offensively watching the development of Jeremy Kerley ,Stephen Hill and yes Austin Howard should be fun. Unfortunately, the New York Jets so far have done nothing to support the development of Mark Sanchez (as evidenced by no investment in the offensive line and overpaying and Santonio Holmes, etc), so there is no reason to think they will support the development of these offensive players. I repeat this team will lose badly to the Seattle Seahawks. I would pray that I am wrong- if I still prayed for sporting events :-)

There has been a lot of talk about what the New York Yankees should do this off- season regarding right field with Nick Swisher leaving. I will miss Swisher during the regular season. He was consistent, fun to watch and yes- clutch. However, the New York Yankees are about the post-season and he was the opposite of the two latter in the post-season. Unfortunately, he was consistently bad in the post-season, so when October comes I will be glad he is gone. First of all, I think Ichiro is one half of the answer for right field. Tori Hunter would work if he is willing to split time with Ichiro/ the other two left hand hitting outfielders. He would be pretty much guaranteed to play every time a left hander pitched(Girardi could also use match-ups based on numbers) and would be able to keep his 37 year old body fresh.
But the position I really want to see filled is the right handed DH spot. I think Delmond Young would be a great fit. He and Raul Ibanez at the DH spot would be formidable. Most importantly, Delmond Young is a professional hitter who can hit in the post season, something Nick Swisher could never do.

Now that I got that off my chest -time for a devotional and prayer before bed

Friday, October 26, 2012

Hope for all ...Even New York Yankee fans

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

As for me I will always have hope; I will praise you more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day
Psalms 71:14-15

The other day I asked my oldest daughter (4 years old) what she wanted to be when she grew up. She told me she wanted to be a pray-er and to be God's helper. I thought it was sweet that she wanted to pray for people and help God. I also started to think what type of job she could do in the church. About a week later, two of my very good friends came over to my house for dinner. This was no ordinary dinner because these friends of mine (husband and wife) were going on a long-term mission trip to London, England. I have no idea when I will see them again. But, I was overjoyed to tell my daughter they were going overseas to tell people about Jesus. That is the only reason they are going, that is their job. I thought about my daughters answer to my question about what she was going to be when she grows up. I felt blessed to be able to show her two people who were great examples of “pray-ers” and God's helpers. I have two other friends (husband and wife) who are going on a long-term missions trip to Ecuador, I can tell her about them also. My daughter didn’t say she wanted to a missionary (I do not think she even knows what that means). However, her answer indicted to me a heart to help people and an understanding that God and the power of prayer can do just that. People who know God, always have hope. People who understand the power of prayer always have hope. I am blessed to know that with God no situation is hopeless. I wish more people understood this. I wish the people who know this (myself included) told more people. We do not have to travel far to do this, but I thank God for people like my friends going to England and Ecuador. They are doing what God tells us all to do. Hopefully one day my daughter may do the same.

It is easy to forget how many positives existed for the New York Yankees this year. The thing that is prominent in many fans mind is the horrible offensive showing in the playoffs, and it was horrible. It was painful to look at. I am happy A-Rod was benched, although he really could have played against Justin Verlander. Nick Swisher should have been benched two games and he should not return to the New York Yankees. There is a lot of talk about trading Curtis Granderson. Remember this team traded Ian Kennedy (the Arizona Diamondbacks #1 pitcher), Austin Jackson (the Detroit Tigers leadoff batter and starting centerfield) and Phil Coke a hard throwing lefty out of the pen (who actually closed out the final two games of the playoffs against the Yankees) to get Granderson. I would not be so quick to trade him. If he gets traded I would want players just as good or better than those three. Last year he had an MVP caliber season and despite far too many strikeouts this year he led the team in homeruns and RBI’s. This guy had more RBI’s and homeruns than Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, and Mark Texeria. If he gets traded you better be able to replace that production. I am not saying don’t trade him, I am just saying don’t be so quick to trade him, because you will need to get a lot in return. There were positives to Granderson’s season and the team has a lot to be proud of. They overcame major injuries to Mariano Rivera, Mark Texeria, Alex Rodriguez, C.C Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Andy Pettitte, and finished with the best record in the American League. That requires an excellent job of managing and solid playing. Unfortunately, their lack of situational hitting and clutch hitting (which was bad all year) caught up with them in the playoffs. They can rectify that problem by making sure the term professional hitter returns to Yankee stadium. Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neil, Wade Boggs, Robin Ventura, Scott Brosius, Cecil Fielder and Hideki Matsui are former Yankee professional hitters. Raul Ibanez and Derek Jeter are current professional hitters; these are hitters who don’t just try to hit homeruns every time they come up to bat. They can get a runner in from third base with less than two outs and they can get a hit with 2 outs and a runner on in scoring position. I miss those New York Yankees, we used to have a lot of them, and I could not find them last year. However, despite the bad endings, there was a lot of good things about this year and for that, New York Yankees fans should have hope.

The New York Jets lost a game they should have won. They should have beat the New England Patriots which is really an odd thing to say. The New York Jets were left for dead after the Forty Niner beat down. However, since then, they lost a close one to the first place Houston Texans( a game they should have won), they destroyed the Indianapolis Colts and then this game. Everyone expected to Pats to beat the New York Jets badly, not only did that not happen, the Jets should have won. Of course, the Patriots won because they know how to. The New York Jets forgot how to win after their 2010 win against these same Patriots in the playoffs. I must say as disappointed as I was after the game, I felt really hopeful about the season moving forward. Much like the New York Yankee season, the New York Jet game ended badly, but there were a lot of good things that we can take from this game. The running game was actually successful again, despite the Pats stout run defense, Mark Sanchez played a great game (minus the one pick and two fumbles). I never thought I would see the game where Sanchez had 41 pass attempts and the New York Jets almost win. Jeremy Kerley continues to progress and is developing into an excellent receiver, Dustin Keller is back and the defense played great for almost the entire game. Which brings us to the reasons why we lost. The defense after playing great for EVERY drive, blew it with the final two defensive drives. I have said this before, Rex Ryan's defense consistently fails to get a big stop to end out the game.
On Sunday the New York Jets play the Miami Dolphins, most likely this game will be hard fought and close. If it comes down to the defense making a stop to end the game, I can only hope they will get the job done.

Now that I got that off my chest it is time for prayer and a devotional before bed.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Forgiving others....including A-rod. And Swisher?

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
- Matthew 6:14-15
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
-Luke 6:37

Several weeks ago my brother came to visit me. He stopped by on a Saturday. My wife worked that day so I was home alone with my two girls. Although, we only live about a half hour away from each other, my brother and I don't see each other that often. That day he told me he really wanted to talk to me. In my world that means somebody wants a favor, usually money. My brother did not initially tell me what he wanted. He had brought my girls some dolls and he played with them( the girls not the dolls). The three of them had a great time, my brother is like a big kid himself when he gets around children. Finally, he told me what he wanted to say. He told me he was sorry for the different ways he had let me down and the hurt he had caused me over the years. The things he had done are not significant at this point, the fact that he apologized is. I think he was surprised at how quickly I told him he was forgiven. The truth is, it wasn't hard at all to forgive him. I did it through the strength of Jesus Christ, so it had nothing to do with me. I love my brother, but God loves him more. He has protected him and watched over him his entire life. He is at the point now where not only can he apologize for things he has done wrong, but God can use him to bless other people. So of course I forgave my brother. God had already forgiven him, so who would I be to not have. I have done many things wrong in my life and I have asked God for forgiveness and mercy many times. He has never let me down and if you do the same He will never let you down.
I think we should remember that the next time someone does us wrong- we should forgive them.
But I think I would be wrong to not to point out that the only way we can do this is through the power of Jesus Christ. Most of the time when people wrong us in any way the last thing we want to do is forgive them. We need God to help us in this. If you are asking why should we forgive people; I ask isn't God wanting us to reason enough?

The New Yankees offense in the playoffs has been offensive. The series against the Baltimore Orioles was exciting and dramatic. It was fun to watch and I really can not take much more. It is bad for my heart. C.C Sabathia pitched a great game 5 (after some disappointing playoff games early in his Yankee career)- all is forgiven. As I said before, after the 2009 World Series, Alex Rodriguez forever gets a pass for his terrible playoff performances. The same cannot be said for Nick Swisher, who has been dreadful. Mark Texeria is actually playing well this postseason, so no longer can I complain about him. Clearly, Robinson Cano(he has been historic in his ineptitude)who has gone hitless in 26 at- bats and Curtis Granderson has taken his place. They are now #2 and 3 behind Swisher for all time Yankee playoff choke artist. Swisher has the nerve to complain about being booed. Note to Swisher: get a hit and the fans will stop booing. That being said, all is not lost if the New York Yankees win tonight, C.C is pitching tomorrow and we have a chance to even the series. However, if they continue to do NOTHING at the plate, we will lose. I am not saying I won't forgive Cano, Granderson and Swisher if they don't win. I am just saying it was easy to forgive Alex Rodriguez after the 2009 World Series.

The New York Jets won an impressive game on Sunday. It was actually vintage "ground and pound" and a vintage Rex Ryan defense. Shame on all those analyst who downplayed the win because they played against a rookie QB. The New England Patriots played against a rookie QB on Sunday- and lost. So I will enjoy this win for a week, because next Sunday we play the New England Patriots.

Now that I got that off my chest time for a devotional and prayer before the Yankee game.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Thank God for Children and DVR?

The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys

And he also had seven sons and three daughters.

Nowhere in the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughter.

Job 41:12, 15a

The other night I was watching the New York Jets play the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football and The New York Yankees play game #2 of the Divisional Round in the playoffs. Yes, I was watching both at the same time and yes I was “DVRing “ both games. Then during the seventh inning of the New York Yankee game, they had just scored one run and were threatening to score another to tie the game. At the same time, The New York Jets were about to enter the fourth quarter and it appeared they had a chance to take the lead. At this point of tension, I heard a familiar sound. My youngest daughter was crying at the top of the stairs. This happens every night. She leaves her bed and comes to the top of the stairs and calls for her mother. I was fully expecting my wife (who was well aware of what I was watching) to go and rescue my very cute 2-year-old daughter. But the crying continued. Where was my wife? In a moment I realized why she had not saved my daughter. My daughter wanted me. She said repeatedly “I want my daddy.” This is the girl who would scream “No Daddy!” if I dared give my wife a break during this nighttime ritual. I immediately rushed upstairs and picked up my crying daughter. She stopped crying and I stayed with her for about 20 minutes until my wife arrived. It felt great! (Although I was dying to know what my teams were doing).

I returned back downstairs and finished watching both of my teams lose; heartbreaking tough loses. I felt terrible and then I remembered my cute little two-year-old daughter. I remembered that she called for me- her daddy, for the first time in the middle of the night.

The Devil received permission from God to test Job, because Job was a good man who loved the Lord. The Devil believed that if he took away Job’s riches and had him endure tragic events Job would reject God and curse him. Well, Job remained faithful to God and continued to trust Him. As a result, one of the ways God blessed Job was with children. They are a blessing from God. I am blessed to not have had to suffer the tragedies of Job and my sports’ team losing cannot be considered tragic (even if I have acted like it). But this does serve as a good reminder to remember to trust in the Lord in all things, whether tragic or simply unpleasant, and to appreciate the blessings he has given you. Both of my beautiful daughters are blessings to me. So whether the Lord has blessed you with children of your own or placed you in a position to positively impact the lives of children, enjoy them and remember to thank Him.

Monday was rough because both the New York Yankees and New York Jets lost. However, there were a lot of positives in both games. First the New York Jets were extremely competitive in a game against the Houston Texans in which they were supposed to be blown out. Mark Sanchez as usual looked good when he had time to throw the football. His 2 interceptions were the result of deflected or tips passes. He even threw a touchdown pass. Actually, the New York Jets could have won this game. Sanchez missed a wide open Antonio Cromartie on a pass that probably should have been a touchdown, and one of the deflected interceptions stopped the New York Jets in the red zone and led to 3 points for the Texans.
Unfortuately, it is painfully obvious the team has no clue how to use Tim Tebow. He seems to be most effective as the punt protector converting 4th down on direct snaps. It seems that there were times when Sanchez would get hot, like on one long reception to Kerley and then Tebow is in at quarterback. Stupid. Or there was a time when Tebow had a good run and got into the red zone, he runs one more play and then here comes Sanchez. Stupid. Sanchez then throws 2 incompletions in a row and we settle for a field goal. Why take Tebow out in the first place?
A couple of other things stood out in this game. Chaz Shillens has good hands, I have seen him catch some really tough passes from Sanchez. Too bad he couldn't hold onto the ill advised on side kick. Clearly, the New York Jets can not stop the run. However, Damon Harrison might have been the most effective run stopping nose tackle they have had all year. It was clear on the few plays that he was in that the Texans O-line could not move him. The same could be said of his play in the pre-season.
It is a very strong possibility that if Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller, Stephan Hill and Jeremy Kerley all played in this game the New York Jets would have won. The strength of the offense would also be it's passing game (which ironically, it probably still is because the run game is awful).

As excited as I was after C. C's dominant Game 1 victory, I was equally as dissappointed in the game 2 loss. Andy Pettitte pitched a really good game. Unfortuartuately, with this teams inability to EVER get a big hit, they often require great pitching to win a game. Therefore, I am hoping for a great performance tonight from Kirouda. If we don't get one, this team will be in trouble.
As far as Alex Rodriguez goes, he will forever get a pass in my book after the New York Yankees won the World Series in 2009- they don't win or even get in without him. As for where he bats in the order, if there was another Yankee other than Derek Jeter even hitting I would be all for letting them hit 3rd. But there is nobody who is going to be much of an improvement. Swisher? Teixeria? Granderson? I think not. A more logical solution would be to platoon him with Eric Chavez, but that will not happen.

My wife has to work tonight, I am alone with my children. I thank God for that, and I can DVR the game.

Monday, October 1, 2012

A time for..... The New York Jets to wake up!

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up in accordance to their needs, that they may benefit those who listen

-Ephesians 4:29

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die.

-Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

I have a very good friend whose mother recently passed away. He is a good man. He provides for his family, he is there for his wife and kids; he has helped many people at our church- myself included. I never met his mother, but she raised a fine man. I am confident his mother played a role in him becoming the man he is today. I hope he got a chance to tell her that. Shortly after hearing of my friend’s mother’s death, I read an article in Sports Illustrated about Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o (The Full Man Ti Oct 1, 2012) where in the same day- he lost his grandmother and his girlfriend. His girlfriend was only 22 years old. In the story Manti claims his girlfriend told him “Send roses while they can still smell them, tell people you love them while they can still hear.” The story goes on to tell how well he performed 3 days later in a football game. But the story could have ended after the quote from his girlfriend. God makes it very clear that there is a time for everything, including our death. The truth is we never know when that is going to occur. God also tells us that we should not talk badly about other people, in fact he tells us to do the opposite. We should all take the time out to thank our mothers for putting up with us and raising us. We should tell our friends how much they mean to us (yes, even you big tough guys). God tells us to do it for a reason. He wants us to be like Him. He loved us so much that He let His Son die on the cross for our sins. Surely He wants us to love each other the same. We are put on this earth to glorify God, but our time is limited. We must use it wisely to glorify Him and tell someone what he or she means to you- while they can still hear.

Speaking of dead-The New York Jets stunk yesterday. This game was a joke. This team looked great against the Buffalo Bills the first game and then stunk in every other game. New York fans love to blame people when our teams lose. I used to love blaming Alex Rodriguez for every early postseason exit (and he deserved it every year before 2009). So I must blame someone for the fact that the New York Jets stink this year. I blame owner Woody Johnson. This man has decided this year he will not spend any money on this team. He has decided he will not allow Mike Tannenbaum to spend money this year. There is no other way to explain this New York Jets roster. The New York Jets are several million under the salary cap and still have huge holes in key spots. Woody Johnson has always spent money on this team. During past years free agents like Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, Damien Woody and Alan Faneca. They have also traded for expensive players like Kris Jenkins, Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes. These players for the most part have been great for this team. Obviously, Mike T has surrounded himself with people who understand talent. This is why this year has to be about money. After paying far too much to retain Holmes. The Jets have made players like Mike Devito and Matt Slauson take pay cuts. Really? These guys don’t make a lot of money as it is. This brings us to Tim Tebow. That move is all about Woody Johnson wanting the New York Jets to sell jerseys, tickets and appear on Sportscenter. Outside of ticket sales, all of this has happened. “You can never have too much Tebow!” That is a quote from our owner. This business is about entertainment- another point from our owner. Then the Jets get guys like Austin Howard (who I actually like) off of a practice squad to fill a huge hole at right tackle. They spend no money on a proven wide receiver (Chaz Shilens is a legit 3^rd wideout at best) and they have not had a good blocking tight end since Ben Hartsock. How can you have a ground and pound team without a blocking tight end? Or a proven fullback, John Connor hits people hard when given a chance, but nobody is mistaking him for Tony Richardson or even Richie Anderson. This year has to be about money or they would have signed a real blocking tight end after they correctly got rid of Mike “false start” Mulligan. If this was not about money the New York Jets would have signed a real right tackle like the one the Houston Texans released the end of last year. They certainly would have signed a proven wide receiver when every fan on the planet realized we had no depth behind Holmes.

So at this point the New York Jets should go out and sign Paxico Burris (because Holmes is now hurt), at least he can score in the red zone. The Jets should trade for a blocking tight end. I think Hartsock is still in the league.

Rex Ryan wants a ground and pound team- he doesn’t have one. Mike T didn’t give him one because Woody Johnson wouldn’t pay for one.

I have not written about the Yankees for a while. I was too upset about the loss to the Minnesota Twins in the game that Phil Hughes started. I have seen Phil Hughes melt under pressure. I have seen him pitch a good game for 4 innings and just cave at the first sign of trouble. I can see why Joe Girardi would not totally trust him. I have seen the New York Yankees score 14 runs and Phil Hughes have to be pulled before 5 innings (and not be eligible for the win). I can see why Girardi would not totally trust him. BUT there is a time when boys become men; there is a time when a pitcher turns the table. I think Phil Hughes deserved that chance the other night. Hughes pitched 6 plus solid innings before he got in trouble with the bases loaded. He just struck out a batter for the second out when he got pulled from the game. Now you bring in Boone Logan with the bases loaded to pitch to a batter (Denard Span) who had not gotten a hit off Hughes. The look on Hughes face told you he wanted that chance. Based on the way he pitched he deserved that chance. If he gets that out he takes another step to becoming a dominant pitcher with the ability to get out of jams (Andy Pettitte anyone?). Unfortunately, he wasn’t given that chance and he and the New York Yankees lost.

Yesterday, the New York Yankees came back from a 5-1 deficit to win a huge game in Toronto. Phil Hughes started that game and was awful. I have a feeling- just a feeling that he would have pitched much better, had Girardi trusted him with that last out in the 6^th.

The Yankees will win the division- but it will be because of The Tampa Bay Rays.

Now that I got that off my chest, it is time for a devotional and prayer before bed.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Praising God for my wife- Not the New York Jets victory

He who finds a wife, finds what is good

and receives favor from the Lord (NIV)

A wife is truly a gift from God. There was a time back when I was dating my wife back when she could first be considered a “serious girlfriend”. She knew me well enough to know that I was a huge New York Yankee and New York Jet fan. But she did not know I was living persona of a fanatic fan. Although, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York I have lived most of my adult life in Pennsylvania. The problem with that is there is never a guarantee I would be able to watch a New York Jet game on Sunday. (This was years before the NFL packages and I probably could not have afforded it in those days anyway.) So I often resigned myself to listening to games on the radio. For one particular game against the Washington Redskins I was having a problem with reception. My wonderful girlfriend suggested we take a ride up the turnpike and get off at the first exit in New Jersey and find a place showing the game. I knew right then and there I was going to marry this woman. We found some dive bar that had the game on. I was just in time to watch the end of the game and see a painstaking final drive by the Redskins, in which Ray Mickens was called for numerous pass interference calls. Anyone who had ever seen me watch a New York Jet game would not have been surprised by my reaction. Unfortunately, this was the first time for my girlfriend. With each agonizing play I screamed and yelled repeatedly at the television screen (which I was standing directly in front off). I yelled at Mickens and called him all sorts of names. I yelled at the Jet’s defense. I screamed for them to blitz. I screamed at the top of my lungs. I then looked at my girlfriend and she looked horrified. She also looked utterly embarrassed. The car ride back was very quiet. I was quiet because the New York Jets lost. She was quiet because she realized the man she loved was insane. Praise Jesus she did not leave me. She has come to expect and be amused by my crazed enthusiasm for my teams. To be totally honest I have found “what is good”. However, there have been far too many times that I have basically ignored her because my teams were playing. I have looked annoyed when she has tried to talk to me during their games. That is unacceptable. God has given me a gift I should cherish. She is a gift far more important than any sports team. She is a wife that should never feel like she is second to Derek Jeter (although deep down I think she likes him too). So whether it is your wife or your kids, they should always come before sports. The best way to remember that is to remember the God that gave them to you.

The New York Yankees just took two out of three from the Oakland A’s. There was a time when this late in the season they would not have needed to take two out of three from the A’s (think ‘90’s). These however, are not those New York Yankees, so I will take the time out to say “Good Job” This A’s team swept the New York Yankees earlier this year and I was not sure they wouldn’t do it again. But they won the series, and Giradi finally put Ichiro in the two hole and moved Swisher down in the order. So “Good Job” to him as well. Just a note don’t be surprised to see Joba Chamberland become the 8^th inning set up man in the playoffs. David Robertson is struggling down the stretch. It happened to Phil Hughes in the playoffs the year before he won 17 games. Joba may not be what he was back in when we had the “Joba rules”. But he has the heart of a closer.

The New York Jets won today. It was a game they should have won. It was a game they should have won easily. But the New York Jets never easily beat the Miami Dolphins. What is most important is, this is a game the New York Jets would normally lose. I remember feeling that way a lot since Rex Ryan took over. It has never been pretty with Rex, but his teams seem to win. Last year of course they choked at the end of the year, but even before that, they won games they would have previously lost. I still wish they had run the ball more. The truth is, previously if Mark Sanchez throws the ball over forty times we lose. If the opposing team runs the ball over 40 times, not only do we lose, but I spend the entire night wishing we had run it forty times. Just a note, the defense played very well, but Mike Francesa of sports radio 66WFAN has a point; “ Great defenses can make a stop when they need to”. After the New York Jets went up 20-17 with 3:01 to go the defense let the rookie quarterback march up the field. make completions on third down and tie the game. That too is something I have seen a lot since Rex Ryan took off.

Now that I got that off my chest it is time for a devotional and prayer before bed.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Praying for the New York Yankees and Jets

"And Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind , be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints
-Ephesians 6:18 NIV

I wonder how many other Christians have actually prayed to God for their teams to win? Unfortunately, I have said heart felt prayers to the Lord for the New York Yankees and New York Jets to win games. It is really kind of funny in some ways. How ridiculous for me to believe that God would favor one sporting team over another. Of course being a Yankee fan doesn’t help because most of the times my prayers appeared to be answered, as the Yankees usually win. However, I could always count on my Jets to bring me back to reality. Whether it was Blair Thomas getting stopped four times on the goal line, Vinnie Testerverde throwing a pick six or Doug Brien missing a field goal in the playoffs, the New York Jets made sure I remembered God’s work is not about games. Prayer time should be spent on the important things in life. Prayer works. God does answer prayers, but it is important to remember to “pray in the Spirit” meaning to pray for things in God’s will and things that will glorify Him. Those are the prayers that God answers and those are the prayers that bless you and the people around you. If you need some examples, pray that God will show you how to help someone in need. Pray that God will show you how to forgive someone who has been mean to you. Pray for wisdom and direction for what God wants for your life. Simply pray to thank God for all he has done for you. Trust me- you will be blessed, and also the people around you. That is my testimony.

The return of Andy Pettitte to the N.Y Yankee rotation has been postponed one day due to rain. Andy’s serves as a source of hope for most Yankee fans. Only Yankee fans feel like they need hope when they are already in first place. I guess that is because Andy Pettitte’s Yankee teams have been championship teams. Teams that are often at least 30 games over .500 and usually much more than .5 games in first place. Teams, that looks much better than this current team. I hope Andy Pettitte pitches well. I pray his leg is totally healed (I think that is OK for prayer J). If he pitches well and C.C Sabathia can somehow return to form (he has had only had one ace type performance since coming off the DL), and Hiroki Kuroda continues to do what he has done all year and Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes replicate their last starts. The Yankees will win another World Series. That is a lot of ifs and if it doesn’t work out, some Yankee fans will have to be reminded to not pray for the return of Andy Pettitte’s former teams.

A look at Rich Cimini’s ESPN Jets blog revealed a breakdown of defensive plays in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and as I said before too much Mike Devito (40 plays) and Sione Pouha (36 plays). Head Coach Rex Ryan lamented about how the defense could not get off the field on 3^rd down. Well, I think Rex might want to put his young dominant lineman in the game a little longer. Kenrick Ellis who had a great pre-season and first game against the Buffalo Bills played only 20 snaps. First Round draft pick Quinton Coples played only 16 snaps, even back up Marcus Dixon played more than that (19). Come on Rex, play your best defensive players and while your at it check the tape on Bart Scott.

Now that I got that off my chest it is time for a devotional and prayer before bed.

Monday, September 17, 2012

First Post!!!

The Bible says: “ For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous is a jealous God” – Exodus 34:14 NKJV

Which pretty much means we should only worship God and no one or nothing else. Obviously that is not always the case. In many instances people worship money and will do anything to get it. In some circumstances people worship drugs/alcohol and will do anything to get them, or die trying. However, those situations are obvious. A much less obvious situation of worship, although much more accepted, happens every Sunday. I am not talking about church on Sunday. I am talking about Sundays during football season, and almost daily during baseball season. We WORSHIP our sporting teams and many times the players who play on our teams. We sin regularly. I consider myself a strong Christian who loves the Lord. I am also probably the worst offender of this sin I know. I am not the first person to recognize this fact or to write about it. But the fact remains: I LOVE THE N.Y YANKEES. I scream praise and worship to them when they win. The same goes for the NY JETS. I get in terrible moods when either team loses and I am no fun to be around. I am sure I am not alone. There are plenty of men and some women who have the same problem. I do not plan on ceasing to root for my team or plan to care for them any less. But I write this blog to openly admit my sin and repent, to talk about the teams I love and then to remind myself and others like me about what is really important. His name is JESUS.

The New York Jets should have won the game yesterday against the Steelers. Some people will look at the stats that show Mark Sanchez threw 11 straight incompletions and basically had a horrible game after the first two drives. Some will look at the defense's inability to get off the field on third down. Those factors certainly contributed. However, when Shonn Greene got his bell rung, the game changed. His back up, Bilal Powell (a wasted 4^th round pick) should actually be the teams’ 3^rd or 4^th running back. When he got in the game it was clear the drop off in talent was huge. This game reminded me of the AFC Championship game against the Colts. Greene ran all over the Colt defense and the Jets were winning the game. Greene got hurt left the game, and the Jets rushing game was non-existent. The rest of the teams play followed suit. Of course, Greene returned to this game but he clearly was affected by the blow and was not the same. Jets lose. On more thing about the defenses failure to stop the Steelers; where was Kenrick Ellis and Quinton Couples? Last week these guys played big minutes. Today I saw a little too much of Mike Devito and Sione Pouha. I love Pouha and Devito. But Ellis and Couples have the ability to make game changing plays- and that is something the defense clearly needed today.

The Yankees won again. This time they played a complete game offensively meaning they hit home runs (Russell Martin three run homer) and played small ball with bunts and stolen bases. If only Girardi had pushed for this all year. His quote today, “ It brings an element that you can create runs, and that’s really important for a club.” You don’t say. If this team had tried to play small ball while hitting so many home runs, they’d probably be leading the division by a lot more than one game. Let’s hope this trend continues for the rest of the season and throughout the post season, if not Girardi is going to be stuck with that number on his back for another year.

Now that I got that off my chest it is time for a devotional and prayer before bed.