I just realized...

I just realized that I have not posted one single sports post this entire year. We have become almost entirely consumed with baby stuff on the blog, that I haven't even given a thought to writing about my favorite sports teams. I guess overall thats a good thing. I don't think very many people who read this blog give a hoot about sports, though I know there are a couple - but most of those guys don't care about the NY teams anyway.

But anyway, just to say I did, here are a couple passing thoughts...

The Mets - They are clearly the best team in the NL. Unfortunately that is not saying much these days. But most would agree that they are also as good as most of the AL teams too. And the bottom line is that it doesn't matter - anything can happen in the post-season. Just ask last years champion cardinals, who after having the worst record of any team entering the playoffs (maybe ever?) Made it to the NLCS and beat the Mets, going on to dominate the AL champion Tigers.

I like the way the Mets are playing right now. They finally look like the dominant team they have been trying to be all year long. I don't expect it to last the rest of the way, however. In fact I predict a minor swoon in the last two weeks as the starters get rested for the playoff push. Perhaps it will make things interesting in the division, but I highly doubt it. Right now the probability that the Mets outlast the Phils is 98.8%. No worries.

Playoff scenarios: Given my choice, right now I think I'd like the D-backs to win the west and the Phillies to get in via the Wild Card. The Phils can play the D-backs (and lose) and we can continue to dominate the Central division (27-10 against them), then own the D-Backs like we have since the inception of their franchise.

No matter how it shakes out, I fully expect the Mets to be in the World Series, and for it to go deep, 6 or 7 games. I'll save further predictions for October. Except this - David Wright is your clear NL MVP. He's the best player on the best team this year, and if he reaches the numbers he is on pace to achieve, he will have one of the greatest overall seasons in the history of baseball. He will have overall numbers no one has ever gotten before. Jimmy Rollins is close, and has had a great year - but Howard will steal votes from him, as will Chase Utley - not to mention the fact that the Phillies will likely be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

But anyway...

The New York Giants - To be completely honest, I hadn't paid a lick of attention to the NFL until last night, and to be frank, my interest has waned in football overall. I still enjoy the game, but I just don't care nearly as much as I used to. Part of that has to do with the fact that it is still baseball season, part of it is the struggle to keep the Sabbath Holy, and part of it is that the Giants defense looks absolutely AWFUL.

I have to say, with a small amount of surprise, that the offense looked incredible last night. Eli manning looked great, better than he ever has before, but it is going to be a season filled with a lot of games just like last night if the Giants defense continues to play that way for the rest of the year. Even with all the injuries, the Giants looked like they could beat anybody on offense - but then on the other side of the ball, they looked like a bunch of junior pee-wees playing in their first game ever. They were absolutely TERRIBLE. No tackling, no swarming to the ball, no coverage... The linebackers look awful out in coverage, no one could stop the run, no one remembered how to wrap their arms for a tackle... it was just amateur night in Dallas.

Not to take anything away from Dallas' offense. They looked pretty good too. In fact, the final score should have been somewhere closer to 75-35, but they made some mistakes. But I have to say that it was the Giants D that made Dallas look so good. But Romo looks like the real deal, and Marion Barber is nasty - he just needs to calm down a little.

It's too early to make any meaningful predictions about the NFL, and now that the Giants have lost some key players, who knows how long, my interest will likely wane even further. Football just isn't as great as baseball - no matter how many more people watch it on TV.

College Football - Oh yeah - I don't watch college football... in fact, I don't really pay that much attention to any other sports... I enjoy Tarheel basketball, but its a distant love at best, and no news there for a couple more months.

It's me and baseball... it's me and the Mets. The second consecutive NL East Champion New York Mets. Let the dynasty begin!