First, here is the Baroness video for "Wanderlust". A sick video, very well done. We can't say it enough, if you have the chance to see them live, please do it.
I'd really like to know what was going through Anthony Smith's mind this week when he guaranteed a victory over the Patriots. Seriously. Why would a defensive back, an unknown defensive back, guarantee a victory over the most prolific passing attack in NFL history. I don't have a problem with Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens guaranteeing victory during the week. In fact, I love that stuff. And, I'd have to believe that whoever has the task of covering those guys on Sunday hears the guarantee and thinks to themself "jesus, I'd better be ready, this guy's going to torch me." But ANTHONY SMITH? What do you think Randy Moss' reaction was to Smith's guarantee? "Well, I was probably going to run past this guy for a couple of touchdowns anyways, but I'm going to be sure to be a little extra focused during today's practice so that I can beat him on every play." The Steelers might have had an edge heading into Sunday's game. The Patriots had taken everything that the Ravens had (as evidenced by the Ravens' weak uninspired performance last night) and even had a day off so that their bodies could recover. This meant that they had to prepare twice as hard mentally, which is not easy when you're feeling tired and beaten up. But, I'm sure that focusing on preparation became much easier after the Patriots got wind of Smith's guarantee.
After an embarrassing loss to Minnesota and a bad three quarters against Chicago, the Giants restored my faith yesterday with a hard-fought victory on the road against the Eagles. These NFC East games are always battles, and in the end Eli Manning was able to put us in a position to win. I feel great about what the Giants are doing, and I am optimistic that we might see this team get past the first round of the playoffs. Yesterday was their sixth consecutive road win, so we know that they won't be intimidated by the certain prospect of playing on someone else's home field in the post-season. The resourcefulness, the fight, and the unity of this Giants team are all new this season, and these traits should serve us well from here on out. Coach Tom Coughlin had this to say to Giants.com about his team "We believe in each other and we believe we can find a way to win. We never stop playing. We have good heart and it is not always pretty, but somehow, some way, we scratch and find a way." This is something that could never be said about the Giants over the past three of four (or 20) years. If this team can continue to play the way it has for the majority of the season, and if they can find a way to put more points on the board, they will certainly have exceeded people's expectations when everything is said and done.
Also, I would just like to point out that the Giants were not lucky to win. Forcing the other team to kick a 57 yard field goal means that your defense has done a good job. It's not like he shanked a 30 yarder.
The Celtics looked much more crisp this weekend than they had last Wednesday against the Sixers. The Celts looked tough against Toronto and Chicago, and continued to show us what great depth this team has. Glen Davis is playing outstanding basketball, and will only get better as he learns how to control his body on defense. Rajon Rondo had his best game of the season on Saturday night against Chicago (who is playing much better than they were earlier this season). James Posey is hitting three point shots from all over the court. Their clicking on all cylinders, and it feels great to know that we're just going to see this team get better as the season continues and they continue to gel.
For the final segment of foil in the oven this week, we have to talk about the New York Knicks. Team owner James Dolan announced this weekend that Isiah Thomas' job is safe despite back-to-back losses to the 76ers (a 28 point loss at home on Saturday night). I understand that nobody in the NBA can step in and take control of the Knicks away from Dolan. These owners have the right to run there team completely into the ground if they so choose. But, it's sad to watch what has happened to this once proud franchise. Until now, I have heard fans talk about disassociating themselves with a team because they were so unhappy with management, but I could never really envision how a true fan could do this. Now I understand. How can a Knicks fan stomach watching this team? How can they like this team? What possible silver lining can they take away from this season? It's a total disgrace.
I can remember sitting at the TD Banknorth Garden last season, the day after Thanksgiving, and hearing the Boston fans chanting "fire Doc" as the Knicks handed the Celtics one of the worst home losses in franchise history. There have been a great deal of "fire Isiah" chants in New York this year, but this Knicks situation seems much more despicable than the Celtics' situation last year. Doc Rivers was doing the best he could with a team filled with young kids who were playing their hearts out for most of the season. Even though there weren't many wins, I can honestly say that I enjoyed watching the Celtics play last season (and it makes me feel great this year to see that Al Jefferson has continued to progress into a dominant player). How can a Knicks fan say that they enjoy watching that team?
Again, I remember sitting in the Garden last year on the day after Thanksgiving. When the fire Doc chants started, Delonte West, Kendrick Perkins, and Ryan Gomes turned around and started signaling to the fans to stop. Eventually, the chants subsided. These players were supportive of their coach, and you could tell the team was going to support each other through what was a long and trying season. I don't think that this Knicks team supports their coach, so why should the owner? I don't think that this team believes in each other. This might be the worst franchise in all of sports right now.
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