This New York sports fan has the blues

The New York Yankees are almost done. It's a sad day for this sports fan when there's no October baseball to care about. The New York Giants are 0-3 to start the season. I can't even put into words how disgusted I am with their performance this past weekend. I could've played better football than that. My 5-month-old daughter and I could have shown up better than those Giants did. Ugh. You know things are bad when the New York Jets are your go-to team to brighten your cloudy sports day. Mariano Rivera is retiring. Andy Pettitte is retiring. I know this totally dates me, but those guys are the Yankees to me. Oh, along with Derek Jeter. Who is out for the rest of the season. Which doesn't so much matter now that the season probably won't be heading into October anyway, but he's out because he's injured, and he's injured because he's old. I'm glad I didn't go to any games this year, what with Derek out for most of them, and the Yankees just not being very Yankee-like, but I would liked to have seen Andy and Mo pitch one last time. Oh well. I'll have to bring my daughter to a Yankee game next year, because with him turning 40 next summer, I wouldn't be surprised in the least for Derek Jeter to announce that next year will be his last. Or if he doesn't retire, I could see him giving up playing short stop and becoming the permanent DH, a la David Ortiz. But to keep harping on the Yankees' terrible season - not for nothing, but they did it to themselves. My five-month-old daughter and I could manage that team better than Cashman and the Steinbrenners. This season is EXACTLY what happens when you rely on older, burned out, faded, former super stars, both homegrown and acquired - when they get injured, as old men are wont to do (and in baseball, anything upwards of 35 is an old man), you have to bring in your young, green, immature, and inexperienced players, and when that transition isn't gradual, when you just throw them into the game, when you don't give them a chance to learn side-by-side with the seasoned former superstars, who have the experience to show and teach them a thing or two, when you don't look two years down the road and realize that hey, eventually you're going to HAVE to go with new players or else be the only team in the league featuring 50 year olds on the field, then your team fails to make it to the play offs. End of story. So baseball is a bust. Here's hoping the Giants shape up or I'm going to have to start rooting for the Jets. Or look forward to basketball season...

Must be autumn...football season is here again, with a new sports fan!

These crossover seasons, when it's the end of one sport but the beginning of another, can be tough. Usually when both your teams, if you have a team in each sport, are doing well. With a new baby in the house, I haven't really watched any baseball this season, but from what I can glean from the little I have seen, the New York Yankees are well on their way to having a well-rested October full of plenty of free time. Ay-yai-yai... thankfully, football season is upon us again. It officially started Thursday night but today was the big day, the first football Sunday of the 2013 season. Today my five month old daughter watched her first football game - New York Jets vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers with her hardcore Jets-fan grandfather. Because of that, and because today was Grandparents' Day, Elena rocked her Jets onesie, even though Mama is a hardcore New York Giants fan. I told my dad that I would never buy her Jets gear, but if he did, she would wear it when we watch football at his house. And so he called my bluff...oh well. She looked cute, and apparently it was good luck, as the Jets somehow pulled off a win in the last seconds of the game. Now tonight I will be rockin' my Giants Super Bowl jersey as we take on the hated Dallas Cowboys...this is the way to start a football season!

And yes, in case you were wondering, my daughter does have Giants onesies. But they're size 9 months, as opposed to the 3-6 month size of her Jets onesies. Which means she doesn't fit into them yet, but she'll be able to wear them for more of the football season and show her real fan colors! (Sorry, Dad!):)

Jets fan and granddaughter

Jets fan and niece. And Trooper.

Mama in her Giants jersey and baby in her Jets onesie

J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets! That's for Grandpa...

Trooper wanted to get in on the photo-taking fun. #totallyhoggingthespotlight