There are worse things than starting your season 0-5. Oh, wait...

...when it comes to sports, at least, there really aren't. I guess maybe starting your season 0-6. Not to jinx the New York Giants' season or anything...but seriously! They're looking less like former Super Bowl champs out there and more like pee wee players who have yet to learn the fundamentals of the game. There's still hope, though. In theory. They can still turn it around. The thing is, though, that each week that goes by without winning a game, the more pressure there is the next week to get that first win, and the more pressure there is from both coach and management and themselves and oh my lord, the fans, the more likely the team is to keep shooting itself in the foot. I mean, there's playing under pressure and then there's playing UNDER PRESSURE. One gets you to the Super Bowl. The other gets you lynched by a mob of angry blue shirts. And the more winless weeks there are, the more wins in a row you have to get, the less leeway you get if you want any hope at making it to the postseason. And pretty much every team in the NFL makes it to the postseason. But not if you can't win a game...

On a brighter note, the New York Jets are actually making their fans happy. And probably even some non-fans. We need SOMEBODY to win in New York, people! Watched Monday Night Football last night and they had a pretty exciting win over the Atlanta Falcons. Nothing like winning it at the very last second. Couple of bad calls throughout the game, but the Jets played well besides that. Those calls helped but didn't hand them the win. I hate to say it, but Giants, take note...this is what a winning team looks like...

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

The Manning brothers bring you "Football on Your Phone"

Now, don't get me wrong - this is straight up a commercial for DirecTV. Commercials suck. Except when they're entertaining. A well done commercial can be more fun to watch than the show you turned your tv on for. And when it comes to athletes, I love me the ones who don't take themselves seriously, the ones who can make fun of themselves and goof around. Back in December 2012 I wrote about some of my favorite sports commercials, which you can read here, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to add this one to the list.

You can always depend on Eli Manning and Peyton Manning to bring the funny. I never pictured them as rappers and it turns out my life was a little darker and sadder for lack of that. The hook to this song is annoying, I'll say that, but the Manning brothers sure do know how to have fun and make fun. This video might not make me go out and buy DirecTV (sorry, folks!), but I would watch it again and again simply for Eli and Peyton's hairstyles and outfits, as well as their mad rhyming skills. Methinks the Manning Family Singers might be a good back-up plan once the whole football thing has gotten old and boring.

Read some funny commentary on the video here.

And watch that sucker down below:

In the wake of MLB suspensions for A-Rod & company...

I really don't know that there's anything new to say about the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sports anymore. Alex Rodriguez and 12 other major league baseball players were suspended today for receiving performance-enhancing drugs from a Miami wellness clinic. A-Rod was suspended for 211 games, although he has appealed the decision and is eligible to play while the appeal is pending. If it is upheld, he would be out the entire 2014 season and out his entire 2014 salary. Boo hoo. The 12 other players - Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers; Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres; Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers; Francisco Cervelli, New York Yankees; Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners; Jordany Valdespin, New York Mets; Sergio Escalona, Houston Astros; Fautino De Los Santos, San Diego Padres; Cesar Puello, New York Mets; Fernando Martinez, New York Yankees; Jordan Norberto, free agent - have been suspended 50 games, or until the postseason should their teams make it. Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, who won an appeal of his suspension last year for using PEDs, accepted a 65-game ban last month for his involvement with the clinic. Don't even get me started on how he swore up and down last year that he had been falsely accused.

I think we can all agree that we know professional athletes use PEDs. It is not limited to Major League Baseball, and it is certainly not limited to the players who get caught. We can all agree that using PEDs gives players unfair advantages over those who do not but we all flock to the ballpark to see the results of these drugs, such as monster home run races between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, and aging players being able to play well into their late 30s when they should be slowing down because of their age. Players who are truly talented and who want to play a fair game are almost forced to do PEDs as well just to compete with the users. And really, if we're being honest, what do we care if professional athletes use these drugs? It makes games exciting, and the only ones it hurts are those players who try to play fair who can't compete and the health of the players who use. I personally have more important things to worry about in my life than whether or not Alex Rodriguez is going to lose out on 30 million of a $275 million contract. As I said before, boo fricking hoo. Personally, I've never been an A-Rod fan. I would be perfectly fine not having him and his drama around my sport and my team.

Still, as much as I am so over hearing about this "news," I am so so disappointed to see Francisco Cervelli's name on this list. There are some players you just know are using PEDs. There are some players who seem like talented, stand-up, honest guys, like Derek Jeter, who you think are probably clean, but like I said before, you never know. Just because someone wasn't caught doesn't mean they haven't done it. I liked Cervelli. I was looking forward to him take over for Jorge Posada before he was waylaid by many injuries. I couldn't care less about the "news" about A-Rod but the news about Cervelli makes me feel disappointed. Like when I found out about Andy Pettitte. That one hurt. That one made me feel let down.

What are your thoughts on the player suspensions or on the use of PEDs in sports or the continued media coverage?

Thoughts on the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals have begun. Last night, the San Antonio Spurs took Game 1 from the Miami Heat.

In your face, LeBron...

(In case you can't tell, I am not a Heat fan. And even less of a LeBron James fan...)

Unfortunately, I had two New York teams in the postseason, but as in every sport this year, those New York teams let me down, so I don't have anyone to root for. The Miami Heat being in the Finals however at least gives me someone to root against, and having a team to really, really root against is almost as good as having a team to root for. So by default, this sports fan will be rooting for Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and the Spurs.

Still, the Heat have dropped Game 1 in a few of their last playoff series, only to go on to win the next 4 games and the whole series. Let's hope the Spurs can break that streak!

How about you - are you watching the Finals? If so, are you rooting for a team or against a team?

Game 2 is Sunday night, June 9, at 8 p.m. on ABC.

The next great sports star...

The next great soccer star?

Or not. But do you see those feet?? My daughter, Elena, was born April 6 and her father and I think she has great athletic potential. If her long toes and long feet are any indication, she is going to be a tall Viking princess like her very athletic Aunt Maggie. And her kicks in utero were no anomaly - Elena's legs and arms are still very powerful for a baby - try to make her do something she doesn't want to...you can't! It's like a battle! And tonight she was crying the whole time I was holding her until I passed her off to her father, who sat her down to watch the Knicks-Celtics playoff game with him...and she was entranced. Yes, I think we have a future athlete on our hands. Either way, whether she's able to support us in our old age from all her endorsements or she just shows off her Little League participation trophies, Elena's father and I are on the same page - Elena will be playing sports. She doesn't have to do it forever. She doesn't have to try every sport out there. But I personally think participating in sports as a kid has so many benefits - exercise, learning how to be a team player, making friends, etc. - and I have so many fond memories of my years playing/coaching soccer, baseball and softball, she will play some sport at least once. And who knows...maybe that's how she'll meet her BFF. Or maybe she'll be the next Mia Hamm or Venus Williams and buy Mommy and Daddy a nice beach house for their retirement. ;)

All set for her first post-game press conference.

On a side note, because I just had a baby (and to top it off, she's colicky and so taking up 99 percent of my time just comforting her), I won't be posting as frequently to this blog for awhile - probably a few months. But I'm not going anywhere - I WILL be back, so please check in on me every once in awhile!!

Daddy & daughter watching the Knicks beat the Celtics