Chad No Longer Hanging
Can Eric Mangini’s Jets Beat a Winning Team?
The NY Daily News this week had an interesting stat about Eric Mangini:
In Mangini’s tenure, the Jets have faced 12 opponents with winning records, prevailing only three times. They upset the Patriots (6-2) in 2006, stunned the Steelers (7-2) in 2007 and beat the Cardinals (2-1) last month, although the latter hardly ranks in the same category as the first two.
The first two came after bye weeks, a considerable advantage in terms of mental and physical preparation. There will be no rest this week for the Jets, who face the Bills (5-2) on the road.
Will the Jets beat the Bills on Sunday? They’d bloody well better if they want to be taken seriously for the rest of 2008.
And now … Quidditch
My old alma mater hosted the Quidditch World Cup last weekend. Seriously.
Your Handy Guide to Interpreting Baseball Free Agency Reports
LoHud Yankees blog has a pretty good rundown on how to interpret free agency-related news items.
How much longer for Mangini?
Mid-afternoon Sunday, as the Jets were busy trying to hand a stunning victory to the Kansas City Chiefs, I sat at this keyboard contemplating a “time to fire Mangini” article.
It seems to me that Coach Mangini’s career hangs on every Brett Favre pass — each TD prolongs the Mangini coaching tenure, while more importantly each interception brings Mangini a step closer to the unemployment line.
The Jets won of course, extending Mangini by at least a week.
Newsday’s Bob Glauber has a good take:
At the very least, they have a chance to make a decisive statement about whether they can remain a factor in a divisional race that is eminently winnable now that Tom Brady is fighting off a post-surgical infection instead of opposing defensive linemen. But whether the Jets make that statement will not depend solely on the right arm of Favre or the legs of running backs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington or the defensive grit of Kris Jenkins, Shaun Ellis and Calvin Pace.
It also will come down to Eric Mangini and his coaching staff.
The rest of the piece is pretty good and worth a read. It’s time for Mangini to put up or take a walk.
Cashman Stays With Yankees
The Cash-man does not cometh to DC. He’s staying with the Yankees for at least three more years, saying that he still has a “job to finish here.“
Hat tip to the Big G
LoHud’s excellent Yankees blog has this great little vignette about Jason Giambi. He’s a mixed bag, but stories like this make you love him.
What Killed the Yankees
Today’s New York Times post-mortem of the Yankees season and immediate future has a couple of good nuggets that explain where the organization finds itself. The keys here are health and youth.
The Steinbrenner Brothers — and Cashman’s Yankees Choice
Brian Cashman has reportedly told the Yankees that he wants to return (or not). They have affirmatively indicated an interest in having him return.
Cashman’s decision is likely to come down to this: With which face of his boss, Janus Steinbrenner, will he have to work? Happily for Yankees fans, there are growing indications that while Yammerin’ Hank has been the mouth of the organization, Prince Hal might be the brains.
