by Ben on October 22 at 4:06PM

 

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After nearly four months of silence, Giggin' On Ya is back and after much soul searching I for one have finally found religon. I haven't found the usual suspect which accompanies a fall from grace, Jesus, and I wouldn't know where to begin in my quest to find Buddha or the inspiration for 6 seasons of 24, the ever-popular Allah. No, my savior in these troubled times doesn't reside above, but rather walks among us.  

These have been tough times for the avid New York sports fan such as myself. The Mets folded like a lawn chair down the stretch, turning the entire city of Philadelphia into baseball fans for one glorious September. As I watched the white towels furiously waving in Philadelphia as a gutsy Phillies team overcame a 7 game deficit in the final 17 games to win the NL East I felt unprecedented pain and anger. A combination of the hatred Shawn Marion feels everytime he sees Amare Stoudamire lacing up his sneakers before a game mixed with Shawn Kemp's anguish when filling out his minion of child support payments each month. The demise of the Mets coupled with the demoralizing state of the New York Knicks franchise has made this a truly trying time. But I'm glad to say I have been vindicated friends as on Sunday, September 30th I put my faith in the upstart 2007 New York Giants! 

Leaving Shea Stadium that Sunday with the final nail emphatically placed in the Mets 2007 season by the Marlins, I was thoroughly demoralized. After my life was saved due to the advent of suicide windows in my 18th floor apartment and I gave up my search for rat poison, I sat down to watch the New York Giants. Twelve sacks later I was reborn! Five straight wins later I am a staunch believer in this team, even toying with the possibility of turning my cautious optimism into full-blown optimism for the first time in my Giants fanhood.

The biggest reasons for the Giants revival: the play of the defense (couldn't be any worse after the first 2 weeks) and the continued brilliance of the offensive line. The accomplishments of the defense have been well-documented - allowed 55 points in the last 5 games, lead the NFL in sacks, rivaling the rams offense in TDs - but this offensive line is doing things that are unheard of by Giants standards. If I told you two years ago that in 2007 the Giants offensive line would be in the top 5 in least penalties and sacks allowed what would you have said to me? Probably something unpleasant but yes these are the facts through 7 games! Chris Snee, Shaun O'Hara and Kareem Mc Kenzie are legitimate pro bowl candidates (especially Snee, he better make it), David Diehl has made a seemless transition to left tackle and Rich Seubert is just a nasty man in the trenches.

The sparkling offensive line play has improved all phases of the offense from Eli Manning's production (where are the idiots who were calling for Lorenzen now), Plax's ascent to a top 5 WR and Brandon Jacobs development  into one of the better young running backs in the NFL. This guy has unique size and a load of talent, it will be fun to watch as he establishes himself this year.

Beyond on-field performance, the biggest difference between this team and Giants teams of the past 5-6 years is the positive attitude that flows from these guys and the continuity in the locker room. This is a tight knit group that legitamately has each others back and Tom Coughlin deserves a lot of credit for this. In developing the player council and softening his controlling demeanor he has helped build an understanding with his players, making them willingly buy in to his philosophies. 

Finally, a bulk of the credit must also be given to Tiki Barber for a) retiring, removing a lot of tension and negativity from the locker room b) bashing the Giants in an effort to build his on-air persona resulting in the team becoming closer as a group and c) providing such transparent analysis on Football Night in America that the well-groomed Jerome Bettis looks like Bill Bellichick by comparison. Thanks again Tiki, I will never forget those magical wild card round losses you lead us to during your prime.

 


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by Ben on October 24 at 5:09PM

 

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Giggin' On Ya has been on extended summer vacation and thus it has taken a  considerable amount of time to follow up the initial edition of The Gig List. However, we are going to take Isiah Thomas' approach to the last four months - forgetting they ever happened - and look forward to the fine folks that deserve a good giggin on this 24th day of october...

1. Rudy Giuliani - In a move that roughly equates to Hulk Hogan joining the nWo, Rudy Giuliani announced this week during a campaign fundraiser at a Boston restaurant that he will be rooting for the Red Sox in the 2007 World Series. Giuliani, who was awarded four honorary World Series rings by the Yankees during his term as mayor of New York City and who hails from Brooklyn, explained that he is rooting for the hated Sox because he is an "American League fan." He then went on to add that given his New York roots, he would also root for the Mets in the World Series and the Democrats if they win the election in 2008. 

2. City of Philadelphia - If you enjoy championship droughts in sports, unattractive people and running stone steps during training, I have the city for you. A survey of 60,000 people released by Travel & Leisure magazine, ranking 25 major cities in a variety of categories, found the people of Philadelphia to be the least attractive. This is especially distressing news for a city that also ranks in the top 10 in obesity and unkempt mustaches. Philadelphia mayor John F. Street, sporting a partial fu-manchu and a hair style that is a cross between an afro and flat top, said the city is prepared to take added measures to increase the attractiveness and general health of its citizens. "These survey results are a wake up call to city hall and the citizens of Philadelphia. In the next few months, we will be implementing new initiative calling for more rigorous gym class regiments for children in K-12 and free seminars for female citizens focusing on the most effective ways to eliminate undesirable chest and facial hair." When asked about his most controversal piece of legislation which would set a quota on the number of cheesesteaks that may be consumed in the city each week, the mayor was more conservative with his response. "We have received mixed reviews on the cheesesteak quota and will explore ways to alter the bill in order to keep everyone in the city satisfied." One of the staunchest opponents of the cheesesteak crackdown, Eagles head coach Andy Reid, could not be reached for comment as this article was written during lunchtime.  

3. The Hackers who took down the Colorado Rockies online ticketing systen - You messed with God's baseball team fellas. Don't be surpised if upon waking tomorrow the collection of computer porn you have painstakingly put together over the years has vanished, your beloved character "BoneCrusherLadySexer007" which you live vicariously through in World of Warcraft is deceased, your Ovaltine tastes like urine and nothing is like it seems... in other words your parents have kicked you out of their basement, your dwelling since the Reagan administration.  

4. Green Bay Packers Fans - After attending the Giants-Packers game at Giants Stadium, I came away disgusted by a majority of the Green Bay faithful. While I understand that the diet of the average Wisconsin resident - beer, cheese, sausage, brats and babies - is conducive to creating the mamouth masses of flab that are the Green Bay Packers fan base, it was the rude, surly demeanor they displayed that I found shameful. In this 20 second YouTube clip, a young Packers fan simply gets owned.   

 


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The NBA landscape was altered fairly drastically this offseason when several high-calibur players and two legitimate superstars defected from the Western Conference and landed on Eastern Conference teams. It's hard to characterize the overall effect this player movement has had on the balance of power in the NBA as arguably the three best teams - San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas - still reside out west and I would even venture to say that Houston and Utah are better than any team the east has to offer.

When evaluating the Eastern Conference, it is important to look at three things: 

1) The number of east teams that improved this offseason - The additions of Jason Richardson to the Bobcats and Rashard Lewis to the Magic bolster the starting lineups of two up and coming teams with young cores. The arrivals of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have Boston looking like a title contender and perhaps the class of the east while Zach Randolph gives the Knicks an excellent chance of getting into the playoffs.

2) The eastern teams kept their core players and rosters intact - The Nets resigned Vince Carter, keeping Kidd, RJ and Carter together while Detroit resigned Chauncey Billups, bringing back their unquestioned floor general. In addition, emerging teams like Chicago and Toronto addressed small needs and come back with the same cast of young players, now with added game experience. Another under-the-radar move was Mo Williams resigning with the Bucks. At 25, I am almost positive that he isn't the next Mike James and could develop into one of the better scoring point guards in the NBA. But again, this is the NBA and we are dealing with the world of guaranteed money here. If Williams came into camp weighing 285 lbs. and missing two fingers on his shooting hand I wouldn't be surprised.

3) The players returning from injury - Tanking was occuring at an unprecedented clip last season with players dropping left and right for a variety of reasons ranging from the ever-popular "stress fracture" to a hang nail. This is why my fantasy basketball roster consisted of Mardy Collins, everyone's favorite sex offender Ruben Patterson and the pride of USC (South Carolina of course!) Terrence Kinsey in the final weeks. With tanking not set to being again until March, players like Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut are now healthy again for the Bucks and the Hawks return Josh Smith and Joe Johnson. Speaking of the the Hawks, they have looked surprisingly good this preseason with Acie Law IV running the show.

The result is the east being a wide open conference in which every team has at least an outside chance to make the playoffs (yes even Atlanta and Philly). While Boston and Chicago are considered the early season favorites, there are multiple candidates for seeds 3 through 8 come playoff time.  

The outlook in the west is much clearer with the five teams I mentioned before - San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston and Utah - being locks for the playoffs and legitimate title contenders. Denver and Golden State should also make the playoffs and could push the elite teams a bit. The only slight intrigue comes in the form of the 8 seed which should go to the Lakers given a happy Kobe but may be taken by the upstart Hornets pending everyone stays healthy (especially CP3 and Tyson Chandler).

Beyond the playoff contenders, the West features a cast of rebuilding teams that have poor rosters and little hope. The NBA's two worst teams reside in Minnesota and Seattle with Sacramento, Memphis and a beat-up Portland team not far behind. The Clippers without Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston are also looking at a long season. This discrepancy between the top and bottom teams makes the west terribly top heavy and uninteresting until playoff time.

So now without further delay, from the man who prognosticated Dallas' demise in the first round of this year's playoffs, here are my predictions for the 2007-08 NBA season:

Eastern Conference                                                                  

Atlantic Division                                                                          

1. Boston                                                                                   

2. Toronto                                                                                  

3. New York

4. New Jersey

5. Philadelphia

Central

1. Chicago

2. Detroit

3. Cleveland

4. Milwaukee

5. Indiana

Southeast

1. Orlando

2. Miami

3. Charlotte

4. Washington

5. Atlanta

Playoffs

1. Boston

2. Chicago

3. Orlando

4. Detroit

5. Toronto

6. Miami

7. Cleveland

8. New York

Eastern Conference Finals - Boston over Chicago in 6 games

Western Conference

Northwest

1. Utah

2. Denver

3. Portland

4. Seattle

5. Minnesota

Pacific

1. Phoenix

2. Golden State

3. LA Lakers

4. LA Clippers

5. Sacramento

Southwest

1. San Antonio

2. Dallas

3. Houston

4. New Orleans

5. Memphis

Playoffs

1. San Antonio

2. Phoenix

3. Utah

4. Dallas

5. Houston

6. Denver

7. Golden State

8. New Orleans

Western Conference Finals - San Antonio over Phoenix in 7

NBA Finals - San Antonio over Boston in 5

For further analysis, check out our friends at Garbage Points who have spent an inordinate amount of time preparing detailed previews for each NBA team.

 


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