The Basement View

Fresh Start_251: A review of the 2017 New York Jets draft With the NFL Draft come and gone, and a day in between, I think I have an overall idea what to say about the Jets draft. Going into the draft I was afraid, no terrified that the Jets would go a quarterback at 6 th overall or in the second round, and thank God they didn’t. I am very happy with this draft because it helps the team on multiple levels. Here it is: 1.       Round 1 (6 th overall)- Jamal Adams (S): Adams is probably the 2 nd or 3 rd best player in this draft overall, and I think this pick will drastically help the secondary that was dreadful last year. That’s me describing it in a civil way. 2.       Round 2 (39 th overall)- Marcus Maye (S): Back to back safety picks when it happened, but getting a young safety core that flies around the ball and will hit hard is something that will change the culture in that secondary and make this defense that much better. You don’t believe me? Maye had 210 tackles in

In between the Pinstripes_24: The “check your television” game Sometimes you just run out of luck. What an interesting and fun game in the Bronx today. I didn’t watch the majority of the game today, but I turned it on as the bottom of the 9 th . I happened to turn it on when the real game started. The Yankees got two runners on, when the Oriole pitcher Darren O’Day balked to put the runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the 9 th . The bases would become loaded and Didi Gregorius hit a game tying 2-run single after an ejection of Orioles manager Buck Showalter. The game goes to extras after a Chris Carter strike out, and Bryan Mitchell takes over for Carter at first. Chapman comes in to pitch the top of the 10 th . Mitchell stay in to play first just in case the game went longer than the 10 th . The issue with that is exactly what happened this afternoon. Mitchell from the top of the 9 th to the top of the 11 th spent 35 minutes off the mound, and not throw

In between the Pinstripes_23: I really like this team Listening and watching the broadcast this afternoon, after that incredible comeback, you get a true sense of how cohesive the team is. The team chemistry on this team right now is unlike anything we have seen, really since the 2009 World Series Championship team. Now, I am not comparing this team to the ’09 team by any means, but the electricity in the ballpark and the looseness of the team is a good sign. This team seems to truly be a brotherhood, they trust each other, and support one another. This is being showcased when the team is in first place, getting out to a blazing 15-7 start (after starting 1-4), and is leading the AL East with one day remaining in April. And, that is a key part of this great start, IT IS ONLY APRIL. Getting off on the right foot is a good way to start the here, and maintain a good position to push for the playoffs, but anything can happen. Remember, the baseball season is a marathon not a sprint.

Fresh Start_250: Is print media dying? In a study by Pew Research Center; the newspaper workforce has shrunk by about 20,000 positions, or 39%, in the last 20 years… but after a decline of 3% in both weekday and Sunday in 2014, 2015 saw circulation fall even more rapidly. Furthermore, a national survey of 1,520 adults conducted March 7-April 4, 2016, finds that Facebook continues to be America’s most popular social networking platform by a substantial margin: Nearly eight-in-ten online Americans1 (79%) now use Facebook, more than double the share that uses Twitter (24%), Pinterest (31%), Instagram (32%) or LinkedIn (29%). With the trust in the media dropping faster than newspapers can cut staff, millennials don’t have a strong trust in media. ” If I could change print media I would force all writers to have moral integrity and high standards for their work” said SUNY Cobleskill Junior Joslen Pettit. Going on to say “Younger generations seek things that send a strong message to them

In between the Pinstripes_22: It ain’t over til it’s over! WHAT A BALL GAME! An absolute classic, and just an unbelievable comeback from the Yankees. The fight that the Yanks showed tonight is a great sight to see, this team has a “never say die” attitude and are playing some great baseball in the Bronx. It was a warm night in the Bronx tonight, and the ball was flying out of the yard tonight. C.C. didn’t have his best stuff but fought threw 5.2 innings, but gave up 9 hits and 7 runs. His finally line was: 5.2 innings, 9 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks, and 6 strike outs. The bullpen stepped up big time after Bryan Mitchell. The combination of Holder, Clippard, and Chapman pitched 3.2 innings scoreless and allowed the bombers to complete this 8-run comeback. I did turn off the game when the score was 9-1, but quickly turned the game back on when Aaron Judge his second homer of the game in the bottom of the 6 th and didn’t turn it off from then on. I am just speechless from the improbable

Fresh Start_249: 2017 NFL 1 st round recap As the clock ran down to triple zeros on New Year’s Day of 2017, the New York Jets closed the door on a season they would like to send off into the wind like one of the many interceptions that Ryan Fitzpatrick did last season, 17 in fact. The Jets looked a daunting task of fixing a 5-11 team that was aging faster than Father Time could keep up. Not only that, but a player who you sold the farm to Darrelle Revis to get in legal trouble, it seemed like the ongoing nightmare that it is to be a New York Jet fan. As the offseason moved on, the team got younger, cutting older players like Nick Mangold, Brandon Marshall, Nick Folk—the fan base getting more and more terrified with each and every move. As the months drew on, the conversations about the draft started to happen, and no please no don’t do this again. Do not pick another quarterback or a player we do not need. Do not work out Patrick Mahomes or Mitchell Trubisky we do not need anot

In between the Pinstripes_21: Tanaka Time in Boston I don’t think this win for the Yankees has sunk in with me yet. I don’t mean that with the significance of the win, but on the night that it came on. With the NBA and NHL playoffs on, a compelling and exciting Ranger game, and the NFL draft—a late April baseball game was the last thing on my mind. However, I did watch 95% of this game, and what I say was a game that look liked it was played in mid-June. Masahiro Tanaka was absolutely masterful. Tanaka looked like the Cy Young candidate that he has been since coming to New York in 2014. Tanaka threw a 3-hit shutout tonight in Boston. He out dueled Chris Sale, which has been impossible so far in 2017, Tanaka secures a 2-game sweep of the Red Sox, and gives the entire Yankee bullpen a night off (which is desperately needed). Because of this Tanaka is the Focus Player of the Day with a final line of: 9 innings, 3 hits, no walks, and 3 strike outs. Matt Holiday and Starlin Castr

Fresh Start_248: The 2017 ESPN layoffs This article is so tough for me to write. The personalities that were let go yesterday at ESPN made ESPN what is was for a long period of time. While the names that were laid off today aren’t the biggest of names that the company has, but the talent let go today is just a sad day in the sports media world. Some of the people that were laid off today just made me scratch my head. Ed Werder, Jayson Stark, Danny Kanell, and Jay Crawford are some of the big names in the 100 person list that were released by ESPN. All of these guys might not be the Scott Van Pelt or Neil Everett that you may stop what you’re doing and watch the highlight, but they definitely helped make the company what it was. Not everyone can be the star in their own personal profession, and that is okay, you need role players, and well that’s who these guys were. Ed Werder was one of the lead NFL insiders for ESPN for 17 years, and to be laid off the DAY before the NFL Dr

In between the Pinstripes_20: A great birthday for Aaron Judge Well that wasn’t easy! Aroldis Chapman did not make the first game in the Red Sox-Yankee game of the year. After a rain out yesterday, Luis Severino took the mound for a foggy, odd baseball game in Boston. Severino also had a fantastic outing; even if he personally does not like to pitch in Fenway. Severino’s line is: 7 innings, 3 hits, no runs allowed, 2 walks, and 6 strike outs on 100 pitches. Betances came on for a flawless hold including 2 strike outs. Chapman on the other hand; got the save, but gave up an earned run, with 2 walks, on 33 pitches. Aaron Judge, the birthday boy, stole the show in Fenway tonight. Not only did he hit a 2-run homer into the Yankees pen to get the bombers off on the right foot, but would make one of the greatest catches of the season so far, going into the stands along the right field foul line. It took review to make sure the catch was indeed a catch (I know Major League Baseball is

Fresh Start_247: 2017 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 2017 NFL Mock 2.0 Looking back at Mock 1.0 I like it but I can see where some mistakes were made. The growing pains of realizing mistakes and going back and truly looking at the numbers and film to realize that you’ve overlooked is an interesting process. Also, looking at the players that you were high on, and realizing that they aren’t as good as you previously thought. I also can’t sit here and say that all these players will live up to the ceilings that have been put on them. I looked at this mock draft different, I looked at it as who is the best player available that would be the most realistic. That’s the reason that Mailk Hooker is going from the 2 nd round to the 7 th overall pick, and why Taco Charlton is going in the first instead of the 3 rd like in the first mock draft. This draft is deep, but weird at the same time. The positions like quarterback, offensive line, and running back aren’t as deep this year. This year is th

Fresh Start_246: Top 50 NFL Draft Prospects 2017 Top NFL Draft Prospects It’s is that time of year again. Just two days before the NFL Draft. NFL fans get feelings of excitement for the new season, nostalgia from last season, and the happiness that the NFL season can bring. This once again proves that the NFL is king, just based off the hype around the draft, and the TV ratings around the draft. As I promised when I put out the first round of my first mock draft, here is the Top 50 prospects in my eyes. I will also put out my 1 st round of my second mock draft. Let me know what you think on Twitter and in the comment section. Sources:(profootballfocus.com, theringer.com) Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share on your way out! 

Fresh Start_245: Just go home Tebow, you’re drunk This should just be short and sweet; Tim Tebow will not make the Major Leagues, or even come close to it. Just because he is hitting a few homers in A ball for the Mets, doesn’t mean he will even touch a 95+ MPH fastball from a guy like Clayton Kershaw. Officially Tebow is batting .218 with 2 homers, and 9 RBI’s for the Columbia Fireflies. Tebow has also stroke out 14 times in 55 at-bats which says something about his eye in the lowest competition in baseball. Single A baseball is Single A baseball and is basically high school players taking a slight step up and trying to make it from having two offseason jobs to just one while in Double A. History is also not on his side. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever and one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports. Jordan was just a below average to average Double A player, and you expect Tebow to be better? Tebow was a fantastic college football quarterback,

NY 500 #31 With this being the 2 nd to last weekend in April, the New York sports spectrum starts to truly hit its stride. It is only fitting that the city of New York has a day off in the sports world. The Yankees and Mets are almost an entire month into the season, the NHL playoffs are heading into the second round, and the NFL Draft is coming up this week on with the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday night—so Jets and Giants fans have something to look forward too. To start off, the Mets are in some deep trouble, getting swept by the Nationals over the weekend, are 5.5 games out of first, and have lost 8 out of their last 9. The Mets have no offense, which is leaning on the incredible pitching way too much too often early on this year. I get that 8-11 is extremely early in the year, but this slow start could be one of the reasons why they miss the playoffs, while also being an on-going problem for the entire year that needs fixing.  The bombers on the other hand, a

In between the Pinstripes_19: Overthinking in Pittsburgh Days like today just make me scratch my head with the moves that Joe Girardi makes in the middle of games. Today, the master mind that is Joe Girardi wasted his entire bench in a span of 3 innings. It started with Chris Carter pinch hitting for Jordan Montgomery in the top of the 7 th . Carter would take over in the bottom half, putting the pitchers spot now 6 th in the order. Then, in the top of the 7 th , things get crazy. Aaron Hicks pinch hits for Higashioka (which is automatically a two player move, Romine has to now go in and catch), and Hicks pops out. Carter than comes up and laces a single to left. Following a Gardner walk, Girardi pinch runs for Carter at second with Pete Kozma. The Pirates pitch out of the inning—getting Starlin to chase on a high pitch to end the inning. Keep that in mind… Moving to the bottom of the 8 th , because Kozma pinch ran for Carter, Headley moves to 1 st , Kozma to short and Torreyes

Fresh Start_244: Start the process When Lob City was first introduced to the NBA, it took the league by storm. Now, Lob City is just an afterthought in Los Angeles, with the Clippers failing to get out of the second round in the last 3 seasons. With All-Stars Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan on roster, you would think that the team could have the talent to make a Western Conference Final or a NBA Final appearance. Injuries the past two season have derailed the Clippers plans to make it past the 2 nd round—this year possibly with the toe injury to Griffin. The question arising again, “how much longer do you keep this team together?” Well, Paul and Griffin are both free agents following next season, and you’d think it would be hard to keep both players even with the NBA’s expanded cap. Griffin might be the odd man out with the importance of Paul at the point. However, the Clippers could find themselves in a position where they don’t retain either of them. To pil

In between the Pinstripes_18: Runs at a premium Well that’s one way to set up a rubber match in Pittsburgh. To say that “the bats came alive late” would be an understatement about the bombers. The Pirates did make a few errors that helped the Yankees balloon the lead up to 11-5. The bullpen did work a little extra, but with all the large margins in games recently, the pen had to get in some work today. Chris Carter finally hit a home run, and an important one at that. Carter hit a 3-run pinch hit bomb that gave an 8-5 lead at the time. Carter has been extremely underwhelming in limited action and has lived up to his pace of 200+ strike outs. Hopefully this is a preview of what’s to come over the course of the season. Michael Pineda didn’t have a great outing, but it didn’t matter at the end of the day. Pineda’s finally line was: 5 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 6 strike outs. Pineda was on the hook for the loss when he left the game, but lucky for him a 5 spot in the

Fresh Start_243: Lebron dominating behind the curtains The NBA public takes Lebron James’ greatest for granted. Last night was one of the greatest playoff performances we have ever seen. A 41 point, 13 rebound, and 12 assist triple-double that over comes a 25-point deficit in Indiana last night and the fans just take it like business as normal. The game that Lebron had last night is his second-best playoff performance of his entire career and it’s no big deal. HE SCORED 41 POINTS AND CAME BACK FROM THE BIGGEST DEFICIT IN PLAYOFF HISTORY; that’s a big deal. We all remember that incredible performance in the Boston Garden in Game 6 on the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals where he scored 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in a win or go home game in a year that Lebron just took the NBA by storm. Oh, and the world was set on fire after this performance. Fast forward 5 years, 3 rings, 3 Finals MVP’s, and 2 MVP’s later the world doesn’t even break a sweat when he just dominates the