January 2008
Monthly Archive
Thu 31 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
NHLNo Comments
All season, Tom Renney’s club has been mystifying. At times, this Ranger team which added Chris Drury and Scott Gomez has been offensive to the eyeballs. That was the case in a disappointing 3-1 road defeat in Carolina the other night following the All-Star Break.
Maybe that’s why tonight’s 4-0 blanking of the rival Flyers at Wachovia Center was such a pleasant surprise. Considering the Blueshirts’ recent road trouble having entered tonight dropping six straight away from Madison Square Garden, this was a change for the better which hopefully will get this underachieving bunch rolling as they start the final three months by visiting New Jersey tomorrow night.
That Renney opted for backup Stephen Valiquette instead of starter Henrik Lundqvist didn’t inspire much confidence. Maybe the affable coach knew something we didn’t because his team played arguably their best game of the season. It came at a critical time with the Islanders falling at home for the sixth consecutive time 3-1 to Los Angeles- suddenly moving them back ahead of their most hated rival into the eighth and final playoff spot in the ultracompetitive East.
Having been embarrassed in their last meeting by the Flyers at home which saw them permit six unanswered including a Scott Hartnell hat trick, it was the Rangers who turned the tables to improve to 3-1-0 over the first place team in a topsy turvy Atlantic.
Despite an early 5-1 edge in shots for Philly, Valiquette was sharp allowing his teammates to steady themselves. They would dominate the rest of the match-up from that point outscoring the Flyers 4-0 and outshooting them 26-15.
Solid in all three zones, the Rangers for once played the way Renney wanted paying close attention to detail and capitalizing on Flyer turnovers by actually driving hard to the net and finishing. Such was the case on the first tally by improving rookie Nigel Dawes. Drury forced a turnover in the neutral zone and then fed a streaking Dawes, who patiently outwaited Antero Niittymaki before putting home his seventh into an open left side.
Another smart defensive play led to the team’s second goal of the opening stanza. Off another Flyer miscue forced by defenseman Dan Girardi which setup an odd-man rush, a hustling Petr Prucha got to a loose rebound off a soft Girardi shot for his seventh at 17:56.
Even the Ranger power play made an appearance. After not getting much accomplished during a late Flyer penalty, they came out and got one thanks to another simple play by Drury, who maybe played his best game as a Blueshirt. Taking a nice pass from Gomez at the left point, the former Little League World Series Trumbull Connecticut star skated to the side and took a wrist shot which sailed thru traffic past a screened Niittymaki for his 13th of the season only 23 seconds into the second.
In command up three, the relentless Blueshirts didn’t stop there. Instead, they cashed in on an overly aggressive Flyer team who was trying to do anything to change the tempo. When Girardi forced another turnover, rookie pivot Brandon Dubinsky won a battle along the wall and sprung Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan on a two-on-one. The speedy Avery threaded the needle to Shanny who wired it into an open net for his team-leading 17th just 1:18 after Drury’s power play tally. It was the recently turned 39 year-old veteran’s second game in a row with a goal after going without even a point in eight previous games before the AS Break. Just maybe the time off helped him recover from a knee injury which clearly was hampering his effectiveness.
The Rangers are going to need a healthier Shanahan down the stretch to finish like he did tonight.
All that was left in the third was whether Valiquette would notch his first career NHL shutout. To the Flyers’ credit, they came hard playing to the final buzzer. However, a late flurry of shots didn’t seem to faze the Ranger backup who was playing with a heavy heart due to the loss of his uncle. His best stop came on Simon Gagne in the final two minutes where he got across to stack the pads on a laser of a shot from 20 feet targeted for the top part of the net.
It’s obvious that without a win, we’re really in trouble,” Valiquette told the Associated Press after a relatively easy 20 save night allowing his team to avoid matching their longest road losing streak in six years.
“As long as we carry it over tomorrow in New Jersey and Sunday in Montreal, then we’re back in the playoff picture and nobody can count us out anymore,” Valiquette was quick to point out.
He got it right. This team has been an enigma all season. Now we’ll see if they can carry the momentum forward against two more quality opponents this weekend.
For now, it’s a step in the right direction.
Notes: It was the first time the Flyers lost to another opponent in regulation other than the Devils since a 3-2 loss at Buffalo last Dec.21. … Ranger defenseman Fedor Tyutin picked up two seconday assists, earning the game’s Third Star. It was his second game of two helpers-or-more in the last four contests. He tallied a career best three in a 4-0 shutout of Atlanta on Jan.24.
Dubi Dubi Doo: With an assist, Dubinsky has points in four of his last five games. Since Jan.12, the 21 year-old from Anchorage is 3-4-7 with a plus-seven rating in the past nine games. He was selected as the All-Star MVP in the Young Stars Game. … Rangers (25-22-6, 56 pts) look to make it five for five and clinch the season series from the Devils (28-19-3, 59 pts) in Newark. The Devs have dropped their last two.
Wed 30 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
Video of DayNo Comments
I’m feelin’ like a little old school
Cause I’m so cool and ya know I so rule
So if ya want to get down let me show ya the way
Cause I’ll be a true playa on this mothafreakin’ day
Representin’ Shaolin to full effect check one check two
Ya bettah recognize cause my lyrics ring true
I just bring IT to the very next level
Cause my name is D and I’m the runnin’ rebel
So let urself go cause ya might be in for a surprise
This crazy ass writer can rap now open your damn eyes
If you actually read that, so be it. :lol: I do have talent but I’m not about to be making any records these days. Though my Hard Hits colleagues seem to feel I should’ve been a rapper and challenged the Blizzard. I’ll just leave that to them I guess. More like a book or two. We’ll just have to see where this crazy year takes us.
In any event, I really did feel like going back. Wayyyyyy back to the days of Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh. I remember hearing these names as a kid and would be like mesmerized. Ah. But the talented individuals they were rang true in the rap game.
Here are a couple I like and I’m sure plenty of other peeps do as well.
Slick Rick: “Children’s Story“ this is a pretty classic video and the lyrics are just off the hook. 
Slick Rick N’ Doug E. Fresh: “Ladi Dadi-Live“ the fuckinngggg best! Well, one of ‘em anyway if you appreciate oldschool in its finest art form. Hey. Dre and Snoop’s cover was pretty good on The Chronic but nothing beats the original act. Listen to Doug E. Fresh’s classic beat box. 
Slick Rick: “Teenage Love“ this is solid. Has that classic vibe to it which puts you in a different area code.
Slick Rick: “Behind Bars” this is a pretty cool video with some excellent lyrics including the classic “this type of sh*t happens every day” from Ladi Dadi.
Doug E. Fresh: “I-ght (Alright)” ehhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh aiiiiiiiiiiiigggghttttttt!!!!! nothing else needs to be said.
Lil Vicious fea. Doug E. Fresh: “Freak” this kinda takes me back. That beat box is just ridiculous.
Hope you enjoyed this oldschool throwback edition.
Wed 30 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
Hoop TalesNo Comments
It’s March 1994 and the biggest thing going in NYC at the time was Felipe Lopez. The Rice star has been talked about forever as the city’s best player. No small honor in this town where basketball reigns supreme. Well, by the look of how dreadful things are now with the Knicks, Nets and St. John’s, it’s not even close to what it once was.
The enthusiastic kid from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic made huge news when he decided to stay home and play at St. John’s setting off a tremendous celebration here. It’s ashame the overexposure became too much for Lopez, who dominated one of the toughest leagues bar none. He still went onto a solid four-year career with the Redmen but never untapped the potential so many predicted for him.
Consistency just wasn’t there, especially from the perimeter. He could get to the basket like few others. Truthfully, the pressure was too much as Lopez was expected to be the savior at St. John’s bringing them back to the glory days of Xaverian product Chris Mullin, Walter Berry and Mark Jackson from legendary former coach Lou Carnesecca’s only Final Four team in 1985 when they lost to Patrick Ewing and John Thompson’s Hoyas back when that was the best rivalry in college hoops going.
On this same night, Georgetown is fresh off a Final Four appearance and humiliating Norm Roberts’ team at Madison Square Garden where at last check it was the Hoyas leading 62-26. Yes. That was the actual score. A far cry from what one of the biggest games in the Big East used to be. Just goes to the huge difference between the two programs.
Maybe St. John’s had it good when a big star from current coach Maurice Hicks’ Rice program chose to play for their school. We just never realized it at the time how rare that would actually become.
I’ll tell you what I remember about that great championship game between archrivals Rice and St. Raymond’s, who were led by an electrifying guard by the name of Kareem Reid. He later starred at the University of Arkansas. The atmosphere at Fordham was unbelievable. You had kids hawking Rice t-shirts outside the gym for 10 a pop. To this day, I still have it. It had the entire roster including Lopez along with former Seton Hall star Gary Saunders.
They also had Rice team posters which included a much slimmer Shaq standing next to Lopez in the photo. A collector’s item now. That’s how superhyped he was. The Next Great One.
Ah. If only it had had that classic ending fit for a Hollywood script. Few players we follow from the very beginning turn out that way. That’s why you got to appreciate the Michael Jordan’s, Kobe’s and LeBron’s. Cause they’re few and far between.
If you love packed gyms with chaotic atmosphere, then this CHSAA championship between Rice and St. Raymond’s was your cup of tea. How unique is this neighborhood rivalry in Upper Manhattan? They’re only going to be playing in front of another packed Fordham gym on Friday afternoon. Tickets are five bucks. Well worth the admission.
If only I didn’t have a couple of games to score at Berkeley Carroll in Park Slope. Who am I kidding? I love those games. The kids treat you with respect as do the coaches and athletic director. It’s fun to be associated with such a well run organization. They make it so easy to pull for them. Let’s also be honest. Park Slope isn’t Staten Island and that even includes some of the better parts out here. Anytime I can go to a nice area such as that, Brooklyn Heights or the Upper West Side, I’m there.
Anyway, I haven’t really talked about how good a championship game this was. Back and forth at a frenetic pace on a great court with oooohh’s and ahhhh’s when Reid went to his killer crossover and sliced and diced the Rice D. Oh. This kid was special. He’s a legend. He had one of the best handles. Period.
Reid wasn’t big but rather one of those slick undersized classic New York point guards who could breakdown defenses by using his superior ballhandling skills to get into the lane and find open teammates. He also could knock it down from the outside if you backed off him. He was trying to help St. Ray’s repeat as league champions. In 1993, they won both the city and state titles.
I’ll tell ya what else was cool. Rice had a kid named Scientific Mapp. Yes. That’s what his name was. He was a slick PG who helped run Rice’s offense around Lopez and Saunders. Both had solid all around games in helping their school edge St. Raymond’s in a barn burner. If I remember correctly, they won by one point with Reid’s 75-foot prayer going off the rim as the buzzer sounded. Lopez was lifted up by teammates afterwards during a triumphant celebration for gaining a measure of revenge against the same Reid-led team which edged them 71-69 the month before.
It was Saunders who paced Rice in the game. He was their most poised player. Maybe that should’ve sounded the alarms about whether Lopez would project.
Tell ya something else. Mapp’s younger brother who went on to star for St. Raymond’s was named Majestic. What’s in a name anyway? He became a McDonald’s All-American and went to Virginia where he played for a year. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL during a pickup game which derailed his career. His amazing rehab and story of a comeback at the University of West Georgia (Div. II) is worth the read. It exemplifies how dedicated he was. Here’s one excerpt:
“Basically, I had one surgery, and from there it went downhill,” he said. “I rehabbed and it never got better. I don’t know what the cause was, but it was just bad. I don’t know. I don’t like to point fingers. I just say that God made me have five surgeries.“
I saw Majestic play and he was better than his brother and could’ve been a really good player at Virginia. Who knows how far his game would’ve taken him? It just goes to show how quick it can all fall apart. When it comes to injuries, you have to be really lucky.
Maybe that’s in God’s hands.
Coming next: Part IV
Wed 30 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
Video of DayNo Comments
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the best bands hands down. Period. They’ve been putting out awesome music for a shade over two decades. Their style has always been very unique. From wild lead singer Anthony Kiedis’ everchanging hairstyles and vocals to wacky basist Flea, RHCP just totally rocks.
I think what I admire most is how creative they really are. Along with underrated guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith, the Four Horsemen of music have been churning out great albums since 1991 hit Blood Sugar Sex Magik which produced their first Grammy “Give It Away” winning for Best Hard Rock Performance. It also took home two MTV VMA’s when MTV meant something instead of the bullshit we get today.
Another great hit from that era which still ranks pretty high on diehard RCHP fan lists is “Under The Bridge” which was a very personal song for Kiedis about his battle with drug addition. That battle at one point became too much for bandmate Frusciante who abruptly left the band late in 1992. He was replaced by Dave Navarro at Woodstock ‘94 and wouldn’t resurface until seven years later after a life and death struggle with heroin.
Just how bad was it? Read this chilling part:
In the years following his departure from the band, it became public that John Frusciante had developed an addiction to heroin, which left him in poverty and near death.[43] He was talked into admitting himself to Las Encinas Drug Rehabilitation Center in January of 1998.[44][45] He concluded the process in February of that year and began renting a small apartment in Silver Lake.[46] He acquired many injuries/problems in the years of his addiction, some requiring surgery, including permanent scarring on his arms, a restructured nose, and new teeth to prevent fatal infection.[47]
When Flea visited him and asked him to rejoin the band, he openly accepted. It would result in arguably their best album to date Californication. Hits such as “Scar Tissue,” “Otherside,” “Californication,” “Around The World,” and Parallel Universe” all became mainstream. Some are still played on the radio today.
I still am partial to the shortest song on the album, “Right On Time.” If you’ve ever heard it live, it just kicks complete ass. In particular, Frusciante’s back-up vocals on this song happen to be tremendous.
See for yourself:
RHCP: “Right On Time-Live Rock In Rio 2001“
Since, they’ve had two more great albums including By The Way and the 2006 masterpiece two-CD Stadium Arcadium which featured several hits including the very cool throwback video for “Dani California.” “Tell Me Baby,” and “Snow (Hey Ohhh)” are the best songs on the album but there are so many entertaining others which is what makes this group so special.
They just don’t waste your time sticking songs on for the sake of being there.
Not surprisingly, Stadium Arcadium took home six Grammy’s last year including for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song (Dani California).
Here are some of their best work over the years:
RHCP: “My Friends” it doesn’t get a lot of play but go right ahead kick back and have a brew listening to this one.
RHCP: “Breaking The Girl-Live MSG 2003” a classic from Blood Sugar Sex Magik cause really, when you think about it, it truly is magic coming together.
RHCP: “Under The Bridge-Acoustic” this is just a special rare acoustic which really works. The lyrics in this song are just phenomenal and have such special meaning. Kiedis really sings from the heart. I wish I could dig up the awesome video for this song as well. IMHO one of their best! I love the discussion at the end. Classic stuff.
RHCP: “By The Way” the hit from the named album with that crazy mad insaaaannnee video! 
RHCP: “I Could Die For You“ there are plenty of good songs on that same album including The Zephyr Song, Dosed and Throw Away Your Television but for some reason, I really like this one. Listen to the words and you’ll know why. Especially if you care for someone. Who hasn’t?
RHCP: “Tell Me Baby” how can you go wrong with this hit? Another great yet comical video.
There’s only so much Chili Peppers you can choose from. That wraps up this edition! 
Tue 29 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
Super Bowl XLII1 Comment
The biggest news out of today was Giant wideout Plaxico Burress making just a little Super Bowl prediction before his team took off 45 minutes later than expected for Tempe, Arizona yesterday after rookie corner Aaron Ross’ stomach bout (yikes). Hope the kid from Texas will be okay for the big game.
The veteran receiver who torched veteran Green Bay corner Al Harris for 11 receptions and a buck five four in Big Blue’s NFC Championship victory made the prediction to New York Post reporters including Giant beat writer Paul Schwartz.
Here’s the key excerpts from Schwartz’ column:
As he pulled his car up to the Giants Stadium tunnel to unload his bags, Burress was asked by The Post a direct question: Are you ready to make history? “You better believe it,” the towering Giants receiver said.
And then, as he entered the stadium and turned left toward the Giants locker room, Burress was asked for his prediction. Burress never hesitated, flatly stating “23-17.”
Alright. So Plax is confident in what his team has a chance to do- something 18 previous New England opponents couldn’t get done. Put a big ‘L’ next to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s unbeaten Patriots. Is it wise to make this sort of gutsy prediction against one of the best teams who feeds off this sort of thing? Probably not. But hey, it’s not like the Pats need any more incentive. They didn’t come to the Desert to lose but rather to make history.
Burress should be confident in what his team can do. Winning an NFL record 10 straight on the road and eliminating the Bucs, Cowboys and Packers is proof that Tom Coughlin’s club is playing very well headed into a rematch of the regular season finale.
Still, giving a coach like Belichick a couple of weeks to prepare isn’t a helpful proposition. Like Belicheat or not, he’s the best coach in the league for a reason. Personally, I got nothing against him and don’t want to hear any excuses from other team’s fans if our Giants fall short. And that includes these ridiculous conspiracy theories about how the Pats play dirty and get all the calls, etc.
Newsflash people: If you want to watch Conspiracy Theory, go watch the movie starring Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson or better yet watch Oliver Stone’s JFK.
This is football. Do the Pats have an edge with the stripes? Undoubtedly. But that’s the case in any sport when a successful franchise builds a reputation.
Bottom line: The Giants must continue to execute the way they have on offense without turning it over and must disrupt Brady’s timing at the line of scrimmage. An unenviable task against a strong line which gives the 2007 regular season MVP plenty of time to deliver the ball to Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Ben Watson and special third down back Kevin Faulk.
Combine those threats with the physical running style of Laurence Maroney and you got a heck of a lot to deal with. Jabar Gaffney is also their fourth WR option. So they certainly have a huge edge in terms of depth.
The Giant line featuring sack leader Osi Umenyiora, veteran Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck must win the battles in the trenches and pressure as much as possible under aggressive first-year D coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s schemes.
One thing which would concern me is that Brady is very good at reading blitz packages and will trust his receivers by finding the underneath routes. Those probably should be open all night Sunday. Especially against that Giant secondary. Figure Corey Webster to draw the tough assignemt of deep threat Moss while the physical Ross gets to cover middle of the field specialist Welker. Stallworth could be presented with a mismatch against Sam Madison.
The linebacking core led by veteran Antonio Pierce will have to do a solid job covering the seams which is usually where Welker and Faulk along with the underrated Watson do most of their damage. It’s going to be a chest match.
On offense, Eli Manning’s playing as well as he ever has. Since that Pat game in which he threw for four touchdowns, the fourth-year signal caller has really stepped up in January making smart decisions with the ball. His presence seems to have grown larger and he’s definitely enjoying this run despite a continued low profile as the younger brother of last year’s Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning didn’t make any predictions. Big shocker.
As outstanding Post columnist Mike Vaccaro attests, the former Ole Mississippi product is very happy to be the younger brother of the Indy Colt QB whose face is on every TV during this time of year:
“I am Peyton’s little brother,” Eli said. “That’s not a bad thing. I don’t take it as an insult when people ask me about that. It isn’t an insult.”
“We like it that way,” Eli said. Earlier in the day, before busing to the airport, a few Giants had filled a few Post notebooks with a few final swaggering tidbits before wheels-up, Plaxico Burress being kind enough to provide a score - 23-17 - for everyone. Someone pointed out to Eli that it didn’t take much of a leap to remember another fourth-year quarterback from another New York Super Bowl trip and how he gladly spiced things up.
“Joe Namath was a very confident young man,” he said, declining to leap along. “But you won’t get a guarantee out of me.”
Manning will lead a balanced attack which features primary target Burress, seasoned vet Amani Toomer along with rookies Steve Smith and Kevin Boss. He has relied on the top two threats while finding the pair of first-year players during crucial moments.
With the two-headed Thunder & Lightning attack of Brandon Jacobs and rookie Ahmad Bradshaw also getting plenty of work, the Giants should be very formidable against a susceptible NE D which can be beat by speed. However, they do play to their strengths and usually do a decent job stopping the run. So this should be a real good test.
It all starts for the Giant offense up front with an undervalued line which includes Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, Kareem McKenzie, David Diehl and Rich Seubert. They do a solid job plugging holes for the two runners and usually giving Eli enough time in the pocket. One aspect that I’ve liked about Kevin Gilbride’s offense is that he’s wisely played to the QB’s strengths by rolling him out of the pocket into play action. That could be vital against a New England rush which includes a healthier Richard Seymour, Adalius Thomas and linebacker Mike Vrabel. Junior Seau and Teddy Bruschi are also key cogs.
Their secondary is very physical with top corner Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, Ellis Hobbs and dangerous safety Rodney Harrison. Watch for Harrison to sneak in on safety blitzes.
Clearly, when you break it all down, it’s easy to understand why the Giants are 12-point underdogs. A lot has to go right for them to pull this off. I’ve said this before to long suffering Buffalo buddies Brian Sanborn and Robert “Kraze” Davis.
They must utilize a similar strategy to the one Bill Parcells’ 1990 club executed to perfection in defeating the Bills 20-19 in Super Bowl XXV. Ball control offense. Hard hitting aggressive D. Keep that Patriot offense off the field as much as possible.
We’ll have much more tomorrow.
Tue 29 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
MLB ,
NewsworthyNo Comments
Apparently, Mets GM Omar Minaya read our Random Thoughts from last night. How else can one explain the coincidence of finally reaching a tenative agreement with the Twins to acquire lefty ace Johan Santana for a package of four prospects?
The news came down earlier this afternoon when the Twins finally agreed to Minaya’s package which includes pitching prospects Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey along with outfield prospect Carlos Gomez plus minor leaguer Deolis Guerra. They emerged as the frontrunners for Santana due to the Yankees and Red Sox balking at Minnesota GM John Smith’s outrageous demands.
“If it’s true, obviously, you’re getting arguably the best pitcher in the game,” an excited Mets third baseman David Wright said to reporters.
For the Amazin’s, it’s a no-brainer since they desperately needed a young hurler to anchor a rotation which includes Pedro Martinez along with John Maine, Oliver Perez, veteran Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey.
If the Mets and Santana can work out an extension, the 28 year-old two-time AL Cy Young winner automatically becomes their best pitcher- bolstering an inconsistent staff which fizzled down the stretch during a historic collapse. With a healthier Pedro returning in the final year of his contract plus Maine and Perez, the Mets’ top four in the rotation looks very formidable.
In 2007, Santana went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA, permitting 183 hits in 219 innings while walking 52 and fanning 235 which ranked second in the AL to ironically former Met farmhand Scott Kazmir who finished with 239 for Tampa Bay. His signature performance came in an Aug.19 1-0 win over Texas where he struckout 17 Rangers in eight frames before departing to a standing ovation. The 17 K’s were a new Twins’ franchise record.
During the Venezuelan’s eight-year major league career, he’s struckout 10-or-more batters 37 times. He’s a three-time All-Star who also snagged his first Gold Glove last year. Santana’s career record is 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA along with six complete games and four shutouts.
He’ll bring that impressive resume to Queens starting this Spring unless something goes wrong with an extension or physical.
One alarming aspect from last year was that Santana had a poor second half dropping seven of his last 11 decisions where his ERA skyrocketed from 2.60 to 3.33- his highest ERA since 2001. He also yielded an AL high 33 home runs.
However, the southpaw will be going to the senior circuit and won’t have to contend with loaded lineups which include the DH. That should help along with plenty of support from the Latino contingent in New York.
“For our younger pitchers to develop under a guy like Pedro, a guy like Johan, you can’t ask for any better situation,” Wright added.
“He’s going to go out there and he’s going to give you seven or eight innings every five days and he’s going to get you a win. That’s just what it comes down to. I’ve gotten a chance to get to know him a little bit the past couple years. He seems like a great clubhouse guy. He’s going to fit in perfectly with the chemistry that we have.“
You can’t help but wonder what the heck Smith was thinking about here. Did he really think he could get the Yanks and Sahhhxxx back into the bidding? On paper, he did receive a nice return landing the Mets’ second, third, fourth and seventh rated prospects according to Baseball America.
However, that didn’t include top outfield stud Fernando Martinez. Would he have been better suited waiting it out till mid-July to see where his team was in the standings? Let the debate begin.
You can’t tell me that the Mets’ package was better than either the Yanks or Sox who both boast better rated farm systems.
Still, getting two of New York’s highly touted SP’s along with Gomez isn’t a bad return. We’ll just have to wait and see how they develop.
The thinking here is that Santana’s got at least three more peak years left. So the Mets must take advantage and bring a third world championship back to Queens.
Now, we’ll just have to wait and see if the rumored Erik Bedard deal to Seattle for top outfield prospect Adam Jones, lefty reliever George Sherrill plus possibly two other prospects comes to fruition.
Tue 29 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
Random ThoughtsNo Comments
Usually, I just go with the flow and cover as much as possible but I’m going to only be able to do a little now as I need to get some rest soon.
So, I’ll just give some of the random musings floating around my head at the moment:
1.Why isn’t Congress going after former Met Paul LoDuca?!?!?!?!?! What? Only ex-Yankees are required to talk at these steroid hearings? Yep. Definitely not a witch hunt! No sireee!
If I didn’t know any better, Mike Lupica was running this joke of an investigation. This is the most half ass backwards run operation because they’re only chasing select players. I don’t really know what can be gained. It’s not like they can force MLB to alter the record books as you hear misguided Bostonians and a few Mets fans who have an anti-Yankee agenda preach like a bunch of losers. They’re so fascinated with the Pinstripes that Lupica should be the ring leader.
I got nothing against our government wanting to get the truth out of Roger Clemens, Chuck Knoblauch and Andy Pettite but how come everytime a Shooting From The Lip Column comes out every Sunday, it’s always about the same three former Yankees? Is that all it is with what was a widespread epidemic?!?!?!?!?! Hardly.
These jokers are fooling themselves here. It’s perfectly okay for LoDuca who I respect as a ballplayer to basically recruit teammates when he played for the Dodgers where if you go by that Mitchell Report, they sure had the goods on him and former closer Eric Gagne. Where GMs had scouts wondering if they’d get back on the juice. That’s a heck of a lot more documented than what Pettite did.
Also, how come nobody brings up the fact that former slugger Jose Canseco defended Clemens? He was supposedly the link to former trainer Brian McNamee. So wait. The same former Bash Brother who now looks pretty vindicated because most of the guys he named came out isn’t legit enough for writers such as Lupica to ask the question before basically throwing Clemens to the guillotine?
There’s a lot we will never know about what went on behind the scenes. I just think it’s cynical for our government to basically pick and choose who they want to testify in the nation’s capital. That is the biggest disgrace going and it’s about time the general public picked up on it.
2.A.J. Price roasted the Cardinals for 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists in Uconn’s 69-67 win at The Hartford Civic Center (where btw Whaler jerseys still hang from the rafters). It was their fourth consecutive win and second in a row without leading scorer Jerome Dyson and reserve guard Doug Wiggins who again DNP due to school suspension for being caught with alcohol possession as minors.
Tell ya what. The junior guard who St. John’s thought they had a few years ago sure is putting together a nice season. When his team needed a big bucket, he delivered the goods making a couple of ridiculous runners. He just might be the best PG in the Big East. And btw…Stanley Robinson (double double- 16 & 10) is a solid player.
With bigs Jeff Adrien (12 and 10) and Hasheem Thabeet (9 pts, 3 swats) factors, this Huskie team could prove to be real tough around March.
3.Nice to see local kid Kyle McAlarney getting plenty of props in the local papers and on ESPN where he was nominated for the Prime Performer of this past weekend for his 30 points (five three’s) in an upset win over Villanova. The former Moore Catholic star deserves the accolades for how hard he’s worked since returning to school last Fall- putting last year’s marijuana incident behind him.
4.When the freaking Versus announcers can’t comprehend a simple Fastest Skater competition due to a ridiculous rule interpretation, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for the NHL. How in the world did Brian Campbell beat Duncan Keith again? Oh wait. This just in. Those judges were the same ones as that kid who saw dead people in The Sixth Sense!
5.Tom Brady just limped with gf Gisele Bundchen after getting out of their hotel room. Film at 11!
6.So it turns out Jason Kidd wants out of New Jersey after all. I really can’t blame the guy. Would you want to stick around with a dog like Vince Carter taking the final shots? I’m not saying the former Cal star who once strung an upset of Duke in the NCAA tournament isn’t at fault somewhat here.
He comes off like a hypocrite by asking his agent to demand that the Nets trade him. Especially after all that “migraine” bs when he missed his favorite opponent the Knicks. But still, he leads the league with an eye popping 10 triple doubles and clearly deserves to play on a better team than one which hardly is giving the effort required to compete in this league let alone win. The Nets would be better off starting over anyway. So it’s probably for the best.
7.That Bob Papa radio call of Lawrence Tynes’ OT NFC Title clinching 47-yard kick at ice cold Lambeau never gets old. Even with Dick Lynch making a total fool of himself in the background cheering like a school girl.
8.Breaking news: Twins say the Mets are the frontrunner for Johan Santana. Well, you don’t say. Don’t you get the impression that they really f’d up here overplaying their options when they could’ve gotten a much better deal from the Yankees or the Red Sox? Maybe they’d just be better off hanging onto their ace and see where they stand in the middle of July when you know contending teams will be salivating if Minnesota decides to sell.
9.That four-year $30 million deal with a club option for two more years for emerging second base star Robby Cano sure looks wise on the Yanks’ part. I still say he’ll win a batting title pretty soon.
10.NBA statline of the night: Chris Paul in the Western conference leading Hornets’ 117-93 blowout win over the Nuggets:
23 pts, 17 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 7-of-20 FG, 8-for-8 FT, +23
Now that would make one of my Hard Hits co-hosts John “Stat Mastah” Giagnorio proud.
11.I openly admit that I hardly watched the 56th NHL All-Star Game but at least I caught the cool ending with Game MVP Eric Staal along with Campbell setting up Marc Savard’s winner with less than 25 seconds to spare in an exciting East 8-7 victory. I still say it would be better for the league to have that kind of caliber game promoting the NHL’s best stars on NBC. If they can air a rare Outdoor Classic in Buffalo, then they can commit to showing the game’s best players.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Martin Brodeur and a couple of other stars who weren’t hurt showed a little obligation and didn’t make a bs excuse for not being there when the fans voted for them to start? How’s that for a concept?
12.I don’t know about you but if you ever randomly flipped to the Spanish channels for any kind of show, it’s just so much better than American TV. Let’s be honest. We are pretty damn boring. I’ll just leave it at that and let you discuss.
Mon 28 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
NFL ,
Super Bowl XLIINo Comments
Well, the good news is that the crazzzzyyy week off is finally over. Of course, the big story all last week was New England QB Tom Brady’s ankle because of a shot of the two-time Super Bowl MVP wearing a protective boot last week while in NYC with model girlfriend Gisele Bundchen. Much ado about nothing if you read between the lines. Brady said he’d have to be on a stretcher to miss the big game.
The guy’s a proven winner. He took it to a new level this season when supplied with actual receivers. No surprise that Brady would break Peyton Manning’s regular season touchdown record edging the older Indy QB of brother Eli Manning, who will try to complete an amazing month in less than six days.
Brady, 30, was back on the field at Arizona State in Tempe getting into his first practice with the rest of his teammates in preparation for the big game Sunday.
“Everybody practiced,” former Giant defensive guru now three-time Super Bowl winning New England coach Bill Belichick assessed to the Associated Press in his usual ho-hum approach.. “The injury report will be out Wednesday.”
“Anytime the MVP of the league is back, it has to be a positive,” standout receiver Wes Welker later said. “He looks good — the same dimples and all.”
“I don’t worry about Tom,” Osi Umenyiora’s favorite dirty tackle Matt Light pointed out. “He can take care of himself. I have a bunch of guys in front of me from the Giants to worry about.”
Brady and the rest of the team went through a 100-minute workout without full pads.
“We just wanted to get a good, crisp practice and work on our timing,” Belichick stated. “We had a lot of contact last week.”
One thing is fairly certain. Their franchise QB is ready to go as evidenced during a conference call late last night when he and the Pats arrived:
“I feel energized down here to come into the hotel and to kind of start the process. It is going to be a very fast week. I am not concerned about how it is going to affect my playing, and I can’t run anyway, so it is not going to have much of an impact.”
The big stories from today out of at least the Daily News were Gary Myers’ piece on how Belichick got passed over along with current Giant coach Tom Coughlin due to former now deceased GM George Young’s stubborness in wanting Ray Handley to be the heir apparent to Bill Parcells.
I can just hear those “Ray Must Go, Ray Must Go” chants again. Good god. What was Young thinking? Maybe it’s better off we don’t know as those were two of the most disgusting years in Giants’ history following their dramatic Super Bowl XXV win over Buffalo in arguably the best SB. Let the debating again.
As for that outstanding Myers’ column from the News’ best football columnist (his Sunday has always been a must read), here’s one troubling excerpt of how Belichick wound up out of New York and instead coached the Browns before his quick one-day Jet stint then turning up in Beantown:
“I don’t know why,” one Giants insider said. “George had his mind made up. You have to understand, George was a cerebral guy. Ray Handley was a cerebral guy. There is no use dragging that up.”
My fave columnist Mike Lupica had a decent story on what this week has been like for Giant kicker Lawrence Tynes whose older brother Mark is in jail serving a preposterous 27 years for intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana across state lines.
The hero from that thrilling NFC championship OT win over the Packers at Green Bay had some very interesting quotes on what it’s been like for himself dealing with all the media requests for his jailed brother in Arkansas.
Here were a few strong ones from one of Lupica’s better written stories:
“I can’t let this take away from the experience. I can’t and I won’t. It wouldn’t help my brother and it wouldn’t be fair to me.“
“Everybody has a story. Everybody had a road to get here, to get to this game. Mine is what it is. I can’t change it, I’m not embarrassed about it, I’m not going to be shy about it.“
“I’m going to say I talked openly about this situation when it was a proper time to do that, which means last week. This week is about me and my football team. I love my brother, but it’s not about him. What’s talked about with his situation has been talked about and I don’t expect anybody to give me a pity party because of things that happened with my brother. But I want to focus on this game, because it’s the biggest game of my life.“
Lawrence Tynes said:
“Is my brother guilty? Yes? But 27 years? I understand how the system works. I was a criminal justice major. I understand what happens if you have priors. But still, 27 years? My brother being in prison isn’t the injustice. The sentence was the injustice.”
It really puts a lot of perspective on what it’s been like for the former Chief kicker who speaks to his brother three times a week. Mean time, his other brother Jason is never talked about despite a great track record with the Army serving the country where he was in Kuwait, Bosnia and Iraq. He currently runs a reserve unit out of Charlotte.
You have to feel for Lawrence as that can’t be an easy family situation. The kicker along with his Giant teammates will try to make more history against the best team in the sport aiming for history of their own.
One other really nice story which was an entertaining read was written by Giant beat writer Ohm Youngmisuk on the unassuming Eli Manning. Only as it turns out, there was a lot more to the soft spoken fourth-year starting QB than what we get to see.
Believe it or not, the youngest Manning predicted his Super future back as a senior at Isidore Newman School in the 1999 Yearbook.
Here are a couple of excerpts:
There is another side to the reserved quarterback nicknamed “Easy” that those outside his inner circle and the Giants’ locker room rarely see. Deep beneath that Southern “yes sir, yes ma’am” exterior lies a fiery, cutthroat competitor. Not only does he have a drive that matches Peyton’s, he has a sense of humor that isn’t all that far from the one the Colts QB displays in commercials.
Sure, Manning sounds as dull as Tom Coughlin during interviews. But during his college days at Ole Miss, Manning was known to blast tunes on the karaoke machine in his apartment: Easy-E belting out “Bohemian Rhapsody”? Watch out world, indeed.
Peyton, 31, is the emotional and intense one with the legendary work ethic. And Eli, 26, is the mama’s boy of the trio. Since he was the youngest and alone at home when his older brothers were in college and his father traveling for speaking engagements, Manning took on many of his mother’s traits.
“She is very calm,” Archie says of Olivia. “I call her the great equalizer. She can handle any situation with calm and she has good judgment and makes good decisions.”
What this nice piece written by Youngmisuk does is present the Eli we aren’t familiar with. He has been more noticeable in commercials lately even appearing in one with his older brother who won last year’s Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl MVP to get the collective monkey off his back. If you caught that Sports Center one where they playfully kick each other while touring Bristol, it’s a classic in every sense of the word.
Fyi…why was it necessary for the Patriots to stage a pep rally last night up in Massachusetts before boarding a plane to Arizona?!?!?!?!?!
Are they freaking kidding? That is about as bush league as it gets. The Pats represent pure evil. They have spoiled their legions of fans rotten to the core. If anything, it should’ve been the other way around with the underdog Giants having one. Oh wait. This just in. Our teams don’t pull such ridiculous stunts.
A little fun trivia to conclude this Monday edition of SB XLII: What do you call a Massachusetts state driver on a highway?
Answer supplied tomorrow.
That covers Day One of Super Bowl week. We’ll have more tomorrow. I just hope it goes fast because I want the game to get here as I’m sure all New Yorkers do.
Mon 28 Jan 2008
It was a busy Sunday in the NBA. So let’s take a look at some of the exciting games which went down to the wire:
1.In the game of the day, the Magic got a buzzer beater from money perimeter shooter Hedo Turkoglu to beat the league’s best team the Celtics 96-93. If you caught some of this, it was a very high quality game between two of the East’s best. It looked like the Magic would run away with it when they led by as many as 16 in the second half thanks to a 22-4 run as Boston struggled without Kevin Garnett (abdominal strain).
Credit Celtic long distance threat James Posey for sparking a strong comeback in the final quarter. He dialed up four big shots from downtown to the tune of 16 points and six boards off the bench. Boston second-year starting PG Rajon Rondo played superb D notching a game-high six steals while finishing with an all around performance with 15, five rebounds and six assists.
Paul Pierce paced the Celts with 24 but his biggest play was when he drove down the lane and found a wide open Ray Allen for the tying trey from the left corner with 14 seconds remaining. Out of an Orlando timeout, a cutting Turkoglu came around and got the ball from Carlos Arroyo, took a couple of dribbles and then hoisted up the game-winning three near the key with Pierce defending. It hit nothing but net sending teammates out to congratulate the former King.
“It was a good shot,” Pierce acknowledged to the Associated Press. “I thought I played pretty good defense — cut off his initial drive, he turned around and shot a 3-pointer from two or three feet off the line and sunk the shot.”
“I didn’t really want to settle on a jumper,” Turkoglu later admitted. “I just tried to go to the hole and take a foul, but they had good defense and forced me to take a tough shot. I’m just glad it was right there today.”
Bottom line is the 28 year-old from Turkey drained a tough shot. Something he seems to have a penchant for doing. He’s one of the most overlooked players in the league. He can flat out score the ball beating you outside or off the dribble. What makes him so tough is his awkwardness.
Dwight Howard (double double- 18 and 16 with five blocks) might get all of the credit for the Magic’s turnaround but Turkoglu is one of the key reasons this team is where it is sitting atop the Southeast.
2.Another good game took place at the Staples Center between the Cavaliers and Lakers in the second of an ABC doubleheader. Oddly enough, due to the extremely odd January weather California is having where there’s been snow and torrential downpours, this game was delayed at one point in the first half due to a leak from the ceiling.
Once they finally fixed the issue, this back-and-forth game featuring a couple of the NBA’s best superstars in LeBron James and Kobe Bryant came down to crunchtime. It was the 23 year-old man child who won the duel with Kobe scoring 14 of his game-high 41 in the final 12 minutes as the Cavs prevailed 98-95 over the Lakers.
A big bucket by James gave his team a one-point lead with 76 seconds left. A Kobe aggressive drive resulted in an empty trip due to a charge giving the ball back to Cleveland. LeBron milked the clock and then perfectly drained a jumper from inside the three-point line to put his team up a field goal.
A Ronny Turiaf putback cut it to one with 13 ticks to go. A wild sequence nearly resulted in a Laker steal and go-ahead basket but Kobe’s try from in close didn’t go and the Lakers were called for a loose ball foul.
Following a pair of James’ free throws, the Lakers called time and setup their final play. Unfortunately, poor execution resulted in them not getting a desperation three off on time due to some indecisiveness from Luke Walton. I already heard about it from Hard Hits co-host Nate Sousa earlier. He was furious and dissed Walton, who former Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy praised for his “high basketball IQ.”
It definitely wasn’t on display on that awful play which de-proved the Lakers to 2-4 since big man Andrew Bynum went down.
“We ran our last-second play, I was hoping to get the shot off,” Walton lamented despite finishing with nine points, five rebounds, five dimes and four thefts. “I kind of fumbled the ball a little bit, wasn’t aware the clock was as low as it was, and as soon as I passed it back to Kobe, I realized that that was a mistake, and unfortunately it cost us big.”
“It was designed for me to come up from the top of the floor and get a good look at a 3,” explained a frustrated Bryant despite pacing his team with 33 (10-of-21 FG, 13-for-18 FT), 12 boards and six dimes. “We had to run a dribble weave in that situation and they both came with me, so I kicked it out. I don’t know if he had a clear look at the basket. I think they rotated to him pretty quickly. There’s always other options.”
Whatever the reason, suddenly the Lakers (27-15) who a week prior had the best record in the West are sitting sixth in a strong conference while the surging Cavs (24-19) have pushed into a tie with the Raptors for fourth in the weaker East.
The Cavs lost power forward Anderson “Sideshow Bob” Varejao in the third quarter due to a left ankle injury. It looked pretty bad when he was helped off clearly limping but the encouraging news was that X-rays were negative. The valuable energizer off the bench is expected to undergo an MRI later today.
3.Another interesting finish occurred in Minnesota where the league’s worst team used a game-closing 10-0 run to stun the fading Nets (18-26) 98-95. This was just a pathetic loss by a heartless bunch who clearly aren’t playing for coach Lawrence Frank. Will he ever get canned?!?!?!?!?! Somewhere in New Orleans with the West’s best record (no joke), Byron Scott must be smiling.
You really can’t make this stuff up for a team which features the East’s starting PG for the All-Star game in Jason Kidd plus star duo Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. I listened to the final 90 seconds on the radio courtesy of WFAN as their team did an outstanding job describing the latest meltdown which ran their losing streak to an inexplicable nine.
With the game seemingly at hand thanks to a big game from RJ (team-high 35 pts, 11-of-22 FG, 11-for-16 FT) and 25 and five dimes from Carter, it looked like the Nets would finally snap their eight-game skid. Suddenly, consecutive treys from Rashard McCants and ex-Celtic Ryan Gomes cut the lead to one with 40 seconds left. That’s when Carter forced the issue missing a key shot giving the T-Wolves the ball with a chance to go ahead.
They did thanks to emerging star Al Jefferson, who was fouled and sank both free throws. Then Jefferson missed on a driving lay-up, forcing the Nets to foul Jefferson again. He killed the Nets all night going for a career best 40 and 19 rebounds (eight offensive). The recently turned 23 year-old who was the centerpiece in the Garnett blockbuster deal wasn’t going to let down teammates sinking two more from the charity stripe where he made a living finishing 14-for-17.
Trailing by three with still five seconds remaining, the Nets got the ball to Carter but his three was short leaving the Nets and their broadcasters speechless.
“This is how it goes when things are going bad,” a disappointed Frank pointed out. “You lose games that you are in control that you should win. But, you have to kind of break through the karma and just keep on fighting, keep your head up.”
“Look, we have to be hungry,” the embattled coach said. “We have to be a desperate team for a win. We’re in a position now where we have lost nine games in a row, and each one is going to be harder.”
As ex-Knick Micheal Ray Richardson once said:
“The ship be sinking.”
Final thought. Does anyone else think the Celtics could regret that trade if they don’t add another banner to the rafters? Just some food for thought as Jefferson continues to dominate games. Gomes (9 pts, 4 rebs, 3 assists) and former Lincoln star Sebastian Telfair (12 pts, four dimes) aren’t chopped liver either. Both are doing their part.
Minnesota (8-35) still has a long way to go.
4.What would an around the league be without an entertaining Knicks-Warriors game in the Golden State? You betcha. Despite a solid effort on the first of their five-game Western trip, the Knicks (14-29) fell to the highscoring Don Nelson Warriors 106-104.
They just couldn’t make enough stops down the stretch against the balanced perimeter attack of Baron Davis (22 pts and nine dimes), Monta Ellis (24 pts, 9-of-15 FG, eight rebs, four assists, two thefts) and ex-Pacer Stephen Jackson (25 pts, four treys, 7-of-8 FT, four boards).
Despite Jackson heating up in the final quarter to the tune of 16 of his game-high 25, we’ll highlite Ellis and big man Andris Biedrins for why the Warriors prevailed.
Ellis made some difficult shots in the late going and Biedrins got every key rebound destroying New York for a season high 26- most in the NBA in 2007-08. He was a beast owning the glass for more than half his team’s 48 boards. Just ridiculous.
Though the Knicks got a solid game from sixth man Nate Robinson (22 pts, eight assists) along with 21, five and five from Jamal Crawford, it wasn’t enough against the Warriors, who outscored them 59-52 in the second half to erase a five-point halftime deficit and improve to a season high nine over (27-18).
For Isiah Thomas’ club, there were other positives such as solid defense from second-year guard Mardy Collins (2 pts, four rebs, 2 assists, +13) and excellent energy from Renaldo Balkman who came off the bench for 11, four rebounds, a game best three blocks and two swipes in 27-plus.
Problem was that Thomas opted not to play either bigs Zach Randolph (nine pts, seven rebs, six assists, minus-12) nor Eddy Curry (17 pts, minus-10) down the stretch due to how slow they were covering the speedy Warrior players.
The Knicks would be much better without either defensive liability. What are the odds of that happening though?
“We had our chances to win it,” a philosophical Thomas noted. “We had good looks and a couple of open shots that didn’t go down. … I thought we played some pretty good basketball.”
He’s right. They had their shot but just didn’t make enough plays on the defensive end which is why his team despite talent continues to struggle in an erratic bottom of the East.
Shame on MSG announcer Gus Johnson for making a preposterous excuse when Quentin Richardson and Crawford misfired on late three’s in the closing seconds. The King of the HaHaaa Club sadly indicated:
“It’s okay. They played hard.“
So, that’s it?!?!?!?!?! Playing hard when you’re 14 under but falling short is acceptable!!!!! Only in the Dumb and Dumber Clown Mgt 101 warped world of Jim Dolan. What? Did he bark out the instructions to the usually smooth announcer???
What a joke this franchise has become. A laughingstock. Always full of excuses. They LOST! Only you wouldn’t know it by the way Johnson talked. Man. Where’s Bob Page when you need him?
5.On a brighter note, the Portland Blazers edged the Atlanta Hawks 94-93 at home thanks to the play of their star point guard Brandon Roy who didn’t care that he had a fever. The 2006-07 NBA Rookie of The Year led his young team to the victory snapping a two-game skid by sinking the winning free throw with just 2.3 ticks left.
“I didn’t even ask the doctor,” the former University of Washington star indicated after helping his team overcome a 19-point deficit. “I just said, ‘It’s fine and I’m going to play.’ He said some guys have their best games when they’re under the weather so I said I would try and use that tonight, and I was able to have a good fourth quarter.”
In a conference loaded with star guards, the league has to find a way to get this kid into this year’s All-Star Game. He’s the biggest reason the Blazers (26-18) minus Greg Oden are one of the league’s biggest surprises.
The 23 year-old Seattle native who amazingly enough was swapped straight up in the 2006 Draft for former Villanova guard Randy Foye is a breath of fresh air. He logged over 40 minutes finishing an efficient 9-of-15 from the field while making six-of-seven from the line and handing out five assists.
“I was so disappointed in the first half in how we were playing. These fans fill this building up to see us play hard,” Roy expressed. “I was disappointed in our effort and I think in the second half we did a better job of giving them a good show.”
He’s the catalyst as one of my fave commentators Walt “Clyde” Frazier likes to say.
Kudos to Roy for coming up big when his team needed it most.
Sun 27 Jan 2008
Posted by Derek Felix under
Video of DayNo Comments
Tonight, I figured we’d take a look at an often overlooked group who last year was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Van Halen and Run DMC.
That would be R.E.M. Spanning three decades, they have churned out excellent work. With hits such as “The One I Love,” “Losing My Religion” and “Stand,” lead singer Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry didn’t really get the recognition until the 1994 Monster album came out.
It produced top 40 hits “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” and “Bang and Blame.” But anyone who has the album knows better than that because it’s one of the most complete albums from top to bottom utilizing their unique sound which combined Stipe’s strong vocals with a more rock sound.
Their 1992 Out of Time album previously won three Grammys including Best Alternative Music Album. Losing My Religion was No.1 on the charts.
Another interesting album which appeared later that same year was Automatic For People. It included “Drive,” “Everybody Hurts” and “Man on The Moon,” which later was used in Jim Carrey’s infamous role as the late Andy Kaufman.
They also released a Greatest Hits album in 2003 which included a couple of new songs, “Bad Day,” and “Animal.”
In any event, here are a couple of ones I like from the Monster album:
R.E.M.: “Strange Currencies” very cool sounding with excellent lyrics with plenty of meaning.
R.E.M.: “Star 69“ another very good sounding song from a great album.
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