Eight is more than enough.

There aren’t enough words to describe how truly amazing Michael Phelps’ performance was at these 2008 Beijing Olympics. To actually accomplish what the brilliant 23 year-old American swimmer did in winning an Olympic Record eight gold medals besting Mark Spitz’ 72 Munich mark of seven is just remarkable.

Most amazing of all was that seven of the eight were new world records including last night’s 400 meter medley relay which saw Phelps along with American teammates Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen and veteran hero Jason Lezak combined to hold off Australia to keep the USA’s mark perfect in the race giving the starry eyed kid from Baltimore, Maryland the record.

Following Hansen’s breaststroke leg which put them behind, Phelps dove in for the third leg doing the same butterfly which saw a miraculous conclusion the previous night in which he somehow cameback to edge Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by miraculously touching the wall first to win by the narrowest of margins of 1/100th of a second in the 100 fly to match Spitz and keep his Olympic dream alive.

This time, he found himself at one point seventh in an ultra competitive field but as he made the turn for the second half, Phelps did what he’s done so often which was push even harder gaining ground passing other swimmers and eventually flying into first by almost a body length lead allowing anchor Lezak to close it out by holding off Australia’s Earnon Sullivan, who made a strong push but couldn’t make up enough ground to spoil the party.

When Lezak had touched the wall, history had been made to a rousing ovation from every spectator which included his emotional Mom Debbie Phelps, who like any proud parent was overjoyed at the spectacle. Her son was now the greatest swimmer in history and had earned it with the help from teammates who the unselfish and well spoken record holder was quick to credit for making it even possible.

There are winners and there are ultimate champions. Phelps is both as he handled himself like the biggest champion in Olympic history. This wasn’t about all the world records he shattered but more about what kind of a kind hearted individual he really was who appreciated it so much crying during the American national anthem as he stood next to very proud teammates who knew what they had witnessed.

“I don’t even know what to feel right now,” Phelps would later say. “There’s so much emotion going through my head and so much excitement. I kind of just want to see my mom.”

It was something out of a perfect Hollywood script like Roy Hobbs striking that final winning home run for the New York Knights in The Natural. This was Jimmy knocking down that jumper in Hoosiers to give good ‘ole Hickory the title. It was even Charlie Conway scoring on a penalty shot for Coach Gordon Bombay’s Mighty Ducks to beat his former rival coach and those big bad Hawks.

It was all those things and more in what will go down as the greatest week in swimming history. Phelps said he wanted to change his sport forever leaving a huge impact. Mission accomplished!

Nobody will ever look at swimming the same ever again. It’s the perfect way to show just how hard this sport is. Sure. It’s not a major sport a la baseball, football, basketball or even hockey. But this will not be soon forgotten. How do you define greatness? Is it Michael Jordan leading the Bulls to six titles? Is it Wayne Gretzky shattering every NHL scoring record and winning four Stanley Cups? Is it Alex Rodriguez winning three MVPs and looking like the future home run king without any lingering doubts? Is it the Yankees winning four World Series in five years? Is it the Patriots winning three Super Bowls? Is it LaDainian Tomlinson breaking rushing records and winning MVP? Or perhaps it’s Peyton Manning, who most likely will surpass Brett Favre if he ever retires. There’s no way you leave out Tiger Woods’ run on the PGA Tour or Nike buddy Roger Federer’s run on the tennis courts. And if soccer was bigger here, then global stars such as Ronaldhino, Ronaldo and Thierry Henry would get a lot more ink.

Greatness in athletics can be defined all these ways and more. What happened in Beijing is maybe the greatest single week any athlete’s ever had. The kind of training and dedication swimmers have is unlike any other. To even contemplate pulling off what Phelps did, you actually have to remember all those laps he put in at pools. I’m no expert and can swim alright but to be able to do what he did is unbelievable.

Kinda similar to what we also witnessed from new world record 100 meter holder Jamaican Usain Bolt, who blitzed some of the best competitors including disappointing countryman Asafa Powell with ease in a record time of 9.69 where he celebrated with 20 meters left cruising into the finish line. Something that’s never ever been seen before in any 100 M race. It looked so effortless much like the 22 year-old’s first two heats. Almost as if he wasn’t even trying just reemphasizing how special he was.

But as much as I love track as a former runner, that was one event with a possible gold also coming for the lightning Bolt in the 200. Phelps did this in eight which is what separates him from everyone else.

The next time the topic arises as to who’s the best athlete, the Olympic American swimmer who won five individual races along with three relays vaults right to the top of that discussion. He was even doubted by former Australian gold medalist Ian Thorpe, who was in attendance for the history making event along with USA Dream Teamers Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Jason Kidd. None of them wanted to miss it cause they knew they’d probably never see it again.

“Nothing is impossible,” Phelps noted of his doubters. “With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is an imagination, and that’s something I learned and something that helped me.”

“Without the help of my teammates this isn’t possible. I was able to be a part of three relays and we were able to put up a solid team effort and we came together as one unit.”

Stated like the kind of true champion he really is. In an era where selfish athletes exist, the more grounded Phelps gets it and that more than anything deserves our respect. I wish there were more special athletes like him around who don’t let all the records and money from endorsements go to his head.

“Everything lined up for him incredibly,” Australian long distance swimmer Grant Hackett pointed out. “He’s a nice guy, a good bloke, and the last few years I’ve never seen him change.”

“It’s been nothing but an upwards roller-coaster and it’s been nothing but fun,” Phelps added.

How could it not be? Once in a lifetime.

Phelps Video Tribute

Brett Favre is no longer the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. The 38 year-old future Hall of Famer was traded to the New York Jets for a conditional 2009 draft pick.

It was first reported by both ESPN and Fox Sports just after midnight on the East coast.

“We just felt like this was an opportunity to go get somebody of Brett’s stature and what he’s accomplished,” Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said during a conference call earlier this morning.

“We felt it was in the best interest of the team and when the opportunity presented itself, we felt it was the right move for us to make and we went ahead and did it.”

When it became apparent Favre would not be the man in Green Bay with the Packers opting to hand the reigns over to Aaron Rodgers, the Jets and Bucs were the final two teams in the running to land the NFL’s all-time leader in throwing touchdowns (442). Tampa dropped out making Gang Green’s destiny of landing the former Southern Miss star likely.

Favre was originally selected by the Falcons in the second round of the 1991 Draft. He only played in two games going 0-for-5 with two picks and a sack before Atlanta dealt him during the offseason to Green Bay for the 19th pick in the 1992 Draft in which they ironically selected another Southern Miss star Tony Smith, who lasted only three seasons. Perhaps that explains the Falcons legacy.

After becoming the starter with his new team, Favre went onto a brilliant career spending the next 16 years as arguably the best quarterback in the game leading the Packers back to the NFL’s elite winning Super Bowl XXXI over New England and losing to John Elway and Denver in Super Bowl XXXII. He is the only three-time AP MVP (1995-97) in league history.

Not only does Favre hold the NFL record for most TD’s thrown but most career passing yards (61,655), most career completions (5,377), attempts (8,758) and interceptions (288). He also holds the record for most consecutive starts among NFL QBs with 253 straight including 275 with playoffs. Not surprisingly, he also owns the most ever victories (160) for a starting signal caller.

Now, Brett will get the opportunity to turn around a Jets team which went just 4-12 a year ago as both Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens struggled. Before he decided to unretire getting league approval for reinstatement, the original plan was for the two QBs to battle it out in camp and preseason to see who would win the starting job.

Instead, the Jets will reportedly release the classy Pennington later today who twice cameback from rotator cuff surgery battling injuries during a respectable eight-year career finishing with 82 TDs and 55 Ints while tossing for 13,738 yards.

“It’s a bittersweet moment for us,” Tannenbaum pointed out. “I have all the respect in the world for Chad as a person, as a player. We’ve accomplished a lot of good things with Chad … He gave his heart and soul to this organization for a long, long time. I really appreciate everything he’s done.”

For his team, it’s the right move which of course comes with a lot of expectations. The pressure to win now while sacrificing the team’s future.

A high risk investment for a veteran QB who never seems to know whether he’s coming or going.

We doubt Jet fans will care. Today’s their day to celebrate arguably the franchise’s biggest acquisition.

Now the fun really begins.

When the trade deadline hit yesterday, it actually happened. Manny Ramirez was no longer a Red Sock traded in a three-team deal to the Dodgers with Pittsburgh’s Jason Bay landing in Beantown while the Pirates acquired prospects Andy LaRoche, Brandon Moss, Bryan Morris and Craig Hansen.

After seven-plus years swinging the bat like few right handed hitters have and helping lead the Red Sox to two world championships while the signature phrase “Manny Being Manny,” became a hit with fans in Massachusetts, the very laid back 36 year-old Santo Domingo native who starred for George Washington High School here in NYC is now headed west to Hollywood where Joe Torre will manage him. Ramirez can become a free agent at the end of the season but in the mean time will get to reacquaint himself with former Boston teammates Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Lowe and try to get the Dodgers into the playoffs. They currently trail the Diamondbacks by two games.

From our vantage point, the big slugger who brings 510 career home runs and 1,672 RBI’s plus a .312 lifetime average is one of the most colorful baseball stars in the game. For all the theatrics, he’s a player nobody wants to miss when he comes to the plate cause you know he’s capable of jacking one out with that perfect stroke which left the Green Monster so many times. Especially off Yankee pitchers. Nobody was more ecstatic than them yesterday. Ramirez kinda reminds me of Darryl Strawberry in that he also was a big athlete with a flair for the dramatic. And with that sweet swing, you had to see what he’d do. I can recall being fortunate enough to attend a three homer game as a Yankee where he victimized the White Sox back in 1996. That was freaking awesome and will stay with me just as witnessing troubled Met buddy Dwight Gooden toss a no-no on Athletic Sock Night shall for free due to snow versus the Royals on Opening Day.

That’s Manny too. He is an enigma who does things his way perhaps to a fault. In the end, that’s why the Red Sox finally pulled the trigger. Ramirez finished his Boston career with 273 homers slugging 33-or-better in his first six years while topping 40 three times and knocking in over 100 from 2001 to 2006. In 100 games this season, he was hitting .299 with 20 dingers and 68 RBI’s. Now, the 17-year veteran is moving to LA which 2004 World Series teammate Lowe is certainly excited about:

“I think people for some reason think he’s lazy and a bad teammate and that he doesn’t care. He’s none of the above. Does he do some goofy things? Absolutely. He does do some goofy things. But as far as preparation and knowing the game and wanting to win, there’s no way you put up those numbers year in and year out unless you’re a special talent and work at it. And he does both.”

Torre certainly likes being able to add a player of this caliber to an outfield which has struggled due to free agent bust Andruw Jones. Now, he has an everyday left fielder who can be penciled in the cleanup spot:

“When a player like Manny becomes available, I don’t think there’s a manager in baseball who wouldn’t say they’re interested. Manny’s certainly not a simple personality, that’s for sure. He’s complex. But I’ve seen him when he competes. … I’ve had some colorful personalities on my clubs like David Wells and Jimmy Leyritz. If you feel somebody’s going to help your club, you’ve got to find a way to make it work. And that’s my job. It’s a challenge, but I look forward to it.”

It will be strange to see Manny in Dodger blue as I’ve grown accustomed to seeing No.24 in that white and red Sock uniform take his cuts at the Yankees tormenting them over the years. Now, that dynamic duo of Manny and Big Papi are no more. Something I never imagined would happen. How will this affect his former club and can Bay, who’s never played on a winner really replace Ramirez and fit in helping the defending champs reach October again?

We won’t know the answer for quite a while. In the mean time, Manny will debut later tonight against another familiar face Randy Johnson in the second game of a big four-game set versus Arizona. Would it really shock anyone if he went yard helping his new team to a win?

For the Yanks, who went out and got crushed by the red hot Angels 12-6 on three three-run homers, they at least took solace knowing that they no longer have to deal with Manny in a big spot.

If you’re a Met fan, you’re wishing you had the chips to get the big slugger the rest of the way. Tale of two New York teams which changed places at 4 ET yesterday.

He swung as hard as he could helping fulfill a dream he once had a few years back wondering if he’d ever make it back to the big show while recovering from alcohol and drug abuse with a potential star career wasting away. Now it was that dream becoming a reality for former Devil Rays’ 1999 No.1 overall pick Josh Hamilton, who at the age of 27 is in his second big league season hammering AL pitchers all summer while starring for the Texas Rangers.

All these years later even with all the personal bouts with substance abuse, that once in a lifetime talent is still there being put on display in his first year over in the Junior Circuit after coming over in one of those great straight up deals which works out remarkably for both teams with current Reds’ All-Star starter Edinson Volquez enjoying the show.

As the AL leader in RBI’s (95) who also ranks third in home runs (21) and ninth in batting average (.310) took each measured cut at specially chosen 71 year-old volunteer former BP coach Clay Counsil’s offerings, it was like recreating a magical scene out of The Natural where a young Roy Hobbs has a catch with his Dad and then strikes out the legendary Babe on three pitches with many spectators looking on in amazement at a carnival. Only this time it’s a real comeback story for the ages with a starry eyed kid from Raleigh, North Carolina taking swings at the same coach who threw for him when he was a teenager back home.

Here he was as he pictured in that dream at the legendary old Yankee Stadium for the final All-Star Game festivities in the House That Ruth Built putting on an amazing display of power never before seen in the first round of the Homerun Derby. Blast after blast traveled as far as possible with quite a few even defying logic threatening to leave the old ballpark in the Bronx. There were a couple of shots which went more than 500 feet with one even going 518 leaving a crowd of better than 53,000 screaming wildly while chanting, “Hamil—ton, Hamil—ton, Hamil—ton” as he got further along breaking current Yankee and former Phillie Bobby Abreu’s Round One record of 24 homers.

“Obviously, the dream, I didn’t know how many I would hit,” he told ESPN’s Erin Andrews following a jaw dropping performance which saw him hit 13 straight out to all dimensions with a couple of outs to go including a couple deep on the black in Reggie territory and one off the facade leaving sluggers such as David Ortiz speechless.

“I just feel blessed to have played here.”

This was a night anyone who was at the big event won’t forget and it sure won’t be forgotten by those who caught Hamilton’s First Act which lasted approximately half an hour while eventual winner Justin Morneau watched even noting afterwards that the Texas outfielder deserved to win just due to how many he hit.

Though Twins’ first baseman, who took home AL MVP a couple of years prior edging out Yankee captain Derek Jeter, he was outhomered just in the first round alone by Hamilton 28 to his 22 for all three rounds. Unfortunately, like others before him who wore down, he couldn’t keep it up getting defeated by Morneau 5-3 in the final round. 

Instead, he finished with 35 on 59 swings from Counsil, who got to be at his first ever All-Star Game thanks to such loyalty from a former student and enjoyed every moment even if his arm needed some rest after that epic first round.

“I got chills,” he later admitted of the chants of his name making everyone realize how much it really meant. This was what they came to see. A story as good as this one making it all the way back and giving us as great a show in an exciting event which will always be a crowd pleaser.

No A-Rod. No Ryan Howard. No Papi. No problem.

Hamilton’s big night in the Bronx.

“They should have juiced the ball up. I’d have hit the subway.” 

I happened to be watching ESPN the other day, and Steve Carrell was on doing a bit for Sportscenter and how he is an avid Boston sports fan, and as I watched this unfold, Carrell still brings up the ‘pain’ of losing the Super Bowl last year, and cannot spit out the words Bill Buckner.

This past weekend I was in Las Vegas, and noticeably there was more green showing at the Sport books, with shirts and jerseys that said “Celtics” on the front. I was able to easily spot these jerseys and shirts due to the new shirt smells and tags cut off from the apparel that resonated throughout the casino.

As I took all this in, I thought to myself enough of the lies. Enough of the past. Boston fans, who ESPN will report can walk on water and cure the common cold, are still portrayed as ’suffering’ fans, fans that still have dark images from the past failures of teams.

This is mostly a lie.

The Boston Red Sox are the defending World Series Champions, the New England Pats* are 3 time Super Bowl winners this decade, and now after a former Celtic hooked up his former teammate with a package and Kevin Garnett popped out of the box, the Boston Celtics are back and are NBA Champions.

You want suffering Boston fans? Go West on 1-90, and stop in cities like Buffalo NY (4 Super Bowl losses, 2 Stanley Cup losses) and Cleveland (Browns move, lose heartbreakers in the 80’s, the Indians in 1997, the Cavs). Or, go down 1-95 to Philadelphia (Eagles zero Super Bowls, Phillies 1 World Series in 100 years, Flyers no Cup since 1975). So winning 6 professional championships since 2000 still deems your city as ’suffering?’ Please, and we have not even moved onto Chicago yet!

Ok, show of hands Celtics fans: How many of you knew who Rajon Rondo was this time last year? My money would be on you probably thought he was a prospect for the Pawtucket Red Sox before he was a Boston Celtic. And now we have to hear about the ‘mystique’ of the TD Bank and Waterhouse (I’m sure E-Trade will buy the naming rights soon!) Boston Garden?

Lakers fans have a reputation for being fake, and that is true to a point. Let’s just give some fake credit where it is due in Beantown as well. Just admit some of you dusted off the Bird jerseys, or ran to a Sports Authority sometime this year to fetch that Pierce jersey, and end the lies.

Copyright Wikimedia Commons 

This is mostly a blog about sports with some music sprinkled in. However, there are sometimes big events which can’t go unnoticed. Such was the case Friday when we heard the shocking news about Tim Russert announced by WFAN’s own Mike Francesa.

The Buffalo native was only 58 when he suffered a massive heart attack tragically passing away to the shock of many doing what he loved. Russert was doing a taping in the nation’s capital for NBC when he was stricken. Unfortunately, it was too late for paramedics to save him.

This was a very important person who had an excellent reputation as a political news reporter hosting NBC’s popular Meet The Press since 1991. I’m not going to say I knew Russert well but watched and listened to the man enough to gauge that he was very genuine and had a passion like few others in the TV industry. I frequently remember him appearing on Imus In The Morning before their falling out last year involving the Rutgers women’s basketball team.

His style of reporting was fun and frequently put political candidates on the spot during his shows. His style was kind of like a trial lawyer where he’d ask tough questions because at one time, he was on. The man also had a good sense of humor spelling out in magic marker on a board, “Florida, Florida, Florida,” about the controversial 2000 Presidential Election. He also nailed what 2004 came to by accurately mentioning Ohio in similar fashion.

Watching former colleague Tom Brokaw break the news and then be interviewed on the NBC News at 6 here in New York, it was quite obvious how heartbroken he was.

As I sat here watching Brokaw speak so highly about Russert, I just thought about how brave it really was. How many could really be put on the spot like that and eulogize a close friend with cameras rolling? At one point, the NBC veteran who used to anchor the NBC news got too emotional and was basically reduced to tears.

This was really hard to watch which might be why like so many, I was touched. The slight heavyset man with the bright smile was gone and way too soon. He had built his career by working on a couple of Democratic campaigns including former New York Governor Mario Cuomo some 26 years prior before eventually leaving politics to join NBC News where he eventually became the Washington Bureau Chief in 1988.

Russert became a recognizable face to so many households who appreciated his honest approach. He never acted like a Democrat doing his job the right way without any bias setting a proper example.

Both this year’s Presidential candidates each paid tribute to him Friday as did many others:

Sen. John McCain said “Tim Russert was at the top of his profession. He was a man of honesty and integrity. He was hard, but he was always fair.”^[33] Sen. Barack Obama said: “I’ve known Tim Russert since I first spoke to the convention in 2004. He was somebody who over time I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn’t a better interviewer in television nor a more thoughtful analyst of our politics, and he was also one of the finest men I knew.“^[33]

Not only was he an accomplished reporter but also went on to pen a few books including a best selling autobiography a few years ago entitled, “Big Russ and Me” about growing up in an Irish-oriented neighborhood in the Southern part of Buffalo.

Russert also bled for his two hometown sports teams the Bills and Sabres. He would’ve given anything especially to see the Bills win a Super Bowl. The man was a good sports fan who also liked the Yankees before becoming a Nationals fan and also liked the Wizards.

No matter the topic, the personable kid from Buffalo who was married to Maureen Orth and celebrated his son Luke’s college graduation from Boston College with a trip to Italy would always chime in giving his views.

He will be sorely missed by all.

R.I.P. Tim Russert (1950-2008)

What is the Legend of Voltron exactly? Well, if you grew up watching this awesome cartoon, then you know what I’m referring to. The five lions by the Voltron Force forming into the mighty Voltron: Defender of the Universe.

At this point, you’re probably wondering what the heck a nostalgic cartoon made over two decades ago has to do with sports and music? Absolutely positively zilch! What I do know is that Voltron was a phenomenon which was fun to watch as a kid. There was something about those five lions teaming up to become the mighty Voltron fending off evil King Zarkon and his Planet Doom cronies attempts to invade Planet Arus. 

Zarkon’s main advisor the ugly Witch Haggar always seemed to devise schemes creating Robeasts in attempts to destroy Voltron. Though she’s clever using her witchcraft as much as possible to even trick Planet Arus ruler Princess Allura during one episode, the Voltron force comprising of leader Keith (Black Lion), Lance (Red Lion), Hunk (Yellow Lion), Pitch (Green Lion) and Sven (Blue Lion) always came to the rescue patrolling the five lions to reform Voltron. Ironically enough, it was the beautiful Allura who would replace Sven learning to occupy the Blue Lion so they could still form Voltron after the Norwegian was injured by Haggar during an episode.

Such courage allowed her to successfully defend Planet Arus and be a true leader despite being sort of young. I always figured she was 17 or 18. It turns out I was in the right area code. Has there ever been a prettier female cartoon character? Yeah. That always worked against the evil Prince Lotor (son of Zarkon), who was quite taken with her. 

The Princess had her own mental strain where her dead and buried father King Alfor’s ghost often visited to help Allura out in time of need when it looked like the empire might crumble. It was his image which helped her rediscover where four of the five keys to the lions were. She and Keith were able to find the final key from her friendly mouses who were hiding it. Once that key to the blue lion was discovered, Voltron could finally once again defend the universe in a cool world where good prevailed over evil.

If you’ve ever watched it, you could see the appeal. At the time, it was pretty advanced. Who would’ve ever thought to create such a high tech superpower which could be formed by a team of five to fight all combatants and protect their world? Sheer genius no doubt.

So, what brought this entry up? It was just something I punched in on YouTube out of curiosity. Remarkably, a bunch of mini episodes came up from the original series including the cool intro which gives the viewer an idea of what they were going up against. Plus the cool transformation into Voltron.

Amazingly, there’s still an official site as well. All in all, pretty cool to say the least. Voltron still lives.

For once, you really can “Blame It On The Rain.” Much like that once misplaced Milli Vanilli hit some 20 years ago, that accurately reflects both New York baseball teams on the 16th day of May with the Subway Series on tap.

So much for good May weather. But hey. Do either the Yankees or Mets deserve the sun to shine down on them at this early juncture of the season? We already know the answer. Maybe it’s a bit of poetic justice that the weather is so crappy reminding us more of late March and April rather than traditional May days.

Both teams stink. Sure. It’s still very early. There’s plenty of time for the Yanks and Mets to turn it around. Sometimes, that’s forgotten in such a demanding town which is all about the present when it comes to its two baseball teams. The grind of a 162-game schedule has peaks and valleys. Unfortunately, both clubs with high expectations have hit a lull entering this weekend’s three-game set at Yankee Stadium a combined 40-41. Remarkably, it’s the first time since the Subway Series inception that the two metro area teams entered under .500. But as esteemed New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro pointed out in a well written column, it was bound to happen sometime.

Symbolism is a funny thing. Almost to a U2 hit, “Mysterious Ways.” That it’s pouring literally and dark as can be for this time of year epitomizes the slow starts by our two ballclubs who so many fans in this area live and die with.

Just listening to all the panic on WFAN airwaves is enough to drive you insane. Of course, the “Fire Willie” demands have only intensified after his team’s dreadful 3-4 homestand against last place fodder. Granted. The manager isn’t doing the job. Ultimately, it comes down to his players who are plenty talented but have been lacking consistency, intensity and common sense. Why is it always the same two players who show frustration over their team’s lackadaisical play?

On the flip side of town, the Yanks just lost three of four to the improved Rays down in Tampa drawing the ire of Hank Steinbrenner. They have their own issues which include a paltry offense that’s putting more pressure on the pitching staff. The good news is Mike Mussina has suddenly rediscovered himself and Darrell Rasner, who will oppose Johan Santana whenever Game One gets underway has pitched well. The alarming is the continued ups and downs of Andy Pettite, Ian Kennedy’s struggles and LaTroy Hawkins’ implosions. Combine that with a popgun offense and it’s hard to win games.

Maybe A-Rod’s quad will finally be healthy enough to return soon and help inject much needed righty power in a dead lineup. Who knows what the time table is for Jorge Posada? For now, Joe Girardi continues to pencil in the Shelly Duncans and Morgan Ensbergs while batting Melky Cabrera sixth.

Is this the weekend Jose Reyes sparks the Mets to a big series win before headed to Atlanta possibly saving the manager’s job? Or does the Yankee captain step to the forefront leading his slumping team to two of three and perhaps back on track?

Hard to say. What I do know is that rain never felt more appropriate. And we don’t mean the cold November Guns N’ Roses kind. Bet those two teams wish it were.

We got a long way to go.

When one looks at the AL East standings from the first month, a couple of things will stand out. The Orioles are playing good ball over .500 and the Rays are in first place having won eight of 10.

That also means the Yankees are once again off to a slow start under new skipper Joe Girardi. Something which has become a weird tradition for a team which prides itself on perfection and the pursuit of winning a 27th world championship.

It would be easy to point to the DL stints of MVP Alex Rodriguez and perennial All-Star Jorge Posada for why the Bronx Bombers find themselves two games under .500 (14-16) and three behind both Tampa Bay and Boston. That still doesn’t explain being swept at The Stadium by the Tigers for the first time in 42 years.

Jim Leyland’s resurgent club completed a three-game sweep last night by scoring eight of the last nine runs to turn back a 3-0 Yankee deficit courtesy of a Bobby Abreu three-run first inning blast. No worries for the Tiger bats who pounded out eight extra base hits to the Yanks’ one in rallying back for their eight win in 10 to suddenly pull within a game of .500 (14-15). They started 2-10.

AL MVP runner-up Magglio Ordonez led a balanced 11-hit attack against struggling rookie starter Ian Kennedy. Given a three-run lead, he gave it back when Detroit pushed across four in the third including a tying two-run Ordonez double and a go-ahead Miguel Cabrera RBI triple.

The 23 year-old former first round pick out of USC was looking for his first victory this season but didn’t get much help from Abreu in the field, who according to a few peturbed Bomber fans on WFAN strayed away from the right field wall on two triples in the game. That included a two-run Ramon Santiago three-bagger which was valuable insurance off ineffective losing Yankee reliever Jonathan Albaledejo.

Who??? Exactly.

If you’re a Yankee fan, you know by now that it’s way too early to push the panic button. A-Rod will be back. As for Posada, our guess is as good as anyone’s. Rest is the best thing for the valuable veteran leader.

Even without them, there’s still enough bats to be producing more than what Girardi’s getting. When Melky Cabrera is tied for the club lead in dingers (5), that’s not a good sign. I’m a Melky backer and he’s improved but where the heck is sidekick Robinson Cano?

As usual, Cano’s off to an atrocious start. It’s been the second baseman’s trademark. However, that shouldn’t be an excuse for a talented player capable of winning both a batting title and Gold Glove. Isn’t it about time the 25 year-old who hit .306 with 19 dingers and 97 RBI’s (.343-13-57 Post All-Star in 2007) was held to a higher standard? He now makes more bucks and must start being a more consistent performer because he’s the Yanks’ youngest star in an All-Star lineup with untapped potential.

Getting Cano untracked would certainly be a big step in the right direction. Here’s a suggestion for Girardi. Try hitting him higher in the order. Could someone please explain why he batted eighth last night behind Cabrera and has been Morgan Ensberg with Chad Moeller as batting protection? It makes about as much sense as trying recently recalled Shelly Duncan cleanup.

Jason Giambi also is more washed up than Cher. Unless he’s bopping the ball out, there’s no place for him in the lineup. He shouldn’t hit ahead of Cano.

The only Yanks who are doing their job at the plate are the aforementioned Cabrera and Abreu along with Hideki Matsui. That means they need more from team captain Derek Jeter. And by that, I don’t mean just singles. He has no stolen bases in 24 games. He’s been back long enough to at least attempt steals and set the tone.

Leadoff hitter Johnny Damon has come around after a slow start. The Pinstripes need the gritty 34 year-old former Red Sock to continue getting on base.

While the depleted lineup is one story, the other is the continued problems with the Yankee rotation. Outside of ace Chien-Ming Wang, it’s been pretty mediocre. The 28 year-old Wang won five of his first six starts entering Friday’s home game against Seattle. He’s done his part even striking out 27 in 39 innings.

Andy Pettite’s been up and down. Some outings, the crafty southpaw veteran has done the job winning half while getting into the seventh. The others have seen the 35 year-old 200-plus game winner show his age giving up five long balls. The good news is that when he’s won, that hasn’t been an issue. The bad is that he’s allowed four homers the last two times out. Not coincidentally both Yankee defeats. Is this what you want from your second starter?

Mike Mussina’s performed admirably as the No.3 winning three and losing three in similar fashion to Pettite permitting seven long balls. He’s basically a five inning pitcher. The problem is that taxes a pen which isn’t very good. Especially when Girardi continues to roll out Ross Ohlendorf (Woh-len-dorf) and latest free agent bust LaTroy Hawkins. Instead, he’s reminding Yankee fans of Andy Hawkins. At least they’re not related.

We’ve already documented Kennedy who after last night is still winless in five starts with Girardi non-committal on whether he’ll stay in the rotation. Like the alternatives are any better? Who’s longing to see Japanese failure Kei Igawa?

The Yanks already have to replace an injured Phil Hughes, who it was discovered had a broken rib along with a right oblique strain. That might help explain a miserable start in which he’s 0-4 with a team worst 9.00 ERA. Somehow, he started his sixth game of the season this past Tuesday getting tattooed by Detroit for six earned runs, eight hits along with the first two homers against in just three and two thirds before coming out.

You got to wonder about the 21 year-old former first round pick’s ability to stay healthy. This is the second straight year he’s gone down and will miss significant time. He shouldn’t be expected back before he turns 22. Maybe that’s a good omen.

The Yanks must be right about Kennedy and Hughes because they passed on Johan Santana putting a lot more emphasis on the younger shoulders of the two hurlers while Joba Chamberlain remains a perfect bridge to Mariano Rivera.

Hank Steinbrenner can bark all he wants but keeping Joba in the pen is best for now. Kyle Farnsworth has pitched better lately but let’s be serious. He can’t be trusted in the eighth inning.

What else is alarming? What the heck are Ensberg and reliever Billy Traber doing on the active roster? Better questions for Girardi and Brian Cashman to answer.

For now, the Yanks will have to make do with what they have. No one ever said it would be easy.

Loss. How does one cope with it? Every individual handles adversity differently. To an extent, we’ve all experienced the pain of losing a loved one.

I haven’t had grandparents for a few years now but still have very vivid memories of what made them such an integral part of my life growing up. I can still see each looking down on me smiling showing off their wonderful human qualities. They always were there for myself and my younger brother.

Some of the best times we spent as kids were at my grandparents in Ocean Parkway in the BK. Whether it was going to the store for fresh fruit, hitting Brighton Beach, eating a home cooked meal or seeing a movie, it was always worthwhile. I particularly loved the playground shooting hoops on those baskets without rims. Schoolyard style. There always was something refreshing about playing b-ball across the street from Lincoln High where future stars like Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson would play.

Maybe it was something in the air. There are those moments where you can just feel it. That quite a few are spent with people we care about has an affect.

Life is great and should be enjoyed to the fullest cause one never knows when it’s up. Which brings me to death. The least understood and sad reality of life. It’s like all those times I chilled with my friend T. He concluded that as soon as we’re born, we’re dying. It sounds kind of crazy but in a way, he’s right.

That’s why you got to suck it all up and live in the moment. Death doesn’t play favorites. It can be very unfair but out of our control. My brother just found out last night that one of his closest friends lost their Mom. She was a really good person and not very old but had health issues including an aneurysm a few years back. Just overhearing the convo, I could tell it was the worst kind of news and felt extremely blank.

No longer did the Penguins coming back to defeat the Rangers mean very much. Sports are great but pales in comparison to this bone chilling topic. I was also close with his friend and knew their Mom as well as sister. I feel extremely bad about it and saddened for their loss. Making matters worse, she didn’t have life insurance and their father was a deadbeat. So, you can imagine where my sentiment is this very second.

It just doesn’t seem right. I feel fortunate to still have both my parents around. I couldn’t imagine losing either as their overwhelming support is what keeps me going.

I also can’t picture losing a loved one to a bloody murder created by irresponsible NYPD cops as in the Sean Bell case. As pretty much everyone knows by now, the 23 year-old Bell was killed on his wedding day on Nov.25, 2006 when three undercover officers fired 50 shots. The fiancee of Nicole Paultre Bell was out partying with close buddies Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. As the bachelor party concluded outside a night club in Jamaica, Queens, they were fired at by NYPD officers Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper.

They were led to believe that Bell allegedly had a gun. Of course, nothing was ever discovered with even their claim of a fourth person near Bell’s Nissan Altima never turning up.

“Today was his wedding day - not his death day,” Bell’s Uncle Oniaja Shepherd told the New York papers Nov.26, 2006. “We were supposed to go to a wedding. Now we’re going to a funeral.”

What one ponders is how did New York’s finest get it so wrong and still fire 50 shots brutally murdering Bell and injuring Guzman? That 31 came from the gun of Oliver is even more puzzling. Isnora fired 11 while Cooper got off four.

It’s one thing if they were armed but that wasn’t the case which is why it’s so hard to fathom Supreme Court Justice Arthur Cooperman’s not guilty verdict rendered in a New York courtroom the other day.

To hear Bell’s widow of two tell it, the decision hurt even more:

“Every march, every rally, I’m going to be right up front,” Paultre Bell said at a rally with Reverend Al Sharpton front and center promising a massive citywide demonstration in the coming weeks.

“The justice system let me down. They killed Sean all over again. That’s what it felt like to us.”

“They’ve shown they will not hold the police responsible,” an emotional Sharpton addressed reporters from his Harlem headquarters. “Well guess what? If you won’t, we will.”

At the very least, he did ask all the protesters to use good judgment. Something which couldn’t be said during this case. Whether or not the two key prosecution witnesses Guzman and Benefield were believable, there had to be some form of punishment for the three officers. They can’t just get off Scott free.

It isn’t right. Cops have very high responsibilities. Part of that responsibility is using proper judgment and not overreacting making potentially chaotic situations worse.

This script has been written before. Armadou Diallo anyone? Same end result.

Was it Oliver, Isnora and Cooper’s intention to murder Bell? Probably not. But hey. You’re still responsible for your actions. What do you think the result would’ve been if they weren’t cops? It’s not even a question.

There just can’t be double standards in such a case as this. Bell’s body won’t rest in peace and neither will his still grieving wife and distraught parents Valerie and William.

How would you feel?