Yankee closer Mariano Rivera and teammates had plenty to smile about while Met skipper Jerry Manuel and his team didn't this weekend.

It’s been an interesting week here. So let’s get to it. Shall we?

1.Is Jerry Manuel really wrong about his battered team? I mean they do have to basically be perfect just to win games. Against the Cards, they were and took three of four. But this weekend that wasn’t the case with too many mental mistakes leading to Yankee runs as their crosstown rivals came into Citi Field and swept them. So, they fell short. What does Manuel’s sarcasm in a postgame have to do with that his players aren’t that talented right now? Zilch. He is begging Omar Minaya to wake up from the doldrums and do something. Maybe if the Phillies were eight up, there’d be more urgency…

2.The two games off seems to have done the trick for one Alex Rodriguez and that couldn’t come at a better time for the Yanks.

3.When does Robby Cano, who statistically speaking is having a solid season finally deliver a big hit?

4.Daniel Murphy can’t be the best the Mets can do at first. What happened to Fernando Tatis?

5.Phil Hughes is pretty automatic these days out of that Yankee pen.

6.So wanted to see Team USA hang on over Brazil yesterday but there’s a reason they’re so skilled and unfortunately, it showed in that second half of the Confed Cup championship. Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and especially Tim Howard have nothing to be ashamed of. Tell ya one thing. That Kaka is some player. What a soccer name!

7.Looking forward to seeing how Roger Federer fares in the French Final rematch later today in the same Round of 16 situation Robin Soderling slayed the dragon on clay in Rafa Nadal. Wimbledon did Roger no favors with either big serving Ivo Karlovic/Fernando Verdasco waiting in the quarters and Novak Djokovic on pace for a semi clash, assuming the five-time All England Club champ gets through.

8.Really want to see that Andy vs Andy semi between Murray and Roddick on the other side. Might Lleyton Hewitt have something to say about it? Yes. He’s playing well. We’ll see.

9.It sure looks like Venus will cruise past Ana Ivanovic and through her section to another final. Can she three-peat? Bigger question is will younger sis Serena make it with a potential tough quarter against emerging power house Victoria Azarenka? Have to figure Serena will take care of looker Daniela Hantuchova today to help set it up.

10.Only Knick fans could boo the first round pick of Jordan Hill which was really a no-brainer once Stephen Curry went to Golden State. Way to be. Speaking of the Draft, loved the Nets’ pick of Terrence Williams. Not just cause we called it either but because he’ll be a good pro. Great move too getting rid of Vince Carter. Now, Orlando can deal with that headache and relive his cousin Tracy McGrady.

11.So much for all that suspense regarding the Islanders’ first overall selection. John Tavares and Isles’ fans breathed a huge sigh of relief. Still found it amusing how they celebrated like they won a Cup.

12.Is trading for Darko Milicic really the best Donnie Walsh can do? Let’s see Mike Lupica defend that one.

13.How the heck does Tim Wakefield have 10 wins? Remarkable.

14.Imagine if the Mets played in the AL East.

15.At least Mark De Rosa was traded for a top 100 prospect.

16.It doesn’t get more bizarre than Francisco Rodriguez walking Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded. Just listening to Howie Rose told ya all you needed to know. Wonder what Brian Bruney thought at that moment? You know. The invaluable setup guy who couldn’t get three outs against Buffalo before Mo bailed him out by getting Omir Santos looking en route to his 500th career save.

17.Does Lori Rubinson realize how bitter she comes off when she asks Yankee fans if they should really be happy that they swept a bad team? The same scrappy bunch that took three of four against the game’s best hitter that’s tied for the NL Central. Word to the wise. You don’t get style points. Like Bill Parcells used to say, beat who’s on your schedule.

18.Okay. I get that Citi Field isn’t a hitter’s paradise but how come the Yanks had no problem hitting a few out including lightweight Brett Gardner?

Besides, doesn’t this fact baffle some?

David Ortiz: 8 HR

David Wright: 4 HR

It doesn’t mean the Met All-Star third baseman’s having a bad season. He’s still hitting for a great average (.342) with 39 RBI’s, 47 runs and 20 steals. But at some point, he has to start going deep. With how battered his team is, they need him to.

19.Fernando Nieve or Oli Perez?

20.Given all the weird injuries and even odder end results, any truth to the rumor Dr. Seuss is employed in Queens?

21.Finally, this just in. The local JCC is run better than the T-wolves. That’s not a ringing endorsement.

Rafael Nadal won't be able to defend Wimbledon. We'll sure miss him but will Roger Federer as he goes for history?

It’s early Saturday morning and the start of another unpredictable New York weekend. Here’s a few things floating around our sleepy head:

1.The Mets must never want the Phillies to hit the road given how brutal they’ve performed. The losing streak’s up to four allowing Fernando Nieve and the Amazin’s to gain more ground, pulling within two games of first thanks to a 5-3 home win over the Rays. Meanwhile, the Phils were routed by the Orioles de-proving to 1-6 versus AL East visitors. Yikes.

2.The Yanks did just fine without Alex Rodriguez, who gets the first two games back in Florida off. Apparently, the Marlins were the right elixir for Andy Pettite, who allowed just a run fanning seven for his seventh win. And hey. A-Rod’s replacement Angel Berroa chipped in with an RBI hit. It added up to a 5-1 win, gaining a game on the Red Sox, who fell to Atlanta 8-2.

3.The Yanks and Mets are both two out of first. Weird.

4.I really am bummed about Rafael Nadal pulling out of Wimbledon due to a chronic knee. The exciting 23 year-old Spaniard won’t be able to defend his crown. So, there will be no Nadal-Roger Federer rematch. He made the right call after dropping consecutive exhibitions the past two days to Lleyton Hewitt and Stanislas Wawrinka. That wouldn’t have boded well the next two weeks trying to win seven competitive best three of five matches.

5.The door is now open for Federer to reclaim the grass with a sixth Wimbledon and pass Pete Sampras. The toughest competition should come from No.3 Scot Andy Murray, who has a decent draw. Perhaps this major could be his breakthrough as he tries to become the first English player to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry (1936). Other possible men’s contenders should come from No.4 Novak Djokovic and sixth seeded American Andy Roddick, who has a great draw with possible competition coming from Nikolay Davydenko and Juan Martin Del Potro. The best a tennis fan can hope for is a Roddick-Murray semi with Federer taking on Djokovic. A Federer-Murray final would at least help make up for no Rafa.

6.If the Knicks are smart, they’ll go for Ty Lawson over Stephen Curry. While I do believe Curry will be an excellent pro, he’s not what the Knicks need. Lawson is super fast and a true point guard, who guided the Tar Heels to the NCAA title. Forget his lack of size. He can get to the basket but is pass first and can finish when needed. Try telling that to Mike Lupica and the rest of the so-called experts in this city.

7.If the Nets really are serious about trading Devin Harris for a first round pick, they’re even dumber than first thought.

8.I’m so glad Shaq and Kobe are on good terms again.

9.Sidney Crosby winning the Stanley Cup is great for the NHL but he still should have showed up for the Awards in Vegas the other night. Speaking of which, will Sid The Kid, Evgeni Malkin and the Pens be making an appearance on Letterman? Or will NBC try to get them for Conan? You’d think they would considering the kind of ratings that Game 7 generated.

10.Gotta love two-time Hart/Pearson winner Alex Ovechkin making wise cracks about fellow Russian Malkin’s lack of English.

11.Phil Mickelson. Not Tiger would be the better story this weekend. That’s if they can actually get some holes in before the rain.

12.Dante Stallworth getting 30 days for killing a bystander while being impaired has to be some sorta bad joke. So what if he settled with the suffering family. That’s hardly enough punishment. Drinking irresponsibly costs lives. When will the double standards with star athletes finally end? How does Mike Vick serve 18 months for dog fighting losing everything and Stallworth doesn’t even get half that?

13.He deserves to serve serious time for what he did because it was disgusting but 45 years seems like a lot for Mel Hall.

14.When it does get going Monday, I”ll miss those rain delays at the All England Club.

15.Can a woman other than a Williams sister win the crown? I hope Maria Sharapova takes out Serena. What will be her excuse this time? She needs to be more like older sis Venus. Lose gracefully.

16.Five NBA Draft sleepers this Thursday who likely won’t get scooped up till the second round:

1.SG Wesley Matthews, Marquette

2.PF Dante Cunningham, Villanova

3.SF Danny Green, North Carolina

4.PG Darren Collison, UCLA

5.SG Dionte Christmas, Temple

17.As a huge hockey fan, I really hope the Islanders make the right choice with the No.1 overall pick next Friday in Montreal.

18.Don’t the Devils need to find a coach before July 1?

19.Every Ranger fan is praying Glen Sather doesn’t screw up yet again.

20.Every now and then, America needs an old classic to appreciate like The Animal’s “House Of The Rising Sun” seen here:

21.That’s for you Dad. You’ve always supported both me and my brother no matter what. I can’t say enough in this space to make it up to you. You’re the best father anyone could ever ask for. Here’s hoping one day soon, we all get to celebrate something special with our Rangers at our second home. So it’s a day early. Happy Father’s Day!

The half hour show on ESPN in what should be a chaotic atmosphere has gotten underway with usual suspects Stephen A. Smith, Mark Jackson, Jay Bilas and host Mike Tirico on hand to breakdown what takes place.

Of course, we already are aware that Portland will select Greg Oden No.1 overall. Thanks guys for taking the fun out of that elusive first pick. Yeah. I know the big man from Ohio State would’ve gone first anyway. But did they have to tell ESPN this a night prior? It hurts the build up and makes it anticlimatic.

And already, Stephen A is ranting and raving about something to do with the Celtics. There’s been a rumor that Dumb and Dumber GM Danny Ainge could acquire Ray Allen from Seattle in exchange for Delonte West, their fifth overall pick where Seattle would take Jeff Green and also get something else in return. Would it really matter? It would be a home run for them and another idiotic move by Ainge.
Already the Hawks are looking clueless as they can’t even decide whether to do the three-way deal which would net them Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix in a deal which would send KG to the Suns and ship their two high picks (3 and 11) to Minnesota. Typical Atlanta. Why can’t someone take control of this skitzo franchise already? How can Dominique Wilkins work for them? He must cringe at the lack of direction.

Updating, they already had Dick Vitale make a cameo from his Florida home. I guess he was able to squeeze it in after rushing out of an early bird special. We kid. We love Dickie V. Let the sweating begin!

We’ll be doing more live blogging when the draft officially gets underway. And if you want more coverage, don’t forget to tune into my Hard Hits show where myself, JPG and others will breakdown the first round and whatever else happens tonight:

http://blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=34900

7:21 ET: Joakim Noah is interviewed and he’s brought out the bow tie! Are you kidding?!?!?!?!?! Oh my god. And The Lurker comments, “And he doesn’t even have his Michael Jackson look.”

What will happen next? Stuart Scott’s glass eye is really revealed as Glass Joe from Tyson’s Punchout?!?!?!?!?!

7:26 ET: Mr. Big Mouth and unreliable source Jim Gray states the obvious that Kobe won’t be going anywhere. Ya don’t say! And Pete Rose isn’t going to Cooperstown either!

7:27 ET: Oh look. It’s Fran Fraschilla. He’s analyzing this Chinese big man. He looks like he needs to put on few pounds. I’d recommend going across the street and having some Nathans!

7:29 ET: Dan da Man from All Sports Radio is feelin’ Amare coming to Charlotte. If that happens, I might just eat my shoe. Why would that happen?

7:30 ET: The time has arrived and David Stern is about to come up and welcome the nutjobs who probably mugged their way into the Theatre for a seat. Let the theatrics begin!

7:31 ET: And there hs is, Mr. Rulebook and he announces MSG as “home of the Knicks and Liberty.” Sadly, the Liberty are the franchise that’s closer to delivering a basketball championship to this proud city. There were only a few boos. So far, this crowd seems subdued. Weird.

7:33 ET: The Blazers are officially on the clock. What’s the point of showing the war room? Look at these idiots clapping and standing at their table. Good god. What if it’s actually revealed what my buddy Sambeze over at his Anti-E$PN show said: “That Greg Oden is actually Greg Olden and is a 35 year-old version of Alonzo Mourning.”

P.S. Before I forget, Bilas is an idiot for saying that Oden is more advanced that Patrick Ewing was as a freshman. I just don’t buy it. You don’t make that comparison yet. We’ll see what happens down the line though.

7:35 ET: Can’t Stephen A. chill out? Where’s Beetle Juice when you need him?

7:36 ET: Stern officially announces Mr. Oden as the first overall selection.

In the background, they showed Durant applauding and all I could think was, ‘How come he looks like a kid compared to Oden.’ Oden seriously looks like he could be his Dad. He’s got the Dikembe Mutombo look going. Yikes.

Stephen A says “You can’t teach 7 feet” but apparently nobody told Yinka Dare or Shawn Bradley.

7:41 ET: Oden sounds a little nervous with Stuart Scott and not too enthused. Why not big man? Man. He really has no personality. That’s something he could use. Especially going to Portland. At least he admitted to Stu that he looked older than LeBron.

That reported deal between the Celtics and Sonics looks like it’s going to happen according to Andy Katz. The Celts will send West, Wally Sczerbiak and draft Jeff Green for Seattle and receive Allen. Look. He still is one of the premiere SG’s in the league but how much better will the former Uconn star be? This is just another brainlock by Ainge unless he knows something we don’t.

7:43 ET: No surprise as Durant goes No.2 to Seattle. The first freshman to ever take home the NCAA player of the year is very talented. He can get to the basket and step back and score from anywhere but needs to bulk up.

7:45 ET: Durant looks extremely focused and doesn’t get upset about not being able to bench 185 at a recent workout last month. He’ll still need to get stronger.

The Hawks are officially on the clock. Will they go for PF Al Horford or address their lack of a PG with Oden’s college mate Mike Conley, Jr?

7:48 ET: The Hawks are predictable as usual and take Horford filling a need. Their best rebounder got like under seven a game this past season. I like him. He really progressed this season with Florida as they repeated. He’s developed well and is a terror on the offensive glass. Very solid post player and can step out and knock it down from 12-15. It’s not a bad move but will they also be able to address their hole at the point? Acie Law IV is expected to slip.

Smith says they should’ve taken a PG and we concur. Wow. Stephen A. says something we agree on and didn’t sound obnoxious. The crowd just doesn’t seem as into it for some reason. Could it be because Isiah doesn’t pick till 24?

Horford had his own cheering section, “The Horford Hotties” according to Stu to which the big man laughs. Let’s see Florida and hotties. Enough said!

Action Jackson calls the pick “a bad decision” but I bet Horford turns into a solid player.

7:52 ET: The Grizzlies scoop up Conley, Jr at fourth overall. No shock. They reel in the most skilled guard. He’s lightning quick and was amazing during OSU’s run to the final. He was better than his teammate during that tournament.

As Stu finishes his interview with a cool Conley, Jr., ESPN breaks out some rare footage from their library of Pop dunking 15 years ago from the free throw line. There’s a reason junior has the speed from the former long jump gold medallist/record holder.

7:56 ET: The Celtics will now select Green from Georgetown for Seattle to complete this trade which makes no sense at all. They’re essentially hooking up the Sonics and have rebuilt them. Congratulations! This franchise truly is in disarray. Maybe my buddy Tim from South River was right last night when he said that they should’ve forfeited the pick.

So now, as Stephen A notes about how they rebuilt themselves thanks to some help, they got Durant, Green and West. And this is without knowing what happens with Rashard Lewis. If he stays, that’s a nice core. If not, they’ll get a solid return.

The Bucks are picking next at No.6. So who will they take? We’ll find out next.

8:02 ET: As the time passes, now we just want to see Noah get selected so we can see that crazy bow tie again and see him do some crazy gesture or something. He is a little out there. So it’s possible.

8:04 ET: Yi Jianlian from China gets selected by the Bucks at No.6. He’s listed as a forward and boy oh boy is he thin for a big guy. My god. They should immediately get this guy about 10 Big Macs. He’s only 19 and Fraschilla claims he loves to dunk on people. He looks athletic but how will he do against much stronger bodies?

According to Katz, Yi’s people didn’t want the Bucks to take him. How nice. Milwaukee doesn’t fit the parameters. What? Not enough egg rolls and hot and sour soup? We love spring rolls and who doesn’t love fried rice.
Well, the good news is he apparently speaks English and explains to Glass Eye why he’s ready by saying he’s played Olympics and other international competitions.

The T-Wolves are now up. Well, KG isn’t going anywhere. So what will another clueless executive who was part of those great Celtics teams in Kevin “Bolthead” McHale do?

One disappointing aspect of ESPN’s coverage is no Greg Anthony. Where’s that poke-a-dot suit when you need it?

8:11 ET: Another Gator is gone. This time the athletic Corey Brewer goes to Minnesota. The Final Four MVP is a versatile forward who can score in a variety of ways. He can get to the basket at will and can step out and knock down the trifecta.

And right on cue, there’s Dickie V going on and on about what a homerun this pick was. It looks good. Brewer is also a great defender as Tirico points out. We really like this selection.

Brewer seems very emotional about being taken. Very quiet too. You can tell what it means. Noah is waiting it out. Will the energizer slip or will three Gators go in the top 10?

The Bobcats are on the clock. Can Dan da Man’s Cats screw this up? Dan wants them to select Brandon Wright from UNC. No surprise there. You have to figure they’ll go that way or maybe take Noah.

8:17 ET: Rachel Nichols says Michael Jordan wants to deal the pick. Gee. What else is new? MJ might have been one of the greatest pros but he is lost as an executive. Remember. He once took Kwame Brown No.1 overall with Washington. How did that turn out?

8:18 ET: The Bobcats select Wright. So another freshman gets taken. He’s a great talent but what about consistency? Bilas loves this pick and had him ranked fourth. Says he needs to get stronger and improve his shot. He’s an athletic player. No doubt. And can play above the rim.

Stephen A questions whether Charlotte will spend the money on some free agents to put guys around their young talent such as Wright, Ray Felton and Adam Morrison. Another solid point.

Wright seems poised and ready to go during the interview with Stu. Looks like he’s ready to play today.

Now, the Bulls are on the clock in that infamous Eddy Curry deal as they flipped picks with the Knicks. And a cocky Bull fan has a “Thanks Isiah” sign and is booed. Then the camera of course switches to Spike Lee in a classic Knick jersey and he waves.

Looks like JPG wants his team to take Noah. Dan da Man is happy with his team’s selection. Will JPG be? Noah would fill a need as another energy player off the bench who can block shots and rebound on both sides of the glass. Just imagine him and Tyrus Thomas. Yikes. Here we go.

8:25 ET: And right on cue, Noah gets taken. And he’s overjoyed. This has been a homecoming of sorts for Joakim as he was huddled with family and friends. He pointed his finger emphatically at the stands twice. This kid never seems to lack fire. We’ll see how he does on the court for the Bulls when he teams with Thomas.

JPG credits me because I said his team would wind up with the leader of the Gator chop a year ago. I won’t take credit because sometimes things can change. Noah seems overjoyed and thanks God and his mentor. You can tell that his dream has been realized.

Bilas talked about how he’d rather have a guy who hates to lose than one who loves to win. And that is Noah. If there are two things he’ll need work on, it’s putting some more bulk on and his low post game. If he can develop some consistency on offense, wow.

The Kings will pick next at No.10.

8:32 ET: The Kings take center Spencer Hawes from Washington. It’s another freshman and a guy who might not be ready for primetime yet. But Bilas likes his potential. From watching some clips, it looks like he can find teammates which is always a plus. But also at 7+ he’s not that athletic and doesn’t play above the rim.

It looks like it will take some time. With Stu, he seems very analytical and understands that he needs work and what to improve on. This seems like a smart guy. Only time will tell how it pans out for the Kings.

Smith doesn’t like the pick of Noah for the Bulls. He feels that they already have high energy guys like Thomas and Ben Wallace. We’ll see. Smith is right that their low post game is lacking unless the young guns develop. I could still see Jim Paxson swinging a deal to address that.

8:38 ET: The Hawks make their second pick of the night by taking Law IV to fill their hole at the point. This move makes a lot of sense. For the Hawks, that’s something you don’t usually associate with them. But on paper, it looks like they have addressed their two needs by getting Horford for PF and now the versatile Law who can score and distribute the ball. I really like this guy because he’s a big game performer. He can get to the rim and also find the open man.

Bilas questions his ability to defend. He’s definitely an NBA ready player. And at 6-3+, has enough size. Law seems poised during the interview. He stuck with Texas A & M after a dreadful freshman year and helped rebuild the program to respectability. Now he’ll try to get another awful franchise back to the playoffs along with his new Gator teammate.

The 76ers are on the clock and wanted to trade the 12th pick.

8:43 ET: Philadelphia takes F Thaddeus Young from Georgia Tech meaning that half the picks so far have been freshmen. Credit Stephen A for nailing this one as he said the 76ers needed some size inside. Young is a very athletic player who can run the floor.

He has a lot of potential.

We’ve got to go get ready for our show. We’ll update more later.

With a core which includes the gifted Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Zach Randolph, Jarrett Jack, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster, the Blazers certainly have a young nucleus in place where selecting either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant could just vault them back into the playoffs.

The question is what will Pritchard do with the moody Randolph. The former Spartan is a talented player who averaged a double double (23.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG) in 68 games. He turns 26 later this summer. Does he fit in or will Portland finally trade him? He’s a solid scorer and rebounder but is injury prone and has had his reputation questioned.

Maybe the Blazers go in a different direction here. Winning the No.1 overall pick gives them many options. Will some team make them a can’t miss offer to move down that puts them into serious contention sooner than people expect like ESPN’s Jon Barry asserted to the shock of Stephen A. Smith at a roundtable discussion?

You never can tell. Especially with a franchise which once passed on Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton to select Sam Bowie second overall over two decades ago.

With the Grizzlies and Celtics upset (if you saw Jerry West’s face and Boston’s Lottery Party reaction you know- not even kidding here! ), the Sonics moved up to No.2 while the Hawks were third which was good news for them because had they dropped further, that pick would’ve gone to Phoenix (gulp). Instead, the Hawks boast both the 3rd and 11th overall selections. They desperately need a point guard. So figure Mike Conley, Jr. to fit the bill there with one of those picks.

Memphis, Boston and Milwaukee (NBA’s three worst teams) slipped to fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

So, does anyone want to try to caption this pic of a demoralized West. Just look at it and his reaction:

“It’s about as disappointing as you could ever hope for. It’s like pitching pennies. It’s grossly unfair to the team, but I’ve said it before, I don’t think the lottery is fair. I never liked it. I don’t think it’s a good system at all, period.”

What a bitter old man. As if he didn’t have a lot of luck when he built those championship Laker teams. You chose to work in Memphis when you could’ve ridden out to the sunset. Take it like a man or just do everyone a favor and get out!

Does anyone want to put a real caption on that sad photo? Any takers?!?!?!?!?!

The Bulls had the rights to the Knicks’ pick as part of the Eddy Curry deal. The good news for lifetime man Isiah Thomas is that Chicago wound up with the ninth pick. They should still get a good player (Joakim Noah???) but at least it’s not the dreaded worst case scenario of either Oden or Durant.

Here’s the full lottery results with the draft in NYC set for June 28th:
1.Portland

2.Seattle

3.Atlanta

4.Memphis

5.Boston

6.Milwaukee

7.Minnesota

8.Charlotte

9.Chicago (from Knicks)

10.Sacramento

11.Atlanta (from Indiana)

12.Philadelphia

13.New Orleans

14.L.A. Clippers

One quick thought on Vince Carter’s demand for a three-year $60 million extension:

No freaking way the Nets and Rod Thorn do that. As the NY Post’s Peter Vecsey pointed out in a Tuesday column, the 30 year-old small forward is slowing down which also might explain the more predictable bail outs in Vince’s game against smaller defenders. He’s still explosive but just not as consistent. And as I’ve pointed out here before, the former Air Canada has never been a clutch playoff performer.

It’s time for the Nets to move on. If that means signing and trading the superstar, then they should do it. They can definitely find a taker and get something back for him.