There are very few weeks that can trump one such as this one for those who are diehard NY sports fans. For Mets fans, Christmas came late for those of us holding our breath throughout the off season. As the contract negotiations came down to the wire with Santana & the Mets, I decided to wait until this deal was totally official to comment on a franchise-altering trade. I don't care what any has to say about the prospects the Mets dealt to Minnesota, but hands down the Mets stole Johan from the Twin Cities. I wish our former prospects the best of luck, but by retaining Martinez & Pelfrey, this trade was a no-brainer. Does Johan deserve the contract he received? Well in all honestly, salaries in baseball have become ludicrous. At the same time, why shouldn't he get what the market dictates. Does Johan deserve more than Barry Zito? In my mind thee is no argument there.
I cannot get enough clicks on the Mets 40-man roster, which now include Johan Santana #57 as a New York Met. As much as this seemed like wishful thinking, it is hard to wrap my brain around the concept of #57 on MY team; OUR team. Omar & the Wilpons had to make this move to keep the fan base alive; talk about reenergize your fan base. This is the perfect medicine. Was I excited to buy tickets before Friday? Not so much...but that catchy email stating "Johan's coming...when are you?" officially sucked me in. We are a fortunate bunch now Mets fans. We get to sit back and watch 2 young stars in the game alongside the best pitcher in the game for a good chunk of years. Not too mention, open a brand new ballpark in 2009 with quite the lofty roster. I'm officially excited for 2008. Don't forget to tune in and watch the official presser on Wednesday. More about Johan later this week...
What else could signify the start of baseball season but the end of football season. Not just any end of football season, but the New York Football Giants stopping the perfect season. As someone rooting for the Giants, I questioned if the Giants could overcome this Patriots team. But they did and where this game will rank all-time will be decided once the reality sets in. The Giants played one helluva game. Does it make this win bigger considering now New England can sit at 18-1? Of course it does. Has Eli Manning earned respect in this town? Has he ever! This kid was as poised as ever in this game. A stellar performance by the Giants. Period. Possibly as great a Super Bowl as I have ever watched.
It's hard to believe but it's time to celebrate New York!! Enjoy every second of this championship! In about a week our attention will move south to the Florida fields and the first sights of summer. And one can only hope this is not the only celebration New York will see in 2008.
