Merry Xmas

Merry Christmas to everyone.

Obviously the Yankees had a great holiday. Mark Teixeira is a Yankee. AJ Burnett, CC – and the Yankees are still lower than their payroll last year. And they are not done. I’m not going to say they are an automatic lock to win the World Series. Far from it. Not only do they play in the toughest division in the Majors (only Baltimore is a sub-par team), there are many questions that remain. There’s no guarantee Posada will be the same, coming off of shoulder surgery. Will Johnny Damon be a good leadoff man? What about Matsui? Will Cano pull his head out of his ass and not be premadona again? The Yankees may get Manny and Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets. One final question: What in the world is Andy Pettite smoking? Another team will pay him $10 million.

Questions aside, the Yankees are moving in the right direction, finally. Should there be a salary cap, as the owner of the Brewers asked? It’s a non-issue, given that the Players Union will never allow it. But the answer is no. Look at what Tampa Bay accomplished last year, with the lowest payroll in the league.

If I was a Red Sox fan, I would be livid. Did this not happen with the A-Rod saga nearly 4 years ago? Make an offer and stick to it, or don’t bother sending the press mixed messages.

As for the Mets, where to begin? Apparently Omar can’t sell the ownership on a Manny deal? Did Wilpon invest with Manny too? He’s the best hitter in the game, and wants to play in New York. The Mets clearly need another bat, and the fact they are not going after Manny is baffling.

The Jets have dug themselves a hole, and have nobody to blame but themselves. Mangini called the worst plays I’ve seen in years. The Jets march down the field, and look like a Super Bowl contender, only to have a drive stall on them. If the Jets win somehow (and let’s remember Pennington knows the Jets’ defensive schemes), and Baltimore or the Patriots lose, look Mangini to be fired, along with defensive and offensive coordinators. And the off season will be even more painful, with continued rumors about Favre’s never ending retirement.

Meanwhile, the Giants rebounded in a big way, and won the best game of the season in overtime. Truly amazing to watch, and now the question is whether or not the Giants will win the second game with the Panthers, as the NFC Championship will very likely be a repeat of last Sunday’s game.

Plaxico Burress apparently forgot he had a small arsenal of weapons in his home. Isn’t his wife a lawyer in New York?