Jerry Reese: Recent track record unacceptable

Jerry Reese was on point at the dawn of New York Giants training camp. Big Blue's general manager put "everyone on notice" for the 2013 season, basically stating that it's playoffs or bust.

"All I know is that we've been in the playoffs one time in the last four years and that's really not acceptable for us," Reese said before the team's first practice of camp. "That's not our standards. That's not what we shoot for. We want to put everybody on notice, myself, everybody is on notice that that's not our standard."

Good for Reese. The Giants needed a kick in the rear end after last year's meltdown in the second half (stop me if you heard this before). After a 6-2 start the Giants finished 9-7, losing three of their final five games and routed by a combined total of 67-14 in back-to-back games at Atlanta and Baltimore.

Under Reese, the Giants have won two Super Bowls since his takeover as GM in 2007, but it's those frequent second-half collapses and non-playoff seasons in between that's touched a nerve. In opening his edict, Reese mentioned two numbers, one for the amount of playoff appearances in four years and 190, the days left (as of Saturday) until Super Bowl XLVIII to be held on the Giants' turf at Met Life Stadium.

Inside the Giants' locker room will be a countdown to the big game, a daily reminder of exactly what's at stake. Winning the franchise's fifth Super Bowl is incentive enough. Not allowing a rival NFC team to play the big game at Met Life only adds to the importance of getting there.

"When you look at it and you see that number jump out at you, 190 days, that's really not that far away," Reese said. "The sense of urgency really jumps out at me. We're going to put up in the locker room a countdown just so guys can see how urgent it is to be ready to go every week. You can't let games get away from you and expect to make it to the playoffs. We have to have a sense of urgency going into this season.

"Close is not good enough. You need consistency. At times last year we looked like a good football team, and at times we looked like a bad football team. We want to put everyone on notice that is not our standard. Being to the playoffs one time in four years is below our standards."

The Giants have their share of questions. First and foremost is the pass rush with Jason Pierre-Paul off June back surgery and Osi Umenyiora a free-agent defection to the Falcons. They're young and unproven at linebacker, are entrusting second-year pro David Wilson to split time at running back with Andre Brown and fullback will be an issue until Henry Hynoski (knee) comes off the physically unable to perform list. 

All that said, I see the Giants making the playoffs by holding off the Washington Redskins to win a tight NFC East race. While Robert Griffin III and the Redskins have won three of four against the Giants and have an improved defense, the Giants offense is explosive. It will come down to defense and the desire to finish strong. After all, the GM is watching.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Vernon Wells and the anatomy of a slump

It was May 29 at Yankee Stadium, prior to the New York Yankees’ meeting with the New York Mets, when I had a chance to speak with Vernon Wells. At the time of the interview, Wells was in the throes of an 0-for-17 slump that had his average falling like a lead ballon since he batted .300 for the month of April. Wells was considered finished when the Yankees -- desperate for outfield help and figuring they had nothing to lose -- acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels. As part of the deal, the Halos agreed to pay $28 million of the $42 million left on Wells' contract.

Once the calendar turned to May, Wells was playing down to expectations coming off two miserable seasons in southern California. He opened up about dealing with the period of time when a hitter’s offensive game turns to dust.

“There’s two different slumps from an offensive standpoint,” Wells said. “There’s slumps when you’re actually feel you’re swinging the bat well and don’t get any hits, and the one when you’re just feel like poop and don’t get any hits.

“I actually felt pretty good and hit some balls hard, but sometimes in this game the outcome is not what you exactly want. You still try to be consistent with your approach and go out and continue to battle. I think that’s the same way for the team as well. Things aren’t going to go your way at all times but you stay consistent. You don’t get down on yourself. You don’t get down on the situation and things will turn around.”

Unfortunately for Wells and the Yankees, things have not turned around. In fact, they’ve gotten worse. An 18-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics on Thursday left the Yankees victims of a three-game sweep and coping with a season that may have hit rock bottom. The final score of that game was 3-2, A’s. The Yankees scored both their runs in the first inning and were shut out for the final 17 while going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranding 14 in a game that lasted an unbearable five hours and 35 minutes.

Brian Cashman’s cost-saving, scrap-heap pickups contributed to the Yankees’ surprising start that still has them eight games over .500 and three games out of first place in the competitive AL East, but like Wells, the injury replacements who played so well in the early going have reverted to their baseball-card statistics the past couple of seasons. Here are the ugly facts:

• Wells’ OPS in April was a hefty .910. It dropped to .615 in May and is down to a ghastly .211 in June as part of a 4-for-42 (.095) performance this month that’s lowered his average to .229. Think about it: That’s a 71-point drop since that wonderful April.

• Wells isn’t the only culprit. In fact, he’s far from it. Travis Hafner, a low-risk offseason pickup to provide lefty pop against right-handed hitters, batted .318 with six home runs and 17 RBIs. He’s 4-for-35 (.114) with two home runs in June and 16-for-102 (.157) the last month and a half.

• Kevin Youkilis, signed to a one-year deal in the winter to replace the rehabbing Alex Rodriguez at third base, came off the disabled list in May. In June he’s 5-for-37 (.135) with no RBIs.

• Thursday was proof negative of where the Yankees offense currently stands. The Frail Foursome of Mark Teixeira, Hafner, Youkilis and Wells went a combined 0-for-28 with 12 strikeouts while leaving 16 runners stranded.

"You don't want everybody to be going through it at once," Wells said after the game. "In theory, you'd like half your guys, if they're going to be struggling, that the other guys are still swinging the bat well. For the most part, it's been the whole group."

Teixeira, out of action until May 31 with a torn ligament in his wrist, is 8-for-46 (.147), although he has three home runs and 12 RBIs. The point is that Teixeira isn’t going anywhere. The replacements -- and you can throw Lyle Overbay (.214 this month) into the mix -- may soon be replaced. Curtis Granderson -- twice in his hard-luck season he’s had bones broken by a pitch -- will be back a bit after the All-Star break. So will (the Yankees hope) Derek Jeter, who was cleared on Thursday to resume baseball activities, and possibly A-Rod.

Until that time, Wells continues to fight through the ills of a slump and the winds of change. The New York Daily News reported that Thomas Neal, an outfielder, will be called up from Triple-A to DH against left-handers. The Yankees may need to find out once and for all if Overbay can play the outfield or perhaps also summon switch-hitter Zoilo Almonte from Scranton.

That would leave Wells in a platoon situation -- perhaps a lesser role once Granderson is back.

“You move on,” said Wells, summing up his situation. “That’s part of going through the learning process of this game. You remember what made you successful and not what made you struggle.”

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Jason Kidd was destined to coach

Preparedness meets opportunity. Just ask Jason Kidd. 

Since 2010, the year before he won his first and only NBA championship ring with the Dallas Mavericks, Kidd kept a diary with notes on how coaches went about their business and how he may have handled it differently. He encouraged those around him to do the same, realizing that you never know where the game of basketball will take a person. One can look back at those notes for a better understanding on how to handle a situation. 

Although Kidd said the idea of being a head coach first developed during a conversation with his agent, Jeff Schwartz, a week before his retirement as a player after 19 seasons as a point guard, one would figure that leading a team from the sidelines would be his next calling. A cerebral assassin on the court, Kidd formally took the reigns as the Brooklyn Nets' 22nd head coach during a news conference on Thursday. 

Widely considered a coach on the floor, Kidd now goes back to the beginning. He takes the job without any previous coaching experience and a mere 10 days after ending his Hall of Fame playing career. When he played the game, Kidd was an extension of the coach. Now he's charged with actually coaching a group of 15 players and getting through to his close friend, mercurial Nets point guard Deron Williams, to be that extension and bridge to the promised land.

"I'm a rookie. I go from being one of the oldest players to now a rookie coach, and so I'm very excited about this challenge," Kidd said. "Sharing the things  as a player as being unselfish, communicating and being tough. Hopefully I can give that to the guys."

As the floor general, Kidd ran an offense with aplomb, carefully biding his time until striking at precisely the right moment with the perfect pass, shot or pick and roll. He did the same while considering his next career. Brian Shaw, a former NBA guard and fine Indiana Pacers assistant coach, was the leading candidate to be the fresh face coveted by Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov to take over for interim coach P.J. Carlesimo. Kidd said Schwartz told him that in lieu of golf, why not consider staying involved in basketball. Never one to back away from a challenge, Kidd launched a stealth campaign and set his target on the franchise he almost singlehandedly saved at the turn of the millennium. 

It was 2001 when the New Jersey Nets acquired Kidd in a straight-up trade with the Phoenix Suns for Stephon Marbury. All Kidd did was take the once laughable Nets to two straight NBA Finals. In addition to winning that elusive ring in 2011, Kidd captured Olympic gold medals with the United States in 2000 and 2008. 

To doubt Kidd on anything he sets his mind to is foolish. Anyone who believes Kidd is destined to fail because he has no experience neither has studied his track record nor paid any attention to what Mark Jackson -- another former point guard -- is doing in Golden State. Larry Bird took over the Indiana Pacers as a neophyte head coach and eventually led them to the finals. Doc Rivers went to two finals with the Boston Celtics, winning one. He started with the Orlando Magic, without experience, winning the Coach of the Year award in 2000 after his first year with the Magic when he led a team that was picked to finish last in the league to a near playoff berth.The coaches with the most wins in NBA history, Don Nelson (1,335) and Lenny Wilkens (1,332), both were hired without coaching experience.

"He did give guys the opportunity, maybe crack the door open for guys who were playing to be able to go into coaching because of the success that he's had," Kidd said of Jackson. "There are guys that are examples out there that have done it. Hopefully I can carry the torch and have the same success."

Kidd turned the Nets franchise around as a player. As a head coach he'll light a fire under a talented yet underachieving team that bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. Few ever surveyed a basketball court as well as Kidd. Few have ever been as prepared for a new and daunting challenge as what Lawrence Frank -- Kidd’s coach in Jersey who may end up as one of his assistants -- once called a "coach maker." Kidd may have decided he wanted to coach only weeks ago, but the foundation of such a possibility were first put down that season in Dallas. 

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Shaquille O’Neal urges NYS Assembly to allow vote on MMA bill

Add Shaquille O'Neal to the MMA-to-New York bandwagon. O'Neal, a native of Newark, has lobbied to support the legalization of mixed martial arts in New York, the only state in the land of 50 to not lift the ban on regulating the sport. Last week, Connecticut crossed its name off the infamous list.

Here's the full release:

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ALBANY, NY June 10, 2013 – NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal today urged the Assembly to vote on legislation to legalize and regulate mixed martial arts (MMA) in New York. O’Neal, a New Jersey native, frequently spends time in New York and said if it were not for his responsibilities during the NBA playoffs he would have looked forward to coming to Albany to speak with Assemblymembers directly.

“For more than a decade, I’ve trained in MMA.  I’ve studied boxing, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling.  I’ve practiced martial arts and MMA for the last 15 years.  I know how MMA training helps both the body and the mind. I know that MMA training teaches respect and discipline,” O’Neal said. “I’ve been to MMA matches – UFC and other promoters, professional and amateur – and I know that this is a real sport, requiring incredible athleticism and has a fan base that rivals the home crowds I played in front of for the Lakers, Heat and Celtics.

“I’ve been to a UFC event at the TD Garden in Boston and I would love to attend one at the ‘Mecca’ – Madison Square Garden.  As a businessman and sports enthusiast, I know the kind of economic activity UFC and other MMA events bring to communities.  It would be huge in New York City and would be even bigger for those struggling upstate New York communities,” O’Neal said.  “New Yorkers love their Knicks and Nets, Yankees and Mets, Giants and Jets, and they also love MMA.  It’s time for New York to do the right thing.

“The State Assembly should allow a vote on the bill to legalize MMA. The Senate has supported it and now it’s time for the Assembly to give New Yorkers a fair opportunity to be able to watch MMA at an arena in their hometown,” O’Neal said.  “I know the Speaker loves the Rangers, but millions of New Yorkers also love MMA with the same passion he has for hockey.”

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

And then there was one ... New York

Mixed Martial Arts is about to become legal in the state of Connecticut, leaving New York State as the only one in America that has failed to sanction a sport that is globally popular. 

Not that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his band of stooges care, but it's beyond embarrassing that the UFC and Bellator are prohibited from holding sanctioned events in New York. A UFC show at Madison Square Garden would be a monumental economic windfall for New York City and the Big Apple. Then again, you're talking about Assembly men who find it viable to determine what's harmful for the rest of us citizens of the Empire State.

Here's the sad part: It's perfectly OK to hold unsanctioned and unregulated MMA in the state of New York. Remember, we're talking about NYS Assemblymen here, at least those too ignorant to come to their senses.

Here's the release on Connecticut's green light and why New York, by choice, remains in neutral:

ALBANY, NY June 5, 2013 – Lorenzo Fertitta, The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Chairman & CEO, praised the Connecticut General Assembly’s Senate for giving final passage to a bill to legalize mixed martial arts (MMA) in Connecticut.  The bill passed out of the Senate by a vote of 26-9 today and out of the House of Representative earlier in the legislative session by a vote of 117-26.

“Assuming Governor Dan Malloy signs the bill into law, Connecticut will become the 49th state to legalize MMA.  There will be only one state in the entire United States of America where professional MMA will remain illegal,” Fertitta said.  “I know New York likes to think of itself as a leader but when it comes to the fastest growing sport in the nation, New York is now the only outlier. 

“Not only will New York be the only state to ban professional MMA, it will continue to be the only state to allow amateur MMA – albeit unregulated and potentially dangerous – while banning professional MMA,” Fertitta said.  “It’s time, New York.  The Senate has passed the bill four years in a row by overwhelming bipartisan majorities.  It’s time for the Assembly to allow the bill to be voted upon.  It’s time for New York to legalize and regulate MMA.”

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

The Lyle Overbay dilemma

Shortly after Lyle Overbay singled off New York Mets phenom Matt Harvey in the sixth inning for what was his ninth go-ahead RBI for the New York Yankees this season, I tweeted that the Yanks need to find a way to keep Overbay on the team after Mark Teixeira returns as soon as Friday, with Kevin Youkilis shortly to follow.

Easier said than done. This is the dilemma facing the Yankees:

• Teixeira, despite similar numbers last season (.251/.332/.475) compared to Overbay's current .251/.295/.468, is in the fifth of an eight-year, $189 million contract he signed in 2009. But beyond the numbers, the Yankees not paying Teixeira handsomely to sit on the bench or be a switch-hitting platoon player. And Teixeira is the better player. Period.

• The idea of Overbay playing some right field was bandied about, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told The New York Post that's not happening. And although Teixeira played some outfield at Georgia Tech, forget about that too.

• Overbay is a left-handed batter who plays first base. The Yankees lineup is lefty heavy with Travis Hafner as the left-handed designated hitter. On days Teixeira gets rest, a healthy Youkilis slides over from the hot corner to man that position.

Overbay is passionate about remaining with the Yankees, telling Mike Francesa on Tuesday that even if he doesn't play for the next month, he wants a chance to stay with a team and compete for a World Series ring. For a player on the bubble, Overbay has been more than what anyone expected from a guy signed by the Yankees after his release from the Boston Red Sox three days before the end of spring training. His 29 RBIs rank second on the Yankees and his eight home runs are third. Last Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, Overbay's walk off Rays closer Fernando Rodney started the game-tying rally in the ninth and his 11th-inning homer put New York ahead for good.

Tuesday's performance further solidified Overbay's reliance in the clutch, even if his roster spot remains far from secure.

"I mean, we go through those discussions every once in awhile, but I've also said you worry about it when it's the time," said Overbay, who has been released on three occasions. "Other things have happened in the past when you're all worried about it and people want you to talk about it, so until we get to that day we won't say anything. There are ideas, obviously, but things can change real quick around here."

Joe Girardi's stock answer regarding too many men for too few positions has been how the problem usually solves itself, for instance when Curtis Granderson's return to the disabled list with a broken knuckle cleared the outfield glut for at least the next six weeks. But Teixiera played in his first rehab game for Double-A Trenton on Wednesday and is close to completing his comeback from a torn tendon in his wrist. Youkilis, signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, isn't going anywhere either, as long as his back holds up.

David Adams, who has played very well at third base with injuries to Youkilis and Eduardo Nunez, is likely headed back to Triple-A Scranton once Youkilis is activated. Teixeira will be back too and that creates one of those problems teams love to have, but are nonetheless tough to figure out.

"It's all good," Overbay said. "I just want to enjoy it. I don't want it to affect the experience I'm having. So I try not to worry too much about it."

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Ace in a hole: CC Sabathia 'hurting the team'

Even after taking it on the chin Sunday afternoon in the New York Yankees' 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, CC Sabathia hasn't been "bad" in 2013. His overall record is 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA and he's been his workmanlike self. Despite getting rocked for a season-high seven runs on seven hits, Sabathia pitched seven innings and has worked into the seventh in nine of his 11 starts.

Here's the problem: Sabathia is supposed to be an ace and he hasn't pitched like an ace. In a disturbing trend, the Big Lefty allowed 10 hits to the Seattle Mariners and 11 to the Baltimore Orioles in his previous two starts. On top of the fact that Sabathia is 3-10 at Tropicana Field and winless there since April 10, 2010, he hasn't won a game period since April 27, going 0-2 with three no-decisions and a 4.90 ERA.

All this after starting the season 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA.

"I'm hurting the team," Sabathia said. "Not being able to make pitches with two strikes, fastball command. I feel fine. It's just one of those things where I feel like the ball is coming out pretty good, but I'm just not making pitches."


This isn't the time to declare Sabathia's career over, but given his diminished velocity (89-91 MPH) and the alarming hits-allowed rate, there is a cause for concern on a Yankees team that's otherwise been smashing tempered preseason projections that had it missing the playoffs for just the second time since 1995. New York is 30-19 and tied for first place in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox on the strength of overachieving spare parts and a solid starting five.

Right now, the nominal ace is not Sabathia, but Hiroki Kuroda, who starts Game 1 of the Subway Series Monday night against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Kuroda is 6-3 with a 2.67 ERA and pitched into the seventh inning in seven straight starts before taking a line drive off his calf two innings into last week's loss in Baltimore.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Memo to Torts: Keep Nash and Kreider together

Fresh out of Boston College, Chris Kreider scored five goals in 18 playoff games last season, more than anyone in NHL history before playing in their first regular-season game. The next chapter was anything but fun. Kreider spent most of the 2012-13, lockout-shortened, season in the AHL. A playoff hero the year before, Kreider played 48 games in the minors, 21 with the Rangers, and had just two goals for the big club.

The big issue amongst New York Rangers fans and media was not about Kreider's production, but his playing time. Fresh off a controversial (but necessary) decision to bench invisible center Brad Richards in an elimination game, Rangers head coach John Tortorella heard the criticism about how Krieder was yanked between the NHL and AHL, and how he barely saw the ice when he wore Rangers blue.

So he thought to himself, "Why not?" when he paired Kreider with Rick Nash in overtime of Game 4, a 3-3 game between the Rangers and Boston Bruins where one more B's goal would sound the funeral bells on a season many expected the Rangers to compete for -- or win -- the Stanley Cup.


"You guys have been kicking my ass all around all year long about [my not] wanting to play him, and he steps up and makes a big play for us," Tortorella said.

The Kid and Big 61 started a 2-on-2 break when Kreider passed to Nash in the neutral zone and jetted toward the Bruins' net. Nash whipped a perfect pass -- inches from the blade of B's defenseman Zdeno Chara's beanstalk-long stick -- that hit Kreider's tape. Kreider powered past Dougie Hamilton to poke the puck past goaltender Tuukka Rask and Madison Square Garden erupted.

Game over. Rangers win 4-3, They still trail 3-1, but have big hopes that they can become just the fourth team to rally back from a 0-3 deficit.

"So surreal," Kreider said. "Not something that can really be explained. It’s just something that has to be felt. It was awesome. Just exciting to give these guys an opportunity to play another day."

Kreider entered the playoffs on the third line. He now deserves to play on the top line with Nash and Derick Brassard. Team Tortorella needs someone to ride shotgun with Big 61. The Kid is it. The chemistry is there. Thanks to that duo, the Rangers' season remains alive with doubt in the collective minds of a Bruins team that prior to winning a Stanley Cup was one that blew an 0-3 series lead. This year's Bruins are good -- real good -- but their ability to decisively terminate an opponent remains in question. In the first round, they nearly choked away a 3-1 lead to the Toronto Maple Leafs before a miracle Game 7 comeback.

On Thursday, they led 2-0 and turned the Garden into a morgue before Lady Luck tapped the Rangers' shoulder. Rask slipped and misplayed the puck on Carl Hagelin's break to make it 2-1. Derek Stepan pick-pocketed Chara behind the Bruins' net and scored on a wraparound to make it 2-2. Even after the Bruins regained the lead, Stepan fed Brian Boyle for a picturesque one-timer to tie the game and set up Kreider's heroics.

"I tried to give it to Rick, which was something I was trying to do a lot tonight; he’s such a talented player," Kreider said. "And then I just tried to drive the net and put my stick on the ice, and he was able to find my tape. That’s what he does."

Krieder and Nash as a tag-team is a recipe for success, one that Tortorella ought to leave alone and let flourish, no questions asked or ass-kicking required.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

No winners in Pineda-Montero deal … yet

The latest twist in the trade that nobody has won occurred on Thursday with the Seattle Mariners' demotion of Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma. Montero was hitting just .208  (21-for-101) with five extra base hits, nine RBIs, 21 strikeouts, a .264 on-base percentage and a .327 slugging percentage.

What was a blockbuster, Friday-the-13th deal for the Mariners and New York Yankees in January of 2012 has fizzled faster than a wet firecracker. Pineda has yet to pitch in a Major League game for the Yankees due to a torn labrum. Jose Campos sat out most of last season with an elbow injury and is pitching for the Yankees' Class-A affiliate in Charleston. Hector Noesi went 2-12 with a 5.82 ERA last season and after a brief return to the Mariners is back in Tacoma.

Many Yankees fans expressed outrage once Pineda was shut down last spring over how Brian Cashman dealt Montero, his best trading chip, for damaged goods. And while it appears as if the tide is turning with Montero in Triple-A and Pineda throwing near 93 mph while pitching five innings on Thursday in an extended spring training game, fair is fair. This is going to take years for observers to fairly and fully evaluate.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Big Blue View

I'm now contributing to Big Blue View, part of the SBNation family of blogs and focused solely on the New York Giants. My debut post looks how the Giants' secondary receivers took full advantage of additional repetitions during the absence of starters Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks from OTAs.

In a surprising twist, Ramses Barden may also return to the team. The two sides agreed to part ways early in the offseason, but Barden is en route to New York to take a physical. He's a talent and a big target at 6-6, 224 pounds who showed what he can do last September against the Carolina Panthers (9 catches, 138 yards), but it's always been about cracking a depth chart that's deep in wide receivers. Given Cruz's contract situation and now Nicks pulling a no-show, Barden could become a valuable asset in the distant future.

Here's a surprise for you: The Giants are on the verge of a reunion with WR Ramses Barden ... nydn.us/12Xk7Pk #NYG
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) May 23, 2013

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

The Boston Bruins are blasting the New York Rangers

There is one conclusion to draw right now from a New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins series that although not over, the fat lady is putting on her makeup and warming up her pipes.

The Bruins are a better team -- much better -- than the Rangers at this particular point in time. It takes four games to win a best-of-seven, and the Bruins have won three and know the pain of blowing 3-0 leads, but the advantages the B’s are enjoying are palpable.

They roll four lines and the Rangers do not. The Bruins’ fourth line accounted for the scoring in Game 3’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Bruins as a whole have physically and mentally sucked the life out of the building and the team in blue.

Yeah, the Bruins have received the lucky bounces, but luck is by design. You often create your own breaks in sports and that’s exactly what the Bruins did on the game-winning goal, when Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist lost track of a Shawn Thornton tip that bounced into the air, off Lundquist’s mask and bounced a few inches from the goal line.

Lundqvist didn’t see it. Daniel Paille did and delivered. The Bruins had men in front of the Rangers’ net all night long and created their opportunity to go ahead for good. The B’s fourth line of Paille, Thornton and Gregory Campbell left New York’s defense careless and helpless. Paille and Thornton also assisted on defenseman Johnny Boychuck’s game-tying goal in the third before setting themselves up for success.

“It hit me in the head and went straight up, and nobody saw it, and it just landed on (Paille’s) stick,” Lundqvist. “At some point you’re gonna need some puck-luck to win games.”


The Rangers should consider themselves lucky. If not for Lundqvist’s 32 saves -- many of them spectacular off breakaways and odd-man rushes caused by turnovers and breakdowns -- Game 3 would have been a total embarrassment. The Bruins scored two off the King because unlike the Rangers, they swarmed the opposing goalie like annoying gnats and mosquitos that lurk in the middle of a summer barbecue. B’s goalie Tuukka Rask was rarely tested. He stopped 23 of 24 Rangers shots, but as is usually the case with the Blueshirts offense, many of those shots didn’t give Rask much to think about or get into his head.

As complete a hockey game the Bruins have played, the Rangers have major issues. The power play is a frightening 0-for-10 in the series and 2-for-38 in the postseason. Rick Nash, the man acquired in the offseason to spark life into a flatlined offense, has one goal in 10 playoff games. The Rangers have netted two goals or fewer in seven of their 10 postseason tilts and to make matters worse, Brad Richards, another big-money player, is completely lost and could be a buyout candidate this summer.

There is faint hope for these Rangers. Three years ago, the Bruins were the third team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers, losing two games at home and with a 3-0 Game 7 lead at TD Garden, a memory that hasn’t completely faded despite winning the Stanley Cup a year later. This year’s crew needed a miracle Game 7 comeback in the final minutes to avoid dropping a 3-1 series lead to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

On the other hand, the Bruins are completely locked in and have the Rangers in lockdown. The Rangers are 0-10 all time when trailing playoff series 3-0, and according to the Elias Sports Bureau, no team has overcome 2-0 deficits in two straight best-of-seven series in the same playoff year. They came back against the Washington Capitals, blowing them out on the road in Game 7, but have since reverted back to the bad habits that have them in their current predicament.

The Rangers have been out-hit and out-hustled, and if not for Lundqvist would be completely humiliated. The series isn’t technically over, but the Bruins’ treatment of the Rangers has been cold-blooded. All the B’s need is the killer instinct to put them out of their misery.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

The truth about Culinary 226

The UFC, shut out of New York State for far too long, launched a website attacking the merits of  the Las Vegas-based Culinary Workers Union Local 226 that's been largely responsible for MMA not being sanctioned in New York.

Full details are below: The long and the short of it: The union is vindictive and NYS Assemblymen are a bunch of clowns ignorant to MMA. It's not human cockfighting. It's a sport that's gone global and a UFC event at Madison Square Garden would pump much-needed life into New York's economy. Alas, if it's too logical, it never gets done.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship^® announced today that it has launched a new website providing information on the Culinary Workers Union Local 226’s (Culinary Union), an affiliate of UNITE HERE, ongoing campaign against the UFC^® and its partners. While allegedly claiming concern about the conduct of certain UFC fighters, the Culinary Union has in fact launched an inaccurate and misleading smear campaign. The new website will correct those inaccuracies and set the record straight regarding the motivation for this campaign, while highlighting the UFC’s role as a strong community leader.

Visit the website at: www.TheTruthAboutCulinary226.com

“The UFC has a proud history of supporting positive social and community issues. The continued baseless attacks from the Culinary Union are nothing more than a distraction from their real agenda to force hard-working employees to submit under their leadership. We will take a proactive approach and dispel any falsehood lobbed at the UFC and our partners because remaining a strong community leader is vitally important to us and our future.”

The UFC has a proud tradition of supporting philanthropic programs in the community and strives to have a positive impact across a range of social and community issues, which are detailed on the UFC Community website at www.ufc.com/community.

With a diverse group of over 400 athletes from 35 different countries, the UFC holds those athletes to the highest of standards for the conduct. The UFC’s Code of Conduct condemns any inappropriate behavior that runs counter to its values and culture, and outlines disciplinary procedures for those who violate its terms. Further, fighters are contractually prohibited from engaging in inappropriate conduct. The UFC regularly hosts fighter summits to tackle issues of conduct and make clear the high expectations of the UFC.

The UFC has a proven track record of supporting important social causes including the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, Boys and Girls Clubs, March of Dimes, Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, and Boys Town among many others. As strong supporters of the armed forces and our country’s service men and women, the UFC has raised over $12 million for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, on which Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta serve as Board Members.

David Phelps belongs in Yankees rotation

Shortly after New York Yankees right-hander David Phelps found a way to earn a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, manager Joe Girardi stopped short of endorsing him as a full-time starter.

I'll come out and say it: Phelps deserves to remain in the rotation when Ivan Nova returns from triceps inflammation. While Nova suffered a recent setback, is saddled with a 1-1 record and 6.48 ERA, and has seriously regressed since a 16-win rookie season, Phelps has continued to get it done as a starter or out of the bullpen. There's little doubt what to do with Phelps once a decision has to be made, and Nova may find himself in the bullpen or perhaps Triple-A the way Phelps is living up to internal expectations.

"We have always envisioned him as a starter," Girardi said after Phelps allowed one run on seven hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings of work. "From the time he came up that is what we have envisioned him as. It is not just that he is able to locate and change speeds. He does all the other little things right, too. ... We like what he is doing." 

Where Nova tends to unravel, Phelps bears down and delivers with runners on base. He got in immediate trouble in the first with two one-out walks, but struck out J.P. Arencibia and picked off Jose Bautista at second. When the Blue Jays threatened again in the third, Phelps got Melky Cabrera to ground into a double play and whiffed Edwin Encarnacion following a two-out walk. 

Despite the Blue Jays cutting the Yankees lead to 3-1 in the fourth, Phelps bore down again by striking out Maicer Izturis to prevent further damage. 

"I was making pitches when I needed to," Phelps said. "I was all over the place today."

He still got the job done, just like the rest of the Yankees starters, who along with the bullpen are the primary reason why the team is a surprising 27-16. The rotation is still peaking and to get to that next level it needs, besides health, reliable production from the back end. Phelps has proven his worth, now let it ride.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Yankees acquire infielder Reid Brignac

The New York Yankees acquired utility infielder Reid Brignac from the Colorado Rockies on Saturday for a reported $75,000. CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman was the first to report the deal.

Designated for assignment by the Rockies, Brignac can play shortstop, second and third base and consider him an upgrade over Alberto Gonzalez, who was DFA'd by the Yankees.

Brignac, who batted .250 with a homer and six RBIs for the Rox, will report to the Bronx on Sunday.

"He is a fly ball hitter so we will see if we can take advantage of the left-handed bat with Yankee Stadium here, a little bit," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. "He is a very good fielder, more so than a bat." 

To the chagrin of Yankees fans, struggling outfielder Ben Francisco (.114-1-1) remains on the team.

"In terms of your fans' comments section, just say, 'I'm holding on to him to piss everyone off,'" Cashman said. "If you are dealing with the feedback, 'Why is this guy here?' Just tell them that, just to shut them up." 

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

CC the ‘ace,’ but Hiro the ‘stopper’

Since he was first fitted for pinstripes, in fact for most of his career, CC Sabathia has been considered a rotation ace. From the time he became a Yankee in 2009, The Big Lefty has been “The Man,” no questions asked.

However, after seeing what Hiroki Kuroda did Friday night at Yankee Stadium, I reserve the right to pose the question on who is the Yanks’ true staff ace. Call Sabathia and Kuroda New York Yankees starters 1 and 1A if you wish, but there’s no doubt that Kuroda has been the team’s best pitcher.

Kuroda played the stopper’s role on Friday with eight scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays to improve to 6-2, with a 1.99 ERA. Considering that Felix Hernandez, Clay Buchholz, Matt Moore and Hisashi Iwakuma all pitch in the American League, it’s way too early to consider Kuroda a Cy Young Award front runner.

But an early candidate? Absolutely.

Kuroda showed his stuff once again on Friday by wiping out the Blue Jays in two hours and 28 minutes – tied for the shortest game the Yankees have played in 2013 -- and preventing New York from losing three straight for the first time all season. The right-hander faced only two batters over the minimum and after allowing a leadoff double to Melky Cabrera held the Jays hitless over his next 19 men faced. Kuroda is especially adept when the heat is turned up. His opponents are 0 for their last 25 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-30 on the season.

“You don’t really have to worry a whole lot about him,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “When I think about Hiroki, the one thing that we do pay attention to is some of his pitch counts because he’s not 25, either. But he goes out there and sometimes acts like he is, so we have to make sure that we don’t get confused and forget how old he is, and that we take care of him and make sure that he can bounce back every start, because that’s what you want.”

At the ripe young age of 38, Kuroda has pitched at least seven innings without allowing more than two runs in four straight starts. When you think about it, Kuroda could be undefeated. He took a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies on May 7 despite allowing two runs over seven pitching in Denver’s thin air. And a line drive hit Kuroda on his pitching hand that forced him from his first start of the season after 1 1/3 innings of an eventual 7-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

“Every once in awhile, you can feel it out there when a pitcher goes out there, and no matter what you put down, it’s going to be a good pitch,” said catcher Austin Romine said. “It made my life a lot easier. He pitched to the glove all night, and we were on the same page. It was smooth out there.”

On the day 40-year-old Andy Pettitte landed on the disabled list, Kuroda stepped up yet again and was smooth as silk. Sabathia has long been the Yankees’ unquestioned ace, but seeing what Kuroda as done, the Yankees now have two.

If the Yankees’ season is on the line, who do you go to, Sabathia or Kuroda?

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC 

Yankees place Andy Pettitte on 15-day DL

Forced from his Thursday night start with a left trapezius injury, Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte was placed on the 15-day disabled list. While the ailment isn't believed to be serious, the team decided to take no chances with their prized veteran left-hander.

"This is the safe play, thankfully it's minor," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. "I would rather resolve this and give it the time."

Pettitte is 4-3 with a 3.83 ERA in eight starts in this his second season since coming out of retirement.  He believes he'll be back in the rotation when the 15 days are up.

"I understand," Pettitte said. "They don't want to send me out there in Baltimore Tuesday and start warming up and have it lock up."

In Pettitte's place will be Vidal Nuno, who emerged as a pleasant surprise during spring training and pitched five scoreless innings of a spot start in the second game of a doubleheader Monday in Cleveland.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Odd men out in the Yankees outfield

Little did anyone realize, except maybe the New York Yankees themselves, that sooner or later there would be a case of too many quality players and too few positions. By the time the Yankees broke camp, Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira were among those on the disabled list, and that necessitated the signings of Brennan Boesch, Ben Francisco and Lyle Overbay, and the trade for Vernon Wells. On the surface, each move represented desperation for any warm body to hold the fort until the regular players return. Beneath the surface, general manager Brian Cashman was doing his homework and not necessarily throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks.

While Boesch is now in Triple-A and Francisco's days apparently numbered, the Yankees have received major production from those considered beyond their primes. Wells leads the team with 10 home runs, and is second in hitting (.295) and RBIs (23). Overbay's 24 RBIs are two behind Robinson Cano. Another veteran, Travis Hafner, is batting .260 with six homers and 18 RBIs as the left-handed DH.

"I've said it all along these guys have done an incredible job," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "You can talk about some of the additions that we made, the late additions that we made; I want to say Vernon played his first Spring Training game on a Tuesday, and Overbay on a Thursday - Overbay had a three-day tryout that turned into four days - but for the most part they've all played pretty well."

Sooner or later, however, Girardi will have to make some critical decisions on how to deploy his outfield. Granderson is back in action after recovering from a broken forearm and he's going to play every day. So should Wells, the team's only reliable right-handed hitting outfielder who has recaptured the form that made him a three-time All-Star with the Toronto Blue Jays. That leaves Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki. Gardner is the Yankees' best defender, so when Hafner (sore shoulder) returns to the lineup, Ichiro, a future Hall of Famer, may be the one riding the pine more often than not.

Girardi's immediate plans were to rotate players between the outfield, DH and a day off, which he's done since Granderson returned. But once Hafner is back in the fold, not everyone can play. And that leaves Ichiro, who on Thursday night snapped an 0-for-22 streak (one shy of his career-high set last year) and is batting .239.

“He got up to about .275, .280 and he’s kind of going through what some of our other guys are going through,” Girardi said. “They’re struggling a little bit. At times we’re having a hard time scoring runs right now, but he’ll come out of it. I’m not concerned about that.”

Someone will be the odd man out, and the logical choice in the present time is Ichiro. At least his place on the 25-man roster is secure. That's more than what can be said about Francisco. Plucked off waivers during spring training, Francisco has five hits in 40 at-bats with one homer and an RBI. Chris Stewart's groin injury leaves the Yankees depleted at catcher and necessitates a move to add Bobby Wilson (.174, two homers, 13 RBIs) from Triple-A Scranton to the 40-man roster. That leaves Francisco, already on borrowed time, as the one most likely to receive his walking papers.

How would you manage the Yankees' outfield glut? It's certainly one of those nice problems to have.

Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC

Relaunch!

It's been too long, so I'm back to relaunch this page and essentially pick up where I left off to give you my takes on the world of New York sports. Talk to you soon.