Monday, December 31, 2012

Back in the Arena

It's been way too long since I've been here, writing my thoughts on the sports world, whether it's across the nation and world, or locally in Utica, Syracuse and Central NY and I apologize for that.  A lot has happened in my life, with my promotion to Sports Director at WKTV in November being the biggest news.  It's been exciting, but also more work than I would ask on anyone.  One big problem is I haven't been able to get to the Carrier Dome to see the SU basketball team this year.  Hopefully I'll get some help soon, but until then, I'm on my own.  

Today is "Black Monday" in the NFL, where head coaches and GMs are dropping like flies, including Mike Tannenbaum of the Jets, a graduate of my high school in Needham, Mass, as well as Chan Gailey of the Bills.  I like Gailey, but he probably shouldn't been given another head coaching job in the NFL.  Unfortunately I doubt a lot of A-list coaches are anxious to move to Buffalo, which is a shame, because it seems like a pretty sweet place for football.  The fans are passionate and the league seems determined to keep it as the "AFC Green Bay" market, which is great in my eyes.  As far as Tannenbaum, I really hope he gets another chance.  The Jets mess this year was far from his fault and I hope other teams take note of that.  It was Woody Johnson and Rex Ryan that created the chaos, which is hilarious for me as a Patriots fan since Johnson seems okay with Ryan returning.

In other NFL news, Lovie Smith was fired in Chicago.  That's quite a surprise, since they finished 10-6, but when you look a little closer, you see they were a third place team that's barely made the playoffs during his tenure.  Maybe it was his time to go, though I would hope he gets another shot, maybe in Buffalo!!  One thing seems certain, that ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden seems to be the guy everyone wants as their new coach.  We'll see what happens in the next few days and weeks.

So another big question in NFL as the regular season winded down was Peyton Manning vs. Adrian Peterson for the MVP.  Until the last week or two, it was pretty even with support, but now everyone seems to think it's Peterson in a slam dunk.  I don't get it.  I'm not saying it should be Peyton in a landslide either, but to not compare how amazing both are?  If anything, this should be a co-MVP year, as both came back from brutal injuries to return to elite status.

Anyway, there's a lot to talk about, especially now that football is almost done and we're heading into full-time basketball season and I look forward to sharing my thoughts.