Charlie Weis Jets Offensive Coordinator 2010

Charlie Weis is reportedly out at Notre Dame according to FOX Sports. Weis has underachieved during his tenure with the Fighting Irish. Up to this point, Weis has a record of 35-27 since taking over the team in 2005. His record with the Irish is front-loaded (19-6 in ‘05 and ‘06 combined) and he hasn’t faired well against top 25 opponents. 

As offensive coordinator with the Patriots from 2000 to 2004, Weis earned three Super Bowl rings. His next job may be as an offensive coordinator in the NFL again. 

In come the New York Jets. Current offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, was retained my new head coach Rex Ryan for the 2009 season after Ryan beat out Schotty for the head coaching position. Ryan, a defensive minded coach, knew retaining Schottenheimer would be crucial to the success of the team. Ryan was implementing a new defensive scheme for the Jets and implementing a new offense and defense in the same year would have been a major undertaking. Schotty signed a two-year contract extension before this season. Son of the great coach Marty Schottenheimer, Brian wants to be a head coach and if a team comes calling, he’ll bolt the green for greener pastures. If teams do not come calling, the Jets would really need to consider replacing him with Weis. Schotty sometimes gets too cute with his play-calling. Get Weis in there, commit to the ground game and play smash-mouth football. 

Charlie Weis was the Jets offensive coordinator under Bill Parcells from 1997 to 1999 before going to the Patriots in 2000 under Bill Belichick. In the mid-to-late ’90s, the Jets and Patriots shared several coaches and players. The Jets and Patriots had their own carousel between the two cities that carried players and coaches between the two teams, most notably coaches under the Parcells coaching tree. Weis and Bill Belichick fall under that category. The status of Weis and Belichick’s relationship is unknown, but it doesn’t appear to be strained like Belichick’s relationships with other former coordinators and assistants who have left the Patriots.

Early speculations suggest Weis could land in New England, Kansas City or even Indianapolis as offensive coordinator. Brian Schottenheimer is a good offensive coordinator, but Weis has three Super Bowl rings. It would be a travesty if the Jets don’t contact Weis about becoming their offensive coordinator. Would Weis want to come to the Jets? Who knows. NFL teams will be lining up for his services and the Jets need to jump in line.

Imagine Rex and Weis on the same sideline together? It would be a sore site, but would unite a great offensive minded coach with a great defensive minded coach. Weis is a New Jersey guy, born and raised. He would be a great acquisition to the Jets’ coaching staff. Weis’ Erhardt-Perkins offensive system, which he implemented in New England, could do well with the Jets. With a young quarterback and strong running game, the Jets are setup for success in the Erhardt-Perkins offensive system. They will look to pound the ball and then go with the play-action pass. This system has worked for New England, who have been the benchmark for all NFL teams this decade. Weis’ offense is what the Jets are built for; pound the ball, control the clock, play-action pass and limit turnovers. The system will also limit Sanchez’s turnovers, not to mention Weis can mentor the young quarterback.

As unlikely as it may be, Charlie Weis in Gang Green, teaming up with D-Rex, could lead to success for the Jets. 

Will Weis be standing next to Ryan on the sidelines one day? Hopefully together they can tip the scales in favor of the Jets.

Photos courtesy of www.collegefbpoll.com and the New York Daily News

Derek Jeter SI Sportsman of the Year

New York Yankees shortstop and five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter has been named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year. Jeter’s Yankees are coming off the franchise’s 27th World Series title in 2009. In an era of baseball where steroids hung above the sport, Derek Jeter was one of the brightest stars in the game that made baseball’s image a little better.

Deserving of an MVP several times in his career, Jeter has been Mr. Clutch and his been a consistent .310+ hitter. Jeter defied the law of shortstop age in 2009 putting together another exceptional season. At 35 years old, Jeter became the oldest World Series winning shortstop since Pee Wee Reese won with the Dodgers in 1955. 

Jeter has a lifetime average of .317 and batted .334 in 2009. Jeter becomes the first Yankee to ever win SI’s Sportsman of the Year. 

Jets Beat Panthers 17-6, Rhodes and Revis Have Two Interceptions Each

Kerry Rhodes was embarrassed when Rex Ryan chose to start Eric Smith in place of him against the Panthers. Rhodes responded with a pair of interceptions in limited playing time off of Jake Delhomme in the Jets 17-6 win over the Panthers. Rhodes didn’t record a tackle in the game, but made good plays on poor Delhomme throws. Darrelle Revis also intercepted Delhomme twice and took one of them 67 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

The Jets defense shut down the Panthers, forcing four turnovers and holding them to 179 total yards. Sure the Panthers aren’t that good offensively, but the Jets made plays on defense. The Jets run defense was outstanding. They held DeAngelo Williams to just 40 yards rushing on 16 carries. 

After the game Kerry Rhodes told the press, “I got the message. The message was sent. Now, I am moving on and you’re going to see Kerry Rhodes.” 

On Rhodes, Jets safety Jim Leonard told SNY, “Make the plays that come to you.” He later added about the win, “We just need to take this momentum and run with it.”

Rex Ryan’s decision to not start Rhodes was discussed all week. Whether the move was to wake up Kerry or send a message to the entire team, the Jets responded with a strong all around performance. Rhodes’ may have earned his starting spot back after recording his first two interceptions of the season, but Eric Smith did a great job in as the starter. 

The win puts the Jets at 5-6 on the season with five games remaining. Their next three games seem winnable (at Buffalo, at Tampa Bay, vs. Atlanta). There final two games are going to be tough (at Indianapolis, vs. Cincinnati). The Jets have a short week and travel to Toronto to play the Bills on Sunday.

2010 Yankees DH

If not Hideki Matsui, who will be the Yankees designated hitter in 2010? The World Series MVP wants to come back to the Bronx and the two sides could meet in the middle and come to terms. Everybody is getting caught up in what the Yankees will do with Matsui and fellow free agent Johnny Damon, but they aren’t talking about the fact that the Yankees don’t have a primary DH on their roster without Matsui. Matsui is a better DH than almost anyone the Yankees would bring in to replace him. 

The Yankees know what they’ll get from Matsui when healthy. The key in that sentence is “when healthy”. Health may be the Yankees concern about Matsui, who has been hindered by knee injuries. If Matsui and his agent are willing to compromise on salary figures, it’ a no-brainer for both sides. Matsui is the best option for the Bombers at DH. It’s becoming more likely Damon won’t be returning since he covets a three or four year deal. This bodes well for Matsui.  

Matsui and the Yankees may not come to terms, however. Joe Girardi could go with a part-time DH and the rest of the time give an everyday player a half day off and have them DH. Three games a week Girardi can rotate Posada, Jeter, A-Rod or another position player at DH. The Yankees could also obtain a regular DH.

Matsui is the Yankees best option for DH. He played in 142 regular season games in 2009. He’s 35 years old, will turn 36 in June, and can give the Yankees between 120 and 140 games as DH in 2010. A reasonable offer will put Matsui in pinstripes for 2010.

Carmelo Anthony Scores 50 Against Knicks

Are superstar NBA players dreaming less about playing for the Knicks and more about playing against them? A 50 point performance seems more than feasible for a superstar when his team plays the boys who hail at MSG. Carmelo Anthony is the latest player to drop at least 50 on the defenseless Knicks. Carmelo’s Nuggets beat the Knicks 128-125 on Black Friday. Al Harrington of the Knicks had 41 points. 

Within the last year, Kobe Bryant scored 61 on the Knicks (Feb 2), Dwayne Wade scored 55 (April 12), and LeBron James scored 52 (Feb 4). Melo makes it four 50-point games against the Knicks in the 2009 calendar year. Those are four players the Knicks would love to get their hands on. Any one of them would be the centerpiece of a franchise turnaround. 

This year’s Knicks team likes to spot their opponents anywhere between a 10 and 25 point lead in the first half. Game after game the Knicks are down early and have to climb their way back and seem to get within a manageable range but fall short. The loss to the Nuggets puts the Knicks at 3-13 on the season.

Finally, I pose the question; Why play for the Knicks when you can score 50 against them?

Giants Lose to Broncos on Thanksgiving

The Giants can see the NFC East slipping away and so could the entire nation on Thanksgiving. In the Giants’ Thanksgiving night loss to the Broncos, Kyle Orton outplayed Eli Manning, Knowshon Moreno outplayed Brandon Jacobs, Brandon Marshall outplayed Steve Smith and the Broncos’ defense outplayed the Giants’ defense. This added up to a 26-6 win for the Broncos.

Both teams have had similar seasons thus far starting the season on long win streaks and struggling since. The Broncos started out 6-0 before losing four straight games before this one. The Giants started out 5-0 and have since lost five of six including the loss on Thanksgiving.

“We’re a good football team,” Osi Umenyiora told the Associated Press. “We just played bad today. …From here on out, every game is a must-win.”

The Giants can’t afford to play “bad” anymore. Not with the Cowboys and Eagles in the division. The NFC East is the most competitive division in the NFL with the AFC North a close second. The Giants’ next two games are pivotal as they host the Cowboys and Eagles in back-to-back weeks. They can either remain in the division race or fall far behind.

At 6-5, the Giants are going to need to win at least three more games to have a shot at a playoff birth. Four wins would put them at 10-6, which may lock them into a wild card. Four wins won’t be easy. After the Cowboys and Eagles, the Giants have to play the Redskins, Panthers and Vikings. None of those opponents are going to lay down for the Giants.

Kerry Rhodes on Trading Block? Rhodes Tweets That He Wouldn’t Mind Being on Trading Block

In response to a tweet by Jetstwits’ Erik Manassy that said, “According to beat writer Rich Cimini, the Jets will “almost certainly” put FS Kerry Rhodes on the trading block if he doesn’t recapture job,” Kerry Rhodes responded on his twitter account, “Kerry may not mind that!” 

The trade deadline has passed this season so if Rhodes is to be traded it won’t be until the offseason. Rhodes is embarrassed about being replaced on the Jets starting defense. An offseason trade may be the best thing for both parties, even if he regains the starting position. Rhodes can start over fresh in a new organization and the Jets can dump his #33.5 million contract. The relationship between Rhodes and Jets head coach Rex Ryan is strained because of Ryan’s decision not to start Kerry. Ryan could have benched a number of guys who have played poorly or not up to their abilities this season including Mark Sanchez and D’Brickashaw Ferguson. He chose Rhodes. Rhodes has been away from social networking with fans since the decision up until today.

Read about Rhodes’ benching

Red Sox Want Roy Halladay; Yankees Should Drive Up Price But Not Pull Trigger Themselves

Reports coming out of the New York Daily News today suggest the Red Sox are getting ready to throw the house at the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay. An unidentified source told the Daily News the Red Sox are “putting on a full-court press” to acquire Halladay.

Where the Red Sox sniff the Yankees follow. Brian Cashman, Yankees’ GM, will do his due diligence on Halladay if nothing more than to drive up the price for the Red Sox. The price for Halladay will be steep, but as of right now it looks like the Red Sox are willing to go there.

Driving up the price for the Red Sox should be the only reason the Yankees get involved in talks with the Blue Jays. They should not pull the trigger on a trade for Halladay just because the Red Sox want him. Let him go to the Red Sox. The Yankees have been discussing their payroll and adding Halladay would end the discussion of cutting it. Acquiring Halladay would also cost a package of top prospects including at least Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero and either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain.

Halladay doesn’t fit into the plans the Yankees “say” they want to follow, but what the Yankees say and do don’t always agree. If the Yankees hadn’t won in 2009, it would be very likely they’d complete a deal for Halladay this winter. I’ve said it before; the team won in ‘09 without Halladay. What makes people think the Yankees need him to do it again?

Instead of trading for Halladay, the Yankees should sign free agent pitcher John Lackey. The Yankees rotation would be CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, John Lackey, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain/Phil Hughes. That is some rotation. They are going to have to pay Halladay after this season anyway so why not just pay Lackey now and not lose the prospects.

The argument for acquire Halladay is that prospects don’t always pan out and Halladay is a proven big league pitcher and former Cy Young Award winner. Jackson and Montero haven’t seen time in the bigs and Joba and Hughes’ roles are uncertain. While this is completely understood, there is an upside to these players that will pose the question, “What if?” These prospects can have great careers in other cities (the Yankees could always buy them back in the future).

If John Lackey was not available in free agency then the Yankees would be more apt to acquiring Halladay. Since Lackey is available, there’s a better chance the Yanks throw money at him to bring him to the Bronx.

Halladay may go to Boston and so be it. Yes, he’s a Yankee killer and he’ll shine in Boston, but the Yankees will do fine without him. I know I’m in the minority on this one.

Kerry Rhodes Benched

Jets safety Kerry Rhodes is heading to the bench. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports tweeted that players told him Rhodes was being benched for Eric Smith.

Rhodes hasn’t recorded a sack, interception, or forced fumble this season. He was drafted out of Louisville in the 4th round of the 2005 draft. Since being drafted he has started every game for the Jets. This will be the first game in his professional career he is not starting.

When Rex Ryan was hired by the Jets people expected Kerry Rhodes to become Ed Reed. Reed, a safety in Baltimore while Rex was defensive coordinator there, is considered the best in the business. Rhodes, on the other hand, has been a disappointment in Rex’s system.

Tackling isn’t Rhodes’ strong point, but he has missed some big tackles for the Jets this season. The athletic safety has taken criticism for doing more talking off the field (just check out his twitter account) than he should.

Rhodes will get back into the starting rotation within a few weeks. The Jets pay him too much to let him ride the bench in a losing season. His poor play could be attributed to him being too comfortable with his status and starting job on the team. Rex has thrown a wrench into his comfort level. This incident could drive Rhodes out of New York.

Rhodes’ replacement, Eric Smith, was a 3rd round pick by the Jets in 2006. He is not as athletic as Rhodes, but is a better tackler. He has four career interceptions, including one this year.

Knicks Roster Will Look Drastically Different Next Season

Of the Knicks’ current roster, only Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Toney Douglas, and Jordan Hill are locks to be on the team next year. Nate Robinson, Eddy Curry (player option), Chris Duhon, Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Jared Jeffries (early termination option), David Lee, Darko Milicic, Marcus Landry and Cuttino Mobley will be unrestricted free agents while Marcus Landry will be a restricted free agent after this season.

Donnie Walsh hopes to stock and reload the roster and obtain at least one NBA superstar. The Knicks players who are in their final year of their contracts know they probably don’t fit into Donnie’s plans. They know the organization is eyeing superstars like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, to name a few. The point is that the current Knicks will be free agents too and looking to sign contracts themselves. They need to play well in New York this season to get paid by another team next season. Players like Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, David Lee and Nate Robinson won’t get great attention because of the glaring star-power in the free agent class but they’ll be expected to make an impact on the teams that sign them. A poor showing in 2009-2010 will hurt their chances of signing good contracts.

It behooves the current Knicks to play well and win games. It behooves the organization because they don’t have a first round pick and want to show potential free agents there is a good, young group of players to build around. Most of the current Knicks know they aren’t in the team’s future plans, but they are playing for themselves right now as much as they are playing for the team. The team just isn’t that good.

Chandler, Gallinari, and Douglas could be a good trio Donnie Walsh can build around. Hill hasn’t played enough to get a feel of how he’ll be. The roster will be completely overhauled before next season and an entire city is hoping Donnie Walsh can put together a playoff caliber team.