Different Faces, Same Philosophy

July 24, 2009

By Anthony Tripicchio

For the Jets, change means more of the same.

Rex Ryan is the new head coach, making his much awaited debut as top gun on the sidelines. If you see similarities in tactical defense to his predecessor, Eric Mangini, it is because Ryan will also utilize the 3-4 scheme.

Granted, the two coaches have their differences.

Ryan has a reputation as an aggressive coach who will blitz as often as he breathes and will certainly abandon Mangini's cryptic way with the media. Beat reporters, at times, were tempted to resort to waterboarding in order to pry information from Mangenius.

Despite their contrasting personalities, each of their defensive ideologies were inspired by masterminds who came before them. Ryan had his father, Buddy Ryan, who was the first to employ the vaunted 46 defense. Mangini gleaned from Bill Belichick the intricacies of a base 3-4 alignment.

Both men understand the value of a chameleon like defensive attack. Confuse the opposing offense with varying looks.

While Mangini believes in deception up until the snap, Ryan will throw his front on the field and challenge the offense to beat it. If you have the personnel, Ryan's method can be effective as he proved in Baltimore.

General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and the Jets, armed with the rewards of a defensive spending spree, anticipate that Ryan will have all the tools necessary for his 3-4 to dominate.

Former Ravens Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard, and Marques Douglas are asked to infuse the vicious nature of their old defense to their new digs at the Meadowlands.

Head coaching changes are often accompanied by subordinate staff overhauls. Although Ryan takes the helm, the Jets retained offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and special teams' coach Mike Westhoff. The only major change is the hiring of Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator and demotion of Bob Sutton to linebackers coach.

Ryan has heaped high praise on Pettine and one would expect nothing less as the former Baltimore outside linebackers coach was his choice.

"Mike is a rising star in this league," Ryan said. "We're fortunate that we were able to get him on our staff and he's my right hand man."

Just as Tannenbaum wanted a head coach to fit the Jets' 3-4 personnel, Ryan searched for a defensive coordinator who mirrored his own approach. He did not have to look far for Pettine who spent seven years in Baltimore assisting the defense.

Brian Schottenheimer returns with a somewhat unenviable group on the offensive end. Schottenheimer, who fell short in his own candidacy for the head coaching job, lost notables Brett Favre, Laveranues Coles, and Chris Baker.

Much of Schottenheimer's time will be attributed to acclimating rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez to the system. Accustomed to turnover at the position, 2009 will mark the third consecutive year the Jets will open the season with a different starting quarterback.

Without the necessary playmakers in the passing game as Schottenheimer attempts to develop Sanchez and Kellen Clemens, the Jets are expected to restrict their offense from some of the gunslinging that Brett Favre is revered for.

Many would argue, however, that the playbook was never opened up for much of a downfield passing game last year anyway and, therefore, the offense will not be so dramatically limited in comparison.

Schottenheimer's offense is dependent upon its rushing with the AFC's leading rusher Thomas Jones, the explosive Leon Washington, and powerful rookie Shonn Greene.

Running behind a steady offensive line and aiming to keep turnovers to a minimum, Schottenheimer would love to get 35-40 carries combined in each game out of his three horses in the backfield.

March Tournament Opens Without the Madness

March 21, 2008
By Anthony Tripicchio

The NCAA Tournament tipped off yesterday, sans the drama we are accustomed to. Sure, Belmont gave Duke a run for their money and Michael Beasley’s dominant performance led Kansas St. to a minor upset over a sixth seeded USC, but the chalk ruled almost everywhere else.

Most of you should have avoided tearing up your brackets on day one. That being said, there is still time for me to document my picks for the captivating two and a half-week tourney, albeit a day late. This is how Trip’s bracket shapes out.

Final Four Teams:

East Region: Louisville

Rick Pitino has a PHD in Madness, and this Cardinal team certainly has the potential to get to a Final Four. Louisville has a balanced attack with an inside scorer in David Padgett and a nice mix of perimeter players to complement the big man. The East could easily be the most difficult region with UNC, Tennessee, and Notre Dame, all potential Final Four teams. Despite UNC’s homecourt-advantage through the regional final, I still believe Louisville’s press can create problems for UNC as we saw Virginia Tech and Clemson present them with in the ACC Tournament. Ty Lawson still might not be 100 percent healthy, and UNC will need him to be if they tangle with Louisville’s long and high-pressure defense in the Elite Eight.

Midwest Region: Kansas

Although it can be detrimental to a team to be devoid of a clear first option, you won’t find many teams around the country weeping for Kansas. Loaded with artillery, coach Bill Self doesn’t lose much sleep over that "dilemma" with players like Darrell Arthur, Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, and Darnell Jackson leading the brigade. This is one of the deeper teams in the tournament and all three of their losses came within the Big 12. The earliest Kansas can see a conference foe is the Elite Eight, where Kansas St. (one of their losses in the regular season) would be waiting for them if they are, indeed, 2008’s Cinderella.

South Region: Texas

Let’s face it: the Big 12 has two of the best teams in the nation. Texas happens to be one of them and the selection committee rewarded them with regional games in Houston and a Final Four in San Antonio. Memphis’ horrendous foul shooting leaves me with little confidence in their ability to win tight tournament games and, while I feel Pittsburgh is a very live pick (I have them in the Elite Eight), I can’t see them beating Texas in what will be a virtual home game for the Longhorns.

West Region: UCLA

Even though I would Love (wow, you see what I did there? Working Love into the blurb about UCLA whose star player is named Kevin Love. Where is my Knick beat reporter job?) to take another team out of this region, I do not have the heart to do it. Other people may say it is not a lack of heart, but a lack of something else. Whatever the case may be, this region is by far the weakest and as Duke demonstrated last night, there is no threat to the Bruins until the Final Four.

Final: Texas over Kansas

The championship game will be the third encounter between the Longhorns and Jayhawks this season, and will break the stalemate they reached in the first two. Texas won in the first meeting in February while Kansas took the more meaningful one, winning the Big 12 Championship. The teams are evenly matched, but the game’s setting at the Alamo will be the difference for the last team standing at the Big Dance.

Potential Sleeper Teams:

Davidson. Stephen Curry shoots just like his father and that is a tremendous weapon, especially in the college game. We have seen on numerous occasions that the NCAA Tournament is about guard play, and Curry is as good a marksman as you will find in the country. He leads the team in scoring at 25 per game while shooting a blistering 44 percent from three point land. Throw in the fact that the team has won 22 games in a row and you may just have something there. Wait a minute. Didn’t a basketball team from Texas just rattle off an insane winning streak rivaling that one? Is there an eerie correlation between Davidson, the Final Four’s location, and my championship pick? I think there is.
In all seriousness, Davidson has the potential to beat Georgetown and advance to the Sweet Sixteen thanks to the Hoyas inconsistent perimeter offense. If Jonathan Wallace struggles, Curry could send Georgetown packing a lot earlier than people think. A trip to the Final Four is exceedingly unlikely, but Davidson can definitely make noise and win a few games.

Siena. Now this is a thirteen seed that can win its first round game, and since the spread opened at seven points in the Vanderbilt game, it is noteworthy. While Vandy is not an ideal matchup for the Saints of the MAAC, their athletic and quick guards will pose problems for the Commodores who will see a variety of defenses all day. Siena is an experienced team and they will not be intimidated. Center AJ Ogilvy will be the biggest issue for Siena to deal with as his size could overwhelm them inside. If they can limit his touches, the Saints can keep marching into the second round.

Rocket's Red Glare

Jan. 11, 2008
By Anthony Tripicchio

Roger Clemens’ act is wearing thin. If you believe he is innocent and never used steroids or HGH, give me a call to have dinner with you, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny sometime.

Clemens’ public relations circus continued Monday with his own press conference which featured a taped personal phone conversation between himself and his infamous former trainer Brian McNamee.

The tape was intended to publicly clear Clemens of any wrongdoing. Obviously, that was not the result. For a man that has allegedly been falsely accused and watched his reputation tarnished beyond repair, he sure maintained a mild tone with McNamee throughout the tape. Not once did we hear Clemens say anything resembling ‘Why would you ever make up this insane story about me? You know I never did steroids or HGH.’

He didn’t tell McNamee that because Clemens knew he would get called on it. The closest phrase we heard from Rocket was “I just don’t understand why you would tell those guys I did steroids.”

That statement implies that Clemens is distraught with the fact that McNamee turned him in, not that he is irate for being wronged. McNamee had no alternative, but to tell the truth about Clemens. If he refused to talk, McNamee would have become the next Greg Anderson, who wasted away for years in federal prison for his unappreciative client, Barry Bonds.

At the same time, McNamee sounded weak and vulnerable on the tape and confided in Clemens that his son is terminally ill. Clemens and his supporters would like to use that excuse as to why he wasn’t more forceful on the phone with him, but one has nothing to do with the other. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner had abundant opportunities throughout the 17-minute phone conversation to express both his deepest sympathies for McNamee’s son and outrage for his own situation.

Certainly, outrage was notably absent from the tape, but lies began to surface during Clemens’ network television appearance with Mike Wallace.

On his highly anticipated interview on 60 Minutes, Clemens said he was shocked when his name was listed in the Mitchell Report and that McNamee had given him no advanced notice of what was to appear in the long-awaited report.

It was later revealed, however, that McNamee’s representatives had provided Clemens’ team of agents and lawyers the information McNamee divulged for the report eight days prior to its release.

Oops, there is lie number one.

During the interview, Clemens also said he was stunned to hear of Andy Pettitte’s admission of HGH usage. Pettitte confirmed he did, in fact, take HGH injections on two separate occasions administered by McNamee.

Do you really believe that Pettitte took it upon himself to do HGH? If you do, do not pull the wool any further over your eyes to hide the fact that Pettitte would have at least consulted Clemens before taking a leap of that magnitude.

Pettitte and Clemens were inseparable for years since Rocket first became a Yankee in 1999. Clemens lured Pettitte into his intensive workout regimen and McNamee trained both stud pitchers simultaneously. Not to mention that it was Clemens who brought McNamee from Toronto to New York to continue to act as his personal trainer.

Although Clemens’ testimony in Congress has been pushed back to mid-February, it will still be fascinating to see if Andy Pettitte accepts his invitation to testify. Pettitte’s religious identity points to him telling the truth if he does materialize at the dog and pony show, but a no-show would perhaps be even more telling.

Pettitte has already admitted his own guilt so he has no reason not to show, unless he does not want to implicate his former teammate in this mess.

We have just scratched the surface of this He Said vs. He Said circus and we may never have definitive evidence to declare who is telling the truth.

This is one game the 354-game-winner might go the distance, but record a loss in the box score.

Yanks in 2-0 Hole or Grave

Oct. 6, 2007
By Anthony Tripicchio

It has been done before, it can be done again.

This is the message Joe Torre must be preaching to his beleaguered team who return to New York for an elimination game against Cleveland on Sunday. The Yankees came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the 2001 ALDS against Oakland and find themselves in the same predicament this year.

Sunday’s start by Roger Clemens will determine whether or not his signing was worth all of $27 million for 19 appearances. Clemens is not here for the regular season, he’s here for the playoffs. He doesn’t even have to duplicate the masterful 6 1/3 scoreless innings thrown by his buddy Andy Pettitte on Friday night. Six quality innings of two run ball will suffice.

If he can’t do that, the Rocket Re-Launch was a miserable failure.

Regardless of the fact that Pettitte signed as a free agent in the offseason, he is not a mercenary like Clemens. He’s a true Yankee and he proved it again with a fearless performance in a pressure-packed Game 2. Granted, it didn’t equate to a win but it was a game marred by a late-inning bug infestation that visibly affected young flamethrower Joba Chamberlain who surrendered Pettitte’s 1-0 lead in the 8th.

By the way, it’s not unprecedented for a game to be delayed by bugs. There was a 35 minute delay at SkyDome on Aug. 27, 1990 when a swarm of bugs flew in.

The bugs were only a serious factor in the 8th inning on Friday night and the game would have been better served by waiting for the insects to leave. If you can delay a game for rain or snow, you should absolutely delay it for that type of chaos.

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland’s nasty sinkerballer, wasn’t derailed by the cluster of midges. He was outstanding in nine innings, making only one mistake to Melky Cabrera.

According to his teammate Ryan Garko, Carmona has dealt with bugs much worse than that in his winter ball experience. They didn’t teach that to Chamberlain in Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

Certainly, the Yankee bats will need to provide Clemens with more than one run if they hope to avoid a sweep.

A sweep, as improbable as it seems, would prompt a major facelift in the Bronx. Casualties could include Joe Torre, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez, all of whom could be free agents at year’s end. Of course, the Yankees would like to bring back Rivera, Pettitte, and Posada but the others remain to be seen. Rodriguez will need to hit like he did all year for the rest of the series in order for The Boss to pony up $300 million to resign the lightning rod. An 0-for the series would buy A-Rod a one-way ticket out of town, assuming he opts out of his current deal.

We can go on and on about how murderous the Yankee lineup is, but every postseason one truth remains: You win with pitching.

Luckily for the Yankees, Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd will take the hill in games three and four for the Indians. Those guys are not frontline starters, and if they impersonate them in those games we know what took place.

The Yankees' big lineup came up small again.

Justice Served Cold by Goodell

Sept. 14, 2007
By Anthony Tripicchio

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell refuses to tolerate inappropriate behavior, whether it’s on the football field or off of it. Bill Belichick is the latest person to realize that the hard way.

In the wake of last Sunday’s evidence that the Patriots videotaped defensive signals from the Jets’ sideline, Goodell fined Belichick the maximum amount of $500,000 and the Patriots organization $250,000. In addition, the Patriots will forfeit their 2008 first round pick if they qualify for the playoffs or their second and third round picks if they do not.

Belichick’s actions were inexplicable and it’s refreshing that such a severe penalty condemned his behavior. The elaborate spying didn’t affect the outcome of Sunday’s game against the Jets since New England dominated every facet, but it has no place in the sport. There is no way to tell how often Belichick spied in the past or how many wins it might have meant. It does raise a lot of questions, however.

The Patriots have the best team in football and yet Belichick, the best coach in the game, still cheated? His ego is out of control. Attempting this tomfoolery against your arch rival and your former defensive coordinator is not only ludicrous, it’s stupid. Confounding matters, the Patriots had been warned by the league about ceasing this activity in the past.

Did he honestly believe he would get away with it?

He got caught red-handed and now Belichick has cost his team a first round pick as a result; not to mention his wallet is a lot lighter now. Barring catastrophic injury, there’s no way the Patriots will miss the playoffs. Belichick is fortunate that the Pats will have San Francisco’s first round pick which will certainly be higher than the pick they forfeit. San Francisco’s pick should be anywhere from the high teens to the low 20s, whereas the Patriots forfeited pick will be high 20s to low 30s. Also, the Pats have stock-piled first day picks in the 2008 draft so that should further soften the blow.

Despite the fact that the Patriots will continue to be an NFL Super Power even without their first round draft pick, the punishment handed down by Goodell fit the crime. Many had speculated that Belichick would be suspended on top of the fine, but no one in the right mind can believe that he would be devoid of contact with his team for that time period. Belichick would find a way to communicate orders to his team by an underground railroad if necessary. Plus, the loss of a first round draft pick will have a longer lasting impact on the team than a short-term suspension would.

Although Belichick was formally chastised by the league, perhaps the biggest punishment is the embarrassment he will continue to suffer from the episode. His coaching fraternity has disapproved of his deplorable behavior including such brand names as Bill Parcells, Dan Reeves, and Tony Dungy.

The true great coaches don’t need to cross moral boundaries to win football games. Sadly, Belichick doesn’t need to either.

Belichick Rips Rhodes

Sept. 1, 2007
By Anthony Tripicchio

Bill Belichick despises the Jets. In the latest manifestation of his blind hatred, the future Hall of Fame head coach blasts Kerry Rhodes.

Citing Peter King’s rankings of the top 500 players in football, a reporter asked Belichick about his opinion of Rhodes and Jason Peters being ranked 29 and 39 respectively.

“Neither of those guys could make my team,” Belichick said.

Eric Mangini has to be happy with Rhodes’ reaction to the critical comment.

Rhodes, refusing to take the bait, laughed and said “No comment on that one.”

“That’s funny though,” he said. “Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

Belichick’s dig at Rhodes is atypical of him, at least through the media. New England’s leader is usually cryptic and indirect with the media, but this episode could provide the Jets with additional motivation to slay the longtime Beast of the AFC East.

The timing of the remark is questionable, since New England safety Rodney Harrison was just suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the season due to his admittance of HGH usage. In reality, Rhodes would easily make Belichick’s team and be one of their better players in the secondary.

It’s time to for Belichick to let his grudges go. He’s always been bitter about how his relationship with the Jets ended when it’s the Jets who should be upset about it. He’s the one who resigned as “HC of the NYJ” just days after accepting the position.

Most recently, he harbors hostility towards Mangini for leaving the Pats to take the head coaching job with the Jets, against his advice.

Sorry Bill, some people actually want to coach in New York.

With the Patriots coming to the Meadowlands on Sept. 9 to open the season, we could have an all out war on our hands.

Keep your eyes on number 25 for the Jets. His game will tell you how this story ends and which team gets a leg up in the fight for the AFC East.

Yankees Salvage Final Game in L.A.

Aug. 23, 2007

By Anthony Tripicchio

Angels are supposed to be from heaven, but the Yankees swear they are from hell.

After losing the first two games of the series, New York avoided the sweep last night and beat the L.A. Angels in Anaheim 8-2.

If you have a cold you take a dose of penicillin, but if you’re on a losing streak the doctor prescribes Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte made his latest house call against Angels’ ace John Lackey and pitched seven crisp innings of one-run ball. Improving to 11-7 with a 3.67 ERA, Pettitte is easily the most reliable starter on the Yankees’ staff. He’s 7-1 in his last nine starts and it seems he is always on the mound when the Yanks are desperate for a win.

Lackey pitched well himself as he matched Pettitte through six innings until the Yankees ultimately broke through against him in the 7th and 8th innings.

Melky Cabrera and Derek Jeter each had RBI singles in the 7th to recapture the lead 3-1. The Yankees 8th inning eruption put the game out of reach. Jorge Posada continued his magical season with a 3-4 night, two doubles and 2 RBI. Robinson Cano and Hideki Matsui also had three-hit nights.

The win moves Joe Torre to second on the Yankees’ franchise list for managerial victories with 1150. Torre surpassed Casey Stengel and now trails Joe McCarthy by 310 wins for a share of the top spot.

Since the Yankees are no strangers to dynasties, it’s surprising that Torre stands in such scarcely populated territory. In modern day baseball, it’s exceedingly difficult for a manager to have any type of longevity with one particular team. Torre’s tenure is marked by stability and class. He should be commended for a tremendous 12-year run in the most demanding market in the game.

Although he may not want to manage too many more years, Torre has to be tempted by the young pitching crop he’s witnessing. Joba Chamberlain, most notably, is a flamethrower with stunning mound presence. Chamberlain added to his mind-boggling numbers last night as he struck out the side (including Vlad Guerrero and Orlando Cabrera) in the 8th inning while allowing just one hit. His fastball lights up the radar gun as he routinely hits 96-98 MPH, but his slider is even more devastating. No one has come close to touching Chamberlain’s slider yet and the Yankees are giddy about the possibilities for his future.

Next year the Yankees’ rotation will potentially include Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy who all appear to play prominent roles in the franchise’s future. If Chamberlain continues to be lights out in the bullpen, he could be considered as the eventual replacement for closer Mariano Rivera. The Yankees, however, see Chamberlain as a starter as he was for the majority of the year in the minors.

Despite the future’s promise, the present is the concern. The Yanks are now five games behind first place Boston and are 1 ½ games out of the wildcard. With over a month remaining in the regular season, there is time to erase both deficits. A win a day will keep the coroner away.