The Jump Off - J

New Jersey. One of the most praised states for raising and bringing you the finest athletes in the country. Don’t believe me? Who else could bring you Derek Jeter, Carl Lewis, Shaq, and Mike Bibby? Since Syracuse will undoubtedly be an ongoing topic, I will also mention that Orange greats such as Terrence Roberts and Daryl Watkins hail from Paterson and Jersey City; which on a side note are both cities that I would not venture into the street past 9pm, so to speak. They may not have led us to a championship or put up great career numbers, but if you add up both of their free throw percentages you come awfully close to having an outstanding % from the line. I’m sure you all have figured out by now that I come from New Jersey (no I am not one of those kids that thinks he’s from New York because he lives close by). I graduated from Pace University but went to Syracuse for a few years with the rest of these clowns. I am now making a living crunching numbers as an accountant, so directing my efforts to this blog a few times a week helps me keep my sanity.

My loyalty goes to the Knicks, Jets, and Yankees. Now the outlook for all of my teams for the next few years is looking very positive. The Knicks are 2 wins away from tying their win total from last year and have freed up cap space for the summer of Lebron and friends. The Jets have spent a lot of money improving their defense, hopefully banishing Favre from the team, and have secured Rex Ryan as their next coach. The Yankees have taken care of their pitching needs and should have one of the best offensive lineups in baseball. Forgive me for such a broad description of these teams, but I’m sure I’ll be touching on these subjects in more detail in my later posts. But overall I’m a happy man and am excited for the future.

The other two contributors to this blog are from Boston although Matt has no ties to any Boston team whatsoever. I will assure you that this rivalry will be heavily discussed and friends will be lost. Although Boston has found success in the new millennium, their luck seems to be dwindling. The Patriots lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl followed by the Tom Brady Injury. One can only hope this streak continues. On that note my prayers seem to be answered when I hear the rumors that Brady may not be ready for the 09’ season. The Red Sox have been on top but will face tough opposition with a revived Yankees and young and talented Rays team coming into next season. And I have a gut feeling that Manny leaving has cursed the team similar to the legend of the infamous Bambino.

That brings me next to the Celtics. I have the uttermost respect for this team but obviously as a Knicks fan I would love to see their demise. My wishes almost came true when the rumors started flying around that the great Starbury was going to join the Celtics. I was ecstatic because I knew this would destroy a team’s chemistry 10 times worse than Terrell Owens ever could. However, this signing looks unlikely because the Knicks are unwilling to buy him out without Steph taking a pay cut. And we all know his huge ego and pride will never let him settle for anything less than what he’s owed. Bynum being out for 8-12 weeks doesn’t exactly help my cause either. However, all is not lost with both the Cavs and Magic (depending on Jameer Nelson’s status) looking like they have a good shot this year at taking down the mighty Celtics. And lets not discard the chance that the Knicks clinch the 8th seed and eventually beat them in a seven game series (“anythings possible” as KG would say). I’m hoping Gallinari AKA “the rooster” develops into a star by season’s end and brings them back to glory. This Italian can play, mark my words.

But that’s enough for now. There will be much more to talk about in due time. I am not big on politics, but I will put my two cents in from time to time. Look for an update tomorrow because I’m headed to the world’s most famous arena tonight to watch King James put on a show. He probably won’t top Kobe’s 61 the other night, but he may damn well come close. Thanks for reading, there’s plenty more dome to come.