Big disappointments in the Big Apple

New Yorkers must be feeling a little exasperated with the way their local teams are playing and the treatment they’re getting from the worldwide media. Being one of the largest sports markets on the entire planet, New York teams can’t help but be under everyone’s microscope. So when the Knicks are seemingly more out of sync than they were last year, the (football) Giants spiraling out of contention and Derek Jeter getting slighted for the American League MVP, everyone is going to start talking about New York. And for the athletes of the Big Apple, that’s not always a good thing.

I spent a couple of days in New York last month and one of the things that stood out was how passionate the city was about its sports teams. Most of the local tabloids and broadsheets had a more prominent back page (the sports page) than the front page, usually featuring full-page photos and big, bold headlines. One time I was walking, wearing an Eli Manning Giants jersey, and some random New Yorker looked at what I was wearing and said, "All right! Eli Manning!" You don’t bump into people along Katipunan who tell you, "All right! Enrico Villanueva!" New Yorkers are absolutely in love with their sports teams, and it’s a shame they’re all underachieving.

Let’s start with Jeter and the Yankees. After a roller coaster of a season that saw the highest payroll in the league lose to the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the playoffs, many believed that the only bright spot in the Yankees’ season was the play of shortstop Derek Jeter. Jeter brought everything the Yankees needed from their leader. With some of their big-name guys struggling, most notably Alex Rodriguez, Jeter provided the hitting the Yankees were missing. He finished the season hitting .344 with 14 homers and 97 RBIs (runs batted in). I’m not a baseball expert, but most of those who claim to be are saying that Jeter, after carrying the Yankees on his back, got robbed in the MVP voting. Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who had a Cy Young award-winning pitcher in Johan Santana and another MVP candidate Joe Mauer on his team, won the award.

The Giants were picked by many to get to the Superbowl. They had an explosive offense, anchored by Tiki Barber and led by a promising Eli Manning, and a vaunted defense, led by Pro-Bowl linemen Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. The Giants started slowly then picked it up en route to five straight wins and a spot at the top of their division. Their defense was just demolishing opposing quarterbacks. Then injuries started to mount. They lost Umenyiora and Strahan. They lost prized acquisition LaVar Arrington. Then went receiver Amani Toomer. It went on and on. Now they’ve lost three straight games (in embarrassing fashion) and are struggling to stay afloat. Most of the blame is falling on their quarterback Eli Manning, who has been inaccurate and susceptible to big mistakes. The Giants look like they’re in big trouble heading into the final stretch.

The biggest losers in New York, though probably the most predictable, are the Knicks. I never really understood why people said they would get better under Isiah Thomas. The guy is a horrible general manager and a mediocre coach at best. I guess James Dolan made him coach so all the blame will (finally) go to Isiah and he can fire him and start over. The Knicks problems, though, don’t end with Isiah, although it all started with him. They have an unhappy franchise player (Stephon Marbury), an out-of-place franchise-player-wannabe (Steve Francis), a center who rebounds and block shots like a guard, and a fan base that’s getting so frustrated that they’re booing their own team in their own building.

I feel sorry for New York. A city with so much money and emotion invested in sports shouldn’t have to deal with such disappointment. Then again, New York teams serve as the model that professional teams are slowly moving away from. They overpay players, stock up on talent and don’t worry about team chemistry and egos. All these, with maybe the Giants as an exception, follow that model, and all of them are wallowing in mediocrity. Maybe that’s why it’s called the City that Never Sleeps. Everyone is losing sleep over their losing teams.

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Visit the Louder than Sheed Sports Blog at http://louderthansheed.blogspot.com. For questions, comments or corrections, please e-mail me at emailcarlramirez@yahoo.com.