(Long Island, N.Y.)It seems like yesterday that the Mets were throwing around as much money as their cross-town rivals. When Johan Santana was acquired via trade and came to Flushing, it was the Yankees who appeared to be holding back. Boy, how times have changed.

Fred and Jeff Wilpon have been denying money issues connected to the Bernie Madoff scandal since it hit and all of the denials and excuses have finally been exhausted. They have finally admitted that an “air of uncertainty” has caused them to explore the possibility of selling 20 to 25 percent of the team.

First, they took a big step back in the free agent market and have been cutting payroll, trying to rid themselves of expensive contracts. Then as last season wore on, they made an effort to go with a younger bunch and will let whoever they can’t peddle on someone else to walk after their current contracts expire.

They cleaned house in the offseason, bringing in Sandy Alderson as the general manager and Terry Collins as manager, but had to fill holes with reclamation projects such as Chris Capuano and Chris Young. Now they have put a minority stake of the team up for grabs.

With a date in court awaiting him regarding the monies earned from the Madoff accounts, Fred Wilpon is still trying to convince the fans that nothing has changed. “I don’t think the suit has had any impact on the cash flow or the liquidity of the Mets in any major way at all,” he told reporters.

And if you believe that, there’s a bridge with a price tag waiting for you.

The franchise has been valued at $858 million by Forbes last April and there are only two teams higher. That bodes well for a number of reasons, but do not expect the money brought in from the sale to be put back into the team. If the Wilpons lose the case, they will have to shell out somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million. Even with so much going on, the Wilpons are intent on staying in charge.

“Regardless of the outcome of this exploration, Sterling (Equities, the parent company of the Mets) will remain the principal ownership group of the Mets and continue to control and manage the team’s operations,” they said in a statement. “The Mets have been a major part of our families for more than 30 years, and that is not going to change.”

Considering that the National League East is going to be an extremely competitive division, the Mets will have a tough time ahead of them for the foreseeable future. The Philadelphia Phillies appear to be the best team in the league, the Atlanta Braves are coming off a playoff season, the Florida Marlins are always pesky and the Washington Nationals have apparently turned the corner in their rebuilding mode.

A last place finish is certainly not out of the question for the Mets in 2011. Citi Field will have many empty seats this summer and the days of the $100 million contacts in Flushing look like a thing of the past.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Sitting alone at his locker stall only minutes following the game, James Ihedigbo’s face was buried in his hands. The high-energy Jets defensive back had put so much into this playoff run, just as the rest of the organization and fan base had, and it all began to sink in for him.

Even after showering and preparing for the flight home, Ihedigbo couldn’t shake off what had taken place on the grass at Heinz Field. “I can’t even think about next year,” he said in a barely audible whisper. “We just lost the AFC Championship Game.”

The 24-19 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers may have ended the season, but certainly not what the Jets have going for them. This team has changed the entire culture of the franchise, one filled with stunning losses and the ‘same old Jets’ mantra throughout their checkered history. In just two seasons, head coach Rex Ryan has put that to bed and has this team – and fans – believing in themselves, something that seemed impossible only a few years ago.

“One thing I told our players was to be proud to be a Jet,” Ryan said. “There’s a lot to be proud of. The fact that we didn’t reach our goal this year, clearly that’s a disappointment, but that doesn’t mean we had a bad season. We had a heck of a season when you look at it.”

By winning 11 games in the regular season and ousting two AFC powerhouses on the road in the playoffs in the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, Ryan is being quite modest in his assessment. They may have played somewhat inconsistent at times but learned to win games late and in spectacular fashion. Quarterback Mark Sanchez took huge steps in his development, one that is going very fast for a second-year player.

“The most important thing, personally, was trying to cut down on interceptions,” the USC product said. “I cut down on turnovers (and) ball security (issues). To improve like we did, to jump as many spots as we did in third-down conversions, on red zone efficiency, everything we improved in as an offense. That just comes with experience.”

In his rookie campaign in 2009, Sanchez threw for 2,444 yards, 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions (63.0 rating). He also fumbled 10 times and lost three. This year, he amassed 3,291 yards, 17 touchdowns, cut down his picks to 13 (75.3 rating), and only lost one of nine fumbles.

By reaching the conference championship game in two consecutive seasons, the Jets will have a difficult time matching that a year from now. But they have enough young players in the right places to put themselves in that position again.

“There’s nothing to hang our heads about,” Sanchez concluded. “It’s a tough way to go out, but we have a great group and we’ll be right back next year and, hopefully, we’ll be a little better.”

(Long Island, N.Y.)The New York Mets are a team in transition. While not in a total rebuilding mode, they are doing more than tweaking and it began with the hiring of a new general manager and field manager in Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins, respectively.

Alderson knew that the purse strings were tight when he interviewed for the job and although it has been denied, the Bernie Madoff scandal has to have had some effect on the Wilpon family’s fortunes. The hierarchy has stated that they will try to keep the team salary where it is now and concentrate on the 2012 offseason, when some of the expensive, long-term contracts come off the books.

Last winter, former GM Omar Minaya panicked by signing outfielder Jason Bay to a four-year, $66 million contract just to make a splash, even though he was not the right fit for the team. In 2009 (his walk year), Bay hit 36 home runs and drove in 119 runs as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Citi Field is no Fenway Park and Bay’s inaugural season in Flushing was a disaster. He only played in 95 games due to a season-ending concussion and his production was non-existent with only six home runs and 47 RBI.

This time around, the Mets are not going to make the same mistake. Alderson said from the get-go that he would look to find bargains amongst the free agents and only second or third tier players would be on their radar.

Needing to upgrade the starting rotation, Alderson has found a couple of arms that have a low risk and big upside. The latest is 6′, 10″ right-hander Chris Young, who has had his own share of issues staying on the field. He only made four starts last summer in San Diego but has had some success in the past, mainly in 2006 with the Padres when he went 11-5 with a 3.46 ERA.

Shoulder woes have slowed down Young’s progress but he passed his physical and has said that he is ready to go. Young was signed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract filled with incentives, so that if he has to be shut down the deal will still be economical in today’s games.

He was effective in September after resting the shoulder for a good portion of the season, which is encouraging for the newest Met. “Unfortunately, the clock sort of ran out of time and I didn’t have the proper time that I needed to build up my arm strength,” Young said to reporters. “But I felt like I was confident. I was making progress and I was very happy with my mechanics, which is a big part of being efficient and healthy.”

Young will be slotted somewhere in the rotation once spring training starts and Chris Capuano will in all likelihood join him. The lefthander has undergone two Tommy John surgical procedures, the first coming in 2002 and the next (to replace the replacement tendon after it snapped) came five years later. Following a long rehab, Capuano came back to the Milwaukee Brewers before the All-Star break last season, going 4-4, 3.95 in 24 games (nine starts).

Capuano was inked to a one-year deal with the Mets worth $1.5 million, this one also incentive heavy. If he can recapture anything close to his 2005 form when he went 18-12, 3.99, the Mets will have a steal on their hands.

Both Young and Capuano may not have been headline acquisitions, but both can do the job if healthy. Plus they came pretty cheap.

(Long Island, N.Y.)A year ago, the New York Jets did make it all the way to the AFC Championship Game, but their team had a different look (and feel) to it. Sure, they still like to grind it out and dictate the pace of the game by their running attack, but only 12 short months ago, they really had no other option.

They were playing with only one wide receiver that could stretch the field (and also was prone to bad drops at the most inopportune times) and a rookie quarterback who needed to be reeled in to limit his mistakes. But fast-forward to this season and Braylon Edwards has been sure-handed and Mark Sanchez’s decision making has had a drastic turnaround.

Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes was brought in during the offseason to be paired with Edwards, giving Gang Green two quality wideouts who can change a game in one play. Sanchez has looked quite comfortable throwing to either of them and that has opened up the offense and allowed a revamped backfield to excel, as well.

By leading the Jets to 11 wins in the regular season, Sanchez has matured beyond his years. It is especially impressive when you recall that he had a mere 16 starts under his belt while at USC, so he only now is getting the experience of a four-year starter at the college level, albeit being in the NFL since 2009.

When he brought the Jets down the field with less than a minute remaining in last weekend’s Wild Card game at Indianapolis, he did it with a demeanor that was reminiscent of his counterpart, Peyton Manning. His throws set up an easy game-winning field goal by Nick Folk, and the Jets avenged last season’s playoff loss to the Colts, 17-16.

“I think it speaks to Coach Cavanaugh and Coach Schottenheimer and me growing up in this offense, understanding the personnel we have on the field, what plays fit with specific personnel and just having a couple of plays in the grab bag, just in case,” Sanchez said about the pass play that set up the kick. “They’re emergency plays if the headset goes out, if something goes wrong, we don’t get the call in quite right, you can make something up and kind of go on the fly.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do that last year,” he added. “Just doing all the studying in the offseason and getting comfortable with Jerricho (Cotchery), Santonio and Braylon. Kind of what happens is you grow up in this league (when) you play more games.”

Now Sanchez must face the New England Patriots on Sunday, a team that beat the Jets 45-3 in Week 13. Just as with the Colts, this will be no easy task and in fact be much greater. But the growth of Sanchez is not lost on anyone, even someone as stoic and bland as Bill Belichick.

“He’s done a great job this year,” the Patriots head coach said this week via conference call. “There have been a lot of close games and (he has) brought them from behind, like in the Detroit game and the overtime games. (In) Cleveland, he made a bunch of big plays there. He’s done an excellent job in some tough situations and brought the team back and won for them. I think anytime a quarterback does that, that’s what you want on your resume.”

If Sanchez can pull out a victory at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon, then he will have a huge addition to his resume.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Sometimes there are win-win situations that may feel like a loss when it’s all said and done. The New York Giants went into their Week 17 matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles knowing that a victory was not enough to make another Super Bowl run. Big Blue needed outside help in the form of three other teams losing, making it an unlikely scenario from the get-go.

But there were some fans in attendance that thoroughly enjoyed the experience, the 42-7 Giant win, and didn’t even mind when the Detroit Lions didn’t hold up their end of the bargain by dropping their contest to the Chicago Bears, one of the teams that the G-Men needed to lose.

“I was born a Giants fan and was lucky enough to experience the Lawrence Taylor era,” said United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Mack Hopkins, who was the grand prize winner of the Van Heusen Style in Training sweepstakes. “Being on the sidelines during pregame warm-ups was a great experience, seeing Eli Manning – who is my favorite player – and Victor Cruz up close like that was something else.”

Hopkins, 35, saw an online ad for the contest back in September and entered on a whim, never expecting to ultimately be declared the winner. The married father of three was notified approximately two months later that he had won and would be a very special guest (plus one) at the Giants game, to go along with a lot more.

“My wife and I were picked up by car at our home in Huntington Station and were taken to the Ace Hotel in Manhattan,” said Hopkins, who was born in Glen Cove and grew up in Westbury and Freeport. “We stayed the night there and were driven in the morning to MetLife Stadium.”

While they were on the home team sideline, a group from Newtown, Connecticut joined the husband and wife Hopkins pair. “It was a very emotional moment, seeing those Sandy Hook Elementary School families that went through that,” a solemn Hopkins recalled. “I was at a loss for words at the time.”

As the clock ticked towards the 1:00 pm kickoff, Hopkins received a very pleasant surprise when he was invited out to midfield for the coin toss. “I was wearing my Eli Manning number 10 jersey and walked out with the Eli and Justin Tuck,” he said. “They announced my name over the PA system. It was definitely one of the greatest moments of my life besides my children being born.”

The happy couple was then invited up to one of the suites to watch the game and there was plenty to cheer about. Manning threw for five touchdowns as the Giants trounced their division rivals from south of the Turnpike, but it became a matter of crossing your fingers as the Bears opened up a 10-point lead against the Lions. But the squad from Detroit made it interesting and closed the gap as the Giants game commenced. That’s when the term ‘scoreboard watching’ took on a new meaning.

“They showed the last five minutes of the (Bears-Lions) game on the big screen at the stadium,” the 12-year military veteran said. “So everyone stuck around to see the outcome.”

The Lions’ comeback fell short as the 26-24 Chicago win eliminated the Giants from playoff contention. But that didn’t change the experience for a proud fan dressed in blue.

“I’ve been to the new stadium about six times before this, but it was totally different,” said Hopkins, who also received $2,000 worth of clothing and a $500 gift certificate to Macy’s in the contest.

So it was back to the Ace Hotel for another night’s stay for Hopkins before reporting back for duty at his post as a recruiter out of Garden City, where he has been for a few years after being deployed overseas.

The good guys won that day – in more ways than one.

(Long Island, N.Y.) When you make the long trek north to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, one expects to see a collection of plaques of the all-time greats of the game. The quaint little town has been a place for sports fans to make a sometimes annual pilgrimage and it should go without saying that any player who isn’t a slam dunk to get in shouldn’t.

When you consider the fact that less than 300 players have been elected since the first class in 1936, thousands more have not. But that is selling the legendary players a bit short. Need an example? Cy Young had to wait a year before getting in after that inaugural quintet that included Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner.

This year’s ballot had some quality names on it, but only one (Roberto Alomar, Jr.) was a ‘sure thing.’ The BBWAA cast their votes and right-handed pitcher Bert Blyleven joined Alomar in receiving more than 75 percent of the ballots. Both will be inducted in the official ceremony on July 24.

Not taking anything away from Blyleven, but he is not Hall of Fame material. The bearded one had a very nice five-team, 22-year career, but he finished with a 287-250 record and a 3.31 ERA (in a period when that was not considered low, as it is today).

Blyleven ranks fifth on the all-time strikeout list with 3,701 in 4,969 1/3 innings, pitched 242 complete games and 60 shutouts, all impressive statistics. He was also an integral part of two World Series championship teams in Pittsburgh (1979) and Minnesota (1987).

In comparison, Johnson – better known as “Barney” or “The Big Train” – spent every one of his 21 years as a member of the original Washington Senators, not exactly a team known for winning. His career mark was 417-279 with a 2.17 ERA, 3,509 strikeouts in 5,914 1/3 innings, 531 complete games and 110 shutouts.

Johnson won two MVP Awards (1913 and 1924), led the American League in ERA five times, wins six times, innings pitched five times, starts four times, complete games six times and shutouts eight times. Blyleven led the AL in innings pitched twice, strikeouts once, starts and complete games once each and shutouts three times. No MVPs or Cy Young Awards (an accolade that was not around during Johnson’s era) for Blyleven, either.

That’s not to say that everyone has to live up to someone as gifted as Johnson, but there has been a huge drop off with the latest starters who have been elected. Don Sutton (1998) and Phil Niekro (1997) are not exactly Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton. They were not game changers or even close to being the best pitchers of their era. That should be the barometer to make The Hall. Anything less and it cheapens the overall quality of what the place was supposed to be when the hallowed halls were first occupied.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Whenever you qualify for the playoffs following a loss, the general consensus is that you have ‘backed in.’ The Jets fought hard in Chicago but came up short, 38-34, and learned of their fate before leaving the visitor’s locker room at Soldier Field.

Because the Jacksonville Jaguars also lost, the Jets at 10-6 clinched a spot in the postseason. Whenever you have double-digit wins, you have earned your spot in the big dance. The team has not been playing particularly well of late – going 1-3 in their last four games – so they need to get it together quickly if they intend on contending for the Super Bowl.

“Playing well going into the playoffs is about the team that’s playing hot at the time because it’s a tournament,” said running back LaDainian Tomlinson. “No matter what you say or who you are, you could be the number one seed or you could be the sixth seed, everyone is nervous about going home because there is a potential of losing.”

Throughout the season, the Jets have had moments where they have looked impressive, but yet there have been too many times when they have left you scratching your head. The close, last minute wins over teams they are clearly better than seemed to have caught up to Gang Green in the past month. They have beaten the weaker teams on their schedule and struggled against the stronger ones, but the win at Pittsburgh two weeks ago gave them a huge shot in the arm.

With the New England Patriots having already wrapped up the AFC East and overall number one seed in the conference, the best the Jets can do is the fifth seed. For that to happen, they will have to not only beat the Buffalo Bills at home this Sunday, but also have the Steelers finish as the other wild card team and jump them due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“I think it’s important to win this game,” said head coach Rex Ryan. “If we can get to 11 wins – I think that’s only been done five times in the history of the franchise – that would be huge. You want to go in (to the playoffs) with a win.”

With quarterback Mark Sanchez still bothered by a shoulder injury, the question now is will he play in Week 17 and for how long. “Obviously, his health is the number one concern” added Ryan. “It’s kind of a fine line because he is hot right now. We can’t afford for him to take a dip. We need him to stay at this level. Those are things we’ll definitely consider.”

Everyone wants to go into the postseason on a winning note, but all one needs to do is look at 2009 for proof that it isn’t a necessity. The New Orleans Saints lost their last two regular season contests before winning Super Bowl XLIV and the Indianapolis Colts, who represented the AFC on Super Sunday, also dropped their last two after winning the first 14 games of the regular season.

“I don’t think that history repeats that or says that you have to be rolling at the end of the regular season, but I will say this,” concluded Ryan. “I’m excited about where our offense is right now. I think we’re peaking at the right time. Defensively, obviously, we’re not. We had two games that weren’t up to our standards, but I think we can fix it.”

If the Jets are to make any noise in January, that has to happen right away.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Losing to the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday in the fashion they did, the New York Giants have made their job much more difficult. The 38-31 loss was bad enough, but blowing a four-touchdown lead in the final eight minutes to their division rival can have some serious implications – if the G-Men let it linger.

By being swept by Philadelphia in the season series and now trailing by one game, one would surmise that winning the NFC East would be a long shot for the 9-5 Giants. But they control their own destiny and would qualify for the playoffs as a wild card entrant at worst if they win their final two games.

“We’re still in a good position,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. “We’re in a position a lot of other people would like to be in. We have to have a great week of preparation and focus and make sure we continue to do things and find a way to get a win against a good team.”

That would be the Packers, who are still in the playoff hunt themselves at 8-6. Matt Flynn has taken over as the Green Bay signal caller in place of the inured Aaron Rodgers, who is still feeling the effects of his second concussion this season. Flynn threw his first three touchdown passes of his career in a close loss at New England and at home, the Pack will not be an easy target.

“I like the way we responded when our backs have been up against the wall this year,” added Manning. “We had two cases earlier in the season when we lost a few and responded well with win streaks. That’s what you like to see, a team that can get hot. We know we’re capable of that and we just have to go do it.”

Big Blue experienced some adversity early in the season when they looked bad in Week 2 (a 38-14 loss at Indianapolis) and Week 3 (a 29-10 home loss to the Titans), seeing their record drop to 1-2. They responded by winning five games in a row. Then in mid-November, two divisional losses to the Cowboys and Eagles gave the Giants a 6-4 mark. Three consecutive wins later, they were poised to take control of the division. We all know what took place then.

If the Giants can shake off the effects of the collapse, then it will not be spoken about for long. But if the hangover is present, then we will be hearing about it for years to come. Their head coach is choosing to look ahead, not behind. “I think this is a mentally tough group,” Tom Coughlin said. “What we can do is have something to do with right now and hopefully that will contribute to what’s going to happen in the future, so let’s get about our business.”

Having the opportunity to get off the mat and win a decision is in front of the Giants. They can erase one of the worst losses in franchise history by putting it past them. Let’s see what they’re made of.

(Long Island, N.Y.) The worst kept secret of baseball’s off-season was Derek Jeter returning to the Yankees. No one really expected the perennial All-Star shortstop to go anywhere once he hit the open market and a brief period of negotiations that didn’t go as smoothly as expected were not enough to get in the way.

Both parties wanted it to happen even though the money seemed to be far apart during the drawn-out negotiation period. The Yankees made a three-year, $45 million offer while Jeter was looking more towards and upwards of the $20 million annual number. Ultimately, they settled on a three-year, $51 million contract with a player option for the 2014 season.

“This is the only organization I want to play for,” said Jeter. “This is where I want to finish my career. I’ve been vocal about that since Day One. I didn’t want to talk to any other teams.”

But the Yankee captain was not totally satisfied the way the media portrayed what was going on behind-the-scenes. “The thing that bothered me the most was how public this became,” he commented. “The negotiations were supposed to be private. I was in an uncomfortable position. I was angry how I was portrayed throughout this.now I have an ego and arrogance and I don’t think that was portrayed correctly.”

The reason for that was because Jeter had a rough season in 2010 and hit .44 points under his career average of .314, hitting only 10 home runs and driving in 67 runs. At 36 with obvious eroding skills, Jeter could not have expected to still command an enormous high salary. But he brings certain intangibles to the table that does not show up in the scorecard.

Consider the following: Jeter owns the highest personal career winning percentage (.601, 1,379-914-2), as well as appearing in more Yankee victories (1,379) than anyone else in the storied franchise’s 107-year history. Those are two accomplishments that are almost unfathomable and cannot be measured in dollars and cents.

“He embodies what the Yankees are all about – class, loyalty, championships, hard work, desire, passion for the game,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “We’re all fortunate that he’s back. I appreciate everything he does on the field, off the field and in our clubhouse.”

That last part of Girardi’s statement is a microcosm of what Jeter means to the Bronx Bombers. His mere presence is of the utmost importance and his leadership skills have been a constant since 1996. Year after year as his career went on, Jeter was the center of the core that won seven American League pennants and five World Series titles, the last coming in 2009.

Many quality players have come and gone in that time frame, from Paul O’Neill to Alex Rodriguez. But only Jeter and closer Mariano Rivera have been the only players part of every team from that dynasty. (Rivera is currently in negotiations to re-sign with the Yankees and is expected to stay in the Bronx, as well.)

Experience like that is priceless.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Both teams are 9-2 heading into Monday night’s showdown in New England. The Jets are technically ahead of the Patriots due to the tiebreaker, but that all means nothing now. Whoever comes out of the game the victor will be alone atop the AFC East, and winning the division is a huge advantage heading into the playoffs.

The fact that the Jets have arrived here by different means than the Pats also means nothing. Squeaking by the Broncos, Lions, Browns and Texans looks the same in the ‘win’ column as a blowout and Rex Ryan has his sights set on what’s ahead, not the past.

“The only way it would be better if it was the last game of the year,” the Jets second year head coach said. “This is huge. Both teams are at the top of the AFC in wins, the league in wins for that matter. We’re on the road. They’ve won 25 in a row at home; we’ve won eight in a row on the road. You can’t deny the fact that it’s two excellent football teams going at it. We’ll see what happens.”

One of the main reasons why the Patriots are the slight favorites in this game is Tom Brady. The superstar quarterback is having another Pro Bowl season and his experience is a big advantage over Mark Sanchez. “He’s (Brady) gone 199 straight throws without throwing a pick,” said Ryan. “He can throw the deep ball with touch, stands in there (and) faces the pressure. He’s just a heck of a football player.”

Brady is the second ranked quarterback in the league (after Michael Vick of the Eagles) with a 105.8 rating. He also has 2,703 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Putting up points will not be an easy task against the Jets, whose defense is ranked third in the NFL. Brady may look to go underneath, and that will play right into Danny Woodhead’s trusty hands. The former Jet running back has been a pleasant surprise for the Patriots since they signed him prior to Week 2.

“It’s going to be weird seeing him in a Patriots jersey, wearing number 39, but he’s a great player,” said Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. “It’s sad that he couldn’t still be here, but he’s doing great for [them] and he’s one of their big players.”

In nine games in New England, the 5’8″, 195-pound Woodhead is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 9.6 per reception. He also has four touchdowns and has been exactly what the doctor ordered after the injury bug hit the Patriot backfield. “He’s perfect for what they do,” said Ryan. “Kevin Faulk had that role for years and was so successful. The thing you’re most proud of is the type of kid he is. He is one heck of a person. He’s tougher than heck. I love the fact that he’s having success.”

Woodhead has become one of Brady’s favorites on third down, so expect the Jets to keep a linebacker close by. This game will in likelihood be a close affair, so every possession will count. Keeping the Patriots from moving the chains will go a long way in determining the outcome of not only this game, but also the division and home field advantage.