(Long Island, N.Y.) Coming off another World Series championship, the New York Yankees hardly rested on their laurels. In fact, they said goodbye to two of their October heroes in Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, replacing them with younger players.

Matsui was the first to leave when the Yankees basically no attempt to bring him back. “Godzilla” signed on to become the new designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. Then Damon made every effort to stick around but general manager Brian Cashman picked up Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson and Randy Winn. At press time, Damon was still on the open market and was said to be mulling an offer from the Detroit Tigers.

Cashman also brought back righthanded pitcher Javier Vazquez, who spent a rocky 2004 (more specifically during the playoffs) in pinstripes. Last year, the 33-year-old went 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA in 32 starts (three complete games). Vazquez also pitched over 219 innings, struck out 238 batters and only walked 44. The former Atlanta Brave will not have as much expected from him this time around and is slotted as the fourth starter in a rotation led by CC Sabathia.

“You want to win again,” the ace lefty told reporters after checking in to camp in Tampa. “It makes you want to get back to that feeling again and get back to that stature. I’m excited to be able to come in and we’ve got a new team. We’ve got some new guys and I’m excited to see how it goes this year.”

That last statement may sound a little scary to the competition who the Bronx Bombers laid waste last summer, especially Sabathia. The former Indian and Brewer backed up the huge seven-year, $161-million contract he signed as a free agent in 2009 by winning 19 games and the American League Championship Series MVP Award.

Now joining Sabathia will be Granderson (28) Johnson (31) and Winn (35). Matsui is also 35 but cannot play the outfield on a consistent basis anymore. Johnson, who is also a former Yankee, steps right into that DH role and can also play first base fairly well if called upon. Damon, 36, has slowed down a lot but can still be an effective left fielder. The Yankees hope to pick up some of the spark left with the loss of Damon in Granderson, who hit 30 home runs and stole 20 bases. He will step into the centerfield opening created when Melky Cabrera was moved in part of the deal bringing the six-year veteran to the Bronx.

Sabathia recognizes the potential that Granderson brings to the table. “He is going to be a great ballplayer for us,” he said. “Hopefully he’ll hit like 50 home runs in our stadium. He was always a tough out for me, just getting up there and battling and trying to get on base to help the team win. After his at-bats, him getting on base and getting to steal bags is definitely a threat. Hopefully he can come here and do some of those things.”

If he does, Granderson may just become the next October hero.

(Long Island, N.Y.) No one on Bourbon Street late Sunday night needed to be reminded of the magnitude a single football game took on. Not just for the challenge that the city of New Orleans but the entire state of Louisiana went through four years ago as a result of Hurricane Katrina, but from a sports perspective, as well.

The Saints have been one of the league’s laughingstocks on more occasions than not and their fans made donning paper bag masks fashionable during the team’s miserable 1-15 season in 1980. But that was a long time ago and both citizens and players bonded through the natural disaster that nearly destroyed more than the Superdome.

When Drew Brees was asked about what the 31-17 win in Super Bowl XLIV meant to the city, he didn’t hesitate. “It means everything,” the game MVP said. “We’re here because of their strength and everything they fought through here the last few years. They’ve given us so much support, and so we owe it all to our fans.”

Even taking in the victory, Sean Payton remained humble. “I’m very happy for the ‘Who Dat’ Nation,” the head coach said about the legion of Saints fans. “I’m very happy for the Benson family to finally get a world championship. I’m really appreciative that they invited me into the family to be along for this ride.”

Heading into the game, all the talk was how Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning could cement his place in history by winning his second title. The AFC champions were the more polished and experienced club and the Saints seemed like they were just happy to be there. But no one told them that.

“We had talked about being aggressive coming into the game,” Payton added. “All week we had practiced that onside kick and at halftime I just told those guys we have to make our look right here.”

By surprising the Colts with a little trickery to open the third quarter, the Saints were able to sustain a scoring drive and take their first lead of the game after trailing early by a score of 10-0. They didn’t get rattled and stuck to their game plan, just like the people of New Orleans did in rebuilding their community.

“I know not only the city, but the whole region, will appreciate this trophy,” said Payton. “I just wish we could split it up into a lot of little pieces and give it to everybody. They are a part of it and I’m happy to be a part of it as well.”

With the exception of the people of Indianapolis, the entire country was more than likely behind the Saints in this game. A feel-good story is always an easy sell and seeing the long-suffering Saints reach the pinnacle of their sport meant even more because of the devastation the entire Gulf Coast went through.

With that kind of support, there was no way they could lose. And Mardi Gras will always have to live up to the party following the Super Bowl win.

(Long Island, N.Y.) There have been many men over the years that have been looked at as ‘Mr. Knick.’ Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere and Patrick Ewing to name a few. But there was another all-time great who is sometimes overlooked, but Dick McGuire logged more minutes than any of the aforementioned in numerous roles with the franchise.

The Bronx-born former guard passed away on Wednesday of natural causes at the age of 84 at Huntington Hospital. A part of the Knicks history went with him. McGuire had a role in the organization for 53 of the 64 years they have been in existence. First as a player, then head coach, assistant coach, chief scout and most recently senior basketball consultant.

The loss is not forgotten on their current President of Basketball Operations. “Dick McGuire was the epitome of what it means to be a Knickerbocker: pride, tradition and class,” said Donnie Walsh. “It was an honor to watch him play for our hometown team and I consider myself very lucky to say I worked alongside a man who shaped the National Basketball Association for parts of all decades of its existence.”

A first round pick (eighth overall) out of St. John’s University by the Knicks in 1949, McGuire was named to the All-Star team in five of six seasons in New York (1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956) and was instrumental in leading the Knicks to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, beginning in 1951.

On April 3, 1957, McGuire was traded to the Fort Wayne (now Detroit) Pistons in exchange for a first round pick the following year, which turned about to be Mike Farmer. In the Motor City, he made All-Star in 1958 and 1959. For his career, McGuire played in 738 games, 17,170 minutes and averaged 8 points per game. But where he really shined was in the assist category.

In his rookie campaign, McGuire led the league with 386 assists and finished in the top 10 every year in total and per game, with a 5.7 career assists average. He took over as player-coach for the final 41 games for the Pistons in the 1959-60 season and retired from the hardwood after compiling a 17-24 record.

McGuire took over as a full-time coach the next season and found his way back to New York as head coach in 1962. He was on the Knicks bench for three seasons and had an overall 197-260 coaching record in both stops.

On March 1, 1992, McGuire’s jersey number 15 was lifted to the rafters at Madison Square Garden and the next year, he was enshrined in the James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is also a member of the Garden Hall of Fame and Walk of Fame, St. John’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame, New York City Sports Hall of Fame and New York City Basketball Hall of Fame. If there’s an honor in Gotham hoops, McGuire is a part of it.

For a franchise that has had it’s fair share of stars, none shone brighter than McGuire.

(Long Island, N.Y.) There are two ways to look at the Jets 2009 season. One could feel content and say that the team overachieved while gaining valuable experience for a rookie head coach and quarterback. Even if they may have been viewed as a possible playoff contender heading into the season, no one expected them to reach the AFC Championship Game.

Then there is the other side, the one that says you must take advantage of every opportunity to win and nothing less is acceptable. To get this far and have it end short of the ultimate goal is tough to swallow, indeed. When was the last time you heard the Yankees say that they had a good run when it didn’t end in a locker room champagne shower?

Such is life in a town where the Bronx Bombers have set the precedent for perfection. Anything short of earning a championship ring is viewed as a failure. Sure, when your organization makes as many changes as the Jets did this past off-season, getting there can’t happen overnight. Especially when the culture of the franchise has been as bad as the Jets have had for such a long stretch.

Rex Ryan came here and did more in one year than many have in numerous campaigns, something not lost on Mark Sanchez. “We want to be a football team that is tough to play,” he said. “’ Oh, man. We have to go to New York to play the Jets, not again.’ That’s the mentality Rex wants. We’re starting to get there. That’s the mentality – being tough.”

Added Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold, “I think it’s a good start. Rex came in here and laid down the law and said this is how things are going to be. We took it to heart and ran with it.”

By getting as far as they did, the Jets can either build on it or have the loss haunt them. The 30-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts was eerily similar to the 1998 AFC Championship game. Back then, the Jets led in Denver 10-0 at half time and a long completion to Ed McCaffrey from John Elway in the third quarter was the turning point in the game. The Broncos went on to score on that drive, putting up 23 unanswered points to win the Lamar Hunt Trophy, 23-10.

In Indianapolis, Peyton Manning was staring at an 11-point disadvantage with just over two minutes to go in the first half when he found Austin Collie for a big gain down the middle. A few plays later, the pair hooked up for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 1:16 left and the momentum switched heading into the locker room. When it was all said and done, the Colts outscored the Jets 24-0 after trailing early on.

11 years ago, the Jets were in a different situation and that was their best shot at winning a title during the Bill Parcells era. Vinny Testaverde was far from a rookie and had a career year in 1998, but blew out his Achilles on opening day the following season. The Tuna was a vagabond and got out of town not too long after that. The current team has a stronghold in both of those spots and can feel comfortable that both Ryan and Sanchez are not going anywhere anytime soon.

“I think that they (the fans) have a lot to be hopeful about,” said kicker Jay Feeley. “You look at this team and there is a great foundation. There is an incredible amount of talent. Everybody likes each other. That’s a recipe for success.”

Looking at it from that perspective, these Jets may just find themselves in the same position before too long.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Being banished from the team you broke into the major leagues with was just another thing that the two former superstars shared. Their careers paralleled one another in some capacities, with the bad nearly outweighing the good.

Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were mainstays on the mid-1980s Mets teams that should have won more than a single championship and their demons off the field have been viewed as a major contributor to that shortcoming. Both left under negative circumstances and only recently have been invited back into the fold, especially during 2008, the last year of Shea Stadium. .

Now it has come full circle with the announcement that the two former National League Rookie of the Year Award winners will be half of the latest class to be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, being named with their former manager (Davey Johnson) and general manager (Frank Cashen).

“This doesn’t make my day, it makes my year, 2010,” Strawberry said on a conference call with reporters. “There was no better time than wearing the Mets’ number 18.”

Strawberry further commented that his biggest regret was bolting for the Dodgers as a free agent after the 1990 season. Although he won multiple rings as a member of the Yankees, Straw never regained the power he had in Flushing and failed to hit 30 home runs after leaving the Mets.

Gooden also became a World Champion as a Yankee, but also knew where he felt most at home. “For me, I’ll always be a Met at heart,” he said. “I’ll always be connected to this group of guys.”

When Johnson was hired as manager, he was taking over a team that had been through some lean years, but had a young rightfielder who had just been named the Senior Circuit’s top rookie. He also brought a fireballing righthanded pitcher up north with him who would eventually win the same award in 1984. Cashen had put together a team of winning youngsters mixed with a few choice veterans that was in contention throughout the summer before bowing out to the Chicago Cubs.

A year later, the Mets and Cardinals went toe-to-toe before St. Louis outlasted them. But in 1986, the Mets put it all together and won 108 games during the regular season, en route to the World Series championship.

A shrewd GM in Cashen played a big part in keeping the core of the team together and filling in the loose ends the old fashioned way. “We never signed one free agent while I was there and we won more than anyone in that period,” said Johnson. “We kept developing players.”

The Mets were not the only club winning in the organization, which became a big part of the continuity throughout that period. “You don’t learn to win in the big leagues,” Cashen said. “You learn before that.”

All four of the men that will be a part of the new Hall of Fame that is set to open at Citi Field in April. They are the first to be named since Tommy Agee in 2002 and all together, there are 25 Mets who have received the honor.

And two of that group? Just a few years ago, it didn’t seem possible.

(Long Island, N.Y.) When you’re in a partial rebuilding mode – especially when two of those parts include a rookie head coach and starting quarterback – a record anywhere near the .500 mark would be considered a plus in the competitive world of the National Football League. To actually eclipse that and not having to clean out your locker after 16 games is practically unheard of.

But that is exactly what the case is for the New York Jets, who rode a roller coaster season into a 9-7 record and the fifth seed in the AFC. They will face the Bengals in Cincinnati on Saturday in one of the wild card games. Rex Ryan knows a thing or two about successful first year coaches and QBs, having experienced it last year as a member of the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff under John Harbaugh, who – along with signal caller Joe Flacco – led his team within one game of the Super Bowl.

“It is tough because there’s so much placed on the quarterback,” said Ryan. “Not only do you have to know your position, you have to know the left guard has this responsibility. You’ve got to know everybody’s responsibility, and it’s brand new to you, and, oh, by the way – you have to be able to read coverages.”

According to Sanchez, the feeling of making his first playoff start hasn’t sunk in yet, even though he was used to pressure games at USC. “I felt this similar feeling when you play in big Bowl games,” he said. “There will be a point maybe before the game, midway through the game, half time, where I (will say), ‘This is unbelievable.’”

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer has taken notice of Sanchez’s making the successful transition from college to the NFL. “(It was) extremely tough but he did a great job with it,” he said of his fellow Trojan. “He’s a really good football player and if people don’t think he is yet, they’ll see [it] in the future. He’s going through those learning pains that everybody goes through.

“It’s tough when you first get thrown in there, especially in that market.”

In the Jets past two games, Sanchez has followed a more conservative approach with a ball-control style running offense, resulting in zero interceptions, something that he has had trouble with all season. “You have to (be resilient in order) to be a good quarterback in this league,” added Palmer. “Everybody’s thrown picks. Everybody has had multiple pick days, but it’s how you come back from that.”

Even though it may seem as if the team has ‘dumbed down’ the playbook to cut down on turnovers, Brian Schottenheimer does not see it that way. “No, I never get that sense,” the offensive coordinator said. “I trust Mark implicitly. We’ve gone through some growing pains. He’s made some decisions that he would like to have back, but in no way have we wavered in our confidence in him. I think he is still growing with the understanding of the system.”

Regardless of how they arrived there – perhaps you can credit their league-leading rushing attack and defense – many accolades must go to the quarterback and head coach.

Super Bowl or bust? Whatever happens, they are playing with house money.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Once the sun sets on the 2009 regular season, the current and original Giants Stadium will be as quiet as it was before it opened for business back in 1976. The country was celebrating its bicentennial and Big Blue finally had a place of their own, even if it was across the river in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

With both tenants of the building barely hanging onto playoff dreams, the likelihood of either one hosting a postseason game is slim to none. The Giants host the Carolina Panthers this week while the Jets will invite the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2 to make it official.

Tom Coughlin, for one, will miss the place. “I can remember many, many years ago before I ever got involved in professional football,” the head coach said. “Giants Stadium, I always thought, was the greatest football stadium in the world. It was always an honor, a privilege and an eye-opener to bring a college team, or whatever I was coaching, into that stadium.

“Then of course when I had the opportunity to come here as an assistant coach it was extremely meaningful to me and my family, being from New York state and having always been a fan of and been aware of and watched since the time I was a little guy, black and white TV,” he added. “Always the Giants and the (Cleveland) Browns in those days, that’s the way it was.”

Coughlin reflected on his first memory Giants Stadium, which unfortunately was not a good one. “(The) first time I ever stepped in? I can remember a couple of disappointing ones. I was at Syracuse and we played Penn State here one time and got our butts kicked. I remember lots of things. I remember when I was at Boston College and coming here with the leadership for the Big East community and sitting there in the stadium and doing interviews with people and having some of the Giants players walk by and that was pretty cool. That was kind of neat.”

Eli Manning may have less of a history here than his head coach, but still holds a place in his heart for the building, nonetheless. “Being the last game in Giants Stadium, it will be a special game for us knowing that we will be in a new spot next year,” the Giants quarterback said, referring to the still yet-unnamed New Meadowlands stadium built right next door. “I have only been here six years, but I have a lot of fond memories and great wins. Obviously for the fans and ownership, it’s a special game for them. You think about how many great teams and great games have been played at Giants Stadium. It will be a special day for us.”

When the Giants first entered the league in 1925, they called the Polo Grounds home. In 1956, they moved to Yankee Stadium until 1973 when then House That Ruth Built was closed for renovations. They played their first two home games in the Bronx before moving to the Yale Bowl in Connecticut, where they stayed for two years. They then moved into Shea Stadium until construction was completed on the 75,000-seat stadium by the swamp.

A more appropriate finish for the G-Men at their home would have been a playoff run, but even with that not in the cards it doesn’t take away the special memories of Giants Stadium.

(Long Island, N.Y.) They call it the first step in rearranging and hopefully improving your roster. Every December, representatives from all 30 Major League Baseball teams and free agents get together and besides wishing each other happy holidays, they also are trying to lay the groundwork for potential trades and signings.

Peyton Manning isn’t the only one that is hot in Indianapolis right now. The Hot Stove really begins to heat up and general managers league-wide are working their charm and charisma to add valuable pieces the same time they are trying to save money – except for the Yankees. The World Series champions added centerfielder Curtis Granderson in a three-team, seven-player blockbuster that may be a sign of things to come.

Sure, the Bronx Bombers gave up two affordable young arms in Ian Kennedy and Phil Coke (plus outfielder Austin Jackson), but they picked up a speedy outfielder with some pop. Last season in Detroit, Granderson hit .249 with 30 home runs, 71 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Arizona was the third team involved.

Granderson’s contract has three years and $16.25 million left on it, a mere bag of shells for an organization like the Yanks. With this move, they will in all likelihood let both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui walk.

Earlier that day, the Seattle Mariners signed Chone Figgins to a four-year, $36-million dollar contract. Sure, he has an impressive .395 on-base percentage but will be moved to a power position (third base) and drove in a mere 54 runs last year.

That signing was a bit of a surprise and – for the budgets of the teams that need to be careful – hopefully not one to set the market. The two main names out there on the free agent market (John Lackey and Matt Holiday) have their suitors but nothing concrete has been established.

On the trade front, Toronto ace righthander Roy Halladay is out there for the taking and it is rumored that the Blue Jays will even deal him within the division if the right trade comes up. That means to the Yankees or Red Sox, for all intents and purposes.

One team that is definitely going to be watching their checkbooks is the Mets, who are content on settling for second-tier players to fill their many holes. They need a leftfielder, catcher, first baseman, starter and set-up man. They are also looking to upgrade at second base and have been peddling Luis Castillo heavily.

If they bring back Carlos Delgado, even crossing all their fingers and lighting candles at church may not be enough to keep him on the field. The oft-injured slugger would probably still lead the team in home runs even if he played half the season. In 2009, right fielder Jeff Francouer finished on top with a paltry 12 long balls. That is an area that they need to address in more ways than one.

Mets general manager Omar Minaya has stated that he will not sacrifice what is left of the farm system for a quick fix. Good thinking, because there are too many holes to fill in Flushing right now for that, anyway.

It was right around this time last year that Minaya’s acquisitions of Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz improved a bullpen in dire need of a major upgrade. Perhaps he can do something similar this time around at the Winter Meetings.

(Long Island, N.Y.) The New York Jets had just wrapped up their upset 24-17 win at home over the Tennessee Titans and Mark Sanchez was the toast of the town. The fifth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft had led his team to three consecutive wins to start the season, a record for a rookie quarterback.

The tabloids and sports talk radio stations were full of wonderful accolades for the USC product and he was being hailed as the next “Broadway Joe,” something that has been lacking around these parts for, oh…about four decades.

Then it all went up in flames.

Beginning with the 24-10 loss at New Orleans in Week 4, Sanchez has looked the part of the shaky rookie more times than he has the cool and collective general on the field. His decision making has been questioned and propensity to throw interceptions at the wrong time has reared its ugly head too often in the Jets 1-6 mark since their hot start.

Regardless of that, his head coach and teammates are firmly behind him. The league has been spoiled by the success of Ben Roethlesberger, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco starting in their first year, but throughout history the ups and downs that Sanchez is experiencing has been the norm.

“We are going to continue to support him as our teammate and we’re going to get better around him,” said wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. “It’s not about one guy getting better, every guy around him has to get better. We can make plays for him. That is what it is all about.”

Cotchery was the recipient of Sanchez’s 10th touchdown pass of the season, a 29-yard rainbow that was perfectly thrown in the 31-14 loss at New England. At the time, it cut the Patriots lead to 10 and put the Jets right back into the game, but a poorly thrown pass in the Jets next possession was picked off and resulted in the backbreaking touchdown to put the game out of reach.

It is plays like that which make Sanchez’s progress appear more like the opposite. “I think he can make all the throws,” said Rex Ryan, who is experiencing the same first year jitters as his quarterback. “We’ve just got to be really looking at how we can help him and if he can understand that sometimes there’s a time to take a chance and a time to do the right thing, which is [to] just get rid of the football.

“I think if he can do that, he’s going to give us a better opportunity to succeed moving forward,” continued Ryan. “That’s got to be my challenge to him. That it’s on nobody else but me to see that he can take care of the football better.”

Ryan explained that he is going to take a more assertive role in Sanchez’s development by being a mentor in terms of keeping the defense off the field. Sanchez has had trouble not only throwing bad passes when he should be trying to reach the back row in the stands but also taking hits and coughing up the ball in and out of the pocket.

“If that’s all I bring to him is how to protect the football and making sure he understands the situation in the game, then that’s what I’m going to make sure I do, whatever it is.”

Ryan has stated emphatically that he has no intentions of benching Sanchez and they will take their lumps together. Even some of the most successful quarterbacks have had rough starts their first year in the NFL. Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning had four wins combined in their rookie seasons and they were able to use those experiences to their advantage.

Who knows, those lights may illuminate Broadway one of these days after all.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Heading into the 2009 season, many of the experts were picking the New York Giants as a Super Bowl favorite in the NFC. They made these people look like geniuses by winning their first five games and little changed following a 48-27 defeat to New Orleans in Week 6. The high-octane Saints were undefeated themselves and leaving the Big Easy with an ‘L’ was not a season-breaker. But what has taken place since them may just be.

Two of the next three losses came at home and both were winnable games. Sandwiched between Arizona and San Diego was a blowout loss in Philadelphia, which may come back to haunt Big Blue if divisional tiebreakers come into play to decide a playoff berth.

After the bye week, things do not get any easier for Tom Coughlin and company. Of the seven remaining games on their schedule, only two are against sub-.500 teams (at Washington and at home versus Carolina). The rest of the contests are at Atlanta, Denver and Minnesota while the Cowboys and Eagles make the trip to East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The best thing for the G-Men is a week off following a month’s worth of losing. The field boss has a few areas that need to be addressed and he will use the extra time to do exactly just that. “Unfortunately, we already know that our red zone defense and our green zone offense are not very effective,” said Coughlin. “I think that is pretty much where we start. We have other areas, obviously, that we are concerned about, but that is a good spot to start.”

When Steve Spagnuolo left the staff to become head coach of the St. Louis Rams, many questioned if Bill Sheridan could step into his shoes. The personnel is there so now that the results have not been satisfactory, it is easy to point fingers at the defensive coordinator. After training camp, the preseason and nine weeks of the regular season, tweaking may be the only option left to improve the unit’s performance.

“You can’t make dramatic changes but you definitely can modify it because we do that every week anyway, even with our base stuff out in the middle of the field based on what the offenses do,” Sheridan commented. “You are not going to make a whole full-fledged overhaul and just dump what you have been doing because you invested a lot of work and you taught your players how to play the coverage.”

However Sheridan may feel about it, the chunks of yards the defense has given up – including the two-minute drive directed by Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to pull out a last second win – is alarming. The Giants have always been known as a defense-first team and seeing 40+ points on the wrong end of the scoreboard is just simply not acceptable. But all is not lost.

This is far from the first time that the Giants have had to bounce back after a point in their season seemed bleak. That is something encouraging to Coughlin. “I believe that we have the players,” he said. “We have the staff. We have the ‘know how.’ Historically it can be done.”

If the Giants do well against such quality opponents in the coming weeks, they will deserve to make the postseason. It may be a difficult path to Miami but you have to start somewhere.