(Long Island, NY) The Giants kick off their 2006 season on September 10th against the Indianapolis Colts in primetime for the return of NFL action on NBC. They will cap off the opening weekend of the football season with a ‘Manning versus Manning’ match-up. The highly anticipated game has many side-bars, but the true fan realizes that it pits two teams that won their respective divisions last season looking to get off on the right foot.

This game is a microcosm of why the NFL always does things right. The league scheduled an amazing game on Sunday night, which will make the ‘Peacock network’ happy. Both teams are very formidable and have strong offenses. The Giants also have a very good defense which was tweaked in the off-season. Linebacker LaVar Arrington, the former Penn State Nittany Lion, was signed as a free agent to add to an already tough linebacker corps. Never living up to his billing of being the number two overall selection (by division rival, the Washington Redskins) in the 2000 draft, he still has the ability to change a game. He joins MLB Aaron Pierce (98 tackles) and WLB Carlos Emmons.

Sam Madison (Miami Dolphins) and R.W. McQuarters (Detroit Lions) were also signed to add veteran leadership to the secondary. The defensive line should pick up right where it left off with DE’s Michael Strahan (11.5 sacks) and Osi Umenyiora (14.5 sacks) and DT’s Fred Robbins and William Joseph being strong against the pass and run.

On the other side of the ball, Eli Manning (3,762 yards passing) leads an offense that can strike from many different sides. The running game is in the capable hands of Tiki Barber (1,860 yards rushing), with FB Jim Finn opening up holes. The wideouts are Plaxico Burris and Amani Toomer (seven touchdown receptions each). Keep your eyes out for Sinorice Moss, the brother of former Jet and current Redskin Santana Moss. The diminutive receiver was picked in the second round out of Miami. He can be a weapon that Manning can look to for the long ball. Tight End Jeremy Shockey (seven touchdown receptions) keeps plodding along and must be concentrated on by opposing defenses.

The offensive line is one of the better in the league. Center Shaun O’Hara is in the middle and flanked by guards Chris Snee and David Diehl. The tackles are ex-Jet Kareem McKenzie and Luke Petitgout.

Punter Jeff Feagles (42.1 average) and place kicker Jay Feeley (35 for 42 on field goals, 43 for 43 PAT) give the ‘Jints a strong Special Teams unit. Chad Morton is the main return man and had a good first season with the Giants in 2005 (23.3 average on 24 kickoff returns and 9.6 yards and one touchdown on 47 punt returns).

Head Coach Tom Coughlin has the team playing hard and he runs a tight ship. General Manager Ernie Accorsi has put enough talent around his prized young quarterback and to win a division in his first full season was impressive for Manning. Now he has to take that next step.

(Long Island, NY) Mets General Manager Omar Minaya had some potential deals on the table during the weekend of the Major League Baseball trading deadline. With a strong bullpen and top of the rotation, he was ready to pull the trigger to obtain a top flight starter that would have put them right up there as World Series favorites. Then it all crashed in on him.

Top set-up man Duaner Sanchez, who was having a career year, was involved in an automobile accident in Florida as a passenger in a taxi cab. He injured his right shoulder, which required season-ending surgery. Minaya had to quickly turn his attention to the bullpen with the deadline approaching approximately in 12 hours.

He was able to obtain the team’s best set-up man from last season, the ageless Roberto Hernandez (and struggling starter Oliver Perez) from the Pittsburgh Pirates for rightfielder Xavier Nady. In fairness to Minaya, the other GM’s involved in the possible deals for a starter were the ones to have cold feet.

A mentioned three-way trade between the Mets, Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles had Lastings Milledge going to the O’s, shortstop Miguel Tejada landing in Houston, and Roy Oswalt joining the Mets rotation. The word was that either the ‘Stros or Orioles pulled out, killing the entire deal.

The Mets were also trying to obtain Jason Schmidt from San Francisco without having to give up Milledge or Aaron Heilman, who were both mentioned in the Barry Zito from Oakland A’s possible deal.

Regardless, the Mets are going to ride it out with what they have. Will their bullpen hold up, especially when you have to consider the shaky starting rotation? Pedro Martinez has been himself when healthy. Tom Glavine is 40 and has had moments when he has shown his age. Who is the number three if the playoffs started today? Orlando Hernandez has pitched better of late and October is when ‘El Duque’ has shined. Steve Traschel does not breed confidence, and John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, and the rehabbing Brian Bannister are all rookies.

A key component to the Mets’ run is going to be Heilman. If he can be as effective as last season, the pen may be in good shape. Righthander Chad Bradford and lefthander Pedro Feliciano have looked good all year and with Hernandez and Heilman, the loss of Sanchez may not be a season killer after all.

(Long Island, NY) After last season’s 4-12 disappointment, the Jets are looking for a fresh start with their new hierarchy. Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum have filled some holes left by the departed Herman Edwards. If the games are won in the trenches, then they are headed in the right direction.

One of the glaring weaknesses last year was the offensive line. The draft shored up two spots with tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold. On the defensive line, the team is switching to a 3-4 alignment and also traded away their best pass rusher, John Abraham. The belief is that former first round pick Dewayne Robertson will adapt to the nose tackle position. If he struggles, the entire defense will suffer. A good bet is the O-line will be in better shape than the D-line.

Who will be over center come opening day? Mangini stated that it is an open competition between Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey, Brooks Bollinger and Kellen Clemens. Pennington should get the nod if his shoulder has healed from surgery. Ramsey is a decent backup, but that’s about it. Bollinger took a beating in 2005 after Pennington and the since departed Jay Fiedler went down. Clemens has a good upside, but a rookie second rounder should not see much action.

The running game will be shaky with veteran Curtis Martin coming back from knee surgery. How many carries does he have left after taking a pounding year after year? There isn’t much behind him, which will put added pressure on the passing game.

Kicker Mike Nugent will have to show more consistency than he did in his rookie year. A team with a questionable offense will be relying on field goals more than a team that can stretch a defense.

Whenever a new regime comes in, growing pains have to be expected. The Jets are trying to rebuild and had a strong draft. To plug two holes on the offensive line and get a quarterback of the future in the first two rounds was brilliant. A three or four game improvement is not out of the question. To think this team has a shot at a layoff berth would be a stretch. The AFC East has two teams way ahead of the Jets and one basically in the same boat. The Buffalo Bills are also going through a rebuilding process, but the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins should be the class of the division.

The Pats are the Pats. They may have taken a step back since their Super Bowl run. But any team with Tom Brady cannot be discounted. The Dolphins went through own transition period last year with Nick Saban as head coach, but were able to go 10-6, barely missing the playoffs. Now they have acquired Duante Culpepper at quarterback, which has been a revolving door since Dan Marino retired.

Will it be an easy task to turn the Jets around? No, but you have to give Mangini credit so far. Any disciple of Bill Belecheck and the Patriots know what it takes to win. Now they have to do it on the field-eventually.

(Long Island, NY) The Major League Baseball non-waiver trading deadline is approaching. Come Monday July 31st, there may be a lot of player movement. Who will be the sellers and who will be the buyers? The Mets are obviously buyers. But some of the teams on the fence have to decide what direction they are going. That’s where it gets interesting.

The Mets can play out the string with their current roster and probably still win the division going away. But once October rolls around and the playoff teams are decided, how confident are you having two older starters and a bunch of hopefuls be the front line to a possible World Series championship? Pedro Martinez has been injured often and must be counted on with caution. Tom Glavine has finally started to show his age after a strong start, and a 40 year old number two starter is another flag of uncertainty.

Game three? Take your pick from veteran Steve Traschel, who is as pedestrian a veteran starter there is, but hardly a lock. Then there is Orlando Hernandez. While ‘El Duque’ has been formidable in Octobers past, he is a little long in the tooth. Then the youngsters such as John Maine and Mike Pelfrey fill out the rotation. While they have faired well in short stints, post season pressure and double-digit division leads are two totally different animals.

Once a team makes the playoffs, the top three starters are named and the number four and five become long men. Assuming Pedro and Glavine are healthy, is Mets General Manager Omar Minaya confident with any of the options for a number three starter?

The Mets may have gone into the season with certain expectations, but at the current time they have exceeded them. In April, a Wild Card berth would have seemed reasonable. But now they are way ahead in the division and are looked at as the strongest team in the league. When there is a good chance to play for a championship, especially with two older top starters, do you go for broke or play it conservative?

The aggressive way that Minaya has put this team together leads one to believe that he will take the necessary steps to improve. He has to see a big drop off after Glavine, and there are some arms out there that he can try to acquire.

Dontrelle Willis of the Florida Marlins would be ideal, but is he on the market? Livan Hernandez may help, but he is not compelling. There is one starter that would be a big jolt and may be available. Barry Zito of the Oakland A’s is a 28 year old lefthander who is a former Cy Young award winner. The problem is he will be a free agent this winter and his agent is Scott Boras. Sure to test the waters, is he worth dealing for when he may only be a two month rental?

Depending on what he will cost, yes. The rumors have been flying, and the latest one is that it won’t take young outfielder Lastings Milledge and a pitcher such as Aaron Heilman, but possibly one or the other and a few lower tier prospects. If that can be done, Minaya has to think hard to make the move. Zito added to the Mets will make them the favorite to win the pennant and give them a very good shot at whoever wins the much stronger American League.

How often do teams have a real shot at winning it all? You hate to mortgage the future, but either Milledge or Heilman will not conjure up arguments of another Kazmir trade. While Milledge showed flashes during his cup of coffee this season, outfielders can be had through free agency or trades. Heilman is a talented pitcher and a former first round draft choice, but the Mets seem content leaving him as a middle reliever. If he did go to the A’s, he surely would be given his wish to be a starter once again.

To obtain a talent such as Zito for an outfielder who is currently in Triple-A or a seventh inning arm should be a no-brainer. If you were facing the Mets in a playoff series, would you rather see Zito or Traschel/El Duque in game three after being down two-zip?

(Long Island, NY) Does Garth Snow know what he is getting himself into? Going from the back-up goalie to General Manager is not the usual move. Especially in one day. What magnifies it is that the guy he is replacing was just hired one month ago, and another front office person walked away right after all this transpired.

The Islanders have been doing things a bit differently for years. Since the dynasty ended in the early 1980’s, this team has made more bad decisions than good. Fans have been shaking their heads on a constant basis ever since the Mike Milbury era began. And are we even sure if it has officially ended? Mad Mike is still in the front office and it’s hard to be convinced that he doesn’t have a say in personnel decisions anymore, regardless of what owner Charles Wang has said.

A short few weeks ago, all was well in Uniondale with the press conference announcing the hiring of Ted Nolan as head coach, Neil Smith as GM, and Pat LaFontaine in the front office. Behind the scenes, Smith, who won a Stanley Cup in 1994 during his Ranger tenure, was uncomfortable with the multi-position team, and had expressed such to Wang. When it became apparent that it was not going to improve, Wang decided to correct the mistake sooner than later and dismissed Smith. He was replaced by Garth Snow, who immediately retired from active player duty. LaFontaine followed out the door, resigning a short time later.

The entire situation is confusing. The usual order is a GM is hired and chooses the coach. Smith and Nolan were brought in together, and with Milbury still in the picture, things were quite muddled. Factor in that LaFontaine and Brian Trottier were also in the mix, creating an atmosphere of ‘who’s in charge?’ Well, after the recent events, it looks like its ‘Charles in charge,’ meaning Wang.

With a front office as crowded as the Isles’, it should come as no surprise that a first-time GM is now employed. Someone with a resume would have to question the set-up and wonder if he would have final say in personnel decisions.

How will all the uncertainty affect the team’s performance on the ice? A potential free-agent signing may be lost if the player and his agent feel the organization is rocky. The current roster may have players that will hold off on signing long term deals for the same reason. Nothing good can come out of this much transition.

The Islanders have had issues that have persisted. From the John Spanos disaster to the Milbury mess. Those four consecutive Stanley Cup championships seem even longer ago after this fiasco.

(Long Island, NY) With the Long Island Ducks clinching the North Division First Half championship recently, it will be their third consecutive post-season appearance. The reliable veteran lefthanded starting pitcher Bill Pusipher was the winning pitcher and his addition to the Ducks’ staff came at a perfect time.

Pulsipher is making his third go-round on Long Island. He was an integral part of the 2004 Atlantic League championship club. He came back last season and led the team to the second half flag. And now he has won his first two decisions with the Ducks.

The Ducks captured this first half title in a more conventional way as compared to 2004. That season, the Ducks had to sweep the Bluefish in Bridgeport the last series before the All-Star break to qualify. After winning the first two games, they were tied with the ‘Fish in the ninth inning when the rains came. The league decided to play a make-up game ‘for all the marbles.’ The first opportunity to do so with both team’s schedules was August 9th in Connecticut. The Ducks prevailed and went on to win it all.

The team once again beat out their rivals from Bridgeport, this time by one slim game. Contributions from the entire roster have been essential, especially because of six players being signed by major league organizations. Since April, three starters (Ryan Jensen, Andrew Lorraine and Nelson Figueroa) and the closer (Todd Erdos) were lost from the staff. Outfielder Dominick Ambrosini and infielder Tony Schrager also have moved on.

The Ducks were well represented at the Atlantic League All-Star Game on July 12th at Bridgeport. Joining Schrager were fellow infielders Bucky Jacobsen, Carlos Hernandez and Eric Almonte; outfielder Mel Stocker; and pitchers Pat Ahearn and Pat Mahomes.

It should be an exciting baseball October this year. Not only in the Bronx and Flushing, but in our own backyard, too.

(Long Island, NY) Talk about a lousy birthday. On the Fourth of July, George “The Boss” Steinbrenner turns 76 years young and the Yankees get clobbered 19-1 by the Indians in his home town of Ohio. How long before Mount George erupts and has GM Brian Cashman start some wheelin’ and dealin’ to shore up that shaky pitching staff and corner outfielders?…..On the other side of town, the Mets keep marchin’ out has-beens and never-wills for that number five spot in their starting rotation. Since April, they have had the likes of Jose Lima, Jeremi Gonzalez, John Maine and Alay Soler come in and show absolutely nothing. They even have brought Maine and Lima back for a second look. Barring any trades for a real arm such as Dontrelle Willis or Livan Hernandez, it is time to see what Mike Pelfrey has for the rest of the season.

The Long Island Ducks have taken the First Half North Division title from their rival, the Bridgeport Bluefish. Regardless of losing a number of players to the major leagues since the start of the season, they have done the job and pulled it out before the Atlantic League All-Star break on July 9th…..Some Atlantic League alumni news: Jose Canseco has requested to be traded after only one game with the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Independent Golden Baseball League. The part-time author asked to be dealt to the Long Beach Armada due to child custody changes, and he would like to spend more time with his daughter in Los Angeles over the summer. Maybe the ‘Dawgs won’t miss him that much after an 0-3 with three strikeouts in his debut.

I can hear the comparisons already. Every time that Marcus Williams has a good night with the Nets, the critics will be screaming that the Knicks made a bad pick with Renaldo Balkman. If Isiah Thomas has done one thing good throughout his front office career, it has been draft picks. If the N.I.T. MVP can bring a little energy to the Garden, the pick will be a positive one. He has the look, now he has to show it…..Speaking of the mess that is the Knicks, James Dolan will really be singin’ the blues if NBA Commissioner David Stern rules in favor of Larry Brown in their contract dispute.

The United States gets booted in the World Cup, and in the Annual Fourth of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Takeru Kobayashi, the reigning champion from Japan, edged Joey Chestnut 53 ¾ hot dogs to 52 in 12 minutes. It was Kobayashi’s sixth consecutive ‘Mustard Belt’ Nathan’s championship. Chestnut is the current American champion with the amount he ate. There was a void in the contest with the recent retirement of Long Island’s own Ed “Cookie” Jarvis, who decided to hang up his spoon.

LAST CALL: Get well soon, Peter Gammons. The ESPN baseball analyst recently underwent brain surgery for an aneurysm in Cape Cod. Hoping to see you back on the tube quickly.

(Long Island, NY) How much longer could the Mets have delayed the inevitable? The back end of their starting rotation has been a mess basically the entire season, and they still have a double-digit lead in the National League East. Most likely because of default, none the less, but the team would be so much stronger for the stretch run and post season if they had a solid number four or five starter. If a trade for an established arm is not going to happen by the July 31st deadline, then they have to promote Mike Pelfrey for the remainder of the season.

Coming out of Spring Training, the number four and five starters were Victor Zambrano and Brian Bannister. Zambrano was outright brutal and had season ending surgery in May. Bannister was pitching well before injuring his hamstring and he has not been back. Fill-ins such as Jose Lima, Jeremi Gonzalez and John Maine did not work. The Mets did acquire Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and he has been inconsistent. They then promoted Alay Soler, who had some good starts and some brutal ones, as well. He now has been demoted to Triple-A.

Pedro Martinez missed his last start because of a sore hip, and he has subsequently been placed on the Disabled List. With an older staff such as the Mets have with Martinez, Tom Glavine, Steve Traschel and Hernandez, there is always the chance of a missed start because of injury. They need to get a reliable, young arm in the staff that can get them by periods such as the current one. And that person is already in the organization.

Mike Pelfrey was the Mets’ number one draft choice last year and he is currently pitching at Double-A Binghamton. The 6’7” righthander had a very good spring with the Mets and began the season at Single-A St. Lucie, where he was dominant with a 2-1 record and a 1.64 ERA. In 12 starts for the B-Mets, Pelfrey is 4-2 with a 2.71 ERA, with 26 walks, 77 strikeouts and allowing 60 hits in 66 1/3 innings. In his last minor league start on July 1st versus New Hampshire, he was the winning pitcher and had 11 strikeouts in seven innings.

Recalling Pelfrey at this juncture is beneficial to him and the team. There is not enormous pressure on him because of the team’s lead in the division. Being only 22 years of age, Pelfrey would have a strong veteran presence to guide him.

In his first big league start versus the Florida Marlins on Saturday, Pelfrey did get the win even though he was not at his best. Understandable for a kid going for the first time. In five innings, he surrendered three runs (two earned), five hits, four walks and three strikeouts. He had a lot of support in his debut with the final score being 17-3. Pelfrey’s first pitch was a 96 mph fastball for a called strike. Hopefully this will be the start of a long and successful career with the Mets.

Putting band-aids on the rotation has not worked so far, and probably will not as long as the Mets do so. Barring any trades for established pitchers, the only logical choice would be to see what Pelfrey has now for the long haul. He can get the necessary experience and possibly be a big help to the team down the stretch.

Looking back a few years ago, the Mets had another phenom pitcher in Double-A whom they were reluctant to call up. Ultimately dealt at the 2004 trading deadline, his new team recalled him two weeks later and he has been the ace of their staff ever since. The player? All-Star Scott Kazmir of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

(Long Island, NY) Alex Rodriguez put himself in a no-win situation by becoming a New York Yankee. Even if he won a MVP award (which he did) or a World Series ring (which he hopes), he is always going to take a back seat to Derek Jeter. Recent walk-off homer included, the guy will continue to get booed by the majority of Yankee fans every time he makes an out.

When A-Rod was brokering his deal out of Texas, the Boston Red Sox seemed ready to acquire him. A perfect spot for him would have been Fenway. Remember that this was before the Sox exorcised the ghost of the Bambino and were still in search of that elusive World Championship. He could have been the toast of the town if he performed the same way he has in New York. He would have stayed at his natural shortstop position and not play in anyone’s shadow. Assuming the team would have won the 2004 title with Rodriguez, he would have become legend in Beantown.

When he ended up being dealt to the Bronx, he inadvertently put himself in an impossible situation. Regardless of whatever he does, Derek Jeter is the man and has the rings to prove it. Another ring with A-Rod on the squad? Big deal, would say the Yankee fans. He only won it because Jeter is here.

It’s almost as if the Yankee clubhouse is an old western town and both players are saying, ‘this town’s not big enough for both of us.’ They may say the right things when the cameras are rolling, but it doesn’t take a genius to see that they are not totally comfortable with each other.

The fans’ ire boils down to one thing with Rodriguez- his enormous contract. Prior to him signing the $252 million dollar free agent deal with the Texas Rangers, Kevin Garnett of the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves had the largest contract in sports. How much, you say? Half of A-Rod’s at a mere $126 million.

Doubling the richest contract in sports will have a lot of baggage. Expectations will be high (as they well should be) and patience will be short (as it should be). Rodriguez has kept a positive attitude through all the negativity. A few more big home runs such as the extra-inning shot against the Atlanta Braves and the two home run performance against the Mets will go a long way in keeping the jeers away.

(Long Island, NY) Pedro Martinez made a triumphant return to Fenway Park on Wednesday evening when he started the middle game of a three-game interleague series. The New York Mets and Boston Red Sox came into battle against each other as first place teams in their respective divisions, and some experts are even saying that this can be a World Series preview. Similar to the great 1986 series between the two clubs, the Red Sox took the first two.

After dropping the opener with the youngster Alay Soler getting lit up, the Mets needed a strong outing from their ace. A hero’s welcome with a standing ovation (which included Sox owner John Henry) quickly changed to cheers for the Red Sox, who started the game with two singles. David Ortiz then hit a come backer that Martinez snared and possibly could have turned a double play with the slow-footed ‘Big Papi’ running. He wheeled and pumped to throw to third, then second, but settled for the out at first. A walk to his buddy Manny Ramirez loaded the bases and set up a sacrifice fly from Trot Nixon to score the first run. His former battery mate, Jason Varitek, then lined a single up the middle to drive in the second run.

The turning point in the game followed when a fly ball was hit to deep left field, but very playable for Mets rookie Lastings Milledge. What should have been ‘a can of corn’ for the third out was dropped and two more runs scored. Milledge will have nightmares of the ‘Green Monster’ after misplaying a similar fly ball the previous game.

The wheels started to come off in the third inning after three base hits and a two-run home run from Alex Gonzalez. Martinez finished the inning but was done for the night with an ugly line of only three innings pitched, seven hits and eight runs. The Fenway Faithful even were chanting ‘Pedro’ mockingly as he struggled.

Emotions may have caught up with Martinez, coming back to a place where he pitched for seven seasons and won a World Series ring. One bad outing does not make a season, and he is still 7-4 after pitching in his shortest outing since 2003. A veteran such as Martinez will put this past him and get back on track to lead the Mets through the summer. If all goes well, he should have an opportunity to redeem himself in September.