Sports Rumblings

It's amazing that just over a year ago I posted this. What the heck happened? One of the benefits of being seriously sick lately is that I've managed to watch more than my fair share of ESPN. So, here are my recent thoughts on the world of sports.

Jose Reyes & The Mets Collapse

Much has been written about the how the Mets blew a seven game lead with only 17 left to play. A few writers have even noted that the collapse didn't just happen in September, but actually was something of a slow decline. But why? Why, oh why, did my Mets disappoint me so this year?

The CW11 and SNY crew repeatedly showed us graphics this year about how Reyes goes, the Mets go. Jose Reyes is the most exciting player in Major League Baseball. But he only hit .205 in September and his average dropped from near .320 to level off at the end of the season at .280. What happened? Did some tough love from Willie Randolph cause him to go into a shell? No ... in my opinion, the change came about from a needless firing.

On July 11, the Mets fired hitting coach Rick Down. Down had been the Mets hitting instructor since 2005, Reyes' first full season in the majors. That same day Reyes went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored at the All-Star Game. A week before Reyes was benched for not running out a grounder in Houston. On July 12 he hit his 9th career leadoff homerun. He was batting .317 -- and it slowly, gradually started to go downhill from there. Some thought bringing in Rickey Henderson would be of a benefit to Reyes -- the greatest base stealer of all time coaching the best in the business now at first base.

My bet is that the only thing Rickey improved was Reyes' card-playing.

Brett Favre

The Green Bay Packers are one of only four undefeated teams in the NFL and everybody is declaring him the comeback player of the year -- this after years of sports journalists only being able to write about whether he should retire or not.

Instead, the question that should be asked from now on is whether or not Favre is the best quarterback ever to play the game of football.

Last Sunday, Favre continued his march toward the answer of that question being a profound "yes", as he became the NFL's all-time leader in career touchdown passes in Green Bay's 23-16 victory over Minnesota, surpassing Dan Marino's old record that many felt would stand ... well, forever.

My Favorite Athlete

The best athlete I've seen recently wears #5 for the gold team in Lynchburg, VA and last week he scored his first goal ever. I played soccer for nearly all of my childhood and only scored one goal ever ... and this little boy is not even five years old and has already passed his old man. He's by far the youngest boy on the field ... but he's the sweetest.

And one of the greatest things I've ever seen in my life was his smile as he ran up and down that soccer field.

Ty Immanuel is my favorite athlete ... and I'm headed back down south next week to check out another couple of games.

The heck with the Mets ... I've got something much better to watch this October!