SUNDAY PAPER

And today it begins. Yes, the full slate of games that begins the NFL season, but on a personal level, for me it's life after DirecTV.


When we bought and moved into our house five years ago, it represented a freedom of choice for us - if we wanted a dish, we could get a dish. (As opposed to our apartment, which had a restriction on satellite dishes.) Thus, we fulfilled my dream of watching the Jets when I wanted, without having to leave the comfort of my own home (and allowing me to let fly whatever I needed to say during a game in the company of family rather than complete strangers).

Well, after last year's debacle of a season, I succumbed to my wife's request to go to a cheaper cable option, thinking I would never care to schedule my Sundays around the Jets again.

Then this weekend hit. And I still care.

It's not easy being a Jets fan in New England for a number of reasons...but primarily it's because the Jets are often televised opposite the Patriots. With the increase in the number of prime-time Patriots games, I've lucked into some TV windows where the Jets are the local TV option - but that hasn't had an effect on me recently because of the Sunday Ticket.

This year, though, I'm going to have to heavily rely on those days. And today happens to be one of them. With the Patriots playing Monday Night Football, the Jets-Texans is the nationally televised CBS game. And next week I'm going to the home opener (although it's a game I would have been able to see at home, since it's against New England). So two games down, 14 to worry about.

A small part of me misses the old days when I'd get to a bar that had the Sunday Ticket at around 11:30am, reserve myself a booth with a TV, and then eat lots of appetizers. I'm kind of excited to see who would be up for recapturing that element of our lives from five years ago.

But I'm realizing now that I'm a little worried about the days when the Jets face a must-win situation and I'm stuck in enemey territory, and I can't yell at the TV. I just hope I don't cry if they lose.

*I hope my head doesn't explode today. First full weekend of NFL, a few baseball doubleheaders, and a golf final round to boot.

*I've mentioned this before, but I'm not really buying the Houston Texans. I'll go with Jets 24, Houston 20. And if I'm smelling big upset anywhere, I look no further than Foxboro, Massachusetts. Now, this does come with a caveat - I did pick the Patriots in a survivor pool, so I feel pretty strongly that they're going to win. But if any team can stretch their defensive weaknesses, it's the Bills, with Lee Evans and Terrell Owens. Plus, there's the Richard Seymour trade. There are shades of the Lawyer Milloy deal here, when the Pats got plastered by the Bills in the game after that trade. But I don't get the impression Seymour had the same relationship with his teammates that Milloy had...I have it in my mind that Seymour was kind of a loner. That's how I imagine it at least. Anyway, maybe there are repercussions. But, again, I picked the Patriots, so this is just a thought I'm throwing out there. Of course, the fact that I picked the Patriots makes me feel strongly that they might lose, too, because that's the way things go for me.

*I forgot that Sports Illustrated had picked the Mets to win the World Series this year. I should have listened to my Red Sox fan friends who were quick to point out after that prediction that SI had also picked the Red Sox to win it all in a year they would rather forget. (I think it was 2003.) It's sad that the only teams below the Mets in the standings are the likes of Kansas City, Washington, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. Not the company a team with that kind of payroll should be keeping. I'll add that it was nice to see David Wright come through in a clutch situation and carry the Mets to a big win over the Phillies on Saturday...if a meaningless game in mid-September for the Mets counts as a big win.

*Your weekly update on Hall of Famer Gary Carter and the Long Island Ducks - the Ducks are at .500, and have a 2 game lead in the wild card chase with 8 games remaining, all against last place teams. Seems like the Ducks are right where they want to be.

OH RIGHT, IT'S STILL BASEBALL SEASON

So I'm watching the Mets on their way to what's sure to be a slaughtering by Philadelphia, and realizing that you're probably wondering what I do with this next month, considering it's the first time in five years that the Mets have not had the ol' "meaningful games in September" thing going on.

Besides rooting for David Wright to hit doubles.

And the answer is quite simple - I root like the dickens for Josh Johnson and the rest of my fantasy baseball team.

Let me give you some history. (Wow, fantasy baseball history! The excitement is dripping from the walls!) Each year four of us from college get together and do our fantasy draft - a four-person league. Because it's such a small league, we have to narrow down the baseball universe, so it's just American League and National League East teams that we choose from. Hence the super-clever league name, "East Coast Bias".

Well, every year one guy, let's call him "Kevin", just dominates the league. He pretty much lives and breathes his fantasy baseball team, so it's not a surprise. What's so painful is that, not unlike my Mets, I've had season-long leads that have fallen apart in the last month of the season.

But not this year. This year I was in third or fourth place much of the early part of the year, and waited for everything to come together, until I took over first place in just the past couple of weeks.

There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, I drafted a really good team. I really did...I didn't worry about certain negative categories (like hitters' strikeouts), and loaded up on some big RBI/Runs guys.

More importantly, though, "Kevin" has some very important, and positive, things going on in his life that have leveled the playing field a bit. Now, he doesn't have two kids, which is the circumstance I will blame if I don't hold my lead, but he has some serious demands on his time that he hasn't had the past few years.

So one more month of rooting for the Phillies every fifth day (Pedro). One more month of rooting for certain guys to get wins (Beckett, Lester), but only by 2 or 3 runs, so I can get a save (Papelbon). One more month of sitting through the terrible Marlins telecasts for my dose of Josh Johnson. And one more month of juggling through the baseball channels to catch my hitters' at-bats (V. Martinez, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Evan Longoria, and Ryan Zimmerman, to name a few).

At least I don't have the Mets (well, besides Angel Pagan) to distract me from all that.

P.S.: School has started, and for those of you who don't know, that's my real job. So I apologize for the slowdown in posting...I'll find some sort of rhythm soon.

SUNDAY PAPER

I'm a little disappointed in the way things played out with the new and improved extra-protective batting helmet that David Wright tried out this week.

I'll admit - the things look silly. Players from the Mets and Rockies apparently called Wright The Great Gazoo, referencing the Flinstones character...I think it brings to mind Michael Dukakis. Regardless, I think they're necessary, and I don't think David Wright helped matters much by deciding to ditch the helmet after one game.


According to Wright, the change was due to comfort rather than appearance, but he took enough ridicule from all angles that I have to think he was somewhat worried about his image.

And that's the problem, because Wright is a star, and his image could have helped garner more widespread use of the product.

The Rawlings S100 helmet has extra padding and has been shown to withstand 100-mile-an-hour pitches thrown from 2 feet away. David Wright, for example, was hit by a 90+-mile-an-hour fastball from 60 feet, 6 inches away. And he's just the most prominent example.

The head is a sensitive area - and this is an issue that becomes more and more relevant as pitchers throw the ball harder and harder. I think it sends a horrible message when players like Jeff Francoeur talk about how they won't wear the helmets because they don't want to look like "clowns".

The idea of the helmet is protection, not style. We're in the year 2009 here, so I'm sure there will be some sort of technological advancement soon where the same kind of protection is offered in some sort of slimmer model. But I think priority number one when they're sitting down testing these helmets is not to make sure Jeff Francoeur doesn't look like a clown.

Unfortunately, David Wright looked like a clown, and he didn't like it. Maybe it would have been better for him to try the helmet out at home, so at least he didn't get ridiculed by the fans.

As it stands now, Major League Baseball will require minor league teams to wear the helmets next season. Hopefully that carries into the majors soon...or Rawlings gets something together that doesn't look so padded.

The events of the past week have given the helmet a bit of a black eye. But if the players don't start wearing it, they might suffer something much worse.

*I hate poor sportsmanship. I hate self-congratulatory behavior, especially when it is directed at someone else specifically to put them down. And I hate seeing fights. So I'm pleased that a heavy punishment was doled out to Oregon's LeGarrette Blount for his sucker punch to the jaw of Boise State's Byron Hout. And I don't want to say Hout had it coming, but he certainly didn't help matters by going up to Blount to rub it in. Yes, Blount had done a lot of talking leading up to the game, and probably during the game. But Hout should have let the scoreboard speak for itself. I'm glad Boise State's coaches reacted to Hout's actions the way they did, and it's unfortunate the way Blount reacted...but none of it should have happened if everyone had been a good sport in the first place.

*One thing I took away from last week's Jets-Giants pre-season matchup is that I didn't realize Mario Manningham was with the Giants. I missed his four catches last season, I guess. It looks like he'll be a bigger part of their plans this year, which I like, because I'm liking the Manning-to-Manningham name connection.

*Lots of mixed feelings as I sat and watched a lot of college football on Saturday. I really enjoyed it, obviously, but that means there's no turning back - back to school, end of summer weather, all that. I do love the fall, but there's a tough adjustment period, especially this year.

*Your Long Island Ducks update - Their playoff position is in jeopardy - they're a game behind second-place Bridgeport, but they play Bridgeport later this week. Long Island is 26-28, six games behind the division leader. You better believe Hall of Famer Gary Carter will have his players fighting for that wild card spot this week. We'll have another update next week.

*Can't wait for the NFL to get going. I'll have some previews coming this week.

A QUICK PLUG

I don't have HBO. Used to, but I don't anymore.

As such, I used to enjoy "Hard Knocks", back when I did have HBO. Of course, I'm sure I would still enjoy the show if I could still watch it.

I can't, but Justin from Sports Crackle Pop! can, and each week he gives a thorough recap of the show. Reading his recaps keeps me in the loop. You will enjoy them as well.

WRIGHT WATCH: Big day for David Wright in Colorado, incidentally. Double #32.

WELCOME BACK DAVID WRIGHT

In a season full of disappointments, there was one highlight - maybe the highlight of the 2009 season - for the Mets on Tuesday night, when David Wright came back off the DL and went 1-for-3 in Colorado.

The initial reports were that Wright might miss the rest of the season after he was hit in the head by a Matt Cain fastball in mid-August. No one knew what to expect, since the injury was a concussion, and the Mets were going to be extra cautious with their star in an already-lost season, following a poorly-handled concussion and recovery suffered by Ryan Church with the team last year.

But Wright and the Mets played it smart, and there he was Tuesday night, back in the three spot in the lineup, and he got a hit into left-center field.

The only thing better would have been if the ball carried a little deeper into the gap and he could have legged out a double.

You see, I love rooting for David Wright. I want him to be a member of the Mets forever, and I want him to make a historical mark on the game. Unfortunately, he's not a big bomber (never more evident than his 8 homers this year), and he's not a speed demon (though a smart and efficient base runner), and he's not a tremendous defensive third baseman (though he has steadily improved each year since he was brought up).

He's just a solid baseball player. If there is a place where he can leave his mark on the game when everything is said and done, though, it's in the doubles column. So I watch David Wright for the doubles, and this year was going great until he spent his time on the DL.

Probably because of the vacuous Citi Field, Wright had 31 doubles in 116 games before the DL stint. That put him on a career-high pace of 43 doubles for the season, one behind the team record of 44 set by Bernard Gilkey in 1996.

Wright has made a run at that record every year he has played regularly, with 42 doubles in 2005, 40 in '06, and 42 in '07 and '08. He has 214 for his career, which puts him in a tie for second on the franchise list, 11 behind team leader Ed Kranepool.

So Wright will undoubtedly become the team leader in doubles, maybe even before the end of this season (though 11 doubles in 30 games is a tall order). But I have my eyes on a bigger prize.

Tris Speaker is the all-time leader in doubles, with 792. If Wright puts up 40 doubles a season for however many more years he plays, especially since it looks like Citi Field will sap some of his homers and turn them into doubles, I think it will be fun to see him chase that mark of 792. Believe me, I will keep you posted on this chase for as long as I write in this space.

So welcome back, David Wright. Now start hitting some doubles.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 2009 METS EDITION

In an effort to become the retrospective with the least time lapsed, 200 Miles From the Citi now presents a 4-month-later look at the 2009 Mets' Opening Day lineup and where they are now...it's been a long time since that 2-1 win on April 6th:

SS Jose Reyes - On the DL since late May. 36 games played, probably out for the rest of the year.

LF Daniel Murphy -One of the few bright spots all season long, Murphy moved to first base after the Delgado injury and has been pretty solid there, spurring talk that he could be a future solution at the position.

3B David Wright - The mainstay in the lineup was placed on the DL for the first time in his career after being hit in the head by a fastball earlier this month. Talk now is he may be activated September 1st.

1B Carlos Delgado - On the DL since mid-May. Just 26 games played. Probably done for the season.

CF Carlos Beltran - Played 62 games, hasn't played since July when he was placed on the DL, insists every so often that he's coming back, but I'd call it doubtful.

RF Ryan Church - After his own Mets stint on the DL, was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Jeff Francoeur.

C Brian Schneider - Had a DL stint, he's active now, but he's terrible. .179 batting average.

2B Luis Castillo - He's been on an absolute tear lately, but he's the living representation of the Mets' 2009 season, dropping the final out against the Yankees and really beginning the tailspin that is their season.

P Johan Santana - The most recent casualty, placed on the DL earlier this week to have bone spurs in his elbow cleaned up. Should be healthy for next year.

For good measure, J. J. Putz, also on the disabled list, also appeared in that opening day game in Cincinnati. And we could easily re-create this exercise for the Mets starting rotation from the start of the season, or their bench players...but it's all just too sad.

(I promised this post a day earlier, but postponed it due to the Jets' announcement that Mark Sanchez would be the starting QB. Thanks for your patience, as I'm sure you were anxiously awaiting it.)

WORST WEEK EVER

Alright...maybe it's not the worst week in the history of the New York Mets...but when it comes to psychological damage inflicted on Mets fans, it has to rank right up there.

It started last Saturday when David Wright suffered a concussion after being beaned by a Matt Cain fastball. His season may very well be over, and he joins the likes of Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, John Maine, and J. J. Putz on the DL - the first time in Wright's career.

The embarrassments continued later in the week when Gary Sheffield started acting like, well, Gary Sheffield, after learning he had been placed on waivers and then pulled back when a team claimed him. Omar Minaya claimed the Mets weren't going to get value back for Sheffield, so why get rid of him when Minaya's goal is to win games? Well, Omar, now you have Sheffield, who you said you have no intention of keeping at the end of the year, and when he's gone you have no one. Seems to me like anyone you got from the Giants, who reportedly claimed Sheffield, would have been better value than NOTHING. But that's just my thinking. Sad to say, I don't necessarily disagree with Gary Sheffield on this issue - why not send him to another team? His approach, where he reportedly took himself out of Thursday night's starting lineup, however, I don't agree with. Hence, the embarrassment.

And now here's rubbing salt in a wound. Sunday afternoon, Pedro Martinez will toe the rubber for the Phillies at Citi Field against the Mets. He will face Oliver Perez. I am not feeling good about what's going to happen there.

Let me start by saying I've never been the biggest Pedro Martinez fan in the world. When he was the most dominant pitcher in the game, I admired what he was doing, but I never considered myself a fan.

I will maintain forever, though, that his coming to the Mets injected some life into the franchise, and drew the likes of Carlos Beltran, making the Mets a desirable destination for free agents. And it was the four-year contract that locked up Pedro, so even though the Mets barely got a year and a half out of that contract, its long-term effects had more of an impact. I'd like to say he helped make the Mets a contender, but he didn't pitch in the Mets' only playoff appearance in his tenure, and he was hurt on and off most of 2007 and 2008, which would have been excellent seasons had they lasted just 161 regular season games.

And now Mets fans have to watch as a revitalized Martinez helps Philadelphia to the post-season. And he'll most certainly help them on Sunday. Here's why:

1) He's on long rest. Pedro's last start was cut short by rain after 3 innings. So it's like he's had extra rest, which I have to think is pretty huge for a guy at his stage of a career.

2) He really does look good. He's not the Pedro of old, he never will be again, but he's certainly not the Pedro of the last couple of years. He'll have his troubles and give up his runs, but the Phillies offense will bail him out and he'll rack up a bunch of wins because he'll be healthy. That won't matter on Sunday, though, because:

3) He's not pitching against a very difficult lineup with the Mets here. He's already handled the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks, so the Mets might just make him look like the old Pedro.

4) Lastly, and not least importantly, Pedro feels slighted. First of all, the Mets were one of the first teams to pass on the healthy 2009 Martinez. Secondly, he showed up at the new ballpark and no one asked him if he wanted to be shown around. Pedro happened to mention that in some interviews this week, and you know that's eating at him. Pedro likes to take motivation out of situations where he feels disrespected.

So on Sunday, there will be familiar aspects of Pedro Martinez to Mets fans - the game face, the number on the jersey - but the jersey will be that of the Mets' rivals, and fans might not recognize the Pedro more closely resembling the 2005 version than 2008.

Oh and let's not forget that he'll be pitching against uber-disappointment Oliver Perez.

Just the capper on a pretty rotten week for Mets fans.