The Serval Zippers Sign

That’s just what the Giants did, but it was yesterday.

A huuuuuuuuuge win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. A classic if there ever was one, a win that can be attributed to an interception, an injury to a long-snapper and a catch by a sure-handed tight end.

The Steelers certainly have big play ability — their 14 points came on 2 lightning bolts, one in each half. The Giants, meanwhile just chipped ground away, garnering their 14 points on 4 field goals and a safety. After the safety, they took the free kick back to about mid-field, and coverted it to the winning 6 almost immediately, with Eli Manning finding Kevin Boss in the middle of the end zone.

Big Blue now sports the mark of the elite team: they WILL find a way to win.

The 7-1 Giants now get Dallas — sans Tony Romo — at home next week.

FUN!

PS — The Phillies are up 3 games to 1. That is all…

A signature performance by the Rays last night. Smallball all over the place and juuuuuuuuuust enough pitching to hang on, 4-2.

Now it’s back to the CitzBath for weekend pleasantries.

Speaking of which…

The Woilds Champeen New York Giants are gonna have their hands full Sunday at the Ketchup Bottle. This is the premier matchup of the still-young NFL season, and the squads could not be more evenly matched. Pittsbugh has a solid young quarterback, a fierce defense and a muscular running game. Sound familiar? I think we’ll be looking at a 17-10…maybe 23-20 kind of game. Keeping ‘em all crossed that the Giants can be on the long end.

The Mets have named their coaches. All are coming back except Guy Conti (who goest whither Pedro goest), Ken Oberkfell (to whom I hope they hang on) and Luis (Let ‘Em Go!) Aguayo. The new 3B coach has one of the best baseball names of all time: Razor Shines. Let’s hope he keeps everybody sharp…

Ugh!

Last night’s game was a real Cleveland steamer.

How can you get bitchslapped by the Browns of all people? And the thing is, as sloppy as the Giants played, this game turned on a dime. The Giants were down 27-14, but were driving and had the ball at the Cleveland 12 with 8:30 to go in the 4th quarter. The ESPN announcing team was praising the Giant offense up and down. Ron Jaworski: “The Giants are doing it right. They know they’re not gonna get all 13 points back in one shot. If they can score with 8 or 7 and-a-half minutes left, they’re in good shape.” Tony Kornheiser: “Yes, but they have to score here.” Mike Tirico: “Of course.” The words weren’t out of Tirico’s mouth 10 seconds when Eli Manning was intercepted by Eric Wright for a 94-yard Pick 6.

I cursed a lot and went to bed.

So the Woilds Champeens messed up a golden chance to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division. They should be enjoying a 2-game divisional lead right now — which in the NFL is nearly a walkover — seeing as the Cowflops and Deadskins both lost on Sunday. Filthydelphia won, but they’ve already dug themselves into a substantial hole.

Stupid Giants…

…Plaxico?

Defiant? Unrepentant? Remorseless?

Face it buddy-boy: you effed up.

You’re the one who went AWOL, you’re the one who missed practice and went out of communication with the team that’s paying you multiple millions of dollars. You’re the one who’s pissing off the fan base that’ll be ponying up obscene amounts of PSL money — to get you those multiple-millions.

If anything has been proven with this team last year and this, it’s that the whole is far greater than the sum of the parts. The Giants are the Super Bowl Champions and they got there minus the services of their all-time leading rusher and their perennial Pro Bowl tight end. This year, they’re off to a 4-0 start without their Hall-Of-Fame defensive end and their All-Pro nose tackle. The other day, they put 44 points on the board.

Bottom line? THEY DON’T NEED YOU.

It might be a better idea for you to come back with your hat in your hand, rather than your fist in the air.

Your choice.

It was Jerry who blinked. Manuel accepted a 2-year-with-club-option deal to keep him in the fold through at least 2010. If he gets “us” over the proverbial hump, he’ll be here much longer than that. He will have become legend.

So GM? Check. MGR? Check.

Now where to go to improve the on-field product?

Top of my head, here’s a quick wish list:

Francisco Rodgriguez to be the closer.
If Omar thinks it can be swung, sign CC Sabathia.
Derek Lowe for the rotation.
Orlando Hudson for 2B.
Pick up Carlos Delgado’s option & trade for a decent LF and move Daniel Murphy to 1B.

Chloroform the rest of the ‘pen. Balance the bench.

Simple, but not easy.

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How ’bout them 4-0 Woilds Champeen New York Football Giants? They should go 6-0 and at worst should be 6-2 after 8 games. That’s bare minimum. The last 10 games are a bear & a half, so they need to get all the wins in they can muster.

GO BIG BLUE!

Whither Jerry Manuel?

On the heels of Omar Minaya’s extension, Jerry is apparently looking for something similar. Rumors abound that he’s being offered a 2-year deal at either $1.5 million (Newsday) or $2 million (The Post). The general consensus is that the sticking point is a 3rd year. Which makes sense, of course.

Just for the helluvit, let’s say that Jerry walks. He can’t live without the security of that 3rd year. Other teams saw the Mets’ turnaround — the engineering of which he can legitimately take some credit for — and dangle offers his way. Where do the Mets go?

Buck Showalter? Too much a control freak. Could be Willie II.

Gary Carter? No MLB experience, pretty much a PR move and the inmates would be running the asylum.

Wally Backman? Baggage, baggage, baggage and a possible PR nightmare. He would be the right guy to kick this squad in the pants, though.

Bobby Valentine? Apparently Bobby V told ESPN Radio this morning that if the Mets called, he’d listen. Intriguing, but I don’t see it happening.

So who blinks?

GO BIG BLUE! Giants/Seattle this Sunday. Can’t hardly wait.

OK, so the blog’s back online, the season is over (SOB!) and I’ve got a couple of minutes to post — which I haven’t had in 2 months.

As far as The Collapse, Part II? I’m shocked. I’m also not surprised. The whole last 2 weeks just felt too much like last year for the finish to go any other way. For all my braying after the last Saturday at Shea, deep in my heart-o-hearts, I had the feeling it wasn’t going to end well.

As for that Saturday…well, Johann the Maginficent was just that. A masterpiece of a 3-hitter had me howling by game’s end. Just a tremendous acquisition and the main reason Omar is just finishing up a presser for his new extension as we speak.

Next day came the crash.

I’m consoling myself this way:

The Mets will win the NL pennant in 2009.

Why? Because the Dodgers won it in 1952.

The Dodgers made one of their (at the time) infequent post-season appearances in 1949. In 1950 they lost a pennant on the last day — to Philly, no less. In 1951, they made some upgrades to the pitching staff and outfield and lost a pennant in even more heartbreaking fashion.

They then won 9 pennants in the next 15 years.

The Mets made one of their infequent post-season appearances in 2006. In 2007 they lost a pennant on the last day — to Philly, no less. In 2008, they made some upgrades to the pitching staff and outfield and lost a pennant in even more heartbreaking fashion…

Hey, whatever I need to tell myself so I can sleep at night.

On to happier matters, we have the Woilds Champeen New York Football Giants! 3-0, rarin’ to go. When they get to the half-way point, the worst they should be is 6-2 — they’ve got a few cupcakes coming up. No Plaxico? Who cares? They have almost as many receivers as the Mets have terrible relief pitchers…

Anyway, I’ll be back on a semi-regular basis throughout the winter and to gear up for The Collapse, Part III.