Merry Christmas

Sitting in my office on December 27th. At work for the first time in my life on this date. Its a crime. On to business.

The Dodgers scuttled the 3-way Randy Johnson deal, purportedly over reservations about Javier Vasquez. I still have confidence that Unit will find a way into pin-stripes before the season is very old, but the local media had us thinking that Randy would be tucked neatly under the Christmas tree. I still am confident that the Yankees are an improved team from last year, and Boras and Beltran will soon debating dollars with Cashman.

Boston signed up Varitek to a 4-year deal, and made him the captain of the Sox to boot. Smart move by them, lock-up a gamer and the heart of their team. I'd still take Posada, but you have to rank Tek among the top backstops in the game.

Knicks lost Jamal Crawford to what is being termed "turf-toe". Early estimates are 3-6 weeks, but this shouldn't necessarily be a tragedy. The Knicks will miss Crawford's energy and scoring punch. He has shown the ability to get hot and drop 30 on anyone, and when his somewhat erratic jumper is on track he is a match-up nightmare for defenders. He also has displayed a sick crossover which has shaken many two guards this year, and nearly dropped Raja Bell. Plus, he has the ability to handle the ball, and spell Marbury at the point guard position. The Knicks are fortunate that Allan Houston is rounding back into shape, as he will be able to take the starting 2-guard position, which has been his for many years barring injury. Moochie Norris is a capable back-up, and I have liked the little I have seen of Jamison Brewer, a tenacious defender with good elevation.

On the scoring front, Tim Thomas has been asked to step-up for what seems like the 20th time this year. At his best, Thomas is a 6'10 swingman, with the ability to play the 2-3 and even can put in time at power forward. At times with the Bucks he showed the ability to be good for 18-pts a night, with a smooth 3-point stroke for a man his size. He also has the agility and leaping ability to take the ball to the basket against big and quick defenders alike. However, Thomas does have his flaws. He often settles for jumpers, or post-up shots that are not the strength of his game. He is lax on the defensive end, and should be more assertive on the offensive and defensive glass. Stories have circulated about Thomas dealing with several family difficulties during the off-season, and beginning part of the year. I am willing to go benefit of the doubt on Tim for now, and believe that his game will round into form, and that he can combine effectively with Marbury and Houston, or Marbury and Crawford to form an effective scoring trio much like the one he had in Milwaukee with Ray Allen and Glen Robinson.

If this change doesn't occur, rookie Trevor Ariza and the injured Penny Hardaway are both attractive alternatives. Penny is getting up there in years, which haven't been overly kind to his body. Still, he has shown his ability to be an effective contributor to the Knicks with shooting and the savvy of a veteran. Ariza is a hard-working rookie with a nose for the ball. He is a high-flier who plays with great intensity and heart. At 6'8, the Knicks have a good defender who has been matched up against players like Pierce and LeBron at critical moments, and has shown flashes of offensive punch. I am also a big Mike Sweetney fan, and he can dominate when close to the basket with big-man moves developed in the paint at Georgetown and refined by Mark Aguirre.

Finally, lets not forget that while he has been focusing on distributing and getting his team involved, Steph can still fill it up on any given night. He will certainly step up his offensive game with Crawford out.

The Jets got smoked by the Pats, and the Giants lost yet another game they should have won. Football will be relegated to a year-end recap, and hopefully a playoff preview for the Jets.

Peyton Manning caught and passed Dan Marino for the single-season touchdown record in a come-from-behind win over the Chargers. Congrats to Peyton, his O-line, and his receivers, and a big shout-out to the Edge for making play-action a possibility by toiling week after week. His TD numbers are down, and he hasn't gotten the money that Peyton, Harrison, and Stokely are getting, but he is a much a reason for the Colts success as anyone, Manning included.

Here's looking for a good New Year's, and a great 2005.