Tanned, Rested and Ready

I'm back from the week in sunny Fla. Nice little trip, we had a lot of fun and sun. Seems there might have been some interesting stuff happen with my teams since I last posted, but first, a quick review or the trip.

First, I hate Delta Airlines. I travelled with a party of 4, me, the wife and the two little girls. There is apparently a rule that checked luggage can weigh no more than 50 lbs. per bag. So, if we checked 4 bags, we would be allowed 200 lbs total. We had two checked bags, one weighed 54 lbs, the other 64 lbs. Delta would not see the common sense approach, which is that we are still under weight, so they charged $25 per bag extra. Pricks. The flight down was uneventful, though we were on an old MD-80 which did not have any TV's or even radio. The flight back was delayed departure by 25 minutes, though we did touch down on time. We then sat on the tarmac for a 1/2 hour, first waiting to cross an active runway, then for our gate to clear. Finally, we gate, they tell us where to get our bags, only to find that they switched where we would get them, but of course they did not tell us. I'm pretty much done with Delta. Jet Blue (yes, I know about the issues during the storm on V-Day) is my preference for now on. TV and music and nicer planes for me.

As for Fla., I took the 6 year old to Port St. Lucie last Monday, which wound up being the first Intra-Squad game. We got there in time to see some pitcher fielding drills and some BP. Then, it was game time. No "charge" though they did ask for a $5 donation to the Brian Cole Fund (for those who don't remember, Cole was a prospect who died a few years ago in a car crash). I gave a bit more than $5. Nice job by the Mets organization.

So, after getting some food and memorabilia (hat, cards, ball for my older girl, socks for the baby and a new BP hat for me), we settled into our seats. One "fan" was heard stating the "Milledge had shown me nothing so far this camp" and "Beltran does nothing for me". Had my daughter not been there, I might have had to have a conversation with said curmudgeon. I did get to see a couple of blasted foul balls by Beltran (one just missed down the left field line) and a nice HR by Delgado, but not much else in the way of hitting, as my daughter was antsy in the hot sun, so we left after about an inning and a half. I did get a couple of pictures, which I will post once I (1) figure out how and (2) get my home computer a new fan. Sorry, the scouting report stinks guys and girls, but it's hard keeping a 6 yr old entertained.

So, what else happened while I was gone. Oh yeah, the Jets cut a few spare parts, like Patrick Ramsey. This move Kellen Clemens to the #2 spot, and prepares him to be #1 (many hope) in 2009. They were quiet over the weekend once Free Agency opened. Other teams made big splashes, but Tannenbaum and Mangini waited. And then, yesterday, they struck freaking GOLD, trading down in the second round and getting 29 yr old Thomas Jones from the Bears. This is HUGE, the one thing they lacked last year was a consistently strong running game. They cut Kevan Barlow, and were looking for a primary back to share the load with Leon Washington. Jones is coming off back to back 1,200 yard seasons, and a Super Bowl where he was the Bears best player. How they did it for so cheap is amazing.

So what else happened. The Mets didn't sign anyone. The Knicks won a couple of times as the Nets lost, so everyone has the Knicks making the playoffs and the Nets not. There was something else, what was it now. Oh, that's right...

THE ISLANDERS TRADED FOR RYAN SMYTH!
I almost passed out when I read this. First, thanks "Dep" (commentor from metsgeek) for posting the comment here. I happened to check it and saw that post and couldn't believe my eyes. This is an absolutely FANTASTIC move by Garth Snow. Yes, he gave up a couple of former first rounders, but neither were projected as "Stars". Nilsson was a mistake, they should have drafted Parise, and it seemed Nolan did not like him. O'Marra is pegged as a #2 center and a good leader. The pick this year, middle of the first round in a weak draft, is nothing to worry about.

Smyth is a player I have liked for years, dating back to when I used to participate in a fantasy hockey league with some old college buddies and some other guys. I must have drafted him half the time. He is not flashy, and is not a 50 goal scorer, but he is a power forward of the Tonelli mold. He's going to part his ass in front of the net on the power play, and drive to the net when needed. For now, he is playing with Blake and Robittaile. The hope is that Yashin comes back soon (perhaps Thursday against the Rangers). What a first line that would be. The PP has already improved, scoring much more frequently and creating a lot more chances. The addition of Bergeron on the point, and now Smyth, allows Nolan to roll out 2 PP units with different styles. Special Teams play has not been great this year, but it is improving now.

So last night, the Isles faced the Rangers at the Garden. Big game, and I was all set to watch in HD for the first time. But I did not realize that the game was going to be on Vs, which does not have HD. Another great move by Bettman. How the hell do you go to a non-HD network for a game MADE for HD? Sweet jesus, they screwed the pooch on that move. Plus, the audio and video on Vs. remind me of the days of UHF.

As for the game, the Rangers dominated, firing 57 shots at Rick DiPietro. Rick denied all but 1, allowing a goal at the start of the third period, and nothing else until the shoot out. The Isles lost, but gained a point, which is still important. And DiPietro showed again that he is coming into his own. He made several outstanding saves during the game. Even new pick-up Richard Zednik made a save, hugging the post in the third while DP was on the ice. The defense is tight for this team, DP is outstanding of late, and the offense, with Zednik and Smyth and the soon to return Yashin makes for a team few will want to face in the playoffs. I'm not saying Cup, but they can cause some damage.

That's all for today. I'll have a Mets post later in the week. In the meantime, head on over to MetsGeek for daily game chatter and other topics. I'll be there I'm sure.