The Jets and Gaints are scheduled to meet tonight at the New Meadowlands Stadium which I previewed yesterday. 

 

Revis is still holding out.  Both teams starters will play briefly but intensely, especially in the first football game at the New Meadowlands Stadium.  It won’t be the same at Revis is still holding out.

 

Posted by The Tank.

The Jets and Giants are scheduled to meet tomorrow at the new Meadowlands Stadium in the first pre-season NFL game.  I’ve enjoyed tweeting over the past couple of weeks.

 

Monday’s game should be exciting.  I wanted to share some photos from the first ever event held there, at the Big City Lacrosse Classic, in April.  Lacrosse powers Syracuse-Princeton, Virginia-Carolina, and Hofstra-Delaware met in the day’s action. 

 

I first saw lacrosse in the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University in the Spring of 1989.  I immediately fell in love with the sport.  Jesuit missionary Saint Jean de Brebeuf wrote about watching Native Americans playing it in 1637.

 

 

Though I never played lacrosse, I always admired its physical nature.  I grabbed a stick and checked out the nets setup outside the Stadium.

 

 

The new stadium is on the left and the old on the right.

 

 

Syracuse was the headliner. 

 

 

I got a ticket. 

 

 

The new stadium has lots of new food.

 

 

and beverage options.

 

 

Onto the action, Hofstra beat Delaware, Virginia beat Carolina, and I got there in time for the main event, Syracuse-Princeton.  They face off below.

 

 

Lacrosse is a physical game.  #41 from Princeton tried to level #20 from Syracuse.  This is the result.  The Princeton player ended up on the turf.  A Princeton player found out the hard way.

 

 

I got down to field level and got another faceoff photo.

 

 

Syracuse won the game.

 

 

I celebrate the victory afterwards.

 

The Tank’s Bottom Line: The new Meadolwands Stadium is nice.  It is definitely an improvement on the old Giants Stadium.  There are more food and beverage options.  However, there is no retracable roof and the wind still cuts through the stadium. 

 

 

The Giants and Jets may really want to block the sides of the Stadium to reduce wind in the Super Bowl in the few years.   

 

Posted by The Tank reporting live from the New Meadowlands Stadium.  

I recently setup a Twitter account after much encouragement from Steve.  I tweeted an introductory tweet yesterday and one about Brett Favre today. 

 

This will allow us to give shorter but more to the minute updates.  Don’t worry, we’ll still have the hard hitting sports analysis and “Tank it to the Bank with The Tank” predictions you have come to expect. 

 

To follow us on Twitter, please go to http://twitter.com/steveandthetank

 

Posted by Tank.

Darrelle Revis was a no show at the opening of the Jets training camp at SUNY Cortland on Sunday.  I don’t blame Revis for trying to get paid especially given Leon Washington’s injury last season and the upcoming possible work stoppage in 2011.

 

The Tank’s Bottom Line: If the Jets want to go to the Super Bowl, they need to give Revis what he wants.  Hey, it’s an uncapped year.  Everything is going to change next year anyway. 

 

Posted by The Tank.    

The Yankees struck at yesterday’s trade deadline.  They picked up reliever Kerry Wood, Austin Kearns, and Lance Berkman.  I like all deals as they fill needs.  Wood helps with bull pen pitching.  Kearns is a good outfielder.  Berkman gave Teixeira a much needed day off, especially on the tough Tampa turf. 

 

I heard a tweet on ESPN 1050’s Seth Everett that the Mets replaced the ketchup at the Shack Shack at Citi Field.  I wish the Mets replaced the ketchup dispenser near the left field foul pole  I tried to use last night.  More on that later.

 

The Tank’s Bottom Line: I think the deals will help the Yankees.  Wood could have lots of upside if he can stay healthy.  Berkman and Kearns are good bats off the bench.

 

Posted by The Tank.

NFL training camps are now opening.  The Jets start their at SUNY Cortland.  The Jets are this seasons featured teams on HBO’s “Hard Knocks”.  It’s good TV but I think it is bad for teamwork.  I think guys will try to be TV stars when they should be focusing on football and teamwork. 

 

The Bengals are the only team to star on “Hard Knocks” and make the playoffs.  “Hard Knocks” also gives other teams a chance to scout the Jets.  If the Patriots illegally scouted the Rams before the Super Bowl, you know they will have SUNY Cortland bugged to the hilt and try to get info from HBO.

 

As for real football news, the Jets re-signed Coles. 

 

Congratulations to the Giants David Tyree for retiring a Giant on Friday!  He made one of the greatest catches of all time to beat the Patriots.

 

Posted by The Tank.

The Phillies traded for Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt yesterday.  Oswalt has been with the Astros for ten seasons.  The trade was held up because Oswalt wanted his 2012 option excercised for $16 million.  He finally caved and agreed to a $2 million buyout.  Oswalt gets to go to a contender and the Astros get some prospects, especially Happ.

 

As for the local teams, the Yankees and Mets haven’t done much.  The Yankees haven’t done much since losing out on Cliff Lee.  The Mets don’t have much to trade.  We’ll see if the pull a surprise before Saturday’s noon deadline. 

 

The Tank’s Bottom Line: Oswalt isn’t an ace like Cliff Lee but is enough to help the Phillies win the division and the pennant.  Just in line with my pre-season prediction. 

 

Posted by The Tank. 

Wide receivers Chad Ocho Cinco and Terrell Owens united yesterday in Cincinnati.  After he left the Bills, TO had been the subject of a few free agent rumors including the Rams but the Bengals came in and signed him. 

 

This is a marriage for football writers as Ocho Cinco and TO are very quotable.  It will be a soap opera in Cincinnati.  I don’t mind as I think sports is sometimes too corporate.  Cincy will be a better team.  If they can get off to a fast start before Big Ben comes back from suspension for the Steelers, the Bengals can repeat as AFC North champs. 

 

Posted by The Tank.

There were many rumors over the weekend about the D-backs wanting to deal Dan Haren for SATT Buddy Joba.  I know many Yankees fans are upset at Joba and want to deal him.  Yes, even I was upset at Joba while he blew a Seattle game a few weeks ago while hanging out during Jack and Michelle's Farewell Party at Gaf.  We'll miss you Jack and Michelle!

I think the Yankees did the right thing by NOT trading Joba because:

(1) There is too much money left on Haren's contract.  Yes, the Yankees have the money but I would rather see us use it to go after Cliff Lee in the off season.  Remember, we’re going to need the money to re-sign Jeter and Mariano.

(2) Haren is good but not as dominant as he was from 2005 to 2007.

(3) Give Joba more time to work out his issues.  He is the pitching version of Billy Martin's "You're hired, you're fired!"  Joba has been a reliever, starter, reliever, starter, and reliever.  He needs as much mental time to catch up with the physical time.  That said, Joba hasn't been the same since landing his shoulder a couple of years ago.

 

Posted by The Tank.

Today is my buddy A-Rod’s 35th birthday.  I wish he hit his 600th home run but got shutdown at the Indians.  It always happens against someone they haven’t faced before like the rookie Josh Tomlin.  They’ll get a book on him and hopefully hit him the next time. 

 

A-Rod is now homerless in five games since hitting his 599th home run. 

 

Posted by a disappointed Tank.