06/17/2012 11:46 PM ET
GEICO Week in New York: June 18-24
By Brian DiMenna / SNY.tv
LaDainian Tomlinson will retire from the NFL as a member of the San Diego Chargers. (AP)

Happy Father's Day everyone, or as I call it, another day to smile for the camera and pretend you like having children. On that note, my wife ends her maternity leave tomorrow and returns to work, let us pray for her. On to the sports:

Mets: So that was about the weirdest week ever, am I right? After getting swept by the Yankees a week ago, somewhat disrespectfully I might add, the Mets entered this week at something of a crossroads, staring down the barrel of a three-game series with Tampa Bay that had the potential to send their season spiraling out of control. But a funny thing happened, they pretty much pantsed the Rays, sweeping their three-game series and demonstrating the steely resolve that has come to define their season. It was as impressive a stretch as they've had all year, punctuated by some encouraging signs from the bat of Ike Davis that served to remind everyone that the team has done all this despite having so few things actually go all that right. And yet, just when you started to believe, just when you thought it safe to start shopping for a new replica jersey, New York was swept away this weekend by Cincinnati to pretty much bring them right back where they started. At this point, I'm not totally sure what this team is, whether it be an emerging force or just some strange kind of happenstance. But with a pair of visits from the AL East in Baltimore and those damn Yankees again, the Mets once again find their season hanging on the brink. A strong showing would reinforce the idea that this unit may yet have some staying power, or we may yet discover that the reason this season has made so little sense, is just because it doesn't make sense. Does that make any sense?


Monday, June 18
7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Baltimore
7:05 PM MLB NY Yankees vs. Atlanta

Tuesday, June 19
7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Baltimore
7:05 PM MLB NY Yankees vs. Atlanta


Wednesday, June 20
7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Baltimore
1:05 PM MLB NY Yankees vs. Atlanta


Friday, June 22
7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. NY Yankees


Saturday, June 23
7:15 PM MLB NY Mets vs. NY Yankees


Sunday, June 24
8:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. NY Yankees


Yankees: Ok, I admit it. I was inappropriately giddy over the Yankees' slow start this season, like really foolishly giddy. Yes, it's hard to remember a few weeks ago that putz's like me were calling these Yanks things like "ordinary," mainly because the team has spent the past week or so looking absolutely unbeatable. New York has run up three straight sweeps to tally nine straight wins overall, rolling through the Braves, Mets and Nationals like they were some kind of minor irritants. The return of Andy Pettitte somehow seemed to inspire a return to form for Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes which has combined to make the Yankees' starting rotation pretty incredible actually. If only they could hit. What? They can? Like really, really well? Well, that almost doesn't seem fair. The Yankees will see if they can continue to just downright bludgeon the NL East as they get set for matchups with the Braves and Mets. The Yankees pretty much spanked our beloved Mets all over their fancy pants ballpark a little over a week ago, now they will try to do the same from the visitor's dugout. At this point, there just doesn't seem to be much they can't do.

Knicks: Phil Jackson caused a bit of a stir this week when he said some wholly accurate things about the Knicks that still managed to come off as sort of priggish. Count me as one of the few Knicks fans who couldn't be happier Jackson will never coach the team, which isn't to say he's not a great coach, he clearly is. But there's something about the idea of hiring the guy who ruined my childhood that I just can't stomach. Seriously folks, don't we remember how much we hated Phil Jackson?

Jets: LaDainian Tomlinson will announce his retirement this week after the Jets showed no interest in bring back the veteran runner, but he will sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the San Diego Chargers who he always liked better. Tomlinson was a great player, who will likely be unfairly remembered as a postseason bust, something we couldn't be happier about.

Giants: The Giants lost out on retaining Jake Ballard when the Patriots claimed him off waivers just to be annoying. Sure, Pats, this totally makes up for those two Super Bowl losses. You showed us.

Brian DiMenna is a regular contributor to SNY.tv.
Write a Comment! Post a Comment