Just 8 months later, things have changed quite a bit. Both of those teams have more hope now than they've had in years, while the fortunes of other teams have significantly changed. One being the Giants, who fell to 2-9 against the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving night.
This flies in the face of something I've said many times: No matter how bad they get, the Giants give the impression that they will be able to turn it around soon; but, no matter how good they get, the Jets always manage to futz it up.
For the 1st time since I began this occasional series, I'm going to add the WNBA's New York Liberty, and Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls and New York City FC, both of whom saw their seasons end in Playoff defeats earlier this month.
Here are the 12 major league sports teams of the New York Tri-State Area, ranked in ascending order of current dysfunction:
12. New York Liberty.
The Good: The Libs finished 1st in the WNBA Eastern Conference in the regular season. They're a young team, with an average age of 26 1/2, and their oldest player, Shavonte Zellous, is only 31. With Tina Charles, Epiphanny Prince and Kia Vaughn, they have 3 of the best players in the league. And, best of all, if they do poorly, hardly anybody cares.
The Bad: No matter what they do, hardly anybody cares. The WNBA started with so much hope, but has become a complete afterthought. The Libs lost in the 1st available Playoff round, and it wasn't even close.
They just lost head coach Bill Laimbeer to the San Antonio Stars, who will play the 2018 WNBA season in Las Vegas under a name to be chosen later. Katie Smith, a former star player for the Liberty, is now the head coach. She spent 4 years as Laimbeer's assistant after retiring as a player, making her as close to a natural choice as you could get. Still, it is her 1st head coaching job.
In 21 seasons of play, they have still never won a WNBA Championship. They haven't even reached the Finals in 15 years. And with the Garden situation unresolved, we don't know where they'll be playing for the long term -- presuming, of course, the WNBA survives, which it appears that it will, but who knows?
Dysfunction Level: 3. Their problems are chronic and nagging, but not really damaging. If this is as bad as it ever gets, that's not so bad.
11. New York Yankees.
The Good: Joe Girardi is gone. And with the talent we've got, whoever the new manager turns out to be is going to be less important than who he manages. There's great young talent in Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius, Greg Bird, Ronald Torreyes and Aaron Hicks. Among veterans, there's Starlin Castro, Brett Gardner and, sometimes, Jacoby Ellsbury.
The starting pitching is improved, with Luis Severino having come good, Masahiro Tanaka having straightened out, and Sonny Gray is good, and Jordan Montgomery is all right. The bullpen is anchored by Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, and the returned David Robertson -- who, between them, mean that we don't have to count on any one of them as the closer. Chad Green and Tommy Kahnle are good at filling in the gaps, although with Girardi and his damn binder gone, we will be able to trust our starters more.
The stadium situation is settled for the next 50 years. As for the competition, the Boston Red Sox hardly looked like worth Division Champions, the Toronto Blue Jays are no longer a Playoff team, the Tampa Bay Rays are now a mess, and the Baltimore Orioles are managed by Buck Showalter. The American League Eastern Division is ripe for the picking. Indeed, the Yankees should have won the last 4 AL East titles. Alas, Cashman wanted to build up the farm system, which was already the best in baseball.
The Bad: Not currently having a manager is an issue, although we really don't have to hire one until, at the absolute latest, right before Spring Training. CC Sabathia is currently in limbo, and we don't know if we want to keep him. If we don't -- or if we do, and he has nothing left -- then we need a 5th starter. Boy, it should would be good to have Ivan Nova right about now. And the rest of the bullpen is either question marks (Luis Cessa, Ben Heller, Jonathan Holder) or shouldn't be let anywhere near a major league mound (Adam Warren, Chasen Shreve, Giovanny Gallegos, Bryan Mitchell, Nick Rumbelow and Caleb Smith).
In the lineup, Ellsbury is inconsistent, although Hicks can play center field. The big hole is at 3rd base: Chase Headley is not a good option. Torreyes is a good hitter, and a good backup to have, but 3rd base is not his best position. (2nd base is.) And we can't wait for Gleyber Torres, The Great And Powerful, to both get healthy and come good -- and, besides, he's not a 3rd baseman, either. He's a shortstop -- meaning that Brian Cashman traded for him after he knew that Gregorius was the man at that position for the next decade.
What a stupid trade that was: If we keep Torres, then either he or Gregorius will have to move to a position that is not his best, and could be a liability. And, yes, Cashman is still in charge. How do we know he won't do something stupid again, like trade Judge, Sanchez, or Severino -- or Chapman again, or Robertson again -- for 25 teenagers who might never make the major leagues?
Dysfunction Level: 4. There's less than there was a year ago. If Cashman brings in a manager who treats a pitch count as something to use only for a pitcher coming off an injury, and not as a damn rule, this will drop to a 3.
10. New Jersey Devils.
The Good: GM Ray Shero and head coach John Hynes have the Mulberry Street Marauders much-improved. The Devils are currently in 1st place in the NHL Metropolitan Division, 1/5th of the way into the season. Captain Andy Greene, goaltender Cory Schneider, Travis Zajac, Brian Boyle, and 2012 Playoff hero Adam Henrique provide talent and veteran leadership. Big signing Taylor Hall and top draft pick Nico Hischier have provided an offensive spark. The passion, missing for so long, seems to be back.
The ownership and finance issues, which for the 2nd time in 19 years raised the possibility (even with the Prudential Center) of the NHL allowing the Devils to be moved out of the Tri-State Area, have been put to rest. The arena situation is settled for the next 50 years: While we don't know how far, as far as the Playoffs are concerned (if at all), the team is going, the franchise isn't going anywhere.
The starting pitching is improved, with Luis Severino having come good, Masahiro Tanaka having straightened out, and Sonny Gray is good, and Jordan Montgomery is all right. The bullpen is anchored by Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, and the returned David Robertson -- who, between them, mean that we don't have to count on any one of them as the closer. Chad Green and Tommy Kahnle are good at filling in the gaps, although with Girardi and his damn binder gone, we will be able to trust our starters more.
The stadium situation is settled for the next 50 years. As for the competition, the Boston Red Sox hardly looked like worth Division Champions, the Toronto Blue Jays are no longer a Playoff team, the Tampa Bay Rays are now a mess, and the Baltimore Orioles are managed by Buck Showalter. The American League Eastern Division is ripe for the picking. Indeed, the Yankees should have won the last 4 AL East titles. Alas, Cashman wanted to build up the farm system, which was already the best in baseball.
The Bad: Not currently having a manager is an issue, although we really don't have to hire one until, at the absolute latest, right before Spring Training. CC Sabathia is currently in limbo, and we don't know if we want to keep him. If we don't -- or if we do, and he has nothing left -- then we need a 5th starter. Boy, it should would be good to have Ivan Nova right about now. And the rest of the bullpen is either question marks (Luis Cessa, Ben Heller, Jonathan Holder) or shouldn't be let anywhere near a major league mound (Adam Warren, Chasen Shreve, Giovanny Gallegos, Bryan Mitchell, Nick Rumbelow and Caleb Smith).
In the lineup, Ellsbury is inconsistent, although Hicks can play center field. The big hole is at 3rd base: Chase Headley is not a good option. Torreyes is a good hitter, and a good backup to have, but 3rd base is not his best position. (2nd base is.) And we can't wait for Gleyber Torres, The Great And Powerful, to both get healthy and come good -- and, besides, he's not a 3rd baseman, either. He's a shortstop -- meaning that Brian Cashman traded for him after he knew that Gregorius was the man at that position for the next decade.
What a stupid trade that was: If we keep Torres, then either he or Gregorius will have to move to a position that is not his best, and could be a liability. And, yes, Cashman is still in charge. How do we know he won't do something stupid again, like trade Judge, Sanchez, or Severino -- or Chapman again, or Robertson again -- for 25 teenagers who might never make the major leagues?
Dysfunction Level: 4. There's less than there was a year ago. If Cashman brings in a manager who treats a pitch count as something to use only for a pitcher coming off an injury, and not as a damn rule, this will drop to a 3.
10. New Jersey Devils.
The Good: GM Ray Shero and head coach John Hynes have the Mulberry Street Marauders much-improved. The Devils are currently in 1st place in the NHL Metropolitan Division, 1/5th of the way into the season. Captain Andy Greene, goaltender Cory Schneider, Travis Zajac, Brian Boyle, and 2012 Playoff hero Adam Henrique provide talent and veteran leadership. Big signing Taylor Hall and top draft pick Nico Hischier have provided an offensive spark. The passion, missing for so long, seems to be back.
The ownership and finance issues, which for the 2nd time in 19 years raised the possibility (even with the Prudential Center) of the NHL allowing the Devils to be moved out of the Tri-State Area, have been put to rest. The arena situation is settled for the next 50 years: While we don't know how far, as far as the Playoffs are concerned (if at all), the team is going, the franchise isn't going anywhere.
The Bad: Despite clear improvement, the Devils have not proven anything yet. Indeed, it's fair to say that they're where the Islanders were a couple of years ago, and they haven't taken the next step yet. While not the fool that Peter DeBoer is, Hynes isn't exactly the most inspiring of bench bosses. Veteran scorer Travis Zajac has yet to play this season, due to an injury.
And what was true in early 2004 is still true, nearly 14 years later: There's no Scott Stevens on the team -- no great defender, no enforcer, no guy who will tell his own teammates that what they're doing is not good enough. Stevens was all 3, but they don't have any 1 of those.
The Question Mark: The team is owned by Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, with Joshua Harris as operating owner. Through him, AGM also owns the Philadelphia 76ers, who were one of the biggest messes in North American Sports just a few months ago, but also seem to be improving, as management uses the slogan "Trust the Process." It is no longer discouraging that the Sixers' owners also own the Devils, but how long is the Devils' "process" supposed to last?
Dysfunction Level: 4. The question marks are considerably fewer, but those that are left are looking a lot bigger. Like the Isles, the Devils are no longer bad, but they still haven't shown that they are good enough to make a serious challenge for the Stanley Cup. This is in contrast to the Rangers, who have shown that they can make such a challenge -- but not that they can complete it.
And what was true in early 2004 is still true, nearly 14 years later: There's no Scott Stevens on the team -- no great defender, no enforcer, no guy who will tell his own teammates that what they're doing is not good enough. Stevens was all 3, but they don't have any 1 of those.
The Question Mark: The team is owned by Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, with Joshua Harris as operating owner. Through him, AGM also owns the Philadelphia 76ers, who were one of the biggest messes in North American Sports just a few months ago, but also seem to be improving, as management uses the slogan "Trust the Process." It is no longer discouraging that the Sixers' owners also own the Devils, but how long is the Devils' "process" supposed to last?
Dysfunction Level: 4. The question marks are considerably fewer, but those that are left are looking a lot bigger. Like the Isles, the Devils are no longer bad, but they still haven't shown that they are good enough to make a serious challenge for the Stanley Cup. This is in contrast to the Rangers, who have shown that they can make such a challenge -- but not that they can complete it.
The Good: In spite of the mistakes of manager Jesse Marsch, including trading away their Captain and best all-around player, Dax McCarty, Metro still made the Playoffs, and advanced to the Conference Semifinals after winning away to the Chicago Fire. They also reached the Final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for only the 2nd time in their history.
Bradley Wright-Phillips continues to be a goal machine like his father, Arsenal legend Ian Wright. Luis Robles may be the best goalkeeper in the league. Mike Grella, Sacha Kljestan and Gonzalo Veron all had very good seasons.
Attendance was 21,175 per game, up over 500 from the year before. Their stadium situation is settled, and when the new Harrison PATH station is built, the biggest Red Bulls problem in a practical sense, public transportation in and out of the neighborhood, will be solved.
The Bad: Yeah, the current aging, small PATH station remains one of the nastiest bottlenecks in the Tri-State Area's public transit network. That's an annoyance, but it's not a reflection on the team. What is a reflection on the team is that Marsch is a lousy manager.
And the Red Bulls frustrated again, taking Toronto FC, winners of the Supporters' Shield for the league's best overall regular season record, to a virtual draw, losing on away goals because they let in 2 bad ones in Harrison. They lost that Open Cup Final to Sporting Kansas City, although it should be noted that they were underdogs, but that meant that they still haven't won either of U.S. soccer's top 2 trophies in 22 seasons of trying. (Only 2 Supporters' Shields, but that's the 3rd-highest trophy.) And they did let NYCFC surpass them on the field.
Dysfunction Level: 4. It's more frustration than dysfunction. There are some teams in the NYTSA that would love to be no worse off than the Red Bulls.
8. New York Knicks.
The Good: Phil Jackson is gone. Carmelo Anthony is gone. Derrick Rose is gone. The sense of dread is gone. Kristaps Porziņģis, Joakim Noah and Tim Hardaway Jr. are still there. Head coach Jeff Hornacek and new general manager Scott Perry seem to have the team going in the right direction. They are currently over .500. (Okay, it's only 10-8, but it's still a good sign.) And even if the Knicks don't finish well this season, the fans are once again into it to the point that they'll give management a pass, writing this off as a rebuilding year.
The Bad: James Dolan and Isiah Thomas are still involved. The Knicks have won just 1 Playoff series in Dolan's 17 seasons in charge (this is the 18th). The Eastern Conference still has LeBron James at the head, the Boston Celtics are back to being one of the best teams in the league, and the Philadelphia 76ers seem revived. So the chances of the Knicks going far in the Playoffs are not good. And is there any player on the Knick roster, Porziņģis, likely to make an opponent say, "Aw no, I don't wanna play against him"?
The Bad: James Dolan and Isiah Thomas are still involved. The Knicks have won just 1 Playoff series in Dolan's 17 seasons in charge (this is the 18th). The Eastern Conference still has LeBron James at the head, the Boston Celtics are back to being one of the best teams in the league, and the Philadelphia 76ers seem revived. So the chances of the Knicks going far in the Playoffs are not good. And is there any player on the Knick roster, Porziņģis, likely to make an opponent say, "Aw no, I don't wanna play against him"?
And then, of course, there's the question of where the Knicks are going to play when The Garden's current lease runs out. Can you imagine the Knicks playing a home game anyplace not named Madison Square Garden? Can you imagine the Knicks playing at the Barclays Center? Or in the Prudential Center -- the New York Knickerbockers in New Jersey? If the Dolans and The City don't come to some sort of agreement soon, it may come to that.
Dysfunction Level: 5 -- a huge improvement from last season's 8, which is about what the Knicks have been for most of the 21st Century.
7. New York City Football Club.
The Good: They finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference, and drew 22,112 fans per game, more than the Red Bulls. They have Barcelona legend David Villa, and are managed by Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira. They have the billions of petrodollars of the Emirati royal family behind them, and can tap into the resources of their parent club, Manchester City. And they finally showed, on the field, that they were better than the Red Bulls.
The Bad: They choked in their 1st available Playoff round, to the Columbus Crew. In 3 seasons, they have never won a Playoff round. Vieira was a great Captain in North London, but he's been a poor manager in The Bronx.
Their attendance looks great when you say that their home field has a seating capacity of 28,743, but who's kidding who? It's Yankee Stadium: Not only are they playing in a place that was built for another sport, and in which they are the 2nd-most important team -- second-class "Cityzens," if you will -- but the actual soccer capacity is 49,474 (which I know, because I was in a crowd of that size for the 2012 Real Madrid-AC Milan match there).
22,643 doesn't even half-fill The Stadium. What's more, for all their hype about being "the only team in New York" and for all their bragging about how they have more fans than the Red Bulls, they're averaging only 1,468 more fans per game -- partly because they're not appreciably the better team, partly because being such (if they are) hasn't brought them postseason results, and partly because the Red Bulls play in a stadium they own which was designed for soccer, and NYCFC play in a stadium someone else owns which was designed for another sport. And their biggest drawing card, Milan and Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo, just retired.
And let's not forget that they don't even know where they're going to be playing. Twice this year, the Yankees forced them out, once due to a rainout makeup, sending them over 100 miles away to East Hartford, Connecticut; and once due to a Playoff game, sending them, oh the humiliation, to Citi Field, home of the Mets (at least it was still in The City). So they can't even hold the "New Jersey" thing over Red Bulls fans' heads anymore. They have tried to find their own place to play, in Flushing Meadow-Corona Park across from Shea, and on the grounds of Belmont Park just over the City Line in Long Island, but it seems that nobody wants them.
Dysfunction Level: 5. Most of that is off the field. But even on the field, they're not exactly living up to their expectations.
6. New York Rangers.
The Good: Alain Vigneault is a good head coach, and GM Glen Sather hasn't made too many missteps the last few seasons. They have genuine stars in Marc Staal, Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider and Henrik Lundqvist.
They're battle-tested, having gotten to a Stanley Cup Finals 4 seasons ago and 2 other Eastern Conference Finals, 3 and 6 years ago. They beat the Montreal Canadiens in the 1st round of last season's Playoffs, and while they lost to the Ottawa Senators in the next round, they weren't embarrassed. At 35, Lundqvist is their oldest player, so they're a fairly young team.
They're battle-tested, having gotten to a Stanley Cup Finals 4 seasons ago and 2 other Eastern Conference Finals, 3 and 6 years ago. They beat the Montreal Canadiens in the 1st round of last season's Playoffs, and while they lost to the Ottawa Senators in the next round, they weren't embarrassed. At 35, Lundqvist is their oldest player, so they're a fairly young team.
The Bad: Charles Dolan is still letting his son James be the operating owner, which is also the biggest problem with the Knicks. Lundqvist is still a choker when it counts, and only an idiot would call him a "king." Not to mention that he'll be 36 when the regular season ends, so his window of opportunity to win a Stanley Cup may be closing.
The whole team showed a lack of heart in their recent Playoff losses. For all the talent that the Rangers have had since the 1994 Stanley Cup, in 23 years they have proven very little: The only banners they've hung in that stretch are a Division title in 2012 and the Conference title from 2014. And they are off to an atrocious start this season, with only the Carolina Hurricanes standing between them and last place in the Metropolitan Division.
And the arena situation is up in the air for the Rangers and Knicks: The current Madison Square Garden's lease is up in 2023, and the City government wants a new Penn Station on the site of the Farley Post Office (across 8th Avenue from the current Garden and Station) very, very, very, very badly. And, having just spent more money to "transform" The Garden than (even with inflation factored in) it took to build the thing from scratch in the 1960s, even though they can afford to start all over again, the Dolans are not keen on having to do so -- which they might have to do within the next couple of years, given how long it generally takes to get sports buildings erected around here.
The whole team showed a lack of heart in their recent Playoff losses. For all the talent that the Rangers have had since the 1994 Stanley Cup, in 23 years they have proven very little: The only banners they've hung in that stretch are a Division title in 2012 and the Conference title from 2014. And they are off to an atrocious start this season, with only the Carolina Hurricanes standing between them and last place in the Metropolitan Division.
And the arena situation is up in the air for the Rangers and Knicks: The current Madison Square Garden's lease is up in 2023, and the City government wants a new Penn Station on the site of the Farley Post Office (across 8th Avenue from the current Garden and Station) very, very, very, very badly. And, having just spent more money to "transform" The Garden than (even with inflation factored in) it took to build the thing from scratch in the 1960s, even though they can afford to start all over again, the Dolans are not keen on having to do so -- which they might have to do within the next couple of years, given how long it generally takes to get sports buildings erected around here.
(I'm still surprised that the new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field and MetLife Stadium opened on time. The Barclays Center sure didn't. The Devils had to spend the first month of the 2007-08 season on the road because the Prudential Center wasn't going to be ready in time. Nor did Ebbets Field or Shea Stadium open when they should have, and there were still a few wrinkles to work out on Opening Day of the renovated old Yankee Stadium in 1976.)
Still, even with the Garden question unsettled, the Rangers are better off than most teams in the Area. Dysfunction Level: 6. If we knew what was going to happen with The Garden, this would be no more than a 4.
Still, even with the Garden question unsettled, the Rangers are better off than most teams in the Area. Dysfunction Level: 6. If we knew what was going to happen with The Garden, this would be no more than a 4.
5. New York Islanders.
The Good: The Isles are playing decently, and if the current standings were to turn out to be the final standings, they would have the last Playoff spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference. More than that, they look from the top down like they know what they're doing. They seem to have sound management in place in owner Charles Wang, GM Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight. They have good young players that the fans believe in, led by captain John Tavares. They've got a little Playoff experience.
The Bad: They haven't proven anything yet. Said Playoff experience is minimal. This is a team that, since the players from their early 1980s dynasty got old in the late 1980s, has never enjoyed prosperity for long, so their current good form could well be a mirage. Nor have Weight or Snow proven anything in the long term.
What's more, the arena situation, which looked like it was settled for at least the next 50 years, is no longer. It is very possible that, at the start of the 2019-20 season, the Isles won't be playing at the Barclays Center. Will it be at a renovated Nassau Coliseum? A new arena in the Tri-State Area (which would require more than 3 off-seasons, and thus an extension on the Barclays Center lease)? Or out of the Tri-State Area altogether? Kansas City? Seattle? Portland? Could the Islanders become the new Quebec Nordiques?
Dysfunction Level: 6. Settle the arena situation, and this drops to a 4.
4. New York Giants.
Dysfunction Level: 6. Settle the arena situation, and this drops to a 4.
4. New York Giants.
The Good: Of all 9 franchises, since getting their house in order in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Giants have given off the greatest continuous aura of competence. Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are sound men, and not meddlers. Eli Manning is still a competent quarterback. Of the 7 losses, 3 were by a grand total of 10 points; they could, with a little more effort, now be 4-4, which wouldn't look nearly so bad. The stadium situation is settled for at least the next 50 years, so there's no danger of the Giants moving.
The Bad: Lots. Until now, general manager Jerry Reese has usually known what he's doing, but doesn't look like it anymore. Head coach Ben McAdoo now seems to be in over his head. Eli is in decline. A nasty injury means that their most exciting player, Odell Beckham Jr., may never be the same.
Their 2 wins thus far include a decent win away to the Denver Broncos, and a home overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs, in which they didn't score a touchdown (12-9), and even that may just be due to Chiefs coach Andy Reid already being in his usual Playoff form.
Their 9 losses thus far include a 2-point loss away to Tampa Bay, a 3-point loss away to Philadelphia, and a 5-point loss at home to the Los Angeles Chargers. So, with 3 breaks, they could be 5-6, which wouldn't seem so bad. But those losses also include a loss away to Dallas in which they didn't score a touchdown, a punchless loss away to Washington this past Thursday (Thanksgiving night), and a home game in which they allowed 51 points to the Los Angeles Rams. (To be fair, that was the 3rd time this season the Rams scored at least 41 points in a game, and 1 of 6 in which they've scored at least 33.)
Dysfunction Level: 7. The Giants need work, lots of it. They'd done what's been needed before. But their aura of competence, as I like to put it, is seriously tarnished.
The Bad: Lots. Until now, general manager Jerry Reese has usually known what he's doing, but doesn't look like it anymore. Head coach Ben McAdoo now seems to be in over his head. Eli is in decline. A nasty injury means that their most exciting player, Odell Beckham Jr., may never be the same.
Their 2 wins thus far include a decent win away to the Denver Broncos, and a home overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs, in which they didn't score a touchdown (12-9), and even that may just be due to Chiefs coach Andy Reid already being in his usual Playoff form.
Their 9 losses thus far include a 2-point loss away to Tampa Bay, a 3-point loss away to Philadelphia, and a 5-point loss at home to the Los Angeles Chargers. So, with 3 breaks, they could be 5-6, which wouldn't seem so bad. But those losses also include a loss away to Dallas in which they didn't score a touchdown, a punchless loss away to Washington this past Thursday (Thanksgiving night), and a home game in which they allowed 51 points to the Los Angeles Rams. (To be fair, that was the 3rd time this season the Rams scored at least 41 points in a game, and 1 of 6 in which they've scored at least 33.)
Dysfunction Level: 7. The Giants need work, lots of it. They'd done what's been needed before. But their aura of competence, as I like to put it, is seriously tarnished.
3. New York Mets.
The Good: A lot less than there was when the season began. GM Sandy Alderson remains committed to building a winner in Flushing Meadow. They still have Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto and Travis d'Arnaud to hit; and Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz to pitch.
Having hired Mickey Callaway, until this season the pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians, as their new manager, the pitching could be handled better, and, chances are, the Mets won't be as bad as 70-92 again. And the stadium situation is settled for at least the next 50 years.
The Bad: The Mets have so many injuries, Arsenal send them sympathy cards. Harvey, Syndergaard, Wheeler and Matz made only 56 appearances between them this year. Injuries also struck Cespedes, Wilmer Flores and, most symbolically, David Wright, out with a long-term injury that means Alex Rodriguez, who retired in August 2016, has played in the major leagues since. Wright, the Mets' all-time leader in hits, will be 35 next month, and may never play again. Jose Reyes came back, but, at 34, he is a shadow of his former self (which wasn't nearly as great as the Flushing Heathen thought it was).
Dysfunction Level: 7. Although, but Met standards, that's not that bad.
The Good: A lot less than there was when the season began. GM Sandy Alderson remains committed to building a winner in Flushing Meadow. They still have Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto and Travis d'Arnaud to hit; and Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler and Steven Matz to pitch.
Having hired Mickey Callaway, until this season the pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians, as their new manager, the pitching could be handled better, and, chances are, the Mets won't be as bad as 70-92 again. And the stadium situation is settled for at least the next 50 years.
The Bad: The Mets have so many injuries, Arsenal send them sympathy cards. Harvey, Syndergaard, Wheeler and Matz made only 56 appearances between them this year. Injuries also struck Cespedes, Wilmer Flores and, most symbolically, David Wright, out with a long-term injury that means Alex Rodriguez, who retired in August 2016, has played in the major leagues since. Wright, the Mets' all-time leader in hits, will be 35 next month, and may never play again. Jose Reyes came back, but, at 34, he is a shadow of his former self (which wasn't nearly as great as the Flushing Heathen thought it was).
Dysfunction Level: 7. Although, but Met standards, that's not that bad.
2. New York Jets.
The Good: Hardly anybody expected the Jets to win 4 games all season long, but they've actually been decent. Certainly, they've been better than the Giants. The complaints about Todd Bowles are many, but for getting this Jet team to 3-2, and to 4-5, before falling to the current 4-7, he should get some sort of Nobel Prize.
Of the 7 losses, 1 was by 3 away to Miami, 1 was by 5 at home to Atlanta, 1 was by 5 away to Tampa Bay, and 1 was by 7 at home to the Cheatriots. The Jets really aren't that far away from being 8-3 and an actual Playoff contender. In 6 games, including 2 of the losses, they've held opponents to 21 or fewer points; in 3 games, including 1 of the losses, they've held 'em to 15. The defense is keeping them in most games. And the stadium situation is settled for at least the next 50 years.
The Bad: The Jets need a quarterback. Josh McCown is not the answer. The running game isn't so hot, either: They're averaging 102 yards per game. That's not one running back, that's all of them. And they're going to go into a draft that has some interesting quarterbacks, but none looks like a Joe Namath, or a Peyton Manning, or even an Eli Manning. And the available running backs aren't particularly promising, either.
Dysfunction Level: 7. And for the Jets, that's about standard operating procedure.
Dysfunction Level: 7. And for the Jets, that's about standard operating procedure.
1. Brooklyn Nets.
The Good: Not much. They have D'Angelo Russell and... uh, Jeremy Lin, and 14 guys named Joe Harris. Kenny Atkinson isn't a terrible coach. The arena situation is settled for the next 50 years. And... um... well, the Knicks, regardless of whether they're good or bad, are always big enough news to be a distraction.
The Bad: They are 7-12, making them the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference, and they are not likely to make the Playoffs this season, or in the foreseeable future. By the standards that Mikhail Prokhorov set when he bought the team, this is unacceptable, especially since this is now his 8th year as majority owner, and their 6th season as the lead team in their arena (something they haven't been since the Devils got good for the 1st time in 1988). And, despite Brooklyn's reputation as a basketball hotbed, the Nets' average attendance, through their 1st 9 home games, is only 15,382, 4th-worst in the league.
Dysfunction Level: 8. Indeed, like part-owner Jay-Z once claimed for himself, the Nets may well have 99 problems.
*
So here's the rankings:
1. Nets, 8 and not getting better.
2. Jets, 7 and getting a little better.
3. Mets, 7 and getting worse.
4. Giants, 7 and getting worse.
5. Islanders, 6 and holding steady.
6. Rangers, 6 and wobbly.
7. NYCFC, 5 and wobbly.
3. Mets, 7 and getting worse.
4. Giants, 7 and getting worse.
5. Islanders, 6 and holding steady.
6. Rangers, 6 and wobbly.
7. NYCFC, 5 and wobbly.
8. Knicks, 5 and getting better.
9. Red Bulls, 4 and stagnating.
10. Devils, 4 and getting better.
11. Yankees, 4 and getting better.
12. Liberty, 3 and holding steady.
If you're a gloryhunter, at the moment, your best bet is the Yankees, but they're the only team that's made their sport's last 4 in the last 2 years. Everybody else -- including the Mets, the last NYTSA team to reach their sport's finals, is pretty far away.
11. Yankees, 4 and getting better.
12. Liberty, 3 and holding steady.
If you're a gloryhunter, at the moment, your best bet is the Yankees, but they're the only team that's made their sport's last 4 in the last 2 years. Everybody else -- including the Mets, the last NYTSA team to reach their sport's finals, is pretty far away.
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