IT WOOD BE NICE...AT LEAST IT MIGHT

Far be it (that should be one word - 'farbeit', like nevertheless) from me to declare the Jets-Patriots game over. Sure, it looks good at halftime (looked better a minute before the half...and looks even better a minute into the second half), but I'm not going to address that right now.

I want to quickly comment on the baseball moves today, because at midnight the free-agent frenzy begins, and the moves happening already affect the Mets.

First of all, I wish the Mets had been a factor in the Matt Holliday talks. But maybe they're biding their time there - Holliday's a free agent next year, and maybe the A's flip him mid-year. Maybe the Mets get involved then.

Secondly, I feel like the Yankees stole Nick Swisher. I'm not sure he's the missing piece for them, but I feel like they didn't give up much in Wilson Betemit. I bring that up not so much because it's an earth-shattering deal, but more because there's a lot happening - I'm sure the Mets are going to be involved in some moves pretty soon.

The one that affects the Mets most is the Kevin Gregg to the Cubs deal. First of all, it involves the Marlins. And from what I heard (a brief hear, but I heard it), the Marlins got themselves a good Cubs pitching prospect in return. But more than that, the acquisition of Gregg means the Cubs won't be bringing back Kerry Wood.

And I think he might be a good fit with the Mets.

The Mets need a closer. I've talked about this before, but whoever they get will most likely be disappointing - that's just been a tough position for them to fill lately. They're not going to get a 2008 Brad Lidge-Phillies type of year from anyone, I'm afraid. But they might as well take a shot at Wood. If I'm negotiating for the Mets, I'm trying to get him a bit cheaper because of his injury history. And no matter what, he'll probably turn out to be a bigger bargain than the likes of Francisco Rodriguez.

In the coming weeks, I'll lay out my off-season wish list for the Mets. But right now, I think I'm filling that closer position with "Kerry Wood". If he doesn't fit the bill talent-wise for the Mets, he's almost a lock to fit the bill in the disappointment department.

NOT BAD FOR STARTERS

As far as the Mets are concerned, I don't think Opening Day could have gone any better. And on a personal note, all it took was for the games to count for me to be into the season. I was on board just about after President Bush threw out the first pitch at Nationals Park.

First of all, one of my favorite stats that gets brought up every year at this time (nationally, too - not just on the Mets games) is the Mets' success on Opening Day. In their history, the Mets are 30-17 on Opening Day. That ranks among the best, percentage-wise. So the Mets improved upon that with their win over the Marlins.

Johan Santana, obviously, is the other extremely good news. You couldn't have gotten a better start (OK, a no-hitter would have been better. Here's how desperate I am for one - it's always on my mind. I convinced myself on my ride home from work that it would be ultra-dramatic if Santana's Mets debut was a no-hitter. And then he got through the first 1-2-3, and I was convinced it was going to happen. It didn't. 161 more tries for the Mets this year.) - 2 runs in 7 innings - with 8 strikeouts. This is going to be a fun year.

How about this, too - David Wright - 2 doubles!!! I love it. The first was also pretty clutch - with the bases loaded, he broke the game open.

A few other thoughts from around the league's Opening Day:

-The Brewers-Cubs game was ridiculous. Scoreless into the 9th, then Kerry Wood gives up 3 runs in the top half. Eric Gagne counters by blowing the save and giving up 3 in the bottom half (a 3-run homer by Fukodome, just to make it more interesting). Then the Brewers won in the tenth, giving Gagne a so-undeserved win. Gagne and Wood - both reclamation projects off to a rocky start.

-Exciting news from the world of DirecTV - I think (I haven't proven this, but I'm pretty sure) I now get both telecasts on the baseball package. For instance - today's Mets game, since it was on SNY and FSN Florida, would have been given to me on FSN Florida, because the Marlins were home. But I had both feeds. And there were two channels dedicated to most of the games. So I think if the games are available on both feeds this year, they'll be offered on both. Woo-hoo!

-Early returns on the Wireless Scoreboard are positive - a few flaws, but overall good.

-The game on Sunday night at Nationals Park reminded me that Washington, D.C. is the ballpark trip for the year. Again, The Wife's idea. And she's pregnant, but she'll go for a 6-hour car ride. She's a special one. After seeing the park on TV, I'm excited for that. We'll be going Memorial Day Weekend.

-Seems to me that C.C. Sabathia is notorious for being handed big leads and then blowing them. I think he loses concentration. I think he needs to pitch in tight games.

-I love that the Mets have Mike Pelfrey starting this weekend in Atlanta. I think he'll have a good season, and he's pitched well against Atlanta recently. So he'll get off on the right foot. Plus, it's against Tom Glavine. I hope the Mets destroy him.

A very exciting day. I'm just so happy I came around in the excitement category.

Saturday, April 24, 2004 - A Day at the Races

(Sorry for the late posting.) As you all know, the Mets were overmatched by the Cubs this weekend. So let's take a break from the re-hashing for a day. I give you my Saturday, spent juggling three different sporting events - the NFL Draft, Major League Baseball, and a day at Aqueduct.

12:11pm - In the car on the way to the track (for a family bachelor party - for me), the draft gets underway. Paul Tagliabue starts with a tribute to Pat Tillman, then announces that the San Diego Chargers are on the clock.

12:57pm - Three minutes until post time. I stop by the bar and get the first three score updates from some fat dude in the sports bar. Eli Manning, Robert Gallery, Larry Fitzgerald. I'm a little surprised the Chargers didn't trade the pick. Giants are on the clock.

1:24pm - I'm already up $11 after one race. The draft is not on the bar TV anymore. This experiment is failing. I find the Yankees/Red Sox game, though. This is important for me because I have Kevin Brown in my AL-only fantasy league. The one out of five days I root for the Yankees, and they're down 1-0 in the first inning.

1:50pm - Second race of the day is a heartbreaker. My winner is taken off the board because he bumped a jockey off his horse. Money ripped right out of my hand. Kevin Brown is now down 2-0 in the third inning. My cousin Eddie arrives at the track, and gives me the draft update - Giants took Rivers. But no word of a trade.

2:16pm - The draft's back on a track television. Found out the Jets got Vilma. All right. Yankees are down 2-1. I'm down 18 bucks.

2:26pm - My cousin John tells me about the Giants trade. Now things make a little more sense out of Chargers camp.

3:14pm - I'm down $50 through six races. Miami's on the clock. Bernie Williams grounds into a double play with the bases loaded in the 7th. The game's tied at 2, so I guess Brown did all right. The Mets have been playing for an hour, and I have no idea how they're doing. No TV is turned to them.

3:20pm - First Mets score crosses on the Yankees game. Down 2-0 in the third against Kerry Wood. Of course.

3:34pm - Uncle John gave me a ticket before the sixth race as an early wedding gift. It turns out to be a winner - $15.40. I have to give half to Kathy, but I'm sure she'd be all right with me trying to turn it into more money in the seventh race. We're putting the money on "Country Judge", the 2 horse. Sox-Yanks tied at 2 in the ninth.

3:45pm - Late bet - 2 dollars to win on the five horse in the same race. Just a hunch.

4:00pm - Nothing on the five. But Country Judge comes through big time. Oh yeah, $34.60.

4:12pm - Here's a ballsy move at the track - some dude gets up in front of about 20 other guys, and changes the TV showing the NFL draft to boxing on NBC. Are you kidding me?!? Although I guess he probably had some sort of money involved on the boxing match. But boxing?! Geez. Yanks-Sox now in the 10th. The Mets, who knows? I might as well still be in Boston.

4:29pm - Another last second bet in the eighth race - I forgot that I was supposed to put money on the 5 in the 8th (because the wedding is on 5/8). Good thing my brother Matt and cousins Rich and Eddie were betting on the 5 - Chilly Rooster. Good thing I remembered. Chilly comes in as a $66.50 winner. I also picked Chilly Rooster with the 8 horse in a Double. So if the 8 horse wins the last race, I'm making big money on the way out the door.

4:58pm - Oh well. No good on the 8 horse. Time for dinner. Red Sox and Yankees are still going as we leave.

5:13pm - Back in the car, find out the Mets lost 3-0. Damn. I lost only $7.50 at the track. But huge assist to Uncle John for changing my losing ways into winning ways. Sox beat the Yanks 3-2 in 12.

11:28pm - After dinner and a few drinks, find out the Jets drafted Derrick Strait in the third round. That's awesome. I heard about that guy as a possible first rounder.

(Postscript - Mets lost 4-1 to the Cubs on Sunday. That's a sweep. Need to bounce back in L.A. Another tall order. I will post my next update on Tuesday, after the Monday off-day.)