Now that’s a good day in NY sports if you ask me.

After the final game of the regular season, I had joked around that this was the start of the Giants revenge tour, where they would exact retribution from the teams that had beaten them before — Dallas, Green Bay, New England — though never in my wildest dreams could I have expected things to actually turn out the way they had in my head. In fact, the reality of it was so much better.  I will give the Pats all the credit in the world: they fought to the bitter end, and forced the Giants to beat them outright, not just outlast them. But beat them they did. And while 18-1 is still a remarkable accomplishment, but I’m sure that feels more like an tragedy than a triumph to their faithful today.

In fact, the saddest thing I found out today is that the victory parade route will not go past my office. I mean, what’s the point of having an office window facing Broadway if the festivities stop a few blocks south of it? Still, I think I’ll survive. ^_^

(Photo from TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images via Flickr)

No posting from the future today.  Just a return to writing, then plenty of vegging out.  And  why not, seeing as how I’ve been working like a dog most of the weekend, and running for my life part of it, and having my guts twisted in knots for the remainder.  No, sorry.  It’s probably not all as interesting as I’m trying to make it sound.

Along with the attempt to resume semi-regular writing here, I’ve also snapped myself from the self-imposed hiatus of freelance work over the past month or so.  Well, as often happens when I take on projects outside of office hours, there was one of those wonderful confluences of deadlines that kept me tied to a desk and monitor for quite some time.  When that happens, it’s usually at the expense of my writing time.

But at least there are results to be seen.  For one, if you’re a New York area music fan, you might want to take a look at the venue map over at BrooklynVegan.  My first mash-up project!  Kind of fun to do, except for compiling all the data — there is no part of any data entry task that can be deemed sexy.

Then there’s the future work.  Mock-ups for a forthcoming redesign of MyBloop.com, which a friend and former co-worker has wrangled my attention.  And I have to say,
I’m quite happy with what I’ve whipped up.  I can’t wait to show it off, but when that will be is still a matter of small discussion.  I can say that whatever design rust I claimed to have been suffering from lately seems to have been knocked off.

And when I wasn’t coding or painting with pixels, I was getting shot in the head, chest, and ass with paintballs.  Yep, a good chunk of the Lime Group folks went out early Sunday morning to shoot each other in the name of an interesting outing.  The side I fought on lost 5 of the 6 matches.

Finally, to top it all off, I had to watch the Giants give Dallas help in beating them in a battle for the NFC east.  Seriously, how many games to you have to take yourself out of with stupid penalties before you learn not to commit them?  I still have faith that they’ll make the playoffs, and hope that they get to take on Dallas one more time to get a measure of retribution.  Of course, I’m not counting on either of those things for the moment.

As you were.

The 10-year “total freeze” on engine development announced in Paris Oct. 24 is a stunning move. It shows the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile — the Paris-based organization that governs much of the world’s auto racing — is serious about having F1 lead the way to a greener future. More importantly, it will spur rapid innovation in hybrid and alternative fuel systems.

Seeing as how the racetrack is the lab for just about every kind of technology that makes it into your car and mine, this can only help.

But turn the page.  The hunt begins in earnest now.  Will it be Joe Girardi coming down from the broadcast booth to show that his NL manger of the year wasn’t a fluke?  Will Donny Baseball make the move over from bench coach and make his attempt at assuring a place in Cooperstown through the managerial ranks (which I say has been an organizational plan of inevitability since the day he retired)?  Some outsider of high notoriety, perhaps?

For certain, it’s going to be an interesting ride.  The Bronx Zoo is back in business.

A while back I was riffing on the mass of new stadium plans in the New York area. The most controversial of those these days is the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, where a large slice of the borough is planned to sprout an arena for the Nets, along with a host of skyscrapers taller than anything else in Brooklyn.

Even though there are still cases pending in federal court, construction is about to start, with Forest City Ratner giving the go ahead to begin the prep cleanup work in some parts of the project site. You can believe that Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn is having fits over this. It’s really rubbing me the wrong way as well. The project footprint is too big, the buildings too tall, and this all has the feel of overuse of eminent domain against the many for the gains of a few, at least in my eyes. But be that as it may, with every passing day the tide seems to be turning in favor of the builders.

Somehow I don’t think we’ll see a repeat of the defeat of the West Side Stadium project here. I can only hope that if this happens, all the positives being preached by the builders come to pass and then some. Even the original World Trade Center project was loathed as much as it was loved in its day, but before it’s tragic end it had endeared itself into the heart of the city. Maybe the same can be said for the new vision of Brooklyn.

Really, I’m trying to look on the bright side here….

Edit: Reader Chad pointed out the following paragraph in this press release regarding the building heights:

Mr. Ratner today also announced some additional programs to support the Atlantic Yards project, as well as a reduction to the height of the proposed “Ms. Brooklyn” building, ensuring that no building at the site will be taller than the 512-foot Williamsburg Savings Bank.

It’s good to see at least one of my major concerns has been mitigated.

And the winner is…London — mild shock!

• Remember that grand missile defense shield that the Bush administration was so high on creating? Well, it still doesn’t work. It was supposed to be up and running by the end of this year. In my opinion, the money used to build this boondoggle would have been better spent on border protection, airport security and inspecting our ports — especially post 9/11.
• Consolidation in the cell phone market continues. Yesterday Verizon made a secret bid for Sprint, which just anounced a merger with Nextel. At this rate we could be down to just 2 major cellphone companies by this time next year.
• A great write up on five mistakes band and label web sites make. While a lot of this should be common sense, I’ve seen far too many sites that have all five of these issues. The net is primarily a tool to get or publish information, and that should be kept at the core of any design desicions. Eye candy comes later.
• Mr. Barrett describes his run in with a subway Jesus freak. I’ve never had to deal with such an aggressive pontificator before, and sure hope I won’t have to in the future.
• This editorial in USA Today asks if we should rethink our nation’s overreliance on standardized exams.
• Did you ever wonder where those little orange XML icons came from? I’m sure some of you out there are wondering what they’re for in the first place. It’s all part of the joy that is web syndication — you should look into it.
• Hollywood once again is going after the file sharers in the courts. This time it’s the MPAA going after BitTorrent. Good luck shutting down that one — BitTorrent right now accounts for around half of all internet traffic.

And finally…

• With the owners and the players association further apart than ever, it looks as if this NHL season is lost. Sadly, I’m not even sure there will be a season next year at the rate negotiations are going.

Manhattan – Jets & 2012 Olympics

The one getting the most press at the moment is the proposed West Side Stadium (more here) over the LIRR yards. This is the crown jewel in the grand plans to land the 2012 Olympic Games, and the more long term west side redevelopment plans. The stadium itself faces lots of stiff obstacles but there are some in the current Bloomberg administration who are trying to fast track this facility through the review process all while keeping as much of it behind closed doors as possible.

As much as the sports nut in me loves new stadiums, I’ve come to the conclusion that having one in Manhattan — and especially in midtown — makes far too little sense. The separate yet attached plans to expand the Javits Convention Center make much more sense. As for the other proposed west side plans, I’m taking a more wait and see approach.

I’m more torn about the Olympic bid itself. Having the games in my back yard would be a great experience, but the more I think about all the added grief that would add before, during and after the less I want New York to win the bid. There are others who share that outlook as well (more here).

Brooklyn – Nets

Brooklyn has a fight of its own as well, with the Nets proposing an arena built on top of more LIRR yards along with sky-scraping office buildings and other facilities. Of course, to get this all done as the developers have the plans envisioned there will be buildings razed and neighborhoods changes. Too bad for them these are actually thriving neighborhoods, which of course is leading to protests against it. Still, the powers that be in government might use eminent domain to take the land by force. Having a sports team in Brooklyn again would be good, but it should not be done at the cost of community.

Newark – Devils

The Devils have been trying to get out of the Continental Airlines Arena since the mid ’90s. They had a plan in place some five years ago to build a new facility over the Hoboken rail yards, which was eventually defeated. These days the discussions are all about a move to Newark.

If the NHL ever starts playing again I could see this having one of the better chances of happening. Newark could use the positive exposure and redevelopment. Of course, this is North Jersey we’re talking about so I expect nothing to go smoothly. For an example you can look right across the Passaic river.

Harrison – Metrostars

Out of all the plans, I’m rooting the most for this one. Not that I’m a big soccer fan, but the area they want to move to has a great base for their sport. On top of that, the plan would take an empty industrial wasteland and turn it into something much better. Along with the soccer stadium there are major residential and business plans lined up to improve the area.

But with the Devils thinking of throwing roots down across the river, things might get sticky. Already some of the bills are back in committee so whatever time table they originally had has now been altered. Let’s hope that it’s only a delay and not a death march.

Bronx & Queens – Yankees and Mets

Now what would a stadium discussion be without the Yankees and Mets trying to get new ballparks? While they don’t have those generous offers that Giuliani gifted them anymore, there has been some real movement in the last few months.

The Yankees have plans to build a new park across the street (more here), which is more or less a good thing. Keeping them in the Bronx is good for the borough in the long run. Of course, that leaves the debate open on what to do with the old stadium. Ideas vary from making it a parking lot to turning it into a combination hotel, community ball field and hall of fame. Guess which plan I’m more in favor of?

As for the Mets, they’ve had their plans in place for quite some time, but the money has never quite been in place. Or maybe the stars were out of alignment. Whatever the reason, I foresee the new Mets park being built only after the Yankee situation gets hashed out. In fact, the Mets might have the Yankees to thank if the ball really gets rolling this time.

Meadowlands – Giants

The Giants are in a particularly strange situation, since they had already agreed to a renovation plan in 2003. Now with a change in state administrations and the flux the Meadowlands itself is in, they seem to have moved up in the want list and have their eyes on a brand new facility. The plus side in all of this is that the new governor wants them to have it. So long as the tax payers expenses are kept out of the equation (or are at least marginalized), I think this is pretty much a win-win situation.

But just as much as a new facility helps the club, a new mass transit link is much more important to the long-term health of the Meadowlands as a whole. Once again plans were approved under the last administration, which should make quite a few people happy as long as they haven’t been derailed since then.

Staten Island – NASCAR Race Track

And finally, Staten Island wants to throw in to this madness by trying to land themselves a NASCAR-level race track. I could see this happening, as the sport only continues to get more popular. Still I can’t see the fascination with it and their plans touch a sore spot with environmentalists who are trying to keep the already ecologically damaged borough intact.

Wow. That sure is a lot of activity. And we won’t know how it all turns out for a while yet — months in some cases, years in others. Let’s do a recap in a year from now to see how things have progressed, shall we? Until then, what do you all think of the situations? Pick one or rundown the whole list.

Well, 2004 will have to go down as the year that cat came out of the bag. Ken Caminiti’s 2002 confession to SI about his steroid use was the first warning flag. His death in October was illustrative of the tolls that juicing puts on your body. Then this week the game was hit with the left-right combo of Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds being outed during grand jury testimony in the BALCO case. Giambi completely owned up to using while Bonds took the route more travled — dishing the blame elsewhere and feigning ignorance as to what he was using on his body.

Sad days, my friends. Sad days indeed.

I thought I had already lived to see the darkest of moment in baseball when the 1994 season was called on account of greed, but I was mistaken. In the following years the assaults on the single season and career home run records have propelled the sport from the depths to what some call a renaissance era. The McGwire / Sosa home run race in 1998 was credited with saving the very soul of the sport. Now it’s all very suspect, and the sport is looking at another scandal the size and scope of the 1919 Black Sox affair.

Every play, every stat, every record over the past 10 years must now be re-examined my a microscope. MVP seasons were made with the help of steriods. Baseball needs to out the cheaters to save the sport, and the record books must be altered liberally with asterisks. Yes, Bonds might have hit 73 home runs in a season, but was he juiced? Is the “clean” record McGwire’s 70? Sosa’s 66? Or is the record still Mr. Marris’ 61?

Let the debate begin.

As I write this, the viral fingers of the flu that had wrapped themselves around my visage are finally starting to lose their grip, but I’m still left with the most meager serving of strength. Hell, just sitting at the desk and typing is taking all the concentration and fortitude I have at this moment. But this is the start of the upswing, so I should finally start getting back to my old self.

Well, my old self with some newly found kidney stones and a shinny new gall stone.

I am actually thankful in that regard to the flu, because it dehydrated me just enough to bring about a slight pain that I had never felt before in my life. A slight throbbing stab in my lower right side, just about where appendicitis is supposed to start. This drove me to visit Palisades Medical Center and have a twelve hour stay in the comfort of their emergency room. But without that visit, I would not have found out about these internal abnormalities.

With no windows and no clocks within my sight lines, the twelve hours felt much, much longer. If my sister didn’t make the trip up to visit for those last few hours I might have very well lost what few marbles I had left. I was subjected to two CAT scans, the first revealing only a kidney stone on the wrong side of my body to explain my pain. A second CAT scan — this time with some contrast material in my system — found the other kidney stone and the main culprit of my pain, the gall stone.

That was two Thursday’s ago, and since then I’ve been bouncing between doctors offices and the hospital being poked, prodded and drained of different bodily fluids to try and figure out both why this all happened and how to go about ridding myself of the stones. The gall stone will more than likely require surgery of the arthroscopic variety, while the kidney stones will probably just past naturally. Of course, these are stones #3 and #4, so I’m a bit puzzled and concerned why my relatively young body is rebelling against me this way.

But by far the worst pain endured was that brought on by the Yankees. I tip my hat the the Red Sox and their fans, because coming back from 3-0 down is something that had never been done in baseball before — something that can never be taken away. Of course I saw this all coming after they plastered the Sox 19-8 at Fenway but couldn’t hold on to a lead the next night.

As dominant as Rivera has been over the years, I think he’s past the point where he can be expected to be unhittable over two innings. Had someone else come in to pitch before him, maybe we would have seen a Yankees sweep. Instead, the seeds of comeback were sown and the weakness of a depleted pitching staff started to show. Honestly, I’m shocked the Yankees got as far as they did with the starters they brought to the table.

The games continuously reached well into the wee hours of the morning, and the momentum continued to swing visibly. By the end it was all I could do just to watch and hope that my eyes were lying. Too bad I’ve got 20-20.

But for Boston and their fans, I give you some words of warning: if you don’t want the talk of curses and ghosts to continue, you had better put down St. Louis. As big as the win against the Yankees was, it wasn’t the World Series. I’ve been through this back in ’94 with the Rangers and their Stanley Cup run, so I speak from experience. Hell, I’m not even gonna root against you this time — yes, I’m still rooting for the redbirds, but their is no venom in my heart for Boston.

The fevers robbed me of all my venom.

If that does happen, remember that you heard it here first.

Guess it’s time to start speculating on Jim’s replacement.

Maybe I’m just heartened by the fact that the Marlins won things the right way this time. The title back in 1997 was bought and sold like so much disposiable jewelry, with a veritable all star team assembled for the sole purpose of winning the title and then ripped asunder and sold to the highest bidder. This was their first winning season since that year, but early on in the playoffs you could see that the club was going to be something to be feared, knocking out the Giants and upstart Cubs in impressive fashion.

Perhaps the team is being punished for my hubris in the last post? Maybe they just wern’t hungry enough? Well whatever the reason was congrats to the Marlins and so long to this incarnation of the Yankee dynasty, for I have this strange feeling that things are about to get wild out in the Bronx Zoo again.

Boy do I ever hope I’m wrong about that strange feeling.