The NY Jets lost to the Tennessee Titans last night, 14-10, in what was another embarrassing display of offense by the Jets.  The blame can’t fall only on QB Mark Sanchez, even with his four interceptions last night.  Bottom line, the buck has to stop at the “feet” of head coach Rex Ryan.  What the hell was Ryan thinking when he brought in former Dolphins head coach Tony Soprano (Sparano) to be his offensive coordinator?  That decision may be the one that will ultimately end up costing Ryan his job.  

The loss by the Jets leaves the Dolphins with a VERY, VERY, VERY SLIM possibility of reaching the playoffs.  At 6-8, the Fins would have to win their final two games, at home against the Bills this Sunday, and then at New England against the Patriots the following Sunday.  Should that very improbable situation present itself, Miami would need the Cincinnati Bengals to lose their two final games, to the Pittsburgh Steelers and to the Baltimore Ravens.  They also need for Pittsburgh to lose to the Cleveland Browns, and the Jets need to lose one more game to avoid a four-way tie at 8-8, where they would not win a tiebreaker.  It just isn’t going to happen.  Game time next Sunday against the Bills is at 1pm at the Seven Names Stadium.  

Today’s article of the day comes from Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, talking about Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who talked yesterday extensively about his situation with the Miami Dolphins.  Interesting stuff.  Thanks, Ben. http://bit.ly/UNiBer 

This week’s complete schedule in the NFL,

SATURDAY

Atlanta @ Detroit Det +4

8:30 pm ESPN

SUNDAY

New Orleans @ Dallas Dal -1

1:00 pm

Tennessee @ Green Bay GB -11.5

1:00 pm

Indianapolis @ Kansas City KC +6.5

1:00 pm

Buffalo @ Miami Mia -4

1:00 pm CBS Ch.4

San Diego @ NY Jets Jets -3

1:00 pm

Washington @ Philadelphia Phi +4.5

1:00 pm

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh Pit -4

1:00 pm

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay TB -3

1:00 pm

Oakland @ Carolina Car -9.5

1:00 pm

New England @ Jacksonville Jax +14

1:00 pm

Minnesota @ Houston Hou -9.5

1:00 pm

Cleveland @ Denver Den -13

4:05 pm FOX Ch.7

Chicago @ Arizona Ari +5.5

4:25 pm

NY Giants @ Baltimore Bal +1

4:25 pm CBS Ch.4

San Francisco @ Seattle Sea +1

8:20 pm NBC Ch.6

If the playoffs started today,

NFC

Atlanta 12-2  NFC South

San Francisco 10-3-1 NFC West

Green Bay  10-4 NFC North

Washington   8-6 NFC East

Seattle   9-5 Wild Card 1

Minnesota   8-6 Wild Card 2

In the hunt: Chicago(8-6), Dallas (7-6), NY Giants(7-6)

AFC

Houston 12-2 AFC South

Denver 11-3 AFC West

New England 10-4 AFC East

Baltimore   9-5 AFC North

Indianapolis   9-5 Wild Card 1

Cincinnati     8-6 Wild Card 2

In the hunt:  Pittsburgh (7-7), Miami (6-8)  

In baseball, the trade between the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays for Cy Young award winner RA Dickey is complete.  After signing the 38-year-old knuckleballer to a two-year extension, the Blue Jays sent top catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud, top pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, former Marlin catcher John Buck, and minor league outfielder Wuilmer Becerra to New York.  The Jays also got catcher Josh Thole and minor league catcher Mike Nickeas from the Mets.

Let’s take a deeper look at this.  All told, the Mets sent a 38-year-old knuckleball pitcher to the Blue Jays and, in return, got the Jays’ #1 and #3 prospects.  The Marlins sent JJ, Reyes, Buehrle, Bonifacio, and John Buck to the Jays and got a handful of lesser prospects and a problematic shorstop (Yunel Escobar) that they traded to Tampa for another lesser prospect.  Back to....... 

Dear Santa Claus Jeffrey Loria and minions:  

Why haven’t you sold the team?  What are you waiting for, Christmas?  The New Year?  Your inept management allowed the Marlins farm system to deteriorate to the point of being horrible, and have dismantled the major league roster while pissing off the players on the roster and the entire South Florida community.  You allow your management to continue the policy of “sell low and buy high”.  Sell the team so we can enjoy baseball in Miami again.

You will soon have the window of opportunity you need to get out of town.  The five-year anniversary of the Marlins and Miami-Dade County agreement for the baseball stadium is coming up on February 21, 2013.  After that time, the “penalty” for selling the team is only 5%, a mere pittance, based on a $250 million value of the team. 

We’ll continue to keep our fingers crossed and light a candle in the meantime. 

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION: RA Dickey was traded yesterday from the NY Mets to the Toronto Blue Jays.  It isn’t often that the reigning Cy Young Award winner gets traded that same off-season.  It has happened before.  Who were they?  Tell you later, alligator. 

The Miami Heat return to the hardwood at the AAA tonight against Jose Juan Barea and the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Game time is 7:30pm, and it will be televised on Sun Sports and nationally on NBA-TV.  The Heat then take a quick trip to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Thursday, returning home to take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday.    

In the NBA yesterday,

Orlando 102  Minnesota 93

Glen Davis had 28 points, JJ Redick contributed 18 points and 7 assists

LA Clippers 88 Detroit 76

Ten straight wins for the Clippers

Houston 109 New York 96

Jeremy Lin brought Linsanity back to Madison Square Garden last night in his first game there against his former team.  Lin scored 22 points and distributed 8 assists.

Memphis 80 Chicago 71

The Grizzlies improved to 10-2 at home this season

Oklahoma City 107 San Antonio 93

Youth won over experience.  Serge Ibaka had 25 points and 17 rebounds, Russell Westbrook added 22 points and 9 assists as OkC won their 11th consecutive game.

Phoenix 101 Sacramento 90

Shannon Brown scored 22 points, Jared Dudley added 20.

TONIGHT IN THE NBA:  

Minnesota @ Miami 7:30 pm Sun Sports, NBA-TV

Atlanta @ Washington 7:00 pm

Toronto @ Cleveland  7:00 pm

Utah @ Brooklyn 7:30 pm

Boston @ Chicago 8:00 pm

Indiana @ Milwaukee  8:00 pm

Philadelphia @ Dallas 8:30 pm

San Antonio @ Denver 9:00 pm

Charlotte @ LA Lakers 10:30 pm

New Orleans @ Golden State 10:30 pm

The complete bowl results and upcoming schedule in college football:

December 15

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL

Arizona 49 Nevada 48

Arizona scored two TD’s in the last 46 seconds of the game to beat Nevada

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL

#22 Utah State 41 Toledo 15

Kerwynn Williams ran for 235 yards on 18 carries.  The Aggies scored 28 points in the last seven minutes of the game

Thursday, December 20

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL

Brigham Young vs San Diego State

8:00 pm ESPN

Friday, December 21

BEEF O’BRADY BOWL ST. PETERSBURG

Central Florida vs Ball State

7:30 pm ESPN

Saturday, December 22

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL

East Carolina vs Louisiana-Lafayette

12:00 pm ESPN

MAACO BOWL LAS VEGAS

Washington vs #19 Boise State

3:30 pm ESPN

Monday, December 24

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL

Fresno State vs Southern Methodist

8:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday, December 26

LITTLE CAESARS BOWL

Western Kentucky vs Central Michigan

7:30pm ESPN

Thursday, December 27

MILITARY BOWL-PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN

#24 San Jose State vs Bowling Green

3:00 pm ESPN

BELK BOWL

Cincinnati vs Duke

6:30 pm ESPN

BRIDGEPOINT EDUCATION HOLIDAY BOWL

Baylor vs #17 UCLA

9:45 pm ESPN

Friday, December 28

ADVOCARE V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL

Ohio vs Louisiana-Monroe

2:00 pm ESPN

RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL

Rutgers vs Virginia Tech

5:30 pm ESPN

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS

Minnesota vs Texas Tech

9:00 pm ESPN

Saturday, December 29

BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL

Rice vs Air Force

11:45 am ESPN

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL

West Virginia vs Syracuse

3:15 pm ESPN

KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL

Navy vs Arizona State

4:00 pm ESPN-2

VALERO ALAMO BOWL

#23 Texas vs #13 Oregon State

6:45 pm ESPN

BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL

TCU vs Michigan State

10:15 pm ESPN

Monday, December 31

FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL

North Carolina State vs Vanderbilt

12:00 pm ESPN

HYUNDAY SUN BOWL

USC vs Georgia Tech

2:00 pm CBS Ch. 4

AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL

Iowa State vs Tulsa

3:30 pm ESPN

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

#8 LSU vs #14 Clemson

7:30 pm ESPN

Tuesday, January 1

TAXSLAYER.COM GATOR BOWL

Mississippi State vs #20 Northwestern

12:00 pm ESPN-2

HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

Purdue vs Oklahoma State

12:00 pm ESPN-U

CAPITAL ONE BOWL

#7 Georgia vs #16 Nebraska

1:00 pm ABC Ch. 10

OUTBACK BOWL

#10 South Carolina vs #18 Michigan

1:00 pm ESPN

ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO

Wisconsin vs #6 Stanford

5:00 pm ESPN

DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL

#15 Northern Illinois vs #12 Florida State

8:30 pm ESPN

Wednesday, January 2

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL

#21 Louisville vs #3 Florida

8:30 pm ESPN

Thursday, January 3

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL

#4 Oregon vs #5 Kansas State

8:30 pm ESPN

Friday, January 4

AT&T COTTON BOWL

#9 Texas A&M vs #11 Oklahoma

8:00 pm FOX Ch. 7

Saturday, January 5

BBVA COMPASS BOWL

Pittsburgh vs Ole Miss

1:00 pm ESPN

Sunday, January 6

GODADDY.COM BOWL

#25 Kent State vs Arkansas State

9:00 pm ESPN

Monday, January 7

DISCOVER BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

#2 Alabama vs #1 Notre Dame

8:30 pm ESPN

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  RA Dickey was traded yesterday from the NY Mets to the Toronto Blue Jays.  It isn’t often that the reigning Cy Young Award winner gets traded that same off-season.  It has happened before.  Who were they? David Cone, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martinez.         

Don’t miss my two “Descarga Deportiva” segments (for the Spanish-challenged, “Sports Jam Session”) every day, Monday through Friday, at 9:25 am and 12:15 pm on Radio Esperanza, 1550 AM or on the internet on www.miradioesperanza.com. 

The 9:25 am sports segment on Radio Esperanza is brought to you by the fine folks at La Lechonera Products.  The inventors of the original mojo criollo way back in 1970, also offer the BEST naranja agria (sour orange marinade) product on the market, along with the latest additions to the family - the SALSA PICANTE (hot sauces, both HOT and EXTRA HOT), SALSA DE ALITAS (Buffalo Wings Sauce) and the truly incredible SALSA PICANTE con AJO (Garlic Pepper Sauce - Sriracha).  Look for all the La Lechonera products at Publix, Winn Dixie, Sedano’s, Presidente, and GFS.  If they don’t have it where you shop, ask nicely the first time, then use whatever means necessary to make sure they start offering the complete line of products.  Go to www.lalechoneraproducts.com and LIKE them on Facebook.  Check out some great recipes!  

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Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.