Martin Luther King III has a dream to own the Mets

Martin Luther King III the son of the famed Civil Rights Leader is scheudled to come to New York this week to meet with Fred and Jeff Wilpon to discuss the particulars about owning 25 percent of the Mets franchise.

It's not like King III is short on money. He not only owns the King Center in Atlanta, which hosts the NBA's Hawks and NHL's Thrashers, but has a big group, including former Met Ed Kranepool, son of former Met, Donn Clendenon Jr., as well as several TV executives.

It is not know whether King has any baseball knowledge or front office experience, but he definately wants in, and according to the New York Post, he wants 50%.

That might be a tough pill for the Wilpons to swallow, but at somepoint they have to come realize that they can't afford this franchise. The Wilpons have been strapped for cash for the past two years because of the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme, and now that they are being taken to court, because they made-off with some extra dough during the scandal, will likely hurt the Wilpon's wallents some more.

The Mets have spent each of the last two years not spending any money. Last winter, the likes of John Lackey, and Jon Garland were out there for a Mets team that was starving for pitching. The Mets didn't budge, and as a result had a horrific pitching staff last season.

This year has been no different.

The Mets have taken the position of cutting costs by not being active in free agency. They have picked up cheap pieces like Chris Young and Chris Capuano, both pitchers who have a history of injury problems, and the Mets have spent nothing on fixing a damaged bullpen that lost Pedro Feliciano to the Yankees.

The Mets are destined for last place in the NL East this year. There is a chance the Mets will try to trade Carlos Beltran, and Jose Reyes in order to get prospects and save money. Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez will be training camp casulaties, because the Met fanbase can't bear to look a either player any longer.

Does King know anything about baseball? Does he know how to run a franchsie? Who knows. His knowledge of the game might be as good and as bad as Jerry Seinfeld and Donald Trump, two names fans have been throwing around for years.

Fact is the man is willing to buy 50% of the team. He has a dream about winning, and maybe it's time the Wilpon's follow his lead.

Wilpons' prepared to sell part of New York Mets franchise

Met fans may soon get their wish.

Fred and son Jeff Wilpon announced Friday that they are considering selling off 20-25 % of their team in light of a lawsuit that claims the Wilpons made money in the Bernie Madoff scandal two years ago.

Rumors were that the Wilpons lost over $400 million in the scandal and furnished the main reason why the team had to cut its losses and not spend much the past two seasons.

However, the lawsuit indicates the Mets made $48 million on the Ponzi scheme, and that the Mets invested $523 million, then withdrew $571 million in accounts.

If the Wilpons sell, it will be a great day for Mets fans.

For far too long, Mets fans have watched the Mets front office purchase only the cheapest of players, as well as throw money at utter trash, i.e. Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo. This off-season, the Mets have done very little in spending to improve a team that looks destined for a second straight year of failure.

Nonetheless, consider a 25 % investment into the Wilpons' stake is not going to make a lot of waves in the team's moves. Think of it as shareholders; everyone buys a stock, some have 20 %, some as little as 1 or 2 %. As long as the Wilpons remain majority owners, this franchise is in big trouble. All Met fans can do now is hope and pray that eventually the Wilpons sell 25 % to a buyer with enough clout and money to buy their remaining shares and become majority owner.

TennesseeTitans release coach Jeff Fisher from contract

In a late, surprising move, the Tennessee Titans have released coach Jeff Fisher from his contract, ending the run of the longest tenured coach in the NFL.

Fisher spent 17 years in Tennessee, starting out as a interim head coach in 1994 when the team still played in Houston, Texas and was known as the Oilers.

Fisher has seen some incredible highs and lows as coach of the Oilers/Titans. He oversaw the team's move to Tennessee, led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance in 1999, and moved the team to the postseason six times.

He compiled a 142-120 record in Tennessee; however, the end of Fisher's career leaves a bitter taste.

It all began with the benching of quarterback Vince Young, who suffered a season-ending hand injury in November. The quarterback had a fit on the field, reportedly tossing his shoulder pads into the stands. Young and Fisher got into an argument, and the former Texas star was pronounced done for the year by Fisher.

From that time forward, Fisher declared to owner Bud Adams that it was either him or Vince Young. If the Titans decided to stick with Young, Fisher wanted out. The Titans released Young at the end of the year, and it appeared that Fisher's job was safe.

All of the NFL coaching vacancies have been filed, and the Titans timing, if Fisher wanted to get another job, couldn't be worse. It is highly unlikely that teams like the Browns and Raiders, who have hired uknown assistants to be their head coaches for next year, will turn around and hire Fisher instead.

Fisher did have one year left on his contract, and he will be paid $4 million to sit out 2011.

Expect Fisher to take the money and run with it. He will join Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Brian Billick and Tony Dungy among top coaches with playoff and Super Bowl experience to be away from coaching in the league as of today. Fisher will join that group as a hot candidate come 2012, and unless he's like Cowher and Gruden who have been fairly comfortable kicking back with TV gigs, Fisher may want to get back in right away.

Antonio Cromartie rips into players union and NFL

Jets safety Antonio Cromartie, who is scheduled to be a free agent, March 3, ripped into the NFL and the NFLPA for not getting a agreement signed on the new collective bargining agreement.

"To me, you need to stop bitching about it," the cornerback said. "And if you wanna say you're gonna get into a room and meet and greet, and say you're gonna do what you need to do, then do it. Don't just talk about it.

"So to tell you the truth they need to get their damn minds together and get this [expletive] done. Stop bitching about money. Money ain't nothing. Money can be here and gone. Us players, we want to go out and play football. It's something we've been doing and we love it and enjoy it. It's our livelihood," he added.

The Jets have 16 free agents this year, and the team is in limbo wanting to sign some of their key free agents like Cromartie, Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, but if the NFL and the players association go on strike, then no contracts can be negotiated until the strike is over.

In the same article from ESPN New York, "Jets coach Rex Ryan said the potential lockout will get in the way of coaching the team as it attempts to rebound from a second straight loss in the AFC Championship Game."

"It's some scary times, you know," Ryan said. "As a coach, you want to know, you want to get your guys back as fast as you can. Let's get on to the new season. But it really is uncertain times."

Jets front office has a lot of decisions to make this off-season

If you are Mike Tannenbaum you have a lot of work to do in the next four months before mandatory mini-camps open up in June.

The Jets are loaded with a bunch of big named free-agents that they have to either re-sign or part ways from. Decisions that will go a long way in determining the future of this franchise for the next year and possibly years to come.

List of Jets free agents!

Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Shaun Ellis, Eric Smith, Brad Smith, and David Harris highlight 16 Jets who are either restricted or unrestricted free agents this year. Free agency usually doesn't hit full swing until March, and with the NFL Players Union set to strike in March over the new CBA, who knows what kind of leverage Tannenbaum and other GM's will have this year.

Clearly the Jets have to find a way to keep Edwards and Holmes. Both are big play number one type wide receivers. Both will be asking for a lot of money. Can the Jets keep these two together, or can they only keep one? That is the big question. And if they lose one of them, can they find a replacement on the wire, or in the draft?

Antonio Cromartie is also scheduled to be a free agent, but so is Oakland's Nhamdi Asomguah, who is touted as a better corner than Cromartie. Cromartie had an uneven year in New York. Sure it would behoove the Jets to keep him, but if they can fit Asomguah in their budget, why not go there?

Then there is Harris, Ellis and Jason Taylor. Taylor, considering his age and drop in production late in the year, probably won't be back. Harris should be re-signed fairly quickly since the Jets tried to get him a new deal during the summer. Ellis is a big question mark. He is getting older, and the Jets need an impact D-end, which Ellis is not at times.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

Jets fall short yet again in AFC Title Game

Steelers 24

Jets 19

For the second straight year the Jets are left pondering what could have been.

After watching the Pittsburgh Steelers run all over them for 24 unanswered points in the first half, the Jets tried valiantly to come from behind, but it was just not enough as Gang Green fell 24-19 in the AFC title game.

For a whole half the Jets slept-walked, and as a result it cost them dearly. At one point in the second quarter, the Steelers had out-gained the Jets 131-1 on the ground, and New York had the football for only 8:56 in the entire first half.

The tone was set early when Pittsburgh drove down the field on their opening drive of the first quarter, eating up nearly 10 minutes on the clock, as Rashard Mendenhall scored the go ahead touchdown.

Yet, the Jets had a chance. Mark Sanchez's 45 yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes to cut the deficit to 24-10 early in the third quarter, gave the Jets a spark. The Jets got another safety on the Steelers sacking Ben Roethlisberger in the end zone, then Jerricho Cothery scored on a one yard out to cut the deficit to 24-19 with 3:06 to play, but it wasn't enough.

Instead of going for the on-side kick, the Jets kicked it right to Pittsburgh, and Roethlisberger made a couple of huge throws to Heath Miller and Antonio Brown to ice the game and send Pittsburgh to their third Super Bowl in six years.

Who was to blame for the loss?

Well, the offensive game plan in the first half was incredibly poor, but you can't take away from the fact that the Steelers looked more amped up and prepared for this game. That lies at the enitre coaching staff. The decision to eat up chunks of the clock in the fourth quarter with New York down 12, was also puzzling.

Same old Jets? No, don't say that. It isn't true. This is a very good football team. The Jets showed that they can be better than the Steelers in the second half, but they have to do a little more preparation, and have to play with a little more urgency early in the game to win it. Plus winning their home games, so the AFC title game is in New Jersey and not on the road would be a plus too.

Who knows if there will be football next year, and if there is, who knows if New York can get back here? They have the pieces, but they have to retain some key veterans, get some help at linebacker, defensive end, and safety, and hope that they can remain fairly healthy for the third straight season in 2011.

AFC Championship game Preview: Jets @ Steelers

New York Jets (13-5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (13-4)

Five weeks ago when the Jets beat the Steelers 22-17 in Pittsburgh, Rex Ryan told his players to "make their mark" because he had a "feeling they would be back."

Well after an impressive and stunning 28-21 victory over the New England Patriots a week ago, the Jets are back in the AFC title game for the second straight season.

Many are hoping and even expecting Gang Green to end their long Super Bowl drought with another victory in Pittsburgh on Sunday, however this game should be much different than the last one.

For starter Troy Polomalu will play this game for Pittsburgh. The hard hitting safety didn't play in the last Jets game, and it will be important for Gang Green to keep an eye on him, because he has a propensity to blitz and strip quarterbacks of the football, a la his hit on Joe Flacco earlier in the season.

For the Jets to win this game, Mark Sanchez, who was terrific against the Patriots, will have to have a similar game, threading the football to receivers Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, and he will have to use his mobility to keep plays alive against Pittsburgh blitzes.

This is also a homecoming for Holmes, who was traded from Pittsburgh to New York in the Spring, and he has been a revelation for Gang Green this year. It should be interesting to see how he performs against his old team. Holmes is one who loves to play in the spotlight.

More importantly the Jets have to show a committeemen to the running game. In the last Steelers game, LaDainain Tomlinson and Shonn Green combined for only 89 yards rushing. The Jets can ill afford to become one dimensional, otherwise they are in big trouble. However, the Jets can run the ball, either with sweeps, or bubble screens, they have to do it to keep the clock running.

The Steelers offensive line has suffered a year full of injuries, and there are questions about the line coming into this game. The Jets have not shown much of a pass rush this year, until last week when the sacked Tom Brady three times and hit him about a dozen more. The Jets have to get to Ben Roethlisberger and put him on the ground.

They never touched him the last time the two teams played. If Gang Green fails to hit Big Ben again, the Jets won't come away with a victory.

Then there is the match-up of Darrelle Revis and Mike Wallace. Wallace is Roethlisberger's big play wide receiver who has ability to stretch the field. Revis has shut down every top receiver to come his way, and if he should shut down Wallace, it puts pressure on the rest of the Jets D to cover Hines Ward and budding star Emmanuel Sanders.

Kicking: If this game comes down to the kicker, the Jets are in big trouble. Not only did they lose a playoff game in Pittsburgh six years ago because of the terrible kicking conditions, but they have a very unreliable kicker in Nick Folk kicking for them. Folk has made a habit of missing big field goals this season, and if it comes down to him, Jets Nation should hide under a pillow.

Prediction: The Jets are once again riding a magic carpet ride through the postseason. As much as I want this to be the end of the Jets Super Bowl drought, they can't keep doing this on the road week after week after week, especially against the top teams in the conference.

A Jets victory won't be a surprise, but it is difficult to beat the same team twice, especially just five weeks apart. The Jets will get to and win a Super Bowl under Ryan eventually, but they are going to have to play this game at home one of these years. STEELERS 24, JETS 14.