E:60 does some great work and it continues with a piece on Tom Coughlin that aired tonight. A Syracuse grad and 2=time winning Super Bowl coach, Coughlin’s story is one worth telling. He is a good role model and a reminder that awareness of your surroundings coupled with a small adjustment can take you a long way both personally and professionally. I can’t find the video anywhere online, but I highly recommend it and I’ll post it as soon as I find it.

This is easily the most upset I’ve ever been over a waiver claim. Mike Baxter will always have a place in Mets history. His amazing running catch in left field to preserve Johan Santana’s no-hitter is something that I will never forget. I still get chills thinking about the play and the elation I felt when I realized he had made the catch.

One memorable play doesn’t earn you a lifetime roster spot and as the business goes, Baxter heads to the west coast. But from here until the end of time, Mike Baxter’s name will always be associated with the 1st no-hitter in Mets history – something that took the franchise 50 years to achieve. Good luck in LA, Mike and thanks for such a memorable play.

I recently stumbled upon an article on NJ.com titled “POLL: Should the Giants bench Eli Manning?” So, I took the poll answering No and the results popped up. 59.87% said Yes, Eli Manning should be benched. Give me a break! There were 461 votes cast so this is far from a substantial sample but the fact that 276 people answered Yes really irks me.

What good will benching Eli do? The team’s 0-6 start does not fall only on him. He has not played well this season but the team has much bigger holes to fill than at the quarterback position. The issues at offensive line, running back, linebacker and in the secondary way overshadow any problem that Eli Manning is currently presenting.

Some say to bench him so that he doesn’t get hurt during a lost season. C’mon, the guy has started every single game since being named the starter back in 2004 (there’s the kiss of death). Believe it or not the Giants season is not even over yet thanks to the rest of the division being almost as mediocre through the first 6 weeks. If you are seriously considering that Eli needs to be benched, then you have truly run out of things to talk about.

Who knows who even participates in these polls but hopefully there are more people out there who realize that benching our franchise quarterback is counterproductive. Eli’s thrown a lot of interceptions this season but at least half of them were not even his fault. Manning is the leader of the team and if the team isn’t performing, it’s on him to fix it. He can’t do that from the bench.

Both Eli and Coughlin have carte blache in my book. It’s very hard to win in the NFL and they won 2 Super Bowls in a 4-year period. Anyone who is calling for their ousters after 6 games needs a reality check. The Giants take on the Vikings on Monday Night Football this week. If nothing else, a win would be nice to get off the schnide and end this useless chatter about benching Eli Manning.

I saw someone cover Use Me by Bill Withers on The Voice and it reminded me of what a great song it is. It’s such a smooth tune and that funky groove always puts me in a good mood.

Trending high on my music radar right now is soul music in general, especially Bill Withers and Al Green. Those guys had some hits and they sound just as fresh in 2013 as I assume they did in the mid 70’s.

In searching for these types of songs online, I stumbled on some stellar YouTube covers of Use Me, highlighted by this father-daughter masterpiece.

Sometimes it really amazes me that there is so much undiscovered talent. There are a lot of really good singers out there and maybe this girl will go on to super-stardom but as of now, I’m willing to call this one of the best YouTube covers I’ve ever heard. Kudos to this girl and of course to Withers for creating a fantastic song.

I am not a Boston sports fan but that doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the day that the city had yesterday. Starting with the Pats game at 4 o’clock and ending with a walk-off Red Sox win at 11:30, fans were taken on an emotional 8 and a half hour roller coaster ride that only sports can provide.

The Red Sox and Pats both completed amazing and unlikely comebacks to secure victories in the most dramatic of fashions. Even though I have no rooting interest in either team, it was a reminder of why I love sports so much and the thrills that fandom can provide. Following along with fellow sports fans on Twitter only enhanced my viewing experience.

That was all that needed to be said. That tweet came after Tom Brady completed a game-winning touchdown pass to Kenbrell Tompkins with 5 seconds left. It was Brady’s third attempt to lead his team down the field for a game-winning drive. After failing to get a first down on the first attempt and throwing an interception on the second, many fans began to leave Gillette Stadium.

That would prove to be a huge mistake. Brady got the ball back with 1:15 to play and no timeouts, and like he’s done so many times before, he led his team down the field. The two-time Super Bowl MVP capped off the drive with a perfectly thrown ball to Tompkins who caught it for a game-winning TD. It’s so fun to watch a great, clutch quarterback work as long as he’s not playing against you. Just ask Rob Ryan.

Had that been the only game in New England yesterday, there would have been plenty to talk about. But the Red Sox were getting set for Game 2 of the ALCS, which started just 20 minutes after Brady and the Pats handed the Saints the first loss of the season. Boston trailed Detroit 1-0 entering last night’s game after being no-hit through the first 8 and 1/3 innings of Game 1. The Red Sox high powered offense had gone ice cold, managing just 1 hit in a 1-0 loss.

The first 5 innings of Game 2 were no different. 21-game winner Max Scherzer was holding the Sox hitless again. Trailing 5-0 in the 6th inning, Boston finally got its first hit of the night. While getting a hit was a positive, the team still had a huge uphill battle in front of them – and Tigers pitching had been so dominant up to that point.

But this was Boston’s night and the 8th inning would be one that Red Sox fans will never forget. Trailing 5-1, the Red Sox loaded the bases with its slugger and postseason hero David Ortiz coming to the plate. That’s when everyone had the same thought. Boston hero Tom Brady did it, now its Ortiz’s turn.

Sure enough, Ortiz hits a game-tying grand slam on the 1st pitch from Tigers closer Joaquin Benoit. 38-year old Torii Hunter fell over the wall reaching for the ball and landed on his head, which will be the lasting image of a tremendous moment in baseball history.

With momentum at an all-time high, the Red Sox won the game in the 9th on a Saltalamacchia walk-off RBI single. I don’t know what the odds of a game-winning touchdown and a game-tying postseason grand slam happening on the same day are but I am just grateful as a sports fan to have witnessed both events. Like Adam Schein said, you gotta love sports.

UPDATE: ESPN tweeted the odds of both teams coming back…

Pretty amazing.

Almost 57 years ago to the day on October 8, 1956, Don Larsen threw a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series. In the next game, the series shifted back to Brooklyn and Clem Labine and Bob Turley took the hill for the Dodgers and Yankees respectively. A couple of hours later both pitchers had combined to throw 18 scoreless innings and the game was headed to extras tied at 0-0.

As so often happened back in the 50’s, both starting pitchers took the hill in the 10th inning. Labine retired the Yankees in order in the top half but Turley couldn’t keep pace in the bottom. After a walk, a sacrifice and an intentional walk, Jackie Robinson (playing in what would be the 2nd to last game of his career) hit a single to left scoring the winning run.

Neither pitcher was perfect like Larsen, but both were dominant and the game ended with the first run of the game being scored on a single to left. This is my favorite type of baseball game and I’ve always said that I would much rather watch a pitcher’s duel over a slugfest. Lucky for me, a 2013 playoff game in Oakland followed the script that the Dodgers and Yankees wrote more than a half century ago.

What a game last night! It had everything there is to love about baseball. Rookie Sonny Gray matched Justin Verlander pitch for pitch and both teams challenged Gray and Verlander over the course of their stellar outings. With long at-bats and strategy decisions magnified, every pitch was vital and both starters answered the call.

Verlander pitched 7 scoreless innings and struck out 11 while Gray tossed 8 scoreless, allowing just 4 hits before the game was handed over to the bullpens. In 1956, both pitchers would have pitched until this game was decided but times have changed.

Nevertheless, it was a thrilling game to watch. Oakland loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th and Stephen Vogt came to the plate. Like Robinson did in 1957, he hit a single to left and won the game for the home team. The series is now tied at 1-1 and whether either team will advance to the World Series remains to be seen.

If nothing else, it was a thrilling playoff game. October baseball is great enough on its own but the history of the game only adds to its significance. Sonny Gray was born in 1989 and Stephen Vogt in 1984, but die-hard A’s fans will never forget their roles in Game 2 of the 2013 ALDS, just as die-hard Brooklyn Dodgers fans remember Labine and Robinson’s in Game 6 of the 1956 World Series. Baseball is the best.

This is not how I imagined the season going. It’s October and the Giants are still in search of their first win. You have to go back to 1979 to find the last Giants team to start this poorly. Although it was certainly a forgettable first quarter of the season, the rest of the division didn’t play their best football either. So, somehow entering Week 5, the 0-4 Giants have a very big game coming up against the Eagles.

If the Giants can beat the Eagles this week and the Cowboys lose to the Broncos, then the Giants will be in second place – just one game behind the division leading Cowboys. I can’t believe we’re not out of it yet either but after all that has gone wrong in the first 4 weeks, we still have a chance to right the ship and make the playoffs. Other teams that start this slow are usually not afforded such a luxury and we need to take advantage of it.

Denver beat the Giants in our home opener this season and they will likely beat Dallas this week. In fact, I don’t see the Broncos losing all season. Peyton is playing the best football of his career and they are scoring at a record pace. They have 4 solid offensive weapons and they get better as the game goes on. Eli’s older brother has a Total QBR of 98 (out of 100) in the second half of games this season. That’s almost perfect.

So, assuming the Broncos beat the Cowboys, the Giants can maneuver their way into second place despite only having just one win. For a 1-4 team to be one game out of first place is a rare opportunity. Not to mention we have another game against Dallas later in the year. Coughlin and Eli better be making this turn of good fortune abundantly clear to the rest of the team so that we come out fired up on Sunday.

Divisional games are always close and I expect this one to be as well but the Giants desperately need a win a game. They also need to prove that they are capable of playing a complete football game. There are a lot of holes that need to be shored up without a doubt but I think this team is better than an 0-4 record.

Look at their first 4 games – a tough divisional loss to Dallas that we should have won despite turning the ball over 6 times. Then a loss to the best team in the league despite being in it at halftime. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I don’t know who is going to beat Denver this season. Then a terrible shutout loss to the Panthers – this is the only loss I can’t excuse. Finally, a blowout loss to the Chiefs despite playing against a much improved team in a hostile environment and being in the game late in the third quarter. The schedule hasn’t exactly been kind thus far but a win over the Eagles this Sunday can set us on the right track and help us regain our confidence.

I don’t think any team thinks they’re going to walk over us like they would against other 0-4 teams. We’re still just 2 years removed from a Super Bowl and we have a high powered offense full of play-makers. If our defense can step up and start getting pressure on the quarterback, our secondary will have an easier time. Maybe that in turn will help the defense stay off the field and allow our offense the opportunity to consistently put together scoring drives like we know it can.

Like I said, this is not how I envisioned the season going, but somehow a win on Sunday and we’re right back in it. Let’s right these wrongs and play a complete football game on Sunday. We’ll improve to 1-1 in the division and send Philly to their third straight loss. And oh yeah, we will be right back in the NFC East despite having our worst start in over 30 years. If that’s not motivation enough, then I don’t know what is. I’m counting on Coughlin to have the team ready to go for this one.

Former SNL writer and hilarious stand-up John Mulaney has had a network show in the works for quite some time now. It was looking like a go at NBC but then the peacock decided not to pick it up and I thought that was the end for his self-titled, semi-autobiographical show. Good news today though, FOX has decided to give it a series order for at least six episodes.

“John is one of the sharpest and most skilled next-generation comedic voices out there, who also happens to be surrounded by the best of the best on this new show,” said FOX chairman of entertainment Kevin Reilly. Martin Short also stars as John’s boss alongside (possibly soon to be former) SNL cast member Nasim Pedrad as the quirky roommate. I love Mulaney’s brand of comedy and I’m thrilled that FOX is taking the chance that NBC didn’t want to take.

As the guy who co-created Stefon, he has at least earned a chance at a network sitcom. I have not seen the pilot but it received generally positive reviews and displayed a lot of potential. Mulaney’s show will be the third from Universal TV to find a home on Fox, joining The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I could see NBC really regret letting Mulaney get away and I’m thrilled he’s getting the chance with his own show.

Like everyone else, I had my reservations when MLB moved to it’s 2 wild card playoff format. It seemed silly to settle 162 games worth of competition over a 1-game playoff. But starting tonight baseball fans get to enjoy three straight win-or-go-home contests and I think it’s fantastic.

It feels right – the division winners were rewarded with a 5-game series and three days off to get their rotation in order. The tiebreaker in the AL means one team will have to win 2 straight one-game playoffs to advance to the Division Series. The manager’s will be forced to manage these one-game playoffs like there’s no tomorrow and it’s going to be great theater.

October baseball has arrived. Both the AL and the NL Wild Card games feature great pitching match-ups and intriguing story lines. The most intriguing has to be the fact that Pittsburgh will host a postseason game for the 1st time since 1992. These next three days are going to be a lot of fun.

Tonight was a special night at Yankee Stadium. The mathematically eliminated Yankees lost to the playoff bound Rays 4-0 but the sellout crowd didn’t care one bit about the outcome. September 26, 2013 was all about Mariano Rivera and his final appearance in the Bronx – and it was a baseball moment and I am thrilled to have witnessed.

Mariano’s farewell tour has been going on all season with tributes and honors from every team. He was the main event at the All-Star Game at Citi Field, taking the field alone while receiving a standing ovation from players and fans alike. The Yankees had Mariano Rivera day on Sunday and even retired his number 42 before his official retirement. Mo was humbled by all of those honors but after all of those events, there was still more games to play.

Tonight was different though. After tonight, he would never pitch at Yankee Stadium again. The game had that playoff atmosphere that the Bronx usually has this time of year except that the Yankees will not be in the playoffs. All of the energy in the building was for Rivera and by the time he started warming up in the 7th, everyone in the building was ready for their chance to say goodbye. So, I settled in to watch the greatest closer of all time, one final time.

Of course he retired all 4 batters he faced. Then something unique happened as Pettitte and Jeter walked to the mound with 2 outs in 9th to take Mo out of the game. The reality of the situation began to sink in and Mariano became overwhelmed with emotion, crying on Pettitte’s shoulder. #42 received multiple standing ovations and he grabbed some dirt from the mound after the game. The fact that it wasn’t a save didn’t matter – it was still a perfect tribute to a great ballplayer and an even better person.

I’m a Mets fan but I’ve never hated the Yankees and I’ve certainly never hated Mariano. He deserves all of the recognition he has received and I am happy to have watched him pitch over the past two decades. I watched his whole career and he’s one of the first legends to retire that I can say that about. So I took it all in.

There was a palpable finality to the night. Everyone in the building was there for one reason – to say goodbye to Mariano. So after it was all over, a sadness seemed to come over the fans. The realization that someone else will be pitching in the 9th inning next year was hitting home. It was a special night and as a baseball fan, I am happy to have watched Mariano’s final home performance. It’s a part of baseball history that I will never forget.