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Jerry Manuel, Omar Minaya will not return to Mets in 2011

July 10, 2010 - Flushing, N.Y, United States of America - 10 July, 2010: New York Mets coach Jerry Manuel exits the dugouts during batting practice before MLB action as the Braves defeat the Mets 4-0 at Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y.

In news that will surprise only newborn babies and people who have been trapped in an underground cave for the past 12 months, Jon Heyman of SI.com is reporting that Mets’ manager Jerry Manuel and GM Omar Minaya will not return to the club next season.

The Mets are planning to go outside the organization for the GM position and are thought to be considering several people, including former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and former A’s GM Sandy Alderson. Rangers GM Jon Daniels, a Bayside, Queens product, could be an intriguing option as he has an “out” in his Texas contract, but the new Rangers ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg has made it clear they want to retain him. Respected assistant GM John Ricco is expected to stay in his current role, but is said by people to fully understand the intention to go outside the organization for the GM position following a second straight losing season. The Mets are 77-82, an improvement from their 70-92 mark a year ago, but not enough to satisfy the club-owning Wilpons. They have missed the playoffs four straight seasons.

According to Heyman, the Mets may retain Minaya as a scout, which may or may not be a good thing. If someone has a skill, teams would be wise to retain that skill. But assuming he is relieved of his general manager duties, how would that work with him taking a lesser role? It would be like Michael Scott losing his branch manager position at Dunder Mifflin and returning to sales. Sure it could work, but would that create the best environment for all parties involved?

I also doubt the new GM would want Minaya hanging around, so maybe the best thing for the Mets would be if he just moved on. It’s been a tumultuous few years in New York and everyone needs a fresh start.

Kenyon Martin needs a reality check

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony (15) sits on the bench after another offensive foul against the Portland Trail Blazers during second half at the Pepsi Center on April 1, 2010 in Denver. Injured forward Kenyon Martin sits alongside. Denver beat Portland 109-92 as Anthony scored 25 points in the win. UPI/Gary C. Caskey Photo via Newscom

K-Mart is upset that the Nuggets haven’t offered him an extension, per the Denver Post:

And Martin, who will make roughly $16.5 million in the last year of what was a seven-year, $90 million deal that started in 2004, isn’t taking the snub lightly.

“…I feel me being here and what I’ve done for this (team)… (an offer) would have at least been extended, and it wasn’t. So who made that decision, I don’t know. If those people are no longer here, I don’t know who made that decision. But the decision was made. And I ain’t happy. They know it. Everybody knows it.

“But I’m not going to keep on about it. I’m not going to distract from the team and everything else. I have enough going on with this knee. If they want to give me another contract here, they will. If not, I’ll go somewhere else and play.”

If he had an extension, “I’d be playing right now,” Martin said. “I’m not rushing, whatsoever. The day I come back is the day I come back. I’m in the last year of my deal, we all know it. Ain’t nobody in a hurry to give me one, so I’m not going to be in a hurry to come back. Think about it: Ain’t nobody in a hurry to give me a contract, so why would I be in a hurry to rush back and risk further injury. Makes all the sense in the world, right? Trust me, I’ve thought about it plenty.”

Good grief.

The Nuggets gave Martin a deal with $90 million in 2004 and he rewarded them by missing 169 (or 34%) games over the next six seasons. And he’s dealing with another knee issue that is going to force him to miss the start of training camp. Why in the world would the Nuggets want to extend him now when they don’t even know how healthy he is? And why bother extending him when his next contract is going to be a fraction of his current salary ($16.5 million)? He’s a 32-year-old with bum knees — I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s playing on a two- or three-year mid-level deal this time next year.

The Nuggets thought they were getting a perennial All-Star back in 2004. He was coming off a season where he averaged 17/10 for the Nets and was named to his first All-Star Game. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, that was the only All-Star appearance he ever made. He has averaged 13/7 in his six seasons in Denver.

It’s no one’s fault that he has had all of these knee injuries. But for Martin to sit there and complain about the lack of an extension after the Nuggets gave him $90 million (NINETY-MILLION!) is completely insane. Moreover, he has the audacity to admit that he’s sandbagging his knee injury because he’s upset he doesn’t have a long-term contract.

Part of me is jealous that Martin gets to live in his own universe. I wish I had the balls to grumble about my financial situation as I’m getting paid $16.5 million for the upcoming season after giving my team two-thirds the production they expected in two-thirds the games. (That works out to four-ninths, or 44%, for the fractionally-challenged.)

This guy should count his lucky stars that he didn’t start having major knee issues until after Denver signed him to such a sweet deal. And he should enjoy the $16.5 million that he’s making this season because there’s a good chance it will be more than his next contract.

He’s not helping himself with this attitude. If I were a GM, I wouldn’t touch this guy with a 10-foot pole.

Barstool Debate: Should the Packers trade for Marshawn Lynch?

Buffalo Bills' running back Marshawn Lynch runs for a 12-yard gain against Washington Redskins' safety Kareem Moore during the first quarter at FedEx Field in Washington on August 13, 2010.  UPI/Kevin Dietsch Photo via Newscom

Adam Schefter is the latest pundit to chime in on the Marshawn Lynch-to-the-Packers rumors.

Green Bay has to do something at running back, and I think the organization recognizes it. It knows it can’t rely on Brandon Jackson as its workhorse from now through the playoffs, assuming it makes them. Green Bay will continue looking for a trade, and Lynch makes as much sense as anybody. But the problem is, teams have been trying to pry away Lynch since the off-season and so far, Buffalo hasn’t budged.

This has been something of a hot topic of late, so I thought I’d enlist the help of our NFL guru, Anthony Stalter, and try to come to some sort of conclusion about whether or not the Packers should trade for Lynch.

JP: Anthony, these rumors have been out there for a while, and given Buffalo’s situation (sucky) and the fact that they have three pretty good running backs, it makes a lot of sense that they would move him for a draft pick to help their rebuilding process. Lynch is 24 years old, has a career 4.0 ypc, decent hands out of the backfield and has had several run-ins (hit and run, misdemeanor gun charge) with the police. Given the fact that the Broncos gave up a 4th rounder for Laurence Maroney, what type of draft pick is Lynch worth in your opinion?

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Better off (with): Donovan McNabb or Michael Vick?

Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb waves a towel over his head as he runs off the field following his team's win against the Dallas Cowboys in their first NFL game of the regular season in Landover, Md, September 12, 2010.  REUTERS/Jason Reed  (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

When you get right down to it, neither Donovan McNabb nor Michael Vick are in a bad place right now.

McNabb certainly isn’t in the prime of his career, but at 33 he doesn’t have one foot in the proverbial NFL grave either. He’s working under a man in Mike Shanahan that has won three Super Bowls (two as a head coach, one as an offensive coordinator) and multiple conference championships, and is ready to face his old team this Sunday at his old stomping grounds.

He’s also out of Philadelphia, where he couldn’t wake up in the morning without being booed for the way he poured his cereal. He’s now playing for a fan base that appreciates what he brings to the table because they realize what it’s like not to have a leader at the quarterback position. (No offense to Jason Campbell, who is an extremely hard worker and a likable guy, but considering Bruce Gradkowski is now starting over him in Oakland it’s apparent that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a quality starting quarterback in this league.)

Vick has it good, too. After dazzling Andy Reid in the first two weeks of the season, he was named the full-time starter and he did well not to muck up the first opportunity he had to thank his head coach by lighting up the Jaguars last Sunday. Vick has been as good as any quarterback in the league this year, throwing for 750 yards and six touchdowns while compiling a QB rating of 110.2. He’s also rushed for 170 yards on 23 carries and best of all, he hasn’t turned the ball over despite fumbling twice.

The Eagles are now Vick’s team and while he has yet to face a quality defense, the tape doesn’t lie: he’s been phenomenal so far. Whether or not his great play continues is uncertain, but as of right now there’s nothing negative anyone can say about Vick’s game.

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