Via Giants.com

By Adam Cancryn

The Giants' ensured another poor November with a loss to the Bengals this Sunday, but that's no reason to panic.

Fluttering passes, shoddy defense, drive-killing turnovers and boos reverberating throughout MetLife Stadium. It must be November in East Rutherford.

The New York Giants fell to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in a game that was over just minutes after kickoff. New York gave up two quick touchdowns — including a wide-open 56-yarder to this week's Tabloid Enemy #1 — and responded over the next two hours with a series of dinks, dumps and drops that netted them next to nothing. Throw in a few bad interceptions and missed tackles, and you arrive at a 31-13 final that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicates.

The loss was the Giants' second straight this month, and the latest evidence of what remains one of the NFL's most baffling trends. Since Tom Coughlin took over as head coach in 2004, New York has christened this time of year Nosedive November. No matter their record coming in, nor their opponent, the Giants are so consistently inconsistent during this 30-day period that you can set your calendar by it.

Under Coughlin, the team is 13-21 in eight Novembers. That includes 1-2 and 1-3 in their 2007 and 2011 championship years, respectively. And this year, New York came into the month 6-2 and as talented as ever, only to fall asleep at the wheel again. Eli Manning is in the midst of the longest touchdown drought of his career. Victor Cruz, who is so good at sneaking behind secondaries, dropped a sure touchdown and finished this week with just 26 yards. The Giants' defense appeared utterly perplexed by a Bengals game plan that was just a slightly more complex version of pitch and catch.

Wideout A.J. Green sure wasn't kidding when he said there were holes in New York's secondary, but then again, all he needed to do was look at the date.

There has never been a satisfactory explanation for why the Giants lose when the leaves turn. They are notoriously fast starters, and maybe fail to adapt as other franchises adjust and gain steam later in the season. But the good news is that there is just one November game left, and history shows that things get a little better in December. Come the playoffs, their resume stands on its own. In the start-and-stop world of the NFL, you take a fast starter and fast finisher over midseason strength every time.

So a little perspective, Giants fans. As the only NFC East team above .500, this swoon has done little to damage their playoff hopes. There's no need to call for Coughlin's firing, though history has also taught us that is inevitable. There's no need to whine about Bradshaw or Cruz, though what is perhaps the most shortsighted fan base this side of the Yankees surely has done so already. (A fan tweet timestamped about midway through the fourth quarter called for for the Giants to dump all three Super Bowl linchpins, and bring in Bill Cowher.) For all the ugliness this past Sunday, little has changed.

These are the Giants, winners of two Super Bowls, masters of the hot streak. They are as talented and confident as any top team. They will still be here when it all comes down to the wire, and they will be at their best. Right now, it's only November, so take a deep breath. The best months are yet to come.

Adam Cancryn is a co-founder and editor of Began in '96.

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By Adam Cancryn

The New York Jets gave their quarterback a big contract extension. Or at least, it appears so, until you dig into the details.

After a week in which Peyton Manning embarked on his cross-country courtship and the Washington Redskins went all in on Robert Griffin III, the New York Jets signing Mark Sanchez to a three-year extension seemed like a particularly ill-timed consolation prize.

This was a week, after all, in which a number of lesser teams aggressively pursued the players that they believed would make them better, and perhaps even put them over the top. The Jets, meanwhile, appeared content with the status quo, so content that their only move was to lock down the centerpiece from last year's .500 season, and do it at a three-year, $40.5 million headline price that induced sticker shock among the team's fans.

Appearances, however, do not always mirror reality, and in the case of Sanchez's contract, the contrast between appearance and reality is fit for a carnival fun house. Here's NYJetsCap.com breaking down the specifics of the extension:

Prior to the extension Sanchez had two years remaining on his contract at a total pay out of $17,750,000, none of which was guaranteed. He may have been able to raise that total by about $1.5 million depending on playoff wins and performance. Had the Jets moved on from Sanchez the dead cap hit this season would have been just over $5 million.

Under the new agreement Sanchez receives a two year cash payout of $20,250,000, which is not a large boost if you assume the team would have made a deep run in the playoffs and Sanchez played decent during the course of the season.

In exchange for that extra $2.5 million, much of which Sanchez might have made anyway, the Jets also get to nearly halve their cap commitment in 2012, the site added. And all that guaranteed money runs out after 2013, meaning New York then has the option to keep him for another three years or cut him on the spot at roughly the same cost. The net effect is that the Jets stabilized themselves at quarterback for a length of time that they get to determine. Sanchez, meanwhile, got his probationary period extended to two years, from the one year he previously had.

All in all, that's a low-risk deal for a 26-year-old quarterback who, despite the vitriol lobbed his way last year, has improved statistically every season and been a significant part of ("led" might be too strong of a word in this situation) two deep playoff runs in three years. Sanchez's stats so far track closely with those of Eli Manning, another big-market quarterback whose skills and leadership were questioned early in his career. We all know what has happened since then with Manning, and if Sanchez sees anywhere near that success, this contract extension could be considered one of the best in the league. Consider that the Giants made Manning the NFL's richest quarterback in '09 with a six-year, $97.5 million extension following an 8-8 season of their own. Even if Sanchez exceeds Manning's success over the next two years, his payday is paltry by comparison. And if he doesn't, the Jets can cut ties and start over.

Beyond the financial advantages, Sanchez's extension quashes any speculation about the position for the rest of the offseason. New York can now focus on the many areas that truly need improvement, a list that includes rebuilding much of the defense. The Jets' once-ferocious linebacking corps needs to be upgraded, especially if inside backer Bart Scott is traded. The team is also soft at safety, and could use bona fide pass rusher.

The draft should help fill a couple of those needs, though which ones are still up in the air. Early mock drafts have the Jets taking a variety of defenders (and even receiver Malcolm Floyd) with their No. 16 overall pick. There is also some opportunity in free agency thanks to the reduced cap hit from Sanchez's contract, though the appropriate targets are few. One possibility would be to bring back defensive end/linebacker John Abraham, who could fill the hybrid pass-rushing role that he established for himself during his first stint with New York.

Those are the franchise's major question marks, but for the first time in a while, one of them doesn't involve their quarterback. The Jets are now hitched to Sanchez for better, and if things turn out for worse, they can always dump him in two years and start anew.


The Week Ahead (all times EST)- Your guide to what to watch-- and what to watch for-- this coming week

College Basketball- NCAA Tournament (printable bracket here)
Play-in games- March 13-14 (TBD)
First round- March 15-18 (TBD)
NBA
Knicks at Bulls- March 12 at 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Heat at Magic- March 13 at 7 p.m. (NBATV)
Heat at Bulls- March 14 at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Thunder at Nuggets- March 15 at 9 p.m. (FSOKHD/Altitude Sports)
Blazers at Thunder- March 18 at 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

NHL
Bruins at Lightning- March 13 at 7:30 p.m. (NESN/SUN NET)
Penguins at Rangers- March 15 at 7 p.m. (NHLNET)
Blackhawks at Stars- March 16 at 8:30 p.m. (CSNC/FOX SW)
Penguins at Devils- March 17 at 1 p.m. (FOX PITT/MSG+)
Blues at Lightning- March 17 at 7 p.m. (NHLNET)
Penguins at Flyers- March 18 at 12:30 p.m. (NBC)
MLB Spring Training
Marlins at Red Sox- March 12 at 1:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Mets at Tigers- March 14 at 1 p.m. (ESPN)

In the Kitchen- Tracking the major hot stove stories

• The Peyton Manning sweepstakes will likely be decided by the end of this week, with ESPN reporting that the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos are frontrunners. The Miami Dolphins are seen as a third possibility, but Manning hasn't visited them or the Seattle Seahawks.
• The San Francisco 49ers plan to work out Randy Moss as a possible addition to their thin receiving corps. Moss had previously retired, but announced a couple months back that he would like to return to the NFL. This is his first reported tryout. 
• Rumors flew on March 9 that Lakers forward Pau Gasol had been traded, but nothing has been made official so far. The last word was that the Houston Rockets were the closest to wrapping up a deal, but there's largely been radio silence since Friday.
• The Chicago Cubs became the latest team to add a Cuban prospect, signing pitcher Gerardo Concepcion to a five-year contract. The 20-year-old lefty will receive $6 million, which includes a $3 million signing bonus. The Cubs will add him to the 40-man roster, but start him out this season in the minors.

Web Gems- The week's best, worst or strangest Internet sports finds

A throwback player, with a wardrobe to match- The story of 82-year-old Marty Reisman, a holdover from the golden era of ping-pong.

Patrick Hruby talks about humor in journalism, plus loads of other good stuff- An illuminating, wide-ranging interview with Washington Times culture writer and freelance sportswriter Patrick Hruby.

When all else fails, there's still Federer- WSJ columnist Jason Gay on the enduring majesty of Roger Federer's game.

Wait until next year. Or next. Or...- NY Magazine's Will Leitch discusses why the New York Mets' 50th season wil be nothing worth celebrating.

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By Adam Cancryn

Eli Manning and the NFC Championship Game, a coming of age tale.

Even as society forever struggles with the definition of manhood, there are no shortage of milestones commemorating that mystical passage from juvenile to real, adult man.

Legally, that transition is automatic at 18 years old. Among Jews, though, it's more like 14, while Christians can jump the gun on becoming a man with that First Communion at age seven. The philosophical and literary types set the bar a little higher. Often the passage to manhood is determined by any number of transformational experiences, rather than an arbitrary age.

Yet for all of these potential man-making markers, it seems Eli Manning missed every single one. Now 31, the quarterback with 10 playoff games, one Super Bowl ring, a wife and a son to his name is still portrayed as the rug rat of the NFL, the kid pretending to be a big time professional athlete. Over the past eight years, he's been at various times the Rookie, the Work in Progress and finally the Franchise Quarterback. At all times, though, he's been Peyton's little brother.

That portrayal was inevitable, even if it's not exactly fair. Where most quarterbacks are evaluated on their raw production, Eli is judged by his unique brand of aesthetic awkwardness: The thousand-yard stare, the reflexive right shoulder shrug, the gawrsh-darnit! slap on the knee after a poor play. He's the Theodore Cleaver of the NFL, and that doesn't play well in a league built on Hulk Hogan-esque machismo.

However, Manning's image as the home by dark, in bed by 8 golden child might finally be changing, thanks mainly to his performance in the NFC Championship Game and the sheer amount of brutality he endured over its four-and-a-half quarters.

Officially, the 49ers brought Manning to his knees six times, but anyone watching knows that was hardly the full price paid for his 58 passing attempts. The Giants' quarterback was hurried, hit and knocked down all afternoon, thrashings often delivered by 6' 4", 270-pound defensive ends Justin and Aldon Smith. Yet Manning bounced back each time, albeit caked in dirt, with shoulder pads unhinged and helmet askew. He trotted back to the huddle, called the play and then returned to the scene of his last beating.

Manning did not singlehandedly win the game, the way he has done in the past. He was not even particularly impressive, managing just 5.4 yards per attempt and orchestrating only two scores. But if his dogged pursuit of pain was not particularly productive, it was at least inspiring. The aw-shucks kid from Louisiana had morphed into a bare-knuckle brawler, shrugging off the latest wound as "just a scratch." In doing so, he did more to change his public perception in one game than he'd done in eight years.

Manning will never be the bleeding-from-the-head Y.A. Tittle that Giants fans still yearn for, even after standing tall against the Niners. Maybe now, though, he can at least shed all those juvenile qualifiers. Maybe now, he can simply be Eli, the Man.


The Week Ahead (all times EST)- Your guide to what to watch-- and what to watch for-- this coming week

Super Bowl
Patriots v. Giants- Feb. 5 at 6:29 p.m. (NBC)
College Basketball

Missouri at Texas- Jan. 30 at 9 p.m. (ESPN)
UConn at Georgetown- Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Towson at Hofstra- Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.
Syracuse at St. John's- Feb. 4 at noon (ESPN)
Ohio St. at Wisconsin- Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Kansas at Missouri- Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA
Thunder at Clippers- Jan. 30 at 10:30 p.m. (FSN Prime Ticket/NBATV)
Bulls at 76ers- Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. (Comcast Sports Chicago/COMCAST)
Pacers at Mavericks- Feb. 3 at 8:30 p.m. (FOX SW)
76ers at Hawks- Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. (COMCAST/Sport South)
NHL
Rangers at Devils- Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. (MSG+)
Blackhawks at Canucks- Jan. 31 at 10 p.m. (WGN/TSN)
Penguins at Maple Leafs- Feb. 1 at 7:30 (FOX PITT/TSN)
Predators at Flyers- Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. (FXSM/COMCAST)
Kings at Blues- Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. (FOX WEST/FOX MIDW)
Devils at Flyers- Feb. 4 at 1 p.m. (MSG+/COMCAST)
Bruins at Capitals- Feb. 5 at 12:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

In the Kitchen- Tracking the major hot stove stories

• Pitcher Roy Oswalt will likely be the next big name on the move, as he is expected to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals within the next few days. Oswalt has been a top-of-rotation pitcher throughout his career, but back injuries slowed him last year and continue to be a concern. As a result, he'll probably end up signing a one-year deal. The Red Sox and Texas Rangers are also in pursuit.
• The bidding for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers is believed to have topped $1.2 billion, with one offer reported at $1.5 billion. At least eight potential buyers made it to the second round of bidding for the franchise that was put on the block amid its owners' bitter divorce.
• Reliever Koji Uehara might end up back with the Baltimore Orioles, after he rejected a trade to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles traded Uehara to the Texas Rangers late last season for their playoff push, but after developing a bond with the city of Baltimore, would prefer to return.
• The New York Mets are on track for the largest year-over-year payroll drop in MLB history, cutting $52 million. That would be more than the $48.4 million the Texas Rangers shed between 2003 and 2004. The departures of Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez have made the biggest dent in the team's expenses, actions necessitated by a string of recent financial issues.

Web Gems- The week's best, worst or strangest Internet sports finds

Jets' Curtis Martin has shown greatness beyond football, including forgiving his father- The moving story of Hall of Fame candidate Curtis Martin, his father and forgiveness

A fighter abroad- Brian Phillips' thoroughly researched feature on the life and career of free slave-turned-bare knuckle boxer Tom Molineaux

Joe Paterno: Bury a man, keep the statue- College football devotee Spencer Hall on the late Joe Paterno

The blessed lives of Herb Pope- Herb Pope cheated death twice, and now he's leading upstart Seton Hall and is a candidate for Big East Player of the Year

Roger Federer as religious experience- In honor of Jan. 29's epic Australian Open final, revisit David Foster Wallace's iconic essay on tennis and Roger Federer

Coming Up- What's next at Began in '96

• Tuesday: Keeping up with American sports while living on the other side of the world, by Nate Nickerson.
• Thursday: Began in '96's first annual Super Bowl drinking game.
• Friday: In a matchup no football traditionalist could love, this year's Super Bowl will feature both the league's worst defensive team and the league's worst rushing offense, by Adam Cancryn.

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