Finally! The waiting is over! After nine long years without a World Series victory, the Yankees are champs once again. Nobody suffers like a Yankees fan. Think of the toll all those championship-less years have taken on an eight-year-old Yankee fan who’s never seen his favorite team win. After overcoming the Curse of Danny Cater by winning it all in ’77 and the Curse of Hiring a Manager Named Stump with the team’s ’96 Series win, the Bombers have now wiped out the Curse of Giving Us the Image of Jason Giambi in a Thong. This year’s Yankees were a heartwarming story of pies to the face and walk-off wins, and they were, of course, built the old-fashioned way: By buying up every free agent star on the market and paying hundreds of millions of dollars to them. The World Series celebration was more subdued this year because the only people who can afford to go to a Yankee game are the players and their Hollywood girlfriends. …

Congratulations, New York Yankees.

In Major League Baseball, the MVP award goes out at the end of the regulated season. It goes to the athlete who has stood out as being the most valuable, above all the rest. To an individual player, it is a huge accomplishment and honor considered being the elite in your field.

Within baseball, two players one from the American League and the one from the National League respectively, receive this prize each year.

The awards terms incorporate the obvious, which are stats and production for the season. Baseball has more stats than any other sport but this at least provides an idea of who is in contention.

However, for me, a fan, the MVP means so much more than just that.

A player selflessly plays the game by the game as part of the team not for his own personal goals. This is by no means a wimp, nor a loud mouth. His personal goals are for the team and to help the team win.

It is …

The Giants’ transformation from an elite NFL team to ineffectual mediocrity is astounding. Against the Saints, the defense was the culprit; against the Cardinals, it was the offense; but yesterday against the Eagles, it was every aspect of the team that was horrible. The Giants are misfiring on all cylinders. Alarms are sounding, and people are running to the panic room. Are the Giants in a slump? Or are they a bad team? Whichever the case, they’re looking pretty ugly these days, and I mean Oakland Raiders ugly.
Right now, the defense can’t stop anybody – or anything. If a stray dog ran out onto the field, it would run right by the 11 men on defense and score a touchdown. Johnny Damon would go wild against these guys. Not only wouldn’t they be covering third base, they wouldn’t cover home plate either. The Giants certainly miss Kenny Phillips, Aaron Ross, Michael Boley and Chris Canty, but do they miss them that much? They’ve …

Here are five things worth noting in week one

1) Carmelo Anthony is playing like the MVP: Melo leads the NBA in scoring with 37.7 points per game and has scored at least 40 points in two straight games. He also has attempted 41 free throws and averaging 7 rebounds per game. The Nuggets are 3-0 including wins over Utah and Portland. If he continues this all season he moves into the first round next season.

2) Gilbert Arenas is back: Arenas had a season high 31 points vs. the Nets on Halloween. He also shot 69% from the field and attempted 12 free throws. In three games this season he is averaging 28 points, 6.7 threes, 2.3 threes and 1 steal per game. He was drafted in the late second-early third in most drafts which looks like a steal now.

3) Trevor Ariza and Aaron Brooks are fantasy gold: Ariza scored a season high 33 points last Saturday and has made 11 three-pointers in three games. He is averaging 23.3 points, 1.7 steals in 38 minutes per …

Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Detroit, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, Utah, Washington
Teams playing three games: Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, Miami, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Portland, Toronto
Teams playing two games: San Antonio

Guards

Rafer Alston (Nets): Harris is expected to miss a week with a groin injury. Alston started at point guard and had 20 points, eight assists, three 3 pointers and one steal in 31 minutes on Saturday. Even though he will be a starter temporarily he is a solid short-term point guard to own.

Juan Jose Barea (Mavs): Barera is averaging 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and shooting 93% from the foul line in three games. In his last two games he has played at least 23 minutes and will continue to get time with Josh Howard sidelined.

Larry Hughes (Knicks): Hughes did not play in the first two games but received extended minutes in the home opener with an injury to Nate Robinson. Robinson could miss up to two …

All anybody’s talking about in the New York area is the Islanders’ first regulation win over the Rangers (though Jimmy Rollins predicted it on Monday). You can’t walk down the street without somebody stopping you and asking all about the hockey team from Long Island. Will they get on a roll? Is John Tavares the real deal? Islanders, Islanders, Islanders! Everybody’s forgetting all about the bad start of the two local basketball teams, and does anybody even know that the Yankees are in the World Series this year? All the Islanders-all-the-time talk is really taking the pressure off the other local teams.

Here at Hot Stove, we know that the Yankees are in the World Series again, as you can’t get anything by us. The Bronx Bombers paid their $200 million entry fee into the Series, setting up a rematch of the 1950 Fall Classic. And with so many off-days, it seems like there are about 59 years between games in this postseason. In the Series we’ve already seen Cliff Lee nonchalantly put the Bombers’ bats to sleep, …

The Rangers ended their three-game losing streak by beating Phoenix last night, 5-2, winning the game for former Ranger announcer Bill “The Big Whistle” Chadwick. “We’re dedicating our season to the announcing legend. So much of my youth was spent watching the Rangers on channel 9, listening to the antics of Chadwick and his partner, Jim Gordon, that for a while there, I thought Chadwick was my father, and my real dad was just some guy from the neighborhood who sat around the living room drinking vodka all the time. We had to win this game for The Big Whistle or I’d never forgive myself,” said captain Chris Drury. (Ok, he didn’t come close to saying that; I said it to myself while I was riding on the subway this morning.)
The Blueshirts were going the wrong way the last week or so, but last night they turned things around and put in a steady performance. They fell asleep after taking a 4-0 lead, and got …

Week 1 (Oct. 26-Nov. 1)
Teams playing four games: Boston, Cleveland, L.A. Clippers, Portland
Teams playing three games: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, Toronto, Washington
Teams playing two games: Golden State, Indiana, Milwaukee, Utah

Guards

Chris Douglas-Roberts (Nets- owned 3% in ESPN leagues): CDR had a big preseason averaging 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1.4 steals in 34 minutes over seven games. With the Nets trading G Vince Carter away in the off-season Roberts should play a big role on the offense.

Brandon Rush (Pacers-0wned 9.2%): Rush is entering the season as the Pacers starting shooting guard. He averaged 12.4 points, 1.3 blocks and 1 steal over seven preseason games. However, his value is his range as he knocked down 14 three pointers.

Anthony Morrow (Warriors-owned 11.7%): Morrow finished second in the preseason with 22 points per game. He also shot an excellent 52% from three and attempted 6.5 per …

Ok, that’s two bad games in a row. Last week in New Orleans the defense was the culprit, and last night the offense lost the game for the Giants. Big Blue feasted on the weak teams the first five weeks, but now facing solid teams two weeks in a row, they looked lousy in both games.

The D wasn’t great but came up with two big stops at the end and were good enough to win the game (though the injuries to Kenny Phillips, Aaron Ross and Michael Boley seem to be catching up to them). The offense, on the other hand, was off-kilter and inconsistent all game long. Even Jeff Feagles was terrible. Here’s what we didn’t like:

Eli Manning – he threw three interceptions, only completed about half his passes and looked rattled and confused by Arizona’s defense the whole game. And what’s with all the delay of game penalties? He spent most of his time at the line of scrimmage shaking off Jorge Posada. The receivers didn’t help …

85. John Salmons

86. Blake Griffin

87. Wilson Chandler

88. James Harden

89. Andre Miller (me)

90. Tyrus Thomas

91. Mike Conley

92. O.J Mayo

93. Ron Artest

94. Rodney Stuckey

95. Aaron Brooks

96. Mike Bibby

Five more point guards were taken this round as well as the first two rookies.

My Strategy. Looking back maybe I should have selected Stuckey or Mayo based on upside but Andre Miller has good value this round. Even though he is coming off the bench as of now we know he is a steady producer. He has missed three games over the past three years and averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds  and 1.3 steals for the 76ers last season. While he does not shoot many threes he posts solid percentages and should be a steal once he gets inserted into the starting lineup.

Best pick: There were several picks I liked this round: Salmons, Chandler, Thomas, Mayo, Artest and Stuckey

Questionable pick: I think Harden can have a solid rookie season but there were better players on the board.

Riskiest pick: The Hawks acquired Jamal Crawford in the off-season which crowds …

73. Andrew Bogut

74. Kevin Love

75. J.R Smith

76. Lou Williams

77. Anthony Randolph

78. Stephen Jackson

79. Eric Gordon

80. Jeff Green (me)

81. Fransico Garcia

82. T.J Ford

83. Paul Milsap

84. D.J Augustin

My Strategy: I was targeting Gordon and Green and was pleased that one of them was available. Green broke out last season averaging 16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.2 threes and one steal per game. He also played 36 minutes per game and the third year forward should increase his versatile numbers.

Best pick: Gordon had a solid rookie season averaging 16 points, 1.7 threes 1 steal and shot 45% from the field and 85% from the foul line. He should build on those numbers and this was the third straight player Team Brown took who can shoot the three (Okur, Charlie V). Even though J.R Smith is suspended seven games to start the season he is a solid fantasy player. Stephen Jackson in round 7 is great value if he can find a way to play 70+ games.

Questionable pick: Lou Williams is on everyone’s list of sleepers but this is  a …