Obviously, not a good morning for NY Giant fans but you have to be pleased with the season. Making the playoffs and even winning a Wild Card game is an accomplishment and major progress. They have finally landed on a high quality head coach who has control of the locker room. Remember back in the mid-1980s, the Giants were blown out by the Bears in a playoff game in frigid weather (shutout I believe) and then a Super Bowl followed shortly after that. For SU, it’s about making progress and moving in the right direction. It gives fans hope vs. always entering into a new rebuild. The previous regime accumulated some bad free agents and draft picks. This team is now set up for bigger and better things.

SU would sign both Jones and Barkley to new contracts. They won’t come cheap but they want to be here and are solid players. Quarterbacks are hard to find (see NY Jets) and while Jones is not a superstar, he is mobile and will continue to get better. Barkley is still in his prime and actually doesn’t have the usual miles a running back has at this point of his career due to injury. Given him a better offensive line and he can be dominant for a few years.

If Mahomes has a high ankle sprain, you have to wonder how he can perform next round. It’s an interesting dilemma for Andy Reid. Do you sit him with the hope of having a healthier Mahomes for the Super Bowl? Or do you let him limp around next Sunday? In football, it doesn’t take much for someone to fall on your ankle again or to sack you and grab your foot. Clearly, he is a gamer and a competitor. But sprained ankles in football for someone who has to throw off of it seems like a major problem.

The Australian Open rolls on with major upsets on both the men’s and women’s sides. Congrats to ESPN for limiting viewership unless you pay for ESPN+. I mean you already pay for ESPN. You don’t charge to watch NCAA football and basketball games. Annoying. The men will surely have a first-time Grand Slam champion as Djokovic is playing with a strained hamstring and in a best of 5 sets format, hard to see him beating the better youngsters now. The American men are having their best tournament in about 40 years as several young guys have emerged, i.e., Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, J.J. Wolf. Finally.

Pitchers and catchers report in just a few weeks now. SU wants the Yankees to give the youngsters a chance to fill the open spots this year as in shortstop and left field. I will be very curious to see if Aaron Hicks comes in 20 pounds lighter with real determination. If he does, then good luck to him. If he doesn’t and figures hitting into a non-shift alignment is his ticket to success, then let’s just move him along. Same with Gleyber Torres. Stop muscling up and go back to hitting to all fields. Enough of the all or nothing swings. SU wants to see a new attitude. And cannot wait to start hearing the “Frankie Montas has started to throw off flat ground” reports in late April. Ugh. It’s never too early for Yankee fans to get pissed off.

Finally, the SU Super Bowl prediction of Niners – Chiefs is still intact. Of course, that will change in about 12 hours but hey, if you don’t put your predictions out there, no chance for glory.