by Matt Minucci

The time between the Superbowl and Baseball is an age undreamed of.

So, once again, I find myself overburdened with a deluge of random sports thoughts. This is why I detest the time between when the Oceans drank Atlantis and the Rise of the Sons of Argos....oh, wait, Conan detested that time. I merely hate the time between the end of the Superbowl and the start of the Baseball season.

There's just too much random stuff going on that I just don't care about. Give me a week to prep for the big Sunday pro football game. Or the big Saturday college game. Or give me baseball every day. But this...yeah, March Madness is awesome, but it's hard to get stoked for it in February - though there have been some great college hoops games.

And the NBA trade deadline is always good for a few giggles...but really, the NBA and NHL are largely ho-hum til April and the playoffs. The NFL draft is looming - but not til April. And here we are stuck in a February rut.

And of course, there's NASCAR...

At least we have the Olympics. Oh...wait...I don't care about the Olympics. I want to care. I try. I really do. But anyway...here's what I've been thinking about as I wait for Pitchers and Catchers to break camp...

...Johnny Damon doesn't have a job yet. But Marcus Thames does. That's Democracy for you.

And has anyone seen this kid on the Nats - Stephen Strasberg? Of course you have! The kid is everywhere. And while, yes, he does chuck it at 100 mph, the last time baseball was this excited about a rookie, Tom Seaver won 16 games for a 101-loss Mets squad. Let's hope Strasberg can live up to that hype.

This kid is good. Maybe.

Speaking of the Mess...er, Mets...let me see if I have this straight...as we enter the 2010 season, Bernie Madoff took all the Mets money, their GM and Manager are both on flaming seats, they have no starting catcher, no 3rd, 4th or even 5th starter worth a tin poop, their first baseman hit 12 homeruns last year and is vying to be the next Keith Hernandez, except that he can't field, hit .300, or drive in 100 runs, they hate their second baseman, their start center fielder has 1 knee, their ace pitcher is missing his elbow, their all-star, speedy short stop has no hammy, they play in a ballpark so cavernous it sent their best player into a maelstrom of depression and fugue so deep that he slipped from 30 homers to 10 and yet, with such a cavernous park, they spend all their free agent dollars on a guy who's only tool is power, and their other 'big' free agent moves were to sign four spare parts not even guaranteed to break camp with the club in April... (Mike Jacobs, Kelvim Escobar, Gary Mathews Jr. and Ryota Igarashi). Oh, and their payroll is $140 million. And if EVERYTHING breaks right for them....they'll still finish in third place in the NL East. Have I got that right?

Omar Minaya weighs his options.

I think Brandon Webb is going to swing a penant race in July. And not for the Diamondbacks. Watch for a deadline deal there.

I love the San Francisco Giants pitching. Love it. And as for the Giants hitting...well...I love the San Francisco Giants pitching.

Jim Bibby died at the age of 65 yesterday. My sources can't confirm if his death was attributed to him glancing at the 2010 Pirate roster.

We'll miss you Bibby.

Oregon Ducks RB LaMichael James was jailed for domestic violence the other day. James, you might recall, was the backup RB who came in to start for the Ducks after their starting RB, LeGarrette Blount was suspended for punching another player after the loss to Boise State. So..uh...what exactly are they teaching these kids up there in Oregon?

Kevin Durant is so good. Michael Jordan good. Seriously.

Also, this is a way cooler nickname than "Air."

The NETS WON A GAME! OH MY GOD, THE NETS WON A GAME! 5-48 never felt so good...

So, let's hear it one more time for the Superbowl Champion New Orleans Saints. Nevermind the fact that they have a SCAB for a head coach.

True Story.

Let's step into the wayback machine. Way back in 1987, the NFL players went on strike. Rather than scrap the season, the owners had the 'brilliant' idea to farm in replacement players to cross the picket line and play. Scabs, to fill in for the real product. It was a vicious and relatively short lived strike and the scabs were universally reviled. Sean Payton crossed that picket line and played QB for the 1987 Chicago Bears. He was actually the backup to some guy named Mike Hohensee...which is ho-hilarious actually. For the record, he was 8 of 23 for 1 INT and no TDs.

Scab: A person regarded as contemptible.

But, since the Saints are such a feel good story, saving the city of New Orleans and defeating Lex Luthor and Hitler in a steel cage match to free the slaves, we won't sully their good name with such bald faced facts.

So...way to win a Superbowl...SCAB.

Why can't I get excited for the Winter Olympics? I'm trying. But I just don't care. However, this weekend, the US plays Canada and the Czech Republic will  play Russia in Hockey, so, hopefully, that'll pick things up. I'm tryin' Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard.

I'm tryin' Ringo.

Mark McGwire showed up in Jupiter, Fla., to start his career as the St. Louis Cardinals hitting instructor. This just proves that batting coach is probably the most irrelevant job in Major League Baseball. Hell, I'd rather be the guy in the wiener costume that runs around the foul lines at Brewers games. Come to think of it...I think I was that guy...

I'm the one wearing a hat.

The Oakland Raiders just resigned kicker Sebastian Janekowski to the richest contract ever for a kicker. And that is why the Raiders fail.

For my buddy Quigs. A Raider fan.

The Chargers, by the way, are shopping their star CB, Antonio Cromartie for a RB since Ladanien Tomlinson died last season. Oh, he didn't die? Just felt that way then. Anyway, he's dead and Darren Sproles is a free agent. So, they're shopping Cromartie. Tashard Choice anyone? Norv?

Hello? Bueller?

Cliff Lee showed up at Mariners camp with a bandage around his foot after surgery to remove a bone spur. Wait for it. That sound you just heard was the entire city of Seattle vomiting in their coffee.

By the way, Sandy Koufax was in Mets camp this week. No word on whether he accepted the Mets offer of a 1-year, 10 million dollar deal to be their 5th starter.

He's tanned, he's rested, he's ready. Koufax 2010. Coming to Flushing in April.

Hey, did you know, since 1901, the following is a list of the teams that have had the most season with the best record in the Majors:

Yankees 30

Athletics 9

Cardinals 7

Reds 6

Cubs 6

Giants 6

Braves 6

Indians 6

Red Sox 5

The Philadelphia Phillies, by the way, have 0 seasons with the best record in the Majors. So, I guess, the moral here is....bet on Bronx Bomber Blue.

Duh.

It looks like the New York Knicks will eventually land Tracy McGrady in a complicated three team deal with the Rockets and Kings. This is me, tingling with excitement. Look, this trade is only a good idea if the Knicks can clear enough cap space to sign LeBron James in the offseason. Which they won't do. Oh, they'll try. But they'll fail. And this deal will bury them. Well...it would bury them, except their already down there pretty deep.

Yeah, I'm positive this trade is a good idea. Really.

Six skiing events, 4 ice skating events and 3 events with some sort of sled or slide. And of course, Curling. I just can't get into it, man. I did get momentarily excited about the Biathlon, until I found out that it combines cross country skiing with firing a rifle in the only way that isn't awesome.

Pictured: What the Biathlon isn't.

Ubaldo Jimenez is a name you ought to remember. Another one is Neftali Feliz. Two future aces that could both make a splash this year...one in the NL, the other in the AL. Bank on it.

If the Giants make the playoffs...possible in the competitive but mediocre NL West...how the hell do you beat them in the best of five wild card round? I know I wouldn't want to face Lincecum and Cain (and possibly Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Baumgarner) in a short series.

One word: DOOM.

If everything breaks right, the Tampa Bay Rays could win 100 games this year. Of course, everything never breaks right.

Don't forget - this weekend - Olympic hockey...Canada v. USA, Czech Rep v. Russia. The stars will be on ice. Should be fun.

Jagr time ... one last time.

Finally, I close with something I found somewhat hilarious and somewhat sad. A new Michigan law will go into place on May 1st that will ban smoking in public places. This means that legendary chain-smoking manager, Jim Leyland - who's on record as saying, "Sometimes smoking can be fantastic" - will no longer be able to smoke before, during or even after games - either in the dugout, the tunnels, the clubhouse or even his office. Hmm....seems to me there's a law banning steroids too but I digress...

Leyland counts the innings between smokes as he slowly goes insane.

Anyway, early Vegas lines have the over/under for him snapping and murdering an umpire in a nicotine induced rage at 12 games. I'm taking the under.

It's baseball season!  Almost.