DRose Is Coming To The Garden

When I first heard the Derrick Rose to the Knicks rumors, I wasn't in favor of it happening. I have always been a DRose fan, but I just didn't think I was ready to deal with another injury-ridden star. It was around the same time that David Wright was ruled out for the year, and I felt like it was time to let go from any injury-plagued situations. I just didn't think I was able to love in a relationship like that any longer. But that was last week. 

Now that DRose is officially coming to the play in the 'Mecca', for the home team, my feelings have changed. DRose isn't the same guy who won the 2011 MVP, but he is still a hell of a lot better than any guy who has ran the point for the Knicks in a long time. The Knicks also don't need Rose to be the 2011 MVP because he is going to be apart of a roster that features our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Clothing Mogul Carmelo Anthony, and KP6 with a year under his belt.  

Not only did the Knicks get a three-time all-star, but they did it in a way that makes sense. DRose only has a year left on his deal, so there is no long term commitment. The only tiny part of the future that may have been mortgaged here is the fact that Jerian Grant is leaving town. But if Jerain couldn't find minutes on that bad Knick team last year, then I'm not not getting the 27-year-old DRose to wait and see if he pans out. I'm sure the system and the coaching staff wasn't doing him any favors, but chances are that we can find another Jerian Grant. 

Losing Jose Calderon and Robin Lopez to make this move is all good in the hood also. Calderon was a great idea, and he definitely can fill a veteran point guard role in the right situation, but I think we've seen enough to know that this wasn't that situation. Plus, if Reyes comes back, how many stadiums/arenas can we legitimately have JOSE, JOSE, JOSE, JOSE, JOSE chants at in New York? I am pretty sure you max out at one.

RoLo did a nice job last season, and he is a legit center, but you can't let that hold you up from making this deal. Plus he's got two years left on his deal after this season, so you have to like that coming off the books for the future free agent crops. For the immediate future, there are plenty of good big man free agent options available to fill the hole. And if you're not down with filling that hole with Joakim Noah, then I got two words for you....

Ok, ok, maybe don't go max out on a big man just yet because Phil's got his max money eyes on another fella at the dance...

Keep at it Zen Master. And remember, he who hesitates, ends up with the crappy rosters you rolled out the past two seasons. And also remember, he who really hesitates, should ask your pal Kurt Rambis for fresh material. #StayMe7o

-Fitzgerald

The Metsies Pod - JOSE, JOSE, JOSE, JOSE, JOSE

Photo Credit-Howard Simmons (NY Daily News)/Filter-NYMWS

The Metsies Blog went right to Pod for the second time folks. We had to go straight to the pod to break down the JOSE, JOSE, JOSE, JOSE reunion folks. Give it a listen, and let us know what you think. To Jose or not to Jose?  



-Fitzgerald

The U.S. Open Minaj - Fitzy at the Cut

The round two cards are all officially signed. Lets check Fitzy's scorecard after the first 36. 

Red Guys

The winner is supposed to finish over par, but these guys have a legit shot to post a red number...

Dustin Johnson 12/1...EAGLE (-4)

Dustin has it all working through two rounds. Paulina's boo is the only player who has carded two rounds under par. He sits atop the leaderboard with a one shot lead #nuffsaid.  

Rickie Fowler 25/1 ...TRIPLE BOGEY (+11, MC)

The slump continues. Bad job by me. He'll be back. I just don't know when. This one hurts.  

Hideki Matsuyama 30/1...TRIPLE BOGEY (+12, MC)

Hideki never got it going playing along side Sergio and Dustin. The opening round 74 wasn't awful, but the two-double-bogey second round 78 was. Now I'm feeling some type of different way about Hideki. That's a bad way BTW. 

Fitzy's Red Guy - Rory McIlroy 7/1...TRIPLE BOGEY (+8, MC)

That awkward moment when my "Red Guy" double bogeys his last hole to miss the cut. It should not have came down to that though. I was expecting Rory to bring it. He got it going a little this morning with a 31 going out, but the 40 coming in squashed any hope. My mistake, I apologize (Jerry Recco voice). 

White Guys

When we think of white, we think of Fitzy's beautiful white down comforter with the highest of high thread counts. These guys have high odds, which means they're #SLEEPAS! If you thought we were taking this White Guys thing somewhere else, well then you my friend are a racist. 

Danny Willett 40/1...PAR (+5)

At +5, it looks like I am being too generous by giving myself a par, but I was encouraged by the even par second round. I can see the Masters' champ finishing somewhere around even, which might be an interesting place to be when it is all said and done. The Grand Slam talk should only be the softest of whispers right now, but I won't pronounce it dead just yet.

Billy Horschel 80/1...BOGEY (+6)

The dopest twitter handle in golf is just playing okayyyyy. The bookmakers got him right at 80/1. I don't think he has any major moves in him, but at least he is still playing. If you are a tier-pooler, you are not hating Billy still being around, but you aren't bragging about having him either.   

Jamie Donaldson 200/1...DOUBLE BOGEY (+8)

Being different and choosing Jamie Donaldson as your tier 4 guy is all well cool until JD goes out and posts a couple of Nick Mangold's on his way to missing the cut. Good idea, bad result. 

Jeev Milkha Singh 1000/1...TRIPLE BOGEY (+15)

Woof. I know what you are thinking, "Fitzy dude, you should be a little easier on yourself, the guy was 1000/1." I appreciate it, but no, I can't be. The NY Morning Woodsporters deserve better from me. My guys can't be missing the cut by nine strokes. I don't care if they are 20,000/1.  

Fitzy's White Guy - Sergio Garcia 40/1...ACE (-2)

Oh Fitzy, you're so fine you're so fine you blow my mind. It's bloggers like you Fitzy! Just click this and enjoy. This could finally be the one.  

Blue Guys

Blue balls warning - These guys will leave you painfully unsatisfied and wanting more...

Jason Day 13/2...PAR (+5)& Jordan Spieth 8/1...PAR (+4)

Both guys are still around, but if you picked them you expected better. At the moment this is a fine call by me. However, if one of them goes out and posts a red number in round three, we could very well be changing this PAR to a DOUBLE BOGEY. 

Justin Rose 25/1...EAGLE (+8)

If Rickie and Hideki are bad calls, this is a good call. I told you so. Insert tongue out emoji.  

Phil Mickelson 25/1...BIRDIE (+7) 

Too bad, so sad. As I said, I was rooting for Lefty, but as an insider, I couldn't recommend investing in him financially. Did I kill that joke? Was it even funny the first time?

Bubba Watson 40/1...BOGEY (+5)

Ugh. His opening round made us look bad, and he tried to help us out with a poor second. He's well off the lead, but if I'm not ruling Willet out, I can't rule this tool out. Sorry, that was mean. I should take it back. If only my keyboard had like a delete button or something. 

Jim Furyk 80/1...TRIPLE BOGEY (-1)

Bad, bad, bad one here by me. Good for Jim. -1 is good playing out there right now. I don't think he keeps it up, but I had him for dead before the thing even started, so we have to score it what it is. 

-Fitzy Woods

The U.S. Open Minaj - Red, White & Blue

Are you running out of all that cash we won you with The Masters Minaj? Well have no fear folks. It is time for the year's second major, and we're back with our second major minaj. Inspired by our always entertaining, and rarely helpful, Fantasy Football Minaj, we bring to you, 'The U.S. Open Minaj a Trois - Red, White & Blue.'

Red Guys

The winner is supposed to finish over par, but these guys have a legit shot to post a red number...

Dustin Johnson 12/1...DUE, DUE, DUE, DUE, DUE, DUE. A year after his three-jack on Sunday's final hole, it's going to take some stones to make this play. When it comes to the U.S. Open, you have to be ready to fight power with power, and DJ's game is as powerful as they come. Hidden by all his major failures, is the sketchy stat that it has actually been over a year since DJ's won a tourney, period. But his recent strong play and exceptional talent are enough for me to stay aboard the 'Dustin win's one of these major things eventually train.' Hey Paulina, I saved you the seat next to me.

Rickie Fowler 25/1...With three missed cuts in his last five starts, everyone's favorite jogger-rocker is in desperate need of a slump buster. When you're slumping with the ladies, Fitzy always recommends taking down a big beast to bust that slump. Well Oakmont is certainly a big beast, so Rickie is all set right? Yeah, I know, it's a little bit of a reach. But I'm not backing down. I said it in the Master's Minaj, he is winning a major this year. 

Hideki Matsuyama 30/1...With Matsuyama I'm choosing to have a forgetful short-term memory, and a good long-term memory. Before missing the cut at Memorial earlier this month, this 24-year-old was putting together one heck of a season. He's one of the few guys in the field who is good enough tee-to-green to fox with what the USGA and Oakmont are about to rollout. With three made U.S. Open cuts (which includes a top 10 and a top 25), in three appearances, I'm feeling some type of way about Hideki's fourth U.S. Open. That's a good way BTW.  

Fitzy's Red Guy - Rory McIlroy 7/1...Nike's most decorated active golfer is rightfully one of the favorites to win this week. Rory made a recent putting-grip change, which led to him having one heck of a putting week at Memorial en route to his T-4 finish. While Rory's changed to the conventional putting-grip, Pat McCroy does ask that he still use the restroom of the putting-grip that is listed on his birth certificate. It's going to take the right makeup of mental and physical ability to match this trepidatious test that the USGA and Oakmont are going to present this week. The 2014 Champion has that makeup. Rory won his open back in May, and now he is about to win ours. 

White Guys

When we think of white, we think of Fitzy's beautiful white down comforter with the highest of high thread counts. These guys have high odds, which means they're #SLEEPAS! If you thought we were taking this White Guys thing somewhere else, well then you my friend are a racist. 

Danny Willett 40/1...Our Masters' champ slowed down the hype-train with a missed cut at the Players, but I'll never forget the way he made me feel on that April Sunday. Okay, okay, I hear you screaming "Fitzy, come on dude, does D-Dubs really have a shot at this thing?" The answer is yes. That tee-to-green game we saw at the Masters was the truth, and he is sounding awfully comfortable at Oakmont. I won't be shocked if we're talking about the Grand Salami when the next major minaj is dropped on the blog. 

Billy Horschel 80/1...As much as you want to highlight the fact that putting wins championships, this challenge that the USGA has prepared is forcing us to believe that it is going to take one hell of a week striking the golf ball to find some success at Oakmont. The 2014 FedEx Cup Champion can strike the ball with the best of them. Last time the U.S. Open was in PA, Horschel went out on Friday and hit all 18 greens in regulation, on his way to a T4 finish. BillyHo_Golf hasn't sniffed the lead like that in his last two Opens, but he has played well with two top 25s. I can see the former Gator getting his flat stick hot enough to ride his stupid-fresh ball striking ability into contention on Sunday. 

Jamie Donaldson 200/1...Tier poolers, this one's for you. He's either in tier four or tier five depending on your pool. If you find him in five, circle him right now and stop reading. If he's in tier four, I'm circling him because other people probably aren't. You have to take a shot and be different when you're tier pooling, and JD's just the guy you want to go down that different path with. He's a polished player, who has made the cut in only one of his three U.S. Opens, but I'm encouraged by his work at last week's St. Jude Classic.  

Jeev Milkha Singh 1000/1...So Jamie Donaldson is a tier four guy in your pool, and you have never heard of any of the cats listed in tier five. Allow me to introduce you to four-time European Tour Winner Jeev Milkha Singh. The only Singh in the field just squeaked in as a first alternate following the International Sectional Qualifying in Europe. What do I like most about Jeev Milkha? Well he's a writer just like me. Give his piece that he wrote for the Gulf News a read, then go circle him as your tier five guy, and you'll be over the moon too!  

Fitzy's White Guy - Sergio Garcia 40/1...With his recent win at the AT&T, I've had to make a little room on the El Nino bandwagon. But don't worry, thankfully Sergio has made a career of being Sergio, so there will always be plenty of room on the wagon for you. His ball striking is as good as ever right now (first on tour this season in G.I.R), and his putter has been good enough. Does good enough putting win U.S. Opens? No not usually, but never forget the NYMWS Sergio Garcia disclaimer, "Fizty is the president/only member of the El Nino fan club." 

Blue Guys

Blue balls warning - These guys will leave you painfully unsatisfied and wanting more...

Jason Day 13/2 & Jordan Spieth 8/1...I can't be mad at you for picking them, but I don't see it happening. I don't like all this stress that Day is talking about, and I just don't think Spieth is where he needs to be, to be Spieth. That has to be the deepest, most thorough analysis of my blogging career. Tough to ever count these guys out, especially the defending champ, but I'm all in on my Red Guys.

Justin Rose 25/1...I'm normally a Justin Rose fan, but I'm not into this 25/1 Rose coming off a back injury, with a shaky putter. 

Phil Mickelson 25/1...I'd love nothing more than to see Lefty finally win this major, but it's not happening. Even off a runners-up finish last week, he's still not ready to battle Oakmont and this field. I'll root for Phil (and you should too), but as an insider, I can't recommend investing in him financially. Also, Tiger wins another major before Phil does. Hottest of hot takes.   

Bubba Watson 40/1...No. Not here. Not ever. Definitely not on this site. He's too wild off the tee, and this rough is too wild for him to score when he's hitting it all over Oakmont, PA.

Jim Furyk 80/1...I get it. Jim is a good enough guy, he has won a U.S. Open before, and at 80/1 you are thinking he's worth a flyer. But he's actually not. Fly with Horschel if you need that 80/1 flyer in your life.

-Fitzy Woods