Sports this 'n' that

The season can't end fast enough for the Mets.

Thought to be a contender for the NL East this season before injuries put a crimp in the club's plans, the Amazin's limp home from Miami after getting swept by the Marlins this afternoon. New York has lost 8 of 10, and it's only going to get worse with the division champion Washington Nationals coming in on Friday. Miami only reinforced the point as it relates to Matt Harvey on Monday night. The Mets would be fools to let Harvey remain in the rotation next year as he doesn't have the arm strength to get beyond 5 innings in a start. Better to move him into the bullpen in what would certainly be his walk year, and you know his parasitic agent, Scott Boras, will want to move him someplace else to fatten both of their portfolios. What Boras, blinded by greed as he is, fails to see is that Harvey is not a quality starting pitcher anymore. He's routinely gotten lit up, as was the case Monday, suggesting that the Mets rushed him back too soon, just as they did with Seth Lugo, who put in 5 tough innings Tuesday, but got a no decision to show for it, and Steven Matz, who is done for the year. Once Harvey realizes this himself, no amount of bull that Boras can spin will convince other teams that Harvey can still be a starter.
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Has Troy High's boys' soccer team peaked too soon?

The Flying Horses have now dropped two straight after getting shut out, 5-0, by Shaker Tuesday afternoon. Luckily, their next game isn't until Saturday morning in a Brunch Special vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake. In fact, four of their final seven games are at home, so there's time to put a couple more wins on the board before sectionals begin the week of October 16.

Meanwhile, the Troy girls are still looking for their first win this year, and host non-league opponent Broadalbin-Perth for the 2nd straight year tonight. The game was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but because of Jewish New Year, it's been moved a day ahead of schedule. This has been a trend in Section 2, and presumably elsewhere, the last few years, something that didn't happen when I was in school. A year ago, Troy snapped their season-opening winless streak at B-P's expense. Could lightning strike twice in the same place? We'll see.
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What is with the defeatist attitude at the New York Daily News lately?

Convinced that the Jets won't win a game this season---they're currently 0-2---the tabloid went so far as to suggest the team "tank" this season so they can get the #1 draft pick next spring, as we've documented previously. Now, a week ago, columnist Frank Isola, also a contributor to ESPN's Around The Horn and a guest co-host last week on Pardon The Interruption, suggested that the Knicks do the same thing this upcoming NBA season.

SAY WHAT?

The Knicks, as long as James Dolan mismanages them, will never sign LeBron James if he decides to become a free agent again. They'd have a better chance of hiring ESPN's resident idiot, Stephen A. Smith, to be a press flack for Dolan than James taking his talents to Manhattan. That's just reality. I honestly think the Jests will actually win a game or two this season, just to prove the nay-sayers wrong. Not that it'd save Todd Bowles' job, because he'll be the sacrificial lamb regardless, but no one in their right mind would tank for an entire season.
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The Giants are also 0-2, soon to be 0-3 if they drop one to Philadelphia this weekend. Now, there are headlines suggesting that head coach Ben McAdoo's offense isn't all that great after all. Like, DUH! Recall that Big Blue got off to a similarly slow start a couple of years ago, when McAdoo was the offensive coordinator under Tom Coughlin. McAdoo is wilting under the pressure, and he likely will be out the door if they don't make the playoffs. Just sayin'.
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We close with some sad news.

Boxer Jake LaMotta, whose life story was told in the movie, "Raging Bull", passed away at 94 or 95, depending on which sources you're reading. This is because there are conflicting accounts of when he was born, be it 1922 or 1923.

Closer to home, retired Albany Times-Union staffer Mike Jarboe, who spent the last 15 seasons handicapping racing at Saratoga, and being part of a comedy team with sportswriter Tim Wilkin, succumbed to cancer at 63, just 2 weeks after the conclusion of this year's Saratoga meet. Jarboe toughed it out this season, but few readers knew of his condition, despite hints being dropped in the Bankroll Beatdown column during the meet.

Rest in peace, gentlemen.