Entries from December 2003 ↓

From the Associated Press:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Coach Jim Fassel was fired by the New York Giants after a disappointing season that began with hopes of reaching the Super Bowl.

“It’s time. They need a change, I need a change. It’s the right thing to do,” a teary Fassel said Wednesday.

After weeks of speculation about his future, Fassel requested a meeting with the owners Tuesday, saying if he was going to be fired he wanted to know. He asked to be allowed to coach the last two regular season games.

Co-owners Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch gave him the OK, provided Fassel assure them there was no way the team would quit on him. He did.

Fassel leaves as the third winningest coach (60-54-1) in the Giants’ 79-year history — behind only Steve Owen and Bill Parcells.

A Super Bowl team three seasons ago, the Giants (4-10) were expected to contend again this year but have dropped six straight games to fall to last place in the NFC East. It’s the team’s longest losing streak in 10 years.

Fassel has a year left on a contract that will pay him $2.7 million next season. He said he wants to coach again, however, and wouldn’t mind being back on the job next year.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Fassel said. “I have the energy to coach. It all depends on how many jobs open up. I have been rumored for more than one. I am ready to go.”

Before becoming the Giants’ head coach, Fassel was the offensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals. He has been thought to be a candidate for Arizona’s head coaching job if it should become vacant.

He also was head coach at the University of Utah from 1985-89.

Fassel took the Giants to the playoffs three times, including a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2001 Super Bowl. Last season, the Giants made the playoffs at 10-6, then blew a 24-point third-quarter lead against the San Francisco 49ers and lost their wild card game 39-38. The game ended on a botched snap and what the league later acknowledged was bad officiating.

In retrospect, that defeat might have caused some indecision at key moments this season for Fassel.

This season began with promise as the Giants opened with a 23-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams, a team now tied for the best record in the NFC at 11-3.

But New York lost a stunner to Dallas in its second game, kicking what appeared to be a winning field goal with 11 seconds left, only to have the ensuing kickoff go out of bounds. That helped Dallas tie the game, then win in overtime.

The Giants were 2-3 going into their first meeting with Philadelphia. New York dominated but lost on an 84-yard punt return by Brian Westbrook with just over a minute left.

The season went downhill from there, although New York did hand Minnesota its first loss after the Vikings started 6-0.

The Giants had plenty of injury problems, including to tight end Jeremy Shockey, three starting defensive backs and three starters on an offensive line that wasn’t very good to start with.

The line problems led to problems in the passing game and finally to an injury that knocked out quarterback Kerry Collins, who had started 67 straight games.

The last two home games have been marked by empty seats in the second half, something Wellington Mara noted after a loss to Buffalo. He wasn’t worried about money — the Giants have been sold out for years — but about the fans’ attitude toward the team.

“The crowd is our customers,” Mara said. “When they leave, it’s the same as someone calling up or writing and saying you’re not doing what it is I want you to do.

“I’m very dissatisfied. The message comes across loud and clear. All it tells me is that we need to improve the product. And how we go about that is something we will discuss.”

The low point came Sunday night with a 45-7 loss in New Orleans, the Giants’ worst regular-season defeat since 1973. They are minus-13 in turnover margin, second-worst in the league, and star running Tiki Barber has lost several fumbles.

Among the possible successors to Fassel are LSU coach Nick Saban, former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin, and the Patriots’ two coordinators: Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis. Coughlin, Crennel and Weis were Giants assistants under Bill Parcells.

From the Yankees press release:

YANKEES SIGN GARY SHEFFIELD

The New York Yankees announced today that they have signed free-agent outfielder Gary Sheffield to a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year.

He will be introduced at a media conference at Yankee Stadium today at 2:00 p.m.

You can LISTEN or WATCH LIVE on yankees.com

Sheffield, 35, joins the Yankees after leading the Atlanta Braves with a .330 batting average and a career-high 132 RBI in 2003. He also set a career-high in runs (126) and posted a career-best 24-game hitting streak from July 26-August 20. He ranked among National League leaders in RBIs (third, 132), total bases (third, 348 ), runs (fourth, 126), slugging percentage (fifth, .604), extra-base hits (tied for fifth, 78 ), on-base percentage (sixth, .419) and home runs (tied for seventh, 39).

In addition to reaching the 2,000 career-hit plateau, the seven-time All-Star stole his 200th career base this past season and became just the 17th player in Major-League history to hit at least 300 home runs and steal at least 200 bases.

COMPLETE INFORMATION �
Gary Sheffield Highlights: 56K| 300K

Arsenal down Brommies, advance to Carling Cup SemifinalsAn Arsenal side filled with youth and reserve players outlasted the top team in Division One today, defeating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 in Carling Cup 1/4 Final action.

Arsenal today revealed that they have rejected a formal offer for Thierry Henry from Chelski owner Roman Ambromovich. The Russian businessman (read:mob boss) offered upwards of �50 million, but was immediately rebuffed.Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein was quoted as saying, “Henry is not for sale at any price - not to Real Madrid, not to Chelsea, not to any club.”

“Money is only good if you can buy another player as good as Thierry, but there is no-one in the world like him.”

Dein added, “We know that Real Madrid are interested in our player and we know that Chelsea also want him because last week Roman Abramovich himself came to Highbury to present a formal offer for him.

“But we said the same thing we will say to Real Madrid if they present an offer, or to any other club for that matter, and that is that Henry is not for sale.

“He is the best. Henry is irreplaceable in every sense. If we sold him, we would weaken our team, strengthen the opposition and demoralise our manager, coaching staff and the rest of the team.”

Arsene Wenger was equally adamant about keeping Henry, and told the BBC that he would reject any approach for Henry.

“When you have the money but not the players it does not help you a lot,” said Wenger.

“The target is not to have a bank full of money but good players on the pitch.

“People will never understand if you sell your best players. That would be the wrong signal to send.”

Arsenal back on top1 - 0

An eleventh minute goal from Dennis Bergkamp, after some excellent build-up play by Kolo Toure, gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at Highbury today.

The match was wide open, unlike the last two Premiership games against Fulham and Leicester. Both sides had several chances, some that were saved, others that went begging, and one that was disallowed.

It was Blackburn who were the victims of the disallowed goal, their potential equalizer nullified by the fact that Marcus Babbel had climbed up Kolo Toure’s back in order to reach the ball and head it past Jens Lehmann.

Today’s win, coupled with Chelski’s loss yesterday to Bolton, puts the Gunners back on top of the Premiership with thirty-eight points after sixteen games, just one ahead of ManUre, and two ahead of Chelski.

It was a good win for Arsenal, who had lost both matches to Blackburn last season, and were looking for their first Premiership win since November 22. The win also maintains Arsenal’s record as the only side in the whole of England without a League loss this season.

Next up for the Gunners is the Carling Cup Quarter-Final match against West Brom at the Hawthornes this Tuesday. Arsene Wenger is likely to stick with his policy of fielding a side filled with youth and reserve players, but may decide to sprinkle in a few first-teamers, as the chance to win the first trophy of the season grows ever closer.

Here’s the press release from the Yankees:

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NEW YORK YANKEES - BREAKING NEWS
December 13, 2003
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YANKEES ACQUIRE KEVIN BROWN FROM LOS ANGELES DODGERS
The Yankees obtained six-time All-Star pitcher Kevin Brown from
the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night in exchange for fellow
right-hander Jeff Weaver and two minor-league pitchers. Brown
went 14-9 with a 2.39 ERA last season, the seventh time in the
last eight seasons that he has posted an ERA of 3.00 or lower.
In 15 full seasons in the Majors, the right-hander is 197-131
with a 3.16 ERA.

Brown fills the void left by Andy Pettitte’s defection to
Houston, joining Mike Mussina, Javier Vazquez, Jose Contreras
and Jon Lieber in the starting rotation. David Wells is close
to signing a minor-league deal with New York, which would give
the team one left-handed starter.

Get the complete story at Yankees.com