The First Annual New York Sports Turkey Award

With Thanksgiving just two days away, families everywhere are preparing turkeys, yams, stuffings, and the occasional terducken (at least at John Madden's house). Turkeys, especially, will be everywhere. But who in New York sports has been dumb enough lately to warrant the not-so-coveted New York Sports Turkey Award?

HONORABLE MENTION:
Mark Sanchez: The Jets' quarterback has moved from "cock of the walk" to "chicken running around with his head cut off" at light speed. After becoming the first rookie QB in NFL history to lead his team to a 3-0 start, Sanchez has completely imploded. In four of the Jets' last seven games, he's thrown at least two picks -- not surprisingly, Gang Green lost all four contests. The coup de grace came Sunday against New England, when he threw four picks and lost a fumble to personally deliver the win to the Pats on a silver platter.

James Dolan: It goes without saying that the Knicks and Rangers' hapless owner has a lifetime membership in the NY Sports Turkey Club. But it turns out he can't even play a round of golf without getting involved in some corrupt business. According to a New York Times article, Dolan enlisted the help of embattled state senator Joseph Bruno to help block the construction of a proposed stadium in Manhattan for the 2012 Olympics. Mayor Mike Bloomberg's failure to get support for the stadium basically killed the bid in its tracks, and he failed in large part because of staunch opposition from the state legislature -- in other words, people like Bruno.

"An assistant to Senator Bruno asked him whether he wanted to join a golf foursome that his son, Kenneth R. Bruno, a lobbyist, had planned with Cablevision executive James L. Dolan," the article reads. "Mr. Dolan had hired the younger Mr. Bruno to help block plans to build an Olympic stadium on Manhattan’s West Side.... Mr. Bruno played in the game. Three months later, opposition in Albany helped doom the stadium project."

So Mr. Dolan, not only can you run a storied basketball franchise into the ground, but you can engage in underhanded deals to stop New York from getting the Olympics. Real proud to call you a fellow New Yorker.

RUNNER UP:
Tom Williams: The Yale football coach doesn't exactly fall into the purview of New York sports. But New Haven is only 82 miles up I-95 from the city, and this gaffe is worthy of a national turkey award.

On Saturday, Yale led archrival Harvard 10-7 with just under three minutes remaining. The Bulldogs faced fourth-and-22 at their own 26, basically the dictionary definition of a punting situation. Instead, Williams called for a fake punt, a run no less.

I don't feel like I need to explain how insane that call is. It's right up there with Napoleon invading Russia.

In a shocker, the "gamble" -- if you can call committing career suicide a gamble -- didn't work. Harvard took over on downs and marched into the end zone, and Yale was left to ponder a 14-10 loss more inexplicable then "Harvard beats Yale, 29-29".

After the game, Williams explained his rationale for the fake punt, saying "The whole idea was to keep our foot on the pedal and not play scared." Well Tom, calling for a fake punt on fourth-and-22 deep in your own territory when you're up three points with three minutes left is indeed not playing scared. It's also not playing football.

Check out good pieces on Williams' decision -- as well as an equally asinine coaching job by LSU's Les Miles -- by the Wall Street Journal's Darren Everson and ESPN's Pat Forde.

TURKEY-EST OF THE TURKEYS:
(drumstick -- er, drumroll please...)

Nate Robinson: The Knicks' guard is shooting just 35 percent from the field this season. But after Saturday's win over the Nets, Robinson can boast of a perfect shooting percentage on his own basket.

That's right, his own basket. With half a second left in the first quarter, Nate thought it would be funny to chuck the ball towards his own hoop rather than try a buzzer-beater on the more conventional basket -- the other team's. In true Turkey of the Year fashion, Robinson's one-handed heave hit nothing but net, swishing through the hoop as the 37 or so fans in the stands looked on in shock.

The referees ruled Robinson released his wrong-way beauty after the buzzer, nullifying the shot. Even if he had gotten the shot off in time, it would not have counted, as it is against NBA rules to shoot on your own basket. I assume the reason the league has the rule at all is to guard against match-fixing, but as a Knicks fan I'm glad it covers subzero IQ's as well.

For his part, Robinson claimed he was just fooling around and waited until after the buzzer to shoot on his own basket. Even if that's true, his actions display a lack of professionalism and interest in the game itself that has no place anywhere in the NBA, much less a 3-10 team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2004. But it's just as likely Robinson thought he'd have some fun, didn't know the buzzer had gone off, and simply didn't think he'd actually make the shot.

Only Nate really knows the answer. But whatever it is, Mr. Nate Robinson, you have gone above and beyond the call of stupidity. You, sir are the 2009 New York Sports Turkey Award winner!

Now give all those Knicks' season-ticket holders their money back.