Comeback Time

Hey all. So I've been, shall we say, lax in posting the last couple months. In my defense, I still had a better spring than Mark Teixeira.

But seriously, folks, I'm back. I'm once again living in the Big Apple and ready to bring you the best of my hometown sports. Let's get it re-started with a rundown of the New York teams.

NEW YORK YANKEES: You can’t help but be impressed by Javier Vazquez. After starting the year so bad he was temporarily moved to the bullpen, Javy is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in his last four starts. As leery as I am of the Vazquez bandwagon, a couple more starts like Sunday’s gem against Toronto (seven innings, two earned runs, a no-hitter through six) will get at least one of my feet on it.

NEW YORK METS: The sordid sage of Oliver Perez is on hold—for now. The mercurial pitcher—who’s been dismal of late—had refused to accept a temporary demotion to the minors, where he could have worked on his mechanics and, you know, gotten better. So the Mets stuck him on the DL with “right knee tendinitis,” the cure for which is undoubtedly a healthy dose of contrition.

NEW YORK JETS: Darrelle Revis has employed the “better late than never” philosophy, joining the team just three days before the end of voluntary workouts. Revis and the team are “far apart” in contract discussions, an ominous sign for Jets fans who watched the league’s best defensive player (deal with it, Charles Woodson) shut down one elite receiver after another last year. Nice to see Revis show up, but it doesn’t change the sense that this dispute could drag on into the summer.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Little to report. Osi Umenyiora's still on the team and has said he won't be a "distraction" despite the G-Men essentially drafting his replacement in Jason Pierre-Paul. So that's nice.

NEW YORK KNICKS: LeBron James isn't a free agent until July 1. Neither is Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or anybody else. Let's all take a chill pill until then.

NEW JERSEY NETS: See above. Or, if you're looking for a good laugh, check out this profile of new owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

HOCKEY: When a New York-area team gets out of the first round, we'll talk hockey.

COLLEGES: Cornell lost the architect of its Sweet 16 run when Steve Donohue bolted for greener pastures (literally) at Boston College. The Big Red also lost seniors Ryan Wittman, Jeff Foote, and Louis Dale to graduation. Let's just say expecting another Sweet 16 appearance might be a tad optimistic.

HIGH SCHOOLS: Far be it from me to make a shameless plug for my alma mater, but... how 'bout those Collegiate Dutchmen! Not only did the hoops teams win its third straight New York State Federation Class B title, but coach Ray Voelkel was named All-Manhattan boys basketball Coach of the Year by the New York Post. That's how you get a program "untracked."