Taking a look at the Jets, to paraphrase Dennis Green-they are where we thought they’d be. The Jets are 3-2. You’d expect them to lose to San Diego and (or so we thought) New England. Now, the AFC East, and the conference itself, is wide open. Yesterday, a 26-14 win over the pesky but winless Cincinnati Bengals. With Carson Palmer out, Cincy’s backup Ryan Fitzpatrick is proving a Harvard education is great in most fields. Playing QB in the NFL is not one of them. Watch all the locker room interviews after the jump.

Let me say this first, my name is Matt, and I am I band wagoner. It feels so good to say that, I don't have to lie about my fan hood any longer. When I grew up in Tampa, baseball didn't even exist. The Devils Rays first took the mound on March 31, 1998. I was in 7th grade. Even after that historic day, Tampa still didn't care about baseball. The Bucs reigned supreme at the new sombrero, and since the Devil Rays were terrible anyways, they went unnoticed.

Hockey Season is upon us, it's time to lace up the skates and hit the ice. Last we left the Rangers they were taking another early exit in the playoffs, being dumped in the second round by the Pittsburgh Penguins, for the second year in a row. Now, two team leaders are gone in Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery, and new leadership is stepping up. Our sports anchor, Sal Marchiano made a visit to the Rangers practice facility in Greenburg, NY to get a feel for this year's team. Video after the jump.

So... If you are Hank and Hal and George S. from Tampa, you have to feel like the baseball gods have turned on you... Not only hasn't your team won a World Series since 2000... But your playoff streak has ended at 13... Add to that... The arch rival Boston Red Sox are still in the dance after beating an Angels team that beat your team every which way but Sunday... And the new thorn in the side Tampa Bay Rays are also still dancing... If the Tampa S's would like to go to games 1 and 2, I'm sure they can get great seats at the Trop... Not that they would go... Oh... And another reason for consternation... There's a certain gentleman who's club plays out West and wears a lot of Blue... Strangely enough... They are still playing as well... And did you hear the thinly veiled swipe Mr. Torre took at the S's over the weekend... It happened late on Saturday so the Tampa folks might have missed it... But we didn't... Listen in...

Following their insanely early bye week, the Giants take to the field Sunday against the Seahawks without star wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Plax went AWOL last Monday (neglecting to call the team to say he wouldn't be at practice) and was slapped with a two week -- but only one game -- suspension as a result.

So what effect will Burress' absence have on the G-men? NONE. That's because the Giants have the deepest receiving corps in the NFL; and that's not even counting Super Bowl hero David Tyree. The players fill us in after the jump.

While the Mets make their way home after gagging away a postseason berth for the 2nd straight year, the most dysfunctional club in town starts another year. That’s right: It’s Knicks Media Day!

Talk about polar opposites: While Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh desperately try to find a way to get rid of Isiah Thomas’ favorite Knick, Stephon Marbury, his supposed successor, Chris Duhon, said all the right things.

It’s clear Starbury wants out of town, and the Knicks want to make their new coach D’Antoni (who wasn’t fond of Marbury in Phoenix) happy if at all possible by ridding themselves of Marbury. President Donnie Walsh wants as much of Isiah’s mess out the door as possible. It will be interesting to see how the Knicks get it done: A buyout, outright release? But for now, stay tuned.

Hear Marbury’s rant and Sal Marchiano’s one on one with new Knick Chris Duhon after the jump.

David Wright, Lee Mazzilli, and Ed Charles are just some of the Amazin' Mets sharing their most memorable moments at Shea Stadium. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THEM ALL.

With only three games left in the season, the New York Mets find themselves tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the wildcard spot. So who stands a better chance of making the playoffs?

Both teams seemed destined for the playoffs heading into September but suffered a complete collapse. The Mets came up big on Thursday night when they came from behind in the seventh inning and Carlos Beltran knocked in the game-winning run in the ninth. Ryan Braun of the Brewers propelled his team to a win on Thursday with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning.

This week we headed back to the Waldorf-Astoria for the 23rd Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner. The event, sponsored by the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, recognized nine athletes whose amazing contributions to the playing field equal their dedication to philanthropy. Nick Buoniconti, best known as a linebacker for the undefeated Miami Dolphins team of 1972, founded the Miami project to cure paralysis when his son Marc was paralyzed during a collegiate football game in 1985.

Since then, the project has grown into an international team of more than 200 scientists and researches that have made several strides in repairing spinal cord injuries. In 1992 Mr. Buoniconti established the Buoniconti Fund, which is the fundraising arm of the operation. Video after the jump.

Last night I lived every football fans dream. Legends of the gridiron gathered at the Waldorf-Astoria to recognize the NFL's acceptance of the International Radio and Television Society Foundation's Gold Medal Award, and I had the incredible opportunity to accompany our sports anchor Sal Marchiano to the event. Brushing shoulders with the likes of Lynn Swann and Warren Sapp, there was so much Super Bowl bling, I needed sunglasses. In my role as producer, I shuttled Giant's greats like Frank Gifford, Ottis Anderson, and George Martin over to Sal for some one on one interviews. Video after the jump.

It takes a lot of pacing by Mets manager Jerry Manuel (and walking back and forth to the pitcher's mound), but the Mets hold on after taking leads of 7-1 and 8-2. Mets ultimately win, 9-7 over the Nationals, September 17, 2008. (AP)

With only 10 games remaining, the New York Mets find themselves in a very familiar situation. For the second straight year, theyʼve lost their division lead to the Philadelphia Phillies, who are playing their best baseball of the season. The Metsʼ 2007 collapse sent them home early and put their archrival Phillies into the playoffs. But this year is different. Though the Philliesʼ dominant play of late has them leading the East, the Mets are 1 ½ games ahead of the fading Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Wildcard.

Gymnast Nastia Liukin stopped by our studio today to talk about her record wins at the Beijing Olympics this summer.

Liukin and the entire US Olympic gymnastics team will be heading out on a 37 city tour. For schedules and tickets just log on to her website at www.nastialiukin.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Liukin won five medals during the Beijing Olympic Games. They included gold medal for the All Around championship; silver medal in the balance bean, uneven bars and team comeptition; and a bronze medal in floor exercise.

Liukin also recently partnered with Herbal Essences and will be sharing some of her style tips with her fans in the coming weeks. For more, just log on to www.herbalessences.

WATCH THE VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP...

Billy Wagner’s thrown his last pitch as a Met; if not his last pitch ever. If he wants to see Citi Field, he can buy an astronomically priced ticket like the rest of us or visit as an opposing player. And after attending Tuesday’s tearful press conference, I see the latter as a strong possibility.

Obviously, we can forget about 2009. Wagner will need that final year of his contract with the Mets to rehab his surgically repaired arm. And as far as the Mets exercising their $8 million 2010 option on Billy - there’s a better chance of Willie Randolph appearing in the Mets dugout this season wearing a Groucho Marx glasses/mustache combo disguise.

But most telling for me was what Wagner told us assembled media: the Mets would be stupid not to go after the Angels’ Frankie Rodriguez in the off-season. If the Mets follow Billy’s advice and land a top tier closer like K-Rod, you can expect the club to lock said reliever up for several years, meaning no room for a 39-year old question mark. Read more and watch the video after the jump.

Itʼs never easy to predict the outcome of an NFL season after only one week, but a few teams usually break ahead of the pack. This year is different. There isnʼt a single team that seems likely to cruise through the regular season.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (left) is out for the rest of the season with a left knee injury that will require surgery, while Jets quarterback Brett Favre (right) led gang green to a 20-14 win over Miami in his debut for the New York team.

The preseason favorite New England Patriots suffered a major blow when Tom Brady went down in the very first quarter. Last yearʼs MVP will miss the entire season! Although they still have plenty of weapons, the Pats find themselves in a deep hole. Their best player is gone and their division rivals (the New York Jets) are looking to make a playoff run behind their new QB, Brett Favre. Read more after the jump.

Coach Tom Coughlin and his defending champion New York Giants enter the 2008 season with great expectations. Unfortunately, their high hopes aren't shared by the rest of the football world. Michael Strahan's retirement and Osi Umenyiora's season-ending injury have caused many sportswriters and commentators to question the team's ability to repeat. Most of them don't even think they'll make the playoffs! What do the Giants have to do to gain some respect?

The Giants will go into Thursday night's game against the Redskins with their entire championship offense intact. Sure, players like Strahan and Umenyiora are hard to replace, but Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck are good enough to get the job done. Plus, with Steve Spagnola calling the shots on defense, fans may be treated to a little magic.

And the critics seem to have forgotten about Eli Manning. The Super Bowl MVP has proven to be a big-game player who can win in the clutch. Eli no longer feels the pressure of performing in New York, and he's definitely stepped out of his brother's shadow. When will he finally get the credit he deserves? But the more Eli is doubted, the better he plays. He's also happy to be the second most popular quarterback (after Brett Favre) in New York.

According to ESPN and Sports Illustrated, last year's miraculous run means nothing. Their analysts project the G-Men to finish no higher than third place in the NFC East! Giants fans should be thrilled. The team, like Eli, tends to perform at a high level when expectations are low. Once again, they're underdogs, and they wouldn't have it any other way. -Matan Cohen, Special to Bobby v. the World

Like the Yankees didn't have enough on their minds, 6.5 games back (and counting) in the wildcard, a hopeless chase for the division, now they can add one more thing, possibly destroying the economy.

A story came out today that if the Yankees don't make the playoffs, NYC could lose up to $141 million dollars in potential revenue. Now, if the NL East leading Mets make a deep run into October they may bail out the Bombers, but knowing Yankees fans nothing would be worse than letting the Amazin’s pick up the tab. Matt Leach, Special to Bobby v. the World

Professional sports, such as football, have been using instant replay for years to review questionable calls on the field. Major League Baseball will begin utilizing it today for debatable home run calls. Thank god, right? Now we no longer have to worry about teams losing games because of a foul ball called fair or a fan interference that went unnoticed.

But will MLB eventually begin to use replay for other controversial calls, making the game even longer than it already is? And of more immediate concern, does it make sense to introduce such a crucial rule near the end of the season? Read more after the jump.

Maria Sharapova unveiled her limited-edition Canon Powershot Diamond Collection Wednesday, August 20 2008 at New York City's South Street Seaport.

I had the enviable task of covering the unveiling of Canon’s new Powershot Diamond Collection on Wednesday. I wasn’t as interested in the diamond encrusted camera, however, as I was the 6’2 Russian tennis player that was doing the unveiling. Although Maria Sharapova won’t be playing in the U.S. Open this week due to a torn rotator cuff, she did make it out for a night on the red carpet at the South Street Seaport. I caught up with her to talk about the injury, and her thoughts on having to sit out her first major. Video after the jump.

Kobe Bryant (left to right), LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony of the United States hold up their medals after defeating Spain in the gold medal game during Day 16 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

In a surprisingly close game with Spain, the “Redeem Team” won the gold and proved that the United States still dominates basketball. Despite talk of the world’s talent catching up with ours, Team USA beat most of its opponents convincingly, averaging a winning margin of over 30 points.

The US team was clearly more prepared for this year’s games than in 2004, when it failed to reach the gold medal game. These guys really wanted to win and their dedication was evident. Team USA also represented our country very well off the court. Players showed up on many occasions to support American athletes participating in other events. Not so the 2004 team, which was extremely standoffish and didn’t seem to understand what it means to represent your country.

A country's success in the Olympic Games has always been measured by its total medal count, and as usual the United States leads in that category. But we only have a three-medal lead, and that edge can disappear by tomorrow. What's more, the Chinese have won 43 gold medals thus far compared to our 26. The Chinese have made it clear that beating the U.S. is their main objective.

What's more important, the overall medal lead or the tally of golds? The country with the most medals in the greatest number of events is clearly the most well rounded. But can we consider the U.S. the best athletic nation when China has many more number-one finishers? Many of China's gold medals have come in events such as badminton, judo, weightlifting, trampoline, artistic gymnastics, and diving, while U.S. athletes seem more concerned with the major sports. Michael Phelps and basketball's "Redeem Team" may be the talk of this year's Olympics, but the United States is not the athletic standout it used to be.

Regardless of how you look at it, China is catching up to us, and fast! Our dominance has dwindled since Sydney. We may win the total medal count in Beijing, but we're going to have to make many changes if we want to keep ruling the world of sports. We will need to start training athletes at a younger age and increase the popularity of the "minor" Olympic Sports. Is our country up to the task? More important, is this something we want to do to our kids? Do we really want to take a lot of the fun out of sports, which is what playing sports is supposed to be about? - Matan Cohen, (special to Bobby v. the World)