NYK, NYM, US Hockey

• The Knicks, among a handful of other NBA teams, made a flurry of trades at the deadline last Thursday. Each trade had a common goal - get as far under the salary cap as possible for the free agent class this summer. Apparently, the Knicks are trying to sign this guy from Cleveland this summer - I had no idea. However, in the process of clearing all this cap space, we managed to add a guy who was once one of the top 5 premier talents in the world, Tracy McGrady. Coming off microfracture knee surgery and a grueling 18 month comeback, Knicks fans didn't know what to expect. All we knew is that this guy was the most talented player to don the Orange and Blue since Patrick Ewing. What we saw last night is a guy who was nowhere near 100% come out and drop a cool 26 on one of the better defensive teams in the league. T-Mac says he wants to be here next year, will take a pay cut to play with a guy like Lebron, Wade, or Bosh. Does he mean it? I have no idea, but he seems like a genuine guy - not to mention he has made over $150 million so far in his career. Suffice it to say, he's doing just fine. I want him back next year as a number 2 or 3 option.
• Mets fans must have welcomed this sight down in Port. St. Lucie, Fla a few days ago. Personally, I'll get fired up when I see him running the bases full speed, but it's good to see Jose apparently moving well. The overall tone seems to be upbeat, confident and focused. There are many question marks on the roster, but there's no better feeling going into a season with a 0-0 record knowing anything can happen. I don't know if this team has the potential to win the pennant, but the core remains from a team that was 4 outs away from the 2006 world series. Everyone should be hungry and determined. I'm ready for Mets baseball - one thing is a given, it will be entertainin; for better or worse. David Wright looks poised to have a huge bounce-back year after his power outage last year.
• Tonight, USA hockey takes on the hometown Canadians. I'm not a huge hockey fan by any stretch, but this should be interesting to see how we compete against a roster full of top-level NHL talent in their own building (which, by the way, is called the Canada Hockey Place. Is this really the best you can do when you have the olympics being held on your home turf?). Anyway, this seems like a classic matchup of blue-collared hardworking playrs (US) against finesse superstars such as Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron from the "Land of the all jean suit, or Canadian tuxedo"). To me, this is about more than just a hockey game, it's a matter of national pride. And while the only thing at stake will be seeding for the medal rounds, a strong performance against the Canucks would send a loud message to the rest of the hockey world. 7:40 on MSNBC tonight.