The Saints came into Giants Stadium on Christmas Eve in the thick of the playoff hunt.  They were 9-5 and the Carolina Panthers were still fighting them for the NFC South title.  New York, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly the toast of the NFC East just yet.  Their 7-7 record left them closer to the bottom of the division than the top and they had just lost five of their last six.  It wasn’t shaping up to be a title fight, and it didn’t end up being one.

New Orleans had its way with the Giants defense all afternoon, including a big day from then-rookie phenom Reggie Bush.  The former USC running back took 20 handoffs for 126 yards and a touchdown.  He also had a second score called back on a penalty.  Thanks in part to Bush’s career day, the Saints routed the Giants, 30-7.

Later that night, the Associated Press had this to say about Bush:  “The only thing (Bush) did wrong was bolt out of the locker room after the game without talking to the media.”

Not so.

After speaking with Saints head coach Sean Payton, I made my way into their locker room looking for Bush.  He was the biggest name to come into the NFL that season and to score an interview with him would be huge for my radio show at the time.  I didn’t spot him initially so I went and gathered quotes from wide receiver Marques Colston and running back Deuce McAllister instead.  Just as I finished with McAllister, I saw Bush walking out the locker room doors with his bags.

Typically, guys of his caliber make a right out of the locker room to give a press conference.  Instead, Bush went left and was clearly heading towards the team bus.  I went after the reigning Heisman Trophy winner — I believe there may have been one other reporter with me, but no more than that.  Despite a small crowd of kids trying to get an autograph, I was able to speak with Bush about his earlier performance, namely his scoring drive.  (Listen to the short interview here)

“It was one of those drives that coach was feeding me the ball,” Bush said. “He felt like I had the hot hand and gave me the opportunity to make plays and I did it.”

After a follow-up question, I wished him a happy holiday, to which he told me the same.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic to get a near-exclusive interview with Bush.  Back inside the locker room, I overheard several other reporters asking where Bush was.  When a Saints P.R. representative told them he had left, there was definitely some anger.  After all, NFL players are required to speak to the media following games.

What they didn’t know was he technically did.  It just wasn’t in typical fashion.

After a conversation with quarterback Drew Brees, I headed back upstairs to the press box, where I packed up my things.  It was time to head home for Christmas.

The Giants put their franchise tag on Jacobs earlier this month, then inked him to a four year, $25 million deal a few weeks later. $13 million of the contract is guaranteed and $15 million will be paid out over the first two years.

An encounter I had with Jacobs made me a believer, just as much as he was, that he’d be carrying the ball for the Giants in 2009.

Following the Giants’ playoff loss to the Eagles back in January, I waited near Jacobs’ locker to interview him. As big as star as he has become, Jacobs rarely holds his post-game session in the large press conference room.

Jacobs’ locker is an end unit and I was standing next to a stack of shoe boxes with a pair of jeans on top. Jacobs walked over, grabbed his jeans and started looking for his wallet. It was gone.

He looked at the top of his locker. Nothing. Through a pile of at least a dozen cleats at the bottom. Still nothing.

“I can’t find my wallet,” he said.

“Let me see if it’s here,” I responded.

I moved a couple of shoe boxes, but the wallet was still missing. That’s when he looked me in the eyes and said: “It’s okay. Not much was in there. It was good they took it now and not in a few weeks.”

Just to make it clear: I did not take Jacob’s wallet. I don’t think he thought I did either. I just happened to be closest to where it was last.

Jacobs began his interviews and went on to express confidence that he’d return to the Giants next season. He didn’t say it, but I believe he knew the Giants would throw big money at him, or at least would franchise him.

The Giants have rewarded all of their key players: Plaxico Burress, Corey Webster, David Diehl. If GM Jerry Reese signed those stars to lucrative deals, surly Jacobs would get his.

Now, I don’t know if Jacobs ever found his missing wallet. It’s definitely bigger now than any other time during his 26 years of life. And, just as confident as I was that he’d be back, I’m just as sure he’ll take a little more care of it from now on.

I was 11 years old, watching from a recliner in my living room.  My dad and brother were on the couch sleeping, but I was glued to the television.  As soon as Carter’s bat touched the ball I knew it was gone.  I screamed, waking the two of them, and we all watched as Carter jumped and pumped his fist around the bases.

The Blue Jays had taken the World Series from the Phillies with one swing.  Fifteen years later, Philadelphia is back, trying to erase the memories of Williams’ 2-2 mistake.

“Starting day one, in Spring Training, this is what we’ve worked for,” Chase Utley told me in 2005, referring to the postseason.

The reason I’m revisiting that quote — and several others from Phillies players that year — is because it fits perfectly.  It’s a responce I’m sure Utley would give to me if I asked him about making the playoffs today.

“I’ve worked hard for 15 years to get to this position,” Utley said of getting to the big leagues. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Fifteen years is what the Phillies fans have had to wait for their team to make it back to The Grand Stage.  That’s a long time for some groupies that expect their team to win, like they expect Cheese Whiz on their cheesesteaks.

On Thursday, the Phillies picked up their first World Series loss since that unfortunate day back on October 23, 2003.  In a series against a Rays team that has never even been to the playoffs, let alone the World Series, the Phillies are hoping all their hard work pays off.

When Jimmy Rollins and I were walking from the dugout to the clubhouse in May 2005, I asked him what the best moment of his career had been so far.

“I haven’t gotten there yet.  So there’s nothing I would want to relive, unless we win the World Series.  I’d want to relive that as many times as possible.”

This year’s Phillies team is special.  Their infield is made up of two former MVPs (Ryan Howard and Rollins) and one who could very well win one in the near future (Utley).

NL Championship Series MVP Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and closer Brad Lidge comprise a pitching staff that has the playoff’s top ERA (3.09), average against (.230), wins (8) and saves (6).

“We’re going to try and win every game we can,” Myers said that same day. “None of us have any quit in us; that’s the mentality that you have to have as a ballplayer.”

The Rays aren’t going to be an easy opponent for the Phillies.  Their young lineup knocked the Yankees out of the postseason for the first time since the early nineties.  That’s an accomplishment in itself.

“You end up with great stories when you end up in the major leagues,” Rollins said, placing his bat against the wall. “This is the place to be, no doubt about that.”

There’s a whole group of guys hoping this year’s story ends with a World Series title.  Three wins to go.

I also enjoyed collecting baseball cards.  To this day, if you tell me a player’s name, I can visualize one of his cards.

In the summer of 1996, I read how people were sending cards and a self-addressed-stamped envelope to players in Spring Training and getting autographs in return.  I had to get in on this craze.

I didn’t just want an autograph though; I wanted a connection.  On my computer, I typed up dozens of letters to different players all across the majors.  These blue pieces of paper not only had a personal touch on them, but they had a few questions and the address to a Baltimore Orioles web site I created.

In my head, I figured out how long, at the earliest, I would get one back.  Three days, max, to get to Florida, two days to sign and send, three days on a return flight.  Eight days.

Every day I couldn’t wait to hear the hum of the mail truck as it was coming up the road.  I would run the 100 yards down the driveway and open the mailbox to either heartbreak or excitement.  I must have received close to 50 back over the years.  One of them was from Rick Krivda, a young starting pitcher with the Orioles.

The top of my letter was ripped off and Krivda answered the three questions I had for him.  He even wrote a short note: “I’ll be sure to check out your web site.”

I was impressed.  How could you not be?  A big-league pitcher that was actually interested in my stuff.

Krivda spent three seasons in Baltimore before splitting the 1998 season in Cleveland and Cincinnati.  He won 11 games and struck out 165 in 72-career games.  In 2000, Krivda won a Gold Medal playing baseball for manager Tommy Lasorda in the Olympics.

Years went by and I began my career covering pro sports.  I was interacting with players more than I could have ever imagined and loved it.  Then, in early 2003, I checked my email and saw this: “Somerset Patriots Sign Former MLB Pitcher Rick Krivda.”

I was ecstatic.  I couldn’t wait to meet Krivda and tell him the story.  My chance came during the Patriots’ pre-season luncheon.  It was near the end of my time there, and I spotted Krivda sitting at a table near the front of the section we were in.  After introducing myself, I proceeded to tell him the story (not nearly as long as this one you’re reading).

“Was it one blue paper?” Krivda asked.

“Yes, it was,” I responded.

“Yea, I remember that letter.  I checked out the site.  It was cool.  How crazy is that?” Krivda said, to my excitement.

Krivda and I became friends from that moment.  We talked often in the clubhouse and I was upset the day he was released. (I was in Trenton, got the news and sped to Somerset to try and catch him before he left.  I got a ticket and never saw him.)

He re-signed the next season and we spoke on the phone a few times after that.  He’s a great guy, with great stories.  Krivda would tell of how he played fantasy football with Mike Mussina and where he kept his Olympic Gold Medal.

It just comes to show, what a small world the sports world is sometimes.

Every so often, I’ll take the time to write about an interesting first-hand story from my career.

Today’s story is about Melvin Nieves.

Nieves played part of seven seasons in the big leagues before inking with the Somerset Patriots in 2003. Sixty-three career major league home runs, once traded for Fred McGriff (granted, it was with two other players in a three-for-one deal) and brother of Washington Nationals’ catcher Wil Nieves. As a writer, it was enough to pique my interest.

Nieves had just wrapped up batting practice on a hot, sunny day in April when I asked him to chat. We walked near the Patriots’ on-deck circle at Commerce Bank Ballpark and began discussing his goals for the year. His answers were short and he wasn’t looking at me in the eyes very much.

I decided to delve into his career and brought up a game from September 18, 1996. In it, Nieves struck out twice. Those two “K’s” were part of 20 that Roger Clemens had on the evening. When I asked him if it was disappointing or just cool to be part of history, Nieves shot back quickly: “I only struck out once.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I saw the box score and it said twice,” I responded.

“Once.”

“Okay, well was it cool to be part of history or not,” I asked, standing by my initial question as my mind wondered if I was wrong.

After the interview, I thanked him, we shook hands and I headed up to the press box. I immediately went to my computer and logged online to find several box scores from the game. All of them showed Nieves struck out twice.

I never brought up the topic again with Nieves.

About two weeks later, I walked into the Patriots’ clubhouse. Nieves was sitting on one of the two couches in front of the TV. On the screen was ESPN Classic. The show: Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout game from September 18, 1996.

I stayed just long enough to catch the second of Nieves’ two strikeouts in the game. He never saw me in there watching.