To watch an outtake from Thursday’s episode of The Nooner, click play below:

It didn’t take us long to get sick of the trade deadline this year. Naturally, as Mets fans we’ve been sick of the trade deadline since the Amazins traded Jason Isringhausen for Billy Taylor, not to mention the time they sent some Kazmir guy to Tampa Bay for surefire All-Star, 10-minute-fix Victor Zambrano.

(It should be noted that we were at Zambrano’s last game for the Mets, when he tweaked something in his elbow, threw a pitch, then just ran off the field mid-inning. We thought it was funny, injury aside, and we stood on our feet and cheered his departure. Mets fans around us got mad that we were making light of his injury, but we were really just making light of the franchise’s storied commitment to making boneheaded deadline deals then keeping the crappy players they received around for way too long out of hubris. Those same fans later booed Cow-Bellman, who slots in right behind Victor Zambrano on the list of people who exemplify everything that’s ever gone wrong with the Mets.)

Besides the jilted-lover feeling we sometimes get from the Mets at the deadline, we hate hearing about all the rumors. Mostly because so few of those rumors come true. So Manny Ramirez is heading to the Marlins? Could be. But it’s equally possible he won’t be dealt at all, or that he’ll randomly end up on some other team that Ken Rosenthal and Peter Gammons and Buster Olney said nothing about. And once he gets there, he’ll still be awesome.

Until then, we’re going to avoid the temptation to break down every possible Mets trade option and tell you why they all suck. That’s someone else’s job. We’ll just wait to see who they get, and then tell you why he sucks on tomorrow’s episode of The Nooner.

Mike Pelfrey allowed 5 earned runs in the fourth inning, digging a hole the Mets were unable to climb out of on the way to a 7-5 loss. Now, with the trade deadline looming many have said the Mets need to bolster their bullpen. However after having showed the ability to get knocked around that badly within one inning, it seems Pelfrey would fit in perfectly with the Mets pen, and they will likely have a hole in the starting rotation.

The Yanks salvaged their series with the last place O’s, stomping the birds 13-3 behind two Bobby Abreu dingers. The big news of the day however, came with the announcement that the Bombers had also acquired 14-time All Star Pudge Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers. While their platoon of Jose Molina and Chad Moeller behind the plate had proven serviceable, Yankees brass wisely elected to follow this time tested adage: You can’t win a World Series with catchers whose combined fantasy league ownership hasn’t eclipsed 2%.

While it seemed quite unlikely at first, the possibility of Manny Ramirez being traded out of Boston appears imminent with the 4pm trade deadline looming. This after ESPN Deportes reported that, among other things, Ramirez said “The Red Sox don’t deserve a player like me.” ESPN Deportes? Really? Apparently Ramirez is also intrigued by the possibility of joining the LA Galaxy in order to boost US interest in soccer.

In an effort to finally address their disciplinary issues, Penn State football announced the dismissal of two defensive tackles due to their off-field issues. ESPN recently reported that in the past 8 years there have apparently been more legal allegations against Penn State players than there have been crimes in the city of Des Moines, Iowa. Coach Joe Paterno dismissed the problems however, referring to the report as a witch hunt. Which, having coached the Salem Crusaders for a brief stint in the 1690′s, he knows a thing or two about.

Well, the Yankees have done it again. Friday’s trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates is just another piece of indisputable evidence in the airtight case that baseball’s ‘Evil Empire’ has an unfair advantage and must be stopped. How can anyone else expect to compete with an organization that, even with a $200 million payroll, can still just go out and lap up every available player? Earth to Yankees: How about leaving some Xavier Nady for the rest of us?

With Nady on board, not to mention relief pitch Damaso Marte, it’s hard to imagine any team other than the Yankees winning the World Series this season. The Yankees’ lineup is already loaded with superstars like Jose Molina, Brett Gardner, Richie Sexson and Chad Moeller. Add Nady to the mix, and we’re talking about an additional eight or nine home runs over the season’s final two months!
Scary.

Throw Marte into a pitching staff that already boasts Sidney Ponson, LaTroy Hawkins, Mike Mussina and Darrell Rasner, and we’re talking about a true monopoly on talent. Sorry Tampa Bay, I know this year looked promising, but you just can’t compete with big business.

We took some shots at Kellen Clemens in The Nooner today, but we want to sort of take them back. Because as Jets fans, we’ve seen way, way, way too much of Chad Pennington at this point. Dude can’t throw the ball. It’s kind of sad, to be honest, that someone purporting to be an NFL quarterback can’t throw the ball farther than we can. Go deep, Laveranues! No, no — not that deep. Let’s try like 15 yards.

SNY.tv’s Mike Salfino once pointed out that watching Jets games with Pennington on TiVo, fast forwarding from snap to snap, tests an announcer’s ability to come up with synonyms for the word “lob.” “Pennington floats one over the middle. … Pennington with a soft toss out to Washington. … Pennington shovels one to the left. … Pennington lofts a sissy girlie pass to Cotchery. …” Etc.

So Kellen Clemens wasn’t so good in his few starts last year. So what? At least the dude can throw the ball more convincingly than we can, and that’s got to be worth something in the NFL. Everyone loved him coming out of Oregon, and this season the Jets will actually field an offensive line. Why not pick a young guy with some upside over a veteran with a lengthy history of shoulder surgeries and an arm that can’t even toss a salad?

Because you’re the Jets, that’s why. And the Jets obviously want to live up to their rich tradition of torturing their fans. The sad thing is we just can’t quit. When Chad Pennington floats up his first 10-yard bomb in the Jets’ home opener, take all that time you have waiting for it to come down to scope out the stands. We’re the guys in the back with the bags over our heads.

Carlose Delgado hit yet another big home run Tuesday night, continuing his torrid pace at the plate and helping the Mets to a 4-1 victory over the Florida Marlins.  I’d congratulate Carlos on his new found stroke myself, but he was seen leaving the clubhouse with this guy.

A late Yankee rally fell one run short on Tuesday, with the Bombers falling to the Orioles 7-6, and losing their third straight after having won eight in a row.  The Orioles were led by Aubrey Huff, who went 4-for-5 at the plate including a 9th inning solo jack off of Mariano Rivera that would prove to put the O’s just out of reach.  Mo looked frustrated and emasculated after watching the homer sail over the fence, but wouldn’t you be too if you just got owned by a guy named Aubrey?

The biggest trade of this year thus far went down last night, with the best team in baseball acquiring former All-Star Mark Teixeira.  Upon joining the Halos, the first baseman said he looks forward to helping the Angels come up short of the playoffs this year, and to being dealt again at next year’s deadline.

The Houston Rockets made a huge move yesterday, dealing for the often embattled but always hard working Ron Artest.  The gritty forward’s presence will instantly improve an already solid team’s rebounding and defense by leaps and bounds, and will also increase the number of security guards with tranq guns at Houston home games tenfold.

After last night’s bullpen implosion, Omar Minaya traded Fernando Martinez, Argenis Reyes and Mike Pelfrey for Turk Wendell. Hey, he’s experienced!

Yanks were doubtful about a pending Jarrod Washburn trade. Hal Steinbrenner said, “Putting on more payroll doesn’t sit well with me, and neither does trading away young talent.” George Steinbrenner replied: “You’re dead to me.”

New Giant Shane Olivea said he felt “blessed” to have conquered his addiction to pain killers. Blessed, that is, until he returns to his job as an NFL lineman.

Coach Eric Mangini gave the Jets a rare day-off yesterday, prompting suggestions that they planned to acquire Brett Favre. The Jets dismissed the talk, but Jerricho Cotchery was seen practicing 25-yard ins, meaning Chad Pennington’s certainly on his way out.

The Yankees took a beating at the hands (wings?) of the Orioles on Monday night, giving up 13 runs and producing only 2 late inning home runs themselves.  This lack of offense coincidentally came on the same day catcher Jorge Posada decided he would have season ending shoulder surgery citing, “we thought it was best for me.”  Just another selfish athlete putting himself above the team… sickening.

The Mets got only 4 1/3 innings out of starter John Maine who left with shoulder stiffness in an eventual 7-3 loss to the Marlins.  Maine’s early exit allowed New York media outlets to once again take advantage of their headline template, “Bullpen falters late, Mets fall to ___________.”

An update on the Brett Favre fiasco suggests he has signed his letter of reinstatement, and will be faxing it in to the league office some time during this week.  With the Jets being one of only two teams publicly acknowledging interest in the QB, New York talk radio has been buzzing with hopes of Favre joining Gang Green.  I’m all for hope, but something tells me this guy isn’t itching to make a move to East Rutherford.

Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress addressed his absence from training camp, insisting his injured ankle, not his dissatisfaction with his contract, is what has kept him out.  Should his ankle happen to feel better once his contract issues are resolved, well that’s just an unavoidable coincidence neither he, nor any of us could not possibly have foreseen.

Disgraced former referee Tim Donaghy is set to be sentenced tomorrow for his role in gambling on NBA games.  It is widely thought that Donaghy will be hit with a shorter sentence than his cohorts however, thanks to his cooperation with Federal agents during the investigation.  In fact, there’s still time to get in on the action if you’re interested… he’s taking 3-to-1 that he sees no more than a year.

After the Yanks’ win, Derek Jeter actually said, “We would like to have won, but sometimes the other team is going to beat us.” Of course, all that and more can be found in Jeter’s new magazine, Professional Athlete Cliche Quarterly. Should be a thrill ride.

You’d think Johan Santana’s complete game Sunday would end all the criticism, but you failed to consider the Daily News’ Filip Bondy, who argues that Santana should have been pulled after eight innings — the exact thing he took heat for last week. Welcome to New York, Johan. It only gets worse.

Though the Red Sox may trade embattled slugger Manny Ramirez, Mets officials say they don’t see a deal materializing. Giants wideout and known weed hookup Mario Manningham says he does see a deal materializing.

Contributing Yankees Richie Sexson and Jose Molina are advocating for the acquisition of Jarrod Washburn. When reached for comment on the situation, George Steinbrenner held his head in his hands, weeping and wondering what the hell happened.

Speaking of which, Goose Gossage argued that the Boss belongs in the Hall of Fame in his own induction speech yesterday. Analysts predict Steinbrenner will make it in, as he recently purchased Cooperstown.

In hockey news, Garth Snow’s search for the next Islanders head coach continues, and the fact that no one cares also continues.