Extra Extra, read all about it: A check of our Tabloid Cover Counts show an ever-shifting sports psyche in NYC... and cause for Yankee concern

With six weeks left this year - about 80 tabloid covers to go - the Mets and Jets have made the most of 2018, and the Yankees' zeitgeist dominance may be crumbling. 

As shown by our left-side cover counts, the Evil Empire still rules the sports psyche of NYC, but something isn't right within the Death Star. Even if the blues-singing duet of Hal & Bri do something spectacular in December - sign a Bryce or Manny - the Yankees will still see a 20 percent drop in front and back pages, compared to 2017.

These days, a 20 percent drop in TV ratings, or stock prices, or cleavage size - or almost anything related to marketing - would cause most corporate marketing departments to dial 9-1-1. I wonder if the Yankees have noticed? (By the way, I'm betting they have.)

Meanwhile, the Mets have already beaten their 2017 total by 30.5 covers. And the Jets - the lowly, sickly, rotten Jets - are up by 25! 

For two years now, I've been diligently tabulating the tabs, like Robert Mueller counting his indictments. I'm not sure exactly what the numbers mean, but I still recall the era when old George measured his Bronx Zoo's cultural significance by its control of the Post and Daily News back pages. Maybe it's an afterthought in this digital time, but when subway commuters bury their faces into a broadsheet rag, they still become human billboards, broadcasting on the back covers the (generally dim) fate of some NYC sports team.

What significance should we assign these cover counts? I invite you all to weigh in, but here's my take.

Yankees (Down 61 covers): Clearly, part of this drop stems from their exiting the playoffs after five games. Beating Boston would have been guaranteed at least 20 covers; winning the World Series probably 20 more. But get this: They'd still fall behind 2017. WTF? Well, 2017 was a breakout season, as Aaron Judge became the gap-toothed smiley face of NY sports. This year, they unveiled Giancarlo Stanton, who proved to be a disappointment... even though he wasn't all that bad. The Yankees won 100 games yet played the second half in a cloud of gloom. They fell behind in July, were undressed in Boston, and spent September looking over their shoulders at the possible loss of the Wild Card home field advantage. I'd say the 20 percent decrease sums it up quite well. The Yankees lost ground.

Mets (Up 30.5 covers): If you look at this team's record, there's no way they deserved a boost in media interest. But with the Yankees stumbling, the Mets gained by sheer default. Jacob de Grom - best pitcher in baseball - must have won 20 covers single-handedly, and their early season woes brought a shitload of bad attention. (Remember: Much of the covers is bad news.) I can't help but think that if the Mets rise is 2019, the NY media is aching to make them the premier team. There is fatigue in the Yankiverse. If I owned the Mets, I'd sign Bryce Harper, and we would win the 2019 tabloid battle, hands down.

The Giants (tied, at the moment): It seems amazing to see this miserable team on the verge of beating last year's cover count, unless you realize that they were actually worse last year. What is truly amazing is that the tabs still care. Putting the Giants on the back page is a function of muscle memory, like an amputee thinking he still feels a severed leg. Also, expect the Giants to win a bunch of back pages in December, as the writers rage about this sorry excuse of a tear-down. Good grief, they can't even tank well.  

The Jets (up by 25): Before any Jet fans take comfort here, let me suggest that, were I the owner of the Jets, I'd feel sick over these last two seasons. The Jets have squandered an unbelievable, nearly once-in-a-generation chance to take over NYC. If the Giants have been disgraceful, the Jets have been nearly as bad. Imagine if Sam Darnold was leading this team to the playoffs. It would Broadway Joe all over again. Instead, they might even lose the month of December to the Giants' turmoil. Terrible. 

The Knicks (down by 81): It's starting to look as though the Dolans have done the impossible: They have made the Knicks such a disaster that nobody bothers to care any more. I'm trying to think of when the Knicks were any good, and I conjure up the image of Patrick Ewing... who is now a chubby, middle-aged, gray haired man! I suppose they could win a few games and score a few covers in December, but really, who cares? Would you buy a tabloid to read about the Knicks? You don't need a sports section to tell you about the Knicks. They suck. They always do. That's all you need to know.

The Rangers (down by 9): Okay, frankly, they don't even belong on this list. For them to get attention in Gotham, they need to win a Stanley Cup. They have received one cover in 2018. One! Lebron James scored three. Fucking Robbie Cano got one, and he plays in Seattle and still jogs. Sad. What's the point?  

Next year, I'm thinking of expanding the count to rate Headline Creativity, or maybe Positive/Negative Spin on each team. (If the Post rages at the Knicks, bestowing a back page, should they also receive negative points?) It might become too subjective, but here's the real deal on this exercise in triviality:

Soon enough, folks, there will be no back pages to count. 

For now, anyway, we should give them a little attention. When they're gone... wow... I don't even want to think about it.