Rangers Defeat Flyers (aka Effers) in Snowbound Matinee 2-1 at Wachovia Center Saturday

The New York Rangers defeated their hated rival Flyers (aka Effers) yesterday in a snowed in and quiet Wachovia Center. The Blueshirts played well and earned their second victory in a row on the road. Henrik Lundqvist (aka The King) was brilliant in net again. The King stopped 36 goals, including 16 in the 3rd period alone. Coach John Tortorella was completely fed up with the lack of energy two games ago in their horrific loss to the Islanders at the Garden. Prior to the game yesterday he was said the team is full of young players and has had it with underachieving veterans. Putting Captain Chris Drury on the fourth line speak volumes. Drury has become the Blair Betts of the team as their key penalty killer. It was good seeing him score at 5:16 in the 1st period for his second goal in as many games. I hope it’s a sign of things to come. The Blueshirts took too five minor penalties but did a good job in allowing only 1 power play goal to that dirty defenseman Chris Pronger at 8:13 in the 1st period. Henrik could not catch up with Pronger’s slap shot that sailed over Henrik’s glove. The Rangers did a much better job at getting to the puck yesterday. The energy level was better then we’ve seen lately and it will need to continue if they expect to make the playoffs. Artem Anisimov scored the second Ranger goal at 4:46 in the 2nd period for his 7th of the season. The three stars of the game were Henrik Lundqvist, dirty Effer Chris Pronger and Ryan Callahan.

Omar Minaya “Has a Plan…” But Does He Have a Clue?

The New York Mets GM Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya, we can only hope) says he has a plan but does he have a clue? The back page of the New York Daily News yesterday is now one my all-time favorites. My Wife loved the logo on his forehead. Just look at St. Omar. Who will he put under Met fan’s tree this offseason? A real number 2 starting pitcher? A real catcher who’s under the age of 30? No, neither! The Mets signed infielder Alex Cora to a one year deal, yay! He’s a lifetime .246 hitter who hit .251 last season. He’s all thumbs as both went under the knife last September. I hope he can grip a bat. This entire situation is a joke. I can see Citi Field averaging 20,000 per game tops this year.

St. John’s Defeats Local Rival Fordham and Go 8-1 on Season

The St. John’s Red Storm continue their early season winning ways as they defeat their local NYC rival Fordham Rams 73-56 at Carnesecca Arena Sunday. The team only shot 36% from the field but the defense came up big. No games are scheduled this week as the students take their final exams. The Red Storm hosts the MSG Holiday Festival on Sunday and Monday, December 20th and 21st, featuring Hofstra, Cornell and Davidson. The Red Storm are #41 in the AP rankings and can very well move into the top 25 if they continue to win.

Giants Play Hated Redskins in NFC East Showdown on Monday Night Football

The New York Giants play their hated NFC East rival Washington Redskins on the road Monday night. After the horrific loss to the Eagles last Sunday this game is a no brainer needed win. Big Blue fans have been singing the blues of late. They should certainly defeat the Skins and the Carolina Panthers on December 27th. The Panther game will be the Giants last home game at Giants Stadium as they are ramping up for the opening of the new Meadowlands Stadium next season.

Jets Win Three in a Row and Host Falcons at the Meadowlands Sunday

The New York Jets defense and running game have been excellent this year and the team has won three in a row. They host the Atlanta Falcons at the Meadowlands this Sunday at 1:00 PM in another must win game. Unfortunately even if they win out the rest of the way and end with a 10-6 record it may not be enough to make the playoffs as a wildcard. They  lost key tiebreaker games earlier in the year that were a real killer. I’m not sure which loss hurt more, the Jaguars or the Ted Ginn Show with Miami. QB Kellen Clemens started last week and was not spectacular. The Falcons and Jets have not announced the starting QBs yet so keep an eye on things Friday.

Heading to Garden to see Red Wings Play Rangers

I’m heading to Madison Square Garden shortly to see the Rangers play the Detroit Red Wings with my Cousin. She used to take me to Ranger games in the 90s and I’m looking forward to catching up and watching the game. If the Blueshirts play as well as they did last night they can make it two wins in a row.

Giants Host Hated NFC East Rival Cowboys at Meadowlands Today

The New York Giants play their hated NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys at home today at 4:15 PM. The two key injuries for the Giants are RB D.J. Ware who is still out with a concussion and RB Ahmad Bradshaw who did not participate in practice Friday. He’s questionable but will most likely see action. If the Giants can contain Romo and get to him make dumb throws they should win. They will also need to get their running game going in this must win game. The Cowboys are one of those teams I can’t stand. Go Big Blue!

Rangers Defeat Sabres 2-1 in Solid Effort at HSBC Arena Saturday

In a scoreless 1st period Marian Gaborik made a perfect cross ice pass to a streaking Christopher Higgins down the left side for the Blueshirts’ first goal at 17:31. That kind of pass reminds what the The Great One Wayne Gretzky used to do on a nightly basis. The differences in this game were Henrik Lundqvist being Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers playing the full 60 minutes, not just 48. I was speaking with my Wife after the Rangers lost the home and home series to the Penguins, saying how angry Henrik must be. Sure enough in his postgame comments he said just that. Lundqvist allowed a soft goal with one minute left in the 3rd period but looked great in stopping 36 of 37 shots on goal. The penalty kill did another good job killing off all 3 minor penalties. In the 3rd period Sabre Drew Stafford took it coast-to-coast and blew past three Rangers where he burned former Sabre Chris Drury and schooled Michael Del Zotto to get a shot on goal. The Rangers second goal was scored in the 3rd period at 13:44 when Sean Avery took a great pass from Marc Staal and shot onto Ryan Miller who made the kick save. Ryan Callahan was coming down the slot on the right and buried rebound for the goal. Their next game is Sunday night when they host the Detroit Red Wings. The three stars of the game were Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik and Sabre Ryan Miller.

#6 Duke Defeats St. John’s 80-71 at Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday

The St. John’s Red Storm suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the #6 Duke Blue Devils one of the most difficult courts to play on in college basketball. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski walked onto the court just before tipoff and stirred up the fans into a frenzy. St. John’s started off very well but Duke was just too much late in the first half and Duke was ahead 40-24. The first heartbreaker of the game was losing Justin Burrell in the first minute of the game. He landed on another player’s foot and sprained his ankle. He came back into the game but was too hurt to play. St. John’s played very well in the 2nd half, coming into the lane and scoring most of their 2nd half points in the paint. St. John’s was very tough and had a good chance of winning but Duke had two 2nd half runs that were just too much to stop. I loved their physical play. The Red Storm top two scorers were D.J. Kennedy who had 18 team high points on good 3 point shooting and Sean Evans who finished with 17 points. A good sign was seeing St. John’s shoot just over 50% from the field, something that needed to happen to keep up with Duke. The second heartbreaker was losing the game. One thing that really annoyed me was seeing a Duke student dressed in a nun’s habit. This dope must have thought this was funny and it wasn’t. Dopey had lots of TV time and it was flat out wrong allowing this knucklehead to sit in the stands. I assume they don’t like Catholics in North Carolina much.

West Virginia Defeats Rutgers in Heartbreaker 24-21 Saturday

The West Virginia Mountaineers defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 24-21 yesterday at Rutgers Stadium on a cold rainy day. Both teams had a tough day on 3rd down conversions with Rutgers going 1 for 15 and West Virginia 2 for 14. Rutgers had their chances especially down the stretch but freshman QB Tom Savage was terrible, going 9 for 27 for 153 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. The Scarlet Knights had a balanced running attack. RB Joe Martinek had 14 carries for 49 yards and WR Mohamed Sanu had 13 carries for 47 yards running of the wildcat formation. The play of the game was in the 4th quarter when WR Sanu broke away on single coverage down the right sideline for a 62 yard touchdown reception. He beat the cornerback for the touchdown which brought the score to 24-21. Sanu finished with 6 catches for 105 yards. On Rutgers final drive on 4th and 6 Savage threw to Sanu in the right flat but the pass was off target. Sanu tipped the ball and it was picked off by West Virginia. West Virginia, on 3rd and 6 was going to be stopped for a loss. Rutgers looked to get the ball back but QB Jarrett Brown broke out of the pocket and stiff armed the Rutgers DE for a 12 yard gain. That play sealed the game for the Mountaineers. Rutgers will go a bowl game finishing with an 8-4 record and the Mountaineers are going to the Gator Bowl to face Florida State.

St John’s Red Storm Visit Durham, NC to Play #6 Duke Blue Devils (AP Ranking) at 3:30 PM Saturday

The St. John’s Red Storm will have their hands full playing the Duke Blue Devils today at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC. The game will be televised on ESPN2. WE ARE, ST. JOHN'S!

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Host #24 West Virginia Mountaineers (AP Ranking) at Rutgers Stadium Saturday at Noon

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights play their season finale against Big East rival West Virginia today at Rutgers Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN. I wanted to go to this one but we didn't get tickets. R! U! R! U! is what the students and fans chant at Rutgers Stadium.

Jets Safety Kerry Rhodes Fined $5,000 by the NFL for Throwing Ball Into Stands at Meadowlands on 11/29/09

Immediately after safety Kerry Rhodes picked off quarterback Jake Delhomme of the Panthers on November 29th at the Meadowlands and gunned the ball into the stands I told my Wife the NFL would fine him, and they did. The NFL announced that Rhodes has been fined $5,000 for the “offense”. If he played for the Green Bay Packers and scored a touchdown at home he’d hurl himself into the front row behind the end zone to perform the obligatory "Lambeau Leap". It’s okay to have fans pat you on helmet, back and fanny if you play in Green Bay but you better not throw a ball into the stands! I get what the NFL is saying but come on, give me a break! I’m glad he did it as it was one of the few bright spots for his otherwise dismal year so far.

Take 15% Off Custom Mets Jerseys – I Want One with "SEND HELP" in Nameplate

The New York Mets are offering custom jerseys at a 15% discount. I’d like to order one with number 1 and have the nameplate say “SEND HELP” instead of WILSON. It looks like we will have mediocre free agent signings at best this time around. That goodness we signed Alex Cora for another season! How many days until pitchers and catchers report?

Jets Defeat Bills 19-13 at Rogers Centre in Toronto Thursday

The New York Jets defeated the Buffalo Bills in a foreign country Thursday in a pretty boring game. I muted the sound during TV timeouts and almost fell asleep three times. The keys to the game were the Jets running all over the Bills defense and CB Darrelle Revis shutting down the locker room poison WR Terrell Owens. RB Thomas Jones led the way with 23 carries for 109 yards. Rookie RB Shonn Greene carried the ball 11 times for 59 yards. Even FB Tony Richardson, in his 15th season, carried the ball 2 times for 36 yards. WR Jerricho Cotchery had 4 receptions for 68 yards while WR Braylon Edwards had 3 for 45 yards with 1 touchdown. Edwards had one bounce off his helmet that would have been funny if they didn’t need that big play. He made up for it with an excellent catch and run as he broke the goal line plane wiht the ball. The Jets first two trips to the red zone resulted in field goals and I thought it would be one of those games. QB Mark Sanchez was pedestrian, going 7 of 15 for 104 yards with 1 touchdown. Sanchez missed an easy touchdown in the 1st quarter, where he looked like he threw off his back foot again and air mailed it. What hurt the Jets the most happened in the 3rd quarter when Sanchez hurt his knee. He made a gutsy run out of the pocket on a 3rd down play and dove between the linebackers to get the first down. He landed hard on his right knee and took himself out of the game two plays later. Rex Ryan said Sanchez has to grow up and learn to slide in those situations. He represents the entire organization and doesn’t want to see him diving forward. The MRI this morning indicated a PCL injury with more information forthcoming. I guess the sliding lesson earlier this week with New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn’t do much. QB Kellen Clemens went 1 for 2 for 14 yards with 1 fumble. Revis finally got his interception late in the 4th quarter that sealed the deal for the Jets. He had opportunities for 2 other picks during the game.

Rangers Make Roster Moves - Recall Chad Johnson, Ilkka Heikkinen from Hartford Wolf Pack & Assign Steve Valiquette to Hartford - Claim Erik Christensen From Ducks off Waivers

From hartfordwolfpack.com:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that goaltender Chad Johnson and defenseman Ilkka Heikkinen have been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL), and goaltender Steve Valiquette has been assigned to Hartford.

Chad Johnson played well in the preseason and during the AHL season thus far and I’m glad he’s with the big club. My friend and I saw Heikkinen play with the Wolf Pack at the Rock in the preseason against the Lowell Devils and he looked good. John Tortorella is saying he wants Valiquette to get his game back with more playing time.

Mavericks Defeat Nets 117-101 at Izod Center to Make NBA History Wednesday

The Nets lost to Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks. Chris Douglas-Roberts led the Nets with 24 points in over 40 minutes. There is not much more to say then they are now the worst team in NBA history to open an NBA regular season with 18 straight losses. It was just too much Mav Dirk Nowitzki. Net fans don’t have a lot to cheer for at the moment. Wow, come to think of it, neither to Knick fans!

St. John's Defeats Stony Brook 63-55 at Carnesecca Arena Wednesday

The St. John’s Red Storm defeated the Stony Brook Seawolves at home on Wednesday. The Red Storm are off to a 6-0 start this season which is their best since 1994-95. D.J. Kennedy led the way again with 19 points. Sean Evans finished with 12 points. Head coach Norm Roberts said it was a total team win and the even scoring affirmed that. The student body chanted “We want Duke” throughout the game and my thought is “no you don’t!” The Red Storm travel to Durham, NC to play the #5 Duke Blue Devils for an afternoon game this Saturday. The will need to shoot better from the field to keep pace with Duke late in the 2nd half. I hope they do their best and give them a game.

16th Annual New York Rangers Toy Drive in Bryant Park, Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday 4:00 – 7:00 PM

Former Ranger great Adam Graves helped start the Toys for Tots program with the Marine Corps and it’s been a tremendous success. They collected more than 4,000 toys last year. Bryant Park will once again host the event this afternoon. Whatever you do don't bring up the rotten play by Rozie lately, it would be bad form!

From the Rangers website:

Callahan, Del Zotto, Gilroy, Girardi, Higgins and Rozsival to attend

The New York Rangers will continue a 16-year tradition this season with their annual Toys for Tots Toy Drive. Partnering with the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program, the New York Rangers will collect toys for needy children in the tri-state area.

Adam Graves and current Rangers players Ryan Callahan, Michael Del Zotto, Christopher Higgins, Michal Roszival, Dan Girardi and Matt Gilroy will be at the Toy Drive to provide autographs and photo opportunities. Fans are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots, and in exchange will receive an autograph from a current player.

In addition to the toy collection, fans will have an opportunity to take pictures and skate with Rangers Alumni at The Pond at Bryant Park. Admission for skating is FREE and rental skates are available on site. Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of Rangers activities including face painting, caricaturists, Santa and more! The Pond at Bryant Park is located at 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Ave. in Manhattan.

Nets Look to Not Make NBA History Wednesday and Not Go 0-18

The New Jersey Nets host former Net Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks at the Izod Center tonight at 7:30 PM. The Nets are 0-17 this season and if they lose tonight they will set the NBA record for most consecutive losses to begin a season. The only thing positive for the Nets is the looming move to Brooklyn. Coach Lawrence Frank was relieved of his coaching duties on the November 29th and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe will assume coaching duties. Thank goodness the Nets are in the same division of the Knicks as the Knicks would be the cellar dwellers! But Kiki will not be there tonight!

Penguins Defeat Rangers 5-2 at Garden and Lose the Home and Home Monday

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden 5-2 on Monday night. They took both games of the home and home series. The Blueshirts played a much better game overall but there are still gaping holes that need to be filled. Henrik Lundqvist gives up too many soft goals and simply needs to be better. His goals against average is going up along with the mounting Ranger losses. They played well for the first two periods but could not match the Penguins in the third. The top line is the only line consistently scoring and Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury and Christopher Higgins can’t buy a goal. The great Marian Gaborik scored both goals (one a power play goal) last night and put himself in front of the net to do so. Hall of Famer Brett Hull always said goal scorers put themselves in position to score and bury the puck. Gaborik is one of those amazing players. After the whistle in front of the Penguin net Crosby hit Gaborik with his gloved hand in the 3rd period and Cindy bounced off Gaborik. In fact Gaborik didn’t even budge. It was pretty funny. Of course Bill Guerin stepped in and helped out. Michal Rozsival is stinking it up on defense and maybe he should be a healthy scratch once in a while. Lundqvist stopped 28 of 32 shots, including 8 on the Penguins power play and 1 shorthanded shot. It pained me to see the dirty former New Jersey Devil Mike Rupp score a hat trick, his third on an empty net goal as time ticked away. Bobby Sanguinetti is being sent back to the Hartford Wolf Pack to make room for the returning Wade Redden. The three stars of the game were Mike Rupp, Marian Gaborik Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby.

Jets Defeat Panthers 17-6 at Meadowlands Sunday

The New York Jets defeated the Carolina Panthers at home in front of a loud and happy crowd Sunday. It was a must win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. I don’t know if Jet CB Darrelle Revis is becoming a true shutdown corner, or if Panther QB Jake Delhomme has become truly horrible quarterback. He was a very good QB for years but looked absolutely terrible yesterday and all season. Revis had two interceptions with one that was picked and run back for a 67 yard touchdown down the right sideline. That was the Jets first score and got the crowd into it. The Panthers only ran for 67 yards as a team and Delhomme threw 4 interceptions on the day. The difference was the Jets scoring 2 touchdowns off of Panther turnovers and the Panthers only scoring 1 field goal off of Jet turnovers. Jet QB Mark Sanchez managed well and went 13 of 17 for 154 yards with 1 interception. He also ran the ball 3 times for 27 yards. Sanchez found his TE Dustin Keller, who had 4 catches for a team high 68 yards with 1 fumble. WR Braylon Edwards had 3 catches for 40 yards. RB Thomas Jones led the charge, carrying the ball 25 times for 75 yards with 1 touchdown. Rookie RB Shonn Greene had 10 carries for 36 yards and 1 fumble. WRs David Clowney and Brad Smith looked good on kickoff returns but the Jets sorely miss Leon Washington. The Panthers anemic offense could only muster 11 first downs against the Jets defense and held All-Pro WR Steve Smith to 1 catch for 5 yards. On one play to left corner of the end zone Smith made a beautiful catch that was called a touchdown on the field, but play was challenged by Jet head coach Rex Ryan and was overturned. Smith fell out of bounds as he came down on his back. The Jets defense came up big all game long, especially FS Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes had the other two Jet interceptions of Delhomme and had something to prove to Ryan and his teammates. Ryan didn’t start Rhodes who’s looked lazy this season and has missed routines tackles. Yesterday was hopefully the turning point for him. The Jets shuffle off to Buffalo this Thursday night for a division game against the Bills.

Penguins Defeat Rangers 8-3 in First of Home and Home at Mellon Arena Saturday

The New York Rangers were walloped Saturday at the hands of Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. In pained me to see Cindy score the hat trick last night. The Blueshirts played their backup goalie Steve Valiquette who joined the rest of the team in stinking it up. The defense has lapsed, the scoring has not been there, goalies giving up umpteen goals and the team looking very slow and lazy. The rookie Michael Del Zotto’s +/- is going in the minus direction. Henrik Lundqvist was pulled the previous game against Tampa Bay on Friday as he gave up 4 goals. He’s giving up too many soft goals. With the Olympics this year and Henrik needing more rest per John Tortorella I don’t know what they’ll do if Vali’s not better. Christopher Higgins has been the leading offensive player in ice time and is earning it since his benching in Montreal. Giving more info on the blowout pains me. I’ll leave it with this: for one of Pittsbugh’s goals their top line was on the ice and the Ranger 4th line was on the ice, WHY? The Rangers host the Penguins tomorrow night at the Garden for the game 2 of the home and home. The three stars of the game were Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik, all Penguins.

Mets To Wear New Pinstripe Home Uniform In 2010

From New York Mets via e-mail. Here is the Authentic Jersey and the more cost effective Replica Jersey.

The New York Mets today announced they will wear a new pinstripe home uniform next season inspired by the early years of the franchise. The design combines new and old elements of Mets uniforms. The Mets created the retro uniform following research and positive responses to the jerseys the 1969 World Champion Mets wore during their 40th anniversary celebration in August.

The Mets list this as their alternate jersey. Their alternates were the all white and black jerseys the past number of seasons. So that means we’ll see less of the cool new old school jersey and more of the ugly black jersey at home. More stuff to buy, just in time for Christmas! Maybe they should worry about a real #2 starting pitcher, real left fielder, real catcher, real right-hand bat off the bench, etc. etc.

St. John’s Red Storm Men’s Basketball Off to 5-0 Start as they Defeat Temple Owls in Philly Hoop Group Classic

The Red Storm are off to a 5-0 start, their best since the 2002-03 season. They finished nicely against Temple in the Philly Hoop Group Classic on Saturday night. D.J. Kennedy let all Red Storm scores with 15 points. The team field goal percentage needs to get closer to 50% to be competitive in the Big East this season.

Giants Played Like Turkeys in Horrendous Loss to Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High on Thanksgiving Night

The New York Giants were the real turkeys on Thanksgiving night. It was a total team loss to the Denver Broncos whom were not playing good football coming into the game. I was speaking to in-laws before the game and said that I hope RB Brandon Jacobs carries the ball more then 15 times. I was not shocked to see him get only 11 carries for 27 yards, pretty sad. The Giants were blown off the ball from both sides of the line. WR Steve Smith led all receivers with 11 catches for 71 yards. Kicking two field goals does not cut it. They can’t win without moving the chains and getting first downs. Big Blue play three critical NFC East Division games and need to go 2-1 in those games. QB Eli Manning went 24 of 40 for 240 yards with 1 interception. He was fortunate not to get picked more than that.

Rangers Need to Get Back to Winning Ways if They Want to Play Serious May into June Hockey

The New York Rangers have been on a major slide of late. They are 4-6 in the past 10 games. It’s too early to think playoffs but they need to get back on track if they are thinking of playing serious May into June hockey. They are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference where the top 8 teams make the playoffs. The Islanders look much better this year and I can see them duking it out down the stretch.

Been MIA of Late

I've been MIA lately. I will be posting regularly again. The NYC sports scene has not been a pretty one...

Rangers Host Florida Panthers in Needed Win at Garden Tonight

I’ll be at the Garden with my Wife for the Ranger game as they host the Florida Panthers tonight. Denis Potvin is no longer a member of the Panther TV broadcasting team so he will not be present to hear the serenades of “POTVIN SUCKS” from the crowd. That incident from 1979 was not his fault by the way. I’ll write a blog entry on that story the day of the next Islander game in a few weeks. The Blueshirts need to get an early lead and win this one.

St. John’s Red Storm Defeat Brown Bears 79-76 at Carnesecca Arena for Third in a Row Friday

The St. John’s Red Storm men's basketball team held off a 2nd half rampage from the Brown Bears yesterday at Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm hope to have a more competitive season in the Big East this year but it’s still an uphill battle. Junior D.J. Kennedy has been their best scorer in the early going and I’m glad he chose St. John’s over his hometown school of Pittsburgh.

Go New York, Go New York, Go! 2-9 Knicks Cross Hudson River to Play 0-12 Nets in Matinee at Izod Center Today

The 0-12 New Jersey Nets host the 2-9 New York Knicks today for a 1:00 PM tipoff. Both teams have been horrible and not really worth watching at this point. The Knicks did not sign Allen Iverson whom is a complete locker room poison. He would've taken playing time away from the other players, not that those players play all that well! Kenny Albert is doing the radio broadcast for the Knicks on 1050 AM. I wonder if he'll make it to the Garden for the Ranger game tonight?

#25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Syracuse Orange at Carrier Dome Today

Rutgers makes the trip to Upstate New York today to play the Syracuse Orange today at 3:30 PM. The game is not televised but is available on the ESPN360 on the Internet and on radio: WOR 710-AM (New York City); WPHT 1210-AM (Philadelphia/South Jersey); WCTC 1450-AM (Central Jersey). The Scarlet Knights have been moving up the rankings steadily this season. Their last home game of the season is against West Virginia on Saturday, December 5th at noon.

Wally Backman New Manager of Brooklyn Cylones

Former New York Mets second baseman Wally Backman is the new manager of the team’s Short Season A affiliate Brooklyn Cyclones. The Cyclones play in the New York-Penn League along with their rival Staten Island Yankees. The Cyclones have had a history of former Mets managing the team and moving them up in the organization. I think this is a great move for Backman and the Cyclones. He said his goal is to manage in the Major Leagues again. KeySpan Park in Coney Island is a great place to see a game and tickets are very reasonable compared to their big brother Mets. The level of play is no where near Major Leaguers but you’ll have a great day at the ballpark. I’ve also seen the Cyclones play on the road at Staten Island numerous times, another great ballpark two blocks from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Wouldn’t it be great to see Backman as bench coach for Bobby Valentine with the Mets this season?

Razor Shines Was So Brutal Coaching Third Base for Mets Last Season that they Give Him a New Role

In this picture Razor Shines looks like he's going to buy a round of drinks for he and Pagan. On October 5th the Mets announced that Razor Shines and Sandy Alomar, Sr. would return with the organization but in different roles. Luis Alicea, former first base coach lost his job. Shines was brutal at third last season, so what do they do today? They move him over to coach first base! Brilliant! I saw a plethora of Mets get thrown out by 5 and sometimes 10 or more feet at third and home last season. Either he doesn’t know the base running skills of the Met players or doesn’t know the outfielders whom where about to gun out the poor Met rounding third. It was more embarrassing watching the base runners not try to barrel over the catcher and just go in like it’s the All-Star Game. At least when you round first the play is in front of you, so hopefully the Mets can hold up at first. The new bench coach is a friend of Manuel, naturally. Nice, can’t wait! Zero free agency signings thus far.

Former New Jersey Nets Jayson Williams Close to Plea Deal on Aggravated Assault Charge

It's been almost 7 years since Jayson Williams' driver was shot in his house. It was shocking hearing the news when it happened and more tragic as more information was revealed.

As reported by nypost.com:

Williams has not yet signed off on the plea bargain, which calls for him to be sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and waiving appeal of prior convictions for covering up the killing of Costas "Gus" Christofi, said a source familiar with the situation.

Of those three years is a New Jersey prison, 18 months would be mandatory because of the use of a gun in the assault. However, because of credit for good behavior, Williams likely only would serve somewhere between 18 and 24 months under the deal.

The jury in that trial deadlocked on the charge of reckless manslaughter. If Williams does not plead guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated assault tomorrow, and ends up being convicted of reckless manslaughter, he could wind up being sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

Live Out Your Mets Fantasy: Take to the Field at Mets Fantasy Camp

If you’ve recently hit the Lottery or are independently wealthy you can live out your fantasy at the Mets Fantasy Camp. It will only set you back $4,395.00 for the week! My fantasy is that the Mets actually do not pull hamstrings, arms don’t fall off, etc. and remain on the field for an entire season.

Capitals Defeat Rangers 4-2 at Garden Tuesday as Henrik Lundqvist Smashes Stick in Disgust

The Washington Capitals and sniper Alex Ovechkin defeated the New York Rangers last night 4-2. This was an especially tough loss to take. They played very well, well enough to win but couldn’t find a way to score. The Blueshirt’s penalty kill has been excellent but they gave up 2 power play goals to Washington with 1 going to Alex the Great on his only shot on goal. Ovechkin said he loved playing at the Garden and couldn’t wait to get back on the ice after being out. Marian Gaborik scored both Ranger goals, at 1:16 in the 1st period and on the power play at 8:23 in the 3rd period. Aaron Voros bloodied Matt Bradley in a 1st period fight but Bradley had the last laugh. In the 3rd period defenseman Wade Redden lost the puck along the boards and Matt Bradley came in on a breakaway. Henrik Lundqvist could not stop the shot as Bradley streaked down the slot and went top shelf. The King needed to stop that one and he knew it. Rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy came down to try to make a play but couldn’t. I wish Gilroy stopped him and took a penalty. I’d rather they earn the goal on a power play than get that scoring chance. Vinny Prospal just missed scoring and hit the post. Prospal looks great wearing the second alternate captain A. Lundqvist made 22 of 25 saves while the Blueshirts only mustered 20 shots on goal. Lundqvist smashed his stick on the ice in disgust after the final horn sounded. My Wife and I will be at the Garden on Saturday as they host the Florida Panthers. Denis Potvin will not be broadcasting the game for Florida so he won’t be serenaded with “POTVIN SUCKS” all night. The three stars of the game were Capital Alex Ovechkin, Marian Gaborik and Capital Matt Bradley.

An Emotional New York Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan Cried in Locker Room after Game Sunday

An emotional Rex Ryan, Head Coach of the New York Jets, reportedly cried after the home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday. After the game I felt like screaming (not crying) as my Wife and I stepped lively in the Meadowlands parking lot across Gate B to the NJ Transit train, trying to catch our transfer at Secaucus Junction. If this motivates the team to win at New England this Sunday then I’m all for it.

As reported by the nypost.com:

"He didn't bash us at all; he was just very emotional . . . he was crying," right tackle Damien Woody told The Post. "Rex believes in our team so much I can't even put it into words and it would be a shame if we didn't capitalize on our opportunity."

"I was a little upset to see him that way," cornerback Darrelle Revis told The Post. "I'm upset for the same reasons he's upset."

Asked if he's ever been a part of a meeting with such high-powered emotions, Revis said: "No, I haven't been a part of a meeting where a coach cried like that. . . . In the future, I hope there are more tears of joy than the one this morning."

Jaguars Defeat Jets at Meadowlands 24-22 Sunday

My Wife and I were at the Meadowlands for the Jet loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday 24-22. We go to a lot of Jet games and the mid-November home game is always a birthday present for me. I wish she could get a refund or something. Even wearing my new #17 Edwards jersey, a gift from my Brother didn’t help. What was missing most was NT Kris Jenkins, The Human Truck as my Wife calls him. Leon Washington was also missed on kickoff returns. Jones-Drew ran right up the middle and most tackles were made by linebackers pulling him down. The game was painful on more then one front as this was a much needed win to keep the Jets Wildcard Playoff hopes alive. They had their chances but couldn’t capitalize and had to settle for field goals all game. Jet QB Mark Sanchez rolled left on a naked bootleg and threw downfield on the first play of the game and was picked off, the 1st of 2 interceptions on the day. That’s a tougher play than it looks for a QB, to throw against their body and get enough on the pass downfield. I wish they didn’t start that way. It was brought back to around the Jacksonville 25 yard line and The Jones-Drew Show took over for the early lead. Jones-Drew ran for 125 yards on 24 carries, most of which was in the 1st half. He was the first 100 yard rusher against the Jets this year. What was most painful to me was Jacksonville going for it on 4th and 4 and converting as Lito Shepard missed the tackle on a screen pass to the left. That was horrible. I may have blurted out a dirty word or two, I think. Going for it on 4th and 4 is pretty ballsy to say the least and especially on the road. On one play the Jets defense had Garrard and looked to sack him on 3rd and long but somehow he scampered to the left and ran untouched into the end zone. That touchdown may have hurt more then the Jones-Drew run. The Jets took the lead on a terrific pass by Sanchez to WR Jericho Cotchery in front of us to give the Jets the 22-21 lead late in the 4th quarter. Braylon Edwards could not hold on to Sanchez’s pass for the 2 point conversion attempt. The killer was the Jets defense failing to stop the Jaguars as they marched down field as Josh Scobee kicked a game winning 21 yard field goal to give them the 24-22 victory. Sanchez went 16 of 30 for 212 yards, 1 touchdown with 2 interceptions. Thomas Jones had 21 carries for 77 yards and 1 key touchdown.

Rangers Defeat Senators 2-1 in Shootout at Scotiabank Place in Much Needed Saturday Matinee Win

The New York Rangers got a much needed win in Ottawa Saturday afternoon against the Senators 2-1 in a 7 round shootout. The Senators scored the first goal of the game at 4:29 in the 2nd period to break the scoreless tie. Ranger Vinny Prospal, the second Alternate Captain of the Blueshirts scored a beautiful shorthanded goal at 10:58 in the 2nd period. On the penalty kill Sniper Marian Gaborik picked up the puck, pushed it up the boards along the right side and made a perfect pass to Prospal whom was streaking down the slot. Prospal is without a doubt the best free agency signing the Rangers made this year. The Rangers took 5 minor penalties and continue to hurt themselves, but the PK was excellent once again. Thank goodness that Mutt Jarkko Ruutu missed in the shootout for Ottawa. Henrik Lundqvist was excellent stopping 35 of 36 shots on goal. The three stars of the game were Henrik Lundqvist, Senators Brian Elliott and Chris Phillips.

Thrashers Defeat Rangers 5-3 at Garden Thursday

The Atlanta Thrashers defeated the New York Rangers 5-3 on Thursday. I went to the game with my friend and they lost, badly, on my birthday no less! I saw rookie Michael Del Zotto walking along Seventh Avenue at 31st Street and should have stopped him to say hello. But he looked a bit shell shocked with all the people walking around him in the light rain. The Thrashers beat them to the puck all night long while the Rangers looked slow in the early going. They had 8 penalties called and they cannot expect to win if they’re killing penalties all game. Thrasher Colby Armstrong scored 19 seconds into the game between Henrik Lundqvist’s pads and the Garden fell silent. Many fans were just getting seated and were stunned. Artem Anisimov scored at 4:08 in the 1st period to tie the game 1-1. The Thrashers scored early in the 2nd period to take the 2-1 lead and Marian Gaborik scored a power play goal at 15:28 to tie it at 2-2. Two quick Thrasher goals late in the period gave them the 4-2 lead. Ilya Kovalchuk was just too much for the Blueshirts. Brian Boyle cut the deficit to one goal at 6:18 of the 3rd period on a great wrist shot from the low slot. Former Ranger Big Boy #80 Nik Antropov had a good game in front of Lundqvist and ended with 2 assists. The Rangers had 18 shots on goal in the 3rd period but could not finish. If they played that hard from the beginning of the game it would have been a different outcome. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 of 26 shots, with 2 goals coming on Atlanta power plays. The three stars of the game were Ilya Kovalchuk (Thrashers), Marian Gaborik and Rich Peverley (Thrashers). The door was open but Gaborik did not come out to toss a puck into the crowd.

Heading to Meadowlands as Jets Host Jaguars

The New York Jets are hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars today at the Meadowlands in the early game. I’m going to the game with my Wife. The Jets need to win to even think about being a wildcard playoff team this season. I received, no pun intended, a new #17 Edwards jersey from my Brother for my birthday. I’ll post more later on. A Jet victory is on tap! Vernon Gholston is listed as doubtful with no other major injuries for the Jets.

Been MIA Lately, New Posts Coming Soon...

I've been MIA a bit lately.  Updates to Rangers, Rutgers, Devils and Islanders.

Giants Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor Arrested in Florida

LT was arrested late Sunday night for leaving the scene of an accident in Miami-Dade. The Florida Highway Patrol picked him up. He’s had his share of trouble over the years and it’s a shame hearing this stuff. He was the greatest football player I’ve ever seen. He changed the way the game was played and completely dominated. When teams played the Giants the game plan was to slow down #56, as he couldn’t be stopped. He’d pick up and literally move an offensive tackle and tight end off the ground to get to the quarterback. I hope he’s doing well these days. I saw him at the Giant game two weeks ago when the 1986 Giants were honored before the game.

Chargers Defeat Giants 21-20 in Horrific Loss at Meadowlands Sunday

The New York Giants completely outplayed the Chargers in all facets of the game but managed to let the Chargers literally march 80 yards downfield and score the winning touchdown. Charger TE Antonio Gates made a good catch and better play reaching the ball past the marker for the first down to keep the drive allive. The Giants scored two late game field goals and could not manage touchdowns. They also muffed another field goal attempt earlier in the game. This was a horrific loss and their 4th in a row going into their bye week. The crowd was raucous all game then in shock as the clock ticked away the final seconds. QB Eli Manning went 25 of 33 for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns. Charger QB Phillip Rivers went 24 of 36 for 209 yards and 3 touchdowns, a lot of yards coming on that last drive. The Giants had Rivers in the 2004 draft and traded up to get Manning. Rivers looked pretty happy as he walked off the field. RBs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for just over 100 yards. WR Steve Smith had 8 catches for 57 yards and 1 touchdown. The defense was excellent, until the last 2 minutes of the game. This one hurts a lot! Justin Tuck was on the turn in pain as the clock stopped. This may have cost the Giants the game. His pass rush was missed and it gave the Chargers time to plan the winning drive.

Flames Defeat Rangers 3-1 at Pengrowth Saddledome on Saturday

The New York Rangers lost to the Calgary Flames 3-1 under new coach Brent Sutter. Sutter left New Jersey to coach the team where his brother is general manager. I love nepotism! Henrik Lundqvist sat for the second game in a row where head coach John Tortorella kept saying it was just rest for Hank. Lundqvist said there was something bothering him and the added rest will help. Early in the 1st period Flame Curtis Glencross came across and slammed his shoulder into Chris Drury’s head that sent him off the ice. One of the refs was right behind the play along the left boards and “must have missed it”. Give me a break. The Instigator Rule keeps goons from paying back but the NHL is not stopping dirty play. I haven’t seen Donald Brashear in ages so I have no idea when the Ranger enforcer will be back. Somebody has to help out the Captain there and make the bastard pay. Brandon Dubinsky left the game as well after blocking a slap shot in the 2nd period. Two top centers off the ice for the Blueshirts doesn’t bode well for them. The Rangers played a good, grinding it out type of game but could only manage 1 goal scored by Dan Girardi at 17:16 in the 1st period. The power play went 0 for 4 but had their chances, especially in the 3rd period with Marian Gaborik crashing all around the net. Steve Valiquette played well but the 3rd goal allowed was too much for the Rangers to overcome. In pained me to see Nigel Dawes get 3 assists for the Flames. I can’t remember him having that kind of game for the Blueshirts. He would simply disappear during games. The Rangers could not get that lucky bounce to go or the open net tip in when they needed it. Flame goalie Miikka Kiprusoff was excellent in stopping 32 of 33 shots on goal. The 3 game Western Canadian road trip was not successful at 1-2-0. The Rangers return to the Garden this Thursday to host the Atlanta Thrashers. The Flames moved from Atlanta to Calgary back in 1980. The three stars of the game were Flame goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, Flame Nigel Dawes and Dan Girardi.

Tribute to My Ex-Wife

I'm thinking of my ex-Wife today as I blast The Joshua Tree on one of my stereos. She passed away five years ago today. One of Her many attributes was a love of music and in particular the band U2. We saw them 4 times together during the Joshua Tree Tour of 1987, at the Hartford Civic Center, Nassau Coliseum, Giants Stadium and Madison Square Garden. Although we found that we could not be together we had a love that still remained. This is to Her. It sounds as good now as it did in 1987.

Ryan Howard's Puss Says it All!

I love the back page of the Philadelphia Daily News from a few days ago. Ryan Howard's face pretty much says it all!

New York Yankees World Series 2009 Champs Parade Down Canyon of Heroes in New York City Today

New York City puts on a parade for heroes like no other city in the world as the World Champion New York Yankees take their rightful turn down the Canyon of Heroes. It’s actually up the canyon so to speak as they make their way north from the tip of Battery Park in lower Manhattan to City Hall. Floats and convertible cars worked their way up Broadway where early estimates of 1,000,000 fans stood for hours to cheer on their heroes. I did not go to this one but am glad the City put on the parade for the Yanks. Most of the players were gracious with local Fox 5 TV reporters, except for Alex Rodriguez (aka A-Roid) naturally. He completely blew off Rosanna Scotto’s attempts at a word for the camera. CC Sabathia, Joba and Johnny Damon were most pleasant while Nick Swisher was swishalicious and genuinely happy to be there. All Yankee players and personnel were guests of Mayor Bloomberg for lunch then received Keys to the City by the Major outside the City Hall steps. Mayor Bloomberg was awesome when he said something should go to the Phillies, so he’ll be sending Mr. Bigmouth Jimmy Rollins a new crystal ball! The music was horrible as the players received their keys. It sounded just like the Six Flags music with the bald guy running around in circles. Who picked that one? I chatted with my friend during the parade. She is a true blue Yankee fan whom is a good sport and gave me a bit of a dig, asking if the Mets had a 20 year anniversary parade...

The Yankees win it all! Celebrate with a Waterford Crystal baseball!

Step right up and get your Waterford 2009 Yankees Commemorative Crystal Baseball. If you didn’t spend all your money at the Stadium in the Bronx during the playoffs you can afford one of these. Just don’t throw it around the house during the upcoming holidays. For the money I'd take the 2009 MLB World Series NY Yankees Home Plate. The Yankee field crew was switching out the bases like there's no tomorrow during the game so they can be sold as game used.

Rangers Defeat Oilers and Ex-Coach Tom Renney 4-2 at Rexall Place Thursday

The New York Rangers defeated the Oilers in Edmonton last night 4-2. The difference was scoring 3 goals on the power play and the Blueshirts blocking 28 Edmonton shots. Steve Valiquette started in goal and played very well to earn the win. The Rangers didn’t pass up (no pun intended) opportunities to shoot the puck and had 39  for the game. Christopher Higgins scored the Rangers 1st goal and his 2nd in two games at 15:28 in the 1st period. Their 2nd goal was scored on the power play by Ryan Callahan on a perfect pass by Michael Del Zotto at 10:36 in the 2nd period. On another perfect pass from Marian Gaborik, Ales Kotalik (1 goal, 2 assists) scored another power play on a blast that Oiler goalie Nikolai Khabibulin didn’t even see. On the power play at 7:31 in the 3rd period Gaborik came behind the net and pushed the puck into the net on a rebound from Ryan Callahan’s shot. The Rangers’ penalty kill was excellent again killing 4 penalties. It’s great to see rookies Matt Gilroy and Del Zotto getting lots of ice time. Vali stopped 26 of 28 shots for the win. This was the first game against ex-coach Tom Renney now the Oiler’s associate coach.

Renney as reported to AP before the Islander game:

"I'm going to have a hard time looking at the logo and not identifying with it," said Renney, who spent four years as Rangers coach before being dismissed in February. "I'm going to see familiar faces and be happy to see them again and all that kind of stuff, but I want to beat them. There is no question about that."

Renney did a great job coaching the Blueshirts out of the lockout and into the playoffs for three successive years but Glen Sather felt the team needed a kick in the pants last season to make the playoffs. I didn’t see Renney chomping on his gum per usual but did see Oiler head coach Pat Quinn doing so. The three stars of the game were Gaborik, Patrick O'Sullivan (Oilers) and Valiquette.

The Best Team Money Can Buy Won the 2009 World Series as the Yankees Defeat the Phillies 4 Games to 2 in Convincing Fashion

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies (aka Phillthies) last night 7-3 at Yankee Stadium to clinch the 2009 World Series 4 games to 2. Godzilla (Hideki Matsui .615 BA) played like a real monster in this series. The Yankee DH went 3 for 4, HR with 6 RBIs and was awarded the MVP in this years Fall Classic. I lost count on the number of times Joe Buck stated that if Matsui hits a triple he’d the first player in World Series history to hit for the cycle. Fox usually comes at you with lots of useless stats. There is no way Godzilla could get to 3rd base with his knees. Matsui got to second because the center and right fielder collapsed on the ball that was hit off the fence in right center and it took a hard carom towards the field. But to me the story of the series wasn’t Pedro Martinez imploding or Godzilla’s blast to the upper deck in the bottom of the 2nd inning. It was Phillies’ Ryan Howard (.174 BA) and Mr. Bigmouth Jimmy Rollins (.217 BA) not showing up at the plate. Howard struck out 13 times in the Series which is a complete joke. Bronx Bombers Mark Teixeira (.136 BA) and Alex Rodriguez (aka A-Roid .250 BA) didn’t show up offensively either. It was Yankee Captain Derek Jeter (.407 BA) whom to me was the real star for the Yankees. His tremendous consistency is unparalleled in the game today. The last World Series victory for the Yankees was in the 2000 Subway Series when the Steroid Bunch defeated their cross town rival New York Mets. For the New York Yankees coming into the season with the highest salary in Major League Baseball anything less then a World Series victory would have been failure. Congratulations to the Bombers as they steam rolled over everyone in the Playoffs (Postseason if you’re Joe Buck). The parade down the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan is scheduled for Friday morning at 11:00 AM.