Coyotes Defeated Rangers 3-2 in Phoenix Saturday

The New York Rangers lost to the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 on Saturday night in the desert. Ranger coach John Tortorella was saying how it’d be good for the Rangers to get out of town. I understand it but don’t like hearing it. Blueshirts goalie extraordinaire Henrik Lundqvist sat out with an undisclosed illness. Coyote captain Shane Doan opened the scoring by beating Ranger rookie defenseman Michael Del Zotto early in 1st period. Del Zotto was schooled in the 1st period and was -3 before intermission. He’s been getting schooled at the Garden too but this comes with the territory of being a rookie defenseman in the NHL at the age of 19. Last year he was stopping minor leaguers and this years he’s stopping the likes of Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby. To think he’s the second coming of Brian Leetch is a bit premature. Goalie Chad Johnson played well after the 3 goal barrage. The Blueshirts took way too many penalties and you can’t score if on the penalty kill. Ranger Marian Gaborik scored his first goal in weeks on a nice give and go with Erik Christensen at 9:42 of the 3rd period. Sean Avery came down on a 2-on-1 and held up passing to Chris Higgins and slammed a wrist shot to the back of the net to bring the Blueshirts within 1 goal, down 3-2 at 11:50 in the 3rd period. Unfortunately too little offensive too late and the Rangers took another loss. Ex-Ranger forwards Lauri Korpikoski, Petr Prucha and backup goalie Jason LaBarbera played well for Phoenix. Prucha was on the ice against the Rangers first line, something Tom Renney would never think of doing. It’s nice to see Prucha playing better and getting ice time with Phoenix. Michal Rozsival had a “Penalty Hat Trick”, with 3 minors and the topper, a hi-sticking call on Petr Prucha at 18:05 in the 3rd penalty. With Johnson out of the net it was 5-on-5, less a goalie! The Rangers go from the desert to the mountains to take on the Avalanche in Denver tonight.

Marv Albert (YESSSSSSS!) Hall of Shame Inductee #5 with Shame-O-Meter Rating of 6

Marv Albert, the voice of the New York Knickerbockers and Rangers since I was a kid, is the fifth inductee into my Hall of Shame. Thanks to my friend for making the recommendation. Marv covered sports for New York City local WNBC-TV Channel 4 and hoops for the NBC network as well. His name appears on Madison Square Garden’s Walk of Fame in front of the main entrance off of 32nd Street and 7th Avenue. I walk past his name every time I go to Ranger games and other events at the Garden. He was arrested in the fall of 1997 as reported by washingtonpost.com:

Taking the stand yesterday for the first time, as a witness called by the prosecution, the 56-year-old former voice of the New York Knicks offered his accuser a somewhat stumbling apology. "Ms. Perhach and I had a 10-year relationship. In the past, there was consensual biting," Albert said. "On this particular evening, I did not realize until her testimony that she felt harmed by this.”

These days being the play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Nets may be torture enough for Marv! While working alongside Boomer Esiason on Westwood One’s Monday Night Football radio coverage I have to think, has Boomer ever thought to ask Marv how it feels wearing women’s underwear under his suit? The Golden Voice can be heard on TNT’s basketball coverage as well. All I can say is “YESSSSSSS AND HE’S FOULED!”

#17 Pitt Panthers Defeated St. John’s Red Storm 63-53 at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh Wednesday

The St. John’s Red Storm lost to the Pitt Panthers on the road in Pittsburgh last night 63-53. It’s the Red Storm’s second loss in a row to a ranked Big East opponent. The Red Storm held a 4 point lead at the half but shot poorly from the field again in the 2nd half and came up short. The Red Storm outrebounded Pitt 41-31, but shot horribly from the field (19-of-58, 32.8 percent). Red Storm D.J. Kennedy, a Pittsburgh high school star finished with 9 points. The Panthers sealed the deal going on a 16-5 run with about 8 minutes go in the game and St. John’s couldn’t score to keep pace. Justin Burrell finished with a team high 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Johnnies. The Red Storm go 12-6 on the season and 2-6 in the Big East Conference. Letting 2nd half leads slip away to Villanova, Louisville, Providence and now Pitt hurts. St. John’s needs to get back on their winning ways and shoot better from the field to be competitive, make the Big East Tournament and play some serious March Madness basketball in March.

Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) Struck Out on Signing Free Agents

The New York Mets GM Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) struck out this offseason on signing free agents. He said “We have a plan”, but I believe he doesn’t have a clue. I think he’s playing all the Met fans for suckers again and trying to pull the wool over our eyes. I’d rather him say nothing and go about trying to assemble a team. Here’s a shortlist free agents they had no intention of signing but claimed to:

• SP Jon Garland – would have been a good fit
• SP John Smoltz – please God no. He would be this years El Duque
• SP Ben Sheets – injury waiting to happen, glad they didn't
• SP John Lackey – would have been a good fit
• SP Joel Piniero – not a fan
• C Bengie Molina – he took less money for one season to resign with Giants! Will be 36 in July

They better not sign Johnny Damon.

Hurricanes Defeated Rangers 5-1 at Garden Wednesday

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden 5-1 Wednesday. My Wife and I were in the green seats again for this one and I went with my friend Monday. The story of the game last night was lack to total team effort, two tough goals and another soft one that got past Henrik Lundqvist. Sergei Samsonov and Eric Stall each scored two goals for the Hurricanes. Carolina was ahead 2-0 before the first TV timeout in the 1st period. The sole Ranger goal was scored by Ryan Callahan at 1:24 in the 2nd period on a great pass from Marc Staal. Vinny Prospal got the secondary assist. That brought the Blueshirts to within 1 goal but that was all she wrote. Henrik Lundqvist came out of his crease and did a spin-o-rama near the left face off circle to clear the zone! In the other goal Cam Ward played very well for the Canes and kept the Rangers off the board. I was so distraught at the game that I called Steve Somers (aka “The Schmoozer") on WFAN 660 AM last night to discuss the game around midnight. Steve asked me “Did you have a good time?” I told him the best part of the night was the pastrami sandwich, at $12.50. He laughed and told me that is his rent. I told him there was a lack of effort in their defensive zone, losing the puck in the neutral zone, losing the puck battle behind their net and goal line. They wait for the puck along the wall instead of going after it. He said “but it’s in your blood, love of Madison Square Garden”, and it’s all true. I think the low point was at 13:10 in the 3rd period when Dan Girardi was called for holding and on the delayed penalty Ryan Callahan was called for tripping, 5-on-3 for the Hurricanes. New Carolina captain Eric Stall scored on a blazing slapper past Henrik above his left shoulder. The Rangers outshot them but it didn’t seem that way, not even close. The power play is still MIA. Alex Kotalik was a healthy scratch for six games in a row and did a complete no show last night after getting ice time. The guy in front of me had binoculars and saw Assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld in a box at the top of the Garden. GM Glen Sather was not standing near him but most likely was right behind him. Sather addressed the team after the game. They have some time to turn things around and make the playoffs but Sather has to do some shopping around. The three stars, all Hurricanes were Cam Ward, Eric Staal and Sergei Samsonov.

Joe Namath Hall of Shame Inductee #4 with Shame-O-Meter Rating of 3

My Wife and I were at our friend’s house watching the Jet home game against the hated New England Patriots (aka Cheaters) on Sunday night, December 20, 2003. As soon as the ESPN sideline reporter Suzy Kolber began interviewing the beloved Jet quarterback Broadway Joe Namath I yelled out “Oh my God, Joe’s hammered!” Sure enough the following occurred as reported by sportsillustrated.cnn.com:

Suzy Kolber: Joe, it's been a tough season for Jets fans. What does it mean to you now that the team is struggling?

Joe Namath: I wanna kiss you. I couldn't care less about the team struggling. What we know is we can improve. Chad Pennington, our quarterback, missed the first part of the season, and we struggled. We're looking to next season, we're looking to make a noise now and ... I wanna kiss you!

SK: Thanks Joe! I'll take that as a huge compliment ... [Namath in background: YEAH!!!!] Joe Namath, part of the four-decade team. We'll see these guys at halftime.

Since then every time my Wife and I see Joe we look at each other and say, “I WANNA KISSSS YOU.”

Mets Have Lots of Unfilled Roster Spots for the Upcoming 2010 Season and Jason Bay was in Mets Organization for 4 Months in 2002!

Below are all transactions the Mets have had in the past two months (as reported on mets.com. What’s glaringly missing: a real catcher, a real first baseman and a real #2 starting pitcher. Omar has a plan, but does he have a clue? I am a diehard Met fan but sometimes it is really tough to like this team. That certainly helps when the season is six months plus playoffs if you’re so lucky. One ironic thing is that in 2002 Montreal Expos GM Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) traded Jason Bay and Jimmy Serrano to the Mets for Lou Collier. Four months later Mets GM Steve Phillips traded Jason Bay in a package deal to the Padres for two guys that didn’t amount to anything for the Mets. Good job Steve!

12/28/09 New York Mets signed free agent RHP Kelvim Escobar.
12/18/09 New York Mets signed free agent RHP Elmer Dessens.
12/17/09 New York Mets signed free agent RHP Ryota Igarashi.
12/16/09 New York Mets signed free agent RHP Clint Everts.
12/12/09 LF Jeremy Reed filed for free agency.
RHP Lance Broadway filed for free agency.
RHP Tim Redding filed for free agency.
LF Cory Sullivan filed for free agency.
12/10/09 New York Mets traded Carlos Monasterios to Los Angeles Dodgers.
New York Mets released 3B Andy Green.
New York Mets claim Carlos Monasterios off waivers from Reading Phillies.
12/04/09 New York Mets signed free agent C Henry Blanco.
12/03/09 New York Mets signed free agent 3B Mike Hessman.
New York Mets signed free agent C Chris Coste.
01/22/10 Los Angeles Angels traded cash and CF Gary Matthews to New York Mets for Brian Stokes.
01/08/10 New York Mets claim Jay Marshall off waivers from Oakland Athletics.01/05/10 New York Mets signed free agent LF Jason Bay.
New York Mets signed free agent 2B Russ Adams.
New York Mets signed free agent 3B Mike Cervenak.
New York Mets signed free agent RHP R.A. Dickey.
New York Mets signed free agent LF Jesus Feliciano.
New York Mets signed free agent 3B Andy Green.

Mavericks Blow Out Knicks 128-78 at Garden Sunday – Worst Garden Loss in Knicks History

Some games the current Knicks actually look good. This was just unbelievable!

As reported by nba.com:

Even without Kidd (personal reasons) and Dampier (knee), the Dallas Mavericks hammered the Knicks, 128-78, at Madison Square Garden and handed New York its worst home loss and second-worst loss in franchise history.

The last time I had a 50-point win? I don't think I had a 50-point win. I don't care if we won by one point. A win is a win," said Dallas forward Shawn Marion, one of seven Mavericks in double-figures with 15 points.

The loss was so lopsided, Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni spent more time chuckling during his postgame press conference than expressing anger or frustration.

Heading to Garden to See Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby Take on Rangers

I’m heading to Madison Square Garden with my friend shortly to see the Blueshirts take on Sidney (aka Cindy) Crosby. I’m glad I’m sitting in the Green Seats in the middle of the Garden. I won’t be too close to ice. I can’t stand watching a grown man play like a little girl and dive all over the ice (that would be Cindy)!

Colts Defeat Jets 30-17 in AFC Championship Heartbreaker Sunday

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the upstart New York Jets 30-17 yesterday in a real heartbreaker for the Jets and their fans. In the first half the Jet defense was able to get to Colt All-Pro QB Peyton Manning with pressure from all sides and he was visibly unhappy on the sidelines. The Jets sacked Manning on the Colts’ opening drive and looked good doing it. On the Jets first drive they ran well and usually steady K Jay Feeley missed on a 44 yard field wide right. Manning was sacked again on their next drive. The Colts moved the ball and the Jet CB Donald Strickland got hurt with a groin injury and didn’t come back. As CB Lito Sheppard came in I told my wife “I bet they throw on him” and sure enough on the very next play a huge 36 yard pass to 2nd year WR Pierre Garcon to the Jet 9 yard line. A false start moved them back and the Jets held the Colts to a field goal. The Jet rookie QB Mark Sanchez threw an excellent ball to the left sideline to WR Braylon Edwards for an 80 yard touchdown play! Jets lead 7-3. The Colts took 6 minutes off the clock on a 12 play drive and the Jets held them to another field goal, Jets up 7-6. Next drive the Jets run the ball with Shonn Greene and WR Brad Smith took the snap in the Seminole (Wildcat) and threw a 45 yard strike to WR Jericho Cotchery down the Colt 12 yard line. I screamed it was the first pass of the year for him! A few plays later Sanchez threw his 2nd touchdown to TE Dustin Keller, great throw up and in just inside the end zone on the right side. Jets up 14-6. Jet S Jim Leonhard forced a fumble and the Jets K Jay Feeley kicked a 48 yard field goal, Jets up 17-6. Manning comes down the field in a handful of plays to make the score 17-13 and I think that’s one of the turning points. In the 3rd Quarter the Jets got the ball and Feeley missed a 52 yard kick. More importantly Shonn Greene left the game with a rib injury and that really cost them. Manning marches downfield again and caps the drive with a short touchdown to Garcon. Colts take lead 20-17. Next Jet drive ends in punt Colts and Jets do nothing next couple of drives. Next Colt possession ends in touchdown pass to TE Dallas Clark, Colts up 27-17. Jets do not move the ball well enough on the next three drives to score additional points and the Colts capped it with a Matt Stover 21 yard field goal, Colts up 30-17 and that’s how it ends. The Jets losing Shonn Greene, Donald Strickland, hobbling Bart Scott not playing much and Thomas Jones not 100% really hurt. Every team in the playoffs is hurting and having to make adjustments with personnel so that’s assumed. One great thing was seeing the Jets team show up and give it their best effort against the top teams in the AFC during the playoffs. Sanchez went 17-of -30 for 257 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Shutdown CB Darrelle Revis was excellent once again. Thomas Jones was held to only 42 yards on 16 carries. Greene had 41 yards on 10 carries before leaving game. LB David Harris was a monster with 11 tackles and 2 sacks. S Kerry Rhodes with 7 tackles and LB Calvin Pace with 6 were strong as well. The Jets are on the way up. My friend called me after the game and she said we’ll be at the home opener at the new Meadowlands Stadium with better seats too! J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

Plaxico Burress Hall of Shame Inductee #3 with Shame-O-Meter Rating of 10

Former Giant WR Plaxico Burress is the third inductee into my Hall of Shame. In November 2008 Burress was at the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan with New York Giants teammate LB Antonio Pierce for a night out on the town. The night out was cut short as Burress’ unlicensed handgun slid out of the waistband in his sweats. He managed to shoot and would himself in the leg. His license to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Florida expired in May 2008 and he didn’t have a license to do so in New York State! Burress accepted a two-year prison sentence in a plea bargain for criminal possession of a weapon. The Giants released Burress in April 2009 and has not singed with a new team. Maybe the Eagles will sign him and Vick can throw him the ball! The bullet just missed a security guard at the club. Ricochets are a major concern and Burress is very lucky nobody was seriously hurt. Burress saw blood on his Chuck Taylor All-Stars and knew he shot himself. Pierce took him to the hospital and helped cover up the whole thing. Burress said he used “bad judgment” in not carrying a holster! How about not carrying an unlicensed firearm and having it loaded with no safety engaged in the first place! What a dope.

#4 Villanova Wildcats Defeat St. John’s Red Storm 81-71 Saturday at Garden

Villanova defeated St. John’s at Madison Square Garden yesterday 81-71. St. John’s shot well from the field in the fist half (13-for-23, 56.5 percent) but didn’t fare as well in the second half (11-for-38, 28.9 percent). The poor shooting in the 2nd half cost the Red Storm the game. Dwight Hardy tied a career-high with 19 points and was 5-of-9 in 3 point shooting. Hardy has the hot hand in the World’s Most Famous Arena with 19 points in his last three Garden games. D.J. Kennedy had 10 points on the day. Sean Evans had 9 total rebounds, all in the 2nd half. This was the first start of the season for Anthony Mason Jr. and finished with 10 points. Freshman Omari Lawrence finished with a career-high eight points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. One of my favorite players, Justin Burrell from the Bronx, finished with 5 points and 6 six rebounds in only 15 minutes off the bench. With a little better shooting in the 2nd half they could have beaten the highly ranked Wildcats. St. John’s is 12-7 on the season, but only 2-5 in the Big East Conference.

New York Jets Play in AFC Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday 3:00 PM EST What We Need is J-E-T-S JETS JET JETS!

Mark Sanchez plays yet again the biggest game of his young career today in Indianapolis shortly. Rex Ryan said yesterday at the Rally at the Training Facility that at the Colts’ rally there 200 people will show up in a bar somewhere. That cracked me up and got me even more psyched. Here’s a picture of the members of the Flight Crew that was at the Rally yesterday. They had some of the crew at JFK airport for the team sendoff to Indianapolis.

• CB Darrelle Revis needs a huge game against Colt WR Reggie Wayne
• Defense needs to chuck Colt receivers hard at the line of scrimmage
• Defense needs to knockdown Colt QB Peyton Manning or at least get to him and mix up coverages. Manning is the best at reading defenses at the line of scrimmage
• Jets will have FS Kerry Rhodes cover another All-Pro TE Colt Dallas Clark. He concerns me as Clark catches passes for touchdowns
• Sanchez must pass 25 times or more to keep up with Colts and QB Peyton Manning
• Colts running game is nothing compared to what it used to be but RB Joseph Addai catches the ball out of the backfield
• Ball control, time of possession and no penalties are huge for the Jets
• No yards after the catch (YAC) on the short dink and dunk stuff that QB Manning will throw their way. The Jets defense must tackle the ball handler immediately
• Jets must get yards on first down
• Jets must keep Colts from getting yards on first down

So if the Jets can do all that they can win the game. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

Canadiens Shut Out Rangers at Bell Centre in Montreal 6-0 Saturday

The Montreal Canadiens (aka Habs) defeated the New York Rangers 6-0 last night at what I call the Mecca of Hockey, Le Centre Bell in Montreal. Watching this game pained me, especially seeing ex-Ranger Scott Gomez score the fist goal for Montreal last night. I thought he was the laziest guy on the ice when he played for the Blueshirts but last night he played hard. Henrik Lundqvist was pulled at 6:17 in the 2nd period after giving up 4 goals. Matt Zaba made his NHL debut between the pipes. Zaba gave up 2 power play goals and looked sharp in goal. The Ranger defense was pathetic in front of Henrik and did a complete no show energy wise. I hope the Rangers get it together and show up Monday night at the Garden against the Penguins. The three stars of the game were all Canadiens: Michael Cammalleri, Jaroslav Halak and Jaroslav Spacek.

Fireman Ed Hall of Shame Inductee #2 with Shame-O-Meter Rating of 1 (from Guest Blogger)

I attended the Jets Rally this morning at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, NJ with my friend and his son (thanks for the ride). My friend asked if he could do a guest blog and I said sure. The guest blog follows:

[Today at the] Jets rally Fireman Ed was firing up the Jets fans then a major faux pas Fireman Ed shouts, "REX RYAN OUR SAVIOUR!” 5000 raucous fans quiet. That quiet speaks a lot of good about Jet fans. As we all knew in our hearts this is wrong. Embarrassing for Fireman Ed as you could hear a mouse fart. I'm thinking, I love Rex Ryan but only Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Shame on you Fireman Ed, try going to church! We love you Fireman Ed but I think if you have ears that this is a small wake up call to get your own spiritual life in order. We all screw up so I give Fireman Ed a 1 [on the Shame-O-Meter].

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! Loudest Crowd I Ever Heard Was at Game 2 September 20, 2009 - Home Opener vs. Hated Patriots (aka Cheaters) – Huge 16-9 Jets Victory

Game 2 of the 2009 season (home opener) vs. the Hated Patriots (aka Cheaters) was the loudest I’ve ever heard the crowd at a Jet game, including games at Shea Stadium. I was sitting in Section 326 and couldn’t hear the refs or the PA announcer. It was deafening. I went with two friends and a son of friends who’s a big Jet fan. It was the first NFL game for one friend and he saw quite a game. Our friends’ son and I won Mark Sanchez bobbleheads from a scratch off in the game program. In fact after the game we drove right to P.C. Richards in Brooklyn to pick them up. I found this clip on YouTube and thought it was worth posting. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

Roger Clemens Hall of Shame Inductee #1 with Shame-O-Meter Rating of 10

Roger “Rocket” Clemens is the first inductee into my Hall of Shame. He earned this dubious distinction by being quite the knucklehead. The Rocket earns a Shame-O-Meter Rating of 10 (based on a 1-to-10 rating). The Red Sox have a knack for not signing players to extensions when they feel they’re abilities are on the decline. After four average years with the Sox, Rocket signed a two year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. He miraculously won the Cy Young Award two straight years! As per the Mitchell Report Toronto’s “strength coach” at the time was a man named Brian McNamee, who injected Clemens in the buttocks approximately four times. Nice! Rocket was on a new high powered jet fuel. I attended Red Sox games in the mid 90s while traveling to Boston on business. Back then you could walk up to the window and get a ticket the day of the game. I attended a game with my coworker who’s a HUGE Red Sox fan, true Boston Southie. The Rocket was pitching out of a jam with two runners on in scoring position around the 6th inning. The crowd’s chanting “ROOOOCKET, ROOOOCKET”. I told my friend the only rocket will be off the Green Monster. Sure enough after 4 more foul balls, BAM, the ball’s rocketed to the left side off the Green Monster! Both runs score, they take out Rocket, boos from the crowd. He took his glove off on the way to the dugout and gave the crowd the finger. Nice! Fast forward to the Yankee Years. The Yanks hired McNamee and the rest is history. The Bat Throwing Incident in the 2000 World Series tops it all. He threw the top of Mike Piazza’s bat at him after Rocket thought it was the ball! Yeah sure, what a dope.

UConn Huskies Defeat St. John’s Red Storm 75-59 at XL Center Wednesday

The Huskies defeated the Red Storm by 16 points last night at the XL Center in Hartford. This was the first game UConn played since their head coach Jim Calhoun took a medical leave of absence. St. John’s was out classed by UConn who broke a 3 game losing streak but remained ranked in the USA Today Top 25. The Red Storm’s record falls to 12-6 and 2-4 in the Big East Conference. D.J. Kennedy led the Johnnies with 19 points. Dwight Hardy had 12 points while Sean Evans, Paris Horne and Anthony Mason Jr. contributed 6 points each. The Red Storm was down by 3 at the half but the Huskies went on a run to begin the 2nd half and St. John’s couldn’t recover. St. John's host Villanova at Madison Square Garden for a noon matinee this Saturday.

Rangers Win Big Sunday and Tuesday at the Garden

The New York Rangers were victorious Sunday and Tuesday nights at Madison Square Garden much to the crowd’s delight. After the excellent Jet win we took a cab to the Garden to catch the 2nd and 3rd periods. I saw the Canadiens up 2-0 after the 1st and hoped the team would show up the rest of the game and they did. The Rangers scored 3 unanswered goals in the 2nd and 3rd periods to crush the Canadiens 6-2. It was a total team effort, with an excellent forecheck and defensive play. Watching Scott Gomez cough up the puck in the Rangers defensive zone by a nifty play by Marc Stall that ended up a few seconds later in the Canadiens net was worth the price of admission. We were singing the Ole Ole Ole Ole song that the Montreal fans sing during the final minutes of a Habs win. Tuesday the Rangers beat the hell out of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I will post more on this game tomorrow. The team is playing with a lot of confidence.

Mets Organizational Decision-Making Flow Chart for Upcoming 2010 Season

The latest Mets Organizational Decision-Making Flow Chart for the upcoming baseball season is here. Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya) spent countless hours perfecting the model. It will help with day-to-day injuries and any investigations that may occur throughout the season. (Courtesy of sbnation.com and Grission). Click image below for a better view. Thanks to my cousin for bringing this critical document to my attention.

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! Jets Defeat Chargers 17-14 at Qualcomm Stadium Sunday to Earn Trip to AFC Championship Game

The New York Jets defeated the San Diego Chargers 17-14 Sunday for the second playoff victory and earned a trip the AFC Championship. My Wife and I watched the game at a good steakhouse in Midtown Manhattan where a good friend of ours works the bar. The game was a thing of beauty as the Jets stunned all the naysayers in San Diego and elsewhere. The defense held Charger QB Philip Rivers off the scoreboard. Rivers had his completions going 27 of 40 for 298 yards with 1 touchdown but had 2 costly interceptions. The defense blitzed and kept 7 players back in coverage on most passing downs. Rivers couldn’t always find the open man and had to settle for his check down receivers. Amazingly Pro Bowl kicker Nate Kaeding missed 3 field goals for the Chargers. Early in the 2nd quarter Rivers threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Wilson and with the extra point took a 7-0 lead into the half. The Jets running game didn’t get going until the 2nd half. The Jets got on the board with a 46 yard field goal late in the 3rd period to cut the lead to 7-3. In the 4th quarter Mark Sanchez connected with Dustin Keller for a 2 yard touchdown reception and with the extra point by Feely took the lead 10-7. Later in the quarter Shonn Greene busted a 53 yard touchdown run. Feeley added the extra point and the Jets led 17-7. Just before the 2 minute warning the Chargers scored on a 1 yard quarterback sneak. The extra point by Nate Kaeding brought the score to 17-14. Head coach Norv Turner, with 1 timeout remaining, decided to run an onside kick. The ball was kicked perfectly 10 yards to Kerry Rhodes. The ball bounced straight up off of Rhodes, who jumped up to control the ball at the Charger 38 yard line. On 4th and 1 the Jets took their last timeout. Rex Ryan decided to go for it and Thomas Jones bulled his way for a 2 yard gain and the 1st down. Mark Sanchez took a knee the Jets earned their way into the AFC Championship Game! David Harris led the defense with a solid game and had 9 tackles. Darrelle Revis once again was the man and made a spectacular interception on a ball that rolled off the receiver and onto his lap and hands. Mark Sanchez went 23 of 23 for 100 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. I’d like to see Braylon Edwards play some defense on balls that are picked in front of him Shonn Greene led the rushing game with 23 carries for 128 yards and 1 touchdown. We then took a cab to the Garden for the Ranger game, and another great win!

St. John’s Red Storm Defeat DePaul Blue Demons 67-47 at Carnesecca Arena Sunday for Second Big East Victory

The Red Storm defeated the Blue Demons soundly Sunday by 20 (67-47) at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, NY before a nice crowd of 4,317.

Head Coach Norm Roberts on the St. John’s victory:

"Our guys played hard defensively. We played with good energy, moved our feet well and played good ball screen defense," said Roberts. "We have persevered and stayed tough after a few losses. These guys are juniors now and they understand that we have to try to keep good weeks going. They understand that they have to have a hunger to keep winning."

The Red Storm shot well from the field (25-for-54, 46.3 percent). Their team shooting has been their biggest issue of the past few years and it is nice seeing such a good effort. Their defense held the Blue Demons to only 32.0 percent from the field (16-for-50). Norm Roberts played his bench and two Johnnies off the bench led the team scoring: Justin Burrell with 11 points and Justin Brownlee with 10. The Red Storm visit the XL Center in Hartford for a game against UConn on Wednesday, 7:00 PM. The game will be televised on SNY.

Heading to Midtown to Watch Jet Game then to Ranger Game

Heading to restaurant in Midtown with my Wife to watch the Jet game then head to the Ranger game at the Garden tonight. The 40 Year Old Viking is bettering Romo so far! I hate the Cowboys! Great to see.

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

Rangers Sing Blues in 4-1 Loss at St. Louis Saturday

The St. Louis Blues defeated the New York Rangers 4-1 at Scottrade Center last night. One of the best parts of the game came in the 1st intermission where Sam Rosen interviewed former Ranger goalie and Hall of Fame broadcaster John Davidson, now president of the St. Louis Blues. JD was a fan favorite on and off the ice and the tribute aired was great. The Blueshirts broke their almost 3 game scoreless streak (172 minutes!) with a hardworking goal scored by Brian Boyle who centers the 4th line. Aaron Voros was forechecking behind the Blues net and passed the puck to Boyle in the low slot. Boyle spun around and shot a backhander through the five hole past Chris Mason to tie the game 1-1 at 7:27 in the 2nd period. Goalie Chad Johnson got the start to give Henrik Lundqvist the rest. I hope Johnson won’t be changing his name to “Dos Nueve” anytime soon. He gave up 3 goals had 22 saves in the game and looked comfortable for the most part. The Blues added and empty net goal at 19:47 in the 3rd period to make the score 4-1. The Blueshirts had to kill 3 penalties in the 1st period and that squashed their fast start to the game. The problem continues to be lack of scoring. Sometimes I’d wish the Rangers would treat the entire game as overtime and shoot the puck. If they can get the puck to the point for shots from their defensemen and crash the net with their forwards they’d create more scoring chances. Goalie Chris Mason made a great save on Marian Gaborik late in the 3rd period. Finishing and burying the puck is eluding this team. Christopher Higgins has been banished to the 4th line. The three stars of the game were Roman Polak, Alex Steen and T.J. Oshie, all Blues.

Senators Defeat Rangers 2-0 at Garden Thursday

The story of this game was that the Ottawa Senators won the battle in the neutral zone, beat the hell out of the Rangers up and down the ice and obviously wanted the game more. The Sens scored a horrible goal on Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist at 18:46 in the 3rd period that shouldn’t have happened. The Blueshirts got beaten in their zone on defense and Sens Chris Campoli scored on a wrist shot. Lundqvist was visibly not happy and slammed his stick on the crossbar. As he skated back to the crease with a new stick he appeared to be muttering inside his mask. He saved 32 of 33 shots on goal and hates to lose in these close games. I wonder what he’s thinking seeing the Rangers not score in front of him again. An empty netter at 19:40 of the 3rd period sealed the deal. The Sens are decimated with injuries and were on a five game losing streak. Their starting goalie got hurt in the morning skate and Mike Brodeur started his second NHL game. This Brodeur played like Marty stopping all 32 Ranger shots. For the Blueshirts it was a lackluster effort to say the least. Donald Brashear had two fights with Matt Carkner and didn’t look like the tough guy the Rangers need. I wish Colton Orr was still a Ranger. Sean Avery tried to stir it up a few times and got into it with Jarkko Ruutu who is no doubt one of the biggest mutts in the NHL. The Blueshirts PK did a good job again killing two penalties. Overall the refs let the boys play. A better effort is needed on Saturday night in St. Louis. The three stars of the game were Sen Mike Brodeur, Henrik Lundqvist and Sen Chris Campoli.

Montage of Funny NHL Commercials for Hockey Fans

Here’s a montage of funny NHL commercials that I thought was pretty good, courtesy of Willy Penguin.

New York Jets Play San Diego Chargers in AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Qualcomm Stadium Sunday 4:40 PM EST J-E-T-S JETS JET JETS!

Mark Sanchez plays the biggest game of his young career this Sunday in San Diego as it will be old times weather-wise for him During drills this morning at their Florham Park, NJ practice facility the Jets blasted the Chargers song while Rex Ryan played a little quarterback. I can’t see Rex being that mobile out of the pocket! Good to see that Rex has them loose.

• CB Darrelle Revis needs a huge game against Charger WR Vincent Jackson
• CB Lito Sheppard will cover Charger WR Malcom Floyd
• Defense needs to chuck Charger receivers hard at the line of scrimmage
• Defense needs to knockdown Rivers and mix up coverages
• Jets will play nickel defense to cover Charger TE Antonio Gates. Not sure if FS Kerry Rhodes can cover him alone, Gates is that good
• Sanchez must pass 25 times or more to keep up with Chargers and QB Philip Rivers
• Charger RB LaDainian Tomlinson is not what he used to be
• Ball control, time of possession and no penalties are huge for the Jets

So if the Jets can do all that they can win the game. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

Bill Cowher Reportedly Waiting for Giants Head Coaching Job, Vulture Boy! Bus is Wrong in Saying Anything

As reported by nypost.com:

"I believe he's going to be with the Giants," Bettis said yesterday on Sirius XM's Mad Dog Radio. "I think that's the team that he really coveted. This is where he always wanted to be. The Mara family, he's been very close to them.

He's known them very well and was on the inside track, before the Giants won the Super Bowl, for that job and I think he's holding out for that opportunity if it presents itself."

"He would have definitely gotten the job, and if Coughlin doesn't get that team back in the right direction next year, I think they'll pull the plug," Bettis said.

Cowher did not respond to a request for comment.

Gotta Love Tom Brady with that Sorry Puss on his Face

I had to post this picture as it is Classic Brady. Tommy Boy has this sorry puss on his face every time they’re losing late in the 4th quarter. He doesn’t have to bring it out too often but when he does it puts a smile on my face. Obviously he knows the camera will be on him for 12 seconds in a row but not knowing the exact 12 seconds he has the sorry puss on his face for minutes at a clip. Watching Rutgers grad RB Ray Rice sprint down the sideline on the first play from scrimmage last week blew me away. I’m sure Brady has a nice multimedia room in his house where he can watch the rest of the playoffs.

St. John’s Red Storm Defeat Cincinnati Bearcats 52-50 at Garden Wednesday for First Big East Victory

The Red Storm defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 52-50 at the Garden Wednesday night to go 1-3 in the Big East and 11-5 on the season. It’s good seeing Anthony Mason, Jr. back on the court. St. John's forced 21 turnovers, tying a season-best, and scored 20 points off turnovers in the game. The Red Storm had a season-high 39 bench points. The bench is averaging 26.9 points per game on the year. Dwight Hardy was 4-for-4 from the free throw in the final eight seconds of the game. After tying the game at 50-50 with a pair of free throws, Hardy drained two more to seal the victory. Hardy finished with a game-high 19 points on the night, tying a career-high. Hardy was 3-for-5 from long range in the game and has made at least three 3's in six games this year. The junior is shooting 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from distance in the past six games. Attendance at the Garden was just over 7,000. That’s a lot better then it’s been in recent home games in the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Haiti Earthquake: How to Help

Click the Weather Channel link to see how you can help in the relief efforts to the horrific earthquake in Haiti. Many people are using the text option to donate $10.00 to the Red Cross. Please give what you can and thank you.

Jayson Williams Charged with DWI after Accident on FDR Drive Tuesday Morning January 5th

Jayson Williams just keeps going and going. He can’t stay out of trouble and thank goodness nobody else was hurt on the FDR Drive that morning.

As reported by nypost.com:

Former NBA player Jayson Williams fractured his neck after smashing his SUV into a tree in an early morning East Side crash, sources said. Williams, who has been charged with drunken driving, was driving his black Mercedes SUV along the FDR Drive, and exited at the northbound E. 20th Street Exit. He hit a 40-foot oak tree at East 18th Street and Avenue C at 3:15 a.m., police said.

As reported on nj.com:

“Williams suffered a series of further setbacks last year. His wife filed for divorce, and police used a stun gun on him in a New York hotel after a female friend said he was acting suicidal. He was charged with assault in May after allegedly punching a man in the face outside a North Carolina bar, but charges were dropped.”

Carlos Beltran Undergoes Arthroscopic Surgery On His Own! Beltran Out 8-12 Weeks! What a Joke!

The Carlos Beltran Saga is a complete joke at this point. I remember Beltan speaking to the press postgame in a game at the end of last season. He was pretty smug about “having to be honest with the medical staff.” I guess he hadn’t been and certainly doesn’t care about doing so. Beltran said he felt no pain in his knee last year and MRIs taken in September and November had nothing to report. He had weekly phone calls with the Met trainer and reported no pain. In December he started with intense training and felt discomfort. A third MRI was taken on December 10th and the Met medical staff said to back off the intense training regiment. Beltran went to see his own surgeon Dr. Stedman in Colorado for another opinion. Stedman said to undergo the procedure to help alleviate the symptoms. He had a successful procedure done yesterday and is still in Colorado recovering. The Mets asked to be consulted and have a 3rd opinion if necessary, and they didn’t have that option. Beltran had the surgery performed on his own accord. That’s the joke of it. I’d like to personally thank Scott Boras who is The Biggest Mutt in Baseball. Let’s just sign another one of his clients Johnny Damon to play center. I don’t think Damon could reach the cutoff man without bouncing it to him 3 times. It looks like Angel Pagan in centerfield for the Metropolitans in April. Let’s Go Mets! They are truly a tough team to like.

Devils Defeat Rangers in Shootout 1-0 at Garden Tuesday in Playoff Atmosphere

The New York Rangers were defeated at Madison Square Garden Tuesday by their Atlantic Division rival New Jersey Devils 1-0 in a shootout. This was the best game I’ve seen this season with nonstop action up and down the ice. It was also good to see the return of my new favorite Ranger Vinny Prospal. The Rangers have scored a point in 12 of their last 13 games and it was a shame they couldn’t get 2. The refs let them play except for one joke of a call midway through the 2nd period. Brandon Dubinsky and Erik Christensen were called for 2 minute minors and the PK had to kill off a 2 minute 5-on-3. The Rangers did an excellent job keeping the Devils off the board with Zach Parise and Jay Pandolfo leading the Devils with 6 shots each. Parise was visibly frustrated at least twice when he was stopped in the low slot on two excellent scoring chances. The Rangers did a great job of winning 29 of 47 faceoffs. Though the scoreless overtime period The King Henrik Lundqvist stopped 45 shots on goal and Marty Brodeur stopped 51. Both goalies put on a clinic Tuesday night. Lundqvist has kept opponents to 2 or fewer goals in 15 of the last 18 games, pretty much since the team meeting he called after the embarrassing loss to the Islanders at home. Marc Staal continued his excellent play and led the Blueshirts in ice time with 27:31 minutes. The 4th line, in limited icetime was very effective (Ales Kotalik, Brian Boyle 4 shots, 7 hits and believe it or not Donald Brashear). Ryan Callahan was busy as usual shooting the puck and hitting Devils (5 shots, 6 hits). In watching the game I felt that the Blueshirts still need to find a way to bury the puck in the low slot when they get their scoring chances. I almost fell of the sofa watching Sean Avery lean against the Devils net and proceed to yap at Marty in the 2nd period. He was escorted away by one of the linesman. Also in the 2nd period Marc Staal also hit Devil Captain Jamie Langenbrunner and knocked his helmet off. The three stars of the game were Devil Marty Brodeur, Henrik Lundqvist and Devil Patrik Elias.

Islanders Defeat Red Wings 6-0 at Coliseum in Rare Meeting Tuesday

The New York Islanders have played much better hockey this season and kicked the Red Wings’ tails last night 6-0. The Isles are just out of the playoffs as the tiebreaker is keeping them at 10th in the Eastern Conference but they’re on a roll and will continue to bring back the fans. It was good seeing the Red Wings get blown out The three stars, all Islanders were Dwayne Roloson, Mark Streit and Rob Schremp. Last week I helped a young Swiss couple with directions from Penn Station to SoHo. The young man asked if Mark Streit was still with the Rangers. I told him that Streit’s an Islander and he’s tough and playing well for them, as I just saw him smash the Rangers around at the Garden the week before.

Jets Defeat Bengals 24-14 as Revis Shuts Down Dopey Ochocinco (aka Ochostinko) in Wild Card Game Saturday

The New York Jets defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on the road Saturday in a fantastic performance as we watch the game in Cousin’s house. Bengal RB Cedric Benson, who sat out game against the Jets in Week 17, carried the ball 21 times for 169 yards with 1 touchdown. In the Bengals first series I saw Benson and I yelled out that he’ll run for 150 yards, and he ran for more. Pro-Bowl QB Carson Palmer went 18 of 36 for 146 yards with 1 touchdown, but looked horrible during the game. He missed many receivers due to the Jet defense giving him different looks. Old friend and former Jet WR Laveranues Coles played through a thumb injury he incurred in the first half and left the game in the 4th quarter with a head injury. Coles finished with 6 catches for 48 yards with 1 touchdown. The Dopey Big Mouth WR Chad Ochocinco (aka OchoStinko) had only 2 receptions for 28 yards. The first reception was in the 4th quarter and his second came during garbage time late in the game with the Jets playing a prevent defense. One game ball has to go to Jet K Jay Feely who pulled double-duty as punter as well. The Jet P Steve Weatherford did not play due to an irregular heartbeat he’s had since high school. Feely’s average was about 30 yards per kick but pinned the Bengals multiple times and did a great job. It was fantastic seeing Pro-Bowl CB Darelle Revis pick off a deep pass to Ochocinco (aka Ochostinko) along the right sideline midway through the 2nd quarter. Ochostinko didn’t play defense on the play and looked like the dope he is. Rookie Jet RB Shonn Greene really shined as he had a career high 21 carries for 135 yards with 1 touchdown. Greene sprinted down the sideline early in the 2nd quarter for a 39 yard touchdown as we went wild watching. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez played very well too as he went 12 for 15 for 182 yards with 1 touchdown. WR Braylon Edwards dropped a touchdown pass that was an absolute heartbreaker. Edwards gets separation but needs to be perfect this Sunday in San Diego for the Jets to have a winning chance. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

Tough Finish for Giants

The New York Football Giants had a very tough season down the stretch. They went 5-0 then finished with a 3-8 record in their last 11 games. After firing the Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach the rebuilding begins. I knew RB Brandon Jacobs was hurt and having surgery prior to the last game of the season proved that. They needed a locker room presence who’s not a knucklehead to lead the team, especially when they starting spiraling down. They played weak teams in the early going and got smacked around when playing tougher teams. Many questions need to be answered before training camp in 2010.

Back on Track with Blog Postings

I’ve been MIA with blogs postings of late but am back on track and will keep up with the sports that are played and loved.

Chad Ochocinco, What a Dope!

"Darrelle Revis couldn’t cover me in a brown paper bag on a corner of a Manhattan street inside a phone booth,” Chad Ochocinco said. What a dope. I bet he pronounced it Maaaaanhaaataaann on top of it. Let’s see if the big mouth performs today. The Jets MUST stop the downfield pass from Carson Palmer or it will be a long day. If Ochocinco catches the ball off the line on a quick slant the secondary must tackle him and limit his yards after the catch. My friend is in Cincy for the big game today. Keep warm and get some ribs at the Montgomery Inn. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals in Wild Card Game Today at 4:30 PM

The Jets visit the Bengals today at 4:30 EST for the first round of the NFJ Playoffs. The Jets can win this game if they play a perfect game: ball control, no dumb penalties, knock down QB Carson Palmer and run the football. LB Davis Harris and CB Donald Strickland were limited in practice Friday and are listed as Questionable. Harris leads the team in tackles and needs to be on the field to keep Bengal RBs Cedric Benson and Larry Johnson out of the end zone. Benson played with Jet RB Thomas Jones in Chicago for two years and he’ll have something to prove today. I’d also like to see WR Brad Smith actually throw the ball downfield. Unless he begins to do so the Bengals will stack 8 or more players on the line and stop the Seminole. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!