The New York Red Bulls defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 at Red Bull Arena Saturday night in front of a great crowd of almost 22,000 fans. Dane Richards was Man of the Match by getting the Red Bulls on the scoreboard in the 1st half stoppage time. Richards made a terrific move to get around the defenders then the goalkeeper as he shot the ball into an empty net. Thierry Henry was waving his hands for the ball on the left but Richards kept dancing with the ball until he scored the goal, his first of the MLS season. The Red Bulls kept the pressure on the entire half and had other scoring chance by captain Juan Pablo Angel and Henry, shooting just wide and hitting the post. Henry was giving the San Jose defense fits all game. Midway through the first half Cornell Glen came close to tying the game for the Earthquakes but pushed the ball wide right when in close on Bouna Coundoul (Bouna Time). Henry had another scoring chance but his soft shot was stopped easily. Early in the 2nd half Roy Miller crossed the ball from the left side to Henry who took a slick shot off his back heel but San Jose goalkeeper Busch made a great save. Minutes later Rafa Marquez took a shot from the right side at a tough angle that just missed left of the far post. In the 63rd minute the wait was over as Henry scored his first MLS regular season goal. Richards got the ball on the right side and fed Henry a nice cross near the spot. Henry controlled the ball and rocketed it pass Busch for the goal. Late in the 2nd half Glen missed a chance to get the Earthquakes on the scoreboard. Red Bull rookie defender Tim Ream made a good play on the ball to kick it away. Marquez played the best game I’ve seen with the Red Bulls. He attacked the ball and made great passes. Once again Danleigh Borman and Sinisa Ubiparipovic did not make it into the game. Head coach Hans Backe went with the same staring lineup for three successive games, a formula for success.
The New York Jets are 1-2 in preseason this year and have been a bit overmatched at times. Obviously preseason means nothing but I am concerned that Darrelle Revis has yet to report to training camp and quarterback Mark Sanchez has looked pedestrian or brutal in the time he’s been on the field. I was saddened to hear that the Jets cut wide receiver Lavernius Coles as he was hoping to retire as a Jet. I’ve always liked Coles and was glad that he was coming back. I don’t know if David Clowney is the answer but I sure hope he steps up in the four game absence of Santonio Holmes. It would be great if Revis signs an extension with the Jets before 6:00 PM on Wednesday. That will ensure he’s on the final episode of Hard Knocks.
There are alternatives to paying top dollar at the new Major League ballparks in Queens and the Bronx. You can watch the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks, Somerset Patriots and Newark Bears. The Atlantic League is an independent league made up primarily of former Major and Minor League players. My Wife and I have attended games since 2007 and have had the Saturday Plan for the Somerset Patriots since 2008. Cost of tickets range from $10.00 to $12.50 for excellent seats. The stadiums are family and fan friendly.
The New York Mets are one game under .500 and at best look to be a .500 club this season. I predicted 75 wins for this team coming out of Spring Training and I hope I’m wrong. Let’s get to at least 81 wins please. Decisions will need to be made with Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo and the like for next season. There have been trade rumors circulating around Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes. The only problem in trading Reyes is who will then play shortstop for the Mets. Ruben Tejada is a terrific fielder who has shown that he can play second base as well as shortstop but cannot hit Major League pitching. Jerry Manuel says he’ll work Tejada into the lineup depending upon the pitching matchups. I don’t think Manuel will be around to see Tejada become a Major League hitter next season. Manuel has stated that Wright’s inconsistencies have in part been to Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran having down years as well as his stance in the batter’s box. I hope Wright works out his batting stance once and for all. In 3-game series’ this season the Mets record is 5-13 in the rubber game (3rd game of each series). That’s a huge stat and makes the difference between a .500 or sub.-500 club and a playoff team. The good teams take 2-of-3 at home and play at least .500 on the road. The 1986 Mets squad never lost a series the entire year, at home or on the road! That’s amazing.
The New York Jets signed All-Pro center Nick Mangold to a 7-year, $55 million extension Tuesday. The big question that’s being talked about is “What is the guaranteed money?” Reports indicate that it’s in the vicinity of $24 million. Mangold is arguably the best center in the National Football League and now is being paid the most. I love watching him play but with all these crazy contacts being doled out I hope the Jets don’t jack up the price of tickets 20% next season.
I’ll keep up with a few of the notable comings and goings of the local NHL teams: 
The New York Red Bulls put some distance between them and the third place Toronto FC with a huge 4-1 win over Toronto Saturday afternoon at BMO Field, a very tough place to play for visitor. Latest Designated Player Rafa Marquez opened up the scoring for the Red Bulls with a golazo goal in the 35th minute. Tony Tchani passed the ball to Marquez who was moving up to Tchani’s right and blasted the ball into the upper-right corner of the net. A few minutes later right winger Dane Richards was mauled outside the box. Marquez took the free kick and curled the ball inside the box. A Toronto defender missed the ball and it hit off of Nane of Toronto for an own goal, Red Bulls up 2-0. Early in the 2nd half in the 49th minute Dwayne DeRosario scored for Toronto as he blew by Red Bull defender Carlos Mendes. The soft shot from the right side should have been stopped by Bouna Coundoul but overall he was great in goal. About eight minutes later Thierry Henry had a golden opportunity but shot high right. I saw the replay from behind the goal and was amazed that he missed that shot. Henry has yet to score in a regular season MLS game but the goals will certainly come. In the 60th minute a hand ball was called on Toronto, a blatant foul that resulted in a red card and penalty kick. Juan Pablo Angel took the shot and scored as the ball ricocheted off the bottom of the crossbar into the goal. Ex-Toronto player Carl Robinson was subbed for Marquez to cheers from the crowd. Robinson wasted no time scoring for New York in the 77th minute. He took the classy approach and didn’t celebrate the goal. Mac Kanji had visa issues and didn’t make the trip. Salou Ibrahim subbed for Henry but doesn’t have the mobility of Mac. Something to note was that Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Danleigh Borman and Seth Stammler did not play yesterday. They have had some tough games lately and head coach Hans Backe had them sit. With a bit of luck or better finishing the game could have been 6 or 7-1. That’s one aspect I hope gets better down the stretch for the Red Bulls, finishing on their chances.
In the New York Jets’ last Monday nights 31-16 loss to the New York Giants Rex Ryan played his first unit starters the entire first half and went into the locker room with a 13-10 lead. Quarterback Mark Sanchez threw an awful first pass interception that led to the Giants scoring early. As I watched the game on TV with my Wife I yelled “TIPPED OVER THE MIDDLE, IT WILL GET PICKED” and that’s exactly what happened. Sanchez came back and had a terrific half of football with 13-for-17 passing for 119 yards, a short touchdown pass to Brad Smith, one interception and three scores on his five offensive drives. This performance is a long way from a regular season NFL game but if Sanchez plays that kind of football the Jets will have a much better chance of bettering their 9-7 record from last season. In fact they will need Sanchez to take that leap in performance. Most starting NFL quarterbacks need a few seasons to get acclimated to the speed of the game. But my biggest concern is whether starting running back Shonn Greene can stay on the field the entire season and play at a high level. I was happy to see the Jets and Darrelle Revis’ agents stop their yapping about Revis’ contract negotiations. I wonder if Revis himself was pissed off with the dopey portrayal of him in the first episode of Hard Knocks last week. Ryan was doing a “bed check” and was looking for Revis in his empty room. The F bombs and dopey commentary was toned down for this weeks episode. I’d like to continue to see more of the real grit of football as they started to portray in episode two. All in all I can’t wait for the season to begin to go to the new Meadowlands Stadium for the Jet home Monday Night Opener against Ryan’s old team the Baltimore Ravens. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!
"We are all very happy and proud to be the ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers," said Neil Smith, Road Warriors owner and president. "Glen Sather and Jim Schoenfeld are committed to player development and we will work hard to develop future Rangers here in Greenville."On August 16th the Road Warriors announced they have entered into an affiliation with the Flyers (aka Effers):
"To be affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers and Adirondack Phantoms will greatly enhance what it means to be a member of the Greenville Road Warriors,” said Road Warriors president and general manager Neil Smith. “The Flyers are committed to winning at every level. We hope to help them with that commitment by developing their future AHL and NHL players.”Do you see how "The Flyers (aka Effers) are committed to winning at every level.” Where was that in the Rangers’ announcement? The whole thing feels dirty, sharing anything with the Effers. Maybe Neil Smith and Glen Sather aren’t exactly pals as Sather replaced Smith as GM of the Blueshirts in 2000. Sather once ripped Smith by saying if he had the Rangers’ money he’d win the Stanley Cup every year in the pre-salary cap years.
The New York Red Bulls lost to the LA Galaxy 1-0 Saturday night at Red Bull Arena in front of a sold-out crowd. My Wife and I were joined by two of our friends who made their first trip to the Cathedral of Football. A good time was had by all but a win would have made it sweeter. The weather was excellent as we enjoyed the walk from Newark Penn Station to and from the arena. The supporters were in good form and got the crowd into it but the Red Bulls looked a bit flat in the loss and once again could not capitalize on scoring chances. Galaxy Chris Birchall took a shot in the 7th minute that slammed off the crossbar. In the 10th minute Galaxy midfielder Juninho took the ball away from our latest Designated Player Rafa Marquez and got it to Edson Buddle. Buddle split NY defenders Tim Ream and Carlos Mendes and scored the first and deciding goal of the match. Red Bull goalkeeper Bouna (Bouna Time) Coundoul came off the goal line but was beaten by Buddle, who scored his MLS leading 13th goal. Marquez played for Mexico in a friendly three nights before in Mexico City and he looked slow all night, losing balls, poor passing. Thierry Henry and Juan Pablo Angel looked a bit lethargic as well. The Red Bulls had good possession but I felt held the ball too long and should have taken shots rather than trying to make the perfect pass and losing the ball to LA. In first half stoppage time Marquez played a free kick perfectly to Angel who headed it off the crossbar. That would have put the crowd into a frenzy and made the 2nd half more intense. The Galaxy played hard nose soccer in the 1st half but seemed to go down to the turf quite easily in the 2nd half, looking for fouls on a lot of plays. At one point Landon Donovan dragged down Dane Richards with a headlock and wasn’t called, for a yellow card or even a foul! Not only that but it was Richards who was called for the foul! What a joke. In the 59th minute Angel was given a yellow card for Dissent, vehemently arguing with the ref, supporting his team as a captain should. The refs were brutal and the Red Bulls were called offside at least 5 times too many. Dane Richards was the man of the match with a lot of speed and didn’t stop all night. I wish it was Henry who had those honors but goals will happen for TH14. Henry had a great scoring chance in the 54th minute but Galaxy goalkeeper Ricketts came out of the box to stuff the play. The Red Bulls travel north of the border for a Saturday matinee against Toronto FC.
In the post-game press conference Met manager Jerry Manuel states that the Mets haven’t been playing badly, they’re just not hitting. Is he kidding? What is the worst part of this debacle is that the players haven’t focused in a long time and tried to elevate their play high enough to win. If it’s just a lack of hitting why did they commit more errors on the field then runs scored against the hated division rival Phillies playing at home? Committing errors, not hitting, getting caught stealing, is not playing well. I really wish things were different but scoring 2 runs in three games is a complete joke. Starting pitching was good and the offense, at home no less, was non-existent. The only bright spot of this series happened Sunday night when Angel Pagan threw out the Phillies starting pitcher from right field before he got to first base. That’s a real schoolyard softball play and it was awesome, reminiscent of the play by Brooklyn Dodger right fielder Carl Furillo (Reading Rifle) who had a cannon of an arm. The Mets have committed more errors than runs in this series against the Phillies! The Mets are 4-6 in their 10 games, 1 game under .500, 10 games behind the NL East Division leading Braves and 8 games behind in the Wild Card. I really feel bad for the season’s ticket holders who’ve already paid a lot of money for their tickets or the families that will go and spend a fortune to see guys play so poorly. To actually hear Jerry Manuel say they’re playing well and just not hitting is an insult to all Met fans.
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The Mets’ closer Francisco Rodriguez (K-Rod) didn’t have a lot to say to reporters after his arrest Wednesday night. K-Rod was charged with third-degree assault on his 53-year-old father-in-law Carlos Pena, who had bruises on his head and said he was punched by Rodriguez. This is a complete nightmare and he should be banished from the team. The two things that will keep him around are his monster contract and the rhetorical question: Who will take on the closer role if not K-Rod? What other job is there where you can punch out, allegedly of course, your father-in-law at the office and keep your job? I don’t see that happening in the average office these days. My only question is this: Did K-Rod tap his chest, get down on one knee and point to heaven after he threw the punches? He should really go but will most likely return to the team this weekend as the Mets’ slim playoff chances need to be kept alive as per GM Omar Minaya (aka Nomore Goodbya). What a joke though, really. (I took the picture of the K-Rod bobblehead on the train ride home with my Wife from Citi Field last September. Note he’s down on one knee. K-Rod will no doubt be inducted into my Hall of Shame if he’s convicted. My friend was waiting for this post, and you know who you are!)
Hi Red Bulls Fans,
We are looking forward to the New York Red Bulls match against the LA Galaxy tomorrow evening at 6:00 PM.
Please make sure to get to Red Bull Arena early for a special on-field ceremony to honor fan favorite Clint Mathis. Please enter Red Bull Arena by 5:30 PM to make sure you don't miss out!
Thank you for your support and let's show Clint the love he deserves!
A club spokesperson said: "The decision was taken after careful consideration and in light of correspondence received from fans. We recognise the vuvuzela was a feature at the World Cup – and we're sure it will remain a part of the matchday experience in South Africa – but in the context of English football we believe it's had its day."
I’ve been away from the blog of late. I will post updates tomorrow morning, including K-Rod, Francoeur, excellent starting pitching from the Mets and the Red Bulls.
The New York Mets host the Colorado Rockies in the rubber game of the 3-game series this afternoon at Citi Field. Last night was an utter disaster that disturbs me too much right to write about at the moment. I’ll put together a What’s Up Jerry? post later on today. I was heading home from the Red Bull game last night on NJ Transit where I heard two disgruntled Met fans bemoaning the awful game they just attended and were asking themselves why they continue to support this team. As a lifelong Met fan I decided to not join in and move my seat to the next car! It was just easier that way. I received an email from the Mets telling me to play hooky and come out to Citi Field this afternoon. I think I’d rather play hockey so I will listen to the game on the radio and hope that David Wright goes 3-for-4 with a 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
Arbitrator Richard Block has ruled that the NHL was within its legal right to reject the 17-year, $102 million deal with the New Jersey Devils. Kovy remains an unrestricted free agent and the Los Angeles Kings and Devils are in the mix for signing the superstar. The picture was from a game at The Garden in February 2010 where my Wife and I sat with our Cousins right next to the Ranger penalty box. Seeing Kovy and Marian Gaborik up-close was tremendous as the Rangers won the game 3-1. Thanks to my Cousin for getting the great seats. Another Cousin sat nearby in the red seats that night with his family as well. The Devils and Kovalchuk may get fined by the NHL but nothing has been announced yet.
The U.S. Men National Team is hosting Brazil at the new Meadowlands Stadium right now and is down 2-0 at halftime. So far it’s been all Brazil. The U.S. cannot get the ball to Edson Buddle or Landon Donovan for any quality scoring chances. The killer was Brazil scoring at the end of the first half where goalkeeper Tim Howard came off his line but lost the battle. Bob Bradley is coaching the U.S. club and may end up at Aston Villa of the English Premier League. Grass was placed over the stadium turf for the friendly match. The game is being televised on ESPN2.
Today is the anniversary of my Father’s death. It seems so long ago but seems like yesterday. The summer of 1986 was so tough on my Dad, Mom and our Family. I learned so many things from my Dad that are with me now. One thing my Dad told me to do when He was dying was “Take care of your Mother.” I believe I did that with a lot of help from my Sister, Brother and Wife. When my Dad passed away on that Saturday afternoon at 2:32 PM I felt a hurt in my heart that’s still there. My Dad was surrounded by very important people to Him: my Mom, us kids (Brother, Sister and me), my Grandfather and my Aunt & Uncle. Unfortunately my Dad missed seeing the Mets win the World Series that October and the New York Football Giants win the Super Bowl the following January. I remember the stories of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets Field and especially their World Series win over the hated New York Yankees in 1955. I remember going to a Met game at Shea Stadium when I was a kid with my Dad. The Dodgers came to town and a lot of the New York fans were still cheering for their Dodgers, although they moved nine years before. Thanks Dad for teaching me a lot, for the appreciation of sports, and most of all, I love and miss you. I wish I could take You and Mom to a Ranger game at the Garden.
The New York Mets continue to lose rubber games of 3-game series against National League teams and just play poor baseball. The shame of it is that not that long ago they were eleven games over .500 and the possibility of a Wild Card Playoff spot looked real. The Mets released Alex Cora and recalled Fernando Martinez and Ruben Tejada from Triple-A Buffalo. Cora was hitting .207 in limited at-bats but that wasn’t cutting it. Playing Tejada at second base and getting Martinez back to the Majors was important. Something needs to be done with Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo who are occupying roster spots and not earning it. They are not contributing to the team. It’s such a shame that the team’s season has been slipping away.
The New York Mets starting pitcher Jon Niese pitched very well last night giving up only 4 hits, 1 earned run, with 5 walks and 7 strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Unfortunately he got the no decision. Jerry Manuel brought in Bobby Parnell in the 8th who was awful giving up 4 hits and 4 earned runs to the 4 batters faced and didn’t record a single out. Pedro Feliciano didn’t help matters giving up 2 earned runs on 2 hits in a third of an inning. Manny Acosta finished the inning and stopped the pain for the Mets. Ike Davis went 2-for-4 and Mike Hessman had a 3-run pinch hit home run in the bottom of the 9th inning but the Mets came up short. I believe this was a must win series for the Mets and their very slim playoff hopes are getting slimmer with each loss. The Phillies batted around in the 8th inning as 11 batters came to the plate and that’s tough to digest. Even with all the injuries Philadelphia has endured they keep winning and are on heels of the division leading Braves. It’s a shame the Mets won’t be in the mix this year.
Joe Namath not only has his own website, he’s telling us about his thoughts on the Jets, the Alabama Crimson Tide and some of life’s lessons. I hope he’s learned from the good times at this game where I inducted him into my Hall of Shame. Namath was a great quarterback and great Jet and I really am glad he’s doing well.
I’ll keep up with a few of the notable comings and goings of the local NHL teams: |
Favre Leading Packers |
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| Tearful Retirement From Packers |
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| Jets Introduce New Quarterback |
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| Vikings Introduce New Quarterback |
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| Let Favre Play! |
Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre has hung up his cleats for the third time as he retires once again. This time it may be for good as he made the announcement day one of training camp. ESPN reported that Favre sent text messages to some former teammates on the Vikings with the news. No Viking or coach has come out and said they received a text message from Brett. The nitwit Craig Carton on WFAN radio is making a huge deal of ESPN’s “reporting” of the story. Long story short is that Favre is not in camp with the Vikings on day one. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s seen wearing number 4 for the Vikings at some point this season. He’s arguably one of the best quarterbacks to every play in the NFL but I lost so much faith in him in 2008. Favre was playing with the New York Jets who went 1-and-2 in their first three games but went on a tear going 7-and-1 in their next eight behind Favre. It was the last five games that were the killer for Gang Green and Favre. The Jets finished their last five games going 1-and-4 as we watched their NFL Playoff hopes slip away. I went to 3 home games that year and lost my voice cheering for Favre as he threw to his favorite target wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (who had his best NFL season, 82 receptions for 1,168 yards). The Jets finished 3rd in the AFC East with a 9-and-7 record two years ago. Favre was always a gunslinger but he threw horrific interceptions in that final five game stretch so many that I cringe thinking about them now. At one of the games we attended in 2008 there was one play where it was 3rd down deep in Jet territory and an all out blitz came at him. Favre was helpless on his own 7-yard line as my Wife turned to me and said “He’s being thrown around like a rag doll.”
If you’re tailgating at the game you can break out your New York Rangers Portable Party Fridge and enjoy in style. The only thing is that there is no tailgating at Ranger games in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, unless you park on the side streets near the Garden after 6:00 PM on weekday game nights. You’ll have to take your Ranger Fridge with you to the Meadowlands as you tailgate for a Jet or Giant game. But then wouldn’t you want a Jet or Giant Fridge? Plus there’s bad karma at the Meadowlands with the thought of Ken Danyko and Scott Stevens playing with the Devils just across the parking lot.
The New York Red Bulls continue their major signings and added their third and final Designated Player yesterday by signing Rafa Marquez from FC Barcelona. The Red Bull’s are the first team in MLS to take advantage of adding a third Designated Player. Marquez captained the Mexican National Team and played well in the World Cup. Rafa adds strength to the Red Bulls starting lineup in the midfield. The Red Bulls needs a presence in front of Tim Ream and Carlos Mendes and Rafa will be that player. Incidentally in a classy move Mendes gave up his number 4 to RM4 and has taken 44. Top clubs from the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A League were pursuing Marquez but I’m glad he chose MLS and the Red Bulls. I hope he’s ready to play on August 11th vs. Toronto FC or on August 14th vs. the LA Galaxy as I’m going to those games with friends. Marquez has won in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
The New York Jets reported to the Jets’ training facility Sunday morning for conditioning testing in Florham Park, NJ minus their All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis. He also didn’t show up in Cortland, NY for the team’s first meeting held at 5:30 PM Sunday afternoon. I think this spells disaster or at least a major bump in the road for the Jets. GM Mike Tannenbaum said that they offered Revis a long-term deal that would have made him a Jet for his entire career. They also offered a short-term deal and a meeting with the team. Apparently Revis’ agent turned everything down. My hope is that this gets resolved and Revis gets into camp soon, and at least stays in shape. This is just perfect for HBO’s Hard Knocks! I will have to subscribe to HBO again just to watch this years series with the Jets.
The Somerset Patriots won in grand fashion last night 3-2 over the Bridgeport Bluefish on a walk off home run by DH Josh Pressley and was his second homer of the game. The game was tied 1-1 in the 4th inning when the Patriot center fielder Lydon was turned around on a deep ball that resulted in a triple that scored the runner on first to give the Bluesfish the 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the 7th Pressley turned on the ball and hit a line drive “Lance Berkman (who’s now a Yankee, ugh!) Type Home Run” over the file field fence to tie the game 2-2. As Pressley came up in the bottom of the 9th, with his patented Johnny Cash song blaring over the PA again, I thought it’d be great that he hit another homer to give the Patriots the win. Sure enough he did just that on a shot that went way over both right field fences high into the night. It was a Major League type shot that sent up home ecstatic as a fun time was had by all.
