Storm Damage from Sept. 16th

A storm with Tornado Warnings attatched to it rumbled a path through Brooklyn and Queens yesterday afternoon. This is just a taste of the damage inflicted by the storm.


Mike.BTB

The Egg Cream Society

Transcendental;

Born of a by-gone era and passed down through generations

like a family heirloom ~

I speak, quite possibly, of something wholly foreign to anyone living outside the NYC limits,

and still then, there are the unlearned amongst us right here.

But to those who've lived, and know; or resided on the block between

Memory Lane and  Remember;

To those who cling on to the best in our lives; to those who wear our memories and future dreams on our chests like Cub Scout Badges or ribbons if you were a Brownie,

To those of us who proudly call the Borough of Kings home ~

A TOAST

TO MY DEAR FRIENDS

This picture watered the eyes of a Dreamy Doll this afternoon.   

But this picture also gave her a snapshot of life as a member of

THE EGG CREAM SOCIETY;
as a denizen of Brooklyn.

The $2.18 elixir of goodness is always money well spent for my part,  but I think someone else

made a connection with memories that are priceless.

 

If there's something more you want from life sometimes it helps if you remember where you came from.  If you're in the neighborhood, take a time out from the 21st Century and spend some time in a place where it's still cool to look at pictures in black and white.

All Hail the EGG CREAM!

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

5th Avenue off 86th Street

Mike

http://TheBrooklynTrolleyBlogger.blogspot.com/



Big Blue Thoughts ~ Week 2

Next Game: Week 2 @ Indianapolis Colts

BRANDON JACOBS...

That's it;  Brandon Jacobs.  This game is all about him.  Say what you will about any other aspect of the Giants' game right now; poor special teams play or what have you ~  this game boils down to him.  He does a lot of talking so it's time to get to steppin'.  That time is this week against the Colts.

Hakeem Nicks is dealing with a mild ankle sprain and Tight End Kevin Boss is out this week suffering from concussion symptoms incurred Week One.  Brandon Jacobs must rush like the bull of the past.  He must control the Giants' time of possession.  He must put the Giants in 2nd and short situations and convert on 3rd down and short.  This week the pass needs to set up the run; not the other way around (attn: Coach Gilbride).  The time has come for Brandon Jacobs to regain past form.  If Eli and Brandon can hook up successfully on the swing, that would be cool too.

The Colts lost to Houston last week.  Are the Colts upset?  Are they looking to take it out on us?  Maybe.

But if Brandon does what I'm asking, Peyton will have a lot less time to work with.  If he's not on the field, he can't beat you.  Many put that on the Defense.  In Week 2, I put this on Brandon Jacobs.  It's up to him to keep not only Peyton Manning off the field, but our Defense also.

The Colt defense can be run on.  I don't mean to invoke the full brunt of the definition of "Soft" but the Colt defense is soft.  If you're inclined to believe the Giants' offensive line of last week's second half was a truer indication of their future performance than the first half was, like I am, then the conditions for Brandon Jacobs to have that break out game, and lead a ground pounding, clock eating attack are optimal.

(Don't look now but Shaun O'Hara was re-injured in practice today.  Uh oh.)

If the Giants can't convert third downs, can't sustain long clock eating drives, and can't control time of possession with an effective ground game; if they let Peyton Manning stay on the field longer than 37:00 minutes Sunday night, Peyton will shred our linebackers to threads making them cover.  Our linebackers are still our soft white under belly.  D-Backs Terrell Thomas and Kenny Phillips played a very good game last week, but they alone will not be able to keep pace with the P~ Manning check-down.  If that be the case, we be in trouble....yo!

I'm not inclined to fall for the whole MANNING BOWL thing as Eli faces off against his brother Peyton.

Yea...I suppose Eli can chew clock and make first downs with a short pass scheme.  But we're Giants' Fans and we get squeamish when ever the ball is in the air.  Coach Gilbride doesn't understand that and throws when he shouldn't and especially when he doesn't have to.  And now that Steve Smith looks ready to join in...  All I'm saying is someone keep a leash on Coach Kevin-G.

So, like I say, this is all on Brandon Jacobs.  This game is his to secure for the Giants.  I believe this Week 2 match-up rests in his hands.  Can Ahmad Bradshaw bail him out and save the day and my perceived plans?  Sure he can.  And Jacobs would be all the more luckier for it.  Don't get me wrong, I am a Jacobs fan.  He's on my good side.  But I'm a pragmatist and sometimes you have to identify things for what they are.  Remember last week's Bad Half of Giants' Football?  Brandon and Bradshaw combined for negative 2 yards.  His rushing yardage looked better than the performance.

He's got a big mouth and a big contract.  It's time for him to have a big game.  He needs a big game not because Brandon Jacobs needs a big game to re-establish some lost credibility.  He needs a big game because that's the plan I believe will work best for WEEK 2 against the Colts;

Nothing more ~ Nothing Less.

Let's go Blue

Mike.BTB

Tom Seaver This Morning on 660WFAN

Tom Seaver was a guest this morning on Boomer and Carton's show; 660AM WFAN.

I only care to highlight his comments regarding 1977, M. Donald Grant and The Trade.

Carton asked how long it took him (Seaver) to emotionally get over the trade?  Seaver responded by saying it took no longer than getting on the plain and leaving.  Tom Seaver said he just did not like the people he was working for and it just wasn't a good situation for him (it's safe to say he was talking about M. Donald Grant although Mr. Seaver never mentioned anyone by name). 

He didn't care at all in a vindictive sense about who the Mets received in return, responding to another question asked by Carton.

Tom said he never had a feeling he had something special going when he pitched his no-hitter for the REDS.  Mr. Seaver insisted winning the game was more important to him than the no-hitter. 

When pressed by Carton to pick from a list offered of which achievement he's most fond of; no-hitter; World Series; Cy Young; ~ Tom Seaver chose to answer by saying he is most proud of the length of his career.  The fact he lasted and pitched for 20 years is what makes him most satisfied.

That's a paraphrased summary from a portion of the Boomer and Carton Show featuring a Tom Seaver interview.



Mike.BTB

"Wait Till Next Year" ~ The New Generation

2010

NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Get your programs.

Pre-game Introductions

Tri City Valley Cats  vs.  Brooklyn Cyclones

Singing of the National Anthem.

 

First Pitch.

Cyclones' dugout watches Cory Vaughn's at-bat while the Valley Cats' bullpen stays quiet.

 

Moon over the Parachute Jump

The Brooklyn Cyclones lost tonight to the Tri City Valley Cats in Game 2 of the New York Penn League Championship Series.  In a scene eerily reminiscent of the time when the Auburn Doubledays danced in celebration on this field in 2007; in a scene eerily reminiscent of the time the Williamsport CrossCutters danced in celebration on this field in 2003, so too did the young men from Troy, N.Y. celebrate tonight and dance on our field.

The Tri City Valley Cats; the team from Troy, N.Y.

are the NYPL Champs...and the celebration is on!

Troy should be congratulated for taking two straight from
 the Cyclones looking impressive doing it and showing
tremendous fight in their game the whole time. 
This team had power, comeback capabilities
and a knockout punch.

The Cyclones were sloppy at times during the two game series.  There is never a good time for erratic play.
But when it reared it's ugly head and stared at the Cyclones, they quivered.  But that wasn't it.  That's not what did this team in. 

The offensive juggernaut that was this team's line-up simply shut down.  There was no discernible slugging emanating from this Cyclone team; a team which set individual, team and league records for offensive production.  They scored one run tonight and only two in Game 1.  A combined 8 hits and 4 errors for the two games does not a champion make.

See you next year Pee Wee.

The team which achieved 51 victories, on cruise-control since perhaps the 2nd week of the season, who clinched their division earlier than the rest and by a substantial margin to boot, has left older Brooklynites and newer Lil' Bumz rooters reciting a mantra, as true today as the days when it was more common to hear around these part;  ~ "Wait Till Next Year".  The saying originated here.  It must be something in the water I guess.

The Coney Island Nine fell short of their quest for a championship.  And whether they bring back yellowed and frayed memories to mind or you're a couple of generations down the line experiencing this resurrected Brooklyn phenomenon for the first time over these last ten years..., it's painful all the same.

The events of 9/11 prevented a clear cut champion in 2001.  Clearly, no one was in any mood for dancing on any field then.  The Cyclones and Williamsport were declared co-champions.  Before having the opportunity to watch these Boys by the Beach have a party in our "Backyard", as of tonight I have had the misfortune of watching three teams partake in such merriment.

"Wait till next year" ~ A time honoring(?) tradition passed down from generation to generation?

Yea.....Fugheddaboudit! 

Egg Cream Society*..., you may stand down now.  The summer season at Coney Island is now ended.  Further down Surf Avenue "The Cyclone" is giving her last rides of the season.  She's only coming out to play on the dwindling weekends of Summer now.  Even Nathan's Famous will pull in the tables soon as the days get shorter and they start feeding us behind closed doors.  They'll again resume their annual duty as the standing Lone Sentinel on Surf Avenue (pictured left) until the calendar says it's OK for things to get green again.  Till then, the Boardwalk is always available for lazy walks through Winter.

The games are over; the season is done. 

It's time to prepare MCU Park for her off-season hibernation.

 

Cyclone's GM Steve Cohen walks off into the night

pondering what could have been.

 

Last one out shut off the lights...

Parting shots:

Can you see why I love this place so much?

We'll get 'em next year.

Mike.BTB

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/

http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/





Tire~Henge

This rubbery configuration is probably the closest many denizens of Kings County will ever get to StoneHenge. I think ours has more character.

Mike.BTB

Moon over Coney Island

Mike.BTB

Great Day for CYCLONES Baseball

The day is glorious with sun.

GAME 2

NEW YORK PENN LEAGUE

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Tri City Valley Cats

vs.

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

CONEY ISLAND, Borough of KINGS

Turnstile from EBBETS FIELD;

On display by Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park Baseball Gallery

Calling on the

EGG CREAM SOCIETY...!

It's time to get crazy by the SeaShore.

SEE YOU THERE!!

Mother Nature Calls "Strike Two" ~ Rained-Out

The Brooklyn Cyclones

will have to wait another day for a chance to tie this series up. Mother Nature had other plans for the Tri City Valley Cats and the Coney Island Nine tonight......AGAIN!

Good Grief.

Maybe she just wanted to watch the Jets game.

The Tri City Valley Cats lead this
NYPL Championship Series

one game to none.

We'll try Game 2 again tomorrow.

MCU Park, 7 pm

BE THERE!

Mike.BTB

J-E-T-S Mess, Mess, Mess!

New York Jets;   Tower .... You're cleared for take off.

 "Roger"

Uh...Tower?      We seem to be.....  

Uh...New York Jets?    Come in Jets.  

Jets?

?

Folks, The New York Jets took off tonight and pancaked Flacco in the opening minutes; as if the Defense wanted to let him know it was going to be a bumpy flight.  What happened next defies logic, not to mention the laws of physics.

Flags went up everywhere! ~ (14 penalties called against the Jets tonight).  May-Day; May-Day!!

They got off the tarmac splendidly but after achieving only a couple hundred feet (or Upper Deck high) they experienced complete engine failure; banked hard to the left and came crash landing right into "New Jets Stadium".  Their Monday Night Home Opener exploded into flames and Jets' Fans hopes went up in a burning ball of offensive futility

After winning the Super Bowl in August, the Jets were given a major dose of Reality, receiving several Hard Knocks of their own.

Folks, this defense can be great but not if it's going to be on the field twice as long as the offense.  Jets' offensive futility (and fumbles!) kept the Raven's offense on the field for almost 39:00 full minutes.  The Jets made six 1st downs all night.  That's one and 1/2 first downs per quarter!  And one of them came via penalty.

D-Generation REX can be a terrifying bunch.  It remains to be seen but we believe it is so.  There's no disputing that.  But the other side of the ball was just plain terrible tonight.  Coach Ryan's Chuck Wagon broke an axle right out of the gate.  He only has half the wagon operational pretty much all game.  The opening high of flattening Flacco was quickly turned into a 55:00 minute crash and burn.  C'mon, how much time actually ticks off the clock kicking three field goals?

Mark Sanchez was 10 of 21 for 74 yards; 0 TD; 0 INT.   Now there's a plus.  This will be one less game he'll be susceptible to throwing one.  Most of his attempts and yardage came late in the game when they were scrambling and playing against an expiring clock.

In a play he's going to be criticized about, momentum carried Dustin Keller out of bounds just shy of the first down marker in a play which incidentally ended the game on downs; not necessarily the clock.  But regulation time was ended and because of the way this game finished, REX, Schotts, the SANchize and Keller will be foamed, sprayed, soaked and doused with, and by, every flame(ing) RETARD(ant) in town tomorrow.

Again....Our top story tonight ~ Jets crash and burn immediately after take-off.  Details at 11:00

FINAL

RAVENS  10

N.Y. JETS  9

Mike.BTB