N.Y. Rangers vs. N.Y. Islanders; The Rivalry - Game 2

From the desks of:

BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB  &  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

The Rivalry - II

Isles Lead Series 1-0

I - NYI 6; NYR 3

Isles Lead Series 1-0

I - NYI 6; NYR 3

TONIGHT

New York Islanders

(28-13-1  57 points)  1st place Metropolitan Division

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

(24-11-4  52 Points)  3rd place Metropolitan Division

from

33rd Street & 8th Ave

NYC

With 4 games remaining in this series (including tonight) there is every reason to believe this long dormant rivalry will finally heat up again.  The last time these teams met was in the opening week of the season.  Long Island put a 6-3 spanking on the Rangers at MSG.

The Blueshirts have won 5 in a row in which they've outscored their opponent by a 22-8 margin.   They're back home, fresh off an impressing west coast trip, in which they defeated the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks by a combined 11-5 score.

The Islanders are winners of two in a row.  Tonight marks the final stop of their 7 game road trip, in which they've posted a 4-2 record so far.

The Rangers are 4th in the league with 3.1 goals per game, and 5th in goals against.  Their PP is 10th, and their PK is 11th.

Long Island is 7th in goals per game, and 21st in goals against.  Their PP is 15th, and their is PK 26th in the league.

With 26 goals so far this season, Rick Nash was selected to be the lone Ranger at this year's NHL All-Star Game.

John Tavares leads the Isles with 19 goals, and will likewise be the lone Long Island representative at the all-star game.

In net, King Henrik is back in the New York groove after a slow start this season.  In 31 games, Henrik has posted a 20-8-3 record, with a 2.26 GAA (which matches his career mark), and a .918 SV% (which is just slightly below his career .920 mark).

Jaroslav Halak, the Islanders difference maker this season, is right on par with Lundqvist.  In 30 games, Halak has a 22-8-0 record, with a 2.29 GAA, and a .914 Sv%.

Speaking of difference makers, where would each team be without their respective 30-year old defensemen; the Rangers without Kevin Klein, and the Islanders without Johnny Boychuk?



Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Hollins, Harden, Howard and Head-Butts

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Waiting for the other sneaker to drop?

Trade Deadline ~ February 19th

BROOKLYN NETS: The Hoops of Flatbush Rumble with Houston Rockets; Kevin Garnett Head-Butts Persona Non Grata Dwight Howard...

....but Nets still lost.

Unlike the first two seasons in Brooklyn, the new calender year hasn't yet ushered in a successful turnaround like many hoped.

After ending 2014 on a high note with a decisive victory over the Bulls, then winning their first game in January over the Magic, the Nets have since gone 0-6 to establish their longest streak since moving to Flatbush Avenue.

Their best effort during this recent stretch came against the Mavericks, that is, until they petered out in overtime.  Then of course, a pathetic loss to the moribund Sixers was an especially bitter pill to swallow.  The Pistons loss followed, which brings us to Monday night's latest meltdown.

Brooklyn scored 28 points in the 1st period, dropped to 24 points in the 2nd, and scored just 18 points in the 3rd.  They scored 29 lightly defended points in the 4th, which infers Houston's 113-99 victory was already well in hand.

Brooklyn actually scored more fast break points and more points in the paint.  Rebounds, free throw attempts, and most other pertinent game stats were relatively even.

Their demise however, came from beyond the arch.  Led by James Harden, the Rockets launched 40 three-point attempts, and connected on 40% (16) of them.  Otherwise, the Rockets took 86 shots from the field and the Nets ended with 84, but attempted 19 less three-pointers than Houston.

James Harden exploited Bojan Bogdanovic en route to a game high 30 points, and tied Brooklyn's Jarrett Jack with a game high 6 assists.

Kevin Garnett earned his 8th career ejection when his temper got the best of him early in the 1st quarter.  After getting called for non-shooting foul on Howard, Garnett gave Howard a slight shove.   Howard shoved back more authoritatively.  Garnett then threw the basketball at Howard.  When the two drew closer for a sure confrontation, Garnett head-butted Howard, and Howard landed a retaliatory slap to the neck.

After Garnett's ejection, the home crowd and Mason Plumlee took good care of Howard thereafter.   In his first trip to Brooklyn since the whole "2012 Dwight Howard to Flatbush" drama played out, the Rockets center got booed every time he touched the ball, and ended the night with just 8 points and 5 rebounds.  Mason Plumlee (one of the few bright spots on this team), meanwhile, posted his 9th double/double of the season, with a team high 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Forced into early action off the bench, Brook Lopez scored 12 points and pulled down 6 rebounds in 24 minutes.  His opponent, however, had his way against Lopez in Kevin Garnett's absence.   Houston's Donatas Motiejunas was 8/11 from the floor, with a team high 11 rebounds, and a complimentary 18 points behind Harden.

If The Coach Yells Loud Enough, The Owner Just Might Hear Him

With Lionel Hollins, owner Mikhail Prokhorov is getting the best raw analysis of his basketball enterprise without the extra added cost of paying him overtime.  Proactive and image conscious corporations pay small fortunes to outside consultants for this very type of harsh critique.

Prior to Monday's game, Coach Hollins was asked if the team is still searching for an identity.  He answered very matter of fact -  ...the team has an identity; they're a bad shooting team.

(They actually shot 46% from the field Monday night, but......)

If the truth hurts, then the Nets players should be hooked on pain medication by now.  Coach Hollins has been brutally honest in his assessment of this team throughout the season, and his words only cut deeper with each passing game.

Make no mistake, he does speak the truth.  My only question is, how long will Billy King allow his coach to openly mock (!) the team he assembled?

Because the Eastern Conference is polluted with garbage 10 teams playing .500 basketball or below, the 16-22 Nets still have a solid hold on 2nd place in the Atlantic Division, and still rank 8th in the conference.  If the conference were only slightly better, the Nets would surely be worse.

That said, the trade deadline is just over a month away.  What's a general manager to do?

Better question is, considering the present cost of this team, the salary cap hell they're in, the lack of a return on that money, and lack of draft picks, and the fact that the team is on its 4th coach in 4 years, what's an owner to do?

Think about it - Coach has basically intimated throughout the season how this team sucks, to the point where, the owner just might agree with him.



Mike

N.Y. Rangers: West Coast Wonders

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEW YORK RANGERS: Break Up The Blueshirts!

They went into Anaheim, and ruffled the "mighty" Ducks - then traveled 45 more miles back to the dungeon of their summer time hell; Los Angeles; where they revolted against the Kings with a 4-3 victory.

They've been winning with defense, a good forecheck, speed, an effective power play, and timely goals.

Who are these guys?  And what have they done with my team?

Since December 1st, Tex's Rangers have been playing ice melting hockey.  They ended November with an 11-8-4 record.  Since then, the Blueshirts have gone 12-3-0, which includes a run of 8 straight victories.  They ride another 4 game streak heading into Saturday night's game in the San Jose aquarium.

Joe Thornton calling the Rangers the softest team he's ever played several years ago never left my mind.  The Sharks wound up getting their fishtails kicked that night, and the Rangers have handled them pretty well since.  In fact, Thornton has missed the Sharks last 4 games because his poor little shoulder has a boo-boo.

...still gotta play the game though.

TONIGHT

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

San Jose Sharks

from

West Santa Clara Street Aquarium 

The Other Side of the Puck:

The Rangers, I'm afraid to say, strike me as a one trick pony.  I hope I'm wrong, but...

Prior to Saturday's game, Rick Nash led the team with (25 goals and) 138 shots on goal.  The next closest were:

• Carl Hagelin - 80 SOG.
• Martin St. Louis- 74 SOG.
• Mats Zuccarello - 74 SOG.
• Chris Kreider - 74 SOG.

Let's look no further than the two Eastern Conference leaders: The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders.

Tampa Bay Lightning/Leaders SOG:

• Steven Stamkos - 146
• Tyler Johnson - 117
• Nikita Kucherov - 97
• Ryan Callahan - 93

New York Islanders/Leaders SOG:

• Kyle Okposo - 135
• John Tavares - 121
• Brock Nelson - 108
• Ryan Strome - 90

The Rangers are 4th in the conference in scoring, and 2nd to Montreal on defense.

I don't know what all this means, but I rest my case.



Mike

N.Y. Islanders: Halfway Through, Long Island Is Number One

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

27-13-1 (55 points)

1st place, Metropolitan Division

2nd place, Eastern Conference

New York Islanders: The Power of John Tavares Compels You.

Exactly half way through the regular season, the New York Islanders are in first place of the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of the Penguins.  With 55 points, they trail only the Tampa Bay Lightning (58 points) for the conference lead.

They've scored the most goals in their division, and the third most in the conference behind Tampa and Toronto.

Friday night, the Islanders hooked up against the Newark Devils at The Rock.  Entering the game, the Isles went 2-2 during their recent trek into Canada, with both losses (particularly to Edmonton) coming on the back end.

Friday Final:

Islanders  3

Devils       2

OT

Islanders lead series 3-0

Three points by John Tavares helped Long Island snap that two game skid, as the Isles fought their way to a third straight victory over the Devils this season.

After a tightly contested 1st period, Travis Zajac gave Newark a 1-0 lead midway through the 2nd.

Shortly after Zajac's goal, Matt Martin felt his team needed a swift skate in the posterior, so he took it out on the Devils Mark Fraser.  Fraser had a tight, jersey grip inside jab going, while Martin relied on hooks and straight rights.  After the two connected on their share of haymakers, Martin dropped Fraser to the ice with one last shot to the head.

John Tavares then took care of the rest.  A minute into the 3rd period, he was credited with a secondary assist on Josh Bailey's game tying goal.

At the 7:23 mark, old/new Devil Scott Gomez put Newark back on top, but roughly 6-minutes later, John Tavares scored his 18th goal of the season to knot the game at two.

....and into overtime they went.

At 2:57 into the extra session, a forechecking John Tavares picked defenseman Adam Larsson's pocket along the boards behind the Devils net.  By 3:01, Tavares was circling back towards net, and at 3:03 put a move on Adam Henrique and Peter Harrold that had them standing still.  At 3:05, John Tavares put the puck passed Devils back-up goalie Keith Kinkaid for the win.

The Devils entered the game with a 3-4 record since firing Peter DeBoer on December 26th.  Prior to the firing, the Devils were stumbling along with a 12-17-7 record.

Roster Problems?

After two stints on injured reserve, Michael Grabner returned to the ice on Tuesday against the Canucks.  In two games back, he has 4 SOG.  For the moment, defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky is on IR, which made room for Grabner.

This situation will need some weeding out, but at who's expense?

TONIGHT

New York Islanders

vs.

Columbus Blue Jackets

from

Some rink in Ohio

(Penguins @ Habs)

Mike

Today for Rising Apple - Career at a Crossroad: Mets Prospect Cesar Puello

Here's my latest for 

RisingApple.com

Career at a Crossroad: Mets Prospect Cesar Puello

Mike

Senior Staff Writer/Rising Apple

PIGSKIN 2014: Divisional Round Weekend

PIGSKIN

Divisional Round Playoffs

Regular Season Results:

Week One 

Week Two 

Week Three 

Week Four 

On Vacation! 

Week Six 

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine

Week Ten
Week Eleven
Week Twelve

Week Thirteen

Week Fourteen

Week Fifteen

Week Sixteen

Week Seventeen

Scoreboard:

Final Regular Season Record:  107-100-5

Wild Card Weekend Record:  0-4

Overall Record:  107-104-5

BAGELS in the Basket:  -2

Yes, I was perfect last week.  I lost all four games.

Divisional Round Weekend
(Friday Line ~ NYDN)

PATRIOTS -7 (Ravens)

After paying the Ravens respect all season, I disrespected them by getting caught up in Big Ben and the Steelers.  Shame on me.  Pittsburgh got spanked, but I'm going to disrespect Baltimore again by taking the Pats at home.  I just don't have the cojones to bet against New England.  I don't necessarily like the rust a bye week can cause, but I like Tom Brady against the Ravens secondary.  New England's defense should also perform better than Pittsburgh's did.  Joe Flacco must contend with Darrelle Revis this week.
Loss; 35-31 Patriots

SEAHAWKS -11 (Panthers)

At least the Panthers redeemed themselves as division winners with a victory.  However, Cam Newton's Wild Card party is about to get crashed by Seattle's 12th man, and the Legion of Boom.   Last week, Arizona's QB situation continually put the Cardinals in bad situations, and the Panthers took full advantage.  But there's a reason the Panthers posted a losing record and will bow out of the playoffs this week.  They're physical enough, but not as skilled as the Seahawks.  Seattle is peeking, and will make few mistakes.
Win; 31-17 Seahawks

Cowboys +6 (PACKERS)

Tony Romo defeated a very good Lions defense; Green Bay's defense is not as good as Detroit's.   You know where I'm going with this... Behind Dallas' offensive line and the running of DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys have the ability to keep Aaron Rodgers off the field, and smash mouth their way to victory.  If they indeed establish the run, Dez Bryant will be freed up to wreak havoc.  Aaron Rodgers is still suffering from a sore calf, and is likely to do less scrambling than normal, which might keep him within range of Dallas' pass rush.  Even if the 'Boys do not win, I still like them to cover.
Win; 26-21 Packers

BRONCOS -7 (Colts)

Andrew Luck is another dude I gave respect to all season, only to turn my back on him last week against the Bengals.  Andrew Luck picked Cincy apart, however, I can't help but think how ridiculously unreliable the Bengals have been in their biggest games.  No one disappoints like they do, and last week was just their latest all-time low.  That said, I'm still down on the Colts because of a soft defense, and a diminished running game.  So, I'll take Peyton Manning over the great bearded grasshopper.
Loss; 24-13 Colts

Mike

N.Y. Knicks: Phil Jackson's Deconstruction Plan Moves Forward

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

This man is no doubt next on Phil Jackson's list

NEW YORK KNICKS: The NBA Lottery - Phil Jackson Decided Ya Gotta Be In It To Win It.

After starting the 2014-15 season a neat 2-1, the Knicks then lost 7 straight.  Shortly thereafter, they endured another 10 game losing streak before finally defeating Boston on December 12th.

To date, that was the last time the New York Knicks won a game.

Since then, the New York Knicks have dropped another 13 games in a row, to include Wednesday night's road loss to the Washington Wizards.

It hasn't really mattered whether Carmelo Anthony has been in or out of the lineup.  The losing has been consistent throughout.  So, if his knee is bothering him, why not shut him down?  Mind you, this is just year one of Carmelo Anthony's 5-year extension, and it's not like Phil Jackson doesn't already have buyer's remorse.

Not incidentally, chants of "fire Fisher" had recently been gaining mild momentum in the stands at MSG.  That's why earlier this week Phil Jackson offered those fans an abrupt correction.

There will be no blaming the coach this year; certainly not Phil Jackson's coach.

Instead, Phil of the Future abruptly pulled the plug on this sickly season (the worst start in franchise history), by trading J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, and pink slipping Samuel Dalembert.

They join Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler on the list of players given one way tickets out of town by Phil Jackson.  The same goes for the three non-nondescript bodies acquired in return for Smith and Shumpert.  Phil Jackson made them instantly disappear too.

This also means Amare Stoudemire, who has an expiring contract, is no doubt next on his list.

At this point, we can forget Donnie Walsh, Mike D'Antoni and Mike Woodson.  For a change, we can also leave the owner out of this too, although he is the one most responsible for the situation Jackson inherited.  Phil Jackson is stripping it all down.  He owns this.

This season is all about the ping pong balls now.  With an already promising draft to look forward to, Phil Jackson has also cleared over $30 million of cap space to work with.



Mike

N.Y. Giants: Tom Coughlin Fires Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

No defense for his defense...

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: Tom Coughlin Wields Ax At Two Members Of Defensive Staff.

Preamble: No Quarter...
I thank the Giants for losing the final game of the season.  It keeps things in proper perspective, for we need to call the Giants what they were: a woefully inconsistent team.

I can't have a late season surge against the Titans, Hogs, and Rams, change any minds or lend false hope; not again.

Last season, this team lost six straight games.  This season, they lost seven straight games.  The only team they defeated in 2014 with a winning record were the (9-7) Houston Texans in Week Three.  Otherwise, their 25-24 Week Thirteen loss to the Jaguars was truly the low point of their disappointing 6-10 season.

Problem #1 - Building Up The Offensive Line Still The Way To Daylight 

Tom Coughlin Staying For A 12th Season; Who On His Staff Should Stay, 
And Who Should Go

Tom Coughlin Adresses Problem #2: Defensive Staff - Perry Fewell and Peter Giunta Fired.

Someone needed to pay a heavy price for what transpired this past season.  On Wednesday, it was announced that Giants head coach Tom Coughlin fired his friend and defensive coordinator of five seasons, Perry Fewell.

Not a single Giants fan was pleased to hear Coughlin's support, and apology for Fewell during the team's recent post-season presser.  But, Tom Coughlin is no fool; he knew he needed to make a change.  The results over the last two seasons screamed for corrective action.  This in effect was the unspoken trade off for Coughlin not getting fired himself.

The Giants will now move forward with a totally revamped cabinet; their new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, and an as yet to be determined new defensive coordinator.

Word is former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is among the lead candidates to get interviewed for the job.  He is someone I would welcome back with both arms, and not necessarily because we won a Super Bowl with him.  The fact is, he's been the only coach to get any kind of inspired play out of Giants linebackers.

That said, I still feel the Giants linebackers coach of the last 6 seasons, Jim Herrmann, needs to join Fewell on the unemployment line.  He has largely failed to develop or elevate guys like Michael Boley, Mathias Kiwanuka, Jacquian Williams, Kieth Rivers, Spencer Paysinger, or anyone, to higher levels of play.

In a somewhat surprising move, however, Tom Coughlin also dismissed his cornerbacks coach, Peter Giunta, who has been on his staff since 2004.

I tend to blame Perry Fewell's system for much of the confusion routinely demonstrated by the corners, not necessarily Peter Giunta.  Coach Coughlin perhaps knows better on this one.  That said, Peter Giunta is unemployed and I say he has Perry Fewell to thank.

My only question then, if Giunta goes, why does safeties coach Dave Merritt get to stay?



Mike

N.Y. Giants: Building Up Offensive Line Still The Way To Daylight

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

A Solution At Left Guard Continues To Evade Jerry Reese.

NEW YORK GIANTS FOOTBALL: No Quarter...

I thank the Giants for losing the final game of the season.  It makes it easier to keep things in proper perspective, for we need to call the Giants what they were: a woefully inconsistent team.

I can't have a late season surge against the Titans, Hogs, and Rams, change any minds or lend false hope; not again.

Last season, this team lost six straight games.  This season, they lost seven straight games.  The only team they defeated with a winning record were the (9-7) Houston Texans in Week Three.  Otherwise, their 25-24 Week Thirteen loss to the Jaguars was truly the low point of their disappointing 6-10 season.

Problem #1 - The Offensive Line: There's Still A Place In This League For Smash Mouth Football.

Everything starts up front, and the Giants biggest problem remains left guard.

Guard Geoff Schwartz was signed to big money last off-season, and has played all of two inconsequential games for the Giants.  He initially started the season on IR for a toe injury, then wound up recently needing surgery to both his ankle and leg.

The Giants signed free agent Adam Snyder late in the pre-season to compensate for Schwartz.  But, Snyder only managed to play parts of four games, and wound up on IR for a knee as well.

The Giants then tasked rookie Weston Richburg with protecting Eli Manning's blind side.

The Giants started the same offensive line for the first 10 games of the season: Will Beatty, Weston Richburg, J.D. Walton, John Jerry, and Justin Pugh.

Beatty, Walton, and Jerry, started all 16 games this season.  Richburg played in all 16 games, and started 15 games, while Pugh started 14 games.  While not the original plan, that amounts to a very healthy season, which is promising.

Behind them, Dallas Reynolds was a routine contributor, while Brandon Mosley played in 9 games.

To his credit, center J.D. Walton played a full schedule after missing nearly all of the previous two seasons.  In 2012 while with the Broncos, he went down with a broken fibula and a dislocated ankle.   He's certainly been an improvement over David Baas.

However, there is much to consider moving forward.

The Giants running game ranked 23rd in the NFL last season.  The Giants barely rushed for 100 yards per game this season (100 yards per game none the less), hardly enough to compliment the NFL's 7th rated passing attack (which started the season without Odell Beckham, and ended without Victor Cruz).

The O-Line has gotten marginally better at protecting Eli Manning, and their run blocking remains well below par.   There's no push forward; there's no wearing down of the opponent in the 4th quarter; they simply lack power.

A strong O-Line and running game is the best way to keep the opposing offense off the field; it's the best way to control the clock; it's the key to play-action and creating big plays down field; and the best way to preserve Eli Manning in the latter years of his career.

That's why Jerry Reese needs to spent another 1st round draft pick on a beefy, studly, left guard - a franchise left guard - and steer clear of all these injury prone cast-offs.  There's reasons why they become available.  The Giants simply need better play from Eli's blind side.

Jerry Reese also needs to either upgrade the tight end position, or get his hands on a traditional lead blocking fullback, or both.  If Rashad Jennings (if healthy) and Andre Williams get the assistance they need up front, then they should be able to spot the daylight.

And on that note, Will Beatty is another point of contention for me.  He is costly, and is a technique pass protector.  He offers little with regards to the running game.  At his price, he's just not strong enough.  His position needs to be reconsidered.

There is a place in today's NFL for smash mouth football.  It's time this organization got back to its roots.



Mike

No Respect: Gil Hodges and the Hall of Fame

Brooklyn Dodgers: The Loneliest Bum.

On Tuesday, congratulations will be in order for those former players who garner enough votes to gain entry into baseball's prestigious Hall of Fame.

Although his fate was decided upon by the Golden Era committee, July's festivities will not be without this one shortcoming - Gil Hodges is still not in the Hall of Fame.

This is one of the longest running mistakes in all of baseball, and a black eye upon its rich tradition and history.

Hall of Fame Criteria:

• Voting shall be based on a players record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which that player played. - Hall of Fame.

Unofficially, it is also felt a player should have at least a 10-year span of sustained excellence.

Player's Record:

Gil Hodges hit 370 home runs in his career.  At the time of his retirement he was 10th all-time, and 3rd among right-handed hitters.

He topped 20 home runs for eleven straight seasons, topped 30 home runs six times, and topped 40 home runs twice.  He also has seven straight seasons of 100+ RBI, and 1,274 for his career.

From 1949 through 1959 Gil Hodges averaged 30 home runs, 101 RBI, accompanied by a .507 slugging average.  He ranked 2nd in the National League in home runs and RBI for the entire decade of the 1950s.

Playing Ability:

Between 1943 and 1947, Gil was limited to just 29 games, mostly due to military service.  For the 10 years between 1949 and 1958, Gil averaged 151 games per season, and led the league in games played twice.

In 1,908 games at first base, Gil posted a stellar .992 career fielding average, which was above the league's respective .990 FA.

The Gold Glove award was not created until 1957.  Gil Hodges won the award from 1957 through 1959; his final season as a full time player.

Integrity, Sportsmanship, and Character:

Tom Seaver, still the player to garner the highest percentage of votes in Hall of Fame history, and fellow military veteran, says the Mets do not win a championship in 1969 without Gil Hodges.

Every player on that Mets roster pointed to Gil Hodges as their supreme leader.  He was no less a leader of the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He was the Quiet Man, but a strong minded man who no one in the league dared cross.

His team mates, those who played for him, and those who came to know him, all have profound admiration and the utmost respect Gil Hodges.  Include Jackie Robinson among those who lauded his integrity and character.

His sportsmanship was impeccable.  Are you kidding me?

Contributions to the teams on which that player played:

The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers won seven pennants and a pair of world series championships with Gil playing first base and hitting in the middle of the order.  He generated the winning run in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series over the Yankees.

No one ever speaks of the famed Brooklyn Dodgers infield without including Gil Hodges at first.   That's insane, and just ignorant.  Again, are you kidding me?

He also took a perennially losing team in the expansion New York Mets, and turned them into a 100 win team and World Champions in 1969.


It is clear then, Gil Hodges was a dominant player for a decade in what was effectively a 16-year playing career.  Due credit must be given to the man who helped make the Brooklyn Dodgers one of baseball's all-time legendary teams.

And of course, there was his work in the same city as manager.  He's the man who orchestrated a miracle in Queens for an entirely different generation.

Why is Gil Hodges not in the Hall of Fame?

Shame on all those responsible.



Mike

N.Y. Islanders: Taming The Great White North

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

Canadian Excursion:

I - Isles 5; Winnipeg Jets 2

II - Isles 2; Calgary Flames 1

III - TONIGHT vs. OILERS

IV - Tuesday @ Vancouver

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Montreal Caught The Isles On An Off Night When Halak Was Out With An Injury,  But Not Before The Isles Showed What They Thought Of Detroit And Tampa.

Beating the Calgary Flames is no easy task.  They measure up well against the Islanders, and in truth, are almost as good.  But, not quite, as Friday's slim 2-1 Islanders victory proved.  John Tavares, with 2 goals, made all the difference.  The days of the Flames featuring Jerome Iginla are behind them.

The Isles are 2-0 in their great Canadian excursion, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting tonight.

Friday's win lifted Long Island 15 games above .500 for the 1st time since their Stanley Cup seasons, (thanks TV guys).

Entering Sunday night's game against the Oilers, the Islanders owned a 26-11-1 (53 points) record, which knotted them with Pittsburgh for 1st place of the Metropolitan Division.

The following night after defeating Detroit, on December 20th the Isles were losing 1-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning with only a few minutes left in the 3rd period, when they scored 3 unanswered goals to snatch away a victory.

The team then slipped, losing two straight when Jaroslav Halak (injury) missed consecutive games against the Habs and Sabres.  One, it demonstrated how indispensable the Islanders goalie has become, and two, the Isles are 3-0 since his return.

The equally indispensable Johnny Boychuk got this latest 3-game win streak started with an overtime goal against the Capitals.

Their 119 goals this season rank 3rd in the conference behind Detroit and Tampa, both of whom recently fell to the Islanders as noted.  It's also one more goal than the Penguins have.  The Isles 3.0 per game rank 7th in the league.

They've also put in a lot of effort into improving their penalty kill.  It's still ranked towards the bottom of the league, however, primarily because of their awful October results.  They were 22/33 on the PK for 67%.  Their PK is 62/78 for 79% since then.  The PK was at its best in November when they went 31/38 for 82%.



Mike

Brooklyn Nets: Somewhere between Miami and Mediocrity

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN NETS: Flatbush Big Three; Garnett, Jack, And Plumlee; Looking To Turn Up Heat In Miami.

That wasn't the plan, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Conventional wisdom..., right?

Is it conceivable that Lionel Hollins would finish the balance of the season with Deron Williams and Brook Lopez coming off the bench?  That remains to be seen, but don't put it past him.  He's made it very clear to everyone exactly how he feels.

Then again, the trade deadline is in February, so perhaps he'll bend (if it helps Billy King seek moves).

Whatever Hollins is doing, it's starting to work.

Entering tonight's game with the Heat, the Nets seemed to have gained a measure of balance.  At 16-16, they haven't been at .500 since November 14th.  They're 8-8 at home, and 8-8 on the road.

The numbers go askew, however, when you consider their 14-3 record against sub .500 teams, and their 2-13 record against winning teams.

According to those numbers, the Nets should have a good night in Miami against the Heat, who have cooled since the departure of LeBron James.  They enter Sunday's game with a 14-20 record, and an 6-12 record at home.

The Nets have won three in a row, and six of their last seven, and are two games removed from a dominant performance against the Chicago Bulls.

The Nets should escape the heat tonight, but they're still battling mediocrity.

POST GAME: Heat Burn Nets Early; Turn Back Nets Comeback Late.

FINAL

NETS  84

Heat    88

Not so fast...!

The Nets win steak got stopped at three Sunday night by the Miami Heat.  The Boys from Flatbush fell behind 30-21 after the opening quarter, and couldn't make up the difference.

Or, you could say the Nets shooting was atrocious; your pick.

Brooklyn hoisted 86(!) shots from the field, and only connected on 34 for a 39.5% night from the field, with 24 of those attempts coming from beyond the arch.  The Heat were 31/67, for a 46.3% success from the field.

Miami was lenient in the paint.  Brooklyn scored 40 points in the paint, and only took 13 shots from the stripe.  Miami diced up the Nets with 21/28 from the line.

The Nets had five players score double digits, versus two for Miami.  Chris Bosh led all scorers with 26 points, and was followed by Dwayne Wade's 25 points.  Joe Johnson and Mason Plumlee led the Nets starters with 19 and 12 points respectively.

Off the bench, Brook Lopez scored 16 points, while Deron Williams added 13 points and led all players with 8 assists.

Mason Plumlee and Brook Lopez lost a rebound battle 12/15 to Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside, whom led all players with 10 rebounds off the bench.

The important numbers dipped under par again.

The Nets are below .500 again with a 16-17 record, and are now 8-7 on the road.  Their record falls to 14-4 against teams with below .500 records.

The Nets have a quick turnaround.  They'll fly from Miami back to NYC for a Monday night game against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center.

With Sunday's convincing 109- 90 victory over the Cavaliers, the Mavs arrive on Flatbush Ave with a 25-10 record, and just 1/2 game behind 1st place Memphis in the Southwest Division.  By the way, the Mavs also feature Rajon Rondo these days, who's scoring 7 points more per game over what he scored with Boston.

Mason Plumlee averages a (per-36 minute) double/double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.



Mike.

PIGSKIN 2014: Wild Card Weekend

PIGSKIN

WEEK EIGHTEEN:

WILD CARD 

WEEKEND

RESULTS:

Week One 

Week Two 

Week Three 

Week Four 

On Vacation! 

Week Six 

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine

Week Ten
Week Eleven
Week Twelve

Week Thirteen

Week Fourteen

Week Fifteen

Week Sixteen

Week Seventeen

Scoreboard:

Week Seventeen Record:  7-8-1

Final Regular Season Record:  107-100-5
Schmear of the Week:  8-8
BAGELS in the Basket:  +2

Coin Toss:

• 50/50 chance Jerry Jones' head explodes at some point during the playoffs....

• Is the best man for the Jets head coaching job the guy they just fired?

• Daniel Snyder's team is still called the Washington Redskins in 2015...

1st and 10:

• And the #1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft goes to...., the Tampa Bay Buccaneers..., who weren't as bad as you think!  Right now they're young and stupid.  Wait a few short years for when they become young and smart.  They're gonna be trouble.

• The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are the respective #1 seeds.  Green Bay and Denver also get the week off.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather be playing.  The bye week is like getting punished for being better than the rest.  That's just me....  I don't like breaks in momentum; no coach or player does either.

2nd and Long:

• Who said being second rate isn't good enough?  The Philadelphia Eagles were the only team with double digit wins not to make the playoffs, but the Panthers did..., with a 7-8-1 record!

No Gain:

• Close but no cigar award goes to: The Buffalo Bills; they went 9-7 with a garbage quarterback. .....nothing personal of course.

• Positives and negatives cancel: The San Diego Chargers (9-7) failed to make the playoffs because although they scored 348 points this season, they allowed 348 points - net gain zero!

• What are you looking at?  The AFC had four teams with 9-7 records whom did not make the playoffs. Outside of the pathetic Panthers and Eagles (hahahah!), and the 49ers (8-8), every other NFC team finished with a losing record.

Punt!

• If the shoe fits, wear it: The NFL caved and lifted Ndamukong Suh's one game suspension for stepping on Aaron Rogers.  My feet were numb from the cold...  C'mon Man!  That's the same thing as telling Willy Wonka it was OK to kill those kids in his factory.

• You're still a putz: Roger Goodell.., Jay Cutler..., Johnny Football..., Dan Marino, and the dude from the Bengals to took out Le'Von Bell (Steelers) at the knees last week.  That was a cheap shot!

• Meet the new boss; Same as the old boss: the Oakland Raiders.... where losing is a tradition passed down from father to son.

Welcome to the Tournament

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

Patriots ~ Broncos ~ Steelers ~ Colts ~ Ravens ~ Bengals

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

Seahawks ~ Packers ~ Cowboys ~ Panthers ~ Lions ~ Cardinals

Wild Card Weekend:

Friday Line ~ NYDN

Cardinals +5 1/2 (PANTHERS)

Truth is, this is a sentimental pick because I still feel bad for the Cardinals losing Carson Palmer.   Now they're down to their 3rd string.  Good grief!  However, never count out an above average defense.  Remember, the Ravens once won a SB with Trent Dilfer at QB!  I digress.  The Cardinals will keep this close, and therefore stay within striking distance... I think.  The Panthers on the other hand seemed to have gotten things figured out, albeit late.  Cam Newton is also a few weeks removed from his accident.  A low scoring game favors the Cards (at least to cover).
Loss; 27-16 Panthers

STEELERS -3 (Ravens)

I can't wait to watch this game.  They meet for a 3rd time.  The Bengals did the Ravens a huge favor by knocking Le'Von Bell out of this game.  But that's okay, because Big Ben will save the day.   That big rumblin' stumblin' jukin' and jivin' fool is going to decimate the Ravens.  That's right.  Joe Flacco will be good, but Ben will be stupid good.  That's how he does.
Loss; 30-17 Ravens

Bengals +3 1/2 (COLTS)

I'm going for the upset because of what the Colts lack - no defense to speak of, no running game, no momentum, means no "Luck" for the Colts.  The Bengals are prolific underachievers!  I know!   That's why the odds are they'll do something right for a change.  If it winds up being just one playoff victory, so be it.  If their defense doesn't rise up to the occasion, they likely won't win a shootout.   They know the Colts can't run, so I'm thinking an interception or two will pave the way.
Loss; 26-10 Colts

COWBOYS -7 (Lions)

At face value, this game has blowout written all over it.  But, Ndamukong Suh and Tony Romo are perhaps two of the most unpredictable cats in the NFL.  The Cowboys greatest fear is the old Tony Romo making his grand reappearance.  Their second greatest fear is Ndamukong Suh getting his hands and cleats on Romo, or even saying bad words that could unnerve him.  Remember, one hit to the back and Romo is toast, and Suh is just the guy to do it.  All that aside, Jerry Jones' considerable investment into an offensive line will finally pay off.
Loss; 24-20 Cowboys

Guten Appetit:
Saturday is still up in the air.
Sunday: thick cut pork chops > broiled > topped with a dollop of garlic/parsley whipped butter.

Veggie kabobs > peppers, zucchini, squash, and pineapple!

Baked potatoes smashed open then baked again for crust then loaded > sour cream, scallions, cheddar, jalapenos, and crazy crunchy charred bacon bits!  Mmmmm.

What's on your football menu?

Good luck, and have a Happy Wild Card Weekend everybody!



Mike

Today for Rising Apple: The Daniel Murphy Conundrum

Here's my latest for

RisingApple.com

The Daniel Murphy Conundrum

Mike
Senior Staff Writer/Rising Apple

Brooklyn Nets: January Has Usually Meant Better Days Ahead

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Nets Hoping For A Happy New Year Under Coach Hollins

BROOKLYN NETS: After Yet Another Slow Start, Flatbush Banking On A Three Year New Year's Trend.

The 2012 calender year ended with Billy King firing head coach Avery Johnson because the team was floundering at .500 under him with a 15-15 record.  The Nets then won their first game under P.J. Carlessimo and closed out December with a 16-15 record.

From January on, the Nets posted a 33-18 record to finish the 2012-13 season with a 49-33 mark.

Last season, the Nets finished the calender year with a dismal 10-21 record.  It was right around Christmas when Jason Kidd effectively fired Lawrence Frank by banishing him from the bench and practices, and relegating him to providing scouting reports.

From January on, the Nets posted a 34-17 record to finish the 2013-14 season with a 44-38 final mark.

This season, the Nets will enter their first game of January with a 15-16 record.  No one got fired this past December, but there is clearly a new alpha-male in town who takes no prisoners.

The 4th Nets head coach in the last three years has basically called the owner's money based star system to task; he demeans Billy King's roster almost nightly; and has benched the team's highest paid players in Brook Lopez and Deron Williams.

Brook Lopez enjoyed a night of redemption last Tuesday when he poured in 29-points against the Bulls in Chicago, and the Nets have won 5 of their last 6 games with Deron Williams coming off the bench.  But, Coach Hollins said that's where they'll stay for now.  The team is now riding the wave created by Jarrett Jack and Mason Plumlee instead.

After a strong start that saw Deron Williams averaging 19 points and 7 assists per game, his play has cooled off considerably, to where he now averages just 14.4 points and 6.6 assists per game.  He is also shooting a career low 39% from the field.

His name also continues to get included in trade rumors.


Mike