N.Y. Rangers ~ Don't Smash The Cap With Nash

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEW YORK RANGERS:  Save Our Cash.  Pass On Nash.

Fellow Ranger Fans - Do we really want Rick Nash?  Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.  Me?  I'd rather have Vinny Prospal back.  But then again, as the deadline nears, I am even less interested in making a major deal than I was a week ago.  Tonight, let Rick Nash come and go from your view without nary a thought.  He could help us this season.  I grant the trade supporters that.  But he'd be disastrous to our future.  And I believe this Rangers team is closer to being complete, than it is in need of making such an alteration.  The off-season strikes me as a far better time for us to make such a fix.

In addition to the instant burst of offense many believe he'd supply, I know the other argument as a long-time Ranger Fan myself.  The Rangers have an opportunity to get a player we've always longed to have; a really tough guy on the ice who can score goals.  We've long wanted the perfect hybrid player mix of Nick Fotiu and Mike Gartner.  And this is as big a chance we've had as any.  Am I wrong?  If you're really interested in going there, bring back Sean Avery.  Sean Avery is still one of the most gifted wingers to ever work behind the goal.  I always thought Avery was as good as Wayne Gretzky when passing from behind the net.   But this is not a plea to bring Sean Avery back.  Avery no longer fits, and neither does Rick Nash.

My fellow Ranger Fans, instead I say to you,  -  This is our moment of truth.  Are we to make a full break from past practices and continue building this team according to a cohesive plan and sound philosophy?  Or, will our impulses get the better of us yet again, and steer us towards the big splash.  When faced with adversity, to do the impulsive thing; to make the rash decision; and undermining your principles; are the easy things to do.  To stick with the plan put in place; to practice patience; to stay committed to an organizational philosophy; to have self-discipline; are all hard.  To go back to our old ways of Just Spending the Money, is easy.  To stay committed to Coach Torts' vision of and for this team, and staying on the path he's blazed for us, is hard.

I remember what "1940" used to sound like.  And not before too long, "1994" won't be far behind.  I actually know why we do Potvin Sucks.  I watched Nicky Fotiu play!  So I'm right there with you.  But we do not need to make a deal for Rick Nash.  Which ever way you size him up, the up-front cost, and the long term ramifications are too much and too prohibitive, as tempting as he may be.

To not believe in what we're doing is easy.  To believe is hard.

Lets Go Rangers!

TONIGHT

Columbus Blue Jackets

vs.

NEW YORK SOFTIES

From,

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

33rd Street at 7th Avenue

NYC

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ One Game Lead With Two to Play

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  Flatbush Stays Undefeated at Home and Remain in First Place by a Game.  But the Wagner Bulldogs Refuse to Lose.

LIU-Brooklyn beat Quinnipiac Saturday afternoon 99-89, and will finish the 2011-2012 regular season undefeated inside the Wellness Center.  This was their twelfth win against no losses at the Ashland Place gym and extends their home winning streak to twenty-four games over the last two seasons; the fourth longest home streak in the nation. 

Flatbush improved their Conference leading record to 15-1, but Wagner; 14-2; remains hot on their heels after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson in their final home game of the season as well.  So the battle for the number one seed is on.  A one game lead with two games to play are all that separate LIU from Wagner and repeating as regular season champs.    But let us not speak too soon.  Both LIU and Wagner will have to dig deep into their inner-road warrior in order for either team to win the regular season title.

And let us make no mistake - there is zero margin for error, for everything changes with one game.  The Blackbirds have played to a not so stellar 7-7 road record.  Their last two games are against Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth.  Wagner most recently defeated Fairleigh Dickinson.  They will take on Bryant next and finish against Central Connecticut State.  Wagner (23-4) has a better overall record than LIU (21-7) and has been the far better road team sporting an 11-2 record.

Nobody ever said finishing was easy.

Julian Boyd and C.J. Garner both scored a game high twenty-five points against Quinnipiac.  Boyd also shared the game lead in rebounding with ten.  And Jason Brickman distributed a season and career high sixteen assists and added ten points.

Mike.BTB

BKN Aviators ~ Warriors Deny Flatbush Again

From the desk of:   THE SKATES OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN AVIATORS:  Akwesasne Warriors Prove TWO Much for Flatbush.



And now..., Flatbush is in a bind.  A weekend sweep suffered against the Warriors was exactly what Brooklyn could least afford with just eight games remaining in the regular season.  But for this game at least, what more could they have done?  Brooklyn took sixty-four shots on goal.  Yet, what all their efforts got them was a 3-0 second period deficit.  Sure they messed up when they allowed the Warriors to score short-handed in the second.  But again, what more could they have done?  Brooklyn kept taking shots and Akwesasne's Alexandre Vincent kept stopping them.



What more could they have done?  Well, they needed to have their goalie situation straightened out by now.  At this point, Brooklyn should be riding Josselin St. Pierre from now until March 4th; the last game of the season versus New Jersey; and hope for the best.  After Coach Miller charged Michael DiLorenzo with Friday's game, Josselin St. Pierre started in net for Brooklyn on Saturday.  The A's limited Akwesasne to seven and nine shots in the first and third periods respectively.  In the second period however, the Warriors peppered St. Pierre with eighteen shots.  He faced thirty-four shots in all and stopped twenty-nine in taking the loss.



Stopping pucks and scoring; it's all about scoring now.  And with every goal, win, and point in the standings of paramount importance, perhaps they needed to be better than 2 for 11 on the power play Saturday as well?  Maybe.  But the affects of Coach Miller's early season roster tinkering are bearing out.  Very simply, the A's need more consistent scoring.



Joe Dabkowski finally broke through for Flatbush at 5:41 into the third period.  But by that time, the Warriors were already up by a 4-1 score.  Make that 4-2 after the Warriors scored again six minutes later.  For the Akwesasne Warriors, it was their usual suspects who did all the damage against Brooklyn.  Nicolas Corbeit, Sylvain Deschateles, and Pierre Dagenais all recorded points.  And Dan Tessier added two third period goals to put the game safely out of reach.  Michael Thompson closed out Brooklyn's offensive effort, first with a short-handed goal at the 12:42 mark, and then scoring again with less that two minutes left during an inconsequential Brooklyn power play.



Although Brooklyn still maintains an overall one point edge over the Warriors, the A's are now 0.30 percentage points behind Akwesasne in the standings due to total games played.  If the season ended today, the Warriors are in the playoffs and Brooklyn would be out.  Unless Danbury hits a big bump in the road, they can and should remain in third place.  But they too can very easily drop back into this rat race.  For the moment though, it seems as if the last playoff spot will come down to which team; Akwesasne or Brooklyn; plays better hockey down the stretch.



After meeting in last season's Federal Hockey League championship round, these two teams will now battle it out for a chance to play beyond March 4th.  Different season.  Different story.  The Aviators will travel home from Upstate and take on first place New Jersey, Monday night in The Hangar.  Then Thursday, the Warriors come into Brooklyn for the last head-to-head match up of the season between these two clubs.

Mike.BTB

BKN Aviators ~ Crash Landing in Akwesasne; Game Two Tonight

From the desk of:   THE SKATES OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN AVIATORS:   Akwesasne Gives Flatbush a Third Period Scalping as Coach Loses Cool Against the Warriors.



Pre-Game Post



This game was most frustrating.  As in Coach Miller watching his team melt down over the final ten minutes of the game.  As in leading 3-1 and giving up three goals in the third period to lose.  As in Coach Rob Miller blowing off a lot of steam.  As in ending the game at the sixtieth minute with an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty called against him.  As when the A's can least afford losses like this, then going out and suffering a loss just like this. 

Or, was Coach incensed over his own decision to give Michael DiLorenzo his second start in net as an Aviator over his regular goalie, Josselin St. Pierre?  On that one, who knows?  But it's worth asking.  To his credit however, Michael DiLorenzo was very good over the first two periods; stopping twenty-four of twenty-five shots.  Then midway through the third period, the bottom dropped out on the Aviators' night.

It's probably safe to say the third period Unsportsmanlike Conduct Bench Minor called against Lucas Schott at 9:45 had something to do with Coach Miller's frustration.  Because at 10:16, Akwesasne scored on the power play making the score 3-2 A's, but more importantly, ignited the Warriors' greater comeback.

Three Brooklyn goals over the first forty minutes by Nick Petriello, Steve Koich, and Matt Atsoff went for not as the Warriors made the third period a very one sided affair.  Akwesasne's comeback caused a shift in the standings as well.  The Warriors moved up to fourth place based on win percentage while the Aviators slide down to fifth and for the moment, out of the first division.

They'll drop the puck on the second of this two game series Saturday evening.  Nine games remain in the Aviators' season.  So wins and points are of the essence.

Let's Go Aviators!

SATURDAY NIGHT HOCKEY

BROOKLYN AVIATORS

vs.

Akwesasne Warriors

From

The Frozen Tundra

of Upstate New York

Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Survive Sacred Heart; Quinnipiac Next

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS:  Finishing Ain't Easy!

Make that six wins in a row, and 11-0 at home this season.  That's all well and good, but make no mistake, there is nothing easy about defending their 2010-2011 NEC Championship.  Coach Dan Hurley's Wagner Seahawks refuse to lose and continue to leave Flatbush with no margin for error.  That's what made LIU's Thursday night game against Sacred Heart so harrowing, for the Pioneers took the locals into overtime before Flatbush pulled out another game at the Wellness Center, and by doing so, stayed a game ahead of Wagner for first place in the Northeast Conference with three games left in the regular season.

Jamal Olasewere went into Thursday's game already having been named Co-NEC Player of the Week off his 32 point performance against St. Francis (NY).  And against Sacred Heart, he powered the Blackbirds again with a game high twenty-seven points, as well as leading all players in rebounds with eleven.  Joining Jamal Olaswere among Brooklyn's twenty point scorers were Julian Boyd and Michael Culpo who both dropped twenty points each against the Pioneers.  Culpo in particular was deadly from three-point range, burying six of ten shots from beyond the arch.  Jason Brickman distributed a game high nine assists to go along with nine points.

Flatbush and Sacred Heart traded leads ten times in the first half.  With 4:45 left, a three pointer by Pioneer, Shane Gibson, tied the score for only a third time.  But from then on Brooklyn went up by as many as six after a Julian Boyd three-pointer with 0:59 left, and closed out the half with a 40-37 lead.

The second half was nothing short of a problem for the Blackbirds.  After just two and a half minutes into things, Sacred Heart had wrestled the lead from Flatbush, who watched the Pioneers increase their lead to as many as eleven against the home team.  It wasn't until the 7:23 mark that Flatbush was able to tie this game again at sixty-three all off a Michael Culpo three.  The Blackbirds held court again until Shane Gibson buried yet another three-pointer for Sacred Heart to tie the game at eighty-one apiece.

With 0:02 left in the game, LIU had the ball exactly where they wanted it; in the hands of Jamal Olasewere.  But he couldn't nail the game winning shot in regulation.  So, into overtime they went.

The Blackbirds never trailed during the five minute extra session.  By 3:25 left, they built up a double-digit lead and never looked back.  They did some of their best work from the line, shooting 12/15, on their way to outscoring Sacred Heart 22-10 for a 103-91 game final.

And it's a good thing too.  Wagner won their seventh game in a row to improve their Conference record to 13-2, and 22-4 overall.  Brooklyn meanwhile, improves to 20-7 overall, and remains in first place by a game over Wagner with a 14-1 Conference mark.

On the feel-good front, yes, the Blackbirds remain undefeated at home extending a streak that reaches back to last season.  They have now won twenty-three consecutive games at the Wellness Center.  They are 11-0 this season.  Their final home game will be Senior Day, this Saturday afternoon against Quinnipiac.

The Blackbirds will then close out their regular season on the road, where they have not fared as well.  They have a 7-7 record as visitors.  For the Brooklyn Downtowners, their season ends in New Jersey with games against Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth.  As Brooklyn plays Saturday afternoon, Wagner should know the result of LIU's game when they take the court in Staten Island against Fairleigh Dickinson later in the evening.  Then it's off to the road for Wagner as well.  And there's the rub.  While Brooklyn has only played .500 basketball away from the Wellness Center (2-0 in neutral sites), Wagner has excelled on the road this season where they have amassed an 11-2 record.

The Northeast Conference is culminating in a great 'ol race.  Three cheers for NYC Basketball.

Mike.BTB

BKN Aviators ~ Upstate Showdown; Warriors, Come Out to Plaaay!

From the desk of:   THE SKATES OF FLATBUSH

BROOKLYN AVIATORS:   It's Upstate Versus Downstate With a Playoff Spot Up For Grabs.

AVIATORS BEGIN FINAL TEN GAME STRETCH

In a trying season for the A's, these next two games are as important as any they will play down the stretch.  The Brooklyn Aviators touch down in Akwesasne this weekend for two games against last year's FHL Champions; the Warriors.



In addition to losing to the Whalers last Friday, Brooklyn had their weekend cut short last week.  And so with more games played, the Danbury Whalers moved ahead of Brooklyn in the standings.  The Whalers now own third place with seventy-one points.  Brooklyn is in fourth place with sixty-four points.  The Warriors trail them with fifty-seven points.  For Brooklyn, a sweep of these two games will go along way towards keeping them in the first division and securing a playoff berth.  With two wins of their own, the Warriors can pull within a point of the A's.



Brooklyn will have their work cut out for them.  Akwesasne sports three of the top eight scorers in the League.  The Warriors' Pierre Dagenais is tops with 113 points.  Sylvain Deschatelets (87 points) joins two New Jersey skaters in the 80 point range.  And Nicolas Corbeil is third on the team and eighth in the League with 61 points.  For Flatbush, both Andrew Owsiak and Jesse Felten come into tonight's game with forty-one points apiece.



Flatbush is 3-1 in their last four games while Akwesasne comes into tonight's game 1-3 over the same stretch.  The Warriors however play very well at home and have a 11-2-1-4 record to show.  On the road, the A's have played to a disappointing 6-0-3-9 record.



This is the final push.  There are only ten games left in Brooklyn's regular season.  Lets Go Aviators!!





Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ Suffer a Break-Away Rout to Chicago

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS





NEW YORK RANGERS:   Tomahawked.


They looked so bad on the Power Play.  Their inability to secure the zone is one thing.  All the standing around and lazy passes around the outside is another.  No shots on goal during the man advantage is just inexcusable.

Over all, what could go wrong, did.  Dan Girardi got caught covering a puck in the crease with his hand and so Chicago was awarded a penalty shot.  The Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews cashed in for his twenty-eighth goal of the season.  Eight more minutes of utter defensive failure ensued allowing Chicago to score three more goals mostly of the break-away variety.  For the Rangers did everything they could to make Marty Biron look bad in the process.  In a word, what Ranger fans saw was putrid.  And I'm just taking about the first period.

Marc Staal scored his first goal of the season in the second period to make it a 4-1 game.  And while the Rangers played a substantially better second period, things still wouldn't go their way.  At one point while trying to kill a Chicago power play, the Rangers had three skaters on the ice, but only two of them had sticks.  Yeah, it was that kind of night.  It was the kind of night where a jumpy puck bounced on the wrong side of the Blackhawks' goal line.  A goal there could have made this a 4-2 game with a period to go.


But a come back just wasn't in the cards for the Blueshirts Thursday night.  By the end of the game however, the Rangers had everyone rethinking a really bad first nine minutes.  And well, maybe the Rangers just ran into a team that was bound to win a game after losing so many in a row.


We know what this team's problems are.  The Rangers were 0-7 on the Power Play and managed just two sporadic even-strength goals against the Blackhawks.  So there's no use picking on them after a game like this.  They lost this game due to not executing what they do best; play defense.  And that to me, is correctable.


Nothing about Thursday night's game changed my mind about taking a cautious approach to the trade deadline either.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Gary Carter; The Kid

GARY CARTER

1954 - 2012

The Kid is forever now.  Gary Carter has passed.  Another great Met has departed us.  His battles with brain cancer are lost.  And an even finer person is gone.



My condolences go out to his family; relatives; closest friends; loved ones; and those he found favor with.  I trust he is better now, pain free, and smiling again.  He will certainly be missed by all; to include us fans.



Each of his Met team mates brought something different to the table.  But Gary Carter is, and appears likely to remain, the only Hall of Famer of that 1986 team.  He was so much more disciplined than many of his team mates of that time. Surrounded by brashness, major egos, and supremely confident personalities, he stood out in a raucous era as the Professional.  In the face of all the Mets' cockiness and a League wide disdain the opposition held towards them, Gary Carter was always emblematic of that aspect of the Mets you always had to respect.  For Gary Carter was their legitimacy and class.



He came to Flushing with perhaps the grandest body of work that anyone in the clubhouse could swing a bat at; save maybe Keith Hernandez who won an MVP and a championship with the Cards prior to joining the Mets.  But make no mistake, Gary Carter came to the Mets when he was the dominant catcher in Baseball.  He was a most significant leader of that team; literally taking a young pitching staff and guiding them towards glory.  He was the Mets' bedrock behind the plate.  And in that bedrock was built the foundation on which a Met team rose up like the New York City skyline.



For me personally, the defining moment(s) of his Met years came during the World Series in Boston when he jacked two home runs over the Green Monster.  But his greatness was evident every day.  Add to that the many players who mistook his smile and temperament as a weakness when rounding third and heading home.  They paid steep prices for their missteps.  For Gary Carter defended the plate with defiance and toughness.  And what you took away from a collision with Gary Carter was a lesson learned.  Don't try that again.



Gary Carter was tough.  Real tough.  And he didn't have a problem letting you know it.  Maybe that's why he was so perfect for that team.  And if you were a strike out victim against the Mets back then, Gary Carter was a Grade-A jerk; especially if you struck out to end the inning.  And that part of his game always endeared the Hall of Fame catcher with Met fans.  Nothing screamed TAKE THAT! more than Gary Carter's handling of strike three.  That particular kind of Met Magic hadn't happened in Flushing since the days Tom Seaver and Jerry Grote pissed off batters at Shea an era prior.  And unfortunately, not since.



This is how I will remember Gary Carter the Met.   I met the person at a Long Island Ducks game when he managed them.   And for that, I am thankful.



Rest well my friend.

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Oh William Shea, What Have We Done?

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

NEW YORK METS:  Money Ball Means Cheap Ball.  We Are There.  Happy Dubious 50th Anniversary Met Fans!


Just consider this me trying to get back into a baseball frame of mind.  Okay?

I was just starting to like Wayne Hagin too.  He grew on me.  And he was really smart too.  Now let's see how long Josh Lewin takes to get used to.  A pair of local boys (with Howie Rose) calling the game together should make for an interesting spin on the radio.  And if this season turns out to be what we think it will become, we're going to see just how creative Josh Lewin can be.  And he'll need to be just that; really creative.  For the franchise's Fiftieth Anniversary Season might become uncommonly difficult to describe.



The Mets' General Manager however, thinks these Mets will surprise this season.  My question is - Surprise who?  The Marlins?  The Nationals?  We never could beat them before and we're supposed to surprise them now?  Who else will we be surprising?  Inter-League foes?  The Phillies?  I wonder.  And I'm starting to wonder about Sandy Alderson too.



For starters, I think I like the stoic Sandy Alderson better.  The problem with our General Manager Tweeting all the way down I-95 was that instead of being funny, many are taking his cracks as a foreshadowing of the season as well as the future of this organization.  The Mets' cupcake sale of $20 million dollar shares in the club has done little to bolster fan sentiment, nor improve our confidence in the Wilpons being able to continue as viable owners.  The cupcakes are just a life preserver while the money is going to pay bills, which leaves us with the Madoff Lawsuit.  March 19th is when Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz will have their day in court.  With ONE being very positive, and TEN being the worst case scenario, from everything we've red so far, I give Met Ownership's ability to find their way out of this mess  a 7.75 difficulty rating.



Why all of a sudden am I getting the impression Sandy Alderson is not in this for the long haul?  With two potential GM's in the wings, something tells me he'll want out if things get increasingly worse for the Wilpons.  Think about it; Money Ball means Cheap Ball.  We are there.



So this is the way we start the 2012 season?  Or maybe I'm just stretching out loud?

Oh, William Shea - what have we done?






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ King Henrik Sacks Boston - Nuf Ced

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEXT!

THURSDAY NIGHT

Chicago Blackhawks

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

From,

Madison Square Garden

33rd Street at Seventh Avenue

NYC

NEW YORK RANGERS:   Blueshirts Increase Their Eastern Conference Lead to Nine Games After Rolling Over The Bruins.

TUESDAY FINAL

New York Rangers   3

Boston Bruins           0

One of the big bad Bruins punched Brandon Dubinsky in the mug.  He needed stitches to close a cut and had a tooth or two chipped as well.  It's plainly evident Boston has a size advantage over the Rangers.  It's something that stands out whenever they play each other.  Tuesday night, Boston out-played the Rangers as well and that too was clearly evident.  The Bruins took forty-two shots on goal.  They took more and more with each passing period, and eighteen shots against Henrik Lundqvist in the third period alone.  Defensively, they held the Rangers to just twenty shots against Tim Thomas.  New York's shots on goal total red like this: Twelve - Five - Three.  On the outside, those dwindling shot totals do not read like a recipe for success.

That said, the Rangers were never out-matched; out-classed; nor out-done by the Bruins in Boston.  They met Beantown head-on, hit for hit.  The Bruins took the body thirty-two times against the Blueshirts.  And the Rangers responded by initiating thirty-one body shots of their own.  What's closer to the truth about Tuesday night's game is, the Rangers were just better.  Period.



The Rangers and Bruins exchanged one power play opportunity all game.  Boston was denied their chance to score with the man advantage.  And for them it came too late anyway.  The Rangers were only two more minutes away from closing out yet another cleanly played, and convincing win.  For their part, the Rangers continued to cash in on their most recent PP opportunities.  One chance for the Rangers Tuesday produced one goal.  It was the game's first goal.  And it was delivered by the Ranger Captain who is riding an offensive surge.  But his goal also set the tone for this game.  The Rangers turned Boston's night into a dilemma when the Bruins found out nothing short of perfection would beat the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist; at least on this night.



And there's the rub.  The New York Rangers capitalized on nearly every mistake Boston made.  The Blueshirts played superlative hockey inside their defensive zone causing nine Bruin turnovers and took away another eight pucks on top of that, while only committing one turnover themselves all night.

Two first period goals by Ryan Callahan and Ryan McDonagh put the Bruins in an early hole.  Then the Rangers seemed contented to play defense until Artem Anisimov's sweet third period goal sent the Bruins to sleep for good.  As I write, my clock just struck midnight and the Rangers are now nine points ahead of the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference lead.  Please allow me to say that again.  The Rangers are nine points ahead of the defending Stanley Cup Champions for the Eastern Conference lead.  They now have seventy-nine points on the season.



One of the biggest reasons why is because of the guys between the pipes.  First, props to the best back-up goalie in Hockey; Marty Biron.  He did not start Tuesday night.  Lundqvist did.  I'll get to our Liege in a moment.  Martin Biron is 10-2-1 this season.  His Save % is .919 and maintains a 2.03 GAA.  He authored two of the Rangers' nine shut-outs this season.



Shut-out number nine of the season came Tuesday night against Boston via Henrik Lundqvist.  He was masterful in turning back forty-two Boston shots.  This was his seventh shut-out of the season and the forty-second of his career.  The King is now 27-11-4 this season and well on his way towards a seventh straight thirty-win season.  His career best is thirty-eight wins.  If he achieves that number this season, it will not have been out of necessity this time.  Instead, he can possibly hit his career high for wins this time through sheer brilliance alone.  He is no longer needed to start 70; 72; and 73 games a season.  And the results speak for themselves.



They also just made another strong case for why they should be left alone come the trade deadline.



See you at the game.   Let's Go Rangers!






MIke.BTB

NJ/BKN Nets ~ Believe The Hype

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

N.J./BROOKLYN NETS:

Deron Williams Back Atop Flatbush Avenue.

Jay-Z gets an assisit during Lock-Out.

But Deron Williams is back at the point now.

During the NBA Lock-Out, Deron Williams had to be removed from the billboard campaigns promoting the Nets arrival in Brooklyn due later this year.  Entertainment mogal, team minority share owner, and proud new Papa - Jay-Z - had to step into the role of Flatbush Avenue front-man in his place.  But now the Nets' on-court star is back.  New Jersey's 2011-2012 All-Star Point Guard, Deron Williams, is back on top; on top of Basketball Boulevard, that is.  And this time, we're being told to BELIEVE THE HYPE.

On the court, there is some good news to report.  Brook Lopez is practicing again and is closer to making a return.  The Nets have also signed forward Andre Emmett from the D-League to a ten day contract.  He was second in the D-League in scoring this season.  To make room, Keith Bogans was waived by the team after having foot surgery.

Off the court, I'm sure you've heard by now, the New Jersey Devils will play the New York Islanders in an exhibition game at Barclays Center prior to the start of the 2012-2013 season.  It's only one game, but it seems like the possibilities are endless (?); that is if you can find a place to park.  The saga continues.

BARCLAYS CENTER:  February 2012

Atlantic Avenue

Rear View from Pacific Street

Dean Street Side

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Mets ~ Sandy, Sandy, Take My Team..., Please

From the desk of:   HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Pack Up the Truck Ma!

It's Time to Head to Florida.

NEW YORK METS:

Eastbound and Down; Loaded up and......Joking?

So our General Manager has jokes , huh?  Hey Shecky, Shecky - Take my Owner..., Please!



He's actually been trying to crack jokes ever since he got here.  Don't lose sight of that.  So the fact that he's tapping into his inner Rodney Dangerfield from his car shouldn't take anyone too far a-back.  It's just that he's perceived as quite the drab one, so his humor doesn't translate too well.  I actually think Twitter has enhanced his humor by keeping his mummy like face isolated from the punchline.



I wonder how the Wilpons are taking all this.  After all, they don't like their players reading the papers in the clubhouse for fear of reading the negative things written about them.  And we know they've always been paranoid about bad publicity in the past.



I'll say this much, this is a side of Sandy Alderson I never expected.  On the one hand I like it.  You know why?  Because it's a lot of the things we say all the time.  But here's the rub.  In light of the team slashing the payroll with a machete, I'm not so sure I appreciate this coming from my General Manager right now.  I hope his dogs enjoy the ride down to Florida though.  And for some reason, I see a speeding ticket in his future.  Karma.



Pitchers and catchers are six days and a wake-up away.  And what we have so far are jokes and a busted owner.  If this is an omen of things to come this season - If the old saying is true, then we still have a chance if  - In Spring, Hope really does Ring Eternal.



This is an interesting way to start Spring Training to say the least.






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ The Frauds Woke Up To Hockey Today

From the desk of:   RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEW YORK RANGERS:   Don't Look Now, But The Media Is Finally On To Us!


What a bunch of Frauds!



New York Ranger Blue Bloods have watched this team get assembled player by player and have watched them take their lumps, learn and grow-up together.  And finally we are enjoying some of the fruits of fan's and organizational patience pay off - for this team is now excelling together.  What we have watched over the last two and a half seasons has been a lesson in the benefits of hard work, resilience, adherence to a plan, and dedicating oneself to the man playing next to you and to the overall common cause.  These Rangers also serve as a template for team building with an eye focused on sustained success over a prolonged period of time.



That's these New York Rangers.  They've been lurching forward with the slow yet steady, methodical pace and power of a glacier and grinding up teams in their path along the way.  They are yet to get over-matched in effort nor be out-done with regards to their will to win this season.  The little things they couldn't manage last season, they seemingly master this season.  The games they tried pushing into yet another shoot-out last season have been replaced with an ability to close games this season.  Fear and anxieties involved with thoughts of the proverbial other shoe falling off on yet another gut-wrenching third period, have become times of poise, control, and strong finishes.



They lead the Eastern Conference by seven points over the Boston Bruins; who incidentally, we play Tuesday night in Beantown.  But the fact is, the Rangers assumed first place in the Conference shortly after the Christmas holiday and validated their standing by beating the Bruins on January 21st.  What's more, the Rangers wrestled first place in the Atlantic Division away from the Philadelphia Flyers back on December 23rd, and have never looked back.  And since then, have gone on to defeat the Flyers four more times; all consecutively may I add.



This season, they've defeated damn near all comers.  Some teams who seemingly have a knack against us have been Toronto; Montreal; and now New Jersey.  But that is neither here nor there.  The Rangers have stood up to all teams placed in front of them.  Ever since Joe Thornton of the Sharks called the Rangers "Soft", the Rangers have done nothing but pound away at the competition.



The Penguins; Flyers; Sharks; Canucks; Tampa; Boston; Florida;  - those are some of the top NHL teams this season.  They have all fallen to the Rangers.  It's only now, well after wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning, then the Philadelphia Flyers this past week, and triggered by yet another convincing win over the Washington Capitals Sunday, that the Media finally discovered there's a high caliber of Hockey being played this season by the New York Rangers.



With the Football Giants having wrapped up the Super Bowl, and the city's attention fully turned to Madison Square Garden until Baseball's Opening Day, the Media all of a sudden decided to make today the day they all came out to talk about the Rangers as if they've been on them all season like Blueshirt.

Frauds!  Both tabloids had secondary articles, and two pages dedicated to the Rangers today.  But nary a front page to date.  The talkies..., oh the talkies!  Outside of one person on the New York City airwaves, please! - don't embarrass yourselves!  Excuse me, I respect two personalities.  But very simply and succinctly, the rest of them come off as frauds, not to mention wholly uneducated in the sport.  I'd rather the talkies stay true to themselves, and not talk Hockey at all, than insult our intelligence they way they routinely do.



Other than the Hockey scribes we know and respect, the tertiary articles by people who travel to far off countries and write about their busing and brunch experiences is completely laughable and wholly lacking respect to the Rangers, Hockey, and Fan acumen.  That applies to all covering and participating tabloids.  And the talkies just have no idea how silly they sound.  Listening to them talk Hockey is akin to me telling a NASA scientist - Hey Sport, get me that thingy over there for the whatchamacallit.



Exactly.



Frauds.  They know nothing and will prove it.  They always do.  Where were they when the Rangers were winning seven in a row; then five in a row; then five in a row again?  Where were they when they took over first place of the Division?  Where were they when we passed Boston seven points ago?  Where were they for the Winter Classic?  Where were the to report on Marian Gaborik's resurgence and for a time, being the NHL's top goal scorer this season?  Where were they to cover Marc Staal's return?  Where were they to talk about Henrik, Gaborik, and Girardi in the All-Star Game?  And how about Dan Girardi, who incidentally has one of the ultimate hockey success stories ever?  I bet they couldn't recognize Carl Hagelin if he married one of their own sisters.



What do they know unless someone gives them a crash course first, then sends them on the air hoping for the best?  How deep do you really expect them to get beyond Henrik Lundqvist being a great goalie and Ryan Callahan being a model Captain?  I almost want Larry Brooks to take a vacation just to see what these...(?) can do.  What ever they come up with, I can almost guarantee would be feeble at best.  One of the younger lads of the air dared give Glen Sather full credit for this season's success.  Wrong my friend.  You don't get kudos like that after eleven years.  I said once before, Glen Sather gets credit for hiring Gordie Clark and his evaluating skills.  And then heap huge sums of credit upon John Tortorella for being the ultimate alpha-leader (and yes! - the ultimate shot caller also) of this Blueshirt resurgence.  Only then may you start lauding the processes of a Mr. Glen Sather, and how he and James Dolan have nothing to do with this.



If Sunday's win over Alex Ovechkin and the Caps, and today's reaction was any indication that the New York Rangers have finally forced the Media to once and for all take notice of a wildly entertaining season that started back in October....., I'd sooner suggest A) - Don't even bother.  It's too late to gain any credibility now.  You guys don't know hockey anyway.  And B) - Like I said, don't insult our collective intelligence.  Although, to a large degree, that's what they enjoy most and do best.



There are two or three radio personalities I do have an affinity for.  And they know their Hockey well.  Otherwise  -  Lets Go Rangers indeed.   And spare us the details.  We already know...., and have known..., and have always known..., long before you frauds flipped-on to tell us the Rangers can not be ignored.  Where the hell have you been?



Frauds!






Mike.BTB

LIU Blackbirds ~ Kings of the County!

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

LIU BLACKBIRDS:  The Battle of Brooklyn is Won.

The Hoops of Flatbush Defeat the Remsen Street Terriers.

FINAL

St. Francis Terriers  78

LIU-BK  Blackbirds  81

LIU's Jamal Olasewere Scores Thirty-Two Points and is Named MVP in the Annual Clash for Kings County.


They came; They saw; They competed.  As a fan, the collegiate Battle of Brooklyn was everything you wanted from of a game between two old Downtown rivals.  A truly great contest played out at the Wellness Center on Sunday afternoon where pure intensity ruled the day as both teams fought through numerous ties, and multiple lead changes.  The outcome was never certain even with 0:08 left left in the game.



But as Battles go, the winners get to write the history books.  That's where LIU comes in.  But for the St. Francis Terriers, they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads over.  The Blackbirds will no doubt see them again in the NEC tournament.  But for a night, the Terriers gave LIU everything they could handle.  St. Francis made a defiant Flatbush Avenue crossing and jumped out to a 43-41 halftime lead inside LIU's Ashland Place gym where the Blackbirds were 9-0 this season and 21-0 going back to last season.  Akeem Johnson led St. Francis scorers with seventeen first half points.  The Terriers rode Johnson's effort and got ten points from their bench heading into the break.



LIU's Jamal Olasewere and Julian Boyd had other plans however.  They both combined to shoot a perfect 14 for 14 from the field for thirty-five first half points.  Yet, their mark on this game was still to be made.  St. Francis held on to their lead until LIU's Brandon Thompson nailed a three-pointer at the 13:17 mark for the game's eighth tie, and making the score fifty-two all.  That's really when the Blackbirds finally turned things around.



Jamal Olasewere made two key defensive stops with a block and a steal, and continued his game-perfect 11-11 shooting from the field.  He helped the Blackbirds build up a nine point lead with nearly eight minutes left to play.  But even then, St. Francis still had another run in them.  They led this game with less than a minute left to play.  But Jamal Olasewere's final three points of the night tied this game at 72-72 before fouling out with 0:44 left.  His eleventh and final shot from the field was good.  And then hit his free throw before committing his last foul and taking a seat.



Akeem Johnson; who finished with twenty-three to lead St. Francis; put the Terriers up by one with a foul shot.  Then it was Julian Boyd's turn to put this game into his hands.  With 0:18 left, he lofted a turn-around jumper inside the lane that found a friendly rim and got a soft bounce for a 79-78 lead.  Then at the other end, Julian Boyd suffocated Akeem Johnson on defense and caused the game deciding turnover.



C.J. Garner; who was monster in the second half shooting 7 for 8 from the line, buried LIU's last two points of the game on free throws to secure the Blackbirds' 81-78 victory.



By game's end, Jamal Olasewere scored a game high thirty-two points, and as mentioned, was perfect (11-11) from the field.  He pulled down seven rebounds; six on the defensive end; and added nine more points from the line.  He was awarded the Lai-Lynch Trophy for being named MVP in this year's Battle of Brooklyn.


Julian Boyd wasn't just clutch in the last minute.  He had a stellar game of his own throughout the early evening dropping twenty points and pulling down a game high ten rebounds, with nine coming on the defensive end.  C.J. Garner was the third Blackbird to achieve double-digit scoring with fifteen.  And Jason Brickman distributed a game high twelve assists.


With their fifth win in a row, the Blackbirds are now 10-0 at home and 22-0 inside the Wellness Center dating back to last season.  They improved their overall record this season to 19-7, and remain atop the Northeast Conference with a 13-1 record.


The Terriers' loss locks St. Francis (NY) into a 10-4 tie for third place with Robert Morris.  Wagner sits on second place with a 12-2 record while also owning the best road record (11-2) in the Conference.


Next up, Sacred Heart will take a shot at LIU's record inside the Wellness Center when they visit this Thursday, February 16th.

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks ~ Jeremy Lin and the Art of the Win

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

Driggs Street Mural

NEW YORK KNICKS:  What's Saving the Knicks is Not Some Ancient Chinese Secret.  Jeremy Lin is a Damn Near Modern Day Miracle!


Once is a flash in the pan.  It's an - on any given day - kind of thing.  Twice can still be considered a coincidence.  But three times?  Now we're talking about a trend.  Four times?  That's usually when patterns start.

Okay, so who predicted the Knicks would beat the Lakers without Stoudemire and Melo?  I suspect, no one.  And don't say you did either unless you yourself are that one-in-one-thousand guy of Asian decent, who studied at Harvard, and excels at basketball as well.  Because as far as we all know right now, there's only one guy that fits that description.  As a matter of fact, no one even knew who Jeremy Lin was a week ago.  But he's lit up The Garden with fireworks reminiscent of local Chinese New Year traditions celebrated around the city just a few weeks ago.  And every team is playing a compressed schedule.  Therefore I'm not interested in hearing the Lakers were tired or anything of the kind.

You know debuts like this aren't supposed to happen.  That's why he's turned this into such a hot time in the Garden lately.  And now suddenly everything seems possible again.  It's been a great story and to his credit, he's made a lot of friends of Knicks Fans in a very short time.  He's turned a ticket to The Garden into an invitation to Enter the Dragon.  And I'll also give the kid credit for electrifying  MSG unlike the place has been jolted in over a decade; save last years pre-Melo trade when Felton was still here, and then again in the playoffs.

But what are we to really make of Jeremy Lin?  For starters, he understands the position and is very patient yet decisive with the ball.  He's shown a knack for the pick and roll.  He penetrates the lane exceeding well, and either kicks back out or finishes strongly to the hoop.  He keeps his dribble and hits the open shot when teams seem content with giving it to him.  Then Saturday against the T-Wolves/Muskies, he saved the Knicks again this time at the free throw line.  Yes, in four games he's pretty much shown he can do it all.  To summeraize, he's fundamentally sound and confident.

My only concern is can he sustain this?  But I will say, I believe in giving people the ball, or giving them opportunities, and letting them work and learn through both good and bad times.  With more games we'll learn more about Jeremy Lin.  And the Knicks have nothing to lose.  Let him start and let whomever play back-up.  At the same time, a little depth with give the Knicks a slight boost off the bench.

In Melo's absence however, the stark differences bewteen selling-out to the Star System, versus playing a team oriented game have never been more apparent.  The biggest question looming for the Knicks now is what happens to Lin once Melo comes back.  The arrival of Melo has meant the disappearance of Landry Fields; just as a matter of reference.  Truth is, he's never been the same since.

But maybe Jeremy Lin is just what Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire need.  If Jeremy Lin can find ways to consistently feed those two the ball, and be an effective traffic cop for them and still find ways to incorporate Tyson Chandler down low, then the Knicks really do have a revelation on their hands.

The Knicks take to the court again on Tuesday.  We have a few days to soak in and enjoy what Jeremy Lin has brought to the team.  Take a few days to sit on a victory against the T-Wolves, not to mention Kobe Bryant, who didn't even know who Jeremy Lin was just a few days ago.  After Friday's game however, he knows who Lin is now.  Enjoy the wins.  Next tip-off is Tuesday.




Mike.BTB