On Hope and Losing

 

Cosby Field from the new Tailgating Pavillion

Game 7 of the Knicks/Pacers series just ended.

So let's recap. It was Game 7. Eastern Conference Semifinals. At Madison Square Garden. A home game. At the "Mecca."

Do we need any more buildup?

And yet? 

It was a big, fat, nothingburger.

Pacers 130, Knicks 109.

The Pacers had a historic day shooting the basketball and full credit to them for sure.

The Knicks dealt with a rash of injuries, including Jalen Brunson, who left this game with a fractured hand.

But I don't play the excuse game. 

And I also don't deal with the loser mentality of "it was a great season," which I saw before the game started.

No. Screw that, to be blunt.

Sure, marvel at the season eventually but, right now, no shot. The Knicks were the second seed in the Eastern Conference. You would be fine to have expected more.

Instead, it ends like this.

It's a shame.

I'm glad I don't have a show tomorrow because there would be fire.

I got a text from someone at WGCH about last Monday's show, when I eviscerated "phony" fans (you know, Town Hall types who disappear when their team stinks). He told me how "on fire" I was.

Well, I would have been off the charts tomorrow because this attitude makes me nuts.

I don't stand for it with any team that I support.

I want the Jeter stare, where you watch the other team celebrate and carry that feeling into the postseason.

I loved this Knicks team. 

I wish it didn't end this way.

*****

Once again, I'm here to stand up for having the ability adjust on the fly.

I struggled with a "Meet the Beatles" topic coming into this week. Something popped into my brain late yesterday but I just wasn't sure if I liked it.

I went with it. I decided to highlight some of the lads' contemporaries.

And I loved it.

But I completely slapped the whole thing together on the fly.

Broadcasting has to be spontaneous in spaces. In this case, it worked magnificently. 

I enjoyed every moment of it and was ready for another hour.

Next week, I'll be stumbling after the Greenwich Town Party.

I better start thinking of topics now.

*****

It was Lawerenceville's day again
(From the LocalLive broadcast)

The Prep Nationals Lacrosse Championship was today.

It wasn't meant to be for Brunswick, as Lawrenceville came out and cruised to a 14-5 win at Cosby Field.

The Big Red were nasty, putting bodies on the ball constantly. The pressure was intense and they cruised to the title.

They won the Prep Nationals for the second year in a row and will be the number one team in the land.

I loved calling it and working with a great crew including Dan Arestia, David Berry, and Josh Drebsky. Great pros.

Before I head into the wasteland that can be the summer, I'm shifting over to the FCIAC baseball semifinals tomorrow, featuring No. 5 Wilton vs. No. 1 Warde in the early game and No. 7 Staples vs. No. 3 Trumbull in the nightcap. The broadcast will begin at 3:55 p.m. with the "Your Business Name Could Be Here Pregame Show."

But I do want to pause and thank everyone at Brunswick for another wonderful year of game broadcasts. I'm blessed to have these people in my corner to get me to call as much as I do. Kevin Devaney Jr at LocalLive either just puts up with me or likes me. I probably drive Wayne MacGillicuddy at Brunswick nuts as well.

But I'm truly blessed to have Kevin, Wayne, Director of Athletics Cedric Jones, Associate Director of Athletics Ron Van Belle, Head of School Tom Phillip, and so many others supporting me. I get to work with amazing coaches in McGillicuddy, Mike Kennedy, Steve Juricek, and Connor Redahan closely.

Plus the parents and students have been remarkably supportive. The kind words, the occasional tweaks, and the food delivered to the press box all mean so much. A mom introduced herself to me today and said that I nearly made her cry talking about her son in a recent game. Others have said I'm the best part of the game or that it's not a game unless I'm broadcasting it.

It's humbling and I'm beyond grateful.

Thank you, Wick. 

See you in September.

*****

Dan Arestia hands the Prep Nationals trophy
to Lawrenceville

Hope is inspiring.

Hope can make you want to run through a wall.

Hope is also dangerous.

But I suppose it's something.

So I'm hopeful.

A Quiet Mother's Day

Mother's Day, 2010: a chilly day at the beach

 

It's Mother's Day.

It's not a day about me, of course. I'm a dad, with a son and a cat, and then whatever collection of people there are who might see me in a fatherly light (I'm not sure any do).

But it's different to sit at home and do stuff. Honestly, I washed the floors, am doing laundry, etc.

Mother's Day -- for one mom or another -- normally meant keeping the calendar open for some event that I'd go to.

Of course, when Mom was still with us, we'd come up with something to do that would make her and the other moms in the family happy.

Later in her life, we started going to Fairfield, where my sister lived and would get us to a beach, regardless of weather. Mom just wanted to be at the beach.

Sometimes, it would be warm enough to put your hands and feet in the Sound. 

Other times, it was cold and we bundled up.

But there was always food -- likely sandwiches that we had picked up -- and the laughter of family. Especially the kids.

With Mom the queen of the gathering as always.

During the pandemic, my sister had us over to her place where we stayed in her yard to (sort of) visit with family, including my great-nephew Carson when he was a newborn.

Today, there's none of that and I'm not complaining. It's just different.

Sean went up to the Hudson Valley to see his mother and he'll be back later.

I'm apartment searching, watching the Yankees, waiting for the Knicks*, and doing house stuff.

And apartment hunting.

There's not really any sadness in any of this. I suppose I'm just babbling.

Happy Mother's Day.

*So, yeah, about the Knicks, yikes. But at least the Yankees won.

What Could Be

 

Donte DiVincenzo reacts after hitting a three-pointer to put the
Knicks ahead (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The lacrosse game ended and I was ready to go home.

Thanks to the kindness of a Brunswick parent, I'd already had dinner, as she picked up a chicken quesadilla from the food truck at the game.

So I just needed to come home and enjoy some hockey.

It has the chance to be a really fun spring around New York sports. The Rangers are playing in Game 2 of their first round playoff series with the Washington Capitals. As I'm typing, the Rangers lead 4-3 so there will be some nervous time.

Last night was about as epic a night of basketball as this area has seen in years. The Knicks found themselves down late but scored six points to take the lead in a blistering pace during the last minute of play.

They hit free throws and held on for the win.

Donte DiVincenzo's three-pointer off a mad scramble brought about a rare double "BANG!" from the great Mike Breen, calling the game on MSG. 

Breen is the best basketball announcer and I won't hear otherwise (though you're certainly entitled to your opinion).

But I'll admit I yelled "BANG!" as DiVincenzo's shot went through the net.

It was an intense win and the Knicks lead 2-0. 

The Garden was rocking. I sometimes roll my eyes at the marketing of "The World's Most Famous Arena" but it's truly a special place at times like last night. The level of insanity will only grow as the Knicks and Rangers win games this spring.

Oh, it reminds me so much of 1994, which was a truly treasured time around here. The Knicks got to Game 7 of a gutwrenching NBA Finals series that they lost to Houston. There are still so many "ifs" that fans torture themselves with. After O.J. Simpson's famous van ride during Game 5 of the series, the Knicks needed just one win and it was nowhere to be found.

On the other hand, the Rangers also went to a Game 7 after a thrilling series. All anyone has to say is Mike Richter/Pavel Bure and we know the image, as Richter stopped Bure's penalty shot in Game 4.

We all gnawed away at our fingernails the night of Game 7, hoping the Rangers could erase the demons of 54 years. The euphoria at the end of the night was unforgettable.

New York is a big event town. We love the World Series and the Stanley Cup Finals and will go nuts if an NBA Finals comes here for the first time in 25 years.

The Knicks haven't won a title since 1973 so there's a hunger. Beyond that, New York hasn't had a professional championship in the four major sports since the Giants won Super Bowl Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.

So, yeah, it would be fun to have that feeling of 1994 again, especially if the two Garden teams can win. There was another team that was threatening to win a title that year but lost out due to a player's strike.

The Yankees would get back on top of the world in 1996 but they were close in '94. It would have made for an epic year in New York.

We could feel that this year. I'm not saying we will but it would be fun.

*****

A quick side note about lacrosse. Brunswick won the game after initially being in a tight battle with The Hill Academy from Canada. It was a great team effort as the Bruins continue to be the best team in the country.

However, a couple of students popped in the booth at one point for the weirdest of reasons: me.

They. Wanted. To. See. Me.

They both kind of stammered, called me "the man," shook my hand, then realized I was working and they left.

I was astounded and a bit overwhelmed. It was humbling.

I'd actually like to talk more with them if only to thank them.

I'm not deserving of the attention.

Teaching Thursday

 

Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon

Days like this hit a little differently. 

In this slog -- this grind -- to write a post per day there are going to be times where the juggling is necessary.

I'm teaching tonight at CSB, meaning I likely won't walk in the door before 11 p.m. I'll be tired and, honestly, the last thing I'll want to do is author words about whatever is on my mind.

So, thirteen hours earlier, I've at least begun a shell of a post that I can build on.

For the first time in weeks, I'll be on "Doubleheader" today and there's so much to catch up on.

Sure, there are sports -- Aaron Rodgers, the Knicks, the Rangers, and the NFL Draft. Plus two middling baseball teams as well as the high school and prep sports.

Oh, and there's what Giannis said last night after the Bucks were eliminated. He says there is no failure in sports. I mean, I love Giannis but come on.

But I can't let today go by and not pause to discuss our own Mary Anne from WGCH. I've been simply overwhelmed by the response to the post of a few days ago, including from members of her family. 

Then I will conjure up some lessons for a group of students.

And there is no game to call. I'll get back to that tomorrow when Trinity-Pawling visits Brunswick.

Ah, but the Knicks! Go, New York, go, New York, GO!

Oh, it's great and I'm all in. I love seeing the city excited for the current cast. Finally, I'm hearing less moaning about the Garden and the blue and orange.

No, I have no intention of tempering anyone's excitement. It's been a long time and fans should be pumped up for winning this round. Now, do it again, and beat the Heat.

I have my own doubts that the Knickerbockers are going to the NBA Finals but this certainly does remind me of those crazy days of the 90s. Let's dig out the Zubaz!

You think about the spring of 1994. The Rangers were scuffling through the playoffs after winning the President's Trophy. They'd have a dogfight with the Devils in the conference finals.

Huh. Rangers/Devils. Sounds familiar.

But we know how that film ends. Mark Messier gleefully raised in the Cup in the Garden and 54 years of frustration was over after a seven-game series of nailbiters. Come on -- Pavel Bure versus Mike Richter?

The Rangers won it all and, days later, following the chaos of OJ Simpson and the split screen, we thought we might see a second title at the Garden.

Well, I should say, the Garden's team would have to win it on the road.

Yet (don't read this part, loyal fans) the Knicks went to Houston and lost both games six and seven.

There was an unlikely run to the 1999 NBA Finals where the Spurs more or less ran the Knicks off the court.

Then the 21st century began and I'm guessing most Knicks fans are simply content to forget about it.

Until today.

It's a good day.

Somewhere, Patrick and Starks and Harper and Oakley and Smith and Mason and Anthony and Davis and Bonner and Williams are smiling. I'd like to think Pat Riley might have a grin at the Knicks and Heat meeting.

I don't see Riley as much as a villain anymore. I've moved on. Good grief, it was, what, 28 years ago?

It will be fun.

Maybe the Rangers can beat the Devils and the fun will only grow.

We can only hope.

* Anyway, "Doubleheader" didn't happen thanks to Connecticut traffic. So now I'll just be a bad teacher for the night.

The favorite sports broadcasters bracket!

 

Vin Scully calls the 1965 World Series.
That's the criminally underrated Ray Scott behind Vin.
Ray was the anti-Gus Johnson

"Hello again, everybody..."

"Hello, friends..."

"And a very pleasant good evening to you wherever you may be..."

Joe Manniello, who has become the master of all things brackets in my life, has done it again.

Recently, I did brackets of greatest Best Pictures, and Billy Joel songs, and Beatles songs. But today (echoing "today" Lou Gehrig-style), he brings us perhaps the most fitting of them all...

THE FAVORITE SPORTS BROADCASTERS BRACKET!

Now, look, I didn't pick those in the bracket and neither did Joe. I'm told that four people did a draft of the 32 participants.

Let's dispense with a few things here:

- Gus Johnson didn't get drafted. No further comment.

- Red Barber and Mel Allen also didn't, which is largely indicative of a need for a historian in the group, but we shall not quarrel.

- Not a single Caray to be found. 

- No Ernie Harwell. 

- No Marty Glickman.

- I can keep going but you get my point (no Phil Rizzuto, Joe Garagiola, Bill White, or basically any Yankees voices...).

Lastly, and I can't stress this enough...

Who's playing to lose to Vin Scully in the final because you all know he's winning this.

We'll start in the "I Don't Believe What I Just Saw" region.

Vin/Doris Burke -- Sigh. I'm a big Doris fan, but this isn't fair. Vin.

Bob Costas/Mike Tirico -- An all-Syracuse matchup (read: sports broadcasting elitism in the non-Fordham/Arizona State/etc division). Like Tirico. Love Costas. Bob.

Jack Buck/Joe Buck -- We will see JACK tomorrow night! (This one is just mean)

Howard Cosell/Don Criqui -- Question: How well do you all know me? Don Criqui is an all-time great PBP voice. Cosell is an all-time great mouth who stepped on countless PBP announcers. As Don Imus called him, "The Great Don Criqui." Yes. Really.

Sweet 16:

Scully/Costas -- That's rough for the second round, Bob. You deserved better. Vin.

Jack Buck/Criqui -- Damn. Sorry, Don. Jack Buck.

Regional final:

Scully/Buck -- "I don't believe what I just saw" gets steamrolled by "In a year that has been improbable, the IMPOSSIBLE has happened." Except, it's not impossible. It's Vin. All day.

To the "Do You Believe In Miracles" region.

The team of John Madden-Pat Summerall against Leslie Visser (who wasn't a PBP voice anyway) -- Unfair. Pat and John.

Jim Nantz/Ian Eagle -- This will break over certain lines. I love Nantz. 

Curt Gowdy/Kevin Harlan -- I bet Harlan wins this one big. "The Cowboy" (Gowdy) was the voice of the big games when I was a kid. I'm taking Gowdy.

Al Michaels/Tony Romo -- Al is miraculous and one of the great PBPers of all time. He's also a Scully disciple. Al.

Sweet 16:

Madden-Summerall/Nantz -- Goodbye, friends. Pat and John.

Gowdy/Michaels -- Curt hit the back nine in the 70s. Al was on the front nine and is still swinging. Al's got a lot of great calls. Curt goes all the way back to Mel Allen in the 40s. But Al is Al.

Regional Final:

Madden-Summerall/Michaels -- two against one. Telestrator against sarcasm and gambling. Summerall did tennis and golf away from football and was an early sports reporter in New York. Al has done baseball, hockey, and basketball. It's tough. The edge -- slightly -- goes to Al Michaels.

That leaves us a Final Four matchup of Al Michaels against his idol Vin Scully and let's not kid ourselves, shall we? Vin.

The "Whoa Nellie!" region.

Doc Emrick/Charlie Jones -- An inspired call with Charlie Jones but he's no match here. He's been ladled away and shuffleboarded by Doc.

Verne Lundquist/Gary Thorne -- Great first-round matchup. I could go crazy with this one but the number of great calls in Uncle Verne's career is overwhelming. YES SIR!

Brent Musburger/Tim McCarver -- "You are looking live!" at two guys who weren't initially known for play-by-play, at least nationally. T-Mac became a World Series staple doing color, and Brent is Brent. I'll give the edge to Brent.

Keith Jackson/Bill Raftery -- Oh this is just wrong! First, I'm a play-by-play guy. But Raft is one of my favorites. But Keith IS college football (even if he called so many baseball games that sounded like he'd rather be anywhere else). Can I "send it in JEROME!?" No. I just can't. "Hello, Heisman!"

Sweet 16:

Doc/Verne -- I hate to say that you know how this one is going. Doc waffle boards Uncle Verne aside.

Brent/Keith -- I love hearing Brent tell stories but Keith is Keith.

Doc/Keith -- Remember, this is my bracket. It's not who I think will win. As I said, I always felt Keith was ambivalent at best when calling baseball (and he was on the "Bobby Murcer" game when Cosell allowed him to talk). But Doc changed how I viewed hockey and definitely how I called it. "WHAT CHAOS," indeed!

Lastly we head to the "OH MY!" region.

Marv Albert/Sam Rosen -- This had to be a local pick. Marv is a New York institution that became huge nationally. YES!

Howie Rose/Mike Breen -- I was going to "Put it in the books!" but then "BANG!" Mike Breen is one of my heroes. Love Howie (really, I do) but Breen is a different level. 

Kenny Albert/Gare-Keith-Ron -- Er...what? The Mets fans will whine. Kenny will understand. GKR. 

Dick Enberg/Dan Shulman -- This is so unfair to Shulman but Dr. Enberg has been one of the voices of my life, in fact even "BV" (Before Vin). The Renaissance Man himself, Dick Enberg.

Sweet 16:

Marv/Breen -- This was a setup. A tough one. Both can claim the hand of Marty Glickman as guidance. Both worked with the irascible Imus. Both are hysterically funny. Both did local sports (Breen on WFAN and Marv on Channel 4). Breen did football at one time in addition to basketball while Marv did the NFL, Knicks, and Rangers. Plus he anchored the World Series on NBC at one time. But I've met Breen and love his style. That's literally the only edge. Breen.

G-K-R/Enberg -- Dick Enberg. Next.

Breen/Enberg -- I love you, Mike. I really do. But Dick Enberg helped me love tennis from Wimbledon. He helped me get more entrenched into the NFL with Merlin Olsen. He nudged me along with college basketball. Plus he hosted the "Sports Challenge" TV show. He goes to the Final Four with Doc Emrick, Al Michaels, and Vin Scully.

I've already moved Scully into the championship.

Now it's Doc versus Dr.

I hate that it's come to this. Each man has impacted me profoundly. I never had a chance to talk to Dr. Enberg but I did talk to Doc Emrick last year. I've made it clear how both helped guide me as a broadcaster. Dick Enberg's two edges are that he has a longer impact on me and that he did more sports, though some forget all the different things Doc Emrick called.

You know how this is going to turn out anyway, and I'd love to call a draw but I can't. Dick Enberg sashays into the final by a whisker.

I told you from the beginning who would win this all along and everyone else was fighting for second place.

Vin Scully over Dick Enberg.

Which is no crime.

Oh my!

It happens

 

"Have a nice day." -- Forrest Gump

There's too much negativity, so I won't project it.

But I am OK after last night's tire event. I got home a little after midnight.

I feel fortunate that my cousin, Kris, was able to help me with the stubborn lugnut that probably would have destroyed my back (which was already sore enough) during l'affaire du tire (which is actually "pneu" in French apparently). 

He doesn't live too far from where I hung out on the side of Interstate 84 and I'm grateful for his help.

After he showed up, we were done in no time and spent more time catching up and talking than anything else.

Now I have to figure out how and where to get a tire. I also have to find the time to go sit in a tire shop. That means a likely lost day of work.

There are a ton of "what-ifs" I've considered, among them the simple version of getting off 84 at that exact exit, leading to the pothole. What if I had just stayed for the night in Milford, PA like I was considering? 

In fact, at one point, I was going to stay in Milford and then head to New Jersey Sunday morning for wrestling. That, however, changed. At another point, I was going to meet my niece Kristy somewhere around the Milford area and crash with her and her kids. That changed also.

But that thinking can make one crazy. It's the luck of the draw.

I know I don't need four tires but you know how these things work. That being said, if you have suggestions of a trusted tire source not too far from Mahopac, feel free to let me know.

But I see the blessings in all of it. Things can always be a lot worse.

Still, it's often so hard to stay upbeat, as I'm sure you can agree. No need to review the laundry list of why.

So I thought I'd just pop on and say hello. I have nothing profound to offer.

There will be a new podcast in my life soon.

I mowed part of the lawn today for the first time in 2021. So begins roughly six-plus months and that's actually a great thing.

The Yankees are bad. The Knicks are good. The Rangers are meh. The Mets have already won the World Series.

The Red Sox uniforms this weekend were not worth saying anything about.

What was a bright and sunny day has turned cloudy.

Honestly, that's about it.

The Sunday Meltdown

Kevin Durant and Steve Kerr (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)

Quite a day so far, no?

Let's start with the news from the NBA. Oh, I know that we don't do much NBA here, but then again, why? Because the Knicks (and the Nets also) have been largely uninspiring.

The Knicks remain so. The Nets are now in the conversation to win a title after reports have surfaced that the Brooklyn squad have acquired Kevin Durant (injured, yes), Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. That's according to Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter.

So Knicks: What. The. ****?

It's been almost 50 years since '69-70, 46 years since their last title in '73, 25 years since they were up 3-2 the night of the OJ Bronco chase, and 20 years since their run as an eight-seed to the Finals where the Spurs laughed at them.

They suck. Plain and simple. They are the worst franchise in New York, by a hair over the dysfunction in Queens*.

*Oh I was told last night that I would be best served to avoid writing about the Mets. Is it OK if I do so anyway? Because, you know, it's not like I'm supposed to try to write (and say) interesting content or anything. Thanks for the permission.

However, one other thing. If this -- remember, this is sports -- causes you such pain that you say you're essentially unhappy in your life, I have two options for you: 1) Stop because you're being overdramatic (and embarrassing), or 2) seek therapy. Seriously. Get help because it's sort of pathetic.

I love sports. They've brought me joy (and, yes, heartache) but the sun came up the next day. Myriad big game losses and other minutiae never changed the fact that life does, indeed, go on. I've functioned completely the day after, with the one exception being the time that I didn't have to work and I was told we were getting out of town for the day.

I have love, a son, a mother, friends, nieces, nephews, siblings, cousins, and so on.

Check your priorities.

Here endeth the lesson.

*****
Originally, this post was going to be about sports broadcasting (a shock, I know). I paid super close attention to the Yankees/Red Sox calls this weekend while they were in London, and decided to really listen to the ESPN TV feed today.

I rigged up a system where I could listen to the call while I mowed the lawn, thus forcing me to pay closer attention.

Yes, I could have opted for the ESPN Radio call, but I'm not a big fan of that either, and I decided to pass on John and Suzyn because I really wanted to give ESPN TV a chance.

What an unmitigated disaster.

Before you come at me about Jessica Mendoza, let me say this: she knows the game. No question. She also seems great. Just super approachable. What has finally hit me about her is that the Sunday Night Baseball group doesn't utilize her directly. Let her work in a smaller format and maybe she can do some good.

Then she'll open up about pitching and playing the game, and not just statistics. She has a good personality for this. It needs the right forum to shine.

Alex Rodriguez can also be a very good analyst but he's so busy being A-Rod that we forget that few prepare harder. He also definitely knows the game.

Both of these analysts actually brought good information at times.

It's Matt Vasgersian who is the problem.

The list of mistakes is too numerous to count, from misidentified players to a complete whiff on the album cover of The Beatles' Abbey Road. It's a fairly iconic picture, and his take was, well, extraordinarily bad.

"John was second and George didn't have shoes on," he said. Wow. Beatles fan you're not. Please turn in your card.

Supposedly, the game was being played in "Central Europe." Um. Nope. If it was one mistake, OK -- it happens.

Let's not forget the ball that Aaron Hicks hit off his shin, and Mr. V wondering "if he lost his footing."

Then there was a cheap shot he took at Philadelphia while talking about art, and "they have a guy like that in Philly, but he will paint the side of your car.”

Some people think they're just so funny.

Oh and the whole broadcast got it wrong about the Yankees wearing pinstripes as a road team, having done so in 2004 in Japan.

But that aside, there was just so much that had me literally yelling while pushing the mower around.

From a "nuts and bolts" perspective, doing TV doesn't mean that you should ignore your responsibility to, you know, call the game. I still firmly believe in the basic elements, such as simple details of scores, ball, strike, outs, and where the play goes.

Joe Buck does this exceptionally well and, of course, there's Vin Scully, who knew that he might have someone in the audience who couldn't watch for some reason.

From underneath my headphones, "Mattie V" rarely gave me the score, and I waited patiently for pertinent details of where the ball was.

At times, either A-Rod or Jess were talking as the ball was being in play. I prefer that analysts working with me stop talking at the point of the pitch being thrown.

That's just me.

This all served as a great reminder for me that people rely on the words and the pictures. Audio and video work together, and that's why the 1980 "announcerless broadcast" was awful.

But there's no question that FOX did a superior job over ESPN this weekend in London, and that Joe Buck is actually underappreciated. Sorry -- but I'm saying it.

It was a day for truly unlistenable broadcasts -- in London, as well as in Connecticut.

This is May?

I'm still dry at that point (Photo courtesy Joe Early)

It's May 14, and it's 47 degrees.

We've just finished our third straight day of heavy rain showers.

Did I mention it's May and it's 47 degrees?

It messes with the baseball season, and the FAA quarterfinal game that I was supposed to call yesterday got moved to today. But we made it work for the matchup between Brunswick and St Luke's. Joe Early grabbed a Brunswick Cross Country tent that kept us pretty dry. The Bruins won 12-2.

I'll shift back to lacrosse tomorrow as the Bruins host Darien in a long-awaited matchup. I'm happy to say that my former HAN Network colleague Dan Arestia is joining me for the call and that I'll be a part of the Darien Athletic Foundation (as well as Local Live) tomorrow night.

Thursday brings me back to Mahopac for the (likely) final time for baseball this season, though I'd also love to see Mahopac softball. It's cool to say I was aware of their superstar pitcher Shannon Becker before she became all the rage last week. CBS News has more on Shannon and her "perfect perfect" game.

Friday will possibly take me back to Brunswick or Trumbull for baseball.

There might be something on Saturday, and then?

Well, I hope the FCIACs with Local Live. After that, it's hard to say, though I'm kicking a few tires to see what else.

There's plenty of baseball if people are interested.

June, July, and August (especially August) can be dicey.

And, believe it or not, I'm already chomping at the bit for football schedules.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Back here at the nerve center of Exit 55 mayhem, I found myself taking a really active interest in this basketball team called the Knicks. Truth be told, I've been a Knicks fan for roughly 40 years, though it's not the Yankees-level fandom.

They've so ripped my soul that I try to not get too invested in them.

I watched with hope that they'd get the number one pick in the draft lottery tonight.

They got the third pick.

There's still talent at the third pick, so I guess there's hope. New York hardly defines "long-suffering" though you might feel differently if you knew your history around these parts.

Jets: last title, 1969
Knicks: 1973
Nets: Er...they won an ABA title in 1976
Islanders: 1983
Mets: 1986
Rangers: 1994

If you wish to expand further, there are the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills to include.

The Devils, Giants and the ... ahem ... Yankees have seen a little more recent success, though ten years since the Bombers' last title feels like an eternity.

Anyway, this is sort of a babbling-type of a post. Sorry for that.

The NBA playoffs are on.

The Yankees (who have done a terrible job with weather-related changes) are not.

But the NHL playoffs are on. The Bruins are playing the Hurricanes. Doc and Edzo are on the call.

I'm all set.

Release

I need video of Fred's "cursing"

I've pondered my writing a bit lately. There's no doubt I've climbed back on the ol' horse.

Why here, when blogs appear to be so passe? Well, I guess because this is my outlet, and despite having free reign over at hanradio.com, it's just not proper for me to go there and write things like this.

It's been an up and down run lately. A friggin' roller coaster, and if you know me, you know I hate it. One minute there's good news and all is peachy-keen. Then next? It's like Fred Flinstone cursing. Or like this...



So I come here. It's a release. Yes, I sometimes say too much or tip my hand or have you all think I'm strolling the Tappan Zee Bridge considering how cold the water is, but it's largely based on a certain form of parody and exaggeration.

Tinged with sincerity.

I can't take being jerked around. Right now, I'm so f****** p***** (remember, I don't really curse here) about a broadcasting opportunity that I had been pushing for since I first heard about it. Not only did HAN Radio not even get a chance to make a bid, we didn't even get a response.

So they went to another outlet, with announcers who will flat-out...

Wait, Rob. You can't say that. You always have to take the high road. Yup. Have to. Don't let the bastards get you down.

Like I said, I'm here because it's a release. Right now, I should be posting 30 editions of Behind the News or Radio Arts and Leisure, but I'm here to help my blood pressure.

I'm redder than the traffic lights outside of Westchester County Center.

Where the Westchester Knicks play.

Sigh.

Onto 2014

Well...not quite, but any chance to post anything related to Calvin and Hobbes is OK with me.

So here we are. Another New Year's Eve.

For those celebrating, many blessings to you. For those choosing to lay low or not celebrate at all, you have my regards.

Personally, due to circumstances somewhat beyond my control, I'm at the homestead. Sean is with me tonight. My niece Stephanie is as well. We're all keeping an eye on Mom, who is getting stronger every day.

Lisa has to work tomorrow. So...bottom line...just lay low.

2013 was quite a year, wasn't it? And yet, can't we say that about every year? That's why this whole thing has always been so specious to me.

I saw triumphs - remarkable moments of happiness. I stepped back into the work world in a big way. A year ago tonight. I felt tremendous despair. I wasn't working full-time, and felt like my world was teetering. I also spent New Year's Eve almost entirely alone, save for my friend Brian and his kids on Skype.

But I found work at the Wilton Bulletin, and The Press Box soldiered on, and along came the Sound Tigers, and Hersam Acorn Radio, and Connecticut School of Broadcasting, and Wilton Continuing Education, and...

Sheesh. Be careful what you wish for.

But there was also sadness. Just in the past few days I've heard far too much to break a heart.

We saw it all, as usual. Boston ran the gamut of emotions, from the terror of the Marathon to the exultation of the Red Sox.

2013 was a lot of things. There was a bit of a renaissance for Mr. Huey Lewis. We made our way to Cape Cod, only for a few days. A long trip to both Virginia Beach, and Washington, DC. We passed through Richmond.

We didn't nearly travel enough.

The Yankees? Meh. The Steelers? Same. Rangers...Knicks...etc...

Of course, sports gave us thrills (Alabama/Auburn, LeBron, Wimbledon, etc). That's why we stay with them. They piss me off a lot, but it's still a big part of my life.

We will treasure Mariano Rivera. A true all-time great as a player and a man. We will remember 2013 for him.

I'm sorry, for those who have been loyal, that Exit 55 saw such a significant drop in material this year.  The output that I presented was by far the lowest full year since 2008. I can't say 2014 will be any better, but I'm not sure it will be any worse. As I've alluded to, there are big changes on the way.

I think I can speak on behalf of Lisa and Sean when I say that we wish you all a pleasant start to 2014. We hope that it brings you health and happiness, just as we hope for the same for ourselves.

(And, just as a PS, Vin Scully is the Grand Marshall of tomorrow's Rose Bowl Parade. Happy that I could help with that info.)

Mike D'Antoni Resigns...No Shock Here

Mike D'Antoni has quit as head coach of the New York Knicks. To be quite honest, this news has not not surprised me at all. The team has been in free fall for a few weeks now. D'Antoni and his star player, Carmelo Anthony, clearly did not get along. In a star-driven league, the player wins every time.

The boo birds have won, and they normally get their way, dating back to the days of Allie Sherman and the football Giants ("Goodbye Allie").

It's not a coincidence (to me) that the Knickerbockers have not played well since Anthony returned from an injury. Prior to his return, the Knicks had become a New York story again, as "Linsanity" raged thoughout the Tri-state area. Now they're back to being not-so-good and on the edge of being out of the playoff picture.

It has gotten ugly at the World's Most Famous Arena (I still wonder if that building really deserves that title anymore. It probably is, but...). So who has to go? Yep, the coach. And out he goes. Just looking at the Social Mediaverse, it seems the feeling is united that people are happy he's gone.

I'm not among them. Look, I knew D'Antoni was dead-man walking. But I never felt like he was given the tools. Consider how bad the Knicks were when he first got here.

Ah, it never matters. Always blame the coach.

Whatever.

I blame the players. Specifically, I blame Carmelo Anthony. I wanted him to come to New York. I thought he would bring a world of talent to the Garden. He did. He just hasn't brought winning with him.

So now begins the Phil Jackson talk. It's clearly - definitively - Big Chief Triangle's job to take. He can come home to the MSG, where he once helped the Knicks win a title, way back in 1973...

Yep. That's him.

Be careful what you wish for, New York. Just saying.

The NBA? What's That?

Apparently, there's this thing called the National Basketball Association.

I think I've heard of it.

Still, this can't be the NBA of George Mikan, or Bob Cousy, right? Of Russell, Clyde, the Captain, Jerry West, Jordan, Magic, Bird, Ewing...

Oh you get the idea.

The NBA, if you haven't heard, recently resolved their labor dispute and will tip off on Christmas Day. The problem was, the silence was deafening. The NBA has been going through an image problem for years, and despite that, had a great season last year, including a "the bad guys lose" Finals in which the vaunted big three in Miami lost to the Mavericks.

Yet once the labor wars began, it was like nobody cared. Certainly the people that I've tried to get interested in the NBA made it quite known that they were overjoyed that NBA wasn't around, and didn't care if it ever came back.

Personally, give me basketball and the NBA over a lot of other things, but different strokes and all. Still, give me college hoops, but that's a whole different bucket of fish.

So the apathy is still apparent. I suspect there will be a little kick in interest right around Christmas, then it will fade until early February (that's when the NFL throws this big orgy of an event that apparently includes an actualy football game). After that, the NBA will have its chance to shine.

At the same time, hockey just shakes its collective head.

That's enough basketball for now. Back to "The Big Bang Theory."

Who's In Your New York Hall of Fame?

The obvious choice.

ESPN New York, perhaps if only to raise my blood pressure, has decided to put together a New York Hall of Fame.  Theoretically I'm completely into this idea.  All good, no doubt.  It's fun to debate such things.

Andrew Marchand is on the panel of "experts" and says what we all know (or should):  Babe Ruth is the king.  Anyone leaving him off their ballot shouldn't have a ballot.

The 20 nominees are certainly good, but they seem to also leave some players out.  For instance, the only Rangers nominee is Mark Messier, and as I just discussed with good friend Harold, Mess isn't even the greatest Ranger (that would be Brian Leetch).  Messier, as much as I revere him, was at his best in Edmonton.  Mike Bossy is the lone Islander (OK with that).  But it appears that teams with "New Jersey" in their name aren't eligible.  How else can it be explained that Martin Brodeur isn't there?  Yet both the Jets and Giants are represented, albeit lightly, with only Joe Namath and Lawrence Taylor getting a nod.  They play in New Jersey, right?

The Knicks are light as well, with Clyde Frazier and Willis Reed the picks (no Patrick Ewing?).  Nobody from the Nets (who once played on Long Island with a guy nicknamed Dr. J - just saying) was selected.

Boxing got one nominee with Mike Tyson.  No love for Pele, who briefly wowed with the Cosmos.  What about horse racing?  Did Secretariat amaze us at Belmont or was that a dream?

Yes, I see problems here.

Tennis (Arthur Ashe, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, etc) and other sports are ignored completely as well (how about the brilliance of then-Lew Alcindor, playing high school ball, or Chris Mullin at St. John's?).

The list is very baseball-heavy and I get that, as there is no doubt in my mind that New York is a baseball town, and it always has been.  The Mets get Tom Seaver (duh), the Giants bring Willie Mays, Mel Ott, and Christy Mathewson (perhaps the most inspired name on the list - different, for sure).  The Dodgers...Jackie Robinson.  Funny, the song was called "Willie, Mickey and the Duke", yet Mr. Snider is nowhere to be found.

The rest are Yankees: Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Casey Stengel (who also played for the Giants, and managed the Dodgers), George Steinbrenner, Joe McCarthy, and Yogi Berra represent the team that has won 27 championships.

No active players can be included, so Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, etc must wait.

I'm still amazed Ewing isn't in the top 20.  I would have taken him over either Casey Stengel or Joe McCarthy (and no disrespect to both of them, plus Tyson made it over Whitey Ford).

The "experts" by the way, are the aforementioned Andrew Marchand, Rob Parker, Johnette Howard, Wallace Matthews, and Ian O'Connor.  With all due respect, I'm not impressed.  To that end, perhaps the Worldwide Leader could explain their criteria for this, because as I see it, this panel is utterly gutless as they are afraid to be anything other than PC.  Four of the five picked Jackie Robinson for their "Hall of Fame", with only Marchand going against the grain.  In fact, Marchand picked the same five as me:

- Ruth
- Gehrig
- DiMaggio
- Mantle
- Taylor

Look, I get the social significance of Robinson, but that's not what we're talking about here.  I'm talking about greatness - athletic greatness.  To insist on picking Jackie Robinson is to say that you're afraid - period.  I'm not.  I recognize that he is one of the most important FIGURES of the 20th Century, but he is not one of the greatest ATHLETES in New York history.  That's what I thought I was voting for here.

In fact, TWO of these "experts" (Parker and Matthews) picked Robinson and Joe-freaking-Namath!  Again, I get the impact ol' Joe Willie had on professional football, but I also get he wanted to kiss Suzy Kolber.  Are the two intertwined?  Not really, but it says that Namath's impact is more about one game (Super Bowl III) than his career (which, while terrific, often gets overblown).

I tried watching the "experts" videos and they made my hair hurt.  O'Connor simply makes me want to scream, and I'm so freaking sick of him knocking Ruth because he didn't play against African Americans.  HOW is that Ruth's fault?  Besides, there's long been some thinking that Ruth was actually black!  So your mileage may vary.

And Matthews calling LT "a system player?"  Beyond crazy!

Mays was an amazing player.  Robinson was a specimen and a graceful man.  Mantle, is his prime, with better health, was as good if not better than Mays (Mays was a better fielder).  DiMaggio, if not for health issues and the war, was just as good.  Gehrig was a monster.  So was LT (albeit in football).

None of them was Ruth.

This is one of those "I miss 'The Press Box'" moments.

ESPN is doing it for other cities as well (Boston, Chicago, Dallas, LA).  For giggles, I voted on the other cities:

Boston: Ted Williams, Bill Russell, Bobby Orr, Ray Borque, Larry Bird.

Dallas: Ben Hogan, Tom Landry, Byron Nelson, Emmitt Smith, Doak Walker

Chicago: Ernie Banks, Dick Butkus, Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Bobby Hull (and the fact that they included Harry Caray on their ballot doesn't speak well).

Los Angeles: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Sandy Koufax, John Wooden, Wayne Gretzky (by the way, Chick Hearn is on their ballot but VIN SCULLY ISN'T?  Scully would have gotten my vote over Gretzky.)

Atlantic Yards - the "Battle for Brooklyn"

One of these people is the Mayor of New York City.  The other one is Michael Bloomberg, politician.

A new arena is going up in "the BK."  The Atlantic Yards project will become the Barclays Center, and will be the home of the New York whatevers (or the Brooklyn whatevers...the former New Jersey Nets).  Arena Digest has some of the details on the new digs.

They compare and contrast just a touch to how the Nets will handle things, as opposed to the Knicks.  Don't.  Get.  Me.  Started.  On. Them.

(Be positive, Rob...that's what everyone seems to be telling you...be positive...Kumbya, my Lord...)

Anyway, of course building anything in an urban setting means the potential for eminent domain, and this project is no different.  Michael O'Keefe, writing in the New York Daily News, highlights a new documentary that profiles the whole mess.

Rangers Win...Please?

I know it's a long shot, but hope springs eternal when the score is 0-0.  Yes, Wednesday night's loss was - beyond a doubt - stunning.  The Rangers were flying, with the Garden rocking to the levels of "Who's your Daddy?"  They couldn't possibly blow a three-goal lead, right?

Ever heard of the dreaded three goal lead?  Yeah, that.

Henrik Lundqvist was out of his mind, playing brilliantly (despite his season, he is not a finalist for the Vezina Trophy), but it was a simple defensive zone miscue - a breakdown in communication between Marion Gaboirk and his goalie, that allowed the losing goal.  Gaborik is generally being viewed as the villain, though I don't think that's fair, just as Bill Buckner shouldn't have been the bad guy in 1986, or Steve Bartman in 2003.  This was a TEAM meltdown.  No one was immune to the complete collapse.

Today's a new day.  A new game.  This is a scrappy team.  I expect - fully - that this team will find a way to get the series back to MSG for Game 6.  Hopefully Gaborik finds a way to make up for the mistake in Game 4.

Let's go Rangers!  Keep the golf clubs in the closet for a few more days!  Now if they could just show the Knicks how to play...

The Bandwagon Fan

We've all seen them.  We know one.

They're the bandwagon fan.  Urban Dictionary denies the term as (and I'm not kidding...check this link):

Someone who becam (sic) a fan of the Boston Redsox (sic) after the 2004 world series.

Yet the problem has existed for many years (see: 1986 Mets, New York).

Earlier today, Paul Silverfarb, esteemed Sports Editor of the Greenwich Post and non-blog writer, sent me the following on Facebook:

I was talking to someone who was wearing a Rangers jersey in Starbucks yesterday. I asked if he was excited for the postseason and he said: "Oh yeah...I love the Rangers. Lifelong fan." So I asked him if he thought this year's Rangers have a little 1994 in them and he looked puzzled. Then I said "You know, the year they won the Cup." and he said: "Oh yeah...that was a great time." Then I asked if he thought Kevin Dineen was a great goalie for the Rangers in 1994 to which he responded: "Oh yeah, without Dineen they wouldn't have gone as far as they did." So I kept it going....I asked "Who was more clutch for the Rangers: Sean Burke or Jeff Brown?" He said he ."..couldn't tell which one was better...they were both awesome!" *sigh*

**Reprinted by permission of Paul Silverfarb. Copyright 2011, Connor and Lucas, Inc. All rights reserved.**

As "lifelong fans" go, that's pathetic.

Here's the thing about the "evil" bandwagon fan: they have to get on sometime, don't they?  How does one become a fan, exactly?  I'll readily admit - in bold letters, if need be - that I was in the right place at the right time to become a Steelers' fan.  It was 1979 and the Steelers were getting ready to play in Super Bowl XIII and I hated the Cowboys.  A classmate bet me on the game.  That was it.  I've been a loyal Steelers' fan ever since.

Now isn't that the point?  Something has to happen for us to become fans in the first place and not everyone gets it from birth.  My son (Mr. Sean Adams) has had the Steelers/Yankees and Rangers drilled into him for nine years now.  I tried with the Knicks but he likes the Nets because he went to a Nets game once.  That also works.

Some don't find a sport until later on.  Perhaps they have a partner and they start liking a team or sport due to him or her.  Some jump on due to friends.  I had hockey-mad friends in the late-70's, and that did it for me.

The key, as I stated in the Steelers example, is loyalty.  You have to jump on the bandwagon somehow, but you can't jump off (a big criticism of mine with the in-between New York baseball fan).

I get the criticism of those who do jump on when a team is winning (and thus we go back to 1979).  At the same time, again, so long as you hop on and stay loyal, why does it matter?  Not everyone just looks at their local team and says "Hey!  I'm a Royals fan for life!"  Should they?  Maybe.  But that's not always what influences us.

You bought a Derek Jeter jersey in 1999?  Great - are you still a fan?  Perfect.

There's plenty of room.  Stick around.

It's a topic that I frankly get bored with and sick of arguing about, but I've wanted to address this.

Let Us Not Forget About The Knicks!

Despite our obvious excitement over the fancy New York Rangers (in Seven), I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that both occupants of the World's Most Famous Arena have advanced to the playoffs.  The New York Knickerbockers have a date with the Boston Celtics.

Believe it or not, the Knicks and Celtics are even in playoff matchups.  One would assume that the C's would have the better of it, since they've won so many titles (but not as many as that certain baseball team.  What?).  Yet the two teams have met twelve times, beginning in 1951, and through their last showdown (in 1990), each team has won six times.

The Knicks are after their first title since 1973.   Yes, that's correct.

So yes, I'm looking forward to that also.  It could be a great spring for sports fans in New York.