I remember the conversation well. This was because confetti was raining at the old Giants Stadium, Giants 41, just minutes after the Vikings’ 0, a point that meant the Giants would play in the Super Bowl in one-two weeks. I was on the phone with an old editor of mine and that seemed, quite literally, expense.
“One of these years,” he said that day in 2001, “I’d like a nice, quiet year, you know?”
The Yankees dynasty was still alive (and did not end until 10 months later, stubbornly in Phoenix). A few months ago, for the first time in 44 years, the subway series took place. The Devils won the Stanley Cup seven months ago (and went to the other finals a few months later). Jets Bill Parks was outclassed by Era. The Nets were a year away from their cramps of prosperity.
Hence. very. win.
And, well … as the man once said, be careful what you wish for. The hope of a quiet year became the reality of a quiet decade. Over the years, Boston has become a sports hub as we have seen Tampa-St. Pete (!!!!) turns out to be another one we have seen mostly with a serious amount of jealousy.
“One of these years,” you might say, “I want a busy, noisy year, you know?”
Well … maybe it’s jinxing it. but …
But see what happened this week: The Knicks scored 140 points to beat the Kings on Thursday. The Islanders scored seven goals to beat the Bruins. Across a river, the Devils knocked out the Sabers in overtime and the other Nets took the Magic to the woodshed. And then Friday the Rangers joined in the fun, tag-team Bruins…
(And, lest we forget, the Giants are on a one-game winning streak! And the Jets haven’t lost a game in eight weeks!)
And, well … it’s probably the warm weather that helped melt the snow a little this week, and maybe the fact that we’re getting batches of baseball dispatches from Florida every day (which always helps to reduce winter a little bit) Helps) and perhaps it is hoped that various vaccinations will finally bring the damned virus to its knees but … I have to tell you, I am detecting an unusual scent here …
… smells like one …
… This may happen …
… Hope?
Is it allowed? This may happen?
this is. And it can. Look, the Islanders tried to use us last summer when they made a spectacular trek to the conference finals. The Nets have tried to make us up for it since the new year, now that they have become an addictive basketball watch, scoring points in the bucket and just slaughtering teams.
The Yankees left a hollow feeling after their season ended in October, but it’s worth remembering that they won the playoff series and abstained from one game to another in the American League Championship Series. This was not a lost year for him.
Hey, this is a start. And here’s a dirty secret for you: We hear the theory (especially in the post here) that we love losing teams, love the negatives, all we want to do is sell newspapers and collect clicks. . Okay, this is half correct: We like to sell papers. We like a lot of web traffic.
But you know what sells the most papers? To read about good teams. You know what attracts more eyeballs to our web site? Good teams. When the Mets are in the World Series or in the final of the Rangers Cup, good luck gets a paper in a newsstand. Good teams are good for business.
Regardless, over the years, it’s hard to remember what they look like.
Is this the beginning of a new golden era around New York? A series of lies begin and stop? Will we be wishing a nice quiet year here for a change soon?
Don’t know the answers to the first two questions. The third is about 100 percent certain:
No way. never.
Vacas walk
I got a little indifferent this week seeing 2,000 or so fans inside Madison Square Garden. When I first started going to the Knicks game in the early 80s, it was what it seemed like most of the time.
One of the amazing destinations of spring training, from Twitter: “Francisco Lindor drove a massive home run and threw Taijuan Walker into dead center.” Do you feel better for Lindor or worse for Walker? BP show-downs similar deal with DJ Lemahieu / Corey Kluber on the other side of the state this week.
In fact there should be a special court of appeal when you can see the following headline: “Better Call Saul ‘final season possibly delayed until 2022.”
How do you think Brooks is enjoying his stay in New York so far?
Empty on vac back
Marty Pinchin: Yes, I am a lifelong Nax fan, but I have to admit that I will take the Nax roster over the Nets’ crew any day.
Blank: Sure, we can argue about whether this is silly or not, but it is not the great part: the possibility of a real feud between Knicks and Nets fans for the first time.
Gary Prager: Fordham, Iona and Manhattan going round and round would be a lot of fun, right?
Blank: This is the talk of Fordham about leaving MAAMH 31 years ago: it not only helped Fordam’s basketball hit, it deprived us of considerable territory, which would have attracted fans to some absolutely fantastic local league-run rivals is.
@JobTeed: She has fond memories of that ’71 Fordham team. The Marquette game was one of the best college games that I saw, Campus Electric. At a rally before the ND game he heard Charlie Yelverton to the tune of “Jesus Christ, Superstar”: “Charlie Y / Superstar / You’re gonna score higher than Austin Carr …”
@Mikevac: For the record: Carr won the battle 29–28, but Rama won the fight that mattered the most, the Fighting Irish 94–88.
John Cobert: Beginning with the formation of the American League in 1901, baseball’s so-called “modern” era was split into two 60-year periods separated by a home run by Bill Mazerowski. In which period did the game develop more? Pre-Maz (1901–60) or Post-Maz (1961–2020)? Will the 1961 player be more at home in 1901 or 2020?
Blank: I’m not sure that Wei Willie Keylor would recognize the game anymore. I think they would have found a place in the 50s.
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