Taking a break from football and basketball and other fall sports - Looks like the New York Yankees will sign not only Pettitte but Mariano Rivera and Hiroki Kuroda for the 2013 season. I love Pettitte and I thought he did well when he wasn't injured last season, so I'm always happy whenever he returns. Mariano will be 43 but as a closer, age shouldn't be too much of a factor. Missed him last season. Kuroda was awful at the start of 2012 but turned into a dynamo - and with CC Sabathia also pitching, looks like the Yankees will have a formidable lineup.
Of course, pitching rotations always look great before the season starts. Ask me again a few months in when we know what injuries and mishaps we're REALLY dealing with.
Still, a Pettitte return would be a nice early Christmas present for this fan girl! :) If you're a Cablevision or Newsday subscriber, you can read the whole story here.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
From NBC Sports: How I learned to stop worrying and love overtime
First, I just wanna point out how much I love this headline - I just rewatched Dr. Strangelove, one of my all time favorite movies, a couple of weeks ago (for those who don't know, the full title of Stanley Kubrick's classic movie is Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb).
Anywho, nice little article by Michael David Smith about the (somewhat) new NFL overtime rules. As a rule, I am a huge, huge opponent to sudden death as a way to end a game, or any other method (like the shoot out in tied soccer games) where a team wins or loses, and sometimes in very important games, based more on luck (such as winning a coin toss to gain first possession) than on skill. I still am not convinced of the NFL changes, which are still semi sudden death, in that once one team scores a touchdown, whether or not the overtime period is over, the game is over, but the fact that BOTH teams now get the chance to get their offense the ball and that the first team to have possession must try to march all the way down the field for a touchdown rather than half-ass it to midfield and settle for a field goal, I guess is better than nothing. Anyway, you can read the story here.
And yay for a New York Jets win - yay, FINALLY! - yesterday. With some pretty sweet Mark Sanchez passes to boot (my dad, a staunch Mark Sanchez defender, must have been really happy to see that)! With the New York Giants on a bye week, it was up to the Jets to get me my New York win, and they came through when I needed them the most. Thank god.
Next up: Turkey Day showdown between the Jets and the New England Patriots. Can't wait!
Anywho, nice little article by Michael David Smith about the (somewhat) new NFL overtime rules. As a rule, I am a huge, huge opponent to sudden death as a way to end a game, or any other method (like the shoot out in tied soccer games) where a team wins or loses, and sometimes in very important games, based more on luck (such as winning a coin toss to gain first possession) than on skill. I still am not convinced of the NFL changes, which are still semi sudden death, in that once one team scores a touchdown, whether or not the overtime period is over, the game is over, but the fact that BOTH teams now get the chance to get their offense the ball and that the first team to have possession must try to march all the way down the field for a touchdown rather than half-ass it to midfield and settle for a field goal, I guess is better than nothing. Anyway, you can read the story here.
And yay for a New York Jets win - yay, FINALLY! - yesterday. With some pretty sweet Mark Sanchez passes to boot (my dad, a staunch Mark Sanchez defender, must have been really happy to see that)! With the New York Giants on a bye week, it was up to the Jets to get me my New York win, and they came through when I needed them the most. Thank god.
Next up: Turkey Day showdown between the Jets and the New England Patriots. Can't wait!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Big deal, she’s a girl: Football player’s video is just darn good
This video has already gone viral, so chances are, you've seen it, but I liked author Kavita Varma-White's take that what should make this video so appealing is not that Sam Gordon is a girl, but that this is a video of a kid - any kid, boy or girl - who is just that good.
Weeks like these, especially if you're in my area, which was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy and then 10 days later by a wintery nor'easter, you need to read stories that makes you smile.
You go, girl! :)
Big deal, she’s a girl: Football player’s video is just darn good
Weeks like these, especially if you're in my area, which was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy and then 10 days later by a wintery nor'easter, you need to read stories that makes you smile.
You go, girl! :)
Big deal, she’s a girl: Football player’s video is just darn good
Friday, November 2, 2012
NYC Marathon cancelled in wake of Superstorm Sandy
Mayor Bloomberg's office announced this afternoon that the New York City Marathon would be cancelled this weekend, reversing his stand this week to keep the marathon on, saying it wouldn't divert resources from Sandy recovery efforts and that it would bring New Yorkers and racers from out of town together.
Personally, I think cancelling the marathon was the right call. The city and surrounding areas are in a fragile state right now. As someone who lives on Long Island, less than 25 miles from Manhattan and even closer to Queens and Brooklyn, three of the boroughs where the race would take place, I've been without power for four whole days now - no heat in the freezing cold, no hot water, no fridge or stove, no lights. I spend my mornings and evenings in the dark and my days lugging what I can to whatever nearby facility has electricity for me to recharge & catch up on the news - hotel yesterday, library today. My father's house flooded and was damaged, and many of my neighbors and friends lost everything they owned. Now, even though the winds have died down and the waters have receded, while many of us wait for the power to go back on, all of us are dealing with a severe gas shortage, limiting travel for all of us and generator use for others. We don't need a sporting event to rally around - for the most part, we've been rallying around each other. We have more important things to think about, like how we're going to stay warm tonight or where we're going to stay if we don't even have a home to go back to. And for families and friends of the approximate 100 people who were killed in Sandy's fury, there's a whole other set of emotional issues to deal with.
Hotels were facing the dilemma of evicting evacuees, those without homes, in order to honor reservations for those running in the marathon. While Bloomberg claimed no resources or manpower would be diverted from the recovery effort for the marathon, clearly there were supplies like generators being used for the marathon that could have been put toward those affected by the storm. So good on Bloomberg for finally having some common sense and making the only obvious decision regarding the race. There's always next year.
Thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Sandy - hope things start/continue to get better for us all, soon!
Personally, I think cancelling the marathon was the right call. The city and surrounding areas are in a fragile state right now. As someone who lives on Long Island, less than 25 miles from Manhattan and even closer to Queens and Brooklyn, three of the boroughs where the race would take place, I've been without power for four whole days now - no heat in the freezing cold, no hot water, no fridge or stove, no lights. I spend my mornings and evenings in the dark and my days lugging what I can to whatever nearby facility has electricity for me to recharge & catch up on the news - hotel yesterday, library today. My father's house flooded and was damaged, and many of my neighbors and friends lost everything they owned. Now, even though the winds have died down and the waters have receded, while many of us wait for the power to go back on, all of us are dealing with a severe gas shortage, limiting travel for all of us and generator use for others. We don't need a sporting event to rally around - for the most part, we've been rallying around each other. We have more important things to think about, like how we're going to stay warm tonight or where we're going to stay if we don't even have a home to go back to. And for families and friends of the approximate 100 people who were killed in Sandy's fury, there's a whole other set of emotional issues to deal with.
Hotels were facing the dilemma of evicting evacuees, those without homes, in order to honor reservations for those running in the marathon. While Bloomberg claimed no resources or manpower would be diverted from the recovery effort for the marathon, clearly there were supplies like generators being used for the marathon that could have been put toward those affected by the storm. So good on Bloomberg for finally having some common sense and making the only obvious decision regarding the race. There's always next year.
Thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Sandy - hope things start/continue to get better for us all, soon!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Brooklyn Islanders?
Charles Wang, owner of the New York Islanders, announced today that when the hockey team's contract is up with Nassau County in 2015, the team has committed to a 25-year deal with Brooklyn and the Barclays Center.
I live in Nassau County, within walking distance of the Coliseum, which Wang has been trying to get the county to refurbish/renovate/something for the past I don't even know how many years. A lot of people I know, Islander fans, are upset about the move but grateful that the team will still be close by.
I'm not a hockey fan. But my mom was. And according to my dad, she was a major Islanders fan, so I wonder how she would have reacted to the news. I don't feel bad for the county for the loss of revenue - they didn't want the team to stay. Charles Wang is a Nassau County guy (albeit a super rich Nassau County guy). But he gives back to this area - he supports schools, businesses, and churches in this county. I'm sure he did everything he could to keep the team here - if the county had been willing to work with him, he would've done what he could to make sure the Islanders were a Long Island fixture.
Oh well. With the NHL season currently in jeopardy, there isn't much other hockey news to talk about. And like I said, I'm not a fan anyway, but what with it being super local news and having to do with my mom's favorite hockey team, I figured I'd mention it!
I live in Nassau County, within walking distance of the Coliseum, which Wang has been trying to get the county to refurbish/renovate/something for the past I don't even know how many years. A lot of people I know, Islander fans, are upset about the move but grateful that the team will still be close by.
I'm not a hockey fan. But my mom was. And according to my dad, she was a major Islanders fan, so I wonder how she would have reacted to the news. I don't feel bad for the county for the loss of revenue - they didn't want the team to stay. Charles Wang is a Nassau County guy (albeit a super rich Nassau County guy). But he gives back to this area - he supports schools, businesses, and churches in this county. I'm sure he did everything he could to keep the team here - if the county had been willing to work with him, he would've done what he could to make sure the Islanders were a Long Island fixture.
Oh well. With the NHL season currently in jeopardy, there isn't much other hockey news to talk about. And like I said, I'm not a fan anyway, but what with it being super local news and having to do with my mom's favorite hockey team, I figured I'd mention it!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
New York Yankees: DOA
This isn't going to be a long post. I have more important things to worry about then the Yankees' pedestrian performance in this series. Game 4 of the ALCS isn't even over yet but I'm calling it. The Yanks were dead on arrival - I'm four months pregnant and I could've played better than these guys have.
It just boggles the mind how a team full of millionaire superstars can completely shut down in the postseason - they played well enough to come in first in their division, and yet they can't even score a run in the postseason? They can't even get a hit? I'm no baseball expert, but I know for a fact that you can't win a game if you can't get men on base, and you sure as heck can't win a series. The Detroit Tigers, in their defense, have been playing outstanding and that hasn't helped, but the Yanks are pretty equally as good, ordinarily. The past few games, they don't even look like they should be qualified to play Little League. My fiance says they haven't been playing with any fire, with any spirit, and maybe that's part of the problem - this is old hat to them, and they don't want it as badly as we, the fans, do. Losing Derek Jeter didn't help - the player this should be oldest hat for always gave 110 percent and played with heart, but a team that collapses after the loss of one player is not a team to begin with.
I don't feel like talking about A-Rod. I've never been his biggest fan to begin with, but I'm disappointed in the likes of Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, and Nick Swisher - they're young enough that they should still care. Mark Texeira stepped up a bit but again, one player does not make a team. Raul Ibanez gave more than his share, putting to shame players 10 years younger than him, but as an older player, maybe this series meant more as possibly being his last.
All I can say is, I'm dumbfounded that a first place team can't put up more than big fat zeros in a do or die game, and it makes me really glad the baseball season is over. Now I can concentrate on a team that actually cares, the New York Giants. And it clears up my television watching schedule. So I guess that's a plus, too.
It just boggles the mind how a team full of millionaire superstars can completely shut down in the postseason - they played well enough to come in first in their division, and yet they can't even score a run in the postseason? They can't even get a hit? I'm no baseball expert, but I know for a fact that you can't win a game if you can't get men on base, and you sure as heck can't win a series. The Detroit Tigers, in their defense, have been playing outstanding and that hasn't helped, but the Yanks are pretty equally as good, ordinarily. The past few games, they don't even look like they should be qualified to play Little League. My fiance says they haven't been playing with any fire, with any spirit, and maybe that's part of the problem - this is old hat to them, and they don't want it as badly as we, the fans, do. Losing Derek Jeter didn't help - the player this should be oldest hat for always gave 110 percent and played with heart, but a team that collapses after the loss of one player is not a team to begin with.
I don't feel like talking about A-Rod. I've never been his biggest fan to begin with, but I'm disappointed in the likes of Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, and Nick Swisher - they're young enough that they should still care. Mark Texeira stepped up a bit but again, one player does not make a team. Raul Ibanez gave more than his share, putting to shame players 10 years younger than him, but as an older player, maybe this series meant more as possibly being his last.
All I can say is, I'm dumbfounded that a first place team can't put up more than big fat zeros in a do or die game, and it makes me really glad the baseball season is over. Now I can concentrate on a team that actually cares, the New York Giants. And it clears up my television watching schedule. So I guess that's a plus, too.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Just a few quick thoughts on baseball's Division League Series
Well, the San Francisco Giants are the first of the postseason teams to move on, eliminating the Reds in Game 5. The Washington Nationals are fighting for their lives right now against the Cards, and tonight Baltimore and the Yanks and the A's and Tigers both have match-ups. What I find interesting is that not a single division series was a sweep. Every single one of them has had some back-and-forth, which I guess means these teams that made it to the postseason have been pretty evenly matched so far. Which is a good thing. It's no fun when one team beats up on another (even when the team doing the beating is yours) and there's nothing more boring when there's no competition between teams. That's right - sweeps are boring. I hate when the Yankees sweep. Almost as much as I hate when they're swept... ;)
Speaking of my Yanks, what a nailbiter last night's win was. Kudos to Raul Ibanez, who has proven that just because you're 40 doesn't mean your major league baseball career has to be over - talk about clutch! I did not see that coming. Also, I hope Derek Jeter is okay - he was limping last night and was finally removed from the game after an at-bat where he couldn't even put his full weight on his front leg. Not good - because talk about clutch...there's a reason Jeter is the captain and the face of the Yankees. They need him. Although it was nice to see that other players could step up and the team could still win without him.
Also speaking of the Yankees, let's all keep manager Joe Girardi in our thoughts or prayers today, whether you're a Yanks fan or not. His father, Jerry Girardi, passed away last weekend and the news has finally become public.
And as a final thought, even though I am a diehard Yankees fan, I'm kinda rooting for the Nats...I'm a sucker for an underdog (though the way they played this season they might not be considered underdogs, their franchise as a whole is) and I lived in Washington, D.C. for four years and would love to see their team keep advancing...though I still want the Yanks to win the series! ;)
Yanks-Os 7:30 p.m., As-Tigers 9:30 p.m. EST
Be there!
Speaking of my Yanks, what a nailbiter last night's win was. Kudos to Raul Ibanez, who has proven that just because you're 40 doesn't mean your major league baseball career has to be over - talk about clutch! I did not see that coming. Also, I hope Derek Jeter is okay - he was limping last night and was finally removed from the game after an at-bat where he couldn't even put his full weight on his front leg. Not good - because talk about clutch...there's a reason Jeter is the captain and the face of the Yankees. They need him. Although it was nice to see that other players could step up and the team could still win without him.
Also speaking of the Yankees, let's all keep manager Joe Girardi in our thoughts or prayers today, whether you're a Yanks fan or not. His father, Jerry Girardi, passed away last weekend and the news has finally become public.
And as a final thought, even though I am a diehard Yankees fan, I'm kinda rooting for the Nats...I'm a sucker for an underdog (though the way they played this season they might not be considered underdogs, their franchise as a whole is) and I lived in Washington, D.C. for four years and would love to see their team keep advancing...though I still want the Yanks to win the series! ;)
Yanks-Os 7:30 p.m., As-Tigers 9:30 p.m. EST
Be there!
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