Tag: NHL

Is a ‘Bad Economy’ a Legitimate Excuse for Fans to Resist Buying Season Tickets?

Sports are a quality-of-life issue.

When budgets are tight, which goes first: season tickets or replacing the stove? Well, that depends—does the stove still work?

Keeping your granddad’s seats at The Meadowlands isn’t as important as paying the rent. Starting your own tradition with friends or children doesn’t carry the same imperative as little Joey’s school books.

Nevertheless, season tickets are far more valuable than a new DVD, blouse or video game. Yes, even Madden. In a possessions-obsessed world, it’s time to refocus on giving ourselves real-life experiences rather than merely things.

When was the last time that a new electronic toy let you say, “Yeah, man, I was there!”? The last time that a pair of shoes helped you bond with a relative from a different generation? That “Quest for the Planet Zycor” or “Gunman 14” truly inspired you?

Sports serve a multitude of purposes in our society: catharsis, escapism, motivation. As we head into the Olympics, let’s not forget that sports represent the evolutionary step of cheering our team on to victory as opposed to killing the tribe across the river.

That lesson alone is worth season tickets.

There’s a magical force field around a stadium that refuses to let the real world invade. I defy you to carry daily stress past the ticket-takers—who, by the way, are always smiling. Of course they’re smiling; they work at Tropicana Field.

Forget Disneyland; Dodgers Stadium is the happiest place on earth!

For a couple of hours, all we need to think about is cheering on our Kings/Thunder/Giants. No bills, bosses, laundry or responsibilities. The biggest decision: whether or not to put onions on that dog.

Come on, you know it sounds like heaven.

Remember how it feels getting dressed for a date? Getting the look just right? The tingle of anticipation? Playing out different scenarios in your head as to how the evening will go?

Going to a professional game is just like that.

Making sure your brand new RGIII sweatshirt is ready; worrying just a little bit about Osi Umenyiora. Wondering whether Cliff Lee will finally get a win or if anybody will get a puck past Jonathan Quick.

And then there’s the awe. Maybe we can’t pack up and head to the Grand Canyon, but sheer athletic brilliance can also take your breath away. Heck, Marshawn Lynch’s playoff run activated Richter scales across Seattle.

The hands-down best Super Bowl tweet came from filmmaker Albert Brooks:

“You never watch pro football and think, ‘I could do better than that.’”  

Sports are a showcase for the possibilities of the human body and the human spirit. We can’t do what the athletes do, but we can bear witness to and celebrate the excellence. Much as we may hate to admit it, Al Davis had that right.

And we can celebrate together. Look at the “Jumbotron” during any seventh-inning stretch and you’ll see America displayed at its best as the cameras roam the stands. Men and women; all ages and ethnicities.

“Take Me Out To The Ballgame”* was written as a woman’s plea to be taken to see baseball instead of a show. Females at the ballpark were frowned upon back in 1908. Kind of gives it a whole new meaning, huh? 

Going to “the game” is a privilege and a joy.

If you need any more justification for keeping (or getting) your season tickets, take another look at the Los Angeles Kings’ trip to the Stanley Cup championship. 

What else is there to say? Sadly, some people don’t understand the joyous holiday of attending a sporting event.

Alas, I can’t help them.

It’s like a joke: if I have to explain why it’s funny—it’s lost on you. Give your tickets immediately to someone who “gets it.” Sports outings are too precious to be wasted on the ungrateful.

“Take me out to the ball game.

 

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack

I don’t care if I never get back.”

Amen.

 

*Lyrics by Jack Norworth, Music by Albert Von Tilzer

 

For more sports and football thoughts:

When Booing is Wrong

When Booing is Right

Peyton Manning as Football Experiment

Junior Seau Changes Us Forever

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


7 Teams in Need of a New Venue

With the economy in the shape it is, fans are being more select with their money. Season tickets aren’t being purchased at as high a rate as before.

Many venues simply aren’t good enough to draw fans into spending hard earned cash. While more nice sites than poor are provided by the majority of American pro franchises, that still doesn’t guarantee successful ticket sales.

Whether it’s history or an inability to generate revenue, these 10 franchises are in need of a new place to play.

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Ranking the All-Star Games in the Four Major Sports

The NBA All-Star Game is to be held on Sunday, and we have every reason to believe it will be a terrific event for fans and families alike.  

But how does it compare to the games in the other professional sports?  

Certainly, all of the games have their own strengths and weaknesses, but which one is the best overall? Here is a comparison of the games for the NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB.

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Which All-Star Weekend Is the Best?

The NHL All-Star Game was a blast this season; however, the NFL All-Star Game was not amusing at all. Now, the NBA All-Star Game is coming up.

Which All-Star Game would you prefer to watch if you had to choose just one?

In order, I break down the worst to the best All-Star weekends in the major four sports. Needless to say, the NFL needs to do some studying.

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Philadelphia Sports: Best Sports Quotes in Philly History

Philadelphia has had its fair share of interesting athletes throughout the years. Along with interesting characters, Philly sports figures have also been known for their infamous quotes.

Whether it was directly after a loss, or a miraculous fourth down reception or at a World Series parade, some Philly sports stars really knew how to blow a gasket or pump up a crowd.

No matter if it’s the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, 76ers or Big 5 basketball, these quotes will definitely bring back some memories.

So without further ado and/or eloquence, here are the best/most ridiculous/most passionate quotes in Philadelphia sports history.

Warning: Some quotes have rather distasteful language


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The 20 Greatest Individual Seasons in Sports History

Brady and Moss both had great 2007 seasons, but were they good enough to crack the top 20?

The athletes on this list had absolutely amazing and dominant seasons. There are some names you know will be on this list and there may be some you did not expect.

The list consists of athletes from sports that are big in America: football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, tennis, etc. Sorry soccer fans but there are no soccer players on the list. Also there are no rugby, cricket, Formula 1 racing, or athletes from other sports that are popular around the world but not in America.

So here it is; the 20 greatest individual seasons in sports history.

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The Daily Fives For November 2nd, 2010 From The Sports Mac

Top Five Stories From Yesterday

 

1.  The San Francisco Giants win their first World Series title since 1954 after Game 5, and the series four games to one.

2.  The Colts take the lead in the AFC South after cruising to a Monday Night Football win over the Texans in Indianapolis.

3.  The Vikings cut WR Randy Moss less than four weeks after acquiring him from the New England Patriots.

4.  The Bulls hand the Trail Blazers their first loss of the season behind a huge night from Luol Deng.

5.  The Flyers move into first place of the Atlantic Division after defeating the Hurricanes in Philadelphia.

 

Top Five Games From Yesterday

 

1.  Giants 3, Rangers 1: San Francisco won the World Series behind a three-run Edgar Renteria HR in the seventh inning, and a superb performance from Tim Lincecum.

2.  Rangers 3, Blackhawks 2: Eric Christensen scored the game-winner 6:30 into the final period to break up a tie game, and help New York to a home win over the defending champs.

3.  Flyers 3, Hurricanes 2: Scott Hartnell scored 6:30 into the final period to stretch the lead to 3-1, and led Philadelphia to the win despite a late goal from Carolina’s Joe Corvo.

4.  Kings 111, Raptors 108: Sacramento was down by 17 after the first quarter, but chipped away and sealed the win with two Beno Udrih free throws with 12 seconds left.

5.  Spurs 97, Clippers 88: San Antonio won its 17th straight game over Los Angeles as Tony Parker led the way for San Antonio with 19 points and nine assists.

 

Top Five Performances From Yesterday

 

1.  Tim Lincecum, Giants SP: One run on three hits with 10 K’s over eight IP, helping San Francisco clinch the World Series with a 3-1 win over Texas in Game 5.

2.  Luol Deng, Bulls SF: 40 points and four rebounds in Chicago’s 110-98 win over Portland.

3.  Roberto Luongo, Canucks G: 30 saves for his first SO of the season and 52nd of his career in Vancouver’s 3-0 win over New Jersey.

4.  Kelvin Hayden, Colts CB: Had five tackles, and returned an INT 25 yards for a TD in Indianapolis’ 30-17 win over Houston.

5.  LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers PF: 33 points and nine rebounds in Portland’s 110-98 loss to Chicago.

 

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good From Yesterday

 

1.  Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers SG: Just 3-of-10 shooting, and only six points in Portland’s 110-98 loss to Chicago.

2.  David Murphy, Rangers LF: 0-for-3 with three K’s in Texas’ 3-1 Game 5 World Series loss to San Francisco.

3.  Matt Taormina, Devils D: Had a minus-two in New Jersey’s 3-0 loss to Vancouver.

4.  Chris Pronger, Flyers D: Had a minus-two and two penalty minutes in Philadelphia’s 3-2 win over Carolina.

5.  Matt Schaub, Texans QB: Threw for only 201 yards, and committed both turnovers in Houston’s 30-17 loss to Indianapolis.

 

Top Five Events To Follow Today

 

1.  NHL: Canadiens (7-3-1) at Blue Jackets (6-4-0), 7:00 PM: Two teams off to solid starts this year face off in southern Ohio.

2.  NCAA FB: Middle Tennessee State (3-4) at Arkansas State (3-5), 7:00 PM, ESPN2: Both teams are trying to catch Troy in the Sun Belt, and a win will keep them in the race.

3.  NBA: Magic (1-1) at Knicks (1-2), 7:30 PM: Orlando makes the trip north in the first of many meetings between Dwight Howard and Amar’e Stoudemire.

4.  NHL: Sharks (5-3-1) at Wild (4-4-2), 8:00 PM, Versus: San Jose makes a Midwest stop to take on Western Conference foe Minnesota.

5.  NBA: Grizzlies (2-1) at Lakers (3-0), 10:30 PM, NBA TV: The latest meeting of the Gasol brothers also showcases a good start to the season for Memphis this year.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


New York Sports: It Was a Good Weekend For NY Sports Fans (Sorry Rangers Fans)

Well NY sports fans, this is the time of the year we have all been waiting for. MLB playoffs, NHL season getting under way and the NFL season is in full swing. Granted, the Mets haven’t been respectable since June, the Yanks are doing what they do best: winning games in October. They swept the Minnesota Twins to move onto the American League Championship Series, awaiting the winner of the Tampa Bay Rays/Texas Rangers series.

The Islanders and Rangers opened their seasons over the weekend. The Isles lost a hard fought game 5-4 in a shootout against the Dallas Stars. The Isles welcomed back goalie Rick DiPietro as the opening night starter for the first time since 2007. Even though injuries have hurt them early on in the preseason, the Islanders brought in some new defenders to help sure up the front of the net as they hope to take some of the pressure off of DP.

The Rangers welcomed the Derek Stepan era as he scored three goals in his NHL debut, including the deciding goal, in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

In their first head-to-head meeting of the year, the Isles got the best of the Rangers 6-4. One of the headlines coming out of the game was the obscene gesture new Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski made towards the always controversial Sean Avery.

As much as it pains Jets fans to admit, the Giants may be a playoff team this year as well. The Giants defense has looked unbeatable the last two weeks, shutting down the Bears and the Texans respectively. In Sunday’s win over the Texans, the Giants defense improved to first in the NFL in yards allowed per game (244.6), per play (4.1) and passing yards (146.0), and second in sacks (19). Hakeem Nicks is making a statement with his play as of late, and will be a big part of the Giants success as the season goes on.

Once again, the Jets defense looked very impressive as they were able to get past the Vikings 29-20 on Monday night, improving to 4-1. The offense struggled throughout the first three quarters, only managing five field goals. The defense turned out to be better than their offense as they put the game away late when Dwight Lowery intercepted Brett Favre‘s pass and returned it for a touchdown with 1:30 left in the game. In the spirit of Halloween, that was the nail in the coffin.

As October continues, the sports world may revolve around New York, even if no one wants to admit it. With two contending football teams, a baseball team that is the favorite to reach the World Series, and a pair of hockey teams fighting for respectability, the next few weeks of New York sports are going to be very interesting and undoubtedly exciting.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Jesus Montero: New York Yankees Catcher Has Minor Surgery

Via the NY Post:

Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero will miss the remainder of Scranton/Wilkes Barre’s playoff series against Columbus after undergoing a procedure on his ankle Wednesday night.

The heavily-hyped catcher suffered a bone bruise and decided to have the discoloring scraped out. The injury is not considered serious and Montero could possibly return if the Yankees Triple-A affiliate can get past Columbus in the best-of-five International League series, which they trail 1-0.

After this report was issued by the New York Post, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman appeared on ESPN 1050 to say that Montero would not play again this season no matter his condition. That can only mean that the Yankees have faith in Jorge Posada to be 100 percent come  playoff time because that seems like a pretty definitive statement.

Posada’s injusry is minor stuff, though, compared to some of the injuries of his fellow players. His ankle surgery could only potentially be a problem if there really is a problem that he isn’t being forthright about. Posada had concussion symptoms after taking a foul tip on the head, but has been since cleared by doctors. Had a he experienced a serious concussion, they would not have cleared him.

There is no word yet on whether or not Posada will miss any time, or if he’ll be in the lineup tonight against Texas.

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Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Meet Me at the …Place…Somewhere on Long Island … Maybe

I’ve been trying to generate some feelings—vitriol, despair, disgust, frustration—over the latest developments concerning the Lighthouse, but I just can’t do it. It’s like trying to light a fire with a wet match and a cinder block. I’m done.

We heard from Chris Botta at Fanhouse that the Wilpons, owners of the Mets, had hired a high-powered project management firm to “work on a feasability study” for a new arena at Willets Point, adjacent to Citi Field. Newsday then followed up with the predictable denials from sources. Our friend B.D. Gallof compared the whole thing to a scene from the movie “M.A.S.H.” which served to plant the theme song from the TV version in my head for a few hours. Thanks, buddy.

For me—and, I suspect, most Islanders fans—the drama has become tiresome. I’m done with the Town of Hempstead, and the politics, and the hand-wringing over whether the Isles are going to move to Queens, or Hartford, or Winnipeg, or Kansas City, or Brooklyn, or Yaphank, or Paris, Texas.

I’d be done with Charles Wang, too, except he hasn’t said a word in months. At least he’s not been annoying.

The Lighthouse Project has been all but disbanded and Hempstead has yet to provide new zoning for the property, or any guidance as to how Wang’s proposal needs to be pared down. The general feeling is that it would have to be cut down considerably. Maybe Wang would be okay with that, maybe not.

Wang still has incentive to stay at the Coliseum. The revised lease agreement gives the Islanders more revenue from games and other events, and you’d think it would be easier for them to stay at that location, in a renovated or new arena, regardless of how much of the other development is eliminated.

While Wang may or may not be investigating other options, like looking to the Wilpons and Queens, at some point the town will present its new parameters for the site, eliminating the oh-so-scary “mini city” that the local politicians love to call the Lighthouse plan. Hopefully that will come soon, maybe this year? This decade? Before the next World Cup?

At that point, Wang will either be in or out, but that day seems to be so far off it is not even on the horizon. So wake me when it comes, okay?

The lease on the Coliseum runs out in 2015. There’s still time to develop a site for a new arena somewhere (good luck with the Iron Triangle, though), but not much.

Part of me would love to see the Islanders find a new site on Long Island and leave Hempstead, stuck with either a casino or just a couple of new big box stores to replace a tenant-less arena. Let the politicians take credit for that.

The other part of me wants to stop hearing, talking, or writing about this for ever more.


Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


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