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This day in Sports,April 6th,by Neil Miller/The New York Extra/TheNYExtra.com
This day in Sports, April 5th, by Neil Miller,The New York Extra, The NYExtra.com copyright 2020
04/05/06 Penguins Vs New Jersey Devils @ The Continental Arena : Devils leads 5-3, #30 Brodeur makes save during A Penquins powerplay Neil Miller/The New York Extra copyright 2020 
04/05/07 Toronto Maple Leafs vs NY Islanders at Nassau Coliseum,Uniondale NY #81 Satan battles #14 Matt Stajan in the 3rd period Neil Miller/The New York Extra copyright 2020 
04/05/11 NY Mets vs Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park , Philadelphia Pa Mets lead 6-0 after 4 innings A fan interfers with #15 Carlos Beltran causing the 3rd out in the 4th inning Neil Miller/The New York Extra copyright 2020 
04/05/12 Atlanta Braves Vs. New York Mets- Opeing Day at Citi Field Queens NY New York Mets third baseman David Wright #5 hits a single in the 8th inning today Neil Miler /The New York Extra copyright 2020 
04/05/12 Atlanta Braves Vs. New York Mets- Opening Day Donald Trum Watches the game from behind home plate Neil Miller/The New York Extra copyright 2020 
04/05/12 Atlanta Braves Vs. New York Mets- Opening Day at Citi Field Queens NY New York Mets third baseman David Wright #5 base hits a score the only run outfield the day in the 6th inning/Neil Miller/The New York Extra copyright 2020 
04/05/14 Dicks Sporting Goods HS finals at msg Oak hill vs Montverde Montverde wins 59-42 Montverde celebrates their win today Neil Miller The new York Extra copyright 2020
This day in sports
The New York Extra’s on going photo review
We Are Coping Without Sports And So Is The Impact To Many
I am okay here in the Bronx and taking precaution.
Yes, we are changing routines and isolating and in due time this Coronavirus crisis will pass. So, before I head to a scheduled doctor appointment that was on the docket, here we go.
Sports are dark. My livelihood, as with others in all walks of life, has been disrupted. Sports have always been a diversion from a crisis but not now. We need to adjust, adapt, come together as a community.
You see, as the medical professionals handling this crisis say, we could be in this for the long haul. Adapting to no sports is an adjustment and you learn to do other things in the safety and comfort of your home.
Catch up on some reading. I have finished reading two books that were half way in. Watch classic movies and relive the sports classics that are the alternative programming on various sports networks.
Of course, I will admit, “The Walking Dead” episode Sunday night had some shocking developments and outcomes. Though. admit. not the proper program to watch with our society in a crisis and keeping up with a television series did not change the routine.
And reacquaint with your loved ones. We do tend to get lost with our love and passion for sports.
The only sports programming, and limited, bowling tournaments and NASCAR. The NFL, the only sport in the offseason with their new labor agreement , trades, and free agency.
Well, that is the only bit of news to talk and write about as Major League Baseball facilities are closed and the 2020 season is pushed back further into late May or June.
As Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said, “This is bigger than baseball.” Indeed, baseball and all sports is not the priority now, The specifics of schedules, not just with baseball, will be determined. The economic impact, of course, will be huge.
The sport of boxing has come to a halt, and at a time when major fights have been put off the schedule. Top Rank, Premier Boxing Champions, and Matchroom Boxing, among the big three promotions, stand to lose a significant amount of revenue and at a standstill with new subscribers to their networks.
Talent, the fighters, many who depend on a purse, are basically at a standstill and out of work as boxing gyms have closed their doors. The streaming networks ESPN, DAZN, have to readjust when the sport resumes.
According to a source, FOX Sports and Showtime, a major part of the boxing schedule, will be forced to double up shows on weekends which is good for the boxing fan. But, too much saturation of the sport, at the same time, could work to a disadvantage when the sport resumes with the chaotic rescheduling of fight cards.
According to the promoters, all ticket orders will be refunded from the original point of purchase. And for fans, many with a economic loss due to the Coronavirus pandemic, paying for the network streams could become a financial burden.
“The health and safety of the boxers, fans, and those working the events are of utmost importance to us,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB promotions and lead promoter of the cancelled PBC shows.
He added, “We are all disappointed and as we get more information we will address future events.”
And this goes beyond the major sports leagues and promoters.. The little guy and personnel. They secure safety of venues, ticket sales personnel, concession workers, vendors, and more feeling the impact of a sports shutdown.
They, too, are taking a hit and realizing safety is first. Many are paid seasonal, and a six month baseball season does pay the bills. Some security personnel, on a full time basis, have been asked to stay home.
“It will be a hardship,” said a seasonal worker that is employed as one of many security personnel at Citi Field and Madison Square Garden. It is expected with federal funding they will recoup some of their losses.
Some also will be able to qualify for unemployment insurance as seasonal employees at the ballpark qualify.
Regardless, sports in the dark is having that type of impact.
Impact of sports programming also is being felt with broadcast talent and production personnel. They are employed as freelancers and sitting on the sidelines.
They, the freelance talent, will sustain a financial loss. So, basically the impact is all around the sports industry. We as a society are all feeling the impact and need to adjust.
In the days and weeks to come, we will try on these pages to provide readers as to how this impact of the Coronavirus is having an impact. The impact on all walks of life no matter what you do.
You see, it’s not just about sports going dark. It’s a nation, a city, and some points of the world all in that readjustment period of time.
We are in this together. BE SAFE!
Comment: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
Sports Is Dark As We Await The Outcome Of This Coronavirus Crisis
Wednesday evening we left the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after the first round of the Atlantic-10 Basketball championship tournament. I had this empty feeling with the increased cases of the Coronavirus.
And then it happened. Sports were shut down. Not just the NCAA conference tournaments. Not the NCAA Mens and womens basketball tournaments of March Madness, but all sports.
One-by-one. The NBA, NHL, MLS, boxing, golf. And the anticipated start of Major League Baseball has been pushed back for two weeks, but that is just an estimate.
The start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season could be on hiatus and longer than that two week time period.
It will take time to adjust as arenas and stadiums go dark. This is a circumstance, from this perspective, worse than the events and aftermath of September 11, 2001. Worse, because it has impacted you, me, the city of New York, the world.
The difference, an impact for a long period of time as we adjust.
It’s about the individual well being of all. We can’t fight a virus that is not under control and this comes as the sports analyst and by no means is this writer a medical authority or pretend to be.
It’s common sense and listening to the authorities that advise how to deal with this situation. But sports is on the sidelines. We are looking in, making adjustments, hoping for the best.
The transition to do other things is here. There always will be things to write about. Pick up a book, watch a classic movie. Check on family, friends, and neighbors.
And in due time, like all bad situations, this will pass. The Coronavirus and implications will become history, talked about for years to come, and we can resume our daily routines.
But, New York City in that state of emergency will not have a complete shutdown. A source, within New York City Government circles informed this columnist that a shutdown will not occur unless Coronavirus cases reach the thousands .
Thankfully, we are not at that point of this crisis. And hopefully we won’t get there.
In the meantime, the world of fun and games, sports as it is called, is on hiatus.
Down in Port St. Lucie Florida, at the New York Mets spring training complex, spring training games have been suspended. The game of baseball is in suspension.
“Obviously with the sensitive information , we have to take extra precaution,” said the Mets’ J.D. Davis.
He continues to stay prepared with the entire Mets contingent and hopes that the crisis will pass so the 2020 season can commence.
“As a team, we will continue to get ready for the season,” Davis said. “It’s definitely different. And we have to improvise to get better everyday and be ready. We don’t know the future, however, we have to have the mindset that we are having our opening day in two weeks.”
He said, the details are still coming in to players and personnel. Meetings are ongoing to answer any concerns with questions.
“Hopefully, in the next couple of days, we will have a better understanding on where to go from here,” Davis said.
That understanding could mean the players leaving Florida, Or, they head to their respective homes or come up north to their seasonal homes in New York.
The Mets season opener was two weeks from yesterday. It is assumed , when MLB resumes, that the team will still have their season opener at Citi Field.
Friday afternoon, the Yankees also remained in place down at their spring training facilities in Tampa. Similar to the Mets ,they are in a holding pattern.
The team released a statement to update fans and the media. They were scheduled to open the season at Baltimore two weeks from yesterday.
“The Yankees fully support this decision and will continue to proactively monitor current events in conjunction with medical experts, government officials and Major League Baseball,” said the statement.
The statement continued “We recognize that our great fans have a variety of questions. However, given the unprecedented nature and fluidity of what is taking place, we appreciate your patience as we diligently work through the many aspects and details of this continually evolving situation.”
In the meantime stadium workers are also victims of this Coronavirus pandemic. Concession workers and security personnel at Citi Field, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, and the Barclays Center will lose a substantial part of their income.
The players will still get paid. though reductions will come to their contracts as it pertains to a national emergency when games are suspended. According to an agreement with owners and players.
But those who secure and provide at the venues, they will be hurt in the pocket.
“Understand, but safety does come first,” said a long time concession worker who works at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium They earn from the individual vendors that have contracts with the teams.
With March Madness gone, and with sports in the dark, the waging of sports is also taking a hit. That industry, too, is in a holding pattern and this time of year the NCAA Tournament does see sports wagering at a peak.
The NCAA and with a loss of games will lose millions with the CBS and Turner television contracts that deliver these games to us. The eligibility of senior student-athletes, many who missed an opportunity to compete for a championship, reportedly will be extended.
Boxing promoters have cancelled their shows around the nation. Two in New York City in the span of four days, promoted by Top Rank and ESPN were called off Thursday evening.
The events were scheduled in the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Initially, when the crisis in New York unfolded, fans were banned from events scheduled for Saturday night and St. Patrick’s Day evening.
Thursday, Top Rank had a final press conference at the Garden. The fighters, officials, and personnel were there and the shows were still a go.
Later, the New York State Athletic Commission got the call form Albany. The commission, that regulates boxing was informed to consult with Top Rank and cancel the shows for the safety of personnel and the fighters.
The Garden is dark, could be for months, and with a state of emergency, events with 500 people or more is a risk. The Theatre is in that category of risk.
Millions of dollars are being lost. The estimates and figures will continue to pile as this crisis continues and when it is finally resolved.
Yes, sports are in the dark. Even media, many who depend on income to report the games and events will see cutbacks and a loss of income.
Realize, we must stay safe. Take caution. The sports world will resume. And hope the Coronavirus, like a bad hurricane, will fly out to sea.
Comment: Ring786@aol.com/ Twitter @Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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Missing “Identity” is sinking the Islander
by Neil Miller /The New York Islander
How times have changed! Earlier this year The Islanders were in the top tier of teams , not only in the conference , but the league itself.The two headed monster of Greiss and Varlamov were close to unbeatable.And the 4th line not only scored goals, but rang your bell for good measure.
Now all that good feelings and wins have gone away, it seems with the injuries to Clutterbuck, Cizikas and now Johnny Boychuk. The fans have to ask themselves, “Are we back in the bad old days before Coach Trotz and owner Ledecky?”
Hard to say, but one thing seems obvious, without the hard nosed 4th line, and now the porous goaltending, the team seems lost and without the grit to compete.It would seem the other lines need to find a way out of the mud in the time remaining to make the playoffs
Three Goalies? Mike Richter Has Been There, Done That
ROBBINS NEST
By Lenn Robbins
There might not be a person on the planet who has a better sense of what’s going on with the Rangers’ three-headed goaltending situation then Mike Richter.
Richter, the star goaltender on the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion Rangers’ team, was back in The Garden Saturday night where he served as the ambassador for the Harvard-Yale Rivalry on Ice.
It is that same ice that three Rangers’ goalies – future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist, his once-presumed replacement, Alexandar Georgiev and rookie sensation, Igor Shesterkin – have to share.
In the world of goaltending, where three’s a crowd, Richter knows something’s gotta give.
“I think this is the sign of a great organization, right,’’ Richter told TheNYExtra.com. “They’re drafting well and they’re developing very well. And so, they are blessed with three world class goalies.
“Does that mean that somebody’s going to have to be moved? Eventually, yeah. And when I say move, when I came here there was Bob Froese, John Vanbiesbrouck and myself and you’d rather have strength at the position.
“The nature of it is injuries, people getting older you always have to have the ability to create new, great players from within the organization. You can’t always pick them. So yeah, I think that’s a real indication that they’re doing something well. These are hard guys to get.”
Since 2005, Lundqvist has given the Rangers amazing stability at the most important position on hockey. He made his first start when Kevin Weekes was injured.
Cam Talbot seemed on track toward replacing The King, after he got injured. The Rangers traded Talbot to Edmonton for three picks in the 2015 draft.
Georgiev came on the scene in 2017 and by the end of last season had tongues wagging that the Lundqvist Era was nearing its end. Enter Igor.
It’s been more than five years since the Rangers took Shesterkin in the fourth round of the 2014 entry draft. If he’s returned to the Hartford Wolf Pack he has the option of returning to play in Russia, or elsewhere.
After a shaky start against the Colorado Avalanche, a 5-3 Rangers win, Shesterkin settled down. He’s 2-0 with a 3.01 GAA and .926 save percentage.
So as Richter said, eventually someone is going to have to be moved.
“Well, you never know where everybody’s going to end up,” said Richter. “I was in that position. I was in the lucky position of the new guy coming in. It’s harder on the older guys, when the young guy comes up, if you’re already established.
“I think time will tell because nowadays its almost impossible to answer in less you have all the information on the table. There’s salary caps, there’s no-trade clauses, there’s the ability of Shesterkin to go back. All of these things factor in.
“One thing you don’t want is to be left with nothing. If I’ve got wealth in this position, how do I parlay that into strength for my organization? But you’re never in that position unless you’re doing two things – drafting well and developing players within your organization.”
NOTES: Richter, a Yale alum, is a strong supporter of finding ways to reverse global warming. He skated with Last Game in between the first and second periods of Harvard’s 7-0 win over Yale.
Founded by former New Jersey Devils great, Slava Festisov, Last Game is a series of hockey games that strives to bring awareness to the devastating effect of climate change. Last Game is trying to schedule a final game in the North Pole.
“We have a lot of really smart people in this country that working together, can find solutions,’’ Richter said. “This is something we should have been addressing 20 years ago. It’s not a political issue. This affects all of us.”
Some Holiday NY Sports Cheer
So it goes. Another holiday season is here and from yours truly to yours a Merry Christmas and Happy holidays.
There were the usual highs and lows during the 2019 sports year in New York. From the abysmal Knicks, to the continued regression of the Jets and Giants, the Yankees failure to close the decade without another championship.
And the Mets, of course, awaiting the check book of billionaire Steve Cohen as they try to contend and deliver. Hockey is healthy as the Rangers and Islanders are at a pace to be contenders for playoff position.
With all of this, and more, here is that annual Christmas list for the New York sports fan. A little of everything and not being naughty but nice.
Yankees: The Gerit Cole signing to a record nine-year $324 million contract is the missing piece, so says the Yankees hierarchy. Though, as mentioned on these pages,a pitcher with that long term deal is expected to deliver.
The Yankees, as that holiday gift for their fans, got them Cole. It means the supposed best pitcher in baseball is expected to deliver, and at a risk in this long range plan to end their decade drought without a World Series championship.
Though, the appropriate gift of cheer for the Yankees is to get the timely hits in the postseason, which was more of the contributing factor of their failures to go deep in another postseason series loss to the Astros.
METS: The gift has been Michael Wacha and Rick Procello, two pitchers at low cost that add to their depth. If anything, rookie manager Carlos Beltran has been granted some flexibility.
Seth Lugo, the Mets most reliable reliever, can stay in the bullpen as does Robert Gsellman. The need was to revamp a bullpen that was second worst in baseball to the Red Sox in 2019.
The gift this holiday season for the Mets, another bat in the lineup before Opening Day and possibly a healthy Yoenis Cespedes in his final year of a revamped contract.
Most of all, the best gift here? A turn-around 2020 out of the pen for Jeurys Familia and Edwin Diaz. Late inning outs and saves cost the Mets in 2019. Familia and Diaz could be a difference maker, along with Justin Wilson in the mix.
Giants: Yours truly will be the first to admit this is not an area of expertise. However, it is easy to comprehend that stability on the coaching end is important, why it is important to give another year to Pat Shurmur.
There are signs of progress. No more Eli Manning. Daniel Jones is improving, five touchdown passes Sunday against the Redskins. The gift is acquiring a top draft choice, improve the defense. We haven’t seen Saquon Barkley at his best and healthy.
Jets: Same situation with the Giants and that’s coaching stability. Adam Gase? He needs another year. Disagree, of course Jets fans would. You see the continued development of a quarterback, Sam Darnold, and how he can control the ball out of the pocket.
Again, a gift here for the Jets is patience. They are close. And the draft picks will be significant as the long and championship reign of the Patriots is on a decline, which makes the Jets a team to be enthused about in the AFC East.
Knicks: Sell the team. This is not a coaching situation. The answer is get rid of Dolan. A gift of joy for every Knicks’ fan is becoming that franchise champion again that takes the court in the “Mecca” of Madison Square Garden, and having the appropriate basketball personnel to run the show.
NETS: Did you say, can’t wait for Kevin Durant? That 26.0 points per game is a void and a difference maker.
Rangers: Sunday, Henrik Lundqvist made his first start in a week and stopped 19 of 20 shots that prevented the Rangers from losing their fourth straight. And that is the difference, because the veteran in goal can lead this team in his final years.
You want to see a good old NY rivalry on ice with the Rangers and Islanders. It can get there again, of course it begins with the consistent play in goal from the veteran.
Islanders: All good in Nassau County and Brooklyn. The Islanders are leaving a gift this season and striving to become another dynasty before moving to their new digs in a few years over at Belmont Park.
NYRA: Can we get another Triple Crown winner at Belmont Park?
NYCFC: Two years of semifinal and final conference elimination for an MLS CUP. The gift is go another step. The added gift is securing a stadium they can call home as the Yankees kick them out of the ballpark to avoid disrupting their sacred field during playoff time.
Boxing: The sports deserves more championship fights in New York. Barclays Center in Brooklyn is in survival mode as a host for major fights and Madison Square Garden, well the “Mecca” always finds a place for the big fight. Then again, the sport is healthy but no longer in that category of mainstream.and deserves a gift of returning to the heyday of Ali, Frazier, Holmes, Hagler, Hearns, and Leonard.
There you have it. Just some thoughts. From all of us at TheNYExtra.com a healthy and happy holiday season with the gift of joy and a championship.
Comment: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
Puck the NBA: NHL Playoffs More Exciting The Robbins Nest By Lenn Robbins
Robbins Next
By Lenn Robbins
The NHL Playoffs are over, wi
th the St. Louis Blues beating the Boston Bruins in a fierce and physical seven games. Any team that beats a Boston team is a good team but that’s another story.
The NBA Playoffs were headed back to Oakland where the Kevin Durant-less Warriors are trying to rally from a 3-1 deficit against Kawhi and Co.
Knicks fans, they were fantasizing about the team signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant, of course tore his Achilles tendon. It’s not easy being a Knicks fan. Rangers fans were gazing at the two NHL finalists, stocked with young talent – and hoping the Blueshirts rebuild leads to the first Cup since 1994.
Friends and I have been watching both playoffs – often at Molly’s Pub on 3rd Ave where there’s sawdust is on the floor and cold beer on tap (See Smithwick’s). We don’t have rooting interests in any of the teams but we’re sports fans and watching live sports beats ‘Desperate Housewives of Any City’ any day.
We found ourselves gravitating to the NHL Playoffs, even the Dallas-St. Louis series which was as lacking in sex appeal as a hirsute man wearing a Speedo. My friend posed the question, “Why are the NHL Playoffs so much better than the NBA Playoffs?”
Here’s a Baker’s Dozen reasons why:
1. Beards. James Harden has a legendary beard. So, does every other NHL player in the playoffs. We humbly offer for your consideration San Jose Sharks veteran Joe Thornton, who has been growing his beard for 22 seasons. No stats available on how often it’s been washed.
2. Injuries. In the NBA, players suffer a sprained ankle and are out for weeks. In the NHL, players suffer a lower or upper body injury and, unless admitted to a hospital in critical condition, play the next game. Basketball players go for treatment. Hockey players go for repairs (See Zdeno Chara).
3. Pulling the goalie. Consider this scenario: A hockey team is down one goal with less two minutes to play. It pulls the goalie and voila! man advantage. Suddenly it’s 6-on-5, making those last two minutes frantic, physical, riveting, especially if it’s the home team trailing. No such luck in the NBA.
4. Doc Emrick. The NBA has some outstanding play-by-play announcers. Ask them to name best in the business and they’ll say, “Emrick!” Emrick got his PHD in communications at Bowling Green, thus, the ‘Doc,’ nickname. He uses words such as ‘floats, knifes and ladles’ the puck into the zone. Who doesn’t like a good ladle?
5. Sudden Death. I know. We had you at ‘Sudden Death.’
Want to hear 20,000 screaming maniacs silenced in a nanosecond? Listen to what happens in an arena when the visiting team scores the game winner in overtime. Sudden death. Instance silence.
Want to hear the sound of a Navy fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier? Listen to what happens when the home team wins in sudden death. Sudden insanity. Sudden combustible explosion of hot air.
6. Goals. Almost every goal can determine the outcome of a NHL playoff game. Can you say that about every basket in an NBA playoff game? No. Even non-goals – the sound of the puck hitting the post is as delightful to a goalie’s ears as asking the family dog, ‘Do you want to go out?’’
7. Small markets. The NHL has playoff teams in small markets such as Columbus, Calgary, Winnipeg and St. Louis, where pro hockey is the only show in town. It generates a nuclear fanaticism. How every home in those small markets isn’t burglarized on game nights is bafling. Most residents are at the game, gathered outside the arena, at a bar, or a viewing party. Was anyone home in St. Louis Wednesday night?
Not so in the NBA. You can have a playoff game in New York (hey, we live in a world of hope!) and 8 million residents couldn’t care less.
8. Time outs. Teams get one per game in the NHL, making the TO as precious as the amount of storage on a teenager’s smartphone. NBA teams get six timeouts per game.
When an NBA team calls a timeout, the head coach does the talking and draws up the play. When an NHL team calls a timeout, an assistant coach does the talking and draws up the play. Why isn’t he the head coach?
9. Power plays. If a player fouls out in an NBA game, another player subs in. Get called for a penalty in the NHL and one team is playing 6-on-5. The penalized player must sit in the penalty box and feel much shame, like a schoolkid that is told to sit in the corner. The video boards always show the offender sitting forlornly, wiping his helmet and glancing at the video board to see a replay of his own offense.
10. Speed. Steph Curry should be ticketed for how quickly he can up the court. The slowest player in the NHL can go end to end, twice, faster. Pucks streak across the ice. Players, hair flowing (Flow!), whiz by on skates. The Kentucky Derby can claim the fastest two minutes in sports. NHL games can go end-to-end in less time than you can say, Alex Ovechkin.
11. Handshakes. It doesn’t happen in the NFL, NBA or MLB. And none of those sports come close to the man-on-man brutal battles that is the NHL playoffs.
Yet when the series ends, when the winning team is too drained to fully fathom its triumph and the losing team is too demoralized to comprehend its defeat, the combatants meet at center ice for the handshake line. One second a player is trying to remove an opponent’s spleen, the next second those same two players are congratulating each other on a series well fought. Go figure.
12. Fights. OK. Let’s get to it. Some NBA teams develop real animosity towards one another in a playoff series – see Rockets vs Warriors. Occasionally that leads to a Flagrant 1 technical foul, the parking ticket of offenses.
In the NHL, many players develop white-hot, blood-red disdain for one another. And they have sticks in their hands! A slash (see Rat Marchand) or crosscheck (see Rat Marchand) leads to a shove which leads to a punch, which leads to the gloves dropped.
PLUS ONE: National anthems. The Star-Spangled Banner is a nice anthem. God Bless America would be better, especially Ray Charles’ rendition. But neither can match ‘Oh Canada!’
At some arenas, the singer begins the anthem and holds out the mic to allow some 20,000 fans to serenade each other. It’s like a Springsteen concert when he plays Waiting on A Sunny Day. Thank goodness for the Toronto Raptors, the only Canadian team left in the playoffs.