Dow Goes Nuts Today!!

Good end to the week on Wall Street. The Dow climbed almost 370 points today, working its way back closer  to 18,000. I'll drink to that!!

Mets; Are We Watching Seaver, Koosman and Gentry?

Who woulda thunk? The Mets winning their division, beating the Dodgers and manhandling the Cubbies so far...Yes there has been Murphy, and Murphy and well you get it. But the starting pitching has outdueled Kershaw, Greinke and now Lester and Arrietta. Holy cow!!!
  The next three are in Chitown, so let's see who the Mets will put on the mound for game 4? Are you kidding me?

Neal Walk, Age 67, Former NBA Player Passes...

Neal Walk one of my favorite Jewish ballplayers passed away, age 67. May he rest in peace...

Yanks Go Out With Barely A Wimper!

 Did you ever watch an entire big game of your favorite team, and truly , honestly have nothing to cheer about? Nothing..Nothing on offense, no hope, no optimism.. This is how I felt last night.
   Ok, one small exception, A-Rod up, two men on, two outs. That didnt last too long, as he flyed out to center on the first pitch.
  Well, on the  positive side, no one expected the playoffs for the Yanks or Arod to hit 33 homers.. Fun year, brutal last month of season.
  Let's go Mets!!

To My Jewish Family and Friends, Happy and Healthy New Year!

Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Dow Up 357, That Will Make You Feel A Tad Better!!

Lately the Dow has taken a beating!!!  Hopefully today's performance will restore investor confidence some!!

Frank Gifford Passes; What A Story -Book Life!

Frank Gifford, good looking guy, NY Giant, Monday Night Football Legend and he gets the pretty girl too.
  May you rest in peace.

A-Rod, 3 Homers, Are You Kidding Me?

What can you really say? Pariah, un-marketable, gonna be 40, done, finshed, kaput, tainted, a cheater....Yanks didn't want him or his salary! Well Alex has 23 homers, 58 rbi's and is batting .277.  Probably their best hitter all year and a big reason the Yanks occupy first place. He's made the most of this chance in every way.
  Well, who woulda thunk? Reaching 700 homers now is very realistic...2 more years to go. Most likely will finish with 700 homers, 2000 rbi's and 3000 hits. And he's only 39.  If he somehow hits 40 homers and knocks in 90, you could(yes I said it) actually hear his name in MVP discussions!
  For now, he's making Yanks' baseball  fun again..

Kudos To USA Woman's Soccer, Wow!!!!

  First of all congrats to the US Woman's team in winning  the FIFA World Cup! Dominating performances, especially against Germany and Japan. In the Germany game the US team so thoroughly dominated the Germans, that it seemed  as one-sided as when the Germans beat the US men last summer.
  So much talent, speed, strength, drive and pride!  Awesome stuff...

Wimbledon Is Here, Wimbledon Is Here!

  Just in the nick of time, Wimbledon started today. Love the grass, great fans ,a chance for Roger to get number 8 and 12 hours plus  of tennis every day, for two weeks. Can Roger do it? Will Serena and Venus meet in the 4th round?
Stay tuned...

ARod, 15 Homers, 42 RBI's And .285....Is He On PED's Now?

   America and yes sports probably more so, is the land of 2nd, 3rd and 4th opportunities! A-Rod on his 3rd chance has certainly made the most of it. At age 39, he is hitting like a 29 year old, saying and doing all the right things, has been a great teammate and has won back over a large segment of the fan base.
   Add to that his 2000th RBI, 3000th hit , his passing Mays on the career home run list and the Yanks being in the "thick of things"....and it's only June.. Gotta say, Yanks are much , more exciting to watch with Alex in the lineup.
  Let's see how the summer progresses..

Golden State; Oh What A Year!

  So it's all over. The Warriors magical year, culminated in  an NBA Championship!. Great team, great mix, good coach and classy top  to bottom. I for one, although I actually rooted for Lebron, thought the series was competitive, enjoyable, tense and intriguing. I can honestly say, with  the exception of falling asleep during OT in game 1, I  watched every game, start to finish.
  So it's over now. Left with baseball and tennis for now. I'm already longing for Ray Donovan!!
 Enjoy the summer.

Serena; Parlez Vous Francais?

Serena does it again. In an emotional victory, she gets her 20th Grand Slam and 3rd  French Open. Only 2 away from Steffi!!
  Who would have thunk that growing up in Compton , Serena would be addressing the Parisian crowd in French during her "victory speech" at the French Open!  Wow... Lot to be proud of.

  Steve LaCoste reporting

NBA Playoffs; And Then There Were Four!!

Congrats and good luck to the Cavs, Hawks, Warriors and Rockets!  Woo hoo..Conference finals begin!!

Mayweather, Not Pretty, Not Exciting, That's Just The Way It Is!!!

  Unless you  bet on Mayweather, I'm quite sure the rest of the people who watched the fight, were hoping for much, much more action. Yes , I'm one of those !!But Sunday morning , I  came to the realization, Mayweather bouts are just not exciting! Plain and simple.
  He's a defensive master, impossible to hit, uses his "counter-punches " judiciously , and simply wins. Could, and should have Paquiao gone for broke in this fight? I would  loved to have  seen it . The reality is that Mayweather fights are not Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran fights. Not even close and frankly, not intended to be.
 Having said that, Mayweather will take his place as a great in boxing history. One of the greatest, but certainly,  not one of the most exciting. Hey, you can't have (or be) everything. 

Barry Bonds' Obstruction of Justice Conviction Tossed By Appellate Court...Does This Help His Chances For The Hall?

So Oz has spoken! The Obstruction of Justice conviction was officially thrown out and there will be no re-trial. So are you happy for Bonds? Did you forget about the appeal? Do you really care?
   Now that Bonds no longer has a criminal record will this help him? Lets put it this way, it won't hurt him. But unfortunately for Bonds he's in that group of Clemens, Rafael Palmeira, Sosa, McGuire and A-Rod. Unbelievable players, great numbers, but forever stained.
  My opinion, he never gets in. Your thoughts?

Whater You Say About A-Rod, Yanks Are Much More Interesting To Watch With Him!!!

Perhaps the most controversial player in all of sports is Alex Rodriguez. Reputation forever tarnished! Although his greatness can never really be questioned. How great was he? How much was "juice"? We probably will never know.
  But for all those who questioned whether he could come back from  injuries and  the suspension at his ripe old age of 39. So far he has. Equally important is the fact, that only ARod's at bats have made the Yankees watchable. Four RBI's last last night, including a base clearing double against the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball, even in April is great stuff. Will it continue? Who knows?
  I , though for one, have been pleasantly surprised....

Wisconsin-Duke, Does It Get Any Better Than This?

Big , bad Kentucky is out. Just like that! No Perfect season, no finals! The two teams with  great systems, great fundamentals, great coaches and tremendous big men are left. Don't want to take up your time microanalyzing.
  Suffice to say. Wisconsin in a nailbiter!!

 Be prepared for a doozy...

Yes, It's Sun Out There...Happy Holiday!

On this beautiful , sunny April Thursday, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish a Happy Passover and Easter to all!

Civil Rights: 150 Years Ago Today, Something Long Overdue Happened!!

In March 1865 , the almost unimaginable occurred. Union troops criss-crossed the deep south freeing slaves by the thousands from plantations in the  South. Soldiers would ride up to plantations, demand that all slaves be assembled, and then pronounce they were "free"! This happened throughout the Confederacy.
  Remember there were 4 million slaves at the height of this   disgusting way of life in the South. The  freeing of slaves was a major step in  blacks struggle for equality , which still goes on today...

Dow Going Nuts Today, Up 186 Points!!!

On an otherwise uneventful Thursday, the Dow is finding it's stride, up almost 200 points. I  gather nobody cares about  Hilary's emails.:)

Sad 3 Days, Spock, Earl Lloyd and Anthony Mason All Pass Away....

  Wow, one obituary after another. Leonard Nimoy, our Vulcan friend gone at 83. Earl Lloyd, who broke the NBA's color barrier at 86. And tragically, Anthony Mason, a forward on those gritty Knick teams of the 90's died at age 48!  Can't fu_in believe it. 
  Three people. So different, 2 athletes and an actor. But I felt a sadness for each. May they rest in peace.

Holy Sh_t! Arbitration Panel Issues Award Compelling Armstrong and Tailwind Sports To Pay $10 Million For Perjury!!

In a 2-1 decision, an arbitration panel ordered Amstrong and Tailwind Sports to pay $10 million to SCA Promotions. Essentially, this proceeding opened up a 2006 settlement between the parties, with the thrust of the ruling  being supported by Armstrong's perjuring himself under oath. While $10 million is hefty, it won't come close to breaking Armstrong.
  But hey, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!!!

Dow; Through Snow, Ice , Wind and Freeze, The Dow Claws Its Way Back to 18,000!!!!

 The arctic freeze is here in full force. Record chill! 7  feet of snow in Boston. Yikes. But somehow, some way the Dow Jones has  climbed back and closed Friday at 18,019. Wowee....
  So  while we're home freezing our butts off,  stock prices are nearing record highs. And just think, I filled  up our minivan for $24. Go figure.
  Stay warm and safe!!

Dean Smith, More Than A Coach, He Was A Man!!

Dean Smith , the architect of the 4 corners offense, pointing at the player who made the assist on your hoop and building winners on and off the court died at age 83. I started watching Tar Heels' hoops when  I was 8 years old. Larry Miller, Jim Bunting and Rusty Clark were the pillars of those teams.. Archrival-UCLA!  Wow, remember it all so well.
   Dean, you were an inspiration to all!  God Bless...

Super Bowl 49, Awesome Game, But Seahawks Lay An Egg!

The Super Bowl was everything it was built up to be. Two great teams, great coaches , great franchises!! So many story lines. So much historical significance. Offense vs defense! Defense vs. offense. Carroll , a former New England coach.
  At the end of the night, history was forever changed by a  "terrible play call " that will be discussed for generations to come.But,  if the Seahawks score Carroll is a genius and Belichick is the one questioned for not calling a time out. Did anyone say Marshon Lynch?
  In any event it was truly enjoyable from start to finish! NBC did a great job and Tom Brady now joins Bradshaw and  Montana. Peyton, eat you heart out...

Serena Gets Number 19 In Straight Sets Against Maria!

Serena did it again! Winning another Aussie Open in straight sets, she displayed  perhaps the greatest power in womens' tennis history! Overpowering Sharapova, who herself  had overpowered the field, brought her record head to head to 16 and 2. Wow!!
  So only  one major thing to accomplish. Can she catch or pass Steffi Graf  to become the greatest ever? Your thoughts?

Sheldon Silver In For The Fight of His Life!

 Long time New York Speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, reportedly is in Federal Custody  resulting from Federal charges that he has  received legal fees from a NYC law firm , but failed to properly disclose same.Silver a fixture in New York State politics , still  lives on Grand Street. He is known for his iron-hand running of the Assembly . In legal circles it is also well-recognized that he receives a substantial salary from a powerhouse New York City personal injury law firm. He is permitted by law to draw that salary.
  So what will happen to Mr. Speaker?  Will he fight and beat the charges? Who will be his superstar defense counsel? Is this the end of his political career? Will he stay on as Speaker while the criminal case plays out? 
   Stay tuned...  Certainly will be interesting to follow!!

Aussie Open Under Way.... Slam Season Is Here!

 Tennis fans, finally some meaningful tennis is here. The  Australian open has started, Federer, Djokovic and the  crew are back. Two weeks of great stuff "down under".
  As usual I'm pulling for Roger and the American ladies.
  Live tennis tonight on the Tennis Channel! 

Super Bowl Gonna Be A Dandy!

  I  don't think I'm going out on a limb when I  say that  NBC  is drooling over the Pats-Seahawks  matchup. Don't get me wrong, any of the matchups had great storylines and intrigue! But of  the 4 possible scenarios, Brady against Wilson, Carroll against Belichick, Gronkowski against Sherman give rise to   the greatest anticipation!
  This very well could be the most watched Super Bowl of all-time! Just 2 weeks away. Wow! What are advertisers going to pay for a 60 second slot? 30 seconds?  Big money!  Anyway, by 10:30 on Sunday night February 1st, either Russell Wilson will have 2 rings in a row! Or Brady will have number 4! 
  Just praying it aint a dud like last year....
    Enjoy.  Prediction, Seahawks 31-Pats 28!

Nets Owner Prokhorov; Was It Ever Really About A Championship?

 Let's face it. You don't become a billionaire by being stupid!  The Nets owner is no exception. Prokhorov who owns the team and 45 % of Barclays, purchased  his interest for $223 million about 4 yrs ago. While the Nets have not lived up to expectations, the team's value has.
  Reports that Prokhorov  is looking to "cash out" are all over the internet. Has he lost interest, is it  the tightening up of the Russian financial markets or  is it  the lure of making a huge windfall? Or all 3?  His interest could well be worth north of a billion. Not bad for the former "NJ Nets"! 
  My prediction $2billion...Only in America!!!!

NFL Playoffs, Thank God For Some Exciting Sports!

 I  guess my "sports senses " are kinda dulled. Been suffering with Yanks, Jets, Giants and the unwatchable Knicks. Find myself watching Shark Tank instead of Knicks' hoops. Anyway, really enjoyed New England-Ravens and Cowboys-Packers games. Big time playoff football.
  Networks have to be drooling  with Green  Bay-Seattle and Pats-Colts matchups. Second game  "primetime ".  Looking forward to it and frankly anything to take me out of my "Knick misery" !

Stuart Scott Passes At Age 49! Very Sad!

Stuart Scott  passed away after bravely battling cancer. His speech at the ESPYS and his unwavering love for his daughters will always be remembered. He was universally respected and liked.
  RIP!    God Bless Stuart...