(Long Island, N.Y.) The doors have reopened and the locked out players are once again welcomed to their team’s respective training camp facilities. Minicamps and OTAs cannot be made up, so it’s cram course time with the playbooks and team meetings, let alone contact drills on the field.

These activities hold a much more important place in the life of an NFL rookie and the majority of the first round selections trickled in early on, getting a leg up where it is certainly needed. But there was one who held out during contract negotiations and missed some valuable time and his head coach didn’t make any effort to hide his frustration with Prince Amukamara.

“The rookies should and need to be in here,” said Tom Coughlin. “If they are going to help you right away, then they need to be here. We didn’t have an offseason so getting here and getting going is important.”

Even when the cornerback was finally in the fold with a four-year, $8 million deal, Coughlin knew that Amukamara had a lot of catching up to do. “It depends on how fast he can learn a new language,” he commented. “It is Chinese to him right now so he has a lot of work to do that way.”

Amukamara will have plenty of time to become familiarized with the system after breaking a bone in his left foot his second day practicing with the team. He will have to undergo surgery and will miss approximately eight weeks. Those five practices lost to his holdout seem trivial now.

The injury is far from a career ender, so Amukamara will eventually see the playing field, albeit later than expected.

Someone with the talent that Amukamara possesses may find the transition somewhat easier than a lesser prospect. At Nebraska, he started four games in his sophomore season and was a full time starter the next year. By the time he was a senior, Amukamara was the NCAA version of Darrelle Revis, with only 52 passes coming his way, resulting in a scant 18 completions. The fact that he had zero interceptions did not affect his draft status, as scouts knew it was not from a lack of ability but rather opportunities.

Accolades included being named an American Football Coaches Association All-American, a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, a first-team All Big 12 All American and a first-team All American. Amukamara was expected to go higher but fell to the Giants and number 19, who tabbed him even though their secondary was not the top position of need.

Speaking truthfully, Amukamara sounded like a first round draft pick when he told reporters after signing, “I am fully confident in my learning ability. I just have to put in the work and I can’t take any days off when we do have days off and just continue to stay in the playbook and keep grinding.”

Making up for lost time, just like an NFL rookie should. Except that Amukamara will have more than he bargained for.

(Long Island, N.Y.) The skill position players garner all the headlines in football and were probably the guys dating the pretty cheerleaders in high school. But even at that level, the big guys up front dictate whether the machine runs smoothly or not.

When the New York Jets brought in the 6’3″, 330-pound Damian Woody in 2008, the veteran right tackle was expected to be a steady influence on a team in transition and it became even more important once Mark Sanchez won the starting quarterback job as a rookie the following season. Keeping the USC product upright and opening holes to make the running game the focal point of the offense were key ingredients in the Jets two consecutive trips to the AFC Championship Game.

After having a difficult end to the 2010 season due to injuries, Woody was an offseason salary cap casualty, but also a player the Jets had full intentions on bringing back into the fold with a restructured contract.

Unfortunately, Woody decided to retire after 12 productive campaigns and will be joining ESPN as an NFL analyst. “I’m grateful for all the support over the years from my family, the fans and the league,” the two-time Pro Bowler said. “I’m excited to start the next phase of my career, moving from the NFL family to the ESPN family, and I feel blessed to continue to be part of the game of football.”

His last head coach reflected on what he meant to the team. “He’d get the tough assignments, all that kind of stuff, and never flinch one bit,” Rex Ryan said of Woody, who started at three positions on the offensive line during his career. “He’s one of the great centers in the game, a Pro Bowl center. He really could have been a Pro Bowl tackle. He played guard, did all of it.

“You can fit him across the line anywhere you want, and that’s unusual.”

One of Woody’s line mates knows what the loss will mean. “He had a hell of a career and picked it up even more at the end when he came here,” guard Brandon Moore commented. “He was a pleasure to play with for a guy of that caliber, because you don’t get an opportunity to do that a lot during your career.”

Wayne Hunter took over when Woody went down last year and will be the starter from Day One. He will certainly have big shoes to fill, with Woody walking away with 166 starts (173 games total) of experience, as well as winning two Super Bowls in three years during his days in New England. The Patriots selected Woody as a center coming out of Boston College with the 17th pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.

The Jets have been able to persevere after losing a respected veteran on the O-line before. Alan Faneca was released in 2010 in a salary cap move and Matt Slauson was able to do a good job in his place. Ryan has to feel confident that Hunter can repeat that success.

And keep Mark Sanchez’s face pretty by doing so.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Charles Wang may have put all his eggs in one basket and assumed that the majority of Nassau County residents were Islander fans. Big enough fans that they would have came out in droves on a hot summer weekday to cast a vote that would have cost them in tax money, albeit a minor amount. The Islanders owner felt so confident that he publicly stated that there was no Plan B in place if the ballots came back on the short side.

If that was meant to serve as a scare tactic or an exaggeration, Wang is too shrewd a businessman to not have a safety net in place. We are beginning to see bits and pieces of that with the chatter of possible private funding to the refurbished Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Edward Mangano looked at it as the glass still being half full. “This just opens up more doors,” the Nassau County Executive said on Monday at a gathering of supporters at the Coliseum.

A clearly frustrated Wang also spoke at the location when the final tally was announced. “I have to tell you that I’m disappointed and to put it very bluntly, I’m heartbroken,” he said. “I have to tell you it’s a very emotional day for us.”

But regardless of what eventually happens, this vote is a huge blow in the ultimate goal of keeping the team on Long Island. The current lease on the arena expires in 2015 and Wang has been honest about the possibility of the team relocating elsewhere when that day comes.

If the Islanders end up in, let’s say, Kansas City, then a new set of questions will begin to be asked. Without a regular tenant, the antiquated Coliseum may shut its doors for good. That would spell the end of some 2,600 jobs and be a major blow to the local economy. Shows, concerts, expos, etc. that have included the Coliseum on their tour schedules will not be coming around and fans will need to head to Madison Square Garden or New Jersey to see their favorite acts in person.

Another option may reside in downtown Brooklyn, where the Barclays Center is being built for the NBA Nets to move into in 2012. The new arena will no doubt attract all the top entertainment acts, and possibly more. With basketball and hockey teams regularly sharing buildings, it would make perfect sense for Wang to at least investigate the possibility of moving a little west, but staying in New York.

It seems as if the clock has been ticking on the Islanders and how long they remain here as Long Island’s only professional major league franchise. Their illustrious history includes one of the NHL’s most dominant dynasties and a great rivalry with the New York Rangers.

Even though the team has struggled on the ice and at the gate for a long stretch of time now, the league is still better off with the Islanders where they are instead of the second incarnation of the K.C. Scouts or playing second banana to the Maple Leafs up in Toronto.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Let’s not even bother to put an asterisk on anything yet concerning the 2011-12 NBA season. Both ownership and the players association have plenty of time to get together and agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, and all of this labor talk is getting redundant with the NFL having their own work stoppage that finally ended last week.

So with that in mind, the release of next season’s NBA schedule should be looked at with no other concerns in mind.

Fans of the New York Knickerbockers have to be happy looking it over. Because the team got back on track and has two very marketable players in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks find themselves on national television 29 times.

That begins on November 2 with the season opener at Madison Square Garden when the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat come to town. For the second consecutive year, the Knicks will be in action on Christmas Day and host the Boston Celtics with a noon tipoff. Revenge will certainly be in their minds, as it was the Celts who ousted the Knicks from the NBA playoffs with a first round, four-game sweep.

This will be just one of the six day games played at the Garden during the season and the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. matinee will be against the Sacramento Kings. February 19 marks the one and only visit to New York by the defending world champion Dallas Mavericks.

The schedule begins with some tough stretches out west for the Knicks, with only three of the first 13 games being at home. One of those road contests will be in Denver, with the former Nugget Anthony facing his old team for the first time since the blockbuster trade. The following evening, the Knicks will be in Tinsel Town to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in a Thursday TNT matchup.

Looking ahead towards the end of the season, the Knicks will be seeing a lot of conference mates. The final eight games (and 15 of the last 17) will be against fellow Eastern Conference clubs and they will also have to face the tough Chicago Bulls twice during that span. If the Knicks are going to finish as a top-four seed, they are going to have to earn it. Back-to-back home games versus Miami (April 15) and Boston (April 17) will be tough challenges, indeed.

Of course the chain of custody is the main issue here, but that still comes down to which of these two men is the most believable. Clemens has held strong that he never used steroids or human growth hormone, both of which McNamee has stated he injected the former star pitcher with from 1998 to 2001.

Attending Knicks games will become an ever better experience this fall. According to an official team press release, the “lower bowl of Madison Square Garden will be completely transformed, including an expanded Madison Concourse (sixth floor) with new food and beverage options and city views, new lower bowl seating area, new Event Level Suites and Delta SKY360 Club and new locker rooms.”

This refurbishing of the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena’ will be taking place year-round, with the majority of the work being done this and the next two summers.

So let’s look forward to all of that good news and not worry about the lockout. At least until we have to.

(Long Island, N.Y.) It isn’t exactly O.J. Simpson or Casey Anthony walking away from the courthouse, but Roger Clemens has to feel extremely relieved that his perjury case resulted in a mistrial. The former standout starting pitcher has never wavered in his stance on not using performance-enhancing drugs, even when many of his peers chose to throw themselves on the sword and admit it. That may actually pay off for him in the long run.

When the government tried to bring in evidence that was previously deemed inadmissible by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, he immediately threw the case out. “Mr. Clemens has to get a fair trial,” Walton told the jurors. “In my view, he can’t get it now.”

Once prosecutors showed the jury a video tape of former teammate Andy Pettitte talking about telling his wife that Clemens once admitted to using a PED, the plug was pulled on only the second day of testimony. This was related to the infamous “misremembers” or “misheard” quote by Clemens at the 2008 congressional hearings.

The major blunder by the prosecution opens the door for Clemens to walk away Scott-free once the September 2nd hearing commences. Walton will decide then to hold a new trial or not. There has even been speculation that the judge will decide that a second trial would result in Double Jeopardy, but that is a stretch.

If this case if ever tried, it will come down to which person is more believable. The hypodermic needles and cotton swabs that Clemens’ former trainer Brian McNamee produced during the initial investigation have been brought to light again. Miller Light, that is.

McNamee kept the possible physical evidence hidden in an empty Miller Light beer can in his home for six years as a ‘smoking gun’ if Clemens’ alleged performance-enhancing drug use ever came to light and blew up in both their faces. The trainer hung on to the items because he said that he didn’t trust Clemens.

The evidence did test positive for Clemens’ DNA and anabolic steroids, but the Rocket’s attorney is claiming that it was planted. “He manufactured this stuff,” Rusty Hardin said during the defense’s opening statements. “Roger Clemens’ only crime was having the poor judgment to stay connected with Brian McNamee.”

Of course the chain of custody is the main issue here, but that still comes down to which of these two men is the most believable. Clemens has held strong that he never used steroids or human growth hormone, both of which McNamee has stated he injected the former star pitcher with from 1998 to 2001.

The prosecution is doing its best to make it more than who has higher integrity. “Everything Mr. McNamee says we intend to corroborate with independent evidence,” assistant U.S. attorney Steven Durham said.

The majority of the circumstantial evidence says that Clemens did use the drugs. But that needs to be backed up by something solid. The needle and swabs will play a major role and that may be what swings the pendulum.

But we have to get there first, and Clemens is leading after the first inning.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Game Six of the 1986 World Series is considered one of the greatest postseason baseball games of all time. Some may even call the New York Mets’ comeback against the Boston Red Sox a miracle. So if the latter held true, then Gary Carter needs more divine intervention.

He was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer back in May and will undergo his last radiation treatment this week. According to a post by his daughter on a private family website, his doctor told the Hall of Fame catcher that he “looked wonderful” and that he was “happy to see him doing so well.”

Jimmy Bloemers further commented on Carter being able to go for a two-mile walk last week and that it was his “longest walk since finding out about the cancer” and that it was the “best” Carter has felt in two months.

Small steps lead to big ones; just as Carter’s base hit in the 10th inning with no one on and two outs was the start of the winning rally that October evening at Shea Stadium 25 years ago. Known for his youthful exuberance, ‘The Kid’ was a huge fan favorite in the Big Apple from his time with the Mets and later on as manager of the Long Island Ducks in 2009.

Since then, Carter, 57, has been the head coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida. Looking ahead, he plans on returning to the school for a third campaign at the helm. It may prove to be therapeutic for him as he continues a year of chemotherapy treatments, as long as Carter is healthy enough to do so.

That wasn’t the case at the recent MLB All-Star Game, when Carter had to watch the seventh inning tribute to him from home on television. He also will not be able to attend the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this weekend. But these are to be expected of someone beginning aggressive cancer treatment.

A 19-year career hit its pinnacle with Carter’s 2003 induction into Cooperstown, with him hitting .262, 324 home runs and driving in 1,225 runs. Although he played for four team’s total, Carter is known best for his years in New York and Montreal. He broke into the big leagues with the Expos in 1974 and returned north of the border in 1992 before hanging up the ‘tools of ignorance.’

On August 1, Carter will have an MRI exam that will hopefully show the remission of the disease. In addition to the radiation and chemotherapy, the 11-time All-Star has also been given Avastin to battle his cancer.

“We are rejoicing for good news and are praising the Lord for these good days,” added Bloemers, echoing the sentiments of baseball fans everywhere. “We know dad still has a battle and a road ahead of him to fight; however, we believe in miracles.”

Makes an unlikely comeback look minuscule in comparison.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Role reversal. That seems to be the case this July when a big market team finds one of the small ones to take an expensive contract off their hands. Such was the case when the New York Mets traded closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named later.

More importantly, this seems to be the first of many moves by general manager Sandy Alderson to dismantle the Mets. With the July 31st non-waiver trading deadline approaching, teams are jockeying for position to either be buyers or sellers. At the All-Star break, the Mets were one game over .500, but trailed the Atlanta Braves by seven and a half games for the wild card spot. Plus, there were four more teams ahead of the Mets for that final playoff spot in the National League.

Brought in to make the tough decisions, Alderson has to weigh the options for a number of players on the roster and see if moving them will be a two-fold positive: bringing in some much needed prospects to a farm system depleted over the years, and to cut payroll on a team in financial straits.

CARLOS BELTRAN

In the final installment of a long-term deal, Beltran has a no-trade clause he must waive to be moved. Healthy and coming off an All-Star selection, the veteran outfielder can surely help a team in the hunt. Only a rental, he may not bring back much of a return, but Alderson will peddle him as the top offensive player on the market and that should up his value.

JASON ISRINGHAUSEN

The reclamation project has been surprisingly effective and would be a nice addition as a middle reliever to a contender. The former star closer is another who can be had for a song.

JOSE REYES

Unless he is taken off the disabled list, Reyes can’t be moved, anyway. But the Mets would like to re-sign him to a long-term deal and figure their best bet is to hang on to him and renegotiate in the offseason. Voted the starting shortstop on the NL All-Star squad, the speedster is having an MVP-caliber campaign and is a huge fan favorite. Even if he does leave, the Mets would be entitled to two high draft picks because Reyes is a Type A free agent.

JASON BAY

If the struggling left fielder was to be traded, the Mets would have to pick up a good deal of the ridiculous contract former GM Omar Minaya signed him to. It’s worth a shot calling Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, who is looking for offense and acquired Bay in the past for Manny Ramirez.

RONNY PAULINO

The part-time catcher is having a nice season at the plate and has been pushing Josh Thole for innings. The Mets go through back-up backstops every year and should take advantage of a hot bat by getting some youth for him.

However the rest of the month plays out, the Mets should look very different once August rolls around.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Bringing a minor league team to a baseball-starved area is an ingenious idea. Especially in New York, where both major league teams charge top dollar for seats, food and souvenirs. That was certainly the case in the mid-to-late 1990s, when Bud Harrelson and Frank Boulton made the dream a reality with the Long Island Ducks.

Since 2000, taking a game in at the quant ballpark in Central Islip has been a highlight for men and women, adults and children alike, all across the Island. The Ducks have become the epitome of how to run a family-friendly product and also be successful on the field.

They are a model franchise in not just the Atlantic League, but throughout the entire minor leagues, affiliated or independent. The Ducks can do no wrong, and have kept the turnstiles moving in an economic period where many have been forced to close up shop.

But they may be biting off more than they can chew.

The group led by Boulton has been awarded the operating rights to an Atlantic League expansion team that will play in a proposed stadium that is part of the new Nassau Coliseum plan.

“We are pleased to have been awarded this opportunity,” said Boulton. “We look forward to helping County Executive Ed Mangano bring affordable family entertainment to the taxpayers of Nassau County in the same fashion the taxpayers of Suffolk have enjoyed for 12 years with the Ducks.”

The Wilpon family, who endeavored adding a Mets minor league affiliate to the area, ran the other group in contention. They would have needed the permission of the Yankees to do so and have had a difficult time; anyway, from their financial troubles since the Bernie Madoff scandal broke.

So the only viable choice was Boulton and – being the smart businessman he is – he needs to consider some points for this second team to be a success, pending the outcome of the entire development plan.

SPLITTING THE FAN BASE

Baseball fans from both Nassau and Suffolk counties have been staunch supporters of the Ducks, so bringing a team to the backyard of one of them will have some effect on ticket sales on the other. Fans that had a longer drive out east will switch allegiances to the closer team.

NOVELTY ASPECT

The Ducks have not had this concern, especially since Citi Field and the new Yankee Stadium have opened. Fans still love going out to Bethpage Park and the low prices in comparison to a night out in either Queens or the Bronx. But that is because there was no other option out here. The new ballpark in Nassau will change that and then that stadium will go through its own “the novelty has worn off” effect a few years later.

THE NATIONAL PASTIME?

Baseball’s popularity has waned over the years and there are a plethora of local teams to follow in our area. The Yankees, Mets and Ducks aside, there is also the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees. When there were zero minor league teams here, it made the wait seem worth it all. But now we may have too many options and the support for them may be difficult to keep up.

(Long Island, N.Y.) When he became the 23rd member of baseball’s 3,000 hit club on August 7th, 1999, Wade Boggs also knew that a former teammate would one day join him in the elite group.

“I had the opportunity to play with Derek (Jeter) when he was a rookie in 1996 and I had no doubts that (he) would reach this milestone,” the Hall of Fame third baseman said after Jeter did in fact confirm that. “He is a very consistent player and he never deviated from his game. When you stay healthy and you are consistent and compile a lengthy career like Derek has done, you have the opportunity to reach that 3,000th hit plateau.”

Although it seemed like an inevitable accomplishment once he was close, Jeter skipped knocking on the door by blowing it wide open. The Yankee captain went 5-for-5 on Saturday at the Stadium in a 5-4 win against the Tampa Bay Rays and it was his third inning home run off David Price that was the money shot. Not resting on his laurels, Jeter then hit an eighth inning single for the game winner in an important divisional game two days before the All-Star break.

These contributions were certainly not lost on Hal Steinbrenner. “Derek has always played with a relentless, team-first attitude,” the Yankees managing general partner said. “And that mindset has helped sustain this organization’s objective of fielding championship-caliber teams year after year. It’s only fitting that he reach 3,000 hits during a victory against one of our American League rivals.”

More importantly than becoming the 28th Major League player to join the club, Jeter is now the first Yankee to become a part of it. Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield and Paul Waner (along with Boggs) have played for the organization but collected their 3,000th hit elsewhere.

The list is dotted with some of the game’s greatest names and it is nearly unfathomable that Jeter is the first one to do it in pinstripes. Some of them chimed in afterwards, with Cal Ripken Jr. calling Jeter “such a large part of the Yankees very rich history” and “a great player for a long time.”

Robin Yount recalled how it felt then and now. “It wasn’t until my career ended did I realize how special it was to reach 3,000 hits,” the former Milwaukee Brewer standout said, “based on how few people had done it. I am more proud of playing as long as I did, than anything. My hits total was the culmination of playing 20 years and being healthy enough to do so.”

“To have the most hits for the most prestigious franchise in all of sports is pretty special,” Paul Molitor said. “If Derek stays healthy, he has a good chance to rack up a lot more hits.”

Only five players have ever amassed 3,500 hits, with the top two even eclipsing 4,000. Pete Rose (4,256) and Ty Cobb (4,191) occupy the penthouse on the list and Jeter has a long way to go to get that high. But no one would be surprised if he does.

(Long Island, N.Y.) Being voted as one of the starting nine in the All-Star Game is a huge honor. The Mid-Summer Classic allows the fans to show who they want to see every summer playing for their respective league, and with the added incentive of home field advantage in the World Series since 2003.

But there are incidents where the best player loses out to someone else, as seemed to be the case with shortstop in the National League. Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies led Jose Reyes by over 200,000 votes, even though the New York Mets leadoff hitter’s statistics were higher by a large margin. As odd as that may seem, Terry Collins had a theory.

“As we all know, it’s a popularity contest,” the Mets manager told reporters recently. “It’s who comes to the ballparks and who’s voting, really.”

With the Fourth of July weekend approaching, Tulowitzki was batting .271 with 15 home runs, 53 RBI, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 42 runs scored and 6 stolen bases. Sounds like nice numbers, but they paled in comparison to Reyes, who is having the most productive season of his career in his walk year. A .352 average, 3 home runs, 32 RBI, 22 doubles, 15 triples, 65 runs and 30 steals should make him the runaway favorite, but that isn’t always the case.

“We get to see him every day,” Collins added. “In our opinion, he should be the leader, without question. If he’s not on the team somehow, some way, there needs to be a way to change the rules.”

Reyes closed the gap those last few days before the Mets fans came out in full force and stuffed the proverbial ballot box. When the rosters were announced on Sunday, Reyes not only won but also did so by 800,000 votes. Having the option of voting online up to 25 times per person apparently worked for the right reasons in this case.

So Reyes leading the league in four separate offensive categories (batting average, hits, multiple-hit games and runs scored) was rewarded correctly but an injured left hamstring may keep him from hearing his name announced last in the pre-game introductions on July 12 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

During the second inning of Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Yankees, Reyes felt tightness in his leg and was removed from the game. He underwent an MRI exam and a Grade 1 strain was the result. He has missed the last few games and the team will have decide on whether he’s healthy enough to play in the Mid-Summer Classic.

But even if he has to sit that one out, Reyes’ being voted the National League starter proves that the system, while not a perfect one, does come out right most of the time. Years ago when you had to punch a hole on an All-Star ballot and deposit it in a box at the ballpark, the stadiums with the most sellouts usually had a good number of their players on the squad. Major League Baseball is doing the best they can by making it easier to cast your vote and not have one person fill out cards all game long.

The starters aren’t always the most deserving, but in the case of Jose Reyes, a no-brainer was nearly lost.