(Long Island, NY) The New York Rangers embark on the second half of the NHL regular season after heading into the Olympic break leading the Atlantic Division with 78 points. Their 35-15-8 record is a big turnaround from recent seasons. They are heading into the second half to become a team to reckon with and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1997. The Broadway Blues are back and ready for the big stage.

The Rangers are leading the second place Philadelphia Flyers by 3 points. They are currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Carolina Hurricanes (82 points) and Ottawa Senators (79 points). Over in the Western Conference, the Detroit Red Wings are ahead with 83 points with the Dallas Stars behind them with 79 points. So it is not out of the question that the Rangers can win the President’s Trophy.

Jaromir Jagr is having an MVP-caliber season with 40 goals, 48 assists, 88 points, 7 game winning goals, and a +24 +/- ratio. Rookie Petr Prucha has been a sensational surprise with 25 goals, 9 assists and 34 points. He should be returning soon from an injury he suffered right before the break.

Rookie goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been the biggest factor in the Blue Shirts’ turnaround. His first half record of 25-7-6, 2 shutouts, 2.09 goals against average and a .927 save percentage has to have him being considered for the Rookie of the Year award, along with teammate Prucha and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby. Lundqvist is also coming back to Madison Square Garden sporting his gold medal that he won in the Torino Winter Olympic games for Sweden. The 24-year old netminder had a superb tournament and helped his home country defeat the previously unbeaten Finland 3-2 in the gold medal game.

A wonderful completion to that story would be for Lundqvist to lead the Rangers to the Stanley Cup championship. He could live the dream that Ken Morrow had come true in 1980. After being a part of the United States Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid in 1980, he was on the New York Islanders when they captured Lord Stanley a few months later.

The Rangers fans are behind this team and Head Coach Tom Renney has done a magnificent job with the mix of veterans and younger players. If the front office can swing a deal for a playoff-tested veteran before the NHL trading deadline on March 9th, the Rangers may be one of the favorites to come out of the pack on top.

(Long Island, NY) One thing that really bugs me is a guy misses his first free throw and his teammates all make it a point to come give him ‘five’. What does that represent? “Hey, nice job. See if you can follow that up with another brick”. How about telling him if he put more time and effort into practicing from the ‘charity stripe (and there’s a reason why it’s called that), he could probably make enough to shoot 90 percent…..Good for the diminutive Nate Robinson, the Knicks rookie guard, on winning the Slam Dunk contest at the NBA All-Star game in Houston. Brings back memories of the last Knickerbocker to win the contest, Kenny “Sky” Walker back in 1989. Let’s hope that Nate has more memorable moments, unlike ‘ol Sky’…..Sorry, but Larry Brown’s resume cannot give him a pass on the disaster that he had a hand in creating, better known as the latest version of the Knicks.

What do we take out of the Torino Olympic Games? Bodie Miller was as big a disappointment as that guy in the 1984 Nike commercials with Dan and that other guy that couldn’t make the team…..Curling will become the next fad and spawn a reality series…..Whenever there is not much excitement around a sporting event, interject a controversial, non-politically correct statement to give it a little juice…..Wayne Gretzky shedding a tear as Canada was eliminated in hockey- was it because of his hurt for his team losing or realizing that when he gets back the media circus and questions abound if his situation was a distraction?

Gary Sheffield unhappy? Say it ain’t so. His flip-flop blow up and take back just fits into not only his personal history file but the Yankees, as well. The Sheff stirring the pot on Team Turmoil…..Some things never change, they just are different. Sparky Lyle’s book, “The Bronx Zoo”, about the Yankees of the 1970’s, pertains as much to today’s team as it did 30 years ago.

I heard that the Mets people were impressed watching an early Spring Training throwing session by Victor Zambrano. Maybe they were happy that he didn’t take the head off the cardboard cutout hitter like Rick Vaughn (Charlie Sheen’s character) did in “Major League”…..Speaking of My Favorite Met Victor Z, aka Steve Blass and Rick Ankiel rolled-into-one guy, how long before he is either released, bounced from the rotation, or hearing the immortal words, “now pitching for Norfolk,…..”

Barry Bonds says he’s hangin’ em up after this season regardless of what happens. I actually believe him for once. As sad as it is, he is one of the game’s best but will not be missed as one…..The Sporting News actually gave credit to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals for going out and improving their teams over the winter. You just know that this is going to be a weird baseball season approaching.

LAST CALL: Here’s to the legendary Curt Gowdy, the wonderful announcer that passed away last week. A man of many talents leaves us wanting one more game for him to call.

And even though he is not a sports figure, let’s hear it for the great Don Knotts. Ol’ Barney Fife/R.F. passed away this week and will be missed, as well.

LONG ISLAND SPORTS UPDATE: The New York Dragons of the Arena Football League improved to 3-2 on the season with a 55-35 home win against their nemesis, the Orlando Predators. Unfortunately, star quarterback Aaron Garcia had to leave the game with a fractured tibia.

The Strong Island Sound of the ABA won their sixth straight with a 107-104 win at home versus the Maryland Nighthawks. They have improved their record to 15-14 on the season. When the ABA Power Rankings for the week are released, they should move up from their previous spot at number 15. They have one remaining game in the regular season, which is on Friday March 3rd. The Sound will be hosting the Florida Pitbulls, who will be led by their player/coach, former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway.

(Long Island, NY) The small quote from Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, “That’s Yankee-land”, says it all. Another Spring Training camp, another controversy. What would Yankee fans do without one?

Cashman’s remark came after there was apparently some miscommunication between him and rightfielder Gary Sheffield. The two met after Sheffield arrived at Legend’s Field and discussed the possibility of the team picking up the team option on Sheffield’s contract. When meeting with the media afterwards, there were two different versions.

Sheffield was downright giddy when telling reporters that he was told the Yankees were picking up his option for both years. Upon being asked about the news, Cashman seemed surprised and denied that Sheffield was told that the team was in fact picking up his option. The fiery Sheffield was not happy when informed of this and popped off that he can produce for any team? Was that a trade request?

The bottom line will be how much input Yankees owner George Steinbrenner will have or has had in this. He says that he defers personnel decisions to Cashman, but anyone who has been following this team knows that statement does not hold water. Things start and finish with The Boss. Going back to when the Yankees first signed Sheffield to a free-agent contract, it was Steinbrenner and not Cashman who did the negotiations. Both Sheffield and Steinbrenner are Tampa residents and they hashed out a deal while dining together over hamburgers in Florida.

The truth is that Gary Sheffield is a very talented baseball player who does produce. He is a much better player and person when he is happy. He has always had the reputation of being a bit of a malcontent. At times he has earned it. But he has been a big part of the Yankees and it would behoove them to square this away before it becomes a major distraction.

The Yankees do not have a viable option to take Sheffield’s place at the current time. Their back-up outfielders include Bubba Crosby and Bernie Williams, who is better suited being a Designated Hitter at this point in his career. Crosby is a decent youngster but not viewed as an every day player. And what Sheffield brings to the table offensively is an important part of the Yankees attack.

Barring a trade for a comparable outfielder, Sheff will be here happy or not. He will have an opportunity to sit down with team officials and straighten out the contract situation. The spring is important for players to prepare for the grueling season ahead. A distraction such as this will do him and his teammates no good.

(Long Island, NY) The Knicks recent trade of Trevor Ariza and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway to the Orlando Magic for Steve Francis will bring up the question that will be asked over and over- can Francis and Stephon Marbury survive together? Both players are very similar. Either can play the “1” (Point Guard) or the “2” (Shooting Guard). Both like the ball in their hands and both like to shoot. Neither Francis nor Marbury are thought of as team players on the court, but as individuals trying to create more opportunities for themselves.

Now they are dressing in the same locker room. There’s only 1 ball. Will these 2 players be able to distribute it to their teammates? The person playing the Point Guard position is thought of as the ‘quarterback’ on the basketball court. He has to set up the play, call it out, and look pass-first. Earlier in the season, Knicks Head Coach Larry Brown experimented with using Stephon Marbury as the Shooting Guard to take advantage of his talents and to allow him the chance to score more. He had success doing this with Allan Iverson when he coached the Philadelphia 76ers. It did not work out as well with Marbury and he has mainly played the Point Guard. He is also just coming back from a shoulder injury.

Steve Francis is an interesting player. His nickname is “Franchise”. He was a first round pick in the 1999 NBA Draft (number two overall selection) of the then-Vancouver Grizzlies, who have since moved to Memphis. He forced a trade to the Houston Rockets because he did not want to play in Vancouver. Not to side with Francis, but at the time that organization was not run very well and were one of the worst teams in the NBA. He played in Houston for 5 seasons with his best year being 2001-2002 when he averaged 21.6 points per game. He was traded in 2004 to the Orlando Magic in a multi-player deal where he and Tracy McGrady were the major names involved. His numbers have dropped a little since the trade to the Magic. This season he ha averaged 16.2 points per game in 46 games played, with 45 starts.

Steve Francis is a talented player. No one can take that away from him. He has averaged 19.3 points per game for his career. He joined a distinct group in 2003-2004 along with Magic Johnson, Grant Hill and Oscar Robinson as the only players in NBA history to average 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in each of their first five seasons. He is also a 3-time NBA All-Star. One knock against him is that he has only played in five playoff games in his career and he is in his 8th season. That is a reflection of him not being able to lead his team, whichever one he played for, to the post season. Point Guards have the dubious distinction of having this responsibility. They are in a way judged by the success of their teams rather than their individual statistics.

Coincidentally enough, this has also been the negative talk on Stephon Marbury. He is in his 14th season and has played in 18 playoff games. But every team he has been traded from has had more success after he left. The Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets and Phoenix Suns all dealt the talented guard from Coney Island, Brooklyn and never looked back.

Only time will tell if Francis and Marbury can use their talent to help the team improve. The Knicks currently have the second-worst record in the league. They can only improve, unless they sink to the basement of the NBA below the second-year Charlotte Bobcats.

(Long Island, NY) The Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers now have ‘one for the thumb’. The Seattle Seahawk fans would like to give the officials one of those digits on their hands in appreciation for the hard work that they put in calling a fair game. And believe me it isn’t a thumbs up…..Games aren’t completely won or lost due to calls by the officiating crew. But they sure can change in a big way…..Big Ben was surely bailed out big time. He had a pretty lame game for a Super Bowl winning quarterback. But a W is a W. Congrats.

The Jets are asking Chad Pennington to take a pay cut the size of New Jersey. They want him to rework his contract which would make the majority of this year’s salary payable in incentives. Look, I understand that the guy has been out while collecting a nice chunk of change. But he did get hurt while playing for the team, not a pick-up 3 on 3 basketball tournament in the off season. I can see him doing something to help out the salary cap situation. But don’t act like the guy called in sick and went sneaking off to the beach.

Every time I hear anything about the hockey in the Winter Olympics I have to laugh. Or should I cry? It’s such a joke that all of these NHL professionals are out there playing against one another skating for their home countries and then they’ll be back on the same lines wearing their team sweaters once this charade finishes. I feel bad for the fans that never experienced the real Olympic hockey, mostly the 1980 Lake Placid games. That was a real tournament with amateurs playing their hearts out for their countries. And they actually lived in those places they represented. There was also that feeling of rivalries and bad blood. The Cold War was alive and kicking and the drama of facing teams from Communist nations had a different karma. Obviously peace in the world is more important than hockey. The only way to recapture some of that would be to have the Taliban lace up the blades against the good ‘ol US of A.

People have been getting on Chris “Mad Dog” Russo for his opinion on the Bryant Gumbel issue. But if you’re so defensive about allowing Gumbel to say what he felt about the Winter Olympics, politics, and racial issues then why are you chiding the Dog for stating his opinion? Life is a 2 way street and there are 2 sides to be said in every story. Gumbel had his and Russo should be given that same soapbox to let the listeners know what he feels about it…..Trust me I would rather hear talk about actual sports and not broadcasters interjecting themselves into other territories. But it was a topic that had to be addressed and it just snowballed…..Athletes and the people that cover them should just stick to the games. It is an escape from the real world and we fans are getting cheated when we lose time from the entertainment of sports to issues that we wanted to get away from in the first place.

LAST CALL: A big ‘Thumbs Up’ to Mike Utley. Seeing him at the Super Bowl is a reminder that even though sports are fun and games, it’s not always that. The former Detroit Lion offensive lineman had his life drastically altered with his paralyzing injury. But he did not let that ruin his positive attitude and his will to walk once again.

LONG ISLAND SPORTS UPDATE: The New York Dragons improved to 2-1 with an 83-81 win at Utah. Quarterback Aaron Garcia threw an incredible 10 touchdown passes to key the victory.

The Strong Island Sound picked up where they left off with 2 straight wins following the ABA all-star break. Home victories over the Maryland Nighthawks and the Harlem Strongdogs left them 1 game under .500 with a 13-14 record. Coming into the weekend the Sound were ranked 16th in the ABA Power Rankings. Victories over two top 10 teams will most likely propel the Sound higher when the league’s weekly rating system is updated.

(Long Island, NY) The Long Island Ducks held a vote on their web site for the fans to pick their choices for “The Flock Top 15”. Over their six years in existence, the Ducks have had many fan favorites and colorful players. The players are announced weekly on the Ducks web site. There are 5 more names to be released before the season starts. Here’s a recap of what they have given us so far.

Number 15– Bill Simas, P- Big Bill was a part of ‘The Band’, the group of 4 pitchers (Simas, Bill Pulsipher, Matt Beech and Lance Davis) that came back to the Ducks for the post season after being signed by major league clubs in 2004. Simas was a former Chicago White Sox relief pitcher and was dominant in the Atlantic League in his one season. He was the Ducks closer and recorded the last out in the August 9th first half championship, the North Division championship and Atlantic League championship games. He finished the regular season with 17 saves and a 1.95 ERA.

Number 14– Mark Whiten, OF- Everyone remembers Mark Whiten from hitting 4 home runs in one game in 1993 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. But he also had some memorable moments with the Ducks in 2002 and 2003. He hit .311, 19, 61 his first 3 months with the team.

Number 13– Francisco Morales, C- A immensely popular player who was an original Duck in 2000. His best season on Long Island was his last, 2002, when he hit .330, 20, 85.

Number 12– Lance Davis, P- A left-handed starting pitcher that had major league experience with the Cincinnati Reds before coming to the Ducks. Lance started the deciding game in the 2004 North Division playoff series against the Nashua Pride and pitched 7.2 innings of shutout ball. Also pitched for the Ducks in 2005.

Number 11– Jason Johnson, OF- JJ’s 3-year stay with the Ducks lasted from 2003-2005. The highlight was recording the final put-out in rightfield when the Ducks won the league championship in 2004.

Number 10– Tom Caputo, IF- Valley Stream native that played all four infield and two outfield positions in his 3 seasons (2001-2003). His first home run with the Ducks came as a walk-off in 2003 against their rivals, the Bridgeport Bluefish.

Number 9– Dominick Ambrosini, OF- Another local player, Dominick made the 2004 All-Star team in his lone season with the Ducks.

Number 8– Patrick Lennon, DH/IF- Major league veteran who played for the Ducks from 2002-2005. Had a huge season in 2004 with .323, 14, 88. In the team’s playoff run in their championship ’04 season, Pat had 7 RBI and hit .316.

Number 7– Henry Rodriguez, DH/IF- O’Henry came to the Ducks after a major league career that included being named to the NL All-Star team. His lone season on Long Island was 2005, where he helped the team to their second consecutive playoff berth by hitting .322, 27, 72.

Number 6– Kevin Baez, IF- Brooklyn native that was in the New York Mets farm system and played with the big league club in parts of 3 seasons. Played with the Ducks from 2002-2005. Made the Atlantic League All-Star team in back-to-back seasons (’03 and ’04) and was named the game’s MVP in 2004. A big part of the Ducks’ championship run in 2004. Came back the following season as a player/coach before going to coaching full-time in June. A fan favorite who now resides on Long Island.

Who will be in the top 5? Obvious choices will be Bill Pulsipher and Doug Jennings. Cole Liniak had so many big hits in the magical 2004 season. Joe Cotton, Rusty Meacham and Todd Erdos were important relief pitchers. Donavan Osborne, Pedro Borbon Jr., Adonis Harrison, Rusty McNamara, and Rod Henderson (only Ducks no-hitter) are all possibilities. Regardless of who is chosen, all of these players have been an important part of the Ducks and Long Island in general.

I will submit a future column with the remaining 5 Ducks when the complete list is published. Feel free to drop me an e-mail to let me know who your favorite player is and why.

(Long Island, NY) The Knicks have been looking for that big man in the middle since Patrick Ewing left. Eddy Curry was acquired to fill that hole. He has been too inconsistent for the first half of this season to be considered that player. The question is if he will ever become that type of player.

Dominating centers are hard to come by in this day and age. The Shaqs and Duncans of the world are very rare. You have to take a chance sometimes on a young frontcourt player. The Chicago Bulls may have already done that and got away with a mistake. The Knicks were happy to take him off their hands with a possible serious medical condition and then sign him to a long term extension. And by the way, also giving up their own young player.

Michael Sweetney was not a center but did have some size and played hard. Knicks general manager Isiah Thomas did sink a lot of faith and money into Curry, who had not proven a heck of a lot in his Bulls tenure. His conditioning has always been suspect before the heart condition was an issue. He arrived at Knicks camp out of shape and declared that he would work himself back. When do we call him out on that?

At times he has looked like a true force in the paint on the offensive side. But his defense has not been up to par. He has a very good shooting percentage but does not take enough shots. Part of the problem is that he can’t stay on the floor due to early foul trouble. He also has to learn the game in regards to assists. Centers are not held to this statistic, but he has a total of 8 in over 1,000 minutes. That’s Yinka Dare territory.

Curry has also missed time due to numerous bumps and bruises. Thankfully the heart ailment has not been a problem. But watching in street clothes because of calf strains, tweaked knees, etc. have been too frequent. This is where conditioning comes in.

The Knicks are committed to Curry for 6 years and 60 big ones. And that may not be the worst of it. They surrendered their first round pick in the upcoming college draft. And it is not protected in any way. They are definitely headed for the lottery. At this pace the chances of a top three pick are pretty good. Imagine they draw the number one pick and Bulls general manager John Paxson is standing there saying “Excuse me, but I believe that belongs to me”. If Isiah is still part of the Knicks organization at that point, he probably won’t be for much longer.

Curry may turn out to be the real deal. He is still young and did not play at the collegiate level to hone his game. But similar things can be said about the Knicks back-up center Jackie Butler. But he’s basically the team’s 11th or 12th man and is not a salary cap issue. One more thing about Butler. He has the same number of assists as Curry in approximately 1/5 the minutes. See where I’m coming from?

(Long Island, NY) The Jets have swept the plate clean and are looking for a fresh start. When you finish 4-12 and have as many question marks as they do right now, that’s not exactly a bad thing. This group definitely fits the old saying- the new ‘kids’ on the block.

Between the head coach, offensive coordinator and General Manager, there isn’t even a need for the famous Jack Benny ‘39 years old’ line. These guys are young. Very young in the big, bad world of the NFL. Eric Mangini and all his 35 years is the man running the show. He is believed to be the driving force behind getting his longtime friend Mike Tannenbaum, 36, promoted from assistant to head GM. And prior to that Mangini hired an offensive coordinator that was even younger than he, 32-year old Brian Schottenheimer, who spent the last 4 seasons as the San Diego Chargers quarterbacks coach under dad Marty.

Critics have stated that Mangini would have been smarter to hire an offensive coordinator with a little experience and possibly a former head coach to ease him through some growing pains. Is it possible that young Eric would have felt uneasy with someone older and wiser standing beside him? He made this decision without even consulting with the GM at the time, Terry Bradway, who has since been reassigned in the organization.

With 3 very important parts of the organization performing their respective duties for the first time, this may be a trial and error period that the Jets cannot afford. Especially in the upcoming draft. The Jets currently have the overall fourth pick. Regardless of who is chosen ahead of that pick, there will be some talented players sitting there for the Jets. If either Matt Leinhart or Vince Young are still on the board, do the Jets grab a possible franchise quarterback? It’s a difficult decision with all the money tied up with an injured Chad Pennington. Will he be ready for the 2006 season? Even if he is, he may not be the answer with his surgically repaired throwing shoulder and a right arm that was already deemed suspect. The Jets may take a chance and trade down a few spots and pick Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler. He was high on a lot of people’s boards but he did not have an outstanding senior bowl.

Do they choose a running back to replace the aging Curtis Martin, who is also coming back from season ending surgery? How about the offensive line? The Jets have more holes in that unit than any other. (Excuse me for using the word ‘holes’ in the same sentence as the Jets offensive line). Do they pick a stud such as OT D’Brickshaw Ferguson from Virginia? He could anchor their line for years to come. But picking an offensive lineman that high is never the ‘sexy’ pick that the fans and newspaper headline writers are looking for. But for all intents and purposes it makes the most sense. This unit needs to be addressed for more than one position.

The Jets need to find players either in the draft or free agency. They still need to find a tight end after last year’s trade for Doug Jolley blew up in their faces. And what to do with defensive end John Abraham? Do they put the franchise tag on him again, sign him to a long term deal, or trade him for picks? He didn’t exactly light it up last year and his value may be down. Right now they are weaker in the defensive tackle position than end. They still have Shaun Ellis and Bryan Thomas. Losing Jason Ferguson to Dallas as a free agent last year hurt them more than they imagined. Teams were able to run on them at will and they didn’t have a big body in the middle to clog the holes.

The Jets new hierarchy definitely has their work cut out for them. It is hard to tell what owner Woody Johnson feels about all of this because he will not take questions. At the press conference he read a prepared statement and then was as tight lipped as gangsters in the pre-Abe “Kid Twist” ‘omerta’ days. Jet fans will have to put their trust in the aloof Woody and hope that they have something to cheer for come draft day.

(Long Island, NY) Charles Wang has tried to make changes and improvements for a while now. The owner of the New York Islanders wanted to update the current facility, the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. After being rebuffed and delayed by the county he has looked into the possibility of building a new arena in Suffolk County. There are many questions but one thing is certain. The Islanders are currently playing in a facility that is very outdated and has been for some time now.

There have been other groups with proposals for the location. One of them being from the New York Mets who envision a brand new building adjacent to the current arena and a minor league baseball stadium nearby. The county will evaluate all the proposals and make a final decision. This could wind up being a long process.

Charles Wang has publicly stated that he will look to other locations if he does not win the bid at the current one. He has met with Suffolk County officials and proposed two possible locations. One being in Brentwood at the site of Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center, the other being in Selden. No one can be sure if this is just grandstanding on Wang’s part to show Nassau County that he is not afraid to move the Islanders. But who can honestly blame him if he did?

The fans of the team are the ones who will ultimately benefit from any results of this process. They will either have a refurbished or new building that will still be on Long Island. Any improvements to the current Coliseum will be welcomed. If it does have to be moved out east, the pluses will outweigh the minuses.

The 2 Suffolk locations will have to be improved as far as infrastructure goes. Public transportation will have to be addressed to make it easier for fans traveling to the games to have an option other than driving. Commercial establishments will also be added to the area surrounding the arena.

The Islanders have had limited success on the ice and the strike that ruined the 2004-2005 season did not exactly help the cause for a new or redeveloped Coliseum. The team has had trouble drawing large crowds and they are still clinging to their great history winning 4 Stanley Cups in the early 1980’s. A new building may be the better way to go for attendance reasons. Fans will come out to see a new arena. How many will come running to see a refurbished one that is housing a mediocre team is a good question.

New York may finally catch up to many other cities with new stadiums. The Mets and Yankees facilities seem ready to go and both are expected to be ready for 2009. The Ducks, Cyclones, and Staten Island Yankees all play in brand new minor league ballparks. And the Islanders may not have the only new sports facility on the island. If the group from the Mets ownership wins the bid for the Uniondale location, another minor league baseball stadium will be coming. In addition, proposals for the Yaphank land all include a 6,000 seat arena, which will become the home of the Long Island affiliate of the ABA, the Strong Island Sound.

The outcome of all of this may be very interesting. As sad as it may be, it is becoming more exciting than watching an actual Islander game.

(Long Island, NY) There’s a professional minor league sports franchise on Long Island that offers a family friendly atmosphere, affordable tickets, free parking, in-game promotions, approachable players who are happy to sign autographs, and a mascot that is a large bird. No, I’m not talking about the Long Island Ducks baseball team. I’m referring to the Strong Island Sound of the American Basketball Association.

Long Island has a long history with the original ABA. The New York Nets were a staple of the league and were one of the 4 teams that merged with the NBA following the 1976 season. Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J, plied his trade for the Nets in long-forgotten buildings such as The Commack Arena and The Island Garden. Especially after the Ducks proved that minor league sports can not only survive but thrive on Long island, it would be a natural fit to try it with an ABA basketball team.

The ABA was brought back to life in 2000 by people that had connections to the original league. This time it was formed as an independent minor league (similar to the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, in which the Ducks play). The new ABA is using the same red, white, and blue basketball and also has some unique rules that make if special. The old league started the 3-point shot and the slam dunk contest. The new league has the 3-D Rule, 6th Foul Rule, and 3-10-and Out Overtime Rule. There are also a number of former NBA players that have joined the ABA, such as Dennis Rodman and Tim Hardaway.

Long Island was granted an expansion team for the 2005-2006 season, which runs from November to March. The name was chosen last year after a ‘name the team’ contest was held in a number of school districts in Suffolk County. The winning students received season tickets and team apparel. The team had to schedule its games at college venues for the inaugural season. St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue and Suffolk Community College in Selden have been their ‘home courts’. The ultimate goal is to be playing at the proposed 6,000 seat arena on the county-owned land in Yaphank. All of the proposals (including one group from the team) have in their plans to build an arena. So it is just a matter of time before the Sound are playing in a home of their own.

The Sound have had different promotions all season long to offer either free or discounted admission. Regular ticket prices are $12.00. College and high school students are admitted for $9.00. Seniors 55 and over are $8.00. Military personnel are half-price. Different agencies were given free admission for a particular game. There was Teacher Appreciation Night, Health Care Worker Appreciation Night and Correction Officer/Sheriff Appreciation Night. An upcoming weekend set of games will honor the Police Department (February 17th) and Fire Department (February 18th). There was also a Youth League Night where fans wearing their team jerseys were admitted for $8.00. The next Youth League Night will be on March 3rd.

The ABA also has a special promotion that allows teams to suit up a “13th Man Celebrity Player” for a game. This person is in full uniform, sits at the bench with the team, and gets into the game and plays. On January 20th, the Sound were joined by 6’6” 419 pound competitive eater Ed “Cookie” Jarvis. The Long Island native and Sound fan brought good luck to the team in a win versus the Newark Express and their head coach, Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins. The Sound recently announced that comedian Bob Nelson will join them as the 13th Man for the March 3rd game. There are also rumblings that more announcements are on the horizon.

The Sound have played exciting fast-paced basketball. They have rebounded from a slow start and are currently 10-13, 16th in the ABA Power Rankings. The league has 37 teams, 24 of which qualify for the post season. The Sound are in position right now to host a playoff game.

The Sound provide for their fans a lot of in-game promotions to go along with the high-scoring basketball. There are dribble and free-throw contests for the kids and “Remember the ABA” trivia contests for the adults. There are “T-Shirt Toss Time-Outs”. The team mascot is named Sheyken Bayke and is appropriately a large yellow chicken in a team uniform. He invites all the young fans down to mid-court at halftime to join him in “The Chicken Dance”.

The Sound can be a success on the court and off if they can build a fan base. The team’s marketing motto is “It’s an event, not just a game”. By attending one I’m sure that you will agree with them.

LI SPORTS NOTES: Final scores from Friday February 3, 2006

The New York Dragons evened their record at 1-1 in the young season with a 51-47 win at Chicago versus the Rush.

The Strong Island Sound defeated the Express in Newark 113-108.

For more information on the Strong Island Sound visit: www.strongislandsound.com