It was 30 years ago today the greatest moment in American sports history took place in what we now know as The Miracle on Ice. To commemorate this event the 2010 USA Men’s Hockey team went out and played on of the greatest hockey games this side of Lake Placid NY, circa 1980.

IN the beginning of these Olympic games I found it tough to have to root for Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Brooks Orpik and Brian Rafalski, all enemies of the Garden Faithful but after last night pride of country has taken over pride of Broadway Blueshirts. Having Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan on the team makes it easier to root for team USA as they have embraced the same players whose blocks they enjoy knocking off for national pride.

The big problem will come if Team USA plays Sweden for the Gold Medal. Love of country or love of King Henrik?

 

Before I get on with this quick post on the Christmas Eve let me first wish one and all a happy and healthy Christmas. This will be it around here for today and tomorrow but before we break for Christmas a few quickies:

 

Please Theo Epstein do us Mets fans a favor and sign Jason Bay. Theo, you are a bright young GM and you played this perfectly as the only suitor for Bay is this broken down NL team with no direction home. Bravo Theo, bravo.  

 

Fernando Martinez can you be a has been even though you’ve never been? I wish MLB Network would do a show like E Entertainment does on Hollywood stars who fall to shit about ball players or future phenoms who never make it as F- Mart’s story would be epic. Who knows, now that Martinez has fallen off the major league wagon he can go back to being a minor leaguer learning to play baseball.

 

Couples split all the time but I was so sorry to hear about Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins breaking up. Now Sarandon is a great actress and I can’t pass by a display of lemons at the supermarket without think of her in the film Atlantic City but it’s Robbins, who is more than just a great actor, he is a great sports fan that made pause to feel upset of this breakup. I have met Tim Robbins twice in my life both at sporting events. Once at Shea as he is a big Mets fan and another time at Madison Square Garden as he is also a huge Rangers fan and a hockey player. I never knew how tall Robbins was until I met him in person, I’m 6ft and he is about a head taller than me. When I saw him at MSG, he was hanging out near the ice watching warm-ups like us other Rangers fans and when I recognized him I said that I had met him at Shea and in fact it was after the 2007 season or as we call it the Great Collapse of ’07, and we commiserated while watching the Blueshirts skate in warm ups He could not have been more gracious and being that we are the same age we not shared love of Mets and Rangers but rock music as well. I hope to run into again sometime this winter at MSG or at $iti Field in the spring.

 

Speaking of MSG, I can not believe it’s been 30 years since the Boston Bruins-Mike Milburry, Peter McNab, Terry O’Reily-stormed the stands at the Garden, right in front of me. My friends and I had season tickets in Blue Seats and when there were two minutes left in every home game we used to “make the move” downstairs to watch the end of the game, hear the 3 stars of the game and then head into the Manhattan night. There was tension in the building most of the night as there were with most Ranger-Bruin games. But when Milburry hopped over the glass followed by his teammates all hell broke lose. The funniest part of that night was when I got home and my mom and dad sitting in the living room by the phone. They were watching the 11 O’clock news and saw the riot, they both swore my friends and I were involved. Ah, good times.

I took to the keyboard late today because after the morning chores, I sat down to watch Rangers in 60 on MSG. Yes that’s right I watched the Ranger-Bruins exhibition game from last night and after months of hardship watching the Mets it was good to watch young strong hockey players bust their ass to make a team where the coach is on the lunatic fringe and will only play the guys who give a shit and perform no matter their salary or experience. The exact opposite of how the Mets are managed you might say.

I would have ventured over to 33 st and 8 Ave last night to view the Blueshirts in person but I chose to go to Amazin Tuesday at Two Boots last night and I’m so happy I did. Our Master of Ceremonies Greg Prince did a fine job as usual as did the guest speakers, John Coppinger, Jon Springer , and Jeff Pearlman who told some terrific stories especially on his writing The Bad Guys Won and more tales from the John Rocker Files.

As each of the speakers got up to give their dissertation the TV screens around Two Boots were showing the Mets-Braves game from The Ted. For all our screaming and yelling about the suckyness of our Mets each person in the good size crowd had an eye and two ears on the speakers and one eye on the game, We can say we don’t care but we’re full of shit. We care, oh boy do we care!!!!!!

By the way someday I want Daniel Murphy to meet me and thank me for having his back.

Pedro Feliciano wants a multi-year deal from the Mets. This is the equivalent of your house burning down to the ground and when trying to figure out how to rebuild it your main concern is what type of door knobs to buy. Pedro, on the list of things to do your contract is not any where near the discussion phase.

Although his walk rate and his all round zaniness would concern me, if the Cubs were to take Oliver Perez and say Eddie Kunz for Carlos Zambrano, the Mets would have to make that deal. Zambrano may be nuts but he is effective when he healthy and motivated and coming to NY and tag teamed with fellow Venezuelan Johan Santana might just bring out the best in El Loco.

Let’s hope this is the last day of the Ryan Church as a platoon player stories because I’m bored of it all ready. If it keeps up I’ll start up my sign Manny posts again.

Thank you Joel Sherman for giving us a Freddie Garcia update even though I don’t like what I’m hearing.

Yes Tom Renny is a nice man and a good coach but his firing today is not a shock but a move that is maybe two weeks overdue.  Not only are the Rangers losing at a disturbing pace but they are close to unwatchable. When they get down by two or more goals you might as well turn the dial because there is no fight in these Blueshirts to comeback. So now John Tortorella comes back to the organ-I-zation with a Stanley Cup and a Jack Adams Award on his resume and a 180 degree difference in personality from Renny. I hope Torts makes the Rangers to gassers until they puke in their first practice together.