Sunday, April 15, 2018

Sports this 'n' that

"All good things must come to an end."--Geoffrey Chaucer.

This morning, the Mets remain atop the National League East at 11-2, their 9 game winning streak snapped by Milwaukee on Saturday night, 5-1. The Amazin's simply ran out of late game magic on this night, unable to overcome Matt Harvey's struggles. Harvey went 5 innings, gave up 4 runs. Thankfully, there's no panic in Flushing. Yet.
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Well, the other shoe dropped at Siena College with the news on Friday that basketball coach Jimmy Patsos resigned after 5 seasons, just days after denying allegations of abusing players and a student manager who was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I had written here when the story broke that the fact that the Saints went 8-24 this past season had to be a determining factor in Patsos' demise in Loudonville. Patsos had done everything he could as a representative of the college, including doing commercials for local businesses.

Siena's not the only one looking for a new coach. The University at Albany is hanging the "help wanted" sign out again for a new women's basketball coach after Joanna Bernabe-McNamee resigned to take the same gig at Boston College. Sure, the Lady Danes' string of post-season appearances continued, albeit not in the NCAA's after their America East title run came to an end. Bernabe-McNamee lasted just 2 seasons in Albany, and the offer to go to BC, an Atlantic Coast Conference school the last few years, with a higher national profile, was too good to pass up. Just watch. In a few months, we'll be hearing about UAlbany's women getting home & home dates vs. the Lady Eagles......
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The one thing that might keep the Times Union Center from selling out entirely when the Albany Empire plays is the fact that most of their home games will be on television. Last night's opener, a 56-35 loss to Philadelphia, was broadcast on the CBS Sports Network, which holds the rights to the Arena Football League. With just 4 teams in the AFL this season, everyone's going to get their share of exposure. I can remember when the Albany Firebirds were selling out the arena fairly regularly back in the day, but with another, lesser known indoor league operating, the novelty of the "50 yard indoor war on the floor" has faded.

With the hometown angle (ex-Troy High & Iowa star Jordan Canzeri), there's no way El Cheapo Press passes on the Empire.

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