The Mets had not had an Old Timers' Day in more than three decades, due largely to the indifference of former owner Fred Wilpon. Oh, many of the old stars would return for special occasions, but, on Saturday, Old Timers' Day was back. Current owner Steve Cohen, a long time Mets fan, gave the fan base not only the spectacle that was missing, but a huge surprise.
Just weeks after player-turned-broadcaster Keith Hernandez had his #17 retired, Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who finished his career in New York (1972-3), had his #24 raised to the ring of honor in the upper deck, joining Hernandez, Mike Piazza, Casey Stengel, Tom Seaver, and Gil Hodges.
The Old Timers' festivities ran long, so the regularly scheduled game between the Mets & Colorado, a 3-0 Mets win, was delayed by about 20 minutes.
For his next trick, maybe Cohen can bring back Banner Day.
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Once upon a time, when MTV actually cared about music, the Video Music Awards were a must-see spectacle.
Not so anymore, not when MTV overloads on blocks of Ridiculousness reruns 7 days a week.
This year's edition, the first live-in-front-of-a-audience event since 2019 due to, of course, COVID-19, takes place tonight in Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center, home of the NHL Devils. Rapper-actor LL Cool J (NCIS Los Angeles, Lip Sync Battle), Nicki Minaj, & Jack Harlow co-host. The first two hours will be simulcast for the first time on the CW in an effort to bump up sagging ratings (gee, what a surprise).
Seeing as how the network ignored its own 40th anniversary last year, maybe a make-good is in order.
Naaaaaaaaah.
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The Buffalo Bills drafter punter Matt Araiza in the 6th round back in April out of San Diego State, and just a week ago, was given the starting job.
As of yesterday, Araiza is out of a job.
By his own admission last fall, Araiza took part in a gang rape of a 17 year old at a party. The case didn't get as much national attention as, say, the imbroglio involving Deshaun Watson, now with Cleveland and about to serve a 11 game suspension imposed by the league. However, the victim and her attorney decided to file a civil suit against Araiza this week. The timing is suspicious enough that online commenters believe the attorney was looking for an easy payday, even though his client's not looking for money.
Two Aztecs teammates that took part in the rape were subsequently cut from the team, and not yet drafted. Araiza's pro dreams have been smashed. According to those same commenters, police in San Diego investigated the case, but why file a civil suit 10 months later, when the criminal investigation, depending on who you talk to, has or hasn't been completed? In many rape cases, the victim doesn't come forward right away out of fear and/or trauma. We've seen that play out several times in crime dramas such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. According to reports, the victim did report the crime within a day or so, but it's the timing of the case now getting national publicity that is a wee bit questionable.
We're praying this young woman is getting support not only from her family and SDSU, but also counseling from someone other than an ambulance chasing shyster who wants his 15 minutes of fame.
Barring any further legal complications, it'll be a long time before Araiza steps onto a football field again.
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We have noted previously how city businessman David Bryce, a graduate of RPI & Troy High, wants to convert the Uncle Sam Atrium into another overpriced apartment complex.
Apparently, Bryce hasn't completely read the room, if you will.
While the Uncle Sam Parking Garage is being torn down, someone should tell Bryce that there's an opportunity to build a sports arena in the Atrium space between 3rd & 4th Streets. As we've noted over at Tri-City SportsBeat, LaSalle Institute, long a rival of Troy High's, has been displaced from its home rink at Hudson Valley Community College. The garage can be used for those apartments, or rebuilt from the ground up. Sure, RPI will want a piece of the pie, since the ancient Houston Field House only seats anywhere from 2-4,000 fans for games, and they can't draw flies for women's hockey. In this writer's opinion, it's on Bryce to give something to downtown that they desperately need, not another apartment building with four figure per month rents.
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