Flirting With Superman

NEWARK--There seems to be a little more energy out of the Prudential Center crowd tonight. That can only mean one thing.

Dwight Howard is in the building.

Superman stood in line as the 'Imperial March' from the Star Wars movies echoed throughout the stadium.  As he began slapping hands in the Magic huddle, the Nets P.A. announcer merely uttered the big man's name in his best impression of a fifth-grade history teacher calling attendance.


However, instead of the usual yawn from the bored students there was an enormous ovation welcoming Howard to New Jersey.
                                       

I've been to my share of Net games this season and lets just say the stadium was a little more crowded, more energetic, and the Nets techies put on quite the display all for one reason—to woo the big man into a marriage that every Net fan so desperately wants.

The Banner, The Yankees and The Memory

STATEN ISLAND, NY— The story of 9/11 has been told in many ways. While I may not have lost anyone on that fateful day,you could feel the turmoil and pain throughout the city. Being 10-years-old at the time, I still have a vivid memory of the day. However, being 10-years-old I did not fully understand the story. That was until I spoke to retired FDNY Batallion Chief Jack Pritchard about the first baseball game at Yankee stadium after Sept. 11,2001.

 Jack has been great friends with my father for as long as I could remember. While this article should of be written during the fall months, a story like this one—doesn't need a dateline. It is one that should be told all year round.

The Many Names of Jeremy Lin

The only thing more explosive than Jeremy Lin's play as of late is the amount of love he is getting on twitter. Lets not forget the man did go to Harvard

Playoffs Definite With Lopez

NEWARK,NJ—Ten years.  Ten painful years.  Thats how long it has been since the New Jersey Nets were a legitimate contender for an NBA Title.

Now, with superstar Deron Williams, the Nets came into the season poised to retain at least a playoff birth if not more.

However, Brook Lopez's right-foot had other plans.

Lopez has been out since Dec. 23, when he had surgery on his broken right-foot. 

Despite Lopez's inability to grab rebounds, the Nets would be a playoff team if he was healthy.
Crazy, I think not.

Big Blue Magic Once Again

INDIANAPOLIS—On a night where New York, New York normally would have been played throughout Lucas Oil Stadium a different song rang through.
That song was Empire State of Mind and just like Sinatra's classic words it played the same role with a new twist.


That classic new twist feeling was booming throughout Lucas Oil Stadium when the Giants defeated the Patriots 21-17  in Super Bowl XLVI.
Eli Manning was 30-40 for 296 yards and one touchdown in route to winning his second Super Bowl MVP.  Manning also became the 11th quarterback in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowl's.
The Patriots were plagued by multiple dropped passes in the 4th quarter by their normally stellar receiving core.
With 4:06 left, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw a pass to a wide open Wes Welker in Giants territory.  Welker flubbed the pass and it resulted in an incomplete pass.
After the incomplete the Patriots punted and the Giants took over.
Eli Manning led an 88-yard drive highlighted by a 38-yard pass to Mario Manningham in what proved to be the highlight of the game.

After an Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown with 57 seconds left Tom Brady took over for an apparent game-winning Super Bowl drive.
With dropped passes by New England receivers Deion Branch and Aaron Hernandez, the Patriots had time for one last heave down the field.
With 5 seconds left Brady launched the ball to the end zone into a cluster of Giants and Patriots players. 
The ball was batted down and landed safely on the turf solidifying the Giants Super Bowl victory.
Brady finished the game 27-41 for 276 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
While Super Bowl XLVI was different from Super Bowl XLII the atmosphere surrounding the game was still a classic.

To Be A Kid Again

Newark, NJ—Being twenty-years-old, I hover around being an adult and still a kid.  Tonight, I realized I am older than I thought.
The Nets took on the Minnesota Timberwolves and my Christmas present to my sister Jenna, cousin Jess and my nine-year old cousin Stephany was to take them to the Prudential Center in hopes of a Nets victory.
For Stephany, it was her first professional game.
Three Deron Williams t-shirts and a few foam fingers later, I realized how exciting the games used to be before I learned the business of basketball.

Stephany, Jenna and Jess sitting in the second to last row at the Prudential Center

Anthony Morrow put on one of the best shooting displays of the season as he cruised to a new career high with 42 points.
The girls were cheering for Humphries (of course) and for T'Wolves guard Ricky Rubio (even more of course)
For the first time I wasn't mad that the Nets lost in heartbreaking fashion 108-105.  It was a close game throughout and this game reminded me why I love the game of basketball.
On the car ride home the girls were still raving about the game.
"We will be talking about this 20 years from now," Stephany said.  She then proceeded to say "Eww, I'll be 29 by then and [pointing at me] you will be 40."
Past all the scores, the stats, the media, and the contracts it is still just the game of basketball and it still touches everyone's heart.
"Thank you for the best night of my week," Stephany said.

Nets Sign Bogans

The Nets have signed veteran guard Keith Bogans according to a tweet from the Nets PR Department.  Bogans started all 82 games last season for the Chicago Bulls and averaged 4.4 points per game.  Coinciding with the acquisition of Bogans the Nets waived forward Larry Owens.