NEW YORK, NY – First let me apologize for my absence this past week. I’ve been jammed up at the office trying to cross all of my t’s and dot all of my lowercase j’s for the end of the year. Starting today, I’m on vacation until 2013. Today I’ll be spending most of the day catching up on some neglected Christmas movies including National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Bad Santa, and A Muppet Christmas Carol… While on the subject of Christmas movies, lets take a look at some other Christmas classics and how they relate to the current state of New York sports.
It’s a Wonderful Life – Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod has to be thinking that it is a wonderful life after realizing that he will be paid almost $30 million a year for the next five years to do absolutely nothing. With Kevin Youkilis in pinstripes, Rodriguez won’t be playing much – if any – third base. And with his geriatric hips and ancient knees, he won’t be healthy enough to figure in the lineup very often. This all means that A-Rod will become the highest paid bench-warmer in history. And he’ll have plenty of time to hit on every “model” within earshot of the Yankees dugout. For Alex Rodriguez, it certainly is a Wonderful Life.
Miracle on 34th Street – New York Knickerbockers. With the Brooklynettes emigrating from Dirty Jersey to make their home at the Barclays Center and the hoopla that surrounded the move, the Knicks were just trying to stay relevant in the New York basketball discussion. But they stormed out to a brilliant start and have maintained their dominance since. They’re at the top of the heap in the East and its almost Christmas! Who woulda thunk it (Besides Dude and Nick Erbocker)? Considering how average the Knicks have been the past couple of seasons, their present high-flying position is a minor miracle. Dude has convinced me to give watching the Knicks a chance and without hockey, I pretty much have to. I have enjoyed the couple of games I’ve watched recently, so maybe this basketball thing will take with me.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Gary Bettman/NHL. Speaking of hockey, it’s time for my bi-weekly grumblings about the state of the NHL lockout. Hockey is definitely done for this year. Who knows? It may be done forever. With the current gap between the two sides, I can’t be optimistic that an agreement will ever be reached. Gary Bettman should be banned for life from hockey. He is one of the top five worst people to ever walk the Earth. For now, I’m stuck to watching juniors and college hockey. The Kitchener Rangers are my adopted team in the OHL – they wear their namesake’s jerseys and even use the grownup Rangers’ goal song.
Scrooged – Mets Fans. It’s been discussed already this week; Angry Ward dealt beautifully with it Wednesday. (Of all the Angry Wards in the world, he’s the Angry Wardiest). Anyway, Sandy Alderson and the Mets letting their ace R.A. Dickey move to the great white north has to leave a sour taste in Mets fans’ mouths. It was probably a prudent business decision, but it means another year where the Mets aren’t even trying.
Thats it for me today. I’m getting ready to watch Tyler Perry’s A Blaber Christmas
Merry Christmahanukwanzakka to all!
