The city doesn't sleep, and neither do we.
When I'll Have Another chases Triple Crown glory on June 9 in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park Bodemeister, narrow runner-up in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, won't be there. Trainer Bob Baffert indicated over the week that Bodemeister will skip the Belmont and prep for the June 29 Haskell Invitational.
That is disappointing.
I don't claim to be a horse racing expert. Like many, I follow the Triple Crown races. After that, the sport fades to background noise is a busy sports landscape.
I am, however, a sports fan. A fan of great rivalry. A fan of great achievement. A fan of greatness.
No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Watching the courage of I'll Have Another, chasing down Bodemeister in the final yards of both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, you have to believe he has a real chance to change that.
As a sports fan you want I'll Have Another to accomplish that feat, if he can, against the best competition possible. Without Bodemeister, owned by Zayat Stables of Hackensack, N.J., in the field that won't be the case.
Stop the presses: Tebowing is officially in for Madden 13. The famed one-knee, fist-to-forehead maneuver popularized by Tim Tebow will be an option in this year's iteration of the popular NFL video game. There's no word yet on how one will be able to pull off the move, or whether anyone other than Tebow can even do it.
The 2011-12 athletic year for the Stony Brook Seawolves athletic program has so far been a success, and on Sunday the university announced a $21.1 million plan that will hopefully continue success into the future. According to a report on Saturday from Newsday.com, the university is starting a construction project in June that will build a new 4,000-seat sports and entertainment venue.
The renovations will include four luxury boxes and a VIP lounge area at the loge level with premium courtside seating, thanks to an anonymous private donation of $1 million because state funds cannot be used for that purpose. The north side of the current structure will expand toward the parking lot to create room for concessions, restrooms and a concourse.
The officially announcement of the new facilities by Athletic Director Jim Fiore came on Sunday.
"At the end of the day, we're a major research university that is playing in a high school gym," Fiore said. "It's all well and good because we're winning games, but facilities are a silent statement of your commitment to excellence."
The Seawolves have won two of the last three America East men's basketball championships, and according to Fiore have brought in their best recruiting class to date.
The baby-daddy tales of New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie are well documented, but for a man who's fathered 10 children by eight different women this latest story may take the cake.
According to the New York Post, Cromartie's wife, Terricka Cason Cromartie, who's pregnant with the couples second child, faked a suicide on May 6 to get the attention of her husband, who she suspected of cheating on her. Terricka sent two text messages to Cromartie in the middle of the night saying, "God forgive me, I don’t want to die. What have I done? I cut my wrists. I took those pills."
Fearing the worst, Cromartie called the police, who broke down two doors with an axe and found Terricka in bed with the two children completely fine.
More on this story after the jump...
Former New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson said during a recent radio interview that he is "95 percent retired" from the NFL.
"I haven't thought about going back out and playing football next year. As of right now I am not going back and playing football," Tomlinson said. "It would just have to be something that I would have to think about and talk with my family and just really before I made a decision know that it is the right decision."
Tomlinson was asked if he understands how difficult it is for players to completely close the door on their careers.
"I completely understand because we are trained and structured a certain way to be on the schedule. As football players our bodies know exactly what time of year it is and what we need to be doing. Not only does it make it hard for that transition physically. It makes it hard mentally getting out of that mindset of okay I don't play no more. I don't have to go to the weight room. I don't have to go workout if I don't want to. I am not playing this Sunday," Said Tomlinson. "It's hard to get out of that frame of mind when you have been doing it 20-plus years of your life."
New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford, formerly of the New York Jets, didn't dance around the question when he was asked about Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez.
"I like Mark I think he’s a very talented quarterback but from my standpoint I haven’t seen a lot of maturation from the position,” Weatherford said on the Cover Two podcast Thursday. “When you’re a quarterback and you come in and you’re expected to be the face of the franchise and you’re expected to lead the team that’s a lot to take on as a rookie, but as the years go on I think you’re expected to mature skill wise and also mature as a leader and to be honest with you, as much as I like the guy I just haven’t seen that.”
Ouch! Of course, there is really no love lost between Weatherford and the Jets following Weatherford's unceremonious dumping by the Jets after he punted there for two seasons. Still, a little surprising that Weatherford would be so strong in his thoughts on Sanchez.
New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck appeared on the Michael Kay Show on ESPN Radio New York earlier this week. Tuck discussed disgruntled teammate Osi Umenyiora, the dangers of playing football and more.
After the jump, excerpts of Tuck's interview with Kay.
Major League Baseball officially announced Wednesday that the 2013 MLB All-Star Game will be held at Citi Field.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was a guest this morning on CNN's 'Starting Point.' With the Giants receiving their Super Bowl XLVI championship rings Wednesday night Manning said there are definite rules regarding when he will -- and won't -- wear the ring, his second.
"I wear it on special occasions up to the start of the season and then put it away. New year, new season. Let's try to go get another one. I won't wear it on an every-day basis," Manning said. "If I'll see friends or my family and they haven't seen it, wear it and just kind of casually walk in and that's the first thing they see. They like to look at it. It's a big ring. It's almost hard to wear."
Manning also talked about pranks, his brother Peyton, the Jets quarterback situations with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow, and his appearance as host of 'Saturday Night Live.' Video after the jump.
Unintentionally, New York Rangers coach John Tortorella hosts what might be the most entertaining press conferences of any coach currently in professional sports. His one-word answers and biting, dismissive reactions to many of the questions he gets are becoming legendary.
The remix after the jump of Tortorella press conference answers is great entertainment -- even if that is exactly what Tortorella was trying NOT to provide. It is appropriately entitled 'Next Question.' I have to give 'Kudos' to The Big Lead for the original find.
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Edited by Ed Valentine
Ed is founder and editor of Big Blue View, SB Nation's New York Giants website. Ed loves the Yankees, but in all honesty could care less about the Knicks. E-mail Ed at edward.valentine@gmail.com. See my profile
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