Good morning, sports fans! Here is today's Fire Extinguisher Edition of 'Morning Coffee,' where we honor Amare Stoudemire, Phil Hughes and athletes everywhere [Metta World Peace, Albert Pujols] who seem unable to actually help their teams.
The New York Knicks are not having any fun in the NBA playoffs, down 2-0 to the Miami Heat and facing their 13th consecutive playoff loss Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will, of course, be without the glass-breaking Stoudemire.
You know who is having fun, though? We are -- at Stoudemire's expense. We are coming up with tabloid headline ideas for Amare and the Knicks. And, after the jump, Amare's exploits provide SB Nation YouTube with our SB Nation Video of the Day.
Amar'e Stoudemire Injury: Things he should have punched (via sbnation)
Baseball
Phil Hughes didn't punch anything Tuesday night, but perhaps he should have. The New York Yankees struggling right-hander fell to 1-4 in a 7-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The good news, in addition to Hughes' not punching anything? His ERA actually fell from 7.88 to 7.48. Now that is progress.
New York Mets pitcher Jon Neise must have been cursed by Hughes also pitching Tuesday, as he also had a rough night in a 6-3 loss to the Houston Astros.
NHL Playoffs
Ilya Kovalchuk? Who needs him? Playing without their star offensive player, the New Jersey Devils scored four times in the third period to rout the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1, in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference NHL Playoff series.
The New York Rangers are in Washington to face the Capitals Wednesday in Game 3 of their series.
Quotable
"He had one good year, one good year don't make you a great football player,'' Reese said. " It means you had one good year. He's a smart young man, I think he wants to focus on what's most important, and that's football.''
-- New York Giants GM Jerry Reese on Victor Cruz turning down 'Dancing With The Stars'