NYC...For Now

What's Playing: Mase - Welcome Back

Greetings readers! I've missed you all and I can only hope the feeling is mutual :)

Since the last post, I've finally freed myself from the 610-shackles and have returned to my glorious hometown of NYC. I'm happy to have finally left Lehigh, but now there are more serious matters at hand waiting for me back home.

If you are like me in any way, you have almost come to dread the winter sports season here in NYC. With an astounding record of 19-29, the New York Knicks seems almost too happy being in the middle of arguably the worst division in professional basketball, and are essentially honored to have playoff position in their sights as they sit at 10th place in the Eastern Conference (2 GB of the 8th spot Bobcats).

Between J.R. untying players' shoes at the free-throw blocks, Bargnani believing he can actually thwap from beyond the arc, and the combo of Felton/Chandler putting up some skeptical play at best, the Knicks have become the laughing stock of NYC sports. Amar'e is happily being paid to punch walls, sit down, and essentially stretch...all the while 'Melo is dropping buckets trying to increase his already high player value for the upcoming free agency. The Knicks have gone from hopeful to awful and it is interesting to see how Woodson will deal with the rest of the season seeing as the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture is a slew of average teams alongside the Pacers and Heat.

Though the same cannot be said verbatim, the New York Rangers have had an interesting season so far, a little bit past the halfway mark. The Rangers sit 8 games above .500, while harboring 3 overtime losses. New head coach Alain Vigneault has already left his mark by dishing out struggling defencemen Del Zotto to the predators for an even older defencemen in Kevin Klein. Though the Rangers are in a better position, and sorry but call me bias a better team, than the Knicks it is fair to assume attention of NY sports fans might switch heavily towards hockey. I think most fans just feel let down when the Knicks get blown out, because they doubt to see any progress in the future. On the other hand, when the Rangers lose there's always a sense of the "next game" to recover.

It will be interesting to see how the season plays out for both NY teams. The Rangers will be taking an extended break shortly from the 9th-21st of February so that players can go to Sochi and represent their respective nations. The Knicks continue their dreadful season tonight against a strong Trailblazers team, but if they are able to string a few wins together and stop the typical Knick "shenanigans" not only the playoffs, but a strong spot in the playoffs, is easily capibly in a heavily handicapped Eastern Conference.

All in all, I just hope I get through the season and don't feel like CeeLo Green by the end of it.

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