cmm

I hope Nike's team colored shoes become the norm in the NFL. Shoes are part of the uniform too, they might as well match everything else. Some teams pull of the team color shoes look pretty damn well. Black and white shoes stick out way too against certain uniforms.

I'm ok with most team-colored shoes, but the Redskins' yellow shoes drive me crazy. When they played the Giants I kept mistaking them for penalty flags.

I'm sorry, I still can't believe they don't know who they're giving the money to. They asked him to say. He said no. Right there on public record in front of everyone. And then they went through with it! This is insanity! I know it's nothing new, but just think about it!

A few favorites of the people who showed up to defend the Coyotes, most of them professionally clad in Coyotes sweaters:

- one creepy guy read what sounded like Jamison's wikipedia article, then said "this is a top-notch guy! He deserves this!" Yes, for competently operating the Mavericks thirty years ago. FOAD

- the girl who appeared in the CoyotesPAC youtube video said she made thirty friends by working to save the Coyotes.

- an erstwhile car dealer said "you can't worry about the money. That's what I told my salesmen. Work with people, and the money will come in. I quit to become a poker player."

- a large black woman said she wanted to grow up to be Joyce Clark.

It sounds like I'm making these up. Especially that last one. But I know other people watched it. Come on. Back me up on this.

I don't know if the city council video has been archived, but I highly recommend watching it if you missed it the other night. It's like eggbeating your brain.

All of this happened. Except I had to look up FOAD. Because I am dumb.

Quack quack quack. That guy was great.

If anyone is interested, the meeting is being streamed here:

http://glendale-az.g...hp?publish_id=4

EDIT--they're taking a 10 minute recess before public comment.

I could really see Bettman using the contraction of Phoenix as a bargaining chip against the NHLPA, saying "If you don't back down on this and this, we will have no choice but to contract the Coyotes because we can't find an owner for them under these financial circumstances."

From there, the NHLPA will call Bettman's bluff, knowing full well that the NHL will not be able to run a league with 29 teams for very long, and will likely end up expanding to 32 after the contraction.

Bettman ends up folowing through, contracting the Coyotes, and due to them becoming defunct, Glendale will have an empty arena with no leaseholder for the foreseeable future.

If 3-4 years, the NHL will announce expansion, and give one of those teams back to Phoenix, who are now forced to accept a lowball offer on a new lease deal from the team's owner simply because they desperately need the money. The NHL gets to keep their 'large media market'.

^^ Just my predictions.

Why can't they have a 29-team league? The league had 21 teams during an entire decade. The NBA had either 27 or 29 teams for most of my lifetime. The NHL isn't like MLB or the NFL where almost every team plays almost everyday (or every week). They can easily get by with an odd number of teams. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I don't see any problem with a 29-team league, at least from a scheduling standpoint.

I hate the Liberty logo. Would be a decent logo for the WNBA's NY Liberty. But not for the Rangers.

Why? Rangers is a pretty abstract team name and the Statue of Liberty is a great mascot.

And you guys may be right, but from talking to Rangers fans online, that logo seems to be mostly disliked by them, much like the 90s Penguins logo.

Honestly, I have no idea why I feel that way but that's how I've felt since it first came out. Maybe it's because the statue is female and I'm subconsciously a sexist.

I hate the Liberty logo. Would be a decent logo for the WNBA's NY Liberty. But not for the Rangers.

I like irony. And I couldn't find one of Pat Summerall.

Probably unpopular, but I didn't mind the Giants in red as an alternate. It wasn't a true throwback but it brought back an old look for them.

I agree, winning the the pennant is a big deal and should be celebrated. There were 16 teams in all of MLB until 1961, now there are 16 teams in the NL alone (until the Astros defect to the AL).

Yeah, I'm a Mets fan, but the Expos are Carter's "right" team. He was only a Met for five years and the last two were pretty bad.

How could Timmy get 55 but Orel had to be 53?

Shawn Estes.

Didn't see this posted here, 1973 WHA Whalers:

http://catalog.scpauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=16324

For what it's worth, the MLB CBA includes an expansion clause as well, but I wouldn't count on it happening anytime soon:

G. Future Expansion

During the term of this Agreement, the Clubs have the right to expand

the number of Major League Clubs by adding up to two (2) new

Expansion Clubs. Notice of a decision to expand by two Clubs shall

promptly be given to the Association and the Association may reopen

this Agreement with reference solely to the effect upon the Players of

such expansion, upon the giving of 10 days? written notice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A__5dRUnYkg

Yes, and at this point, a tentative deal carries all the positive certainty of the all-conference mathlete announcing his intentions to bang the prom queen. This is just something to juice ticket sales for the next round. Wake me when pen gets put to paper and Goldwater holds back their lawyers.

Lay off us mathletes!

Didn't the Devils come close to moving to Nashville after winning the Cup in 1995?

metspolice.com has a close-up of the retired numbers at "new" Citi. The black dropshadow lives.

http://metspolice.com/2012/04/12/should-the-mets-move-the-retired-numbers-away-from-the-pesky-humans/

The Mets never retired #31 but haven't issued it since Piazza left. They will probably retire it eventually, unless something comes up with him and steroids.

Barclays Center is so much like Bankers Life Fieldhouse from a seating chart point of view.

The Pacers' place (I'm assuming that's Bankers Life Fieldhouse) and the Barclays Center were designed by the same folks.

I agree Brooklyn is always an option, but only for the short-term. They'd need to have the arena deal in place before moving in to a facility with such a limited capacity, lest they be stuck there.

Tickets for the Islanders-Devils exhibition game went on sale today - here's the seating map on the ticket page:

Sorry to interrupt the latest Coyotes news, but the Barclays Center website has a different seating chart with no available seating at one end of the arena. (My apologies for the large image size, they don't have a smaller one on the site.)

The original Gehry-designed Barclays Center would have been able to host a hockey team:

NY Times

If the arena is built, however, it will most likely take more than two years to complete. Unlike the Gehry design, the new arena would not accommodate a professional hockey team.

Between the Knicks, Rangers, and the other events held at MSG, there would be no open dates for another team to play. Also, I doubt the Isles would want to play on Rangers logo'd ice, and the Rangers certainly wouldn't change it. But it doesn't matter anyway, because of the first thing. Also, would the Islanders crowd (what's left of it) go into Manhattan for games?

For me, the degree of difficulty getting to MSG is about the same as getting to the new place in Brooklyn. I'd take the LIRR to both since there won't be much parking at either place. MSG might even be easier since I wouldn't have to change trains at Jamaica.

But that really doesn't matter because of the date issue that you mentioned.

Nassau County released a statement saying that the Coliseum has been tested and the air poses no threat to fans or employees. Let's hope so since I'll be there Thursday. And Saturday. And Sunday.

(Video courtesy of Islanders Point Blank.)

Oh yeah, I agree. I was just adding to the timeline of events.