The Dire State of New York Sports

Image Credit: workinsports.com

New York, New York, big city of dreams. The city I call home, and the city I love more than any other I’ve had the pleasure of going to. One thing about this city that never ceases to amaze me is the love its inhabitants have for their sports teams. New Yorkers love their sports and they are not afraid to tell you about it. The city and surrounding tri-state area of New Jersey and Connecticut will root for their teams through the darkest times and brightest hour because in the end, sports is life. Sports are in the fabric of the people in this city and that will never change. Unfortunately for sports fans of New York Teams, winning is not something that has become synonymous with the greatest city on Earth. It’s to the point where the city’s sports scene has become somewhat of a laughing stock on the national level, and it’s embarrassing to watch. What’s happened to New York sports and what can possibly be done to fix it?

Management Is A Lost Art In The Big Apple…

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There are 8 professional sports teams in New York City or in the surrounding areas of Long Island and New Jersey. But for arguments sake, let’s just say NYC has 8 sports teams. The Rangers, the Islanders, the Jets, the Giants, the Knicks the Nets, the Yankees and the Mets. Before we continue, let’s do a little math. From 2001 to 2013 there was the opportunity for 96 championships to be won between all 8 teams. Out of 96 opportunities, New York City claimed just 3 titles. The New York Giants in 2007 and 2011, and the New York Yankees in 2009; that’s it. Meanwhile in Boston, the sports town New Yorkers hate the most next to Philadelphia, their four sports teams won 8 championships. They have half the teams but almost triple the championships. But why? New York has money, the prestige, the fans, and everything else Boston has. The difference between the two cities is how the teams are run and by whom.

The only organization that I can truly look at and say they’ve had a good plan on how to get things done would be the Giants. The Giants aren’t a franchise that’s concerned about winning the back-pages of New York papers. Year after year New York media and even some fans always call for Tom Coughlin’s head coach. And twice Coughlin has gone on to stop the New England Patriots from adding to their Boston sports titles while adding to New York’s. Imagine had the Patriots won at least one of the match-ups between the Giants. Boston would have quadrupled the amount of trophies NYC had with half the teams. But the Giants window seems to have closed and the era of Eli Manning as star quarterback and Tom Coughlin as two-time winning head coach seem to be over. Other than the Giants every other front office has been pretty much inept. The Yankees have one ring in the last 12 years, but their process of just over-paying past their prime players as not bore any fruit. The Mets owners have seemed clueless since the last time the Mets went to the World Series in 2000 where they lost to the Yankees. The Nets just got to the city but between Mikhail Prokhorov using the Nets as a toy and GM Billy King seemingly operating with careless disregard for draft-picks, the Nets won’t be good for years to come. The Jets have been a joke in recent memory with signings like Tim Tebow, and Rex Ryan Promises couple with Mark Sanchez shenanigans have made the Jets look foolish on multiple levels. No one knows what the Islanders are doing and it’s safe to say most of the tri-state other than Long Island even cares to find out. And the Knicks and Rangers are both owned by one of the worst owners in sports who has no idea what he’s doing and hasn’t know what’s he’s doing for years in James Dolan. Owners of New York teams want to win but have gone about it the way that used to work in the past, just throw money at the best players and let them rise to the top. But the landscape of sports has changed. Players have options when it comes to money and endorsements now that they didn’t in the past. As long as the player is great no one cares about where he plies his trade, as long as he can sell product. Leaving New York to fight it out with other markets and over-paying immensely for older past their prime sports stars. But has New York come out of the worst of it? There are some signs of hope on the horizon.

A New and Improved Way of Thinking?...

As poor as management as been for NYC teams in recent memory, I think we are starting to see a shift in the right direction with at least a few of the teams. The Rangers and Knicks who are both owned by James Dolan are in the beginning stages of sport makeovers if you will. Dolan brought in the Zen Master Phil Jackson to be the president of basketball operations and has claimed he is going to stay out of Phil’s way and let him re-shape the team into a contender like they were throughout the entire 1990’s. I’m already seeing Jackson pulling string behind the scenes and making little changes here and there to quietly get this team back to where they should be. They have Carmelo Anthony as their franchise player, they have a coach in Derrick Fisher that Jackson trusts, and in the summer of 2015 they’ll have cap space to add more pieces around Carmelo. It’s a start.

The Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last years and had they played smart hockey in the first two games, the Blueshirts could have been Stanley Cup Champions. Unfortunately things didn’t go the Rangers way but it’s definitely a good sign. The Rangers signed their own franchise star Henrik Lundqvist to a long-term deal which shows intent. They have a good roster of old players and younger players with a lot of potential like Chris Kreider that can help them build on last year’s playoff run as well. Head coach Alain Vigneault operates completely different than 99% of the people in the city he’s coaching in. He’s always calm and reserved, not brash, just always there watching and paying attention and tweaking where need be. He’s a stark contrast to former coach John Torterlla who eventually wore out his welcome in NYC. The Rangers are in a good place so let’s hope this continues.

Image Credit: DailyNews.com

It’s far too soon to say the Jets are headed in the right direction but last season they were a far better football team than people expected them to be. This past off-season has been relatively quiet and they made some pretty good acquisitions in Erik Decker, Chris Johnson and Michael Vick to help bolster their rosters. They have Geno Smith that still has a lot to prove, but unlike the Mark Sanchez debacle, Rex Ryan is putting weapons around Smith for him to grow. The Jets have done far too much dumb in recent times for anyone to immediately give them the benefit of the doubt, but it seems that maybe things are definitely changing in the culture of the Jets; and in a season or two they can really start making some noise. No more flashy signings, just really good ones to keep progressing.

The Jury is still out on the rest of the NY sports teams in my opinion. The Mets have some good young arms so lets see what Mets management does to help them. But the three aforementioned NYC teams are the ones that all look headed in the right direction. New York is far too great a city for its sports teams not to be in contention every single year in every single sport. But nothing changes if nothing changes. Only the men with the power and the checkbooks can affect change. Hopefully as a collective NYC’s power player owners wise up and return NY to sports prominence. The City will be waiting. 

By Frantz Paul

Twitter: @LSN_Frantz

WWE Monday Night Raw Review: Brock returns, Jericho needs stitches, build to Night of Champions

Image Credit: wwe.com

Every Monday night, I plant my ass in front of my television screen in hopes of getting a glimpse at some good old fashion wrestling. Every Monday night, I am disappointed. My favorite Raws are always the ones right before a PPV. Everyone should be talking about Night of Champions is this Sunday in Nashville. Monday felt like no one even cared. 

This is the second week in a row Jericho has had my favorite match of the night. This week was no where near as awesome as last but Jericho did walk away with 5 stitches in his chin. I truly do love Kane, but he's gotta go. That match would have been so much better if Jericho had some real competition. Who's he up against next week, Hornswaggle? 

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH JOHN CENA?! Thinking he can talk to Paul Heyman like that? I wasn't expecting that bit to go anywhere. At the begining of the night, I wasn't even expecting Brock to be in the building. (I mean it's not like it's his job or anything.) Watching Cena drag Heyman around by his neck, though, I knew shit was about to go down. I can't wait for Brock to lose on Sunday so I don't have to see his ugly face anymore. 

-Loveblump

DJ SpinKing Takes Over The Power 105.1 Airwaves As Guest DJ For "The Angie Martinez Show"

Image Credit: Dj SpinKing's Instagram (@djspinking)

SpinKing is only 21 living the freaking life! The discjockey turned super-producer is quickly taking over the game working with artists such as rap legend Jadakiss all the way up to club hit-maker French Montana. The music head got his start in the industry by linking up with Diggy Simmons and ever since then he's been on a non-stop flight to the top. The New Jersey native was recently granted the opportunity to venture in to another avenue. DJ SpinKing  got to spin a little on the 1's and 2's as the guest star on September 10 for Power 105's Angie Martinez Show. Being that Spinking originally started off djing house parties just four years ago and is now working 60 to 70  gigs a month, to be at this point in his career already is so phenomenal it's just too good to be true!

The 21 year-old shared this usies with 'The Voice of New York" herself on his Instagram page along with a humbling message about his experience while taking over the New York airwaves.

@djspinking:  Goofie Selfie Thankful & Blessed At The Age Of 21 As My First Time To Dj On @Power1051 With The Legendary Voice Of New York @AngieMartinez !!!! She said I'll be back so stay tuned! #AdultSwimOniTunes#VideoOnMtvJamsSunday#DjSpinKingBaby

SpinKing later shared a short video clip letting his fans in on his exciting time at Power 105.1 for the day.

Spin recently collaborated with Tyga, Jeremih, and Velous for his latest project "Adult Swim." The video for this blazing hot track was just released and shows the boys having some good old fun with some model babes on the beach. With such an impressive musical resumé on him already, onlookers just want to know what he will do next. Look out DJ Khaled. SpinKing might just be up next!

Watch DJ SpinKing's "Adult Swim" video featuring Tyga, Jeremiah, and Velous here.

— Brittany Chanel Jackson

Twitter: @xPlatinumChanel

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:: Philly Underground Artist, Bobby Raw, Strives To Make A Way For Himself In The Hip Hop Big League

Image Credit: Bobby Raw's Instagram (triplebee1911)

"Music is like rehab," said up and coming Philly rapper Bobby Raw as he explained how the hip hop game helped to point his life in the right direction. The 24 year-old has some big shoes to fill as he derives from a family of A-list artists with America's favorite bad boy singer Chris Brown and hip hop icon Nas both being his cousins. Even though Bobby looks to follow in the footsteps of his successful family members, he is out to do it his own way by staying true to his individual sound, which he describes as creative, turnt, and new.

"No matter how I'm feeling whether good, bad, happy or sad I turn to music because it's my outlet," said Bobby. "I write poetry in my spare time so with both music and poetry it's just a way of letting out the pain."

Growing up Bob felt like he was born in the wrong era, while his friends were out listening to a mix of Dipset and State Property, Bobby would bless his headphones with old school rhymes from artists like Big Daddy Kane to Kid 'n' Play. He even notes the song that describes his life the best right now to be Sam Cooke's old school hit single " It's Been A Long Time Coming."  He chose this song because it speaks about struggle and how exactly to fight and get through troubled times, which he has experienced over the course of his life so far.

"I was always into something. I had homies that trapped and were really into the streets and than it was just me. I was always that kid that people were like ' Nah Bob you gonna be something. This is not for you.' My old heads attempted to keep me away from it even though I was constantly around it. They just made me realize like that life is just not for me."

Bobby graduated from Norristown Area High School and went on to continue his education at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania but not without a struggle. Around about the time when most high school seniors receive their college acceptance letters in the mail, Bobby had yet to hear back from any schools he had applied too.

"I was a bad kid, a class clown too but I got good grades," said the rapper. " I was always suspended for fighting and protecting my crew or what not."

But the country boy with Philly swag would not let his troubled past get the best of his future.

"So I went to the counseling office, got all the college admission numbers and contacted them myself, which landed me a spot in Bloomsburg University of PA." While Bobby was in college, he turned his life around for the better by becoming an active member of many of the university's clubs and organizations but he accredits his most beneficial change to becoming a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. when he was just a freshman. "Kappa matured me. That brotherhood made me in to the man I am today."

After graduating college in 2013, Bobby went on to pursue a career in entertainment both professionally and musically. Bobby teamed up with fellow Philadelphia native DJ AMH (of CollegeLife) to help him live out his lyrical dream. This collaboration resulted in the release of Bobby Raw's latest mixtape New Bob Flow which features the hit club singles "Hypnotized" and "My Swagga."

"I just like to turn up and see people dancing and moving. Hence is why I create the type of music I do. I know for a fact up here in the Philly area and especially in the strip clubs, everybody is going crazy over 'Hypnotized'. You play it in a certain clubs and the people just feel it. They come up to me and be like 'Oh snap! Like who is this? Is this you? Play that back!'"

Bobby went on to explain his other single "My Swagga" which is currently on the rise as well.

"I took a different approach in this track.  It's a hard beat but the point is to explain where most people's swag comes from. So I talk about taking selfies, Instagram and stuff like that. It's like you may just know somebody because Instagram but that's all you know. And when you see them in person you'll be like bye I don't know you. On social media people pose like their somebody they're not. You feel me. Like you've been saying you're Vine famous but in reality you're just regular."

Outside of the studio, Bob proves to be quite the romancer in reality. Ladies step right up because you'll get quite the wining and dining experience when hanging out with this gentleman. Bob loves to travel the world and his favorite destination is Spain. In addition to his handsome swag, the underground rapper knows how to heat up the kitchen in more ways than one.

"I'm like Top Chef. My favorite meal that I make outside of pasta like my chicken and shrimp bacon alfredo I would say is homemade macaroni and cheese, roasted chicken and greens. "

In the future, Bobby looks to expand his sound to different cities in order to grow a deep hip hop following."This is not a job to me. It's something that I love to do and I'm passionate about it so imma go for it 110%." If the opportunity presents its self, Bobby would be honored to go on tour and open up for Drake, J.Cole and even Lil Boosie.

"I just love Boosie like that's my man. As for Drake, I would love to feed off his vibes and his approach towards his craft. I would definitely say J.Cole because he's in a category of his own. He's real calm, cool and collective and his sound is just so unique. I've been to a couple of his shows and it's like real touchy so I wanna capture that type of feel. "

As of now, Bobby is striving to live out his motto by producing achievement in every endeavor he puts his mind to. He's excited for the world to listen to his upcoming projects and wants to let the naysayers know he's going to make a believer out of them. Just wait on it.

For more on Bobby Raw follow him on Twitter and Instagram (@TripleBee1911) or check out his New Bob Flow mixtape by streaming or downloading it from DatPiff.com.

— Brittany Chanel Jackson

Twitter: @xPlatinumChanel

Lil' Kim Shuts Down The Internet With The Release Of Her 'Hard Core' Mixtape

Image Credit: Lil' Kim's Instagram (lilkimthequeenbee)

Playtime is over and ish just got real Hard Core. Lil' Kim is no longer taking time out to individually address her haters and rather is set on delivering some real, hard-hitting bars. The release of the Queen Bee's new mixtape on September 11 literally shut the internet down. The Brooklyn rappers 12 track mixtape received an out pour of love from both old and new fans alike. The hype around Kim's mixtape lead

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its host website 

​MEGA​

 to crash after being over capacitated due to the high volume of activity the arose from the tape's release.

Lil Kim tweeted:

@lilkim:" #HARDCOREMIXTAPE #TeamLilKim Please stand by. The website crashed because of high capacity. My team is working on it now!!! Love U " and adding three bumblebee emotions at the end of her message.

The mixtape is a sequel to her 1996 debut album titled Hard Core as well. Kimmy Blanco's latest project features real  bars from legendary hip hop artists like Jadakiss and Cassidy in addition to Billboard chart toppers French Montana and Yo Gotti.

Check out what's all the hype about by streaming or downloading Hard Core at this link.

— Brittany Chanel Jackson

Twitter: @xPlatinumChanel

MLB: Another Baltimore Boy Strikes Again! Orioles Fan Favorite Chris Davis SUSPENDED! Plus Dererk Jeter, Chase Headley, Chris Young, Giancarlo Stanton & more.

Image Credit: David Butler II; USA TODAY Sports

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

It's a WHOLE new ball game now, as the race for the AL East just shifted gears rapidly. Orioles power hitting first baseman Chris Davis, has been suspended for 25 games, after testing positive for Amphetamines. This substance could also be referred to "ADDERALL," a medication used for those who have been diagnosed with A.D.H.D., as it helps them to focus, & concentrate better.

Davis made a statement earlier today; 

"I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the Orioles organization and especially the fans. I made a mistake by taking Adderall. I had permission to use it in the past, but do not have a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) this year," Davis said. "I accept my punishment and will begin serving my suspension immediately."

This suspension is obviously gonna take a huge toll on the first place Orioles. I personally think this is a little ridiculous. Although he currently isn't prescribed this medication, as he stated, it HAS been prescribed to him previously. Period. 

Someone who is playing major league sports 7-8 months out of the year might not have TIME to go see a doctor for a refill, or even to be reevaluated. So the big question mark is; recreational use, or was it actually NEEDED? That's irrelevant now. This couldn't have come at a WORSE time, as he is out for the rest of the season. 

Image Credit: Brad Penner; USA TODAY Sports

Last night Chase Headley was hit in the face by Rays pitcher Jake McGee, right in the FACE with a 96 mph fastball! Headley was bleeding pretty badly from the hit. He was sent to the hospital for tests, including an X-Ray. Now we wait...

Image Credit: Benny Sieu; USA TODAY Sports

Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton was also hit last night by Brewers pitcher, Mike Fiers. He took an 88 mph fastball to the face, and was carried off the field on a stretcher. Marlins manager Mike Redmond stated that he has fractures & a laceration on the left side of his face/ cheek, and will miss the rest if the season. This was also a very scary, bloody scene.

Image Credit: Kathy Willens; espn.go.com

Derek Jeter got pinned as well, joining Headley & Gardner on the bench, as he was out of the lineup today against the Orioles. Jeter was hit in his left elbow by a 94 mph fastball, and was taken out of the game last night against Tampa Bay. X-Rays came back negative, and at this point it is unknown when he will be back in the lineup. Both The Captain and manager Joe Girardi spoke of the incident. "If I can play, I'll play," Jeter said in the clubhouse after the game Thursday. "He's sore," manager Joe Girardi said. "He was pretty sore last night, so I'm not sure what we'll have."

Image Credit: Corey Sipkin; New York Daily News

On a happier note, the Yankees were trailing last night, only to come back with a walk off victory, by the hands of former New York Met Chris Young, and Martin Prado. Prado hit a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning, followed by a 3-run game winning walk off HOMERUN by Chris Young! Michael Pineda however,  struggled last night allowing 4 runs on 10 hits, in 7 innings. 

With Baltimore INFAMOUS power hitter Chris Davis DONE for the remainder of the season, we could only hope their bullpen starts to slack. Tanaka is possibly due back for the Yankees sometime next week. Pineda needs to pick up his pace, and once Jeter, Headley, & Gardner are back in the starting lineup full time, this team has a potential wildcard spot. 

LGY!

More on Ray Rice, TMZ, The NFL and more.

If you've worked in a corporate environment, you know something ain't right about this Ray Rice video story. If you've worked in a union, you know several things aren't right. I know if you've followed this story, you've heard enough, but let's approach this from a new angle. The only angle that really matters to all the players involved: money.

Easy part first. Who wanted this second video released? TMZ. They get hits on their webpage, ad money, prestige. This furthers their ability to scoop in the future. Everyone is mentioning TMZ when this story comes up . Simple. They make more money.

Back to my original point. Who stands to lose? EVERYONE else involved. Everyone. The NFL, the NFLPA (the players' union), the Baltimore Ravens, and yes, even the casino.

One at a time: The casino wants celebrities to come spend money and get away with things celebrities get away with, anonymously. The release of the elevator video is bad for the casino.

The Baltimore Ravens did nothing to Rice, letting the league handle his discipline. They even held a very mismanaged press conference, standing behind Rice. They looked like they care more about performance on the field than they do taking a stand against a violent, criminal offender, because they do. Had Rice been third on the depth chart, he'd have been immediately released.

The NFLPA surely requested any evidence the NFL received relevant to the punishment of Rice. That's what unions do. It's called due process. Nobody in a union has ever been punished without union representation.  The NFLPA has a problem on its hands with players getting arrested. No one cares when a couple of guys smoke pot on their way to the airport. Anyone who watched this video and doesn't care is sub-human. They didn't want this video released. They HAVE to defend Rice. Notice their silence through this whole affair.

Enough has been said of Godell's mishandling of this situation. He made a bad decision early and stood by it. Whether he saw the second video or not is irrelevant. He probably didn't so he could truthfully say he didn't. He is a lawyer. He has the resources to get it, and the responsibility to see it as the judge and jury responsible for player discipline.

Godell, the NFL, the Ravens, and everyone else involved counted on one thing. There was too much money at stake for everyone involved to let the video leak. They failed to realize that everything leaks now. If there's a digital copy - an email, text, or video, in this case, it WILL eventually get out. 

It's up to us to decide how to react to this. Let's face it. Most of us will forget in a few weeks. My only hope is this advances awareness of the societal acceptance of domestic violence. It's not just never okay to hit a woman. It's never okay to hit a man. Let's follow some basic guidelines we learned in kindergarten.  If Rice did, if Godell did, we'd be talking about football players playing football right now. And trust me, I'd much rather do that.

By: Josh Henderson

Twitter: @verybadwrong