Albany Events

Americans love bacon. According to the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey, 268 million Americans consumed bacon in 2020, with over 16 million eating five pounds of the pork product or more during the year. Stack up 5 pounds of bacon on a plate some day and you'll be amazed how much bacon we enjoy. Starting Thursday, our favorite smoked pork delicacy will be creating traffic issues for one Upstate New York city.

Contrary to the fears of many New York Giants fans, the entire 2022 Big Blue roster is not terrible. There are talented football players that have been put in compromising positions, early in their careers by either bad coaching or awful teammates signed by the previous front office and coaching regime. Some of the veteran Giants players are taking advantage of their new opportunities and are personally making the most of them.

Wednesday afternoon, the New York Mets hosted their first-ever Women's Day. There were pre-game panel discussions featuring women executives from team's front office, as well as the wife of a well-known pitcher. The Mets players got into the action wearing special pre-game shirts that "Women in Baseball" on the back. Even the ballpark sound was different at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon, as 13 players changed their "walk-up music" to celebrate women. See which players danced to new tunes!

Some days, sports stories will hit closer to home for our radio show, The Drive with Charlie & Dan, than others. Tuesday was one of those days. Our producer jumped into the studio announced, "The Ferry Hawks needed a pitcher for a double-header and Figgy is taking the hill!" The room broke out in cheers and applause for "our guy Figgy!"

In 2016, Maine-Endwell Little League, which is near Binghamton, became the first New York team to win the Little League World Series in 52 years with a 2-1 victory over Seoul, South Korea in the championship. Staten Island defeated Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico in 1964 prior to that. So, you get the point. Now, the Empire State has another team that may be able to deliver the Little League hardware.

The New York Yankees won 9-4 on Monday night over the Seattle Mariners, something the Pinstripes had not done in six days. Pitcher Jameson Taillon kept Seattle in check for most of the night. At the same time, the Bronx Bombers bats were pounding out 13 hits. However, the celebrated mid-August game came with a huge loss.

In 2016, New York Giants fans were more than dreaming about Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Manning combining to win a Super Bowl for Big Blue. The 11-6 Giants were taking on Aaron Rodgers and the 11-6 Green Bay Packers in an NFC Wild Card match-up. Then, days before the Giants first playoff game in five years, controversy struck with OBJ smack in the middle.

There are over 180,000 Little League teams around the world, featuring over 2.6 million young baseball players. This week, that tremendous field will be narrowed down to 20 teams for the 2022 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. One of those teams may be representing New York.

People have been severely injured at Major League Baseball games, landing them in the hospital with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills. However, the teams, the players, the staff nor the owners are on the hook for any of those expenses. The “Baseball Rule” is a legal doctrine that owners and operators of baseball facilities/stadiums have a limited duty to protect fans from the risk of being hit by a foul ball and that spectators assume that risk because it is an inherent danger associated with attending a baseball game. One New York City pizza shop owner wants a little more than the baseball he got smacked with.

Baseball-Reference is the statistical bible for stats wizards. The website allows you to sift through a ton of factors to rank your favorite players, teams and leagues. We decided to take a look at the top 10 MLB players in 2022 that were born in New York. Where did Shenendehowa High School standout and current Atlanta Braves pitcher, Ian Anderson end up on the list? How about the newest New York Yankee from Bronxville, Harrison Bader? Let's find out!

The corpse of a great white shark washed up on the shores of Quogue, New York on July 20th. Coincidentally, that is the same day of the last shark attack reported off the south shores of Long Island. Could there have been a single shark that was creating havoc amongst beachgoers? Was there something wrong with this beast that caused it to attack swimmers and surfers?

Here's what you need to know.

On Tuesday, left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery was traded by the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pinstripes organization is the only baseball family that the 29 year-old ever knew. In return for Montgomery, general manager Brian Cashman acquired the Gold Glove centerfielder that he desired for his playoff run, Harrison Bader. In a strange turn of events, the 28 year-old Bader is coming home to his family in New York, which happens to be a group of Yankees fans.

General manager Brian Cashman addressed most every team need leading up to this week's trade deadline. Cashman was wheeling and dealing in order to solidify the Bronx Bombers roster with an eye to win a World Series for the first time in a dozen years. However, when trades happen, real people and real lives are effected. Friends that are like family are torn apart. Former Yankees left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery is living this disturbing circumstance first hand, as he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday for outfielder Harrison Bader.

January 23, 2011 was the last time that New York Jets fans sat around watched their beloved Gang Green in the playoffs. This season the retooled Jets look to make a similar turnaround to the the Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl run last season. Now the Super Bowl may be a long shot but the playoffs could be more realistic than some fans or ever experts think. These 10 players can get them there.

The signing of former Dallas Maverick's guard, Jalen Brunson for 4 years at a total of $104 million, should be an acquisition that New York Knicks fans are happy about. However, the bumbling franchise always seems to make easy things much harder. Now the NBA is investigating the the Knicks' front office handling of the free agent signing and fans are taking the opportunity to mock the franchise.

When it comes to acquiring talent, New York Yankees' general manager, Brian Cashman, is usually operating from a position of strength, be it financially or with his strong farm system that he has carefully cultivated over the past 7-8 years. The Pinstripes own the best record and baseball and with Tuesday's trade deadline looming, the Yankees go in with plenty of chips to play with. That is why names like Juan Soto, Tyler Mahle and Frankie Montas are all within the playbook of Cashman.

Did we see you?

After spending over a decade at the University at Albany, while hosting the New York Giants summer training camp, I fully realized the importance of the fan connection during time this crucial practice time. NFL training camps are often very inexpensive, if not free, to attend for most teams. Fans wait for hours in sometimes brutal heat to meet their favorite players and 99.9% of the time, the fan favorites deliver for their faithful fanatics, spending hours taking pictures and signing autographs throughout camp. That bond goes a long way for players and NFL organizations.

Training camps for all 32 NFL teams have opened. Veteran players were required to report to camp on Tuesday. Over the next few weeks, all eyes in New York Giants camp will be on running back Saquon Barkley and what kind of performance he is capable of in 2022. Beyond the eyes of Big Blue fans on Barkley, will be the focus of fantasy football team owners. Can the former second overall, first round pick deliver some big games/points in the upcoming season?

The 'Subway Series' is fun for fans but Tuesday and Wednesday are two games on the schedule for most of the Yankees and the Mets. Yes, they know these bragging rights games draw tremendous crowds and spark the best in heated fanatic discussions between the Pinstripes and the Amazin's faithful. However, for New York Yankees' skipper Aaron Boone, they are two games to keep building on, no more, no less.

In an article published on Thursday, Katherine Donlevy of the New York Post alleged that the recent string of shark attacks off the coast of New York recently are the result of a bill that was passed unanimously in both the senate and assembly in 2019. The bill was signed into law by former Governor Cuomo to help stimulate the population of a baitfish called Atlantic Menhaden, also known as "Bunker" to fisherman.

Gil Hodges led the Amazin' New York Mets to a World Championship victory in 1969, seven seasons after their inception and the return of National League baseball to New York City. Hodges will join Red Sox nation favorite "Big Papi" David Ortiz, Jim Kaat, Minnie Miñoso and Tony Oliva and Early Baseball Era Committee electees Bud Fowler and Buck O'Neil at the Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown on Sunday. The 2022 ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center.

Were you there?

In the latest incident in the 'summer of shark' on the southern beaches of New York State, the corpse of a great white shark washed ashore on Wednesday in Quogue, New York. There have been four confirmed shark attacks on the beaches of Long Island in the month of July alone. Swimmers, as well as government officials have been very concerned that the next one could be deadly.

For the first time since 2019, the Hall of Fame Parade of Legends returns to Cooperstown for Induction Weekend for the Class of 2022. Dozens of Hall of Fame legends ride down Main Street in the backs of pick-up trucks en route to a private reception at the Museum. The Parade of Legends begins at 6pm and will feature an appearance by members of Cooperstown Youth Baseball and Softball 12u teams, music from the award-winning Baldwinsville High School band and the Cooperstown Veterans Color Guard.

Newly minted MLB Home Run Derby champion Juan Soto put on a show Monday night in Los Angelas. The 23 year-old Nationals outfielder is fresh off of declining a 15-year/$440 million offer from Washington to stay put in the nation's capital. Only a few teams in Major League Baseball seem willing to stomach contract numbers like that and two of them reside in the Big Apple.

Lido beach and others across the southern shores of Long Island continued to be shut-down this past weekend, as a result of shark sightings and the recent string of predatory attacks on humans by the beasts of the sea. Most recently, local governments and municipalities have begged the State of New York to step-up their response. On Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Empire State is ready to take on the increased shark population.

He played played his college basketball at a Division II school, Virginia Union. Yet he was a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1985. The man that they called "Oak Tree" played 19 seasons in the NBA. Ten of those years were played in Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks. His name was synonymous with Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Anthony Mason and Doc Rivers from those tough mid-1990's teams.

In an unprecedented time of shark attacks along the south shore beaches of Long Island, the New York State Parks Department, along with other town parks are being forced to close their beaches during their prime season. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers head to Jones Beach and the surrounding areas to soak in the summer sun. However, with a real-life "Jaws" situation going on, Thursday more beaches were closed due to multiple shark sightings.