Albany Events

Going to an NFL game can be expensive. For 53-year old Dale Mooney from New Hampshire, going to the New England Patriots game on Sunday cost him his life. At one time, this would be shocking news. It's not anymore.

Most players, coaches and fans have dreamed of winning a Super Bowl. Only a few ever get to live that dream. Fewer win it more than once. (Tom Brady is a freak of nature, so we really can't include him.) Former New York Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin is one of those few.

Capital Region Buffalo Bills and New York Jets fans, that also happen to be Spectrum cable customers, are beginning to make alternate plans to watch Monday night's Week One match-up between the two AFC East foes.

It's International Beer Day! If you are looking to try a craft beer or cider in the Capital Region, there are a ton of places to choose from. Check out the best breweries in the Capital Region according to the "Best of" poll from Times Union readers.

The Summer At the Plaza Concert Series wraps up tonight with an epic show!

There are a ton of parallels between being a sports fan and a live music fan. A great concert set-list by a favorite artist can generate the same excitement amongst the crowd, as a last-second three-pointer or walk-off victory.

Saratoga Race Course has long been a crown jewel of the New York Racing Association. Soon the historic race track may host the biggest crown in horse racing, the Triple Crown.

A close friend of mine calls it, "the pursuit of the little trophy." The definition is basically, "adults pursuing personal/school accolades gained through the athletic performance of kids." This story seems to fit that phrase. Seven senior softball players choose going to their senior prom over the possibility of playing in a state championship game on Saturday. Then the athletic director, who is supposed to be an educational administrator, publicly questioned their decisions?

Saturday will be the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of horse racing's jewel, the Triple Crown. As the anticipation builds for fans to watch Forte battle Tapid Trice and National Treasure this weekend, the attention of many in the horse racing community has already begun to look north to Saratoga, horse racing's summer home.

Darryl Strawberry was one of the most talented baseball players to have played the game in the last 50 years. His smooth powerful swing launched home runs into the atmosphere with ease and even grace. However, his well-documented battles off the field took away any shot at being recognized as a Hall of Famer.

Antonio Brown and the Albany Empire have hired the team's 3rd head coach, a little over a month into the season. At this rate, the Empire should have 9 different head coaches in 2023, maybe more.

Few people around the Capital Region are surprised by the turmoil surrounding the Albany Empire and their lightning-rod owner, former NFL star Antonio Brown. This weekend was just another act under the big-top circus.

The NCAA tournament doesn't have to be in town for a big-time college basketball atmosphere to pop-up in Albany. Eighteen times since 2001, the Siena Saints and the UAlbany Great Danes have matched up in men's basketball, resulting in some of the area's largest crowds of the season. So, why not find the best times and dates to encourage that excitement?

2023 has been a season of drama for the Albany Empire. However, the team's new lightning-rod owner may be making the best decision of his reign; getting on the field and playing.

Antonio Brown was somehow supposed to be "good" for the Albany Empire of the National Arena League. The former NFL magnet-to-trouble was going to connect the Empire to the community. Now the arena football team is in the midst of reports of the head coach, along with star players quitting the team, only a few weeks into the season.

On Saturday, it was reported that Antonio Brown was claiming "100 percent" ownership of the Albany Empire, the arena football team that plays at the MVP Arena. At the time, then-Empire co-owner Mike Kwarta disagreed with Brown's assessment of "who owns what."

The New York State budget is 18 days late. Even though April 1st is the same date each year, the budget deadline seemed to sneak up on our state legislators in 2023.

On Saturday, former NFL star Antonio Brown claimed that he was now the sole owner of the Albany Empire of the National Arena League. His co-owners disagreed with Brown's claim. The Empire opened their season on Sunday afternoon at the MVP Arena with a 70-33 crushing of the Orlando Predators, despite the ownership confusion.

Finally! The Major League Baseball owners realized that their product was grinding to a dull-stop. Teams were losing their younger fanbases exponentially, year-by-year. In spring training, this year's rule changes have definitively increased the pace of play. Does everyone like them? No, but I like most of them and you probably will too!

The Capital Region takes advantage of great basketball played in the region. This year was no different with the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the MVP Arena, played in front of sell-out crowds, including celebrities and sports icons.

Albany operates NCAA Tournaments very well. Whether it's men's or women's basketball, wrestling or hockey; the city, the county, the businesses and the fanbase all support the event with enthusiasm. From parking to fan-fest on a chilly weekend, a true team effort is always on display.

Downtown Albany was buzzing on Friday with the perfect storm of St. Patrick's Day mixed in with round one of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Like any premier sporting event, featuring the best college players in the country, the stars wear out on Pearl Street.

Prior to an 18-year professional baseball playing career that spanned the globe, Yonkers New York native, Brian Sweeney grew up around the fire house. His father was a fireman. The Kansas City Royals pitching coach still reflects on the basic lessons learned from his father and his own fire fighter days, in Clifton Park.

In the preseason MAAC men's basketball coaches poll, Siena was picked to come in sixth place. The Saints don't often get their deserved respect but they roll into Rider Friday night in second place in the conference with less than 2 weeks remaining in the regular season. Coach Carm and the green and gold are the last team to defeat Rick Patino and the first place Iona Gaels, who have won seven straight since.

Anthony Volpe and Jasson Dominguez are making their major league spring training debuts for the New York Yankees this week. Both have reputations that have preceded them for years before either will play a game in the Bronx. Volpe is expected to compete for the starting shortstop job for Aaron Boone's 2023 squad. Dominguez is not.

This week over 1400 collegiate athletes are competing in Lake Placid for the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games. The site of two Winter Olympic competitions in 1932 and 1980 provided the perfect infrastructure for the international event. However, many of the competition sites and training areas needed drastic updating to be considered for such a high-profile winter sports event. In stepped the State of New York and the Lake Placid is shining with Gold Medals.

New York State has some of the greatest varieties of fishing opportunities in the country. From world class fly fishing for trout to floating a worm off of a lake dock for crappie, the Empire State has plenty of cool places to drop-a-line! The Department of Environmental Conservation announced "Free Fishing Days" for 2023. The free days are sure to provide the awesome experience of being a New York State angler.

Last week, in the midst of the holiday season, New York's Governor, Kathy Hochul granted clemency to 13 individuals that exhibited remorse, demonstrated the effects of their rehabilitation, and have displayed a commitment to improving themselves and their communities. Among the 13 grantees are two prisoners that are currently serving sentences for murder and a woman that is a domestic violence survivor, in prison for manslaughter for the death of her abuser. Another woman convicted of the same crime was absent from the list.

Those NFL fans that believe you have to have a top draft pick to rebuild your team have not watched the New York Giants this year. So, why do some teams "appear" to tank a season to get the top pick, like the Jacksonville Jaguars "appeared" to do in 2020? The Jags ended up with the much-hyped quarterback out of Clemson, Trevor Lawrence, notably a franchise changing player. The Jags have a chance to make the playoffs this year. However, the tanking philosophy may have cost the Jacksonville fans at least 5 years of playoff football.

As reported here on December 6th, the New York State Legislature had passed a bill that would have allowed counties to opt-out of the 2021 'Holiday Hunt' law, which added a deer hunting period from December 26th through January 1st each year in the designated Southern Zone of New York State. For those non-hunters, the Southern Zone is just about everything south of the Adirondacks. Democratic State Senator, John Mannion sponsored the opt-out bill and another powerful democrat put an end to his endeavor.