Albany Events

At some point, people should have to be held responsible for their actions. Well, that is unless you play professional basketball for the Brooklyn Nets. For the past 2 seasons, Kyrie Irving has devalued the Brooklyn Nets franchise based on his personal stances. Now, the NBA star decided to spread some antisemitic propaganda to his 4.6 million twitter followers. Then when Irving was given the chance to apologize, he and that $500,000 he was pledging were silent. Just throw money at it. That's how it will go away? Nets fans, it is time for your ownership to say goodbye to the player trying to ruin your franchise.

Many of us that enjoy the outdoors, constantly explore the vacation housing market, especially near lakes. Boating, fishing, hiking and skiing are often popular activities for those seeking that perfect, quiet getaway from the day-to-day craziness of everyday life. The vacation housing market skyrocketed during the pandemic. Even with mortgage rates hitting decade old highs, there is still a brisk demand for that perfect lake house. One Adirondack village now can stake the claim as the "best place to buy a lake house."

High school football fans are getting ready for a weekend of excitement, thanks to the Section II semi-finals getting underway on Friday and Saturday. The championships will be next Friday and Saturday at predetermined locations. 15 cross-over games have been scheduled, as well. Those dates and times will be determined later this week.

New York Jets quarterback, Zach Wilson's performance Sunday against the New England Patriots was nothing new for Gang Green fans. They've seen Bill Belichick dismantle the green and white's dreams, one quarterback at a time. In fact, first-round draft pick quarterbacks are a Belichick specialty. He usually has them "seeing ghosts" or old Bill just has the Jets' QB's throw his Patriots the ball at very inopportune times.

The Kansas City Royals made a terrific choice on Sunday for their new manager. Bethlehem Central High School graduate Matt Quatraro will take the reins of the Major League Baseball franchise, taking over for Mike Matheny, who was fired after a disappointing season. New Royals executive vice president and general manager, J.J. Picollo tabbed Quatraro on Sunday to guide his team to reach their potential.

104.5 'The Team' ESPN Radio, UAlbany Athletics and City Line Bar & Grill announced year two of 'Drive the Lane' with UAlbany Hoops' is set to take off. The weekly radio hour features UAlbany head basketball coaches Dwayne Killings and Colleen Mullen, along with select student-athletes. The show is hosted by 104.5 ESPN Radio's Charlie Voelker and Dan Bahl. 'Drive the Lane' will be broadcast live on Mondays from City Line Bar & Grill on Western Ave across the street from UAlbany's campus.

For the first time in seven years, the New York Jets are playing winning football. Their 5-2 start has been helped out tremendously by the outstanding play of rookie running back, Breece Hall. On Sunday, Hall reportedly suffered an ACL tear and a minor meniscus tear in the Jets 16-9 victory over the Denver Broncos on the road. The rookie sensation, out of Iowa State University, will miss the rest of the 2022 season. The "next man up" attitude from unusually bad rosters may be a thing of the past for these Jets. General manager Joe Douglas wasted no time following Hall's diagnosis and brought in a quality replacement.

Getting swept in the American League Championship Series by the Houston Astros was many Yankees fans worst nightmare. The magical season that started so well, always had that hint of doubt based on their midseason match-ups, especially the two game sweep by the Astros following the All Star break. Now, how do the New York Yankees move forward? Pinstripes' owner Hal Steinbrenner has a lot to think about.

We should all be sympathetic to a person's struggles with addiction. We should all celebrate with that person when they get things together and move on to recovery. However, when that person, while a NBA player; was accused of braking a beer mug over someone's head in a bar; shot and killed a man while drunk playing with a shotgun and was convicted of trying to cover it up; made tens of millions of dollars playing NBA basketball but did not pay the child support that he owed to his two daughters, and now you are going to honor him in your collegiate athletic Hall of Fame? St. John's University is out of touch.

ESPN's "College Game Day" has been a Saturday morning staple for millions of collegiate football fans for 35 years. The campus spirited show, that debuted in 1987, has not been broadcast live from a location in New York State north of the United State Military Academy in West Point. Well, if things go well on Saturday, one campus northwest of there may get their first visit from the popular ESPN show.

Bethlehem High School graduate and bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, Matt Quatraro is no stranger to the Major League offseason interview process for managerial openings. Over the past few years, Quatraro has been a lead-dog finalist or among the top candidates for the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Oakland A's. There is a reason for so much interest. Matt is really good at what he does and now he may get his chance to lead the Miami Marlins.

Hunting and fishing are outdoor sports that are often passed down from generation to generation. As gun legislation and safety laws are argued about in the media, some parents wonder if it is safe to hand the hunting tradition down to their children. Well, at least in New York State, hunting has never been safer.

Many love a good calzone. Those of us that enjoy the pizza cousin, have probably had some really good ones and some incredibly bad ones. The dough, the sauce, the fillers and/or the cheese can each make-or-brake the half-moon shaped crusty fold-over. I have to admit, when I first read that the winner of the "World Calzone Championship" was made in New York, I immediately thought "Brooklyn, maybe Manhattan." I should really start thinking west instead of south.

There is a big football game on Saturday at noon on ABC-TV. It features #14 Syracuse taking on #5 Clemson. This is the best Syracuse Orange football team in at least the last 4 years and maybe in decades. Clemson football star head coach, Dabo Swinney, may have summed it up best on Tuesday, “Dino’s got ‘em going, man. He’s got an offense that can score. He’s got a scheme that creates challenges.” Handsome praise from a coach that has enjoyed the highest pinnacle in college football.

The baseball fields at Magee Park in Delmar are usually hopping late into October with as much Little League fall baseball as they can fit in before the ground hardens from the cold temperatures. One cool event, that is in its second year, puts the spirit of the league's enthusiastic players into one last fun Halloween party. Saturday October 29th, Tri Village Little League will host a "Trunk or Treat". Over two dozen cars will be decorated in Halloween style with volunteers in costume.

A few jabs at an opposing fanbase can always be fun, especially when you have history on your side. Kansas City Chiefs' fans had to feel particularly confident going into Sunday's game vs. the Buffalo Bills, with their team being victorious in three of the last four meetings between the two AFC powerhouses. That confidence obviously only ballooned when Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes ended the Bills magical Super Bowl quest in a matter of 13 seconds last January. Well, sometimes over-confidence backfires.

Brooklyn Nets point-guard Ben Simmons is a 3-time NBA All Star. The 26 year-old, who owns a 16 point-per-game average with nearly 8 assists, seems to be getting used to being a social media target for "haters." Few people have sympathy for the struggles of those pulling home $35.4 million each year playing professional basketball. However, even when Simmons claimed struggles with mental illness, many critics showed zero compassion. Now the 6'11" star is trying to use that negative energy to drive his success.

It's been a long road for former Shaker High School pitcher, Tommy Kahnle, since he became one of the most valuable middle relievers in all of Major League Baseball in 2019. That year, the Latham native pitched in 72 games for the New York Yankees amassing 27 "holds" with an impressive 3.67 ERA. Kahnle's money pitch, the knee-buckling change-up, was amongst the best in baseball. Then after only one game in the COVID shortened 2020 season, injury struck his valuable right elbow and his relationship with the Yankees ended.

In the course of coaching a premier college basketball program for nearly five decades, it would be easy to assume that one would get pretty good at assessing their team's chances from one year to the next. On Wednesday at the ACC Men's Basketball Media Day, Boeheim told several reporters that this year's squad of Orange will go to the Big Dance in March. After suffering his first losing season since taking up the profession at Syracuse, the 77 year-old coach is ready to get his team back to playing tournament basketball.

It is the worst when you go on a long trip, you get on the plane, and oh no! You forgot something. So, there had better be a good reason when you are an NFL team, returning from a game in England, and you get on the plane without your punter. Well, for New York Giants there seems to be and explanation.

Obviously, the New York Mets wanted and expected to go further in the playoffs than they did, especially after a 101 win regular season. However, the baseball gods don't often cooperate with Amazin's best laid plans. Hence, on Sunday night, instead of strategizing to beat the Los Angelas Dodgers, general manager Billy Eppler and manager Buck Showalter began the process of figuring out how to get this team to play a few weeks deeper into October. In other words, how do they make a run at the 2023 World Series? That's what owner Steve Cohen expects in the next two years. What questions are Eppler and Showalter facing?

It was a long road just to choose a destination for Dior Johnson and his on-court talents. ESPN ranked him amongst the best 40 freshman college basketball players in the nation coming into the season. Four high schools and three college commitments may have been a troublesome sign for some programs. However, University of Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel was confident that his team was a good fit for Johnson. Now, that all could be in jeopardy for the one-time Syracuse University commit.

When you are a Major League Baseball play-by-play announcer/analyst, at times you are paid for your opinion. Ex-players and managers stack broadcast booths across the country to provide key insight. Mets play-by-play star, Gary Cohen grew up a New York Mets fan, not too far from Shea Stadium. Cohen along with former 1986 Mets Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez combine for one of the most popular broadcast booth trios in the game. On Sunday night, Cohen was part of the SNY postgame crew, as the game was on ESPN. The ever-popular Queens native got roundly booed by the live audience for his comments regarding Mets manager Buck Showalter.

Well, for many Mets fans Sunday night was not an evening to remember. New York lost in their Game 3 elimination match-up with the San Diego Padres. However, for one University at Albany alum, it was probably another cool experience on an incredibly impressive resume. What makes this Great Dane so special that she was throwing out a first pitch prior to the biggest Mets game of the year, in front of a national TV audience?

The Battenkill River runs nearly 60 miles long, originating in Vermont and emptying out into the Hudson River in New York. This time of year, the Battenkill, especially as it travels through Washington County, is one of the prettiest stretches of preeminent trout fishing territory in the country. On Thursday evening, the pristine waterway was marred by tragedy. A fisherman, now being reported from Delmar, was found dead in the river.

Last week, three people were injured in a shooting after a high school football game in Newburgh, New York. The violence occurred in the parking lot after the September 30th game between Newburgh Free Academy and Warwick High School. According to Newburgh police reports at least five shots were fired. Now that shooting is impacting future sporting events.

Recent injuries to the Buffalo Bills may make it harder for the western New York team to "guarantee" a trip to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona to their wild fanbase. As you know in the NFL, there are no such covenants. However, signing two-time Super Bowl champion and MVP, defensive star Von Miller, fresh off of his Los Angelas Rams' Lombardi trophy celebration, was great start. Now, Miller is making his own guarantee that may help the Bills Mafia with their planned February trip to Phoenix.

Tuesday night, when Corey Youmans sat down in his left field seats at Globe Life Field in Section 31, Row 1, Seat 3, he may have dreamed that he could snag a valuable piece of history. Well, dreams come true and the baseball that Youmans caught in his glove is already worth $2 million. That number may get higher.

Conventional wisdom for most New York Mets fans would see right-handed ace Jacob deGrom starting Game 1 of this weekend's Wild Card series. Ace (1A) Max Scherzer would get the nod for Game 2 followed by Chris Bassitt in Game 3, if necessary. These are the precise circumstances owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler hired Buck Showalter to manage their baseball team. In most Major League Baseball situations, Buck's been there and a little unconventional wisdom, from his Yankees managerial days, may get the Mets deep into the playoffs.

Tuesday night was "Bark in the Bark" night at Citi Field. Dogs and their loving owners were sprinkled through the stadium for the second-to-last regular season game. One four-legged friend stole fans' hearts and a special home run ball early in the game.