NEW YORK — This is March. A month that includes Sports Madness with College Basketball tournaments starting up, just as the NHL and NBA winds down, going through the final stretch of their respective regular season. And that’s just a start, there’s much more that goes along with March and Sports Madness.
With March upon us, the days are getting longer, and the weather is warming up. This means outdoor professional sports are being played in stadiums in our area. No, not that one, but rather it is Major League Soccer which is underway.
For years, our country has taken almost perverse pride in paying minimal attention to the world’s most popular sport. Things are changing. Last month’s announcement that the 2026 World Cup Final will be played at MetLife Stadium, coupled with soccer legend Lionel Messi signing last year with the MLS’s Inter-Miami franchise, has increased interest in the United States.
🥁 The #FIFAWorldCup trophy will be raised in New York New Jersey!#WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/VIuAvYxOMV
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 4, 2024
Major League Soccer commissioner, and Bayside High School alum, Don Garber must be thrilled his sport is no longer light years behind the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL in terms of popularity.
In 2022, Garber negotiated a ten-year, $2.5 billion deal with the Apple TV+ streaming service. While the revenue was far greater than what broadcast and cable networks were offering, it reduced the sport’s visibility to the traditional sports fan. That deal has hurt locally, as the YES and MSG Networks can no longer air New York City Football Club and New York Red Bulls games, respectively.
Image Credit: NYCFC/Twitter
The lack of a local television presence also costs the two New York MLS teams when it comes to coverage on our newscasts. The Union is treated not much differently than the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers, and Flyers on the 6 and 11PM Philadelphia news shows. Since New York has multiple teams in the four major sports leagues, NYCFC and the Red Bulls get squeezed out.
Soccer goalie legend Tim Howard, who grew up in central New Jersey, and was one of the first Americans to be sought out as a free agent by the English Premier League, is currently an analyst for NBC Sports on its EPL telecasts. Emirates Airlines hired Howard to host a watch party of the Emirates Football Association Cup competition taking place at London’s Wembley Stadium in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood last week.
Tim Howard at one of the Emirates FA Cup watch parties in NYC – Image Credit: Sebastian Ramirez/WBGO
The Emirates FA Cup is a soccer competition which is open to English professional soccer clubs of all levels. “The best way for American fans to think of the FA Cup is to imagine football teams from the National Football League, the XFL (now the UFL), and the Canadian Football League all playing against each other in a playoff for an extremely prestigious trophy,” Howard said.
I joked with Howard that since he was able to land the 2026 World Cup Final for our area, he should use his talents to get a groundbreaking for the proposed New York City Football Club stadium in Willets Point. “I would be more than happy to help in any way I can,” he replied.
New York Red Bulls hold Media Day
The New York Red Bulls recently held their media day at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. I spoke with veteran defender, and team co-captain, Sean Nealis, who grew up a big Mets fan in Massapequa.
Nealis told me he is looking forward to playing NYCFC, at Citi Field on May 18. “I was not allowed to play against them last year because I collected too many yellow cards (penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct”,” he said with a sheepish smile.
Veteran defender, and Red Bulls co-captain, Sean Nealis – Image Credit: AP
Soccer fans have a reputation for being loud and unruly under the best of conditions. Twenty-year-old Red Bulls midfielder Daniel Edelman is aware of the growing anti-Semitism worldwide, but said he is not worried about being a target of barbs when he is playing. “I am about peace and love,” he replied.
The Red Bulls are offering some intriguing cuisine options in addition to the traditional sports food items, as they will be offering buffalo chicken egg rolls, Nashville hot honey chicken crouffle, and farro salad. In addition, they are selling a reusable souvenir cup which allows unlimited soft drink refills for the entire 2024 season.
Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney Press Conference in Manhattan
Boxing press conferences are often entertaining, and last week’s presser in midtown Manhattan announcing the April 20 World Boxing Council super lightweight championship bout at Barclays Center between challenger Ryan Garcia and the current champion, Devin Haney, did not disappoint. Garcia, whose moniker is “King Ryan,” entered the stage with three lovely women tossing petals in front of him. He then proceeded to sit on a throne. He and Haney spent the rest of the afternoon tossing insults at each other which would have made the late Jackson Heights native, Don Rickles, proud.
𝙐𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 🥶@Realdevinhaney & @RyanGarcia settle the score at the @barclayscenter on April 20 👑#HaneyGarcia | LIVE on DAZN worldwide pic.twitter.com/gpALYPIxuc
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 1, 2024
The Haney-Garcia title bout is the first boxing card to be held at Barclays Center in a long time. Barclays Center needs to find events to fill the arena since it appears unlikely the Brooklyn Nets will qualify for the NBA playoffs.
Brooklyn Nets sign forward Jalen Wilson
Speaking of the Brooklyn Nets, they have signed forward Jalen Wilson to a multi-year contract. Wilson has shown a nice shooting touch, a rarity for a Nets player, in his limited appearances.
Someone needs to tell Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie that it is all right to smile every now and then. I get the fact he does not want to emulate the “Mr. Sunshine” personality of his predecessor, Jacque Vaughn, but always appearing sullen and solemn like an undertaker is not a good look either.
Spring Training Games on MLB Network + Starling Marte Spring Training Update
Give the MLB Network credit for giving baseball fans a chance to watch different spring training games daily. Last Friday, they picked up the St. Louis Cardinals television feed of their game with the Mets in Jupiter, FL. Broadcasters Tom Ackerman and Brad Thompson were a pleasant enough listen. Their referral of Cards manager Oliver Marmol, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and outfielder Alec Burleson as “Ollie,” “Goldie,” and “Burly” respectively, was a bit too small town cutesy for my liking. The SNY Mets trio of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling would never do that.
A very hopeful sign in that game was Mets outfielder Starling Marte’s first inning solid play. Marte, who played in considerable pain in 2023 because of a groin injury, dropped a perfect bunt which he beat out for a single to lead off the game. In the bottom of the frame, he unleashed a throw from right field to easily toss out Cardinals runner Dylan Carlson, a fast runner, who was trying to tag up from second to third base on a fly ball.
.@Starlingmart with the ARM 💪 pic.twitter.com/ntpcj4Qly6
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 1, 2024
Sunday’s Academy Awards on ABC
It is smart of ABC Television to have Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony begin at 7PM, an hour earlier than usual. This gives a better opportunity for viewers in the Eastern time zone to watch who wins the big awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. Let’s hope the acceptance speeches are not overly long.
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
