This page is for the games I hope to go to when COVID-19 is under control. I will also post any worthwhile news like who is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Hall of Fame members who pass away in 2021. I will cover other sports like basketball, rugby, cricket, and several others.
Right now basketball season is going strong. There were mostly college football games on New Year's day, but the next day I watched part of the New Orleans Pelicans – Toronto Raptors basketball game, which the Pelicans won 120-116. Three days later I watched part of the Brooklyn Nets – Utah Jazz game and the Nets won, 130-96.
Sadly, baseball icon Tommy Lasorda passed away on the 7th at the age of 93. RIP to Mr. Dodger. On January 19th another Hall of Famer passed away, Don Sutton – also part of the Dodger organization. The second Hall of Fame member to leave us so far this year.
While researching about Waterford City for my short story, I got to check out the Waterford and Roscommon G.A.A. websites and added them to my Facebook likes. I added Roscommon since that is one of the county’s that Ellen’s maternal ancestors emigrated from.
On the first Friday I watched women’s basketball on TV. Syracuse beat Wake Forest but SJU lost miserably to U Conn (who hasn’t?). When Super Bowl Sunday came around we tuned into Animal Planet to watch the annual Puppy Bowl. Yes the dogs, nearly all of them mixed breeds, were a pleasure to watch and I loved the way the announcer spoke as if they were two legged players on the field. In the end the red team, Ruff, won by a few points. But who cares, we all enjoyed ourselves, especially the dogs. For the real Super Bowl, Tampa Bay won over Kansas City, 31-9.
On January 22nd my cell phone flashed a news item saying that baseball great Hank Aaron passed away at the age of 86. That is three Hall of Fame members in less than 3 weeks. Hank is the 10th Hall of Famer to leave us in 9 months.
On the 27th I watched parts of two basketball games: Real Madrid vs Andorra and Real Madrid won 86-79, and St. John’s vs. DePaul, where the Johnnies won 81-68. Later in the evening I ordered a book from Square Books LLC, titled
Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association by Terry Pluto.
Since the 31st was Jackie Robinson’s 102nd birthday, the MLB Channel had a 5 hour marathon of his life – in baseball and after he retired in 1956. I also started to watch The Jackie Robinson Story of 1950, but Eileen wanted the TV set back. But I have seen it several times before and it was well done.
On the first Friday of February I watched women’s basketball on TV. Syracuse beat Wake Forest but SJU lost miserably to U Conn (who hasn’t?). When Super Bowl Sunday came around we tuned into Animal Planet to watch the annual Puppy Bowl. Yes the dogs, nearly all of them mixed breeds, were a pleasure to watch and I loved the way the announcer spoke as if they were two legged players on the field. In the end the red team, Ruff, won by a few points. But who cares, we all enjoyed ourselves, especially the dogs. For the real Super Bowl, Tampa Bay won over Kansas City, 31-9.
I also watched St. John’s play DePaul and the Johnnies were down 8 points at half time (they ended up losing 81-73 to the Blue Demons).
On the 16th I was recovering from a nasty virus and spent most of the day watching television and managed to see the Canton Charge beat the Austin Spurs by a score of 109-89. On the 21st I was at the firehouse to have coffee and got to watch women’s college basketball on TV: Missouri beat Florida 96-80 and later Michigan beat Ohio State 75-66. When I came home and I put on ESPN Radio through the Internet and as I was typing I listened to the UCLA Lady Bruins play their Oregon State counterparts. At half time the Bruins trailed 36-31 and in the end the Beavers beat the Bruins 71-64. Later on in the evening I watched the Nets beat the Clippers 112-108. On the 26th I watched the UConn women’s basketball team beat Creighton, by
only 32 points: 81-49. I ended February by watching the Milwaukee Bucks beating the LA Clippers 105-100 in a close game.
On March 2nd I watched TV and saw the last couple innings of a 7 inning spring training game between the Mats and the Astros. The Mets won 2-0. In the evening after I got home from the biopsy procedure I watched the Brooklyn Nets beat the Houston Rockets 132-114. After a walk on the 5th with Eileen I went to the firehouse for coffee and to watch TV. I watched a few innings of a Yankees – Tigers spring training game that ended in a 1-1 tie. Then I watched most of the Westchester Knicks – Erie Bay Hawks G League game. The Knicks won 130-124. On Tuesday the 9th I went to the firehouse for a snack (leftovers from my fire company meeting of the night before) and then watched the taped replay of the Red Sox – Rays game from Florida. The Rays would end up winning 11-3. Bowling resumed at East Islip Lanes on March 3rd but I could not take Eileen since earlier that day I had a prostate biopsy and was in no shape to take her. But on the 10th I took her for the first time in about 3 months. She got 103 in game I and 112 in game II. Better luck next week. After we came home I went to the firehouse for coffee and to watch part of the Padres – Rockies spring training game. The Rockies won 7-5. Wednesdays are for bowling and on the 17th I took Eileen bowling at East Islip Lanes. She got 87 and 91 for an average of 89. Better luck next week. I met the grandmother of one of her teammates (Kelly Anne) for the first time today.
Around 4 pm on March 22nd I went to the firehouse for coffee and to watch TV, and then go to Islip HS to participate in the Rescue Squad standby for the JV football game. The Buccaneers would be playing Bayport Blue Point. Four other Squad members were there and they parked the vehicles by Union Boulevard. I drove there with the CR-V and I parked by the Middle School and did some walking before I made it to where the ambulance was parked. The game did not start well for Islip as they first trailed 12-0 but Bayport could not get any extra points. Islip was able to score two touchdowns but also got the 2 point conversion each time. By the 4th quarter the score was 16-12 Islip and that was the final outcome. Sadly, NBA great Elgin Baylor passed away on the 22nd. Since the 24th is a Wednesday, in the afternoon I took Eileen bowling and she did not do as well as we had hoped – 86 and 89. Better luck next week. In the evening I watched part of the Bucks – Celtics game and the Bucks won in the end, 121-119. I ended the month watching the Stanford Cardinal defeat the Louisville Cardinals 79-63 in the women’s NCAA Elite 8 - Stanford is going to the Final 4. I also watched a good part of the Notre Dame-Central Michigan softball game and the Irish won 7-4.
I started April by watching Turkish basketball on Channel 596. Tofas beat Pinat Karsiyaki. 88-79. Tofas led most of the game but it was close until the 4th quarter. On the 2nd I went back to the firehouse after stopping at 7-11 for another cup of coffee and to watch the MLB Channel – Boston vs. Baltimore and the Orioles won 3-2. The next day at around 6 PM I drove to Islip High School to watch the varsity football game against Shoreham Wading River and participate in the standby with the Rescue Squad. It was not going to be a good say for the Buccaneers. The Wildcats soon went ahead 14-0 and Islip never caught up. Shoreham Wading River won by 56-18 at the end. Better luck next time. Later in the evening I watched the Dodgers – Rockies game and the Dodgers won 6-5. On Easter Sunday I was watched the German Basketball League. ALBA Berlin played Baskets Bonn and for the first 5 minutes it was 13-0 Bonn. Berlin kept getting the ball stolen from them or their shooters kept missing. But soon they came to and they got onto the board and then the game became close. Soon Berlin took the lead and won in the end, 80-75. In the evening I watched the Nippon Professional Baseball League and the Orix Buffaloes beat the Eagles 4-0. I had also been watching NBA and NCAA basketball. I am happy for the Stanford Cardinal women’s team for winning it all. For the men, congratulations to Baylor but I would have preferred UCLA or Gonzaga. Since the 7th was a Wednesday, just before 4 pm I drove Eileen to the East Islip Lanes where she bowled with her Shooting Stars team. Today was not a good day as she only got 97 and 73. Better luck next week. The next day the Mets opened up their home season at Citifield and beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning, thanks to the bases being loaded and a batter being hit by a pitch. The Islip High School’s Junior Varity football team plays on Saturday and on the 10th I decided to go with two other guys from the Islip Fire Department’s Rescue Squad for football standby. The JV was playing Amityville HS. And like the first JV game we stood by for, Islip won, 26-0 this time. On Wednesday the 14th I took Eileen to East Islip Lanes to go bowling with her team. She did well in Game #1 – a 113, but kind of poorly in game #2 – only a 70. Better luck next week when she breaks 100 in both games. The next day it was quite rainy so I spent a good part of the time was spent watching TV and enjoyed the Braves – Marlins game, in which Atlanta won in the bottom of the 9th inning, 7-6. On Saturday, the 17th, I watched a good part of the Nippon Ham Fighters – Rakuten Eagles game and the Fighters won, 4-1. On Monday afternoon I watched two games of the BBL (Bunds Basketball League). The scores were Chemnitz 98 - Hamburg 97 and Oldenburg 100 - Bamberg 99. Both games were nail biters by the 4th quarter. The Chemnitz Niners is one of the BBL teams that I follow. Chemnitz is one eastern German city I was interested in back in high school. So besides Chemnitz, I follow Jena, Dresden, and Berlin. On the 21st I took Eileen bowling at East Islip Lanes and she did not do well – 67 and 69. Better luck next week. After lunch on Saturday the 24th I watched a good part of the BBL game between Hamburg and Würzburg. For a while it was a nail biter but in the end the final score was Hamburg 95, Würzburg 83. On the 29th I watched most of the Nets – Pacers game and the Brooklyn Boys won 116-103. I took Eileen bowling on the last Wednesday and she got 136 and 93. A big improvement over last week.
I started May off by watching the Nippon Baseball League, and the Marines beat the Eagles 6-5. Around 3:45 on Wednesday I took Eileen bowling in East Islip. She got 120 and 85. If she threw the ball a bit harder she could have had more spares or strikes. The next day after a walk I watched the Mets play and beat the Cardinals 4-1. On Mother’s Day the Mets won again, beating the Diamondbacks 4-2. The next day I watched a good part of the Real Madrid – Valencia basketball game, and Valencia won 79-69. On the 12th, a Wednesday after lunch I watched the Mets – Orioles game and the Mets won 7-1. Just before 4 PM Eileen and I headed to East Islip Lanes, where she got a 94 and a 95. On Sunday I watched a good part of the Knicks – Celtics game and New York won 96-92 (even though I nodded off in the end). Later in the day I watched the Nets beat the Cavaliers 123-109. Wednesday, the 19th, was the last day of spring season bowling for the Shooting Stars, and no scores were kept. Eileen did not do too well as it was 87 and 75. I do know that she is capable of doing better, and hopefully will do well when we resume on June 9th. During Tuesday afternoon (the 25th) I watched Bamberg beat Ludwigsburg, 87-84 while at home and later in the afternoon when I was having coffee at the firehouse, I watched the MLB Channel and then Sports New York to see the Mets beat the Rockies 3-1. The next day I watched more basketball on TV. New Sport (channel 597) showed a game by the Basketball Africa League. The AS Douanes team from Senegal played US Monastir from Tunisia at an arena in Rwanda. US Monastir won easily, 86-62. It was fun to watch, but I was hoping for a much closer game. I was hoping for Senegal to win since I remember that John Grisham’s recent novel,
The Rooster Club, had a Senegalese immigrant as a main character and she and her two American friends go back to her country to set up a business. Later I watched the rebroadcast of the Knicks – Hawks game from last night and the Knicks won, 101-92. On Sunday evening I watched most of the Golden Eagles – Bay Stars Nippon Professional League game, which ended in a 1-1 tie. On Memorial Day on the way home from Mount St. Mary’s Cemetery I had WFAN on in the car and I got to listen to part of the Yankees – Rays game on WFAN. The Yankees lost 3-1.
We started June with the Knicks getting eliminated from the playoffs so it’s wait until next year. Hopefully the Nets will carry the banner for New York. On the first Friday afternoon of the month I watched TV in the afternoon included the Spanish basketball league to see half of an elimination between Valencia and Baskonia. Valencia won 78-73. Baskonia is now eliminated from the playoffs. On the D-Day Anniversary I watched some baseball on TV: the Mets beat the Padres 6-2. Channel 597 showed the rebroadcast of a Nippon Professional Baseball League game, the Marines and Hawks finished in an 8-8 tie from their May 12th game. I saw a team on Facebook called the Salt City Eels. It is a Syracuse based box lacrosse team, in a league called the Regional Box Lacrosse League (RBLL). There is also a team called the Spiders based on Staten Island. Looks I will have to follow them on the Internet. On the 9th after breakfast I watched the Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team beat the Campbell Fighting Camels 6-5. Later, just before 4 I took Eileen to bowling but we only got to play one game since I had to be at the firehouse to help with dinner for our deceased member’s family. She did get 110 in her one game and it was the highest score from both her team and the one who shared her team’s alley. On Sunday afternoon (the 13th) I got to listen on
www.milb.com to the Jersey Shore Blue Claws beat the Wilmington Blue Rocks, 8-1. Two days later the Mets beat the Cubs 3-2 (I watched that on TV). Wednesday is Bowling day for Eileen so on the 16th I took her to East Islip Lanes. She got a 132 in game #1 and 135 in game #2 for a total of 267 giving her the highest total of all 8 keglers at her alleys. On Friday I went to the firehouse for coffee and to watch the rebroadcast of the Hawks – 76ers game from the 16th. Philadelphia led by 20 points in the 3rd quarter and then Atlanta caught up and won 109-106. It is “wait Until Next Year” again in Brooklyn, as the Nets got eliminated by the Bucks in game 7. I am disappointed that the Nets did not advance any further, but 2020-2021 was a pretty good season for them, considering how they had struggled while in New Jersey. But I do like some of the former Bucks, like Lew Alcindor and Paul Pressey (who is Coach Mike Anderson’s assistant at St. John’s University) as well as their current player, Giannis. I would like to see them win the NBA championship. On Father’s Day I started to listen on the Internet to the Brooklyn Cyclones – Wilmington Blue Rocks game. In the early innings Eileen and I went for a walk to 7-11 and back and when we got home I went to the firehouse to use the computer and continue to listen to the game. And in the end, Brooklyn won, 13-1. On Wednesday I took Eileen to bowling around 4 PM. One of her teammates (Kellyanne) could not make it so her team was a threesome. She got 103 in game #1 and 118 in game #2, for a total of 221 pins. She had the best total of the seven bowlers at her alleys. Later on the New York Islanders won Game 6 of the semi-finals to force Game 7 against the Lightning. But on Friday (25th) the Islanders got eliminated in Game 7, so like in Brooklyn, it’s “wait until next year.” Two days later I got a chance to listen on
www.milb.com to the Mississippi Braves play the Tennessee Smokies. Tennessee won 2-1. June ended with a trip to East Islip Lanes where Eileen bowled with the Shooting Stars. She got 110 and 100 in her two games – the best scores of the girls.
There was not much happening on the 4th of July so I watched a good part of first game of today’s Subway Series and while the Mets trailed a good part of the game, they tied it in the 7th inning and then added 5 more runs to beat the Yankees 10-5. I also watched part of the Las Vegas Aces – Atlanta Dream WNBA game, and the Aces won 118-95. When I got home on the 7th I relaxed and then Eileen and I went to East Islip Lanes so she can bowl with her league. She did quite well that day – 146 in game #1 and 102 in game #2 for an average of 124. She had the highest average of all the bowlers at the two lanes – including three guys! On Friday the 9th after Eileen and I did our walk through Greenview Village I went to the firehouse to use the computer and then watch TV – the Cardinals/Cubs game. Chicago won 10-5. On the 14th Eileen did not do that well that day – 80 & 95. Hopefully better luck next time. Later that evening I watched part of the WNBA All Star Game. The WNBA All Stars beat the Women’s Olympic Team 93-85. After breakfast on the 17th I watched the last part of an exhibit basketball game between the women’s Australian Olympic Basketball Team (the Opals) against their American counterpart. The Opals were the underdog, and since I generally love underdogs, I was hoping that the Opals would win, and they did, 70-67, at an arena in Las Vegas. On Sunday afternoon I watched the opening innings of the Mets-Pirates game and in the bottom of the 1st inning the Mets gave up 6 runs to Pittsburgh – 3 of them on a controversial cheap shot that they thought was foul and then started to argue with instead of making a play – 3 runs scored. In the midafternoon I went to the firehouse to use the computer and then went back to the ready room to have another cup of coffee and watch the last innings of the Mets game. The score was 6-5. The engine 1 schmucks started to bad mouth the Mets. Then in the 8th inning Mike Conforto hit a 2 run homer that put the Mets ahead 7-6, and that was the final score. Quite a comeback! On Monday evening I went to the fire department meeting and watched a good part of the Mets – Reds game. In the end, the Mets won 15-11 in 11 innings for another great comeback. On July 21 the early evening I went to the exhibition game at Fairfield Properties Park between Team Israel and NYPD. It cost me $18, with 50% of that going to Team Israel. I got a ticket for section 111, past 3rd base but after taking several photos along the 3rd base side, I sat a few rows behind home plate for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, it was a rout: 17-0 Team Israel over the NYPD. While I am glad that they will be heading to Tokyo feeling happy that they won, if it was more evenly matched the game would be more exciting and they would be more prepared for rivals like the USA and South Korea. Still, good luck to Team Israel in Tokyo. After the game I stopped in the Waddle In Shop and got a pin commemorating the Ducks’ 2004 League Championship. I later learned that the Milwaukee Bucks won their 1st NBA Championship in 50 years. The next day was Wednesday so I took Eileen bowling at East Islip Lanes. This week she got 76 & 107 for a total of 183. I know that she could do better so hopefully better luck next week. After lunch on Monday the 26th I watched Next TV (channel 597) which re-broadcast a George Goodman League basketball game from SE Washington DC (played on July 22) which featured the Soul Searchers vs. the Guardians. The Soul Searchers led for a good part of the game but in the last several minutes, the Guardians came from behind and ended up winning 57-48. Later when I came home from fire school I watched a good part of the second game between the Mets and the Braves. While the Mets lost the first game 2-0, they won game 2 by a score of 1-0. In late Wednesday afternoon I took Eileen bowling, and she got 97 in game #1 and 117 in game #2. On Thursday afternoon Next TV had a game played on the 23rd from the George Goodman Basketball League: Maryland Towing vs. the Funk House Piranhas. I watched most of the second half and it was a close game, with the lead constantly changing. It also went into overtime and MD Towing ended up winning 50-49. The Goodman League’s website indicated that they would be playing the Dyckman League. I looked that league up and it’s based in Upper Manhattan and is New York City’s answer to the Goodman League.
I began August by watching The Basketball Tournament on ESPN Channel 570. This game featured Boeheim’s Army against Florida TNT, at the University of Dayton Arena. Florida led the Syracuse alumni until the final quarter. This tournament is different in that around 4 minutes before the end of the game, the game time clock is turned off and the winner must reach a certain amount of points – 9 more than what the leading team has when the clock is shut off. Florida had 57 so the winner was the team who reached 66 first. In a bit of an upset, the Orange alumni won 66-64. Besides the George Goodman League, in New York City we have the Dyckman Basketball League in Upper Manhattan. The Goodman League played Dyckman Basketball on July 25th and won. It was broadcast on August 2nd on Next Level Sports (channel 597) and I watched most of it, but I never got the score since I had to go out to the dining room. Since I am a Native New Yorker I would want the local team to win. The next day I watched almost all of a George Goodman League match between the Ghini Gang and the Underdogs. The final score was 48-47 in favor of the Gang. The Under Dogs trailed by as much as 14 points for a good part of the game but almost pulled this one out. Later in the evening I watched a part of the Basketball Tournament finals between Boeheim’s Army and Team 23. In the end, Boeheim’s Army won it all. Congrats to the team from New York State! The next day, the 4th, I watched most of a George Goodman League basketball game that was played on July 27th : Team BK against Team Snuff 317. For part of the game, Team BK led by as much as 15 points. But Team Snuff clawed its way back to within striking distance with the final score being 46-43 in favor of Team BK. Later in the afternoon Eileen went bowling and got 90 and 97. Not bad but hopefully she will do better next week. Two days later I watched most of the Mets-Phillies game on television. It was a close game 😖but the Phillies won 4-2. On Monday the 9th evening I watched a game from the George Goodman League, played on August 3rd. The Showstoppers beat Ariyuan, 67-60. On Wednesday, Eileen and I went to East Islip Lanes so she could bowl with the Shooting Stars. Some of the guys on the guys’ team were loud and since I was already stressed out, and I had to ask one to not stand right over me. But Eileen got 100 in game 1 and 128 in game 2. Pretty good. Later that evening I watched a George Goodman League game, and Geo Metro beat Madness 55-44. On the 12th I watched the Yankees – White Sox game from Iowa, where Field of Dreams took place. The White Sox wore 1919 style uniforms, while the Yankees wore the usual road uniform, but the NY on the cap was wider and the uniform letters were not silver piped. The lead went back and forth but in the bottom of the 9th inning, the White Sox went ahead by two runs to win the game 9-8. Two days later I watched part of the Mets – Dodgers game and thanks to the new man on 2nd base in the 10th inning, the Dodgers were able to score a run in the top of the 10th and win 2-1. On Sunday I watched a game from the Goodman League from Washington DC. World Class Ballers beat MD Towing 61-48. At the August fire department meeting, I watched part of the Yankees – Angels game which the Yankees won, 2-1. Around 4 pm on Wednesday I took Eileen bowling and she did not have such a great day. She would not put her catalogues and papers down and kept releasing the ball too early and she got several gutter balls. Finally, a retired special ed teacher took her under her wing and both her bowling improved. It was 76 in game #1 and 85 in game #2. I know that she can do better so it’s hopefully better luck next time. Later that evening during dinner time, I got to watch most of a Goodman Basketball League game between the Guardians and Team Ice. The Guardians won 53-50. The following day Next Level Sports broadcast the Goodman League’s All Star Games. In the first game, the East won by two points. In the second game, the West won 70-59. On Sunday (the 22nd) the Mets managed to beat the Dodgers 7-2 out in Los Angeles. On the last Wednesday of this month, I took Eileen bowling. She got 142 in game #1 and 97 in game #2. It was also the last meeting on the summer season and during the trophy awards, she also got one for high series. I took two pix with the cell phone and emailed them to Ellen, Charlie, and me. After the last game we headed out to 7-11 to get the lotto ticket as well as some cookies and maybe a Beanie Baby. There is a new 7-11 on Sunrise in Sayville and was featured on Facebook. But since it was after 5 pm when we left East Islip Lanes, the Sunrise Highway was getting backed up past the Oakdale Merge so we went to the one on Montauk Highway in Oakdale. I got the lotto ticket, and we bought some 7-Select cookies and a Beanie Baby – a dog named Barker, #123 in the collection. The next day I watched a George Goodman League game. Prospect U beat Maryland Towing 74-69 in overtime. On the last Sunday of the month, I watched the re-broadcasting of the two George Goodman League All Star games on Next Level TV. In the junior game, the East won 62-60; in the senior game, the West won 70-59 They were originally played on the 19th. I ended August by watching the game between the Funk House Piranhas and Geo Metro. Funk House won, 38-36.
On the 3rd day of September I joined the Islip Fire Department Rescue Squad at Islip High School for the football standby. It was Game 1 of the 2021 season. When I got to the grounds, I parked at the Union Boulevard parking lot and then walked to the stadium. I ran late so I missed the first couple minutes of the game, against Comsewogue High School. Soon Islip went ahead 7-0. In the 2nd quarter Comsewogue went ahead 10-7 and led until the last quarter, when Islip scored a touchdown, making it 13-10. Two days later, on Sunday, I watched the WNBA game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Washington Mystics. It was a close game at first but soon the Lynx owned the Mystics. The final score was 93-75 in favor of Minnesota. Later in the evening, I watched a Goodman League basketball game. BF Crazies beat Geo Metro in overtime 45-43. On Wednesday (the 8th) Derek Jeter was elected to the Hall of Fame and I got to watch footage of the ceremony from Cooperstown. The WNBA broadcasted a group of games. In the first game the Phoenix Mercury beat the Atlanta Dream 76-75 in the final seconds, after trailing for most of the game. The next game was between the Las Vegas Aces and the Minnesota Lynx. The Aces won 102-81. On the 16th I spent some time watching the Padres – Giants game, as well as a Goodman Basketball League playoff game, on TV. On Sunday evening I watched the Braves beat the Giants 3-0, as well as part of a Goodman League playoff basketball game. On the 22nd Eileen returned to bowling after the summer recess. She missed the 15th because I was coming home from San Diego. But on her return, she bowled a 96 and a 100. But she is also on a new team with only 3 girls instead of 4. The WNBA post season single eliminations are being played. On Thursday evening I watched the Chicago Sky eliminate the Dallas Wings 81-64. While I did not get a chance to watch it, the New York Liberty was eliminated by the Phoenix Mercury, 83-82. On the last Sunday of September I went to the firehouse for coffee and to watch the Giants – Falcons game. The lead changed a couple of times but in the end the Falcons won 17-14 on a field goal. I also listened to the Mets Brewers game on the radio when I went to Uncle Giuseppe’s. The Mets lost 8-4 and are also eliminated from the post season playoffs. On the last Wednesday of the month, I took Eileen bowling at East Islip Lanes. She did well in game 1: 115, but not as good in the 2nd game: 83. But it was a 99 average.
October began with watching some NCAA football games. Alabama beat Ole Miss 45-21. In the late evening I watched part of the UCLA – Arizona State game, and in the end, the final score was 42-23 Arizona State. The next day the Giants were playing the Saints in the Big Easy, but since Big Blue is my favorite NFL team, I rooted for them. They were behind 21-10 by the 4th quarter but scored a touchdown and a 2 point conversion, then a field goal to tie the game. They then won in overtime, 27-21. The Yankees beat the Rays 1-0 to win a wild card slot. But on the 5th, they lost to the Red Sox and will be going home. The next day, I took Eileen bowling and she got 110 in each game. On the 9th I watched a good part of the Syracuse – Wake Forest game and the Demon Deacons won in overtime 40-37 during a very close game. I later saw on Facebook that Penn State also lost by 3 points: 23-20 to Iowa. On the anniversary of Columbus’ sighting the Americas, I watched part of a show on the SEC Network about Archie Manning. Among those interviewed were Dr. Robert Khayat, teammates, and Coach Vaught. It made me a bigger fan of Ole Miss (and maybe get a shirt or cap for my birthday?). The next day was Wednesday so I took Eileen to East Islip Lanes so she can bowl with her league, the Shooting Stars. She bowled a 96 in the first game and a 119 in the second game, resulting in the second best average among the 7 bowlers at the alleys. Two days later on the 15th I watched Game 3 of the WNBA Finals and the Chicago Sky blew away the Phoenix Mercury 86-50. Not a close game. After lunch on Wednesday Eileen and I did a walk along the usual route and not long after we got back, we headed to East Islip Lanes so Eileen could bowl with the Shooting Stars. This afternoon was not her best day: only 88 & 91. Better luck next Wednesday. On Thursday evening (the 21st) I watched most of the Islanders – Blue Jackets game and the Blue Jackets won in overtime, 3-2. While I was at St. John’s on the 23rd I was able to watch 4 sports: baseball, volley ball, basketball (even if it was intramural), and softball (and even took batting practice). On the last Wednesday of the month I took Eileen bowling at East Islip Lanes. She did not such a good outing, with scores of 93 and 79. Better luck next week. On Friday I watched most of Game 3 of the World Series and the Braves won, 2-0. On Halloween I watched a good part of the Jets – Bengals game and Gang green won 34-31. When we got home from Harbor Crab, I watched Game 5 and the Astros rallied to beat the Braves 9-5 to force Game 6.
On election Day evening I watched Game 6 of the World Series. The Braves owned the Astros in this game and won 7-0. With this win they ae the 2021 World Series champions. Now football season officially starts for me. The next day was Wednesday and I took Eileen bowling at East Islip Lanes. She got 88 and 91. It was better than last week but I was hoping for over 100 in each game. On Friday evening I watched most of the Knicks – Bucks and Nets – Pistons games. The Knicks won 113-98; the Nets won 96-90. The weekend ended with a Giants victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, 23-16. Two days later I watched most of the Syracuse University – Lafayette University basketball game, and the Orange won 97-63. On our second Wednesday I went to East Islip Lanes to go bowling. Eileen did well, with 113 in game 1 and 122 in game 2. St. John’s beat Mississippi Valley State 119-61 last night. A great victory but what about the big shots? On the 12th I watched the two New York NBA teams play. The Knicks lost to the Hornets in Charlotte, 104-96 while the Nets won in New Orleans over the Pelicans, 120-112. The 15th was the fire department meeting and before and after the fire department meeting on Monday I watched parts of the Islanders – Lightning game and the Knicks – Pacers game. The Islanders lost 4-1 while the Knicks won 92-84. On the 3rd Wednesday I took Eileen bowling and she got 106 & 121. Almost as good as last week. After my walk with Eileen on Wednesday I drove to the firehouse to have coffee and watch part of the rebroadcast of the 22nd Hofstra – Richmond game. The Spiders won, 81-68, but it ws close in the first half. When I got home from the firehouse I got to watch the first half of the Syracuse – VCU game. In the first half the lead kept changing hands and the lead was usually less than 5 points But in the 2nd half VCU got on fire and won in the end, 67-55. After dinner I watched a good part of the Nets – Celtics game. Brooklyn won 123-104. On Thanksgiving Day, I got a chance to see most of the Dayton – Miami basketball game which the Flyers won 76-60. I also saw part of the Chicago Bears – Detroit Lions football game. In the end the Bears won 16-14. On Saturday after the 4:30 Mass I went to the firehouse to have a snack and watch some NCAA football. Penn State played Michigan State and it was snowing in Lansing (Penn State lost 30-27. During a commercial I checked the Cable Vision guide and saw that St. John’s University was playing New Jersey Institute of Technology at the Carnesecca Arena and was able to watch the 2nd half. SJU was ahead for most of the half but NJIT caught up and tied the score at the final buzzer, and at the end of regulation it was tied 63-63. In overtime SJU went ahead and SJU beat NJIT 77-68. On the last Sunday of the month and the first Sunday of Advent, after we put up the Christmas decorations, I went into the TV room to relax and watch some football, as well as the YES Channel’s Yankee Magazine for a story about Billy Martin, and then a story about the Brooklyn Nets. I also watched the Giants beat the Eagles 13-7.
On the evening of November 30 I watched part of the Indiana/Syracuse basketball. After two overtimes, the Orange won 112-110. But I did not record it the journal until the 1st. Since the 1st was a Wednesday, Eileen went bowling at East Islip Lanes and got 87 and 117 in her two games. When I got home from the Lanes I watched part of the Rutgers-Clemson basketball game rebroadcast from yesterday. Rutgers won 74-64. After I got home from the City on Friday I watched part of the Kansas St. - John’s basketball at the UBS Arena. The Jayhawks won 95-75. On 1st Sunday I watched the St. John’s Women’s Basketball team play and beat Seton Hall, 88-75. Later I went to the firehouse to have coffee and a bagel and watch TV. We watched parts of NFL games and the two Meadowlands teams both lost (again). Later I came home to watch the first half of the St. John’s – Fordham Men’s Basketball game. At the half the Johnnies were up (I had to give the TV set to Eileen). The final score was 83-69, so both of St. John’s basketball programs won on the 5th. Later in the evening I watched the MLB Channel and a spokesman from the Hall of Fame announced the Veterans Committee’s choices for induction next year. The 6 players are from Gil Hodges, Buck O’Neill, Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Minnie Miñoso and Art Fowler. Congratulations to these fine ballplayers. After lunch on the 7th I watched a good part of a cricket match from the United Arab Emirates. The teams seem to be from cites in the Emirates. The match I watched was between Ajman Cricket Club and Fujairah Cricket Club. Fujairah won by 34 runs. I looked the clubs up and they play in different cities in the UAE, and also added the clubs’ pages to my likes on Facebook. Around 4 pm I took Eileen to east Islip Lanes so she could bowl with the Shooting Stars. It was a good day out for her: 112 in each game! Around 4 pm on Wednesday I took Eileen to east Islip Lanes so she could bowl with the Shooting Stars. It was a good day out for her: 112 in each game! The next morning after breakfast I watched more cricket on channel 597 (Next TV) and also signed up for www.sky247.net to get emails about various sports (mainly cricket I presume). On Thursday evening while the bozos from the other engine company were at their meeting, I watched basketball on TV: the UConn vs. Georgia Tech women’s teams. The Lady Yellow Jackets won 57-44. We also watched the Islanders – Predators game and the Islanders lost again, 4-3 this time. I also watched part of the LIU - Fordham game, and the main game of the night – St. John’s vs. Monmouth. The Johnnies won 88-83. On Friday evening I watched the Brooklyn Nets – Atlanta Hawks game and Brooklyn won 113-105. On Saturday I watched nearly all of the Providence College – Central Connecticut State basketball game, and the Friars owned CCSU for most of the game with the final score being 68-53. Over the weekend I also watched parts of D 10 Cricket matches from the United Arab Emirates. On the middle Sunday I watched a basketball game in which St. John’s University beat Colgate University, 82-64. After lunch I went to the firehouse to join in on the tailgate party by the apparatus bays. The Jets were losing 10-6 to the Saints when I arrived and the final score was 30-9 in favor of the Saints. I spent some time over the second weekend watching the D-10 Cricket Tournament taking place in the United Arab Emirates and over the following days I also watched the semi-finals during the week. On Wednesday afternoon, the 15th, I took Eileen bowling and she got 140 in game #1 and 121 in game #2 for an average of 130.5. The next morning I watched part of the Italian Basketball League’s game between Germani and A/X Armani. Armani won 76-62. The Brooklyn Nets won another game, this time on Thursday evening, the 16th. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-105. On the 19th I watched the G League Basketball game where the Grand Rapids Gold squared off against the G League Ignite. The Ignite won 123-106. On the 21st I also saw on Facebook that former Long Island Duck and Major League baseball player and coach Kimera Bartee passed away at the age of 49. I had the pleasure of talking with him and his teammates after a blood drive at the Ducks’ ballpark in the early 2000’s.On the 22nd I took Eileen bowling and she got 114 and then 83. She could have done better in game 2 if she had concentrated more on her game. Later in the evening I watched a special on MLB-TV about Ernie Banks – a great player and person. And also watched the Orlando Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 104-98. I have also been watching the Oman D20 Cricket Tournament on channel 597. The next day I got to enjoy a good part of a match between the Darsait Titans vs Bousher Busters. The Busters won by 6 wickets (105/10 vs. 104/4). I also went online to look up the most important cricket terms: runs, innings, overs, and wickets so I can understand the game better. On Christmas Eve I watched more D20 Oman Cricket matches. One was between the Darsait Titans versus the Khuwair Warriors. The Titans won 155-4 over the Warriors’ 154-8 by 6 wickets. I started to watch the next match between the Bousher Busters and the Ghubrah Giants but then it was time to go out for lunch. I checked online and the Giants won by 5 wickets (125/5 vs. 124/6). On Christmas Day I watched the Knicks beat the Hawks 101-87. I also watched parts of the Oman D20 cricket matches. One was between the Amarat Royals vs. the Darsait Titans. The Royals won 176/9 vs. 100/9 (76 runs). Later in the evening I watched the Nets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-115. And then part of a game from the main Italian league where Trieste beat Milano 71-68. On Boxing Day I watched part of a cricket match and then a show about the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League. First I got to see part of a game between the Santurce Crabbers and Mayagüez Indians, and then about the Crabbers team itself and the greats who played for them – 21 of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Made think more highly of Puerto Ricans and the ball players, and now also the people in general. I also hit the Google Search to download some logos and pictures of the Crabbers. On the last Tuesday of 2021 I watched an Oman D20 match. Azaiba XI beat the Bousher Busters 158/3 to 155/8 and 7 wickets. In the second match the Ghubrah Giants beat the Khuwair Warriors 164/4 to 161/9 and won by 6 wickets. . Later in the week I watched more two Oman D20 cricket matches. In one match, Khuwair Warriors (150/4) won by 6 wickets over Azaiba XI (149/5). In the other match the Ruwi Rangers (195/6) beat the Bousher Busters (149/9) by 46 runs. Both went 20 overs. Yes, watching the matches had really gotten me interested in the sport. On Thursday I watched a good part of a match between the Amerat Royals and the Azaibi XI. Amerat (68/1) won by 9 wickets over Azaibi (99/10) by (D/L method). I am also reading up more on the term used in cricket to understand the sport more. On Wednesday evening I watched part of Roberto Clemente Baseball League game between the Santurce Crabbers and the Mayaguez Indians. The Crabbers won, 1-0. The next day after lunch I watched part of a Chinese Basketball Association game between the Beijing Ducks and the Nanjing Monkey King. For a short while, it looked like a close game, but the Ducks ran away with the game 119-78.
