Finally, A View From the Top

“The New York Jets have officially blown out the undefeated Tennessee Titans!”

Bob Wischusen, the Jets radio play-by-play man has not had a chance to get this excited about Gang Green in quite some time. But Lyons and the rest of the Jets’ family had plenty of reasons to get out of their chairs and shout yesterday afternoon. And the rest of the football world now has every reason to open their eyes and begin to take this team seriously.

Just 10 days after conquering their equivalent to Kryptonite, the New England Patriots, the Jets made another tremendous statement, beating the previously 10-0 Titans. The win was the team’s fifth in a row after losing a heartbreaker to Oakland in overtime in week 7.

The Jets won by a final count of 34-13, and that almost does not even justify how much they dominated play in this game, especially in the third quarter.

Titans’ quarterback Kerry Collins barely got his hands on the rock for the third fifteen minutes of play, as the Jets started the quarter with a seven minute drive resulting in a chip shot field goal by Jay Feely. On the first play of Tennessee’s next drive, Abram Elam pounced on rookie tailback Chris Johnson and knocked the ball loose. Lineman Bryan Thomas scooped it up to set up a short field and a Jets touchdown.

The Titans managed to hold on to the ball for the final three minutes of the period, but the first 12 were far more indicative of the Jets’ dominance in this one.

Throughout the game, the Jets adapted to what has been referred to as the best defense in the league by attacking them head on with a hard-nosed running game led by Thomas Jones, mixing in some big plays by the change of pace back Leon Washington.

Add to the confident rushing attack the expert arm of Brett Favre, who limited his mistakes by throwing 26 of his 32 passes to receivers less than 10 yards away.

And while Favre played a huge part in the Jets victory, Gang Green proved that they are a legitimate contender more by the play of those less spoken of.

The best teams depend on not only their stars, but a solid supporting cast, and the Jets’ other players deserve all the credit in this one.

It was rookie tight end Dustin Keller sneaking and slithering to first down yardage seemingly every time the Jets faced a third down. It was blocking back Tony Richardson taking just his second handoff of the season for a whopping 14 yards to put the Jets in the red zone of a scoring drive. It was Eric Barton patrolling the middle third of the defense, amassing seven tackles in the game and shutting down the Titans’ potent rushing game.

The Jets are for real. Their offense is for real. Their defense is for real. And you better believe their special teams are for real.

But Brett Favre isn’t ready to wear any crown or accept any trophy just yet.

"I'm not going to sit here and say we've established ourselves as the best team in football," Favre told reporters after the game. "All it says is I think we beat the best team in football today, definitely if you go by record and the way that they've played.”

Number four and his surprising bunch will finally head home to the field turf of East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday to battle the Denver Broncos. Fireman Eddie and the rest of the Jets faithful will be there in full force, and they finally have reason to ditch the pessimistic attitude that has plagued this franchise for so long.

Come Sunday there will be talk of trap games and let-downs. But until then, Coach Eric Mangini may have re-gained the title “Man-Genius.”

Happy Thanksgiving, Jets fans. It’s going to be one hell of a December.

--Phil DiMartino

Player quotes courtesy of ESPN.com

Winning Isn’t Everything

Northeastern Hockey Fans Continue Support Despite Inconsistent Teams

Editor's Note: I wrote this piece for Jack Falla's sports journalism class after the first round of the 2008 Beanpot Tournament. Professor Falla passed away in September, but he would have loved the enthusiasm Northeastern fans came with to Agganis Arena on Sunday night to support the visiting Huskies. He certainly also would have appreciated the stellar goaltending on both sides of the ice. This piece may be dated, but it is still a good indication of just how rabid and relentless Northeastern Hockey fans are.

(February, 2008)
At 11:30 PM on Monday night, chants of “Let’s Go Huskies” resonated from sections 309 – 313 of the balcony of T.D. Banknorth Garden. Although Northeastern had fallen 3 –1 to Harvard nearly four hours earlier, a contingent of fans remained deep into overtime of the late game in the first round of the annual Beanpot tournament.

Many of the students among the Northeastern Hockey faithful were not born in time to witness their team’s last Beanpot Championship twenty years ago. Those who were alive probably don’t remember it.

Despite a tradition of inconsistent annual tournament play and league competition, new generations of Northeastern fans have continued to rally behind their school’s hockey program and cheer for their Huskies. This year, the 1,500 tickets allotted for Northeastern students sold out in a record six hours.

Before the opening face-off, the resurgent Huskies squad, ranked nationally this year as high as seventh, was expected to put up a strong showing in the tournament. But not everyone who calls Matthews Arena home anticipated victory. “Any Northeastern fan has zero expectations. We’re just along for the ride. We had a three win season two years ago, and that humbles you a lot,” says Dave Luca, NU ’04. “We haven’t tasted success in a while, so we’re cautiously optimistic for this year.”

Luca is among the Northeastern fans who remain devoted despite repeated dashed hopes. Like many other students, Luca did not follow hockey before going to college. However, upon arriving at Northeastern, he started attending games. As he says, “Once you’re hooked, even if your team’s not doing what you want them to do, you keep coming back.”

The team didn’t exactly do what fans hoped for Monday. Seven minutes into the game, the Crimson had already scored three goals on Northeastern goaltender Brad Thiessen. Throughout the first period, the Huskies played sloppy hockey, turning the puck over in their own zone, and taking penalties while they were on the power play. With each miscue, the Northeastern “Dog House” got a little bit more restless. After the third goal, the students voiced their displeasure, chanting in unison, “Wake the **** up!”

The Huskies just one came with 28 seconds remaining in the second. The Northeastern fans remained until the final whistle, desperately trying to will their team to score. Despite strong student support, Northeastern lost the game 3-1, ensuring yet another year without a Beanpot championship.

But it would take more than a first-round tournament loss to take out this battle-hardened crew. Not only have the Husky fans been denied the Beanpot for two full decades, but their team hasn’t put up winning season since 2001 – 2002. Since then, over the past five seasons, Northeastern has posted a record of 52 – 87 – 27, including the record team-low three win season two years ago.

Still, fans continue to fill the seats, home and away, donning the Black and Red, in dogged support of their team, support that former Husky winger and current Northeastern Assistant Coach Joe Santilli says is invaluable to the team. “It’s been great, it’s been the buzz around campus. For the players it’s great to know the fans will be there. We go to Maine or U-Mass Lowell and the fans are there,” Santilli says. “They follow us and they support us through the ups and downs. They know hockey, and they root hard, and it’s important for the players.”

But what keeps these faithful fans coming back year after year, even in the absence of championship banners and Beanpots?

Santilli believes the close ties between students and collegiate athletes help rally a campus around a team. “In professional sports, it’s just your home-team, and you root for them, but there’s no interaction,” he says. “Here you know the kids on the team. I knew a lot of kids in the dog house when I played. They’d come up to you in class and talk to you and you form a lot of good relationships as well.”

Many students are drawn into the world of collegiate sports just by attending a few games. Phil Goldhar, a NU freshman, didn’t follow hockey before coming to school, but he hasn’t missed a home game this season. “I think just being there, the atmosphere gets you hooked,” Goldhar says. “Northeastern doesn’t really have a lot of competitive sports, so the fact that we can rally around something, especially because they’re doing so well this year is really a big incentive. It really brings everyone out on a Friday night.”

Senior Lisa Donnelly says that even a losing team doesn’t drive their fans away. “The whole experience keeps me coming back. Our fans are some of the best fans I’ve ever got to cheer with,” Donnelly says. “It’s just the whole spirit of the fans and the team and everything. It makes the games fun even when you’re losing.”

Mike Biglin, Sports Editor of the MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, and Northeastern class of 1991, credits the continued support to hope that things will turn around. “They’ve had some tough times, and they’re just starving for a winner,” Biglin says. “The hockey team has been awful for years, but I feel like they sense a bit of a rebound… There’s a ground-swelling, and it feels like things are on the upturn.”

Biglin was a freshman at Northeastern the last time they took home the Beanpot, and like so many other students, he has passionately rooted for his team since arriving on campus. He thinks events like the Beanpot can help keep a collegiate fan base strong. “The Beanpot is a unique thing. It really brings people out sort of like a homecoming football game,” he says. “We gather and share memories and watch the game.”

Collegiate sports teams have the advantage over professional teams in that while they retain their old fans and alumni, they also gather a boost of energy every year from a fresh incoming class of freshmen.

Collegiate ticket pricing is also a selling point for students. Most colleges, including Northeastern, offer students free tickets to home games. According to Forbes, the average price of tickets for Boston Bruins home games is over fifty dollars, beyond the reach of many students.

Combine economy with the community and loyalty that evolve rooting for fellow classmates, and college sports gains yet another bonus over the pro-game. “I think the collegiate game is a lot more exciting for some reason,” senior Craig Malcolmson says. “I think with the fan support and the student sections, it’s just much more exciting than going to an NHL game.”

Biglin, who covered Huskies hockey for The Northeastern News from 1989 – 1991, acknowledges that the Beanpot consolation game is a let-down, especially when fans enter the arena with high hopes for a first round win. “If the dog pound does show up next week, I will be shocked, and I will have a lot of respect for them, because there is nothing worse on the planet than the consolation game in the Beanpot,” he says. “I will think they’re completely insane, but I will have a lot of respect for them.”

But freshman K.C. Mancuso believes that even though fans are disappointed, they will still turn out in force for the consolation game on Monday. “Although I do think some students sold their tickets, I think for the most part students here will still go,” she says.

She also admits that there is an added bonus to this particular consolation game. “It would be awesome if we could put BU in fourth place. Obviously BU and NU is a big rivalry. We just want to beat the guys who always win,” Mancuso says. “But even if we lose in the consolation game, students will still feel a sense of pride for the Huskies and stand by them.”

Coach Santilli agrees, saying, “I think there will be a lot of fans there. I know there’s a lot of loyalty here towards the school and the team, and I don’t think one loss is going to affect that, even if it is in the Beanpot.”

Even after twenty years and untold disappointments, don’t expect the Huskies fans to go home any time soon. Fans agree the chants from the Northeastern corner of the Garden won’t subside until long after third place is settled. They might be insane, as Mike Biglin says, but they are certainly dedicated.

--Phil DiMartino

Change We Can Believe In

In the first National Poll since last week’s historic election, the voters have spoken, and they have called for change.

The Boston University Terriers have catapulted to the top spot in the USA Today and the USCHO.com polls, gaining the number one spot for the first time since March 2006 just before the NCAA Tournament began.

It is also the first time the Terriers have found themselves at number one during the regular season since the days of Chris Drury during the 1998 campaign.

BU has steadily moved up the ladder since being ranked at number nine in the pre-season polls. Although rival BC dropped to fifth, Hockey East is still off to an outstanding start, with UNH sitting at sixth and Northeastern University ranked seventh in the nation.

The Terriers have won on the strength of sophomore stud Colin Wilson. Wilson has been particularly explosive recently, tallying nine points in BU’s last three games.

Their most recent victory came in dramatic fashion on the road at U-Mass Lowell. In a rematch of last season’s Hockey East Quarterfinals, the Terriers found themselves in an unfamiliar position; trailing late in the third period.

But the Terriers showed some toughness, coming back from down four to three as Chris Higgins scored a goal from Wilson and Jason Lawrence to tie the game with just 2:14 remaining in the third.

Wilson took matters into his own hands two minutes later, grabbing a puck at the point and picking his spot over River Hawks’ backup goaltender T.J. Massie’s shoulder with just 14 seconds remaining in the game. Wilson had a total of four points on the night.

Carrying the Terriers to victory in dramatic fashion was enough to earn Wilson Hockey East Player of the Week honors.

Wilson and teammate Nick Bonino currently sit atop the leader-board for points in Hockey East with 12 apiece. Those numbers are also good enough to put the star sophomores at third nationally.

Strong goaltending has also helped push the IceDogs to their current standing atop the College Hockey world. Freshmen goalies Kieran Millan and Grant Rollheiser have played outstanding in the two-man rotation system, combining for a 2.00 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

The Terriers will look to expand on their success with two games against ranked opponents this weekend. BU travels to #20 U-Mass Amherst on Friday night for the final game of their three game road swing. Then the Terriers return home for the first time in more than three weeks when the host the #7 Northeastern Huskies at Agganis Arena on Sunday Night.

--Phil DiMartino

Iverson Not The Answer for Detroit

Allen Iverson despises practice.

Anyone who follows sports even casually remembers Iverson’s classic rant to the media bemoaning his disdain for pre-game preparation.

“I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we’re in here talkin’ about practice,” the then Philadelphia 76er said. “Not a game, not a game, not a game. We talkin’ about practice.”

This came after Iverson, the team’s leader and one of the faces of the league skipped out on, you guessed it, a mandatory team practice and was disciplined by coach Larry Brown.

“How the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing?”

That was 2002, and this is 2008, but we are still talking about the same Allen Iverson.

The Detroit Pistons acquired “The Answer” in a trade with the Denver Nuggets, parting ways with long time point-man and consistent clutch player Chuancey Billups. Detroit also gave up big man Antonio McDyess in the deal.

Iverson’s numbers put him among the most prolific scorers in the history of the game. He is undeniably one of the most talented players in the league. But that does not mean that The Answer is the right answer for a Pistons team hoping to get over the top and take the step from contender to champion.

Even if his attitude has improved from the days of wondering why practice is so important, Iverson has always been more concerned with the name on the back of the jersey than the one on the front. More importantly, he lacks the one thing that truly defines greatness: a championship.

His team-second attitude does not mesh with the ideals that have defined the Pistons franchise for the last decade. The Pistons have been a collection of talented players who come together and play well as a team. There are fiery personalities and big egos yes, but they are always able to keep the team’s goals first. It is a mindset that has propelled the team to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

It also helped them earn a Confernce title in 2005, and a Championship in 2004. But the rings have run dry since then, and the Pistons hope Iverson’s knack to find the net can return them to the winners circle.

In his career, Iverson averages 27.7 points per game with 6.3 assists. Put that next to Billups’ 14.8 points and 5.5 assists and it seems like a no-brainer.

But there is more to winning than flashy numbers. Just ask Alex Rodriguez, or Dan Marino. They will go down in history in their sports among the greatest individual athletes to play their positions. Marino will never get a ring. And A-Rod, much like Iverson, is still trying to mesh individual success with team results. Until they can find a way to do this, they will never be remembered as winning players.

Perhaps the change of scenery and the sunset on the horizon of his career becoming visible will motivate Iverson to put his new teammates first and help him grab that elusive ring.

But playing in the same conference as the three-headed monster that is the Boston Celtics is a serious road-block to achieving a conference title, and Iverson will have to do more than practice to knock off the defending champs.

In fact, Detroit fell to Boston Sunday night. This after they lost to the lowly New Jersey Nets in Iverson’s debut last week. The Pistons are 0-2 since nabbing Iverson, and while they certainly won’t go winless for the rest of the year, it could be a bad omen of things to come.

Only time will tell whether or not Iverson fits in with the Pistons’ system. But it doesn’t take time to realize that you can’t teach winning. Chauncey Billups knows how to win. Allen Iverson doesn’t.

The answer seems obvious. Detroit made the wrong decision.

--Phil DiMartino