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I'm bored.
New York and New Jersey, two of the biggest media outlets in the entire country, has gone cold with news. The NHL and NBA are well into the Finals without a team from the Tri-State area, and the NFL is in the midst of a lockout which may prevent the Jets and Giants from playing at all in 2011-2012. The Yankees and Mets are almost halfway done with their season, but nothing has really changed besides the Yankees winning and the Mets losing.
It seems as though the Tri-State area is digging deep for their news. The release of Plaxico Burress from prison today is making major sports headlines, and although there are many rumors that Burress may sign with the Giants or Jets, it is more likely that he will sign with Philadelphia if anything.
The Knicks recently lost President Donnie Walsh and rumors are spreading about the future of head coach Mike D'Antoni, but this is nothing compared to the Finals between Miami and Dallas. To top things off, the Nets have only posted news about their season ticket packages for the 2012 season in Brooklyn, a year before they even make the move from Newark.
The Rangers made a splash by trading for top Flames prospect D Tim Erixon for two second round picks, but other then the death of Derek Boogaard the blue shirts really haven't been too exciting since being knocked out of the playoffs. The Devils and Islanders haven't made news as well besides the Devils trying to find a new head coach and the NHL Draft coming up later this month.
It's becoming tough to be a writer in this state. Everything is the same old story now a days, and we are far from the 90s and 2000s where there was always something to talk about. The Devils aren't winning Stanley Cups, the Nets aren't in the NBA playoffs, and the Yankees and Mets are writing the same stories they've been writing for years. We have nothing NEW to write about, and it is coming down to writing about how we have nothing to write about.
However, the next few months will be exciting for the Tri-State Area. Here is a list of things to come for 2011:
NHL: The Devils and Islanders have top picks in the upcoming draft on June 24-25, the Devils with the fourth pick and the Islanders with the fifth. For New Jersey, the fourth pick will be the highest pick they've had in the draft since picking tenth in 1996 (Lance Ward) and the first time they've been in the top five since 1991 (Scott Niedermayer).
NBA: The Knicks are currently searching for a replacement at the GM and president position following the stepping down of Donnie Walsh. They are expected to spend the summer looking for this new hire, and rumors have already started to spread including names like Phil Jackson, Alan Houston, and Isiah Thomas. The Nets have been quiet this off-season, but are expected to have one of their best seasons in years led by PG Daron Williams and C Brooke Lopez.
MLB: Yankees SS Derek Jeter is now 14 hits away from 3,000, so all eyes will be on him as he tries to reach this remarkable achievement. He is projected to reach the mark around the weekend of June 18th, where he will be in Chicago against the Cubs. He will become the first Yankee to reach the 3,000 plateau and only the 28th player in major league history to join the club. The Mets continue to be in the center of controversy, and with new minority owner David Einhorn in place it will be interesting to see how the team plays here on out.
NFL: The lockout is still in full force in the NFL and there is no sign of letting up as we move into June. The Jets and Giants have both had team workouts lead by quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Eli Manning, but the news has ultimately been filled with negative press from the league. The release of Plaxico Burress from prison will surely make headlines in the next few weeks, but he can not sign with a team unless the lockout is lifted. If the lockout does come to an end, both New York teams will be filled with questions including how each team will handle free agency.
There is a lot of "potential" for the summer, but right now it is becoming hard to talk about NY/NJ sports. Nobody is really "wowing" the press, and until Derek Jeter reaches 3,000 a lot of people are going to be bored. Nobody really cares about what season ticket packages the Nets will have in two years or who the Islanders are going to take in this year's draft. We care about the major sports teams, and those guys simply aren't doing enough to keep us interested.
(And don't think I forgot about Buffalo. The Bills and the Sabres aren't making headlines either, so why bother putting them into a story about lack of news.)
The weather is starting to warm up, baseball news is heating up, but the Tri-State area has gone cold with entertainment. Let's hope June and July bring us something to write about.
Follow Joe Kuchie on Twitter: @jkuchie
