Should I Stay or Should I Go Now ?

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Mets fans in and around the tri-state area are probably left asking themselves that question after an abysmal end to 2008. However, the one bright side of the weekend was Santana. Johan, thank you for that.

I checked my calendar three times during the latter part of the Mets'4-2 season-ending loss to the Florida Marlins on Sunday...just to make sure I was reliving a 'groundhog day' in 2007. There was no aging southpaw trying to paint the corners to no avail. Or an eight run deficit for a team to climb out of. Rather, it was a close game until the eighth, when the ball was handed over to the bullpen. Yikes.

The Mets have dropped the ball for a second year in a row. A new stadium is already being transitioned for next season; the former house being picked a part by wrecking-balls and scavengers. What's left of the '08 season is a bunch of...'overachievers'?



C'mon now, an organization calling such a large market home, combined with a hefty payroll and bills to pay thanks to the brandy-new Citi Field is going to call themselves overachievers ? For Mets fans across the country, that...is a slap in the face. Piece by piece, the Mets farm system has been depleted and necessary role players have been traded away in hopes of improving this team. However, far too often do the Mets find themselves in a position saying, 'Well if only we hadn't done that deal...'

A little late for that.

Does frustration begin to describe the feeling of Mets fans after the last game at Shea. How deflating an experience to splurge on tickets for the game, get the family out there, root your heart out...for a season-ending loss to a third-place team. The same team that beat you last year. In the same fashion. On almost the same day. Sure fans got to sit back afterwards and watch some of the Mets greats dance across the field. tipping their final cap to Shea before it comes crashing down.

But could they really, actually enjoy that type of ceremony? I know I watched it out of respect but did little to enjoy the moment. The sting of a deflating defeat after a promising season did enough damage. Hopefully SNY will replay the ceremony later in the week. Or later in the month. Or later in the year.

Why? Because quite frankly few actually know how long it's going to take to get over this one.


Your 2009 New York Mets
Ramon Castro
Brian Schneider
Jose Reyes
David Wright
Carlos Beltran
Johan Santana
Mike Pelfrey
John Maine
Nick Evans
Daniel Murphy
Jerry Manuel
Joe Smith

The rest are anyone's guess...



The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Catchin' Up with Gordon Klejstan on PPT

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Hey Pirate fans! This weekend on Pirate Primetime, be sure to tune in from 7- 8 P.M. to catch our analysts breaking down the wide-world of SHU Sports. Men's and women's soccer are both looking to get back to their winning ways as the teams battle neck-and-neck with the rest of the BIG EAST conference. Don't forget about Volleyball, Golf, as well as Track and Field.



This week, we catch up with former SHU men's soccer standout Gordon Klejstan,who now calls the New York Red Bulls home. To find out what Gordon's been up to, and his thoughts on his days here at the Hall, be sure to check it out right here on 89.5 FM WSOU.

Make Pirate Primetime your one stop for checking up on the blue and white. Don't forget to dial us up at (973)-761-9768 and get your opinions on the air!

The surprises are just about over – it’ll be USC and Oklahoma

By Brian Wisowaty

Has the 2008 college football season begun to lose its luster?

The feel-good story of my last post, East Carolina, seems to be no more. A dramatic 30-24 defeat in overtime at North Carolina State bumped the Pirates all the way out of the USA Today poll. Seemingly, a pretty harsh response to the team’s first loss of the season.

Now the eyes of the nation can shift to Brigham Young, the No. 11 team in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today poll. That victory for the Cougars over Washington on the heels of Jake Locker’s “excessive celebration” (and I use that term loosely) is now key as BYU preps for Utah State, New Mexico, and TCU in October.
In other words, we’re left with a BYU team that, at best, is questionably undefeated at this point.

Meanwhile, on the national title hunt, an injury and conference quality has almost trimmed the “legitimate contender” field down to two or three. Consider Ohio State, the clear class of the Big Ten. While that matchup at Southern California two weeks back would have been difficult no matter what, the loss of Chris Wells at halfback for the game made it a blowout.



Moving up and down the AP’s top ten teams, it can only be expected for LSU and Alabama to find out the hard way that the SEC is the toughest conference in the land. As happens every year, these teams will catch a hungry rival this fall, probably on the road, and get beat for the first time. In fact, it nearly happened to the Tigers the past week, just escaping Auburn with the 26-21 win.

I’m also not a big believer in the back end of that top ten, Wisconsin (No. 9) and Texas Tech (No. 10). The Red Raiders can score a ton, but do not belong defensively on the same field as many of the programs in front of them in the polls. And, the Badgers have not played anyone yet. Let’s see them get past back-to-back home contests versus Ohio State and Penn State in early October without a loss.

We are then left with the top tier of a few select programs and the teams chasing them.

Can Missouri stay on the field and compete with Oklahoma?

Will Texas be able to take their annual meeting with the Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game?

Again, I stand by the Sooners explosive offense and physical defense. The answer to both those questions: a resounding no.

Moving forward, can Georgia and Florida run the table in the SEC?

I really don’t think anyone can survive the overall top-to-bottom talent in that league. Florida is very good, but Miami (FL) proved that an effective blitz scheme can stop Tim Tebow in his tracks for a bit. The Gators can be beat. I’d go out on a limb and say it will be Georgia getting it done against the Gators with their November 1 matchup “between in hedges” in Athens.



In regards to the Bulldogs, the SEC Title game can be what hurts their national title hopes most. It’s a tough spot, especially if Georgia goes in undefeated against a one-loss, angry conference foe trying to play spoiler. Nonetheless, prior to postseason play, I’d keep an eye out for Bulldogs’ November 15 game at Auburn as a legit chance for a regular season loss. We’ll learn a lot about Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and company on that day. I’m not confident enough in the Tigers that late in the season to call the upset, but it will be close no matter what.

That leaves the Trojans all alone at the top. Enjoy the Pac 10, no conference title game, and talent far better than Oregon has. They will cruise to the BCS Championship Game.

The Sooners will also have enough to join them there. No national title “BCS-busters” this year. For better or for worse, a big element of this college football season is simply waiting for the SEC to catch up with Georgia and Florida, respectively.



The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Last Weekend for At the Ballpark

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Thanks for the memories Bears fans. This summer, WSOU Sports launched a brand new show focusing on the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Tracking every step of the 2007 Champs' campaign in 2008, At the Ballpark brought listeners interviews with the 2008 Bewark Bears All-Stars, as well as multiple players past and present.



The last show will air the Sunday following the last game of the Newark Bears 2008 season. To date, the team is 2.5 games short of a playoff spot in the Liberty Division, chasing the York Revolution. There are six games left in the regular season. Tune in this Sunday at 7 p.m. for At the Ballpark followed by Pirate Primetime at 7:30 p.m.

Petrone Powers SHU Men's Team

By Pat McCabe

If you hear a loud rumbling on the campus of Seton Hall University this coming Friday around four in the afternoon, don’t be alarmed. The noise is probably the roar of the crowd that will be gathered to watch the men’s soccer team take on their first Big East opponent, DePaul. After suffering a 3-1 loss at the hands of Princeton, and a 2-0 setback to Penn earlier, the Pirates look to rebound against the Blue Demons as Big East Conference play begins and get back to their winning. If the Pirates hope to make a statement when they open conference play, they will surely be relying on sophomore-transfer Samuel Petrone to lead them.



Petrone, a Glen Rock, New Jersey native and transfer from Clemson University, has scored eight goals and racked up a ridiculous total of 17 points in just six games thus far. Petrone has been the spark for this Pirate team, as he scored four goals against St. Peter’s, one goal against Richmond, and a hat trick against Virginia Commonwealth University. This amazing week did not go unnoticed, as Petrone scored not only the honor of Big East Offensive Player of the Week, but College Soccer News named the 5’9” forward National Player of the Week. Oh yeah, Petrone was also named Most Valuable Player of the tournament hosted by VCU.

After a disappointing 2007 3-8 in-conference record, the Pirates will face DePaul, who they did not play last season. Coming into Friday’s match up, DePaul is 1-2-2 and looks to get back on track after playing to a 0-0 tie against Butler on September 14. Looking ahead the Pirates will face a tough USF team in South Orange on Sunday, September 21st, before hitting the road and taking on Villanova next week.

So this Friday when the Pirates take on DePaul, don’t be surprised to see the stands of Owen T. Carroll Field filled to capacity. The Seton Hall fans are coming out in great numbers to support this men’s team, and the players seem to be feeding of their enthusiasm. And if things continue the way they have, Samuel Petrone will give the fans plenty to cheer about.



The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this post and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

SHU Baseball Involved in Groundbreaking Tourney this February

Courtesy of Chuck Sullivan, Big East Communications

Two of the nation’s most prominent collegiate athletic conferences have come to an agreement to participate in a unique and ground-breaking season-opening baseball tournament in Florida. The inaugural BIG EAST/Big Ten Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, will feature 27 games February 20-22, 2009, at various spring training venues in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, API Marketing announced today.



All 10 of the Big Ten’s baseball-playing institutions will compete in the inaugural event, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue. Eight BIG EAST representatives will participate, including South Florida, Connecticut, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Notre Dame.

The BIG EAST/Big Ten Baseball Challenge will be similar in format to the popular conference collegiate basketball challenges that have emerged during the past decade, with participating teams competing against schools from the opposing conference. However, this tournament is unique in that it provides teams from two northern-based conferences with an opportunity to travel to Florida and compete against one another in outstanding, professional-quality venues located in a warm climate.


The tournament is scheduled for the same week that major league pitchers and catchers report to spring training, which will add to the buzz surrounding the event. Games will be played in the various major league spring training venues in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, including Bright House Field, Knology Park and Progress Energy Park/Al Lang Field, with marquee matchups scheduled as part of nightly doubleheaders. There will be eight inter-conference contests daily, with the two extra Big Ten teams competing against each other in non-league games.

BIG EAST/BIG TEN CHALLENGE MATCHUPS
February 20-22, 2009

Day 1 – Friday, February 20
Minnesota vs. Seton Hall


Day 2 – Saturday, February 21
Michigan State vs. Seton Hall


Day 3 – Sunday, February 22
Penn State vs. Seton Hall

The State of the Men's Basketball Team

By Jeremiah Sullivan

The men’s basketball season is still several months away, but judging from the buzz surrounding the program you would think the Pirates were in mid-season.

In what has been a wild off-season, the men’s basketball program graduated two players in Laing and Nutter that surpassed the 1,000 career points plateau as Pirates. The team also said adios to two others in Larry Davis and Augustine Okuson via transfer opportunities, and, learned that they will be without Head Coach Bobby Gonzalez for the first game of conference play due to suspension. Despite an already lengthy list of change, there was more to come. Highly touted Patterson Catholic standout Jordan Theodore will finally be suiting up for The Hall this year, along with Robert Mitchell, a former Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year who spent last year on the bench after transferring from Duquesne.



Also donning the blue and white this year will be shooting guard Jamel Jackson, a former Junior College Division I Third Team All-American that could replace the outside presence left vacant in Nutter’s absence. In a quest to add power and size to a team that was beaten up down low at times last season, Coach Gonzalez will also be bringing in former Mississippi Elite Christian Academy center Melvyn Oliver. According to the team’s roster, the freshman from Long Beach, Ca. comes in at 6’11 weighing 340 lbs. Oliver will offer Gonzalez a sizeable force to be used against larger teams. The only question is how many minutes Oliver can play and how refined his basketball fundamentals are.

Returning for the squad will be three-point machine Jeremy Hazell, turnover enforcer Paul Gause, the size combination of John Garcia and Mike Davis, Eugene Harvey, who looks to rebound after an off year in '07-'08, and Brandon Walters who will need top play more this year.

There is no doubt about it; the 2008-2009 Pirates are a lock to be a mix of new faces and seasoned veterans. Question is, how will they gel?

But all of this came before the Pirates spent the early part of the fall semester stealing the headlines. In an interesting twist, during the first week of September, Coach Gonzalez didn’t announce just one, but two acceptances of transfers from outside programs to Seton Hall. First came local legend Keon Lawrence from the University of Missouri on September 2. Two days later, perhaps even more surprisingly, came the announcement that the Pirates would be welcoming transfer Herb Pope from New Mexico State to the program as well. There had been buzz surrounding the welcoming of Theodore for quite some time, and the siging of the a player with the size of Oliver was necessary, but the additions of Lawrence and Pope certainly come as a welcomed surprise.

However, according to published reports,neither Lawrence or Pope will be hitting the court for the Pirates at the Prudential Center this season due to NCAA transfer restrictions. Keon Lawrence, from Newark, N.J., starred at Weequahic High School prior to beginning his college basketball career at Missouri. While a member of the Tigers, his two-year averages were 10.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 2.1apg respectively. The 6’2, 175 pound guard also boasted a 43 percent mark from beyond the arc and was nicknamed the ‘Human Pogo Stick’ for his stylish dunks and pure athleticism on the court.

“Keon is an incredible recruit for us,” Gonzalez said. “He has a huge name in the state of New Jersey and he’s coming back home to Newark. When he decided to transfer, everyone in the country wanted him, but he chose us. I think that really says something about where we’re headed as a program.”

In the case of Herb Pope, the team will be filling a long-standing void at power forward. While at New Mexico State, the 6’8, 235 pound Pope averaged 11.1 ppg, along with 6.8 rebounds while starting 12 of the 16 games he appeared in. As a senior at Aliquippa High School in Pennsylvania, Pope was ranked by Scout.com as the #16 best recruit in the country, coming in as the sixth best power forward overall. Both Pope and Lawrence will be able to practice with the team this season. Come next year, when both can actually play, Lawrence will have junior status while Pope will be considered a sophomore.

“Herb is a special recruit and a talented young man,” Gonzalez said. “He’s looking forward to a new start at Seton Hall. We believe he has a very bright future with unlimited potential.”

So where does his leave the Pirates? For the 2008-2009 season, the team will be looking at the continued development of players like Davis and Oliver to help create a combination to pair Garcia with against more sizeable teams in the Big East. The resurgence of Eugene Harvey will also be something to watch for after his down year last season. Look for Theodore to make an immediate impact upon joining the Pirates this year, and don’t forget about Robert Mitchell. If he can come close to duplicating the season he had at Duquesne, The Hall should be pleased. The fact of the matter is though, this team still has a logjam at the guard position.


The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Pirate Primetime is Back at The Hall on WSOU

By Jeremiah Sullivan

Hey Pirate fans! Hopefully the summer wasn't too long of a wait for you. Now that the fall semester is here Pirate Sports are back on at WSOU. From now until the end of the 2008-2009 academic year, tune in every Sunday from 7-8 P.M. to catch top-notch analysis from the WSOU Sports team as we break down everything blue and white. Every University team in season will be discussed during our broadcast, with in-depth analysis and interviews.



And of course, there will be lots and lots of basketball banter.

Pirate fans are encouraged to give us a shout on our hotline at(973)-761-9768 and get their opinions and concerns on the air! Students, alumni, all are welcome. If you can't be near a radio, log onto www.wsou.net to stream our broadcast live.

Make 89.5FM your sports home every Sunday night. And remember, 'WSOU Sports, Your Leader in Coverage of Seton Hall Athletics.'


*At the Ballpark, a comprehensive look at the NWK Bears season, will air from 7-7:30 P.M. Sunday nights until the completion of the team's 2008 campaign, which is scheduled to conclude on Sept. 21 barring any playoff appearance. Pirate Primetime will return to a full-hour thereafter.



The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Guess What? I'm Still Picking the Yanks

By Pat McCabe

The last time the New York Yankees did not make the playoffs, Bill Clinton was in the 5th year of his presidency, OJ Simpson was trying on gloves in a courtroom, and the first DVD was released.

Now with just 19 games remaining, the Yankees sit 8.5 games behind division rival Boston for the AL Wild Card spot. What does this mean? Well for the first time since I have followed baseball in my life, I may not see the Yankees playing in October. However, for as long as I have followed baseball, I can't recall so much buzz surrounding a team almost 9 games out of the playoff hunt. So, as baseball fans we must ask, “can they do it?”



Now my answer may seem odd to a lot of Yankee fans, but when responding to this question, the Yankees should look to their crosstown rival Mets for the answer: “Ya Gotta’ Believe.” Looking up and down the Yankees roster there I see baseball greats capable of making the seemingly impossible...possible.

I cannot say that the Yankees will ride the arms of Sidney Ponson or Carl Pavano to the postseason. However, I can say that Jeter, Giambi, Rodriguez, Damon, and Abreu have the potential to spark this team to the greatest September comeback story in baseball history.

Really?

Yes. Really.

This road to the postseason will be tough for the Yankees. With games against Anaheim, Boston, Toronto, and the Chicago White Sox, this is clearly no walk in the park. Anaheim has the youngest player ever to reach 200 career saves lurking in their bullpen in K-Rod. Rodriguez will be looking to pick up at least two saves to tie Bobby Thigpen for most in a season all time and sure-up the AL West when the Yanks are in town. Boston is only a game out of the top spot in the AL and will be itching to beat-up their favorite rival in an effort to surpass the Rays. Toronto just swept Tampa and would love to finish ahead of the Yanks. As for Chicago, their potential AL MVP candidate Carlos Quntin is now out for the season with a broken wrist, but that team sure can still hit some homers.

However, when I was coming up with how I would predict the Yankees to finish, I thought, if this feat was to be accomplished by a baseball team, this Yankee team is the one to do it.

As the Yankees move into their three game series tonight in Anaheim, it is clear that this is crunch time. Now for my bold prediction for you readers to hate or love: the New York Yankees will win two out of the three games against the Angels and begin a run that will catapult them into the wild card spot.

Yes. There will be baseball in Yankee Stadium come October



The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

College Football Week 2: Lets Go ECU Pirates!

By Brian Wisowaty

By virtue of team nickname, maybe Seton Hall fans can jump on the red-hot East Carolina bandwagon. After stunning the Virginia Tech Hokies on the first Saturday of the college football season, the Pirates put a beat-down on Pat White and the visiting West Virginia Mountaineers, 24-3.



Keep in mind, West Virginia came into the game as the number eight team in the nation.

Is this a case of a hot start, or perhaps was ECU just underrated from the start? Consider the leader on the field for the Pirates, quarterback Patrick Pinkney. His father was under center at QB for the team way back when, thus giving us a nice father-to-son overture in this story. Statistically, younger Pinkney went 22 of 28 against West Virginia, including a touchdown and 236 passing yards.

Against the Hokies on August 30: 19 of 23 for 211 yards and a TD. Looking at the line scores for him, he has two individual quarterback ratings above the 160.0 mark to start a season. Not bad for a player that not many people even knew about three weeks ago.

And for East Carolina, the road gets a bit easier as the year goes on. A trip to Tulane is on the radar for next Saturday, with contests at Virginia, at UCF, and versus UTEP later on this season. Other than those, the schedule isn’t too daunting.

It can get rough if the Pirates stay hot, simply because the lower-level teams on the schedule will circle the upcoming match-up against them and try to play spoiler. Plus, the emotional drop-off after beating two ranked major-conference teams might keep need week’s game “closer than the experts think”.

But, I’d trust Pinkney and the Pirates to keep it rolling. East Carolina should hit the polls this week ranked somewhere between 15 and 25. But, most importantly, it’s way too early to mention BCS talk for these kids.

Quick hits:

• Gosh, did Notre Dame ever give its fans a scare at home versus San Diego State. Quarterback Jimmy Claussen bailed the Fighting Irish out of a loss that could have set things back painfully for the team. It could be a long season in South Bend if this keeps up.

• The personal foul for excessive celebration assessed to Washington quarterback Jake Locker was absolute ludicrous in their game versus Brigham Young. In case you missed it, a last second scramble run by Locker brought the Huskies within one point, but the penalty pushed the PAT attempt back 15 yards. Of course, BYU blocked the kick and escaped with a one point win. The foul came, as the officials said, because Locker flipped the ball over his shoulder, or “tossed it into the air” (not to the official or near the line of scrimmage). Give me a break. Interpret the rules to keep the game in the players’ hands. On a related note, kudos to the Washington coaches and players in staying respectful of the atrocious decision by the Pac 10 officiating crew.

• USC and Ohio State have survived weeks one and two. Now, we have a week three showdown in The Coliseum to shake up the national title mix. The injury to Buckeyes HB Chris Wells in week one hurt them versus Ohio in game two, but he should return against the Trojans.

• Pitt, after embarrassing themselves last weekend and proving head coach Dave Wannstadt may be on his way out, picked up a redemption win against Buffalo. Though the Bulls aren’t a conference foe, a loss to them would have sent the Panthers into an early tailspin.

• The Rutgers loss to Fresno State in week one showed (a) HB Ray Rice will be greatly missed and (b) QB Mike Teel still has work to do. The problem is that we’ve been saying this about Teel for years.

• Miami hung tough with Florida, despite the final score not indicating such. Aside being disgusted with UF coach Urban Meyer in seemingly trying to run up the score late (QB Tim Tebow was launching deep passes for no reason in the fourth quarter), I leave the game as a Hurricanes fan very optimistic about the future. It’s also worth noting that a questionable and controversial overturned call gave the Gators a red zone visit that broke the 9-3 barrier down and started the scoring. Had the call stood, and it probably should have in my opinion, “The U” would have forced a punt and maybe kept the upset brewing at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Nevertheless, it’s onto Texas A&M for Miami in two weeks, while Florida preps for a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee and an SEC showdown with the Vols.




The opinions mentioned here are solely those of the author of this piece and are not shared by other posters on this site or the site creator

Looking in on Women's Soccer

By Tim Dooley

The beginning of a new school year and the end of August brings back another men’s and women’s soccer season to Owen T. Carroll field. In particular, the women’s team is looking to rebound from a tough campaign last year in which they failed to make the playoffs.



This year’s team has a plethora of young talent with only six players on the team having junior or senior status. One of the young leaders is sophomore Elizabeth Bond, who has started all three games this year as goalkeeper. Her role is extremely vital as she fills in for Amanda Becker, who was a former mainstay at the position, starting 55 games in the past three years for the Pirates. Taylor Wilson, Ashley Beamish, and Lauren Lehman are three freshman who have started in all three games this year for the Pirates. Nicki Gross, a sophomore, is another young player who has contributed much to the team already, having the second most goals and points on the team while starting in 17 games last season.

Katie Andreski, a junior, started in 15 games last season, and so far has been a major factor in the Pirates’ recent success. In the 2008 campaign, Andreski scored two goals in 6-0 win over Sacred Heart and provided the only goal in a 2-1 loss to St. Louis. Megan Mills, a junior who started in sixteen games last year, returns to the team as a defender. Anne Anders and Cassie Gioia, return as the Pirates’ only two seniors.

The team has showed success in the early 2008 campaign. After opening the season with a tough loss to Saint Louis, the team, lead by second year coach Kazbek Tambi, has pulled off two straight wins. After stomping Sacred Heart the Pirates defeated Marist 2-1. Tomorrow they will be playing Fairfield University before taking on Quinnipiac and Columbia in the Saint John’s tournament.

The biggest test for this young squad will be their Big East schedule. Tough opponents this year will be last year’s Big East Champion, West Virginia. and National Division Champion, Notre Dame. The team should fair pretty well in the conference if players like Andreski and Gross have good years combined with a significant contribution from the younger players.

Special thanks to Joseph Montefusco for providing information for this article.