By: Ryan O’Reilly

With three regular season games under their belt, the New Jersey Irish are undefeated and have outscored opponents 123-20 with two shutouts in the books.

An explosive first half led the New Jersey Irish to a 38-0 victory over the Long Island Tribe Saturday night in Wayne, as the defense once again held stout and showed an ability to make the big play. The scoring began with none other than star return man Rashid Darrisaw taking a punt 92 yards to the end zone to give the Irish a 7-0 lead before the offense even took the field. As the defense held the Tribe to negative yardage on the first four series, the offense finally clicked on all levels.

Led by quarterback John DiGiloramo’s 320 yards passing, coordinator Lou Mascola’s unit scored on four of its first five series. Kicker Phil Marfuggi nailed a 27 yard field goal on the first series before DiGiloramo showed why he could be considered one of the top quarterbacks in the league. First, he found Stacey Jackson on a 44 yard connection down the sideline to set up the Marfuggi field goal. Then on the next series he hit running back Lou Aboyoun for a 29 yard touchdown. The third Irish series and first play of the second quarter led to another six points and an early candidate for play of the year as DiGiloramo hit Stephen Machiorolla for a spectacular 54 yard touchdown pass and catch.

As DiGiloramo dropped back, Machiorolla ran a 15 yard hitch route but slipped on his turn. The quarterback had already released the ball and the defender jumped the route but only could tip the football. Machiorolla then caught the ball while sitting down and jumped up to scamper down the sidelines to give the Irish a 24-0 lead. DiGiloramo went on to rush for a two yard touchdown on fourth down at the end of the half to give the Irish a 31-0 lead.

Head coach Keith Correal said his quarterback looks to be poised for a big season. “The rust is off John’s arm for sure,” Correal said. “He’s hitting midseason form and I think he’s going to have a great season.” The second half saw the play get chippy as both teams were warned and a couple players ejected. The flow of the Irish play stuttered after this and the only points would come on a DiGiloramo 11 yard pass to Jackson. Jackson wowed with three catches for 102 yards and one touchdown. Aboyoun also provided a huge lift to the offense with seven receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown to go along with his 18 rushing yards. “Lou does three things extremely well,” Correal said. “He can run the ball and be maybe one of top running backs in the league. He can read your defense and sit in underneath zones and kill you, and then he can get vertical down the field like last night on his touchdown reception. It’s rare to find a guy that has the athletic ability and football IQ to be able to do all three things so well.”

Receiver Derek DePascale played on a bad knee but still managed to record four receptions for 32 yards. DePascale moved the chains on three of his four catches. It was the defense, however, that continued its dominance, making Correal a very happy coach with the way the players have meshed. “The defense plays well as an 11 man unit,” he said. “Sometimes you see teams with a lot of great players on their defense but they just have problems stopping people. We have not had that problem as I truly believe the defense is completely unselfish and just want to stop the opponent and get off the field.”

The Irish secondary was led by Darrisaw, cornerback Sean Griffin and safety Lamar Askew to record an interception each. Linebacker Russ Commune also had a pick to end the game. DaShawn Frazier continued his impressive play on the defensive line with four tackles, two of which were for loss. Troy Frazier and Taron McBride recorded just two tackles apiece, but their presence was felt often as they plugged the few holes the Tribe opened. The defense forced five turnovers with the four interceptions and a fumble recovery. Darrisaw’s interception was returned 85 yards for a touchdown but a questionable clipping penalty brought the touchdown back. Next week brings an extremely formidable challenge to the Irish with an away game against the New York City Falcons. Correal said if his team can play well next week, the season can go places a first year team usually does not go.

“The Falcons are 3-1 and also coming off an impressive shutout,” he said. “They have only lost to the (NY) Bandits this year and it was a close 12-6 game. If we can be as successful this week against them as we have been against our previous opponents, I think we will solidify ourselves as the team to beat in this league.”

The Knicks re-hired Isiah Thomas as a team consultant. Many Knicks fans are rolling their eyes. Thomas traded the #2 overall pick for Eddy Curry, and made other dismal moves, acquiring players like Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Jerome James, and many, many more. While Thomas will certainly give input on managerial moves, he will likely just scout talent. Don’t worry Knicks fans, Isiah won’t be able to screw up the roster this time.

Amare Stoudemire stuff!!!

With Chris Paul “demanding a trade” (who knows the real truth), many Knicks fans were hoping to land the superstar point guard. However, this would not be a good idea.

Right now, the only all-star on the team is Amare Stoudemire. They have an overlooked, solid point guard in Raymond Felton. Danilo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph are both very young, and both have all-star potential. Add Wilson Chandler and Toney Douglas, and the Knicks have a solid core. But to get Chris Paul, most of those pieces would have to be traded. So New York would be left with Paul, Stoudemire, and not much else.

If the Knicks really wanted Paul, they would get him in the 2012 off-season. Before then, there is the 2011 off-season, where New York will surely target Carmelo Anthony, the top free agent. Imagine if they signed Carmelo, and then had him, Stoudemire, Gallinari, and Randolph. The Knicks could either trade Felton to attempt to sign Tony Parker, or they could outright just wait for Paul to become a free agent.

Either way, an immediate lineup with Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul, and a bunch of nothing does not compare to a lineup of Tony Parker or Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph, and Amare Stoudemire. It has been a tough wait Knicks fans, but that wait should continue.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

By Ryan O’Reilly

On any given Saturday, 40 North Jersey boys lace up to take on the best of Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey amateur football. There are no egos allowed, no big paychecks given. They just show up to play the game they love.

The New Jersey Irish semi-pro football team, based out of Wayne, hit the road Saturday, July 10 for their only exhibition game against the Long Island Hurricanes.

The grey skies and rain showers accompanying the team could not put a damper on a 21-6 Irish victory in the organizations first ever game.
Led by co-owners Keith Correal — also the head coach — and Nick Dilworth, the Irish began what they hope to be a successful campaign in the semi-pro Five Star Football League.

This is the inaugural season for the full-pads amateur football league as 16 teams from the tri-state area compete in a ten game regular season. The Irish roster is stocked with former New Jersey high school standouts from Clifton, Parsippany Hills and Dumont.

The first quarter breezed by as both teams exchanged possessions with nothing to show on the scoreboard. Defensive tackle Dashawn Frazier provided the only first quarter highlight when he overpowered the Hurricane offensive line to force a fumble in the backfield which was recovered by the Irish.

The second quarter, however, provided plenty of fireworks as 20 points were put up by both teams. It started when Irish quarterback John DiGirolamo, a graduate of Montclair State, rushed in from just one yard away for the first touchdown in Irish history.

After Frazier recorded a sack on a Hurricane fourth down, Digirolamo led the Irish on a 49 yard drive that ended with Louis Aboyoun on the receiving end of a three yard Digirolamo passing touchdown. The touchdowns on consecutive possessions showed the potential explosiveness of the Irish offense that otherwise struggled to find a rhythm for most of the afternoon.

Of the offensive struggle, Digirolamo said, “We moved the ball fine and completed passes but we just couldn’t finish when we got close.”
Finishing indeed proved to be a problem as the offense fumbled the ball twice inside the red zone and two more times outside the 20 yard line. Correal said he expected some sloppiness but also expressed some frustration with the number of mistakes. However, he did find a positive after the game. “The good thing is this was a wakeup call for the coaches, players and whole organization,” Correal said. “Now we have two weeks to correct our mistakes and practice the things we struggled with today.”

In contrast, the defense seemed to hold together against an offensive featuring a dangerous running back in Alton Lucas, a former starter at Hofstra University.

Lucas ripped off a long run on a draw play in the final two minutes of the first half. The played ended with a 15 yard personal foul penalty, bringing the Hurricanes to the Irish four yard line. The defense held stout until Long Island scored on a counter play. The extra point was no good and the six points were all the Hurricanes would muster.

After the half, the Irish received the kickoff and defensive back Rashid Darrisaw provided an electric 75 yard kick return to put another six on the board. After the successful extra point conversion, the Green and White led 21-6. That would be all the scoring on the afternoon, but Darrisaw continued to shine in the second half. The corner from Grambling State was in on several tipped passes and came close to two interceptions. Correal expressed his excitement for Darrisaw following the game. “Rashid was a great addition,” he said. “We got him from the New York Bandits and he was great today from the return to the pass break-ups. If it’s possible, he exceeded our expectations.”

Darrisaw also spoke about how he wanted to help the Irish. “I joined the team to make plays and help us win any way I can,” he said. “It could be returns or playing defense, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to win.”

The rest of the second half featured an Irish offense able to move the ball, but unable to finish. The Hurricanes could not do much of anything as the clock ticked away.

Although the play was sloppy at times, the Irish walked away happy with the victory, but aware of the work that needs to be done.
Correal said, “On offense, we need to focus on ball security and finishing plays. On defense, we need to work on tackling. The defense had no problems but workings as a unit for the first time. So, they need to just get chemistry because we definitely have the talent.”

Game Notes:
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Digirolamo was 9-of-13 passing at one point in the second half, but finished the day 13/28 passing with 211 yards and the one passing touchdown. He also had the rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
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Frazier was a force all afternoon as he outmuscled the Hurricane offensive line and found himself in the backfield breaking up plays all game long. He had one forced fumble and could have had two if not for a referees inadvertent whistle.
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The Irish did not punt once in its first game and converted just 1-of-3 fourth down
conversions.
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Star of the Game: Rashid Darrisaw: Darrisaw gets the nod for his touchdown on the kick return to open the second half where he was untouched and was a force in stopping the Long Island passing game.
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Play of the game: To open the second half, Darrisaw ran 75 yards untouched with
the help of excellent blocking, giving the Irish a 21-6 lead. His electric playmaking
ability bodes well for special teams coach Drew Bertolotti and his impressive unit.
-
On the horizon: The Irish have two weeks to prepare for its regular season opener
at Kean University on July 31 at 7 p.m. against the New Jersey Bears.

For more information, visit www.njirishfootball.com.

New York Yankees third baseman, Alex Rodriguez will be in the Yankees line up tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies. Rodriguez will bat clean up and will play as the designated hitter. Hopefully his minor groin injury will not affect his plate appearance and he can help the Yankees take another game from the Phillies. Rodriguez was batting a .317 in his last 10 games before his injury occurred.

Last year the New York Giants went 8-8 in a tough NFC east division. The main problem with the New York Giants was their defense. The Giants defense let up the most points in the NFC East at 427 points against. The Giants stepped up their defensive secondary by signing Antrel Rolle. Rolle has been a great player for the Arizona Cardinals helping them make it to a Super Bowl. He is definitely a key player that the New York Giants need for their secondary. Another area of their defense that needs to be looked at our adjusted before the beginning of the season is the linebacker positions. Once they get healthy, continuous starters, they will have a decent core to play with. The offensive line has been very steady and it seems that they will be good once again come this season. The Giants look poised to do well this season and I can see them finishing 2nd in their division with a playoff spot.

The Giants offense its a very good offensive team and will look to up their game next season. Brandon Jacobs played hurt throughout the ‘09 season and was effective at times. After his knee surgery, he will look to return to old form when he first arrived and create havoc on the field.

Athletics are a fun and healthy way to stay active that millions of people take part in each day. However, some of these activities can take a toll on the physical body of the individual. Contact sports like football, boxing, soccer, and hockey can cause damage that can change a person’s entire life and sometimes can even be irreversible. An example of this type of sports injury is traumatic brain injuries. A TBI can permanently alter someone’s life and can even require long-term rehabilitation and care from special facilities like CareMeridian and these injuries are often too common when taking part in sports.

According to the Brain Injury Resource Center, an estimated 300,000 sports related brain injuries occur each year. Most of these injuries are not classified as severe. Many of these mild TBI’s or concussions may appear unthreatening, but in fact they can often cause significant damage if not treated properly. The hidden danger of a concussion comes from the fact that it is usually passed off as nothing more than pain and soreness inflicted from the sporting activity, which is why they can easily be a repeatable injury. Consequently, concussions are often regarded as very hazardous and should be given thorough and constant attention.

Concussions are head injuries that are caused by blows to the head that usually cause the brain to move violently within the skull. For a sport like football this type of injury is common and unfortunately, at times ignored. Many athletes shake off the pain that’s caused from the head injury, because the immediate effects are often unnoticed. Yet, without treatment, a simple injury can cause a lifetime of suffering. The NFL has a concussion rate of 61% and this type of injury not only sidelines the player impacted, but can end their career. Some NFL players, like quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young, retired from the game rather than take on the risk that comes from the injury, but others are not so lucky. Many retired football players and athletes battle memory loss and constant migraine headaches that result from head injuries.

Participating in athletic competition (football, soccer, basketball, etc…) is inherent in many different peoples’ lifestyles, but comes with risk of injury. Mild TBI is among the most common forms of sports related injuries, which also include fractures, tears, bursitis, sprains and more. As an enjoyable means of human interaction and competitive lift, sports will always be an integral ingredient of modern day society. Ultimately, it’s important to be aware of mild traumatic brain injuries (symptoms, treatment, etc…) and the frequency of occurrence on the field of play.

CareMeridian

All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes has been told to rest and refrain from athletic activity for two to eight weeks until his thyroid levels normalize, another blow to the New York Mets before Opening Day.

Center fielder Carlos Beltran already is expected to miss the first month of the season following right knee surgery Jan. 13. Reyes likely will be starting the season on the disabled list as well.

“It doesn’t look good right now.” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Thursday. “We will have to prepare for that.”

Reyes has been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid, and his levels were elevated after he exercised Monday and Tuesday. Although he initially thought he might be able to return after a few days, he will have to stop working out and will remain at home.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

New York Mets Sports Memorabilia
and other New York Mets Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Jose Reyes.

The New York Jets opened the season by punishing opposing quarterbacks, hitting them at will and forcing them into all kinds of mistakes.

Well, that big, bad pass rush has been sacked for a few games, and the Jets want to revive it starting this Sunday against Buffalo.

“To say the numbers are down, yeah,” coach Rex Ryan said. “Buffalo had more sacks against Miami in one game than we’ve gotten all season. We only have four sacks. Obviously, we’ve got to get after the passer a lot better than that.”

New York is tied with Jacksonville for the fewest sacks in the NFL with four in five games. That’s not exactly the type of statistic that was expected when Ryan brought his aggressive style of defense along with him from Baltimore.


Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of Yes Network