St. John's Drops Big East Opener To Providence

Alpha Diallo (11) and Rodney Bullock return to a happy Providence bench at the end of the game, with St. John's Head Coach Chris Mullin (bottom left) looking on - Photo by Jason Schott.

Thursday night at Carnesecca Arena felt like a second opening night to the season, as it was the start of Big East Conference play, with the 10-2 St. John's Red Storm hosting the 9-4 Providence Friars.

Providence has become a perennial NCAA Tournament team, so if St. John's could pull off the win in front of a sellout crowd of 5,602, it would be quite the statement,

Unfortunately for St. John's, it did not turn out that way, as Providence poured in 53 points in the second half to pull away late on their way to a 94-72 win.

Iowa Wins Pinstripe Bowl

Boston College's AJ Dillon scoring a touchdown in the first quarter. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium had its eighth installment on Wednesday, and like most of the games in this series, it went down to the wire, with Iowa holding on for a 27-20 win over Boston College.

Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz recorded his 143rd win at Iowa, tying Hayden Fry as the Hawkeyes’ all-time winningest football coach. Ferentz has a record of 143-97, while Fry's record is 143-89-6. The 143 wins rank fifth in overall coaching wins in the Big Ten Conference.

Iowa improved to 7-8 in bowl games since 2001. Only Ohio State (8) has more bowl wins among Big Ten teams since 2001.

NYCFC, Red Bulls Announce Home Openers

NYCFC plays at Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott.

On Tuesday, the MLS announced the 2018 regular season home openers, including for New York City Football Club and the Red Bulls.

NYCFC's home opener will be on March 11 at Yankee Stadium against the LA Galaxy, while the Red Bulls' season and home opener is the night before, Saturday, March 10 against the Portland Timbers.

NYCFC:
NYCFC will open their 2018 Regular Season, their fourth in the MLS, at Sporting Kansas City on Sunday, March 4 at 7:30pm ET.

Marsch Among Coaches Taking Part in US Soccer Pro Course

Jesse Marsch. Photo by Jason Schott.

The second U.S. Soccer Pro License Coaching Course was completed on Friday, Dec. 15 in Chicago as part of its ongoing effort to develop world class players, coaches, and referees.

Jesse Marsch, the Head Coach of the Red Bulls, was one of 17 professional coaches from Major League Soccer, North American Soccer League, National Women's Soccer League, United Soccer League, and the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams completed a 12-month journey that began in January. 2017

Red Bulls Roundup: Champions League, Bonomo Signing, & Goodbye Grella

Red Bull Arena. Photo by Jason Schott.

It's been a busy week for the Red Bulls, as they learned their opponent in the CONCACAF Champions League, signed forward Stefano Bonomo and let go of fan favorite Mike Grella.

Full reports are below:

CONCACAF Champions League

The Red Bulls will face Club Deportivo Olimpia from Honduras in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16, as determined by a live draw on Monday night in Miami.

Books: A Chat With Jesse Mecham, Author Of "You Need A Budget"

You Need A Budget
By Jesse Mecham
Harper Collins Business, On Sale December 26

Jesse Mecham is the founder of YNAB, or You Need A Budget, the award-winning personal finance platform.

YNAB was founded in 2004 when Mecham and his new wife Julie were broke and, since they were students with big dreams and very few dollars between them, knew they needed to watch their money.

NYCFC Continues To Overhaul Defense

RJ Allen - Courtesy NYCFC.

New York City Football Club are continuing to make moves to shape their defense for 2018.

On Monday, NYCFC announced that they have traded defender RJ Allen to Orlando City in exchange for a 3rd Round MLS SuperDraft pick in 2018.

Louisville, St. John's Win In MSG College Hoops Weekend

The Gotham Classic. Photo by Jason Schott.

Madison Square Garden hosted two college basketball tournaments this weekend.  On Saturday afternoon in the Gotham Classic, Louisville beat Memphis, and on Sunday in the Holiday Festival, St. John's beat Iona.

Carnesecca Receives Naismith Outstanding Contributor To Basketball Award

Former St. John's Head Coach Lou Carnesecca, one of the most revered figures in the history of college basketball, has added yet another honor to his resume on Wednesday morning, as he received the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award from the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Inside The Mind Of The Student-Athlete

Photo by Jason Schott.

The Sports Business Journal's SBJ/SBD Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was held last week at the Crowne Plaza Times Square.

Jack Ford, the veteran journalist who played college football at Yale and is a board member of the National Football Foundation, moderated a panel with student athletes and what their college lives have been like.

NYCFC Signs Tinnerholm From Sweden, Trade Brillant To DC

Anton Tinnerholm. Courtesy NYCFC.

New York City Football Club has completed the signing of defender Anton Tinnerholm. A Sweden international, Tinnerholm joins NYCFC as a free agent after his contract with Malmo FF expired at the end of their 2017 season, pending receipt of P1 visa and ITC.

Tinnerholm is the reigning 2017 Allsvenskan Defender of the Year after he played a key role in helping Malmo to clinch back-to-back titles in October.

Books: Dick Gregory's Defining Moments In Black History

Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies
By Dick Gregory
Amistad: An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers

Comedian and activist Dick Gregory was a provocative, incisive, and comedic force to be reckoned with for over 50 years.

Gregory made his mark as a groundbreaking performer who used satire to reflect on racial issues in America, and dedicated most of his life to social activism.

Books: My First Coach

My First Coach: Inspiring Stories of NFL Quarterbacks and Their Dads
By Gary Myers
Grand Central Publishing

Gary Myers, the NFL columnist for the New York Daily News regarded as the dean of football writers, has added to his collection of seminal works with My First Coach, examining legendary quarterbacks and their fathers.

Books: Pride & Prejudice & Mistletoe

Pride & Prejudice & Mistletoe
By Melissa de la Cruz
St. Martin's Press

Pride and Prejudice is one of Jane Austen's most famous works, and bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz applies her own twist to the classic.

In Pride & Prejudice & Mistletoe, the setting is Christmas and the roles are reversed,  and it is Miss Darcy, who is endearing but a bit snooty, and Luke Bennett, characterized as a sexy slouch.

Books: Anomaly: The Rubicon

Anomaly: The Rubicon

By Skip Brittenham & Brian Haberlin

Anomaly Productions

The Rubicon is the much-anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking Anomaly, the science fiction graphic novel released in 2012.

Anomaly challenged artistic and technological limits with its simultaneous release of a glossy hardcover book, which is the longest original full-color graphic novel ever published, and a companion app that implemented Augmented Reality, or AR, to offer a unique interactive experience.

NYCFC Protected List For Expansion Draft

Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott.

New York City Football Club has submitted their Protected List ahead of Tuesday’s MLS Expansion Draft.

The draft will take place on Tuesday, December 12 at 2 p.m. ET and LAFC will have five picks to help build out their roster for their inaugural season.

Red Bulls List Of Protected Players For Expansion Draft

Red Bull Arena. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Red Bulls announced their list of players available for the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft for Los Angeles FC, along with the list of players protected.

Kentucky Mauls Monmouth At The Garden

Photos by Jason Schott.

Kentucky rolled to an easy 93-76 win over Monmouth in the Citi Hoops Classic on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

After trailing 5-4 in the opening minutes, Kentucky went on a 17-3 run capped by PJ Washington free throws to make it 21-8 at the 12:42 mark of the first half.

Peyton Manning Headlines 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class

Photo by Jason Schott.

The National Football Foundation presented the inductees for the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class at the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning.

The Class includes (in alphabetical order) Bob Crable (Notre Dame), Marshall Faulk (San Diego State), Kirk Gibson (Michigan State), Matt Leinart (Southern California), Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Bob McKay (Texas), Dat Nguyen (Texas A&M), Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern), Mike Ruth (Boston College), Brian Urlacher (New Mexico) and coaches Danny Ford (Clemson, Arkansas), Larry Kehres (Mount Union [Ohio]) and Steve Spurrier (Duke, Florida, South Carolina).

Villanova, Syracuse Win At Jimmy V Classic

Jim Valvano on the screen at Madison Square Garden. Photo by Jason Schott.

One of the best early season tournaments to open the college basketball season, the Jimmy V Classic, was on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The evening is in honor of legendary coach and Queens native Jim Valvano, who coached at Iona and, most memorably, led North Carolina State to an improbable national title in 1983.

Books: By The Skin Of Our Teeth Looks At Brooklyn-Based Morning Breath

By The Skin Of Our Teeth: The Art and Design of Morning Breath
By Jason Noto & Doug Cunningham
Dey St., An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers

The beautifully produced art and design book BY THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH looks at Morning Breath, Inc., a Brooklyn-based boutique design studio created by Jason Noto and Doug Cunningham.

Ivy League Bushnell Cup Awarded to Kanoff & Oplinger

Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris speaks before Matthew Opplinger (to the left of the podium) and Chad Kanoff  are honored. Photo by Jason Schott.

Princeton senior quarterback Chad Kanoff and Yale senior linebacker Matthew Oplinger were announced as the Ivy League's 2017 Football Players of the Year and Asa S. Bushnell Cup recipients on Monday afternoon in the Mercury Ballroom of the New York Hilton Midtown.

Kanoff was named Offensive Player of the Year and Oplinger took home Defensive Player of the Year at the press conference and reception co-hosted by the National Football Foundation (NFF), presented by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

Boston College, Iowa To Meet In Pinstripe Bowl

Boston College in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl against Penn State. Photo by Jason Schott.

The University of Iowa and Boston College have accepted invitations to play in the 2017 New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, December 27, with kickoff scheduled for 5:15 p.m. 

Boston College is making its second appearance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, as they were here in 2014 and lost to Penn State.

It is BC's 26th bowl appearance all-time,  and Head Coach Steve Addazio has led the Eagles to four bowls in five years, the first coach in school history to achieve that.

NYCFC Announce Roster Options

NYCFC Head Coach Patrick Vieira. Photo by Jason Schott.

New York City Football Club recently announced their roster options ahead of the 2018 season.

Five players have had their options exercised for the 2018 campaign.  Kwame Awuah, Ronald Matarrita, Andre Rawls, Khiry Shelton and Ben Sweat will remain with the team.

Red Bulls Roster Options For 2018

Red Bulls Head Coach Jesse Marsch and Sporting Director Denis Hamlett. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Red Bulls have announced their roster decisions following the conclusion of the 2017 season. The club has exercised contract options on eight players and declined the options of 10.

The Red Bulls have exercised options on Sacha Kljestan, Connor Lade, Aaron Long, Danny Royer, Sean Davis, Derrick Etienne, Jr., and Evan Louro.

Seton Hall Wins At Under Armour Reunion

Photo by Jason Schott.

Seton Hall got a big victory on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, as they scored 50 points in the second half to beat #22 Texas Tech in the Under Armour Reunion.

Seton Hall was led by senior Desi Rodriguez, who put up 24 points, including 14 in the second half, on 7-16 shooting, including 3-6 from behind the arc, with seven rebounds and four assists. The only downside to his night was that he committed five turnovers.

St. john's Keeps Momentum Going In Advocare Invitational

St. John's Head Coach Chris Mullin.

St. John’s came away with a 46-43 victory over UCF in the third-place game of the Advocare Invitational on Sunday, leaving Florida  with a pair of wins.

The Red Storm improved to 6-1 with the victory, while UCF, who was picked to finish third in the American Athletic Conference, fell to 4-2.

Books: The Man Who Made The Movies

The Man Who Made The Movies: The Meteoric Rise And Tragic Fall Of William Fox
By Vanda Krefft
Harper Collins, on sale November 28th, $40.00

The FOX movie studio and its offspring, the FOX television network and its sports and news coverage, can trace its origins back to the early 1900s and its founder, William Fox.

Fox was a fascinating, flawed, and brilliant man who risked everything to realize his bold dream of a Hollywood empire.
Fox has largely been overlooked by history compared to other media moguls like Louis Mayer or Jack Warner.

St. John's Stays Undefeated, Mauls Molloy

The student section at Carnesecca Arena. Photo by Jason Schott.

St. John's rolled past Molloy 71-43 on Monday night at Carnesecca Arena to improve to 4-0 on the season.

Shamorie Ponds and Bashir Ahmed had 14 points each to lead the Red Storm.

Ponds shot just 5-13, and 2-7 on threes, with six rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. Ahmed shot 5-11, with five rebounds and two steals.

Red Bulls 2017 Season Awards

Bradley Wright-Phillips after scoring a goal this season. @NewYorkRedBulls.

The Red Bulls announced their 2017 team awards, led by Bradley Wright-Phillips being named the team's MVP.

Aaron Long was honored as the Defender of the Year honors, Michael Amir Murillo received Newcomer of the Year, and Luis Robles was redognized for his charity work with the Humanitarian of the Year award.

Providence Routs Saint Louis To Win 2K Classic

Providence taking on Saint Louis. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Providence Friars rolled to a 90-63 victory over the Saint Louis Billikens to win the 2K Classic on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

They beat Washington on Thursday night, 77-70, in the semifinal to reach the championship game.

Providence was led by Rodney Bullock, who had 15 points on 4-6 from the field, including two threes, with three rebounds and three assists.

St. John's Gets Statement Win

Chris Mullin and his Red Storm celebrate. @StJohnsBBall.

St. John’s got a statement win early in this young season as they routed Nebraska, 79-56, on Thursday night in The Gavitt Tipoff Games at Carnesecca Arena.

The Red Storm improved to 3-0 for the second time in three years. The Huskers suffered their first loss of the year and dropped to 2-1.

St. John's Crushes Central Connecticut

Chris Mullin imparts wisdom to Justin Simon. Photo by Jason Schott.

St. John's improved to 2-0 on Tuesday night with a dominant 80-55 win over Central Connecticut State at Carnesecca Arena.

Shamorie Ponds led the Red Storm with 21 points, including 5-11 from the field, 1-5 on three-pointers, and 10-12 from the free-throw line, with nine rebounds and four assists.

Books: Belichick And Brady And How They Revolutionized Football

Belichick And Brady: Two Men, the Patriots, and How They Revolutionized Football - Championship Edition

By Michael Holley

Hachette Books

The New England Patriots have become the gold standard in terms of how a sports organization should operate, and they have the hardware to prove it.

Their head coach, Bill Belichick, and quarterback, Tom Brady, have combined to win five Super Bowls, a record for a coach-quarterback duo.

Marsch: "There's something really special happening here"

Red Bulls Head Coach Jesse Marsch and Sporting Director Denis Hamlett on Wednesday morning at Red Bull Arena. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Red Bulls had a largely successful season, reaching the U.S. Open Cup Final, CONCACAF Champions League semifinals, and reached the MLS playoffs for the eighth straight season.

The fact it didn't end with any hardware would seem disappointing, especially since the MetroStars/Red Bulls franchise has never won a trophy. The only banners that hang at Red Bull Arena are for two Supporters Shields, earned for having the best regular season record.

St. John's Strong In Opening Win Over New Orleans

Justin Simon takes a free throw with St. John's fans showing support. Photo by Jason Schott.

St. John's opened the new season in style on Friday night, with a dominant 77-61 win over New Orleans at Carnesecca Arena.

Sophomore guard Marcus LoVett picked up right where he left off, as he poured in 23 points on 7-14 from the field, including five three-pointers. He also had four steals and three assists.

His fellow sophomore stand-out, guard Shamorie Ponds, had a nice night, with 12 points (5-15 FG, 2-9 on threes), seven rebounds and six assists.

Yankees, USO Team Up For Veterans Day

David Cone, former Yankee pitcher and current announcer, on Friday morning at Yankee Stadium. Photos by Jason Schott.

The Yankees and the USO hosted over 250 volunteers on Friday morning at Yankee Stadium’s Great Hall to help assemble more than 5,000 USO Care Packages for active duty service members.

Yankees front office employees and veterans were on hand to help prepare care packages in support of Holidays for Heroes.

Mullin: "Our big focus is defense"

St. John's Head Coach Chris Mullin. Photo by Jason Schott.

St. John’s opens their season on Friday night against New Orleans at Carnesecca Arena.

St. John's Head Coach Chris Mullin said of the mindset of the team heading into the season, “Every day is important. Every film session, practice, shoot around, and if you approach it that way you can just go out there and play. Each and every day is important, that’s why we practice.”

St. John's To Host Red Storm Rallies This Season

St. John's Head Coach Chris Mullin addressing his team. Photo by Jason Schott.

With the start of the 2017-18 season on Friday night, St. John’s Athletics has announced the dates for five Red Storm Rallies to take place inside Taffner Field House on basketball game days.

The first of these events will coincide with the men’s and women’s basketball season-opening doubleheader on Friday, taking place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in Taffner Field House, located just steps away from the on-campus home of the Johnnies. 

BrooklynFans Of Books: A Look At Movie Titans "Warner Bros"

Warner Bros: The Making Of An American Movie Studio 
By David Thomson
Yale University Press

Esteemed film critic David Thomson examines the lives of the famed movie family, the Warner Brothers, who arrived in America as unschooled Jewish immigrants.

Warner Bros is part of Yale  Uniersity Press' Jewish Lives series, and it chronicles how Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack (Moses, Aaron, Szmul, and Jacob) founded a studio that became the smartest, toughest, and most radical in all of Hollywood.

NYCFC, Red Bulls Come Up One Goal Short Of Moving On

NYCFC's Jack Harrison gains position on Columbus' Hector Jimenez. USA Today Sports.

New York City Football Club and the Red Bulls came up one goal short of advancing in their Eastern Conference Semifinal second legs on Sunday.

NYCFC lost to Columbus 4-1 last Tuesday night, and they won on Sunday at Yankee Stadium 2-0. Columbus won on aggregate 4-3.

The Red Bulls lost 2-1 to Toronto FC last Monday at home, and won 1-0 on Sunday in Toronto to even the aggregate at 2-2. Toronto moves on by virtue of the road goal rule, as they had two road goals in the first leg. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored the Red Bulls' goal on Sunday in the 53rd minute.

Columbus 'Crew'ses by NYCFC In Playoff Opener

Justin Meram scored on Tuesday night. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Columbus Crew took advantage of being at home and rolled to a 4-1 win over New York City Football Club on Tuesday night in the first leg of their Eastern Conference Semifinal playoff.

The second leg of the playoff will be held Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

Since they got a road goal from David Villa in the 78th minute, NYCFC can win 3-0 on Sunday and that would tie the aggregate at 4-4, with the road goal as the tiebreaker. If Columbus gets a road goal, NYCFC would have to win by four goals to avoid overtime and a shootout.

Marsch: "If we had a big hill to climb before, we've got a mountain now"

Toronto celebrating their opening goal on Monday night at Red Bull Arena. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Red Bulls lost the first-leg of their two-game Eastern Conference Semifinal series with Toronto FC, 2-1, at Red Bull Arena on Monday night.

Toronto, the Eastern Conference's top seed, got what they wanted in this one: two road goals, which forces the Red Bulls to win by at least two (3-1, let's say) on Sunday in Toronto. If it finishes 1-0 Red Bulls, the tie-breaker is the extra road goal Toronto got on Monday night.

Mullin Focuses on Improvement Entering His Third Season Coaching St. John's

Chris Mullin. Photo by Jason Schott.

St. John’s Head Coach Chris Mullin is entering his third season at the helm, and at media day at Carnesecca Arena on Thursday, he said he is excited about his team.

Mullin said of preparing for the season, “Well the focus is on improvement, defensively. Individually, making sure that everyone is getting back to play defense to get an individual challenge on everyone and rebounding the basketball. If we do that defensively, we’ve done really well with our team schemes as we begin to pick things up, and get a little better individually. 

St. John's, Rutgers To Play For Hurricane Relief

Rutgers Athletic Complex. Photo by Jason Schott.

The St. John’s and Rutgers men’s basketball teams will play an exhibition game on Sunday, November 5 at 1 p.m. in Piscataway, N.J., benefitting the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

General admission tickets to the contest and parking at The RAC will be $10 each with all net proceeds going to help those in need. 

Yankees Right To Move On From Girardi

Yankees batting practice. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Yankees announced on Thursday morning that their manager for the past 10 years, Joe Girardi, will not return to the team in the 2018 season.

The announcement was made by Yankees Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Cashman.

Books: "The Sidekicks" By Will Kostakis

The Sidekicks 
By Will Kostakis
HarlequinTEEN

Will Kostakis is a bestselling author in Australia, and The Sidekicks, a novel centered around three young men who connect over their shared loss of best friend, is his debut in America.

Ryan, Harley and Miles are very different people—the swimmer, the rebel and the nerd. All they've ever had in common is Isaac, their shared best friend, but they discover there’s more common ground to be found than they imagined.

Books: A Look At "Arnie" & His Impact On Golf

Arnie: The Life Of Arnold Palmer
By Tom Callahan
Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins

Tom Callahan got to know Arnold Palmer as well as anybody, as the veteran golf writer has covered the Masters since 1972 and kept with Palmer since then.

"Throughout the years, I watched him at many tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. i was at Oakmont in Pennsylvania when, with six holes left to play, Palmer was sure he was winning the US Open only to hear the thunder of Johnny Miller's 63 up ahead. I was at Medinah in Illinois when the vinegar between Arnold and Jack (Nicolaus) finally spilled out. I was at Muirfield Village in Ohio when they reconciled. And I was at Augusts in Georgia on the Wednesday when they played their first practice round with 20-year-old amateur Tiger Woods.

The Dynamics Of The Pay Debate In College Basketball

The scene on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Big East and Big Ten Conferences held their media days at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday and Thursday, and the pay-to-play issue was more apparent than ever.

The elephant in the room was the FBI investigation into the bribery that went on with recruiting between assistant coaches at many schools and the sneaker companies, and resulted in the firing of longtime Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino.

Nets Lose Lin For Season

Jeremy Lin. @BrooklynNets.

Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin will miss the entire 2017-18 season with a ruptured patella tendon of the right knee.

The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s loss to Indiana on opening night.