Enough with the negativity!
We get it: Local sports mostly has stunk this century, now nearly a quarter over.
But this is no time for moping. Bad New York sports news travels fast, especially to Philadelphia and Boston, but it is not healthy for those of us around here.
Not for this long and across this many teams.
But a new year is nigh, and with it the promise of a new day in metropolitan-region sports.
So cheer up as you cheer 2024! There is reason to not worry and be happy.
Remember, the disappointments of this year mostly were a function of teams that were supposed to be very good but instead were very bad.
That suggests that with a few breaks, some are not far from competence, and perhaps even championship contention.
Seriously.
The area’s winter teams all made the playoffs last season and all could make the playoffs again, perhaps doing more damage there.
At the top of that list is the Rangers, who last won a Stanley Cup three weeks before Amazon was founded. (The Internet company, not the river.)
The Blueshirts have looked like one of the best teams in the NHL in the season’s early weeks and are built to sustain success deep into spring. They have star power up and down the lineup and two good goaltenders.
The Islanders are less dynamic, but their style suits the playoffs, as does their experienced roster.
But hey, the hockey playoffs can be unpredictable, as the Bruins reminded us last season.
What about baseball?
The Mets and Yankees are looking to reload, and neither can flop as badly as they did in 2023 . . . right?
The opening salvo came in early December when the Yankees got young star Juan Soto in a trade with the Padres. So what if his contract expires after 2024? If he helps the Yankees reach their first World Series in 15 years, he will have been worth the price of addition.
Given both baseball teams’ resources, it would be a shock if both missed the playoffs again. And given the vagaries of the baseball playoffs, it would not be a shock to find one…
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