Volume 67, Issue 3

Soccer Team Picks Up Where It Left Off
by Commentator Staff

October 6^th - The Yeshiva University soccer team played their first game in mid-season form, losing at home to the Manhattanville Valiants 8-0.  Much of the damage was done in the first half, which saw Manhattanville storm out to a 6-0 lead and never look back.  But the real damage was done before the first whistle as Yeshiva fielded a team without defensive stalwart Zev Iversen and Stony Brook transfer and reputed savior David Mitten.

The V Doesn’t Stand for Victory
by Avi Mermelstein

 As we bid a fond farewell to one of the most interesting managers in recent New York sports history, let us look at some of the defining moments of Bobby Valentine’s career and laugh.  Laugh very hard.  Who among us does not recall with a smile the time Bobby V informed the media that then star of the team Todd Hundley (how long ago it was) should be getting more sleep?  Who does not double over with laughter at the image of an ejected Valentine lurking in the Met dugout disguised by a false moustache fashioned out of eye-black adhesives?  Who can forget his slapstick impression of a stoned baseball player trying to hit a 90-mph fastball?  Yes, those were good times.  Indeed, looking back, I have spent much of my adolescence laughing at the absurd and strange Bobby V Show in Met-land.  I’m gonna miss him.

Blame the Manager?  Follow the Money
by Binyamin Muschel 

Arguably the most underachieving team Major League Baseball has seen since its inception, the cellar-dwelling New York Mets began the off-season in need of improved player development, a personnel shakeup, and, most importantly, a scapegoat.  And so it came to pass that at high noon on October the 1^st, Robert John Valentine found himself unemployed.  Like any sport’s head coaches, baseball’s managers can never have full job security, knowing full well that they will bear the punishment for poor play by their players.  Such was the case with Valentine, an unfortunate victim of the overpaid athletes he was hired to baby-sit.

Eastern Conference
by David Epstein

The Eastern Conference’s relative weakness was on display during last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.  Detroit dominated Eastern Champion Carolina, eliminating them in just five games.  The conference’s mediocrity does, however, allow teams to make unexpected runs come playoff time, like Montreal’s and Carolina’s last year.  Here are this year’s contenders, in predicted order of finish...

Western Conference
by Daniel Groner

The Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche have been the dominant forces in the Western Conference the last few years and there is no reason to believe that this year will be any different.  Besides pouncing on the Eastern Conference teams in the process of winning five of the last seven championships, these two teams arguably have formed the best active hockey rivalry.  It is not a question of whether they will win their divisions anymore; it is a question of by how much.

Isles and Devils Gear Up for Season
by Danny Groner

The 2001-02 season was a step in the right direction for the New York Islanders.  The Isles, who had not reached the post-season since 1994, were, arguably, the surprise team of the Eastern Conference last season.  Despite a Game Seven loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs, the team performed well beyond all expectations.

Rangers Eyeing Playoffs—And Cup
by David Epstein

The New York Rangers have given their fans many reasons to believe that this is their year.  The fans are hoping for the Stanley Cup and will not be satisfied with mere playoff qualification.  They are expecting to see a legitimate contender.

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