-The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants for bagging the first MetLife Stadium Playoff Game, Playoff Win and Super Bowl Celebration in one fell swoop. In effect, putting a nice Big Blue stamp on The Swap II, even if it can’t be referred to as Giants Stadium II.
-The New York Jets for again providing another year of constant conversation on the radio, message boards and Twitter feeds. Whether it’s Rex doing his thing, the Lighting Rod that is Tim Tebow, or some other controversy involving the team and their on the field performance, it has rarely been a dull moment with the Jets in 2012.
-The New York Yankees for keeping the New York City area interested in baseball through the middle of October. Always a pleasure to see and hear baseball talk in midst of second month NFL and pre-season NBA chatter.
-Going outside the region only because they have roots here, the San Francisco Giants for winning their 2nd championship in three years, while the Los Angeles Dodgers will be noting the 25th anniversary of their most recent championship next season. It is nice to see the Giants return to prominence, after being the Red-Headed Step-Franchise to the Yankees and Dodgers since 1941.
-R.A. Dickey and Johan Santana for being bright spots in an other wise depressingly mediocre Mets season. Johan Santana specifically for proving yet again that moments tend to trump individual performers when it comes to celebrating Met history, and R.A. Dickey specifically for challenging that notion and putting up one of the better seasons a Met pitcher has ever had.
-The New York Knicks for their resurgence early in 2012 and eventual playoff run, and their hot start to the 2012-2013 season. Will it be enough to get on this list a year from now? Well, at least its good to have some electricity back at MSG, even if its just for a little while.
-The Brooklyn Nomads…err Nets for bringing major league professional sports back to Brooklyn, and hopefully the franchise’s 8th home will be as permanent, as the Brendan Byrne Arena was for them. Well it can be assumed that it will be better attended anyway!
-The New York Rangers for a postseason run that will make fans think that the current Cup drought will not last nearly as long as the last one. Of course it would help if the NHL would ever return!
-The soon to be Brooklyn Islanders for staying in the area. While it would be interesting if the Willets Point Redevelopment Plan includes an arena and the Islanders moved there, but at least this assures that the franchise remains in the area for the foreseeable future, and not to some other region that may or may not accept hockey.
Turkeys for 2012
-The NHL and NHLPA for holding the season hostage for the second time in a nine year time span. You’d think after banging the entire season back in 2005, they wouldn’t be right back to the brink again.
-The New York Jets for the way the 2011 season ended to yet another summer of Rex Ryan overhype to trading for a very polarizing player that they just didn’t need, and even after they dodged a bullet with the contract snafu to their rough start in 2012. Well, you can say Same Old Jets, but at least they’ve been entertaining to follow!
-The Wilpons for just being the ultimate punching bag in 2012, and deserving all the abuse they get, especially with the latest ticket plan announcements. As great as Citi Field is, and as expensive as the prices there are getting, it would be nice to have a team on the field that would be worth the prices.
-Going out of the region only because if affected the Mets, Jeffrey Loria for pulling a Harold Hill (The Music Man) on Miami after failing to get a return on his investments from the 2011 offseason. Nice con job after the whole rebranding and ripping off the community for the new stadium. Why any big ticket item free agent would ever sign with them again…well in their right mind and if they tune out their agent’s smooth talking they probably wouldn’t!
-Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Road Runners Club for dragging their feet during the Hurricane Sandy controversy and taking so long to cancel the marathon. Whatever reason or conspiracy theory you want to use, this was a no-brainer, especially after the Mayor overruled the NBA’s plan to have the Nets Opening Night in Brooklyn continue as planned and the longer it was drawn out took away points from his decision to cancel the NBA game.