Saturday, June 30, 2012

June 11, 2012, New Jersey Devils-Los Angeles Kings Game Six Stanley Cup Final advance notebook


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Stanley Cup Notebook: Devils step up at right times

 

 
DENIS GORMAN
NEW YORK
 
Published: June 11, 2012 6:49 p.m.
Last modified: June 11, 2012 6:55 p.m.
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The blueprint was not to fall behind in Stanley Cup playoffs.

 
It is rare, though, that the best-laid plans are followed seamlessly in the two-month long tournament.

 
The Devils entered Monday night's Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final trailing the Kings, three games to two. The Devils had won the last two games of the series to improve their record in win-or-go-home games to 4-0 in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Devils beat Florida in Games 6 and 7 (both in overtime periods) in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal to win a series they had trailed three games to two.

 
"I don't know if there is preparation [to play win-or-go-home-for-the-summer games]," Devils head coach Pete DeBoer said during his media availability Monday morning. "That comes from within your room. That's gut-check time. Those are the questions that you don't know how your team will respond to as a coach until you get in those situations."

 
Save for rare exceptions, many of the 82 games that make up regular campaign are rather unimportant. Players, coaches and executives freely acknowledge "anything can happen" once a team qualifies for the playoffs.

 
The one strength of the regular season is that it allows teams to determine their overall mental makeup.

 
For a team that entered its fifth do-or-die game of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-0 record, the Devils have proved the athletes that make up the Eastern Conference champions are overflowing with character.

 
"There [are] clues during the year," DeBoer said. "At different points you get those pressure points — a must win or a big game to end a losing streak — and you see how your team responds. Until you're actually facing the fact of going home for the summer unless you win, you're not really sure how you're going to respond."

 
Devils keeping emotions in check

 
The line between confidence and cockiness is infinitesimal.

 
It is a truism that the Devils recognize and are guarding against. They understand their two wins in Games 4 and 5 only guaranteed that they would play Monday night. Nothing else.

 
"I don't see any reason why we should be overconfident or satisfied. We're still down 3-2. We're still in the same spot. One loss [and] we're done," Zach Parise said. "I think just having gotten a couple wins, we're playing with more confidence. But I don't think that makes us feel overconfident.

 
"We still know how great of a team they are [and] how much better we need to play to make this thing even go further," Parise said. "But that being said, we're still in a really tough spot, having to win a road Game 6 to extend this thing."


Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman for news throughout the playoffs.
 


http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1145339--stanley-cup-notebook-devils-step-up-at-right-times

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 10:47 PM

June 26, 2012, Anderson Silva rant during UFC 148 conference call news story for Metro Newspaper in NYC


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Anderson Silva rips Sonnen in unbelievable tirade

 

Anderson Silva
  BUDA MENDES/STF/GETTY IMAGES
Silva, seen here after winning a fight last August, nearly lost to Sonnen in their first match.
 
More about UFC
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DENIS GORMAN
NEW YORK
 
Published: June 25, 2012 8:30 p.m.
Last modified: June 25, 2012 11:11 p.m.
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It had been long speculated that UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva disdained rival Chael Sonnen.

 
There is no doubt anymore.

 
"[I am] going to break his face, break every one of the teeth in his mouth," an agitated Silva said through a translator during Monday's conference call to promote the July 7 UFC 148 pay-per-view from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

 
Silva will meet Sonnen in a rematch of their UFC 117 title fight. Silva won that fight by submitting Sonnen with a combination triangle choke and arm bar at 3:10 of the fifth round.

 
But what's been remembered about that fight is the way Sonnen used his wrestling to dominate Silva for the first four and a half rounds.

 
It marked the only time in Silva's 14-fight UFC career that he was in serious danger of losing. Silva is the longest reigning champion in UFC history and has recorded nine consecutive successful title defenses.

 
Yet Silva did not admit to concern that Sonnen would implement a strategy similar to the one that was highly effective on the night of Aug. 7, 2010.

 
"[Artifacts] from the past live in museums," Silva said. "[It] doesn't matter if I'm underneath, on the side of or on top of Chael Sonnen."

 
Sonnen had spent the 22 months following their first encounter publicly insulting Silva, who is on the short list of the greatest fighters in the still-nascent sport, his home land of Brazil and Brazilian fighters.

 
Evidently, Silva took notes.

 
"I know Chael is on the line," Silva said of Sonnen, who along with UFC President Dana White and UFC 148 semi-main eventers Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin participated in the call. "Play time is over. The joke is over. I'm going to beat his [butt] out of the UFC.

 
"[I'm going to do] something to change [the perception of the sport]," said Silva, who routinely raised his voice throughout the half-hour long call before abruptly hanging up. "[His] arms are [going to be] broken. [His] legs are [going to be] broken. He's going to be carried out of the Octagon.

 
"[I'm] going to beat him the way his parents should have," Silva said. "[He's] going to need a plastic surgeon."

 
Silva's out-of-character outburst shocked White.

 
"Never heard him talk like this," White said. "Never heard Anderson Silva talk like this."

 
It had to be a beautiful sound to White's ears because it could mean one of the strongest revenue-generating nights in UFC history.

 
White predicted the pay-per-view will be the "biggest sporting event of the year" and that it could rival UFC 100, which is the company's record holder for most pay-per-view purchases.

 
That event sold a reported 1.6 million pay-per-view purchases. The card was headlined by Brock Lesnar's UFC Heavyweight Title defense against Frank Mir. Georges St. Pierre, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping were also on the card.

 
"There's no doubt we plan on doing one million buys," White said. "[We] expect UFC 100 numbers."


Follow Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.
 


http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1146405--anderson-silva-rips-sonnen-in-unbelievable-tirade

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 12:50 PM

June 25, 2012, New York Mets surpass expectations feature for Metro Newspaper in NYC


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Mets already surpass expectations, fixed on playoffs

 

 
DENIS GORMAN
NEW YORK
 
Published: June 24, 2012 9:28 p.m.
Last modified: June 25, 2012 12:18 a.m.
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A look of defiance was fixed upon Jon Rauch’s face when reporters asked for an explanation for the game-deciding home run pitch he threw to Raul Ibanez in Saturday night’s loss.

 
Eventually, Rauch felt the need to take up the mantle for his employer, the New York Mets.

 
“We’re a damn good team,” Rauch said.

 
The line between self-belief and delusion is microscopic, but the Mets had every reason to feel confident despite losing the Subway Series finale to their in-city rivals, 6-5, at Citi Field Sunday night.

 
The heavily anticipated pitchers duel between R.A. Dickey and C.C. Sabathia fizzled as neither starter factored in the decision. Boone Logan threw 1 1/3 hitless innings to earn his second win. Miguel Batista (1-2) served up the game-winning home run to Robinson Cano in the eighth to take the loss.

 
Dickey was roughed up by the Yankees for five runs on five hits in six innings. Mark Teixeira's RBI sac fly in the third opened the scoring and ended Dickey's earned run scoreless streak ended at 44 2/3 innings. It is the second longest in franchise history, behind only Doc Gooden's 49 innings in 1985.

 
"I didn't have a great knuckleball," Dickey said. "I didn't give us a great chance to win."

 
Still, as the Mets awaken today in Chicago, their 39-34 record is good for second place in both the NL East and NL wild-card races.

 
The Mets trail the Nationals by 3.5 games in the division and are one game back of the Pirates in the wild card.

 
It is a spot few outside the organization thought the Mets would reside after 72 games, following a winter in which Jose Reyes signed with division rival Miami without so much as a contract offer.

 
But a funny thing happened on the way to a lousy season. The Mets’ starting rotation became one of the best in the majors, and young outfielders Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Lucas Duda have proven they can contribute consistently.

 
“We may have to bring a young guy in there but there’s nothing wrong with that,” Collins said before Saturday night’s 4-3 loss. “They bring energy to the club.

 
“Someone’s got to be Rookie of the Year. Why not one of our guys?” Collins said. “So I thought, going into spring training, if we could keep our lineup healthy, we would be fine.”

 
Now, the Mets are focusing on playoff chances.

 
“It’s as close as you can get to playoff baseball [in the regular season],” Chris Young said of the Subway Series’ supercharged atmosphere. “I think it’s a great experience for our club. I think it will serve us well. In the second half we’re going to be playing some big games.”


Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.
 
More about Mets , Jon Rauch , Terry Collins


http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1146325--mets-already-surpass-expectations-fixed-on-playoffs

posted by Denis P. Gorman at 12:40 PM