Casey tries out with Jets; Songandaprayer set for Derby
Rashard Casey was not selected by anyone in the recent National Football League draft, but the former Hoboken and Penn State standout was able to attend the Jets’ mini-camp for rookies and veterans last weekend.
Although many people attending the camp believed Casey was the most athletic quarterback in the camp (a lot like former Jet QB and fellow Hudson County native Ray Lucas, now with the Dolphins), Casey will not be offered a contract with the team.
"I haven’t heard from the Jets, but we just appreciated them giving Rashard a chance," said Casey’s agent, Tony Agnone. "We’ll just see what else is out there."
Agnone is confident that Casey will receive an invitation to another team’s training camp in July and will get a chance to hook on with that team.
Casey has a tremendous upside as a potential NFL quarterback in that he has been timed at 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, which not a lot of quarterbacks can handle. Other teams have approached him with the possibility of playing another position, but he’s pretty sold on being a quarterback and is confident he can play on the professional level…
Bobby Hurley’s prize colt, Songandaprayer, drew the No. 1 post position for the Kentucky Derby this weekend and the morning line has placed the odds on the former St. Anthony and Duke All-American’s horse at 20-1.
But with the inside post and Songandaprayer’s ability to get to the lead, the chances are not too bad for an upset. How wild would it be if a Jersey City kid won the Kentucky Derby?
But all reports say that Point Given is a monster horse and a possible Triple Crown winner. It will take a gigantic effort for Hurley’s horse to win the granddaddy of all horse races…
I caught with great interest the HBO movie "61*" last weekend, and I thought it was excellent. I usually hate sports movies because they are so unrealistic, but Billy Crystal’s direction of the two actors portraying Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and Roger Maris (Barry Pepper) was right on the money.
But there was one thing that puzzled me. Why were all of the people in the movie real, except for the sportswriters and the papers they worked for, which were fictionalized? It made no sense to me.
If most of it was true portrayal, then do it with everyone. I know, I’m sticking up for sportswriters.
Plus, they made Phil Rizzuto out to be a complete cartoon character…
Probably the feel good success story of the college baseball season has been the efforts of Jersey City’s Tom Crohan, who has become Rutgers’ No. 2 starter. The junior lefty has a 6-1 record and has one of the best earned run averages on the team. Before the season, it was not known what the former St. Peter’s Prep standout’s role would be with the Scarlet Knights, but it’s evident now that Crohan’s a integral part of the rotation, behind ace Bob Brownlie.
What in the world has happened to the St. Peter’s College baseball program? How can any college team go 2-35? Two wins and 35 losses! That’s too amazing for words, especially with all the local talent that graces the Peacocks roster, like Jack Baker, Josh Piniero, Danny Suarez and Nicky Edwards.
All of the above were All-Hudson County performers. It should have been the basis of a solid program. But two wins in 37 games? Please. Coach Dan Olear has to look in the mirror and wonder what went wrong…