There’s a circular building that sits at 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, readily known by the moniker of "The World’s Most Famous Arena."
However, Madison Square Garden has to take a backseat these days, because the white edifice that sits in the swamps of the Meadowlands has to hold a proper place of prominence over the next couple of weeks.
That’s because both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals will be played in the place once known as Brendan Byrne Arena, now officially known as Continental Airlines Arena, but has always been unofficially recognized as the Meadowlands Arena.
As incredible as it may seem, both the Nets and the Devils have reached the pinnacles in their respective sports. It marks the first time that two teams who share the same building have played for their respective league’s championships since 1994, when, yes, the two now-forgotten teams that call Madison Square Garden home reached the finals.
In 1994, New York was totally abuzz by the fact that the Knicks faced the Rockets in the finals, only to lose in seven games, and the Rangers did the unimaginable and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in some 50 years, defeating the Vancouver Canucks.
Nine years ago, the simple thought of the haphazard and laughingstock Nets even making the playoffs would have been a pipe dream, never mind actually playing in the NBA Finals.
The Devils were a goal away from playing in the Stanley Cup Finals that year. They’ve also been a staple of the NHL playoffs ever since, winning the Cup in 1995 and 2000.
However, to have both of the inhabitants of the Meadowlands playing in the finals is beyond the wildest imagination, and it’s an idea that has gripped the entire state.
"It’s really great that we’re both playing for the championship," said famed Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, before his team took a 1-0 lead in the finals over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. "I think it’s great for New Jersey, great for the area and especially great for our fans."
It’s become such big news that Gov. Jim McGreevey placed full-page advertisements in the local newspapers, proclaiming his pride.
"It just goes to show that New Jersey is a great place for athletic excellence," McGreevey said in a statement. "New Jersey has a rich sports history, but even by our own lofty standards, we’re witnessing something amazing right now. New Jersey is the center of sports greatness."
For local fans who stuck through the Nets and the Devils during their troubled times, this is for you. Enjoy the historic times over the next few weeks. It doesn’t happen often.
And the much maligned area, the brunt of horrific jokes for ages, is now as McGreevey said, the center of sports greatness. As unbelievable as it seems, New Jersey – not New York – is the sports Mecca these days.
That, sports fans, is something to truly behold…
The long-awaited NJSIAA Parochial A North sectional softball semifinal between St. Dominic Academy and Holy Family Academy, postponed four times due to rain, will finally be played Thursday afternoon.
The Blue Devils won the Hudson County Invitational Tournament Wednesday night, defeating Secaucus 4-0 in the final, but couldn’t get in the state tournament showdown against Holy Family, which will mark the fourth time in three weeks that the two teams have met.
If St. Dominic wins that game, then the debate as to which team is the best in Hudson County should be decided. After High Tech lost in the Group I semifinals to Emerson Borough on Tuesday, ending the Lasercats’ season with an incredible 24-1 record, the Blue Devils can determine their fate with a win over HFA.
However, we’ll have more about the debate in next week’s editions…
Whatever transpires, St. Dominic Academy is truly having a year to remember as the school celebrates its 125th anniversary. Its track and field team won the HCIAA Relays and captured a gold medal at the Penn Relays for the first time in eight years. The softball team has now won the HCIAA Coviello and the Hudson County Invitational Tournament championships. And a former track standout, Margaret Laracy, delivered the valedictory address at the University of Notre Dame during commencement exercises last week. Not a bad run… — Jim Hague