“If you don’t play this game with a big heart and a big bag o’ knuckles in front of the net, you don’t got dinky do.” Donnie Shulzhoffer (aka Mike Myers) in Mystery, Alaska

Some things just seem out of place or don’t go together, like the time Chris Drury hosted Soul Train for a year, and the Rangers playing a full 60 minutes, battling in front of the net and doing all the little things to win seems out of character for this year’s edition of the Rangers. But their rivalry with New Jersey seems to bring out the best in this team, so maybe if the Rangers played the Devils every game they would have a lot more “dinky do.” Or maybe they should just pretend every other team is the Devils.

Sure, it was near the end of the game on Saturday night, but at one point almost every player on the ice was piled up in a big heap in front of the Rangers’ net …

Week 16 (Feb. 8-14)
Teams playing three games: Orlando
Teams playing two games: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Utah
Teams playing one game: Boston, Houston, Indiana, Memphis, New York, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Toronto, Washington

Will Bynum (Pistons)- Bynum has returned from an ankle injury and has 29 points and 14 assists over his past three games.

C.J Miles (Jazz)- Miles has at least 10 points in four straight games while receiving more minutes in the rotation.

Marquis Daniels (Celtics)- Daniels returned from a thumb injury and played 13 minutes vs. the Magic yesterday. He is a valuable bench player for the team but his role could increase if Ray Allen gets traded.

Brad Miller (Bulls)- Miller has started the past two games with Joakim Noah sidelined with a foot injury. Miller has 23 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals and a three-pointer in his two starts.

Honorable mention: Morris Peterson (Hornets)

We sports fans are a dramatic bunch when it comes to our teams – everything is life and death – but in real life we shrug sadness and tragedy off like it’s nothing. “My Uncle Maury died? What are ya gonna do? He had a good run. Can you pass the ketchup?” But if the team we root for goes into a slump or, God forbid, gets knocked out of the playoffs, we’re screaming, tears are falling like Niagara Falls and we’re pulling what’s left of our hair out. Think back to the 1994 Stanley Cup and tears of joy start falling. Think of the Wilpons or James Dolan owning your team, and tears of sadness reign down. And if you’re like me and Rip Torn, you’ll get so drunk you’ll mistakenly take a local bank for your house, break in and pass out as I did when the 2007 baseball season ended and the Mets pulled off the collapse hear round the world. I was in such bad shape that I was nearly fired …

We all know about the great athletes in New York sports history – Babe Ruth, Tom Seaver, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Namath, Mark Messier, Walt Frazier – and even the busts – Ed Whitson, Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, Stephon Marbury, Scott Gomez. But what about the slightly-to-highly-above-average athlete? The kind-of-great but not all-timer? They may not have been Hall-of-Famers, but they were All-Stars, fan favorites, cogs on a championship team or maybe even just pretty darn good. They’re the little brother that didn’t hog all the attention. But they’re certainly worth talking about and remembering. So when do they get their due? Well, now they will. Here is a series of the not-quite-legendary in New York sports history.

Al Toon was the antithesis of Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens and other receivers cut from the aggrandizing, look-at-me cloth. He proved that all receivers don’t have to be showboating boneheads. Toon wouldn’t even spike the ball after scoring a touchdown. Instead, #88 played eight productive, classy seasons for the New York Jets, ducking the attention that he deserved. Besides …

Glen Sather did his Cal Naughton Jr./Magic Man impression by making Scott Gomez disappear in the offseason, and now he’s taken part of that bounty (ok, bust/underachiever/good-for-nothing, take your pick) that he stole from Montreal and shipped off Chris Higgins along with free-agent blunder Ales Kotalik to Calgary for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. It seems like a good trade for the Rangers, but how many times is Sather going to have to get rid of his mistakes (Gomez, Kotalik, etc.)? I guess we’ll just have to hope it’s not the last time.

The main positive of this trade for the Rangers is the jettisoning of Kotalik’s three-year $9 million contract. They also erase Higgins from the roster (he’s an unrestricted free agent after this season). Whether fair or not, Kotalik was a healthy scratch much of the time lately, and Higgins didn’t do much of anything after given chance after chance and plenty of ice time. Maybe they’ve both just been unlucky, but all the Blueshirts lose …

Week 15 (Feb. 1-7)
Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New Orleans, Portland, Sacramento, Washington
Teams playing three games: Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, Toronto, Utah
Teams playing two games: Minnesota

George Hill (Spurs)- Tony Parker is expected to miss several games due to an ankle injury. Hill has averaged 15.6 points and 3.6 assists over his past five games. He also has played in at least 31 minutes in six of his past seven games.

Nicolas Batum (Blazers)- Batum has played in at least 26 minutes in his past three games. He is coming back from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for most of the season.

Antoine Wright (Raptors)- Wright has 28 points, 11 rebounds and 6 three-pointers over his past two games. He has received more playing time due to injuries in the rotation.

Ryan Hollins (Timberwolves)- Hollins has started the past two games and has 35 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals. …

The dream is over. This year’s version of the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets certainly doesn’t look like “the same old Jets,” though. They’re more like the 1973 Ya Gotta Believe Mets, arriving out of nowhere to come oh-so-close to a championship. They’re a team we’ll look back on with positive feelings and one worth celebrating. They went further than anyone imagined, and have a future that certainly looks bright, with a successful coach and franchise quarterback in place (though Mark Sanchez now needs surgery on one knee and will be rehabbing the other – maybe he really is the reincarnation of Joe Namath). The whole weekend was pretty much a nightmare for New York sports, though: the Rangers were embarrassed by Montreal on Saturday night, 6-0, the Knicks were humiliated by Dallas, 128-78, the Nets lost to Utah, 116-83, the Islanders lost to New Jersey (ok, one local team won, but one of them had to) and, of course, the Jets were knocked out of playoffs.

Unfortunately, I can think …

The Eastern conference reserves were named today: Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Al Horford, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Gerald Wallace and Joe Johnson.

What name does not belong: Al Horford

Horford in his third season is averaging career highs in points (13.6), rebounds (9.8) and field goal percentage (57.5). The Hawks have the third best record in the East but it does not justify him being selected over David Lee.

Horford has 7 games of 20+ points in 44 games, Lee has 8 games this month.

Horford has 1 game of at least 17 boards (which came against the Knicks) , Lee has 6 games.

Horford has 0 games of at least 7 assists, Lee has 4 games.

While Horford blocks more shots, Lee averages more points, rebounds, steals, assists and has a higher free throw percentage. He may be playing out of position but statistically, Lee is one of the most effective centers in the East.

Also it is worth noting Tim Duncan had 27 rebounds vs. the Hawks yesterday. “I put it on myself, part of it” Al Horford said. “I …

We all know about the great athletes in New York sports history – Babe Ruth, Tom Seaver, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Namath, Mark Messier, Walt Frazier – and even the busts – Ed Whitson, Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, Stephon Marbury, Scott Gomez. But what about the slightly-to-highly-above-average athlete? The kind-of-great but not all-timer? They may not have been Hall-of-Famers, but they were All-Stars, fan favorites, cogs on a championship team or maybe even just pretty darn good. They’re the little brother that didn’t hog all the attention. But they’re certainly worth talking about and remembering. So when do they get their due? Well, now they will. Here is a series of the not-quite-legendary in New York sports history.

On December 20th, 1996, John Olerud was traded to the Mets for Robert Person. It was one of the greatest trades in franchise history (New York’s, not Toronto’s). The big first baseman was cool and calm, had a sweet, graceful swing and rode the 7 train to Shea (and refrained from …

The Knicks have not drafted a player who turned out to be in all-star since Mark Jackson in 1989. New York has not been represented at the All-Star game since 2001. The last American born white player to make it was Brad Miller in 2003 and 2004. The NBA will release the reserve players on Thursday, and reserve squad will consist of two guards, two forwards, one center, and two wildcards from both the East and West.

David Lee is 7th in points (19.4), 4th in field goal percentage (55.4), 3rd in rebounds (11.4) and leads all NBA centers with assists per game (3.4). In 12 games this month he is averaging 20.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

There is just one 20-10 player in the East and that is Chris Bosh, but Lee is approaching 20 points per game which would make him the second. Lee has been labeled as a system guy but he has shown versatility with a jumper, post moves and attacking the basket.

Here are my reserves:

Rajon Rondo, Joe Johnson, Bosh, Gerald …

The only good thing you can say about last night’s game was at least the Rangers didn’t embarrass themselves. After 156+ scoreless minutes, Artem Anisimov came through with a goal, and we all let out a sigh of relief. But, as usual, the Blueshirts fell to the Penguins (0-4 against them this season). It looks like they’re back to the days of if Henrik Lundqvist makes one mistake and Marian Gaborik doesn’t score, the Rangers don’t have a chance (where have you gone, Marian? Ranger fans turn their lonely eyes to you).

Like clockwork, after the Rangers teased us with those 6-2 and 8-2 victories, they followed them up with the “Carcillo Incident” game, the complete shellacking in Montreal and last night’s “well, we played better” game. They may slip into the playoffs, but it’s doubtful there will be any “getting on a roll” or “turning it around” or “finding themselves” this season. A little successful stretch is always followed by a disaster, or at least a losing …

Week 14 (Jan. 25-31)

Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio

Teams playing three games: Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, Toronto, Utah, Washington

Goran Dragic (Suns): Dragic scored a season-high 20 points last Friday. He also had 4 steals with 3 three-pointers and should receive more minutes with Leandro Barbosa sidelined with an injured wrist.

Marco Belinelli (Raptors)- Belinelli has scored at least 14 points in three of his past four games. He has 5 three-pointers in this span as well.

Daniel Gibson (Cavs)- Gisbson started his first game of the season vs. the Thunder last Friday due to the injuries of Mo Williams and Delonte West. He finished with 13 points, 3 three-pointers, 2 blocks and one steal. He also made the game-winning three-pointer.

J.J Hickson (Cavs)- Hickson had one of his better games in recent weeks against the Lakers last Thursday with 11 points and 14 rebounds. He followed that game up …