When it comes to our sports heroes, does it matter what they’re doing in their personal lives as long as they’re performing well on the court, field, or rink? There are always rumors regarding contracts and salaries and possible trades, but I prefer to take my sports with as little celebrity-esque gossip as possible.

It seems to me, as a New York sports fan, I can’t get away from the news regarding our greatest players’ personal lives. For starters, there’s the uproar of Yankee Alex Rodriguez’s mega-divorce this summer, not to mention all the news-mania in this steroid-era of major league baseball (I’m looking at you, Roger Clemens!). Then last year when the Giants made the playoffs, every time I opened the Post or the Daily News I’d see something about Eli Manning and his girlfriend-turned-fiancee. And even though football season is long over, I can’t get away from Patriot Tom Brady and Giselle Bündchen. Then in 2007 there was former …

Jeremy Shockey is gone. Sean Avery has left the building. Ted Nolan is kaput. Stephon Marbury is teetering on the brink. These are all guys who are more trouble than they’re worth. Even though they’re not going anywhere, you can throw Jason Giambi and Billy Wagner on that list as well. Some of these guys have completely embarrassed their organizations, some have a bad habit of putting their foot in their mouth, but all are a distraction one way or another.
The Giants traded Shockey to the Saints yesterday for two 2009 draft picks. And they won’t regret it for a second. It’s an age-old case of addition by subtraction. Even if Shockey’s running wild in New Orleans catching one pass after another, at some point when things aren’t going well he’s going to throw his teammates or coaches under a bus. Or not work out or practice with the team. Or …

Here are the answers from yesterday’s quiz.
1. Dave DeBusschere pitched in 36 games for the White Sox in 1962 and ’63. He went 3-4 with a 2.90 ERA.
2. Danny Heep was the first designated hitter for the Mets when he appeared in game three of the 1986 World Series.
3. The Giants played in the Polo Grounds (1925–’55), Yankee Stadium (’56–’73), the Yale Bowl (’73 and ’74), Shea Stadium (’75) and Giants Stadium (’76–present). (They had to play in the Yale Bowl and Shea because Yankee Stadium was being renovated.)
4. The Nets won twice. In 1974 they beat the Utah Stars, and in ’76 they defeated the Denver Nuggets.
5. …

Here is the first-ever Hot Stove New York sports quiz. See how much you know about New York sports history. The answers will be posted tomorrow. There are no prizes, just the satisfaction of knowing how smart or not-so-smart you really are.
1. Which Knicks player also pitched for the Chicago White Sox?
2. Who was the first-ever designated hitter for the Mets?
3. In their long history, the football Giants have called five different venues home. Name them.
4. How many ABA championships did the Nets win?
5. Which two WHA teams did Mark Messier play for?
6. The Jets played in the first-ever Monday Night Football game on September 21, 1970. Who did they play?
7. Who was the manager for the Dodgers when they won their only World …

Jack Hillen six days ago was playing in the NCAA West Regional representing Colorado College. Last night, Hillen jumped in with both feet into one of the most heated rivalries in the NHL: Islanders vs. Rangers.

Hillen will not be confused with a heavyweight anytime soon. Standing at 5-11 and weighing 200 pounds, Hillen is more of an offensive minded defensemen. While playing for Colorado, Hillen notched 37 points(31 on assists)which lead all Division-1 defensemen.

After last nights 3-0 loss to the Rangers, Newsdays Greg Logan caught up with Coach Ted Nolan and asked what he thought of Hillen’s debut:

“He handled himself fairly well, but he definitely needs some seasoning before he’s ready for prime time,” Nolan said. “But we’re not going to judge a kid too heavily throwing him from college hockey into a game against the Rangers. That’s too unfair. But he looks like he has a good upside to him.”

Logan also spoke to Captain Bill Guerin:

“Jack played as well as anybody I’ve ever seen in their first game, especially against your …

Read More…

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3. Nolan on His Way Out?4-12. No, that's not a date; that's the Islanders' record in their last 16 games....

4-12. No, that’s not a date; that’s the Islanders’ record in their last 16 games. After compiling enough wins to find themselves in 7th place before the All Star Break, the Islanders are currently in a downward spiral destined for a lottery pick (maybe not such a bad thing with Steven Stamkos in this years draft). Currently sitting in 13th place in the Eastern Conference and 26th out of the entire NHL, the Islanders have been looking more and more like a group just waiting for the season to end. But it seems as if only one person is taking the blame: coach Ted Nolan.

Nolan was unjustly exiled from the NHL for close to a decade for supposedly having “extracurricular activities” with a former player’s wife. But when the Islanders came knocking on his door 2 years ago, he was eager to get back behind the bench. Since that day, Nolan has held his own and shown why he was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy his 2nd year with the Sabres. Nolan is …

The Islanders Website is reporting that franchise goalie Rick DiPietro will undergo season ending hip surgery. This is the second time in a year that DiPietro will be having this procedure performed. The team however does not expect DiPietro to miss any time after this season and foresee him being ready for next years training camp.

I guess when it rains, it pours. This latest injury is only the tip of the iceberg for an Islanders team that has watched it season go down in flames. With half of the Soundtigers team already on the Island, a top 3 draft pick is looking very likely.

The long anticipated arrival of Kyle Okposo at Nassau Coliseum has finally arrived. Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Islanders fans will have the opportunity to be the first to see the highly touted prospect in an Islanders jersey.

Not since goalie Rick DiPietro was drafted has an Islanders rookie had so much hype. But ever since arriving in Bridgeport, Okposo has lived up to chatter. Okposo has tallied 24 points(8 goals and 16 assists) in 29 games. Kyle is a playmaking forward who is hard to move off the puck. He is also very creative, performing some plays that are out of the ordinary. His most famous of these plays is this one. Greg Logan of Newsdayasked defenseman Matt Spillerabout Okposo’s talent for moving the puck:

“For sure, he can make those passes you think some guys can’t make,” Spiller said. “It’s pretty fun watching him.”

The Islanders drafted Okposo with the 7th overall pick in the 2006 draft after having a stellar season with the Des Moines Buccaneers …

Well to be honest, there is not too many reasons to watch our beloved Islanders. They are not the fastest team or the most physical or the most exciting to watch. They do not have a superstar forward to draw fans in and lets face it, the Coliseum is not the greatest arena you will ever step into. But have faith fellow Isles fans, here are a few reasons why we all need to keep watching:

Rick DiPietro- For better or worse, DiPietro will be entertaining night in and night out. No offense to Billy Smith or any other goalies the Islanders have had but DiPietro is the most naturally gifted goalie this team has ever had between the pipes. He is the franchise player and seems to put on a show every game. If it wasn’t for such a porous defense around him, DP would find himself in the running for the Vezina Trophy every year.

The Kids- Blake Comeau leads a corps group of Islanders youngsters that fans have become accustomed to watching. …

Last night’s 4-1 loss against the hated New York Rangers only reminded Islanders fans of what we already knew: We need a playmaking forward.

The Islanders have one of the best goalie tandems in hockey with Rick DiPietro and Wade Dubielewicz, but you cannot rely on your goaltenders as heavily as the Isles do. The Islanders have given up the 5th most shots in the league but DiPietro has given up the 6th fewest goals. A goalie can only do so much to help their team win. The glaring weakness on this team is the lack of offense. Up until last week the Islanders were the only team in hockey without a 20 goal scorer. The team is 29th in scoring. Couple that with the amount of shots they give up and it’s not a recipe for success.  

At certain points in a season, teams need a forward to carry the load for a while. Evgeni Malkin has done it for the Pens this year, as well as Alex Ovechkin for the Caps. The Isles simply do not have …

The Islanders find themselves in a little conundrum. Who should coach Ted Nolan put between the pipes tonight, to face the New York Rangers?

The face of the Islanders franchise, Rick DiPietro, has not played the last 4 days due to the death of his grandmother. But even before his leave of absence, the recent play of DiPietro has been anything but stellar. In his last 16 games DiPi has a 7-9 record and a sub par save percentage of .866. Add to that, he has also given up a minimum of 4 goals in 9 of those games.

On the other hand, Islanders folk hero Wade “Dubie” Dubielewicz has once again kept the Islanders hopes of making the playoffs alive. Dubie played like a man possessed in Tuesday nights win against the Rangers stopping 27 shots including 5 of 6 shots in the shootout. Unlike DiPietro, Dubie has played very well in his recent starts posting a 5-3 record and a .928 save percentage.

So do they go with, the face of …

As if the trade deadline wasn’t enough of an indication, the Rangers cemented Tuesday night that they are a team going nowhere. After a frustrating shootout loss to the Islanders, I am only more exasperated by the words of Journal News’ reporter Sam Weinman prior to the contest. Via Sam’s LoHud blog:

It’s very easy to look at this game against a slumping Islanders team featuring their backup goalie and think it’s a lock for the Rangers. Most of you are too smart to think that, but the rest of you should know these games rarely play out according to plan.

I do think the Rangers are a tougher, more disciplined team than they were when they lost three straight to the Isles to start the year. But the important part to remember is that with the playoffs looking less and less likely for the Islanders, it is games like tonight they will use to define their season.

Bottom line, it was only yesterday that HSNY’s trusty …