So it’s Wednesday morning and it’s just another routine day – I’m tooling around my house on my Hoveround like always, making myself one of those healthy breakfast shakes made of Lucky Charms, chocolate milk and a half dozen Yodels, when I suddenly realize it’s one of our great holidays – St. Patrick’s Day. With drinking, and uh, even more drinking, what’s not to like? Everybody grabs a pint of Guinness or a green beer, sings “Dirty Old Town,” wears their “Kiss me I’m Irish” shirt and at least pretends to be of Gaelic persuasion. I, on the other hand, am German, so I throw on my “Don’t kiss me I’m German – that would be inefficient, emotional and unsanitary” T-shirt, and head off to work. I’m not the only one around these parts who wears a variation on the “Kiss me I’m Irish” shirt, though; here are some like-themed T-shirts seen worn by local athletes past and present on St. Patty’s Day:

“Kiss me – I’m not …

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.

Buck Williams was Mr. Net, Mr. Rebound and Mr. Class. Julius Erving may have been the most talented player the Nets have ever had, but Williams was the best NBA player the franchise has known. In order to afford the fee to enter the NBA, the Nets had to sell Dr. …

Week 21 (March 15-21) Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Lakers, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Utah, Washington Teams playing three games: L.A. Clippers, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Sacramento, Toronto Teams playing two games: Dallas, Orlando, Portland

Toney Douglas (Knicks)- The last time Douglas started was on November 18th. Last Saturday he started and scored 21 points in helping the Knicks defeat the Mavs. He has played in at least 22 minutes the past four games and has 7 three-pointers in this span.

Jannero Pargo (Bulls)- Pargo started his first game of the season due to a wrist injury suffered to Derrick Rose. Pargo, scored a season high 20 points with 4 assists and 2 three-pointers. Rose should return tomorrow vs. the Grizziles.

Johan Petro (Nuggets)- Petro has started four straight games because of the injury to Keynon Martin. He is averaging 5.8 points, 7.8 rebounds .8 blocks as a starter.

Honorable mention: James Johnson (Bulls)

Baseball season is right around the corner (hey, three weeks is like four days when you’re my age, so twentysomething days is “right around the corner” to me), and after all the snow this winter, I’m ready. But here comes one of those “the old days were better” ramblings – they don’t call me Old Man Freier in my neighborhood for nothing (actually they pretty much just ignore me because I start every sentence with “Back in my day”). I was recently watching part of game five of the 1976 Yankees-Royals LCS that YES always seems to show and an episode of The Bronx Is Burning on MSG (the one about the 1977 LCS, which intersperses real highlights from the series), and it’s safe to say that baseball has changed since then. It may not have been better, but it was different. It’s lost a lot of its toughness and boys-will-be-boys attitude. In the 1976 game, the first pitch thrown by Grant Jackson right after George Brett …

Week 20 (March 8-14)
Teams playing four games: Boston, Charlotte, L.A. Clippers, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Toronto, Washington
Teams playing three games: Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Indiana, Golden State, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City
Teams playing two games: Houston, L.A. Lakers, Phoenix

Reggie Williams (Warriors)- Williams signed a 10-day contract because of the lack of healthy bodies for the Warriors. He scored a career high 28 points yesterday against the Hornets. If Monta Ellis returns on Thursday, it lowers the value of Williams but he has a pedigree of scoring history. He the led nation in back to back years for VMI (28.1 in 06-07 and 27.8 in 07-08)

Sonny Weems (Raptors)- Weems has scored in double-figures in four of past five games. He scored a season high 20 points vs. the Knicks last Friday. In three games this month …

The Knicks recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of their first championship, which got me to thinking – and yes, this is what I think about while cracking open my ninth beer of the night: New York-area teams have a seven-decade championship streak on the line this year. For the last seven decades (and eight out of nine) a New York team has played in a championship game when the year ends in a zero. Sometimes they lost, sometimes they won, but they reached the final game or series. Coincidence? Yeah, but so what? Let’s look back anyway.

The year 2000 was a bonanza. The Yankees and Mets squared off in the World Series, the Devils won the Stanley Cup and the Giants made it to the Super Bowl but lost to Baltimore (the game was played in 2001 but it was the 2000 season). In 1990, the Giants beat Buffalo in the Super Bowl (wide right!). The Islanders won the first of four consecutive Stanley Cups in 1980. …

“Before his high school career ended he was the first player to attend the Adidas ABCD Camp in New Jersey three times, and won the MVP his final season, an award given out to the likes of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.”

Bill Walker was a Top 10 high school recruit and made the EA Sports High School Boys Basketball team in 2006. He was also a teammate of current Memphis Grizzle and former first-round pick (3rd overall) O.J Mayo. He received interest from top programs such as Connecticut, Syracuse, Texas but elected to go to Kansas State.

Walker elected to go to Kansas State and averaged 16.1 (5th in the Big 12) points, 6.3 rebounds and shot 46% (10th in the Big 12) in his second season. He played alongside Michael Beasley who was drafted second overall in the 2008 draft.

His knee injuries affected his draft stock but the talent, athleticism and size had scouts compare him to Vince Carter. His leaping ability, strength and competitiveness would have made him a first-round pick …

Week 19 (March 1-7)
Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento
Teams playing three games: Chicago, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New Orleans, Portland, San Antonio, Toronto, Utah, Washington
Teams playing two games: Minnesota

Jerry Stackhouse (Bucks)- Stackhouse has stepped up his play recently. The Bucks were one of the league’s hottest team that won 6 straight games before yesterday’s loss to the Hawks. Stack has scored double-figures and played at least 24 minutes in four straight games. He scored a season high 20 points yesterday and also is a good source for threes and free throw percentage.

Bill Walker (Knicks)- Walker has appeared in three games for the Knicks and played 25 minutes in last Saturday’s game. Wilson Chandler is expected to miss tonight’s game (personal reasons) and Tracy McGrady is dealing with a sore knee which means Walker could sustain minutes in the rotation.

Ronny Turiaf (Warriors)- …

“If they get Lebron James (it was worth it),” Randolph says. “If they don’t get him, I wonder. I don’t know.”- Zach Randolph

The Knicks traded Randolph in November 2008 to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. The Knicks were not looking for any premium players back just, for another team to take his long and expensive contract. Donnie Walsh has worked very hard to get the Knicks under the cap but he could have waited and deal Zebo or even Jamal Crawford this year for more talent or draft picks.

Randolph is blossoming for his new team (Memphis Grizzlies) averaging 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds (second highest of his career) and is shooting 49.5 % from the field (second highest of his career). His shooting percentage has gone up because his three point attempts have gone down. He has attempted only 30 this season (59 games) compared to the 104 in 80 games with the Knicks. More importantly he leads the NBA in offensive rebounds per game (4.4) and the 28 year old was …

Ok, so I’m at Penn Station in the men’s room the other day (and no, I wasn’t “loitering” or “hanging out” or “experimenting” – I was just “freshening up” before my train ride home), and this guy is holding a fancy Victoria’s Secret gift bag with a wrapped present sticking out of it, when he drops it on the floor as he’s zipping up. Now, of course, the floor in there is, shall we say, wet. In fact, it’s sort of like a pond. A pond filled with scum. And other things that you don’t even want to be stepping in, let alone dropping a fancy present in. The guy picks up his bag, gives it a wipe or two with his hand, splashing the run-off on himself now, and then goes on his merry way. Oh, that poor, poor girlfriend or wife. Little does she know the journey that her thoughtful gift has traveled. The only way she could find out, is if that schlemiel boyfriend of hers came home and announced, “Happy birthday, …

“Knicks can’t play out the string without making one more move. Gotta give Dwayne Jones a call from the D-League and get some size in here.”- Alan Hahn
Dwayne Jones is the kind of player the Knicks need in the front court. The 6′11″ 250 pounder is averaging 16.8 points, 15.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for the Austion Toros in the NBDL (over 32 games). He was college teammates with Jameer Nelson and Delonte West at St. Josephs.  In his Junior season he was Atlantic10 Defensive Player of the Year leading the conference in rebounds (11.6)  and blocks (3.0).

The Knicks are 25th in the league in rebounds per game (40.76) and blocks per game (4.20). Their differential of opponents rebounds is second worse in the league (4.78). They have also had a lot of trouble boxing the opposing team out, allowing 73 offensive rebounds the past five games. Also, when opponents score 100+ points against New York is  5-29.

The Knicks need to defend the paint better and play …

Week 18 (Feb. 22-28)

Teams playing five games: Milwaukee

Teams playing four games: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, Utah, Washington

Teams playing three games: Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Golden State, Houston, Miami, New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Antonio, Toronto

Tracy McGrady (Knicks): T-Mac made his Knicks debut last Saturday with 26 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 three-pointer and 1 steal. He took 17 shots and played 32 minutes.

Eddie House (Knicks)- House set season highs in points (24) and minutes (34) in his Knicks debut. He is a great source for three-pointers and free throw percentage.

Sergio Rodriguez (Knicks)- Rodriguez also made his Knicks debut over the weekend and scored 5 points with 6 assists. He played in 25 minutes and attempted 3 three-pointers. He could be in the starting point guard lineup very soon.

Wes Matthews (Jazz)- Mattews has started the past two games and scored 12 points in 33 minutes yesterday. The Jazz traded Ronnie Brewer which created an open slot in the rotation.

Mario …