IZOD Center

From their inaugural season in New Jersey, after relocating from Denver, Colorado before the 1982-83 NHL season, the newly rechristened New Jersey Devils called the Brendan Byrne Arena home for 24 seasons.

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But the Devils weren’t the only New Jersey professional sports team to call the arena home. In fact, the arena was originally built to be a home for the relocating New York Nets, who had previously played their home games at the Nassau Coliseum. And though the arena was built to be a basketball arena, the intentions of building the arena was also to lure an NHL team to New Jersey. By the time the arena was built, the Nets had already moved out to New Jersey and were playing their home games in New Brunswick at the Rutgers University Athletic Center for a couple years. So when the arena was completed in 1981, it had an immediate tenant.

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November 17, 2021 0

Professional Sports Frustrations/Satisfactions

I’ve been a fan of the New Jersey Devils for just about as long as I can remember. The team originally came to New Jersey from Colorado back in 1982 — when I was 4 years old. So during the time I’ve followed them, I’ve been there from the lowest of lows – routinely finishing in the basement of the Patrick Division to the highest highs of their existence – making it to the Stanley Cup Finals 5 times, and winning the Cup three times. Unfortunately, we’re back to one of those low points in the franchise’s existence. Since making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012 and losing to the LA Kings in 6 games, the team has certainly fallen on hard times.

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December 22, 2019 0

Sports Stuff

So I realize it’s been awhile since I wrote one of these up & this is also only the second one of these I’m going to be writing about happenings in the realm of professional “real” sports, not professional wrestling.

So with that said, obviously the big thing on everyone’s minds in the NY metro area sports-wise is of course, the retirement of long-time Yankees closer, Mariano Rivera. “Mo” as we all fondly refer to him as for his nickname, is a God among mortals when it comes to being a closing pitcher in Major League Baseball. I can still remember when he first came on with the Yankees, late in the year back in 1995, when Don Mattingly was still a Yankee and Rivera was brought up when rosters go from the standard 25-man to 40-man with the September call ups.

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October 2, 2013 0