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JJ: “The Year in NY Sports for 2025. Not Good Enough…”

BQE Admin on December 25, 2025

New York New York

By John Jastremski

Believe it or not, next week is the final full week of 2025. 

In NY Sports, I think many of us went into the calendar year with high hopes for our teams and prospects for success. 

Looking back on the year, it’s hard to not have a feeling of disappointment. 

I think the best way to look at NY Sports in 2025 is to say the year wasn’t good enough. 

Our baseball teams were fresh off a trip to the World Series and the NLCS a year ago at this time. 

Life was good for Mets fans, Juan Soto was the new conquering hero and the sky was the limit… Until it wasn’t. 

The Mets inexplicably missed the playoffs in 2025 and it was no fluke. 

They were a terrible baseball team for the final 4 months of the season and the ramifications of that poor play is the wholesale change we are witnessing within the team heading into 2026. 

In Yankees land, it was another year of coming up short in October. 

Yes, the Yankees pivoted brilliantly away from Juan Soto. 

Yes, they tied the Blue Jays for the most wins in the American League, but another year slips through the hourglass of Aaron Judge’s career without a ring. 

The pressure continues to mount and yet the team continues to be content with where they stand. 

Good enough to be in the dance, sure they have a chance, but it hasn’t been good enough to win. 

The football teams. Par for the course. And not in a good way. A collective 5 wins by 2 teams is a special sort of ineptitude. 

One would argue the New York Knicks would buck this trend of not being good enough. 

And compared to the other teams in town, it makes perfect sense. 

The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 25 seasons. 

They had an epic 2nd round series win against the Boston Celtics. 

Yet, they can join the club of disappointment. Why? The Game 1 collapse against the Indiana Pacers will be a game that lives forever in infamy. 

It flat out cost the Knicks the series and will haunt this team until of course they reach the NBA Finals. 

2025 was eventful. There were some monster moments, promising debuts & plenty of interesting subplots. 

At the end of the day, it wasn’t good enough for our fair city. Let’s hope 2026 can be better…

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York every Sunday & Thursday on The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify/Apple Podcasts. You can watch me nightly on Honda Sports Nite at 11 PM on SNY.

City Blues March on to Philadelphia for Conference Semis

BQE Admin on November 13, 2025

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

New York City FC will return to visit the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on November 23. After a thrilling 3-1 win in Charlotte, the Boys in Blue will again look to topple a top seed on the road. The match comes just under four years since they toppled the Union in Chester en route to their first ever MLS Cup Championship, and just over three years since the Union returned the favor in the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to LAFC in the cup final.

It was a trio of stunning goals that lifted New York over Charlotte FC for the second time in two visits. Nico Fernandez Mercau opened the scoring in first half stoppage time, carrying the ball from inside the city half after a strong physical challenge. With Alonso Martinez to his left, the Argentine continued his run, somehow guiding the ball across the goal and into the top corner.

Just five minutes into the second half, the visitors doubled the lead with another brilliant solo goal. A Maxi Moralez pass over Charlotte’s high defensive line fell perfectly for Martinez, who controlled the ball under pressure with grace. The Costa Rican international evaded a defender before slotting the ball under goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina and into the net.

Later in the half, City were dealt a rough blow as midfielder Andres Perea went down with a lower leg injury after an aerial duel. After a lengthy break he was carted off the field, later diagnosed to be a fracture. The club announced on Monday that Perea underwent surgery on his leg, with rehab beginning immediately. No timetable was given for his return, but it’s not likely he will return this postseason.

Following Perea’s injury, Charlotte looked for a lifeline with their season once more on the ropes. With 10 minutes remaining in regulation they finally found a breakthrough as Archie Goodwin was able to lay the ball off perfectly for Idan Toklomati. 

It would be Charlotte’s lone goal in the three-game series, as New York City’s defense stood strong to close out the final minutes of the match. Even with a monumental 12 minutes of stoppage time, the hosts were unable to break through Thiago Martins and Justin Haak in the back line. Matt Freese only faced one shot on target, with Charlotte’s other 14 redirected away from goal.

“I don’t know how many blocks Justin [Haak] had in the first 10 minutes,” commented Freese following the match. “The defensive line putting their bodies on the line is something we’ve worked on, and I’m very grateful for it. That type of thing leads to wins, energy, and it shushes the crowd.”

As the match clock ticked past the 100th minute, Nico Fernandez Mercau again had a say in stoppage time. This time a strong move by Hannes Wolf allowed the Austrian to maintain possession after a sliding challenge. The winger carried the ball into the box before laying it off to Fernandez who again finessed the ball off the woodwork and in. It was the first time since late September that NYC scored more than once in a match.

Now New York is set to face off against one of their most bitter rivals. This year against Philadelphia each club has defended home turf. In April NYC defeated the Union at Citi Field with Alonso Martinez scoring the lone goal in the match. In early October the Union clinched the Supporters Shield for the second time in franchise history with a 1-0 win.

It will take another fiery defensive performance and more moments of magic from their attackers to best the league’s top seed on the road. Philly led Major League Soccer with a solid defensive record, keeping 14 clean sheets and only allowing 35 goals. While the Wild Card winning Fire forced a penalty shootout in Game 1, the Union came out on top 4-2, ending the series in Game 2 with a 3-0 win in Chicago. 

Philadelphia will look to become the eighth Shield-winners to follow up their regular season with postseason glory. New York will look to again become the road warriors they were in 2021. As the only lower seed to advance out of the first round, they will be the visitors the rest of their cup run.

JJ: “Panic & Stress Is Contagious For NY Baseball in 2025”

BQE Admin on August 12, 2025

By John Jastremski

I think it’s fair to say for a month plus, the narrative around NY Baseball and panic has been front and center around the New York Yankees. Totally fair, totally justified might I add… 

However, over the past month. The New York Mets have basically said to their crosstown rivals, “Hold my beer.”

The Mets were a team that at one point in the season was 20 plus games over .500 and basically found themselves in a dead heat with the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East. 

The past month around the Mets has changed that narrative quite significantly. The Mets have fallen on some very hard times as a team. They have lost 7 consecutive games entering Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves. 

After the sweep at the hands of the Brewers, the Mets have stunningly lost 11 of their last 12 games and now cling to the 3rd Wild Card spot in the NL Playoff Picture and find themselves 6 games back of Philadelphia for first place in the NL East. 

The pressing question is how in the world has this happened? A couple of different reasons. 

The Mets cannot get any length out of their starting pitchers. For the past two months, their starters have averaged less than 5 innings a start. I don’t care if it’s the modern day game in 2025, that is 100 percent unacceptable. 

The Mets inability to get length out of their rotation has compromised their bullpen dramatically. 

The Mets also have seen their stars struggle mightily. Francisco Lindor was the conquering hero of the 2024 team. He has been dreadful for the past two months, where you have to wonder if indeed he is 100 percent right? 

Juan Soto falls under that microscope too. Yes, his numbers on the surface look solid, but much of the damage Soto has done was during a red hot month of June.

In the biggest of spots so far in 2025, Juan Soto has come up too small. Soto was the king of the moment a year ago for the Yankees. The Mets need him to meet the moment over the final two months of the season. 

The Mets schedule is very tricky after the next two weeks. It is imperative for the Mets to beat up on the Atlanta Braves, and yes I realize how weird it was typing that exact sentence. 

Yes, the Braves have been a thorn in the Mets side for years. However, the Braves are a hot mess in 2025. 

They are well under .500 and it’s been a lost season. Time to punish a team that wants to be put out of their misery. 

The Mets have time to get their season back on track, but if the stars don’t play like stars and the rotation doesn’t find a way to give them some length, the problems and the misery will continue.

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify/Apple Podcasts every Tuesday & Friday. You can watch me on Honda Sports Nite following Mets postgame on SNY. 

What Would it Have Taken for the Nets to Land Doncic?

BQE Admin on February 4, 2025

What would it have taken a team like Brooklyn to pry the 25-year-old superstar from Dallas?

By Noah Zimmerman

The Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. Even after a handful of days there is little sense to be made of the blockbuster trade that shook the NBA and sports world to its core late Saturday night.

Los Angeles also received Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in the deal. Alongside Davis, the Lakers sent Max Christie and a first round pick to Dallas, as well as Jalen Hood-Schiffino to the Utah Jazz. 

Following the trade, a dejected Mavs team was forced to take the floor against the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the best teams in the league. The Cavs scored 50 points in the first quarter en route to a 144-101 trouncing, a foreboding sign for the future in Dallas.

Despite bringing Anthony Davis to Texas, the Mavs departure from their franchise player confused fans and risks going down as one of the worst trades in sports history. Only time will tell if this deal damages the Mavs as much as Billy Kingís trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce crippled the Nets.

To defend his move, Mavs GM Nico Harrison echoed a well known sentiment that defense wins championships. There were many concerns with Dallas regarding Luka’s apathy on the defensive side of the court, as well as his conditioning and injury issues. With Luka due for a max contract extension at the end of the year, Harrison decided it was too risky to pay up.

As a result, Dončić is no longer eligible for the $346M/5-year contract Dallas could have given him. The most he can receive from LA is $229M/5-years.

Another young superstar, Minnesota’s Anothony Edwards had trouble making sense of the deal. “At 25 they traded, probably the best scorer in the NBA,” the 23-year-old guard lamented. “He just went to the finals.”

“I still feel like there is something, some facts that are going to come out over time,” said Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. “I can’t really comprehend how that makes sense to be honest.”

What would it have taken other teams to land a player as coveted as Dončić? It’s clear that the Mavericks’ priority was to land a dominant two-way center in Davis, but it’s hard to see any long-term benefit with their new center turning 32 in March. Their inability to fetch more than one first round draft pick is baffling considering the modern trade market.

Other centers like Rudy Gobert netted four first round picks on the trade market. The Nets were able to fetch five first round picks from the Knicks in exchange for Mikal Bridges. 

Brooklyn was able to transform their return for a 34-year-old Kevin Durant into 9 first round picks, two first round pick swaps, a handful of second rounders, Cam Johnson, and Zaire Williams. Dallas turned a 25-year-old Dončić into Davis, Christie, and a single 2029 draft pick.

For a rebuilding team like the Brooklyn Nets, young centers and draft stock were aplenty. Surely if Harrison had shopped Luka around the league he could have netted a haul of picks from the Nets alongside younger centers with upside like Nic Claxton or Dayíron Sharpe.

Regardless, whatís done is done. The NBA has been forever changed by the arrival of Luka in LA. With the trade deadline on Thursday afternoon, teams will finish making tweaks to their rosters while carefully eyeing the future.

“I thought I was gonna stay my whole career there. Loyalty is a big word for me,” said Dončić in his Lakers press conference. “But I got the ocean here. I get to play for the Lakers. Not many get to say that.”

Luka also expressed his love and admiration for the late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. After landing in LA he made sure to mention Bryant and his daughter Gigi, who tragically passed in 2020.

Dončić is nursing a calf injury that has sidelined him since December. He is currently slated to make his Lakers debut this Weekend as LA plays two games against the Jazz ahead of the All-Star Break.

Fans return to local sports bars despite COVID flare-up

webadmin on August 5, 2021

Pandemic-related restrictions on indoor gatherings and hours of operation were lifted on bars across New York State at the end of May, and since then staff at local sports pubs say fans have resumed watching games and matches in social settings. Proprietors are hoping they won’t be forced into another shutdown.
“People are starting to come out more, but who knows how long it’s going to last? I have a feeling we’re going to be put in the hole again,” said James Munson, co-owner of The Village Saloon on Eliot Avenue in Middle Village. “You definitely noticed the difference when the restrictions were on. People didn’t want to go out.”
As the NBA and NHL playoffs were pushed later into the summer to accommodate their modified regular season schedules, fans were getting a reprieve from the capacity rules and curfews that made it nearly impossible for fans to gather.
“We packed the place for the Euro Cup, but the NBA Finals wasn’t as big for us this year, I think because of the two smaller market teams,” said Carlo Fortunato, co-owner of Emblem, a sports bar and beer garden with nearly 20 televisions in Williamsburg. “If the Knicks and the Lakers were in it, I think it would have been different,”
The common trend seen at sports bars is that fans have returned to watch big games, such as the NBA playoffs and major international soccer tournaments, but the after-work ritual of stopping to have a beer and watch a few innings of a baseball game appears to be paused due to the increase of people working from home.
“Baseball is not drawing a big crowd,” said Carmine Gangone, owner of Carmine & Sons, a pizzeria and sports bar in Williamsburg. “People are really not packing my bar unless it’s a big game. I’m hoping football season brings them in.”
Despite a disinterest in the national pastime, bar owners say they have also tried to diversify or tweak little elements of their establishments. Emblem is hosting multiple comedy nights in order to boost traffic on weeknights. Carmine & Sons is featuring a weekly jazz trio on the sidewalk outside their restaurant’s entrance.
The Village Saloon, under new management since May 5, focused on improving their menu when they reopened in the space formerly occupied by Mooney’s Public House. Still, several sports bar owners say the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions coincided with the time of year when many people are away on vacation.
“The summertime is a tough time to own a bar in Middle Village,” Munson said. “A lot of people go away on vacation or for the weekend, and probably more so this year.”
Sports bars with a history of showing a particular sport or team, such as New York Islanders hockey or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, saw crowds return as soon as they could.
“My crowd for MMA is back strong, but during the entire pandemic people called us to ask if we were going to show the UFC fight that weekend,” Fortunato said. “I had to tell them I wasn’t because I had to close by 11 p.m. and pay $1,000 for the fight when I was only allowed half-capacity. It wasn’t worth it for me.”
While the size of the crowds returning to sports bars has been promising, what’s concerning ownership and staff is what happens if the COVID-19 infection rate increases to the point that restrictions on bars and restaurants are reinstated.
Rosann McSorley, whose family owns Katch Astoria, a gastropub and beer garden with 64 televisions and 50 beer taps, is worried she and her staff may be required to ask patrons to wear masks. Katch drew strong crowds for the Islanders run to the NHL semifinals, but has still not returned to its pre-pandemic foot traffic or closing times.
“The mask coming back will be an issue for the bars that do not have outdoor capacity, because people will be concerned,” McSorley said. “I think our business is going to drop for sure. If we are asked to check that people have been vaccinated, that will be another issue.”

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