The Old Guard vs. the New Breed II

[SWC75]

1991 OG: 39 NB: 30 Historical: OG: 1,893 points, 20 victories and 8 rings NB: 1,422 points, 12 victories and 9 rings.

The Knicks slipped a little more to 39-43, better than 11 teams. But one of those teams was the Nets, who improved but only to 26-56, better than 3 teams. The Knicks were swept in the first round by the Bulls to wind up with 12 points.

The Rangers, (36-31-13, 85 points), finished 2nd, the Devils, (32-33-15, 79), 4th and the Islanders, (25-45-10, 60), 6th and last. The Rangers were better than 13 teams, the Devils better than 9 and the Isles better than 2. The Rangers and Devils both lost in the first round. The Islanders didn’t make the playoffs. Dad won this sport, 14-12 and the spring, 26-15

The Mets started their alarming descent from contention to the bottom of the standings. They won 10 games in a row to rise to 49-34 on July 13 and were an appalling 28-50 the rest of the way to finish 77-84, better than only 5 teams. Meanwhile the Yankees were on their way to greatness but still far from it with a 71-91 record, better than just 3 of them. But Pop and Junior 2 were still in the lead, 29-20.

The twain met in the fall: the defending champion Giants fell to 8-8 while the Jets rose to that record. They were both better than 10 teams, giving the old Guard, (plus Junior’s Junior), a narrow 39-30 win, their lowest combined total since 1967.

 

[SWC75]

1992 OG: 66 NB: 39 Historical: OG: 1,959 points, 21 victories and 8 rings NB: 1,461 points, 12 victories and 9 rings.

Both the Knicks and the Nets improved, but the Knicks were better to begin with. They finished tied with the Celtics atop the 7 team Atlantic Division with a 51-31 record. The Celtics got the division title on tiebreakers, but the Knicks were still better than 19 NBA teams. The Nets were third but well back with a 40-42 record, better than 11 teams. The Knicks beat the Pistons but then lost a classic 7 game series to the Jordan Bulls, on their way to their second championship. The Nets lost in the first round to Cleveland. Pop and J2 were ahead, 22-12.

The Rangers climbed all the way to the NHL summit with a league best 105-point season, (50-25-5). The league now had 22 teams, so that got them 21 points. Winning the 6 team Patrick Division increased that to 26. But a quarter-final loss to the eventual champion Penquins capped their season at 28 points. The Devils were 4th in the division at 38-31-11 (87 hockey points), and the Islanders fifth at 34-35-11 (79). They were better than 14 and 8 teams, respectively. The Isles didn’t make the playoffs and the Rangers took care of the Devils in the first round. So Grandpop and Junior 2 led 50-35 after the spring.

The Mets continued their free-fall, despite signing the great Bobby Bonilla, finishing last in the NL East at 65-97, better than just 2 teams, the Mariners and the Reds. The Yankees improved slightly but were still spinning their wheels at 76-86, better than 8 teams. G-Pop and J2 led 58-37 as the leaves began to fall.

Neither the Giants or the Jets moved the needle much, either. The Gints were 6-10, better than 8 teams, including the 4-12 Jets, who were better than just the 2-14 Patriots and Seahawks, (are those two ever going to win anything?). The Old Guard won again, 66-39.

 

[SWC75]

1993 OG: 89 NB: 53 Historical: OG: 2,048 points, 22 victories and 8 rings NB: 1,514 points, 12 victories and 9 rings.

The Knicks dominated the 7 team Atlantic Division, winning by 12 games with a 60-22 record, the second best in a 27-team league and tied with the 1970 champs for their best record ever. They made it to the conference finals, (the league semi-finals) where they lost to the champion Bulls in six games. That’s a 37-point haul. The Nets improved to 43-39, better than 14 teams but lost to the Cavs in the first round to wind up with 15 points.

The Rangers fell from first to last in the Patrick Division with 79 points, (34-39-11). That was still better than 5 teams in what was now a 24-team league. The Islanders and Devils had identical records: 40-37-7 for 87 points, better than 10 teams each. The Devils lost to the Penquins in the first round but the Isles beat the Capitols and Penquins before losing to the eventual champion Canadiens, (their last title to date), in the conference finals, (the league semi-finals). That gave Junior a haul of his own with 27 points. That evened things at 42-42.

The Mets hit bottom with a dreadful 59-103 record, their worst since Casey Stengel was coaching the team, (1965) and the worst record in the majors. Zero points. The Yankees were percolating, jumping to 88-74, second in the AL East, better than 21 MLB teams. That put Pop and Junior Squared back ahead 63-42

The Giants rebounded to 11-5, second in the NFC East and better than 23 NFL teams. The Jets also improved, but only to 8-8, better than 11 teams. The Giants beat the Vikings 17-10 but got obliterated by the 49ers, 3-44, (revenge for their 49-3 win over the Niners in ’86). Still, Pop and J2 had their 5th straight win, 89-53 and Pop hit the 2,000 point plateau. Junior the Second was so proud to be on his team.

 

[SWC75]

1994 OG: 144 NB: 77 Historical: OG: 2,192 points, 23 victories and 9 rings NB: 1,591 points, 12 victories and 10 rings.

The Knicks again won the 7 team Atlantic with a 57-25 record, better than all but the Sonics and the Rockets in a 27-team league. The Nets continued to get a little better, finishing third at 45-37, better than 13 teams. The Knicks took care of the Nets in the first round, 3 games to 1, then beat the Bulls and Pacers in classic 7 game series before losing to the Rockets in still another 7-game series, (the ‘O.J. series’). That was worth a fat 43 points. The Nets got just 14.

The Rangers won the 7 team Patrick Division with a 52-24-8 (112) record, the best in what was now a 26-team league. The Devils had the second-best record, 47-25-12 (105). The Islanders were an even 36-36-12 (84), better than 11 teams. The Rangers swept the Islanders in the first round, the Capitols in 5 in the quarterfinals and the Devils in a 7-game classic for the conference title before beating the Vancouver Canucks in 7 for their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. That gave them a mountainous 57 points and ended any suspense for the year. The Devils/Islanders had 42 points themselves but Poppa/J2 were up 100-56 with two seasons to go.

Baseball shot itself in the foot with a season-ending strike but before that happened the Yankees had the best record in the American League, 70-43, a harbinger of things to come. Only the National League Expos at 74-40, were better. MLB had split into six divisions and the AL East just had 5 teams, so the Yankees got 30 points. The failed dynasty of the Mets had entered the roller-coaster phase they’ve been in ever since, at 55-58, better than 17 of the 28 teams, (including the entire AL West, which was ‘won’ by the 52-62 Rangers). That made it 130-73.

The Giants got worse, falling to 9-7, but the Jets did, too, falling to 6-10 and last place. The Giants were better than 14 teams, the Jets better than 4. They both watched the playoffs on TV, making the final score a 144-77 rout. 77 points would have won this competition 19 times. But 144 points beat the record by 38 points. Poppa had a big smile on his face but the Juniors weren’t even talkin’.

 

[SWC75]

1995 OG: 65 NB: 60 Historical: OG: 2,257 points, 24 victories and 9 rings NB: 1,651 points, 12 victories and 10 rings.

The Knicks had another strong year, (55-27) but finished second in the Atlantic Division to the Magic. They were better than 21 teams. The Nets stumbled back down to 30-52, better than only 6 teams and out of the playoffs. The Knicks made it to the quarterfinals where they lost another 7-game series to the Pacers. That gave them 24 points.

In an abbreviated season due to labor troubles, the Rangers fell to 22-23-3 (47 points) and fourth place. Beating them out were the Devils, 22-18-8 (52), tied for second with the Capitols. The Islanders were in last at 15-28-5 (35). It’s hard to get much going when you are uncertain about how much of the season will be played. The Devils were better than 16 teams, the Rangers better than 12, the Isles better than just the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers beat Quebec in the first round but lost to the Flyers in the quarterfinals for 15 points. The Islanders watched the playoffs on TV and saw the Devils shock everybody by beating the Bruins, Penquins, Flyers and Red Wings, (quite a row of dominos there) for the Stanley Cup. It being a 26-team league now, that got them a total of 42 points, which added to the Islander’s single point, gave Junior a 49-39 lead coming out of the spring and a 10th ring.

Speaking of strike-shortened season, the Yankees fell back to 79-65, 7 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East but better than 23 teams. The Mets were 69-75, better than 11 teams. The Yankees lost to the Mariners in the new “Division Series” for an extra 3 points. That put Grandpop and Junior Squared back in the lead, 62-60.

The Giants and Jets both stunk. The Giants were 5-11 and better than 3 teams. But one of them was the Jets who had the worst record in the league at 3-13. The Old Guard had their 7th straight win, 65-60.

 

[SWC75]

1996 OG: 104 NB: 27 Historical: OG: 2,361 points, 25 victories and 10 rings NB: 1,678 points, 12 victories and 10 rings.

The Knicks finished farther behind the Magic with a 47-35 record, but better than 19 teams. The nets still languished at 30-52, better than just 7. The Nets didn’t make the playoffs, but the Knicks did an swept the Cavs before losing to the Bulls in 5 in the quarters for a total of 22 points.

The Rangers rebounded to second in the Patrick Division with 41-27-14 (96 points), better than 21 teams. The defending champion devils were 37-33-12 (86), a similar record to the one they had the previous year but only good for 6th place, second to last in a powerful division but still better than 14 teams. The Islanders sunk to last place with a 22-50-10 (54) record, better than just 2 teams. The poor Devils, (poor devils?) didn’t even make the playoffs to defend their championship, even though they were four games better than .500, just as they were the year before. The Rangers beat the Canadians but lost to the Penquins. That gave the Rangers 24 points to the Devils/Islanders 16. The Old Guard was ahead 46-23 going into the summer.

And this was the summer the Yankees returned to power, beginning a run that matches and maybe exceeded anything they did in a comparable period in their heyday because these modern Yankees did it in an era of free agency and extended playoffs. Their 1996 record was a modest 92-70, not as good as in 1994, just marginally better than in 1995 when they went out in the quarterfinals and worse than they would have in 1997, when they also lost in the quarters. But it won the 5 team AL East and beat out 25 MLB teams. They beat the Rangers 3-1 in the divisional series, the Orioles 4-1 in the ALCS, (with a little help from Jeffrey Maier) and then faced the defending champion Atlanta Braves in the World Series. The Braves were going through teams like an industrial combine, sweeping the Dodgers and then closing out a 7-game series with the Cardinals with three games they won by a combined 32 runs to 1. They then won the first two games of the World Series against the Yankees by a total of 16-1 before finally dropping game three, 5-2. In game 4 they got off to a 6-0 lead and another rout was on the way. The Braves looked like one of the best reams ever. Two walks and three singles to open the sixth cut the lead in half and then Jim Leyritz hit an improbable, (he’d hit 7 all season), three run homer off of Mark Wohlers, (who’d one thrown a 103 MPH pitch), to tie it in the 8th and the Yankees won it in the 10th, 8-6. That seemed to take all the air out of the Braves’ balloon and put it in the Yankees’, as they won the final two games to win their first World Series in 18 years and earn Pops and Junior2 53 insurmountable points. The Mets were barely a blip on the radar at 71-91, better than 4 teams. The OG was up, 99-27.

The Giants and Jets were a couple more blips at 6-10, (better than 5 teams) and 1-15, (better than 0-16 if there was one but there wasn’t), respectively. Final score: OG: 104-27. Jeesh! It was an 8th straight win, (the OG had doubled up the NG, 24-12), and now the rings were tied again, at 10.

 

[SWC75]

1997 OG: 102 NB: 73 Historical: OG: 2,463 points, 25 victories and 10 rings NB: 1,751 points, 12 victories and 10 rings.

The Knicks jumped up by 10 games to 57-25 but were still second to the Miami Heat. But they were better than 23 other teams. The Nets were still in low gear at 26-56, better than 6 teams. The Knicks made the playoffs but lost to the Heat in 7 games in the quarters. That meant a 26-6 lead for the Old Guard.

The Devils won the new 7-team Atlantic Division of the with a 45-23-14 (104) record, better than 23 teams. The Rangers were fourth at 38-34-10 (86), the Islanders in last at 29-41-12 (70). They were better than 19 and 4 teams, respectively. The Devils and Rangers made the playoffs. The Rangers beat the Devils in the quarters but lost to the Flyers in the next round. That’s 30 points for Junior and 25 for Pop and Junior Squared and a 51-36 lead for the later coming out of the spring.

The Yankees actually had a better regular season record than the ’96 champs at 96-66, better than 25 teams but not the 98-64 Orioles. But they lost to the Indians in the quarters for 28 points. The Mets had a good year at 88-74, third in the NL East but better than 20 teams. But they didn’t make the playoffs. The Old Guard was ahead 79-56

The Giants went 10-5-1 and won the 5 team NFC East. It was the 8th best record in a 30-team league. The Jets improved to 9-7, tied for second in the AFC East, just a game behind the Patriots and better than 17 teams. But they missed the playoffs while the Giants lost to the Vikings 22-23 in the first round. That’s’ 23-17 and a final record for the year of 102-73, victory #9 in a row for the Old Guard.

 

[SWC75]

1998 OG: 98 NB: 96 Historical: OG: 2,561 points, 27 victories and 11 rings NB: 1,847 points, 12 victories and 10 rings.

The twain met with the Knicks and the Nets, who both finished 43-39, 12 games behind the Heat but better than 14 teams each. In the playoffs the Nets got swept by the Bulls while the Knicks upset the Heat 3 games to 2 but lost to the Pacers in the quarters. OG: 15 NB: 13.

The Devils repeated as Atlantic Division champions, 48-23-11 (107), the second-best record in a 26 league. The Islanders were 4th with 30-41-11 (71), the Rangers 5th with 25-39-18 (68), better than 7 and 5 teams respectively. Only the Devils made the playoffs, and they were upset by the Ottawa Senators in the first round. That was 30 for Junior and 7 for Pop/J2, making it NB: 43 OG: 22

The 1998 New York Yankees may have been the greatest team of all time. They stormed through the regular season at 114-48, winning at one point 24 series in a row. They kept right on rolling through the playoffs, winning three series and 11 of 13 games to finish up with a final record of 125-50. There were now 30 teams in MLB and 5 in the AL East, which the Yanks won by 22 games. That gave them a record haul of 63 points in my system. The Mets were 88-74, better than 19 teams but they didn’t make the playoffs. OG: 85 NB: 62

The Jets picked this year to finally top the Giants, going a strong 12-4 and winning the 5 team AFC by two games. They were better than 23 teams. The Giants were 8-8, better than 13 teams. The Giants didn’t make the playoffs but the Jets made it to the AFC title game, where they lost to the eventual champion Broncos 10-23. The totaled 34 points. That made the final score OG: 98 NB: 96. Wheew!. But it was a 10th straight Old Guard victory with an 11th ring, making Poppa and Junior 2 in the lead in every category.

 

[SWC75]

1999 OG: 107 NB: 75 Historical: OG: 2,668 points, 28 victories and 12 rings NB: 1,922 points, 12 victories and 10 rings.

The NBA season was delayed due to labor problems and the teams only played 50 games. The Knicks were 27-23 and better than 14 teams. The Nets fell flat again, 16-34 and in last place but better than 4 teams. In the playoffs, the Knicks beat the heat, the Hawks and the Pacers before losing to the San Antonio Spurs, who won their first title. It was a 29 team league so that got the Knicks 14 additional points and the Old Guard was up 28-4.

The Devils won their third straight Atlantic Division title, 47-24-11 (105), but that division was now just 5 teams. But they had the second-best record in a 27-team league for (24 + 4) = 28 points. The Rangers were 33-38-11 (77) better than 9 teams and the last-place Islanders were 24-48-10 (58), better than only the Tampa Bay Lightning. Only the Devils made the playoffs and they lost in the first round to the Penquins. The New Breed won hockey 30-9 but the Old Guard was still up 37-34 with the Yankees on deck.

They weren’t quite as dominant as in the previous year but, close enough. The won the 5 team AL East with a 98-64 record but the Braves and, amazingly, the second-year Arizona Diamond Backs topped that with 103-59 and 100-62, respectively. The Mets had their strongest team in over a decade with a 96-66 record, behind the Braves in the NL East but better than 23 of MLB’s 30 teams. They beat the Reds in a single game playoff for the Wild Card, upset the D-Backs but lost to the Braves in the NLCS for a total of 30 points. The Yankees were better than 26 teams, got 4 more points for their divisional pennant and swept the Braves in the World Series for their second straight championship and their third in four years. That got them 30 more points for a total of 60, which put the Old Guard ahead by a commanding 97-64 margin.

The Jets and Giants both fell back, to 8-8, (better than 11 teams), and 7-9, (better than 10 of them). Final score: OG 107 NB 75, the Old Guards 11th straight win and their 12th ring. Grandpop and Junior Squared looked forward to more of the same in the new century. Junior worried that there would be more of the same in the new century.

 

[Dcuse]

When does the paperback come out?

 

[SWC75]

When does the paperback come out?

Who needs paper? This is 2021.

 

[SWC75]

2000 OG: 131 NB: 114 Historical: OG: 2,799 points, 29 victories and 13 rings NB: 2,036 points, 12 victories and 11 rings.

The Knicks were still good, (50-32, second to the Heat in the Atlantic Division and better than 20 teams) and the nets were still bad, (31-51, better than 6 teams). Only the Knicks made the playoffs and they fought their way to Eastern Finals, where they lost to the Pacers in six games. That got the Old Guard 27 points to 6 for the New Breed.

The Devils, (45-24-8, 103 points), got beat out by the Flyers (45-22-12, 105) for the Atlantic title but were still better than the Rangers (29-38-12, 73) and the last place Islanders, (24-48-9, 58). The Devils were better than 24 of the league’s 28 teams. The Rangers were better than 3 teams and the Islanders 2. Only the Devils made the playoffs and they won their second Stanley Cup, beating the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Dallas Stars, (the NHL wasn’t what it used to be). That gave them 52 points and the New Breed a spring lead of 59-30 as well as an 11th ring.
But the Old Guard got their 13th ring when the Yankees won their third straight World Series and fourth in five years. It wasn’t easy as the Yanks stumbled to an 87-74 record, barely making the playoffs by beating out the Red Sox (85-77), for the 5-team AL East title. On September 10 they were rolling along at 82-56, ahead by 8 ½ games. From that point on, they were an astonishing 5-16 and absorbed defeats of 1-11, 4-15, 3-16, 4-15 and, in consecutive games, 1-11, 3-11, 2-13 and 1-9. I’m a Mets fan and I was considering feeling sorry of the Yankees. (then I thought about it: Naaahhh!) I’ve never seen a good team in any sport have a stretch like that. But they somehow righted the ship and beat the A’s 3 games to 2, the Mariners 4-2 and in the World Series, my Mets in 5 games. (I haven’t considered feeling sorry for them since.) That turn-around, in retrospect, seems as impressive as what they did in 1998, when their regular season record was 26 ½ games better. But the most impressive thing is that, from 1996-2001, they won 14 of 15 post season series before Luis Gonzalez finally beat them with that blooper. The 1997 loss to the Indians being their only defeat in that time. That 87-74 record was better than 21 teams. The divisional title got them another 4 points and winning the series again got them 30 big points for a total of 55 points. The Mets had a strong year, too, with a better regular season record than the Yankees at 94-68, better than 25 teams but not than the Braves, who were a game ahead of them in the NL East at 95-67. They lost to the Cardinals in the playoffs. The Mets beat the Giants and then the Cardinals before falling the Yankees in the first subway series in 44 years. With 15 points for being the runner-up, the Mets would up with 40 points, That left the New Breed still ahead, 99-85.

On November 19, the Jets and the Giants were both 7-4. But the Jets had just beaten the Dolphins 20-3 while the Giants had lost their second in a row after a 7-2 start. Coach Jim Fassel pulled a play out of Joe Namath’s playbook by saying ““This is a poker game, and I’m shoving my chips to the middle of the table, I’m raising the ante, and anybody who wants to get in, get in. Anybody who wants out can get out. This team is going to the playoffs, OK? This team is going to the playoffs.” The Giants won their final 5 games to win the 5 team NFC East. The Jets won two more in a row before losing their last three to finish 9-7, 3rd in the AFC East. The Jets were better than 15 teams, the Giants better than 27. The Jets didn’t make the playoffs but the Giants beat the Eagles 20-10 and then steam-rolled the Viking 41-0 in the NFC title game. Then they got steam-rolled by the former Cleveland Browns, now the Baltimore Ravens, 7-34 in the Super Bowl, (as an old Browns fan I would have enjoyed the heck out of that if they were still the Cleveland Browns). The Giants got 27 + 4 for winning the division + 15 for being runner-up for a total of 46 to just 15 for the Jets. That won the Old Guard their 12th straight title, 131-114, the most combined points the two groups had ever generated. Junior joined the 2000 point club in the year 2000. The new century looked interesting.

 

[SWC75]

2001 NB: 87 OG: 84 Historical: OG: 2,883 points, 29 victories and 13 rings NB: 2,123 points, 13 victories and 11 rings.

News flash: the Knicks were good and the Nets were bad. The Knicks finished 3rd in the Atlantic Division at 48-34, better than 18 teams while the Nets were 26-56 somehow better than 5 teams. The Knicks lost to the Raptors in the first round. OG: 19 NB: 5

The Devils won the 5 team Atlantic Division (48-19-12, 111 points) and were tied for the second-best record in what had become a 30-team league for 31 points and they got 15 more for getting back to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in a 7 game classic. The Rangers were fourth (33-43-5, 72) and the Islanders in last, (21-51-7, 52). They were better than 9 and nobody, respectively. NB: 51 OG: 28

The Yankees avoided a late-season melt-down and finished 95-65, winning the five team AL east by 12 ½ games. But the post season was full of challenges. In the quarter-finals they faced the Oakland Athletics who had started out 2-10 and were still only 35-40 on June 26th but who went 67-22, .753 after that. The 1998 Yankees were only .703. But the Bronx Bombers subdued them, 3 games to 2, winning the final three games to do it. It was game 3 when Derek Jeter made his famous play, running from shortstop to intercept a wild throw from the outfield along the first base line and re-directing it to Jorge Posada at home plate to tag Jason Giambi out at home to preserve the Yankee lead. It’s the greatest play I’ve ever seen: (1) Derek Jeter makes "The Flip" to nab Giambi at the plate in the 2001 ALDS - YouTube
Then they face a team that had tied the 1906 Cubs for the most victories in a regular season, the Seattle Mariners, who at 116-46, (.716) also had a better winning percentage than the Yankee’s great 1998 team. It was as if the 2001 Yankees had to beat the 1998 Yankees twice just to get into the World Series – and they did it, winning in 5 games. They faced the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks in the Series, who were a mere 92-70, (the same record as the 1996 Yankees). In 1960, the first year of this rivalry between the Old Guard and the New Breed, the Yankees had lost a series where they won three games by 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0 but lost four close games to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, 41 years later, the shoe was on the other foot. The D-Backs clobbered the Yankees 9-1 and 4-0 in the first two games, played in Arizona. The Yankees won three straight classics in New York, 2-1, 4-3 and 3-2. Then they went out to Arizona where the Snakes bit them with a 15-2 crusher. The final game was a close one but it was the home team that won 3-2 when Jeter played too far in and the D-Backs, slugger, Luis Gonzalez, who had hit 57 homers that year, blooped the ball over his head for the walk-off RBI. The Yankees had a better record than 27 teams, won a 5 team division and were runner-up in a 30 team league. That’s 46 points. The Mets struggled to an 82-80 record, better than 14 teams. OG: 74 NB: 65

The Giants slipped back 7-9, better than 10 teams and missed the playoffs. The Jets improved to 10-6 but were still 3rd in the AFC East, better than 20 teams. They made the playoffs and the Giants didn’t, although they lost to the Raiders in the first round, 24-38. Since the league was 32 teams, that got them 2 more points, for a total of 22. The New Breed won their first title since 1988 by the skin of their teeth, 87-84. Junior Squared was wondering if it was again time for a change of venue. Meanwhile another generation had shown up. Junior the third was beginning to watch the games. In which direction would he go?

 

[SWC75]

2002 NB: 119 OG: 75 Historical: OG: 2,958 points, 29 victories and 13 rings NB: 2,242 points, 14 victories and 11 rings.

Talk about a mirror image: The Nets turned into the Knicks and the Knicks turned into the Nets! The Nets won the 7 team Atlantic Division with a 52-20 record, better than 25 teams. The Knicks sank to last place with the opposite record, 30-52, better than 6 teams. The Knicks watched on TV as the Nets fought their way to the Finals, where were swept by the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. That was a haul of 45 points.

The Islanders also rose from the apparently dead, (the dormant?), going 42-28-8 (96 points) and landing in second place in the Atlantic Division, just above the Devils who were 41-28-9 (95). In fourth place were the Rangers 36-38-4 (80). The Rangers were better than 9 teams, the Devils better than 18 and the Islanders better than the Devils and two other 95 point teams. The Rangers watched both the Islanders and Devils lose in the first round – to Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes, respectively. NB: 86 OG: 15. That would be hard to beat. Junior Squared decided to root for the New Breed, with Junior Cubed in his lap.

The Yankees had their best regular season since the great 1998 team, going 103-58 and beating out the Red Sox by 10 ½ games. (The third-place team, the Blue James were 25 ½ games back. Hooray for 5 team divisions!). It was the best record in 30 team MLB. The Mets had fallen to last pace at 75-86, better than 11 teams. The Yankees were upset in the quarterfinals by the Wild Card Angels in four games, (thank you K-Rod!). That still got them an extra 3 points for a total of 36 points. NB: 97 OG: 51

The Jets slipped a notch to 9-7, which put them in a three-way tie for the AFC East title with the Patriots and Dolphins, just ahead of the 8-8 Bills. The Jets won the tiebreakers, giving them 3 points. They were better than 16 teams. The Giants topped that at 10-6, better than 23 teams but two games behind Donovan McNabb’s Eagles in the NFC East. They then found a way to blow a 38-14 lead at San Francisco and lost 38-39 in the first round for a net 24 total. The Jets destroyed Peyton Manning’s Colts 41-0 but just like the 2000 Giants, the magic was gone by the next game, when they lost to the Raiders 10-30 to wind up with 22 points. Final score: the New Breed 119 points, the Old Guard 75 points. Junior Squared was glad he’d switched back. Junior Cubed decided he’d root for all the New York area teams and be happy when any of them won. Whose kid was this?!?

 

[SWC75]

2003 NB: 131 OG: 65 Historical: OG: 3,023 points, 29 victories and 13 rings NB: 2,373 points, 15 victories and 12 rings

The Nets once again won the 7 team Atlantic Division, this time with a 49-33 record that topped 21 teams, and once again fourth their way to the NBA finals, only to lose, this time to the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games. The added up to 41 points. The Knicks got out of the cellar with a 37-45 record, better than 8 teams but they didn’t make the playoffs.

The Devils again won their 5 team Atlantic Division with a 46-20-10, (108 points) record that was3rd best in the 30 team NHL. They, too fought their way to the final but their won their third Stanley Cup over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 7 games. That’s good for 63 points. The Islander (35-34-11, 83) finished ahead of the Rangers, (32-36-10, 78) and 13 other teams. The Rangers were ahead of 10 of those teams. The Islanders made the playoffs and lost in the first round to the Ottawa Senators. New Breed: 118 points, Old Guard 18 points and ‘GAME OVER’!

The Yankees tried, going 101-61, tied for the best among the 30 MLB teams and the best record in the 5 team AL East, beating out the Red Sox by 6 games and again in the ALCS on Aaron Boone’s famous home run. But they lost to the upstart Florida Marlins in six games in the World Series. That’s 47 points. The Mets responded by finishing in last place again with a 66-95 record, which was better than 3 teams, including the 43-119 Tigers. NB: 121 OG: 65.

The Giants couldn’t do much about that, especially when they became one of four 4-12 teams in the NFL, all of whom were tied for the worst record in the league, which meant that they got no points. The Jets weren’t much better at 6-10, (better than 10 teams), but it didn’t much matter at that point. NB: 131 OG: 65. At least Great Grand Pop passed the 3,000-point mark.

 

[SWC75]

2004 NB: 100 OG: 65 Historical: OG: 3,088 points, 29 victories and 13 rings NB: 2,473 points, 16 victories and 12 rings

The Nets won their third straight Atlantic Division title with a mediocre record of 47-35, still better than 20 teams. The Knick improved slightly to 39-43, better than 12 teams the Nets then swept the Knicks in four games in the first round but lost to the eventual champion Pistons in seven games in the quarterfinals. NB: 29 OG: 13

The Devils, (43-25-12, 100 points), the Islanders (38-29-11, 91), and the Rangers (27-40-7, 69), finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Atlantic division of the NHL. They were better than 20, 14 and 5 teams, respectively. The Rangers watched on TV as the Islanders lost in the first round to Tampa Bay and the Devils to Philadelphia. NB: 65 OG: 18.

The Yankees rolled on to another great regular season, 101-61, the best record in MLB and won their 7th straight AL East pennant by 3 ½ games over those pesky (Pesky?) Red Sox. Then they beat the Twins 3-1 in the Divisional series and took a 3-0 lead in the ALCS, (game three was 19-8!). No baseball team had ever come back from that deficit and we were dealing with the Red Sox here, so you knew it was over. Except it wasn’t. Boston won four straight form the Yankees and four more straight from the Cardinals to win their first championship in 86 years, (and the first of 4 they’ve won since 2004, more than any other team). That gave the Yankees 40 points. The Mets were still in low gear at 71-91, although they crawled out of last place and were better than 8 teams. NB: 73 OG: 58.

The Jets and Giants were mirror images of each other this year: 10-6, (better than 23 teams) vs. 6-10, (better than 7). The Jets were a wild card and beat the Chargers 20-17 in the first round before losing to the Steelers by the same score in the quarterfinals. In a 32 team league, that got them 4 more points for a total of 27, making the final score New Breed 100 Old Guard 65, the fourth straight win for Junior and Junior Squared. The Old Man was pretty grump until Junior Cubed jumped in his lap and told him to be happy for all the victories each team had achieved.

 

[SWC75]

2005 OG: 65 NB: 32 Historical: OG: 3,153 points, 30 victories and 13 rings NB: 2,505 points, 16 victories and 12 rings

The Nets faded to third place with a 42-40 record, better than 12 teams. But the Knicks faded, too, to 33-49 and last place, better than 6 teams. The Nets got swept by the Heat in the first round. NB: 13 OG: 6

The labor troubles in the NHL got so bad that the entire season was canceled.

Both the Yankees and Red Sox finished 95-67 but the Yankees won the season’s series and the 5 team AL East. They were better than 25 teams. They lost in the quarterfinals to the Angels in 5 games. That’s 32 points. The Mets were starting to percolate again, improving to 83-79, which would have won the NL West but not, alas, the NL East. They didn’t get the wild card, either. They were better than 17 teams. OG: 38 NB:30.

The Giants went 11-5 and won the 4 team NFC East. They were better than 22 teams. The Jets sank to 4-12 and last place, better than 2 teams. The Giants got embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs by the Panthers, 0-23. But great grandpop could assuage the wound with the knowledge that the old Guard was back on top, 65-32, the first time they combined for less than 100 points in 14 years.

 

[SWC75]

2006 NB: 131 OG: 73 Historical: OG: 3,226 points, 30 victories and 13 rings NB: 2,636 points, 17 victories and 12 rings

The Nets returned to first place in the 5-team Atlantic Division with a 49-33 record, better than 23 teams. The Knicks returned to last place with a 23-59 record, better than the Trail Blazers, (21-61), but nobody else. The Nets beat the Pacers but lost to the eventual champion heat in five game sin the quarterfinals. That’s 30 points.

The NHL was back in business and the 5-team Atlantic division had a pip of a pennant race, (remember them?). The Flyers, (45-26-11) finished with 101 points, the Devils (46-27-9) with the same and the Rangers, (44-26-12) with 100. Of course, this being 21st century sports, they all made the playoffs so it didn’t matter who won. The Devils won the tie-breaker and thus four points in my system. They were also better than 24 teams, the Rangers better than 23 and the Islanders, (36-40-6, 78) better than 6. The Devils swept the Rangers in the first round but lost to the eventual champion Hurricanes in the quarters. That’s 31 points for the Devils and 24 for the Rangers. NB: 67 OG: 25

Both the Yankees and the Mets went 97-65, the best records in (30 team) MLB. Both won 5-team divisions. The Yankees got beat in the Division Series, (the quarterfinals). The Mets got beat, (in a 7 game classic) by the eventual champion Cardinals in the NLCS, (the semifinals). That gave the Mets the edge, 39-35. NB: 106 OG: 60.

The Jets finished 10-6, better than 24 teams, including the Giants, were 8-8 and better than 12 teams. Neither won a division but both made the playoffs and both lost in the first round, the Jets to the Patriots 16-37 and the Giants to the Eagles 20-23. Final score: New Breed: 131 OG: 73.

 

[SWC75]

2007 OG: 107 NB: 63 Historical: OG: 3,333 points, 31 victories and 14 rings NB: 2,699 points, 17 victories and 12 rings

The Nets sagged to second with a 41-41 record, better than 16 teams. The Knicks improved a bit to 33-49, which got them out of last place and was better than 7 teams. The Nets knocked off the 1st place Raptors in six games in the first round but lost to the Cavaliers by the same margin in the quarters. NB 19 OG 7.

The Devils, (49-24-9, 107 points), moved back into first place in the 5-team Atlantic Division, better than 21 teams. The Rangers (42-30-10, 94) were third and the Islanders, (40-30-12, 92) were right behind them. They were better than 15 and 13 teams, respectively. All of them made the playoffs. In the first round, the Islanders lost to the Sabres but the Devils beat the Lightning and the Rangers thrashed the Atlanta Thrashers in four games. Then they both lost in the quarters, to the Senators and Sabres, respectively. NB 42 OG 25

The Red Sox finally beat out the Yankees in the AL East, 96-66 bs. 94-68. But the Yankees were still better than 26 teams, including the entire National League. Unfortunately they lost to the Indians in the quarter-finals. That’s 29 points. The Mets were having a frustrating period during which they appeared to be the best team in the NL but fizzled at the end of each season until they weren’t any more. In 2006 they had the best record but got beat by the Cardinals in the playoffs. In 2007 they had a 7-game lead over the Phillies on September 12 but went a dismal 5-12 after that while the Phillies went 13-4. The next year they had a 3 ½ game lead on September 10th and went 7-11 while the Phillies went 13-3. The Mets missed the wild card by a game each year. Then, in 2009, they became the most injured team in baseball since the 1953 Cincinnati Reds with 20 guys on the DL for a total of 1,442 days. Many of those injuries were career-enders and they had to go back into a rebuilding mode again. But the 2007 version was at least better than 19 teams, which kept Junior and Junior 2 in the lead, 61-54. (Junior 3 is always in the lead.)

That left is up to the Giants and the Jets. The Jets weren’t up to the task, going 4-12, better than Just wo teams. The Giants didn’t look like they were going to do much when they started 0-2. But they rallied to 10-5 when they met the mighty Patriots, who were going for an undefeated season and taking no prisoners in the final game of the season. The Giants couldn’t catch the 13-3 Cowboys but had made the playoffs. There were suggestions they should just tank the Patriots game and rest their starters. They didn’t and fought their way to a stunning 28-16 third quarter lead. The Pats then took command with 22 unanswered points before the Giants made it close at the end 35-38. 10-6 was better than 21 teams. That battle gave them the confidence to beat the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers on the road by a combined 17 points. Then they pulled of the miracle win over the 18-0 Patriots, 17-14 for the NFL championship and also the year’s championship for the Old Guard, 107-63.

 

[SWC75]

2008 OG: 90 NB: 76 Historical: OG: 3,423 points, 32 victories and 14 rings NB: 2,775 points, 17 victories and 12 rings

The Nets, (34-48) and the Knicks, (23-59), were both on the down elevator, finishing 4th and 5th. They were better than 9 and 4 teams, respectively. Neither made the playoffs.

The Devils (46-29-7, 99) finished second to the Penguins, (102 points). The Rangers (42-27-13, 97) were third. The Islanders, (35-38-9, 79) were last. They were better than 24, 21 and 4 teams, respectively. The islanders didn’t make the playoffs but the Devils and Rangers met in the first round and the Rangers won in five games. Then they lost to the Penquins in the quarters, also in 5 games. That tied it up: NB 38, OG 38.

The Yankees slipped to 89-73 and 3rd place, better than 22 teams. But they missed the playoffs for the first time since the strike. The Mets were also 89-73 due to their latest collapse. They were thus better than the same 22 teams and also did not make the playoffs. We were still tied, 60-60.

The Giants broke the tie with a 12-4 record to the jets 9-7. The Giants won the 4 team NFC East while the Jets were 3rd in the AFC East. The Giants were better than 26 teams, the Jets 16. The Giants lost to the Eagles in the quarters, 11-23. Final score: OG 90 NB: 76. Great Grandpop let Junior Cubed snip off the end of his victory cigar while Junior Squared wondered which team he should be on.

 

[SWC75]

2009 OG: 103 NB: 67 Historical: OG: 3,526 points, 33 victories and 15 rings NB: 2,842 points, 17 victories and 12 rings

The Nets and the Knicks continued to stink, going 34-48 and 32-50, respectively. They were better than 9 and 7 teams. Neither made the playoffs.

The Devils returned to the top of the 5 team Atlantic Division, (51-27-4, 106 points). The Rangers were 4th, (43-30-9, 95) and the Islanders last, (26-47-9, 61). They were better than 25, 18 and 1 team, respectively. The Islanders watched both the Devils and Rangers go down in the first round to Carolina and Washington. The New Breed had 38 points, the Old Guard 28.

The Yankees remembered that they were the Yankees and rolled to the best regular season record in baseball, 103-59 and then through playoffs, sweeping the Twins and beating both the Angels and Phillies in six games. Winning the five team AL East added 4 more points for a crushing total of 63 than ended the year’s suspense, especially when the Mets became the most injured baseball team in 56 years and finished 70-92, better than only 5 teams. OG: 91 NB: 43.

The Jets and Giants didn’t much matter, going 9-7 and 8-8, better than 16 and 12 teams. The Jets made the playoffs and beat the Bengals 24-14 and the Chargers 17-14 before losing to the Colts 17-30 in the AFC title game. OG: 103 NB: 67.

 

[SWC75]

2010 NB: 71 OG: 68 Historical: OG: 3,594 points, 33 victories and 15 rings NB: 2,913 points, 18 victories and 12 rings

The Nets completely tanked, going 12-70, one of the worst records in NBA history and better than nobody, although the 15-67 Timberwolves gave them a run for their lottery. The Knicks were still just conventionally bad at 29-53, better than 7 teams. Neither made the playoffs so it was 7-0 with the ‘extra point’.

The Devils’ dynasty continued with another championship of the 5 team Atlantic Division with a 48-27-7, 103 points record, better than 24 teams. The Rangers, (38-33-11, 87) and Islanders, 34-37-11, 79) were fourth and fifth, better than 9 and 3 teams in a well-balanced league. Only the Devils made the playoffs and they lost in the first round in 5 games to the third place Flyers. NB: 32 OG: 16.

The Yankees were still a strong 95-67 but lost out to the Rays by a game. They were better than the rest of the American League and all but the Phillies in the National league and again swept the poor Twins in the playoffs before losing the ALCS to the Rangers in six games. That’s 33 points. The Mets could only respond with a 79-83 record for 4th place better than 6 teams. OG: 49 NB: 38

Both the Jets and the Giants were good, a rare occurrence. The Jets were 11-5, the Giants 10-6 and both in second place. The Jets were better than 25 teams and the Giants better than 19. But the Jets made the playoffs and the Giants didn’t. Gan green knocked off the Colts 17-16 and upset the 14-2 Patriots 28-21 before losing to the Steelers in the AFC championship game. That gave them 8 more points for 33 and the New Breed a victory by the marrow margin of 71-68.

 

[SWC75]

2011 OG: 117 NB: 37 Historical: OG: 3,711 points, 34 victories and 16 rings NB: 2,950 points, 18 victories and 12 rings

Both the Knicks and the Nets improved. In the Nets’ case it was from hopeless (12-70) to terrible, (24-58) but at least they were better than somebody – 5 teams, in fact. The Knicks went from 29-53 to 42-40, better than 16 teams. They made the playoffs but got swept by the Celtics in the first round for 17 points.

The Devils had their first losing season in 20 years. All three New York area teams were also-rans: The Rangers third at 44-33-5 (93), better than 12 teams, the Devils in fourth, 38-39-5 (81), better than 6 teams and the Islanders in last, 30-39-3 (73), better than 3 teams. Only the Rangers made the playoffs and they lost in five games to the Capitols in the first round. OG: 30 NB:14.

The Yankees reclaimed the 5 team AL East at 97-65, the second-best record in baseball to that of the Phillies. But they lost in 5 games to the Tigers in the quarters, (the division series). That’s 31 points. The Mets spun their wheels at 77-85, better than 11 teams. OG: 61 NB: 25.

The Jets slipped to 8-8, better than 12 teams. The Giants topped that with 9-7, better than 21 teams and the only winning record in the 4 team NFC East. In the playoffs they pounded the Falcons, went to Green Bay to do the same to the 15-1 Packers, 37-20 and then beat 13-3 Patriots in the Super Bowl again, 21-17. Those 56 points settled the issue and then some. OG: 117 NB: 37. Junior Squared decided to rejoin the Old Man’s team.

 

[SWC75]

2012 OG: 106 NB: 60 Historical: OG: 3,817 points, 35 victories and 16 rings NB: 3,010 points, 18 victories and 12 rings

More labor troubles reduced the NBA season to 66 games, two thirds of which the Nets lost, (that’s 2/3 of the Nets games, not the leagues, although it might have seemed that way to Nets fans). They were back in last place, better than 5 teams, including the Charlotte Bobcats who were a scintillating 7-59. The Knicks were a solid 36-30, second to the Celtics but better than 15 teams. The Knicks lost in the first round to the Heat in 5 games. OG: 16, NB: 5

The Rangers powered their way to the top of powerful 5-team Atlantic Division, going 51-24-7, (109) to nose out the Penquins 51-25-6 (108). They were better than 27 teams. The Devils were fourth but with a record of 48-28-6 (102)! They were better than 21 teams. The Islanders were in last place but with a respectable 34-37-11 (78) record, pretty good considering that there were four teams ahead of them, (the Flyers being the other one) with over 100 points. But they were better than only three teams. Only one of 30 teams won less than 30 games and that was the Columbus Blue Jackets with 29. In the playoffs, the Rangers beat the Senators and Capitals and the Devils beat the Panthers and Flyers before the Devils beat the Rangers in a six-game conference final. They then lost to the LA Kings in a six game Stanley Cup final. It all added up to 39 points for the New Breed and 34 for the Old Guard, making the score coming out of the spring OG: 50 NB 44

The Yankees rolled on, going 95-67 and winning the five-team AL East for the 14th time in 19 years, (they’ve won it once since). They were better than everyone in the 14 team American league and 14 of the 16 National league teams. They beat the orioles in the Division Series but got swept by the Tigers in the ALCS for a score of 38 points. The Mets also rolled on, but with square wheels, going 74-88, better than 9 teams. OG: 88 NB: 53.

The Giants closed it out by topping the Jets, 9-7 to 6-10. Neither won their division or made the playoffs.
The Giants were better than 18 teams, the Jets better than 7. Final score: OG 106 NB: 60 At least the New Breed passed the 3,000 point mark.

 

[SWC75]

2013 OG: 69 NB: 64 Historical: OG: 3,886 points, 36 victories and 16 rings NB: 3,074 points, 18 victories and 12 rings

The Knicks rose to the top of the 5-team Atlantic Division for the first time in 19 years with a 54-28 mark, better than 23 teams. The now Brooklyn Nets rose to second at 49-33, better than 21 teams. The Nets lost to the Bulls in seven in the first round but the Knicks beat the Celtics in six, then lost to the Pacer in the same number of games. OG: 26 NB: 22

In another strike-shortened season, The Rangers finished second with a 26-18-4 (56) record, better than 16 teams. The Islanders were right behind then at 24-17-7 (55), better than 13. The Devils found themselves in an unaccustomed spot: last place, with a 19-19-10 (48) record, better than 7. The Islanders lost to the Penquins in the first round. The Rangers beat the Capitals but lost to the Bruins in the quarters. OG: 45 NB: 43.

The Yankees slipped into a tie for third, 85-77, better than 15 teams while the Mets languished at 74-88, which also put them in third, better than 8. The Playoffs went on without them. OG: 60 NB: 51.

The Jets beat out the Giants, 8-8 to 7-9, better than 13 and 9 teams respectively. They didn’t make the playoffs, either so the Old Guard held on to win for the fourth time in a row, 69-64, their lowest combined point total in 8 years.