Can it be? Seems like I wrote this yesterday:
I know the year 2023 is over. And if you are like me where did the year go? Regardless, the days and years are rapidly moving and sports continues or as I refer to as the world of fun and games. Seems like yesterday here at NYSportsday I provided a perspective of 2022. And then 2023 came and went.
And here we are again, goodbye 2024. Though this time there was a New York championship with the Liberty winning their first WNBA crown. The Yankees returned to the World Series, the Mets made an unexpected postseason run and won the Juan Soto free agent sweepstakes.
For the Giants and Jets, losing and nothing different. The Knicks and Rangers going in different directions as the year comes to an end, NYCFC and the Red Bulls provided some MLS postseason drama, Messi came to Yankee Stadium, St, John’s and coach Rick Pitino missed the NCAA Tournament and legendary coach Lou Carnesecca passed away.
So here is a brief perspective of New York sports 2024. I probably will miss something and of course thank you for reading all year. Thank you to the publicity personnel for allowing me access to the ballparks and venues. Here’s to a healthy and prosperous 2025, it seems like yesterday we were looking at what was to come with the year 2000.
Yankees and Mets: With Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the Yankees returned to the World Series for the first time since 2019. Judge won a second AL MVP with 58 home runs, 144 RBI, and a .458 on-base percentage, Soto with a career-high 41 home runs, they were a duo as good as [Mickey] Mantle and [Roger] Maris. Soto hit the dramatic Game 5 home run in the ALCS that ended a run for the Cleveland Guardians.
Though the end was a Yankees-Dodgers World Series that will be remembered with Games 1 and 5. Judge would have another nightmare postseason and Game 5 in the Bronx became a Yankees nightmare of errors. The Dodgers celebration on the field at Yankee Stadium would continue for hours.
The Yankees went home and asked, would Soto return to the Bronx? We got the answer earlier this month. Mets owner Steve Cohen ended any doubt that he would fail in pursuit of signing Soto when he gave him a record 15-year, $765 million contract. Perhaps we will never see this drama unfold again, probably, though a billion-dollar ballplayer is not out of the question.
Indeed, Soto was the NY baseball story. He crossed town and a rivalry with the Mets and Yankees gets more intense. Meanwhile, Pete Alonso and his re-signing with the Mets remains a question going into the new year. The Mets, though, had that unexpected run to the World Series and Alonso’s, ninth inning go-ahead home run in game 3 of the Wild Card series with Francisco Lindor’s grand slam in Game 4 of the National League Division series against the Brewers and Phillies, respectively.
Not to be bypassed, the Mets were 11 games below .500 in early June. They were expected to contend, but rookie manager Carlos Mendoza saw a team respond and pull off the unexpected with a 65-28 turnaround and NL wild-card berth. Grimace became a Citi Field icon and “OMG” was prevalent. Now with Soto in the lineup the Mets need the presence of Alonso.
Giants and Jets: Another disaster of two teams I don’t refer to as New York. They play on a gridiron across the Hudson River and Met Life was frequently referred to as the worst turf in the NFL according to opposing teams, the same lines I used last year. Aaron Rodgers days are numbered as the Jets need to build beyond him, their longest playoff drought for a team in sports continued and so did their dysfunction after firing head coach Robert Saleh in Week 5 and GM Joe Douglas six weeks later.
The Giants end another dismal year, and more likely not in position for the Number 1 NFL draft pick, remaining with the quarterback issue. Surely, changes are coming for both teams with the front office and coaching staffs.
Knicks and Nets: Jalen Brunson could be MVP of the league, perhaps most valuable for the Knicks. He was not to be denied in the Knicks postseason run, 39 points in six of their 13 playoff games. The Knicks beat the 76ers in a six-game first round series and took the Pacers to seven exciting games in the second round series. They head into the new year with the second best offense in the league, the trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony Towns are paying off so far and they could be destined for an NBA championship.
The Nets, though, are still trying to figure where is their direction? Struggling and no consistency to building something in Brooklyn.
Rangers and Islanders: My colleague Howie Karpin knows more about this, and avid reader Peter Tholke also about the decline of the Rangers. Something is not right at Madison Square Garden on the ice. Players traded during the season, a team that had promise and does not resemble a team making another run for the Stanley Cup.
And the Islanders, always playing second fiddle to the Rangers, can’t build momentum and so much resemble what happened when they ended another dismal season in April.
LIBERTY: Let there be Liberty and the WNBA has an original franchise as its champion. The Liberty can’t be denied, they are champions of a league that got a boost with their run. New York had their first major championship since NYCFC won the MLS Cup in 2021.
NYCFC: NYCFC had an unexpected run for another league cup, denied with a 2-0 loss to the Red Bulls in an MLS Eastern Conference playoff version of the Hudson River Derby at Citi Field. The Red Bulls lost in the MLS Cup finals to the Galaxy of Los Angeles. NYCFC coach Nick Cushing parted ways with the franchise, and NYCFC broke ground for their new all purpose soccer stadium across the street from Citi Field that’s scheduled to debut in 2027 and finally having a place they can call home.
College Hoops: St John’s got bypassed, they deserved an NCAA Tournament bid and were denied. Regardless. Rick Pitino and his Johnnies are on their way and can’t be denied in 2025. He has his team in position as Big East Conference play begins. The passing of icon coach Lou Carnesecca and a season in his memory at Carnesecca Arena.
Would like to see Fordham and the Rams make another run to an Atlantic-10 Conference championship. The Rams had a dismal 2004 in March, but off to a good beginning as conference play begins.
Other Highlights: Another exciting US Tennis Open in Flushing and two Americans in the men’s semifinal, Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz…. A NYC Marathon with record crowds along the 26-mile route.
MMA-UFC at Madison Square Garden and heavyweight champion Jon Jones putting his name in the books as one of the all-time greats. Boxing at the Garden, once the Mecca for the sport is no more. Just a few in the adjacent Theatre, and young Puerto Rican superstar Xander Zayas continued his rise to title contention in the junior middleweight division. Also featherweight Bruce Carringtron (Brooklyn) showcased with Zayas and remained undefeated in nis quest to a championship.
Happy New Year and more to come in 2025.
Rich Mancuso: X (Formerly Twitter (@Ring786) Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
About the Author
Rich Mancuso
Rich Mancuso is a regular contributor at NY Sports Day, covering countless New York Mets, Yankees, and MLB teams along with some of the greatest boxing matches over the years. He is an award winning sports journalist and previously worked for The Associated Press, New York Daily News, Gannett, and BoxingInsider.com, in a career that spans almost 40 years.