Sports

NFL VETERAN LOVES LIVING IN LONG ISLAND CITY

September 13, 2014 by editor 7 Comments

Tony in his hometown — Tony in his new hometown

Come the end of summer, all eyes in America start to focus on the upcoming NFL season, or at least that is what the major networks are hoping. Long Island City is no exception, as the multi-region makeup of the neighborhood is exhibited by all the different jerseys sported here on Sundays in the Fall. Anyone who has lived in a tower for a few years, has heard the roar of another apartment in the middle of the afternoon (or evening), indicating a touchdown, interception, or big stop has occurred. So we thought it was a good time to check in with former NFL running back and fellow LIC resident, Tony Richardson, to get his perspective on the game and the upcoming season.

Tony spent a whopping 16 years in the league. As a fullback, he punched holes for the likes of Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Priest Holmes, and Marcus Allen. In addition, he played for Auburn during their undefeated season in 1993. Nowadays, the four-time Pro-Bowler calls Long Island City home. When I first met Tony earlier this year [Read more…] about NFL VETERAN LOVES LIVING IN LONG ISLAND CITY

U.S. SOCCER CRAZE HITS THE OVAL IN HUNTERS POINT SOUTH

July 21, 2014 by editor 1 Comment

Futbol by the light of the moon — Pelada, not futbol, by the light of the moon in Hunters Point South

In case you missed it, there is a soccer craze going on in the U.S. Since the opening rounds of the World Cup last month, the sport has finally caught on with the American public. While it has been gaining momentum with participants for about 30 years, the explosive viewership of the latest Cup has led to a huge interest in actually playing the game. Nowhere is this more indicative than [Read more…] about U.S. SOCCER CRAZE HITS THE OVAL IN HUNTERS POINT SOUTH

3×3 HOOPS TOURNEY COMING TO COURTS ON 48TH AVENUE

July 7, 2014 by editor Leave a Comment

Donuts, check. Gatorade, check. I'm ready for '40 minutes of hell' on the court. — Donuts, check. Gatorade, check. I’m ready for ’40 minutes of hell’ on the courts of LIC

Lace up your high-tops and practice your hook shot, a 3×3 basketball tournament is coming to the courts on 48th Avenue and it is open to all. It is being organized by the LIC YMCA and will take place on July 19 & 20.

Here are the details: [Read more…] about 3×3 HOOPS TOURNEY COMING TO COURTS ON 48TH AVENUE

LIC XMAS WISH LIST TO SANTA VAN BRAMER

December 2, 2013 by editor 21 Comments

Mayor Quimby: Order! Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Homer: Get to the money!
Mayor Quimby: In a moment. First, let’s review the minutes from our last meeting.
Apu: Get to the money!
Rev. Lovejoy: Get to the money!
Grampa Simpson: Get to the moneeey!
Mayor Quimby: Very well. We will now hear suggestions for the disbursement of the $2million.
Lisa Simpson: Don’t you mean $3million?
Mayor Quimby: Of course. How silly of me.

Tis the season for receivin’ …or requesting anyway. Thus I will publish my Long Island City wishlist for 2014, and address it to the most visible local politician I know, Jimmy Van Bramer. Whether it be a senior citizens singalong, a lost dog rally, or a food-cart opening, JVB’s ubiquitousness rivals only Mayor Quimby’s. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, there have been numerous important occasions where we could have used a little more presence from our national leaders, think Katrina and healthcare website breakdowns. So instead of Quimby, maybe we should be looking at James Brown, the hardest working man in showbiz, for a parallel. Or maybe I should be realistic and acknowledge that a single politician can’t fulfill all my requests. Here they are anyway:

1. Lights on QueensWest Field – LICtalk Math: your average person works from 9-5, gets home to their apartment at 5:30, and can be at the field by 5:45pm. The average sunset, over the course of the year, occurs at 6:30pm(click here for data), meaning the average usage by adults is ~45 minutes a day, M-F. By installing lights and keeping them on until 9pm, one could quadruple this usage! Yeah, I know, cut JVB some slack, QW Field is under a morass of different jurisdictions, but someone needs to get the ball rolling.

2. Crosswalks and Speed Bumps on Center Boulevard – I don’t know whose jurisdiction this falls under, but it seems tailor made for JVB. My only comment is the advice I would give his Chief of Staff: get out ahead on this topic, before a tragedy occurs. Traffic on Center Boulevard is completely unregulated, and the heavy transient use(taxi/livery cars/weekenders) combined with the otherwise carefree pedestrians is a recipe for disaster.

3. Quadras– organized soccer in Brazil is known as futebol. But the pickup variety, the kind played in the cities and the countryside, is called pelada. Big fields, like QueensWest and the new “Oval,” are certainly welcomed, but going forward practicality should play a role. As nice as organized games are, it’s pickup games where kids really learn soccer, and where adults can get the best workout and not be constrained to a strict schedule, nor the need to cobble 16-22 players together. Let’s take a page from another concrete-filled city, Sao Paolo, and create quadras. If pols are always looking for input from the community, here’s a forward looking idea that would greatly enhance utilization. Feel free to steal it.

4. Playgrounds for 6-12 year olds – this is a rehash from a year ago, but even more important today. Re-read the story and if you’re a parent with a child over 3 years old, feel free to spearhead a new advocacy campaign, because it’ll be a few years before the second leg of Hunters Point South Park is completed, but input is needed now! Once again, if pols are looking for input from the community, here’s a forward looking idea. Run with it.

That’s all for now, what’s on your LIC wishlist?

Pickup Soccer In Brazil Has an Allure All Its Own – “Romário, one of the greatest Brazilian scorers ever, played in the streets, too. So did Ronaldo. So did Rivaldo. ‘We just play whenever,’ Diego said.”

Are Playgrounds Too Safe? – “…if the child is 9 or 10 years old, he is likely fully bored by the swings, slides and climbing gear.”

Paragon Paint Building on Vernon Snapped Up for $16 Million – bye bye big ugly green monster

Protest Continues at 5Pointz – alright folks, time to get on w/ your lives

Volunteers At Shady Park Replant Their Beloved Trees – great news, now how about a park for those 5+?

Queens Hipster Neighborhoods Lucrative for Landlords – “two trendy Queens ZIP codes, beat out just one in Brooklyn on a list of 25 cash cows across the country where investors can get the highest yields on rentals.” What did I tell you just last week???

J-E-T-S IN L-I-C

October 25, 2013 by editor 7 Comments

Thanks to this news site, our town learned last year that many members of the New York Mets call Long Island City home during the season. Today, we here at LICtalk are proud to announce that we have another sports celebrity in our midst as well. Anthony Lynn, the running-backs coach for the New York Jets, has been living on Center Boulevard since he joined up with the team last year. In addition to being a coach for over a decade, Anthony spent seven years in the NFL as a player back in the 1990’s, which included being on the two Bronco Super Bowl-winning teams of 1997 and 1998. The night before the Jets leave for a huge game in Cincinnati, Anthony took time out from his hectic schedule for an interview with LICtalk.

Editor: So Anthony, why Long Island City?

Anthony: We looked at places in Manhattan, but the apartments were too small, and a Texas boy needs his space. So our broker told us to look out here. Well the apartments didn’t turn out to be that much bigger, but I was hooked on the million dollar view, and I loved the neighborhood.

E: How do you feel about making the dreaded two-river crossing out to Florham Park(NJ) every day?

A: During the season it’s not too bad, because I leave here at 5:30am every morning and get back between 10pm and midnight. So I usually bypass the rush-hours. In the off-season I have saner days, and as much as I hate the traffic, now that I’m here in LIC I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

E: What’s a typical day like?

A: It’s a mix of practice, player development, and most of all situational game playing. In fact, we only spend about four hours a day with the players.

E: How do you personally stay in shape?

A: I run on the treadmill at the practice facility. I would love to jog and play basketball, but my legs can’t take it.

E: A lot of attention has been paid recently to helmet-to helmet hits and how they’ve affected ex-players mentally. How about the effects on the rest of the body, you as a former running-back would have received the brunt of those type of hits.

A: Oh yeah, I’ve broken my knees several times, and my ankle too. My body has been beat up and I know it. In the next decade or two I’ll definitely be getting a knee replacement.

E: The trade-off is that you’ve experienced, and won, two Super Bowls. While my well-preserved body has a lifetime .500 average in touch football. What was it like to go to the Superbowl?

A: I can’t remember a thing from the first one. It was the culmination of my life’s dream, and I was on cloud nine. The second time, the Broncos were expected to win, and it had more of a regular season game type feel, which is still pretty intense.

E: What does your wife do?

A: Stacey is a newscaster on News12 Long Island. She goes by the name Stacey Bell professionally.

E: Where do you like to hang out in Long Island City?

A: Shi is like Cheers to me, I know all the regulars. We also like to eat at Cranky’s and Manducati’s Rustica.

E: Finally, do you read LICtalk weekly, daily, or hourly?

A: Why I read LICtalk twice a week, as soon as it hits my email. Plus it’s on my twitter feed.

E: Two times a week, two Super Bowls. Coincidence, I think not. Thank you Anthony.

New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Sunday, October 27, 4:05 PM (ET) on CBS

LIC Flea’s Final Weekend This Season – one mo’ time

Judge Urges Artists to Talk to Owners on 5Pointz Plan – basically tells them their lawsuit doesn’t carry water

The Strange Science of Creating a Perfect Bar – NYT rates Dutch Kills the best cocktail bar in NYC

Get Butchered: Butchering Class at Alobar This Sunday – butcher whole hog, consume it, wash down w/ beer. This Sunday 4pm at Alobar

Map Says Men Like LIC, Women Like Brooklyn Heights – where do they come up w/ this stuff?