Although it was an up-and-down season for Notre Dame, it still is worthy of competing for the national championship.
Although it was an up-and-down season for Notre Dame, it still is worthy of competing for the national championship. The NCAA Tournament will feature the Irish for the fifth consecutive time after the bracket was unveiled Sunday. However, the Irish (14-13-2) face a tall order after drawing second overall seed Boston College (17-5-1) in the first round. The teams will play in the Northeast Regional on Saturday in Albany, New York, and the winner will play either St. Cloud State or Boston University in the regional final the next day.
These schools did not play each other this past season as the Irish were confined to playing Big Ten opponents and Arizona State. Their last meetings took place early in the 2019-20 season, which resulted in two wins for the Eagles. That improved their all-time advantage in the series to 23-20-3. Prior to those games, the Irish had won four of the previous six in the series.
An injured bald eagle spotted by motorists on a New York highway is receiving care at a rehab facility thanks to the clever actions of a State Trooper.
A New York State Police Trooper is receiving praise after his resourceful rescue Thursday of an injured bald eagle on a busy highway.
Trooper Bryan Whalen, responding to a motorist’s call, arrived at the Blooming Grove location to find the eagle injured and unable to fly.
Traffic was kept at bay as Whalen plotted his strategy, which involved help from a nearby animal rescue group.
Trooper Bryan Whalen with injured bald eagle. Photo: New York State Police
The New York State Police explained what happened next via Facebook:
“Trooper Whalen was able to utilize his Division-issued jacket and a K9 Trooper’s bite sleeve to corral the eagle and safely put it into a kennel that was provided by the Warwick Valley Animal Rescue.
“The Eagle was then transferred to Officer Nicole Duchene from the Department of Environmental Conservation who transported the eagle to a Rehab Facility in New Paltz for further care.
”Job well done by Trooper Whalen!”
According to The Western Journal, the eagle was confirmed to be a 5-year-old male. The extent of his injuries was not known at the time of this post.
Plaques on either side of the entrance will celebrate this NY club’s recent addition to the National Register of Historic Places.
Quaker Ridge Golf Club has long been considered a landmark.
Now it’s official.
When a major clubhouse renovation is completed in the coming months, plaques on either side of the main entrance will celebrate the club’s recent addition to the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places.
“Our membership is extraordinarily proud,” club president Jeff Shapiro said. “We are honored to join the ranks of great golf clubs in the country that have achieved this honor, including Winged Foot, Baltustrol, Shinnecock, Merion, Oakmont and Augusta National.”
That’s exclusive company.
“I’m not sure any of us knew you could apply to be on this list,” said Jeff Golenbock, a Quaker Ridge member since 1978 and the club’s vice president. “In order to be considered for this, you have to have a great golf course, but they were equally interested in how the club was formed, the clubhouse and what is now the caddie house, which at one point was an school attended by African American kids in Scarsdale. I didn’t even know that history until we started this process.”
There are numerous sites around Westchester that have earned recognition from the National Register of Historic Places.
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside in Tarrytown, St. Paul’s Church in Mount Vernon, Playland Park in Rye, the John Jay Homestead in Katonah, Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton, Kykuit in Pocantico Hills, the Elephant Hotel in Somers, Thomas Paine Cottage in New Rochelle and the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow are just a few of the other sites on the list.
Inclusion often comes with tax benefits or preservation assistance, but not in this case. The goal was earning a place alongside the clubs that have been longstanding stewards of the game.
“We couldn’t be happier,” said Martin Davis, a noted golf historian and member at Quaker Ridge for 38 years. “It’s really just nice to get the recognition we believe the club deserves. You mention Winged Foot to a golfer and they go, ‘Wow.’ ”
The United States team race onto the 18th green to celebrate after their 17-3 victory over the Gtreat Britain and Ireland team during the final day singles matches in the 2018 Curtis Cup Match at Quaker Ridge Golf Club on June 10, 2018 in Scarsdale, New York. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
The clubs are situated across the street from each other.
“Quaker Ridge is in that same category,” added Davis, who’s been involved since Day 1 of the project along with general manager Bob Musich and former club president Marc Friedman. “We’ve always been very proud of the club and what we have and this kind of makes it official.”
The designation also provides a speed bump if the state proposes widening the Hutchinson River Parkway, which shares a boundary with the club.
“It does give them some protection against any federally-funded projects,” said Penny Watson, a principal at Watson & Henry, who helped Quaker Ridge and Winged Foot in New York and Baltusrol and Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey navigate the application and review process. “It doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but there would have to be an impact statement and possibly mitigation if it did happen.”
It’s an early work of A.W. Tillinghast, a prolific architect who ranks among the pillars of the Golden Age. He is also responsible for Winged Foot East and West, Baltusrol Upper and Lower and Ridgewood.
Tillinghast was originally commissioned to redesign seven existing holes and build 11 new holes that opened for play in 1918. He was back a decade later after Quaker Ridge acquired more land and wanted to redesign the opening holes.
“Quaker Ridge was Tillinghast’s first great golf course,” Davis said. “The first important decision our first president, William Rice Hochster, and the board was hiring this up-and-coming architect from Philadelphia. The course you see today is exactly what Tillinghast left except for a little bit of length.”
Robert Trent Jones and Rees Jones were brought in over the years to make some modifications, but a sympathetic restoration by Gil Hanse that was completed in 2008 brought most of the original design elements back into play.
“From 80 yards in, the course is exactly how Tillinghast left it,” Davis said.
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Quaker Ridge resisted changes a decade ago when a litigious neighbor along the second hole sued, complaining of constant golf ball incursions. A number of expensive modifications were made to a shared tree line before the club prevailed in a lengthy court battle.
The course is currently No. 39 on GOLF’S latest ranking of top 100 courses in the U.S.
Unlike many of the other courses on the national register, Quaker Ridge is rarely in the national spotlight. The others have hosted major championships.
“I’m not sure there was a lot of interest early on,” Davis said. “We don’t have the property needed to host these events. We’ve always had local tournaments. In 1936 we hosted the Met Open and that was Byron Nelson’s very first tournament victory. In those days, the Met Open was without question the fourth most important tournament in the country along with the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Western Open.”
Quaker Ridge did host the Walker Cup in 1997 and the Curtis Cup in 2018.
The founding members were wealthy Jewish men of German descent whose applications for membership at other golf clubs were rejected. Their efforts to push back against patterns of anti-Semitism by matching elite Gentiles’ clubs in terms of excellence and status are recognized in the national register application.
Ely Jacques Kahn, the architect behind several Manhattan landmark buildings, was hired to design the simple Tudor clubhouse, which is currently under renovation.
“We took great pains to ensure it will look exactly like the old clubhouse,” Golenbock said. “It mimics the original design. Everything will look like it did in the 1920s in terms of the architecture, which kind of brings everything together.”
The caddie house, which sits near the main gate, also has a local history.
Team captain for the United States A. Downing Gray, center, celebrates after the U.S. defeated Great Britain/Ireland 18-6 to win amateur golf’s Walker Cup Sunday, Aug. 10, 1997, at the Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. Joining Gray are players John Harris, left, whose win gave the U.S. the deciding point and Jerry Courville.
According to the application, it was built in 1901 and was known as the Scarsdale Free School District No. 2. The building was later expanded to include four classrooms. It operated as an integrated school through World War II and became property of the club after it was no longer needed.
Several members past and present began their educations in that space.
When the local population grew, Quaker Ridge sold the school back to Scarsdale in 1952 for $25,000 with the provision that ownership reverts to the club when it was no longer needed. That happened in 1959 after the Quaker Ridge School was built.
Mike Dougherty covers golf for The Journal News/lohud.com, part of the USA Today Network. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com, or on Twitter @hoopsmbd, @lohudlacrosse, @lohudhoopsmbd and @lohudgolf.
Trump Organization vows to fight Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to end contract, another blow to President Donald Trump’s golf organization
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that the City of New York is taking steps to terminate the Trump Organization’s contract to run the city’s Ferry Point Golf Course – also known as Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point – as well as contracts to operate the Central Park Carousel and two skating rinks.
The decision came a week after a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol while a joint session of Congress prepared to formalize the 2020 election results favoring Joe Biden. Five people died in the assault on the Capitol, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Ferry Point opened in 2015 in the Bronx. Built on an old landfill, it ranks No. 2 in New York on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play state-by-state list for public-access layouts. The course sits near the Whitestone Bridge and offers views of Manhattan.
“The President incited a rebellion against the United States government that killed five people and threatened to derail the constitutional transfer of power,” de Blasio said in a statement announcing the city’s plan to cancel the contracts. “The City of New York will not be associated with those unforgivable acts in any shape, way or form, and we are immediately taking steps to terminate all Trump Organization contracts.”
The statement by the city said it could take several months to terminate the contract at Ferry Point. The other contracts can be ended sooner.
Eric Trump, the outgoing President’s son who has been part of management for Trump Organization after his father ascended to the Presidency in 2016, replied with a statement to several media outlets, including NBC News.
“Yet another example of Mayor de Blasio’s blatant disregard for the facts,” Eric Trump said. “The City of New York has no legal right to end our contracts, and if they elect to proceed, they will owe the Trump Organization over $30 million. This is nothing more than political discrimination, an attempt to infringe on the first amendment and we plan to fight vigorously.”
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Counting Ferry Point, Trump owns or operates 19 golf properties around the world, stretching from Scotland to Dubai. Twelve of those are in the U.S.
The mayor’s announcement wasn’t the first blow to the Trump Organization’s golf operations since the Jan. 6 riot. The PGA of America announced Sunday that it was removing the 2022 PGA Championship from Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, New York. The R&A, which governs the game in much of the world away from the United States, followed with a statement that Trump Turnberry in Scotland would not host the British Open any time soon.
The NYSPHSAA proposed Tuesday that high-risk winter high school sports be delayed until 2021.
With COVID-19 numbers in New York once again trending in the wrong direction, the NYSPHSAA proposed Tuesday that high-risk winter high school sports be delayed until 2021.
According to lohud.com, the NYSPHSAA’s updated return to play document suggests a Jan. 4 start date for high-risk winter high school sports, pending state approval. Low and moderate-risk winter high school sports are still expected to begin official practices on Nov. 30.
Guidelines issued by New York in July classify basketball, hockey, wrestling and competitive cheerleading as “high-risk” winter high school sports. The “low-risk” sports include bowling, gymnastics, skiing and swimming and diving. Those sports are allowed to begin competition once minimum practice requirements are met.
“The NYSPHSAA membership has expressed concerns pertaining to the increase in infection rates,” NYSPHSAA executive director Zayas said in a statement. “Minimizing risk and exposure to COVID-19 is a top priority of the association. We continue to make these types of decisions based upon readily available information and communication with state officials.”
Until New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes an official ruling on the NYSPHSAA’s proposed Jan. 4 start date for high-risk sports, nothing can move forward. The governor has yet to weigh in on the proposal.
“It’s the best possible case scenario,” Section 1 executive director Todd Santabarbara said of the Jan. 4 proposal for high-risk sports. “If we have authorization. That’s still the question.
“For those who started the fall (season), it has been extremely successful. If we get through our regional tournaments locally, we’ve been very fortunate. The reality is, the landscape is quickly changing. Schools are navigating it and understanding what it could mean if we go into the yellow or orange zone. That has shifted the focus back to keeping the doors open in schools.”
Individual sections would determine end dates for the winter season once it begins. Plans for a state championship tournament remain on course, but are subject to change. If high-risk winter sports do indeed begin on Jan. 4, that would allow for at least five or six weeks of regular-season competition, followed by a brief postseason tournament. Basketball, hockey and cheer squads must complete six practices before they are eligible to begin competition. Wrestling teams must complete a minimum of 10.
“I’m just keeping my head up and praying we have a season,” Ursuline girls basketball star and Notre Dame recruit Sonia Citron said. “With all of the uncertainty, I’m hoping that we do get to play on Jan. 4. I’m really looking forward to my senior season with Ursuline and being with my teammates again. I’m hoping that it happens and I’ll try to stay positive. All of my teammates are ready. We really want to play this season and right now I think we’re more excited than nervous to get on the court and continue from where we were last year.”
Former Minnesota Vikings guard Pat Elflein has reportedly moved on, getting claimed by the New York Jets.
Pat Elflein started his season as the starting right guard for the Vikings, but a lot can change in just a few months.
Elflein went down with an injury. Dru Samia originally filled in, but ended up going down with an injury. After that, the Vikings put Ezra Cleveland in that spot.
With Cleveland well adjusted to his starting role, the Vikings ended up waiving Elflein. Now, Elflein is a member of the Jets. New York claimed him off the waiver wire, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Elflein was pretty inconsistent in his time with the Vikings, especially after he switched from center to guard. In his one game this year, he looked decent against the Packers.
He has struggled with pass protection in the past, but is good at run blocking. He’s also a decent reserve to have, considering his ability to play both guard spots and center.
In a much needed victory, the Bills swept the Jets for the 2020 season. While New York put together a much better game plan this time around, it was not enough to keep the spunky Buffalo team down. The Bills now are 5-2 and move on to a much …
In a much needed victory, the Bills swept the Jets for the 2020 season. While New York put together a much better game plan this time around, it was not enough to keep the spunky Buffalo team down. The Bills now are 5-2 and move on to a much anticipated game against the New England Patriots.
The Jets led for the entire first half of the game, a surprising result for a team that hasn’t led much all year. Their offense finding some rhythm against the Bills defense. Frank Gore ripped off several big runs, and the Jets passing game looked relatively effective. That all changed in the second half however.
A testament to the Bills defense, which has mostly been a first half team this year, they stopped any momentum that Sam Darnold and the Jets offense had built. Combining that with effective offensive play, that couldn’t quite find the end zone, but moved the ball well enough for the Bills rookie kicker Tyler Bass to hit six field goals, and you have a gritty team victory.
While it wasn’t the world-beating Bills victory that we hoped to see, it was certainly a step in the right direction after two losses to great AFC contenders. There was a lot to build off of in this game, as the team pulls itself up by the bootstraps and heads toward their much tougher portion of the schedule.
Podcast hosts Matt and David take you through the Week 7 encounter between the Bills and Jets.
With the Buffalo Bills moving to 5-2 after a much needed, hard-fought victory, the Bills Wire Week 7 Player of the Game is kicker Tyler Bass.
Though he wasn’t perfect, Bass scored every point for the Bills against the New York Jets in the 18-10 win, making the most of long, yet unfinished drives. Bass was 6-for-8 overall kicking, with his long being a 53-yarder. He also hit from 46, 37, 29, and 40 yards.
A nice sign for the rookie was him bouncing back from a miss, not once, but twice. After his first attempt sailed wide, Bass made four-straight kicks. Upon missing his second, Bass nailed two more, including one that pretty much iced the game, putting the Bills up by eight late in the game.
The Bills will face off against the New England Patriots next week, and this was a good showing for Bass. In what might be a close game, Bass building some confidence ahead of Week 8’s meeting could prove to be even more crucial to the Bills.
The Bills and Jets are facing each other for the second time in 2020, and while it has only been seven weeks, so much has changed. The Jets are vastly different, losing running back Le’Veon Bell and many others. For the Bills, there’s a much different feeling, as the defense has shown it’s true colors.
As poor as the Jets are, this game shouldn’t be overlooked. Here are the keys to victory for both teams:
New York Jets
1. Rally behind Sam Darnold
Though he’s been out on injury over the last two weeks, the world is starting to see that Sam Darnold is a gamer, and the New York Jets franchise has let him down. His performance against the Denver Broncos, which didn’t yield a victory, but did involve Darnold breaking off a 46-yard touchdown run to get his team moving.
Despite the lack of weapons, Darnold moved the ball effectively in the second half against the Bills in Week 1, and despite some “questionable” injury designations on the Jets, Darnold may be able to move the ball against this Bills defense that is banged up and playing poorly.
Let Darnold loose, as best as he can be. Designated runs, albeit not being a rushing QB, might be a way to catch this Bills defense off guard. Short and mid-ranged passes to attack the linebackers work, too.
2. The “Old Man” can still go
When Bell went on injured reserve after the first Bills and Jets encounter, Frank Gore became the guy in their backfield. While he’s not close to what he once was, Gore can still break off runs when needed. More of a power runner than an elusive back.
Is the Jets’ offensive line bad? Absolutely, but so is the Bills rush defense. While he doesn’t have to be an every down back, Gore should be game planned as often as possible. Gore is averaging 3.3 yards per carry, and the Bills are giving up and average of 4.8 yards per rush. It’s quite obvious.
There might be a bit of revenge mentality as well, with Gore having played in Buffalo last year, and having opportunities taken from him as the team transitioned toward Devin Singletary. Gore’s a true pro, and that may be drastic, but, how sweet would it be to have a season high game against the team that dumped you for the new kid.
3. Be Aggressive on Defense
The Bills offense has gone against much tougher competition than the Jets since their first game, this team has done a good job of beating itself in recent weeks. Penalties, overthrows and general mistakes have had the Bills look night and day different from what they had in weeks one through four.
It’s a Gregg Williams defense, which is trained to be more physical then most. Aggressive play from a defensive front is enough to rattle Allen, and we’ve seen in recent weeks what that can do. It might be the most important key to giving this Jets team an opportunity to win.
Play disciplined and penalty free football, while being hard nosed and physical. The Bills offensive line woes should come into play here, and may be the best opportunity for a Jets defense to find success.
