Even though New York already has one of the biggest sports markets across the entire United States., 2021 could have been a better year. On the flip side, it also could have been worse as well. In 2022, New York sports organizations are looking to get back on top and win championships, continue making an economic impact, and keep being recognized for international sporting events. Here are five examples of New York teams trying to reclaim there status as tops in all of professional sports:
1. Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom Become Teammates
With the Mets recent free agency signing of Max Scherzer, people can now argue that they have the two best pitchers in all of Major League Baseball (the other being Jacob deGrom). Between these two pitchers, there are a total of five CY Young awards won between them. This is great news for the Mets as it will not only be a huge crowd draw, but it will undoubtedly put the Mets in contention to make the playoffs, and possibly make a push for the World Series. There may be some injury concerns about the two, but its evident sophomore owner Steve Cohen isn’t afraid to use his wallet, or take some much needed risk. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out but I’m definitely a fan of this move as I believe it will be very successful.
2. UBS Arena
UBS Arena is the brand new home to the New York Islanders that just opened in November of 2021, and so far has had complete success. The total cost to build this new arena was $1.1 Billion and took many months of hard work to complete. It has already been great for the Islanders as even though they aren’t having a great season, the new arena has been a huge crowd draw as fans want to see the brand new arena with their own eyes. UBS Arena will also not only be used for Islanders games, it will also be used for many concerts which is great for New York’s entertainment industry will help attract tourists from all over the world. UBS Arena currently seats 17,250 people. It’ll be interesting to see how the Islanders perform in their new arena, and how they use it for other entertainment purposes.
3. Is Daniel Jones Here To Stay?
The New York Giants have had a very disappointing season as they underperformed and didn’t meet expectations one bit. The Giants have a huge decision to make as they’ll have one of the top 10 picks in the NFL Draft, draft or trade for a new potential franchise Quarterback that fans would love, or stick with Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones makes around $6.4 million a yearn his 4 year contract with the Giants. This draft pick has a lot of meaning to the Giants as if they pick the right guy, it could help them get back into championship contention. If they continue to stick with Jones and he keeps performing the way he is and the team doesn’t improve around him, don’t expect much from the Giants in upcoming years then. It’ll be interesting to see what decision the Giants end up making and what player they decide to draft in the upcoming NFL Draft.
4. Yankees Keep Their Eyes On The Prize
The Yankees are already a stacked team who continue to look to continue to grow and look for their next big piece that will get them over the hump in 2022. Once the lockout is over, Yankees GM Brian Cashman says that he will not be afraid to spend from his wallet if the opportunity is there. The Yankees definitely have the money to big spenders in free agency as they have the third highest payroll in the league at $214 million. The Yankees need to extend Aaron Judges contract, decide on who the first basemen will be for the upcoming season, and try to get a shortstop. The Yankees will continue to attract fans from all over to attend games and will continue to get big name players to come play for them. Yankees fans have a lot to look forward to in 2022 as the team will continue to be a threat in the AL East and the rest of the league. It’ll be interesting to see what the Yankees do once the MLB lockout ends and if they can make that championship run once again.
5. Brooklyn Nets Team Success
As of right now, the Brooklyn Nets are favored to win the NBA championship and it’s not because of their offense, it’s because of their defense. The Nets currently have the 7th best defensive rating in the league which is very efficient. Yes, the offense is performing very well to, but the defense has been magnificent for the Nets this season. Kevin Durant is playing at an MVP level, James Harden has been playing like his usual self scoring the ball and facilitating, and this playoff run they will be going on once the regular season ends will draw in many fans from New York and all over and will help the Nets gain more team revenue and make them more known worldwide. On the flip side, the only concern for the Nets is that Kyrie Irving being unvaccinated may hurt them in long run, and with his $136 million contract, he has already missed a lot of the season due to injury and COVID-19 protocols. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out for the Nets and if their success can continue through the playoffs and if they can make that final jump and potentially win the NBA championship.
