BRINGIN' THE PAIN...

In the days leading up to "The Game" between the NY Jets and the New England Patriots, it was the Jets, led by their affable coach, Rex Ryan who did all of the trash talking through the media; The Patriots, on the other hand, kept mum on their feelings on the game, choosing to do their talking on the field.  After it was all said and done, the Patriots' voice on the matter was heard.....loud and clear.

What the patrons at the bar and a nationwide television audience saw last night was a supreme ass-kicking by the New England Patriots. They held serve in their house and served notice to the Jets that they still are the team to beat in the East.  They brought the pain to the Jets in such a way that it was the WORST beating that the NY Jets suffered in over 25 years.  Watching the beatdown was brutal enough; I can only imagine what it must have felt like actually having to take such an ass-whuppin' on national TV.  The flustered look on the chatty Rex Ryan's puss after the game said it all.  His team got beat like they stole something.  There's no other way to put it.  New England dominated every facet of the game.  Hell, they even performed their pregame warmups better than the Jets.  Damn it was ugly, and Jet fans weren't happy about it.   Thankfully they were able to drown their sorrows over dollar mugs.  It made the bitter pill easier to swallow...

No time for the Jets to feel sorry for themselves as the MIAMI DOLPHINS roll into town this weekend. We had a full house for the first meeting between the two teams as the Jets pulled out a 31-23 win in Miami. The Dolfans NYC Club will be rooting for a win to help put a dent in the playoff hopes of the Jets and to keep the flicking flames of their own playoff hopes alive. 4:15pm start.

DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS tonight with $1 Bud/Bud Light mugs all night long!  Jimmy V Classic at MSG, featuring Memphis vs Kansas, followed by Michigan State vs Syracuse. Plenty of NHL action on tap as well, with games kicking off at 7pm!  Check the bar for the TV schedule.  

That's It.  That's All I Got.  

NY JETS vs NEW ENGLAND PATS SHOWDOWN...

The phone's been ringing off the hook all weekend for tonight's HUGE game and understandably so.  The two top teams in the AFC and heated rivals play each other in New England tonight with more than just bragging rights on the line...

Much of the conversation around the bartaps this weekend revolved around the big game tonight. For New Yorkers, it's a chance to watch their beloved Jets take out the dreaded enemy once and for all with a win and a season sweep. For Patriots fans, it's an opportunity to exact some revenge for the loss they suffered back in September. I am expecting plenty of patrons donning jerseys of both teams tonight and of course, there is sure to be some good-natured ribbing from both factions. With all of the focus on this game, I only hope that the actual game lives up to its hype.  With not only bragging rights on the line, but also the AFC East lead and current top seed in the AFC, this game is sure to be an intense chess match.

As a Browns fan, this game means nothing to me so I'm going to give my unbiased prediction here and say that the final score will be (and it's just a gut feeling)......

NEW ENGLAND 27  NEW YORK 21

PHOTO WEEKEND IN REVIEW...

It was a busy weekend at the bar; between all of the sports action on tap (NCAA football and hoops, English Premier Soccer, NHL hockey; NBA),  a surprise celebrity sighting (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Hillary Rhoda), a mini-brawl (over the jukebox of all things), and a great afternoon of NFL action.  Let's just say I'm a bit worn thin from all of the interaction.  But then again, that's what we're here for:  To bring you "Good, Pouring Fun"!

So that's that.  A whirlwind weekend coming to an end and a start of a new week.  A week filled with more sports, fun times and endless possibilities.  And with a hint of snow flurries today, could our first real snowfall finally hit us this week?  Stay tuned.

That's It.  That's All I Got.

The ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE at THIRD and LONG NYC!

T

This Saturday night, live on Spike TV!  No Cover Charge!

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE...

Last night was the much-ballyhooed return of LEBRON JAMES to Cleveland in his first game as a member of the Miami Heat.  There had been much hype over this event ever since "The King" left his hometown team over the summer under controversial circumstances.  And with December 2 being circled on sports fans' calendars all over the country, speculation leading up to last night's game was rampant. 

What kind of reception would LeBron get from Cavs fans and former teammates?  How would he respond to what would surely be a hostile environment?  We put the audio on the TV for the pre-game introduction to experience it for ourselves and as expected, when LeBron was introduced to the sold-out crowd at QuickenLoans Arena, the boos for him were intense.  But he seemed to handle it well.  If he was rattled by the cold reception, he certainly didn't show it.  To take things even further, he even did his signature powder-in-the-air move he always does at the scorer's table before every game, a gimmick he started during his days in Cleveland, much to the chagrin of Cavs fans.

And if anyone thought the onslaught of boos and chants would rattle the King's game, they got another thing coming as LeBron ended up playing his best game as a member of the Heat, serving up a staggering 38 points (10 more than the entire Cleveland starting lineup) to help his new team bury his old team, 118-90.   Trust me, the game wasn't even as close as the score indicates.  He even sat out the 4th quarter because the Heat had been so dominating.  So while this game was given so much attention, the game itself was anti-climatic.  It simply didn't live up to the hype.  The Cavs didn't have the guns to keep up with the "Big Three", thus making the game itself somewhat boring to watch.

What did we learn from the return visit of "The King"?  It's obvious that the Cavs are a shell of its former self without him and clearly have a long rebuilding process ahead of them.  And it's also clear that LeBron has moved on with his new life as a mercenary and it's now time for Cavs fans to do the same.

It's going to be a chilly weekend but as always, we'll be well-stocked with fun activities, plenty of sports action and great drink specials!  Check our website to see what's on tap and swing by if you're in the area!

That's It.  That's All I Got.

SURVIVING THE MONSOON...

The city got hit with some serious rain yesterday, causing all kinds of flooding and mayhem (we're talking about two inches of rain in a matter of hours).  This caused some concern for us;  Would this storm keep people from coming out for our weekly Trivia event at the bar? 

Luckily for us, the weather gods cooperated as the storm clouds cleared up by the time the evening rush hour took place and as a result, we ended up with a decent outing for a fun night of Pub Trivia.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Football (PHILADELPHIA vs HOUSTON, 8pm, NFL Network), THE RETURN OF THE KING (LeBron James return to Cleveland), plus NY Rangers vs Islanders tops a full slate of sports during our SPORTS 'n SUDS NIGHT ($4 Domestic Drafts, 5-10pm).  Should make for an interesting night.

That's It.  That's All I Got.

DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS HIGHLIGHTS...

Last night was another interesting edition of DOLLAR DRAFT MADNESS.  In recent weeks we've had an "eclectic" mix of people in for the cheap suds, ranging from your usual suit-types to more of a "bohemian blend" of folk.  This kind of mix often makes for great stories...

It was also the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony, which marks the unofficial start of holiday party season.  And sure enough, we had a few stragglers in for a nightcap after attending their office party.  Now I've long since given up Tuesday nights, so the fact that I'm actually working on this particular evening led to shock and awe for most folks.  But sometimes you're called into duty and you step up to the plate, which is what I did.  It turned out to be a good thing as I ended up getting reacquainted with an old friend from back in my Neptune Beach Club days (we're talking over 15 years ago here).  It was great chatting about old times and remarking about how the bar scene has changed over the years.  Time certainly waits for no one, that's for sure.

I had another former regular come in with some guy in tow and she's one of those people you rather forget.  First of all, she forgot my name.  No biggie as I forget names all the time.  However, while it's one thing to forget a name, it's another one entirely to call someone a totally different name.  In this case, she kept calling me Ray.  I don't know how I would be mistaken for anyone named Ray, nor do I look like a Ray.  In any case, instead of correcting her on her faux-pas, I decided to let her keep going with it.  It would be my source of entertainment.

So this young lady is telling butchered up stories about her past at the bar to this guy she's with and she's asking me for verification.  Now, if I really wanted to be honest, I could have easily talked about how much of a bar slag she was back in the day; But I figured I wouldn't blow up her spot in front of her male suitor.  Because I was in the truthful mood, this guy would have probably ran out of the bar before I could have finished a sentence.  Sometimes silence is golden.

In the meantime, the kids continue to do their thing, taking full advantage of the dollar mugs.  

During the course of the evening, I couldn't help but to wonder how many hook-ups have taken place over the years during Dollar Draft Madness?  More importantly, I often wondered how many people have met their significant other and gotten married as a result at Dollar Draft Madness?  We've been carrying this special pretty much since the doors opened back in '91-'92, so....  Hmmm...  If there are any of you out there who met your loved one at Third and Long during a random Dollar Draft Madness night, feel free to share your experience with us!  I, for one, would love to hear about it!

I did get a piece of good news during the night; I found out that I will be attending the NHL All-Star Weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina.  I'm pretty excited about that as All-Star Weekend is a pretty good time.  Time to start planning! 

Well, let me let the night run it's course.  At the very least, it saves me from having to post in the morning.   Don't forget about Pub Trivia tonight!


That's It.  That's All I Got.