Sport

Original Article Published on The JNS

The man who knows what it’s like to wait says he can’t wait for the post-COVID era, when he can return to getting to know the hockey players he has historically spent so much time with.

Legendary New York Rangers play-by-play sportscaster Sam Rosen is best known for his call in 1994 when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 54 years. New Yorkers can recite his call by heart: “The waiting is over—the New York Rangers are the Stanley Cup Champions! And this one will last a lifetime!” Yet this famous call is only one of many great moments in his 73 years thus far. The personable, knowledgeable Rosen recently spoke to JNS about his love and affection for the Rangers, sports, Judaism, coping during the coronavirus pandemic, and yes, his late mother.

Sam Rosen was born Samuel Rosenblum in 1947 in a DP camp in Ulm, Germany. His father left Poland just before the Nazi invasion in 1939 and escaped to Russia, where he worked as a tailor, sewing uniforms for the Russian army. Rosen’s brother, Stephen, five years Sam’s senior, was born in Russia in 1942.

The Rosen family immigrated to America in 1949, where young Sam quickly got his start playing and watching sports. “My father was a tailor and got into dry cleaning. My mother got us off to school and helped out in his store until 7 p.m. We lived in Boro Park, across from PS 160. Sports occupied our time. We’d go out in the mornings on Saturdays and Sundays, and over the summer and stay out all day—until our mother yelled for us to come in for dinner.” Rosen fondly recalls playing “all sports,” including stickball, punchball, baseball, softball and basketball. “It was a great way to avoid trouble and stay healthy,” he notes.

Rosen also went to Hebrew school in the neighborhood and had what he called a “fairly small” bar mitzvah, celebrated at a catering hall on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He says he is proud of his Jewish identity—visiting Israel several times, where he has relatives, and reporting that his children and grandchildren also attended Hebrew school and celebrated b’nai mitzvahs. He and his wife have attended New City Jewish Center in New City, N.Y., for years, affectionately recalling their late, longtime Rabbi Henry Sosland, who died in 2019. “He was a mainstay and a rock. It was sad to see him pass,” says Rosen.

As Rosen became more active in sports as a teenager, his attendance at religious school and synagogue dropped precipitately, saying “it became too much with high school baseball.” Rosen attended the prestigious Stuyvesant High School, where the catcher served as captain of the baseball team, ran track and played intramural basketball. He also played baseball at the City College of New York.

Sam Rosen was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame On June 8, 2008. Credit: MSG Network.

In addition to playing sports, Rosen began attending athletic events. His amazing recall for events that took place more than 60 years ago seems to reflect an encyclopedic knowledge and a deep love for all things sports. Rosen remembers attending various events at the old Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, including college basketball, NBA double-headers and Rangers games. “There would be a game at 6, and the Knicks would play at 8. We’d take the subway to MSG, get out at 49th Street and get in early when the doors opened at 4:30 to get a good seat—we’d run up the balcony!”

In those days, Rosen reports that hockey was played only on Wednesdays and Sundays. “I was a regular,” he says, looking back fondly on those days. “It was a different time. It was a great time!”

Even his Eastern European parents began to warm up to American sports. “My father became a baseball fan. He watched the Brooklyn Dodgers on TV. One time, we had an argument over curveballs. He said there is no such thing! He couldn’t understand.” The Rosen parents proudly attended Sam’s summer league and American Legion baseball games.

They even began to understand his broadcasting career—somewhat.

From an early age, Rosen taped himself doing play-by-play of Rangers games. Rosen, who still has a clear, booming voice, was the studio host on Rangers games from 1982 to 1984, and began doing play-by-play in 1984. He is known for his extensive knowledge of hockey and for his signature phrase: “It’s a power-play goal!” He reports that “my father understood my broadcasting career. He was proud of my work with Channel 8 in New Haven, Connecticut.” Rosen covered sports on the weekends.

He notes that his mother—not unlike many Jewish mothers at the time—encouraged him to go to law school. But he reminded her that he was “doing well in my MSG job, doing nicely.” He never did attend law school.

‘I miss sitting in the locker room’

While each season offers great moments and memories, Rosen acknowledges that “nothing beats taking part in the championship season.” He reflects on all of the highlights of that special season. “To have grown up following the Rangers and to see years of frustration until finally winning a championship season—54 years! To see it unfold at MSG with the building electric and literally shaking. To be part of it—the parade down the Canyon of Heroes and to City Hall for a huge celebration … ”

And he’s known some personal fame, too. On June 8, 2008, Rosen was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. On Nov. 14, 2016, Rosen was enshrined as the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winner for outstanding contributions as a broadcaster by the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The past two seasons, which have taken place during the pandemic, have been a bit frustrating as they have impacted Rosen’s ability to meet with the team and others in the sports world in person. “I remember when the season first got suspended on March 20,” recalls Rosen. “The team was in Denver, where we lost to them in overtime in an exciting time in front of a packed house. There were rumors that basketball was being suspended. When we got to the airport, we were either going to Phoenix to play in two days or back to New York; we went back to New York.”

The season was suspended, and Rosen and his wife spent March through the end of June in Florida during what he says was “a strange and unsettling time.” He returned to covering hockey on Aug. 1 last year as the Rangers competed in the first round of the NHL playoffs. He says he was more than happy to return to hockey this season “in our own arena and not in a bubble.” And while the schedule resuming in January was a relief, like so many others, he misses a full arena of fans.

He says he can’t wait for the post-COVID era, when he can return to getting to know and develop relationships with the hockey players he has historically spent so much time traveling and socializing with. “I miss sitting with them in the locker room, learning about a player growing up in Russia or Finland. I miss this part,” says Rosen. And while he hasn’t yet sat at length with Jewish Rangers player Adam Fox, he hopes to do so, noting that “Fox has become a star in his second season in the league. He is now a top player in the league.”

As far as Rosen goes, the septuagenarian has no plans to retire anytime soon. “I just love what I do—I still do as much as on my first day. And thank God, my health is still good!”

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Original Article Published on the JNS

When Israeli Guy Niv took his bar mitzvah trip with his father to watch the Tour de France, he never imagined that he would be back 13 years later as a rider. Niv, who is now with Team Israel Start-Up Nation (ISN), is the first Israeli to complete the most well-known cycling race in the world. He recently joined the team in Girona, Spain, for a training camp and returned soon after to Israel just before Ben-Gurion International Airport shut down for a week due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Niv, who started riding as a hobby at age 10, hopes to inspire young children’s interest in biking. Despite some uncertainty about the upcoming racing season due to COVID-19, he notes, “I am really excited for the new season and to see new faces, including big names, and to work with and learn from them. My motivation is very high.”

As for his participation in general, “it was a dream come true,” he says, keeping it all in perspective. “At the end of the day, it is a bike ride. It doesn’t change who you are and what you give to the world.”

Team Israel Start-Up Nation will compete at the World Tour level—the highest level of professional cycling—for just the second season. The team recently signed four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, who is currently completing rehabilitation from a serious bike injury in California. Froome, 35 a Kenyan-born British cyclist, made clear in a recent virtual press conference that he is very committed to the team and to Israel.

Guy Niv. Credit: Bettini Photo.

As he reports, “This is very much a long-term commitment for me. I have committed to the end of my career. I’m in to give everything I can to help the team in every way possible, as well as improve myself and get back to the top.”

Froome will now be teammates with fellow star-rider Dan Martin, who finished fourth overall in the 2020 Vuelta a Espana (one of cycling’s three Grand Tours, alongside the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia). Martin notes that he is pleased to be riding with Froome, saying “I am happy to see how the team has been strengthened; it gives me confidence. I know how much I can learn from Chris and the others. We can become a stronger team together. It’s a team effort.”

‘True sportsmanship and determination’

The team owes much of its success to the dedication and passion of team co-owner, Canadian-Israeli billionaire, Sylvan Adams. An avid and accomplished biker who won the 2017 World Masters Championship in Manchester, England, he is co-owner of the Israel Cycling Academy, and the visionary and funder behind the Sylvan Adams Velodrome—the first velodrome in Israel and the Middle East.

The velodrome, a cycle-racing track and a Tel Aviv architectural wonder located near the Hadar Yosef Athletic Stadium, was inaugurated in 2018. That happened just before Israel hosted the 101st Giro d’Italia bike race—the first time it ever took place outside of Europe. Adams reportedly donated $80 million for the race, in which 175 people cycled throughout Israel, including the final leg from Beersheva to Eilat.

Adams, who made aliyah five years ago from Montreal, has been at the forefront of showcasing Israel in a positive light in front of an international audience. In addition to bringing the Giro D’Italia to Israel, Adams brought soccer superstar Lionel Messi, and the national teams of Argentina and Uruguay, to Israel in November 2019 for a friendly soccer exhibition. Adams is proud of Israel and practical, always leveraging the popularity of these high-profile visitors to Israel and the extensive TV viewership around these events. “Messi has 230 million followers on social media,” notes Adams.

Chris Froome and Sylvan Adams. Credit: Brian Hodes/Velo Images.

In 2018, Adams donated $5 million to SpaceIL, the nonprofit that nearly landed the first Israeli spacecraft (“Beresheet”) on the moon. And in 2019, he helped bring Madonna to Israel to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest, noting that she has “300 million music fans.”

Adams likes to say that he is engaged in “diplomacy, not politics.”

He adds, “The camera doesn’t lie. We are reaching out to show the true face of Israel.”

While his generosity is seen across many projects that promote Israel, cycling remains his true passion. And he feels strongly that Israel Start-Up Nation is “not just a cycling team, but a mission.”

In fact, he sees ISN as “the only team in the world which is the Team of the Jewish people.”

Adams adds that the project has two goals—promoting cycling in Israel and “promoting the home country.” As he elaborates, “we are representing our home country around the world with true sportsmanship and determination.”

‘We respect our cultural traditions’

The team members, who come from all over the world and are mainly not Jewish, serve as ambassadors for Israel. Adams strives to bring team members to see Israel, though this year’s January training camp was relocated to Spain due to the pandemic and travel restrictions.

Froome looks forward to his next visit to Israel. “My only experience with Israel was at the Giro d’Italia 2018, and that blew me away. It was not at all what I expected.”

When team members come to Israel, they travel to such important sites as Jerusalem’s Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Yad Vashem and the bars, restaurants and beaches of Tel Aviv. “We let them see Israel, we don’t preach,” says Adams, who is confident that cyclists will speak accurately and positively about Israel as they are interviewed by media around the world.

The riders even get a taste of Israel and Jewish culture on the road; Adams takes pride in having team Shabbat dinners all around the world. “At our training camps, we do Kiddush in front of the whole team. This is in our DNA. We respect our cultural traditions. Even at the Tour de France, Guy made Kiddush, as we have as a people for 3,000 years.”

Team Israel Start-Up Nation training in Spain. Credit: Noa Arnon.

When Canadian rider, Guillaume Boivin, told family and friends in 2015 that he was planning to visit Israel, they were nervous. “I was struck by how welcoming and comfortable it was,” reports Boivan, the first rider recruited by Adams. “Tel Aviv is a fantastic city, and everyone was willing to help.”

Boivin continues to be an ambassador for Israel and hopes that his teammates will have the same experience he has had. “I think everyone should witness Israel—not just hear stories—and experience what the team means to the owners and creators.”

Adams hopes to bring new team members to Israel in the next few weeks before traveling to Dubai for the seven-day United Emirates Tour bike race from Feb. 21-27. If the pandemic cooperates, then Froome will make his debut there—in the United Arab Emirates following the recent signing of the Abraham Accords with Israel—on the world stage representing the Blue and White.

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Original Article published on the Jewish News Syndicate

Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks started Wednesday’s pre-game media session with great news for Israel’s Deni Avdija. The 6-foot-9-inch Israeli forward, drafted No. 9 by the Wizards in the recent NBA draft, would be in the starting lineup in the Wizards’ first regular-season game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Deni has done a great job throughout camp. He has shown us a lot,” said Brooks. “I know he is only 19, but he plays with a passion and determination that I like. I like his toughness. It wasn’t a given. He really earned it.”

Avdija was likely a mix of energy and excitement before the game, telling his coach that “it doesn’t seem like a regular game with no fans.” Unlike last season, which took place in the NBA bubble in Florida, teams will play this season in arenas across the country, mostly without a live audience.

Avdija saw a lot of action in his NBA debut. He played 28 minutes and hit two three-point shots for a total of seven points and four rebounds, and made many passes to teammates in his NBA debut. The Wizards held on to a narrow lead throughout most of the game, but the nail-biter turned sour for them. The game was tied at 103 with 1:28 left. Even three-point-shot master Avdija couldn’t turn the game around when he entered for the final time with 42 seconds left on the clock. The Sixers closed out the season opener 113-107.

Brooks was disappointed with the loss though thrilled with Avdija’s performance. “We slipped up in the fourth quarter and gave up 40 points. We turned the ball over so many times—20 turnovers are a lot.” But he’s quick to point out about his rookie, “I thought he was fantastic,” despite some nervousness. “There were some butterflies. He cares, he is passionate, and he wants to do good. I think he played well. He makes winning plays and he cares about winning.”

Avdija denied the butterflies, reporting he “didn’t have any nerves. It is great playing in my first NBA game, regardless of the loss. To complete is a dream come true.”

He told media in a post-game press conference: “I am glad I came from Israel and the whole country is behind me.” He also thanked Israeli fans for staying up until the middle of the night to watch the game, and in Hebrew said, “Thank you, I love you!”

Avdija is already beloved by his teammates; stars Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal have taken him under their wings. Brooks reports, “Brad and Russell coach him a lot.”

And they certainly seem happy with what they see. Westbrook told reporters that “Deni’s going to be good. My job is to constantly stay on him and challenge him to be great!” Beal has reassured Avdija that he will have “good, bad and in-between games,” before adding, “I like his competitive spirit. He doesn’t back down.”

Avdija on the court, December 2020. Credit: Courtesy of the Washington Wizards.

‘Opportunity to give back to the community’

Westbrook is also looking after Avdija’s education off the court. Avdija, who has a Jewish mother and a Muslim father, spent this past Monday after team practice delivering Christmas presents in the local community. Brooks playfully told reporters how Westbrook told Avdija and fellow rookie Cassius Winston: “Take a shower, and let’s go! You guys are coming with me.”

Westbrook notes that “when you get in this league, you need to understand how the community supports the team and how important it is to be able to give back in the difficult times we are in. They are rookies, so it is their first round of community events. I wanted to make sure they had an opportunity to do something and give back to the community.”

Coach Scott Brooks during a Washington Wizards game versus the Charlotte Hornets, Dec. 14, 2016. Credit: Keith Allison/Flickr via Wikimedia Commons.

Avdija spoke with reporters in a car while en route to deliver Christmas presents. He spoke candidly about his time in D.C., as well as his teammates. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, coupled with his personality, has made it difficult to experience his new hometown.

“I am not a party guy and am not going out a lot, but I enjoy having fun,” he relates. “I’m not experiencing it much right now because of COVID. The city is kind of closed. Hopefully, things will go back to normal.”

Still, Avdija is finding ways to experience American culture nonetheless. His first meal in the United States was at Chipotle, and in a playful series of Tweets, the Wizards acknowledged, “Yes, Deni was on Chick-fil-A duty,” purchasing food for his teammates. He is also getting practice driving, though he admits to not yet feeling confident behind the wheel.

And he’s enjoying getting to know his teammates. “Everybody’s good with me,” he says, a bit reluctant to name players he is closest to. When pressed, he added, “I can say two guys came from the same situation as me, Cassius Winston and Anthony Gill. Cassius came from college, and Anthony came from Europe. We need to be there for each other and support each other. I think we’re going to be great friends throughout the season.”

Avdija has so far sung “Happy Birthday” in Hebrew to a teammate and publicly lit Hanukkah candles. He acknowledges “talking a lot about the great things about Israel,” though feels he hasn’t yet “brought my culture” to the fore. He says he hopes to share “food, songs and habits” of Israel with his teammates soon.

For now, the hardworking player will return to practice. As he told Brooks and Westbrook before the recent Christmas event, “I have things to do. I want to do more shooting!”

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Original Article Published On The Jerusalem Post

After early US Open ouster, 24-year-old outspoken New Yorker gives feedback on tournament organizers and players’ mental health in these crazy times

Being successful as a professional tennis player requires natural ability, dedication and hard work. Making it during a global pandemic while also exposing injustices in “the system” and bringing attention to the mental health issues of fellow players requires you to be Noah Rubin.

Rubin, only 24 years old but wise beyond his years, is no stranger to the US Open and to advocacy.

A proud Jew, Rubin – No. 228 in the world in singles and No. 703 in doubles – was eliminated with partner Ernesto Escobedo in the first round of the men’s doubles tournament at the recently completed, spectator-less US Open, held in New York City. Their match vs Israel-born Denis Shapovalov and Rohan Bopanna was suspended due to rain and continued the next day, when Rubin and Escobedo lost 6-2, 6-4.

This was Long Island-native Rubin’s seventh trip to the US Open since competing in his first qualifiers in 2013. Rubin spent the days leading up to his first-round defeat with all other players and tournament personnel at the Garden City Hotel. He said ironically, “I live nine minutes away. It was a strange situation.”

Rubin spoke with The Jerusalem Post about his experience in the US Open “bubble,” gave suggestions for improving pro tennis, and reflected on his popular “Behind The Racquet” project.

The United States Tennis Association took great pains to assure the Grand Slam tournament would be played this year. USTA CEO Mike Dowse and US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster shared details of the safety plan at several press briefings.

“We really established some guiding principles at the beginning. The first one was could we do it in a healthy and safe way for everyone. That included the players, the staff, even the local community here in New York. The second guiding principle was is this good for the sport of tennis, will it reignite our industry in the broader tennis ecosystem. The third question is frankly did it make financial sense, that included for the players and for the USTA, again the broader tennis ecosystem. As we went through this journey starting in mid-March, we couldn’t say yes at all times against those three guiding principles. But ultimately on June 16 we said ‘yes’ with this formula we put together.”

Rubin and other players had mixed reviews of the plan and of the tennis bubble.

“At first, there were very few problems,” noted Rubin. “It was great. I gave them so much credit before the tournament – for how much work they put in.”

Rubin playfully noted that the players-only set up meant that players could wander the grounds freely.

“I didn’t see my third-grade teacher asking for tickets!

“It was great, [but] then there were issues that they handled poorly.”

Rubin spoke of the boredom.

“They had basketball [in the hotel] – it was fun shooting hoops – and they had mini golf, but there is only so much 9-hole mini golf you can play!”

Rubin reported spending some days “lying down in the middle of the park…not their fault.”

And he spoke of playing in front of empty stands.

“The thrill is with the fans, but I am used to not having people at my matches.”

Rubin began to witness problems after the first coronavirus case were detected.

“It didn’t seem they were ready.”

Rubin felt communication was poor and that rules were constantly changing.

“They didn’t really tell us everything. It seemed like they were hiding something. And there was a lack of consistency.”

Rubin was referring to a situation where French player Benoit Paire tested positive for the coronavirus on the Sunday before the US Open, though he was not showing symptoms. Paire, the No. 17 seed, was set to play Kamil Majchrzak of Poland in the first round and was forced to withdraw from the tournament.

“There was a lack of consistency. Top players were put on a pedestal.”

Rubin described it as “a fake bubble in a lot of ways,” with hotel staff going home, therefore coming in and out of the bubble. He also reports sharing the hotel with other guests not connected to the tournament.

“They got to the 10-yard line and dropped the ball a little bit. They did the hard parts really well. It was a good effort.”

Rubin is no stranger to speaking out on issues which he says as affecting professional tennis. He has spoken out on income inequality the sport, and started the “Behind the Racquet” website and podcast, where he allows professional tennis players to share personal stories of mental health issues and other struggles.

As Rubin wrote on the website: “From the beginning of my life there was nothing I loved more than chasing around that yellow ball.

Wherever it went, I followed. I could not always articulate the impact I wanted to make but I had this innate feeling that I needed to leave my mark on this sport. As I progressed through the levels, meeting and experiencing all there is to, I started understanding that there is a true disconnect between how spectators interpreted this field and what actually is the reality.

“The perceived glamorous, travesty-free lifestyle was far from what is actually taking place. The combination of this blinded misconception along with the antiquated mentalities of some at the top, running our sport, made me feel a responsibility to implore change.

“I have grand dreams to drastically evolve the sport we all love in order to prevent this continuous decline of fans. This is where ‘Behind The Racquet’ (BTR) plays a major role. I realized that this disconnect has arisen partially due to the lack of connection between potential fans and players. I started BTR to give players the platform to share their stories on their own terms, while also giving fans an opportunity to relate to a player on a deeper level.

“In doing so, I am also helping to fight the stigma of talking about mental health, especially in the world of professional sport. I truly dream that these stories, told by honest and bold people, inspire you to see deeper into who they truly are. Everyone has a story and it’s time to share yours.”

Despite the tennis tour being on hiatus until recently due to COVID-19, Rubin reported that “life is the most hectic it has ever been.”

While he hopes to play in the upcoming French Open in two weeks, he is devoting a great deal of time to “Behind the Racquet.”
“I have worked six years in six months,” exclaimed Rubin, who has built a team, collected 50 stories, and has a book and possible documentary on the horizon.

His mother, Melanie Siegel Rubin, is proud of all of Noah’s accomplishments.

“Noah has trained all his life to accomplish what he has on the court as a junior and professional tennis player. His dedication and determination are beyond admirable. In recent years, Noah’s off-court endeavors, through ‘Behind The Racquet,’ have taken my admiration of him to an even higher level. Noah giving other players an outlet to express themselves, resources to help themselves and a platform to reach so many, has surpassed what I could have dreamed for him. His work with NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness], North Shore Animal League and as a voice for change for his fellow players are just some of his undertakings that should be commended. I couldn’t be more proud of my boy.”

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