Sports this 'n' that

Basketball season is officially over in the home district.

The Albany Patroons dropped the North American Premier Basketball League championship series, 2 games to none, to fellow Continental Basketball Association alumnus Yakima, on Saturday night. We previously noted that one of the Patroons' current owners, Herb Ellis, doesn't believe the team will return in 2019, citing poor attendance at the ancient Washington Avenue Armory.

A solution would be, as much as the team's ownership is driven by nostalgia for the Pats' glory years of the 80's, to relocate the team down the hill to the Albany Capital Center. It didn't help that the Albany Times-Union stopped sending a reporter to cover home games due to the disorganization of press row, and that El Cheapo Media refused to send a reporter, citing the usual issues (manpower, financial constraints).

If the team doesn't return, Ellis will take the brunt of the heat for giving up too soon, but the reality is, sad to say, that Albany hoops fans are more into the college game these days (Siena, UAlbany, St. Rose), and that was the case a decade ago, too, when they tried to revive the CBA.
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Speaking of Siena, new men's basketball coach Jamion Christian has to rebuild his roster after some players chose to transfer out rather than play for a new coach, citing loyalty, in all probability, to former coach Jimmy Patsos.

Luckily, Christian, the former head man at Mount St. Mary's, has managed to sign a local talent who will stick close to home.

Sloan Seymour, who played his high school ball at Christian Brothers Academy and at Shaker, will play for Siena next season, this after Seymour had previously considered going the prep school route before starting his college career. At least he doesn't have too much further to travel, considering the close proximity of Siena's Loudonville campus to Shaker, located in Latham.
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The University at Albany's softball team won the America East title on Sunday, sweeping a double-dip from Massachusetts-Lowell. That's the good news. The bad? The Lady Danes will be fed to Pac 12 champ Oregon in the first round, meaning Albany is a #16 seed. The bias against mid-major programs rears its ugly head again, this time in softball. Will the NCAA never get it?

Meanwhile, the men's lacrosse team moves on the NCAA quarterfinals to play Denver after dispatching Richmond on Saturday. Would an NCAA title in any sport raise Albany's profile? Of course, but until the NCAA gets a clue about treating mid-majors with some respect in bigger sports (i.e. basketball, softball), they'll always treat the Albanys and Sienas of the world with little respect.
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In Section II, baseball, softball, & lacrosse will wrap up this week, with sectional tournaments to start at the end of the week. Unfortunately, rain is in the forecast for most of the week. Again.

Albany Academy wrapped up the Colonial Council baseball title on Friday by blanking Schalmont, 9-0, behind Ben Seiler, whose ERA is a major league worthy 0.31. The defending Class B champs are set to close the regular season with a non-league tilt vs. Shaker on Tuesday, but that game is not listed on the Colonial Council's website. By the way, the league website hasn't updated the standings to reflect Academy overtaking Ichabod Crane to win the title. That's no way to grow the fan base.

Meanwhile, Troy High's softball team is rolling toward the sectionals as they close today, seeking revenge on Burnt Hills for a non-league loss last month. Coach Sean Geisel's club has won five of their last six after beating Mohonasen on Friday. In sharp contrast, the baseball team dropped a 12-11 decision to Mohonasen, and 1st year coach Chris Strack would be well served to decline a sectional bid.

The Mighty Warriors' defense, however, appears to be on vacation, as Mohonasen came right back and beat Averill Park, 13-11, on Saturday. The defending Class A champs need to find their defense in time for sectionals. Otherwise, they won't repeat. Just sayin'.
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Ring of Honor Wrestling has been hit with an injury bug at just the wrong time.

First, current ROH champ Dalton Castle had to be pulled from the War of the Worlds tour, a joint promotion with New Japan Pro Wrestling, last week, due to what reportedly may be a fractured hand. Castle, a Rochester native known to local radio listeners from his days with WQBK-FM, was sent to the ring to make the announcement, but also stated he would not vacate the title.

Since then, former champ Jay Lethal was scratched from the last two shows on the tour (concussion), and they did an injury angle in Deerborn, Michigan, on Saturday with Adam "Hangman" Page, as his match vs. Damian "Punishment" Martinez never officially started. See, it's not just WWE that has injury issues.....
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It started as a gentlemen's wager between former ROH champ Cody Rhodes (who can't use the famous family name in ROH or anywhere else because WWE owns the trademark) and Dave Meltzer, editor/publisher of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Now, a self-funded independent show being mounted by Rhodes and the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) is definitely a go for Labor Day weekend in the Chicago area.

Tickets went on sale for the show, billed under the title, All In, went on sale Sunday, and sold out in 30 minutes. There are some complaints that scalpers & ticket brokers got their greedy hands on the better seats just so they could get their cut of the action. Anyone not think this will end up on PPV?