Thank you Bobby Nystrom

Well since we are live here I might as well give you a little background on myself and how I became a fan of the New York Rangers.

I grew up in Queens, New York, which if you are not from the area is generally considered Islanders country and I was no different. I was just getting into sports around the time the early 80’s teams were dominating the NHL, so being an Isles fan was pretty much a given.

That is until the Summer of 1983.

You see, that summer Isles great Bobby Nystrom was having an autograph signing at a sporting goods shop near my house and I, as an eight year old, was all pumped up to go.

For whatever reason I wore a NY Jets jersey, Freeman McNeil’s 24, to be exact. Well I am waiting in line to meet the great Nystrom and once I get up there he makes a crack about the Jets. Something about me having awful taste in football teams.

I don’t know if he was joking, but I remember thinking, who is this clown to knock the Jets? It is amazing what sticks with you, but ever since that day I cannot even stand the site of Nystrom.

More importantly, however,  from that day  forward my allegiance went to the Rangers.

In hiI am not going to lie when I tell you that I enjoyed the fact that he was swindled by Bernie Madoff. That is probably more on me being an awful human being, though,  than anything else.

In hindsight I guess I should probably thank “Mr. Islander”. Being an Isles fan in the time since would have been tough to take. Especially, since we all know by now, I love the New York Jets.

How much can one person stand?

Anywho Nystrom’s little slight towards my beloved Jets made me a full-fledged fan of the Blue Shirts. It is the reason I wear an Adam Graves jersey. And it is the reason that the thought of June 14, 1994 still brings a tear to my eye to this day.