Articles by Nick Macri

The National Hockey League holds a peculiar place in the American sports landscape. Although the NHL has some of the most loyal, passionate and knowledgeable fans in certain pockets of the country — such as Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia — the league has consistently struggled to attract a casual fan interest, the lifeblood of any successful league.

Elite college basketball programs do not spring up overnight. Just like most other successful ventures that take time to develop, top programs need a skilled head coach with a clear vision, talented players who buy into the coach’s message and loyal fans willing to provide the home- court advantage necessary to win the toughest matchups.

Even after his team’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, New York Jets’ owner Woody Johnson has good reason to be proud of Gang Green.

We are still over two months away from the start of spring training for the 2010 Major League Baseball season. But already this offseason, a change has been made that could have dramatic ramifications for the future of the sport.

Instead of being able to focus our attention on the stellar pitching performances of A.J. Burnett and Cliff Lee or debating the managerial decisions of Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel, bad umpiring and the renewed call for instant replay have become the dominant themes of these playoffs.

If an NFL team wins its first game since 2007 but no one sees it, do the fans still celebrate?

NCAA President Myles Brand died of pancreatic cancer at age 67 last week. His passing was marked by moments of silence before football games across the country.

Sports have such a way of captivating us, don’t they?

Think back to what football-Fridays meant at your high school. Think about how much you looked forward to competing in that soccer or lacrosse match. Imagine how much anxiety there will be on this campus before the Hoyas’ basketball game against Duke this January.