* In the blink of an eye, the Rangers have vaulted themselves into position as early favorites to bring that coveted Stanley Cup back to Manhattan. Kudos to GM Glen Sather for wasting no time in bringing Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to the Garden for what promises to be an exhilarating upcoming season for all Rangers fans. Islanders GM Garth Snow offered his key players (Jason Blake, Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov) half of their fair value on the open market, and Devils GM Lou Lamoriello let Gomez escape and lost one of their only remaining offensive threats, Brian Rafalski. Only one question remains for local hockey fans: Will the combined average nightly attendance of both the Islanders and Devils equal that of the Stanley Cup favorite Rangers?
FRANK CRISCUOLO
River Vale, N.J.
****
* As a Devils fan, I am extremely upset Scott Gomez, formerly one of my favorites, signed with the Rangers. I understand his financial motivation to leave, but to join the archrival of the team that made him a star is revolting. I eagerly anticipate adding him to the list of other great Rangers busts.
ERIC POSCH
Baldwin, N.Y.
****
* Thanks a lot, Glen Sather, for ruining the Rangers’ new season before it even started. Signing hockey god Chris Drury is just as wonderful as it is despicable to put former Devil Scott Gomez in a Rangers sweater and let Michael Nylander go. Gomez is a showoff who has neither the skills nor the superior hockey intelligence of Nylander, who has simply been the Rangers’ best passing center since Wayne Gretzky.
HERBERT ANTON
Manhattan
Talking radio
* I was thoroughly enjoying much of WFAN’s 20th anniversary broadcasts last weekend when I was struck by a bit of a mind-blowing thought: The folks now in college to become future sports journalists and broadcasters have never known a world without sports-talk radio. For better or worse, the hosts at WFAN have helped raise a future generation of sports commentators.
JIM BURNS
Valley Stream, N.Y.
Bleep, bleep!
* Cynthia Rodriguez’s “[bleep] you” message on the back of her shirt was loud and clear. It was directed toward the fans and the media. The appropriate reaction in New York should be a good old-fashioned “[bleep] you, too.”
ELIO VALENTI
Brooklyn
****
* I used to feel sorry for Alex Rodriguez – until he was caught (apparently) cheating on his wife in public. I then started feeling sorry for his wife, Cynthia – until she wore that crude T-shirt to a Yankees game. So, for now at least, I’m only feeling sorry for their 2-year-old daughter, Natasha – who hopefully is not precocious enough to already be able to read.
RICHARD SIEGELMAN
Plainview, N.Y.
Pound Sterling
* There isn’t anyone who could’ve written a more accurate analysis on John Sterling than Phil Mushnick [Equal Time: “Yankee radio: The worst,” The Post and 24hbongdda.site, July 6]. It has gotten to the point where I only listen to get the score and then I change the station. The only way it could get worse is if they brought back Michael Kay.
JOHN YERKOVICH
Monroe Twp., N.J.
Wrestling dopes
* Congratulations to Phil Mushnick for helping to expose the despicable Vince McMahon [Equal Time: “Benoit tragedy wakes up media,” The Post and 24hbongdda.site, June 29]. It should be noted that Phil has long and accurately pointed out the drug-induced, Dr. Frankenstein operations of McMahon’s vile WWE industry, including another masterpiece from earlier this year [Equal Time: “Face time Trumps all,” The Post and 24hbongdda.site, Feb. 25]. Once again, Phil was on top of another issue first.
WAYNE ATKINSON
Fairhaven, Mass.
****
* I used to be very pro-WWE and anti-Phil Mushnick. I have seen the error of my ways and I commend him for speaking up against Vince McMahon and his merry band of drug abusers. McMahon is everything that is wrong with pro sports: drug abuse, spousal abuse, egomaniacs, acting above the law. Keep up the great work, Phil.
PATRICK SCHARTZ
Madison, Tenn.