Ian Eagle knows this Brooklyn Nets season will be far different from the way it was all too often in New Jersey.
“I could literally hear conversations from fans taking place behind me,” Eagle told the Rumble. “Not just a few words here and there — I could hear complete conversations about vacation plans, how the kids were doing in school. There were times during timeouts I would turn around and join in on the discussion: ‘I agree, I think the Bahamas would be a great spot…’ ”
Eagle will begin his 20th year calling Nets games Wednesday night (with Mike Fratello) on YES when the season begins in Cleveland.
“There’s a legitimate buzz around this team, not just in New York, but around the league,” Eagle said. “There’s a curiosity as to how this team will gel.”
All thanks to owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
“I think he’s the world’s most interesting man,” Eagle said.
His reaction when the trade for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry was made?
“They’re legitimately trying to win a title,” Eagle said. “It’s one thing to say it, it’s another thing to go out and do it.”
Eagle said he believes that Jason Kidd will succeed as Nets head coach.
“He’s been put in a situation to succeed,” he said. “He’s been given everything he needs to take on this challenge. Jason as a player thought two steps ahead, and I think that will serve him well. He doesn’t fail. He doesn’t know what that word means.”
As for the rivalry with the Knicks, Eagle said: “I think the rivalry will take off once the teams meet in the playoffs. You need to have something at stake, so if the basketball gods have any say, these two teams will play in the postseason.”
No matter what happens, Eagle will bring the same exact professionalism that has gotten him here.
“I’ve always approached the job the same way,” he said. “There’s somebody watching who’s never heard me and doesn’t know anything about me who is forming an opinion based on what they hear.”
You’ll like what you hear.
MLB Network’s Ryan finds time to train for marathon
MLB Network’s Sam Ryan is set to run the first marathon of her life in next Sunday’s New York City Marathon, and she won’t let her job get in the way of her training.
Ryan, who is based out of the network’s home base in Secaucus, N.J., has been training for the 26.2-mile race by running in the different cities she travels to for her job as a reporter — including inside Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
“I asked the Cardinals, ‘Is it OK to run in the stadium?’ ” Ryan told the Rumble’s John DeMarzo. “They let me in, and I did laps along the warning track. It was really neat. They were painting the white stripes down the lines and I was jumping over the paint and the guys were giving me high-fives.”
Of all the cities Ryan has been to recently, she says Chicago was her favorite to run in.
“You can go to Lake Michigan on Lakeshore Drive and run with a thousand people,” she said.
Ryan is hoping to complete the marathon in 5:30.
“With my long training runs, my 18-miler, I ran 3:40, and my 20-miler, 4:05,” she said. “I may be able to hit 5:15. I don’t want to go too fast and burn out.”
Ryan will be running for Tri-ing for Kids, a non-profit group that completes endurance events while raising money for a cause.
Race coverage hitting stride
ESPN is pulling out all the stops with an all-star lineup for its telecast of the ING New York City Marathon next Sunday on ESPN2 (ABC7 will broadcast the race in the New York market). The five-borough event has not been seen live on national television for 20 years. “SportsCenter” anchors Hannah Storm and John Anderson will serve as co-hosts, and reporters and analysts include Jeremy Schaap; Tim Hutchings, a former 5,000 meter Olympian who has covered the last six Olympics; Carrie Tollefson, an Olympian and five-time NCAA champion; Runner’s World Editor-in-Chief David Willey reporting while running the course; Juli Benson, an Olympian and NCAA All-American, serving as lead women’s reporter; Toni Reavis, a journalist and member of the Running USA Hall of Champions, who will handle the men’s lead reporting; and Lewis Johnson, an All-American in track, who will provide updates from the start and finish lines.
Locally, ABC7 will have a crew including sports anchors Rob Powers and Laura Behnke, with reporters Jim Dolan (not the MSG chief) and Kemberly Richardson on the course.
Mets workers get All-Star rings
What do Matt Harvey, David Wright and Chris Brown have in common? All three have All-Star rings. Brown, a long-time Mets employee and now the club’s senior director of guest experiences, was one of 200 Mets employees who were fitted for commemorative staff All-Star rings The fittings took place at Citt this week.
“Everyone I spoke to got a great kick out of the rings,” Brown said. “We had a great time hosting the All-Star Game. It was a lot of hard work and ownership appreciated the what we all did. It’s something that all of us can treasure for the rest of our lives.”
What will Brown say to Wright or Harvey the next time he sees either of them?
“I might laugh and say I got an All-Star ring and never had to play one game in the minors,” Brown said.
Stars about town for appearances
Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur will be joined Sunday at noon by former teammates Ken Daneyko, Bruce Driver and Jim Dowd at McLoones Boathouse in West Orange, N.J., where he will be on hand to help save the lives of children with cancer and blood disorders. The Devils will be joined by ESPN personality Chris Broussard and renowned physical therapist/athletic trainer John Gallucci Jr. as they gather to support The Valerie Fund. To purchase tickets for this event, log onto http://www.mcloonesboathouse.com. … Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace and Beno Udrih will be at the Riverdale Chase Branch in The Bronx Monday as part of Chase’s Basketball in the Boroughs and Beyond. … Larry Johnson will be at Katch in Astoria Katch Tuesday night for NBA Kickoff Party.