Hapoel Tel Aviv Celebrates State Cup Title!

Allon Sinai from The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com came on board to begin the show looking back at Hapoel Tel Aviv’s Israel State Cup Soccer victory over Maccabi Haifa 2-1 this past week! This is the 3rd year in a row that Hapoel has taken the Cup as they end a somewhat disappointing season on a high note. We also discuss the latest news concerning the coaching carousel in Beer Sheva, Netanya, Haifa and more!

Maccai Tel Aviv will play Hapoel Holon in the Final Four Semi-Finals! Courtesy Maccabi Tel Aviv Website

We then turned our attention to the Israel Basketball League as we head into the Final Four next week! Maccabi Tel Aviv looks to be the favorite again this year, but can Holon surprise them in the semi finals as they did in the Finals a few years back?

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York!

Next Adam Rubin (20:34) from ESPN New York joined me to discuss the New York Mets and their great start to the season. We checked out why they have been surprising some around the baseball world as we break down the club! And Citi Field home of the Mets was just awarded the 2013 All Star Game! Congratulations!

Ralph Sheheen joins The Sports Rabbi!

Ralph Sheheen (27:53) veteran Motorsports commentator and analyst was welcomed to the show and we talked everything from Formula One, Moto GP, IRL & Nascar! What a great time we had and I hope you enjoy one of motorsports best people around! What and honor and pleasure to host Ralph!

Let's Go Rangers!

Robert Hollander (44:57) was next up talking NHL Playoffs and specifically the New York Rangers! Will they defeat the New Jersey Devils? The Sports Rabbi thinks they’ll do it in 7 games, but after game 1, who knows! Maybe it will be less! Let’s Go Rangers!!!

A dejected LeBron James & Dwayne Wade!

Then Jon Scheiman (55:10) from True Hoops NY gave us the dirt on the NBA Playoffs! We talked Miami Heat Baby! We talked about LeBron James! Yeah!!! I love it when they lose, and Jon hates it so we had a barnbuner of an interview this week! We also get into the other series from the Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers we cover them all!

Is it Mickey Hatcher's fault Albert Pujols has forgotten how to hit?

Lastly Dave Faris (1:23:02) broke down the latest news in MLB! We talked about his Los Angeles Angels and the firing of hitting coach Mickey Hatcher (like that was why Albert Pujols has been struggling!) and we go around the bases checking out the various ball clubs, who have been winning and who have been losing! So tune in to another barnburner of an episode!

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from May 16, 2012

New York Rangers Celebrate Over Time Victory!

To start the show Robert Hollander made a guest appearance and we talked about the New York Rangers and their HUGE victory over the Washington Capitals Monday night! the Rangers tied up the game at 2 a piece with 6.6 seconds remaining in regulation play and followed that up with an overtime winner to take a 3 games to 2 lead! So you definitely want to hear Robert describing what it was like to be at MSG for this historic night!

Hapoel Jerusalem

We then talked Israeli sports, soccer and basketball looking at the two sports as they head into the final days of their seasons! Saturday night will be huge for Israeli soccer as 3 teams fight for one spot to in order not to get demoted! Plus will Ashdod & Ashkelon make a Final Four showing as they look to close out their respective playoff series. Plus we check out Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Holon’s series which is ties a one!

Dave Surdam

Then I had the great pleasure to welcome on board Dave Surdam author of Wins, Losses, and Empty Seats: How Baseball Outlasted the Great Depression a great recent release by Nebraska University Press.

We talked about baseball and the innovations that came from the game during the great depression as we compared and contrasted it to today’s economy as well as the Israel Soccer League.

Dave brings a wealth of knowledge about baseball and economics and this interview is not to be missed! To contact Dave, email him at david.surdam@uni.edu.

Amare Stoudemire

Jon Scheiman of True Hoops NY came on board to discuss the latest in the NBA playoffs! We analyzed all the series and we focused on the New York Knicks and Miami Heat along with the Oklahoma City Thunder and their series victory over the reigning champions, Dallas Mavericks. And we even snuck in the Lakers!

Jered Weaver Throws a No-Hitter!

Dave Faris The Sports Rabbi’s baseball correspondent talked about Jered Weaver’s no-hitter, Albert Pujols 1st HR of the season, Mariano Rivera’s crazy batting practice injury along with the 17 inning Red Sox vs. Orioles game and the Nationals vs. Phillies series. So tune in to get caught up on the best baseball has to offer!

Marc Bergevin-The Montreal Canadiens New GM!

Doc Ike ran down the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes finished off their series in dominating fashion! We also looked at the Rangers vs. Capitals great series and the Devils/Flyers I-95 special! Marc Bergevin is now the Gm of the Montreal Canadiens and reports are that Rick Dudley will join him from the Maple Leafs as his assistant. As they sa, interesting times in hockey!

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from May 9, 2012

Wow! What a great show! Allon Sinai from The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com leads off the show with a discussion about Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club and their Adriatic League Championship victory 87-77 over Cedevita in the Final Four match played at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv. We also discussed the proposal given by Maccabi to the Israel Basketball Super League on changes that they would like to see implemented in the coming year and the domestic playoffs as well.

Yoav Ziv-Courtesy Maccabi Tel Aviv Website

We moved onto the Israel Soccer League and talked about the top teams such as Maccabi & Hapoel Tel Aviv along with Maccabi Netanya, Haifa and others who are fighting it out for Europa League qualification positions. We also talked about the league’s coaching carousel and how that may play a factor as there are only 3 matches left and the first meeting of team representatives to set up a league that is independent of the Israel Football Association.

Arik Ze'evi

Lastly Allon and I talked about Arik Ze’evi’s incredible European Championship victory in Judo over the weekend leading up to the Olympic games coming up in London this summer. And Allon has just published a fabulous piece about this Israeli sports legend “Hopes are high as Ze’evi embarks on final chapter”.

Ron Ackerman & The Sports Rabbi

Ferrari

Ferrari

Ferrari

Next The Sports Rabbi had the great privilege to visit the brand new Ferrari showroom & museum in Tel Aviv located at 154 Menachem Begin Rd. I had a tour with Ron Ackerman (18:57) who discussed and described all of the great cars that can now be purchased in Israel. Not only can you drive off with a Ferrari California or Ferrari FF, the showroom also has Maseratis as well!

Michael Schumacher Ferrari 2006

Though the showroom is available by appointment only for serious customers, the museum is open to the public in the same complex! The great exhibition includes a race used F1 2006 Michael Schumacher Ferrari as well as other memorabilia! So make sure to put this stop on your list!

Dor Hoffman of Sport 5 with The Sports Rabbi!

Then Dor Hoffman (33:59) of Sport 5 joined me to discuss the Manchester United vs. Manchester City derby this past week where City dominated the match and were victorious 1-0. Dor examines why City were the better team and what Manager Sir Alex Ferguson did wrong!

Sebastián Abreu

We also take a look at the latest news in South America football, in Argentina with the likes of Boca Juniors & River Plate to Brazil’s Neymar who is arguably the greatest new talent to hit the pitch and former Beitar Jerusalem player Sebatian “El Loco” Abreu who is playing for Botafogo!

Amare Stoudemire

Jon Scheiman (47:30) of True Hoops NY came on board to talk NBA playoffs! From the New York Knicks and Amare Stoudemire’s glass smash to Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder victories over reigning champion Dallas Mavericks we look at it all! We also take a look at LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in Jon’s great piece, “Fundamentals with LeBron and Wade.”

Avery Bradley of the Boston Celtics

Plus Jon interviews Boston Celtics Star Avery Bradley (1:02:30) and they discuss his time in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem during the NBA lockout and his play now as he has become a starter and is emerging as an important piece to the basketball club.

The Sports Rabbi MLB correspondent Dave Faris (1:17:58) and I took a look at the baseball action both on and off the field. from Matt Kemp of the LA Dodgers to the Yankees starting pitching with go around the diamond and dig up the best stories of the week! So check out this great segment with Dave & I!

Chris Kreider

Then surprise guest and NY Rangers fan extraordinaire Robert Hollander (1:40:11) graced The Sports Rabbi airwaves and talked about the playoff atmosphere at The World’s Most Famous Arena- Madison Square Garden where Robert has been for all of the Rangers play off games! To game 7 against the Ottawa Senators to rookie sensation Chris Kreider we talk Rangers Hockey!

Will Pierre McGuire be the next Habs GM? NOT!

And then to close out the show Doc Ike The Sports Rabbi NHL correspondent went around the NHL Playoffs and discussed the surprising Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes to the suspended Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn of the Nashville Predators. Plus we looked at the Montreal Canadiens open general manager’s chair as analyst Pierre McGuire and Marc Bergevin are both being considered for the job. BREAKING NEWS! MARC BERGEVIN HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED AS THE NEXT GM OF THE MONTREAL CANADIENS!

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from May 2, 2012

Click here to download The Sports Rabbi Yom Ha’Atzmaut Special

Check out these 3 classic Sports Rabbi interviews discussing Israel, baseball & more!

Aaron Pribble

First, The Sports Rabbi welcomes Aaron Pribble, author of Pitching in the Promised Land, A Story of the First and Only Season in the Israel Baseball League.

Aaron offered wonderful insight into the fun summer we all had here in Israel a few years ago when the sport of Baseball invaded the Holy Land! Lots of great stories were shared and many more can be found in the book which I highly recommend as a present to the baseball fan or the lover of Israel!

The book can be purchased via Amazon by clicking on the box below

Tommy Lasorda

The Sports Rabbi then had the honor and privelege to host Tommy Lasorda, Hall of Fame Manager of the LA Dodgers! We spoke about his time in Baseball, his two World Series victories as a Manager, some of the players he taught and nurtured, plus Tommy has a special message for all of the people of Israel!

Vin Scully

Lastly, legedary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully joined The Sports Rabbi to discuss his 62 years in the baseball broadcast booth! We talked about the Dodgers, past and present, his trip to Israel and to the Knesset, Jackie Robinson, and much much more!

So sit back & enjoy this great collection of sports talk!

Click here to download The Sports Rabbi Yom Ha’Atzmaut Special

To start off the show Allon Sinai from The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com joined me to look at all the activity on and of the football pitch this past weekend. Unfortunately for fans of the Israel Soccer League, there was not much action on the field of play as Israel Football Association President Avi Luzon cancelled all of the Premier League matches because of an ugly incident on the field Friday afternoon.

Avi Luzon, Chairman of the IFA-Courtesy IFA

Bnei Lod & Ramat Gan the top two teams in the second division and fighting for promotion, got into it in more ways than one as a massive brawl broke out in this hotly contested match up. Suspensions and fines will for sure be dealt out and Avi Luzon will have to do something to clean up the games as Knesset Member in charge of Sports & Culture Limor Livnat is coming down hard on the league.

Allon and I also looked at Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club’s upcoming Israel playoff match up as the will face BC Habikaa in the best of 5 quarter final series. We then wrapped up the segment discussing not having sports on TV during Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Rememberence Day and Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers, especially as UEFA Champions League match ups are in full swing.

Jeff Caplan-ESPN.com Dallas/Fort Worth Reporter

Jeff Caplan from ESPN.com Dallas/Fort Worth (18:35) came on board to look at the Dallas Mavericks, teams of the past, the championship run from last year and what the Mavs have to look forward in this year’s upcoming playoffs.

Dirk Nowitzki

We learn about Dirk Nowitzki on and off the floor and what kind of person he is along with some of the other veteran stars on this terrific team.

Jeff a veteran sports reporter in the Dallas area also broke down the Lamar Odom fiasco, Metta World Peace’s (the former Ron Artest) elbow to James Harden’s head and how this incident may affect the Mavericks going forward. So tune in to listen to one of basketball’s best reporters!

Philip Humber pitched a Perfect Game!

The Sports Rabbi then welcomed Dave Faris, MLB correspondent (49:36) on the West Coast of the USA to the program as we looked at all the top stories around the world of baseball! From Philip Humber’s Perfect Game for the Chicago White Sox to the New York Yankees victories over the Boston Red Sox. To the great start of the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers to the struggles of others, we check it out! Dave & I also look back at some of the other Perfect Games in baseball history! Listen in to find out what game Dave was at, and the two that The Sports Rabbi attended!

Mike Woodson-The Knicks coach has gotten great play from Carmelo Anthony!

Next on tap we welcomed back Jon Scheiman from True Hoops NY, (1:08:27) our NBA correspondent who just relocated to Bean Town, Boston, MA! We looked at the NBA’s top stories and playoff teams, from the Lakers to the Celtics, the Knicks and the Suns, Bulls, Heat & Magic, we have a good time checking out who may be at the top of the NBA ladder this season. Make sure to check out Jon’s great website and read up on Carmelo Anthony and what he has meant to the Knicks since Mike Woodson took over the coaching reigns!

To close out the show, Doc Ike (1:29:20) took a look at the NHL playoffs thus far as the Vancouver Canucks went down in style 4-1 to the upstart Los Angeles Kings and the Penguins begin their vacation as they were eliminated by their Pennsylvania counterpart, the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Sports Rabbi will be broadcasting a special Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day show with some classic interviews of the past! So make sure to tune in later this week for more fun!

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from April 24, 2012

To kick off our post-Passover show The Sports Rabbi welcomed on board Allon Sinai of The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com to discuss the happenings around the Israel Soccer League. Big stories were abound over the past couple of weeks and we touched on the all!

Jordi Cruyff-Courtsey Maccabi Tel Aviv Website

From Kiryat Shemona’s wrapping up the league championship to Beitar Jerusalem’s 6th straight victory under coach Eli Cohen, and when was the last time Beitar had won 6 in a row! We also examined Maccabi Tel Aviv’s bold hiring of Jordi Cruyff and what the naming of a sports director means to the club. As well, we debated the on and off field activities of Maccabi Petach Tikva, Hapoel Haifa and the IFA Chairman Avi Luzon’s influence on the day to day running of the league.

Ben Helfgott

And we looked at Yom HaShoah as Allon’s latest Sinai Says column entitled, “Tales of Jewish Athletic Perseverance” looks back at Alfred Nakache and Ben Helfgott in this excellent piece of journalism!

Matt Kemp

Dave Faris (26:14), The Sports Rabbi Network’s MLB West Coast correspondent came on board for the first time this season to discuss the latest news around the baseball world! We looked at one of the hottest clubs in baseball the LA Dodgers and their terrific start to the 2012 season as well as the LA Angels and Albert Pujols struggles as he begins his career in California.

Bobby Valentine

Dave & I also check out the Washington Nationals, the Boston Red Sox and Bobby Valentine’s rocky entry back to managing in MLB along with the SF Giants and Philadelphia Phillies!

Next on tap was Dan Raley (39:16), author of “Pitchers of Beer: The Story of the Seattle Rainiers” the great Pacific Coast League team that graced the Emerald City years ago!

Edo Vanni

Dan & I looked back at this proud franchise, The Seattle Rainiers and some of the greats that were associated with the club. From Emil Sick, Edo Vanni, Rogers Hornsby, Fred Hutchinson, Dick Barrett and even Babe Ruth this book brings you back to a time when baseball was king around the United States!

Dov (1:09:33)then joined me to talk about Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club’s disappointing Game 5 loss 86-85 against Panathinaikos in their Euroleague quarterfinal series as well as their upcoming matches in the Adriatic League Final Four which will take place at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv and the finals weeks of the Israeli League. We also look at some roster moves and potential acquisitions going into the off season.

Doc Ike (1:17:52)wrapped up the show with a great analysis of the NHL play-offs as we look at all the first round series. We also focused on the big stories, from all of the injuries, rough plays, dirty hits and suspensions to the lack of goaltending in the Flyers vs. Penguins series.

We also looked back 15 years to the Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils match up where Doc Ike & I witnessed an unfortunate event as Martin Brodeur scored into the Habs empty net! Thanks to listener and reader Judah Kunstler for reminding me of that wonderful milestone.

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from April 18, 2012

On this special edition of The Sports Rabbi Show I welcome Kate Walker! F1 Kate Walker is one of the up and coming Formula One reporters operating solely on the web.

F1 Kate Walker!

Why is this interesting? Well Kate is the ONLY and FIRST person on the F1 media cavalry that can be found just in the Internet!

Ferrari

Kate is one among over 250 media members that may attend a race around the world covering not only the action on the track, but plenty of action off the track as well.

McLaren

I encourage you to check Kate out on her own website F1 Kate Walker, Twitter @F1Kate or Girl Racer and of course the best weekly on the web covering not just F1 but other series as well GP Weekly.

So tune in and check Kate out!

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from April 4, 2012

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv v Panathinaikos Athens - Turkish Airlines Euroleague

I was pleased to open the show with Allon Sinai from The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com and we discussed Maccabi Tel Aviv’s huge win in game 3 of their Euroleague quarter finals series against Panathinaikos of Greece 65-62! Game 4 is Thursday evening back in Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv and it should be a cracking match!

Allon & I also talked about one of the hottest topics in sports in Israel right now, Racism. In his terrific new column: “Sinai Says: Riots, racism and the future of Israeli soccer” Allon goes into the crux of the matter of racism at the stadiums around the country and also has an exclusive interview with Jimmy Turk, the first Israeli-Arab to play for the Israel National Team.

Amit Ben Shushan-Courtesy Beitar Jerusalem website

We ran down the weekend results and focused our attention on Beitar Jerusalem and their huge win in Ramat Gan over Maccabi Petach Tikva 3-1, as well as Kiryat Shemona’s disappointing loss 1-0 at home to Bnei Yehuda. Kiryat Shemona had tried to sew up the league championship but will now have to wait another week and face Hapoel Tel Aviv. So check Allon’s work out at JPost.com!

Ed Coleman

Ed Coleman (23:10) the New York Mets beat reporter for WFAN joined me to give us an update of what has been going in in Mets camp in Florida before the season opens up next week. Ed, a consummate professional who knows the Mets inside out also shared his feelings on R.A. Dickey the veteran Mets pitcher who just released a brand new book entitled: “Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball”. Dickey, a standup guy details how he was sexually abused as a child, a topic that not many athletes or any person would discuss. So check out this great interview with Ed Coleman!

Lawrence Baldassaro

I then had the great privilege to welcome on board Lawrence Baldassaro (31:31) author of a great new book, “Beyond DiMaggio: Italian Americans in Baseball”.

Larry & I discussed not only Joe DiMaggio, The Yankee Clipper, but many other Italians who have played baseball. We also looked at players like Ernie Lombardi and Mike Piazza along with those who have served as executives and managers such as A. Bartlett Giamatti and Tommy Lasorda.

NBA Logo

Jon Scheiman (1:14:50) of True Hoops NY then joined me to discuss the latest in the NBA from the New York Knicks to the Chicago Bulls as we head into the last month of the season. We also looked at stories around the game such as the possibility of putting ads on NBA Jerseys in order to increase revenue both for the clubs and the league.

Patrick Roy

Doc Ike (1:40:49) and I closed out the show breaking down the latest in the NHL. We looked at the possibility of former Montreal Canadiens star Patrick Roy coming back as the coach for next season along with the other potential candidates. We also analyzed the playoff races in both the Eastern & Western conferences.

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from March 29, 2012

BREAKING NEWS! Tim Tebow is a New York Jet!

Tim Tebow is a NY Jet!

And of course The Sports Rabbi had Chris Nimbley of Jets Insider come on board to break down the trade with the Denver Broncos to obtain Tim Tebow! Imagine one of the world’s most polarizing people in Tim Tebow is coming to the Big Apple! So listen in to this great interview to start off the show!

Beitar Jerusalem

Allon Sinai (16:32) of The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com joined me to open the show as we talked about the latest action in the Israel Soccer League! We broke down the great Beitar Jerusalem comeback victory 2-1 over Bnei Yehuda at Teddy Stadium this past Monday night. We also looked at the unique Kiryat Shemona vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv game where only women & children were allowed to attend.

Steven Cohen in action vs. Bnei Yehuda-courtesy Beitar Jerusalem

To end off our weekly talk, Allon & I analyzed the upcoming playoffs involving teams fighting for European births and clubs trying to avoid demotion. But also check out Allon’s great new Sinai Says column “The ever-enigmatic Katash” as he reminisces about the clashes of old between Maccabi Tel Aviv & Panathinaikos!

The Sports Rabbi then had the honor to have Ron Glickman (30:04) come on the show and discuss the club he founded, Sport Club Hakoah Bergen County in New Jersey.

SC Hakoah Bergen County

Sport Club Hakoah Bergen County is an amateur soccer club from Bergen County, New Jersey established in 2009. The team takes its name from a legendary all-Jewish Austrian soccer team called Hakoah Vienna that competed internationally in the early 20th century until the Nazis shut it down in 1938 and the 2011-12 season is the club’s first in the North Jersey Soccer League Premier West Division.

Ron’s idea is to re-create Hakoah Vienna in the United States was not a new concept. In the 1920s, players from the club in Vienna built New York Hakoah which competed in the American Soccer League and was subsequently disbanded in 1964.

SC Hakoah Bergen County Team

This is a wonderful club to support and I encourage you all to be in touch with Ron and learn more about how YOU can get involved! Check out SC Hakoah Bergen County’s Official Website and email Ron!

Uri Kokia

I then welcomed Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club’s Captain Uri Kokia (52:53) back to the show! Uri and I discussed the current state of basketball in Israel’s Capital and the team’s form of late. We discussed what would be needed to make a run for the title as Hapoel currently sits in 5th place and is in good shape as they head towards the stretch run!

Courtesy-Hapoel Jerusalem

Uri talked about veteran coach Sharon Druker’s approach to the game and what his long time European and Israeli experiences mean to the club as they continue to bond as a team.

Jon Scheiman (1:01:31) of True Hoops NY joined me next as we do every week to talk NBA! But as we are in the midst of the NCAA Tournament we also took a look at some of the stories coming out of the college tourney and specifically at CJ McCollum the topic of Jon’s most recent column, “Mad Moves”.

Of course we discussed some of the trade dealine deals and which team Derek Fisher will finish this season with.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis - Turkish Airlines Euroleague

The Sports Rabbi then had the honor to have one of Israel’s best sports writers in Ohad Greenwald (1:23:44) of Walla! Sports join the show to break down Maccabi Tel Aviv’s blow out loss to Panathinaikos in Athens. As you know Maccabi is playing in a best of 5 quarterfinal round with the Greek club and Maccabi will need to come together as a team and play very tight defense in order to shut down one of Europe’s top clubs. We also discuss Ohad’s latest article about Baby Shaq, Sofoklis Schortsanitis and the chances of his returning to Maccabi next season.

To close the show Doc Ike (1:40:10) & I talked about the latest in the NHL from the New York Rangers vs,. New Jersey Devils game that began with a few big fights to Alexander Radulov’s return to the NHL and the Nashville Predators and the Toronto Maple Leafs loss to the Boston Bruins 8-0!

So check out the BEST SPORTS SHOW broadcasting from Jerusalem, Israel, The Sports Rabbi!

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from March 21, 2012

Dov & I opened up the show running down the Israel Soccer scores from this past weekend as Hapoel Kiryat Shmona was victorious again as they defeated Hapoel Akko 2-0 on their way to wrapping up the league title at such an early stage in the season.

Brahseedah Eloheim

Then Brahsheedah Eloheim (7:09) pro basketball player at Maccabi Ashdod came on board to talk about the situation in the Ashdod area with missiles being launched into the area by terrorists from the Gaza strip. We also discussed the women’s league here in Israel, the European competitions and the benefits of playing in the Holy Land, Israel!

A & B Pro Inc Bracelets

Brahsheedah is also an entrepreneur as she and partner Anna Bock a professional snowboarder created A & B Pro Ion Elite power bracelets. So check out this fabulous line of amazing products!

Maccabi Haifa vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv-Photo by Reuven Cohen-Courtesy Maccabi Haifa Website

Allon Sinai (20:03) from The Jerusalem Post & Jpost.com graced The Sports Rabbi Show as we talked about the latest happenings in the Israel Soccer League. From Hapoel Tel Aviv’s shocking 4-1 away victory at Maccabi Haifa to Hapoel Tel Aviv’s punishment which was handed down after last week’s extra curricular activities at the Tel Aviv derby.

Ran Ben Shimon & Izzy Sheratzky-Photos by-Asaf Kliger/Adi Avishai-Courtesy The Jerusalem Post

We also looked at Kiryat Shmona’s coaching situation with the tension between Coach Ran Ben-Shimon and owner Izzy Sheratzky, and how that may effect the coaching carousel around the league. Allon has a great column entitled “Egos mar storybook season for Kiryat Shmona” in today’s Jerusalem Post, so check it out!

Beitar Jerusalem vs. Maccabi Petach Tivka-Courtesy Beitar Jerusalem Website

We also examined Beitar Jerusalem’s fine game and win over Maccabi Petach Tikva and how that will play out as we enter the playoff rounds of the Israel Soccer League. Lastly we looked at Allon’s great article from last week about Ali Khatib entitled, “Rising star causes Palestinian-Israeli soccer conflict”.

Jim Williams

Next Jim Williams (38:17) from The Washington Examiner made his first ever appearance on The Sports Rabbi Show and it was great to have Jim with me as we delved into various different sports topics. We looked at Jim’s background where he has been involved in sports media for many many years and discussed some of the fascinating things he has seen behind the scenes!

Jim, a friend of Chris Evert talked about Chris and a recent column he wrote about her which is a must read for the tennis lovers out there. Also, Jim and I discussed Major League Soccer, the MLS and how it has grown since its birth in 1996. That led us to the US Men’s National team, their German coach Jurgen Klinsmann and Top level international football!

Jon Scheiman (1:12:10) from True Hoops NY joined me next as we broke down the best point guard in the league, Derrick Rose! Jon’s great new column “Rose Comes Up Rosy” features his interview with Derrick Rose and a look at why he is the best!

We also discussed the New York Knicks and their troubles since Carmelo Anthony returned to the line up. Can ‘Melo & Jeremy Lin co-exist? Kind of funny this discussion would not have been anywhere near the radar 2 months ago! As the trading deadline approaches we played GM and we also looked at the Lakers vs. Celtics and their classic match up from this past week. And we took a look back at the greatest facilitator of all time Michael Jordan! Check out this great Youtube video!

Lior Eliyahu-Courtesy Maccabi Tel Aviv Website

Then Maayan Efrat (1:40:16) from Maariv was welcomed to the show and we broke down Maccabi Tel Aviv’s chances next week in the Euroleague quarterfinals best of 5 series against Panathanikos. The Greek outfit, though not as strong as last year’s team that defeated Maccabi in the finals is still a huge player on the European stage and will give Maccabi all kinds of problems.

Courtesy Maccabi Tel Aviv Website

Maayan & I also discussed Maccabi’s plans for next season, will they play in the Adriatic League again? What will be their presence in the Israeli League? How will the increased matches in the Euroleague play a factor in their decision and how will Avner Koppel’s move to become the head of the Israel Basketball Association play into Maccabi’s future! So listen in as one of basketball’s best and brightest writers talks about Israel’s #1 team!

Sidney Crosby

To close the show Doc Ike (1:54:03) & I talked about big news of the week, that being Sidney Crosby’s return to the NHL this Thursday against the New York Rangers. We also analyzed the MVP/Hart Trophy candidates, the Vezina/best goaltender and Adams/top coach of the season for the 2011-12 year. we came up with a bunch of good names and players, so tune in to hear who we think have had an impact this year in the NHL!

Right click here to download The Sports Rabbi Show from March 14, 2012