In my journeys through the various retro video game expos, tournaments and events I host, I meet a lot of interesting people who worked on the games we grew up loving. From folks that imagined the games, coded it line-by-line, actors in the games who did the motions scene-by-scene (sometimes in broom closets because the […]
This past weekend I visited Green Bay for the very first time. Not to check out Lambeau Field or try famous Wisconsin cheese, nay! This was a work trip. I was thrilled to be a part of the latest major video game tournament in America: King of ’94 WI. You’d think that Green Bay, although […]
Editor’s Note: This post by Arda Ocal was originally published on Nov. 27, 2017 Thirty-two years ago today Rocky IV hit theaters. In honor of that, I decided to revisit one of the biggest mysteries in Rocky history … nay, movie history …. nay, world history … is the result of the secret third fight […]
It’s always fun to listen to the musical selections at a sporting event. If you’ve gone to enough games, you can almost predict the “obvious choices.” “Jump” by Van Halen, “Sandstorm” by Darude, “Get Ready for This” by 2 Unlimited, “Song 2” by Blur. You get the idea. To me, the deep cuts are always […]
Thursday night, after the New Jersey Devils played the Edmonton Oilers at Prudential Center, Ken Daneyko got a text message from an unknown number. “I pick up my phone, I look at my texts right after the game, and some guy goes ‘hey tell that #13 I love watching him play, he’s so enjoyable’” said Daneyko. […]
Last year I gave you a step-by-step outline on how to get into Mensa. Now, I will do the same with how to become an official, undisputed video game world record holder. First, why am I qualified to give you this intel? Because I, Arda Ocal, very proudly, am in fact an undisputed video game […]
Saturday night at Madison Square Garden saw one of the greatest night of fights in combat sports history. Seriously. It had everything: spectacular knockouts, star power, controversy, drama, and for the first time in UFC history, three brand new champions. In the main event, The World’s Most Famous Arena also saw the return of one […]
In an airport hangar, a group of men in suits and trench coats surrounds Senator Ruth Martin. As they await their guest, Senator Martin slowly walks forward. From the opposite end of the hangar, a group of police officers approaches. Two of them are wheeling forward a large upright gurney. On the gurney, at an […]
Gilles Gratton is an interesting human being. He played 47 games in the NHL as a goaltender, 41 of those with the Rangers in the 1976-77 season. He is most well known for his colorful “Tiger Mask” he wore, which has become an iconic photo in Rangers history. But it’s life off the ice that […]
The Vegas Golden Knights are doing a lot of things right, on and off the ice. The team is 3-0, the first time ever that an expansion team has won three straight to start their first season. James Neal has like 470% of VGK’s goals. Marc-Andre Fleury is solid in net. The team is setting […]
Among teams in the NHL, the tradition of the post-win locker room award is as old as time. Well, not really. Maybe a few years. The Rangers might actually have one of the longest, with the Broadway Hat being awarded since 2011. To no one’s surprise, it returned this season with Henrik Lundqvist earning it Sunday night […]
On the surface, Raphael Frydman is pretty unassuming. The 38-year-old grew up in Queens a New York Rangers fan. “My favorite player on the team was Sergei Zubov,” he said. “I still have a game-worn Zubov jersey from the year the Rangers won the Cup.” He works at Alvarez & Marsal, a professional services firm in […]
On the gridiron, Mike Haynes was a feared cornerback, called by some the best cornerback in NFL history, with multiple pro bowl appearances and a 1984 Super Bowl championship ring. Off the field, Haynes is a prostate cancer survivor. Haynes is a spokesman for the Know Your Stats campaign, which encourages men to know their […]
Friday night the wait was over and the hockey world found out who the New Jersey Devils selected first overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. The newest member of the Devs is Swiss Sensation Nico Hischier. [Fischler: Devils Nab Nico With No. 1 Pick] While the draft happened in Chicago, the Devils hosted a party […]
The NHL and Adidas revealed the new jerseys for each team ahead of the upcoming 2017-18 season. This included the unveiling of the first ever sweater for the Vegas Golden Knights (in my opinion, they look pretty good!). A full explanation of the changes made to the jerseys can be found here! One terrific detail […]
It’s going to be a pretty busy week for the NHL. Here’s a timeline: Sunday: Teams revealed their protected players lists that Vegas cannot draft. [Stan Fischler: A Few Surprises on Local Teams’ Protected Lists] Through Wednesday morning: Vegas works behind the scenes to finalize its roster, picking one player from every team for a total […]
After a year of speculation, after the back and forth — the fight is happening, the fight isn’t happening, I want this much money, you want that much money, fake fight posters and tons of trash talk — it’s official. It’s a real thing now … it’s happening. Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will compete in […]
Here are my thoughts on two games that are a part of the latest video game console developed by Nintendo … The Nintendo Switch. Let me know if you agree or disagree @ArdaOcalTV THUMBS UP: ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD You know when you start watching a show (say a “House of Cards,” or a […]
Saturday marked one year since the passing of Muhammad Ali. In honor of the one-year anniversary of his passing, I take a look back at his eight professional fights at Madison Square Garden. Enjoy this look back at the career of The Greatest, through the lens of the World’s Most Famous Arena: The Garden of Dreams […]
In 1893, Lord Stanley of Preston paid 10 Guineas, the equivalent of $48.67 USD, for the Stanley Cup. Adjusting for inflation, that would be $1,340.29 today. Two things come to mind upon hearing this: 1. Even adjusted for inflation, that seems like a heck of a bargain price. 2. To anyone that loves hockey, Lord […]
“Conservatively speaking, if they’re Rangers fans, I’d say 100 out of 100 times.” This is broadcasting great Howie Rose‘s daughter, Alyssa, herself an emerging host, discussing fans approaching her and reciting “that call.” But first, let me rewind and set the table. This year during the Rangers’ playoff run, I was lucky enough to host […]
Don’t worry, hardcore fans, you didn’t miss a secret Metallica show at Madison Square Garden (from my research, the last time Met played MSG was in 2009, a two-night stay in November on their “World Magnetic” tour). The concert I’m writing about here happened Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum as part of ‘Tallica’s #WorldWired tour. […]
Playing an Olympic runner in a film won’t be that much of a stretch for Alexi Pappas. She herself is an Olympic runner, having competed in the 10,000m race at the 2016 Rio Games. She is a NCAA All-American athlete, and a Greek 10k record holder. On the acting side, she’s attended Upright Citizen’s Brigade […]
Midway through Game 4 between the Rangers and Senators at The Garden, the man behind the 1’s and 2’s (and Music Director at Madison Square Garden) Ray Castoldi played Master of Puppets by Metallica. The next play, the Blueshirts scored. Earlier in the game, a similar thing happened, with a different Metallica song. This got […]
On his left wrist, Kenny Anderson wears a Lokai bracelet. The bracelet, made of a stretchy rubber, has several connected beads with two featured: one black, one white. The black bead contains sand from the Dead Sea — the lowest point on earth. The white bead contains water from Mount Everest — the highest point […]
It’s May 1. Which means your Twitter timeline will be flooded with that Justin Timberlake meme. Instead, may I suggest using this one. Bonus points because your non-hockey friends will be like “????????” Now, in no particular order, here are the five best things that happened in the past week. The Garden of Dreams Foundation […]
During the playoffs, I’ve had the chance to host many Rangers events, particularly at #RangersTown Square. There I have met so many passionate Blueshirt die-hards, who literally bleed blue. It’s very easy to start a “Let’s Go Rangers!” chant in there and have people sing along to the Rangers goal song. The passion is contagious. […]
I don’t want to seem like a name dropper, but I’ve become great friends with John McEnroe. And why not. We share similar interests. He likes rock music, I like rock music. He likes hockey, I like hockey. Naturally, we run in the same circles. Kindred spirits, cut from the same cloth. Our newfound BFF […]
In my humble opinion, the Stanley Cup Playoffs is the most exciting postseason in sports. The thrill, anxiety, agony, joy … and that’s just regulation. Multiply that by 100 if it goes to overtime. Then multiply that by 1,000 if one of the teams playing is your team. Here is another “IMHO,” and I’m sure […]
Google “Tom Williams Stray From The Path” and the first image that comes up is the guitarist playing on stage in a New York Rangers Ryan McDonagh jersey. Tom himself did not know this, so he laughs when he hears of this for the first time. “That’s sick! It’s from Warped Tour, probably,” Tom tells […]
It started with the 16 best retro Ice Hockey video games in history. With your votes, only one stands tall… The king of pixel mountain… The 16-bit conqueror… The retro shining star that won’t be denied…. Congratulations to NHL ’94, the crowned champion! Thank you, everyone who voted! That was fun. Speaking of fun … […]
And then, there were two … THE FINALS ARE HERE! In a battle of 16-bit proportions, NHL ’94 and NHL ’95 will have one epic final battle to crown, once and for all, the greatest retro ice hockey video game EVER. How did these two games get to the final dance? NHL ’94, the unanimous […]
First, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who checked out my debut podcast for MSG Networks! Last Wednesday we launched “The A-Pod,” which will be a weekly podcast that drops every Wednesday. Fun chats, fun topics, fun people! The first guest is exactly the type of person I hope to interview each week: […]
The tournament is in full swing, folks! The Round of 16 has concluded and, for the most part, the favorites have all advanced. Before we get to the results, shout out to our buddy Adam Skollar who is “Mr. Social Media” for the New York Rangers (I’m pretty sure that’s on his business card). When […]
Ladies and Gentlemen, the tournament BEGINS! (Insert massive pyro display that’s deafeningly loud and looks like it cost $7 million) From today until the end of March, we will all vote and determine the greatest retro ice hockey video game of all time. Need the rules and FAQ for the tournament? Check out this post […]
Before I get to a major (major!) announcement, let me brag for a second. One of my favorite places in New York City is the Nintendo World Store in Manhattan, right at Rockefeller Center. It’s literally the best and a must visit for anyone who is a video game fan. It’s Nintendo heaven. There’s merchandise […]
Before I get to the topic at hand, I want to give a shout out to the Boys and Girls Club of Stamford, CT. It was a pleasure to volunteer at their annual multicultural event on Friday night. They have the heaviest wood tables I’ve ever moved, but those tables sure held a lot of […]
Tuesday night on the #MSGHockeyShow (yes, it must be written in hashtag every single time, it’s actually a law enforced by the NYPD), in honor of Presidents’ Day, we debated our “Mount Rushmore” for the tri-state NHL teams. The one thing we couldn’t get to on the show because of time concerns was the Mount […]
A statue of the late Pat Quinn was unveiled at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Saturday. Quinn played for the Canucks in their very first two seasons in the league from 1970-1972, became President/GM in 1987 and coached the club between 1990-1996, bringing them to the Stanley Cup Final in 1994. If you’re a Rangers fan, […]
First off, why on earth would I write a total humble-braggy article about being accepted into a club presumably full of… Multiple reasons. The first one is to annoy the life out of a friend of mine (I use that term loosely). Let’s just say there is someone in my life that always stuffs their […]
Last night, the Jackie Robinson of ice hockey joined us as a guest on The MSG Hockey Show. Willie O’Ree was the first black player to compete in the NHL, lacing them up for the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958 (the Bruins shut out the Montreal Canadians 3-0, in Montreal that night, by the […]