News & notes

 The NY Phoenix, the newest franchise in The Basketball League, brings owners Sam & Rebecca Clifford back into the league after a year away.

The Cliffords sold the Albany Patroons after the 2023 season, putting the team back in the hands of Washington Avenue Armory owner Ben Fernandez. On Tuesday, there was a presser in Schenectady that produced another surprise.

Trevis Wyche, who played for coach Derrick Rowland the last three years with the Pats, will now be coaching the Phoenix.

Photo courtesy Albany Times-Union.

According to Rebecca Clifford, the long term goal is to move up to the Basketball Super League. Don't think the Pats don't also have that goal, because they probably do.

The 2025 TBL season begins in February.

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OTB's physical parlors are slowly disappearing, one by one.

It was reported Tuesday that the Catskill area OTB is closing down, citing financial difficulties that have plagued it for years. Online betting has been a big factor in other parlors closing, including in Troy, Menands, Watervliet, and downtown Albany in recent years. The Menands OTB closed during the COVID pandemic period (2020-1). Aside from a branch in Lansingburgh that doesn't appear to be still active most of the time, Troy's lone remaining branch is at Uncle Sam Lanes at last check.

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Pokemon has been a popular collectible card game for over 25, nearly 30, years.

Pokemon Go, an online, interactive version of the game, is just as popular, but not with politicians in Colonie, who've decided to ban the game at The Crossings. Apparently, there's been a few accidental collisions between players and non-playing guests......!

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Tonight's Siena-Xavier men's basketball game can be seen nationally on FS1 (Spectrum channel 400), with a 6:30 pm tip. The Saints (3-1) will look to bounce back after losing to UAlbany on Saturday. The Musketeers are undefeated as they wrap a season opening 5 game homestand.

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The Albany Firebirds have released their 2025 Arena Football 1 (AF1) schedule:

March:

14: @ Orlando.

21: Home opener vs. Nashville.

April:

5: @ Nashville.

11: Billings.

Weekend of April 18-20: @ Salina. Exact date & time has not been finalized.

26: @ Nashville.

May:

1 or 4: @ Wilkes-Barre.

9: Southwest Kansas.

24: Wilkes-Barre.

31: Orlando.

June:

7: @ Orlando.

14: Wilkes-Barre.