Chess is ruthless: you’ve got to be prepared to kill people.

Poor New Jersey: No respect from late night talk show hosts. It's the locale for the world’s funniest joke. The New Jersey Nets move to Brooklyn in a couple of years.

And, now, we lose to New York in chess.

The New Jersey Knockouts lost to the New York Knights, putting an end to their US Chess League action for this year. O c’est domage.

In Round 10 of US Chess League action, the New Jersey Knockouts lost in a sqeaker to the New Youk Knights, putting an end to their season----2.5 -1.5. New York will take the final playoff spot and New Jersey will have to wait until next year. Boy, that burns my bishop.

NJ got slammed on Boards 2 and 3. That put the New York Knights in control very early. This was despite the New Jersey big win on Board 1. Yawn. Excuse me.

This was NJ’s first season in the League. Though they did not make the playoffs, New Jersey made a good showing.

Oh, well, better board position next year.

Here is the US Chess League entire season for the New Jersey Knockouts, in a nutshell:

• Round 1, Tie with Queens Pioneers, 2-2

• Round 2, Tie with Tennessee Tempo, 2-2

• Round 3, Tie with Baltimore Kingfishers, 2-2

• Round 4, Loss to Queens Pioneers, 1.5-2.5

• Round 5, Win over New York Knights, 2.5-1.5

• Round 6, Win over Carolina Cobras, 2.5-1.5

• Round 7, Loss to Philadelphia Inventors, 1.5-2.5

• Round 8, Tie with Boston Blitz, 2-2

• Round 9, Tie with Baltimore Kingfishers, 2-2

• Round 10, Loss to New York Knights, 1.5-2.5

Oh well, that's the way the chess boards, sometimes.

And we wonder why we're fodder for Jay Leno Jokes

Bon Jovi, preparing for 10 Newark shows, praises new arena

Newark, N.J. - The music of New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi battled with the din of saws and drills in the Prudential Arena Tuesday. The musicians were preparing for a series of 10 shows they'll be holding at the downtown Newark facility starting Thursday. The band is the first act to perform at the arena.

Years ago, when the now defunct Governor McGreevey was still Mayor McGreevey, he was in between runs for governor. It was some time in 1999/2000, that he was still traveling from Cape May to Ft. Lee and back again---going to every chicken dinner, political rally, summer time BBQ, senior citizen home, shaking hands and smooching NJ babies----all with the purpose of keeping his name and hope alive in order to run for Gov again in 2001. Little did we know what was happening on the GSP rest stops during those trips. But that is another story.

Then it happened: The now defunct Senator Torricelli announced he, too, may wish to run for Gov. After all, he told state Dems, McGreevey lost to Whitman, and the Party needed a fresh candidate with a statewide profile---so, I am your man. And for the next twelve days, the two men took to calling the state chairs.

Their calls burned the phone lines. As the Hunterdon County Chair back then before the turn of the century, I was the recipient of many calls. The battle waged fearlessly with promises, more promises, and even more promises. McGreevey disparaged the Torch and the Torch hit back hard. Their raging battle saw more twists and turns than Bush’s Iraq policy.

But then an endorsement came that turned the tide: The now defunct Mayor of Newark, Sharp James, came out and endorsed McGreevey. That gave McGreevey the edge he needed to spell disaster for Torricelli. The basis for that endorsement: McGreevey promised that as governor, he would support an arena to be built in downtown Newark.

Ballgame over. Torricelli over. McGreevey wins. McGreevey wins.

Now, it is seven years later, and the Prudential Area is a reality. Times have changed, though.

McGreevey is in preparation for entering the priesthood. Sharpe James is in preparation for trial. Torricelli is in real estate, political consultation, wahtever else, and writes on occasion for PoliticsNJ.

And the Prudential Area is set to open with Jon Bon Jovi, runner up to Bruce (who I would imagine they really wanted instead). With tons of traffic predicted for the opening nights, Bon Jovi will rock the stage to sold out shows, for this week at least. With the Nets going through the tunnels to Brooklyn in a few years, NJ will be minus one sports team to play at the new Arena----the only team that actually played in New Jersey, AND had the NJ title in their name.

So, it goes in NJ. And we wonder why we’re fodder for Jay Leno jokes. Maybe he should try Jay-walking on the streets of Newark. He would get an earful.

What’s in a name? An arena by any other name…

According to an article in Newsday: What once was the Brendan Byrne Arena, and then became the Continental Airlines Arena, is now looking for a name.

The airline pays $1.3 million annually for those naming rights. I think the former governor got away for free.

Amazingly, the Roman Coliseum has stood for more than a thousand years ---since 80 AD ---and still has the same name. That guy "Roman" must have got a hell of naming rights deal.

Anyway, the naming rights of “The Arena Formerly Known as Brendan” are up for grabs.

I guess the whole corpo naming rights idea is not a bad one. Some think it's stupid. But, money is to be made on the ‘naming rights’ for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority ---but it’s gonna be a tough sell. The Houston based airline, Continental backed out of a deal due to major changes in the tenants of the arena.

The New Jersey Nets are goin’ back to Brooklyn (they started out on Long Island years and years ago with Dr. J as the NY Nets), where they will live out their days in the Barclays Center, (Barclays Bank is paying $400 million for twenty years for the naming rights.)

Also, theNew Jersey Devils are moving to the brand spankin’ new Prudential Center in Newark very soon.

Some companies have been through the arena, to check it out for naming rights. George Zoffinger, CEO of the authority, said a tour of the arena by potential bidders earlier this month didn't go as well as expected.

"With the uncertainty of the building, it's a very difficult sell," he said.

So, it will be empty. Vacant. Uncertainty certainly abounds.

Subsequently, I thought I might help out by going on www.superpages.com, to find some possible monthly renters. George, here are companies whose actual names reflect the current status of the arena. Maybe you can give these a shot:

“Empty” Cloud Ta'l Chi
210 West 94th Street
New York, NY 10025

“Empty” Pockets
4095 US Highway 1,
Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852

“Empty” Building Security
378 Schuyler Avenue
Kearny, NJ 07032

“Vacant” No-Callback
429 Greenwich
New York, NY 10013

“Vacant” Property Security Inc
50 Center Street
Oradell, NJ 07649

Hope one of these works out.

If not, I will bid $1000 a year for the “Joey Novick Arena”, ---- as long as it comes with my picture on the front of the building. Let me know if that works for you guys, and I will draw up the agreement------------>

Or maybe, just maybe, you could name the arena after someone who has done really good things for the state of New Jersey.



----like Brendan Byrne.

Now, there's a novel idea.