The Best of Sports 2000

Cardozo High School in Bayside was awarded $75,000 from Fit For Life, a grant given by the Board of Education with the purpose of revitalizing the schools health and physical education program. Residents of Flushing Heights, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest and Jamaica Estates appeared at the St. Johns Utopia Parkway campus in protest against the Universitys plan to construct an on-campus 3,500-seat stadium for the Mets minor league team. Residents feared the stadium would plague the surrounding neighborhoods with quality-of-life problems such as increased traffic and excessive noise. Jody Fisher, a St. Johns spokesperson said that community groups would be able to use the field when the team is on the road or otherwise not playing there. Also, the arena would be given to the University after the teams permanent home in Coney Island was ready. State Senator Frank Padavan said St. Johns action was legally challengeable since the school is zoned for an educational faility and a minor league stadium was a commercial site.
MarchSt. Anns Athletic Association received $4,000 for its youth athletics program from Assemblyman Brian M. McLaughlin. The money secured from the 1999 state budget will purchase uniforms, proper facilities and sports equipment. The St. Johns Red Storm went on an eight-game win streak, beating Syracuse, last years NCAA champion, and went on to defeat Duke, last years runner-up. They made history as the only team to beat the previous years finalists in back to back games. Mets co-owners Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon announced plans to erect a new home for the team in the adjacent parking lot. They were in negotiations with the city and the stadium manager said the new 40,000-seat arena with a retractable dome would be ready for the 2003 baseball season.
April and MayThe "Baseball is For Kids" program, in its third year, was launched the last week of April. The program allows children from low-income neighborhoods from the tri-state area to see the Mets play during the summer.
JuneOn Saturday, June 10, the Belmont Stakes, one of the states biggest sporting events, celebrated its 152nd running. Following the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, the $1 million Belmont Stakes is the third and final leg of horse racings Triple Crown. The Queens Kings, the Mets farm team debuted at their brand new stadium at St. Johns University. The team christened the new stadium by playing their first game there on June 21, defeating the Hudson Valley Renegades 10-9. Queens Borough President Claire Shulman threw out the first ball. Atlanta Braves loudmouth John Rocker said he would ride the #7 train to Shea Stadium as a form of apology after berating the immigrant population of New York and the riders of the train. Mayor Giuliani promised security to ride with him to ensure his safety. At the last minute, Rocker turned tail and backed out of his promise to ride the train but did deliver a public apology at Shea Stadium. He went on to lead the Braves to a 6-4 victory against the Mets. Irving Rudd of Bayside, a press agent and member of the Boxing and Brooklyn halls of fame passed away at the age of 82. Rudd spent six decades working with some of the biggest names in sports and is remembered for his unique ideas.
JulyThe United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced that boy band 98 Degrees would headline the fifth annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day on August 26 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows and would be followed by pop singer Jessica Simpson.
AugustThe USTA unveiled a permanent memorial to Arthur Ashe on the first day of the U.S. Open in the form of a 14-foot high bronze nude figure sculpted by Eric Fischl. It was placed in the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Garden.
SeptemberPresident Clinton became the first sitting chief executive to attend a U.S. Open when he left a morning meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and a lunchtime millennium summit meeting with Secretary of State Madeline Albright to come out to Flushing Meadows. NYC2012, a group whose purpose is to prepare an official proposal for New York City to host the 2012 Olympics to the U.S. Olympic Committee unveiled the various venues that would be proposed for the New York Olympics. Eddie Rodriguez, coach for the Queens Kings, went to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia to work as a third base coach for the U.S. team.
The following Queens residents went on to represent the United States in the 2000 Olympics:
19-year-old Arlene Stevens of Fresh Meadows, fencing.
26-year-old George Hincapie of Charlotte, North Carolina but born and raised in Queens, cycling.
22-year-old Shamika Holdsclaw born in Flushing and raised in Astoria, basketball.
Kevin Han of Ridgewood, badminton singles.
OctoberNorth Fork Bank and the Bayside Business Association donated $1,000 and $500, respectively, to the Bayside High School Football Parents Club which gave the money to Bayside High School to purchase football helmets, a TV set and a VCR, all of which were stolen from the schools fieldhouse. The Mets defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, bringing them to the World Series, pinning them against the Yankees, and making it a Subway Series. The Queens Civic Congress, made up of nearly every civic group in Queens, met to discuss the possibility of New York City hosting the 2012 Olympics. Dan Doctoroff, founder of NYC2012, an organization with the goal of proposing New York City to play host to the 2012 Olympics, gave a slide show presentation to the mega-civic group and members of the media, particularly before and after pictures of what the selected Queens sites would look like after renovation for the event. Students at Bayside High School created a special Subway Series Cow for Cows on Parade 2000.
NovemberMets fans mourn the bitter defeat of their team in the Subway Series. Eight Queens residents became finalists in the 2000 Empire State "Golden Arm" Tournament for arm wrestling. Steve Black of Whitestone was named Male MVP for arm wrestling for 2000.
DecemberNYC and Company, the Mayors Office, the Department of Transportation, the Police Department and the N.Y. State Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) brought into effect their Park And Ride program, which was designed to alleviate holiday traffic to and from Manhattan by encouraging the use of public transportation. The program provided a free All-Day Metrocard Fun Pass to all who parked at Shea Stadium on Wednesdays between 10 a.m.and 2 p.m. The program ended January 3.