Episode 2

Mark Bavaro, Dave Maloney

Published on: 4th January, 2021

Host Rob Cramer begins the show welcoming former New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro. Mark talks about the current Giants late season push to make the playoffs, the craziness of games with no crowds during the pandemic and the use of fake crowd noise in the stadiums. Mark also talked about the Super Bowl winning teams he played on with the Giants in 1986 and 1990, playing for Bill Parcells and the genius of Bill Belichick he witnessed in New York while with the Giants and later playing for him in Cleveland with the Browns.

Then former New York Rangers captain and current MSG analyst for the Rangers Dave Maloney joined the show to discuss the current Rangers team as they head into the season. Dave talked a bit about the World Junior Championships before briefly getting into his run to the Stanley Cup Finals back in 1979. Then Dave gave his thoughts on the current Rangers team, including the challenges facing the team in the upcoming pandemic shortened season.

  • [00:00] - Show Intro
  • [01:26] - Mark Bavaro joins the show
  • [06:06] - Thoughts on Bill Belichick
  • [10:32] - Notre Dame football
  • [13:48] - 1986 Giants vs 1990 Giants
  • [16:22] - Breaking into the NFL with the Giants and playing for Bill Parcells
  • [23:11] - Playing in New York
  • [27:35] - Dave Maloney joins the show
  • [28:56] - World Juniors
  • [33:01] - Rangers 1979 Stanley Cup run
  • [36:33] - Expectations for the Rangers heading into the season
  • [40:05] - Value of the Rangers playoff experience last season
  • [42:17] - Henrik Lundqvist big skates to fill for Igor Shesterkin
  • [50:09] - Do the Rangers need to name a captain

About Mark Bavaro

Mark Bavaro is a former American football tight end who played for the New York Giants (1985–1990), Cleveland Browns (1992), and Philadelphia Eagles (1993–1994) in the National Football League (NFL). Bavaro was selected to the Pro Bowl for his performances in the 1986 and 1987 seasons and was a member of the Giants teams that won Super Bowls XXI and XXV.

After an All-American career at the University of Notre Dame, Bavaro was drafted by the Giants in the fourth round (#100 overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft. He quickly emerged as a starter in his rookie season and became renowned during his Giants career for his blocking, toughness, and receiving skills. After a degenerative knee condition forced him to sit out the 1991 season, he returned to play three seasons for the Browns and Eagles before retiring in 1995. Since retiring Bavaro has done work as an anti-abortion activist. His brother David also played in the NFL for four seasons.

About Dave Maloney

Dave Maloney was drafted 14th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1974 NHL amateur draft. He played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974–75 until 1984–85.. Maloney played in 657 career NHL games, scoring 71 goals and 246 assists for 317 points, as well as compiling 1154 penalty minutes. He was also the youngest player to serve as Captain for the New York Rangers and captained them to the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals. That same year, Maloney, along with Phil Esposito and other Ranger teammates, recorded a song called the Hockey Sock Rock as a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

In 1990, Maloney called the New York Rangers-Washington series on SportsChannel America along with Rick Peckham. From 1995 to 1998, he was a studio analyst for NHL on Fox. He currently serves as the color commentator on Ranger radio broadcasts alongside Kenny Albert.

On December 6, 1984, the Rangers traded Maloney and Chris Renaud to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Steve Patrick and Jim Wiemer.

Maloney played with his brother Don Maloney while with the Rangers.

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About the Podcast

WGBB Sports Talk New York
Talking New York sports on Long Island's WGBB Radio.
Broadcasting LIVE Sunday nights at 8:00PM on Long Island's WGBB Radio 95.5FM | 1240AM. We're talking NEW YORK SPORTS! The Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils and the New York metro-area college scene are all up for discussion.

Listen for our interviews with past and present professional New York athletes- as well as local sports writers, authors, broadcasters and others with something new, interesting and different to say about New York sports. Join our hosts live on the air by calling in on the WGBB studio hotline at (516) 623-1240.

The podcast includes a WGBB SPORTS TALK FLASHBACK bonus episode each week! Available ONLY to podcast subscribers, bonus episodes will consist of old sports talk shows and interviews with former pro New York athletes, all originally aired on WGBB. Don't miss out- Subscribe Today!

WGBB Sports Talk New York replaced the long running SPORTSTALK1240 on WGBB (2007-2020) in January 2021.

UPCOMING SHOWS
April 21st... Hosted by Bill Donohue, followed by Andy Suekoff at 9:00pm.
April 28th... Mike Guidone and Chris Caputo host, followed by TBD at 9:00pm.
May 5th... Bill Donohue hosts, followed by TBD at 9:00pm.
May 12th... Mike Guidone and Chris Caputo host, followed by TBD at 9:00pm.
May 19th... Bill Donohue hosts, followed by TBD at 9:00pm.
May 26th... Mike Guidone and Chris Caputo host, followed by TBD at 9:00pm.

About your hosts

Rob Kowal

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Rob is the Executive Producer of WGBB's Sports Talk New York. While he still gets behind the mic from time to time to host the show, Rob mostly works behind the scenes helping to book guests, maintain the website and promote the show on social media.

Bill Donohue

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Bill's first vivid recollection of sports revolves around the magical seasons of 1969 – when the Mets, Knicks and Jets all won championships – and Bobby Cox was playing 3B for the Yankees. A history buff and ports “purist,” he enjoys the comparison of the eras and discussing those contrasting viewpoints. Bill is a benefactor of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and enjoys visiting the hallowed shrine to our national pastime whenever possible.

Mike Trezza

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Mike is a veteran of the local sports media scene. He's done play-by-play work for football, basketball and lacrosse on local TV, radio and digital platforms, and hosted various talk shows since 1995. He also serves as the public address announcer for several local colleges and high schools. Mike teaches at Farmingdale State College and Suffolk Community College. Since January 2021 Mike has been hosting Spot on Sports with Mike Guidone.

Mike Guidone

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Mike is the girls' varsity basketball coach at Locust Valley High School. This past winter, his team broke the all-time Long Island consecutive victory record for girls' basketball, winning 54 straight over the course of 3 seasons. He also coaches boys' and girls' tennis. Mike is a teacher at Westbury High School. Since January 2021 Mike has been hosting Spot on Sports with Mike Trezza.

Andy Suekoff

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Andy is an in-game analyst for Stony Brook University Hockey, as well as an Ingest Coordinator for Encompass Digital Media in Stamford, CT. A graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, Andy was a play-by-play announcer for five NCAA Division I sports during his time as the school, and hosted a half hour weekly talk show, Bottom of the 6th. Andy is an avid fan of all the major sports, college football/basketball and MMA, specifically including the Yankees, Rangers, Jets and St. John’s.

Anthony Stabile

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Bio coming soon!