Sports

The Rumble

Twin brothers, Twin Rinks

Groundbreaking this week for Ferraro duo’s L.I. hockey facility

The Islanders may be leaving Long Island, but hockey isn’t.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Ferraro Brothers Ice Center at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow will be held Tuesday morning, marking the future home of Twin Rinks, a state-of-the-art sports and recreation center.

To be completed in four stages, Twin Rinks will be an 85,000 square foot world-class facility with two NHL regulation-sized rinks and one outdoor recreational hockey rink that will host skating lessons, youth player development programs, tournaments and hockey teams for all ages and skill levels. It will also include one full-size turf field with soccer and lacrosse lines, a sport court with four NBA/NCAA regulation basketball courts, a handball wall, and a rollerblade and stroller path connecting the complex with the pre-existing paths that surround the Nassau County Aquatic Center.

“This facility will enable us to create a hockey hotbed right here on Long Island, ” Chris Ferraro said.

“We were extremely fortunate that our parents had the means and the desire to take us where we needed to go to succeed,” Peter Ferraro said. “Because of our experience, we are able to give back and guide young players along a path to develop, to teach the importance of camaraderie, sportsmanship and integrity without having to travel off Long Island.”

The center will be the home of at least two youth hockey organizations, including the Long Island Gulls Amateur Hockey Association and the New York Junior Bobcats. It will also play host to in-house figure skating programs, learn to skate programs, a recreational youth hockey league and adult hockey leagues.

The Ferraro brothers, former Rangers from Port Jefferson, partnered with Rich “Big Daddy” Salgado, president of Coastal Advisers LLC insurance consultants, and attorneys Ronald and Joel Friedman to establish Twin Rinks.

Olympic gymnast to receive Munson award

Olympic Gold Medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman is small in stature at 5-foot-2

and 115 pounds, especially next to behemoths like the Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty and Yankees ace pitcher CC Sabathia, who both stand 6-foot-7. But the Olympic heroine from the London Games is every bit as deserving to receive the 33rd annual Thurman Munson Award, which will be presented at by the AHRC New York City Foundation on Feb. 5, at the Grand Hyatt.

That trio will be joined by Mets slugger Ike Davis and former Knicks point guard/current CBS Sports/YES Network basketball analyst Greg Anthony in the “Class of 2013” Thurman recipients, honored for their athletic excellence and community service.

Yankees pitcher David Phelps will receive the “Rising Star” Award for his rookie success and promising future.

The awards remember the late, great Yankees catcher and captain Thurman Munson. Diana Munson, Thurman’s widow, will attend her 33rd straight benefit. For tickets and information on the Munson Awards Dinner call (212) 249-6188.

Amazin’ 1973 crew honored

It took about a month for Tug McGraw’s “Ya Gotta Believe” cry to take hold. It probably was one of the great rallying cries in sports history. It came on July 9, 1973, and at the time Tug’s Mets were 34-46, in last place in National League East, 12 games out of first place.

But manager Yogi Berra’s team never quit. With McGraw in the bullpen, the Mets put together a great second half surge, going 20-8 in September and October to rally and win the division.

Saturday, on the 40th anniversary of the 1973 team’s great comeback, that Mets club will be honored at the Baseball Writers Dinner at the Hilton Hotel. Rusty Staub and Buddy Harrelson will be in attendance to represent the ’73 squad.

“That day, Donald Grant, who was our Chairman of the Board, came down to the locker room and told us that ownership still had faith in the guys and that the season wasn’t lost,” recalled Tom Seaver, who was 19-10 and won his second Cy Young award that season. “Mr. Grant heard Tug yell ‘Ya Gotta Believe’ and he thought he was mocking him.

King: Hall of Fame shutout a joke

Larry King called in to SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio channel Wednesday to talk about the Hall of Fame voting results with hosts Jim Bowden and Casey Stern.

“I think this is a bleak, sad day for baseball,” King said. “Mike Piazza? It’s a joke. He’s the best hitting catcher that ever lived. You hear a rumor about him and you don’t … that’s insane. Writers leaving a blank ballot? That’s a joke. They should be banned. And other people should, broadcasters should vote. Why is it sacrosanct that writers are the ones that vote?”