If you're thinking of the last time a professional organization from New York or New Jersey won a championship, let me help you out.

The New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup in the 2002-2003 season and before that in the '99-'00 campaign.  The New York Yankees are the only other organization to have won anything recently, securing the World Series in '96, '98. '99, and '00.

But, Mike Vaccaro of the NY Post ignorantly wanted you to believe that the Devils don't mean anything because they play in New Jersey and not literally in New York City.

"Seven consecutive calendar years will have passed without one championship resting beside the name of a team that calls New York its official home," Vaccaro said. "All due respect to the Devils, they are the New Jersey Devils, and as such they don't belong in this conversation and so their 2003 Stanley Cup doesn't count. Location, location, location."

Vaccaro continued to talk about the success of New Englanders, who have watched their Patriots dominate football between 2000 and 2005, winning three Super Bowls over that period.  And of course, the Red Sox who have won two World Series in the past four seasons, including a few months ago.

Maybe, Vaccaro does not enjoy hockey, but the Devils and Rangers for that matter are definitely part of this region of sports.

Nobody "carried the torch" in New York City proper in seven years but, regardless, credit the Devils organization for their success.

Maybe, Rudy Guliani should have given Martin Brodeur the key to the city.  He's definitely earned it for a Hall of Fame career.

So what if the Knicks continue to suck at basketball.  Wait, that's right.  They've always stank, excluding two championships.

"Look, we're lucky: for a lot of those decades, it was the Yankees alone who helped salvage what would otherwise have been a barren landscape," Vaccaro said. "We once went 39 seasons, 1941-79, without one hockey championship. The Knicks have been in business since 1946, and for all the self-styled talk about what a "storied" franchise they are, they have won exactly two championships. Two!"

The Yankees have earned a title every 3.9 years of existence, starting with the 1901 campaign and including their 26 W.S. wins.  The Devils are averaging a title every 8.3 years since moving to New Jersey in 1982.

If you want to include the Islanders’ four Cups since 1972, an average of 8.75 years, fine, sure, whatever.  Just remember they have not won zilch since 1983.  Hmmm… what’s that like… 24 years… yeah, go Isles! (The NJ Nets won two ABA Championships in the seventies, but nothing since then, and the NY Mets two World Series since 1962, none since 1986 of course.)

Vaccaro, if you’re wondering the next time that the Devils or Yankees will represent the East Coast, it should happen in the next few years.  I am not saying this just based on the Law of Averages.

Rather, let’s focus on the fact that both teams have either made the postseason the last 11 years straight.

Don’t make the same mistakes about the other organizations in this region.

You are more likely to grow white hair lose your hair than watch them celebrate in New York City.

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