2011 Double G Sports Awards Nominees

Added by Gregg Snyder on December 12, 2011.

Every year, Double G Sports gives out a handful of awards, looking back at the past year in NY/NJ sports. This year, we asked our writers to submit their nominees for each category. Those nominees were then narrowed down to the finalists you will read about below. After reading the nominees, we will provide you with a link so you can move along and actually place your votes. Award winners will be announced in early January.

Team of the Year

New York Yankees – The Yankees won the American League East with an AL best 97-65 record. The Yankees eventually lost to the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the playoffs.

St. Anthony’s Boy’s Basketball – The Jersey City high school not only completed a perfect 33-0 season to capture the state championship, they won their fourth USA Today National Title.

Rutgers Football – After being picked last in the preseason, the Scarlet Knights were one win shy of a Big East title, but fell just short. They did finish the regular season with a 8-4 record, 4-3 in conference play. Rutgers will play in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 30th.

New York Jets – The Jets lost in the AFC championship game last season but were able to get their by finally beating the Patriots in the playoffs. This season, the Jets are currently 8-5 and hold their own destiny as they approach their 3rd straight playoff appearance.

Don Bosco Prep Football – DBP completed their third straight undefeated season, going 11-0 and winning their 6th straight NJSIAA Non-Public A Title. They also won a theoretical national title with their #1 ranking for the second straight season.

Athlete of the Year

Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers – Sanu was the one constant for Rutgers offense all year. The junior wide receiver set school and Big East records for receptions in a season with 109. He gained 1,144 yards receiving.

Thierry Henry, Red Bulls – The team captain helped the Red Bulls get to the playoffs while leading them with 14 goals scored. He also totaled four assists.

Jose Reyes, Mets – Last season was his last in a Mets uniform but it was a good one. Reyes won the National League batting title with a .337 average. He had 31 doubles, 16 triples, and seven home runs in just 126 games. The shortstop also stole 39 bags.

Khaseem Greene, Rutgers – The junior linebacker was named Big East co-defensive player of the year after leading the conference with 127 tackles. He also added three sacks and 2 forced fumbles to lead the Scarlet Knights defense.

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks – In 27 games for the Knicks last season, Anthony averaged 26.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3 assists. In the playoffs, Anthony stepped up his game even more, averaging 26 points, 10.3 points, and 4.8 assists.

Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers – Lundqvist has become one of the NHL’s top goaltenders. In the 2010-11 season, Lundqvist averaged just 2.28 goals against to go with his 92.3% save percentage and 11 shutouts. So far this season, Lundqvist has continued where he left off. The goalie is giving up just 2.15 goals per contest and has a 93% save percentage.

Robinson Cano, Yankees – The Yankees second baseman was overshadowed by Curtis Granderson but Cano may have had the better overall year. Cano batted .302 with 46 doubles, 7 triples, 28 home runs, and drove in 118 runs. He also won the home run derby during the All-Star break.

Eli Manning, Giants – Manning is proving he is among the elite QB’s in the NFL. Manning has already thrown for over 4,000 yards this season and has played his best ball in the fourth quarter of games. Manning has thrown 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions so far this season.

Coach of the Year

Greg Schiano, Rutgers – Schiano led a team picked for last place in the preseason to a 8-4 overall record and one win shy of a conference championship. He will coach the team in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Bob Hurley, St. Anthony’s – Hurley led St. Anthony’s to a 33-0 record and state and national championship.

Steve Lavin, St. John’s – In his first season at St. John’s, Lavin led the team to it’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002. St. John’s went 21-12 overall last season, finishing 5th in the Big East.

Greg Toal, Don Bosco Prep – Toal and the Don Bosco Prep football team finished their 3rd straight undefeated season and 6th straight state title. They also won their 2nd straight national title for high school football.

Joe Girardi, Yankees – The Yankees led by Girardi, won the American League East with a 97 win season.

Newcomer of the Year

Amare Stoudemire, Knicks – Stoudemire averaged 25.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in his first season with the Knicks. In the playoffs, Stoudemire averaged 14.5 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Plaxico Burress, Jets – While not a newcomer to New York, Burress is a first year Jet since being released from prison. The wide out has caught 37 passes for 512 yards so far this season. He is tied for the team lead with seven receiving touchdowns.

Ryan McDonagh, Rangers – In 40 games for the Rangers in the 2010-11 season, McDonagh had a plus 11 with 10 points. He was a big reason the Rangers have been able to shut down top front lines of the opposition.

Freddy Garcia, Yankees – The veteran went 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA on the mound for the Yankees. He pitched 146.2 innings and held his opponents to a .268 average. The Yankees resigned Garcia this offseason.

Deron Williams, Nets – In 12 games as the point guard for the New Jersey Nets, Williams averaged 38 minutes and scored 15 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 12.8 assists per game.

Rookie / Freshman of the Year

Ivan Nova, Yankees – Nova went 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA. The rookie pitched 165.1 innings and held the opposition to a .258 average against. In the playoffs, Nova went 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA. He struck out 8 batters in 8.1 playoff innings.

Landry Fields, Knicks – Fields was impressive early on before slowing down later in the season. The guard averaged 9.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1 steal per game in 2010-11. He appeared in all 82 games, including 81 starts.

Dillon Gee, Mets – The rookie pitcher went 13-6 with a 4.43 ERA for a bad Mets team. Opponents hit just .248 against him. Gee struck out 114 batters in 160.2 innings.

Gary Nova, Rutgers – The off-and-on starting quarterback at least showed why he is the future at the position. The strong armed quarterback threw for 1,533 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was 113-of-220. His downfall was some questionable decision making and nine interceptions. Nova did have a 118.2 QB rating this season and is still in the running to start the Pinstripe Bowl.

Lucas Duda, Mets – Duda was an unknown before making his appearance on the Mets. The outfielder hit .292 with 21 doubles, 10 home runs, and drove in 50 in just 100 games.

Michael Burton, Rutgers – Burton was a preferred walk-on before the year and ended making significant contributions at fullback for Rutgers. The fullback position is in good hands despite Joe Martinek graduating after the season.

Disappointing Team of the Year

New York Mets – The Mets finished fourth in the NL East with a 77-85 record, including just 34-47 at home. After trading Francisco Rodriguez late last season, the Mets did not even give their best player, Jose Reyes a contract offer this off-season.

New Jersey Nets – The Nets went 24-58 last season, winning just three of 16 games against the rest of the Atlantic Division. The team won a total of five road games in 2010-11.

New Jersey Devils – With a roster full of star players, the Devils got off to the worst start in their history last season before coming on strong in the end. They missed the playoffs and finished fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 38-39 record. So far in 2011, they are once against in fourth place with a 14-13 record.

Rutgers Men’s Basketball – After bringing in a big time recruiting class, expectations were high for the Scarlet Knights. It seems as though the team is not yet ready to take the next step as they have started the year 5-5, including losses to teams like Illinois State, Richmond, and Princeton.

New York Giants – After missing the playoffs last season, the Giants are in danger of doing that yet again. They started the season 6-2 but are not just 7-6. They do have the hold on first place in the NFC East as of now however.

Disappointing Player of the Year

A.J. Burnett, Yankees – The high priced starting pitcher finished the year 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA. Burnett gave up 190 hits in 190.1 innings, including 31 home runs.

David Wright, Mets – The third baseman hit just .254 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI’s. Since the Mets have now moved the fences in at Citi Field, there will be no more excuses.

Jason Bay, Mets – Bay was even worse than Wright, hitting .245 with 12 home runs and 57 RBI’s. Bay struck out 109 times.

Mike Pelfrey, Mets – With Johan Santana injured, Pelfrey was needed to be the ace. He was far from that. The big pitcher went just 7-13 with a 4.74 ERA. Opponents hit a healthy .286 against him.

Travis Outlaw, Nets – The forward scored an average of just 9.2 points per game and just 4 rebounds per contest. He shot just 37% from the floor and 77% from the free throw line. The Nets needed a better performance from the veteran.

Game of the Year

St. Anthony’s vs St. Patricks – The nationally televised high school basketball game between the nations top two teams, both from New Jersey took place on March 9th. St. Anthony’s came out on top, 62-45.

Knicks vs Celtics – Game 2 of Eastern Conference First Round

Yankees vs Tigers – Game 5 of American League Division Series

Jets vs Patriots – Jets defeated Patriots in 2010-11 playoffs

Giants vs Patriots – The Giants defeated Tom Brady and the Patriots yet again, this time in a regular season matchup.

Giants vs Cowboys – In Week 14, the Giants went into Dallas and put together a big comeback win to grab the division lead.

Comeback Story of the Year

Sean Avery, Rangers – Avery was demoted to the AHL prior to the season but has since ben recalled. The Rangers went 8-2 in the first ten games since Avery’s return.

Eric LeGrand, Rutgers – LeGrand has continued his work toward walking again. LeGrand has improved greatly and has inspired so many people. He is now helping out with halftime and postgame analysis at Rutgers games and returned to the field earlier this season, leading the team out of the tunnel against West Virginia.

Osi Umenyiora, Giants – After a bad off-season that saw Umenyiora sit out training camp and a lot of back and forth talk between the team and Umenyiora’s camp, the defensive end returned and has been having a solid season before being injured. The defensive end is second on the team with seven sacks so far this season.

Mark Herzlich, Giants – Herzlich is a cancer survivor who went undrafted out of Boston College. The linebacker was signed by the Giants and immediately made an impression. Herzlich saw most of his time on special teams before getting a start at middle linebacker after Michael Boley was injured. Herzlich played a solid game in his first start. He is currently injured but Giants fans as eager to get him back on the field.

Plaxico Burress, Jets – Burress was signed by the Jets after being released from prison. The veteran wide receiver started slow but seems to have made a big impact on the Jets offense this season. Burress is tied for the team lead with seven touchdown receptions.

Moment of the Year

Eric LeGrand, Rutgers – Led team onto the field on October 29th against West Virginia.

Derek Jeter, Yankees – 3,000th career hit. First Yankee to accomplish the feat. It was a home run.

Robinson Cano, Yankees – 2011 Home Run Derby with his dad pitching

New York Jets – Playoff win over New England Patriots

Jose Reyes, Mets – Pulled himself from game after a bunt single in Mets final game.

Mariano Rivera, Yankees – Set the All-Time Saves record.

West New York Flash – Won WPS Championship

So, there you have it, all the nominees. Please give your vote by visiting our awards ballot. Your opinion matters to us!