Bulldogs and Tar Heels Battle For Title

We started this dance about a month ago. At that time, there were sixty eight teams in the chase. Now here we sit with two teams left standing. one will walk away as the National Champion in Men's Basketball, while the other will just walk out of Phoenix. One team looks for redemption from a season ago, while the other one looks to claim its first ever title. Time for talk has ended. Lets look at tonight's title game shall we.

The top team in the country in the Bulldogs of Gonzaga will be taking on the other number one seed left the Tar Heels of North Carolina. Before we dive into breaking down this matchup, lets take a look back at the seasons each of these schools has had and how we arrived at this point in time.

North Carolina rolled through the regular season finishing the year going 26-6. The Tar Heels earned top seed in the South Region, despite falling to Duke in the semifinal of the ACC tournament. In the 1st round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, North Carolina rolled to a 103-64 win over Texas Southern, and they followed that up in the 2nd round against Arkansas. After blowing a 17-point 1st half lead and trailing 65-60 with under three minutes remaining, Kennedy Meeks led a North Carolina comeback with 16 points and a huge tip-in with 44.2 seconds remaining to put UNC ahead 68-65 as they would survive a scare against Arkansas and win 72-65 to advance to the Sweet 16. There, they beat Butler 92-80, thus advancing to the Elite Eight for the 26th time in program history. In an Elite Eight showdown between two college basketball blue bloods, Luke Maye made a jumper with 0.3 seconds left to beat Kentucky 75-73 and advance to their second consecutive Final Four appearance as well as their record-setting 20th appearance in the Final Four. North Carolina defeated Oregon 77-76 in the Final Four, led by Kennedy Meeks, who had a double-double career-high 25 points and 14 rebounds as well as a offensive rebound off of a Joel Berry II missed free throw with 4.0 seconds left, to advance to the championship game.

Now as for Gonzaga, they rolled to a 29-1 regular season record, winning both the West Coast Conference regular season and Conference titles, in order to earn the top seed in the West Region. Once the tournament got underway, Gonzaga came away with a 66-46 win over South Dakota State to get the ball rolling. In their 2nd round game against Northwestern, trailing by 5 with 5 minutes left after trailing by as many as 22 in the second half, Northwestern head coach Chris Collins stomped onto the court when a goal-tending call was missed, thus drawing a technical foul, ending Northwestern's chances of winning the game, as Gonzaga would prevail to win 79-73. In their Sweet 16 game against West Virginia, Jordan Mathews hit a go-ahead three-pointer with less than a minute remaining to give Gonzaga a 60-58 lead as Gonzaga would prevail to win 61-58 and advance to the Elite Eight. In the Elite Eight, led by Nigel Williams-Goss with 23 points, Gonzaga routed Xavier 83-59 to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history. Gonzaga defeated South Carolina 77-73 in the Final Four led by 23 points from Nigel Williams-Goss, 27 points from Gonzaga's big men, and a Josh Perkins foul preventing Sindarius Thornwell's game-tying three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left, to advance to the championship game.

So now that we know how are two teams made the final showdown, lets break it down shall we. North Carolina is making consecutive title game appearances for the first time since 1981 and 1982. Roy Williams, who will be coaching his 100th NCAA Tournament game tonight, is 41-10 all-time with the Tar Heels. One of the star players for this North Carolina team is forward Kennedy Meeks, who posted his 13th double-double with a career-best 25 points and 14 rebounds against Oregon. The Tar Heels are grabbing 15.6 offensive rebounds per game during the NCAA Tournament. One other Tar Heels player your going to want to keep an eye on tonight is forward Justin Jackson, who scored 13 of his 22 points in the second half on Saturday. The ACC Player of the Year is averaging a team-leading 18.3 points per contest. Oh and North Carolina is 1-1 all time in the tournament against Gonzaga, and that includes their win over the Zags in the 2009 Sweet 16.

Gonzaga is the fourth team to reach the championship with one or fewer losses. Bulldogs center Przemek Karnowski, who owns an NCAA-record 137 victories, is averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Another Gonzaga player to watch tonight is Nigel Williams-Goss. He led the Bulldogs with 23 points, six assists and five rebounds against South Carolina. The WCC Player of the Year is averaging a team-best 16.9 points and 4.7 assists per game. Gonzaga has shot a higher percentage from the field than its opponent in 46 consecutive games, which oh by the way, is the longest Division I streak in 20 years. Gonzaga is shooting 48.8 percent (21-for-43) from beyond the arc over the last two games.

There's no denying that the Tar Heels are good, and that Gonzaga has been the underdog all season long. Honestly, I think that's how Gonzaga likes it, because they've been proving everybody wrong time and time again this season. Vegans has North Carolina as a two point favorite going into this contest.  That's what Gonzaga wants, they always play better when nobody gives them a chance to pull out a win. North Carolina is going to put up one hell of a fight, but at the end of the day the Bulldogs of Gonzaga are going to finish the job going wire to wire. Gonzaga brings home a national championship.

Final Score: Gonzaga 79, North Carolina 73

2017 Major League Baseball Preview

The sweet smell of fresh cut grass, hot dogs and sunflower seeds is in the air. That time of year has finally rolled around, baseball season has FINALLY arrived. Major League Baseball is set to open its doors to the fans and get things going on the 2017 regular season. Thirty teams, all with one goal in mind. To be the best baseball team on the planet. Some teams have made a lot of moves to get better. Others decided to stay put, which made one scratch there head. So lets not waste much time, here's what baseball fans have to look forward to for the 2017 season.

There's been a few things to look at going into this season. One thing is some of the new rule changes that have been implemented into the league for this season. First, there's the “No pitch” intentional walk. Managers will now signal the umpire that they want to issue a walk and the player will simply take his base. I like the idea it just saves a little bit of time. There will also be new guidelines for reviewing a play. Managers now have 30 seconds to decide whether or not to challenge and the umpires have a two minute limit on reviewing before issuing their decision. This is a good rule because, the way things are set up now a challenge could take too long so it'll help speed things up. I kinda like the new rule changes, because it will help move things along. This will also be the first year in quite a long time where Vin Scully isn't going to be behind the mic for the Dodgers

There are so many questions that teams and fans have going into the start of the season. Can the new managers in Arizona (Torey Lovullo), Atlanta (Brian Snitker), Chicago with the White Sox (Rick Renteria) and Colorado (Bud Black) lead their clubs to contention? Can the Cubs repeat as World Champions, something we haven't seen in baseball since the 1998 through 2000 New York Yankees? Looks like a few teams have some strong showings for this year. The Yankees are going to get a full year of the baby bombers. Can they live up to the hype this season? Which team has the best rotation? The Mets, Nats, Giants, Indians, Red Sox? Can Seattle finally cash in on all the moves that GM Jerry Dipoto made?

Those questions will be answered as the year goes along. For the purpose of this article, lets move on shall we. Here's how I see the 2017 Major League Baseball season breaking down.

American League East:
1. Boston Red Sox (95-67)*
The Red Sox will become the first team since the 2011 and 2012 Yankees to win the division in back to back seasons. They made a few changes from last season. Big Papi David Ortiz has retired and is no longer there. Aaron Hill is gone, so is Clay Buckholtz (who was traded for Josh Tobias). The biggest move the Red Sox made was trading with the White Sox for Chris Sale. With him and David Price at the top of the rotation, Boston may have the best one-two punch in the big leagues. They also have Rick Porcello, Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodríguez, which could be very dangerous. As far as being able to put runs on the board, Boston still has plenty of power to be able to do that. Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramírez are both expected to have big years again for Boston. Maybe adding Mitch Moreland will help replace some of the offense lost by Ortiz retirement. They may not be able to score the 835 runs they did last year, but they are still a good offense and can top the division once again.

2. Toronto Blue Jays (87-75)
Last year, they finished tied with Baltimore for 2nd in the AL East, but this year's club from the North looks a little bit different. Jose Bautista is back in the mix again in the middle of the Tornoto lineup, but he won't have his normal running buddy in Edwin Encarnación with him, as he left for Cleveland. So, in order to try and replace that production, the Jays signed Kendrys Morales. The offense is still pretty potent. The have Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin, Troy Tulowitzki, Justin Smok, Melvin Upton, they have all the possible firepower to make noise in the East. As far as pitching goes, I'm not totally sure yet. R.A Dickey is gone, he left for Atlanta. Francisco Liriano will asked to be taking on a larger role with this team now to replace Dickey. J.P. Howell and Joe Smith were brought in to help out with the bullpen, which could possibly be a weak spot for the Jays. Still I think Toronto has enough talent to really be in the mix for a playoff spot most of the season.

3. Baltimore Orioles (85-77)
Things have changed a little bit in Baltimore. The O's did a lot to bring back bigtime slugger Mark Trumbo. Trumbo is coming off a 47 home run year last year, which lead all of baseball. Welington Castillo was a nice pickup behind the plate, replacing Matt Weiters. Castillo, its believed by some around baseball, is just there to hold down the fort behind the plate until Chance Sisco is ready, but remember Castillo is no slouch either so he's good for a little while. They still have J.J Hardy, Chris Davis, and Manny Machado to help with the production department. The pitching, and more specifically the starting rotation, could leave something to be desired. They did nothing to try and improve on that rotation from last year, with Wade Miley still at the top of the retation. Yovani Gallardo leaving didn't help much. The team can score, but lack of pitching may hurt them.

4. New York Yankees (83-79)
Here's where we can see if the baby bombers are going to really pay off. A lot of the rookies are going to be expected to have big roles with this baseball team. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are expected to have big years, same thing with possibly Greg Bird if he's healthy at first base. But if Bird isn't healthy, they have a plan at first base. Matt Holiday can play and so can Chris Carter, but his strikeout totals can be an issue. To help out the pitching, they brought back Aroldis Chapman to close out games. With him and Dellin Betances in the back of the pen, the Yankees could be a very dangerous team if they get a lead late in a game. They have the talent to possibly make noise with the bat, which is what they did at the end of last year. Pitching is the biggest issue in the Bronx. Mostly the starting pitching. Behind Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and CC Sabathia, there's nothing really special about the Yankees pitching staff. Who knows how the rest of the rotation will pan out. Pitching might be the biggest issue with the Yanks, but they could still be a threat to the O's for 3rd in the division.

5. Tampa Bay Rays (75-97)
Talk about a reloading team. Tampa made some splashes over the winter, trading Drew Smyly to the Seattle Mariners and second baseman Logan Forsythe to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boith deals netted some minor league depth including pitching stud Jose De Leon. A bounce-back year from Chris Archer, a healthy season from Alex Cobb and a step forward from Blake Snell could give them a formidable staff. Compared to the rest of the division, they are still a step or two behind when it comes to offense. Sure, they still have Evan Longoria leading the charge and having Nick Franklin, Kevin Kiermaier and Colby Rasmus helping fill that attack. They also added Wilson Ramos and Rasmus which will make them a good team once they pull it all together. Tampa isn't quite at that level yet but they are on the move.

American League Central:
1. Cleveland Indians (96-66)*
A season ago, the Indians went on a magical run, winning 94 regular season games and taking that tidal wave all the way to game seven of the World Series. They came up one win short against the Cubs. This year they look to make another run at a World Title. There have been a few changes that the Tribe have made. Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis and Coco Crisp are all gone. They did bring in a very heavy hitter in Edwin Encarnación to add power to a potent lineup. Austin Jackson and Chris Colabello are the only other notable additions and both should have a chance to win a bench spot as non-roster invitees to help bolster an even more loaded ballclub. And look at the pitching staff that the Tribe already have. Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar weren't very effective during the playoff run last year, but they should be back to form this year. They still have Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Josh Tomlin in the front line and Bryan Shaw and Andrew Miller in the back end of the pen, the Indians are going to be a very tough team to beat this year.

2. Detroit Tigers (84-78)
Detroit is going to take a slight step backwards this year. There was rumor that Detroit would possibly start a rebuild and maybe even move Miguel Cabrara and/or Justin Verlander. Neither guy was moved, which right now is a very good thing. Those two guys are the most talented guys on the team. They brought back Alex Avila to help on the offensive side of things. With guys like Justin Upton, JD Martinez, Ian Kinsler, Nick Castellanos they have some offensive weapons to work with this year. Then there's Michael Fulmer, last year's rookie of the year. Can he replicate his success from a season ago? Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd could be solid bets to be reliable rotation options. Detroit has a very shaky bullpen which does leave one to wonder how much room there is in this division for mistakes for a team like Detroit.

3. Kansas City Royals (83-79)
This Royals team could be a bit of a surprise in the Central this year. Wade Davis, Kendrys Morales, Jarrod Dyson, Edinson Volquez, they're all gone now. You'd think losing some talent like that would put a hurting on a team. Well they still have plenty of talent left in Kansas City. Brandon Moss and Jorge Sole were brought on board to help out on the offensive side of things. Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar are still going to be counted on to carry the offense, but those four guys are staring down free agency by next winter. KC is going to make things interesting, because remember this was a team who went to back to back World Series in 2014 and 2015, a lot of talent is still together from those teams. Some pieces are missing and the=at might end up hurting again this year. Just doesn't feel like the mojo is quite the same with this ball club.

4. Chicago White Sox (69-93)
Last year Chicago won only 78 games, this year it doesn't look like its going to be any better. At least not right now, they didn't get any better. They did take a proper step in that rebuilding mode during the winter meetings, trading away Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, and Dane Dunning are all coming to Chicago from Washington in the Eaton deal, while the Red Sox sent Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz in exchange for Sale. So its a nice group of young talent to build off of for the White Sox. Justin Jackson, Justin Morneau, and Alex Avila are also gone for Chicago. They did retool a little by bringing in Derek Holland, Geovany Soto, and Everth Cabrera. Still there isn't enough talent here for the White Sox to be relevant just yet.

5. Minnesota Twins (64-98)
Last year, Minnesota finished the year with the worst record in all of baseball, going 59-103. This year, they will be an improved baseball team. No way they lose 100 games this year. Brian Dozier had a big year in Minnesota last year, and you can expect a lot of the same from him this year. Jason Castro was brought in to replace Kurt Suzuki behind the plate, and its also worth noting in Minnesota that Trevor Plouffe is no longer a Twin. What hurts Minnesota here is the fact that they get no favors playing in a top-heavy division. A pitching staff with a major league-worst 5.08 ERA returns mostly intact. It could be a long summer in the Twin Cities.

American League West
1. Houston Astros (90-72)*
Going from a 3rd place team to a division winner is a pretty big jump, but the Astros are going to be that team to make the jump this year. they have a deep enough talent pool to be able to overtake both Texas and a hard charging Seattle club to take the West this year. As far as pitching goes, Houston may be a tad behind. Don't get me wrong, they have good starters in Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh, but after that, who knows. Keuchel is looking for, and will have, a bounceback season, and a healthy year from Lance McCullers would make all the difference in the world in their pursuit of a division title. The guys behind them like Joe Musgrove, David Paulino and injury-flier Charlie Morton are also capable of providing the rotation with a boost. On offense, they did very nice for themselves to bolster an already loaded lineup. Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Josh Reddick were brought on board to help power an offense that already featured the dynamic trio of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer, giving the team an offense that potentially stacks up to any in baseball.Its been quite a drought in Houston, they haven't won a division title since winning the National League Central in 2001, so it'll be nice to see the Astros win a crown for a change.

2. Texas Rangers (89-73) (WC)
This team was the class of the American League West a season ago. Things are going to be a little different in Texas this year.  Lets not get things confused here, Texas is still a very good baseball team, they will be in the mix all summer long for the division title. But there are a few things that The Rangers are going to have to take a good, long look at. There's still plenty of talent on the roster, but they've yet to address the departures of Mitch Moreland and Carlos Beltran and the starting rotation still looks unstable behind aces Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. Hamels and Darvish rival any one-two combination in the league and Martin Perez is a solid back-end starter, but the rotation still looks like a question mark. A return to form from Ross would go a long way. The team is putting a lot of faith in the likes of Joey Gallo, Jurickson Profar, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross, which is a risky strategy for a team that has invested a ton of money and prospect talent in assembling the current MLB core. They will get into the playoffs but Texas will be feeling the heat for sure from Seattle.

3. Seattle Mariners (87-75) (WC)
Talk about re-tooling a baseball team, look no further then the Great Northwest. The M's haven't reached the postseason since 2001, so props to general manager Jerry Dipoto for not resting on his laurels after coming up just short with 86 wins a year ago. That's going to change this year, that's for sure. The Seattle Mariners currently have 17 newcomers on the 40-man roster, including 10 among the projected Opening Day roster. The middle of the lineup is already loaded with Robinson Canó, nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. Jean Segura and Jarrod Dyson are now added into that mix, which will give Seattle a one-two punch atop the lineup that will have no problem setting the table for the three sluggers just mentioned. Oh but wait, there's more out of Seattle. Felix Hernandez is looking to hae a return to form in a big way this year. The King will take his old self back this season. Drew Smyly and Yovani Gallardo are joining the starting rotation, they are going to be counted on to replace Taijuan Walker, who was shipped to the Arizona Diamondbacks to land Segura. Seattle got some big upgrades this winters they could be a very dangerous team this year.

4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (78-84)
The Angels have dominated the West for a long time, but as of late they have started to slip and are kind of in a bit of a rebuild mode. Anaheim won 74 games last year, their lowest win total since 1999. They are going to get a little better this year, but not a whole lot to really be a contender in this top heavy division. Yes they still have the best player in the American League, maybe in all of baseball, in Mike Trout. The Angels did some move making in the offseason to rebolster this lineup. Danny Espinosa, Cameron Maybin, Luis Valbuena and Ben Revere were all brought on board to try and help make this team better. It might not the most exciting group of offseason additions, but they did fill some rather glaring areas of need for this team. But in reality, its not enough to make them contenders in the West. The pitching in Anaheim makes you scratch your head as they don't really have a true stand out star ace. The management in Anaheim wasn't really able to build again around Mike Trout, which is what is going to hold the Angels back again this year.

5. Oakland Athletics (63-99)
Hate to say this A's fans but its going to be another long season by the Bay. After making the playoffs for three straight years, the A's have hit the bottom each of the last two, and this year won't be any better. Oakland did add a lot of talent this year, signing some useful veteran pieces this offseason like Trevor Plouffe, Rajai Davis, Matt Joyce and Santiago Casilla. But otherwise, there's nothing much else going in Oakland. They do have some good working parts, like Sonny Gray, but he's trying to bounce back from a bad year last year. That and they have a good young catcher in Stephen Vogt. Oakland may surprise a few teams but I'm not expecting much. It looks like the Athletics are the clear cellar-dwellers.

National League East:
1 Washington Nationals (91-71)*
They are still the class of the National League East, but they took a bit of a step back in the winter. Not in the short term but maybe in the long run. It's awfully hard to look past the damage acquiring Adam Eaton did to the Washington Nationals' farm system, but there's no question he makes them a better team for this year. Eaton will join budding superstar Trea Turner to form one of the best table-setting tandems in all of baseball, and they could both pile up runs scored if Bryce Harper returns to form and Daniel Murphy comes close to duplicating his 2016 numbers. They also added Matt Wieters behind the plate to help replace the loss of Wilson Ramos. From an offensive standpoint, the Nationals are going to be a very tough team to beat this year. One of the biggest question marks that this team has is pitching. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg will front a rotation that's as talented as any in baseball, along with Gio Gonzalez and Tanor Roark. They still have standout setup man Shawn Kelley, who will slide into the closer's role to replace the departed Mark Melancon. The rest of the pen leaves a lot to be desired, which means that if they don't get it figured out, they could be caught in the race for the division title.

2. New York Mets (90-72) (WC)
For the first time in team history, the New York Mets will make the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row. While the Mets brought back an important trio of veterans in Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker and Jerry Blevins, they failed to make any significant additions to the roster. There's no doubt that this team is better with Cespedes right in the middle of it. But there are a couple of things that leave me wondering. Neil Walker is coming off back surgery, so there's no telling how effective he's going to be this year. He did have his best year last year, setting a career high in home runs with 22, so the team is hoping he can reproduce some of that magic again this season. The Mets lost quite a bit of depth in both the rotation and off the bench. Bartolo Colon, Jerry Blevins, Kelly Johnson, James Loney, Alejandro De Aza, and Jon Niese are all gone, with nobody really brought in to replace them. There's hope that Lucas Duda can stay healthy and give them some production at first base again, so we shall see what happens. The pitching rotation is still good, with Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Jacob DeGrom leading the charge. Steven matz is counted on to put up good numbers and they will get Zach Wheeler back this year, but he's going to start in the pen as Robert Gsellman will get the last rotation spot till Wheeler is ready. If everything falls right and into place for the Mets this year, they should be able to take the wild card spot and be in contention with the Nats for the Division Title all year long.

3. Miami Marlins (81-81)
This team is just going to keep getting better and better in Miami. Think about it, the Marlins finished only three games under .500. This year, still playing with a bit of a heavy heart since the loss of Jose Fernandez, the Marlins have enough talent to really be able to hang around in the East race for a little while. they have a decent starting pitching staff, which was bolstered by adding Edinson Volquez and Jeff Locke, to go along with Wei-Yin Chen and Tom Koehler. A very starting staff, but they are lacking an ace after the passing of Fernandez. So instead of trying to build up a starting staff, they focused on relief. In doing so they added Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa to a bullpen that already featured the terrific trio of David Phelps, Kyle Barraclough and A.J. Ramos should give them one of the best relief corps in baseball. Oh and they have a pretty good offense too. Giancarlo Stanton had a slight down year a season ago, but is still considered by many to be one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball, if he can stay healthy. Christian Yelich had a coming out party last year and is expected to have another big year again this year. Derek Dietrich, Dee Gordon, and Marcell Ozuna can help support the offense that can help keep the Marlins in the hunt most of the year.

4. Atlanta Braves (76-86)
New year for the Braves in Atlanta, their first season in SunTrust Park, after spending the last 20 seasons in Turner Field. Atlanta isn't a contending team yet, but they made little steps in the right direction. Bringing in arms like Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey as well as the addition of Jaime Garcia in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals will help sure up that rotation. As far as the bats go, Matt Kemp, Brandon Phillips, Nick Markakis, Freddie Freeman and young stud Dansby Swanson are going to be counted on heavily to carry this team. Plus, the fact that Kurt Suzuki and Sean Rodriguez were brought on board adds a nice veteran presence to the bench and they're both capable of stepping into expanded roles if needed. They are still a little ways away from being real threats again in the NL East, but the Braves are heading in the right direction to be a top team once again.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (73-89)
My how the mighty have fallen. The last time the Phillies finished .500 or better was going 81-81 in 2012, they've had a losing record every year since and haven't come close to 80 wins in a year since then. That won't change this year. They did some retooling in the City of Brotherly Love this winter. Ryan Howard is no longer there, which will indeed be a strange sight to see, since he's been the anchor of that infield for more then a decade. Philly added some veteran presence in the form of Ivan Nova, Clay Buchholz, Joaquin Benoit and Pat Neshek. All of them are looking to show that they still have a little left in the tank and can still be contributes to this team. Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders will join Odubel Herrea in the outfield and should help add some punch. They were kind of on the low side again in the offseason, but don't worry Phillies fans, they'll be right in the thick of things next off season.

National League Central:
1. Chicago Cubs (102-59)*
After coming off the best year that the Cubs have had in over a century, how can you top it? I mean think about tit 103 regular season wins and a World Series title.....can't beat that. But the Cubbies will try and do that again this year and then some. They have one of the best one two offensive punches in all of baseball with Anthony Rizzo and defending league MVP Kris Bryant in the heart of their lineup. The cubs did lose some significant talent over the winter, seeing Dexter Fowler, Aroldis Chapman, Jason Hammel, Jorge Soler, and David Ross all leave. So to replace that talent that was lost, Chicago has brought in Wade Davis,  Jon Jay,  Brett Anderson, and Koji Uehara. Chicago did a fantastic job of keeping this team in tact from a season ago, minus the fact that they lost Dexter Fowler to the Cardinals, Chicago is still a very loaded team. Oh and there is one thing I forgot to mention. Besides that one two punch in the batting order, there's also that three headed monster at the start of the pitching rotation. You may have heard of Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks, they're kinda good. If all goes right and everybody stays healthy, the Cubs could be looking at another trip to the fall classic.

2. St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) (WC)
A season ago, the Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010, finishing a game behind the Giants for the final Wild Card spot. This Cardinals team has made the playoffs 12 times in the last 17 years and they can get back there again this year. Losing Matt Holliday, Jaime Garcia, and Brandon Moss may hurt the Birds a little this year, but that's OK there is still plenty of talent on this team to make a run at it. Dexter Fowler signed a five year deal, so he will have no problem holding down center field at Bush Stadium. And not only that, but by slotting him in the leadoff spot in the lineup will allow Matt Carpenter to move down to a run-production spot in the middle of the lineup, where he can be more effective. They have the bats that can make a little noise in St Louis this year. Oh and their starting rotation isn't too shabby either. When Garcia got traded, it freed up some of the clutter in the rotation, which now has penciled in Michael Wacha, Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martínez, Mike Leake, and Lance Lynn. Pitching is there to keep the Cards in a lot of games, so is the hitting. It hurt a bit missing out by a game on the playoffs a season ago, but with everybody healthy now, they have something brewing in St Louis. The Cards will be back in the post season once again this year.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-81)
Last season fell well short of expectations for the Pirates, after finally getting back into contention in the National League with a 98 win season the year before that. This year, the Pirates will be back to at least a .500 level team and will contend for a while but may run out of steam as the year moves along. Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen will need to return to star-level production and Ivan Nova will need to prove his standout two months with the team were the real deal if they're going to quickly right the ship. With McCutchen, they need him to return to MVP form, and they have a little support around him to help him get back to that level. Josh Harrison and Starling Marte are expected to have solid years again in the Steel City this year. One thing that has me a little worried is starting pitching. Outside of Garrett Cole and Ivan Nova, there isn't much to make you happy or positive about. Chad Kuhl, Jameson Taillon and Drew Hutchison round out that rotation. Its a solid one, but when you look at the rotations that are ahead of them in St. Louis and Chicago, it leaves something to be desired.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (72-90)
There are rumblings and chances that the Brewers could be getting better, its just going to take a while. Milwaukee lost 41 home run man Chris Carter, and they are trying to replace Carter at first with Eric Thames. Now Thames is a solid baseball player, but he's a bit of a step down from Carter, at least in the power department. He's a better overall hitter which could be a plus for the Brew Crew. Ryan Braun, Thames and Travis Shaw are expected to try and carry this team, which shows how they are set up for the year. And look at the starting pitching staff. It's Junior Guerra, Zach Davies, Jimmy Nelson, Willie Peralta, and Matt Garza, you don't really see a standout ace there. It makes you wonder how long this rebuild might be in Milwaukee.

5. Cincinnati Reds (66-96)
Talk about another team that's in a bit of a rebuild. The Cincinnati Reds were the last team to sign someone to a major league deal this winter, breaking the seal when they added Drew Storen on a one-year, $3 million deal. He will be a big help to this team. The Reds have a solid starting rotation that consists of Homer Bailey, Anthony DeSclafani, Brandon Finnegan, Scott Feldman and Robert Stephenson will make the Reds a tougher draw than some might expect. They still have Billy Hamilton hitting leadoff, being able to set the table and Joey Votto has the power in the middle of the lineup. They have some pieces that might work well this year, but the Reds are a long way away from being in contention in the Central. Cincinnati has had a losing record in each of the last three seasons, and this year won't be any better.

National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-70)*
Los Angeles has won the National League West each of the last four seasons, this year will be no different. Dave Roberts is going to have his hands full this season. Think about what the Dodgers did last season, they won the West,and that's with Clayton Kershaw missing most of the year with injuries. He's also got Rich Hill right behind him in the rotation, after Hill signed back on to the staff over the winter. Behind them, the Dodgers have Kenta Maeda, Brandon McCarthy, and Hyun-jin Ryu, which makes for a pretty damn good starting rotation. Not only was it big to bring Hill back this offseason, so to was bringing back Kenley Jansen. Yeah LA is going to have a good pitching staff this year. Josh Reddick, Howie Kendrick, Chase Utley, Joe Blanton, and Carlos Ruiz are all gone, leaving a little wiggle room for the Dodgers. So the offense is going to be carried by Justin Turner, Adrian Gonzalez, and Corey Seager. Bringing in Logan Forsythe from the Rays was huge because the Dodgers weren't that grea against left handed pitching last year and he's a good hitter against lefties. Looking for steady play from the corner outfielders is going to be critical for the Dodgers this year, but oter then that, Los Angeles has a talented enough team to take home their 5th straight year.

2. San Francisco Giants (90-72)
San Francisco is going to put up a hell of a fight with the Dodgers for the division this season. One of the biggest offseason needs for the Giants was addressed, they got themselves a closer in Mark Melancon, who signed a big deal to come to San Francisco. The Giants should have the arms to be able to compete with the Dodgers in the starting rotation department. When you've got a rotation that consists of Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Matt Moore, Matt Cain, and Jeff Samardzija, that's a pretty good starting rotation. I'm just not totally sure on how well they can bridge between the starters and Melancon in the pen. They have a decent hitting lineup, with guys like Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Joe Panik. They shouldn't have too much trouble putting runs up on that board if they can stay healthy. There's only one stick in the mud for the Giants. A lack of depth, however, puts them just behind the Mets and Cardinals in the tightly-contested NL wild card race.

3. Colorado Rockies (81-81)
Colorado hasn't had a winning season since 2010 and haven't made the playoffs since 2009. The playoff drought will continue this summer, but they are heading in the right direction as far as the winning record goes. Colorado was actually really quite in free agency this winter. They signed Ian Desmond to a contract, which isn't exactly a good thing, He slumped badly last year and could possibly be looking at a position change during the year. He's not quite the player he once was. Luckly, to make up for this signing, they Rockies brought in Gregg Holland to bolster the pen. Holland has a chance to be a huge addition if he returns to his pre-injury form after missing last season following Tommy John surgery. The pitching staff in Colorado is kind of weak, but thankfully for them, they have some pretty decent offense in Denver. Trevor Story will be looking to build off that impressive rookie season. He'll have a little help in that lineup from the likes of Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, and DJ LeMahieu to make the Rockies hang around a little while in the West.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks (80-82)
Things are going to go up for the Dimaondbacks this year. They finished last year with 69 wins, which now marks three years in a row they've finished with a losing record. For Arizona to get better, it'll have to come from their own in-house talent rather then trying to go get talent on the free agent market. At least as it looks right now. A.J. Pollock and David Peralta were both non-factors last season, and a bounce-back performance from Shelby Miller would go a long way as well. Chris Iannetta and Jeff Mathis will be tasked with handling the pitching staff and can provide a little with the stick. Paul Goldschmidt is expected to have another big year as well, which is nothing new for him. That being said, Taijuan Walker still has legitimate front-line upside and joins Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray to form an intriguing trio atop the rotation. Arizona has the potential to be really good, but they're not quite there yet.

5. San Diego Padres (65-97)
Looks like its going to be another long season in San Diego this summer. The Padres haven't reached the post season since winning the West in back to back years in 2005 and 2006, they haven't had a winning record since 2010. With a starting rotation that is rivaled by more than a few Triple-A staffs and Yangervis Solarte currently penciled in as the cleanup hitter, the Padres have to be considered the early favorites to be picking No. 1 overall in 2018. With no clear-cut star in the lineup or in the rotation, the Padres simply don’t have enough to create an impact in the NL West.

World Series Prediction: Cubs Over Red Sox in 6!

There you have it, our prediction for the 2017 Major League Baseball season!

End Of An Era In Detroit

Twenty Five years. let that number sink in for a second. Twenty Five years. That's how many years in a row the Detroit Red Wings have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wings haven't missed the playoffs since 1989-90. In that time, the boys from Hockeytown have made the playoffs every year since, including Stanley Cup victories in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. Now the run has come to an end.

Thanks to the Red Wings 4-1 loss to Carolina Tuesday night, coupled with wins by both the Bruins and Maple Leafs, the Red Wings will miss the playoffs for the first time in a quarter century. Before we go on with looking at what happened and what the Cup playoffs will be without Detroit, lets put this into a little bit of perspective.

When the streak came to an end thanks to the loss against Carolina on Tuesday, nine players who were dressed for the Red Wings weren't even born yet. During Detroit's incredible 25 year playoff run, they won the four Cups mentioned earlier, made eight conference finals appearances and took 14 division crowns over the course of that playoff run. And think about that run. Twenty five straight years of playing in the post season. Doing that in any sport is quite impressive. Detroit's playoff run was the longest current streak in the four major sports. Now that Detroit's run has come to an end, the longest playoff streak now belongs to the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, who's qualified 20 years in a row. The Pittsburgh Penguins now have the longest NHL streak, which is likely to be extended to 11 seasons this year. Detroit's run is tied for the third-longest in NHL history, behind the Boston Bruins (29 seasons from 1967-68 to 1995-96) and Chicago Blackhawks (28 seasons from 1969-70 to 1996-97).

What happened to the Wings this year? You'd think that in this year more so then any year in the past, would give the club extra incentive to try and make the playoffs. Not just for the streak. It is after all the final year of Joe Louis Arena. After all, its been the home of the Red Wings since 1979. Detroit will move into its new building, Little Caesars Arena starting next year, 2017-18. As for the play on the ice this year, there has been too much inconsistent play from the Wings to try and keep them afloat in the playoff race. Offense was a major issue. Several players didn't step up as expected and the power play was ranked last in the league much of the season. The defense struggled. Goaltender Petr Mrazek didn't perform to the level he did the first half of last season. You know its bad in Hockeytown when there's one team in the East with a worse record then the Wings, and in total, there's five teams who have less points on the year then Detroit.

You knew, somewhere along the line, this was bound to happen. As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Just didn't exactly see it coming this way for Detroit. I would have seen it being something like a battle with somebody else in the conference for the final playoff spot in the conference and losing out on the last day of the season. But the fact that the Wings are out with about a week and a half to go in the year, and it being the final year of the Joe, make it sting a little more.

Still, nothing can take away from what the Detroit Red Wings did. Make the playoffs for twenty five straight years is quite the feet and the Red Wings organization should be very proud of that accomplishment.

Madness Of March Continues

Well another weekend down, another step closer to a national champion in College Basketball. So far, this NCAA Men's Basketball tournament has been able to live up to the billing. It truly has been March Madness. Great basketball has been on quality display over the last four days, giving fans what they crave, high drama and upsets galore during the tournament. We have our final four set for next weekend, and we will preview those final four games by the end of the week. For now though, lets take a look back at what that was going from the sweet sixteen and the elite eight.

One of the biggest stories to come out of the first couple of rounds of the tournament had to be Xavier. The Musketeers weren't expected to get very far in this tournament. But what did they do? They make it all the way to the Elite Eight by beating some very talented teams. IN the first three rounds, the knocked of Maryland, Florida State and Arizona, the last one coming in a nail biting two point win. The big reason why Xavier got to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008 was because of Trevon Bluiett, who dropped 25 points and played out of his mind again. He scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half of the game. And Arizona had a lead with about two minutes left in regulation, but couldn't hold the lead and got knocked out. This is one of the reasons that its called March Madness because you just never know what's going to happen. The only problem is, they ran out of magic. Xavier, for as great a run as they had, would get blown out by one of the best teams in the country in Gonzaga, falling to the Bulldogs 83-59 in their elite eight faceoff.

And sticking with Gonzaga, they've had a bit of pressure on them as well. The Zags have never made it to a final four, they finished the season as regular season and conference champions and had one loss all year. But there was still that stigma. They've dominated most of the tournament and showed why they are a number one seed. They had finally started finding a groove from behind the three point line, to go along with the presence in the paint. They are going to the final four for the first time ever.

To stick in the theme of what Xavier has been doing, South Carolina has been doing the same thing. They have become only the 2nd seven seed to ever make the final four, joining Virgina in 1984 as the only seven seed to do so. They pulled off big wins over Duke, a twenty point win over Baylor and a seven point win over Florida to make the final four Duane Notice's breakaway right-handed jam with 11 seconds remaining sealed the Gators fate and moved the Gamecocks on to the big dance. Sindarius Thornwell stepped up for the Gamecocks, leading all scorers in this game with 26 points. Oh and there was the defensive pressure. The Gamecocks' constant pressure on the perimeter stifled Florida, who finished 7-of-26 from beyond the arc. That stiff defense has been the reason why South Carolina has gotten to their first final four ever.

Then we have the story of Oregon, who have pulled themselves into the final four after beating Michigan and Kansas over the weekend. Jordan Bell has been the driving force for the Ducks in the tournament. He has gotten his name into the record books, as Bell is the first player with at least 12 boards in five straight tournament games since Hakeem Olajuwon from 1983 to 1984. Oh and the 8 blocks he had in the win over Kansas were the most ever by Pac-12 player in NCAA Tournament game.

To round out the final four, North Carolina had the game of the tournament, beating out Kentucky 75-73, to reach the final four for the 20th time ever, the most in the history of the tournament. Luke Maye never has to take another shot and his name will live in infamy for hitting the game winning shot to move the Tar Heels back to the final four for back to back years. He sunk the game winning field goal with 0.3 seconds to go on the clock to end Kentucky's season. It wasn't just Maye hitting the game winning shot. Kentucky had no answer for Kennedy Meeks on the boards. The Tar Heels big man grabbed 17 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Meeks also blocked four shots, doubling the Wildcats' entire output.

Still with all the action going on, it made for a very entertaining weekend of basketball.

Top Ten Greatest Centers

Playing center. One of the greatest skill sets of the bunch. Playing center in the National Hockey League. Most of the top scorers in the history of the game have played center, which shows how high the talent level truly is at that position. With this list, much like I did with goalies, I have to take two names off this list. Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. The reason I'm not putting them on the list because those two guys were just that much better then everybody else that has ever played the game, or the position for that matter. Since they are considered by most hockey observers as the greatest, this is basically a look at the best of the rest. Now trying to compare guys from the era of say Stan Mikita to guys who play in the era of Sidney Crosby. So we are narrowing this list down to the last twenty eight years of service in the NHL to see who really is the best.

So here it is the greatest centers in the NHL over the last twenty eight years.

Honorable Mentions: Pierre Turgeon (Sabres 1987-88-1991-92, Islanders 1991-92-1994-95, Canadiens 1994-95-1996-97, Blues 1996-97-2000-01, Stars 2001-02-2003-04, Avalanche 2005-06-2006-07), Steven Stamkos (Lightning 2008-09-Present), Evgeni Malkin (Penguins (2006-07-Present), Mike Modano (Stars 1988-89-2009-10, Red Wings 2010-11), Doug Gilmour (Blues 1983-84-1987-88, Flames 1988-89-1991-92, Maple Leafs 1991-92-1996-97, Devils 1996-97-1997-98, Blackhawks 1998-99-1999-00, Sabres 1999-00-2000-01, Canadiens 2001-02-2002-03, Maple Leafs 2002-03), Pavel Datsyuk (Red Wings 2001-02-2015-16), Eric Lindros (Flyers 1992-93-1999-00, Rangers 2001-02-2003-04, Maple Leafs 2005-06, Stars 2006-07), Joe Thornton (Bruins 1997-98-2005-06, Sharks 2005-06-Present)

10. Mats Sundin (Nordiques 1990-91-1993-94, Maple Leafs 1994-95-2007-08, Canucks 2008-09: 1,346 Games Played, 564 Goals, 785 Assists, 1,349 Points, 1,093 Penalty Minutes)
Quiet leadership, smooth skating, great vision and a good shot. All terms that have been used to describe Mats Sundin during his outstanding career. And its not just one thing Sundin did that was better then anything else. He didn't have the hardest or most accurate shot. He didn't have blazing speed. He wasn't overly physical. He could just do everything well, he was one of the most well rounded players to ever step foot on the ice in the worlds best league.. He played 18 years in the league, the only one that wasn't considered a full season was his final year in Vancouver. But in the other 17 seasons, he never scored less then 20 goals in a year. As a matter of fact, Sundin hit 30 or more goals in a year every year but four in the league, including three of those years which he hit more than 40 goals (his career high was 47 scored in 1993 in Quebec). His lowest point total was 59 scored in his rookie year in 1991, and his high was 114 scored in 1993. From year two on till his year in Vancouver he scored at least 70 points in every season. Once he got to Toronto, Sundin took a while but became the face of the franchise and carried the team and the city on his back during the turn of the century. Its just kind of sad that he never really got a chance to win a Cup, he was that good of a hockey player and a very class act.

His number is retired in Toronto and his highest honor is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. Sundin made history in 1989 when he became the first European born player to be drafted first overall in the NHL Entry Draft. Sundin played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and he was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 2002 and 2004. IN 79 career games on the international stage, Sundin has managed 95 points. All this done between three Olympic games and 10 World Championships.

9. Ron Francis (Whalers 1981-82-1990-91, Penguins 1991-92-1997-98, Hurricanes 1998-99-2003-04, Maple Leafs 2003-04: 1,731 Games Played, 549 Goals, 1,249 Assists, 1,798 Points, 979 Penalty Minutes)
For a guy as big as he was, Ron Francis learned to play a much larger game. He was a model of consistency and durability, averaging more than a point a game in over 1,700 games in 23 seasons. He was a great passer, sitting second on the all time list behind only Wayne Gretzky. What made Francis go as an unknown for the early part of his career was that he was playing in Hartford for the first nine and a half years of his career. It kind of allowed him to develop his game to a new level. His skills as a playmaker were ALMOST on par with Gretzky, but not at that level He averaged at least 30 assists every year of his 23 years in the league, topping 50 or more 16 times in his career. He could score goals with some regularity as well. There were only three seasons in his entire pro career where he failed to crack the 20 goal mark. Talk about consistency, this guy had it. He always kind of got overlooked, especially early in his career because he just happened to play in an era with Mario, Wayne, Yzerman and Lafontaine among others. Still, he left an impression on the sport like few others have. He was a great defensive forward, who could skate and make plays. He was a very quiet leader, who let most of his play do the talking.

Francis has cared out a great career for himself. He won two cups with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. He sits 2nd on the all times assists list and 3rd in games played. He was selected to the NHL All-Star Game in 1983, 1985, 1990 and 1996. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1995, and the Lady Byng Trophy in 1995, 1998 and 2002. He was the first player ever to win the Selke and Byng trophy in the same year. Francis also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2002. Class act and played at a high level. Great all around hockey player.

8. Sergei Fedorov ((Red Wings 1990-91-2002-03, Ducks 2003-04-2005-06, Blue Jackets 2005-06-2007-08, Capitals 2007-08-2008-09: 1,248 Games Played, 483 Goals, 696 Assists, 1,179 Points, 839 Penalty Minutes)
One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of Sergei Fedorov is speed. One of the second things that comes to mind when thinking of Sergei Fedorov is strong defensive play. Fedorov could do a little bit of everything for the Red Wings, and he could do it at a very high level. He was a superb skater with great hands and the hockey intellect to create exciting goals, but was so defensively sound that he was regularly considered for the Selke Trophy. After his first full year with the Ducks, Fedorov's offensive numbers started to slip. But before that, in a full season, he never scored less then 25 goals or less then 60 points. He was a high scoring phenom right out of the gates in Detroit, a big reason why the Red Wings dominated in the mid to late 90s. Fedorov had the offensive touch that could put him in the elite in the games long and storied history. He also had the most defensive talent out of any forward playing in the 90's, just look at what he did in Detroit. In thirteen seasons with the Red Wings, he scored 20+ goals twelve times, had 30+ goals in nine seasons. Yeah, that's impressive numbers. Hell, he was so good on the defensive side of the game, that had he actually played defense, he might have been able to secure a Norris trophy or two, he was that good.

Fedorov did just about anything and everything you could in hockey. He was inducted into the hockey hall of fame in 2-15, not bad for a guy who's also won three Stanley Cups. He's also managed to be named NHL player of the year in 1994 by the Sporting News. but wait there's more. Fedorov was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1991. He was named to the First All-Star Team in 1994, the year in which he also picked up the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award. That same year he picked up the first of his two Frank J. Selke Trophies (an award which he won again in 1996). He also played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002, and 2003 Not a bad career for a guy who was take in the 4th round of the draft in 1989.

7. Pat LaFontaine (Islanders 1983-84-1990-91, Sabres 1991-92-1996-97, Rangers 1997-98: 865 Games Played, 468 Goals, 545 Assists, 1,013 Points, 552 Penalty Minutes)
Its so sad that concussion issues cut down Pat LaFontaine in what should have really been the prime of his career. He was a solid defensive player, but that side of his game was overshadowed by his huge offensive upside. He scored 30 or more goals in almost every year he was in the big leagues, at least the ones he was healty enough to play in. His best year was in 1993 in Buffalo, when he dropped 148 points, but that year he finished 2nd to Mario Lemieux in the scoring race. Yeah that was just a great year for Mario. Anyway, we digress. LaFontaine had a skill and talent level that was above a lot of players in the league. While he may not have been the fastest guy in the league, he had a fantastic hockey sense. He had great vision on the ice, making the right pass at the right time. He had no less then 30 assists in any full year in the league. He grew nicely into the role of a top line center. When most people hear his name, they think of the Easter Epic, the goal he scored in the 4th overtime period of game seven in the 1987 playoffs against the Capitals. He had the skills to be a mega star in this league, and the numbers to prove it. But then again, he played during the time of Mario, Wayne, Yzerman and others so he was often overlooked for post season all star teams. Still he had a very impressive career never the less.

He has since had his number retired but the Sabres and has been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. LaFontaine was selected to five NHL All-Star Games in his career, playing in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993. He won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1994 and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1993. it sucks that concussions took him down in the prime, he had the makings to possibly hang around in the elite after his big year in 1993. Still, besides what he was able to do on the ice, his off ice contributions to the community have been just as great. His charity work on Long Island and in Buffalo have been well documented, which make him a true giant away from the rink.

6. Adam Oates (Red Wings 1985-86-1988-89, Blues 1989-90-1991-92, Bruins 1991-92-1996-97, Capitals 1996-97-2001-02, Flyers 2001-02, Ducks 2002-03, Oilers 2003-04: 1,3376 Games Played, 341 Goals, 1,079 Assists, 1, 420 Points, 415 Penalty Minutes)
Adam Oates will go down in the books as one of the greatest passers to ever play the game. Sure he had his moments in the goal scoring department. His career high was 45, which he scored in 1993, which was also his career high in assists with 97 and points with 142. Boston finished that year with the best record in the division but were swept bu Buffalo in the opening round. The only two guys who scored more points then Oats that year were LaFontaine and Lemieux,  But a big reason for his big year that year was Oates being one of the NHL's greatest playmakers. He averaged no fewer then 30 assists in a year, with the exception of his rookie year and his final year. He led the NHL in assists three time, and finished in the top ten on 12 occasions. He is also the only player in NHL history to centre three 50-goal scorers, helping Brett Hull, Cam Neely and Peter Bondra reach the magic mark. Oates continued to score points at an elite level when he did not have star players as linemates, he just had that quietness about his game. He went out and di his job and did it very well. He never needed the acolades, they did come his way as his career went on but he still played the game at a very high level and had some pretty eye popping numbers along the way.

Oates had himself a pretty good career. He never did win a Stanley Cup, but still not a bad career for a guy who was undrafted and signed out of RPI college by the Red Wings in 1985. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. He was elected to the Second Team All-Star in 1990–91, and played in NHL All-Star Game in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997. Oates coaching career was decent, but I think a lot more people are going to remember him for how great a center he was. Only so few in the history of the sport had better vision on the ice then he did.

5. Sidney Crosby (Penguins 2005-06-Present: 707 Games Played. 338 Goals, 600 Assists, 938 Points, 552 Penalty Minutes)
They don't call him Sid the Kid for nothing. Crosby may very well be the best center in the game today, at least from an offensive standpoint. Sure there maybe better defensive forwards and there maybe more physical players, but when he's on his game, there's not too many guys that can match his offensive output and touch on the ice. Crosby has scored 20 or more goals in each professional season except two and both were injury shortened seasons. As a matter of fact, Crosby has cracked the 30 goal mark every year in the league except four, (two of them were 24 and 28 goal seasons in 2008 and 2015, respectively. He's not only a goal scorer, Crosby is just as comfortable setting one up as well. He has registered over 40 assists in each season he's been in the league, except for 2011 and 2012, years which again were cut short due to injury. Noted for his on-ice vision, passing ability, work ethic, and complete overall game, Crosby has been considered one of the best players in the world since he was drafted in 2005. He's also been noted, because of the flat blade he uses on his stick, Crosby has been given the nod as having one of the best backhand shots in all of hockey. Crosby also has some deceptive quickness to his game, he moves a lot faster then I think people realize. Crosby, when he was younger, drew a lot of comparison to Wayne Gretzky, much of which was deserved for how good an offensive talent Crosby is.

He's done just about everything there is to do in this game. Crosby has twice led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup title, in 2009 and again in 2016 (He won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP that same year). His trophy case has gotten full over the course of his career. Crosby was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2006. Crosby has twice won the Art Ross Trophy, picked up in 2007 and 2014. Crosby has won the Lester B. Pearson Award/Ted Lindsay Award three times and the Hart Memorial Trophy twice. He's been named to the First All-Star Team four times and the Second All-Star Team twice. Crosby got elected to play in six NHL All-Star games, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017. Despite the fact that the guy has had to deal with quite a bit in the injury department, most notably concussions, he hasn't really been able to reach full potential since his early days. Still he's going to go down in the books as one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of skates.

4. Mark Messier (Oilers 1979-80-1990-91, Rangers 1991-92-1996-97, Canucks 1997-98-1999-00, Rangers 2000-01-2003-04: 1,756 Points, 694 Goals, 1,193 Assists, 1,887 Points, 1,910 Penalty Minutes)
When the Moose was on the Loose, there was few forwards who were more intimidating then mark Messier. Also, there were few guys who were feared more as a leader then Messier. He had a mean streak to him and he loved to play the physical game, but there was always an offensive upside to Messier. He was a lot like Gordie Howe in that he could score a pretty goal, set up a pretty goal, or beat you up to clear some space for a goal to happen. He could do a little bit of everything. There were six times in his career where Messier broke the 100 point mark, his best year coming in 1990 when he dropped 129 points. He helped turn the fortune around for not one but two franchises. He started the turn for the Oilers against the islanders in 1984. His goal in game three turned the series and helped the Oilers on their way to their first title. He did the same thing in 1994 with the Rangers. His hat trick against the Devils in game six helped propel them, eventually, to a Stanley Cup title. With his all-around talent and his often punishing game, Messier established a wide cushion of space to work in during his 25-year NHL career. Messier possessed elite skill and speed, his game spiced with physicality and a mean streak, when required, like Howe's. His leadership quality was off the charts. Messier could put fear into your heart just by looking at you. That's just the way he was.

His list of accomplishments in the league are off the charts. messier was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.He is a six-time Stanley Cup champion, five with the Oilers and one with the Rangers, and is the only player to captain two different professional teams to championships. Oh but wait there's more. messier played in the All-Star Game in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1984, the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award in both 1990 and 1992, he was named to the First All-Star Team in 1982, 1983, 1990, and 1992 as well as the Second All-Star Team in 1984. There are only a few players who can compare to the Moose as far as being an all around player is concerned he's just that damn good.

3. Joe Sakic (Nordiques 1988-89-1994-95, Avalanche 1995-96-2008-09: 1,378 Games Played, 625 Goals, 1,016 Assists, 1,641 Points 614 Penalty Minutes)
If there were two traits that really defined Joe Sakic during his career it was his leadership ability and his wrist shot. he had, by far, one of the most lethal wrist shots that have ever been unleashed on the game of hockey. Sakic is also the only player ever to score 100 points in a season for a team that finishes dead last in the NHL regular season standings, accomplishing this feat in 1989-90 with Quebec Nordiques. As proof of how classy a leader Sakic was, look no further then after the Avs 2001 Cup victory. Sakic passed the Cup off to Ray Bourque to hoist the Cup for the champion Avalanche. This was a change from the early points in his career. Throughout his career, Sakic was one of the top scorers in the league, but in his early years, he was criticized for not leading his team to playoff success. That all really started to change in 1996 when the team moved to Denver and captured their first Stanley Cup title. Sakic was the real leader of that team and it really started to show through. Sakic has also been a model of consistency in the modern NHL. Despite the lock-out seasons of 1994-95 and 2004-05 and this last season where injuries limited Sakic to only 44 games, he has produced eight 20+ goal seasons, four 30+ goal seasons, three 40+ goals seasons, and two 50+ goal seasons in 1995-96 and 2000-01.

Sakic was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 and went in with those two Stanley Cup rings to his credit. There's more to his career then just that. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1996, as well as the Hart Memorial Trophy, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award in 2001. Sakic played in 13 All Star games in his career, and even managed to pick up All-Star Game MVP in 2004. He was named to the First All-Star Team in 2001, 2002, and 2004. Pretty good career I'd say.

2. Peter Forsberg (Nordiques 1994-95, Avalanche 1995-96-2003-04, Flyers 2005-06-2006-07, Predators 2006-07, Avalance 2007-08, 2010-11: 708 Games Played, 249 Goals, 636 Assists, 885 Points, 690 Penalty Minutes)
For a stretch during the early 2000's there was no better player in the sport of hockey then Peter Forsberg. He would take over games whenever he damn well wanted to, which was quite often in his prime years in Colorado. One of the biggest knocks against one of the best players in the game was that he didn't shoot the puck enough, which is why his goal totals looked a little low for a player of his caliber. Foresberg was, without a shadow of a doubt, a star forward with outstanding playmaking skills and great vision. Forsberg was a guy who possessed an excellent combination of skill and physical play. In the prime of his career, he was considered by many as the best two-way player in the world. He is capable of combining physical play and hits with skill and is responsible offensively and defensively. He had the skills that could make the guys around him a lot better, he always found a way to help other players step their game up. Then again, there was a down side to his game, it lead to a lot of injuries during his career, which really cut his career short. But the guy put up big offensive numbers, breaking the 100 point mark twice and averaging at least 40 assists in every full season he played.

Forsberg has two Stanley Cup Rings to his credit, 1996 and 2001 and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. There's more to his trophy case then just that. Forsberg played in seven All Star Games in his career, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003. Forsberg won the Art Ross Trophy in 2003 as well as the Hart Trophy the same year. He picked up the Calder Memorial Trophy and was named to the All-Rookie Team in 1995. Forsberg was named to the First All-Star Team in 1998, 1999, and 2003. He could almost do it all, its just a shame his career wasn't longer.

1. Steve Yzerman (Red Wings 1983-84-2005-06: 1,514 Games Played, 692 Goals, 1,063 Assists, 1,755 Points, 924 Penalty Minutes)
The Captain. Say those two words in Detroit and people will smile and think immediately of Steve Yzerman. When little Stevie Y came into the league, he was all about putting up the points. He was ringing up the numbers like it was going out of style. Between 1988 and 1993, Yezerman never scored lower then 100 points. The biggest knock that could be made against him, at least at that time in his career, he was overshadowed by two guys named Lemieux and Gretzky. He would also serve as the longest captain in league history, holding down the C in Detroit for 21 years. All worth it. Yzerman did a fantastic job of being able to reinvent himself during the course of his career, He went from being the highlight reel scorer, to a defensive specialist and all around hockey player. He could do it all during his playing days, skate, pass, shot, defend. The only thing that wasn't really a weapon for Yzerman was being overly physical, but again that wasn't the nature of his game. I really only wish his prime had come a little later, because he then would have gotten the credit he deserved for being as great a hockey player as he was. But the fact that he was able to totally revamp his style of play halfway through his career and keep playing well, speaks volumes to just how great a player he truly was.

His list of accomplishments is quite long. Yzerman won the Stanley Cup three times in his career, 1997, 1998 and 2002 and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. There's way more to it then that. Yzerman played in the All-Star Game in 1984 (first 18-year old to be selected to the roster), 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, and 2000 and was named to the First Team All-Star in 2000. Yzerman won the Lester B. Pearson Award in 1989, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1998, the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2000, the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2003 and still holds the distinction of being the longest-serving captain for a team in league history (19 seasons, 1,303 games). Nobody played the game the way Yzerman did. Still one of the greatest hockey players I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

So there you have it, the top ten centers of the last 28 years!

First Two Rounds Live Up To Hype

They don't call it March Madness for nothing. So far, the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has lived up to its billing. By definition, an upset is an unexpected result or situation, especially in a sports competition. You have them all the time in this tournament, and this year was no exception. Seeing a #9 beat a #8 seed doesn't really count in my mind, because those seeds are so close to each other it can't REALLY be counted as such. With that being said, here's a look at some of the upsets that took place during the first two rounds of the tournament.

No. 12 Middle Tennessee 81, No. 5 Minnesota 72
This was the same team, Middle Tennessee, that pulled off the first upset of last years tournament as well. Last year, as a #15, Middle Tennessee knocked off #2 Michigan State. This year, they did it again to a Big Ten school, this time it was Minnesota. Reggie Upshaw and Giddy Potts, of Middle Tennessee, had 21 and 19 points, respectively to lead the charge for the Blue Raiders. All this happening after Minnesota jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. But Middle Tennessee stayed the course, and came back with a balanced, efficient offense. I was still a little surprised that Middle Tennessee was even a 12 seed, considering the fact that they won 40 games during the regular seaosn, but still they pulled out that big first round win.

No. 11 Xavier 76, No. 6 Maryland 65
Xavier has been down this road before. They have been in the tournament 11 times in the last 12 seasons and made the sweet sixteen now four times in nine years. They know what they're doing. Sure, they came in slipping, as they closed out the regular season on a six game losing streak. That didn't matter once the tournament started. They had hit the reset button at the start of the tournament. Xavier was down 50-47 with 13 minutes left when they rattled off a huge 14-0 run. Maryland had trouble adjusting to Xavier’s variety of man-to-man and zone defenses, and lost their tournament opener for the first time since 1997. Among the pertinent numbers were Xavier’s 34-24 dominance in rebounding and 30-13 gap in bench points. Trevon Bluiett was a big reason for the turnaround. HE went 1 for 8 in the first half, but closed out the game with 18 points. He was a big reason why Maryland got bounced and Xavier is moving on.

No. 11 USC 66, No. 6 SMU 65
It was a repeat of November all over again. USC beat SMU 78-73 back in November. But between then and now, USC had slipped and SMU had been on a roll, winning 26 of their final 27 games. That didn't matter once the tournament got started. USC trailed by 12 points in the first half, but for them, that’s only a minor convenience. They had rallied from double-digit deficits to win 12 games this season, so clearly this is nothing new. USC shot 58 percent the second half and slowed down SMU with the zone to pull even, and Elijah Stewart’s 3-pointer with 36 seconds left ended up being the game-winner. Stewart finished the game with 22 points, but none bigger then the three with time running down. The Mustangs’ Shake Milton missed a floater in the final seconds. SMU, using only six players, lost after leading for nearly 36 minutes.

No. 11 Rhode Island 84, No. 6 Creighton 72
Rhode Island had been ranked 23rd in the AP polls, but due to a rash of injuries, they looked like they might miss the tournament. That all changed thanks to a little eight game winning streak to close out the regular season. It helped punch their ticket to the big dance for the first time in 18 years. Rhode Island lead this game wire to wire, but that's not the only real surprise in this game. There were actually two surprises in this contest. Rhode Island had shut down Creighton's Justin Patton. Patton had come into the game ranked 2nd in the country in field goal precentage. Thanks to the defense of Hassan Martin, Patton missed nine of his 12 shots. Rhode Island Freshman guard Jeff Dowtin came in averaging 4.9 points a game, and scored 23. This is just one perfect example of anything can happen come playoff time.

No. 8 Wisconsin 65, No. 1 Villanova 62
Some had Villanova possibly repeating as champs. Either that or at least getting back to the final four. You now scrap those plans altogether. They were the defending champs, so in theory it should have been a cake walk. Somebody forgot to tell the Badgers that. The Badgers hit 53 percent Saturday. This, while Villanova was at 41 percent. With the score tied and the game on the line, Wisconsin had the vets to finish the job. igel Hayes and Bronson Koenig knew what to do and were a forced to be reckoned with in this game. First, Koenig’s 3-pointer pushed them ahead with two minutes left. Then, with the scored tied again at 62 and the clock dipping below 20 seconds, Hayes feinted his way to open space on the baseline, and made the layup that ended Villanova’s repeat run. The Wildcats’ star Josh Hart had two turnovers trying to score in heavy lane traffic in the final minute. Wisconsin pulled it off despite missing nine of 16 free throws, making six more turnovers and trailing late 57-50.

No. 7 Michigan 73, No. 2 Louisville 69
Go back to the Big East tournament, where Michigan was an 8th seed ins aid tournament. But they've managed to win seven straight games and now find themselves in the sweet sixteen. By getting there, they've knocked off one of the heavy favorites to get to at least the final four if not a national title game. They are now watching the rest of the tournament on TV like everybody else. Michigan got by on the strength of the three pointer in their opening game against Oklahoma State to start the tournament. It wasn't the three in this game, it was the inside game that did the work for Michigan. Moritz Wagner, the sophomore from Germany, went bonkers in this basaketball game. He finished the day with 26 points, which is off the charts. Hell the fact that Michigan shot 63% in the 2nd half and pulled away in this game says a lot. Nobody really expected Michigan to do that, but they did.

No. 7 South Carolina 88, No. 2 Duke 81
Duke was another one of those teams that was expected to be a heavy favorite in this tournament. Nobody told that to South Carolina. South Carolina outscored Duke in the second half and hung 65 points on them. Think about that for a moment. They hung 65 points in a half on Duke. South Carolina had five players score in double figures, four with at least 15 points. Part of what killed Duke in this game was the fact that they turned the ball over 18 times and Luke Kanard and Grayson Allen both went cold in the 2nd half. Duke had a ten point lead in this basketball game and blew it. Duke had been to five Sweet 16s in seven years, South Carolina never, in its current format.

Let The Madness Begin

It's that time of the year once again. one of the craziest tournaments in all of sports is about to get underway. March Madness has arrived! The field of 68 is now set and between now and April 3rd, we will have figured out who's the best college basketball team in all of the country. Ever since tournament play began back in 1939, this tournament has become one of the most thrilling championship chases in any sport. By the time we hit the final four, which is in Glendale Arizona, April 1-3, we will see who really has the best teams left standing. But in reality, it's not just about being the best, its also about having a little luck on your side. The journey to the desert is going to be filled with upsets, buzzer beaters, incredible performances and plenty of shining moments. Can Villonva repeat as the National Champions? We will find out in a couple weeks. Before we predict our Final Four and Championship game, here's a few notable nuggets to throw at you.

In the opening round, the number one seeds have nothing to worry about, because a sixteen seed has never beaten a number one seed. I'm sure there's a chance it could change but not this year. I don't see Villanova, Kansas, Gonzaga, and North Carolina having anything to worry about, because they will all move on. The question is, will all four of them reach the final four? There's only once in history that all four number one seeds have faced off in the final four, that was in 2008 (Kansas (champion), North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis). We will answer the question of this years top seeds will all make the final four a little later on, but first lets get back to some of the bracket number breakdowns.

If your a two seed in this tournament, you better watch your back, because there have been eight times where you've been knocked off by a 15 seed, it happened last year where Middle Tennessee beat Michigan State. So Louisville, Kentucky, Arizona and Duke need to stay on their toes. A three seed hasn't fared much better, as 21 times in the tournament they've been beaten by a 14 seed. So, yeah Baylor, Oregon, Florida State, and UCLA better keep an eye open. Of all the opening round matchups, the one that produces the most upsets is the six versus the eleven seeds. In the past, there have been 46 instances where the 11 seed knocked off the six seed. There is some hope for the lower seeds to go deep into a tounrament. Remember Florida Gulf Coast making it all the way to the sweet sixteen  in 2013, yeah they were a 15 seed, the lowest seed ever to get that far. The lowest seed to ever reach the elite eight was a 12 seed, Missouri did that in 2002. As far as the fianl four goes, we've seen an 11 a 10 a 9 and an 8 reach that far. Lowest seed to ever make the title game was an 8 seed, which has happened three times. the only 8 seed ever, whicch is the lowest total ever to win a title, was Villanova, who won it all in 1985. The other two teams, Butler in 2011 and Kentucky in 2014, came up just short. That's why they call this March Madness, because anything can and usually does happen in this tournament.

If past performances have been indication of anything, then the Pac 12 the ACC and the Big Ten have the best chances. ACC teams have 16 national titles, followed by the Pac-12 with 15 (but they haven't seen a tyitle since 1997 with Arizona and UCLA has 11 but they haven't won since 1996) and the Big Ten has 11 titles (last coming with Michigan State in 2000).

That's just some of what's gone down in the past, but that was then and this is now, so lets get right into it. It'll take way too long to break down every game. Instead we will preview any upsets from the first three rounds then break it down from the elite eight right through the title game.

First Round:
9. Vanderbilt def 8. Northwestern
This is the first time ever Northwestern is playing in the tournament, so there's going to be a lot of pressure. I know they have the better record, but Vanderbilt has the edge in big game experience. Plus Vanderbilt has a winning record in their last ten games, whereas Northwestern doesn't. Vandy gest the win.

10. Wichita State def 7. Dayton
The only reason I'm saying that this is an upset is because of the seeding. The Shockers are a 30 win team this year, how the hell they ended up as a 10 seed is really beyond me. Dayton is a good basketball team but the Shockers are a better one and they'll move on to the round of 32.

Round of 32:
6. Maryland def 3. Florida State 
Both teams had the same number of losses during the regular season, each losing eight games. Dwayne Bacon has been the leading scorer for the Seminoles, but there's is a little depth behind him. Sure there isn't much scoring punch in Maryland as far as depth goes, but I got a feeling its better then that of Florida State. I smell upset here with this game.

Sweet Sixteen:
N/A

Elite Eight:
N/A

Final Four:
1. Gonzaga def 1. Villanova 
Villanova will be in the hunt to be the first back to back champion since 2007 and 2008. The run ends here. Gonzaga has just one blemish on its record, and yet still has its share of doubters. Some feel this is the best Zags team ever, strong on both ends of the court and featuring quality size to go with the leadership of Nigel Williams-Goss (16.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.8 APG). Is this the year the Bulldogs finally get to the Final Four? Or is another disappointing result as a high seed in the cards? They have to try to get by the defending champs, who are lead by Josh Hart (18.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG), who is top-five nationally in offensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage, 2-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. I just think that, even though Gonzaga hasn't really been tested till the tournament but they have the edge because they will have played better. Villanova just runs out of steam here.

2. Kentucky def 2. Louisville
Kentucky is a very balanced team here and the fact that they are a 29 win team, compared to the 24 wins from Louisville. To be fair, Louisville is among the most efficient teams in the nation on both sides of the ball, something that can be attributed to their willingness to routinely go eight deep. Free throw shooting could be an issue, but it hasn't caught up to the Cardinals yet, as they have no real bad losses. With Kentucky, Malik Monk has shined as a freshman, averaging 21 points per game, and De'Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo and Isaiah Briscoe are each averaging at least 13 PPG. The Wildcats rank among the top teams on both ends of the court. I know there's only three players on this team who don't have more then two years experience but this is the time of the year that the kids grow up quickly. That's what's going to happen here.

National Championship
1. Gonzaga def 2. Kentucky 79-73
As good as Kentucky has been up to this point, they are going to run into a better team in Gonzaga. The Zags have been a top team all season long. They've been in the top ten in the nation since week three of the season, and have been a top five team in the polls since week eight of the polls being released. To make this memorable run even sweeter if your the Zags is the fact that they will knock off the defending national champs in the process.

So that's how the tournament, at least as I see it, breaks down. Let the Madness Begin!