Don't Call It A Comeback

It has taken a while, but it's finally happening Mets fans. Back by popular demand, the Black Jerseys are making a return to Queens this spring and summer. It was announced yesterday by team owner Steve Cohen and again by star first baseman Pete Alonso that the team will be bringing back the Black alternate Jerseys.

the team had used the black jerseys in its team wheel from 1998-2011. It was introduced as a home alternate in 1998, with block letters NEW YORK written across the chest, but have also had METS in script written there as well over the years. The black jersey was worn as an alternate at home, paired with the white home alternate pants, and on the road. They also had all black caps that went along with the look.

There's been rumors floating that it could be for select Friday night home games this season, a move which some, myself, are all for.

Always liked the look of the black jerseys. They had a nice, simple clean design to them Plus with the Mets wearing them it lead to some good years early on, including the back to back NLCS appearances in 1999 and 2000.Granted both of those teams were loaded with talent and really really good but still. Now, this could be a sign of things to come. This team that will be wearing the black uniforms are really really good, so hey you never know.

2021 MLB Season Preview

It's that time of year once again. Spring is here, the green grass is ready. Major League Baseball's 2021 season has arrived. Thirty teams all start with the same record, all dreaming of holding a World Series Trophy at the end of the season. One team will be the one left standing. Lets not waste any more time and lets dive right into it. There's a couple of things we need to know first before we get into breaking down the teams and what not.

First, it will be back to a full 162 game regular season, and a lot of the rules that we're in place for last season were just that, last season. Baseball went back to the way it had things for the 2019 season, including the playoffs. The only rule changes that were put in place for last year that has been carried over to this year are double headers and extra innings. Doubleheaders will be played as two seven-inning games. For extra innings, a runner will be placed on second base at the start of every half-inning of a game that goes into extra innings. We also have new managers in new places. Detroit (A. J. Hinch), Boston (Alex Cora), and the White Sox (Tony La Russa) all have new bench bosses for this season.

Now let's get right into it. Here's our predictions for the 2021 MLB season.

AL West:
1. Houston Astros (100-62)*
You can say all you want about this Astos team, they are still best team in the division. Yes I know they finished a game under .500 last year, but they are still a balanced and loaded team. Dusty Baker has a full season to work with his roster, which still has Jose Altuve running the show from the top of the lineup. You put Brantly and Bregman right behind him in the lineup, it going to be tough for opposing pitching staffs to get them out. Carlos Correa is also going to be another big bat for other pitchers to go up against. This pitching staff still looks pretty good. Zack Greinke, Lance McCullers Jr., and Jake Odorizzi make up the top half of what could be a solid pitching staff. Ryan Pressly finishes off the back end of the pen as the Houston closer. Houston still has a solid pen and rotation and could be deep enough to be able to pull out the West title

2. Oakland Athletics (97-65)
Yes, the Astros have a deeper lineup, but the A's have plenty of power that can help keep them hanging around in the West for most of the year. Matt Olsen, Matt Chapman, Elvis Andrews, they can all deliver t=with the long ball and then some. The depth could be a test come the long run if injuries hit the big boys in Oakland. Mitch Moreland could be an impact bat again if he gets it going. Pitching leaves something a little. Trevor Rosenthal could be solid coming out as the closer, but he's going to need to get back to the form he found in his early days with the Cardinals. And on paper I don't know how great the bridge is between the starters and Rosenthal, but the starting staff of Frankie Montas, Jesus Luzardo, Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, and Mike Fiers could surprise a few people. Oakland isn't a pushover, but they might not have enough to overtake Houston.

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (93-69)
Who knows, there could be enough left in the tanks for the players for the Angels to overtake Oakland and even give Houston a real run for their money. Albert Pujols is on his last leg, as this will be his final season in the majors. So you know he's going to want to go out with a bang. He still has the best player in the game in Mike Trout in the lineup with him. You have Upton and Fowler in the outfield with Trout and Otoni as the DH when he isn't pitching. Oh and then there's some guy named Anthony Rendon. Anaheim has a pretty good lineup. Dylan Bundy is going to be at the top of the rotation with Otoni and Andrew Heaney round out the top three of the rotation. The Angels could be the dark horse in this Western division.

4. Seattle Mariners (88-74)
This could be giving the Mariners too much credit with 88 wins. They got some talent at the top of their lineup. When you have, Crawford, Seagur and Haniger at the top of the lineup, it going to be hard to deal with for the opposititers, its reaon. If you can keep those guys in check, then you have a solid shot against the Mariners, because the depth isn't there. They have good pitching at the top with Paxton and Marco Gonzales, but again, much like the batting order, there isn't much depth to really be able to build off of.

5. Texas Rangers (74-88)
Again this could be giving a lot for Texas. They added Khris Davis to the heart of the lineup with Joey Gallo and David Dahl. But lets be real here, who really scares you, outside of those three guys in this Texas lineup. And, at least on paper, Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles are at the top of the pitching staff. Not much really strikes fear in you looking at the Texas lineup. Or on the hill for that matter.

AL Central
1. Chicago White Sox (101-61)*
The youth movement has taken hold in Chicago. You got one of the best leadoff hitters in the game in Tim Anderson to kickstart things. You then follow it up with the power in the middle with Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, and Yasmani Grandal. There's plenty of power and depth in this White Sox lineup. And to be able to try to get the best out of this White Sox team is going to be new manager Tony La Russa, who's got his hands full. Chicago had the best mark in the AL last year till the final two weeks of the season, then they got unseated in the opening round of the playoffs. So there's a lot that the Sox are going to want to erase from last season. They got the hitting. and they got some pretty good pitching to match. When you have Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, and Lance Lynn at the top of the rotation, you got something to really be able to build on. Add in the fact that you got a solid pen leading to Liam Hendricks closing out games, and you got something going in the Windy City.

2. Minnesota Twins (99-63)(WC)*
Not quite as loaded as the Sox, but this Twins team is going to be really good. They won the division last year and will be back in the thick of the race again this year. If your a Minnesota fan, you just hope that the heart of the lineup in Cruz, Sano and Donaldson can find some more of the magic that they had last season, and in seasons past. If they get some of that old brilliance from those three guys, they could be in a serious fight with the Sox for the division crown all year. And when you have Kepler and Polanco at the top as the table setters, it going to be hard to throw the Twins off their game this year. The pitching staff is pretty good too. When the top four guys in the rotation are Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios, Michael Pineda, and J.A. Happ, it could be tough for any lineup to face. The pen is decent and they got some good pieces. Keep an eye on the Twins in the AL this year.

3. Cleveland Indians (92-70)
This will be the final year of the Indians in Cleveland. The franchise isn't relocating, they just won't be called the Indians anymore after this season. They look a little different from last year too. Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carraasco are both gone in New York, while Andres Gimenez has taken over at short, and Amed Rosiaro is now in as the utility middle infielder. Add in Jose Ramirez and Eddie Rosario to the heart of the lineup, it worth taking a look at for the Tribe. Now add in Shae Bieber and Zach Plesac to the top of the rotation, the Indians have something to work with at the start of the staff.  The pitching staff could be the only thing that might hold the Indians back. They could be close to being a playoff contending team.

4. Kansas City Royals (82-82)
This could be a team that has something in the works, but its going to take a while for Kansas City to really reach its potential. There a solid middle of the lineup with Solar, Perez and Santana, with bringing in a solid fielder in Andrew Benintendi to play left. s team looks like it has some good depth to it that they can build around going forward. But there's a problem. The pitching staff. It leaves something to be desired. Danny Duffy and Mike Minor, will be behind Brad Keller in the rotation. Which says something. The pen doesn't really scare anybody on paper. Kansas City has something to go with, but pitching is gonna be holding them back a bit.

5 Detroit Tigers (70-92)
You got one good year of Miggy left in Detroit. Who knows how much he really has left in the tank or how productive he really can be. He has some support in the form of newly signed catcher Wilson Ramos, as well as Jacoby Jones and Jonathan Schoop. There's nothing much else in the Tigers lineup that, on paper, really scares anybody. the pitching staff has holes and there's no real ace that strikes fear into any opposing batting order. Sure they might be able to steal a few games here or there, but lets be real, there isn't anything here for the Tigers.

AL East
1. New York Yankees (103-59)*
Little bit of re-tooling has gone in the Bronx in the offseason. They brought back the best hitter from last season in DJ LeMahieu, who will once again be at the top of the Bombers lineup. They still have the modern day Bash Brothers, in Judge and Stanton, in the middle of their lineup. if both guys can manage to stay healthy, its makes from one of the toughest middle of the lineups in the game of baseball. We got Clint Frazier who is set to start in left field and has a lot to prove. He wants to prove that he belongs in the Yankees lineup everyday and that his time has finally come. Another guy in this lineup that has something to prove is Gary Sanchez. He is decent behind the plate, but he had too many troubles at the plate to possibly suggest that this might not work out. When he's on his game though, Sanchez can be one of the more dangerous hitting catchers in the sport. Pitching looks to be solid in the Bronx. Sure it looks a little different without Happ or Tanaka there, but what is here is still solid. Cole is at the top of the rotation, with Kluber, Taillon, Montogmery and Garcia rounding it out. Oh and there could be Louis Severino coming off Tommy John sometime in June. The pen is fine again. The Yanks look in good shape to take the East.

2. Tampa Bay Rays (100-62)(WC)*
The defending American League Champions look to make as much noise this year as they did last season. You got a solid middle of the lineup with Ji Man Choi and a possible rookie of the year candidate in Randy Arozarena. Those two guys hitting behind your table setters in Meadows and Lowe, you got something brewing down in Tampa. They have balance hitting up and down the lineup and coming off the bench as well. Pitching is no slouch in Tampa, they brought Chris Archer back into the mix in the offseason. Some with the Rays hope that Archer can find his old self again and be able to replace Blake Snell in the rotation. Archer sits now behind Glasow, and Yarbrough with newly added Michael Wacha and rich Hill rounding out the rotation. The pen looks as solid this year as it did last season, leaving Tampa in a good spot to be able to hang with the Yankees most of the year and get into the playoffs as a wild card team.

3. Toronto Blue Jays (96-66)
There's a lot of good young talent on this Toronto club. They made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason, signing George Springer to a massive contract to play out in Center Field. You have a good young middle of the lineup with Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Cavan Biggio. Hitting and defense won't be a problem, they have plenty of both. Pitching looks solid too. The top of the rotation features Hyun-Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray. behind them you got Tanner Roark and Steven Matz. Matz is going to be interesting to see if he can find his footling again close to what he had in 2019 with the Mets. He's coming off an 0-5 season last year, so hopefully it goes a little better for him in Toronto. The Jays are getting the pieces in place to be able to compete at the top of the food chain in a tough AL East.

4. Boston Red Sox (89-73)
Boston was a last place team in the East a season ago, but they might be able to pull themselves out of the basement in the East this year. Alex Cora is now back as the Boston manager and he has some thumpers in his lineup to work with. Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and Hunter Renfroe are the heart and soul in the middle of the Sox lineup, but there in lies a problem. There isn't much else for the Sox to go with in terms of solid bats. Hey there's noting wrong with Verdugo and Devers hitting at the top of the Boston. Its the bottom of the lineup that has some holes in it. Eduardo Rodríguez and Nathan Eovaldi lead the Boston pitching staff that, much like the back end of the Sox order isn't much to behold.

5. Baltimore Orioles (70-92)
This is the 3rd year of a massive rebuild in Baltimore and from the looks of things, it could be a long year for the O's Chris Davis is near the end of his run in Baltimore, and they looking for a way to replace him in the future in the lineup. Maikel Franco and Freddy Galvis are close to being the guys to build around him. And throw Trey Mancini in the mix and it could be a decent team, if they can put it together. But there's no real depth in pitching for the O's Yes it is nice to see Matt Harvey getting another shot on a big league roster. But he's going to be near the end of the O's rotation. Going to be a long year again in Baltimore.

NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (105-57)*
They are the defending World Champions and have won the NL West for eight straight seasons. This was a good team that managed to get a little bit better. Mookie Betts is still the top man in the offense, with Bellinger and Turner at the heart of that lineup. They have a good mix of power and contact hitters on this team. They also have a solid bench and guys that can play multiple positions as well, so when you have a lineup like that, its really scary to go up against every day. And the pitching staff is just as loaded. You still have Clayton Kershaw at the top of the rotation. Behind him sits Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, and David Price as well. The newest addition to the rotation is the biggest question mark. Trevor Bauer got paid big over the winter. But there's questions around him. The biggest one being can he have a repeat of the year he had last year winning the Cy Young? Only time will tell. Even with that as a question mark, the Dodgers are still the heavy favorite to come out of this division.

2. San Diego Padres (99-63)(WC)*
If there's any team in this Western Division that can give the Dodgers a run for their money, its going to be the Padres. They have a solid left side of the infield with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Tatis just got a huge contract extension to stay at shortstop and if the last couple of years have been any indication, then they made one of the smartest investment ever. And it's not just those two guys in the lineup, they have more depth pieces to go with it. Will Meyers can still hit, so can Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer. You have depth players on the bench, same as the Dodgers, who can play multiple positions as well. Its nice to be able to have that balance and depth. Pitching too can be pretty good. Not quite as good as what you have in LA, but still solid in its own right. Yu Darvish and newly added Blake Snell are going to be counted on to lead that staff. Drew Muscgrove can be a reliable third man in that rotation. The pen is solid as well, but lack of starting depth might be the only thing that holds the Padres back from the Dodgers in the West.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks (88-74)
Arizona might not be as balanced or deep as the two teams ahead of them in the division, but man are they going to be an interesting team to watch in this Western division. Madison Baumganer is still at the top of this Arizona rotation, which might be able to hang around a little. Zac Gallen should be able, at least that's what's projected, to take some of the pressure off Madison. The pen could be good if they can hold a lead and hand it to Jokim Soria to close out games. When it comes to scoring runs, Marte shouldn't have a problem setting the table in the desert. Him and Nick Ahmed provide the speed, while Peralta and Calhoun provide the power. Look, the D-Backs can put up runs but they aren't going to be quite as good as the two teams ahead of them. They will hang around for a little while, before fading.

4. San Francisco Giants (81-81)
If, and this is a big if, the Giants can stay healthy, then there is a chance that they could make some noise in this division. Mike Yastrzemski and Donovan Solano could lead the way with the youth movement in San Fran. They still have veteran leadership with Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria. The question is how well can those guys still be able to produce. When it comes to pitching, the Giants are lead by Johnny Cueto, Logan Webb, and Anthony DeSclafani. Again, on paper, it looks like this Giants team could be a solid contender in the West.

5. Colorado Rockies (72-90)
At one point, this Rockies team looked like they might have turned the corner. Now it looks like they have started taking a step backwards. Nolan Arenado is no longer manning 3rd in Denver, as he's now in St Louis. So that now leads to Ryan McMahon taking over with Trevor Story on the left side of the Colorado infield. CJ Cron is going to try and take some of the pressure off Story and Charlie Blackman in the middle of the Rockies lineup. There's really not enough power here for the Rockies to keep pace with the top tier of the West. Same thing with the pitching. German Marquez is at the top of the staff and it leaves quite a bit to be desired in Denver.

NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs (100-62)*
Chicago has a balanced lineup, even if Bryant might not last much longer in the Windy City. He been in trade talks for a while now, so there's no real way of knowing if Bryant going out. With him here, in the middle with Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, this team has power to burn in the middle of the order. They have depth too, with Ian Happ at the top, Joc Pederson and Wilson Contrreras behind the dish and a trying to get back into his game Jason Heyward. If Chicago can get this lineup going on a regular basis, there's no telling how far the Cubs can go. Pitching is pretty good for the Cubs too. Jake Arreita is still solid, and with him behind Kyle Hendricks, it gives the Cubs a pretty good one two punch at the top of the rotation. They shouldn't have too much of a problem getting the ball to Craig Kimbrel to hold a lead down. Looks like it could be a very good baseball year for the city of Chicago this year.

2. St Louis Cardinals (90-72)
I'll give credit where it's due in St Louis, adding a guy with the talent of Nolan Arenado to play third. You put him behind Paul Goldschmidt and in front of Paul DeJong, it gives the Cards a middle of the lineup that could be feared. But how much can they really build around it? Sure they have Matt Carpenter to come off the bench and provide some offensive punch, and they wanna give Yadier Molina one final run at a championship. When it comes to pitching, they have Jack Flarety, Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation but will it be enough? It also leaves one to wonder how well can the pen hold up getting the ball to either Andrew Miller or Jordan Hicks to close out games. Don't worry this Cards team is going to win a lot of baseball games, but it might not be enough.

3. Milwaukee Brewers (85-77)
Milwaukee has the hitting the hitting that could put them a lot closer to the 90 win mark, but the pitching could be what lets them down. Closing games look good with Josh Hader at the back end of the pen. Its getting to Hader that has some worried. Brandon Woodruff is the ace of this Brewers staff, and there's really no depth to build behind Woodruff. So it leaves a lot to be desired. Hitting shouldn't be a problem. Christian Yelich is leading this team, and with Lorenzo Cain and Kolton Wong hitting ahead of him, there's plenty of chances to set the table. They have Orlando Arcia coming off the bench, a guy who has no problem playing multiple positions. They have a team that can hit, and generate runs with speed. It's just can the pitching hold up on it's end?

4. Cincinnati Reds (82-80)
The middle of this Reds lineup could be able to hang with any other middle of the lineup with anybody else in this division. Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez, and Mike Moustakas all can hit and hit for power. Nick Casttellanos and Tucker Barnhart can also swing a solid bat, but that's about it. The bullpen looks OK and they have a couple of nice pieces in the starting rotation with Louis Castillo, Sony Gray and Wade Miley but other then that, there's not much in the way of pitching here. Sure they might be able to stick above, just barely, the .500 mark, but there's really too many holes in Cincinnati to really be able to hang with the big boys in the central division.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates (70-92)
For Derek Shelton, his second year in the Steel City isn't going to go much better then the first one did. But looking at it, maybe giving the Pirates 70 wins could be generous. Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco are the best hitters in this lineup, which leaves a lot to be desired. So too does the pitching staff, because there's no arm in the Pirates rotation or pen that makes you worry about facing them. Gonna be a long year in Pittsburgh.

NL East
1. Atlanta Braves (101-61)*
Starting to sound like a broken record once again, but the Braves are the class of the NL East. They've won the East each of the last three seasons and look like they could do it again this year. And why not, most of their core is still in tact. Acuna and Swanson at the top of the Braves batting order give them solid table setters for a long time to come. Then they have Freeman and Ozuna in the middle, throw in d'Arnud and Albies and you got a deep and balanced lineup Atlanta can really work with. The Braves pitching staff was a little beat up last year, but when the staff is on in Atlanta, its on. Max Fried has become the ace of this staff, with Charlie Morton and Mike Soroka right behind him. And they have a good enough pen to get the ball to Will Smith to shut the door. Atlanta is good. Scary good.

2. New York Mets (98-64)(WC)*
The Mets are a good team, very good. Could have been a little bit better though. Only thing that stopping it right now is injuries. No Syndergaard till June cause of Tommy John, No Carlos Corrasco, who they got from the Indians in a huge deal, for two months cause of injuries. No Seth Lugo out of the pen due to injury too. Even so, the pitching staff looks alright. Jacob deGrom is still king of the hill in Queens, with Marcus Stroman right behind him, looking to have a bounce back season. Just hope Edwin Diaz can actually be decent in saving games. Hitting shouldn't be an issue really for this Mets team. Francisco Lindor adds big pop to the middle of the lineup. Pete Alonso is looking to get back to rookie of the year form and Dom Smith, who's now going to be playing left, is looking to build off a good year last year. Michael Conforto is looking to have a solid year going into into free agency. If everybody can stay healthy, they can not only be a wild card team, they could stick with the Braves most of the year for the division.

3. Washington Nationals (94-68)
There's few teams in baseball who have a better one two punch at the top of their pitching rotation then the Nationals. When you have Max Scherzer and Stephen Strausberg at the top of your rotation, that's going to be hard to beat. They also have Corbin, Ross and Jon Lesteo in the Middle of the Nats lineup to finish out the rotation. Its going to be tough to beat in DC. The bats in Washington are pretty good too. Starlin Castro joins Juan Soto in the middle of the lineup. Add in Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison with this team and they are going to be good. They going to be in a fight with the Mets and Braves most of the year. This will be the toughest division to really be able to pick.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (90-72)
They brought back the biggest name in the free agent catching market this winter in J.T. Realmuto. Put him in the middle of the lineup with a guy like Bryce Harper and its going to be solid in Philly this year. They have depth behind those two guys, with Rhys Hoskins and DiDi Gregorious. They also have a solid bench too with the likes of Scott Kingery and Ronald Torreyes. Pitching isn't so bad in Philly, with Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler. Look Philly has some pieces that they can go with for years to come, but they're missing a few pieces to really get them over the hump and be right in the thick of it with the teams ahead of them/

5. Miami Marlins (88-74)
Hey don't let this team fool you. Miami surprised a lot of people making the playoffs a season ago, I really wanna see what Miami can do with a full 162 game slate. They are looking to build around Brian Anderson, and they can do that with Jesus Aguliar and Corey Dickerson down in South Beach. Only thing that's going to hold the Marlins back is their pitching staff, which is nowhere near as loaded as the teams ahead of them. Still they are going to be good and in one of the toughest divisions in the entire league.

NLCS: Braves-Dodgers
ALCS: Yankees-White Sox
World Series: Braves over Yankees

Wally's World

There had been some questions for the New York Islanders heading into the 2020-21 season. One of the bigger ones was who's going to step up and fill in the secondary scoring gaps? That question seemed to loom even larger a couple of weeks ago, when team captain, and goal scoring leader, Andres Lee went down with the knee injury. The team has stepped its play up at times and been able to keep pace at the top of the MassMutual Eastern Division this year, and the scoring sources are different on a lot of nights. One guy in particular who's been really turning his game up has been rookie Oliver Wahlsrtom.

Wahlstrom was taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft, and so far hasn't really disappointed. He had only played nine games last season, without registering a point and didn't play at all in the playoffs. This year, he's played in 28 games and register 15 points, including a current four game point streak (3 goals and 2 assists during the current streak). He scored his first career goal opening night against Washington, but really started to showcase his skills around the middle of February when the points started coming.

Playing on the 3rd line usually with Jean Gabriel Pageau and Michael Dal Cole has been working pretty well for the three of them this year, with Wahlstrom being the biggest benefactor from that combination. With the pace he's been going as of late, he's only two goals and ten points back of Kirill Kaprizov for the lead in both among NHL rookies.

What's been standing out about Wahlstrom is that he's finally getting an opportunity to play with regularity and he's making the most of it. He's really getting a chance to showcase why the Islanders took him with the 11th overall pick three years ago and he's taking full advantage of it. I'd go so far as to say that his recent play has put him right in the mix as a dark horse for the best rookie in the NHL this season. Still a lot of hockey left to be played but you get where I'm going with this. I think the numbers, and the eye test of watching him play the past few games, have been pretty indicative of that. Plus, with the season ending injury to Andres Lee, who says there won't be a good chance for Wahlstrom to be seeing top line minutes sometimes soon, playing with Jordan Eberle and Matt Barzal. Wahlstrom now I think has his skills on display and there's plenty more positive upside where that came from for this twenty year old kid.

Hockey Movie Lineup

Ah the movies. Much like sports, its a great way to escape reality for a couple of hours. When the two of them are combined into one, its an even better form of entertainment for some. So we thought about it and came up with this idea. We're leaving out movies like Miracle for this list, because that's real and based off true stories. We taking players from movies like Youngblood, Slap Shot, Mystery Alaska, The Might Ducks, the Love Guru and many more. We taking players from these films and trying to put together a lineup. Yes, we are making an ultimate hockey movie lineup of 18 skaters and two goalies.

Line combinations and defense parings will be made based on players skill set and what combinations might work the best to be able to win hockey games. Coaching staff, too, has been selected on being able to draw the best out of these players and motivate them to be the best of the best. It is an overall tream game and an effort to be able to win.

So with that being said, here's the ultimate movie hockey lineup

Coaches:
Head Coach: Gordon Bombay
This seems like the most obvious choice to be the head bench boss for this hockey club. He pulled off two of the greatest miracles in all of hockey, the pee wee state title and at the Junior Goodwill Games. He knows how to get the best out of his players and push the right buttons

Assistant Coaches: Reggie Dunlop, Walter Burns
Reggie is in charge of the defense and penalty kill. He can drive his players crazy as much as Gordon. He would rather be on the ice playing, as he was a pretty good player coach, but he was such a great motivator, he would serve purpose better behind the bench. Same thing with the Judge. Burns played college hockey and taught a lot of people in his home town the game. Hell he lead a small town team to nearly pulling off the biggest upset in the history of the game. Why wouldn't you want Burns behind the Bench

Dean Youngblood - Connor Banks - Ned Braden
Conor Banks has the overall skills that can rival most centers playing the pro game today. He can do a little bit of everything and has the foot speed to burn. Youngblood has good vision and the hands of any great goal scorer in this game. Same thing with Braden. He might not be able to make as many fancy moves as Youngblood, Braden still has good enough hands and a nose for the net that he can make a goalie or two look rather foolish.

Stevie Weeks - Adam Banks - John Bebie (A)
Bebie may not have the foot speed of his linemates but there's no better pure passer on this team than him. It's an artform and Beibe has perfected it. What Bebie lacks in foot speed, Weeks more than makes up for it. He can fly around the ice like it's nobody's business, and make a lot of plays with his speed. Adam Banks was the dynamic middle man for this line, the perfect combination of Weeks and Bebie and can complement both players really really well.

Derek Sutton - Charlie Conway (C) - Darren Roanoke
When you need a defensive line that can put the puck in the back of the net, this line can do it. It was tough trying to decide who was the true leader of this team, but it had to go to Conway, who was and is the best two way player on this team. He knows how to draw the best out of his teammates, can score a big goal when needed and can play a solid two way game. Same thing with Derek Sutton. He was a leader who had a good two way game. His scoring punch may have been a little better then his defensive game,  but he could do both when needed. Ronaoke is an interesting case. He was more of a scoring threat then the other two guys on this line, but so was Conway when he got started, but Conway turned into a good two way player. With pushing the right buttons, Ronaoke can do the same thing, without taking away from his offensive skills

Jeff Hanson - Steve Hanson - Jack Hanson
This was a total given. You can't put together a team like this an d not include them in here. They were the greatest line ever created. They could hit, fight and score goals. They were the total package of a line and no matter how hard you try, there was little to no stopping the Hanson brothers when they got rolling. You needed a change of momentum in a game, send these three guys out and you were as good as gold.

Fulton Reed - Dean Portmam
Physical play from the back end is key in the game, and there' no better way to be able to start that off then with the Bash Brothers. Fulton had the added weapon to his game in that he had one hell of a slapshot. He could be the quarterback on the powerplay and can set everything up based on his shot. Portman had a pretty good shot and outlet pass too, but he let his physical play do a lot of his talking. Fulton can hit too, but Portman was the more physical of the two. 

Tree Lane - Dave Carlson
You want to keep the physical presence coming from the blue line, look no further then Tree Lane. Took him a little while to find his game and for his skill set to grow into his body, but once it did, he became a hard man to beat. His checking game does most to all of his talking. Decent shot, but he's here more for his hitting ability. Carlson too had that unique ability. Solid outlet passer, but they didn't call him Killer for nothing. He could hit just as well as Tree, so it seemed like the perfect fit putting these two guys together on the line

Derek Thompson (A) - Russ Tyler
They didn't call Thompson the Tooth Fairy for nothing. He managed to turn his game around and became a better all around defender. But when he first started, he was known for playing a very physical game. he was a decent skater and had no problem being able to throw his weight around to clear the front of his own net. Russ Tyler brings a little balance to this pair with his offensive upside. Not quite as good a skater, but his shot could fool any goalie and drive them crazy

Julie Gaffney
They didn't call her the car for nothing. She went out on an international stage and stole the show in the shootout. Then when she went to a higher level of play, so did her game. The talent was always there and she would make the key save when it was needed with a lightning fast glove hand. She had quick feet and good positioning and could track down most of the shots she faced. She kept a level head on her shoulders to keep pucks out of the back of her net.

Dennis Lemieux
He had a solid rookie season that was able to get him on this list. He didn't have that great a glove hand but was good making saves with his paddle. Had quick feet and was able to make a lot of sprawling saves. Unorthodox style Dennis had but was good enough to get the job done and keep the puck out of the back of the net,

Scratches: Doug Glatt, Greg Goldberg, Xavier LaFlamme, Ogie Ogilthorpe, Jacques Grande

USA Roster Invites

It's getting close. The Olympics are right around the corner and, once again, there's very lofty expectations surrounding Team USA Basketball. And why not. With the list of talent that is eligible, it's possible for the USA to not only win, but win big. At the end of the day, 12 names will be chosen later this year to wear the Red, White, and Blue.

Picking this team won't be an easy decision. It's going to find the right mix of talent for the twelve men that will make up this basketball team. Gregg Popovich is running the team as head coach, with his assistant coaches being Steve Kerr, Lloyd Pierce and Jay Wright. There's a lot of tough decisions that have to be made as to who's going to make this team, and these seem like the right guys to be able to do it. Now, for the lot of the guys to choose from. A lot of that fall's on the shoulders of Jerry Colangelo, who has been running USA Basketball Men’s National Team since 2005.

Here's the full list of players that could make the roster:

Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers); Eric Gordon (Houston Rockets); Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons); Blake Griffin (Brooklyn Nets); Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks); DeAndre Jordan (Brooklyn Nets); Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls); Julius Randle (New York Knicks); Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat); Mitchell Robinson (New York Knicks); Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors); John Wall (Houston Rockets); Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans); Christian Wood (Houston Rockets); and Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat); LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns); Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat); Mike Conley (Utah Jazz); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers); DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs); Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets); Paul George (LA Clippers); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors); James Harden (Brooklyn Nets); Montrezl Harrell (Los Angeles Lakers); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers); Gordon Hayward (Charlotte Hornets); Dwight Howard (Philadelphia 76ers); Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans); Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets); LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); JaVale McGee (Cleveland Cavaliers); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Victor Oladipo (Houston Rockets); Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns); Mason Plumlee (Detroit Pistons); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).

There's plenty of international experience on this team too. Seven guys on this list were on the 2012 team that ran the table in London on the way to Gold, while three of those guys were also on the 2008 Gold Medal team. We have 24 different NBA teams represented, with the Nets leading the way with six players. Right behind them are the Cavs, Lakers and Rockets with four each. Of the players listed, 55 of them have international game experience, with LeBron leading the way with 68 games played. Eight players listed have been invited to camps but never played international games, while two players, Duncan Robinson and Christian Wood have no prior USA basketball experience at all.

Who do you think has the best shot of making this team?

Islanders Depth Tested

Depth on a hockey team, or any pro sports team for that matter, is so important. Deeper teams usually do well come playoff time. That depth gets tested when a star player goes down. It gets tested even further when that star player is your team captain. That's what the New York Islanders now have to deal with. Last night in a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils, the Islanders seventh win in a row, Lee was injured in the first period. It came with about 7:11 left in the opening period after running into Devils forward Pavel Zacha. It was announced this morning as a lower body injury and no timetable for his return.

You hate to see it happen to a guy like Lee, who is the leader of this Islanders team and a heart and soul kind of player. He's played in 295 straight games and missed a total of three games in the past six seasons. Lee had 19 points and lead the Islanders with 12 goals by the time the play happened last night./

Its a killer losing Lee for two reasons. He is the team captain and not having his presence is going to be huge. They going to need somebody to step up in the leadership department. Then there's the scoring aspect. He's not only got a team leading 12 goals, but he reminds me a lot of Clark Gillies in that he's a very hard man to move from in front of the net when he places himself there.

Now what do you do to fill that lineup spot?

Lee had been playing on the left side with Barzal and Eberle. Now they need to shuffle things around to see who's going to be the right fit to play with them. First thought would be either Josh Bailey, who I've never been sold on but he has played better as of late, or Anthony Beauvillier. So to fill in his spot in the lineup, common sense would call for either Michael Dal Cole, or Keffer Bellows. Both guys are going to need to get playing time at this level if their skills are ever truly going to shine. There even a chance that Leo Komorov is going to get more ice time as well with this injury now.

It's good if your the Islanders to have this kind of option available to you to use, but it going to be up to the players to step up and to the coaching staff to get the right mix of players together to keep the Islanders lineup moving.

NHL Changes Networks

Big news coming down for Hockey fans as the NHL will be switching networks, the league announced earlier this week. Starting with the 2021-2022 season, the NHL will be broadcasting games on ESPN. its the first time that the NHL will be back on the network for the first time since 2004.

Per ESPN, announced on Wednesday, 25 regular-season games on ESPN or ABC, early-round playoff series and one conference final each year, four Stanley Cup Final series on ABC and more than 1,000 games per season streaming on ESPN+. ESPN+ and Hulu will be home to 75 ESPN-produced exclusive telecasts per season.

For over ten years the NHL and ESPN had a good working relationship. They had decent hockey coverage, but towards the end of the run, they started getting overshadowed by the other three major sports with the NBA NFL and MLB. Don't get me wrong, the NHL had great announcers calling the games on the network. Guys like Joe Beninati, Dave Strader, Jack Edwards, Steve Levy and Gary Thorne called games on the national broadcasts. And some have heard me talk about this before on radio shows in the past, Gary Thorne and Bill Clement are two of the reasons I've wanted to get into becoming a hockey announcer.

When the NHL does make its return to the network, I would love to hear Beninati, Levy and Thorne calling games on the network for national work again. I would also love to see this as a sign that the NHL is starting to get more national attention and respect. It's kind of look down on among the big four sports and doesn't really get enough respect that it deserves now. So here's hoping that the league and the network can start to get something like this right and showcase the best hockey players in the world in the best way possible.

So here's hoping that this helps grow the game even more and take its coverage of the sport to the next level and get it to a higher level of sports consciousness

Sports Helps Mental Health

With the way things are in the world today, the discussion of mental health has become more and more important. One of the things that can help with mental health is sports, both playing and watching. Playing sports can help reduce stress, improve mood, keep your mind sharp, among other things. For the point of this post, we put it in the context of watching sports.

Sure, there are times where are sports teams can drive us crazy. It happens all the time with the three teams I root for with the Jets, Mets and Islanders. They drive me up the wall with some of the ways that they've lost games or blown leads or whatever. They have also given me great memories that will live on with me forever. It also more then just that. Its the friendships (and relationships) I've made because of sports and wrestling. I've met some people that have become really close friends because of our shared love of sports. That has turned into other things in common, but sports is what anchored it.

What that has helped create for me, is friendships I'll keep forever and gives me an outlet. What I mean is it has given me people I know I can trust and talk to about anything. It helps me get out some of what's going on in my personal life and allows me to talk to people. And the same thing goes for my friends in where they have come to me to get out their personal problems before it would start driving them up the wall, so to speak.

Sports has done that for me and my friends. It kickstarted a friendship that has helped bloomed into something much bigger. Point is, and I really do hope this helps somebody out there reading this. It is OK to not be OK. Its OK to reach out to somebody to talk to, doesn't matter who it is or what its about. Never fight it alone, there is always an ear more than willing to listen to whatever the troubles may be.

Sports has helped me with that. It's given me plenty of distractions when I was felling down about something. It's always kid of been there to help lift my spirits up, whether its watching it, playing a video game version of it, or going outside and playing it. It also helped because it helped foster friendships I keep to this day and helped me find the people who always have my back and people I can go to when I need to talk.

Just know that you are never alone and there is always help and a better way around whatever problems you may face. Hopefully sports can and has helped you the way it has helped me.

Cespedes New Landing Spot?

It's been a long road for Yoenis Cespedes, coming off injury filled years the last couple of seasons. He now finds himself without a team, opting out of his final year of the massive contract he signed with the Mets four years ago. He barely left a mark last season, hitting .131 with just two home runs, before opting out among COVID concerns. He's now trying to get back to the Bigs, having completed a showcase workout on Tuesday down in Florida for eleven teams, one of which being the New York Yankees.

There were a total of eleven teams at the workout for Cespedes: the Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Marlins, Rays, Tigers, Reds, Cubs, White Sox, Padres and Braves. The workout, which lasted just under an hour, saw Cespedes take fly balls in both left field and center field, and then take batting practice for about 20 minutes (NY Post).

What does this mean for Cespedes and the teams involved?

Well for Cespedes, its another shot to get back to his old self in the show. He's 35 years old and wants to show everybody that he's still got something left in the tank and can be an effective ball player. The last few years have been working against him however. Between 2017 and 2020, including the opt out last season, Cespedes has played just 127 games and made 512 plate appearances. The reason was due to injuries and opting out from last year. It was an image issue which made him look bad. He couldn't stay healthy enough to stay on the field and make an impact. By doing this, I give him an A for effort for trying to get back to something close to the performer we saw in 2016, his last full season of service at the big league level.

Looking at the teams who were at this workout, which one would benefit the most from it. Yankees? Not really, no. From a depth perspective MAYBE, but even that's a stretch. They already have Fraizer, Hicks, Judge, Gardner and Stanton ready to go in the outfield. Plus they have Jay Bruce as a possibility as well. Cespedes COULD fit but he wouldn't get much playing time and that's not going to sit well with him I don't think.

Just looking at it on paper, should he make a big league roster, would either be the Tigers, or the best possible landing spot, the Reds. Of the eleven teams that saw his workout, the Reds have the weakest outfield of the bunch and would be able to use him in left field to give them some quality in the field and a good bat in the middle of that Cincinnati lineup. Who knows how things are going to play out over the next month, but with this now on the radar, it makes things in the spring just a little more interesting.