Baseball Hall Makes Call

Becoming a Hall Of Famer means you were one of the very best to ever do your given profession. Baseball's no different. If you were selected into the Hall, it means your career was pretty good to say the least. Only one person was selected for the class of 2022 by the BWAA. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz got the call this year, being the lone inductee into the class, at least from the writers. He joins Jim Kaat, Tony Oliva, Bud Fowler, Gil Hodges, Minnie Miñoso and Buck O’Neil, all of whom were voted in by the Golden Days and Early Baseball Era committees back in December.

Ortiz spent 20 years in the Majors. Started in 1997 with the Twins and played there till 2002. Then signed in Boston in 2003, where he played the rest of his career, before retiring in 2016. When Big Papi hung up his spikes, he played in2,408 games, collecting 2,472 hits, 541 home runs, driving in 1,768 runs. He was a ten time all star, winning seven silver sluggers and three world series titles with the Red Sox. He's one of only three men, along with Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson as the only men to hit over 500 home runs and win three World Series titles.

You needed a big hit, more so come playoff time, Ortiz was your guy. There were stretches where he was carrying the Red Sox offense. The guy could hit when the game was on the line too. His 17 home runs in the playoffs were 7th most in history and his 61 playoff RBI were 4th most all time.

Notable names that received votes but didn't get in are as follows:: Barry Bonds (66% Final year on Ballot) Roger Clemens (65%, final year on Ballot), Scott Rolen (63%), Curt Schilling (58.6%, Final year on Ballot), Todd Helton (52%), Billy Wagner (51%) Sammy Sosa (18% Final year on Ballot), Andrew Jones (41%) and Alex Rodrigues (35%).

Of course the debate will continue to rage on for a long time as to whether or not guys associated with the steroid era are ever going into the hall. Bonds and Clemens were at the top of the list and came close to getting in but alas. That will always and forever lead to the debate. Nothing was ever proven them actually taking of course and there's no proof of them actually cheating. It's like the writers are trying to erase a part of history.

This of course is going to be another debate by itself. But what the live ball era did at the end of the 90s and early 2000s was get fans back to the game. After the strike in 1994 that cancelled the World Series, the image of the game took a huge hit and a lot of fans seemed to turn their back on the game. Then the home run chase of 1998 started to get them back. And it was around that time the image of players started to change. I'm not saying players actually did anything, because there's no proof of that. But the eye tells the whole story.

Is the system messed up? Yes. Does it need to change? Yes

NHL Legend Passes

Power Forward. A term used in hockey to describe somebody who's known for playing a physical game. The role is loosely described as a big, strong forward who can play physical and score goals, usually having high point totals and penalty minutes. One of the first pictures you will see when describing the role of power forward is of former New York Islander and Buffalo Sabre Clark Gillies. He pretty much set the standard for what a power forward should be. He passed away last night at the age of 67.

Gillies was the ideal player for that concept before the role was really defined and even existed in the game. The numbers kind of speak for themselves. 4th overall pick by the Islanders in 1974, he finished his career with 958 games played, scored 319 goals, 378 assists, and registered 1023 penalty minutes. He won four straight Stanley Cups, was a part of 19 straight playoff series wins, had his #9 retired by the team and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. But those numbers only tell cold hard facts.

He helped his teammates play bigger then they were. Case in point. The Islanders second round playoff series against the Boston Bruins in the 1980 playoffs. A lot of the experts had the Bruins pegged to win the series because they had a more physical edge. And a lot of people were looking back at what happened in the playoffs the year before when the Islanders got knocked around a bit in the upset by the Maple Leafs. So they figured if that happened the year before against Toronto, it could happen again against the Bruins in 80. Well Gillies, along with fellow tough guy Bob Nystrom, took it upon themselves to try and match the Bruins punch for punch in the series. The fights that Gillies had with Terry O'Reilly in that series have become the stuff of legend over the years. It helped turn the Islanders into the team they needed to be in the playoffs that season.

His on ice play was the stuff of legend. So was his personality off the ice. His charity work in the community in and around Long Island could be felt for years after his playing days had ended. He gave so much of himself and his free time to touch many lives around Long island that it can't be really put into words

A true legend in the game and the community Gillies impact on Long Island and the hockey world will never be forgotten

NFL Division Round Preview

We're now down to eight. Division Weekend has arrived in the NFL and boy do we have some big stories coming into this weekend. Can the best running back in the NFL still be that after missing so much time this weekend. Can the champs take on their toughest defensive front to this point? Can Buffalo get over the hump against the defending conference champions? We got four good games on the weekend, lets get right into it. Here's how divisional weekend goes down in the NFL

Saturday 4:30PM Cincinnati Bengals @ Tennessee Titans
This is a big game for the Titans for two reasons, other than the obvious of course. First its can they live up to the hype of being the top team in the AFC, despite not having their best running back in the lineup for a little over half the season. Then there's said running back, Derrick Henry. With him and AJ Brown back on the field together, its going to make for an even tougher matchup for the Bengals defense. And this Titans defense isn't a pushover. When the do rush the QB, they usually do a pretty good job of generating pressure on him and causing him to be thrown off his game.

They going up against a Bengals team that has just as good an attack on offense, led of course by Joe Burrow. He's loaded with help as well. Mix can come close to matching Henry on the ground. Through the air, Chase and Higgins are the go to guys for Burrow and have been all year, and again last week in the win over the Raiders. This is a team that for a long time has struggled to find its footing, and now that they have it, they're really something to watch.

This is going to be a tight football team, and I know that Tannehill hasn't turned the ball over as of late, but going against this Cincy team is way different. How well Derrick Henry rushing the ball is still a great unknown at this point.

Pick: Bengals 31, Titans 27

Saturday 8:15PM San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers
The weather for this game is going to favor Green Bay without question. Single digits by the time kickoff rolls around on Saturday night, going to reek some kind of havok on Jimmy G and the 49ers. As a matter of fact, Jimmy G has never played in a game where the temperature was below 40 degrees, so this is going to be a first for him. Oh and to make matters even harder for the 49ers, Garopollo is dealing with shoulder and hand issues. The only thing that saved the 49ers last week against Dallas was not only the Cowboys penalties but their horrible clock management as time was running down.

Green Bay is no push over. They were the best team in the NFC this season and for good reason. With all the weapons Aaron Rogers has at his disposal, this team can be very dangerous. Oh and lets not forget they are a fully healthy football team as well.

Pick: Packers 30, 49ers 14

Sunday 3PM Los Angeles Rams @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sure to be the game of the weekend. Two outstanding defenses going head to head. Rams D has one of the best front sevens in all of foot5ball, which this week is going to be a big help. The secondary is kind of banged up for the Rams, which could be a factor for this ball game. They still have Jalen Ramsey back there, which is going to be key in keeping an eye on Mike Evans on the day. To match up the Bucs defense is pretty good as well, very well balanced when healthy. They can keep pace on that side of the ball with the Rams, who know how to spread the ball around.

Both offenses can fly and make big plays, there's no doubt about that, and it's all been well documented. Matthew Stafford finally got his first ever win in the playoffs last week, which is going to be a huge confidence builder coming into this week. He got weapons all over the place, Kupp and Beckham are the two biggest ones in the pass game. Tampa has to rely on Leonard Fornette to be effective running the football, because the pass game looks a little beat up as of late. Godwin hurt and we all know what happened with Antonio Brown. Brady still has Evans and Gronk to throw too but this is where it gest interesting if the Rams secondary can key in, what's Brady going to be able to do?

Pick: Rams 27, Bucs 24

Sunday 6:15PM Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs
The rematch most of us AFC fans have been waiting for since last season. Rematch of last years title game between the Chiefs and the Bills. This will be the biggest QB battle of the weekend between Mahomes and Allen and both guys have plenty of talent to work with. Hill and Kelce are still bigtime threats for Mahomes. Allen can throw the ball well and when he has a guy like Diggs catching passes, he'll be fine. Plus, last time we checked, Allen was a pretty good runner as well.

Defense is going to be good for both. Biggest threat on that side of the ball is Micah Hyde, who's one of if not the best shutdown corner in all of football. That's going to be a key factor in this football game. Both teams know how to pressure the opposing QB and that's going to be another thing to focus on with this one as well. This will be the toughest game of the entire weekend to try and predict but we going to give it a go now.

Pick: Chiefs 31, Bills 30

Wild Card Weekend Preview

The chase for the Lombardi Trophy is on. Wild Card weekend has arrived and we kickstart a crazy month of playoff football. Seven teams in each conference made the post season, with the top seeds each receiving bye. Now we let the fun begin for the playoffs. So lets not waste any more time, here's what we got for the first weekend of the playoffs.

Saturday 4:30 PM Raiders @ Bengals
Early game to start the weekend and it should be a good one. Raiders are known for their pass rush, with Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue leading the charger and they made things miserable for Burrow the first time these two teams played earlier this year. And lets not take anything away from the Vegas offense, as Derek Carr and Hunter Renfrow have been good all year leading this team. Also have a pretty good tight end in Darren Waller. The problem is, can that offense manage to stay punch for punch with a much more high powered Bengals offense?

Short answer is no. The Bengals have too much firepower up front. Higgins and Chase are both over 1,000 yard receivers on the year, Joe Mixon was a 1,000 yard rusher and Burrow threw for over 4,600 yards. Its a balanced attack. The thing is, at times that offensive line has had trouble in the past keeping Burrow up on his feet. If they do that, this should be a win for the Bengals

Pick: Bengals 30 Raiders 17

Saturday 8:15 PM Patriots @ Bills
How could you not like a divisional matchup in the playoffs. If there's anything that has been well documented it is this.....the New England Patriots are always prepared for whoever they go up against. Mac Jones has been impressive taking over as the main starter under center for the Patriots. They still have a solid defense and know how to throw an opposing offense off their game.

New England knows how to play in cold weather but its a different kind of cold going up to play in Buffalo and the Bills are ready to handle it. Josh Allen has struggled at times this year, but when he's on his game, he's very tough to be able to beat. Stefon Diggs has been good as of late and is starting to remind us all why he's one of the top receivers in this game.

Pick: Bills 28, Patriots 14

Sunday 1 PM Eagles @ Buccaneers
Give credit where its due, the Eagles surprised quite a few people by making the playoffs. What's been doing it for the Eagles this year has been an outstanding running game. They had the best rushing attack in the NFL this year, averaging 159.7 yards a game. Two guys on the team, Hurts and Mike Sanders, rushed for over 700 yards on the year. This to go along with Hurts throwing for just over 3,100 yards for the year, proves that he's a dual threat.

He is going up against the greatest to ever do this in Tom Brady. Brady still has weapons with Evans and Gronk and a pretty balanced running attack. Then there's the Tampa defense, lead by Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul and Lavonte David. Those guys can play the game that Bucs fans have become used to seeing, then this should be an easy win for the champs. But with Hurts being the dual threat that he is, this could be a closer game than expected.

Pick: Buccaneers 30, Eagles 21

Sunday 4:30 PM 49ers @ Cowboys
Pretty even matchup this one. And it's the first time that these two teams have faced off since the 1993 playoffs. Dak Prescott has played like a man on a mission most of this season. When he's got deep threats like Amari Cooper and a healthy CeeDee Lamb to work with, its something that can exploit what has been a weakness in the San Francisco defense, the deep ball. Throw in the running of Zek Elliott, who finished with over a thousand yards this season. Combine all of that it makes for a very tough Dallas team to beat.

But hey, Jimmy G and San Francisco is no push over. They've gotten better as the year has gone on, with the second half of the 49ers season being their best football yet. Having George Kittle back and healthy to play well with DeBo Samuel has been huge for Jimmy G. They can matchup pretty well in the physicality department on the other side of the ball with the Cowboys. What worries me is which 49ers team shows up, what we got in the first half of the year, or the team that's been showing up as of late? Doesn't matter really, the Boys have been just too good.

Pick: Cowboys 35, 49ers 21

Sunday 8:15 PM Steelers @ Chiefs
This could be the final time we see Big Ben on an NFL field, and he knows it too. He has said that they gonna go out and give it a go in a very tough place to play at Aasrowhead. He got a good back in rookie Najee Harris to hand the ball to so it will make things a little easier for the Steelers to try and control the clock.

But your going up against the defending AFC Champions and one of the most prolific offenses in the league. Yes, Kansas City did get off to a slow start, at least by their standards, but they found their game as the season wore along. Mahomes Hill and Kelce should be able to find room to throw thanks to the running game. They are playing a Steelers defense that has had a lot of trouble controlling the opposing run game. This could be a pretty big mismatch this weekend.

Pick: Chiefs 26, Steelers 14

Monday 8:15 PM Cardinals @ Rams
Another divisional rematch come Monday night, a first for wild card weekend. And its going to be a shootout too. Murray against Stafford. Its going to be a balanced and high scoring game. What's going to be the turning point here is the defense and that edge goes to the Rams. They've had the best defense in the NFL most of the year and they've only gotten better. This isn't to take away from what JJ Watt has done for Arizona.

On offense, Kyler Murray has been the jack of all trades. James Conor and Christian Kirk have been reliable weapons for Murray. The defense has been fine as of late. But they had struggled down the stretch losing four of their final five games. Meanwhile the Rams have been hot, winning five of their final seven games. Stafford and Kupp have been a great combo all season long. he can also spread the ball around to Woods, Higbee, Jefferson and Beckham.

Pick: Rans 28, Cardinals 17

All Star Rosters Announced

Ah the All Star game. Its a gathering of the best of the best gather in Sin City for the 2022 All Star Game. The game is slated for February 5th at 3PM. And for the game, today the rosters were announced for that weekend in Vegas. Here's what it looks like for All Star Weekend.

Atlantic Division:
Drake Batherson, Senators (1st)
Patrice Bergeron, Bruins (3rd)
Jonathan Huberdeau, Panthers (2nd)
Dylan Larkin, Red Wings (2nd)
Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs (4th) (Captain)
Nick Suzuki, Canadiens (1st)
Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres (1st)
Victor Hedman, Lightning (3rd)
Jack Campbell, Maple Leafs (1st)
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning (4th)

Metro Division:
Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes (2nd)
Claude Giroux, Flyers (7th)
Jack Hughes, Devils (1st)
Chris Kreider, Rangers (2nd)
Alex Ovechkin, Capitals (8th) (Captain)
Adam Fox, Rangers (1st)
Adam Pelech, Islanders (1st)
Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets (2nd)
Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes (2nd)
Tristan Jarry, Penguins (2nd)

Pacific Division:
Leon Draisaitl, Oilers (3rd)
Jordan Eberle, Kraken (2nd)
Johnny Gaudreau, Flames( 6th)
Adrian Kempe, Kings (1st)
Connor McDavid, Oilers (5th) (Captain)
Timo Meier, Sharks (1st)
Mark Stone, Golden Knights (1st)
Alex Pietrangelo, Golden Knights (3rd)
John Gibson, Ducks (3rd)
Thatcher Demko, Canucks (1st)

Central Division:
Kyle Connor, Jets (1st)
Alex DeBrincat, Blackhawks (1st)
Kirill Kaprizov, Wild (1st)
Clayton Keller, Coyotes (2nd)
Jordan Kyrou, Blues (1st)
\Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche (4th) (Captain)
Joe Pavelski, Stars (4th)
Cale Makar, Avalanche (1st)
Juuse Saros, Predators (1st)
Cam Talbot, Wild (1st)

So is there anybody missing from the list that should be at the game?

Hernandez Receive High Honor

In sports, getting your number retired is a pretty big deal. It means that you had such a huge impact on the team you played for, that they want to honor you in this way. In the 60 years of the New York Mets, they've retired seven numbers. This summer, they will be adding another number to that list. On July 9th when the Miami Marlins make a weekend visit to New York, the Mets will retire the #17 in honor of Keith Hernandez.

Keith got traded from the Cardinals to the Mets in 1983, and played seven years in town. Playing in 880 games, he hit .297 with 80 home runs, 159 doubles and 486 RBI. But that only tells one side of the story. The other side, was six gold gloves for his stellar defensive play at 1st base. He was so good in the field that it was a joy to be able to watch play everyday for most Mets fan. For those who weren't able to watch him play know him for his broadcasting skills. His been in the Mets booth since 1999 and provides an insight that so few in this game can.

His playing days were done by the time I really started getting into baseball, but thanks to the internet, YouTube and SNY I've been able to see highlights of his greatness on display. That and reading all these stories about what he was like on the field and in the clubhouse. HIs ability on the field as a player and a leader are what lead to this high honor of having his number retired.

Now this leads to another big question. Who's next to have their numbers retired? One name jumps to mind right away is #5 for David Wright, at least for most fans of this generation. That will happen one of these days for sure. You could put Gary Carter's #8, #16 for Doc and #18 for Daryl as well. Those numbers come to mind right away.

So congratulations to Keith Hernandez for achieving such a high honor.

Clinching Scenarios Week 18

We've hit the final weekend of the NFL season. Lot on the line this weekend with the playoffs right around the corner. So let's not waste time. Here's how teams can wrap up playoff spots on the final weekend of the regular season.

AFC:
Clinched: Bengals (AFC North), Chiefs (AFC West), Titans (AFC South), Bills (Playoff spot) Patriots (Playoff spot)

Baltimore Ravens
-Ravens can clinch a playoff spot with a win AND losses by Miami, Jacksonville and Indy

Buffalo Bills
-Bills can clinch AFC East with win OR a New England loss

Cincinnati Bengals
-Bengals can clinch #1 seed with win AND losses by Kansas City, Tennessee and New England (Or a Bills win)

Indianapolis Colts
-Colts clinch playoff birth with win OR Chargers and Steelers

Kansas City Chiefs
-Chiefs clinch #1 seed with win AND Titans loss

Las Vegas Raiders
-Raiders clinch playoff spot with win OR Colts and Steelers losses

Los Angeles Chargers
-Chargers clinch playoff spot with a win

New England Patriots
-Patriots clinch AFC East with win AND Bills loss
-Patriots clinch #1 seed with win AND losses by Bills, Chiefs and Titans

Pittsburgh Steelers
-Steelers clinch playoff spot with win AND Indy loss and Chargers-Raiders don't end in a tie

Tennessee Titans
-Titans clinch #1 seed with win OR losses by Chiefs and Bengals and a Bills win

NFC:
Clinched: Packers (NFC North #1 seed), Cowboys (NFC East), Buccaneers (NFC South), Cardinals (Playoff Birth), Rams (Playoff birth), Eagles (Playoff Birth)

Arizona Cardinals
-Cardinals clinch NFC West with win AND Rams loss

Los Angeles Rams
-Rams clinch NFC West with win OR Cardinals loss

New Orleans Saints
-Saints clinch playoff spot with win AND 49ers loss

San Francisco 49ers
-49ers clinch a playoff spot with win OR Saints loss

Randle Puts Foot In Mouth....Sort Of

It's no big secret that playing in the New York Market is a very tough thing to do. It gets magnified even more when it's playing for the New York Knicks. When your the biggest star on that team, the lights seem to shine a little brighter on you. Just ask Julius Randle, who's had a coming out party, as it were, over the last year and a half. Now Randle has gone and, sort of, stuck his foot in his mouth.

Thumbs-Down gate is back in New York. It started over the summer with Javy Baez giving it to Mets fans. We thought that was something that was one and done. Well it came back Thursday thanks to Julius Randle. After the Knicks big come from behind win against Boston at home, Randle gave a thumbs down gesture to the fans as a way to tell them (nicely) to put a cork in it after booing the team during their latest stretch of play. After this blew up in his face, Randle took to social media on Friday morning to release the following statement. 

“Just want to send a quick message to our fans and be clear - I love NYC and being a part of this team and this franchise. And like most Knicks fans, I am really passionate about us being successful. My family and I love how the fans and New Yorkers have embraced and accepted us and have made us feel great about our decision to commit long-term with the team this past summer. This support means the world to us. I understand that my actions also represent the league, this organization, and the city, and that I should have handled things last night differently and expressed myself with more professionalism and more appropriate language in the heat of the moment. My comment was an example of how sometimes you say things you regret to people you love, even if it came from a place of passion and deep love. Nobody wants to win more than me and I will continue to show loyalty and dedication to my teammates, the entire Knicks organization, and the fans who have shown me and my family so much love. I am going to keep focusing on the future. Thank you. GO KNICKS.”

Hey I get it man, you got passion for winning and passion for playing in this city, which I think is so freaking cool. It's something that we haven't seen on this strong a level from a high scoring Knicks player in some time. Problem is, as we all know, the lights shine just a little bit brighter at MSG then they do at any other arena in the league. And when your the best player on the team that plays there, its going to burn hotter on you. Just have to be more aware of that so you don't do stupid stuff.

The media in the New York market are always going to be tough on you, hell so is the fan base as well. We want winners in the town and we have such a high standard. Athletes do stupid things its going to get blown up and that's what happened here. i give Randle credit for making the statements and trying to smooth things over. Will it work? not totally sure yet. But this to me is a step int he right direction and a good move on his part. Still wasn't very smart of him to do what he did, but at least he's smart enough to be aware of it and try and act professional.

Best & Worst NFL Week Seventeen

We got one more week to go in the regular season in the NFL. And boy was there a lot to talk about coming out of week seventeen. More playoff spots got clinched, drama all over the field in New Jersey. We had tw2o different receivers have monster days, while another team went totally backwards in the offensive department. So lets not waste any more time and lets get into it. Here's some of the best and worst from the week that was in the NFL.

Best: Ja'Marr Chase, Wide Receiver Cincinnati Bengals
To say that this kid had himself a day would be one of the understatements of the century. Cincy pulled off a huge 34-31 win over Kansas City, and having to do it in come back fashion in the second half. Chase was a huge reason for that, and then some. He was targeted by Joe Burrow 12 times on Sunday, finishing with 11 catches for an eye popping 266 yards and three touchdowns. Those 226 were the 15th most in an NFL game during the regular season. Oh and the performance helped clinch the North for the Bengals. Good on ya man.

Worst: New York Giants Pass Attack
If this isn't rock bottom then honestly I don't know what is. It's bad enough that they got blown out 29-3 by the Chicago Bears on Sunday. To make it worse, the Giants had -10 passing yards on the day. no that is not a typo, yes that actually happened. The Giants had -10 passing yards on Sunday. Sure Sequan Barkley took some of that sting off with m102 rushing yards on the day, but Glennon was sacked four times for 30 yards and had a little over 20 yards passing on the day. Is that bad? It's not good.

Best: LA Rams Trades
Los Angeles came up with a big win on Sunday, to the tune of a 20-19 win over the Ravens. It was two mid season trades that the Rams made that paid off bigtime against the Ravens. First there's Odell Beckham, who had five catches for 39 yards including a big touchdown grab. That's now five TD grabs in seven games with the Rams, which is better than he had in 29 games with the Browns. Then there's Von Miller who had five tackles on the day, two of which for sacks. He now has nine tackles for a loss in seven games since joining the Rams. Both guys seemed to have turned their seasons around since going to LA, and the Rams are a much better team for it.

Worst: Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Come on, there's no way this wasn't going to make the list. Yes the Bucs got the comeback win 28-24 over the Jets on Sunday, but it was without AB. He made a glorious exit from the ballgame tossing his gloves and undershirt into the crowd before coming off the field. Details of this and what exactly happened are still coming to light as the week has gone on. When it happened on the field live on Sunday at Metlife looked really bad for all parties involved and looks like it could be getting worse as time goes on. We may have very well seen the last of Brown on an NFL Field.

Best: Jalen Hurts, Quarterback Philadelphia Eagles
It wasn't pretty, but it was a win, and a big one for the Eagles at that. Philly beat Washington 20-16 and it helped them clinch at least a playoff spot. Even though he didn't find the endzone through the air, but he did throw for 214 on 17 of 26 passes. He was effective all afternoon and has been a steady hand under center this year in the city of Brotherly Love. He also ran the ball 7 times for 44 yards.

Worst: Miami Dolphins
A couple of weeks ago it had looked as like we were all starting to change our tune about Tua under center in Miami. Hell this Dolphin team looked like it could be one to make noise and make a serious threat run at the playoffs. That all went up in smoke following a 34-3 thumping at the hands of the Titans. This loss snapped the Dolphins eight game winning stream and may have snuffed out all hopes for a playoff push. As for Tua, he threw for just 205 yards and a pick as well as being sacked four times on the day. Next week now means nothing for Miami, who was eliminated from playoff contention with the loss