Best & Worst NFL Week Nine

Week Nine has come and gone in the National Football League and what a week it was. Kansas City still unbeaten at 8-0. NFC west is still a tight race as is the AFC North. Running backs are showing that they still have a major role to play in the modern game. We also some big names have big days catching passes as well. Lets not waste anymore time. Here's the Best, and Worst, of week nine in the NFL.

Best: Saquan Barkley, Running Back Philadelphia Eagles
There may have been some questions about Barkley's running ability coming into this season when he signed with the Eagles. Those worries are starting to get put to bed more and more as each week goes by. Barkley is the second leading rusher in the NFL this year, behind only Derrick Henry. We saw more of that skill on display in the Eagles 28-23 win over the Jaguars on Sunday. Barkley finished with 27 carries for 159 yards and a touchdowns. Those yards were the most by any running back in the league this season. He's been good, like really good.

Worst: New Orleans Saints
There had been a lot of high hopes for the Saints this year. A lot of it was off to the great start, winning their first two games. Now the wheels have fallen off in New Orleans. Seven straight losses, including a 23-22 loss in Carolina on Sunday. Here's a perfect example off how bad the things have gotten for the Saints over the last month and a half. They outrushed the Panthers by over 150 yards. and outgained the Panthers by 150 yards. They still lost to Carolina. That's the only time in NFL history that something like that has ever happened. Things just keep going down for New Orleans this season.

Best: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wide Receiver Seattle Seahawks
Yes it came in a losing effort, but its a performance that needs to be talked about. Sure, Seattle lost 26-20 to the Rams, but it wasn't for lack of trying by Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Seven catches for 18- yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was the 2nd time in his career that he's had a 100 yard receiving game. Last one was in week two against New England this season. Yes the Rams took the game in overtime, but the Seahawks got there thanks to Smith-Njigba performance. His yard total was the tops out of any pass catcher in the league this week.

Worst: Jordan Love, Quarterback Green Bay Packers
He was supposed to be the guy to take over in Green Bay. This season at least, we haven't quite seen it just yet. Now to be fair, the Packers went up against a powerhouse this week in the Detroit Lions. Lions won it 24-14, thanks to their run game. But that wasn't the only story to come out of this night. The play of Jordan Love is something to talk about. Sure the 274 pass yards are nice, but that can be deceiving. He threw for no touchdowns, at least not for this own team. The one touchdown toss he had was a pick six. It also is somewhat glaring that he was 23 of 38 passing. This bye week for Green Bay is coming at a good time, as it allows them to get it together and it starts with Love having to start playing better.

Best: Tyler Bass, Kicker Buffalo Bills
To say that things have been kind of rough for Tyler Bass in Buffalo have been a totally fair assessment. He missed what would have been a game tying field goal against Kansas City last year in the playoffs. That kind of carried over to a rough start this year. It wasn't getting any better at the start of things on Sunday at home against Miami. Then, things changed as the game went on. Coach Sean McDermott put faith in his kicker. he sent Bass out in a tie game with ten seconds left.  Bass went out to drill the kick, which by the way was a 61-yarder, to win the game 30-27 for the Bills. It was not only the longest of Bass's career, but the longest in Bills history.

Worst: Caleb Williams, Quarterback Chicago Bears
Yes, the numbers were OK for Williams on Sunday. He did throw for 271 yards. But that wasn't good enough. Chicago scored just nine points on Sunday in a 29-9 loss to the Cardinals. And this was coming a week after Jayden Daniels beat the Bears with the walk off Hail Mary. What made this week worse for Williams, aside from the fact that he looked average at best against a spotty Arizona defense, was the fact that he limped off at the end of the game with an apparent leg injury. Oh and the Bears are now 0-4 on the road this season. Ouch

Best & Worst NFL Week Eight

We have now past the two month mark in the NFL season. Still one unbeaten team left standing in the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile the Titans and Panthers are in a battle for the top overall draft pick with just one win each. We had the return of some big time talent from injury and quite a few upsets around the league. We also got some of the heavy favorites starting to take shape along with some bigtime miracle wins. Lets not waste anymore time, here's some of the best and worst of week eight in the NFL.

Best: Jayden Daniels, Quarterback Washington Commanders
He went number two overall in the 2024 draft, and on Sunday in the Commanders 18-15 win over the Bears, Jaylen Daniels got his signature moment. Daniels duked it out with the guy who was taken ahead of him in the draft in Caleb Williams, and it was Daniels who got the last shot in. He finished 21 of 38 for 326 yards. But it was his one touchdown pass om the day that has everybody talking. The Hail Mary as time expired with the Commanders down only two, that helped secure the walk off victory. it showed a different level of calm and poise for the kid to not only be able to escape the pressure, but to lob up the bomb for the winner.

Worst: New York Jets Offense
Calling this team a mess would be an understatement. After falling 25-22 to New England on Sunday, the Jets now sit at 2-6. Aaron Rogers got a new weapon in Devante Adams and it still hasn't clicked yet after a couple of weeks. They had some flashes but the offense isn't clicking. And its not helping the fact that Greg Zurline missed a kick and the Jets couldn't convert a two point conversion to tie the game. This is a game that the Jets should have won but they came up short. Things have looked out of wack for the team the last couple of weeks. And this was supposed to be a playoff contending team.

Best: Malik Willis Quarterback Green Bay Packers
Yes Green Bay walked away with a 30-27 win. Yes Josh Jacobs had a huge day with over 100 yards on the ground and a couple of touchdowns. But it was Malik Willis that became the story. Green Bay got him in late August in a trade and had to come in late the game as Jordan Love went down with a groin injury. All Willis did was hit Jayden Reed with a 51 yard bomb pass that got Green Bay within range. That turned into a win as the Packers hit a walk off kick to end it. But if Willis is showing flashes like that, then Green Bay is in good hands if Love has to miss time due to that injury.

Worst: Dallas Cowboys Run Game
For a long time, the running game had been a staple of the Dallas Cowboys offense. That seems to have totally gone by the wayside. Dallas got run over by San Francisco, losing 30-24 to the Niners. Dallas had 56 rush yards as a team. San Francisco Quarterback Brock Purdy got that BY HIMSELF. When you have no running game, it becomes obvious to everybody watching, both in the stadium and on TV, what you're going to do. It puts way more pressure on Dak. Now Dak is a good QB I can't take anything away from him. But he can only do so much and when you don't have a run game to get more than 100 yards on a day, it puts more pressure than needed on the air attack. That becomes too predictable.

Best: Detroit Lions Offense
You want to talk about domination, look at what the Lions just did on Sunday. They became the 2nd team this season to score 50 points in a game, hanging 52 on the Titans in a 52-14 victory. What's even more amazing is they didn't even throw for 100 yards on the day as a team. Special teams and the run game took hold for the Lions in the win. They didn't nee Geoff to play like an MVP, and it shows how deep this team is. Detroit is off to a 6-1 start the 2nd best start they ever had.

Worst: Anthony Richardson Quarterback Indianapolis Colts
There was some hope coming into this season that Richardson would be able to recover from his injury last year and be able to find his game again. Well that wasn't the case on Sunday, as the Colts fell to the Texans 23-20. Richardson was flat out bad on Sunday, going just 10 of 32 for 175 yards, a touchdown and a pick. He completed just TEN passes. The coach was asked if he would consider going away from Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco. Its a double sided coin there. On the one hand you need to build the confidence up of the kid. On the other, you also need to keep hope alive for having a decent year, and when Richardson has performances like that, it makes things like that a little harder to do.

One For The Ages

Sure the ending wasn't the way the team wanted. But boy was it a wild ride for the New York Mets. 89 wins and came within two wins of going to the World Series. This was their first playoff appearance and wins since going to said World Series in 2015. To be able to do what they did with the way the season went along is something that was truly specials.

There weren't very high expectations for me for this team when the season started. When I did my predictions at the beginning of the year I had the team finishing with 81 wins and missing the playoffs. Once things got going, the Mets limped out of the gate, getting out to an 0-5 start to their year. Things weren't looking much better by early June, as the team sat at eleven games under .500 at 24-35. That would be the worst record they'd have this season. By the time the All Star break rolled around, the team sat at 49-46. They had started playing better baseball.

Then by the time late September rolled around, it looked like there was a chance to actually be a playoff team. They held their fait in their own hands come the last day of the season in Milwaukee, a team they hadn't beaten all year. They won the final game. Now here's where the stress came in. Had to go to Atlanta, play a double header with playoff lives on the line. Win and in. Thanks to late inning heroics (Francisco Lindor) they did what they had to do and got in. Which meant go right back to Milwaukee for the Wild Card round. Game three, it looked like they were down and out, Alonso hits the biggest home run of his life. Moving on.

To Philadelphia for the Division Round. Ventos and Lindor provide more heroics. Onto the NLCS. Where the Magic simply ran out.

Alonso had a solid year, but a little down by the standards he had set for himself in past years. Lindor was playing at an MVP level. Both of them had clutch hits during not only the season but in the playoffs. Ventos set a club record for RBI's in the playoffs with 14, after driving in 71 during the regular season The three main starters this year, Severino, Manaea and Quintana each won ten games. All that without Sanga on the hill who missed most of the year due to injury.

They had moments this year where I'd watch this team and want to ram my head against the wall. It was that infuriating. Then there was times where I'd see flashes of magic that I hadn't seen from this team in a long, long time. It brought back a sense of magic I haven't felt in this team in some time. it was a nice feeling. Hopefully they can get Alonso signed and add a couple pieces and take the next step.

See you in 2025 LGM!

Big Night For Pittsburgh Dynamic Duo

Much like the Penguins had their dynamic duo of Lemieux and Jagr in the 90s and early 2000's, their current dynamic duo has been setting records. Ever since the two of them got together in 2006-07, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been not only the faces of the franchise, but setting scoring records. Look no further than in Wednesday nights win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Crosby joined the 1,600 point club (10th player in league history to do that), while Malkin joined the 500 goal club (48th player to do that). Crosby became the first player since Jaromir Jagr in 2011 to hit the 1,600 point mark. Makin scoring his 500th goal, joined Crosby (592), Washington's Alex Ovechkin (853) and Nashville's Steven Stamkos (555) as the only active players with 500 goals.

Crosby needed 1,277 games to hit the 1,600 point mark. His the 5th fastest to hit that mark. He probably would have hit the mark sooner had he not had concussion issues during the middle of his career. Crosby has been not only the face of the Penguins but one of the faces of the entire league since he got into the league. And Crosby is 121 points, as of this writing, behind Lemieux for the Penguins franchise record in points and 8th on the NHL all time scoring list. As for Malkin, he's tied with Lanny McDonald for 47th on the all time list in goals at 500 and is two behind Joe Mullen.

What the Penguins have with these two guys has been nothing short of magical. It brings back memories of the 90s teams with Jaromir and Mario running the show. Those two guys created something really special in the 90s and early 2000's teaming together. Sid and Geno have been doing that now for almost the last twenty years in the steel city.

By the time all is said and done with Sid and Geno, they may have totally re-written the Pittsburgh Record books. And given some of the injury bug that have hit these two guys during there career, the career numbers for both guys would be a lot higher by now. They are two of the very best to ever lace up a pair of skate. There's no doubt that the two of them will be in the Hall when all is said and done.

Best & Worst NFL Week Five

Week five has come and gone around the NFL. We still got two unbeatens left standing in Kansas City and Minnesota. Thankfully there will be no winless teams this season. San Francisco has lost three games already this season, the Jets just fired their head coach. Weird times around the NFL  We had some surprise big games while other guys flopped in big moments. Lets not waste anymore time. Here's some of the best, and worst, from week five in the NFL.

Best: The Browns Ravens Rivalry
This rivalry heated up with a barn burner of a football game on Sunday. Baltimore somehow walked away with a 41-38 victory. Burrow and Jackson threw for over 340 yards each. Jackson threw for four touchdowns and Burrow threw for five. Jamar Chase went off for 193 receiving yards on ten catches. With what a back and fourth battle this game was, it kept people on the edge of their seats. Even though the Bengals now sit at 1-4, if this was a sign of things to come, its going to make for great drama late in the season when the playoff races start heating up.

Worst: The 49ers Hold On The NFC
There had been high expectations on the 49ers this season. But they way things have gone the last few weeks, those expectations are starting to come down. In two of the last three games, the 49ers have had ten point leads in the 4th quarter and lost both games. Look no further than Sundays 24-23 loss to the Cardinals. San Francisco was shut out in the 2nd half. They were up 23-10 at the half before it all fell apart. Even an eight catch 147 yard day from Brandon Ayuk couldn't help the Niners out. Just look at San Francisco's last four possessions. Pick, turnover on downs, forced fumble, and a game sealing interception. San Francisco really needs to start getting it together if they want to get back into things as being a top team in the NFC.

Best: Tyrone Tracy Jr Running Back New York Giants
OK nobody had this one on their bingo board. The Giants had to try and replace Saquan Barkley, who took off for the Eagles. They grabbed Tyrone Tracy in the 5th round of this years draft. This game on Sunday, the Giants 29-20 win over Seattle, helped Giants fans forget about Barkley. Tracy finished with 18 carries for 129 yards. The touches this week came with Devan Singletary out with a groin issue. They missed Malik Nabers as well, who was out with a concussion. IF the Giants want to keep taking small steps in the right direction, having a good run game could be a big help and Tracy might be a key cog in that plot.

Worst: Cleveland Browns Offense
To say that the Browns are now getting bit in the ass by the DeShaun Watson contract is a major understatement. Cleveland got routed 34-13 by Washington. Watson was off on his passes most of the day, he ran right into more pressure while trying to escape it. He was just horrible again. He was sacked seven times on the day and his total QBR for the day was in the toilet. How can the Browns offense continue to even try to function like this?

Best: Special Teams Touchdowns
This week turned into a very good week for defensive scoring. First in London, in the Vikings 23-17 win over the Jets, Aaron Rogers got picked off twice. First one was the pick six by Rogers as Andrew Van Ginkel took a bad Rogers pass to the house for a score. Then in the Giants 29-20 win over Seattle, the Seahawks. Seattle went for a game tying field goal, the kick was blocked. Giants tight end Bryce Ford-Wheaton then returned the ball 60-yard return in the final minute. That score iced the game. Oh and last but not least, we go to Denver. Gardner Minshew threw a bad pass that was picked off by Patrick Surtain and returned 100 yards for a pick six in a 34-18 Denver win.

Worst: Buffalo Late Game Management
There had been a lot to look forward to if you we a Bills fan in the late moments against Houston. They were down 17 at one point. Fought all the way back to tie the score. With 32 seconds left and deep in their own territory,  Joe Brady the Bills offensive Coordinator decide to pass three straight plays.  Offensive pass interference and a couple of bad passes lead to a punt. Then as time ran out, Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled a 59-yard field goal to seal a 23-20 win for Houston. It one of those rare instances in Western New York as of late that the Bills will mismanage the game that badly with a chance to win. Now it makes the matchup on Monday Night Football against the Jets mean that much more than you figured it would.

2024-25 NHL Season Preview

The time has finally arrived. Thirty two teams start the season with the same goal in mind. being the last team standing at the end of the year with Lord Stanley in hand. The Western Conference is wide open. The Eastern Conference has been controlled by the state of Florida the last five seasons, so lets see if somebody can wrangle it away from them.

We will see the debut of a new team the Utah Hockey Club, who are replacing the relocated Arizona Coyotes. This is also going to be a different year with the Gaudreau brothers not here due to their passing earlier this summer.

So lets dive right into Here's how we see the 2024-25 NHL season playing out.

Western Conference:
Central Division:
1. Colorado Avalanche 112 points*
2. Dallas Stars 110 Points*
3. Nashville Predators 110 Points*
4. Winnipeg Jets 98 Points
5. Minnesota Wild 95 Points
6. Utah Hockey Club 90 Points
7. St Louis Blues 85 Points
8. Chicago Blackhawks 77 Points

There could be quite a bit of change in the Central Division this season. If you thought last year was going to be a good one for the Avalanche, this one is going to end just as well. There's a lot riding on Alexander Georgiev in net, coming off a big year last season. He got plenty of protection on the blue line. With Toews and Makar leading that charge, there's something to really build off. Naturally scoring is going to be relied on with Nathan MacKinnon coming off his MVP season. This team is deep and balanced and the division goes through them. Right on their heels are going to be the Stars. Jake Otteinger is going to be carrying the load between the pipes again this season, which he's shown he's quite comfortable with. Then you have Dumba, Lindell and Heiskanen as the steady hands on the blueline, Dallas is going to have a tough line to beat. Then there's the guys filling the opposing net. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin still have a little bit left in the take and with Jason Robertson coming off the monster year he had a season ago, the Stars are going to be a tough team to compete with. Let's not forget about the vast improvements made by the Predators this summer.  Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marcessault added firepower to an already fairly explosive hockey club. They have a solid blueline lead by Roman Josi Luke Schenn and Brady Skjei. And keeping the puck out of their net will be Juuse Saros, who's going to be relied on to handle the lions share of the puck stopping duties. Something he has shown in the past he has no problem doing. Now we go up north to take a look at the Jets. A big reason that this Winnipeg club is going to hang around in a playoff race is Connor Helleybuck. He been a top five goalie in this league and will continue to do that this season. You got a young defense corps lead by Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey. They have a young offensive core with Scheifele, Lowery, Ehelers, and Connor. Only thing holding the Jets back from a playoff spot is its depth which isn't quite there yet.

There is still hope things can get Wild in Minnesota this season. Marc-Andre Fleury still trying to show there's something left in the tank but expect Gustavsson to get a fair share of time in net. The guys in front of them have a chance to be really good. Brock Faber going to be counted on to start stepping into a bigger role defensively on this team, which still has Brodin and Bogosian taking full charge at the top of the blue line. Again the depth will be a little bit in question up front, but with young guns like Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov, there's a good core to build further around in the state of hockey. There's a very young core for the Hockey Club to build around in Utah. And its going to get a lot better soon. Connor Ingram has some solid upside in the nets. Mikhail Sergachev was brought on board to bridge the gap of sorts between a youth movement and the aging core on the blue line. but what really stickes out for Utah. What really sticks out is the offensive upside of this young group, which is being lead by Cooley, Keller, Maccelli and Schmaltz. Give them a few more years and a couple pieces on the blue line and they could be good in their new city. If the Blues are going to do anything this year, a lot of it is going to rely on Jordan Binnington. If he can really keep rolling in the nets, St Louis might have something to work with. You got a fairly good D core with Faulk, Leddy and Parayko. You got some talent to work with up front with Kyrou, Schenn, Thomas and a few others, but its nowhere near the level of the big boys in this division. Same thing can be said about the Blackhawks. Conor Bedard is going to be the face of this team for a long time to come and his only going to get better. But there's no other young guns around him to build with. The D is getting older and there's no goaltending to speak of really in Chicago. If the Hawks want to sniff the playoffs in near future, the need to keep finding a way to build around the kid/

Pacific Division:
1. Edmonton Oilers 114 Points*
2. Vegas Golden Knights 111 Points*
3. Vancouver Canucks 109 Points*
4. Seattle Kraken 100 Points*
5. Los Angeles Kings 98 Points*
6. Calgary Flames 89 Points
7. Anaheim Ducks 80 Points
8. San Jose Sharks 75 Points

There isn't going to be much upheaval at the top of the Pacific this season. Things have been getting better and better for the Oilers the last couple of years. And why not when you have two of the very best scorers in the game in Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. You brought in Viktor Arvidsson to add scoring depth. Zach Heyman is coming off a monster year. You got a loaded D and one of the better goalies in Stuart Skinner, who's really coming into his own as one of the top netminders in this sport. This team is too loaded with talent. The closest test for them in this division is going to be the Golden Knights. This team tried to bolster its position in net with getting Adin Hill help in the form of Ilya Samsonov. They have a fairly solid D core lead by Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo. There's still a t ad bit of weakness there but they could have something to build around, And Vegas has a good core on offense. Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Thomas Hertl, Ivan Barbashev. This team keeps finding a way to add pieces to keep moving forward. They are going to have another deep run this year. A year ago the division title went to the Canucks, who are looking to get back there again. They lost some talent with Lindholm and Zadorov gone and Jake DeBrusk brought in. They still have Brock Besser, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes to lead a very deep hockey club. It also helps when you have a goalie the talent level of Thatcher Demko. Things are changing for the Kraken this season, with new head coach Dan Bylsma trying to help guide this club on a deep playoff run. New head coach Dan Bylsma has good talent to work with. Phillipp Grubauer. He's got a solid defense core in front of him, lead by Vince Dunn and Adam Larson. This team has a good young core up front lead by Matty Beniers and Shane Wright. They have a balanced enough roster to make a solid run at a playoff spot. Bringing in Montor and Chandler Stephenson were big additions to this team. Another team that has a real shot at being a playoff club this year are going to be the Kings. Cam Talbot isn't around anymore, so enter Darcy Kuemper. He and David Rittich make a pretty good one two punch in the LA nets. IF they make the playoffs, they need the bottom four defenders to step up behind Drew Doughty and Joel Edmundson. They have an aging core up front lead by Anze Kopitar, but there's quite a few good young guns in the lineup as well. Kevin Fiala, Quinten Byfield and Warren Fogel will be expected to help carry the load in the scoring department.

Now we get to the teams on the outside looking in, starting with the Flames. First we have to question things in net. Devin Cooley and Dustin Wolf are looked at as the two guys to do the job, but that leaves something to be desired. Jarred Tanordi and Rasmus Anderson are going to be leading a young blue line. Sure there is some scoring punch up front. Coleman, Backlund, Kadri, Kuzmenko, and Mantha will be able to fill the net. but this team isn't deep enough to compete with the big boys. A new look for the Ducks this season is hoping to change the perception around the team. Radko Gudas is taking over as the team captain, leading a defense core along with Cam Fowler that's still young. It going to mean a lot of work in net for John Gibbson. They have some scoring punch up front. Fabbri, Zegras, and Terry are expected to lead the charge. They have a few pieces, but its not deep enough just yet. Finally, there's the Sharks. The biggest selling point for San Jose this season is going to be Macklin Celebrini. The kid is going to have some growing pains into the game, but with the veterans on this club, he should be able to adjust well. That's really the biggest selling point San Jose is going to have going for it this season.

Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division:
1. Florida Panthers 116 Points*
2. Boston Bruins 114 Points*
3. Tampa Bay Lightning 108 Points*
4. Toronto Maple Leafs 106 Points*
5. Detroit Red Wings 100 Points*
6. Buffalo Sabres 97 Points
7. Ottawa Senators 87 Points
8. Montreal Canadiens 79 Points

The top dogs in this division are going to be hard to crack this season. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Panthers are going to be a very hard team to beat at the top of the division. What's going to end up hurting Florida this season is the departures of a lot of key depth players, the core of this team is still in tact. They have a solid goalie tandom in Spencer Knight and Sergei Bobrovsky. Aaron Ekblad is still the leader of a solid and well rounded defense core. Up front, Matthew Tkachuk and Alex Barkov are expected to lead this team. When you have guys like Anton Lindell and Carter Verhaeghe also there, they going to be tough to beat. Florida has the system for the team they have, so don't be surprised if they poised for another deep run this year. Another team that's going to be right behind them, even with the changes they've gone through this offseason, is going to be the Bruins. Sure, Jeremy Swayman is still in the Boston nets, but he don't have his normal running mate in Linus Ullmark with him (who was traded to Ottawa). Instead it'll be Joonas Korpisalo working with him. There's good vibes around the Bruins nets. You brought in two big pieces in the offseason in Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm in free agency and locked them up long term. You got depth now on an already good team that may have gotten slightly better. Boston is going to be a big threat at the top of this division all year long. Next is a very interesting case of the Lightning. Things will be very different this year in Tampa with Steven Stamkos no longer being there. Victor Hedman has some big skates to fill becoming captain of this hockey team. Trying to fill Stamkos scoring touch is going to fall on Jake Guentzel. The top two lines for the Bolts look like they can hang with anybody, its the bottom scoring that leaves one a little worried. Hedman has some help on the back end with Ryan McDonagh returning to the mix this season. And not only that, but they have a healthy Andrei Vasilevskiy. If the bottom six can produce this season, this could be a very good Tampa team. Right on their heels are going to be the Maple Leafs, who have a new captain this year in the form of Auston Matthews. Toronto, much like Tampa, has lack of scoring depth outside of their top six. Give credit where it's due, Toronto bolstered their defense. They got Ekman Larson and Tanev up there with Morgan Riley. Goaltending is still an issue with Joseph Woll taking over as number one man and Anthony Stolarz coming in as backup. That's going to be key for the Leafs this year.

Another team that's going to be right there in the playoff race mix is going to be the Red Wings. Sure, Detroit added some big name, albeit older, depth pieces up front in Patrick Kane and Vladamir Tarasenko, they still a solid young hockey club. You still got Larkin, DeBrincat and Raymond leading the charge, but those two guys are solid depth guys to add more scoring punch. They got a decent defense lead by Chiarot and Seider and a fairly solid one two punch in net with Cam Talbot and Ville Husso. Look for Detroit to make quite a bit of noise this season. In the category of not quite there yet are going to be the Sabres. Look at the top line of Peterka, Thompson and Tuch. That line should be able to do just fine and carry their share of the offensive load. What worries some is the depth behind that. You got fairly decent depth on defense and OK goaltending in Western New York. Behind them, we go to Canada's capital where the Senators are going to try and get back on the right track. They got better in net by adding Linus Ullmark into the mix. Defense has something to build around with Sanderson and Zub but there is a little depth lacking there. Scoring, much like in Buffalo, relies on their top line. Stutzle, Tkachuk and Giroux are going to be good. The 2nd line of Greig, Norris and Batherson are going to be key if Ottawa can go anywhere this season. Brining up the rear in this division are going to be the Canadiens. It could be another long season in Montreal this year. Yes you got a decent goalie in Sam Montembeault, who could turn into something as time goes on. Mike Matheson has the same potential on the blue line. Up front, Montreal can go with Caulfield, Suzuki and Slafovsky. They still need a few years to really be able to add depth pieces to the team to compete.

Metropolitan Division:
1. Carolina Hurricanes 110 Points*
2. New York Rangers 108 Points*
3. New York Islanders 105 Points*
4. Washington Capitals 100 Points
5. New Jersey Devils 97 Points
6. Pittsburgh Penguins 92 Points
7. Philadelphia Flyers 88 Points
8. Columbus Blue Jackers 79 Points

There won't be much of a change at the top of the Metro this season. If anybody wants to take the Metro title, they going to have to wrestle it away from the Hurricanes to do it, You got a fairly solid goaltending tandem in Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. In front of them on the blueline they got a solid defense core lead by Jacob Slavin, Brent Burns and Dimitri Orlov. Up front, leave it to Sebastian Aho,  Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis. What makes Carolina so good is that, while not the most flashy team in the division, they are very well balanced and have no problem whatsoever rolling four lines. Right behind them, with a little more flash to their lineup, will be the Rangers. They may have the best goalie in the division in Igor Shesterkin, He got a decent backup behind him in Jonathan Quick, who's got a few more years left in the tank. Ahead of them on the blueline is a group lead by Jacob Truba and Adam Fox. The quick puck moving bunch who are good skaters and solid in their own end too. Up front, Artemi Panarin still leads this charge, with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider riding shotgun. Again the Blueshirts have a deep and balanced team, but one guy who's expecting to have a big year this year could be Alexis Lafrenire. Here's where things get interesting in the Metro division. If things fall perfectly right this year, there's a chance that the Islanders could lock up the 3rd spot in the division. Ilya Sorokin could be key again for this team, but looks like he may miss some time at the start of the year after offseason procedures. If Seymon Varlamov can look like what he did for most of last season, the New York net looks fairly good. The blue line is going to be solid with Pelech, Poulock and Mayfield still in the lineup for quite some time. But can they hold leads late in games? The offense has to help get them there. They got 30 goa scorers in Nelson, Horvat and Palmari. Duclair was added into the mix and there's high expectations again for Barzal. Just worry if the bottom six can step up that could hold this team back.

Next we look at the Capitals. Sure the big story this season for them is going to be Ovechkin chasing the goals record. Him, Strome and Mangiapane make a solid top line. Washington has a solid top six forward, but the depth below that could hold them back a little.  The defense, outside of the top pair of Chychrun and Carlson leaves something to be desired. And calling the goaltending in Washington average would sound about right. They may take a step or two backwards this year, but there's still good things on the horizon for the Devils this season. Looking at goal is what might either make or break them this year. Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom are the tandom. They have BRendon Dillon and Dougie Hamilton holding down the defense while Luke Huges is going to be missing time. Up front, New Jersey has good weapons with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischer leading the charge. There's upside here, the pieces just have to come together again. Behind them are the Penguins, who still have that core of Crosby, Malkin and Letang in tact. There are a few pieces with Pittsburgh that have the potential to do something, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Behind Tristan Jarry in net, there's nothing there. There could be potential for the Penguins but only time will tell. Then there's the Flyers, who have the young pieces but haven't quite taken that next step yet. When you look at a guy like Matvei Michkov, a young gun who could have a really bright future in Philadelphia, it gives one hope for what's being built there. The top two lines have quite a bit of fire power. They also have good anchors on the blueline with Cam York and Travis Sanheim. Goaltending what's again is what could be holding them back. Finally, we take a look at the Blue Jackets. Quite a few new faces in Columbus to build around Adam Fantilli up front. He's got a couple new running buddies with JVR and Kevin LeBanc. They got a re-tooled top line Good pieces are around in Columbus but they still going to be near the bottom.

Best & Worst NFL Week 4

We're a month into the NFL season and boy have there been some surprises around the league. The Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs are left standing as the only unbeaten team lefts in the league a month into the year. Thankfully there are no winless teams around the league. We had a quarterback go for a perfect day in prime time, while we had another offense go totally ice cold. We had another back remind us why he was one of the very best in the game and a team getting off to slow starts week after week. Here's some of the best, and worst, from week four in the NFL.

Best: Jared Geoff, Quarterback Detroit Lions
Have yourself a night Jared Geoff. Its a prime time game on Monday night, you coming off a tough loss at home the week before and you have an unbeaten team coming into your house. That all changed in one night, as the Lions spanked the Seahawks to the tune of a 42-29 Detroit victory. The big story out of this one was the play of Lions QB Jared Geoff. He was perfect on the night. No that isn't a typo or a misprint. He ended the night going 18 for 18 for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Oh and to make the night even better he also caught a seven yard touchdown thrown to him by Amon-Ra St Brown. He practically did it all for the Lions offense and he was absolutely perfect on the day.

Worst: Anthony Richardson Quarterback Indianapolis Colts
Yes the Colts got the 27-24 win over the Steelers on Sunday, but there's a much bigger issue here. That's going to be whether or not Anthony Richardson can even stay upright anymore. Richardson hurt his hip in the win over the Steelers and had to leave the bulk of the throwing to Joe Flacco in the win. That's starting to become a bit of a concern for the Colts. Richardson is supposed to be the face of your franchise and the guy your offense is supposed to be built around. Kind of hard to do that if the man can't stay healthy and on the field.

Best: Derrick Henry, Running Back Baltimore Ravens
King Henry have yourself a day. In a game in which the Ravens seemed to reestablish themselves as one of the top tier teams in the AFC. Baltimore came away with a 35-10 win over the Buffalo Bills and Derrick Henry was a huge part of that. 24 carries for 199 yards and a touchdown. Henry's already up to 480 rush yards on the year, which is the best in all of football. When he's really on his game, there's no denying that Derrick Henry is one of the very best in the sport. He's putting that on full display in his first season as a Raven through the first month of the year.

Worst: Breece Hall Running Back New York Jets
Losing at home is tough enough. Losing a game 10-9 against the Broncos stings even more. The Jets offense just couldn't find its legs against the Broncos, managing just three field goals (which hurst worse with missing a potential winning kick near the end of regulation). Penalties keep kicking the Jets in the butt, as did Breece Hall play. He ran into his own lineman twice on the afternoon. He finished with 10 carries for just four yards. The guy is supposed to be your featured back and that can't be the kind of performance he puts forth.

Best: Cincinnati Bengals Offense
It's about time Joe Burrow and company finally showed up on that side of the ball. The Bengals picked up their first win of the season, a 34-24 win over the Panthers.  Burrow found his stride, throwing for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was also helped by 141 rush yards between three guys and a pair of rush touchdowns from Chase Brown. Cincy finally got its first touchdown of the year on the day too. This gives the Bengals much needed momentum going into this weekends divisional game against the Ravens.

Worst: Los Angeles Chargers Offense
The Chargers managed to get themselves off to a good start against the best team in the AFC on Sunday, jumping out to a 10-0 lead. The problem is, Patrick Mahomes was on the other sideline. Kansas City came back as the game went on and walked away with a 17-10 victory. Los Angeles just froze up the rest of the game. They had no running attack at all. Herbert was OK for what he was, but somehow the Chargers took their foot off the gas as the game went along and they weren't able to get it back.

Hit King Has Passed On

3,562 games played, 14,053 at bats, and 4,256 career hits. Those are the three biggest marks that Pete Rose left on the game of baseball. The last number will, in all likelihood, never get touched. He was and is baseball's all time hit king. Last night, Rose passed away at the age of 83. Early reports are it has something to do with heart disease. 

The numbers for Pete speak for themselves. 24 years in the big leagues, 19 years with the Reds, 5 with the Phillies and one with the Expos. We mentioned his games played, at bats and hits earlier. He had 160 home runs and 1,314 RBI's. He played in 17 all star games, only eight men in the history of the game have played in more than he did (Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Cal Ripken, Ted Williams, Rod Carew, and Carl Yastrzemski). He won National League MVP in 1973 and finished in top five in MVP voting on four other occasions. Oh and lets not forget his three World Series titles, in 1976, 1976 and 1980. He also won NL Rookie of the year in 1963, two gold gloves and three batting titles.

Numbers like that should put you in the baseball hall of fame.

But that's where the debate is always going to lead. It's been well documented his gambling issues after his playing days ended. That's what got him kicked out of baseball for life. But somebody tried to make the argument today, now that he's passed, he got a chance.

This is the way I see it. And you can debate it with me all day long. If your going to honor the best to ever play the game, he needs to be in there. Put an asterisk on his plaque for what he did with betting on the games. And this is where the debate going to change. But that's another debate for another time.

The fact is that one of the greatest hitters to ever step on a field has passed on.

Best & Worst NFL Week Three

Week three has come and gone in the National Football League and there's a lot of ups and downs around the league. The Bills, Steelers, Chiefs, Vikings and Seahawks all remain unbeaten. And at the other end the Titans, Jaguars and Bengals are all winless. Playing quarterback in the league has shifted value this week, as has the run game around the league. The Saints had a bit of a reality check, while the Niners are more of the walking wounded. Lets not waste anymore time and dive right into it. Here's some of the best and worst from week three.

Best: New York Giants (and Denver Broncos) Defense
Sacks were the word of the day on Sunday in a pair of upsets. First, there was Denver in a dominating 26-7 win over the Bucs in Tampa. Denver sacked Baker Mayfield seven times and held Tampa to 7 for 25 on third down. And the Giants, they did the exact same thing. They sacked DeSaun Watson six times in a Giants 21-15 upset win by Big Blue. They also held Houston to 7 of 25 on third downs. Yes the 1-2 records of both the Giants and Broncos are what we are after three weeks. What we saw on defense from both those teams last weekend shows signs of life that they may not lay down all season long.

Worst Houston Texans
There had been such high expectations for the Texans this year. Houston got off to a hot start, winning their first two games. Then it kind of came crashing down back to earth against Minnesota. The Vikings blasted the Texans to the tune of a 34-7 Minnesota victory. It was sloppy football for Houston. They took 11 penalties during the course of the game. The worse offenses came halfway through the second quarter. Houston was already down two scores and they had a 3rd and 4. Then they took four straight penalties that forced a punt. Every team makes mistakes during the course of a football game

Best: Green Bay Packers Pass Attack
Seems like no matter where Green Bay looks, they always find a good man under center. Farve, Rogers, Love, and now Malik Willis. Willis had a solid day in the Packers 30-14 win over Tennessee. He went 13 of 19 for 202 yards and a touchdown. Oh and lets not forget about the team leading 73 rush yards Willis had as well. He wasn't asked to do too much in the throwing game by Matt LaFleur, and when called upon to throw, he made what he needed to. Stepping in to replace Jordan Love is a bit of a task, but Willis did exactly what was expected and lead his team to victory.

Worst: San Francisco Injury Bug
Its early to be saying this, but things are not looking good in San Francisco right about now. After beating the Jets on opening night, the Niners have lost the two games since, including dropping one to the Rams 27-24 on Sunday. This marks the first time since Brock Purdy took over under center that the Niners are under .500. It also a big problem early for San Francisco that three of their biggest offensive weapons are out. No Christian McCaffery, George Kittle or Deebo Samuel. All three missed the rams game with injuries. That does a number on any team missing guys of that caliber. Having all three out on the same team isn't good for anybody.

Best: Justin Fields, Quarterback Pittsburgh Steelers
Look he hasn't put up the super explosive numbers under center, but over the first three weeks of the season, Justin Fields is earning his stripes. Yes, there had been projections for Russel Wilson to be QB1 in Pittsburgh, but the way Fields has been playing, that might not change. Look at the Steelers 20-10 win over the Chargers.  22 of 35 for 245 and a touchdown. Not numbers to set the world on fire, but more than enough to be able to get Pittsburgh a win. He hasn't set the world on fire, but Justin has done very well in protecting the football and really limiting his turnovers through three games.

Worst: Mike McDaniel, Head Coach Miami Dolphins
There had been a lot of promise and hope for the Dolphins being a playoff team, or at least a contending team this season. Miami now sits at 1-2 on the year following a blowout 24-3 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle. This week they went without Tua, who missed the game due to injury. Skyler Thompson and Tim Boyle didn't fair any better. Both got sacked six times and threw for a total of 140 yards. They went 1 for 11 on 3rd down, had 6 punts, three fumbles, took ten penalties. Very sloppy game. And who does a lot of this fall on? Head Coach Mike McDaniel. I know he isn't the one making the plays or taking the penalties,. But at the same time, with the players he had at his disposal, he wasn't able to get his team ready to go in Seattle. He better get things figured out fast before the wheels really start falling off.

Best: Ravens Run Game
Not that hard to figure this one out. Its already a well known fact that with Lamar Jackson under center, he's going to run a lot and run well. But they also have some guy named Derek Henry in their backfield. And on Sunday, in a 28--25 win over Dallas, that game was on full display. 25 carries for 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Henry. Lamar also had 14 carries for 87 yards and a score of his own. It helped get Baltimore off the slide and get them their first win of the season. And we've talked about this before how important the rushing attack is around the NFL. Baltimore is showing that with Henry and Jackson.

Worst: Dallas Cowboys Run Defense
As we talked about above, the Ravens dropped the Cowboys to 1-2 on the year. And as we talked about above, the Cowboys got run over. Dallas has given up 557 rush yards over the first three games. This was something that was supposed to be a strength of Jerry's ballclub, but now its biting them in the rear end early on. Sure, Dallas has a great pass rush and can get to the quarterback. But that's not going to matter if the opposition keeps running right over them.

New Captain On The Bay

Change sometimes is good. It will feel weird seeing somebody different in a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform with the C on their chest. But that's what we now have with the departure of Steven Stamkos. The Bolts now have there man. his name is Victor Hedman. The big Swede is the 11th captain in the history of the franchise.

The other guys are: Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Tim Taylor, Dave Andreychuk, Vincent Lecavalier, Chris Gratton, Bill Houlder, Rob Zamuner, Mikael Renberg, and Paul Ysebaert.

The numbers for Hedman speak for themselves. Since being drafted 2nd over all by the Lightning in 2009, Hedman has been a steady force on the Bolts blueline. In his 15 years with the club, the 33 year old defenseman has played 1,052 games, collected 728 points, power-play points with 259, shorthanded points with 14, overtime goals with eight, game-winning goals with 28, shots on goal with 2,241, hits with 1,132, blocked shots with 1,613 and takeaways with 529. Hedman has recorded more time on ice than any skater in Bolts franchise history, logging 24,683:30 of total ice time. Oh and he can move into the top of the most games played list in team history with 31 games played this season.

His playoffs numbers are also off the charts. Two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smyth Trophy, 117 playoff games, 23 goals and 94 helpers in the spring. He's played in four all star games, was named  to the first all star team once and the second team five times. Oh and he's also won the Norris Trophy as the leagues best defender once.

But its more to it than just the numbers above. The guy is one of the best all around defenders in the sport and one of the very best the Bolts have ever had wear their crest on his chest. And he's been a quiet leader behind Stamkos for the last decade. Now its his time to step in and take over the role of captain. Something he is more than capable of doing.

Best & Worst NFL Week One

Week One is in the books around the National Football League. We had a wild start to the game in Miami with Tyreek Hill, to New England pulling a major upset over the Bengals. It was an interesting week for rookie quarterbacks. A familiar face in a new place had a massive week on the ground, as did a backup back. So lets dive right into a wild first week. Here's some of the best, and worst, from the opening week around the league.

Best: Joe Mixon, Running Back Houston Texans
There was no doubt in anybody mind that Joe Mixon was a good running back. He showed that again in his first game with the Texans. he was coming off a year in which he rushed for over 1,300 yards last year with the Bengals. This year, he kicked it off with a bang. In the Texans first game, a 29-27 win over the Colts, Mixon had himself a day, with 30 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown. I argue this all the time, for as much of a pass happy league that the NFL has become, there's still plenty of room in this game for a great runner. Mixon is up at that level.

Worst: Cincinnati Bengals
There are some level of concerns starting to creep in and around this Bengals club. They have been notorious for late finishers the last couple of seasons. A deep playoff run back in 2021 gave Bengals fans hope for the future, but it hasn't panned out since then. Big reason is because Joe Burrow can't stay healthy. And the rust on Joe showed in the opener against New England. I mean sure, Burrow went 21 of 29 but it was only 164 yards. No run game and you were outplayed by a rebuilding Patriots team. New England waled away with a 16-10 upset win. Yes it's only week one, but if the Bengals don't show vast improvement, this could be a long year in Cincy.

Best: Jordan Mason Running Back San Francisco 49ers
There had been hope for the Niners running game coming into this season, and it was on full display in week one. just not the way fans originally expected it to be. Christian McCaffery was hurt and missed the opener. So Jordan Mason got the lions share of the touches against what was supposed to be a really good Jets defense. It didn't show up as the Niners walked away with a 32-19 win of the Jets. Sure Brock Purdy had a solid day throwing, but Mason was the story of the day here. He finished with 28 carriers for 147 yards and a touchdown. He almost out rushed the entire Jets team all by himself.

Worst: New York Football
This would be more for the team in Blue overall, than it would be the one in Green. Look there's problems week one with the Jets against the Niners sure. See above. But this is more an inditement on the Giants than anything. They got there rear ends handed to them by the Vikings, to the tune of a 28-6 loss. Sam Darnold outplayed them. Jones threw the ball 42 times and completed half his passes and was sacked five times. No run game, no nothing. This is going to be a very long season for football fans in New York if the Jets don't get their run defense figured out and the Giants don't get everything figured out.

Best: Dak Prescott, Quarterback Dallas Cowboys
Not only did he have a good day on the field, Dak had a good one off it as well. Dallas won their opener 31-17 over the Browns. Dak was solid going 19 of 32 for 179 yards and a touchdown. He didn't turn the ball over. What's going to really stick out about this day though is what happened before kickoff. Dak got PAID. Four year deal worth $240 million, of which $231 million is guaranteed. That's making your money.

Worst: Dave Canales, Head Coach Carolina Panthers
There was supposed to be some semblance of hope in Carolina this year. They got a new head coach in Dave Canales, who was really expected to help out with 2nd year man Bryce Young under center. It hasn't gotten off on the right foot just yet. They hosted New Orleans, and got their doors blown off to the tune of a 47-10 loss. It was the 4th largest margin of defeat in team history. And you'd like to hope that there's a chance that this team can have something to rally around with Bryce Young, but its not there. If this thing is ever going to turn around for the Panthers, a lot of it falls on the ownership and coaching staff as well. Dave has a lot of work ahead of him to get this team back to anything close to relevancy.

Best & Worst: Tyreek Hill, Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins
How could one guy fit into both the best and worst categories on the same week? Well it's possible with the week that Hill had in Miami on opening Sunday. Before their season opener against Jacksonville at home, Hill was pulled over for a traffic violation. Things there escalated quite quickly. That's another thing in and of itself for another time. The good was redeemed in a sense when the two teams actually took the field. Miami beat the Jags 20-17, thanks to a good day from Hill. Tyreek finished the day with seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. That TD score happened to be an eighty yard grab. Yeah that made up for what happened on his way to the stadium.

2024 NFL Season Preview

The time has finally arrived. The wait is over. Kickoff is here for the 2024 NFL Season. Thirty two teams all starting the year with the same goal in mind. Be the ones left standing at the Superdome in New Orleans on February 9th with the Lombardi Trophy over their heads. So lets get into it, here's how we see the 2024 NFL Season going down.

We got some new head coaches roaming the sidelines. Raheem Morris (Atlanta), Dave Canales (Carolina), Antonio Pierce (Vegas), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Jarrod Mayo (New England), Mike Macdonald (Seattle), Brian Callahan (Tennessee), and Dan Quinn (Washington) are taking over with new teams as the man in charge.

We also saw a lot of player movement this offseason. Way too many to list in full here, but we will stick with some of the notable names that moved. Kirk Cousins (Atlanta), Russel Wilson (Pittsburgh), Saquan Barkley (Philadelphia), Derrick Henry (Baltimore) were the biggest names to sign. Then there were the guys like Joe Mixon (Houston), Carlton Davis (Detroit), Keenan Allen (Chicago), and Stefon Diggs (Houston) who were sent to new cities via the trade route.

All in all a lot of new faces leading to some exciting possibilities for what's to come this season. Here's how things are going to play out this season.

NFC:
NFC East:
1 Philadelphia Eagles (10-7)*
2. Dallas Cowboys (10-7)*
3. Washington Commanders (7-10)
4. New York Giants (5-12)

It's going to be a fight between two teams at the top of the division. Even though there are and has been a lot of turnover with coordinators since 2022, the Eagles will by the skin of their teeth snatch away the division title this season. They got a new runner in Saquan Barkley They brought back some solid help on defense and had a strong draft class coming out of this year. In a division that hasn't had back to back division crown winners since 2004 with the Eagles, this might keep going. The Cowboys have a big year coming up. Dak is set to be a free agent at the end of the year, as is head coach Mike McCarthy. They had CeeDee Lamb on that list too, but he signed an extension. The Cowboys seem to be a dominating regular season club, but can never seem to get over the ump when it matters. Dallas hoping to possibly shatter those expectations this season. Now the Commanders are looking for the new man under center to lead them into the future. They are now going into wholesale changes with Jayden Daniels taking over at quarterback. He's got Terry McClaine and Zach Ertz to throw the ball to. Questions remain in the Washington running game, but the defense could be good enough that Washington can improve over the four wins from last season. Bringing up the rear in this division will be the Giants. A huge question surrounds the quarterback position and how well the play of Daniel Jones will be. Barkley isn't there anymore, so enter Devon Singletary. New wide out Malik Nabres will hope to make an impact. There still questions with how good the O-Line and defense is going to be. Could be a long year for Big Blue.

NFC North:
1. Detroit Lions (13-4)*
2. Green Bay Packers (12-5)*
3. Chicago Bears (9-8)
4. Minnesota Vikings (5-12)

A trip to the NFC title game a year ago for the Lions wasn't enough. They want to build off it in Detroit and they've got the horses to be able to do it. Detroit has the core still in tact on both sides of the ball. Dan Campbell has no problem pushing the envelope with the personnel he has, as we saw last season. The sky really is the limit for the Lions. Nipping at their heels this year, once again, will be the Packers. Green Bay added more weapons for Jordan Love to play with this season. If we get the guy who played at the MVP level the second half of the year last year, look out. Green Bay has the horses to really be lethal this season. The biggest question mark for this entire division is going to be the Bears. Chicago now has a new man under center in Caleb Williams. He got plenty of targets around him to help him transition to the pro game. D'Andre Swift to hand off to. DJ Moore and Keenan Allen to throw to. It also helps that Chicago has the easiest schedule in the NFL this season. Finally we have the Vikings. When healthy, Minnesota could be a .500 football team. TJ Hockenson is going to be out a while with injury. They still have one of the top wide outs in the game in Justin Jefferson.  But JJ McCarthy isn't starting the season under center for Minnesota, Sam Darnold is. They gonna need a good run game and a whole lot of luck if they wanna finish with more than five wins on the season.

NFC South:
1. Atlanta Falcons (10-7)*
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
3. New Orleans Saints (8-9)
4. Carolina Panthers (4-13)

This will mark the changing of the guard of sorts in the South, with the Falcons taking the division this season. Kirk Cousins was brought in on a big payday, expected to not only get playing time but show new QB Michael Penix Jr how to play the position at this level. There's plenty of weapons in the forms of Drake Landon, Bjan Robinson, Darnell Mooney. The only thing that's holding back Atlanta here is how can they turn up the defensive pressure? The team that's going to be right on their heels this year is going to be the Buccaneers. Tampa has a few questions on the secondary, but otherwise I have good faith in that defense getting pressure on the opposition. What worries me is the offense. Baker Mayfield got paid for the next couple seasons. Can he duplicate or even improve on what he did last season? Still have thousand yard man Mike Evans, along with Chris Godwin. But what worries some is the run game and how good its going to be. Following them are going to be the Saints. There are still weapons for New Orleans to work with on offense. Kamara and Olave are going to be the big time weapons for Derek Carr to coordinate with. But is that going to be enough? Is Carr going to have time and protection from his line to make the plays he needs to? Combine that with the defense that leaves something to be desired, and it spells missing the playoffs for the Saints. Bringing up the rear again in this division is going to be the Panthers. New head coach Dave Canales has a lot of work ahead of him to get this team back on solid footing. Sure, there's potential in Bryce Young, and they have a couple nice weapons with Chubba Hubbard and Adam Thielen. Oh and bringing in Doante Johnson is a big plus. But worried about how Young will progress. Then there's the Panthers defense, which leaves stuff to be desired.

NFC West:
1. San Francisco 49ers (13-4)*
2. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)*
3. Arizona Cardinals (7-10)
4. Seattle Seahawks (5-12)

Two straight division titles and a loss in the Super Bowl are only going to add more fuel to the fire for the 49ers, who are going to win the West again for the third year in an row. This could be the last shot at the big one in this given window for San Francisco. Brandon Aiyuk is going to be in his final year. Him and Christian McCaffery are going to be major factors for the Niners again, along with Brock Purdy of course. For a team to be able to chase them down, losing key players is going to make things a little tougher for the Rams. Losing Aaron Donald is tough, but adding Jared Verse and Braden Fiske as a combo to replace him could prove that they are up to the task. And then there's the Rams offense. You got a fully healthy year pout of Cooper Kupp and a very intriguing year from second year man Puka Nakua. Throw Matthew Stafford into the mix as well, this could be a big year from the Rams, which ends in a trip to the playoffs. There is a full changing of the guard with the new coaching staff for the Cardinals this year. They need a fully healthy Kyler Murray to prove that he's back on his game this season. he got a brand new weapon in Marvin Harrison Jr to work with. They have an OK defense in Arizona to work with, but it won't be good enough to get them above .500 on the year. Finally, the Seahawks will be closing out the South this year. They may have a little firepower on offense, with Geno Smith throwing to Tyler Lockett and DK Metcaff. But they are going to have trouble stopping the opposition from scoring. And with a new coaching staff, its going to make things even tougher in Seattle.

AFC:
AFC East:
1. Buffalo Bills (10-7)*
2. New York Jets (10-7)*
3. Miami Dolphins (9-8)
4. New England Patriots (4-13)

This is going to, at least on paper, be a much tighter race in the East. Even though they've lost some talent from last season, the Bills are still the class of the division until proven otherwise. As long as John Allen is under center in Buffalo, there's always a chance in Buffalo. Even with Stefon Diggs getting traded. Keenan Coleman and Curtis Samuel are his top targets, and James Cook is going to get plenty of touches. Oh and they have one of the best O-Lines in football. The defense leaves a little to be desired in the pass rush game, but I think it's still good enough to keep that east title in Western New York. Nipping at their heels are going to be the Jets. Yes there was a lot of hype from last season that fell flat. This year, they actually have a solid backup behind Aaron Rogers in Tyrod Taylor. They have two of the best young weapons in the game in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall to get the ball from Rogers, should he stay healthy. Hopefully the depth players can step up and make an impact with this team. New York has a good enough defense to be able to keep them in the playoff hunt all year long. Another team that's going to be fighting for a playoff spot is going to be the Dolphins. Miami still has one of the top receivers in the game in Tyreek Hill and if he can stay healthy this season, there's high expectations on Tua. He also has Jalen Waddle to throw to and Rahem Morstart to run the ball. Miami has the horses on the offensive side of the ball to make noise. The O-Line is a question and the defense looks middle of the pack. Bringing up the rear here is the Patriots. This first year without Bill Belichick will see Drake Maye take snaps behind Jacoby Brissett and have some growing pains this first year. The rest of the team looks average at best. Lukcy if there will be five wins in New England this season.

AFC North:
1. Cincinnati Bengals (11-6)*
2. Baltimore Ravens (10-7)*
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8)
4. Cleveland Browns (8-9)

This is going to be a division that gets turned upside down and inside out this year, with the surprise being the Bengals getting the division crown. The potential for this team hinders of course on the health of Joe Burrow. Sure Joe Mixon isn't an option anymore. But you still got Ja'Mar Chase, Tee Higgins to catch passes and Zach Moss to run the football. They have the weapons, they have talent on both sides of the ball. They might be the team to come out on top of the heap. Right behind them are going to be the Ravens, who as long as they have Lamar Jackson are always going to be in the hunt. You still have Mark Andrews catching passes, along with Nelson Agulor. Now you add another element in Derek Henry, who still has some good legs underneath him. The only thing that might hold Baltimore back is the play of the offensive line. If they can actually protect Jackson, they got a chance. Then you have the Steelers. They better figure it out under center because with Justin Fields and Russel Wilson as the options, it doesn't look too good. Sure Najee Harris is going to have a bounce back year, btu there's too many other holes on this club for them to really contend for a playoff spot. There's going to be a big difference between the Browns from last year and what we get this year. Its the quarterback play. They never had stability under center till Flacco came in at the end of the year. Watson can't stay healthy enough to be that guy. They got weapons but its the guy under center that's going to hold Cleveland back this year.

AFC South:
1. Indianapolis Colts (11-6)*
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-7)*
3. Houston Texans (9-8)
4. Tennessee Titans (6-11)

It's going to be fun to what what happens with the Colts this year with their two key offensive players back and healthy over a full year. A lot of it is going to rely on Anthony Richardson to be healthy for a full season. he can do that, this team can be really good. Same thing goes for running back Jonathan Taylor. You get those two guys on the field for a full year, look out. Now with the Jaguars, they added a new weapon for Trevor Lawrence to work with. You brought in Brian Thomas Jr now a new pass catcher. he gonna mesh well with  Christian Kirk in the receiving game and Travis Etienne running the ball. They got a good young core on both sides of the ball. This team is going to be back in the playoffs again, but how deep they go only time will tell. Now the Texans are a team that's going to quickly be on the rise. CJ Stroud now has a great group of young weapons to work with. Mixon running the ball, Stefan Diggs and Nico Collins to catch the ball. The defensive side of the ball may hold the Texans back, but the offense has to tools to be able to match with the upper teams in this division. Bringing up the rear are going to be the Titans. Sure you got weapons in Hopkins, Ridley and Pollard running the football. But the question mark is at the most important position on offense in Will Levis. They got talent to work with, but it just won't be clicking this season just yet.

AFC West: 
1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)*
2. Los Angeles Chargers (9-8)
3. Las Vegas Raiders (7-10)
4. Denver Broncos (5-12)

New year, same end result in the West. The Chiefs are going to once again stand tall in this division. as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, you got a chance of being a Super Bowl contender. You got Travis Kelce as the main target, with Hollywood Brown (once he's ready) and Isiah Pacheco running the football. And the defensive side of the ball has been vastly improved since Andy Reid took over as head coach. This team is good and will remain atop the AFC until somebody finally puts it all together to knock them off the mountain top. Behind them are going to be the Chargers, who would be the only other team in the division to finish with a winning record. Jim Harbaugh has worked magic before coming back to the NFL, but that might be a tall task with this group. Justin Herbert, when he's healthy, can be good. Problem is he's too injury prone. They have a good line to protect their QB and a favorable schedule at the end of the year., That won't get them to the playoffs but it will get them a winning record. As for the Raiders, it doesn't look too good. You know its awkward under center when you have to go to Gardner Minshew as your starter. You do have brock Bowers and DeVante Adams catching passes. You got Maxx Crosby on the other side of the ball. But the rest still leaves something to be desired. Bringing up the rear are going to be the Broncos. It looks very different now having Bo Nix under center. He doesn't have much to work with in the way of weapons in the Mile High City. Its going to be another long year for the Broncos.

NFC Title Game: 49ers over Lions
AFC Title Game: Chiefs over Ravens
Super Bowl LIX: Chiefs over 49ers

Major Loss To Hockey World

These are never easy to write. The hockey world lost one of its most promising young stars late last week. Johnny Gaudreau, along with his brother Matthew, passed away near the end of the week, as both were killed in a tragic accident in New Jersey. They were riding their bikes just outside of Philadelphia on the eve of their sister's wedding when they were struck and killed by a drunk driver. Johnny was 31, Matthew just 29. 

What makes this even worse is that the driver of the car that took the two lives showed little remorse for what he did. Sean Higgins, the man who was driving the Jeep that killed the Gaudreau boys, said in his statement he was plastered. Worse still, he seemed more put out he had to stay in his holding cell longer on this holiday weekend than usual.

We hope that this somehow, in tragedy, shows as a symbol for things to come, that it could be turned into some kind of positive. Maybe, just maybe, it will be an example for people not to do something stupid like drinking and driving. Hopefully this will be a wakeup call to people who do decide to go out and indulge to make a smart choice and not drive home. Call a cab, uber, lyft, call a friend home. Something other than getting behind the wheel of a car.

As for the hockey world, this is a huge loss of not only an outstanding player, but equally outstanding a person as well. Gaudreau had a fantastic three year career at Boston College. It lead him to be a fourth round draft pick by the Calgary Flames in 2011. He then joined the Flames in 2013 and spent seven fantastic season in Western Canada. After his time in Calgary was done, he signed a big contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played two years in Ohio before the accident happened. He had talent that was off the charts and, even though he had two down years in Columbus by his standards, he still had the skills that could put him as a top 15 player in this game.

Away from he ice he was a devoted family man. Married with two children, Gaudreau has close to his family and loved them beyond words.

Condolences to the Gaudreau family in this dark time/

2024 Florida College Football

The time of year has arrived. Yes its the return of College Football. There are thirteen College programs in the state of Florida. When we think of D1 College Football, there are five that really come to mind out of this fine state. Florida, Florida State, Miami, UCF and USF.

Between the five school, there are sixty games played between the schools. They are playing some big games this season. Fifteen of the sixty games these teams play (including a few against each other) involve teams that are ranked in the AP's top 25 at the beginning of the season.

There's going to be a lot of intrigue and hype surrounding the bigtime teams in the Sunshine State this season. So with that being said, here's how we see the schools finishing up this season.

Miami: 8-4
Florida State: 6-6 
Florida: 7-5
UCF: 7-5
USF: 7-5

That's how we see it going down. What say you?

Legend Last Hurrah

IT'S A POWER PLAY GOAL! That's one of the more famous calls made by longtime New York Rangers television announcer Sam Rosen. Rosen began his career calling Rangers games during the 1984-85 season, taking over for Jim Gordon, and it's a job he's held ever since. That is until this season. The 2024-25 season, it was announced, will be Rosen's last as the voice of the Rangers. It's a good way to go out, as it will be his 40th season covering the club.

For somebody like me, as I'm sure is the case with most not only hockey fans but sports fans, there are few announcers that they closely associate with teams. Joe Bowen with the Leafs, Rick Jeanerette with the Sabres, Doc Emrick with the Devils, Jack Edwards with the Bruins, John Sterling with the Yankees, Gene Deckerhoff with the Buccaneers. The list goes on and on and they are connected to a franchise just as much as the players are. Many great sports moments for a team has that one person who's call is as famous as the play itself. That's what Sam Rosen was with the Rangers.

Its more to it than just his hockey work. Sam has done countless broadcasts on Fox covering the NFL for the network since 1996. So it shows just how much range he really has as a play by play man. He also spent time working for ESPN as well, calling events for that network from 1979 to 1988. The man has seen and done a lot in the broadcasting business. He's had a career that most of us broadcaster can only dream of having.

There's more than just scratching the surface what he's done in calling games, both in the local New York market but nationally as well. Sam has been the voice of a generation of hockey fans and has painted the word picture to what was happening on the field and the ice. His passion for his work was on display every single night over the last 39, soon to be 40, seasons. It can't be really accurately put into words what he's meant to the Rangers and the hockey world as a whole.

Hats off Sam to a great career and here's hoping for one more final great run for you!

Trouble In Paradise

If it's not one thing, it's another. Always seems like there's got to be something going on during Jets training camp. earlier in camp, it was a minor squabble between Garett Wilson and Aaron Rogers. But the bigger story is what's going on over the past few days with Haason Reddick.

Reddick was traded on April 1st by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Jets for a conditional draft pick. Reddick hasn't reported to camp, missing 21 days. He isn't happy with his contract situation and is requesting a trade. The Jets have fired back with the following statement (per ESPN):

"We have informed Haason that we will not trade him, that he is expected to be here with his teammates, and that he will continue to be fined per the CBA if he does not report," general manager Joe Douglas said in the statement. "Since the trade discussions back in March we have been clear, direct, and consistent with our position. Our focus will remain on the guys we have here as we prepare for the regular season."

With him missing time, Reddick has cost him $1.7 Million as of this writing. 

There had been some high expectations for the Jets defense. There's no denying the fact that Gang Green had one of the best defenses in all of football last season. They were expecting to get that much better by adding Reddick to that defensive line. But now that's getting tougher, as Reddick hasn't stepped a foot on the field at all for the Jets. Save for his physical the day he got traded to the team. He hasn't been seen inside the Jets facility since. The Jets have already made it public that they won't negotiate with a player unless he's in camp, and Reddick is nowhere to be found. 

Reddick's reasoning? He wants a new contract, one he feels he deserves after the numbers he's put up during his time in Philly.. He wanted to talk with the Jets when they traded for him, the team told him they were planning on extending him. But the team has said that they would do it either later in camp or at the end of the season.

Coming from a fans point of view, this is getting ridiculous. I know that the man wants to get paid, and there isn't anything wrong with getting paid what you feel you're worth. But at the same time, holding out like this isn't doing you any good. It's doing more harm than good. You want a new deal? Go out there and work your ass off for it, that's going to go a long way to getting you what you want. Holding out is doing the opposite. And its making it worst holding out while requesting a trade. It shows other teams, in my mind, that you gonna throw a bit of a hissy fit if you don't get your way. Things need to get resolved and quickly for all parties involved.

This, once again, feels like something that would happen to the Jets.

New Level Of Futility

In the annals of baseball, there have been some really great teams that have taken the field. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some really bad teams that have taken the field as well. The 1962 New York Mets, the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, the 1932 Boston Red Sox, the 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates are just to name a few. We can add a new team to the list that maybe even worse than any of them. That would be the 2024 Chicago White Sox.

At the time of this writing, the White Sox are riding a 21 game losing streak. They haven't won a game since game one of a double header on July 10th. Currently the White Sox sit at 27-88. When the White Sox lost to the Pirates back on July 14th, it gave them their 71st loss of the season an MLB record for the most losses by a team as of the all star break.

The current 21 game losing streak the team is on ties the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the longest such streak in the American League. The only team in the history of the game that's had a longer losing streak was the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies, who had a 23 game losing streak that season. Some of the numbers during this streak are really eye popping. Out of the 21 losses by the Sox, 16 of them have come by five or more runs. They are the lowest scoring team in the game, and they've also given up the most runs in the game.

There's been some bad baseball teams in the history of the sport. By the time the season is over, the White Sox could blow all of them right out of the water. Nobody on this team is hitting above .250, the leading hitter is Andrew Vaughn at .235.

This is a team that can't seem to do anything right. You knew it was going to be a bad year when the team won only 3 of its first 25 games. And this is just scratching the surface of bad when it comes to this White Sox club. It doesn't get easier dealing with the Angels, Giants, Mets, Red Sox and Padres still on the schedules over the final two months of the season. By the time all is said and done, they could pass the 1962 Mets for the worst team ever.

Greatest Athletes of the 21st Century

Who doesn't love a good debate. That's what keeps things fresh in the sports world. There's been a number of great athletes that have graced our screens over the decades. It would be a lot tougher, in our minds, to be able to try and compare the likes of Kobe Bryant to Babe Ruth. The games have changed so much since the Days of say the Babe to right now. So it would be a little bit easier to compare athletes of this century. Since the year 2000, there have been many outstanding sports stars. And not just in the big four either. So let's get into it right now.

With a little help from a poll done by ESPN, and some input of our own, here's how we see the 100 greatest sports stars since the turn of the century. Yes, we take into account stats, titles ect. But we also throw in popularity and name recognition as well. So with that being said, here we go with the list from one hundred on down to number one.

100. Shaun White (X-Games)
99 Caitlin Clark (WNBA)
98. Lauren Jackson (WNBA)
97. Ed Reed (NFL)
96. Charles Woodson (NFL)
95. Darelle Revis (NFL)
94. Landon Donovan (Soccer)
93. Ronaldinho (Soccer)
92. Rory McIlroy (Golf)
91. Pedro Martinez (MLB)
90. Aaron Rogers (NFL)
89. A'Ja Wilson (WNBA)
88. Annika Sorenstam (Golf)
87. Roy Halliday (MLB)
86. Ronaldo Nazário (Soccer)
85. Venus Williams (Tennis)
84. Kawhi Leonard (NBA)
83. Steven Stamkos (NHL)
82. Chris Paul (NBA)
81. Chuck Lidell (UFC)
80. Sheryl Swoops (WNBA)
79. Andy Murry (Tennis)
78. Bryce Harper (MLB)
77. Bernard Hopkins (Boxing)
76. Alex Ovechkin (NHL)
75. George St Pierre (UFC)
74. Xavi Hernandez (Soccer)
73. Lisa Leslie (WNBA)
72. Mookie Betts (MLB)
71. Manny Pacquiao (Boxing)
70. Andrés Iniesta (Soccer)
69. Jason Kidd (NBA)
68. Phil Mickelson (Golf)
67. James Harden (NBA)
66. Jon Jones (UFC)
65. Martin Brodeur (NHL)
64. Mia Haam (Soccer)
63. Dan Severn (UFC)
62. Shohei Ohtani (MLB)
61. Ray Lewis (NFL)
60. Candice Parker (WNBA)
59. Mariano Rivera (MLB)
58. J.J. Watt (NFL)
57. Calvin Johnson (NFL)
56. Conor McDavid (NHL)
55. Luka Modric (Soccer)
54. Alex Ovechkin (NHL)
53. Derek Jeter (MLB)
52. Adrian Beltre (MLB)
51. Steve Nash (NBA)
50. Zinedine Zidane (Soccer)
49. Aitana Bonmati (Soccer)
48. Thierry Henry (Soccer)
47. Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
46. Max Scherzer (MLB)
45. David Ortiz (MLB)
44. Jon Jones (UFC)
43. Alex Rodriguez (MLB)
42. Giannis Antetokounmpo (NBA)
41. Dirk Nowitzki (NBA)
40. Justin Verlander (MLB)
39. Kevin Durant (NBA)
38. Barry Bonds (MLB)
37. Ichiro Suzuki (MLB)
36. Maya Moore (WNBA)
35. Dwayne Wade (NBA)
34. Tamika Catchings (WNBA)
33. Miguel Cabrera (MLB)
32. Conor McGregor (UFC)
31. Clayton Kershaw (MLB)
30. Mike Trout (MLB)
29. Amanda Nunes (UFC)
28. Nikola Jokic (NBA)
27. Randy Moss (NFL)
26. Peyton Manning (NFL)
25. Floyd Mayweather (Boxing)
24. Albert Pujols (MLB)
23. Kevin Garnett (NBA)
22. Sidney Crosby (NHL)
21. Diana Taurasi (WNBA)
20. Aaron Donald (NFL)
19. Rhonda Rousey (UFC)
18. Patrick Mahomes (NFL)
17. Shaquille O'Neil (NBA)
16. Tim Duncan (NBA)
15. Kaite Ledecky (Olympics)
14. Stephen Curry (NBA)
13. Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer)
12. Rafael Nadal (Tennis)
11. Novak Djokovic (Tennis)
10. Kobe Bryant (NBA)
9. Usain Bolt (Track)
8. Tiger Woods (Golf)
7. Simone Biles (Gymnastics)
6. Roger Federer (Tennis)
5. Tom Brady (NFL)
4. LeBron James (NBA)
3. Lionel Messi (Soccer)
2. Serena Williams (Tennis)
1. Michael Phelps (Swimming)

So what do you guys think of this list?