Who Needs Derek Jeter?

So the Yanks have now won 15 of their last 19 games and have grown their AL East lead to 2.5 games over the POS Boston Red Sox.  In the time since Derek Jeter has gone on the DL, C.C. Sabathia and company has carried the team with dominating pitching, tied for the MLB in wins with 11.  They have won six straight series since losing two of three to the Red Sox earlier in June.
And oh yeah, Mark Teixeira has quietly taken the league lead in home runs with 25 and hit his 300th of his career today.  A-Rod is hitting over .300 on the season and Robinson Cano is getting back to last season's form.  Curtis Granderson leads the league in runs scored and Eduardo Nunez has filled in nicely for the ailing Jeter at shortstop.
So, of course it's nice to have your captain in the line-up, but the way this team is playing, if he missed a few more weeks, this team wouldn't miss a beat.

Grading the Philadelphia Flyers' Moves

Jeff Carter Trade: I like what the Flyers did with this.  They got as close to the max value for a great scorer and in return are getting a solid young guy in Jakub Voracek and the 8th overall pick and a 3rd round pick in tomorrow's draft.  They'll either draft Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, or Sean Cotourier with that pick and will have a nice young forward that can be their star for years to come.
Grade: A-

Flyers fans, say good-bye to Jeff Carter.

Mike Richards Trade: Great decision to move him out West to Los Angeles.  Got a great young forward in Brayden Schenn who can easily make up Richards' point total.  Was the 5th overall pick in 2009, so you know the kid has talent.  Also, got Wayne Simmonds out of the deal.  He is the epitome of of Flyers hockey.  Someone who likes to mix it up, grinds, but can score the dirty goals in front of the net.  And lets face it, those are the type of goals that you need to be successful in the playoffs.  Also, got a nice 2nd round pick in tomorrow's draft.
Grade: A-

Say hello to the Flyers' new young gun, Brayden Schenn

Ilya Bryzgalov Signing: Finally the Flyers have a go-to #1 goalie in Bryzgalov.  Someone who can be put in the net game after game.  Enough of the Flyers' alternating goalies.  Look for him to be the workhorse and get about 60-65 starts a season.
Don't like the length of the deal at nine years, seeing as how he'll be 40 by the time that expires.  Can't see him playing out that contract.  But the price, $51 million over nine years is about $5.5 million a year, making this a solid cap hit.  The Flyers will now have money to spend next year to re-sign James van Riemsdyke, Braydon Coburn, and Matt Carle and maybe even offer Ville Leino his $3-3.5 million/year quote.
Grade: B+

The new man between the pipes, Ilya Bryzgalov

Overall: Today was a great day for the Flyers organization.  They made it known that they are willing to do whatever it takes to win the Stanley Cup, going away from their old habits of getting good offense, but not having a stable number one goalie.  Can't see Bobrovsky around much longer because he won't want to rot away in the minors, but look for the Flyers to re-sign Boucher as the backup.
They finally made smart moves and are looking at having long term success.

*Images courtesy of Wikipedia*

The Ilya Bryzgalov Free Agency Saga

So for about the past 2 1/2 weeks, my beloved Philadelphia Flyers have had the exclusive rights to Phoenix goalie and soon to be unrestricted free-agent Ilya Bryzgalov.  He is a goalie that looks very enticing to the Flyers and their fan base, one that is deeply in need of a Stanley Cup.  As a goalie myself, I like Bryzgalov, enough so to think that he could possibly be in the top-10 of all NHL netminders.  So it seems necessary that the Flyers should pursue him and get him on their roster for the next handful of seasons, realizing that what has kept them from hoisting Lord Stanley over the years has been their lack of a consistent #1 goalie. Bryzgalov is easily capable of being that guy, one that the Flyers can constantly throw into the net every game, and give him about 60 starts a season.  Someone that can play three quarters of a season.  But, after hearing today that the Flyers are looking to give him somewhere in the ballpark of a 7 year/$50 million contract, that has got me to thinking.

Flyers main option for goaltending, Ilya Bryzgalov

Now I am one of the major optimist when it comes to signing the soon to be 31-year old Bryzgalov, seeing that he could be the answer to many Flyers' fans prayers.  I was going high and saying that you give him about 6 years/$30 million which would put Bryzgalov at the tender age of 37 when he is no longer under contract.  And grant it, that is also very pricy and very fortunate to both him and the Flyers that they can even offer him that much money because of getting lucky with the salary cap increasing to $64 million dollars for next season.  But, the Flyers still need to move some pieces around.  The hot commodity: Jeff Carter.

Don't be surprised if Jeff Carter isn't in orange and black next season

Carter's large contract would free up some room for the Flyers in the future, considering the fact that next year's offseason will be just as important as this year when they need to re-sign Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyke, Matt Carle, and Braydon Coburn.  I understand that they probably won't be able to bring all four of them back next season, but they need to try to get at least three back, seeing as how they all play a huge role in the Flyers' system during both the regular season and the playoffs.  So don't be surprised if the Flyers send away Jeff Carter come this Friday in the NHL Draft.
Carter could easily be packaged in a deal that would give the Flyers (currently with no 1st round picks thanks to the Kris Versteeg deal) a top-5 pick to draft a good, young player who they could have around for a number of years.  If they can get something inside of the top-3, then look for the Flyers to snag winger Gabriel Landeskog from the Kitchener Rangers.

If the Flyers can move into the top-5 in the NHL Draft, look for them to select Gabriel Landeskog if he is still on the board.

But, back to the Ilya Bryzgalov situation.  Yes it would be nice to have him in goal, but the Flyers need to look at everything that they are doing as a long term approach.  Long term as in starting next season when they have all of those key free agents.  They can't constantly bind themselves with big contract players that are tough to move and keep working year-to-year tight against the salary cap.  Take note at what happened with the Chicago Blackhawks.  They were in the same boat as the Flyers two seasons ago.  They had a one year window to win the cup knowing that after that year, they were going to have to move a lot of pieces.  But hey, they got the job done.  Now the Flyers need to look at that, make their moves this year and set themselves up for next year and for years down the road.
For god sakes, bring some calmness back to the City of Brotherly Love so the fans can stop panicking.  And maybe a Stanley Cup too.
And before I wrap this up, let me just say, I would hate to be Paul Holmgren and Ed Snider right now.

*Images courtesy of Google Images*

Rory McIlroy is Just Straight Fire

This kid is just on fire at the US Open this week.  How does a 22-year old follow up a first round 66 in the US Open?  How about just going out and firing a second round 65.  He set a new 36-hole record for most strokes under par by one shot, which could have very easily been three if he didn't decide to give the rest of the field a glimpse of hope by dumping his second shot on 18 into the water and walking away with a double-bogey.

To me, and I think a lot of the golfing world, were not seeing the same kid who shot a final round 80 at the Masters this past spring.  Yeah he is in the same position, leading after the first two rounds, but there is just something about his game this week that has him playing differently.  He seems relaxed and is taking his time before shots, driving the ball well, and putting great... when he needs to.  He took a semi-difficult shot today on number eight by hitting a knock down wedge shot and holing out for eagle.
I began saying it during the Masters, but if Tiger Woods doesn't eclipse Jack Nicklaus' PGA tour record 18 Major titles, then this kid certainly will.

*Images courtesy of Google Images*

Congrats to the Boston Bruins

Well after 39 years, the Boston Bruins finally win the Stanley Cup.  Their goaltending was better, their defense was brilliant, and their offense found their ways to score.  Maybe they won't be viewed as the little sister of Boston sports now since they have their championship.

Stanley Cup Final Game 7. Is There Anything Better?

Well tonight is the night.  The night that Lord Stanley's Cup is handed out to either the Vancouver Canucks or the Boston Bruins.  It is also the night that the NHL will officially come to an end for the 2010-11 season, a sad time indeed.  But what a better way to end the season with a dramatic winner-take-all game in Vancouver for the greatest trophy in all of sports... the Stanley Cup.

Now grant it, this series has been a lot more competitive than what I thought it was going to be and it's been more a tale of two cities, with the home team winning each game.  Although, Vancouver has relied on one-goal nail-biters in their three wins, while Boston has blown their three games wide open in quick fashion.

But now we must sit back and enjoy what has become the greatest moment in sports history, a game 7 in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.  This is clearly the best of three sports that have game 7s.  The idea that it could only take one goal to win it all keeps everyone on the edge of their seats and don't think that it won't happen because two of Vancouver's wins have been by a score of 1-0 and the other a 3-2 win in overtime.
The NBA doesn't compare to this because it is just too easy to score.  In that scenario it is hard to get down when your team is down 10, knowing that they will make a run sometime during the game.  Also, it's hard to continuously cheer frantically after every made bucket in basketball like it is in hockey when you know that you may only see a couple goals every game.  It makes it that more intense.
And baseball.  Well baseball is too slow for it to be overly exciting, although I think it is still more exciting than the NBA Finals.  Like hockey, if you get the right pitcher's duel, you could have yourself a very low-scoring game, but at the pace that baseball progresses, it's hard for even the biggest baseball fan to stay enthused for all nine innings.

So there you have it.  Tonight everyone should be fixed on NBC for the final game of the NHL season.  Champagne is on ice.  Lord Stanley's Cup will be awarded.  And we will have a province's 40-year wait for a title end, or a state's 39-year drought come to an end.  Either way, tonight will make for some great television.

*Images Courtesy of Google Images*

Dirk Finally Gets His

Well Dirk finally got what all the haters said he needed, a championship.  Is it safe to say now that Dirk is among the top-10 greatest players in NBA history?
And it is getting pretty annoying hear everyone hate on LeBron for "losing" the series and not giving Dirk and the rest of the Mavs team credit for being a great team.  Give the LeBron "4th quarter chokes" a break and respect the play of Dirk Nowitzki.

It's Becoming Frustrating to Be a Yankees Fan

Just when I thought that the Yankees were going to get the final game of a 3-game series in New York last night against the hated Red Sox, CC melted down and the Yanks gave up 7 runs in the 7th inning.  The loss is now the second time this year that the Yankees have been swept at home by the Red Sox.  That's just unheard of.  They are now two games back of Boston and it is just infuriating to see those arrogant fans celebrating like this.

At least one thing to look forward to last night is that CC finally took charge and threw at and hit Big Papi. David Cone said it best on the MLB Network that "... now Teixiera, Jeter, and Rodriguez know that their ace has their back."  I still would like a win though.
This loss has dropped the Yankees to 1-8 against Boston this season, but it isn't panic time yet.  Remember two years ago, the year the Yankees won the World Series, they dropped the first 8 games to Boston in the season and wound up winning 9 of the last 10 to gain a season series split.

And let's look at the bright side (if there is one to losing to the Red Sox) that the Yanks are only 2GB of Boston, but these head-to-head games are the ones that could cost the team the pennant at the end of the season.

*Images courtesy of Google Images*

What's Next For Ohio State?

With Jim Tressel resigning over a week ago and now star QB Terrelle Pryor coming out and saying that he will not return for his senior year, the simple question to ask is, what is next for Ohio State?
Any top program in college sports would be able to get over the loss of their starting quarterback, but don't forget that Ohio State will dealing with the suspension of four other key players for the first five games of the season and a new head coach in Luke Fickell.  Dan Herron, Devier Posey, Mike Adams, and Soloman Thomas have all played key roles on this Ohio State Buckeyes team over the past few seasons, but with them out for the first five games, it is tough to see anybody else stepping up to fill the void that these players leave open.

Their first two games are at home against Akron and Toledo, so those shouldn't be a problem.  In fact, they should serve as a nice tune-up for their third game at Miami.  However, this game was a little more intriguing when it was put on the schedule a few years ago, as now Miami isn't the same team as even as far back as last season.  So don't be surprised if Ohio State stays in contention for a top bowl game with a 5-0 or 4-1 record.  They will host Michigan State to cap off all of the suspension and to open up Big Ten play, but won't have any tune-up time for the four suspended players to get into a rhythm before they travel to Lincoln to take on Nebraska.  I don't see this as a terribly lost season, in fact, I see Ohio State having a fairly successful season going 8-4 or 9-3, very respectable for everything that they will be up against.
As for Terrelle Pryor, he said that when the NFL lockout ends, he will enter the supplemental draft.  But that isn't the biggest issue that he faces.  He is still under investigation from the NCAA for receiving free tattoos for signed memorabilia, but now an ex-friend has come out and said that he received around $30-40 thousand for signed memorabilia.  If any further damage happens to Ohio State, his reputation will be more tarnished than that of Jim Tressell's and he may never be able to show his face in Columbus again.  And in my opinion, he is the reason Tressell is no longer around.

But, the way I see it, Pryor will have a tougher future than the Ohio State football program.  And what's that old saying... "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
Well in this case, Pryor is weak for bailing on his teammates in a tough time.

*Images courtesy of Google Images*

Tiger Out for the U.S. Open

Well, with no Tiger Woods in the field for next week's U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club, it seems as though this year's tournament will lack the drama and excitement that Tiger brings to every tournament that he plays in.  But, with Tiger out, this opens the door for many other golfers to make their mark.  Others, such as American's Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar, world number one Luke Donald, the Europeans Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, and the Aussies Jason Day, Adam Scott, and previous U.S. Open champ Geoff Ogilvy.

14-time Major winner, Tiger Woods

But in my opinion, this is what Tiger needs to do if he ever wants to continue playing and becoming dominant again in the golf world.  If he continues to play in the bigger tournaments every 2-3 weeks on an injured Achilles, then all he is doing is causing more harm.  He needs to take time off until everything wrong with his body is fully healthy and then start playing again.  Also, if he was to play next week(end) and not perform well, the last thing that I want to hear about for the following week is how bad he played, his injuries, and if he will ever return to the Tiger pre-2008 Thanksgiving.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy

But who am I kidding, even if someone breaks the course record next week and wins the Open by 10 strokes, the main talk will still be Tiger's absence.

America's next big star, Dustin Johnson

*All images courtesy of Google Images*

Here's My Take

The hit on Nathan Horton by Vancouver's Aaron Rome was handled correctly by the officials and appropriately given a five minute major and game misconduct.  This was the appropriate call by the officials, as the hit was late to Horton getting rid of the puck and there was contact made to Horton's head.  However, with no use of the elbow, nor it being a blindside hit, I think this will only result in a one game suspension because of the above mentioned.
But, what the NHL needs to do now is make a quick and decisive decision with the fate of Rome's future.  This will keep from causing turmoil and uproar by members of both the hockey community and outside spectators.  Like I said, I see this as only being a one game suspension.
And honestly, like Vancouver can't replace Rome for a game.  They have at least eight defensemen on their roster who could be on the top two lines on most NHL teams.

Federer vs. Nadal... 'Nuff Said

25 major titles between them.  Best player of all time vs. one of the top-5 of all time.  I think this French Open Final speaks for itself.

Oh What Could Have Been

So, as everyone knows, this year's NHL season has come down to the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins battling it out for Lord Stanley's Cup.  And as an avid Philadelphia Flyers fan I've come to grips with the sweep that we encountered from the Bruins in the second round.  However, what has gotten to me is all of the players that the Flyers have let go when they were young and never gave a chance to develop.  Let's take a look.
Within the conference, I see two key players that the Flyers let go before they ever gave him a chance.  Denis Seidenberg and Steve Downie.  He was a young guy when the Flyers originally had him and all he was with them was a role player.  Played as maybe a No. 5 or 6 defender, possibly a four.  Now with Boston, all he does is blast bombs from the point, has become a fixture on their power play, and is a top two defensemen for them.  Meanwhile, Downie was young and fairly immature when he came up to the Flyers' roster.  Took bad penalties and didn't play into the Flyers system.  But given a chance by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he has contributed to their rise and success by playing on a line with Vincent Lecavalier, allowing him to hone in on his underrated offensive game.
Out West, I see two more players who have developed into something special that the Flyers have missed out on.  The Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Sharp and the Los Angeles Kings' Justin Williams.  Sharp, who was primarily used as a fourth line enforcer when playing in Philadelphia, has developed into Chicago's number three forward, producing points and offense that was a key in them defeating the Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.  Under Joel Quenneville, he has been able to prosper and develop into a player that the Flyers probably wish they still had.  As for Justin Williams, he had his moments as a Flyer, but has had the majority of his better days in the sunshine of Los Angeles and in Carolina with the Hurricanes.  He plays on the second line out west and has scored over 3/4 of his points since leaving the Flyers.
But hey, players are lost and every team probably sees certain players in the league as a regret for losing them, but this one player that I saved for last was a key to why the Flyers struggled down the stretch.
Simon Gagne was the heart and soul for the Flyers over the past years.  Just look at last season.  When he returned to Game 4 of the Boston series, that is when the Flyers turned it on, completing the epic comeback against Boston and riding him all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Flyers were 10-5 in the playoffs with Gagne in the line-up last season and to lose him for an aging defensemen and a draft pick?  Come on Paul Holmgren.  Can't help but to think that he is a key reason for the success of Tampa Bay this past season.

The Core Four Make French Open A Must See Tourny Weekend

As I'm sitting here watching the world's #1 player take on an embattled #4 Andy Murray in the first men's semifinal at the French Open, it only makes me appreciate the intense play that the men's side brings to the tennis world.  Later on today, #2 Novak Djokovic will take on #3 Roger Federer, making this the first major tournament in what seems like forever that the four top seeds make it to the semifinals.

I've come to the realization that sure it's nice to have that unseeded player make a nice run deep into the tournament to kick-start his career or give his career that one last push, but to see the top four men in the world battle each other is the way tennis should be.
It's rare to see this in the women's game, unless the Williams' sisters are both in the draw and then maybe Wozniacki and Clijsters are also in it, but that just didn't happen.  But the women's game is just too unpredictable and just too inconsistent to watch and appreciate.  Too many double faults, breaks of serve, and loud moans that take away from the matches.

But sitting here watch Andy Murray on a bum ankle battle to stay even with the best clay-courter of all time is something special.  This would be a great final in itself, but to know that the number two and three players in the world are still to play makes this even more enjoyable.
This is how tennis should be and what the sport needs all the time.

*Images courtesy of Google Images*

So How Bad Are You Feeling For the City of Atlanta???

For now the second time in their city's history, Atlanta is losing a hockey team to our neighbors from the north.
The NHL acknowledged and approved the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to the city of Winnipeg for next season.  Atlanta had previously lost the Flames back in the 80s when they relocated to Calgary.  Winnipeg has been without a team since 1996, when the team was moved to Phoenix, now known as the Phoenix Coyotes.  Ironically, Phoenix has been under the gun to either find a buyer to finance the team, or be relocated, possibly right back up to Canada.

The new team in Winnipeg (not sure of the team name) will play out of Manitoba at the MTS Centre, where the AHL team the Manitoba Moose currently play.  The arena holds roughly 15,000 people, a small venue compared to other NHL teams, but even if it sells out every game, will still draw larger crowds than what Atlanta was bringing to the Thrashers' games.
The NHL has received numerous attempts from both Winnipeg and Quebec to bring back hockey to those cities and it seemed that it would come down to either Phoenix or Atlanta to be the ones to go and once the Coyotes found a backer to pay the $25 million in losses, the relocation fell squarely on the shoulders of Atlanta.

Atlanta has never been known as a hot-bed for hockey, but rather just an overall great sports city.  A main reason for the NHL to place the Thrashers in Atlanta during the 2000 expansion class.  But, when you compare the Thrashers attendance to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, the crowds and atmosphere at the hockey games are nothing.  In some duel NBA and NHL cities, hockey has become the major sport in those cities, including Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Detroit.
So Atlanta has been stripped of their hockey privileges for a second time now.  Who knows, maybe the third time is the charm?

* All photos courtesy of Google Images*