Belmont Park Is Happening

Rejoice Islanders fans! It's going to happen. The announcement came down earlier this afternoon. Belmont Park will be the home of the New York Islanders!

The news came down Thursday during the Empire State Development meeting, when the board unanimously approved the decision to move forward to build a 19,000-seat arena at Belmont Park. The arena will cost an estimated $1.3 billion. The Islanders remain confident in being on schedule in order to open up their new arena for the 2020-21 season. According to Newsday's Jim Baumbach, the Franchise Oversight Board still needs to approve the plan. Lawsuits could also arise at any moment in an attempt to thwart the project. If everything goes in the Islanders' way, a groundbreaking ceremony could soon be on the way to commemorate the historic moment.

Once the plans come together and they finally break ground, that will be an event that will be a sight for sore eyes for Islanders fans to get the franchise back on stable ground here where they belong.And this could be huge for the Islanders for a number of reasons.

First and foremost it gives them a stable place to play in an actually arena built for hockey. No disrespect to Barclays center but I've said this all the time, it's not and has never been a hockey rink. I'm glad the Islanders were able to set up shop there. But since the fact that Barclays isn't built for hockey, and the fact that the Isles have to split time between there and Nassau Coliseum until Belmont is build, makes it hard, in my mind, to attract free agents. Some guys might not want to play here right now because of Barclays and bouncing around between rinks.

Now that Islanders fans know that the building has been approved, I think I can speak for some, if not most, when i say it will be so nice to get into a barn of our very own. We will rock the place as loud as we did the old Coliseum during the glory years.


YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!

Things Heating Up In Queens

Who would have thought, a little over a month ago, that the New York Mets would be doing what they're doing. It's so close you can almost taste it. When we hit the All Star Break, the Mets looked dead in the water for a playoff spot. Now here we sit, the Mets are just a game back of the final Wild Card Spot, with a little less than two months to go in the regular season. Could it be possible? Can the Mets pull it off and make the Playoffs?

If the past two plus weeks are any indication, it is a distinct possibility. In the 2nd half of the season, the Mets have already had three winning streaks, a four game stretch (July 13-17), a seven game streak (July 25th-August 1st) and are now riding a six game winning streak after today's victory over the Marlins. And they been doing it against teams that, in reality, they should be beating. The big surprise was a pair of wins over the AL Central leading Twins in Minnesota in the middle of July. What's been behind the turnaround for the Mets in the second half?

They've been getting plenty of contributions. One downside, I hate to bring it up, is Pete Alonso, who's been struggling at the plate in the 2nd half. Alonso is hitting just .189 since the all-star break. Yes he does have seven dingers and 15 RBI, but I've been saying this for a while now, the home run derby I feel threw him off. He's been fighting the ball since the break instead of just letting the game come to him. Then there's the case of Robinson Cano, who a part of me feels bad for. Since the Break, Cano was hitting .289 with six homers and 14 driven in and with the way he was swinging the bat, it looked like Mets fans were finally getting the Cano that had earned that large contract. Then he got hurt, tearing his hamstring, that's causing him to miss six weeks. Cano and Alsonso's play as of late proves why the eye test in baseball can tell so much more than just reading the box score.

With Cano out and Alonso starting to slump, other guys are starting to step their play up at the right time. Both JD Davis and Amed Rosario have been hitting the cover off the ball since the break, both hitting well over .300. Rosario has smacked 32 hits since the break, the most on the Mets in that time frame. Then you have Michael Conforto, who's been coming along with the power stroke. He's smacked nine dinngers and driven in twenty since the break.

It's not just the hitting keeping New York in the race, the pitching staff has found its footing. New York has the lowest pen ERA at 2.75 since the break. And to help the cause even more is the fact that the starters are showing what we Mets fans have known all along, just how good they really are. Jake has won three of his five starts and has an ERA just above one, looking like he did last year when he won his Cy Young Award. Noah, who had been thrown out there in trade rumors, has come around in his last couple starts. going 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA and looking like the guy the Mets first traded for. Sure, Edwin Diaz has had his struggles, he's had that problem most of the year. Seth Lugo is starting to emerge as a guy who could help take some of that pressure off Diaz in close games late.

Now is really the test of the schedule for the Mets. They have three this weekend with the Nats at home before going to Atlanta for three. That road trip continues with three in Kansas City, which in theory should be easier. Then they return home to Play Cleveland, Atlanta and the Cubs heading into Labor Day Weekend.

The next couple of weeks will be a real big test for the Mets and they are going to need a little help to be able to make the playoffs/ But if the last two weeks have been any indication, this is going to be a lot of fun going down the stretch.

Amir Garrett vs. The Pirates

I went to a boxing match and a baseball game broke out. That's at least what it looked like in the 9th inning in Cincinnati last night. The Reds were getting the doors blown off them on their home field in Monday night's game against the division rival Pittsburgh Pirates, when things got ugly real quick.

Don't believe me, see for yourself:


You don't see this everyday. There's a lot to look at coming out of this mass hysteria Tuesday night.

First is the obvious and Amir Garrett taking matters into his own hands. He was unhappy with the night was going, which I totally get. He heard the Pirates players running their mouth from the dugout and thought it would be a good idea to charge them. He held his own OK till he finally got backup from some of his teammates. Its like what happened back in April when Puig (more on him in a minute) decide to do the same thing after a home run. So Garrett gets the whole thing going.

Then there's thew Reds manager. David Bell is an idiot for running out of the clubhouse after being ejected earlier in the night. And for the record I'd have loved to have seen Clint Hurdle throw punches back at Bell for being an idiot. To make matters worse for David Bell, he's facing a pretty lengthy suspension for coming back onto the field after being ejected. I'd like to see if Clint Hurdle, at age 62, would have been able to get some good shots in. A guy can dream can't he.

Then we have Yasil Puig, who is already on his way out the door in Cincinnati anyway, having been traded to the Indians earlier in the day. He wasn't making many friends in Cincy on his way out. He kicks dust up again after the fight had calmed down by charging a couple of Pirates players after things calmed down. There's no denying the fact that Puig is a good ballplayer, but I've said this a few times, the guy is too much of a hot head for his own good. So this just made things worse. And it all started earlier in the evening.

It all started when Pittsburgh’s Keone Kela threw up and in to Derek Dietrich in the seventh. After the inning, first baseman Joey Votto walked toward the Pirates dugout and exchanged words with Kela, but plate umpire Larry Vanover got in front of Votto. In April, Dietrich admired one of his homers at PNC Park, leading to a benches-clearing clash. So this was just a renewal of hostilities. The Reds are still somewhat in contention for the division race, as they are only seven games back of first, and sit just six games under .500. The Pirates are eleven back and haven't hit the 50 win mark at the time of this writing.

So there's some bad blood brewing and I can't wait to see where not only this rivalry, but this divisional races, goes from here as the summer moves along.

NFL Training Camp Storylines

The time has arrived. NFL teams are gathering again for the start of a brand new season. By this weekend, all 32 teams will have opened their camps, officially getting football going on the field for the 2019 season. There have been some big changes that have been made around the NFL this offseason, which creates some new and interesting dynamics around camps. So lets take a look at it right now. Here's some training camp stories to watch, both league wide and involving the locals.

Familiar Faces in New Places:
One we will get to in a little while (Bell with the Jets), but there are still some big names that moved in the offseason and its going to be interesting to see how well they mesh with their new teams. Two thirds of the Killer B's are gone in Pittsburgh, as Bell is in New York, while Antonio Brown is now a Raider. I really wanna see how well AB handles dealing with Chucky on the Oakland sidelines. And he's not the only bigtime wide out that went on the move. The Giants got rid of Odell Beckham jr to the Browns in a huge move. Of course, Odell can't stop running his mouth about the problems with the Giants, so I can't wait to see if the Browns can even attempt to get him to change his dumpy attitude. Then there was the big QB move with Joe Flacco getting outted in Baltimore and heading to Denver.

New Guns in Town:
So not only do we have big names switching tams,we got the new rookie class coming into the league as well. The era of Kyler Murray and new coach Kliff Kingsbury running ship in Arizona could make for a fun experience for the Cards. Murray has a lot riding on his arm, trying to get the Cards back in shape and on the winning path. So too does Kingsbury who's taking over a Cards team that hasn't hit double digits in wins since 2015 and won just three games last year. Being a first year head coach is tough, so doing it with this organization is going to be tougher. He's not the only one as Green Bay (Matt LaFleur), Cincinnati (Zac Taylor), Cleveland (Freddie Kitchens), Miami (Brian Flores) and Denver (Vic Fangio) are all breaking in first year head coaches. Going to be interesting to see how the players react to them as camp wears along.

Now onto the locals.

Giants
How will the rookies perform?
The Giants had three first round picks in this year's draft. Dexter Lawrence went 17th, while Deandre Baker was taken 30th. Both guys are going to have to prove their worth on the defensive side of the ball. The big story, of course, is how well Daniel Jones does. The Duke QB, taken 6th overall, has some might big shoes to try and fill once Eli Manning does call it a career. There's little doubt that Eli's going to get the bulk of the playing time this season, but depending on how well Jones does in camp will determine how much playing time he will see this season. His progression during camp is going to be key.

How quick can the new veterans catch up?
On the offensive side of the football, the line had been one of its biggest problems. Adding a guy like Kevin Zeitler could help bolster the team and maybe, just maybe, finally give Eli the protection he needs to be able to run his offense. Once Eli does get rid of the ball, he needs people to throw to. With Odell gone, Golden Tate was brought in to help Sterling Sheppard and be the go to guy in this offense. Golden still has the ability to be a 1,00+ yard receiver, but adjusting to this new offense and having Eli throwing to him could make things difficult. Oh and it wasn't just the offense that's added veteran leadership to this team. Both Jabrill Peppers and Antoine Bethea we're brought in on defense and Landon Collins is no longer here. Both Peppers and Betha have to prove that they can not only still go in this league, but help the Giants win.

Key Questions to answer during camp:
By the time camp breaks and we start the regular season in the beginning of September, hopefully a few of these questions can be answered.

Who will provide consistent pass rush on the perimeter and in the interior?
Someone needs to step up. How quickly will a young secondary develop and become high-quality NFL players?
Who will be able to consistently stretch the field?
Who’s the deep threat for Eli Manning?
Who will be the third down linebacker next to Alec Ogletree?
Who will win the third wide receiver spot?

Jets:
Can Sam Darnold take that next step?
Lets put it like this, it was a good year for Sam Darnold as a rookie, but he didn't set the world on fire. He played better down the stretch but it was a learning curve for Darnold. Now, in year two, he has a better understanding of the competition at this level. It also helps that he has an offensive minded coach, and a quarterback wisper, in Adam Gase, to teach him how to play at this level. He can only really go up from here and I'm really interested to see how his game will grow and mature as the summer months move along.

How's Le'Von Bell going to produce?
This is the biggest question mark for me as the season and camp go along. He sat out all of last season with the contract dispute, what kind of game shape is he even in heading into camp? Who knows. At one point, he was considered the best all around running back in the game. That was before the contract dispute. He missed a year and now who knows what form of Bell we're going to get. i hope its the old one, because he was kinda good at what he did on the gridiron

Can Jets get some edge rushing production? 
The Jets haven’t had an elite edge rusher since John Abraham left town after the 2005 season. And they still don’t have one. The Jets are counting on their pressure up the middle, with Leonard Williams and Quinnen Williams, to free up pass rushing opportunities for edge guys Jordan Jenkins, Brandon Copeland, and Jachai Polite (a project rookie who will have to fight for playing time in camp).

So that's just some of what we can look forward to over the course of training camp this summer.

Raw Reunion Roster

Monday night on USA Network is supposed to be a big night for WWE. Monday night from Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, World Wrestling Entertainment is getting together a huge collection of past superstars for a Raw Reunion. From what I;'m getting, this is a way for WWE to draw their audience back in to watch their programming again.

Below is the full list that's been announced to appear on Raw from Tampa tomorrow night:

Triple H
Melina
Jillian Hall
Eve Torres
Jonathan Coachman
Kaitlyn
Alicia Fox
Candice Michelle
Steve Austin
Hulk Hogan
Ric Flair
Shawn Michaels
Razor Ramon
Kevin Nash / Diesel
Kurt Angle
Sgt. Slaughter
Christian
Ted DiBiase
Eric Bischoff
The Boogeyman
Jimmy Hart
The Hurricane
Santino Marella
Jerry Lawler
D-Von Dudley
Booker T
X-Pac
Mark Henry
Mick Foley
Pat Patterson
Gerald Brisco
Lilian Garcia
Alundra Blayze
Kelly Kelly
Rikishi
Ron Simmons
The Godfather
Road Dogg
Sid

Some of the names on this list is pretty cool to see not going to lie. I know there's only three hours to be able to fill, but there's a couple of problems with this idea. First off, there's three big names from history that are absent: Trish Stratus, Lita and Bret Hart. All absent. Not sure why none of them are there, but I'm sure there's a good reason.

Also, this feels kind of random for having a reunion such as this. Don't get me wrong this seems like a cool concept, but it feels like it was just thrown together. It would make it more special if Raw was normally two hours. The three hour Raw's that have been going on regularly, I know have been done for sponsor build I get it. But still, when Raw would go to three hours it would feel more special.

As for doing it now, that's even more random. If this was say done after either Wrestlemania, or even, since we're in the middle of summer, wait till the Raw after Summerslam. That would have made perfect sense.

Part of the reason I think WWE is doing this is because the product has flat out sucked as of late. The only good thing from last week's Raw was the debut of the Fiend, Bray Wyatt's new character. That's it. What made me want to watch WWE when i was growing up was not only good wrestling in the ring, but great storytelling and less annoying characters. now it seems like WWE's writing staff is trying to force stuff on the fans instead of letting it happen naturally. Maybe I'm not looking at this deep enough, but I call it like I see it.

Still, here's hoping there's at least something entertaining coming out of this reunion tomorrow night~

Since When Did d'Arnud Have Power?

It was one of those games that, as a baseball player, you could only dream of having. Hitting a home run in a Major League Baseball game is accomplishment enough. Hitting three in a game, doesn't happen very often. And for a guy like Travis d'Arnud, it must have felt better than it would for most other baseball players.

Its been a rough go of it for d'Arnud this year, who's now on his third team this season. he started with the Mets, was designated for assignment. Played one game in a Dodgers uniform before landing with the Rays. He's nopw played 40 games in Tampa and seemd to find his footing. Look no further than Monday's performance, clubbing three home runs and driving in all five runs in a 5-4 win.

For a guy who's had the career he's had, it must have been like a weight off his shoulders.

Lets face facts, he's been a little average at best as a Major League catcher. He's a .245 lifetime hitter and has never hit about .250 in a season in which he's played more than 100 games. He's been riddled with injuries during his career and can't stay put behind the plate. When the Mets got him from the Blue Jays, he was supposed to be the prize player in the R.A Dickey trade, but it just never really worked out for him in New York. Now I'm not saying he was supposed to be the next really great hitting catcher, but he was supposed to be good enough.

Since the game Monday, he's come back down to earth. And a small part of me does feel bad for Travis, he's never really been able to get his career on track. He's a nice enough guy, but injuries have cost him over the start of his career in the biggs.

To make this situation more interesting, I heard sports fans calling into talk radio the day after Travis went off saying that it was a mistake that the Mets let him go. I disagree. There's a couple of names that come to mind right away that you could point at, right now, and say that was a mistake letting them go. Justin Turner and Daniel Murphy are the top two that right away come to mind as mistakes made by the Mets in letting them go. I'm sorry, but letting Travis go was a great thing for the Mets, he wasn't getting it done when they needed him to and couldn't stay on the field.

He had one hell of a night from the leadoff spot against the Yanks, and I'd like to see him keep it going for his own sake. If he can stay healthy, maybe we can see a glimpse of what he was meant to be in the Majors. But for now, his performance on Monday will have to do

Could Verlander Have An Argument?

Over the past number of years in Major League Baseball, there has been a rise in the number of home runs being hit around the league. At the pace that things are going right now, baseball will have a record for most in a season when all is said and done. Funny thing is, we're getting a differing opinion of what's going on with the baseballs. Baseball says nothings wrong. Justin Verlander, star pitcher for the Houston Astros, as other ideas.

"It's a f------ joke," Verlander told ESPN. "Major League Baseball's turning this game into a joke. They own Rawlings, and you've got Manfred up here saying it might be the way they center the pill. They own the f------ company. If any other $40 billion company bought out a $400 million company and the product changed dramatically, it's not a guess as to what happened. We all know what happened. Manfred the first time he came in, what'd he say? He said we want more offense. All of a sudden he comes in, the balls are juiced? It's not coincidence. We're not idiots."

So, naturally, baseball had to respond. And they did.

"Baseball has done nothing, given no direction for an alteration in the baseball," Manfred told reporters Tuesday. "The flaw in logic is that baseball wants more home runs. If you sat in owners meetings and listen to people on how the game is played, that is not a sentiment among the owners for whom I work." Manfred also said "there is no evidence from scientists that the ball is harder" but acknowledged that "the drag of the baseball is less."

The numbers are eye popping. By ESPN’s math, players hit 3,691 homers in the first half of the season and are on pace to hit 6,668 total this season, which would demolish the previous record of 6,105 in 2017. The phenomenon has also been observed in the Triple-A leagues, which are using MLB baseballs for the first time this year (Yahoo Sports).

Verlander may have a valid argument. It seems like balls are leaving the yard at an alarming rate. Some could look at it as sour grapes considering that Verlander has given up the most home runs of any pitcher in baseball during the first half, a grand total of 26. But Verlander isn't the only one complaining. Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Marcus Stroman, Jacob deGrom and others have also voiced their concern about what appear to be changes with the baseballs. These guys should know better than anybody else as to whether or not something is different, they handle the ball more than anybody else on the field, they do it on every single play.

From baseball's perspective, they want to try and get a rise in scoring. Pitchers are throwing a lot harder, the game has changed so much over the last decade plus. So it wouldn't shock me that baseball would be doing something like this. They're trying to speed the game up, so why not try and increase scoring right? How about this for a novel idea. Instead of trying to hit towering home runs, just swing and make contact? That can put runs on the board all the same, in my book.Verlander might have an argument over the ball being tampered with. Major League Baseball did buy the company that makes the balls used during games. Something isn't right here. Of course, baseball is going to deny it, but the fact that it's not just Verlander coming out with this argument means somethings up. It might be a case of pitchers trying to get into hitters heads, but at the same time it could be a legit complaint on the part of the pitchers.

Sure, watching balls fly out of the park is fun to watch, but baseball is so much more than that. Its about being able ti hit to all fields,  To go the other way. Sure the power hitters are nice, but watching guys like Ken Griffey Jr and Tony Gwynn hit back in the day was as much fun as watching guys club home runs out of the park.

2019 MLB All Star Rosters

The midsummer classic is right around the corner. The best from the American League will square off against the National League's best in Cleveland. The rosters are out. Did they get it right? Lets take a look.

National League
Starters
Catcher: Willson Contreras Cubs (2nd selection)
1st Base: Freddie Freeman Braves (4th selection)
2nd Base: Ketel Marte Diamondbacks (1st Selection)
3rd Base: Nolan Arenado Rockies (5th Selection)
Shortsop: Javier Báez Cubs (2nd Selection)
Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr. Braves (1st Selection)
Outfield: Cody Bellinger Dodgers (2nd selection)
Outfield: Christian Yelich Brewers (2nd selection)

Reserves
Catcher: Yasmani Grandal Brewers (2nd selection)
Catcher: J. T. Realmuto Phillies (2nd selection)
1st Base: Pete Alonso Mets (1st Selection)
1st Base: Josh Bell Pirates (1st Selection)
2nd Base: Jeff McNeil Mets (1st selection)
2nd Base: Mike Moustakas Brewers (3rd selection)
3rd Base: Kris Bryant Cubs (3rd selection)
3rd Base: Anthony Rendon Nationals (1st selection)
Shortstop: Paul DeJong Cardinals (1st selection)
Shortstop: Trevor Story Rockies (2nd selection)
Outfield: Charlie Blackmon Rockies (4th selection)
Outfield: David Dahl Rockies (1st selection)

Pitchers
Sandy Alcántara Marlins (1st selection)
Walker Buehler Dodgers (1st selection)
Luis Castillo Reds (1st selection)
Jacob deGrom Mets (3rd selection)
Zack Greinke Diamondbacks (6th selection)
Josh Hader Brewers (2nd selection)
Clayton Kershaw Dodgers (8th selection)
Hyun-jin Ryu Dodgers (1st selection)
Max Scherzer Nationals (7th selection)
Will Smith Giants (1st selection)
Mike Soroka Braves (1st selection)
Kirby Yates Padres (1st selection)

American League
Starters:
Catcher: Gary Sánchez Yankees (2nd selection)
1st Base: Carlos Santana Indians (1st selection)
2nd Base: DJ LeMahieu Yankees (3rd selection)
3rd Base: Alex Bregman Astros (2nd selection)
Shortstop: Jorge Polanco Twins (1st selection)
Outfield: George Springer Astros (3rd selection)
Outfield: Mike Trout Angels (8th selection)
Outfield: Michael Brantley Astros (4th selection)
Designated Hitter: Hunter Pence Rangers (4th selection)

Reserves:
Catcher: James McCann White Sox (1st selection)
1st Base: José Abreu White Sox (3rd selection)
1st Base: Daniel Vogelbach Mariners (1st selection)
2nd Base: Tommy La Stella Angels (1st selection)
2nd Base: Whit Merrifield Royals (1st selection)
3rd Base: Matt Chapman Athletics (1st selection)
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor Indians (4th selection)
Outfield: Mookie Betts Red Sox (4th selection)
Outfield: Joey Gallo Rangers (1st selection)
Outfield: Austin Meadows Rays (1st selection)
Designated Hitter: J. D. Martinez Red Sox (3rd selection)

Pitchers:
Aroldis Chapman Yankees (6th selection)
Gerrit Cole Astros (3rd selection)
Shane Greene Tigers (1st selection
Lucas Giolito White Sox (1st selection)
Brad Hand Indians (3rd selection)
John Means Orioles (1st selection)
Mike Minor Rangers (1st selection)
Charlie Morton Rays (2nd selection)
Jake Odorizzi Twins (1st selection)
Ryan Pressly Astros (1st selection)
Marcus Stroman Blue Jays (1st selection)
Justin Verlander Astros (8th selection)

So did they get it right? Did they leave anybody out? The NL its a little crowded. Anthony Rizzo and Rhys Hoskins were left out at first base. Ozzie Albies not getting invited to the game is a little odd. He's got the numbers to back up the talk. Hell the big surprise for the NL is the fact that Fernando Tatis Jr. isn't playing in this contest. You want to sell and market the bright young stars you have, and you leave out one of the brightest? Two of the big names in Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are both out of the game. That's with good reason. Neither guy has had a year, to this point, to warrent playing. They got big contracts and haven't really been able to live up to it. For the AL, the fact that Luke Voit isn't playing is a bigtime snub. He's hitting for a higher average than Vogelbach of the Mariners. And he plays a better defensive game over at first as well.

Either way it should be a fun game next week.

NBA Hands Out Hardware

Last night was a way of closing the book on the 2018-19 NBA Season, handing out individual awards in the great team sport. Its a way to congratulate the individual efforts of some of the best players on the planet in one of the top leagues going. So lets not waste any time and lets dive right into it. Here's how the hardware was distributed last night.

All-NBA First Team
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

NBA All-Rookie Team
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings

NBA All-Defensive Team
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Eric Bledsoe, Milwaukee Bucks

NBA Basketball Executive of the Year: Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks
Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Sportsmanship Award Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Cares Community Assist Award Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Lifetime Achievement Award Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
Sager Strong Award Robin Roberts
Hustle Award Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics

Kia NBA Most Improved Player: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
Siakam was a huge factor for Toronto during their push for the playoffs and title run. He could do a little bit of everything for the Raptors this year. The numbers really seem to speak for themselves. He went from averaging 7.3 points a game in 81 games last year, to 16.9 a game in game games and 79 starts this year. It was the biggest point jump by any player who played at least 40 games this season. And just to prove he was a capable defender, Siakam held opponents to 39.4 percent as the closest defender during the 2018-19 season, lowest by any player to face at least 500 shots. He is also the first Raptors player to win the award.

Kia NBA Sixth Man Award: Lou Williams, LA Clippers
Lou Williams is the second player to win Sixth Man of the Year three times, joining Jamal Crawford. Williams joins Kevin McHale and Detlef Schrempf as the only players to win the award in consecutive seasons. Williams pretty much did a little bit of everything coming off the bench for the Clippers this season. He leads the team in scoring and assists, despite playing just 26.6 minutes per game. Oh and the Clippers scored 7.2 more points per 100 possessions with Williams running the show,

Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Rudy may have to start taking hold of the trophy. After winning the award last season, Rudy Gobert is the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons since Kawhi Leonard in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Before that, it was Dwight Howard in three straight seasons from 2008 to 2011. Ruydy had himself a fine season. He finished the season averaging 12.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and was the leader of one of the best defensive units in the NBA. Utah finished the regular season with the second-best defensive rating in the league, allowing just 105.2 points per 100 possessions. Only the Milwaukee Bucks, who finished with the best record in the league, were better on that end of the floor. His stellar defensive play allowed Utah to surge ahead during the 2nd half of the year, ending with 50 wins and a 5th place finish in the West.

NBA Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks
Comes off as a bit of a surprise that the guy who helped lead the Raptors to where they are, Nick Nurse, wasn't even a finalist for the award this year. The other two finalists did a fine job with their clubs this year. Doc Rivers, who led the Clippers to a playoff spot with a roster short on top-tier talent. Then you had Michael Malone, who took the Nuggets from outside of the playoff picture to the second seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. But the end result went to Budenholzer, who had Giannis and a cast of supporting characters and took them to the best record in the league

Kia NBA Rookie of the Year: Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
This year's cl;ass of rookies didn't disappoint, with the three finalists posting fine seasons. Trae Young got off to a bit of a slow start this year, but came on extremely strong during the second half of the season when he often looked like a future All-Star. In Phoenix, the top overall pick from last season, Deandre Ayton had a bit more quiet, but still solid, season. He averaged a double double on the year with 16.3 points a game and 10.3 rebounds a game. But it was Luka Doncic that generated headlines almost immediately with his flashy, yet mature play. It was no surprise, with his 21.1 points a game and solid all around play in Dallas, that he walked away with the award


Kia NBA Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
It looked for most of the year like it was going to be Harden winning it for the second year in a row. I mean the numbers do say a lot for Harden, who averaged 36.1 points a game and had a historic offensive season while leading the league in scoring for the second time. But Giannis was the best player on the league's best team record-wise, and managed to average a double double for the year in 27.7 points a game and pulled down 12.5 boards a game. Sure, losing Harden in Houston was a loss, but I think had Giannis missed more time in Milwaukee, I don't think the Bucks would have finished with the best record in basketball.

NHL Schedules Announced

We know the 2018-19 NHL Season has just come to a close. But if your like me, there's no such thing as too much hockey. The NHL has announced today the schedule for the 2019-20 season. So we can start marking our calenders down now for the big games on the schedule. Before we look at the schedule for the locals, here's some other big dates on the schedule for around the league.

October 2nd, 2019: Capitals @ Blues
Blues will raise their Stanley Cup Banner

October 26th, 2910: Blues @ Bruins
First time these two teams will face off since the finals.

October 26th, 2019: Flames vs Jets
Calgary and Winnipeg will face off at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan in the Heritage Classic

January 1st, 2020: Predators @ Stars
The Winter Classic will take place at the Cotton Bowl in Texas featuring a rematch of Round 1 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

January 24th-26th: All Star Weekend @ St Louis

February 15th, 2020: Kings vs Avalanche
For the second time, the NHL brings a Stadium Series game to a U.S. Service Academy as the Kings and Avalanche meet at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

That's just some of the outside stuff. Lets not wait anymore. Here's the 2019-20 schedule for the locals. We'll start on Broadway.

October:
Oct 3 vs Winnipeg 7:00 PM
Oct 5 @ Ottawa 7:00 PM
Oct 12 vs Edmonton 1:00 PM
Oct 17 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Oct 18 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Oct 20 vs Vancouver 1:00 PM
Oct 22 vs Arizona 7:00 PM
Oct 24 vs Buffalo 7:00 PM
Oct 27 vs Boston 7:00 PM
Oct 29 vs Tampa Bay 7:00 PM

November:
Nov 2 @ Nashville 2:00 PM
Nov 4 vs Ottawa 7:00 PM
Nov 6 vs Detroit 8:00 PM
Nov 7 @ Carolina 7:00 PM
Nov 10 vs Florida 1:00 PM
Nov 12 vs Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Nov 14 @ Tampa Bay 7:00 PM
Nov 16 @ Florida 7:00 PM
Nov 20 vs Washington 8:00 PM
Nov 22 @ Ottawa 7:30 PM
Nov 23 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Nov 25 vs Minnesota 7:00 PM
Nov 27 vs Carolina 7:00 PM
Nov 29 @ Boston 1:00 PM
Nov 30 @ New Jersey 1:00 PM

December:
Dec 2 vs Vegas 7:00 PM
Dec 5 @ Columbus 7:00 PM
Dec 6 vs Montreal 7:00 PM
Dec 8 @ Vegas 7:00 PM
Dec 10 @ Los Angeles 10:30 PM
Dec 12 @ San Jose 10:30 PM
Dec 14 @ Anaheim 4:00 PM
Dec 16 vs Nashville 7:00 PM
Dec 20 vs Toronto 7:00 PM
Dec 22 vs Anaheim 12:30 PM
Dec 23 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Dec 27 vs Carolina 7:00 PM
Dec 28 @ Toronto 7:00 PM
Dec 31 @ Edmonton 9:00 PM

January:
Jan 2 @ Calgary 9:00 PM
Jan 4 @ Vancouver 10:00 PM
Jan 7 vs Colorado 7:00 PM
Jan 9 vs New Jersey 7:00 PM
Jan 11 @ St. Louis 8:00 PM
Jan 13 vs New York 7:00 PM
Jan 16 @ New York 7:00 PM
Jan 19 vs Columbus 7:00 PM
Jan 21 vs New York 7:00 PM
Jan 31 vs Detroit 7:00 PM

February:
Feb 1 @ Detroit 7:00 PM
Feb 3 vs Dallas 7:00 PM
Feb 5 vs Toronto 7:30 PM
Feb 7 vs Buffalo 7:00 PM
Feb 9 vs Los Angeles 6:00 PM
Feb 11 @ Winnipeg 8:00 PM
Feb 13 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM
Feb 14 @ Columbus 7:00 PM
Feb 16 vs Boston 3:30 PM
Feb 19 @ Chicago 8:00 PM
Feb 21 @ Carolina 7:30 PM
Feb 22 vs San Jose 7:00 PM
Feb 25 @ New York 7:00 PM
Feb 27 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Feb 28 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM

March:
Mar 1 vs Philadelphia 12:00 PM
Mar 3 vs St. Louis 7:00 PM
Mar 5 vs Washington 7:00 PM
Mar 7 vs New Jersey 7:00 PM
Mar 10 @ Dallas 8:30 PM
Mar 11 @ Colorado 10:00 PM
Mar 14 @ Arizona 9:00 PM
Mar 16 vs Calgary 7:00 PM
Mar 18 vs Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Mar 20 @ Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Mar 22 @ Buffalo 3:00 PM
Mar 24 vs Columbus 7:00 PM
Mar 26 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Mar 28 @ Tampa Bay 7:00 PM
Mar 30 @ Florida 7:00 PM

April
Apr 1 vs Philadelphia 7:30 PM
Apr 2 @ Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Apr 4 vs Chicago 1:00 PM

October:
Oct 4 vs Washington 7:00 PM
Oct 6 vs Winnipeg 7:00 PM
Oct 8 vs Edmonton 7:00 PM
Oct 11 @ Carolina 7:30 PM
Oct 12 vs Florida 7:00 PM
Mon, Oct 14 vs St. Louis 1:00 PM
Oct 17 @ Winnipeg 8:00 PM
Oct 19 @ Columbus 7:00 PM
Oct 24 vs Arizona 7:00 PM
Oct 25 @ Ottawa 7:30 PM
Oct 27 vs Philadelphia 7:00 PM

November:
Nov 1 vs Tampa Bay 7:00 PM
Nov 2 @ Buffalo 7:00 PM
Nov 5 vs Ottawa 7:00 PM
Nov 7 vs Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Nov 9 vs Florida 1:00 PM
Nov 13 vs Toronto 7:00 PM
Nov 16 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Nov 19 @ Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Nov 21 vs Pittsburgh 7:00 PM
Nov 23 @ San Jose 10:30 PM
Nov 25 @ Anaheim 10:00 PM
Nov 27 @ Los Angeles 10:30 PM
Nov 30 vs Columbus 7:00 PM

December:
Dec 2 @ Detroit 7:30 PM
Dec 3 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Dec 5 vs Vegas 7:00 PM
Dec 7 @ Dallas 8:00 PM
Dec 9 @ Tampa Bay 7:00 PM
Dec 12 @ Florida 7:00 PM
Dec 14 vs Buffalo 1:00 PM
Dec 17 vs Nashville 7:00 PM
Dec 19 @ Boston 7:00 PM
Dec 21 vs Anaheim 1:00 PM
Dec 23 vs Columbus 7:00 PM
Dec 27 @ Chicago 8:30 PM
Dec 29 @ Minnesota 6:00 PM
Dec 31 @ Washington 1:00 PM

January:
Jan 2 vs New Jersey 7:00 PM
Jan 4 @ Toronto 7:00 PM
Jan 6 vs Colorado 7:00 PM
Jan 7 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Jan 11 vs Boston 7:00 PM
Jan 13 @ New York 7:00 PM
Jan 14 vs Detroit 7:00 PM
Jan 16 vs New York 7:00 PM
Jan 18 vs Washington 1:00 PM
Jan 19 @ Carolina 5:00 PM
Jan 21 @ New York 7:00 PM

February:
Feb 1 vs Vancouver 1:00 PM
Feb 4 vs Dallas 7:00 PM
Feb 6 vs Los Angeles 7:00 PM
Feb 8 @ Tampa Bay 7:00 PM
Feb 10 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Feb 11 vs Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Feb 13 @ Nashville 8:00 PM
Feb 15 @ Vegas 10:30 PM
Feb 17 @ Arizona 4:00 PM
Feb 19 @ Colorado 10:00 PM
Feb 21 vs Detroit 7:00 PM
Feb 23 vs San Jose 5:00 PM
Feb 25 vs New York 7:00 PM
Feb 27 @ St. Louis 8:00 PM
Feb 29 vs Boston 1:00 PM

March:
Mar 3 vs Montreal 7:00 PM
Mar 5 @ Ottawa 7:30 PM
Mar 7 vs Carolina 1:00 PM
Mar 10 @ Vancouver 10:00 PM
Mar 12 @ Calgary 9:00 PM
Mar 13 @ Edmonton 9:00 PM
Mar 15 @ Pittsburgh 6:00 PM
Mar 17 vs Calgary 7:00 PM
Mar 19 @ Toronto 7:00 PM
Mar 21 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Mar 22 vs Carolina 5:00 PM
Mar 24 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Mar 26 vs Buffalo 7:00 PM
Mar 28 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Mar 30 @ Columbus 7:00 PM
Mar 31 vs Minnesota 7:00 PM

April:
Apr 2 vs Chicago 7:00 PM
Apr 4 vs New Jersey 7:00 PM

So there you have it. Which games are you looking forward to the most?

Circus Hits Queens

As if things couldn't get any weirder for the 2019 New York Mets, this happens. Both Manager Mickey Callaway and starting pitcher Jason Vargas have been fined $10,000 each for their actions against a team beat writer Sunday after the loss to the Chicago Cubs. This should come as no surprise considering some of the other strange things that have happened to the Mets with Callaway running the team.

So the Mets couldn't hold a lead on Sunday, after Seth Lugo gave up a three run shot to Javy Baez, who I felt was left in way too long while others felt Lugo shouldn't have been pitching at all. Callaway was clearly agitated by the line of questioning after the game, particularly about his reluctance to insert Edwin Diaz as Lugo labored through the inning. Callaway said Diaz might have been available for four outs, but not five. It's stupid to not be using an all star closer for five outs when he hasn't pitched in a few days and is well rested unlike Lugo. And side note Mickey, I thought you knew when you took this job that you'd have to be dealing with stuff like this you stupid idiot.

\Anyway, back to the story. Jason Vargas had to be restrained from going after Newsday reporter Tim Healey in the aftermath of the Mets’ 5-3 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday. The incident began with Callaway imploring a public relations official to “get this motherf–ker out of the clubhouse” after telling Healey moments earlier “Don’t be a smart-ass” after the reporter had said in passing that he would see Callaway tomorrow. The incident occurred in the clubhouse about 15 minutes after Callaway’s postgame press conference in the visiting manager’s office. Vargas then engaged in a stare-down with Healey and threatened to “knock you the f–k out.” When Healey didn’t leave, Vargas took steps toward the reporter before Carlos Gomez and Noah Syndergaard interceded, separating the two.

It is good to see some fire from the players and their manager, but in this regard, it was totally misguided. Mickey should have known after the game that this kind of stuff was going to start coming down on him, and if he hadn't then he really is an idiot. He should have known about how well Lugo functions on his rest, even the radio announcers for the Mets even said it. But Mickey never got the Memo and left Lugo in for way too long, blowing another solid outing by Jacob deGrom Then there was Vargas, overreacting to Tean Healey. He's just trying to do his job, don't jump down his throat. And how about trying to pay attention to what might have been a little sarcasm from the writers.

This kind of frustration is why the Mets are sinking fast. I know there's a lot of baseball left to be played, but unless things starting turning around for the Orange and Blue, its going to be a long rest of the summer.

NHL Hands Out Hardware

It happens at the same time every year. The best in the game of hockey gather in Las Vegas to honor the year that was around the National Hockey League. It's time to hand out the hardware. The NHL honors the individuals in this great team game. Here's the full list of award winners for the 2018-19 NHL Season.

All Rookie Team:
Goalie: Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Defense: Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres, Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Forwards: Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning, Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks, Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators

First Team All Star:
Goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Defense: Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks, Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Forwards: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning, Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Second Team All Star:
Goalie: Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars
Defense: John Carlson, Washington Capitals, Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Forwards: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks, Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins

William M. Jennings Trophy (Goaltenders of team with fewest goals against): Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss, New York Islanders

Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (Top goal-scorer): Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (51 goals)

Art Ross Trophy (Top Point Scorer): Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning (128 Points)

Mark Messier Leadership Award (Leadership and community activities): Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers/Nashville Predators

King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Leadership and humanitarian contribution): Jason Zucker, Minnesota Wild

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Sportsmanship and excellence): Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

NHL General Manager of the Year Award: Don Sweeney, Boston Bruins

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication): Robin Lehner, New York Islanders

Frank J. Selke Trophy (Defensive forward): Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis Blues

Ted Lindsay Award (Outstanding player voted by Players Association): Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Lightning

Jack Adams Award (Best coach): Barry Trotz (New York Islanders)
Not going to lie here, this one came as a tad bit of a surprise. Not to say that I'm not thrilled for Barry Trotz, because I am overjoyed that he became only the second Islanders coach, behind Al Arbour in 1979, to claim the trophy. With what he manged to do with this Islanders team, taking them on a 23 point improvement and turning them from the highest goals against last year to the lowest this year says a lot. This isn't taking anything away from the other two coaches. Jon Cooper lead the bolts to 62 wins tied for most in NHL history and getting them their first Presidents Trophy. Then there's Craig Berube, who I felt should have had stronger consideration for winning the award. Why? Because he helped take the Blues from the worst record in hockey on January 2nd to a playoff birth and an eventual Stanley Cup title., At the end of the day, what I think cost Berube winning this award was the fact that he was an interim coach and not there from the start of the year.

Calder Trophy (Rookie Of The Year): Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Pretty big night for Petterson, who became the second Canucks player to win top rookie honors, joining Pavel Bure in 1991-92 to do it. Pettersson set a Vancouver rookie record with 66 points, on 28 goals and 38 assists in 71 games. Those numbers pass Pavel Bure (1991-92) and Ivan Hlinka (1981-82), who each had 60 points. Strongest case to top him in the ballot for top rookie could have gone to Jordan Binnington of the Blues, who was called up to the big club on January 7th and went 24-5-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage and five shutouts in 32 games to help the Blues return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs following a one-season absence. He's the only one who came close to taking the title away from Petterssson, who was playing on another level for the Canucks. At the rate this kid went this year, there's a bright future in Vancouver that's for sure.

Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender): Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Andrei Vasilevskiy had himself a great year in the Tampa nets, winning 18 of his final 21 starts. That helped the Lightning tie the NHL record for wins in a season (62) and win the Presidents' Trophy with 128 points. He led the NHL with 39 wins, tied for fourth with six shutouts, and had a 2.40 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 53 games. Great numbers for a great goaltender, becoming the first ever Lightning netminder to come away with the highest honor for a goalie in this game. Both of the other finalists, Robin Lehner of the New York Islanders and Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars, had fine seasons. In some regards Bishop and Lehner put up better numbers than Vasilevskiy did, but Vasy had a bigger overall impact on his team than the other two netminders did.

Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman): Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Seems like this award at times has been about which blueliner has put up. Sure Brent Burns of the Sharks put up more points this year, Burns had 84 while Giordano had 74, it was Girdano who walked away with the award. He finished with 17 goals and 57 assists. But it was more to it than that for the Flames captain. He led Calgary in average ice time per game (24:14), had 21 power-play points, six shorthanded points (four goals), and was an even or plus-rated player in 58 of 78 games this season. What helped the cause for Giardano was what he was able to help lead the Flames to do this season. He helped the Flames, who had a 50-25-7 record, finish first in the Western Conference and second in the NHL with a plus-66 goal differential (Tampa Bay Lightning, plus-104). He's the first ever Flames player to win the Norris and, at age 35, is the fourth player age 35 or older to win the Norris Trophy since it was first awarded in 1954. The others were Nicklas Lidstrom did it four times, Doug Harvey three times, and Al MacInnis once.

Hart Trophy (League MVP): Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Both Sidney Crosby and Conor McDavid had great years, but they both fall short of the year that Kucherov had down in Tampa Bay. He became just the 2nd Lightning player to ever win the award, joining Martin St Louis in 2004 to claim League MVP Honors. The numbers Kucherov put up should be able to speak for themselves. Kucherov played in all 82 games this year, leading the NHL with 128 points (41 goals, 87 assists), breaking Alexander Mogilny's single-season record of 127 set with the Buffalo Sabres in 1992-93 for most by a Russia-born player. It was also the most by any NHL player since 1995-96, when Pittsburgh Penguins center Mario Lemieux had 161 and teammate Jaromir Jagr had 149. The Lightning went 54-5-3 when he had a point and 8-11-1 when he didn't. If those numbers don't tell the whole story then I don't know what will.

Yankees Just Got Deeper

Everybody who follows baseball knows that the New York Yankees are all about one thing: winning. That's what they do. Some people aren't happy with some of the methods the Yanks use to go about it, but the team does what it has to do in order to be able to win. This year, New York has been a first place team in the American League East with a lot of their regulars out of the lineup due to injury. Not only are the Yankees starting to get those players back into the lineup, they just added another big weapon to that offense. Who is it? AL home run leader Edwin Encarnacion. What does it mean?

New York just shipped minor league pitcher Juan Then and cash to the Seattle Mariners for Edwin Encarnacion, who leads the American League with 21 home runs. He joins an outfield that will soon see a return of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Talk about a murders row of slugging outfielders. He can play outfield when need be, but reports are that Edwin will become the DH. What does this mean for the Bombers now? Well, Luke Voit will handle first base, which will mean DJ LeMahieu will possibly have playing time at third base. Stanton will play left field, whicih means that Brett Gardner is going to get moved around, and so will Judge. It does hurt Clint Fraiser, who's been hitting pretty well and getting better, but he looks to be the odd man out here.

What does adding a guy like Encarnacion do to the lineup?

It was tough enough trying to pitch to the lineup as is. Gio Urshela, Gary Sanchez, Luke Voit and Brett Gardner have all been hitting pretty well this year. You add in Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stantion to that lineup, when they come back and find their swing again, it's going to make things even harder. It's turning into one big whopping after another. Now Edwin is 36 years old and has recorded 100 or more strikeouts each of the last three years (he's already at 55 K's with Seattle through 65 games). Just a food for thought.

Sure, this team can hit, but it might not be such a bad idea for Cahsman to consider going out to get an arm. As a team, the Yankees have a 4.07 ERA, well below the MLB average of 4.45 ERA. But they only have 22 quality starts, which ranks 12th in the AL, and 22nd in the majors. The starters are banged up. James Paxton just came back from injury, Luis Severino is MIA and still out with injury (and there's no way to know which one your going to get when he does come back from the injury), and oh yeah, CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka have struggled. The pen has been solid, but going after another arm might help more than getting a bat.

Sure the offense is now loaded, now lets just see if they can keep pace and maybe even pull away from the Rays in the division.

Dynasty Over

Golden State had been to five straight NBA Finals. They had won three of the last four titles including the last two in a row. They had a chance to become a three peat team and cement themselves as a true dynasty team. Then they ran into the Toronto Raptors, a team that came in on a hot streak and had a world of confidence. As well as health. By the time the dust had settled, the Raptors walked away with a six game series win, claiming their first ever NBA championship, as well as Canada's first major championship since the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. A lot of good went into the Raptors win.

Siz xplayers on the Rapotrs finished this six game series averaging double digits in points: Serge Ibaka (11.3), Marc Gasol (12.0), Fred VanVleet (14.0 all coming off the bench more on that later), Kyle Lowry (16.2), Pascal Siakam (19.8), and series MVP Kawhi Leonard (28.5). For Kawhi, this series was a sign of almost redeption. He's one of six players to ever score more than 700 points in an NBA playoff year, he finished with 732. Only two players have scored more than him in a playoff year and they were Michale Jordan in 1992 with 759 and Lebron James last year with 749. Kawhi is the 12th player in history to win multiple finals MVP, but he's the only one to win it in each conference. he won it with the Spurs in 2014 and this year with the Raptors.

Lets put it like this, Kawhi was playing at an almost superhuman level during the finals, maybe even all playoffs long. The old saying goes that the creme of the crop will rise to the top, and Kawhi did that as the playoffs went along. The reason this was a redemption for Kawhi was because of the way he left San Antonio. He had played a grand total of nine games in Texas all of last year, as he was dealing with injuries and wasn't happy with the situation he was in. So when last season ended, he was shipped out to Toronto in a deal that Raptors fans and Kawhi weren't too happy about. As the season went on, Kawhi kept playing, got more comfortable and became happy in Toronto. He became fond of the city from what I've heard and the city fell in love with him. With the way he'd played all year for the Raptors, it looked like Kawhi had found his game again, now leaving one to wonder what his decision is going to be this summer, stay or head elsewhere?

It wasn't just the Kawhi show in the finals, oh no. Pascal Siakam had a big series, falling just short of 20 points a game. Fred VanVleet was a huge factor in this series, averaging double digits in points every game in this series coming off the bench. That's where the Raptors had the edge.

Sure Stephen Curry was great for Golden State, averaging 30.5 a game for the Warriors. Even Klay Thompson was playing great in the finals, averaging 26.5 in the finals until he blew out his ACL in the 3rd quarter in game six. Not having Kevin Durant most of the series really hurt the Warriors. He played a little in game five before tearing his achillies tendon in his right leg, taking him out all of next season. With the limited options that the Warriors had, it made it easier for Toronto to play lock down defense. With a full roster, there's no doubt in anybody's mind, that has good as the Raptors defense is, they wouldn't have been able to cover everybody and been badly out numbered. This isn't to say that it's all the injuries fault that Golden State lost this series, it's also Toronto was just that good overall.

This series win had to come as one of vindication for the franchise. After 24 years, they finally played the first game ever in the finals up in Canada. It was also the first championship in any of the four major sports since the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup and Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series, both coming in 1993.

Congratulations to the Raptors on winning their first ever NBA Championship!

Championship To St Louis

It had been the longest drought in professional sports. The St Louis Blues had been founded in 1967, made it to the finals in each of its first three seasons in the NHL. Since then, the team hasn't made it to the finals. Until this year. That drought is now over. After a hard fought seven game series with the Boston Bruins, the Blues are the Stanley Cup Champions. Lets try and break some it down.

Boston got the jump with a 4-2 win in the opener. The way Boston controlled play in that contest, it made you feel like it could be a quick series in the Bruins favor. Hell, the Blues have never won a game in finals history. Game two changed the tide a little, thanks to Carl Gunnarsson's overtime heroics. It looked like it had started to turn for the Blues, but Boston hung a touchdown on the Blues in game three in St Louis. It was good enough to chase Jordan Binnington. To this point. he'd never been pulled in a game in the playoffs. Game three was a statement from the Bruins that they were going to be a very tough team to beat.

Many were wondering how the Blues would react to the beating they took in game three. They responded in a big way, thanks to a solid performance in net from Binnington and a pair of goals from Ryan O'Reilly to come away with a 4-2 win to even the series. St Louis followed that up with a big win in game five, although it came of the controversial nature. In the third period, said controversy occurred when Blues forward Tyler Bozak tripped Noel Acciari, and no penalty was called on the play. With play continuing, David Perron scored with the puck deflecting off Rask into the net, to give the Blues a 2-0 lead. Boston would eventually get one back, but it was too late by that point.

The same feeling that hit the Blues after giving up the seven goals was now on the Bruins. Some wondered how the Bruins would react in St Louis during game six, if they could even bounce back from the way game five went down. But the Bruins wouldn't go quietly, scoring five times and forcing the seventh game back in Boston.

Jordan Binnington stood on his head early in game seven. He played like a man possessed in this final contest. Don't believe me? Here, look for yourself:


Some of the saves that this kid had to make in game seven were the stuff of legend. He made saves that would hurt your average man. But this time of the year isn't for the average man. Average men go nowhere in the playoffs. Binnington was more than average. He was a close second in my mind to the guy who won the MVP of the playoffs, Ryan O'Reilly.

O'Reilly finished tied with Brad Marchand for the playoff lead in scoring, but he had a much more well rounded game than anybody in the playoffs. With his Conn Smyth win, O'Reilly became the 3rd center in the last four years to walk away with the Trophy. In fact, O'Reilly wasn't the first Blues player to win MVP of the p[layoffs, he was actually the 2nd. The first Blue to win the award was Glenn Hall, who was between the Blues pipes in 1968 and carried them all the way to the Finals before getting swept by the Canadiens that year.

This year was a magical one for St Louis, who looked dead in the water at one point. They had 15 wins total by January 2nd, and were in dead last in the Western Conference. But thanks to the steady hand of Craig Berube, the Blues finished atop the hockey mountain. St Louis managed to win 38 games under Berube, 30 of which came after January 2nd. There was nobody hotter in the hockey world than the Blues going down the stretch. Sure they hit a few bumps in the road during the playoffs, but they are the one left standing with the greatest trophy in all of sports raised over their heads.

So congratulations to the St Louis Blues, the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Champions!

Lets Be Real, Knicks

He's been the talk of the town for the New York Basketball market for most of the year. It's been no secret that Kevin Durant has been the biggest name on not only the free agent market, but on the wish list for New York Knicks fans. After the injury to his Achilles in game five of the finals, it likely means he’ll be out of action until the start of the 2020-21 NBA season. So this does lead one to wonder whether or not its worth taking the shot at signing him in the offseason, if he even hits the free agent market.

Is it worth signing Durant, if he even decides to leave Golden State?

Depends on how you look at it.  For trying to get him on the floor, no way is it worth it. With the injury he has, there's no chance he's going to be playing next season. Surgery for KD already went down, so he's not touching a court for a while. He could stay put right where he is in Oakland, want to come back and play for the Warriors and take care of possible unfinished business and come back healthy for another shot at a title.

But lets stick with what most Knicks fans hope for, Durant leaving the West Coast. If he does come to New York, he won't play that first year here, but it could be a good mentor role. He could help from the bench and sidelines teach the young guys how to adjust to life in the world's best league, both on and off the court. Then, once his leg is healthy enough to get back to playing, he could come back and be the dominating force that all Knicks fans are hoping for. They want him to be the guy who helps bring this team back to the promise land.

Most Knicks fans I've talked to, as well as the ones who've called into sports talk radio here in New York are convinced he's coming here. The team is still showing interest from what I've been hearing. If he does sign here, and that's still an if, it could be great for the Knicks long term. But it shouldn't be just about KD. The team still does hold the #3 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Rumor has it R.J. Barrett from Duke could fall to them there. And they have enough space in the cap to be able to go after max free agents (although most of this is already known by fans).

I just want the Knicks to be aware that he won't be on the court next year because of the injury and might not be the same player once he does return, stating the obvious I know. I just don't want Knicks fans getting there hopes up this summer as high as they did during the draft lottery and getting let down as much as they did over the draft.

KD can be worth it if he can return to his old self.

Welcome Back Ronnie!

Ah the broadcast booth. The voices of sports help make the games more exciting for those watching on TV and listening on the Radio. Call me biased, but one of the best TV broadcast booths resides on SNY with Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. Over the past couple of months, Ronnie has been out dealing with health issues. Tonight, he makes his return to the booth, a joy for the ears of most to all Mets fans.

Ronnie has been a lead analyst for both SNY and TBS, has been out since the middle of April after having surgery to remove a mass on his chest. The prognosis after the surgery was that the cancer was treatable. At 58 years old, he's been cleared and declared good to go to get back into the booth. He's rejoining Gary and Keith for the broadcast of tonight's game between the Mets and Giants. Ron is so good at what he does with the Mets, he has been used for national baseball broadcasts on TBS for the MLB playoffs the last few seasons.

He provides a different perspective to the game, having pitched in the Majors from 1983 to 1995. He pitched for the Mets, and was a fan favorite, from 1983 to 1991, winning 99 games in the Blue and Orange.

When he's in the booth, Ron gives great insight to the game that few analysts can match. When a great play happens, whether it happens for or against the Mets, Ronnie will praise the play and the player who made it. He just loves the game of baseball and that passion comes through during every broadcast. In the time of his absence, Todd Ziele took over in the booth on nights when Keith Hernandez wasn't on the call. Ziele was a solid announcer but seemed a little dry in my mind. With this return, Ziele will go back to being the in studio host on SNY for pre and post game shows.

Welcome back Ronnie! It'll be so nice to have you back in the booth.

2019 NBA Finals Preview

We started this back in October. A 32 team chase for the biggest prize in all of basketball. the Larry O'Brien Trophy is up for grabs. We now have two teams left standing. One team is in the finals for the first time ever. The other is trying to add to its legacy and build up its dynasty. Its West Coast against East Coast. Lets get right into it.

It's the Western Conference Champion Golden State Warriors taking on the Eastern Conference Champion Toronto Raptors. Golden State is in it's fifth straight finals, after finishing the regular season with a 57-25. When the playoffs started, Golden State bounced the Los Angeles Clippers in six games, following it up with a six game win over the Houston Rockets in the second round. Golden State capped it off by sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers to reach the finals. The Toronto Raptors are playing in the finals for the first time ever, after finishing the regular season with a 58-24 record. When the playoffs started, Toronto beat the Orlando Magic in five in the opening round, the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games and closing out the Eastern Conference with a six game win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Toronto won both meetings during the regular season. This will be the first meeting in the NBA Finals between these two teams.

Here are the date and times for every game in this series:
May 30 9:00 pm Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
June 2 8:00 pm Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
June 5 9:00 pm Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
June 7 9:00 pm Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
June 10 9:00pm Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
June 13 9:00pm Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
June 16 8:00pm Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario

Going into this series, Kawai Leonard is playing at a completely different level. Don't believe me? Ask Giannis Antetokounmpo, who Kawai outplayed in the six game win in the East Finals. It's not just Kawai, he's got some support. Pascal Siakam has really stepped his game up as the year went along. Siakan is starting to look like a two-way future All-Star. Marc Gasol remains that guy you always want on your team, can still bring something to the table every night. Kyle Lowry has chipped in as the playoffs went along. Toronto is being lead by Kawai, sure, but they also do have some of their role players stepping up and contributing when the time calls for it. From the other side of the ball, Toronto is built to give the Warriors difficulties. They have an outstanding defensive front line that features three Defensive Player of the Year award winners plus a second-place finish spread among three players. Toronto can be a handful for the Warriors to handle.

But Golden State is a balanced team, even without Kevin Durant in uniform. The champs showed in the last round against Portland that they can play without KD. But Toronto is a different animal. It's going to be a tough challenge. Steph Curry is still the best shooter in iall of basketball. He does have a fantastic support staff. Klay Thompson can still be dangerous, so can Draymond Green. Andre Iguodala can still be a strong force. Golden State is balanced, can shoot from anywhere and can play against anybody and any system. They can press the attack and do it without Kevin Durant. When, and if, KD comes back in this series, that takes the Warriors to an entirely different level.

There's not much more that can be said about Golden State that hasn't already been said. Toronto is a good team, but they're going up against the best. Its different going from the Bucks to the Warriors. Toronto may get a game or two at home but the Warriors are just too good.

Prediction: Warriors in 6!

2019 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

The time has arrived. We started this journey back in October with 32 teams. After a long regular season and three rounds of playoffs, we have two teams left standing. Over the next two weeks, we will determine who is the best team in hockey for the 2018-19 season. One team has been in the thick of things all year long. The other had to claw, scratch and fight out of the depth of their conference to walk away as the best team in it. Its a cup finals rematch from a previous finals as well. Here's what we got going down over the next two weeks.

This year's finals pits the Western Conference Champion St Louis Blues going against the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins. Boston got here after knocking off the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round in seven games, then dispatched the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games, and finally sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. This will mark the 20th Finals appearance for the Bruins. As for the Blues, they got here by dispatching the Winnipeg Jets in six games, followed that up with a win over the Dallas Stars in seven games, and finally eliminating the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals in six games. This marks the fourth appearance in the Finals for the Blues, who have yet to win a game in Cup Finals play.

This will be the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Boston winning both previous series. They last met in the 1972 Stanley Cup Semifinals which Boston won in a four-game sweep. St. Louis will be making their fourth appearance in the Finals. They last advanced to the Finals in 1970, which they lost in four games to the Boston Bruins. Boston will be making their twentieth Finals appearance. They last advanced to the Finals in 2013, which they lost in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks. These teams split the two games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for every game in the finals:
May 27 St. Louis Blues 8:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden NBC
May 29 St. Louis Blues 8:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden NBCSN
June 1 Boston Bruins 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center NBCSN
June 3 Boston Bruins 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center NBC
June 6 St. Louis Blues 8:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden NBC
June 9 Boston Bruins 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Enterprise Center NBC
June 12 St. Louis Blues 8:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden NBC

St Louis is hoping for a better result than what happened the last time they faced Boston in the Finals. In order for that to happen, Jordan Binnington, who's had a few setbacks in the playoffs but, overall, has played pretty well in this post season. He is the fifth rookie goalie in NHL history to earn his team's first 12 wins in a single postseason. In that conferences finals against the Sharks, he stopped 75 of 77 shots in the final three wins in that series. So he knows he can handle himself in those big moments. St Louis is getting balanced scoring in the playoffs, as they have had 18 players score playoff goals.The guy who's been carrying the Blues in the goal department in this playoffs has been Jaden Schwartz, who is second in the playoffs with 12 goals in 19 games. And at this time of year, the best players always start to pick their game up. Case in point, Vladimir Tarasenko had at least one point in each of the six games in the conference final.

While the Blues numbers have been impressive, so too has that of Boston. Tuukka Rask has gone 12-5 in the playoffs with an NHL-best 1.84 goals-against average and .942 save percentage. He's also on a five game winning streak, so yeah, there's nobody hotter than Tuukka right now. He stonewalled the Canes in the Conference finals to get here. And he's not the only one heating up at the right time. Boston's big line has been playing like it.The line of Brad Marchand (seven goals, 11 assists), Patrice Bergeron (eight goals, five assists) and David Pastrnak (seven goals, eight assists) has scored 38.6 percent of Boston's goals in the playoffs. When you got your big boys going, you ride them for as long as you can, which is what Boston is doing. And for further proof that Boston is getting scoring from everybody, nineteen players have scored in the postseason, tying the Bruins record. This Bruins team can pretty much do it all right now.

St Louis, to me, is the feel good story of the post season. The fact that they went from a last place team to a team that's now in the finals is amazing. But they are running into a red hot hockey club. Boston has been beating everybody and Rask is playing out of his mind right now. Boston is in a prime position to take the crown.

Prediction: Bruins in 6!

JD Could Save Broadway

Building a hockey team isn't exactly an easy thing to do. You have to know what kind of system you want to have run, know the talent pool that's out there, and what's already in the locker room. And just as important, you have to know what city your dealing with. When it comes to New York, and the sports teams that play here, winning means a lot. The Rangers are one of those teams and they just brought back a familiar figure to run the franchise. John Davidson is back with the club as team president.

Davidson has plenty of experience dealing with New York. He spent eight years tending goal on Broadway, going 93-90-25 during regular season play. Once his playing career finished in 1983, Davidson went to the broadcast booth, joining MSG's hockey coverage staff in 1983, and was the color commentator for Rangers games from 1986–87 to 2005–06. During that time he also did color work on National coverage for ABC and NBC. So he knows the market and how Rangers fans can react when the team isn't doing so well.

Many wondered when Davidson took over as President of the St Louis Blues in 2006 if JD was really cut out for that job. Well, after six years as President , he oversaw a major turnaround in the team, getting them going back in the right direction and helping see the Blues become a steady force in the Playoffs. Same thing he did when he joined the Blue Jackets in Columbus. He helped build that team into what we see on the ice now, or did in this year's playoffs.

He can do it again here in New York. Davidson has the track record as President in both St. Louis and Columbus that he can build a team that can make noise in the playoffs. he's taking over a rebuilding Rangers team that went 32-36-14 last season.t's not going to be easy, but JD is your guy. He can put this thing together and he knows how to handle Rangers fans and this market. he'll be just fine.

Boneheaded Cano, Don't Ya Know

Lets face it, for as many good moments the New York Mets have had in the team's 58 year history, they've had as many bad and boneheaded moments. From bad ownership and general management decisions, to boneheaded plays on the field, Mets fans have seen it all. What happened to Robinson Cano against the Marlins on both Friday and Sunday, may have taken it to another step. Lets take a look at it.

First there was Friday, in an 8-6 loss to Miami. Cano was up in the top of the seventh with one out, two on and his team down 7-3. He hit into a 6-4-3 double play that ended the inning and killed the Mets’ rally. The worst part is he didn’t run the grounder out to first. Rather than blame his lack of hustle on laziness, Cano told his manager Mickey Callaway after the game that he didn’t run out the ball because he thought there were already two outs due to a scoreboard error (Yardbreaker).

I'm sorry Robbie, but that falls all on you. How the hell do you not pay attention during the course of a game to know how many outs there are? In an inning when you are due up, you need to know the game situation so you have an idea of what you might be dealing with when you get to the plate. It gave me a headache thinking about it when I read about it Saturday morning, but whatever it was a passing thing.

Now we look at what he did in the 3-0 loss to Miami on Sunday. This is one of the worst sins in all of baseball. Here's the play from Sunday, see for yourself:


When asked about it during the post game interview, Cano said "I thought it was a foul ball.” He went on to further add that the ball is foul in such instances “99 percent of the time” and blamed plate umpire Jordan Baker for not immediately informing him the ball was fair. It’s not clear if Baker said anything, but he signaled a fair ball as soon as Wallach touched the ball in fair territory (New York Post).

I'm sorry Robbie I don't care what your BS excuse is YOU RUN OUT OF THE DAMN BATTERS BOX. No matter what, unless you hear the umpire yell foul ball, you run. Stop being lazy and move your damn feat. RUN!

You're getting paid a lot of money and your here for another four years, you need to give me something here. The numbers at the plate that your putting up this year are pathetic and that's putting it nicely. He's not hitting, his power and run production are both way down, its almost embarrassing. He needs to be benched a lot more than he is, the two plays in Miami should have been more than enough evidence for a guy to get benched.

I really hope that Cano starts to play better and gets his game going again, because what we are seeing now is pathetic

Mickey's Days Numbered?

Every team in Baseball has problems. Injuries happen. Bad or inconsistent play happens. Slumps happen for players and teams. Everybody goes through it, it's just part of the game. When a team looks like it has no life, it does fall on the players, but it also falls on the manager. Mickey Callaway has tried to make things work with the roster that was given to him by ownership and new general manager Bride Van Wagenen. The way things have gone the last few days, it looks like Mickey's days are running low here in New York.

New York just got swept in a three game series by the Miami Marlins, the worst team in baseball. Not only did they get swept but the team has had a total of three hits over the last two games. If it was against a team with a really good pitching staff, then OK, it happens. But the team that just beat them over the last three days doesn't have a good pitching staff. Its the Marlins the worst team in baseball. The Mets just made them look like a respectable baseball club.

This was a portion of the schedule they just hit where they could have made a lot of noise. They dropped the final two games to the Nats at the end of the week, and just got swept by the Marlins, two teams who aren't going that great this year. Now the Mets return home for a four game set with the Nats and three with the Tigers, before the schedule starts ramping up against good teams. New York had a chance to set themselves up to be in good shape going into a tough trip at the start of next month that included playing the Dodgers, Rockies, Cards, Giants and Yankees, all early in June. But they fell flat against a horrible team.

To make this even worse, the Manager Mickey Callaway had said in an interview early in the day that he can't be worried about job security. Following the loss yesterday, a 2-0 win by the Marlins in which the Mets had only one hit, Callaway had this to say:

"I'm coming in tomorrow to manage the New York Mets and I'm going to be enthusiastic about it and I'm going to continue to lead this team to something special," Callaway said. "As a leader, you can't ever worry about yourself. I'm here. One of the things I told them when I got hired was selfless service is very important to me, and my goal every day is to improve that room, be consistent, and make sure our players continue to improve."

Well Mickey, the sentiment and the attitude are awesome, but the results sure as hell aren't there. You want the players to improve? well getting a grand total of three hits off the worst team in baseball sure as hell isn't improving. The team has been in a downhill slide for the better part of the month and you ain't doing a damn thing to try and stop it Mickey. I know you can't go out there and have Robinson Cano make contact with the ball, but maybe you can light a fire under his butt so he can run out a ground ball and not lack the hustle on inning ending double plays in back to back innings. It's just stuff like that, that drives me nuts as a fan. Not getting the best out of the players, that duty falls on the manager.

I'd love to have this guy be a success and have him be the one to lead the Mets to the promise land and get us a World Championship. But it doesn't look its going to happen for Mickey here in New York!