Did NBA Get It Right In Donald Sterling Ruling?

The NBA, as we know, has been in a major uproar over the last few days over the comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling. After this came down, it was almost a guarantee that the league was going to do something as a form of punishment for the Clippers owner for making these comments. Most of the people playing in the league, almost half the people who attend NBA games, are of African American decent, so you know this was going to cause a major problem. Players were planning walk outs and protests, other owner around the league were planning on doing the same thing. Some companies had even pulled sponsorship from the Clippers and the league because of Sterling's comments. So you knew that with all of this going down, that the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver were going to do something. And they did in a big way.

In a press conference yesterday, Silver made the announcement that Donald Sterling has been banned for life, fined $2.5 million, and Silver was going to force Sterling to sell the Clippers. The ban went into effect immediately, a ruling which barred Sterling from attending NBA games or practices, being present at any Clippers office or facility, or participating in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team. He also cannot participate in any league business going forward. In regards Sterling and his ownership of the Clippers, if Sterling can't sell the team, he can still be removed as owner of the franchise. Under the terms of Paragraph 13 of the constitution, the owners can terminate another owner's franchise with a vote of three-fourths of the NBA Board of Governors, which is composed of all 30 owners (ESPN). All of these measures that have been taken against Donald Sterling by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver are clearly outlined in the NBA Bylaws, so Silver is within full right to do what he as done with this ruling. To date, this is the harshest penalty ever issued by the league and one of the stiffest punishments ever given to an owner in professional sports.

Now for the big questions in this matter. Did the NBA get the ruling right and make the right decision?

It is a unanimous YES that this is the right ruling. From a legal perspective, the punishment is well within the bylaws of the NBA. Adam Silver didn't go over his limits in making this punishment. In regards to Sterling selling the team, if he doesn't do it on his own he can be legally removed on a vote by the other owners, which from every indication will probably happen anyway.  The NBA went about this the right way in handling the whole situation, squashing any further problems that this could have caused in the future. The league went about it the proper way with their investigation and handed out a proper ruling for the situation. Reaction coming down from this ruling, from the fans, to players, to other owners, and to groups outside the league who may have had an interest in the NBA, all agreed with this ruling and were pleased with the way things went down.

This ruling from the NBA also leads to another question. Could something have been done sooner in regards to Sterling's actions? It has been well documented in the past that Donald Sterling has not had a liking to minorities. For the most part, his racist comments and actions have been acted out in his business world, never getting into the basketball side of things. There was one thing of note that Sterling had been involved in with the Clippers. He did have that messy little incident with former Clippers General Manager, and legendary NBA Player Elgin Baylor. Baylor sued Sterling and others in February 2009 in L.A. Superior Court for wrongful termination and discrimination on the basis of age and race. Baylor, who spent 22 years as Clippers general manager before departing in 2008, later dropped the race accusation. A jury ruled in favor of Sterling in March 2011. So you knew then that there was a problem with Sterling and a race issue in the league. It wasn't as big a deal as this incident last week, but still it was something that former Commissioner David Stern should have addressed. If it had been addressed when it happened, Sterling might not still be owner and this latest incident might not have happened.

Current Commissioner Adam Silver did a great job of handling the situation in the manner he did. He was swift and came down hard on Sterling. This was a statement that Adam Silver will not be pushed around and will do what needs to be done for the best interest of the league and the players!

2014 NFL Schedule Announced

It's a day that most football fans look forward to. The National Football League has announced its schedules for the 2014 season. We will list the full regular season schedules for both the Giants and Jets here, don't worry. But before we get to that, there are a few other notable dates for games around the league this year that are really worth looking at that have nothing to do with the local area teams. So here now are some interesting matchups around the rest of the league.

First game of the year is Seattle starting off at home against Green Bay September 4th at 8:30.The Seahawks ended the 2013 season by thumping the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. They'll begin the 2014 season by aiming to do the same against a healthy Aaron Rodgers and a new-in-green Julius Peppers. Will Pete Carroll's crew return with the same fire? Or will they suffer from a dreaded post-championship hangover? Week three of the season host two great matchups on September 21st. First is Washington at Philadelphia......Nothing to see here. Just another entry in this heated NFC East rivalry ... turned up to a boil by the return of ex-Philly receiver DeSean Jackson. Then you have a Superbowl rematch when the Broncos head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. And if you thought that Redskins Eagles in week three was going to be fun, then your going to love Week Four when the Carolina Panthers head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Like Jackson versus Eagles, only with wide receiver Steve Smith's old team coming to his new house. Good thing Smith isn't the fiery type. Then  we head to Week Nine when the Denver Broncos head to New England to take on The Patriots. Manning vs Brady once again. Then, of course, we have the week 13 thanksgiving day tradition, which has three great games to watch. First up the Bears travel to Detroit to play the Lions at 12:30, then the Eagles head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys at 4:30, and closing out the night will be the game of the night will see the Seahawks head out to San Francisco to take on the 49ers at 8:30.

Those are just some of the best matchups from around the rest of the league. Now lets get down to it. Here are the schedules for the local teams. We start it off with Big Blue

Week 1: Monday, Sept. 8, at Detroit - 7:10 p.m.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 14, vs. Arizona - 1:00 p.m.
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 21, vs. Houston - 1:00 p.m.
Week 4: Thursday, Sept. 25, at Washington - 8:25 p.m.
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 5, vs. Atlanta - 1:00 p.m.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 12, at Philadelphia — 8:30 p.m.
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 19, at Dallas - 4:25 p.m.
Week 8: Bye
Week 9: Monday, Nov. 3, vs. Indianapolis - 8:30 p.m.
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 9, at Seattle - 4:25 p.m.
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 16, vs. San Francisco - 1:00 p.m.
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 23, vs. Dallas — 8:30 p.m.
Week 13: Sunday, Nov. 30, at Jacksonville - 1:00 p.m.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 7, at Tennessee - 1:00 p.m.
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 14, vs. Washington - 1:00 p.m.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 21, at St. Louis - 4:05 p.m.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 28, vs. Philadelphia - 1:00 p.m.

Of course the divisional matchups are going to be big for the Giants. But there are a few other games that stick out to me. One is the fact that they play both Seattle and San Francisco on back to back weeks, which is going to be really tough to play. They also start the year off against Detroit and Arizona who are two teams that are up on the rise. It's not going to be an easy schedule for the Giants this year, but then again it looks like it could be enough to get back in the playoff hunt in the NFC.

That's what the Giants have to deal with. Now here's what the Jets have to face.

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 7 vs. Oakland, 1 p.m.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 14 at Green Bay, 4:25 p.m.
Week 3: Monday, Sept. 22 vs. Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 28 vs. Detroit, 1 p.m.
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 5 at San Diego, 4:25 p.m.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 12 vs. Denver, 1 p.m.
Week 7: Thursday, Oct. 16 at New England, 8:25 p.m.
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 26 vs. Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Week 9 :Sunday, Nov. 2 at Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 9 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Week 11:  Bye
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 23 at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Week 13: Monday, Dec. 1 vs. Miami, 8:30 p.m.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 7 at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 14 at Tennessee, 4:05 p.m.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 21 vs. New England, 1 p.m.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 28 at Miami, 1 p.m.

There's a few things that intrigue me about this schedule. For one thing is that the Jets close out the season against the Miami Dolphins for the 3rd time in the last five seasons. Also worth noting is that the team doesn't play their first divisional game until they play the Patriots in Week Seven. With who the Jets have to play out of their division, this puts them in a bit of a tough spot as they have the 2nd toughest schedule in the league. The only team who has a tougher schedule than Gang Green is the Oakland Raiders, who they play Week One. It's going to be a tough season for the Jets, one they will be lucky to get back to .500 with, at least on paper.

Ten Years Later, Pat Tilman Still Having A Profound Impact

Ten years ago today. April 22nd 2004 has become a fateful day. That was the day that Pat Tilman, a former NFL star Safety with the Arizona Cardinals, was killed in action over in Afghanistan by "Friendly Fire." Here's a guy who turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army. This is nothing new. professional athletes have served their time in the military during their playing careers. We saw it a lot amongst Major League Baseball players during World War II. But this was sort of a first that a pro football player.

Tilman was killed in action, April 22nd, 2004, in the initial reports were that Tilman was killed by enemy combatants. But this turns out that it might not exactly be the case. An investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) concluded that Tillman and the Afghan militia soldier were killed by friendly fire when one allied group fired upon another in confusion after nearby gunfire was mistakenly believed to be from enemy combatants. The CID Report summary, dated 19 March 2007, stated that: "during their movement through the canyon road, Serial 2 [Tillman's platoon had to split up because of a broken Humvee; the parts were called Serial 1 and 2] was ambushed and became engaged in a running gun battle with enemy combatants. Serial 1 [Tillman's portion of the platoon] had just passed through the same canyon without incident and were approximately one kilometer ahead of Serial 2. Upon hearing explosions, gunfire, and sporadic radio communication from Serial 2, Serial 1 dismounted their vehicles and moved on foot, to a more advantageous position to provide overwatch and fire support for Serial 2's movement out of the ambush." Upon exiting the gorge, and despite attempts by Serial 1 to signal a "friendly position," occupants of the lead vehicle of Serial 2 opened fire on Tillman's position, where he was fatally shot.

Even now, ten years after his tragic death, Pat Tilman still has a lasting legacy that has touched the lives of millions of people. Shortly after his death, the Pat Tillman Foundation was established to carry forward its view of Tillman's legacy by inspiring and supporting those striving for positive change in themselves and the world. The foundation was started with a $1.25 million pledge to Arizona State University to help kickstart the program, which invests in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships – building a diverse community of leaders committed to service to others. Since the beginning of the Tillman Military Scholars program, the venture has awarded more than $4.6 million in direct scholarships for 290 Tillman Military Scholars at 85 academic institutions nationwide. Roughly 70 percent of the scholarships awarded have gone to those seeking graduate degrees, and 29 percent have been used for a doctoral program, showcasing the ambition of these returning soldiers (SB Nation).

He impacted so many people's lives, both defending our freedom and even after his passing. He left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country, and even in his passing, he allowed for others to follow in his footsteps and provide for a better education for solders who return home from war. He tried to make lives better for both the people who have served as well as others. We thank him for everything he did, and the work that still continues to be done in his name today.

NBA Playoffs Opening Round Predictions

So we talked about this on the show last week, now here it is in print. During our last episode we made our predictions for the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. So here is our predictions, in print, for you to enjoy!

Matthew Solomon (Co-Host)
Pacers in 5
Heat in 5
Nets in 7
Bulls in 6

Spurs in 5
Thunder in 6
Warriors in 7
Rockets in 6

Steven Carollo (Co-Host)
Pacers in 4
Heat in 4
Raptors in 7
Bulls in 6
Spurs in 6
Rockets in 7
Clippers in 7
Thunder in 5


Danny Delaney (Intern/Fire Side Chat Host)\
Pacers in 5
Heat in 4
Nets in 7
Bulls in 6
Spurs in 6
Rockets in 7
Warriors in 7
Thunder in 7

All of these predictions were made BEFORE the start of the playoffs and were said over the air during Episode 49!

2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs Opening Round Preview

The time has arrived. After seven long months and 1,230 hockey games, we have reached the promise land, so to speak. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here. Out of the 30 teams in the league, there are now 16 left standing. Some of the teams that are left, most people saw coming when the season started. Some teams that are left, where surprised they are still here. Whatever the case may be, the teams that are left have set the stage for some great matchups in the opening round of the post season.

There's been a lot of great hockey that's been played to get us where we are during the course of the season. We have division rivals batteling, some new playoff matches that haven't been seen in quite some time and some teams that really surprised you by making the playoffs. So without further ado, here's the matchups for the opening round as well as the date and times of each game, and predictions for each matchup.

We Start in the Western Conference.

Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild
The Avs enter the playoffs with 112 points, 2nd best in the Western Conference, 3nd best in the league, just 5 points behind the Boston Bruins. This is the highest point total for Colorado since they hit the 100 point mark in 2003-04. That year the Avs were bounced in the 2nd round by the Sharks. This is also the first division title for the Avs since 2002-03. Colorado has hit more than 110 points in a season once before, that was in 2000-01 when they won 52 games and had 118 points. That season was the last time the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. Minnesota enters in with 98 points, which was good enough for the last wild card spot in the West, which just goes to show you how dominate the West was this year. This marks the 2nd straight year the Wild have made the playoffs, they were bounced in the first round last year by the Blackhawks. The 98 points the team had marks just the 2nd time in franchise history they've hit that mark, last time was in 2007-08 when they won the division.

This is the third playoff meeting for these two teams; the Wild earned a seven-game series victory in the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals, while the Avalanche earned a six-game series victory in the 2008 Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Avalanche won four of the five games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the date and times of the games between Minnesota and Colorado:
April 17 Minnesota Wild 9:30 p.m. Colorado Avalanche Pepsi Center
April 19 Minnesota Wild 9:30 p.m. Colorado Avalanche Pepsi Center
April 21 Colorado Avalanche 7:00 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 24 Colorado Avalanche 9:30 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 26 Minnesota Wild TBD Colorado Avalanche Pepsi Center
April 28 Colorado Avalanche TBD Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 30 Minnesota Wild TBD Colorado Avalanche Pepsi Center

Colorado has been getting balanced scoring from everybody in their lineup, with the likes of Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog leading the offensive charge. Semyon Varlamov has played outstanding in the net for the Avs, making this a very successful season for rookie head coach Patrick Roy. Lets not sleep on the Wild here, they are a very talented hockey team. Goaltending has been a bit of an issue for the Wild, as they have had to use five different netminders. Josh Harding and Nick Backstrom have missed time do to injuries this year, leaving the Wild to scramble to find goalies. But they have managed to pull it together. scoring has been pretty balanced for the Wild, with Jason Pominville and Zach Parise leading the charge.

Colorado has owned the Wild during the regular season, taking four of the five games this year. Minnesota will put up a good fight, they may take a couple of games at home but I'll take Colorado in 6!

St Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks
For the 3rd year in a row the St. Louis Blues are back in the playoffs, and for the 2nd time in three seasons the Blues have cracked the 100 point mark. St. Louis finished the year with 111 points, 2nd highest point total in club history, they finished with 114 and a division title before being bounced in the first round in 1999-00. St Louis is looking to capture their 1st Cup in franchise history. In fact the Blues are looking to get out of the 2nd round, something they have not done since the 2000-01 season. As for the Blackhawks, they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions, finishing the season with 107 points. This is the 5th straight year the Blackhawks have made the playoffs, winning two Cups. This was the eleventh playoff meeting for these two teams, with Chicago having won seven of the ten previous series. Their most recent meeting was in the 2002 Western Conference Quarterfinals, which St. Louis won in five games. The Blues won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the date and times for the games in this series:
April 17 Chicago Blackhawks 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 19 Chicago Blackhawks 3:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 21 St. Louis Blues 8:30 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 23 St. Louis Blues 9:30 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 25 Chicago Blackhawks 8:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 27 St. Louis Blues 3:00 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 29 Chicago Blackhawks TBD St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center

Heading into the series, the Blues come in a little bit banged up, with key players like Brendan Morrow and TJ Oshie questionable for the start of the series. There's no doubt that the Blackhawks can score goals, that has never been in question. But what is in question is goaltending and defense. The Hawks are solid in net and on the blueline, but its not as solid as it was at this time last year. Its going to be a long series, going six games at least. But the Hawks have been one of the best teams all year long and they move on.Blackhawks in 6!

Dallas Stars vs. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks had the best record in the Western Conference with 53 wins and 114 points, two points better than Colorado and two points back of Boston for best record in the league. This is the best point total for the Ducks in team history, and the 2nd time ever they have cracked 110 points. Last time they did that was 2007 when they won the Stanley Cup. In team history the Ducks are 11-8 all time in series, heading to the finals twice winning the cup once. Dallas comes in as the 2nd wild card team, finishing the year with 91 points. This marks the first playoff appearance for the Stars since 2007-08. All time in the playoffs, the Stars are 14-11 with two trips to the finals, winning in 1999 and falling just short in 2000. This was the third playoff meeting for these two franchises; the Mighty Ducks earned a six-game series victory in the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals, while the Stars earned a six-game series victory in the 2008 Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Stars won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the date and times for games played in this series:
April 16 Dallas Stars 10:00 p.m. Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
April 18 Dallas Stars 10:00 p.m. Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
April 21 Anaheim Ducks 9:30 p.m. Dallas Stars American Airlines Center
April 23 Anaheim Ducks 8:00 p.m. Dallas Stars American Airlines Center
April 25 Dallas Stars 10:30 p.m. Anaheim Ducks Honda Center
April 27 Anaheim Ducks TBD Dallas Stars American Airlines Center
April 29 Dallas Stars TBD Anaheim Ducks Honda Center

Both the Stars and Ducks have talent heavy hockey clubs. Anaheim's dynamic duo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf where able to outpace the Stars duo of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin by six points. What it's really going to come down to in this series is going to be goaltending. I feel more comfortable right now with Kari Lehtonen and Tim Thomas in the Stars nets than I do Jonas Hiller and whoever else in the Ducks nets. Both teams are good and this series will go a full seven games but Anaheim will prove to be too much for Dallas. Ducks take it in 7 games!

San Jose Sharks vs Los Angeles Kings
The battle of California set to take place in the opening round. San Jose comes into the opening round with 11 points, making the playoffs for the 10th year in a row. Not including the year of the lockout, San Jose last missed the playoffs in 2002-03. San Jose is 14-16 all time in the playoffs, never once playing in the Cup Finals. As far the Kings, they come in with 100 points, 2nd time they've hit that mark in the last five seasons. LA has made the playoffs each of the last five years, winning the cup two years ago and going to the West finals last year. This is also the 4th time in the last five years the Kings have won 40+ games, the only time they didn't was last year, the lockout shortened season. LA is 17-26 all time in the playoffs. This was the third playoff meeting for these two teams; the Sharks earned a six-game series victory in the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals, while the Kings earned a seven-game series victory in the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals. The Kings won three of the five games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
April 17 Los Angeles Kings 10:30 p.m. San Jose Sharks SAP Center
April 20 Los Angeles Kings 10:00 p.m. San Jose Sharks SAP Center
April 22 San Jose Sharks 10:00 p.m. Los Angeles Kings Staples Center
April 24 San Jose Sharks 10:30 p.m. Los Angeles Kings Staples Center
April 26 Los Angeles Kings TBD San Jose Sharks SAP Center
April 28 San Jose Sharks TBD Los Angeles Kings Staples Center
April 30 Los Angeles Kings TBD San Jose Sharks SAP Center

Things are getting tight in the city by the bay. San Jose always seems like they are on the cusp of breaking through but they always somehow fall short. They still have their core of big guns with Boyle and Thornton and Marleau. In place is a solid supporting cast of Pavelski, and Hertl, and Couture and Burns. So the Sharks have plenty of talent. So to do the Kings, lets not sleep on LA here, they too finished over 100 points. They have just as balanced a lineup as San Jose does. This is going to be the toughest series to pick but I think the Kings come up short as they won't be able to match the firepower of the Sharks. San Jose takes it in 7 games!

Now we move on to the Eastern Conference.

Boston Bruins vs. Detroit Red Wings
This is a perfect example of how the new divisions can make for some interesting, and fun to watch, playoff matchups. Boston is the Presidents trophy winners, finishing the season with 117 points, the first time the Bruins have won the Presidents trophy since 1989-90. This will mark the 7th straight year the Bruins have made the playoffs, as they have played in the Finals two of the last three seasons, winning the Cup in 2011 and losing in last years finals to the Hawks. Now the last time the Bruins had the best team in the league, 1989-90 also marked the last time their opponents the Detroit Red Wings had missed the playoffs. This year marks the 23 straight year the Wings have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In that time span the Wings have played in six Cup Finals, winning 4 and losing twice. The Wings finished the year with 93 points, their lowest point total in a full 82 game season since since 1999. This is the eighth playoff meeting for these Original Six teams, with Boston having won four of the seven previous series. They last met in the 1957 Stanley Cup Semifinals, which Boston won in five games. The Red Wings won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the date and times for each game in this series:
April 18 Detroit Red Wings 7:30 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden
April 20 Detroit Red Wings 3:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden
April 22 Boston Bruins 7:30 p.m. Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena
April 24 Boston Bruins 8:00 p.m. Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena
April 26 Detroit Red Wings 3:00 p.m. Boston Bruins TD Garden
April 28 Boston Bruins TBD Detroit Red Wings Joe Louis Arena
April 30 Detroit Red Wings TBD Boston Bruins TD Garden

This series is going to be a fun one to watch. Both teams are missing key players. Boston might be without Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly for the start of the series, and Detroit is going to be without Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit has been getting inspired play from Gustov Nyquist and Thomas Tatar over the final two weeks of the season and they have Pavel Datsyuk back in the mix but without Zetterberg at full health its going to make things tough on Detroit. Even with a full lineup, I still feel that Boston is going to overpower the Wings. The Bruins are the most balanced team in the East, maybe the entire league. Its going to be too much Bruins in the opening round, Boston wins in 5!

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay is having a bounceback season. This is the 4th time since the lockout of 2004 that the Bolts are back in the playoffs. They have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons, last making the playoffs in 2011 when they lost to Boston in the East finals. Tampa finished over the 100 point mark for the 3rd time in team history, as they hit 106 points in 2004 when they won the Cup and then again with in 2011 with 103 points. Tampa is fired up and ready to go. So to are the Canadiens. Montreal missed the playoffs a season ago, something that has rarely happened to them since the turn of the century. This marks the first times since 2007-08 that the Canadiens have broken the 100 point mark in a season. Montreal is looking to break a long drought as they haven't played in the cup finals since their last title win in 1993. Their only previous meeting was in the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals, in which Tampa Bay swept Montreal out of the playoffs en route to their Stanley Cup victory. The Lightning won three of the four games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
April 16 Montreal Canadiens 7:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times Forum
April 18 Montreal Canadiens 7:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times Forum
April 20 Tampa Bay Lightning 7:00 p.m. Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
April 22 Tampa Bay Lightning 7:00 p.m. Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
April 24 Montreal Canadiens 7:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times Forum
April 27 Tampa Bay Lightning TBD Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre
April 29 Montreal Canadiens TBD Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times Forum

Tampa Bay may be going into this series in a bit of a hole. They are going to be without star goalie Ben Bishop and offensive studs Ondrej Palat and Valtteri Filppula. Without Bishop, Tampa has to go with Andreas Lindbeck, who isn't as good as Bishop. Didn't really matter I feel because neither one can stack up to Carey Price. Tampa has some offensive punch with a guy like Steven Stamkos in the lineup, but the Bolts can't compare to the Depth if the Habs. Montreal takes the series in 6!

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Penguins are still the Penguins. They haven't missed the playoffs since 2006. They have made the cup finals twice winning it once in 2009. Since 2007 the Penguins have failed to hit the 100 point mark in a full season just once, the year they won the Cup. This is where the new realignment has come into play as they will be playing the Blue Jackets. This is the 2nd time in team history the Jackets have made the playoffs, the only other time they were swept out by the Detroit Red Wings in 2009. This is the first playoff meeting for these two teams. The Penguins won all five games in this year's regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
April 16 Columbus Blue Jackets 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
April 19 Columbus Blue Jackets 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
April 21 Pittsburgh Penguins 7:00 p.m. Columbus Blue Jackets Nationwide Arena
April 23 Pittsburgh Penguins 7:00 p.m. Columbus Blue Jackets Nationwide Arena
April 26 Columbus Blue Jackets TBD Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center
April 28 Pittsburgh Penguins TBD Columbus Blue Jackets Nationwide Arena
April 30 Columbus Blue Jackets TBD Pittsburgh Penguins Consol Energy Center

What is going to be the biggest factor here, just like in any other series in the whole playoffs is goaltending. It has been well documented how bad at time Marc-Andre Fleury has played in the playoffs. He has, at times, looked down right abismal. last year if Fleury sputtered, he had Thomas Vokoun to bail him out. This year it isn't the case, as Jeff Zatkoff is the backup. That could mean bad news for the Penguins if Fleury faulters again. Looking from the Columbus perspective, they have a solid netminder in their own right in Sergei Bobrovsky, the current Vezina Trophy winner as the leagues top goalie. With him playing the way he has been playing lately, which is in top form, goals will be hard to come by. taking everythign into consideration here I still think the Penguins have enough firepower to be able to pull this one out. The jackets will give them a run for their money but I say Penguins in 6!

New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers
This will probably be the most physical and hard hitting series of the opening round. For the Rangers this marks the 4th year in a row they have made the playoffs. In fact, since the 2005 lockout the boys from Broadway have only missed the post season once, that being in 2010. This also marks the 2nd straight year the Rangers have finished 2nd in their division. As for the Flyers, they are looking to bounce back after missing out on the playoffs a season ago, so the Flyers are looking to get back to winning form. The Flyers finished in 3rd in the division, and the last time that happened Philly made it to the 2nd round, so its something to note going into this series. This is the eleventh playoff meeting for these two teams, with Philadelphia having won six of the ten previous series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals, which Philadelphia won in five games. Each team won two games in this year's four-game regular season series.

Here's the dates and times for games in this series:
April 17 Philadelphia Flyers 7:00 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
April 20 Philadelphia Flyers 12:00 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
April 22 New York Rangers 8:00 p.m. Philadelphia Flyers Wells Fargo Center
April 25 New York Rangers 7:00 p.m. Philadelphia Flyers Wells Fargo Center
April 27 Philadelphia Flyers 12:00 p.m. New York Rangers Madison Square Garden
April 29 New York Rangers TBD Philadelphia Flyers Wells Fargo Center
April 30 Philadelphia Flyers TBD New York Rangers Madison Square Garden

This series is going to be hands down the most physical one of the playoffs in the opening round. lets face facts neither team likes the other at all. The scoring advantage goes to the Flyers but goaltending and defense have to go to the Broadway Blueshirts. The Flyers have Claude Giroux leading the charge but the Rangers can counter with Rick Nash. Steve Mason will be out for the start of the series, so Ray Emery gets the nod and that leaves the Flyers in a bit of a hole because Mason is the better of the two netminders. Going to be a physical series and if the Rangers can stay in it and get some pressure going, this series is all theirs. Rangers take it in 7!

So there you have it the predictions for the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

(Note all predictions made before start of playoffs)

Connecticut Kings Of The Court. Huskies Down Wildcats to Claim Championship

Things had been rough go of it over the past few seasons for the Connecticut Huskies Men's Basketball program. The players stuck through it and look where they are now. UConn is on top of the basketball world as the National Champions, beating Kentucky 60-54 to claim their 4th title in program history, all of which coming since their first title win back in 1999.

The National Championship goes to the Huskies only a short year after the team was barred from the tournament because of grades problems. That, among other things, lit a fire under the champions that nobody, and we mean nobody, was able to put out. Missing out on last years tournament was just one of a number of factors were in play here to allow the Huskies to walk away with a championship.

One factor was tournament MVP Shabazz Napier. The senior bookended his career with National titles, winning in 2011 as a freshman and now in 2014 as a senior. Napier dropped 22 points, six rebounds and three assists in the Huskies win. It wasn't just this game that Napier had an impact on the Huskies. He had been an all around factor in every game that Connecticut played in the tournament. He stepped up big when the game was on the line, walking away with the MVP of the tournament. In fact, with this performance in the tournament, Napier becomes the 4th member of the "125-25-25" club, which is 125 points, 25 Assists and 25 Rebounds in a Single NCAA Tournament. (ESPN) The other guys to do it were Kemba Walker (2011), Derrick Rose (2008) and Larry Bird (1979). Of the four, only Napier and Walker did it with their teams winning the National Title.

Connecticut never trailed at all during during this championship game, employing the same fast pace that worked well in their final four win over Florida. The Huskies held a lead as large as 15 in the first half. Then the team watched as Kentucky started fighting back, trimming the deficit to one with 8:13 left. But Aaron Harrison missed a 3 from the left corner that would have given the Cats the lead. Harrison had hit big shots like that in earlier games in this tournament to get Kentucky to the title game. The miss late may have taken the air out of the sails of the Wildcats, because that's as close as Kentucky would get in this basketball game.

Another key stat to look at in this ball game: Kentucky's 11 missed free throws. In order to win in the tournament, you have to be able to hit at least 60% of your free throws and the Wildcats didn't do that. They finished going 13 of 24 from the line, while Connecticut went a perfect 10 for 10.

Tight defense for the Huskies was a big storyline in the final three games. Each team they faced, Michigan State in the Elite Eight, Florida in the Final Four and Kentucky in the Championship game, were held to under 60 points and well below their averages. All three teams failed to hit more than 40% of their shots from the floor and were held under what they had been scoring in earlier games. The Huskies played a solid all around game all tournament long, in a season in which nobody had them pegged to go this far and win the whole thing.

For head coach Kevin Ollie, this is a sweet victory. Ollie is the 12th coach to win a National Championship at his alma mater (per ESPN). Olie played for four years at Connecticut and was the assistant coach under Jim Calhoun. Ollie took over after Calhoun retired. Not a bad way to really kick off your coaching career is it?

Congratulations to the Connecticut Huskies on claiming the 23014 Men's Basketball National Championship!

Rough Start To Baseball Season In New York

There's no real major reason to hit the panic button yet folks, but both New York Baseball teams, the Mets and Yankees, have gotten off to rocky starts. The Mets have dropped both games to the Washington Nationals, 9-7 in 10 innings on opening day, and 5-1 yesterday. In both losses to the Nationals, Mets hitters have struck out 31 times in the two games, the most strikeouts over a two game stretch since 1914. And the Mets shattered the franchise record of 23 strikeouts set in 1998 and 2003, according to Newsday.

Things have been tough for the Mets, with a couple of guys getting hurt and Curtis Granderson getting off to the rocky start. With Granderson, he has been getting booed after the first two games of the season. Why is he getting booed? Well he has gone 0 for 9 with five strikeouts over the first two games. Mets fans are getting impatient, since Granderson was signed for four years and $60 Million.

But lets slow our roll here folks with Granderson. There's a couple of reasons I say this. First of all, you kind of knew going into the season that Granderson had a tendency to strike out a lot. He can make up for it when he gets hitting so it sort of balances itself out. One theory for why Granderson is off to this start is that he is coming over from the American League to the National League, he is facing pitchers that he hasn't faced before so its going to take time to get adjusted. You have to give Granderson time to get adjusted. He will come through and start to show why he was given the contract he was given. It takes a little time, but Granderson's hitting ability will come through, you just have to be patient.

That's just part of what is going on with the Mets two games into the season. The Mets are now getting hit with the injury bug. We knew John Niese had problems at the end of spring training with his pitching elbow, but he should be healthy and good to go for his first start of the year, which is scheduled for Sunday April 6th against the Cincinnati Reds at home. But there has been two new names to be added to the walking wounded for the Mets. Bobby Parnell has been placed on the 15-day DL with a torn MCL in his pitching elbow. Parnell blew the save in the 9th on opening day. The injury was revealed after the opener, which might explain why he had trouble making his pitches in the 9th on that day. Surgery won't be required for Parnell, but he's going to need time off to let it heal before he can start throwing again. With him hurt, that means that Jose Valverde is set to be the closer for the time being. Valverde hasn't saved a game in the Majors since he saved 9 games for the Detroit Tigers last year.

Parnell isn't the only Mets player to go down, as yesterday the team announced that Chris Young is going on the 15-day DL with a strained quad. Young has played one inning this year, never getting a chance to bat in the game ysesterday before coming out of the game with the injury. The Mets payed him $7.25 million for this season, and he showed some potential during spring training before getting hurt. The injury is sort of showing a little lack of depth on this Mets ball club. At the same time though, the current outfield is consisting of Juan Lagares Eric Young Jr and Granderson. It has looked average the first two games, but the injuries and the slow start are getting on the nerves of Mets fans.

Here's the thing it's two games into the season, lets not hit the panic button folks.

Same thing can be said about the New York Yankees too. After spending as much money as the team did to improve itself, the fact that the team has gotten off to an 0-2 start has surprised a lot of people. Even more surprising is that the two losses have come against the Houston Astros, who are projected to be one of, if not, the worst team in the American League. Houston has taken the first two games from the Yankees by scores of 6-2 and 3-1. The Yankees offense hasn't really clicked yet during the first two games of the year, as they have gone 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position in two losses. But the Yankees players aren't too worried.

Both Carlos Beltran and Alfonso Soriano said in an interview with Newsday that they are going to be fine.

“We’re going to be fine,” Beltran said. “We haven’t been able to put anything together, but this team has what it takes to play better and win ballgames. We don’t need to worry about it.”

“It’s only two games. It’s nothing,” Soriano said. “One-hundred-sixty games left, so we’ve got to keep working hard to get better.”

The Yankees are still in a better position to be a success than the Mets are at the moment. There really is no reason to hit the panic button for either team. The Yankees have the type of lineup where, once it gets its mojo working, can really put up runs. It's going to take a little time sure, there are 160 games still remaining on the schedule. Once the Yankees find their stroke, they will be off and running.

I know its two games into the season but there's no real reason to hit the panic button for New York baseball. The teams will find a way to bust out of the slumps and get right back on track!