NHL Playoff Predictions Round 2

East

5. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. 1 Washington Capitals
Capitals have formed their team into a solid all around club, one thats plays defense and scores timely goals. Ovechkin isnt as big a scoring threat as he was, but the overall team can score. Tampa came back from 3-1 down to beat Pittsburgh last round, and have all the offensive firepower, especially with star Steven Stamkos. Caps will get better solid goaltending however. Caps in 6

3. Boston Bruins vs. 2. Philadelphia Flyers
This is a big series, one the Bruins will want for revenge. It was this same round last year the Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead, and a 3-0 score in the deciding Game 7 to these Flyers. Boston was only the third team to blow a 3-0 lead (how do you like it boston?) However, the Bruins have a big physical team, and Tim Thomas is a lot better in net than the carousel that is the flyers goaltending. The flyers can score, but their time is running out. It pains me to pick because I hate the flyers, and the city of boston. Boston in 7

West

5. Nashville Predators vs. 1. Vancouver Cancucks
The Canucks almost blew a 3-0 series lead to defending cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. They won in game 7 OT on tuesday, and have no time to rest. The Nashville Predators are a sneaky good team, and are determined to make it far in the playoffs. Vancouver was the best team during the season, and have a great team led by the Sedin twins and star goalie Luongo. Still, I feel that the Preds time is now, and will suprise everyone. Preds in 6.

3. San Jose Sharks vs. 2. Detroit Red Wings
This is a rematch of the second round series from last year, when San Jose absolutely spanked the Red Wings. The Sharks are known for their playoff futility, and they didnt look that great against the Kings in the first round. The Red Wings have had over a week of rest thanks to DOMINATING the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round sweep. The Red Wings are getting Zetterberg, one of the best players in the NHL back, and I have picked the Red Wings to return to the Cup finals. This will be an easy series. Red Wings in 5.

Hockey Disappointment

Another year, another miserable ending for New York Rangers fans. I was at game 4 against the Washington Capitals on wednesday, 4/20. The Rangers were winning 3-0 going into the third period, and their record when leading after two periods was a perfect 29-0. Well of course I was there for that 1, as they lost 4-3 in double overtime, sapping the life out of the garden and going back to Washington down 3-1. The Rangers lost 3-1 on saturday, despite goalie Henrik Lundqvist being outstanding once again. Some goals for the offseason which is ahead.

1. Fire Head Coach John Tortorella. O wait to late, he just got a new 3 year extension the day after we lost. But hey i guess blowing a 3-1 lead two years ago in the playoffs, missing the playoffs last year, and barely making it this year lets u earn a new deal.

2. Fire General Manager Glen Sather. Ranger fans have been yelling this for years. In his over ten years here, we have exactly 2 playoff series victories. Sather is a good buddy of James Dolan, so despite the horrendous job he has done, he still gets to stay. Some say Sather will never be fired.

3. Get rid of the Dolans. As the Rangers (and Knicks) playoff futilities showed, this man knows nothing about sports, yet keeps getting involved in decisions. Unfortunately you cant fire the owner, even if he is a dipshit who knows nothing.

But in all seriousness...

1. Keep building up the team with youth. Stepan (20) Dubinsky (25) Callahan (25) Staal (25) Girardi (26) Zuccarello (young 20s) McDonagh (early 20s) Sauer (23) all form a great core and will benefit from the playoff experience they gained.

2. Dont waste all the money on Free agents, especially Brad Richards, the big name free agent out there. He is good yes, but he is 30 and is a hit away from missing most of the season. Dont tie in all the money to him. Did you not learn from Scott Gomez and Chris Drury's horrible contracts?

3. Acquire a GOAL SCORER. The rangers are terrible at scoring. Get some players who can put the biscuit in the basket.

4. Fix the powerplay! You need a powerplay to score, and going 1-20 (5%) in the playoffs is ATROCIOUS

2011-2012 season can be a good season, the Rangers just have to take then next step.

Baseball season!

BAseball season is just two days away, and my team the New York Yankees open up the season. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Excited, because I love baseball, it means summer is right around the corner. Im nervous because the Yankees might not be as good as they need to be to win a world series. Now, a team with a 200 million payroll should always have a shot. And the Yankees are always a team thats in the World Series hunt.
But all offseason, the talk was the Phillies and their stacked rotation, and the Red Sux and their stacked lineup, leading many to believe that it is gonna be a Red Sox/Phillies World Series. I call BS on that! LAst year, everyone said Yankees/PHillies WS again. WRONG! It was Giants/Rangers, as wrong as you could get.
The Yankees need the pitching staff to hold up. AJ Burnett is the key. He HAS to pitch like a number 2. Phil Hughes has to have another good season.
The lineup also has to produce, especially with the shaky lineup.

Either way its Spring time, baseball is back! And I am excited!!

Is baseball a fading sport?

I was listening to ESPN NEw York 1050 the other day, and I overheard the hosts talking about how baseball isn't Americas sport anymore. One host then wondered if the NBA was overtaking MLB as being more popular, especially in the NY area now that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are bringing excitement back to the Garden.
I am a huge Yankees fan, and have been since growing up during the dynasty years. Jeter, Knoblauch, Tino, Paul O'Neill, Brosius and others are some of my favorite athletes of all time, and they really helped me love the sport of baseball.
Now, people thinks kids growing up don't care for baseball, as it is too slow and boring. I feel that many people do feel that way. I have many sports loving friends who dislike baseball because it is too slow. For me, Baseball is a thrill. It makes my summer so much better, and some games are so dramatic, it is a sport that keeps you on edge and biting your nails when the game is so close. That one game winning hit or strikeout is thrilling. I love baseball, and I really like basketball. But to say that the MLB is dying, especially in the NY area, is absurd. The Yankees are sports, one of the most recognizable franchises out there. The Mets are a joke, but hey one day they will be good.
NY is a basketball loving town yes. There are courts on every street, hoops in many driveways. It is easy to get a group of friends and just play. However, baseball is what has defined New York, in my opinion. The Yankees gave the city some of its greatest moments, its biggest triumphs.

Baseball is here to stay, and stay it will.

Carmelo Anthony

I am a big Knicks fan, and I admit it, I am dying for the team to acquire Carmelo Anthony. The trade deadline is Thursday, at 3 pm. If the Knicks do not acquire Carmelo, it will be one of the biggest mistakes the organization has made.
First the problems, the Knicks are going to give up a lot. Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, 1st rounds picks. Basically, the Knicks team is going to be gutted. Carmelo's goal is to get the 65 million, 3 year extension that is currently on the table. The NBA is gonna get a new CBA next year, so he is risking losing millions if he doesnt sign. The New Jersey Nets want Melo, but he has no desire to sign the extension with them. However, if the Knicks dont make a move Melo may sign the extension with the Nets or the Nuggets even though he wants to play for the Knicks.
The Knicks missed out on Lebron James, and missing out on Carmelo Anthony, who is 26 entering his prime, a top scorer and a top 5 player in the NBA, would be crucial. Star foward Amare Stoudemire needs help, and Melo coming to NY will also help the Knicks attract another big free agent in 2012. Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard will all be FA. Its time for the Knicks to get piece 2 of the big 3.
Get this done Knicks! They are only 2 games over .500, so why hold onto these players? GET THE SUPERSTAR.

For the Love of God, please have football next year!

There was a joke during this NFL season, the team to win the Superbowl this year will likely be the last. Why? Because there is a potential for a season long lockout in 2011, and in 2012 the world is apparently going to end on December 21. So are the Green Bay Packers the last team to hoist the Lombardi Trohpy?

Not likely, as many believe there will be an agreement before the start of next season. Hopefully, it is soon. If a deal is struck in July, teams will be scrambling to sign free agents (they cant sign until theres a new CBA in place).

The idea that these billionaire owners and millionaire players aren't getting enough of the 9 billion the NFL makes every year, is absurd. It is absolutely ridiculous how much these players make, yet still complain over.

I can't imagine having a fall (especially when football helps get you through the start of school) and a cold dreary winter without football. What will I do on my sundays? The Jets won't have a chance at a SuperBowl (Again).

So heres what should happen... a rookie salary cap, no 18 game season, players get 49 % of revenue and we all move on and watch football, America's greatest sport. Please let this get done.

Andy Pettitte :(

It is a sad day for Yankees fans everywhere, with starting pitcher Andy Pettitte announcing today that he is retiring from baseball at the age of 38. Pettitte has contemplated retirement for the past few seasons, but today he finally called it quits. 

Pettitte leaves the Yankees with 5 world series rings, from 1996,98,99,2000 and 2009. Pettitte is also the winningest pitcher in postseason history. No one has more win than this man right here, who has been described as having fire and ice in his veins.

I was there in 2009 to see Pettitte pitch the Yankees to victory in game 6 at the new Yankees Stadium, and it is a moment I will remember forever. Pettitte was a favorite of many fans, including myself, despite him admitting him using HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Its not a steroid, so its not really that bad. 

Pettitte decided to retire because he wanted to spend more time with his family and see his kids grow. He has 4 kids, all of which he wants to see grow up (his oldest son is 16). Pettitte lives in texas, so the grind of  162 game baseball season, basically being away for 6 months, really took a toll on Pettitte. Pettitte stated he could pitch, but his heart doesn't have the desire too.

All in all, I enjoyed watching Andy Pettitte pitch throughout his great careeer ( and to think, George Steinbrenner almost traded him during the 1999 season). He was a great pitcher, clutch and I will always remember him holding his glove over his face, his eyes just staring the opposing batters down. Pettittes absence is big for the Yankees going into 2011. Their rotation is thin, but hopefully Andy decides to come back midway during the year, and we get one more look at this great pitcher.

Have a great retirement Pettitte.

Jets offseason moves

Here are some moves the Jets can do for this offseason:

1. Franchise either Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards. Holmes might be given the tag, which will result in a cap hit of 9.5 million. If one gets franchise tagged, look for the Jets to try to offer the other WR a contract. Hopefully, no other team offers more money

2. Brad Smith is Mr. Everything to the Jets, but he is asking for 6 mill a year, which is absurd for a special teams player. He is very dynamic though and a game changer, and has won a couple of games for us (see Pittsburgh game in december and Cincinnati game on Thanksgiving)

3. Players who could be released. Shaun Ellis, Jason Taylor, Tomlinson, Tony Richardson, Damien Woody and Kris Jenkins

4. Draft a pass rusher, essential to getting to the QB. Also, cut Vernon Gholston, 6th overall pick in 2008 and has zero sacks. Awful.

Say No To Ochocinco and Terrell Owens

A couple days ago, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens expressed on their TV show (does anyone even watch the T.OCho show?)  that they would like to be member of the New York Jets next year. They praised Rex and his coaching style, and they see the potential the Jets have moving foward.
Owens is a free agent this year, and ochocinco (now changing his name back to Chad Johnson) is still with the Cincinnati Bungles for another year.

On behalf of most Jets fans out there..NOOOOOOO THANK YOUUUUUUUU!!!!

Carson Palmer did pretty well with ROOKIE WR the last two games of the season, games ochocinco and Owens missed. They are cancers to team and locker rooms. Owens has had problems in San Fran, Philly, Dallas, Buffalo and Cincy. SO NO THANK YOU T.O. You did great for my fantasy team this past year, thank you, but I would not want you on my team.

As for Ochocinco, hes 33 and his skills are declining. He is more worried about his Twitter and tv show than football. He has problems with his current head coach and he is a big baby wr, who disappears when he goes up against top corner backs ( See Revis). These two would already bring distractions to a team that is already full of them

So Just say no to Owens and Ochocinco. Let another team deal with these two divas. We want Mark Sanchez to take steps foward, not steps back, and that will happen if he has these two yapping in his ear 24/7

Still some Jets rage

Still can't get over yesterdays loss.
Jets came out flat in the first half, Bart Scott was mad infamous for his youtube video after last weeks game, saying he "Can't Wait" for the Pittsburgh game..Scott missed about 4 tackles that first half. Missed tackles were the key..the run game couldnt be stopped and it kept the Jets on their toes. MISSED TACKLES everytime, pathetic

The Steelers seemed to get a million penalties in their favor too. The penalty where Eric Smith "hit a defenseless receiver" was outrageous. The ball just passed him and he got hit! ITS FOOTBALL! And dont get me started on the roughing the kicker call..THAT RULE HAS TO BE CHANGED. The goal is to block the punt, who cares if someone runs into the kicker? Now if someone charged straight at him and hit him, understandable. But the Jets player got a hand on his foot and of course the puss kicker embellished the fall. Boom penalty, instead of getting the ball back, the defense has to go out there again. Pathetic. These guys are giving it their all, takingvicious hits and a punter comes in and gets tapped and falls...Gooddell is making football a joke with all these bullshit penaltie calls and rules. Tom Brady had a rule all for him for god sake! Ever since that fairy broke his leg a couple years ago now you cant touch the qb

Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer needs to go ASAP. Too much talent to have an offense struggle like it did all season. We lost games 10-9 to the Ravens, 9-0 to the Packers and 10-6 against Miami, AND THOSE WERE ALL HOME GAMES! Count in the 3 points scored against the terrible Patriots defense on December 6th, as well as only putting up 20 points on the terrible lions and browns, it reflects the coordinator. No team went through that many dry spells on offense this year. The goal line play calls in the 4th quarter against Pittsburgh were HORRID. Run on first down, ok, throw on second..ok Dustin Keller almost had it, BUT U RUN THE BALL ON 3RD DOWN! But no Schitty decides to call a pass again. Then on 4th and 1 YOU DONT GIVE THE BALL TO BIG TOUGH SHONN GREENE? He was running over people on that drive, no you hand the ball off to fossil LaDainian Tomlinson and get NOTHING! SCHOTTY NEEDS TO BE FIRED NOW NOW NOW..this offense for next years needs life and energy injected into it. You will never win a Superbowl with a Schottenheimer on your team. The Chargers didn't and neither with the Jets unless Schotty takes off his skirt and calls more daring plays, plays that make sense.

New York Jets Misery continues

   Well another year, another miserable ending to my football season. Once again, like always, the Jets lost the AFC Championship game to the Steelers 24-19. Now it is a Green Bay/Pittsburgh Superbowl..what a joy we get to watch the Steelers, yet again..can't wait for this one.' Two championship games, two losses, starting to feel like the Philadelphia Eagles of the AFC.
   The championship game was sickening...the Jets went down 24-0, and went into halftime 24-3...against the number one defense, you simply cant let that happen in Pittsburgh. The Jets played a great second half, but it was too little, too late. The Jets simply ran out of time. Yet another Jets season ends in misery.

Thoughts on the Game:

- Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called a terrible game. For example, Jets drive which they failed to score on 4 downs...run..throw..throw..run..the last run being a hand off to LT..where was the big Shonn Greene?

- Holmes, Edwards, Cotchery were invisible...they left all their emotions in New England

- The defense was horrendous in the first half..they missed literaly 12 tackles on running back Rashard Mendenhall, and made Big Ben look like Mike Vick out there

Whats ahead:

A lotta free agents for the Jets..this was the Jets best shot at the Superbowl, and they will lose many players..WR Braylon Edwards or Santonio Holmes are Free Agents, and one likely wont be back..i would sign Holmes and get rid of Edwards, although it is sad to see him go
Other free agents include Brad Smith, Antonio Cromartie, David Harris, Shaun Ellis, Jason Taylor etc

Will the Jets bring LT back for another season at RB?

This loss hurts, and the Jets had so much potential...if only they played like the second half team..I am sick to my stomach and pretty depressed this team lost..until next year..if there even is damn football....

The injury bug

   Well the injury bug has struck my favorite hockey team, the New York Rangers, again. The Rangers are 6th in the East for the NHL playoffs, but many teams behind them can make a push and knock them out. Only the top 8 teams proceed to the playoffs from the East and West.
   Last night, the Rangers lost foward Brandon Dubinsky, who leads the team with 17 goals, to a stress fracture in his foot. He will miss 3-4 weeks. Ruslan Fedotenko, another foward, was lost for 2-4 weeks after injuring his shoulder in last nights game. The Rangers are already without foward and assistant captain Ryan Callahan for another week or so, due to a broken hand. Foward Erik Christensen is also out for a number of weeks, as well as foward Alex Frolov, who will miss the rest of the season. And we are still waiting for center Vinny Prospal, a good offensive player, to return.
    The injuries can be attributed to the Rangers style of play, which is to grind it out, block shots and sacrifice your body. That syle cant change cause that is who the Rangers are, they aren't a fast skate and score team like the Penguins or the Capitals. Hopefully the Rangers can stay alive in the playoff hunt. They have been a pleasant suprise to many Rangers fans this season, as the team is using a lot of youth and home grown talent to win games.
     Hopefully, the Rangers get in and MSG will be buzzing come April.

My Jets Misery

    Not going to lie...growing up as a New York Jets fan was miserable. The Jets were always second fiddle to the New York Giants, Big Blue or G-Men as the diehards like to call them. Gang Green was like the red headed stepchild no one loves...you know they are just there and you have to deal with it.
    I am a Jets fan because my dad said I was a Jets fan...growing up as a kid, I played sports but didn't follow it like I do now, every son follows his father its guy code...My grandfather was a huge Jets fan, and he and my dad watched the Jets win their only Superbowl when my dad was a little boy. Over the years I have been dying for a Superbowl! It is driving me crazy! At least get back to the big game! When the Jets beat the Indianapolis Colts last week, I learned a shocking stat. Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez led the Jets franchise with the most playoff wins...3...a whopping number 3. This organization has been around since the AFL merged with the NFL in the 60's and no other coach or QB had more than 3 playoff wins(now its 4 with the win over New England).
    My moms side of the family are mostly Giants fans, with one uncle being a die hard Steelers fan. I got A LOT of crap for being a Jets fan. My uncle Mike, the huge Steelers fan, busts my balls everytime the family gets together. He says the same things.. "Superbowl 3" "Joe Namath" "How many Superbowls do the Jets have?" I take it like a man. I believe Jets fans can take crap and receive shit talk better than any other football teams fan base. There is a very strong fan base deep down, the die hards, and we stick with our team no matter what.  You live and die with the team, you never change your team.
     High school, all my friends were Giants fans. I had maybe two friends who liked the Jets. I got so much crap for being a Jets fan, mostly because, lets face it, the Jets stink and have been pretty bad for years. Sure they make the playoffs every now and then, but there is no glory besides Joe Namath and Superbowl 3.
      When Superbowl 42 happened, I was sick to my stomach. I didn't want the Patriots to go undefeated, but I didn't want the Giants to win a Superbowl and go to school the next day and never hear the end of it. I sadly decided to "root" for the Patriots, I figured I can see history, avoid all the talk from Giants fans, and earn some easy money betting on the game. Lets just say 18-1 and I bet on the one game the Patriots lost all year. Plus, put on top the Giants won the Superbowl in dramatic, amazing fashion, I heard a lot for weeks to come. It was the lowest point of being a Jets fan.
     I had to deal with Belichick leaving the Jets after a day, being a kid and remembering seeing my dad so upset after the Jets lost the 97 AFC Championship game, Herman Edwards not knowing  how to manage a clock, seeing Keyshawn Johnson be a baby and whine his way out of New York, seeing the Jets have 4 first round picks, and 3 of them turned out to be wastes. I witnessed Eric Mangini seem like a genius, only to turn into a villian who had no personality. I saw Brett Favre deliver a spark to my team, only to see his shoulder kill our season, and then face allegations of him sending pictures of his junk to women. I witnessed 2007 and seeing the Patriots destroy everyone during the season, I witnessed Vernon Gholston being the biggest waste of a 6th overall draft pick...hell even the Revis holdout this offseason kept me on edge all summer until he came back a week before the season.
      But throughout all that, theres hope. That hope comes in a man named Rex Ryan. Other fans HATE him, Jets fans adore him. He came in and right away said "I am not here to kiss Belichicks rings" "We want to be bigger than the Giants" It was a Jets fans wet dream...but in reality many still wondered who is this guy, and these things will never become a reality.
      Two years later, the Jets are the talk of football. ESPN can't get enough of them, and yes they seem bigger than the Giants (but in reality they're not, sadly they are just the bigger story due to the playoffs). But Rex has delivered hope. The Jets can play defense! WHO KNEW?!?! I was amazed with the defense last year, and we went all the way to the AFC championship. Many were suprised, myself included, and even though they lost the ride was fun and gave a lot of fans hope.
       Now with a second year qb, our second year head coach has us back to the AFC Championship game. You can say, if won this sunday, this was a tougher 3 game road stretch than the Giants had to endure in 07 ( Colts, Patriots, Steelers > Bucs, Cowgirls and Packers) Still, the Jets need to play a perfect game to beat Pittsburgh. We don't want to be the Philadelphia Eagles, sniffing greatness many times but never getting there. WE WANT THE CHAMPIONSHIP! That is the only way Rex can keep the talk going. Maybe it is not this year, but I believe when all is said and done he will have his ring. Words can't even describe the euphoria I would feel if the Jets got to Dallas and won the big game. People would respect the Jets. They wouldn't be a joke, and I won't hear garbage anymore, I will be the jerk rubbing it in peoples faces. I will be first in line waiting for the Jets to have the parade through the Canyon of Heroes. It would be greater than the Yankees winning in 09 (but I did love that, I had many Red Sox fans to text afterwards :) )
       Overall, in Rex we trust. You may not like him, but the players sure do. In a poll taken by Sports Illustrated , Rex won in a landslide in the voting of which coach you would like to play for (as voted by current NFL players), beating out the hoodie Belichick.  He will attract free agents, just like he did this past offseason, such as LaDainian Tomlinson choosing the Jets over the Vikings. He takes the pressure off the players, and doesn't care what people think or say about him. Antrel Rolle, safety for the Giants told ESPN NY he would like to play for Rex, and for Coughlin to loosen up like him.
       As Bart Scott said after the Patriots game "We go to war for that man". He brings out the best in his players, the confidence and pride. He makes the Jets relevant, makes them seem like they are a great franchise like the Pats or the Cowboys (even though the Jets have way more losing history).
       If the Jets lose, I will be heartbroken, hear all the talk and jokes and move on with life. It will be a huge upset if they don't go all the way. I'm dreaming of a Superbowl, hopefully rex can deliver.

In Rex we trust.