tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering what life will be as a Yankee fan without Mariano Rivera, here is what's on my mind this morning:

* Mariano Rivera had the Pinstripe World in an uproar yesterday when he reported to camp and told the media that he has made up his mind as far as when he will be retiring. The Greatest Closer Ever told the media that he will tell them his decision at some point. Most Yankee observers believe that this will be Rivera's last year. Boy oh boy I can't imagine who will attempt to take over the closer's role for the Yankees but as fans we need to really enjoy his performance this year.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/possible_exit_sandman_makes_it_season_RqEU8SAcPdSVUAe0fT7YGK

* The Yankees have signed Raul Ibanez to be their lefty DH and play occasionally in the outfield. Now it remains to be seen whether they sign Eric Chavez.

* Brian Cashman admitted on The Mike Francesa Show that the six man rotation probably disrupted CC Sabathia more than Sabathia's weight gain in the second half of the season. I felt that this was a problem last year when Joe "The Binder" Girardi went to the six man. Athletes and particularly major league pitchers like repitition. A classic example is Mike Mussina. Let's hope The Binder learns from his mistake. However, Sabathia does need to keep his weight under control.

* Read an interesting article in the Boston Herald about Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. Lester was very gracious and apologetic in speaking about what happened in Spetember last season. He held himself responsible and understood why fans are upset and apologized. On the other hand, Beckett was as defiant as his idol, Roger Clemens. He was not apologizing for anything and was passing blame on unidentified Red Sox personnel. What a great role model for younger players!!!! Must be something about being from Texas that means you can't admit you were wrong and have to maintain that macho image. What B.S.!!!!!!!!!

* The Oakland A's announced yesterday that they signed Manny Ramirez to a contract worth $500,000. Ramirez would miss the first 50 games due to a suspension as a result of his usage of PED's. So this must be Money Ball circa 2012: sign Bartolo "Little Andre" Colon and Ramirez. Billy Beane is a joke and the fans of this once proud franchise should be sick about it.

* There was a rumor emanating from the Cleveland Fox-affiliate that the Cleveland Browns had worked out a contract to retain running back Peyton Hillis. I tried to see if there was any confirmation of this rumor and there was none to be found. If this indeed happens, the Browns will have made a wise decision.

* There are plenty of rumors about where Peyton Manning is going to end up. The latest has Seattle extremely interested. Something to keep an eye on is that the team that gets Manning (if he leaves the Colts) may also be able to get Reggie Wayne. The 32 year old wide receiver is a free agent and would be a great addition for any team that gets Manning.

* Tonight the Maple Leafs begin a critical four game home stand as the New Jersey Devils come to the ACC. The Devils are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games while the Leafs have lost five out of their last six. The Leafs need to do something that they haven't done on home ice in a long time: score the first goal. As we know the Devils love to clamp things down once they get a lead and they also have the resurgent Marty Brodeur. The Leafs received some help last night as Carolina whipped the Washington Capitals 5-0 leaving the Caps tied with Toronto for the 8th and final playoff spot.

* All of Toronto was a flutter yesterday when it was reported that Brian Burke met in NYC with Columbus GM Scott Howsam. Burke has downplayed the meeting and quite frankly I don't see the Leafs getting Rick Nash. The asking price is way too high. As Leaf fans we want them to make the playoffs but they shouldn't mortgage their future to do it. If they can get a big forward such as a Ryan Malone type or a lock down defenseman such as Ryan Suter they may be much better off than getting Nash or Jeff Carter. One thing to keep in mind, the Leafs would be better off trying to acquire Zach Parise on July 1 as opposed to trading away a Jake Gardiner to get Rick Nash. The overall goal should not be just to make the playoffs but to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. For the first time in a number of years the farm system is stocked with talent and to trade it away to make the playoffs this year only to get knocked out in the first round makes no sense.

* And finally, I watched a good chunk of the Knicks-Nets game last night. Deron Williams was on fire for the Nets last night as the Knicks had no answer for him. As I have stated before, it wouldn't take much for me to get back into the Knicks again but I just have to wonder if the Knicks would be better off without Carmelo Anthony.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering if there is any correlation with the fact that the Yankees have done nothing at the last two MLB trade deadlines and Brian Cashman's dalliances with some psycho twit, here is what's on my mind this morning:

* The fate of the Toronto Maple Leafs' attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since the lockout may become crystal clear at the end of their upcoming 3 game Western Canada road trip that begins tonight in Calagry. The Leafs margin for error is becoming smaller and smaller as they ended a terrible week losing three in a row, including an embarassing 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. It will be interesting to see who Ron Wilson starts in goal tonight and whether or not Colby Armstrong remains out of the lineup and if Mike Kommisarek comes back into the lineup.

* Speculation about Kommisarek's return may be a moot point since Carl Gunnarsson was injured as a result of a collision with Jay Rosehill. Reports would lead one to believe that Gunnarsson will not play tonight as he is having an MRI done today. The news doesn't sound good and if Gunnarsson is out for an extended period of time the Leafs will have lost one of their steadier defenseman.

* While watching some NHL games on Sunday, what hit me was how teams like the Rangers, Flyers and Red Wings drove the net to score goals something the Leafs have failed to do this past week. When your slumping you need to score gritty goals particularly when playing teams that like to play the trap.

* Mats Sundin is probably the most underappreciated Leaf star in the team's recent history. I'm a firm believer that a lot of that had to do with the fact that Sundin was not Canadian. It's the same reason that some in the Center of the Hockey Universe have such disdain for Brian Burke. The fact is that Sundin was a world class player who unfortunately never had linemates who could match his skills. Could you imagine if Sundin was able to play with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul?? On Saturday night, Sundin once again showed the class and dignity that he displayed as the Leaf Captain during his banner raising ceremony. Too bad his former team couldn't bring home a win.

* http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/ageless_jeter_first_preps_camp_again_PQyMd5ngsVn8vOYCeH8DmM
Read this article in Sunday's NY Post and I guess it confirms why Derek Jeter is my favorite Yankee. The Yankee Captain is a great role model for the young Yankee prospects. It will be a sad day when he hangs up his spikes and I'm not sure if we will see another one like him.

* It appears that the Yankees are working a deal to move AJ Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates. If the Yanks pull this off it would be the best thing that could happen. The feeling among many is that a deal will get done but it comes down to how much the Pirates will pay and what prospects the Yankees will get.

* The Jeremy Lin story out of New York is a fascinating one and could possibly save the Knicks season. There is plenty of speculation as to how Carmelo Anthony will fit in with the captivating Lin. Melo is back in the lineup tonight against the Toronto Raptors at the ACC and all eyes will be watching unless you have Time Warner Cable.

* Yesterday Paul "Gasbag" Hamilton was asked if the Buffalo Sabres were better than Ottawa and Toronto. Gasbag's response was that he didn't want to bring up injuries but if the Sabres had all of their players they are the better team. Look, I'm not going to say that the Maple Leafs are Stanley Cup contenders but I am tired of hearing about Sabre injuries as an excuse for where they are currently located in the standings. The Leafs lost their starting goaltender (James Reimer) for almost two months with concussion like symptoms and the following players were out for various periods of time: Mike Kommisarek, John-Michael Liles, Matthew Lombardi, Tim Connolly, Mikhail Grabovski, Colby Armstrong, Mike Brown and Tyler Bozak.

* Very stimulating sports talk yesterday afternoon as we had to hear about how the Bulldog didn't go sledding on Sunday afternoon because his youngest son forgot his boots at school after he had been told on numerous occasions to bring them home. Really???? Schopp praised his partner for instilling responsibility to his young son. And you want to know why WGR550 is a joke.

* WGR550 has brought back Blowhard Brad Riter as he has been filling in on occasion for Howard Simon. Riter was fired by GR several years ago because he couldn't make it to work on time. Riter fits in perfectly as he is a know-it-all who only concerns himself with the Sabres and Bills. Besides the fact that he is a known Red Sox fan (and their are a few at 550), why I really dislike Riter is his disdain for local sports particularly the local college basketball teams. Case in point: as some of you in WNY may recall Niagara University's men's basketball team won the MAAC Basketball tournament at the Arena in Buffalo back in 2005. It was a great night and it was certainly exciting watching the Purple Eagles advance to the NCAA for the first time in 35 years. The following night, Riter basically ridiculed the whole thing saying what difference does it make because Niagara will just get buried in the first round. Typical Buffalo B.S. and you want to know why people in this area are so cynical and negative.

* And finally, does anybody really care that Randy Moss wants to make a comeback???

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering if Jordon Leopold will hit the Boston Bruins as hard as he hit Lindy Ruff, here is what's on my mind this morning:

* The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to stay hot as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers last night 6-3. The game started out badly for the Leafs when Jordan Eberle scored the first of his two goals 21 seconds into the first period after a bad giveaway by Dion Phaneuf. Phil Kessel had two goals and an assist and his linemates, Tyler Bozak and Joffrey Lupul, each scored a goal. James Reimer didn't have much of a chance on the first two Oiler goals and made some key saves throughout the game.

* With the win the Maple Leafs pushed past the Ottawa Senators into seventh place and they still have two games in hand on the slumping Senators. The team heads to Winnipeg for a game tonight at MTS Centre. The Jets are tough on home ice and they defeated the Leafs 3-2 on New Year's Eve at their very loud arena. The Leafs will need to be on their game. Reports yesterday were that Jonas Gustavsson will get the start tonight for the Leafs. The puck drop is scheduled for 8:35.

* On Saturday afternoon the NHL Network had the Boston-Pittsburgh game with the feed being that of the dynamic duo, Bob Errey and Paul Steigerwald. These guys were just as bad as they were earlier in the week during the Leafs-Penguins back-to-back games. Interestingly, I commented how bad these guys were and I received a number of responses back from Penguin fans agreeing with me!!

* The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl 46 and become World Champions once again. Eli Manning was the game's MVP and hopefully this puts to bed the discussion of how good this guy is. Manning carried the Giants during the regular season and he has developed an ability to make big plays when his team needs them. Along with Manning, Head Coach Tom Coughlin deserves a lot of credit and should hopefully silence his critics in New York.

* The Giants win did not surprise me as I indicated in an earlier Tuesday's Thoughts that the NFC had the better teams this year. The Patriots had a fine season but just like the Green Bay Packers, their defense was terrible all year long and at the end of the day allowed the Giants to drive almost the length of the field to score a touchdown.

* The Giant victory closes out the NFL season and brought my overall record for selecting winners to 35-21 ATS (62.5%). I was 31-13 (70.4%) over the last 15 weeks, which included the playoffs and during the playoffs I was 5-1 (83.3%). Looking forward to September and hopefully for continued success in NFL prognosticating.

* Reports out of Cleveland are indicating that the Browns may have softened their stance toward Peyton Hillis. Hillis has proven that he can play against the AFC North heavyweights. The Browns would be smart to bring him back and hopefully have him with a healthy Brandon Jackson, Chris Ogbonnaya and Montario Hardesty.

* It will be interesting to see what the Browns do with the 4th pick overall in the first round. Reports out of Cleveland indicate that the Browns may be looking defense with that first pick. That will put many Browns fans over the edge. Conversely, Mel Kiper Jr. is projecting that the Browns will use that pick to take Robert Griffin III.

* NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league will consider ending the Pro Bowl after this year's performance which was criticized by Packer QB Aaron Rodgers. Maybe Goodell read my post a week or so ago calling for the end of all All-Star games.

* The Yankees are reportedly in serious talks with free agent Raul Ibanez. The 40 year old outfielder would be the Yankees left-handed DH and spare outfielder. Not sure this makes any sense with aging stars like ARod and Derek Jeter who are going to need time at the DH role. I say rotate those duties between AROD, Jeter and Eduardo Nunez. The Yanks could always get a bat before the trade deadline in July.

* The sordid details of Yankee GM Brian Cashman's affairs is making for plenty of stories in the two NY dailies. Now I guess I know why the Yankees have done nothing the last two trade deadlines because the GM was too busy cheating on his wife.

* It will be interesting to see what happens Wednesday night when the Buffalo Sabres host the Boston Bruins. I wonder if Paul Gaustad will be trash talking like he was against the smallish Montreal Canadiens.

* And finally, what are the odds that the geniuses at WGR550 will spend anytime talking about the upcoming NCAA Basketball Tournament. It's probably a bigger long shot than Gaustad picking a fight with Milan Lucic.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering if along with reportedly being the father of Khloe Kardashian if OJ Simpson could be the father of Lindsay Lohan, here's what is on my mind this morning:

*The Toronto Maple Leafs played a strong game defensively and came away with a 3-0 win over the New York Islanders last night at the Air Canada Centre. Jonas Gustavsson posted the shut out for the Leafs and had to be solid in goal in the third period as the Leafs seemed to be back on its heels before Phil Kessel scored the Leafs second goal. Kessel's goal happened because he drove toward the net and was able to tip in the rebound off of a shot by Joffrey Lupul. It appears that Ron Wilson's message sunk in. Hopefully, the Leafs don't have amnesia tonight at the venerable Nassau Veterans Coliseum.

* Matthew Lombardi scored the other two Leaf goals last night and the Leaf forward seems to be rounding his game back into shape after missing almost all of last season due to a concussion. The acquisition of Lombardi and Cody Franson for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney may be the steal of the century. This coupled with the acquisition of Lupul and Jake Gardiner from the Ducks should silence those members of Leaf Nation who want to criticize Brian Burke. I'll be the first to get on the Leaf GM when it is warranted but the bottom line is that Burke has done an excellent job in acquiring talent and building up the farm system.

* Nikolai Kulemin did not get an assist on Lombardi's second goal but his hit on John Tavares in the Leaf zone is what started the Leafs offensive rush. The hit had Tavares doubled over as he headed to the Islander bench.

* Not sure I can remember two better NFL conference championship games than the ones that we saw this past Sunday. The Patriots were very fortunate as the Ravens had the opportunity to win the game when Lee Evans had a catch stripped from him by Pats defensive back Sterling Moore. Then, Billy Cundiff missed a chip shot field goal that would have sent the game to overtime. Meanwhile, in San Francisco we witnessed an old fashion defensive battle as it seemed that both defenses got better as the game went on. The Patriots-Giants Super Bowl should be a good one and I think the Giants are the more complete team right now.

* Jim Harbaugh's boorish behavior at the end of the game with Tom Coughlin was disrespectful at best. You could tell that the older more experienced Coughlin wanted to say something to the young coach as they approached to shake hands but Harbaugh immediately turned away. It was classless to say the least.

* I don't want to hear anyone question Eli Manning's ability or toughness again. Manning took a pounding Sunday and it was incredible watching him complete passes while getting buried. The kid is a gamer and he is an elite quarterback.

* The idiots who have made death threats against 49er wide receiver and kick returner Kyle Williams should get a life. I have suffered many a miserable defeat (Think Earnest Byner's fumble in 1988 AFC Championship Game) but would never wish death on anybody. It's a sad commentary on today's society and explains why fans get beaten to a pulp at games because they have the temerity to root for the visiting team. I give Williams credit for being a stand up guy by not ducking any questions from reporters after the game. He showed more class than his head coach who refused to be interviewed by Fox after the game.

* There was a great article in yesterday's NY Post by Steve Serby pertaining to Ray Lewis. During the CBS pregame show, Shannon Sharpe interviewed Ray Lewis. After the interview, it was proclaimed that Lewis has been the face of the NFL for years. Really??? Serby points out that not once in the interview was the still-unsolved double homicide brought up that Lewis was found guilty of obstruction of justice and where he paid a settlement to the 2 victims families. Here is the article:

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/playing_innocent_7Ix2Jn8pLN1YlGgoQtSApL

* Isn't interesting how the talking heads like to throw subtle shots at Tim Tebow for his outward demonstrations pertaining to his religious beliefs yet they glorify Ray Lewis. Let me ask you this question, who would you want your daughter going out with: Ray Lewis or Tim Tebow.

* Joe Paterno passed away Sunday morning. It is really unfortunate that a man who dedicated his life to Penn State University and to helping young people had his legacy tarnished by the horrible child sex abuse scandal. As Joe Paterno said himself, he wished he would have done more. But I for one am not going to condemn Joe Pa. It seems like there is misplaced anger being directed toward Paterno when it was Sandusky who was abusing young boys. The testimony from his former players and even from former PSU students indicate that this man had a positive impact in a lot of people's lives. Penn State will never be the same. See the article below wriiten by Pat Forde.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=pf-forde_paterno_passing_conflicted_complicated_012212

* The Yankees are supposedly shopping around to acquire another bat to fill the DH role at the very least on a part-time basis. Yankee GM Brian Cashman has indicated that he could sign a free agent but wants to see if can utilize the excess pitching the Yankees have to acquire a hitter. Supposedly, AJ Burnett is on the block but I can't see anyone biting. The more appealing trade chip is Phil Hughes. I think the Yanks should start the season with a DH platoon that would feature Eduardo Nunez, ARod and Derek Jeter. You can never have enough pitching. However, if they can find a sucker to take Burnett I would do it in a heartbeat.

* Well, I have Friday circled on my calendar as the great sports radio giant WGR 550 will hold an Animal Draft. Really???? These guys are a total joke. There is so much to talk about in the world of sports with the Super Bowl on the horizon, of course the Sabres and college basketball. What might be novel for the blowhards at WGR 550 is if they took the time to begin a major league baseball pre season show. They could even look at it from a fantasy baseball perspective. But these guys want to be entertainers. I would rather listen to polka musice than to listen to Schopp & The Bulldog justify why they picked a Tiger over a Lion.

* And finally, I could careless what Tim Thomas' political beliefs are and in fact I'll be honest and tell you that I think he's nuts. But my political beliefs mean nothing as do his. I am sick of multimillion dollar athletes thinking that they have to make a political statement, particularly when it involves what has become a tradition of championship teams going to the White House to meet the President. I really don't care who the President is, it's about the office of the President. I remember when Bush was President that players elected not to go for various reasons. It's all crap. Maybe they should end this whole tradition and maybe these multimillion dollar athletes should do something to encourage people to vote.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering if anyone cares who Todd Palin endorses for President, here is what's on my mind this morning:

* The Toronto Maple Leafs begin a home and home series tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at the Air Canada Center. The Leafs have won three in a row, including a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings. With 9 games this month in January, the Leafs have started that stretch off well with the 3 home wins. Tonight they face a team that has historically given them problems. The Sabres are reeling right now and the Leafs really need to come out flying tonight and take it to the Sabres early. With Leaf-nemisis, Ryan Miller in goal, it won't be easy. The puck drop is 7:05.

* Last night's BCS Championship Game was boring as hell. Those that say this is what football is all about need to get off the BCS bandwagon. There were only 3 plays of twenty yards or more, hardly the makings of a classic championship game. Alabama wins 21-0, however that includes 5 field goals. I still say that the more intriguing game would have been Oklahoma State against one of these two SEC teams.

* The total ineptness of the LSU offense made the game less than a classic. The LSU defense needs to be given full marks for keeping their team in the game and limiting Alabama to 5 field goals before Trent Richardson's late 35 yard touchdown run.

* http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-wetzel_alabama_lsu_bad_bcs_title_game_010912 This article says it all.

* Trent Richardson last night rushed for 96 yards on 20 carries, with 35 of those yards coming off of a late fourth quarter touchdown run. Richardson did nothing to impress me to the point where I believe that the Cleveland Browns should take him with the fourth pick overall. Unfortunately most recent mock drafts have wide receiver Justin Blackmon being taken before the Browns pick. If that is the case, they should trade their pick down to Washington's 6th pick overall and draft Ashley Jeffries, wide receiver from South Carolina.

* Congratulations to Jorge Posada on his retirement. I'm glad that the former Yankee catcher decided to forego playing with any other team. For Yankee fans, Posada's retirement is a stark reminder that the 1996-2000 championship run is slipping farther and farther away in history. There are only two players remaining from those great Yankee teams: Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. The critical question is: will we ever see a team like that again and if so, when??

* I just have a feeling that the New York Giants are going to give the Green Bay Packers all they can handle on Sunday. Even though he plays in the largest media market in the country, Eli Manning does not get all the notoriety that some other quarterbacks receive and he is deserving. The Giants are a more complete team right now than the Packers: they can run, pass and play defense. The Packers can't run or play defense. If the Giant front four can pressure Aaron Rodgers, New York may be headed to the NFC Championship Game.

* Browns fans watching the Pittsburgh Steelers-Denver Broncos game featured two teams that have tortured us for years. However, we can take solace in knowing that the Browns contributed to the Steeler defeat with the ankle injury that Ben Roethlisberg sustained on December 8th against the Browns. By the way, do you think Denver wins if Big Ben was healthy???

* WGR Radio 550 is the new radio voice of the Buffalo Bills and yesterday Schopp & The Bulldog had Bills General Manager Buddy Nix on to discuss the state of the team. Nix sounded like a pretty solid old school football guy. He also sounded like Foghorn Leghorn.

* I have to give Paul "Gasbag" Hamilton credit for his objective analysis on the Sabres. While Jeremy White and Howard Simon were begging to hear that the Sabres were going to make a move, Hamilton explained that the team believes that they have the right players and that injuries are the reason why the team is in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Simon and White were heartbroken. Actually kind of funny.

* And finally, does anyone have any idea when the MSG-TWC stalemate will be resolved?? Once again, the fans suffer so what else is new.