Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if anyone really cares that the NBA is starting up on Christmas Day, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs completed their four game road trip going 3-1 despite a rash of injuries that saw six regulars out of the starting line-up in the last game against Anaheim. That number was down from seven when Mikhail Grabovski returned against the Ducks. Brian Burke was roasted last year by many as the team headed for another season missing the playoffs. But this year we are seeing the fruits of his labor as the Leaf youngsters have stepped to the forefront. Jake Gardiner continues to shine and in my mind will need to bear serious consideration for rookie of the year. He and defense partner Luke Schenn were exceptionally strong on the road trip. By the way, both of these guys are under the age of 23. The kid line of Joe Colborne, Matt Frattin and Joey Crabb continue to contribute offensively and Colborne, who was acquired in the Tomas Kaberle deal, is showing positive signs for the future as a possible big top line center. By the way, Colborne is 21 years old.
* As a Leaf fan you have to be happy for two guys who have taken plenty of heat but are playing very well right now and that is Jonas Gustavsson and Tyler Bozak. Gustavsson is probably playing his best hockey since becoming a Maple Leaf. He has re-established his standing as the team's back-up goalie behind James Reimer. In my mind, Gustavsson's success is attributed to better positioning in the net. He is not flopping around like he was early on in this season. When Reimer returns, Gustavsson will provide the Leafs with a solid back-up who is demonstrating that they can win with him in goal. Tyler Bozak has elevated his game and has developed great chemistry with the Leafs top scorers: Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel. Bozak is scoring goals and has improved his overall defensive play which will force the Leafs into making some tough decisions about who will stay with the big club once David Steckel is back in the line-up which could be as early as Wednesday. A year ago there was plenty of concern about the center position, the Leafs now find themselves with some very good depth up the middle.
* The Cleveland Browns lost another heart breaker on Sunday to their Ohio rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. The Browns had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter as they were driving and chewing up clock behind the running of Peyton Hillis and the short passing game. The Browns were having success running right up the gut with Hillis. But for some unknown reason, Coach Pat Shurmur decided to try Hillis on a sweep play to the left which saw Colt McCoy pitch the ball out to the big running back. The play resulted in losing yards and forced a 3rd and long which the Browns were not able to convert forcing a 55 yard field goal that was missed and giving the Bengals great field position which resulted in their game winning field goal. This pitch play with Hillis was stopped for no gain earlier in the half. It made no sense to try it again, particularly with the success Hillis was having running inside and the fact that the Bengal linebackers are quick and that the running back was just coming off of a hamstring injury.
* Hillis' performance clearly illustrated why the Browns need to re-sign this guy. He provided another weapon for the offense and provided additional protection for Colt McCoy. The failure to keep Peyton Hillis on this team will prove to be a major mistake.
* At this time of the year baseball general managers tend to be coy about what their plans are as they head into the Baseball Winter Meetings. Word out of Yankeeland is that Brian Cashman has indicated that he is not in any hurry to make a deal to acquire another starting pitcher and would be perfectly happy to go into the season with a starting rotation of CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia. Really, Brian???? With the new playoff format, it will be more important to win your division. This starting rotation is put together with Sabathia and a lot of rubber bands and duct tape. Will Nova build off his success last year or will he suffer a sophomore slump?? Can Phil Hughes bounce back??? Is there one more worthwhile year in the arm of Freddy Garcia??? And then there is AJ Burnett. Here's hoping that Cashman is not wanting to tip his hand and is able to make a deal for a quality starting pitcher. I still say that a two or three year contract with Mark Buerhle would be the ticket.
* Two NHL coaches were fired yesterday: Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals and Paul Maurice of the Hurricanes. Both are quality guys and have been let down by star players on their respective teams. Eric Staal and Cam Ward have not played up to par and has been the contributing factor in the Canes slow start. In Washington, it was a clear case of a player mutiny as the Caps stars were not happy with Boudreau's attempt to instill some discipline. I was at the Sabre game against the Capitals on Saturday and it was a total disgrace the way Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin played. Well, they got what they wanted. It will be interesting to see how they will react to their new coach: Dale Hunter.
* Last Friday the Sabres were in Columbus and I can't tell you how enjoyable it was to watch the game without hearing the annoying play-by-play of Rick "Pork Chop" Jenneret. Listening to Kevin Sylvester and Danny Gare was a treat. I have always liked Gare as he brings insight to the game. I was surprised when he was let go from the Blue Jacket broadcast team and it was a nice pick-up for the Sabres. You may wonder why I call Jenneret "pork chop". The reason: it sounds like he has a pork chop lodged in his throat when he calls a goal for the Sabres.
* Had to laugh at the tweets from Bills fans after the Jets game. There was all kinds of talk about how the future looks bright and next year they will surpass the Jets and challenge the Patriots for the division. Really, BillsMafia???? Earth to Bills fans: your team has lost four games in a row!!!! You have gone from 5-2 to 5-6. This is the stuff that drives me crazy about Bills fans.
* Yesterday if you had the opportunity to be tuned into WGR550 at around 9-9:15 am you heard great radio as Howard Simon, Jeremy White and Jerry Sullivan got into a heated discussion about the Stevie Johnson incident. Sullivan was all over Johnson for his immature actions that cost the Bills with an excessive celebration penalty that resulted in great field position for the Jets which led to a tying touchdown just before halftime. White maintained that all Johnson cost the Bills was a 15 yard penalty and that it was the defense's fault for not stopping the Jets. These guys were screaming at each other with Simon ultimately siding with his tag-team partner White. For the record, Sullivan won this special handicap match and moreover he is right. Johnson cost his team the game with his stupid penalty and his key drops in the fourth quarter. Not sure what planet White and Simon are on since they were faulting Fitzpatrick for Johnson's inability to catch the pass in the end zone at the end of the game. Really????
* And finally, whatever happened to that 70 point season that Ville Leino was projected to score after he signed for all of that Pegula money?? I think I remember Lindy Ruff projecting him as a top line center. Not looking so good right now and quite frankly I think it will prove to be a contract that the Sabres will ultimately try to move. But hey, at least their spending money!!!!
Boeheim Must Go Now!!!
Normally on Monday I would be commenting on the Browns or with the Leafs playing last night going over their contest in Anaheim. However, yesterday Syracuse University announced that they have fired long-time assistant basketball coach, Bernie Fine. The announcement of Fine's dismissal came after a nine hour search by state and federal authorities of Fine's home on Friday and a damaging recording of a phone conversation with Bobby Davis and Fine's wife where Mrs. Fine acknowledges that her husband has a problem. By the way, the Fines reside across the street from the Boeheim residence. Because of the Fine firing, I will comment on the Browns and Leafs tomorrow as a part of "Tuesday's Thoughts".
Since the news of Fine's firing, many have come out and said that this situation was different than the one at Penn State and that Jim Boeheim should not be in danger of losing his job. The Boeheim defenders will tell you that no one came to Boeheim and told him that Fine committed any acts against children. They will say that Boeheim was just being a good friend remaining loyal to his long-time assistant. But there are similarities with the Penn State scandal that resulted in Joe Paterno's firing and as a result Jim Boeheim should be fired. If he isn't there is an incredible double standard.
First, in the entire Penn State story the premise was that Joe Paterno knew everything that went on at the university. As a result, he had to have known what happened in 1998 even though Scott Paterno, Joe's son, has said that his father was not aware of the 1998 incident. Jim Boeheim's status on the Syracuse campus is similar to that of JoePa's. Boeheim, by his own admission, knew that there were internal investigations by the University going back to 2002. Yet, it was determined that the word of a long-time Boeheim assistant carried more weight than a ball boy.
Second, the 1998 Penn State incident was turned over to State College police and based upon their investigation the district attorney's office did not indict Jerry Sandusky. There were some in the media who believed that Penn State, and Paterno in particular, applied pressure to make sure there was not an indictment. Last week, the Onondaga County District Attorney called into question the 2002 investigation conducted by the Syracuse Police Department pertaining to the sex abuse allegations against Fine. The district attorney's office has had to subpoena 2002 police department records and the state and federal authorities are now involved. Did the University, and Boeheim in particular, apply pressure on the Syracuse Police Department??
Thirdly, in the Penn State scandal Paterno was slammed for his supposed indifference to the victims. Many made the point over and over that he didn't even know the name of the kid involved in the 2002 incident that McQueary told him about. When the Fine story first became public, Jim Boeheim not only stood by his friend he also slammed the two victims. He said they were trying to get money in a settlement and called them both liars. Boeheim knew their names but couldn't give a damn less about their feelings. Where was the concern for the victims???
Joe Paterno was fired as a result of the Penn State Board of Trustees not being able to withstand the incredible media heat they were feeling. They agreed with those that said that Paterno should have done more than just report what McQueary told him. What's interesting is that Paterno testified in the grand jury that McQueary told him that something was going on in the shower between Sandusky and a young boy. Under oath, Paterno stated that McQueary never told him that Sandusky was raping the boy. Paterno's testimony was deemed as credible and he was not charged with perjury as was Curley and Schultz. Yet, he was still fired because he should have done more.
Jim Boeheim is to get a pass according to many in the media. He was just being loyal to a friend. Really. He hired Bernie Fine. He has worked with him since the mid-70's. They live across the street from each other. It is apparent that the allegations agaiinst Fine were known by many in the Syracuse community. Are you telling me that Boeheim didn't know anything?? Boeheim probably spent as much time with Bernie Fine as Laurie Fine has spent with her husband. She knew her husband had a problem. You mean to tell me that Boeheim didn't know his long-time trusted assistant didn't have a problem???
The media pounced on the Penn State story with both feet. There was an immediate call for Paterno's dismissal. Not hearing that now about Boeheim. Of course, there are more Syracuse alums from the Newhouse School of Broadcasting in the media than there are from Penn State. Boeheim has been the basketball coach during many of these alums years at SU. He was an imposing figure at a school where basketball is king. It must be awfully hard to believe that this happening to their beloved basketball program. But the fact remains that if you were calling for Paterno's head, then you must be looking for Boeheim to be fired. To do otherwise would be a double standard. If Jim Boeheim was smart he would resign now. He probably won't. I'm sure he thinks he will ride this out.
Week 12 NFL Picks
Well, the Lions proved to be a turkey for me on Thanksgiving so I hope to come back today with four picks:
* Carolina (-3 1/2) over Indianapolis - The Colts have the second worst offense and defense in the AFC. Carolina has Cam Newton and he should be able to generate some offense. While this may be a chance for the Colts to win a game, the Panthers have too much offense. Carolina 24 Indianapolis 13.
* Cleveland (+7 1/2) over Cincinnati - Both teams' defenses have played very well and both teams have young quarterbacks. The Browns may have Montario Hardesty and Peyton Hillis available for today's game. The Bengals may be due for a letdown after their last two games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. This game will be closer than one would think. Cincinnati 20 Cleveland 15.
* Chicago (+3 1/2) over Oakland - The Bears have an opportunity to solidify their wild card chances with a win today. With or without Jay Cutler, the Raiders were going to be a tough opponent. Oakland has their share of injuries too. This game will turn into a defensive struggle. Look for the Bears to pull this one out. Chicago 17 Oakland 14.
* New England (-3 1/2) over Philadelphia - The Patriots can vault themselves in the AFC and potentially get home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Eagles will be without one of their star defensive backs and really have nothing to play for in this game. New England 38 Philadelphia 31.
Leafs Gut Out 4-3 Shootout Win
The Toronto Maple Leafs, already missing several key players, lost Carl Gunnarsson and David Steckel in the second period but still managed to gut out a 4-3 shootout win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Arena. Joffrey Lupul scored the lone goal in the shootout for the Maple Leafs. It was poetic justice as Lupul was high sticked by Sheldon Souray in the waning seconds of the overtime period resulting in several cuts around his eye and breaking his visor.
Jonas Gustavsson played well again last night and it appears he is sending a message to Leaf management that he wants to be the primary backup for James Reimer. I had some serious doubts about Gustavsson and had advocated that the Leafs acquire a veteran goaltender. But with his recent play, Gustavsson has allowed the Leafs to pursue other possibilities. Without a doubt, his recent body of work has been his best since becoming a Maple Leaf.
As Coach Ron Wilson indicated after the game, Luke Schenn had his best game of the year. He was physical and saved a goal early in the second period. Jake Gardiner continues to impress as he led all Leaf defenseman in ice time and Dion Phaneuf had a goal and an assist and was a tower of power as the Leafs were down a defenseman. In fact, Wilson was going with only four defensemen for most of the third period as Cody Franson barely saw the ice.
Early word indicates that both Gunnarsson and Steckel had a bandaged finger as they left the rink last night. We probably won't know until later today if they will be out of action. Not sure how many more injuries this team can endure. Before this four game road trip, I was hoping for 4 out of 8 points. With the game against the Ducks tomorrow, the Leafs have an opportunity to pick up 6 points. It won't be easy as the Ducks will be in a surly mood after blowing a two goal lead to the Black Hawks yesterday in the third period. The puck drop is 9pm Sunday.
Take Your Pick: The Lions Are Turkeys & Pretenders
It was supposed to be a statement game. For once the traditional Thanksgiving game in Detroit was going to be a good one. Well, the game was good if you were a Green Bay Packer fan and the statement that was made was that the Detroit Lions are NFC pretenders and are as done as the turkey dinner we had yesterday. In the last three weeks, the Lions have played two divisional opponents where they had a chance to assert themselves in the NFC North and in the conference and both times they failed miserably. Losing is one thing but costly mistakes particularly from your young quarterback and the overall dirty classless play is enough to tell me that the Lions are done.
Matthew Stafford's interceptions led to two Packer touchdowns and turned what was a defensive struggle in the first half to a Green Bay blowout in the final two quarters. This against the second worst pass defense in the National Football League. With the whole nation watching it is obvious that Stafford has a lot to learn.
Meanwhile, the Lions continued to play to their image of being the dirtiest team in the league led by Ndamukong Suh. Suh's blatant stomping on the body of a fallen Green Bay offensive lineman is a disgrace. What's a bigger disgrace is his post game comments defending himself. Suh's inability to own up to his misbehavior is disturbing. It's a lack of accountability for one's actions and who I hold responsible for this is none other than Head Coach Jim Schwartz. As I have often said, a team takes on the personality of its coach. Schwartz is a high strung punk as evidenced by his actions after his team lost to the San Francisco 49ers. If you recall he took exception to Niner Coach Jim Harbaugh's slap on the back and charged after him. The guy is a whiner and it doesn't surprise me that Suh and the rest of the Lions play the game as if they are punks. It's one thing to play a physical, tough game. It's another to play dirty and classless and that's what the Lions are: dirty and classless.
What started out like a good story about a bad team finally turning it around has turned into a story about a head coach who acts like the leader of a street gang and will not be happy until someone seriously gets hurt. In the end, here's hoping that this band of hooligans don't make the playoffs and Mr. Suh finds himself sitting on the sidelines for awhile due to a suspension.
Happy Thanksgiving: A Week 12 NFL Pick
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Along with turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, football is a Thanksgiving tradition. The traditional Thanksgiving game in Detroit has been a yawn since Barry Sanders retired but this year will be different as the 10-0 Green Bay Packers take on the 7-3 Detroit Lions. Of the three games today this is the one I am making a selection on and here we go:
* Detroit (+6) over Green Bay: This is a big game for the Lions as they are tied with Chicago at 7-3 and have Atlanta, the Giants and Dallas breathing down their necks at 6-4. It's a given that unless there is a monumental collapse, the Packers are going to win the NFC North so in order for the Lions to make the playoffs they will need to go as a wild card and that's why this game is big for them. While Green Bay's offense has been lighting it up (3rd best in the NFC), their defense is second to last in the NFC. Moreover, their pass defense is the worst in the NFC and the only pass defense worse than theirs in the whole league is New England's.
The Lions meanwhile have the second best defense in the NFC and their pass defense is ranked 1st in the conference. Offensively, the Lions are ranked 6th in the NFC and their passing attack is 5th in the conference. This is going to be a great test for both teams as the Packers have been relying on their offense to win games and this will be the best defense they have faced this year. On the flip side, Matthew Stafford should be able to exploit the vulnerable Packer pass defense. In what should be a high scoring affair: Green Bay 38 Detroit 35.
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The other Thanksgiving games should be good ones particularly the night game between San Francisco and Baltimore. We should learn a lot about the 49ers after that game. I will have the rest of my Week 12 Picks Saturday morning. I'm 17-6 over the last seven weeks and 21-14 overall.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!
Young Leafs Lead The Way In 7-1 Win
The youngest team in the National Hockey League put on quite a show last night in Tampa as the Toronto Maple Leafs stunned the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 7-1 trouncing at the St. Pete Times Forum. In probably his best game as a Maple Leaf, Matt Frattin set up two goals with impressive rushes into the Lightning zone which resulted in a goal for Joey Crabb and the first NHL goal for Joe Colborne. Frattin has shown a willingness to do all the little things but last night I thought he really showed his speed and offensive abilities. Another member of the Leaf Kiddie Corp, Jake Gardiner chipped in with two assists and was a +4. Gardiner gave the Lightning fits all night and their frustration was illustrated by Steven Stamkos going at the young defenseman late in the third period.
The much-maligned Tyler Bozak had two goals last night and it appears that this kid is really gaining confidence. His last three games have been exceptional and he is going to make Ron Wilson have some tough decisions once Mikhail Grabovski comes back. Bozak has great chemistry with Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel and it will be hard to break that up. Tim Connolly once again showed his offensive talent last night, scoring a goal and chipping in with 2 assists. Connolly has been outstanding since he's come back and if he can remain healthy gives the Leafs strength up the middle. Wilson will have to decide how he will use Connolly, Bozak and Grabovski once the latter comes back from injury.
Jonas Gustavsson had a strong game and seems to be rising to the occasion as his status as backup goalie has been questioned repeatedly. Yesterday the news was the most positive pertaining to James Reimer. Reimer was on the ice with Francois Allaire and will be participating in the team practices for the remainder of the road trip. It was reported in one of the Toronto newspapers that Reimer could be back in one of the two games against Boston next week. My guess would be that Gustavsson would remain the backup and Ben Scrivens would be sent back to the Marlies where he can get plenty of playing time.
There were some good signs last night. First, the special teams are continuing to click as the penalty killers were successful on 5 out of 6 Tampa power plays and the Leaf power play unit scored two goals on four tries. Secondly, the Leafs got scoring from players other than Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul which is going to be important.
The Leafs are now 7-7-1 since James Reimer has been out. How many other teams can survive being without their number one goalie for 15 games and play .500? On top of that losing so many regulars would also not be the best thing to happen. But so far this young team has held its own. With two games remaing on this road trip and then a home and home coming up with the Boston Bruins, this young Leaf team will have to play with the same kind of intensity that they displayed last night relying on their superior speed. Next game is Friday at Dallas with the puck drop scheduled for 8:30.
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Tomorrow look for possible NFL Picks as there are 3 games scheduled for Thanksgiving. Last week was another 2-1 week upping my record to 17-6 over the last 7 weeks.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering how long Tyler Palko will remain in the NFL, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Maple Leafs face off with the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight down in Florida. The Leafs are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes where they were listless for two periods and nearly pulled it out in the third if not for a terrible mistake by John-Michael Liles and Cody Franson. Ben Scrivens kept the Leafs in the game as the Hurricanes could have been up 5-0 going into the third period. Phil Kessel had both Leaf goals. Tonight's game will be a tough one and it will be interesting to see who is in net tonight as both goalies played well over the weekend. It would be nice if the Blue and White can pull one out tonight.
* Yesterday the NY Daily News indicated that the Atlanta Braves are interested in the Yankees Eduardo Nunez. Supposedly a deal could be Nunez and Nick Swisher for 25 year old pitcher Jarr Jurrjens. Jurrjens pitched well last year but did have issues with his knee. I'm leery of acquiring pitchers from the National League. If the Yankees are going to make a trade then they should attempt to get 26 year old left-hander John Danks who they probably could get for less than what the Braves are looking to get for Jurrjens. It would cost them nothing but money if they were able to sign Mark Buehrle to a 2 or 3 year deal.
* Pitching becomes more important in light of Major League Baseball's decision to add a wild card team to the post season which could begin as soon as next season. This is all a part of the current deal between MLB and the Players Association which will also see Houston move to the American League in 2013, testing for HGH and interleague play throughout the season. Currently, it is being proposed that there would be a one game playoff between the two wild card teams with the winner playing the team with the best record. Now as a Yankee fan think about this: the Yankees finish the season with 95 wins but end up in second place to Boston. They will have to play in a one game playoff against an 86 win Angels or Twins team. If you pitch Sabathia in the one game playoff he will probably not be ready to pitch until at least game three of the divisional series. Not all teams are in favor of this wanting a best of three series for the 2 wild card teams. Of course, if that happened the World Series might be back to being played in November. Please.
* I hate interleague play and having interleague games all season long is horrible. Bud Selig keeps on talking about the tradition of the game. Really, Bud??? Tradition of the game is Arizona playing Seattle on April 22??? Selig is a moron and this will continue to reduce interest in the All-Star Game which is another example of Selig's terrible leadership. The winner of the All-Star Game determining which league gets home field advantage in the World Series is a joke. The beauty of baseball is that it is a 162 game marathon. The team who has the best record at the end of that marathon should have home field advantage. But then again what do I know.
* The Sabres will be taking on the Boston Bruins Wednesday night and Paul Gaustad said yesterday that fans should not expect fireworks because the Sabres are focused on getting two points. Larry Brooks of the NY Post had a great point in his Sunday column about the Miller-Lucic incident. Brooks made the point that if Miller was so enraged, why didn't he after being hit give Lucic a two-hander when Lucic was standing in front of his net??? Instead Miller decided to whine after the game and then Whiner-In-Chief Darcy Reiger went to the league to get Lucic suspended. Well, we know that Lucic was not suspended. As Brooks points out, if Lucic had hit former Islander goalie Billy Smith, Smith would have given Lucic a two-hander the next time Lucic was in front of the net which would have resulted in a brawl.
* Tough blow for the Chicago Bears losing Jay Cutler for 6-8 weeks due to a broken thumb on his throwing hand. Cutler suffered the injury while trying to tackle a Charger defensive back who intercepted a pass and prevented a pick six. Cutler is a tough guy and don't be surprised if he comes back sooner. The Bears were playing great football and it will be interesting to see if their defense and Matt Forte can carry the load. By the way, I think Caleb Hanie is not as bad as man people think.
* Maurice Jones-Drew is a punk. He led the charge last January questioning Cutler's toughness when the quarterback was unable to continue playing in the NFC Championship Game. On Sunday against the Browns after scoring a touchdown, he mocked Cleveland fans by mimicing Lebron James' powder in the air act. Jones-Drew's act is getting old and maybe he should concentrate on how he can make his team better.
* Listen to WGR 550 yesterday and it was typical after a Bills loss garbage. Howard Simon went on and on about how all he wants is a quarterback that can get them 9 or 10 wins and hopefully into the playoffs. What a loser mentality!! You should want a quarterback who is going to get you in the playoffs and a legitimate chance to get to the Super Bowl. The current NFL is a quarterback league. If your quarterback can't light it up your team probably is not going to be successful. Earth to Bills fans: Fitzpatrick is not a franchise quarterback. I've said that since day one and now we are seeing why the contract extension that the Bills gave Fitzmagic was a bad deal.
* The GR Geniuses were just flabbergasted over the Bills' fall from grace but the fact remains that this team won 3 games (Philadelphia, Oakland and New England) that they should have lost. Mike Schoop and the Bulldog were so perplexed that they were actually yelling about how they were tired of a Bills season going down the tubes year after year. The problem with all of these GR morons is that they refuse to not get sucked into the hype after a few wins. The defense is weak and the offensive line has been abysmal. The Bills lived off turnovers early in the season and other teams have been able to shutdown the Bills offense. If Schoop and Company were true sports broadcasters they would have been pointing this out from the beginning instead of stoking the playoff flames for Chester Cheektowaga and Louie Lackawanna. Now both of them are ready to jump off the Skyway.
* By the way, if you want true sports radio make sure you tune in to WGR 550 at 6pm today to participate in their Thanksgiving Draft. With a great day of football coming up on Thanksgiving Day, compelling college football on Friday and Saturday and the return of Sydney Crosby last night, the GR Geniuses are going to draft Thanksgiving food selections. Last night Schoop, the Bulldog and Jerry Sullivan were debating whether gravy was going to be considered a food or if it could be combined with potatoes or stuffing. Way to go GR550!!!!!
* The allegations against the Syracuse assistant basketball coach will be interesting to follow as the investigation gets going. It seems hard to believe that now all of a sudden this stuff comes out. It's also interesting how ESPN has jumped all over this. Maybe it's because they were criticized for not bringing the Penn State story up sooner. What's even more interesting that there has been no spotlight on the 20 year child molestation case involving former Boston Red Sox clubhouse attendant Donald Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald worked at the Winter Haven training complex of the Red Sox and he assaulted black young boys from 1971 to 1991. There was an out of court settlement. Have you heard anything about this??? I know I haven't. Interesting.
* And finally, whatever happened to Chuck Dickerson.
In Next 6 Games, Browns Will Learn If They Need A QB
Yesterday the Cleveland Browns held off the Jacksonville Jaguars 14-10 brining their record to 4-6 on a what has been a very depressing season. As a Browns fan, I wasn't overly excited about the win. Quite frankly all it did was reduce the chances of the Browns getting a top 10 draft pick.
The biggest question the Browns face is whether or not Colt McCoy is a franchise quarterback. Over the course of the next six weeks, they will face Cincinnati, Baltimore twice, Arizona and Pittsburgh twice. The weather will be cold and the defenses will be tough in all but Arizona. If McCoy is truly the guy to lead the Browns to the promised land then he will need to show that he can make plays against divisional rivals particularly in December.
As I have said numerous times I want to see this kid succeed. But I'm not yet sure he is a franchise QB. Is he tough? Yes. Does he have leadership abilities? Yes. But the question is does he have the physical ability to make others around him better. Can he lift the offense. Can he perform well in hostile environments. Over the course of the next 6 weeks we will find out whether the Browns will need to draft another quarterback.
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Tomorrow's Tuesday's Thoughts should be a classic.
Leafs Head Out On The Road With 7-1 Win
Before the start of last night's game against the Washington Capitals, many felt that the injury depleted Toronto Maple Leafs would be in big trouble. Well that was not the case as the Leafs dominated in every facet of the game and came out with a 7-1 win. The Kessel-Bozak-Lupul line was on fire all night and Lupul ended up with 4 points. But what is more important was the fact that the Leafs received scoring from Tim Connolly, Matt Frattin, Cody Franson and David Steckel. If the Leafs are to survive this 4 game road trip with seven regulars out they will need production from more than the Kessel line.
Two things that really stick out for me are Jonas Gustavsson's play and the successful killing of five power play opportunities for the Capitals. Gustavsson made 40 saves after giving up a goal on the first Capital shot of the game. Many felt that it was another soft goal let in by a Leaf goalie. But replay showed that the puck deflected off of two Leaf defensemen. After that Gustavsson was rock solid making some spectacular saves in the second and third period, several on Alex Ovechkin.
The Leaf penalty killing unit did a great job in frustrating the Capitals. For the first time this season they seem to be able to react quickly to the puck movement of the power play unit, getting sticks in the way to break up passes and they were able to clear the puck. I thought Nikolai Kulemin was particularly strong on the penalty kill as was Tim Connolly. Gustavsson strong play also helped the PK unit.
It was nice to see Matt Frattin get his first goal of the season on a beautiful feed from Joe Colborne. Colborne looks like he belongs with the big club and it will be interesting to see how he fares on this four game road trip. Cody Franson played well and notched his first goal which came on the power play. We finally got to see that booming shot of Franson's on the power play. By the way, the power play looked awesome last night. John Michael-Liles has made a dramatic difference on the power play and there is no question that the Kessel line is really in a groove right now and that has helped.
There was good news earlier in the day as James Reimer was back out on the ice for the second day in a row. If Reimer can continue to progress, the Leafs may not have to go out and get a goalie. As they begin the road trip this afternoon in Carolina, many young Leafs will have an opportuinty to show that they belong and would give Brian Burke plenty of assets from which to deal if he needs to make a trade. 3 of the 4 opponents on this road trip are struggling (Carolina, Dallas and Anaheim). The Leafs need to get at least 4 points out of a possible 8 while on the road. This stretch will probably determine if Burke needs to make a move sooner rather than later. It may also determine what their chances will be to break their playoff drought. It all begins tonight.
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