NHL Realignment Proposal Needs Work
The proposed four division realignment plan that has 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 teams in the Western Conference leaves a lot to be desired. The plan moves the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets into the Eastern Conference and Winnipeg into the Western Conference. The four divisions would breakdown like this:
Eastern Conference
Division 1: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, Philly, NYR, NYI, Pittsburgh and Washington
Division 2: Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, Ottawa, Detroit, Florida and Tampa Bay
Western Conference
Division 3: Chicago, Dallas, Colorado, St.Louis, Minnesota, Nashville and Winnipeg
Division 4: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver
The East has 16 teams and the West has 14 teams. The top three teams in each division and two wild card teams from the rest of the conference would make the playoffs. This is where the first problem crops up. There is an inequity as 2 wild card teams in the East would come from the 10 remaining teams while in the West 2 wild card teams would come from the 7 remaining teams.
The second problem is that what happens if Phoenix goes belly up? Quebec City or a second team in Toronto could not be added because they would create a bigger imbalance between the two conferences. It would appear that this would mean that Seattle would be the most likely fall back solution if the Coyotes need to head out of the desert.
Can Seattle support an NHL team? Maybe, as its close proximity to Vancouver could result in a similar situation as you have in Buffalo. However, there would be no question about the ability to support a team in Quebec City or a second team in Toronto.
Realignment should be the opportunity to strengthen the league and should result in an even amount of teams in each division. That would mean either adding two teams or contracting two teams. In my opinion, contraction is the answer. My plan would be the following:
* Move Phoenix to Seattle
* Contract the Florida Panthers and the New York Islanders
* Two 14 team Conferences: top 8 teams make the playoffs or 2 seven team divisions within each conference
Eastern Conference
Division 1: Boston, Buffalo, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Detroit and Columbus
Division 2: Philadelphia, NY Rangers, New Jersey, Washington, Carolina, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay
Western Conference
Division 3: Chicago, St.Louis, Minnesota, Dallas, Nashville, Colorado and Winnipeg
Division 4: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, San Jose, Edmonton and Calgary
Contraction would strengthen teams and makes more sense than adding two teams. Each conference would be balanced. The loss of the Islanders would be a shame based on the team's history but that was almost 40 years ago and the ownership has done nothing to bring this club along. In fact, they have actually damaged the Islander brand. Will contraction happen?? Absolutely not. The owners and the players would never agree to it. But if they did what was right for the NHL that's what needs to happen. What do you think??
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While thinking about how many times Yankee-Red Sox games will be on national television this season, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs came up with a big road win last night defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. The Leafs received scoring from four different players and once again received solid goaltending from Ben Scrivens. This was the type of game last year that the Leafs would have dropped as it was an opportunity to extend the gap between themselves and the teams below them. The victory left the Leafs 5 points ahead of Philly and Tampa Bay and 6 points ahead of the NY Rangers. They are also only 3 points behind conference leading Montreal, who they will face Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre.
* Interesting stat: the Canadiens only have 4 regulation losses this season and 2 of them were at the hands of the Maple Leafs. This should make tomorrow's game pretty heated between these long time rivals. On top of the fact that the Leafs beat Montreal 6-0 a couple of weeks ago that included plenty of fights where the Leafs came out on top.
* Dave Feschuk, a writer for the Toronto Star, is one of the most negative media types around. His column today about the Leafs not being straight about the return of James Reimer was a typical example. Feschuk keeps on saying that Reimer was suppose to be back in a week when in fact the initial statement from the Leafs was that Reimer would be out a minimum of one week. Most hockey observers and legitimate hockey media types concluded that this was going to be a 2-3 week recovery period. Obviously, Feschuk doesn't pay attention to that because he spends his time trying to cause a controversy where there is none.
* Once again, kudos to Buffalo News columnist Jerry Sullivan for continuing to tell it like it is. Yesterday on Schopp & the Bulldog's show, Sullivan said what most Sabre fans and Buffalo media types don't want to hear: the Sabres are not as good as we think they are. He went on to say that he questioned the claim that the team has all this talent and just haven't been able to mesh together. I'm sure Sullivan's comments didn't sit well with the WGR 550 gasbags as they have been responsible for building up expectations.
* You could tell that Schopp was uncomfortable as he changed the subject trying to get Sullivan to talk more about the firing of Lindy Ruff. Sullivan expressed that Ruff should have been let go last year and now the focus needs to be on General Manager Darcy Reiger which once again led Sullivan to proclaim that the roster that Darcy built is not that good.
* The New York Rangers had very high expectations this year, particularly with the addition of Rick Nash. However, they moved or let go a number of heart and soul types which has had an impact on the team. This is another example that winning the off season does not translate to winning on the ice or playing field. Think about that Blue Jays fans!!!
* Read an article in the NY Daily News questioning whether the Yankees should be interested in Alfonso Soriano. The point being made was that they only needed a short-term solution as a result of the injury to Curtis Granderson. Hello!!! The Yankees need a legitimate right-hand hitting outfielder and Soriano is a big upgrade over Juan Rivera and Matt Diaz. He also hits for power. In addition, Soriano's contract would be offset by the Cubs and he would be a Yankee next year when all signs point to the possibility of Granderson exiting due to free agency.
* Didn't watch one second of the NFL Combines.
* Nearly drove off the road yesterday when Schopp & the Bulldog actually were talking about baseball. For the record, Schopp was predicting the Rays to win the AL East and the Bulldog concurred while still thinking the Yankees and Red Sox will be contenders. That will probably be the extent of GR550's baseball talk for the season. It lasted a whole 3 minutes.
* I wonder when GR550 gasbag Jeremy White will finally admit that the Sabres have wasted a year of development for Mikhail Grigerenko. White had a man crush on the 18 year old and was lobbying hard for the Sabres to leave their first rounder up with the big club. Grigerenko should have been sent to Rochester where he could play. Now that this team looks to continue to fall hopelessly out of the playoff picture, Grigerenko should get more minutes. If he doesn't, whoever was responsible for keeping this kid in Buffalo should be held accountable.
* And finally, has anybody seen Ville Leino???
Now What Mr. Cashman??
Yesterday afternoon, the big experiment of moving Curtis Granderson to left field and Brett Gardner to center field came to a screeching halt as Granderson will be out for ten weeks as a result of a broken right forearm. Granderson was hit by J.A. Happ in his first at bat in a game against the Blue Jays at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Upon seeing Granderson get hit, you knew it might not be good. I thought it was his wrist but when I heard it was the forearm I thought maybe there was a chance it wouldn't be that bad. So much for wishful thinking as it was later announced that the Yankee outfielder would be out for ten weeks due to a broken forearm.
The injury leaves the Yankees with a whole in their lineup as Granderson was hitting fifth behind Mark Teixiera. The injury also means that the Yankees lose another legitimate power hitter. So now what?? How is the void going to be filled for the 30-some games that Granderson will miss? Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman indicated that for the time being the answer will be found internally. That would mean that it must come from Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera or one of the youngsters in training camp. Among that group, I say go with one of the kids.
Since we are only talking about 30-35 games, why not try one of the kids in left field. The group to choose from could be Zolio Almonte, Melky Mesa or Ronnier Mustelier. Almonte probably has the most upside of the three yet he is also the least experienced. Mesa is a solid outfielder but probably the weakest hitter of the three and Mustelier falls somewhere in between as the Yankees haven't really figured out where this kid should play. With the Yankees committed to getting their payroll down to $189 million in 2014, they are going to need to have young talent make the big club.
Granderson is a free agent next year and there is plenty of speculation that the Yankees will not be able to re-sign him as they will be focused on re-signing Robinson Cano. Granderson's injury allows the Yankees to see what they have and how life will be without the classy outfielder. While Cashman says the answer to the problem is internal, that doesn't mean that bringing in a veteran from elsewhere isn't a possibility. Of the names mentioned, the only one that makes sense to me is Alfonso Soriano.
Soriano is a right-handed hitting outfielder who has power and would also be your right-handed hitting designated hitter. The former Yankee would be a good addition and the Cubs would be willing to eat a significant portion of his contract. I am not crazy about getting Vernon Wells, as his production has been on the decline for the last two years. If your going to bring Johnny Damon back you might as well bring in Bernie Williams.
For me, I'd like to see them go with one of the kids. While Slade Heathcott, Tyler Austin or Mason Williams are the top outfield prospects in the Yankee system, if the decision is made to leave these kids in the minors then I say let either Almonte, Mesa or Mustelier play left field. Do you remember the energy that Melky Cabrera brought to the team when the Yanks gave him a shot in center field?? It would be exciting to see a young kid in the lineup as opposed to Matt Diaz or Juan Rivera. If the Yanks aren't comfortable with that, then they need to get Soriano. Hmmmm...would things be so bleak if the Yanks still had Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones?? Maybe someone should ask Mr. Cashman that question.
Burke’s Fingerprints All Over Leafs 3-1 Win
On a day that Brian Burke's relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs officially came to an end, his fingerprints were all over the Leafs 3-1 win over the slumping Buffalo Sabres. Phil Kessel, the player Burke traded for and was routinely criticized for acquiring, showed why he is a special player even though he didn't score a goal last night. Kessel assisted on Dion Phaneuf's first goal while the Leafs were on a power play as he made a nice pass setting up the Captain. But as nice of a play as that was, Kessel's second assist was the offensive highlight of the game as he fooled Leaf-killer Ryan Miller and made a beautiful pass to James van Riemsdyk who tapped the puck into the net and gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead. There is no doubt that Miller thought Kessel was going to shoot the puck as the Leaf forward decoyed him beautifully.
van Riemsdyk, acquired by Burke from Philadelphia, scored his second goal late in the third period on a nice pass from Cody Franson while the Leafs had a two-man advantage. JVR now leads the team with 11 goals and has been a big contributor, not only offensively but also killing penalties. The 23 year old seems to be buying into Coach Randy Carlyle's system as he is consistently placing himself in front of the opposing team's goalie.
Ben Scrivens bounced back strongly from Tuesday's 4-2 loss against Tampa as he was solid in goal particularly in the first period when the Sabres outshot the Leafs 13-10 in the first period and turned away 31 shots overall. I had to laugh Wednesday morning as hockey expert Pierre MacGuire was critical of Scrivens based upon his performance against the Lightning. The kid had one bad game in the last five, yet MacGuire had the gall to say that Scrivens needs to show that he wants to be the number one goaltender. Well, the way to do that is to bounce back from a bad game and the kid did just that last night.
Cody Franson had one of his better games as he was definitely a force offensively and showed some of the promise that the Leafs believed was possible when Burke acquired him in a deal with Nashville that sent Brett Lebda to the Predators. Not sure if either Lebda or Robert Slaney, the other player Burke sent to Nashville, are playing in the NHL.
It is obvious that this young team has bought into Randy Carlyle's system of play. The Leafs are becoming a more difficult team to play as they lead the league in hits and in fights. It should be pointed out that Brian Burke inherited Ron Wilson. Wilson was hired by Cliff Fletcher, prior to Burke's arrival. As Burke admitted upon Wilson's dismissal, he and Wilson had a difference of opinion on the team's style of play. As a result, Burke's biggest mistake may have been hanging onto Wilson for too long. Who knows if the fiery Irishman would still be here if Wilson was let go prior to last season. However, it may not have matter as Burke wasn't corporate enough for the Bell/Rogers executives. But as Dave Nonis said, when this team sees playoff success it will be because of the groundwork laid by Brian Burke.
Game Notes: Sabre fans and media types have a hard time admitting that the Leafs are a better team right now - Rob Ray is one of the worst analysts in the NHL. He referred to Nazem Kadri as Nathan Kadri and at the end of the game praised the Sabres for a good effort. Not sure what game he was watching - It will be interesting to see how long Terry Pegula keeps Darcy Reiger as GM - WGR 550 resident hockey gasbag Paul Hamilton was lamenting Steve Ott's goal being disallowed for goaltender interference. This from a guy who was all over the Milan Lucic hit on Miller last year when Miller was in the faceoff circle. Miller was even questioning last night's call but what would you expect from a team looking for excuses as opposed to looking in the mirror - check out the following column from Damien Cox. Great read:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/02/21/exmaple_leafs_gm_brian_burkes_departure_to_anahiem_as_parttime_scout_shouldnt_be_a_surprise_cox.html
Yankee Issues Begin Early At Training Camp
As the New York Yankees begin their 2013 training camp, issues have already started to creep up as it was announced that Phil Hughes will be shut down for 2 weeks with a bulging disk. Hughes was to be one of the constants of a pitching staff that needs to be the team's strength if the Yankees are to make the playoffs. Moreover, with an aging starting rotation, losing Hughes for any amount of time would be a huge problem. The Yankees are optimistic that this won't effect Hughes' ability to be ready for Opening Day but with backs one has to wonder.
ESPN New York is reporting that Yankee owner Hal Steinbrenner is freaking out about the reaction from fans and the media as it relates to his edict to reduce payroll to $189 million in 2014. The fear of a half-empty stadium and declining YES ratings may have something to do with Hal's concerns. Maybe he has come to the realization that the farm system is not ready to bring up young cheap talent that is going to keep the Yankees competitive.
There is a report that the deep bone bruise that Derek Jeter suffered late in the 2012 season was actually a stress fracture. If that was the case, how did the Yankees allow Jeter to play in the playoffs?? It would be obvious that this is what caused the Yankee Captain to break his ankle. Something is terribly wrong. They didn't know which hip was bothering ARod and we don't know what they knew about Jeter's ankle. Whether they knew about Jeter's ankle or not, it doesn't look good on the team.
Joe Girardi's claim that Eduardo Nunez does not have a guaranteed spot on the Yankee opening day roster better be a way to motivate the young Yankee because if Nunez is not on the roster Brian Cashman needs to be held accountable. Remember Cashman's refusal to include Nunez in the deal to bring Cliff Lee to the Yankees is what killed the trade with Seattle. The Yankees inability to find a place for Nunez has been a failure and as a result the best thing that could happen to Nunez may be that he is moved to another team.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering why anyone would take the time to watch the NFL Combine on the NFL Network, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs once again received solid goaltending from Ben Scrivens as the young netminder posted his second shutout in a row as the Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 3-0. Scrivens was outstanding in the first period as the Panthers were taking it to the Leafs. Phil Kessel opened the scoring late in the first with a blistering wrist shot that once again illustrates how special a player he is.
* Nazem Kadri had one of his best games scoring a goal and making a beautiful pass setting up Clarke MacArthur's goal that deflated the Panthers in the second period. It seemed that Kadri was lost without Matt Frattin but it appears that he is developing chemistry with MacArthur. By the way, MacArthur's shot was a bullet.
* Randy Carlyle made a wise move sitting John-Michael Liles. I have thought that Liles has not played well for the last several games. His strength is supposed to be offense and he has provided little of it and his defense has been less than good.
* What a pleasure to be able to get the Toronto feed for yesterday's game. Joe Bowen and Greg Millen do an excellent job and provide plenty of insight. Bowen reported last night that James Reimer will begin light skating today so it will be interesting to see how he progresses. With tonight's game against Tampa Bay being on Leafs TV its probably a good chance that the Leaf feed will not be available on the Center Ice package. I still can't figure out why this happens.
* Ryan Miller's outburst after Buffalo's 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh does not surprise me at all. Miller has been the key to the Sabres for years now and it must be frustrating for him having to deal with a team that seems to be underachieving but may not be as talented as people think.
* Buffalo's handling of Mikhail Grigerenko is a disgrace. This kid may be a future star but he is only 18 years old and could use a year of seasoning in the AHL. Playing him eight minutes a game is foolish. In fact, Grigerenko has been in the press box the last 2 games.
* The NBA trade deadline is Thursday and there are plenty of rumors as one would expect. The Toronto Raptors are looking to move Andrea Bargnani and at this point there doesn't seem to be any takers. There have been reports out of Boston that the Celtics may be interested in moving Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce. Somehow I don't see either one going anywhere.
* Not sure whether the New York Knicks will make a move but they may not have to if in fact Rasheed Wallace does come back. It's being reported that Wallace will begin to workout with the team starting this week. The Knicks sure could use his defensive play.
* Was watching Yankee Baseball Tonight on YES and they were projecting this year's lineup. The projection had Mark Teixeira batting clean-up. I don't think he can handle it.
* Great articles today in the New York dailies concerning the status of Robinson Cano. As you may know, Cano will become a free agent at the end of the season and will be looking for a long term contract. Cano will be 31 in 2014. Can the Yankees afford to give him a 10 year contract?? I have been a Robbie Cano fan since 2005 when they brought him up but do the Yankees really want to be in another ARod type contract?
* Expectations are running high in Toronto about their Blue Jays. Somehow I have a feeling that all of the hype may be exaggerated. There is no doubt that Toronto is definitely improved and will be very competitive for a playoff spot. However, winning the off season doesn't necessarily transfer to winning on the field. Think: 2011 Boston Red Sox.
* Many Sabre fans are growing restless with their team's play and what they perceive to be a willingness on the part of management to accept the status quo. WGR 550 has been really fun to listen to lately as Chester Cheektowaga & Company vent their spleens over just about everything Sabres. A loss to Winnipeg tonight will really send them over the Skyway.
* And finally, the long time owner of the LA Lakers, Jerry Buss died yesterday at the age of 80. Buss was truly one of the iconic owners in all of sports. His desire to win was legendary but he also crafted a family atmosphere around the Lakers that all of his players appreciated. In these days of worrying about the bottom line (Hal S.), Buss was an owner that every fan would appreciate because he wanted to win as badly as they did. Rest in peace, Jerry.
Scrivens Leads The Way As Leafs Win 3-0
Ben Scrivens was solid in goal last night as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated their provincial rivals, the Ottawa Senators, 3-0 at the Air Canada Centre. With James Reimer out of action, the pressure was on Scrivens to perform and off of the last two games the Leafs have to be happy so far with his performance. Last night, the Maple Leafs did not play their best game and were still able to come up with two points as a result of the play of their young goaltender.
In the second period, Scrivens was solid as the Senators fired 19 shots at him without putting one in the back of the net. The Senators had a couple of point blank chances in the third that would have tied the game but Scrivens was equal to the task and shut the door. Credit must be given to Ottawa for mounting an attack with a depleted lineup but the Leafs young goalie showed that he can hold down the fort until Reimer comes back. It also allows Leaf General Manager Dave Nonis to concentrate on other areas of the team and not make a rush move for a veteran goaltender.
Both of the Leafs first 2 goals were a result of players going to the net. That is a positive and something that Coach Randy Carlyle has been preaching. However, it seems that the Leafs have not been able to utilize their speed to generate offense. I thought that they were better in their own zone last night but they didn't seem to have much going in pressuring Ottawa in the Senator end of the rink.
Nazem Kadri seems lost out there without Matt Frattin. The two had some good chemistry going and the injury to Frattin has impacted Kadri's play. In addition, Kadri is brutal on faceoffs and is a part of his game that he needs to work on. I did not have a problem with Colton Orr being on that line but until Clarke MacArthur is able to develop some chemistry with Kadri, it appears that this line will have difficulty generating offense.
The Leafs head to Florida for back-to-back games against the Panthers and the Lightning. It will be interesting to see how Carlyle handles the goaltending situation. Will Scrivens start both games or will Jussi Rynnas see his first start of the season with the Leafs. Either way, the rest of the team will have to be on its game defensively in order to pick up some valuable points. It won't be easy.
Mistakes Galore: Leafs Lose 3-1
The Toronto Maple Leafs played one of their worst games of the season dropping a 3-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Leafs saw their road record fall to 6-2 as their defensive play reminded me of times last season when the wheels fell off. Bad pinches by defensemen, lack of a forecheck and an inability to get out of their own end marked most of the night in Raleigh for the Blue & White.
Ben Scrivens, filling in for the injured James Reimer, was solid but made a bad decision in trying to unsuccessfully cover a puck which resulted in the winning goal for the Hurricanes. Scrivens gave the Leafs an opportunity to come back in the third period as he made several key saves. But Toronto was unable to generate any offense as Carolina continued its winning ways.
John-Michael Liles had one of his worst games as a Maple Leaf and I have to wonder if he might not be a player that the Leafs could move before the April 3rd trade deadline. Liles has not provided much offensive punch from the blue line and is not overly physical. His brutal pinch when Clarke MacArthur turned over the puck led to a 3 on 1 break which resulted in the third goal for the Hurricanes. What was even more disturbing was the fact that Scrivens made the first save but no Leaf was around to pick up the other Carolina players. That play specifically reminded me of the Ron Wilson coached teams.
MacArthur is one of a few forwards who really needs to step up their game. He really has not been a consistent contributor offensively. I have been a defender of Nikolai Kulemin but I'm beginning to wonder if we may have seen his best season 2 years ago when he scored 29 goals. He appears to be totally out of it offensively and should not be getting the amount of power play time that he does. Mikhail Grabovski is also slumping offensively and without his scoring really puts the Leafs in a deep hole.
The Leafs first line was nearly invisible last night. What was clear is that the Bozak line can't compare to the Eric Staal line. Once again, Staal was a threat all night and Alexander Semin seems to have have been rejuvenated playing alongside the big center man. If you want to see the importance of a big center all you had to do was watch Staal last night.
It's not time to give up on the Leafs, after all they were not going to win the rest of their games. What was upsetting was not the loss but was the lack of effort. Saturday's game against Ottawa will be very telling as to how the rest of this season will unfold. If the Leafs play hard and provide the effort which was evident in their four game winning streak, then it would be evidence that Coach Randy Carlyle's system has taken hold. But if the Senators take it to the Leafs at the ACC, it might be time to begin to wonder if GM Dave Nonis may be willing to move some players before the trade deadline in April. In my mind, effort will be what I will be looking for on Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre. A spirited game at home against their provincial rival is what we should expect. Anything less will be cause for concern in this shortened season.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Bud Selig will take a cue from Pope Benedict and announce his resignation, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Toronto Maple Leafs continued on their winning ways with an impressive 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Air Canada Centre. The win was only the Leafs' second at home this season. The victory was clouded by the injury to goalie James Reimer. Reimer has been solid for the Leafs this season and seemed to be rounding into shape as the team's number one goalie. Coach Randy Carlyle indicated that the injury was not season ending and that Reimer should miss only a short period of time.
* Ben Scrivens was solid in relief of Reimer, stopping 31 of 32 shots sent his way. General Manager Dave Nonis will have to decide if he needs to bring in a veteran back-up. There are free agents available, such as Dwayne Roloson, Ty Conklin or Alex Auld to name a few. If need be, Nonis would be better off signing a veteran free agent as opposed to having to give up anything for a goalie.
* James van Reimsdyk continues to impress as he notched his 8th goal of the year against his former team. And how about Matt Frattin? 7 goals in 10 games for the hard charging winger who was sent down at the start of the season.
* Kudos to Leaf tough guy Colton Orr for his first goal of the year last night. Orr had worked very hard to get into shape and it paid off as he made the team this year after being sent down last year to the Toronto Marlies.
* Brian Burke was at the game last night and it had to be bittersweet for him as the Leafs are playing the type of hockey that he had envisioned when he came to Toronto.
* Sportsnet's camera shot of Nonis when Reimer was going off the ice captured the emotion of everyone in Leaf Nation: oh no not again.
* Curtis Granderson wants to remain a Yankee but unless he is willing to temper his salary requests I don't see the Yankees re-signing him. Granderson is a class act, on and off the field, but with Hal Steinbrenner's desire to get to a payroll of $189 million and the contract of Robinson Cano also expiring, it seems hard to imagine Granderson being in the Bronx in 2014.
* Speaking of Steinbrenner, Hal seemed to be backtracking last week when he said that the $189 million payroll was a goal and that a lot will depend on the development of young players. Someone must have told Hal that a less than competitive team will mean less people at the Stadium and declining ratings for YES.
* The Cleveland Indians are really making a push to be a player in the AL Central division this year as they have signed Michael Bourn. Bourn joins Nick Swisher as the 2 big off season signings along with ex-Oriole Mark Reynolds which should upgrade the Tribe offense.
* It was reported yesterday that Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was returning to his role as CEO of his family's Flying J's truck stops which are all over the country. I guess with having Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi in charge of his football team, Haslam feels comfortable going back to the family business. Hmmm...somehow I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about all of that.
* Haslam's claim that there will be some changes to the traditional Browns uniform. My question is: why??
* With the Philadelphia Eagles re-signing Michael Vick, could Nick Foles be available?? I was impressed with Foles in games that I saw him play and I wonder if the Browns would be interested.
* The Buffalo Sabres are making a huge mistake with how they are handling 18 year old Mikhail Grigerenko. The youngster was in the press box on Sunday for the game against the Bruins. He is averaging only 11 minutes a game, hardly enough for this kid to develop his skills.
* Lindy Ruff must really think people are stupid. In defending his use of Grigerenko, Ruff said that it was no different than how Steven Stamkos and Tyler Seguin broke into the league. Maybe similar to Seguin, but no way similar to Stamkos who was clearly the best player in that year's draft and is one of the best players in the NHL. Sorry Lindy, but I don't see Grigerenko being Steven Stamkos. The kid should be playing in Rochester where he could develop into a solid playmaking NHL center.
* Bucky Gleason's column on Sunday called out Sabres owner Terry Pegula and was right on the mark. Interesting the observations from people around the league about the Sabres and the unbelievable loyalty to Dracy Reiger and Lindy Ruff. The honeymoon period may be ending for Pegulaville.
* Jerry Sullivan added to the chorus yesterday on Schopp & the Bulldog. I was shocked when Sullivan said that Ruff did not want strong-willed players like Chris Drury on his team. Apparently, the control-freak Ruff did not like having a player who also has leadership skills.
* Gasbag Paul Hamilton stated once again that as long as Reiger remains GM, Ruff will be the Head Coach.
* And finally, does anyone know whatever happened to John Gurtler?
MLB: Accept It, Clean It or Shut It Down
With pitchers and catchers reporting this week, the 2013 Major League Baseball season is in its preliminary stages before it kicks off in about 6 weeks. Spring training is a time for hope for a good season and the possibility of some young phenom to make his mark. But this year what will be hovering over all of baseball is the suspicion of who is on some form of performance enhancing drug (PED). The report out of Miami that has linked several players, the biggest name being that of Alex Rodriguez, will dominate the spring just as much as who will be the favorite to win the World Series.
I have gotten to the point where all of the discussion and hand wringing is tiresome and needs to be boiled down to these three positions: 1.) accept the fact that players are using PEDs and move on, 2.) impose blood testing and if a player has been caught they should be banned for life and 3.) shut the season down until all users are identified and given the opportunity to clean themselves up.
Acceptance: Quite frankly this is where I am at. I really don't care anymore because, in my opinion, the teams and MLB don't care. It is hard to believe that in this day and age that the teams don't know what's going on. If the teams and/or MLB are not aware, then shame on them because they should be considering the amount of money that they have invested in these players. Of course, maybe they do know and feel that it is in their best interests to have a 38 year old star bounce back quickly from an injury.
Clean It: If MLB and the Players Association were truly concerned about the reputation of the game and its players, they would make mandatory blood drug testing. It should be done at the beginning of the season, randomly during the season and at the end of the season. Every player should be tested, from the superstar to the 25th man on the roster. In addition, MLB should fund testing throughout the minor league system. I'm tired of hearing about invasion of privacy. I don't want to hear about the costs. If MLB, its teams and the players are serious about repairing their image and cleaning up the game then just do it.
Shut It Down: If MLB and its players refuse to do anything about the use of PEDs, then maybe the 2013 baseball season should be shutdown. No baseball. Maybe Congress could place the heat on Bud Selig and mandate blood testing or else they will remove the anti-trust exemption they enjoy and order the season canceled. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell of this happening but it's to the point that I am sick and tired of talking about PEDs in major league baseball.
Of the three, the only one I can control is acceptance. Of course, I guess there is one other thing I could do is just not follow baseball anymore. But being a fan, I know that that won't happen. Then again, with the possibility of the Stanley Cup Finals going into late June, the NBA Finals being in mid-June and NFL training camps opening in mid-July, maybe it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Hmmm...do you think Selig and company would really care??
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