Super Bowl Pick!!!
Well it's time for my Super Bowl pick. Before I get to the game, let's recap how my season has been. My overall record ATS was 34-21 (61.8%). The last 14 weeks including playoffs I'm 30-13 ATS (69.7%) For the playoffs, my record is 4-1 ATS (80%). This game is a tough one to call but here goes:
New York (+3) over New England: Right now I believe that the Giants are the better overall team. New England's pass defense is terrible and will have a tough time against the Giant passing attack. The key to the game will be whether the Giants will be able to pressure Tom Brady using only their front four. I will be shocked if this game is a blow out either way. Even if the Patriots win this game they won't cover the spread. This one should be a dandy. New York 24 New England 23.
Reimer Records 2nd Shutout As Leafs Win 5-0
The Toronto Maple Leafs stormed into Scotiabank Centre in beautiful Kanata, Ontario and sent the Ottawa Senators deeper into their tailspin with a convincing 5-0 victory on Saturday night. Leaf specialty teams ruled the day as they killed off all 3 penalties and score twice on the power play. Leafs netminder James Reimer posted his second consecutive shutout making 49 saves. Reimer was solid in net seeming to be postioned always in the right place. It is apparent that he is beginning to regain the confidence which made the Leafs believe he was their number one goalie. With the way Jonas Gustavsson had played in the month of January, it looks like the Leafs have a pretty stable goaltending situation. In my opinion, I'm more confident with Reimer in goal as there seems to be less chance for a soft one going in when he is at the top of his game.
Phil Kessel showed last night that he is not only a goal scorer but also a fine passer as he set up Dion Phaneuf and Tyler Bozak for the Leafs 2nd and 3rd goal. Kessel scored the Leafs first goal as he drove to the net to tap in his own rebound as his speed totally befuddled Sens defenseman Matt Carkner. Bozak, Kessel and Joffrey Lupul were dangerous all night. The Leafs third and fourth lines did a good job forechecking the Sens and created scoring chances.
One of the big differences from this Leaf team compared to others in the recent past is the offensive contribution that their defensemen have made. Cody Franson, Luke Schenn and Phaneuf each scored a goal last night and you can see what a difference John-Michael Liles makes on the power play. I thought Schenn played one of his best games of the year last night as he had a physical edge to his play, more so than usual. When looking at the defensemen, I don't know what more I can say about young Jake Gardiner. I said in preseason that I thought this kid was the best young Leaf defenseman they have had since Borje Salming and he continues to support my initial thoughts. The kid has ice water in his veins and his speed allows him to take chances because he has the ability to get back in defensive position. He showed that last night when he chased down Nick Foligno and took the puck away from him after Gardiner had pinched in and Foligno was able to breakout of the Ottawa zone. What looked like a possible Senator scoring chance was foiled when Gardiner took the puck away from Foligno in the Leaf zone before he could make a play.
The Leafs find themselves in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Senators with the Leafs having 3 games in hand. They are also one point behind New Jersey and four points behind Pittsburgh. Those two teams play each other this afternoon and hopefully it is not a 3 point game. Washington hosts the Bruins this afternoon and that is one worth watching as a Leaf fan. The Capitals are two points in back of the Leafs. A Bruin win keeps the Caps behind Toronto. If the Caps win, Washington would move into first in the Southeast Division and the Florida Panthers would fall into ninth place one point behind the Maple Leafs.
The Leafs are in action Monday at the ACC against the Edmonton Oilers who are riding a 3 game winning streak, including last night's shoot out victory over Detroit. Toronto can't take Edmonton lightly. After tomorrow's contest, the Leafs head out on the road for two games: Tuesday in Winnipeg and Thursday in Philadelphia.
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I will have my Super Bowl pick posted at 3pm today!!!
LSU Head Coach Miles: Class Act?? Not!!!
It was reported last night that LSU Head Football Coach Les Miles made a point of mocking Gunner Kiel for his decision not to play for Miles and instead go to Notre Dame. Kiel is arguably the best high school quarterback prospect graduating this year. He had initially committed to LSU but in the eleventh hour decided that he wanted to play closer to home and chose Notre Dame.
Here is what the adult football coach of a major college football power had to say about an 18 year old high school senior:
"We needed a quarterback," Miles told the crowd. "We lost two. We needed a quarterback in this class. There was a gentleman from Indiana that thought about coming to the Bayou State. He did not necessarily have the chest and the ability to lead a program, so you know."
Really??? I'd like to ask Coach Miles how many blue chip recruits have decided to leave a school they initially committed to and ended up at LSU??? I wonder if the coaches at those jilted schools cried and whined like a baby.
Kiel is an Indiana kid whose father, Blair Kiel, was a Notre Dame quarterback in the early 80's. Is it out of the realm of possibility for an 18 year old to change his mind on what school he or she is going to go to in the fall?? Les Miles should be ashamed of himself for calling out an 18 year old kid. In all the years that I have followed sports, I have never heard a college coach call out a recruit who changed his mind. It happens in every college sport on every level. But Miles' behavior is indicative of college football coaches forgetting that they are not coaching professionals but are coaching kids. In essence, they should be teachers. Teachers of not only the game of football but how to conduct yourself once you leave college. The lesson of Miles' boorish behavior is that if I don't get what I want from someone then I need to lash out as opposed to respecting another person's decision and figuring out how I move on.
There are certain college football teams you kind of always pull for. My list includes Alabama, Oklahoma, UCLA, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Notre Dame. LSU has never made that list and as long as Les Miles is head coach they never will.
Reimer Posts Shutout As Leafs Win 1-0
In a game that had the feel of one in a playoff series, the Toronto Maple Leafs bounced back from a disappointing shoot out loss the night before by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0. James Reimer played in his first game since January 17th and posted the shut out. Reimer looked shaky in the first period but seemed to get stronger as the game went on. He benefitted from a couple of goal posts and a crossbar but he provided the Leafs with the goaltending that they needed to bang out a win in this tight defensive contest. Hopefully, the win boosts Reimer's confidence and is something that the young netminder can build on for the rest of the season.
The Leafs played a good game defensively which obviously helped out their young netminder. The second and fourth lines of the Maple Leafs were especially responsible defensively. Once again, the Mikhail Grabovski line shut down the other teams big line as Evgeni Malkin was kept off the score sheet. There was a moment in the third period after the Leafs had scored where Malkin had the puck along the boards in the Leafs zone and the much-smaller Grabovski was tying up the towering Malkin. It was Grabovski's line that scored the Leafs only goal after some beautiful puck movement by Jake Gardiner. Gardiner made a nice pass to Nikolai Kulemin who made a nice play at the blue line to get the puck to Grabovski. The 28 year old center man found an open Clarke MacArthur who put it past Brent Johnson to give the Leafs the lead that they would not rellinquish.
The Leafs newly constructed fourth line of Mike Brown, David Steckel and Colby Armstrong were strong all night. Armstrong, who has been injured more than he has played, had a good first game back. With less than 3 minutes to play his persistent forechecking kept the Penguins bottled up in their own end and eventually forced a faceoff as the Leafs 4th line created a goal mouth scrum that forced Johnson to cover up the puck.
One thing the Leafs have to be concerned about is the scoring drought of the first line. They are obviously getting a lot of attention and they are getting pushed around. It makes one think that Brian Burke may have to make a deal to get a big bodied center for Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. That will be easier said then done, but if anyone can pull it off its Burke.
This morning the Leafs find themselves in seventh place, one point ahead of New Jersey and two points behind Ottawa. Saturday's game against the Senators is a huge one. It will be interesting to see who is in goal and if Jay Rosehill and Mike Kommisarek find their way back into the lineup against the physical Senators. Saturday night on Hockey Night In Canada from Kanata, Ontario. Can't wait!!!
Leafs Dominate & Lose In Shoot Out 5-4
For 48 minutes last night the Toronto Maple Leafs dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Console Energy Center and had a 4-1 lead. (which should have been 5-1 but more on that later) Then Jake Gardiner fell at the blue line and Steve Sullivan rushed down the right wing and took a shot from at the top of the circle beating Jonas Gustavsson on his glove side and the Penguins pulled to within 2 goals. Then with just under 5 minutes remaining, Joe Vitale scored off a goal mouth scrum that Gustavsson should have covered and the Penguins made it 4-3. This just after the Leafs had successfully killed off a Penguin power play. The rest is history as Evgeni Malkin scored with 6 seconds remaining in the game to send it to overtime. Malkin's goal was lucky as James Neal shot deflected off Malkin's shoulder and found the back of the net.
The Leafs came out flying and Tyler Bozak scored on a beautiful pass from Phil Kessel which should have made the score 1-0. However, the referees waived the goal off saying that Marc-Andre Fleury was interferred with by Joffrey Lupul. Replays clearly showed that Lupul was no where near Fleury. Even the ridiculously terrible Pittsburgh broadcast team admitted that it was a bad call.
It's really hard to fault anyone for this loss however Jonas Gustavsson has to be better. There has been a disturbing trend with Gustavsson as he seems to allow a terrible goal at least once a game. This can't happen if the Leafs are to make the playoffs and defnitely can't happen once in the playoffs. One can make the argument that the second Penguin goal was simply bad luck as Jake Gardiner blew a tire at the blue line which resulted in Steve Sullivan's breakaway. I maintain that Gustavsson should have stopped Sullivan's shot however I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the third goal is inexcusable. Gustavsson had an opportunity to cover that puck and didn't. The Leafs had just killed off a penalty. Should Vitale have been tied up? Yes. But if you watch the replay on that goal, Gustavsson had his glove on the puck and couldn't smother it. Really, no excuse for not covering it up. In the end, Fleury outplayed Gustavsson.
Last night, the NHL Center Ice package only carried the Pittsburgh feed for the game. Without a doubt, these two guys were flat out terrible. They might be bigger homers than Jack Edwards of NESN. In the second period after Mikhail Grabovski's second goal, Paul Steigerwald lamented over a non-call on Grabovski on a supposed hook on Evgeni Malkin. It looked to me like Malkin embellished. Steigerwald was yelling that the reason why the Leafs are not taking many penalties is because the referees aren't calling them. Bob Errey explains to his flabbergasted broadcast partner that this is what happens when the referees acknowledge that they have made a bad call. You see, according to Errey, the refs were told during the intermission that they blew the no goal call in the 1st period and that they had to even things up for the Leafs. Really???? It was at that point that I watched the rest of the game with the mute button on. These guys are the worst. Unfortunately, Center Ice may only have the Pittsburgh feed again. Looks like a no sound game for me once again.
These two teams meet again tonight at the Air Canada Centre. If the Leafs win tonight, last night's loss won't sting as bad as they would have got 3 out of a possible 4 points in this pair against Pittsburgh. A loss tonight and last night's game will sting worse. The Leafs need to take this game to the Penguins once again. A lack lustre performance tonight will be terrible. It will be interesting to see if Coach Ron Wilson comes back with Gustavsson. Personally, I'd consider James Reimer tonight. Last season I can't remember Reimer allowing one stinker a game.
This game is huge as the Capitals and Panthers play each other tonight. The Leafs are one point ahead of Florida however the Panthers have 2 games in hand on the Leafs. Conversely, the Leafs are only 4 points behind Ottawa with 3 games in hand. Tonight is one of those games.
The puck drop is 7:35 at the ACC.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
While wondering if Ron Paul has approached Tim Thomas to be his running mate, here is what's on my mind this morning:
* The Maple Leafs begin a critical back-to-back series with the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Leafs need to split these two games and win on Saturday against provincial rival Ottawa in order to start the remaining 33 games on the right track. After sweeping the Islanders before the All-Star break, the Leafs need to keep the momentum going as they are in a 3-way tie for the 7th and 8th spot in the Eastern Conference.
* Trade rumors are swirling throughout the NHL and nowhere do they swirl more than in the centre of the hockey universe: Toronto. Former Leaf GM Bill Watters reported a rumor that had the Leafs and Blue Jackets involved which had Rick Nash & Kristian Huselius going to Toronto for Mikhail Grabovski, Nazem Kadri, Luke Schenn and Mike Kommisarek. Not sure the Leafs make out in this trade. I like Nash a lot but they lose a center and that is a position they need to strengthen unless they were prepared to bring up Joe Colborne. Another rumor had the Leafs trading Luke Schenn, Clarke MacArthur and the Leafs 2012 first round pick for Eric Staal. This deal would seem to make more sense for the Leafs. One thing is for sure: I believe Brian Burke will make a trade before the February 27th deadline.
* Plenty of controversy over Alex Ovechkin sitting out the NHL All-Star Game. Ovechkin said it wasn't right for him to play while he was on suspension. Maybe the real reason was that he was afraid that he would have been picked last in the All-Star Fantasy Draft.
* Last Tuesday New York Yankee catcher Jorge Posada announced his retirement. Posada was a part of a Yankee dynasty built around home-grown players such as Bernie Williams, Andy Petitte, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Posada is another in a line of great Yankee catchers. With his retirement, only Jeter and Rivera are left from the dynasty core. Sad.
* Prince Fielder's signing with the Detroit Tigers made it even more imperative that the Yankees beef up their pitching. To represent the American League in the World Series will not be an easy task. It should make for an exciting summer.
* Last week, former Cincinnati Bengal quarterback Greg Cook passed away at the age of 65. Some of you may not know anything about Cook. He was the fifth pick overall in the 1969 NFL Draft by Paul Brown nad his Bengals. Cook's rookie season started out with impressive wins against the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. Cook suffered an injury to his shoulder in his third game but continued to play the rest of the season. He was named AFL Rookie of the Year. The shoulder injury ended up being a torn rotator cuff which was misdiagnosed. After 3 surgeries, his career was over. I had the opportunity to see Cook play at the old War Memorial Stadium against the Buffalo Bills. Bill Walsh, legendary Hall of Fame Coach of the 49ers, was an assistant coach for the Bengals at the time and said that if Cook wasn't injured he might have been the greatest quarterback of all time.
* As I had on a post a few days ago, the Cleveland Plain Dealer removed long-time Browns beat reporter, Tony Grossi from this assignment. Apparently, the Browns were not happy with a tweet that Grossi sent out inadvertently. Check out the article from Pro Football Talk
http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bdFW7?utm_source=&utm_medium=newsletter
* The Yankees have some interest in Bill Hall. Hall as a platoon player is not a bad move. I don't understand though why they would sign Manny Delcarmen. Really???? There has to be someone better than that.
* And finally, what are the odds that Darcy Reiger and Lindy Ruff are with the Sabres at the beginning of next season??? Indications from Sabres President, Ted Black, would lead one to believe that the misery will continue for awhile down at the FN Center.
It’s time to end all All-Star Games
Yesterday the sports world was treated to the NHL All-Star Game and the NFL's Pro Bowl. What a yawn!!! The NHL game ended up 12-9 with Team Chara defeating Team Alfredsson. The score was indicative of many hockey all-star games in the past. It kind of reminded me of games we used to play on the street many years ago. And by the way, whatever happened to the Eastern Conference vs the Western Conference. Team Chara vs Team Alfredsson?? Please!!!
While the Pro Bowl identifies each team by its conference name, the game itself is a joke. How many NFL games this year came close to scoring 100 points?? Again this is typical of the Pro Bowl, where there are restrictions on what the defense can do and the players enjoy soaking up the bright Hawaiian sun. Usually a lot of points is entertaining but not when it is apparent that some players are going through the motions. And please, don't talk up playing for conference pride because that ended years ago.
Unfortunately, all-star games have become a joke. What is suppose to be an exhibition of the best talent turns into a contrived facsimile of how the respective games are actually played. Case in point: Steven Stamkos was awarded a penalty shot during yesterday's game. He made a goofy spin move that was easily stopped. Maybe Steven thought he was still in the Skills Competition's breakaway contest because I find it hard to believe that he would have pulled that in a regular season game. But hey, this is the all-star game and its about having fun.
In my opinion, all-star games should be eliminated. Just think, with respect to Major League Baseball, the NHL and the NBA, the regular season could end a week sooner and answer the critics who say that they are too long. That's not to say that there can't be all-star teams but they should be announced at the end of the regular season with no game to be played.
Baseball always had the best all-star game. It has been called, "The Midsummer Classic." But it too has lost its pizazz. What made it a classic was that you were going to see players from the two leagues face each other that you might not see happen unless their respective teams made the World Series. Hank Aaron facing Jim Palmer. Now, with interleague play, that matchup could take place in a mid-week game in May.
I'm probably in the minority but I could do without all-star games. They have become a joke and the respective leagues go through all kinds of trouble to try to make them relevant and interesting. For a die-hard fan like me, their efforts are pointless. There will be some who will say to me that if I dislike them so much I just shouldn't watch them. Well, I haven't watched an all-star game in its entirety in over 10 years and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
Browns Organization Continues To Be A Joke
As many of you know I have been a Browns fan for my entire life going back to the early 60's. I remember their last NFL Championship in 1964. Since then there have been plenty of disappointments. The 1965, 1968 and 1969 losses in the NFL Championship games. Red-Right 88 in the 1981 playoff game loss against the Oakland Raiders. The Drive. The Fumble. Another 1989 AFC Championship loss. And then the team moving to Baltimore after the 1995 season.
In 1999, the Browns were back and it has been a series of missteps. When the Browns hired Mike Holmgren to be President of the team it was believed that for the first time Randy Lerner had someone who had a football background to lead the team, Carmen Policy notwithstanding. However, Holmgren's regime has provided enough fodder to make one wonder if this organization will ever get out of its own way and continue to be nothing more than a joke. Let's look at the record.
When Holmgren came in he elected to keep Eric Mangini on as head coach, even though we knew that Holmgren and Mangini were not on the same page philosophically. Then, he hires Pat Shurmur who has had no head coaching experience but we are told that he has an offensive mind. Really!!! Not sure we saw much difference between Shurmur's offense and Brian Daboll's, even though one can make the argument that Colt McCoy played better under Daboll.
Of course, under Daboll, McCoy had a running game led by Peyton Hillis. The same Peyton Hillis who the Browns have in essence run out of town and by doing so have created another hole that needs to be filled. So a team devoid of playmakers loses another one. Speaking of McCoy, the whole mishandling of the concussion he received in Pittsburgh was a huge black eye. Holmgren's ridiculous and totally unbelieveable explanation that no one saw the viciousness of the hit was a joke. The fact that this kid was allowed back on the field was a disgrace. And if my memory serves me correctly, Holmgren went after Browns fans basically saying you are either with us or against us.
This season's end of the year press conference with Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert was also disturbing. Holmgren told us that we need to have faith in him and his management team. He further said that Pat Shurmur was going to be a head coach here for a long time. Shurmur's performance this year was borderline sophomoric. To assist the offense, the Browns yesterday announced the hiring of Brad Childress as Offensive Coordinator. The same Childress whose offense was questioned consistently while he was head coach in Minnesota, even though he had Adrian Peterson and for a brief time Brett Farve.
In keeping with this "your either with us or against us" attitude, it was announced that long-time Cleveland Plain Dealer Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi was being relieved of his duties covering the team because of a message that he inadvertently posted on twitter. Grossi posted the following: "He's a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world." Grossi apologized but it wasn't enough. It has been reported that the Browns contacted the Plain Dealer to voice their disapproval. So much for a free press. The fact of the matter is that the only constant for the Browns is Randy Lerner and as a result Tony Grossi is right.
Grossi is an excellent reporter. He is objective. He calls it the way he sees it. I don't always agree with him but I respect his opinion. What I also respect is his willigness to call the Browns out when necessary. He's more than a cheerleader. But obviously he did not demonstrate that he was "with them" so he must be "against them."
I have questioned many times over the last few years if I would have been better off if the Browns never came back. The more I see what continues to go on with this franchise under the leadership of Randy Lerner, I think I know the answer.
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.
Leafs Need To Make A Big Move
Yesterday I was thinking about the day the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Doug Gilmour. I was in Toronto that day shopping with my family when I heard the trade over the radio in one of the stores at the Eaton Centre. As we know that acquisition turned the franchise around and gave Leaf Nation some exciting moments in the early 90's. As I was thinking about that day I began to wonder, is it possible for Brian Burke to make a Gilmour type acquisition this season??
The salary cap probably makes a blockbuster trade difficult but not impossible. Think Flyers moving Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Everyone thought the Flyers would take a step back but that has not been the case. Looking at the Maple Leafs, it is becoming apparent to me that it will be a struggle to make the playoffs this year. There is an inconsistency with this team that is reflective in the current scoring drought. Coach Ron Wilson indicated that his team needs to be willing to pay the price in order to get scoring chances. The forwards are not driving the net and seem content to stay on the edges and try to make a pretty pass or make a fancy deke. So the question becomes: are the players on the current roster willing to pay the price??
I'm not so sure. When you look at the Leaf forwards there are not many big guys. The talented forwards are on the small side and can easily be banged around as evidenced by the Rangers and Senators games last week. Maybe Mike Brown needs to be placed on one of the top 3 lines. When Colby Armstrong comes back maybe he needs to be on one of the top lines. What's clear is that the Leafs need some muscle up front. It's rather ironic that seven years after the lockout, a lockout that was suppose to bring back more emphasis on skill not brawn, that the Maple Leafs are in need of some physical presence.
What would you give to have a Gary Roberts type player on this team?? Think back to those late 90's early 2000's teams. The Bay Street Bullies: Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Shayne Corson and Tie Domi. All four of these guys were physical and gritty and they all had the skill to be an offensive contributor. These are the type of players the Leafs need now. On the current roster, the closest that they have to this type of player is Colby Armstrong and possibly Mike Brown. However, both have been plagued by injuries particularly Armstrong.
These types of players aren't easy to acquire. Currently, think Scott Hartnell and Milan Lucic. I'm not saying that the Leafs can get either one of these guys but these are the type of players they need. In essence a power forward and they currently do not have one. Ryan Malone would certainly fit the bill but its unclear whether Malone would approve a trade to Toronto.
I have extreme confidence in Brian Burke. He has turned this team around from a talent standpoint. The Leaf farm system is the best its been in the 44 years that I have followed this team. The trades that he has made with Calgary, Anaheim, Nashville and Boston have made this team an exciting one to watch and certainly has provided some hope as a result of the young players brought in. It would be shocking if Burke doesn't make a trade before the trade deadline. What will be telling is who he targets because it will give us an indication of where the Leaf General Manager sees his team at this point. If he goes after an established forward who would be considered a Gilmour-type acquisition (think Ryan Getzlaf or Bobby Ryan) then it would tell us that Burke believes that this team is only a couple of players away from securing a playoff spot and doing some damage in the post season. In order to make that type of acquisition, he will have to give up some top young prospects (think Nazem Kadri and/or Joe Colborne) and someone else from the roster (think Mikhail Grabovski).
If Burke sees this season as another step in the building process, with youngsters such as Colborne, Kadri, Frattin and Blacker being a season away from really breaking out, then he may be willing to part with some older players (think Clarke MacArthur, Colby Armstrong & Mike Kommisarek) to get some younger bigger players who could grow with Phil Kessel, Colborne, Kadri, etc. Either route I'm ok with as long as Burke is able to get some big bodies who can play. I agree with Burke when he says that just making the playoffs isn't enough. Remember the John Brophy quote when asked about his team making the playoffs because of the divisional playoff format back in the 80's (similar to what was being proposed with the realignment), "if we needed 50 points will get 50 points". This isn't about squeaking into 8th place. This is about building a team that is a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup.
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