Jenrry Mejia and the Mets' Young Pitchers

Jenrry Mejia pitched the first game of the Mets' double header with the Nationals yesterday and he pitched absolutely great! He went 7 innings, gave up 7 hits, struck out 7, allowed 0 runs and 0 walks. He hit 95 on the radar gun and had natural cut on his fastball that we saw earlier in his career. He threw all his pitches for strikes, threw his change-up well, his slider well, and his fastball well. With the emergence of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, Jenrry Mejia's name was seemingly forgotten. This guy is still only 23 years old, younger than Matt Harvey, and at one point was supposed to be the next great starter for the Mets. Now, 3 years later, I don't see why he still can't be a huge part of our rotation in the future. With the way he pitched yesterday, he should be in the conversation for the Mets' rotation in the future. He really pitched great yesterday! He is going to stay in the rotation for the near future as the Mets plan to go with a 6-man rotation in part to limit the innings of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler.

Also, Zack Wheeler has progressed nicely through his first several starts with the Mets. To be honest, the Mets brought him up before he was ready. At the time though we were buried in the division race and the mindset was that we should let him get his feet wet so he can have experience going into next season. Of course since then the Mets have the best record in the NL East at 21-15. Zack Wheeler has a lot to learn still, one of the main things being that he needs to pitch to contact. Zack Wheeler is not going to be the strikeout pitcher that Matt Harvey is. Wheeler's best days are going to be the 19 groundout games. The other thing is, us Mets fans have seen what Harvey has done and expected that right away from Wheeler, which was unfair. Matt Harvey is out of this world! When pitchers come up, they struggle usually. They go through growing pains and have to learn on the job. Harvey is one in a million for being this good this early in his career. Look at Justin Verlander early in his career, and Clayton Kershaw in his first season. Neither of them were dominant, but they developed into 2 of the best pitchers in all of baseball. The point is that Wheeler still needs time to develop and learn how to pitch at this level.

Phils Get Swept and Are D-Town Bound

THE CARDINALS SERIES

The Phillies look to rebound against the Detroit Tigers after a horrible a set of losses at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. After getting swept they added to their losing streak, making it 5 games. Game 1 and 2 starters Johnathon Pettibone, and John Lannan both gained their fourth losses on the season. The third and final game in this series at Busch Stadium resulted in a 3-1 loss. Cardinals' starter, Shelby Miller allowed three hits over six innings en route to his 10th win on the season and the Cards' 60th total. Allen Craig was a key player in the game driving in a pair of runs. Eight different Redbirds tallied  hits, while John Mayberry's double in the seventh gave the Phightens their lone run. The second game is one to be forgotten by PHI fans as the Cards scored 11 runs. Jake Westbrook tossed seven strong innings, while, Shane Robinson and Matt Adams combined for 6 runs as the Cardinals overwhelmed the Phillies, who dropped their fourth straight. The box score just tells you the story from that game showing that the Cardinals got 16 hits. They're a team who doesn't have a lot of power with 82 bombs on the season, but rank second in total hitting by mlb.com. The next National League team in the rankings are the number 6 ranked team, the Los Angelas Dodgers. The next divisional foe would drop 13 spots from STL being the Cincinnati Reds at 15.  These Redbirds look like they aren't missing much of this guy named Albert being the best-and hottest-team in baseball. The Cards' next series are against the Atlanta Braves and the streaking Pittsburgh Pirates.

Motor City Here We Come!

After a 4 game set against the last place Chicago White Sox, the Tigers took 3/4 from them as they improve to 56-45 on the season, 1st in the American League Central. Miguel Cabrera is the name everyone has been talking about this season, he leads the Tigers in every major batting category. he also boasts a .944 fielding percentage. The D-Town lineup is a force to be reckoned with for sure. Here's the lineup from yesterday's game against the Chi-Town White Sox compared to the Phillies lineup from yesterday's series-sweeping loss.

1. Austin Jackson          1. Jimmy Rollins

2. Torii Hunter              2. Michael Young

3. Miguel Cabrera         3. Chase Utley

4. Prince Fielder            4. Dominic Brown

5. Victor Martinez         5. Darin Ruf

6. Johnny Peralta          6. Delmon Young (former Detroit Tiger)

7. Andy Dirks              7. John Mayberry Jr.

8. Brayan Pena             8. Carlos Ruiz

9. Ramon Santiago       9. Kyle Kendrick

Probable Starters:

Cole Hamels vs. Doug Fister

Cliff Lee vs. Max Scherzer

Jonathan Pettibone vs. Rick Porcello

Battle of the Aces coming up this weekend! I predict Phillies will be able to take one or three from the heavy hitting Tigers team. It might not be a successful series at Comerica Park, but it will be an entertaining one!

Devils Sign Jagr

The Devils signed free agent Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract. Even though he's 41 years old, I like this signing. This is really a low-risk, high-reward kind of signing. We got him pretty cheap, and now with Kovalchuk's contract off the payroll, we have plenty of money to spend. Even at 41 years old, he's still a really good player. He's obviously not what he used to be, being one of the best players in the history of the NHL, but he still can play way above average, and this team, after losing Kovalchuk, needs players that can put the
puck in the back of the net. Signing Jagr really has no downside. Last year at age 40 he still put up good numbers, scoring 16 goals with 19 assists. The worst-case scenario is he doesn't perform well, keeping in mind that he is not making all that much money. The best-case scenario is he and the other veterans we have, along with our younger guys like Henrique and Larsson, and we get back to the playoffs. This deal really cannot hurt the Devs.

Us Devils fans can also see the awesome salute goal celebration he made famous.

Mets, Wright, Harvey, Byrd, Lagares

The Mets have been playing very well over the past few weeks. David Wright is having arguable the best season of his 9 year career, today being the anniversary of his MLB debut. He is hitting .308 with 15 HR and 48 RBI. His SLG% is .521, he is striking out way less, his wOBA is .395, his OBP is .398. He also has a WAR of 5.0, has stolen 15 bases and only been caught 3 times. He has really been outstanding this year, and the Mets should be thrilled they signed him to that 8-year extension. Hopefully David will never leave the Mets, because if he doesn't and if he wins a couple of rings, he will be our equivalent of Derek Jeter. I was at the Home Run Derby
and the All Star Game, and the standing ovation we gave him during both was both well deserved and also a great moment. As a Mets fan, I love watching this guy play every day. He is not only a great ballplayer, but a great person.

Matt Harvey continued his fantastic season today going 7 scoreless against the Phillies, striking out 10 and walking none. He has been criticized recently for his off-the-field life and mostly because he was out in public drinking, chewing tobacco, and talking about getting the best apartment in the city with his $200 million contract he's waiting for. After the game today he said he feels embarrassed and that he is not like that, that the article portrayed him in a way that he doesn't want to be seen as. This kid has it all going for him and I really don't think he is the kind of person who will go out and party whenever he is not pitching. He was raised the right way, is a good teammate, a very humble player, and is very confident. I really think as long as he stays healthy he will be an All-Star
several more times. I was at the All Star Game Tuesday night, and we gave him a huge standing ovation, which he has earned this season! In today's start it was the 6th time this year that he has struck out double digits, and in 5 of those starts he has walked 0. He has really taken this city by storm. He's Harvelous!

Marlon Byrd is having one of those under-the-radar, superstar-type seasons! He is hitting .277 with a team-leading 17 HR and 56 RBI. His SLG% is .519. He is in the top 10 in the league in SLG% and HR. For a guy making $700,000 those numbers are outstanding. Those numbers are really good for anyone regardless of their salary. At 35 years old, after being released by 2 organizations last season he was only trying to find his way onto a big league roster. For him to be playing everyday in RF and putting up those numbers for someone in his situation during the offseason is just crazy! No one saw this coming. Marlon Byrd is the word, and then some!

With the way Juan Lagares has been playing, he should play every day! He has been hitting really well lately and he plays a gold glove CF, making the toughest of plays look easy. Since June 20th he is hitting .354 with 12 RBI. Back on May 1st he was hitting .071, but he has raised that average monumentally and is now hitting .265 on the season. He has really started to swing the bat well recently. In this past series against the Phillies he went 7-10 with 2 doubles, a HR, and 5 RBI. I would like to see Juan play every day so we can see what he's got and see if he's going to be a big part of our future.

I like the direction that we're going as an organization, and it won't be too long before the Mets are in the playoffs once again.

2nd Half American League Predictions

What a great first "half" so to speak we had for MLB. There were great team stories like the Pittsburgh Pirates being the best team in baseball, and also individual stories like Mariano Rivera pulling off a final year for the ages, and Miguel Cabrera on his way to a second consecutive Triple Crown, something that has never been done before.

It comes that time in the season for the sports experts and enthusiasts to predict what they believe to happen in the home stretch of the season. In this article, I will break down each division, and talk about what I expect out of them, and who will make the playoffs. These are my AL Predictions, because the article will be too long with them in here.

AL EAST-

Entering the All-Star Break, the AL East had one team under .500. Ironically, it was the Blue Jays, even after they added all of that talent. So, as usual, the AL East will be a tossup. Who do I think will win it? The Boston Red Sox, with the New York Yankees ever so slightly edging out the Tampa Bay Rays for one of two wild card spots. Why do I think this? Because both of those teams each have one big flaw. For the Yankees, they have been bombarded with injuries, and players returning and getting re-injured. The loss of Texeira deprives the Yankees of a key leader, as well as a clutch bat, something Lyle Overbay can't provide. When Granderson was placed back on the DL, they lost an outfielder with both speed and power, something only a few players can give; none of them on the Yankees. When Jeter was put back on the DL, they lost one of the most clutch hitters in baseball, and one of the best hitters in baseball, as well as their leader and captain. For the Rays, they aren't spectacular away from the Trop. They exited the All-Star break with a 10 game road trip, which couldn't play out worse for the Rays, considering their 21-22 record away from home in the first half of the season. The MLB scheduling committee gave them 53 home games, and 43 road games for the first half. The Red Sox need to take advantage of this, and pull out the AL East Pennant with their outstanding offense, and pray that Bucholz returns soon so they can get a pitching presence back. The Yankees will take the Wild Card because once all of their talent comes back 100% healthy, they will once again be a threat to make a deep run into the playoffs.

AL CENTRAL-

The AL Central pennant race, to me, is one sided. There's a team with two Cy Young Candidates, a monster home run hitter, and a player for the ages who will most likely become the only player to win back-to-back triple crowns in the Tigers. And then there's the Indians. That's it. The Tigers are the new dynasty in baseball. With players like Cabrera, Fielder, Scherzer, and Verlander, there isn't a team in the AL Central that can match up against them, or that can catch them. The Indians had some spark in the beginning of the year, but that spark slowly faded away. Even though they are only 2.5 games back at the moment, you can see their performance dropping after an outstanding first two months where they sat atop the AL Central, and at one point, the entire MLB. The White Sox have potential when Chris Sale is on the mound, but their lack of big name players weighs them down, just like the 2011-2012 Philadelphia 76'ers. The Royals showed great potential with young players like Alex Gordon, Greg Holland and Salvador Perez, but they fell back because of lack of performance by Pitchers James Sheilds, Jermey Guthrie, and Ervin Santana. And then there's the Twins. If they weren't so far behind, and really rode Mauer and Morneau to the finish, and had some strong pitching, they would have a shot at the pennant. All in all, I only see the Tigers emerging into the playoffs, unless the Indians step it up and pass the Rays in the Wild Card running

AL West-

I'm just going to flat out say what I'm thinking, and what most other baseball fans are thinking. For the most part, the AL West has been a disapointment. For example, the Angels with a star stacked lineup with players like Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Jered Weaver, C.J Wilson, Erick Aybar, and Mark Trumbo, are tied for 3rd in the standings with the Mariners with players like Felix Hernandez, Jason Bay, and Raul Ibanez. And not to take anything away from Bay and Ibanez who have had great seasons, but they are aging, and years out of their prime. I was sure with the lineup Mike Scioscia would be sending out on a regular basis would surely take the AL West title, as well as the AL Pennant, and probably the World Series. But no, the Angels have had their struggles. Since Pujols has joined the Angels, his batting average dropped from consistent .300's to .250's. He was .285 in 2012, and so far this year, he is batting .249. Not good for this year's playoff run. Hamilton is injured, and Trout has been the only consistent position player for the Angels, and the most consistent player on their roster.  But the real story of the AL West is the Oakland Athletics, who sit utop the AL West by 3 games. Why? Great all-around play by all players. Josh Donaldson leads the A's in every single offensive statistic, which sets a precedent for everyone to do better. Jed Lowrie and Coco Crisp are both having career years after a few years in the league, and young guys like Yoenis Cespedes, Nate Freiman, and John Jaso really playing well and providing key offense for their team. Then on the mound, Bartolo Colon is having a career for the ages(due to steroids but a career year none the less.) He provides a veteran presence to a young rotation. And Grant Balfour is playing great with 26 saves, in the top 7 for saves in the MLB, and top 5 in the AL for saves. To be honest, I didn't know who Grant Balfour and Josh Donaldson were before a few weeks ago when I was watching one of the A's games, and I saw these kids are legit. Trust me. The A's are here to stay. I think that the Rangers will end up snagging the second wild card spot. With Darvish coming off the DL as strong as ever, and players like Kinsler, Cruz, and Beltre, they will stick around long enough to grab the second spot.

Playoff Predictions

AL East Winner- Boston Red Sox(Second Seed)

AL Central Winner- Detroit Tigers(Top Seed)

AL West- Oakland Athletics(Third Seed)

Wild Card 1- Tampa Bay Rays

Wild Card 2- Texas Rangers

Tampa Bay over Texas in Wildcard 

ALDS-

Tigers over Rays in 5 games

Red Sox over A's in 7 games

ALCS-

Tigers over Red Sox in 6 games

How successful will Brad Stevens be from making the jump from Butler to Boston?

Doc Rivers left the Celtics to go join Chris Paul and "Lob-City" in Los Angeles. Danny Ainge, the team president of the Celtics, went looking for a coach to replace Doc Rivers and chose Brad Stevens. I believe Danny Ainge did a great job selecting Brad Stevens. Brad Stevens reminds me a lot of Erik Spoelstra. Both love analyzing statistics and watching game film. For example, Brad Stevens hired Drew Cannon just to analyze stats in 2012 for Butler. Also, both Stevens and Spoelstra were fairly young when getting their job as a coach. But the biggest similarity is the situation they were put in their first year. Spoelstra his first year was given a superstar, D-Wade, who was used to sharing the spotlight with Shaq but would have to succeed on his own. Brad Stevens has Rondo who just like D-Wade had superstars such as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to help him win. Both the teams were going in a rebuilding process. The Heat the season before Spoelstra's hire were 15- 67 while the Celtics  traded Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce and are considered by many to be tanking to get Andrew Wiggins.

The Celtics goal is to build up through the draft. Brad Stevens is perfect for that. At Butler he quickly turned the team into a contender. In his six years there he had 166 wins, which is the most for any D.1 in their first 6 years. In only his third season at Butler he brought them to the National Championship. Brad Stevens has a knack for developing young players and molding them to play team ball. With all this said, he can do the same with Boston who plan on getting young players from the draft and molding them behind a "true" point guard, Rajan Rondo. Boston might struggle next year but by the end of Brad Stevens's contract, the Celtics will be one of the best in the East.

Comparing Jordan and LeBron: The Difference

I was recently given the opportunity to look back at Michael Jordan’s post game reaction to winning the 1996 NBA Finals. I observed Jordan’s emotions as he cried over the trophy. It was Michael’s first championship since his father passed and the moment truly touched him, as he won the finals on Father’s Day. The genuine humbleness and gratitude I saw showed a slight window into the immense joy and satisfaction that Jordan got from competing and succeeding. He did not brag or act cocky, as his competitive spirit created an obligation within him to win.

Now fast forward to this past NBA Finals. The Heat win in a nail-biting series against the Spurs. LeBron James wins his second consecutive Finals MVP and is filmed holding the trophy with a cocky and arrogant nature about him while millions watch him world-wide.

The difference between LeBron and Michael has nothing to do with overall skill or athletic ability; the reason why Jordan will always be better is simple. He has a desire and willingness to succeed more than any professional athlete of all time, something that LeBron can simply not match. When Michael Jordan wins he is humble and honored as he can witness that his hard work has paid off. LeBron looks into the camera with a sense of cockiness, seemingly mocking all other basketball players.

That is the difference…  

What young QB would you start a franchise with?

         When you think of young Quarterbacks, the four obvious picks that would come to mind would be Russel Wilson, Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Colin Kaepernick. The real question is, who would you start a franchise with at this point in time? 

    Russell Wilson standing at 5'11,is a great young Quarterback. Russell Wilson has gotten off to a great start in the NFL. 3rd round 75th draft pick out of the University of Wisconsin expected to do nothing broke Peyton Manning's record with 26 touchdowns in a rookie season and an impressive amount of yards with 3118. Along with that, Russel Wilson also led the Seahawks to the NFC title game beating fellow rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III then losing to the later superbowl champions Baltimore Ravens. 

    Robert Griffin III, 2nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft got off to a fast start with the Washington Redskins. In just his first game he threw for 320 yards and completing 73.1% of his passes throwing 19 for 26. Some thought this was just a one time thing but they were very much mistaken. On the year, RG3 threw for 3200 yards and 20 touchdowns and completed 65.6% of his passes. Not only that Washington  Redskins made a playoff run losing in the NFC Semi-Finals to the Seattle Seahawks. 
    Andrew Luck, 1st pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. In that time, the Colts 12x Pro-Bowler Peyton Manning just coming off of a neck injury signed with the Broncos leaving the Colts in need of a fresh start. What better of a start could you think of then getting the once in a decade type player Andrew Luck with the first pick. In Andrew Lucks rookie season, he threw for 4,734 yards, had 23 touchdowns and he completed 54.1% of his passes. Andrew Luck just couldn't get it done in the postseason, in his debut in the playoffs the Luck was not in his favor where he threw no touchdowns and the Ravens Won 24-9. 

    Colin Kaepernick, the Cinderella story of football this year. second round 36th pick out of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack  Colin Kaepernick never played in a NFL game before. Taking former number 1 overall pick Alex Smith's place in the middle of the 49ers season Kaepernick took off from there completely replacing Alex Smith who was able to play the game after Kaepernick became a sensation. Since Kaepernick hadn't played until the middle of the season, his stats aren't as impressive as his other fellow rookies. Recording 10 touchdowns and 1,814 yards, still impressive, but if able to play the whole season could've thrown for 3,628 yards and 20 touchdowns. Also with Colin Kaepernick, he took the 49ers and brought them all the way to the Super Bowl clearly farther then any other of his fellow rookie quarterbacks. 
    Personally, for my decision it was a very tough decision deciding what rookie quarterback I would begin a franchise with. Ultimately, I came out with the decision of Andrew Luck, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck can do whatever you want. Comparing him to other rookie quarterbacks, he could simply just do more. He can go coast to coast, which all young rookie quarterbacks can do but Luck showed the more impressive yardage with 4,734. Also, eliminating Russel Wilson from this conversation would be you don't have to worry about him rushing for 30 yards against your defense which Luck, RG3, and Kaepernick can do. Eliminating Robert Griffin III for me would have to be that he is hurt right now and we don't know if we'll see the same RG3 we did last year. Now with eliminating Colin Kaepernick from this discussion, he had the best team out of all these young quarterbacks and still does. Andrew Luck was able to take a 1-15 team and give them a record over 500. This is why Andrew Luck comes out on top. 
   Reporting from SBC Hive this is Matisse Nelson, stay classy Indianapolis. 

  

Can Lebron James and the Heat bring Pat Riley his first three-peat?

   With teams such as Houston and the Nets bringing huge additions to their teams and teams like Chicago getting key players back, the NBA powerhouses are only getting stronger. That means more competition to dethrone the Heat as NBA champions. The Heat are looking to win their third straight title next year. If they succeed then the maker of the concept "three-peat", Pat Riley, will finally be able to say he has one, something he couldn't say when he was with Lakers and Magic Johnson. The road won't be easy as teams such as Chicago, Indiana, and Brooklyn are ready to compete for a chance to represent the East. Even with that being said, I believe the Heat can win for a third straight time with certain improvement
    Despite being the best team in the league, the Heat still need to improve to win next year. Chris Bosh needs to play like a true big men and leave the three point shooting to Ray Allen. He also needs to call up Hakeem Olajuwon to work on his big man skills such as rebounding. That will help the Heat win against bigger teams like the Nets and Pacers. Also, despite being the best player in the league, Lebron needs to continue the improvement he has made over the past few seasons and continue to improve his jump shooting. Yes, LeBron killed the Spurs in game 7 of the Finals but the Spurs won games 1,3, and 5 because of his poor shooting outside. Lebron, in those loses, averaged 19.3 points and shot 37.3 % from the field and 28.6 % from three. Lastly, D-Wade needs to gets what Kobe got in Germany. Flash, struggled throughout the playoffs while averaging 15.9 points. Wade's prime has passed him and is only getting older. He will be 32 in January. The time in Germany helped Kobe who at age 34 averaged 27.3 points, 6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds a game. The Heat might have been good enough to win last year but if they don't improve Pat Riley will surely not earn his first three-peat.

Futures Game

The Mets have 3 representatives in today's Futures Game. Noah Syndergaard and Brandon Nimmo will play for the US team and Rafael Montero for the World team as Syndergaard and Montero will start against each other on the mound. These 3 guys are only a few of the promising prospects we are in the process of developing. Syndergaard came over in the trade for RA Dickey and looks like he's going to be a superstar. He is blowing away hitters in the minors this year and it won't be too long before we see him in a Mets uniform at Citi Field, not a USA jersey. Brandon Nimmo is a little bit farther away, as he is a very young kid. He is an outfielder with a ton of potential, but it is too early to be able to say that he is going to be a star. Then Rafael Montero is a smaller name but still a great pitcher. Like all the young kids that we've been developing, he's a hard thrower and has dominant stuff. With Harvey and Wheeler already here, and these 2 pitchers not too far away, it looks like the Mets could have one of the best rotations in the whole MLB in a couple of years. Travis d'Arnaud, who has been injured basically all season long, but he has the makings of a superstar behind the plate. I really liked what I saw from him in spring training this year. As I sit here watching the Futures Game, Syndergaard, in his only inning he will throw, was absolutely phenomenal. I can't wait to see this kid up in the Majors, because I really think he is going to be something very special.

J.R. Smith: Erratic Offense

Twenty five dribbles as the shot clock winds down, defender playing tight defense, and J.R Smith doing nothing to shake his man. The shot clock gets down to 3, then 2, then 1, and J.R. is forced to shoot up a three pointer from three feet beyond the three point line.

Now I’m no coach but I am sure that that is not the play that Mike Woodson drew up in the huddle.

I have seen this sequence of events happen too many times while watching Knicks’ games in the past and it seems as though every time J.R Smith comes off the bench he seems to disrupt the flow of offense in some way. Whether it is holding the ball for too long, shooting low percentage jump shots, or simply turning the ball over, Smith’s inconsistency on the offensive end continues to amaze me.

Don’t get me wrong, Smith’s energy off the bench and ability to provide instant offense is something any team would want, however his unpredictable style of play is something that heavily ways down Smith’s value to the team.

Coach Woodson seems to love J.R. Smith for his confidence and poise even when the jump shot isn’t falling and I completely am aware of the term, “Shooters keep shooting.” However how many times will J.R Smith keep shooting outside circus shots off the dribble before he decides to take the ball to the basket and draw the foul.

Seeing the erratic offense and incompetence while playing, I do not think it was a great move for the Knicks to resign Smith, especially because the Knicks just drafted Hardaway Jr. who seems to play a similar role to Smith and can be signed for much less money.

J.R. Smith is very talented offensively but at this time I don’t see his inconsistency helping the Knicks win a championship.

What the New Jersey Devils could do to replace Ilya Kovalchuk

The New Jersey Devils star forward, Ilya Kovalchuk, recently retired from the NHL.  While Kovalchuk went to play in Russia his former team has some big holes to fill. The Devils, who ha a lot of trouble scoring goals last season lost two of their top scoters in Kovalchuk and David Clarkson who signed with the Maple Leafs this offseason, need to find someone to help replace Kovalchuk and Clarkson's goal-scoring. The team recently signed injury-prone Ryan Clowe who scored 3, yes three goals for the New York Rangers last year. The other free-agent the Devils signed is the aging Michael Ryder. Ryder is an underachieving winger who most recently played for the Stars in one of his worst seasons. Since it looks like free agency won't be the answer to the Devils scoring woes, who could replace Kovalchuk? The answer, two rising stars, Thomas Vanek and Damien Brunner. Vanek played in Buffalo last season and would need to be traded for, and Brunner played in Detroit alongside future hall-of-famers Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg he would need to be signed as an unrestricted free-agent.




 Since Brunner will likely be the replacement the Devils can only hope that the 27 year-old can take a giant leap and assume second line even possibly first line winger this season.  Another possible signing could be 41 year-old Jaromir Jagr.  Even though Jagr has a great 1.21 points per game rate, Jagr is gettin old and his play in last year's Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago BlackHawks is certainly showing his age.  Jagr certainly was a great player but not anymore.  The Devils future is looking bleak; they have no first round pick in next years NHL Entry draft, because of Kovalchuk's massive contract. If the Devils have one thing they do have cap-space now that Kovalchuk is not on the team. Hopefuly, for the good of the organization Lou Lamoriello can figure something out, knowing the Devils organization...he will.

Jake Baresich

What lies ahead for Aaron Hernandez, and the New England Patriots

When you heard the name Aaron Hernandez about three months ago, you would think of words and phrases such as powerful, tough, rising NFL star. When you hear the name Aaron Hernandez today you think of words and phrases like murderer, screw-up, prison. A lot has changed for this kid's life, as he is not worried about winning football games anymore, he is worried if he will spend life in prison for murder. For those who may not know, Aaron Hernandez allegedly killed Odin Lloyd, a 27 year old semi-pro football player. He shot  Lloyd on June 17, 2013, in Attleboro, Mass. This situation will not only have an effect on Hernandez's already successful football career, it will also take a toll on his now former NFL team, the New England Patriots. With all the evidence that has already been collected for this case, I can only imagine how Hernandez won't be in prison for life.

Let's just say this off-season wasn't the best for the Tom Brady dynasty New England Patriots. They lost one of the best slot receivers in the game, Wes Welker, to the Broncos. Welker and Brady had great success in New England, and the Patriot organization must hate to see him go. The Patriots had Wes Welker from 2007-2012. In that timeframe, Welker had outstanding statistics. With 7,459 receiving yards, 37 touchdowns, and 672 receptions. Some people say it was only because he had Tom Brady throwing the passes, I disagree. Welker is a phenomenal football player, and will do great things in Denver with Peyton Manning. The Patriots also lost players like Danny Woodhead to the Chargers, and also released wideouts Brandon Lloyd along with Deion Branch. To try to make things better, the Patriots signed Danny Amendola from the Rams for a 5-year, 31 million dollar deal. I believe this is too much for this injury-prone wideout, and won't be the same as Wes Welker was with the Patriots. With Aaron Hernandez's situation, Gronk not being the same since 2011 with that forearm, and free-agent losses, these Patriots won't be the same unless Danny Amendola turns into Jerry Rice this season.

"Houston We Have Liftoff."

     For the past couple years, Dwight Howard has been struggling. Now with Dwight going into his third team in three years lets take a moment to look back at how all this started. Dwight Howard, all star center for the Orlando Magic was on top of the world taking the Magic to an NBA finals all by himself. In the 2011 season, Dwight Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy started to have troubles. Dwight Howard denied trying to get coach Stan Van Gundy fired saying, "I hate to see anyone fired." When clearly he demanded coach Van Gundy be fired.

    In the 2011 offseason Dwight Howard signed with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. A team expected to take off. Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant just couldn't get it done together. Kobe nor Dwight was willing to take a smaller role on the team. With Kobe, who has made it very clear that he won't win a sixth ring anywhere else but in LA and Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant clearly was not ever going to work. Dwight Howard signed with the Houston Rockets.
      Now Dwight Howard is officially a Houston Rocket. With Dwight signing his new four year 88 million dollar contract, and recently posting a picture on Instagram of him and his new teammate James Harden saying "Houston we have liftoff," this is where the new questions and opinions come into play. Will James Harden be able to share the spotlight? Will the Rockets make a playoff run? These questions dont offer much variety. As for James sharing the spotlight he can do it, he did with Russel Westbrook and Kevin Durant two of the NBA's best he can do it with the leagues best center. As well as James Harden being able to share the spotlight, I believe the Rockets can make a very solid playoff run. As mentioned earlier, Dwight took the Magic to an NBA finals and now that he has someone to do it with this will only make him better. 
    Writing from SBC Hive this is Matisse Nelson.I'll see you next time, Stay classy Houston. 
     

Alex Rodriguez and the Biogenesis Report

It should be clear to everyone that Alex Rodriguez should not be allowed back on a MLB field for the rest of his life. He has denied PED and HGH use twice, while lying about the first time. He told the media it was "before he got good." He admitted to taking steroids during a three year period, while being supplied by Anthony Bosch, a miami clinic runner who has supplied drugs to around 20 other players in the MLB; most notable, Ryan Braun. Arod lied twice about taking steroids, and now he is caught. He should not be part of the 500 Home Run Club, or the 600 Home Run Club, and should not be considered one of the greatest Yankees of all time

You know, before the whole scandal on steroids, I considered Arod one of the greatest Yankees of all time. I was pumped when he hit his 500th home run. But, when he hit his 600th, I wasn't that excited because I knew he was a cheater. 

I love what MLB has done with the Biogenesis report. They are seriously cracking down on steroids here, and this should change baseball for the future. By going after the players, they are able to give them appropriate consequences to them, which should stop them from doing it again. In Arod's case, lying about steroids twice is a definite no no. Bud Selig should keep doing what he's doing. TAKE AROD OUT OF BASEBALL. No one even likes him anyway. Why? Because he's a cheater. Bud Selig, if you want people to watch baseball, and to come to your games, and pay money for merchandise and tickets, you need to find all of the steroid users in baseball, and give them the appropriate consequences. I propose a three strikes and your out kind of deal

First offense- 100 game suspension

Second offense- Full season suspension and stripping of all major awards won in the MLB, such as MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and the Triple Crown for both Batting and Pitching. 

Third Offense- Life ban from the MLB.

Yes, I know this is harsh, but is the only way to stop the illegal use of steroids in the MLB. Take Manny Ramirez for example. He was suspended 50 games for illegal use of steroids. Then 100 for a second offense, because he knew the punishments weren't hard enough. Arod needs his three MVP's taken away, and Braun needs his one MVP taken away. That's why my proposed consequence program is perfect. You mess up 3 times, your out. Just like in the game.

The Evolution of the Point Guard

I remember the situation clearly; sitting in a boiling hot living room on a summers evening as I managed to gulp down the remaining drops of my sweet peach iced tea. I turned to my Grandfather and asked him a simple question. “Who were the three best point guards of your life time,” I asked. Without hesitation my Grandfather responded, “Walt Frazier, Bob Cousy, and John Stockton.”

Now I don’t know much about these players as I had never experienced watching them live, however through following the game I know what all of these players had in common. They were true point guards. They understood the game like no one else, were unselfish, and acted as the team’s floor general directing the flow of the offense and having the ability to make their teammates better. It did not matter the size, speed or physical ability of these players. What mattered was that they knew how to play the game.

Today, when you look at basketball, the role of the point guard has changed immensely. It now truly does not matter whether a point guard can understand the game, or act as the floor general. Every great point guard today is at least 6 feet tall and has unbelievable athletic ability. When you think about some of the great point guards around the league, such as Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Steph Curry, every point guard is looking to score first and put themselves before others. Despite this, there are glimpses of the old fashioned floor general in today’s modern game when one watches players like Steve Nash, Tony Parker and Chris Paul. These players continue to look for the hot hand or slow down the offense when the other team’s defense is speeding up the tempo or push the ball when the other team has numbers. Things which every point guard should have the ability to do.

               As the game continues to change, the style of the point guard continues to become more about scoring and one’s overall athleticism. The evolution of basketball continues to move away from the John Stocktons, Bob Cousys and Walt Fraziers; People who at one time had a great impact on basketball, and people who basketball will always miss.  

Harvey's Innings Limit

Matt Harvey, who was on schedule to pitch tonight for the Mets, will be skipped for a few reasons. For the past few starts he has been pitching with a blister on his right hand. When I first heard about this I got a little bit more worried than most people normally would. I mean yeah it's just a blister on his hand, but if he pitches with it, there is always a decent chance that he would change his delivery, which is the last thing Matt Harvey wants to do. He has one of, if not the smoothest, cleanest deliveries in all of the MLB. I don't want him changing things and experimenting because of a stupid blister on his hand. This man's arm is worth $100 million+ and there is no reason to put that at risk. Then there's the fact that Harvey NEEDS to start the All Star Game. It would be so cool for Harvey to start the game at Citi. The fans want it so badly and I think that TC understands and us die-hard Mets fans understand that this is not the year yet. It's almost here, but it's not yet. They're not going to be a playoff team, so why not skip Harvey and let him start the All Star Game for the fans. It's what the fans really want to see. The most important reason though, is that Matt Harvey needs to be on an innings limit. At the rate he is on, he would pitch way more innings than he ever has in his entire life. There is no reason to risk this kid's arm. Sandy Alderson is brilliant for having the rule that their young pitchers only increase their innings by 30 or so each year. At the pace he is currently at he would throw around 240, which the Mets will not allow him to do this early in his career, nor should they. So instead of just shutting him down completely in September, it would be much smarter to skip a start here and there. Which is why he is being skipped tonight. Skipping a start every now and then is much better and more effective in my opinion than shutting someone down completely in the beginning or middle of September. This is also the perfect time for Harvey to miss a start. Obviously it would be awesome for him to start the All Star Game, which I think it is a lock that he will. Also, with this blister, it just wouldn't be smart to risk him changing his mechanics and messing up his delivery. That's just asking for an injury. So the Mets are making a really smart move skipping Harvey tonight.

All Star? Or Fall Apart?

The MLB all star game is coming up on Tuesday of this coming week at Citi Field in Queens. Dominic Brown and Cliff Lee were the only two Phillies to make it into the mid-summer classic. This is Brown's first appearance and Lee's 4th appearance (his 2nd in 3 years). Many people were fighting in Yasiel Puig for the Final Vote and some even ranked him above pre-selected all star Dominic Brown. On ESPN's Baseball Tonight Nomar Garciaparra spoke of the NL's depth especially at first base.... How about their pitchers?

Madison Bumgarner, Giants

Aroldis Chapman, Reds
Patrick Corbin, D-backs
Jose Fernandez, Marlins
Jason Grilli, Pirates
Matt Harvey, Mets
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Craig Kimbrel, Braves 

Cliff Lee, Phillies

Jeff Locke, Pirates

Adam Wainwright, Cardinals

Travis Wood, Cubs
Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals

This might not be the Jered Weavers and the Verlanders of the world, but they are pretty darn good enough to play in this game... Also the list above to me looks like the most rag tag group of guys too, being that there are very small names that have just recently shown such such as Jeff Locke, Matt Harvey, and Jason Grilli. 

ONWARD TO MATT HARVEY

It seems like the general public and people I have spoken to all believe that Matt Harvey will start the All-Star game being that is at the stadium in which he plays 50% of his games. But its not just a consulation prize for being a Met in the ASG, but he's an excelent pitcher. With a 2.47 he is ranked fourth in the league in that statistic, fellow NL AS Jeff Locke is 2nd in ERA. This stat shows that both Harvey and Locke have been dominant and deserving of the pick.

Yours truly,

Simon

Pierce, Terry, Garnett, White, AK47, and Plumlee Highlight Nets' Offseason

The Brooklyn Nets have had the quite the offseason thus far. The trade with the Celtics finally became official, making Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and DJ White all Nets. White was really just a throw-in. This trade alone puts them up there to contend with the Heat. Later on in the article I'll post what I think the depth chart will be, but when you think about that starting 5, it's scary. The addition of those 2 give us a legitimate shot to win the NBA Finals this year. I also think the addition of Jason Kidd, who is arguable the smartest basketball player of all time, is only going to make this team that much better. Then there's the other smaller moves that have been made. Jason Terry is a very good shooter off the bench so that was a good piece to get in that trade as well. Mason Plumlee with the 22nd overall pick could end up being the steal of the draft. This guy should've gone in the first half of the first round, but hey I'm not going to complain about getting one of the better players in the whole draft. Then there's the brilliant addition of Andrei Kirilenko. This guy is so underrated it's not even funny. He's a great basketball player and coming off the bench he is going to have a shot at winning 6th man of the year. Hands down one of the best under the radar signings this offseason. Here's the depth chart for the team that I think has the best starting 5 in the whole NBA:

PG: D-Will/Shaun Livingston/Tyshawn Taylor
SG: Joe Johnson/Jason Terry
SF: Paul Pierce/AK47/Toko Shengelia
PF: KG/Reggie Evans/Mirza Teletovic/DJ White
C: Brook/Andray Blatche/Plumlee

That team right there looks way better than good for next season. Looks like a championship team if you ask me.

Metta World Peace: A Solution to Knicks Defensive Struggles

It is clear that if the Knicks struggle in one area, it is most definitely on the defensive end. With a lack of size and consistent defensive stopper, the Knicks vitally need to make some acquisitions this offseason in order to attain a stronger defensive presence that can be relied on to grab rebounds, get stops, and most importantly, play with fire and heart.

When looking at available players for the Knicks to acquire, one of the most intriguing options seems to be Metta World Peace. Despite having an abrasive personality and issue with anger, World Peace can be counted on to, not only provide stops defensively, but also play with heart; something the Knicks have lacked for years know.

When it comes down to it, Knicks fans are in desperate need of a championship and the only way the team can provide one is to improve defensively. The unreliable defensive performances from Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler are not enough. The Knicks need someone who will work hard at all times and as a result will motivate those on the Knicks who do not appear to frequently give 100 percent (Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and others). The addition of Metta World Peace will not only provide a much needed defensive presence that is for the Knicks as a team but also an energy that is much needed for everyone in Madison Square Garden.

Wright Chooses Alvarez For Derby, Still Hears Boos

David Wright chose his team of sluggers to swing for the fences with him to represent the National League on Monday night in the Home Run Derby. He chose Carlos Gonzalez, Michael Cuddyer, and Bryce Harper. All 3 of those guys are very reasonable picks. However, the city of Pittsburgh was in the mood to throw a hissy fit about it because their beloved Pedro Alvarez wasn't picked by David to battle against Robinson Cano and his squad. Cano picked Chris Davis, Yoenis Cespedes, and Prince Fielder. Knowing that the Mets were going into Pittsburgh for a 3 game set right before the All Star Break starts on Monday, the Pirates' broadcasters decided to get in on the act. They told Pirates fans on the air to boo David Wright whenever he was at-bat. Boo David Wright? Captain Wright? In Pittsburgh!? It doesn't get much more unprofessional than this. David Wright is a pro's pro, and real class act. A man among boys. I've met David and he's one of the nicest guys ever. Even if I hadn't met David, it doesn't take a genius to see how nice this guy really is. The Pirates announcers embarrassed themselves by telling fans to boo him for something as silly as this. The whole thing is for the fans. It doesn't count in the slightest, so why make such a big deal about it? Not only is it embarrassing, but it gets worse. Carlos Gonzalez hurt his hand, and David chose Alvarez to replace him in the Derby. This makes it that much more embarrassing for them. The worst part about it though is the fact that they actually did boo him last night. From this point on no one should look at the Pirates as a cool story and a fun team to root for, because they're a bunch of scumbags and so are their fans.

Jeter Returns; Suffers Another Setback

    

This season for the New York Yankees has been all about new faces in familiar places. Ever since the beginning of 2013, the main question for Yankee fans has been, "So when does Jeter come back?" Well, fortunately for them, Captain Clutch returned to the Bronx on Thursday in a matinee finale of a for-game set against Kansas City.
       Derek's return back to the Bigs began when he broke his ankle diving for a ground ball up the middle in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers last season. Originally, Jeter was supposed to be back by Opening Day of this year, but the doctors continued to find more injuries in the Yankee Captain's ankle. This lead to more and more setbacks, and as offseason turned to Spring Training, and as Spring Training turned to Opening Day, there was still no timetable for Derek's return.
       Eventually, at the end of June, Jeter began minor league rehab at the Yankees' AAA affiliate at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Playing mostly at DH, Derek played in 4 games and went 1 for 9, hitting the ball well and running out ground balls. At the beginning of this week, there were rumors that he might be called up before the All-Star Break, which begins Monday. And Thursday morning, Yanks GM Brian Cashman announced that the Captain would be in the starting lineup as the DH for that day's game batting 2nd.
       Derek in his first AB with 1 out and nobody on, Jeter hit a soft grounder on the third base side that no one was able to get to in time for an infield single. His next 3 ABs were mostly uneventful, but he did get his first RBI of the year on a groundout that brought home a run in New York's 8-4 victory. However, Joe Girardi elected to take Derek out of the game after 4 ABs for what was called a tight quadriceps. He got an MRI immediately after the game. Originally, Jeter joked about it saying, "Ya know, they give you an MRI for everything in New York!"
       On Friday afternoon, Brian Cashman addressed the media about the situation. He said it is a Grade 1 Tight Quad (The least serious of grades) and that Jeter will sit out this weekend's series against the Twins to wrap up the first half. He will not be transferred to the DL, but it is not out of the question. Cashman went on to say that Derek will be examined during the All-Star Break.
       Honestly, I cannot stress how important Jeter is to have in this Yankees lineup if they want to contend come September. For one thing, even in his very late 30s, he can still produce, and, until I see otherwise, I still believe he is a good shortstop. Also, he is one of the lone veterans on this team that are actual "veterans." No matter if you're a Jeter fan or not, he is plenty experienced in situations down the stretch and has proved that he knows what to do, as he handles pressure so well. most importantly, it's a huge boost to any lineup knowing that you've got Derek Jeter on your team. Whether he produces like he was 5-6 years ago or struggles mightily, the fact that you have such a historic and great baseball player in your lineup is a huge boost, no matter who you are!

Play By Play Sports Broadcasting Camps #SBCNation

As usual summer is the best time of the year for every kid. But what comes along with summer: SPORTS AND CAMP! Some kids go to camps in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, some go to basketball camp at Saint Joe's, and some go to Play By Play Sports Broadcasting Camps. Yes ladies and gentleman, there is a camp for sportscasting and it's all over the country.

Students from all over the US of A travel to Philadelphia, North Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Los Angeles to meet sports players and announcers while working on activities to help boost public speaking skills and sports knowledge. While the final goal is to have all kids become successful journalists in sports, fun is being had, of course. Games like Stump the Schwab, In Your Face, and Scattegories are used to add a competitive, yet exciting, atmosphere in between visits from stars. Lunch is delicious being brought to you every day of the week so campers don't have to bring a bagged lunch every day. Past guests include:

Michael Barkann, Neil Hartman, Gregg Murphy, Ray Didinger - Comcast SportsNet anchors
Marc Zumoff- Sixers
Jim Jackson- Flyers
Sal Paolantonio- ESPN's preeminent football reporter
Glen Macnow and Paul Jolovitz – 610 WIP hosts
Dave Spadaro – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
Mike Missanelli- 97.5 The Fanatic
Joe Lunardi – ESPN Bracketologist
Jerrold Colton – Sports Agent
Scott Graham-ESPN/Eagles PBP
Jeff Skversky-ABC Sports Director

Maurice Sutton- 2009 East Regional Champion Villanova Wildcats men's basketball player
Lavoy Allen- Philadelphia 76ers

Lou Williams - Atlanta Hawks

Jon Kincade – 680 The Ticket

Steve Holman - Atlanta Hawks

Leo Mazzone – Sports talk radio host and former Altlanta Braves coach

Chris Rose- Host Fox Best Damn Sports Show

Bob Miller- Los Angeles Kings announcer

Steve Lyons- Dodgers

Dave McMenamin- ESPN Los Angeles

Without a doubt the camp is an excellent way for kids to get their feet wet in the broadcasting field. The counselors are excellent, young, smart guys who help the kids through presentations and activities. Please go to:

http://playbyplaycamps.com/ for more info.

Kovalchuk Silly To Retire

Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk decided to retire at age 30 in the middle of a contract with the Devils. I really believe he is making a mistake. I'm not writing this to say that he's dumb to leave all the money on the table, as he is walking away from 12 years and $77 million. I think he let down the Devils organization. He really hung them out to dry and as a Devils fan I think what he did was selfish. If he knew he was going to go back to Russia I don't get why he couldn't tell the team right when the season ended. Now all the best free agents have already signed. He is still one of the best players in the world and I think he made a mistake. There is nothing like the NHL. The Stanley Cup is the best trophy in the entire world. Also, he says he has been considering this for a long time. So basically he cost us our 2 best players from our run to the cup a few years ago. The huge contract we gave him should've been given to Zach Parise, who is not only a better player than Kovalchuk, but he would never put the Devs in a situation like Kovy did. With all this being said, I am very confident that the Devils will be fine. Now we have a ton of money to spend. We now can resign Adam Henrique. And then there's the fact that we have the best GM in hockey and arguably the best in all of sports. I have all the faith in the world in Lou Lamoriello. The Devils will be fine. We just need Henrique to come into his own and take the next step in his development. We still have Zajac, Patty Elias, and now some of our younger players will finally be given significant ice time. I wanna see what we have in guys like Tedenby and Josefson and Loktionov. Kovy will be missed, but it's a waste of time to continue to be mad about it. He let us down. That's his fault, not ours. And then we have guys like Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau working on their games and even though they're both still likely not ready, they're not too far away. Kovy leaving is not such a bad thing for us in the long run. This season might be tough, but considering we can actually spend money now, it might be a blessing in disguise.

Wheeler Looks Strong; Mets Sweep Giants

       The New York Mets, winners of their last 3 and 7 of their last 10, were looking to bring out the brooms on Wednesday against a struggling Giants club and had newcomer to the Majors and former Giant prospect Zach Wheeler on the mound looking to rebound after 2 straight shaky starts. The two teams had played a pair of interesting games leading up to Wednesday's matinee, the first won by the Mets on a Brandon Crawford error in the 15th (Yes yet another Mets game gone to extras), and the other that was close for awhile until New York put it away in the final few innings.

       The Mets batted around to score 3 in their first at-bat on an RBI single from Daniel Murphy and then a 2-run single by John Buck. The sudden offensive explosion continued in the 5th when Marlon Byrd (who will probably be shopped by the Mets) hit a 2-run shot to make it 5-0. In the 6th, RBI doubles came from an unlikely source in Wheeler and then from a more usual source in Murphy which made it 7-0! This would be all the Mets would score in a 7-2 rout of San Francisco.

       As for Zach Wheeler (pitching wise this time around), he dazzled in his first ever start against his former team. He went 7 strong innings allowing only 3 hits and 1 ER while walking only 3 and striking out 5. Wheeler as well lowered his ERA to 3.54 and improved his record to 3-1.

       Well I think it's fair to say that the Mets have been playing some very good baseball of late. It really all started on that road trip about a month ago in which the team went on a 7-4 run in Atlanta, Philly, Chicago, and Denver. The pitching staff stepped up its game and so did the offense which up to that point had basically been dreadful. Yes they had a mostly bad home stand when they returned back to Citi Field, but throughout the Arizona series, they put up a fight in every game against a tough DBacks team that is battling for the lead in a wild NL West. They won 2 of 3 in Millwaukee and just dominated a struggling yet talented Giants club. If they keep it up they could be dangerous.

       Call me crazy but the Mets may have a 2nd half miracle!

Hagelin Stays a Blueshirt

       One of the things that the New York Rangers, who struggled offensively last season, will need if they want to improve their offense is a speedster. And with their main transaction today, the Rangers will keep one of hockey's fastest skaters.
       On Wednesday, New York resigned RW Carl Hagelin to what is reportedly a 2 year/$4.5 million contract. Hagelin, who was a big part of the Rangers offense in 2013, is coming off a 10-goal 24-point regular season playing in all 48 games and a 3-goal 6-point Postseason playing in all 12 of the Rangers playoff games. He is part of a busy week for the Blueshirts as they have signed 2 of their main RFAs that are on the roster (Hagelin and Ryan MacDonaugh) but are still yet to sign others such as Derek Stepan.

       I think this was a very important sign for the New York Rangers. As anyone who watched this team last year would know, they played well under expectation, as many expected to be the team hoisting Lord Stanley's historic trophy in late June. However, from the very first game of the shortened season, the team looked slow, didn't seem aggressive, and just weren't getting the job done. The team seemed to hit their stride near the end of the season and were able to grab the 6th seed in the Playoffs.
       As the season came to an abrupt end in a 5-game series loss to the Bruins, all Ranger fans could hope for was that the team would find a way to become more aggressive, especially on the offensive side, yet keep the core amount of guys that could one day be serious Cup contenders. Well I think all they needed was to stay with what they have. Hagelin is one of Hockey's best all-around players right now. He is aggressive on both sides of the rink (something this team needs to do more), brings some serious speed to a club that at times loses its edge (he is the reigning Fastest Skater at the Skills Competition), and he puts up some offensive numbers with double digits in goals and assists.

       Now obviously Hagelin needs to be a leader in the Rangers offensive push next year, but it was also clear that now-fired Rangers coach John Tortorella was not the guy who would help make that happen. His system just didn't work for the strengths of the team and was openly disliked by many of the players. However, the Blueshirts new head coach Alain Vigneaux is coming off of 7 mostly successful seasons in Vancouver and has a reputation of being a players' coach, so I think good things will come from this busy months or so of transactions from the Rangers.