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The Small Market Superstars

September 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Atlanta Braves and the Oakland A’s are definitely not the sexiest teams in Major League Baseball, but they sure are good. They have quietly put together very respectable seasons, and both teams are in excellent position to make moves in October. Nipping on the heels of the Boston Red Sox, the Braves and A’s maintain the second- and third-best records in baseball. Atlanta and Oakland aren’t the most glamorous markets in baseball, but their fans are passionate about their teams, and rightfully so. With home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in sight, the A’s and Braves are looking to make it to the World Series. The ratings would be terrible to the disdain of Bud Selig, but neither team could care less.

Let’s start with the Braves. After winning 14 consecutive division titles, the Braves have been in a drought. Until this year the Braves have not won the NL East since 2005. The Braves have cruised throughout the entire season, without any obstacles in the way. They have avoided serious injuries all year and every other team in the NL East has been very disappointing. The Nationals were many experts’ World Series picks. Boy, do they look wrong now. The Phillies are old and hurt. The New York Mets do have some talent, but an underachieving season in Queens took place yet again. Finally, the Florida, I mean Miami Marlins do have a rising star in Giancarlo Stanton and a colorful new baseball stadium, but the team is pathetic. They will be sending thank you cards to the Astros for helping them avoid even more shame and embarrassment. All in all, the Braves played well enough to win the division, but many teams could have taken advantage of their weak rivals.

The Oakland A’s path to the AL West division title has been a little more challenging than the Braves’. They actually have a decent team that plays in their division, the Texas Rangers, who are fighting for a Wild Card spot. The Los Angeles Angels are just as disappointing as the Nationals and the Phillies, proving that having a big payroll only matters in the United Nations. The Seattle Mariners are a lost franchise, with no direction or identity. They have even caused their manager to have cardiac problems because they are so heartbreaking to watch. Hope you are doing okay Eric Wedge.  And as foreshadowed earlier, the Houston Astros make the word awful seem attractive. They have lost more than 100 games and probably every last fan of baseball in Houston. That organization is so desperate that it has to pay their fans to come to the games. The players are the ones asking for the autographs. The days of the Killer B’s are gone, and the Astros are grateful that this season is almost over, too. These disappointing and poor teams have paved the way for the A’s to claim the division, but this should not hide the fact that the A’s are a hell of a ballclub.

The Braves are led by rising star Freddie Freeman. His left-handed bat represents the most intimidating presence in their lineup. Justin Upton and Brian McCann contribute with their clutch bats as well, doing it in a nonchalant way.  Veterans Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton have the same story. They won’t hit for average and they strike out more than Pete Weber, but are capable of hitting some deep balls in October. They have a pitching staff full on young studs. Julio Teheran, Kris Medlen, Mike Minor and Alex Wood are inexperienced, but capable of shutting down any offense. Their bullpen is solid and they have the best closer in baseball in Craig Kimbrel. I feel bad for McCann’s hand when he pitches. Ouch.

braves

Bottom line is the Braves are like that nice coworker that performs well all the time. You cannot really say a bad word about him. He is too nice to want to criticize. No ego at all, very humble. Like that coworker, the Braves are not flashy, they do not search for attention and in return none is really given to them. However, they win, win, and win. Whether we notice is irrelevant. Led by Fredi Gonzalez, the Braves head into October with a lot of confidence in themselves and chances in winning it all. Do they have the real superstars, hitting or pitching that it usually takes to win it all? Only time will tell.

Similar to the Braves, the A’s are a quiet group of ballplayers that only the avid baseball fan knows about. If you thought the Braves lacked stars, then the A’s would be a lunar eclipse near a black hole. We know Billy Beane likes science with his beliefs in sabermetrics, a numbers approach to baseball. Each year, they produce players that most teams have discarded. This year’s A’s include leading hitters Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes is like the A’s version of Yasiel Puig, minus the cocky attitude, ego, boneheaded mistakes, sliding into home plate on a walk-off and tardiness. OK, so maybe the similarities only lie with their Cuban heritage and use of interpreters.

Brandon Moss, Jed Lowrie and Coco Crisp round out the rest of the meat of their lineup and nobody could tell you they have watched more than one of their at-bats this year. The only thing catchy about their team is that they have a guy named Coco Crisp. The A’s are the only franchise left that shares a field with another team, not worth spending money on a new stadium. Where they play doesn’t matter to them and neither does who watches them. Point being is that the A’s are not rating-friendly. Even with the Moneyball movie, most fans do not regard them as a must-see team to watch. They are not shown on Sunday Night Baseball and the A’s are perfectly content with that. They are a feel-good Cinderella story that always makes the tournament, but never makes noise. They are the Boise State of baseball, minus the blue turf. Bartolo Colon may be more bloated than the Goodyear Blimp, but he is dominating this year and leading the pitching staff. For the A’s, they will get another crack to make Beane’s dream come true for a real Hollywood ending.

The Braves and A’s have a lot in common and the same goal. They lack the big names and market that most World Series teams have. From their manager (head) to their toe (closer), their squad is full of guys who only fantasy experts and statisticians recognize. When a viewer sees Oakland or Atlanta on the TV guide, the channel is skipped over way more times than not. However, they play the game the right way. They get the runners on, over, and in, and it does not matter who does it. Winning is most important and both teams, I emphasize teams, have done it a lot this year.

The real question now is do they have what it takes to win it all this year? It is possible, but history says it is unlikely. Even though the Braves won 14 consecutive championships with solid ballclubs from 1992-2005, they only won one World Series. Even though Beane and the A’s had a movie written about their unconventional success story, there actually has been very little success for them in October. There is a reason Ralph Nader had no chance in his Presidential aspirations. The big names always win. Superstars are made in October. Who knows? This year’s World Series’ superstars might not be superstars after all. The Atlanta Braves and Oakland A’s would not have it any other way.

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Dodger That: Los Angeles setting the MLB on Fire

August 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Philadelphia Phillies v Los Angeles Dodgers

In Los Angeles, most sports fans only bleed one color, purple and gold. The Lakers have won the most championships and attracted the most media attention. The celebrities want to be seen at StaplesCenter. People sometimes ask the Laker fans for autographs. However, times are changing in La La Land. The Los Angeles Dodgers are taking LA and the rest of Major League Baseball by storm. After a slow start, they are flaming hot and seem to be winning almost every game they play.

The Dodgers are not only really good, but they are very fun and exciting to watch. They are even making Vin Scully feel young again. Since June 22, they are 46-10 and an outstanding 26-5 since the All-Star break (as of August 24). Those numbers are remarkable when you realize a team plays 162 games in a season. All they do is win. You cannot pinpoint one reason, but let’s examine a couple why the Dodgers have been playing like the 1920s New York Yankees.

Fresh Blood. If you had to pick one player for this turnaround, the choice is easy – it’s Yasiel Puig. He was called up in June, and soon thereafter, the Dodgers began their unprecedented streak. Puig, an electric player from Cuba, has more spark than a road flare on the field. He has speed, power and charisma. His attitude seems to carry the team like Ray Lewis did for the Ravens. His presence rejuvenated the team and gave it a shot to the heart for a team that looked poised for an underachieving season (See the Los Angeles Angels). Puig has the “juice,” the pizzazz that motivates his players and inspires the fans.

For years, Clayton Kershaw has been the bonafide ace of the Dodgers, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball. This year, he finally has some help. Korean Hyun-Jin Ryu has made an international splash to the team similar to what Hideo Nomo did in the mid-‘90s. Zack Greinke, who slightly underachieved in Milwaukee, has regained his form and is pitching like he did when he was a perennial Cy Young candidate in Kansas City. Greinke also brings some fire to the club. Earlier in the year, he ignited a brawl with Carlos Quentin and the Padres, and as a result, suffered a broken collarbone. He missed six weeks, but it looks like it has taken a positive effect on the time in the long haul. They traded for Miami’s Ricky Nolasco, who on any given night can pitch a shutout. And left-hander Chris Capuano is a legitimate No. 5 starter for this squad.

They start the game with studs and end the game with studs. The bullpen is relentless, collecting many strikeouts and broken bats. Kenley Jansen is emerging as the next Eric Gagne, minus the goofy goggles. Bottom line is they have the best pitching in baseball and their staff seems very similar to the Phillies and Giants teams that won three of the last five World Series. Their hitting is potent, but in October, good pitching beats good hitting. If they run into an ace, the Dodgers are more than capable of winning a 2-1 ballgame. It would not surprise me if you see Kershaw as the World Series MVP when it’s all said and done.

Every great team has a player that is a having a comeback season. Well the Dodgers have two, Juan Uribe and Hanley Ramirez. These two are hitting like champs and clutching up through this entire hot streak. People forget Uribe helped the Giants win a World Series in 2010, and now he is positioning himself to provide the same accolades this postseason. Sure, his effort might be up for debate and he is susceptible to the hidden ball trick, but thankfully for him, this is not The Rookie of the Year. I pray for his sake that he does not fall for that again. Ramirez might be runner-up to Puig as most important Dodger during this run. He is hitting for average and power, and loves turning a sharp double play. He has that swagger that like Puig. In fact, maybe he was the one that taught Puig some of his antics. Hanleywood is making the Dodgers front office look very intelligent. He had some subpar years with the Marlins, and the Dodgers bought low. Now his stock is sky high, and the only thing the Dodgers are selling now are season tickets.

Lost in the mix has been Matt Kemp. Kemp has been Kershaw’s counterpart on the offensive end for the Dodgers. While Kemp has spent a large part of the season on the disabled list, it hasn’t mattered. The Dodgers lineup still features Puig, Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford.       It is scary to think of a lineup with Kemp sandwiched in it. I pity all opposing pitchers. You throw in role players like A.J. and Mark Ellis and Skip Schumaker, the only breather comes when the pitcher is up at the plate. Oh wait, all Dodger pitchers can hit. Yikes. This is starting to make sense now.

When the Dodgers struggled in the early season, people in Los Angeles were calling for Don Mattingly’s job. The perception was that the inmates were running the asylum and Donny Baseball was not a good fit for this team. He stayed the course and weathered the storm (these clichés are truly applicable here). No one really knows what impact he has had on this team during this hot streak, but credit must be given to the manager of a comeback of this nature. His moustache may be gone, but his job as Dodgers skipper is very much still there.

Overall, the Dodgers are clearly the best team in baseball right now. They have the pitching, the hitting and the winning attitude. After working out the early chinks in the armor, they are playing on a level now that is hard to fathom in this modern age. They just win, plain and simple. If they can stay healthy and carry this momentum into October, they will be tough to beat once, yet alone in a series.

The people in Los Angeles are buzzing about their new favorite toy. And with the Lakers looking prime for another disappointing season, the Dodgers might be here to stay. Even Magic Johnson has shifted his loyalties now that he is one of the owners of the team. Maybe Kobe will come in and pinch hit. He will probably want to soon enough. We might never see a winning streak and run like this ever in our lifetime. It’s time for all of us to appreciate this Dodger team and Think Blue.

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The Betting Corner: Saturday, April 13th, 2013

April 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

385_zysdvuvy_prkjbjmo4-12-13 Recap:

LOSS: 1 Unit – Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-101)

LOSS: 1 Unit – Atlanta at Washington (-129)

WIN: 1 Unit – Chi White Sox at Cleveland (-135)

WIN: 1 Unit – NY Mets at Minnesota (-102)

WIN: 1 Unit – LA Dodgers at Arizona Under 8 (-110)

LOSS: 1 Unit – Houston at LA Angels (-1.5) (+115)

Season YTD: 17-12 +3.86 Units

MLB Futures Watch:

.5 Units: Pittsburgh Pirates Under 77 (-110) 4-6

1 Unit: Houston Astros Under 59.5 (-110) 4-6

1 Unit: Atlanta Braves Over 87.5 (-110) 9-1

1 Unit: Seattle Mariners Over 77 (-125) 5-7

1.5 Units: Cleveland Indians Over 77 (-110) 4-5

Mets and the Dodgers/Diamondbacks Under we’re never in question. We finally win a close moneyline game with Cleveland.  Would’ve been nice to win just 1 of the remaining three games but Cincinnati’s comeback efforts go for nothing after battling back the whole game only to give up the lead immediately after tying the game.  It’s in those situations you hope your bullpen can come in and get a quick 1-2-3- inning to get you back in the dugout.  And of all bullpens, the Nationals keep us from a winning day blowing a late game against Atlanta.  Oh yeah, and I don’t even know what to say about the Angels.  Yesterday was a perfect scenario for them to make a stand for an early comeback for the season.  Definitely didn’t pan out that way.

Seems like we just can’t get back on track to our winning ways early in the season.  This is how baseball goes, you just hope you can tread water till you can get a couple solid days under your belt and then do it all over again.  Back to the grind over the weekend.

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1 Unit – NY Mets at Minnesota (-125)

Matt Harvey seems to be the real deal.  He’s had to great starts to begin the season (2-0 w/ a 0.64 ERA in 14 IP with 19 Ks) and shouldn’t have to much trouble with the struggling Twins.  His opponent in Scott Diamond hasn’t thrown in a game yet this year due to starting the season on the DL recovering from elbow surgery.  He pitched well last year but has average stats for the most part throughout his young career.  With the depth the Mets have in their lineup, -125 is a solid number to deal with.

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1 Unit – Toronto at Kansas City (-130)

James Shields makes his debut in Kansas City as a Royal facing off against the veteran knuckelballer RA Dickey.  Coming from the AL East contender Rays, Shields has plenty of experience with the Toronto lineup.  The Jays definitely had a few personnel changes this offseason, but with his 11-5 career mark holding an ERA of 3.24, I think he can come out on top of this one.

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2 Units – LA Dodgers at Arizona Under 9 (-120)

We’re rolling out our first step out game of the year today, and it’s a doozy.  This game should probably be close to 7 or 7.5 at the absolute most. 9 seems like a gift.  Hyun-Jin Ryu has proven his worth so far this year.  He’s 1-1 so far with a 2.13 ERA.  I don’t think his first road game should get to him, and I see him rising to the occasion.

Ian Kennedy has faired well against the Dodgers in the past and has great batter/pitcher numbers against roughly the entire team.  Here’s their starting lineup from yesterday, and his numbers against them.

Hairston, J, LF-3B   –   0-5

Ellis, M, 2B   –   0-6

Kemp, CF   –   4-16

Gonzalez, Ad, 1B   –   2-16

Uribe, 3B   –   0-8

b-Crawford, C, PH-LF   –   2-9

Tolleson, P   –   0-0

Howell, P   –   0-0

Ethier, RF   –   5-20

Ellis, A, C   –   2-9

Sellers, SS   –   1-3

a-Punto, PH-SS   –   0-3

Total: 16-95 (.168 AVG)

That’s no small sample size either.  He’s 5-2 in his career with a 3.24 ERA.  He’s also faired slightly better at home in his career which helps us here.

Both bullpens are fresh and ready to go in this one too.  Each has only pitched 7 2/3 innings in their last 3 games.

Nothing really points against us in this game except that maybe Ryu is making his first start on the road.  But let’s be real, he not exactly from here, so every game could be considered a road game to him.  Expect a 3-1 or 4-2 kind of contest in this one.

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Jeremy Murray
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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The Betting Corner: Thursday, April 11th, 2013

April 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

AP768562731672ooo_bq2vtikw_j2cz3q3e4-10-13 Recap:

WIN: 1 Unit – Colorado at San Francisco (-135)

LOSS: 1 Unit – Pittsburgh at Arizona Under 9 (+105)

WIN: 1 Unit – Tampa Bay at Texas Under 9 (+100)

Season YTD: 14-8 +5.31 Units

MLB Futures Watch:

.5 Units: Pittsburgh Pirates Under 77 (-110) 3-6

1 Unit: Houston Astros Under 59.5 (-110) 3-6

1 Unit: Atlanta Braves Over 87.5 (-110) 8-1

1 Unit: Seattle Mariners Over 77 (-125) 4-6

1.5 Units: Cleveland Indians Over 77 (-110) 3-5

A solid 2-1 day to get us back moving in the right direction.  Both our wins cover easily.  Had the Bucko’s pitching staff known they had a game today, we may have swept the day.  Oh well, still a very solid start to the season.  Travel day Thursday before the weekend series’ begin.  Only on 1 total for the day.

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1 Unit – Oakland at LA Angels Under 8.5 (-115)

These two teams have been able to score on each other so far in the first 2 games of this series.  I think that stops Thursday as two very underrated pitchers take the bump.  AJ Griffin and Jason Vargas are very quality #4 starters.  And they’ve had success against their opponents in the past.  Griffin has only pitched against the Angels once but he lasted 8 innings giving up no earned.  Vargas has faced off against Oakland 13 times, going 5-5 with a 3.13 ERA in the process (giving up 1, 3, 1, 2, and 2 ER in his last 5).  I’m pretty confident that if we can get this one to the bullpens at 5 total runs or less, we should be able to take it to the bank.

 

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Thank you for reading The Cover 4! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

Oh yeah, tell your friends too!

Jeremy Murray
Sports Activist for The Cover 4
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TheCover4.com is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.

All information regarding gambling is intended to be purely educational from an academic perspective, and not to actually encourage gambling.  We are in no way condoning gambling and are not affiliated with any and all casinos/sports books mentioned.

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Lakers, Warrior Uniforms, Manti Te’o & Oscar Pistorius

March 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Cover 4 is bringing you a different approach to today’s major sports topics.

Will the Lakers make the playoffs?

lakers

Sammy: I firmly believe there is a chance the Lakers will make the playoffs. With great energy from Dwight Howard, Kobe’s efficiency and HUSTLE defense, they can pull it out.

Tye: The Lakers are three games back with only 24 games left. They’re 10-19 on the road and 12 of those games are away. It’s not happening.

James: Although I chose the Lakers as preseason favorites, I don’t see it. Houston has the fourth-easiest schedule from here on out. James Harden is playing on a MVP level.

Sammy: This team is just now starting to jell. It finally has continuity and the veterans have settled into their roles. They need help, but the Lakers will be doing their part in the race.

Tye: It’s taken 58 games to jell? It’s a sub-.500 team and only 6-4 in its last 10 games. The Lakers aren’t suddenly going to dominate the league and roll past Houston.

James: The Lakers have shown that this group of players can’t get it done. Dwight doesn’t work in this offense, Nash isn’t the same, they have no bench and Kobe can’t do it all

Sammy: To get to a 45-win season, the Lakers need to go 17-7 in the final 24 games. It’s highly possible that Houston or Utah goes 14-10 in that stretch and the Lakers sneak in.

Tye: If Utah had traded Millsap or Jefferson I’d say they might slip, but not now. And Houston just beat a top western team in OKC showing it’s here to stay.

James: 17-7 the rest of the way? I see at least 10 losses on the remaining schedule. Final three games: GS, SAS, HOU. They will flop at the end. Kobe can’t do it himself.

Are the Warrior Sleeve Unis Legit? 

Sleeves

James: Absolutely! 26 percent lighter, trendy, stretchy, 360 rotation. Did I mention the $115 price tag? Soon all teams will rock these jerseys and money will be made on sales.

Sammy: They can make shirts that have all the pros you just mentioned WITHOUT sleeves. Lookout Christmas sweaters, here come “ugly jersey” parties.

Tye: The Warriors broke into Lance Armstrong’s closet and stole all his yellow jerseys. They beat the Spurs because he had sweated PEDs into all of them.

James: Haha. Nicely done boys, but the sleeves are here to stay; the kids are gonna love it. Now you can put those guns away and rock the sleeves with your jersey.

Sammy: Honestly what are they thinking? It makes them look like little boys playing against the other teams, which look like beasts. They need to dominate to make a statement like that, not just win.

Tye: Going from short shorts to regular shorts was a good move back in the day, but the NBA jersey is something timeless. Some things shouldn’t be changed.

James: You guys are missing the point! This is about money. The almighty dollar reigns supreme as this is another selling tool for the NBA. Wait until every team wears them.

Sammy: It doesn’t matter about money. The NBA isn’t hurting for cash. What happened to tradition? Basketball holds on to tradition better than any of the major sports. It’s a damn shame.

Tye: I agree that the new jerseys will sell. Hell, NBA players wearing rimless glasses made them popular and sell. It doesn’t mean that the product looks good or makes sense though.

Is Manti Te’o worth a first-round selection?

teo

Tye: With his performance against Alabama and his 4.8 40 time, Teo’s chances of being taken in the first round are about as real as his girlfriend.

Sammy: I have trouble believing that a spotty performance in the National Championship game and the combine can affect a Heisman candidate that much.

James: Sometimes too much emphasis is on combine numbers. He’s a first-round talent but my problem is with how guys will react to him in the locker room. Definitely worth a mid-late first.

Tye: You really want to use a first rounder on a player who can’t be an every-down linebacker? The 4.8 shows he’s not going to be able to keep up with NFL receivers.

Sammy: AT THE COMBINE, Scouts compared him to Lance Briggs. Briggs is an elite LB on an elite defense without elite speed. Ball speed is different than running in a straight line, which he won’t be called upon to do.

James: Plain and simple Teo makes plays. Before the hoax we were talking about him being the first true defensive Heisman winner. Alabama showed some weaknesses but he’s still playmaker.

Tye: I see him going late first, early second. When you perform poorly against the best talent, it creates doubt at what you can do at the next level.

Sammy: Not enough doubt that he drops that far. He could go in the middle of the first to Tampa Bay or someone that could use the LB boost, or he could take over for Ray Lewis. Regardless, he’s a definite first rounder.

James: Reading Kiper’s mock draft, Sammy? The guy is a first rounder but only in the right situation. He needs to go to a team with strong leadership. Letting him slip may help.

If Olympian Oscar Pistorius doesn’t get charged with the murder of his girlfriend, is it safe to say that athletes get preferential treatment?

debate

Sammy: Pistorius, Lewis, OJ Simpson, Donte Stallworth…what do they have in common? All have been involved in a murder in some way, and all might be off without any major punishment, if any punishment at all.

James: Without a doubt athletes get preferred treatment in these situations. If Pistorius gets away with this it will be a travesty. He has a history of violence!

Tye: Do athletes get preferential treatment? Of course, but it’s up to the attorneys and juries to come out with the right verdict. So who is giving them the treatment?

Sammy: There have to be back alley type plea deals or behind the scenes agreements. There’s no other explanation. The process is corrupt, unfair and it goes against everything a government should stand for.

James: Pistorius’ camp is making all the right moves to get him off the hook. He committed a crime, was taking steroids and has a history of violence. He better go to jail.

Tye: Did you ever consider that his fame could lead to him being made an example of and increasing punishment? We shouldn’t automatically assume guilt either.

Sammy: This argument is based on the assumption he is guilty and not charged. And yes, I’ve considered fame. But that is the same boat the other athletes have been in. Fame has let others off the hook. It has to stop.

James: Guilty until proven innocent is the new system. At the end of the day, Pistorius is a local hero and will get away with murder. It’s terrible and pathetic.

Tye: Guilty until proven innocent is pathetic. Look how many people have been exonerated by DNA after people assumed they were guilty. Though if he’s found guilty, he’ll do time.

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James Kaikis, Tye Masters & Sammy Scherr
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Lake Show vs. Lob City

February 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

la

When you think of basketball in Los Angeles, you think of the purple and gold. The championships. Kareem and Magic. Kobe and Shaq. The glitz and the glamour. Jack Nicholson sitting courtside. Conventional wisdom indicates that there is just one basketball team that dominates the headlines in L.A. If you asked most natives, UCLA would probably be the second-most popular answer if you were playing Family Feud. However, for the first time since, well, ever, L.A. has two sheriffs in town now, with the rise of the L.A. Clippers.

The Los Angeles Clippers have been the laughing stock of the NBA for years, epitomizing how not to run a franchise. Conversely, the Lakers have been a model of excellence. No matter the year the motto is “championship or bust.” However, this year, it has become more and more evident that the tides are turning in Tinseltown.

Let’s first focus on each team’s players. The Lakers have superstars, but all are arguably past their prime. Kobe is still Kobe, but he has racked up more minutes than Andy Rooney with his fantastic career nearing its end. Dwight Howard has brought nothing but drama in his first year with the Lakers and his back injury raises major question marks for the future. Pau Gasol recently suffered a foot injury, which does not bode well for any 7-footer’s career, even if he is well connected to Dr. Scholls. Steve Nash missed the first part of the year with a leg injury, and seems to be a shell of himself in a Laker uniform. The only thing Nash can do to play defense these days is hope that his awful haircut will distract the league’s top point guards. Even with the former Ron Artest on the team, the Lakers season and future can be called anything but peaceful.

As for the Clippers, they have arguably the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul. He not only walks the walk on the court, but off the court he talks the talk. He is a leader, and he makes the players around him better.  Blake Griffin is the co-star for the Clips and he is the most exciting player in basketball. His dunks even make cops jealous. Jamal Crawford is easily the sixth man of the year, a bona-fide stud who brings an element of street ball to the court when he is in the game. Veterans such as Grant Hill, Lamar Odom and Chauncey Billups have chosen to play for this team because they thought it as their best opportunity to win a title. In years past, it would be like someone wanting to move to Seattle to get a better tan. Now the Clippers represent a team on the rise, full of promise for the future and a threat to take over as the new basketball team of Los Angeles.

In years past, the Clippers organization had to call businesses and fans for sponsorship and attendance. They practically had to rely on the league’s best opponents to help put butts in the seats for Clipper home games. These days, fans and sponsors are flocking to the Staples Center to be a part of the Clipper Magic. The Clipper stock is rising and everybody wants to buy a share. The Clippers have a better record, better team chemistry, and a better shot to win the title than the Lakers. However, it remains to be seen if they can win over the fans who look at L.A. as Laker Land.

The Lakers and Clippers play their home games in the same arena similar to two brothers who grow up living together in the same house. The Clippers have always been that younger brother who never gets any attention, while the Lakers have been the pride and joy of the Los Angeles family. The Lakers have all the awards, historic teams and players, and accolades to boot. The Clippers on the other hand don’t really have much to show in their trophy case.  However, it looks like the little brother is finally growing up.

The Lakers beat the Mavericks on Sunday and acted as if they had advanced to the NBA Finals. The Mavericks are under .500 and are in danger of not making the playoffs, much like the Lakers. Sad, but times are changing as well as the standards. The Lakers never used to celebrate moral victories. The Lakers never used to make news when they went on a three-game winning streak. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are making the Clippers a force to be reckoned with and they are not going away anytime soon. Lob City has arrived and they are the closest thing to Showtime since Magic Johnson ran the point. They are a better team and a more viable contender for a championship. Is this a sign for things to come? We will have to see. Whether this becomes true, it still will take a huge effort surpass the Lakers as the pulse of Los Angeles. The fact that this is even a discussion now represents a new era in and of itself.

 

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Paul Culley
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The Sad State of Los Angeles

January 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment

los-angeles

 

The arrival of 2013 was supposed to bring a new dawn for Los Angeles. There were expectations for Los Angeles in all four of the major sports. The Lakers are a perennial powerhouse, the Clippers aren’t fully “believable” yet, the Dodgers and Angels have risen to the top of the baseball world in both payroll and potential, the Kings were last year’s Stanley Cup champions,and there is major talk of an NFL team moving to the City of Angels. However, one could argue that 2013 has not been kind to Los Angeles so far, despite apparent success, and that there is potential for disaster for the entire year as a whole.
To begin with, let’s talk about what everyone in the WORLD is talking about, the Los Angeles Lakers. A team that regularly plays well into the playoffs retooled this year, adding one of the best passing guards in the history of the game (Steve Nash) and the game’s most dominant center (Dwight Howard) since that Shaq character. This roster shift happened for two reasons. First, the Lakers needed more of a veteran presence while simultaneously getting younger; this way the franchise could ride out the amazing Kobe Bryant era while building around a new powerful piece in Howard. Also, Kobe and company needed to desperately make moves to not get left behind by the fast-paced and star-studded Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant and LeBron James are now the stars of the National Basketball Association,and have pushed the Lakers to the brink of irrelevance. The Lakers needed to do something to keep up and adding Howard and Nash without losing major pieces seemed like the steal of the offseason. Who wouldn’t want to parlay a disinterested Andrew Bynum and Ramon Sessions into the premiere big man in the game and the most efficient passer around?
Still, there is trouble in Lakerland. Fast point guards continue to cause problems for a team that now has the top-ranked defender in the league in Howard. Nash simply cannot keep up and the other point guards struggle offensively, creating an uneven balance of skill-set. Kobe is having one of his best shooting seasons ever, leading the league in shooting at the “young” age of 34, but when he is double and even triple-teamed, no one is there to pick up the offensive slack. Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks, two beyond-the-arc assassins, seem to have been assassinated. When Laker Nation is most excited about the play of Earl Clark, a throw-in in the Howard trade, the problems have effectively put the second-winningest franchise at rock bottom, and the unthinkable possibility of the Lakers missing out on the post-season with this team has become a borderline foreseeable reality.
Fortunately for Los Angeles sports fans, the Clippers are still in town, and the play of Chris Paul has the Clippers leading the NBA in wins. And the scariest part of the Clippers is their depth. When Chris Paul was down with an injury, both Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford “put the team on their backs” Greg Jennings-style and the team didn’t miss a beat. Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan have developed into consistent scoring threats while Lob City’s plethora of shooters in Matt Barnes, Willie Green and Caron Butler makes them a threat to score from beyond the arc on any possession.
Even with their success, they are not viewed nationally (or even locally) as a legitimate title contender. They are still “the Clippers”, an underachieving group of misfits who will never amount to anything in the post-season. In the world of basketball, despite the success of the Clippers so far this season, no one sees an NBA championship coming to Los Angeles.
Where the championship is to be found appears to be in America’s pastime, with the Dodgers and the Angels. Heading into spring training, there is widespread optimism in Los Angeles for both money-blowing squads based on their free agent acquisitions, and there is even talk about a World Series solely in LA, between the two monetary powerhouses. The Dodgers have added all-star caliber firepower in Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Zack Greinke and Ryu Hyun-jin since the management changed to the Magic Johnson consortium. Likewise, the Angels have landed that Albert Pujols guy, CJ Wilson, and now Josh Hamilton, this year’s prize free agent. So why is everything not beautiful and sunny in downtown Los Angeles?
Compatibility. Comfort. The ability to mesh with new teammates. And the pressure of performing in a major market. Look at the slump Pujols had to start the 2012 campaign. That slump, combined with the unpredictable start by the rest of the team, was enough to keep the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim out of the playoffs. They still finished with an 89 win-season, which was good for only THIRD place in a suddenly talent-filled American League West. And for the Dodgers, they now face the same problem. With unlimited money comes unlimited possibilities,and unlimited potential for disaster. For the Dodgers and the Angels for that matter, any result short of the World Series (maybe the league championship series) will be looked upon as a travesty. Los Angeles is a city that expects to bring a championship home every year and if the Dodgers and/or Angels don’t make that vision a reality THIS season, 2013 will have been a failure as a season. A fast start is mandatory and a strong finish is equally necessary.
Interestingly enough, the lone success story of 2012 for the city of Los Angeles was the Kings, a bunch of scrappy fighters that no one could have predicted would rise up to become Stanley Cup champions. After serving as on-the-road warriors throughout the NHL playoffs, the 8th seeded LA Kings brought home the trophy, much to the delight of the city craving a championship. There, finally, was something to smile about last year. But then came the NHL lockout, because the NHL had to be just like the NBA and the NFL and shorten the season only to find that the sides would reconcile their differences after ruining the off-season. And now, with a 48 game schedule, the Kings have a small window to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Kings rode a roller coaster of momentum into the postseason and in turn stunned the world with their postseason run. Now with the off-season being spent on figuring out a new player’s association instead of practicing power plays and defense, the playing field has been leveled, as all NHL teams are not fully prepared for this season. For the Kings, a slow start could also mean missing the playoffs, adding to the demise of the city’s sports fans.
Now there will be people who would disagree, and be blindly optimistic about the state of Los Angeles sports. But the sports fans of today are fans of instant gratification. The Lakers haven’t won a title since (gulp) 2009-2010. The Dodgers haven’t won a title since 1988. The Clippers have never won a title. The Angels haven’t won a title since 2002. And the Kings just won the title, raising expectations for a franchise that is undergoing the same trauma as all of the other teams that have experienced the lockout. As a Los Angeles sports fan, I hope to every God that I am wrong with my gut feeling. But as a writer and an objective observer, I can’t help but notice that it is a sad state for the Los Angeles sports teams. Hopefully Magic Johnson can work his namesake in all four of the major sports.

 

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Sammy Scherr
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It’s Hockey Time! Division Previews, Analysis, Awards & More!

January 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
How far will the Rangers go this season?

How far will the Rangers go this season?

 

With the lockout now a distant memory, the NHL will resume business as usual today, with the regular season kicking off at 3 p.m. eastern. The lockout has completely changed the dynamic of this season as  this will be a 48 game sprint to the playoffs, instead of the typical 82-game marathon.. There will be no adjustment period for any team and any losing streak of substance will be catastrophic. Injuries and goaltending will play the biggest roles in determining who goes to the dance and who is back on the golf course before you can say Ovechkin. Lets take a quick look around the league and make some predictions.

The Divisions

Atlantic Division

Arguably the best division in the game, the Atlantic is LOADED with stars. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Claude Giroux, Brad Richards, Rick Nash, John Tavares and Ilya Kovalchuk highlight the star studded division that is sure to be one of, if not the tightestdivisions in the game this season.

New Jersey Devils – The defending Eastern Conference champions have more to prove entering a season than any defending conference champ in recent memory. They lost their heart and soul in team captain Zach Parise to the Wild via free agency and remaining superstar Ilya Kovalchuk nearly had to be dragged back from the KHL. Hall of Fame goalie Martin Brodeur will return for another year, and the Devils fate is tied directly to his play.

New York Islanders – An intriguing team to watch, the Islanders have been a perennial basement dweller in the Atlantic, however they boast an emerging star in John Tavares, backed up by the likes of Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner. The Islanders are a young team who may benefit from playing every other night and if they develop of winning streak early, they can be a contender for a playoff spot.

New York Rangers – It’s Stanley Cup or bust for the Rangers this season. After having an impressive season last year despite sub-par production from superstar free agent signee Brad Richards, Henrik Lundqvist was lights out and carried them to the Eastern Conference Finals. This season, the Broadway Blueshirts have added yet another star in Rick Nash and feature an impressive young blueline with Michael Del Zotto, Marc Staal and Girardi. Up and down, the Rangers boast the most formidable lineup in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia Flyers – Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the biggest question for the Broadstreet Bullies will be goaltending. The bizarre and recently inconsistent Ilya Bryzgalov holds the Flyers fate in his hands. The Flyers boast one of the deepest rosters in the East with superstar Claude Giroux leading the way and their D corps is solid despite losing Chris Pronger to injury and Matt Carle to free agency.

Pittsburgh Penguins – No doubt that the thought of a healthy and extra-motivated Sidney Crosby playing with defending MVP and scoring champ Evgeni Malkin is going to cause many coaches and players to lose some sleep in the coming weeks. The two-headed monster spearheads a potent offensive lineup with the likes of Kris Letang and James Neal hiding in Crosby and Malkin’s shadows. The big question for the Pens will be on the blueline and in net after that colossal defensive breakdown versus Philadelphia lin last year’s playoffs. Marc-Andre Fleury will need to return to his dominant form from the regular season and put that playoff series behind him.

Division Champion: New York Rangers

Northeast Division

The Northeast Division is perhaps the toughest division in hockey to play as a player. Three original six teams play in Toronto, Montreal and Boston, whose fan bases expect a Stanley Cup caliber team annually.  The other two division teams are Ottawa, a Canadian team and Buffalo, a pseudo-Canadian team, who share the same pressure.

Boston Bruins – Despite former MVP and Conn Smythe-winning All Star goalie Tim Thomas sitting the season out due to personal reasons, the Bruins are still sitting pretty in the driver’s seat of the division. Tuukka Rask is a more than capable starting goaltender and there won’t be much of a dropoff for the B’s in the crease. Zdeno Chara captains a roster that will see the return of a healthy Nathan Horton who was  dealing with concussion issues season. The big, physical Bruins should be in control of the division from the get-go, especially if their offense starts hot.

Buffalo Sabres – It’s pretty simple for the Sabres, they need Ryan Miller to return to dominant form in net and they need more from young star Tyler Myers and 2011 free agent signees Ville Leino and Christian Ehrhoff. With the addition of the gritty and skilled agitator extraordinaire Steve Ott  from Dallas in the offseason, the Sabres added to a need they were desperately lacking. If the underachievers can pick their game up, and Jason Pominville plays like he did last season, the Sabres will be competitive, if not, Lindy Ruff may be looking for a new team to coach next season.

Montreal Canadiens – It was a rough season last year for the Habs, seeing them finish dead last in the Eastern Conference, and third worst in the entire league. There is not too much reason to believe this year will be much better. Young star defenseman and future franchise player P.K. Subban has yet to report to camp as a restricted free agent and the Habs feature an aging lineup of veterans with some young upstart players like Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty. Unless Carey Price can stand on his head nightly and steal more than his fair share of games, the 48 game season will feel like an 82 game season in hockey’s promised land.

Ottawa Senators – The Sens present one of the most balanced lineups in the NHL. They’re backstopped by Craig Anderson in net, who is one of the most underrated keepers in the league. In addition, they feature a balanced forward lineup of veterans like Daniel Alfredsson , Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek and Chris Neil that compliment defending Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson’s solid D corps. Injuries have taken a chunk out of the D corps however and those suiting up will have to play to their max ability right from the hop for the Sens to compete for the division.

Toronto Maple Leafs – The hockey-crazed city of Toronto has been desperate for a winner and this year maybe their year. To say Toronto is a longshot to win the Cup may be an understatement, but I for one am a beLEAFer. After a monumental collapse late last season, Toronto may be a team to benefit from a shortened season. Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul had fantastic seasons last year and look to pick up where they left off. The forward unit is bolstered by the addition of James van Riemsdyk who was traded at the draft from the Flyers for Luke Schenn. While Schenn will be a tough loss, the blueline was and is the Leafs deepest spot and JVR is a stud. Of course, we can’t fo get to mention that  James Reimer needs to be lights out. If the Leafs get into the postseason, you never know what could happen.

Division Champion: Boston Bruins

Southeast Division

The Southeast is a wide open division featuring the rejuvenated Carolina Hurricanes, perennial powerhouse Washington Capitals, surprising yet steady Florida Panthers, the young and restless Winnipeg Jets and the Stamkos-led former champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Carolina Hurricanes – It’s going to be a family affair in Carolina for the next decade. The Hurricanes made arguably the second biggest roster move in the league after the Rick Nash to the Rangers trade when they traded for the Penguins’ Jordan Staal, the younger brother of Hurricanes’ captain Eric Staal. Stuck behind Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh, Jordan signed a 10-year deal to play alongside with Eric. Tough times have befallen the Canes after their 2006 Stanley Cup Victory and they have dropped to the bottom of the conference. A rejuvenated Canes’ lineup this season will feature the two lone bright spots of the franchise since the Cup year in Eric Staal and goalie Cam Ward. Joining them will be Jordan Staal and free agents signee Alex Semin, the enigmatic, filled to the brim with skill, Russian winger. Young star Jeff Skinner and vet Tuomo Ruutu help bolster a young, HIGHLY dangerous team down in Dixie.

Florida Panthers – After a surprising regular season that saw the Panthers reach the playoffs for the first time in years, their dreams were derailed in double OT of Game 7 against the eventual Conference champion New Jersey Devils. They return nearly an identical roster stocked with former Cup winners Brian Campbell, Tomas Kopecky and Kris Versteeg along  with young talented players like Steven Weiss, Tomas Fleischmann and Sean Bergenheim. Jose Theodore must continue his solid play from last season and if he does, the Panthers can expect to return to the postseason again this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning – The Bolts boast the best goal scorer in the game today, bar none, in Steven Stamkos. The kid is a megastar and is only getting better. He ran away with the Rocket Richard last season and has a history of starting fast in a season, a considerable asset in a shortened season. Cup champs Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier back up Stamkos from the offensive standpoint and Victor Hedman is an emerging stud on the blueline. New additions help make the lightning contenders in the form of defenseman Matt Carle, skilled forward Benoit Pouliot and little known goaltender Anders Lindback. Lindback is the big wild card for Tampa as he played in the shadow of all-world goalie Pekka Rinne in Nashville. Now Lindback is the starter and like every other team in the league, the team’s destiny rests on his performance each night.

Washington Capitals – Led by superstar Alex Ovechkin, the Caps look to find their winning ways again. A perennial playoff team and often times a legitimate threat to win it all, the Caps have kept finding ways to blow it. They have yet to put a significant playoff run together and their goaltending can go from perfected to disastrous in a matter of days. Loaded upfront with Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and new addition Mike Ribeiro, the Caps cut dead weight in Alex Semin. Braden Holtby proved last year in the playoffs that he is a franchise-caliber goalie. If Backstrom can shake concussion issues from last year, and defenseman Mike Green and Ovi can find their form from a couple years ago,and solid role players like Brooks Laich can hold the fort in the defensive zone, the Caps can be a truly dominant team.

Winnipeg Jets – Goaltending, goaltending, goaltending. You’re gonna see it for every team, but Winnipeg will be a key example. Ondrej Pavelic will have to hold the fort for the Jets. They are a young, talented team benefitting from years of hockey hell in Atlanta and their draft picks should be coming through sooner rather than later. Rookie of the Year candidate Mark Scheifele joins Evander Kane and Alex Burmistrov as young players looking to solidify themselves as staples on a competitive NHL team. Captain Andrew Ladd and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien have won a cup in Chicago and are just now entering the primes of their career. Experienced forwards like Olli Jokinen and Nik Antropov compliment the young core and provide a valuable presence, both of which have had long, up-and-down careers without winning a cup.

Division Champion: Washington Capitals

Central Division

The only division that can give the Atlantic a run for its money for the most competitive division, the Central is sure to be one of the tightest races in the league. It’s wide open with legitimate Cup contenders Detroit, Chicago and St. Louis leading the way, followed closely by an always dangerous Nashville team and not far behind are the new-look Columbus Blue Jackets.

Chicago Blackhawks – The Hawks are not far removed from a Stanley Cup victory in 2009-10, but their roster is very different today. The Hawks have an abundance of playoff experience on their side with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook all remaining from the Cup years, but they have been struggling to find an identity in net since the departure of Antti Niemi. Corey Crawford will get the gig and like every other team, if he holds up, they will not only challenge for the division, but will challenge for the Cup as well.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Now that the Rick Nash era and perhaps more specifically, the Rick Nash soap opera, is over, Columbus is on the rebuild. With new team president John Davidson at the helm, the Blue Jackets will arrive on the scene sooner rather than later. Davidson is one of the best hockey minds in the game, just look at where St. Louis (his previous team) was a few years ago (cellar dweller) compared to where they are today (Cup contenders). Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky who came over from the Rangers in the Nash trade, look to play bigger roles in Columbus than they had been playing in the Big Apple. Star defenseman Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski will anchor the point of what should be a fairly formidable power play and Sergei Bobrovsky will give the Jackets an option in goal if Steve Mason can’t find his rookie year form right off the bat.

Detroit Red Wings – The losses of Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom will be more heavily felt from a nostalgic standpoint than in the standings. Detroit is notorious for building a competitive NHL squad through its AHL team and that formula has been working for 20 years, seeing the Red Wings make the playoffs EVERY season. Pavel Datsyuk looks to continue his wizardry alongside new captain Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, who I feel is one of the most underrated players in the game. The signing of Swiss League star Damien Brunner may pay huge dividends from the offensive standpoint. Jimmy Howard looks to post another good season in net.

Nashville Predators – The Preds lost a huge asset in defenseman Ryan Suter this offseason to the Wild. They nearly lost captain Shea Weber to the Flyers and were forced to match the monstrous offer sheet the Fly Guys made. That being said, they still will roll out one of the best, if not THE best goalies in the game in Pekka Rinne. Rinne should challenge for the Vezina Trophy and looks to continue his dominant play from last season. I would expect the Preds, in typical Nashville next man up fashion, to replace Suter with either Roman Josi or Kevin Klein, both of whom are solid guys who have come up through the system. Mike Fisher, Martin Erat and the Kostitsyn brothers should provide enough offense for Nashville to be a top contender out west again.

St. Louis Blues – There is a ton of optimism and excitement for St. Louis entering this season and for good reason. The Blues are backstopped by the best goaltending tandem in the league with Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot. The two combined for 15 shutouts last season. An impressive as the goaltending is, there isn’t much of a drop off when you move outside the crease. When John Davidson took over as team president, he began rebuilding this group and along with GM Doug Armstrong (2011-12 GM of the year) have built a top contender from within, using high draft picks through the Blues “dark years”. Captain David Backes, Patrik Berglund,T.J. Oshie, David Perron, Alex Pietrangelo and Barret Jackman have all been drafted by the Blues. Last season, they made the playoffs last season for the first time in years and bounced the perennial playoff powerhouse Sharks before losing a super close series to the Kings by a razor-thin margin in 7 games. The Blues now know what it takes to get to the playoffs and now know what it takes to win in the playoffs. With a young talented team in a shortened season coming into their own, lookout because they may not stop at the division this year.

Division Champion: St. Louis Blues

Northwest Division

The Northwest has been dominated by the Vancouver Canucks recently, seeing them take the division title the last four seasons. The Minnesota Wild have made themselves instant contenders for the division this season with their offseason moves, but the budding Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche may also have something to say about Vancouver’s dominance. Calgary plays in this division as well, but not nearly as well as the other teams.

Calgary Flames – There is one aspect and one aspect only that holds the Flames fate for this season. Goaltending. They have a star goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff who has played, by far, the most games for his team since the last lockout in 2005 (he leads second place Henrik Lundqvist by more than 40 games played), and despite playing this condensed 48-game schedule, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a healthy Kiprusoff play about 40-45 of those games. If they get tremendous goaltending from him consistently, then they can compete for a playoff spot and if they don’t, you can expect longtime team captain and pending free agent, Jarome Iginla to be moved to a contender, a la Ray Bourque.

Colorado Avalanche – The Avs are another team benefitting from some down years and seeing their draft picks coming to fruition. Despite leading scorer from last year and RFA Ryan O’Reilly not being with the team yet, the Avs still boast an impressive roster. Young stars Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, and newly appointed captain (youngest in NHL history) Gabriel Landeskog lead the way. They are complemented by a veteran presence of guys like Steve Downie and Milan Hejduk. Another solid goaltending tandem keep them in every game with J.S. Giguere and Semyon Varlamov. If they can get out to a quick start, they have the roster make up to contend the whole season for a playoff spot, although the divisional crown may be a long shot.

Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers are a curious team, because no team has been able to build through the draft like the Oilers since the Blackhawks with Kane and Toews or the Penguins with Crosby and Malkin. The Oilers boast Nail Yakupov, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in their lineup, all 3 of whom were number 1 overall picks. In addition, guys like Magnus Paajarvi , Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle, who were also first-round picks, are in impact roles for the Oilers. Eberle will be the team’s captain one day, sooner rather than later, and is their BEST player. Loaded offensively, they lack on the defensive side of the ice. Ryan Whitney is their only true top pairing defenseman and only time will tell how the highly-touted college free agent signee Justin Schultz will fit in. Devan Dubnyk is unproven between the pipes and needs to learn how to use his enormous 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage. The Oilers could win the division, or they could finish dead last and in the draft lottery again, it all depends on if they can put their best foot forward night in and night out, the biggest test for a young team.

Minnesota Wild – Forget Rick Nash’s trade from Columbus to the Rangers, the Wild made, without a doubt, the biggest roster moves of any team in the NHL this offseason when they signed all-stars Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to matching 13-year, $98 million contracts. With the inking of these two, it has become Stanley Cup or bust in America’s hockey hotbed. The Wild were in first place in the NHL last season through November until gradually the wheels fell off. Coach Mike Yeo will win coach of the year this season. I saw him first hand as an assistant coach for the Penguins during their evolution. He knows how to get the most out of young players while still commanding the respect of the older players. GM Chuck Fletcher is savvy beyond his years and learned under Pens GM Ray Shero for a few years. Despite the Penguins connection, the Wild have their own identity with Niklas Backstrom flashing dominance at times in net. Other than Suter, the Wild’s D corps is young and inexperienced, but talented. It’s Stanley Cup or bust for the Wild for the foreseeable, but if the lockout damaged any one team’s chances more than another, it’s the Wild. In a compact season, there is no time for their two new star players to adjust to their new surroundings.

Vancouver Canucks – The story for the Canucks never seems to change. They enter every season with two things assured; there will be questions surrounding their goaltending and their top line led by the Sedin twins will put up redonkulous numbers. This year is no different, only this season they have a two-pronged goaltending question. One, will Cory Schneider be able to be consistently good like he showed last season and how long will the Roberto Luongo soap opera continue? He is this year’s version of Rick Nash and the sooner it is settled one way or another, the better off everyone will be. The Canucks are solid in their bottom six forwards and along their blueline, bolstered by the acquisition of the vastly underrated Jason Garrison from Florida, but their second line is dealing with injuries right now. For all the problems the Canucks have, they are minor compared to many other teams of the league, and expect them to be legitimate Cup contenders once again.

Division Champion: Vancouver Canucks

Pacific Division

The Pacific Division features the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, and their Western Conference Final foes the Phoenix Coyotes. In addition to those two, the Sharks are always on the cusp of a championship and Dallas is knocking on the door. Anaheim is slated for another long season.

Anaheim Ducks – It is fitting that the Ducks dropped the Mighty from the front of their team name a few years ago. They did this to separate themselves from the team from Disney’s heroic tale of District 5’s transformation from hopeless Pee -Wee team to international champions and then later, high school scrimmage champions, but the name change has reflected the transformation from Stanley Cup champions in 2006 to cellar dwellers today. They field one of the best lines in all of hockey with Ryan Getzlaf centering former MVP and Richard Trophy winner Corey Perry and young star Bobby Ryan. Teemu Selanne is still a force on the power play but that’s about it. On the backend, Jonas Hiller has shown flashes of brilliance in net but nothing consistent. After a fantastic rookie season, Cam Fowler came back down to earth and only he and Bryan Allen are defensemen worth mentioning.

Dallas Stars – The Stars took a hit when they traded the agitation specialist and blood and guts kind of guy in Steve Ott to Buffalo, however they received Derek Roy back, who will replace Mike Ribeiro (whom they traded to Washington) on their second line. They signed future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr, which will help their power play. Another team led by young stars in Jamie Benn and the unheralded Loui Eriksson, Dallas could contend for the division. Kari Lehtonen had a fantastic season for them in net last year and if that story continues, the Stars could be a sleeper team, especially in a shortened season.

Los Angeles Kings – I think by now that we have established how important goaltending will be for every team and the Kings are no different, despite being the defending Cup champs. Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe for playoff MVP and for good reason, had the Kings finished in the top half of the conference last season, Quick would have been MVP of the league. He was dominant from the gates last year, at one time earlier in the year posting THREE shutouts in a row. With the Kings offense lacking the consistency that as a coach you would want to see, whenever they would be slumping, Quick would hold them in each game. Despite having surgery this offseason, Quick still looks to pick up where he left off. If Drew Doughty can continue his Norris-caliber play again and Kopitar, Williams, Richards, Carter and Penner can keep some offensive consistency, the Kings will be right in the mix for Lord Stanley again.

Phoenix Coyotes – The Yotes are the darkhorse of the entire league. Under-appreciated, under-rated, and underestimated year in and year out, they’re the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL, they get no respect. Despite riding Mike Smith to the conference finals last season, they were seen more of an aberration than  a well-built contender. Well, lucky for you, I’m here to lay a little knowledge on you, Phoenix is loaded with talent. The previously mentioned Smith is by far their most important player (goaltending, goaltending, goaltending), but the blueline is anchored (at least for now) by Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. OEL had a good year last year, but expect him to have his coming out party this season. Captain Shane Doan, the single most underrated player of his era (been there since they were the Jets), leads the way upfront along with a cast of underrated and undervalued forwards like Antoine Vermette, Steve Sullivan and Radim Vrabata. The Coyotes are solid, and come late April/early May, I’ll be right here to say “I told ya so”.

San Jose Sharks – The Sharks are always a contender for the Division and the Conference and I think they will be again this season. The Sharks have a nice mix of veteran leaders like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle who are showing the next generation of Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns and Logan Couture how to be great professionals and contenders year after year. Sadly for Sharks fans, I feel that they are TOO balanced in that they have the young talent to compete, stuck behind the veterans who have never won the Cup and don’t know what it takes to win. If the Sharks fall out of contention, look for one of the veterans to be moved around the deadline to not only open up a space for one of the young players, but to add pieces to support them. I doubt this will happen though, as Antti Niemi is a solid goalie, and a Cup winning goalie at that.W ith a shortened season, the aging veterans have had time to rest, and if they can play to their potential all the way through the condensed schedule, this could be the year of the Shark.

Division Champions: Phoenix Coyotes

Awards Predictions

Hart Trophy (MVP): Steven Stamkos – TB

Art Ross (Points Leader): Sidney Crosby – PIT

Rocket Richard (Goals): Steven Stamkos – TB

Vezina Trophy (Best Goalie): Pekka Rinne – NSH

Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman): Drew Doughty – LA

Calder Trophy (Best Rookie): Alex Galchenyuk – MTL

Lady Byng (Sportsmanship): Pavel Datsyuk – DET

Selke (Best Defensive Forwad): Jordan Staal – CAR

Jack Adams (Best Coach): Mike Yeo – MIN

Bill Masterton (Perseverance): Pierre-Marc Bouchard – MIN

Ted Lindsay (MVP as voted by Players): Claude Giroux – PHI

William Jennings Trophy (Goalie(s) with lowest GAA): Jose Theodore – FLA

GM of the Year: Chuck Fletcher – MIN

Eastern Conference Champions: New York Rangers

Western Conference Champions: St. Louis Blues

Stanley Cup Finals: Rangers over Blues in 7

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Battle: Los Angeles

December 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

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Two former Cy Young winners, two former MVPs, two teams and one city suddenly exploding with baseball talent. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim recently broke the bank to snare the best free agents available on the market. With the financial backing of Magic Johnson and Guggenheim Baseball Management, the Dodgers continued their spending spree and bolstered their starting pitching by signing Zack Greinke to a six-year, $147 million contract. The spending spree appeared to be contagious. The Angels and Arte Moreno signed division rival slugger Josh Hamilton to a 5-year, $125 million contract just a few days later. Eyes are turning towards the gold rush going on out west and both the Dodgers and Angels enter the 2013 season with high expectations. The high payrolls and amount of talent on each team, invoke playoff expectations and World Series hopes. Most exciting for Southern Californians (unless you need to take I-5 to get somewhere quick in late October), it creates the potential for a Freeway World Series in the years to come.

With the Dodgers’ gross expenditure and addition of talent, anything less than a World Series berth can be called a failure of a season. The Los Angeles Dodgers have become the Yankees of the west. When you carry the highest payroll in baseball, you’re paying for championships. Good seasons and playoff berths simply won’t cut it.  Magic’s mountain of cash has raised Dodger fans’ expectations high, but will free-fall if the Dodgers fail to win. One of the largest hurdles for the 2013 Dodgers will be to overcome the world champion San Francisco Giants and win the NL West crown. The off-season acquisitions of Greinke and South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-Jin bolsters the starting pitching of a team that already includes the best left-hander in the NL, Clayton Kershaw. While the starting rotation seems solid, the Dodgers will need more to match expectations. Dodger fans will need to hope for the health of all-star Matt Kemp and that the late acquisitions from the Boston Red Sox trade will perform better than last year. If Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier’s bats can be as big as their names and contracts, the Dodger’s lineup can have solid output in 2013.

While the Dodgers become a contender, Arte Moreno is making sure that Los Angeles is not solely a sea of Dodger blue. Even with the Angels’ addition of Los Angeles to their name, the city has always been Dodgertown. The Angels have been unable to penetrate the market to the degree that Moreno hoped. The Angels stole the spotlight by inking Albert Pujols last year, and again captured the nation’s attention by signing Josh Hamilton this offseason. The Angels have created a lineup that is not only terrifying to opposing pitchers, but also arguably the most marketable in baseball. Featuring Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo, the line-up resembles the Fantastic Four rather than reality. It’s only a matter of time until Trout, Pujols and Hamilton are plastered amongst billboards along I-5 and commercials throughout Los Angeles in a Moreno marketing campaign. In addition, he may want to make sure his star pitcher gets some coverage as Jered Weaver figures to have another great season. While Weaver can be relied upon to perform well, the starting rotation lacks some depth. C.J. Wilson is certainly solid but the rotation of Tommy Hanson, Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas leaves something to be desired. Regardless, the Angels can be expected to be more than just hype in the coming season.

Baseball’s Battle: Los Angeles transcends the traditional freeway series or a possible World Series. Wins and losses are not the only things that the Angels and Dodgers are competing for; there is immense competition for the Los Angeles market. With the ever-increasing growth of television deals and the enormous market of Los Angeles, both the Angels and Dodgers want to soak the market. Los Angeles has long been considered a city of fair-weather fans, with popularity correlating directly to wins. While recent signings by both teams show an emphasis to ‘win now’, the Angels’ additions display Moreno’s desire to expand their market. By signing Pujols and Hamilton to long-term deals, the Angels paid big money for big names and big bats. Moreno knows that guys like this get national attention.  Surely Moreno hopes that their popularity will creep beyond Anaheim and Orange County, and into the profitable Los Angeles and national markets.

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Tye Masters
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