Masters Power Rankings 2.0

By: Jack Nutting 

This is the second of a series of power rankings of the golfers most likely to win the Green Jacket in April. This series will act as if the Masters were being played next week, with consideration to how players are playing in the now, not necessarily how they will play in April. Prior editions of the Masters Power Rankings can be found here.

1 Adam Scott- Boom! One week into the rankings, there is already a large shift at the top. Due to nothing that Jordan Spieth did wrong, Adam Scott has soared to the top of the rankings for the Masters. After a T-2 at the Northern Trust Open last weekend, in which he briefly held the clubhouse lead on Sunday, Scott won the Honda Classic this past weekend over Sergio Garcia. PGA National played similar to a US Open course these past few days, with many players finishing well over par and only 13 players finishing under par. Scott for the week, and especially on the weekend, displayed superb ball striking tee to green and even his putting held on down the stretch. Scott already won the Masters in 2013, and his game is rounding into shape heading into the first major of 2016. For Scott, it will all be decided with the flat stick. When you can swing like this, his long game should always be in his bag and ready on command. On the season, Scott is 25th on Tour in total putting and 50th in Strokes gained putting, compared to 170th and 158th respectively last season on Tour. His ball striking will be there, and if his solid putting on the season can continue at this point of the year, Scott should be considered the favorite.  

2 Jordan Spieth- As mentioned, Spieth dropping one spot is more due to the excellent play of Adam Scott than the poor play of Jordan Spieth. That said, Spieth low key has not had a great tournament in a few weeks. After winning the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in early January, Spieth has recorded a T-21 and a missed cut on the PGA TOUR since. For any regular Tour pro, this is a fine run of tournaments. But, after lighting courses on fire last summer, just missing a cut is a bit surprising for Spieth. Ultimately, though, Spieth still has a high ranking here due to his past Masters experiences. Since turning pro in 2013, Spieth has only been defeated in the Masters by one other player (Bubba Watson), going for a very chill T-2 and a win in that period. No reason, right now, to see why Spieth could finish outside the top 5 in April.

3   Sergio Garcia- Ball striking. Driving. Tee to Green. Butterflies. Nerves. Shaky putting. These are just some of the words used to describe Garcia’s game, some of which fit into Augusta’s course and some not. Garcia’s struggles closing out tournaments are well-documented, as he again had an opportunity to win the Honda this past weekend before succumbing to Scott. Perhaps he does get nervous or his swing breaks down, but in the end Scott was one stroke better than Sergio over the course of 72 holes and over 250 golf shots. A few things break differently for him and he wins this weekend and the narrative becomes, has he overcome his nerves and is Garcia primed for Augusta now? Garcia hopefully will be in contention this year.

4 Rory Mcilroy- Rory missed the cut this weekend. If there is any player in the world in which making cuts probably doesn’t matter, it’s Mcilroy. That being said, the solid play of others around the world and mediocre play of Rory right now has pushed him down the rankings for this week. There isn’t too much new information about Mcilroy to write about this week. When Rory is at peak Rory, no one on the Earth can hit the driver with his combination of power and accuracy and his ability to hit irons as high he can. I would expect a solid showing this weekend at Doral and a steady incline toward the Masters.

5 Jason Day- Day hasn’t played in a while, which is surprising considering how often he usually plays. He should be fine between now and The Masters, as he is slated to play numerous times before the tournament starts. Day might be the only player in the world who can hang with Mcilroy when he is at his peak. Augusta should fit his game well again this year.

Dispatches from the PGA TOUR

1. This week’s tournament is the WGC-Cadillac Championship. It’s a strong field being played at the newly renovated and highly hated course of the Blue Monster at Doral. Stay tuned to the player’s comments this week on the playing conditions.
2. Doral is of course owned by Donald Trump, and he is expected to appear this weekend in Miami.             
3. It looks like Tiger Woods, aka Big Cat, might actually still be alive. He tweeted a video of himself casually hitting an iron shot in his swing simulator. Narratives aside, let’s hope this is nothing else but a good sign and that one day he can get back on the course.
4. The potential Ryder Cup team got together at Jack's House last week before the start of the Honda. The golf world making a point of this event shows the long struggle of our Ryder Cup Team.  
5. Louis Oosthuizen won on the European Tour this weekend. Louie and his swing are quietly lurking.   

Masters Power Rankings

By: Jack Nutting

This is the first of a series of power rankings of the golfers most likely to win the Green Jacket in April. This series will act as if the Masters were being played next week, with consideration to how players are playing in the now, not necessarily how they will play in April.

1 Jordan Spieth- The twenty-two year old won the event last year and is a total stud. Flat out gamer with balloon sized balls. Still ranked number one in the world, despite a missed cut in the Northern Trust, Spieth is still the singul man at the top of the golf world until Rory Mcilroy goes on his inevitable two month blaze and leaves golf courses in ruins. But, until Rory can get his game in midseason form, Spieth still has to be considered the favorite.

2 Rory Mcilroy- This is my personal pick to win the Masters in April. I know, I know, Spieth is number one the list, because, until he does something to actually relinquish his status between now and the Masters, he has to be considered the favorite. With that said, I think Rory wins it this year. He clearly has the game, winning four majors already at age twenty-six, and he is low-key pissed off, it appears, going after golf analysts on Twitter and pumping some serious iron in the workout room. But, the ultimate reason why I think Rory wins over Spieth is Mcilroy can do things, when he is at peak Rory, that even Spieth cannot do. Rory can do things to a golf course with his power off the tee and iron game from the fairway that will leave even a course like Augusta National defenseless.

3 Bubba Watson- Watson to the non-golf fan is probably popular. He talks in the third person, he is the longest hitter in the world, he’s strange, and a million other things. But, the guy is such an asshole, it is too hard to even write about the guy. Everything he does just sucks. But, he has won two Masters, just won the Northern Trust, and probably has a great shot in April. Or he could finish behind Sandy Lyle. Anything is possible with Bubba.

4 Jason Day is literally a sleeping giant. The dude is just the best. His wife gets RUN over by LeBron James and it is no big deal to him. He could win this thing by seven and it would not be surprising in the least. His power off the tee is matched only by Mcilroy; he won last August’s PGA Championship, and won five times on the PGA TOUR total last year. Says something about the power of Spieth and Mcilroy (and Bubba) that he is fourth on this list.

5 Tiger Woods- Just a joke, chill out.

How WWE Should Book WrestleMania 32

I know, we're not even a day removed from WWE Fastlane, which was atrocious by the way - stay tuned for that video.  However, a day removed from Fastlane means a day into the home stretch to WWE WrestleMania 32.  And what better way to start the last mile of the Road to WrestleMania than sharing how I would like to see the biggest event of the year booked? *wink*

Disclaimer: This was recorded before Fastlane, and thank goodness it was because I don't know what I would have done with the dumpster fire they lit last night.

Part 1: We get a look at my first four matches on the card which includes: a Tag Team Championship match, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, a high-flying ladder match for the U.S. title, and the Beast Incarnate BROCK LESNAR! (Imagine that in your best Paul Heyman voice.)

Part 2: Next, I dive into the next two matches on my WrestleMania card - a Divas title match and a hellacious Fatal Four Way for the Intercontinental Championship.

Part 3: Finally, we get our main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (which will have massive implications on the future of the company) and of course, the wild card of the card this year - The Undertaker.

Well, there you have it.  I did my best to make some logical rivalries, build a WrestleMania-worthy card, and set up some fun match-ups going into the rest of the year.  

Think you can do better? I'm sure you can, and I'd love to hear it.  Feel free to sound off in the comments or even make your own response vids - I'd be happy to watch, thumbs up, comment etc.  

I will say this to the WWE: DO. IT. BETTER.

Lastly, *cough* shameless plug *cough* SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL HERE for more WWE and sports-related content!

WWE Fastlane 2016 - Recap and Reaction

By: Nick Del Bene (justcallmejunior)

So Fastlane was.....uneventful.  The matches were good, but the storytelling was as bland as a gluten-free diet.  This one might have set the Road to WrestleMania 32 on a collision course.  Watch to see my full Recap, Reaction, and Review of WWE Fastlane:

So, what did YOU think of Fastlane? Drop a comment here or on the video or make a response video if you're so inclined - I'll be sure to watch.

Lastly, *cough* shameless plug *cough* SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL HERE for more WWE and sports-related content!

BOLD NBA 2nd Half Predictions

By: Sal Pellone

The first half of the NBA season has concluded and it's only right to make super BOLD predictions for the second.

The Stars Are Aligning For A Stanley Cup Run

By: Sal Pellone

     Move over Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban, there's a new championship contender this season in your town. Dallas, a city not known for its hockey, but more for its Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, and bbq food, have a new friend with high hopes this year. 

There’s a defensive end the Giants need to keep, and it's NOT Jason Pierre-Paul

We may only be a week removed from the official end of the football season, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start thinking about next season. Starting tomorrow, NFL teams can place the franchise tag (or transition tag) on their prospective free agents.  The New York Giants and their fans know plenty about the perils of the franchise tag; their 2015 tagged player, Jason Pierre-Paul, only played in 8 games (totaling only one sack) for his nearly $15 million price tag.

Needless to say, JPP won’t be in the tag considerations for the Giants this year.  In fact, the team will have to go through a good deal of deliberation before they even consider making him an offer.  However, there is another player at that defensive end position that Big Blue should make a priority this offseason, and that player is Robert Ayers Jr.

"Ayers needs to combine his on-field performance with his ability to be a leader"

 Ayers, at 30 years old, racked up 9.5 in his second season for the Giants (seventh overall).  He also compiled 41 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 passes defensed.  What’s both impressive and troubling about these stats is the fact that Ayers played in only 12 games last year, starting in all but one. It’s impressive that he was able to put up those numbers in just ¾ of a season.  However, this season was not an outlier in terms of missing games due to injury; Ayers has only played one full season in his career and missed 8 of his 32 games (¼) with the Giants.

Despite what may seem to be a murky injury history, Ayers can still be an effective player next season and a worthwhile investment going forward.  In fact, though he has only played one full season in his career, he has never played in fewer than 11 games in any of his seven seasons (he has played 15 of 16 games three times).

I was eager to hear a more knowledgeable opinion on the prospect of the Giants making Ayers a priority; I turned to none other than a Giants legend and expert on all things Big Blue – Carl Banks:

Carl brings up two very important points.  First, as with so many players, the positives Ayers can bring are dependent on his health.  I wouldn’t expect that to be a major concern going into this offseason.  Ayers came back from a hamstring injury that kept him out from Weeks 3-7 and finished the season brilliantly with 8.5 sacks in the team’s last 7 games.  In addition, Carl mentions the need for Ayers to combine his on-field production with his ability to be a leader for the defense and defensive line in particular, especially if the team is going to let JPP walk.

Carl seems to be confident, as I am, that Ayers will be able to keep up his performance so long as his health is not an issue.  If the Giants can get him for anything near their first deal with him (2 yrs./$3.75 million), re-signing him would be a no-brainer.  However, it’s likely that after the best statistical season of his career Ayers will demand a little more in the way of dollars per year, guaranteed money, and contract length.  If Ayers’ number is somewhere in the range of $3-5 million per year for 2-3 years, this move should be a go for the Giants, who have an estimated $57 million to spend this offseason (according to Spotrac).  Even at the high end of that spectrum, the Giants can afford to take a risk with the space the have in order to keep a productive veteran presence on that defensive line and in their locker room.

Football's All-Movie/TV Team

By: James Decker

HEAD COACH: Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights) – So many good coaches to choose from, but I couldn’t imagine this team being led by any other guy. Coach Taylor somehow turned Matt Saracen into a state championship winning quarterback, and turned the whole East Dillon High Program around in less than two seasons. Complete worst to first run in just seasons, that speaks for itself. 

THE OFFENSE 

Quarterback: Shane Falco (The Replacements) - One thing I’ve always wondered when watching this movie was just how bad Shane Falco’s Sugar Bowl performance was that every character in the movie mentions. Seriously, the dude must’ve had about 5 first-half interceptions and then got benched in a 70-6 loss with the way some of their characters talked about it. However, the bottom line is Shane Falco’s leadership and uncanny knack to deliver some of the most under-appreciated sports movie speeches make him the unanimous choice to lead this football team. 

Running Back: Earl Megget (The Longest Yard) – Did any one man ever turn a team around more in a shorter period of time than Megget did for the Mean Machine? He broke out a touchdown run seemingly every time he touched the ball in practice, and some of those were without even wearing cleats. 

Full Back: Tim Riggins (Friday Night Lights) - Expect a couple of lackluster early season showings from Riggins because he’ll be boozing up heavy all offseason long instead of hitting the weights, but that’s exactly the Riggins I want on my team. The beer-drinking womanizer brings the toughness that every coach wants in their fullback. Texas Forever. 

Wide Receiver: Charlie Tweeder (Varsity Blues) - Tweeder is definitely a Wes Welker type in this offense. I can see Falco overthrowing a post pattern just enough to see Tweeder get clobbered but he’s the type of guy to get right back up and catch one on the next play. Plus, Tweeder stealing a cop car and driving it away without facing any repercussions proves he has the just the kind of awareness and elusiveness to drive defenses crazy. 

Wide Receiver: Hot Hands (Little Giants) - He has to have the Stickum on his hands or else he’ll find himself on the bench real quick. Mind-blowing to think that he was given a starting receiver spot when he actually couldn’t catch one pass without Stickum. Bowl cut kid from Air Bud was the only kid in movie history with worse hands than Hot Hands. 

Tight End: Brian Murphy (The Replacements) – We just need to have one assistant coach that knows sign language. Brian Murphy may not be able to hear the roar of the crowd when he catches touchdowns for this team, but man there will be a lot of them with Falco chucking it. Wasn’t going to mess with that QB/TE combination. 

Center: Josh Nichols (Drake and Josh) – Did anyone else ever get tackled 20 yards into the end zone for the game winning touchdown in the only football game they ever played? Who knows how he even ended up with the ball in that play if he was playing center, but I want him and his clutch gene on my team. He can also be the team’s equipment manager….MANAGER.

Right Guard: Louie Lastik (Remember the Titans) – If Lastik doesn’t sing “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” in the cafeteria in between two-a-days, I bet the Titans team chemistry never even begins to get better. Definitely the glue guy for that team and I expect it’ll be more of the same for this squad. 

Left Guard: Billy Bob (Varsity Blues) – Puke and Rally! Despite scoring the game winning touchdown in the district championship, Billy Bob had the heart of a lion for playing with a concussion for the whole season. He’ll thrive playing under a coach not named Bud Kilmer. 

Left Tackle: Jumbo Fumiko (The Replacements) – Otherwise known as the Sumo-wrester/Spare Ribs eater that protected Falco. As long as he doesn’t load up on eggs before games he’ll be solid in the trenches. 

Right Tackle: Michael Oher (The Blind Side) – No one is getting to Shane from behind, and I’ll have no issue with Sandra Bullock interrupting practices. 

THE DEFENSE

Outside Linebacker: Gary Bertier (Remember the Titans) - Left side!
Inside Linebacker: Julius Campbell (Remember the Titans) - Strong Side! 

Middle Linebacker: Icebox (Little Giants) – Came into the game at halftime when Danny O’Shea’s bunch looked to have no shot against the Cowboys. One of the most underrated tackles in cinema history is Icebox stopping Spike short on the goal line. 

Defensive End: Thad Castle (Blue Mountain State) – Asking him to do a bit of a position change here. I’m worried that he could never play as hard for any man as he did for Coach Marty Daniels, but we’re letting him keep Oksana, so he should be fine. 

Defensive End : Bobby Boucher (The Waterboy) – Another guy that we’re asking to change positions, and we know that foosball is the devil, but I think as long as he imagines the opposing quarterback screaming “Needledick”, he’ll still be ferocious on defense. 

Defensive Tackle: Switowski (The Longest Yard) – Nicest guy on this team. I question his toughness because he didn’t handle his broken nose situation too well, but I fully expect him to be a force against opponents for us. The Guards were not an easy team up front and he manhandled them. 

Defensive Tackle: Rudy Ruettiger (Rudy) – I don’t want to hear any of the “Rudy was offsides” nonsense. With so many other threats to key in on, opposing offensive lines are going to be as annoyed with Rudy as his older brother was at seemingly everything he did in that movie. The RUU-DEE chants will most definitely be loud if I ever bench him, but I don’t see that happening. 

Strong Safety: Brian Chavez (Friday Night Lights) – Flies under the radar as a huge part of the Permian defense in the movie. He’ll be the leader of this secondary.

Free Safety: Sack Lodge (Wedding Crashers) – Lays some bone crushing hits on Jeremy in the game of touch football at the Cleary house. Crab cakes and football are what Maryland does, Sack Lodge knows that and that’s why I love having him in the secondary.  

Cornerback: Vince Papale (Invincible) – Making this pick on his performance in those parking lot games with his bar buddies rather than his performance with the Eagles, because those games were some real battles. We’ll make sure to spell his name write on his locker at training camp. 

Cornerback: Alan (Remember the Titans) – A lot of Ryan Gosling, probably don’t remember how much of a liability he was on the Titans defense, but I think he can thrive under the right system. His dad will be happy with the playing time he gets on this team. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kick/Punt Returner: Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump) - Guy became an All-American and as far as I know the only position he played on a football field was on kick returns, so this was a no-brainer for me. 

Kicker: Nigel Gruff (The Replacements) – Easy decision here. Switched positions and was never even seen missing a kick in the entire movie. Guy has a cannon for a leg. 

Punter: Landry Clarke (Friday Night Lights) – Hopefully we won’t need to punt with the type of offense I expect, but he was fearless when he clubbed Tyra’s attacker with a pipe. This man deserves a roster spot. 

Five Essentials For The Timberwolves Moving Forward

By: Jack Nutting

     The Wolves are in an incredibly unique position. They have the last two first overall picks in the NBA Draft. Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns are both so tantalizing as prospects because of their two-way potential on the court. Both players have steady and improving jump shots.  And the hardest skill to teach, athleticism. But, moving forward, the franchise needs to make some important decisions, and fundamentally basic ones. Here are five that should be considered...

Hire the right GM   

     With the unfortunate death of prior GM Flip Saunders, the Wolves have a void in that position. Perhaps excluding having a legit franchise star, a great GM is the most important thing to have on a team’s payroll. The GM has such an important role in the day-to-day operations of the team to fulfilling this position with the right personal, it is paramount. 

Hire the Right Coach

The eventual GM needs to hire the eventual right coach. Wiggins and Towns are too young and have potential to be great, they cannot be stalled by a coach with the wrong vision. The easy example these days is to look at Byron Scott and the Lakers, who are just saying and doing bizarre things to their young core of players such as Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell. Wiggins and Towns are in the beginning stages of long careers and they cannot be tainted by coaching malpractice.

Rubio?

The team’s brass will eventually have to decide what to do with Ricky Rubio. With Towns and Wiggins on the floor, ideally the man playing the point would be at least an average three point shooter, if not an above average one. Rubio of course is not that. Which leads to the question of despite his superior passing skills, can Rubio’s lack of shooting exist in an offense with Wiggins and Towns, who are improving on their three point range, but my no means are sharpshooters. 

Spend Money

This is the easiest, most obvious, and maybe most important of imperatives moving forward for the organization. Whether it is spending extra to bring in a top-flight coach (Tibs, anyone?), handing out contracts, or making sure the locker room in the arena is modernized, the ownership will need to spend capital to capitalize on the incredible situation they have walked into.

Patience

Patience, in the abstract, requires no capital investment or upfront cash. But, in practice, they have to exhibit the quality of it. The Wolves cannot be the Pelicans. The Pelicans traded picks, signed bad contracts, and relinquished cap flexibility in order to “appease” Anthony Davis quickly and try to win “now.” Now, the team is missing the playoffs, and outside of AD, the team has little long-term young talent that can remain healthy. Minnesota’s brass will hopefully realize the youth of the young core is a quality itself, and hopefully not feel the need to speed up the eventual timeline for no reason.          

Two Blazers Are Paving A Trail For Success In Portland

By: Sal Pellone
     It was April 29th when the Blazers had just been eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight year. The Northwest Division champs were taken care of easily by the Memphis Grizzlies, falling four games to one. That was the last game Portland had its core squad together. The run seemed to be over. They lost five-time all-star and face of the franchise LaMarcus Aldridge, center Robin Lopez, and sharp-shooters Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews. Four of the five starters from last year's team all gone in the offseason to other teams. Coming into this season, many people thought this was a rebuilding year for the Blazers (including myself), especially in the wild wild Western Conference.
     Whoops, we were wrong. The Blazers have won eight of their last nine, riding a 3-game win streak. They are sitting in seventh place in the West at 27-27 right now and if the playoffs started today, they would play Aldridge's Spurs.
     What's led to the Blazers' success without their core from last season? Of course, Damian Lillard is still living in Portland, Oregon. The two-time all-star is having another impressive season. He has taken over as the alpha dog for the Blazers team, improving in almost every statistical category. He is sixth overall in points per game and assists in the NBA, averaging 24.2 PPG with 7.3 APG. Lillard is among the best in the league at not only his position, but overall.
     Dame can't be carrying this whole team though, right? No, a guy named Cj McCollum has burst onto the scene out of nowhere. The former Lehigh star that drained 30 points to upset Duke has finally gotten his chance. "To everyone else, the way he's performing each night is a shock, but for those that were around him at Lehigh, we knew it was just a matter of time" says former Lehigh teammate Conroy Baltimore. The last two seasons McCollum was an average off-the-bench player racking up a minimal five to six points a game. With all the roster moves in the offseason, McCollum was promoted to starting shooting guard, to tag along with Damian Lillard. McCollum hasn't looked back since. "For him, transitioning to a starting role was not that much pressure because he knew that he would be prepared for the role mentally and physically" says Baltimore. He is now averaging 20.8 PPG, a rapid increase from the last two seasons.
     Lillard and McCollum are the third best tandem points scorers in the league, averaging a total 45 PPG for the Blazers, right behind Steph Curry/Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook.  Lillard and McCollum aren't like any other. Lillard is great at splitting defenders from the point and attacking the hoop with speed. McCollum supplements that with great perimeter shooting, tremendous patience, and changing his body movements and dribble to adjust to the defender.

     What makes these two so effective is their ability to spread defenses out, opening wide open threes in the corner and dump offs to big men down low. Similar to those Golden State Warriors. They draw so much attention when they attack the hoop, which opens up the flood gates for guys like Allen Crabbe, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Gerald Henderson in the corner, all of whom have career three-point percentage numbers this season.
     It's time to spread awareness and realize Lillard and McCollum are the real deal. They are accountable for the majority of Portland's .500 record. Losing four out of your five starters and right back in the playoff hunt, Lillard and McCollum have molded themselves into a top guard combo in the NBA for sure.
   

   

Early Kentucky Derby Favorites

American Pharoah: 2015 Triple Crown winner

Super Bowl Sunday officially began the three month countdown until the Kentucky Derby.  We are now under 90 days until the eyes of millions descend on Churchill Downs for two minutes.  Last year, American Pharaoh succeeded in winning the Triple Crown, becoming only the twelfth horse to do so and the first since Affirmed in 1978.  Although this year’s race is still far off, the field and more importantly the favorites are beginning to shape up. 

In order to run in the Kentucky Derby, a horse has to be three years old.  A great horse only has one chance to compete in the race, which is why you never hear of a horse winning the Kentucky Derby in back to back years.  Prospective horses compete in selected graded stakes races across the United States.  The top four finishers in each race are awarded points based on their finish.  Thus far, the winners of each race have been awarded only 10 points, with one race awarding the winner with 20 points.  There are then eight 50 point races and seven 100 point races running from the end of February through mid-April.  Now that you know a little more about how the Kentucky Derby field is formed, let’s talk about some of the early favorites.

Mohaymen:

-       Mohaymen is already surrounded by a palpable buzz.  He has collected 20 points over two wins along with two other wins in his four races thus far.  He has won at Belmont, Aqueduct, and Gulfstream Park.  Mohaymen was purchased in September for $2.2 million by Shadwell Farms and is being trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.  He is the son of renowned sire, Tapit, and has been ridden by Junior Alvarado.  On betting sites Mohaymen is already the favorite for the Kentucky Derby.  He ran an impressive 1:42:07 in 1 1/16 miles in his victory at Gulfstream.  It is still early in Kentucky Derby prep season but Mohaymen currently stands as the best bet.

Mor Spirit:

-       Mor Spirit is currently just a step below Mohaymen on the hype meter.  He has collected 24 points, which puts him second behind Nyquist.  Mor Spirit is trained by Bob Baffert whose reputation is at an all-time high after leading American Pharaoh to the Triple Crown last year.  Baffert is training a handful of good horses this year but so far Mor Spirit has shown the most promise.  The horse is owned by jewelry mogul Michael Lund Petersen and is being ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.  Mor Spirit won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita this past Saturday with his sights set on the Santa Anita Derby and then the Kentucky Derby a month later.

Nyquist:

-       Nyquist is leading the pack with 30 points collected already over two races.  He first won the FrontRunner at Santa Anita in late September and 35 days later he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.  He has won all five races he has run in thus far with Swipe placing second in four out of those five races.  Nyquist is owned by Reddam Racing and is trained by Doug O’Neill.  He is the son of Uncle Mo who has a growing reputation as a sire.  Keep an eye on this horse.

Other notable horses:

-        Flexibility with 15 points including a win in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct in New York.

-        Swipe with 12 points including second place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

-        Greenpointcrusader with 14 points including a victory at Belmont in early October.

-        Exaggerator with 16 points including a win at Delta Downs.  He is also the son of Curlin.

-        Sunny Ridge with 18 points including a win 10 days ago in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.

A Lesson in Losing: How Cam Could Benefit From Listening to Russell Wilson’s SB 49 Postgame Comments

"I don’t know what you want me to say, I’m sorry." - A dejected Cam Newton walks off the podium abruptly. #SB50

https://t.co/xw4iLd1CQz

— NFL (@NFL) February 8, 2016

We all know when we play a sport, no matter how intense or competitive, that there are two possible outcomes: the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

On Sunday, in the golden anniversary of the biggest sporting event of the year, newly-crowned NFL MVP Cam Newton fully experienced the agony of defeat. His Carolina Panthers hung tough, but were outplayed and lost Super Bowl 50 by a score of 24-10 to the Denver Broncos. But this article isn’t about the game, the wonderful defensive line play of Denver, or even what possibly was the Sherriff’s last ride. It isn’t about all that Budweiser that Von Miller is going to have to buy Peyton Manning. This is about how the face of a franchise, some might say the new face of the NFL, handled the most heartbreaking moment of his young career.

Before we get to that, I think we should hear from another loser, the man who threw what has to be the most confusing pass in Super Bowl history in last year’s big game – Russell Wilson. This is just a snippet of his comments immediately following what had to be the most heartbreaking moment of HIS young career:

In just a few minutes Wilson checks all the boxes that someone could possibly want him to in this scenario. He shows respect to the winners. He’s straightforward. He’s courteous in responding to the media’s questions (90% of which were about just one play). However, there’s more than just putting on a good face to represent corporate well. Wilson says that he wants to see the most heartbreaking moment of his career again because he wants to know what went wrong. More importantly, he wants to see where HE went wrong because he fully blames himself for the loss. The best part about Wilson’s response is that its genuine. We know he cried. We know he wants to puke (maybe he already did). We know the mental anguish he must be going through. But at the end of the day, Russell Wilson showed the competitive fire and accountability that lets you know this won’t be his last trip to the big game; he showed what it means to be “the man”.

I won’t break down Cam’s postgame comments – everyone else will do that plenty in the coming days. Instead, I will say more generally that last night Cam Newton wasn’t “the man”. While his comments may have been just as genuine as Wilson’s, Cam’s comments were genuinely poor-spirited. 

Where was the fire that we saw all year? In the biggest loss of his season, Cam deflected the same attention that he craved all year long while he was winning. While his brothers (Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, Jonathan Stewart, etc.) stood together in defeat as they stood together all season in victory, Cam did all he could to disassociate himself from the loss.

Where was the accountability? This game’s result was in no way on him – his protection was atrocious – but a leader, an MVP takes the blame because he is supposed to have the shoulders strong enough to carry that burden for his teammates/family/fans that have been crushed. If you’re going to be the face of the franchise or better yet the face of the NFL, you need to show out in these moments and be the inspiration people expect you to be.

Despite all the heat that he’ll catch, Cam will be back at it next year and will likely be right back in the thick of things next postseason.

Despite all the heat that he’ll catch, Cam will be back at it next year and will likely be right back in the thick of things next postseason. And I am in no way a Cam Newton hater – my black and blue #1 jersey is hanging in the closet right now. But we have to hope that this man, who truly touched a nation and has such a platform to be the inspiration he says he can be, takes a lesson in losing from Russell Wilson, his teammates, and countless others; because a true leader accepts both parts of the game: the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Yoenis Cespedes: The New York Mets' Major Key

By: Bobby DiNapoli

     On July 31, 2015, the Mets, for the first time in just under a decade, pulled the trigger and made a splash acquiring Cuban-born slugger outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. It is well-documented GM Sandy Alderson hit a home run with this trade. Although the Mets dealt away the prized right-hander Michael Fulmer, the deal became fruitful immediately. In 57 regular season games Cespedes had 66 hits, 17 homeruns, 44 RBIs, and a .337 OBP. He becomes the offensive catalyst Mets fans haven't quite seen since Carlos Beltran sported blue and orange. He accumulated a stat line for the 2015 season with both Detroit and New York 184 hits, 35 homeruns, 105 RBIs, and a .328 OBP. The nickname 'La Potencia' (The Power) indeed was shown throughout the 2015 season, which brought upon the argument, "what do the Mets do now with Cespedes in free agency?"
     We all know the Mets fell short losing in the World Series, leaving all fans in dismay, extending our misfortunes to a 30th year without a title. We all know the Mets four aces under contract (deGrom, Harvey, Syndergaard, and Matz). As the offseason developed we re-signed 'Big Sexy' Bartolo Colon and his probable 9,000 daily calorie intake. We know the Mets swapped Jon Niese for Neil Walker. We know the Mets signed shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. We know the Mets re-signed Jerry Blevins and signed Antonio Bastardo to bolster the left side of the bullpen. Finally, we know the Mets re-signed Yoenis Cespedes.
     Prior to the re-signing of Cespedes, yes the Mets did get better, but realistically by how much? Walker installed at second base improves the defense and provides more power, meanwhile Daniel Murphy will be Daniel Murphy in Washington D.C. and hit .280/10/40. Plenty of teams would have pursued him on the market if it weren't for the qualifying offer and draft pick attached to his name. For Cabrera, yes he is surely an upgrade from Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada offensively. In 2015 Cabrera posted .265/15/58, which ranks in the top half of the league in shortstops. However, he is known around the league for his lack of range and a defensive liability. The bullpen, on the other hand, is unpredictable weather. Bullpens around baseball are patched together on a yearly basis and most of the time reinvented come the trade deadline for contenders, hence last year's acquiring of Tyler Clippard and Addison Reed. So adding Blevins and Bastardo on paper looks good. If I were a degenerate gambler I would bet the Mets improve 1-3 games between those two players.

    This leaves us with morbidly obese pop culture icon DJ Khaled, who has influenced me to use the term that Yoenis Cespedes is the MAJOR KEY to 2016. If the Mets were unable to add Cespedes in center field, both Juan Lagares and Alejandro De Aza would occupy the area on a platoon basis. Michael Conforto, the highly touted prospect would hone left field, and the most awkward, well-spoken man on the face of the earth Curtis Granderson would continue to make right field in Queens his bitch. Together these two solidify the corner outfield spots. Center field would have been a real shame and soft spot without Cespedes, and to add salt to the wound Mets fans would have been left with the taste of his career year. By all means this is not bashing the young gold glover Juan Lagares, because he does have offensive potential and his glove is well within the top 5 in the league.
     This thirst for Cespedes to return was all about the win-now mode the Mets are now forced upon, after the unexpected World Series run. If the Dodgers bounced the Mets in October, fans would certainly have been upset, but the expectation is now to cruise through the National League and return to the October Classic. Having a taste of the promised land left the fans with zero patience, especially after the Wilpon family left us watching paint dry for years. Am I expecting Cespedes to replicate the numbers of 2015 or do better? No. Fangraphs  projects Cespedes and his 2016 campaign to produce a line of .259/26/83, which continues to be a force to be reckoned with. Lagares on the other hand, would be projected to produce .257/5/30 for every 81 games, which could be dangerous due to the fact he does not hit lefty pitching.

     The bottom line and thought process behind why Cespedes is so detrimental to the Mets success is because he leaves no soft spot in the Mets lineup and makes Lagares look like a AA-minor leaguer. Plus, he brings the swag and cigarettes. If the Mets did not retain Cespedes, they would have regressed tremendously, especially due to the inconsistent health status of David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud. The old adage is "if its not broken, don't fix it." The Mets improved minimally, at the least, in other areas, but maintained to keep the centerpiece of this offense and center fielder. I firmly believe he will keep magic in Flushing as long as he is here and help the Mets finish what they started.