By Duane McDonald from the Miracle on 35th Street

Welcome back everybody! I apologize for my prolonged absence, as school had me bogged down for the past month. We are fast approaching New Year’s Day for many baseball fans, as Opening Day is just days away. Since most of the teams have their 25-man rosters set, we can finally take a look at how each team will likely finish in 2010. Who will be left standing at the finish line at the end of October (or, in these days, early November)? Here are my predictions, beginning with the good ol’ American League (the asterisk denotes my pick for the Wild Card):

American League East

1.) New York Yankees- With their strong lineup and starting rotation, getting back to October should be no problem at all for the Bronx Bombers.

2.) Boston Red Sox*- The strength they lost in their lineup (Jason Bay) they made up for by strengthening their rotation, as the signing of John Lackey bolsters an already formidable starting five. When you combine a strong starting rotation with a lineup that is still pretty good even without Bay, you have yourself a playoff team.

3.) Tampa Bay Rays- While this is a solid team on paper, they are not quite good enough to take down New York and Boston. Expect Carl Crawford trade rumors to surface if they begin to slip early.

4.) Baltimore Orioles- The O’s have a great young nucleus in their lineup and a whole stable of young pitchers ready to make their mark in the big leagues. They probably will not contend this year, but if all goes well, New York, Boston and Tampa Bay better watch out in 2011-2012. The Birds are almost back.

5.) Toronto Blue Jays- Cito Gaston’s final season as a manager won’t be nearly as pleasant as Bobby Cox’s will be in Atlanta, and that is a shame. The team is practically in a rebuilding mode since trading Roy Halladay, and they will miss him dearly in the starting rotation. It remains to be seen who will step up and become the ace of the staff, whether it will be Opening Day starter Shawn Marcum or Ricky Romero, whose performance last year almost earned him Rookie of the Year honors. Also, look for Adam Lind and Aaron Hill to be the anchors of an otherwise porous lineup.

American League Central

1.) Chicago White Sox- The Sox easily have the best starting five in the division, and an argument can be made for whether or not they have the best five in the American League. If all goes well between Mark Buehrle, Jake Peavy, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Freddy Garcia, their lineup will not have to score that many runs to win games.

2.) Minnesota Twins- The whole baseball world will be watching to see how well the Twins will play outdoors this season. My guess is that they will be just fine. The Twins will bring back a solid starting lineup, and a decent rotation that is not quite as good as Chicago’s, but will be good enough to keep them in ballgames. Missing Joe Nathan will probably hurt this club, but remember, these are the Twins. They always seem to find a way. Don’t be surprised if the AL Central comes down to another one-game playoff.

3.) Detroit Tigers- Despite the addition of Johnny Damon, expect the Tigers to be a bit weaker this year. They will miss Edwin Jackson in the starting rotation this year, and they will be starting two rookies this year in the field (Austin Jackson in center field, Scott Sizemore at second base). While Jackson and Sizemore have a lot of upside, they are still unproven. An aging Magglio Ordonez in right field will not necessarily help matters, either.

4.) Kansas City Royals- We all know about Zack Greinke, who was last year’s Cy Young Award winner. Nonetheless, what about some of the other young talent on this team? Will Billy Butler continue his ascent as a major league hitter, or will he fall victim to inconsistency? Will Luke Hochevar live up to his potential and provide another stabilizing force in the starting rotation, or will be become plagued with inconsistency? Ownership can continue to tell Royals fans to be patient, but considering that it has been 25 years since they made the playoffs, patience has to be running very thin in Kansas City. On-field progress of the team as a whole needs to be seen soon.

5.) Cleveland Indians- Has any team fallen faster in the last three seasons? They went from being just one win away from clinching the AL Pennant in 2007 to finishing in the AL Central basement last year. Between a bad starting rotation and a mediocre lineup that has only two bright spots (Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo), things will probably get worse for the Tribe this year.

American League West

1.) Los Angeles Angels- They may have fallen back towards the pack a bit after losing some key people to free agency (primarily third baseman Chone Figgins and right fielder Vladimir Guerrero), but the Halos still have what it takes to win their fourth consecutive division title. They don’t have the sexy one-two punch at the front of their starting rotation like Seattle does, and they may not have a blistering offense like Texas does. What they do have is a good balance between the two; they feature a strong starting five that as a whole, is more complete than Seattle and a lineup that can manufacture runs more efficiently than Texas.

2.) Seattle Mariners- They have the good one-two punch at the front of their rotation in Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, and they added Chone Figgins in the offseason as well to give their lineup more speed. However, the back three of their rotation is still very suspect, and their lineup still needs more pop to keep up with the Angels. If they want to take down Mike Scioscia’s boys in L.A., they’ll have to give them a taste of their own medicine by manufacturing runs themselves.

3.) Texas Rangers- Team President Nolan Ryan is predicting 92 wins and a division title from this club, who has not seen the postseason in 11 years. They certainly have the bats to carry them, but will their pitching hold up? Can staff ace Scott Feldman provide an encore performance of what he did last year? We’ll see.

4.) Oakland Athletics- They aren’t the worst team in baseball, but they certainly are the most boring one by a mile.

National League East

1.) Philadelphia Phillies- The addition of Roy Halladay, along with an absolutely explosive lineup, will ensure the Phils of their fourth straight division championship.

2.) Atlanta Braves*- Let the Jason Heyward show begin. The presence of this 20-year-old right fielder will ignite a spark throughout this team, and his play will be a major contributing factor to Atlanta making their first postseason appearance since 2005. The Braves also feature a solid starting rotation that will also help carry them to October.

3.) Florida Marlins- Much like their in-state brethren to the north, this will be a good team, but not good enough to take down Philly and Atlanta. Their rotation is suspect beyond Jason Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, and their lineup, as a whole, can be streaky at times.

4.) New York Mets- Now that the Mets play in a park where home runs go to die, they really need to become stronger in pitching and defense. Signing Jason Bay does not exactly help with this, especially since the Mets are in desperate need of pitching beyond Santana. I would not be surprised at all if manager Jerry Manuel and General Manager Omar Minaya were shown the door at the end of the season if the Mets do not contend.

5.) Washington Nationals- The Nasty Nats won’t be good this year, but the day they call up Stephen Strasburg will be one of excitement in the Nation’s Capital. It should also be interesting to see who they take with the number one overall pick in this year’s draft, too.

National League Central

1.) St. Louis Cardinals– The Redbirds will be flying high back into October, on the strength of their four best players: Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

2.) Chicago Cubs- The talent is there, but will they stay healthy? Plus, getting rid of Milton Bradley should help with the clubhouse morale this year, too. I do not expect them to make the playoffs, but I expect them to perform better than they did last year.

3.) Cincinnati Reds- They probably won’t contend this year, but if everybody stays healthy, a winning season should definitely be a lock for Dusty Baker’s crew.

4.) Milwaukee Brewers- Outside of Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee will have their adventures with their rotation. Look for a lot of slug fests with the Brew Crew this summer.

5.) Pittsburgh Pirates- They have a decent young core in their starting lineup and their rotation was not dreadful at all last year. Since Garrett Jones and Andrew McCutchen will both be with the team for the entire season, the Bucs will avoid the NL Central basement for the first time since 2006. Unfortunately, they will endure their 18th consecutive losing season.

6.) Houston Astros- This team has been slowly eroding over the last few years. Lance Berkman will have his injury woes throughout the season, and their rotation is very thin behind Oswalt. If Oswalt misses any time, this team will be doomed to a last-place finish.

National League West

1.) Colorado Rockies- Get ready for Rocktober, part three. The lineup is already rock solid (pun intended) and if the pitching lives up to expectations, there will be no second-place for the Rockies this year. They will be champions of the NL West.

2.) Los Angeles Dodgers- Will the lineup produce enough to keep up with Colorado? Also, the divorce of the Dodger’s owner will be a very big distraction this summer.

3.) San Francisco Giants- They have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, but they also have one of the more anemic lineups in the game, too. The lack of quality bats on this team will cost them.

4.) Arizona Diamondbacks- If Brandon Webb returns to form, they will have a great one-two-three punch at the top of their rotation, along with Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson. Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds will also be tough outs once again for opposing pitchers. While the rest of their lineup is talented, they are also very inconsistent. This inconsistency has doomed the team each of the last two years, and this year will not be any different.

5.) San Diego Padres- Outside of Adrian Gonzalez, I dare you to name three people on this team. This team is largely unknown, but Kyle Blanks should garner some attention with his power bat this summer. Expect trade rumors for Adrian Gonzalez to pick up steam this summer, as well.

Postseason

American League Division Series
New York Yankees defeat Chicago White Sox 3-2
Los Angeles Angels defeat Boston Red Sox 3-2

American League Championship Series
Los Angeles Angels defeat New York Yankees 4-2

National League Division Series
Philadelphia Phillies sweep St. Louis Cardinals 3-0
Colorado Rockies defeat Atlanta Braves 3-1

National League Championship Series
Philadelphia Phillies defeat Colorado Rockies 4-3

World Series
Philadelphia Phillies defeat Los Angeles Angels 4-1

By Nick Hunter

It is now day 12 of the 17 days that comprise the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. With 2,629 athletes participating and 1,093,197 fans on facebook, the Games have definitely received publicity and honor. The United States is ahead in the medal count, with 7 gold medals and a total of 25 medals, which is what they ended with in Torino, 4 years ago. Germany has an equal amount of gold, but only 21 total. Norway comes in third with 6 gold and 14 total medals.
In the news, the US men’s hockey team stunned Canada 5-3 in what was the most-viewed sporting event in Canada’s history. That had to hurt. Also, Norway’s men’s Curling team has been cruising along in their popular checkered pants. With a recent win over France, they are now 2nd place in their 10-nation round-robin group. The King of Norway is scheduled to appear at their game today against Great Britain and said he would sport a pair of the pants. Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir became the first North American couple and the youngest couple to win gold at the ice dancing competition. Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the USA took silver, with Russians finishing at bronze. For the men’s short track, Korea and the USA have been the only medalists, with Korea winning gold in both competitions so far (1000 M and 1500 M).
Many events in the winter Olympics are obscure and strange to most Americans. Here are a few that you may want to know more about:
Curling (Shuffleboard on Ice) – More than 500 years old. Played regularly at the Winter Olympics since 1998. It’s played by pushing a large circular stone on ice towards a target of concentric rings. More points are awarded for getting closer to the center. When one person is throwing (sliding) a stone, the other team-members frantically sweep the ice in front of it to control its curl (direction) and its speed. After 10 ends (innings), each of which consists of 8 throws by each team, whoever has the most points wins.
Skeleton (Sledding face-first) – Played regularly since 2002. Its name comes from the resemblance of the sled to a human skeleton. It’s played by grabbing the skeleton, sprinting for about 50 meters, then diving on the sled and reaching the bottom of the course as fast as possible. It’s an individual sport.
Biathlon (Ski a bunch and shoot targets) – Played regularly for men since 1960 and for women since 1992. The competitors start out on skis and race vigorously cross-country to the target range. When they get there, they throw down their poles, take out their rifle (it was strapped to their back) and shoot 5 times at a target 50 meters away. Throughout the race, the circumstances change. Sometimes they lie prone and shoot at a target the size of a golf ball, and other times they stand and shoot at a target the size of a grapefruit. Missed shots can add time penalties or an extra loop of skiing tacked on. The first one to finish wins.
Alpine Skiing (Ski really fast down a hill through gates) – Skiers can reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour as they race down in different events. The basic downhill is the longest and has the highest speeds. In the slalom, skiers must make quick turns to reach the bottom of the short course in the quickest time. In the giant slalom, there are fewer and wider turns.

By Duane McDonald

From The Miracle on 35th Street
Finally, just when you think you cannot deal with winter any longer, pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, and at last, you begin to think warm thoughts once again. Just watching ballplayers perform the simple tasks of jogging and playing catch on sun-drenched fields in Florida and Arizona gets fans in northern cities (myself included) all excited about the prospects of warmer weather on the horizon, and with that, the prospect that this year will finally be their team’s year. Everybody starts over again, every team is in first place, and every team believes that this will be the year that things come together. If Opening Day is the baseball fan’s equivalent to New Year’s Day, then the day that pitchers and catchers report might as well be New Year’s Eve, for the anticipation of what is to come is easily on par with the last day of the calendar year.

While every team has reason for optimism, there are some teams that are really licking their chops about the potential the 2010 season may hold for them. In the American League, the Yankees return as the obvious favorites to not only win the pennant, but to win it all again. However, the road to a repeat will not be easy for them, as they have to contend with the always-challenging Boston Red Sox, and the young upstarts in Tampa Bay, whose balanced lineup is ready to make up for last year’s mediocre finish. In the American League Central, it will come down to Minnesota and Chicago once again, and fans of both teams will be wondering what will end up prevailing: Minnesota’s explosive offense, or Chicago’s dynamic pitching staff? Meanwhile, in Detroit, fans are anxiously awaiting to see if the departures of Curtis Granderson, Edwin Jackson and Placido Polanco will have any significant effect on the team, especially in a division where Chicago and Minnesota have already made themselves even stronger entering the new year.

In the American League West, Angel fans are likely very optimistic about this season; however, the fact that their team has fallen closer to the pack in the West has to be cause for concern among the Los Angeles faithful. Meanwhile, a clearly improved Seattle team has to be very excited about their chances for their first playoff bid in nine years with the additions of third baseman Chone Figgins and starting pitcher Cliff Lee. Down in Texas, the Rangers are eager to prove that last year was not a fluke, and they will look to do that by riding the coattails of star outfielder Josh Hamilton, and by hoping that starting pitcher Scott Feldman can repeat his outstanding performance from 2009. A’s fans have reason for optimism as well, as they are crossing their fingers and hoping that their young rotation can live up to the expectations bestowed upon them by many people in 2010.

At the same time, fans of teams in the Senior Circuit have reasons for optimism, too. Philly fans have to be the most excited of them all, as they are pumped about the chance of being the first National League team since World War II to win three consecutive pennants, and with the addition of Roy Halladay to their rotation, their chances should be great. Despite this, the Marlins and the Braves will not let the Phillies go quietly, as both teams will pose a formidable challenge to the two-time defending National League Champions heading into this season. Braves fans have to also be excited about the chance of watching top prospect Jason Heyward making the opening day roster and making an impact on not just the team, but the NL East race as well. In New York, the Mets and their fans can only hope that things will be looking up in 2010, as the last three seasons have brought them nothing but sorrow and disappointment. The addition of left fielder Jason Bay during the offseason had to certainly brighten their spirits. Even Washington fans have something to be hopeful for this year, as they will be anticipating the arrival of number one draft pick Stephen Strasburg to the major leagues. What will be even more intriguing with Washington during the 2010 season will be who they decide on choosing as their number one draft pick when that time comes around in June.

In the always-interesting National League Central, the Cardinals look to be the favorites, especially with the Redbirds retaining Matt Holliday for the next seven years. The duo of Holliday and Pujols should be a lethal one, as well as the one-two punch of Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter in the starting rotation. The talent level of just those four players alone has Cardinals fans believing that they have a great shot at dethroning the mighty Phillies atop the National League. Meanwhile in Chicago, Cub fans are becoming more impatient with each passing year, as they have been told “wait til’ next year” every year since winning their last championship in 1908 (that’s no typo, people). Fans in Milwaukee and Cincinnati are hoping that their decent, yet flawed teams can catch lightning in a bottle and make noise in the division, and fans in Pittsburgh are simply hoping that an 18th consecutive losing season can be averted with the great young talent of Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge leading the way. Bucs fans are also in great anticipation of the arrival of one of their own highly touted prospects, as third baseman Pedro Alvarez should make his major-league debut sometime in 2010.

The National League West is also brimming with optimism, as the Dodgers and their fans are hoping for a NL West three-peat in 2010. Doing so will not be easy, as they will have to contend with a scrappy Colorado team that nearly won the division last year, the pitching-rich San Francisco Giants, and the darkhorse Arizona Diamondbacks, who will see the return of a healthy Brandon Webb to a rotation that will be featuring Dan Haren and the recently-acquired Edwin Jackson. Fans of the Diamondbacks are also hoping for encore performances of their two best hitters, Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds, who made up the bulk of Arizona’s offense last year. As far as Padres fans’ hopes for 2010…well…um…at least San Diego has nice weather and great beaches, don’t they? And quite possibly one of the best parks in the majors.

It goes without saying that many teams and their fans are anticipating the arrival of Spring Training, when everybody has a shot at winning it all. It is when things start anew, when bad seasons are put into the past with the hope that things will turn out for the better in the new year, and when teams that did finish well in the previous year can maintain their groove into the next. While it is always interesting to ponder who will come out on top in the new season, it is even more fun going along for the ride and watching the year unfold. It is time for baseball. Play ball!

By Duane Mcdonald

From From The Miracle on 35th Street

The greatest player in White Sox history has finally decided to call it a career.

And what a magnificent one it was, for the man known as “The Big Hurt,” for during the majority of the 1990s, he was one of the most feared hitters in the game. He was known during his prime as an exceptional hitter, one who could hit for average just as easily as he could hit for power. Later in his career, when he made the switch to DH for good and when his batting average capabilities started to slip, he was still feared for his power, and because of his sheer size.

Ah yes, his size. That massive, immense, monolithic, six-foot-five, 260-plus pound frame that easily placed fear into the hearts of some of the most unflappable pitchers in MLB. That frame, combined with the impeccable bat control that he displayed in his prime was what made him legendary. It is no wonder why Sox announcer Ken “Hawk” Harrelson christened him with the nickname that he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life, “The Big Hurt.”

Thomas would finish his illustrious 19-year career with 521 home runs (tied for 18th all-time), 1,704 career RBIs (22nd all-time), two MVP awards (along with being robbed of a third by Jason Giambi in 2000), and one World Championship in 2005 which unfortunately, his contributions toward that were marginal due to injury. It is also fitting that he is tied with Ted Williams for 18th on the all-time home run list because it was Williams who many people were comparing Thomas to during his prime (a right-handed version of him, of course).

As a result of this announcement, the White Sox have announced that they will be retiring Thomas’ number 35 in what will be called “Frank Thomas Day” at U.S. Cellular Field on August 29. Once that day arrives, Thomas will share a place on the wall at U.S. Cellular Field along with other Sox greats such as Luke Appling, Billy Pierce, Ted Lyons, and his former teammate, Carlton Fisk. Hopefully, six years from now, he’ll be able to have a place reserved in the walls of baseball’s most hallowed grounds, the Hall of Fame.

Thanks for the memories, big fella. See you in Cooperstown.

By Duane McDonald
From The Miracle on 35th Street

In this surprising piece of news that came out yesterday, the White Sox announced that they were going to un-retire Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio’s number 11- with his blessing- so that fellow countryman Omar Vizquel can have the honor of wearing his idol’s number for one season. This has, of course, stirred up a lot of debate within not only the White Sox community, but the baseball community as well. The biggest debate that has come out of this is the question of whether or not the honor of having a number retired is diminished when someone else is allowed to don the number- even with the player’s blessing. Another question that is being raised with this announcement is whether or not this will create a domino effect; if Vizquel is allowed to don his idol’s number for one year, will other players with their number retired give the same kind of blessing to younger players wishing to emulate their idols?

While I understand the critics’ point of view in this situation, I do not think that there will be a domino effect created by this. Contrary to what some people may think, a player is not going to let their number be un-retired just for the sake of letting a younger player wear it. Take for example, Barry Bonds. He donned number 24 during his years in Pittsburgh, but when he arrived in San Francisco in 1993, he had to give it up because the “Say Hey Kid”- Willie Mays- already had number 24 retired. Bonds would take number 25 instead. The kicker of it all is that Mays is Bonds’ godfather, and despite the connection to each other, he still would not give up his number to Bonds, who grew up idolizing Willie. This was not the only time this has occurred, either. Despite growing up largely within the confines of the Reds’ clubhouse during the Big Red Machine era, Ken Griffey, Jr. still had to part ways with number 24 upon arriving in Cincinnati in 2000, because the great Tony Perez already had that number retired by the club, and neither the Reds, nor Perez, had any thoughts about un-retiring it.

However, the Vizquel/Aparicio situation is considerably different. Both men are from Venezuela, and they are both part of the country’s brilliant legacy at the shortstop position. Vizquel is part of a shortstop lineage from that country that includes Chico Carrasquel, Aparicio, Dave Concepcion, and Ozzie Guillen, and he is also adding his name to the White Sox’s lineage of Venezuelan shortstops, that includes all of the aforementioned players except Concepcion. Plus, Vizquel will likely be a sure-fire Hall of Famer once his career is all wrapped up (which will probably be after this season anyway), which also gave Aparicio more incentive to allow this to happen.

Simply put, Aparicio was not going to just let his number be un-retired for anybody to wear. However, considering that Vizquel is a titan in his home country along with Aparicio, this situation could not be any more perfect. Not only is national pride being put on display, but an homage to baseball history is now on display as well. Now, with this occurring, younger generations can now have the opportunity to learn about one of the game’s all-time greatest shortstops, while watching another legend work his craft on the field at the same position.

**A little side note: Aparicio’s number will be re-retired once Vizquel leaves, in case you were curious.

By Jason Garrison

If you’re an American and a sports fan, then you’ve probably been affected in some way or another. Major League Baseball did it in 1994, The National Hockey League did it in in 2004 and the National Football League, Americas most popular professional sports league, could do it in 2011. I’m talking about a strike, a lockout, a picket, a boycott; I’m talking about the fact that after the 2010 season, it is likely that the NFL players may strike. Here’s why:

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and the NFL owners agreed a while back to a salary cap that would end after the 2009-2010 season (now). They would then sit down and talk again about a new salary cap. Unfortunately, this time they haven’t been able to come up with some sort of agreement which means that the 2010-2011 season will be uncapped and then they will sit down at the end of that season to try to negotiate again.

First, what does an uncapped season mean for the NFL? It means that major market teams in major market cities such as New York, Dallas, Chicago, LA and a few more can spend all the money they have to buy up all the expensive free agents. Sound familiar? (see: New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox). Smaller market teams like Cincinnati, Cleveland, Buffalo, Kansas City, Jacksonville and couple others could be left in the dust when big name players go after big money. The Bengals couldn’t compete with The Giants in spending even if Mike Brown wasn’t cheap. So what does that mean? Well, it means that there is a decent chance that whoever wins the Super Bowl next year could have bought the Super Bowl.

Well, it’s just one year right? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it’s possible that it may not be just one year. Representatives from the NFLPA have said that if they play a season without a salary cap, they will never play with a salary cap again. It’s much like a kid who has never tasted sugar. He has no idea what he’s missing doesn’t crave sweets. Then you give him one piece of chocolate and next thing you know, he has a sweet tooth that would rival Willy Wonka’s. He’ll want sugar, or in this case tons of money, all the time.

Well, what could this possibly do to the NFL? Well, let’s look at baseball for a minute. The Yankees spent the most money in 2009 with a team payroll of $201,449,289. The Florida Marlins spent the least amount with a 2009 payroll of $36,814,000. That’s a $164,635,289 difference. The difference between those two teams is greater than any other teams payroll (other than the Yankees). The Yankees won the 2009 World Series…. Coincidence? The Yankees have won 27 World Series, the most in Major League Baseball…. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

One of the NFL’s greatest assets has been the saying “Any Given Sunday”. This saying means (possibly meant) that on any given Sunday, any team can beat any team. That means that small market teams can beat major market teams. It’s one of the reasons that the NFL has grown to be the most popular sports league in American history. If the salary cap goes away permanently, then it is very possible for the balance of power to shift to the big cites and then we can say goodbye to “Any Given Sunday” and say hello to “Maybe We’ll Get Lucky This Sunday”.

By Jason Garrison

The Bearcats 2009-2010 football season ended on the sour notes of head coach Brian Kelly leaving to fill the vacant job and Notre Dame and the Sugar Bowl loss to the Florida Gators. That isn’t what fans will remember most about this past football season though. They’ll remember the excitement of Mardy Gilyard’s play and the accuracy of Tony Pike’s arm before they remember what coach went where and who won what bowl game.

Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard both finished their collegiate careers in the greatest season ever in the 125 year history of Bearcat football. Now they move on to the NFL. Until draft day, both Pike and Gilyard will be poked and prodded like a dog in the Westminster Kennel Club. Scouts will pick them apart and name every minor fault and weakness that each player has and why that minor fault or weakness could spell disaster for any team who even thinks about drafting them. Finally, the players will showcase their physical abilities in the NFL Combine and then comes the draft. Until draft day, there is really no way of knowing what player will go to what team. There will be countless mock drafts but none of them will be right on. There is always a surprise.

Trying to predict where Pike and Gilyard will be playing next year is difficult, especially for Pike. University of Cincinnati is a small school not known for top notch NFL players and while that is slowly but surely changing, it will be a factor for Pike and Gilyard.

Gilyard will probably go first due to the fact that he is a duel threat and wide receiver is a position that can play almost immediately in the NFL. Gilyard has proved that he is a return specialist in college and NFL scouts will find that very attractive about him. They will also like his route running abilities, his ability to catch the ball, his ability to run after the catch, his attitude and his story. The NFL loves a good story and Mardy Gilyard, much like Michael Oher last year, is extremely marketable. It is fairly conceivable that Gilyard could get drafted in the early second round.

Tony Pike is a different story. Traditionally, quarterbacks don’t play right away in the NFL and the ones that do usually don’t do very well. Peyton Manning is one of the very few exceptions to this rule. Where Pike goes in the draft will completely depend on the needs of NFL teams and how desperate they are to fill those needs. If a team that needs a quarterback to start immediately drafts Pike then it will probably be fairly early in the draft; late 1st to early 3rd round. If a team drafts Pike with the plan to let him develop under a veteran started then Pike could fall anywhere from the 3rd to 5th round. Scouts will be worried about Pikes durability in the NFL because of the two broken forearms that he had playing for the Bearcats in the past two years. What the scouts will like about him is his arm strength, his accuracy, the fact that he throws a very catchable ball, he is mobile inside the pocket and can sense pressure, he keeps the ball up high on his shoulder before he throws and his physical size.

The NFL is a completely different monster than college football and for the next couple months, scouts will be breathing down Pike and Gilyard necks, trying to see exactly how they tick. Hopefully their experience at University of Cincinnati has prepared them for the biggest “job interview” of their life.

By Brandon Kisker

Everyone knows him, most people hate him, but I’m here to defend the former All Pro quarterback.  First let me just say, I own a dog, T’Kai, an adorable fluffy American Eskimo dog.  I don’t like what Vick did, plain and simple.  To think of someone stealing my little fluff ball to put in a ring with a trained killer makes me shutter, I don’t even want to think about it.  What Vick did was extremely perverse and grotesque, but I think forgivable.  It doesn’t matter what religion you are, or even how you feel about dogfighting as a crime, but this man deserves a second chance.  I’m not going to get into why I think he deserves a second chance, but if you are interested, it was one of the first every posts from my own personal blog.

I just heard Michael Vick on the Dan Patrick Show on Monday the 31st.  If you don’t listen to Dan Patrick, I’d highly suggest it because it is one of the best sports shows out there, and also, Dan gets great guests and asks the questions everyone wants to know, even if it’s a tough question; monday’s two segments with Vick was no different.  Previously, I have endorsed Vick as my favourite option to take the Buffalo Bills starting QB position because I like Vick the football player, not the person, but I think that changed today.

I am now, not only endorsing him as a football player, but as a human being.  I know many of you will not like that, but go and listen to the interview, then come back to this post.  I honestly believe what Vick says during the course of the interview, and I think you will as well.  Dan asked him if he didn’t get caught if he’d still be dogfigting, and he said simply, “yea, I think I would”, and it was those type of answers that changed my opinion of Vick.  Vick was a victim, a victim of peer pressure, and the best thing for Mike Vick the person was to get caught, pay his debt to society, and realize he has to keep better friends and follow the law.  He realizes that he is a role model and that he set a poor example for young children that emulate him.  He’s on the path now to gain that trust back with his fans.  Will he get everyone to trust him?  No.  Will he get many to trust him? I think so (Remember he has the most respected guy in football in his corner.  That of course is former Colt head coach Tony Dungy.).

As far as Mike Vick goes, I like Vick’s swagger, I like his confidence, and I love his honesty.  He said that he still thinks he’s a Top 10 quarterback in the NFL right now, and thats what the Buffalo Bills need!  Ask Trent Edwards or Ryan Fitzpatrick the same question, and I guarantee you don’t get that answer from them.  Vick would not only give the Bills a solid quarterback, but also more exposure in the media.  I think Vick will be an ideal citizen for the rest of his life and I think he would embrace the Buffalo community as a fellow “good neighbor”.  Unfortunately, some of the Buffalo Bills players in the past few years have had attitude, and character problems.  I think Mike Vick changes this locker room because of what he has been through, and I think guys that have been in trouble (Marshawn Lynch and Donte Whitner in particular) would attach themselves to Vick and learn the error of their ways because of what he’s been through.  It’s a fact that Michael is one of the guys players want to play with.

So as far as the football aspect goes for the Bills this offseason, this is what I envision happening:

Bills trade a 5th Round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Michael Vick (The Bills have a good relationship with the Eagles as you remember they sent great linebacker Takeo Spikes there a few years ago, and Pro Bowler Jason Peters to the Eagles)

Terrell Owens (who has said he wants to play with Vick) signs with the Bills again for a 1 year contract

NFL Draft:

1st Round:  Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

2nd Round:  Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati

3rd Round:  Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon

Give Vick a chance.

By Duane McDonald

From The Miracle of 35th Street

The title says it all. For the first time in 14 years, the Kansas City Royals will be appearing on “Sunday Night Baseball”, as they will be taking on the Angels in Los Angeles for an Independence Day showdown. I guess the folks in Kansas City feel like they are in a major league city once again, now that their beloved Royals are finally back on the premier game of the week. Now that the Royals are finally good enough for national television once again, let’s see if they can do something about that nasty little playoff drought of theirs, which is at 25 years and counting….

While I am happy for the Royals and their fans that they will finally get some national exposure, I am anxiously hoping that Zack Greinke will start that game against the Halos. For you see, the Royals playing just about anybody will be an absolute stinker of a game, no matter if it is a Tuesday night game, or if it is a game on ESPN’s “Sunday Night” telecast. However, if Zack Greinke is pitching, it will definitely be worth tuning in. My guess is that ESPN is hoping for the same thing too, because I do not think that watching Brian Bannister or Gil Meche start against the Angels will inspire the same kind of excitement.

Even though I am all for equal coverage of teams on national television, I still believe that “Sunday Night Baseball” games should be reserved for teams that are worth watching. No matter what Fox might claim with their Saturday afternoon regional telecasts, “Sunday Night Baseball” is the premier game of the week, and it should be treated as such. If it means living with another Red Sox/Yankees showdown at the expense of a Padres/Astros game, so be it. Besides, if you are going to show a stinker of a game like San Diego versus Houston for the sake of equity, that’s what you have “Monday Night Baseball” on ESPN for. Oh well. Here’s to hoping that Zack Greinke gets the nod on the Fourth of July.

By Brandon Kisker

From The Five Minute Major’s official web site

Yes I have to be that corny, but it’s true.  The 24 year old Dion Phaneuf and the 32 year old Jean-Sebastian Giguere are the headline players traded to the Leafs today.  I’m here to break down both of these trades, and if Leafs fans can expect more roster moves to come after the Olympic Trade Freeze.

The first trade announced today was with the Calgary Flames.  The Flames sent Dion Phaneuf and Fredrik Sjostrom to the Leafs in exchange for defenceman Ian White, forwards Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, and Matt Stajan.  Brian Burke seemed to be happy to get his man, but was it at to steep of a price?  Phaneuf played 55 games for the Flames this season notching 10 goals and 22 points.  He is +3 and has 5 Powerplay goals for the Flames, but now he’s on the Leafs.  Sjostrom only has 1 goal and 6 points in 46 games for the Flames this season.  My assessment is, yes!  The Leafs traded a combined 108 points for 28.  Stajan now ranks second behind Iginla in points and Niklas Hagman is 5th behind Olli Jokinen.  Even Ian White, who has 26th points (good enough for 7th on the Flames) has more points than high priced free agent acquisition Jay Bouwmeester.  The Flames lost physicality, which is really important in the West, but teams have to decide, which is more important, physicality, or points.

Burke’s move on Phaneuf is exactly like when he brought Pronger in to Anaheim when he was the GM back a few years ago (by the way, I’m positive he had to have had talks with Duck’s GM Bob Murray about Pronger before he was dealt to the Flyers in the offseason).  Burke likes the big physical defenseman, and Phaneuf gives them added physicality.  His production rose every year from 2005-2008 and since then Phaneuf has been hard pressed to find the back of the net.  He went from 60 points in 2008, to 47 last season.

I watched Dion’s reaction on TSN.ca, and lets just say he was about as enthused to go to the Leafs as this guy was the Islanders!  He kept saying, “it came as a shock to me, but like I said, I’m happy to be a Leaf” almost as if he was Ben Stein.  Phaneuf went from a team with a bonafide leader in Jarome Iginla, to a team who’s captain has been on the trading block for years (cause he’s the only remotely good player).  He went from defending a Top 10 goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff, to a rookie goaltender in Jonas Gustavsson…that is until later on in the day.

The Leafs weren’t done, as they sent 36 year old Jason Blake and 32 year old Vesa Toskala in exchange for 32 year old JS Giguere.  Whether Giguere starts or the Monster starts, the Leafs upgraded because Toskala is the WORST goaltender in the NHL.  Why Bob Murray would trade for him is beyond me.  I’ve tried calling my cohost and good friend Scott Waldrop to ask his opinion on the Leafs moves, and I could not reach him.  I can only think that Scott is on his way to Anaheim to do this to Bob Murray (25 seconds in)!  If you don’t know Scott than let me tell you, he is a die hard Ducks fan, and loves JS Giguere, and he cannot stand Ducks starting goalie Jonas Hiller most of the time.  Now I’m sure he is on his way to Anaheim to let Mr. Murray know exactly how he feels about his trade for such standout athletes like Toskala and Blake.

To break this down as someone who is indifferent toward the Ducks, I’ll tell you, that Scott….is absolutely right.  JS Giguere’s skills may be diminishing, but he is worth a hell of a lot more than a washed up winger and the worst goalie in the NHL.  Hell, if that was all the Ducks were gonna get, I’d keep Giguere for his remaining one year and let him walk free.  Toskala isn’t going to stay here next season, and Blake, eh, he’s a third liner, so who cares.  I really think Burke got the steal of the century and its because he has a lot of friends that run the Ducks organization.  If Toronto had the players, I’d honestly say that Burke could weasel either Perry or Getzlaf off of the Ducks and onto his the Anaheim Ducks-East (aka the Leafs).  Problem is, these two trades left the Leafs with nothing.

The Leafs have exactly 12 forwards on the team, but I expect a free agent signing or two, and perhaps a call up.  There are only a handful of forwards that anyone would recognize, and unfortunately for the Leafs, they don’t inflict fear in opponents.  Phil Kessel and Mikhail Grabovski can be great, but are struggling as centre pieces of the Leafs (Grabovski is hurt now), Alexei Ponikarovsky could be one of the next Leafs to go, Wayne Primeau is a tough guy, and Lee Stempniak is a 35 point a year player who adds little to a depleted offensive team.  Just like the Islanders last season, their best player and point scorer will now be Tomas Kaberle.  Kaberle is also on the trading block (though he does have a No Trade Clause) and is the only Leaf that has any real value.  If I was a betting man, I’d say Kaberle is gone before the deadline.

I’ll say this about the Leafs though, they (on paper) are now pretty solid on defense, when completely healthy.  You can pair Phaneuf with Komisarek when he comes back and have a shut down, physical d-pair, or split them up with an offensive guy.  They have Beauchemin who is having a tough year, the young Luke Schenn (the other Leaf who has trade value, but is untouchable), and castoffs like Mike Van Ryn, Jeff Finger, and Garnet Exelby.  The problem is that on ice, their defense has let them down a lot, but that could change with a rejuvenated JS Giguere.

This team is now very young with only 5 of 23 players over the age of 30.  Of those 5 players, only one is true leader, and that is Kaberle, who could find himself on another team at the end of this season.  Could the Leafs be waiting to pounce on Kovalchuk?  I think they are going to damn sure try, but I think it will ultimately fail.  What could the Thrashers possibly want from the Leafs?  Kessel, Schenn, Kaberle.  Two of those guys are untouchable, and the other isn’t nearly enough to pay out for a top scorer like Kovalchuk.  I could see the Flames make a play for the winger and they have the pieces that could be added to make a deal.  Guys like Olli Jokinen and Rene Bourque would be the centre pieces of a deal that would include a few prospects/draft picks and other NHL ready players for the Russian phenom.

The Olympic trade freeze starts on February 12th and continues to midnight of February 28th.  There is then only 63 hours where teams can make a trade because the trade deadline is March 3rd.

So here is my final assessments of the trades.

Trade 1:  Flames send Dion Phaneuf and Fredrik Sjostrom to the Maple Leafs for Ian White, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers, and Niklas Hagman.

Winner:  Flames
They win this trade because they increase point production, and perhaps retool to go after Ilya Kovalchuk before the deadline.  On paper, this team looks improved, and I actually think Ian White could be a very underrated defenseman.  The D-Train isn’t nearly as intimidating as it once was, and the loss of Sjostrom is a non issue.  Mark your calenders for March 27th and April 7th as the D-Train will be playing the NHL’s fashionista Sean Avery.  Dion wants his own sloppy seconds and will demolish that punk Avery.

Trade 2:  Ducks send JS Giguere to the Maple Leafs for Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala

Winner:  Maple Leafs

Anytime you can get rid of a washed up nobody winger and an awful excuse for a goaltender and get a proven starter and Cup winner, it’s a good trade in my books.  Scott…still can’t reach him, he must be halfway to Anaheim by now!

Tune in to the Five Minute Major this Wednesday from 8-10PM  for reaction and arguing on this and more with Scott Waldrop and myself.  I’ll tell you, are the Ducks in trouble?  Find out this Wednesday!