Highlights of MLB Opening Day 2015 in the American League.

The best day of the year is over. Opening day has come and gone, and we're left with stats, highlights and memories of the first full day of MLB action in 2015.

​We saw some dominant pitching performances, quite a few homers and some close games. We also saw teams playing better than we expected and teams playing worse than we predicted.

Image Credit: Thearon W. Henderson

The A’s 25-year-old ace held the Texas Rangers hitless until the eighth inning of a 8-0 win at the Coliseum, helping the A’s snap a streak of 10 consecutive losses to open the season. Gray came within six outs of throwing the second Opening Day no-hitter in major-league history before Texas’ Ryan Rua singled to right field leading off the eighth.

An announced sellout crowd of 36,067 applauded Gray and chanted “Son-ny!” as Rua rounded first base. Gray finished the inning with help from first baseman Ike Davis, who snagged a Mitch Moreland line drive and stepped on first to double off Rua, then made a diving play on Rougned Odor’s grounder to end the inning.

The A’s last win in a season opener had come April 5, 2004, and they’d scored a total of six runs in their past six openers combined. Their new-look lineup eclipsed that total on Monday night with an 11-hit blitz. New No. 3 hitter Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer off Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo in his first A’s at-bat, and catcher Stephen Vogt added a towering three-run homer to right off reliever Phil Klein in the seventh inning.

The spotlight, though, belonged to Gray. 

Gray allowed his first runner when he clipped Odor with a pitch with two outs in the third inning. With two outs in the sixth, Zobrist – playing left field because of injuries to Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick – dropped a Leonys Martin fly ball that allowed Martin to reach second base. Zobrist was given an error, keeping the no-hit bid intact.

Prince Fielder scorched a liner to right leading off the seventh inning that Craig Gentry hardly had to move to catch. Adrian Beltre then hit a sharp grounder that second baseman Eric Sogard gloved sliding to his left for a routine putout. Gray threw a 93-mph fastball past Shin-Soo Choo for the third out, bringing the crowd to its feet.

After Vogt’s homer made the game a blowout, Gray got two strikes on Rua to start the eighth inning before the Rangers’ left fielder hit a sharp grounder through the right side of the infield. Gray still became the first A’s starter to win a season opener since Tim Hudson beat the Seattle Mariners in 2003, striking out three and throwing 98 pitches in his eight innings. Evan Scribner finished the game with a scoreless ninth.

The first A’s pitcher to start consecutive season openers since Barry Zito in 2005-06, Gray was also one of only two returning starters from last year’s Opening Night lineup (Sogard was the other), matching the fewest year-to-year in Oakland history.

Image Credit: Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

Mike Trout had the kind of opening-day performance that could have been legendary if the outcome of his team's game had been different. Instead, chalk it up as a great individual effort that couldn't overcome Felix Hernandez and a sprinkling of key hits by the Seattle Mariners.

The 2014 American League MVP got off to another valuable start for the Los Angeles Angels in 2015, hitting home run in the first inning against Hernandez, and preventing a home run by Logan Morrison with a leaping grab at the fence later on.

Aside from that, King Felix dominated the Angels, and Jered Weaver could not match his performance in Seattle's 4-1 victory. Hernandez improved to 6-0 on opening day.

Trout put the Mariners behind in the first inning by connecting on a 92 mph fastball to straightaway center, his third homer in 50 career at-bats against Hernandez. He did likewise in his first at-bat of 2014, too. 

Image Credit: Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Hopeful No. 1 starter Clay Buchholz outpitched ace Cole Hamels, and the Red Sox beat the lowly Philadelphia Phillies into submission with five home runs in an 8-0 shutout. By night, the Sox signed Rick Porcello to a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension that locks up the right-hander through what should be his prime, specifically ages 26-30.

Dustin Pedroia, healthy for the first time in three years, went deep twice, his first multi-homer game since 2011. Not to be outdone by his former minor league double-play partner, shortstop-turned-outfielder and absolute manchild Hanley Ramirez belted two homers, including a grand slam in the ninth inning.

Then, there is 22-year-old leadoff hitter Mookie Betts, already the most dynamic player the Sox have had since Jacoby Ellsbury and now their youngest to homer on Opening Day since Tony Conigliaro in 1965.

Image Credit: ​John Sleezer/The Kansas City Star

Lots of doubters out there for the defending AL champs, but the Kansas City Royals looked mighty fine on opening day. They torched the Chicago White Sox by the score of 10-1. Eight of the nine batters in the Royals' lineup had hits, including newcomer Alex Rios, who had three. Yordano Ventura looked good too, before leaving the game with a thumb cramp. 

Jose Abreu got the White Sox on the board in the seventh inning with a 418-foot homer to left-center. But the White Sox had a forgettable start in a season with high expectations based on their offseason maneuvers.

Jeff Samardzija walked Morales twice during his White Sox debut but also hit two Royals. He plunked Alex Gordon in the second with Morales on first, after Garcia was hit by Ventura in the top of the second. The right-hander then hit Lorenzo Cain in the fifth, on the ensuing pitch after Mike Moustakas drove out an opposite-field homer. Cain took exception to that HBP, jawing with Samardzija and catcher Flowers.

"All I know is that Moose hit a homer, [Samardzija] hit me," Cain said, "... and then we started talking."

​Image Credit: Leon Halip/Getty Images North America

For the first time in eight years, somebody other than Justin Verlander was starting on opening day for Detroit.

David Price looked plenty worthy.

Price came within one out of a shutout in the Tigers' 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday, retiring the first 13 batters he faced and allowing five hits before being pulled with two on and two out in the ninth.

Joe Nathan struck out Torii Hunter for the save as the Tigers handed Paul Molitor a loss in his first game as Minnesota's manager.

"It's always big to go out there and put up zeros and pitch late into the game," Price said. "To be able to do it on opening day, that definitely makes it a little bit more special. I felt good."

The Tigers acquired Price at last year's trade deadline, and manager Brad Ausmus picked him to start the first game, snapping Verlander's seven-year streak of openers. Price struck out five without a walk.

J.D. Martinez and Alex Avila homered off Phil Hughes, and Yoenis Cespedes doubled, tripled and scored twice in his Detroit debut. Cespedes also reached above the wall in left to catch Kurt Suzuki's drive in the third.

Image Credit: AP Photo/Patric Schneider

In his final five starts of 2014, a stretch that propelled him to the top of the American League Cy Young ballot, Corey Kluber posted a 5-0 record and 1.12 ERA, with five walks and 54 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. The right-hander lasted at least eight frames in four of those five outings. 

Kluber carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. With two outs, Houston's diminutive hit machine, Jose Altuve, slapped a bloop single into center. Kluber said he was aware of the goose egg in Houston's hit column, but it was too early to concern himself with the potential of a historic feat, especially in a scoreless deadlock.

"I wasn't pitching to not give up a hit," Kluber said. "I was more so pitching to keep them off the scoreboard."

​Image Credit: baltimoresun.com

The Orioles won their fifth straight opening day game on Monday afternoon, dominating the division rival Tampa Bay Rays with a 6-2 victory in front of an announced sellout crowd of 31,042 at Tropicana Field, backed by a strong performance by right-hander Chris Tillman, who was steady making his second straight season opening day start.

An Orioles team that led the majors with 211 home runs last season hit three homers Monday, a two-run blast by left fielder Alejandro De Aza and solo homers by first baseman Steve Pearce and shortstop Ryan Flaherty.

Right-hander Chris Tillman set the tone, holding the Rays to one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking three batters.

Newcomer Travis Snider, the first Orioles player other than Markakis to start in right field since 2006, had three hits and drove in two runs, including an opposite-field single against a shift to score De Aza in the top of the first inning.

After Asdrubal Cabrera hit an RBI double off Tommy Hunter with two outs in the eighth, the Rays brought the tying run to the plate with two on and two outs, but Longoria popped up weakly to second base on the first pitch of the at bat.

Image Credit: USA TODAY Sports Images

In his first game back from a year-long suspension, New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-2 with a walk and represented one of the few bright spots for his club in a 6-1 opening day loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

“It definitely felt good, that’s for sure,” the 39-year-old Rodriguez said after the game. “I have a lot of love for the city of New York, especially our fans. But let’s make it clear: The fans don’t owe me anything. I have to earn their cheers and their respect.”

Rodriguez’s single was one of only three hits for the Yankees against Blue Jays starter Drew Hutchison, who earned the win with six innings of one-run ball. Outfielder Brett Gardner accounted for all of New York’s scoring with a solo home run in the sixth, but it was the return of Rodriguez that seemed to draw the most attention during and after the game.

Drew Hutchison, at 24 the youngest Opening Day starter in Blue Jays' history, held the Yankees hitless until Brian McCann laced a ball just inside the first base line for a single with two outs in the fourth.

Hutchison (1-0) allowed three hits, including Brett Gardner's homer in the sixth inning, to help Toronto improve to 20-19 in openers, including 1-2 vs. the Yankees.

Ex-Yankee Russell Martin hit a two-run single in a five-run third inning against Tanaka (0-1). Devon Travis homered later in the game for his first career hit.

Kevin Pillar led off the third with a single and the Japanese star, making his first Opening Day start for New York, struggled to get an out after that.

Travis walked and Jose Reyes put down a bunt that third baseman Chase Headley threw away, allowing a run to score.

After Reyes was checked by a trainer at second base, Martin, who signed an $82 million, five-year free-agent contract this winter, singled. An out later, Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer off Masahiro Tanaka, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 6-1 in Monday's Opener. 

Christine O'Connor

Twitter: ChristineeeeO

The New York Rangers: The Road Back to Playoffs

New York Rangers got Keith Yandle, defenseman Chris Summers and a 2016 fourth-round pick from Arizona Coyotes for Anthony Duclair, John Moore, a 2016 first-round pick and a 2015 second-round pick.

The Eastern Conference is wide open, and the Rangers just went all in on a game-changing trade. The Rangers, have the league’s seventh best goaltending at even strength, and when Henrik Lundqvist returns from injury, that could improve.

​Image Credit: espn.com

Rangers winger Marty St. Louis, a 39-year-old former Cup winner with Tampa Bay who's seen it all, says one of the best things about this Rangers team is "it's always a different guy leading us every night. Six, seven, eight guys are on top of their game and it pulls the whole team through. Then another night, it's six or eight other guys. We knew when Hank went out, we had to collectively pick it up. And that's what we did."

The Rangers were solid defensively, created plenty of scoring chances for themselves and got big saves from Cam Talbot when they needed them. They played with confidence and relief to he trade deadline ending. 

​
​It's a long way to the end of the regular season, let alone to the Stanley Cup finals. But what the Rangers did before Monday's deadline and in the game that followed were more proof that this team believes  it can get back there. It gave the blueshirts the confidence boost they need.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The 1994 Stanley Cup Championship New York Rangers.

Image Credit: NYDailyNew.com

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

We are back with yet another EXCLUSIVE interview! We'd first like to thank the very AMAZING staff at MAB Celebrity for letting us be apart of this event. If you love sports, you should definitely check out some of their upcoming shows. We have been attending various MAB shows throughout the years, and we were absolutely honored to have been apart of this historic event!

MAB-Celebrity does public signings throughout the United States, but not to worry. Don't live in the area and need something signed? MAB also does private signings. Check them out here for a list of upcoming private and public signings.

On October 25th, we arrived early and got to meet and greet with some of the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship winners, the New York Rangers.

We also met none other then "The Nature Boy" himself, Ric Flair! Woooooo! Although we were unable to interview Flair, it was great to meet such a humble down to earth guy, who seemed to be in very good spirits and happy to be there. Hulk Hogan also appeared at That 90's Show, however we were also unable to obtain and interview with him. Hogan was in great spirits and seemed very happy to be there.

Please check out our interview below. Jay Wells, Steve Larmer, Joe Kucor and Stephane Matteau, (better known as the Ranger who scored the game winning goal in the 1994 cup) discuss the current state of the Rangers, Madison Square Garden, Anthony Duclair, Gary Bettman and the two lockouts, as well as what it was like winning the 1994 cup and a lot more.

Update on The New York Giants and New York Rangers Courtsey of DOINow.com

This picture has been included to make me laugh and to make my friends to shake their heads!
Thank you for visiting DOInow.com, I appreciate you taking time out to check out my random thoughts and opinions in the sports world. Make sure to check out the archives for columns on Frank Boucher, Anthony Duclair, NY Jets, Carmelo Anthony, A-Roid, The Giants, WWE, The Rangers & more!

I am sick of everyone always saying "MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK", so for this piece we will go with the silly Tuesday Morning Hangover title, considering it took 18 beers to get through the NY sports events this past Monday night.

The Rangers just wrapped up another home game, with another shoot-out loss this past Monday night. This was going to be a tough test for the Rangers, considering they were missing many starters due to injuries and suspensions, as talked about in my last blog here on DOINow.com.

For a team featuring 7 non-starters (McIlrath, Talbot, Kotska, Malone, Hunwick, Allen, & Mueller), I thought the Rangers played a good game. The Rangers blew several opportunities at the net and there was no puck luck to be found. Poor Rick Nash, a league leader in goal scoring, missed his chance to hit the double digit mark in goals several times in the contest.

The Rangers, taking on the hot St. Louis Blues, were banged up, but I liked what I saw. Both Anthony Duclair and Kevin Hayes, the two young studs of the Rangers, are living up to their billing. Duclair assisted on Chris Kreider's first goal of the game while Hayes continues to create goal scoring opportunities. I am hoping both continue their level of play as I think they have the potential to be the cornerstones of the Blueshirts in seasons to come.

Matt Hunwick, receiving a ton of ice time this season due to the injury of Dan Boyle, continues to impress and plays a solid defensive game. He could be a diamond in the rough for the New York Rangers.

While Conor Allen, who played several games for the Blueshirts last year, had a defensively sound game, he didn't make much noise. His Hartford Wolfpack counterpart, defenseman Dylan McIlrath made his presence felt for the team, for better or worse.

I am a McIlrath fan. I think the Rangers need that goon who can make other teams fear playing dirty or being liberal with their checks. However, McIlrath takes way too many stupid penalties and needs to improve his speed. Whether McIlrath can figure out some discipline and hold his own cleanly remains to be seen. He is obviously nervous playing in the World's Most Famous Arena, but at some point, he needs to be accountable for his actions. Taking penalties, that lead to power-play goals, for the opposition will not be tolerated by Alain Vigneault.

A future Vezina Winner?

With fat cat Henrik Lundqvist getting the day off, rookie Cam Talbot held down the net for the second time this season. Cam Talbot, making nearly 1/20th the salary as the King, gave the Rangers the same result as this past Saturday night - a shootout loss in the third frame. Hank, making $8.5 Million this season compared to Talbot's half a million a year deal doesn't seem much of a deal, does it?

The Rangers, who could use some of Hank's exorbitant contract to sign some defensemen (How bad are Ranger fans missing Anton Stralman right now?) made the best of a bad situation, salvaging a point in last night's contest. However, it looked like the Rangers should've won the game, as they had several opportunities to put the game away in the third period during a scramble to the net and seemed to have a Nash OT goal winner.

Talbot, who this writer thinks is a great piece of talent to a fault, where I have an on-going joke with several friends about his abilities (Cam Talbot is so good that he cured cancer!) , put out a valiant effort, despite playing his second NHL game this season. The defense broke down several times, leading to soft goals for the Blues, but Talbot made incredible saves to keep the Rangers in the contest. Talbot was tested, and despite giving up 3 goals, made an incredible 31 saves.

If there is anything to worry about right now as a Ranger fan, sans the injuries, is the fact that the Rangers are still taking time to figure things out. The injuries are a major factor, but Ranger fans would rather this happen with the majority of the games on the road. The Rangers lead the league in home games played this season and with 10 in the month of November, the Rangers need to pick up two points on their home ice. Getting one-point moral victories in OT is nice on the road, but it is here, at home, that the Rangers need to make some noise. All these home games now, will lead to tough road games later on in the season.

Eli Manning, the man who possesses the worst body language in all of sports.

As much as I love my New York Rangers & New York Yankees, I am also a diehard Giants fan. However, I admit, it's time to throw in the towel. Despite injuries to division rival quarterbacks Tony Romo & Nick Foles, this Giants team will not make the playoffs for one simple reason - they can't defend the pass.

Last night's Monday Night Football contest between the red-hot Colts and Giants, was another example of the Giants having no pass defense whatsoever. Just like in the Philly and Dallas game, the Colts were seemingly 38433375734737 out of 38433375734737 on third down whenever they passed the ball. You can say whatever you want about the Giants missing their top two running backs (Wilson & Jennings) and their best receiver (Victor Cruz), but the fact is that the Giants allow more first downs during the opponent's third down than any other team in the league.

Who would've thought, that during week 9, in this year's NFL season, that the Buffalo Bills would have more wins than their "NY" counterparts combined?

The Colts threw the ball 85% of the time and had no issues doing so. The Giants swiss cheese pass defense allowed Andrew Luck to rape them like a drunk sorority girl at Ben Roethlisberger's house. They had 15 days to prepare for this game and instead were embarrassed like sharting yourself at a quiet, but packed funeral.

I can't blame Eli. Despite having the worst body language I've ever seen from an athlete in my fucking life (Check my archives for more on this subject), it's not his fault. You can't win games when the defense is on the field watching the chains move every 120 seconds. It's time to switch defensive coordinators, but at 3-5, in a tough division and with a tough schedule, it's not going to happen until next year.

For more on the article and similar articles to this, visit DOINOW.com

'That 90's Show' Autograph Signing with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The 1994 Stanley Cup Champions & New York Mets Alumni THIS WEEKEND!

Images via mab-celebrity.com

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

Attention Northern New Jersey, New York and the tristate area! Calling ALL you sports and wrestling fans out there! This Saturday, at The Hilton Hasbrouck Heights-Meadowlands, address is: 650 Terrace Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights NJ 07604. Former WWE Superstars Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Ken Shamrock will be signing autographs & taking photos with fans! In addition to those 3 cool guys, the card is stacked with various New York Rangers alumni, none other then your 1994 Stanley Cup Champions!

If you love baseball, you also might wanna check out Jim Palmer, & Rollie Fingers (Sunday ONLY), in addition to some of the New York Mets alumni. 

Scheduled to appear are: 

-Joe Kocur

-Stephane Matteau

-Ed Giacomin 

-Ron Duguay 

-Pete Stemkowski

-Cleon Jones

-Jerry Koosman 

and many more! To get ALL the information you're gonna need such as times, the ENTIRE lineup, pricing and more, check out MAB Celebrity here ! 

Did I mention kids 10 and under are FREE? Also I'll be there bright and early Saturday morning, so come say hi! I'll be taking photo ops, free of charge! See you there! 

http://mab-celebrity.com/that-90s-show

NFL, MLB PostSeason, Plus Pre Season NBA & NHL; THE WEEKEND WRAP UP aka PANIC! PANIC! PANIC!

Image Credit: JimFeist.com

by: Sean McCaffrey

Twitter: @NYCTheMiC

BULLSMC@aol.com

In this world we live in, where we can put rocket ships in outer space, perform life changing surgeries and master baking cheese inside the crust of a pizza slice, it still baffles me how we can not create a phone that has a battery life of more than one hour. 

Yesterday, Sunday, October 12th, was a huge sports day for the NY area. Not only did the Giants & Jets play key games, the New York Rangers had their home opener. Carrying over from last season’s unexpected success, where even the most hardcore Ranger fan, like myself, has to admit the team overachieved a bit (Goalie injuries in both the Philly & Montreal series & avoiding the Bruins), the Rangers hosted “RANGERS BLUESHIRT BOULEVARD”. For the event, the Rangers shut down all of 33rd street from 7th to 8th Ave, and had numerous fan activities, live bands on a nice set and was just a great day to bond & enjoy laughs with other Ranger fans. The event started at 12pm and ended an hour before game time, at 6pm. While this was going on the Jets took the field as well.

For Jet fans, and as talked about in previous columns here, at HipHopShortstop.com, the Jets are just a mess. Jets fans have no reason to panic because there are really no expectations. It’s been the same cycle for 45+ years. The only difference between the Jets and a wife is that the Jets will always fuck you. It’s just what Jet fans are used to. How can you panic when you know the Jets will be rolled time and time again?

However, for the NY Giants & The NY Rangers, the two teams with the most success in recent years, as the Giants are the only team in the NFL to have won 2 Superbowls in the last 6+ years and the Rangers fresh off a Stanley Cup appearance, panic has set in. Or at least that’s the feeling I got when I finally got home from the Rangers game on Sunday night.

I should mention I got home an hour earlier than I expected, due to Hank laying a big fart & questionable officiating, so it was time for me to head to the LIRR after the second period. If the Rangers were in such a fan friendly mood, as evident by their “BLUESHIRT BLVD”, they should’ve gave a refund to every fan that attended last night’s crapfest. But we’re fans, win or lose, and you take the good with the bad.

Due to my phone battery lasting as long as a Walker extra on “The Walking Dead”, I couldn’t keep up with live play-by-play and fan reaction on social media at the game in between periods. To note, it’s amazing that no matter where we go in life, whether it’s a bar, restaurant, a bathroom, or where ever, our first thought is “WHERE ARE THE MOTHER FUCKING OUTLETS?” We live in a world where we crave and need to steal electricity where ever we are. Our precious phones consume our lives, and you are probably nodding your head, as you read this column on your phone.

My rant on these watt sucking contraptions aside, when I finally got home & rushed to my nearest outlet, I caught up on all the Giants & Ranger fan reaction. Being a diehard fan of both teams, and perhaps borderline obsessed, I read countless articles and fan comments on social media as the Eagles were blowing away the Giants.

Image Credit: NYDailyNews.com

It was nothing but doom and gloom, but fans of both squads need to remember several things. Going to the hockey first, the Rangers never have hot starts. Last year they were 3-7. The Rangers are also missing their starting center in Derek Stepan, their biggest free agent of the off-season, defensemen Dan Boyle & the straw that stirs the drink of the Rangers, Mats Zuccarello, was held out due to his physical play the night before. Being 1-2 is not the end of the world. You play 82 games.

What is cause for concern is how Henrik Lundqvist’s game has been exposed in recent games. No doubt about it, when it’s all said and done, King Henry or Hank, as he’s called by True Blue fans, is going to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s a great goalie. He’s just not the best goalie. Hank has had the fortune of having dedicated shotblockers (especially in the Coach Tort years) & superior defensemen, with the likes of McDonagh, Girardi & Staal. I am one of the Ranger fans that believe Jonathan Quick just flat outplayed him in the Stanley Cup. Hank is known to give up leads time and time again. In crunch time, I would rather Rask from Boston or Quick as my netminder.

That being said, hockey fans need to realize that the goaltending isn’t as elite as it was in previous generations, where defense was a strength. The NHL is always trying to increase scoring. The game gets harder and harder for goalies. This will always be the way, as high scoring games is how NHL executives think they can convert casual and new fans to their product. 

For the Ranger fans going crazy right now, relax. It’s only 3 games. The NHL is all about just making the playoffs, because once you’re in, anything can happen. Just look at the LA Kings two cup runs. Let the injuries, lines gelling and time pass, and you will see, the Rangers will be a top 3 seed.

Moving along to the NY Giants. The NY Giants talked more shit than any other game they’ve ever played, and in return, got a nice big heaping pile of crow to eat for their efforts. I can’t imagine how red Couglin’s face was during his closed doors meeting with the players after that pile of shit. This was the ugliest Giants game in a while, but the Giants are known for this. In recent Superbowl years, they’ve had piss-poor starts, only to make Tom Brady cry at the end of the season.

The old adage in football is “ANY GIVEN SUNDAY”. And it’s true. How many times have we seen under dogs win? Anything can happen. Just this past week alone, the mighty Steelers got rolled by the lowly Browns while the Cowboys, primed for their usual December collapse, handed the Superbowl defending champions, the Seattle Seahawks, a rare home loss.

Image Credit: Matt Rourke; Associated Press

Things aren’t looking good in Giants land, especially in the wake of Victor Cruz’s potential season-ending injury, but it’s hard to forget that last year, the Giants started 0-6 and if they could’ve beat Dallas in the latter weeks of the season, they could’ve potentially won the division. Up next on the docket, those same Dallas Cowboys.

For the Giants, you have to hope that this Philly ass raping, a raping that looked like it came straight out of “OZ”, is the raping they need to wake the fuck up. However, I do believe Eli Manning needs to be bitch-slapped unmercifully every time he does that stupid shoulder shrug or throws his hands up in the air after every bad play. But he has two Superbowl rings, which is 2 more than the Eagles have, so who am I to question his methods?

Calm down Giant fans, we’re in for a roller coaster. We have seen glimpses of greatness and know that this team can win on any given day. We’ve seen it before. Never doubt Tom Coughlin, a rare breed who despite his old age, always changes & adapts to the times. I would never bet against him. A win against Dallas, and everyone is puffing out their chests again. But, don’t forget, one win or one loss doesn’t define one team.

Image Credit: Brian Monzo/WFAN

QUICK NOTES:
- Happy to see the Alex Rodriguez of the NY Rangers, Rick Nash, starting off strong. People forget he was out 6 weeks and had post-concussionsymptoms last year. This is his first true healthy season with the blueshirts. It’s time to live up to that contract. So far, he’s been the player we all thought he would be.

- Anthony Duclair, who I wrote a piece about on here, at HipHopShortstop.com, has played 3 excellent games, already notching two assists. I’ve seen the kid play 4 times live. I think he’s the real deal. Let’s hope he continues at this level and isn’t a flash in the pan. The Rangers need to get young, and could use a legit bonafide young blood superstar. The second coming of Manny Maholtra would be a travesty.

- Poor, poor, poor Don Mattingly. The guy can’t catch a break. I must wonder if it rains where ever he goes too. He will probably lose his job over this latest collapse. Despite having the highest payroll in all of MLB, his teams can’t get into the World Series. This latest playoff blunder shouldn’t rest squarely on his shoulders, as his bullpen was terrible & his offense let him down, but it’s just business to fire a manager after a letdown like the Dodgers had.

- Who would’ve thought that the St. Louis Cardinals & The San Francisco Giants would be the most successful franchises in all of baseball in recent years? I think whoever comes out of this series wins the whole thing. Both fanbases are loyal too, so it’s hard to root against them, as a fan with no bias either way. They have built top-flight organizations. Maybe the lowly Mets should take notes.

- It’s time for Odel Beckham Jr. to break out. This injury to Cruz could make Beckham, well, the next Victor Cruz.

- The whole Forg1ve3 and Re2pect stuff needs to stop. It’s already jumping the shark. People are using it for everything. Just stop. Enough. Let Jeter have his thing and stop bastardizing and trivializing it.

- Kevin Durant could be out 6-8 weeks. I wonder how many times in Oklahoma, the front office just keeps banging their heads over letting James Harden walk for nothing.

Aaaaaaaand, that’s a wrap.
Feedback, comments, questions, hate mail can all go to:
Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
@NYCTHEMIC
HipHopShortstop.com

How Anthony Duclair Can Change Hockey

Image Credit: Anthony J. Causi; nypost.com

What a crazy headline. Perhaps I’m baiting you to read this, because talk about hyping up a guy who hasn’t even played one second in the NHL yet. Over the course of sports history, there have been more Ryan Leaf’s than Peyton Manning’s. The emotion of being excited in sheer ecstasy, while cheering our favorite teams and athletes on, is why we are fans. If things work out right, Anthony Duclair is about to gain a huge fanbase soon.

If you’re not familiar, Anthony Duclair is a 19 year old kid out of Montreal, Canada that was drafted 80th overall in the 2013 NHL draft by an original 6 team, the New York Rangers. I can spare you the several paragraphs of what it means to play in NY, the sports capital of the world & where the media is at its most intense.

Duclair, playing for the Rangers affiliate, the Quebec Remparts, of the QMJHL, scored a hefty 50 goals last year and was named a First Team All-Star at only 18 years old. To put it in perspective, Duclair was born when Derek Jeter was taking his first at bat, in August of 1995. 

Duclair has excited Ranger fans this preseason, scoring a goal in nearly every game he played and bringing a sense of vigor, unbridled enthusiasm and energy, to what has been an elder statesmen team. 

Will Duclair be the next Rangers mega-star, akin to Henrik Lundqvist, Brian Leetch, Rod Gilbert, Andy Bathgate, Frank Boucher, etc? Only time will tell. However, if he can be as good as the hype and if his play carries over from what Ranger fans have seen already from his junior hockey & preseason games, the NHL may be on the receiving end of a huge financial & exposure boom.

It is no secret that the NHL is considered the fourth most major sport, and in some places the fifth. (NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA Football, NHL.) Many sports media outlets barely give it a byline. It took the Rangers to make the Stanley Cup for New York’s number 1 sports media figure & the icon of all sports radio, Mike Francesa to even talk hockey. Hockey has done itself no favors with the lockouts & a poor commissioner, but I have addressed that already in a previous article, here at HipHopShortStop.com.

So why do I think a 19 year old kid from Canada can become the sports number 1 megastar? It’s not because he’s another Canadian player in the league. It’s not even because he’s a French-Canadian. Simply, he’s a black French-Canadian. For the NHL, this black kid from Canada can become green real fast. 

Image Credit: Bruce Bennett; BlueShirtBanter.com

The NHL is predominately a white mans sport, full of Europeans, Canadians and Russians. It has a miniscule black fan base scattered across the country. Hockey just lends itself better to Caucasians because in some countries, it is the only sport they have. In America, we have many options and for parents trying to make ends meet, hockey is a very expensive sport to have your child play, with the costs of equipment, rink time, traveling, etc. Anyone can pick up a basketball, football or a glove. It’s not the same for hockey.

Hockey has had black stars over the years, but never has there been a black superstar playing in a major market in America. For the NHL to have a potential one in New York City, this can be the time to get African-Americans into the sport.

Nationality & supporting your own has always been a huge and important issue to people. I mean, just look at the Olympics, that’s what it’s all about, people competing and cheering on their own. There is a reason why blacks voted more in the history of the country when Obama ran. They voted for Obama in record numbers, just because he was black and not because of any political party devotion. I mean, do you know any black people who cared about golf until Tiger Woods took over? It is the same principle of Dominicans supporting their Dominican players in the MLB. Japanese people flocking to the MLB over players like Matsui, Ichiro, Tanaka, Nomo, etc. Remember Linsanity? And before him Yao Ming? Linsanity took over the NBA and was all over the media for a month until the Knicks foolishly let him go. Yao Ming generated the NBA billions of dollars in China with TV deals, marketing, etc. If Duclair can be as good in the NHL as he has been everywhere else, he can possibly create a surge of a whole new fan base, the African American market. 

Image Credit: ThePinkPuck.com

When Sidney Crosby was about to enter the NHL draft, the hype was all over the place. Except for injuries and choking in the playoffs, he has lived up to expectations. The NHL even protects their golden goose through officiating. Rules were changed to help increase scoring to help Crosby. However, Crosby, while a league star, never was able to brand himself and the sport in a way a Derek Jeter, a Michael Jordan or a Peyton Manning did, despite being the best. However, Duclair doesn’t have to be the best. He just needs to perform at a high level.

The NHL needs to try to increase scoring. If a 19 year old kid, can take the league by fire & he’s black, the NHL will get new eyeballs watching them. Especially in NY. With the baseball teams done & not great to be begin with, the Same Old Jets, the terrible Knicks, all NY fans have left are the NY Giants. But what about day-to-day? That is where Duclair can make his case.

I am putting way too much pressure on Duclair. We’ve had the Great White Hope in the NBA, but can the Fresh Prince of Duclair be the black jeebus of the NHL? For hockey’s sake, I hope so. For the Ranger fan in me, I fucking hope so! I am not trying to overhype the guy and saying he’ll be the next Gretzky, but there is a ton of potential in the kid and he can potentially draw the NHL tons of money. Sure it means that means the NHL can raise ticket prices even more, but it’s good for the sports overall exposure.

Black or white, Duclair is a good hockey player. I hope he becomes a megastar with that blueshirt on. Facing facts and reality, if Duclair surpasses expectations, we might see more hockey jerseys in the streets. The NBA has cornered the African-American market, changed their marketing to embrace it and has made billions off of it. They might have to start sharing the pie one day.

Anthony Duclair, being already affectionately named The Duke by Ranger fans, (Shirts are already being made by WeBleedBlue.com, soon to be copied by knockoff WeBleedBlue.comscab sites), can always wind up being chronically injured, involved in an NFL type scandal, or just being a bust. I’m excited as a Ranger fan. He hasn’t even played one game yet, and I already have him as the black Gordie Howe. I do not mean to cast insane pressure or speak in hyperbole. I am pointing out that we may not be too far off from a black-golden period for the NHL.

I bid good luck to Anthony Duclair. Playing in the biggest sports market, for an original 6 team fresh off a Cup run at only 19 years old is a rough & difficult task. As a Rangers fan, I hope he kicks ass and takes not only the Calder award, but the Hart award too. 

Keep your eyes open people, we might not be too far off from young people & black people trading in their Lebron James & Kevin Durant jerseys for the Rangers #63 jersey.

The old joke used to be, “Do you know why black people hate hockey? Because the only thing black in hockey is the puck & that gets slapped around.” Hopefully the new joke will be, “You don’t watch hockey, why, because you need your athletes to have rap sheets?”

Sign me up for the Duclair fan train. First stop, right above Penn Station, the next, only time will tell.

LETS GO RANGERS!

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
HipHopShortStop.com

Will The NHL Lose The Younger Generation in NY?

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The Dire State of New York Sports

Image Credit: workinsports.com

New York, New York, big city of dreams. The city I call home, and the city I love more than any other I’ve had the pleasure of going to. One thing about this city that never ceases to amaze me is the love its inhabitants have for their sports teams. New Yorkers love their sports and they are not afraid to tell you about it. The city and surrounding tri-state area of New Jersey and Connecticut will root for their teams through the darkest times and brightest hour because in the end, sports is life. Sports are in the fabric of the people in this city and that will never change. Unfortunately for sports fans of New York Teams, winning is not something that has become synonymous with the greatest city on Earth. It’s to the point where the city’s sports scene has become somewhat of a laughing stock on the national level, and it’s embarrassing to watch. What’s happened to New York sports and what can possibly be done to fix it?

Management Is A Lost Art In The Big Apple…

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There are 8 professional sports teams in New York City or in the surrounding areas of Long Island and New Jersey. But for arguments sake, let’s just say NYC has 8 sports teams. The Rangers, the Islanders, the Jets, the Giants, the Knicks the Nets, the Yankees and the Mets. Before we continue, let’s do a little math. From 2001 to 2013 there was the opportunity for 96 championships to be won between all 8 teams. Out of 96 opportunities, New York City claimed just 3 titles. The New York Giants in 2007 and 2011, and the New York Yankees in 2009; that’s it. Meanwhile in Boston, the sports town New Yorkers hate the most next to Philadelphia, their four sports teams won 8 championships. They have half the teams but almost triple the championships. But why? New York has money, the prestige, the fans, and everything else Boston has. The difference between the two cities is how the teams are run and by whom.

The only organization that I can truly look at and say they’ve had a good plan on how to get things done would be the Giants. The Giants aren’t a franchise that’s concerned about winning the back-pages of New York papers. Year after year New York media and even some fans always call for Tom Coughlin’s head coach. And twice Coughlin has gone on to stop the New England Patriots from adding to their Boston sports titles while adding to New York’s. Imagine had the Patriots won at least one of the match-ups between the Giants. Boston would have quadrupled the amount of trophies NYC had with half the teams. But the Giants window seems to have closed and the era of Eli Manning as star quarterback and Tom Coughlin as two-time winning head coach seem to be over. Other than the Giants every other front office has been pretty much inept. The Yankees have one ring in the last 12 years, but their process of just over-paying past their prime players as not bore any fruit. The Mets owners have seemed clueless since the last time the Mets went to the World Series in 2000 where they lost to the Yankees. The Nets just got to the city but between Mikhail Prokhorov using the Nets as a toy and GM Billy King seemingly operating with careless disregard for draft-picks, the Nets won’t be good for years to come. The Jets have been a joke in recent memory with signings like Tim Tebow, and Rex Ryan Promises couple with Mark Sanchez shenanigans have made the Jets look foolish on multiple levels. No one knows what the Islanders are doing and it’s safe to say most of the tri-state other than Long Island even cares to find out. And the Knicks and Rangers are both owned by one of the worst owners in sports who has no idea what he’s doing and hasn’t know what’s he’s doing for years in James Dolan. Owners of New York teams want to win but have gone about it the way that used to work in the past, just throw money at the best players and let them rise to the top. But the landscape of sports has changed. Players have options when it comes to money and endorsements now that they didn’t in the past. As long as the player is great no one cares about where he plies his trade, as long as he can sell product. Leaving New York to fight it out with other markets and over-paying immensely for older past their prime sports stars. But has New York come out of the worst of it? There are some signs of hope on the horizon.

A New and Improved Way of Thinking?...

As poor as management as been for NYC teams in recent memory, I think we are starting to see a shift in the right direction with at least a few of the teams. The Rangers and Knicks who are both owned by James Dolan are in the beginning stages of sport makeovers if you will. Dolan brought in the Zen Master Phil Jackson to be the president of basketball operations and has claimed he is going to stay out of Phil’s way and let him re-shape the team into a contender like they were throughout the entire 1990’s. I’m already seeing Jackson pulling string behind the scenes and making little changes here and there to quietly get this team back to where they should be. They have Carmelo Anthony as their franchise player, they have a coach in Derrick Fisher that Jackson trusts, and in the summer of 2015 they’ll have cap space to add more pieces around Carmelo. It’s a start.

The Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last years and had they played smart hockey in the first two games, the Blueshirts could have been Stanley Cup Champions. Unfortunately things didn’t go the Rangers way but it’s definitely a good sign. The Rangers signed their own franchise star Henrik Lundqvist to a long-term deal which shows intent. They have a good roster of old players and younger players with a lot of potential like Chris Kreider that can help them build on last year’s playoff run as well. Head coach Alain Vigneault operates completely different than 99% of the people in the city he’s coaching in. He’s always calm and reserved, not brash, just always there watching and paying attention and tweaking where need be. He’s a stark contrast to former coach John Torterlla who eventually wore out his welcome in NYC. The Rangers are in a good place so let’s hope this continues.

Image Credit: DailyNews.com

It’s far too soon to say the Jets are headed in the right direction but last season they were a far better football team than people expected them to be. This past off-season has been relatively quiet and they made some pretty good acquisitions in Erik Decker, Chris Johnson and Michael Vick to help bolster their rosters. They have Geno Smith that still has a lot to prove, but unlike the Mark Sanchez debacle, Rex Ryan is putting weapons around Smith for him to grow. The Jets have done far too much dumb in recent times for anyone to immediately give them the benefit of the doubt, but it seems that maybe things are definitely changing in the culture of the Jets; and in a season or two they can really start making some noise. No more flashy signings, just really good ones to keep progressing.

The Jury is still out on the rest of the NY sports teams in my opinion. The Mets have some good young arms so lets see what Mets management does to help them. But the three aforementioned NYC teams are the ones that all look headed in the right direction. New York is far too great a city for its sports teams not to be in contention every single year in every single sport. But nothing changes if nothing changes. Only the men with the power and the checkbooks can affect change. Hopefully as a collective NYC’s power player owners wise up and return NY to sports prominence. The City will be waiting. 

By Frantz Paul

Twitter: @LSN_Frantz