Is the NL East a 5 team race?

Justin Millar

Right now the Mets are just 3 games back from first place, and the Phillies are below .500. This won't last for much longer. It is a essentially a 4 team race, as the Mets will likely end up sub .500. I am also not sure about the Marlins. I think they will end up slightly above .500, but I don't see them as a real threat for a playoff spot. It really comes down to Atlanta, Washington, and Philadelphia, and I would probably rank them in that order. I see Atlanta winning the division, with the Nats possibly getting a wild card berth. The Phillies offense has too many questions.

Zac Cordova

No, it is a 3 team race at most. Like I mentioned in my NL East preview, the Marlins have no pitching depth behind Johnson, and the Mets have no other good players besides Wright. The only way the Phillies stay in is if Howard and Utley both come back sometime in May, otherwise its down to the Nats and the Braves, and I think it's the Braves division to lose. The Nats have the best 1-5 rotation in the NL, but injuries to their two best power hitters in Zimmerman and Morse have crippled the middle of that lineup. They share a similar fate to the Phillies, that if they are out too long with injuries, the Braves may win by default.


Gregory Goldstein


Are the Nationals for real? I am a Marlins fan but have to say Washington's pitching staff scares me. Yes, the Phillies staff is scary too but until their offense is healthy, I still have my doubts. The Marlins are catching a bit of streak but their offense isn't up to par. I see Atlanta taking the division but definitely seems like its up in the air. I do see the Mets dropping off in the distance so I think its more of 3-4 man race. Sorry Met fans, just don't see the big apple taking the standings by storm.

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Nate Diaz 15-7 Will Run Over Jim Miller 21-3 on His Way to the Top

By: Dale Leavitt

It's the east vs west. Nate Diaz (Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) against Jim Miller (AMA Fight Club). I can't wait to see this match-up. The bout will be televised on Fox May 5, 2012.

Looking at these two fighters records, I can't help but think of how Diaz has had the more challenging fights, only losing to McDonald, Hyun Kim, Maynard, Stevenson, Guida, Oishi and Franca. He has only won 2 of his last 4 fights losing to Rory MacDonald and Dong Hyun Kim while beating Donald Cerrone and Takanori Gomi. But undoubtedly one of the more talented fighters fighting in the lightweight division.

Miller will be fighting in his hometown New Jersey with losses against respectable Henderson, Maynard and Edgar. Miller has won 8 of his last 9 fights with the only loss coming against Ben Henderson. He will have the home field advantage with most fans rooting for him.

Unfortunately for Miller I don't think he is smart enough to beat Diaz. If you look at his record in all of his big name fights, he has never won by anything other than a decision. His inability to put away strong opponents will once again be his downfall.

Recently Dana White said if Diaz wins this fight he will get a title shot but also said that Miller is a couple fights behind Diaz in his shot at the title. I am guessing because Miller lost to Henderson and thinks Diaz has a better shot at beating the champ.

I personally would like to see Miller fight Clay Guida once he loses to Diaz. In fact you can't even consider yourself a contender in the lightweight division until you have gone to war with Guida. Nate Diaz served his time back on Jan 31, 2009, losing by way of split decision, to The Carpenter. Actually why the hell haven't we seen a rematch? Guida has won 4 out of his last 5 fights and will be fighting Gray Maynard on June 22, 2012.

Look for the loser of Diaz vs Miller to be fighting The Carpenter next.

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Pick of the Day - May 5th

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 19-13-1
Week: 3-2
Month: 2-2

Nate Diaz (+155) OVER Jim Miller

Now that I am done working at the UFC, Pick of the Day is finally able to cross over into mixed martial arts. Prior to UFC 143, I went into Nick Diaz's locker room and spoke with him and his brother. Nate and Nick were two of the nicest guys I met, and the bad reputation they have is untrue. In addition, they joked that I looked like Junior Dos Santos. Well Junior is going with his boy Nate tonight. I think his reach advantage will be a key factor. If Nate wins tonight, he will get a title shot. I expect him to rise to the occasion on national television in front of a hostile New Jersey crowd that will be behind Miller. At +155, this is a great value play. Take Diaz to win.

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The Hot Streak: May 5th,2012

BRP’s Picks – May 5th, 2012

YTD (21-14) +2.85 Units

1:05 P.M. – Philadelphia Phillies (Vance Worley) @ Washington Nationals (Gio Gonzalez)

The Nationals come into this game at a very good 17-9 on the year, and even more impressive is there 11-3 record at home this season.  The Phillies come into this game a game below .500 on the season, and a game below .500 on the road this year as well.  The Nationals have also dominated this series of late, taking the last 6 matchups against their division rivals.

If you have been reading this thread since its start, you know how much I love my boy Gio, and how much money I think there is to be made off of him this year.  Gio is simply the most undervalued pitcher in baseball, and his transition to the NL this year has been about exactly what I expected of it.  That is that he has gotten off to a 1.82 E.R.A. overall this season, along with a 0.00 E.R.A. at home while allowing 6 base runners and striking out 15 batters over 14 innings pitched.

Vance Worley is also one of my favorite pitchers to back when I’m betting, but he is not a guy to back as much when he is pitching on the road.  The Phillies don’t have a potent offense any more to back up Worley, and his E.R.A. is 1.2 points higher on the road then at home in his career.  Worley also has a career E.R.A. that is .76 points higher against the Nats then his overall E.R.A. would suggest.

Gio, Gio, Gio.  Don’t be surprised to see this kids name in NL Cy Young conversations this year!!!

Nats RL -1 at +120 (2 units to win 2.4)

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7:10 P.M. – Oakland Athletics (Bartolo Colon) @ Tampa Bay Rays (Jeremy Hellickson)

The Athletics are playing fairly good baseball right now, as they come into this game just 1 game below .500 on the year, and exactly .500 on the road this year.  The Rays come into this game as the hottest team in baseball, winners of 9 of their last 10 games.  The Rays are 19-8 this year, including an amazing 13-1 at home so far.

Jeremy Hellickson is an absolute BEAST, and he only gets better with time.  Hellickson is one of the best pitchers at home in all of baseball in his career so far.  He has a career E.R.A. of 2.51 at Tropicana in over 100 innings pitched, which is only matched but what ironically is exactly a 2.51 E.R.A. that he is sporting thus far this season.

Bartolo Colon has been very good thus far this season, as he has seemed to turn back the clock a bit so far this season.  All that means to me though is that he is due for a regression, and he is due for it to happen very shortly.  Colon has also struggled against the Rays over the last 3 seasons, posting a horrible E.R.A. of 6.23 over his last 5 starts against them.

Hellickson at home, and the Rays are on an absolute tear, Straight cash!!!

Rays RL -1 at +100 (2 units to win 2)

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7:10 P.M. – New York Yankees (Hiroki Kuroda) @ Kansas City Royals (Felipe Paulino)

The Royals continue to impress, as they have amazingly gotten off to a 1-11 start this year at home.  The Yankees aren’t setting the world on fire either, but they come into this game 2 games above .500 on the season, and 1 game above .500 on the road for the year.

The Royals look to stop the bleeding by bringing back Felipe Paulino off of the DL for his first start this year.  The problem with that is that Paulino seems to bring on more bleeding then anything else.  Paulino has a career E.R.A. of 5.28, and a very impressive winning percentage of under .250.  Paulino also sports an E.R.A. of nearly 9 against the Yankees over the last 3 seasons.

I believe that Hiroki Kuroda will eventually settle down into his role with the Yankees, and that seems to have already started, giving up just 3 runs over his last 2 starts.  Over his career Kuroda has been a very consistent pitcher who lacked run support.  I have no reason to believe why that consistency shouldn’t change, and why that new found run support should make him a fairly good pitcher this year.

Fade the royals at home, and Paulino just off the DL, Yanks bats are in for some fun!!!

Yankees RL -1 at -115 (2.3 units to win 2)

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Will the New York Yankees Power Make Up For Lack of Pitching?

Zac Cordova


It's not the Yankees power that will make up for its lack of pitching, it's the Yankees wallet. The only offense good enough to make up for its lack of pitching this year is the Texas Rangers. The Yankees will surely pick up the tab for a team looking to shed a starters worth of payroll come July 31. I think the Yankees have a good bullpen, and their soon to be rotation of Sabathia, Nova, Pettitte, Trade Deadline Pitcher A, and whatever guy they stick back here will be enough to get them to the playoffs thanks to the combination of Bobby V's hardheadedness and Joey Bats and Albert Pujols aging rapidly before our eyes.


Justin Millar


I think it will help to win some games, but in the end pitching is really going to matter. Especially come playoff time. The loss of Pineda is sad, but they have enough depth that the effect will be minimal. Freddy Garcia and possibly Andy Petitte will slot in as the 5th starter. Phil Hughes and Garcia are each struggling so far this season, so at least one of them will have to step it up. In the end, I think the Yankees will be just fine.


Gregory Goldstein


While the Yankees have spent the bank on the offense, they still do have CC Sabathia aka the chunk. The offense is potent but in the end you need to have pitching going up that AL East lineup with David Ortiz, Evan Longoria (when healthy) and Jose Bautista. Time will tell as the standings go up and down in the division.The loss of Pineda and Rivera will definetly hold them back from winning lots of games, but maybe their farm system steps up to the plate.

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Why the NHL could use some work

By: Lauren Burg

The NHL disciplinary system, led by Brendan Shanahan, has come under lots of scrutiny from NHL fans worldwide. Many fans; even other NHL players; feel that some player punishments are too severe while others aren't severe enough. The inconsistency has many in the NHL feeling that some players are getting off scot-free for something another player's suspended for. While it's very true that some lengthy suspensions are well-deserved it's also true that some players deserve a small suspension and get off with only a slap on the wrist.

Inconsistency has always been a problem within the NHL discipline system. However, it's never been quite this noticeable. For example, you can easily see that after the Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg checks Nashville's Shea Weber cleanly into the boards during Game 1 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series Weber retaliates by punching Zetterberg's head, not once but twice, into the glass. Weber's only punishment for this horrible act; the start of a long line of first round violence; was a $2500 fine which is nothing more than a slap on the wrist to a proven NHL defenseman like Weber. While the Red Wings team officials said Zetterberg was fine, with no concussion symptoms or anything, you can probably bet that he wasn't 100 percent either.

Yet another example popped up in Game 2 of the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators Eastern Conference quarterfinal. This was when Ottawa's Matt Carkner went after and attacked the Rangers' Brian Boyle, as seen here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94r8eauXqkU&feature=related, for the sole reason of Boyle pushing Ottawa's Erik Karlsson in Game 1 of these teams' quarterfinal series. Carkner got only one game for this total attack on Boyle, with Shanahan citing that he's not a repeat offender and Boyle wasn't injured. However, it should be noted that Carkner, though never previously punished, is in fact a repeat offender. He got into it with Tampa Bay's Adam Hall, as shown at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zbfUU9r-XY, on January 5th, 2012  in Tampa. Hall wasn't as lucky as Boyle, as he suffered a concussion that kept him out of the lineup until the final week of the regular season, while Carkner was given only five minutes for fighting with no additional discipline.

Another series that should be looked at is the Pittsburgh Penguins versus Philadelphia Flyers Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. I could look at many hits in this series but the one that stood out most to me was Pittsburgh's James Neal' hit, as seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUcoBa1kOaQ, on Philadelphia rookie Sean Couturier. Neal left his feet, albeit briefly, and hit Couturier in the head, with Couturier falling to the ice and laying there for a few minutes. While it should be noted that Neal was suspended one game for this hit it's quite surprising that he didn't get more. It's especially puzzling when you see this video here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE5Nz2efcW8, with the Rangers' Carl Hagelin with a similar hit, albeit into the boards, on Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson that cost Hagelin three games.

All of these examples make me wonder if Shanahan, as much as he tries not to, doesn't keep in mind whether losing a certain player might hurt one team more than another. Ottawa prides themselves on being a tough, hard-hitting team which would lead many people to believe that they achieve most of their success by going after an opponents good, top players to knock their opponent off their game. Nothing wrong with this until you stoop down to the level of attempting to injure an opposing player for the sole reason of giving your team an edge. Pittsburgh struggles, and struggled a lot this season, without Neal (and his offensive production) in their lineup. If they had lost him for more than one game it's quite ilkely that series might have ended in five games instead of six. We saw that when Matt Cooke was severely punished; justly might I add; for the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs last season. However, it seems that Cooke finally got the message and became a much cleaner player in the 2011-2012 season.

It can be said that I'm not sure the players, other than possibly Phoenix's Raffi Torres, learned from the suspensions they were given this postseason. I hope they did though because, honestly, this season's first round of the playoffs was difficult for me, as a fan of none of the teams involved, to watch. It's like these players; many of whom are looked up to by aspiring hockey fans worldwide; forgot that their opponent had a life, family and so much more outside of the hockey arena. It doesn't seem that any careers were threatened this time but if, in the future, Shanahan doesn't become more consistent we could see NHL stars with their careers and, quite possibly, their lives jeopardized.


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Pick of the Day - May 4th

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 18-13-1
Week: 2-2
Month: 1-2

Denver Nuggets (HOME) (-3.5) OVER Los Angeles Lakers (AWAY)

The only raping that Kobe Bryant does in Denver tonight will again have to be off the court. The Lakers were an average 15-18 away from the Staples Center during the season. Denver on the other hand comes in 20-13 at home. The Nuggets outplayed the Lakers in the second half of Game 2, trailing by 19 at one point in the third quarter and losing only by 4. It appeared that the Nuggets finally started playing their game, and I expect that to carry over into the start of the game tonight. Nuggets win.

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Should the MLB Invest in Instant Replay?

By: Dan Hauser

“An essential part of the baseball drama is the human element. An umpire is part of that. I perceive the play, apply the rules and make the decision, all in real time. Under these circumstances, questionable calls sometimes happen… My role is to decide what is right.”- Tim Welke

This is an excerpt from a Sports Illustrated article in which umpire Tim Welke talks about the human element being a great part of the game of baseball. Well for lack of a better term Mr. Welke proved last night that the human element argument is complete bull. He also showed once again why all the other major sports leagues in this country have taken the “human element” out of the hands of the officials and turned it over to technology.

For those of you who did not see what I am referring to I will set it up for you. It is the top of the 6^th inning in a game between the Los AngelesDodgers and the Colorado Rockies. There are 2 outs and Jerry Hariston is at the plate. He hits a ground ball to the Rockies third baseman who then throws it to Todd Helton at first. No big deal there. Bang bang play to get the third out of the inning. The only problem was that Helton was about three feet of the bag and Welke still called him out. Here is the play in real time.

Instead of the Dodgers having runners on first and second and 2 outs with a chance to score its end of the inning. The Dodgers went on to lose the game 8 to 5. Now I’m not saying that the blown call cost them the game but it sure didn’t help their case either.

This is just another example of why Major League Baseball is getting passed by other major sports leagues in this country. Yes the human element might have been great 50 years ago but that is because there were no other options. In this day in age where technology is all over the place and you can watch games on your cell phone the human element just doesn’t fly. How is it that I can be sitting on my couch at home and clearly see that not only is he not out but Helton’s foot is a good three feet off the bag but the supposed “paid professional” standing right there can’t? And how much longer can Bud Selig continue to turn a bind eye to these types of things? The “human element” already cost pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game last year. What’s next? Will MLB finally wake up when it costs a team a World Series trophy?

BudSelig needs to wake up and get with the times. He has added replay to home run calls but he needs to pull the trigger and add full instant replay. There are those that will argue that it will slow down the pace of the game and that most baseball games are already long enough as it is. News flash everyone said the same thing when the NFL was talking about adding instant replay and it seems to be working out quite well. I just don’t want to see poor calls cost anyone or anytime anymore potentially historic milestones in the great game of baseball.

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Pick of the Day - May 3rd

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 17-13-1
Week: 1-2
Month: 0-2

Los Angeles Kings (HOME) (-120) OVER St. Louis Blues (AWAY)

The Kings have been playing so well on the road that coach Darryl Sutter is making the team stay at a downtown hotel before Games 3 and 4. The Kings are 5 for 5 on the road thus far this postseason. On the other hand, Los Angeles comes into the game having lost 6 of 7 home playoff games. After attending a game at the Staples Center in Round 1, I can tell you that the city of Los Angeles is behind this team like never before, and I expect the home crowd to be a factor tonight. Quick continues to be outstanding in goal. Until he falters, keep playing the Kings. Los Angeles wins.

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Inside Look At Amare Stoudemire

By Julia Chongarlides

I am sure you all have heard of the fight between Amare Stoudemire and the fire extinguisher after the Knicks’ second loss in Miami. Well, it is probably something he wants to take back right about now since he will NOT be playing in New York’s first home game at the Garden in the round 1 play-off series. This is a big game for the Knicks who are coming off of two straight losses in Miami. I’m sure all Knicks fans are going to let him have it once he walks into the Garden in street clothes.

But, this wasn’t the only stupid thing he has done throughout his career. During the 2007 NBA Playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs, Amare accused Manu Ginóbili and Bruce Bowen of being "dirty" players. He then was suspended for leaving the bench after a dispute between teammate Steve Nash and Spurs forward Robert Horry. “Dirty players” though, come on Amare! Did anyone see the first two play-off games against Miami? Amare was vicious like a lion going after its prey. 

His senseless behavior hasn’t been the only thing that has caused him to miss games.  Amare has been dealt with a bag full on injuries since 2006 when he underwent two knee surgeries. He missed the Suns first 66 games.  In February of 2009, Amare suffered a detached retina in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.  He underwent eye surgery to repair his retina and recovery took eight weeks, which forced him to miss the remainder of the regular season. And most recently in 2011, he suffered a bulging disk in his back that sidelined him for four weeks.

This season has been challenging for Stoudemire.  He struggled with his shot early in the season, which was the result of not playing basketball during the lockout.  And, earlier this year his brother died in a car crash, which caused Amare to miss four games in mourning.  Amare was selected for the NBA All-Star game every year since 2006 except for this year. He blamed his lack of explosiveness on the weight he gained during the lockout.  Amare seems to have excuses for many things, but has also been through a lot in his life.

At the tender age of 12 Amare’s father passed away and his mother was in and out of jail for petty crimes.  He attended six different high schools. That’s right, six! No wonder why his actions don’t make sense. Look at what this guy has been through. I’m not saying it gives him an excuse for his actions but give the guy a break already. Do any of you remember last year’s play-offs between Miami and the Mavericks?  Dirk kicked a cement wall, but because he didn’t break his foot it was all right. Fans thought it was great to see how much passion he had for the game. Do you think Amare’s fight with the fire extinguisher shows how much passion he has for the game? Or just plain stupidity? 

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FANTASY BASEBALL-Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Furnace is a contributing writer to Daily Shootout. Follow them on Twitter @FantasyFurnace

As we enter week 5 in fantasy baseball, we turn the calendar on April and go in to month two of the long baseball season.  We’ve watched some amazing things happen so far like Matt Kemp hitting 12 HR, collecting 25 RBI, and batting .417, while the $250 million man, Albert Pujols, has driven in 4 runs, has no HR and is batting 200 points less than Kemp at .217. Some of the pitchers that were drafted early like Cliff Lee, Daniel Hudson, Rick Dempster, Drew Storen, Brian Wilson, and Andrew Bailey have all found a place on the DL.

 And so here are some key waiver wire pick ups that you should be considering and who are not widely owned in most leagues:

Gerardo Parra-OF-Diamondbacks- Parra makes for a nice little pickup in all leagues basically for one category; stolen bases. While OF Chris Young is healing from what has been diagnosed as a slight ligament tear in his right shoulder, the speedster will continue his lead-off duties and probably see 3-4 more weeks on the field. In the last two weeks, he has stolen 7 bases, knocked in 10 runs, has 2 HR, and has scored 13 runs. Not bad for a replacement player. So if you have a ‘need for speed’ (and a little more), Parra is available in 75% of leagues.

#8 Gerardo Parra slides in safely in front of the tag by Jose Reyes of the Marlins. The speedster is worth a flier if you need SB. Photo: Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

Chris Davis-1B/3B-Orioles- This 26 year old has been red hot of late after a torrid weekend series versus the Athletics. He’s batting .310, which is bound to come down somewhat, but his power is his strong suit as he has hit 4 HR and driven in 12 in just 67 AB. I was surprised that Texas gave up on him so quickly because less than 2 years before he was traded to Baltimore, in 2009, he belted 21 HR in just 391 AB which equates to 1 HR every 18.6 AB. His dual position eligibility is also a plus. Davis is currently owned in just 35% of Yahoo! leagues and makes a nice add in 12+ leagues.

3B Chris Davis also has 1B eligibility which, together with his power makes him a nice add in most leagues. Photo: fansedge.com

Bryan LaHair-1B/OF-Cubs- Another player on fire is LaHair. Monday he doubled and hit a 2-run home run against the Phillies, which now gives him 5 moon-shots for the season to go along with 14 RBI. More impressive for the 29 year old who has spent most of his career in the minors, is his stellar .390 BA which, coupled with his obvious power, makes him a must add in most leagues. If you’re a gambler, you can think about trading LaHair while he’s got these amazing numbers. Or, if you don’t have him, you can pick him up on waivers which is becoming even harder to do as his stock rises. On Monday he was owned in 51% of leagues. Today it’s up to 62%. Don’t procrastinate-see if he’s still available.

Cubs 1B/OF celebrates with Starlin Castro after LaHair's 2 run HR in the 8th inning vs the Phillies over the weekend. Photo: associated press

Jason Hammel-SP/RP-Orioles- Hammel, who has spent the last three seasons in the thin air of Colorado, has watched his wins and K’s go up while his ERA 1.97, and WHIP 1.03 has dropped significantly since being traded to Baltimore this past winter. He’s 3-1 in the month of April and has fanned 30 in just 32 innings pitched. On Monday versus the Yankees he allowed 2 runs over six innings and struck out five but took the loss. The red hot Red Sox are up next for Hammel so it won’t be an easy task for the 29 year old. He is another player you might consider selling high but would suggest waiting another start or two. His 10 strikeout performance against the White Sox is what impressed me the most and is worth a grab in most leagues. He is available in 50% of leagues.

#39 Jason Hammel got the win over the Minnesota Twins 3-1 on Sunday and lowered his ERA to 1.97 on the season. Photo: GREG FIUME/Getty Images

Pedro Strop-RP-Orioles- Our third Oriole of the week, is a 26 year old fire-baller who can bring it. With closer Jim Johnson securely in place with his 7 saves, 0.00 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, Strop is a nice alternative if you’re lacking in the RP slot and could use an occasional save and/or win. He finished April with a 3-1 record and has added 2 saves to his resume. He also has struck out 14 in 13 innings and has a 2.08 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP which makes him more than serviceable. In Yahoo! leagues, he is currently ranked 70 among all pitchers. He is widely available in 85% of leagues and is definitely worth a flier. 

RP Pedro Strop makes for a nice pickup if you're looking for wins, saves, and K's from your RP. Photo: csnbaltimore.com

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Will The UFC on Fox Finally Be a Hit?

By: Dale Leavitt

With Fox hosting another UFC event on May 5, 2012 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ we can only hope that this contest is more exciting than the previous events. With a lightweight fight headlining, it looks like Dana White is hoping for a more action packed night.

Here's a look at the card

Main card 9pm on Fox

Lightweight bout:  Nate Diaz vs.  Jim Miller

Welterweight bout:  Josh Koscheck vs.  Johny Hendricks

Middleweight bout:  Rousimar Palhares vs.  Alan Belcher

Heavyweight bout:  Pat Barry vs.  Lavar Johnson

Diaz vs Miller- I am not a big fan of Nate Diaz's trash talkin self, but I am a big fan of the way he fights. This fight is going to be ridiculously entertaining. Either one of these fighters can make you scream uncle in a second. Both of these fighters know that the winner will most likely get to fight for the championship against the winner of the Henderson- Edgar 2 fight. I expect Diaz to utilize the 5" reach advantage and jab Miller as long as the two are standing. When they get to the ground, I have no idea which one is going to make the other tap.

Koscheck vs Hendricks- A pair of 2 college champion wrestlers. Koscheck will be looking for some revenge against Hendricks due to Hendricks beating teammate Jon Fitch at UFC 141. Although Koscheck is a warrior he will not be able to keep up with Hendricks who will most likely get a title fight after this win. 

Belcher vs Palhares- This fight is going to be good. Belcher back from a thought to be career ending eye surgery hopes to stay on his winning ways,  Palhares has been checking Belcher's legs out to make sure there is no grease on them. If Belcher can somehow keep Palhares off of his legs he night be able to come away in this fight with a victory. I predict Belcher 3rd rd KO.

Johnson vs Barry- Lavar Johnson is predicting a first round KO over his opponent Pat Barry. I predict that Pat Barry will not be able to stand with Lavar but he will withstand the first round of fury that Lavar will bring into the octagon. Second round tko by Lavar.

Preliminary card (Fuel TV)

Lightweight bout:  Tony Ferguson vs.  Michael Johnson

Flyweight bout:  John Dodson vs.  Tim Elliott

Welterweight bout:  John Hathaway vs.  Pascal Krauss

Flyweight bout:  Louis Gaudinot vs.  John Lineker

Lightweight bout:  Danny Castillo vs.  John Cholish

Featherweight bout:  Dennis Bermudez vs.  Pablo Garza

Preliminary card

Bantamweight bout:  Roland Delorme vs.  Nick Denis

Middleweight bout:  Mike Massenzio vs.  Karlos Vemola

Will you be watching??

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Pick of the Day - May 2nd

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

Overall: 17-12-1
Week: 1-1
Month: 0-1

Phoenix Coyotes (AWAY) (+155) OVER Nashville Predators (HOME)

Phoenix has made me believe. In addition, forwards Radulov and Kostitsyn are suspended for Nashville tonight. Kostitsyn has scored in both games so far this series for a Predators team that is struggling to score goals. It seems like a team that was once destined for a deep run is starting to unravel. Phoenix is simply finding ways to win games and continues to get outstanding play in goal from Mike Smith. With odds as good as +155, count me on the Phoenix bandwagon. Take the Coyotes.

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The Hot Streak: May 1st, 2012

BRP’s Picks – May 1^st, 2012

YTD (21-11) +10.85 Units

8:05 P.M. – New York Mets (Jonathon Niese) @ Houston Astros (J.A. Happ)

The Mets come into this game as one of the more surprising teams in baseball, getting off to an impressive 13-10 start so far this season.  The Astros come in to this game as a bit of a surprise as well, as there 9-14 record is actually better than most people expected.  The talent gap between the Astros and every other team in baseball is one that should start showing its colors soon though.

Jonathon Niese is an ACE, and he is about to prove to everyone this year that what I just said is the truth.  He is the kind of kid who after getting his major contract is going to go out there and work hard to prove that he deserves it.  Niese has pitched so far this season to a 2.81 E.R.A. and a WHIP below 1, and those numbers are still skewed from his opening day start where he was left in just a bit too long.

J.A. Happ is a below average pitcher, always has been, always will be.  Happ has a career E.R.A. of over 4, and he seems to be regressing at the age of 29.  It might be to do with him losing interest pitching for a bad team, but his E.R.A. of 5.35 last season was absolutely atrocious.  He has gotten off to a 4.7 E.R.A. so far this season, and is showing no signs of turning the sinking ship around.

This pitching matchup is not fair, Mets roll at home!!!

Mets RL -1 at +115 (3 units to win 3.45)

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7:05 P.M. – Texas Rangers (Neftali Feliz) @ Toronto Bluejays (Drew Hutchinson)

The Rangers look like a whole different animal this year, can this team really be this good, I think the answer may be yes.  The Rangers come into this game at 17-6 on the season, and even more impressively at 9-1 on the road this year.  The Bluejays are playing good ball as well, they come into this game at 12-11 on the season, but just 6-7 at home.

Neftali Feliz is an absolute stud in the making as a 23 year old he is just being stretched out into a starter.  Feliz seems to have settled in to his role as a starter farily well, as his E.R.A. this year as a starter is an impressive 2.70, which is right on line with his career E.R.A. overall.  Feliz should be rested after basically being given his last start off to keep him fresh, look for him to be exactly that today!

Drew Hutchinson is another one of those young guys (21 years old), who is not that highly touted, and is pitching to match that.  The Bluejays have a lot of great arms in the minors, but this is not one of them, and is probably why they are willing to take the risk on tossing him out there.  His 6.1 E.R.A. to go along with his impressive 1.74 WHIP in his first 2 starts should be nice for the Rangers bats to feast on tonight!

Much better hitting team, with the higher pedigree pitcher, Roll!!!

Rangers RL -1 at +100 (3 units to win 3)

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10:15 P.M. – Miami Marlins (Ricky Nolasco) @ San Francisco Giants (Matt Cain)

The Marlins have been a massive disappointment this season, as the overhyped team has gotten off to an 8-14 start this season, as well as a horrible 2-9 start on the road.  The Giants have started the year at 12-10, and have been playing well at home getting off to a 6-3 start on the year.

Ricky Nolasco is not a good pitcher, pitcher for a struggling team, who can’t play on the road.  Nolasco’s career E.R.A. of 4.46 is pretty terrible, but that E.R.A. has been eclipsed as of late with a 4.76 E.R.A. over the last 3 seasons.  Nolasco’s name still carries some value for some reason, and I know it does for me as well, but not in the way that it does for most people apparently.

Matt Cain has rewarded the Giants for giving him that big contract, he has rewarded them very, very nicely so far.  Cain has had a sub 3 E.R.A. over his last 3 seasons, including an impressive 2.81 E.R.A. at home. Cain has been dominant since signing his contract too, posting a 2.37 E.R.A., and 0.63 WHIP in his first 4 starts this year.  Oh, and at home, he has done alright too, just posting 2 complete game shut outs, while allowing 3 hits and striking out 15 batters, yea, decent!

Cain against the Marlins on the road, I like my chances, Roll!!!

Giants RL -1 at +110 (2 units to win 2.2)

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Why the NHL Is Great!

By: Chad Smith

The NHL does a great job at disciplining its players. The one thing the NHL does really well is explaining why the player is receiving a suspension. Here is the explanation by Brendan Shanahan on why Raffi Torres was suspended for 25 games (Video) for his hit on Hossa a few days ago. Shanahan breaks down the play frame by frame explaining what happened throughout the play and why it was an illegal play. Shanahan clearly states that the hit was late and Torres lunched himself while also aiming for the head of Hossa. Shanahan goes further into his explanation and goes over each rule that was violated. At the end of the video Shanahan does a complete summary of how the decision was reached. The video states that Torres has been suspended five times by the league for similar hits. 25 games is over a quarter of the NHL season. As a fan of the game I wish Torres would be kicked out of the league because he is clearly a head hunter and an asshole, and has not changed the way he plays the game because of his suspensions. Players like him give the sport of hockey a bad name. While I may be a fan it is the NHL’s job to make the appropriate decision on length of suspension because they are dealing with a man’s livelihood. After watching the video I agree with what the NHL decided for Torres suspension. 

While there have been controversial plays that may have or may not have resulted in suspensions, each action must be judged on its own accord. Canuck fans were upset about the Duncan Keith elbow on Daniel Sedin. Keith was suspended five games and this video explains why. Keith only violated one rule has never been suspended by the league. In any sport on a player’s first offense the league will give a lighter sentence. The videos above clearly show the difference in each player.

Since Shanahan has taken over as the Senior Vice President of Player Safety and Hockey Operations at the NHL, the NHL has been much more consistent in its rulings when it comes to suspensions and player safety. Before Shanahan the NHL was extremely inconsistent in is disciplinary proceedings. For example when Matt Cooke laid this HIT on Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins he only received a four game suspension. He clearly went for the head and I am confident that if this hit took place this season Shanahan would have suspended Cooke for more than four games. Fans on the side of the injured player will never feel the suspension is long enough, while fans on the side of the player suspended will always feel the suspension is too long. Hockey fans have brought up eye for an eye suspensions. This would be however long the injured player is out for is how long the player who caused the injury will be suspended for. This type of suspension is simply not rational, for example if a player is not severely injured on a dirty play but the suspension should longer than the player is out then the player who committed the dirty play serves less of a suspension then they should. The NHL in recent seasons has done a great job at evaluating dirty plays and handing out suspensions for the correct length which is fair to both sides.


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