How Loyal Are You To Your Sports Teams?

By: Jeff Lingard

Grantland posted a roundup of staff opinions on whether it is acceptable for a Knicks fan to become a Nets fan now that they have moved to Brooklyn. I don’t know how I would react to this if I were a Knicks fan, especially now that the Jeremy Lin offer sheet was not matched. Bill Simmons thinks that this is an appropriate question due to the Knicks mismanagement for a number of years and the fact that they have an unlikeable owner. I am not going to judge how others would make this decision since the choice of a team to follow is a personal one and is different for each individual. I was brought up to pick my teams and then stick with them no matter what. Even if they were the worst organization in baseball in the 1980’s, the football team left town for three years, they didn’t win a title in the 7 years they had the best basketball player on the planet, and they endured the longest playoff drought in NHL history.

I think it really depends on the situation to whether someone should change teams. If I were a Knicks fan living in Brooklyn then I would think about changing allegiances, especially if I was planning on living in Brooklyn for the rest of my life. It would be a long term choice though, since I think it is unacceptable if the fan becomes a bandwagon jumper. The fact that a Knicks fan would consider jumping to the Nets who have Billy King as their GM and have not built a title contender yet, and unless they do get Dwight Howard, I don’t think they will contend in the near future. If it was Oklahoma City or San Antonio moving to Brooklyn I would probably dump the Knicks for the new hometown team without a second thought.

Media coverage of the NHL in Canada touches on the possibility of expansion to Quebec City or the Toronto area about once a month. The Toronto option is fascinating because the Leafs’ fan morale is about as low as the Knicks fans. People think Toronto is a hockey town but it is really a Leafs town. The most interesting scenario was when Pittsburgh almost did not get a new arena. If Jim Balsille had bought the Penguins and moved them to the Greater Toronto Area with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin I think a large part of the Leafs fan base would have switched to the new Toronto franchise. I don’t think there will be quite the fan migration if an expansion team comes to the proposed arena in Markham, Ontario, which is on the outskirts of Toronto.

I am in a different situation than a number of sports fans as I do not cheer for the “local” sports team as Peterborough is too small to have a professional sports team. Obviously, I cheer for the Petes of the OHL. I have thought about what I would do if a NHL team moved to Peterborough. I think I would give up cheering for the Panthers but it would be a hard decision, and other than the Panthers folding I don’t think there are any other reasons for me to switch teams. Luckily, it is almost impossible that I will have to make this choice.

What would make you switch whom you cheer for? I’m too far gone with my current teams as they have all had near misses and long periods of time without a title so when something happens, like the Browns winning the Super Bowl, it will be that much sweeter. The only team I could never switch allegiance from is the Indians. My fandom of them is one of my defining characteristics of my life and I don’t think I could ever switch or be able to tell my Dad or imagine what my late grandfather would think of me if I stopped cheering for them.

Thanks for reading. I welcome your comments and any constructive criticism you have. You can follow me on Twitter @jefflingard.

Please join us on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @DailyShootout

Read More

Where In The World Will Rick Nash Play?

By: Scott Bluni

Does this sound like a broken record yet?  Since before the 2011-2012 NHL trade deadline last season, Rick Nash trade rumors have been a substantial part of all NHL news. Something tells me that Nash won’t be finding a home any time soon because of the Collective Bargaining Agreement talks that just began last week. 

The former #1 overall pick is one of the best, if not the best, offensive trade commodity still available for teams this offseason.  The 28-year-old Ontario native has proven that he can consistently get past the 30 goals plateau every season, and even won the Rocket Richard Trophy in the 2003-2004 season with 41G/16A/57P.  Nash was able to score 41 goals with Andrew Cassels as his center, and for those of you who don’t know, Cassels is by no means a superstar center.  He is a consistent 50-60 point scorer who also brings a physical element to his game.  The winger has proven he can score and play a two-way game without much supporting cast in Columbus.  If Nash can get out of Columbus and onto a playoff-caliber team his goals and points could increase substantially. 

The teams on his “list” include the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks.  Essentially, Nash wants to work with Patrice Bergeron/Tyler Seguin, Pavel Datsyuk, Brad Richards, Claude Giroux/Danny Briere, Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin or Joe Thornton.  Again, Nash has never had a superstar center to work with, and a distributing center could raise his game to new heights.  The teams on this list also have high caliber offensive defenseman who can distribute the puck to forwards and set up power plays. 

Despite the potential in signing Rick Nash, there are some serious problems to consider for the teams on his list.  The first and most obvious problem is that because his trade value is so high other teams will potentially have to send a lot to Columbus in order to acquire him.  For instance, in trade talks with the New York Rangers the Blue Jackets wanted d-men Del Zotto or McDonagh, plus a first round pick and prospect Tim Erixon.  Del Zotto and McDonagh are both young defensemen who proved this year that they have the potential to be crucial difference makers for the Rangers franchise.  That deal just seemed excessive for the Rangers, who backed out of the deal before the deadline last year.  However, in order for a deal to be made for Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets will have to acquire a tremendous amount of young talent as they continue their reconstruction in Columbus.

The other problem is that until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, teams might not be so quick to trade away prospects and current NHLers for a guy that might prove to be an undesirable acquisition from a salary cap standpoint.  Not many premier teams in the NHL can afford Nash’s $7.8M annual cap hit as it is, meaning that change in their current rosters would be necessary in order to employ him. 

On July 13, NHL owners proposed a radical CBA proposal.  In addition to getting rid of salary arbitration, limiting contracts to 5 years and increasing entry-level contracts from 3 years to 5 years, the owners proposed to reduce the players’ hockey related revenues to 46% from 57%.  Will all of these specific demands be met?  Certainly not, but the owners have clearly and boldly outlined their wishes for next season.  The players’ association will undoubtedly lower these numbers and compromise with the owners, but the $70.3M salary cap will have to be lowered if the NHL season is to start in October.  With the model that the owners released, the salary cap would be knocked down to about $56.7M.  This would also include a rollback on all existing contracts of 20%. 

At the moment, the Detroit Red Wings have the most cap space on Nash’s “approved” list with $16.8M.  The New York Rangers have the second most with $15.M.  However, this is based on the current CBA model and the $70.3M cap.  Could anyone even afford Rick Nash if the salary cap was to potentially be lowered by $10M?  Unless drastic moves are made to acquire him, probably not. 

So where will he end up?  Columbus?  Highly doubtful.  The potential for locker room dysfunction is obvious, regardless of what kind of support he could get from his teammates.  This process has already created too much drama in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, and too much drama in the NHL as a whole.  Keep in mind, if he is not traded immediately he will be expected to go to training camp, which would also be extremely awkward for Nash and the organization.  If he remains on the Blue Jackets and chooses not to go to camp it will cost him $27,636.35 per day (or 1/275 of his $7.6M salary for the 2012-2013 season). 

With new reports indicating that the Detroit Red Wings are making an offer for the Phoenix Coyotes captain, Shane Doan, it can be inferred that they have lost interest in Nash.  This would make the New York Rangers the new optimal place for Nash to land.  However, if Rick Nash is not acquired by any team before the new collective bargaining agreement is reached, it will be tough for anyone to sign him.   Let’s hope he lands somewhere soon because frankly I think we’re all sick and tired of this Rick Nash drama. 

Follow me  (@bearbluni)

Please join us on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @DailyShootout

Read More

Fantasy Baseball: Week #16 Waiver Wire Pickups

Written by Fantasy Furnace

We’re coming down the home stretch now as fantasy leagues are in their last 30% of the regular season. It is still vital that you keep your ‘eye on the prize’, and one way to do that is to continue to pick up valuable waiver-wire pieces that are widely available. And that’s what you will always find here at Fantasy Furnace!

1. Justin Ruggiano-OF-Marlins- Here for starters is one of the hottest hitters in the league over the last two weeks and he is available in 75% of leagues. If you’re wondering what to do now that Giancarlo Staton has succumbed to right knee surgery (he’ll be on the DL for 4-6 weeks), take a look at Rugiano. Through 90 AB’s in a limited role, he has collected 6 HR, 17 RBI, and scored 15 runs to go along with outstanding batting percentages: .378 BA-.722 SLG- and 1.169 OPS. He also stole 3 of his 6 bases last Friday vs the Nats! Ranked 9th in Yahoo! leagues over the past 14 days, Ruggiano is a ‘Must Add’ in mixed leagues.

Over the past 14 days, #20 Justin Ruggiano has collected 6 runs, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB, and a .361 BA. Photo: J Pat Carter

2. Michael Brantley-OF-Indians- Almost as explosive as Ruggiano, Brantley the 25 year old undrafted outfielder is ranked 10th in Yahoo! leagues overall over the past 14 days. 2012 is slowly shaping up to be Brantley’s breakout season. He currently...

READ MORE...

Please join us on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @DailyShootout

 

Read More

Are The New York Knicks Linsane In The Brain?

By: Trisity

It's over. After almost two and a half months of being a phenomenon in Madison Square Garden is over. Linsanity is over quicker than it began. Howard Beck of the New York Times has reported that the New York Knicks organization will not match an offer from the Houston Rockets to retain restricted free agent Jeremy Lin. Needless to say, I didn't think that James Dolan, owner of the Knicks, could be this, well, senseless.

            Without trying, Jeremy Lin made the Knicks relevant again and had them at a peak that, recently, only Patrick Ewing would know of. In a sense, he is the reason the New York Knicks made the playoffs. The Knicks are making a bad decision. The decision can’t possibly be for “basketball reasons” as Lin has never gotten a chance to prove if he’s a fad or a legit starting point guard. Is he worth $14.8 million in his third year? Probably not, but if you add what he brings marketing wise and look into his upside, he might actually be. As a starter (25 games) Lin averaged 18.8 points and 7.7 assists per game and posted a PER of 19.97 which is well above the league average. You can nitpick Lin’s game and point out that he’s turnover prone, not an above-average defender or that his left hand isn’t great, but for a player entering his third year in the season, you have to look into what can be.

There are complains over the poison pill contract that the Houston Rockets prepared in order to deter New York, which pays Lin a total of $14.8 million in his third year. For a team that is already above the salary cap, this is nothing. For a team that has a billion dollar owner, this should be nothing, yet they chose to play a different game. The Knicks stated that “any amount will be matched up to a billion dollars.” What changed from then until now? Dolan paid Eddy Curry and Jared Jefferies over $60 million combined. He isn’t afraid to break the bank for his players. Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler have a total salary of over $200 million. They have just paid Steve Novak and Marcus Camby a combined $27 million over the next 3-years. Money isn’t the issue. Is it the fact that Carmelo Anthony doesn’t want Lin on the team because they both need the ball to be effective? Are the Knicks showing their bitterness to Lin because he chose to sit out the playoffs when he was healthy enough to play? Is it because there would be animosity in the locker room over Lin’s contract like J.R. Smith noted? Whatever it is, it’s going to lead the team to mediocrity over the next few years.

A great man once said “All great things must come to an end” and it looks like it’s time for the Linsanity to end. Along with it marks the beginning of what the Knicks have been since the Ewing era. James Dolan, once again, has settled for mediocrity. Lin may never turn into a superstar but he’s the player the Knicks need at point guard. He made Steve Novak and Landry Fields productive during his stretch showing he can get his teammates into the game. He runs a great pick and roll game which Amare thrives at. He can take some of the stress from Anthony. Yet Dolan doesn’t realize this. He hasn’t realized it yet, and he may never get it. For all the Knicks fans out there, get used to what you are witnessing which is an owner not committing to his team’s best interest. 

Please join us on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @DailyShootout

Read More

Steve Stricker’s Streak Ends: Zach Johnson Wins TPC John Deere Run

By: Tia Preece

Steve Stricker’s streak came to a close Sunday as he tied for fifth at the 2012 John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois. Stricker was attempting to be the fifth man in history to win four times consecutively at the same event, but finished a respectful fifth at 16 under at TPC Deere Run. Tiger Woods, Tom Morris Jr., Walter Hagen, and Gene Sarazen have been the ones to claim those rare spots in the history books but with all golf fans pulling for Stricker, he came up short and those hopes were closed. Unfortunately, this event was not Stricker’s time and the streak will need to start over with his next win.

The streak might not have continued for so long as the field of top rated players at the John Deere Classic has been considerably lighter than most stops on the PGA Tour. Many of the top rated players as rated by the FED Ex Cup standings did not compete in the competition. Stricker, who ranked 16 this week in the FED EX Cup standings, did not have to compete against players including Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickleson, and Rory McIlroy who are all on the top ten rankings list and all chose to pass on the tournament. This has been a theme at the John Deere Classic where many have skipped it leaving the door wide open for Stricker to strike. Many reasons for the lack of top players showing up in Silvis, Illinois include a smaller purse prize and most notably many have opted to prepare for the British Open that commences on July 19^th until July 22, 2012. If this tournament included the top players in the past, I’m not sure if Stricker’s streak would have continued for so long. However, it has been fun to watch the spotlight on Stricker as it is well deserved.

With that said, Zach Johnson was the man to win and end Stricker’s streak this Sunday at TPC Deere Run. Zach Johnson and Troy Matteson finished the tournament in a two hole sudden death playoff. The first hole was anything but sudden as both played the hole as if they never played it before with results ending in double-bogey. The second hole ended in a much better fashion as both Matteson and Johnson hit a great shot off the tee, but Johnson was able to come out on top hitting a marvelous second shot that left him with only a short putt to overcome Matteson for the win.

Zach Johnson ended the tournament at 20 under par. Zach Johnson, an Iowa boy from Cedar Rapids and board member at TPC Deere Run, makes the win his ninth victory on the PGA Tour. This win is his second of the season as he won the Crown Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas in May. Zach Johnson will be able to start his own streak at TPC Deere Run with a second victory next year. Well, that is if Stricker doesn’t beat him first.

Please join us on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @DailyShootout

Read More