The Devils Have a Ton of Work Ahead of Them

This post may come at a surprising time for some, considering the Devils' season ended three weeks ago and the Kentucky Derby is today. However, this post spurned from playing NHL 14 seeing that the Devils are so bad. That and it's the two-year anniversary of Alexi Ponikarovsky's overtime winner in Game 3 against the Flyers. With that being said, let's dive into the off-season for the New Jersey Devils.

Jagr, DeBoer, and the Draft

These are the three positive things the Devils gong for them going to the post-playoff portion of the off-season. The first is the resigning of Jaromir Jagr. It was a no-brainer. He was the team's best player (at 42 years of age, which is sad, but I digress), and both he and Lou Lamoriello wanted him to be a Devil next season. This is different than other "over-the-hill" signings the Devils have made in the past. Jagr is still better than many players that are half his age in the NHL today. His work ethic and conditioning are unmatched, and that will hopefully rub off on the young guys that are coming up through the organization right now. If they adopt his good habits now, it will pay off hugely for them in the long run, and we could be talking about guys like Reid Boucher, Adam Larsson, and Eric Gelinas having long illustrious careers. For a team like the Devils that's in a bit of a transition period, it's never a bad thing to have a guy like Jaromir Jagr on the team.

Next is the return of head coach, Pete DeBoer. Let me start by saying, "Boy, people's memories are short." Apparently, a disappointingly large number of Devils fans have forgot that Pete DeBoer had us within two games of the Stanley Cup just two years ago. People also seem to also forget that we had two of the premier players in the league on the team as well in Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. So, when people wanted DeBoer fired this year, I was a bit surprised. It started to anger me once it became more fervent as the year went on. The fact that we were as close as we were despite the make-up of our roster should be a huge credit to DeBoer. When your best players are all 35+ year old Czechs, you don't deserve to make the playoffs (no disrespect meant to Jagr, Patty, and Zid). When your captain is the worst player on your team, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. And when you don't win a single shootout, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. However, the Devils were only eliminated just a few days before the regular season ended. Usually, all of the things I mentioned mean you're going to be one of the worst teams in the entire league. Instead, we challenged for the playoffs to just about the bitter end. Why did that happen? The only answer is coaching, which is why I have no idea why people want DeBoer fired. Not many other coaches would be able to get a team like the Devils even close to being competitive with circumstances like that. And when Jaromir Jagr endorses someone for head coach, you listen. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the man knows a thing or two about the game of hockey.

Third is the NHL Draft. Up until the Olympic break, I was hardly going to look at the draft because the Devils didn't have a first-round pick. Then, because Lou Lamoriello wins at everything in the end, Gary Bettman gave the Devils back their first-round pick. Granted, it's 30th overall and it can't be traded, but justice for Kovalchuk has been served. In the vast majority of drafts, the middle to the end of the first round is usually a toss-up as to what you get (1993 and 2003 being anomalies). You never know if who you're going to pick is going to pan out because they aren't considered "elite" prospects. The Devils have had some good picks in that portion of the draft (Parise, Zajac, and Gomez before has was terrible), so I'm hoping they can pick someone that will help us within the next couple years.

Marty

My thoughts on Martin Brodeur are this: I either hope he retires or is willing to accept a more backup-esque role with the Devils. Marty playing for another team is just wrong. I know Rangers and Flyers fans that agree with me on that, and they're the ones that hate Marty the most! I hope that he can realize that there is no market out there for a 42-year old goalie with a sub-.900 save percentage. His days as a full-time starter that plays 70 games during the season are long done. There's no team that needs him on their no roster. He's not going to go to a bad team just to hang on, but all of the Cup contenders already have an established starter or have a top-level prospect waiting in the wings. The last thing Marty needs to do is become the Brett Favre of the NHL. Preserve your legacy, Marty.

Addition by Subtraction

The Devils need to do this in the worst way possible, especially on defense. We have a ton of young talent ready to play everyday (Larsson, Gelinas, Merrill), and we need to trim the fat from our lackluster defense corps. I really don't care how it happens, but Salvador and Harrold have to go. There's no question about that. They are our two worst players on the team, not just defensemen. I'm not a huge fan of Mark Fayne, but he would serviceable as a 7th defenseman, not an everyday starter. Let Larsson, Gelinas, and Merrill play everyday. The transition to a younger defense needs to happen at some point. Why not now when we have capable young players?

At the forward position, less subtraction needs to be done, but Steve Bernier needs to go. He is borderline useless on this team. We already have two guys on this team that do his job better than he does in Ryane Clowe and Dainius Zubrus and they can score goals too. He is completely expendable. Now from there, I don't see much actual movement being made in terms of players leaving, but Tuomo Ruutu is an intriguing player. He has one year left on his current contract, so he could be traded away at some point. I would think the Devils would look to get picks or prospects for him if they did look to move him. However, he did play pretty well for us after he was traded, so I would be willing to see how he fits with us for an entire season.

Addition by Addition

The Devils need top-line scoring in the worst way. That was our biggest problem this past season, and it was readily apparent as the season was winding down. The Devils need to go after two of Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson, and Ryan Callahan. We can't afford all three, but we need any combo of the two. It sounds like Moulson may want to stay in Minnesota, but with the Wild looking like they're going to make a massive push for Vanek, Moulson may not be able to stay in Minnesota, thus allowing him to hit the open market. The Devils need both of them, but will probably only be able to get one of them unless some salary is moved in a trade. Ruutu, Clowe, or Ryder would be the most likely candidates for a salary-dump trade. Now, many people I talk to wonder why I mention wanting Ryan Callahan. Well, he's that two-way forward with a scoring touch the Devils always covet. Also, Lou Lamoriello loves trolling the Rangers and what better way to do that than signing their former captain. Vanek/Moulson and Callahan would immediately help this team offensively and give DeBoer a ton of flexibility with line combinations next season. Now that we have owners that aren't filing for bankruptcy, I hope they open the checkbook and make a splash come July 1st.

Since today is the Kentucky Derby, my pick is a trifecta box of California Chrome, Danza, and Chitu (5-4-13)

NHL Trade Deadline: My Thoughts

Another NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and this one was one of the most exciting in recent memory. There were so many big pieces in play, so many rumors out there, and so many teams involved. Since it's nearly 24 hours since the deadline passed, it's naturally time to look at the winners and the loser of the deadline (even though it takes a couple years to truly determine winners and losers of trades).

Winner - St. Louis Blues

Not to state the obvious here, but the Blues getting Ryan Miller makes them a serious threat in a very top-heavy Western Conference. No disrespect to Jaroslav Halak, but Miller has better than decent numbers on a team that's absolutely atrocious. People all year were musing on the thought of Ryan Miller on a Cup-contender. Now, we get to see that. Let's see if the Blues could live up to their now newly-raised expectations.

Loser - New York Islanders

Other than Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek was probably the biggest prize of the deadline. All Garth Snow did was turn Vanek into a mid-level prospect and a conditional 2nd round pick. Wait...what? That's it? How did the Islanders blow that? Islanders fans will probably point to the fact that teams were waiting for prices to go down on players like Vanek, Moulson, and Gaborik, but that's no excuse to not get a proper return for one of the biggest pieces in this deadline! If I was Garth Snow, I wouldn't have even traded Vanek for that package. I'd have waited for the draft when teams would want to trade for his rights because he is an unrestricted free agent and expected to be one of the top ones this Summer. Oh, Islanders...

Winner - Montreal Canadiens

Talk about fleecing someone! Montreal knows they won't be able to re-sign Vanek before July 1st, but they gave up almost nothing for an excellent piece. In the crowded Eastern Conference, this will help push Montreal into very solid playoff positioning. Look for Montreal to make some noise in the Spring now with Vanek in their lineup.

Loser - Philadelphia Flyers

It wouldn't be a trade deadline without a couple of head-scratching deals from Paul Holmgren and company. A mid-level defensive prospect, a 2nd rounder AND a 3rd rounder for Andrew MacDonald? I don't know about that. That's seems like quite a haul for someone is no better that average. Granted, that could be just because he was on the Islanders. We'll see if being in Philly helps him any. The Flyers did recoup a 3rd rounder by trading Andej Meszaros to Boston, but it may as well be a 4th rounder because Boston is one of the favorites in the East and will probably go deep into the playoffs. Sometimes, I don't know if Paul Holmgren understands what his job actually is.

Winner - Hockey in Florida

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning made out like bandits during the deadline. Roberto Luongo goes back to Florida for almost nothing at the end of the day (no disrespect to Jacob Markstrom and Shawn Matthias). Luongo finally gets his wish to be out of Vancouver, and Mike Gillis will probably be on the chopping block this offseason. He has traded Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider for a total of a 1st round pick, Jacob Markstrom, and Shawn Matthias. That's entering Mike Milbury territory. Further up North, Tampa sent their captain to the Rangers for their captain, a 1st rounder in 2015, and a conditional 2nd rounder in 2014. The condition is that if the Rangers make the conference finals, that pick turns into a 1st! I don't care what kind of sentimental value Martin St. Louis holds in Tampa, if Glen Sather is going to let you fleece him like that, you pull the trigger. Sure, Ryan Callahan probably won't re-sign in Tampa, but this pick has the potential to net Tampa TWO 1st round picks. Good work Stevie Y.

Loser - New York Rangers

I really do wish the Rangers would stop trading for non-Devils that I like and thus forcing me to hate them. However, if they absolutely have to do that to me, I'm glad they're going to mortgage their future and make themselves look foolish. Ryan Callahan AND a 1st round pick AND a conditional 2nd round pick that could potentially turn into a 1st rounder? I hope Lou Lamoriello never finds what Glen Sather is smoking. I wish the Rangers would take a lesson from their neighbors up in the South Bronx. Mortgaging your future and signing over-priced stars is not how you gain long-term success.

Winner - Social Media Jokes

Dan Ellis was traded from the Dallas Stars to the Florida Panthers for Tim Thomas. His return to Florida means the return of the glorious hashtag, #DanEllisProblems. NHL Twitter fans, rejoice!

Losers - Michal Neuvirth, Rostislav Klesla, Torrey Mitchell, Chris Stewart

They were all traded to Buffalo.

And finally...

Winners - New Jersey Devils fans and Lou Lamoriello's legacy

I would be remiss to not mention the excruciating saga that was the Martin Brodeur trade rumors. The scene at Prudential Center on Tuesday was like nothing I had seen at a regular season game in a few years. Anyone at that game that owned a Martin Brodeur jersey was wearing it. The "MARTY!" chants were as loud and as frequent as 1st round playoff game. The energy and emotion the Devils played with showed they really wanted that game for Marty because they, like the fans, had no idea what was going to happen by that time tomorrow. Roll into it the fact that that game was crucial in the playoff race, and you have the recipe for an awesome atmosphere. But the fact that Marty was not traded was the biggest relief for all Devils fans. The idea of Marty playing in another jersey makes Devils fans sick to their stomach. We're all grateful that Lou decided not to trade the greatest goalie of all-time. Forget the "business" part of things, not trading Martin Brodeur was the RIGHT thing to do. I don't care about what we could have gotten for him, nothing would be able to replace what the New Jersey Devils organization would lose in trading him. Lou Lamoriello also saved his legacy by not trading Marty. Had he pulled the trigger on a deal, Lou would forever be remember as "The GM that traded the greatest goalie of all-time." Even though Lou has all of these awards and accolades, that would have shot to the top of his resume and stained it. Marty is were he belongs and everyone associated with the Devils can breathe again.

Awful Contracts Are Awful

I know the 2014 World Cup draw just happened and I will get to that soon enough. For now, I'm going to be a xenophobic American and talk about things happening in our country.

10 years, $240 million

(Photo credit: Google Images)

So much for my sentiments that no one would give Robinson Cano a ridiculous contract and he would end up with the Yankees on a more "reasonable" deal. The Seattle Mariners have proven to the baseball world that they haven't learned at all from the terrible contracts that have come before this one. Even though it's not the biggest contract in history, it may be the worst. Think about it. Cano will be 41 at the end of the deal. By the end of the fifth year, Cano probably won't even be half the player he his now and this contract will look like more of a joke than it is already. Also, Jay-Z is Cano's agent. How the hell is he going to market Cano in Seattle? Take a look at this observation: Yankee attendance when Cano was the lone star for most of the season because everyone else was injured was abysmal. If he can't put fans in the seats in New York, what makes you think that he can do it in Seattle? He's not that electric, charismatic figure that draws people to games. This entire contract has "mistake" written all over it. But, not for the Yankees. For once, WE DIDN'T shell out the worst contract of the offseason. Now, we can invest that money in pitching which we so desperately need now. However, I have to do something that I hardly ever do.

It pains me to say this, but now I have to concede to my friend in our five-year long argument on which second baseman was better; Chase Utley or Robinson Cano. It was never-ending, and we would talk in circles because it was really six of one, half-dozen of another. Until now... I have to give Utley the upper hand once and for all. This contract proves it because it shows that Chase Utley played for the love of the game and Cano plays for the money. I would rather have someone on my team that plays because they want to win, not just cash checks. In 2007, Chase Utley got 7 years for $85 million when he was in his prime. Cano and Utley are the two best second baseman of this generation. What does Cano bring to the table that makes him worth $155 million more than Utley in his prime? If you find out, let me know because I got nothing.

7 years, $59.5 million

(Photo credit: Jeff Orlando)

I would be remiss not to bash the New York Rangers and their horrible spending habits. Apparently, a goalie that has no cups, only one Vezina Trophy, and is being outplayed on some nights by his backup is worth nearly $60 million dollars. Henrik Lundqvist is about as overrated a goalie as you can find. Everyone has all of these great things to say about him, yet he has nothing to backup all of the praise. To put things in perspective, Martin Brodeur, the greatest goalie of all-time, TOOK A PAY CUT IN HIS PRIME in order to allow Lou Lamoriello and the Devils to go out and build a winning team around him. I don't even think Brodeur EVER made even $7 million per year at any stretch in his career, let alone $8.5 million. I understand that the cap is going to be going up a lot after the huge TV with SportsNet in Canada, but investing that much money in a goalie is always a huge risk. Just ask Mike Milbury. For those that may not get that reference, Milbury was the GM that give Rick DiPietro the 13-year deal that almost crippled the franchise (among other boneheaded moves he made). I can't be mad at Lundqvist for signing that deal. Hell, I would too if I was him. You have to wonder if the Rangers' front office doesn't remember their string of horrible deals, or if they're just total fools.

Jacoby Ellsbury To The Bronx

7 Years, $153 million

That's the contract that Jacoby Ellsbury gets to trade in his beard and the red "B" for a clean-shaven look, pinstripes and the interlocking "NY." When I first heard that the Yanks got Ellsbury, I was ecstatic! I had always hated Ellsbury when he was with Boston, but that was mainly because he always killed us in the field, on the base paths, and at the plate. That's what Ellsbury will bring to this club. He's always in the neighborhood of a .300 batting average, so he gives us a great bat. Ellsbury has always been lauded for his elite speed. He went 52 for 56 last season. Let that marinate. That's an incredible amount of steals, but the efficiency is even more impressive. With both Gardner and Ellsbury, the Yankees now have a one-two punch on the base paths. He's also one of the best defensive center-fielders in the game with a Gold Glove to his credit in 2011. So, on the surface, this move is awesome for the Yankees. Then, you see the contract numbers...

(Photo credit: Google Images)

Seven years? Really, Hal? Guess the $189 luxury tax threshold has just been shot to hell, and thank God if that's the case. Last year was one of the worst years I've ever seen from the Yankees since I had starting following baseball (yes, I know the late-80 and early-90s were worse, but I'm only 24). There was no excitement around this team all last year. It's almost like the fans knew the team was going nowhere, and it sure showed in attendance numbers. I can't tell you how many Yankee games I watched and wondered if I was watching a Yankees game or a Rays game. There was no one there! You'd have to think that improves this year. Anyway, back to the contract. This is another one of those "if he stays healthy" type of deals. I have a very current one to compare this to; Ryane Clowe's deal with the New Jersey Devils. He got 5 years/$24.25 million and the first thing I said when I heard about that deal, "It's great if he's healthy." Has he been healthy? No! They never are when you sign them! Clowe has barely played this season. I'm always incredibly wary when one of my teams signs an injury-prone player. The only solace I can take out of his injuries is that one could have been avoided and one was an accident. In 2010, he suffered broken ribs after running into a teammate in the field. In 2012, he had a right shoulder injury from a having a fielder land on him while sliding into second. So, it isn't a string of muscle tears and non-contact injuries. I guess that's a positive. IF ELLSBURY STAYS HEALTHY, we should get four to five years of elite CF play, which is all I'd have signed him for.

Outfield Shift

Brett Gardner was our center fielder for most the year last season because Granderson was hurt. Conventional wisdom says that Gardner shifts over to the cavernous left field of Yankee Stadium and Ellsbury will patrol center. The only question is right field. Alfonso Soriano could shift to right, but he's never played there as a pro and he doesn't have a right-fielder's arm. If they decide to shift Soriano over there, runners are going first-to-third on him regularly. What I hope they do is go out and get another outfielder with a better arm than Soriano and make Soriano a full-time DH. I would love for the Yankees to go after Shin-Soo Choo, but I don't know if they would be willing to pay what he would be looking for. This probably means one or both of Ichiro and Vernon Wells are probably not going to be re-signed. Even if the Yankees decide moving Soriano to left is going to be their plan, the outfield is going to be above average defensively. I'm very excited about that, because that could save us some wins during the year. But as with every signing the Yankees make, the question that is asked is...

What does this mean for Robbie Cano?

(Photo credit: Google Images)

Now, the fact that the Yankees gave Ellsbury seven years means that they can't give Cano less than that. You can't justify signing someone from another team for a longer term than a star player on your own team. So, that basically means that Cano (if he re-signs with the Yankees) is going to get no less than a seven year deal, which would make Cano 38 years old at the end of said contract. Yikes... Those last two or three years will be rough then if that does happen. I still think he ends up with the Yankees, though. It's mainly because no team is going to give him the money he wants and the Yankees seem to be kicking the $189 million limit to the curb. I could see a scenario where the Yankees match an offer a team makes as long as it's not completely absurd. I'm just glad the Yankees aren't currently negotiating against themselves in this case, but who knows really? They could be and we just just don't know it because nothing is publicized. Even with the money the Yankees have invested in Brian McCann and Jacoby Ellsbury, I still think that Robbie Cano will end up signing a deal that will essentially make him a career-Yankee. It looks like the rumors of a $300 million spending spree this offseason were true.

Fantasy Baseball Trade

These guys are trading unis. (Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports)

In a move that feels more like a trade that's made between two buddies in mid-July when they're gearing up for a fantasy baseball playoff run, the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to swap star players. 2B Ian Kinsler heads North to the Motor City while Price Fielder now gets to crush balls in the hitter-friendly Ballpark at Arlington. I think all baseball fans were shocked at the deal when it was announced. Any time teams trade star players, it always generates a ton of buzz. Now that the dust has settled, however, you can see that this trade actually makes sense for both sides.

For Detroit, this gives them a ton of monetary flexibility. Fielder was to be owed $168 million over the next seven years. The Tigers are sending over $30 million to help offset the cost of the trade. Texas will then pick up the rest of the tab, a cool $138 million. Kinsler's contract is more manageable in comparison at $62 million over the next four years. So, the Tigers save $76 million over the next four years. That should turn out to be huge for them going forward because Cy Young award-winner, Max Scherzer, is a year away from free agency and I'm sure Detroit would love to keep him there past this coming season. Miguel Cabrera is also nearing the end of his contract (2015), and this move allows the Tigers to keep both of their stars that are nearing the end of their respective deals.

For Texas, this gives them power-hitting lefty they needed in the their line-up. They have a formidable lineup now with Fielder and Adrian Beltre patrolling the middle. Sluggers love playing in Texas, and Prince probably won't feel any different with his new home being more conducive to the long ball compared to the cavernous Comerica Park in Detroit. By moving Kinsler, the Rangers have finally relieved the logjam in their middle infield by freeing up second base for their hot-shot prospect, Jurickson Profar. Profar was always mentioned every time the Rangers were mentioned in trade rumors because Kinsler was a mainstay at second for the Rangers. Now that he's not in Texas any more, Profar should slide into the starting role. The reason I say "should" and not "will" has to do with the most talked about free-agent on the market this offseason.

This guy. (Photo credit: New York Times)

You can't talk about the MLB offseason this year without mentioning Robinson Cano. So naturally, as soon as this deal goes down, the next thing out of the analysts' mouths is, "How does this affect both teams in the Robbie Cano sweepstakes?" In my opinion, it takes both teams out of it. For the Tigers, they have their second baseman now in Kinsler. He's one of the best in the business. The Rangers are now out of it because they can finally let Profar fill that void Kinsler left at second and become a full-time major league player. There's just one catch there, though. Let's say the Rangers still want Cano. What do they do with Profar? I think then what you see is the Yankees do a sign-and-trade with Cano to get Profar from the Rangers in an equal, if not bigger, blockbuster deal. I know the Yankees have kicked the tires on just about every free agent out there this offseason, and no disrespect meant to Brandon Phillips, but the Yankees need to start building for the future. If Cano does leave, I hope the Yankees go with the sign-and-trade route to land Profar so he could play second in the Bronx for many years to come. At the end of the day, however, I think the Rangers hold on to Profar and they don't pursue Cano.

The Devils Are Frustrating

Over their last two games, the New Jersey Devils have scored a whopping zero goals. Yes, the Devils have been shutout two games in a row. Remember when the Devils used to be on the opposite side of that? I remember that fondly, and it feels like a long time ago. Rational Devils fans have always known this kind of season was going to come at some point. Marty is in the twilight of his career, our traditional offensive powers are old, and it's time to transition to more young players up and down the roster.

As bitter as we are, we do miss Parise. (Photo credit: Google Images)

That all being said, I still didn't think that our record would be this bad at this point of the season. It's become painfully obvious from an offensive standpoint that we definitely miss both Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk. On the defensive side of things, Pete DeBoer needs to keep letting the young guys play. It's unfortunate that Jon Merrill got injured in his first game in New Jersey because we have such high hopes for him. However, there is no reason not to continue playing Adam Larsson and Eric Gelinas. They have played well despite the team's record, and they'll only get better the more that they play. Luckily, goaltending isn't really and issue. Cory Schneider just got healthy again and Marty has played pretty well in his absense, all things considered. You can't really expect the goalie to bail you out EVERY night when your team is not scoring. But right now, it's the offense of the New Jersey Devils that needs help.

Devils fans are bitter about Zach Parise leaving, especially the irrationally passionate one like myself. However, if Zach Parise somehow came back to New Jersey, we would all welcome him back with open arms and root for him like it was 2012 all over again. With Ilya Kovalchuk, I don't know if any Devils fan will ever welcome him back after how badly he screwed us over for this year. That being said, there is no doubt that we as fans miss his offensive prowess; this team could definitely use some of it right now. I bring up these two guys because it speaks to a much larger issue for the Devils that's starting to become more and more pronounced as the years have gone by, and it has nothing directly to do with the players on the ice.

If you know my love for the Devils, then you know that Lou Lamoriello is my idol. If I ever become a general manager (which is looking less and less likely by the day, but that's a whole different story), he is who I want to model myself after. However, for all of Lou's strengths, his weaknesses are KILLING the Devils right now. His biggest weakness is apparent total lack of a willingness to negotiate with star players during the final year of their contract. At this point, saying that we've lost star talent doesn't suffice. We have been HEMORRHAGING talent in the last decade.

Careful, Lou. Your weaknesses are showing. (Photo credit: NY Daily News)

Some of the guys we've let go haven't looked like bad decisions (Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, David Clarkson). However, we lost Zach Parise solely because Lou didn't feel it was necessary to negotiate during the season. Oh? Because I'm pretty all Zach wanted was Lou to talk with him during the season to get the deal done. How many times does he have to say to the media that he wants to stay in New Jersey for you to get the hint, Lou?! He'd still be a Devil if Lou had come to him after Thanksgiving and told him he wanted to get an extension done, but can't possibly be bothered with in-season negotiations. I can't blame him for the Kovalchuk fiasco, there was really nothing he could there without making that situation worse than it already was. I remember thinking that losing Paul Martin wasn't going to be so bad, but I kind of wish we had him now.

Lou also can't seem to ever manage the salary cap. I don't understand some of the contracts he gives out. They always seem like they're either too expensive, too long, or both. He also mismanages the prospects. Yes, I'm talking about Adam Larsson again. I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me talk about him, but the kid needs to play if he has any hope of turning into the defenseman we all know he could be. And it's not only the mismanaging of prospects, it's also drafting the wrong kind of prospects. I wish Lou and co. would stop drafting guys who project to be third line checking forwards! You don't have to draft those guys! They're available every year in free agency, usually on one-year deals! Start drafting guys with offensive talent. We need to fill the farm with guys that can light the lamp on a semi-regular basis. Outside of Reid Boucher, who else in the minors has any sort of offensive touch? If you're struggling to find an answer, that's totally normal. People have been saying that Pete DeBoer needs to be fired. It's not his fault. We've seen what he can do with a legitimate hockey roster. We just need to get the proper players in place, and that responsibility falls on Lou.

Rutgers' Issues Are Two-fold

So, two weeks ago when Louisville lost to UCF, that put Rutgers right back into the race to win the AAC. But as we all know, when Rutgers can control its own destiny is when they are at their worst. Remember what happened last year? We had the Big East in our grasp and we lost two crucial games to Pitt and Louisville, thus ending our chances to win the Big East and go to our first ever BCS bowl. It happened once again with the humiliating loss to Houston last week. We're now behind the 8-ball once again thanks to Gary Nova. How many times is he going screw us? Almost every time he has an opportunity to be great, put his demons behind him, and take the next step in becoming a great quarterback, he falls flat on his face and drags the entire team down with him. Quite frankly, its not fair to his teammates. We have guys all over this team who have NFL potential. It's not like Nova doesn't have any weapons to help him succeed. Our offensive line gives him the protection he needs, we have a very skilled group of receivers, our running game is one of the best in the league, and our defense (last week notwithstanding) keeps us in games when the offense is struggling. It's gotten to the point where he has become THE reason we're losing football games.

However, reports have surfaced that head coach Kyle Flood is going to start giving Chas Dodd first team reps in practice. Because we all know how well that works for a head-case quarterback (see also: the circus known as the New York Jets before this year). For me, now another issue begins to creep into the back of my mind. Can Rutgers win anything substantial with Kyle Flood at the helm? I used to think this was solely a Gary Nova issue. Now, I'm not so sure. I understand that the players on the team love Flood, and that's great. The problem is that he's not getting the job done as a play-caller when it matters the most. Runs and three-yard passing plays when we have seven or more yards on third down, not targeting Brandon Coleman enough, and playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win. That last one burns me so much! I think the last time Rutgers stepped on a team's throat was against Louisville in 2008 when we won 63-14. We'll get a lead, then Flood decides to go conservative with the offense. I've seen him do this in the second quarter sometimes! It's getting to the point where I no longer think we'll be able to succeed in the Big Ten with Kyle Flood as our head coach. He's a great guy, but I don't know if he is the coach we need to take that next step. I think it's time for Rutgers to go out and get a big-name coach for this team so we can finally take next step as a program.

Rutgers Does it Again

Last night was a disappointment for Rutgers. We could have beaten Louisville. It was a typical Rutgers loss - the defense did every thing they could to win the game while the offense was doing everything they could to blow it. This time, the offense prevailed. Louisville was doing everything they could to gift-wrap us the game. They kept turning the ball over and getting stopped by the Rutgers defense. Yet, when we would get the ball, we would either turn the ball back over to Lousiville, or we wouldn't be able to move the ball at all on Louisville. Gary Nova fumbled the first snap of the game, and it was an omen of things to come. He threw FIVE interceptions. You can't win a football game if you throw five picks, I don't care how good your defense is. After a while, your defense has spent so much time on the field that they just can't keep up. We were within seven points, but we couldn't close the deal. I'm not shocked, but there are a few things that irked me about the fan reactions once the game ended.

1. The Dave Milewski fumble recovery

I can't believe how many people made a huge deal about Milewski not scooping up the ball and running the ball in for a touchdown. Would it have been nice? Absolutely! Are we going to really say that Dave Milewski cost us a chance to win this football game? Give me a break! First of all, if your number is 90 or above, you have every right to just fall on the football. How many times have you seen a player try to scoop up a fumble, but end up booting around and having the other team recovering. Had Milewski tried to scoop it up and failed, and Louisville recovered, the same people saying he should have ran with it would have said that Milewski should have just fallen on it. Come on, people! Think about what you say before you say it. Speaking of that...

2. Gary Nova

Let me set the record straight, I hate Gary Nova. He cost us our season last year, and he's the main reason we lost last night's game. Watching him play quarterback in torturous at times. He's inaccurate, a poor decision-maker, and he can't read defenses. That all being said, CHAS DODD IS NOT THE ANSWER! It's six of one, a half-dozen of another! Dodd can't help us win anymore than Nova can. Don't talk to me about him not getting first team reps either. It's like going to the driving range with a bad swing and no guidance. You just keep repeating bad habits until they become almost irreversible. Reps won't either of these guys because they are just that bad. I don't know if we have an answer this year. One thing is for certain, Chas Dodd is not going to help us.

3. Fan expectations

Some Rutgers fans say that you should just be happy with a 8- or 9-win season and a bowl game that's no on New Year's Day. For the next few years in the Big Ten, I agree that we should temper our expectations because we're going to get demolished by the most of conference. But, why should I be happy with only 8 wins? Because I'm a Rutgers fan? Sorry, I'm not the kind of fan that "settles." I expect this team in a crappy conference to win 10 games and go to a better than average bowl game. I hate that "I'm a Rutgers fan, so I know that my team will fall short of expectations so I'm going to be happy with mediocrity" mentality. Maybe if the fans change their attitude, the team might be able to handle controlling its own destiny. Whenever we have control of our destiny, we always shoot ourselves in the foot no matter who is on the team. Part of that has to be the players feeding off the fans. We don't think we can do it and we think that we'll blow it if given the chance. I'm not going to apologize for actually believing this team can be something special.

NFL Week 1: 3 Things I Noticed

The NFL posts will work the same way as the college football posts. I pick at least three things that stood out to me over the weekend and talk about it. One will always be about my team, the 49ers, unless they are on bye. And we're off!

1. San Francisco is not playing around.

I don't know if there is such a thing as a statement win in Week 1, but the Niners might have just invented it. The Niners/Packers game was arguably the best game of the weekend. It had everything you could want in a football game - big plays, solid defense, down-to-the-wire drama, and even some snarl. Colin Kaepernick beat the Packers with his legs last year in the playoffs. This time around, he beat them with his arm. Kaepernick was 27/39 for 412 yards, 3 touchdown's and more importantly, no picks. If he can keep that up all season, the Niners  look to be a lock to come to the Meadowlands in early February. Anquan Boldin was an absolute monster in his San Francisco debut; 13 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown!

Anquan Boldin had an amazing 49er debut. (Photo credit: Google Images)

That's one way to quickly endear yourself to the 49er Faithful. We're going to need him to be huge until Crabtree and Manningham come back from injury, but that doesn't mean that Boldin is our only weapon. Vernon Davis showed why he is the best tight end in football right now making 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 scores. Seems that any questions about his and Kaepernick's chemistry were answered in a big way on Sunday. Two things concerned me on Sunday. One of them was the running game. Gore and Kaepernick couldn't really get anything going on the ground all day. I don't know if the Packers defense keyed in on it or the offensive line wasn't doing enough to open up holes for our backs. Either way, the ground needs to get going if we're trying to get back to the Super Bowl this season. We also could have held the Packers to fewer points if our tackling was better. There were plenty of times our corners couldn't make a simple tackle and their receiver would break for a big gain. That can't happen. I like were this team is headed and I'm really looking forward to next week's game in Seattle.

2. The Ravens need help.

I knew the Ravens were going to have a rough time this year because of all of the players they lost (thanks for Boldin, by the way). I didn't think they were going to get stomped like that by Denver.

Tough times ahead for Flacco. (Photo credit: Google Images)

Peyton Manning was in some kind of zone on Thursday. He TORCHED Baltimore for 7 touchdowns; first time that's happened since 1969. Granted, Baltimore was leading at the half, but then Denver completely controlled the second half. That was helped by injuries to Jacoby Jones and Michael Oher, two huge losses for the Ravens. This pretty much leaves Joe Flacco with two offensive weapons, Ray Rice and Torrey Smith. Simply put, if opponents can slow the Ravens' run game and successfully double-cover Torrey Smith, the Ravens are going to have a hard time winning football games this year. If we get halfway through the season and Baltimore has a losing record, everyone's attention turns to Joe Flacco's insane contract. Is it fair to blame Flacco? Not really. Think about it this way - if you were him and Ravens ownership pushed that contract in front of you, would you sign it? If you said no, that's the wrong answer. It's not Flacco's fault if ownership that he was worth way more than he really is. So, if anyone is to blame, it's the Ravens' front office. I still think the Ravens will be in the hunt for a wild card spot, though. Their division is pretty bad this year outside of Cincinnati. They may be able to sneak into the playoffs at 9-7.

3. Week 1 overreactions are funny.

Three of the most over-reactive fan bases had their teams win this week. The Jets, the Eagles, and the Cowboys all are starting 1-0 this year. However, based on the reactions from the fan bases, you would think that they had just punched their tickets to the Super Bowl. I am not going to single anyone out, I'm speaking of the fan bases as wholes. So, if you didn't overreact, sorry, but you're getting lumped in with your crazy brethren. Jets fans are trying to think that they weren't handed their win on a silver platter from Tampa. If Schiano actually taught his players not to hit people when they're already out of bounds, you wouldn't be sitting here saying Geno Smith is going to lead you to the playoffs. Cowboys fans, you only beat the Giants by five even after they incessantly turned the ball over. If David Wilson could just hold on to the ball, you guys would have lost your fifth straight game to the Giants in "The House That Jerry Built." You can't only beat a team by five if you force THAT many tunrovers. You've got to capitalize on those chances and make them pay by scoring, even if it's a field goal. And judging by the reaction by Eagles fans, they just won the Super Bowl and Chip Kelly just got inducted into the Hall of Fame. You won a game no one thought you could win. Congrats, I guess. As teams watch more tape on as the season goes on, you guys will come back down to Earth. Maybe we'll even here clamoring for Nick Foles at quarterback and for Chip Kelly to be fired. I hope not because I like Chip, but Philly fans have a habit of overreacting, you can't argue with me there. Temper your enthusiasm, fans of teams that are 1-0. You've got fifteen games left; anything can happen.

College Football Week 2: 3 Things I Noticed

I know what you're probably thinking: "College?! The NFL started yesterday!" Relax, there's still the games tonight. THEN I will talk about Week 1 of the NFL season. Until then...

1. Gary Nova is still mediocre.

Yes, Rutgers beat Norfolk State 38-0. No, the scoreline is not indicative of Nova's poor play. His line would have been awful even if we were playing an FBS team, but we were playing an FCS team (a bad one at that), so it makes it look just that much more terrible. Nova threw for (wait for it...) 150 yards on 12 completions with a touchdown and a pick. He did that against an FCS team. What happened to the Gary Nova who was slinging the ball all over the field against Fresno State? Seriously, where is the consistency? He couldn't even put together a decent drive.

One of PJ's 3 scores. (Photo credit: Washington Post)

He only looked good when we had a short field after a Norfolk State turnover. Once again, it looks like Gary Nova will be the reason Rutgers either goes far or falls flat this year. However, remember how I said I was worried about the defense? That zero on the Norfolk State side of the board makes me feel a lot better. That is supposed to happen against an FCS team. No offense to the directional Michigan schools, but next week should be another game where the defense has a chance to gain more cohesion and chemistry ahead of the Arkansas game. Our running game is also coming together very nicely with Paul James cementing himself as our number one back. The walk-on has supplanted the 5-star recruit at the top of the depth chart. You have to capitalize on your opportunities, and PJ is doing just that. 18 carries for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns is a line any back would love to have. Let's hope this team keeps trending upward as the season goes along.

2. This just in: Oregon scored again.

Last week, I talked about Clemson's chances at a National Championship. This week, Oregon caught my attention. We all know about Oregon under Chip Kelly being this unstoppable offensive force that would just run through almost any defense thrown at them. Mark Helfrich was promoted from offensive coordinator when Chip Kelly left for the Philadelphia Eagles, and he seems to have picked up right where Kelly left off with 125 points scored over the first two games.

(Photo credit: Google Images)

Now, their schedule has a few games to pay attention to as the season goes along. The first is the October 12th game at Washington. That new stadium already claimed Boise State, and that crowd will surely be rocking when the Ducks come to town. Next is the November 7th showdown at Stanford. This game will essentially decide who goes to the Pac-12 title game from the North Division and has given us some great football the past few years. And as always, you can never overlook the Civil War. The Beavers will roll into Eugene on November 29th. No matter how good/bad either team is, this game is always fun to watch like any rivalry game. Oregon is another team I hoping can throw together a season worthy of a National Championship berth so that crystal football can finally leave SEC country.

3. Conference realignment claims another rivalry.

This week was the last time for the foreseeable future that Notre Dame and Michigan will play a football game at the Big House. This is because of Notre Dame's agreement with the ACC. They moved all of their other sports except football and hockey (ACC doesn't have hockey, Notre Dame moved to Hockey East) to the ACC. The ACC agreed to let Notre Dame keep it's independence only if they played 5 ACC schools per year. This left Notre Dame with a decision to make: which rivalry gets put on hold? USC, Stanford, and Michigan State were all obvious ones to keep. The decision came down to Purdue or Michigan. Honestly, I would have told Purdue to kick rocks if I was Notre Dame.

It's sad to see this go. (Photo credit: Yahoo!)

No one outside of Indiana cares about that game. If Notre Dame wants to call themselves a "national program," they need to have national rivalries. Notre Dame/Purdue doesn't have national appeal. I really think it came down to the fact that there's a trophy involved (Shillelagh Trophy) with the Purdue rivalry,which is why that one was kept. Now, I love conference realignment as much as the next guy. It's fascinating to follow, but it's claimed a bunch of historic rivalries. The Lone Star Showdown (Texas vs. Texas A&M) is no more. The Border War (Missouri vs. Kansas) is done. The Backyard Brawl (Pitt vs. West Virginia) is over. It's a sad sight to see because these rivalries and ones like it are what make college football as awesome as it is. I hope that these rivalries can start back up some point soon.

College Football Week 1: 3 Things I Noticed

Since there is so much that goes on during a weekend of college football, I'm going to try to narrow it down and pick (at least) three things that stood out to me during the weekend. One of them will always be about Rutgers unless they don't play. I may add more if I think it's important. On that note...

1. Rutgers is going to have an interesting year.

Our first game versus Fresno State was a wild one for sure. With a 52-51 final score in overtime, how could it not be? I've told a bunch of people this, but this is the first time in YEARS that I felt good after a loss by one of my teams. I'm extremely happy at the fact that we were able to hang with one of the best offenses in the country! Last year, I think we may have put up 30+ points twice.

(Photo credit: Google Images)

Rutgers couldn't move the ball to save their lives last year. Now, it looks like we're going to be able to put some points on the board if the defense is slumping. Speaking of, that's one thing I'm going to keep my eye on. Our defense did give up 52 points, very un-Rutgers of us. Hopefully, it was just first game rust coupled with the fact that we were missing some key guys. Our high number of penalties was very disappointing. If we took even half of the penalties we did, we win the game. However, not all of the penalties were warranted. The refs were ATROCIOUS in that game. Phantom unsportsmanlike conduct calls and missed holding calls all over the place. I can see Rutgers having an interesting year. I hope the fans are ready for it.

2. Johnny Manziel is an ornery son of a gun.

When someone described Johnny Manziel as "that girl on a reality show that is not there to make friends," I laughed pretty hard. The game against Rice proves that. When Manziel finally got into the game, he showed off why this is his Heisman to lose this year. However, his attitude is going to turn off a lot of people. There were two instances that stood out to me. One was when he was taken down while scrambling on a broken down play. The Rice defender chirped at him a bit and as they went back to their huddles, Johnny Football made a gesture as to say, "I wouldn't sign an autograph for you."

"Umm, scoreboard." (Photo credit: SB Nation)

Now he's mocking the NCAA allegations. But wait, there's more! I don't really like that first one, but I wish more players did this taunt. On a play later in the game, two more Rice players got in Manziel's face. Johnny then directed their attention to the scoreboard, essentially telling them, "Keep talking. It's not going to change the score." I LOVE that, and I wish it happened way more often, penalties/fouls/violations be damned. No offense to Rice, but it will be interesting to see how Manziel acts on a bigger stage against a more worthy opponent. One false move and someone could take him right out.

3. Clemson is serious.

Dabo Swinney is one of my favorite coaches in college football, and he's got himself a quality squad this year. You don't accidentally beat a top-5 team from the SEC; you have to be a great team. No one is worried about Clemson's offense. We all know they can pretty much score at will. Tajh Boyd had five touchdowns against an SEC defense. God help the ACC...

(Photo credit: USA Today)

However, their defense did give up 545 to the Bulldogs. Good thing their offense can score a ton of points because there will be some games where they're going to need 35+ points to win. If Clemson can tighten up their defense, I can see them being a serious contender for the National Championship. Looking at their schedule, I see only two games that could give them trouble. The first game is the October 19th match-up with Florida State. I think Clemson has the upper hand in this one because the game is a home game for the Tigers and Death Valley can be a harrowing place for an opponent. The other game is on November 30th. It's the Battle of the Palmetto State against South Carolina. It's always a huge game for both schools. This year, the Gamecocks are home. If Clemson rolls into that game undefeated, all eyes will be on Williams-Brice Stadium because that game will have National Championship implications.

Bonus: FCS teams came to play.

Towson, North Dakota State, Eastern Washington, McNeese State, Eastern Illinois, and Northern Iowa, all beat their FBS opponents last week. Remember when these games weren't worth the price of admission? You can thank Appalachian State for this. If not for them going into the Big House and upsetting Michigan back in 2007, you probably don't see this happen. Now, you've got six FBS schools with egg on their face because they lost to an FCS school. These games aren't to be take lightly any more, and I hope Rutgers realizes that this Saturday when Norfolk State comes to town.

New Ownership In New Jersey

August 15th, 2013 will forever be etched in the history of the New Jersey Devils as one of the most important days in the franchise's history that didn't involve hoisting a Stanley Cup. Last Thursday, Joshua Harris and David Blitzer became the owners of the Devils and now control the operating rights of the Prudential Center. I'm going to break this down into a few parts just to keep everything organized so I don't ramble - I have a habit of doing that.

Josh Harris and David Blitzer, the new owners of the Devils. (Photo credit: USA Today)

The Specifics

Harris and Blitzer bought the Devils and the operating rights to the Rock for a reported figure of $320 million dollars from (now former) owner, Jeff Vanderbeek, who will maintain a minority stake in the team and stay on board as a "senior advisor." Harris and Blitzer are also the owner's of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. A little background on both of these guys first. Both of them graduated from the prestigious Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Harris is a co-founder of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management in New York City and has an estimated worth of more than $2 billion. Blitzer is senior managing director and head of tactical opportunities for Blackstone in New York, the world’s largest private equity firm. So, it's safe to say that these guys have the necessary cash to properly run a professional sports team. With new owners come changes to the behind-the-scenes staff. Scott O'Neil, former president of Madison Square Garden Sports, will come on to become CEO of Devils Arena Entertainment, the non-hockey arm of the Prudential Center and where I was an intern during the Spring 2011 semester. I interned for Rich Krezwick, then president of DAE, but it looks like O'Neil will be taking over his role. I wish Rich all the best. I hope the other people still at DAE get the chance to keep their jobs. There are some great people there that will do great things for the organization. But, even with new owners presumably changing things up, the most important man to New Jersey Devils hockey not named Martin Brodeur will still remain at the helm.

Lou Lamoriello Keeps His Throne

Lou Lamoriello will remain the President/GM/CEO/Overlord of all things Devils hockey in midst of the ownership changing hands. Did you really think that Lou was going anywhere? I don't care who owns the team, the New Jersey Devils are Lou's team and you let him run the show. The man has a trophy named after him (NCAA's Hockey East Conference tournament champion wins the Lamoriello Trophy); you let him work his magic. Smartly, the new owners have no plans to fiddle with Lou's methods on the hockey side of things. Why would you? The man is arguably one of the greatest GM's ever, and he's been doing most of his work under tough financial circumstances. Now, Lou actually has some money to spend, more so than ever before. This could spell trouble for the rest of the league. Now that the Devils are financially stable and their future is secured in Newark, we're about to become major players in future free agent periods. We can be in the conversations with the big-market teams when it comes to the marquee free-agents. Fans have been waiting for this for a LONG time. Hopefully, the days of hemorrhaging superstars are a thing of the past for the Devils, and New Jersey becomes a "destination organization" for players.

A Bittersweet Transition for JVB

Jeff Vanderbeek was a long-time Devils season-ticket holder before taking majority ownership of the team in 2004. The Prudential Center was his brainchild. It took a ton of effort on his part to get the arena approved to be built. To take a page from the Yankees' book, you could call it "The House That Jeff Built." Call me biased, but I like that name a lot! Of course, Vanderbeek would have loved to be the guy that was able to bring the Devils back to prominence as an owner. However, he was never quite able to get his finances in order once the bottom fell out of the economy in 2008, and that was what led the Devils to this point. One great thing that puts all Devils fans at ease is the fact that there was never any talk about moving the team when Vanderbeek was speaking to prospective buyers. I knew all along that Vanderbeek would never let this team fall into the hands of owners that had any ideas about moving the team. Harris has Jersey roots and Blitzer calls himself a "Jersey guy." Sounds good to me. The unfortunate part about the financial troubles of the Vanderbeek era was that this was all out of his control. Vanderbeek was a great guy; he really cared for the team. He just had bad luck once the economy went in the toilet. You really can't blame him for trying to right the ship.

Newark Will Continue to Improve

This was one thing I didn't expect to hear in the presser for the new ownership, but they made it a huge point talk about what they want to do for the city of Newark and how they want to keep Vanderbeek's vision of revitalizing the city. I love hearing that from them. The fact that they care not just about the organization but also about the long-term conditions of the community shows me that these guys are definitely the right people for the job. I haven't followed too many ownership transitions since I really started following sports like I do now, but I don't usually hear too much about the community work the new owners want to do. It's usually all about the team and winning. That being said, Harris and Blitzer have big ideas for what they want to do on the business side of the Devils. If they're going to follow the model they're using for the 76ers, Devils fans are going to be very happy with what they have in store. For one thing, 76ers tickets are pretty affordable now. Your ears just perked up, didn't they? Based on everything I read about the new owners, I'm more than happy with what's in store for the Devils for the foreseeable future. I think it's FINALLY time to retire the old and tired "Devils have no fans" jokes and the "Devils are leaving New Jersey" quips because neither of them are true any more. We're no longer restricted by finances. The Devils will be back to being a factor sooner than a lot of Rangers and Flyers fans would like.

Johnny Football Has Got Me Thinking...

I know you're all waiting to hear about what I have to say about the impending sale of the New Jersey Devils, but I'll wait until after it's official to give my thoughts. But, most of you that know me already know how I feel about the whole thing.

Johnny Football or Johnny Drama?

Johnny Manziel has had quite the roller-coaster ride since winning the Heisman trophy back in January. He was on all of the late-night talk shows. He had pictures with all kinds of elite athletes and celebrities. He has become one of the most recognizable people in all sport, let alone college football. However, from what we have seen, it looks like Johnny Football can't handle the spotlight off the field as well as he seemingly could on it. He has tweeted about how he can't "bleeping" wait to get out of College Station. He had to leave the Manning Passing Academy because of missed meetings. And now he has this autograph fiasco hanging over his head. It's like a train wreck; we want ESPN to shut up about it, but we can't look away when they talk about it. Did he accept money? Did his friend accept money and thus act as an agent? Why did he sign so many autographs? If it's all true, this is just another instance of Manziel acting like an idiot. Sure, he wants us to cut him slack because "he's just a 20-year-old kid trying to have fun." Sorry, Johnny, but once you won the Heisman, you became a public figure. You're no longer a kid at that point. It's time to be a man and start taking responsibility for your actions. Getting kicked of a University of Texas frat party while wearing a Tebow jersey? C'mon, man! You have got to smarter than that. I hope all of the allegations are false, but if they turn out to be true, then Manziel just showed the whole world that he is incredibly selfish. Why put your whole team at risk for a few extra bucks? It's not like he needs it; he comes from an upper-middle class family. This leads me to my next point...

NCAA "Hypocrisy"

Jay Bilas has long been a man on a mission to get real NCAA reform when it comes to student-athlete compensation. Recently, he had NCAAshop.com shut down because he was able to search by student-athlete names to find memorabilia. Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney were just two of the names that brought player-specific results. Mark Emmert, NCAA president, had the site shut down based on how people could see that as "hypocritical." The student-athletes can't profit off of their likenesses, but the NCAA can. Right. So, Jay Bilas single-handedly shut down a revenue stream for the NCAA. He's currently the NCAA's worst nightmare, and he won't stop until there's real reform. But, if Manziel is doing this - and he comes from a comfortable economic situation - what about the guys that come from nothing? What must they be doing to try and get their family any little bit of cash to help their situation? Honestly, the fact that the NCAA doesn't even let the "revenue-generating" sports' athletes get paid is foolish. Amateurs don't play in 100,000-seat stadiums. Amateurs don't play in front out millions upon millions of TV viewers. Amateurs don't get to be in a video game. It's time to properly compensate these kids for the hard work and sacrifices they make so their respective schools can make money. This does raise a very interesting question, though.

What if there was another pipeline to the pros?

College football is the only way to get the NFL. College basketball is (for the most part) the only way into the NBA. Baseball is much more international, but the a majority of American-born prospects come from college. This leaves us with hockey. There are multiple avenues to get to the NHL. You could go to college and play for a powerhouse. Or, you can head north of the border and play in one of the three CHL junior leagues. How does this change the college hockey landscape? The kids in the QMJHL, OHL, and WHL get paid. They don't have to attend classes and maintain academic eligibility. It's no coincidence that the best prospects come from the CHL. I am in no way knocking NCAA hockey, though. Some awesome players have come from the college ranks. But could you imagine if there was a similar system in place for football and basketball? There would be a complete and total overhaul in the college sports landscape the likes of which no one can even begin to fathom. The best recruits wouldn't even think about going to school. They would chase the paper in the junior leagues. You would find out real quick how many kids actually care about their education and which just care about their sport. There would never be a crowd of 100k+ at a college football game again. The days of one-and-done recruits in college basketball would be over; teams would actually have to build for the long-term. The quality of play in both sports would suffer greatly because all of the best players would being playing in the junior leagues where they would be getting paid. This is something not a lot of people are talking about with all of this craziness with the NCAA and Manziel. It is interesting to play the "What If?" game with it, though.

Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez

(Photo credit: USA Today)

Forgive me for being late on this story as I have been vacationing down the Jersey Shore this week, but on Monday, Major League Baseball finally handed out the suspensions involving the players implicated in the Biogenesis investigation. Twelve players were given 50-game suspensions. Those players included Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, and Evereth Cabrera just to name a few. However, the name most people were paying attention to, Alex Rodriguez, was handed the largest suspension that wasn't a lifetime ban in MLB's history, 211 games. That means A-Rod won't get the opportunity to play again until the 2015 season. However, he does get the opportunity to appeal. During the time leading up to when his appeal is heard, he can play. Since most experts are saying that he won't be able to get a hearing until November, I guess we will see A-Rod (unfortunately) in a Yankee uniform for the rest of the season. His reception in his first game back in Chicago went as expected. The boos rained down on him at every at-bat and whenever he did anything in the field. When he struck-out looking in his last at-bat U.S. Cellular field erupted in cheers. This is will probably be the standard crowd response from opposing fans when the Yankees are on the road. The real test is going to come Friday when A-Rod plays in his first game back in front of my fellow Yankee fans. Honestly, I have no idea what the crowd reaction at the Stadium is going to be. If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably going to be 75%-25% boos-to-cheers. Where do I fall? If I was there, I'd be booing the crap out of him. There are plenty of reasons that I fall on that side. Some are obvious; some not so much.

After 2009, A-Rod's play began to decline. He wasn't the player he once was. His power numbers were down, he was striking out more, and his defense was beginning to take a dive. In just one season after leading the Yanks to the World Series, he had just as quickly turned into a liability. Most Yankee fans, myself included, started to sour on A-Rod based on his play alone. Add the fact that he kept getting major injuries putting him on the Disabled List for long periods of time and his albatross of a contract, and there was plenty of ammo for Yankee fans to use to justify hatred towards A-Rod. You then have A-Rod admitting to using "a banned substance" and his connection with Canadian sports medicine specialist, Anthony Galea, which just added more fuel to the fire. But on top of all of that, there's one quote that really set me over the edge:

"I'm a human being. I've had two hip surgeries. I've had two knee surgeries. I'm fighting for my life. I have to defend myself. If I don't defend myself, no one else will."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! My aunt that lost a five-year long battle with ovarian cancer was fighting for her life! YOU'RE A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR ATHLETE! You're not "fighting for your life," as you say. You're fighting because your ego is too big for it's own good and you can never not be the spotlight. So, you foolishly drag this whole thing out just because you think you have a shot to overturn your suspension. Keep dreaming. When the arbiter holds up the suspension, I hope you'll be happy with all the time and effort you wasted. This leads me to why I think A-Rod's suspension is not harsh enough.

Agree with me or not, Alex Rodriguez should be banned from baseball for life. I look at it this way: A-Rod used the game of baseball as his own little toy. He did everything with only his best interests in mind, he always thought he was above the game, and shamed the game of baseball in the process. This all started with his insane contract with the Texas Rangers. He then used PEDs to try to justify the contract he signed. When he was traded to the Yankees, he did nothing to help our team in the postseason until 2009. Other than that year, his postseason numbers as a Yankee are abysmal at best. He opted out of his deal with the Yankees only to sign a BIGGER deal, and this was all announced during the World Series. No respect whatsoever. Now this whole circus that will surround him and the Yankees for the rest of this season. ALL OF THAT compounded on top of each other is why I think A-Rod deserves to be banned for life. What A-Rod did to the game is far worse than anything Pete Rose ever did, I don't care what anyone says. I still say Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. He never bet against his own team, but I digress. Monday was a rough day for baseball thanks to A-Rod once again, but it was a good day in the sense that MLB basically showed that it's finally beginning to take the steps necessary to crack down on PED users once and for all.

Braun Gets 65 Games For 'Roids

From "Hebrew Hammer" To "Jewish Juicer"

Yesterday, Major League Baseball dropped the hammer on Ryan Braun suspending him for the remainder of the season, which turns out to be 65 games, for his involvement with Biogenesis and his actions when he had his first positive test. Once again it's another black eye for baseball in which a player of star-status turns out to be a juicer. Now, you guys all know that hockey is my first sports love, but I do love me some baseball. There's something special about going to a game, drinking some beers, eating some hot dogs, and watching America's pastime. However, in the past decade or so, the luster is wearing off. You can blame the big-money contracts these players are getting causing loyalty to be thrown to the side and ticket prices to shoot up. The bigger problem is the steroid use. You become skeptical of every home run now. It's sad, because the home run is the best part of a baseball game. And when someone is having a great season power-wise, what's the first thing you say? "He's got to be on 'roids." I feel bad for Chris Davis this year. He's having a MONSTER year, but in this era of baseball, there will be skeptics. Me? I just pray that he's clean.

The face of a cheater. (Photo credit: Google Images)

Anyway, back to Braun. When are athletes going to stop saying that they made a mistake and just say that they knowing did something stupid/illegal? A mistake is forgetting an ingredient in a recipe. A mistake is missing your exit on the highway when you're going somewhere for the first time. A mistake is waking up late for work. A mistake is NOT willingly taking an illegal substance to perform better in professional sports. That's stupidity. Ryan Braun can apologize all he wants, but his image is tarnished forever. I don't think 65 games is enough. I think he should be suspended a full calendar year - no baseball activities until July 22nd, 2014. Especially since he tried to fight his first positive test in 2011. He never actually denied that it was positive, he just said the process of analyzing the sample was wrong. It's sad to see every slugger under scrutiny now, but that's era of baseball we live in now. Until MLB decides to start banning players from the game for tarnishing its image through steroids and banned substances, players will continue to use them because they know they can still get back to playing once they serve a long suspension.

A-Rod Next?

Real quickly on Alex Rodriguez. Apparently, the evidence against A-Rod is "far beyond" that of Ryan Braun, according to TJ Quinn of ESPN. If that is the case, I hope MLB does not offer A-Rod a plea deal. He's been implicated in numerous investigations, and it's about time MLB tell A-Rod that enough is enough. Allegedly, A-Rod also tampered with the Biogenesis inverstigation. If that is the case, he should be banned from baseball for life. That's way worse, in my opinion, than just about anything done before him. Pete Rose has to be sitting somewhere watching all of this happen wondering, "How the hell am I banned from baseball while these actual cheaters are allowed a second chance?!" It makes no sense to me either. I've read that MLB is not going to take action on A-Rod immediately. Now, we'll all just wait and see what MLB has in store for baseball's most disappointing person.

Ilya Kovalchuk Announces His Retireme--WHAT?!

That was my reaction when I got that notification on my phone from the NHL GameCenter app while I was at work. Needless to say, I was stunned. Honestly, I don't know how I held myself together. This post is going to be cathartic for me, and it's going to help me gather my thoughts and put some perspective on all of this. I'm going to split this into two parts. One part is going to be the emotional fan's point of view. The other part is going to be the viewpoint of an objective third party (read: journalist, sports businessman).

How Could He?!

I can't believe this! Retired?! To go back to Russia?! I though he liked it here in New Jersey, hence the 15-year contract. This is completely ridiculous. We are so screwed now. We have no one that can consistently score goals! Our best goal-scorer is thirty-seven and isn't getting any younger. We are going to be one of the worst teams in the league next year. I can't believe it. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for his entire tenure with the Devils. I made EVERY excuse in the book for him because I so desperately wanted this team to be successful with him, and this is how he treats the fans?! Good riddance you lazy bum! Go back to Russia so you can just cherry-pick at the blue line and play no defense. We all know that you never fully bought into playing complete hockey with New Jersey. I believed that he was going to turn over a leaf and be different that other Russians before him. Nope, they're all the same (Malkin and Datsyuk notwithstanding). Now, I understand all of the Canadian reporters' disdain towards Russian players. You'd never see a Swede do this. You'd never see a Finn do this. You'd never see a Czech do this. I hope all of the Russian players that actually want to play in the NHL are happy with Kovalchuk. He pretty much killed any chance of any Russian player getting a long-term deal. No team is going to want to commit big money to a player they fear is going to jump ship for an inferior league. We put a ton of resources towards Kovalchuk that it cost us Zach Parise. Now neither of them are on our team! How did we let this happen?! I was planning on burning my Kovalchuk jerseys (yes, plural) last night after I got home from work, but my mom talked me out of it. I'm giving my SKA one away for five bucks, and I'll light up my Devils one once we start using the fireplace at home. This is going to be a long season for this team and the fans.

Let's Take a Step Back Here

Yes, Kovalchuk running away does put the Devils in a huge hole in the short-term. The timing of this could have been better for the team, but a lot of things "coulda, shoulda, woulda" happened here. We can't dwell on that. It happened, and Lou and co. have to figure this one out. Let's look at this from a purely financial standpoint. We all know the Devils aren't the most financially stable team in the world. Kovalchuk's contract was going to be a burden on the back end of it. He was slated to make $56 million in the next five years alone and $77 million over the next twelve years. This helps the Devils financial situation tremendously. You can't say Jeff Vanderbeek isn't privately celebrating this. Only negative to this financially is that any prospective buyer might not inject as much cash as they would have before, but any new owner (that IS NOT looking to move the team) would be better than JVB. The next thing you have to look at the makeup of the team itself. As it stands right now, we seem incredibly devoid of any scoring outside of Patrik Elias. However, one my buddies I interned with at the Devils and I posted a picture that explained the 2003 Cup-winning squad. No player on that team had more than 57 points that year. Yes, it was a full 82-game season. It gave me a ton of perspective on the outlook for next season. I can see this team using this situation as a rallying point throughout the entire season. This team has always played better with a chip on their shoulder. I have no intention of not getting my partial season tickets again. I'm sticking by this team 100%. I just hope Lou is able to do something to make this season not a total disaster. If anyone can get a team out of this mess, it's Lou Lamoriello. I'm sure he's got some tricks up his sleeve. I'm sure if he can convince Mike Gillis to give us Cory Schneider for only our first-round pick this year, he can get Darcy Regier to give us Thomas Vanek without giving up Adam Larsson. I'll be watching very closely to see what Lou has in store for the team and the fans. Whatever happens, I hope it is for the best. LET'S GO DEVILS!

The aforementioned picture. (Photo credit: Zach Antonucci)

Let's See How The Devils Are Doing

So, I decided to change the name of my blog. "Orlando's Overtime" just came to me one day and I really liked it. It makes sense too; I blog about what happens when the games end. Anyway, since the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, all thirty NHL team have been very busy this offseason. I'm going to key in on the Devils because, to some of my friends, I'm an insider. I'm not, I'd like to be, but I try to stay on top Devils news. Generally speaking, I'm very happy with our offseason moves.

Goaltending

We all know Marty Brodeur isn't getting any younger and that his retirement is coming a lot sooner than every Devils fan would like to admit. We have some younger guys in our pipeline, but nobody is really sure how they are going to pan out. The Devils were mentioned in rumors of just about every goalie on the trading block, which led me to believe Lou was active trying to get a goalie to step in once Marty retires. Then the NHL Draft happened. I was bummed that I couldn't go to the draft because it was at the Prudential Center. The Devils had the 9th pick. Here I am hoping that we don't take defense and take a dynamic scoring winger. On Twitter, I see rumblings of a trade.

Our future. (Photo credit: Google Images)

With us? The 9th pick? No, we're not trading our pick, are we? Then Gary Bettman comes to the podium and announces that we trading the 9th overall pick to Vancouver for Cory Schneider. WHAT?! That's all it took to get Schneider?! Lou Lamoriello strikes again! He absolutely FLEECED Mike Gillis in that deal. All of the sudden, the Devils' situation in net after Marty is clear; Cory Schneider is the future in New Jersey. Sorry Keith Kincaid, Jeff Frazee, Scott Wedgewood, and Maxime Clermont. You guys just weren't cutting it enough for Lou, I guess.

Defense

This offseason for the Devils' defense is going to be defined by training camp. We have a bunch of young guys in our pipeline that look to challenge for a spot on the big club. Regarding the guys already (presumably) on the squad, Henrik Tallinder was traded to Buffalo in a trade that was about as pure of a salary dump as you can have. That's $3.375 million off the books for next season, and it opens up a spot for a young guy to make the team. Good, the Devils can FINALLY start to get younger. Peter Harrold was also re-signed, which I like. Harrold has grown on me, so I'm glad we were able to keep him on board. However, Lou brought back Marek Zidlicky for another year at $3 million. At least I'll have somebody to heckle every single game. I DO NOT like Zidlicky. He's old, he can't play defense, he can barely hold the blueline on the powerplay, and he's good for at least one momentum-killing, bone-headed penalty every game. Lou did make it sound like he's not done revamping the defense, though.

Time for Larsson to step up. (Photo credit: Google Images)

He said that re-signing Zidlicky allowed for some flexibility to make more moves if he had to. What this offseason does signal is that it's time to take the training wheels off of Adam Larsson. Put the guy in the top pairing. Put him on the powerplay next to Kovy. Let him kill penalties. He has the potential to have his number up in the rafters next to Stevens, Daneyko, and Niedermayer. It's time to start giving him opportunity to realize that potential and take his game to the next level.

Forwards

This seems to be where most of the focus is now with the Devils. We were able to lock up Patrik Elias for three more years. At the end up this contract, Elias will have played for the Devils for twenty years, and it will all but assure that he retires playing for only the New Jersey Devils in his career. As I had been saying for the entire season and offseason before it happened, we lost David Clarkson to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They signed him to a seven year deal with an AAV of $5.25 million.

Ryane Clowe (right) will add more toughness. (Photo credit: Google Images)

I love Clarkie, but not at that price. I'm glad the Devils didn't give him that insane contract. To replace Clarkson, we signed Ryane Clowe for five years with an AAV of $4.85 million. This is going to be risky. If he stays healthy, this can be a great deal for us. If the injury bug rears its ugly head, this becomes a very bad contract. We also signed Michael Ryder for two years with an AAV of $3.5 million. I like this signing because Ryder can definitely put the puck in the net, and that was something that the team was missing last year.