Looks like the New York Islanders will not leave after all

    Over the past year or so, I had written two posts which were based on the New York Islanders. The first one "Could This Be The End Of Hockey in Long Island" (August, 2011) stated that once the lease at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum would expire in 2015, the Islanders could have been calling for a new home. During this time frame, owner Charles Wang had put out a wonderful idea which would of seen not only a new rink, but a first five star hotel. That was rejected due to the fact that it would cost $3.74 billion dollars. From the time I had written this blog until February this past year, there was much speculation on the future of the team which propelled me to write another blog on them "A Possible Way To Save The New York Islanders?" (February, 2012). In that blog, I made a suggestion stating that with the Barclays Center in Brooklyn opening up, it would make more sense for the Islanders to play there with much smaller attendance.
        Well sure enough as it was announced last Wednesday, the Islanders will call the new arena their home after the lease expires. It is obviously a great move simply because they will finally have a modernized rink to play. However, there is only one minor issue. As I mentioned in the February blog, their capacity will be the smallest in the league. Unlike the US Airways Center in Phoenix, it will be much easier to put an ice surface on a building that is primarily designed for the NBA. To conclude, Charles Wang and company finally got what they so desperately wanted.

Which pro teams have to be relocated and which should not?

   Since starting school at the friendly confines of Dawson College, it has been very hard to find anytime to get any blog writing done. However, after surfing the web the other day, I decided to give my opinion on which teams should relocate and which teams should stay put based from reading the list that MSN.com provided its viewers.
   On the list, its a no brainer that the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL need to dip the desert. I mean in the 16 years that they have played, they have had some good teams here and there and a modernized arena built in Glendale. However, hardly anybody goes to the rink unless your talking about playoffs. What does that say about a fan base? Don't most teams fans support their team when they have their bad moments. Don't they also support a winning team who was fresh off winning the Pacific Division. All I have to say is the experiment in Phoenix was a bust and whoever decides to buy the team with the best intentions is going to inherit a debt similar to Montreal's Olympic Stadium.
   Another team that has to leave which was not on the list are the Miami Marlins. I have a debate on this with my dad stating that if the Expos had in fact won the 1994 World Series, they would of stayed put and had the new stadium. That obviously did not happen. The Marlins have been in the league for 20 years, they have won two World Series and managed to get a brand new stadium. The result is still the same. Nobody goes to watch baseball in the heart of Florida. Doesn't that tell you something.
   On the other hand Florida's other team the Rays were mentioned but I believe they should not consider relocation. Yes they were not as successful in their first decade but they have evolved out of the AL East. The problem now is similar to what's going on in Phoenix. The only difference is they are a small market team playing in a league without a salary cap. The other aspect that they are missing is a beautiful brand new stadium. It will take some time but should talks between the team and city officials fail, they will join the same fate as Florida's other baseball team.
  To draw a conclusion from this, it is obviously a thrill to have professional sport teams in respective cities but once it has lost its luster or if they stadium becomes decrepit, are people still going to care or will they not bother on how the team performs. Only time will time

   

24 years ago on August 9th,1988 and the impact it brought to the NHL

    August 9th happens to be the day where my twin cousins happen to be celebrating their birthday. When they were celebrating their 15th birthday back in 1988, a trade happened which brought shock waves throughout the NHL. After needing more money due to his other business ventures falling down the toilet, Oilers owner Peter Pocklington decided that he needed to trade one of his best players. That best player happened to be "The Great One", Wayne Gretzky. At first Gretzky had wanted to stay put but after taking with Kings owner Bruce McNall, both parties managed to work something out. The deal was Gretzky along with Mike Krushelnyski, and Marty McSorley went to LA for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, two first round draft picks and $15 million dollars.
  The impact of the trade happened to of been very significant. Most people in Los Angeles at the time were mostly into watching the Lakers, the Dodgers, and yes both the Rams and the Raiders (both are now relocated). With Gretzky present in the LA night life, the Kings saw an increase in attendance and in fan interest. To add to that, the NHL saw an increase in teams that are located in non-traditional hockey markets in the States all because of Gretzky's popularity. Examples of teams that were established because of this were Florida, Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Anaheim, San Jose and Dallas.
   Had Gretzky stayed in Edmonton, there would of been that possibility of not seeing those teams being established because why would the population even bother trying to watch a game that they simply do not understand. As well if the great one had not be traded, would the Kings still stay in Los Angeles with the lack of fan support at the time? Well we would only know the answers if Gretzky had simply not been traded or traded to another market that had cared for hockey at the time.
  

What the Impact need to do if they want to make the playoffs

   As the 2012 MLS season is reaching its two and a half month home stretch, the playoff push will be getting a lot tougher. Among the teams in the Eastern Conference who are in the hunt happen to be the expansion Montreal Impact. They currently are five points behind the Chicago Fire for the fifth and final playoff spot, however Chicago do have three games in hand. If the Impact want to become the first expansion team to make the playoffs since the Seattle Sounders in 2009, here is what they are going have to do if they want to achieve that dream.
  I kind of find that the 2012 version of the Impact reminds me of the 2006-2007 Calgary Flames. Both teams were very great at home but did not do to well on the road. While the 06-07 Flames managed 13 wins, the Impact only have one win and one tie away from home. If they are going to gain some sort of traction in the standings, the team is got to find some way to get wins on the road vs teams like New England, Houston, Columbus and Chicago. Teams that also happen to be competing for that final playoff spot.
  The other way that the Impact will make the playoffs is that the big guns need to step it up. While we have seen breakout performances from guys like Felipe, Patrice Bernier and Sanna Nyassi, Marco Di Vaio has to step it up. In the eight games that he has been in the lineup, he has had chances but he only has one goal and two assists to show for it. Di Vaio has to play the way he did in Bologna in order for the Impact to succeed. If he does not play to his superb abilities, well then how will the Impact get chances to score to win games.
  So from a fans perspective, I obviously believe that the Impact will make the playoffs. From a realistic standpoint however, the only way that they can make the postseason is of course the big names stepping up and getting those crucial victories on the road. It should be an interesting two and a half month battle to see who will be participating in the playoffs.
 

On the Broadway street scene shows us two mega deals in one day

   Remember before draft weekend when the rumors were surfacing about the future of Rick Nash. Do you also remember about the blog that I wrote (Is it worth it? June 21st,2012) that a handful of teams were showing interest? Well one of those teams made the big splash. It happens to be the one and only New York Rangers. Going the Jackets way are centers Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky, prospect Tim Erixon and a first round pick in next years draft.
   This trade happens to provide two aspects that do not suite yours truly. First the trade itself. It is obviously a great deal for the Rangers due to Nash's abilities but not for Columbus. In the same blog that I previously referred to, GM Scott Howson had wanted a first round pick, a top prospect and a top 6 forward. Yes he managed to get the pick, however I initially thought he could of got more. The Rangers happen to have good young players like Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and Ryan Bourque. So wouldn't it of made sense for Howson to acquire one of those players to rebuild the team around rather than proven players who are almost in their prime?
  The second aspect happens to be something that the NHL made a big deal about a long time ago. The salary cap was put in place in order to prevent teams from buying their players. Well like Real Madrid of La Liga, the Rangers still find ways to buy their players. Apart from homegrown players like Michael Del Zotto, Henrik Lundqvist, Carl Hagelin, and Ryan Callahan, its not like they developed the big three in Nash, Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and who can forget Scott Gomez and Wade Redden. They are still favorites to win the cup but the only question is can the big three mesh together to achieve the dream?
   So while the Rangers were finishing the final touches on the Nash deal, the Big Apple's other team made a significant move. With the trade deadline a few weeks away and key players in the outfield injured, the Yankees desperately needed an outfielder. Sure enough they acquired the speedy yet aging Ichiro from the woeful Seattle Mariners. Ichiro similar to Nash leaves a team in rebuild mode to championship contender. It is a great deal for the club simply because Ichiro can hit and is a terrific baserunner. It is a good deal for the Yankees but does Ichiro still have it left in him come the postseason.
   So if we can sum it up in a few short words, today happens to be a good day for sports in New York. It could even be a better day down the road should both players help their respective teams win their respective championships.

CFL season preview

 The 2012 CFL season is right around the corner. Here is how each team will do.

East Division                                      West Division
1) Hamilton Tiger-Cats                      1) BC Lions
2) Montreal Alouettes                        2) Calgary Stampeders
3) Winnipeg Blue Bombers                3) Edmonton Eskimos
4) Toronto Argonauts                        4) Saskatchewan RoughRiders

Eastern Division 

1) Hamilton Tiger-Cats: The Tabbies went for a complete makeover last season. After losing in the Eastern Finals, Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille was fired. Replacing him is former Stamps Offensive Coordinator George Cortez. The makeover was not done there. QB Kevin Glenn was traded to Calgary for QB Henry Burris and they were able to sign prized receiver Andy Fantuz. With Fantuz in, the receiving corps is further bolstered with Dave Stala, speedster Chris Williams and Bakari Grant. Even the Linebacking corps got stronger. Joining Jamall Johnson, Rey Williams and Markeith Knowlton is former Argo Kevin Eiben. He is a hard hitter who does provide much needed leadership. Unfortunately for the Tabbies, the d-line will miss both Justin Hickman (NFL) and Stevie Baggs (released). The Cats will finally overtake the Als and will close out Ivor Wynne Stadium by hosting the Eastern Finals.


2) Montreal Alouettes: Lots of change on the Als. Gone are cornerstone defensive players like DE Anwar Stewart, DT Eric Wilson, S Etienne Boulay, DB Mark Estelle, LB's Diamond Ferri and Ramon Guzman. Rod Davis comes in at Linebacker and DT Aaron Hunt joins the roster. The offensive saw a significant change as Kerry Watkins retired after two injury plagued season. The core on offensive with Anthony Calvillo,Brandon Whitaker, SJ Green and Jamel Richardson are still there but does AC still have anything left as he will be approaching 40 in August?

3) Winnipeg Blue Bombers: The defending Eastern Champs have a very tough road ahead. Four of their first 18 games will be on the road and they will still be playing at Canad Inns as the new stadium will not be ready for this season. The roster is virtually the same minus a few key components. Gone are DT's Doug Brown (retirement) and Odell Willis (Saskatchewan), RB Fred Reid (released) LB Joe Lobendahn (Calgary) and OLinemen Brenden Labatte (Saskatchewan). Another blow to Winnipeg's chances is that projected starting RB Chris Garrett is done for the year with a ruptured achilles. If the Bombers hope to make it back to the Grey Cup game, QB Buck Pierce will have to avoid injury for an entire year.

4) Toronto Argonauts: After a disappointing season, the Argos made huge changes. First former Als Offensive Coordinator Scott Milanovich is the new Head Coach. Second the Argos traded injury prone QB Steven Jyles to Edmonton for All-Star QB Ricky Ray. They finally upgrade at QB after years of misery. However the defence lost many huge names. LB Kevin Eiben joined the dark side in Hamilton. Both DB's Lin-J Shell and Byron Parker went out west (BC Lions) and LB/S Wilie Pile retired. The Argos will have to heavily rely on both Ray and RB Cory Boyd if they have any chance of making the playoffs.

Western Division

1) BC Lions: The majority of their roster is the same except for a few key names on defence and coaches. Former defensive coordinator Mike Benevides becomes the new head coach as Wally Buono focuses on his GM duties. The defense took a huge hit as both Defensive Linemen Aaron Hunt left to Montreal, All Canadian Brent Johnson retired and hard hitting linebacker Solomon Elimimian went south to the Vikings. As well their secondary took a minor blow as Davis Sanchez also called it a career. Replacing him is 8 year vet Byron Parker who will provide some much needed leadership and ball-hawking abilities. The offense is still in tact with QB Travis Lulay, RB Andrew Harris and SB Geroy Simon at the focal point. The Lions are favored but there hoping not to start 0-5 for a second consecutive season.

2) Calgary Stampeders: Head Coach and GM John Hufnagel decided to go out with the old and in with the new. He released both tail back Joffrey Reynolds and Slotback Ken-Yon Rambo and traded franchise QB Henris Burris to Hamilton. In the trade with the Tabbies, he received QB Kevin Glenn but he will be backing up Drew Tate who had a superb season. Canadian Jon Cornish will be replacing Reynolds as the starting RB for the upcoming year. Apart from the acquisition of Linebacker Joe Lobendahn, the Stamps saw Defensive Linemen Devone Claybrooks retire and DB Geoff Tisdale traded back to Hamilton. Apart from Rambo being released, the Stamps still have Nik Lewis, Romby Bryant, non-imports Arjei Franklin, Johhny Forziani and Anthony Parker. So Tate will have reliable receivers to go too on the passing game.

3) Edmonton Eskimos: GM Eric Tillman made some bold moves by acquiring WR Greg Carr and Cary Koch. Carr's size is a huge advantage due to the fact that he can get the jump balls. However the boldest move Tillman made was trading franchise QB Ricky Ray to Toronto for QB Steven Jyles. This move raises eyebrows because Jyles is a capable QB but similar to Buck Pierce in Winnipeg he is injury prone and needs to stay healthy. Apart from a strong running game with Jerome Messiam, the defense will miss both Linebackers Rod Davis (Alouettes) and Mark Restelli (Free Agent) but they feel that they have the depth to succeed at the position.

4) Saskatchewan RoughRiders: First the good. After a disappointing season the Riders hired Corey Chamblin as the new Head Coach. He brings much experience on the defense as he was the defensive coordinator of Hamilton and a defensive coach in Calgary. They also strengthened the defensive line as they acquired Odell Willis from the hated Bombers. The offensive line also got a boost as Brendon Labatte and Dominic Picard were acquired. Now the bad. While the O-line got the boost, it was at the expense of two main stalwarts. Gene Makowsky and Marc Parenteau. Makowsky retired which leaves a huge gap on the leadership front while Parenteau was released. Linebacker Jerrell Freemen will be sorely missed as he dipped to join the NFL. While the receiving corps still has Chris Getzlaf, Weston Dressler and injury prone Rob Bagg, they will miss both Jason Clermont (retirement) and Andy Fantuz (Hamilton) as they both provided size in the slot. I like the signing of former NFLer Sinorice Moss at Receiver but can he adapt to the Canadian version of football?