Why I Liked The New Home Run Derby Format

     For years, the Home Run Derby has been based on one format.  Each player was given 10 outs per round, and each swing not resulting in a Home Run was an out. While it was still enjoyable to watch, there was no stress of time weighing down on the competitors to finish out their round. This year, each player was granted four minutes to hit as many home runs as possible, and found themselves pitted against another opponent one on one. The result? A dramatic finish that came right down to the wire. In the end, Cincinattti Red's Todd Frazier, the hometown hero, battled his way through the bracket to battle Dodger's rookie Joc Pederson in the final round, where Frazier hit his Derby clinching dinger in the bonus time, which was allotted to him because of his two home runs over 425 feet.

All in all, I loved the new format. The time constraints made the end of the matchup much more dramatic, because you would have seen one player race to the finish to beat the clock. I also like how each competitor had an opponent to take down, rather than have more home runs than everyone else to win. More drama was added to a previously less dramatic affair, and the result was a breathtaking battle between two young guns. I hope that the MLB continues with this format, because it can potentially bring up ratings even higher, and draw in new fans to the sport, all because of the drama.

Lakers : Just Another Team

       As the third day of NBA Free Agency comes to a close, the Los Angeles Lakers have to face a harsh reality. They can no longer lure free agents in on command. The Lakers have lost the shine and appealing nature of the team and city, and top free agents like Lamarcus Aldridge are getting harder and harder to sign. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Aldridge has stated that he was not impressed by the presentation given by the Lakers, and therefore is ruling them out of his potential teams. Free agents also won't be pouring into LA, so long as Kobe Bryant holds no faith in his team.

       But Kobe has good reason to lose faith in his team. Over the past three years, he has lost future Hall of Fame Coach Phil Jackson, as well as important players like Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, and Dwight Howard, which helped him maintain a winning record. Because of such losses, the Lakers winning percentage has declined since the depart of Jackson and said players, and reached a jaw dropping low of .329, putting them in prime spot for the second overall pick this past draft.

      Since the Lakers can't seem to land any free agents what so ever, it seems their only option is to rely on their young guns to bring them wins. Second overall pick Deangelo Russell will have to step up big time, and be the star studded point guard Kobe has been missing. If Russell and Kobe can work together as a cohesive backcourt, it sets the stage for Julius Randle to shine in the front court, along side Jordan Hill, who is bound for a breakout season. When this roster is examined, with the hope that the Lakers' prospects will shine, it doesn't count them out of any winning season.

    Back to Deangelo Russell for a second. The choice to pick Russell as opposed to Jahil Okafor, who ended up drafted by the 76'ers the next pick, was a great step in the right direction for this franchise. Adding yet another big man would only add to the chaos and confusion of this team, and limit the production of some players who should be instrumental to this teams' success. Russell will serve as a much needed "star" point guard. I use the term "star" because compared to Jeremy Lin, Russell is an all star. His ability to pass the ball anywhere on the court, and well as effectively utilize his dribble drive to drop 15-20 points a game is something the Lakers haven't had since Derek Fisher in his prime. I personally believe that if this organization can correctly and successfully develop Deangelo Russell and Julius Randle, they will have a platform for future Lakers teams to be built on, in the inevitable "Post Kobe" era.

6 Man Rotation = Problems

Currently, the New York Yankees are operating under a six man pitching rotation. The typical rotation for MLB teams is a five man rotation, making the six man rotation a rare occurrence. Immediately, I see one pitcher who clearly should not be included in this rotation, and he is the only pitcher with a losing record in the rotation.
C.C. Sabathia
All of the other pitchers in the lineup are sporting .500 win percentages or higher. C.C on the other hand, has a .375 win percentage, with a record of 3-8. Sabathia also has a 5.59 ERA, the highest in the rotation. Clearly, something has to be done, and there are a few options Brian Cashman, Yankees General Manager, has.

1. Move C.C to the Bullpen
While keeping him around won't do the Yankees any good, moving Sabathia to the bullpen as a set-up man or short inning reliever would stop the bleeding. For the most part, Sabathia is solid in the first three innings of his starts, with an ERA of 4.94. While that isn't the best it could be, it is still significantly better than his ERA after the third inning, which is 6.04. Those numbers suggest that the Yankees "ace" would be much better suited as a reliever who goes all out for two innings, rather than a starter struggling to get past the fifth inning. C.C. to the bullpen could solve a bunch of problems, and therefore eliminating what seems like the "automatic loss" he brings to the mound every time he is out on the mound.

2. Don't Resign Him in 2016
The No-Trade clause embedded in Sabathia's contract obviously makes it impossible for the Yankees to trade him, unless Sabathia waives the protection. In that case, trade his butt out of NY ASAP.
But, for the time being, Sabathia becomes an un-restricted free agent in 2016, but there is an option for 2017. When he becomes the free agent, the Yankees should not resign him, and not let him take the 2017 option. While this route would not solve this years problems, or even next years problems, it could potentially solve the problems the Yankees will face two years down the road.

Personally, I don't care what route Cashman takes to get rid of Sabathia, or fix the Sabathia problem. As long as he stops losing games for the Yankees, it's all right with me.

No Kyrie? No Problem

     To all the Warrior fans about to read this article, I'm sorry. I am also sad about this particular topic as well.

     In two games so far in the 2015 NBA Finals, LeBron James has averaged 41.5 points per game. Yes, it is a miniature sample size, but it's dominant, especially without the "big three" fully healthy. When the Cleveland Cavaliers are truly broken down, it is LeBron with a band of role players. For god sakes they won game two with Matthew Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov starting. LeBron has always had the ability to completely take over a game, and with no offensive weapons with egos bigger than his, there is no one to stop LeBron from taking complete control of the rest of the series. His triple-double in game two, without Kyrie Irving shows his drive and his determination to win this title. 

    However, Lebron isn't winning this title 100% alone. With Dellavedova finally showing a sign of relevance, and defensive ability to shut down Steph Curry, who in my mind is the biggest offensive weapon in the league. When Dellavedova was on Curry, he managed to score 0 points, as well shooting 0-8 against Dellavedova. Mozgov has also filled in well for the injured Kevin Love, and is a defensive presence in the paint, which helps contest the drives posed by the Golden State Warriors.

   In my personal opinion, I do believe the Cavs will win the series. As of now, there has been no solution to stopping LeBron, and Klay Thompson and Steph Curry are incapable of guarding him to the extent they need. This can become a shoot-out type of series, so long as the Warriors have both the Splash Brothers on point. When only Thompson or Curry is on fire, the Warrriors struggle. A combination of increased defensive effort, the escape of Curry from his slump and a decrease in LeBron's production are the only things that can help the Warriors win. But as I see it now, there's no stopping the freight train that is LeBron from obtaining his third ring

3 Things to look forward to in 2015-2016

    Today marks the 100th day until the 2015-2016 NFL season officially kicks off. With those 100 days winding down, OTA's will begin and commense, training camps will open and close, and fantasy drafts will come and go. As for the regular season, here are the three biggest things I'm looking forward to this come NFL season.



1. Adrian Peterson back on the field
After playing only one game for the Minnesota Vikings before his suspension, Adrian Peterson says he's ready to go, and is back into the swing of things for football. But the success of his season can go either way, which is what I'm looking forward to. AP can either have a successful season, like seasons prior where he rushes for over 1,000 yards; or he could have a failure of a year, leaving Minnesota with the option to trade him after he is suspended and had his first bad year. I personally believe that this season will truly be a successful season for Peterson, given that when he's healthy is a machine. Peterson has never shied away from a challenge, and the 2015-2016 season will be his biggest. The vikings should be able to experience larger success than last season. After going 7-9 with a rookie QB in Bridgewater, no Adrian Peterson, and a sub-par wide recieving corp, they should have a turn around season after adding Mike Wallace to the outside, and gaining AP back. Expect big things from the Vikings, and they should be fun to watch this season.

2. The NFL Debut of Jimmy Garoppolo
Although I personally have my reservations about Tom Brady being suspended, I am very excited, as most NFL fans are, to see what Jimmy Garoppolo is capable of doing on the NFL level. In college, Garoppolo topped 5,000 yards in his senior year, and paired it with 53 TD's, and only nine interceptions. Numbers like those are what are keeping Pats fans afloat in this dark and dismal time. With Brady suspended for at least the first two games, with the possibility of a two game reduction due to appeal, Garoppolo will get two starts at least in the NFL. This un-proven "rookie" has big shoes to fill, and will be pressured to get the defending Super Bowl Champs off on the right foot in their first game against the Steelers, which is expected to be a shootout of a game. Personally, after seeing some of Garoppolo during OTA's so far, I think Patriots fans should not worry, because this man is extremely talented, and one day, could become the face of this franchise.

3. The revamped Buffalo Bills
This offseason was an omen to the Buffalo Bills, a franchise who was stuck in the rebuilding phase for years. With the addition of players like Percy Harvin, Matt Cassell, and LeSean McCoy, the Bills are hoping to make a splash in the AFC East this season. Granted, Harvin and Cassell may not be as respectively talented as McCoy is, but it's a vast improvement from where they were before. On top of that, new head coach Rex Ryan comes in with a defensive geared mentality, which can work well with the talented defense Buffalo has, led by Mario Williams. This team will surely improve on their 9-7 season last year. The addition of McCoy adds a much needed running weapon into their arsenal, something that was lacking in effectiveness with C.J Spiller in the backfield. Spiller should find his role to be more of a pass-catching back, which is something that fits better with his speed. The dynamic WR duo of Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods will be great weapons for Matt Cassell to target, and these wide-outs should find more success with an experience QB at the helm this year, rather than an untested rookie in E.J. Manuel. I expect the Bills to make a legit case for the AFC wild card spots.

Who is Slade Heathcott?

      Yankee fans now have a new name stuck in their head. Slade Heathcott. Heathcott was the 29th overall pick in the 2009 MLB draft, and after six years of bouncing around the majors, he has tasted the big leagues. In four games this season, Heathcott has batted .417 with a home run and three RBI's. This past memorial day, Slade got his first start, when both Ellsbury and Beltran were out.
     
     So who is Slade Heathcott and what's so special about him? When Slade was a junior in high school, he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and thus started his alcohol problem. On top of that, Slade was also arrested for pointing a 12 gauge shotgun at his father's head during an argument. He grew up in a tormented house with divorced parents, and his upbringing was not perfect. His alcohol abuse continued until the Yankees learned Slade was blacked out and lost his passport the night before he was to fly to the Dominican Republic. The Yankees introduced him to Sam Marsonek, a former MLB pitcher, who took Heathcott to AA meetings. Heathcott also found a new life through religion, and claims that god saved his life.
   
  This man made it all the way from the bottom, and he has the skills to make it in the MLB. In seven seasons in the minors, Heathcott had a .270 average, which is fairly strong. He doesn't necessarily hit for power, but like Yankee fans saw this past Memorial Day, he can hit the occasional dinger. In the minors he was a great fielder, with an almost perfect fielding percentage in the minors. This kid is an all around strong player, who could play a significant role in the Yankees future. With an up and coming outfield, Heathcott could certainly find a spot somewhere in there. Beltran will be on his way out, and Ellsbury has been injury prone. Once Heathcott proves himself more worthy to be in the outfield than Garrett Jones, who is a 1B as well as RF, he will find himself in the rotation with Chris Young for the outfield spots.

    Personally I have become fond of Heathcott after hearing his story and watching him play. The fact that he turned his life around and now is doing great things, and has a family now is inspiring. His play on the field was fantastic. I truly think that Slade Heathcott belongs in the MLB, and I urge you all to keep an eye out for him.

Tom Brady is Innocent

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE WILL BE HIGHLY OPINIONATED

    Ridiculous. That is the only word I can use to describe the punishments dished out to the New England Patriots because of "Deflate-Gate." The loss of draft picks and $1 million fine is reasonable, because there truly was evidence of cheating. But what is unreasonable is the four game suspension given to Tom Brady. If anyone looked at the specific texts between Patriots employees, it is explicit that those employees were plotting against Tom Brady.
 McNally: "Tom sucks...im going to make that next ball a f---in balloon." (Oct. 17, 2014)
 On several other occasions, there were more texts exchanged between employees discussing ball inflation and deflation
 McNally: "Make sure you blow up the ball to look like a rugby ball so tom can get used to it before Sunday" (Oct. 21, 2014)

McNally: "F--- tom....make sure the pump is attached to the needle.....f---in watermelons coming" (Oct. 23, 2014)

Clearly Tom Brady was not the protagonist in this situation. The evidence is explicit in favor of Tom Brady being innocent. So, if the NFL saw all these texts, why did they suspend Brady for four games? It's absurd! Tom Brady did nothing in this situation, and the four game suspension was way out of line from the NFL. 

What should have happened? If they, being the NFL, were still stupid enough to suspend the greatest QB of all time, it should have been for the pre season games, AT MOST. 

I sincerely hope that the NFL reduces the suspension on Brady during his appeal. It is absolutley absurd that the NFL would have dished out this kind of suspension on an innocent player. Roger Goodell can redeem himself here by reducing the suspension he so unrightfully came up with.