By Mike Rifkin MLB’s Winter Meetings start this weekend. Yes, free agency has begun, but history tells us that many significant deals go down at the Winter Meetings. Last year at the Meetings, Aaron Judge, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts all signed massive contracts. This year, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (who has beenContinue reading “In Need Of A Splash”
Category Archives: Rifkin’s Rift Tide
Stars Shine Bright
By Mike Rifkin It’s the season to be thankful, and one of the things the Tampa Bay Lightning were thankful for on Friday was the return of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy missed the first 20 games of the season with back surgery, and the Lightning were able to hold their own with a record ofContinue reading “Stars Shine Bright”
Playoff Implications
By Mike Rifkin It’s Thanksgiving time, which means Turkey, family, and football. It’s a big week in College Football as this is the final week before Conference Championship games. There’s still much to be decided regarding the College Football Playoff, so let’s look at the crucial games this week. UNDEFEATED Ohio State at Michigan: MichiganContinue reading “Playoff Implications”
Failure To Launch
By Mike Rifkin During the NFL off-season, one particular acquisition stole all the headlines. When the New York Jets acquired four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers from the Packers, nobody expected what had happened. Four plays into his Jets tenure, Rodgers tore his Achilles and was replaced by 2021 second-overall pick Zach Wilson. Wilson’s struggles andContinue reading “Failure To Launch”
A Bronx Feud
By Mike Rifkin Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has had an interesting start to his offseason. Last week at the General Manager’s meetings, Cashman was very annoyed during a media session where someone asked him about the Yankees being analytically driven. Cashman said, “No one is doing their deep dives; they’re just ammunition and bulls***Continue reading “A Bronx Feud “
Confusing
By: Mike Rifkin Tuesday was not only Halloween but also the NFL Trade deadline. The deadline was more active than usual. Four teams were deemed “sellers” that I wished had done more. Let’s start with the Chicago Bears, who did make a trade today. The Bears acquired Defensive End Montez Sweat from the Washington CommandersContinue reading “Confusing”
Road Warriors
By: Mike Rifkin One of the most challenging things to do in any sport is to win on the road. On Monday night, the Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers each completed undefeated road trips. For the Ducks, this is the fifth time in franchise history that the team swept a road trip of atContinue reading “Road Warriors “
End Of An Era?
By Mike Rifkin On Monday night, the Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros 11-4 in Game seven of the ALCS. The Astros had been the AL Champs the last two seasons and have been in the ALCS every year since 2017. During this span, the Astros have been to four World Series, winning two. TheContinue reading “End Of An Era?”
The Legend Grows
By: Mike Rifkin In the top of the ninth inning, trailing by two runs, the Houston Astros had the right man up. With two runners on, Second Baseman Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead three-run home run to give the Astros a 5-4 victory and a 3-2 series lead in the ALCS. The home run gaveContinue reading “The Legend Grows”
Harden-ing His Stance
By: Mike Rifkin Earlier this Summer, James Harden requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Yesterday, James Harden missed practice, and the team claimed the absence was “unexcused.” according to multiple reports, Harden has been in Houston. Harden did report when training camp opened last month. Harden, last season, averaged 21.0 points per game, 6.1Continue reading “Harden-ing His Stance”