TWIW – This Week In Wrestling

By Jeff Knapp

Just days after William Regal was released by the WWE, we found out that Tommy Dreamer put out a proposal to Regal to come to Impact in some type of capacity. Regal’s 90 day no compete clause expires on April 5th

 Tommy Dreamer said: “If you look at management, and you look at, let’s say, the New York Giants, their G.M. is retiring, and then there goes the head coach that he picked. There goes everyone associated with that person. Triple H is no longer in charge, and everyone associated with him is gone. The only guy who’s remained is Shawn (Michaels), but Shawn was a Vince guy before he was a Triple H guy. Regal, the moment I heard (he was let go), I shot him a text and said, ‘If you want to be a commentator at Impact or if you want to be a General Manager figure, just let me know.’ He will have something when he chooses to.”

Congratulations to Deonna Purrazzo for winning the ROH Women’s title

Mustafa Ali has requested his release from the WWE. On Twitter he put out the following statement “I have a message that is much bigger than my dreams in pro wrestling,” Ali wrote via his official Twitter page this afternoon. “Despite my best efforts, I will not be able to deliver this message while working with WWE.” “Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE.”

As of this writing the WWE has not granted Ali his release from the company.

Earlier this week the WWE announced that they are officially returning to Saudi Arabia next month and they will present the Elimination Chamber PPV from the Jeddah Superdome

AEW star Cody Rhodes is currently not under contract with AEW as either a wrestler or an EVP. He is scheduled to wrestle Sammy Guvarra to unify the TNT Championship

Happy 50th Birthday to R-Truth

With NJPW returning to AXS TV with new programing on March 3rd, they will run past matches leading up to that date.

AXS TV’s complete New Japan Pro-Wrestling Classic Lineup is as follows:

Thursday, January 20: Wrestle Kingdom 12, Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho

Thursday, January 27: Wrestle Kingdom 12, Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito

Thursday, February 3: G1 CLIMAX 28 Final, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi

Thursday, February 10: New Beginning in Osaka: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White

Thursday, February 17: Best Of The Super Juniors 26: Juice Robinson vs. Jon Moxley

Thursday, February 24: G1 CLIMAX 29 Final, Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White

Upon being officially brought over from NXT UK to NXT, WALTER had his name changed to Gunter Stark, which was then shortened to just GUNTER. 

Tom Hannifan is now the official play by play announcer for Impact Wrestling. He was previously better known as Tom Phillips in the WWE.

WWE 2K22 will officially launch on March 3rd with Rey Mysterio on the cover and multiple versions available including a NWO edition

Sami Zayn has resigned with the WWE. The length of the contract has not been released

Jon Moxley returns to AEW after being away getting himself better. One day at a time. We have your back

The updated card for the NWA Powerrrtrip ppv is:

“I Quit” Match: Nick Aldis vs. Thom Latimer

NWA World Women’s Championship: Kamille (c) vs. Taryn Terrell

Chelsea Green vs. Kylie Rae

Tyrus, Marshe Rockett and BLK Jeez vs. Cyon, Mims, Rush Freeman, Mims, and Alex Taylor

WWE – RAW

Bianca Belair & Liv Morgan vs Doudrop & Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch – Doudrop turned on Lynch to steal the pin for their team. 

Non-Title Match: United States Champion Damian Priest vs Kevin Owens – Owens win with the Stunner. 

Austin Theory vs Finn Bálor – Theory picked up the clean win over Finn Balor

Rhea Ripley vs Nikki A.S.H.  No Contest – Zelina Vega & Carmella distracted Rhea and allowed Nikki to attack Rhea and the match never happened.

Omos vs Reggie w/ 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke – The entire match was less than 1 minute. The bell rings, Omos chokeslams Reggie, Omos wins. 

Eight Man Tag Match: The Street Profits & the Mysterios vs the Dirty Dawgs and Apollo Crews & Commander Azeez – Ford pick up the win for the Profits & Mysterios by hitting his Frog Splash

Main Event: Bobby Lashley w/ MVP vs Seth Rollins – Lashley won by DQ when the Hurt Business (now only Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin) attack Bobby Lashley. After the match, Lashley took out the Hurt Business and the Usos showed up and attacked Seth Rollins.

NXT

Grayson Waller vs Dexter Lumis – Waller win after his new bodyguard attacked Lumis when the referee was distracted. 

Dusty Classic Opening Round Match: Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs the Creed Brothers – the Creed Brothers picked up the double team win to advance to the semi-finals. 

Dante Chen vs Guru Raaj – Dante Chen won by Disqualification when a returning Duke Hudson attacked him shortly into the match

Ivy Nile vs Kay Lee Ray – Nile won after Rose distracted Ray. After the match, Toxic attraction clashed with Ray and Indi Hartwell & Persia Pirotta.

Dusty Classic Opening Round Match: Malik Blade & Edris Enofé vs Legado del Fantasma – Malik & Edris pulled off the upset after Santos Escobar’s attempt to distract them backfired, leading to Bron Breakker literally carrying Escobar to the back

Dakota Kai vs Yulisa Leon w/ Valentina Feroz – Kai picked up the win after a great kick to the face.

Main Event: WALTER vs Roderick Strong – WALTER wins after connecting with a powerbomb. After the match WALTER announces the winner of the match is GUNTER….his new ring name. The night ends when Imperium and the Creed Brothers hit the ring and all six men began to brawl.

AEW – DYNAMITE

Adam Cole & Britt Baker vs. Orange Cassidy & Kris Statlander – Britt goes through a table which enrages Cole, and when Cassidy has his back turned, Adam takes him out and nails him in the back with his exposed knee for the win

A segment in the back that leads us to believe there is trouble in the Inner circle between Jericho and Ortiz and Santana.

Shawn Spears vs. CM Punk – Punk hits the GTS very quickly on Spears for the win

Cody Rhodes delivers another amazing promo and talks about how he built the forbidden door

Malakai Black & Brody King vs. The Varsity Blondes – The house of Black pick up the pin fall victory

Frankie Kazarian vs. Lance Archer – Archer hits a chokeslam, then connects with the rip-code into the hell-a-coaster. Finally Archer hoists Kazarian up to the top and brings him off the top with his Blackout finisher for the pin fall victory.

Skye Blue vs. Serena Deeb – Deeb applies the serenity lock for the submission victory.

Main Event: The Acclaimed vs. Darby Allin & Sting – Allin connects with his Coffin Drop finisher for the 1-2-3.

IMPACT

Chelsea Green vs. Tasha Steelz (Knockouts #1 contender) – Steelz connects with a crucifix bomb for the 1-2-3.

Decay vs. The Influence – Rayne and Dashwood score the victory after Rosemary gets injured and the two beat Havok in an impromptu two-on-one handicap match.

We get a promo: The Quintessential Diva is Coming!

VSK & Zicky Dice vs. W. Morrissey – Morrissey dominates and gets the east pinfall victory

We are informed by Scoot D’Amore that W. Morrissey will get his shot at the IMPACT ppv No Surrender

ROH World Championship: Jonathan Gresham (C) vs. Steve Maclin (Pure Rules) – with Macklin unable to use the ropes to break the hold, Gresham locks in the figure 4 and while Macklin is in pain, he leaves his shoulders down for the 3 count.

Doc Gallows & Joe Doering vs. Heath & Rhino – 

Winners: Doc Gallows & Joe Doering

Main Event: Charlie Haas vs. Josh Alexander – “The Walking Weapon” earning the “W” with an ankle lock submission.

After The Match: Honor No More Invades Again which leads to Chris Sabin, Willie Mack and Rich Swann to come out and help.

WWE – SMACKDOWN

The show starts out with The Usos accepting  tag match that if they lose, they can’t be ringside at the Royal Rumble, but if Seth loses, he will forfeit his match against Roman

 Sir Kofi Kingston w/ Big E vs Madcap Moss w/ Happy Corbin –  Raw’s Big E showed up to support Kingston as Woods is still out on injury. Kingston defeated Moss with a non-finisher jump kick. 

 Natalya vs Aliyah – Short match that saw Aliyah win by DQ when Natalya refused to heed the ref’s warning. Post match, Xia Li “the Protector” saved Aliyah from a post-match attack.

The Viking Raiders vs Los Lotharios – Short match that saw the Raiders pick up the win with the Viking Experience.

 SmackDown Women’s Championship Contenders Match :Charlotte Flair(c) vs Naomi – Sonya Deville appointed herself the special guest referee and, in a throwback to the  Montreal Screwjob , Deville claims Naomi tapped in a Figure Four when she clearly didn’t. Even McAfee references Bret Hart/the screwjob.

 Ricochet vs Sheamus w/ Ridge Holland – Short match that saw Sheamus return to an impressive form as he picked up the easy victory in short fashion.

 Main Event Special Stipulation Non-Title Tag Match : Seth Rollins & Kevin Owend vs The USO – Rollins picked up the DQ win when Roman Reigns attacked. The Usos are now barred from ringside during the Universal Championship match in eight days.

DALLAS VS 49ERS

NOT THE RUNNING OUT OF THE CLOCK WE WANTED

By Mark Halpern

   As you are all very well aware, I am a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, and I am doing my best in corrupting my kids and getting them to go along with it. What I witnessed on Sunday afternoon was yet another game in which the Cowboys had an excellent chance in moving forward this past weekend but, whether it was rivalry jitters, the wrong game plan, lousy coaching and any other excuse that we Cowboys fans can make come to the surface isn’t going to change the fact that the season is over yet again for the Cowboys.

    Before I get started on my problems, I will be the good Dallas fan I am and I’m going to congratulate the 49ers and wish them luck in Green Bay because they are going to need it.

    Now back to the issue at hand. What happened in Arlington this past Sunday was not a first. We have seen this team get exploited this past season by the hands of different teams they should have beaten. First Tampa, the Cowboys, lost a game they should have won due to terrible placekicking. The Bronco game was another team with weapons, but they shouldn’t have matched and won that game. How about the Arizona game late in the season? Arizona was depleted on both offense and defense, and they still came in underdogs and took care of business. However, for Arizona, it is over for them as well. Those 4 games made all the difference this season. Add those 4 games and make them wins. Dallas would have been the #1 seed. However, you show your vulnerability when you underestimate your opponents and take the game cautiously. One of the big things is that the Cowboys were not good at all this season when having to come back from being down most of the game. 

     Next, I am moving on to the injury front. Offensive lineman Tyron Smith has been injured a lot again this season, and that’s a player you visibly miss because he blocks the weak side of Dak. Why the hell was Zeke Elliott playing with a partially torn PCL. Tony Pollard IS more than a capable back. He could have been the prime starter while Zeke had surgery. If Zeke had surgery early in the season, the Cowboys would be in the territory of Tennessee with them getting Derrick Henry back and at almost 100%. Dak’s calf injury shows why Dallas must prioritize getting a better backup Quarterback. Look, I like Cooper Rush but, he isn’t a viable backup. There will be plenty to pick from after this season, and anyone knows Dallas overpays for players, so they will all be jockeying for position after the season. Other injuries happen and sometimes at the worst times. Losing Gallup on the last game of the season to a torn MCL hurt but, Cedrick Wilson played well in his absence, making his case for next season.

   The game itself was disgraceful. Dallas not putting up more than 7 points in the first half was Ludacris. You could see Zeke was slow but, when you are Elliot, you get the say, not the coaches, and that’s a problem. The penalties killed them as well. You can’t win a game if you commit 14 penalties. Now, mind you, some of them were terrible calls, but you can’t fight city hall. The one penalty that killed Dallas was the hold by Gregory at the end. Ok, I am setting the record straight here; Gregory thought it was the running back and tackled the guy. Unfortunately, it was an offensive lineman, and it became the holding call that killed us. So, in the words of Bill Murphy, “I Absolve you.” Overall, the Dallas defense, while giving up penalties, kept the game close. Deebo was a beast, and he was ready for the task of taking it to one of the best defenses in football. 

     So now that I cleared my mind of all the crap let’s get to the Elephant in the room. Obviously, the final play with 14 seconds is the play I am referring to. Dallas was just about 46-47 yards away and had time for 2 plays. However, that isn’t what happened. On the final play, Dak took off running up the middle and knowing you have no timeouts, you don’t try for extra yards; you slide early and get up and spike it with 2 seconds to go, and you would have been at the 35 for a final play. The ref bumping into Dak bothered me but, he was trying to spot the ball, and it’s the rule you can’t spot the ball yourself, and that is the 2 seconds Dallas needed to try for one more play. Dak tried to make the play of the year but failed.

   Now I am a die-hard, all go, non-stop Dallas Cowboy fan, and I will be loyal to them to my final breath. I love the Cowboys, and we need to bring back the Lombardi Trophy to Dallas. In Conclusion, stay tuned to Halpern’s Final Offer on the network page and on our live shows, as I will explain over the next few months what they need to do to rebuild this team and make changes. 

Ranking The Coaching Vacancies 

By: Mike Rifkin

There are currently eight teams in the NFL that have a head coaching vacancy. The Broncos, Jaguars, Raiders, Dolphins, Giants, Bears, Vikings and Texans all have openings and there are pros and cons to all of these teams. Let’s rank all the vacancies from worst to best.

8) Texans: The Texans fired head coach David Culley after one season. Culley actually did better than a lot of people would have imagined winning four games for the Texans. The story in Houston will continue to be what happens to quarterback Deshaun Watson who didn’t play for the team this season due a legal situation where Watson was accused of 22 sexual assaults and misconducts. Prior to the allegations Watson did tell the Texans he did want to be traded. Rookie Davis Mills did show some promise. It is going to take some time for the Texans to be competitive in the AFC. 

7) Giants. The Giants fired head coach Joe Judge after two abysmal seasons. General manager Dave Gettleman retired after four seasons. Gettleman has put the Giants in a tough spot based on contracts he handed out the Giants have no cap space this offseason. Over the past five seasons the Giants are tied for the worst record in the NFL.  I want it to be noted that I believe there is a lot of talent on this roster especially on offense with receivers Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton. The major question the Giants have to answer is Daniel Jones, the quarterback of the future. The team has until May 3rd to decide if they are picking up his fifth year option. I would NOT pick up the option. Don’t allow a new general manager and new coach to inherit the same quarterback. 

6) Jaguars. Hand up I want to put them higher on the list but can’t. Urban Meyer was fired for being a clueless idiot and doing things real coaches don’t do. But this is a job I really like because whoever becomes the coach inherits Trevor Lawrence who struggled as a rookie but has a ton of upside. Another reason I would put this job higher is there is no expectation of winning right away so a first time coach may get an opportunity to build the team the way they want. 

5) Bears: Head coach Matt Nagy was fired by the team after four seasons and two playoff appearances. If someone takes the Bears job they inherit Justin Fields who showed some glimpses in his rookie season. David Montgomery when healthy is a very good running back. Plus a defense that is still very talented led by Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn who broke the season record for sacks in a season. The Bears will also have 34 million dollars in cap space this offseason. But the biggest thing for me is there is a chance the Bears will not have to play against Aaron Rodgers if he were to leave Green Bay this offseason.

4) Dolphins. The most shocking fire came from Miami where after three seasons Brian Flores was relieved of his duties. Flores was 24-25 in three seasons and his team showed a lot of fight. Whoever gets the gig has to answer one question: Is Tua Tagovailoa their quarterback? Defense is elite, they really need to get some offensive playmakers and work the offensive line. The Dolphins have around 68 million dollars in cap space which right now is tops in the NFL. 

3) Raiders: Made the playoffs this season. Derek Carr is a very underappreciated quarterback, Josh Jacobs is a solid running back. Need to continue to develop the offensive line but the biggest negative is the division where they play Mahomes and Herbert twice a season. The Raiders have about 39 million dollars in cap space this offseason.

2) Vikings: Mike Zimmer was fired after eight seasons as the Vikings coach. He had a record of 72-56-1 and a 2-3 postseason record. An explosive offense of Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen should be appealing to any coaching candidate. Like the Bears if Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay the door is wide open for the Vikings to control the AFC North

  1. Broncos: Vic Fangio was fired after three seasons going 19-30 in those seasons. Denver has a lot of talent on offense with Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Noah Fant. Javonte Williams had a good rookie season. Their defense allowed the third fewest points at 18.9 points per game. Defense also was 8th in yards allowed giving up 326.1 yards per game. Denver has been missing a quarterback since Peyton Manning retired and landing a big head coach could sway a major quarterback into playing for the Broncos. 

Nine Milb Teams Bought Out One Hits Close To Home

By Mark Halpern & Lawrence Lang

So as most of you might not know about the considerable sale just about a month ago. D.B.H. {Diamond Baseball Holdings} purchased nine different minor league franchises, one of them being the Hudson Valley Renegades, which happens to be the New York Yankees single-A long season team.

For most who don’t know, the Hudson Valley renegades have been a part of the Hudson Valley since 1994. They were initially a part of the Texas Rangers organization from 1994-1995 then became apart of the Tampa Bay Rays organization from 96-2020 then in 2021 they became apart of the New York Yankees . Founded by the Goldklang Group. Over the past 27 years, the Renegades have had some great success. They have won six division titles in 1998, 1999, 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2021 {Yankee take over.} They have won 3 championships in 1999,2012, and 2017. This is a great accomplishment for any young franchise.

Lawrence “Patch Man “Lang {President of The Sports Insanity Network} and Mark “Old Ops Guy” Halpern {Current co-host on the S.I.N. and of N.F.L. Blitzer’s}, had the pleasure of working there over the last three years {Halpern 2018-2019 Lang 2018-Present} “I have to say I had the most fun at a job ever. That overseeing the stadium comes with great responsibility and a challenge I was ready for,” Halpern had to say. Lawrence Lang started as an intern on the Fun-Team {promotions for the company} and then moved his way up to cameraman. His final position we can’t divulge as it is top secret. I met Lawrence this way, and that’s how I joined The Sports Insanity Network.

The Hudson Valley Renegades is run and controlled by President Steve Gliner, who has been with the team since 2003 and has put together a great family of employees over the years and had some great success. Lawrence And I had the great pleasure of working directly for him. I contacted Steve and asked him some direct questions that Lawrence and I came up with, and I appreciate the time he took to answer them.

Mark Halpern: After your long relationship with the Goldklang Group, what are your feelings about moving on with ownership?

Steve Gliner: “In 2014 when I was with the Fort Myers Miracle, I was working for the Goldklangs when they sold our team in Fort Myers. I had worked for them since December 1989, just shy of 25 years. As you know, I came back to the Renegades to work for them again in January of 2017 and have been with them for another five years. They are first-class all around. They have always treated my family and me as part of their family. I will miss working for them.”

Lawrence Lang: With your new partnership with DBH, what are you most looking forward to?

Steve Gliner: “We are now part of an ownership group that has tremendous resources behind it, which in turn will only positively impact the overall fan experience at Dutchess Stadium for years to come. The Renegades are best known for the fun atmosphere we provide at all games and events. We expect that we will reach new heights under the Endeavor / Diamond Baseball Holdings umbrella.”

Mark Halpern: Will Richard Zolzer remain with you in a long-time partnership that you guys have been in at the current role he is in now?

Steve Gliner:” Of course! Zolz has been a key part of the Renegades for most of our 27-year existence. It would not be the same without him.”

Lawrence and I enjoyed working with the V.P. of V.P.’s and a great Announcer and were ecstatic to hear he will remain with the club.

Mark Halpern: In 2019, we began stripping and moving and resetting and gutting out Dutchess stadium. At that point, you knew things were changing. New stadium next year, you get the covid virus, then the news that the Yankees have bought the organization, and now the team has been sold. What has it been like for you over the last three years and now? Are you happier where you were or more excited to wear you be?

Steve Gliner: “To say the last three years has been a roller coaster would be a bit of an understatement. It has been the most challenging period in my career, and it is safe to say that most in our industry feel the same. We are certainly looking forward to what lies ahead, though. It’s going to be great when 2022 feels “normal” again!! Playing a full season schedule here in the Hudson Valley as an N.Y. Yankees affiliate is a real dream come true.”

Mark Halpern: How does the family feel about it?

Steve Gliner: “They couldn’t be happier about the change and are behind me 100%.”

Lawrence Lang: With this acquisition, are you expecting more one-on-one with DBH than you had with The Goldklang Group.

Steve Gliner: “I am very excited to see what DBH brings to the table. The Goldklang group was always available for me to talk to them from every facet of the business. They were very good with their 1-1 interaction with me, and I can’t wait to see what that will be like with this new venture.”

Mark Halpern: I’m sure you are thankful for your time and energy into the teams you ran with the Goldklang Group. Are you at all angry about the sale?

Steve Gliner: “Not at all. I am fortunate to have been able to work for the Goldklang family for as long as I have. Nothing is forever, though, and I am pleased that the new ownership is going to be able to help us to run this team so that it will provide the very best experience for our fans and partners.”

We wish to thank Steve Gliner, President of the Hudson Valley Renegades, for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions, and we wish him nothing but the best with his new endeavor.

NHL ALL STAR DUMBEST RULE AND SNUBS

By: Mike Rifkin

Everybody loves the All Star Games. They are games for the fans, Thursday night the NHL announced who will be participating in the All Star Game in Las Vegas. Now there are two things that drive me nuts about All Star Games and how participants are selected. The first is fan voting, but that is a story for another day. The other rule is that every team gets a representative. This rule can work for MLB because of the amount of players on the field. But in hockey with the new format of the All Star Game which is three on three it doesn’t because of limits on the roster. Avalanche Captain and Captain of the Central Division Nahthan Mackinnon said of his teammate Nazem Kadri not being an All Star “ It’s silly. I don’t think every team should send a guy. It’s an All Star Game, not a participation game.”  Mackinnon is right, this is a showcase of the best players in the NHL, it’s not about hurt feelings. So here are my alterations to the All Star rosters without a player from every team.

I will start with the Atlantic and take two forwards out. Nick Suzuki of the Canadiens had a great playoff run, but like the rest of Montreal has not had a great season. Suzuki does lead Montreal with 19 points in 36 games. The other is Drake Batherson of the Senators who is actually having a good year with 29 points in 25 games but if there wasn’t a requirement for every team needing a representative would he be in? My answer is no because there are four forwards, three of which are in the last man vote (voted in by fans) are more worthy. Those players would be Aleksander Barkov of the Panthers who leads them with 15 goals and is one of the best all around centers in the league. Brad Marchand of the Bruins leads them in goals and points and if on the team you can pair him with his linemate Patrice Bergeron to already use a dynamic duo. Lucas Raymond of the Red Wings ( I hear everyone in Detroit loves him) has 30 points in 38 games as a 19 year old on a Detroit team that is still in the playoff race. Last but not least you have Steven Stamkos of the two time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos leads the Lightning 18 goals and 45 points in the most important number 38 games played. Injuries have hampered Stamkos over the years and now that he is healthy he is showing he is still a dangerous scorer. RIFKIN’S PICKS: Stamkos has to go in my opinion if this is a game of showcase. The other spot I would give to Marchand, yes he is a pest but he is a really good hockey player and deserves to be there. Trust me I wouldn’t be angry if Raymond or Barkov were going. 

For the Metropolitan division I believe they got most of it right. I know the Islanders have struggled but Adam Pelech has had a good season but I wouldn’t have a problem subbing him for Kris Letang of the Penguins. 

Onto the Central where the Coyotes own the league’s second worst record are sending winger Clayton Keller. Keller is having a very good season with 12 goals and 26 points. But if not every team had to send a player would Keller be on the radar? You have Nazem Kadri who leads the Avalanche in points with 48. If you asked people before the season started who would lead the Avalanche in points on January 14th their answer would not be Kadri. Ryan Hartman of the Wild deserves to be at the All Star game he is second on Minnesota in scoring and leads in goals with 15. 

The Pacific is where the biggest snub takes place. Troy Terry leads the Ducks in goals and points. More importantly the Ducks are a great story in the NHL and have not been more entertaining since Gordon Bombay as their head coach. Troy Terry should be in over Jordan Eberle of the Kraken. Yes it’s the first season of the Kraken but 12 goals and 24 points in 34 games shouldn’t put him over Terry’s numbers of 22 goals and 36 points. 

Not every team deserves a representative at the All Star game and that’s fine. These games are about growing interest in the game and having fun. But it’s an opportunity for the players to showcase themselves and some of them might not have another chance.

COWBOYS VS 49ERS

BRING IT ON.

By Mark Halpern

Well, here we go. Get your popcorn, break out the nachos, and, let’s face it, any fried food because it’s playoff time. Now the Cowboys won the NFC East division and own a home game, and it isn’t more fitting than it to be against the 49ers. It is no secret that these two teams have a storied history in the playoffs and the regular season. This game will be an actual fight to the finish. Let’s look at our opponents.

     The San Francisco 49ers have a formidable team on offense and at defense. Jimmy Garoppolo leads them; this 49er team has weapons and talent. First, their leader has not had a pro bowl type season but has kept them in games and has done so by being a good field general. Deebo Samuel has done it all on the field this year. Deebo is primarily a wide receiver, but he has been instrumental in the backfield, which makes defenses crazy. Deebo has turned into that two-way player that all teams want. Brandon Aiuk has had a decent year. He had a prolonged start, but by week 10 his name was being heard a lot. He is a dynamic receiver that runs good routes. George Kittle is a tight end and reminds me of some of the greats like Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, Gronk, and Sterling Sharpe. He is physical, has fantastic hands, is not afraid to take a hit, and is one person I would want on the field with the game on the line. The 49er running game has been a little all over the place this season. However, since the last 9 games, Elijah Moore has been handling the running game. He has done a fine job and has caused some headaches.

  The 49er defense is no slouch either. Led by Nick Bosa, they have a top ten defense. Fred Warner has been a leader of linebackers and has excellent help from Azeez Al-Shaair as the man in the middle of the field. Arik Armstead is on the other side of the line and will give linemen trouble. The secondary is vulnerable, but it does have a name that has been a thorn in Dallas’s side for a long time in Josh Norman. By no way is he the same player that he once was but, playing your most hated rival can bring out the best in you. One thing that makes me feel better is that Treyvon Diggs has more interceptions than the entire SF team. So that’s a fun stat.

     We all know what the Cowboys have, but let’s refresh you all. All the Cowboy’s first strings are ready to go. Dak will lead the charge during this game and have the weapons of Zeke, Pollard, Cooper, Lamb, Wilson {in for injured Gallup}, Schultz, and that’s just the primary offense. As I mentioned, the offensive line is fully healthy and will have their hands full. I expect a lot of double teams on Bosa. Dak is going to have to be accurate and make good choices. Cooper, Lamb, Schultz, and Wilson have to give Dak opportunities, and I would not be surprised to see some Malik Turner this week. Zeke and Pollard will have to control this clock with med and long runs. No more of these friggin 1-yard runs. The ground game needs to be alive and keep pushing to get those short thirds and two or three. 

    Now the Dallas defense is ravenous. This season the Cowboy’s defense has been the talk of Dallas. Usually, it’s the offense, but the Dan Quinn defense’s new look is terrifying. At the ends of the d-line, Lawrence and Gregory form a scary attack. The Line Backers of Neal, Vander Esch, and Micha Parsons control the middle of the field and are part of why the defense is so good. However, the Dallas secondary has been the talk of football. Led by Diggs with 11 interceptions {which is more than most teams} this secondary has been named “The No-Fly Zone” because it’s hazardous for opposing quarterbacks to throw it anywhere. The Cowboy’s defense will be the reason Dallas wins this game. The 49ers’ offensive line is good but has not faced anything like what Dan Quinn has put together.

   I foresee a significant victory and a get-ready for the winner of the Tampa/Eagles game. If Tampa wins, Dallas will travel to Tampa, where they lost in week 1 but, not by a large margin. If the Eagles win, they will travel to Dallas. FLOOD THE STADIUM WHITE LET’S GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

Three Cases For the Hall Of Fame

By : Mike Rifkin

On January 25th the 2022 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame will be revealed. People will be focused on where Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens are at entering their tenth and final year on the ballot. People will also be interested to see where first time candidates Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz wind up. To get into the Hall a player needs 75% of the votes from the baseball writers. Here are three candidates I believe should get to Cooperstown eventually.

I’m going to start with Todd Helton. Helton, who spent his entire 17 year career with the Colorado Rockies got 44.9% of the vote last year, his fourth on the ballot. A lot of people will look at Helton’s numbers and say that they are inflated because he played at Coors Field, but Larry Walker who played a chunk of his career in Colorado just got in. Helton has a career slash line of .316/.414/.539 making him one of 23 players ever with a .300/.400/.500 slash line. If you are into sabermetrics, Helton has a 54.2 WAR according to JAWS developed by Jay Jaffe which ranks 15th all time among first basemen. 11 of those are already in the Hall and the other three are Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto and Rafael Palmerio. Two of those three will get into Cooperstown one day. Voters should not penalize Helton for playing his entire career in Colorado, in fact I think players who spend their entire career with one franchise deserve a lot more credit. 

Then there is a case to be made for Scott Rolen. Rolen played 17 seasons with the Phillies, Cardinals, Reds and Blue Jays. Last year Rolen got 52.9% of the Hall of Fame vote, as he enters his fifth year of eligibility.  Offensively Rolen ranks top 15 among third basemen in home runs (316), RBI (1,287) and slugging percentage (.490). Rolen won eight Gold Gloves which trails only Brooks Robinson(16), Mike Schmidt (10), and Nolan Arenado (9) for third basemen. Robinson and Schmidt are already in the Hall and Arenado is on his way there but still active. The average WAR for third basemen in the Hall is 59.8 and Rolen has a 70.1 WAR. Rolen was a member of the 2006 Cardinals who won the World Series against the Tigers. In that series Rolen was 8-19 with three doubles, one home run, two RBI and five runs scored. It gave him a slash line of .421/.476/.737. Rolen’s career slash line is .281/.364/.490.

The last case I will make here is for Andruw Jones. Entering his sixth year on the ballot Jones got 33.9% of the vote last year. Jones was a member of the Atlanta Braves that ran the National League East in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. From 1998-2007 Jones had the third best WAR in Baseball only trailing Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez. Jones is one of three Center Fielders to win 10 Gold Gloves along with Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr.. Jones is also one of four players with 10 gold gloves and 400 plus home runs joining Mays, Griffey and Mike Schmidt. From 1998-2007 he had at least 25 home runs and drove in at least 84 runs. Like Rolen I have a hard time penalizing a guy for getting hurt. Andruw should be able to join Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones and Manager Bobby Cox in the Hall of Fame. 

For this year Bonds, Clemens, Rodriguez, Schilling and Ortiz might steal the headlines but I am very interested in seeing how Helton, Jones and Rolen project going forward. I believe to a degree all three were a bit overshadowed. Jones by Glavine, Maddux, Smoltz and Chipper. Helton by Walker and the fact that the Rockies were rarely in contention. Rolen by Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds. But I believe all three of these guys deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

The Final “Judge” ment has been made  

By Bill Murphy 

Well after two miserable seasons New York Giants Head Coach, Joe Judge has been fired.  Judge finished his tenure  in New York with an abysmal  10-23 record .  Over the past couple weeks there was speculation about Joe Judge’s future, right before the week 16 game against the Eagles, It was reported that Judge was going to be safe for the 2022-23 season. After that game there was talk that John Mara said if a new GM said that they need to move on from Judge he would do that.  

  Calling Judge incompetent is an understatement, in all of my years watching the Giants, Judge has to be the absolute worst coach, I’ve seen. My problems with Judge range from the excuses such as “my headset wasn’t working and I couldn’t see the game “to the stupid game decisions that were made such as just this past week when he made the decision to do a QB sneak at third and nine on his own five-yard line.  His reason being he wanted to give his punter more room. 

The worst of all in my opinion was after the week 17 loss against the Bears in his press conference when he went on a bizarre 11-minute rant. In the rant, He said some things like “this ain’t no clown show “went on about how he changed the culture in the locker room and former players were reaching out to him about how they wanted to come back to the Giants. Judge also blamed his predecessor Pat Shurmur and former Offensive Coordinator Jason Garret (who was fired earlier in the season). He also said that they were “heading in the right direction “. This stunt showed that Judge is delusional and refuses to take responsibility for the state of his team.

It is beyond fair to say that John Mara made the right decision and didn’t wait. There were reports that the Players wanted him gone and that Giants Co- owner Steve Tisch was saying that he would be open to making changes “beyond just a new GM. “Big changes are coming to the Meadowlands with the retirement of General Manager Dave Gettleman on Monday and Judge’s firing on Tuesday, Mara and Tisch now have decisions to make that can make or break this team as they begin their rebuild. It’s a long road ahead, but for now Giant fans rejoice!!!!

Flores Fired: Instant Reaction

By: Mike Rifkin

Brian Flores has been fired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins season ended the same way it started a victory over the New England Patriots, and for the first time since 2000 swept the Patriots. In his three years as the Dolphins coach Flores was 4-2 against his former mentor Bill Bellichick and had an overall record of 24-25. 

Flores had a 19-14 record the last two seasons and gave the Dolphins back to back winning seasons for the first time since 2003. The Dolphins started this season at 1-7 and finished with a record of 9-8,he also didn’t have his starting quarterback for four games. This team could have quit at any point this season, but they didn’t and found their way back into playoff positioning as of week 17.  He also had to coach in a difficult circumstance when the team was pursuing Deshaun Watson of the Texans, despite the legal situation of Watson. Brian Flores IS  a good coach. Just look at his first season as the coach the team was not good and were in position to draft a quarterback and he still found a way for them to win five games. 

The major catalyst for them during the seven game winning streak was the defense.  In six of the seven games during the streak the defense allowed 17 points or less and held teams to under 300 total yards. The defense which last season feasted on turnovers and having a +9 turnover differential, during this streak forced 14 turnovers. Rookies Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland had excellent rookie years playing in Flores defense. 

Owner Stephen Ross said today that he will not be hiring Jim Harbaugh from Michigan. But whoever he hires it better be somebody Dolphin fans like because the firing of Flores makes no sense and I don’t believe this is the last change for the Dolphins as they enter the offseason. Brian Flores didn’t deserve to be fired so Chris Grier and Stephen Ross the pressure is now on both of you.

Believe In The Blue Shirts 

By: Mike Rifkin

After Monday’s 4-1 win over the Oilers the New York Rangers sat atop the entire NHL. I think most people will agree that this is a major shock. I think most people had them competing for a playoff spot. The Rangers have won three in a row including a home and home sweep of the two time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The most impressive thing about the last two wins is they have done that without their best player Artemi Panarin who is in Covid protocols. 

A lot of credit goes to first year General Manager Chris Drury and first year coach Gerard Gallant. Gallant had previously coached the Blue Jackets, Panthers, and Golden Knights. He had made the playoffs on three separate occasions including taking Vegas to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. Drury, who was the assistant GM under Jeff Gorton, was promoted once Gorton was fired. Drury inherited a very skilled team, but his mission this offseason was to get tougher for the team to play against, a lot of people point to the Tom Wilson incident late last season or how they played against the rival New York Islanders but if you go back and watch a lot of the Stanley Cup Champions over the past decade or so they all had a bit of toughness to them. Barclay Goodrow who was acquired from the Lightning brings playoff experience, versatility, among other things. Goodrow has played in every game so far this season he has seven goals including three in his last three games played and sixteen points and has a rating of  +6. The Rangers also added enforcer Ryan Reaves this offseason. Reaves was coached by Gallant in Vegas and brings toughness to the team. He is currently third in the league in hits and has six assists. They also traded winger Pavel Buchnevich to the Blues for Sammie Blais. Blais in 14 games had four assists before tearing his ACL. 

But like I said at the top Gallant and Drury inherited a very skilled team. That starts with Artemi Panarin the skilled left winger has 10 goals and 36 points in 31 games played. Panarin has missed the last two games due to covid protocols. Continuing down the left side there is the longest tenured Ranger Chris Kreider who leads the team with 20 goals a mark he has hit for the sixth time in his career and fourth consecutive. Kreider has never had a 30 goal season. Playing with Kreider is Mika Zibanejad who the Rangers gave a massive eight year contract to. Zibanejad has nine points in his last six games including a hat trick against the Lightning. Continuing at center there is Ryan Strome who is an impending unrestricted free agent has eight points in his last seven games, including four in the last two without Panarin. Then there is reigning Norris winner Adam Fox who is tied with Victor Hedman in points for a defenseman with 35. Fox averages 24:39 on ice per game. Jacob Trouba who the Rangers acquired from the Jets prior to the 19-20 season and signed a seven year 56 million dollar contract has played his best hockey as a Ranger posting six goals and fifteen points. But Trouba’s physical play is what sets him apart from most of the other Rangers defensemen. Then there is goaltender Igor Shesterkin who the Rangers gave a four year 22 million dollar contract in the offseason has a 15-4-2 record with a 2.09 goals against average and a .936 save percentage and two shutouts. The 2.09 GAA ranks fifth in the NHL and the .936 save percentage is fourth. 

How can you talk about the Rangers and not talk about some of the youth on the roster. Alexis Lafreniere and Kappo Kakko each have 11 points on the season, but you can tell they play with more confidence than they had last year. Whether that has to do with the coaching change or the fact that both players got a full training camp but they play with more confidence. Then there is a player like Julien Gauthier who has five points in 25 games but he also is playing with more confidence playing every game since coming in for Blais. But the guy who has probably taken the biggest step forward is K’Andre Miller the second year defenseman has six points in 34 games, but you can see when you watch him that he also has a bit more confidence and is growing into one of the better young defensemen in the NHL.

A lot of credit should go to Jeff Gorton for putting a lot of the pieces on this roster. But combining the coaching change with the acquisitions of some veterans along with the growth of the young players has the New York Rangers in a very good position. What that means for this season I have no idea but it will be fun to watch