POST RAW AFTER SUMMERSLAM TAKES

BY MIKE RIFKIN

I was in attendance for Raw Monday night, after SummerSlam. Here are some hot takes for both shows. 

  • Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns MUST wait until WrestleMania : Roman Reigns attempted to get his hands on his former Shield brother on Monday night, only to get caught stomped, and Tsunamied by Bronson Reed. According to sources Reigns is scheduled to film a movie, but when he returns (hopefully for wargames) he must face Reed and Bron Breakker, before eventually getting Rollins in a singles match. It doesn’t need a title, that match alone should headline one of the two nights of Mania. 
  • CM PUNK HAS TO PUT LA KNIGHT OVER : Punk, obviously pissed off that his bitter rival Rollins cashed in his Money In The Bank contract on him Saturday night interfered in Rollins’ match against Knight for the belt Monday. Knight and Punk were arguing all the way to the back, if this is the next program for both Knight needs to go over. Knight, who is one of the more popular acts in the company has kinda floundered since losing the United States title at Wrestlemania. Punk, on the other hand can afford to lose, his name recognition along with his history with Rollins will keep him in the title picture. 
  • Put Up Or Shut Up With Zayn : Every week Sami Zayn cuts the same promo about wanting to be the World Champion. Should Zayn be a World Champ sure, will he be? I don’t know. But at some point they need to decide if they’ll pull the trigger. I also think the WWE Universe is sick of the same promos, as well as fans were cheering Karrion Kross at SummerSlam against Zayn. Fans were all for Zayn when he beat Gunther at Mania 40, but the underdog can only get so far. Imagine the sympathy Zayn would’ve gotten if Rollins cashed in on him instead of Punk. Or if they gave Zayn the King Of The Ring instead of Cody Rhodes. 
  • Tag Division Needs A Makeover : JD McDonagh and Finn Balor cut a promo going over all the teams they’ve beaten. There is one team they haven’t fought yet and that would be the team of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. If the plan is for Rollins’ vision to hold the gold and have the power, they’ll need the tag titles. If it’s not Breakker and Reed, I’m not sure who is next in line for a title shot.

Does MLB Need a Salary Cap?

By : Mike Rifkin

It’s been reported that over the weekend that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred met with the Philadelphia Phillies in New York to discuss multiple things including a salary cap in the next CBA. The current CBA (collective bargaining agreement) will expire December 1st 2026. According to the reports Phillies superstar Bryce Harper got in Manfred’s face and had a heated discussion after the commissioner suggested a salary cap. But does baseball need a salary cap?

Now, I will be the first one to say that some of these massive contracts handed out in Baseball are ridiculous. I think it’s insane that Shohei Ohtani (who got a 700 million dollar contract) technically makes two million because of deferred money. Quite a few teams did lose money when Diamond Sports Group, which owned Bally Sports went bankrupt, and MLB had to step in and have some local games produced and distributed by them. 

Now, while I think some of the contracts are ridiculous, I also despise owners who refuse to spend money. There’s no reason to punish teams like the Dodgers, Mets and others who will spend money, while teams like the Pirates, White Sox, etc… don’t spend a dime to improve their teams. There’s no reason for people to talk about the Pirates trading ace Paul Skenes, who is in just his second season, but because people in the game know the Pirates will not pay him, we’re already hearing those rumblings. There are times when these small market teams will make a splash and it doesn’t work, just look at the Rockies when they signed Kris Bryant to a seven year 182 million dollar contract. Since signing with the Rockies Bryant has played in 170 games and has 17 homers and 61 RBI’S along with a slash line of .244/.324/.370 along with a .695 OPS and has a WAR of -1.6. Injuries have been the big reason for Bryant’s struggles with the Rockies and you could sympathize with that. When the Rockies traded star third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals, one they didn’t get a ton back for one of the best players in the game, but they also paid the Cardinals 50 million dollars to take the contract. 

Let’s be honest here even if Baseball were to institute a salary cap, I’m not sure that changes things. For me the thing that changes everything are the owners. Do owners want to win or do they want to just profit, if the answer is profit, then they should sell their franchise and allow their fans to get some hope. Despite being in bigger markets, the Mets and Dodgers, who did spend money prior to being sold, they were a little more cautious, but once they were sold they’ve spent money and it has reignited the passion in the fanbases. So, baseball shouldn’t institute a cap, just get owners who are willing to give a damn.

IS THE POLAR BEAR GONNA STAY?

BY MARK HALPERN

The New York Mets lineup is one of the deadliest lineups in all of baseball. When the Mets signed Juan Soto, there were a few purposes. One Soto is an elite talent and two if the Mets were to be able to re-sign Pete Alonso, he’d have protection in the lineup for the first time. The Mets were able to re-sign Alonso to a two year contract. And to this point Pete’s having a fantastic season with 22 homers and 81 RBI’S along with a slash line of .263/.354/.499 with a .853 OPS. The slash line is way better than it was a year ago, probably when his contract was weighing on him. Alonso’s slash last season was .240/.329/.459 with an .788 OPS. 

          The one constant in the Mets lineup this season has been Alonso hitting behind Soto, where that’s in the two or three spot in the order. But now the emergence of Jeff McNeil along with Baty, Vientos, Mauricio and Alvarez are all looking like they’ve found their groove.          Alonso will turn 31 in December, and we are pretty sure he’ll opt out of his deal after the season. Most people believe Pete didn’t want to leave in free agency last winter, so what would change now? Well for one Pete’s having a better season than he did a year ago, but how many teams are going to be willing to pay a 31 year old big money on a long term deal? With the trade deadline approaching, and the Mets having needs in both the bullpen and rotation, is it possible that the Mets deal Mark Vientos, and what would that tell, that the Mets either believe prospect Ryan Clifford is close, or they’re willing to give Pete what he deserves. Now, as Met fans we got to witness something last week and that was the jersey retirement of David Wright, who is the greatest player to play his whole career for the Mets. Alonso, has a chance to surpass that if he were to play his whole career in Queens. So how do David Stearns and Steve Cohen make this happen? For Alonso to stay Mike Rifkin and I are pretty close on a deal : Mike at 6/180 and I’m at 5/200 w/player option. That would put Pete at about $40 per year and I think after this season and what could be the start to a Mets dynasty, I believe it is in the Mets best option to get this done sooner than later however, Alonso might want to wait until the season is over to keep distractions at a minimum.

PLEASE SHUT UP

BY MIKE RIFKIN

We aren’t even a week into training camp and already both Jerry and Stephen Jones are putting their foot in their mouths on the same subject paying Micah Parsons. On Saturday in Oxnard, California fans were chanting for the Cowboys to pay Parsons. Stephen Jones was asked about this on Sunday and said “ We want to pay Micah too. He’s got to want to be paid.” I don’t consider myself a genius, but something tells me Parsons wants to get paid. Jerry Jones said to open camp even if they paid Parsons, it doesn’t mean they’ll have him because he missed four games last season. Jerry went on to say “ He made Dak Prescott the richest player in football and he missed two-thirds of the year.” Yes, Jerry injuries happen all the time and that is part of the risk when you sign guys to long term contracts.

I don’t understand what the Joneses are thinking here, there’s no reason to poke Parsons. Parsons is not holding out unlike receiver CeeDee Lamb last season. Speaking of Lamb, Jerry said on Sunday regarding the fans chanting for him to pay Parsons, “That was a feint little sound compared to the way they were hollering last year, Pay Lamb. But it was a big loud chant last year on Lamb.” 

Unlike Lamb, who held out last year before getting his contract, Parsons is at training camp this season. Now, where Jerry is right is the fact that Parsons did miss four games last season. Despite missing the four games Parsons was still tied for fifth in the league with 12 sacks. Also the 12 sacks were a career low for Parsons, who has 52.5 since being drafted 12th overall in 2021 by the Cowboys. The 52.5 sacks are fifth in the NFL only trailing Myles Garrett, TJ Watt, Trey Hendrickson, and Nick Bosa. Parsons has seen both Garrett and Watt get new deals this offseason, while Hendrickson sits at home and is waiting for the Bengals to pay him as well. 

If I was in the Parsons’ camp, I’m not sure I’m happy with how the Cowboys are handling this. Jerry mentioned during the season that he doesn’ t know Parsons’ agent. Now they’re talking openly about the contract and some other stuff. If I was Parsons I might just test the market, unless the Cowboys show him his true worth. Now, remember last season, the morning of week one the Cowboys made Dak the richest player in Football. Either way, if I’m a Cowboy fan I want my owner to shut up and pay the man.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR AUTOGRAPH IS REAL OR NOT?

BY MARK HALPERN

   Over the last year, two major counterfeit dealers of sports memorabilia were caught and charged. They were convicted to forging over $6million dollars of high-end autographs from some of the most famous athletes. Names ranging from Tom Brady and Joe Burrow, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan, Lebron James and yes, the Black Mamba Kobe Bryant. For the people who bought the items whether directly from these dealers or by way of a second party, you paid all that money and the item is not real. One forger took his own life with fears of what was going to happen. For the people he took advantage of they have a very small chance of ever recovering their investment. As for the other forger, he is a Russian. He is in custody for autographed memorabilia, fake coins, stamps and jewelry. 

     Fake Autographs in the sports memorabilia is more common than you think. There are many Authentication companies out their that are safe to use. JSA, PSA, SGC, BGS and Tri Star are the top five companies out on the market. As long as it comes with the COA (Certificate of Authenticity) and it matches in their online database then it generally is Authentic. 

   Now when you go to big Sport Card Shows such as the National buying boxes of cards and individual autograph cards you know what companies you’re dealing with and if on a sport card from Topps, Panini, Upperdeck and Leaf its genuine. However, it’s not just sports cards on display, no there is hundreds of dealers selling autograph memorabilia and better than half have questionable COA’s. These usually come from the dealer him self or another third party that has no online database and it’s their word it’s good. The term Caveat Emptor (which means buyer beware) comes into play very prominently in this case. If the COA is not from a reputable company and they are not willing to let JSA or PSA authenticate (JSA and PSA are at most trade shows) then many red flags should go up. If the autograph you are looking at is one of the ones that I recommend using, simply download their app and punch in the certificate number and as long as it comes up with exactly what you are getting then you should feel safe going home with your new part of your collection.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE WNBA AND THE CBA

BY Mark Halpern

On April 4, 1996 the world was introduced to first ever professional women’s sports  league the WNBA. The WNBA set the standard and now there are more Women’s professional sports than ever before. The league opened with eight teams for its first year and the teams were strategically placed in dominate NBA states at the time to try and grab some of those fans that would have to chance to watch Basketball played all year round between the NBA and WNBA. The leagues first teams were the Charlotte Sting, Clevland Rockers, Houston Comets, New York Liberty, Los Angles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and the Utah Stars. Some of the first players drafted were Rebecca Lobo (Liberty), Sheryl Swoopes (Comets) and Lisa Leslie (Sparks). These three set the standard of what the WNBA would become. 

    The WNBA is at it’s peak in terms of popularity, with stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu among others. This past weekend during the All-Star Game in Indianapolis, the players came out in Black T-shirts saying “Pay us what you owe us”. This was a message to the league in regards to the CBA, which expires October 31st. Players wearing the shirt included A’ja Wilson (ACES), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Alyssa Thomas (SUN) and Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty).  Let’s take a look at some numbers, National viewership for the WNBA is up 23 percent from last year and attendance is up 26 percent, the highest it has been in decades, and merchandise sales are up 40 percent. The WNBA has always had stars from Lisa Leslie to Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi. But now the league is deeper than ever before and has a lot of star power at once. One of the names that has transcended the league is Caitlin Clark, from her rise at Iowa to what she has done for the Indiana Fever has been amazing. The WNBA has become so popular that this year the Golden State Valkyries joined the league, there will be teams in Portland and Toronto next season, and by 2030 Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will all have expansion teams. Starting next season a 2.2 Billion dollar broadcast deal, where games can be seen on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC, NBCUniversal (NBC, USA, PEACOCK), and Amazon Prime. So between the media deal, the increase in attendance and merch sales and the expansion teams (they paid a fee) is the WNBA saying they can’t increase the player’s pay?

 Caitlin Clark, the face of the league is scheduled to earn $78,066 this season, next season she will make $85,873 and in 2027 she’ll make $97,582 and remember she is on a rookie contract and has endorsements. Breanna Stewart is making $208,400 on the season. To put this into perspective LeBron James, who like Stewart is on a one year deal will make 56 MILLION DOLLARS. Jayson Tatum, who isn’t going to play this season will make 54 million. ( Not sure if he gets it all or if there’s insurance.) Yes, the NBA plays more games than the WNBA, but it is much cheaper for someone to take their family to a WNBA game than an NBA game. 

   In conclusion I am all for equal pay. Will there still be a gap between how WNBA and NBA players are paid: Yes, but that doesn’t mean that the WNBA players don’t deserve a raise. They absolutely do, and now with the league as popular as it is these players deserved to be rewarded.

CHARK A COWBOY?

BY MARK HALPERN

The Dallas Cowboys have an opportunity to bring in another Pro Bowl caliber Wide Receiver to their depth chart. D.J Chark, who has spent his time in the NFL with  five different teams (Jacksonville who drafted him, Detroit, Carolina and Chargers) and has been considering retirement. 

      On July 17th, Chark was asked if his plan was to retire from the NFL. Chark responded “Well I am mulling retirement but, if the Cowboys come calling, I would be very interested.” He also mentioned Houston or New Orleans because of geographical location to where he wants to end up living. (Note Chark visited the Bears on Monday) Chark made the Pro Bowl in 2019 as a member of the Jaguars. 2019 is the only season Chark has gone for over 1,000 yards. Injuries have hampered Chark’s career, he’s only played in 15 games twice in his career, but he’ll be 29 during the season and would provide an instant deep threat to go along with Cee Dee Lamb and recently acquired WR George Pickens. 

    The Cowboys currently have a little over $24 million in salary cap left for this season. Looking over Chark’s numbers I would offer a 2-year deal for $12 million paying him $6 million per season, max. That’s beyond a fair offer for a former pro bowl receiver. Chark would probably land as the third or fourth receiver along with Kavonte Turpin and Jalen Tolbert competing for spots. If the Dallas Cowboys go this way it not only will be an instant upgrade but will give Dak Prescott the best targets he has had in a few years.

ALL IN

BY MIKE RIFKIN

The Pittsburgh Steelers put an exclamation point on their offseason by re-signing star Edge rusher TJ Watt to a three year 123 million dollar extension. The 41 million dollar AAV makes Watt the highest paid non-qb in the NFL. GM Omar Khan and Coach Mike Tomlin were busy this offseason, in addition to Watt coming back, the Steelers added Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Receiver DK Metcalf, and Cornerback Jalen Ramsey to their roster. All of these moves mean the Steelers are all in, but the question is should the Steelers be all in? 

The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 AFC Divisional round against the Chiefs. Last season the Steelers lost their last five games (including playoffs) against the Eagles, Ravens (2x), Chiefs, and Bengals. So in important games down the stretch the Steelers choked, and it feels like they’ve choked in big games over the past few seasons. Yes, Aaron Rodgers is an upgrade over Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, but there while his overall numbers were solid, Rodgers had some games where he terrible and is 41 years old. 

But should these moves make the Steelers favorites in the AFC? The answer is simple, No, I don’t think the Steelers are even the best team forget in their own division, they’re not the best team in their own state. But, I will not take them over the Chiefs, Bills, or Ravens, if the Bengals figure out their defense they might be better.Outside of the division the Steelers will have games against four playoff teams (Bills, Vikings, Lions, and Packers). The Steelers are all in this season, but what happens if they fail? Will there be repercussions, or will the Steelers continue to be the same?

2025 MLB First Half Awards

By Mike Rifkin

At the All-Star Break, here is how I would vote for each award. 

AMERICAN LEAGUE 

MVP  : Cal Raleigh – Mariners : Raleigh already has surpassed his career high with 38 homers at the break. His slash line is not that of Aaron Judge, but his .259/.376/.634 line is respectable. He also is second in OPS, only trailing Judge. But the most impressive thing about Raleigh is he is doing this while catching everyday. Other Candidate : Aaron Judge (Yankees)

CY YOUNG : Tarik Skubal – Tigers : The Tigers have the best record in baseball (more on that later), and Skubal is a major part of that. Skubal is in the top ten in wins, ERA, Strikeouts and WHIP. Skubal is also looking for his second consecutive Pitching Triple Crown. Other Candidates : Max Fried (Yankees), Garrett Crochet (Red Sox)

MANAGER OF THE YEAR  : AJ Hinch – Tigers : If I asked you before the season, who would have the best record in baseball at the break, how many people would say the Detroit Tigers? Answer is probably not many, and the man in charge deserves a ton of credit. The Tigers are getting contributions from everyone and that’s a credit to Hinch. Other Candidates : Joe Espada (Astros), John Schneider (Blue Jays), Alex Cora (Red Sox)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MVP : Pete Crow -Armstrong – Cubs : I’ll be honest I really just didn’t want to hand another MVP to Ohtani, so I looked for someone as deserving. The Cubs have had a fantastic first half and this 23 year old sensation has been a big reason why. Crow-Armstrong has 25 homers and 71 RBI, to go with a slash line of .265/.302/.544 with 27 stolen bases, while playing a great Center Field. (All Met fans reminder to thank Zack Scott). Other candidates : Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers), Pete Alonso (Mets) 

CY YOUNG : Zack Wheeler – Phillies – Wheeler has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Phillies, but has yet to win a CY Young award. In the first half Wheeler has posted a 9-3 record with a 2.36 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts all in the top ten in baseball. He has a 3.7 strikeout to walk ratio as well. He’s having this kinda season without his partner in crime in Aaron Nola, who has been hurt, but really struggled beforehand. Other candidates : Logan Webb (Giants), Paul Skenes (Pirates), Cristopher Sanchez (Phillies)
MANAGER OF THE YEAR : Craig Counsell – Cubs : Every year the Central divisions are guess work. But nobody thought the Cubs would have the second best record in the NL, just a half game behind the Dodgers. But they’re doing this with Justin Steele out with Tommy John surgery and Shota Imanaga missed time with a hamstring injury, those were the top two starters for the Cubs last season. Counsell is doing a tremendous job. Other candidates : Pat Murphy(Brewers), Carlos Mendoza (Mets)

Quarterbacks Under Pressure

BY : Mike Rifkin

With training camp a couple weeks away, ESPN has released their top 10 Quarterbacks for 2025 through conversations with executives, scouts and coaches. Here is the list https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45530940/top-10-nfl-quarterbacks-execs-scouts-2025-espn-jeremy-fowler-position-rankings. This list is going to be a little different, this list will be the top 10 quarterbacks I believe are under pressure this season. 

  1.  Trevor Lawrence – Jags : Lawrence signed a five year 275 million dollar in October, and the AAV is tied for the highest in the league with Joe Burrow. Last season Lawrence had a 60.6 completion percentage, 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. If Lawrence doesn’t show improvement under new coach Liam Cohen, maybe there’s another team that will take a chance on the former number one pick. 
  1. Caleb Williams – Bears : The Bears spent their offseason doing one thing and that was build around Caleb Williams. Wether it was the additions on the offensive line or the hiring of Ben Johnson, Bears fans are going to want to see an improved Williams and potentially compete in the NFC North.
  1. Dak Prescott- Cowboys : You knew this was coming, Mike McCarthy didn’t get a pass with Dak getting hurt last season. Here is where I have to give Jerry Jones some credit, the addition of George Pickens to play alongside Ceedee Lamb gives Dak a tremendous duo at receiver. So playmakers is one reason the Cowboy QB is under pressure, him being the highest paid QB in the league is another, and the biggest reason Dak is under fire is because for the second time Cowboy fans saw the Eagles win the Lombardi. 
  1. Aaron Rodgers – Steelers : There’s only one reason Rodgers is on this list, and that is he believes the Pittsburgh Steelers are good enough to get to Santa Clara and the Super Bowl. If Rodgers can’t get the Steelers there it’s a failure and all the pressure is on Rodgers ( and should be on Tomlin too).
  1. Justin Herbert – Chargers : One of the questions I ask myself every year, Is Justin Herbert an elite QB? Stats wise he’s fantastic, but when they falter it’s not on Herbert. Whether it’s a lack of receivers or the defense can’t hold the lead, it’s not Herbert’s fault. Well the last time we saw Herbert, he threw four interceptions against the Texans in the playoffs. So, why is Herbert under pressure this season, because he has the same amount of playoff wins as me, and that’s not good. Time for the former Duck to put up or for the media to shut up. 
  1. Brock Purdy – 49ers : Brock got his bag and it’s deserved, but now to quote the great Uncle Ben from Spiderman : “With great power, comes great responsibility”. The Niners were a team decimated by injuries last season, and now healthy it’s on Brock to play like an elite talent and take the Niners to the promiseland. 
  2. Tua Tagovailoa – Dolphins : I know what you’re thinking, how can you put Tua this low on the list? Well, the answer is simple, the Dolphins don’t have the same expectations as some of these other teams entering the season. But, this is a major year for Tua and he has to do one thing in order to make it a success and that is stay healthy. If he has another injury plagued season, his career could be in jeopardy.
  1. JJ Mccarthy – Vikings : The  Vikings were one of the best stories in football last season, led by Sam Darnold. Now they’ve let Darnold walk and said no to Aaron Rodgers, because they believe in the former Michigan Wolverine. With the roster the Vikings have assembled, Mccarthy must lead them to the playoffs, which is asking a lot of a guy coming off ACL surgery. 
  1. Michael Penix Jr. – Falcons : This is not Penix’s fault, this is on the Falcons front office, who after signing Kirk Cousins decided to take Penix with eighth overall pick. Penix played in five games last season, and showed some glimpses, but now he has to prove the Falcons were right in taking him after signing Cousins otherwise somebody’s got a lot of explaining to do. 
  1.  Anthony Richardson – Colts : If you lose your starting job to Daniel Jones ( who apparently the Counting Crows song Mr. Jones isn’t about) you have a massive issue. Richardson, has dealt with some shoulder issues as well, but if he can’t prove to the Colts he is their future Quarterback, he will be out of the league shortly. 

Honorable Mention : Justin Fields (Jets)

People who will read this list are going to ask where are Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, well I’ll tell you their only pressure is to win the Super Bowl, the 10 listed above most of them (outside of Rodgers) have more to prove, and that’s why they’re under more pressure.