Open Match

By Mark Halpern

The Open Championship was held at Royal St George last week, and it was full of top players. If you read my blog, I had picked John Rahm to win it. Looking where he finished at 3rd place was a good standing but, his first round was atrocious. He shot 71 1 over par on the first round, which brought into question what was wrong. The OpenChampionchip was the time for other golfers to set the bar. Rahm did come back the next three rounds, shooting a 64 6under par his second round, a 69 two under par the third round, and a 66 f under par final round good enough for him to secure third. That terrible first-round caused him the chance to contend for first. He was my pick to win it.

Collin Morikawa won the open, finishing with 15 under par to win the open. He had plenty of challenges throughout the weekend, but his consistent accuracy on the fairways and his short game was too hard for others to contend with. He is an exceptionally talented young golfer and tied a record with Tiger Woods with making his last 22 cuts in a row. At 24 years old, he is well on his way to having an insane career and will challenge most PGA events in the years to come.

One golfer who kept on Morikawa’s heels was Jordan Spieth, who started with fire and had a quiet but uneventful third round which kept him in reaching distance of Morikawa but, the final round Spieth who also one of my picks, could not pass Morikawa and finished in second at 13 under for the match. The other golfer who was in contention throughout the match was Louis Oosthuizen. He was in first after the first round in the first round and was at the top of the leader board several times, but his final round of 1 over par had him fall shot and drop to third. Hats off to him and his fantastic play.

Bryson Dechambeau had parted with his caddy the week before and has not been himself since. Pardon my language. He shit the bed in this tournament. The Open Championship is a Major where he should have won and was the favorite to do so. However, he was not the only one who did not show up. Poor Phil Mickelson finished 14 over par and missed the cut. He was predicted to place but, I figured he would have made the cut.
Honorable mentions go out to Brooks Koepka, McKenzie Hughes, and Dylan Frittelli for playing consistent rounds and challenging the leaderboard. In my opinion, Rahm got rammed in that first round and cost him any chance of challenging Morikawa. I am incredibly happy for Morikawa and cannot wait to see Morikawa play more over the next few months, and that is how the old man sees it.

Paul Needs to Ball

By Mark Halpern (Written 7/20/2021 12:00 pm in case this posts after the game)

So, tonight is game six of the NBA finals. The Milwaukee Bucks won a crucial game on the road in Phoenix to bring game six back home. We all know home-court advantage always gives the home team an upper advantage. Can the Suns force a game seven tonight? It’s possible, but only if their star point guard shows up?
Chris Paul is a 16-year veteran in the NBA, has been a leader on any team he has played for, and has played in many big games. In the first two games of this series, he was excellent. Paul created tons of opportunities for other players like Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Jae Crowder. He is one of the best passers in the game, and when he is not dishing, he usually is swishing.

He is a great shooter from in the paint to beyond the arc. Paul has been averaging close to five a game, and while that does not seem like a lot to some people, it means a lot in the game. However, over the last three games, he has been very sloppy. Quietly we do not hear about one stat from him, and that is his turnovers. Each turnover costs the team points. So, you have to figure that are 10 points of missed opportunities. When he last played in Milwaukee, Jrue Holiday played terrific defense against him, and we expect that to be the same tonight.The Suns need to develop a plan to make sure Paul can capitalize on those opportunities, whether it is setting up screens or the old fashion pick and roll. All that matters is that he is given the time to create opportunities so the suns can force a game seven. Paul needs to be the player he was during the first two games of this series, and if he cannot, then the Bucks could end it tonight. I, for one, would love nothing more than to see a game 7 in this series. Both teams are full of talent, and anything can happen. I believe I had picked the Bucks in 6, so I am hoping for it to happen. If Paul does show up, then we will see that game seven in Phoenix later this week, and that is how the old man sees it.

Is The Yankee Season Salvageable ?

By Bill Murphy 

I was born in 1994, so I was around during the golden age of the New York Yankees, seeing them win seven American League Pennants and Five World Series. One of my earliest memories of watching baseball was watching the core four (Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettite).  My  Dad and my uncle always told me, my brother, and my cousin that we were spoiled with the Yankees from seeing their dominance in the late 90s and into the 2000s; they told us they remembered the Yankees of the mid-60s and into the 70s that were always in the last place, Gone were the days of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Joe Dimaggio and Whitey Ford and the Core four were far into the future.  Are we seeing a resurgence of the Yankees of my Dad and uncle’s youth? The 2010s was the first decade since the 1910s that they did not appear in a world series and the first time since the 1980s that they failed to win a World Series. 

Now fast-forwarding to this season, and without sugar-coating it, the Yankees are an absolute disgrace.  As I have said a thousand times on the podcast, they’re falling apart, and as I have said every word in the book while watching them on tv. The Yankees are now 46-43  and are sitting at tied for third in the AL East and eight games behind the first-place Red Sox. Now, what’s the problem? Well, I would have an easier time telling you what isn’t their problem.  I can say that they can’t capitalize on runners in scoring positions and that they have left an average of 3.14 runners on base this year and have an average of .138, with runners in scoring position the worst in the league. The batting is inconsistent. For example, during the subway series, Aaron Judge hits a home run and then strikes out.  The pitching has been showing problems with Luis Severino injured. Corey Kluber shut down, especially Gerrit Cole, who has struggled throughout June but has shown guts in his last start against Houston, pitching a complete game 1-0 shutout.  Aroldis Chapman keeps blowing saves. On the bright side, they are winning the series, but they can’t complete sweeps. They are currently  3-9 when it comes to completing sweeps.

As we approach the second half of the season, what can be done to save the season? Is it worth salvaging at this point? As the trade deadline approaches, The Yankees should improve the pitching rotation if Brain Cashman and Hal Steinberner don’t want to break the bank and go over the luxury tax to obtain Max Scherzer (a rant for a different blog post ). Then we should think about getting  Jose Berrios from the Minnesota Twins or sitting at a 7-3 record with a 3.48 ERA or  German Marquez from the Rockies, who has a 3.36 ERA. When The season ends, the Yankees’ two free agents should try to jump on Joey Gallo from the Rangers and Trevor Story from the Rockies and be the most sought-after free agent once he becomes one in 2022. 

As the second half of the season is now upon us, can the Yankees improve, or are we going to be looking at another dry spell from the youth of my Dad and Uncle’s youth? 

The G.O.A.T or Foolish G.O.A.T

By Mark Halpern

The term G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) is thrown around a lot regarding sports. In the game of Football, however, when we use this term, Tom Brady is currently at the top of the list. As we all know, Tom Brady has almost as many Super Bowl rings as fingers and more Super Bowl M.V.P.s than anyone else in the sport. He is a definite future Hall of Famer and quite possibly will hold certain records (like the M.V.P.’s) that no one will ever break. However, reading particular articles this past week makes me worry.

Those of you who have not read Brady played all last season with a slightly torn MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) in his knee and during the playoffs, and Super Bowl likely tore. Now coming from someone who has had a slightly torn MCL in his life, this is a complex injury to deal with. It generally has swelling and pain, but it really harbors your side-to-side movement, and as a quarterback, a big part of the game is shuffling around. Looking at Brady’s play over last season, we would have never known that he was suffering this injury at all. He threw for an impressive 4633 yards and 40 Touchdowns. It does not seem like someone who had this bad of an injury. This calls into question a lot of speculation.

If Brady was playing with this all season, he could have suffered an even worse injury and possibly lost his full walking capability. Why risk something so much when you are already the best? He has been a true competitor his whole career but, it is time to consider life after Football. It will not suit him well if he is hobbling for the rest of his life. Major MCL surgery takes months, if not a year, to recover from. How did he deal with the pain is another question altogether. Was he receiving pain injections to deal with it? Why was this never on the injury reports that come out weekly? Did the Buccaneers not disclose the information, and by not does this violate many N.F.L. rules? I am sure the N.F.L. will look at this more closely, but I do not see anything coming of it.
I used the word Foolish in my title because I have had many injuries over the last 30 years.

I was a Catcher for 28 years of my life, and at 5’8 175lbs, I was slammed into so many times that I was told to stop playing at 22 years old. I continued to play until 28, when my back started hurting, and at 30 years old, I had the first of 14 surgeries needed to start repairing my back. I was foolish, but I was not the G.O.A.T. by any means. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization should have handled this better. Brady has admitted having complete MCL surgery in the off-season, and this brings this season into question. If he has a bad year, is it because of the surgery probably, and we can no longer call him the G.O.A.T. any of course not? However, there should have been no question in his position then to shut him down last season and treat the injury the right way and not risk his body any more than it needed, and that is how the old man sees it.

Why The Rangers Should Avoid the Big Move

By Mike Rifkin

Three years ago, the New York Rangers front office wrote a letter to their fans about a change of direction for the organization. They decided that it was time for them to rebuild and stock draft picks and prospects. Now they are on the surface of something that could be very special. This offseason, the Rangers have around 22 million dollars in salary-cap space. Two names who have been floated around the Rangers this offseason are Sabres center Jack Eichel and Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko, but the Rangers should be avoiding both.
Let’s start with Eichel.

The former second overall pick played in 21 games last season due to a neck injury. An issue that is yet to be resolved between player and organization is part of Eichel’s reason out of Buffalo. Trading for Eichel will cost a lot financially and player-wise as the 24-year-old makes 10 million dollars per year until 2027. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has said he wants the equivalent of four first-round picks for the former second overall pick. Another issue for teams trading for Eichel is that he has a no-trade clause that kicks in after next season, so essentially you can trade whatever it takes to get him for one season and not get back a significant return because he can dictate where he can be traded to. If the Rangers were to acquire Eichel, it would come at the expense of not having Mika Zibanejad long-term, yes Zibanejad had a down season this season, but he is a key man on the Rangers power play and penalty kill. Eichel is not used on the penalty kill. Zibanejad will be cheaper than 10 million dollars a season.

Tarasenko makes 7.5 million dollars until 2024. Tarasenko has undergone three shoulder surgeries and doesn’t trust the organization to get it right, and reportedly, the Rangers are one of the teams he is willing to go to. Tarasenko was a consistent 30 goal scorer up until the last two seasons, where he scored a total of 7 goals in 34 games played due to injury. Tarasenko is a proven playoff performer scoring 35 goals and 51 points in 78 games played. The shoulder of Tarasenko bothers me because he played a heavy game for the Blues in the playoffs based on their style of play. The Rangers have some young talent on the wing with Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, former second overall pick Kappo Kakko, last year’s first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, and Vitaly Kravtsov. Rangers should also consider bringing back restricted free agent Pavel Buchnevich.

Chris Drury has some work to do this offseason, but he shouldn’t be thinking of stars. He should be thinking about players to help this team win. He should resign Zibanejad, and Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox will also need a new deal and some other young players. Financial flexibility is significant to a stable organization, and the Rangers have that currently. Another star doesn’t change this team for the better. The Rangers need to be tougher to play against because they have enough skill but need some grit. The top priority outside of the organization should be either Islanders center Casey Cizikias, Bruins center Sean Kuraly or Phillip Danault of Montreal.

They can center the 4th line, kill penalties, and are very good on faceoffs, a position where the Rangers have struggled. Drury should also call Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, who was recently bought out by the Wild they bring in experience and will come cheap as the Wild will still be paying them. Both are hard-nosed players and will provide some physical play as well. Also, don’t rule out a trade with Vegas Golden Knights because of Gerard Gallant being hired as the new head coach of the Rangers. If I were Drury, I would avoid going extensive game shopping this summer.

Second Half Run

By Mark Halpern

So here we are returning from the All-Star break and looking at how things are going for the Mets are trending up. The Mets, during the first half, had the worst luck with Injuries, rainouts, and some really under performances from some players. Now we look to the second half of baseball, and things are starting to look up.On the injury side of things, the Mets starting lineup will look like the opening day lineup with McNeil, Conforto, Davis, and Nimmo now back in the lineup.

However, we might not see a ton of Davis because Villar has made a name for himself this season. Villar has filled in at various spots on the diamond and has not been disappointed. Kevin Pillar filled in for Nimmo while he was down and did a great job with not only his stellar defense but his bat as well. The addition of Billy McKinney helped fill in for the injured Conforto, and his speed on the basepaths has not disappointed. So, the Mets have a deep group of players that can fill in most positions. The second half also raises the question that if the trade market would heat up, would they move someone to bring a more considerable talent. Currently, the Mets need Starting Pitching.

The Mets are still missing two noticeably big names in the rotation. Starting Pitching has been an issue this season except for Jacob deGrom and Taijan Walker. Noah “Thor” Syndergaard, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, was doing extended spring training when he began to feel discomfort in that repaired arm. He is currently starting to work his way back, but September is the earliest if he returns this season at all. We could see that lightning come from his arm. Carlos Carrasco has resumed baseball activities as he has recovered from his torn hamstring injury, has been doing simulated games, and will be starting a minor league rehab stint as soon as next week. We could see him by the end of July.

As for my comments at the beginning of underperformers, Francisco Lindor so far has not been himself. He is currently hitting a poor .227 batting average when he has hit close or over .300 most of his career. My take on it is that he is trying to do too much, and NY’s pressure can do that. I am hoping to see a real resurgence from him in the second half. Also, McNeil and Conforto have not caught on as of yet. Both are returning from injury, so hoping they can return to form.

The Mets are currently 47-40 and have a 3-game lead over the Phillies and a 4-game lead over the Braves. With the Mets getting their team back and other vital pieces returning over the next few weeks, I see the Mets making a huge run and winning the NL East by a wide margin. However, the NL East division has many stellar teams, and anything can happen on the diamond, and that is how the old man sees it.

Nobody is perfect. Lets try again

By Mark Halpern

So, my last week’s John Deere event picks went nowhere near what I had predicted. The play from the two youngsters was good. Smalley and Gannon did well but not well enough. I still see bright futures from them, but TPC Deere Run is a course I said in my recent post can eat anyone up. For the first time in as many events, I have seen more withdrawals than any other match in recent months.Now the Open Championship being held at Royal St. George on Thursday will be a great match. John Rahm is the early favorite to win this week.

He has had an up and down season, and his putting has been well off, missing several birdie opportunities, which any golfer will tell you makes you want to throw your putter as far as you can. Rahm has a lot to prove here, and I see him victorious but not without fierce competition. Jordan Spieth, another excellent golfer, has done well in playing non-American golf courses and has not won this one. He has said, “It’s one course he wants to add to the trophy list.” He has been a top golfer for years and has won many big tournaments, and I see him contending in this one.

Rory McIlroy, another name who has won his fair share of tournaments, is in this field. When you look at his recent last few months, you might ask yourself why to mention him. He is arguably one of the best Open Tournament golfers of the last 5-10 years. He is deadly from any course with his long drives and his accurate short game anything is possible when he is on. I see him making a run but will finish in the back end of the top 10.Honorable mentions go out to Bryson Dechambeau, Justin Thomas, Brooks Kopeka, and Dustin Johnson, who all put on a fantastic show. All are excellent golfers, and all have shot to make the cut and make the top 20.
However, there is a name that I have heard about on ESPN. After doing some research, Garrick Higgo is a real underdog, and I have liked what I’ve seen. Unlike my picks Smalley and Logan as underdogs last week, this kid has the potential to qualify and make the cut, even with the caliber of players he is going up against.

The field is filled with stars that I have and have not mentioned, but this kid is special. I look for him to make the cut and turn some heads. If his play is like the last few outing over the last few weeks, this will indicate how he plays. You never know the way that little ball will bounce, and that is how the old man sees it.

Lightning Strikes Twice

By Mike Rifkin

On Wednesday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning successfully defended their Stanley Cup Championship defeating the Montreal Canadiens in 5 games. The Lightning is the first team since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016, and 17 win back-to-back cups. Here are my top 5 reasons why the Lightning have gone back to back

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy: He is the best goalie globally, and this playoff run cemented that fact. Vasilevskiy went 16-7 with a 1.90 Goals Against Average, a .937 save percentage, and five shutouts that were good enough for him to rightfully be named Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. 4 of these five shutouts came in clinching scenarios for the Lightning. If they had a defensive breakdown, the Big Cat was there to save the day.

2. Jon Cooper: I don’t feel Cooper gets enough credit for his job in Tampa. He gets the Steve Kerr treatment in the NBA. He has changed the way this team plays, they used to be all about offense and try to beat you 6-5, and they can still do that, but they can also win 1-0 like they did to win the Cup. If The Lightning were a song, they would be Anyway You Want It by Journey because they play fast, physical, and intelligent hockey. Jon Cooper also utilized the last change at home very well by getting the Brayden Point line away from Phillip Danault’s line. Cooper in before their first Cup brought in Pat Maroon, who had just won a Cup with the Blues, he had coached Maroon in the NAHL, and the two won a championship together; Maroon was a big part of the Lightning’s success, as was my following reason. 

3. The 3rd Line: The Lightning has a ton of stars Brayden Point, Vasilevskiy, Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, etc… Their job is to shut down opposing teams’ top lines, and they do that and then some. His third line puts Yanni Gourde centering Blake Coleman, and Barclay Goodrow might have been the most impactful line. They play hard and chip in offensively in the playoffs. Gourde and Coleman combined for nine goals and 18 points and played in all 23 games; Goodrow played in 18 games chipped in 2 goals and 6 points. Goodrow and Coleman teamed up for what I thought was the backbreaking goal of the entire series in game 2, when they forced a turnover in the neutral zone, went in on a two on one and scored with two-tenths of a second remaining in the second period in a game Montreal was thoroughly outplaying Tampa.

4. Special Teams: If a team wants to go on a deep playoff run, they need good special teams, and Tampa is the same way these playoffs their power play was at 32.4 percent. Yes, with the star power they have, the power play should be good, but their execution is what makes it truly special. The penalty kill was also extraordinary; finishing the playoffs at 84.1%, they blocked a ton of shots, and if they got through, Vasilevskiy was there to save the day.  

5. Management: Whether it was Steve Yzerman who put most of this group together or Julien BriseBois who has put on the finishing touches, the Lightning has done a terrific job of drafting and developing players. They also don’t get too fancy with trades. Last year, it was Coleman and Goodrow; this year, David Savard had the primary assist on the winning goal in game five and was a big boost on an already excellent defense core. They know who to target, and they fit how the team plays.

The best thing to happen to this team occurred in 2019 when the Lightning tied for most wins and was swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Some people will complain about the team being over the cap for the playoffs after Kucherov was out all season after a hip surgery. The problem you have shouldn’t be with Tampa; it should be with the league. Either way, the Lightning have won back-to-back Cups, but now changes will be made as the Seattle Kraken are set to debut, and Tampa has to get under the salary cap until June. They will be back-to-back champs because Lightning struck twice.

The Return of America’s Team

By Mark Halpern

So football is right around the corner, and I am beyond excited to see my Dallas Cowboys open the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 9th, 2021. I have been a Cowboys fan since 1982 when my brother bought me my first Jersey of Danny White. In the 80’s we saw the Catch by Dwight Clarke spoil on the best seasons, and then my boys took a horrible tumble until 1989 when they drafted Troy Aikman #1 in the draft. He is my favorite Cowboy of all time, and I even named my son after him. In the 90’s we saw the Cowboys win 3 Super Bowls and make the playoffs five times.

     Like any Cowboy fan, we always say they will make the playoffs every year and go far. I have not been this excited about a season in such a long time. Dak Prescott is 100% healthy and is way ahead of schedule from his massive injury to his ankle last year. Ezekiel Elliot has transformed himself from the overweight running back he was last year, and his calf injury is completely healed. He looks like the beast he was when drafted. The Wide receiver core of Cooper, Gallup, and Lamb is the best wide receiver core in football. The tight ends of Schultz and Jarwin are good, but nothing like Jason Whitten was. The most significant improvement is that the offensive line is 100% intact with no injuries. The Cowboy’s success in the ’90s was due to that formidable offensive line, and this year’s line looks equal to them. They should open the floodgates for Elliot and Pollard to run the ball, and if you try to play one on one our receivers will burn you.

    Now the game is not all offensive. If you put 42 points on the board and the other team burns through your defense and scores 45, you still lose. The Cowboys went and got Dan Quinn from Atlanta to restructure the defense. The Cowboy’s weakness has been the defensive line except for Demarcus Lawrence. Now they have two good edge rushes, Lawrence and Gregory, they went and got Brent Urban from the Bears, and they Have Gallimore, who, yes, is still young but will work with this scheme. The linebacking crew of Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander-Esch, and either Parsons or Cox will be the fastest youngest group in the NFL. The secondary is where the cowboys have had some trouble. Jordan Lewis and Trevon Diggs will be on the corners, and Reggie Robinson and Donvan Wilson will be manning the safeties.

     It is hard to compare one Cowboys Team to another but, this squad reminds me of what the 92-93 Cowboys looked like, and their return to greatness is imminent. Can I guarantee anything? No, because anyone will tell you in football, any team can beat any given team on any given Sunday. My first prediction is that they blow out the Buccaneers 38-21 and go on to a 13-4 record, winning not only the NFC East but also winning home field advantage for the playoffs and winning it all, and that is how the old man sees it.

Time To Knock The Cover Off The Ball

By Mark Halpern

What do Shohei Ohtani, Pete “the Polar Bear” Alonso, Trevor Story, Trey Mancini, Salvador Perez, Matt Olsen, and Juan Soto have in common? They are the participants in this year’s All-Star Game Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Colorado. The participants have a huge advantage compared to other parks. Coors field is the one park where a simple fly ball is a Homerun due to thin air. 

     Pete Alonso will be defending his title, and like last year, he will have some great competition. Shohei Ohtani is currently leading the majors in home runs and has massive power. Juan Soto has excellent vision and sports a powerful pop. Colorado Rockies own Trevor Story will be a challenger as he is a constant threat to go yard. Salvador Perez is an excellent addition; he currently has 20 Home Runs on the season and a big bat. Matt Olsen is an exciting addition and can hit the ball to either side of the park, and Trey Mancini, who missed the entire 2020 season for treatment for Colon Cancer, is an uplifting addition and will be fun to watch.

     This Homerun derby isn’t like the early days of the home run derby when 2-4 select players enter like Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Kiner, and Jackson. The prizes were never like they are today, and to me back then, it was more of a pride issue than I want that trophy.

     This year’s group of players isn’t like Mcgwire, Griffey, Sosa years when the rules were different (10 swings compared to 3:00min), and all of the participants were the top leaders in Home Runs at the all-star break. I want the rules back to 10 swings this way, so you’re not tired out after the first round. In three minutes, you can have 20-25 swings and times that by three rounds, injuries come to mind. David Wright wasn’t the same after he entered years back, and there were a few others who suffered nerve damage.

     In this park, I expect most of these players to knock the cover off the ball literally. I would not be surprised if we see a few 500ft home runs. Once that ball hits the bat and is in the air at Coors Field, anything is possible. There is no short porch here like Yankee or Fenway Stadiums. This Feild is wide-open: of the participants, I expect the finals to be between Alonso and Ohtani with Alonso defending his crown, and that is how the old man sees it.