The Sports Insanity Network

Showing Their Stripes

By Mike Rifkin

The NFL season is right around the corner, and training camp is beginning this week.. The Cincinnati Bengals are seen as one of the biggest threats to the Kansas City Chiefs, not just in the AFC but across the NFL. In 2023 the Bengals finished with a record of 9-8 and missed the playoffs, but a lot of their issues had to do with injuries. The two seasons prior the Bengals were in among the final four teams standing.

One of the reasons the Bengals have become a top tier team in the NFL is the dynamic offense they’ve built. Quarterback Joe Burrow (who has a long term deal), Running Back Joe Mixon, Wide Receivers Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Ja’Marr Chase were just so much fun to watch. Now this offseason things are changing in Cincy, Joe Mixon was traded to the Texans, Tyler Boyd signed with the Tennessee Titans, following Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan. That leaves Higgins and Chase, but the question is for how much longer?

Tee Higgins was given the Franchise Tag this summer, and he and the team couldn’t get a long term deal done. Things got so bad, that Higgins had requested a trade, but later just signed the tender. Then there’s Chase, who has one year (fifth year option) left after this season. But Chase was eligible to sign an extension this offseason.

Bengals President Mike Brown said on a potential extension : “It’s not so likely that this is a good time to negotiate. The offseason is a better time for that and we’re going to try to keep focused on the football part. I’m not going to rule anything out, but I will tell you that the die has probably been cast.” Chase, the fifth overall pick in 2021 has been sensational since going to Cincy, going over 1,000 yards in each of his three prior seasons. Last season Chase had a career high 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns.

So if the Bengals are not inclined to give Tee Higgins a long term contract, why are they not making Chase more of a priority? They’ve locked up Joe Burrow, so why not his favorite target? And the Bengals really missed an opportunity here, because they had a chance to lock Chase up before the Vikings locked up Justin Jefferson and the Cowboys lock up Ceedee Lamb. Chase’s production is up among the best in the league and he will deserve every penny, and the longer this goes the more his price will go up and the Bengals will have to pony up, because under no circumstances can they lose both Higgins and Chase and still be considered a Super Bowl threat. But these clouds hang over Cincy as they look to bounce back from 2023.

HOW I WOULD VOTE : BASEBALL HALL OF FAME 2025

BY Mike Rifkin

On Sunday the Baseball Hall of Fame presented their class of 2024. The class consisted of Joe Mauer, Todd Helton, Adrian Beltre and Jim Leyland (Vet committee). So let’s look ahead to how I would vote for next year’s class. *Note will not include from Veterans committee.

Returning

Billy Wagner : At the moment Wagner is top 10 in saves all time and outside of John Franco and Francisco Rodriguez all of the guys in front of him are in the Hall or will go in (Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen). Even though his playoff numbers might not be the best, Wagner fell a few votes shy last year, and with this being his last time on the ballot he should get in.

Andruw Jones: 10 Gold Gloves and 434 homers should be enough to put Andruw Jones in. Jones was a premier Center Fielder on the premier team of the National League in the 90’s.

Carlos Beltran : 2,700 hits, 435 homers, 312 Stolen Bases, three gold gloves, and a World Series Champ. Like Jones, Beltran was one of the best center fielders of his time. Yes, people can hold him accountable for his actions for the 2017 Astros, but it’s time he gets his plaque in Cooperstown.

First Time

Ichiro Suzuki : Ichiro came into MLB in 2001 and promptly won Rookie Of The Year and MVP in the same season. He set the American League hit record for a season, had 10 200 hit seasons.

CC Sabathia : Sabathia was the definition of a big game pitcher. Look at what he did for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008 after being acquired from the Indians. CC was then instrumental in the Yankees success. He won one CY Young, but was a top five finisher four times. CC won 251 games,was the 2009 ALCS MVP and is a member of the 3,000 strikeout club.

Dustin Pedroia : Pedroia’s career was cut short due to injuries, but when he played he was impactful. He won three World Series with the Red Sox,, four gold gloves, 2007 rookie of the year and 2008 AL MVP. Pedroia wasn’t the best player on the field, but he gave the Red Sox everything he had.

Rifkin Reacts : ESPN’S TOP 10 QB RANKINGS

BY : Mike Rifkin

ESPN talked with executives, scouts, and coaches to put together lists of the top 10 players at each position entering the NFL season. Below will be how ESPN ranked the quarterbacks, then I will explain what they got right and what they got wrong. So let the debate ensue.

ESPN RANKINGS

PATRICK MAHOMES – CHIEFS
JOE BURROW – BENGALS
JOSH ALLEN – BILLS
LAMAR JACKSON – RAVENS
MATTHEW STAFFORD – RAMS
JUSTIN HERBERT – CHARGERS
CJ STROUD – TEXANS
AARON RODGERS – JETS
JARED GOFF – LIONS
DAK PRESCOTT – COWBOYS

HONORABLE MENTIONS : BROCK PURDY (49ERS), JORDAN LOVE (PACKERS), JALEN HURTS (EAGLES), TUA TAGOVAILOA (DOLPHINS), KIRK COUSINS (FALCONS), TREVOR LAWRENCE (JAGS)

RIFKIN’S RANKINGS

PATRICK MAHOMES – CHIEFS : They did get the best quarterback in the league right. Mahomes’ magic was on full display last season taking a Chiefs team that every talking head said wasn’t good enough to another Super Bowl Championship. The most underrated part of Mahomes’ game is his running ability, which was a factor in the Chiefs playoff run.

JOSH ALLEN – BILLS : There’s one reason I am putting Allen over Joe Burrow and that’s durability. Allen is a consistent MVP candidate and at times has put the Bills on his back. Here’s a hot take but I think Allen can thrive without Stefon Diggs in Buffalo. But a veteran executive called Allen “overrated” and has “immense talent but makes a lot of mistakes.” He does turn the ball over, but to call Allen overrated is a stretch, the only thing I hold against him is not winning in the playoffs, but most of the time that’s not all on him.

JOE BURROW – BENGALS : Burrow is elite, but the one issue he has had at times is staying on the field. It’ll be interesting to see how Burrow operates this season without running back Joe Mixon and receiver Tyler Boyd, but he will have Tee Higgins. Burrow needs a bounce back season and stay on the field if the Bengals are going to challenge the Chiefs in the AFC.

LAMAR JACKSON- Ravens : Ok, so they got the first four right (maybe not the order) Lamar is the best dual threat Quarterback in the league. He had career highs in completion percentage and yards. Lamar’s last two regular season games against the Dolphins and Ravens earned him his second MVP award. If there’s something to hold to Lamar is that he has to get it done in the playoffs.

BROCK PURDY – 49ERS : Call him a system quarterback, the fact is Brock Purdy has a very high upside. Does Brock Purdy have a great arsenal of weapons? Yes, but Brock Purdy has been great at getting those guys the ball. He was top 10 in yards, touchdowns, and QBR.

DAK PRESCOTT – COWBOYS : Find me a quarterback who gets more disrespect than Dak? The answer is you can’t and when I say disrespect it comes from his own owner. Prescott had another great year, and yes the Cowboys failed in the playoffs (again) but there are very few quarterbacks more consistent than Dak. Luckily for him someone will give him a payday after the season.

AARON RODGERS – JETS : I said find me a quarterback who is more disrespected than Dak, now find me one who has as much pressure than Aaron Rodgers? The Jets have the longest playoff drought in the league, and this season they expect that to be broken. It’ll truly be a success though if Aaron lasts five snaps.

JARED GOFF – LIONS : The Lions are on the prowl in the NFC and they are led by a former number one pick. Goff, since being out of the spotlight of LA has been phenomenal. If there’s a nitpick to Goff’s game, it’s he has to better on the road. But now the Lions have expectations and their 50 million dollar quarterback is going to have to be big in their success.

JALEN HURTS – EAGLES : Yeah, the Eagles choked the NFC East away last season and Jalen Hurts was at the forefront of that. I think the choke job came with the Eagles getting away from who they are. But with a new Offensive coordinator and a upgrade at running back, Hurts should have an MVP type season.

TUA TAGOVAILOA – DOLPHINS : Is this a homer pick? Probably, but Tua is coming off a season where he was at the top of a lot of passing categories. If he can continue to stay healthy the Dolphins have found their franchise QB, the first since Dan Marino. Tua is extremely accurate and he has a great supporting cast surrounding him.

HONORABLE MENTIONS : MATTHEW STAFFORD ( RAMS), JUSTIN HERBERT (CHARGERS), CJ STROUD (TEXANS), JORDAN LOVE (PACKERS), KIRK COUSINS (FALCONS)

So you’re asking why he didn’t put Stroud or Love on his list? Well the answer is simple, I need to see more. Both had fantastic first seasons starting, but what happens if the league adjusts to them and how will they handle expectations.

Joe Pavelski Officially Retires from the NHL

By Nathan Moser

After 18 seasons in the NHL, forward Joe Pavelski has officially retired from playing in the league. He was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks with their seventh-round pick (205^th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He made his league debut during the 2006-07 campaign, where he posted 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 46 games. He learned from some of the best talents in Sharks history, such as Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.

It did not take long before Pavelski became a Sharks legend in his own right. He became one of their best offensive weapons. While in San Jose, he hit the 30-goal mark on five different occasions and had his career best in goals during the 2013-14 season when he scored 41 goals. He fell short of getting 40 a few other times; as he tallied 38 goals in 2015-16, 38 in 2018-19, and 37 in 2014-15.

Pavelski also was a key contributor in helping San Jose make the playoffs 12 times. His best postseason totals came in the 2016 playoffs, when he put up 23 points in 24 games (14 goals and nine assists). That was also the playoffs where the Sharks made the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. They would not defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins, but Pavelski individually had a great playoff run with the team and he proved like he did every postseason while he is one of the best to ever don the Sharks sweater.

As great as he was for the Sharks, he also became a special player in the history of the Dallas Stars. He signed a contract with the team in the 2019 offseason. He was an immediate force in the lineup for the Stars; who already had some crucial pieces in their lineup like Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Miro Heiskanen, and John Klingberg among others. He finished the 2019-20 campaign with 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 67 games. In the 2020 playoffs (which were different due to COVID-19), he accumulated 13 goals and six assists for 19 points in 27 games. The Stars made it to the Stanley Cup Final (Pavelski’s second appearance in his career), but they lost to Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

Pavelski also had his best statistical season of his career in Dallas. He notched 81 points in 82 games during the 2021-22 campaign (27 goals and 54 assists). If there was one thing about Pavelski, he never really seemed to slow down based on production. Even in his last season in 2023-24, he finished with 67 points in 82 games (27 goals and 40 assists). Those 67 points were good enough to be ranked second on the Stars in points. Only Jason Robertson (80 points) had more.

Overall, Pavelski was a fantastic leader both on and off the ice. He meant so much to the locker rooms he played in with San Jose and Dallas. His number should be retired by the Sharks when that time comes. His impact will be felt on the league for many years to come with how many younger players he helped. Congratulations to Pavelski on an awesome career. Best of luck to him in whatever he does next.

First Half MLB Awards

By Mike Rifkin

We have reached the halfway point of the Major League Baseball season and it has been quite eventful. Here is how I would vote for the awards at the halfway point of the season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

MVP : Aaron Judge, Yankees : Judge has 34 home runs, which is a Yankee record before the All-Star break and 85 RBI, along with a 306/.433/.613 slash line. Judge, has been the constant of a Yankee offense that has been inconsistent most of the first half, it makes you wonder if teams will stop pitching to him in the second half. Other candidates : Juan Soto (Yankees), Gunnar Henderson (Orioles), Bobby Witt Jr (Royals), Jose Ramirez (Guardians), Rafael Devers (Red Sox)

CY YOUNG : Tarik Skubal, Tigers : Skubal is 10-3 with a 2.41 ERA, which is second in all of Major League Baseball. Skubal is in the top five in wins, ERA, Strikeouts, and WHIP. He has a 6.7 strikeout to walk ratio as well. Other candidates : Seth Lugo (Royals), Corbin Burnes (Orioles)

Manager Of The Year : Stephen Vogt, Guardians : Vogt replaced a legend in Terry Francona, and the Guardians have been exceptional. They’re up 4.5 games in the AL Central and have done all of this without their ace Shane Bieber, who underwent Tommy John Surgery. The Guardians enter the break with the second best record in all of Baseball and the best record in the American League. Other candidates : Alex Cora (Red Sox), Matt Quatraro (Royals)

BIGGEST SURPRISE : Boston Red Sox : The Red Sox enter the break as the third wild card team and are only 4.5 games out in the AL East. In a year where most people thought the Red Sox would not be competitive, they’re in the thick of things. Led by Alex Cora the Red Sox have gotten contributions throughout their roster. Rafael Devers is a superstar, who also is having an MVP-esque season. The Red Sox are in the top five in team batting average and ERA.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT : TORONTO BLUE JAYS : The Toronto Blue Jays enter the break eight games under .500 and are 9.5 games out of the wild card. To make it sound worse there are three teams in the AL with a worse record than the Blue Jays (Angels, Athletics and White Sox.) Things have gotten so bad for the Jays that people are talking about them selling at the trade deadline (they should). But for a team I dubbed a sleeping giant in the AL, I don’t think they’ll be able to get themselves out of the hole they dug.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

MVP : SHOHEI OHTANI, Dodgers : Ohtani has lived up to the hype in his first year in Dodger Blue. He has 29 homers and 69 RBI’s along with a slash line of .316/.400/.635. The most impressive part about Ohtani’s season isn’t the distraction he faced early in the season, but what he’s done since Mookie Betts got hurt and Ohtani has had to hit leadoff. Other Candidates : Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Bryce Harper (Phillies), Marcell Ozuna (Braves), Christian Yelich (Brewers)

CY YOUNG : Chris Sale, Braves : Sale has had an injury riddled last few seasons, but this season he’s been healthy and a big part of the Braves success. Sale is the MLB leader in wins with 13.He is also in the top 10 in ERA, Strikeouts and WHIP. The Braves have needed Sale to revert back into the ace he was in the absence of Spencer Strider. Other Candidates : Zack Wheeler (Phillies), Ranger Suarez (Phillies), Tyler Glasnow (Dodgers)

Manager Of The Year : Pat Murphy, Brewers : After Craig Counsell left and trading Corbin Burnes, most people thought the Milwaukee Brewers would take a step back. After Counsell left they decided to promote Pat Murphy form Bench Coach to Manager and the Brewers haven’t missed a step. The Brewers are 55-42, which is the third best record in the National League and lead the Central by 4.5 games. Other Candidates Rob Thompson (Phillies), Brian Snitker (Braves)

BIGGEST SURPRISE : NEW YORK METS : This sounds weird because they’re only three games over .500. But the Mets were 11 games under .500 and most people were discussing what they sell at the deadline, but the last few weeks the Mets have turned it around and currently occupy the final Wild Card spot. With the impending return of Kodai Senga, the Mets can be a dangerous team in the second half.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT : SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS/ CHICAGO CUBS : Yes, both of these teams are in the thick of the wildcard race in the NL. But in reality everyone is minus the Rockies and Marlins. The Giants and Cubs spent a lot of money this past winter and both find themselves on the outside looking in at the break. If things go sour over the next week or so both teams can find themselves as sellers at the trade deadline.

Nate’s Notes Profiles: Brian Rafalski’s Hockey Journey

By Nathan Moser

There have been some talented NHL players who went undrafted before joining the league. One of the most famous examples of this is winger Martin St. Louis, who went undrafted, played shortly for the Calgary Flames, and then took off with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Other examples include Florida Panthers goalie and 2024 Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky, Ed Belfour, Dino Ciccarelli, Mark Giordano, and Adam Oates among others. Then, there is the story of NHL defenseman Brian Rafalski. After spending time in a junior league and college, the NHL still had not called his name. However, Rafalski did what he could to get better, and he created his opportunities by not giving up and pushing forward.

Undrafted and Heading Overseas

The beginning of Rafalski’s journey into the NHL began how many upcoming draft picks’ journeys would. He played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Madison Capitols during the 1990-91 hockey season. In 47 games played, he tallied 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points. Like those drafted by NHL teams, Rafalski then went to play college hockey at the University of Wisconsin. He suited up for the Badgers for four campaigns. During his time there, he posted the following numbers:

1991-92: three goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 38 games
1992-93: 13 assists in 32 games
1993-94: six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in 37 games
1994-95: 11 goals and 34 assists for 45 points in 43 games

Despite his time in the USHL and at Wisconsin, Rafalski did not get drafted or signed by an NHL club. Some players might give up on their dreams to be a pro hockey player and move on to something else, but he was determined to keep playing the game he loved. As a result, from 1995-96 to 1998-99, Rafalski suited up in both Elitserien (now known as the Swedish Hockey League) and the SM-Liiga (which is the Finnish Elite League).

Rafalski had an exceptional skillset while growing his game overseas in Sweden and Finland. He went from a player who did not go to the NHL after college to one of the best defensemen not playing in that league. During his days with Brynas IF in Elitserien and his two clubs in the SM-Liiga (HPK and HIFK), he posted the following stats:

1995-96 (Brynas IF): one goal and eight assists for nine points in 22 games
1996-97 (HPK): 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 49 games
1997-98 (HIFK): 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points in 40 games
1998-99 (HIFK): 19 goals and 34 assists for 53 points in 53 games

One of the NHL teams who took notice to how well Rafalski was playing overseas were the New Jersey Devils. General manager Lou Lamoriello had already built a stacked lineup, and won a Stanley Cup back in 1995 with superb players like Scott Niedermayer, Stephane Richer, Scott Stevens, Bill Guerin, and Martin Brodeur among others. The Devils signed Rafalski, and he made his NHL debut during the 1999-2000 campaign.

Thriving in the NHL

Rafalski joined a Devils defensive core who already had Niedermayer, Stevens, and Ken Daneyko. He finished his first season in the NHL with 32 points in 75 games (five goals and 27 assists). The whole roster had a lot of depth, and this led to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in the 2000 playoffs, with Rafalski making it that far in his first season in the league. In 23 postseason games on that run, he accrued two goals and six assists for eight points. The Devils beat the Dallas Stars in six games to claim their second Cup championship as a franchise.

Throughout his time in New Jersey, Rafalski amassed the following numbers:

1999-2000: five goals and 27 assists for 32 points in 75 games
2000-01: nine goals and 43 assists for 52 points in 78 games
2001-02: seven goals and 40 assists for 47 points in 76 games
2002-03: three goals and 37 assists for 40 points in 79 games
2003-04: six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 69 games
2005-06: six goals and 43 assists for 49 points in 82 games
2006-07: eight goals and 47 assists for 55 points in 82 games

Rafalski and the Devils were able to make the Stanley Cup Final two more times in 2001 and 2003. New Jersey lost to Ray Bourque and the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 Cup Final, while they were able to win the Cup in 2003 versus the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Rafalski during each of those runs accumulated the stats below:

2001 playoffs: seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 25 games
2003 playoffs: two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 23 games

After becoming a free agent following the 2006-07 campaign, Rafalski signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Like when he joined the Devils, Rafalski was entering a stacked lineup in Detroit. He joined a blue line that already had Hockey Hall of Famers Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios on it; as well as Niklas Kronwall, Brett Lebda, Andreas Lilja, and Brad Stuart. Rafalski finished the 2007-08 regular season with the fourth-most points on the team. Only Pavel Datsyuk (97 points), Henrik Zetterberg (92 points), and Lidstrom (70 points), had more.

The Red Wings made the 2008 postseason and advanced all the way to the Cup Final to face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Detroit beat Pittsburgh in six games to win the Cup. It was Rafalski’s third championship in the NHL. He finished the 2008 postseason with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 22 games.

Rafalski played the rest of his career with the Red Wings. He posted the following regular-season numbers with them during his tenure in Detroit:

2007-08: 13 goals and 42 assists for 55 points in 73 games
2008-09: 10 goals and 49 assists for 59 points in 78 games
2009-10: eight goals and 34 assists for 42 points in 78 games
2010-11: four goals and 44 assists for 48 points in 63 games

After the 2010-11 campaign, Rafalski retired from playing. He finished his 11 seasons in the NHL with 79 goals and 436 assists for 515 points in 833 games. He is one of the best blueliners to ever suit up for New Jersey, and he has three championship rings on his finger because of the hard work he put in. Rafalski could have ended playing the sport once he left Wisconsin, but he was determined to keep developing his game and play overseas to get better. He became an NHL-caliber talent and made a massive impact on both the Devils and Red Wings during his stints with both clubs.

What Rafalski worked to accomplish is one of many examples about not giving up on dreams. If anyone has something they want to do, it might not be easy, but hard work does pay off and that is exactly what happened for Rafalski entering the NHL with New Jersey.

ANGEL REESE’S RECORD COMES TO A HALT

BY MARK HALPERN

I have been very critical of Angel Reese and her attitude however, when you accomplish a record like she did you have to give her the respect she has earned. Reese had a consecutive streak of games with Double/Doubles at 15. This is a record she should be proud of and not get too hard on herself.

The Sky were playing the New York Liberty and their game plan was to stop Resse and that was evident from the beginning of the game. The Liberty swarmed Reese from the get-go holding her to 3/13 shooting and 8 total points but, she did have 16 rebounds. Reese is tall and with the poor percentage of shots taken by the Chicago Sky yesterday, there were a ton of rebounds to have. However, with just seconds to go and Reese 2 points shy of yet another double/double the Liberty swarmed yet again as the Sky tried to make an opportunity for her to keep the streak going but the Liberty played hard even while being up almost 20 points.

Setting a record in any sport is an accomplishment in and of itself. If she wants to be Rookie of the Year (and has a shot) she has to brush this off and concentrate on her next game.

TWIW – This Week In Wrestling 7/13/2024

BY JEFF KNAPP

This past weekend, the WWE & NXT held their respected PLE, Money in the Bank and Heatwave. There were so many things that happened over the weekend but John Cena announcing that he will fully retire in 2025 but will wrestle at least into Wrestlemania. No word yet on how far into 2025 he will go but I’d love to see him make it until Survivor Series.

On Saturday, not only did Solo pin Cody Rhodes but Drew McIntyre won the money in the bank and decided to cash it in later that night but was screwed over once again by his rival, CM Punk. The women’s MITB match was one for the ages and at the end, we saw Tiffany Stratton emerge as Tiffy in the Bank.

On Sunday for NXT Heatwave, almost all the Champions walked out as champions including the newly minted Kelani Jordan, who put on an athletic display not outmatched by Sol Ruca. I just love watching these 2 women compete and if all goes well, for another 15 years. Now, when I said almost all, Trick Williams couldn’t retain the NXT Championship but didn’t get beat either. Newly signed, Ethan Page pinned Je’Von Evans.

There have been internal talks inside the WWE on creating a women’s IC and US titles for their respected brands. I personally hope to see this happen by or at Survivor Series.

This week the WWE announced the signing of Joe Tessitore. Word is that Tessitore will work alongside analysts Wade Barrett and Corey Graves. Joe has worked for ESPN and ABC and for many he was the head play-by-play commentator for ABC’s Holey Moley.

On Raw we saw some new developments, including the fining and suspension of Drew McIntyre, the formation of another trio consisting of Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, and Sonya Deville and the big news coming out of Raw was the return of Rhea Ripley. She was not happy with Dirty Dom to say the least.

On NXT this week, you saw Charlie Dempsey and company look like they were putting a body in the trunk and driving off, well that will be for the explanation of Damon Kemp no longer being with the company.

Speaking of NXT, this was fun from start to finish. Wes Lee was in the ring about to make a huge announcement, which many took as a retirement or him leaving but was interrupted by his for MSK / Rascalz partners from TNA/NXT, Zach Wentz and Trey Miguel.

There was also the addition of 2 other Raw/Smackdown roster members last night with Cedric Alexander and Ashanti Adonis. Cedric has been floating around for a long time and I hope this is the break he needs.

NXT wasn’t done there. Trick Williams was without a partner and needed one to take on Ethan Page and Shawn Spears. Somebody must have said his name because here comes Joe Hendry.

On Wednesday it was announced that Stephanie Vaquer, the current CMLL World Women’s and World Women’s Tag Team Champion has been stripped of her titles because she has abruptly left the promotion and it appears that she is WWE bound. I love the signing but doing it this way isn’t the way things are supposed to happen. Let’s see if any other news of why she left so sudden comes out.

Wednesday on AEW Bryan Danielson won the men’s bracket of the Owen Hart Cup and will now face Swerve Stickland in what will be a banger of a match.

Mariah May defeated Willow Nightingale in the Women’s Owen Hart cup tournament and will face her mentor, Toni Storm. Speaking of that, Mariah turned on Toni and left her a bloody mess at the top of the ramp. It was a great swerve since many people believed Toni would turn on her.

On Thursday’s edition of TNA, we saw multiple NXT wrestlers appear. 1^st Izzy Dame competed (and lost to) Jordynne Grace and later Charlie Dempsey defeated Zachary Wentz.

We also found out that next week on TNA when Santino announced that the No Quarter Catch Crew will face the Rascalz in a 6-man Tag Team Match next week.

On Friday, CJ Penny AKA Lana announced that she is no longer with AEW but wants to continue with professional wrestling, possibly as a manager.

Speaking of no longer with AEW is the Nature Boy Ric Flair. The partnership between AEW and Flair’s Wooo! Energy has finished up as well, so I’m sure between that and with Sting retiring, there weren’t any plans for him.

At the NOAH Destination event on Saturday morning, July 13, 2024, at the Budokan Hall in Japan, it was announced that the two WWE NXT Superstars, Josh Briggs and Tavion Heights will be part of the competitor field for the annual N1 Victory Tournament.

It has been reported that longtime WWE veteran Natalya has signed a new contract with the company. No details on length were made public as of this writing.

Rollcall of Current Champions from Around The Wrestling World

WWE

Undisputed WWE Champion – Cody Rhodes

World Heavyweight Champion – Damian Priest

World Tag Team Champions – The Judgement Day (Finn Balor & JD McDonagh)

WWE Tag Team Champions – DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa

WWE Women’s Champion – Bayley

Women’s World Champion – Liv Morgan

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – Isla Dawn & Alba Fire

WWE US Champion – Logan Paul

WWE Intercontinental Champion – Sami Zayn

NXT

NXT Championship- Ethan Page

NXT Women’s Champion – Roxanne Perez

NXT North American Champion – Oba Femi

NXT Women’s North American Champion – Kelani Jordan

NXT Tag Team Champions – Nathan Frazer & Axiom

NXT Heritage Cup – “The Don of NXT” Tony D’Angelo

AEW

AEW World Champion – Swerve Strickland

AEW TNT Champion – Jack Perry

AEW Women’s Champion – Toni Storm

AEW TBS Champion – Mercedes Mone

AEW World Tag Team Champions – Young Bucks

AEW & ROH Unified Trios Champions – Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & Austin & Colton Gunn)

AEW International Champion – Will Osprey

AEW Continental Champion – Kazuchika Okada

TNA

TNA World Champion – Moose

TNA X Division – Mustafa Ali

TNA Tag Team Champions – The System (Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers)

TNA Digital Media Champion – AJ Francis

TNA Knockouts Champion – Jordynne Grace

TNA Knockouts Tag Champions – The System (Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich)

ROH

ROH World Champion – Mark Briscoe

ROH TV Champion – Atlantis Jr.

ROH Pure Champion – Wheeler Yuta

ROH Tag Champions – The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)

ROH Women’s Champion – Athena

ROH Women’s TV Champion – Billie Starkz

NWA

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion – EC3

NWA World TV Champion – Max The Impaler (unified men’s and women’s)

NWA World Jr Heavyweight Champion – Alex Taylor

NWA National Champion – Thom Latimer

NWA Mid America Heavyweight Champion – Jeremiah Plunkett

NWA World Tag Team Champions – Blunt Force Trauma – (Carnage & Damage)

NWA US Tag Team Champions – VACANT

NWA World Women’s Champion – Kenzie Paige

NWA World Women’s Tag Team Champions – The King Bees (Charity King & Danni Bee)

NJPW

IWGP World Champion – Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Global Heavyweight – David Finley

IWGP Junior Heavyweight – Douki

Strong Openweight Champion – Gabe Kidd

IWGP Television Champion – Jeff Cobb

IWGP Tag Team Champions – TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste)

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions – Bullet Club War Dogs (Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors)

Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions – TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls)

NEVER Openweight Champion – Henare

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Champions – Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano and Oleg Boltin

KOPW 2023 – Great O Khan

IWGP Women’s Champion – Mayu Iwatani (Shared with Stardom)

Strong Women’s Champion – Mercedes Mone (Shared with Stardom)

AAA – Triple A Worldwide

AAA Mega Champion – Nic Nemeth

AAA Latin American Champion – Octagon Jr

AAA World Cruiserweight Champion – Komander

AAA World Tag Team Champions – Negro Casas and Psycho Clown

AAA World Trios Champions – Los Vipers (Abismo Negro Jr, Psicosis & Toxin)

AAA Reina de Reinas Champion – Flammer

CMLL – Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

CMLL World Heavyweight Champion – Gran Guerrero

CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion – Averno

CMLL World Middleweight Champion – Templario

CMLL World Welterweight Champion – Titan

CMLL World Lightweight Champion – Stigma

CMLL World Tag Team Champions – Los Nuevos Ingobernables (Ángel de Oro & Niebla Roja)

CMLL World Trios Champions – Los Bárbaros (Dragon Rojo Jr., Bárbaro Cavernario & El Terrible)

CMLL World Women’s Champion – VACANT

CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Champions – VACANT

Stardom

World of Stardom Champion (main title) – Maika

Wonder of Stardom Champion (secondary title ie: IC tite) – Mika Iwata

Goddess of Stardom Champions (tag) – God’s Eye (Syuri and Konami)

Artist of Stardom Champions (trios) – Empress Nexus Venus (Maika, Mina Shirakawa & Xena)

High Speed Champion (lightweight or x type of title) Saya Kamitani

Nate’s Notes Profiles: The NHL Career of Jimmy Carson

BY Nate Moser

The Wayne Gretzky trade rocked the hockey world. Some hockey fans never thought they would see The Great One play in any other jersey other than the Edmonton Oilers. In August of 1988 though, arguably the greatest player in the sport was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings. The full deal was Gretzky, Marty McSorley, and Mike Krushelnyski for Martin Gelinas, Jimmy Carson, three first-round picks (which all eventually became Jason Miller to the New Jersey Devils in the 1989 Draft, Martin Rucinsky in the 1991 Draft, and Nick Stajduhar in the 1993 Draft), as well as $15 million in U.S. cash. As much as the Gretzky side of the huge trade gets discussed, a key talent who also was moved on the other side was Carson. He may be remembered for being a part of that deal, but his career was so much more than being acquired by the Oilers.

First Two Seasons in L.A.

Carson was one of the best players in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He was chosen second overall by the Kings, after the Detroit Red Wings selected winger Joe Murphy with the first overall pick. Some notable names that were also selected in this draft included Brian Leetch (New York Rangers), Adam Graves (Red Wings), Teppo Numminen (Winnipeg Jets), and Jyrki Lumme (Montreal Canadiens) among others.

Carson made his NHL debut for L.A. in the 1986-87 season. He joined a stacked Kings lineup that had the likes of Luc Robitaille, Marcel Dionne, Bernie Nicholls, and Dave Taylor. Dionne was traded in the middle of the season to the Rangers, but Carson still finished third on the roster in scoring for the Kings. He had 79 points in 80 games (37 goals and 42 assists). Only Robitaille (84 points) and Nicholls (81 points) had more. L.A. made the 1987 playoffs, and Carson tallied a goal and two assists for three points in five games.

His second campaign for the Kings saw Carson hit the 100-point mark along with Robitaille. Robitaille led the whole team with 111 points (53 goals and 58 assists), while Carson finished with 107 points (55 goals and 52 assists). The Kings made the postseason again, and in five contests, Carson notched five goals and three assists for eight points.

Things were going well for Carson. He was surrounded by great talent in teammates like Robitaille, Nicholls, and Taylor. L.A. was deep with talent as they also had skilled reinforcements like Jim Fox, Bobby Carpenter, and Steve Duchesne. However, Kings management worked on a move that would tip the hockey world sideways.

Going to Edmonton and the Red Wings Years

As previously mentioned, Carson was one of the players who were a part of the Gretzky Trade. While this was exciting for Kings fans landing Gretzky, there was reason for excitement on paper looking at the Oilers roster for Carson. He would not be playing with Gretzky, but other legends of the game were still there like Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, and Kevin Lowe. Carson found his way to achieve 100 points again, which was good enough to be second on the Oilers for 1988-89. Only Kurri had more points with 102 (44 goals and 58 assists). In the 1989 postseason, however, Carson only produced two goals and an assist in seven games.

It became known that Carson was not happy in Edmonton as he requested a trade. He played in four games for the Oilers in 1989-90, before deciding to sit out and was suspended by the organization. Carson wanted to play for a team in the U.S. Oilers general manager Glen Sather eventually dealt Carson to Detroit, which was beneficial as he was born in Michigan. The full deal between the Oilers and Red Wings was Carson, Kevin McClelland, and a fifth-round pick in 1991 for Adam Graves, Petr Klima, Joe Murphy, and Jeff Sharples.

The Red Wings are where Carson spent parts of four seasons. As a member of the Detroit club, he put up the following stats:

1989-90: 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points in 44 games
1990-91: 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 64 games
1991-92: 34 goals and 35 assists for 69 points in 80 games
1992-93: 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points in 52 games

While in Detroit, Carson got to play on a squad that included Steve Yzerman, Bernie Federko, and Gerard Gallant. Carson was also on the Red Wings when Sergei Fedorov and Nicklas Lidstrom entered the league for the team. In the middle of the 1992-93 campaign though, Carson was traded back to a familiar spot in L.A. He was back in the organization he began with, and now he got to play with Gretzky himself.

Final Seasons with L.A., Vancouver, and Hartford

Carson was reunited with some of his L.A. teammates from his first stint with the club like Robitaille and Taylor. He played in 34 games for the rest of the 1992-93 season and accrued 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points. Carson then split the 1993-94 campaign with the Kings and the Vancouver Canucks. In 25 games with L.A., he scored four goals and provided seven assists for 11 points. With the Canucks, he amassed 17 points in 34 games (seven goals and 10 assists).

The last two campaigns of Carson’s career were with the Hartford Whalers in 1994-95 and 1995-96. He played on two Whalers teams where he was teammates with Chris Pronger, Brendan Shanahan, Andrew Cassels, Darren Turcotte, Geoff Sanderson, Glen Wesley, and Jeff O’Neill. In 1994-95, Carson produced nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 38 games. As for 1995-96, he accumulated one goal in 11 games. In total, Carson played in 626 NHL regular season games and amassed 275 goals and 286 assists for 561 points.

Carson was more than just a player who was part of the return in the Gretzky trade. He was a great player in his own right. He will never be able to unlink himself from one of the most famous trades in sports history, but he deserves credit for what he was able to do with his own game. He accrued 100-point seasons on multiple occasions. He notched 55 goals as his career best in 1987-88, and he got 49 goals in 1988-89 with Edmonton. He played with many legendary talents on the various clubs he went to, but he had the skillset to take care of business by himself. I would consider Carson an underrated player. He was not a superstar caliber talent, but he was great when he needed to be. He deserves more credit than he gets.

A TRUE LEADER

BY MARK HALPERN

A leader is defined as someone who directs a group of people towards a common objective. Jalen Brunson wants to win a championship and he wants to win it in New York and it shows. Jalen Brunson could have commanded a huge payday but to help bring in other talent he accepted a 4-year friendly deal for $157 Million when he could have gotten close to $300 Million.

The Knicks had yet another successful year by making it one step further this past season and made it to the divisional final. The Knicks were just that close to going to the Conference championship if it weren’t for injuries to many key players. Brunson was a huge snub for the All-Star Game this season as he averaged 26.8 points 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Brunson helped the term “Never Quit New York” really come out as he often played injured to help this team. Taking this friendly deal and the prospects of getting Julius Randle back to this team makes them more attractive to bring in other big-time talent.

Brunson leads a Knicks team that will consist of Julius Randle, Mikal Bridges (Knicks Just Traded for), Mitchell Robinson (for now), and OG Anunoby with Josh Hart as the ultimate 6th man is solid but it’s not enough. The Knicks still need more and right now it’s in the capable hands of Leon Rose. Many Rumors about a potential Walker Kessler trade to Jalen Duran have been mentioned but, rumors aren’t going to be enough. Brunson’s selfish gesture to this organization shows how committed he is to them. Madison Square Garden was on its feet for this Knicks team up to the last seconds and for once it was cheers and not jeers. There is no doubt that this Knicks team can go farther if they pick up 1-2 players preferably a center because Mitch just can’t do it all anymore and the loss of Hartenstein is big cause he moved well with this team but, this team has enough fire in its belly from last year with a great outlook for next year and as always “GO NY, GO NY, GO.”