The Sports Insanity Network

WWE Mock Draft 2024

While the NFL draft is starting tomorrow, another draft will take place this weekend. That’s right, it’s time for the annual WWE Draft. I did one last year without predicting each spot and just saying where everyone will be, but this year, I’ll be doing my mock draft round by round each night. I’m not including supplemental picks for each night So here’s my 2024 WWE Mock Draft

Night 1:04/26/2024

Round 1
- SD: The Bloodline, with Paul Heyman’s name being the first again. Yes I feel the wise man will still have the 1st draft pick, and Jacob Fatu will join them
- Raw: Seth Rollins because the Man is the Champ
- SD: Jey Uso, to back up Cody Rhodes and face new members of the Bloodline
- Raw: Liv Morgan, first feud for Womens World Champion
Round 2
- SD: Carmelo Hayes, the 1st of many NXT call ups that are well deserved
- Andrade, He needs to make a name for himself without Charlotte who will probably appear post Summerslam
- SD: LA Knight, Yeah, just Yeah
- Raw: Bianca Belair, the EST needs a change for herself and separate herself for now
Round 3:
- SD: AJ Styles, to keep the feud with Cody Rhodes going
- Raw: Bron Brekker, to dethrone Sami Zayn for the IC champion
- SD: Nia Jax, a possible new member of the Bloodline
- Raw: Ilja Dragunov, another well-deserved NXT pick. Might possibly team with Imperium
Round 4
- SD: Randy Orton, to keep the feud with Logan Paul for the U.S. Champion going
- Raw: Sheamus, to assist or partake in the Drew Mcyntire storyline
- SD: Lyra Valkyria, former NXT Womens Champion deserves this moment to be on the main roster
- Raw: Alpha Academy, to continue with the Sami Zayn Feud

Night 2: 04/29/2024

Round 1
- Raw: CM Punk, to spite Drew Mcyntire
- SD: Jade Cargill, we need to see her shine as a singles wrestler or win the Womens Tag Team Champion with Naomi
- Raw: Drew Mcyntire, just to keep the CM Punk feud going
- SD: Judgement Day, to make the first official split of the Draft
Round 2
- Raw: Imperium, minus Giovanni Vinci. If you don’t know why, see this past Raw
- SD: Naomi, to keep the rivalry with Damage Ctrl going
- Raw: The Pride, mainly because of Bianca Belair and Montez Ford
- SD: Damage CTRL, to continue their feud with Bayley, Naomi, and Jade Cargill
Round 3
- Raw: Braun Strowman to return from injury
- SD: Legado Del Fantasma to aid with Judgment Day or break it up
- Raw: Kevin Owens to help Sami Zayn with the Alpha Academy
- SD: New Day, need a New Day on a new roster
Round 4:
- Raw: LWO, something tells me their feud with Legado will never end and the same goes for Judgment Day and Dominik, but they need a change and find new purpose
- SD: Gallus, former NXT Tag Team Champions who well deserve to be on the main roster
- Raw: Tiffany Stratton, it’s Tiffy time on Raw and her big feud for this year will begin with the EST
- SD: Shinsuke Nakamura, needs a change in the roster as he’s not being used to push himself up on Raw
Round 5
- Raw: #DIY, something tells me that they’ll be feuding with Awesome Truth for awhile
- SD: Bronson Reed, to be a contender for the WWE Champion
- Raw: Baron Corbin, to return from NXT and aid Bron Breakker in their run, wherever they go for
- SD: The Meta-Four, I was going to have them go to Raw, but then changed my mind as they could stay, but then realized just put this mega stable on SD
Round 6
- Raw: Zoey Stark, to continue to rise in the women division and possibly continue teaming with Shayna Baszler
- SD: Diamond Mine, want to see them feud with Waller/Theory and gain the SD Tag Team Champion
- Raw: Shayna Baszler, need her to keep mentoring Zoey Stark until she feuds with her again
- SD: Dijak, this NXT superstar had a rough patch, but this second chance for his “retribution” will make him a standout

Directionless

By Mike Rifkin

The MLB season is in full swing, and while most fan bases have a belief that their respective team can reach the postseason, that’s not the case for one team.

The White Sox have started the season 3-18 and things are not looking great on the South Side. The White Sox are 28th in team ERA only the Astros, who have had a lot of injuries to their rotation and the Rockies, who have the Coors Field effect are worse. If you thought the pitching was bad, somehow the offense is worse. The White Sox as a team are hitting .188 as a team and 11 homers, both of which are last in MLB.

When the White Sox started their “rebuild” in 2016, they were excited over the prospect haul they got in two separate trades; Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. In December of 2016 Sale was traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz. Diaz and Basabe didn’t pan out. Kopech, currently the closer of the club, was bouncing around the rotation and has a 15-20 record with a 4.29 ERA and has two saves this season. Kopech has also had some issues with health. In eight years with the Sox, Moncada has 93 homers and 339 RBI with a slash line of .254/.332/.424. And like Kopech, Moncada’s career has been filled with injuries as he is currently out with an adductor injury. Moncada is in the final year of his contract, so it seems likely that a breakup is on the way although there is a club option for next season.

The other deal that got people giddy in Chicago was when they traded Jose Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Matt Rose and Bryant Flete. Flete and Rose didn’t make it. Jimenez has 90 homers and 278 RBI with a slash line of .273/.323/.483. Jimenez, like Moncada, has a club option not just for 2025 but 2026 as well. Cease was 43-35 with a 3.83 ERA with the White Sox over five years and was second in CY Young voting in 2022. Right before the start of the season the White Sox flipped Cease to the Padres.

In 2021 the White Sox won 93 games, and most people (myself included) thought it was going to be the beginning of a strong run on the South Side, but it wasn’t meant to be. Then there were three fall guys : Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa retired after 2022, and then last year the White Sox fired longtime GM Rick Hahn and Vice President Kenny Williams. But instead of casting a wide search the team promoted Assistant GM Chris Getz for the role of GM. But how long is his leash along with Manager Pedro Grifol? This team isn’t getting better and will have some decisions coming on what the next core should look like. The Chris Getz era is off to an awful start and right now I am unsure what the White Sox could tell their fan base.

2024 NFL Mock Draft

BY Bill Murphy

Chicago Bears- Caleb Williams QB USC – When the Bears traded Justin fields ,we knew Williams was going to be the new franchise quarterback in Chicago. If the former Heisman Trophy winner lands in the windy city , he is going to have a lot of weapons such as DJ Moore (who they acquired last year from Carolina), Kennan Allen and Dante Pettis who they got during free agency .

2.Washington Commanders- Jayden Daniels, QB LSU- With Sam Howell gone , the Commanders need a new quarterback and what better way to go then the reigning Heisman Trophy Winner. Jayden Daniels threw for 12,749 yards and 89 touchdowns in both Arizona state and LSU . Daniels would also have Terry Mcalurin and Jahan Dotson as wide receivers.

3. New England Patriots – Drake Maye, QB UNC- The Tom Brady era is long in the past and the Mac Jones experiment ended up being an absolute failure.. That being said with the Jerod Mayo era beginning in Foxboro a new Quarter back is needed. Maye is just the guy to start it with , In 2022 he was named ACC player of the year and has a career of 8,018 passing yards and 63 touchdowns .

4. Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr. WR Ohio State- Marquise Brown is in Kansas City and Arizona has no weapons for Kyler Murray , it would only make sense to draft the best Wide Receiver in college football . In his career at Ohio State ,Harrison has 2,495 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns . With a combination of that and Murray’s mobility the Arizona offense will be a force to be reckoned with.

5.Los Angeles Chargers- Rome Odunze , WR Washington -The Chargers need a new Wide Receiver for Justin Herbet to compliment Quention Johnson after Kenan Allen went to Chicago . Ozunde’s has 3,060 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns this would be a good addition to the system of new head coach Jim Harbaugh .

6. New York Giants – Malik Nabers , WR LSU – The big question that is haunting the New York Giants this offseason is of course if Daniel Jones will be the QB and if they will draft JJ Mcarthy . I personally don’t think they should and when it comes to draft pick the Giants should pick a wide receiver , they have not had a 1,000 receiving season since Odell Beckham in 2018 . Nabers numbers at LSU were 3,003 receiving yards and 21 receiving touchdowns and I think he would be the right pick .

7. Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt , OT Notre Dame – When it comes to the Titans Offensive Line , last season they gave up 25 tackles for loss and 18 sacks and they released offensive Tackle Andre Dillard . In the past two seasons Alt allowed eight quarterback pressures and one sack.

8. Atlanta Falcons – Dallas Turner , Edge Alabama – The Falcons pass rush defense improved slightly from where they were in 2021 , the rate went from 34 to 36 percent . Turner was last season named the Co- Sec defensive play of the year with 120 tackles 32.5 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks .

9. Chicago Bears- Laiatu Latu , Edge, UCLA – Now with their Quarterback picked, the Chicago Bears now need to make improvements to the their Defense. Latu would be a good addition for the Bears defense with 85 tackles ,23.5 sacs ,34 tackles for loss and two interceptions. On top of his football numbers Latu know how to deal with adversity after recovering from a 2020 neck injury that could’ve ended his football career.

10. New York Jets – Brock Bowers, TE , Georgia – With Aaron Rodgers hopefully recovered from his Achilies injury (and not going to be vice president ), the New York Jets can get him a new weapon . Bowers in his career at Georgia he had 2,538 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns.

11. Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy, QB , Michigan -Well with Kirk Cousins off to Atlanta, the Minnesota Vikings need a new QB. As a national champion MCCarthy’s numbers with 6,226 yards and 49 touchdowns and it also comes in handy that he has a weapon in Justin Jefferson

12. Denver Broncos – Bo Nix , Oregon, QB – Well the Russel Wilson era in Denver has come to an end . This would give Sean Payton another opportunity to mold another young Quarterback , just like he did with that one in New Orleans . In his career at both Auburn and Oregon , Nix has 15,352 yards ,108 passing touchdowns and 38 rushing touchdowns .

13.Las Vegas Raiders- Troy Fatanu , Washington , OT – Yes, the Raiders need a QB . Whether they either go with O’Connell or Minshew or trade up to get Jayden Daniels or pick in the second round, they need someone to protect the QB . Fatanu helped the Huskies with the second pass offense in the country . In his time at Washington , Fatanu had an impressive 3.6% pressure allowed per block rating

14. New Orleans Saints – Olumuyiwa Fashanu , OT , Penn State – Olumuyiwa Fashanu would be a good addition to the Saints Offensive line especially with the current situation of Ryan Ramzyck who might not be able to play football after knee surgery . Fashanu has allowed zero sacks in 12 games last year

15.Indianapolis Colts – Quniyon Mitchell, CB – Toledo – The Colts Secondary is a mess , in the last four games of the season the defense had a completion rate of 68 % . In Toledo , Mitchell had a completion rate of 44%, with 27 pass breakups and six interceptions .

16. Seattle Seahawks Byron Murphy II , DT , Texas – Last year , the Seahawks gave up 402 points ,averaging 20.6 points a game . Murphy had five sacks last season and could be a major force on the interior of the Seahawks defense.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Terrion Arnold, CB , Alabama -Terrion Arnold can help with the Jaguars defense , in has career at Alabama he had 108 tackles, one sack, 7.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions. 26 passes defended, one forced fumble

18.Cincinati Bengals – Jer’Zhan Newton , DT Illinois -The Bengals did not re-sign DJ Reader or a replacement for him. In Newton’s career at Illinois he had 18 sacks.

19.Los Angels Rams – Jared Verse , Edge – Florida State – With Aaron Donald Retired , the Rams defense needs some fresh blood. Verse had 18 sacks his last two years at Florida St.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers- Graham Barton,IOL , Duke – Whether the new QB will be Justin Fields or Russell Wilson they are going to need someone the protect them . Barton has only allowed four sack in the last two seasons .

21.Miami Dolphins – Chop Robinson , DE, Penn State – Last year the Miami defense had collected a franchise record of 56 sacks . Zach Sieler is the only returning Dolphins player who has multiple sacks. During Robinson’s time Penn State , he had 36 total tackles , 25 solo , 10 asst and six sacks .

22. Philadelphia Eagles – Edgerrin Cooper LB , Texas A&M – Even though the Eagles have added to the linebacker position such as Zach Baun and Devin White . Cooper can be the young addition that they need with 204 total tackles, 111 solo tackles ,93 assistant tackles and 8.5 sacks.

23. Minnesota Vikings – Jackson Powers Johnson C, Oregon – Now that they got their QB , the Vikings need protection . Johnson was awarded as the nations best center , making him the first (and last) Pac- 12 player to do so

24. Dallas Cowboys – Amarius Mims, OT , Georgia -The Offensive line is an area that needs to be fixed in Dallas. He us good at blocking pressure and has not allowed any Sacks when he played in Georgia .

25. Green Bay Packers – Tannor Bortolini C , Wisconsin – Not only can he be used as a center Bortolini also started as a tackle and guard (both left and right ).

26.Tampa Bay Buccaneers -Bralen Trice , Edge , Washington- Trice can give a jolt to the Tampa Bay Defense . Last year Trice had 150 pressures

27. Arizona Cardinals – Cooper Dejean ,CB ,Iowa- The Cardinals secondary, this past year was very disappointing allowing the third most passing touchdowns in the league . Dejean has 88 solo tackles , 32 assistant tackles and seven interceptions , this can be an added welcome to the Cardinals struggling secondary

28. Buffalo Bills – Brian Thomas , WR LSU – Now that Stefon Diggs left Buffalo for Houston , the Bills need a new wide receiver . Bryan Thomas has racked up 1,897 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns for LSU , this is a needed weapon for Josh Allen .

29. Detroit Lions – Nate Wiggins , CB , Clemson – With the release of Cam Sutton , The Lions are going to need someone to fill the hole at Cornerback and that would be Nate Wiggins . He does well in Man and zone coverage .

30.Baltimore Ravens – Tyler Guyton , Oklahoma OT- The Ravens lost Kevin Zeitler , Morgan Moses and John Simpson in free agency . Needing protection for Jackson , Guyton would be the guy as he only gave up two sack during his time at Oklahoma

31. San Francisco 49ers – Jordan Morgan Arizona -OT- The 49ers are going to need to give Trent Williams some assistance in protecting Brock Purdy . Morgan has only allowed two sacks and one hit .

32.Kansas City Chiefs- Adonai Mitchell , Texas , WR – While the Chiefs picked up Marquise Brown during free agency , getting another weapon for Mahomes would not be a bad idea. Mitchell’s stats of 1,405 yds and 18 touchdowns that would Kansas City another strong receiver

TWIW – This Week in Wrestling 4/19/2024

BY JEFF KNAPP

Tama Tonga made his debut this past Friday on Smackdown and aligned with Solo Sikoa and took out Jimmy Uso.

Ex-WWE owner has put up all his remaining shares of TKO, so they will be available for purchase. Good chance the money from the sales will go to legal fees.

Big E. gave us an update on his neck injury, and he tweeted the following to his fans “Hey, all, Two year neck scans are in. Things are unchanged. My C1 has healed fibrously but has not formed new bone. I’m not medically cleared and truthfully, I may never be cleared, but I am blessed to be free of pain, immensely happy and otherwise healthy. Life is good.”

On Monday, former STARDOM executive Ogawa held a press conference to announce the launch of Dream Star Fighting Marigold, or Marigold. Good luck to him and his new promotion.

Speaking of Merigold, Tokyo Sports caught up with Ogawa and he spoke about his interest in working with WWE going forward. “[WWE] has been very good to me,” he said. “I think they’re buying into what I’ve been doing to raise IYO [SKY], Kairi [Sane], and Giulia. Relationship with WWE? I think there will be some kind of announcement from the other side in the future.”

He continued, “I’d like to invite players from the other side (WWE)…I’d like to be able to do something like that.” Later in the interview, Ogawa even teased Marigold possibly becoming a feeder-system for WWE “Maybe it will become a (WWE) ranch…”

By the end of Raw this past Monday we saw the return of Sheamus, who has been out of action for a while dealing with an injury. Speaking of injuries, and this one really hurts but Rhea “Bloody” Ripley got hit with an injury and not only has to vacate the Women’s Championship but will be out of action for many months according to reports.

After finally splitting up the tag titles, Triple H announced that the titles that will be defended on Raw and held by Awesome Truth will now be known as the World Tag Team Titles. Their first title defense will be against DIY.

Although Giulia appeared at NXT’s Stand and Deliver over Wrestlemania weekend as the newest signee of the WWE, it appears that her debut will not come until possibly July at NXT Heatwave. Until then she is expected to work a few matches in Ogawa’s new Marigold promotion.

This past Wednesday, Nick Khan & Triple H spoke at the annual World Congress of Sports convention and mentioned the talks they had about having the 5 big PLE (WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Money In The Bank) all being held here in the United States and Canada but looking to have the other PLE emanating from other international locations. In my opinion, that would be a lot of fun to watch. That could be about 7 different locations. You figure Saudi Arabia would hold 1 and the other 6 could be Australia, The UK, France, Germany, Italy, and possibly Tokyo, Mexico City or even Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Congratulations go to Carlos Cabrera for finding a new home with AEW’s Spanish announce Team. Carlos was with the WWE from 1993 until 2022.

TNA Rebellion PPV Card for Saturday 4/20/2024

Pre-show

Leon Slater and ABC (Ace Austin and Chris Bey) vs. The Rascalz (Trey Miguel, Zachary Wentz, and Myron Reed) Six-man tag team match

Spitfire (Dani Luna and Jody Threat) (c) (with Lars Frederiksen) vs. Decay (Havok and Rosemary) – Tag team match for the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship

Crazzy Steve (c) vs. Laredo Kid Singles match for the TNA Digital Media Championship

Main Card

Frankie Kazarian vs. Eric Young – Full Metal Mayhem match
Joe Hendry vs. Rich Swann (with A. J. Francis)
Mustafa Ali (c) vs. Jake Something – TNA X Division Championship
The System (Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers) (c) (with Alisha Edwards) vs. Speedball Mountain (Mike Bailey and Trent Seven) – Tag team match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship
Jordynne Grace (c) vs. Steph De Lander – TNA Knockouts World Championship
Josh Alexander vs. Hammerstone – Last Man Standing match
Moose (c) vs. Nic Nemeth – TNA World Championship

AEW Dynasty PPV Card Sunday 4/21/2024

Pre Show

AEW Trios Championships and ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championships — The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn (c) vs. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn)

Main Card

Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston and Mark Briscoe vs. House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews)
FTW Championship — Hook (c) vs. Chris Jericho
AEW International Championship — Roderick Strong (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly
TBS Championship — Julia Hart (c) vs. Willow Nightingale (House Rules match)
AEW Continental Championship — Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. PAC
AEW Tag Team Championships — Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (Ladder match)
AEW Women’s World Championship — “Timeless” Toni Storm (c) vs. Thunder Rosa
Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Danielson
AEW World Championship — Samoa Joe (c) vs. Swerve Strickland

Rollcall of current Champions across the wrestling world

WWE

Undisputed WWE Champion – Cody Rhodes

World Heavyweight Champion – Damian Priest

World Tag Team Champions – The Miz & R-Truth

Smackdown Tag Team Champions – Grayson Waller & Austin Theory

WWE Women’s Champion – Bayley

Women’s World Champion – Vacant

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – The Kabuki Warriors

WWE US Champion – Logan Paul

WWE Intercontinental Champion – Sami Zayn

NXT

NXT Championship- Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women’s Champion – Roxanne Perez

North American Champion – Oba Femi

Tag Team Champions – Nathan Frazer & Axiom

Heritage Cup – Charlie Dempsey

AEW

AEW World Champion – Samoa Joe

TNT Champion – Adam Copeland

AEW Women’s Champion – Toni Storm

TBS Champion – Julia Hart

AEW World Tag Team Champions – VACANT

AEW Trios Champions – The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

AEW International Champion – Roderick Strong

AEW Continental Champion – Kazuchika Okada

TNA Wrestling

World Champion – Moose

X Division – Mustafa Ali

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

Digital Media Champion – Crazzy Steve

Knockouts Champion – Jordynne Grace

Knockouts Tag Champions – Spitfire (Dani Luna and Jody Threat)

ROH

ROH World Champion – Mark Briscoe

ROH TV Champion – Kyle Fletcher

ROH Pure Champion – Wheeler Yuta

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

ROH Six Man Tag Champions – Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & Austin & Colton Gunn)

ROH Women’s Champion – Athena

ROH Women’s TV Champion – Billie Starkz

NJPW

IWGP World Champion – Jon Moxley

IWGP Global Heavyweight – Nick Nemeth

IWGP Junior Heavyweight – Sho

Strong Openweight Champion – Eddie Kingston

IWGP Television Champion – Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP Tag Team Champions – Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi Hashi

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 – Shingo Takagi

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Champions – Vacant

KOPW 2023 – Great O Khan

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

Strong Women’s Champion – Stephanie Vaquer (Shared with Stardom)

NWA

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion – EC3

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

NWA World Jr Heavyweight Champion – Joe Alonzo

NWA National Champion – VACANT

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

NWA US Tag Team Champions – The Immortals (Kratos & Odinson)

NWA World Women’s Champion – Kenzie Paige

NWA World Women’s TV Champion – Max The Impaler

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

AAA – Triple A Worldwide

AAA Mega Champion – VACANT

AAA Latin American Champion – Octagon Jr

AAA World Cruiserweight Champion – Komander

AAA World Tag Team Champions – Nueva Generacion Dinamita (Sanson & Forastero)

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 – Stephanie Vaquer

CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Champions – Stephanie Vaquer and Zeuxis

Stardom

World of Stardom Champion (main title) – Maika

Wonder of Stardom Champion (secondary title ie IC tite) – Saori Anou

Goddess of Stardom Champions (tag) – Crazy Star (Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira)

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

High Speed Champion (lightweight or x type of title) Saki Kashima

NHL Playoff Players Under Pressure

By Mike Rifkin

With the NHL regular season coming to an end and all the playoff teams being set. Here is a look at players under the spotlight this postseason.

Artemi Panarin – Rangers – The Breadman who is in the Hart Trophy conversation, has put up career highs in Goals and points this season. Last year in the first round against the Devils Panarin was held to two assists and two years ago in the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Panarin had 16 points but there were times where he was invisible.

Alexander Georgiev – Avalanche – Georgiev’s numbers last year in the first round when the Avs got surprised by the Kraken weren’t bad with a 2.60 GAA and .914 save percentage. But the Avs are in win now mode and even though Georgiev had 38 wins this regular season, but he will be judged on what comes next.

3) Stuart Skinner – Oilers – What was said about Georgiev can also be said for Skinner. The Oilers and Avalanche both have generational players and rosters that can win it all. Skinner, like the Oilers started the season slow, but after a coaching change things have been solid. Skinner was top 10 in wins and GAA, but a bad playoff might make Ken Holland look for a new goalie over the summer.

4) Mitch Marner – Maple Leafs – Let me be honest here this has nothing to do with Marner. He has 47 points in 50 career playoff games, but this is about the Leafs. If they fail to make the Conference Finals, there has to be some sort of change and not just the coach, or Brendan Shanahan, at some point the core of the team has to change. Auston Matthews and William Nylander both signed new contracts, Marner will be entering the final year of his contract next season, so that makes him the guy with the most to lose. But let’s be honest the entire Leafs roster is under pressure to win.

5) Pierre -Luc Dubois – Kings – Dubois was a massive addition to an already impressive Kings roster. The Kings decided to get the Center instead of a big time goalie. Dubois has 40 points on the season and is a -9. Dubois has 26 points and is a -9 in 38 career playoff games. If he struggles in the playoffs Kings fans are going to look at that contract differently.

6) Linus Ullmark – Bruins – The Bruins last season rode the goaltending tandem of Ullmark and Swayman to the Presidents’ Trophy. In the playoffs that changed and named the Vezina Trophy winner Ullmark the starter, and the Bruins wound up losing the series to the Florida Panthers. Ullmark and Swayman each had another great season, but with Swayman needing a new contract, if Ullmark disappoints again he could be moved this summer.

A GIANT CHOICE

BY MIKE RIFKIN

We are T- minus two weeks away from the NFL draft. Most experts believe the top three picks in the draft will be all Quarterbacks, so the question has been when does the fourth quarterback come off the board and to whom?

Well, one team that has been “rumored” to select a quarterback is the New York Giants. The Giants had a tremendous bounce back year in 2022 and won a playoff game in Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen’s first season. 2023 was a different story, the Giants went 6-11 and in some games were just not competitive. But the biggest step back in 2023 wasn’t Brian Daboll or Joe Schoen, it was Daniel Jones. Jones, who had his fifth year option declined before the start of 2022, had his best season that year. Jones’s 2022 got him a four year 160 million dollar contract. Jones in 2023 regressed to what he was prior to 22 and that was a turnover machine prior to his season ending torn ACL. After Jones’ injury the Giants turned to Tommy Devito and Tyrod Taylor. Taylor will remain at MetLife Stadium, but will be the backup for Aaron Rodgers. Taylor, will be replaced by Drew Lock, whom the Giants signed from the Seattle Seahawks.

With the sixth overall pick what should the Giants do? Should they attempt to find their quarterback of the future or go elsewhere? Well I think this is an obvious decision. The Giants leading receiver was Darius Slayton with 770 yards. The Giants haven’t had a receiver go over 1,000 yards since Odell Beckham in 2018. The Giants have one of the worst receiving groups in the NFL, so I don’t care if it’s Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers, (if there’s a miracle Marvin Harrison Jr.) the Giants need help on the outside and that NEEDS to be the pick.

The Giants can get out of Jones’ contract after this upcoming season with a little more than 22 million dollars in dead cap. If Jones struggles again this season there are a few veteran QBS the Giants might have their eyes on.

Dak Prescott: Cowboys – If the Cowboys don’t reach the NFC Championship you have to think Prescott will be out. It’s part of the reason he hasn’t gotten his extension yet and they’ll tie him with Mike McCarthy.

Russell Wilson : Steelers – This might not be a hot take but had the Giants signed Russ this off-season, people might be jumping for joy. While he stunk for the Broncos, who knows what happens in Pittsburgh between him and Justin Fields.

Josh Allen : Bills – This is the most far fetched idea. The Bills have been one of the best teams in the AFC for the last five years, but have been unable to get over the hump that is the Kansas City Chiefs. After the trade of Stefon Diggs, you have to wonder what’s going through Allen’s head. If the Bills fail in a similar fashion to the Cowboys, what are the next steps? Maybe reuniting Allen with Brian Daboll would benefit the Giants.

After one good season and one poor season people have written of the combination of Schoen and Daboll. Despite losing Saquon Barkley in free agency, Joe Schoen has had a fantastic off-season, adding pass rusher Brian Burnes and adding to the offensive line. There’s always one interesting Quarterback move during the offseason, and it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is if they don’t have receivers. That’s the position Schoen has to take in the draft

MASTERS 2024

By Ross Mazin

It’s that time of year in the golf world where the elite come to play in the coveted Masters tournament to win that desired Green Jacket. The Masters will kick off from Augusta National next Thursday and the weather looks perfect for this year’s tourney.

Augusta National is 7,435 yards and is one of the most challenging courses on the tour. My favorite hole on this course in the 17th is named Nandina because the berries are considered good luck and you can find these berries at the tee box. This hole is a 440 yards par 4 and the fairway is pretty straight and is guarded by trees on either side. The most intimidating part of this hole is the approach to the green. It is not heavily guarded by bunkers though has two on either side of the front of the green. The green is sloped and depending on where the pin is placed, we could see fewer birdies and more par and bogeys. If you hit a clean drive and are not off to the right or left on your drive you have a good chance at a shot at the green but if you’re in the trees you’re likely punching back out on the fairway (this is not Xbox where you can just go for it) and trying to save par.

As for Mark “Old Ops Guy” Halpern, he told me his favorite hole is the 9th hole known as Carolina Cherry. It’s a 460-yard par four that plays a slight dogleg left and has the most challenging green on the course. It slopes deep right and most players try to play left and come just short of the bunkers to give them a nice chip to approach the hole and have an easy putt. This hole plays like a par five, it’s a very long par four that will frustrate most players.

As for winning the coveted Green Jacket, Mark and I both like Rory Mcilroy, as he has been better this year than last and is due. Others I think will compete well are Max Homa and Adam Shank. As for the “Old Ops Guy” he also likes Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, and an underdog Cameron Smith.

The Field is set and the course is getting its final trimming and pin placements. Practice rounds will begin shortly and the weather will be gorgeous and time to enjoy a Mint Julep while you watch the best golfers in the world face off for their title shot.

FREE FALL

BY Mike Rifkin

One of the biggest surprises this NHL season had been the play of the Philadelphia Flyers. When Danny Briere and Keith Jones became the top decision makers of the team they talked about a rebuild. This season The Flyers had been in the top three of the Metropolitan Division most of the season. On Saturday the Flyers lost 6-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The loss was Philly’s seventh consecutive loss. The Flyers are 2-5-3 over the last ten games. Over this seven game losing streak includes defeats at the hands of the Blackhawks, Canadiens and Blue Jackets three teams at the bottom of their respective divisions.

With the Flyers being the biggest surprise of the league, head coach John Tortorella was my frontrunner for the Jack Adams Award (Coach Of The Year), but now with the recent play of the team some might reconsider. Torts who is known for his tough demeanor, might be having his act where thin. He scratched Captain Sean Couturier for a few games, only a few weeks after he was named Captain. On Monday after losing to the Islanders, Torterella said “ Only one guy played – the goalie. He was the only player that played in the second period”. Tortorella was referring to Ivan Fedotov, who made his debut in the second period, replacing Samuel Errson. Torts walked back that statement a few days later, talking about the team being together and how they’ve responded all year. But is the Torts act wearing thin?

Over Philly’s last seven games they have scored three goals or more twice. Scoring has been a issue for Philly a lot this season, they averaged 2.86 goals per game. One area where Philly has had problems all season is their power play. The power-less play is connecting at 12.8% with the man advantage. While the Flyers still have an opportunity to make the playoffs, their recent stretch has been brutal. But here’s my question for Flyer fans : do you want to make the playoffs because you’re so close? Or do you want the better draft pick? The Flyers have had a marvelous season to this point, but if they collapse and miss the playoffs, does this make their season a failure? Nobody thought the Flyers would be in a race this late into the season, but this recent stretch is not something to write home about. But I am very curious on what Danny Briere has up his sleeve this summer, especially after this season where the team has overachieved.

FINAL FOUR PREVIEW

BY MIKE RIFKIN

We’ve arrived at the Final Four in Glendale Arizona. Two number one seeds remain, as does a four seed and a Cinderella 11 seed. So let’s dive into the two matchups.

NC STATE VS PURDUE : NC STATE was a bubble team until they went on a miraculous run in the ACC tournament and into the NCAA tournament. DJ Burns has become a star during this tournament. He scored 29 points against Duke to get to the Wolfpack to their first Final Four since 1983. Burns against Purdue’s Zach Edey is a matchup everybody is looking forward to. Edey, who was just named the Player of the Year Had 40 points and 16 rebounds against Tennessee. On the season Edey averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds per game. If Burns and Edey cancel each other out the question becomes which supporting cast will be better? Purdue is in their first Final Four since 1980.

ALABAMA VS UCONN : Alabama is in the Final Four for the first time ever. Alabama is the highest scoring team in the country averaging 90.6 points per game. Alabama was 357 in points allowed giving up over 81 points per game. In the tournament Alabama has given up over 80 points in three of the four games. UConn has been the most dominant team in the tournament. The question for Alabama is can they out physical the duo of Donovan Clingan and Alex Caraban. Tristen Newton vs Marc Sears should a fun matchup in the backcourt.

Two teams that have dominated College Basketball all season and two surprise teams, this Final Four should be a lot of fun to watch. No matter what the title game becomes we should have an epic Saturday on our hands.

SAY GO NY GO NY GO

By Mark Halpern

Billy Joel’s song title “The Longest Time” is the perfect statement for Knicks fans. For the longest time Knicks fans have a real reason to be electrified about this Knicks team that is in contention for the third place in the playoff race.

The New York Knicks are 44-30 and are second in the Atlantic division and fourth in the Eastern Conference one game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third spot. The Knicks have had their ups and downs this season. Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and O.G. Anunoby have all dealt with injuries, Anunoby returned but has been sidelined again still dealing with his elbow. The Knicks need Randle to return and this team will be even stronger when he does. Jalen Brunson is the Captain of this team because he has done it all with his leadership on and off the court is inspiring. Brunson is having an MVP year averaging 27.9 points/ 3.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. The Knicks have used many different lineups this season (because of injuries) and no matter what combination of players that are on the floor are working as a unit. Big men such as Robinson and Hartenstein are cleaning up the boards and both averaging career highs in rebounds per game .The team is tied for fourth in the NBA in Rebounds per game. This has been a key reason the Kicks keep the points coming is the offensive rebounds have increased this season and making second chance opportunities count. When the Knicks got Josh Hart last season, I was very excited cause I knew what he was going to bring to this team. His play whether he has started or come off the bench he always makes his presence known. I like to consider him the clean version of Draymond Green but with more points and a much better attitude. If you have been watching the electric play of Donte DiVincenzo, then you get the feeling has when opening a cold Ice Tea on a hot summer day. His chemistry with Brunson and Hart has made him one of the most important additions this season. The Knicks traded for O.G. Anounoby and his presence on the floor has been felt. He has been bothered by an elbow injury and has missed some time but when he has been on the floor his defense has been helpful since Randle went down. Last but, not least is Julius Randle and hopefully he will return soon. Once he is ready to join this powerful team. It has been some time since Randle has been on the floor and I am sure he will be a little rusty and now is the time to get him ready for the playoffs.

This New York Knick team is a threat on all fronts of the game and Thibs has done a great job and this team is returning to greatness. With the playoffs ahead the Knicks are a real contender to go far in the playoffs but we know all roads go through Boston.