Harden-ing His Stance

By: Mike Rifkin

Earlier this Summer, James Harden requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Yesterday, James Harden missed practice, and the team claimed the absence was “unexcused.” according to multiple reports, Harden has been in Houston. Harden did report when training camp opened last month. 

Harden, last season, averaged 21.0 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 10.7 assists per game. But our lasting image of Harden in a 76er jersey was games 6 and 7 against the Boston Celtics, where Harden shot a combined 7-27 from the field and 1-11 from three and had a combined 22 points in a series that the 76ers lost in seven games to the rival Boston Celtics. After that series, the Sixers fired coach Doc Rivers and replaced him with 2019 NBA championship coach Nick Nurse. 

James Harden had an option on his contract for this season, and he opted in because he was never walking away from 35 million dollars. But here’s the question for James Harden: he has made 300 million dollars over his career, and more with endorsements, so does he have to make more money, or does he want to win the elusive ring that every superstar desires? Everywhere Harden has been, he’s had other stars to share the spotlight. Despite not being what he is now in Oklahoma City, he had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. In Houston, he had Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. In Brooklyn, he had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and now in Philly, he has Joel Embiid, who won NBA MVP last season. What Houston, Brooklyn, and Philly all have in common is that Harden has requested a trade out of all of those places. 

Over the summer, James Harden called Sixers GM Daryl Morey a “liar”. Harden said during a media event in China, “Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of the same organization that he’s a part of.” Here’s the thing: I have no idea what Morey lied to Harden about, and that hasn’t become public knowledge. But Morey was the GM of the Rockets when Harden was there, and when Morey took over in Philly made a point of acquiring Harden there. Harden has to realize that the Sixers will not give him away, and the one team heavily rumored has been the Los Angeles Clippers. The asking price from the Sixers has been draft picks and Terrence Mann, a non-starter for the Clippers. So maybe Harden has to think of other teams to go to, or the Clippers would have to get a third team involved. But here we are, less than a week away from the NBA season, and a Sixers team that everyone is waiting to get over the hump has another hurdle to climb. 

Now Or Never

By Mike Rifkin

We are in the middle of another beautiful College Football season and two weeks away from the first College Football Playoff Rankings being unveiled for the first time. The biggest game of the week takes place in the Big Ten, where seventh-ranked Penn St. travels to Columbus to play the third-ranked Ohio St. While both teams have the same 6-0 record, this game is more significant for one of the teams. 

This is a massive game for Penn St. Every year, we look at the Big Ten (especially after it split into two divisions) and ask ourselves, who will challenge Ohio State and Michigan? Well, recently, most years, people say Penn St., and we’re waiting for them to make that statement. Penn St. coach James Franklin is 1-8 in his career against the Buckeyes and 3-6 against the Wolverines. Penn St. can have very competitive teams every year, but at some point, Franklin has to be able to get his team over the hump. In 2021, he got a new 10-year contract from the University, making roughly 8.5 million dollars per season. That makes him the twelfth highest-paid coach in the country, but everyone in front of him, for the most part, has either won a National Championship or been to the Playoffs. If James Franklin wants to prove any doubters wrong, he has to win at Ohio State this week and, on November 11th, beat Michigan at home. If he does those things and Penn St. gets the Big Ten Championship game, he can change the narrative about him and his University. 

LOUD WHISPER

By Mark Halpern

    In a weekend filled with upsets, the Detroit Lions team and fans weren’t upset. The Lions pulled off a monstrous win, but with all the eyes on the Jets beating the Eagles, the Browns beating the 49ers, or even the way Miami dismembered the Panthers, the Lions win was not heavily discussed.

        I have said how much I like Goff, whether he throws a pick or not. In this game, he was fantastic by going 20/44, 353 yards, and 2 TDs with no interceptions. The wide receivers were all targeted in this game, as Goff hit ten different receivers. St. Brown returned to fashion with a 12-reception game for 124 yards and a TD. The other good news was the return of Jameson Williams getting in the endzone on a nice 45-yard dime from Goff. The Biggest concern came out of the backfield as David Montgomery only ran the ball six times, and because Gibbs was out, Craig Reynolds got ten carries for 15 yards. The running game was the weakest it has been for the Lions since week 2.

     On the Defensive side, you can’t criticize perfection. Not only did the Lions record three sacks and, picked off apprentice Baker and held the Buccaneers to no offensive touchdowns. The Defense is in the top echelon in the league and should be significantly feared going forward. The Lions will take on a formidable team in the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.

Making Strides 

By Mike Rifkin

The Miami Dolphins will host the winless Panthers on Sunday. The Dolphins are coming from a 31-16 win over the Giants. The Dolphins’ speed was on display throughout the game. Tua threw for 308 yards and had two touchdowns and two interceptions. He averaged over 10 yards per pass. The Dolphins ran for 222 yards and averaged 9.7 yards per carry. The run game will suffer a bit because the team put rookie De’von Achane on IR with a knee injury. Tyreek Hill had 181 yards receiving and a touchdown, as did Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins defense had six sacks and 14 hits on Daniel Jones.

The Panthers are coming off a 42-24 loss to the Lions. Bryce Young had 247 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Young has a 63.9 completion percentage, 750 yards, five touchdowns, and interceptions. Young is averaging 5.2 yards per pass and has been sacked 12 times. The Panthers’ defense is giving up 140.8 rushing yards per game and about five yards per carry. Miami leads the league in rushing yards per game. 

The Panthers offensive line has given up 15 sacks so far this season, while the Dolphins defense has 17. The Panthers are coming off a game where they had three turnovers. If the Dolphins’ defense can do what they did last week, it could be a big week for Vic Fangio. 

CHARGED UP

By Mark Halpern

Last week, the Cowboys got dismantled by the 49ers. I think my colleague Mike Rifkin said it right when he changed the title of my article from last week from “Gold Duged” to “Exposed?” He has a valid point: the 49ers walked all over the Defense, and the 49ers defense walked all over the Cowboys offense. The question becomes, what’s the problem, and how do we solve it?

      Everything doesn’t have to change immediately. The Defense is good; however, when you are on the field for better than 60% of the game, players will be tired. Dallas’s two losses came when the time of possession favored the Cardinals and the 49ers. So, the Defense is better than okay; it’s incredible. Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be without Leighton Vander Esch for six weeks due to another neck injury. We wish him the best and speedy recovery, and with the need to fill his spot, the Cowboys have signed veteran Rashann Evans. And he could play as soon as this weekend, and he will be desperately needed with Austin Eckler returning this week.

    We know what this offense can do; we can all look at the stat sheets and say this team should score 4-7 offensive TDs a game. Why aren’t they? I have said this before and will likely take some colossal backlash, but the Cowboys should have retained Jason Garrett as the Offensive Coordinator. This is the problem with the offense. The last time they had a proper OC was Norv Turner during the Superbowl Era. Playcalling has been atrocious, and you can look at the head coach who insisted on being the playcaller this season. Well, be a head coach, and let’s get someone honest to call plays.

   The Offensive line has to have a superior game in protecting Dak and making holes for Pollard. Dallas can win this game, which will come down to the running game this week. Pollard and company will have to create more reasonable 2nd downs than last week. Dallas has to be facing at most 4 yards on second or 3rd down. Dak has to have time to be able to create plays and not with his legs. Trust Lamb, Gallup, and Cooks to get open and check down to Fergusson as he gets more in sync weekly with Dak.

    This game will be a Resurgence for the Cowboys, but it won’t be a cakewalk as Herbert has all his weapons available this week, and it will be an electric game. 

DISTANCING THEMSELVES

By Mark Halpern

        If the first five weeks tell us anything, it starts to showcase the Division leaders and potential winners. The Detroit Lions have been one of the most complete teams, along with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Miami Dolphins as the potential Super Bowl Candidates. While the season is still young, the Lions are making their ROAR heard.

       I have spoken enough about what Jared Goff is doing, so let’s shift the focus to the significant offense contributors expected for this game. David Montgomery has been lights out over the past three weeks. He has averaged better than 17 rushes per game, rushing for an average of over a hundred yards and at least one score per game. Montgomery has proven why he was traded; he is just one essential part. He will have to step up again as Jahmyr Gibbs is out again. The Wide Receivers mostly have exceeded their expectations. St. Brown has been the #1 for a good reason, as he leaders the team in targets and receptions, but it isn’t just a one-man show. Sam LaPorta is becoming that safety target for Goff, and they are working together like Witten and Romo. La Porta, a second-round pick, is playing better than any previous rookie TE drafted over the last three years. Veteran Josh Reynolds has stepped up in light of the St. Brown injury (he is not on the injury report this week), showed his veteran experience, and has given Goff a solid target to work with. The Offensive line deserves the most prominent credit here. They have opened highway-sized holes for Montgomery and Gibbs to run through and given Goff an average of 3.37 seconds to get rid of the ball. That’s above average for any team.

    What has to happen this week? The Defense has to pressure Baker because he is one of the worst QBs when flushed out of the pocket. If the Lions could do just that, then taking Evans and Goodwin out of this game, the Lions should have no problem moving on to an impressive 5-1 on the season.

Giving In

By Mike Rifkin

Earlier this week, the NHL announced teams will no longer be using pride tape on their sticks. In June, the league announced that teams were prohibited from wearing “specialty” jerseys before games. Several teams followed suit after several players voiced their displeasure and religious beliefs for not wearing the jerseys. The NHL has a saying that hockey is for everyone, so here’s the question: Is hockey for everyone? 

Commissioner Gary Bettman said on Tuesday, “What happened last year was that the issue of who wanted to wear a particular uniform on a particular night overshadowed everything that our clubs were doing. So what we said, instead of having that distraction and having our players have to decide whether or not they wanted to do something or not do something and be singled out, we said, ‘Let’s not touch that.” Players can’t wear pride jerseys, use pride tape, and can’t have stickers or ribbons on their uniforms. So, what the commissioner is saying is that hockey isn’t for everyone. What took place last year, whether it was an individual or a team, was wrong, and now the fact that there is a ban on pride gear is ridiculous. It is another reason Gary Bettman remains the worst commissioner in any of the four major sports. 

Former NHL executive and current PWHLPA president Brian Burke released a statement on Thursday saying, “This is not inclusion or progress. Fans look to teams and the league to show they are welcome, and this directive closes a door that’s been open for the last decade. Make no mistake, this is a surprising and serious setback.” What Burke says is 100 percent right: these teams make money off of consumers. They can only support the people who support them and pay their salaries. Now, there have been several players who have used their voices as well. Flyers forward Scott Laughton said, “You’ll probably see me with the Pride tape on that night; it’s not going to affect how I go about it. If they want to say something, they can, but it does not make a difference in what I do for the Pride community every night.” Laughton even added he’d buy the tape himself if he has to. Trevor Van Riemsdyk of the Capitals said, “The league decided what they did, but I don’t think that stops us from showing our support and making it something that is extremely important to us.” So here’s the question: if there are players who want to support the Pride community, why can’t they be in this environment? Van Riemsdyk said, “Obviously, it was something I enjoyed doing all night. It’s all about that inclusive feel. But that shouldn’t stop us, like, ‘Oh, we can’t do anything, there’s nothing we can do. No, there’s still a lot we can do and many ways to make people feel welcome and included, so hopefully that doesn’t deter guys.” Laughton and Van Riemsdyk say players support the Pride community, which leads everyone to ask if hockey is for everyone. Right now, it doesn’t feel that way, and whether this was based on religious beliefs for some players or something else, one thing is for sure: this is the worst thing Gary Bettman has done as NHL commissioner. For someone trying to grow the game, he constantly does something to put it in the headlines for the wrong reasons. 

JUNGLE RULERS

BY Mark Halpern

    The Lions faced the Carolina Panthers this past weekend, and from the kickoff, it was all about the Lions. The Lions were unanimous favorites against the Panthers and didn’t disappoint.

    Jared Goff, time and time again this season, has shown us why we all need to believe in this team. Goff had an errorless day to go along with his three touchdown passes and his 236 yards. His execution, time in the pocket, and excellent decision-making helped drive the Lions up and down the gridiron. David Montgomery has been one of the best running backs since his injury in the second week. Montgomery opened the scoring with a 42-yard scamper that he made a nice move to weave in and to the outside and took it to the house. Montgomery rushed for 109 yards and a score, making it look easy against a defense that has been stingy in the run game. Due to a hamstring injury, St. Brown was ruled out, but Josh Reynolds stepped up big time for 76 yards and a score, and Sam Laporta, showing why his name needs to be praised, had another stellar day with 47 yards and two touchdowns. Goff has found his new safety valve, and Laporta keeps improving each week. 

    The Lion’s defense wasn’t perfect, but it kept the Panthers off the board until it didn’t matter. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young didn’t have a bad day passing himself with 237 yards, 3 TDs, but two ints. Jerry Jacobs is making a play at being one of the best secondary players in the NFL by recording yet another interception. Jacobs has been one of the more vocal players on and off the field and is a great team player in helping his teammates and being willing to learn from them. The defense, if it had a weakness, was the inability to sack the QB like they have been doing over recent weeks. The Carolina offensive line did its best to stop this powerful defense and gave the rookie some time to throw, but the secondary closed any gaps that would open.

    The Lions are just getting better and better with each passing week. The Lions face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday, and while the Tampa defense might give some issues, the Lions should have no problem grabbing their fifth win of the season.

Exposed?

By Mark Halpern

     What I witnessed Sunday evening was nothing more than a pee-wee team trying to beat the 49ers. From the kickoff, things seemed bleak for some reason. Brock Purdy led a touchdown drive on the first drive and was perfect 4/4 and a TD. What did Dak do on the first drive? He threw two incompletions, and Dallas punted. The atmosphere felt like the 1994 NFC championship game, where the 49ers spanked Dallas in the first half and eventually won the Super Bowl against the Chargers.

      The 49ers did something that no team has been able to do: stop Micah Parsons from getting going. Whether he was on the outside or inside, he was double, and the rest of the Cowboy defense couldn’t get to Purdy cause of excellent protection (which I said was where this game was going to be won) up front and when you have as much time as Purdy had to throw it explains his 17/24 252 yards and 4 TD’s. Purdy found his BFF George Kittle for three scores—his first three touchdowns of the season and his first career three-touchdown game. Christian McCaffery scored yet another TD and kept most drives going.

    The most impressive thing from the Dallas offense was the continued emergence of young star Kevonte Turpin. Turpin got the Cowboys on the board with a 26-yard touchdown reception. Turpin blasted through the 49er defense like a lightning bolt, and before the secondary could react, Turpin had a 5-yard lead and made a nice over-the-shoulder catch. Turpin has been doing it all lately, playing Special Teams and more Offense. Turpin later left the game and has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and will miss some time.

       The Cowboys will have an extra day to prepare for another tough offense as they will face Justin Herbert and likely a healthy Austin Ekeler next Monday night.

2023-24 NHL Predictions

By Mike Rifkin

With the 2023 NHL season upon us, here is how I see the season playing out with playoff teams, Stanley Cup predictions, and awards. NOTE: PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE THE TOP THREE IN EACH DIVISION AND TWO WILDCARDS

EAST

METROPOLITAN 

  1. Hurricanes – They have one of the best rosters in the league. They are deep on the blue line and eventually will get their best offensive player, Andrei Svechnikov, back in the lineup. Sebastian Aho is the most underappreciated superstar across the NHL. They also have three outstanding goalies. 
  2. Devils – The Devils had a breakout year in 2022, and they continue their success this season. Their forward group included Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Dawson Mercer. Now they add Tyler Toffoli; that’s deep. They still have a question in goal, but if Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid can hold down the fort, they have a real chance. 
  3. Rangers – A good core led by Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Adam Fox. Suppose Kappo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere take the next step in their development that would make this team deeper. The additions of Blake Wheeler and Nick Bonino give them versatility throughout the lineup. Peter Laviolette comes in as an established Stanley Cup-winning coach looking to win the Rangers first cup since 1994. 

ATLANTIC

  1. Maple Leafs – They won’t be judged until April, but they should have a great regular season. There is not a team under more pressure to win this year; they’ve already changed coaches and General Managers. They might have to change the core if they don’t win this year.
  2. Lightning – They’re going to miss Andrei Vasilevisky to start the year, but they have found ways to win before and will do so now. I also think losing in the first round last season was the best thing to happen to this team. Now they have an entire offseason to recover. They also lost some vets, Corey Perry, and Pat Maroon, but replaced them with some speed with Tyler Motte and Conor Sheary. When Vasilevskiy returns, they’ll charge to the top of the Eastern Conference. 
  3. Panthers – They had an unbelievable run to the Stanley Cup Final last season. If they do that again, they need Sergei Bobrovsky to be what he was in the playoffs. The same goes for Matthew Tkachuk, but this team can score goals with the best of the league. 

EAST WILD CARDS 

  1. Penguins – They had a tremendous offseason. Yes, most people will look at the Erik Karlsson trade, but adding Ryan Graves, Lars Eller, Noel Accari, and Reilly Smith are significant adds for this team. The ultimate X factor remains Tristan Jarry; if he plays well and stays healthy, the Penguins are a threat in the East. If he struggles again, who knows what they look like?
  2. Sabres – THIS IS THE YEAR THE DROUGHT ENDS. They had a phenomenal season last year and missed the playoffs by a point. Another year with a core led by Tage Thompson, they made solid additions on the blue line with Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton to help 21-year-old goalie Devon Levi. 

WEST

CENTRAL

  1. Stars – This is the year when the rest of the Central looks up at the stars. They added Matt Duchene to a forward group led by Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, and Wyatt Johnston. If Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn find the scoring touch, look out. Jake Oettinger has a legitimate chance at the Vezina. I am very high on the Stars.
  2. Avalanche – They’re still a force despite losing Gabe Landeskog. Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen lead a deep team. One thing they missed last season was a number two center. Enter Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton to add depth.
  3. Wild – Kirill Kaprizov (if healthy) will be in the Hart conversation. They have Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson, one of the best goaltending tandems in the league last season. 

PACIFIC

  1. Kings – After acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Kings have arguably the best center depth in the league. They have one central question, which is in goal with Cam Talbot and Phoenix Copley. If that is a problem, I expect Rob Blake to address it, but this team is prime for a run.
  2. Golden Knights – Mostly, this is the same team that just won the Stanley Cup. They were able to retain Playoff heroes Ivan Barbashev and Adin Hill, but how will Hill and Logan Thompson perform in goal is a question. 
  3.  Oilers – Here’s the biggest question facing the Oilers: How many points will McDavid have this year? They’re in the same boat as the Leafs, and this is about how they perform in April. A year of Mattias Ekholm on the Blue Line should help them there.

WILD CARDS

  1. Jets – Let me be honest: I said the Preds on the podcast, but I changed my mind when the Jets extended Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele on Monday. Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies in the league, and even with the loss of Dubois, I like this team. 
  2. Kraken – They upset the Avs in the first round last year. With great power comes great responsibility, and if Philipp Grubauer plays like he did in the playoffs, they’ll be tough again. Bringing in Kailer Yamamoto and Pierre-Eduoard Bellmare should help their bottom six. 

PLAYOFFS 

EAST

HURRICANES DEF SABRES 6 GMS

RANGERS DEF DEVILS 7 GMS 

MAPLE LEAFS DEF PENS 6 GMS

LIGHTNING DEF PANTHERS 7 GMS

HURRICANES DEF RANGERS 6 GMS

LIGHTNING DEF LEAFS 7 GMS

HURRICANES DEF LIGHTNING 7 GMS

WEST 

STARS DEF KRAKEN 6 GMS

AVS DEF WILD 7 GMS

KINGS DEF JETS 6 GMS

OILERS DEF GOLDEN KNIGHTS 6 GMS

STARS DEF AVS 7 GMS

OILERS DEF KINGS 6 GMS

STARS DEF OILERS 6 GMS

STANLEY CUP FINAL

STARS DEF HURRICANES 6 GMS

AWARDS

VEZINA : Jake Oettinger (STARS)

JACK ADAMS: Don Granato (Sabres)

HART (IF NOT MCDAVID): KIRILL KAPRIZOV (WILD) 

NORRIS: Victor Hedman (Lightning) 

Calder: Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)