SIN's Blogs

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

BY MIKE RIFKIN

For the first time in three months Jonah Tong pitched for the Mets on Monday, and he pitched really well. The stat line won’t show it : five innings, four hits, four runs, one walk and seven strikeouts. But the four runs all came in one inning against Tong. These last few weeks are very important for the 23 year old Tong, who is looking to solidify his spot in the 2027 Mets rotation. Nolan McLean and Christian Scott are going to be in the rotation, Zac Thornton has shown he has a bright future as well. The Mets will have to add a true ace to this rotation whether it’s Tarik Skubal or they try and trade for someone, like they tried this season with Freddy Peralta.

If you look across the league you hear talking heads talk about cores and nucleuses, and you’re starting to see a new Mets core. We can talk about Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, but they’re the knowns, We also have to take Bo Bichette’s opt out clause seriously. But, if he stays adding him to the youth could be what David Stearns imagined the 2026 Mets to b. Carson Benge, AJ Ewing, McLean, and Scott are the beginnings of the next core of the Mets. Both Benge and McLean are in the running for NL Rookie of the year, Scott has come back strong after Tommy John, and Ewing has been a real bright spot as well, locking down Center Field, and maybe the best defender out there for the Mets since Juan Lagares.

Then there are the veterans, what role will they have? Sean Manea, who will be in the final year of his deal, has had a roller coaster season to say the least. He started in the bullpen, with a dipping velocity, and once he came into the rotation he got better. We all know baseball teams don’t make it through the season with five starters. Then there’s Kodai Senga, who has flourished in the closers role, telling teams to “Beat it”.

I’ll be the first to admit I have been very critical of David Stearns. But if Tong is good enough, you might be seeing some glimpses of what the Mets can become. I know there are pundits and talking heads who will say they’re just playing well when the games don’t matter, but I think you’re starting to see what the future could look like, and with Steve Cohen’s checkbook (even if there’s a salary cap) the Mets might be onto something here.

MILTON STILL A COWBOY

BY MARK HALPERN

Every fanbase has players that they want to to make the 53-man roster. We know the stars, but we love when a guy wins a spot in training camp. Underdog players have made rosters for a long time none more famous than Philadelphia Eagles Vince Papale and even had a movie made about him starring Mark Wahlberg called “Invincible” (great movie BTW.) There are players that have to wait up to that final moment to find out and two days ago Joe Milton went from being on the 53-man roster to not.

When the 53-man roster was released, it came before Von Miller was traded for and made the team and Dallas had to make a cut. So, with it being this close to the beginning of the season and most teams are looking for players for certain to fill emergency spots and some teams can put players on a waiver which gives any team 24 hours to claim this player from another team. Dallas did this with Chiefs running back Emari Demercado and he is a prime spot to be behind Javonte Williams.However according to the depth chart he is also behind Malik Davis. The Cowboys were hoping that Milton would not be claimed making him a free agent and able to sign to the Dallas practice squad, which he has.

The Cowboys decided to go with Sam Howell as the backup after his impressive play this pre-season. I am not sure that Howell is the right choice to be behind Dak Prescot and we shall have to see. If he comes in for any reason and can’t hack it Milton can be brought up and back on the 53 man roster as long as Dallas releases a player. But if something happens to Dak the Cowboys will be in trouble.

VON MILLER THE TEACHER

BY MARK HALPERN

Over the past two decades there have been some outstanding defensive players that have come and gone. The Dallas Cowboy defense was missing everything last year. The defense really struggled without Micah Parsons, who was traded to the Packers. The Cowboys gave up 377 yards per game, only the Bengals and Commanders gave up more. They were also near the bottom of the league in sacks. So the defense needed a reboot, the Cowboys have done just that. They traded for Rashawn Gary, signed Jalen Thompson, and drafted Caleb Downs.

The Cowboys have talent that’s not the problem. The problem in my humble opinion is that there was no voice in the locker room that anyone took seriously. Well, the Jones family finaly made a free agent siging that makes perfect sense. The seasoned linebacker has been brought in not only because of his talent but, because on any team he has been on he has been a leader on and off the field mostly to younger players. Von Miller has amassed 138.5 sacks over his career, to go along with an average of 57 solo tackles 14 assists per season. Miller has been in the NFL going on 16 years and is still as active as ever as last year for a terrible Commanders team he collected 9 sacks.

Miller was brought in not only for his talent but, to be the leader he has become to be. Von will be working with obviously the linebacking crew but I see him being Caleb Downs’ mentor. Downs as impressive as he is, is still a rookie and even rookies have things to learn. Von Miller has played for some impressive teams including being part of two Super bowl teams (Broncos and Rams.) In my opinion this has been an area where the Cowboys have lacked and I mean leadership. I can name plenty of voices from the offensive side but, what this team needed was a real voice of the defense and one day it will be Downs. Now it’s time to learn from one of the NFL’s best and bring back the days of the “DOOMSDAY” defense cause as good as the offense is going to be, they need the defense to keep points off the board.

Showing Their True Colors

BY Mike Rifkin

Earlier this week the Browns announced that Deshaun Watson would be the team’s starting Quarterback over Shedeur Sanders. The news should be surprising to some based on the fact Watson took a shot at the fans after the second preseason game. Watson claimed fans just booed him based on his off the field actions.

Watson was sent to Cleveland by the Houston Texans in exchange for three first round picks, two fourth round picks, and a third round pick. The Browns immediately signed Watson to a five year 230 million dollar contract fully guaranteed. Due to injury and suspension Watson has been limited to 19 games as a Brown and has posted the following numbers ; 61.2 completion percentage, 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Watson was supposed to put the Browns over the top, and instead the question about the Browns is that they don’t believe their Quarterback of the future is on the roster.

Sanders, who played in eight games as a rookie last season had a 56.6 completion percentage, 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. But one thing about Sanders is at certain times you saw glimpses of what he could be. The hiring of Todd Monken actually had me excited about their potential partnership. And if Sanders had failed, the Browns have two first round picks next year to grab a franchise Quarterback.

There’s only one reason Deshaun Watson is starting for the Browns, and the decision didn’t come from the head coach. GM Andrew Berry and Owner Jimmy Haslam are looking for anyway to see that their 230 million dollar investment will work. But it’s been a big time failure and will be looked upon as one of the worst trades in NFL history.

JETTING OUT

BY MIKE RIFKIN

There’s been a low in Hockey world, with Training camp on the horizon. But Thursday things picked up when Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck formally requested a trade, something that had been brewing for a while. Hellebuyck, has won three Vezina Trophies ( most recently in 2024-25) and is one of the best goalies in the world. Hellebuyck, last season posted a record of 23-23-11 with a 2.86 GAA and .895 save percentage. But one thing Hellebuyck did accomplish last season was winning a Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA. One thing about Hellebuyck is as good as he is, he hasn’t been that guy in the playoffs. In the playoffs Hellebuyck has a record of 24-34 with a 2.90 GAA and a .903 save percentage. There will be plenty of suitors for Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck is signed through 2030-31 at a 8.5 Million dollar cap hit.

Here are six teams that I think should at least consider making the move for one of the best goalies in the world.

BUFFALO SABRES – They ended their drought last season and have the city of Buffalo on their feet again. If the Sabres want to be a real threat they need to upgrade their goaltending situation.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS – The Jacob Markstrom experiment isn’t what they thought, so they sent him to Florida. The Devils have really a nice nucleus, they can deem Hellebuyck the missing link.

SAN JOSE SHARKS – If you want a hot take, THIS IS THE TEAM that should pull the trigger on a deal. Macklin Celebrini is a superstar and Mike Grier has been awesome as the GM, adding Hellebuyck puts San Jose as a massive threat in the West for a while.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – I know the rules, if a superstar is on the market Vegas has to be included as a suitor. Carter Hart played well last season, but adding Hellebuyck changes the game for them, I just don’t think they have the pieces.

FLORIDA PANTHERS – Yeah, they added Markstrom but there are two Hellebuyck connections to South Florida. One is he played with the Tkachuks at the Olympics and the other is he played for Paul Maurice in Winnipeg. Not sure how they’d get it done, but nothing should shock you with them anymore.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – This has been the offseason of disgruntled superstars, and Zach Werenski is on that list. There was a potential trade to the Dallas Stars, that he declined, but if Columbus wants Werenski to commit to them, they need to commit to him adding his Olympic teammate and start trying to win would be a great start to that.

Not sure who’ll wind up with Hellebuyck and the Jets were proactive with signing Stuart Skinner. But, the Jets still have a win now roster and I’d expect players and pieces that can help them in any Hellebuyck deal.

STICKING AROUND

BY MIKE RIFKIN

On Wednesday prior to the Mets – Padres game, owner Steve Cohen met with the media. The big thing I took away was that Cohen is committed to David Stearns to continue his role as President of Baseball Ops. Cohen said “ I’m committed to David… we’re going to move forward. I thought we had a great trade deadline. David is smart. He knows what he is doing. He’s very adaptable. He learns from mistakes. That’s what I want in a leader.”

This shouldn’t come as a shock to Met fans as Cohen said the same thing when he appeared on a podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. But let’s be honest about Stearns’ time with the Mets : it has been a massive failure. You cannot even give Stearns credit for signing Juan Soto, that was the checkbook of Steve Cohen. Mostly every move Stearns made at the 2025 trade deadline failed and cost the Mets a playoff spot. But the thing that ticks Mets fans off the most is how Stearns handled some fan favorites last winter.

I’m not going to go on a soapbox and talk about how the Mets should’ve re-signed Pete Alonso, that’s beating a dead horse. But there was no plan at first base, even if Jorge Polanco was healthy, we don’t know what kind of first baseman he’d be. Alonso might not be the best defender in the world, he posts every day and you know he’s hitting 30+ homers, and the best Mets first baseman this season has been Jared Young, think about that.

Stearns is staying and Met fans have the right to hold reservations about that. Here’s the thing: the Mets have some of the foundation laid out. McLean, Scott, Benge, Ewing, Lindor and Soto are the current foundation, and yes there have to be decisions made on Luis Robert and Bo Bichette, but David Stearns has to be aggressive this winter, with the hopes of returning the Mets, who were two wins away from going to the World Series just two years ago back to relevancy.

ESTABLISHING THE CULTURE

BY MIKE RIFKIN

The goal for the 2026-27 Miami Dolphins should be different than a lot of teams across the NFL. While most teams have expectations to make the playoffs or in other cases the Super Bowl, the Dolphins need to establish who they are as a football team.

Whenever I hear new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan or new coach Jeff Hafley speak I feel they were the right choices for their respective jobs. They weren’t afraid of the financial ramifications of cutting Tua Tagovailoa and allowed other stars to leave via trade or free agency. One of the things Sullivan was able to accomplish was being able to keep certain players he viewed as building blocks for the team. The Dolphins extended Center Aaron Brewer, Linebacker Jordyn Brooks and Running Back De’von Achane. Brooks led the league in tackles with 183 (99 solo) and had 3.5 sacks. Brooks has been a big time leader on the defensive side. Achane, who is one of the fastest players in the league was fifth in the league in rushing yards (1,350) and had eight touchdowns. He is also a threat catching the ball, he had 67 receptions for 488 yards and four touchdowns. Aaron Brewer has become one of the best Centers in the sport.

The 2026 Quarterback draft class left a lot to be desired, and 27 will be loaded and the Dolphins will probably be near the top of the draft, the question is will they need a quarterback? The Dolphins signed Malik Willis from the Packers, where he knew Hafley and Sullivan. The Dolphins didn’t pay an outrageous price for a starting Quarterback, but the question on Willis is, is he a starting QB? Willis has played in 22 career games and has a 67.7 completion percentage, 1,322 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 405 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. Last year in four games for the Packers, Willis had an 85.7 completion percentage, 422 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. This will be the first time Willis will be viewed as “the guy”. And if he struggles Miami could look ahead to the loaded NFL Draft.

One thing about establishing a culture is that you have to draft players that fit what you are trying to build. The culture the Dolphins are trying to establish is being a tougher football team. And in the draft they did just that by selecting Kadyn Proctor and are moving him to Guard, Chris Johnson and Jacob Rodriguez are physical defenders. The Dolphins also added some size at receiver including Chris Bell, who just returned to practice and Caleb Douglas, who has had a great camp.

The Dolphins don’t have the luxury of an easy schedule. Three of their first four games are on the road. They play seven teams who made the playoffs last season including their division rivals Patriots and Bills plus a trips to Denver and Lambeau in December. And while the schedule isn’t easy, the thing I want to see out of this team is compete, I want them to be competitive, too many times over the years they folded when times got tough. I’m not going to be bold and say this is a playoff team (it’s not) but if they can establish the culture and do what they have to do, I’m not going to be shocked if they win 5-6 games.

THE YOUNG AND THE PLATOON ROLE?

BY MIKE RIFKIN

The Mets have been a major disappointment in Baseball this season. But since the All -Star Break they have played better, and have won eight of eleven games. (Now this is not a standings article although I should mention they’re 11 out and can make up some ground against the Padres). The Mets are looking ahead to 2027, and fans are trying to gauge what roster needs there will be.

We know that young players such as AJ Ewing, Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, and Christian Scott will be on the roster. But one player who has had a bigger impact on the team than anyone would’ve guessed is Jared Young. In 218 at bats Young has eight homers and 29 RBI’S along with a .271/.340/.454 slash line and a .794 OPS (On base +Slugging%). Young has provided more at first base than anyone who has manned the position for the Mets this season.

But with September first coming (rosters expand) will the Mets call up Ryan Clifford? Clifford, the 16th ranked prospect in the system, post trade deadline was acquired when the Mets sent Justin Verlander back to Houston. Clifford is not having the greatest season in Syracuse, he has a slash line of .177/.271/.349 with 16 homers and 51 RBI’S. The Mets plan the rest of the way is to look at the young players and see what they are. But, what does that do to Young?

Young can play basically three positions : first base, a corner outfield spot and DH. Now going into next year he will not nor should he be a fourth outfielder. With Soto, Ewing, and Benge the outfield is set. If the Mets determine Clifford needs more time to develop Young could be a part of a first base platoon. And if that’s the case the Mets are going to have to figure out what they’re going to do with players like Jorge Polanco and Mark Vientos. Jared Young has used his opportunity to showcase himself and he’s done a really nice job. If he were to take a smaller role on the Mets in 27, it could benefit massively.

NHL OFFSEASON WINNERS AND LOSERS SO FAR (BY TEAM)

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Here we are in the middle of August and because of the New CBA there will be Hockey played in just over a month (first preseason slate 9/19, regular season starts 9/29). There are still some really good free agents on the market, and we’re waiting to see if there will be more trades on the horizon, but for now here are some of my favorite and least favorite offseasons so far.

FAVORITE

WASHINGTON CAPITALS : The Caps made a statement this offseason and have gone all in. The development of their young talent allowed them to make significant moves. Adding Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch gives them some more speed on the wings. Boone Jenner provides leadership and has no problem being physical. Oh and they brought back some guy named Ovechkin, who I hear is good at scoring goals, but with the depth the Caps have they don’t have to rely on him.

2)SAN JOSE SHARKS – People can complain all they want about the Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse contracts, but with the cap rising the Sharks did what they had to to get more physical. They also added forward Mason Marchment to give them some size up front. Now, while the Sharks added some beef, they also extended the face of their franchise Macklin Celebrini to a five year contract (starts next season) that will make him the highest paid player in the NHL. The Sharks should compete for a top three spot in the Pacific Division.

3) FLORIDA PANTHERS – I could’ve put the Panthers on here just for the fact that they should be healthy to start next season. But the additions of Brady Tkachuk and Radko Gudas adds even more physicality to the team. We’ll see what they get out of Jacob Markstrom in goal, but we do know Bill Zito wouldn’t be afraid to go after something if it’s available.

4) NASHVILLE PREDATORS – A few summers ago the Preds made massive splashes with the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. Since then the Preds have missed the playoffs and were kind of directionless. Bringing Chris Mcfarland from the Avs has given them direction. Mcfarland went to his old stomping grounds and brought in Ross Colton and Jack Drury via trade and signed Alex Kerfoot. The Preds also took advantage of the Dallas Stars’ cap situation and were able to acquire Mavirik Bourque. The Preds got deeper this summer and maybe enough for them to get back to the playoffs.

5) UTAH MAMMOTH – The Mammoth gave the Golden Knights a run for their money in the playoffs. There’s a young, exciting team in Utah and they had quite the summer adding Vincent Trocheck from the Rangers and Anders Lee from the Islanders. Both give a lot of playoff experience, and in the case of Trocheck some help on the Penalty Kill. They also added Goalie Sebastian Cossa, who at 23 could be their goalie of the future.

HM : NEW YORK RANGERS – Yes, I still think there’s work for Chris Drury to do (finding another top six player would be nice) but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had a good offseason. He added Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas and signed him to a reasonable contract. At 25 years old Dorofeyev also fits the Rangers long term plans. The Rangers also acquired a second defensive pair with Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, and they added depth scoring with Oliver Bjorkstrand. If Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox stay healthy the Rangers can compete for a Wild Card.

LEAST FAVORITE

LA KINGS – I know why LeBron left LA, he confused Crypto.com Arena for a retirement home, because the LA Kings got older this summer. The Kings brought in Mats Zuccarello (38), Corey Perry (41), and Erik Haula (35). They also were able to retain Scott Laughton, I’m not sure what the Kings will look like this year, but this could backfire on Ken Holland.

DETROIT RED WINGS – Remember above where I said we’re waiting on a few things, well the status of Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is one of those things. So there’s good news and bad news with that Detroit, the good is he is right now a member of your team, the bad news is you play in the Atlantic Division, which saw a lot of teams in front of you get better. Viktor Arvidsson was the big addition, but if the Wings struggle near the trade deadline, whoever the GM is might have a lot of choices on a lot of players.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS : If you’re trading the fourth overall pick, you’d better be getting a stud. The Blackhawks traded the fourth pick to the Sabres for Bowen Byram. Byram is 25 and posted a career high 42 points last season. But he’s never been relied as a true number one defenseman. If Byram can become Chicago’s Cale Makar it changes things, but there’s still questions. Kyle Davidson also tried to take pressure off himself by bringing back future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane. Kane is still a very productive player, but this feels more like nostalgia than trying to win now.

SEATTLE KRAKEN – This is more because of circumstance than anything, the Kraken were the fifth lowest scoring team in the NHL last season at 2.73 goals per game. And yes they tried to fix it with trades, they were in on Jordan Kyrou and Jason Robertson, and even Artemi Panarin at the trade deadline last year, but none of them are going to Seattle. There’s also been some rumors about the Kraken trading Shane Wright, the fourth overall pick from 2022.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – This one is all based on circumstances. The rumors of trading Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski, hit the airwaves and now it feels inevitable that at some point they will. Adam Fantilli is a RFA, who they’re still trying to re-sign, Kirill Marchenko trade chatter is heating up. Oh and their captain Boone Jenner left in free agency to a divisional foe. How will they respond after their coach called them out late in the season?

HM : ANAHEIM DUCKS : Good news Leo Carlsson is back, bad news you should’ve taken care of it sooner because of the Flyers offer sheet, you now have to trade someone away to get Cutter Gauthier signed. I also don’t love the AJ Greer contract, even though they needed the toughness after losing Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba.

DALLAS COWBOYS 2027

BY MARK HALPERN

Well, here we are another year of Cowboy’s football is getting ready to begin a little more than a month from now. There were a ton of questions from last year that not only had analysts scratching their heads but the fans as well. The Cowboys last year were pathetic last year and it was more on the Defense than anything. However, there were times when the offense would sputter out of the gate and with the Defense we put out on the field the opponent would go up by two Touchdowns before we even knew what happened and at that point it became no contest. Last year we saw the Cowboys trade FUTURE HOF Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two 1^st round picks and Kenny Clark. The trade right now looks good for the Cowboys for a few reasons. The first being Parsons tore his ACL and missed time last season and will miss at least the first four games this season. The other reason is Dallas turned those two picks into major pieces (that will be explained later) that this team desperately needed. Dallas also lost the Cornerback Tre’von Diggs to another knee injury and ended up being released due to the fact the Cowboys weren’t getting the news they hoped about his return to the field from a mysterious injury that also transpired that cost him a few games. With the loss of Diggs and Daron Bland, the secondary was overmatched each game allowing record points being given up. The Cowboys did end up with some bright spots (not all was bad.) They re-signed Javonte Williams after an impressive 1000-yard season and record number of TDs for him last season. Dallas used their franchise tag (with no surprise) George Pickens who had a career year in yards and td’s under Dak Prescott. With Pickens and Lamb on the outside it reminds me of Irvin and Harper back in the 90’s. Ferguson will man the Tight End position for the third consecutive year and is getting better. The offensive line learned one thing. We need a new offensive line to properly protect Dak Prescott so the Cowboys can have a successful year lets take a look into what challenges we face.

Obviously the Dallas Cowboys will play their divisional opponents. The Giants (who they open opening night against,) The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. These games will explain themselves as when they play always a great game. If I say I have any worry about any NFC East team the Eagles give me some what of an acid stomach but, the other two should be better but they don’t age well.

The first real challenge for the Cowboys will be week three game against the Ravens. Lamar Jackson is one of the best Quarterbacks in the game. He has a compliment of weapons including Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews. If the Cowboys defense is truly better, we will see here.

The Cowboys will then visit Houston (not sure that’s a real road game) and Tampa which can go either way. Then a game with NFC perennial playoff team in the Green Bay Packers. This could be the game Parsons returns from injury and again if the Cowboys defense has gotten better then then Parsons might not be as much trouble as he could. The Cowboys will meet the Titians and the Colts before their traditional day matchup on Thanksgiving. The Colts were one of last years biggest surprises until Daniel Jones went down and injuries began to pile on. I expect to see a revived Colts team I think I will remember the Titans movie more so than the game. The Cowboys have a three game road trip that includes the Seahawks, The Rams and then Jacksonville. That’s a three game stretch against teams who all made the playoffs last season. Luckily for the Cowboys they’ll have their bye right before the trip. This is a hard Cowboys Schedule for this year the key will be to get off to a fast start because they are not going to concede a game or two in the second half of the season.

When looking at a team there are key factors that will make this season successful. First protecting Dak Prescott so the Offensive Line has to be first because no protection no season. Ja’vonte Williams proved why he got his contract now he has to be better than last year. That’s a lot to ask of a young guy who really got his first chance in proving himself. If he can be 200 yards better, which would put him at 1,400 for the season, that will go a long way to helping for a few more opportunities to score. The Secondary is the youngest it has been since the 92-93 season. Daron Bland and Cobie Durant will be R&L Cornerbacks with Veterans Malik Hooker and Jalen Tompson but, the big piece is Nickel Back Caleb Downs. Downs, the Cowboys first round draft pick will be getting his feet wet early as he is a huge focus this season. In camp he has been matched up with George Pickens. What better WR duo could help teach a young pivotal piece of the secondary?

The Eagles are the only threat to the Cowboys in not making the playoffs as it is between them for the Division. The NFC this season is loaded, and I am not sure how many wins will get you a Wild Card spot. I expect the Cowboys to challenge for the NFC East crown but also can be a playoff spoiler to a lot of first place teams.