The Sports Insanity Network

NO LOVE

By : Mike Rifkin

Last week the NHL announced that teams are no longer required to wear their warmup jerseys on special nights. Those nights include Hockey Fights Cancer, Black History Month, Military Appreciation, and Pride. The NHL has said for a long time that hockey is for everyone, but why ban the jerseys for theme nights?

Well, if you ask Commissioner Gary Bettman, he said, “I’ve suggested that it would be appropriate for the clubs not to change their jerseys in warmups because it’s become a distraction and taking away from the fact that all of our clubs in some form of another host nights in honor of various groups or causes, and we’d rather them continue to get the appropriate attention that they deserve and not be a distraction.” Last season, Ivan Provorov, Marc and Eric Staal, James Reimer, and others all said wearing the pride jerseys went against their religious beliefs. After seeing several players say no to this, teams, including the New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks, all decided not to wear the pride jerseys or tape on their sticks. Hockey is a great game, but consistently gets in its way with decisions like this. There’s a word that sticks out for me in the Bettman quote, and the word is a distraction. To whom is this a distraction? The players who didn’t want to wear the jerseys made a choice, and that choice has consequences; this is not a distraction for the league.

The NHL should reconsider this or at least give the players an option to wear the jerseys during warmups; if a player chooses not to wear it, that is their choice. Those actions have consequences, but right now, the NHL has put itself in a bad spot and has no one to blame but itself because if you say hockey is for everyone, you have to mean it.

The Hot Seat

By: Mike Rifkin

The 2021-22 Calgary Flames won the Pacific Division and an epic seven-game series against the Dallas Stars before losing to their rival Edmonton Oilers in five games. Then in the offseason, the Flames lost their top two-point scorers. Johnny Gaudreau left for Columbus in free agency, and Matthew Tkachuk was traded to the Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar in a summer blockbuster. One year after putting up 115 points and being nominated for the Hart Trophy, Huberdeau put up 55 points. Meanwhile, the Flames had to watch Tkachuk put up 100 points, become a Hart Trophy candidate, and watch him lead the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final.

This year the Flames missed the playoffs, and changes soon followed. General Manager Brad Treliving is now in Toronto, and Head Coach Darryl Sutter was also relieved of his duties. The Flames decided to stay in-house by promoting Craig Conroy to GM and Ryan Huska to Head Coach. Conroy, who was an assistant to Treliving, played nine seasons for the Flames tallying 97 goals and 308 points and was part of the team in 2004 that went to the Stanley Cup Final. Huska has spent the last five years as an assistant for the Flames but does have head coaching experience. Before joining the Flames, he coached the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL and the Stockton Heat of the AHL.

Forwards Elias Lindholm, who has scored at least 20 goals in four of his five seasons in Calgary, Tyler Toffoli, who scored 34 goals this year, Mikael Backlund, who scored 19 goals this season, and Defenseman Noah Hanifin, who averaged over 22 minutes of ice time this season are all entering the final seasons of their contracts. According to multiple reports, all are leaning towards leaving the team during free agency next summer. Now the Flames don’t have to move all of these guys; they could stand pat until the trade deadline before they move these guys. But do they want to enter the same picture they saw themselves in last year when they knew Gaudreau was a free agent? You can’t lose these guys for nothing; it’s bad business. But it also leaves you wondering, what if, at the trade deadline, the Flames are sitting in first place in the Pacific? How do you say this helps you now, so Craig Conroy is in a challenging situation right out of the gate?

Here is the thing no matter when they decide to move these players, the Flames are not in a position for a rebuild with players like Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri on their books for the foreseeable future. So, with the draft and free agency coming up over the next few weeks, Conroy has to decide what he will do. I would move Hanifin and Backlund now if I were in Conroy’s shoes. If someone gives you a great offer on Toffoli, you have to take it, but I am trying like crazy to re-sign Lindholm. You can hold off until the trade deadline if these offers aren’t substantial. Craig Conroy has been thrown to the fire in Calgary.

Broadway

By: Mike Rifkin

The New York Knicks were the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and gave their fans plenty to cheer about during the regular season. The Knicks won their first playoff series since 2013 when they beat the Cavaliers in five games before losing to the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Heat in six games.

Last Summer, the Knicks made a splash when they signed point guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year 104 million dollar contract. Brunson averaged 24.0 Points Per Game, 3.5 Rebounds per Game, and 6.2 Assists. Those numbers earned Brunson third place in the NBA’S Most Improved Player of the Year award. Brunson’s play and the development of some of the younger Knick players made the fans see what they’ve wanted for a long time from the Knicks, a team with a very bright future.

But, This is New York City, where the lights shine bright. So everyone wants the stars to come out and play. Wizards star Bradley Beal was just traded to the Suns, and there were reports that the Knicks did have some interest there. Now there are always superstars on the move in the NBA. There are a few other names to watch, as Beal was just the first domino to fall. There are two names I’d like to see the Knicks look to acquire Damian Lillard of the Blazers and Zion Williamson of the Pelicans.

By all accounts, Lillard would like to stay in Portland and try to bring a championship there. We don’t often see Lillard’s loyalty in sports today by both a player and a team. Lillard has reportedly said he’d prefer to go to Miami or Brooklyn if the Blazers were going to trade him, which right now doesn’t seem to be the case, and they’re looking to get players to pair with Lillard to make a run. Zion, on the other hand, looks like his relationship with the Pelicans cannot be fixed. Williamson has missed time with hamstring and foot injuries and coming into camp at times out of shape. But reuniting Zion with his former college teammate RJ Barrett could be the thing that unlocks the potential of the former number-one overall pick.

Whether it’s Lillard or Zion, the Knicks are in a position to land a star again, and the team is on the rise in the Eastern Conference, which is something Knick fans have wanted for 20 years. People will point to the Carmelo Anthony years, but if the Knicks didn’t make that trade and instead just signed him as a free agent, they would have had the depth to compete in the East.

Max-imum Problems

By : Mike Rifkin

For his second consecutive start, Max Scherzer couldn’t hold a multiple-run lead in the Mets’ 7-6 loss to the Yankees. A five-run fourth inning did in Scherzer, who couldn’t get out of the fourth and finished by going 3.1 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and two strikeouts. This comes one start after Scherzer got beat up by the Braves, giving up five runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings. Scherzer’s ERA is now 4.45 on the season.

The Mets are now 31-36 on the season, and if they want to turn this around, they need Max Scherzer to be much better. Scherzer has led a disappointing pitching staff. The Mets’ 4.73 ERA is 26th in MLB. Now I don’t know if Scherzer’s 10-game suspension due to sticky substances has affected the season or if father time is catching up to him, but the Mets need Scherzer to be at his best if they’re going to turn this around; otherwise, they’ll have a maximum problem.

Reconsider?

By: Mike Rifkin

The Winnipeg Jets are one of the more intriguing teams in the NHL this upcoming offseason. Centers Pierre – Luc Dubois and Mark Scheifele, Winger Blake Wheeler, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck have one year left on their contracts.

Last week I wrote about how the Jets should approach this offseason (https://thesportsinsanitynetwork.com/2023/06/05/failure-to-launch/), and it all hinges on Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets have said, based on these potential moves, they wouldn’t be going through a rebuild, but is that the right approach?

According to multiple reports, Hellebuyck is unwilling to sign an extension with the Jets, and Dubois has requested a trade. What they do with Wheeler, Scheifele, and Nino Niederreiter is to be determined, but the Jets must figure out their direction soon. If Hellebuyck is going to be moved, they have to consider the rebuild option.

Now they have pieces there for a new core. Kyle Connor has five 30-plus goal seasons and is under contract through 2026-27 at 7.14 million dollars per season. Josh Morrisey is under contract through 2028-29 at 6.25 million dollars per season. Adam Lowry is under contract through 2026-27 at 3.25 million dollars per season. Cole Perfetti is still on his entry-level contract.

With all the news surrounding the Jets, they should consider a mini rebuild or retool on the fly. Another reason they should look into this is simple. The Central Division is a nightmare. The Stars just played in the Western Conference Finals and have the bulk of that team returning; the Avalanche won the Cup last year and still possess one of the best rosters in the NHL; the Wild have a solid team. The Blues and Predators are expected to be active during free agency and have draft capital they can use to make moves. The Blackhawks will draft Connor Bedard first overall and have plenty of cap space to use, and the Coyotes have draft capital and could make some fascinating moves. The Jets have been in the middle for years, and that is the worst place to be. If they decide to rebuild, as much as the fans might not like it, at least the team will have some direction. Again this is not a blow to the core situation. It’s just where everything lies in Winnipeg, and they have some decisions to make.

Locking Up The Core

By: Mike Rifkin

Last season the Baltimore Orioles finished with an 83-79 record and just missed the playoffs. You could see that things were changing in Baltimore as it was their first winning season since 2016. The Orioles are proving last season was not a fluke; they are 41-24 and 5.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East.

The last time the Orioles had to make a significant financial decision, they signed First baseman Chris Davis to a seven-year 161 million-dollar contract. That contract had a significant impact on the organization. The first being that the team was forced to trade superstar third baseman Manny Machado before he could leave during free agency. It also impacted how the Orioles would go after free agents. Now the Orioles have a young core with Catcher Adley Rutschman, Austin Hayes, Cedric Mullins, Gunnar Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle, etc.… The Orioles are also regarded as having one of the best Farm Systems in all Baseball.

The Orioles should examine what the Braves have done with their young nucleus of Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley, Michael Harris, Ozzie Albies, etc.… The Braves have bought out the arbitration years on those contracts and have very talented players on reasonable contracts. It could financially help the Orioles by having these young players under contract at a reasonable price, but also they could pluck from their farm system if they want to be aggressive at the trade deadline. It also shows your fanbase you believe in this group and that they have a reason to come to the ballpark every day.

The Chris Davis contract hamstrung the Orioles badly, and they’ve had to watch Manny Machado continue his potential Hall Of Fame career in California. They don’t want to witness the same situation with a group that could be on the preface of something big in Baltimore.

Yeah, Nay or Okay: Money in the Bank Winners

By Allison Weiner

As my 2nd favorite PPV, Money in the Bank approaches, I thought now would be a great time to post my next yeah, nay, or okay blog to celebrate and rate all the previous Mr. and Ms. Money in the Bank holders. Here is the list of all the MITB winners, changes, ratings, and my predictions on who will become the 2023 MITB holders.

2005: Edge- Yeah (As the inaugural MITB holder, he set the bar for what being Mr. Money in the Bank should be. This also help him become a top heel at that time.)
2006: Rob Van Dam- Yeah (For being the 1st person to announce his cash-in at an ECW PPV, he put on an excellent showing when facing John Cena)
2007: Mr. Kennedy- Nay (He never got the push he deserved as Mr. Money in the Bank. He was also the 1st to lose the briefcase in a match.)
2007: Edge-Okay (As the first 2x MITB holder, this wasn’t his best time holding it. The only positive is that he landed an excellent feud with the Undertaker going into the summer of 2008.)
2008 and 2009: CM Punk-Okay (Minus the current controversy, these back-to-back occasions helped CM Punk become the top star he is today coming out of ECW.)
2010: Jack Swagger-Okay (Although he held it for the Smackdown after Wrestlemania, this was his peak as a WWE superstar. It didn’t help him later on in WWE.)
2010: Kane-Okay (The 1st to cash in on the night of Money in the Bank, It was an interesting choice to go straight for Rey Mysterio who was the World Heavyweight Champion at the time, but he was able to hold it until the fall of 2010.)
2010: Miz-Yeah (This opportunity Miz had as Mr. MITB while being the United States Champion elevated him as the ultimate heel for the next decade. He even gave us a fan meme after he cashed in and won the WWE title off of Randy Orton.)
2011: Alberto Del Rio- Yeah (Minus his controversy, 2011 was the year of Del Rio. After losing his Wrestlemania match he deserved after winning the Royal Rumble, it was no doubt he would win this and cash in right after Cena vs Punk 2 at Summerslam.)
2011: Daniel Bryan-Yeah (Was his underrated time as a main title holder, Daniel Bryan’s character improved with this briefcase.)
2012: John Cena- Nay (First off, he didn’t need the briefcase at all, because he was already a top superstar. Second, he was the first to no successfully win the title from a cash-in that he announced for Raw 1000.)
2012: Dolph Ziggler- Yeah (Dolph gave us an excellent run as Mr. MITB and had one of the biggest pops the Raw after Wrestlemania 29 when he cashed in on Del Rio to win the World Heavyweight title. Unfortunately, this was also his peak as a WWE superstar.)
2013: Damian Sandow- Nay (He was one of the last people I wanted to win MITB, and he deserved to lose the cash-in via pinfall.)
2013: Randy Orton- Yeah
2014: Seth Rollins- Yeah (Gave us one heck of a heel of WWE and topped it off with the “heist of the century”. He became the only WWE superstar to cash in during the main event of Wrestlemania.)
2015: Sheamus-Okay (I guess you can say in 2015, anyone but Roman to have the WWE title, especially after Sheamus cashed it in when Roman finally reached the top in Survivor Series 2015.)
2016: Dean Ambrose-Yeah (Although he cashed in immediately after winning it, he helped make history as all three members of the SHIELD have held the WWE title simultaneously.)
2017: Baron Corbin-Nay (This was supposed to be the push Corbin needed to be a top heel on Smackdown. Unfortunately, he shouldn’t have cashed in too soon. I thought he should have waited until after Summerslam to cash in.)
2017: Carmella- Yeah (Although technically James Ellsworth was the 1st Ms. Money in the Bank, Carmella set the bar and unfortunately is currently the only Ms. Money in the Bank to not cash in on the same night as winning it.)
2018: Braun Strowman-Nay (He a fair run with the briefcase, but he didn’t get the job done. He pulled a Cena announcing his cash-in and failed like Cena to win the Universal Title)
2018: Alexa Bliss-Okay (Bliss didn’t need the briefcase, but used it to attack both opponents to cash in on the same night to win back the Raw Women’s Title she lost at Wrestlemania 34.)
2019: Brock Lesnar- Okay (First off, he shouldn’t have been in the match. He doesn’t need a briefcase that he turned into a boombox. However, he made it enjoyable, keeping us on our toes with his cash-in.)
2019: Bayley- Yeah (This not only made Bayley the 1st Women’s Grand Slam, but this pushed Bayley, even after changing her character and looking to become the ultimate heel in the women’s division.)
2020: Otis- Covid-Nay (I don’t know how he won it, but he did nothing with it and lost the briefcase in a match at Hell in a Cell 2020.)
2020: Miz-Covid-Nay (Although he pulled an Edge, he didn’t need it. The only positive was that he became the 1st double grand slam in WWE.)
2020: Asuka-Covid-Nay (Only because she never won the briefcase, but instead was handed the Raw Women’s Title because Becky was about to go on maternity leave)
2021: Big E-Yeah (This gave him an ultimate push as a babyface and had probably one of the best cash-ins on Monday Night Raw. Sadly, after losing the title, he got injured. I hope to see him get the briefcase again and win the title he never got a rematch for.)
2021: Nikki Cross/A.S.H.-Okay (This was the push she needed to be a top star in the women’s division and to main event a memorable Wrestlemania)
2022: Austin Theory-Nay (Not only he shouldn’t have been in that match, but he cashes in on the United States Title and loses it.)
2022: Liv Morgan-Yeah (The cash-in on Ronda gave her the ultimate push she deserved and made her worthy of holding a Women’s Title)
Predicted 2023 MITB Winners: Mens: Cody Rhodes (To finally finish the story he was writing since the Royal Rumble) or Finn Balor (To elevate Judgment Day and see him lurking on both brands with the briefcase until cashing in on Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Title) and Womens: Iyo Sky (Just to a feud between her and Asuka and to have her break away from Bayley) or Bayley (Having the briefcase made her win the 1st time. If she wins again, I think she will be holding for a long time and will cash in on the Smackdown Women’s Title and bring it back to where it belongs.)

PGA and LIV: Together at Last

By : Ross Mazin

Earlier this week, LIV and the PGA Tour decided to merge along with the DP tour. I don’t think anyone saw this coming. LIV is the Saudi-backed golf league and has frequently been accused of sports whitewashing. The pact is complicated and incomplete, and numerous golfers hate it. They are directing their wrath at the architects of the deal. The proposed merger between the PGA Tour and its Saudi-funded rival LIV Golf stunned everyone from golfers to Wall Street bankers this week – leaving many with questions about what the merger could mean. The deal was announced following months of feuding and antitrust lawsuits between the two leagues. The agreement would end all pending litigation.

For months, Rory McIlroy walked the ramparts of the PGA Tour fortress, besieged by the Saudi-funded LIV Golf. He and other holdouts spoke about staying true to the PGA’s traditions, even as their peers accepted millions and millions of dollars in incentive money and guaranteed payouts to join its rival. McIlroy says he feels like “a sacrificial lamb” after the PGA Tour made a deal to merge with LIV Golf’s backers, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. That’s not all he’s feeling: McIlroy ranked the world’s No. 3, still sees LIV Golf as the enemy. “I still hate LIV. Like, I hate it. I hope it goes away, and I will fully expect that it. McIlroy acknowledged that if he sets his personal feelings aside, the deal might prove to be a good thing for pro golf. But he also said many details still need to be worked out — from how to compensate golfers who stuck with the PGA to how to handle pros who want to return from LIV. Observers say it’s the Saudis’ latest attempt to flex their influence across a breadth of American institutions, from Hollywood to Silicon Valley, and mine economic opportunities despite tense relations with the West in recent years brought on by accusations of human rights abuses and the 2018 killing of journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. “This is a huge feather in the cap of the Saudis, and it’s a huge victory for them on a number of levels,” said Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University who has written about political and social changes in the count

What A Mess

By: Mike Rifkin

For the third consecutive night, the New York Mets couldn’t hold a multi-run lead in a loss to the division-rival Atlanta Braves. It’s their sixth consecutive loss for the Mets, and they are 3-7 in their last ten games.

On Wednesday night Max Scherzer couldn’t hold a 4-1 lead, and Adam Ottavino gave up a home run to Michael Harris in the bottom of the eighth inning. On Tuesday, the Braves scored four runs against Carlos Carrasco and Drew Smith in the sixth inning on their way to a win. Carrasco and Smith could not hold a 4-1 lead as well. On Thursday, the Mets bullpen couldn’t hold a 10-6 lead. Now the other issue was Justin Verlander gave the Mets just three innings in a game the team needed. For the first time in franchise history, the Mets have lost three consecutive games where they have had three-run leads.

The Mets are three games under .500 and are 8.5 games back of the Braves. If you think back to September when the Braves swept the Mets to overtake them for the NL East title, they have not recovered from that series. Yes, it is a new season, but mentally, this team has never recovered; they have massive flaws which go back to the winter. The first two-plus months have been a massive failure for the team with the biggest payroll in baseball. Now, what to come next depends on what happens to Pete Alonso, who was sent to New York to get a CT Scan and additional tests on his wrist a day after getting hit by a pitch on his wrist. If Alonso, who leads baseball in home runs, needs an IL stint, that will be a massive blow to a lineup that needs his production.

Now I am not saying firing everyone, and that’s the solution to the problem. But the Mets need to figure this out sooner than later. But there is a positive, and that is all you have to do is make the playoffs and look at what the division rival Phillies did last year. But for now, meet the mess; step right up and meet the mess.

Failure To Launch

By: Mike Rifkin

In 2018 the Winnipeg Jets lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Western Conference Finals. This year, the Jets again lost in the first round of the playoffs when the Golden Knights dispatched them in five games. Since their appearance in the Western Conference Finals, the Jets have won one playoff series, and that was in the 2020-21 season, where they played in the all-Canada division.

Head Coach Rick Bowness was asked about his overall thoughts on the series and said, “I’m so disappointed and disgusted right now. There was no pushback. It’s the same crap we saw in February.” Bowness then went after his top players, saying, “We’ve got to push back. There’s got to be a pushback. There has to be pride. You’ve got to push back when things aren’t going your way. Their best players were better in the regular season, and they were better in the series.” The Jet’s best player all year was goalie Connor Hellebuyck, nominated for the Vezina Trophy. In the series against Vegas, Hellebuyck had a 3.44 Goals Against Average and a .886 save percentage. Hellebuyck had a 2.49 GAA and a .920 save percentage in the regular season.

According to multiple reports, the Jets are willing to listen to trade offers on Hellebuyck and Centers Pierre – Luc Dubois and Mark Scheifele, all entering the final year of their respective contracts. According to the same reports, the Jets don’t intend to have a full-scale rebuild. Now as someone who genuinely likes the nucleus of this team, I understand that there has to be some form of change because it can’t always be the coach. That being said, if I was in Kevin Cheveldayoff’s shoes, there’s one of the three that I wouldn’t move unless I had to. I would keep Hellebuyck. I know he had a bad series against Vegas, but the Jets only had a successful season because of how good he was. Hellebuyck is in the upper echelon of goalies in the NHL. While the return would be substantial, I am still determining how you can give up the most important player on the team and claim that this is not a rebuild. If you want to give up Scheifele or Dubois, that’s fine. A Center will also get you an excellent return, especially if they sign a deal with the team acquiring them and can be replaced. I don’t know how you replace one of the best goalies in the league when the solution is not out there. Then there’s another factor here; the Jets could consider this a rebuild and blow this core up. They could consider a rebuild because of how tough the Central Division is and will be. The Stars, Avalanche, and Wild are all great teams. The Blues and Predators should be improved with busy off-seasons. The Blackhawks won the Connor Bedard sweepstakes, and the Coyotes have some talent.

The Jets might be the most compelling team to watch this summer. Connor Hellebuyck is the key to the Jets’ offseason, and whatever they do with him is the direction the team will go in. But if it were me, I’d be holding the star goalie.