Allie’s 1st Reaction: “Quarterback” Series on Netflix

Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota, and Patrick Mahomes are not only 3 of 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. All three have participated in a new Netflix series by former QB Peyton Manning called “Quarterback”. This sports series follows a day in the life of these quarterbacks during the 2022 NFL season.

After watching the first 2 episodes, the series so far made me appreciate how much each has gone through from their high school careers until now. I can see how much hard work they have put in during practice and throughout the season. Each one of them had a unique story with unique goals in unique situations. We can witness the pressure they go through as game-changers for the entire season they have played in. I empathize with the “growing pains” they face with changes to their team and their personal lives during the season.

If you have never seen any Mic’d Up on the NFL channel on Youtube, go watch that as well, but during the series, it was like Mic’d Up all the time with each QB in the series. I enjoy these players opening up about their mental health and the mind games they battle with on the field. These players make you feel like a human being when they get overwhelmed with the errors and mistakes they make over the successes they accomplished.

Overall, this was an amazing series. The 40-60 minute episodes feel short. If you have Netflix, I would highly recommend you watch this series. You will feel all emotions with the show. And finally Peyton Manning, I hope we get another season of this with 3 new QBs’ lives for the 2023 season when it comes along.

Should London Host Wrestlemania?

By Allison Weiner

As we witnessed at the 2023 Money In The Bank premium live event in London, WWE legend and Hollywood actor John Cena came out to a roaring London crowd petitioning with London fans to have a Wrestlemania in the UK, London in particular. The question does come to this, should London host Wrestlemania in the near future. The answer is simple. Of course, they should host Wrestlemania in the near future. Here are a few reasons why.

  1. The last time WWE had a Wrestlemania outside the United States was Wrestlemania X8 in 2002. Toronto, Ontario, Canada hosted that year’s Wrestlemania. It’s been over 2 decades since an international country has hosted a Wrestlemania and it’s time for a country such as London to host one.
  2. AEW is hosting All In at Wembley Stadium at the end of August. This was the PPV that made AEW the brand it is. For WWE to see the success of this AEW PPV, it can make them consider hosting a future Wrestlemania at Wembley Stadium
  3. 2023 has been a huge success internationally for WWE. WWE hosted 4 premium live events as of now in 4 countries. Those countries are Montreal, Quebec, Canada; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and London, United Kingdom. The fans at these events were into each match and were enjoying a premium live event in their own country. The international fans are the reason I love premium live events overseas.
  4. When WWE hosts a Wrestlemania, it brings economic success and an increase in tourism wherever the event takes place. It also shows what there is in their host city and gives local entertainers and groups the support they need to shine throughout the whole weekend.

WWE board of directors, please take this into consideration. We know you are planning for Wrestlemania after next year’s in Philadelphia. You will have great success with hosting a future Wrestlemania in London. Listen to the crowds you host a live weekly taping or a premium live event. Feel their energy as you can see the excitement it will be to be part of a successful industry if you make this move.

    KEYS TO A TURNAROUND

BY: Mike Rifkin

The New York Mets had high expectations entering the 2023 season after winning 101 games last season. But the Mets will enter the second half of the season with a record of 42-48, and every time you think they’re making a run, something else happens. The team enters the second half seven games out of the Wild Card Race, but to be positive, they are 6-4 in their last ten games. Here are five keys to a second-half turnaround. 

  1. Aces High – Yes, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are future Hall Of Famers, although both have yet to find consistency this season. Scherzer is 8-3 but has a 4.31 ERA and has had to deal with a 10-game suspension due to a “sticky substance usage.” Verlander, the reigning AL CY Young Award winner, is 3-4 with a 3.60 ERA in 12 starts because he missed the season’s first month. The Mets have committed to these guys, and they need to be the future Hall Of Famers. They are this second half if the Mets want to get to October. 
  2. Resurgent Squirrel – Jeff McNeil won the NL Batting Title last season, hitting .326; this year, McNeil is hitting .253. I don’t know if the lack of a shift is hurting his approach, but the Mets need Jeff McNeil to become the hit machine they thought they were extending this spring, especially if Buck Showalter will keep him in a high position in the order. 
  3. Reservation For A Marte Party – Starling Marte was fantastic in his first year in Queens and was an All-Star. But Marte has had a sophomore slump after Core Muscle Surgery this offseason. Marte had a first-half slash line of .256/.309/.336. Here’s a positive on Marte, he is 23-27 in stolen bases. 
  4. Youth Gone Wild – Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty were heavily talked about during Spring Training. Despite not making the team right out of Spring Training, both have been positives since being inserted into the lineup. Alvarez coming off a road trip where he homered four times in six games, has had a knack for clutch hits. Baty has also played solid since becoming the full-time third baseman since Eduardo Escobar was traded. The two twenty-somethings have been a bright spot. If other guys in the lineup continue to struggle, will the Mets call up Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio? We’ll have to wait and see. 
  5. Home Sweet Home – The Mets are 20-19 at home this season. Last year they won 54 games at home. The Mets will have 42 games at home during the second half, including the first six out of the break against the Dodgers and White Sox. The Mets must take advantage of their home schedule in the second half.  

Rifkins List : NHL FREE AGENCY

By : Mike Rifkin

With NHL Free Agency in full force, here are moves I like and moves that made me scratch my head. 

Positives

  1. Matt Duchene – Dallas Stars – After being bought out by the Nashville Predators, Matt Duchene finds himself staying in the Central Division. Duchene last season led the Predators in goals and was second in points. Now he joins a team with Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, Wyatt Johnston, etc., so Duchene won’t have to be the guy in Dallas, but he should have a significant impact. 
  2. Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi – Toronto Maple Leafs – The Leafs won their first playoff series since 2004 after beating the Lightning in six games before losing to the Panthers in five games. The Maple Leafs added jam and grit to their game by adding Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi. Bertuzzi was traded from the Red Wings to the Bruins at the trade deadline and had eight goals in 50 games. Domi went from the Blackhawks to the Stars at the trade deadline and had 20 goals in 80 games played; Domi also has a family tie as his dad Tie played for the Leafs. 
  3. Taylor Hall – Chicago Blackhawks – The Blackhawks’ rebuild got expedited when they won the draft lottery, AKA the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. The Blackhawks took advantage of having cap space and another team having a cap crunch, so they acquired former first-overall pick Taylor Hall from the Bruins. Hall had 16 goals in 61 games last year, but he’ll play with Bedard in Chicago. 
  4. Ryan O’Reilly – Nashville Predators – O’Reilly was one of Nashville’s first signings of the Barry Trotz era. O’Reilly, who won a Stanley Cup with the Blues, was traded from St. Louis to Toronto at the trade deadline. O’Reilly had 11 points in 13 regular season games for the Leafs. He goes to a Preds team that bought out Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, so now O’Reilly will slot in as the number-one center in Smashville.
  5. Ryan Graves, Lars Eller, Noel Acciari – Pittsburgh Penguins – Kyle Dubas has had an interesting first offseason in Pittsburgh. Eller and Acciari are excellent bottom two centers and can help the Penguins’ PK. Graves is a shot-blocking machine and can replace John Marino, who the prior regime traded to the division rival Devils, from whom the Penguins got Graves. 
  6. Blake Wheeler – New York Rangers – To acquire a player who had 50 points for 800,000 dollars is a massive win. Wheeler was a productive player for the Jets before being bought out. He can slot in anywhere in the top nine on Broadway. 
  7. Conor Sheary – Lightning – Trading away Pat Maroon and Corey Perry meant the Lightning needed to add speed and toughness to their bottom-six forward. Sheary has been an impactful player everywhere he has been and, again, a bargain for the Lightning. 

Negatives 

  1. Alex Killorn – Ducks – Yes, Killorn won two Cups with the Lightning, so he took the payday from the rebuilding Ducks. Going four years for a guy who will be 34 in September is an interesting decision. 
  2. Tristan Jarry – Penguins – I get the Penguins might not have the necessary tools to trade for a goalie like Connor Hellebuyck, but I can’t trust Tristan Jarry to stay healthy for an entire season. When he’s good, he’s outstanding. The problem is finding that consistency while staying healthy. Kyle Dubas believes he’ll figure it out; he’ll have to show the world. 
  3. John Klingberg- Maple Leafs – Klingberg has always been a solid offensive defenseman, but he could have been better defensively. But is Klingberg going to be taking minutes away from Morgan Reilly? This is a fascinating signing. 
  4. Joonas Korpisalo – Senators – I love the direction the Senators are heading, but for me, this move is a head-scratcher. Korpisalo did have a 2.87 GAA and a .915 save percentage last season, but his numbers improved when he went to the defensive-heavy LA Kings. How will he fare with a young team in Ottawa that could be on the cusp of the playoffs?
  5. James Reimer/ Alex Lyon- Red Wings – Reimer had a 3.48 GAA and a .890 save percentage and made headlines for the wrong reasons in San Jose last season. Lyon was 9-4-2 with a 2.89 GAA and .914 save percentage and was significant for the Panthers in their run to make the playoffs. I’m not too fond of the signings because none of these two guys, along with Ville Husso, have shown the ability to be number one. When you look at Husso’s numbers from before he got traded, he was in a solid tandem with Jordan Binnington. The things I said about the Senators can be said for the Red Wings; if they get the goaltending, they’re a playoff team. 
  6. Milan Lucic – Bruins – Yes, reunions are fun, but shouldn’t the Bruins have focused more on Centers? Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are still on the market, but what’s the plan if they’re not returning? Unless something changes, the Bruins are looking at Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle as their top two Centers. 

PUT HIM IN JERRY

By Mark Halpern

     When Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, he made many changes throughout the organization. The change that shot through the world was the Firing of the Cowboys’ legendary coach Tom Landry and the hiring of the University of Miami Head Coach Jimmy Johnson.

    Johnson made a significant impact from the first day he came on board. Following Jimmy from Miami was WR Michael Irvin (Drafted), and Irvin’s talent in college showed why the Cowboys drafted him to be their #1 receiver. Dallas didn’t have a perfect 1988 season giving them the first pick in the 1989 draft, and Jimmy once again got his guy by Drafting Troy Aikman from UCLA to be the future franchise QB. Even in Aikman’s first year, everything wasn’t together as the Cowboys were rebuilding.

   After the 1989 season ended, Jimmy Johnson and the organization showed their genius. First trading star running back Hershel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for six draft picks, which lead to drafting future all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith and star defensive lineman Russel Maryland. Throughout this process of trading and signing players off of plan B and free agents in 1992, the Dallas Cowboys broke camp with the most impressive team since the Rodger Staubach era. 

    The Dallas Cowboys in 92-93 and 93-94 were back-to-back Superbowl champs beating the Buffalo Bills twice. They were projected to win as many as three more, but tragedy struck. Jimmy Johnson and head owner Jerry Jones had a huge falling out after the 94 Superbowl, and it was called a mutual split, but it was a lot more than that involved. If Jimmy stayed with the Cowboys, the Cowboys could have won 4 straight Super Bowls, but the Cowboys could only win 3 out of 4. Johnson was the Cowboys’ lifeline and the one man who came in with a plan and stuck to it, making America’s Team Great Again. He needs to be put in the Ring of Honor in AT&T stadium, glorifying him as an eternal Cowboy, just like Landry, and that is how the old man sees it. 

Deciding On Sho-time

By Mike Rifkin

During Monday’s loss to the Padres, Angels All-Star Mike Trout got hit by a pitch and left the game. On Tuesday, the Angels announced Trout had broken the left hamate bone in his wrist and is unsure if he will need surgery. Trout has been a big part of the Angels’ surprising first half. Trout has 18 home runs and 44 RBI with a slash line of .263/.369/.493. The Angels currently have a record of 45-43 and are seven games out of first place in the AL West and four games back of the last Wild Card spot in the American League. 

The Trout injury has more implications than what occurs on the field. Shohei Ohtani is a free agent after the season, and the Angels cannot afford to lose him, especially for nothing. Ohtani leads the Angels in basically every statistic, leads all of baseball in home runs, and is third in baseball in strikeouts (pitching). Ohtani is right now the favorite to win the AL MVP, and no executive wants to be known as the guy who traded Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is the best player in the game; how great he is as both a pitcher and hitter, and it’s something we’ve never witnessed, and the game hasn’t witnessed since Babe Ruth. 

If the Angels falter in the absence of Trout, they have to consider trading Ohtani at the trade deadline because you cannot let him get to free agency. Now if the Angels survive the Trout injury and find themselves in the race at the deadline, they have to do what is best for them to make the playoffs, which would mean keeping Ohtani and adding other pieces. Ohtani’s agent said before the season that his client deserved to explore free agency. 

Now, a lot of this decision is determined by how the Angels perform in the absence of Mike Trout, but regardless of Trout’s injury, the Angels have a massive decision to make. If Ohtani will not sign an extension and the Angels fall out of the playoff race, they have to consider moving Ohtani because they can’t lose him for just a draft pick. Either way, the lights are bright from now until the trade deadline, and everyone will wait to see what happens to the Sho. 

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.