What If (Pro-Wrestling Edition)- What if Disney buys WWE?

By Allison Weiner

Welcome to my 2nd series of blogs called What If? (Pro Wrestling Edition). In this series, I give a predicament that could or could have potentially happened in the pro wrestling universe. The 1st what if is….. What if Disney buys WWE? 

For those who don’t know, the devil known as Vince McMahon returned to WWE at the beginning of this year with one purpose only. Selling the company that his family has owned for decades. You can listen to the Face Turn podcast to hear everything going on with the company being sold. I want to get to a point where it’s the middle of 2023 and WWE has officially been sold. The board of directors has formally posted something close to these words…. “As of this day, this month in 2023, the World Wrestling Entertainment has new ownership. Disney has officially bought WWE.” Out of all the companies interested in buying WWE, Disney was a shocker to me when I heard that they were interested in buying WWE. But after seeing them acclaim WWE, now comes to question, what does mean for WWE. Will their PPVs go onto Disney+ or another streaming service? Where will they stream Raw, Smackdown, and NXT? Will they be going back to a PG era? Will Disney build a new wrestling center at Disney Springs in their parks?

First off, if this happens, we know Disney will be as strong as the Monopoly game, and people will post all over social media that WWE will be run by a mouse. Now to answer the questions previously mentioned. I don’t see Disney+ running WWE PPVs as it wouldn’t be as strong for their brand. However, if it does happen, I’m sure more people will cancel other subscriptions such as Peacock. But most likely Disney will run WWE PPVs on either Hulu or ESPN+. With Hulu also being owned by Comcast, I can see Disney negotiating a deal with them to air Raw, Smackdown, and NXT on their NBC Universal stations. I don’t see any of these shows on Disney-affiliated stations such as ABC and ESPN due to certain popular shows and sports events that will air during the days of these live shows. I do have a weird feeling that Disney will make WWE go back to PG for their younger viewers, but you know some swear words will come out here and there. Finally, I don’t see WWE taping NXT in a built arena in Disney Springs, but you would expect an official WWE merchandise store at Disney Springs in Florida and California.

    Midseason NHL Awards

By: Mike Rifkin

With the NHL All-Star Game this weekend, here is how I would vote for the major awards.

HART: Connor McDavid – Oilers. Every night McDavid does something special. In 50 games played, the best player in the world has 41 goals and 92 points. He is 16 points ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl and 20 points ahead of Nikita Kucherov. 

Norris: Adam Fox – Rangers. Let me preface this by saying there are a lot of good candidates for this award. The Rangers defenseman is top 5 in points, power-play assists, and game-winning assists. He plays 25 minutes a night against the opposition’s top line. Other candidates: Rasmus Dahlin, Josh Morrissey, Erik Karlsson.

Vezina  : Linus Ullmark – Bruins. Ullmark is having a breakout season for the best team in the NHL. Ullmark is currently 25-4-1 with a 1.90 GAA and .936 save percentage, leading the league. Other candidates: Jake Oettinger, Connor Hellebuyck

Jack Adams : Dave Hakstol – Kraken. Again there are a lot of good candidates here. The Kraken is the best story of the young season. Seattle has already surpassed their win and point total from their inaugural season. Other candidates: Jim Montgomery, Lindy Ruff, Don Granato

Biggest Surprise: Eastern Conference: New Jersey Devils – The Devils are currently in second place in the highly competitive Metro division. The Devils averaged 3.47 goals per game this year; last year, they averaged 2.99. The Devils have gotten unbelievable goaltending out of Vitek Vanecek, who has a 2.29 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Jack Hughes is having a great year with 33 goals and 64 points in 49 games played. 

Biggest Disappointment: Eastern Conference: Florida Panthers – I could have put either Detroit or Ottawa here, but neither of those teams won the Presidents Trophy last year. Last year Florida had a +94 goal differential. At the break this year, it’s -5. Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe have a combined 51 goals. If this team wants to make a run in the second half, they need their ten million-dollar-a-year goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to be better. So far this year, Bob has a 3.24 GAA and a .897 save percentage.

Biggest Surprise: Western Conference –  Seattle Kraken – The upstart second-year franchise has already surpassed their win and point total from their inaugural season and currently sits atop the Pacific Division. The Kraken average more than one goal a game more than they did last season. Matty Beniers is having an excellent rookie season with 17 goals and 36 points in 47 games played. Jared McCann, who had 27 goals last year, has 23 at the break. Daniel Sprong already has a career-high for goals and points in a season. Martin Jones has had a resurgence with a record of 23-7-3, a 2.82 GAA, and three shutouts. 

Biggest Disappointment: Western Conference – St. Louis Blues – Hand up. I was wrong about this team before the season. Jordan Binnington was handed the net after they traded Ville Husso. Binnington has struggled with consistency and has a 3.27 GAA, and .892 save percentage. Things have gotten rough in St. Louis. They are talking about selling at the deadline, which before the season, most people thought they were a Cup contender.

What’s The Goal?

By: Mike Rifkin

If you owned a sports franchise, your goal would be to do whatever it took to win. 

Over the weekend, Rockies Owner Dick Monfort spoke at a community event. He was talking about the San Diego Padres spending money. “That puts a lot of pressure on us. But it’s not just the Padres; it’s the Mets, it’s the Phillies. This has been an interesting year.” Monfort has an issue with teams that spend money. Meanwhile, he is the guy who traded his franchise player Nolan Arenado and 50 million dollars to the Cardinals two off-seasons ago and didn’t get the best return.

 As an owner, your goal should be two things. One is to make your team as competitive as possible so people will go to games, and the other is to win a championship. If you don’t want to do either, why do you own a sports franchise? Monfort continued, saying, “What the Padres are doing, I don’t 100% agree with, though I know our fans probably agree with it. We’ll see how it plays out.” Fans wanting an owner to spend money, wow, what a concept. Fans only want the owners to show they care as much as they do, but why try to annoy the fans with this talk? Here’s the downside: some owners will increase payroll, by which tickets, concessions, and parking will increase prices. 

Montfort said, “I look at the Padres, and they have a really talented team, but they have some holes, too. They’ve got three, maybe four starting pitchers, and then they’re like us. So I don’t know. They have spent a lot of money, and they will have to spend a lot more if they want to keep (outfielder) Juan Soto. But it does put a lot of pressure on you. Yes, it does.” Why is Monfort talking about a player currently on a division rivals roster? Are the Rockies going to make a run at Soto when he hits free agency, or is he just saying that Soto will be too expensive for the Rockies? 

Montfort went on to say he thinks the Rockies can play.500 baseball this season. Last season the Rockies finished with a record of 68-94, 43 games behind the first-place Dodgers. But playing .500 baseball shouldn’t be the goal, especially before Spring Training starts. You don’t have to think you will win the World Series, but you can say your team is good enough to make the playoffs. Once again, why do you own a franchise if you don’t do whatever it takes to win a World Championship? 

Montfort is an easy target, but others have been critical of Mets owner Steve Cohen and how he has spent money since he took over. But why are others so concerned with what Steve Cohen and other owners do? They are doing whatever it takes to win a championship, which should be every owner’s goal. 

Reid, It And, Weep

By: Mike Rifkin

We got our answer to who will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will play each other in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12th. 

One of the most incredible things about this matchup is that Andy Reid will be coaching against his former team. Reid spent 14 seasons as the Eagles’ coach going 130-93-1. The 130 wins are the most in Eagles franchise history. From 2001-2004 Reid led the Eagles to the NFC Championship game, winning the conference in 04 before losing the Super Bowl to the Patriots. Reid was fired after the 2012 season and was hired by the Chiefs a month later. 

Over the last five seasons, the Chiefs have been to the AFC Championship game, advancing to their third Super Bowl in this stretch. When Andy first took over the Chiefs, they were coming off a 2-14 record. Reid has never had a losing season as the coach of the Chiefs and only had three losing seasons in his 14 seasons with the Eagles. Reid is the first coach to lead two different franchises to the Conference Championship game and to host that game. 

We know Andy Reid will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Canton when his career is over. There should be much talk about Andy Reid’s legacy in Philadelphia and Kansas City. 

What could be next for the Mets?

By Mark Halpern

Since Steve Cohen purchased the Mets, his quest for a championship back in New York is beyond Aggressive. The first move he did as an owner was traded for Francisco Lindor, last year we saw him go get the likes of Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Chris Bassitt and just this year has kept Brandon Nimmo from getting away and Edwin Diaz but also brought in Justin Verlander with DeGrom leaving. Over the last month, Mets fans had hopes of Carlos Correra joining this already talented infield but his physical didn’t pan out and the Mets became frustrated and let him go. So what is in store for this team next?

     The Mets have a few areas that need addressing (what team doesn’t.) The Mets have a great outfield but need another on the bench who can fill in just as well as the starters. The first name that comes to mind is Brian Reynolds from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds, considered one of their top prospects, had a solid year batting .262/.345/.807. He has good speed and proved he can cover a lot of ground. However he is going to come at a very high cost as Mark Vientos and Rooney Mauricio would be like part of the trade but, Pittsburgh wants top pitching and that is not something the Mets are going to move. Another outfield option could be Baltimore’s Anthony Santander who is coming off a monster year by belting 33 home runs, 89 rbi, and a .240 average. That was his downside and that can be improved on and will also cost the Mets less. The last name for the outfield is Jurikson Profar. Profar is a young ballplayer who has a skill that few ball players have. He can play anywhere on the field if needed. He reminds me of Joe McEwing when he was with the Mets. Last year for the Padres he batted .243 with 15 home runs, 58 rbi’s but 80 runs scored. He has good speed, and great vision on the field and yes his hitting needs help but, having such a versatile player like him on the team makes the most sense.

    On the infield, the Mets are locked in at first, second, shortstop, catcher, and starting pitcher positions. Third base is a question for the Mets as they thought they had their hooks in Carlos Correra but, we know what happened there. Right now we have Brett Baty who is their top prospect at third base. Baty who only played one-month last year before tearing a ligament in his wrist will make the roster but, still as a rookie, having a mentor around for a couple of years would make great sense. Matt Chapman is a name that just leaps off the list of players in their final year. Chapman was traded from the A’s to the Blue Jays and is in the final year of his contract. Chapman is a great solid defender and has a powerful bat. His average will not impress you as he batted .229 last year but was coming off an injury. Chapman won’t come cheap by any means but, won’t cost as much as someone like Correa and could sign for the next 3 years to help Baty.   

    The free agents who signed their massive contracts are done, and a lot of the big names are off the board but there are still possibilities. I think the Mets need some Bullpen help as well and there are some names left the question becomes do they fit the Met’s roster? Spring Training is a month away and the World Baseball Classic is 2 months away and the Met’s star first baseman and star shortstop are playing so the Mets may be inclined to add a backup SS or 1B as well. We shall see as there is plenty of time before Opening Day.  

Snubbed 

By : Mike Rifkin

Wednesday, the NFL announced the finalists for awards. The finalists for Coach of the Year are Brian Daboll (Giants), Doug Pederson (Jaguars), Nick Sirianni (Eagles), Kyle Shannahan (49ers), and Sean McDermott (Bills). For me, there is one glaring omission from this group of coaches. 

Pete Carroll coached the Seahawks to a 9-8 record and a trip to the playoffs. 

After trading quarterback Russell Wilson everybody expected Seattle to struggle and pick at the top of the draft. They are picking at the draft, not because they struggled but because the Broncos were terrible. Pete Carroll got the most out of a team nobody had in the playoffs. 

We can say someone will get snubbed from an award every year, but I don’t understand. Pete Carroll got the most out of a team that nobody gave a chance to. I’m not saying Pete Carroll should have won the award, but not having him as a finalist is a joke. All of the finalists are deserving, but Pete Carroll deserves to be on this list as well. The Seahawks had an unbelievable season, and that disrespect becomes bulletin board material for next season. 

Leading By Example

By: Mike Rifkin

The NHL All-Star Game takes place next weekend, thus putting us at the halfway point of the season. At the halfway point, people debate who the current frontrunners for awards are. Two other captains deserve to be talked about regarding the Hart Trophy. Oilers Center Connor McDavid won the Hart Trophy (MVP) two seasons ago and finished second last season. McDavid is currently running away with the Art Ross Trophy ( most points) 15 ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl; he is also leading the Rocket Richard race (most goals). 

The Boston Bruins are currently the best team in the NHL, with a record of 38-5-4. Patrice Bergeron is a big reason for their success. Bergeron has 18 goals and 38 points in 47 games played. Five of the eighteen goals he has scored are game-winning goals. Bergeron isn’t the flashy player McDavid is, but he has been solid his entire career, and I still feel he is underappreciated. Bergeron does everything for the Bruins, kills penalties, plays the power play, and takes all the crucial faceoffs. Bergeron has won 62 percent of faceoffs this season. The Bruins have a lot of good players, but they would not have the record they have if Patrice Bergeron decided not to return to them this season. 

Before McDavid was the NHL’S human highlight reel, Sidney Crosby was that guy. The Penguins captain has 23 goals and 57 points in 47 games played. Crosby has been the definition of consistency and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Crosby has won 52 percent of his faceoffs. Where would the Penguins be without Crosby?

  McDavid is the best player in the NHL. What Crosby and Bergeron mean to their respective teams is why they should be up there when we talk MVP. 

The Best Vacancy

By Mike Rifkin

There are currently five head coaching vacancies in the NFL. Vacancies in Arizona, Carolina, Denver, Houston, and Indianapolis. Now for me, there is one job that stands out. 

The Houston Texans’ job is the one that stands out. First, I cannot entirely agree with how the front office handled the last two seasons with David Culley and Lovie Smith. Both guys took the job, and everyone on the outside knew they weren’t the long-term solution. Now I am going to give Lovie Smith much credit. The Texans played hard down the stretch, including competitive games against the Chiefs and Cowboys and an upset win at rival Titans. 

This job is appealing for a few reasons, one of which is the package they got in the Deshaun Watson trade. The Texans acquired the Browns’ first-round picks in In 2022,23, and 24 in exchange for Watson. The Texans will have 11 picks in the 2023 NFL draft, including number two and twelve in the first round. They might get more picks out of trades. One player who has been subject to trade rumors is Brandin Cooks. Cooks led the team with 57 catches and 699 yards in 13 games this season. 

Most insiders believe that the second overall pick will be a quarterback. Whether it’s CJ Stroud or Bryce Young, the new coach can get his choice of which one he’d prefer to have. 

The Texans do have some young talent. Running Back Dameon Pierce would’ve had 1,000 yards rushing if not for an injury at the end of the season. Rookie defensive backs Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre had excellent rookie seasons. As bad as people make the Texans out to be, they only had a -1 turnover differential. The Texans will have 11 picks in the draft and 41 million dollars in cap space, the fifth most in the NFL and the highest of any team looking for a new coach. So a new coach can use the draft and free agency to help a roster that will need it. 

The biggest reason the Texans’ job is the best is not just the cap space or the number of picks. It’s the fact that you’re not tied to anyone. Look at Arizona. Whoever goes there is tied to Kyler Murray because of his extension last year; if you take the Denver job, you’re tied to Russell Wilson based on his contract. Now both are good quarterbacks, but Russ is coming off his worst season as a pro, and Kyler tore his ACL, and we need to see how the recovery is going. My question is, how patient are the owners going to be? At least in Houston, they can preach patience if there’s a plan.

   BUCCANEERS SEASON IN REVIEW/OFFSEASON PREVIEW

BY: Mike Rifkin

On Monday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 season ended with a 31-14 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. For the Bucs, the 2022 season was one to forget. The only reason they made the playoffs was that the NFC South was the worst division in football. The Bucs were dealt big blows last offseason when Head Coach Bruce Arians retired. Arians’ retirement was not the only blow the offense took; Offensive linemen Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa did not return to the team. Marpet retired, and Cappa went to the Bengals. Center Ryan Jensen did re-sign with the team but did suffer an injury in training camp and was activated for Monday’s game. But the guy that Tom Brady and the Bucs missed the most was Rob Gronkowski. He had always been Brady’s security blanket in New England or Tampa Bay. Rumors swirled that Gronk would return to Tampa, but that never came to fruition. Last year the Bucs were +10 in turnover differential. This year they were a -2. 

As the Bucs enter the offseason, they have one question to answer before deciding the trajectory of this team. Is Tom Brady coming back? If that answer is yes, then the Bucs will do everything they can to be a legit Super Bowl contender. If the answer is no, the question will be, where do the Bucs go from here? Is someone like Derek Carr an excellent option to still be on a playoff team, or should they consider starting a rebuild as an organization? The one thing on a rebuild is that this past season, the NFC South was the worst division in the NFL. Bringing Brady back would help with two things, one being you would know who the quarterback in 2023 is, and the other, if Brady were to leave, they’d be charged 35.1 Million dollars in dead cap, although they can spread that out for a couple of years. Restructuring the contracts of Shaq Barrett, Shaq Mason, Chris Godwin, Carlton Davis, Vita Vea, and Ryan Jensen could help the Bucs save nearly 50 million dollars. 

Tom Brady was sacked 22 times this past season and twice in the wild-card game against the Cowboys. There was plenty of pressure in Tom Brady’s face all season. Some of that was due to inconsistent offensive line play, and some was Tom holding the ball. Tom had a career-low 52.6 QBR. So was Brady’s decline because the offensive line had injuries, or was it because Tom finally looked his age? The Bucs were last in the league rushing, averaging 76.9 yards per game. Last season they averaged 98.4 yards per game rushing. Was this regression because of the Offensive line or Leonard Fournette, whose numbers were down from last season. The inconsistencies of the offense have cost Byron Leftwich his job. The three years before this, the Bucs were a top-three scoring offense. This year they dropped to 25th. 

Tom Brady decides to play another year outside of Tampa, which I expect to happen. What do the Bucs do?

If the Bucs still view themselves as contenders 

  1. Sign Matt Pryor or Justin Pugh to help the offensive line. 
  2. Sign Baker Mayfield. There are better options like Jimmy Garoppolo or Derek Carr, but Mayfield will be cheaper than those guys plus, there’s an advantage of him being younger that he can be the quarterback for a while. 
  3. Re-sign Sean Murphy-Bunting. 
  4. Sign Jadeveon Clowney or Poona Ford. They would replace Akiem Hicks. Ford and Clowney are younger than Hicks and could cost around the same amount of money. Imagine Clowney across from a healthy Shaq Barrett. 

The other option the Bucs have is to try and start a rebuild.

  1. Trade Mike Evans OR Chris Godwin – Both guys are fantastic, but if the Bucs are going to start this over, one of them will have to go, and they can get draft picks in exchange. 
  2. Sign Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield – Two guys are looking for an opportunity. I feel the same if the Bucs want to contend with going after Mayfield. If they want to rebuild, I’ll add Darnold to the conversation because of how well he played for Carolina down the stretch. 
  3. Move on from Lavonte David. David is still one of the best linebackers in the NFL, but if you’re starting a rebuild, do you want to pay much money to a 32-year-old linebacker? 
  4. Move on from Leonard Fournette. Rachaad White stepped up in a big way down the stretch.

BUCS DRAFT PICKS 

Rd1 (19) Trenton Simpson, LB – Clemson If the Bucs move on from Lavonte David, Simpson can fill the void. Simpson and Devon White can become a tremendously athletic linebacking duo.

RD2 (50) – Cody Mauch, OL North Dakota State – If 2022 was an indication, the Bucs might want to revamp the interior of their offensive line. Mauch has skills but also needs to develop a bit.

RD3 (82) Julius Brents, CB – Kansas St – The Bucs have two corners set to hit the free agent market. I wrote above that I’d bring back Murphy-Bunting, but the team still needs more depth. Brents brings good size and is an excellent tackler. It could be a fit in Todd Bowles’s scheme. 

METS FIND THEIR 4TH OUTFIELDERIN TOMMY PHAM

By Mark Halpern

In the wake of the Carlos Correa debacle almost two weeks ago, the Mets were looking again for another position player to add to this already impressive team. The Mets signed OF Tommy Pham today to a one-year $6 million contract, pending physical.

    Tommy Pham came up in the St Louis organization making his debut in 2014 and played for the Cardinals until 2018 when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in late 2018. He played for the Rays until the shortened 2020 season when he signed with the Padres until 2022. He split the 2022 season with the Reds and Red Sox. Pham, over his career, has become a solid hitter with good defense, above average speed, great vision on the basepath, and hits lefties well (which is something the Mets needed.) Pham’s speed is ideal for Citi field as the Stadium does yield Home Runs, but more doubles and triples, and that plays to Pham’s talent. He has a .354 OBP, which is ideal for scoring runs and accruing stolen bases. Pham had only had nine last year but 25 in 2019, a stat the Mets need more than what they had last year.

     He will be in the outfield mix that already includes 3-star players. Pham will join Leftfielder Mark Canha (Can do, Can do, Gary says Mark Canha can do), Center Fielder Brandon Nimmo, and Right Fielder Starling Marte. A great importance is that Pham has played some Centerfield but has mostly played the corner outfield positions. The Mets will probably use him as a left-handed Designated Hitter at times, as he hits lefties better than righties.

    Some fans might see this as a weaker signing, but this (after Duvall and Mancini were signed) signing meets more needs than certain fans realize. Billy Eppler and Steve Cohen have done a magnificent job putting this team on the field, and this doesn’t mean that the Mets won’t sign or trade for another big bat, and that’s how the old man sees it.