Go For It

By: Mike Rifkin

NFL free agency is in full force, and one of the major questions is what is going on with Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson? The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the former MVP, meaning a team can offer Lamar a contract, and the Ravens would get the right to match the offer, and if they don’t, they will get two first-round picks. We saw teams say they weren’t interested in Jackson when this occurred, and they went to other places on the market. But there is one team that makes sense to offer sheet, Jackson.

That team is the Indianapolis Colts. Look, I know the Colts were one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season, but I still like a lot of their roster. Since Andrew Luck retired, the Colts have gone with many stop-gap guys, including Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan last season. You must take that risk if you can sign Lamar Jackson and pair him with Jonathan Taylor. Jackson is only 26 and can be the next Colts franchise quarterback. 

The Colts have the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft and could select a quarterback. But they might not get the guy they have the most interest in because the Carolina Panthers moved up to the number one overall pick to take a quarterback, presumably, and the Houston Texans, who pick second, also are presumed to take a quarterback. Now the top two picks in either order are most likely to be Bryce Young of Alabama and CJ Stroud of Ohio State. So if the Colts only like those two guys, they are in a challenging position. Lamar is a known commodity, while a rookie is not. Also, by bringing in Lamar, the Colts could entice other free agents in the future to go to Indy. I’m not saying the Ravens will not match the offer on Jackson, but if the Colts at least make him an offer, it will show the fanbase and the rest of the league they are going for it. 

Not Again

By: Mike Rifkin

Last Wednesday started the NFL’S league year. While most people focus on the free agency period of the league year, another thing that occurs is teams can file potential rule changes that the owners and the competition committee can discuss. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the rule change and want to make roughing the passer penalties reviewable.

Roughing the passer was one of the most discussed penalties during last season. There are multiple you can look at throughout the season, and I still don’t understand why the penalty was called. But here’s my thing I don’t know if the referees know how to officiate it and throw the flag out of caution. We’ve been down this road before with making penalties challengeable when the NFL made pass interference reviewable. The problem with that was that the calls would often side with whatever the refs had called on the field. I do have a solution to the roughing the passer rule, and it doesn’t involve making it reviewable, but it will make the NFL do some work. 

Instead of making the penalty reviewable, the league should change the rule. The league should keep shots to the head and below the knee as part of the penalty, but I think we need to say a graze of the helmet shouldn’t be called. With what we know about concussions, they can if they want to keep it. But the other parts are where I think fans get confused. The other rules are that a defender can’t land their bodyweight on top of the quarterback and cannot drive the quarterback to the ground. In essence, what the league has done has protected the quarterback so much that every time they go down, a flag will be thrown. So, what would the replay show on bodyweight landing or driving the quarterback to the ground? We will run in circles as they did with the pass interference challenge. I wouldn’t say I like harping on the refs, but when these networks air the games, and their rules analyst is as confused as the fans, that’s not a good thing, so the league should tear up the rule and rewrite it.

If I was in charge and left to change the roughing of the passer penalty, here’s how I would go about it. First, we will leave shots to the head ( I would change for non-forceful blows but understand why the head should be kept) and below the knee. I would throw out the bodyweight rule because it’s hard enough for defenders to get them down. Now they have to focus on where they land. Driving them to the ground should only be enforced if the hit is late or if the whistle has been blown, but that is on the refs to make the in-the-grass ruling more if needed. If roughing the passer continues to be a problem in the NFL, there is one last solution that nobody wants to see: to put flags on the quarterbacks. 

Let The Madness Begin

By Lawrence Lang

It may only be the opening day of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, but an upset city has already begun in the tournament, and who doesn’t love a good upset? That’s what makes the NCAA tournament so unique: one game super sudden-death type tournament where you win, you go on, you lose, and you go home. For this year’s tournament, some teams that were thought to be heavily favored containers for a national title have had those dreams busted by the lower seeds, so let’s break it down with Thursday’s upsets in the tournament. 

We will start with the big upset so far: The 15-seed Princeton Tigers take down the 2nd-seed Arizona Wildcats in a nail-biter of a game 59-55. The Wildcats were up eight in the first half (14-6), which was also the biggest lead of the half for the Wildcats. The Tigers would hang in there, slowly decreasing Arizona’s lead to get to half-time. They would shut out Arizona from scoring in the last four minutes of the half and score six points to end the half and make the score 30-31, only being down one. This was a thrilling game to watch if you were watching.  

In the 2nd half, Arizona would be up nine early, and they would take complete control of the game and go on to the next round. But that was not the case. Princeton would begin the comeback with a Blake Peters three-pointer to cut the lead to six, 35-41. Scoring would go back and forth threw the middle of the 2nd half, then in the back half of the 2nd quarter, Princeton took command and began to strike Arizona’s lead down. They are going on a 10-2 run, making it 48-51 Arizona. Arizona would score again 48-53. Arizona would score the last points by Azuolas Tubelis 50-55. After that, Princeton would go on a 9-0 run to end the game, winning 59-55. They become the 11th No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 seed in the tournament and mark the third year in a row a no. 15 seed has beaten a No. 2 seed last two years, Oral Roberts def Ohio state (2021), and saint peters beat Kentucky last year (2022). Maybe the crazy notion of a 15 seed never winning is over, and we are in a new era of the tournament where anyone could beat anyone now, and the theory isn’t a myth anymore. Forward  Tosan Evbuomwan leads Princeton in scoring with 15 points. 

The other major upset that happened yesterday involves the university of Virginia. If you don’t know, in the 2018 men’s NCAA basketball tournament, Virginia made history in the wrong way when they became the first no. 1 seed to lose to a No.16 seed (UMBC). Granted, the redemption year in 2019 was sweet when they won the national title. History has yet to repeat it since losing to a 16 seed this year, but they have had yet another early exit from the tournament. No. 4 Virginia has lost to the no. 13 seed Furman. Furman is a private liberal arts college out of Greenville, South Carolina. The men’s basketball team has made only a little history before yesterday’s win. They had six appearances in the tournament, where their only significant success came in 1974 when they made the sweet 16. That’s past, and this is today. In another nail bitter of a game, Furman would keep it close with Virgina and even take the lead at one point (61-58). Then Virigna got the lead back and seemed to hunker down for the game’s final moments. With the score 65-67, Virginia leading, they would have to find a way with 12 seconds left to keep the basketball, and they would move on. However, Furman Garett Hien got a steal off Virginia’s Kihei Clark.

The Furman moment was here, and three things could happen: you tie the game and have the chance to go over time. Two, you miss, and the season is over, or three, say, you know what, let’s go for the win. Option three was the choice for Furman, and in the words of Mike Breen, BANG. JP Peguess hit the go-ahead three 68-67 and with two seconds left. Virginia’s last shot was Reece Beekman, a three-pointer was no good, and Furman got upset and moved on. They are the 32nd 13 seed to beat a no four seed, and it was the first time since 2021 that a no 13 seed had beaten a no. 4 seed. North Texas and Ohio were the last 13 seeds to do the job. Forward Jalen Slawson led the team in scoring with 19 points.  

Overheating happened yesterday. These games could have gone either easy since they were close in seeding. 

No.10 Penn State beat no7. Texas AM 76-59

No.9 Auburn beat no. 8 Iowa 83-75 

Your one near upset was no. 13 Louisiana and no. 4 Tennessee. Tennessee just edged out Louisiana 58-55. Tennessee Julian Phillips made a free throw to seal the game for them. This shows that upsets can happen at any point, and it was right here. However, Tennessee made the baskets when needed to ensure their season was still alive. 

This was just day one of The Men’s Basketball Tournament, and will we see an upset in today’s action? 

NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW 

By: Mike Rifkin

SOUTH REGION

TOP 5 SEEDS

  1. ALABAMA – The overall number one seed is seventh in the nation in scoring, leading the nation in rebounding. They are led by Freshman Brandon Miller (we can talk about if he should be playing later), who averaged 19.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. 
  2. ARIZONA – The Pac-12 Tournament champions score fourth in the country, averaging 82.7 points per game. They are third in field goal percentage shooting 49.6 % from the field. Only a few teams can match up with their bigs, Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubellis.
  3. Baylor – The Bears lost four of their final six games to end the season. The Bears arguably have the best three-guard set in the country with Keyonte George, Adam Flagler, and LJ Cryer. The return of Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua could be a key factor for the Bears. 
  4. Virginia – The Cavaliers were ninth in the country in scoring defense. Armann Franklin and Jayden Gardener average 12 points per game. But you know what you’re getting with the Cavs: excellent defense and low-scoring affairs.
  5. San Diego ST. – Balance is the key for the Aztecs. They have a lot of balance, and they rarely beat themselves. Guard Matt Bradley is the only player that averages double figures in scoring.

MOST INTERESTING MATCHUP : (8) MARYLAND VS (9) WEST VIRGINIA – All eight vs. nine matchups are fantastic. The most significant factor is Maryland has only won four games on the road/ neutral sites. Can they turn this around against the Mountaineers? 

Team to come out: Arizona 

EAST REGION

TOP 5 SEEDS

  1. PURDUE – The Big Ten regular season and tournament champs have one massive advantage over everyone else in Zach Edey. The 7″ 4″ Canadian averaged 22.3 points per game, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Edey is a matchup nightmare for opponents. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are outstanding backcourt as well.
  2. Marquette – The Big East Champs are led by point guard Tyler Kolek, the Big East Player of The Year, who averages 13.3 points per game and 7.7 assists per game. The Golden Eagles are dangerous from behind the arc, and they have six players who shoot over 30% from three. 
  3. Kansas St- Keyotae Johnson, the Florida transfer, led the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Johnson and backcourt mate Markquis Nowell were both First Team Big 12. 
  4. Tennessee – Rick Barnes’s team is third in the country in points allowed, giving up 58.0 points per game. They will be without point guard Zakai Zeigler, who tore his ACL two weeks ago. Ziegler led the team in assists and steals and was second in scoring. The biggest question is, can the Vols score enough?
  5. Duke – The Blue Devils found their footing down the stretch, including winning the ACC Tournament in the first season under Jon Scheyer. This team will go as far as Kyle Filipowski and Jeremy Roach take them. Derek Lively on the inside can be a massive factor on the defensive side. 

MOST INTERESTING FIRST RD MATCHUP : (6) KENTUCKY VS (11) PROVIDENCE: Kentucky was up and down all season. Their main constant was big man Oscar Tshiebwe, who averaged 16.5 points per game and a nation high 13.1 rebounds per game—Bryce Hopkins, who led Providence in scoring and rebounding, transferred from Kentucky to Providence. 

Team to come out: Purdue

MIDWEST REGION

TOP SEEDS

  1. HOUSTON – The Cougars were second in the country in points allowed, allowing 56.5 points per game. Guard Marcus Sasser, who was injured during the AAC Tournament, status is unknown. The Cougars must rely on their stellar defense if he can’t go.
  2. Texas – How about the job Rodney Terry has done since Chris Beard was let go. This team has a lot of experience and is playing well right now; they beat Kansas by double digits in their last two meetings. Marcus Carr leads the way averaging 15.5 points per game. 
  3. Xavier – The Musketeers average 81.4 points per game. They are led by Souley Bourn, who averages 16.5 points per game and 4.4 assists. Sean Miller’s team averages 19 assists per game. 
  4. Indiana – Trayce Jackson – Davis and Race Thompson are excellent in the front court. If Miller Kopp and Trey Galloway hit their threes, the Hoosiers can make some noise in the tournament.
  5. Miami – Don’t be surprised if the Hurricanes make a deep run in the tournament after going to the Elite Eight last season. Isaiah Wong leads the team in scoring and assists per game. 

MOST INTERESTING FIRST RD MATCHUP TEXAS A&M (7) VS PENN ST (10): I’m still trying to understand why A&M is a seven-seed after finishing second in the SEC and losing in the Championship game of the conference tournament Penn St also lost in the Big Ten championship. If Penn St hits their threes, they can win this game. Wade Taylor vs. Jalen Pickett should be a fun matchup. 

Team to come out: Texas 

WEST

Top Seeds

  1. Kansas – Jalen Wilson is a player-of-the-year candidate averaging 20 points and eight rebounds per game. Dajuan Harris is one of the best point guards in the country, and I still feel he’s underrated. Don’t be surprised if the reigning National Champs go on a long run.
  2. UCLA – Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell are great. They will need someone to step up in the absence of Jaylen Clark. 
  3. Gonzaga – The Zags will eventually win the National Title. The Bulldogs led the nation in scoring and field goal percentage. Drew Timme leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Malachi Smith, the UT Chattanooga transfer can be a significant x factor. 
  4. UCONN – Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan are forces in the paint. Defensively they allow 65.0 points per game. 
  5. St. Mary’s – The Gaels are fifth in the country in scoring defense, giving up 60.1 points per game. Logan Johnso and Aidan Mahaney both average over 14 points per game. They have three players who shoot over 70% from the free-throw line, which could be their downfall. 

Most Interesting first round matchup (8) Arkansas vs. (9) Illinois: Last year, Arkansas went to the Elite Eight, and this year at times, struggled, including losing four of their last five games. Illinois has lost three of their last four games. Matthew Mayer, the Baylor transfer, could be huge for Illinois because of his extensive big-game experience. 

Team to come out: Gonzaga – Everybody loves Kansas and UCLA but don’t sleep on the Zags. They put themselves in a good position and schedule the right way for moments like this, so don’t be surprised if the Zags wind up in Houston. 

FINAL FOUR: TEXAS, GONZAGA, ARIZONA, PURDUE 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: ARIZONA DEFEATS TEXAS

AFC NORTH OFF-SEASON PREVIEW

BY: Mike Rifkin

The 2022 AFC North division had three teams finish over .500 and two teams that wound up playing each other in the playoffs. 

AFC NORTH STANDINGS 

BENGALS -12-4

RAVENS: 10-7

STEELERS – 9-8

BROWNS – 7-10 

Ravens: The Ravens’ most important question is, what is going on with Lamar Jackson? They put the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which means if another team signs Lamar, the Ravens will be able to match the offer, OR they can let him go and be awarded two first-round picks. The Ravens and Jackson will likely agree. If it’s Lamar or someone else, the most significant thing the Ravens need is a wide receiver. GM Eric Decosta said so himself because the team needs to draft better at the position. Guys like Allen Lazard, JuJu Smith-Schuster, DJ Chark, and Odell Beckham are free agents, while the Ravens can trade for DeAndre Hopkins from the Cardinals. The Ravens might also have to look at corners, with Marcus Peters and Kyle Fuller, both free agents. 

DRAFT

RD 1 (22) – Zay Flowers – WR – BOSTON COLLEGE – Ravens need a receiver who can make plays. Flowers will make plays in the open field. 

RD 3 (87) – Will Mcdonald – EDGE – IOWA ST. – Justin Houston led the team with 9.5 sacks, but he is a free agent, and at 34 years old, how much more is expected of him? Mcdonald and Odafe Oweh could be dynamic on the edges in Baltimore. 

Bengals: The quarterback will also be in the headlines this off-season. Most people around the league expect Joe Burrow and the Bengals to agree on a long-term extension. And why wouldn’t they? All the Bengals have done over the last two seasons is gone to back-to-back AFC Championship Games and made a Super Bowl appearance. The Bengals possess one of the best-receiving trios in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. One position they will look at is safety because both Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell are free agents. Running back Samaje Perine is a free agent, and Joe Mixon could be a cap casualty. 

DRAFT 

RD 1 (29) – Anton Harrison – OT – Oklahoma – The Bengals gave up 44 sacks last season, which was 20th in the league. But there are other routes the Bengals could go, but keeping their franchise QB up should be the highest priority. 

RD 2 (61) – Antonio Johnson- Safety – Texas A&M – As mentioned above, Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates are both free agents. Johnson and last year’s first-round pick Dax Hill could be versatile in the secondary. 

Browns: Cleveland also has their quarterback in Deshaun Watson, who played late last season and, after essentially two seasons off, Watson looked rusty. They will have to look at receivers and on the defensive side of the ball. Nick Chubb put up another fantastic season with 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Draft 

RD 2 (43) – Calijah Kancey – DT- Pittsburgh – Kancey was sensational at the combine, meaning the Browns should take him if he is here. They need a presence in the middle of the defense. 

RD 3 (99) Adetomiwa Adebawore – EDGE – Northwestern – Jadeveon Clowney won’t return, which means who will play opposite Myles Garrett. The Northwestern product ran a 4.49 40-yard dash and is used to playing in conditions that Cleveland will face.

Steelers: Once again, Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. The Steelers were one win away from another playoff appearance. The defense and the offensive line must be the focus for the offseason. Kenny Pickett showed flashes last season, but I want to see what he does for an entire season of starting. 

DRAFT 

RD 1 (17) – Kelee Ringo – CB – Georgia – Fans will want Penn St. Joey Porter Jr, but he needs to be the pick if Ringo is there. Ringo has the ideal size and strength for a corner. 

RD 2 (32) – Dawand Jones – OT – Ohio ST. – Jones is a massive individual. Yes, the Steelers have Dan Moore Jr. at Left Tackle, but his upside is too high to pass up if Jones is there. 

SIN’S MLB OFFSEASON Recap

Baseball season is almost here. It was an exciting winter. Here is how we saw the offseason through a questionnaire.

THE QUESTIONS

  1. FAVORITE OFFSEASON SIGNING AND WHY?
  2. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE OFF-SEASON SIGNING, AND WHY? 
  3. FAVORITE UNDER-THE-RADAR SIGNING ( A SIGNING THAT OCCURRED AND DIDN’T GET ENOUGH TALK)
  4. TEAM THAT HAD THE BEST OFFSEASON 
  5. TEAM THAT HAD THE WORST OFFSEASON 
  1. Jeff Knapp – As a Yankee fan, how can I not talk about the re-signing of Aaron Judge? He set the AL Record for home runs in a season and is one of the most beloved Yankees since Derek Jeter. The other signing I love is Trea Turner going to Philly. The Phillies won the NL pennant last year and are adding a guy who hits .320 and 20 homers and can steal many bases, plus plays solid defense. 

Mark Halpern – Xander Bogaerts going to San Diego was a huge move. Adding him to a lineup that includes Machado, Juan Soto, and eventually, Fernando Tatis Jr. Bogaerts, Machado on one side of the infield is as good as it gets. 

Mike Rifkin – I’m going the Jeff route here and taking two. Jose Abreu is going to Houston. The Astros won the World Series last year and only got better. Adding Abreu, a .292 career hitter, to a lineup that still has Altuve, Bregman, and Yordan Alvarez, this Astro lineup can be scary. The other signing I love is Willson Contreras going to the Cardinals. Yadier Molina has retired. There isn’t a better replacement for him than Contreras. He is outstanding defensively and gives the Cardinals a much-needed bat to go with Goldschmidt and Arenado in the middle of the lineup. Also, the Cardinals got to steal a Cub, which might not hurt either. 

2. Jeff Knapp – Carlos Correa. This guy had two deals with the Giants and the Mets but wound up staying in Minnesota. I am still determining what the Twins will be this season. I am also concerned about his ankle. 

Mark Halpern – Jacob deGrom – This one hurt when I found out about it, but Texas won 68 games last year. The Rangers invested much money into Jake, but is he still the same pitcher he was three years ago? Can he stay healthy for an entire season? 

Mike Rifkin – Joey Gallo – I was going to say Arson Judge. Joey Gallo has struggled over the past couple of seasons. I thought that when he got traded to the Dodgers, that would bring him new life in his career, but he still struggled. Losing the shift could help Gallo in Minnesota. 

3. Jeff – Jose Abreu’s signing happened so quickly in the offseason that I don’t believe it gets enough hype. Yes, he’s 36, but he is still coming off a season with a slash line of .304/.378/.446. Adding him to the Astro lineup is enormous.

Mark – Justin Turner – Turner turned his career around in Los Angeles. He is a solid third-baseman and DH option for the Red Sox. He can have much fun with the Green Monster. 

Mike – Chris Bassitt – Blue Jays Bassitt was a workhorse for the Mets last season, going 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA. Adding him to a rotation with Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, and Hyun-Jin Ryu is solid for the Blue Jays. 

4. Jeff – The team that had the best off-season was the Phillies. I’m not one to praise anything from Philadelphia, except for Rocky Balboa, but being objective, they were not only able to add one of the biggest free agents by signing shortstop Trea Turner, but they added starting pitcher Taijuan Walker after losing Thor and bolstered their bullpen by adding Craig Kimbrel and Gregory Soto. These moves might help them repeat as the NL champions once again.

Mark – I agree with Jeff that the Phillies had a good off-season. Despite being a Mets fan, the Phillies had a great off-season. Trea Turner is a star, and Taijuan Walker is a terrific addition to their rotation. 

Mike: The Phillies did have a good offseason, but so did the rival New York Mets. People are questioning Justin Verlander’s age, but he was dominant last year in winning the AL CY Young award. They also added Kodai Senga from Japan. Steve Cohen also retained Brandon Nimmo, who is a spark at the top of the lineup, and Edwin Diaz, the most dominant closer in Baseball. 

5. Jeff – Looking at who might have had the worst offseason, where possibly the LA Dodgers. I don’t care how long it’s been, but that’s what you get for leaving Brooklyn. It wasn’t surprising that they brought back Clayton Kershaw, but they lost position players like Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Craig Kimbrel. When it comes to bad, I have to add the San Francisco Giants in there because they could have had both Correa and Judge, but both options fell through. They did sign Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto, but Conforto is coming off a severe shoulder injury, and Haniger has an injury history. 

Mark – Colorado Rockies – Last winter, they added Kris Bryant, and he had a disappointing season mainly due to injury. This offseason, they only did a little. So I don’t want to hear their owner complain about other teams spending when he refuses to. 

Mike – Red Sox – They re-signed Rafael Devers to a massive extension. But outside of that, I’m still determining. What do I expect from Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen, and Corey Kluber? Five or six years ago, that would’ve been great. I also hate the loss of Xander Bogaerts, whom I viewed as this team’s version of Dustin Pedroia. The Red Sox are hoping for many veterans to regain their form; otherwise, it might be a long year in Boston (At least they’ve got the Celtics and Bruins) 

Being Comfor-TUA-ble

By: Mike Rifkin

It is widely reported that the Miami Dolphins are picking up the fifth-year option on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tua led the NFL with a passer rating of 105.5 last season and had 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Tua had a great season when he played, and he did miss time last year due to multiple concussions, including the last three games of the regular season. 

Picking up on the fifth-year option makes sense for multiple reasons. The first is that paying Tua 23 million dollars instead of 43, which is what the franchise tag would be, is a win. But look at what the New York Giants did with their quarterback Daniel Jones. We can debate if it’s a good or bad deal later, but declining his option and he put together his best season, which costs them 40 million dollars a year. The Bengals, Chargers, and Eagles will all have to pay their quarterbacks this offseason, which could hamper their rosters. Another reason this move makes sense is that the organization is not locking in a lousy deal. They are still evaluating Tua. To most people, that seems like a bad thing, but despite Tua putting together a tremendous regular season needs to show he can stay healthy for an entire season. If he plays well, they’ll give him the long-term deal. They can go elsewhere if he struggles to stay healthy or struggles in general. 

Now I need people to bear with me on this. Here is a hypothetical situation, but a part of me wonders if the organization would sit Tua for the season with the concussion issues and let him get his mind right. Sitting Tua for the season would mean the Dolphins need a quarterback for 2023. Enter Aaron Rodgers into the conversation. The Packers are moving the 39-year-old future hall of famer. The only team that has shown interest is the New York Jets. Now if the Dolphins enter the conversation, it would have to be a one-year deal, and then Tua gets back his job next season, and if something happens to Rodgers, you still have Tua. Remember, this is a hypothetical situation. Does that happen? No, I don’t, but it would be something I would consider monitoring because acquiring Rodgers is not like acquiring Lamar Jackson because you don’t have to make a long-term commitment. From an organizational perspective picking up the option on Tua makes all the sense in the world for the Dolphins. 

WBC preview: Canada 

By: Ross Mazin

The WBC is upon us, and I couldn’t be more excited. The WBC is where the stars get to play for national pride. 

Canada last played in the WBC in 2006, where they had their signature win over the United States. Despite that, Canada has never made it out of pool play. They are overall a very competitive team. Before being eliminated after the first round, Canada played in Pool B, which consisted of Mexico, South Africa, and the United States. Canada will be in Pool C with the United States, Colombia, Mexico, and Great Britain this year. 

The 2023 roster includes notable players such as Freddie Freeman, Tyler O’Neil, and Bo Naylor. Freeman, who finished fourth in NL MVP voting last season, is one of the elite players in all of baseball. Tyler O’Neill’s numbers went down in 2021, somewhat due to injuries. Naylor is a Guardians prospect who played in five games last season. When the scouts talk about Naylor, they talk about his power.

I expect Team Canada to perform very well and make the semi-finals for the first time. 

Team Israel and Japan Previews

By: Lawrence Lang

As The World Baseball Classic Approaches, it’s time to break down Team Israel and Team Japan. 

Starting with team Israel they are making its first appearance in the WBC since 2017. In the 2017 WBC, Israel went 3-0 in the first round beating South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands. But in the second round, they would go 1-2, losing to the Netherlands and Japan and only getting a win over Cuba. 

In the 2023 WBC, they will be in Pool D, including the team countries of the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. They will kick off Pool play against Nicaragua on March 12th, Then Puerto Rico on March 13th, and finish Pool Play against Venezuela on March 15th.

Two People who have won a World Series can ruffle some feathers with their team. This Israel Team is a decent-looking ball club with Ian Kinsler as Manager and Kevin Youkilis as Hitting coach. One good piece to this team is Outfielder Joc Pederson, who, in the 2022 season, had 104 hits, 23 home runs, and 70 RBIs. The Only player on the team born in Israel that is on Team Israel is Shlomo Lipetz, a Relief Pitcher who is also the oldest active player on the team and is 44 years old. 

The only stats, according to baseball reference, is from 2007, when he was 28 years old, where he went 3-1 and had an era of .98. He gave up 17 hits, three earned runs, one home run, six walks, and had 30 strikeouts.  

The Youngest player on this team is 22-year-old Josh Wolf. Wolf is a Cleveland Guardians prospect who is in Single A. right now. In three seasons between Rookie Ball and Single-A ball, he has gone 3-6 with a 5.26 era in 35 games with 56 Walks and 104 strikeouts. This WBC will be a big test for Wolf pitching on the biggest stage in Baseball that’s not the World Series. 

Heading a little west, we now see Team Japan as a two-time winner, winning the inaugural WBC in 2006, then again in 2009, and finishing third twice in 2013 and the most recent WBC in 2017. In 2017, WBC Japan Entered Pool Play beating Cuba, Australia, and China. Then went 3-0 again in the second round, beating The Netherlands, Cuba again, and Israel. They would lose to the eventual winners in the semi-finals to team USA 2-1 and beat the Netherlands in the third-place game to cap off the 2017 WBC. 

The 2023 Japanese baseball Team has two MLB Stars on their roster, one being starting pitcher Yu Darvish who in 2022 went 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA with 197 strikeouts and in 10 seasons has an overall record of 95-75 3.50 Era and 1788 strikeouts. The other is the two-way star in Shohei Ohtani. The 2018 Rookie of the Year is coming off a 2022 season where he went 15-9 as a starter with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts. At the plate, he batted .273 with 160 hits, 34 home runs, and 95 RBIs with 11 stolen bases and has already made way in Exhibition play, having two monster home runs even before the WBC starts. 

The other notable player on team Japan is infielder Tetsuto Yamada from the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon, who in 2022 batted .243 with 114 hits, 23 home runs, 65 RBIs, and ten stolen bases.

Japan will be in Pool B with South Korea, Australia, China, and the Czech Republic. Pool Play will begin against China on March 9th, Then Play South Korea on the 10th, The 11th play the Czech Republic, and close pool play on the 12th against Australia. With Pool play beginning on Tuesday with Cuba and Netherlands, it’s great to have The WBC back because it’s a great way to prepare for Baseball before the regular season starts.

WBC Preview: Cuba and Great Britain 

By: Mike Rifkin

The World Baseball Classic is upon us. Baseball players worldwide will take center stage and represent their country in this great tournament. 

Cuba will be a part of Pool A along with Italy, Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, and  Panama. Some of the best Cuban players should be playing in the WBC. Yordan Alvarez, Jose Abreu, Randy Arozarena, and the Gurriel brothers are not on the Cuban national team. White Sox players Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert will headline the lineup along with former Met Yoenis Cespedes. Roenis Elias is the most experienced pitcher at the big league level and has a career ERA of 3.96. 

Great Britain has a lot of young players, including Harry Ford, one of the Mariners’ top prospects. Ford is a big athletic kid with a lot of power in his bat. Other prospects on this team include Lucius Fox of the Nationals, Matt Koperniak of the Cardinals, BJ Murray of the Cubs, and Tahnaj Thomas of the Pirates. Trayce Thompson, who has 39 career home runs, headlines the roster along with former pitcher Vance Worley. Great Britain is in Pool C, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States.