Showalter is Bucking Mad

By Mark Halpern

At the end of the 2021 season, I predicted that the Mets would get Buck Showalter as their manager. Buck is a very experienced manager and knew that he had a lot to accomplish this season. Buck brings a fire to the Mets dugout that we haven’t seen in a long time, since Bobby Valentine.
Over the first two games of the season, 3 Mets players have been beamed with fastballs that seemed way too close to be unintentional. Two of the players were hit in the face, and another right under the cheek; they were Pete Alonso on Friday and Francisco Lindor last night. Two games and 3 Mets players, HBP (hit By Pitch) and no warnings were given. Showalter showed his disgust at the umpires not warning the Nationals. Nationals pitchers claim the new balls are tough getting used to, and they got away. I don’t think we would be talking about this if the players had been hit in the leg, back, or even in the butt. Two of these players were hit in the face is the problem. Hey, I was a catcher, and sometimes balls do get away, but the Mets have a reason to be pissed.
You have to protect your team, and we all, at one time or another, have witnessed a revenge game in a sport, and we have to figure that it’s going to happen. I hope that Buck gets ahead of this and tries to control what happens on the field, but even he knows players sometimes take things into their own hands, and that is how the old man sees it.

2022 MASTERS RECAP RND 1&2

Cink Sinks one In

Tiger Makes Cut

By Mark Hakpern

Well, the 2022 PGA Masters has two rounds down and two rounds to go the herd has significantly been thinned, and many big-time players missed the cut. Augusta is known for its weather, and on days 1&2, Mother Nature showed her slip a little by producing rainy and windy weather.

    The first round went by quickly, even though the average round took over 28 minutes longer than it should. There was no absolute dominator in this round as most of the field played very safe. The par 3 fourth hole gave the most trouble first round, causing several players to take bogey or even worse on this straightforward par 3. Joaquin Neiman had the shot of the first round with his eagle on the 9th hole. I have seen balls land on the green and spin forward, backward, bounce, and stick, but his role was unreal. The ball landed about 5 yards past the pin, and when it landed, it had such a backspin that it rolled up the slope and curved it in for a beautiful eagle. Tiger had a nice round but was a shell of himself but did finish -1 on the day.

However, the player of the day was Sun Jay Im as he played a great back 9 to finish at an event leading -5. At this point, Ross and I figured the cut would be around +3 for the next day.

    Round 2 was quite entertaining, with the winds gusting between 25-30mph. The field of players would be thinned due to the cut, but some players didn’t make the cut that they should have. This is a select list because I can’t name them all, but Xander Schauffele, Zach Johnson, Cameron Young (one of my top 5 to break top 20, too), Jordan Speith, and Justin Rose all missed the cut at +4. Every player on the course was taking blows. Tiger was at a horrible +4 but fought back, and his experience is what helped him get there. He knows this course and has played in worse weather. An interesting fact is that Tiger beat 12 of the top 20 players in the world in just two rounds. It just shows you how the weather can ruin the day.

    Now one player who didn’t make the cut was Stuart Cink, but he sank the shot of the day. On the 16th hole, Stuart was already closing in on not making the cut, but he didn’t let that get to him. The 16th hole is a short par three, but if you’re right of the slope on the green, you can run right off onto the fringe. So Cink hit a beauty to the left side of the green and landed it just a the point where the green slopes. The ball had enough momentum to slowly roll down the slope and then picked up some speed and found its way home. Cink was thrilled but not as much as his caddy, who happened to be his son. Cink didn’t care that he wasn’t making the cut cause now he was a pure part of Masters history.

     The wind made it hard for everyone, but one golfer Scottie Scheffler didn’t care about the weather. He had a look in his eyes that he would take risks and go for it as he knew what Saturday would bring. Scheffler sits at the top of the leaderboard at -8, a good 5 strokes ahead of the next person. However, this means nothing because the weather is changing and it is going to be a beautiful day. Scheffler will have to play near-perfect cause on a day like this Tiger, Im, Johnson, and even Matsuyama will have great chances playing in near-perfect weather.

      I expect an exhilarating round 3 today as we will see the best-played round of the tournament today.

The Masters Purse will be short a Mickelson

By Mark Halpern

     Over the last twenty-odd years, Phil Mickelson has played in as many masters he could attend. In his career, he has won a. Over his career, he has amassed 40+ tournament wins, and a few of the international boy’s will check-in and see whether playing is best but certainly not its worst.’ He is a legend of the game, and here is why.

     What Happened to the all-American family and great Humanitarian he is? He was near the middle east as host of one of the many Saudi princes or king’s functions talking about golf. 

· “In an apology published across his social media, Mickelson stated: “I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions. “It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I’m beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this”

· “They’re scary … to get involved with,” Mickelson told Shipnuck about working with the Saudis on the new league. “We know they killed Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”

We have freedom of speech in America. Certain things like yelling bomb in a crowded movie theater to cause panic are not allowed. However, in the business world of sports, contracts say it all and all jibber-jabber that comes before after it. Phil Mickelson not being invited to the tour was a disgrace. If Jack Nicholas or Arnold Palmer played each other, I would come down to that final putt, and that’s how the old man sees it.    

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BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE PREMIERE OF THE 19TH HOLE DEBUTING TOMORROW AT 8 PM EST ON YOUTUBE.

Huberdeau For The Hart

By : Mike Rifkin

As we come down the stretch of the NHL season one of the most interesting debates is who should win the Hart Trophy as league MVP. There are cases to be made for a lot of players including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers, Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs, Sidney Crosby of the Penguins among others. But the front runner should be Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers.

In what was the game of the night Tuesday the Florida Panthers came back from a 5-1 deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-6 in overtime. Huberdeau led the way with two goals including the game winner and three assists and in the process became the first Panther ever to have 100 points in a season. Huberdeau currently sits second in the NHL with 102 points only behind McDavid. McDavid has Leon Draisaitl who sits third with 101 points, Matthews who has 54 goals and 95 points has Mitch Marner who is sixth with 88 ponts. Aleksander Barkov is the next closest Panther to Huberdeau at 18th in the league in scoring. 

Something else that should be factored into Huberdeau’s case is that he has played all 70 games the Panthers have played. Auston Matthews has missed five games and the Leafs are 4-1 without him. But the most important thing is that the Panthers are in first place and if they win the Atlantic Division I don’t know how you can deny Jonathon Huberdeau the Hart Trophy.

National League Preview

By : Mike Rifkin

With the Baseball season getting started this week here is my preview for the National League. 

NL EAST

5) Nationals – The Nationals offensively have Juan Soto and signed Nelson Cruz this offseason but outside of that it’s not a great lineup. Pitching wise they need Stephen Strausburg to stay healthy and Patrick Corbin to have a bounce back season. 

4)  Marlins – I do think they have the opportunity to surprise some people. They have a very good young starting rotation led by Sandy Alcantara. Offensively they added World Series MVP Jorge Soler and Avisail Garcia. Watch Jazz Chisholm to have a big season for Miami. 

3) Phillies – The Phillies added to their lineup this offseason signing Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to massive contracts. Zack Wheeler is coming off finishing second in CY Young voting, but the Phillies need Aaron Nola to be better than his 4.63 ERA in 2021. 

2) Mets – I loved what the Mets did this offseason, from the signings of Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar to the hiring of Buck Showalter, but the Mets success will have to do with the health of Jacob deGrom who will miss the first month of the season. I would expect a big season out of Francisco Lindor who struggled in his first season in New York.

1) Braves – To quote Ric Flair “ To be the man you have to beat the man.” The Braves have won the NL East the last four seasons. The reigning World Series champions did lose first baseman Freddie Freeman, but replaced with Matt Olson from the Athletics. They also added Kenley Jansen from the Dodgers to close games. But the Braves will make two big additions during the season when star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr, and starting pitcher Mike Soroka return from their injuries. 

NL Central

5) Pirates – All Star Bryan Reynolds is the subject of trade talks. Hopefully Ke’Bryan Hayes takes the next step forward for the Pirates.

4)  Reds – They let Nick Castellanos walk as a free agent and traded away Sonny Gray, Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez. I love Joey Votto but I don’t expect him to have another 36 home run season. Jonathan India is coming off a Rookie of the Year season and will continue to get better. They have a solid 1-2 punch in the rotation with Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle both of whom have been subject of trade talks. 

3) Cubs – The Cubs were active this offseason most notably adding Starter Marcus Stroman and signed Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki. After the Cubs sold off the core that won them the World Series Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel were awesome at the plate. Stroman along with Kyle Hendricks should give the Cubs a very good 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.

2) Cardinals – I still don’t understand firing Mike Shildt but I love the fact that the Cardinals brought back Albert Pujols for one more run. Putting Pujols in a lineup that will feature Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson gives the Cardinals a lot of Thunder. Tommy Edman and Harrison Bader at the top of the lineup also had really good years. In the rotation they added Steven Matz and will get Dakota Hudson back from Tommy John to join Adam Wainwright and Jack Flaherty.

  1. Brewers – They very much need Christian Yelich to have a bounce back season. In 117 games Yelich had nine home runs and had a slash line of .248/.362/.373. After coming over from the Rays Willy Adames hit 20 home runs. The Brewers did add former NL MVP Andrew Mccutchen. Milwaukee does still have one of the best rotations in baseball led by CY Young award winner Corbin Burnes followed by Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta. 

NL WEST

5) Diamondbacks – They signed All – Star Ketel Marte to a contract extension. They need Madison Bumgarner to be better than his 7-10 record with a 4.67 ERA in 2021.

4) Rockies – The Kris Bryant signing still confuses me but in Colorado he should put up some really good numbers. Ryan Mcmahon and CJ Cron both got extensions after having massive seasons. If the Rockies are going to surprise people this year they need Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela to be really good behind German Marquez in the rotation.

3) Giants – The Giants won the division last year and lost to the rival Dodgers in the LDS. Buster Posey has retired and Kris Bryant left in free agency leaves a hole in the lineup. Are Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford going to have similar seasons to that of 2021? Rotation wise they brought back Alex Wood and Anthony Desclafani and signed Carlos Rodon from the White Sox. I still think the Giants could be a Wild Card team. 

  1. Padres – I know Frenando Tatis is hurt and that is a big blow. But this team is still loaded with Manny Machado, Wil Myers and Jake Cronenworth in the lineup. The rotation is stacked after acquiring Sean Manea from Oakland. Manea with Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove give the Padres a very good rotation. Bob Melvin was named the manager of the club and that was a great hire and will help.
  1. Dodgers – Do I need to explain this? After signing Freddie Freeman the Dodgers legitimately have an All Star at every position. They brought back Clayton Kershaw to go with Walker Buehler and Julio Urias. They lost Kenley Jansen but acquired Craig Kimbrel to replace him. If there is one question mark on the Dodgers it is what has happened to Cody Bellinger. Bellinger has 22 home runs and 66 RBI over the last two seasons combined. 

PLAYOFF TEAMS

West – Dodgers (1)

East – Braves (2) 

Central – Brewers (3)

Wild Card : Mets (4) Padres (5) Cardinals (6) 

WILD: 

METS DEF PADRES

CARDINALS DEF BREWERS

LDS

DODGERS DEF CARDINALS

METS DEF BRAVES

LCS

DODGERS DEF METS 7 GAMES

WORLD SERIES

DODGERS DEF BLUE JAYS 6 GAMES

AWARDS

MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

CY Young : Walker Buehler

Manager of the Year : Bob Melvin

American League Preview

By : Mike Rifkin

With Major League Baseball ready to get started on Thursday here is my preview and predictions on each division in the American League. 

AL EAST

5)  Orioles – Baseball America ranks the Orioles with the fourth best farm system in MLB. Once they get to the big leagues they would join a core with Cedric Mullins who had an unbelievable season and Trey Mancini. The Orioles are on the rise but not ready yet.

4)  Yankees –  I want to preface this by saying the East will be very competitive this season. I think of the four teams outside of Baltimore you can flip them in any order. I just think the Yankees have more question marks than the other teams. Who steps up behind Gerritt Cole? Can Judge, Stanton, and Donaldson stay healthy? Can Gleyber Torres bounce back? If all of those things happen the Yankees could win the East.

3 ) Rays – Nobody does more with less than the Tampa Bay Rays who won 100 games last season and the AL East. In 2021 the Rays were tied for sixth in MLB with 222 home runs and were fourth with a 3.67 ERA. The Rays will be able to hit with guys like Brandon Lowe, Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco all in the everyday lineup. There are questions about their rotation; they have some injury concerns and hope to have ace Tyler Glasnow back for the stretch run. Learn never to count Tampa out of it so don’t be shocked to see them in the playoff chase down the stretch.  

2)  Red Sox –  The Red Sox won 92 games and lost to the Astros in six games in the ALCS. Boston added ShortStop Trevor Story to play second base in a lineup that will also have J.D Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers. I have some concerns about their pitching staff. Eduardo Rodriguez went to Detroit, Chris Sale and James Paxton will start the season on the injured list. Somebody is going to have to step up after Nathan Eovaldi.

  1. Blue Jays – Toronto won 91 games a year ago and missed out on the wild card by one game. They were one of the most active teams this offseason adding Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi to a rotation with Hyun Jin Ryu and Jose Berrios who they acquired at the trade deadline. They added Third baseman Matt Chapman who had a down year in Oakland offensively but will definitely benefit from a very good Blue Jay lineup and is one of the best defensive third basemen in all of baseball. The Blue Jays are definitely a World Series contender with a nucleus of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer. 

AL Central 

5) Guardians – Shane Bieber’s 2021 season was derailed with a right shoulder strain but he headlines a very young rotation with Zac Plesac, Triston Mckenzie and Aaron Civale who led the team with 12 wins. Jose Ramirez led the team in 2021 with 36 home runs and 103 RBI. Ramirez has a club option for 2023 so if the Guardians fall out early Ramirez could get them a solid return at the trade deadline. 

4)  Royals – Similar to the East I think teams 2-4 in this division are interchangeable. I don’t believe the Royals will get another 48 home run season out of Salvador Perez. If young starting pitchers Brady Singer and Kris Bubic take a step forward the Royals future looks brighter. Star prospect Bobby Witt Jr. has made the team. 

3) Twins – The Twins were the biggest disappointment in baseball last season and they took it to heart this offseason. They signed star shortstop Carlos Correa from the Astros, traded Josh Donaldson to the Yankees for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez, and added Sonny Gray and Dylan Bundy to their rotation. The only teams with a lower ERA than the Twins last year were the Cubs, Pirates, Diamondbacks and Orioles. 

  1. Tigers –  The Tigers were busy this offseason they signed former Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez to a five year contract. Putting Rodriguez in a rotation that will feature 2018 first overall pick Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal gives Detroit a solid top three in their rotation. They also signed short stop Javier Baez to a six year contract joining an offense that will now feature 2020 first overall pick Spencer Torkelson. I expect the Tigers led by AJ Hinch to have a very good season.
  1. White Sox – Lance Lynn will miss the first month with a knee injury, but the White Sox rotation is still really good with Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Dallas Keuchel at the top of the rotation. In the bullpen they just traded Craig Kimbrel but still signed Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman to team with Aaron Bummer who had 75 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched and Liam Hendriks one of the best closers in baseball. An offense led by former MVP Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal should continue to be very good for manager Tony Larussa. 

AL West

5) Athletics – The Athletics traded away Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manea, Chris Bassit and lost manager Bob Melvin. The rebuild is back on in Oakland. 

4) Angels – Baseball needs the Angels in the playoffs so everyone can watch Mike Trout who hopefully can stay healthy this year and reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The Angels signed former Met Noah Syndergaard to a one year 20 million dollar contract, but Syndergaard has only thrown two innings over the last two years due to Tommy John Surgery.

3) Rangers – They say everything’s bigger in Texas. This offseason it was contracts as the Rangers added former World Series MVP Corey Seager on a 10 year 325 million dollar contract, Marcus Simien on a seven year 175 million dollar contract, and Pitcher Jon Gray on a four year 56 million dollar contract. Texas should do damage offensively but their pitching will be a question. 

  1. Mariners – Mariners added Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez from the Reds and added them to their lineup which will have their top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez. They declined the option on Yusei Kikuchi and replaced him with Robbie Ray who won the 2021 CY Young award with the Blue Jays. 
  1. Astros – Yes they lost some pieces this offseason most notably Carlos Correa but this team is still really good. Altuve, Bregman, Alvarez, Gurriel  and Michael Brantley are still in this dynamic lineup. They brought back Justin Verlander to a rotation with Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy and eventually Lance Mccullers Jr. will make the rotation very good as well.

Playoff teams

EAST : BLUE JAYS (1)

CENTRAL WHITE SOX (2)

WEST : ASTROS (3)

WILD CARDS : RED SOX (4), TIGERS (5), RAYS (6)

WILD CARD ROUND ( top 2 seeds get bye)

Astros def Rays

Red Sox def Tigers

LDS

BLUE JAYS DEF RED SOX 6 GAMES

ASTROS DEF WHITE SOX 7 GAMES

LCS 

BLUE JAYS DEF ASTROS 6 GAMES

Awards

MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

CY Young : Lucas Giolito

Manager of the Year : AJ Hinch

Comeback Player of the Year Justin Verlander

Pressure On Bob

By : Mike Rifkin

With their victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday the Florida Panthers were the first team in the NHL to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Panthers have made the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but the team has not won a playoff series since 1996 where they lost in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

The Panthers have loaded up on talent to gear up for a run at the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. They acquired former Flyers Captain Claude Giroux and Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot  at the trade deadline. Since the trade Giroux has yet to score a goal but has seven assists and is a  Plus five. Chiarot has one goal and three assists in seven games. Chiarot will be asked to do a little bit more with an injury to Aaron Ekblad. Former third overall pick Jonathan Huberdeau is in the conversation for the Hart Trophy with 24 goals and a franchise record 97 points so far this season. Two-way Center Aleksander Barkov has 33 goals and 72 points in 56 games so far. Barkov is also always in the conversation for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward. 

With all of this talent the Panthers are one of the legit Stanley Cup contenders, but they need their 10 million dollar a year goalie to be huge. I don’t believe there is a player under more pressure this playoff than Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky so far this season has a record of 33-6-3 with a 2.64 goals against average a.914 save percentage and three shutouts. Bobrovsky, a two time Vezina Trophy winner has struggled in the playoffs with a 13-23 record, 3.24 goals against average and a .899 save percentage. In his two playoffs with the Panthers Bobrovsky has a 2-5 record 3.80 goals against average and .880 save percentage. With Spencer Knight ready to take over the net it is very important for Bob to have a good playoff run not only for himself but because the Panthers are good enough to win the Stanley Cup.

Offseason Contracts I like/Dislike

By Mike Rifkin 

With Major League Baseball out of lockout and ready to begin their regular season next week. Here is a look at three signings I like and dislike

Likes

  1. Kevin Gausman/ Yusei Kikuchi – Toronto Blue Jays. Last season the Blue Jays won 91 games and finished fourth in the AL East, this offseason they have been very active. Gausman had a career year with the San Francisco Giants last season going 14-6 with a 2.81 ERA and had 227 strikeouts in 192 innings pitched.Gausman has experience pitching in the division when he was with the Orioles. Kikuchi was an All Star in 2021 for the Mariners but finished with a 7-9 record with a 4.41 ERA. Lining these two up behind Hyun Jin Ryu and Jose Berrios gives the Blue Jays a solid rotation. And with the Blue Jays lineup as lethal as it is they don’t have to be perfect. 
  2. Justin Verlander – Houston Astros : Verlander missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. In 2019 his last full season pitching Verlander won the AL CY Young Award going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and had 300 strikeouts in 223 innings pitched. The future hall of famer will give the Astros rotation a boost.
  3. Kendall Graveman – Chicago White Sox: : Graveman was acquired by the Astros at the trade deadline last year to help Houston’s bullpen on their way to the AL Pennant. Graveman signed a 3 year contract with the White Sox to help Liam Hendricks at the back end of the bullpen. Graveman had 49 strikeouts in 51 innings last season for Seattle and Houston. Graveman and Hendricks give the White Sox bullpen versatility and depth.  And now with the White Sox trading Craig Kimbrel Graveman should have a bigger role on the South Side. 

Dislikes

  1. Noah Syndergaard – Angels. Every free agency period everyone says the Angels need starting pitching, because we want to see Mike Trout on the biggest stage. The Angels signed Noah Syndergaard to a one year 21 million dollar contract. Syndergaard has thrown two innings the last two years due to Tommy John Surgery. The Angels could have used that money on two starters but are taking a risk on Syndergaard. 
  2. Marcus Semien – Texas Rangers. Semien bet on himself in 2021 signing a one year deal with the Blue Jays and he did not disappoint having a slash line of .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs and 102 RBI. The Rangers gave Semien a seven year contract worth 175 million dollars at 31 years old. The Rangers went all in this offseason and they are banking on Semien to deliver.
  3. Kris Bryant Rockies. This is nothing against the player I like Bryant a lot, but I am confused by the Rockies. Last offseason they traded star third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals and then this offseason lost Trevor Story for nothing but a draft pick. Signing Bryant after letting go of two prominent players is a weird strategy but in a division where the Dodgers, Padres and Giants all are better than the Rockies and the National League is deep, how long until the Rockies actually believe they can contend? If you were to ask me who I would rather have between Arenado and Story or Bryant I think the answer is simple Arenado and Story so the Bryant signing is confusing. But Bryant, if healthy, can put up some monster numbers at Coors Field.

Favorite Matches and Moments In WrestleMania History     

When it comes to the spring time there are many things that come to mind. Losing an hour of sleep due to daylight saving time, allergies due to pollen coming back and longer days of daylight due to daylight savings time. But for Lawrence Patchman Lang , Mike the Pun Master Rifkin and Jeff 2 Sweet Knapp springtime brings a special for them in the world of professional wrestling and that’s Wrestlemania season. With Wrestlemania 38 two nights slated for Saturday April 2nd, and Sunday April 3rd the three guys have decided to count down their top five favorite Wrestlemania moments and matches from its history.     

Rifkin’s top 5 Mania Matches 

5) Edge vs Mick Foley WM 22: Mick Foley needed a Mania moment and Edge wanted to cement himself as a main eventer. This hardcore match in Chicago gave both men what they needed. There were thumbtacks, barbed wire baseball bats and a spear through a table set on fire this match gave both men what they wanted and it was a great match. 

4) Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels- WM 21 Two of the best performers in the history of the WWE on the grandest stage of them all, what else can you ask for.  Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle put on a wrestling clinic in Los Angeles and stole the show. 

3)The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin : WM 17 – Out of the three Mania matches these two legends had 17 stands out because the end was arguably one of the craziest swerves in WWE history. Owner Vince Mcmahon comes out to ringside and helps the rattlesnake and Austin and Mcmahon become allies to the shock of WWE fans everywhere.

2)  Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs Dudley Boyz : WM 17 – Three of the greatest tag teams of all time in the match that might have defined their legacy. Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the tag titles and it stole the show, Just watch Edge from a ladder spear Jeff Hardy who was hanging from the belts. These three teams will always be remembered for this match in their iconic careers.

  1. Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels : WM XXV – In my mind the two best of all time put on an absolute classic on the grandest stage of them all. Michaels was known as Mr. Wrestlemania and Undertaker had the streak. This match also told a story for the next year. Also this whole list could have been just Undertaker and Shawn Michaels matches.

Jeff Knapp’s Top Wrestlemania moments

This is Wrestlemania season, and we are on the road to it. Since 1984 we have been witnesses to some of the greatest matches in history. It’s time to do the impossible, and it’s not leaping tall buildings in a single bound. I had a list of 42 matches that could have made the list, so narrowing it down was hard work. So now It’s time to pick 10 of my favorite WWF / WWE Wrestlemania matches.

In no particular order the 10 I will put on the list, and later possibly doubt myself are…

1.       Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs Randy Savage for the WWF IC title at Wrestlemania 3. I was a huge Steamboat fan at the time and when Macho Man “crushed Steamboat’s Larynx” I was 100% angry with Savage and legit hated him for that at the time.

2.       Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 10 in a ladder match for the IC Title. That became the standard bearer for all ladder matches to come after that.

3.       Edge & Christian vs The Dudleys vs The Hardys in the 1st TLC match at Wrestlemania 17. This was the 1st TLC match and still to this day one of my all-time favorites. Nobody knew what to expect that night and brought those 3 teams to a different level

4.       The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 25. Although Michael’s career was on the line the following year, this was my pick between the two.

5.       Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton vs Batista at Wrestlemania 30. This was the culmination of the YES movement, and the ultimate underdog finally captured the championship.

6.       Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle at Wrestlmania 20 for the WWE Championship.

7.       The Rock vs Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 18 in Toronto. That crowd was absolutely electric. Two of the biggest icons in the business on the grandest stage of them all it doesn’t get bigger or better than that.

8.       Bret Hart vs Steve Austin in a submission match at Wrestlemania 13. The iconic image of Austin bleeding down his face before he passed out. A double turn happened that night too.

9.       Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff at Wrestlemania. I was brand new Hulkamaniac, but I was a HUGE Mr. T fan from The A Team. I legit thought that he was a real street fighting brawler and was going to give everybody a run for their money.

10. Hogan vs Andre The Giant at Wrestlemania 3. Still was a Hulkamaniac and at that age had serious doubts that Hogan could defeat Andre. When he slammed him I was in total awe. Nowadays, Wrestlemania is sold out due to the name of it, but at WM 3, that match was the sole reason they sold out the Pontiac Silverdome. 

Lawrence Patch-Man Lang top Wrestlmania moments 

5. Edge vs Mick Foley Wrestlmania 22. Nothing screams a WM moment with a match that involes the Hardcore stipulation and this match had it all. To foley coming out to black and gray flannel and it was him hiding barb wire under it take down edge and when he took of the flannel trade mark black and red flannel would show that the hardcore legend was here to paly.  To edge taking the bump in the tumb tacks showing that edge can even play the hardcore game and take the pain and suffering to take that bump. What makes this a WM moment for me is the table spot where Edge does the suicde dive thru the second rope to spear Foley threw the flaming table to win the match. This showed that Edge could still hang and be at the top of his game even after losing the WWE Championship to John Cena earlier in the year. Plus this would pay off for Edge cause two year later he would be the main event of Wrestlemania 24 with the Undertaker.

4. John Cena vs Shawn Michaels Wrestlmania 23 ( WWE Championship) in what was supposed to be Cena vs Triple H II but Triple H tore his right quadricep at the January PPV New Year’s Revolution. But when you have an opportunity to strike gold  you take the shot and WWE did that. Having Cena vs Michaels as the main event of WM all over it and to have the WWE championship on the line make it perfect. In this match I wanted Michaels to win because who doesn’t want to see Cena lose. Regardless of that this match showed that Cena could go toe to toe with one of the greats and it showed another passing of the torch from Michaels to Cena and showed that Cena will be the Man for many years to come and hey after this matched happened and over sea tour gave us one of the greatest raw matches ever in England when they went 40 minutes 47 seconds and it showed that these two had great cemortsy in the ring and proved that no matter were they could put on a 4 star match.  

3. Undertaker vs Kane Wrestlemania XX. This match still gives me goosebumps even though it is a short match. This was the return of the deadman and what better way to bring him back in front of a sold out Madison Square Garden and at Wrestlemania. The iconic OOOOHHHH YESSSS from Paul Bearer and him walking out with the Druids to the shock on Kane’s face thinking that his brother was dead after he buried him alive a few months prior and Taker walking out and the crowd going bananas cause they knew that the Deadman was back and ready to dig holes and take souls. This stands out because it showed it was the right time for Taker to once again evolve his character from American Badass to back being the deadman.

2. Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair Wrestlemania 24. What better way to send one of the G.O.A.T.  in the business then have a match against another  G.O.A.T. These two had a fantastic match that people still talk about today. When Michaels said “I’m Sorry I Love You” gets me every time because the end of an era/ career was about to happen with flair losing and it’s a Wrestlemania moment that I won’t forget. 

  1. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania 25. This is a perfect match and even better story because you have heaven vs hell. HBK coming down from the heavens and Taker coming up from hell. These two put on a perfect match and gave it their all in the ring and it set up what would be three matches to follow one the greatest long term storytelling in WWE history with HBK at WM 26 in what would be his then final match and then WM 27 and WM 28 with Triple H and bring and end of an era with the the three men. Taker vs HBK at Mania 25 will be talked about until the end of time because of how great the match was.   

NCAA Tournament: Final Four Kansas Vs Villanova Preview 

By: Mike Rifkin

In the 2018 Final Four Villanova defeated Kansas 95-79, on Saturday four years later they will meet again. In that game both teams entered as a one seed this time Kansas is a one seed and Villanova a second seed. The last three times these two teams have played in the NCAA Tournament the winner has won the National Championship. 

Villanova enters this game after defeating Houston 50-44 in the Elite Eight. In that game the Wildcats held the Cougars to 29.8 percent from the field including 1-20 from three. The Wildcats shot the ball at 28.8 percent from the field and were 5-21 from three. Jermaine Samuels had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Wildcats. Samuels has scored in double figures in every game this tournament thus far, and the Wildcats are going to need him to step up even more in the absence of Justin Moore who tore his Achilles. Moore was second on the team in scoring averaging 14.8 points per game. The Wildcats will also need leading scorer Collin Gillespie to shoot better. In the last two games Gillespie has 18 points on 5-20 from the field. 

Kansas is coming off of their best half of the tournament. In their 76-50 win over the Miami Hurricanes, the Jayhawks held the Hurricanes to 15 points in the second half. Kansas held the Hurricanes to shoot 34.5 percent from the field and 3-21 from three. The Jayhawks defense also forced 14 Miami turnovers. Kansas was also +13 rebounding the basketball, but if Kansas wants to play for the national championship they have to make their free throws, against Miami they were 13-26 from the free throw line. Ochai Agbaji had his best game of the tournament going 8-12 from the field including 2-2 from three, for 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. 

The last three times these two teams have played in the tournament the winner has won the National Title. These are two tremendous programs with two hall of fame head coaches and this should be a great game. I think the Moore injury is huge and Kansas will take advantage of their depth and move onto the National Title Game.