Feats of Strength!

Maybe this is just accidental correlation but how can it be that there was a record amount of no hit games this past MLB season and the NHL is on pace for the most hat tricks in history? Are athletes just getting better? Or could it be potential outside factors affecting their performance?

Going into this past Major League Baseball season there had been 263 no hitters which includes 18 perfect games dating back to 1876. That averages out to just under 2 games per season up to the end of the 2009 season, over a span of 140 seasons since its beginning in 1869. The odds of throwing a no hitter are slim to none to begin with, but are less probable with athletes now being aware of the importance of physical fitness.

Astonishingly enough there have now been 269 no hitters, but wait only one season has gone bye! There were six no hitters last season, that is three times as many as the average said there should have been. How is this possible? Pitching techniques, styles and pitches have all remained the same so this can not be attributed to any sort of change. Sadly, for Rays fans that is, two of the six no hitters went against them which has made two perfect games and a no hitter against them in the past two seasons.

As for the NHL, there already has been 33 hat tricks in the early part of this season that will be 2 months old tomorrow. The most recent coming from Ottawa Senators forward Chris Kelly, who managed to single handedly propel the Sens past the Rangers on Saturday afternoon. With five months left to play in the season, the NHL is on pace for roughly 116 hat tricks. This is utterly ridiculous considering that the odds of witnessing  a hat trick are said to be 1:18. Looking at the math, that means that each team is likely to score just under four hat tricks this season alone. The odds of witnessing a hat trick becomes dramatically improved if this pace keeps up.

In such a corrupt world, is it possible that professional sports may have fallen to corporate corruption to the point that these occurrences are not merely coincidences? There is such a big demand for money in today's struggling economy that the leagues are in danger of bankruptcy if attendance continues to lower. How do they make money? They maximize attendance while keeping costs at a minimum, in order to maximize attendance they need to be able to produce an exciting product that will make the fan a return customer. Everyone likes to see feats of strength, it is human nature and if the rate at which they occur increases there is likely to be a greater profit margin. Both leagues suffered a great deal from their lockouts and could potentially being doing more than their share to bounce back. Big contracts are the result of corporate corruption that in effect lowers the fans enjoyment of the game as opposed to the intended result of increasing it. Fans want to see players that do not need financial compensation for their greatness in the game, money ends up complicating not only the leagues but goes far beyond to the simple passion for the game.

"Keep your life and your pitching real simple and you'll get along" was a quote from Robin Roberts in 1956 and the meaning still rings true today. Pro sports should keep the game and peoples' passions simple and the results will follow.

For What Their Worth...

Darrelle Revis

Sadly, with the way society is headed, there seems to be a serious lack of moral and traditional values in which society used to be defined. This change in society has even managed to breach the lives of professional athletes who now feel that they are larger than life. There used to be a time when an athelete was proud to wear the jersey of a city that he was lucky enough to call home. He felt proud to be a part of a team were they would work together in order to be the best in the game. Professional athletes are role models and live in the hearts of every sports fan. When they lose sight of that and shift their attention to the digits after a dollar sign, they lose more than just their reputation.

When a player is at a point were they are willing to sit out for the season unless they become the highest payed player in their position, than a line has been crossed. New York Jets Cornerback Darrelle Revis managed to cross that line this past off season when he did not take part in team pre-season training. After frequent negotiations the Jets managed to reach an agreement with the star Cornerback, with him seeing a cool 48 million dollars over the next four years. Considering the Jets have a good chance at the Super Bowl this year, one would think he would just want to be a part of that team and get recognition for his play.

The NFL is one thing but when you get to leagues with salary caps it becomes on entirely different issue altogether. A league such as the NHL has teams with salary limits that help balance the league so that team wealth does not factor into the success rate. The New Jersey Devils ran into problems when they tried to sign left winger Ilya Kovalchuk. The plan was to sign Kovalchuk for seventeen years, which would put him at forty-four and see him earning 102 million dollars. After the NHL rejected the contract on the grounds that it circumvented the salary cap. Instead they let him sign for 100 million dollars over fifteen years, which seems to be very similar to the original.

A respectable player is New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, the term respectable is used purely in a hockey sense. Brodeur opted for a smaller contract at the beginning of the 05/06 season in order to leave cap space for other talented players to help improve the roster. The fact that he is the winningest goaltender of all time only helps to boost his reputation, along with a good sense of hockey morals. Brodeur really is the ultimate franchise player in today's game, he is not caught up in making commercials or viral videos but rather focuses on the game and how to help the team. He brings back a real sense of old time hockey that is oddly refreshing from the way athletes conduct themselves today.

The point is that athletes are changing for the worse which is going to go all the way through to the youth of the world. The future for teams does not look bright if players continuously put themselves before the team, in a sense they cannot see the forest for the trees. Kids grow up dreaming of playing professional sports for a team that they love in a game that they love. What type of values are there going to be for these kids if money becomes the biggest issue in an athlete's life? A game really needs heart in order to be played to the highest degree, heart is something tha cannot be bought or sold but rather it lives inside of every true athlete who has the hunger to win and to excel in their chosen sport. Athletes need to turn back to traditional values in order to earn the respect of fans, money simply takes away from the game.

Rising Stars

The National Hockey League is a recycling system for players that sees a new wave of players with each new season, while at the same time creating a range of seasoned veterans. The problem with veterans is that after a period of time they become predictable, whether they be successful or not soon becomes evident. A rookie brings a whole new anticipation to the game that draws the fan in, predictions are made and a new generation is born. Rookies are the only players that remain unpredictable throughout the season as it is often the most unexpected player that rises to the top.

The best rookies in the NHL today are hard to distinguish at this point, with all of the tough competition   that has been emerging. There are five that have managed to separate from the rest of the pack at this point in the season.

The first being Tyler Ennis of the Buffalo Sabres, he has really lived up to the expectations that Sabres fans have had for him. The Alberta native has managed to put up four goals and six assists in seventeen games this season. The Sabres have been struggling this season as they sit fourth from last in the Eastern Conference with only five wins. Ennis is a small forward whose speed and size allows him to maneuver his way to the right areas to score. Standing at only 5'9" and weighing in at 157 lbs, Ennis has made the list by becoming a force to be reckoned with in the NHL.

With a beat up blue line in last years Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens called up P.K. Subban from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. Subban became a crucial part of Montreal's defense to the point that he was able to crack the lineup for the 2010/11 season. Subban has one goal and 6 assists so far this season. What makes him a top rookie does not show up on the game sheet but has the potential to make the difference in the end. Subban has an excellent defensive awareness of what to look for and who to pickup in front of the net. Subban is not afraid to block shots and will lay it on the line for the team. He has established himself as a two-way defenseman with the ability to generate offense without sacrificing his defensive game.

On a youthful team, Jordan Eberle has managed to pull through and continue to be the next face of Canadian hockey. Playing for the struggling Edmonton Oilers, Eberle has managed to contribute nine points in fourteen games despite the lack of a seasoned veteran. Canadians remember him as a clutch player for his late game heroics at the World Junior tournaments in 2008 and 2009. Eberle has managed to exceed expectations so far this season and has earned his spot amongst the top rookies.

With Stanley Cup finalist Michael Leighton on the shelf due to back surgery, the Philadelphia Flyers needed a goalie to begin the new season. Their answer came out of Novokuznetsk, Russia with twenty-two year old Sergei Bobrovsky. With ten wins in just thirteen starts this season there are no questions as to why Bobrovsky is included in the top rookies. Bobrovsky is also backing up his wins with solid numbers that suggests he is pulling his weight on the Flyers. His .932 save percentage speaks for itself as well as a 2.08 GAA. He could very well be on his way down a path to a great career that may see several Stanley Cups and Vezina Trophies.

Finally, the top rookie in the NHL today would have to be Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes. Skinner who was very successful in two season with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers has exploded into the NHL with fifteen points in seventeen games. With a great combination of hands and speed, Skinner really is the ultimate package coming out of the draft.  Surprisingly enough, Skinner went seventh overall  to the struggling Hurricanes who missed last years playoffs. Although early in his career, Skinner is showing signs of becoming a top ten scoring leader at some point in his career.

Professional hockey is a constantly evolving game that brings a lot of surprises as well as a lot of disappointments. These players have proven that they deserve to be in the NHL and hopefully they continue to excel in their positions.

  

 

A Game of Aspects

A game is said to contain various aspects that range in degree of importance and effect that they play on the game. Hockey is very much the same in the sense that the quality of the game depends on the execution of said aspects that ultimately affect the result of the game. In the game of hockey, forwards can be broken down into five distinct categories that are different in definition but similar in the sense that each plays a role on the team.

First of all there are the guys with great hands that are able to make something from nothing by making moves to beat defenders in order to generate an offensive chance, this player is called a dangler. A player like Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk would fall under this category due to the fact that he is small and quick with the puck. Next there are snipers, who have a primary objective to score goals with terrific shots that use a combination of speed and accuracy. San Jose was lucky enough to acquire a sniper in Dany Heatley back in 2009. Then their are the playmakers who are responsible for generating offensive chances by setting up the snipers and danglers for goals, Colorado's Paul Stastny would be considered a playmaker. A smaller role in the NHL would be fighting, a fighter can be found on every team, they are simply payed to change the momentum of the game. Someone like the Rangers Derek Boogaard who stands at 6'7"and weighs in at 265 fits the definition perfectly. Finally there are the guys that are employed to play a physical game that punishes the opponent every time they get the puck, they do produce on the ice but lack the finesse of the snipers and danglers. As made clear in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot is one of the best checkers in the league.

Fortunately for hockey fans the game is by no means this black and white at any given time, their are hybrid players that seem to have the ability to do it all. A player like Pens forward Sidney Crosby is mainly a playmaker meaning he is working to generate offense. Yet some how he ended the 09/10 campaign with 51 goals! He has managed to combine the soft hands of a dangler with the mind and precision of a playmaker. Recently he displayed an aggressive side that has only been seen a mere five times throughout his professional career, Crosby fought Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen in a game last Wednesday night.  Crosby is great offensive presence on the pens and a rather weak fighter, he should stick to producing. Another hybrid player that often gets compared to Crosby is Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin. Although he is widely known for his spectacular moves and rocket shot, he has made a name for himself as a highly physical player. Many see his physical play as a negative aspect in his game that puts him at risk, what is not seen is his drive to win at all costs. These great players should leave the physical play to those who get payed for it, they get paid for point production which is done more efficiently when it has 100% of the focus.

But what happens when players defer away from their roles and take it upon themselves to accomplish the roles of another? The result depends upon the player,  rarely does a fighter become a goal scorer but if this did occur they would receive great recognition. On the opposite side of things, when a point getter becomes a hitter than there is a problem because their is a huge uproar and the player needs to be set straight. Sadly these players often learn their lesson through a suspension that is issued by the NHL which may or may not contain a small fine by Professional pay grade standards. The most recent player to fall prey to disciplinary action was Sharks forward Joe Thornton for his hit on Blues forward David Perron in a game last Thursday night. Thornton seemed to feel that it was a clean hit and was not worthy of a suspension, when asked about it he was surprised that the hit would even receive a two minute penalty.

Buffalo's Jason Pominville being taken off on a stretcher after 

suffering a hit to the head.

The issue of head shots is really starting to become a huge issue in the NHL today as more players are being placed on the injured reserve due to concussions. How does the NHL go about eliminating dangerous hits to the head without removing physicality entirely from the game? Hitting is said to be a very important aspect in the game of hockey, but would the game suffer if hitting was removed? The 2010 Olympics proved that skill makes for a more exciting game than one with hitting. When skill is displayed, the game hits new levels of competitiveness that hitting simply is unable to produce. With more skill in the NHL smaller guys would be able to crack into pro lineups which makes for a more exciting game. Anyone is able to lay a hit but skills are something that are constantly practiced and developed, their would be no need for big players that lack skill. Their would be a larger fan base for the NHL if it put a greater emphasis on talent as opposed to physicality.

"You can't have a hit like that, it's dangerous... I hope the league wakes up and set a precedent for the year" said Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller after he watched teammate Jason Pominville get taken off on a stretcher. If the NHL wants to remove head shots, then they need to eliminate hitting altogether. By eliminating the job market for hitting more skilled players will breakthrough into the NHL making the sport more enjoyable for fans.
 

All The Eggs In One Basket

This of course is common advice adults usually give to children when they receive a good sum of money. Why would said adults advise this if they themselves fail to understand the concept?

The people at Rogers Sportsnet clearly fail to understand this concept, considering they are a professional network, this is a huge let down. They constantly talk about their four channels which represent areas in their broadcast zone. They have Ontario, East West and Pacific which is a great idea because you could televise numerous games at a time. Sadly, they do not do this but instead show the same event on all four channels, even though everyone with Rogers already gets all four channels. For instance if you're a Champions League fan the only game available to you on Wednesday would be Valencia vs Manchester United. This seems very useless to have the same game on four channels instead of having four different games.

Now they have come out with a new channel which they are calling Sportsnet One, which was intended to bring in a wider range of teams in each sport. This of course was an exciting development for the sports fan since it gives them more out of area games. Then shortly after the release date for One it was announced that the channel is only a preview that will last until September 30th. Then the channel will be available for purchase which limits viewing options for the sports fanatic. The only way to view the preview is if you have Rogers, unless you phone up your company and go through a big process. Unfortunately for Inter Milan fans, they will be missing the game against Werder Bremen on Wednesday unless they subscribe to Sportsnet One.

This is a disgrace, the sport should come before the dollar value but sadly in a supply and demand society this just is not a possibility. The love of the game ends up falling through the cracks while the money takes center stage. When players get to the point were they refuse to play unless they get multi million dollar contracts is where the league should draw the line, what about the fan? Do they not matter? Professional sports should make their main goal the enjoyment of fans by televising a wider variety of games to larger groups of people around the world.

And Last But Not Least...

In 1967, Carl Yastrzemski lead all of American League Baseball in home-runs, batting average and runs batted in. This feat is referred to as The Triple Crown and has not been accomplished since Carl performed it with the Boston Red Sox. Baseball has lived without a King for 43 years but a new hero has emerged on the scene and has the potential to snap the Major league drought.

The annual All Star Vote had come and gone but left room for a final vote to allow one more player for both the National and American Leagues. The winner of the last spot on the NL roster was Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto. The virtually unknown Toronto native has seemingly come out of the woodwork so to speak, as he started his career in 2007 with the bottom place Reds. With the help of Votto the Reds have managed to climb atop the National League Central this season.

Votto has put up solid numbers across the board as he is third in the National League in batting average with a solid .321 average, as he trails Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies. His competition is the legendary St Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols who has 35 home-runs, three more than Votto's 32. Votto is also leading the league in runs batted in with an impressive 97 with the dangerous Pujols breathing down his neck at 95. With Votto in control of two of the three legs there is a hope that the next Triple Crown winner will be a Canadian.

Why would such a young talented player be left to the very last of the All-Stars to get into the game? This could be attributed to the fact that the Reds have a small fan base on a national scale to the point that their players would not get the promotion they deserve as stars of the game. Votto may of been the last into the game but certainly proved to be far from the least.

This would of course be a huge accomplishment for Canadian baseball in gaining recognition from the neighboring United States. Votto has a great chance to make history but also to become a Canadian hero by snapping this kingless streak.

Thanks, But We Don't Need You Anymore

Antti Niemi has become a household name in the homes of NHL fans after his strong performance in the latter half of this past season. The Finnish born star helped to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup title in 49 years.

Niemi made his first NHL appearance on October 3rd, 2009 in a 4 - 0 shutout win over the Florida Panthers in Helsinki, Finland. At the beginning of the season Niemi was slated into the backup position with little expectations. Niemi quickly made a name for himself when his play was matching if not exceeding that of starting goalie Cristobal Huet. The two split the starting goaltender role up until the point Huet was forced out of the lineup with the flu. Niemi jumped at the opportunity when he put up a 1.33 goals against average including two shutouts in a span of three games.

From that point on Niemi became the number one goalie in Chicago up until the point they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. After months of celebration serious talks for the new season began and several moves needed to be made. Niemi who was only on a one year deal with the Hawks, was waiting for the arbitrators to decide his future with the club.To the disappointment of many the Hawks passed on the 27 year old Niemi and he became a Free Agent.

Things have taken a positive turn for Niemi as he was picked up by the the San Jose Sharks, on a deal that would see him making two million dollars for the upcoming campaign. This seems like a real slap in the face to Niemi who lead the Hawks through the good and the bad. He resembled a pinball machine the way he kicked pucks out. For Chicago to get rid of him seems like a very poor choice as he is proven, experienced and perhaps most important is the fact that he is young. After what he did for the club this just seems like wrongful dismissal, show some respect to the guy after he earned a championship in his rookie year.

The Sharks are going to be a cup contender for sure with Niemi between the pipes, hopefully he knocks Chicago down a peg after this blatant disregard for talent!

Moving To Moscow

"Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" is a famous Winston Churchill quote that I find still applies today. The Kontinental Hockey League(KHL) is one of the largest growing professional leagues in the world. With players now opting to return to Russia due to a sudden increase in payroll, The National Hockey League(NHL) finds itself in the risk of losing its most competitive players.

The Russians are the most skilled and dynamic players the NHL has ever been able to host and broadcast to the masses. This is not anti Canadian, the Canadians just play the game with more physicality and use teamwork to their advantage. The most recent player to leave was Atlanta Thrashers forward Maxim Afinogenov, who recently signed with SKA St. Petersburg. Afinogenov was not alone as former NHL players Evgeni Nabokov and Denis Grebeshkov also signed with SKA St. Petersburg.

The next probable departure is that of Ilya Kovalchuk who has been offered numerous contracts to play in the NHL and the KHL. Kovalchuk who recently had the NHL reject his contract with the New Jersey Devils that would have had him earning a hundred million over the next seventeen years. The Russians immediately jumped on the opportunity when KHL president Alexander Medvedev  promised to match the NHL's offer if Kovalchuk agreed to sign with SKA this season. As of right now Kovalchuk has yet to make a decision and is awaiting further offers.

How Russian hockey grew so much as to be able to match the NHL's payroll is still a mystery, but the players are feeling they might as well staying in their home country if they are getting the same money. The NHL is going to be losing attention soon if the KHL is able to keep up and match their output, this bodes poorly for North American hockey. Eventually North Americans will not be able to see the Ovechkin's or the Malkin's if the future stars stay in Russia.

On the other hand this could be good for the NHL as it opens up a whole new attempt to get a global audience. A new series could eventually become a reality, NHL all-stars would take on the KHL all-stars in an annual game that could potentially draw a global audience. This stands to generate a great deal of revenue for both leagues while at the same time generating a larger audience.

Still the future could end up bringing televised KHL games to North America, this is a huge risk for the NHL but seems to be inevitable.

Depth In The Dugout

Why would the Jays keep sitting one of their best players? I have always followed the Jays even through their tougher years, but I believe this is their best team in a long time. Fred Lewis is easily one of the best players they have, he is hitting .268 and has thirty doubles this season. Lewis was picked up by the Jays in an off season trade with the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named later.

Lewis who was an instant success in Toronto became the regular left fielder for the blue birds going into a season with great expectations. As the season continued the Jays began to fall in the tough American League East but still remain a reputable ball club. Lewis filled a spot that General Manager Alex Anthopoulos originally had planned for up and coming rookie Travis Snider. When Snider became unavailable due to a wrist injury, Lewis was brought in and eventually took the role of lead off man.

In the past month Snider made his recovery and rejoined the ball club after a quick stint in AAA with Las Vegas. Now that Snider is back their are four outfielders for three positions, Snider does have one of the batter bats on the Jays roster but lacks a defensive presence that ends up costing the team. Last night in Oakland was a prime example of Snider's inability to be a prime defender for the Jays. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh Rajai Davis hits a line drive to Snider who is unable to handle it. The ball bounced away with Snider unable to locate it while Mark Ellis rounds the bases to score from first.

Lewis is consistent both offensively and defensively while delivering clutch performances when called upon. He adds great depth to roster with a desire to win and contribute to the teams performance. If you ask me Lewis should be the only left fielder in Toronto. My solution would be to move Snider to right field, send Jose Bautista into third and trade third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

No Hitter, No Brainer

I awoke this morning to find that the great game of baseball had delivered a shocking disappointment out of the American League. There was yet another pitcher attempting to make history this season by throwing a no-hitter only to see it fall short.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey was on the mound to face the visiting Oakland Athletics at Target Field for the final game of the three game set. Although Slowey got off to a rough start walking two batters in the first three innings, he managed to pull through in order to deliver another solid start for the Twins. Slowey had kept his bid for the no-hitter alive through seven innings when he got Rajai Davis to ground into the inning ending double play. Fans at Target Field were buzzing with anticipation for the first no-hitter at the newly built stadium. Upon arrival to the dugout Slowey receives the congratulatory handshake from manager Ron Gardenhire, at which point he is told that his night has come to an end. The stunned Slowey did not complain or argue but rather accepted his manager's decision with a sense of professionalism.

The Twins faithful went from giving a standing ovation to a resounding boo when Slowey did not return to the hill for the eighth inning. This put reliever Jon Rauch in a rather awkward position entering the game with his home fans so adamant in their boos. Fans briefly turned in his favor when he struck out the first batter he faced. Fans quickly went back to their booing when Oakland's Cliff Pennington doubled to the wall in right-center field. The no-hitter was not meant to be, but still leaves fans with a bad taste in their mouth.

Now personally I feel that this is a travesty, I mean the man is working very hard and has achieved something phenomenal but yet the manager will just tear it away from him? I fully understand that he is the Twins ace and he just recovered from tendinitis in his elbow but still he had a chance at history. The reason given for taking Slowey out of the game was said to be his pitch count. I mean sure one hundred and six pitches is getting up there but not once did he complain about pain in his elbow and he never requested to be taken out of the game. In contrast to the recent no-hitter by Diamondbacks starter Edwin Jackson, he threw one hundred and forty-nine pitches in nine innings.

I'm all for protecting the top players, but if a pitcher is going to make history I say let him pitch!