by Nick Brower | Mar 16, 2018 | SPORTS
The MLB reached out to the Yankees to let them know that Aaron Judge’s recent remarks about Manny Machado were out of bounds. Judge had told reporters that he had a casual conversation with the Orioles superstar and told him that, “he would look good in pinstripes.” The League considers these kind of conversations tampering and quickly corrected the young Judge. Yankees GM Brian Cashman also drove home the message but Judge said that it sank in quick. Judge told reporters today, “It was all new to me. Lesson learned.” Needless to say that Judge won’t be telling reporters who he’s keeping in touch with anymore. Machado would look pretty sweet in pinstripes though. And if people think the Yankee lineup is good now imagine adding another 30+ homers and a gold glover. Machado is set to be a free agent following this season and is sure to have plenty of big offers. I’m sure he’ll end up where he’ll be happy, this Yankee fan just hopes he finds happiness in the Bronx.
by Nick Brower | Mar 16, 2018 | SPORTS
Minor League Baseball has long been seen as a place for experiment for both players and baseball itself. This year, the MiLB has announced major pace of play rule changes in what seems to be a test-run for the Majors. Minor League games will now have mound visit limits similar to what has been adopted in the Majors but they are taking a few more big steps in the Minors. A pitch clock will be installed. Pitchers will have 15 seconds to start their motion between pitches when there is no one on base. This clock will lengthen to 20 seconds while any runners are on base. In addition to the pitch clock, extra innings will now always begin with a runner on second base. The runner will be the hitter directly above the lead-off man for that inning. So if the fourth player in the lineup is due to lead off, the player in the third spot will be the runner. Any substitutions will be treated like a pinch runner and the player will not be eligible to return to the game once he leaves. Baseball cited problems like the roster and bullpen chaos that is brought on by marathon games as well as the incentive to increase pace of play. I am skeptical right now about the extra innings rule. I think that it is too big of a step. Automatically putting a runner in scoring position is a massive change from the current situation and will impact the strategy of games immensely. The purist in me loves the 19 inning classics that end with some left fielder throwing his best fastball. But I am interested to watch this happen in the Minors and see what happens. I’m glad that baseball is using the Minors to test these ideas and if they prove to be successful without compromising the values of the game then I would be welcome to having them in the Majors. But I definitely need a solid trial period first. Let’s see where this goes.
by Nick Brower | Mar 16, 2018 | SPORTS
Floyd “Money” Mayweather told reporters today that he will begin working with Tyron Woodley to make a transition to MMA. Woodley is currently the UFC’s welterweight champion and has hinted at the idea in the past. Floyd, cocky as ever, told people not to doubt his ability to do it, “I can wrestle. My wrestling game is not that bad. On a scale from 1 to 10, it’s probably a 7. And I think we can take it up to a 9 if possible. Of course, my hand game, on a scale of 1 to 10, is 100. My kicking game, on a scale from 1 to 10, is probably a 4.” He even mentioned that he thinks he’ll only need six to eight months of training to prepare for a possible fight. No opponents have been discussed publicly yet. Really Floyd? You’re 41 and have enough money for generations of Mayweather’s to eat. When will it be enough for you? You are arguably one of the best boxers of all time at a perfect 50-0 (plus McGregor). Your paydays have been historically absurd and yet here you are trying something stupid for yet another check. If you really had respect for the sport of MMA and its fighters you wouldn’t try to pick it up in six months at the end of your fighting career. This is something that fighters dedicate their whole life to. Floyd has always been great at selling fights but this is taking it too far for me. Take your boatloads of money and your undefeated record and go home. Don’t try to be something you’re not just to stay relevant. I’m positive that a fight will happen at some point because business men like Mayweather never say anything publicly without calculating it. When that day does come it’s going to be a lot harder to dance around and play defense in the octagon, and I hope whoever you face kicks your ass and knocks you out cold.
by Nick Brower | Mar 16, 2018 | SPORTS
Last night I was able to get to the Barclay’s Center to see the Islanders play the Washington Capitals with my dad. I grew up on Long Island and have always been a loyal fan, too bad they got spanked. The Capitals ended up winning 7-3. The Isles came out hot and scored first early but it didn’t last long. The Caps scored three times after that in the first and never looked back. The Islanders did control the puck well at times but couldn’t finish a lot of their looks where the Caps seemed to cash in on every opportunity. Christopher Gibbons was pulled from net after allowing 5 goals on twelve shots. Well, at least the offense made it an entertaining game. It was also my first time being in Barclay’s. I’m definitely not a fan. It’s just so different from the Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders old home on Long Island. The Coliseum was old and out-dated but it was affordable, easy to get to, and a great environment. Barclay’s is a hike and a half to get to from the Island and its overpriced. I was able to get good seats (I took the cover photo from my seat during the second period), but there are a few sections that have obstructed views during hockey games. Barclay’s is beautifully modern but you can tell it was designed as a concert venue, not as a hockey arena. The experience only made me even more excited for the plans being laid for a stadium at the Belmont Racetrack. There is more than enough space out there and the Islanders need to come home from Brooklyn and back to their fan base. Capitals fans were drowning out the home crowd with their own cheers. That would never happen at the Coliseum. Being in Brooklyn is a disservice to both the fans and the team. The Islanders belong on Long Island and I can’t wait for it to be that way again.
by Nick Brower | Mar 16, 2018 | MUSIC, SPORTS
I’m sure you know by now that March Madness has begun and I bet you filled out at least one bracket. But a friend of mine sent me a tweet the other day with a different bracket that quickly blew up. A Kanye Bracket. Carrington Harrison, a sports radio host, gathered a group of friends and fellow Kanye West fans and created a fully seeded, 64 song tournament of what they decided were the best ‘Ye songs of all time and I couldn’t help but take a break from sports and fill one out. The bracket was divided into four sections, “Donda,” “North West,” “Chicago,” and “Saint”. The seedings alone are enough for debate but I played along and pushed through some brutal early matchups (“All Falls Down” v. “Addiction” and “Power v. “Father Stretch My Hands PT. 1” in the first round to name a few). I made all my picks based on my own personal taste with some weight being put on the songs’ mass popularity. I debated over each song like my life depended on it, listening to them as I went. I’ve always been a huge Kanye fan with an admitted sweet spot for his older stuff but my favorite thing about his music is that every album has a different sound and purpose. He always pushes the genre in new directions, taking stuff that no one is doing and making it dope. And that only makes it harder to stack his hits up next to each other. I finally settled on a Final Four of “Flashing Lights” against “All Of The Lights” and “Say You Will” facing “Gorgeous”. Definitely the toughest choices of all. I have “Flashing Lights” beating “All Of The Lights” and then beating “Gorgeous” as well to win the whole thing. Although honestly I would have picked “All Of The Lights” over “Gorgeous” if the seeding had shook out differently. “Flashing Lights” was a lock to win from the beginning, that has been and always will be my favorite Kanye track. Regardless it was a lot of fun and definitely worth wasting most of my afternoon. So if you’re a big Kanye fan like myself or if you just have nothing to do tonight fill out a bracket. You can click the original tweet below to see the bracket and see where yours stacks up against others submitted earlier. Enjoy, and in Yeezus’ name, amen.
by Nick Brower | Mar 13, 2018 | SPORTS
The Mets announced today that David Wright won’t be participating in baseball activities for another two months. The struggles just won’t seem to end for the Mets captain. Wright has only played in 75 games in the last three seasons. The laundry list on injuries includes hamstring issues, shoulder problems, and most recently spinal stenosis. The most recent setback seems to be concerning both his shoulder and back. Wright is still guaranteed $47 million over the next three years. The Mets recently signed Todd Fraizer as a backup plan and it looks like that will pay off. I’ve been waiting just under three years to see David Wright play again and another setback asks the question if he ever will again. His injury struggles have been a sad story. Once one of the best third basemen in the game, now it’s only a question of what could have been. The only positive part of this story is the Mets loyalty. They have been by Wright’s side through all of this and have not once rushed him or pressured him to get back on the field. The captain is still beloved by Mets’ faithful and everyone around the league hopes to see Wright on the field again.
