Author: Rich Sports Talk

New Flight Plan: Sanchez cut by the Jets

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Will a change of scenery help Sanchez rebound?

Will a change of scenery help Sanchez rebound?

Jets fan rejoice! Mr. Butt fumble has gotten a one way ticket out of Metlife stadium as the Jets cut the incumbent Mark Sanchez.  With the signing of Michael Vick, it was just the final nail in a bizarre career for the former USC Trojan. A career filled with highlights that include: two AFC Championship appearances, eating hot dogs on the sideline, GQ covers, hair bands, and of course butt fumbles. Despite his achievements, Jets fans will only remember the quarterbacks colossal failures and futility under center.

Did the Jets really give Sanchez a fair chance? Of course not. They never effectively developed him and put the pieces around him to be successful. While much of the blame still resides on Sanchez, he is not the only one to blame. Whether it was the lack of playmakers on offense, a effective offensive coordinator, or the Tim Tebow debacle. Either way, it is clear that the Jets hope to develop Geno Smith into the team’s first franchise quarterback since Joe Namath with Michael Vick as an insurance policy.

Will Sanchez succeed in the NFL? Only time will tell

Will Sanchez succeed in the NFL? Only time will tell

Despite his lackluster career a change of scenery could be just the thing for Sanchez. Should he be a starter right away? Absolutely not. However, if he goes to a team and competes for a starting job, he could win a starting job. If that doesn’t work, he could be a solid backup and get the chance to start down the road. It won’t be easy, but Sanchez still could succeed in the NFL. It just won’t be for Gang Green in the Big Apple. What do you think will happen to the Sanchise? Comment below

What Could Have Been? Michael Jordan’s Baseball Career

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What would have happened to the sports world if MJ had succeeded?

What would have happened to the sports world if MJ had succeeded?

It’s been twenty years since Michael Jordan shocked the sports world by announcing his retirement from basketball in order to pursue a career in baseball. People were shocked and outraged, but most of all confused. Why would the greatest player in the NBA hang up his sneakers after winning his third championship in a row? We all know what happened next. Jordan rode the bus in the minors with the Chicago White Sox Double A affiliate Barons for one season before returning to the hard wood. After his return to the game, Jordan won three more titles and cemented his legacy as the greatest basketball player of all time. However, one can only wonder what would have happened if Jordan continued playing baseball? What impact would that have had on the sports world?

Many people look at Jordan’s baseball career as a failure but was it really? Despite lackluster stats in his first season, his manager Terry Francona has said that Jordan showed steady improvement throughout the season and raised his batting average by fifty points in the Arizona Fall League. Had there not been a baseball strike at the end of the season

Despite early struggles, had Jordan continued playing he could have maybe made it

Despite early struggles, had Jordan continued playing he could have maybe made it

there was a good chance Jordan would have continued his baseball career. While it is unlikely he would have been the star player he was in the NBA in baseball, with his world-class athleticism and work ethic Jordan could have developed into a solid major league starter. Had he made it to the show, Jordan would have been one of only a few athletes who successfully played two professional sports. His popularity could have helped baseball’s popularity because people wanted to see Jordan. While he might not have been the missing piece to a world series, Jordan’s impact on the game could have been huge in regards to the exposure and attention he would bring to a franchise. If Jordan had continued his baseball career what would have happened to his basketball legacy?

What would the NBA be today if Michael Jordan was successful at baseball? The murder of his father in 1993 played a major role in Jordan’s decision because his father always wanted Michael to be a professional baseball player. Would Jordan’s legacy be remembered as fondly as it is today?

Think about it. Without Jordan the Bulls probably don’t win three more championships, Phil Jackson doesn’t become one of the greatest coaches in league history, and Jordan doesn’t add more stats or moments to his resume. No more game winners, no flu game, not another three peat. Lebron James is viewed as a traitor would walked out of Cleveland. Can you imagine if Jordan never came back? All of those NBA fans would have viewed him as a traitor to the game. Chicago fans surely wouldn’t remember him as fondly, that’s fore sure. The Bulls and Jordan built the NBA’s future in the 90s by making the sport more popular and making basketball one of the most popular sports in the world. Would the NBA be what it is today if Michael Jordan never came back?

Thankfully Jordan would return to NBA and cement the sport’s popularity. But it is hard to fathom a world without Jordan holding a basketball. We will never truly know the ramifications if Jordan had continued to play baseball. The repercussions across the sports world have dramatically changed the landscape of professional sports in America had Jordan been successful in his baseball career. Who knows? For all we know Jordan could have built up baseball or maybe decided to play both at the same time. Either way, its hard to imagine a world where Michael Jordan played baseball. All we can do now is ask ourselves what could have been if Air Jordan became Jordan in the outfield instead.

 

Call to Arms! Why Rafael Montero should be Mets fifth starter

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Montero should be in the Mets rotation

Montero should be in the Mets rotation

The New York Mets already have their fifth starter, an his name is not Noah Syndergaard. As much as my fellow Mets fans would like to see Syndergaard at Citi Field in April, he will not be there until at least june. It will be the same song and dance that Harvey and Wheeler went through where the Mets will have him pitch in the minors, get ready, and ultimately come up by midseason. However, the Mets do have a young arm that is ready to make an impact in the rotation by April, Rafael Montero.

Enough with the competition! If Daisuke Matsuzaka or John Lannan are the fifth starter by opening day the Mets are making a huge mistake. They are both done. Instead, the Metropolitans should develop one of their top prospects who has been great this spring. While some may argue the Jenrry Mejia is a better option, and while I really like Mejia, he is coming off a major injury last year and its better if the Mets just take it slow. Mejia needs to build up his arm again and making a few Triple A starts to regain his confidence and stamina would be ideal before heading north with the big club.

As for Montero, he is ready. While he may not have the top of the line stuff compared to Syndergaard, Montero has the potential to be a great middle of the rotation starter. While his fastball sits in the low 90s, it has very good life and he locates it very well. His off speed arsenal is above average and he can mix and locate all of his pitches extremely well. However, the reason I really love Montero as a player is that he just has a good feel for pitching.

He may not be an ace, but Montero reminds me of Pedro Martinez

He may not be an ace, but Montero reminds me of Pedro Martinez

Watching Montero in the Futures game at Citi Field game last year, he reminded me of another pitcher the Mets once had, Pedro Martinez. When he was a Met, Martinez did not have the overpowering fastball he once did, but was effective because of location and mixing his pitching well. With his small frame and ability to mix, Montero reminds me of Pedro Martinez later in his career. He might not blow it by hitters, but he can fool batters by keeping them off-balance by mixing his pitches in all counts.

With his impressive spring so far, the Mets should look at Montero’s 2013 campaign and realize he is ready for the majors. In 2013 between Double A and Triple A Montero had a 12-7 record, 1.10 WHIP, 2.78 ERA, and 150 strikeouts in 27 games. He might not be the top of rotation prospect the Mets have grown accustomed to in the past three seasons, but Montero is a work horse that would solidify the back end of the rotation. If he continues to pitch well in Port St. Lucie, there is no reason why Rafael Montero shouldn’t be in Queens coming opening day.

Who do you think should be the Mets fifth starter? Take our poll 

That got out of hand fast!

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Right you are Mr. Burgundy

Right you are Mr. Burgundy

If you love hockey fights, you gotta check this one out! During last nights matchup between the Capitals and Flyers, things got heated fast after some chippy play from both teams. Click Here to see the whole fight in all of it’s hockey glory. If it wasn’t apparent already, just check out this video just to see how much the Flyers and Capitals hate each other. Fast forward to the 55 second mark if you want to skip how the fight started. Gotta love hockey, the mix of skill and brawn that no other professional sport can match. simmonds-holds-erskine

Head Scratcher: Panthers Trade for Roberto Luongo

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1813444One of the biggest deals from the 2014 NHL trade deadline was the reunion on South Beach. No, it’s not Lebron James but Roberto Luongo, who will return to his former team, the Florida Panthers. While many Panthers fans may be excited about this reunion the real question is why? Why did the team make a deal that makes no sense? Sure Luongo is still an above average net minder, but it’s the least of the Panthers worries. The Florida is the second worst team in the Eastern Conference and well out of the playoff race. So why go after Luongo? It’s not like this team is in the playoff race and is a goaltender away from competing. Also given his recent decline, why not go after a younger net minder rather than a goaltender who could be on the back nine of his career? If anything this team should have moved another goaltender.

Tim+Thomas+New+York+Rangers+v+Florida+Panthers+qkWBYku4zGmlOne of the few bright spots for Florida this season has been the play of Tim Thomas. With the team well out of playoff contention, the Panthers should have instead traded Thomas to a contender. Then they could have gotten some younger pieces while developing some of their younger goalies to see if they had anything. While goaltending is the most important position in hockey, the Panthers situation has gone from bad to worse. Now they have two declining goaltenders who want to start on a team that is going nowhere. Instead of reloading the bare cabinet, Florida has instead taken another step back from contention. Who knows? Maybe Luongo could regain his top-notch form in Florida and the Panthers could compete next year. However, with a great trade chip in Thomas, the Panthers failed to improve their depleted roster with the young talent to help turn the team around in the future.