Author Archive
New Orleans Saints vs. Cincinatti Bengals: Just Play It Already
Posted: 22nd November 2009 by Joe Mikolai in NFL
In what has been blatantly obvious for weeks now, given the Bengals perfect 5-0 divisional record start, coupled with the Saints undefeated record, can we just skip ahead to what will likely be a very thrilling Super Bowl of firsts for these downtrodden franchises?
Sure, its chic to be a Saints fan now. But not too long agoù(1999 3-13) ùfinishing fifth in the NFC West was common place for them. Trotting ...
Friday’s Trade of JJ Hardy Leaves Milwaukee Brewers With Cash To Spend
Posted: 8th November 2009 by Joe Mikolai in MLB
Friday's interesting Milwaukee-Minnesota Midwest regional trade was nice to see. Not only were old divisional rivals coming together for a rare trade that benefits both teams, but it leaves the Brewers with some interesting options.
First, by swapping Hardy for Gomez, the Brewers saved approximately $4.2 million in 2010 salary as Gomez makes roughly $400,000 to Hardy's slated $4.6 million. Next, they picked up an extra year of service time for ...
Pedro Martinez and Cole Hamels Can Still Make This a Memorable World Series
Posted: 4th November 2009 by Joe Mikolai in MLB
I admit it.
I didn't expect anything from Pedro in game two which saw him go 6+ innings and give up a few runs, two of which came via the home run to Traitor Tex and Hideki Matsui respectively.
Let me rephrase that. I expected one thing out of PedroùI expected him to get rocked by the experienced Yankee$ lineup. Something along the lines of 10+ runs in three innings wouldn't have ...
NHL Desperately Needs Another Canadian Superstar to Carry League
Posted: 28th October 2009 by Joe Mikolai in NHL
No, Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin has not obtained dual citizenship. And no, he doesn't even play in a traditional, or even Canadian market for that matter. But as one of the few faces of the post-lockout NHL, he is perhaps the biggest and brightest star on which to build the next great dynasty.
When "The Great One," Wayne Gretzky, began his career in the NHL in 1979, the storyline was ...
Clueless Wa$hington Red$kins Continue Annual Failure To No Ones Surprise
Posted: 26th October 2009 by Joe Mikolai in NFL
So the Washington Redskins, in the midst of yet another annual downfall filled with a hundred million dollars of disappointments, finally switched their offensive coordinator after last week's latest loss to a winless team.
Wow. Like that will make a difference. This is the same franchise that thought it would be wise to give offensive coordinator and aspiring head coach, Al Saunders a whopping $2 million salary that was on par ...
Nordiques, Jets, Whalers, Oh My: Could the NHL Revive Historic Teams?
Posted: 19th October 2009 by Joe Mikolai in NHL
That Was Then
In 1995, Canada had a national population of just over 29 million people. To put it in perspective, that would place them in between California and Texas for total population.
Why is this significant? Because 1995 was the last time Canada was at full strength with eight, count 'em eight, NHL teams. In case you forgot what that looked like, I've provided a link of the final standings here.
In ...
When It Comes to Playing the Yankees, These Twins Are Just Plain Scared
Posted: 13th October 2009 by Joe Mikolai in MLB
I like Joe Nathan. I really do.
In fact, next to Michael Cuddyer, he's probably my favorite member of the Minnesota Twins.
However, he's part of the problem when it comes to having any sort of success in big games, particularly in the playoffs.
Now I know, 10th inning aside in the one-game playoff, which saw Nathan get out of a no-outs first and third situation, he's essentially a member of the "I'm ...
Analyzing The Plight Of Spoiled Yankee$ and Their Fan$
Posted: 9th October 2009 by Joe Mikolai in MLB
Lets try and analyze the Yankee$ $ucce$$ logically from the viewpoint of the Minnesota Twins and the truly uphill battle they face each year. They began the 2009 season with a $65 million dollar payroll good for 24th in the league.
The Yankees, however, are always tops with this year being no exception at $201,449,289 $7,748,050
Let's consider how the Yankee$ may have fared had they been forced to deal with the ...
Dome-It: Will Leyland Regret Not Clinching the Division Yesterday?
Posted: 2nd October 2009 by Joe Mikolai in MLB
The Twins magic number to clinch the American League Central is 6.
As of yesterday, after their elimination-staving victory in the Motor City, they had a 4 percent chance of making the playoffs per ESPN. That number now stands at 8.2 percent.
Leyland has to know that by not taking care of business, he perhaps opened up pandora's box in the Horrors of the Metrodome to play an x-factor this weekend.
The last ...
Minnesota Twins’ Future Looks Good No Matter What Happens
Posted: 1st October 2009 by Joe Mikolai in MLB
No matter what happens tomorrow and the rest of the season, Minnesota Twins fans can rest assured that things are in good shape for next season.á Unlike seasons past, this Twins team is actually built for success in the postseason...if they can just manage to get there.
That's what makes this latest postseason chase so disappointing: I like this team as is, right now.á When I called for Twins GM Bill ...