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Before we dive back into another night of war with the playoffs, hop on my sports carousel to catch up on some of the other noise and action across the sports universe. A merry-go-round of headlines across MLB, NBA, NHL, and the UFC. No admission needed. Buckle up; and enjoy the ride.
Friday bringing in that fever, baby! The NBA crowned it's 2024 MVP. Toronto is puttin' out their dumpster fire after a disgusting playoff exit. J-Brun wants respect and immortality. UFC is ready to unleash summer blues. Oh, and those dirty Pirates just called up the top pitching prospect to the big leagues. We have some action, no doubt! Cut the intro; lets get down to the nitty gritty, cha heard! There is no proper flow on this carousel ride. Bright lights and a full blitz of sports banter. Start 'er up.
MVP --> MV3. Nikola Jokić is now just the 9th hooper of all-time to win three or more NBA MVPs, becoming just the second player in the 21st-century to win three. LeBron James being the other. Joker is superior. Hands down the right choice in what was a very solid race with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander havin' a strong case on the wing. Jokić now joins some ultra-elite company as a three time winner. Highest echelon of elite:
Joker is the 5th center to accomplish the feat, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell. Jokić has his name etched in history for three of the last four MVPs. Three MVPs in four seasons... believe it or not, Moses Malone and MJ... yes, MJ, are the only two of the nine that did not win their three MVPs in a four-year span. It's been a historic run for Jokić and he's not done yet.
Gilgeous-Alexander was my pick from about December; to March, prior to me sliding it over to Joker. Thunder and Nuggets splitting the best record in the West took that factor out of the equation. It all comes down to value. It was a close race; super close. The official ballot finish is exactly how I had my ladder: Jokić; Gilgeous-Alexander; Dončić third, and Giannis fourth. They had it right; it marked the third consecutive season that players born outside of the U.S. finished 1-2-3 in the MVP voting. With Giannis placing fourth, it's the first time ever in the 69-year history of the award that international players finished 1-2-3-4 in the MVP voting.
SGA's defensive numbers forced a strong ponder- I think Joker is the rightful winner at the end of the day. His season was stellar; his case had the firmest definition on value. Bottom line. Winning the advanced stats is what forced me to write his name on my slip. Here are the categories that Jokić led the league in:
Hard to deny that. There is no denying him on the court. MVP. Best in the world. Joker makes basketball look way too easy; now he makes his showcase look more boujee. Next year, he will have his eyes on that number four to narrow his company down some more. I won't bet against it; he seems to only be getting better as he nears 29. Straight up freak of a basketball player. We are witnessing history. All hail.
The cat being hailed as the best pitching talent in a generation has gotten the call to the big leagues. Pirates have called-up the top pitching prospect in baseball, Paul Skenes. The 21-year-old flamethrower will join Pitt after thrashing Triple-A, allowing just three earned runs in 27 and a third innings while striking out 45 batters. Pirates are ready to cash in on their investment.
After a remarkable college season, Pittsburgh drafted the former LSU Tiger with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, then signed the cat for a whomping $9.2M- the largest bonus for an amateur in baseball history. Pittsburgh was adamant on planning a workload for Skenes after his strong usage during his junior year campaign in Death Valley. The wait is now over; they want to reap the award. It's time to see what this dude has at the highest level of the sport.
We are well aware on the teaser. Skenes throws GAS. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, we have ourselves a spittin' prototype of the Big Unit Randy Johnson. Hide your birds. Skenes is set to duo up with Jared Jones, now giving the Pirates the top rookie arm duo as well as a top rotation in the NL Central. They needed to pull the trigger on this call-up. Skenes looks ready to go and the team could use a big boost. Pirates had an incredible start to the season, just to ride the rails. Ya know... like last season. The bats and offense has been rough; they will have to continue to rely on the pitching to get them over the hump. Insert Paul Skenes. What a duo of Jones & Skenes. I mean come on; the fans gotta be excited. Rather Pirates fans, or baseball fans, everyone should be excited to witness this at the highest level:
video via MLB//X
That didn't last long. Maple Leafs have relieved Sheldon Keefe of his duties as head coach after four-and-half seasons behind the bench for the blue & white. I called for his place in the hot seat a few days ago; here he is getting the can. It's the right move. You need change after that horrendous playoff exit. There is losing a series, then there is how the Maple Leafs just lost a series. Pure yuck.
Keefe finishes his tenure with a 16-21 playoff record with just one playoff series dub. Three great regular seasons wasted. Only way to look at it. I know that's how Maple Leafs fans look at it. If you can't win in the playoffs; it's time to find someone who can. Toronto front O has been quit lax by giving 4-5 seasons for coaches to try and win in the playoffs. Both Babcock and Keefe got the can after a fourth unsuccessful playoff appearance. This team is built off rich history; the fans are desperate for a playoff run. It's been 23 years since Toronto reached the Conference Finals. 23 years. Time to find a coach that can bring you back.
Keefe wasn't the man for the job. Shoutout to him for posting an exit video shortly after his firing. Class-act. Took responsibility on top of it. It was a great video; you can check it out on his X or social pages. Before the firing, Keefe was the 5th-longest tenured coach in the NHL. There is now only four active coaches who have been employed in their role since before 2020. Only four. Crazy flip of coaches in recent years. I'd be shocked if we don't see Keefe behind another bench in the NHL in the future.
The 2024 MLB off-season was headlined by international stars making the jump over. Many had pitcher Shōta Imanaga as the third or fourth best international talent posted to sign with Yoshinobu Yamamoto considered the prized sweepstake. The grandest prize. A prize which was bought by the Dodgers for roughly $325M. Through the first month of the season, it's playing out as if we were wrong on just who was the grandest prize from the international pipeline.
Imanaga has been one of the biggest surprises thus far on the diamond. Not that we thought he was going to be bad or wouldn't perform well in the MLB, but that he is noticeably outperforming Yamamato on the hill as well as every other pitcher in baseball (for the most part). The cat is straight slingin' the seams. Imanaga is 5-0 with 5 quality starts (third most overall), a 1.08 ERA (1st in the league), and has the 2nd-best WAR among pitchers. Imanaga also ranks 5th in WHIP and 3rd in Bases on Balls per 9 IP. He has been an animal for the Cubs to start his big league career. A big deal for Chicago, who has been without their ace Justin Steele (IL) since the opening series of the campaign. Imanaga has stepped up and then some to lead the rotation.
I had a good feeling that Imanaga was going to be solid in the big leagues, but I didn't expect him to be this strong, this early on. I also didn't expect him to be far better than Yamamoto early on. Yamamoto has been awful; he is actually settling in quite well, but he isn't no Imanaga. Not as of now. Chicago is thrilled. Cubs are payin' $53Ms for Shōta, while the Dodgers are payin' $325M for Yoshinobu. So far, it's been Chicago with the steal of the 2024 free agency.
Spring and Summer blues are about to tune up the Octagon. The upcoming UFC Fight Nights, starting this Saturday, have some hidden gems that is sure to bring the noise. We have two solid main-events coming up in May before the decent 1-2 punch set for 302. Both of those main-events top off solid Fight Night cards. Time to turn up the noise meter. Here are some of the notable fights we have on the May schedj:
We have only three ranked vs ranked matchups in the next two events, but there is some solid names fighting: Adrian Yanez, Terrance McKinney, Alex Caceres, and of course Derrick Lewis, who headlines the St. Louis card this Saturday against Rodrigo Nascimento. These type of events are the events that like to pop off for no reason. I am sure we will see at least one KO or FOTY nominee coming in the coming days. I can sense it. Besides the point, who doesn't love a Derrick Lewis Fight Night? Good noise awaits. Then the gear turns. UFC 302 looks decent, but far better than a normal Fight Night. Islam defends his title against the Diamond. Strickland goes to war with Costa. It also looks like more is to be scheduled; not a terrible card. Noise is noise.
So far the June slate is lookin' to deliver 302, Chandler versus McGregor headlining 303, and Chimaev versus Whittaker in Saudi Arabia. Plus a Fight Night main-event still to be determined. Strong case of extreme noise is in the forecast ladies and gentlemen. Get ready. We are nearing the hottest time of the year both in weather and inside the Octagon. Put it in my veins!
We have ourselves another rebrand in the works in Chel with the move to Utah in full swing. Sorry not sorry, but I am pumped to see the Coyotes brand go away. I do feel for the city of Phoenix (and rest of Arizona)- they weren't an awful hockey town. Sucks the owner dropped the ball. The nickname, colors, and overall brand was terrible though. Coyotes is an awful nickname for a hockey team, and their most recent logo was the final straw. Glad to see it be scrapped... for now.
Now, it's off to Salt Lake City, which creates a new rebrand. The last two expansions have branded beautifully. Golden Knights. Kraken. Love those brands, especially the Kraken. Home freakin' run. The Thrashers scrappin' and relocating to Winnipeg to be the Jets was a meh move, but I do like the current Jets brand. Blue Jackets kind of suck; Wild is pretty solid. Hopefully Utah/Salt Lake trumps both Columbus and Minnesota's brands. Topping the Kraken is tough, but with the 20-name selections dropped for a fan vote (also filed for trademark), there is a good chance they can hit the same level of awesomeness if the right choice is made. Here are the name ideas up for selection:
A few of those are just flat out nasty off the tongue. Not sure what the hell "HC" is. Powder? Black Diamonds looks to be a pro pickle ball team name... a few strange ideas, no doubt. A few pretty great ones too. I think Yeti is a homerun. That's probably going to be my vote, forsho. You can do a lot with that, plus gettin' the right sponsor will be easy. I actually kind of like Blizzard. Freeze sounds a tad corny; Fury isn't awful. Some solid choices. Yeti, Swarm, Venom, and Outlaws are my favorites. Just don't do Caribou; the Bucks (NBA) is enough. Don't do Mountaineers, Squall (wind), Powder (again ??), or Blast... this is hockey come on. Make it electric. Make it exciting. Make it not lame. Simple enough.
Jalen Brunson is playin' like a Yeti on the hardwood; the cat looks mystical as he is puttin' the city of New York on his back in the playoffs. Knicks are off to a 2-0 lead over the Pacers in the Second-Round behind Brunson's leadership, intensity, and scoring. J-Brun has been electric; so has Madison Square Garden in awe of his heroics.
Brunson ended the series against Philly as just the 7th player in NBA history with 3 consecutive 40+ point playoff games joining West, Abdul-Jabbar, King, Jordan, Iverson, and Jamal Murray. He then exploded in the opening game of the Pacers series to become the 4th player to score 40+ in four consecutive playoff games... West, Jordan, and Bernard King being the other three. Good thing too, New York needed every single aspect of his production to beat a GAME Indiana team. Although his 40-point streak ended in GM-2, it was his performance in GM-2 that earns the most recognition.
Brunson left the floor in the second and went AWOL as we all awaited the reason for his departure; that reason later being reported as a sore right foot. He then returns in the second half in ferocious fashion. Slashing on every other drive getting bucket after bucket. Mid-range. Floater. Hard-drive plus the foul. Step-back three. Brunson was hitting from all over, doing so with aggression and tenacity. Each basket forcing MSG into an uproar. He was the best player on the floor and refused to go out a loser. His teammates then matched his energy. That's why he is such a special player. The skill is obvious. The cat couldn't miss in the clutch, but it's how he elevates his team and the crowd that really alters games. Brunson is a pure game-breaker and is playing at the highest level of his career right now. It's a pleasure to watch in live time. He isn't done adding magic to this playoff run that is brewing in New York.
The hype for the Bruins-Panthers series was massive after how the Panthers ended the Bruins season in last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the first couple games, which has things squared at one a piece, I sit here questioning if the series is living up to the hype that we had going into it. The aggression and intensity is right on par, but seeing two blowouts isn't what the doctor ordered. It's not what the menu read, cha heard.
Through two games, we have seen 227 combined hits, and 32 combined penalties. It's been utter war; an utter bloodbath. Pure hatred in the midst of a quest. Now that lives up to the hype, no doubt, but we need the games to be close on the scoreboard. Bottom line. That's more important. The winner is outscoring the loser 11 to 2. Not a good watch. We love watching two of the games biggest stars drop gloves:
video via Sportsnet//X
We just hate blowouts. Giving us a little bit of both would be grand (with the blowouts now out of the way). 227 combined hits is wild, though. Each team had over 60 in GM-2. That's Chel numbers with some sliders adjusted. Just crazy physicality; gotta love it. That's the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here is gritty Brad Marchand layin' some major league wood on Tkachuk:
video via B/R Open Ice//X
I am excited to see how the rest of this series plays out. These two teams hate each other. It's a beautiful recipe for major noise. I just hope things can get closer on the scoreboard. I guess I will even be fine with them giving us a little less physicality for a little more competitiveness. Whatever it takes. Game three headlines another jam-packed weekend of sports. I hope you enjoyed your ride on the carousel; now lets go enjoy some more playoff noise.
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