SABRES REJECT EDMONTON OFFER OF McDAVID FOR EICHEL
Got your attention, right?
That is an imaginary headline inspired by the Buffalo Sabres 5-0 romp over the host Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night.
Jack Eichel had 1 goal and 3 assists in the victory after scoring the game-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime win at the Calgary Flames Monday night.
It is Buffalo’s second two-game winning streak of the season. The other was in October.
Entering the 2015 draft, Buffalo tanked in a futile effort to improve its chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick and selecting Canadian junior hockey sensation Connor McDavid – billed by some as the second coming of Wayne Gretzky.
The luck of the draw gave Edmonton the No. 1 pick and the Oilers selected McDavid. Buffalo had “to settle” for Eichel, the hot-shot American college star.
Here are their scoring lines so far this season:
McDavid – 48 games; 15 goals + 38 assists for 53 points (11th in the NHL); including 3G and 8A on the power play.
Eichel – 48 games; 20 goals + 29 assists for 49 points (t17th in the NHL), including 2 goals and 10 assists on the power play.
McDavid probably has a stronger supporting cast than Eichel. The Oilers are 21-24-3 and the Sabres are 13-26-9.
They’re both 21. Eichel is 2 ½ months older. They’re already very wealthy and should be among the NHL’s superstars for a long time. McDavid is shiftier and niftier. Eichel might be the faster skater and have the harder shot.
I’m not saying Eichel is as good as McDavid now – or ever will be. I am saying that Eichel is a terrific player and will be more than Buffalo’s token representative in the 63rd NHL All-Star Game January 28 in Tampa.
Maybe “settling” for Eichel as the No. 2 pick in 2015 wasn’t such a lousy break for Buffalo after all.
AN AMAZING IMAGE CHANGE FOR ALEX RODRIGUEZ
Nominating A-Rod for Sports Comeback of the Year.
ESPN on Tuesday announced that Alex Rodriguez will join the broadcasting team for the 29th season of the prestigious Sunday Night Baseball.
Good for him. He is an excellent baseball analyst and has done a wonderful job remolding his image after a series of pratfalls as an active player.
He was one of the most-gifted players in the history of baseball. He would’ve been a cinch first-ballot Hall of Famer had he not chosen to use performance-enhancing drugs and then lie about it.
He embarrassed his fans, his teams and his sport.
A-Rod hasn’t made many mistakes since he retired as a player. No embarrassing incidents. A highly-respected batting instructor for the Yankees. No drugs – we assume. Impressive work on assorted baseball TV shows. A proud dad of two daughters he treasures. His romance with Jennifer Lopez hasn’t hurt.
I’m hopeful that A-Rod’s return to prominence as a former star player will eventually lead to his election to baseball’s Hall of Fame – along with Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, even Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa and eventually David Ortiz.
My suggestion remains – elect the superstars with the tainted career numbers to the Hall of Fame with notations on their plaques that they were PED users. They’d get their tickets to the Hall of Fame – and the shame – they deserve.
COULD TOM BRADY POSSIBLY BE UNDERRATED?
I continue to be amazed that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been selected Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year only once (in 2007).
I’m a huge fan of Houston Astros star second baseman and sparkplug Joe Altuve. But I don’t think he deserved to be the AP 2017 Male Athlete of the Year. Brady should’ve won.
The voting – by newspaper sports editors and news editors – was fairly close: Altuve 715 voting points, Brady 646, LeBron James 626.
What more could Brady have done in 2017? He was MVP of Super Bowl 51, leading the Patriots to an incredible come-from-behind 34-28 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He’s the favorite be named MVP for the 2017 regular season.
He has led New England into Super Bowl 52 February 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Perhaps victories and MVP awards in two consecutive Super Bowls plus 2017 NFL MVP would be good enough to earn him AP 2018 Male Athlete of the Year.
Worth noting: NFL players suffer in the AP Male Athlete of the Year voting because the Super Bowl is in in early February. Out of sight, out of mind.
The NFL is by far the most popular league in American sports, but only five NFL players have been voted AP Male Athlete of the Year: George Blanda 1970, O.J. Simpson 1973, Tom Brady 2007, Drew Brees 2010 and Aaron Rodgers 2011. No Peyton Manning or Brett Favre.
The list of AP Male Athlete of the Year winners includes eight college football players (but none since 1955) and PED users Lance Armstrong (four-time winner; 2002-03-04-05), Ben Johnson, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds.
The first AP Male Athlete of the Year was St. Louis Cardinals rookie outfielder Pepper Martin in 1931. He hit .500 (12-for-24) in the seven-game World Series victory over Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics. The year before, he was a star with the great 1930 Rochester Red Wings: .363 batting average (175-for-482); 33 doubles, 18 triples, 20 HRs in 135 games.
TURF TALK HEATING UP AT FINGER LAKES RACE TRACK
Count me among those who wonder why there wasn’t a grass (turf) course and lights for night racing – just in case -- when Finger Lakes Race Track opened in 1962. The more ways to deliver your product to the public the better. Have the facilities to try different things.
Believe it or not, the possibility of installing a turf course at Finger Lakes was noted in Governor Cuomo’s 2018 New York state budget. Better late – maybe too late -- than never?
The project reportedly would cost around $4 million and $200,000 annually to maintain. Where the money would come from is unclear.
Why a turf course and why now? The theory is that a course for racing on grass would attract many more Grade B (and Grade C, D and E?) horses to Finger Lakes from NYRA (Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga) and tracks in Ohio.
Without a turf course at Finger Lakes, owners and trainers now ship their lower-grade racing stock to out-of-state tracks with turf courses.
The larger fields would be attractive to horse bettors and increase the racing handle (money wagered on racing and converted to purse money for the horsemen).
The quality of racing at Finger Lakes has slipped over the years. The small fields – often with multiple entries from the same owner/trainers – have turned off seasoned racing fans.
Focusing on delivering product via off-track simulcasting has contributed to the lack of new and young racing fans. There isn’t much advertising or promotions to attract former and potential new patrons.
How many people in Greater Rochester can attend live racing on weekdays? The Saturday live racing cards usually have eight races (instead of 9 or 10) and seldom offer above-average races. Most of the stakes races are on weekdays.
There is no live racing at night or on Sunday afternoons – when more live fans could actually go to the races. Finger Lakes doesn’t run on Sundays mainly because most big-time tracks run on Sundays and they wouldn’t bother to offer simulcasting from Finger Lakes.
The bottom line: I don’t expect a turf course to materialize. If it does, I believe it would slightly boost the off-track simulcasting handle but wouldn’t do much to increase live attendance or live handle. I’m afraid that horse is out of the barn.
IS KAEPERNICK ABOUT TO BE HONORED?
I’m in a bit of a slump with my sports predictions. I need a victory.
Colin Kaepernick on Thursday will win the prestigious NFL Whizzer White Community MVP Award.
The other finalists are Andy Dalton, Chris Long, Von Miller and J.J. Watt. An impressive list.
The NFLPA sponsors the award and the players pick the winner.
I believe Kaepernick – the only finalist who didn’t play this season -- will be their choice.
Kaepernick has donated around $1 million to organizations in underserved/oppressed communities. He is a reasonable finalist and would be a deserving winner.
P.S.: I didn’t like it when he wore pig socks in practice – mocking policemen. Or his T-shirt honoring Fidel Castro. He probably now realizes that those weren’t real good ideas and went a bit too far.
KICKING THE RHINOS WHILE THEY’RE DOWN
The City of Rochester reportedly says the dormant Rochester Rhinos are in default of their lease at Capelli Sport Stadium and have until February 28 to vacate the facility.
Owners David and Wendy Dworkin aren’t ready to call it quits and still hope to return to the United Soccer League in 2019.
Meanwhile, former Rhinos coach Bob Lilley’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds will open their training camp February 5.
Former Rhinos stars continue to find new USL homes, including top scorer Jochen Graf with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and star midfielder Wal Fall with Saint Louis FC.
Unless something unexpected materializes, Rochester will be without a men’s pro soccer team for the first summer since 1995.
SHORT SHOTS
Michigan defensive lineman Maurice Hurst has withdrawn from Saturday’s Senior Bowl. He has been mentioned as a possible No. 21 or No. 22 overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2018 NFL college draft.
New England quarterback Tom Brady’s post-season record is 27-9 (.750). Joe Montana has the second-most post-season victories (16). Brady needs 279 yards passing in Super Bowl 52 to reach 10,000 yards passing in the postseason. The next-most is 7,339 yards passing by Peyton Manning.
U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka is sidelined with a partially torn tendon in his left wrist and hopes to return in time for the Masters April 5-8.
I wish I knew this factoid before last Sunday’s NFC Championship Game (I would’ve picked Philadelphia instead of Minnesota) – entering Sunday, the last five NFL playoff teams advancing on a walk-off TD lost the next game by an average of 23 points. Update: Make it six straight (Vikings shocked New Orleans before losing to Philadelphia 38-7) by an average of 24.4 points.
Buffalo Sabres coach Phil Housley’s wife, Karin, is running for the Minnesota U.S. Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Al Franken. The special election will be in November.
Rochester Community Baseball will offer another innovative promotion for the 2018 International League season – the Red Wings Giveaway Guarantee Club. For $100, a fan will get all giveaways, including bobbleheads, t-shirts, caps and more – without attending the games. A membership card will allow fans to redeem their giveaways beginning June 15, beginning August 1 and beginning September 10. Phone 454-1001 for details.
In case you haven’t heard, the highlight of the 25th anniversary RAW Monday night was The Miz beating Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental title. How come Roman Reigns wears body armor and his opponents don’t?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, January 24
Zack Kassian (27)...Whit Merrifield (29)...Luis Suarez (31)...Scott Kazmir (34)...Scott Speed (35)...Tim Biakabutuka (44)...Chris/Peter Ferraro (45)...Mary Lou Retton (50)...Rob Dibble (54)...Atlee Hammaker (60)...Tim Stoddard (65)...Guy Charron (69). Neil Diamond (77) is invited to the birthday party...Clem Dreisewerd was born on this date 102 Years ago (1916) and died in 2001 at age 85. He had one of the oddest careers in Rochester Red Wings history. The left-handed pitcher had a 15-6 record in 1941 and a 1-14 record in 1942.
Thursday. January 25
Patrick Willis (33)...Danny Woodhead (33)...Tim Montgomery (43)...Randy McKay (51)...Mark Schlereth (52)...Paul Ranheimj (52)...Esa Tikkanen (53)...Chris Chelios (56)...Rick Bowness (63)...former Amerk Rick Adduono (63). Alicia Keys (32) can sing Happy Birthday.