THE ANSWER MAN MAKES A WINTER STOP...
ON GIONTA, ALEX SMITH, RED WINGS, YANKEES, ORANGE, ETC.
Question -- Do you think Brian Gionta suiting up and playing for the Amerks Friday night will help boost attendance?
Answer --Of course. Who wouldn’t want to see the former captain of the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabes, current captain of the U.S. Winter Olympics hockey team, and a hometown hero playing in arguably the best jersey in all of sports?
Seating capacity for hockey at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial is slightly above 11,000. That’s not going to happen – maybe not until the Amerks host a Game 7 in the Calder Cup Finals someday.
Phil Mercado, a sports programming director at iHeart Radio, has set the over/under attendance for Friday night at a season-high 7,200 (the approximate hockey capacity before the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial expansion).
Friday night’s opponent will be the Toronto Marlies, one of the AHL’s best teams. The Amerks last played home on January 15 and are playing very well.
My guesstimate for Friday night’s game is 8,800. I figure this will be a particularly memorable game for the Amerks and that many sports fans in Greater Rochester will want to say they were there.
Question – Do you think the Red Wings are going to move?
Answer – No way. When it comes to pro teams in Rochester, I’m pretty sure the Red Wings will be the last one standing. Naomi Silver doesn’t want to have the Wings leave town after her father organized the community fund drive to save the team in the winter of 1956-57. Cheryl Dinolfo and the Republicans have to know they can’t afford to see the Red Wings leave the region on their watch. TWO stadiums void of a primary tenant would sum up region in a negative way.
I wish savvy Rochester Community Baseball Chairman Gary Larder could sit down with Cheryl DiNolfo and her top advisors, and Red Wings leaders Naomi Silver and Dan Mason – without the lawyers from both sides in the room. I’m pretty sure Larder could offer a compromise that would be reasonable for both parties.
Question – Are you surprised that Alex Smith was traded by Kansas City to Washington?
Answer – We knew the Chiefs were going to trade Smith to make room for second-year whiz kid Patrick Mahomes, but I was hoping he’d wind up with Buffalo. For the next two years, I believe Smith could’ve made the Bills a playoff contender. I don’t see any other available veteran QB or young QB in this year’s draft that is likely to lift the Bills to that level. The Redskins think Smith will be a solid replacement for Kirk Cousins and I agree. Until last season, I thought Smith was underrated. I’m still not sold on Cousins.
Question – Are the New York Yankees a lock to win the 2018 World Series?
Answer – I think they should be the favorites, but “a lock” – no, not with the wild-card, divisional and league series required to win before advancing to the World Series.
I do believe the Yankees, assuming they’re reasonably healthy, will lead Major League Baseball in victories this regular season. At least 105 wins. The Los Angeles Dodgers had the best record in the majors last season – 104-58. I think the 2018 Yankees have the potential to be better.
The lineup is awesome. The power is ridiculous. Starting pitching is solid. The bullpen is incredibly – almost unfairly – deep.
And I think Aaron Boone will be a terrific manager. I also believe he is incredibly lucky to be a rookie manager with this roster to play with.
Question -- Can the 2018 Minnesota Twins make the playoffs for a second year in a row?
Answer – No way. I’m still amazed that they snuck into the American League wild-card game last season.
Minnesota has an impressive starting lineup, loaded with young talent: CF Byron Buxton, 2B Brian Dozier, 1B Joe Mauer, DH Miguel Sano, LF Eddie Rosario, SS Jorge Polanco, RF Max Kepler, 3B Eduardo Escobar, C Jason Castro. The bench looks decent with catcher Mitch Garver, infielder Ehire Adrianza and outfielder Robbie Grossman.
The BIG problem is the pitching. There are only two above-average starters: Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios. Candidates for the rest of the rotation are Kyle Gibson, Adalberto Mejia and Phil Hughes (coming off thoracic syndrome). They’re waiting on former Yankee Miguel Pineda (Tommy John surgery last summer). Aaron Slegers (15-4 with the 2017 Red Wings) and lefty Stephen Gonsalves might be contributors.
The bullpen is even more iffy. Addison Reed, Fernando Rodney and left-hander Zach Duke have been added. The potential returnees include Trevor Hildenberger, Alan Busenitz, Tyler Duffy, Ryan Pressley and left-hander Taylor Rogers.
Question: How much does Kevin Love’s broken hand (out two months) hurt the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Answer: Assuming Love is ready to go and fresh for the playoffs, not all that much. Toronto or Boston now figures to post the best record in the Eastern Conference, but no big deal. With Love back for the postseason, Cleveland still is the team most likely to meet Golden State in the Finals – again.
Question – Is Eric Wood worthy of the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame?
Answer – No slam dunk but I believe so.
Nine seasons with one NFL team is not usual, but it isn’t that common, either. He was not a great center, but he was very good. The Bills usually had a strong rushing game and he obviously was a big reason. He was a terrific leader on the field and in the locker room. He was extremely active in charity work in Buffalo.
All things considered, the Wall of Fame would not suffer with the addition of Eric Wood.
Question – Do you think Tyus Battle will return to Syracuse U. for his junior season or enter the 2018 NBA draft?
Answer – I believe he’ll enter the 2018 NBA draft. SU figures to be a much stronger team next season and will play at a much faster tempo. I’m sure Battle would have more fun and thrive in that style.
But next season’s Orange figure to have much more firepower and depth than this season. Battle might figure his NBA stock would drop if his minutes and scoring average dropped a bit.
SHORT SHOTS
18 years ago Wednesday (January 31, 1990), the first-ever national sports newspaper, National, began publishing. It lasted until June 13, 1991. The front page of the final edition: “We had a ball. The fat lady sings our song.”...15 years ago Wednesday (January 31, 1993), the Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII. Troy Aikman was Most Valuable Player.
The Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, are averaging 4,379 per home game so far this season. That average will increase after Friday night’s Brian Gionta game and the “home’ game February 21 against the Syracuse Crunch at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. The Cincinnati Cyclones, Buffalo’s ECHL affiliate, is averaging 5,279 per home game.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, January 31
Tyler Seguin (26)...Mario Williams (33)...Vernon Davis (34)...Brian Finneran (42)...Othella Harrington (44)...Doug Pederson (50)...Charles Dimry (52)...Roosevelt Leaks (65)...Rick Dudley (69)...Nolan Ryan (71). Justin Timberlake (37) and Minnie Driver (48) are invited to the birthday party...Jackie Robinson was born on this date 99 years ago (1919) and died in 1972 at age 53. Tom Alston, the first African-American Rochester Red Wing and St. Louis Cardinal, was born on this date 92 years ago (1926) and died in 1993 at age 67. Ernie Banks was born on this date 87 years ago (1931) and died in 2015 at age 83.
Thursday, February 1
Travaris Cadet (29)...Austin Jackson (31)...Ronda Rousey (31)...Thaddeus Lewis (33)...Kevin Martin (35)...Elena Makarova (45)...Geoff Sanderson (46)...Mark Recchi (50)..Michelle Akers (52)....former Amerk Jim Jackson (58)...Mike Horan (59)...Wade Wilson (59)...Ernie Camacho (63)...Debbie Austin (70).