Did The Ducks Win Their Trade?

The Anaheim Ducks have so many injuries in their lineup that they're looking for any kind of help they can get. Today, they finally got some help in a much-needed trade.

The Ducks sent defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional third round draft pick to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi, as well as a third-round pick in the 2018 draft.

Both teams made this deal because they're in a tight-knot group for a playoff spot. The Devils are currently holding the third playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division with 32 points, while the Ducks are one point out in the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, and this team will most likely mean more for the Ducks rather than the Devils.

Vatanen has not played well for the Ducks this season, getting only one goal and three assists. He also has a minus-six rating in 15 games so far this season for the Ducks, which is why the Ducks were willing to unload him to get more pieces to make up for the injuries they've had. Trading Vatanen also gets rid of the extra defenseman they have, considering how many defensemen they've had so far this season.

There's more depth right now on the Ducks right now than anywhere else, with guys such as Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler, Josh Manson, and Brandon Montour leading the charge for this team, along with veteran guys like Kevin Bieksa and Francois Beauchemin, so it became clear that Vatanen, with his production, was not going to be a mainstay in Anaheim that much longer.

The bigger problem for the Ducks is their talented scoring depth, which is why they went out and got two scoring guys in both Henrique and Blandisi. They're currently 26th in the NHL in scoring. The Devils are 9th. It had to happen.

I'm assuming the Devils made this trade to clear cap room. Not only is Vatanen a guy they can build around, but he also has some solid possession numbers. Although Henrique was still in the middle of a deal with the Devils, this trade does loosen up some money and Vatanen is getting paid much less than Henrique. The Ducks, meanwhile, can hold on to Henrique for another couple of years, as he is signed through 2019, which gives GM Bob Murray some comfort, knowing there's an able forward in his lineup.

As for the Devils, they'll have to try and chug along without two of their biggest assets, despite their lower numbers than usual. They didn't win the trade, but it felt like they didn't have a choice. They're not a money team like many teams such as New York or Los Angeles and they needed to unload guys who not only they felt weren't going to come back, but also try to look towards the future while building now. Let's face it: They're still rebuilding, despite what they're doing this season, and this is probably another example of it.

The Ducks won. The Ducks absolutely won. They're fighting to stay in it and they got their reinforcements. Now they have to make up ground in the West and see if they can get into a firm playoff spot.

Eli Manning Gets Benched

The ugly mess with the New York Giants has gotten so bad enough that they've finally decided to bench their star quarterback in favor of Geno Smith. And I only got one word for that: Ugh!

The Giants announced this week that they are benching Eli Manning an
d going with Geno Smith to get the start this week against the Oakland Raiders.

Coach Ben McAdoo said about the benching, "Geno will start this week...Over the last five games, we will take a look at Geno, and will also give Davis Webb an opportunity."

This quote possibly means that it may be coming to an end for Eli Manning and the New York Giants, though I've been one of many people to believe that Eli Manning doesn't deserve all of the blame for the problems that have been going on this season.

Manning, of course, was emotional about getting the benching. He had started 210 consecutive regular-season games for the Giants and was given the option of continuing the streak against the Raiders, but something must have changed after Sunday's game.

Manning took it like a pro, despite being emotional, saying, "I will be ready to play if and when I am need. I will help Geno and Davis prepare to play as well as they possibly can."

Here's an interesting stat for this game: Geno Smith will be the first African-American quarterback to start a game for the Giants. They were currently the only NFL team never to have started an African-American quarterback, and that will all change Sunday. It won't, however, change the outcome for the Giants or for Geno Smith for that matter.

I understand that the Giants have had so many issues and injuries this season and they haven't played to the point where they should be. They're 2-9 and I'm guessing they should be at least 7-4 or something like that through this point of the season. But it's definitely a mess there, and this is not all Eli Manning's faults. He doesn't have his best receiver in Odell Beckham Jr. and he doesn't have an offensive line that can protect him. Not only that, but he doesn't have his former coach Tom Coughlin to help him. And coach Ben McAdoo is the absolute wrong coach for this team.

Even Plaxico Burress, Eli's former teammate, was not happy, tweeting:

Damn! Bench Eli? Man showed up every week for 14 years.

— Plaxico Burress (@plaxicoburress) November 28, 2017

Yes, even Plaxico Burress doesn't understand why Manning would get benched for a guy who hasn't proven himself to be a reliable starting quarterback throughout his career.

So it does seem like all of this leads to one thing: An eventual divorce between Manning and the Giants. That seems to be where it's going. I was hoping this would never happen to Eli like it did with Peyton Manning and the Colts, but things do happen and I'm guessing the Giants understand they need to go forward and that means dumping Eli for either Smith or Webb.

Geno Smith is definitely not the answer. He wasn't the answer for the New York Jets and former quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was a better quarterback for that team than Smith. Eli Manning is a better quarterback for this team than Smith. With Manning, you have a better chance to win a game. Not with Smith.

These moves make no sense, nor should they. Eli Manning should be the quarterback of this team. He's an elite quarterback and deserves to be under center, and the rest of that Giants management should be kicked out. I know Ben McAdoo is already on his way out the door, but I think the rest of the management needs to go for making a decision like this that's so stupid and sends a bad message to the rest of this team.

In fact, I hope the Giants lose again this coming week, because I don't buy into Geno Smith as a reliable quarterback in this league. He hasn't done it with the Jets and he certainly won't do it with the Giants. Eli Manning is the heart and soul of this Giants team and he needs to be out there taking every single snap with this team and no other quarterback should. After all, this is Eli's team and he should have it until he retires.

The Giants are a mess. We all know that. And this latest move proves they don't know what they're doing. It's like the Browns or even the New York Knicks, who had been doing this for years. Now the Giants are doing it and that is definitely a bad look for a league that relies on this team to be great year after year after year. It's not happening and it all shouldn't fall on Eli. Period!

Bruce Pearl Safe?

Turmoil has engulfed the Auburn athletic department and it mainly surrounds Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Lately, it has been that Pearl has refused to cooperate with the school's ongoing investigation into the corruption and that his job would be in jeopardy if he wasn't. Pearl, however, is going a different route.

This now comes on the heels of the Sept. 26 arrest of former associate head coach Chuck Person. He was recently indicted for his role in the scandal and has since been fired by Auburn.

Pearl's name didn't come up until his week, when an ESPN report indicated that Pearl was on the hot seat and could be fired if he didn't cooperate with the investigation. So far, he's continuing to do that and that seat is getting hotter.

This past Monday, two administrative staffers under Pearl's support staff were put on administrative leave. Though Pearl was informed about the decision, he was not given the specifics.

Pearl said about the investigation on Tuesday, "Yeah, it's difficult...Yesterday (Monday) was a very difficult day. Losing two staff members...that hurts...I've got to prepare to play with these guys."

So Pearl is brushing off all of this, at least for the kids' sakes and I can definitely understand that, but this Auburn team is clearly hurting and it's clearly hurting without two key players that were suspended until further notice as a result of this investigation. Many, including former Auburn player Charles Barkley, believes that the kids should play despite the investigation. I would say the same thing too. The kids did nothing wrong. This was between the schools and the parents of these kids. They should take the bigger blame.

In terms of the Bruce Pearl thing, every day that he doesn't cooperate, the seat gets hotter and hotter, and based on what I'm hearing, he's either not in the loop about the investigation or he doesn't anything that he says to them to be used against him. That's the thinking that Barkley uttered when he had the interview about it. And I can understand that fully. But it's better to cooperate than not to, because it's definitely not a good look if you don't talk to your bosses about what is going on with your program.

The damage may not be done yet. Auburn is quickly becoming Louisville in that regard and Bruce Pearl could be on the outs, despite how successful he has been there, and he has turned around this Auburn program. But investigations do carry consequences, and if this is a consequence he can't overcome, then the university will have to get him of him, no matter what. So, no, he's not safe, but if he cooperates and understands the ramifications of what has happened, he might be able to save his seat there.

Four Teams Inquire About Stanton

Giancarlo Stanton might be on the move this offseason. That is, if a team is willing to take on his massive contract.

So far this offseason, the Marlins have seemed to make it a priority to move Stanton and get rid of his contract and get a lot in return.

Sporting News and MLB Network is reporting that four teams have reached out to the Marlins about Stanton and those teams are the Red Sox, Cardinals, Giants, and Phillies, though talks will not go deeper until after the GM Meetings on Monday in Orlando.

The leading getter seems to be the Phillies, who have ramped up talks and are the most likely team to take on his 13-year, $325 million contract.

The Red Sox are interested primarily because they need another slugger. Sox owner John Henry and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did say at the beginning of the month the team is willing to increase its payroll in an effort to get more hitting and if that means going after Stanton, then so be it.

The other two seem to be further down the list, as the Giants really can't take on that much money in an offseason where they're trying to give money to other players to rebuild their team. The Cardinals are also a good fit but I'm not sure they're willing to take on that much money either. The Cardinals can win on low payroll. We've seen it happen on many of their World Series teams.

In terms of who should land Stanton, I would not want him on the Giants, just because I'm afraid they'll still do poorly with him in the lineup. The Cardinals I could give or take. The Red Sox intrigue me just because of that increased payroll they are willing to do. And that leaves the Phillies, who I believe are likely to get them, though I can't understand why.

The Phillies have been in rebuild mode for the past couple of years. Yes, they've got young and upcoming players but what does the Phillies brass think they're getting by bringing in Stanton? Maybe more power, but the rest of the lineup has to contribute as well and at times last year, they really haven't. I'm okay if the Phillies get him, but because they are rebuilding, is it really worth the effort to go after Stanton, a guy whose contract makes teams second-guess getting him?

I really like Giancarlo Stanton. He's a great power hitter and a good defensive player, but he also fetches a large price and that's why he got so much money from the Marlins. He could be traded this offseason but I will not be surprised if he doesn't. Money plays into all these decisions and the other teams could very well pull out if they don't like what the Marlins are asking for in return.

Josh Beckett Arrested In Texas

Josh Beckett had a spectacular Major League career. Now, he's facing another fight that looks bad on him.

Beckett was reportedly arrested for public intoxication in Texas after allegedly attacking the singer of a country band at a Texas club.

According to TMZ Sports, officers had arrived on scene and made a determination that the 2003 World Series MVP was "a danger to himself and to others."

The country singer that Beckett attacked is suffering from serious injuries, one of those injuries being a torn rotator cuff, which we usually hear in baseball, not so much from attacking a guy in a club.

Beckett's lawyer told TMZ Sports that this incident was "an act of horseplay" and that Beckett has apologized for his actions. Well, unfortunately, his actions might cost him in this particular one.

Beckett was a tremendous force in MLB for 14 years with the Marlins, Red Sox, and Dodgers before retiring after the 2014 season. He won two World Series, one with the Marlins and another with the Red Sox and was the MVP during the 2003 season when the Marlins won it. Not only that, but he has three All-Star Game selections and two championships.

But this resume might not help him in this next chapter of his life, particularly a black one. I'm not going to go into details about what's going to happen or what might happen. That's up to the courts, but this incident really troubles me on some levels, because horseplay and attacking somebody sometimes go hand-in-hand. You might mean it as horseplay but for the other guy it's an attack. There's no eye-to-eye there unfortunately.

I hope this situation gets resolved with quickly because Josh Beckett shouldn't be in situations like this and I hope it's resolved before it gets any worse.Josh

Bruce Pearl Needs To Cooperate

The fallout at Auburn's men's basketball team may be continuing to grow.

According to multiple sources that told ESPN, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is in jeopardy of losing his job if he doesn't cooperate with the school's investigation into its basketball program.

Officials at Auburn recently retained a law firm to conduct an internal investigation into former Tigers associate head coach Chuck Person, who was arrested back on Sept. 26 as part of the FBI's probe into college basketball corruption. Person was recently indicated on six federal charges by a grand jury in New York.

Because Person is a coach on Bruce Pearl's staff, Pearl has been questioned multiple times on the corruption charges, but has refused to cooperate with the investigation into his program's involvement, which means either cooperate or lose your job.

There has been no deadline for Pearl to cooperate but assuming that he's not cooperating and Auburn officials get impatient, they will give him the boot, deadline or not, which tells me that Bruce Pearl better start cooperating if he intends to stay on.

Bruce Pearl is a former ESPN analyst and is set to enter his fourth season as Auburn's coach, but by Friday, he could very well be out of a job. His refusal to cooperate may have also stemmed from his penalties at Tennessee, when he was fired in 2011 after lying to NCAA investigators about the recruitment of prospect Aaron Craft, who ended up signing with Ohio State. He was given a three-year show case, which means no contact with recruits during that time.

While many have believed that Pearl learned from his mistakes and had a good program in Auburn during his time there, the latest with associate coach Chuck Person leads me, and possibly many others, to believe that he really didn't learn his lesson. Either that or he learned that talking wasn't a good thing for him, because the last time he talked about allegations like this, he lied.

Now, in terms of all this, Bruce Pearl better go cooperate, because he's going to get canned if he doesn't. Him not talking either tells me two things: He was in on this whole thing or he found silence is better than lying. Still, silence is very bad and especially when you refuse to cooperate in an investigation that involves your team.

I'll say this: If he doesn't cooperate by Friday, he's done at Auburn, because they're not going to stand for a guy who does something like this. They already look bad with the Person indictment and the last thing they need is a guy like Bruce Pearl refusing to cooperate. It's not good on both sides but it looks much worse on Pearl. You have to cooperate, no matter what.

Will J.D. Martinez Get A Contract He Likes?

J.D. Martinez, who turned out to be a big addition for the Dbacks on their way to the playoffs, is now on the free agent market and is looking to cash in big time.

There's no doubt that Martinez is probably the best outfield get in baseball and he wants to get paid big time for it.

According to MLB's Jerry Carsick and Martinez's agent Scott Boras, Martinez is looking for something in the $200 million range that he wants to get paid, either by the Dbacks or by a new team that must want to pay him that money.

Teams that have reached out early on J.D. Martinez have gotten the impression Scott Boras is looking for something in the $200 million range.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 8, 2017

Boras is not joking on this one. He believes Martinez is worth that money and said earlier that free agent pitcher Jake Arrieta has a better track record as a pitcher than Max Scherzer, David Price, and Zack Greinke, who all signed contracts that were more than $200 million.

Another free agent player, Eric Hosmer, is also represented by Boras and he is also looking for something around $200 million. Sounds to me like Boras is trying to get these teams to pay up for high-quality players, though I don't believe that Martinez is a higher quality player than either Hosmer or the pitchers that I mentioned earlier.

Boras seems to be suggesting that the Dbacks may be the best get to sign him to that much money, saying, "You don't sign Greinke and not sign this guy...I mean, once you drop in the pool, you're in the water. Once you're in the water, it's kind of hard to say you're not wet."

Ok. I'll be honest, this is one of the weirdest ways to say that Martinez is a valuable member of this franchise. But, if I get what Boras is saying, he's basically saying that Martinez is worth the risk of $200 million for the Dbacks. The question is: Are the Dbacks really going to sign him to that much money? Because if they do, they might not have enough to sign other quality players they may be looking at as well.

It may be worth it, considering that the last four seasons, Martinez has slugged around .545 or better. His .574 slugging percentage is ranked 2nd in the MLB, behind only my hero on the Angels Mike Trout. And by the way, there are eight position players in the MLB that were given big contracts of equal to or more than $200 million over their careers, and they include names like Giancarlo Stanton, Alex Rodriguez, and Joey Votto. Only one name was worth it among these three and that was A-Rod. Stanton's team is not producing and Votto is still not the All-Star player the Reds expected him to be.

So the question is: Will Martinez get the $200 million that Boras is looking for? No. Absolutely not. He's probably not worth $200 million and not for a guy who has trouble in the right field area. He's worth it as a hitter, which is why I believe he could end back up in the American League, where he was with the Tigers all those years. But I don't think he's worth $200 million and I think Boras may be overlooking the value for Martinez. Yes, I agree he's a terrific player and a team will be lucky to have him, but his defense and his field play is one of the things I worry about with Martinez, and that will probably stray teams away from signing him to that much money.

I don't think he's getting $200 million and if that's the case, the Dbacks will not bring him back. They have to move on if his agent is demanding that sort of money. The Dbacks don't have that kind of money. The Dodgers and the Yankees are more likely to have that money to use that the Dbacks do. The Dbacks are a good team but they're also a budget-minded team and signing him to this kind of deal signifies that if he's a bust, they might not be good again this year. The Dbacks have something going, but the last year thing they did is to take a big risk on somebody who could have a bunch of bad years ahead. No, unfortunately, he's not worth it. He's going to end up somewhere else and it's going to be a contract that's a lot smaller than $200 million. It's just not going to happen. It's not worth the efforts and teams understand that.

Kings Get a Big Win Versus The Thunder

Going into Tuesday night's game, the Sacramento Kings were 1-8 to start the season. While many have not seen that as surprising considering the Kings are rebuilding, Kings guard Buddy Hield was concerned enough to call a team meeting and try to figure out the issues. Well, guess what? It must've worked because they got a much-needed win over an overhyped team.

The Kings managed to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night 94-86 to bring their record to 2-8. Yes, it's still bad, but you have to start somewhere.

What may be the most surprising of this game was the beginning of the game, where the Kings starters didn't score a single point for a good portion of half of the first half. It actually set a record that nobody really wants to be in.

Luckily, however, the Kings' bench provided the scoring in a big way. Buddy Hield and Justin Jackson combined for 37 points, while the rookie De'Aaron Fox, added 10 points and eight assists to go along with those numbers.

In recent games, the points have been hard to get. They're dead last in the league in scoring, averaging only 93 points a game. But the positives may been that Hield is getting into his form that we've seen a lot of last season. He is expected to be the player that this team revolves around and he's got to come up big in order for the rest of the team to get into their groove.

His recent numbers have been why the Kings have been in this terrible funk lately and it's also why he was yanked out of the starting lineup. He was averaging 17 points on 63 percent shooting while getting 7.3 rebounds a game. That's not good enough for the star player on this team, and yes, he is the star and most important player on this team. He had to come up big and coach Dave Joerger told him that he will sit on the bench for the first part of that game.

The story of this game is probably not the Kings, though. It's the Oklahoma City Thunder, who I said in the intro that they are probably the most over-hyped team so far this season. Yes, it's an 82-game season and so it does take a bit to actually get into form and get into their winning ways. But losing to Sacramento, one of the worst teams in recent memory, shouldn't sit well for this team, and when you got guys like Paul George and Carmelo Anthony not coming up big for this team, it shouldn't sit well for the star of this team Russell Westbrook. He needed help to get over the hump with Golden State and so far, he's not getting that, and he's still had to carry the bulk of this team so far this season.

Westbrook had indicated he's not worried about it. But many did not expect the Thunder to be this way coming into this season. They're so far 4-6 and they've now lost three in a row. Worried? I should think so, if I'm Westbrook. The Kings took advantage of the Thunder's bad play recently, both on the boards and on the offensive side of the ball, and they stole a win that the Thunder needed.

Sacramento did what it had to do. It had its back against the wall and they kicked the Thunder's butt. It's a morale win. It's not an important win for them, since they're still so far back in the standings, but it's definitely a morale booster and one they needed going into the next game, as well as their next road trip.

Eric Bledsoe Heading To The Bucks

Eric Bledsoe is on the move and finally out of Phoenix.

Today, the Suns have agreed to trade Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for forward/center Greg Monroe and a protected first and second-round draft pick, meaning that the Suns continue to rebuild while the Bucks get a versatile scorer and producer to help the Bucks take the next step towards getting a championship.

Bucks GM Jon Horst said about the acquisition, "Eric is a dynamic player who brings scoring and toughness to the court while enhancing our young and talented core." He also thanked Greg Monroe for his time to Milwaukee and wished him success in Phoenix and beyond.

Bledsoe is entering his eighth season in the NBA and is averaging 13.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds over 421 games in the NBA in his career. He spent the past five seasons with the Phoenix Suns where he averaged a bit more in each category but it wasn't enough to help the Suns get out of their misery during that period of time.

Meanwhile, for the Suns, they get Greg Monroe, who is 27, the same age as Bledsoe and has had a productive season with the Bucks, averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over 165 games with them. Last season, he averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds in 22 minutes per game, which is definitely something that the Suns are looking for as they try to continue rebuilding and shape their team.

Overall, the Suns don't matter in this. They're trying to get picks and they're trying to continue rebuilding and so far, it really hasn't helped a whole lot. This says something more about the Bucks, because they not only get another scorer and versatile player in Bledsoe, but they also now have tag team partners in him and The Greek Freak. I don't know if this will put them over the top in the Eastern Conference right now, but I think it definitely speaks volumes as to how important getting Bledsoe was for the Bucks, and they definitely had to give up a few things in order to get them.

The Bucks are making good moves and building a team that can challenge in the Eastern Conference. They're still young and they're still trying to find their players and what they need to do to take that next step. But it's a good first move for the Bucks in getting Bledsoe and I believe it will pay dividends for them in the future. Look for Bledsoe to be an impact right away for the Bucks.

Andrew Luck to The DL

The Indianapolis Colts are a mess and now they've got an even bigger mess on their hands with the news today that Andrew Luck, their prized QB, is now heading to the IR, which means his season is over and perhaps his time in Indianapolis.

This announcement was made by GM Chris Ballard.

This decision comes on the heels of Luck visiting doctors earlier this week to ask why he still had some soreness in his right shoulder, and apparently it was decision big enough for the Colts to put him on IR and end the drama surrounding when the Colts quarterback would play this season.

Chris Ballard said about the announcement, "The one thing I want y'all to understand is that there's never been once a time where I've tried to mislead, [when] this organization has tried to mislead...This whole thing has been very fluid."

Well, with the way the Colts have been stepping around this issue has been very misleading and I believe they have mislead us right from the start with this issue.

Luck did practice on October 4 for the first time since December of 2016. He only practiced once after that because the soreness became a problem again, warranting another visit with the doctors. He was then shut down and given a cortisone shot to see if the side effects would subside. They didn't and it was ultimately confirmed that Luck would need the rest of this season and the offseason to heal his shoulder. Whether or not he comes back to full strength, only time will tell.

There was no timetable on Andrew Luck's return and there was no guarantee that Luck would take part in the offseason workouts that come this spring. In the meantime, Luck will continue to rehab his shoulder and try to see if he can get out there by training camp next July, and there's no guarantee of that either.

The Colts are more than likely to miss the playoffs yet again, after missing the playoffs in 2015 and 2016, and this latest just signals the downward spiral that the Colts have been in since the Peyton Manning days. Even Andrew Luck, despite having a few good seasons, was not going to turn this around in a heartbeat and it definitely didn't lead to any Super Bowls during that time.

Coach Chuck Pagano has called the situation "unfortunate" and that "Andrew is frustrated. Andrew wants to be out there. Andrew wants to be fighting with his teammates. He's a great warrior, he's a great competitor and he's a great player, one of the best in this league."

I agree with Pagano. He is one of the best in the league when he's healthy. But he's not healthy and he's not always out there, and the Colts have faced the consequences as a result of him not being out there. I believe that if Luck has a chance in this league, he's got to be on a different team. I think the window has shut for Luck and the Colts to be there. The Colts have mismanaged this whole thing and have mislead the press and their fans at every turn. And it's not just Ballard. Jim Irsay has had a hand in this as well, and he's heading into a direction where he may be one of the worst owners in the league. He's not there yet, but he's sure in that list.

I hope Luck gets healthy and can get out there again, whether it be for the Colts or elsewhere. But I'm nervous about what's going to happen with Luck. He may not be the same quarterback again. He's had trouble with his shoulders for two seasons and when you're out for that long period of time, it's hard to come back and be the same player. I hope this happens for him and I hope he can be a great quarterback in the league again. But I think the Colts and Luck need to break this relationship and have Luck go somewhere where he can be effective and help a team out with quarterback issues. Maybe Denver. Maybe the New York Jets. Maybe Miami. Either way, it can't be with the Colts. The ship has sailed and the latest news probably proves that it's time.

Ohio State Crumble?

Ohio State got torched in Iowa over the weekend, and their second loss this season will most likely keep them out of the College Football Playoff after the season is said and done. Let's face it: Getting blown out by Iowa doesn't help their chances. And it didn't matter if it was away. It was a bad loss and it cookies their season.

Head coach Urban Meyer is three years removed from being a National Title holder, and he is currently 68-8 at Ohio State, which is damn better than impressive. It's godly for what he has done with that program, coming off allegations surrounding former head coach Jim Tressel.

Look, there's no kidding that things are not looking good for the Buckeyes right now. They're not the same team they had for the 2014 season, and many are saying that Urban Meyer has lost his edge as a coach. Really? I mean, two losses this season and many are acting like this? It's ridiculous. Those who criticize him have not looked in the mirror long enough to realize that he's a fantastic coach for this Buckeyes team.

In this game, let me let cleveland.com's Doug Lesmerises analyze that game for you and by the way, piss me off in the process., "Iowa, on both sides of the ball, knew exactly who the Buckeyes were and how to stop them. The Buckeyes had no idea who there (sic) were. So let's get to it. Has Mayer (sic) lost his edge?"

Yes. It was Lesmerises himself that entertained this thought, so let me tell Lesmerises something: You have no idea what you're talking about. Urban Meyer has not lost his edge. He's still a great coach. You're making two losses sound like it's the end of the world. That's for somebody who is obsessed that Ohio State has to win every game and be the best team out there. They're not. They're not the best team this season. They've proven that, and Urban Meyer should not take the blame for that. He can't have the same team year after year. He has to change up his players. They don't always play the same as the guys before him. He's not having a bad year. Yes, he will not get to the CFP but that doesn't mean we have to take shots at him and question his abilities as a coach and whether or not he's lost the team. He's doing fine. You, however, Mr. Lesmerises, are not because if you have to look at this and say, 'He's not a good coach anymore,' then you're definitely crazy and don't know what you're talking about.

Now, Ohio State's season is definitely over. Two losses will definitely do that and it looks like Wisconsin may take that spot if they go all the way and stay undefeated. The committee will take them. They will not take Ohio State, no matter what. It's finished. It's over. They'll get a bowl game, but don't expect them in the playoff. Just stop taking shots at Urban Meyer. He's a terrific coach and a good man who can't have the same team year after year after year. Ohio State will be fine. The endgame just came a little early, and it came at the hands of Iowa. It happens. We move on, like we all should do.

Will Duchene Succeed in Ottawa?

Matt Duchene is now officially an Ottawa Senator.

So far in this career, Matt Duchene has not been satisfied when he looks at his NHL resume, only getting to the playoffs twice and getting knocked out in the first round both times. He's only played eight playoff games for the Avalanche, and he finally had enough last Christmas when he demanded a trade. Now he'll get a new opportunity in Ottawa.

Duchene told reporters at a press conference to introduce him in Ottawa, "For me, that's not where I want to be at this point of my career...I only get one shot at this. I only get to play this game for however long my body lets me play it."

Despite his trading wish being granted Sunday when he was traded from the Avalanche to the Senators, it remains to be seen whether or not this team will excel with Duchene being there or they drop back in the standings somehow.

The Senators gave up a lot for him, including goaltender Andrew Hammond, forward Shane Bowers, and a couple of picks both to the Avalanche and the Predators to pick up Duchene. And that usually means they're trying to win a Stanley Cup now and they're hoping that Duchene will provide that extra spark they need to get there.

Duchene, however, likes coming to the Senators, saying, "They are a team that was one goal away from the Stanley Cup Final last year...Had they got there, you never know what happens. That's something that I am dying for, to have the opportunity at that. To be here on this team that I believe a lot in already, it's very special."

It's going to be interesting to see how he performs on the Senators. We already know he is a talented player from his time on the Avalanche, but he has also not seen the playoffs quite a bit. Like I said, he only made the playoffs twice, once in 2010 Western Conference Quarterfinals, where the Avalanche went out in six games to the Sharks, and the 2014 Western Conference First Round, where they went out in seven games to the Wild. In that Wild series, he missed the first five games due to a knee injury and didn't return until Game six. In those two games that he returned for, he only tallied three assists. It was clearly not enough.

Since that time, the Avalanche haven't made the playoffs even with him, and finished last season dead last in the NHL with 48 points. That was the fewest in the league, and it was definitely a big disappointment and a big shocker for the rest of the NHL.

Good thing for the Senators is that he is signed through the end of 2018-19 season. Now I believe he's going to a better team with a better shot at winning the Stanley Cup than the Avalanche at this point, but I still don't know how the Senators will incorporate them or even if they make it that far this year. There's a lot of good teams in the East right now, including the Penguins and the Capitals who are always at the top of the East every single year. But if what I'm hearing from GM Pierre Dorion says something, it does say that adding Duchene brings a lot of hope. He's a great goal scorer, a great teammate, and an assist guy who's going to make everybody else around him better. And yes, I agree in some ways that he only has one shot at getting the Stanley Cup, but maybe he'll be on the Penguins one day and he'll get another shot there. But right now, he's got to have focus like this, because your body's not going to work on the ice forever and you got to take advantage of every moment to get to the Stanley Cup.

As for the Senators, it's highly possible they could make the Stanley Cup this year. And if they did, it would be a very big deal in Canada, which hasn't won the Stanley Cup in such a long period of time. The Senators seem like the likely team to get there, and I hope it happens, because when Duchene is on the ice, he makes everyone else better and he will be better as a result of going to a team that has big expectations to make it to the Stanley Cup and the team itself proves it.

A Big Three-Way Trade In The NHL

The NHL just made news on a Sunday, something that I've never seen happen for quite some time. It involved a big trade with three teams: The Colorado Avalanche, the Ottawa Senators, and the Nashville Predators. But who was at the center of the trade?

Center Matt Duchene, now formerly of the Colorado Avalanche. He was sent to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday as part of that three-team trade that also sent center Kyle Turris from the Senators to the Predators.

Duchene had originally played for part of the Avalanche's game at the Islanders for about two minutes in the first period before being removed because of the trade news.

Duchene said about joining the Senators, "I'm excited...I'm extremely grateful for my years in Colorado. It was my favorite team as a kid and it was an absolute honor and privilege to play here. It's bittersweet for sure, but I'm excited for a new opportunity in Ottawa...They've got a team that can win the Stanley Cup."

Well, unfortunately for Duchene, he probably shouldn't have been at the Nuggets game on Wednesday night. It was probably bad luck. They won that game, but this news comes on the heels of them losing their game to the Warriors on Saturday. Ok, well, he didn't affect the game, but he was definitely invested in Nuggets basketball. And now he's in Ottawa, where there's no basketball, unless you want to drive to Toronto to see it.

As for what the Avalanche got? Well, they got goaltender Andrew Hammond, the first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2019 draft, and forward Shane Bowers from the Senators, and they got a second-round pick in 2018, a defenseman Samuel Girard, and forward Vladislav Kamenev, from the Predators.

For Kyle Turris, he had just signed a six-year, $36 million contract and it will keep him in Nashville through the 2022-23 season, meaning that the Predat
ors got a good scorer.

Ottawa is the clear winner in this trade. They get a guy in Matt Duchene who has 10 points so far in 14 games with Colorado this season, including a goal and assist in the Avalanche's win over the Flyers on Saturday night. In 77 games last season, he had 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists), but it didn't help because Colorado was dead last in the NHL with 48 points and a record of 22-56-4. Clearly, the trade indicated that he's a great player but that the Avalanche are rebuilding and no longer have use for him.

For the Predators, it really means nothing, because I think Turris is a fine, young player who can help this team with their offensive production, and I don't think it affects how they play or where they are in the standings. The team that benefits most from this trade is the Ottawa Senators, because they are trying to make the next step and getting Duchene, who is a reliable goal-scorer and assist guy, helps with that next step. The thing is, he'll most likely be the focal point now for that Senators offense. He's going to have to produce, score, and allow others the ability to work, and I think he's willing and capable of doing that. He did that in Colorado for so many years, but that team is rebuilding, and I think what Ottawa gets is definitely something to build on.

I love Matt Duchene. I wish he stayed in Colorado, but it was the end of the road there for him. He now gets to go to a new environment and a new opportunity to win with another team that has big aspirations now. If Matt Duchene can do what I mentioned and be a reliable teammate and goal scorer, he's got a bright future there and he could win a Stanley Cup there. It might not be this year, but they have the potential and Duchene is going to be a part of that.

Recap of Warriors-Nuggets

When you play the Golden State Warriors, you always have to think on your shoes. You have to try to stop them and you have to try to separate past from reality. The reality hit the Denver Nuggets big time on Saturday night, and especially in that third quarter against the Warriors.

 The Nuggets ended up losing the game 127-108 to the Warriors on Saturday at the Pepsi Center, and it was highlights by two very different teams that the Nuggets put on the floor. The Nuggets were down but a deficit that we've expected from a lot of teams lately. They always came back and they always hung in there. But there was one case of disaster that haunted the Nuggets on Thursday night, and it was their defensive play and their terrible offensive prowess, particularly in that third quarter, which was the deciding quarter that sealed the win for the Warriors.

Nuggets coach Mike Malone put the blame on the games they've had to play on many nights, saying, "Obviously, this was our sixth game in nine nights...That's part of the NBA. We can't use that as an excuse, but that definitely played into it, I believe."

Six games in nine nights is nothing new and many superstar players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry have advocated for longer seasons and more rest between games. But you can't change everything, and in this particular case, the Nuggets were the victims of a weary team that was trying to keep up with a dominating Warriors team that had their way.

Now for the third quarter, the Nuggets were down by five points, which could've been a good deficit to try to get back into it. But coming out of that halftime, Golden State was on it. They went on a 27-6 run that pushed the lead to well over 20 points, thanks in part to the big quarter numbers put up by Curry. He had 12 points in that period and had three 3-pointers to go along with it.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said about that period, "We came out firing in the third." And they did. They came out firing, they took the third quarter by storm, and the Nuggets could never keep up at that point. You could bet it was going to be a long second half for them.

With the loss, the Nuggets' winning streak of two games was snapped. Yeah, it's not much, but it's the Nuggets, who are looking for anything to try to get their winning ways going again after a couple years of being out. The Nuggets benefited, though from Will Barton's 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Muddily also finished with 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and Trey Lyles scored 11 points.

For the Warriors, they finished on the night with Kevin Durant's 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Curry also finished with 22 points and 11 assists.

Some would say this is an ugly loss and while it may have been true in the third quarter, the fact of the matter is, when the Warriors stars are on the floor, it's hard to guard them and to prevent them from scoring points. It's just that hard, and the Nuggets learned that tonight. Yes, they've had the Warriors' number in Denver in recent years, but that was a few times when most of the Warriors stars were not out there. This time, they were, and Denver was clearly outmatched in this game, especially in that third quarter.

The Nuggets should not take this as a bad taste. It was an expected loss. The third quarter might not have gone the way they expected, but it's an expected loss, and they'll recover from this and get better. The Warriors are the best team. Even a rebuilding team like the Nuggets are not exactly on the level of the Warriors stars to beat them yet.

Warriors-Nuggets Preview

The Warriors made a big statement on Thursday by knocking off the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio. For the Denver Nuggets, they've won four out of their last five games after a close win against the Miami Heat on Friday night. Tonight, both teams square off in the Mile High City as the Warriors will look to continue momentum while the Nuggets will try to put the brakes on a hot Warriors team right now.

For the Nuggets, the upside might be in their favor. They've beaten the Warriors in 19 out of the 25 games they've played in Denver, in a 132-110 blowout back on February 13, but that was also a game where all of the Warriors star sat out for, so it was basically a game with no real leverage on both teams. Tonight might be.

Nuggets forward Paul Millsap said about the game last night against Miami, "I'm glad we got this (win)...Our confidence is up, we're playing really good basketball defensively and offensively. So on Saturday, it should be a good game for us. It's a good challenge for us."

The Nuggets have played well as of late, including the game I went to on Wednesday night where they seemed to blow out the Toronto Raptors at every turn, and then almost lost to the Miami Heat before winning by one. The Warriors are going in making sure that won't happen to them on this night.

For the Nuggets, some of the keys are very simple. They need to get the ball. The Warriors are the best team in transition play so far this season, averaging around 1.3 points per possession when they go on the break, and are difficult to stop when they do that. They need to hold off the delay long enough to get the defense set. The Nuggets are not going to be able to avoid turnovers on the night, because the Warriors can create that without turnovers. What they need to do in those situations is think defense first when it comes to those possibilities.

Another crucial key for the Nuggets is the timeout calls. They've struggled after timeout calls, and teams have capitalized when both teams come out of the timeout. The Raptors proved that on Wednesday night, as did the Heat on Friday. It's important to come out of a timeout with a winning attitude and the ability to score points. These are what some analysts called "extra" points. You're either in the game or in a big lead, and the Nuggets have to do better not only with creating points but also coming out of the timeouts not giving up a bunch of points either.

The Warriors have big stars but they haven't been putting up a lot of points this season. They're 30.4 percent from the line and are allowing 111.3 points per 100 possessions. That's not the team we're used to seeing in recent seasons. But their lineup is still so versatile and can pass, handle, and shoot the ball. They can also defend as well. The lineup of Curry, Durant, Thompson, Iguodala, and Green have shown up they can do damage when they're in the zone, and for the Nuggets to win tonight, they have to keep this team out of the zone.

It's going to be a fun matchup in Denver tonight. I wish I actually stayed there through the weekend to watch this game, but unfortunately, I had to come home for work and I couldn't see this game. But I'm expecting a really close game, maybe a chance for the Nuggets to possibly put the Warriors in some kind of mix. But the thing is: That lineup for the Warriors will be playing tonight, unlike the last time these two teams played in Denver. And another big thing for Denver: They're playing back-to-back and both of those games are at home. Denver is going to make it a great game. I just think the Warriors are playing to get better right now, and I think when all five of the guys that I mentioned for the Warriors are on the floor, they are almost unstoppable. I think the Warriors handle business in Denver and they come out with a win.

Two MLB Free Agents Staying Put

You can cross off the list two names that won't be joining the free agent market when it opens this winter.

Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka said on Friday that he will be indeed staying with the New York Yankees and will not opt out of his contract, which still has three years left on it.

He said in a statement about the decision to stay put, "It was a simple decision for me as I have truly enjoyed the past four years playing for this organization...I'm committed to our goal of bringing a World Series championship back."

Tanaka just turned 29 on Wednesday, and was 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA, surprisingly high, as this is the first season where his ERA has jumped up. He also allowed 35 home runs, which is a career-high and was on the DL for nearly two weeks in August due to right shoulder inflammation. In his last seven starts after that, he was 5-2.

During the playoffs, he fared better, going 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA and 18 strikeouts, but couldn't get the Yankees over eventual champion Houston Astros.

That brings Tanaka's record to 52-28 with the Yankees and has gotten plenty of rest from the Yankees since the 2014 season when he discovered he had a partially torn ligament.

So while Tanaka is staying, another team that Tanaka's team beat is also keeping one of its best players.

Michael Brantley, one of the best players this season with the Cleveland Indians, will also not head to the market as the Indians exercised his $11.5 million option for next year, meaning that the Indians have a bigger chance of getting back to the playoffs than without him.

Although Brantley is 30 years old and getting up to veteran status, he hit .299 this season with nine homers and 52 RBIs in 90 games. However, he was also hit the injury bug as he went to the DL twice and had ankle surgery on Oct. 18, after the Indians were eliminated by the Yankees. This comes off an injury-plaqued 2016 where he only played 11 games in 2016 because of a shoulder injury that required surgery.

The Indians also exercised a $3 million option on right-hander Josh Tomlin, so he won't be going anywhere.

Taking on the Tanaka thing for a minute, I think is the smartest move by the Yankees so far in only two days of the offseason. When he's healthy and he's right, he's one of the best pitchers they have. The thing is, like many good pitchers they've had recently, they've been hit with the injury bug, and they usually haven't been the same since, despite them going to the ALCS this year and almost beating the Houston Astros. But they have to do this and I think it's a wise move because pitching is a valuable commodity to them and they need to make sure their guys are locked down for a long-haul. Plus, they have the money to do it.

As for the Brantley, I'm a little bit more surprised they held on to him. I know he played well this year and was a big factor for them in the regular season and the playoffs, but he is not only injury-prone, but he's getting up to an age where your production tends to go down and not up. I'm hoping he can have another good season next season and that won't happen, but when you start to hit 30, don't expect him to be the same guy he was over the last few seasons, when he was one of the best clutch hitters in baseball.

For the Yankees, it's a wise move because they need to lock down their pitching, at least for next season, where they could win the World Series again. For the Indians, it might be questionable to keep Brantley, just based on age, but I always say that age is just a number, and Bartolo Colon was one of the few people that did it. But it tells one thing: They're not on the market and they'll be with their teams, at least for next season, and I think that keeps him in the picture for the postseason in the near future.

Varlamov Has A Monster Game For Avalanche

The Carolina Hurricanes spent most of the night trying to get pucks past Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov. Every direction, every angle, every corner. But Varlamov was the one that stopped the door on the Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Varlamov stopped a career-high 57 shots and Blake Comeau scored one of three second-period goals for Colorado to lead them to a 5-3 win over the Hurricanes.

In this game, Varlamov set a new Avalanche record for most saves in a regular-season game. He still couldn't get the franchise record, set by Ron Tugnutt when he got 70 shots on them back in March of 1991 when the Avalanche were still known as the Quebec Nordiques.

Well, the Nordiques are gone and Varlamov is now considered the hero of Avalanche hockey, not that he's already etched his name on that.

Varlamov wasn't even worn out apparently, saying to reporters after the game, "I feel not bad, actually...Sometimes you face 30 shots and you're exhausted after the game. You never know how your body is reacting."

Well, he must've felt pretty good after the game. He looked pretty good and was the big difference-maker for the Avalanche on that game.

Varlamov has come a long way since his Vezina Trophy finalist days back in the 2013-14 season, and is coming off much of last season after having hip surgery to fix a groin issue he had been dealing with before that surgery.

The little extra: The bad loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Vegas may have given him an extra boost, considering that he gave up seven goals in that game. Only three in this one.

Varlamov said about bouncing back, "If you have a bad game, the next night you have to bounce back, so I had to forget about it and then just keep going."

Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen also contributed with goals with Carl Soderbergh added one, and Patrik Nemeth got his first NHL goal. The Avalanche are now 5-1 at home and they embark on a four-game, 10-day road trip that will also take them to Stockholm, Sweden.

The Avalanche played great on the night. I don't want to take anything away from Varlamov, because he played well, but this is a team that still has trouble on the road and they also played a team in Carolina that isn't playing so well either. But Varlamov did what he had to do tonight and he was indeed the big difference-maker in this game.

I'm hoping for good things from this win. I don't know how a 10-day road trip can solve that, but you have to go somewhere and he's the best players they have on the ice. He's on a bad day, like the one we saw in Vegas, the team has no chance. On a good day, he gives them a better chance.

It was a great game all around but Varlamov especially. And I was glad that I saw this game in Denver because it was the textbook definition of playing great goaltending, and by golly, that's what the Avalanche played with all night, and it paid off.