Are The Blues Fading?

The St. Louis Blues are seeming to fade from being a contender for the playoffs, and last night's loss against the Sharks just proved that point. You could very well say last season was the statement for this team. That's only unless they go on a roll.

Right now, though, this team is going through tough times as they lost 2-0 against the Sharks on Thursday night at SAP Center. Going into this game, the Blues' playoffs chances were growing dimmer and last night's game just showed the reason why they could miss out on the playoffs entirely.

It's not the Blues that have problems, though. The Sharks needed this game just as badly and were holding off the LA Kings and Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division. However, both teams realized this game could make or break their season, assuming it trends the way it did last night.

In this case, both teams had great energy and great play from the get-go, but the Sharks were the ones that went after the puck early and often. Thanks in part to reliable goalie Jake Allen, he kept the puck out of the net for the first two periods, filling in for an injured Carter Hutton. To many fans of the Blues, it's surprising for Allen to be this consistent, especially in this game, and keep it 0-0 going into the third period.

Unfortunately for the Blues, the offense couldn't get anything going. They more likely wanted to keep the game even instead of trying to attack Martin Jones. They only got 16 shots on him. Yes, they did have some energy but it seemed to die out after the Sharks scored the first goal in the third period. After that, they were deflated, with no energy and no way to get to Martin Jones. It was basically terrible from that point forward.

I'll give the Blues credit for one thing: They had effort. Their season was most likely on the line in this game and they had to go out and prove they can still be in it. Jake Allen proved he's still reliable when called on and allowed the Blues to keep it even through two periods, before the big fallout.

Right now, the Blues sit four points out of a Wild Card spot to get in, but with the way the teams in front of them have been playing, it's going to be hard to see the Blues actually squeezing in there. So the game may have just sealed their fate, or at least give the teams in front of them a bit of an advantage. So right now, every game is crucial for the Blues and they can't afford to have a lot of losses between now and April. If so, they miss. If they win, they may be in. However, with the way things looked like last night, giving up the goal in the third deflated this team, and if that's the attitude they have for the rest of the way, it's going to be a non-playoff-season for St. Louis.

Torrey Smith On The Move

Torrey Smith now has two Super Bowl rings, this latest one thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, he'll look to find that same Super Bowl success in a new place.

On Friday, ESPN's Adam Scheffer reported that the Eagles have traded their veteran wide receiver Torrey Smith to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Daryl Worley.

This trade comes on the heels of them acquiring defensive back Michael Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks.

This season, Smith played a big part in the Eagles success, catching 36 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns for this season. In the postseason, he had 13 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown. That means the Carolina Panthers just got a player who can still be a threat even as he gets older.

The reasons for the trade make sense, because Philadelphia is currently $14 million over the salary cap and they need to shed some payroll. That is especially true with Michael Bennett, who might be looking to get more money at one point. This season, Smith is set to make a base salary of $5 million, which is what the Eagles can't afford. The player the Eagles got back, Daryl Worley, is still on a four-year rookie deal that is worth $650,000. The Eagles can afford that and not what Smith wants.

While Daryl Worley did have a fantastic start to the season for the Carolina Panthers, the second half saw him in and out of the lineup and his play wasn't quite the same as James Bradberry, who played opposite him. When healthy, he started 14 of 15 games, but only played one snap in the Week 6 game against the Eagles before being pulled out. He was being subbed in and out, due to his play not at the level the Panthers expected it to.

With Smith, the Panthers get a veteran wide receiver that head coach Ron Rivera had been asking for. Smith is a speedy receiver who can beat defenders and has big playmaking ability, that example being in the playoffs. He only had three drops all season, which means he is somebody that can catch a football and hold onto it, even through traffic.

I feel like Torrey Smith has been under appreciated for most of his career, despite his two Super Bowl rings, one in Baltimore and one in Philadelphia. I felt like his tenure in San Francisco may have been the one area that left many skeptical about his career, and perhaps his asking for money from the Ravens for the Super Bowl might've been the reason he left for San Francisco. Torrey Smith is an amazing player, he's an agile wide receiver who doesn't let down his team, and he's a leader and a veteran one that young players are looking for. I think what Smith brings to the Carolina Panthers is something that not only does this team need, but I think their quarterback Cam Newton needs. I only say that because of his recent behavior, especially towards the media and all that. If Smith can come in and provide the sort of leadership and determination that we saw in both Baltimore and Philadelphia, I think Carolina has a big shot to be in the playoffs again and be a deep threat when there.

It was all business in Philadelphia after this season. They had a great season they resulted in a Super Bowl and now they have to shed money. I don't blame them for doing this, but what they're giving up is a guy who is a veteran, a playmaker, and a wide receiver you can count on. There's not many of those in the NFL, but the Panthers just managed to land one, and that could have deep impact on that NFC South.

Richard Sherman Released By The Seahawks

Richard Sherman's time with the Seattle Seahawks appears to be coming to an end.

According to multiple reports, including ESPN's Adam Scheffer, the Seahawks are likely to release Richard Sherman on Friday. If indeed this news is true, it brings to an end perhaps one of the best defensive players in Seahawks history and probably one of the more iconic player in Seattle history.

Things were relatively quiet on Thursday, as no transaction involving Sherman happened that day and he was in Las Vegas attending NFLPA meetings.

Before even the news broke that he has going to be released, the Seahawks had been looking for trade partners for Sherman and nothing happened, most likely because teams expect that the Seahawks would release him. That way, they wouldn't have to give up picks and players to Seattle for a guy still dealing with an ACL injury.

The reasons for the release make sense, as he's making $11 million in salary and is still recovering from a season-ending injury that he suffered in November. Now that he's being released, Sherman is now willing to pick his new team, most likely a team that will offer him a lot of money, perhaps even more than what he got with the Seahawks.

With the release, the Seahawks will now add another $11 million in salary-cap space that they can use to go out and either find new players via free agency or even through the draft. However, I will not question the release or the tactics behind that. If I know one thing about GM John Schneider, he can find ways to cut great players and then go out and get players and make them great. That's why they've been so successful in Seattle for those many years.

There are several reports that all of the moves they are making in getting rid of either injured or high talent players might be to resign Sheldon Richardson, who has played well since coming over from the New York Jets last season. The team declined to put a franchise tag on him and it's expected that releasing all these players would allow to keep Richardson around long-term. Not only that, but it could also add some flexibility to sign Earl Thomas to a long-term deal as well.

It's clear that Schneider believes he knows what he's doing. He's not wrong. Both Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett, who they traded, were not the same players they were during their two-year Super Bowl run and maybe it was time to part with him. However, they have done so much to Seattle and given that fan base a Super Bowl, and I think Seahawks fans, like myself, are appreciative and are thankful that they did that.

Richard Sherman will get picked up by another team and will get more money than what the Seahawks gave him. It was time to move on, anyway. One of the biggest figures in Seattle history will not be forgotten, and we thank Richard Sherman on his devotion and effort to this team, and for bringing a championship to the Emerald City. Now, we'll see where his next act takes him.

Should The Cavs Apologize to Kevin Love?

We're finally getting the news as to why Kevin Love was not on the bench for the Cleveland Cavaliers the day they were blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The reason: Panic attack.

Love published a piece on the Players' Tribune on Monday morning and detailed his experiences with panic attacks, including one that he said he suffered during a game against the Atlanta Hawks back in November.

The game wasn't the only one that he had suffered a panic attack. Back in the game against the Thunder, just three minutes into the game, Love left the floor for what we thought at the time was either an injury or something else. Now we know that he suffered another one there, and that led to a team meeting where some current Cavalier players called him out for leaving the bench and the subsequent practice. He later admitted to them that he had been suffering panic attacks.

A few of those players included then-Cavaliers Isaiah Thomas and Dwyane Wade. When asked about it later, Thomas said he didn't call him out but asked why he didn't stay and support his teammates.

Thomas eventually ended up in LA while Wade was sent back to Miami, and you can be sure they'll probably send out apologies and words of support for Love after this published letter. I'm sure many other Cavaliers will do the same, either current or former. LeBron James has already come out in support of LeBron, which essentially is an apology.

So now that the article is out there and we know why Kevin Love left a couple of times during the season, the question now is: Should the Cavaliers apologize for what happened? Absolutely, at least for the ones who called him out in that meeting. We haven't heard yet from a lot of players who were in that meeting, and we know we already heard one from LeBron. But it's absolute they need to apologize, because 1) You can't call out teammates like that and 2) Players have reasons for leaving the game, whether it be sickness or an emergency or anything like that. In this case, Kevin Love had an emergency and it was a panic attack. It's an issue he had to address and he had to do with what was in his best interest. I wouldn't fault him for that. However, I hope that anybody who was in that meeting and who went after Kevin Love either apologized then or is apologizing now.

Look, mental health is no easy thing to deal with. I deal with it all the time, and mental health has forced me to choose between work and getting better. Obviously, I chose getting better, and that's exactly what Kevin Love was trying to do, and I would encourage people out there who is dealing with mental health to take time off from work or wherever to get it taken care of and to feel better. That way, you can come back raring to go again and making an impact on your place of work.

Kevin Love took the smart approach and I should applaud him for that. As for his teammates, if they haven't apologized yet, they should. You can't do this, not in any circumstance. I understand that teammates should be there for each other, but if you have health issues that you must address, it's best to leave the team and get them figured out rather than staying and making it worse. That way, both the team and the player end off better in the long run.

Mental health is not easy. It's taken people many long hours, weeks, and months to feel better and come back ready to go again. Kevin Love can take all the time he needs to get better and hopefully when he gets back, he's ready to help the Cavaliers. They need him, and in order to get him at 100% health, he needs all the time he needs. Hopefully, that works out well.

MLS Preview: What To Watch

MLS soccer is finally back!

The 2018 MLS season kicks off tonight, March 3, with a flurry of games and intriguing matchups and storylines. You have Toronto FC coming off a great season that resulted in a championship, you have the worry about the Sounders FC after losing Jordan Morris for the whole season, and you have the new team in LAFC that's hoping to make a dent in LA's tight sports city, especially with the more established LA Galaxy to the south. So what should we expect out of the MLS season and what are a couple of storylines to follow? Let's take a look at a couple of them.

LAFC
The biggest storyline of the season may be the new team in the league: LAFC. This team is essentially a redo of the Chivas USA team that went defunct years ago. It's got new players, its got a new mission, and it's going to play closer to downtown than the LA Galaxy, who continue to play too far to the south. It will be led by former US head coach Bob Bradley, who knows something about leading expansion teams, having led the Chicago Fire expansion team to a Cup in 1998. They have more celebrity ownerships, starting with Magic Johnson, and by April, it will have $350 million stadium to play in. While the LAFC may still be building, it's clearly getting more hype in this LA market. Not sure why, since the Galaxy are still the premier team there, but maybe not for long. How about the Galaxy get a stadium in downtown?

Sounders Without Morris
You can tell me a bunch of players on the Seattle Sounders FC, and I would only know three: Stefan Frei, Jordan Morris, and Clint Dempsey. Well, one of those players is now out for the season, as Jordan Morris will undergo surgery, and now the Sounders are wondering what the hell they are going to do to replace his speediness and his quick ability to score goals.

 Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. It's not just Morris that's out. You also have to worry about Dempsey leaving, as he's most likely done after this year, and there's a couple of names still on that team that's likely to leave after the season.

It's a little concerning going into this season, as Morris was the best player and you don't know how everybody else is going to adapt. However, the Sounders FC are still a big team in the MLS and they went to the MLS Cup Finals two years in a row. Whether or not they can make it three in a row will depend on how this team does without Morris.

Atlanta Taking The Next Step?
Atlanta United FC may have been the biggest surprise of last season, especially late in the season. Not only did they play well on the field, but they broke attendance records in its inaugural season and they signed a big-time player Ezequiel Barco from Argentina for $15 million.

Barco is now added to a lineup that includes Miguel Almiron, Josef Martinez, and Hector Villalba. You can expect a lot of goals to be scored for this team.

It's possible that if this works out, Atlanta could become a new beast in the East. Then again, Toronto did win last year and you can count they're taking notice.

It should be a fun season and I'm looking forward to it. I'm actually going to an MLS game tonight, as the Earthquakes are having their home opener at Avaya Stadium against Minnesota United FC. Can't wait for tonight and can't wait to see what the season has in store.