Mookie Betts called up by Red Sox: Stunning prospect is good but Sox are in danger of rushing him

This is Mookie Betts. He is 21 years old, weighs 156 pounds and is just about 5 feet 9 inches tall. He plays outfield had has spent the 2 and a half years since he was drafted in the 5th round by Boston in the Red Sox developmental system. Perhaps the most stunning part about Mookie though is the levels at which he has been playing in this developmental system.

Mookie began this season as a infielder turned outfield playing on the short A, Greenville Drive. After just about a week though, Mookie sent the message that he was ready to move up in the system and by May had climbed to double A Portland where we played 54 games. Playing for Boston's second highest minor league team, Betts managed to his .355 in 214 plate appearances, crushing 18 doubles, 6 home runs and 34 RBI's. Once again, the former 5th rounder had out shined the players he was playing with and against and it was time to move up in the system again. By the beginning of June, Mookie Betts was in Triple A Pawtucket and was once again tearing it up at the plate. In 23 games, he went to the plate 106 times walking 16 times and striking together 29 hits. His batting average fell ever so slightly to a still worth celebrating .322 while he added some power to his game as well. Betts batted in 14 runs in Pawtuket, hitting 2 home runs in the long ball starved league and logging 4 additional extra base hits for the team.

As we rolled into this final week in the month of June, members of the Red Sox front office were put in a tough spot. They had a kid in tipple A Pawtucket who was too good. If that sounds like it is not a problem  it is because it is not entirely. But believe me when I  say this. The Sox are not thrilled to be bringing up Mookie Betts right now.

First of all, the Sox already have already rushed a prospect through their system this year in Brock hold and though he has been great so far for Boston, there are many drawbacks to rushing a player in the way that they did with Holt much less as they did with Betts. To see an example of a player getting clocked after being rushed into the big leagues I point towards incumbent Sox centerfeilder Jackie Bradley Jr..

After preforming admirably in Spring Training, the Sox who were not confident with their situation in left field decided that a then 23 year old Bradley was ready to be a starter in the MLB. They were wrong. Bradley played 37 games at the start of last season and managed just 18 hits in 95 at bats. His .189 batting average and .280 on base percentage were far from acceptable and though his .908 fielding percentage was decent, his 2013 season was an absolute failure.

The problem now though is that right now, the play of Boston's outfielders has been ever worse than it was going into last season. With Johnny Gomes, doing nothing, Jackie Bradley Jr. still not hitting and Shane Victorino proving that he is absolutely incapable of staying healthy, Boston now needs a good hitting outfielder with speed and a decent glove more than ever. If Betts can give that to them, than they are in luck but if he turns out to follow the same path as Bradley Jr, than they would have ruined what could have been a really wonderful career. 

Only time will tell which path Betts will follow though. All we know is that the Red Sox are desperate and the premature promotion of Mookie Betts is a true sign of that.

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Thoughts on Jarome Iginla's contract situation: Veteran winger a necessity for Boston

Frankly, the Bruins are a team that seems to annually struggle with complying with changing salary cap regulations.

After the Stanley Cup win in 2011, the Bruins found themselves over the salary cap for the next season (2011-2012) and were forced to part ways with their high scoring 3rd line winger, Michael Ryder. A year after that they lost several key depth players such at Jay Pandalfo and Mike Mottou and a year after that the cap stole both Andrew Ference as well as their brilliant rookie backup Anton Khudobin.

But now the Bruins are in danger of suffering a loss even more crippling than any they have suffered post Stanley Cup. Jarome Iginla’s contract is up and as of now he does not seem too willing to take a hometown discount of any sort. The fact of the matter is that Iginla will go to the best team that gives him the best offer and that could include a whole host of teams. Some of those teams are already are already being proactive in their attempt to snatch the Boston stud.  It was announced today that Iginla is now listening to offers from other teams and those potential deals are rapidly increasing in their frequency. If the Bruins do not act soon, Iginla is bound to sign one of those deals. 

But if the Bruins are going to prolong their longevity as a Stanley Cup contender, that cannot happen. In just the 82 games since he was signed last off season, Iginla has taken Boston's offence and made it absolutely lethal, infusing the attack with consistency and order in a way that no one else could. 

Obviously, the Iginla story and his relation to Boston does not just confine itself to this season. Prior to the 2013 season, Iginla had been capturing the imaginations of teams for over a decade as he lit the lamp at a ridiculous pace as the captain of the Calgary Flames. However, after sticking it out as a 30 to 40 goal scorer on a last place team, Iginla decided midway through the 2013 season that it was time to win a Stanley Cup and that was not going to happen in Calgary. Additionally though, after almost locking down a trade deal with Boston, Iginla bailed on the team approving a trade to the Penguins instead. 

Well Bruins fans you all know how that worked out for him. The Bruins swept the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals and went on to play in one of the greatest Stanley Cup Finals in history. As a result of that, Iginla went down the "if you can’t beat em' join em'" road, signing a 1.8 million dollar 1 year deal with Boston.   

The Bruins gave Iginla a serious vote of confidence by forgiving his slap to their collective faces earlier in the season and paying him a serious contract to do what he does best. He did that and more in Boston.

You see, the wonder of Jarome Iginla goes beyond just the number of goals he scores. As the Bruins first line anchor, Iginla never went more than 10 games without a goal and actually seemed to score more against good teams in important games than he did in other games. Iginla was also clutch with 10 of his 30 goals winning the games they were scored in. In all truth, Jarome Iginla is the perfect Bruin. Though he scored 30 goals in Boston which is something that very rarely happens largely because of Claude Jullian's selfless style, Iginla was no puck hog. His line mates, Milan Lucic and David Krejci both scored 24 and 19 goals respectively and Iginla assisted on 31 goals scored by his team. 

As shown by those stats in particular, Iginla's consistency was unique in the fact that it helped more than just his game. He revived the games of Lucic and Krejci when they both were beginning to fall from grace and made the Boston first line as physical as it was potent offensively by throwing hits along the boards while Milan Lucic creamed people behind the net.  

If this train of thought seems overwhelming it is because Iginla's commitment and the new blend of offence that he brought to Boston are almost innumerable. Without him Boston would not only have lacked the goals he himself scored but they also would have lacked probably 50% of the goals Krejci and Lucic scored simply because the two of them were down right awful at times in the year before Iginla came to Boston. 

If Iginla never came, if the team was to hurt by his passing up on them in 2013, there is a great possibility that the team could have absolutely crumbled. I say bravo in reaction to Peter Charelli's signing of Iginla last year but also say that he has to pull of such managerial magic once again. The Bruins need Jarome Iginla.

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Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask win big at NHL Awards: League recognizing qualities in two stars instrumental to Boston's sucsess

At Tuesday's NHL Awards Show, 3 Bruins were nominated 5 awards. By the end of the two hour special that included performances by Phillip Phillips and appearances by a whole host of TV, movie and music stars, 2 Bruins had WON 4 awards. 

For Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, he won his 2nd Selke Trophy in 3 seasons in addition to winning both the NHL 15 Cover Vote and the NHL Foundation Award for community service. 

As tweeted out by the Bruins organization after Bergy's Selke win Bergeron was gracious in his acceptance of the award. "any individual award goes with the help of all your teammates & coaches," He said "have to thank them all for making me a better player" 

Bergeron played perhaps the best season of his career this year. He finished 3rd in the league in face-off win percentage this season, assisting on 32 goals and scoring 30 goals on top of that. His plus minus rating of +38 was substantially better than any other player nominated for the Selke and surely represented the equally offensive and defensive style of play that Patrice Bergeron embodied. It was also the best plus minus rating of the Bruins' star's career. It was the unique way that Bergeron showed his stunning skill set and suddenly vocal leadership in 2014 that won him both the Selke Trophy and the hugely popularity based contest that is the NHL 15 Cover Vote.  

But beyond that, Bergeron was also finally recognized for his community work this year with the NHL Foundation Award. Frankly for almost a decade now, Patrice has been one of those sports icons that Boston sports fans love to make into absolute celebrities. In the past few years Bergeron has most notably used his power in the city of Boston for good by starting up his own charitable organization, Patrice's Pals. Patrice's Pals gives children in local Boston hospitals for long term care the opportunity to attend a Bruins game in all its splendor and then meet Bergeron himself shortly after the conclusion of the 3rd period.  

Bergeron, though he has never been one to go after individual recognition was bathed in it Tuesday. Boston's center has already achieved great things and it was proven Tuesday night that the NHL is finally recognizing that. 

One man who was getting recognition right from the get go was also rewarded with a heavy dose of celebration Tuesday. Tuukka Rask absolutely shut opponents down in 2013-2014 winning 36 games, logging 6 shutouts, a sub 2.5 GAA and a save percentage of over .930. His dominance with the glove was greatly bettered by increased skating mobility this season while his stick was put to use much more. The most notable of these stick plays occurred when Rask would come charging off his line to combat any given breakaway with a pad stack 30 feet out from the net. 

As a result of his stunning imitation of a brick wall as it would act when placed in front of a hockey goal this season, Rask was awarded not only with his first Vezina nomination but also his first win. The victory served as the 3rd by a Boston goalie in the last 6 years. It is that fact that is perhaps the most stunning. As you may remember just two years ago, Tim Thomas bizarrely quit professional hockey for a year leaving the Bruins questioning their situation in goal. Tuukka Rask was just coming off a groin injury and without a solid backup he would be expected to play huge minutes in the seasons of the near future. While some predicted greatness from the Finnish star, none predicted what he has given Boston. The fact is when Thomas left at the end of the 2011-2012 season, Bruins fans thought they might not see the likes of such a great goalie for a long time. I can assure you that by long time they did not mean 1 season. 

Tuukka Rask won the Vezina this season, proving his worth to Boston and the NHL and showing off what has very quickly become one of the most stunning stories of goal tending luck mixed with coaching ever. While other teams have been able to trot out guys like Martan Brodure or Dominik Hasek it is surely a rare occasion when a coaching staff can groom two different Vezina Trophy winners as close together as the Bruins have with Tim Thomas in 2011 and Tuukka Rask in 2014. 

Rask's win Tuesday gave props not only to him but the Bruins team as a whole.  

All and all, the duo of Rask and Patrice Bergeron will likely become the defined core of the Bruins in a couple years when Zdeno Chara retires and will likely produce a new captain of the Bruins to fill that void. These two men have leadership and gutsy skill that is almost unrivaled in the league right now. They never play for their own personal game, they do play for their team and above all they do play for the city that worships them. The NHL saw that as something admirable Tuesday night and thus responded by handing both Bruins huge recognition.

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NHL Awards preview: Chara, Rask, Bergeron all up for awards...predictions and analysis for every award

Selke Trophy (Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Johnathan Towes)

In a season where these three finalists all solidified their rankings as some of the best players in hockey, who wins the Selke Trophy this year will be decided by a very close margin. Anze Kopitar ranked 4th in the league in plus minus this season with a score of +34 while Johnathan Towes played out of his mind in Chicago, scoring 28 goals and winning 57.2% of his face offs. The only man better than him in either mentioned category was Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron had perhaps the best season of his career in 2014, winning 58.6% of his face-offs and scoreing 30 goals. Bergeron played the most games of any player nominated for this award and retained the hard skating, selfless style of play this season that made him great in years past. 

Patrice Bergeron is my pick to win the Selke Trophy awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL.

Calder Trophy (Tyler Johnson, Nathan McKinnon, Ondrej Palat)

Unfortunately for Johnson and Palat, Nathan McKinnon is the clear cut favorite to win this trophy. While Johnson and Palat both scored 20+ goals this season, McKinnon was sunning for Colorado especially at the beginning of the season. Last year's number one draft pick scored 26 goals in 2014,  cracking 63 points and logging 5 game winning goals. 

Nathan McKinnon is my pick to win the Calder Trophy awarded to the best rookie in the NHL.

Vezina Trophy (Tuukka Rask, Ben Bishop, Semyon Varlamov)

In the early months of the season Tuukka Rask was almost guaranteed to win the Vezina Trophy. However, as the season went on the work of Ben Bishop increased in quality and the work of Tuukka Rask decreased. While Rask played more games than pretty much any goalie in hockey this year, his stunning sub 2.5 GAA, 6 shutouts and .930 save percentage were all achieved with the help of a defense that included both Selke and Norris Trophy nominated players. Ben Bishop however, played on a team in Tampa that lacked much defensive talent whatsoever. Still however, Bishop logged a GAA of 2.23, a save percentage of .923 as well as smacking together 5 shutouts.  

Regardless through, my pick for this year’s Vezina Trophy awarded to the league's best goaltender is Tuukka Rask.

Norris Trophy (Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber)

I’m sorry Boston fans, in this his 6th Norris Trophy nomination, Zdeno Chara will not win the coveted prize for defenders. Frankly the big man was flat in 2014, lacking speed as well as his normal hard hitting dominance. Who did not was Blakchawks blue liner, Duncan Keith. Keith was a +22 this season assisting on 55 goals in 79 games played. 

For these reasons, Duncan Keith is my pick to win the Norris Trophy awarded to the NHL's best defender.

Adams Trophy (Patrick Roy, Mike Babcock, Jon Cooper)

In what has now become an annual occurrence Mike Babcock is once again nominated for the Adams Trophy. He will not win though. That job will be done by the fiery Patrick Roy who caught our attention with his outburst in the first game of the year and the kept it by guiding the Avalanche into the playoffs for the first time in years. Roy's dominance this season was one of the best every by a rookie coach.

For the reasons stated above, my pick to win the Adams Trophy for best NHL coach is Patrick Roy. 

Hart Trophy (Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Ryan Getslav)

Frankly the pure existence of a Sidney Crosby nomination is pathetic. He lacks leadership and in my opinion did not even match the on ice output of say James Neal this season in Pittsburgh. Though he is favored in media polls to win this award, he does not deserve it. Who does deserve it is the Anaheim cornerstone that is Ryan Getslav. Getzslav scored 31 goals this season, playing 77 games and logging a points total (83) that ranked second among all NHL players.  He led the Ducks to one of their best regular season records in this decade and played with poise and leadership all year round. 

Ryan Getzlav is my pick to win this years Hart Trophy presented to the NHL's move valuable player. 

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Mexican World Cup fans chanting gay slur highlights hateful culture in soccer: Time for FIFA to take action

What many Americans do not fully understand is the cultural significance and political power that the sport of soccer holds in the large majority of the world. The fact of the matter is that while in the United States plenty of children dream of suiting up in one of the Big Four leagues (football, basketball, baseball or hockey), in much of South and Central America, soccer is the ONLY major sport and as a result, it serves not only as a ticket to immense fame but a way out of a less than desirable future. Soccer's importance throughout Europe and parts of Asia are also felt not only in terms of cultural significance but also because of their massive prominence in the financial landscape of countries. In Europe alone, almost 70 professional soccer leagues operate. Revenue wise, large leagues such as England's Premier League, Italy's Serie A and Germany's Bundasliga annually haul in upwards of two billion dollars from ticket sales, team fees and television contracts that are now becoming more and more popular in European nations.

Throughout the world of soccer, money is bountiful, fans are rabid and onlookers are constantly mesmerized by the athleticism that many of the sports players possess as they race up and down a massive pitch for an hour and a half with little or no rest. This sport that is cemented within the hearts and minds of billions of people across the globe is hailed as beautiful for many reasons. But at the same time, it is not perfect. Hidden by the screams of immense devotion and a kind of fandom passed down through generations are many flaws.

Soccer fans are probably familiar with the wide acceptance of bribery in the host selection process for the World Cup just as they are familiar with the many scandals involving match fixing through time. What soccer fans might also know but might not at the same time is the strain of racism in the sport. Just months before the World Cup, one of the biggest incidents of racism in recent soccer history took place when Ghana native Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the pitch citing racial abuse from fans and players. Weeks later, Italian superstar Mario Baotelli made racial abuse directed at him public once again in an interview with an Italian soccer team.

The good news for the victims of match fixing and racism in soccer is the fact that the world's most powerful soccer organization, FIFA, has at least made it look like they will take action against such transgressions. Most anyone who has watched a FIFA sanctioned game in the past few years has seen the banners proclaiming "Say no to racism" right up against the pitch. In fact, in the past two World Cups since the Say No to Racism campaign began, FIFA has used the program to bolster its public image and portray itself as a league fighting for a better, more equal future. The campaign however is largely all talk. Since 2010, FIFA has not gone any farther than a fine in reaction to any incidents of racial discrimination or harassment in its games. But talk is better than silence.

While discrimination or harassment because of sexual orientation is prohibited under the dictations of Article Three in the FIFA rule book, discipline for such actions has almost never come and very little noise is actually made about such harassment in the sport.

One example of this is the controversy surrounding the chanting of the word "puto" by Mexican and Brazilian soccer fans when an opposing goalie takes a goal kick. While the meaning of the word as it is used by Mexican fans is being debated in the media, a common consensus is that puto is an insulting Spanish word used to describe someone as cowardly or weak. Additionally, most people familiar with Spanish language and colloquial slang seem to agree that puto almost always carries a homophobic connotation with it. They seem to agree that puto refers to someone as unmasculine in the same way that calling someone a faggot does. While the person the word is being said to may not be gay, its roots lie in a culture of homophobia and its use at a soccer game is appalling.

Moving beyond just the game though, I personally am almost more offended by the defense of the fans using this word in the media. Arguments have been made that this word has a double meaning and has no association with homophobia anymore. It has also been said that puto was never tied to the gay community in any way. Though I claim no expertise in the field of Spanish profanity, the reactions of actual gay Mexicans after this argument went mainstream surely proves that puto is a slur that offends and attacks their personality. This goes back to the age old argument that it is the offended not the offender who decides the hateful and offensive connotations of a word.

Finally, going back to the argument that puto no longer refers to homosexuality in any way I point towards similar arguments made in defense of English homophobic slurs like faggot or the exclamation of "that's so gay". The people who say those kinds of words at times say so in reaction to things that have nothing to do with homosexuality. But regardless, no matter the context, saying such a word in any kind of taunting or hateful tone is offensive to a gay person. Puto is like that in every way.

But unfortunately for the world, not everyone thinks that way and it is the frame of mind that this is all okay coupled with the fact that FIFA takes no action against homophobia that helps things like the puto chant persist for this long.

Mexican coach Miguel Herrera said that this chant is a part of Mexican soccer. "Its not that bad" he said "We're with our fans. It's something they do to pressure the opposing goalkeeper.''

But what happens when it turns out the goalie is gay or when heck, one of the millions upon millions of people watching these games is gay and is rightfully offend by the use of the word? They stop watching, they talk negatively about the league. FIFA though does not apparently see that as something that could happen. So they let things like this go on unchecked. And that kind of rampant hate can and already has turned infections simply because once players leave the jurisdiction of FIFA, they bring the lack of acceptance that was not punished there back to their leagues.

As highlighted by a series of reporting by SB Nation's Outsports even teammates shunned and refused to respect gay teammates like they deserved. Earlier this month, a player in Germany's Under 19 Bundesliga said that after he was outed by teammates, his teammates would wait until after he left the locker room to shower. Additionally, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said that "Because of that media interest, maybe no one will come out. You have to consider now that, in a society where you have gay marriage, why should people not come out? For me, it is not a problem because what is important is how a player behaves, how much he loves football and how much he respects his partners. That's what the game is about." 

While that statement is not exactly hateful it eludes to the fact that many in the soccer world believe that the sport is "toxic" to gay people and that idea is. Weather it is truthful or not, no sport should be toxic to anybody. Your sexual orientation should have nothing to do with a sporting event and if soccer is in fact toxic than every league must work to change that. 

They say it starts from the top and in the soccer world; FIFA is the (incompetent) top of the soccer heap. So, with soccer's homophobia epidemic now raging through the sport that serves as the platform for thousands of role models for billions of people worldwide, it is time for that top to take action. The fans that chanted puto during the Mexico game must be punished for their actions just as the coach who defended those fans must be punished. Across the pond in Germany, coaches and teammates must stand up for their friend and stop an kind of discrimination against him and in the Premier League these players need to stop the trash talk and leave sexual preference out of a game with nothing to do with it. 

But as I said, it all starts from the top. FIFA needs to do more than talk. It is time for there to be consequences for homophobia in soccer.

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USA stuns with captivating 2-1 win over Ghana in World Cup: Early goal and clutch substitute ease pain of key injuries

On June 17th, 2014, the wondrous United States dismantling of Ghana in their World Cup opener is all sports fans can talk about.  

After 2 straight World Cups that ended with an American loss to Ghana, the Yanks were thrown a curve ball when, despite being placed in a group with Ghana for the 3rd straight cup they got to start the group stage against their African nemesis rather than end it. However despite it being at the beginning of the stage, the USA/Ghana group game carried immense weight. 

Group G was picked as one of the toughest groups in recent World Cup history, the Ghana game was actually the easiest game on the schedule. So, with the fear of the Germans and Portuguese looming large in the American’s sights, victory was the only option Monday afternoon in Natal.  

29 seconds in to the game, they took a huge step towards doing that. After a Clint Dempsey throw in, Jermaine Jones fought off a Ghana defender and chucked a short pass across to Dempsey who immediately cut into the outer goalie box where he burned center back John Boye. With a clear view of the goal Dempsey pounded a left footed ball off the far post and into the back of the Ghanaian net. The goal was the earliest ever scored by a US men's soccer player and the 5th fastest goal scored in World Cup history. Additionally, the tally made its scorer, Clint Dempsey, the first American to score in 3 consecutive World Cup tournaments.

The goal was the best thing that could possibly happen for the Americans, gluing millions of people back in the states to their television sets and proving that despite the odds, this team was willing to shock the world. 

However, while Dempsey delivered US Soccer with a great gift, Jozy Altidore delivered the nation with the absolute opposite. After failing to capitalize on a goal scoring opportunity in the 17th minute, the American star found himself chasing the ball towards the corner flag when he reportedly felt a pull in his left hamstring and collapsed to the ground. The 24 year old went down in obvious agony and needed to be taken off the field on a stretcher. 

While it was very quickly said that Altidore was suffering from a strained hamstring, the team seemed a little reserved in how much they were going to tell the media about the injury. However, they did tell ESPN reporters later in the game that Jozy would undergo a scan on his leg the following day. As off 11:33am results from that scan had not yet been published.  

But anyway, the loss of Altidore immediately put much more pressure on the already crucial play of Clint Dempsey while also further putting the decision to leave Landon Donovan off the team in the spotlight. All and all, American soccer fans saw the Altidore injury and screamed something along the lines of "why me?!". A few minutes later, they began to wonder at what point this game stopped being a soccer game and instead turned into an episode of Grey's Anatomy. 

During a 33rd minute loose ball situation, the knee of John Boye went rogue and clocked Clint square in the nose. The US striker immediately collapsed to the ground clutching his face while his surely broken nose bled into his hands. Though he would leave the game briefly to get patched up, fans in Natal gave their star a resounding bout of verbal support when he hopped back onto the pitch. As he would reveal after the game however, the injury to his nose made the rest of the game far from pleasant.  

“I just had trouble breathing,” Dempsey said. “I was coughing up blood out there. I did get a little bit tired. Hopefully I can start breathing through my nose before the next game.” 

Wow Clint. 

Unfortunately for the US, the minute or two of play without Dempsey on the field helped Ghana swing momentum in their favor. After the Dempsey injury, the boys from Ghana rattled off 15 shots to the US' 4 shots. More scared was the effectiveness of halftime substitutions made by Ghana which resulted in a stretch of midfield domination and 6 straight unanswered shots at the American goal. Though a great game by US goalie Tim Howard stifled most of these shots with ease and efficiency, and 81st minute strike by Andre Ayew fooled Howard and snuck past his outstretched right leg into the net. With just 9 minutes left in the game, it looked that despite all the work at the beginning of the game put in by the US strikers, a draw was all they would get. Unfortunately, US fans feared that their hopes of escaping the group stage had been shot down before they could really take off.

But then John Brooks came into the game as a late substitution by Jurgen Klinsman. Just 4 minutes after the Ayew goal, strong footed American midfielder Grahm Zusi arced a perfect corner kick right into the congregation of players at the top of the inner goalie box. Brooks who was positioned perfectly to receive the kick timed his jump and managed to get off an uncontested header that directed the ferocious cross into the Ghana net. 

When the whistle blew for full time just about 10 minutes later, the US had pulled one out of the hat. They had scored two goals that stunned the world with their timing and fought through adversity to log a true upset of a favored opponent. Looking forward, even a tie with Portugal next weekend could be enough for the USA to sneak out of the group stage.

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Bruins plan to move on from Shawn Thornton ahead of 2014-2015 season: 36 year old enforcer will be missed

Shawn Thornton is one of the few enforcers who it is safe to say is part of the core group of his team. He sticks up for his team by fighting when necessary and marching into scrums around his net and simply chucking bodies around like potato sacks. But as many NHL fans know, those attributes come easy to most big players and so, straight up enforcers often turn into journey men moving around the league and signing with whatever team needs a physical boost ahead of an impending season. 

But Shawn Thornton's holster of frozen bite extends beyond that. Unlike straight up enforcers like John Scott who often log less than 5 minutes of ice time per game, Shawn Thornton often plays twice as long as that, spending his time anchoring perhaps the best 4th line in hockey. Thornton's physicality is used not only to fight but to win possession battles especially in fore-checking situations in the offensive corners. As a result of his physical presence in the offensive zone, the 4th line often gave Boston huge momentum boosts with large stretches of time spent in the opponent's end and from time to time, timely goals. 

However, from now on the Bruins will have to do without the spectacular services of their coveted tough guy. After perhaps the toughest season of his career, Thornton may have upset his club by crossing the line that separates a tough player and a dirty player. After straight up beating Broks Orpik while he was down and serving a 15 game ban as a result of it, Thornton struggled to find his stride in the second half of the season and incurred another incident of supplementary discipline in the playoffs when he was fined $2,820 for spraying PK Subban with a water bottle in the final moments of a game. 

To say that Shawn Thornton lost his way in 2013-2014 might be a bit of an overreaction. But none the less, as the Bruins looked at their team this off season, they recognized that their team now has more players who can stand up for themselves and do not need Shawn Thornton to be their body guard. Simply speaking, what makes Thornton great is the combination of his fighting and his 4th line work. When his fighting is not needed, his 4th line work does not look nearly as great. 

All of that was seen Monday morning in Boston when GM Peter Charelli made the announcement that the Shawn Thornton era in Boston would not be extending past the 7 season period that it had already accumulated. 

Today I met with Shawn. We had a good meeting, and I informed him that we wouldn’t be re-signing him,” Chiarelli said in a video released on the Bruins website. “It was good in the sense that we talked about the time Shawn has spent here.I told him that he was one of the most significant acquisitions that we made — one, for the role that he played, and two, for the person that he is. It was nice to rehash his time. It was sad to tell him he wasn’t coming back.”

"It was seven amazing years," Thornton said. "I've been asked for my favorite memory and I don't know because the whole thing has been an amazing experience. To do my job in this city for seven years has been incredible. Unfortunately, it's time to move on but it's part of the business. The Bruins have been nothing but first class treating me unbelievable and I'm very thankful for the opportunity."

Shawn also recognized the special role he had with Boston. He wished he could stay in Beantown but understood the need to move on.

"People had asked me for the last month and I said I thought it would be a coin flip," Thornton said. "So surprised? No. Either way, mentally, I knew a decision was coming. We'll see what the interest is and hopefully there's a lot. It's tough to leave but I'm excited for what comes next."

After what we saw of Shawn in Boston, the 36 year old definitely has a few years left in him. Some teams that would be favorable destinations for Thornton include the team of former teammate Tyler Seguin, the Stars. With bruiser Aaron Rome possible departing this summer, the Dallas team could benefit from the depth and punch that Thornton could bring them. Additionally, Thornton would do well in the very young, small team fielded by Edmonton where a whole host of 3rd and 4th year players lack much physicality nor any fighting skill whatsoever. 

After 7 years of drama, grit and fighting glory, the Bruins severed ties with Shawn Thornton today. He will be missed, but with quite a bit more money to play with now, the team could add pieces for the upcoming season.

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The difference between Bobby Valentine and John Farrell: Incumbant Sox manager manages morale, will not let team quit on 2014

As of now, the Red Sox are on pace to have a record of 73 and 89 come season's end. If that actually happens, the Sox will almost surely finish in the bottom half of the division missing the playoffs and unfortunately assuring fans that their 2013 season of drama and magic took a perfect storm of luck to pull off and may never be repeated with the same group. However, in a season that as of now (I urge you not to give up on them just yet) is just a few wins better than the famed 2012 season, the media perception and public opinion as it pertains to this team is slightly different. Guys who were not catching as much flack back then such as Dustin Pedroia or David Ortiz are getting crushed by the media while some guys like John Lackey who were absolutely hated that year are praised as lonely bright in the dark listless night that is this 2014 Red Sox team.  

                    

But while those differences are noticeable they are nothing compared to the differences in hatred directed at those filling the managerial positions in these two different seasons.

After the Sox September collapse in 2011 resulted in the firing of manager Terry Francona and resignation of Theo Epsteen as GM, the Sox appointed Ben Cherrington as their new GM and Cherrington soon hired former Rangers and Mets manager Bobby Valentine as manager of the club. As Sox fans soon learned, Valentine was a flamboyant manager who lacked a backbone much less any control over his team. Though there were no calls similar in badness to the chicken and beer scandal of 2011, there was anger in the clubhouse that spiraled into general bad mouthing of the team from within. There was a blatant hatred of Valentine by players like Dustin Pedroia and a two way feud that exploded mid-season between Kevin Youkolis and Valentine.  The battle between the manager and his 3rd basemen ultimately resulted in Youkolis' being traded to the White Sox. By the time Kevin was sent packing on June 24th, 2012, the Sox were actually above 500 in the winning percentage column and Valentine was still yet to hit rock bottom. Nevertheless he was still hated in Red Sox nation.  

But rock bottom did eventually come. In late August of the 2012 season, with his team teetering on the line of mathematical elimination, Bobby V had some choice words for WEEI's Glen Ordway when the host asked him on LIVE radio if he had checked out on the season. 

"What an embarrassing thing to say," said Valentine. "If I were there right now, I'd punch you right in the mouth. Ha. How's that sound? Is that like I checked out? What an embarrassing thing."  

Over the next 5 minutes, Ordway and fellow host Michael Holley shot back at Valentine who continued to spout excuses, diminish the skill of his team and punctuate the true idiocy of his reign as the head honcho of one of the most famous franchises in sports. 

Because of his inability to interact with the media, to motivate his team and to put in the hours needed to prepare for a professional baseball game, Bobby Valentine was fired within 24 hours of the conclusion of the season. His replacement was a welcome breath of fresh air into a Red Sox nation still stunned by the disaster that was 2012. 

Since he was signed on October 20th, 2012, John Farrell has managed his starting pitchers and bull pen personal with a level of precision that is almost artistic. Though he never had much expertise in regards to batting (Farrell was a pitching coach in Toronto), it was he who put together the gritty middle part of the lineup in David Ortiz and Mike Napoli that at least in 2013 worked wonders for Boston's run production. But as many would wisely point out, many of the managerial decisions that Farrell has implicated this season have not worked nearly as well as they did last season. However, one Farrell quality that has carried over from last season to the present one is the professionalism practiced in the clubhouse. 

Farrell fosters camaraderie and team accountability. But at the same time, when his team messes up, he stands by them, trusting the guys he pays and trying to remedy a problem using tools he already has. In the worst and best of times, Farrell works the morale of his team using diagnostic comments to the team and a scrupulous ethic regarding what he says and does not say to the media. 

As 2014 begins to look like a lost season, we begin to see the real makeup of the manager the Red Sox signed 2 seasons ago. We see that he is a smart man lacking the arrogance of his predecessor and worshiping the codes of baseball both written and unwritten. He stands by his team, never makes excuses and keeps his head on straight in even the worst of times.  

If the Red Sox do not turn things around in the second half of the season there will be huge questions asked about what went wrong. It will be easy to blame the manager because unfortunately, that is simply what happens in baseball. But hear me out, John Farrell is not to blame for this 2014 debacle. In fact, as bad as things are right now, Farrell is the kind of guy who could turn things around and get this team to sneak into the wild card game. Why? Because unlike Valentine in 2012, he will make sure his team does let their mindset eliminate them, before the math does. 

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3 storylines to watch in World Cup

USA's bad boy defense wreaks havoc against Portuguese and German strikers...

• First I must point how much doom and despair that US is in for in this World Cup. As much as the American soccer scene has cleaned itself up in the past few years, the United States are to the World Cup as the Seattle Mariners are to the World Series. Long story short, in the end, the United States will succumb to one of the brutal bundles of skill that many nations posses right now. They simply are not ready to contend for a World Cup win. But nevertheless, what the US is ready for is a defensive domination that might at least start the rest of the world thinking about this team as one to fear going forward. With a defense and midfield dominated by the big bodies of Kyle Beckerman, Ghram Zusi, and Omar Gonzolez, the US will try to counter even the best offensive players that the so called Group of Death Group G has to offer. 

Luis Suarez will be as good if not better than Chrisitno Ronaldo and Lionel Messi...

• As we roll into Brazil this week, the list of the top 3 players in the tournament will consist of Lionell Messi, Chrisitno Ronaldo and Luis Suarez. The last name on that list just so happens to play for the tiny nation of just over 3 million people called Uruguay.   In tumultuous 4 seasons since he singed with Liverpool, Suarez has taken the soccer world by storm scoreing 69 goals and patenting a primarily European style of incendiary speed up the pitch. The only reason the soccer world has not let Suarez become as renowned as Ronaldo or Messi is because of some less glamorous moments in his career. In 2011, Suarez was slapped with an 8 match ban for using racial slurs against an opponent. 2 years later, Suarez was fined for allegedly biting an opponent during a match. But through all that, Suarez has matured and effectively stunned the premier league this season. He has a chance to shred the competition this year in Brazil. 

All hail the Germans...

• When the Germans won the World Cup in 1990, the ensuing soccer craze infected a whole generation of kids with soccer fever. In 2014 some of the kids who watched that Cup are playing in it. This year the Germans are picked by many to win the World Cup again. Why? Because in this year alone, the obsession that the Germans have always had with Fussball as they call it has intensified. The Germans sent not one but two of their Bundesliga teams to the UEFA Champions League this year. Looking onto the roster of the team Germany is sending to the FIFA World Cup perhaps the greatest star on a team of stars is forward Mesut Özil. Ozil used his stunning left foot to rake in 10 assists for Arsinal football club this year and will definitely mesh well with the acrobatic finishers that Germany puts in the inner goalie box. But beyond Ozil, Germany boats one of the best goalies in the world in Manuel Neuer. The bizarre goalie who sometimes wheres normal gloves and other times wheres a 4 fingered goalie glove averaged exactly 1 goal per game in the 10 warm-up games before the World Cup. All and all, this particular writer picks Germany as his team to beat in Brazil this year. 

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Danial Nava's struggles obliterate Sox chances at victory: Red Sox outfield in ruins

Daniel Nava's MLB career started with fireworks. After he was called up from Pawtucket to help with a rather unpleasant outfield situation in Boston Nava walked to the plate for his first MLB at bat with the words of Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione ringing in his head. "Swing as hard as you can on your first pitch because it is the only pitch you are going to see" Castigleone said. Nava listened. 

On the first pitch of his first at bat in the major leagues, Daniel Nava hit a grand slam becoming only the 4th player in MLB history to do so. 

But as he would soon prove, Daniel Nava was not just a kid who got lucky on his first pitch. In a total of 60 games in 2010, he committed no errors then logged 14 doubles that he scrounged up using his unexpected speed and agility on the base paths. 2 years later, he played 28 more games nearly doubling his hit output and clubbing 6 home runs in a season where he bounced around defensively for the Sox. Though he played primarily left field, Nava suited up for 4 games in right and revived a pretty decent brand of simple defense and stellar play in the unpredictable portions of Fenway Park that lie in and around the Green Monster.

In the eyes of the Boston Red Sox, Nava's drive to succeed in the lost season that was 2012, effectively earned him a spot in the starting lineup for the upcoming season. Once again when presented with that opportunity, Nava did not disappoint. He exhibited durability over the course of 134 starts, hitting 12 home runs, 66 RBI's and assembling a batting average of .303. After his performance in 2013, Daniel Nava who had once been a minor league castaway turned so-so utility man had suddenly become an all-star. 

As the Red Sox prepared their title defense in 2014, many saw Nava as a guy who could definitely knock Jackie Bradley Jr out of a job at center field or at the very least draw huge returns on the trade market. A little over 2 months into the season, one might forget that the Red Sox are the reigning champions. 1 huge reason why is because Daniel Nava has been nothing like the man we had come to know. After missing out on starting on Opening Day, Nava came to the team and stayed on the active roster from April 2nd to April 22nd. In that time he mustered just 10 hits, struck out 17 times and assembled his worst monthly batting average of his career (.161). Nava made it back to the big club for just 7 days in March and yet his fortunes were no better. Aside from a walk, Nava failed to make it on base in that span. But after seeing what he had done in years past, the Sox were not ready for the grand demotion of Daniel Nava quite yet. So far in June he has played 5 games, logged 6 hits but failed to bat in a run. After a 1 for 2 night in Baltimore on the 9th of June, Nava's season batting average stood at the dismal plateau of .174. 

In the worst season of Daniel Nava's baseball career, the 31 year old protégée is doing nothing to help his team. Unfortunately neither is anybody else in Boston. In a season where Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli both went down early in the season, the struggles of Boston's outfielders have only made things worse. After Grady Seizmore's play seemed to promise greatness in the early days of this season, his struggles at the plate have made his presence intolerable. Shane Victorino's torn up hamstring has cost him 42 games this year while call-ups such as Jackie Bradley Jr. have done nothing to ease his absence. 

But amidst this brutal stew of out fielding deficiencies, Johnny Gomes has been above the rest in the ghastly qualities of his 2014 season. Though he has been barking all year about various things, Gomes has been unable to do anything in the field or at the plate having logged just 5 home runs, 0 pinch hit base hits and a defensive WAR below 0. But for some reason, the Red Sox have stuck by him. 

Perhaps the only positive that has come from the 2014 Red Sox rotation of personnel has been Brock Holt. At 25 years old, Holt played 26 games for the Sox last season without many fireworks. However, in the absence of so many key pieces in the Sox lineup Holt has come in to save the day, starting 29 games, smacking 12 extra base hits and playing decent defense at 1st and 3rd base as well as left field.

63 games into the season, many are already labeling 2014 as a lost year for Boston. With their outfield responsible for a large portion of these few months of directionless baseball the Sox need to make big changes or be forced to deal with an off season similar in feeling to that that followed 2012.

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All hail American Soccer: With more MLS'ers going to the world cup than ever before, soccer's place in the US is getting bigger and bigger

In the winter of 1988, FIFA made a deal with the United States of America. Their deal stated that if, in the next few years, this nation could get a division 1 soccer league off the ground, than they would be rewarded with the right to host the 1994 World Cup. Though they would not be playing by the start of the 1994 cup, the United States got their league off the ground prior to the 1996 soccer season by forming a total of 10 teams and naming their league Major League Soccer or MLS.

19 years later, the team has added 9 teams, inked playoff broadcasting deals with key companies like ESPN and begun to lure some of the best players in the world onto its rosters. All and all, the purpose, the mission statement of the MLS is to transform the United States from a pathetic soccer nation to one of golden talent and an international talent pool. While they have not quite done that yet, the MLS is one of the fastest growing leagues on the planet. How do we know? Well all one has to do is look to the rosters of this year's world cup to see.

Before this year's cup, only once had more than 15 MLS players made the trip to the world cup and it had been 16 years since then. With representation numbers in Korea, Germany and South Africa of 11, 15 and 6 the MLS came up and basically handed its players out like tee shirts at a baseball game sending 20 players off to FIFA rosters. 10 of these players went to the US team headed by Jürgen Klinsmann while 10 others went abroad to play for their home nations.

But it is that number of MLS players playing for the US that is the most impressive. It is no secret that in nations like Spain, Germany or England soccer is the ultimate dream and aspiring players will do anything including travelling thousands of miles away from home for the chance to play. But when Klinsmann picks almost half of his team from US teams rather than international ones where US representation is not sparse, a statement is being made. With the MLS now producing homegrown talent like Clint Dempsey, Chris Wondolowski or Kyle Beckerman, it has been proven that teams do not need the likes of international icons, David Beckham or Fabian Espindola to win.

As we delve into those 4 American born, MLS playing, US national team members mentioned before, they all have one thing in common, a god given gift of goal scoreing. Beginning his career in 2005 with the New England Revelation, Clint Dempsey would score 25 goals for the team in a little under 3 seasons in Foxbrough before he caught the attention of England's Fulham club where he would play the next 6 years of his pro career. After averaging just under a half a goal per game with Fulham, Dempsey briefly played for Tottingham before returning to the States for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 season. Since his return, Dempsey has played as a calm and cool veteran scoreing 11 goals in 19 games and carrying himself on the field with a kind of confidence and finice that many did not associate with American soccer.

But Dempsey is not alone in his skillful manipulation of domestic defenses.  Playing as a pure goal scoreing forward, 6 foot 1 inch, Chirs "Wondo" Wondolowski was drafted the year after Clint Dempsey but unlike his counterpart never left the states in pursuit of soccer glory. Though he was pretty much smacked in the face by the team that drafted him, the Earthquakes, in his rookie season, Wondo went to Houston for the 2006 season and scored just 4 goals before he left 3 seasons later. For Chris it seemed that his MLS dreams might have been for not, the 4 goals he had scored in his first 4 seasons were all scored because of bad mistakes by the opponent and not because of any talent on his part and as he searched for a team to pick him up in 2010, none bit. Until one did.

In June of 2009, Wondolowski was traded back to the Earthquakes in exchange for Cam Weaver. That trade served as the great rebirth of a future star in Chris. In 2010, Wondolowski scored 26 goals, a year later he topped that total with 30 goals, a year later, 31 and a spot in the record books as the player with the most single season goals ever. In 5 seasons with San Jose, Chirs Wondolowski has blossomed into the most consistent goal scorer in the league and possibly on of the best in history.

However, unlike many of the former MLS stars he is competing with for that title, Wondo is American, living proof that times are changing and in parts of the country, soccer is becoming an acceptable dream for a athletic kid to work towards.

Now the two names that have already been discussed are pure goal scorers, speed driven monsters capable of hitting close to 20 miles per hour in fearsome breakaways up the sidelines and actually players that go against the mold of the MLS in more ways than one. Right from the get go, it was seen that the MLS promoted a brand of soccer that was best executed using physicality such as slide tackling, rough blocking along the sidelines, huge collisions and gritty position battles in the goal area that are all allowed by the referees of a game.

What also takes place during these games is a kind of simmering of tempers that every now and then boils over and results in shoving, yelling and ejections.

Two men at the forefront of instigating these scuffles and two men whose games are built around delivering the crazy physicality mentioned earlier are Brad Davis and Kyle Beckerman. Brad Davis is a defensive midefeilder with one of the strongest left footed shots in the world right now. He possesses a small but powerful 170 pound 5 foot 11 body that he uses to stuff opponents at the half line or shove bodies to the sidelines of the field. Though he is usually charged with at least 1 foul per game, David has only been red carded 4 times in his 13 year career. The moral of the Davis story is something along the lines of "yeah, you can get away with  a lot in the MLS"

But anyway, in 8 days, the 20th world cup will commence and 20 of the MLS' finest will make the trip to Brazil bent on international glory. In this, perhaps the MLS' biggest chance at pitching their players and their league to the world, these 20 players will be playing in a style that many had never thought of as a viable style of play. That is, the American style, born and raised by the MLS and responsible for an explosion of soccer interest in the sports crazed nation that is the United States of Amarica

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Look to the history books shows that frequancy of Game 7's in NHL playoffs is on the rise: What does this mean?

Hockey is a sport of brutality, competition and insane devotion to a singular goal. The NHL playoffs are an even more intense concoction of all the captivating qualities that make hockey great. Over the course of 3 months, 16 teams play 4 best of 7 series that culminates with the stunning magic of the Stanley Cup Finals.

It is said that hockey's championship is the hardest in all of sports to win and that cannot be more true. These games involve long shifts, harder hitting and relentless shooting and shot blocking with after-the-play-scuffles often breaking out. By the end of these illustrious playoffs, at least one or two stories emerge about a player fighting through immense pain to give his team a better chance to win a game and is it because of this that we appreciate these playoffs so much.

Each year fans come back begging for more, throwing huge sums of money into the pockets of arena owners and league executives for the chance to see these games in their entirety. The NHL playoffs are line none other. And yet, as big a cash cow and as big an exciting pastime as these series always are, it is only that much better when a best of 7 series actually takes 7 games to settle. As shown by a Go Titletown study, the frequency of that happening is very slowly but quite noticeably increasing.

Game 7's are magical in the sense that they are played as the culmination of at least a week and a half of play between two teams who are so evenly matched that a week and a half later neither team has managed to separate themselves from the other enough to win the series. These games serve as the known end to in cases when they are needed what has been an absolutely phenomenal series and players and fans enter them knowing that for better or worse, the series will end that night. It is a kind of non-mysterious mystery that makes NHL playoff game 7's impossible to turn away from. With those kinds of descriptors being attached to a game 7 one could see how great such happenings are for the league financially. Game 7s draw in big bucks from the broadcasting services such as NBC who fight to the death to get the rights to them. Also, fans pay sometimes pay triple the price of a normal playoff game ticket to get a ticket to a game 7 while congregating around arenas before and after games and flooding thousands of dollars into local businesses.  

Game 7s are a kind of magical gift to hockey that no matter how many times they happen, never gets old.  

Season	How many teams played in a Game 7	Did Stanley Cup Go 7 Games	Number of Game Sevens
1999	3	No	3
2000	3	No	3
2001	3	Yes	4
2002	2	No	5
2003	4	Yes	6
2004	3	Yes	4
2005(Cancelled)
2006	2	Yes	3
2007	1	No	1
2008	3	No	3
2009	3	Yes	5
2010	3	No	4
2011	5	Yes	7
2012	3	No	4
2013	3	No	4
2014*	4	n/a	7

*In progress

So how do we know that the hockey world is being given awesomeness more now than ever?  

Well as is true with many statistical analysis done in the past few years, the NHL lockout of 2004-2005 serves as the grand separation between old and new in the hockey world. As it pertains to this game 7 question, one does not have to dig very deep to see a bit of a difference between the pre lockout playoffs and those that have taken place since. When the NHL went into its historic work stoppage, the previous 6 playoff seasons had spawned an average of 4.12 game sevens a year. Since the work stoppage, the average number of game sevens per playoff session has increased slightly to 4.22 games per playoff. Now that minute increase of less than 1 unit could easily be refuted. However, if you discount the 2007 playoffs in which the only game seven was played in the first round between the Chanucks and Stars, the average number of game sevens soars up to a total of 4.625. Still not impressed? Yeah, I get it.

Anyway, what has also increased among the complex web of happenings that it takes to produce a 7 game series is the frequency of game sevens outside of the first round. In that 6 year span before the NHL lockout, 2 years saw 0 teams play in multiple game sevens and 2 others saw just 1 team play in 2 game sevens. In both of those years, the team lost its second game seven. In comparison, in the NINE year since the lockout, only 2 seasons have seen 0 teams play in multiple game sevens. 

Last on the list of game seven changes since the lockout is something we will now call "the Bruins Phenomenon". In 2011, the Boston Bruins not only played in but won game sevens against Montreal, Tampa Bay and Vancouver in the cup finals. They were the first team to win 3 game sevens in a Stanley Cup Playoff Season. At the time, the hockey world worshiped the Bruins feat as a once in a lifetime accomplishment, 4 season later, the Kings made it a twice in a lifetime happening when they defeated the Sharks, Ducks and Blackhawks en route to the Cup finals.  

So why are these game sevens becoming more frequent and why is it, like so many other statistical anomalies, so closely tied to the NHL lockout of 2005? The introduction of the 3 point system that year made it harder for bad teams to sneak into the playoffs so by default teams are better, series are closer and series go longer without a winner. 

All and all, it is without a doubt for the good of hockey for these game sevens to become more frequent. Because of that, hockey must be pretty thrilled because the Bruins phenomenon is now a huge part of hockey's illustrious playoff story. 

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