On The Playlist

            Here's another edition of "On The Playlist", where I show you what's playing on my songs list. I hope you enjoy what I have on here!

Happy Memorial Day!!

            Today is Memorial Day, a day where we honor those who have fallen in the line of combat. I have comprised a list of some of the greatest athletes ever to step into the battlefield for the sake of our freedom. This list does include those who have partaken in war and have survived, but are currently deceased. Here's a look at some of the notable athletes to serve their country.

1. Pat Tillman, NFL: A former Arizona Cardinals linebacker, Tillman was a star at Arizona State University and in the NFL before he joined the military. He died apparently from friendly fire, but his services haven't gone unnoticed: Arizona State erected a mural of Pat Tillman leading the team onto the field at Sun Devil Stadium and has a statue in his honor.
2. Hank Greenberg, MLB: One of the Detroit Tigers' greatest sluggers to grace the Olde English D, Greenberg registered in America's first peacetime draft in 1940. Greenberg stepped away from baseball from 1941 to 1945 to serve in World War II as a part of the U.S. Army. He re-enlisted as a sergeant in 1942.
3. Ted Williams, MLB: "Teddy Ballgame" was another notable MLB Hall of Famer who served in World War II. Not only did he serve as a Naval Aviator in WWII, but he also served in the Korean War. Some awards won by Williams for his services include the Naval Aviator Badge, an Air Medal with two gold stars, and a National Defense Service Medal
4. Jack Dempsey, Boxing: The Manassa Mauler wasn't just known for his punching prowess. He also served in World War II as a lieutenant in the Coast Guard Reserve. Eventually, he was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1942 and commander in 1944. 

Photo Courtesy of Boston.com

Boston "K" Party

            The Red Sox are usually known for having one of the more prolific lineups in baseball. They've had names like Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Ted Williams, and Carl Yastrzemski mashing hits all over Fenway Park. However, the Red Sox are on a five-game winning streak thanks in part to their stellar 1-2 punch of Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale.
            Dave Dombrowski's big offseason acquisition in Chris Sale has certainly paid off. Sale just fell short of the most consecutive games with 10+ K's in an MLB season with seven and has 101 on the season. Sale's also posting an ERA of 2.34, a WHIP of 0.81, a WAR of 2.8, and a K/9 rate of 12.45. These numbers are not only Cy Young-worthy, but are god-tier.
            The other stellar Red Sox pitcher hasn't posted Sale-like numbers, but his stats aren't too shabby on their own. Eduardo Rodriguez has an ERA of 2.77, a K/9 rate of 9.60, and a WAR of 1.3. Rodriguez has allowed fewer earned runs than Sale (17 compared to Sale's 19), but hasn't gone as deep into games as Sale has (73 IP for Sale, 55.1 IP for Rodriguez).
            David Price, the team's de facto ace, will be returning soon for Boston. If Price comes back in top form, the Red Sox will be a force to be reckoned with in the American League once again. In the mean time, Red Sox fans are enjoying the "Boston 'K' Party" that Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez are throwing in Beantown.

Photo Courtesy of ScoopNest.com

Best Sports Games In My Opinion

           Some of you know that I'm a fairly big gamer. When I'm not spending time watching a sporting event or doing my podcast, I'm usually playing some video games to pass the time. Here's some of my favorite sports games that I've played.

1. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (PS2): Loved playing this as a kid. Not only did you customize your own characters, but you could customize your own skate park.
2. Ken Griffey Jr's Slugfest (N64): I still play this game to this day. You can create your own characters, therefore putting some of your favorite modern-day players on the same team as Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr. 
3. NHL Hitz 20-03 (XBOX, PS2, Gamecube): You can make up a team and have them compete in the NHL regular season if they're good enough. You can also fight and your players can become blazing hot if their meters are boosted high enough. A great game made by Midway (Unfortunately, Midway went bankrupt in 2009 and folded a year later). 
4. Wii Sports (Wii): No star athletes here, just you and your family and friends! I like the bowling game the best, but there are different modes like boxing and baseball that you can play.
5. WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain (PS2): Great story mode, beautiful women, and Stone Cold and the Rock. What more could you ask for?

Honorable Mentions: Punch-Out, NBA Live, All-Star Baseball 99, Madden series

NFL Teams With the Easiest/Toughest Stretches in Their Schedules

            This is supposed to be a time devoted to the baseball season and playoffs for the two main arena sports. However, it's never a bad time to talk about the NFL. With that being said, here's a look at what teams are facing the most brutal parts of their schedule and which teams have it easy for a period of time.

Brutal First Nine: Denver Broncos: While the Broncos' five of their first nine games are at home, their home opponents are mostly tough. Home games against Dallas, Oakland, the New York Giants, and New England make for intense competition in the Mile High City. Their road games in their first nine games aren't as forgiving, either. The Broncos will be going through a three-game road swing stemming from late October to early November as they take on the Chargers, Chiefs, and Eagles.
Easy First Five: Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons would like to get their revenge on the New England Patriots for their 28-3 comeback in Super Bowl 51, but they don't want to do it in Week 1. Luckily, they get to feast on Bears and Bills to help prepare them for their October 22nd date in Foxboro. What's more is they get the Packers and Dolphins at home before they face New England on Sunday night.
Brutal First Six: New Orleans Saints: Four of the Saints's first six games are on the road, with trips to Lambeau, Carolina, and Miami. Their two home games are against playoff teams from last season (New England and Detroit). Luckily, their next five games are winnable, with stints against Chicago, Buffalo, and a home game against Washington.
Easy Last Five: Green Bay Packers: If the Packers need to make another late-season run like they did last year, the last five games of their schedule are extremely forgiving and open for that to happen again. Three of their last five games are on the road, but they're against the Browns, Panthers, and Lions.
Easy First Seven: Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh can easily get a head start on the AFC North with a 5-0 start. A stretch that only contains two tough games (Road games at Baltimore and Kansas City) could give the Steelers a commanding division lead by week seven and can keep them in the running for home-field advantage in the AFC playoff picture with the likes of New England and Kansas City.
Brutal Last Eight: Oakland Raiders: Really, you can say that Oakland has a rough schedule for the entire 2017 season. However, it's their last eight games that should test the Raiders' mettle. After their road game against Buffalo on October 29, five of their next six games are against last season's playoff teams. However, they do get to play four of those six at home, so it could be a winnable stretch down the road. But don't overlook their last two road games at Philly and Los Angeles; the Chargers and Eagles are viewed by experts as sleeper picks in the upcoming NFL season.

Why the Celtics Shouldn't Pick Markelle Fultz With the Number One Pick

            Just to clarify to all my readers, the Brooklyn Nets don't have the No.1 pick in this summer's NBA draft (My apologies for my mistake). For some reason, they gave away their first round pick and other picks and stuff to the Boston Celtics for some aging superstars. What this means is that Boston is in great position to compete in the Eastern Conference for years to come while the Nets are set to wallow in mediocrity for years to come. 'Smart' move, Brooklyn.
            Anyways, the Celtics are projected by many to pick Washington point guard Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 overall pick, which isn't a bad idea. After all, analysts are saying that Fultz is the best player in the draft and rightfully so. He makes his teammates better and has solid ball-handling and court vision. Fultz averaged 23.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.9 APG, and a three-point percentage of 41.3. However, I have a couple reasons why the Celtics should pass on taking Fultz with the No. 1 pick.
            For starters, they already have a great point guard in Isaiah Thomas. Thomas is a great leader for the Celtics and is already looking to prove himself as being the Celtics' version of Kobe Bryant. If this postseason is any indication, Thomas looks to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. Yes, Thomas is undersized. But Boston already has their star point guard in Isaiah.
            There are some issues with Fultz's game as well. One gripe about Fultz is his lack of defensive focus. Granted, that was on a nine-win college team. But Fultz is chided for not having the mentality and intensity necessary to be consistent on defense. He's often criticized for being intense enough on the defensive end as well, so that could be an issue. Still, that same team had little offensive spacing, so that raises Fultz's already-high profile on offense. Another concern regarding Fultz is his free-throw shooting, which was a paltry 65% as a freshman. This suggests that he may be prone to being streaky. There's also some concern about Fultz maintaining his efficiency against better players, with his efficiency nosediving playing against top programs.
            So who would the Celtics go after in the draft? One option is Malik Monk from Kentucky. Like Fultz, he has great offensive efficiency as a jump shooter and can score a handful of points in a hurry. He also has ridiculous leaping ability and is athletic. However, he is prone to droughts when opponents take away his post-up opportunities. He is also undersized for a shooting guard and tends to not play with much intensity like Fultz. Another option is the No. 1 pick in CBS Sports's mock draft, Jayson Tatum of Duke. Tatum can score on any level given and is compared to Ron Artest during his good days. Boston could also trade the pick if they wanted to win now for an established superstar like Blake Griffin or, as the mock draft for CBS Sports would suggest, Jimmy Butler.
            Still, Fultz is a dynamic offensive weapon who could be a perennial All-Star as an offensive player. He could turn out to be a James Harden-like player: able to rack up points and be the center piece of an NBA offense. After all, this is a deep draft regarding point guards. Will the Celtics pick him with the first pick? Most likely. But a No. 1 overall pick isn't a guaranteed success (See Anthony Bennett). It'll be up to the Celtics to make the most of a golden opportunity in the NBA draft.

Photo Courtesy of StatePress.com

Stats Courtesy of DreamExpress.com

Who Should The Big 10 Go After For Expansion Next?

            With Notre Dame thinking about going to the ACC for all sports, the topic of conference expansion is once again on the table. This will potentially lead to possibly the college football landscape evolving into a Power Four 'oligarchy' of sorts. These Power Four conferences (Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Pac-12) will have control on many issues within the college football world and will have the winner of their respective conference championships be the representative of their conferences in the playoff. In other words, the Big 12 will be on the chopping block, which is unfortunate considering that there was once a time where Big 12 football reigned supreme in the college football world.
            Now, why do I bring Notre Dame up? The Fighting Irish have tried fighting to get into the Big 10 in the past. However, schools such as Michigan weren't having any of it, barring them from entering the conference. Thus, the legend of Notre Dame being independent in football is born. Anyways, expansion appears to be on the horizon and the Big Ten will need some new members. Here's who the Big 10 can go after in the Big 12 to go with the next wave of potential expansion.

Texas: The good thing about getting Texas into the Big 10 is that this would be a big-money move; the Big 10 would have markets in Chicago, Texas, Washington D.C., and New York. Wow. However, the Longhorns do have an albatross that is their network (Longhorn Network), so the Big 10 will have to either dissolve the network into the Big Ten Network or disband it altogether.
Iowa State: Iowa State would surprisingly be a good pick-up considering that they are Iowa's rival and their basketball programs (Men's and Women's) are decent. However, they have a mediocre football program and it be almost anonymous of an expansion considering how unknown the Cyclones are.
Kansas: This would be a HUGE pick-up for the Big 10 regarding college basketball in the men's field. It would make the Big 10 as competitive and tough as the ACC is right now. You'd bring in Kansas State, which isn't a bad college for sports, either. But like Iowa State, their football team stinks.
Oklahoma: Right now, the Big 10 is a better football conference than the SEC (Yes, you read that right). The SEC only has Alabama and a bunch of ranked also-rans in their conference. The Big Ten has a loaded Big Ten East with Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. They also have Wisconsin to boot. Imagine how lethal the Big Ten would be with the Sooners in their conference for football. Adding Oklahoma State wouldn't be bad, either. Plus, Nebraska gets to rekindle an old rivalry with the Sooners.
Baylor: While Baylor is a hot program for sports right now, there is great turmoil in picking up Baylor considering the sexual assault hullabaloo that's going on right now. The Big Ten should probably steer away from this idea.
Texas Tech: If you asked me if the Big Ten should add the Red Raiders to their conference about a decade ago, I probably would've said that that wouldn't be a bad idea. However, Texas Tech has become average at best in the sports field (At least for the moneymaker sports). This would be the safe option for the Big Ten and probably the most average expansion candidate.
West Virginia: Don't sleep on the Mountaineers as an expansion candidate. With some solid programs and proximity near Columbus, Happy Valley, Maryland, and New Jersey, West Virginia wouldn't be a bad choice for expansion for the Big Ten.
TCU: The Horned Frogs would add the Dallas market to the Big Ten, which would make the Big Ten plenty of money and expand their market. The Big Ten should hope that TCU doesn't turn out like Rutgers and fall out into the abyss, though.

Blending Buddy

             Here's another edition of "Blending Buddy", where I show you what's in my blender! Here's a little something that can help you lead a healthier lifestyle! Bottoms up!!

• 1 handful of blueberries
• 1 handful of strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1 carrot
• 1/3 cucumber
• 1 celery stick

            I call this, "The Basics". It's a good drink for people just getting into the blending/juicing gig. It has many antioxidants that'll help cleanse your body. Blueberries are essentially rich in anthocyanin, which is a flavonoid with great antioxidant potency. 

Photo Courtesy of BlueberriesInFlorida.com

First Month Surprises

            The first month of the MLB season is in the books with some fanfare. From the Orioles-Red Sox to Aaron Judge and Eric Thames, the MLB season is producing some noteworthy storylines. Who's doing well and who's letting you down?

Pleasant Surprise: New York Yankees: Aided by Aaron Judge's hot start (13 homers, 27 RBIs), the Baby Bombers are sitting pretty in first place in a loaded AL East. They have a 12-3 home record, which is the best in the majors. Their 148 runs are the most in the American League so far, giving Yankees fans reason to believe that their time for contention is coming sooner than you think. What's more, they've done this without the likes of Gary Sanchez.
Pleasant Surprise: Arizona Diamondbacks: Mainstays like Paul Goldschmidt are what make teams like Arizona great. But the overall pitching of the D-Backs has been spectacular. Only behind division rival Los Angeles in overall ERA (3.76), Arizona has gotten nice help from the likes of Patrick Corbin (2.29 ERA, 30 SO, 11 BB), Robbie Ray (3.47 ERA, 49 SO, 12.14 K/9), and a rejuvenated Zach Greinke (3.19 ERA, 40 SO).
Disappointment: The Cubs' Rotation: You'd think that the Cubs wouldn't have a World Series hangover considering how they have no weaknesses on paper. However, it seems their rotation has suffered just that. The Cubbies are tied for 24th in rotation ERA (4.68). Opponents are also batting .270 against Cubs starters and the Cubs are 28th in opponent's OPS (.800). Can Chicago turn their rotation around in time or will a repeat be out of the question?
Disappointment: Toronto Blue Jays: Like the Cubs, Toronto's been plagued by bad starting pitching (26th in opponent's OPS at .778, 25th in rotation WHIP with 1.40). However, that hasn't been the only problem. The Jays have only scored 107 runs so far, only ahead of Kansas City and Oakland and tied with Boston in the American League. It seems that not only is Edwin Encarnacion's presence is missed in the lineup, but Jose Bautista (.196, two homers, nine RBIs, .622 OPS, .294 SLUG) is not playing up to the contract standards he set last offseason. Look for Toronto to be a popular team for trade pieces if this persists.

Photo courtesy of NJ.com

On The Playlist

            Here's another edition of "On the Playlist!" This is where I showcase what's playing on my playlist!! Check it out!!