The Tourney

It's that time of year again! The Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament has come around. This year is full of returning teams from previous years such as Edina, Lakeville North, and Hermantown. As well as a few more rarer showings such as New Ulm and tournament rookies Spring Lake Park. "The Tourney" is bound to a be good time, as it always has been. Tournament favorites in Class A are Hermantown (this program's dominance may not ever end in Class A) and East Grand Forks, who are last years Champions.

Wayzata and Centennial In the 2013 Class AA opening round.

In class AA you have a few major contenders. The Edina Hornets are of course a possible winner in the end but will likely have to face undefeated Lakeville North if they want to see their championship ways continue. "North" is guided by the three Poehling brothers, who have been a driving force in their teams success.

Dark horse contenders in class A are Mahtomedi and St. Cloud Apollo (both advanced in to the second round due to wins Wednesday night. And in Class AA you could see strong games from Duluth East (a down year for them as far as record, but an OT win over Elk River pushed them in to the tournament) and St. Thomas Academy (still kicking butt even after moving to class AA).

Look for another fantastic tourney, especially in AA where the potential for an upset is huge with this years teams. And of course, look for highlights from this years Tourney in the next few days.

The 1 Way Street

Picture: NY Post

It's like the end of a bad relationship; one person is trying to work it out while the other person has already moved on.

Adrian Peterson has said that he feels uneasy about returning to the Minnesota Vikings. He has also stated before that he wants a fresh start. The full story can be found here, Peterson unsure about future with the Vikings.

Flashback to September 2014 when the story really came out. Adrian Peterson was accused of beating his child with a switch. When the story broke, the Vikings responded with a one game suspension. The Vikings were willing to hear out the story. When the sponsors, such as Nike, acted on the allegations, the Vikings put Adrian Peterson on the commissioner's exempt list. 

At the same time the Vikings were dealing with the Adrian Peterson situation, The Baltimore Ravens were dealing with the Ray Rice domestic violence incident. The Ravens cut Ray Rice while the Vikings decided to stick with Adrian Peterson. 

I understand that the state was somewhat divided when the story broke. He is arguably the face of sports in Minnesota alongside Joe Mauer. It took the state and the nation by surprise. You could argue his reasoning for what he did all you want, but what he did was still wrong. 

The Vikings stuck with Peterson the entire 2014 season. While he only played the first game, the team didn't turn their back to Peterson and most of the fans haven't either.  

Adrian Peterson should be appreciative the Vikings want him back. It's not up to him where he plays. The Vikings have spent all year dealing with Peterson's mistakes. That's right, Peterson made the choice to do what he did, and the Vikings had to face the consequences as well. Peterson sat out 15 of the 16 games in the 2014 season while still making $9 million. He left behind a rookie quarterback and a 1st year coach that were counting on him to play this year. Adrian Peterson is acting as the victim as if Minnesota was unfair to him.

I had the privilege to go to the Celebrity Softball game this summer at Target Field. My sister and I were beyond excited to watch Adrian Peterson, Maya Moore, Larry Fitzgerald, and Kevin Love play. About a week before the game, Kevin Love dropped out because he was trying to get traded from the Timberwolves. He wasn't traded till August. I was upset. Kevin Love turned his back to the state of Minnesota. It doesn't seem like there are many athletes that give any consideration to the fans. In the end it didn't matter because we still got to watch Adrian Peterson try and hit a fast pitch from Jennie Finch.

Now Adrian Peterson is turning his back to Minnesota and the Vikings organization.

I've been a football fan for a long time and was finally able to go to my first Vikings game this season. I went to the Vikings/Patriots game. Three days before the game, Peterson was suspended. As a life long Vikings fan, I was very disappointed. 

I've gotten to the point where I would be more than happy if the Vikings traded Adrian Peterson. I've been a supporter since the beginning, but all I hear from him is he wants out of Minnesota. He has said he loves Minnesota but still feels uneasy. That uneasy feeling is from what he created. It is his job to overcome that feeling. Peterson is looking for the easy way out. 

However, Minnesota has spent enough time on this situation. I would settle for a cold Mountain Dew and some late draft picks. 

Adrian Peterson clearly doesn't feel the same way the Vikings feel. It has become apparent to most of the NFL and Minnesota that this is just a one way street. 

Conquering the Trade Deadline

Two days until the NBA trade deadline and all through the house, not a fan was excited, not even the mouse. This years edition of the craziness is very not promising, as a lot of teams have made moves early in the season to try to keep up with the rest of the west. This article by Zach Lowe of Grantland outlines the nuggets future well, as well as breaks down some teams that have the most trade pieces. I'll put in my input on what the Suns, Rockets, and Raptors all should do.

Suns

The main piece of the Phoenix Suns trade deadline is Goran Dragic. His contract is up after this year, and the Suns need to either be confident they can sign him back next year, or trade him away. 

I would trade him away. You can't be sure he wants to sign back with you, and you already have a plethora of guards. Isiah Thomas wants to start, and trading Goran for some bench depth, or maybe a big. 

Rockets

Rockets have a lot of assets. They have New Orleans first, their own first, and lots of players to match salaries. What they don't have, however, is a point guard. I seem to recall a team that has a platoon of starter level guards. A team that maybe needs a big. Who could that be? Oh, the Suns! You don't often see teams have needs that accompany each other so well, which leads to the dream trade that would never happen. Goran Dragic for Donatats Motiejunas (D-Mo, for short). 

Of course, this trade would never happen. Houston likes D-Mo too much and the Suns desperately are trying to keep Goran Dragic. Just a crazy mans pipe dream, I suppose. 

Raptors

Should the Raptors even make a move. They remain adamant that they won't make a trade unless they get significant value back, in other words they won't trade their future for this year. Rumors around the league are that the Drakes are trying to trade for the Pacers David West. I think this isn't a smart move. The Raptors already have Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson at the 4, and while David West adds a lot of grit to a team and an exceptional mid range game the Raptors don't need him. If the Raptors feel like they need to do anything, I would recommend trading Terrance Ross. He hasn't developed very well, and this might be the highest you get to trade him for. Alex Kennedy Tweeted out that the Raptors are looking to sign a star with a package deal of Jonas Valancunius and Terrance Ross. Best of luck Raptors, I'd recommend just staying with what you have.  

What Timofey Mozgov Means To The Cavaliers

In this corner, standing seven feet tall, weighing 250 pounds, The Russian Giant, Timofey Mozgov! I'm going to preface this saying I am a huge believer that Timofey Mozgov was the missing piece for the flailing Cavaliers. Since picking Mozgov up on January 7th, Cleveland is 13-4, good for the third best record in the NBA over that time. There are definitely reasons beyond the Mozgov that the Cavs are doing so well during this time. You could point to the recent acquisitions of  J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert to patch up the lack of depth and reliable wing players, or you could point to Lebron's monster month of January with 29.9 / 6.2 / 6.3. But one thing is clear, these Cavaliers are becoming the team we thought they would be in October.

Timofey Mozgov adds some much needed rim defense on this cavaliers squad. Previously running with a rag tag group of Tristan Thompson, Brendan Haywood, The Ghost of Christmas Past, and Kevin Love at center, the Cavaliers were one of the worst teams at defending the rim. With Mozgov on the roster, you can tell that they are a much better defensive team from they eye test alone, but the numbers also back it up. The Cavaliers in their last 10 games are a whole 4 points better in defensive rating, and are second in the league in net rating, trailing only the Golden State Warriors. One reason for this is with Mozgov on the floor, Kevin Love can play a lot more of his natural position at power forward. This somewhat hides his terrible defense, and since Mozgov is such a plus defender, the Cavaliers can funnel their defense towards him allowing Kyrie, Iman, Lebron, and other wing defenders to take more gambles. It's reminiscent of the Roy Hibbert effect in Indiana. The whole team gets exponentially better on when you add an elite rim protector.

On offense Timofey doesn't mean much. Most of his use is in a Deandre Jordan-esque roll of getting put backs, and his offensive skills lack polish. That doesn't matter though, the Cavaliers have the third best offensive rating in the league. He doesn't need to be an offensive player.

I am all aboard this resurgent Cleveland bandwagon. Their offense looks dynamic, their defense looks less amoebic now, and any given day one of three superstars on the roster can take over (look to Kyrie Irving's 55 point outburst earlier this year). Timofey adds a toughness to the team that was obviously lacking. I think that the two first round picks they gave up for his are well warranted. It's the kind of move that one might gloss over, but this move may very well be responsible for the Cavaliers first ever title.

Brodeur, The Wild, and the Draft

    Martin Brodeur and The New Jersey Devils were synonymous with each other for over 20 years. Much like Daniel Alfredsson last year, Brodeur left his beloved team this off season to try and continue his career for one last season. Martin eventually landed in Missouri, playing back up for the St. Louis Blues and adding a little depth and veteran leadership in their locker room. However, after a few weeks off, Brodeur pulled the plug on his fantastic career. A career that set the records for regular season wins (691), Shutouts (125), and games played (1,266). A career with three Stanley Cup trophies and he is 4 time Vezina Trophy winner for the leagues best goaltender. Congrats to Brodeur on a long and illustrious career, he was honored last Thursday in St. Louis. He has also chosen to move in to the front office with the Blues for the future.

        Photo: USA Today

    In other news the Minnesota Wild have seemed to pull out of their mid season dive. After a ten game skid they have been 5-2-0 since acquiring Devan Dubnyk from the Arizona Coyotes. While they hit a soft spot in their schedule playing lowly teams, they have shown they can play with big time teams such as the Detroit Red Wings. While down 4-1 going in to the third at Detroit, Minnesota rallied from three goals for a shootout loss, proving that they aren't a team who wants to lay down and die.
 
    They shouldn't give up anyways. While this years draft holds promise in its first two drafts spots, the odds of the Wild obtaining either spot is unlikely. The 2015 NHL draft looks to be one of the best draft classes in years. Not since the 2005 Draft has their been impact players who could potentially redirect the future of a franchise. Back in '05 it was Sidney Crosby, this year it will be Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. Both have potential to be number one draftees in this years draft, and both are dominating in their leagues of play. If you wanna see someone totally dominate with a hockey puck check out McDavid and Eichel absolutely destroy competition on the world stage. Look for Edmonton and Buffalo to take these two one and two this year.

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

From USA Today sports
 (http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/tom-brady-jimmy-garoppolo-congratulate-td-pass-benching)

WOSC reaction article after Patriots Monday Night loss to KC Chiefs (41-14) The Morning After
WOSC reaction article after Patriots Sunday Night win over Cincinnati Bengals (43-17) Will the real Tom Brady please stand up?


Waking up on September 30th, 2014, the world seemed to be falling apart for the Patriots. Coming off one of the worst losses in the Brady/Belichick era on Monday Night Football, the NFL world thought the great dynasty was finally over. I had a hard time with the loss and wrote The Morning After. In it I wrote "What do the Patriots do from here? They do what they always do, bounce back. I have complete faith in Bill Belichick and Tom Brady because they are a scary duo that can not be predicted." 
Looking back, I'm so glad I didn't completely rip apart the Patriots like the rest of the media. Let's be honest, this team looked incredibly far from reaching Super Bowl 49 let alone winning it. Yet here I am writing an article that the New England Patriots just won Super Bowl 49. How in the world they did it is what I care about.

The first four games of the season were a roller coaster for the Patriots. New England started off the season losing to Miami on the road and it wasn't the best fought game by the Patriots. The Patriots got a huge jolt from the defense and special team when they won week two in Minnesota. Then some panic began as the Patriots barley came out on top against the Raiders with a fumble recovery by Vince Wilfork with 51 seconds left.

And then the walls came tumbling down on the city that we loved (a little Bastille reference for you). The night of September 29th appeared to be nothing special. The Patriots were 2-1 after a rough start to the season but they were winning. The Patriots were just sloppy and were outplayed by the 1-2 Kansas City Chiefs. The legendary Tom Brady was even benched after throwing 2 interceptions and fumbling the ball. If there was ever a more obvious turning point in a season for a team than this game, I'm listening.

I'm assuming Bill Belichick made everyone read and watch what the media was saying about the Patriots. He probably stopped letting them eat Wheaties every morning after that. I don't know what he did or what happened that week, but what I do know is, it was the greatest thing that could have happened.

The following week the Patriots were playing on Sunday Night Football, a prime time game for the 2nd straight week. It was time for a statement.
New England unleashed everything they had for the, then undefeated, Cincinnati Bengals. They were close to having two, 100 yard rushers. They finally let Rob Gronkoski be himself, and the Patriots won 43-17.

The Patriots now sitting at 3-2 had a long schedule ahead before being back on top. The 2nd turning point in the season was when the 6-1 Denver Broncos came to Foxborough to face the 6-2 New England Patriots. The Broncos were coming off a Super Bowl loss the year before and only one loss in 2014 to the defending champions, Seattle Seahawks. This was a perfect time to resurrect the Brady/P.Manning Debate. The Patriots won 43-21 and took over 1st place in the AFC and never looked back.

The Patriots finished 12-4 which was no where near their 16-0 season they had the last time they reached a Super Bowl in Arizona. The record is the exact reason why this time they won the lombardi trophy.

photo credit, USA Today

Had the Patriots not have been blown out week 4, I can't say they would be celebrating a Super Bowl win. I believe that is what gave the team something to play for. Almost everyone in the country counted the Patriots out. The team had the passion, drive and will to prove to all their critics that they were wrong. Tom Brady always says he has a chip on his shoulder for being passed up in the 2000 draft but the loss to Kansas City made that chip even bigger and allowed the whole Patriots team to feel the same doubt that Brady has felt all these years. The doubt that this team can't and won't accomplish the ultimate goal.

The Patriots have cemented themselves in an elite category. If we have learned anything, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are the scariest QB/coaching combo the NFL has seen. We have seen time after time again, these two guys take unwanted players and win with them. We've seen them adjust throughout games and season like no other team. They have been relevant for the last 14 years. The Patriots are like that neighbor you hate but right when you think you got rid of them, they come over to your house and invite themselves in. We are witnessing history and it's time we appreciate what this organization has done.

Tom Brady will go down as the greatest QB ever and Bill Belichick will go down as the greatest coach ever.

Making A Case For the Pass

Is it possible to make a case for the pass play? Let me try. Uhh, well, hmm, maybe he was just try- no, uhh, was he surprising th- hmm, nope. I can't do it. I can not defend what will go down as the worst call in the history of the NFL (which let's be honest, it isn't the worst call but it was a terrible call on the biggest stage in sports). Why in the wide world of sports would you want to pass that football. 30 seconds left on the clock and 40 inches to go, and you have the NFL's most prolific goal line runner since Jerome Bettis on your team. Admittedly, some of the blame has to go to Russel Wilson, although I can't put too much on him. Let's look at this picture here.

 

Credit to Sheil Kapadia for the picture. As you can see, Seattle got the match up it was looking for. Butler makes a fantastic read on the play and out muscles Ricardo Lockette who is twenty pounds heavier than he is for the ball. If this pass gets completed people still are going to question the absurdity of the call. It is inexcusable, and as a Seahawks fan I feel like I'm owed an explanation as to why I can't be celebrating harder than I was last year. 

Another tragedy of this game is that Jeremy Kearse made the greatest catch the Superbowl has ever seen, and it will be forgotten in two years in favor of the play call. 

 

The only thing for us Seahawk fans to do is tip our cap to the greatest quarterback of all time and appreciate the greatest coach that ever was. This has to cement Bill Belichek and Tom Brady as the greatest at their respective crafts. Period. Unfortunately we had to be on the losing end of this one.