K.J. McDaniels Destroys a Basketball; Puts Himself in RoTY Conversation

Shooting Guard/Small Forward, K.J. McDaniels

      In the 2013 NBA Draft 76ers fans saw All-Star point guard traded for the #6 overall pick that year (Nerlens Noel) and the need to fill the hole at point guard.  With their own pick that year, #11 overall, they filled that need with former Syracuse point guard, Michael Carter-Williams.  Since then the man known as "MCW" went on to win Rookie of the Year honors for the 76ers, and will be making his 2014/15 debut within the coming days, finally healthy after off-season shoulder surgery.

Durant's Injury Opens Door for New MVP

Reigning MVP Kevin Durant

Over the weekend, troubling news circulated through the basketball world: Kevin Durant had been hurt and expected to miss time. Since the initial reporting, it has since been clarified as a fractured foot. A tenative six to eight week time table for recovery has been given, but the reigning MVP will have to most likely wait through the first month to two months of the season before getting a chance to defend that title. The Thunder still have Russel Westbrook, one of the best players in the NBA, and he might be ready to explode with this opportunity to run the team while Durant gets himself healthy.  More than anything, if you are the Thunder, the most important piece of this to manage and take cautiously is Durant's recovery.

Well Worth the Investment: Roberto Hernandez

Newly Acquired SP/RP Roberto Hernandez

On December 18, 2013 it was reported that the Phillies were indeed inking Roberto Hernandez to a 1 year deal with a base salary of $4.5 million.  Included in the deal, are several incentives of varying amounts based off the amount of innings pitched by Roberto in 2014.  Hernandez was coming off a rather poor 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rays, turning in a 4.89 ERA at seasons end.  What he did provide the Rays with was innings every 5th day in the rotation.  This kind of pitcher was sorely missed on the 2013 Phillies' squad.  Going along with Bert's ability to eat up innings all year, he has a very healthy career 57.1% ground-ball rate, a stat that plays well within the confines of hitter friendly CBP.  I'd say the Phillies' front office realized that information, along with the fact the NL and more specifically the NL East is a much easier league & division to pitch in, and decided that Hernandez was their man for the 5th spot in the 2014 rotation.  

Paul George's Injury: Another Sticking Point for Keeping Players Home?

Over the weekend, news broke from team USA basketball camp that Paul George had severely broken his leg during a USA intrasquad game.  George was coming back to defend against a James Harden break away, making a leaping attempt to block Harden's drive to the hoop.  Unfortunately for Paul, his leaping ability might have cost him this one.  As he landed his foot caught enough of the bottom of the hoop stanchion that the force from the land bent his leg at the high ankle area.  The unpleasant result was a compound fracture of George's tibia and fibula.   Just like that, the budding superstar's 2014-2015 NBA season was over before it started.

On Deck: The Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations, Theo Epstein

Sports are cyclical, I'm sure you have heard from someone at some point.  Sometimes the cycle lasts over 100 years, sorry Cubs fans.  However, there are some teams that seem like they are never out of the hunt year in and year out.  The St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees might be the best examples of this, each with their own formula success that allows them to play October baseball more times than not.  Their cycle for winning is much smaller, plain and simple, their formula for success is successful.  Without a successful formula the cycle becomes much, much longer, and then it becomes a drought.  While the results aren't there playing on Wrigley Field 81 times a year yet, I'm here to tell you disgruntled, impatient Cubs fans that your cycle is almost over and there is a formula in place to point towards, be proud about and root for.

NBA Draft Preview: The Future is Within Sight

Alright ladies and gents, the 2014 NBA Draft is now just a couple of days away.  Many basketball fans have been waiting, waiting, then the All-Star break happened, and then there was more waiting, the trade dead line, waiting and...well you get the picture.  For several team's fans, the only result that mattered was the number in the loss column.  As you know, this was the case for most if not all 76er fans in the 2013-2014 season.  And because of that, we have a Sixers' fan (me!) preview before the actual preview.  You may recognize this one: 

What the Phillies? The Scoop on this Year's Draft

7th overall pick of the Philadelphia Phillies, Aaron Nola

Last Thursday the 2014 First-Year Player Draft started with two rounds that night followed by 3-10 on Friday, concluding with rounds 11-40 on Saturday. The MLB draft differs from the NFL and NBA and to an extent the NHL in the sense that the majority of first round picks don't stroll on to the stage for everyone watching to see their excitement filled faces. For most, not seeing the face of the draft pick that their team is getting puts a damper on the casual fan's desire to view the draft.  On top of that is the fact in most cases baseball players aren't bursting on to the scene immediately after they are drafted like in the NFL and NBA.  NHL prospects sometimes take longer to reach the big club too, but not as long as most MLB prospects. 

Memorial Day Checkpoint for MLB

 As we celebrate those who put their life on the line for us every day, the MLB got under way early today starting off with the American League, Boston Red Sox paying a visit to the National League, Atlanta Braves.  So far these two teams have been complete opposites.  Shockingly, the Red Sox, defending World Champions, have tumbled as of late and find themselves in the AL East cellar.  Meanwhile the Braves are in the midst of a classic Braves season, leading the NL East with good pitching and enough offense.

Fernandez Down: The MLB Loses Another Young Star to Injury

Earlier today, May 12, the Marlins announced that young, phenom, ace, all-star, rookie of the year winning (he is pretty good) pitcher Jose Fernandez underwent an MRI in Los Angeles.  It got worse from there.  Slowly through out the afternoon information made its way to the public that Fernandez was headed to the DL with an elbow sprain.  A couple hours later it was reported that Jose underwent a second MRI back in Florida, unfortunately confirming the worst.  Not long after that announcement, it was made known that Jose Fernandez is expected to have season ending elbow surgery.

Blocking The Plate - Do You Know What This Means?

Tony Gwynn Jr. meets Jeff Mathis at the dish, for a little more than dinner

  I thought I did, but after watching this play unfold in the Sunday afternoon Marlins, Phillies game I was left perplexed by the new rule blocking the plate rule implemented by MLB.  When the rule was first announced and explained to me via MLB Network, I have to admit I didn't know what the foul ball they were talking about. From the get go it seemed like a whole lot of gray area added to a play that was clean cut before the rule came about.  You either blocked the plate and got ran over, or you blocked the plate and got ran over.  If you are unfamiliar with the new rule, here it is, in that same article, veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski was outright about his displeasure with the new rule.

Opening Week: Phillies Edition

 Dust off those Phillies shirseys (shirt-jersey) and jerseys you thought you wouldn't be using this year, the Phillies are 1-0 and started this year off with an unexpected offensive explosion in today's most exciting opening game.  If you predicted two touch downs by the Phillies in their opening game vs. the Texas Rangers today then head to your nearest lottery ticket provider immediately.  Seen as one of the club's bigger question marks entering the season, the offense looked like a well oiled machine today posting a whopping 14 runs out scoring the Rangers 10.  Since 2011 the Phillies offense has been sputtering, dropping all the way to 26 of 30 last year at just 3.77 runs per game. If you clicked on that link, take note of the four teams under the Phillies for the 2013 season...not pretty.  Anyways, they lead the league so far this year with 14 runs per game and finally the team's key contributors on offense are all fully healthy.  While today's outburst was terrific, consistency is a must if this team wishes to make some noise one last time.  Lets take a look at some of the highlights from today's game.

Atlantic Division Noteworthies: Knicks, Sixers

For most of the season the Atlantic Division has displayed some fairly bad basketball.  If it weren't for the Brooklyn Nets seriously turning their season around, and the Toronto Raptors surge following the trade of Rudy Gay, the Atlantic Division might have boasted five sub .500 teams. There are only five teams in the division. As it stands three teams, Philadelphia, Boston and New York will be finishing well below that mark. While unlikely the wheels could still fall off for the Nets.  Toronto looks safe, as they lead the division with a 37-28 record.  However, as the proverbial stretch-run to the playoffs begins in the NBA, it may come as a surprise that two of the below .500 teams from this very division have recently commanded NBA headlines. 

Three + Philadelphia = The Answer

If you don't know... shame on you

This past Saturday, March 1, 2014, many former Philadelphia 76ers and a sell-out crowd gathered at the Wells Fargo Center for a celebration they'd never forget and a Sixer's game they might soon wish to forget.  One might ask, what could the Philadelphia 76ers possibly be celebrating in a season where they are 15-45 and second worst in the entire NBA.  Great question, but the celebration had nothing to do with anybody playing in the game that night.

Violet Palmer: The First Female All-Star NBA Referee

Violet Palmer left, Evan Turner complaining right

  Palmer, born in Compton, California has been officiating NBA games since 1997.  Seventeen years later she found herself at the 2014 NBA All-Star game, busting down yet another barrier for women.  At one point Palmer believed reaching the NBA was unattainable.  Satisfied with her current role at the time as a top officiator of women's college basketball, Palmer wasn't looking to make the leap, but the NBA was looking at her.  With little room in the NBA's active referee pool (62), she thought her initial phone call in 1995 from NBA Assistant Director of Officiating Adam Wade was a prank call from a friend of hers.  After two years of the NBA evaluating her in NBA Summer League games and other non regular season games, she was hired. Her first regular season action came quickly, refereeing the opening game of the season between the Dallas Mavericks and Vancouver Grizzlies.

Up Close and Personal: The Winter Equestrian Festival

2014 WEF

  This past Friday I had the pleasure of leaving behind cold and snowy Philadelphia, as I made my way down to Wellington, Florida for the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington..  It was there that I joined my girlfriend to take in a couple days of some of the highest level horse showing in the world.  An extra bonus was the 70-80 degrees weather for the duration of my stay.  Over 2,000 riders from around the world congregate each year, some coming and going just to compete in the shows which run from Wednesday-Sunday at WEF, others staying the entire 12 weeks, January-March.  I had been to shows before this one, but none prepared me for the magnitude of the Winter Equestrian Festival of Wellington.  In my previous experiences I could not really recall too much of the business aspect of the sport, in terms of sponsorship and their presence on digital media.

Midseason Check Up: Orange and Black

Back on Track

      Since the firing of former head coach Peter Laviolette after an 0-3 start to the season, the Flyers and new head coach have worked through early season struggles.  They now find themselves with a winning record at 21-17-4, good for second place, only to the Penguins (BOO), in the Metropolitan Division , and 7th place in the Eastern Conference.  Just recently the Flyers ended and started the New Year out west, where they went 4-1 collecting 8 of a possible 10 points, huge.  Tomorrow in Newark, NJ the Flyers finish up their 6 game road streak with a nationally televised game on NBCSN.  A win could catapult them to 5th place in the Eastern Conference.  What has been most noticeable about the Flyers since their putrid start is their never dieing spirit to battle to the end of the game.  We have seen that spirit before in Flyers teams, especially during the improbable Stanley Cup run in the 2011 Playoffs.  This kind of desire to win is fueling the Flyers ascendance up the Eastern Conference Standings as we enter the second half of the NHL season.   

The Sports Complex: 2013 in Review

2013 was an incredible year for both Drexel SMTSU and The Sports Complex. Below is a few statistics and notable accomplishments and moments for TSC during 2013.

Black Mamba Back in Action

Sunday night, Dec. 8, marked the return of LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Bryant returned from an Achilles injury that put an unexpected early end to Kobe's 2012-13 season.  Bryant, the fierce competitor that he is, swore to be back for most of the 2013-2014 season to help his Lakers to make the play offs after missing them last year.  Fresh off a two-year contract extension worth $48.5 million, signed on Nov. 25, 2013, Bryant returned to action at home Sunday to face the visiting Toronto Raptors.  This year's Lakers team with out Kobe played a lot better, entering Sunday night's game with a 10-8 record.  However, Bryant's return did not result in victory, leaving the team with a 10-9 record.

Phillies Offseason Outlook

Carlos Ruiz (2008).

Long List of Needs

Ruben Amaro Jr. and company have their work cut out for them as the free agent season starts to heat up in the MLB.  With the "Winter Meetings" underway in sunny Florida, the Phillies' front office is beginning to sculpt their plan for improvement.  Just a few years ago the club may have only needed to upgrade at one or two positions.  Now, heading into 2014, the team has a handful of positional and team needs, complicating how the front office plans to improve the team.  This list includes the following:

A Classic In The Making

Coming In

     
      This year's Fall Classic between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals has fueled high hopes for an enticing series since being determined.