Montreal/Vancouver/Calgary/Toronto Blue Jays

A few days ago in Montreal a charity sports luncheon was held and many of the 1994 Montreal Expos happened to be in attendance. This obviously brought up many great memories of the team that had the best record in baseball at the time of the strike, but it also raised another question - could baseball return to Montreal?

Unlike the lingering questions of hockey returning to Quebec City, no one is realistically hoping for a return of the Expos to the Stade Olympique. What was discussed was the Toronto Blue Jays playing either exhibition or regular season games in Montreal. This comes on the heels of the very under publicized news that Jays games will actually be broadcast on radio in Montreal.

Toronto Blue Jays president Paul Beeston doesn't think it is likely that the Jays would play a regular season game in Montreal, but the Jays have not ruled out perhaps playing an exhibition game in the belle province in the future. This off season the Jays tried to increase their national profile this past winter with a road trip to Calgary and Vancouver and a trip to Quebec might not hurt.

The larger question here is why teams and leagues try to play games at neutral site. The obvious reason is money. By moving a game to a neutral site the franchise gets paid. For example the Buffalo Bills got a windfall payment of many millions of dollars from Rogers to play games in Toronto. When NFL teams agree to play in the International Series in London, England they get a payment from the league because they are not playing at home that weekend.

Do teams and fans get anything out of playing away from their home stadium? In my opinion not really. Teams end up playing a 'home' game on a neutral field. For example in Toronto during the Bills series, many fans come for the experience of seeing an NFL game. They wear their Raiders jersey or Tom Brady jersey, they don't cheer big third downs or even know who the Jills are. Also, players don't have the comfort of being in their home game routine. They have to sleep in hotel rooms and eat hotel food as they would on the road. Fans aren't necessarily seeing teams they enjoy and since they often don't get to see NFL/NBA/MLB games they aren't sure how to act and you get complaints from viewers on TV or from players that the crowd was poor. Fans obviously get to see world class sporting action which is great, but they often pay a higher price for a ticket than what fans normally pay.

In the end these experiments to sell your team in other communities are a losing proposition, unless you are the big dog of your sport (Yankees, Lakers, Steelers) and you can gain fans in other parts of the country or world because you are legendary franchises. For example the Raptors or Nets aren't going to be the big team in London just because they played two games there. The team that Londoners will cheer for is the team that wins championships.

Now, if we can just get a real team in Toronto....

Toronto Blue Jays 2011 Season Preview: A Good Season to be a Fan

The expectations for the Toronto Blue Jays have not been this high since the mid-90’s. With a team that finished 85-77 and in fourth place in a difficult AL East in 2010, which ended up being about 15 wins better than what was supposed to happen, the leap to the next level in 2011 is a dream that fans in Toronto are hoping becomes a reality.

The magic number to make the playoffs in the American League will be 95 wins and for the Jays to improve to that threshold they need to keep doing the things that made them potent in 2010 – hit the ball extremely well for power, hope that the other big three in the AL East stumble slightly and finally play well against the NL during inter-league games.

In 2010 the Jays were led by heavy bats who hit home run after home run and a deep pitching staff. Although the formula for success will be relatively the same for 2011, some of the faces and places have changed.

The pitching staff was the biggest surprise of last season. The young staff was thought to be developing and several of the pitchers who were supposed to lead the team ended up injured but the Jays still managed to put lots of quality starts together. They hope the same will happen this year. With 99% of the pitching staff, including all the starters under the age of 30, there is a bright future in Toronto.

After the trade of Shaun Marcum to the Brewers, Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow will be the top two starters this year. Romero finished 2010 with 14 wins and as the ace of the staff in 2011 he’ll be asked to win at least that many and should oblige. Although Morrow didn’t get the high win totals of some of the other members of the staff last season, he should be able to win at least 14-15 games this season. Morrow arguably has the best ‘stuff’ of anyone on the staff and will provide quite the 1-2 punch with Romero.

The third, fourth and fifth starters this season will probably flux throughout the season depending on injury and innings count. To start the season, the Jays will have top 50 prospect Kyle Drabek make the jump to the majors. A lot is expected of Drabek since he was the key piece of the Roy Halladay deal. Brett Cecil who finished 2010 with the team lead in wins is back and if he can continue his pace the Jays will definitely have a chance at the 95 wins. Jo-Jo Reyes, Jesse Litsch and Mark Rzepczynski will also all get chances to take the hill for the Jays this season. All are hard throwing, young pitchers who will hopefully be able to give 6-7 innings a start and then make way for the strong bullpen.

The closer spot will only have one question this season, who is going to get the ball? To start the season it will be Jon Rauch taking over from the inconsistent Kevin Gregg. Others that will get the ball at the end of the game will Frank Francisco or Octavio Dotel. In a scenario with everyone healthy, Francisco should be the guy with the ball at the end of the game, but it is always nice to have options. Jason Frasor returns as the set-up man and will be counted on to be a shut down pitcher and hold the lead when called upon.

Other names that fans will see out of the bullpen this year include Shawn Camp, Carlos Villanueva, David Purcey and Casey Janssen.

Now that the pitching staff has been set, the players that will score the runs to protect them need to be covered. The outfield has had the biggest makeover. With the magnificent trade to unload the contract of Vernon Wells there was the open spot in centrefield. Newly acquired Rajai Davis from the Oakland A’s brings speed and enough offence to make up for the year on, year off Wells. Travis Snider has claimed left field as his own. He will need to be more consistent as a young player, but it seems Jays management has confidence in him to be the man going forward. For awhile it seemed like the weak link in the outfield might be in right, but that is no more as manager John Farrell has decided that reigning home run champion and the Jays newly minted face of the franchise, Jose Bautista will be the everyday right fielder. Although it would be nice to see Bautista hit 50 home runs again, it will be tough for him as opposing pitchers will be on the look out for that sweet swing.

In the role of back-up outfielders will be Juan Rivera, Jayson Nix and Cory Patterson. Also, lurking are Scott Posednik and young farm hand Anthony Gose.

The infield defence may be a little inconsistent at times and could cause some pain to the Jays pitching staff. They will probably make up for it with their bats, but the more sure handed they can be, the more likely the Jays are to get closer to that magic 95 wins. Returning to the hot corner is Edwin Encarnacion. Encarnacion gets a bad rap for his defence but he covers a lot of ground, and as long as he can keep his throws accurate enough he will have a fine season. The person at the other end of EE’s throws is Adam Lind. The young star has moved to first base and has proven himself defensively. He needs to return to his 2009 offensive form again though and that could make him an all-star. The middle of the infield is strong with former all-star Aaron Hill manning second base. Hill is also a player who needs to return to his 2009 offensive form. Hitting for a .206 average despite hitting 26 home runs just isn’t going to cut it. At shortstop is Yunel Escobar. A solid defensive player who also adds some speed on the base paths will turn the double without problems and help keep those ERA’s down.

Behind the plate this year is super prospect JP Arencibia. After making his debut last year with a bang, Arencibia was frustrated at the plate and then was relegated to back-up duty behind Bengie Molina. This year, he is the undisputed starter and needs to make the most of his opportunity. Molina will still get the opportunity to play enough as he will catch Brandon Morrow and probably Jo Jo Reyes.

With all the shifting in positions in the infield, the everyday DH ends up being Juan Rivera. Arriving from the Angels as part of the Vernon Wells deal, Rivera has to be consistent at the plate and provide the protection for the likes of Hill, Lind and Encarnacion and his job will be complete.

There you have the team that will take the field for the Blue Jays this season and try once again to make Canada proud by bringing the playoffs North of the border.

Across The Pond - Raptors vs. Nets in London, England

A change of venue could not help the Toronto Raptors win over the weekend. The Raptors and the New Jersey Nets played two games at the 02 Arena in London, England on Friday and Saturday. These were the first two regular season NBA games ever played outside of North America. After the weekend, the Nets now have the honor of having the only wins on foreign soil as they beat the Raptors in both contests.

In the Friday night’s game, the Nets came out on top 116-103 with newly acquired Nets guard Deron Williams controlling the contest by scoring 16 points and adding 11 assists, even though he was listed as questionable to play due to injury leading up to the game. This gave him his fourth straight double-double since joining the Nets at the trade deadline. Other Nets didn’t seem affected by the time change and media responsibilities during the visit to London as Brook Lopez contributed with 25 points. The Raptors managed to score points, but the defense once again let them down. DeMar DeRozan had a game high 30 points and is really blossoming into a well-rounded player, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Nets
Saturday’s game was a treat for the London fans as they received some free basketball. The game went into triple overtime, and in the end it was the Nets who came out on top 137-136. Andrea Bargnani had a chance to win the game for the Raptors at the end of both the first and third overtime periods, but failed on both attempts. Fans were treated to some great performances during the 3.5 hour game though. Brook Lopez once again came through for the Nets by scoring 34 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking 8 shots. Deron Williams wasn’t too bad himself with 21 points and 18 assists. For the Raptors, Bargnani did have 35 points and 12 rebounds and DeRozan had another 30 point game in the loss.

Now that fans in the UK have seen live NBA basketball will they become fans like the NBA wants? Will they become fans of the Nets or the Raptors? Only time will tell, but history really isn’t on the NBA’s side.
The Nets are trying very hard to become “Europe’s Team”. Since being purchased by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, they have added a Russian version to their website and have started to sign promotional deals and run basketball camps across Europe. Winning games during the inaugural NBA international series will help their profile (all fans like winning teams), but it will still be an uphill battle for them. Traditionally, in areas that don’t have pro teams, the franchises that become popular are the ones that win championships or have the best/most recognizable players. The Yankees with their 27 World Series trophies or Manchester United’s popularity across Asia are prime examples. In this case, the Nets and Raptors are not in that class.

The NBA shop had a sale prior to the weekend, and instead of using NJ or Toronto players to sell to European fans who may be visiting the website shop during this period of time, they featured Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers, LeBron James of the Heat, Kevin Durant of OKC, Joe Johnson of Atlanta and Derrick Rose of the Bulls. If these are the players and teams that are the face of the NBA why wouldn’t the league consider sending at least one of them?

This has been common practice of leagues of the major North American sports leagues. They have never really send their best product overseas and it is baffling as to why. When soccer comes to North America, the teams that tour are the top clubs – Manchester United, Chelsea, Celtic FC, and Real Madrid have all played games during the past few years. The NBA sends two teams that are out of the playoffs. You could argue that they wouldn’t have known that at the beginning of the season, but neither team was predicted to have a good season.

The NFL has played an International game for the past 5 seasons. Only one of the games was exciting (Saints 37 vs. Saints 32) while the other games were poorly contested and featured the likes of the perennial losing teams such as the Arizona Cardinals, SF 49ers (twice!), Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins. The New England Patriots did play in one contest, but they did that because their owner, also owns Liverpool FC. Next season it is rumoured that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be one of the teams featured in the International Series since the game is being played in Ireland where the Steelers owner is the US ambassador.

The NHL sends more teams over than any other league to kick off their regular season schedule each year for the past couple of seasons. This season it was the Bruins, Blue Jackets, Coyotes and Wild that traveled to Europe for games. Of those teams, only the Bruins have had any success recently. Next season the Washington Capitals are already rumoured to be one of the teams travelling. This finally makes sense. Send your most marketable player in Alexander Ovechkin to promote the game and show the fans the best brand of hockey possible.

If the big four sports in North America want to make any in-roads in Europe, they can’t force the issue. They will have to let the love for the game and the leagues come naturally. The things they can do to help fast track the passion for the game is to bring the best product when they do play games in Europe, continue to promote the best teams and players because if you have no allegiance to a team, you want to cheer for winners and of course, don’t run out of beer during your games.

Sunday Best

Another week has passed in the sporting world and it is about time that we review some of the best and worst from the week that was...

1. NBA Trade Deadline
-Best: Portland acquiring Gerald Wallace. He will help that team immensely. He adds a scoring threat, able to play defense and he will excel on a team/franchise that cares about basketball.
-Worst: (tie) Boston trading away Kendrick Perkins and Houston trading away Shane Battier. Kendrick Perkins was an key member of a very tight Celtics team. With the Eastern Conference stacking up on talent, having a big man who can defend the likes of Dwight Howard and Amar'e Stoudamire, along with the Lakers big men can not be looked upon lightly. Why was that Battier trade made again? A team that has struggled with injuries and trying to stay competitive trades away a player that has come to epitomize hard work and basketball smarts to a team who are the exact opposite of hard work and basketball. The Grizzlies are one of the teams that are rumoured to be on the move, so for Battier to go to the basketball abyss of Memphis is a shame.

2. Spring Training has started
Baseball is back! Lots of stories to start the year; do the Yankees have any pitching? Can the Cardinals sign Albert Pujols during the season? Will the hometown Blue Jays be able to improve on their 2010 campaign?

3. New golf #1 player
Most casual golf fans know the top 5 golfers in the world, or at least they think they do. A new number one player in the world was crowned during the World Match Play Championships over the weekend Martin Kaymer. The next world ranking will be Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald (who won the tournament) and Graeme McDowell. It's the first time since March 15, 1992, that the top four spots have been occupied by Europeans.

4. Tournament Time
Just around the corner is the busiest time of year for gamblers, NCAA men's basketball tournament. This year the field is wide open due to many reasons. The biggest is the fact freshman leave for the NBA, bring favourites back to the pack every year and creating huge parity. This season, all the top teams have lost games to inferior opponents which makes gambling on the tournament all that more fun. If you are unsure who to cheer for this year, the best choices might be Texas (two Canadians on the team) or Syracuse (one Canadian) or Gonzaga (three Canadians). So pick a squad and go nuts

5. UFC Slowly Becoming Boxing
In the main event of UFC 127, the fight between BJ Penn and John Fitch fought to a majority draw. I've seen alot of fights in my day and I can't really recall one where I left saying "you know, they beat each other up equally". Boxing started to fall off when it was the judging that became the story as opposed to the fighters, if the UFC isn't careful it risks falling into the same trap.

6. Oscars vs. Razzies
With the whole twitter phenom, people loving to react quickly and judge others, it really is a shame that the Razzies hasn't taken off. Halle Barry started what should have been a trend of actors and actresses going to accept their award. I wish it would take off.

It's Gotta Be The Shoes

With this being the NBA All-Star weekend, it is not only a weekend of great basketball displays (celebrity game, skills challenge, 3pt contest and the dunk contest) but a weekend to display new kicks. If you haven't seen all the new shoes, you can head over to Nice Kicks for a round up.

In honour of all the new shoes hitting the market here are my 5 all time favourites in no particular order;

Air Yeezy: The Kanye West show, not only is it really sharp looking, it glows in the dark!

Air Jordan IV: My personal fav Jordan sneaker. This one is a classic and came in the best colourways as well.

Adidas Shell Toe: I'm a classic guy, that loves classic lines, plus how can you turn down sneakers that RUN DMC co-signed.

Reebok Pumps: Now these aren't the original pumps that needed the side pump, but they are damn cool, especially since the pump was the same material as a tennis ball.

Check out the
Air Jordan Alpha 1 iD Basketball Shoe
I designed at NIKEiD.com

NIKE iD Air Jordan Alpha 1 with MMMMBLT on the side, SICK!


What is your favourite footwear of all-time?

Things I Think and Things I Know

Lots going on these days and since most of my thoughts on sports have been in the spoken word for the past 3 weeks (have you heard about the podcast?), figured it was time to check in online and write something nice.

Here are some things I think and things I know (h/t to Peter King)
1. Really looking forward to baseball season. The Jays are going to be decent and the A's are favorites in the AL West.

2. Not looking forward to hearing about labour situations for the next 8-10 months. With both the NFL and NBA about to renew the CBA's there is going to be lots more going on in board rooms instead of on playing fields.

3. The two 10 year old girls that have been "discovered" on youtube by Simon Cowell and Lady Gaga will not be the next Justin Beiber. Beiber is a hit because of his image and the fact that 10-15 year old girls need someone to crush on. Boys of the same age don't crush on 10 year old girls and won't buy the posters, teen beat magazine, go see the movie, etc...that made Beiber the phenom.

4. Bautista signing with the Jays for 5 years and $64 million is fine by me. Winning with young players doesn't happen, you need to sprinkle in veterans and a couple of stars. Bautista can be that for the Jays.

5. I've really started to enjoy coffee the last 6 months. I'm not a cup a day guy yet, but want to stretch my boundaries a little, besides second cup/starbucks/timothys - what do I need to try?

6. NBA All-Star weekend is probably the best of the pro sports All-Star weekends. Many activities beside the game that you tune in for (3pt contest and dunk contest), even if you end up disappointed in the end.

7. Brian Burke re-vamping the Leafs line-up is smart. It will take the rest of the season for the Toronto sports media to realize the new guys he has brought in our crap and then he is off the hook until the start of next season.

8. Do baseball players really need a month of spring training anymore? They used to because they wouldn't train in the offseason. Now that they arrive to camp in shape (except for Joba Chamberlain), why have a month to get ready. Two weeks tops...

9. CC Sabathia showed up to Yankees spring training about 20 lbs lighter. He lost all the weight by giving up his habit of eating a BOX of Cap'n Crunch cereal each day. That guy must have some serious cuts on the roof of his mouth.

10. How long can you wear the jersey of a player who has been traded from your favorite team? Carmelo Anthony is either going to be dealt in the next couple of weeks or will sign elsewhere in the offseason. Do I get a one season grace period before having to purchase a new Nuggets jersey? I don't want to spend all the money for a new jersey of a player who will be gone quickly.

11. Can you believe Joe Smith (former number 1 overall pick) has now played for 12 different NBA franchises? It ties the record of Chucky Brown, Tony Massenburg, and Jim Jackson (h/t Uniwatch Blog).

500 Level Podcast - Episode 2

Well look at that...this wasn't a one and done project.  Very happy to post the second episode of the 500 Level Podcast where my co-host Aman and I talk about Toronto sports.

In episode 2 we cover the Super Bowl (can't ignore that), the Phil Kessel mess with the Leafs, the end of the Raptors losing streak, the return of Touchdown Atlantic and some TFC training camp news.

Go ahead and download the podcast here - 500 Level - Feb 9

or listen to the live stream;


Any comments, feedback or questions - hit us up by email - 500LevelPodcast@gmail.com or on twitter @500_Level_Pod

Foodie Times - Restaurant Review - AME

Saturday evening I had the pleasure to join some friends at AME. AME is a Japanese restaurant in downtown Toronto. In his previous incarnation it was called Rain. For those of you who care, AME is the Japanese word for rain.

AME is participating in the Winterlicious promotion that is currently happening. Winterlicious can be a great program. It allows wannabe-foodies the chance to eat at high-end restaurants that they probably wouldn't otherwise try. Customers get to pick from a special "winterlicious" menu that is a set price. The issue many customers have with this special is that they feel they are not getting the best from the restaurant. They feel they are often neglected for the regular patrons. Luckily, this was not the case last night at AME.

We were seated in a corner booth that was well appointed with traditional Japanese fabrics on the comfortable chairs and bankettes. The finishings on the table were high quality chopsticks (and a rock to rest them on) and a cloth napkin.

Sitting and enjoying the conversation, it was easy to also enjoy the atmosphere; funky music played in the background throughout the evening, but not lound enough to be a distraction, and the decor throughout the restaurant (and including the bathroom) was well done.

Now that the mood was set it was time to eat and drink. The waiter took the time to not only explain the winterlicious menu, but also the regular menu incase we were interested. He was also knowledgeable with regards to the short sake list. This is one area the restaurant could definitely expand on. The idea of the menu is to share food with your partner, I'm not that good at sharing what's on my plate, but didn't have much choice last night.

We started our dining experience with a plate of Salmon Maki. It was well prepared, very tasty actually. Our dinner mates had the Unagi maki, which they seemed to enjoy very much as well. The next course was the snapper sashimi. Usually, the wife isn't a huge fan of sashimi, but she couldn't resist trying these. Presentation of both these dishes was excellent and made you feel like you are eating at a high end restaurant.

We then received our two hot dishes and our side. Everyone at the table chose the same items - Miso marinated striped bass and the Teriyaki Cornish Hen. The item that was left in the kitchen - the vegetarian mushroom salad. Again, the whole table decided on the same side dish, the Waygu beef rice. The other choices were very plain, and when you have a chance to eat Waygu beef, you go for it.

The piece of bass and the cornish hen were each single serving pieces. For an XL individual like myself, sharing wasn't necessary, but I couldn't leave the wife starving. The bass was very soft and fell apart while trying to get it to my mouth with the chop sticks. The miso crust was a nice touch. The Teriyaki cornish hen was garnished with...wait for it...7 spice popcorn. If you don't think that was the first part of the plate that I went for you are seriously mistaken. The cornish hen was very tender and juicy. The Teriyaki flavour wasn't overpowering, so you were able to enjoy the meat.

Unfortunately, the sides was brought after we had finished the main course. I'm not certain if this how the chef plans to serve every meal or he just couldn't get the rice ready at the same time as the proteins. Either way, the Waygu beef rice was very tasty and a nice way to finish off the meal. Dessert was carrot cake that was served with an tiramisu. Very tasty and a great way to cleanse the pallette.

After we had finished the meal, and the group enjoyed some coffee and tea, there was no pressure for the cheque to be settled and we were permitted (as you should be) to enjoy the restaurant until we felt it was time to leave.

Overall, this was a great experience and would recommend AME if you needed a higher end restaurant to entertain a client, take the wife or girlfriend for a special evening out or as we saw last night a night out with friends before hitting the town.

Super Bowl Preview - Packers vs. Steelers

With the Super Bowl only one day away (or today, depending on when you read this) we can now break down the game confidently knowing nothing will change between now and gametime.

Whether you are a fan that has been watching since training camp in August or you are going to a Super Bowl party and you really want to sound knowledgeable in front of your boyfriends friends, these are the hot topics for you to consider;

1. Defense vs. Defense
This Super Bowl matches the number 1 and number 2 defenses of the league. Steelers took the top spot, while the Packers were #2. The Steelers are great against the run, and average against the pass, while the Packers are top 5 against both the run and the pass. Both defenses have to worry about containing the opposing QB breaking out of the pocket and gaining yards on the ground. The key to the Steelers defensive success will be containing the fast Packers wide receivers and can Harrison and Woodley put enough pressure on Aaron Rodgers to force mistakes. The key to the Packers defensive success will be to take advantage of the injuries on the Steelers offensive line. If they can put pressure on with their defensive line and contain the run, it will force Big Ben to throw into coverage with the ball hawking Packers secondary.
ADVANTAGE: PACKERS

2. QB Battle
Both these quarterbacks have had great seasons. Big Ben obviously had 4 less games at the start of the year, but he has proven once again that he is a top tier NFL QB. If he wins this Super Bowl, he will have 3 rings before the age of 30 putting him in the same company as Tom Brady and Joe Montana. Aaron Rodgers has been red hot with his play in the last 4 weeks of the season. He has made the leap into the discussion of a top QB. These guys have similar skills, but what we have seen from Big Ben in the past is that he can still get the win even if his team plays poorly. Rodgers hasn't really proven this yet, and has shown a lack of killer instinct going down the stretch of games. It will be a battle of who makes the fewest mistakes.
ADVANTAGE: Ben Roethlisberger

3. Injuries
The Packers led the league in games missed due to injury, but luckily for them they were all in the first few of games of the season which let them recover and fill the holes. Injuries to Ryan Grant, Jeremichael Finley and Nick Barnett were tough to swallow at first, but they have managed to fill the voids. The Steelers have caught the injury bug in the last couple of weeks. The offensive line has been decimated by injuries. Both starting tackles and starting centre Maurkice Pouncey are all likely to miss the big game. The other injury concern for the Steelers is all-pro and defensive player of the year Troy Polamalu. He has battled an Achilles injury all season long. Polamalu will definitely play on Sunday, but he will have to be on top of his game to keep the Packers wide receivers from breaking big yards.
ADVANTAGE: Packers

4. Intangibles
This is the area that will probably decide the game. The first is penalties. The Packers had a couple of really bad games with lots of penalties (vs. the Bears they had 18 penalties), but overall they weren't as bad as the Steelers in terms of penalty yards. The Steelers with the depleted offensive line have to be careful that they don't get holding and illegal motion penalties. The other side of the ball, everyone knows James Harrison is good for one unnecessary roughness penalty.
The Steelers also have the experience of being in the big game. 26 players on the Steelers roster have Super Bowl experience, while only 1 Packer has been to a championship game. The Steelers should be more relaxed and ready for all the delays and distractions that come with playing in the Super Bowl.
Although the QB's are the stars of the show, the running game might decide the outcome. The Steelers feature a back (Rashard Mendenhall) that could easily gain 100 yards. The Packers on the other hand have a practice squad runner in James Starks who has made a splash, but no one is really sure what he will deliver from game to game. If either player can keep the chains moving and put their team in second and medium, and convert third and short yardage situations it will dramatically help the teams success.
ADVANTAGE: Packers

5. MVP Candidates
The obvious MVP candidates are the two QB's. If there teams win Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers will obviously have played well and will be prime candidates to win the MVP. Other players to watch as MVP candidates will be Steelers tight end Heath Miller. The Packers give up big yards to TE's all season and if Miller has a big game, he could get himself some hardware. As mentioned earlier, the Steelers defense is ranked number one for a reason. Troy Polamalu, James Harrison or LaMarr Woodley could all make cases for themselves as MVP with an interception or a couple of sacks or a fumble recovery. On the Packers side of the ball wide receiver Greg Jennings could be on the receiving end of lots of Rodgers passes which could give him an MVP trophy. The other players to look out for might be Sam Shields. The Packers corner plays opposite Charles Woodson so might get picked on a little more, opening up for him to make some big plays. Packers defensive tackle BJ Raji also gets to work against the back-up centre which might allow him to make some impact plays and get his hands on some hardware.
ADVANTAGE: Steelers

It will come as no shock what my pick for the game is;
Packers 28 vs. Steelers 13

GO PACK GO!!!

Debut of the 500 Level Podcast

We told you about it on twitter, facebook and now it is here! The debut of the 500 Level Podcast.

Aman and myself have taken to the airwaves to give you opinions, news and views on the Toronto sporting landscape. We'll talk about Raptors, Leafs, Blue Jays, TFC, Argos and then give you a quick "around the world" segment to cover big events like the Super Bowl, March Madness or the Masters.

Listen to the podcast by streaming the audio


Or follow this link to download the podcast.
500 Level Podcast Link

Once it is downloaded you can import it into iTunes. If you have any difficulty downloading please leave a comment or email us at 500LevelPodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on twitter @500_Level_Pod

Tell your friends!

Super Bowl Week

It's Super Bowl week and it didn't take long for the headlines to develop. The Packers caused a media frenzy over a botched team photo, the Steelers touched down waving terrible towels and an ice storm hit Dallas giving everyone a taste of what the Super Bowl in Indianapolis and NY are going to be like.

Adding to the hype machine is Pepsi. For each round of the playoffs they have a quick music video to promote the game. Usually it involved rappers from the hometown team (Big Boi of Outkast did the Atlanta vs. Green Bay game), but this one features Snoop Dogg, representing LA, ughh?



You should know by now that I will be cheering for the Packers on Sunday, but we still need to break this game down. In the coming days, we'll examine the story lines;
1. Defense vs. Defense
2. QB Battle
3. Injuries
4. Intangibles
5. MVP Candidates

NBA All-Star Fantasy Draft

Last night the NHL debuted a new twist in the all-star game format by having team captains select their teams like a fantasy draft. It was a great format and it was fun to break up the Sedin brothers, to join the Staal brothers and to see who was going to picked last (Phil Kessel of the Leafs).

Since the NHL all-star draft has already happened and the NBA all-star game is just around the corner, what would be better than drafting the NBA all-stars in a similar manner. So, I got basketball guru P-Double to draft the teams with me. We based the teams on the starters that were released by the NBA last week and the potential all-stars as we see them.

The two captains were named, Derrick Rose and Chris Paul because the point guards always run the show in a game like this. P-Double won the coin flip and selected Rose as the captain of his team. That left me with Paul and the first pick.

With the first pick, I chose the King - LeBron James. You can't pass up the best player. P-Double countered with the best young player and likely scoring champ, Kevin Durant. With the second pick in his back to back, the man who rejuvenated basketball in New York was chosen - Amar'e Stoudemire. The names are flying out fast and furious and I didn't want to be caught without a big man, so Dwight Howard was my next pick. Then, I had to go with the one player who will have the killer instinct no matter the situation, Kobe Bryant. P-Double then solidified his front line with Pau Gasol and Carmelo Anthony. For my fifth starter I chose the player who will make the all-star game fun again, human highlight reel Blake Griffin. That pick let out a huge groan from P-Double as he really wanted Griffin.

Blake Griffin in the all-star format will be magical, he'll be throwing down dunks left, right and center.

After Griffin went, the teams got rounded out with Rondo and then Westbrook going back to back. The big surprise was all-star starter Dwayne Wade slipping to round 8. For one of the best all-around players in the league to fall that far in this type of draft was a little surprising, but we have seen this year though that the hybrid type guards can be tough to play with. Teams that have an "alpha dog" point guard like Rose, Paul, and Rondo are all contenders while Tyreke Evans for example has floundered with the Sacramento Kings.

Since two Toronto guys were drafting the team it was no surprise who went last - Chris Bosh. Although Bosh probably wouldn't go last if players did the draft (or fans in other cities) but for our purpose it felt right. Bosh has played well when healthy, but for all the reasons he went to Miami - winning a championship, playing with friends and exposure are all falling short. The Heat have struggled lately and the dream of 70 wins went down the toilet quickly, playing with friends hasn't worked so well as the "big 3" have all been injured and haven't found their playing style together on the court and the exposure has dipped quickly. The "big 3" has quickly turned into "Wade and LeBron", both Wade and LeBron were also voted in as starters by the fans and Bosh is left to hope that the East coaching staff chooses him. If he stays in Toronto, and carrying the team to hopefully a .500 record, he would be a lock as an all-star. Just like China votes for Yao, Canada would have voted for Bosh.

It was a fun experiment and here are the full teams, starters in bold. Leave a comment and let us know who you think wins this fictional game;

Team P-Double                                                               Team BLT
Derrick Rose                                                                  Chris Paul
Kevin Durant                                                                  Kobe Bryant
Amare Stoudemire                                                          Blake Griffin
Pau Gasol                                                                        Dwight Howard
Carmelo Anthony                                                            LeBron James
Russel Westbrook                                                             Rajon Rondo
Dirk Nowitzki                                                                   Kevin Garnett
Kevin Love                                                                       Deron Williams
Paul Pierce                                                                        Dwayne Wade
Raymond Felton                                                                Manu Ginobli
Tim Duncan                                                                       Al Horfod
Chris Bosh                                                                         Joe Johnson

A Potential Star

We have reached the mid-way point of the NHL and NBA seasons and once again and the all-star games of both leagues are just around the corner.This game is a showcase for the immense talents that both leagues have and it gives sports fans in Toronto another chance to wallow.

The teams in Toronto - Leafs and Raptors are both struggling this season and neither squad boasts talent that gives the fan base hopes. The Leafs have one all-star, Phil Kessel, but only because they have to. The other players that were supposed to be all-stars have fallen well short and this will leave the Leafs on the outside looking in April again this season.

The Raptors are in a similar situation. They lost their all-star in free agency and currently none of the 20 players that have seen time for the Raps this season could crack the top 12 of an all-star roster. Unlike the Leafs, there may be some hope for the Raptors. Andrea Bargnani has developed into a scorer who can hit the big shots, but unfortunately he can't play any defense. This holds him back from cracking the top echelon. If he did play a lick of defense and rebounding just a bit, there is no way he could be held off the all-star team. He would be a younger KG. Demar DeRozan should have a place in the all-star game - dunk contest. As DeRozan matures he might have a chance to crack an all-star line-up, but right now the position is just too loaded, he is making the leap. One other unlikely all-star candidate for the Raptors in the years to come might surprise you - Jarryd Bayless.

One reason we might have to start paying attention to Bayless is because of Kevin Love. The Timberwolves rebounding machine was on the Bill Simmons Podcast this week and was asked about players from his generation that could still make the jump into the NBA elite. He only had one answer - Jarryd Bayless. What made Kevin Love think of Bayless? He talked about other players from that 2008 draft class like himself, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Michael Beasley and Russel Westbrook who he has played against and with since he was 15. He mentioned that all these players, and he lumped Bayless in with them, have an intense desire to be great and to leave a legacy when they leave the NBA.

Now I understand that just because a player has a desire to be great doesn't mean that he will be. But, as Love mentioned, he hasn't been wrong too many times when he has evaluated talent. He picked out Westbrook and Griffin at the age of 15. So besides effort and finally a chance to play what does Bayless have going for him.

Bayless plays fast and hard, gets to the rim, can definitely run the team and he has the right attitude to be a team leader and an all-star. Here's hoping that Kevin Love's prediction comes true.

Friday Night Lights

It is not often that MLB can take the spotlight away from the NBA and NFL in the months of January and February, but for one Friday night people were talking baseball.

On Friday, there were 3 major transactions. The first was the Toronto Blue Jays trading former all-star and face of the franchise, Vernon Wells to the Anaheim Angels for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera. Before the blogs and tweets could analyze that deal, the Tampa Bay Rays made a splash by signing not one, but two former AL East rivals - Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.

The Ramirez and Damon deals seems to smell like a little bit of desperation on the Rays part. The Rays want to be part of the great rivalry conversation in the AL East and what better way to do that then by adding two former rivals to your roster. The Rays don't want to be looked at as third fiddle in the division and by adding the centre of attraction that is Ramirez they will certainly be featured more often in the national media.

What the Rays probably considered before signing the two players and then dismissed the idea was that they have built their team based on draft picks, young talent and smart trades that brought more young talent to Tampa. Signing two veteran players who are on their last legs seems very odd. Ramirez will only be able to DH for this team. His legs won't hold up on the turf at Tropicana Field and the past couple of seasons his hitting hasn't made it worth while to put him in the line-up everyday as the DH. Damon has struggled in New York and Detroit since leaving Boston and that is because what made him dangerous, his speed and recklessness in the outfield are no longer there for him. Damon is not going to be able to replace Carl Crawford and Rays fans should be worried that even though they will get the media attention, they are falling further from the conversation at the top of the AL East.

The "other" team in the AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays seem to be going in the opposite direction. After a surprising 2010 season, Jays fans are hopeful that the team is moving in the right direction and the pieces are in place to make a run at the division or at least the wild card title.

Lots of stars in the making seem to be peppering the Jays line-up, but one position was being held down by a former star - Vernon Wells. Wells and his bloated contracted was holding the Jays hostage. He was deemed un-tradable by many publications, not because of his performance, but because of how bad the contract was. Although, his recent performances didn't help his cause any, Toronto GM Alex Anthopolous still found a trading partner in the Anaheim Angels. The Angels were interested in the inconsistent Wells because they lost out on the big name free agents this winter and apparently have money to burn. The Jays got catcher Mike Napoli who will fill the void as a veteran catcher while JP Arencibia becomes more comfortable in the big leagues and utility man Juan Rivera will be able to play a number of position (OF, 3B, 1B, DH) and wouldn't be considered a liability if he has to play everyday due to injury.

The trade of Wells also opens the door for several other moves. Recently acquired Rajai Davis (from the Oakland A's) will take over in centre field and fans are now anticipating the rapid development of prospect Anthony Gose who was acquired last year from the Astros.

The Jays are on the path that made the Rays successful for the past couple of seasons. Develop your young players, let them mature at the major league level (even if it means some losing) and it will pay off. Now it seems the Rays have forgotten what got them into the conversation in the AL East and it is the Jays who are following the blue print that they created to make themselves into contenders.

Un-Lucky

With the NFL finishing its regular season, the teams on the outside looking in have the NFL draft to prepare for rather than their next opponent. The Carolina Panthers are the team that have the first selection in the draft. Since they finished last in the NFL they obviously have lots of needs, but throughout the college football season one player has stood out and would definitely help the team that drafts him - Stanford QB Andrew Luck.

Andrew Luck has the all the talents to be a great NFL QB and that is what made him so appealing to the Panthers who struggled through this season with a rookie QB who doesn't seem to have the moxie to be a starter in the NFL. Luck is a player who could have turned the franchise around similar to a Peyton Manning or Sam Bradford. Unfortunately for the Panthers and their fans, Luck being a college sophomore didn't have to declare for the NFL draft and decided this week that he would rather spend another year in college than turn pro. This has created a bunch of discussions and the majority of them didn't revolve around who the Panthers will now be taking in April's draft, they were about Luck's decision not to leave Stanford.

There are two sides to this argument, either he was right to stay in college or he should have turned pro. Those that say he was right to stay in college do so because Luck would have been drafted into a bad situation in the NFL (by going to Carolina) and therefore never would have reached his potential. Therefore he made the right decision by staying and waiting for the 2012 draft. The other argument for him staying in college was the uncertain NFL labour situation faces going into next season. With that cloud hanging over the league Luck would actually get to play next fall instead of hoping the league and the players association can come to an agreement.

The side arguing that he should have declared for the NFL draft has a much more compelling argument in my opinion. First, if you are ever the first overall pick in any draft, you are going to a bad team. Many players have turned franchises around whether it was the aforementioned Manning or Bradford in the NFL or players like LeBron James in the NBA or Sidney Crosby in the NHL. Going to Carolina wouldn't have been that bad for him. He would have had the patience of management and fans, also he would have been out of the media spotlight and therefore the pressure of playing in NY doesn't apply.

Luck says he decided to return to Stanford instead of pursuing the NFL because he wanted to finish his degree. This is an absolutely ridiculous statement. Many players have left school to play pro sports. The ones that do want to complete their education do so during the offseason. The prime example that comes to mind is Vince Carter. Carter returned to North Carolina to complete his education after getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors. There is always time to return to school. Even if Luck waited until he was done in the NFL (age 30-35), Stanford would still be there for him, its not like he was attending some online school.

If Luck really did stay for his education, he really needs to take some business courses. Since there is a good chance this NFL draft will be the last before some type of rookie wage scale is put in place (similar to the NBA), Luck is forfeiting approximately $22 million by staying at Stanford if the rookie cap gets put in place. He is also turning down a guaranteed $50 million dollars (approx) by staying at Stanford. No degree is worth that kind of money. With his first NFL contract he could have started a university and printed himself a degree.

So now that we know Luck really does need the education, why else should he have turned pro? His team will be worse than the Carolina Panthers next season. The Cardinals are losing several starters on offense and defense and won't be the same team that was 12-1 this season. Also, he is losing his coach - Jim Harbaugh who has decided to become the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Harbaugh was a former NFL QB himself and without that tutelage there is a big question whether Luck can have the same success without Harbaugh. The precedent for a QB staying and having success the following year is not good - look at the Matt Leinart situation. Leinart would have been the first overall pick in the draft, the following season at USC he struggled and dropped to number 10 in the draft, costing him millions. The potential for Luck to struggle next season is always there and not only struggle, but what if he gets injured? Playing with less talent around him it is always a possibility or if he tries to do too much and puts himself in harms way. Then he would really need his education and could only dream about how $50 million would have changed his life.

The window to be a professional athlete is very small and very few people have the chance to play at that level. If you are one of the lucky few, you need to take the opportunity when it presents itself.