Today it was announced that Dick Ebersol has resigned from his chief position at NBC Sports. Dick Ebersol has long been a road block in the UFC partnering with NBC, stating publicly his negative feelings towards the sport of MMA. A bit ironic being that this was the man who green-lit the XFL, and gave up the networks rights to the NBA and NFL.

  So if the UFC is now able to make a deal with NBC what would you expect quality wise, the first card specifically? I don’t think they would get away with Spike/VS level cards but I am also unsure if we will be seeing anything that is PPV quality either. My guess is that it will fall somewhere in between a Marquardt/Johnson headliner and a Lesnar/Carwin headliner, but where is any ones guess. What do you guys think?

Hey everyone,

 I have done quite a bit of online MMA betting in my day. I started with the third GSP Hughes fight with a $500 investment into Betus. I promised myself when I did it that I wouldn't put any more money in, just would play with the $500 until it ran out. Well that lasted until about a year ago, when I hit 1 cent. I fluctuated from $50 to $1500. Towards the end I was at $50 and within one month I was up to $700 only to lose it all and call it a day. I always did good with MMA but when I would win I would get cocky and bet on other sports and then started getting reckless with some of my MMA betting. I always thought if I were to play it smart I would actually do quite well so this is where you guys come in.     

 I gave myself $500 to play with for the next month and a half or so to see if it I could have some success if I played this smart. If this goes well I will give my betting a second chance, if not I will stay a spectator until I hit it rich and losing money doesn't bother me any longer. I thought it would be fun for you guys to watch me have some success or fail miserably.

Ok so for my first bets tonight that I just placed:

May 14th (Current Balance $500)

Bellator 44

Fight #1 Patricky Freire v.s Micheal Chandler 

My bet- $50 on Freire @-105 to win $47.62.

 I actually intended to bet on Chandler before I saw the odds because I assumed that he would be a huge dog due to the fact that Freire has built up an out of this world highlight reel lately, so I was shocked to see Freire at -105. Sure Chandler can take him down and GnP for 3 rounds but at -105 I like Freire chances of catching him with a hard shot or a flying knee.

Fight #2 Alexander Schlemenko v.s Brett Cooper

My bet- $100 on Shlemenko @-170 to win $58.82.

 I think this is easy money and I was tempted to put even more on this fight but want to play it smart. In my opinion Schlemenko is highly under rated. He took everything Lombard could throw at him and hung in there for 5 rounds; if Lombard can't stop him I really doubt Cooper has much of a chance. While I see Schlemenko as highly under rated I can't think of many more over rated then Cooper. I know that no one has him pegged as a potential world beater but this is a guy who is still living off of TKOing Rory Markham. That is his hallmark win and in hindsight it doesn't look like much of a feat. Cooper is a regional fighter at best, getting stopped by Spiritwolf doesn't give me much confidence that he can last very long in this fight. I say Schlemenko stops him with strikes within 2.

Ok there you have it. Sorry this one is so close to the event, I will try to do these a little further out in the future so I can get your feedback.

  Let me start this with saying that I think the Canucks are the biggest winners today. Amazing team but a pretty rough bottom 6, with the Higgins and Lapierre additions I don't think there is a better constructed team in the league.

 You are probably saying why does Coleko think that the Rangers won this deadline? All they got is a throw away from the Maple Leafs. That is exactly why they won! They didnt do anything!! The Rangers are a team on the rebuild and trading away our young players/prospects for a proven veteran at this stage of the teams development would set us back several years and keep us in purgatory for the indefinite future.

 People forget that this years team wasn't expected to make the playoff at the start of the season and the success they are experiencing should be seen as a bonus and a great sign of things to come, not a call to mortgage the future to go for it all. Look what has happened with the Colorado Avalanche. Last year they were poised to begin a long rebuilding process but because of a handful of over achieving youngsters and a goalie playing out of his mind they made the playoffs. Nothing wrong with that right? Well yes there is. The Avs unlikely success lead to unrealistic expectations this year and has led them to trade away several key parts of their rebuild. The moves most likely set them back several years, not something I want to see happen to the Rangers.

 Do the Rangers need scoring? Yes. Could they use a little more pop on the backend? Yes. Are those things we need now? NO. Why you ask? Because the Rangers still really dont know what they have yet. Like many developing teams the Rangers still don't know what they have, and should be content to stick it out until they know then make moves accordingly. Some of the questions that will be answered over the next few years:

Is Dubinsky a legitimate top 2 line center?

Is Derek Stepan a a top line player?

Is Brian Boyle's season a fluke, or has he emerged as a legitimate force?

Is Henrik a goaltender that can win the big game, or is he a guy who will eventually get critisized for regular season success but falling short in the playoffs. (such as Luongo, Nabokov, etc.)

Is del Zotto going to fulfill his potential, or was his rookie season a flash in the pan?

Is Zuccarello going to blossom into the offensive player he shows flashes of being or disappear like Prucha?

Is Ryan Callahan the second coming of Adam Graves or just a really good grinder?

And the questions on players like Anisimov, Grachev, Mcdonagh,and McIlrath will also be answered over time.

 It sounded like del Zotto and Stepan were the 2 main players that teams were asking for today. In my opinion seeing either of those players traded today would of been an absolute nightmare. Stepan seems to be loved by most in the Big Apple at this point but del Zotto is another story. He has struggled this year and quickly has fallen out of favor but people forget he isn't even legally able to drink yet. Last year he was a 19 year old running an NHL power play; pretty impressive stuff. I think he is a player that still can blossom into a Brian Leetch type and not trading him at this deadline will look like one of the franchise's best decisions 5-10 years from now.

  As for the player most rumored to be coming to the Rangers, Brad Richards. Not only do I think its great that we didnt get him this deadline, I also think we shouldn't even consider bringing him in this summer. While he is a great player, he is to old and is only effective if placed with the right types of players. Richards struggled his last 2 years with Tampa and his first full year with Dallas and I fear he would also struggle on a team with few offensive options on wing. Richards is primarily a set-up man while the Rangers biggest need is goal scorers. Coming in and asking him to be something he is not is the reason we had to rebuild in the first place, its what the Rangers have been doing for decades.  With Stepan, Dubinsky, and Boyle down the middle I think the Rangers will have a very formidable trio down the middle in a few years; but if Stepan and Dubinsky prove to be unable to take the reins as a #1 center man then it should be time to go out and grab one. As for now I wouldn't mind seeing the Rangers grab a little more offense on the wings this summer and see how this team looks so when Drury's contract comes off the books we know exactly what we need.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/112/1128870p1.html

The UFC continues not to listen to there fans. Doesnt look like EA will have a chance with the UFC Franchise anytime soon. I really dont understand why the UFC would commit to THQ further after the last title bombed hardcore. Hopefully they stock the create a fighter roster in EA sports MMA with all the current UFC guys so we can have an MMA game with some actual diversity and innovation.

 Hopefully this will go better than when I correctly predicted that the Faber/Aldo WEC car would be the most exciting PPV ever, and then got banned from BE because of it. Anyway here we go:   

  UFC 119 is being universally panned nearly everywhere from legit media to fans to blogging trolls (cough cough Luke Thomas cough cough), but I just dont see it. Sure this card doesn't have that huge headlining title fight but otherwise the card is stacked with exciting fights that are also very relevant. I actually can't remember a recent UFC card with so many relevant fights. Lets Take a look:

Melvin/Stephens- Great fight between 2 young gun slingers with loads of potential. Sure both have clear weaknesses but at the same time they are very young and have a lot of time to improve. The winner of this fight is still probably a few quality wins away from being considered in the title picture but as far as excitement goes this has fireworks written all over it. Two fast young LW strikers with KO power going at it sounds like a great way to start a PPV.

Serra/Lytle- Another fight that has a great chance of being a barn burner. The winner of this fight instantly jumps into the title picture for one final run at the belt. A win for Serra would surely move him past the novelty fights he has been taking and into fighting some serious contenders at 170. On the other hand a win for Lytle would give him a 4 fight win streak all in exciting fashion, surely leading the UFC to set him up with a top WW with a favorable stylistic match-up.

Dunham/Sherk- Former champ against young up and comer. The winner of this fight will most likely be 1 fight away from a title shot. Sure to be a fast paced exciting fight.

Nog/Bader- Another fight where the winner will be a fight away from a title shot. The winner of this will be getting the pleasure of fighting Jon Jones for #1 contendership. 

Mir/Cro Cop- Ok I will give you that this isnt really PPV headlining worthy but what most forget is that before Mir's last loss he was on his way to becoming a legit promotional superstar. This fight is a perfect stylistic matchup for excitement. While Mir is still not close to another title shot, I feel that with a win Cro Cop will be fast tracked for 1 last run. This is a fight I always wondered about back in the Pride/UFC days and I am happy I am finally getting to see it.

So in this main card alone you have 2 fights where the winners will get a #1 contender fight, 1 Welterweight gearing up for one last run to the top, a young exciting LW striker will emerge as a future contender, and a Pride/UFC battle that may be able to invoke a fair amount of nostalgia. Not to mention that the undercard may supply us with some exciting finishes, in my mind while not top heavy this card is a must buy and will pack more excitement than most other UFCs.

 I wrote up a piece for another site on this topic, but now that the Bloody Elbow exodus is in full effect I figured I would post a little something here. Anyway, I was suspended from BE a few days ago for the following comment:

"Finally Tito gets a W... but on a serious not I hope that the kids were not subjected to anything, with both of their sketchy pasts I bet they had a lot of bad stuff to say."

 I guess making a tame joke about a 95 lb. porn star claiming that her 230 lb. cage fighter boyfriend hit her (even though she didn't have a mark on her) on a website called Bloody Elbow is just way out of line. As you can imagine the ban message I received was VERY professional. Here it is:

"Finally Tito gets a W?" Yeah... I've been waiting to do this for a long time:fuck off."

But what would you expect from a website where the mods and writers tell people to commit suicide on a public forum for not agreeing with them?

 I already had one foot out the door being that one of their mods over there wouldn't stop giving me crap (not sure which one, because he is to much of a coward to attach his name to anything he has written me). I posted a prediction thread on the last WEC event, and after it came true people on the site started Rec'ing it, and complementing me on my foresight. I guess this mod got some e-jealousy because when I woke up the next morning it was deleted. When I posted a question asking why it got deleted, that post got deleted too along with getting a message that looked as if it was written by a 14-year old high school girl, telling me if I had a prob I had to email him (didn't leave me his email address). I am not an extra from "Mean Girls" so I didn't indulge him in a response, just let him have his cheap thrill. I guess that was a big no-no. In my time on the site I never used vulgar language towards other members, fighter bashed, or used any racist/sexist comments. But I simply just stated my opinions and predictions on things (which came true about 100% of the time), but I guess having different opinions is too scary.

 Bloody Elbow and their legion of dweeb "sheep mentality" followers have become the internet equivalent of the white guy who claims his best friend is black when called out as being a racist. So eager and insecure about the sport they claim as their own that any chance you have to show how "anti-savage" you are you jump on it, but only when it suits their needs. The whole Tito situation would of been a completely different story if it involved one of MMA's golden boys. It was just easy to pile on Tito because no one is looking forward to his next fight. If you don't believe I have two words for you, Anthony Johnson.  If B.E was a site where everyone had to behave as if they were at Sunday school it would be one thing but the hypocrisy is laughable. It's not okay to make comments about the lying attention hungry porn star, but its hysterical that after every single Cyborg fight 90% of the conversation is about her penis size. Its okay for people to have avatars of women crotches and make comments like "I would choose Rampage to be beside me in a street fight because he is not scared to run a bitch over." Not to mention that their weekly quote section/article is filled with fighter bashing week after week. There is a reason why fighters and organizations treat the site like the joke that it is; even though they desperately try to be legitimate and give the impression they are some how better than other MMA sites. Which leads me to my final point.   

 I am talking not only to the B.E cult but all the elitist fans when I say this: This is not YOUR sport. So many people online love to behave like they are some how superior to others because of their join date or the fact that they watched UFC 1 on PPV. Guys like Gracie, Couture, Coleman, Severn, Shamrock, and Frye made this sport and fighters like GSP, Silva, Penn, Liddell have built it up to where it is today. This is their sport. Their blood, sweat, and tears are the reason we get to watch this sport today. What do you think goes through their heads when they go on a forum to read this elitism from guys pounding their cheeto stained fingers into there moms desktop? I am sure they are laughing at you, so you can now step off your high horse. What makes this "YOUR" sport? Is it because you write about these guys? Maybe you have a UFC on Demand membership? Is it your large collection of Tapout shirts? Or is it because you buy all the UFC action figures? 

 The great thing about the B.E purge is that people like me that were not aware of all the other MMA sites on SBnation now have the chance to join communities where you don't have to praise the Mods with cult like affection to stick around.  Fans of MMA (new and old school) will be much more likely to stick around sites like this, then get banned for their opinions else where. Sites like BE have to potential to scare away new fans forever, so the quicker they fade the better it is for MMA.

 I hope that my followers from BE (by the way I am flattered you guys are still talking about me, and linking my work in Fanposts and Fanshots) will check out this site after reading my piece, and maybe break free of the cult because its pretty cool here.  Its going to be fun be able to post an OPINION again, it kind of reminds me of the internet.  

 Let me start this off with saying I am a long time Ranger fan, and was a fan of Savard all the way back to his Ranger days. After the Rangers chocked on the last day of the season I decided I was going to route for The Capitals to come out of the East, but after they decided to join the Rangers in the choke club the B's have become my adopted  team. The reason I say this is because even though I am rooting for the Bs, I am not blinded by my fandom.
  As for Savard, I think it is a horrible decision letting him back in the line-up. I know he is a key offensive cog and a much needed part of the offense but in my opinion the risk far outweighs the reward. I know he was cleared by a doctor but a doctor also let Eric Lindros get out there time after time after time only to have his career end far too early, leaving the game a shell of his former self. Even this year with David Booth coming back too early, I would think teams would learn there lesson. I am actually pretty disgusted with the different day, same story syndrome the NHL has in general with head injuries, such a lack of respect for the players long term health. The concussion that Savard got was no joke, and he suffered some serious PCS so throwing him back in there this time of year has disaster written all over it.
  The Bruins opponent in the next round is what truly bothers me more than anything else. Plain and simple, the Flyers are a dirty team. They always have been and always will be. There are 2 guarantees with every Flyers team; a bad goalie and a team filled with cheap shot artists. With Savard arguably being the Bruins most offensively talented player, do you think guys like Richards,Pronger, and Richards will pass if they have a opportunity to deliver a headshot? I doubt it.
 I hope my fears are unfounded and Savard gets out of this play-off series unscathed but every time he carries the puck I will be cringing just a little bit, hoping for the best.

Ranger fan here. Well I picked a dud on this one, a really thought the Yotes had a chance of making a long run. Great team though, it was fun while it lasted. Now onto the more important matter, WHERE DO WE GO BANDWAGON JUMPERS? I say we come together and decide on a team (maybe 2 teams, 1 from the west and 1 from the east) and all travel to their site as our own bandwagon. If they team(s) we pick loses we can just continue our jumping.

My personal picks are:

Capitals and the Wings. but because we may have Yotes fans joining us I have no problem with the Hawks. What do you guys think?

 Tonight we just watched a 25 minute commercial for GSPs next title challenger. Jake Shields was able to beat a legitimate MMA legend who until tonight seemed to still be in his prime, on a national broadcast. Do I think he has a legitmate chance against GSP? No. But do I think this is going to be a a hugely marketable fight? YES!!!

 Is all the BS that went down after the fight was horrible for MMA, but couldn't be any better for the UFC. What happened after the fight will be shown on sports shows everywhere, raising Shields appeal to insane levels.

How does Dana do it? No matter what he always winds up landing on his feet.

    Long time Ranger fan here and as you know the Rangers choked themselves out of a playoff spot so I need a team to cheer for in the playoffs. After last nights amazing performance I choose the Coyotes to be my Western conference representative.

  I have to be honest, I haven't watched many Coyotes games this year (even though Prucha is still one of my all-time favorite Rangers, and how could you not love a team that hires Tyson Nash as a commentator) but this team is for real. I like many  other hockey fans waited for this team to fall apart after there hot start, and thought they would be easy pickings for the Red Wings in the first round. Wow, was I ever wrong. 

  This team is an ideal playoff team. Great goaltending, solid D, grit, and great depth on there forward units. I see them as the kryptonite for all the other top Western conference teams. Even though they may not be as dynamically talented as the Wings, Blackhawks, and Sharks, I think that stylistically they match up perfectly against these teams. It won't be easy to get past the Wings but if the Coyotes do I think that the only team that will pose a legitimate threat to them is Chicago.

Coyotes 2010 Stanley Cup Champions? As crazy as this would of sounded in September, it is now a realistic possibility.

   How can anyone boo this LEGEND? I have never been as entertained during a sporting event as I was for the first 2 rounds of the fight today. Silva transcends the sport, and shows a level of dominance no Mixed Martial Arts fighter has ever shown before. I have never seen another athlete from any other sport show such distance between himself and the competition around him. He makes other trained professionals look like complete amateurs.

     People complain that GSP and Anderson Silva are boring, but forget that dominance is what bores them. No one can stay champion and fight Griffin/Bonnar style fights against top competition and consistently win. If you are on such a higher level than your opponent its just not possible to do so, without playing down to your competition. Until Silva is placed in the Octagon with someone who can honestly challenge him, the lack of drama will continue. So what does he do? He puts on a show. I don't know what people want? Would you of been entertained if Silva walked in and KO'd Maia in 45 seconds and went home? I wouldn't of been. After the first round I turned to my friend and said I could watch this all day, and he agreed (this was the first MMA event he ever watched).

  This is Martial ARTS people, can you not appreciate a truly unique and amazing artist? All the "hardcores" are very eager to jump on the "rednecks" who scream "ground fighting is for queers" and "We want Blood" but are you any different? Would seeing Maia lay there unconscious after a punch made the event that much more enjoyable? The goal of fighting is to inflict the most damage to your opponent with taking the least amount of damage yourself, that's what Silva does. And he doesn't do it by laying on top of his opponent for 25 minutes, he does so standing up leaving himself open for a fluke KO punch. Give me 25 minutes of Silva's stand-up mastery before 25 minutes of positional dominance on the ground any day.

  Is everyone so brainwashed by the UFC media that they can not see what is going on here? Silva has been pushing for BIG fights forever and has tried everything to get them. He has annihilated all the top 185er's, moved up to destroy former 205 champ Forrest Griffin, called out Frank Mir, called out Roy Jones (in a boxing match), wants to fight for the 170, 205, and Heavyweight belt.  And what does he get? He is still fighting the Damien Maia's of the world. Anderson made it clear during the Cote and Leities fight that if you put him in there with someone who doesn't excite and challenge him he won't just give you a KO to put on your next countdown show. He is going to make it fun for himself, and showcase his skills.

  A majority of "hardcores" bash Dana White non-stop for the horrible way he treats fighters and his constant stream of BS, but hate Silva when he stands up for himself? Silva should be the hero to all the "hardcores" and to all men in general. Anyone can be a keyboard warrior and bash Dana White and say what he should do, but Silva is in the position to actually do something about it and stick it to Dana, and thats what he is doing. He is fighting the MAN and winning. Dana lost today and thats great to see, he can not control fighters. He has grown to be insanely power hungry and wants nothing more than to be able to dictate to fighters who and how they fight. He found out again today, he can't. What is he going to do cut Silva? This isn't Jon Fitch or War Machine. Silva is still one of the biggest stars in MMA, and would MAKE another promotion.

  Silva's actions are just bringing Dana White's true colors to light. He does not conduct this as a true sport, and the sports growth will forever be limited as long as he is in charge of the largest promotion. Could you imagine Gary Bettman (NHL commissioner) walking down to the Red Wings bench in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and screaming at the coach to pull the goalie because they are up by 4 and need the game to be more exciting? That is essentially what Dana did today.

Silva is the Muhammad Ali of MMA. He dominates with grace and style while fighting the UFC politics at the same time. He refuses to sell out and is everything any man can aspire to be. He is the stuff of legend and will be appreciated much more by future generations than he is now. 

Note By Joe Fortunato: I don't like the way the convorsation is going here, so I'm shutting down the comments. I haven't seen this many personal attacks since that Islanders fan came over last year.

With so many teams desperate for some help in net, we could pull in a Kings (no pun intended) ransom right now.Pull the trigger, we can turn this franchise around in one fell swoop. Even though its not going to be popular on this site I have my reasons why trading Henrik is a great idea. I dont have time to jump into it right now (I will do a write up later) but the main reason is I just don't think this guy has the mentality of an elite playoff goaltender, he always seems to fold under pressure. And please don't bring up the Gold medal win 4 years ago because that Henrik is long gone IMO.

Finally a true #1 contenders match has fallen into place that will actually give BJ a worthy opponent. Both are undefeated in the UFC, and both look unstoppable for different reasons. This would be a sick co-main event, and if BJ were to beat the winner of this match there would be no way anyone could say he hasn't cleaned out his division (and no Tyson Griffin doesn't deserve a shot). So c'mon Joe make it happen!

I absolutely love Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury when they are not pushed to be first and second liners. These 2 are the quintessential 3rd/4th line energy players, and fantastic penalty killers. When not put in scoring positions they are at there absolute finest, blocking shots, killing penalties, throwing hits, and providing energy for the whole team. I can see why teams are always asking for Calli in trades and I am sure if Drury was more reasonably priced he would be a pretty hot commodity. If any contending team was able to add 1 or both of these players at the deadline I think they would seriously increase their chances.

How you can let your captain Chris Drury fight Cooke after all his struggles with concussions? Rosival just stands there and slowly glides over and pretends he is trying to help as Cooke bashes Drury's head into the ice.

  Adding guys like Shelly and Prust won't help this, you need a culture where everyone sticks up for each other, not a lone circus monkey who waddles on to the ice for 4 minutes a game to throw hands with the other teams designated clown. Time for Dolan to wake up and get a new GM, this is pathetic.

 Sure all teams have there ups and downs, but I fell like the Rangers have a history of giving fans hope then taking it away, repeaditly. Just this season alone, has been enough to drive a fan crazy:

It all started well with Sather getting rid of Gomez made me dance with happiness. (BOOTYLICIOUS was the song of choice). Maybe Sather isnt such an idiot after all. 

+ Signing Gaborik made me cautiously optimistic (sure he is a great player but before NY, he could never stay healthy). Sather is probably still an idiot but may get lucky on this one.

- Not resigning Orr and signing Brashear ( an over the hill dirt bag who was just months removed from cheap shoting one of our heart and soul players).  Seriously? Is this a joke? O wait and your paying that caveman more than Orr? Sather is definetly still an idiot. I hate Sather more than before.

- Signing Kotalik for 3 million a year made me beyond angry. Originally it was announced as 1 mil a year for 3 years and I was ok with that, but 9 over 3? Old school no salary cap Sather is back, Optimism is gone.

- Not resigning Blair Betts, who was an amazing penalty killer and never took a night off. Expected but STUPID.

+ As for the season it with an amazing winning streak, could Sather actually be right? Are the moves going to pay off for once? 

- Holds breath...... Holds Breath...... NO.

+ Putting the Christensen Dubi Gaborik line together. Gave me hope, that Torts grew his brain back. A Top line with a Playmaker, Physical prescence with scoring upside, and a legit scoring star. Torts must of started playing NHL 04, I like the way he is thinking!!!!

- Breaking up the Christensen Dubi Gaborik line, after they showed to be the line with the most chemistry all year. What is this guy thinking, is Sather making a great coach dumber just by being around him?

+ Putting together the Avery Voros Boyle line the day after I wrote the article here on BLUESHIRTBANTER. Hey if you cant make good lines by yourself, seek help elsewhere. Excited because at least I will be able to see one line that excites me at Ranger games.

- Breaking up the Avery Voros Boyle line when they brought tremendous energy to the team. O great back to more games with no energy, no fights and no goal scoring.

-The team goes on a long losing streak, pisses me off. The Islanders are better then us, how the hell did that happen?

+ I see the bright side. TIME TO REBUILD!!!! Now even Sather has to see that making trades to bolster a playoff run makes no sense. HE CANT BE THAT STUPID. But it is Sather? But he is a human with eyesight right? And most humans with eye sight can see things? There is hope.

- HOPE IS GONE!!!! Trading for Jokinen (When its obvious we should be selling, not buying for a 1st round exit at best) and Prust (Dont we have enough guys that are tough and cant score?)

Now with talk of selling of our future for an absurdly priced selfish rental player. All I can do is:

     Some may say its a coincidence, but I think not. A day after I posted my line suggestion of Avery-Boyle-Voros, that line starts the game. I just want to say Thank You to whomever saw it for thinking outside the box.  I must say I got a real kick out of seeing them put together, and even a bigger kick out of seeing how well they played. Not only did the line perform the way I thought they would, they raised the stakes for everyone else on the team.

    I think we all just saw the turning point of the Rangers season last night, and that line was a huge catalyst. So again Thanks too the NYR lurker, and you're welcome.

I have been waiting since the season started for one Rangers line to be put together, and some how Torts and his crew have yet to try it. You would figure with all the mixing and matching he has done he would of hit almost every possible combo, but he hasn't. There is one line that I think will not only help the Rangers win but get attention league wide. Here it is:

Avery-Boyle-Voros

  Let me explain. Will this line put up loads of points? No, but thats not the point (no pun intended), even though I think they have the potential to produce solid numbers. This would be the quintesential Crash/energy line, so much so it would probably deserve its own nickname.

  Boyle has shown flashes of his potential this year and I think a line like this would let him shine. Voros is hated by Torts, but is a good player when given a chance and always plays with loads of heart. And Avery is Avery, he is not a top 6 forward and is wasted when put in a scoring position. Furthermore it gets Brashear out of the lineup, who is so useless that I dont think it would make a difference if he played with an upside down stick.

  A line like this will  keep the opposing teams on edge at all times and would wake the team up when they get complacent. This line gives Voros the chance to do what he does best, BANG. It also gives Boyle the chance to use his big body to not only hit,  but to make room for himself and become an imposing force. Lastly but maybe most importantly it gives Avery a chance to be Avery. Avery is very popular but the reality is that he never cracked 20 goals or 50 points and is on pace to get 38 points this year, not scoring forward numbers. Avery is valuable when he is getting under the other teams skin and it just doesnt mesh with being on one of the top 2 lines (even the 3rd with Anisimov). Having Avery free to run his mouth and do his thing with 2 bruisers (who can play) riding shotgun, would give him carte blanche to do whatever he pleases without having to worry about getting mauled, I don't see Ms. Artem running to his rescue anytime soon. It going to be hard to come up with a line thats going to be tougher than this one.

 I cant say enough about how much I love hearing this guy talk hockey. If he was as good at being a goalie as he is with being a hockey analyst Brodeur would still be picking splinters out of his butt from riding so much pine. Sure he has a slight bias toward goalies but its honest and genuine which actually makes me enjoy it (even though I'm more of a goal scorer myself).     Who knew this guy was so eloquent? I feel like he is selling himself short by giving hockey analysis on the NHL network, he should be giving life advice or something.   I would love to see MSG grab him before someone else does.    If the NHL ever got back onto ESPN I think he would be a perfect fit, outside of a vintage Barry Melrose I don't think anyone else even compares.

Hey everyone season ticket holding Ranger fan here. Just came across this site and decided to do my first fanpost.

 I hate to say it but I think all of us Ranger fans should calm down about this winning streak we are on, its just a mirage. The team is still playing like crap and if it wasn't for Henrik playing out of his skull the last 3 games they would of easily been 0-3.  Lets take a look at the last 3 Games:

v.s Islanders- This is a team that is having massive trouble right now and if it wasnt for Henrik's heroics in the first this game would of been a blow out in the Islanders favor.  Gaborik had a great game as usual. The win is also not as impressive when you consider that the Islanders beat them easily in the game before.

v.s Flyers- This team is even worse off than the Islanders are. There offense is horrible and their goaltending is AHL level at best, yet the Rangers barely squeaked out a win again thanks to a massive 3rd period by Henrik. This game was a perfect opportunity for the offense to carry their momentum over, but like they have most of the year they failed to deliver. 

v.s Carolina- Last place in the league, and Rangers again barely win looking horrible in the process. Again Henrik was amazing but got loads of help from Gaborik who pretty much did everything outside of stopping the puck, again.

 Some people see this as a turning point in the season, but all I see it as is favorable scheduling that worked out perfectly for the Rangers. Henrik has shown to be a very streaky goalie and this hot streak won't last forever. Tonight the Panthers will be coming into the Garden riding high off of an emotional victory on Monday where they showed the heart and passion I wish the Rangers had. The Panthers will not be giving the Rangers a W in this one they will have to work for it, and even though I hate to say it I am 99 percent sure the Rangers will lose. Thankfully after this game the Rangers play the same basement dwellers they just beat up on so they have room to gain some ground, but dont let it fool you. This is a deeply flawed team that would be beyond lucky to sneak into the 8 spot to enjoy there 4 game sweep. 

  Hey all. I have always wondered how many die hard MMA fans followed another sport in the same way. My other sport is hockey so I'm starting a late start Fantasy hockey league ( yes I know the season already started but Ie been busy) and thought it would be fun to do it with fellow MMA fans/ Bloody Elbow readers. So If your a fan and would like to jump in let me know.

Roger Huerta proved tonight that he is the definition of a warrior. He had several chances to take the easy way out but the guy has absolutely no quit in him. MMA fighters are known for having loads of heart but Roger is a cut above. Even those who have talked trash about him must now give him credit, Good luck in your pursuit in acting Roger; regardless of what you do you have gained another fan tonight.

Seems like there are a lot of sure fire winners on this card. I know its MMA and anything can happen but I dont remember the last time a card seemed to have so many great picks.

Couture/Nog- I don't even think Prime Nog would beat Couture. Couture is a very smart fighter and isn't going to make a glaring mistake on the ground. As great as Nog's Subs are they aren't going to surprise Couture. As for the stand-up I give the edge to Randy. I take Randy is a 3 round dec.

Silva/Jardine- While Jardine is inconsistent, he is still a top level fighter with some very solid wins on his resume while Silva's best win is over Houston Alexander. Whether Jardine's chin will hold up to an opening onslaught always seems to be a theme in his fights, however Silva has a questionable chin himself which rarely gets mentioned. Silva has gotten rocked and been in trouble in pretty much all of his UFC fights prior to fighting Machida, and I am sure that KO didn't improve his chin. Jardine has deceiving power and I am taking him by KO/TKO round 2.

Maia/Marquardt- In my opinion Maia is an amazing fighter, but this is a horrible match-up for him. While Maia is an ace on the ground, Nate is a BJJ blackbelt that has experience in fighting high level grapplers (Lister,Leites) and staying out of danger. Nate has a huge advantage in wrestling and striking, and can probably stalemate Maia's BJJ. If this fights stays on the feet for any amount of time I see this getting really ugly for Maia. Nate via TKO round 1.

Leben/Rosholt- Leben has some of the best 1 shot KO power in the sport, and Rosholt hasn't impressed me since he has taken off his wrestling singlet. Leben 1st round KO. Vera/Polish dude- Vera still has elite potential and he showed that he is far from done in his last fight with Patt. Vera has great Bjj and his striking is probably the second best in the LHW division only behind Machida IMO. KS is on a 3 UFC fight win streak, but those wins came against Primm, Stann, and Gusamo, who have a combined 0 UFC wins. I am taking Vera by spectacular KO in the second round after abusing KS with leg kicks.

Gonzaga/Tuchscherer- Tuchscherer has gone 3 rounds or over with every legit opponent he has faced, and I cant see him being able to keep Gonzaga on the floor for 3 rounds without getting subbed out by the superior grappler. Gonzaga also has the advantage standing, even though I can't see it staying there for very long, Tusch will desperately go for the TD. I'm taking Gonzaga by 2nd round TKO.

Dunham/Auerelio- Dunham is new to the UFC but showed some serious KO power and decent sub defense in his first UFC fight. Aurelio hasn't been impressive since beating Gomi, and in his last fight out of the UFC against Joey Gorczynski (a mediocre grappler) he got tagged with quite a few shots before getting the sub. If Dunham was in Joey's place, Aurelio would of been taking a nap. I am taking Dunham by 2nd round TKO handing Auerelio's his 1st lost by finish.

Munoz/Cantone- Munoz is better everywhere, dont let the Hamill fight fool you Munoz has loads of potential. As long as the weight cut went well, Munoz is going to put it on Cantone. Munoz via 2nd round TKO.

Simpson/Herman- This one is a toss up for me, could go either way. I wouldnt put any money on it, but if I had to pick I would go with Simpson.

Duffee/Hauge- Duffee is a stud. In his 4th fight he finished the very tough Auserio Silva and looked very impressive doing so. While I like Hauge and he seems like a cool guy, he is going to be outclassed in this fight. Hauge has taken a few beatings on the local circut and has very sloppy stand-up. Duffee wont give him the sub like Berry did. Duffe by 1st round TKO.

McCully/Russo- Even though the "American Fedor" is awesome I dont see him having a chance in this one. Russo by Dec.

Here are my picks (all parlays)-

Munoz,Couture- $30 to win $35

Russo,Dunham- $10 to win $20.67

Vera, Duffee- $40 to win $47.27

Couture,Nate,Jardine,Leben,Vera,Russo, Duffee, Munoz, Dunham- $10 to win $608

Couture,Leben,Vera,Munoz,Jardine,Nate- $10 to win $155.85

Fighters Only Magazine - The World's Greatest MMA Magazine - News - Exclusive: Semtex Daley signs for UFC

According to Fighters Only Magazine Semetex has signed a 4-fight deal with the UFC. I am truly excited about this signing, while Daly has yet to develop the ground game to contend with the elite 170's, he is one of the most explosive and exciting fighters competing today. Fights with Hardy, Davis, Lytle, and Alves would be complete fireworks.

Yes, I know he is the best Heavyweight in the world but at this point I really just dont care if he goes to the UFC. I think he has made it very clear that he isn't interested in fighting there. The conference call today was nothing but BS, his manager wouldn't answer any real questions and its obvious that he has his best interest in mind, not Fedors.

For him to make the demand that M-1 would have to co-promote for Fedor to fight in the UFC, is pretty much the same as saying sure Fedor will sign as long as Dana runs around naked covered in jelly during all Fedor's fights. Its not happening.

The UFC doesn't need Fedor, and they also don't need to get into bed with the seedy crew that controls him. The UFC shouldn't change all of their policies for one fighter that realistically may not even be that large of a draw. Sure the Lesnar fight would do huge numbers but if he won that fight would fights with Carwin, Cain, and Dos Santos do numbers even close to the numbers that Brock would do fighting those guys? I doubt it. A Couture/Fedor fight would be big but would it be any bigger than Couture/Lesnar 2?

Lastly (and I know this might get some Fedor lovers angry) Fedor hasn't looked nearly as good lately. IMO he is no longer in his prime, he was getting tooled by Arlovski before the KO, took a beating against HMC before the armbar, didnt look to sharp against a 185lb Lindland, and almost got submitted by Mark Hunt. Sure he decimated Sylvia, but so did Mercer. I think that Fedor has never been more vulnerable to lose, and that he wouldnt be able to get through Lesnar, Carwin, and Cain without at least one loss.

I am starting to get the feeling that Zuffa is doing a lot of shady behind the scenes work as of late. Dana has always been a BS'er but lately it has reached an all time high. He stated on "Inside the octagon" that he was working on getting Belfort than days later denied ever saying it. A few days ago he admitted to the fact that the UFC Heavyweight division use to suck and that he always said that it was bad. I couldn't believe my ears, I am sure most people here clearly remember him bashing the Pride Heavys and pumping Arlovski and Sylvia as studs. Many might not see this as a big deal but to me it shows someone that lies so much that they can no longer keep track of all his BS.
I have to say the Barnett suspension has Zuffa all over it. This is the first time that California has ever done out of competition testing, and it just so happens to be a fighter in the main event of Affliction's most crucial card. Here is why I am thinking that Zuffa knew this coming: 

-Before UFC 100 Dana stated that if Barnett beat Fedor, that they would try to sign Barnett, then out of nowhere last week stated that he has no interest in Barnett, because no one is banging on his door to see him fight. Now when he is asked about Barnett I am sure Dana will claim he never wanted anything to do with him.

-At the UFC 100 press conference Dana stated that he wanted Fedor and that eventually he would get him, only days later to bash Fedor in an interview as not being that good. Therefore lowering Fedor's negotiating ability right after giving it a boost at UFC 100.

- Went back on Vitor comments because he saw this fight coming and will have no interest in Vitor after Fedor mauls him.

- After years of Tito and Dana saying that they would never work together they make amends out where with Dana publicly stating that Tito potentially will be in the UFC Hall of Fame. Dana wouldn't let Tito sign autographs at the UFC 100 convention leaving Tito to sign autos at a local Hooters, then all of the sudden they are buddies again? BS. Zuffa knew that the only way Affliction would make this PPV work without Barnett was Tito, and they covered there bases but getting back into his good graces.

- The Cro-Cop ordeal had inside job written all over it. Dana resigned him for a one fight deal not because they had a verbal deal for more fights, but because the UFC was in dire need to sell tickets in Germany. Cro-cop states that he is coming back for a run at the title then before the post-fight press conference its announced that Mirko is re- signing with Dream. Wouldn't he at least wait to leave the building before letting that information out? IMO that was Cro-Cop doing Dana a favor to show all the fans out there why he refuse to do one fight deals.
But then out of no where the Fertitta flys out to Croatia to get Mirko back? Why would he fly across the planet to convince a 2-2 UFC fighter with limited drawing power to come back to the UFC? Another example of tying up a guy who could of helped save the Affliction card.

Lets put this into perspective. What happened last night was not an MMA fight, it was a kickboxing match with 4 oz gloves. It was no different then the Slice/Petruzelli, and why people are glancing over that fact is beyond me, this wasn't a boxer beating an MMA guy at MMA. Tim Sylvia, one of the most misguided MMA participants ever,  agreed to stand with a far superior striker, and got KO'd. Shocking? Not at all. With 4 oz. gloves anyone can get knocked out, does that mean one fighter is a better fighter than the other, no. Serra caught GSP, Randleman caught Cro Cop, the list goes on and on.   Along with being misguided Sylvia has to be the most Tailor made name heavyweight, for a boxer to fight. He has no wrestling, Submission, or kicking ability, and has made a career of keeping fighters at a distance with his long arms. Several unknowns have knocked out name fighters in their first fights on a big stage, some examples:

Houston Alexander Unknown entering UFC.

Ko'd Top contender Jardine in 48 seconds

Ko'd UFC vet Sakara in 1:01

0-3 since, stopped in first round in all 3 bouts, with an average of surviving 2 minutes and 45 second a fight 

Sokoudjou 2-1 before entering Pride

Ko'd Top 10 fighter Nogueria in 23 seconds

Ko'd top 10 fighter Arona in 1:59 seconds

2-3 since.

Paulo Thiago Unknown BJJ guy

KO'd Top 10 Josh Koschek in 1st UFC fight.

Future Unknown

Dos Santos Unknown before entering UFC

KO'd Top UFC contender Werdum in first round of first fight

KO'd Stefan Struve in 2nd fight

Future Unknown. 

If fighters like Alexander (a street brawler) and Sokoudjou (a Judo guy) can knock established MMA talent in their early fights, why wouldn't a pro boxer be able to in a fight which was said to be a stand-up fight? Does than mean Street brawling and Judo is better than MMA? 

Marcus Davis was a 17-1-2 pro boxer, but was a mediocre MMA fighter until he expanded his skill set, now has 50 percent of his wins via Submission. Alesio Sakara a 7-1 Pro boxer, has yet to round out his skill set and has been KO'd in 3 of last 6 fights to "inferior MMA strikers".  

And lastly as for Mercer, he is 0-2 in K-1 (according to boxing fans K-1 fighters are left overs that couldn't compete in "real" boxing) and 1-1 in MMA with a SUBMISSION loss to Kimbo of all people. This boxer has gone outside his comfort zone and has won one out of four. Impressive?