Best NHL Beards of 2015-2016

NHL Year Round Beards

NHL players are most often only seen supporting their beards around playoff time.  Which as everyone knows is a big hit for NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus. This article isn't about any of that. This is an article to support some of the best year round beards in the NHL. There honestly isn't many to choose from so it was pretty easy to choose from. It must be all of the scars NHL guys have or something why they can't grow beards.

Without further adieu my top 11.

11) Nick Bonino

10) Mathieu Perrault

9) Eric Gryba

 

8) Jake Muzzin 

7) Scott Darling

6) Braden Holtby

5) Chris Thorburn

4) Johnny Oduya

3) Jordie Benn

2) Henrik Zetterbeg

1) Brent Burns

This was clearly a contest that was not going to be won by anyone but Brent Burns. Either way there you have it my official top 11 best year round beards in the NHL this season.

MLB's 21st Perfect Game

I apologize for the lack of posts. Have been pretty busy and focusing on some other things. Now that I have some time again, hopefully more posts will follow.

 As you might have read or seen allover sports center a man by the name of Phil Humber threw MLB's 21st perfect game and the first perfect game of the 2012 season. Phil Humber's 21st perfect game on Saturday came when he shut down the Mariners offense or lack there of in a 4-0 win.

Baseball fan's these days have been spoiled while witnessing several perfect games in the last couple of years. There was a point in time when baseball went 42 years in between perfect games. Humber's perfect game was almost ruined on the final out of the game when Brendan Ryan failed to check his swing on a 3-2 count on a ball that got away from AJ Pierzynski. Instead of running it out and maybe ruining the perfect game, he argued the call with home plate umpire. Humber had never thrown a complete game prior to throwing his perfect game.

Here is a little bit about Phil Humber and his path to perfection. Humber had Tommy John surgery before his career even started. He bounced around quite a bit before he even got a shot in the majors. Humber was one of four prospects the Met's traded to Minnesota for Johan Santana in February 2008. That was really the only thing that got Humber on Sports center being traded for Santana. He was drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Mets in 2004, one pick after Justin Verlander went to the Detroit Tigers. But Humber was sidelined by elbow-ligament replacement surgery the following year and didn't win a game in the majors until 2010 with Kansas City. Humber struck out nine and threw his perfect game in just 96 pitches. A little bit better than his first start of the season that was 5 1/3 innings and threw 115 pitches in a no decision against Baltimore.

 Congratulations to another out of nowhere perfect game buy a pitcher very few have heard of. No matter what he does the rest of his career he has a place in the record books.

Ryan Braun Wins Appeal

NL MVP Ryan Braun failed a drug test in October for elevated testosterone and was suspended 50 games. He appealed it, and somehow won.

He claimed all along that he was innocent and according to the over turned suspension maybe he was? Either way he was the first MLB player to appeal a suspension, and win.

It just doesn't seem fair to have a player that failed a drug test not get suspended. It's not fair to all the players in baseball that are clean. Did Braun get off because of who he is? If anyone else besides the reigning NL MVP tests positive do they win an appeal?

So much of the game as of late has been in question because of the use of performance enhancing drugs. McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Palmerio, Clemens all these guys and many more have either been accused of or admitted using. Talk of many baseball experts is that these guys should never be allowed into the Hall of Fame because of it. So if Braun was accused of using but got off his suspension and ends up having a Hall of Fame worthy career should he be allowed in?

My personal opinion is you have to let these guys in the Hall of Fame. They have set many records and there numbers are worthy of it. Just put on their plaque something about being accused of PED's. You can even expand a section of the Hall if you wanted to of alleged PED use to help make the public aware of the harm it can do and what these guys are doing to their bodies for the love of the game.

At any rate Ryan Braun failed a drug test and is not getting in any trouble at all. He has reported to camp as if nothing has happened. There is talk that he could have to face a Federal trial. Either way this won't be the last you will hear of it. Once I have more time and details I will add to this story. I would love to hear some feedback on how you feel about Braun getting away with failing a drug test, and how you feel when accused PED users will be on the Hall of Fame ballot.

The Playoff Beard

With hockey playoffs right around the corner and March Madness on it's way it is almost time for the greatest time of the year. Beard growing season.

I personally am a HUGE fan of the beard.I have rocked a beard for roughly 9 years. Any excuse I can come up with I try to grow the beard out as long as possible. The best reason to grow one though is for playoffs. When your team is in the playoffs you have to grow it out. No shaving allowed. Plus I help coach high school basketball and we are in playoffs so my beard is in full effect.

Here is the playoff beard explanation from Wikipedia for all of you who have no clue what I am talking about: "A playoff beard is the practice of a National Hockey League player not shaving his beard during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The player stops shaving when his team enters the playoffs and does not shave until his team is eliminated or wins the Stanley Cup. The tradition was started in the 1980s by the New York Islanders."

"The tradition is also practiced by nearly all North American hockey leagues, to include high school leagues and the NCAA hockey teams, as well as minor league affiliates.The tradition has also spread to hockey leagues in Europe and is practiced by many fans as well. According to some observers, one may trim the beard after a loss in an effort to change the team's luck; Jim Dowd and Roberto Luongo were such practitioners."

"It's not known whether the origins of the practice are purely superstitious. Hall of Famer Denis Potvin says that the Islanders of the 1980s would "play four games in five nights in the first round and it was just something that kind of happened." Other players have said the beard is both a reminder of team unity and a way to get you thinking about the playoffs from the moment you look in the mirror in the morning. The 2009 Red Wings used the slogan "The beard is back" for the final series of their 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs run. They played the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final that year (won by Pittsburgh) in which most of the players (and the owner of the team, Mario Lemieux) grew beards as well."

The playoff beard started in the NHL but has now grown to almost every other sport. Playoff beards have started to turn into everyday beards for some people. Brian Wilson of the SF Giants rocks his beard year round now and has gained national attention. Brett Keisel of the Pittsburgh Steelers also grows his out for the season. Both have made "Fear the beard" popular and even raised money for charities.

Here are some of the best playoff beards of all time.

#10 Jean Sebastian Giguere

















#9 Paul Mara












#8 Scott Hartnell










#7 Kris Draper













#6 Chris Mason

















#5 Lanny McDonald

















#4 Ken Daneyko












#3 Scott Niedermayer

















#2 Ken Morrow


















#1 Mike Commodore


















Will you be growing out your playoff beard? If so send pictures in. Best playoff beard win's a prize that will be determined at a later date.

NCAA College Basketball Free Picks

Happy Fat Tuesday. Here are some free NCAA Basketball picks for you.

Georgetown -2
Michigan +2.5
Kent St -2
Cleveland St -1
North Carolina -6.5
Virginia -2
Wofford -1.5
Miami -2.5

Good Luck

Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 Preview

With the Pittsburgh Pirates opening camp in Bradenton, Florida it's the most exciting time of the year for a Pirates fan. It's the time of the year they are tied for first in the league at 0-0. There is still hope of breaking the 19 year slump of being under .500. Even hope that maybe, just maybe they can sneak into playoffs.

The Pirates were leading the Central division last July until coming back to earth and finishing at 72-90. They were ranked 27th in runs scored (610), 26th in hits (1325), 27th in home runs (107), 23rd in average (.244), 17th in ERA (4.04), 12th in saves (42), 13th in earned runs (650), 28th in strike outs (1031), and 28th in batting average against (.270).

The pitching had been better that it has in the past but lack of offense gives you no chance to have success. The Pirates have a lot of young talent that they hope can start producing and some they need to keep producing to get them into the playoffs.

Their lack of strikeouts last year was something clearly the Pirates wanted to improve on this year. They went out and signed AJ Burnett and Erik Bedard who both have had 200+ strikeout seasons in the past. If both of these players can stay healthy and be consistent then the Pirates have a chance to add not only more strikeouts but add more win's. Win's the Pirates could desperately use to help break the streak.

Another big key to this years season is Pedro Alvarez. He needs to develop into the big bat the Pirates need. If he can be that big bat in the middle of the lineup it will help produce more runs and open better at bats for everyone around him.

Along with the young talent in Pittsburgh they also signed a couple of veterans. The signed catcher Rod Barajas, Clint Barmes, and ex-Pirate all-star Nate McLouth. Barmes can hopefully provide the Pirates with a short stop that can produce, something they haven't had in years. If Barajas can accept their potential role of role players and provide a spark in being the veterans they could help provide a couple key wins.

With Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder leaving the NL Central it helps the Pirates not only have a positive mental factor going into the year knowing to not have to face those great players, but the fact they don't have to face them at all gives them a boost. Pujols has always been a Pirate killer almost beating them single handedly.

Here is who I think will be the starters for opening day at home vs the Philadelphia Phillies.

1) Jose Tabata OF
2) Alex Presley OF
3) Andrew McCutchen OF
4) Neil Walker 2b
5) Garrett Jones 1b
6) Pedro Alvarez 3b
7) Clint Barmes SS
8) Rob Barajas C
9) A.J. Burnett P

I am predicting Pirates lose opening day 5-1.

I think the starting rotation will be as follows.

AJ Burnett
Erik Bedard
James McDonald
Charlie Morton
Jeff Karstens

The Pirates will most likely finish under .500 and add to their embarrassing record of 20 straight losing seasons, but I just like any other Pirate fan still have hope. They have the pieces to compete in the Central it's now time to do it.

My prediction is the Pirates will end up 75-87.

Go Pirates.

RIP Gary Carter

As most of you already know Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter passed away at the age of 57 after a battle with brain cancer.

Carter spent most of his impressive MLB career in Montreal and New York. He was nickamed "the kid" for always showing signs of youthfulness even late in his career. He always had a smile and was one of the most liked players in MLB. He was an 11 time all star and part of 1 World Series championship. He had a career .262 batting average, 324 home runs, and 1,225 rbi's. He is the only player in MLB history to hit two home runs in an All Star game and two home runs in a World Series game.

Gary Carter you may be gone but your legacy will always live on. RIP