Month: February 2022

Derek Jeter Steps Down as CEO

Derek Jeter steps down as CEO of the Miami Marlins on Monday. The move came as a surprise because Jeter had a plan to build the franchise from the farm system.

I’m curious about what made Jeter want to step down as the CEO. I feel that he had more to accomplish as part-owner of the Marlins. The Marlins fans who were critical of him for trading big pieces such as Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, J.T. Realmuto, and Dee Strange-Gordon) might be giving him the side-eye with this news. Jeter is a winner on and off the field, and this move caught me by surprise. It made me feel a little disappointed because I wanted to see more from him.

Jeter and Sherman deserve some credit for making progress for this Marlins franchise. Sandy Alcantara, acquired in the Ozuna trade, has evolved into the staff’s ace and was given a five-year, $56 million contract extension this offseason.

The Marlins went 218-327 since 2018, the first season after the Jeter/Sherman ownership group took over in September 2017. They made the playoffs once, advancing to the National League Division Series during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season that featured 16 teams instead of the usual twelve. Although they did make the playoffs in 2020, I think they would’ve missed the postseason if it were a regular 162-game season.

General manager Kim Ng will oversee the baseball operations as she heads into her second season with the Marlins organization. Chief operating officer Caroline O’Connor will oversee business operations.

In a statement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred thanked Jeter for “his service to the Marlins, the communities of Miami, and the game. “Derek is a winner on and off the field,” Manfred said. “In addition to his valuable contributions as a front office executive, Derek was a highly respected voice on our Diversity and Competition Committees. He helped build a talented front office with the Marlins, including moving the game forward by hiring women in top roles in the Club’s baseball operations and executive leadership, and a foundation that has positioned the Marlins for long-term success. Derek is a pillar of our game, and we look forward to his future contributions to Baseball.

Sunday Sports Shorts

Freddie Freeman, who had just helped the Atlanta Braves capture a World Series title in 2021 for the first time since 1995, might not be going back to the only team he has ever known in his 12-year big-league career. The New York Mets could be one of those teams to make an exciting offer to Freeman. Supposedly, Freeman is asking for a 6-year contract, but the Braves are offering him five years. Freeman is almost like the perfect player that any team would love to have. Outstanding leadership, great personality, and a terrific ballplayer. 

Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons is dealing with back soreness in his reconditioning process. There is still no timetable set for Simmons to make his debut with the Nets, but the good news for Brooklyn is that Simmons’ back issue doesn’t seem to be especially serious. We hope to see Simmons back by Mar. 10 against the Philadelphia Sixers. 

In the Associated Press poll, seven of the top 10 college basketball teams were defeated Saturday, including No. 4 Purdue. It was the first time that many top 10 programs fell on the same day, including every team in the top six. The last time six top-10 programs lost in the same day was back on Feb. 4, 2017, which had happened five times in college basketball history before Saturday. 

Here’s a look at every top-10 team that suffered a loss Saturday: 

  • No. 1 Gonzaga lost to No. 23 St. Mary’s, 67-57.
  • No. 2 Arizona lost to Colorado, 79-63.
  • No. 3 Auburn lost to No. 17 Tennessee, 67-62.
  • No. 4 Purdue lost to Michigan State, 68-65.
  • No. 5 Kansas lost to No. 10 Baylor, 80-70.
  • No. 6 Kentucky lost to No. 18 Arkansas, 75-73.
  • No. 9 Texas Tech lost to TCU, 69-66.

The Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Detroit Red Wings in one of the worst collective goal-tending displays in a hockey game, but at the same time, one of the exciting periods in a hockey game. A game where both teams combined for 17 goals. You read correctly. 17 GOALS COMBINED! After the first two intermissions, the Leafs were up 7-2. The Red Wings made it a little more interesting in the third intermission, but it wasn’t enough. Red Wings scored five goals in the period, while the Leafs tacked three more. Maple Leafs would win the game, 10-7. 

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

It’s TGIF! PSYCHE! It’s Miguel’s Friday Thoughts! Here we go!

The Premio Lo Nuestro event took place last night in Miami. The show started by paying tribute to the late great Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez. Reggeaton Puerto Rican artist Farruko, who recently announced his embracement of Christianity, was an eight-time nominee at the 34th annual Premio Lo Nuestro awards. It was beautiful to see Farruko’s four kids give him an award. He was in tears and one of the best moments of the night. Farruko recently announced his retirement and will be making a significant transition in his life. I think it was the best decision for him and his family, and he’s doing the right thing.

The song “Ayer Llamo Mi Ex (Remix)” won Best Remix of the Year. Bad Bunny took home Artist of the Year, Karol G won for Song of the Year for “Bichota,” and Farruko won for Best Pop/Dance Song of the Year for his hit single “Pepas.” All of these winners truly deserved it.

Gilberto Santa Rosa performing is one of the most things I enjoyed about the event. He was performing some of his classics. Rosa is a phenomenal musician. I respect and admire this man because he loves the Dominican Republic like it was his own country. Rosa is Puerto Rican, but he always talks highly about DR, and he also lives over there.

On Wednesday night, Tamba Bay Lightning forward Corey Perry scored his 400th career goal in a 5-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers. It’s good to see Perry getting the love he’s getting because he’s always been a good scorer. I think that he’s getting the acknowledgment now because he’s with the reigning defending champions, Tampa Bay Lightning. Perry is 36 years old in his 17th season in the league.

MLB says Opening Day will be delayed, and the 2022 season will be shortened if no deal to end the lockout is reached by Monday. If there’s an agreement, then Opening Day is scheduled for March 31. Members of the players’ union Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the league are holding daily face-to-face meetings in Jupiter, Florida, to negotiate a new CBA contract. Players and owners need to agree. I don’t want the regular season to be pushed back or potentially something worse like canceling half of the season. I highly doubt that will happen, but who knows. The baseball fans deserve to go to the stadium, have a good time with their family and friends, and root for their favorite teams.

Sports Throwback Thursday: 2007 No Way Out

Welcome to Sports Throwback Thursday! In today’s Sports Throwback Thursday, I’m going to take it back to the 2007 WWE No Way Out.

In my opinion, 2007 was the last good year of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Also, it was the beginning where I began to start slowly stop watching wrestling on a consistent basis. I still watch wrestling to this day, but I’m not obsessed with it like I once was. Anyways, here are some of my reviews of No Way Out matches.

Six-Man Tag Team Match

The Hardy Boyz and Chris Benoit took on MNM and Montel Vontavious Porter (with Melina). The Hardys are one of my all-time favorite tag team in wrestling history. I love their chemistry and athleticism. MVP has incredible charisma and personality. The match was solid, but the lasf minutes of the match was intense. Chris Benoit made this match very intense with his in-ring technically. Chris Benoit did a double German Suplex on Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro. Benoit made Mercury tap out with the Crippler Crossface. I give this match a B-. The last three minutes of the match was very good.

Cruiserweight Open for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Gregory Helms, whom dropped the superhero gimmick (The Hurricane) in 2005, won the Cruiserweight Championship in early 2006, and held it for over a year, becoming the longest reigning Cruiserweight Champion and the longest reigning champion of any kind in SmackDown history. In this match, he eliminated Scotty 2 Hotty, Funaki, and Shannon Moore. Helms got eliminated by Jimmy Wang Yang.

After eliminating Jamie Noble, Jimmy Wang Yang thought he had the match won, until Chavo’s music start playing. Chavo Guerrero won the Cruiserweight championship after hitting Jimmy Wang Yang with the frog splash. I give this Cruiserweight match a C.

Booker T vs. Kane

During this time, Booker T was known as ”King Booker,” but I’ll stick to calling him Booker T. The match between Booker T and Kane could’ve been better. 10 years prior, it would’ve been great because they were at the peaks of their careers. Kane defeated Booker T after delivering the chokeslam. One of the things that I liked about this match is JBL’s commentary. His expression towards Kane was comical. I give this match a C.

Batista and The Undertaker vs. John Cena and Shawn Michaels

The main event was a tag team match between Batista and The Undertaker (from SmackDown!) and John Cena and Shawn Michaels (from Raw). Cena and Michaels were going to wrestle one another for Wrestlemania 23, but would they co-exist in this match? It’s the same scenario for Batista and Taker. They are going to face each other at Wrestlemania 23 for the World Heavyweight title. In this match, both sides would have to work as a team. Batista and Taker had momentum of the match, until Batista turned on Undertaker by performing a Spinebuster on him and exited the ring. Why? Batista didn’t forget when Taker chokeslammed him after Taker chose to challenge Batista for the title. Cena and Michaels won the match after Cena pinned Undertaker following an FU. I give this match a B.

After No Way Out, The Undertaker continued his feud with Batista over the World Heavyweight Championship. At WrestleMania 23, he pinned Batista to win the title. Shawn Michaels, however, was unable to win the WWE Championship, as he lost to John Cena at WrestleMania 23.

The 2007 event was the ninth event in the No Way Out chronology and was held on February 18 at Staples Center (now called crypto.com) in Los Angeles, California.

WWE Elimination Chamber – Highlights/Reaction

The WWE Elimination Chamber event took place on Saturday, February 19th, in Saudi Arabia. It’s a great business move from the WWE to have this event in Saudi Arabia. Those fans needed to see their favorite wrestlers and experience the atmosphere of a WWE live event.

Roman Reigns vs. Bill Goldberg – Universal Championship Match

There were no high expectations from me about this match. This is one of WWE’s ongoing issues. Horrible bookings, horrible storylines. Goldberg issued a challenge for Roman Reigns belt. I understand that they were supposed to wrestle two years ago at Wrestlemania, but this wasn’t a smart business move. Goldberg is way past his prime, and his in-ring ability is not the same. Goldberg is one of my favorite wrestlers from WCW, and I also liked him in 2003 when he joined the WWE. I don’t mind part-time wrestlers coming back, but it depends on how you will use them. Using Goldberg in a title match against Roman Reigns didn’t sit with me at all. The match lasted only six minutes. Goldberg caught Roman Reigns not once but twice with a spear. But then, Roman Reigns regrouped and ended the match by putting Goldberg to sleep. I give this match a C-. Just not an impressive match. 

Raw Women’s Championship Elimination Chamber Match

The six divas from Raw went at each in this match. It was a solid match better than Goldberg and Roman Reigns, not to make the story long. Near the match’s conclusion, the last two divas remaining in the ring were Bianca Belair and Alexa Bliss. Belair hit Bliss with her finisher to win the match. Belair is one of my favorite wrestlers in the game right now. So I’m happy to see her win. She’s going to Wrestlemania to compete for the Raw Women’s Championship.

Women’s Tag Team Match

Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville versus Ronda Rousey and Naomi. Rousey had one arm with a rope tied behind her back. It was the stipulation of the match. I disagree with the stipulation because it would’ve made more sense if Flair or Deville had done the same thing. To have one wrestler out of the four being tied up looked weird to me. But the victory went to Rousey and Naomi after Rousey made Deville tap out.

Madcap Moss versus Drew McIntyre – Anywhere Falls Count Match

What stood out to me the most was McIntyre’s botched move on Moss, where he landed on top of his head. Watching this made me go, “Ouch.” What was so unbelievable is that Moss kept going. He got back up and continued to wrestle. That takes a lot of toughness and dedication. Very brave of him. McIntyre would go on to win the match. I hope that Moss didn’t sustain a severe injury. 

Lita vs. Becky Lynch – Raw Women’s Championship Match

My favorite match of the night. A Fall of Famer against a future Hall of Famer. Lita did not miss a step. She came well prepared for this match. She showed her athleticism and proved that she had a lot left in the tank. Lynch dominated throughout the match, but Lita came back and hit her with a Twist of Fate and Lita-sault. Lita didn’t win the match, but it was a valuable effort. After the match, an emotional Lita should alone in the ring as the crowd gave her a standing ovation. Becky Lynch will face Bianca Belair at Wrestlemania for the Raw Women’s Championship. 

Main Event

Brock Lesnar went off-script when he entered the ring, and it wasn’t his turn. He might get punished for doing that, but not severely punished. Lesnar cleaned the house by eliminating everyone. He is once again the WWE champion. It sucks that Bobby Lashley had to leave early in the match due to a possible shoulder injury. I don’t know how serious his injury is, but I hope he can make it back by WrestleMania, or he might have to go on surgery. As for Lesnar, he will take on Roman Reigns in a Champion vs. Champion match at WrestleMania. 

***I am not the owner of the image

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

Welcome to Miguel’s Friday Thoughts! I have a couple of things to share today in this blog post. It all starts with the NBA.

Joel Embiid was magnificent last night against the Bucks. He continues to make his MVP case stronger. The Philadelphia Sixers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 123-120 on Thursday night. Khris Middleton missed a three-pointer at the final buzzer that would’ve sent the game to overtime. Embiid finished the game with 42 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists.

According to the Sixers Wire, many of his teammates praise James Harden’s leadership and support to the team. Harden seems to be uplifting his new teammates, being on the sideline with them, and just being an excellent overall teammate. However, I think it’s too early. We will have to see how James Harden will gel with Joel Embiid. I’m not in the locker rooms or anything like that, but James Harden has built himself a reputation for quitting on his team: Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets. We understand that the Sixers were his first choice before he landed in Brooklyn; we know that the situation with Kyrie and not getting vaccinated was not Harden’s fault. Still, I realized that Harden was not a true winner when he brushed off Chris Paul in the huddle during the 2019 playoffs. Chris Paul is one of the best leaders in the game. He’s a floor general, and he makes them BETTER for every team he goes to. Chris Paul tells you to like how it is. Harden didn’t realize how important Paul was to the Rockets. So when he couldn’t coexist with him, then that’s the moment where I started viewing him a little differently. James Harden is arguably the best one on one player that I’ve ever seen, a great scorer, and a future Hall of Famer; I don’t think that Harden is a championship-caliber player. He doesn’t take constructive criticism lightly. I would love to be proven wrong this year or next year. Harden would need to stay healthy and stay in shape.

James Harden has yet to take the court as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers as he is still dealing with a hamstring issue that bothered him towards the end of his time with the Brooklyn Nets.

During the Miami Heat-Charlotte Hornets game, Duncan Robinson reached an important milestone. In the fourth quarter, the made 3-pointer on Duncan Robinson’s four-point play was the 700th of his NBA career, making him the fastest player to reach that total in terms of games played. The game went to double overtime, and the Heat won, but congratulations to Duncan Robinson. He is such a valuable piece to their bench and one of the best shooters in the game right now.

Former NBC Sports NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya leaves the company to join as co-chair for Kendall Qualls’ Minnesota Republican gubernatorial campaign.

The five-time Sports Emmy Award winner is making a bold move to leave a high-profile job. I think it’s courageous on her part. It’s braver than Colin Kaepernick and Kyrie Irving. It also reminds me of Maya Moore. That’s how things should get done. If you want to take a stand on something, make all the sacrifices, put your career on hold, and do not complain about it. Michele knew the public would be critical for this, she knew what she was getting herself into, but she doesn’t care. She wants to be part of the change.

Michele has been one of my favorite sideline reporters for many years dating back to her ESPN and ABC Sports days. Tafoya is class personified. She will be missed. The sideline reporting won’t be the same, and it’s been fun to watch her work and professionalism for so many years.

Penguins Star Sidney Crosby Scores 500th Career Goal

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby scored his 500th career regular-season goal with his first-period tally against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The play Pittsburgh fans will long remember came at the 16:34 mark of the first period when forward Evgeni Malkin set up Crosby with a nice pass on the power play, allowing Crosby to fire the past puck goaltender Carter Hart.

Crosby is the 46th player in NHL history to reach the 500-goal plateau and the 18th with one franchise. He is the second Penguin to score 500 goals, joining Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux.

My Secret Valentine – Reaction

Happy Valentine’s Day! This day is not just about lovers but friends as well. It should be celebrated every single day. In today’s article, I want to talk about one of my favorite Valentine’s Hallmark movies, “My Secret Valentine,” starring the Queen of Hallmark movies Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker.

The movie is about a young woman (Chloe Orange) who takes advice from the chalkboard notes that her mysterious house rental tenant leaves when a slick sales rep (Seth Anderson) arrives with plans to buy her family’s prized winery. 

My Secret Valentine grabbed me in the first three minutes when Chloe’s father called her and told her that he wanted to talk to Chloe in person about something big. Chloe’s father announced that he would sell the wine festival at the family dining table. This catches Chloe off guard, and she tries to persuade her father to help him save the business. Chloe constantly takes jabs at Seth because she doesn’t trust his intentions. 

It’s a beautiful Valentine’s Day rom-com movie. I like the chemistry between Chloe and Seth. It’s a good story, and I enjoyed it very much. Lacey Chabert brings a genuinely realistic approach to every character she portrays in Hallmark movies. 

Women Director and Writer: Meet Kimberly B. Flores – “Infestation”

Kimberly B. Flores is the owner and CEO of Twist to The Story Productions. She started her career right after graduating from the City College of New York in 2017 with a BA in Theater by working on several short films. During this time, Kimberly also worked on her own project, the horror anthology “Happenings.” Although she is one of the leading Writers and Directors, she also worked as an Editor, Cinematographer, Boom Operator, and Actor. Through the pandemic, she continued to learn and grow as a filmmaker and created Twist to The Story Productions.

“Infestation” is currently streaming on YouTube under the Twist to The Story Productions YouTube channel.

Director, Kimberly B. Flores

The MMM Journal: What was the inspiration to make Infestation?

Kimberly: At the time, the Covid-19 Pandemic had just reached a year for us. Things were still crazy, and we hadn’t filmed since the pandemic started. I took the pandemic as the main inspiration but didn’t want “Covid” to be the focus. So instead of a “virus,” I changed it to “bacteria,” that way, the focus was more on the character’s mental health and what she was going through. 

The MMM Journal: How was the writing process for this movie?

Kimberly: I had the idea set in my mind and had spoken with my team about it. They were all interested in being a part of it, and I wrote the short as we were setting a date for filming. Since the idea was already solid in my mind, writing it out came naturally. 

The MMM Journal: Did you face any challenges directing or producing Infestation?

Kimberly: Producing and Directing the film with my team backing me up came pretty easy. The only thing that was an issue was that filming took longer than expected and ran past the time that was set. But my team agreed to stay and finish filming. 

The MMM Journal: Are we going to see a Part 2 or a future feature film?

Kimberly: Since this film is only meant to be a micro-short, unfortunately, there will be no part 2 or a feature.

The MMM Journal: As the owner of Twist to the Story Productions, describe your relationship with your team members who participated in this movie. 

Kimberly: I’m blessed with such a talented and skilled team. I trust them to help me bring my vision to life, and they always do a fantastic job as they did with “Infestation.” We always have fun while working, so I know I can count on them every time we work.

“Infestation” Official Trailer

Sunday Sports Shorts

It’s Sunday Sports Shorts! It’s time to give you some latest news and highlights on baseball, basketball, football, and hockey.

Former major league outfielder, Jeremy Giambi’s death has been ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. On Wednesday morning, Giambi, 47, was found dead in his mother’s home in Claremont, California. A report released by the coroner’s office listed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the chest. 

Could you not call it a comeback? Is it safe to say that Klay Thompson is back? Well, you best believe he is officially back. On Saturday, Klay Thompson went for 33 points in Golden State’s 105-103 victory over the Lakers, his first 30-point game since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals when he tore his ACL. Thompson made 5 of 9 from 3 and 10 of 22 shots overall, and 16 of his points came in an electric fourth quarter. 

Frank Beckmann, the play-by-play voice of Michigan football for 33 years who also had long stints calling games for the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers, has died at age 72 in hospice care. Beckmann suffered from vascular dementia and had several strokes recently.

Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson has been suspended two games for interference on Boston Bruins defenceman Jack Ahcan, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Sunday. On Saturday, the incident occurred at 8:07 of the first period in the Senators’ 2-0 loss to the Bruins.