Month: March 2022

Wander Franco: The 2022 Expectation

The 21-year old phenom Wander Franco is one of those young, exciting players that all eyes will be on him for the upcoming 2022 season.

Franco signed a big contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s going to be wearing the uniform for a long time. Franco has an outstanding defense, and we all know what he can do at the plate. Franco is one of the talented young shortstops in the game, joining the club with Fernando Tatis Jr, Bo Bichette, Tim Anderson, and the list goes on and on. Can Wander Franco bring a championship to Tampa?

It’s certainly not a one-player game. It’s a team game. The Rays did go to the World Series in 2020 without him. Rays have a good team surrounding him. If Franco can live up to the hype, the American League will be in good hands. But we can’t forget about the Toronto Blue Jays. Rays and Blue Jays could be the new Red Sox/Yankees rivalry in the AL East.

We expect a lot from Wander Franco. The Tampa Bay organization is expecting a lot from him. It is easier for me that he’s playing in a small market team with not so much media coverage compared to New York or Los Angeles. Tampa is a good fit for him because there is a Latino community, sunshine with palm trees, and the Rays are competitive. There’s no rebuilding for the new season. Franco is ready to prove his determination to greatness to the world.

Clayton Keller’s Season Ending Injury, Bruins-Devils Matchup

Tough day for the city of Arizona and the Coyotes fans. Why? The fear turned into a reality. Clayton Keller is out for the season after he was taken from the Arizona Coyotes game on a stretcher with a broken leg sustained in the third period against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

The Coyotes said he had surgery after the game. Keller could make a full recovery in 4-6 months. Keller was injured with 5:15 remaining after falling and hitting the end boards’ legs first. He was trying to get off a shot while being defended by Nicolas Meloche.

It’s a devastating blow for the Coyotes not to have one of their best players on the ice. Keller leads the Coyotes with 63 points (28 goals, 35 assists) in 66 games.

The Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils will face off tonight. Although the Devils have been struggling this season, they can put up a competitive fight against one of the best teams in the league. In sports, any team can beat another team on any given night. Boston’s forward lines also contain two changes. Craig Smith will miss the game due to illness. Marc McLaughlin will make his NHL debut and fill in for Smith as right-wing on the third line. Nick Foligno will sit out due to a lower-body injury. Anton Blidh will replace him as fourth-line left wing.

Linus Ullmark will start as Bruins goaltender, with Jeremy Swayman as his backup.

Here are the projected lines and defensive pairings for Bruins-Devils:

BOSTON BRUINS (41-20-5)

Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–Jake DeBrusk

Taylor Hall–Erik Haula–David Pastrnak

Trent Frederic–Charlie Coyle–Marc McLaughlin

Anton Blidh–Tomas Nosek–Curtis Lazar

Hampus Lindholm–Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk–Brandon Carlo

Mike Reilly–Josh Brown

Linus Ullmark

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (24-37-5)

Yegor Sharangovich–Jack Hughes–Dawson Mercer

Tomas Tatar–Nico Hischier–Jesper Bratt

Andreas Johnsson–Jesper Boqvist–Miles Wood

Jimmy Vesey–Michael McLeod–Nathan Bastian

Jonas Siegenthaler–Dougie Hamilton

Ryan Graves–Damon Severson

Ty Smith–P.K. Subban

New Changes in Tampa

It’s a new beginning for the Buccaneers organization. The recent changes feature Todd Bowles and Bruce Arians. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl-winning head coach, Bruce Arians, is stepping down and will be replaced by his defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles. The 69-year old is retiring from coaching and will move to the front office.

We can’t help but wonder if Tom Brady had something to do with the hiring of Todd Bowles. He probably wasn’t involved, but I had to ask myself that question as a football fan. Did Brady no longer want Bruce Arians as a head coach or wanted a new challenge with a new coach?

No problems are going on in the organization. The Buccaneers team is having so much success on the field. When healthy, this time will be tough to beat – an elite defense, good coaching, and a lethal offense. Bruce Arians are one of my favorite current coaches in the NFL. He has a zero-tolerance policy and doesn’t kiss anyone’s rear end. Arians holds his players accountable and expects the best out of them. Overall, this is a new challenge for all parties involved.

Brady came out of retirement; Bowles is the new head coach and Arians to the front office. The Bucs are trying to win their second Super Bowl in three seasons. Brady is chasing championship number eight.

Sunday Sports Shorts

Memphis Grizzlies have won their fourth straight and eighth in the last nine games against the Milwaukee Bucks. De’Anthony Melton had 24 points and was 8 of 11 from the field, going 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Desmond Bane added 20, Dillon Brooks scored 19 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 16 and two blocks. Grizzlies continue to play great without their star player, Ja Morant.

Before infielder Trevor Story officially signed with the Boston Red Sox, the deal reportedly almost fell apart, as the 29-year-old was hesitant to get the COVID vaccine. The team and Story were concerned about the fact that he would not be allowed entry into Canada to face the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Cleveland Browns are moving forward with Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback of the future. Baker Mayfield is still on the team’s roster. There is a possibility that Mayfield could be the starter for Week 1 depending if Watson will be suspended.

St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today the team has signed defenseman Matt Kessel to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin with the 2022-23 season. Kessel was drafted by the Blues in the fifth round (No. 150 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Nightmare Alley – Movie Review

Nightmare Alley is Guillermo Del Toro’s follow-up movie after The Shape of Water. Any film that Del Toro directs it’s a must-see movie for me. He delivered once again. 

I haven’t seen the 1947 version yet. Therefore, I can’t make any comparisons. Also, I haven’t read the book either. Don’t judge me, haha. The movie has outstanding cinematography and production design. The cast is loaded with talent. Bradley Cooler and Cate Blanchett did a great job in this movie. Cooper is one of the best actors of his generation. Did he deserve a Best Actor nominee? Close but no cigar. It’s one of my favorite Bradley Cooper performances, though. Cate should’ve been nominated for Best Actress. It’s interesting that she barely has screen time in Act One, but in the second half of the movie, she was masterful. William Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara all did a solid job in this movie. 

When I started watching the movie’s first five minutes, I asked myself, “Is this another Del Toro movie with monsters?” But this is entirely different from his previous films. Nightmare Alley is more of a Psychological Thriller/Neo-Noir. I’m a sucker for Neo-Noir genre movies.

Act One was quite dull to me. You didn’t know which route the story would go, which could confuse or lose the audience. The second half of the movie saved it, and it was much more entertaining. The writing for Nightmare Alley wasn’t strong. Cooper’s backstory could’ve been more explained or strengthened. 

Is Nightmare Alley better than The Shape of Water? No. Is it more enjoyable than The Shape of Water? Yes. I can see myself rewatching Nightmare Alley all over again. The plot twist of the ending of Nightmare Alley had me wondering as a viewer, but it’s one of those movies you have to revisit to understand it better. Overall, I give this movie 7 out of 10 stars. A highly recommended film. Hopefully, they can win for Best Cinematography and Production Design. 

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

Welcome once again to Miguel’s Friday Thoughts! I have a couple of interesting topics for this week:

  • Tyreek Hill got traded to the Miami Dolphins.
  • Triple H is retiring from in-ring performing.
  • Gonzaga loses to Arkansas.
  • Daddy Yankee is retiring from Reggeaton.

Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill got traded to the Miami Dolphins. The move came across as a shock to the league. We didn’t see this trade coming. The Chiefs lost an important piece that was responsible for their success. Chiefs will need to draft a good prospect for this year’s NFL Draft in the first round. As for the Dolphins, they have been making some progress this offseason. With this move, they got better to become a playoff team. Hill will play for a franchise with no state income tax, sunshine, and palm trees. Will Tyreek Hill live up to the contract? We have to wait and see. 

Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, joined Stephen A. Smith on his “Stephen A’s World” show and said that his wrestling days are over because of a heart condition that nearly cost his life and now requires him to have a defibrillator in his chest. Health comes first. It was tough to see HHH get emotional during the interview when he started to bring up his kids on the topic. I think he should’ve stopped wrestling a long time ago, but I’m glad he stopped now and focused more on his health. He’s done it all in his career. Therefore, he should be satisfied with everything he has accomplished in the ring. 

It wasn’t a good night for a college sports fan like myself. Why? Because Gonzaga lost in the Sweet 16 round against Arkansas. I wanted Gonzaga to win it all this season. It’s another season where they dominated the regular season but came up short in March Madness. Chet Holmgren getting into foul trouble is one of the factors in why Gonzaga didn’t win last night. Also, they played outstanding defense against Gonzaga to give credit to Arkansas. The better team won last night. Arkansas won their first NCAA tournament against a No. 1 seed in their program history. 

After 32 years of experience, reggaetón star Daddy Yankee announced that he would retire. Daddy Yankee has had six No. 1s on the Top Latin Albums chart, starting with 2004’s Barrio Fino, the first-ever reggaetón album to hit that spot. When I first heard of Daddy Yankee, it was back in the 90s, when he worked with DJ Playero and had incredible skills and fantastic speed rap. However, it wasn’t until 2004 when he exploded with the hit single “Gasolina.” I was in 7th grade when Gasolina hit the streets, and it was a huge deal. He went on his way to become the “king of Reggaetón,” and the album is one of the albums that set the tone for the Reggaetón and inspired future reggaetón artists. If this is the end, what an illustrious career has it been for the GOAT. We will forever cherish the songs that made us dance in house parties and clubs. 

AEW: Dynamite

All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite had some solid matches last night, but the ones that I want to acknowledge is the one with CM Punk and Dax Harwood.

CM Punk returned to television for the first time since his Dog Collar match against MJF at Revolution, squaring off with one-half of FTR and the AAA tag team champions, Dax Harwood.

One of my favorite moments of yesterday’s program is when Harwood performed The Sharpshooter, which it was a nice touch to pay respect to Bret Hart. No one can put a sharpshooter maneuver like the hitman.

MJF cutting a nice promo was one of my favorite part from last night’s episode. MJF said his feud with CM Punk will not be over until one of them is in the grave. It’s a great reminder that, just because they had their match at Revolution, the feud is not over. It will never be over.

Sunday’s March Madness Highlights

What an incredible game last night between men’s Basketball, TCU, and Arizona. A perfect way to end the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Bennedict Mathurin came through for Arizona. The sophomore shooting guard made a 3-pointer to force overtime and then scored six more points in the extra session as Arizona defeated TCU 85-80 to move on to Sweet 16. Mathurin finished with 30 points.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary career lived to see another day after the Blue Devils survived against Michigan State on Sunday in the second round of the men’s NCAA tournament. Duke trailed by five points with five minutes to go in regulation before it went on a ferocious run to keep its season alive. The Blue Devils’ defense and clutch shooting turned the deficit into a six-point lead with less than a minute to go, and some clutch free throws and outstanding defense in the game’s final possessions helped them hold on for an 85–76 victory. The win was Krzyzewski’s 1,200th, becoming the first coach in history to reach that mark. It was also his 99th NCAA tournament win.

The Cinderella story continues for Saint Peter’s Peacocks. A small school from Jersey City, New Jersey, is not intimidated by anyone, and they are making teams work to beat them. This is Peacock’s fourth NCAA tournament appearance and first since 2011. The Kentucky upset was the school’s first win in the Big Dance. Before this year, the biggest win in school history took place 54 years ago when the Peacocks upset No. 10 Duke, 100-71, in the National Invitational Tournament on March 18, 1968. The Peacocks will play the No. 3 seed Purdue this week at the Sweet 16.

March Madness continues for the University of Houston men’s basketball team. The Coogs are headed back to the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 4 ranked Illinois 68-53. The Coogs will head to San Antonio to face off Arizona Wildcats on Thursday. It’s the team’s third straight Sweet 16 appearance.

Enter and Exit in Cleveland

In Cleveland, there is a new face entering the organization and the possibility of an important piece exiting the organization. 

Wide Receiver Amari Cooper is the new face that has joined the Browns family. The Browns officially announced their trade for the former Cowboys four-time Pro Bowl receiver, for whom they traded a fifth-round pick in 2022 and swapped sixths. A 1,000-yard receiver in five of his seven seasons, Cooper, 27, immediately steps in as the Browns’ No. 1 receiver. Cooper instantly becomes the Browns’ most experienced wide receiver and will undoubtedly be in line to receive the highest target volume each week. Cooper has already been in the league for seven seasons and is at the peak of his career. 

Cooper is not sure who his quarterback is yet, but at least he knows he’s the latest and best thing to arrive in Cleveland – the fans and organization needed some spark during this offseason. Who is going to be Amari Cooper’s quarterback? 

Cleveland should have their eyes on Deshaun Watson or stick with Baker Mayfield. The Browns met with Deshaun Watson this week. Why is this a big deal? Because supposedly, the Browns didn’t inform Mayfield that they had an interest in the Texans quarterback. Mayfield then posted on social media thanking Cleveland, which had many people wondering if he would leave the franchise. Four years after the Browns made him the No. 1 overall draft pick, Baker Mayfield is talking like he’s played his last game in Cleveland. 

The Colts currently have an open position for their starting quarterback spot after moving Carson Wentz, whom the Colts traded to the Washington Commanders, only a year after the team gave up a 2022 first-round pick for the former Philadelphia Eagles starter. Trading Mayfield would save the Browns an instant $18.8 million, assuming the acquiring team would absorb his entire contract. Baker could start and become the next Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback. He’s 26 years old, has playoff experience, and most importantly, Mayfield has many experiences as a starting quarterback. He can be an excellent asset to the Colts organization with all of those things. 

Baker Mayfield threw for 3,010 passing yards, 17 TDs, 13 INTs, with an 83.1 rating in the 2021 season. 

Deshaun Watson is the latest talk during this offseason. Watson won’t be going back to the Houston Texans. That’s for sure. Where will he go? Well, Watson and Cooper would be an exciting QB-WR duo in Cleveland. Watson has accomplished more in the NFL than Mayfield so far. Cleveland is desperate to win. Missing the playoffs last year was unacceptable, and no one expected them to end the season the way it did. Many of us had high expectations for the Browns. The organization will have to make a tough decision on who they want as their franchise quarterback. Deshaun Watson also meets with the Saints, Panthers, and Falcons. Watson will pick the Falcons because of his connections in Atlanta or Cleveland, known as “The Land.” If Watson comes to Cleveland, it will bring a lot of heat and danger to other teams’ defense, especially in the AFC North division. 

Creating Opportunities and Winning

Independent Filmmaker/Writer/Producer/Actor Miguel Mike Medina recently won Best Silent Film for his latest work, ”Giving Up,” which will be streaming on Vimeo on June 14th. The recognition was awarded by the Indus CineFest International Film Festival. It’s the film’s fifth win and Miguel Mike Medina’s 33rd award overall.

Medina continues to work and never stops. He doesn’t wait for anyone to give him work. “I wake up everyday starving,” Medina says. ”I love waking up with so much energy and have many ideas in my head. Writing is my passion and it’s a skill that I take very seriously. Taking Journalism and Creative Writing courses in college prepared me for everything that I’m doing today. However, you never stop learning. Always work on the craft.”

Medina has plans of taking playwright courses in 2023. He has his eyes on mastering writing for the stage.

“Writing for the stage is on my list of things to work on,” he expressed. ”Living in New York my whole life has been a blessing because I’m in a city that is home for theater.”

Medina is putting out three more projects for this year: Last Days of My 20s, The Gold Watch, and his documentary debut, ”Reminiscing Flight 587: 20 Years Later.”