By Miguel Mike Medina
Vince Dunn signed a four-year, $29.4 million contract with the Seattle Kraken. The defenseman had NHL career highs in goals, assists, points, plus-minus and power-play points.
Nashville Predators signed veterans Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Schenn. The Predators are trying to make a playoff push for next seasons
By Miguel Mike Medina
Kevin Costner’s marriage story continues to get messy. Christine, Costner’s estranged wife, is not happy. She’s not happy with the way things were handled about their kids finding out about their split. Christine is taking deeper measures by requesting $248k a month in child support. First, Kevin Costner leaves the hit show ‘Yellowstone’ and now he’s dealing with this nightmare. Are marriages worth any more? Why does it have to come down to money, especially from Rich public figures?
Money is not everything. It’s important but it doesn’t bring you happiness. Things are getting out of hand in this Costner family. We hope they can come to an understanding at some point because there are kids involved.
A24 just released the first teaser for Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ film.
https://youtu.be/gxbZyvCJc6U
It is based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir ‘Elvis and Me.” The movie is set to be released on October 2023. This is Sofia’s first directed and written project since her 2020 comedy-drama film, On the Rocks, which is on Apple TV+.
By Miguel Mike Medina
City College of New York Baseball Team Wins Their First CUNYAC Title Since 1994 on Friday. They swept their CUNY rivals, Lehman College, by winning 10-0 in Game 1 and then 20-8 in Game 2. The Beavers came close to winning it last year, but it all paid off this year.
Head Coach Steve Macias has been through it all with the Beavers. In his 11th year as the coach, he posted a 16-18 record, their best since 2007. It’s the first time the Beavers win the CUNYAC title under Coach Macias. As a former alumnus, I’m happy for Coach Macias and the Beavers. I had the privilege to speak and interview Coach Macias as a player who went to tryouts for the baseball team in his first year back in 2011 and as a journalist writing for the school’s, The Campus Magazine. He’s a person that’s disciplinarian and a very hard worker. He expects your best effort and nothing shorter than that.
Finding out that the Beavers won the title surprised me this morning, but I felt like a proud parent, haha. I usually remove social media apps on Friday and reinstall them on Monday morning. Social media can be draining. Therefore, it’s good to be away from it during the weekend, especially for Mother’s Day weekend. I’ve seen so many ups and downs with the Beavers baseball team. There were a lot of losing and bad times, but now we are getting a taste of winning and hopefully see more of that next season as they will defend the CUNYAC title.
Congratulations to the City College of New York! Division three deserves more attention and respect. Exposure is a must, especially for three CCNY Beavers.
By Miguel Mike Medina
Vegas Golden Knights won Game 4 at home, 4-3. The Oilers had a solid first period. Conor McDavid put the Oilers on the board to start the game. He had two goals in this game. Vegas Golden Knights answer back to tie the game. Zach Hyman scored a power-play goal to put the Oilers back on top in the first 2-1. But then I’m the second period, and it got things murky for the Oilers. The Golden Knights scored three goals. They scored three goals in 1:29 was the fastest in the playoffs for the Golden Knights history.
Jack Eichel was the key player in the game. He had three points (2 goals, one assist). Adin Hill made 32 saves for the Golden Knights. They lead the series 3-2. The Oilers are one loss away from elimination.
Can the Oilers push this series to a Game 7? It’s possible, especially since Game 6 will be in Edmonton. This series is destined to go to a Game 7. We have two outstanding teams that are playing physical hockey and have depth on their roster.
Toronto Maple Leafs ended their season in a heartbreak fashion. We hope their season did not have to end on their home floor, but it did. When William Nylander tied the game in the third period, it seemed as if momentum shifted towards Toronto. We thought they might have a chance to extend the series to Game 6. Nick Cousins ended those plans for Toronto. He scored the overtime goal for the Florida Panthers to send them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1996. The Panthers won 3-2, and their opponent will be the Carolina Hurricanes. Is this the end for the Toronto Maple Leafs Core Four?
By Miguel Mike Medina
Miami Marlins’ offense sets the tone on Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Marlins won the game by the final score of 6-2. The Marlins improved to 18-19 in the year. They’re one game under .500 and currently in second place in the NL East behind the Atlanta Braves. Marlins trail the Braves by 7 1/2 games.
Marlins’ best hitter in the lineup Luis Arraez got another hit. He currently has a 12-game hitting streak going on. Since Jorge Soler won the World Series MVP for the Atlanta Braves in 2021, he’s been a critical difference-maker to whatever team he plays for. The dividends are paying off so far during his time with the Miami Marlins. He’s getting his money’s worth. Jorge Soler had a tremendous offensive performance against Arizona. Soler hit two home runs in this game. The first home run, he hit a 468-foot shot to left field. He had five RBIs in this game and has been doing some damage.
Through 35 games this season, Soler has nine homers. He’s a game-changer. He can win a game by himself and bring you a lot of RBIs.
Jazz Chisholm Jr had a good night against the Diamondbacks. He got on base three times. He got a hit and scored three runs, plus picking up two stolen bases. Jazz needs to stay more discipline at the plate. It doesn’t always go right for him because, at times, he swings at everything and tries to do too much. But I like his approach on Tuesday, and he should remain focused and continue to hit line drives.
What can we say about Jesus Sanchez? He’s been on a mission. The left fielder had two doubles in this game. He had 14 doubles last season through 98 games. In the previous 15 games, he’s hitting .359 with 14 hits, 7 RBIs, and two homers. He also has eight doubles in the year so far. Sanchez is a unique talent, and if he can continue to produce this well, then the Marlins can go far as a team this year.
Marlins will play at 3:40 pm at Chase Field. Edward Cabrera will take the mound for the Marlins. Merrill Kelly will pitch for the Diamondbacks.
By Miguel Mike Medina
The Miami Heat could’ve let this game slip away. Miami missed 12 of its first 15 shots in the fourth quarter. However, they found the tenacity to come out with a win over the New York Knicks. They showed their poise, leadership, resilience, and confidence in Game 4. Miami won 109-101 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Jimmy Butler is playing through the ankle injury. Butler has led Miami in scoring in every game throughout this postseason. Butler led Miami with 27 points, ten assists, six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. His ten assists in this game are huge, and it had to do with the Knicks continuing to double-team him. The more the Knicks tried to trap Butler, the easier it made for him to find his teammates. Jimmy Butler trusts his teammates. Butler took just 17 shots in this game. Butler looked more like Butler from the regular season than postseason Jimmy Butler in this game. He didn’t have to go into full Michael Jordan 2.0 mode by scoring 40-50 points to help his team win in Game 4. He had help from his teammates.
Bam Adebayo had a sensational game. He finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The Knicks, the third-best rebounding team in the league, got outrebounded 44-35 in Game 4. Kyle Lowry was on fire. He led the second unit with 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 26 minutes. He shot 4-of-6 from the field and hit 2 of his four 3-point attempts. Lowry is a winner. Whether starting or coming from the bench, he’s ready to play and gives all his efforts. This team and the organization love him. Lowry and Miami Heat are the perfect match. He won a championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. He knows what it takes to win, and Miami Heat culture is about winning, especially right now.
Kevin Love has an arm of a quarterback. He’s looking like Dan Marino on the court, making outstanding passes in this series, such as Games 1 and 4. Miami’s bench has been tremendous in this series. They have outscored the Knicks bench 116 to 62. Rebounding, defense, making free throws, and bench points can help you with games. Miami is bringing all those tools in this series, and they’re making the Knicks scratch their heads. Head coach Erik Spoelstra is a great coach. He knows how to get his team ready to play every single night.
The series shifts back to New York for Game 5. The Knicks will try to stay away from elimination. Miami is looking to become the second No. 8 seed to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals since the 1999 New York Knicks.
By Miguel Mike Medina
The Academy Awards continue to lose their mind. It is unbelievable that we live in a time when art doesn’t matter anymore. It’s about promoting political agendas and diversity, inclusion equity. This is getting out of hand. Recently, one of my friends sent an article from The Hollywood Reporter published back in March of this year. The article describes the new diversity criteria you must meet to be nominated for best picture at next year’s Oscars.
You heard that well. There will be new rules that filmmakers must meet before they submit their films to the Oscars. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is the ridiculous idea that we will begin to see more often beginning next year.
STANDARD A: Onscreen
The film must meet one of the following:
At least one of the lead or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
At least 30 percent of all actors in secondary and minor roles are from an underrepresented group.
The main storyline, theme, or narrative of the film is centered on an underrepresented group.
STANDARD B: The Team
The film must meet one of the following:
At least two creative leadership positions and department heads, such as the director, cinematographer, or costume designer, are from underrepresented groups. At least one must belong to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
At least six other crew and technical positions, such as the first AD or script supervisor, are from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.
At least 30 percent of the film’s crew is from an underrepresented group.
STANDARD C: Access
The film must meet both criteria:
The distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships for underrepresented groups.
The production, distribution and/or financing company offers below-the-line skill development to the underrepresented.
STANDARD D: Audience Development
The film must have multiple in-house senior executives from underrepresented groups on the marketing, publicity, and/or distribution teams.
All of these rules are blasphemy. The Academy has gone super woke. The ideas of the rules began to circle in 2020, but next year it will be through the stratosphere. It’s an issue when the message becomes more important than the story. Why are we forcing things on people? It’s an outrage.
Actor Richard Dreyfuss criticized the Academy for the new diversity and inclusion requirements. He said that these rules make him vomit. The comment made me laugh because he has a point, and I feel the same way.
Dreyfuss, 75, won an Oscar for Best Actor for his in the 1978 film, The Goodbye Girl.
By Miguel Mike Medina
Miami Heat’ defense played outstanding against the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon. If they can play like this each game, then they could make the Finals and possibly win it all. The Heat were dominant in Game 3. Heat defeated the Knicks 105-86. Jimmy Butler led Miami with 28 points. Bam Adebayo added 17 points with 12 rebounds. Game Four will be on Monday night at 7:30.
Edmonton Oilers were on fire against the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s the fourth playoff game where the Oilers score five goals or more. Leon Draisaitl is having an unbelievable postseason for the ages. He scored two goals in Game 3. Draisaitl has 13 goals in 8 games this postseason. Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists. Bouchard leads all defensemen in scoring with 15 points. Oilers won 5-1 to take a 2-1 series lead.
After two seasons, Gerald Gallant is out as the New York Rangers. When the Devils eliminated the Rangers in the first round, we knew how bad this would look on the team, especially on the head coach. Letting go of Gallant won’t solve all of their problems, though. The Rangers had a lot of moves during the trade deadline to compete for the Stanley Cup. We will see what other decisions the front office will make during the off-season.
The Yankees rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, 3-2. The Yankees were trailing 2-0 in the game until DJ LeMahieu hit a double to right field to bring the first run. Harrison Bader went 2 for 2 in this game and got two hits. He had two RBIs in this game and was one of the heroes for the Yankees. The Yankees have split the series so far.
By Miguel Mike Medina
Academy Award-winning Actor, Singer, and Comedian Jamie Foxx remained hospitalized for over three weeks after suffering a medical emergency. The rumor is that he suffered from a stroke or heart attack.
What’s crazy about this situation with Jamie is that he looks healthy. When I heard the news about Jamie Foxx being in the hospital, it surprised me. But then again, with these celebrities, you never know their situation. We hope he didn’t do drugs or is a result of years of doing drugs. Another possibility could be that he wasn’t checking himself often with the doctors. The general recommendation is to check yourself every six months or every year. Many of us are hesitant to see the doctors because we might be afraid of hearing bad news or don’t want to take prescriptions, or it’s a waste of time because some doctors don’t help us like they should be helping us. It could be many reasons.
Regardless, this is a wake-up call and a lesson in life for Jamie Foxx to probably slow down on his work and focus more on his health. There will come a point in our lives where we must deal with health situations. The important thing is to have a lot of faith and self-discipline. No one is alone because God is always with us to guide and protect us.
Foxx is 55 years old. He won an Oscar for his role as Ray Charles in the movie Ray in 2004. Since 2017, Foxx has served as the host and executive producer of the Fox game show Beat Shazam. In 2021, he wrote his autobiography Act Like You Got Some Sense. Foxx is involved in eight projects between this year and the foreseeable future. In three of those eight projects, he serves as the producer. Seven of those eight projects are in postproduction.
By Miguel Mike Medina
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman has been pitching lights out lately, and he continues to do so in his outing against the Seattle Mariners. On Saturday afternoon, Gausman struck out 13 Mariner batters through seven innings.
Outfielder Daulton Farsho hit a walk-off to win it for the Blue Jays, 1-0. It’s the Blue Jays’ sixth consecutive victory. As for Varsho, it’s the second walk-off hit of his career and the first one as a member of the Blue Jays.
The Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets kicked off the second round of the playoffs on Saturday night. Both teams are at full strength, and this is going to be one magnificent series—Devin Booker against Jamal Murray, with both guards being efficient scorers. In Game One, it wasn’t even close. The Nuggets were in command: excellent ball movement and fast pace basketball. Plus, they have more youth and depth than Phoenix, and in this game, you saw that. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 34 points on a 13-for-24 from the field. Nikola Jokic added a double-double with 24 points and 19 rebounds. Aaron Gordon had a good night with 23 points. Nuggets take Game 1 by the final score of 125 to 107.
Game Two will be on Monday night as the Nuggets try to go up 2-0, or Phoenix will look to split the series. The winner of this series could potentially go to the NBA Finals to represent the Western Conference.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have done it. The drought it finally over. John Tavares, the captain, and part of the Maple Leafs Core Four, scored the game series-clinching goal in overtime to send the Maple Leafs to the next round. Maple Leafs won 2-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning haven’t lost a playoff series in the Eastern Conference since 2019. Maple Leafs wins their first playoff series since 2004. Toronto will play the winner of the Bruins/Panthers series.