Tom Predicts another result! Mikko on the move? And ABS in MLB

USA and Canada face off again in the the 4 nations and we review some of the trade rumours doing the rounds. The Hurricanes wouldn't trade a player after a month, would they?

Technology in baseball, is it a good call? The Yankees change tradition, Tom isn't too happy about it and we pick up some interesting stories coming out of the NFL.

Transcript

Matt: 0:01

Welcome to TriplePlay UK, the UK's home of the NFL, NHL and MLB. Welcome back to Triple Play UK. I'm your host Matt alongside my co host Tom. We've got an amazing show today for you guys. There's been plenty going on in all the leagues that we cover. So, we're going to have a rundown in the NHL of the finale of the four nations. We're going to have Connor McDavid chat catch up on Ovechkin, see where he's at Wayne Gretzky's record. deadline is just two weeks away. So we're going to have a quick look at some of the potential trades that are happening in the market at the moment. Then we move over to the NFL. There's been a couple of minor sort of stories coming out of the NFL, and then we'll head over to MLB where there's been ABS usage in the spring training leagues that are going on at the moment. The Yankees have Come up with a major update in terms of them, but it's not a major update in terms of the league. then we'll have a little bit of a look at how some of the new starters fared for their new teams. Tom, have you been keeping up with everything that's gone on this week?

Tom: 1:18

Hello, Matty. Yeah. Been a good week. Like you said, lots going on. Four Nations final. Didn't disappoint. Was a good watch. And yeah, plenty going on around, sort of, both leagues. I think, I think it's quite a fun episode this week. Like, we've got, like, there's some, there's some updates, but it's not the usual kind of updates. There's been some, like you said, in the NFL, there's been a couple of, like, Funny updates that we've had where teams have been sort of pushing to get stuff, certain things banned and the Yankees have turned around with like a major club update, which were like some people say should have happened years ago. Some people are a bit like purist on it and gonna say no, we'll kind of go into all that. But yeah, it's been a it's been a good week.

Matt: 2:00

Did you manage to stay up and watch much of the final or did you kind of give up and catch the highlights the next day?

Tom: 2:08

It was a struggle. I did manage to stay up and watch it to be fair. It was one of those games where I was a bit like. I didn't wanna miss it and I didn't want to be that person that kind of missed out on watching it, which was gonna be one of the better games in hockey that we've had for a long time, especially the rivalry. it was straight off the bat, the booing of the national anthems. The fights in both games, to be fair that these two played, and the fact that it was a final just made it a bit more intense. Yourself. Do you, do you watch the game? Did you catch any of it?

Matt: 2:41

I had to settle for the highlights, the extended highlights on Friday evening after work and sorting out the the kids. But I did make sure I set some time aside to have a real good in depth watch and what a game. You know, I got to give you your props as well, mate. You called it again, didn't get the score right, but you called it, you called an overtime win, a 3 2 scoreline. So, I got to give you your props, mate. I, to be honest, I think we're going to have to start backing your calls. I might actually start winning some money. You know, it might be a decent shout, mate, to be honest.

Tom: 3:19

Yeah, no, to be fair, we actually had a couple of people right in asking if I have any tips for any of the other games that were going on kind of around the around the NHL. I started getting people saying, do I watch horse racing? Do you have any tips on that? I said, no, just purely things that I have no kind of money invested into. That's when I'll get it right. I, I do just want to clarify that I am not, I am not a betting tipster. Do not use my tips or my predictions for tips because it probably means that it won't come in. You know how the, how the rules work. If you actually start putting, putting the money on it, then it will never come in. But, Yeah, like you said, got the score prediction right. I just kind of felt like it was always going to be a tight game. There was always going to be a big sort of big chances either in both goalies were going to have to come up big and it was always going to be a tight scoreline. Like you said, didn't quite get the score right. I mean, fair play to Conor McDavid, and I know we'll kind of go on to him a little bit later on. Was, was actually slightly hopeful that it was going to be Sid that got the winner just for, I just think for the history, it would have been brilliant to see him do it. I mean, everyone who loves ice hockey loves Sidney Crosby, so it would have been brilliant to see it. But look, fair play to Canada. Great game. Probably didn't really deserve to win the game. But I will hold my hands up as I got it wrong with the scorer. I think. I listen. I say I hold my hands up for most of the tournament. I don't think I was too far off with the fact that Jordan Binnington was a weak point for Canada. A lot of the goals that he gave up were goals that I think you look back on it and he shouldn't give up or a top end goal. He doesn't give up and Conor Hedebaker, the other end certainly doesn't give up some of those goals. But yeah, look, yeah. Credit where credit is due the two saves he makes on Austin Matthews in that game. Now, again, by the way, this is not just two saves on a man who is kind of like a third or fourth liner. This is the best goal scorer in the NHL over the last four or five seasons. Probably the best goal scorer we've seen since Alex Ovechkin in the NHL. And those were Grade A scoring chances. The man's got history. Maybe we should have backed him. Oh, you bring it, you run it back to 2019 when they won the Stanley Cup in that same arena and he was unbelievable for the Blues and helped them win the Stanley Cup. So maybe you should have been into that arena, but his unbelievable saves kind of helped Canada keep them in the game and yeah, leads to the overtime winner for McDavid.

Matt: 5:55

I think he had a great game. Those two saves were just out of this world. I think the commentators at the time made reference to his saves and heroics in 2019 as well. It was just, they, you know, it was great to see those saves. And then Conor McDavid at the other end. There's one thing you don't do. this game, and that is leave McDavid wide open, just what, less than 10 yards outside a goal with a clear shot. It was just, you don't do that. He doesn't miss those chances. So fair play to him, fair play to Canada. You know, it was a great tournament, really enjoyable to watch. The game itself had pretty much everything. You know, had excitement either end and great action involved. Overall, I think we said last week, the tournament was really, really good to watch. And a great advertisement for the game. But Conor McDavid, what a player, like just the movement, the speed, the finishing, the technique that he has is just next, next, next level. In terms of where you see him, obviously we talk goat quite a lot and we talk about the best, you know, because there's lots of different positions, but see him as potentially one of hockey's all time greats?

Tom: 7:22

It's a really good, good topic. I think, like you said, in sport, we love talking about who's the best ever, and it's always hard because there's different eras and there are different rules in different areas. And obviously you get some of the people that watched it back in the day that we like. The players are a lot more protected now, so it's easier for them to score more points and so on and so forth. And they draw more penalties, which means they get more chances on the power play, so on and so forth. I do think, however, there are certain players that kind of come into a different category for that. I think of the eras that we're watching at the moment, obviously that's just gone. I think your Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are kind of separate to that as just to name two. Because I think they're that much better than everyone else. And are in that kind of goat category or certainly in the conversation for sort of top 30, top 20 players of all time. Conor McDavid is the best player I think ice hockey has had since. Probably Mario Lemieux Mark Messier, Gretzky. I I do think he's better than Sid, and I know a lot of people are gonna come at me for this and go, Oh, this and that. I think he's a better player than Sidney Crosby. Is I'm not saying in terms of the whole career and the accolades, but I just look at Connor McDavid, just give you a couple of numbers on Connor McDavid. The guy has already put up five Art Ross trophies. He has won three Hart Memorial trophies, he's won the Ted Lindsay award four times, he's already at a thousand points, he's a four nations winner now with Canada, and bearing in mind he scores the overtime game winner in the biggest game that Canada and America have played against each other in a number of years, so coming up clutch. And for those people that kind of said, oh well he never really does it in the playoffs or in the big games, He's got an unbelievable points per game record in the playoffs, and he actually won the Conn Smythe last year, and they didn't even win the Stanley Cup. Now, for those that don't know, the Conn Smythe is the award that gets given to the best player during the Stanley Cup playoffs. It usually does end up going to someone that obviously gets to the Stanley Cup finals because they're in it for longer. He is one of only six players that has won the Conn Smythe. And hasn't been on the winning team. The last person that did that was Jean Sebastien Giguere in 2003 for the ducks. So we're talking, what's that 22 years ago since someone did it, or it would have been 21 years ago since someone did it last year. So we're talking about one of the best players. I don't know that I've ever seen in terms of his numbers and his accolades, but you just, you got to use the eye test as well. Like this is a guy that when he gets on the ice, he's got speed, he's got skill. He passes the puck better than everyone else. He shoots the puck better than pretty much everyone else. There's nothing that this man can't do. There's a reason they call him McJesus or McChrist. Like he is the best player by a country mile in the league. The only thing, in my opinion That I think keeps him out of that kind of conversation for greatest of all time, being up there with Gretzky and Lemieux and the others, Bobby Ours of the world. Is adjusting. I mean, in sports, I am a big believer of you do need to win things to be considered the best. Now, the Oilers got to the Stanley Cup final last year. They couldn't get it done. Fair play. They came from three games down to force a game seven. They couldn't quite get it over the line. And that Four Nations, I think, will help. But he needs to, the, the thing that's going to kind of define him as the greatest of his era and put him up there in that conversation is he needs to get rings. He needs to win the Stanley Cup, and he probably needs to win multiple because Gretzky won, was it four or five Stanley Cups? Gretzky's won, as well as being the greatest goal scorer of all time, soon potentially to change and obviously the greatest playmaker of all time. I mean, Gretzky could score zero goals in his career. He'd have the most points of all time. So for someone to kind of overtake Wayne Gretzky. will be hard. Yeah, I think can McDavid do it? Yes, but we're going to need to see a lot more of him in the Stanley Cup final and him actually lifting the Stanley Cup before we can start really talking about him being one of the goats or the goat. What do you reckon? Is he is he up there for you or is he? Is he not quite there yet?

Matt: 11:57

I really like watching him as a player. I love the way he's aggressive in his attack. think it gives the puck away a lot. he tries to win it back. He's, he's very sort of directing his attacking. I love the way he takes on defenders. Some of the goals that I've seen him score this season where he's taken on or three players, gone around them and put the puck in the back of the net. You don't see that from very many players. He's an exciting player to watch. I think. In terms of his individual accolades, great, fantastic. However, like you've said, it for me, he's got to start winning Stanley Cups. And then what you've also got to look at is realistically, is he going to do that the Oilers? Does he stay at the Oilers win those Stanley Cups? Yeah, they got there last season, but not been consistent with the Oilers this year. That's all we need. to all of his stats. something's not right at the orders at the moment with, with Conor McDavid. Did he outperform for Canada versus his performances for the Oilers? a tough one. You've got to really start digging into it, haven't you? But I dunno, I think. He's gotta win for me. He's gotta win Stanley Cups, to be considered a goat,

Tom: 13:23

Yeah, I think that's fair enough. I think, like I said, I think that's the only thing that for me kind of puts it off. I don't know if I agree with the whole, like, is he, did he outperform for Canada? As opposed to kind of his performance for the Oilers. I mean, the guy's been up there top three in points pretty much every year for the Oilers. He's their best player. Still having a great year this year. He's still right up there in the scoring race and people saying he's having a slightly down year for Conor McDavid. But I feel like that conversation gets had every single year. And then every single year you look at the top three, top five point scorers in the league and every single year he's there. So I don't necessarily agree with that side of it. But yeah, I think that the point of it is, is the fact that he has to start winning Stanley Cups. for him to be considered one of the greatest of all time, because that's just how things are viewed, especially in American sports.

Matt: 14:10

In a kin watch. He's currently mate 13 away from beating Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 goals. He bagged a hat trick, I think on Sunday night against the Oilers. It's looking very doable, mate, now, isn't it? 13 away with, I think, probably less than 20 games to go. I

Tom: 14:34

Yeah, it's, I think we kind of, we say the same sort of thing every time we kind of do an Ovechkin watch, but he, he just keeps knocking, knocking one off and knocking one off and yeah, Attrick the other night is never going to do him any, never going to do that. Oh,

Matt: 14:55

I hope he's not knocking one off, mate.

Tom: 15:01

No, I said it and I was like, oh, I, cause then in my head, I was like, no, I didn't say knocking one out. Yeah. Seems like every night he's just getting closer and closer. I mean, a hat trick's definitely not going to do him. Any harm with trying to hit it this season? I just think you, you almost just can't put it past him to get it done. I just feel like it's one of those things, it's almost becoming a bit inevitable now. It's a little bit like when Judge was chasing down the home run record in the American League that year, and it just seemed like every time he, he hit a home run, you'd be like, oh, he's not got enough games. Like you'd be sitting there like, oh no, he's not gonna have enough games to do it. And every time he wouldn't hit a home run. Like if, if kin doesn't score a goal. You're kind of sitting there like, Oh, no, he's running out of games. But you just feel like it's one of those things that it's going to be inevitable that it happens this year. And he's, he's going to put up another two goal performance here or there, it's going to get down to sort of like the last five or six games. And he's going to need seven odd goals to do it. And you're just, everyone's just going to be really watching those games, like eagle eye, just like, come on, get it done. But yeah, we say it every time. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I just really do hope he does it this year, because I just, it'd just be brilliant to see like that piece of history, but I just think as well, just the fact that it will be coupled with the Capitals doing so well this year, like I'm not going to sit here and say I'm a big Capitals fan, and I love seeing them do well, like I don't particularly care, just being an Avs fan, like I'm neither here nor there about it, but When you kind of have that going on, I think it helps the fact that they're, they're doing so well. And if he can kind of propel them to a division win or a conference win and break the record at the same time, it just kind of makes more of a fairytale outcome for it. So I'm watching it closely. I'm sort of slightly root, like I said, I have no love for the Capitals, but I'm slightly rooting for them just so that the storyline is even more better because who doesn't love that kind of sports fairytale.

Matt: 17:05

Yeah, I think seeing the Capitals win something as well would tie in nicely if he was to win the record. I think, you know, I wouldn't like to see Gretzky's record beat, but like you've said, records are there to be beaten, so fair play to him if he does do it. Trade deadline sort of around 2 weeks away. kind of heard murmurings of a really, really intriguing one, haven't we mate? It sort of, it died down over the 4 nations, but since the season kicked off again on Saturday, we've heard some interesting Miko Rantanen chat, haven't we?

Tom: 17:41

I feel like Miko Rantanen is just becoming the talking point of hockey on this show. Like, he broke my heart the other day when he moved. But there's rumours, isn't there, going round? I'm not really surprised. The rumour at the moment is that the Canes have offered him a large contract. Like, they've offered him a large deal. But it's what we spoke about before. And when we kind of brought it to you guys about the deal with the canes and why he didn't resign with the abs, he's holding out for that 14 mil AAV, which is obviously what Leon dry cycle got as the same agent as him, he's holding out for that big kind of yearly deal where it's the 14 mil AAV, whether that be over the six, seven, eight. Nine years. So that's a problem because the canes potentially can't offer and the canes then become stuck in this room that the abs were where they're then looking at it from the perspective of where if we can't resign this guy, which is the whole point that we traded for him because we thought we might be able to get the deal done. What do we do? And we can't lose him for free after giving up natures, who was one of their best players, obviously drew a good squad player and draft picks to the abs. So, they've given up that, they've lost that for him, so they need to get something in return from him, whether that be him signing or whether that be moving him on. They're really in a rock and a hard place now because that deal has all of a sudden gone from being quite a decent deal on both sides because of what you're getting for it. and the quality of play that Mika Rantanen is. So like, yeah, the Canes are in a bit of trouble with that one there.

Matt: 19:31

Can you realistically see them getting rid of him he's been there just over a month? Can you honestly see them sort of turning around after sort of like What? It'll be six, seven weeks, won't it? By the time the deadline comes

Tom: 19:45

Yeah,

Matt: 19:46

right, we're going to ship him off, because we're going to lose him for nothing, so let's try and get something now. It doesn't make business

Tom: 19:53

no, I agree. I think it's, it's a hard one. I can't, I don't see him moving. I think it is, will probably be a lot of paper talk that this is going on. Again, I think a lot of it probably fuelled by agents trying to feed stuff to the press, saying, feeding stuff to different teams. Oh, he might be available. Come and inquire about him because He's trying to get that big deal from the Canes to go in and be signed. I think nothing happens with Miko Rantanen until after the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now, I think the thing for Miko is that he has no kind of emotional tie to the Canes, whereas the Avs obviously thought they were going to get something done because of the emotional tie he has to us. then the canes don't have that pool. So the canes are almost kind of hoping that you can have a really good playoff run, potentially win the cup. And look, by the way, the canes are contenders. So there's no reason that, especially if they keep holding me Corante, they can't go on and win the cup, not saying they will, but they're, they're contenders for it. So if he goes on and wins the cup, then I think they're bolstered their chances. But. I can almost certainly see Miko Rantanen definitely testing the free agent market out. Just want to run you through, Matty, just because I want to know what your thoughts on it are. Cause obviously I have a love for Miko, I think he's brilliant, but the five biggest contracts in the NHL right now, if we're looking at just average sort of annual value to them. So you've got, like we mentioned, the Leon Dry cycle deal at 14 mil, he's the first. Austin Matthews has got 13. 25 a year. Then you've got Nathan McKinnon at 12. 6, Conor McDavid 12 and a half. And then you've got so I think it's Artemy Panarin, again, sort of around the 12 and a half, just under Mark. So those are the biggest five in the league. And we're talking about five of the best players in the league there. From those deals, do you think that Miko's worth 14 mil?

Matt: 21:50

I think every player has his value. I mean, he's racked up, career wise, 288 goals, 396 assists. This season alone, 26 goals, 41 assists. You know, when you look at those numbers, and In a good team, he could win you the Stanley Cup. So, I mean, do you know what? If he turned up at the Rangers, I wouldn't say no. I'd say pay the man. So, and we need players that can put points on the board. So, when you look at it that way, I'd say yes, pay the man.

Tom: 22:31

I like that. I wasn't actually expecting that from you. You usually, usually very much go against paying the big bucks. But I think I've got a soft spot for him because of what he's done for us. And obviously being an avs player and winning the Stanley Cup, I would always turn around and say, pay the man. I think the problem that you have when you're trying to build a roster. Of top tier players and where I think his market potentially falls down is obviously he's put up a lot of points this season points per game has obviously dropped quite a bit since he's moved to the canes and I think one of the things that people will say and look that listen that might just be down to the fact it's a new environment he's been in colorado his whole career played with the same majority of the same teammates his whole career he's learning a new team a new system new coaches is A lot of people before the trade and the old criticism he always used to get is Oh yeah, Miko Rantanen's great, but he plays on a team with Nathan McKinnon and KL McCall. It's easy to put up points when you play with Two of the, probably the top five players in the league, do you know what I mean? So, it becomes one of those where people start to go, well, now it may be showing that, look, take those two out of, out of the game for him. Take McKinnon off of his line, have, don't have McCall feeding you from the back end. And your point production drops. So, 40 million. And again, maybe this is where the Canes are looking at it. Kind of going, well, he's going to be a good point producer for us, but he's not maybe going to put up the points he did at the Avs because we don't have those top end players like the Avs do. Maybe it's not worth the 40 million, but Couple teams sniffing around. The Leafs, apparently, are looking at it. Your boys, the Rangers, are potentially looking at it. Maybe even the Golden Knights, like But we all know what the Golden Knights do with their, with their cap space where suddenly Mark Stone's injured for the last few weeks of the season so that they can make the trades at the deadline and they can fit everyone in, but No, I personally think he stays and hits free agency at the end of the year, but where he signs after that, I'm not sure.

Matt: 24:38

Yeah, it's a difficult one, isn't it? Where does he go after that? I don't think he's going to stay at the Canes. I don't see it. He hasn't been playing as well. Granted, he's only played, I think, seven or eight games, but I think he only has one goal and a couple of assists, which isn't great when you're trying to pitch yourself for 14 million a year, but you look at his numbers on the haves. He produced, I mean, think when, when the story broke, we were kind of a little bit like, you know, maybe you shouldn't bow down to play a pressure. And I think, you know, he was trying to hold out, but when you, you look at his numbers, and you kind of take a step back from it and you look at how he's now playing at the canes, it's like the, the apps probably should have just tied him up and got it done.

Tom: 25:29

I think, yeah, all ifs, buts and maybes though, isn't it? I think the problem the Avs had and that I'm not going to sit down and question. The methods and the workings of Joe Sackage because since he became GM and then obviously operating director and now Chris McFarland is GM Sackage overseeing it. The Avs have never really missed. They've made good trades. They've signed their, they've always signed our best players to good deals. Like we got McKinnon to re sign. Kael McCarver is probably one of the best contracts in the league. The fact that that man earns less than 10 million a year. I know there's obviously ways that contracts are kind of sub, like, sorted out now where they're kind of front loaded or back loaded that you see in a lot of sports. But like having KL McCaw on a less than 10 mil AAV, the abs always get it done. And like I said, Miko, from what we read at the start, wanted to stay. So I think the fact that the abs trade in a way knowing that they can't get it done, that to me says that a player Is demanding more than what I think a lot of teams are going to be willing to pay or potentially can pay and I mean teams that can actually go and compete. Yeah, look, Miko Rantanen can go and sign with the Blackhawks in, in, in free agency and get 14 million a year over eight years. He's not going to win the Stanley Cup there because they're terrible. No offense, Blackhawks fans, but they're not very good and they're not winning the cup for a long time. So yes, he can go and get that money. But I can't knock the abs for not signing him because I think the abs genuinely would have done everything they could have done to get him based on the fact that we've always re signed the players, the kind of the core players that are signed. So I think you have to look at it and just go, is it worth signing him for us? Of course it is. But if he wants 14 million a year, that means we then Rick can't resign my car and so on and so forth and kind of just rebuilding that side. So yeah, it'd be interesting to see where he goes. Like you said, I think the only way the canes keep hold of him. It's potentially if they win the Stanley Cup and then, but yeah, I see Mikko Rantanen hitting the free agency.

Matt: 27:33

Another potential move, and this is a rumoured move, the Rangers are also having a look at Ryan McLeod of the Sabres. This guy's currently playing on the second line for the Sabres, and he's having his best season at the moment. He's projected to produce 20 goals, 20 assists. Not quite there yet, only 25 years of age. When you look at the current centres that are playing for For the Rangers, you've got Savanajad, Miller, Trocek. three of those guys are over the age of all three of them are 31. When you look at their numbers, they're currently producing their or their abouts. 20 assists, 20 goals, give or take a few either side. Your initial response to this one was meh, you know, but now that you've kind of read into the stats and you've had a look, is that a decent move for Rangers?

Tom: 28:38

I think it depends what you give up for him. If you can get him for a, a low round draft pick or again, you trade depth and a pick for him. Look, you can never have enough center depth, especially center depth that is potentially going to get you 40, 50 points a season. Like every team needs that. Is that the kind of signing that will propel you lot to winning the Stanley Cup or getting to the Stanley Cup finals? I don't think so. Now, look, not every trade needs to do that. Look, you do need to trade for debt. I just think the Rangers, I wouldn't say you've been fleeced in a lot of your deals this year, but you've given up a lot. Get all right in return. Like we said, the JT Miller deal. I think the more I kind of look at that, I sort of look at it and think, I think you maybe gave up a bit too much to get him back, especially considering the situation that was going on with, with, with them over there. What, what do you think? Are you, would you be happy with this deal? What do you reckon?

Matt: 29:40

Yeah, I think I agree with you. The JT Miller deal we we gave up a little bit too much. With this one though, potentially in terms of he's currently playing, he's, I'd say he's probably one of the Sabres players this season. And I think I'd be quite happy to take him for depth. And then, you know, I think some of the centers, they're not really performing for us this year. So. Maybe, you know, move one or two of them along. I think you've got to look forward to the future as well. I think at the moment we're kind of trying to trade to to get somewhere this year. And I just, I don't think it's happening. We're still outside of the playoff picture. We ended up facing, you know, some of those top, top teams that are out there. It's not going to happen for us. So I think trade for the future, I think it's a good move personally. I'd go for it.

Tom: 30:33

Yeah, fair enough. Look, you're the Rangers fan. You know your team better than I do. I think that, like I said, you can never have enough depth and the guy seems to be on a good career like, well, career high trajectory this season with the 2020, which is good. I think, look, like I said, a third line center that kind of comes in, gives you points lower down the lineup. You can never say no. But I just think it's all about what you give up for him. I think if you can get him for cheap, then great. If you don't, then yeah, it's one of those. I think it could again, be a bit of a, not a sour deal, but one of those deals that I think Rangers fans and you will be looking at kind of, did we. to be really give that up for that kind of return. But I guess we'll see. It's all it's all like I said, a lot of guys, a lot of this is a rumored at the moment. It's trade deadlines. Still two weeks away. We could be coming to you in a couple of weeks time and going with stuff that's completely different and Nico ranting and sign with the canes gets his money or the Rangers don't trade for anyone or Another team kind of comes in and makes a big move that no one was seeing. It's, it always happens at the trade deadline. You always going to get some kind of big splash from somewhere, but the team kind of make a run at it. So yeah, exciting to see what, what kind of happens over the next couple of weeks.

Matt: 31:43

Yeah. The NHL is definitely putting up my getting into the business and now see what's the the next couple of weeks bringing that one. So we're going to jump over to the quickly. There's been a couple of interesting stories coming out in the last sort of. 24 hours. The the Packers, mate. going on with the Packers?

Tom: 32:05

It seems like we've got a few a few crybabies in the in the office for the Packers. I don't think they like the fact that the that the Eagles beat them in the big game in Brazil and knocked them out of the playoffs in the in the opening round. I don't think they were too happy with it. Well, guys, if you haven't read it. The Packers have made a motion to try and get the tush push or brotherly shove, as some call it. However, the quarterback sneak, whatever you want to call it. I like the tush push, I think it's quite funny. But the, kind of the play that the Eagles have mastered over the last two or three years. Where it's like the quarterback sneak to basically you're a yard or two away from getting a first or a touchdown and you basically push the quarterback over the line to make sure that he gets him. No other team will, from what I've seen, has had any kind of issue with this. I think the big problem you have with it is the Packers were obviously kind of at the mercy of it this year in two quite big games, obviously the playoffs and the opening. Sao Paulo. They've tried it themselves. There's a hilarious clip of them trying it against the Texans and Jordan Love just goes completely over the top of his center. They've not even snapped the ball yet. Like he just gets the timings just completely wrong. If you haven't had a chance to check the video out, go and watch it because it is, it is good fun. It's funny. So, and I think my problem with like teams trying to ban this play. Is, it seems to me that it's, it's teams that are, that seem to, do you know what I mean, that can't quite do it. This isn't a play that is, like, that only one team is allowed to do. Any team can go and do this. The Eagles have just mastered it, and it seems to me like, it's more, that's why I sort of said it's almost like a babyish attempt to try and get this ban, because it's Do you know what I mean? It's like, Oh, well, we can't do it and we've suffered at the hands of it. So, oh, we've got to try and get this banned. If you don't like, if it's such an effective play, try and go and master it. Don't, don't try and push to get it banned.

Matt: 34:18

I think it's a little bit embarrassing, to be honest, to go to the NFL and go, Oh, can you please ask them to stop doing this particular play, please? Because we don't know how to defend it. It's a little bit embarrassing from the Packers. Yeah, I think if you've mastered a play, use it. Do you know what I mean? If you get yourselves in good enough position, On the pitch use it at the goal line. The defending team's fault for letting you get there in the first place. So I'm all for it, mate. You know, it worked. It's effective. I think the Packers should be embarrassed personally. Over at the at the Chiefs, Travis Kelsey there's, I don't know whether or not it's an announcement as such, but he's staying for his final year of his contract.

Tom: 35:08

Yeah. It just kind of popped up, didn't it? Just before we, we started the show, we were having a quick chat about it. You obviously went into depth on our Superbowl review about how you think that they should move on, but it kind of popped up that it looks like he is going to play out the last year of his contract. I don't think either decision would have been a surprise. I think, to be fair, I think after they lost, I think I'd have been more surprised if he'd retired. More just because, obviously, the guy's a competitor. He probably wants to go out on a win. So, it's one of those, isn't it? Like, I think he, he obviously wants to go out on a high in his career. Potentially trying to get another Super Bowl. I think we spoke about it. I don't know if they are going to be good enough to win it next year. You can't write them off, but I don't know if they'll be they'll be good enough to win it next year. But yeah, it looks like it looks like it looks like Kelsey's playing out the last year of his contract, mate.

Matt: 35:58

Yeah, I kind of understand why he would stay. I don't think he's going to get that big fanfare at the end of the season. I don't think he's going to go out and win if the Chiefs show up like they did at the Super Bowl. In games next season, not going to be in the big game. I mean, I understand why he's staying. I don't think it's going to make a difference here or there. He wasn't used as much in the last season. He hasn't been as effective. He's lost some of his speed. He's lost some of his strength. So, I think it's just, it's one of those for me. It's just like a meh announcement. You know, it is what it is.

Tom: 36:39

Yeah, no, I don't. You mean, I think it's a slight issue for them as well. Obviously, because Kelsey is obviously he, he, his salary will obviously go towards their cap and The chiefs have got a couple of their better wide receivers hitting the free agency market this year. Now, whether they'll wrap them up before it kind of gets to that point. is still to be seen. And I, I love the fact that we kind of said in last, last week's episode, I think we were like, yeah, there won't be any NFL chat for a little week. We're, we're, yeah, we're done. We're off of football now. It looks like it just shows we can't, can't go too long without talking about the NFL. Can we, but yeah, it's yeah, it'd be interesting to see if they can get those guys resigned. Cause obviously with Kelsey staying. That's more kind of salary that goes towards that cap. So yeah, maybe a couple of the chiefs, but receivers are going to be available or at least one of them now,

Matt: 37:29

Yeah, it should be a really interesting offseason. Going back to sort of like talking about NFL chat being off the, off the table. It's really hard. mean, every day on socials, we message each other with, know, different stories here and there. So we back, back and forward ideas all the time and NFL creeps into it. Then you'll have something from MLB, then you'll have something from the NHL and it's constant. I was saying to the wife the other day, I talked to her about all the sports that we cover as well. I'm saying it doesn't feel like there's been a break in the MLB for me because we covered we've covered so much into the short space of time that we've been doing this podcast and I mean, the offseason started in November, didn't it? Then we had the winter meetings, which we covered and. We've paid attention to. So it's, I don't think we're going to see much of an NFL off season for us because there's always going to be something that we're going to want to talk about. There's always little bits and there's a lot of stuff that we've seen that we're like, Oh, actually, we're probably not going to be able to fit this in this week. So we'll look at that in a few weeks time. And there's probably going to be far too much to cover in the run up to the NFL season starting again in September, we're going to have no choice, but to cover football every week, just a little bit

Tom: 38:46

what a shame. What a shame. But yeah, like you said, I think it's one of them. There's always so much going on. There's so much back and forth. Trying to squeeze everything into like, a weekly show is always difficult. It's always stories coming up, coaches leaving, coaches signing, players being traded, free agent signing, kind of across all the sports. Yeah, like I said, like you said, sorry, I think, I don't think there's going to be much of an NFL break. I mean, I was in the pub the other day watching the Champions League and ended up sitting next to a couple of guys fair enough, Cheryl, you might be listening whose wife works for the NFL and he was showing me all the videos because they managed to get tickets to the Super Bowl. Through her job, and it just looked amazing. And even then, like, the season's been finished for a few weeks now, but kind of watching those videos that you were showing me and just chatting with someone about it, it just gets you excited again. And I was just like, all right, Colwood, let's, I just need, football back, but I'm sure there'll be plenty for us to, to bring you guys over the next few weeks and months as we wait for the season to start. We've got the draft, got free agency, they're bound to be trades beforehand. So yeah, look forward to all of that coming up.

Matt: 39:53

Keeps us busy, doesn't it, mate? So we'll move on to the MLB then. The Yankees will cover that off quite quickly because that's a minor thing for non Yankees fans but for hardened Yankees fans like ourselves, pretty big announcement from the GM, mate.

Tom: 40:10

Yeah. I mean, it's, it's funny that it happened because a lot of people were kind of talking about this when we traded for Devin Williams and the fact that he was kind of like a beard King, obviously at that. big sort of menacing beard when he come out on the mound, there was a couple of jokes about it. Like they kind of like, like cropped his crop the beard off of him and was like, this is no longer a scary face of this guy on the mound. But basically the Yankees have come out and announced that for the first time in God knows how many years, I mean, we're going back to like Yogi Berra days. I think it's like 50 odd years, 60 odd years that players haven't been allowed to do it. I think it's actually been a rule for 50 years that the Yankees have had a clean shaven and hair neatly trimmed policy, which they have looked not entirely scrapped, but it seems how Steinbrenner has loosened the. the strings on, on whether the players are allowed to do it. So I think the official one, the official ruling is players will now be allowed to have well groomed beards and, and obviously hair in kind of kept in a, in a fairly neat and tidy manner. So they've not completely scrapped it, but they have now allowed players to kind of grow up the facial hair. You were always allowed a mustache, but you were never allowed. Kind of like a stubble or what if you, I mean, you guys can't see him, but what Matt, he's got with the full on bid going down to your chest. So they've kind of like relaxed it a little bit. So what do you think on that, Matty? Because I know it's really split opinion amongst not just Yankees fans, but we're talking fans, former players. Former players that didn't even play for the Yankees. I mean, I've spoken to fans that don't even don't even care about the Yankees, but I've kind of said their their piece on it. What's your take on the whole thing?

Matt: 42:03

Firstly, I think fair play to Devin Williams for actually requesting meeting with Hal Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees, to address it. mean, you've got to have some stones to want to speak to the owner and go, Listen, I want to play for your team, but I don't feel myself. I need a beard like fair play. I think I'm all for it, mate, you know, I think I'd, I'd look weird without a beard and I think, you know, it makes me feel like it makes it for the fact that I don't have any hair on my head. so it gives me confidence, you know, so from a baseball player point of view, you know, if you feel like you're going out onto the mound a little bit naked, you're not going to have that confidence. So, I'm all for it, mate. You know, I think if it helps the Yankees win, I'm down.

Tom: 42:52

No, I think from that side of it. Yeah, I actually can't. I've not really thought of it like that. I think that's probably a good, quite, quite a good way to look at it. If it's, if it's going to affect, especially someone like a Devin Williams, who you've obviously brought in to be a massive piece at the back end of that bullpen, you want him to be at his best. I know I'm going to, you're going to come back at me for this and say, Oh, you're old fashioned and purist and this, that, and the other. I don't like it. I just think, I mean, I don't know if you've seen the video, brilliant video, by the way, guys of Johnny Damon, obviously former Yankees and Red Sox star World Series champion with the Yanks back in 2009, kind of come out on social media. He's on a cruise, probably had a couple too many of the too many drinks at the free bar. but he's kind of done a video on it and obviously Johnny Damon is famous for the big beard and long locks which you can see evidently in the video but even he came out and was like come on guys like this shouldn't be the thing like this is there and it should be there and he actually mentioned it out of kind of respect to your yogi bearers your Lou Gehrig's he was like You're Derek Jeter's, you're Mariana Rivera's, who kind of went through all that, never did the bid and it's, it's a little bit like the thing like there's been talk around the Yankees kind of, oh, should the Yankees change the rule and now bring in like the alternate kits, which I know a lot of teams have, which I think are really cool, by the way, but again, it's The whole, the Yankees are kind of prided themselves on being that histored, history kind of like very well done team. Everything's done properly at the Yankees. They see that they kind of pride themselves as being that roster, that kind of franchise, sorry, that kind of prides themselves on everything. It's pinstripes, it's clean shaven, it's well groomed hair, it's, we wear, we have a home kit, we have an away kit. We don't have these kind of like multicolored. Funky kits that you get a lot of teams wearing now, which by the way, I'm not knocking because I think some of them look really cool. But I think that's just kind of the way the Yankees have always done it. And I think Aaron Judge actually came out and said it and I agreed with him and he was like, it's fair play if that's what they're going to do. And if the players now feel more comfortable with that and that they like that, but If that was a decision maker in you not coming over to the Yankees because you wanted to keep a beard, then you shouldn't be here anyway, because you should want to play for the Yankees regardless of whether you can keep your facial hair or not. Austin Wells said it, didn't he? I mean, Austin Wells is a big beard guy. He has the big tash when he shaves it off and he was like, I probably won't go back because I almost found it an honor that I got to shave my beard. I suppose it was never had to. It was, I got to shave my beard because I was playing for the Yankees and I was part of that organization. So yeah, I think on the side of it, if it makes players feel more comfortable, great. But me personally I'm, I'm, I'm of the impression that I don't think they should have changed the rules because I think that you don't change something that I think is such a kind of a part of the team's history. But, look, is it a big deal at the end of the day? Not really. So, look, if it helps people like Devin Williams play better, it wins us a World Series. I'm not going to complain.

Matt: 46:01

I, I kinda get your point. I understand, obviously, traditions and the Yankees is one of the, most traditional teams, if you like. I think sometimes you have to kind of change tradition. Sometimes, you know, times have changed a little bit and I completely understand, you know, we've had that rule in place. I think George Steinbrenner was the one that bought it in, in like the seventies. So it's, it's not historically that old. You know, the Yankees have been around since the twenties. So. I mean, it's a, it's, it is a tradition, but I think sometimes you have to loosen traditions. We haven't sort of like just fully gone and turned around and yeah, yeah, turn up with a ZZ Top style beard on, and, long scruffy hair, we've, we've kept it kind of, nice, nice, neatly trimmed beard. I can live. I can live with it. you wanted to address it. I don't. Juan Soto.

Tom: 46:58

Yeah, look, look, I wouldn't say address it. It's just one of those things. A couple of the guys have made some good starts. I mean. I hated to say it and it kills me, but he did look very well suited to his Mets uniform. Obviously felt comfortable up there because he's hit home run. I think it was on the second or third pitch of the at bat in his first game of the Mets. So I think he did the same thing with the Yanks as well for us last year. Hit a home run in his first spring, spring training game for us. Obviously saw what he went on to then do in the regular season. So. He is hoping that it doesn't correlate the same way, but can't quite see that happening with the quality of player that you've got there. But, Bregman as well, first game, first run with the Red Sox, so it's but yeah, from a hate watch potential, it didn't go very well for the first two games of the spring training. But yeah, a couple of guys making fast starts there. I think just to kind of wrap things up Matty, we wanted to talk on it because it's quite a big thing that's been introduced to baseball this year. ABS has been introduced, hasn't it?

Matt: 48:03

Yeah. Love it, mate. Absolutely loving it already. They've seen it put to some good use. takes the power out of. The umpire's hands a little bit, which has been much needed in baseball, to be honest, because been some questionable calls. And I know there's always reels doing the rounds of calls that have been questionable by umpires, you know? So I think adding that to games for me is a winner. really like it. I've seen it, you know, in a couple of the spring training games. What are your thoughts on, sort of, the introduction of technology?

Tom: 48:46

Yeah, I like this system when it kind of comes to technology. Like you said, it's been used a couple of times already in screen training. When it was first announced and they explained it, I was a little bit like, Oh, is this going to slow things down? Is this going to make, make the game slower and a little bit more lethargic? And kind of go back to what they were trying to get away from when they introduced like the pitch count timer and stuff like that, where they were trying to speed the game up. It's actually done really well. It doesn't take very long. Basically guys, just to kind of explain, it's similar to tennis. So when they kind of do the ball markings where the ball will go out and they check whether it was in or out of bounds in tennis, it's basically the same thing in baseball where they will review the strike or the pitch, sorry. And to see whether it was a ball or a strike. Now this can only be instigated. by, I think it's the pitcher, the catcher, or the batter who's in the box at the time. Each team has two challenges per game. So again, they've done quite well there by not allowing sort of unlimited challenges or more than two per team because otherwise, yeah, you will quite literally have every pitch. Someone's challenging it to see if they can pull a strike back or, do you know what I mean, gain a ball extra. Do you know what I mean? It they've done quite well there, and it's quite literally they double tap the top of the helmet or the cap if you're a picture at the time and they will then review to see if the ball was a correct. The picture was a correct call for a ball or a strike. So They do that. They get the automated strike zone up. If it's in the zone, they get called a strike. If it's out of the zone, obviously it's ball. And the team calling it, for it to be what they consider the wrong call, if they get that correct, they retain the review. If they get it wrong, they lose one. Now, I think it'd be quite cool. It'd be quite interesting to see how teams use this. I think in spring training, I think teams are just going to test it out to kind of see what they can get away with and what they can't and how accurate it will be. Like, I think we saw one in the first game. I was watching the Yankees Rays game where Ben Roodveld for the Rays called one that was very clearly a ball because it was in and around the top of the strike zone. I think he almost was testing it to see, right, what kind of leeway have I got with this? And if I can frame it a certain way, will it come back to it? But it seems to be really accurate. So I think technology like this. I actually really like and I think if it's used correctly and well by teams, I think it can only be a positive to add to the game.

Matt: 51:11

Yeah, I'm all for bringing into the game anything that's going to improve it, and take away that jeopardy as well. as a fan, there's nothing more frustrating than seeing your team potentially lose on a bad call. We talk about it all the time with football, you know, there's far too much jeopardy in football. Whereas within, you know, all the US sports that we love, there's lots and lots of things in place that prevent that, know, to make sure that the best team wins and the right calls are made. love it, mate. I, from what I've seen of it, really good. doesn't slow down the game much, you know, and again, I'm all for doing anything that kind of speeds up the game a little bit. Not too much because you don't want to lose those traditions from the game. You don't want to rush it, but, speed it up just a little bit. I'm, I'm, I'm all for it, mate. Really like it, you know, really interested in how it's going to get utilized this season. Yeah, for me, it's another,

Tom: 52:09

Yeah, agreement. Like I said, I think it's, I think it's a good thing. I think, I think technology and sport as a whole, I think is one of those things. If they get the right technology and that's used correctly by the right people, then I think that it can only benefit the sport. We see it in tennis, we see it in cricket, rugby, we see it in NFL, obviously now the NHL. Obviously the reviews that go on, it's used correctly and it's used well. Hopefully this will be the same in baseball. We've already got the reviews, which I think are usually sort of nine times out of 10 are correct, which is great. Like I said, we kind of moan a bit about it. And if you're a fan of Premier League football, like the video automated refs or VAR, which you guys probably heard about, is It's a really controversial because it's just not done particularly well. So to kind of see stuff like abs coming to play with baseball and it being using spring training really effectively is kind of a brush of breath of fresh air. Cause I am a bit of a purist and I have always kind of been at the opinion that I want to see as little technology in sports as possible because I think one of the best things about sport is how you kind of get your swings and roundabouts. You're going to get a bad call that goes against you, but then in the next game, you're going to get one that. actually benefits you. And I think that's what makes sport brilliant because things always usually find a way of evening, sort of evening themselves out. So I think if technology is done right and from the looks of it, this ABS looks like it could be good. Then yeah, I'm, I'm definitely all for it and I'm excited to kind of see how it plays out for the season. If we, if we kind of comes down to game seven of the world series and someone's going to tap the, the old tap, the tap, the tap the helmet or the cap to see if they put a strike back to win them the game or to save the game. It will be yeah, it'll be an interesting one to see.

Matt: 53:56

Oh, imagine that. right. That's us done, mate. Another in my humble opinion, another great show. Really enjoyed it. Had some really interesting conversations. Looking forward to the hockey this week. Some good games ongoing, some really interesting scores happening as well. Do an in depth review next week on where the teams are. obviously any other sort of like little tidbits that come through, in the NFL and over in the baseball, we'll see where the teams are fair in, in the spring training leagues. have a great week, mate. It's been good to catch up as ever.

Tom: 54:35

As always my friend and guys just on a, on a note there as well. I think you'll find that no matter what, what the content of the episode, Matty will always say that it's been a good episode. So I don't know if it's any kind of personal bias, but yeah but no, like you said, mate always good catching up. Hopefully there's plenty more to bring you guys next week and we'll yeah, we'll see you then.

Matt: 54:56

Have a good week, mate. Look after yourself. That does it for another episode of triple play UK. I've been your host, Matt, along with co host Tom. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to follow us on X and subscribe on whatever listing platform you're on. And we will catch you again next week. Cheers guys.