By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
1. NFL Awards Announced
As fans sat around this weekend and prepared for the 2017 Super Bowl, the NFL handed out its annual batch of awards.
The biggest award from Saturday evening was for MVP, conferred upon Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. “Matty Ice” threw 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in his 16 regular season games this season, the best mark of his career by far.
Ryan propelled his Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones to an outstanding season with 1,409 yards and six touchdowns. In addition to MVP, Ryan also took home the Offensive Player of the Year award, while Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack won Defensive Player of the Year.
The Offensive Rookie of the Year award appeared to be a battle between two Cowboys, and it was Dak Prescott who edged out Ezekiel Elliott. Prescott threw 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions, which are remarkable numbers for a rookie. Chargers rookie Joey Bosa, meanwhile, took home the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Elliot did go on to win a share of the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year, alongside Ryan.
Another Cowboy who took home an award was Jason Garrett, who won Coach of the Year. Garrett led “America’s Team” to a 13-3 record. The Cowboys’ offensive line also won the award for Offensive Line of the Year, a shocker to none.
Some other noteworthy winner Jordy Nelson (1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns), recognized as the Comeback Player of the Year, and Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who split the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for charity and volunteer work, as well as talent on the field.
2. LaVine Out for Rest of Season
After an impressive first half of the season, Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine will miss the rest of this season with a torn ACL.
LaVine, 21, was a bright spot in Minnesota, who struggled more than expected in the first half, as he averaged 18.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and three assists per game.
The injury was sustained in LaVine’s left knee at the end of last Friday’s game against the Pistons, when he came down after going up for a layup. LaVine had decided just a couple weeks prior that he would not defense his Slam Dunk contest title.
With LaVine out, the Timberwolves will rely even more on youngsters Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Brandon Rush saw his way into the starting lineup in Minnesota’s first game without LaVine, so he could be slated to see a big increase in minutes.
3. Owens Misses Out on Hall of Fame Again
In his second year on the ballot, one of the best to play his position was once again left out of Canton.
On the same night that the NFL handed out its awards for 2016, the next Hall of Fame class was also announced. The 2017 inductees are LaDainian Tomlinson, Morten Andersen, Jason Taylor, Kenny Easley (voted in from the senior committee), Jerry Jones (voted in as a contributor), Terrell Davis and Kurt Warner.
Owens spent his 15 seasons in the league with five different teams, and in that time, ranked second all-time in receiving yards (15,934) and third all-time in receiving touchdowns (153).
In the NFL’s voting process, the list of potential Hall of Famers is trimmed to ten, and then to five. According to league reports, Owens didn’t even make the final ten. Owens later took to Twitter and called the Hall of Fame system a “flawed process.”
4. Romo To Sign with Divisional Rival Dodgers
After spending the last nine seasons with the Giants, bullpen-staple Sergio Romo has crossed divisional lines and is slated to sign with the Dodgers.
Romo was the closer in San Francisco in 2013 and 2014, when he had a combined 61 saves and a 3.12 ERA. In 2015 and 2016, Romo became the setup man, making way for Santiago Casilla to closer for the Giants, an experiment that did not go well for San Francisco last season, where he was able to gather 31 saves, but had a 3.57 ERA.
At 33, Romo still has plenty of baseball left in him, and could become a big-name setup man for the Dodgers. Last month, the Dodgers re-signed Kenley Jansen, one of the best closers in the league, to a five-year, $80 million deal.
Romo’s deal with the Dodgers is reported to be for one season, but the financial details have yet to be released.
5. Connecticut Governor Invites Islanders to Hartford
With the Whalers gone since 1997, Hartford is still looking for a hockey team, and the state’s governor recently reached out to the Islanders.
Last week, reports came out that the Barclays Center in Brooklyn would be dumping the Islanders after the 2018-19 season. These reports said that the Islanders did not contribute financially to the arena, and that it would be better off to dump the team. The Islanders, currently sitting third-last in the Eastern Conference, have the third-lowest attendance numbers this season.
Connecticut’s governor, Dannel Malloy, and Hartford’s mayor, Luke Bronin, wrote a letter to Islanders’ ownership, urging them to move their organization to Hartford. The two said that the Islanders could use the XL Center as “an option for your interim use,” and that they “would suggest the building as a long-term solution to your needs as well.”
While Hartford does not have an NHL team, they do have the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Wolf Pack has struggled this season, and has the fifth-lowest attendance in the AHL, with an average of almost 4,000 fans per game. The arena that they play in, the XL Center, can hold almost 15,000 fans for hockey games. The University of Connecticut men’s hockey team also plays in the arena.
There are many conflicting reports here, as many have said the Islanders are looking to construct a permanent home in Queens, NY. Plus, Barclays may decide to not dump the Islanders after all. Regardless, the Islanders franchise and their fans are in a bit of a waiting game for now, and the team’s lack of success this season doesn’t help to distract their fans.
