By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
1. Reyes to Test New MLB Domestic Violence Policy
Reports came out of Hawaii last week that Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes was arrested for a domestic violence incident.
As it turns out, Reyes was actually arrested on Halloween night, but it took over a week for reports to surface about the incident.
KHNL, the news station in Hawaii which broke the news about the incident, reported that Reyes was charged with abuse of a family or household member, and was released on bail.
Reyes’ domestic violence arrest will be the first to be dealt with under the new MLB policy, released in late August. Under the policy, new commissioner Rob Manfred has total judgement on the length of the punishment, and there is no minimum or maximum number of games set.
Reyes, 32, was traded from Toronto to Colorado last season in the Troy Tulowitzki deal. The Rockies are a young team who have not made the postseason since 2009. The team is led by some youngsters like Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, and Carlos Gonzalez, as well as top prospects like Brendan Rodgers and Mike Nikorak, both selected in this past draft.
Fans will have to wait and see on Manfred’s decision to see if Reyes is a part of the Rockies’ future plans.
2. Colts in Playoff Limbo Following Luck Injury
Following their week nine win over the Denver Broncos, the Indianapolis Colts announced that quarterback Andrew Luck will miss several weeks due to injury.
In their win over the Broncos, Luck suffered a lacerated kidney and a partially-torn abdominal muscle, which is expected to hold him out anywhere from two to six weeks. Luck was off to a rough start this season, throwing 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in seven games, causing his offensive coordinator, Pep Hamilton, to be fired.
In Luck’s absence, the Colts will be led by 40-year-old backup Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck started two games in Luck’s absence, where he threw three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Hasselbeck will have to do his best to lead an otherwise-struggling Colts team to the top of a weak AFC South. None of the teams within the division (Colts, Texans, Jaguars, Titans) have a record above .500. The division is the Colts’ to lose, and they hope that when Luck returns, he shows the talent that he showed last season, when he threw 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
3. Marleau Sets List of Three Teams for Trade
Now that the NHL season is more than a month underway, the rumor mill has officially started to spin, and the biggest name supposedly on the market is Patrick Marleau.
Marleau, 36, has spent his entire career with the San Jose Sharks, since being drafted by them way back in 1997. Last week, Marleau gave GM Doug Wilson a list of three teams for whom he would waive his no-trade clause: the Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings, and the New York Rangers.
It’s difficult to imagine Marleau going to a divisional rival in Anaheim or Los Angeles, but you never know. The Rangers, meanwhile, have very little cap room to work with. It will prove to be difficult to try to acquire Marleau, who has two years remaining on his contract, at over $6.5 million per season.
Marleau finished with 57 points last season, while his career-high is 86 points in 2005-06. Marleau still shows flashes of the player he used to be, while he is also versatile, playing both center and wing. Meanwhile, while still a Shark, Marleau will look to lead the team along with fellow veteran Joe Thornton, as the Sharks look to win a fairly weak division, minus the Ducks and Kings.
While the Sharks are a fairly good team, Marleau is looking to end his career with a Stanley Cup in his hands, and somewhere other than San Jose may be the best place to do that.
4. National Signing Day: Duke Dominates Early
College basketball National Signing Day has come and gone, and Duke was the team that made the biggest splash.
Just one day after tearing his ACL, top high school prospect Harry Giles, a power forward, committed to Duke for 2016. Giles goes to the famous Oak Hill Academy, and many close to him expect him to return better than ever from his injury.
Meanwhile, Duke also managed to land the second-best high school prospect, Jayson Tatum, a small forward. Also, number 14 prospect Frank Jackson, a shooting guard, committed to Duke, making their 2016 team look like the team to beat for now.
Other teams to make big splashes include Michigan State and Kentucky, who managed to land four and three (respectively) of the top 50 prospects. Locally, just about 40 minutes down the road, Kevin Huerter signed his national letter of intent. The Clifton Park native and Shenendehowa High School attendee made a 2015 contender, Maryland, his school of choice.
Plenty of athletes still have a decision to make, as this was just the early signing period. From April to May is when final decisions must be made, and these kids have a lot of schools to choose from. No matter what, the same teams that are on top most years will most likely be back there again next year, as Kentucky, Duke, and Michigan State got off to excellent starts.
5. Bradley’s Dominant
Performance May Put Him in Canelo/Cotto Sweepstakes
Following his victory over Brandon Rios, Timothy Bradley is now a legitimate choice for the winner of the Canelo Alvarez/Miguel Cotto fight later this month.
On Nov. 21, Alvarez and Cotto will square off in one of the biggest matches of the year. Bradley’s promoter, Bob Arum, said following his win, he could see Bradley facing off against Canelo if Canelo were to beat Cotto. But, some reports also came out a couple weeks ago that the winner of Bradley/Rios could take on Canelo/Cotto.
Experts say that if Bradley were to fight Canelo, Canelo would be fighting a much smaller (but still strong) fighter, and this may make him look bad. Canelo, the current number-one boxer in the world, takes on the number-two boxer in Cotto, and could face Bradley, who is ranked at number four. Before anyone can even talk about a Canelo/Bradley fight, fans will have to wait and see who emerges as winner of the Canelo/Cotto fight this month.
This fight has been long anticipated, and I’m sure that, like boxing fans, Bradley can’t wait to see who comes out on top.
