412 Sports Talk

  Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager Jim Rutherford has taken quite a beating this off-season when it comes to criticism of his transactions, and deservedly   so. Rutherford's signing of Johnson, giving away assets like he's Michael Jackson, and constantly moving guys in and out of Pittsburgh even led to some of the players on the team criticizing him anonymously. And while I agree that Rutherford is at the forefront when it comes to blame, he's far from alone. The players have a share, since they are the ones actually playing, but also we need to look at Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan as well.  Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as head coach about 1/3 through the 2015-2016 season and instantly turned things around. Not only did the Pens have the best record in the league from the date Sullivan was hired until the end of the season, they steamrolled their way to a Stanley Cup, then won it all again in 2017, while using two goalies, and playing without their numb...

Pittsburgh Penguins' General Manager Jim Rutherford has won three Stanley Cups in his career as a GM, two of them coming as Penguins' GM, and no one can ever take that away from him. That said we live in a world where it's about "What have you done for me lately?" and lately, Rutherford has failed the Penguins as GM. Not to be hyperbolic, but if you graded every move he's made after the back-to-back Stanley Cups, Rutherford would be sent to summer school. 

One drum that I have personally been beating for a while now is that goalies in the NHL and running backs in the NFL should be treated the same when it comes to utilization and salary. I am not a fan of drafting goalies or running backs early in their respected drafts, unless you feel you have a once in a lifetime type of player (Adrian Peterson for example). I also feel that you should get the most of your goalie and/or running back, thank them for their service, and allow another team to give them that big contract they have earned. 

 "Pride comes before the fall"- Proverbs 16:18  In the summer of 2018, coming off of a humbling defeat to their rival and eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins were still looking to be in damn good shape. They had won back-to-back Stanley Cups the previous two seasons, and won their consecutive playoff series, only to finally run out of gas as the Capitals finally overcame the hump and dethroned them as champs. It happens, most people, including myself, weren't all that mad that the Pens did not win three consecutive cups. Let's be realistic here. 

I have wanted to write this blog for a while now. Ever since my son was born, honestly. I just wanted to do it right and make sure that I was in a position where I felt I was truly ready to speak on it. Today is finally that day and I'm ready to talk about my life as a father. Not just a father, a single father, with 50-50 custody, to the sweetest, loving, awesome little boy ever, Jameson Thomas Nolan. A few things I want to get out of the way before we proceed. I will not be bashing my son's mother in this post. I'm writing this to give a glimpse into the day and a life of what's it like for me as a single father with shared custody of my son. I am not special. This post is not to gloat or say "Look at how great of a dad I am" Ok. Let's go. Background: I grew up without my biological father. I never saw him, knew him, heard him, of him, didn't know his name or why he wasn't around. It was as if someone literally deleted the idea of a ...

As I begin to write this blog, I am quite sure that some people will say that another person should not be a reason for you changing for the good. I am sure that people will say that you should not need a reason for being a better person. I agree with that premise but that doesn't make it untrue. My son, Jameson Thomas Nolan, born April 23rd, 2018, not only changed my life, but he changed my entire outlook on life. He saved me. Growing up, I never knew my father. Let's take that a step further, not only did I not know my father, I never saw a picture of him nor was I even given a name. I was told different stories about what happened for me to be born and why he wasn't around. Some of those stories were not happy ones. Growing up, I became jaded and resentful for not having a father, and used it as a crutch to fuel my bad behavior and depression. So many nights I blamed god and asked him why I didn't have a father As a child I looked to my pap to be my father figu...

You can say that you've been sad before but you don't know how I feel. You can tell me to get over it, but this illness is still real. You can try to pick me up but it doesn't mean I won't still be down. You can say you see me laughing and playing but on the inside I still frown. I can tell you how I'm feeling but I can't make you feel my pain. I can appreciate you trying to help while still taking your gesture in vein. I can laugh and smile and seem normal while still loathing I exist. I can get through the day but that doesn't mean I still didn't want to quit. I hate that I can not make you feel and see what's going on in my mind. I hate that I seem mean and hateful; I wish I truly mean to be kind. I hate that the fact that I can't make this madness ever go away. I hate that the fact that I feel like I'll never believe that you will always stay. Your words and gestured don't go unnoticed just to let you know. I needed to...