Front Row Sports

Jeets and the 3000

2011-07-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

In most cases a baseball player reaching 3,000 career hits is a special thing. Derek Jeter on the other hand, it's a monumental thing. The first Yankee player in history to reach 3,000 hits. Amazing. I think most casual baseball fans who understand that 3,000 hits is a special, hall of fame type achievement, would never think NO Yankee had 3,000 hits.

So he we are, Saturday morning and I'm out west and the Yankees are about to face the Rays. Jeter will bat leadoff today, and every single time he comes to the plate, the stadium will go nuts. I mean think about all the incredible moments that Yankee fans have witnessed over the last 50 years? World Series wins, countless All Stars, countless incredible performances. This achievement will ring across not only the baseball world, but it will be felt throughout sports and news media. The first Yankee to 3,000 hits, the captain, Derek Jeter is a Yankee, one of the truest forms of the Yankee brand, and someone that any young player looks up to.

How can it be that DiMaggio, Ruth, Gehrig, and all the other Yankee legends never reached this plateau? What Jeter is about to accomplish will cement him in baseball history forever, and 50 years from now, his grandchildren will be talking about how their Grandad was Derek Jeter, the only Yankee with 3,000 hits. Amazing achievement for an amazing player. I hope Yankee fans give him an extended ovation, because Derek Jeter embodies everything you want in an athlete. An honest, hardworking leader, who only cares about one thing. Winning.

The NHL return to Winnipeg, Good and Bad

2011-07-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

in 1997, the NHL saw fit to relocate the Winnipeg Jets to sunny Phoenix, Arizona. The move crushed the dreams of Jets fans across Manitoba, the Canadian province located smack dab in the heartland of Canada, a distant locale known for it's booming economy based on finance, manufacturing and agriculture. Winnipeg has quickly become one of the fastest growing economic cities in Canada, and is also known for it's sunny disposition. The city has had a recent boom in the arts as well, with several recent additions, Le Cercle Moliere the oldest theatre company in Canada has moved into new digs and several festivals create a hearty, festive community atmosphere.

The Atlanta Thrashers were a marketing disaster and thus have flown north to Winnipeg on the heels of a dedicated, persistent takeover by True North and it's very credible leader, Mark Chipman. Chipman guided the former AHL Manitoba Moose into a brand new arena several years back, a long with a revitilized downtown Winnipeg, the fans flocked to Moose games and made Winnipeg a viable, credible destination for professional hockey. Billionaire David Thompson is also a part of the True North group that backed this surprising move and with that ushered in a new era for the NHL in Canada's heartland.

With the announcement that the NHL had agreed to the sale the new Jets ownership created the "Drive to 13,000" which was an instant success; having 8,000 people sign up for tickets in a mere 2 hours.

The Jets future looks bright on the ice as well, with young stars Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian and Dustin Byfuglien. The club has recently added several hometown players in an effort to further connect with Manitobans. like Derek Meech for example.

The problems for the future of this club are exactly the same problems they faced in 1996-1997. Can the Jets remain competitive financially with American teams as well as other Canadian clubs in larger markets. The Jets will play in front of ravenous fans for sure, but the sustainability will depend on the strength of the Canadian dollar, their ability to attract free agents to a somewhat isolated market and their "small arena". MTS Centre can house 15,015 fans which is by far the smallest arena, next to Nassau Coliseum which checks in at 16,234. True North seem extremely committed, well funded and let's face it, excited to be in the NHL.

There is no doubt the Jets will have momentum for several years early on, and the only key to the survival of hockey in Winnipeg this time is creative, dedicated ownership that will do whatever it takes to keep the team there, where it belongs.

Sharks send Heatley packing, add Havlat

2011-07-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Very rarely do we see these types of trades in today's NHL. It was a shocker for sure and It seemed to come out of nowhere. The San Jose Sharks have traded Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for scoring winger Martin Havlat. Havlat and Heatley are both 30 and both players are true offensive wingers.

On paper, the deal is a wash, both players have dynamic offensive ability and are both top line skaters. Heatley played the bulk of last season with a broken hand, and didn't ask out of the lineup, just sucked it up and still put up a respectable 26 goals, 38 assists in 80 games. That is the lowest point total Heatley has had in any season with at least 70 games played. Heatley is a determined player and playing with two All-Stars in Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau gave him many opportunities to score.

Martin Havlat has been a consistent scorer in the NHL, and had a brief period where he would be slightly invisible. A few years back Havlat was also a member of the Senators and was pawned off to the Blackhawks, in a three team trade, that also included, yep, the San Jose Sharks. Havlat quickly re-upped with Chicago on a 3 year deal, but his first two seasons in Chicago were met with injuries, until 08-09 when Havlat became team MVP. He had an incredible year in 08-09, notching 77 points and quickly became a hot commodity on the free agent market. He wanted to remain with Chicago, but former GM Dale Tallon would only offer a one year contract. Havlat signed with Minnesota, for 6 years, 30 million and quickly moved to the Wild's top line with rising center Mikko Koivu.

Havlat and the Wild struggled for much of his time there as the team was still very young and inexperienced. The Wild have without question shaken things up with their earlier acquisition of Devin Setoguchi, from the Sharks and tough two way center Darrol Powe from the Flyers. The Wild also bought out Cam Barker likely to make room for a new defenseman.

The NHL free agent blitz

2011-07-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

So the summer is officially underway, and the National Hockey League has held is annual entry draft and now we're in day 2 of the Free Agent Frenzy. Many people who follow and cover the NHL have been very critical of the $300+ million dollars that has been spent in free agency. The problem that I have with these naysayers is that the NHL, it's player union and it's fans should be celebrating. I have read several blogs and comments on twitter regarding the subject and it always seems to be negative. How can a team, player, fan or writer have anything but good things to say?

Sure, maybe some of the contracts may seem a bit out of whack, or to quote Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee, "goofy". but the reason teams are giving such long term contracts is two-fold. Every NHL hockey club has a job to do. That job in a nutshell is to provide it's fans with a quality product, sell tickets, earn revenue and connect with it's community. In simple terms every professional team is a business and these teams are in the business to secure talent and ensure their future ability to compete. The current NHL collective bargaining agreement expires on September 15, 2012, and most of what we're seeing is a result of that. No hockey clubs want to have thin rosters when the current CBA expires. They want to ensure that they have several components in place, so that if their is a lockout, strike or lengthy dispute. These clubs are targeting players of a certain age, that fill a role and spending on them.

How can people be critical of teams trying to compete? By adding assets to field a competitive hockey team, these clubs should be lauded, not criticized. It amazed me the level of negativity year in and year out. The agents are somewhat to blame aren't they? They are the people charged with negotiating these contracts, and the owners, general managers and players all work to make it happen.

The NHL is in mid boon. The owners are making money, and in most markets the fans are excited. Struggling markets like Florida and Buffalo are now in position to compete, and it's a result of adding payroll, adding contracts and spending money in free agency. When criticism is warranted I will be right there to provide some, but this is a day that fans of the NHL should be cheering. It goes a long way to prove that labor peace should remain constant and with the troubles of the NBA, NFL and eventual MLB, the NHL is proving to be a model of how to achieve labor peace and secure profits for your franchises.

Rangers land Brad Richards

2011-07-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

After a long day of fielding offers and speaking with several NHL clubs, including watching several presentations, former Dallas Stars centerman Brad Richards has chosen to sign with the New York Rangers, a 9 year, 56.8 million dollar contract.

Richards, 31 was by far the most coveted free agent and by many accounts fits everything the Rangers needed. A top line center to create plays and help improve the Rangers anemic power play.

In his 10 year NHL career Richards has notched 220 goals, 496 assists for 716 points. He is extremely adept on the power play notching 230 power play assists.

Richards is a former Lady Bing, Conn Smythe winner and won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and was the driving force throughout that playoff year.

The Rangers have a solid core of youth around Richards including defensemen Dan Girardi and Marc Staal and young forwards Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky. It's impressive how Rangers boss Glen Sather with coaxing from coach John Tortorella have stayed the course with their own prospects and built a very strong young group of players. Richards can now step in on the first line and give the Rangers are legitimate shot at the playoffs, every season.

The Mets win again, critics fail

2011-06-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

The New York Mets got out of the gate very slowly...to say the least. Most people wrote them off early on and often, and most critics had the Mets pawning off any veteran they could for anything they could get.

I guess no one could have anticipated the Mets being 5 games out of the NL wild card at the half way point in the season...and that Jose Reyes would be an early MVP candidate. Reyes is killing it right now, with several big numbers including 39 extra base hits, double digit steals and a surprising giddy up in his overall game. Reyes is playing the field well too and Carlos Beltran is on pace for 100 RBI's, something that he should do every year.

The Mets have also put together a make-shift starting rotation with power knuckler R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, rookie Dillon Gee and the surgically repaired Chris Capuano. The Mets have done well to stay in this race, and with the impending return of David Wright and Johan Santana, the Mets could become the second best team in the National League East.

If you look at this team on paper, the return of Santana is a key interest. If he's healthy, which he's on schedule to be, the Mets could really get good. It will be interesting to see where the Mets are on July 31st because that's the non-waiver trade deadline and the Mets could end up being a buyer if they are still in the wild card.

What a boon for the Mets that would be because they might actually sell out Citi Field for the rest of the season.

Gamecocks' CWS win and the perfect timing

2011-06-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

The NCAA and College World Series picked the perfect time to air their annual baseball tournament. There is nothing really relevant in sports right now, except maybe Wimbeldon, but one could argue that those who watch Wimbeldon, probably don't watch much college baseball.

The South Carolina Game Cocks spirited their way to their second straight CWS championship. A record win as the Cocks become the first team to go 10-0, yes 10-0 in the tourney and first since Oregon State 2007 to go unbeaten in a CWS.

The Game Cocks rebuilt pitching staff and star outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. led the way for SC coach Ray Tanner and the team did so battling injuries throughout the season.

NHL Free Agency and buyout period

2011-06-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

The NHL free agency period will begin this Friday and the big name on everyone's list will be Stars centerman Brad Richards.

Richards, 31, is a former Conn Smythe, Lady Byng and Stanley Cup trophy winner. He can be a dominating presence of the ice and is truly a number one center. Richards has informed the Dallas Stars that he will go to market and test free agency, and several teams including Toronto, Philadelphia, and the New York Rangers are expected to be in play for his services.

The contract term is expected to be a long term contract with an expected 7 million dollar per season cap hit. Richards can immediately improve any lineup and I expect that Richards will not be a first day sign. The Rangers specifically will likely waive and buyout the remaining contract year of Chris Drury to make room for Richards and many people in the sport believe that with Richards ties and former success with Rangers coach John Tortorella will give the Rangers the leg up in negotiations.

The Panthers and goaltender Tomas Vokoun will likely talk about an extension, but it appears that Vokoun may go to market. Vokoun is expected to be courted by Colorado, Florida and Phoenix, and could command a similar salary and term to his last contract. Vokoun had a solid year for a bad Panthers club last season, but with the Panthers aggressive GM Dale Tallon, and their cap space, Vokoun could return and finish his career in South Florida.

Joni Pitkanen, Tomas Kaberle and Eric Brewer are likely to hit the market also, but Brewer is supposed to be close to new terms with Tampa Bay.

As I am writing this, Kevin Bieksa has re-upped with Vancouver on a five year deal and Brooks Laich has accepted a long term contract extension with the Washington Capitals.

Can the Cubs get it right?

2011-06-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Cubs have long been mired in futility. Yeah, they have had a few good seasons here and there, but the team has been so poorly run that change must come soon. Cubs fans deserve to have a competitive team...a team that can compete every year for the National League Central.

A team that plays in a historic stadium with over 100 years of history. a die hard fan base, and a huge budget should be more of a challenge in the NL. So why are the Cubs so bad every year?

I can point to ownership which currently falls to Joe Ricketts, the founder/owner of TD Ameritrade and the day to day operations of the club are handled by long time General Manager Jim Hendry. Therein lies the problem. Hendry has long been an advocate for "filling" holes with expensive, underachieving free agents and we can get an immediate sense of that with the recent signing of first baseman Carlos Pena. Pena signed a 10 million dollar contract to play first for the Cubbies and this comes after his sub .200 season with Tampa Bay. These are the types of moves that Hendry has relied on since his tenure began in 2002. He continues to overspend on players that most teams would not touch, at least at the salary they seem to get with Chicago. The Cubs current roster features several of these players, like Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and to a lesser degree, Aramis Ramirez. Hendry continues to speculate on the wrong players like Fukudome's ridiculous 4 year 48 million dollar contract.

The biggest glaring problem with the Cubs is their lack of commitment to home grown people. Not just players, but people who have touched the organization. The perfect model should have been local hero and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg taking over as manager. As usual with the Hendry led Cubbies, Sandberg was passed over and Mike Quade was given the role of defacto skipper. A skipper who inherited a team riddled with "me" type players, a burgeoning payroll and no managerial experience. One could argue that Sandberg was no better of a choice, but one could also argue that he paid his dues in the minors and given his local status in the Windy City, Sandberg might get more out of his team.

In the majors today the biggest problem for the Cubs is that they are expected to spend money on players. As one of the largest markets with a huge revenue stream, the Cubs are one of those "destination" teams in free agency. It's been that way for a long time and the results are apparent. The Cubs need to purge this roster and become one of the biggest investors in player development and scouting. There is something to be said about homegrown, "Rah-Rah" players. Players who grow up in your system and bleed your teams colors. The Cubs have done nothing right over the last 20 years and one could argue it's been a lot longer than that. In the current climate of Major League Baseball, the Cubs are important to the future of baseball and the time has come for the Cubs to accept defeat and trade the veterans. Restock the cupboard Hendry, or you may find yourself out of work at the end of the season.

Current top salaries:

Alfonso Soriano, $19,000,000
Carlos Zambrano, $18,875,000
Aramis Ramirez, $14,600,000
Kosuke Fukudome, $14,500,000
Ryan Dempster, $14,500,000
Carlos Silva, $12,750,000
Marlon Byrd, $5,500,000
Jeff Samardzija, $3,500,000
John Grabow, $4,800,000

Boys of summer take center stage

2011-06-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

The NHL and NBA have completed their drafts, and the NFL continues to work out it's labor problems. This puts the focus squarely on Major League Baseball.

At least until the NFL lockout is lifted, baseball will take the reigns on sports reporting. The Yankees and Red Sox will continue their dogfight in the AL East, with some feisty Rays team still lurking, and the surging Giants look to be in prime position to at least challenge for the National League. We have some interesting side stories brewing in baseball. The return to stardom for the Mets Jose Reyes, who is once again making his case for "best player in baseball" Reyes is simply on fire and the Mets have already been told that the impeding free agent will not discuss a new contract during the season. It will be interesting to see if a contending club will dispatch with a hefty offer for the shortstop as the Mets continue to reel from their link to Bernie Madoff and on the field issues.

The Tigers Justin Verlander continues to make his case for best AL pitcher. He's been un-hittable this season and the Tigers have quickly taken to the top of the AL central. The Indians incredible start has been nearly erased in a combination of mounting losses and the Tigers excellent pitching.

The Braves and Phillies will likely fight for the NL East, but the Braves are going to have to add some offense if they hope to stay in the race. They could easily contend will an upgrade in their lineup, but who is available, perhaps Aramis Ramirez from the Cubs?

The baseball season will hit the half way point this week and it should continue to be a dogfight in just about every division. The league is very competitive right now and hopefully that will translate into higher attendance.

NHL Draft wrap-up

2011-06-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

The NHL Entry Draft completed and several interesting tidbits to take away from Minneapolis.

The Ryan Smyth to Edmonton trade was finally completed but Gilbert Brule was nixed. Colin Fraser and a 7th round draft choice for a 300 goal career scorer. I wonder why the Kings felt Smyth had nothing left in the tank. I think this is a clear salary dump by L.A. and Edmonton gains it's heroic own son. Many hockey fans will remember the teary eyed presser that Smyth had several years ago when he was traded to the Islanders.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy92_kO1Pjw

So the Oilers inject a reasonably priced goal scorer and leader to a mix of young players. Should be interesting in Edmonton next season.

The Calgary Flames were finally able to get some salary relief by trading rugged blue-liner Robyn Regehr to Buffalo for defenseman Chris Butler and diminutive centerman Paul Byron. Regehr is a solid upgrade for Buffalo and will bring some leadership to the Buffalo defense...a top end partner for Tyler Myers.

The Blackhawks rid themselves of the really spendy Brian Campbell and his 7+ million dollar per season cap hit. Really not much else to say about it. The Panthers landed a solid top pair defenseman.

The NHL shines again

2011-06-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

The 2011 NHL Entry Draft has been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun for many reasons and although there was no clear cut number one, or even a duo like last years Taylor or Tyler, the league will reap another ratings win.

From the moment the draft began, with the Edmonton Oilers selection of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to the honoring of E.J. McGuire, the NHL does such a classy job year in and year out with their draft process. The New York Rangers chipped in with a great moment having Aaron Boogaard call their selection, to honor the tragic passing of his brother, Derek Boogaard.

Christopher Gibson, Chicoutimi Sangueneens

As the second round began, the Los Angeles Kings selected goaltender Christopher Gibson and with that choice another great moment as NHL Networks Deb Placey had a brief, teary eyed moment with Gibson's mother and father.

The Columbus Blue Jackets shocked many with their trade of Nikita Filatov, to the Senators for a 3rd round pick. Filatov was drafted 6th overall in the 2008 Draft. What a fall from grace as that makes three former top picks for the Jackets to falter, counting Jakub Voracek (7th ov 2007) and Nikolai Zherdev (4th ov 2003) all European born players.

It's been a compelling draft thus far, and now as I'm writing this, the New York Rangers have traded one of their top prospects, Evgeny Grachev, for a third round draft choice from St. Louis, taking another American born center, Steven Fogarty.

The NHL returns to prominence, the NBA can learn something

2011-06-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

It wasn't that long ago that the NHL and it's TV contract with the ESPN empire ended and with that ending, ESPN proposed it's own changes on a league that has been around for a century. ESPN in all it's arrogance suggesting changes to the way they play their game in order to maintain the status quo. Yeah, that status quo included secondary coverage on it's secondary network, ESPN2.

When the NHL had it's labor problems back in 2005, the league underwent changes that many analysts felt that they could not recover from. The NHL resisted changes to it's game just so they could have television exposure and they successfully implemented a salary cap, which it seems everyone has embraced, including the players. The NHL and it's own players association had gone through a tumultuous moment and it recovered beyond anyone's expectations. The league is thriving and with incredible ratings on Versus and NBC, the NHL has proven that when you step back and really look at your product, you must make change that benefits your fans and players. While sticking to it's guns, the NHL has shown everyone that you do not need to give in to the popular choices and with hard choices you can sometimes rise up and prove everyone wrong.

The NBA and their own impending labor problems can learn something from this. The NBA salary cap is a soft cap, and a salary control system that does not work, and in my opinion their biggest problem. What is the point in having a cap system in place that allows teams to spend millions and millions of dollars over it? There is no future for the NBA unless they create a partnership with their players, and promote their teams. The NFL has been largely successful based on that principal. The NFL does not promote their players, but their teams and their logos. The NHL simply promotes their champions and the Stanley Cup and look how well they are received. The NBA is just as interesting as it used to be. You have a handful of teams that can legitimately compete for a championship, and that just does not bode well for their long term future. The fans have nothing to look forward too in most NBA cities, except perhaps a shot in the dark draft choice or an overpaid, middle of the road scorer.

The NBA and NHL are always compared in terms of where they are in the ranks of top sports. It's a comparison that goes back to Gary Bettman and his former ties to the NBA and of course the fact that they are the other winter sports, like football. If the NBA can learn anything from their ongoing labor problems, it's that they need to create more competition in their league and do a better job of providing their fans with a product that is compelling right to the end.

Why the Mets and Mariners need each other

2011-06-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

Marriage is a long term commitment. I know that's a silly suggestion, but the Mariners have a winning record and the Amazins' have several players that could help make the Mariners a legitimate contender.

The Mariners can't expect to compete for long with that offense, or lack thereof. They sorely need a middle of the order hitter and the sooner they can add one, the sooner the American League West becomes seriously contentious. The Mariners pitching has been incredible this season and largely responsible for their 37-35 mark while I write this. The Mets on the other hand have been competitive at times, but let's face it...the Mets have bigger issues than a losing record. Carlos Beltran, having a solid season and seems to also be healthy, which bodes well for the Mets and their expected return in any trade.

The Mariners have a sore need for a productive outfielder and Beltran fits the bill quite well. The switch hitter who can play all three outfield positions would be a boon to the lineup and the Mariners chances of taking a great start to perhaps a wild card berth in 2011. Beltran is owed just over 11 million bucks this season and the Mets, according to SI's Jon Heyman, are willing to eat some of that salary to land some "high" quality prospects in return.

The good news for Mets fans is that the Mets would gain much more than prospects in a trade like this. The Mets need to reshape their identity, and with a trade like this, that would pave a new road for the Mets and the Wilpons

So who can the Mets get from the Mariners for Beltran? Well, the list isn't wonderful, but the M's have a couple of solid pitching prospects, like Taijuan Walker and southpaw Mauricio Robles. These two pitchers have high upside potential, but are both very early on in their development. The Mets have some youth in the system as it is, but with a trade like this they can position themselves better financially. The prospect cupboard needs an infusion for the Mets to move beyond the mistakes that Omar Minaya and the Wilpons have created.

NHL, NBA drafts

2011-06-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

As we move into the off-season for both the NBA and NHL we begin to see more of the future of professional sports. The NBA draft, which is usually a major snooze, carries at least one potential star this year. Is it Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams. Many NBA pundits believe that not Irving or Williams, but Jimmer Fredette is the most polished to play in the NBA. The question is whether or not Fredette can create his own shots, defend and simply compete against the NBA. Fredette has already proven he can play on a big stage, and his early workouts have shown that he is a freak in the gym. Fredette will be drafted early because his athleticism cannot be denied and he will also sell plenty of jerseys.

The NHL draft is another story. The NHL always has a much deeper, longer and more franchise changing aspect. The bad clubs in the NHL can change their fortunes long term with solid selections and this year is no exception. A talent laden first round with future household names like Sean Couturier, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog and Jonathan Huberdeau. The great thing about the NHL draft is that these kids are literally kids. Many of which aren't old enough to legally drive a car in the United States, without a licensed passenger. That's young folks.

The great thing about these drafts is that it always gives the fan something to look forward too, and no one will know who these players are until the team puts them in a position to contribute. It's a fun thing to speculate on, and slot these players in your mind's eye lineup. Will Kyrie Irving bring the Cavs some respect...can he direct the offense and create plays? Can Derrick Williams change the Timberwolves, with the help of recent import Ricky Rubio? The Jazz and Fredette...a match made in Utah heaven?

We all speculate about our sports teams. It's what we do, and it's why we care. It's all about that next season and the new faces that can change our passion for the better.

Can McIlroy win the Open?

2011-06-18T09:19:00.002-07:00

Rory McIlroy is in a unique position. The 22 year old Irishman has led the last three majors, and largely in convincing fashion. There seems to be a new cockiness to him at this year's Open. McIlroy is playing with much more conviction at this major championship and all for a 22 year old with incredible talent.

The only thing preventing McIlroy from winning his first major tournament is himself. When a player with his talent and future takes control of his own psyche and ability, he can harness something greater than the game. He can become a champion and instill life into a sport that needs a new hero. A new face to take over for the older fan favorites, like Lefty and Tiger. I am a fan of the game of golf and to bring Rory McIlroy into the winners circle would do more for the game than even he realizes.

The course is laid out well for McIlroy and fits his eye, as we've already witnessed with opening 65 and 66. They usually refer to Saturday as "moving day" and I would expect a lot of movement today. It should be very interesting out there today in our nations capitol. The field will move for sure with players like Y.E. Yang, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar in the fray. Yang stands to have a clear shot at this championship because like many Asian-born players, Yang seems to have nerves of steel or ice in his veins...he is a cool customer like many winners in sports. Yang won the 2009 PGA Championship with Tiger Woods right there. Yang didn't seem to care about that and we have all witnessed so many PGA tour players crumble with Tiger lurking on the leaderboard.

McIlroy has such a big lead going into the weekend and as long as he drives the ball well and plays smart golf, this tournament could end on Saturday. However, if McIlroy has a mental lapse, Yang and company could easily gain shots on the young McIlroy and make this U.S. Open interesting and captivating on Sunday.