Is Ben Bishop a Sleeper Agent For St. Louis? Blues Series Preview And Prediction (I Pick The Blues)

You’re going to hear it a million times but in case you’ve been living under a rock Ben Bishop is from St. Louis. He went to Chaminade and played with the Junior Blues and was later drafted by the Blues in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft. He was in the minors for much of his time in St. Louis only appearing in 13 total games for the Blues and only started 10 of those. It wasn’t until his time with the Lightning that he rose to a superstar and became one of the best goalies in the NHL over the like 5 or 6 years. This year has been no different as he’s only giving up 1.98 goals against average and has a .934 save percentage.

Bishop is now a Vezina Trophy finalist the award given to the NHL’s best goaltender but the question on everybody’s mind is of obviously whether or not this has all been a long con between the Blues and Ben Bishop. It makes sense that he would be playing at the highest level of his career going into this series. Think about it how obvious would it be if Bishop was having a mediocre year and then tanked when he plays the Blues. Bishop also has a winning record against the Blues this year and is giving up only 1.75 goals a game against them. This is where you have to do your own research and use your brain he is doing good in the regular season so that nobody will think about it when he gives up some soft ones. Now I know where you’re already going with this “if he was good all year and then sucked against the blues wouldn’t that draw more attention to the long con” that’s a fair point I really can’t address it any further since it hurts my overall argument.

In conclusion yes Ben Bishop is a sleeper agent for the Blues so when you see him allowing 3-4 goals a game and giving up some softies that are out of the norm for him now you know why.

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 Don’t click on those articles fuck them I just wanted to steal their headlines to further my argument.

As for the actual preview idk man. I mean both teams are buzzing and won keys games on the road behind a relentless forecheck, good defense, and stellar goalkeeping. It’s all going to come down to line matchups. The Blues need an answer to Benn cause he’s scored 5 goals in 2 games against Bennington. We said the same thing about Laine before the Jets series and he still tore us apart. As long as our top line can get some more production I think we take care of business. I love the Schwartz and Schenn combo and I think Maroons strength is going to be a key factor in the series.

It’s ultimately going to come down to Bennington vs Bishop and as we’ve already discussed both goalies are playing at an elite level and have a similar attitude and level headedness (is that a word?).

My official prediction is Blues in 6 due to Ben Bishop being a sleeper agent. As for tonight I think the Blues take the first game at home however I expect us to lose one at home in these first 2 games.

Projected lineup is below game starts at 8:30PM tonight on NBCSN.

Dane

Cardinals Sweep Brewers and Have Won 5 Straight and Take NL Central Lead

This Cardinals team has been on fire to start the season. Through 24 games they are 15-9 and currently have a 1.5 game lead in the NL Central.

This Cardinals team seems to have the look of a legit contender. The lineup can hit from top to bottom and has a ton of depth. The outfield is stacked with the likes of Ozuna, Fowler, Bader, Martinez, O’Neil and now Lane Thomas. Goldschmidt has been everything and more this season and with the way Ozuna and DeJong are providing power the middle of this lineup is dangerous.

Speaking of depth the Cardinals rotation is full of it. We are currently without Wacha and Carlos Martinez, arguably our two best pitchers when healthy and still the rotation is giving the team a chance to win night in and night out. Flaherty and Mikolas have struggled at times but are still throwing well. Mix in other young arms like Dakota Hudson and Leone and the future looks good. Rounding out that rotation is the legend who threw today in Adam Wainwright, he captured his 150th career win and I love him very much.

While it’s still very early in the season it’s great to see the birds buzzing and it seems like a great mixture of veteran leadership with young arms and a lineup full of talent. I can’t wait to write more about this team over the next 7 months.

Dane

Tyreek Hill Will Not Be Charged As Johnson County Investigation Concludes

Just to clarify the Johnson County investigation is over however the child and protection investigation is still ongoing.

As far as the Chiefs perspective goes this is obviously good news. As far as the real life human aspect of this case it’s still unsettling.

To hear the DA say that he believes a crime was committed against a 3 year old boy and that because he doesn’t have enough evidence to prove who did it sucks.

The most important part of this whole process is that Tyreek‘s son is safe. It was stated multiple times that is the case however we do not know whether or not Tyreek and Crystal have custody or their child is still gone while the investigation continues.

So what does this mean in terms of Tyreek Hill playing this year and a potential contract extension?

Well I wouldn’t expect any disciplinary action against him via the NFL or the Chiefs barring more evidence resulting from the child protection investigation. As far as an extension goes it would be a strange look for the Chiefs. They just traded for Frank Clark who had a domestic violence charge in 2014 and in light of the Kareem Hunt fiasco and Tyreek’s own past legal troubles you have to think the Chiefs are worried about the optics and timing of an extension. My guess is the Chiefs take a shot at some young WR talent this draft and evaluate where they stand throughout training camp and as this investigation starts to be put on the back burner by the national media they will then evaluate whether or not an extension works for both parties.

Frank Clark Is A Chief. Trade/Contract Details and What It Means For The Chiefs Defense

I first want to start by saying shout out to anybody that reads my blogs I haven’t been very consistent lately and I appreciate everybody that has texted me to keep writing and I really do enjoy it so thank you.

So as soon as I found out about this trade my gut reaction told me that we gave up too much to get Frank Clark. I would have been more comfortable giving away just a first round pick as opposed to a first and a second considering the return we got for Dee Ford who was in a similar position as a franchise tagged defensive end coming off a very good year.

Now after watching some tape and hearing from people whose opinion I trust much more than my own I am very much in favor of this trade. Frank Clark is a perfect fit with the change in defensive scheme that Spags is going to institute. From all accounts Clark is the perfect DE for a 4-3 and the Chiefs had him rated as the 2nd best DE in the NFL. There was flat out nobody they could draft at 29th overall that would produce what Frank Clark has consistently done in the NFL and at only 26 it all makes sense.

This seems to be a rare occasion where both teams feel great about the deal in that the Seahawks get draft capital and can go after young and CHEAP talent given the amount of money they just gave Russ and the Chiefs get a consistent and ELITE defensive end to try to completely transform this defense which has been Veach’s goal all offseason. I am now all aboard the Frank Clark bandwagon and given he is able to continue his good behavior off the field I think Kansas City should be very happen about the direction of the defense and the franchise.

Dane

THE MOTHERFUCKIN HONEY BADGER

Yoooooo what an end to a shitty Monday. I was pretty bummed we didn’t get Landon Collins but after seeing the price he went for compared to what we just got Tyrann for you can’t be any more stoked if you’re a Chiefs fan.

Honestly if it makes Mahomes happy then I’m happy.

This gives the secondary some swagger that has been seriously missing since Marcus Peters left. The honey badger is a killer and an absolute baller. The exact type of guy to match the defensive lines intensity and the offenses mindset of just going out and ballin on everybody.

I think this helps the case for keeping Eric Berry as well. If you have Tyrann play free safety that allows Berry to be the box safety that he is at his best playing.

THE BLUES ARE A GODDAMN WAGON

Long time no see twitter peeps and anybody else who takes time to read these. I don’t always have time to write these during work and what not lately but I’m working on getting it back and I hope people enjoy reading them from time to time.

Anyway back to the real story here and that is the Blues are a runaway train right now. I have no problem admitting that I was ready to give up on this team. And I’ll have to live with that it’s fine but you can’t blame me when we had the fewest points in the NHL as late as January 3rd. I mean that’s just unheard of for the Blues to have this kind of turnaround.

I’m not gonna talk about how dumb I am anymore instead I’m gonna talk about how smart I am. If you didn’t read my blog titled “I love Jordan Binnington and you should too” give it a read it’s a real classic. Not to mention I was hyper critical of two players, Petro and Vladdy. Petro has been our best defender for 2 straight months and is racking up points left and right and Vladdy has points in 12 straight with 11 goals and 11 apples in those 12. I mean we are talking about as big of a 180 as a team can make in the NHL.

Let’s take a peek at why. It all starts with the guy between the pipes. Binnington has hands down been the best goalie in the NHL since he entered the league. Not a typo we have the hottest goalie in the entire league I mean when’s the last time that happened? Maybe the Brian Elliot run in like March of 2016 but it’s been a long time. Our defense finally gives a shit in front of net they are working hard non stop winning battles and getting pucks out of the zone. The Blues will also go as far as our defenseman take us. They are integral in our scoring as well, our defenders getting points is what makes our team go. We’re starting to get close to the Shark in terms of defensive points so that when you know we got something going. And the final key is getting scoring from your best players. Vladdy and ROR are as hot as it gets right now and you can see the passion from Vladdy game in and game out which hasn’t always been the case in STL. Mix that all with solid 4 lines and a healthy squad and you get what the Blues have cooking. I think the Sanford and Sonny line deserve a ton of credit as well they have major tickers and it’s infectious.

I love this team so much we might never lose a game again.

LFGB

Dane

I NO LONGER WISH I WAS DEAD. JUST KINDA DEAD

I’m not super sure the direction this blog is gonna take. I was at the game so it’s a little hard for me to talk personel and schemes without seeing the broadcast first.

Before I get super doom and gloom about this loss I wanna first say before we knew what Patrick Mahomes II ultimately became I think everybody can agree losing in overtime to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game would have wildly exceeded our expectations and I think that is somewhat important to keep in mind in the grand scheme of things. You cant find a first year starter whose thrown for 50 TDs, 5,000 yards and led his team to a Super Bowl it just doesn’t happen these things generally take time and the Chiefs are going to be contending for Super Bowls for as long as Patrick Mahomes II is healthy and our quarterback. Facts.

All that being said it hurts to be here in this game with home field advantage and a 4th quarter lead and lose. It hurts to have the game winning interception negated by our best pass rusher lining up offsides. It hurts that because we lose a coin toss Mahomes doesn’t see the ball in OT. It hurts that we gave up 3 straight 3rd and 10s in overtime. It just hurts.

I thought Andy Reid did a hell of a job adjusting the offense in the second half. I mean 31 points to force OT and 24 in the 4th against Bill Bellicheck is not nothing. How much of that credit should go to Mahomes for willing us back in that game? Some, but the scheme got Damien Williams a walk in touchdown and got Sammy Watkins a walk in. It also got us a big play from Sammy to set up another score so as well as Mahomes played a ton of big chunk plays were really well set up pick plays or screens(credit to Andy).

Fuckin Bob Sutton. I can’t believe that we are now at the end of another year and I am writing about how Bob Sutton should be fried. I mean this is legitimately year 3 of him being the worst DC out there. What really hurts top is that guys like Todd Bowles and Gregg Williams we’re available but we were in the playoffs when they got hired. It’s to the point now I would be very surprised if Sutton got fired but he should. How many opponents have to tell us that they are never surprised by our game plan. I mean Brady literally had 2 plays called every down and if we were lined up to take away the main play he just killed it, went to the second play knowing we wouldn’t adjust. I mean holy fuck no disguises nothing. The NFL is changing and if your defense isn’t capable of giving multiple different looks a game and confusing the other teams QB you are going to give up yards and points in excess. P.S. that’s us.

Right now is a pretty familiar feeling. It’s the feeling that it might just never happen for us. As much as I want to curl up in a ball and cry I’m extremely optimistic. The fact is we have the best quarterback in the NFL. If you polled all 32 teams and said you can have one player to start your franchise all 32 teams would unanimously say Patrick Mahomes II. fact. Not to mention we still have Mahomes on his rookie deal for one more year before we give him that extension. I’m going to assume we probably let Watkins walk and resign Tyreek and Chris Jones long term and franchise tag Dee Ford. Eric Berry probably gets released as well freeing up a decent amount of cap space. Then it comes down to getting some help on defense either in free agency or the draft. After last years draft and no longer having guys like Dorsey or Ballard pulling the strings I’m a little worried about our ability to continue building a solid roster around Mahomes. Look at Green Bay after Dorsey left.

So here’s the deal if you’re a Chiefs fan like myself there is so much to be excited about going forward. It fucking sucks right now and honestly it sucks hearing people tell you to be optimistic after your heart gets ripped out but that’s football. That’s why it’s the #1 sport in America and why it captivates the lives of anyone willing to love an organization and get your heart broken along the way. I always try to remind myself that when the day comes that the Chiefs win the Super Bowl it will make all the years of heartbreak feel like a distant memory. Until that day comes I will continue to love football, love the Chiefs organization and love the time I get to spend with my family and friends because of it all. The pending Super Bowl that Patrick Mahomes II will hand deliver to this city is just the added cherry on top.

Please be nice to me for the next week.

Dane

I Love Jordan Binnington And You Should Too

The Blues have been on fire since inserting Jordan Binnington into the lineup. He has electrified the St. Louis fan base and given everybody some hope that all is not lost for this season.

So naturally the Blues will go with Jake Allen tonight against the Capitals. I actually don’t hate this move. It protects Binnington from potentially having a bad game against a lethal Caps team and if Jake Allen happens to have a stellar night it’s a win win. Having two goalies competing and playing their best is obviously best case scenario and it’s now or never for Jake Allen.

In other roster news Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Nolan are back up from San Antonio with all the recent injuries and they have been inserted into the lineup.

Projected lineup for tonight’s game. With a lot of changes going on due to so many injuries it will be interesting to see if the boys can keep the momentum up on the road against a good Capitals team.

Realistically the Blues have to make a strong push leading up to the All Star Game. They’ve been playing great the last 2 weeks and with the games in hand on the Western division they need points from every game before the break. If they can do that and get healthy it will at the very least be an interesting second half to the season trying to get a backdoor playoff spot.

LGB

Dane

Is It Sunday Yet?

If you aren’t spending every waking second daydreaming about beating the shit out of the Patriots on Sunday night then you are a buffoon. We are now 6 days away from the biggest game in Arrowhead history. It’s going to be cold as fuck and yet 70,000 of the drunkest loudest people are going to cram into that stadium and we are going to party like it’s 1999 S/O Prince RIP.

I wrote in the blog on Saturday that I would rather play the Pats over the Chargers. After watching that game yesterday it sounds bad but I think it still holds true. We play the Pats close on the road and have destroyed them in prime time at home in 2014. Our defense is playing the best it has all year and has been great at home and our offense is gonna put up a 30 piece on anybody and everybody. I think if you put these two teams on a neutral field it’s a very even matchup but the game being at Arrowhead has to give Kansas City that little bit of edge.

The point of this blog isn’t to start breaking down numbers (yet) it’s mainly to just point out the obvious that this game could be a defining moment for the Chiefs franchise that kick starts a dynasty to come for the next 15 years and if that doesn’t make your dick wiggle then I don’t know what will.

I genuinely hope whoever is reading this gets a chance to be at Arrowhead on Sunday because I think it’s going to be a night to remember. (In a good way I think)

Lets roll

Dane

HOLY SHIT THE CHIEFS DID IT.

Too be honest I wasn’t sure I would ever see the day that the Chiefs won a home playoff game. It just felt like every year there would be something that fucked it all up. I mean when Sammy Watkins fumbled or when the punt block goes for a TD youre lying if you didn’t have that “here we go again” feeling in your stomach. Ultimately this game was never really close and surprisingly that credit has to go to the defense and Bob Sutton for calling a hell of a ball game. A real fuck you from Bob Sutton right in Danes face.

The defensive and offensive line won this ballgame point blank period. Mahomes has time to throw in clean pocket, and Damien Williams has a great game behind that line. The defensive line did an amazing job getting pressure and when they couldn’t get to luck they were getting hands on passes all game long. 3 defensive lineman I thought played great was Chris Jones, Dee Ford, and Justin Houston. Which if you’ve been following the Chiefs all year you know those 3 are about all the defense has had going for it all year so it’s absolutely massive that those guys are showing up in the biggest game of the year in front of the home crowd, it really sets the tone for the entire game that we are going to be coming at the opposing line all fucking night.

I thought the offense was obviously stellar in the first half. They moved the ball at will mainly behind a solid run game and quick passes getting the ball in our playmakers hands early and often. It’s hard to critique the offense in the second half because even though they didn’t score till very late they moved the ball and didn’t turtle. It’s also a lot easier for playcalling to get conservative and try to close out the game when your defense is getting off the field and controlling the Colts offense all night long.

Mahomes did exactly what he had to do in this game. He didn’t make mistakes and made key plays to keep drives alive. He got the ball out quickly and accurately and didn’t force to many throws. It’s exaxtly what you want out of your quarterback in the playoffs and he proved once again he’s no ordinary first year starter. Travis Kelce and Tyreek did exactly what was expected of them. They showed up and showed out in the biggest game of the season in bad weather and against a Top 10 defense that’s what big time players do.

I thought the secondary looked great. Ever since we debuted the young guys in a starting role against Seattle they’ve looked better and better. Ward has been a very pleasant surprise along with Jordan Lucas. Throw those guys out there with a consistent Sorensen and corners like Fuller and Nelson who are having great years despite the defenses downfalls and this defense is really starting to come together. Not to mention being able to trust your secondary in man coverage allows Hitchens and Ragland to play downhill and attack the ball which is their strength(GOOD) as opposed to having to drop back into coverage.(BAD)

All in all you really can’t ask for a better performance and the crowd was electric. It’s what playoff football is supposed to look like in Arrowhead and as long as Mahomes is running the ship everybody should get used to playoff wins in Arrowhead for years to come. (Knock on wood)

It’s mind boggling to me that the Chiefs are one win away from playing in a Super Bowl. If you’re like me you daydream about this shit for years not ever really expecting it to come to fruition especially this quickly into Mahomes tenure. I’ve never been more excited to be at Arrowhead than I will be next week and I for one am hoping to beat the fuck out of the Patriots.

Tweet me your thoughts on the game and who you hope to see next round and let’s get fucked up at Arrowhead next weekend.

Cheers

Dane