Bucket List 2019

BY SCOTT MORGNROTH

As the year winds down, it's time to reflect and plan ahead.

During a recent visit with former College Basketball Coach Mike Jarvis at Dunkin Donuts in Deerfield Beach, FL., we had the time to talk about old times when we worked together as I was covering the FAU Owls.

We also talked about plans for promoting his upcoming book, "The Seven C's of Leadership" which I'll get into details at a later date.

As I work towards completing my comeback in radio and building my online Publication "The South Florida Tribune" as well as other future endeavors, I looked to Jarvis for guidance as I've tended to do in the past.

We talked about what events I'd like to write and talk about in the future?

Whether I pull them off is another story, but I'm certainly going to try to work on some of these this year.

The QB that gets this process started is my longtime brother from another mother and esteemed colleague George Eichorn.

What will it take to get to some of these places and events?

For one, good health, and manipulate the finances to make these happen.

In order to keep peace with my spouse, I have a feeling that on occasion, I might have to ride solo so she doesn't get upset with me so we can make our annual trips to Michigan and Wisconsin.

So here we go.

1. I've always had a burning desire to cover the Rolex 24 Hour Race in Daytona Beach, FL. That race takes place from January 26-27. To cover an event for 24 hours especially with the adrenaline rush associated with Motor Sports would be neat. This is very attainable. A few hours up I-95 North gets the job done.

2. On the Sports Exchange, we had NHRA Driver and Owner Lex Joon on the program, and we discussed the possibility of me getting involved with The Gator Nationals. This year is the 50th Anniversary of the event and it takes place from March 14-17, at the Gainesville Raceway. Lex and I talked about me getting involved in one of the NHRA Hot Rods. Very attainable! A four hour drive up I-75 North does the trick.

3. I've been talking about this one for the past few years. I've always wanted to see The Jacksonville Jaguars play an NFL Game at Wembley Stadium in England. My Great Friend Dan Edwards (in the photo) has always told me if I can get there, he'll accommodate us. We had this conversation recently and I told him that we need goals and things to shoot for in life. He's just waiting for me to let him know.

Besides, my wife would like to tour Wimbledon and explore the history of this historic area. Since I've never been overseas, this would be a great place to start.

4. In 2018, we hit eight Spring Training Venues in Arizona. There are two remaining. The Cubs have a new facility in Mesa while the San Francisco Giants play in Scottsdale. We need to finish this plus see the Milwaukee Brewers renovations in Phoenix and what would a trip to that area be like without seeing My Great Friend, Tim Mead with the Anaheim Angels in Tempe.

5. Why would I want to cover this next event, The CFL's Grey Cup? The major motivation is since I've covered four Super Bowls, a USFL Championship, this will give me an opportunity to cover North America with Pro Football Championships. We've had some CFL guests on the Sports Exchange, now it's time to meet a few.

6. Finally, there are a handful of Spring Training venues left in Florida. But since it's in state, a car trip or weekend is all it takes to get this done.

There are other events I'd like to hit as well.

I'd like to see a game at Fenway Park in Boston and attend the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. There are lots of new stadiums in all sports around the country, in addition to motor sports race tracks I'd like to hit on the trail, but for now, this is a good starting point.

Tell me what you think.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com. He's a member of Detroit Sports Media.

His radio show The Sports Exchange can be heard on the weinetwork.com with Peter Wein from 5-7 pm Tuesdays and Thursday. He's also the Founder and CEO of The South Florida Tribune.

Surprise Coaching Changes

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Before I start this column, I want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Tis the time of the year where you better cash in on your tax write offs.

And collect that last cash which will determine your yearly earnings.

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We all expect coaching turnover the day after the NFL season ends.

This is called  "Black Monday."

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In the past 24 hours, there have been some unexpected jobs that came open in collegiate sports.

On Sunday, The Miami Hurricanes got a surprise they didn't expect.

A big one!

After watching his football team get thrashed by the Wisconsin Badgers 35-3 in the Pinstripe Bowl on December 27, 2018, Head Coach Mark Richt abruptly announced his retirement.

I was hoping that when we got credentialed for the Hurricanes opening game against Savannah State University 77-0, that there would be an opportunity to write a story on Richt, who was coaching at his alma mater.

But thanks to some shoddy PR work by the Hurricanes Sports Information Staff, that never came to fruition.

Richt's story appeared to be a good one since it reminded me of Jim Harbaugh's return to Michigan.

Before I get to Richt's successor, let's go to the numbers.

In Richt's three years with UM, he had a 26-13 record. His tenure started 19-4, but ended 7-9.

Miami ranked as high as No.2 and it seemed like UM was on the road to national prominence.

In the end, the Hurricanes never seemed to develop a QB which was Richt's former position.

You have to have a signal caller and that seemed to be the downfall.

After the Hurricanes pounding of Savannah State on Saturday, September 8 2018, the most energetic person in the post-game press conference was Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz.

A couple of weeks ago, Diaz was hired as the new head coach at Temple University. He decided to coach the Hurricanes in their bowl game in New York.

When Richt's announcement came, there would be names mentioned as his successors.

Former Hurricanes Coach and current FIU Boss Butch Davis, Oregon Coach Mario Cristobal, who coached at FIU, and former NFL Coach Rex Ryan were prominently discussed.

But to the Hurricanes credit with the cooperation of Temple University, Diaz didn't have to move up I-95 to Philadelphia to coach the Owls.

Instead, he was offered and accepted his dream job in his hometown of Miami working at a Power Five School, albeit with no head coaching experience.

Now he has the task of trying to resurrect a program that has failed to win an ACC Championship and attempt to fill a stadium which is tough to do when you're winning.

Diaz, who created the "Turnover Chain" will have a lot of links to connect to bring this program back to prominence which Howard Schnellenberger originally turned around.

I really thought Richt was the guy, but now he'll get to ride off into retirement world, though I do feel he quit on this program and had left unfinished business to take care of.

Although, he did donate $1 Million to finance a badly needed Indoor Practice Facility.

Nonetheless, I wish him well.

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Another Coaching move that stunned me this morning was UCLA deciding to fire Head Coach Steve Alford.

Alford was hired by the Bruins in March of 2013.

During his first season in Los Angeles, he went 28-9.

Alford made appearances in the Sweet 16 three of four years at the helm, but were eliminated as part of the First Four in last years NCAA Tournament.

Alford's stint at UCLA ends with a 124-63 record including a 55-35 mark in conference play.

UCLA has started 7-6 and was on a four-game losing streak when Athletic Director Dan Guerrero decided to pull the plug on his employment.

During that losing streak, the Bruins lost at home to Liberty, and Ohio State while also falling to Cincinnati by 29 points.

Alford will have no problem landing another job down the line.

Alford's all-time head coaching record is 587-298 with a .663 winning percentage.

His stops include Division III Manchester, Southwest Missouri State, Iowa and New Mexico before landing at UCLA.

On a future Sports Exchange Show, I hope to land former UCLA Basketball Play-By-Play Announcer Chris Roberts to talk about what it's like to coach at Westwood in the shadows of iconic Coach John Wooden.

Stay tuned.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

He's a member of Detroit Sports Media and is Co-host of The Sports Exchange on the weinetwork.com with Peter Wein that runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 pm.

He's also the Founder and CEO of The South Florida Tribune.

This Week In Football

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

The end of an era took place last weekend in My Hometown of Farmington Hills, MI.

Farmington Hills Harrison High School will close down after this year. The only coach in their 49-year history John Herrington won't be roaming the sidelines in 2019.

Chelsea won the Division 4 Regional Final 21-14 and ended the Hawks last ever football season.

Herrington finishes with 443 career victories, most in MHSAA annals and 13 State Titles! You talk about the molding of kids into men, Herrington is a legend in every sense of the word!

Hope you have a great retirement coach because you deserve it! My only regret is I never had a chance to meet you.

But for all we know, who is to say that Herrington won't land at another school either on the sidelines or in another role. Stay tuned!

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has been fined $30 K for using a cell phone while celebrating a TD against the LA Rams. The celebration was a tribute to Saints icon Joe Horn, who famously whipped out a cell phone after scoring a TD in 2003.

Horn was also fined $30 K. I'm surprised the fine wasn't more due to inflation attributing to bigger salaries. But there is no doubt that Thomas probably has a good accountant and will make good use of  the tax write off.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Le'Veon Bell running back kept his word and has decided to sit out the entire 2018 regular season. Bell is seeking a contract in free agency of $17 Million per-season and $45 Million Guaranteed. Sacrificing the season means that Bell's body won't have any wear and tear on it. It wouldn't have been worth it to play a handful of games late in the season.

The Saints signed free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant and it took him just two practices to land on injured reserve as he tore his Achilles Tendon which will take eight months of rehabilitation. What worked against Bryant is he wasn't in football shape. But the silver lining in all of this is the Saints are willing to bring him back as long as he recovers, plus Dez wants to return to New Orleans.

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Finally, the Miami Dolphins were fined $30 K and head coach Adam Gase was fined $15 K for the handling of QB Ryan Tannehill on the Week 6 injury report.

Tannehill was listed as a full participant on Thursday of Week 6 despite missing reps because of a shoulder injury. He should have been listed as a limited participant.

As it turned out, Tannehill was a game day scratch against the Chicago Bears. The 30-year old hasn't played since.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com. He his a member of Detroit Sports Media and hosts The Sports Exchange on weinetwork.com on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 pm. He's also the CEO of The South Florida Tribune.

Lions Brandon Powell, Sunshine State Underdog

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

When you look at powerful High School Football Programs in Michigan, the three that come to mind are Birmingham Brother Rice, Detroit De La Salle and Farmington Hills Harrison.

I just heard that Harrison's 49-year run, all under legendary Coach John Herrington, has come to an end as the school won't be in existence next year.

In South Florida, one of the biggest High School Football Programs is the Deerfield Beach Bucks in my backyard.

The Michigan Wolverines know this school well as former QB Denard Robinson, 28, played here.

Robinson went on to play three years as a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-2016.

Another prominent Buck which made Deerfield Beach High School proud is Jason Pierre-Paul.

Paul, 29, played for the New York Giants from 2010-2017.

He's currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Paul has won a Super Bowl and also has two Pro-Bowls on his resume. To date, he has 68 sacks.

The latest Deerfield Beach Buck in the NFL plays his home games at Ford Field.  His name is Brandon Powell, 23, who was signed as an undrafted free agent from the Florida Gators.

Scouting and player personnel staffs are not only graded on the players they draft, but whom they sign as undrafted free agents.

Do the Lions have a hidden gem on their roster?

Time will tell how many teams will regret that they should have snapped up Powell, who has a chip on his shoulder looking to prove his doubters wrong.

When the Detroit Lions came to Miami to face the Dolphins on October 21, I had an opportunity to spend time with Powell, who is 5'8" and 181 lbs.

Another former Lion wide receiver who had the same initials B.P.is Brett Perriman.

Perriman played his college ball in the state of Florida with the Miami Hurricanes.

When I asked Powell if he had ever heard of Perriman, he politely nodded his head and said no.

He came across to me as a level headed and blue collar young man.

Here is what he had to say after the Detroit Lions defeated the Miami Dolphins 32-21 at Joe Robbie Stadium.

Q:Tell me about your road to the NFL?

A: It was a long, long road and I still have a long ways to go. I'm still learning a lot from a great group of guys in the receivers room. I'm just happy to be here and living a dream since I was a kid.

Q: Being an undrafted free agent like you were, your road wasn't the easiest and conventional to get to the NFL. How much more of an effort did you put into it to make this happen?

A: I did but I always work hard and I knew I'd get a shot somewhere. Once I got here, I just had to make sure that I took full advantage of my opportunity, and every opportunity I had. I have a great group of guys who were willing to teach me everything from day one since I got here.

It's great with this group of receivers that show me the way and I just continue to work and made the team.

Q: When you played in the Tampa August pre-season game under adverse weather conditions, can you recollect about what was a critical contest to make your last push to make the squad? Obviously, your big highlight was an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown.

A: I take everyday as an interview and try to do my best every single time. It was good to be back in Florida at home to have a game like that to score a TD in front of my family. It was a good opportunity for me.  I was thankful for the opportunity the Detroit Lions gave me to play in my hometown to play in my first NFL game.

Q: Tell me what it was like to play in Deerfield Beach High School? I know they're a powerhouse in Broward County.

A: It's the best high school. There are a lot of great players which have played there like Denard Robinson and Jason Pierre Paul. It's a great high school and I wish I had time to come back there and watch them. But I have to handle some business right now. It's the best high school in South Florida to me.

Q: How much did it cost you to get tickets for your family and friends to attend the Lions vs Dolphins?

A: My family are Dolphins fans and they were out tailgating. They didn't care about watching the game. They just wanted to be out here at my first NFL game in South Florida. I wish I could have played and they had to spend a lot of money to get them all in here. They were just happy to be here and tailgate. My grandma and everyone else was watching the game. It was fun.

Q: There have been no shortage of Florida Gators that have worn the Detroit Lions colors. Lomas Brown is a Lions legend and currently a Lions color analyst. Jarrad Davis and Teez Tabor are also teammates of yours. Going back in the record books, there are a lot more former Gainesville residents that played in Metro Detroit. What is it like to be the latest Gator wearing a different color blue in the State of Michigan?

A: It's great and that shows you the Gators produce a lot of athletes. They put a lot of talent in the NFL. The Florida Gators are one of the top schools in the country and produce athletes.

Q: Tell me your thoughts about playing for the Detroit Lions, who own a deep history in the NFL?

A: It's great. I never thought of it because I was a Dolphins fan growing up. I never heard much about the Detroit Lions during the draft process coming up. Of course everybody knew who Barry Sanders was. I used to watch him in college because I went to college as a running back. I used to watch a lot of his video on You Tube. Just being here playing for the Detroit Lions and being here on this team is an honor.

Q: Tell me about the wide receivers who you like to pattern yourself around?

A: For me, I like and watch Antonio Brown, Julian Edelman, and Danny Amendola, who plays for the Dolphins. The Patriots run a similar offense as to what we ran in college that we now do in Detroit. So Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are two receivers I model a lot.

Q: What are your thoughts about catching passes from Matthew Stafford?

A: My first ever pass catch from him, he ripped my gloves. It's great to catch a pass from a QB like that. He's one of the great QB's in the NFL. It's an honor for me to be on the same field with him.

Q: Does being an Underdog inspire you considering what it took for you to get to the NFL?

A: To me, I've always been an Underdog.

I've never had the size that everybody wanted. My work ethic is what makes me, me.

Q: Finally, Is there any other thing that you want to add to the conversation?

A: I just want to work hard, learn from these guys and when the time comes just take advantage of it.

For whatever it's worth, it was interesting when Powell mentions Barry Sanders. Brandon went to school as a running back. Like Powell, Sanders is 5-8 and he weighed 200 pounds.

Meanwhile, Darren Sproles, 5-6, 185 pounds has been used on special teams in the kickoff and punt roles. Sproles has hybrid skills being used as a running back and a slot receiver. The true definition of being a hybrid player.

It will be interesting to see if the Lions coaching staff identifies whether Powell can be used in many ways in an effort to find a new playmaker.

Brandon is indeed an Underdog and playing in the Sunshine State along with the many players who have had NFL careers because they can play year round is why there is an abundance of talent down here.

I'll be curious to monitor the developments if Brandon Powell is another Hidden Gem.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com. He is a member of Detroit Sports Media and is Host of the Sports Exchange on weinetwork.com which can be heard on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 pm.

Paul Woods' NHL Perspectives

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

Whenever the Detroit Red Wings travel to Sunrise, FL., there are a lot of people that I look forward to seeing.

If you can find me three nicer beat writers to work with, speaking of Helene St. James, Dana Wakiji and Ted Kulfan, then do it.

Red Wings Radio Announcers Ken Kal and Paul Woods are truly great friends!

When the Red Wings came to face the Florida Panthers on October 20, I once again spent time with Woods.

During the first intermission, Paul and I took a different approach to this conversation in what turned out to be a 4-3 Red Wings victory, the teams' first of the season.

We decided to focus on the most interesting topics in the NHL.

An 82-game regular season in the NHL is brutal.

The grind becomes even tougher in the playoffs in what turns out to be a war of attrition when chasing the most difficult championship, and that's winning the Stanley Cup Trophy.

Here are some of Woods insights of the key storylines that will unfold this season.

Q: How important is it for the NHL to have all the Original Six Teams qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

A: I think it's important Scott. It's a good point especially with the history of it. The Red Wings have a rich history with Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, Nicklas Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Federov and the list goes on and on. It's neat to be a part of that.

I know when Detroit made it to the playoffs 25 consecutive years, and missed the last two, we don't like that feeling. We want to get back there as fast as we can.

Q: The Vegas Golden Knights made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. Do you see any let down in their second campaign?

A: It was amazing. I didn't pick them to go that way. I kept looking at them and said, yeah a good start and this is a team that's running on adrenaline right now then the wheels will fall off sooner or later. But they never did.

They had former Panthers Coach Gerard Gallant, one of my former teammates, and I can't say enough good things about him. The way they played with intensity up and down the line-up was impressive. It was like "Us against the World" and lets just show them what we can do. It's an amazing story.

They've gotten off to a slow start (8-11-1) but that's going to change. They have some key players who are injured right now. I think they'll be a playoff team again in the Western Conference. General Manager George McPhee has done a fantastic job.

Q: Is Vegas the hunted and are they going to come down to earth, or are they Not going to come down to earth? I know they had an impressive 109 points in their expansion season. I have my doubts that they'll return to the playoffs.

A: We do differ on this one Scott and there is nothing wrong about that. I respect how long you've covered the sport. I really do expect Vegas to be in the playoff picture in the Western Conference and they'll do well when they get there.

Q: Finally, by the time we see each other again in the spring, Seattle could be the 32nd franchise in the NHL and this will balance the conferences out with an equal amount of teams. What are your thoughts about that?

A: This will be great. After what Vegas did, they'll expect the same thing in terms of higher expectations with better players available. I don't think they'll duplicate what was done last season. The general manager and coach they hire will be under a lot of pressure based on what Vegas accomplished last season.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com, is a member of Detroit Sports Media. He also hosts the Sports Exchange on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 pm on the weinetwork.com.

We're Talking Baseball

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Are Joe Mauer and C.C. Sabathia future Hall of Famers and how much money will Bryce Harper earn during free agency?

These are the three individuals that we'll talk about in this story.

Minnesota Twins first baseman and catcher Joe Mauer retired Friday after 15 seasons. He played his entire career with the same team which is uncommon these days. His career is refreshing because he played for his hometown team.

Unfortunately for Mauer, his career was derailed by concussion issues.

Mauer, 35, was drafted No.1 overall in 2001.

He won an MVP in 2009, three batting titles, appeared in six All-Star Games, won five Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves as a catcher and had a career slash line----.306 average, 2,123 hits, 143 HR's, 428 doubles, 923 RBIs in 1,858 games.

So the question remains is Mauer a future Hall of Famer?

I'd say he's borderline because his numbers are good but are they enough to give him a plaque in Cooperstown, NY?

The Baseball Writers Association of America could take his injury situation into consideration and if they ask what if he'd been healthy would his numbers be substantially higher?

Mauer never had any off the field issues and I understand he was polite to the media.

But what do you fans think?

Please send me your comments and I'll mention them on The Sports Exchange (an Internet Radio Sport Talk Show http://www.weinetwork.com/)  which runs Tuesday's and Thursdays from 5-7 pm.

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New York Yankees Pitcher C.C. Sabathia announced that he will retire after the 2019 season.

During his 19th campaign, he'll earn $8 Million from the Yankees in what will be his 11th season playing in the Bronx.

Sabathia's other stops include seven plus years with the Cleveland Indians and he was a rental for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008.

He won a Cy Young Award with the Indians.

Sabathia currently has a lifetime record of 246-153 with a 3.70 ERA.

He's the majors active leader in strikeouts with 2,986, walks 1,060, complete games 38 and innings pitched 3,470.

There are some milestones he's looking to reach during the upcoming season.

He's four wins away from 250.
He's 30 innings away from 3,500.
He's 14 strikeouts away from 3,000. He will be the 17th player to reach 3,000 strikeouts.

Sabathia also has 12 shutouts and has won a World Series with the Yankees.


What chance does Sabathia have to reach baseball immortality?

In an age of specialization, I would say he has an excellent chance.

Playing in the largest Media Market in the county referring to New York City will definitely enhance his chances considerably.

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Finally, where will Bryce Harper land in Free Agency?

After turning down a 10-year contract worth $300 Million to stay with the Washington Nationals, the question remains which teams would be paying the potential asking price of up to $400 Million that Super Agent Scott Boras could potentially ask for?

The only teams that I think could be possibilities would appear to be the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees or the LA Angels.

I don't think the Chicago Cubs would ante up the coin since they snapped their 108 championship drought, thus there is no desperation to make a big splash of this kind. In fact, I see the Cubs ultimately cutting payroll to stay below the luxury tax threshold.

Adding Harper to the Phillies would be an indication that Philadelphia is ready to win now and he'd sell a lot of tickets.

The Giants have an excellent history and San Francisco has treated their superstar players well. They've even endorsed the pseudo Home Run King Barry Bonds, who hit his HR's with Performance Enhancing Drugs.

It's hard to rule out the New York Yankees and pitchers would have nightmares if Harper was in the same line-up as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

The LA Angels would be my dark horse if he's paired with Mike Trout in the lineup.

If teams decided the asking price was too steep, and the market dried up, then I could see the Nationals bringing Harper back to Washington.

Washington had a chance to land Yasiel Puig in a trade with the LA Dodgers but now it's inevitable they'll get nothing.

It's important to note that Harper has never played in a full season nor has he won a playoff series.

The most games Harper has played in a season is 159, at bats are 550, his career batting average is .279, has 184 HRs and 521 RBIs.

Judge for yourself and let me know on the Sports Exchange.

I wouldn't pony up that amount of coin based on seven years worth of work.

Despite being 26-years old, that seems to be too high of a risk for me.

Yet, there is always an owner that would take on such an investment.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

He's a member of Detroit Sports Media and is host of the Sports Exchange which can be heard on weinetwork.com.

Job Security?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

What have you done for me lately?

During the past week, three coaches found this out in what is indeed a cut throat
industry.

In the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks fired their 60-year old head coach Joel Quenneville, a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Quenneville coached the Windy City squad for 10 seasons and won three Stanley Cups.

At the time of his dismissal, Quenneville was 6-6-3, but was 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, two points out of the Wild Card Spot in the Western Conference.

He was replaced by 33-year old Jeremy Collins, who is now the youngest coach in the NHL.

Quenneville turned the Blackhawks into a dynasty after being hired in 2008, winning the three titles from 2010-2015. He won three Central Division Titles along with a Presidents Trophy in 2013.

His overall mark for Chicago was 446-243-93.

But don't feel sorry for Joel because he can still feed his family. He signed a three-year contract extension in 2016. He's owed the remainder of this years salary and will pocket another $6 Million next season.

In 1,636 games coached, he's won 890, lost 532, has 77 ties and 137 overtime losses.

There is no doubt that he can afford to be patient and selective of his next opportunity as his services will be in high demand.

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Now we turn our attention to the North Side of Chicago where the Cubs reside.

Manager Joe Maddon has one-year left on his contract that runs through the end of 2019.

President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein has tabled talks for an extension until late next season or afterwards.

The 64-year old skipper has guided the Cubs to a combined 387-261 mark, been to the playoffs all four years he's been at the helm and famously ended a 108-year World Series Drought. He won The Fall Classic in 2016, his second year with the team.

The 2018 Wild Card Game loss to the Colorado Rockies last month marked the Cubs shortest post-season stint in Maddon's tenure.

I'll be curious over the course of the next year as to what roster moves are made and will the Cubs cut down on payroll, thus determining what talent he'll have to work with.

To Maddon's credit, if he can win with the low-budget Tampa Bay Rays, he can succeed anywhere under any circumstances.

If he ever becomes unemployed, he won't be out of work long.

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Finally, the next championship pink slip comes from North Of The Border in the Canadian Football League.

The CFL's Toronto Argonauts fired head coach Marc Trestman---one year after a Grey Cup victory.

Trestman was hired as the Argonauts 43rd head coach in February of 2017 and went on to lead them to a thrilling 27-24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup in Ottawa after a 9-9 regular season.

The 2018 season saw Toronto slide to 4-14 and the 62-year old Minneapolis, MN., native is out of work.

In the CFL, Trestman won two Grey Cups with Montreal and another with Toronto giving him three.

I'll be curious where Trestman will land next, North or South of The Border.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of Detroit Sports Media. He is also the Host for the Sports Exchange on weinetwork.com.