Super Bowl Icons

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

While the main story-line heading into Sunday's 53rd Super Bowl is former Michigan QB Tom Brady appearing in his ninth championship game; there is another man who is one of three writers that's covered all of these contests.

His name is Jerry Green, a long-time columnist of the Detroit News. Green is age 89 and is a very good friend of mine. Green has been a colleague of mine in Metro Detroit for years and is a journalism icon back home.

When I was growing up in Detroit, Green and the late Joe Falls were the best one-two punches when it came to credible columnists whom informed readers and provided credible opinions. These guys did things the right way and I'm very proud of the fact that I know and knew both of them!

Falls was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

Green was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

While I've had the great privilege of covering four Super Bowls and am very proud of that, I hope Green can reach at least 60.

In sports there are many records that will never be broken, Green is doing something more special that unless you're in Sports Media, you'll never really appreciate what Jerry has really accomplished.

The players make the news, but without great journalists like Green writing the news, nobody would know the news. I'm looking forward to updating this in a year when Jerry reaches No.54.

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The most interesting part of Sunday's Pro Bowl was watching Jalen Ramsey catching a touchdown pass in the final minute of the game. I have to wonder whether the Jags might consider using Ramsey as a wide receiver in periodic situations.

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Speaking of the Pro Bowl, the AFC won it's third straight All-Star Game 26-7, all at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL.

New York Jets Safety Jamal Adams and Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes won Co MVP Honors. Each of them got a luxury vehicle.

Meanwhile, the AFC players earned $67,000 for the win which is $8,000 more than the guys who lose in the Super Bowl on Sunday in Atlanta, GA. The Pro Bowl losers earned $39,000.

Nonetheless, not a bad days work if you can get it.

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Finally, New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon remains at an inpatient drug treatment facility in Florida after he was suspended in December for multiple violations of his reinstatement under the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy, a source told NESN's Doug Kyed.

Kyed adds that Gorden's suspension was triggered by diluted drug test samples. It's his fifth since 2012 and his third indefinite ban.

The Patriots are reportedly paying for the receivers treatment.

If New England defeats the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, Gordon would receive a Championship Ring. He caught 40-68 targets with the Patriots for 720 yards and three touchdowns over 11 games after being acquired from the Cleveland Browns.

Have to wonder what former Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino is thinking that Gordon could get a championship ring, and he was shutout in the jewelry department.

MY SUPER BOWL PREDICTION:

While I'd like to see the Rams win the Super Bowl, I have to agree with recent Sports Exchange Guest Mel Farr Jr.

It's tough to bet against greatness as in Tom Brady.

The Patriots will not lose two Super Bowls in a row.

New England will defeat the Rams 33-28. Tom Brady gets it done again and makes the Michigan Wolverines alumni base very proud.

Scott Morganroth can he reached at www.scottsports33.com and is a member of Detroit Sports Media.

He is a Co-host of the Sports Exchange with Peter Wein which airs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 pm on the weinetwork.com and is Founder of The South Florida Tribune.

Interesting Intrastate Florida Rivalry

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

There is one thing the NFL doesn't like to do and that's realign divisions to create new rivalries unless it really has to.

If the league did, there would be one match-up that would occur more often than it does.

The Miami Dolphins would face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Prior to their game December 23, 2018 game at Hard Rock Stadium, the teams had only met eight times since Jacksonville joined the league in 1995.

This game was only the third time these squads ever met in Miami.

These teams are less than 350 miles away off I-95.

The first time these two teams met in Miami was on December 3, 2006 when Jacksonville left South Florida with a 24-10 win.

These squads met again in Miami on December 16, 2012.

The Dolphins swam away with a 24-3 win.

Jacksonville finished the campaign 2-14 and Head Coach Mike Mularkey was terminated after one season.

I attended this game.

But for a series with very few moments, there have been some interesting results and connections.

First of all, prior to this game, these teams were 4-4 including the playoffs with Miami owning a 4-3 edge in the regular season.

There last meeting occurred on September 20, 2015 as the Jaguars won 23-20 in North Florida.

But the Jags have owned this series when it mattered the most.

Jacksonville thrashed Miami in the Division Playoffs 62-7 on January 15, 2000 in what turned out to be the last game ever for Dolphins Coach Jimmy Johnson and QB Dan Marino.



This game was played in Jacksonville.

The QB who defeated the Dolphins was Jay Fiedler, who ironically has the same birthday as myself on December 29. He was born in 1971 while I started breathing in 1962.

After that win over Miami, he proceeded to sign with the Dolphins inking a three-year deal worth $3.8 Million.

He replaced Dan Marino as the starter leading Miami to three 10 plus wins with the team in four years. He had two 11-5 seasons in 2000 and 2001.

During his time with Miami, he led the Dolphins to an AFC East Title along with two post-season appearances.

Fiedler is the last Dolphins QB to win a playoff game as Miami defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 in overtime on December 30, 2000 at Joe Robbie Stadium.

Fiedler would later be inducted into The National Jewish Museum Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

What would or wouldn't we see on this day?

We wouldn't see Dolphins future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore, who was placed on injured reserve.

What we would see was a defensive game as both teams were tied 7-7 entering the third quarter until Jacksonville ultimately was led by QB Blake Bortles and it's highly touted defense to win 17-7.

The Jags scored a defensive touchdown as Telvin Smith Sr. intercepted a Ryan Tannehill pass 33-yards to pay dirt.

The loss dropped the Dolphins to 7-8 and they were officially eliminated from the playoffs.

As it turned out, this was the last home game for Miami Coach Adam Gase, who was fired on December 30, 2018 following an embarrassing 42-17 road loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. The Dolphins finished the regular season 7-9.

So here we have it, another game in Miami, and two coaches would be fired on that Black Monday named Mularkey and Gase in their respective years, 2012 and 2018.

It appears that both starting QB's will be looking for new homes in 2019.

There has been talk that the Jaguars are ready to move on from Blake Bortles while the Dolphins have seen enough of Ryan Tannehill.

I'll be curious to see when these teams meet again, but you can rest assure for a rivalry that has seen so little, it's seen a lot!

The Jaguars now own the All-Time Series 5-4.

Jacksonville is 2-0 in games when they punched the Dolphins in the gut.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.
He's a member of Detroit Sports Media.
He's the Founder and CEO of South Florida Tribune.
He's the Host of The Sports Exchange on the weinetwork.com which airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 pm with Peter Wein.

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.