Third time’s the charm?
Chicago Bulls franchise point guard Derek Rose underwent a successful surgery to remove a damaged portion of his torn right knee. The former NBA all-star has been sidelined for what is now three years in a row due to a series of unfortunate knee injuries afflicting both of the point guard’s knees. However, unlike the other two operations from last year and the year before, Rose isn’t expected to be out for nearly as long. The Chicago Bulls organization is confident that their star will make a return before the regular season’s end in April. A spokesperson for the Bulls stated to the media that the timetable for Rose’s return is an estimated four to six weeks. The Chicago Bulls are currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference’s central division with an impressive 37-23 record.
Dez Bryant gets paid—sort of
The Dallas Cowboys have informed Dez Bryant and his camp that they will be using their 2015 franchise tag on the star receiver. Bryant, who just completed the last year of his rookie contract made just over $2M this past season, while posting up career numbers helping lead the way for the Cowboys to win their first playoff game since 1996. The news will surely not be well received on the receiver’s end who has been publicly opposed to the idea of getting franchise tagged. The Cowboys have elected to use the non-exclusive franchise tag, meaning, under NFL rules, Bryant is still technically a free agent, however, any team interested in signing Bryant will have to match the offer sheet and give up two first round picks in the process. Despite the groaning on the star receiver’s end, the $13M pay raise in guaranteed money for the upcoming season will hopefully help quell the disdain.
The Price is right
Carey Price is the best goaltender in the NHL. Period. After collecting his sixth shutout of the season against the beleaguered Toronto Maple Leafs, the Canadiens net-minder reminded us all that of one thing, when it comes to professional goaltending, the 27-year-old B.C. native is the best in the business. Whether the praise be from Washington head coach Barry Trotz or from Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf this season, the name Carey Price is synonymous with goaltending excellence that hasn’t been seen since the glory days of Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy. In fact this weekend Price who leads the NHL in three of the four major goaltending statistics (goals against average, wins and save percentage) surpassed Roy on the Canadiens’ all-time shutout list. Only time will tell if King Carey will bring the Montreal Canadiens to the same heights as Roy did in both 1986 and 1993. Stanley Cup glory is the only thing that eludes his already glowing resume.
