Sticky Click Sports

The Yankees are far too reliant on analytics  T. Ingals  @StickyClickSM Yankees GM Brian Cashman, photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images. The Yankees made it to Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS as a 91-win Wild Card team. They were down 0-2 in the Division series and clawed their way back to win three straight and advance to the precipice of the World Series, a place they hadn't been in 8 years. They lost Games 6 and 7 in Houston, to a team that we now know was cheating, and as a result the Yankees fired long time manager, Joe Girardi.  Why did they fire Girardi? He was the manager of their last championship team. He had to manage his way around poor contracts, and retirement tour after retirement tour. 2017 was the first year in which Joe Girardi was given a new, young team, that wasn't hanging on the success of the late 90s and early 2000s. He wildly overperformed with them. That team, with that pitching, had no place being a game away from the World Series. But Joe Girardi wasn't the

THE GIANTS GET A MUCH NEEDED WIN AT HOME AGAINST CAROLINA T. Ingals  @StickyClickSM Defensive end Leonard Williams celebrates a sack against the Panthers. Photo by Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post. The Giants got their second win of the season in an impressive performance at home against what was thought to be a pretty good Carolina Panthers team. The Giants won 25-3, pulling away in the fourth quarter. What makes the win impressive is the fact that the Giants played through a litany of injuries. The Giants were without their top three receivers on their depth chart: Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and 2021 first round pick Kadarius Toney. On top of that, the Giants were also missing star running back Saquon Barkley and star left tackle Andrew Thomas. The Giants had every reason to lose the game, but they didn't.  The Defense  The defense stepped up with far and away their most impressive performance of the season. The defense allowed only 3 points, and even scored 2 points on a

THE YANKEES HAVE HOLES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED T. Ingals  @StickyClickSM Cashman during Yankees batting practice. Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images. The Yankees have a bevy of holes that need to be addressed this offseason. The lineup that the Yankees trotted out for the Wild Card game against Boston at Fenway Park wasn't even a professional lineup. The bottom seven guys in the lineup were automatic outs. It's clear that changes need to be made.  Shortstop The Yankees are going to be in the market for a young hot-shot shortstop. Fortunately, the market is going to be flooded with them this offseason. Javy Baez, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa, and Corey Seager will all be available. My personal preference is Seager or Correa. I want nothing to do with Baez or Story, both are strikeout machines and Baez is arguably the most undisciplined hitter in all of baseball. He's in the bottom percentile in league walk rate and in the top percentile in league strikeout rate. He's also a

  ENES KANTER CALLS OUT CHINA FOR THEIR GENOCIDE OF THE UYGURS T. Ingals  @StickyClickSM Kanter is a currently a member of the Boston Celtics. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images. Enes Kanter has put the NBA in hot water with their notorious business partner: the Chinese government. The relationship between the NBA and China has been a point of criticism for many, considering the league's supposed commitment to social justice. Kanter became the first NBA player openly go after the Chinese government for their treatment of Uygur Muslins within China. Kanter sent out a  tweet  yesterday that read, "Heartless Dictator of China, XI JINPING and the Communist Party of China. I am calling you out in front of the whole world. Close down the SLAVE labor camps and free the UYGHUR people! Stop the GENOCIDE, now! #FreeUyghurs". Attached was a video in which he echoed the same sentiments.  This was a courageous move considering how we saw China and the NBA react to current 76ers genera

KNICKS BLOW OUT MAGIC, NETS COME FROM BEHIND AGAINST PHILLY T. Ingals  @StickyClickSM Knick's Evan Fournier in tonight's game against the Magic. Photo by John Raoux. The Knicks came into tonight's game against the Magic in Orlando as 8-point favorites. The Knicks were hot right out of the gate, making 24 3-pointers and blowing out the Magic by over 20 points. The Knicks are now 2-0 on the season, including a thrilling double overtime win against the Celtics at an electric Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. No coach has more impact on their team's success than Knick's coach Tom Thibodeau. After making the playoffs last year, expectations are higher this year and the Knicks have met them thus far. Consistency will be key as to whether or not they're able to avoid the play-in game and be one of the top seeds in the NBA's Eastern Conference playoff bracket.  Photo by Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports The Nets are precisely the opposite of the Knicks. They al

RORY IS BACK IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE T. Ingals  @StickyClickSM Rory at last weekend's CJ Cup, Photo from Getty Images. Rory McIlroy returned to the winner's circle for the first time since May with his victory at the CJ Cup at The Summit Club in Las Vegas. The Northern Irishman finished one stroke ahead of reigning Open Champion Colin Morikawa. Rory also edged out fellow competitors Keith Mitchell and, a familiar name, Rickie Fowler.  What did this win mean for Rory? Well, to be honest, I have no idea. I don't think anyone does. Rory is a really streaky player and the event didn't have an immense field, but it was still a professional tournament and he won. He is now one of 39 men who have won 20 or more PGA Tour events. That's an impressive feat. But Rory is at the stage in his career where I don't think he cares about winning regular season tour events, especially wrap around events. He wants to win majors. And he hasn't even come particularly close in