Bryan Cranston's New Challenge: Baseball

((HT: Bleacher Report))

So, what's a man to do after "Breaking Bad?"

How about a one-man show for baseball's post-season...???
Evidence below...

The New Round Of Minor League Hockey Relo Ideas Involving 3 Leagues

((HT: Howlings.net/Cantlon))

Gerry Cantlon says that the formulation of a Pacific Division in the AHL could go down by the 2015-16 season...

When the CHL's Denver Cuthroats and Arizona Sundogs pulled out of their upcoming season, it set off a new set of alarm bells. Two sources to Cantlon have those two teams bought by the Avalanche and (another team). They go immediately into the American.

Here's the rest of the West as of now from Cantlon:

The original five would be LA (from Manchester to Ontario, CA), San Jose (Worcester to Fresno, CA), Winnipeg (St. John’s to Thunder Bay), Phoenix and Anaheim.

Anaheim who will go to San Diego and play out of the Valley View Casino Center (12.920) is said to be the last team that needs to buy an AHL franchise and then apply to relocate as per AHL standard franchise rules.

Expect the merger talks of what's left of the CHL and the ECHL to pick up speed now- Allen, Brampton, Quad City, Rapid City, St. Charles, Tulsa, and Wichita could feasibly slide- if they all are alive. But, the Central would have to live on its own for the 14-15 season since the ECHL schedule is already locked in place.

Here's what Allen did to get into the CHL history books at the end of last season...
((HT: CHL/Todd Carr))


Remember, in our initial report of the ECHL/CHL merger, faithful readers pointed out St. Charles might be out of commission and that would put the CHL at the 6-team minimum for official league designation.

As a bit of a trade, Cantlon continues, the eastern franchises in the AHL would drop to the ECHL for 15-16: Utica, Glens Falls, Worcester, Springfield, Portland and Manchester.

So, then, the ECHL in 2015-16 would go like this under the Cantlon variant... a 31-team monster of a league that would have a one-team affiliation with NHL franchises across the board with one team left over...

Northeast

Utica
Glens Falls
Worcester
Springfield
Portland
Manchester
Brampton

Midwest Division

Reading Royals
Wheeling Nailers
Elmira Jackals
Kalamazoo Wings
Cincinnati Cyclones
Toledo Walleye

Southeast Division

Fort Wayne Komets
Evansville IceMen
South Carolina Stingrays
Orlando Solar Bears
Greenville Road Warriors
Florida Everblades
Gwinnett Gladiators
Indianapolis (expansion)

Central Division (All CHL)

Allen, Texas
Missouri
Rapid City
Quad City
Tulsa
Wichita

Western Division

Alaska Aces
Utah Grizzlies
Idaho Steelheads
Colorado Eagles

Can Eibar Seal La Liga Promotion In Time?

((HT: Goal.com/Wright))

Here's one for the little guy... hopefully...

Eibar got another home win a few days ago with a win over Deportivo Alaves
((HT: LigaAdelante))


Eibar secured promotion from the Secunda League, but they have one of the smallest stadia in the competitive ranks in La Liga with a gate a little over 5,000. They need to raise almost 2-million Euros by early August to meet all the financial obligations they need to meet- and there are, apparently, a lot of them.

Sid Lowe, over at ESPN.com, has the by-law in question:

According to the law -- Real Decreto 1251/1999, which became applicable to Eibar when they were promoted to the Second Division in the summer and thus took their place in what is formally classified as professional football -- every team has to have a capital equal to 25 percent of the average expenses of all the teams in the Second Division, not including the two clubs with the biggest outgoings and the two clubs with the smallest outgoings in the division.

In theory it is a way of guaranteeing the survival of clubs but in practice, it could cripple Eibar.

Eibar is operating in the black, but might have to get some big investors (or a lot of little ones) when the shares come out.

Count the HQ in at 50 Euros a piece when available...

OSG Prem: Action At The Bottom, The Top Keeps Winning (And Leicester City Is In)

((HT: BPL on NBC))

First, the HQ would like to commend Leicester City for their automatic promotion to the Premier League for next season as their 23-game unbeaten streak, combined with two losses last night, gives the Foxes their first peek at the Premier in ten years.

Here's their win over Sheffield Wednesday that helped seal it...
((HT: SWFC))


Now, to the big boys... there was life all over the place...

Manchester United found the right time to find out-of-form Newscastle- winning 4-0 with Juan Mata stirring the drink...


Chelsea found a disinterested Stoke squad and won 3-0

Hull City got one goal at home against Swansea and that's all most folks need for the full three points these days. The Tigers are now 12th and the Swans 16th...

Man City took care of Southampton 4-1, but the visitors are more worried at the seriousness of the injury to Jay Rodriguez- which looked like a knee cap or ligament damage that led to a stretchering off and a shell-shocked bunch after that.

The life at the bottom came in a few different forms- Fulham found some offense and beat Benteke-less Aston Villa 2-1 to get closer to leaving the relegation zone. Villa manager Paul Lambert was pretty disappointed...


Cardiff, the HQ thinks, cemented their spot in the Championship with a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace in a big 6-pointer...
Palace manager Tony Pulis was pleased with his huge win...
((HT: BBCSport))


And the team that REALLY needs to pay attention to the rest of their schedule is Norwich. They only have a 6-pointer with Fulham left in the bottom part of their schedule. The rest of their schedule has the top four teams in it. So, they could be the third team to fall if they aren't on their best...

The Canaries were booed off the pitch after the 1-0 West Brom win and they are in serious trouble...

Ovechkin's Slapper Needs Some Work

((HT: TSN/Instagram))

Unless, of course, his aim was intentional during this TSN promo shoot...


Hey, hockey season can't some soon enough...

Mike Keenan's New Gig Just Makes Us Dizzy

((HT: Metallurg Magnitogorsk their own selves))

Mike Keenan is leaving his TV gig here in the states to coach in the KHL...

And just look at the production value that announces his return to the bench...


What will the sequel hold...??? Maybe a snap zoom here or there... sideways tilts...

The HQ can't wait...

OSG Prem: Hull City Promoted, Dancing In The Dressing Room...

((HT: TheBeanyMan62))

This is the beauty of the Premier League and the Football League structure overseas...

You win and keep winning, you can improve your standing... you lose and don't prove your worth, you get demoted...
If you win enough and get promoted to the Premier League... it could improve your team's lifestyle by, around, $100-million.

Cardiff City had aleady punched their ticket last week. Hull City could go with a win or a draw and some help. As it turns out, it had to be the latter, which put the team on eggshells until a half-hour after their own game finished...


"The 10, 12 minutes was just ridiculous and having to wait. We've seen people in tunnels, people walking in corridors, people hiding in toilets, it was just really incredible," Hull manager Steve Bruce said afterwards.

"And for Leeds to score, it was just remarkable and just shows you how difficult a league this is.

"I don't think I've ever been supporting Leeds but wow - for Leeds United to do it for me is remarkable."

Oh, just so you know... those dancing skills were put forth by midfielder Ahmed Elmohamedy- on loan from Sunderland- who, probably, could have used him this season.

How To Go From Losing To Champs In One Easy Kick

((HT: Sky Sports))

And for that, the HQ takes you to League One for the season-ender between Doncaster Rovers and Brentford...

Brentford had a chance to make sure they were promoted outright and didn't have to go through the League One elimination playoffs to worry about it. Clayton Donaldson was taken down in the box, and that left it all up to on-loan Fulham striker Marcello Trotta to mail in the penalty shot.



Billy Paynter gets the credit for heading all the way down to the other end and pass to James Coppinger for the game winner for Doncaster in the 6th minute of stoppage time.

Apparently, it was the first time that Rovers broke out the green kit...
The HQ guesses it won't be the last...

Here's how Sky News covered it...


I don't believe what I just saw... with all apologies to Jack Buck...