The Sports RoundTable

The Sports Roundtable consists of four sports driven students that watch sports 24/7. Some of the biggest sports topics will be discussed by seniors Stephen Cosentino, Aidan Segal, Nick Smith, and Bub Volz in this epic roundtable discussion.

Q: Bub- We are about halfway through the NFL season and there are some really solid teams out there. If you had to make a prediction for the Super Bowl right now, Who do you got?

Stephen- “I think it has to be the New England Patriots. They look solid in all 3 phases of football and are even better offensively with Tom Brady back and Dion Lewis is on his way back. I don’t think another team is competing on their level at the moment.”

Nick- “ The Patriots.  Tom Brady has come back and been phenomenal.  Their defense is a little suspect but I think they have to be the favorite right now.  With a healthy Brady and healthy Gronk I don’t see anyone stopping them.”

Aidan- “The New England Patriots. Tom Brady’s return has been huge. Gronk has displayed sheer dominance lately. The franchise in the last decade has been an absolute dynasty, so it’s no surprise that they would be in this position to take a playoff spot this early on. Brady will get another ring on his finger, mark my words.”

Q: Segal- Last season LeBron James pulled off the improbable. The Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 series deficit against the historic Golden State Warriors to win the NBA Finals. James is largely responsible for that with arguably the greatest performance of all-time. Now, it’s a new season. What would it take for the King to be considered better than MJ? Is it even possible?

Smith- “Nothing.  I don’t discuss stupid topics.  MJ is the goat.  Six for six in championship series, never even got forced to a game 7….  LeBron can’t pass him, no one can pass him.  Bron is a great player but people are stupid to think he is better than MJ.”

Stephen- “I think he could be considered better than MJ. But he has to win at least 4 more titles and at this point in his career that’s improbable. They both have been dominant in their own ways. To be honest I hate comparing them since they played in two completely different styles of basketball. MJ played in a more physical game than what LeBron is now.”

Bub-” Nobody will ever be better than MJ. He was another level and nobody can ever reach the level he played at. Don’t get me wrong, LeBron James is a fantastic player, best player right now in my opinion. Everyone will be under MJ.”

Q: Smith-  When Matt Murray comes back for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who do you think should be the number one starter?  Murray came in last year and led the Pens to a championship.  Fleury has been a face of the organization for a little over a decade and has won a cup as a starter before.  So who gets it?

Segal- “I think it’s a smarter decision to start Fleury. Murray is still very young. Even with his stellar Stanley Cup performance, he still has room to grow. He is the future of the organization ,but Fleury is the guy for now.”

Bub- “Fluery should be the guy. Matt murray is a very good goalie and I believe he will be a fantastic goalie for many years to come. Many people consider flower as a old goalie but still is 31 years old. He is in the prime of his career. He was a main reason why the pens had any business in the playoffs last year. I wish they could keep both but they are going to trade 1 of them and i honestly have no clue who will stay and who will go.”

Stephen- “Fluery is the vet. He has been the franchises goalie for years now. Murray proved that he can win in the NHL so if Fluery starts to struggle you can be confident in his replacement. I think having two good goalies can help the Pens out in the regular season. It’ll keep both of them fresh having a good rotation. I think they’ll run into an issue if they make the playoffs and have to choose one of them for another Stanley Cup run.”

Q: Stephen- Josh Gordon has been released from rehab after checking in for 30 days. He’s still waiting to hear if he’ll be reinstated by the NFL. The Browns have said they moved on from him and are looking to trade him. If you’re a team, such as the Patriots, looking for a quality WR would you consider trading for him?

Bub- “He hasn’t played since the 2014 season. If the Browns were willing to give him up for something small like a late round pick, a good team could try it. If he doesn’t work out or gets in trouble again all you have to do is release him. A bunch of if’s surround him but if he really cares about football, he could help out a team that is in dire need of Wide Receivers.”

Smith- “ No doubt in my mind.  He might be the dumbest guy in the league, getting chance after chance from the NFL to prove himself to be able to stay away from the drugs.  But, if you want a good receiver, this is your guy.  He was dominant a couple of years ago and that’s playing with the Browns.  Imagine if you give Tom Brady a weapon like this.  It’s a big risk but one that can win a team like the Patriots another Super Bowl.”

Segal- “No and I’ll tell you why. Players like Gordon do not look good for a franchise. He’s a talented receiver, no doubt. But, you can’t have negativity and distractions around the team like this would create.”