From The Cheap Seats

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  • NHL Mascots Action Figures Coming Soon — Well, Sort Of

    NHL fans are some of the most passionate in all of sports. With recently signed TV agreements with ESPN and TNT, labor peace through a stable collective bargaining agreement, a settled salary cap, and an upcoming global showcase as NHL players return to the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the league may have never been hotter.

    So how does one of the NHL’s toy partners manage to make fans of 21 other teams angry?

    By releasing a fun new line of NHL mascot action figures – but for only a fraction of the league.

    Let me explain.

    According to the NHL Players’ Association, the NHLPA currently licenses more than 45 companies to use approved NHL names, images, and likenesses to produce a wide range of official consumer products.

    McFarlane Toys is one of those licensees.

    Yesterday, McFarlane Toys sent out a marketing email announcing an all-new line of NHL action figures featuring the mascots of just 10 NHL teams.

    Those 10 figures include: S.J. Sharkie (San Jose Sharks), Chance (Vegas Golden Knights), Wild Wing (Anaheim Ducks), Sabretooth (Buffalo Sabres), Blades (Boston Bruins), Gritty (Philadelphia Flyers), Harvey (Calgary Flames), Tommy Hawk (Chicago Blackhawks), Stormy (Carolina Hurricanes), and Iceburgh (Pittsburgh Penguins).

    Which raises the obvious question: what about fans of the other 21 teams?

    I reached out to McFarlane Toys to ask whether there are plans to extend the line to include the remaining NHL mascots. As of publication I have not received a response.

  • Hulk Hogan: Larger Than Life And Gone Too Soon

    He was the only professional wrestler to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated.

    In 2014, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Obsessed-Over People on the Web.

    He was the first wrestler to host Saturday Night Live and the first to have a mass-produced action figure.

    And today (July 24, 2025) Hulk Hogan—the man who brought professional wrestling into the American mainstream—was gone. He died at the age of 71, reportedly from cardiac arrest, in Clearwater, Florida. 

    Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, wasn’t just a wrestler. He was my childhood.

    I watched wrestling like it was oxygen. I wore the red and yellow. I owned the action figure.

    One year, I begged my parents to order from the WWF catalog for Christmas. Hulk Hogan was the guy. He was the one you cheered for before you even fully understood what the heck a storyline was. He was a real-life superhero—larger than life in every way.

    You want proof that Hulk Hogan was woven into American pop culture? A friend of mine—who never followed or watched wrestling like I did —texted me the news of his passing. That’s how I found out. That’s the reach Hogan had.

    Yes, he was a complicated figure. He made headlines for all the wrong reasons at times: a racist rant, a leaked sex tape, controversial political views. He was never the best technical wrestler—there were (and still are) performers who could wrestle circles around him.

    But Hogan brought something else. He brought showmanship. He brought the entertainment. He brought the charisma. He brought the red and yellow. The flexing. The finger point. The leg drop.

    Let’s remember that part, too.

    At the peak of Saturday morning cartoons, Hogan had his own animated show. On eBay, “Hulk Hogan” pulls up more than 70,000 listings—twice as many as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. He is everywhere.

    The wrestling industry as we know it today doesn’t exist without Hulk Hogan. Full stop. End of sentence. He took wrestling from a regional, smoke-filled, male-dominated subculture and turned it into a global spectacle.

    You see The Rock, John Cena, Dave Bautista, and Stone Cold in Hollywood today? Hogan cracked that door open first. He was the blueprint.

    Before WrestleMania, there was Hulkamania.

    Before “Attitude,” there was “Train, say your prayers and eat your vitamins.”

    Before reality TV took over, there was Hogan Knows Best on VH1, giving fans a glimpse into his family life with Brooke, Nick, and Linda.

    And let’s not forget 1996—the heel turn heard around the world. When Hogan joined the nWo in WCW, it was arguably the most shocking, legendary moment in wrestling history. He redefined what it meant to be a villain—and somehow, we loved him even more for it.

    He was a flawed man. But he was still a wrestling icon.

    Hulkamania may have started in the ’80s—but today, it lives on.

    Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you!?

    Rest in peace, Hulk Hogan.

    Thanks for the madness, the memories and the magic. 

  • What’s Going On With Caitlyn Clark? Everyone Just Relax.

    No debate here: Caitlyn Clark’s rookie season in the WNBA was nothing short of historic. She didn’t just carry the Indiana Fever—she carried the entire league on her back.

    We saw record-breaking crowds flooding arenas both home and away. Prime-time TV slots attracted record ratings, all eyes glued to #22 on the Fever’s court. Clark didn’t just break records; she shattered them, taking home Rookie of the Year honors while averaging a jaw-dropping 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. She also set the league’s single-season assist record—a stunning achievement for any player, let alone a rookie.

    Her impact propelled the Fever from a 13–27 record in 2023 to an even 20–20 in 2024, clinching their first playoff appearance since 2016. Off the court? Endorsements, trading cards, and jersey sales skyrocketed. Caitlyn Clark was everywhere—and deservedly so.

    And then, the sophomore slump kicks in.

    But guess what? It happens.  

    Just look back at WNBA history—there was a star who won both MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, only to see her numbers dip in her second year across points, assists, steals, and shooting percentages. That player? The legendary Candace Parker, now a future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer.

    Caitlyn Clark is simply walking a path many greats have trod before her. Injuries—particularly her recent groin issues—haven’t made things easier. Her stats this season show some dips: points, steals, field goal, and three-point percentages are down, while turnovers have crept up. Not ideal, but a common hurdle in any athlete’s growth.

    Still, the Fever have a solid 8–5 record with her on the court, compared to 4–4 without her. That tells a story all on its own.

    With the WNBA All-Star break right around the corner, rumors swirl about Clark entering the 3-point contest—if her injury allows. What she truly needs now is time. Time to heal, to recalibrate mentally, and to rally her team for the playoff push ahead.

    Here’s the truth: Caitlyn Clark will be just fine.

    Her rookie season was an explosion of talent and promise. This year’s challenges? Merely growing pains. The league has witnessed this pattern before—and every time, true greatness emerges on the other side.

    So let’s ease up on the panic, cheer her on, and watch Clark continue to carve out a legendary career.

    Because if her rookie season proved anything, it’s this: she’s unstoppable.

  • From Buck to Thibs: Can Mike Brown Be the Knicks’ Joe Torre?

    In New York sports, few things are as sacred — or as soul-crushing — as hope. For fans of the Yankees and Knicks, the last few decades have delivered a rollercoaster of near-misses, rebuilds, and the occasional brush with greatness. But sometimes, the distance between heartbreak and dynasty comes down to one decision: the right coach at the right time.

    In 1995, Buck Showalter stood at the helm of the New York Yankees. A meticulous, detail-obsessed manager, Buck didn’t just field lineups — he built a culture. The Yankees hadn’t seen the playoffs since 1981, a 14-year drought, but Showalter instilled accountability, trusted young talent, and reset expectations. He ushered in Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera — the cornerstones of a new era. In four seasons, he won 581 games, restored credibility, and brought the Yankees back to the postseason.

    And then he was fired.

    After a heartbreaking ALDS loss to the Mariners, Showalter was out. Enter Joe Torre — calm, steady, understated. Torre didn’t tear down what Buck built. He refined it. And in his first year, the Yankees won it all. Four World Series titles in five years followed. A dynasty was born. Showalter didn’t get the rings, but his fingerprints were on every banner.

    Fast forward to 2024. Swap the Bronx for the Garden.

    Tom Thibodeau arrived in 2021 to clean up the Knicks’ mess. Like Buck, he brought structure to chaos. The Knicks hadn’t made the playoffs since Mike Woodson’s 2012-2013 squad. In the years between, six different coaches had tried and failed to stop the bleeding.

    Thibs got buy-in from Julius Randle. He turned up the defensive intensity. He brought the roar back to MSG and led the Knicks to a 50-win season and the Eastern Conference Finals. Respectability returned. But the Knicks, like Buck’s Yankees, couldn’t get over the hump. And just like that — Thibs was out.

    Now enters Mike Brown, reportedly set to sign a four-year, $40 million deal. And Knicks fans are left to wonder: could history repeat itself?

    Could Brown be the Torre to Thibs’ Showalter — the steady hand who inherits a team built to compete, but still needing that final push? Can he unlock Jalen Brunson’s leadership like Torre did with Jeter? Can he bring out another gear in Karl-Anthony Towns the way Torre elevated Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neill?

    The pieces are here: a star floor general, a defensive identity, a passionate (if bruised) fanbase, and a city desperate for a banner in the rafters.

    What Torre proved — and what Brown could now emulate — is that the foundation matters, but the finisher makes history. The Yankees needed Buck before they could become champions. The Knicks needed Thibs before they could dream again.

    Thibodeau won 226 games with the Knicks. His .565 winning percentage, three playoff appearances, and a trip to the Conference Finals marked the franchise’s strongest run in years.

    And then he was let go.

    Sound familiar?

    So Knicks fans, take heart. The story has been written before — in the Bronx, in pinstripes. If history is feeling nostalgic, the Garden might finally be next in line for its parade.

    Let me know what you think. Reach out to me on email (fromthecheapseats@aol.com) or Twitter (@cheapseatsyeet)

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  • Welcome to my first blog ….

    From the Cheap Seats isn’t just a phrase—it’s my actual budget. Married for over 25 years with three amazing kids, I somehow missed my true calling as a sports and pop culture writer. This blog is part therapy, part tribute to legends like Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. I’ll be diving into the world of sports—from what’s happening on the field to the stories behind the scenes. It’s opinionated, honest, and written from the nosebleeds. Hope you’ll ride along.