GateKeeper was worth the wait

Cedar Point's new coaster, GateKeeper, is quite an amazing ride.

It's the world's longest, tallest winged coaster.

And it's worth the wait. Two-plus hours on opening day this past Saturday.

I'm a coaster fan, and my oldest son is a huge fan. He couldn't wait to ride.

It was a cool, brisk day, something more like a fall day instead of a spring one. But it was a blast.

Here's a shot of the coaster and the new entrance to the park:

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Penguins need to stick with Vokoun in playoffs

Do you still trust Marc-Andre Fleury?

I don't.

We'll see if the Penguins do when their Eastern Conference semifinal series starts later this week against the Ottawa Senators.

But I can tell you one thing, I certainly don't want to see him in goal again.

Yes, he's won a Cup. But he's cost the Penguins the past two springs in the playoffs. I don't want to see it become a third.

Tomas Vokoun might not be the best goalie around, but with the players the Penguins have assembled, he doesn't need to be.

The shutout of the Islanders in Game 5 was nice (Fleury also had one in Game 1), but Vokoun did enough to help the Penguins win Game 6.

I'm afraid if Fleury would have played in Game 6, the Penguins would have lost.

At a minimum, Vokoun should start until he puts up a Fleury-like game. Then a debate can begin.

Until then, ride Vokoun.

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MLB Players Poised For A Rebound After A Tough April

When it comes to fantasy baseball, the regular season is all about making the right waiver wire pickups, and trading for guys at the right time. With about a month of the season in the book, some owners might be getting a bit frustrated with solid players having bad starts. So who are some of the best players to target in a trade that you could probably get for well below value? Here’s a look at three of the best options.

Yovani Gallardo

David Price and Matt Cain are two of the top pitchers who have struggled early, but most fantasy baseball owners will probably be smart enough to hold onto them. However, Gallardo has never truly been elite, so chances are you can trade for him without giving up a ton.

The right-hander is consistent with his strikeouts and walk rate throughout his career, so despite them being out of control right now, they should return to normal. He has had a few slow starts in the past, and it might actually be a pattern for him.

Adrian Beltre

Owners might look at his age and poor start and figure he is finally hitting that wall. Adrian Beltre is a true professional hitter though, and hitters in Texas really seem to turn it up a notch in the summer months when the ball carries more.

His plate discipline is still there, as he rarely strikeouts out (which is rare for a power hitter). All those balls in play will eventually bring his numbers back up.

Jason Kipnis

During the months leading up to fantasy baseball drafts, Kipnis was talked about quite a bit. He is considered one of the top young second basemen in the league. However, due to the fact that he is struggling a ton, owners might have already had enough.

The biggest issue for him right now is his elbow. It has not been a big enough injury to keep him out of a lot of games, but it is affecting his batting average (below .200). There are still few second basemen out there right now. Owners might give him away for next to nothing at this point.

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Hopefully Jones is off the board when Steelers pick

Please let someone take Jarvis Jones before the Steelers are on the clock for the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.

I know this could be one of those cases where it comes back to haunt you, but I'm not feelin' the Georgia linebacker.

Maybe it's his slow time in the 40 (4.9+).

Maybe it's his spinal issues.

I just hope the Steelers are left with the decision of drafting him or not.

Maybe the Jets or some other team will make it easier for them.

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Steelers' match of Sanders quick fix

Emmanuel Sanders is still a Pittsburgh Steeler.

And Steeler Nation can relax until the draft.

Long-term, this wasn't the best move for the Steelers. A third-round pick could have been better for the team. Especially when Sanders likely will leave next season as a free agent.

But I get why the Steelers did it.

They have a franchise quarterback and need to try to win now.

Those type of moves have a way of coming back to haunt a franchise.

But Ben Roethlisberger should be happy he still has one of his targets coming back.

In the meantime, the Steelers are up against the salary cap searching for some players to make impact.

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Woods still short of dominant form

Tiger Woods always is the story, isn't he?

He was in control of the Masters Friday when things went awry.

By now you heard what happened, and have heard all sorts of opinions whether he should have been penalized or not, and whether he should have been disqualified.

My point today is if Tiger is the dominant golfer everyone wants him to be, he still would have won the Masters.

If he had regained whatever it is he lost, he would have won.

He would have used all the detractors as fuel to win.

And maybe he tried.

He's just not the same golfer.

The chase for Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors continues, but Woods remains four back.

I'm not sure he gets there.

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Steelers should let Sanders go

There's still about two days for this to officially play out, but the Pittsburgh Steelers shouldn't be wasting any more time deciding the fate of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Tell him they won't match the offer by the New England Patriots and take their third-round pick.

Sanders is a fine receiver, but I don't expect much more from him in the Steelers' offense.

Sanders' stock didn't rise until the Patriots showed interest. Now, people want to make Sanders out as an indispensable part of the offense.

He can be replaced.

The Steelers need the cap room and they need the draft pick.

They don't need Sanders as much.

Give Kevin Colbert and staff some credit. They know what they're doing.

Let's look at the team after the draft and see who else they sign as free agents.

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Walking Dead review: Finale good, not great

I couldn't wait until "The Walking Dead" wrapped up Season 3.

The first half of the season was fantastic, pick up where the second half of Season 2 left off. But the last half of Season 3 had its ups and downs.

I'm glad to see Rick survive, along with Daryl, too. Those two characters add spice to the show.

However, Andrea, was time to go. She started to grow on me in the last two episodes, but it was hard to feel too much emotion to see her go -- and I'm sure it was supposed to be an emotional ending. I was sorry to see Merle go and not Andrea.

Walkers bit the dust, which was cool, and The Governor became unhinged, but there just seemed to be something missing from the episode.

Maybe I wanted more from the big showdown between Rick and The Governor. 

Maybe I wanted another cliffhanger, like the mid-season finale.

Sunday's episode wrapped up too nicely, with Rick leading citizens of Woodbury to a new home in the prison.

It was a good contrast to the Season 1 and Season 2 finales, where Rick's group were left looking for a new place to live.

But I wanted something more. Something to look forward to.

I keep coming back to the Season 2 ending, where we first got a glimpse of Michonne and the prison. And we knew The Governor was around the corner.

Season 2 ended and I couldn't wait to see Season 3.

Today, with Season 3 over, I still want to see the start of Season 4, but not with the same eagerness.

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All's not lost without Shell at Pitt

Is it possible that Rushel Shell is not the next Tony Dorsett?

It seems that there was a lot pressure on Shell to take the Pitt Panthers to the national championship like Dorsett.

Shell rushed for 641 yards as a freshman last year, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. That's pretty darn good.

Is it irreplaceable?

I guess we'll now never know what Shell would do after he announced he's transferring.

With all the buzz around Shell, I expected more from him, especially that 79-yard effort in the BBVA Compass Bowl on 25 carries in a loss to Ole Miss.

Maybe that's why he's leaving. Maybe he wants to carve out his own path somewhere else.

Who knows?

I'm not convinced it's a huge blow to the team.

There are other running backs on the roster.

Maybe an incoming freshman, McDowell's James Conner, for example, can fill the roll in Paul Chryst's offense. Conner rushed for 1,680 yards on 155 carries (10.8 per carry average).

It's disappoint news to lose Shell, but wish him well. Hopefully he'll be happier somewhere else and reaches his potential.

It also opens an opportunity for someone at Pitt.

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