Thursday Morning Thoughts – Nov. 19

NBA
Back-to-backs are never easy. But you can’t run out of gas against a team like the Jazz. The Raptors had a six point lead with seven minutes to go. It’s not a big cushion, but when you are in the driver seat you can’t take your foot off the gas. The only thing that would have made DeMar DaRozan‘s dunk even better, is if he had jumped over Gobert. I think our televisions would have exploded. Dwayne Casey‘s head might if they don’t beat the Lakers tomorrow night.

Russell Westbrook‘s dominance of the New Orleans Pelicans is ridiculous. 43 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds last night. He’s averaging over 45 PPG with more than 8 assists and 8 rebounds in his last three verses New Orleans.

Nobody is talking about James Harden‘s 45 points in the Rockets OT win over the Blazers. Because we expect that from him. Even with his team in turmoil. I really think the Rockets will regret dropping the axe on Kevin McHale this early in the season.

Thriller in Orlando last night! Andrew Wiggins led the T-Wolves with 28 points, including a driving bank shot to tie the game with 2.1 seconds left. And Karl-Anthony Towns put up 21 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and came up with six blocks. It wasn’t enough to beat the Magic, but Sam Mitchell has to be happy with what he’s seen lately. Something poetic about Mitchell coaching Wiggins.

To the city of Philadelphia: I am sorry your NBA team isn’t good enough to win at your local YMCA. I used to live like you. But then my Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis.

NHL
If the draft lottery were held today, the Oilers would have the best odds of winning the number one pick. Again. How the hell is that even possible? Nice to take a point off the Blackhawks, but Edmonton has lost five of six. Last night was their seventh one goal loss in the last three weeks. They’re in games, but they just can’t win games. The Oilers battled, but the Blackhawks deserved to win. Hossa‘s OT winner was the perfect cherry on top of a great game. 34 saves from Corey Crawford, but you will see that stellar glove save on Taylor Hall on repeat for the next 3 to 4 weeks.

Great old time hockey in Winnipeg thanks to Luca Spisa‘s hit on Nik Ehlers. I wouldn’t want to dance with Anthony Peluso. Bio says he’s 6’3″ 235lbs, but as Spisa found out he throws hammers like a 6’8″, 280-pounder.

Got your Travis Hamonic jersey yet Jets fans? Lot of money, but make it happen Kevin Cheveldayoff.

Glad to see Petr Mrazek was alright after taking that laser from John Carlson off the noggin. Surprised we don’t see that more often.

Mike Babcock should be telling the media that the Leafs want to be in a playoff spot. They won’t be. But this recent run carries a ton of positives. Babcock’s system is working with this mixed bag of players. Many of whom, just aren’t good enough. But, the shop window is hot right now. And that’s only good for both the players who will be moved and the team who can actually get quality pieces in return.

If the All-Star game wasn’t in Nashville the season, would they have messed with the format as much as they have? I really like three-on-three overtime. But I wonder how entertaining this format will be. Four teams, one per division. The Central playing the Pacific in one semi, with the Atlantic versus the Metropolitan in the other. And the winning team walks away with $1 million. The cash incentive will really increase the competition level. No matter how much these guys make, they can always use a little more.

Should be a great battle in Tampa tonight with the Rangers in town. Revenge is always sweet, even in November.

MLB
If the Blue Jays could actually acquire Danny Salazar or Carlos Carrasco for Dalton Pompey, they’ve got to do it. It’s impossible and far too costly to improve a pitching staff exclusively through free agency. I imagine there will be a few clubs none too pleased to see Mark Shapiro doing business with his old team.

The writers absolutely got the Cy Young awards right this year. I haven’t been this envious of bearded dudes in a while. Jake Arrieta had a 0.77 ERA in the second half. The best since 1933. I’ll remember his season for the mustache onesie he wore to his post no-hitter press conference. But being doused with champagne with a child on his lap comes a very close second.

I wanted to see David Price win another, but I agree with his humble tweet that the writers got it right giving it to Dallas Keuchel. Good on Marco Estrada for finishing tenth in AL voting. Can’t imagine how upset his agent is that he couldn’t use that as leverage last week.

MVP awards dished out today via the same prolonged television special. It’s on Sportsnet at 6pm Eastern. You know JD is winning.

SOCCER
The story came out yesterday that the Spanish and Portuguese federations are discussing the possibility of a joint Iberian league. This incredibly excites and terrifies me all at the same time. It will dramatically increase parity and quality. But how would the split work? 10 Portuguese and 10 Spanish wouldn’t. What would this mean for the highly profitable European places? I don’t think Benfica and Porto would finish in the top 4 every season. Would the Iberian league have six European places? Would the top two Portuguese sides be given berths regardless of where they place in the joint table? Economically, this merge is the only way to sustain high quality football in those countries. But from a footballing perspective, I don’t see how they could make it happen.

Dele Alli has played just 16 times for Tottenham. But he’s scored for England, against better opposition at Wembley. That £12,000-a-week, just won’t cut it anymore. Word is Spurs are going to offer the 19 year-old a friendly bumper because he’s the lowest-paid player in Mauricio  Pochettino’s first-team squad. 

Always felt Steve Clarke was unfairly treated at West Brom. Impressed enough at Reading to get the Fulham job. I think he has what it takes to bring that back up. Just don’t know if they do.

Disappointed to read that Premier League clubs are on ‘extra high alert’ in the wake of the Paris attacks and this week’s friendly cancellations on the continent. Great piece by Simon Kuper where he tries to answer the terrifying question “is football facing a new age of stadium terrorism after Paris attacks?“

Tuesday Morning Thoughts – Oct. 27

NHL
Must have been a great feeling for Max Domi to win in the building he grew up in. Max scores goals as easily as Tie racked up penalty minutes.

Boy, what Mike Babcock would do for a player like Max Domi. Or a player with any ability for that matter. His frustration levels have hit highs he probably didn’t think were possible coaching at this level. “We just weren’t good enough.” He’s going to say that quite a few more times before things get better.

The Ducks were shutout for the fifth time this season. Which is one more than in all of last season. It isn’t even November yet! The Pittsburgh Pirates, yes the hockey Buccos of 1927-28 were the last NHL team to start a season with fewer goals through eight games.

There’s something insensitive about the Chicago Blackhawks needing to beat teams like that in overtime. Jonathan Toews delivers again. But if it wasn’t for a stellar, and still under-appreciated Corey Crawford, the Ducks would’ve potted a few goals last night.

Rare to hear guys come out and admit they wanted out of a situation because they didn’t feel their teammates had their back. But I can’t really blame Evander Kane. There’s this expectation that guys should play through injuries. While many want to, it’s hard to judge a guy that wants to protect his body.

MLB
The World Series that FOX prepared for as early as the seventh inning of game 6, starts tonight. To quote my brother, “I don’t know what to expect from this series. It could be great. Or, it could be as forgettable as the White Sox World Series win over the Astros ten years ago.”

I think the pitching might be a little better this time around. Otherwise, he’s hit it out of the park with that statement. A legit home run. Not a questionable dinger involving a lying, Amish, 30 year-old looking teenager.

Alex Anthopoulos‘s press conference was cute. Here’s a guy that did everything a non player could to get a team to a place they haven’t been in a generation. And be can’t say anything about the near future because he doesn’t even know his own. If the club thought AA was the only guy for the job, they wouldn’t have hired a real baseball guy as team president. Despite the success this year, I don’t see a world where AA works under Mark Shapiro. But having said that, I have never met either man. Maybe there’s a pre-existing relationship and a designation that “this is my job. This is yours.” I think it would be a huge loss for the jays to let Anthopoulos go. But I think Jays fans are in store for more than a few disappointments this winter.

Happy trails to Torii Hunter. Absolute legend throughout his 19 year career. Glad he spent two years in Detroit. Made that cop famous. 

NBA
I cannot believe a brand new NBA season starts tonight. A wild, baseball intense October is the reason it feels too soon.

But I couldn’t be happier to see if Steph Curry and the Warriors can defend their title. To see if the Cavs quality of play increased as much as their payroll. If the retooled Raptors can make their season last beyond April. And to see how much worse the New York Knicks can be this year.

NFL
What happened to the Baltimore Ravens? They were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders. Now the Ravens have a better chance of having the #1 pick in the draft, than making the playoffs.

SOCCER
How long ago was it that we all talked about Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay as being Manchester United‘s “saving grace Super Duo”? Now the boy Memphis is on pace to have a Shinji Kagawa / Wilfried Zaha style first year experience. Dropped for last week’s trip to Everton, then again on Sunday in the Manchester Derby, the papers are writing that “the number 7 shirt has become too much of a burden.” Well that escalated quickly. Does LVG really see Jesse Lingard as the better choice?

Looks like Remi Garde isn’t the right choice for Aston Villa. I like the idea of them going with someone outside of Premier League circles. But the reality is, they don’t have the time for a boss to learn on the job. Doesn’t mean Gus Poyet is the right guy. But I’d be surprised if Brendan Rodgers wants another job so soon. And despite Villa’s historical “big club” status, Carlo Ancelotti isn’t moving to Birmingham.

It cost Villa £2 million to sack Tim Sherwood. But the damage on his reputation, will be far more expensive than that. I think he is a great man manager. Players want to play for him. I wonder if that will be the case if English is not the language spoken by all. A trip to the continent, a la David Moyes would be the right move for him.

Andre Villas Boas wants to take Falcao on loan in January. Who knows what position Chelsea will be in by then. I think he’s better off in deepest darkest Russia. He’s not going to rebuild his reputation with the spotlight that Jose Mourinho attracts. 

But if you believe the papers, Roman might just bring Avram Grant back to “save the season.” Seriously, more than one (what I can only assume is a) paycheque collecting human has published that thought given the healthy relationship the Russian and the current Ghana skip have kept since that unlucky night in Moscow seven years ago. 

Speaking of stupidity, “Wenger could consider £68m move for Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain“? You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that really the cost for nine goals in 12 games? He won’t bag 20 at Napoli by season’s end. Don’t do it Arsene. 

In football, much can be “lost in translation.” The Spanish papers are having fun with this one today. Javier Mascherano is in hot water for his comments to a linesman on Sunday. But the official match report has it differently than the television cameras and highly qualified lip readers picked up. Apparently Mascherano didn’t say to the linesman “your mother’s c*nt.” But, “your sister’s c*nt”. The referee mixed one expression up with the other. Word is, these are both expressions used in Argentina, with the former loosely translating to ‘son of a whore’. ‘Your sister’s c*nt’ (‘La concha de tu hermana’) doesn’t have the straightforward translation. But you get where he was going with it.
And with that, have a great day.

Tuesday Morning Thoughts – Apr. 21

I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to actually write daily. Each morning I’ll leave you with a few thoughts and talking points from the night before, and the day ahead. Here’s what I thought after a wild (and painful for some) Monday.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
Can’t help but feel bad for Jets fans. What a crushing loss after such a long wait to have meaningful hockey back in Winnipeg. I’ve said it all year, the Ducks had the best record in the West this season, but they certainly aren’t the best team in their conference. Though at this point in the year, if you don’t bury your opposition when they give you the chance, they’re gonna burn ya. The Ducks have made a real habit of doing just that.

Bruce Boudreau has got Lady Luck on speed dial. Probably bribed her with lifetime passes to DisneyLand. At least he doesn’t have to drive the Anaheim media crazy by changing goalies everynight. This is Freddy’s team… for now.

When did Minnesota become “The State of Hockey?” Michigan just called. They pissed.

I never would’ve guessed that Devan Dubnyk would be the first goaltender to earn a shutout in these playoffs. It helps that the Blues are the new San Jose Sharks. Good in the regular season, very tricky to beat at times, but when it matters most they just don’t have what it takes. Ken Hitchcock has made a career out of getting his team’s to overperform. Sounds like management thinks this one has already peaked.

And I couldn’t be happier that Bob Cole is calling the Rangers/Pens series. If it’s not Sam Rosen, there’s no one else I’d rather listen to.

NBA
It was always going to take a miracle for the Bucks to actually challenge the Bulls. But it must be nice for Derrick Rose to see that he doesn’t have to be the only guy every single night. Do you think Jimmy Butler is sick of all the “butler” puns every time he does something worth writing about? I would be.

I listened to Drake’s track “6 man” so many times yesterday, I don’t even remember. It’s kind of embarrassing. Drizzy’s had better. Well done Lou Williams! Highlight of my day was introducing that track to Alvin Williams. And, my dude Jamie Thomas. But I knew I would have to introduce it to JT.

IT’S TEBOW TIME. AGAIN
I know Chip Kelly knows he won’t get a full season out of Sam Bradford, but I can’t be the only one scratching my head that he actually signed Tim Tebow. Not because Tebow has been out of the game for so long, and not because Tebow wasn’t very good with the exception of a few quarters four years ago in Denver. But because being the fourth stringer, in Philly, it’s guaranteed that Tebow will start a handful of games because everyone in front of him is destined to get hurt! Brady Quinn put on weight or something?

SOCCER THOUGHTS
Two spots in the Champions League semi-finals will be decided this afternoon. Well, one was decided last Wednesday in Paris.

Just when you think Barcelona are on the decline, they come up with a performance like they did last week and make what many thought were legit contenders look like MY Sunday league team. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back, and while I expect him to have the game of his life in front of 93,053 fans of the team he hated playing for, I can’t see how PSG come back.

If Bayern Munich can’t overturn their 3-1 deficit, we may just witness the end of Pep Guardiola in Bavaria. Having said that, I fully expect Bayern to get out of the mess they created away to northern Portugal, before the half hour mark. Yes, even without Arjen Robben, Mehdi Benatia, David Alaba or Javi Martinez.

And I’m not going to believe the story that Randy Lerner is about to sell Aston Villa to a footy hungry Chinese consortium, until he actually sells the club. To anybody. They can’t be the first ones interested, but they might just be the first ones Randy has taken seriously. He got $1 billion for the Cleveland Browns. How is it that Villa are only worth $225 million? Just give me an FA Cup Randy.