Time Out for Sports Talk: What would you do if we blogged out of June?
Todd: Would you stand up and walk out on your laptop, or whatever device you use to read our column? Seriously, these headlines aren’t as easy to come up with as you think.
Anyway, you know the drill. June was chock full of sports, so before we take a long weekend to celebrate our great country, how about I toss out as many thoughts as there will be different pasta salads at your local holiday cookout?
If all I had to do to end the 37-year Triple Crown drought was write off any chance of it ending, I would’ve openly mocked horse racing years ago. But instead I’ll serve myself a little humble pie (hold the whipped cream) and congratulate American Pharoah on finally being the horse to pull off what was considered nearly impossible. Watching the courageous colt pull away down the stretch at Belmont Park is exactly what you hope to see from a champion.
What you don’t hope to see is someone 3-putt themselves right out of a major victory…sorry, Dustin Johnson. Sadly, having watched Johnson miss putt after putt on the back nine at Chambers Bay, I can’t say the ending of the U.S. Open came as a shock. In fact, the only real shock was not hearing from the one man in the broadcast booth who could empathize with Johnson’s debacle. I’m talking about you, Mr. Norman. Meanwhile, wunderkind Jordan Spieth has set himself up well to attempt golf’s first genuine grand slam.
What I also don’t hope to see is someone either talking in the first person when his team wins or making excuses when he falls short. Is LeBron James one of the NBA’s greats? Sorry, but IMO if Michael Jordan going 6-for-6 in the NBA Finals makes him great, LeBron’s 2-for-6 effort only makes him very good. But speaking of a team that was great, congrats to the Golden State Warriors for ending their 40-year title drought thanks to a balanced roster led by regular season MVP Stephen Curry and Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
Another team that was great, and has generally been so for the last six years are the Chicago Blackhawks, who endured a 49-year drought before finally hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup again in 2010, followed by two more Cup wins in ’13 and ’15. No question that star players like Toews and Kane deserve much of the credit for Chicago’s dynastic run this decade, but head coach Joel Quenneville should be also be lauded for his consistency behind the bench. Those former Hartford Whalers continue making their presence felt!
Turning from ‘the Whale’ to their longtime rivals from the Bay State, it feels like more than five years since the question of the NHL Entry Draft was who would be taken first overall, Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin? The Bruins, holding the second pick in 2010, had little choice in the matter and wound up with the now-departed Seguin. But now the B’s could wind up finally landing Hall, if you believe some of the trade rumors out there. Good luck to GM Don Sweeney, who has a chance to really shake up the franchise tonight.
While Bruins fans hope their team can swing a big deal, Celtics followers have to be disappointed Trader Danny couldn’t land a big prize (or at least a big man) in last night’s NBA Draft. Instead, the Green kept both their first round picks and wound up with two more tweener guards, including Louisville’s Terry Rozier, who many experts thought was a reach at #16. All I know is, if old friend(?) Rick Pitino is giving Ainge and the C’s brain trust the book on Rozier, I’m not sure how much I trust the author.
Ok, I’ve put off the Bad News Red Sox as long I could. I wasn’t expecting the 2015 club to be a juggernaut or anything, but the worst team in the American League? Ten games under .500 and it’s not even July yet. For some perspective, the S.S. Valentine of 2012 didn’t sink into sub-.500 waters until after the all-star break (then they sunk real deep). If things couldn’t get worse, now Dustin Pedroia lands on the DL for what could turn out to be more than fifteen days with a hamstring strain/tear/who knows what.
As was also the case a year ago, the only thing to enjoy about the Sox this summer is the development of the young players. Right now, Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts are playing like two stars in the making. Eduardo Rodriguez hit a speed bump against the Orioles yesterday, but has generally impressed. Management needs to find out whether Jackie Bradley Jr. is 4-A hitter or someone who can at least provide some offense to compliment his sensational glove work in the outfield. This is what remains of interest for 2015.
Keeping with good baseball news, kudos to a trifecta of no-hitters thrown last Saturday. Everyone knows that Washington’s Max Scherzer came within one batter of a perfect game, settling for his no-no. But did you know down at Sanford’s Goodall Park, North Adams Steeplecats pitcher Dakota Edwards tossed the first NECBL no-hitter in three years? Finally in the Cape League, Hyannis Harbor Hawks lefty Devin Smeltzer needed just 91 pitchers to complete his hitless effort (I probably ought to mention I actually watched this last game in person). So get out and support your local nine because you never know what you might see!
Mike: Wow, I was hoping you'd forgotten about the Red Sox. It's been tough to follow them this season, because every time they look like they just might turn things around, reality comes crashing back to haunt them.
Now Dustin Pedroia is out of the lineup for an extended period of time, it starting to look like the best thing about this season is watching the development of the future stars of the franchise.
And staying on the Sox, I'm getting frustrated with David Ortiz. Every time I watch him, he seems to be complaining to the umpires about the strike zone, and even at times getting tossed out of the game. It's annoying to watch. David, when has arguing ever done any good? The call isn't going to change, and getting thrown out of the game only hurts the team as a whole. Just keep your mouth shut and do your best to work with what is given to you, you can't help from the clubhouse!
As for the Celtics, I can't honestly say I know anything about who they drafted. Mostly, because with very few exceptions, no rookie is going to turn a team around right away, so I'm not going to worry about who they got in the draft. Wake me when they sign an impact free agent.
One last question before I go. Do you think Tom Brady would rather have Roger Goodell or Ted, the talking Teddy Bear (from Ted 2-Google it if you don't get the reference, but the results might be NSFW) at his July 4th party? Just wondering.
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