New York, NY – It was just after 10pm and the Giants were losing their Thursday Night tilt against Daaa Bears, the Rangers had just started their game against the 68 year old Teemu Selanne and the Anaheim Ducks, and Justin Verlander hadn’t allowed a hit through six inning in game 5 against JG Clancy’s Oakland Athletics. It was time to start drinking and writing this piece while feverishly switching between games .
With the Giants being down and the Rangers shipping two early goals to the Ducks, I was able to focus on the baseball game. Verlander was in command when Yoenis Cespedes stepped up to the plate with 2 outs in the seventh and hit a grounder up the middle for the A’s first hit of the game.
By that point the Rangers were behind 3-0 and the Giants had inched back to within six points of the Bears. Time to switch my focus to the Giants. Twelve minutes left in the fourth quarter and three beers into writing this, the Giants defense didn’t look like they were going ever going to stop Chicago, but they somehow did, and powered by the second coming of Brandon Jacobs, they managed to get one first down before sputtering to a halt and punting the ball away.
Over in Anaheim, the Rangers had made it to the first intermission without giving up another goal. The Blueshirts’ slow start to the season can probably be attributed to a whole host of problems. Last night they were without Rick Nash who took a shoulder to the head against the Sharks on Tuesday. He’ll be out for at least a few games with a Short Matt-esque concussion. They’re still without Carl Hagelin, and Stepan and Callahan are playing but not up to speed yet. They have a new head coach with a new system and a grueling schedule to start the season. But this doesn’t excuse the way the Rangers have been losing. They’ve been out-hustled, and out-hit for much of the season so far. The Ducks and Sharks bossed the neutral zone and the Rangers had no answer for the forecheck. Things can only get better, but the Blueshirts may be dead and buried by the time they do.
Back to the football game and the G-men have the ball and are driving down the field. The Giants are looking like they might just win one. Then Eli fires high, the ball is tipped and caught by Tim Jennings of the Bears for Eli’s third interception of the game. Ugh. This is turning into a rough night.
Flip back to the Rangers to see two defensemen skate into each other like they’re in a Scooby Doo cartoon. Lundqvist comes out to clear the puck but misses and the Ducks bulge the onion bag for their fourth. Time to ramp up the drinking. Its whiskey time!
Back in Chicago, the Bears are running out the clock and the Giants are 0-6. At this point the Giants should tank the season and aim for the number one draft pick. Tanking the season won’t take much – or any – effort. Eli has 15 interceptions through six games. If he keeps this up, he’ll have 40 by season’s end and the Giants may go after Johnny Football.
Back to the ice and the Rangers are down 5-0 and the Knob Creek has me feeling good.
It time to watch someone celebrate. Back to TBS to watch the Tigers Clinch. The A’s aren’t going quietly though. They’ve got the tying run at the plate with two outs in the ninth. Are we going to see some magic? Is Clancy going to be buying everyone at MtM HQ bacon sandwiches for breakfast? No. Benoit gets out of the jam and the Tigers move on to play the Sawx in the ALCS. I was hoping the A’s would make a run, but I’m not upset the Tigers won. Lets hope for a couple of good LCS’s.
One last check in on the Rangers game. 6-0 Duckies. Time for bed.
Come back tomorrow for a guy who’d love a swim in Knob Creek, Junoir Blaber!
