MARLBORO, NY – It’s not easy being a sports fan in NYC when you root for the hometown team’s adversaries. Being a Boston Bruins and Dallas Cowboys fan gets you zero sympathy around these parts but I’m going to discuss a few items regarding both of these favorite teams of mine. Too bad, it’s Sunday and this is my forum.
Dallas Draft Daze: The three day 2018 NFL Draft symposium kicked off on Thursday night and I thought the Cowboys did good in drafting a “mike” linebacker who has been favorably compared to Brian Urlacher in Boise State’s Leighton Vander Esch. That’s some lofty praise but only time will tell and lord knows Dallas needed help at linebacker. However, another hole to fill happened right before the second day’s 2nd and 3rd Rounds. Stalwart tight end Jason Witten announced his retirement and combined with Dez Bryant’s release, there’s 125 receptions missing from last year. The names on the wide receiver depth chart are newly acquired under-performer Allen Hurns, returning dud Terrance Williams, and Cole frickin’ Beasley. The timing of Witten’s retirement really makes me wonder if he had an ax to grind with management for some reason. He totally fouled up the draft as the ‘Boys probably go WR (and the best one) if he calls it quits at the end of the season but he inexplicably waits until the eve of draft day #2. What’s in store for Dallas in 2018? I don’t know but it doesn’t look good right now. With no downfield threats, running back Zeke Elliott will see a lot of eight man fronts and undoubtedly will be run into the ground taking time off of his shelf life. To the delight of Giants fans, I’m predicting a third or last place finish in the NFC East.
Game 7 Mania: This past Wednesday night there was the best thing in sports; a game seven in the NHL Playoffs between my Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the only do-or-die scenario of the first round and lived up to the hype. It started out as a wide-open pond hockey game, as the B’s lead after one period, 3-2.
The goaltending was far from stellar, as you could imagine. The anxiety I usually have prior to a Game 7 just wasn’t there on this day and had me worried that the Bruins would lose because of it. I’m superstitious that way. Things went awry for the Bruins in the second period as the Leafs (I thought the plural is leaves?) tied it at three and then scored what is usually a back-breaker… a shorthanded goal. It turned out to be a chair-breaker as I left the Elk’s Lodge bar and opened the door to the outdoor lounge area and went into full out Bobby Knight on a plastic resin patio chair. The chair never stood a chance as my outburst resulted in the splintering plastic littering the deck. It was a release but not nearly the release that a four-goal third period brings… Torey Krug, No Mistake Jake DeBrusk, David Pastrnak, and an empty-netter by Brad Marchand all scored to oust Toronto. Onward to Rangers South/Tampa Bay.
Here we go Bruins!
Come back tomorrow for a man whom never goes south, DJ Eberle.
