NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Happy Monday! I don’t know if you guys read the celebrity news section of the paper. but apparently Justin Timberlake was arrested for drunk driving in the Hamptons. Allegedly, the cop that arrested him has been a pain, as he is real stickler for rules – regardless of who he is arresting. I never laughed so hard, as I thought this may have been first time I agreed with a cop. Anyway, here’s today’s menu: San Grimace De Citi Field, Reggie Jackson Speaks, Stanley Cup Game 7.
San Grimace De Citi Field
Do you believe in angels and saints? It appears the source of the Mets 7-game win streak and winning 9 of 10, is none other than the day, Grimace, yes the weird purple (not sure what it is) character threw out the first pitch at Citi Field on his birthday. Since then everything has been positive for the Mets:
–Lindor is batting .360 which is huge,
–JD Martinez is showing his value.
–Mark Vientos has had periods of ripping the leather of the ball.
-The rotation has been decent. Sean Manaea, Luis Servino and Jose Quintana have all looked good.
-The bullpen led by Ottavino and Dirksen Diekman have key in hold and save situations.
I plan on trademarking the name, San Grimace De Citi Field; the new patron saint of the Mets. If I had the chance, I would create one of those candles you see at the Botanicas in the Bronx. I plan to light one when the Mets need to rally.
Reggie Jackson Speaks
I think by now everyone has heard him speak. If you haven’t then you need to get on YouTube and immediately. It is wild because Reggie is only in his 70s, slightly younger than my mom, and he really got into how deep the racism was. We need to also give credit to the producers for not cutting away and just letting him share his story. Also credit to the other guys there, including A-Rod for asking the question, though I know he didn’t expect this.
What comes to mind is the distraction the player had to deal with. It is on the team and player. This is not to dismiss. You have to respect the pressure the player was under, as he still had to perform with that kind of racism in his face. It had to effect his ability to eat and sleep and train. How much better would Reggie have been if he didn’t have to deal with all of that? Meanwhile, how do you function as a team, knowing as you are getting ready to check into a place to eat, you have to cancel and find somewhere else because your teammate is unwanted? Same for a hotel. The other part was how towards the end of his speech, Jackson emphasized the importance of allies in the fight. In order to defeat racism in this country and world, we have to be able to see it as a society and all work toward defeating it.
Stanley Cup Game 7
We are down to a one-game season. How we even made Game 7 is insane. We know how good Connor McDavid is, since he was going to be the #1 pick 5 or so seasons ago. This kid was going to a hockey mad city – the city that Gretzky made relevant – and try to resurrect the franchise. He has done all of that but he didn’t do it alone. The Oilers built a great team around him.
However, the Panthers are a damn good team on their own.They had to come back to get by Boston and then they dispatched the Rangers in a series of tight games. The Panthers were up 3-0 and it looked like it was gonna be a sweep… but then it wasn’t. Then it was to be a Gentleman’s sweep… but no, that didn’t happen. And after Game 6 saw Edmonton win dominantly at home, no one is sure if Florida can pick themselves up to win it all. I would say the pressure is on the Panthers and the Oilers can play freely.
Thanks for reading and come tomorrow to hear from the Ben Whitney, will share his thoughts on Bill Belichick being 72 and having a 24-year-old girlfriend.
