EL BARRIO, EL BRONX – I shuffled off to Buffalo… well, Niagara Falls to be exact. for the 40th Anniversary of my Niagara University Rugby team, Niagara University. I wrote this, though, while waiting for the wife to finish packing /get ready. Mind you, I’d been twiddling my thumbs for two hours, before starting. Carpe Diem, right? That way, like Angry Ward, I can sleep during the drive, because like him, I don’t drive. Enough backstory… Let’s get to the NFL Draft, Dan Boyle, NY Rangers Future and Luke Walton. And we’re not going to bring up the record 12 runs the Mets pasted Peavy with. Not at all. Not once.
The NFL Draft: I have no idea what is going on. I know who got picked 1 and 2 because to login into this site to type, you have to go by news headlines. Outside of that, I have decided to take a stand. I remember when the draft was two days and it was over with. Now there is so much hype and talk it is crazy. They have convinced people it gives you insight into a player to watch them workout (the combine). They have taken what used to be just some phone call and photos, into a prime-time, 3-hour affair loaded with babble. I guess, with as much as ESPN is paying these analysts, they have to find a use for them. But I’m not biting. I will wait until Sunday evening to see who my team picked – like I used to do as a kid. Hey, the Bronx didn’t get cable! As a good friend put it “It’s going to be a weird draft to look back on. You can easily see the best player being a third round sleeper or something. There just isn’t much obvious quality-difference between a huge number of players, so teams like the Browns and Titans, who have hoovered up picks, should do very well. Should. But then again we are talking about the Browns, so time will tell.”
Dan Boyle: I have to stand up for Dan Boyle. I don’t think Boyle is a great player but a lot has been made of him flipping out on camera at Larry Brooks of the NY Post. Brooks is the same guy that former Ranger coach John Tortorella flipped out on a few times. He is the common denominator because he is an ass and an instigator. Brooks spent the past two years sticking the knife into Boyle – in every single article. Everything was blamed on Boyle. Things that were nothing to do with Boyle were blamed on Boyle – like not resigning Anton Stralman – which was far more about resigning Dan Girardi, Chris Kreider and JT Miller. Trading for Keith Yandle and losing Anthony Duclair? That was because Boyle wasn’t good enough to run the power-play. Now, Brooks wasn’t wrong about all things Boyle, but the guy is 39 years old. He was never going to be an All-Star and he clearly gave his all every shift. He kept his council for two years while that sh*t went on and then when he had the chance, likely on the last day of his solid career, he spoke his mind. I think he was also speaking on behalf of a few other Rangers players, who have to remain quiet because they will still be playing next year. Brooks is a total tool.
NY Rangers Futility: As for talk about the Rangers future… Just listen. What you hear is Henrik Lundqvist‘s biological championship clock ticking. Last week I said that Alain “Viggy” Vigneault had to go: “Call up one of the coaching Sutter bros and get this team re-tooled. Faster on the flanks, younger defensemen and guys with more of an edge… because Hank only has another 3 years in him max. If we can find a back-up, that allows him to limit his minutes during the season.” Short Matt thought I was crazy but Cheesy Bruin agreed with me. Different Matt did, too. Hank is against a major re-tooling because he wants to win now but it doesn’t have to be blown up and started all over again. It is more a case of trimming the fat, not being sentimental and bringing in guys to do a specific task. I think if the Blueshirts do that, they can make do.
Luke Walton: Yeah, yeah… I know I said I would stop writing about the Knicks. However, they keeping coming with more insane news. Apparently they were hot for Golden State Warriors Assistant Coach Luke Walton. And I wrote a good paragraph on the pros and cons… before the stunning news that Walton signed as the new Lakers coach. I am speechless. It somewhat made sense for NY, as he used to work for Steve Kerr. Knicks fans remember him, he was the guy who conned the Knicks into a contract offer before making the smartest decision in sports history, taking the Golden State job. Walton has basketball in his blood. The World’s Tallest Grateful Dead Fan, Bill Walton, is his Dad. And he’s almost filled his Dad’s big shoes; – he was a smart player, played for Phil Jackson on a couple of his Laker teams and took over the Warriors while Steve Kerr was out. I was okay with him taking over the MSG Mess, but another guy with no coaching experience was weird. But it’s moot now. Oh, and the final sentence in that now useless paragraph was this: “Knowing the Knicks, they will bungle this one way or the other.”
That is it for now, come back tomorrow for a guy who could bungle with me anytime, Cheesy Bruin.
