OAKLAND, CA – With the wife’s birthday, more prep for my gig doing play x play for Major League Rugby (NY hosts Toronto in Hoboken tomorrow) and Grinding Ax having to hang up his pen because of new weekend work commitments, yours truly is apoplectically faffing about Michael Conforto’s agent. But let’s not let dilly-dally. Here’s what we’re talkin’ today: Saints [Peter’s] Preserve Us! Penguins Melt In NYC, Oakland’s Herpes – Jed Lowrie
Saints [Peter’s] Preserve Us!
The Peacock is no unicorn. They ain’t the Easter Bunny. Not Santa, either. The St. Peter’s basketball team is as real as male pattern baldness. How in the world a small team (literally and figuratively) that really can’t out-shoot these bigger-named schools – on paper at least – is beyond this Jersey City native’s purview. Really, what is they do to beat teams favored heavily, like the 15 they were getting last night? As far as I can tell from a non-expert persepective, it’s pretty basic. They out-hustle and force the bigger and better teams to stumble, simply by applying constant, unrelenting pressure. And it’s great to watch. Refreshing, I tell ya! Go Cocks!!!
Penguins Melt In NYC
Okay, so unlike Different Matt, Ben Whitney, Cam James, Angry Ward and Cheesy Bruin, I haven’t watched much hockey in recent years. But like Michael Corleone, I got sucked back in just when I thought I was out. Last night’s NY Rangers’ win at MSG over the Tittsburgh Pittsburgh Penguins was especially satisfying, as the in-laws are from Pittsburgh and big Pens/Steelers fans. Chris Kreider’s metamorphosis in the last season or so into a sort of new-age Messier, is right up there with Gregor turning into the roach. Google it… The still-only-twenty Alexis Lafrenière looks like he’s finding his stride despite expectations of immediate stardom from many fans in the cauldron that is NY sports. The trade deadline acquisitions made their debut vs the Devils in Jersey seem like an event that took place years ago, as they were very, very good last night. Indeed, the first two periods against the team that is actually on top of them in the standings, has to have the league now looking east for a favorite to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stay tuned. I know I am.
Oakland’s Herpes – Jed Lowrie
Like the STD that keeps coming back, Jed Lowrie is back with JG Clancy’s Oakland Athletics for the third time. Mets fans may vaguely remember Lowrie, as had 8 ABs for the team and got paid $20,000,000.00. That was over two years. EIGHT AT BATS. Doing some simple Matts-matics, Jed Carlson Lowrie got paid $2,500,000.00 per AB. Good for you Jed, you didn’t get carted off in handcuffs for your grand larceny. One could argue that Bernie Madoff did more for less. Hopefully JG Clancy won’t choke on his tuna taco when he sees the guys Mets fans thought of as Sasquatch (they never really saw him) back in Green and Yella. It would be great, though, if the Stanks came down with a lasting case of Lowrie.
That’s it form now. Please feel free to whine, brag or shed light on any conspiracy theories below
