The Sports Thread

Topic

[Todd]

Feel free to discuss sports of all types from all over the world here. This thread is not limited by country or region.

And remember, Jeopardy! is a game show, not a sport.

• This topic was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Todd.

Replies

…and New York Jets and Buffalo Bills fans everywhere are rejoicing that their teams once again have a chance to with their Division.

Miami Dolphins fans are more realistic….

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Rocket, Todd

njerry wrote:

…and New York Jets and Buffalo Bills fans everywhere are rejoicing that their teams once again have a chance to with their Division.

Miami Dolphins fans are more realistic….

And the Texans fucked themselves by trading DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for a brokeass player. The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that D-Hop wanted to leave.

Todd wrote:

Tom Brady is leaving the New England Patriots

He should have quite while ahead. Now those documentaries will have the ‘years of decline’ at the end.

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Todd

[Rocket]

The Mayor of Buffalo put out a statement reminding people that they are in a state of lockdown and suggested people should restrict their celebrations to their own homes. No gathering of the Bills Mafia would be allowed.

p.s. yesterday was the first day I was glad to see Tom Brady news. it knocked Covid 19 off of Sportscenter.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Rocket.

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Todd

BREAKING: XFL files for bankruptcy. N bankruptcy filing reveals that WWE actually does own part of league (23.5% of Class B stock). Among the creditors — Bob Stoops ($1M), Marc Trestman ($777K), Ticketmaster ($655K), other coaches ($583K) and MetLife Stadium lease ($368K). pic.twitter.com/PRj3CXAnkv

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 13, 2020

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Todd

NHL Commissioner Bettman discusses season restart, Draft scenarios

As many as four NHL arenas would host three games each per day without fans in one of the scenarios the League is considering to finish the season…

If every team gets their own hotel, and no travel (or at least get back to your own bed the same night) then Toronto and surroundings (w/ Ottawa and Hamilton, Buffalo right across the border) seems the right fit.
Most ice hockey arenas geographically when you count juniors, etc., and you can have practices.
Finish the season and full playoffs in July, August and September. October off and next season starts in November.

Y’know what? Easier to finish this season in arenas with no fans. Make an agreement with the players union and the remaining TV money. Get it done.
Next season has no proof of people sitting in arenas, or limited spacing, or whatever.
The talks with the union will be a shit-show.
The now and getting it done is of the utmost importance.
The ‘back to normal’ for next season will be hard (what money will be there?).

Health and safety I support, but if you can make a plan of team isolation (own bus, own hotel) then medical experts sign off on a contact sport.
Oh yeah, that’s assuming the Canadian government signs off, maybe the Americans too (if you need Buffalo).

Each player has the right to choose (to possibly not see their families for a very long time).
If they do, then proven isolation (away from family) for two weeks and then travel to Toronto area followed by another two weeks isolation. 2 week training camp means mid-May go-ahead for that plan (July start) to work.

We are 3 weeks away from the beginnings of that plan.

Can you imagine? Waiting for permission to not see your family for, how long?
If you win the Cup at the end of September and then do two weeks isolation then you can see your family 5 months later.
But for a chance the win the Stanley Cup will see 99% jump at the chance.

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Todd

I hear about this documentary on Michael Jordan and the competitive spirit and obsession he had with winning is incredible!

To me sports is just a game and it is the playing I am into. I have no real fire in me to win all the time. Doesn’t make me a loser ,just someone who puts things in perspective.

Still, I wish I could get into something like that.

Did you guys see that great Major League Baseball game last night?!

Yeah, neither did I… 

I miss live sports…

Christ, me too.

I think the first sport back on TV (probably golf or Formula 1 as they are easier with social distancing) is going to get massive ratings of the kind  Trump will get very angry about.

garjones wrote:

Trump will get very angry about.

I think that is why he came up with the whole Bleach thing. He was mad that the NFL Draft stole his spot as top as most watched show. I am probably biased and geocentric but I think Cuomo would get better ratings people did not hate New York on principle.

No fact-checking here, just straight from sports radio.

So, the real reason why the NHL wants to complete the regular season before having a playoffs is no less than 12 U.S. based teams have regional deals with FoxSports.
If they don’t hit a certain number (maybe not 100%, but close) then the penalty is one full year of games for free (!).
This would hurt a lot, especially when next season is unknown (how many seats?).
They are nowhere near others in TV money and every bit counts.

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Todd

Yup, there’s a lot of that across all sports. They don’t fulfill their TV deals if they just scrap the leagues. In rugby, motor racing. some soccer, they’ve written off the lower level competitions but maintain they want to try and end the current season, almost certainly behind closed doors, for the top competitions that bring in the big TV money.

Sean Robinson wrote:

No fact-checking here, just straight from sports radio.

So, the real reason why the NHL wants to complete the regular season before having a playoffs is no less than 12 U.S. based teams have regional deals with FoxSports.
If they don’t hit a certain number (maybe not 100%, but close) then the penalty is one full year of games for free (!).
This would hurt a lot, especially when next season is unknown (how many seats?).
They are nowhere near others in TV money and every bit counts.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in future contracts, there are clauses for national emergencies and disasters.

Todd wrote:

I wouldn’t be surprised if in future contracts, there are clauses for national emergencies and disasters.

I think there are now to a degree, games and events do get called off from time to time with extreme weather.

This and a major war though are the only times entire seasons could be written off, we haven’t seen a gap like this since the 1940s. We don’t know exactly when it’ll be back but some countries like France have already declared no contact sports until at least September (and yes that includes stuff like basketball, hockey and all codes of football).

To be fair to the TV guys everyone is cancelling their subscriptions to sports channels until live games come back so they have a massive revenue reduction too. I can’t see them signing contracts where they pay for long stretches with no product.

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Todd

Actual real important news:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52512211#

 

 

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njerry

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/the-1990s-bulls-are-the-ideal-dynasty-but-also-an-unrealistic-standard/ar-BB13xWmf?ocid=msedgdhp

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/opinion-legal-ruling-doesn-t-change-fact-us-soccer-lost-fight-with-women-s-team-long-ago/ar-BB13yerF?ocid=msedgdhp

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Todd

It’s an interesting story. There are complications in how players are paid. In Europe they don’t get any money past expenses for playing international football. That’s possible because their club wages are so high.

For example Gareth Bale who plays for Wales is on a salary of £500,000 a week at Real Madrid, the pretty tiny Welsh FA would go bust if they had to pay him that much per game. George Weah, a Liberian player in the 1990s who played for AC Milan, took it further and the Liberian FA were so poor he paid for the kits for them all to wear.

In the US the club game is a lot less developed and the women’s league even lower profile than MLS. The international team is very high profile as they win a lot of trophies so there’s win bonuses and prize money which the article mentions plus sponsorship opportunities. If they were good enough to get into it the revenue and therefore prize money for the men’s World Cup is much higher.

It’s much more complicated than the standard basic salary most of us are used to getting to make a direct comparison.

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Todd

Ontario’s major sports teams can resume training, government hints play could resume in ‘not-too-distant future’

Bit of a jump. Yeah, I know what I said earlier about the Toronto area, but they did a full lock-down.
Second hardest hit after Quebec and the city of Montreal (which is a shame how some have to pay for others stupidity 3 months ago).
It’s obvious “behind-the-scenes” is playing a huge part (or can we just say money?).
But do it right, proper, over-precautious.

I guess the current way of thinking (for the NHL) is 4 hubs, one for each division.
Vancouver and Edmonton are vying to be the one for the Pacific division.
Who can host multiple games a day and multiple practices a day while adhering to the rules?
Vancouver’s infrastructure wins out over Edmonton’s shinier new arena.
Yet not announcing it means they are still waiting for the go-ahead from government about a contact sport (or whose pockets get lined…)

Has to be something announced soon if it happens at all.
___________________________________

In other Canadian sports news, this is most likely the death of the Canadian Football League.
They need asses in the seats and that’s not going to happen this year.
Rich owners got their money elsewhere, and philanthropy has them losing up to $10 million yearly (or worse, but hard to know for sure).

Now they (9 teams) are asking government for $150 million, and no guarantee of next season.
Not the best way to hold out your hand, but thank you for your honesty.
I couldn’t expect government to support (and they shouldn’t), nor should the owners hang on to a sinking ship.

Sad to think of the Grey Cup, the second oldest trophy in North American sport (after the Stanley Cup), set to become just a footnote.

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Todd

Sean Robinson wrote:

I guess the current way of thinking (for the NHL) is 4 hubs, one for each division.

I havent seen anything like that in the press down here but if they are picking Canadian cities for the hub that would mean the Central would be in Winnipeg which would be strange but understandable if Canada does a better job with their Covid-19 prevention. If that were to happen, Trump might not get many votes from hockey fans in November

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Sean Robinson

That can play into it. My rugby team plays in a cross border competition. Currently of those countries Ireland has been managing the outbreak the best (to be honest that isn’t hard because the other teams are in UK and Italy). They have an exit strategy with closed doors contact sports included, the others don’t yet, so a plan is being drafted to play all the games there.

[Martin Smith]

There’s been a flurry of F1 driver moves for next season this week (Vettel out of Ferrari, Sainz moving from McLaren to Ferrari, Ricciardo moving from Renault to McLaren) and it’s so weird having all this happen without any races. It makes this year’s season, if/when it actually happens, feel even more perfunctory and weird, given it’ll be short and compressed and will start after so many drivers are already announced to be out the door of their current teams.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 8 months ago by Martin Smith. Reason: removed fake news

@sean_robinson and @rocket, any thoughts on this: Grudge report: The one thing every NHL fan base won’t give up

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Sean Robinson

That Dallas thing is a travesty. That series was played in late May/early June and Dallas had home ice. You live in Houston, you know how warm it gets. Colorado was a high speed/high skill team. Dallas was a slow defense oriented team. Their arena was old and falling apart. The rumor is the Dallas coach turned down the air conditioning and forced the Avs to skate in slush, slowing them down.

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Todd, Sean Robinson

Todd wrote:

@sean_robinson and @rocket, any thoughts on this: Grudge report: The one thing every NHL fan base won’t give up

Oh yeah, but in each fanbase there’s an arguement about what would be number one.

In Vancouver, everyone remembers 1989. Round one, game 7, overtime against Calgary (who would go on to win the Cup).

Remember, Calgary was a powerhouse in those days, in the same division as Edmonton who went to the cup 6 times (winning 5) in 8 years (1983 – 1990).
Calgary traded away Brett Hull (to St. Louis in March 1988) for playoff depth (and it still gets brought up).
Calgary (from same division) went to the Cup in 1986 (loss to Montreal) and 1989 (win over Montreal).

Note: Vancouver had a Cinderella run in ’82, so that was 9 straight years Canadian-team Cup visits from the old Smythe division.
Also weird that was the Minnesota North Stars went the year before that (1981 loss to NY Islanders) and year after (1991 loss to Pittsburgh).

Wow! Sidetracking myself talking about it, but anyways Vancouver (with first year Trevor Linden) really over-achieved being in game 7 OT against Calgary and had 3 beautiful chances to win (3rd was captain Stan “Steamer” Smyl putting it up and over a down-and-out Mike Vernon who throws a blind glove up and makes the save.
What won? Calgary’s Joel Otto booting the puck into Vancouver’s net with his skate like soccer-rugby.
30 something years later and say “Joel Otto” and we know what you mean…
Where was video review when you needed it?

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Todd

Rocket wrote:

Sean Robinson wrote:

I guess the current way of thinking (for the NHL) is 4 hubs, one for each division.

I havent seen anything like that in the press down here but if they are picking Canadian cities for the hub that would mean the Central would be in Winnipeg which would be strange but understandable if Canada does a better job with their Covid-19 prevention. If that were to happen, Trump might not get many votes from hockey fans in November

No, International flights only arriving in 4 Canadian cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal).
I think it’d be tough for Winnipeg to compete.

I’m hearing the Pacific is between Vancouver and Edmonton.
Toronto trying to be the one for their division.

Minnesota and Las Vegas are up (and I don’t think “North Dakota” is rumored anymore).
Not being a hotspot is a must, NHL caliber ice and dressing room also.
Need to host 3 games a day (2 arenas, at least)

Have to figure this out soon if it’s going to happen.
I wonder if just inviting the top 12 (by winning percentage) on each side a better way to go.
24 teams (12 per side), 7 just stay home (why make them go through that?).

Australian Rugby League returns to ‘behind closes doors’ games in 12 days. I have never watched a game of Australian Rugby League  before, I have watched British Rugby League a fair amount.

Aussie and British are the same game and an offshoot of Rugby Union dating back to an argument about being paid for playing 120 years ago. Unlike the more widespread union game it’s only really played in Australia and the north of England. The skills are much the same but different rules. Players often move between the two.

Starved of any live team sport for 3 months I’m definitely going to watch and am quite excited about it.

Ok, so what we’re hearing about the NHL is a straight to tournament format, 24 teams, top 12 in each conference.
(going by winning percentage when the world broke)
Each conference would have a team with no business being there, Chicago in the West, and Montreal in the East.

Top 4 in each conference get a bye, yet may play each other (3 games each).
This would have to mean something, and affect 1 – 4 seeding.

5 – 12 would play each other in a best of five series (5 & 12, 6 & 11, 7 & 10, 8 & 9)
No re-seeding. Winner moves on to their designated bracket (apparently Bettman loves his brackets).
Yes, this preliminary round could mean 19 wins (as opposed to 16) needed to win the Cup (and first ever to say that!)

2 Hub cities, 12 teams each.
I think the League wants Vegas, and someone close to Vegas.
(Forget Toronto, re-opening a disaster…)
At some point the two bubbles have to merge for the Finals.

It’s going to be Vancouver and Edmonton, or Vegas and (close-proximity partner).
No hybrid mix, one or the other plan. unless I’m wrong

A closer look at the NHL’s 24-team Return to Play proposal

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Todd

Sean Robinson wrote:

It’s going to be Vancouver and Edmonton

I really don’t know where you are going this info. Could it be since you are a Vancouver native you are getting a somewhat local rumor?

btw, even if you do get to play Minnie at home and beat them, you end up playing the #2 seed which are my boys the AVs so don’t get your hopes up.

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Sean Robinson

Just speculation and local rumors (and local government fully going for it).

I do think the 2 week quarantine will be a hinderance, but if the players are willing then I figure they wouldn’t have to a second time if both hubs in western canada.

I figure Vegas and a partner are the front-runners. Whoever doesn’t require 2 week quarantine.

Oh, I fully support the top 4 seeds playing a round robin event during the preliminary round that affects the standings as I would not want to meet Colorado.

Cuomo just opened New York for training camps. There are 4 NHL in the metropolitan area MSG,long island, Brooklyn and NJ. Each seed could host their own series.

[Sean Robinson]

NHL plans to return with 24-team Stanley Cup Playoffs

The NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on Tuesday with the Stanley Cup Playoffs that will include 24 teams.

The tournament will begin with a 16-team, eight-series Qualifying Round and a Seeding Round Robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the First Round.

The NHL paused the regular season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus and its remaining 189 games will not be completed. The 12 qualifying teams from the Eastern and Western conferences were determined by points percentage as of that date. Seven teams did not qualify.

The Qualifying Round and Seeding Round Robin will be held at two hub cities to be identified — one for the 12 participating Eastern Conference teams and one for the 12 Western Conference teams – and begin at a date to be determined.

Candidates for the hub cities include Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver.

more in link…

____________________________________________________
Edit/Update: The League said the only way for the 3 Canadian cities to be considered “Hub Cities” would be to waive the restrictions (two week quarantine upon entering).
I don’t think that will happen in the time-frame needed.

Apparently Donald Trump has said that all restrictions will be waived for the NHL (for U.S. cities & travel).
_____________________________________________________

2020 NHL Draft Lottery procedure

The draft lottery will determine the first 15 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft based on 3-6 drawings over one or two phases.
It will include the seven teams that did not qualify for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, plus eight teams that lose in the Qualifying Round.

Lots more in link…

Forward Alexis Lafreniere is expected to be the No. 1 pick.
Other top prospects include forward Tim Stuetzle, forward Quinton Byfield, defenseman Jamie Drysdale and defenseman Jake Sanderson.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Sean Robinson.

Hey Sean, sorry for the news about Vancouver as a hub city. I was listening to Bettman on Golic and Wingo this morning and he said he wanted a Canadian hub city and that he had discussions with Canadian govt. but the issue had not yet been resolved. He did not sound like a final decision had been made but this morning’s interview could have been just a ploy to apply pressure on Trudeau to change his mind.

Of course Trump waived the restrictions. Its money and good publicity and he also tries to minimize the pandemic every chance he could.

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Sean Robinson

[Martin Smith]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/formula1/52847040

The Williams Formula 1 team and wider company group are up for sale after posting a £13m loss last year.

The momentous decision marks a major change in direction for a company whose founder Sir Frank Williams had previously always insisted on retaining control.

Deputy team principal Claire Williams said: “Frank has always ensured he puts the team, business and our people first, and that’s what we’re doing now.”

She said the aim was to secure the team’s future through internal investment.

This is quite a big thing for F1 if the team does get sold wholesale and renamed. It’s a long legacy to lose and would lend credence to the accusations that it’s becoming impossible for a non-manufacturer team to be properly competitive.I suppose the best thing for them would be to get a works deal with a new/returning engine supplier under the new regulations, if one can be attracted.

I found this element quite surprising though:

Williams also announced that they had “terminated its sponsorship arrangements with Rokit, effective immediately”.

That’s surely not going to be helping cashflow.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Martin Smith. Reason: fixing quoted text

Finally, some news of a proper sport:

the first spectator sport to return is… pigeon racing.

The first race organised by the Barnsley Federation of Racing Pigeons will see about 4,000 pigeons travel around 75 miles from Leicester to Barnsley.

And while new Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) rules will have to be observed, fans and owners just need a pair of binoculars to watch, meaning social distancing is less of a problem than in other sports.

“We all look forward to racing pigeons, especially some of the elderly who don’t have partners,” said Alan Catch, who will have 40 birds in the race.

“We had permission to start training two weeks ago. There are certain rules the RPRA have given us. You have to wear masks and keep your distance. You have to take them (the pigeons) and leave your baskets and somebody else takes them for the race. Then you just sit and wait.”

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Todd, Rocket

Judge: Len Dykstra’s reputation is so bad it’s legally impossible to libel him

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Todd, njerry

Poor Lenny can’t get out of his own way sometimes.

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JRCarter, Todd

the trials and tribulations of being a Mets fan. Hopefully you are not a Knicks fan as well.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/columnist/jeff-zillgitt/2020/06/02/george-floyd-new-york-knicks-owner-james-dolan-reaches-new-low/3123190001/

 

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Todd

On sports radio today someone texted in a question.
“With facing an unknown loss of revenue, will (the North American) sports leagues change their policies and allow advertising on jerseys?”

The quick answer is yes, and probably as fast as they can (most likely 2020-21 for NBA and NHL).
There is no way they can turn down a revenue stream at this point.

Now if the jerseys have a video screen on the back and alternate between the ‘name & number’ and advertising & commercials, then I would say they’ve gone too far.
However if this post leads them to do it, I demand 10% (I never said I wasn’t a whore…).

Roger Goodell and the NFL have finally responded to criticism regarding their position on racism.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/sport/roger-goodell-responds-nfl-stronger-together-video/index.html

It doesn’t go far enough; they still need to apologize specifically to Colin Kaepernick for knowingly scuttling his career.

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Sean Robinson

[garjones]

It’s surprising really that the North American clubs don’t have advertising on the jerseys.

Looking at football it seems they first started it around 1978 in the UK.  They’ve not really varied much from this template of a brand name flashed across the chest.

1979-80 SEASON | eBay | Liverpool …” />

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by garjones.

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Sean Robinson

My first thought is not “Good on Goodell”. No, now it’s all about protecting the money and I see right through his fake bullshit.

Would’ve been nice if they had encouraged positive dialogue when it happened, or even remained truly neutral (and not hampered his civil rights).
No, they have a lot of sin involved and worse when you consider it’s a multi-billion corporation that has a lot of sway on a certain percentage of the U.S. population.

It doesn’t go far enough; they still need to apologize specifically to Colin Kaepernick for knowingly scuttling his career.

Yes, very much so. A truly honest apology that signals change.
I hope someone (many someones) hammer this point home to Goodell and the NFL.

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Todd

[garjones]

Super Rugby Aotearoa will be the first professional rugby competition in the world to have fans return en-masse in the Covid-19 era when the competition kicks off in Dunedin on Saturday.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has confirmed there will be no limit on crowd numbers when the Highlanders play the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on June 13 and the Blues host the Hurricanes at Eden Park the following day.

Fans will be able to buy tickets to the opening two matches of Super Rugby Aotearoa from today.

This was due to start this Saturday anyway but behind closes doors but now will resume with full stadiums because the islands have been declared Covid free with the last patient being checked out of hospital. I know they do have some advantages with their geography but NZ really have played a blinder in managing Covid-19.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by garjones.

The main lesson I take away from Gar’s photos is that footballers had much better hair in the 70s.

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Todd

DavidM wrote:

The main lesson I take away from Gar’s photos is that footballers had much better hair in the 70s.

And moustaches.

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Todd, DavidM

Sean Robinson wrote:

On sports radio today someone texted in a question. “With facing an unknown loss of revenue, will (the North American) sports leagues change their policies and allow advertising on jerseys?”

NBA has already started. they just flipped the sponsor and team name on the premier league jerseys so that the team name is larger. some interesting sponsors. OKC has a chain of truck stops and the Clippers have Bumble.

 

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Sean Robinson

NHL announced training camps to open July 10th. Games start being played on July 30th (rumor).

Candidates for the hub cities include:
Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver

Well, Vancouver and Edmonton are in the mix after announcing no 14-day quarantine for new arrivals.
You are part of a “bubble”, and a set of rules in place, but they can make it work.
Even families allowed in. I’ve heard their own gold course too.

Las Vegas is talked about so much that it’s almost a lock to be a ‘Hub City’.

The numbers are so good in Western Canada that Vancouver or Edmonton should be the second? Right?
I mean, you’ll be having multiple games per day at each site, Eastern viewing times taken care of.
Both Hubs can be in the West.

But it’s not just the players here. Technical crews and everything needed to make this work from multiple TV and Radio partners.
You have to figure more than half of the top end talent lives on the eastern Seaboard (and haven’t been on a plane for more than 40 minutes) that might not want to make the commute.

And the (Covid) numbers are shit for a lot of those eastern cities.
Honestly, I just wouldn’t go near Toronto.
yeah yeah, Bubble.
The ‘bubble’ will have food, cleaning, servicing, etc. and I just wouldn’t do it.
Err on the side of caution and don’t let the mistake happen.

If Minneapolis has calmed down politically and don’t have a Covid-spike from protests then they might be the Eastern Hub.
Columbus – ? Chicago, Dallas, LA, and Pittsburgh sound like no way.

The players will vote on anything presented to them.

Vegas and Vancouver, baby!

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Todd

In Spanish football’s top division, Sevilla beat Real Betis in the first match for three months – with some teething problems off the pitch.
Groups of fans ignored guidance as they gathered outside the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium before the game

I’m not a sports fan so help me out here, maybe I’m missing something.

Is the interaction with other fans important enough that you’d want to stand around with them even if you couldn’t see the game?

I mean, trying to look at it by analogy with things I am a fan of, if Deep Purple were televising a closed-doors concert and my choices were sit at home and watch it on my own on TV or stand in a car park with a group of fans and miss it, I know which I’d pick.

It is a bit weird to be honest.

I know the police in the UK were concerned with fans congregating outside the ground if Liverpool win the title after a 30 year wait but that’s a lot more understandable. A big possible once in a generation event, to say you were there.

For a standard league game I don’t really understand why you’d do it. In fact the Deep Purple thing would make more sense as at least you could hear the music, albeit a little muffled. At the football you’d neither see not hear anything.

If you are watching the match at home, who can you go all “hooligan” on? you need to be somewhere where you can run into opposing fans.

Seriously, 1. you watch the game with other supporters. it is always more fun watching a game with other fans.  2. You watch the game on your phone. smaller screen but that is the price to pay to watch the game with people to cheer with.

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Sean Robinson

Fair point, I honestly didn’t think of watching the game on your phones. I still think it’s weird, but I guess it’s a compromise…

I agree 100% it’s more fun with other fans but I still wouldn’t stand on the road outside a stadium to do that. I’d go somewhere you could have a nice sit down.

So the NHL is not wanting to delay things and really wants to make an announcement on Monday or Tuesday concerning the “Hub Cities” and the fact play will start Thursday July 30th.

I think it’s now up to the NHLPA (players) vote.
Whoever wants Vegas and Toronto has the numbers working against them.
If safety is the driving force in the vote it could very well be Vancouver and Edmonton.
link – Should Canada host both Hubs?

Federally, Justin Trudeau has said he supports Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton.
Federally, Provincially, and locally, everyone is trying to make it work.
But here in BC, Dr. Bonnie Henry (who we just absolutely adore and the NY Times (?) did an article – click) I’m pretty sure she wasn’t supportive of a plan that had the player’s families come for the ride and some say that fact was huge for the players (but everything is rumor and innuendo).

Find out soon.
___________________________________

NHL says 11 players have tested positive for COVID-19 since June 8

Toronto’s Auston Matthews is one, and 3 from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
A number of Phoenix Coyotes training with Matthews also.
But all rumors, except Toronto confirms Matthews.

Brings up an interesting discussion since there is no proof you are immune just because you had it.
The Epoch Times (anti – Communist China) says Hundreds of Recovered have Relapsed

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Quick searches reveal some think the NY Rangers are the Dark Horse to win the Cup.
Whatever.
How about those Philadelphia Flyers?

5 most improved teams – Philly, Colorado, Edmonton, NY Rangers, and Vancouver

Alain Vigneault always has a quick turnaround when he arrives (as I’ve witnessed in Vancouver) and (after a 3-7 start to the season) he took the Rangers to the Cup Finals in his first year (2013-14).
Now in his first year in Philly, after a rocky start the Flyers are 4th in the east.

In a normal year I would put my money on a Philadelphia – Colorado Final.
(and feel real stupid if it’s a Boston – St. Louis rematch because that really is the safe bet).

But this is far from a normal year and further from a normal situation.
Anyone, honestly anyone has a chance.
Got a $100 to spend? (seriously, only if you can part with it)
Put it on your team, and/or whatever your heart says.
The potential for insanity exists!

https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/29344050/nascar-sees-confederate-flags-fly-talladega-superspeedway

I can’t believe this. I realize that American History kind of pales in relation to world history but 150 years is a long time for us and that is how long it been since the Confederate flag was relevant. The region that flag represented disappeared over 150 years ago. GET OVER IT. YOU LOST. NASCAR is no longer your own sport. You can’t dictate terms. The driver that asked for change had a noose placed in his garage because he is black. Some people seem to think it is 1920 instead of 2020. Today at work someone told me he believes Trump is not racist and that he prefers Trump because he implements good policies.  He said Trump is dumb but that he(my coworker) would rather have an idiot with good policy over a smart guy who got by with charm(Bill Clinton). I was speechless which is a good thing because talking politics at work is a no win situation.  it is a shame because I would love to sit down with my coworker and discuss Trump’s “good policies” and “unbiased views” towards minorities

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DavidM, Sean Robinson, Todd

Rocket wrote:

that is how long it been since the Confederate flag was relevant

And the confederacy lasted like 4 or 5 years. The prohibition era was far longer and more recent. Don’t see a lot of people claiming prohibition is part of their heritage.

Oh, right, that’s because prohibition didn’t give legitimacy to see black people as inferior.

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Sean Robinson, Rocket, Todd

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53183857

Testing socially distanced football crowds (in Denmark I think).

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Todd

When you have to walk 2 meters to high-five your mate after your team scores a goal, it kinda loses that spontaneity.

Brentford player cupped his ear to an empty away stand yesterday

— Sam Martin 💕 (@Socially_Sam) June 27, 2020

 

Hmmm. Just seeing if I can post.

I did this yesterday, saw that I could and edited same post with NHL news and then couldn’t see it.
Think I tried again and couldn’t see that one either.
Yet the main page says I’m the last person to post.

No worries as there’s a site upgrade soon.
After that?

I see that. If I see this one then I’ll keep going

Fuck! Not working for me.

Maybe I have a problem with posting pictures and/or links.
What else do I have? Oh sure, every know and then I pull something decent out of the blue, but then after 3 beer I have better luck rolling my face on the keyboard…

Anyways, the NHL is back.
Toronto and Edmonton are the Hub cities.
Saturday August 1st starts the best-of-five qualifiers and round-robins for the others.
Schedule is up for Aug. 1st to Sunday August 9th

https://www.nhl.com/schedule

5 games a day and they sent the eastern conference to EDM and The West to TOR. i’m 3 hours away from an Avs playoff game but can’t cross the border and they aren’t letting fans in anyways.

Welcome to post-COVID sports, pal.

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Rocket, Todd

Teams returned to playing other teams this weekend in MLB. They are exhibitions and do not count but it was nice seeing them out there. Judge, Stanton, Sanchez, and Voit all went yard for the Yankees. Thank your team for the confidence builders @njerry

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njerry

Sadly, my team is just as lackluster as ever. Great team on paper (MacNeil was one of the hottest hitters of the 2019 season, and DeGrom won the Cy Young award the past two years), but in reality they just have no Ooomph.

Release the Kraken!

Seattle NHL team (joining for the 2021-22 season) have just announced their name; the Seattle Kraken.

No link to a news story yet, or pics of jerseys. Soon though.

Pretty cool. I didnt think they would (and am so glad they didn’t go Sockeyes)

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Todd, Chris D

I love it! Great name, great logo, great colors. They’ll be division rivals but I’m seriously considering getting a Kraken Jersey.

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Sean Robinson

Ex-Redskins become Washington Football Team for 2020 season

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Sean Robinson

It took far too long but I’m very happy they eventually saw the light on that terrible name and branding.

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Sean Robinson, Todd

So the Seattle Kraken join the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Tampa Bay Lightning in their group of NHL teams not ending in the letter ‘S’

Chris D wrote:

They’ll be division rivals but I’m seriously considering getting a Kraken Jersey.

Me too!

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Todd, Chris D

That ‘S’ is a brilliant logo.

Sean Robinson wrote:

So the Seattle Kraken join the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Tampa Bay Lightning in their group of NHL teams not ending in the letter ‘S’

So the Avalanche get shortened to Avs and the Lightning’s diminutive is Bolts, I wonder how they will shorten Kraken? “Krak”(pronounced like Craic)?

I can’t wait till powerhouses go up to Seattle and ‘Krak’ them open and devour them like seafood( 5-0, 6-0, 7-1…)

garjones wrote:

It took far too long but I’m very happy they eventually saw the light on that terrible name (Washington NFL team) and branding.

Yes, it’s a good thing, but it’s late, like 20 years late.
Hold on. 20 years ago it was the year 2000.
We knew it was wrong then. It was wrong 20 years before that too.
(Maybe 1980 gets a bit of a pass, we were pretty stupid, but would’ve been nice if more was done.
Shame, shame, shame on the power structure and their belligerence to change.

Some of us can look in the mirror and point the finger of shame.
Going along with it, and/or not being loud enough.
I am stuck on the point of it being the year 2020.

But good for this happening, and you do have to acknowledge that.

So, up north in the CFL the Edmonton Eskimos will drop that name.
They have a ‘double E’ logo, so looking for another name that starts with ‘E’.
Empire came up, and when you look that up you want to stay the fuck away (even from the dictionary definition).
The Commonwealth Games were once known as the British Empire Games, and there was a todo about that.
Of note, Edmonton plays in Commonwealth stadium, and just can’t do something stupid now.

Locally to me, SFU’s (Simon Fraser University) football team ‘the Clansmen’ shortened the name to ‘the Clan’ a while back.
The shortening of the name looks like sheer stupidity, but the original name goes to Simon Fraser’s Scottish heritage.
Fur Trader and Explorer to Canada. But when you say it, it’s with a “K” to most.
When you’re the only Canadian team in your NCAA division, every year opposing players bring it up.
And they’ve been screaming it for a long time. It’ll get changed.

In the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks could just drop the racist logo, although…

named in honor of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division, which was nicknamed the “Blackhawk Division” after Black Hawk, a Native American chief; the team’s founder, Frederic McLaughlin, having served in that division.
Blackhawk was a leader of the Sauk who sided with the British in the War of 1812 and later attempted to regain tribal land in the Black Hawk War of 1832. Opponents of the logo say that adoption of his name for the 86th Infantry, the hockey team, and later for the Blackhawk helicopter are an example of designating certain Native Americans as “worthy adversaries”.

Honestly a tough one, but don’t hesitate, drop the logo and go with a new bird logo for one year.
If name change is needed, then so be it.
But don’t hold on to that logo because you’re ‘thinking about the name’

In the MLB, well, who else can see what’s going on in the world and let the redneck NFL make them look worse.
The Cleveland Indians? Atlanta Braves?
Atlanta had the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ by the fans, and now have a unique opportunity with no fans in the stands to change the name, apologize, and educate (I’m sure local TV would give a good deal on commercial time).
It’s well past time.

Where’s the NBA in all of this?
Oh yeah, in 1997 they changed the name of the Washington Bullets to the Washington Wizard.
No, not racist, but Washington D.C. (& Maryland state?) was the homicide capital of the U.S.
Listened and reacted. Maybe not immediately, but if ‘foolish pride’, they didn’t let it last decades.

Okay, so really just started typing (one search for ‘Blackhawks’).
Think I got the worst offenders.
But that NFL name was the worst of all.
Now it’s 2 MLB teams, and press conferences soon is a must.

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DavidM

I wonder what name Washington will pick. Considering the USA is the land of Stan Lee it’s surprising that only 4 of the 32 NFL teams use alliteration in their nicknames. My mind was immediately thinking stuff like Washington Warriors or Washington Wolves but maybe they won’t go down that route.

Giants pitcher Sam Coonrod is opposing Black Lives Matter in bad faith

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/giants-pitcher-sam-coonrod-is-opposing-black-lives-matter-in-bad-faith/ar-BB17aaCL?ocid=msedgntp

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Todd

Hockey is Back!

Exhibition Games are running all day. I just watched my Avs win 3-2. Games that count start Saturday.

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Sean Robinson

Wow Don, you own the Colarado Avalanche?

I thought Jerry was thebonly millionaire on tje boatd!

Anonymous wrote:

thebonly millionaire on tje boatd!

Australian is a funny language.

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Dave, Todd, garjones

njerry wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

thebonly millionaire on tje boatd!

Australian is a funny language.

Damn, Tim’s having another stroke.

why is everyone always so mean to me

Rocket wrote:

Hockey is Back!

Yes it is!

So I’m going by memory (or pulling out of my ass) but the technical crews will be dictated by the league.
As in the least amount of people inside per game, and one crew will provide “the feed” (for the early rounds), each for TV and Radio.
You might notice some unfamiliarity from some announcers, but if the upper echelon took the invite, I’m not worried because they’re all pros and will get up to speed.
I’m looking forward to hearing some U.S. announcers (that I don’t know by name, but I know I like).

Todd wrote:

Damn, ***’s having another stroke.

No need to call anyone out on that. I can’t type one-handed very well either.

Good for him, though. Once I turned 50 it’s hard tough to be daily.

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even Sean is mean to me

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Todd, Dave, Sean Robinson, garjones

Anonymous wrote:

even Sean is mean to me

No way man. Honestly thought I was funny (and didn’t know you quoted so soon before me).

So sorry if you took offense.

Look, if you got to google, type in the second letter of the alphabet, then the 4th vowel (twice), and again with the second letter, (can try like that, or add the letter ‘S’), then click on Images.

I just did that for you. From across an ocean.

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Sean Robinson wrote:

Look, if you got to google, type in the second letter of the alphabet, then the 4th vowel (twice), and again with the second letter, (can try like that, or add the letter ‘S’), then click on Images.

This is the greatest gift a man could receive!

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Sean Robinson

Anonymous wrote:

why is everyone always so mean to me

If you read my post again, Mr. Masters, I clearly am commenting on the language of the nation of Australia, not on any particular individual who may have citizenship within that nation.

Sissy.

Caw watcha Ozzie talkin speak howzat but?

Bloidy yanks n thar handegg. Dun even nowe what a reel shitkik of a plahy is

No worries I can understand you perfectly well. Why are you all being so mean to Tim?

It’s Seán I’m having trouble comprehending today. The google image isn’t working for me.

On second thoughts

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Sean Robinson

Just as I get happy by the return of Baseball, NBA, and NHL, this shit happens.

http://www.insideradio.com/free/mike-golic-on-leaving-espn-radio-it-certainly-was-not-my-choice/article_3c30f0be-c159-11ea-bcfe-2785dfbfb08a.html

I have woken up to Mike Golic’s voice for Decades. He was the best radio guy they had. He was the most successful as well. The reason was he was never confrontational, always friendly, and good humored. Even when things got awkward, he handled things with a laugh. He opened up to his audience. People got know his family, his taste for sweets and good food, and his LOVE for his alma mater Notre Dame. I have anxiety issues but just listening to him relaxed me. I believe he is still under contract so they say he will be doing College Football and Sportcenter but they said the same thing when they removed Ryen Russillo from afternoon radio and when Russillo’s contract was up, he took off and did not look back.

Russillo- removed against his will, shuffled off to lesser duties, replaced by obnoxious controversial person(Will Cain)as a token response to criticism(ESPN is too liberal). Cain failed and has since been fired.

Golic –  removed against his will , shuffled off to lesser duties, replaced by obnoxious controversial person (Keyshawn Johnson)as a token response(ESPN IS too white). Keyshawn also has been floating around ESPN for years without any success.

The people who run ESPN radio have no clue how to do national radio. The asshole who riles up local markets doesn’t work once you go national. There are no fan call ins on national shows.  Stephen A Smith is one of a kind and only works on TV. Yet they continue to push the heel model.

 

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Todd, Sean Robinson

I’m not really a basketball guy, and baseball needs something to get me going, but I can.

Sounds like MLB is in chaos. Horrible decision making, and people were pointing it out from the get-go.
Yes, I’m getting this from sports radio in a non-market.
But when you see comments like this:

At least 21 members of the Marlins’ travelling party have been infected by an outbreak at the start of a season-opening trip. The team hasn’t played since Sunday in Philadelphia but hopes to resume games next week.

Whoa! That’s not good. Who thought travel was a good idea?

NHL’s latest COVID-19 testing results provide great news for tournament

…zero players have tested positive in the two bubbles.

According to Dreger, 1,500 tests were given per day in each hub city since Sunday. He added that the tests were able to be processed in 24 hours or less.

Zero NHL players tested positive for COVID-19 in the league’s previous round of tests conducted from July 18-25 before teams left for the hub cities as well.

NBA and players’ union say no players tested positive for the coronavirus, one day before the season restarts

No quote from the article, it’s all in the title.

Just saying. The NFL might want to look at MLB and rethink things…

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Todd

So in the first NHL game Carolina best the NY Rangers 3-2.
Not really a big surprise or anything.

But in the second game (on now) Edmonton opened the scoring, but Chicago has scored 4 straight to lead 4-1 before the first period is over.

Chicago? What are they even doing there? Same for Montreal in the East.
2 Original Six teams really lucked out with a format like this.

But here’s the thing. This could be wide open.
The “qualifying round” is a best of 5, meaning 3 wins takes it.
If you don’t bring your A-game, you’re ripe for an upset.

Honestly hope no jobs are lost.
This is quite the effed up year.

And if you lose, you could win in the long run.
The first overall pick in the draft goes to a losing Qualifying team.
Yes. There’s another draft to see who gets it.
All 8 teams have a 12.5% chance (I believe). Not bad…

Here in Vancouver, I honestly believe we will win over Minnesota, as most predict.
Analyzing, well, our “top six” forwards are better than their top six.
Our bottom six, well, hmmm. If they hold their own, then we’re fine.
But the list of people in Vancouver who’ve played a playoff game is small.
No time for butterflies, or rookie mistakes.
I am a bit nervous, but it is wide open like I said.

Both 12 seeds have won.  The Chicago game was less surprise because they have more playoff experience. Toews took charge and got 3 points in the first period

:0.1 Man was that sweet! I looked at the comments on youtube and the Toronto fans are all talking about Kadri.

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Sean Robinson

I’ve just realised 2020 is going to cause chaos in the sports round in pub quizzes.

The Olympics and European Football Championships are now going to have odd numbers to screw you up trying to count them.

All the big names are dropping out of the US Open tennis so it’s going to be won by some unknowns that will be held there as a trick answer in 10 years.

Wales will be 6 Nations rugby champions for 20 months in an annual competition

What’s the lowest fan attendance for an FA Cup Final? Zero – 2020.

Two Formula One GPs on the same track in consecutive weeks. Pretending they are different by calling one the Austrian GP and the second the Styrian GP (that I just had to check as I’d already forgotten).

 

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Rocket, Sean Robinson, Todd

Elimination Friday in the NHL. 5 teams gone in one day.

Only Toronto staved off elimination and forced a Game 5 on Sunday vs. Columbus.
They scored 3 times in a span of 3:34 late in the 3rd to force OT and then won.

NY Islanders over Florida, Arizona over Nashville, Vancouver over Minnesota.
Previous days had Carolina sweep NY Rangers, and Calgary over Winnipeg.

Both #12 seeds won their series. Chicago over Edmonton, and Montreal over Pittsburgh.

One sweep (3 games), 6 series over in 4 games, and one goes to 5 games.

Now some pretty decent teams have a chance at the first overall pick decided on Monday.
___________________________________________________________

Each conference has to finalize 1-4 seeds, but 5-8 is set in the West.

#5 – Vancouver (vs. Dallas or St. Louis)
#6 – Calgary (vs. St. Louis or Dallas)
#7 – Arizona (vs. Vegas or Colorado)
#8 – Chicago (vs. Colorado or Vegas)

The East is set on Sunday, but sorta looks like this:

#5 – Carolina (vs. Wash/Boston)
#6 – NYI (vs. Wash/Boston)
#7 – Tor/CBJ (vs. Tampa/Philly)
#8 – Montreal (vs. Tampa/Philly)

[Rocket]

Yesterday was great hockey. besides all the elimination drama, 3 games went to OT and another two went down to the end. the first game was the only blowout. from 230 pm ET to 2 am(?) we had exciting, tense, climactic hockey.  The team I follow plays an important game today but going from 6 games to 2 is going to require some adjustment. @sean_robinson congrats on your Canucks. Good luck in the next round.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Rocket.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Rocket.

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Sean Robinson

[Sean Robinson]

So things are getting set in the NHL.

Edit: Columbus advances past Toronto

Western Conference Round One

1) Vegas vs. 8) Chicago
2) Colorado vs. 7) Arizona
3) Dallas vs. 6) Calgary
4) St. Louis vs. 5) Vancouver

Eastern Conference Round One

1) Philadelphia vs. 8) Montreal
2) Tampa Bay vs. 7) Columbus
3) Washington vs. 6) NY Islanders
4) Boston vs. 5) Carolina

Quite the free fall for Boston to drop from best record in the league to 4th in the East.
And Vegas benefited from this format nabbing first in the West.
Will things normalize, or more 2020 insanity?
Smart money goes to Colorado and Philly in the Finals, yet anything can happen (especially this year!).

I imagine the schedule will come later tonight, hopefully with games starting Tuesday.

Monday has one of the 8 qualifying losers getting 1st overall in the upcoming draft.
Nice consolation prize.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 5 months ago by Sean Robinson.

NHL Round One Schedule

4 series start Tuesday (all times Eastern):

Columbus at Tampa Bay – 3 PM
Calgary at Dallas – 5:30 PM
Carolina at Boston – 8 PM
Chicago at Vegas – 10:30 PM

and the other 4 start Wednesday (all times Eastern):

NY Islanders at Washington – 3 PM
Arizona at Colorado – 5:30
Montreal at Philadelphia – 8 PM
Vancouver at St. Louis – 10:30 PM

Every series has one ‘back-to-back’ (no day off between games).

All games 7’s set for Saturday Aug. 22nd or Sunday Aug. 23rd

Sean Robinson wrote:

NHL Round One Schedule

4 series start Tuesday (all times Eastern):

Columbus at Tampa Bay – 3 PM
Calgary at Dallas – 5:30 PM
Carolina at Boston – 8 PM
Chicago at Vegas – 10:30 PM

and the other 4 start Wednesday (all times Eastern):

NY Islanders at Washington – 3 PM
Arizona at Colorado – 5:30
Montreal at Philadelphia – 8 PM
Vancouver at St. Louis – 10:30 PM

Every series has one ‘back-to-back’ (no day off between games).

All games 7’s set for Saturday Aug. 22nd or Sunday Aug. 23rd

Who are the favorites for the finals?