Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Boston Bruins

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov 19

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Charissa Thompson, NFL sideline reporter for FOX Sports and NFL Prime on Amazon (Thursday Night Football), walked herself into a hailstorm of negativity this week when she participated on an industry podcast and explained to listeners that she periodically “made up” comments and attributed them to head coaches who blew-off a halftime or pregame interview.

While speaking on an episode of the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Thompson said, “I’ve said this before, so I haven’t been fired for saying it, but I’ll say it again: I would make up the report sometimes, because … the coach wouldn’t come out at halftime, or it was too late and I didn’t want to screw up the report.

“So I was like, ‘I’m just gonna make this up.’ Because first of all, no coach is gonna get mad if I say, ‘Hey, we need to stop hurting ourselves, we need to be better on third down, we need to stop turning the ball over … and do a better job of getting off the field.’ They’re not gonna correct me on that,” she continued. “So I’m like, ‘It’s fine, I’ll just make up the report.’”

OUCH!

In the name of a long history of sideline reporters from Lesley Visser to Pat O’Brien to Hannah Storm to Ahmad Rashad to the late Tony Siragusa, Ms. Thompson set NFL game coverage back 25 years or more.

Why?

Explained David Aldridge, an editor for The Athletic but widely known as an NBA beat reporter and then sideline reporter for the NBA on TNT, “Writing about sideline reporting, much less doing it, is fraught with peril.

“Amend that. “Peril” is not precise here. More accurately, those who think the job is superfluous will never believe there is any value to the reporting gleaned from those who do it best, or to the real-time reporting on injuries and strategy.

“But that doesn’t mean Charissa Thompson’s admission that she, apparently more than once, simply made up halftime reports when she couldn’t speak to coaches coming off or back onto the field during her time as a Fox Sports sideline reporter for football games isn’t immensely corrosive to my business. Thompson, a host for Fox Sports and for NFL games on Amazon Prime, apologized Friday and said she “chose the wrong words” during an interview but added she “never lied” during her halftime reports.

“Too late,” wrote Aldridge, feeling the pain of 1,000+ cuts by social media critics.

“There is an assault on journalism,” D.A. continued. “It is ongoing and unceasing. It is an extension of the assault on truth by powerful people — in autocratic governments, in multinational corporations, garden-variety jerks — who don’t want to be regulated or challenged or criticized. It is a sign of journalism’s ongoing power that it is under such relentless attack by so many.

“It is working: Journalism is now regularly among the least trusted professions, and misinformation thrives. A lie on X/Twitter or IG or TikTokmetastasizes in the collective social bloodstream, swallowed whole by many who don’t know better — and, sadly, promoted by many who do.

“The best journalism provides a necessary counterweight to that fiction. It is the seeking of truth, and the conveying of actual events – how they happened, and why they matter,” noted Aldridge in a column posted under The Athletic’s banner.

It’s not that difficult, says this columnist, and this incident should not be blown out of proportion as we all volley-in our claims to journalistic integrity. Couldn’t Thompson simply state, “Coach “X” wasn’t able to stop for our sideline interview but earlier in the week, he stressed x, y and z for his team to succeed today.

 

Would a viewer think less of her? Would the game producer wonder why she missed the interview although their two-way communication set-up would’ve tipped-off the TV truck in real time? Would a network executive think less of her, and might it reflect negatively on future assignments?

Maybe so, maybe not. It would’ve been a non-issue if she simply told the truth – to her colleagues and the viewers (the fans). Without a doubt, Thompson needed to tell the truth.

Ahh, the truth. It sets you free in every profession except journalism and nightly cable TV entertainment shows, camouflaged as news coverage.

“Newspapers don’t tell the truth under many different, and occasionally innocent, scenarios,” wrote Aldridge’s old boss, the late, great Ben Bradlee(editor of the Washington Post from 1968 to 1991). “Mostly when they don’t know the truth. Or when they quote someone who does not know the truth.

“And more and more, when they quote someone who is spinning the truth, shaping it to some preconceived version of a story that is supposed to be somehow better than the truth, omitting details that could be embarrassing.

“And finally, when they quote someone who is flat-out lying. There is a lot of spinning and a lot of lying in our times — in politics, in government, in sports and everywhere. It’s gotten to a point where, if you are like me, you no longer believe the first version of anything. It wasn’t always that way,” said Bradlee in an October 22, 2014 opinion piece that quoted his own essay, excerpted from the Press-Enterprise Lecture he delivered at the University of California, Riverside, on Jan. 7, 1997.

Bradlee’s words are often paraphrased: “We don’t always print the truth. We print what people tell us is the truth.”

That’s an illuminating statement – whether in 1973 or 2023 – when the truth is batted around into self-admitted “alternate facts.” A scary situation for sure.

Back to Thompson: The reporter apologized and will try to move on.

“Working in media I understand how important my words are and I chose the wrong words to describe the situation. I’m sorry,” Thompson wrote.

But the fallout has begun, and many journalists are carrying the weight of Thompson’s unbelievable and unforgivable action(s), captured on live tape to be played forever and ever. Ideally, it will be discussed at journalism schools to teach an important lesson.

There’s a sub-plot underneath all of the discussion on truth, made-up coaches’ comments and everything being written in the wake of Thompson’s failures. The sideline reporters, as well as the pre-game hosts and studio talking heads, are all seeking on air time. Like playing time for a player, airtime is controlled by the game producers at the live remote broadcasts, and it is as valuable as gold.

No airtime, no recognition.

No recognition, no chance to advance one’s career.

We’ve heard it all before.

It’s all about money, exposure, self-promotion, ego, and perceived upward mobility for a coveted network assignment. It’s a cut-throat world in sports television, and making up quotes and strategies for a football coach is not the way to advance.

Embed from Getty Images

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Boston Bruins veteran and fan favorite Milan Lucic is stepping away from the team, effective immediately. “The Boston Bruins are aware of an incident involving Milan Lucic Friday evening,” the team said in a statement. “Milan is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The organization takes these matters very seriously and will work with the Lucic family to provide any support and assistance they may need. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Boston Police said the department could neither confirm nor deny any investigation into an incident involving Lucic.

The veteran forward has been sidelined with a foot injury after taking a puck off his skate. He was eligible for return but Bruins coach Jim Montgomerysaid Lucic had fallen behind on his rehabilitation program.

STORMING: St. John’s is 2-2 over their first four games and will play Utah on Sunday for third place honors in the Shriner’s Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Coach Rick Pitino has seen the fatigue and lack of familiarity before as he blends an entirely new team together.

“We played a really good first half,” said Pitino after the Johnnie’s loss to Dayton. “We had one defensive breakdown [in the first half]. When you’re playing a team and the game is see-sawing back-and-forth with [eight] lead changes, you can’t blow coverage.

“We had 11 blown coverages in that game after having one in the first half. So, why is that?

“Because you have 14 guys that have not played together and are not used to this type of defense. Defense hasn’t been their personality. It’s like the best player on a high school team where the coach says stay out of foul trouble and let the other guys play defense. That’s what happening right now.

“We have a bunch of guys that were the best offensive player on their team and now in order to win the BIG EAST, they have to play defense and it’s going to take some time.”

TROUBLES: It was a bad week for two rising entities in the sports world. Out in Las Vegas, this weekend’s Formula 1 race was besieged by logistical problems. Wrote Autoweek: “The first day of track activity at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix proved to be quite the embarrassment for the FIA and Formula 1 after a loose drain cover caused significant delays and amended sessions.

“It was a lesson in humility for Formula 1—which is the promoter of a Grand Prix for the first time—after relentlessly and arrogantly hyping its event as one of the biggest sporting spectacles of the year,” continued Autoweek.

The second practice session, due to begin at midnight in Vegas, was delayed, as officials continued to work on the 30 man-hole covers along the famed Las Vegas Strip.

Race officials are being proactive when discussing the new talk of the town, the $2.3 billion “Sphere” which can illuminate the sky. F1 and the FIA, motorsports global governing body, have barred the Sphere from displaying blue, red or yellow when cars are on the track, so as to not to disorient drivers who look for those colors on trackside LED panels to convey key information, such as danger near the track.
The damaged So-Fi Center in Florida (Photo: Twitter/X)

In the TGL indoor golf world – featured prominently here last week with the announcement of the Boston Common Golf team – the roof caved in on Tuesday night.

Literally.

Thankfully, no one was injured during or after the incident, but the air-supported dome appeared to be significantly damaged as of Wednesday morning. As of publication, there is no clear cut prognosis for the new building (TGL’s studio, so to say), nor its effect on scheduling.

Lastly, we had a “Delay of Drone” at this week’s NFL Thursday Night Football game. The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday confirmed it is investigating a rogue drone that was spotted hovering above M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The sighting led game officials to temporarily halt the Ravens-Bengals game in the second quarter. Another delay came later during the fourth quarter, but Ravens representatives said at the time it was unrelated to the drone.

In a statement Friday, representatives for the Maryland Stadium Authority said security and Maryland State Police were able to locate the drone pilot and directed him to immediately land the drone. The individual was unaware of the restrictions but did not have a waiver to operate the drone in the vicinity of the stadium during the game. Authorities have since forwarded details of the incident to the FAA’s law enforcement assistance program.

TIDBITS: The annual Tradition at TD Boston Garden is on the horizon. The Tradition is the annual celebration of sports in Boston and a fundraising gala for the Sports Museum on the Garden’s two Suite Levels. Since 2002, the Sports Museum has been privileged to honor a host of sports legends at the event, including Bill Russell, Ted Williams, David Ortiz, Martina Navratilova, Jack Nicklaus, Lawyer Milloy, Pedro Martinez, Red Auerbach, Larry Bird, Ray Bourque, Doug Flutie, Cam Neely, Aly Raisman, John Hannah, Nancy Kerrigan, Chante Bonds, Shaquille O’Neal, and many more. The Class of 2023 is a fitting continuation of that line-up of superstars and it will take place on the floor of the Garden on November 29.

The honorees for 2023 are Dennis Eckersley (Baseball), Kevin Faulk(Football), Glenn “Doc” Rivers (Basketball), Brianna Scurry (Soccer), Bob Sweeney (Ice Hockey), and Dana White (Special Legacy Award for his creation of Mixed Martial Arts entity, The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

SPECIAL OFFER: Feel free to forward this e-newsletter to your friends, family, neighbors, strangers, plumbers, fire fighters, astronauts and other sports fans with hopes they subscribe with this new Thanksgiving to Christmas holiday special discount offer. It is as inexpensive as Substack can make it (except for the many freebies which – at the least – boost my circulation numbers).

Special Holiday Discount

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: To say that I’m a big fan of bass guitarist Will Lee (not Will Leitch) is a bit like saying I’ve been rooting for the Johnnies all these years (saw my first game at Alumni Hall when Calvin Murphy and his Niagara University Purple Eagles visited Queens on February 13, 1969 – St. John’s 97, Niagara 60). Aside from an occasional charity concert, most of my Will Lee fandom revolves around his lead-bass role with the Fab Faux (Best Beatles cover band of all time) and his work as a long-time member of the CBS Orchestra and Paul Shaffer’s band for David Letterman. … Somehow or another, I stumbled upon a Letterman Show posted to YouTube. Although I’ve seen him sing dozens of Beatles/Paul McCartney ballads, I can say, I did NOT know Will Lee had this performance within him:

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook and news column written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.

Pastrnak Leads Bruins Past Sabres

by

BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – David Pastrnak logged a goal and two assists while four teammates each scored their first goal of the season as the visiting Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Danton Heinen, Brandon Carlo, Oskar Steen and Hampus Lindholm also scored for Boston, which extended its unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1).

The Bruins never looked back after scoring twice in the first 4:09 and had 3-0 and 5-1 leads at the intermissions. Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy each contributed two assists to Boston’s attack while Bruins goalkeeper Linus Ullmark made 32 saves, improving to 6-1-1.

Victor Olofsson scored both goals for Buffalo, which finished with a 34-32 shots advantage.

Devon Levi made 13 saves on 18 shots before Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen entered in relief late in the second period. Luukkonen stopped all 14 shots he faced.

Boston netted its second and third shots on Levi within a span of 1:08 early in the opening period. At 3:01, Heinen got the scoring started outside the crease, burying the rebound of McAvoy’s shot from above the right circle.

Pastrnak caught Zacha’s cross-ice pass for a one-time goal from the left circle, doubling the Bruins’ lead at the 4:09 marker.

It was 3-0 after the opening frame. At 15:14, after Ullmark scurried out of his net to break up an odd-man rush, Carlo finished a great passing sequence with Pastrnak and Zacha as the trailer coming down the slot at the other end.

 

 

The Boston lead ballooned to 4-0 at 4:07 of the second. Buffalo defenseman Owen Power turned a puck over right to Steen, who was left wide open in the left circle for a finish through a screen.

The Bruins continued the scoring on the power play when Pastrnak set up Lindholm’s shot from the center point at 12:23.

Olofsson got the Sabres on the board with 4:53 left in the middle frame, collecting the carom of Power’s shot off the end wall.

Olofsson spun in the slot and buried JJ Peterka’s feed with 4:48 remaining, but the Sabres could not find another goal on a late 6-on-4 with Luukkonen pulled.

Sabres forward Tage Thompson suffered separate lower-body and upper-body injuries during the game. After being initially listed as questionable to return in the first period, he took four shifts in the second period and was forced out after taking McAvoy’s shot off the hand.

Buffalo captain Kyle Okposo became the 381st skater in NHL history to reach 1,000 games played and the 12th to do so as a Sabre.

–Field Level Media

NHL: Bruins All About Execution

by

BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins play another Atlantic Division rival for the first time this season when they conclude a two-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.

Even after being bolstered by defenseman Charlie McAvoy’s return from his four-game, NHL-issued suspension and Pavel Zacha scoring 36 seconds in, the Bruins suffered their second straight blemish against a divisional foe with Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss at Montreal.

Although the loss was only Boston’s second in seven games (5-1-1), the effort led to a hard skate at Monday’s practice.

“Energy, focus, we made mental and physical mistakes,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said when asked what was lacking against the Canadiens. “Our execution was not what we’ve become accustomed to.”

Brad Marchand led the Bruins with a goal and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman made several key stops among his 24 despite ultimately taking his first loss (6-0-1).

“I think we’re a team that needs to get two points almost every night,” Swayman said. “So, a lot of learning (from Saturday). Going to the third with a lead, you want to close that out. So, I want to have a couple more saves there and it’s just not good enough.”

As Boston continues a true goalie rotation, Linus Ullmark is in line to take the net on Tuesday.

The Bruins will need to give it a better 60-minute effort going forward, especially as a stretch of seven games in 13 days begins when Montreal makes a return visit to Boston on Saturday. The points will soon be coming faster.

“Our schedule has been a little unorthodox (with) a lot of spacing between games,” Montgomery said. “Last year, the spacing was time to rest. This year, we haven’t had as many 3-in-4s so far. … After this week, we’ll start to ramp it up.”

Tuesday will be a milestone night for Sabres captain Kyle Okposo, who is set to become the 46th active player to reach 1,000 career games.

“It’s a special day for everybody that helped me get to this point, for sure,” Okposo said. “For my family and the people behind the scenes that supported me throughout the whole way.”

The Sabres were shut out for the first time this season in Saturday’s 4-0 loss at Pittsburgh, playing without a key forward in Alex Tuch (upper-body), who head coach Don Granato said looks to be on target to return Friday at Winnipeg.

With Tuch’s injury and Matt Savoie being returned to juniors prior to Saturday’s game, Mattias Samuelsson played as a seventh defenseman after being activated from injured reserve.

No matter who’s in and who’s out, Granato is hoping to see a simpler game from the Sabres as they face one of the NHL’s top teams.

“Simplifying. It’s easy to say, a little more challenging to execute that,” Granato said on Saturday. “I thought we could have executed things a little bit more simple, more direct and when a puck is getting to the net, get there, get more traffic there. … There were moments we did, but not consistently enough. You don’t score, you don’t win.”

Goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi have alternated starts over Buffalo’s last five games.

If that trend holds, Levi would play his first career game against Boston, the team he shared a city with while playing at Northeastern University. Levi won the last two Mike Richter Awards as the top goalie in college hockey.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Name Marchand Team Captain

by

BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston Bruins named Brad Marchand the 27th captain of the hockey club.  

Marchand joins the ranks of past Bruins captains, including seven Hall of Famers and seven former Bruins whose numbers have been retired.

Embed from Getty Images

Past Bruins team captains include Patrice Bergeron (2021-23), Zdeno Chara (2006-20), Joe Thornton (2002-05), Jason Allison (2000-01), Ray Bourque (1985-2000), Rick Middleton (1985-88), Terry O’Reilly (1983-85), Wayne Cashman (1977-83), Johnny Bucyk (1966-67 and 1973-77), Leo Boivin (1963-66), Don McKenney (1961-63), Ferny Flaman (1955-61), Ed Sandford (1954-55), Milt Schmidt (1947-54), Bobby Bauer (1946-47), John Crawford (1945-46), Bill Cowley (1944-45), Ralph ‘Cooney’ Weiland (1937-39), Red Beattie (1936-37), Eddie Shore (1935-36), Nels Stewart (1934-35), Marty Barry (1933-34), Aubrey ‘Dit’ Clapper (1932-33 and 1939-44), George Owen (1931-32), Lionel Hitchman (1928-31) and Sprague Cleghorn (1925-28).

“I am extremely proud of Brad and the hockey player he has become,” said Boston Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “Brad has been a Bruin for over 15 years and had the opportunity to learn from great leaders in Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. He is ready for this opportunity and our whole team will learn from his competitive nature and tenacity. I am confident he will represent our organization with heart and grit.”  

Entering his 15th NHL season, all with the Bruins, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native ranks eighth in franchise history in games played (947), fourth in game-winning goals (71), sixth in goals (372), ninth in assists (490) and seventh in points (862). The 5-foot-9, 176-pound winger also ranks fifth in playoff games played (146), second in playoff goals (53), fourth in playoff assists (75) and second in playoff points (128). 

“When Patrice [Bergeron] let us know that he’s retiring, shortly thereafter Don [Sweeney], Monty [Jim Montgomery] and I had a number of discussions about who we thought should be the next captain and why,” said Cam Neely, the head of hockey operations for the club.  “Since my time in the organization, I’ve had Ray Bourque as captain, Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron. So, the things that those guys have in common were, not only were they great players – but they worked hard every day at practice and pushed their teammates to work hard. And Brad [Marchand] does that. He’s learned that, and he’s had some good mentors, for sure. And he’s come a long way in his career, both on the ice off the ice, maturity wise. So we felt he’d be a really good next captain for this organization.”

Among active NHL players, Marchand ranks first in plus-minus (plus-290), seventh in game-winning goals, 10th in goals, 18th in assists and 12th in points. Marchand also ranks 11th among active players in playoff games played and sixth in playoff goals, playoff assists and playoff points. 

Marchand is the club’s ambassador for Hockey is for Everyone, a league-wide initiative to drive positive social change and foster more inclusive communities through the game of hockey.  

Throughout his time with the Bruins, Marchand has participated in several community initiatives including Cuts for a Cause, Halloween hospital visits, annual Holiday toy shopping and delivery, and Pucks and Paddles. 

Marchand won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011 against the Vancouver Canucks. He played in 25 playoff games in 2011, recording 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points. 

In 2007 and 2008, Marchand won gold with Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championships. He represented Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship and World Cup of Hockey, winning gold in both tournaments. 

Marchand was originally selected by the Bruins in the third round (71st overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. 

Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak will be alternate team captains.

Krejci Retires from NHL, Bruins

by

BOSTON – Boston Bruins veteran forward David Krejci took it upon himself to make the formal announcement.

“After 15 full NHL seasons I have decided to retire from the best league in the world,” he wrote and posted to social media accounts the world over.

Embed from Getty Images

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cam Neely and Don Sweeney for allowing me to take my time with my decision and announcement.

I also want to thank the Jacobs family and the entire Bruins organization for believing in me over and over again and giving me the opportunity to be part of this amazing family for so many years,” Krejci concluded.

Gone, now, from the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup champion team are goalkeepers Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, defenseman and captain Zeno Chara, and legendary forward Patrice Bergeron – all sure-shot Hall of Famers.

Back into the Black and Gold is Milan Lucic, but he’ll be the lonely torch bearer.

 

 

 

Bergeron Played with Bad Back

by

BOSTON – Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron told reporters that he was playing with a herniated disc in his back during Boston’s first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Florida Panthers.

Embed from Getty Images

Bergeron sustained the herniated disc during the Bruins’ final game of the regular season, a 5-4 victory over the host Montreal Canadiens back on April 13. It was labeled as an upper-body injury at the time, and Bergeron did not return to the game against Montreal for precautionary reasons.

The injury forced Bergeron to miss the first four games of the series against Florida, but the Bruins won three of those contests. Bergeron returned for Game 5 and scored a goal — his lone point of the 2023 playoffs — but it wasn’t enough, as Boston fell 4-3. The Panthers then won Games 6 and 7 to stun the Bruins and advance to the second round.

With the offseason now upon Boston after its historic 65-12-5 (135 points) regular season, Bergeron also said that he was weighing his options when it came to the future.

“I gotta take some time and talk with the family and go from there,” Bergeron said. “Right now it’s too hard to process anything. Obviously we’re shocked and disappointed.”

Bergeron, 37, recorded 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 78 games this season, his 19th with the Bruins.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Eliminated in OT

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – While Boston Bruins fans were ruing their team’s first-round upset at the hands of the Florida Panthers, oddsmakers were understandably not shedding many tears.

Embed from Getty Images

The Stanley Cup favorites at every sportsbook following their historic regular season, the Bruins were the biggest liability at many entering the playoffs. That includes at BetMGM, where Boston had accounted for 28.1 percent of the Stanley Cup champion bets and a whopping 42.7 percent of the money wagered.

“Entering the playoffs, the Bruins were the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup and a significant liability for the sportsbook,” BetMGM Sports Trader Seamus Magee said. “While heartbreaking to fans and those who closely followed their run, Boston losing in the first round was a good outcome for the sportsbook.”

Boston’s demise coincided with the defending champion Colorado Avalanche bowing out on Sunday night, and the good news kept on rolling for the sportsbooks on Monday when the New Jersey Devils took out the New York Rangers in yet another Game 7. That meant the top three liabilities at BetMGM entering the playoffs failed to make it out of the first round.

With the top three American teams eliminated, the new Stanley Cup futures list has a distinctly Canadian flair.

The new favorite entering the second round is Toronto, with the Maple Leafs being offered at +350 at BetMGM and DraftKings. Next are the Edmonton Oilers, who are +375 and +425 at the two sportsbooks, respectively.

The Oilers do remain the biggest liability at BetMGM to win the Western Conference, having drawn 23.2 percent of the total bets and 26.1 percent of the money at +750 behind the prohibitive favorite Avalanche at +175.

Since we’re talking about sports betting, it’s fair to say the Seattle Kraken are “playing with house money.”

The first team to claim a franchise’s first playoffs series victory against a reigning Stanley Cup champion, the Kraken are significant longshots across the boards. They are by far the longest shots to win the title at both BetMGM (+1600) and DraftKings (+2000), where the Kraken have twice the longest odds of the next-closest team — the Panthers at +1000.

Stanley Cup championship odds (BetMGM/DraftKings)
Toronto Maple Leafs (+350/+350)
Edmonton Oilers (+375/+425)
Dallas Stars (+600/+550)
New Jersey Devils (+600/+600)
Vegas Golden Knights (+600/+650)
Carolina Hurricanes (+600/+700)
Florida Panthers (+1000+1000)
Seattle Kraken (+1600/+2000)

–Field Level Media

Panthers Extend Series vs. Bruins

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk scored at 6:05 of overtime to lift the visiting Panthers to a season-saving, 4-3 win over the NHL Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. The Panthers cut their deficit in the best-of-seven series to 3-2 heading to Game 6 tonight in Sunrise.

Embed from Getty Images

After Carter Verhaeghe picked off Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark’s attempt to clear from behind the net, the puck bounced off Ullmark’s pads and onto the stick of Tkachuk for a backhanded, game-winning tally.

Tkachuk finished with a goal and an assist, and Anthony Duclair, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored in regulation for Florida. Verhaeghe logged three assists. Bennett has recorded points in all four of his games in the series, scoring a goal in three of them.

Panthers goal-keeper Sergei Bobrovsky made 44 saves in his second consecutive start.

Boston forward Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist while returning centerman Patrice Bergeron and Taylor Hall each scored for the Bruins, who had a 47-25 shot advantage and finished 2-for-5 on the power play.

Boston’s Charlie McAvoy had two assists, and Ullmark made 21 saves.

Florida led 2-1 through two periods before the teams traded power-play goals in the first 5:14 of the third.

Hall scored his fifth goal in as many playoff games at 9:16, pulling a rebound out of traffic in the slot and ripping it off the crossbar to tie the game 3-3.

The Panthers also killed a too-many-men penalty in the last four minutes of regulation. Bobrovsky denied a Marchand breakaway attempt before the third-period buzzer.

Florida’s strong start included holding Boston without a shot on its first power play and taking the lead at 8:26 of the opening period. Off a Tyler Bertuzzi turnover, Duclair batted Verhaeghe’s pass to score out of the air.

The Bruins tied the game with a man advantage 2:27 into the second. McAvoy made an incredible feed from the right point to Marchand, who corralled his own initial shot that sat loose.

Boston had a dominant 18-8 shots edge in the second, but a late lapse allowed the visitors to take a 2-1 lead with 1:08 left. Bennett whipped home a shot from the slot after Verhaeghe won a puck battle and slipped the puck out of the corner.

The home team’s onslaught continued with seven shots to begin the third, and Bergeron needed just six seconds of a power play to make it 2-2. At 4:33, the Boston captain deflected home Marchand’s shot from above the left dot for his 50th career postseason goal.

Florida’s power-play unit went to work and got the lead back when Reinhart buried a wrister in the slot off Tkachuk’s feed at 5:14.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | April 16

by

While We’re Young (Ideas) Looks at The Week That Was, the 127th Boston Marathon, and Trying to Move On; Recognizing and Respecting our Mortality | And, The Boss!

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – It’s the pipes. Much like the playing of Taps at a military funeral honor ceremony, the bagpipers tear your heart and soul out as they led the procession down Boylston Street in the Back Bay to honor the victims of the senseless 2013 Boston Marathon bombing – now a full decade in the past.

The Finish Line

On Saturday morning, the pipes played and time stood still. The memorial services hurt more than they ever can help. We try to move on, but with every running of the Marathon, from here to eternity, we’ll close our eyes and see eight-year old Martin Richard’s face. Then, we see his family photo with his surviving siblings at his side. One is Martin’s sister, Jane, who lost a leg standing alongside her little brother – both innocently watching the 2013 race and the mid-range runners all crossing the finish line on a beautiful afternoon in Boston.

It all ended in 14 seconds and 200+ yards apart. It was sheer terror, smoke and carnage.

There were others who perished nearby. Lingzi Lu of China was here in Boston studying. She went home in a body bag after being torn to bits, dying from blood loss because of massive injuries from shrapnel, plastic bits and pellets, nails and other deadly propellents stuffed into a pressure cooker and concealed in a backpack. Lu will forever be a 23-year old in our mind’s eye.

Bostonian Krystle Campbell was killed by one of the two explosions purposely set-off in the areas where innocent people were enjoying one of America’s finest and longest standing sporting events. Campbell will forever be 29 years old, smiling that wonderful, endearing smile. She was the best of friends to those lucky enough to be within her inner circle.

Sean Collier, an MIT police officer and Boston Police Sergeant Dennis “DJ” Simmonds died in the aftermath of the terrorist bombing. Collier was assassinated by the two morons, shot at point blank range as he sat in his squad car on patrol on university grounds in Cambridge. He had no chance. They wanted his gun. They didn’t get it and the manhunt was on.

The final victim, Simmonds, was injured during a firestorm shootout in nearby Watertown after police identified the bombers and began the manhunt, the largest and most organized police detail every undertaken in one of America’s oldest, most beautiful and symbolic cities. Simmonds died of his wounds a year after that terrible day when the entire city of Boston was shut down as its citizens were instructed to shelter in place.

One of the terrorists was killed in the shootout in Watertown. He was then run over by the very S.U.V. being driven by his younger brother who was trying to escape but was later found bleeding and cowering in a winterized pleasure boat parked right in our backyards. The younger of the two domestic terrorist, the guy who chose to lay his backpack right next to the Richards family, was tried by his peers, convicted and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He awaits, sleeping on the USA’s dime on death row in a SuperMax prison in Colorado. I am very much against the Death Penalty. I do not think it acts as a deterrent to the criminal mind. However, there are exceptions. Regardless, I never want to see or hear about this guy ever again.

This Saturday afternoon, the bells tolled at the Old South Church in Copley Square at precisely at 2:49 p.m. to mark the time of the first explosion ten years ago. The cold, cruel facts of the domestic terrorist event and names of the victims are spoken and written today, over-and-over again to be sure we never forget. We have to remember their faces, those family smiles from the images. We have to recognize the overall importance of the victims to us all. Their diversity in age, occupation and nationality, symbolize what all that is great about Boston, a small college town with a huge heart and an extraordinary love of sports – from the Marathon to the Head of the Charles. The citizens of New England and all who come to run, visit and study here, will be out in force on Monday. After all – paraphrasing what David “Big Papi” Ortiz once said, “This is our F’ing city,” and we’ll all agree, “It’s our F’ing Marathon, too.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While the lead-up to the 2023 Boston Marathon has taken on a somber note as the 10-year anniversary is marked this weekend, there was a certain complexity to the entire week just concluding.

This week began on Easter Sunday – and for those who believe – it was a day to reflect on death, resurrection and eternal life. The week continued – for this writer – with attendance at one of the most moving rock shows ever staged. It was a week when abortion rights were turned upside down by courts throughout the land, only to have the Supreme Court call a temporary “time out” for the very issue they tossed into the air last June 24th after 50 years of law settled the issue.

It was a week of extreme weather, deadly tornadoes in the Midwest and South and floods in Ft. Lauderdale while thousands of acres remained underwater from equally terrible flooding in California. It was a week when one of our own national air guardsman leaked classified documents and put the United States’ national security at risk, once again.

But, with all the upheaval and all the trouble lurking, we must endure and move forward as that is the only solution. “Survive and advance,” we said so confidently during March Madness. Now, we have to live by that saying. Yes, we will.

This week, the entire City of Boston will rally and move forward, as it must do to make any sense of the mental anguish of a monumental event in the city’s history now a full decade ago.

What might be a personal salve for the challenge as the anniversary comes along? Boston’s Sports will get the job done. The Celticws, the Bruins and the Red Sox will remember the best of times as they pay respect to the worst of times with ONE Boston Day celebration and day of service. After all, the Boston Bruins just completed the most successful regular season in National Hockey League history and one of its stars, David Pastrnak, netted 61 goals in his 82 games played. Things are looking good in 2023.

The Bruins and the NBA’s Boston Celtics (57-25) will embark on an every-other-day playoff march and it will be coupled with the Boston Red Sox attempt to compete in the ultra-tough AL East. Just 14-games into the 2023 season, the Sox (7-8) find themselves in last place in their division and trailing the first place Tampa Bay Rays by 6.0 games. Nevertheless, Fenway Park will be filled with hopefuls, especially Monday with the traditional 11:10am first pitch.

Here’s a sampling of what we’re up to, if the beer-guzzling, Sam Adams-loving, 26.2 chugging crowds can endure and the word “upset” isn’t uttered in this town until June:

Saturday April 15th:

  • 2:30pm – Boston Marathon Opening Ceremony
  • 3:30pm – NBA Playoffs, first round, Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics (112-99)
  • 4:10pm – MLB, LA Angels and Shoehei Ohtani at Boston Red Sox (9-7)

Sunday, April 16th:

  • 1:35pm – LA Angels at Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park
  • Eve of Pasta and Pastrnak!

Monday, April 17th:

  • 8:30am – The running of the 127th Boston Marathon
  • 11:10am – LA Angeles at Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park
  • 7:30pm – NHL Playoffs, Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins

Tuesday, April 18th:

  • 7:00pm – Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, Game 2
  • 7:10pm – Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park

Wednesday, April 19th:

  • 7:10pm – Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
  • 7:30pm – Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins at TD Garden

And, on we’ll go.

OHTANI’S IN TOWN: As noted, Major League Baseball’s two-way (pitcher and batter) sensation and most talented player, Shohei Ohtani, is in town this weekend and is scheduled to be the starting pitcher when the Angeles face the Sox on Patriots’ Day and that 11:10am (ET) start. (That’s eight in the morning for the Southern California crew).

The Sho is a fantasy baseball player’s dream and nightmare, especially in weekly leagues. Do you start him as a batter or a pitcher? Will he get two starts this week, with the first coming Monday morning?

A lefty batter, can he wrap a shot around the Pesky Pole or will he go with his picture-perfect stroke and line one out into left center field for a single? Will he steal a base or two? Will MLB superstar, but oft-injured OF Mike Trout be on base for Ohtani to knock-in, like a pinball wizard?

Friday night saw the Angels draw the devilish imprint of the game of baseball. They committed three costly errors, tossed wild pitches and allowed passed balls, all resulting in a 5-3 Boston victory. The Angels left 11 runners on base. The great Ohtani went 1-for-4 with two strike-outs. Boston only had five hits to produce the five runs needed to win. Saturday, the Angels were felled by consecutive catcher interference botch-ups. LA was winning 7-6 in the 8th and lost, 9-7. The Angeles are 2-for-2 in handing away wins.

LAST MAN STANDING:

“Faded pictures in an old scrapbook

Faded pictures that somebody took

When you were hard and young and proud

Backed against the wall running raw and loud”

BRUCE AND THE E STREET BAND: “It was 1965 and I was 15 years old,” began Bruce Springsteen this past Tuesday at the New York Islanders brand-new UBS Arena situated alongside the greatness of Belmont Park Race Track. Springsteen was doing an intro to the key song of his latest LP, the most important and telling song on the album. “I’d been playing guitar for about six months when one summer afternoon I heard a knock on my front door. It was George Theiss (The Castiles). “He was an old friend of mine and he was dating my sister at the time. She told him I was playing some guitar and he asked me to audition for his band. So that weekend, I followed him to a small shotgun shack of a house, just one block from the town’s road mill. It was there at that little house that I embarked on the greatest adventure of my life. I joined my first real rock ‘n roll band. And, we lasted for three years! That’s a lifetime for teenagers. We lasted from 1965-66-67, an explosive time in American history and an incredible moment to be in a rock band.

“Now, if you cut forward – cut forward 50 years from that summer afternoon – on another summer day, I found myself standing at the side of George’s deathbed. George had been in a terrible battle with lung cancer in the last years of his life and he only had a few days left to live.

“I realized with his passing, it would leave me as the last surviving member of that small group of guys that got together in that little corner house that afternoon. It will give you pause to think. It’s like you are standing on the tracks with the white, hot light of an oncoming train, bearing down upon you. It just brings a certain clarity of thought. Death’s final and lasting gift to the living is an expanded vision of life itself.

“It gives you another chance to look at life – to look at your life – to look at the lives you and your friends are leading.

“It was shortly after that afternoon when George passed away, just a little while later, I wrote this song. It’s just about the passions you follow as children, not knowing where they’re going to lead you. And, how at 15, it’s all tomorrow and tomorrow and hello and hello. And, later on, there’s a lot more yesterdays and good-byes.

“It made me realize how important living every moment is. So, be good to yourself. Be good to those you love and to this world we live in.

“This is Last Man Standing”

YouTube player

During the many years (48 for yours truly), watching Springsteen evolve into the man he is today, he told many a short story as he introduced new songs and gave listeners deep insight into his song-writing processes. But, never have I witnessed a very deep introspective viewpoint such as what he chose to share this past Tuesday night in Elmont, New York. While he reached into his soul every night as he performed Springsteen on Broadway, this week, he paused in the middle of his two hour, fifty minute rock show to lay his mortal soul on the line, warning us all of the fact death is inevitable.

Put simply and very clearly: “It kicked my ass.”

To the many aging, gray haired, gray bearded faithful in the audience, it was as much an awakening as it was a death knell. After all, that train is coming – for some of us sooner than later – for some – unexpected and quick – while others might suffer the fate that George Theiss suffered, fighting dreaded lung cancer for years to the end.

“Rock of ages lift me somehow

Somewhere high and hard and loud

Somewhere deep into the heart of the crowd

I’m the last man standing now”

SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND’S SET LIST: The April 11, 2023 concert’s set list for the Boss & his E Street Band reflected his journey since that summer day in ‘65 and guided him through a lifetime of great success coupled with personal challenges which included immediate family issues and a very public break-up and divorce.

Unlike most concert trails, Springsteen has stuck with a core of meaningful songs which all tell of the journey he’s been on with his Band. The dedication of his passion and belief in his music via “No Surrender,” to the pursuits of the “Promised Land.” The April 11th show was not a “Farewell Tour” of all the greats in chronological order. No, it was a life lesson.

He remembered some of our darkest days of “The Rising,” and performed a version – like always – that provided inspiration if not relief. A first time in a LONG time was the insertion of “Born in the USA,” which reminded us of the tough times in these United States when a country was divided and George Theiss’ Castiles were performing during the heat of the Viet Nam war.

In a Michael Jordan “Last Dance” timeline kind of way, the concert waves (or was it sways) back and forth, to insert the glorious rock anthem of “Because the Night” intertwined with memories of New Jersey days gone by “Wrecking Ball” or additional Springsteen anthems like “Badlands,” “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run.”

Just when you’d think he had performed the greatest song of all-time in “Because the Night,” you were reminded of the iconic lyrics and ass-kicking rock of “the night bustin’ open and two lanes will take us anyplace.” When Springsteen was ready, he brought forth the greatest of ‘em all.

“Born to Run” reminded us of that fact, “The amusement park rises bold and stark, Kids are huddled on the beach in the mist, I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight, In an everlasting kiss.”

But, there was still time for a little “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” a purposeful look back again via “Glory Days,” a vision of Courtney Cox “Dancin’ in the Dark,” and a tribute to The Big Man himself, Clarence Clemons via his nephew, Jake, playing “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” as a contemporary and equal of Springsteen, not a fill-in any more.

When it was time to close it down, Springsteen did so with an acoustic guitar and a good-bye (for now, as he heads to Europe from April 28 to June 28 for a 20 concert, 13 city, 11 country tour segment) with a message of “I’ll See You in My Dreams.”

Here’s hoping it’s not a dream with a locomotive and a single bright light bearing down upon him.

To end this column of deep thinking … How about some SUN.

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: From the morning weather reports not more than 10-days ago, we awoke to hear it was 19-degrees on The Vineyard. Twenty-five degrees in Boston with the wind blowing. It was not pretty, as March came in like a lion and went out like old T-Rex.

Now, the 10-day forecast had smiley sun faces after smiley sun faces, temperatures in the 60s, 70s and maybe 80s. Sadly for tomorrow, Marathon Monday – more commonly known as Patriots’ Day in these parts – we’re looking at 45-to-67-degree temps and a 51% chance of rain in the morning but 14 mph SxSW winds which can provide a tailwind for the runners.

Generally, it’s Springtime in Boston and the Sun is King. It’s a great time of year. We’ll leave this column with an upside of inspiration, written by the great George Harrison and performed here by bass player extraordinaire Will Lee and The Fab Faux.

YouTube player

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook & Column, written by Terry Lyons. Each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city newsstand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips. TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | Dec 4

by

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – USC lost and TCU lost!

USC is OUT while TCU is in.

The Georgia Bulldogs smoked LSU, 50- 30, to take the SEC championship and lock the No. 1 seed in the upcoming College Football Playoffs while the Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan Wolverines Big Ten Championship game was underway as this missive posted its “Bulldog” edition, the Wolverines with a 14-13 lead at the half.

There will be tons of speculation and reasoning for the CFP committee to toss-around the virtues of Ohio State, Alabama, and TCU to decide the final two teams to qualify. Ohio State and Alabama are probably the best two teams of the five, but TCU’s season-long resume might qualify the Horned Frogs to No. 3 as ‘Bama, Tennessee, Clemson and Penn State seem to blend into one, as in one short. USC finished 11-2 in the Pac-12, but lost to Utah twice in the season, once on October 16th, and again in the conference championship game Friday night, thumped 47-24. That places USC as a solid No. 8 or No. 9 at best.

Taking it all in, it might be easier to assign TCU and USC to the January 2nd Rose Bowl and let Georgia and Michigan play the final on January 9 and call it a season. That would make either the Fiesta Bowl or the Peach Bowl pretty annoyed.

By Sunday morning, the decisions were made:

College Football Playoffs 2022-23:

  1. Georgia
  2. Michigan
  3. TCU
  4. Ohio St.

Outside looking in?

  1. Alabama
  2. Tennessee

On the flip-side, let’s all celebrate the fact Miami (Ohio) and the University ofAlabama-Birmingham – their friends call ‘em UAB – will kick-off Bowl season with berths in the Bahamas Bowl on December 16th – just 12 days away. On Christmas Eve, Middle Tennessee and San Diego State will travel to Honolulu for the annual Hawaii Bowl on December 24th and enjoy a “Mele Kalikimaka” on a bright, Hawaiian Christmas Day, December 25th.

HERE NOW THE NOTES: The Boston Celtics are 18-5 to date, 11-2 at the TD Boston Garden. That amazing start was good enough for the NBA to recognize head coach Joe Mazzulla as the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October and November. It marked the Celtics 16th overall NBA Coach of the Month honor since the award’s inception during the 1982-83 season. Boston leads the league in points per game (121.9), field goal percentage (49.8), three-point field goal percentage (40.8), free throw percentage (85.3), while also ranking sixth in assists (27.5). … For the first time in franchise history, the Celtics averaged at least 123.0 points and shot over 50.0 percent from the field during one calendar month (min. 10 games) for games played in November when they posted a 14-2 record.

Not to be forgotten, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was named the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October/November. Tatum earned his second career NBA Player of the Month award and now holds the third-most monthly honors in Celtics history behind Larry Bird (7) and Paul Pierce (3). This season, Tatum has appeared in 21 games (all starts) and is averaging career-highs of 31.6 points on 48.8 percent shooting from the field and 87.3 percent from the line, along with 7.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 36.7 minutes per game.

BOSTON BREWIN’ – The Boston Bruins, the Celtics’ neighbors at TD Garden and their respective practice sites, are 20-3 for the season and 14-0 at home after Saturday night’s victory over the highly competitive Colorado Avalanche by the score of 5-1. … The Bruins and the red hot New Jersey Devils are 1 and 1A in the NHL power rankings. This column will delve into that full list in depth next weekend.

KNAPP MEMORIAL FUND: Eight NFL teams and up to 50 NFL coaches will participate in different ways to support the first-ever Coach Knapp fundraiser this December, which will benefit The Coach Knapp Memorial Fund. The fund was created this year to educate drivers on the dangers of distracted driving, reduce the number of distracted driving-related deaths, and promote distracted driving awareness reform in the United States. … Knapp’s wife, Charlotte, and his close friend and agent, Jeff Sperbeck, created the fund to honor the legacy of Greg Knapp who was killed after being hit by a distracted driver while he was bicycling in July 2021. Coach Knapp was known for climbing the stadium stairs before every single NFL game he coached over his 25 season career…. Stadium stair climbs and other fundraising activities will play a part of the tribute. … At the time of his passing, Knapp was previously named Passing Game Coordinator for the New York Jets under head coach Robert Saleh.

PGA TOUR BRUNCH: The six-days a week missive, known to you all as PGA TOURBRUNCH is right around the corner with the first issue of 2023 planned for Wednesday, January 4 with the Sentry Tournament of Champions scheduled to take place January 5-8 in Kapalua, on The Valley Isle of Maui in Hawai‘i. … After a wrap-up column on January 9th, PGA Tour Brunch returns January 11th with a preview of the first full-field event of 2023 when the PGA Tour pros tee-off for the SONY Open in Honolulu. You might’ve read it before, but PGA TOUR BRUNCH is the perfect gift for your favorite golf fan (maybe fans). It’s a gift that keeps on giving all season long, and up to the Tour Championship in late August 2023. … Why Brunch? Well, it is sent in advance of each round of golf and – with the tournaments played in different time zones throughout the season, the time can change a bit. Ideally, it pops-up in your inbox at 12 Noon (ET), at a time when you have a minute – over LUNCH or BRUNCH to relax, grab your mobile device and take-in a screen or two or three of the most important information on the tournament being played each week. Some basic stuff, yes! Tee Times, Leaderboard, what time the TV and Radio broadcasts will be for the day/week and just a few links to surf to get deeper information. … It saves time, as we’ve done the groundwork to put forth what you NEED to read to follow the Tour. For a limited time (Today through Dec 31, 2022), we’re offering a 20% discount as a Special Holiday Greetings and Gift idea. Click HERE

PGA TOUR BRUNCH is the “sister publication” to the missive you’re reading now – While We’re Young (Ideas) aka TL’s Sunday Sports Notes. Both are available for subscription via Substack and both are sent to your device by email and they’re archived on the Substack App and our home sites. Similar to PGA TOUR BRUNCH, you can gift a subscription to WHILE WE’RE YOUNG (Ideas) – before Dec. 31, 2022 by visiting HERE.

WORLD CUP: The hopes of the United States advancing in the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament came to an abrupt end Saturday, much to the 3-1 ear-slapping at the hands of The Netherlands. Although the FOX, USA-loving broadcast teams and studio commentators made excuses of “what an experience” and “too much youth,” stating, “we should be proud” cliches, and emphasizing on the incredibly un-professional use of the word “we,” the truth be told, the USA got their asses kicked.

Maybe some Kipling – from his Poem, “If” might fit the sitch:

“If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster.

And treat those two impostors just the same.”

See you in: (USA sites) – New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City, Seattle, San Francisco/Bay Area, Los Angeles; Vancouver and Toronto for Canada and Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey for Mexico in the truly North American World Cup of 2026.

  • The Triumph* clip is NOT for office consumption and it dates back to a Conan show during the Rio World Cup.

WORLD CUP TID-BITS: Jennie Taft made the FOX and FOX Sports 1 studio shows work. Why, oh, why did they mover her to pitch-side reporter? … Has anyone ever seen NBA/ABA great Rick Barry at the same phone booth as former USA soccer player turned broadcaster Alexi Lalas? … Buried in the personal memory bank was a 1990 trip to London to see the likes of Tears for Fears, Elton John, Eric Clapton, a Genesisreunion with Tony Banks (piano), Mike Rutherford (guitar) and Phil Collins (drums, vocals) at Knebworth. The trip coincided with a World Cup quarterfinal win for England over Cameroon (3-2, on the 1st of July) and a (1-1) tie vs Germany which resulted in England losing 4-3 in the shoot-out on the 4th of July. England had several chances to win and a goal recalled for being off-sides to further the disappointment. The image embedded was a gentleman, sitting on the curb just outside an upscale pub near the JW Marriott Grosvenor House. He had his head in his hands for 10+ minutes, not moving a muscle otherwise. It was then, and only then, I could understand the meaning of World Cup soccer to the English, the Europeans and the world as a whole. Of course, I was thinking about MLB scores back home and the fact Pink Floyd headlined Knebworth, a notch above Paul McCartney and Wings. … Sadly, I think the excitement of the USA qualifying and advancing to the Round of 16 in this, the 2022 World Cup, will mean little to NOTHING for the MLS or television coverage for the sport of soccer in the USA. … FOX Sports commentators admitted to the lack of size, strength and depth for the USA team. Excuse the basketball reference, here, but the USA needs to develop a more “Jordan Rules” mentality and to utilize the Chuck Daly/Isiah Thomas invented strategy to bang, crack and hit anything that moved as it made its way in front of the rim (USA goal and especially the goal-keeper). I’m not talking about drawing yellow cards or penalties (allowing shots at point blank range), but I am very much aware of what the Detroit Pistons – via Bill Laimbeer, RickMahorn, Dennis Rodman and the rest of the “Bad Boys” – did to the mighty Chicago Bulls and its stars who took it to the rim. Additionally, the Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley did the same in the 1991-95 era of New York Knicks/NBA basketball. Riley convinced the Knicks that they were capable of winning and advancing in the playoffs if they played rough and tough. He convinced the likes of Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and John Starks that they could win if they played very physical basketball. Team USA needs to hit the weight room or do some recruiting.

In closing, there’s one other important detail, call it another fact. The Netherlands was a better Futbol team. They out-played the USA, fair and square. In addition to The Netherlands, there are at least xx other teams better than the USA team and they include: Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Spain and Portugal, for sure. Add to the probably better teams of Switzerland, Poland, S. Korea, Japan, and Croatia. In other words, if you ranked the Round of 16, the USA was arguably 16th, maybe 15th or 14th.