Alex Houston

Is it just me or does it seem like these playoff threads for the NBA and NHL have been kinda meager compared to what they once were. I swear I recall more posters coming in and arguing about things and nowadays, it feels like there's a handful of responses before it goes quiet again. 

I guess I'm always kind of surprised that we as fan seem so shocked and awed when a series inevitably goes to six or seven games. Perhaps this is more a representation of how little faith Boston was given, but this a Finals match between two of the best teams in the league. It seemed more pre-determined to me that this was going to be split 2-2 after four games, with the overall better team finding a way to win the best of three there at the end. 

This Rangers run has been impressive, but I got a feeling that Colorado is going to be rude awakening for those guys. If the Avalanche can buckle down more defensively so they don't get into shootouts with Edmonton, you got to like their chances against whoever comes out of the East. 

Interesting to see how a baseball game broke out in Calgary last night. Kinda seems like Calgary would be the odds on favorite if Colorado ends up failing. 

Well thank God the long suffering sports fans in LA get a title to end their championship drought. 
 

I disagree with most folks here. It was a solid matchup which unfortunately got influenced on some suspect calls at the end. Sadly that’s the way the games go though. Bengals needed some more points when they jumped out, but Donald willed his crew to a win.

But seeing the Rams celebrate has rekindled my hatred of them from ‘99. Yes, it was a catch then and still is now. 

This has been a fun one to watch. Go Bengals. 

I'm going back to Tampa's loss here for a second. After having two days to let it simmer, I can simply say I will always appreciate Brady and the team for bringing the Bucs back from the sea of irrelevance. Tampa had no playoff appearances since 2008, went through four head coaches in the process, only to convince the greatest quarterback of all time to come to Central Florida and won them a damn Super Bowl.

I won't disagree in the slightest that this year, Tampa was playing with house money and I was going to be content with whatever the outcome was going to be. I knew damn well that repeating in any league, but especially the NFL, is extremely tough. And yet, I wanted to see them get at least one more, since I know that the coaches, Brady and all other talent on the team are essentially there on borrowed time. Considering their history, it's very few times that Tampa has had a consistently competitive team. Why not bank now while they can before fading back into that fateful sea again?

Needless to say, you can't spot teams points. The injuries crept up and even if they had pulled off the comeback, this team was going in wounded to a fortunate squad in San Francisco and the likely returning to glory Kansas City. 

I look forward to what the Fall will bring. I can't imagine Brady retires now, knowing he still has a team that can go all the way, but if he does, I'm thankful for what I got to experience. 

Considering how the Eagles were the damn monkey that the Bucs needed to get off their back when I first started rooting for them, I'm always going to love Tampa railing into this team. 

The real question is has the guard officially changed in AFC East or is this just a mirage?

21 hours ago, FiddySicks said:

You would think with all of the self created turmoil that this wouldn’t be the year, but I feel like a lot of the most BS drama filled Pats seasons ended up with Brady lifting another trophy so,


Im genuinely not worried about the Bucs facing a single NFC team except for one. The 49ers. I just have this feeling that them getting that defense settled a bit more right before the playoffs is going to vault them deep into the playoffs. It’s contingent on Garrapolo not tossing games away, but I kinda feel like that defense may be able to cover enough of their offensive weaknesses up. 

Yea, it does feel like one of the teams that gets to the Super Bowl always takes the unexpected route, don't they? I'd still wager my money on this year being Rodgers' last stand in the other Bay and him getting his second SB appearance, losing to Kansas City and their crew reclaiming their place as kings of the hill. 

Y'know honestly, this is a pretty open postseason in terms of what is gonna happen and that's kinda nice to see for a change. 

On a different note, I was already floored when Tampa won last February and of course, I'd like to see a repeat, but this year just doesn't look to be in the cards for this team. They seem to only have luck when the season starts with a two or zero. So next year baby!

I'm usually not this partisan but I'm so annoyed the Steelers backed into the playoffs and everyone is lauding Big Ben as this talented, righteous dude where we forget about his dicey past. I'm usually not this crass but man, I hope the Chiefs just whip his bloated corpse up and down the field Sunday night. 

3 hours ago, OnWis97 said:

So I am curious. Do the Kraken have better Stanley Cup championship odds than the Wild (I'd hope so)? And where are they on that list.  Just behind Tampa and Vegas?

 

(Goes to check)

https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl-odds-2022-stanley-cup-140004820.html

 

So on this link, they have better odds than 11 teams. I guess I didn't realize Colorado was supposed to be this good... but the teams I assumed would be 1 and 2 are 3 and 2.

Yea, Colorado has underachieved the last two years. They likely should've gotten to the WCF back in 2019 when my Sharks honestly had no business being there, but it's why they play the games. I imagine we'll see a rematch of them and Vegas in the second round again. 

It's been an entertaining back and forth game. All I can say at this point really.

Also, Bill's son, whatever his name is that's doing Defense I think, looks like he got a pack of Camels and spits dip into a Gatorade cup between snaps.

On 5/14/2021 at 5:04 PM, McCall said:

It will always be big brother (SF)/little brother (Other), but I believe it can work. It just seems that, now, San Jose is the ideal second city to San Francisco. So while it's very possible, it's just not probable given circumstances that are business-related and not necessarily market viability-related.

This comment conjures up an interesting question: In the same MSA with 8 million as I pointed out before, what city is considered second to San Fran? I mean, San Fran isn't even that big, as Fiddy pointed out, from square miles and population, but it's always included in the Top 3 cities when you start talking west coast markets. You'd automatically think Oakland was runner-up because of the sports teams, Berkely, proximity to SF, etc. But in the last 20 years, it really seems like San Jose has leapfrogged them.

And on that point, San Jose feels like one of the weirdest cities that has prospered in the last thirty years. Like, despite rooting for their hockey team, their city honestly seems kinda drab, like a bunch of suburbs lumped together and I know it's silly saying that since that's all SoCal is too, but there's just a different feel and impression of that spot, at least to an outsider like me. 

Considering the Bay Area is just under 8 million, in the last population estimates, a second team would totally be plausible. Probable? As the old saying goes, winning fixes everything. 

Though that does beg the question. What would it take for the A's to start becoming the sexy, trendy option compared to the baseball giants across the bridge? With us here in Chicago, geography is a huge part obviously, but I'm not sure if Easy Bay really hates San Fran that much. Maybe Californians are too busy enjoying great weather and a bunch of other amenities, I don't know. You'd think as a Sharks fan, I'd have more of a lead on this, but, eh. 

On 8/2/2019 at 6:58 PM, the admiral said:

 

So you think a guy should call a game solo for all nine innings every game? I don't think anyone does. 

It would be unusual for sure, considering we've grown up in a time when duos are common and I get the rationale for it. But if you have someone who understands pacing, good articulation and sometimes lets moments speak for themselves, I could see listening to a solo broadcaster. Locally, I'd be okay with Benetti or Hughes going the distance. 

I don't really get the need for new folks to join in and take a leg of a broadcast. If you're primary job description is to talk for a three hour period of time, I think it's more of a sign you're not as good at your job as you should be if you need to take a reprieve. Unless it's some historic broadcaster's last season and they're testing out replacements to see who has chemistry. 

On 10/23/2017 at 10:07 PM, The Six said:

The Sarah Spain hate on this board is almost as bad as the Skip Bayless hate.

To be fair, they are pretty easy to hate. I'd say more but it's easier just to PM Admiral and slander her mercilessly. 

From what I've come to conclude in 10 minutes of research, it seems like Barstool is a site that covers sports from an edgy, slightly Republican angle that brings about more criticism than sponsors like since we have a battle of two distinct culture in the zeitgeist right now. One end of progressive thought countered by another end of tolerating and acquiescing said progressive thought. The unfortunate thing is you can't really tow the line of making offensive or somewhat controversial content without somehow possibly offending somebody. I'd love to see something like the OSN come up in a nightly late night block for The Worldwide Leader, but in the end, it seems like they didn't find a clear cut way to spin off their own Barstool-esque content, so they tried to outright buy it up, which backfired in their faces.

Yea, should've stuck to questions about yogurt and dabbing. 

Is this what you guys are discussing over there in the refuge?

Real talk: at least ten people chanting in that video once raped someone

As I've gotten older, I've realized just how true that statement is. So even though I momentarily giggle at a douchebag getting a not-so-gentle reminder of his supposed wrongdoings, the stone cold truth is so much more depressing.

Slow days for the NHL anti thread, I see...

Like pieces of a Lou Malnati's pizza in my midst, those never last.

I finally had Lou Malnati's on Friday. It was glorious. It was halfway cold by the time I got it home, but it was still well worth the wait. The location I went to is only carry-out, so I might stoop to picking up a pizza and eating it in in the parking lot at some point.

I don't really care for deep-dish in the way that so many Chicagoans apparently do, but if you're going to go down that route - which sounds really messy - you can do like a guy I knew back in high school and have raw cookie dough in the glove compartment. No really, he was taking to a friend of mine, paused, opened up the glove, took a bite like it was an apple, then just put it back. I was like, "Um, aren't you like, supposed to keep that refrigerated? Y'know, cause of the eggs and junk?" Alas, it never seemed to bother him.

Or better yet, just get a family member to drive you home.

I'm pretty sure this ordeal has done it's job and guaranteed we get Hawks/Sabres at Buffalo as a part of Wednesday Night Rivalry.

Here's the bag, also:

Something about this stuff being placed in a crappy paper bag seems really weird to me.

What is this? A brown bag lunch?

What reality am I living in anymore?

I don't know. We keep on the analysis and realize the ridiculousness of trying to obtain justice from a big institution like a major sports league, yet we keep on helping the wheel turn. Hopefully there could be some kind of definitive evidence from this entire boondoggle that can give fans a pretty good idea on whether or not he did it, but like cosmic said, the only sure we're sure of is some woman's bank account getting a whole lot larger.