And Like That…He Is Gone.
The Cast
Date: 061919
FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN
BACKGROUND: This started as a long-winded numbered blog. It transformed into an organized long-winded category blog. Now, it is a quick-hitter to ease your reading experience. I lack time. So, the preparation of the blog actually made me procrastinate from writing the thing. Let’s see who makes the cut. Barely edited as usual unfortunately, so please excuse any mistakes during my stream of consciousness. I feel the need…the need for speed. Let’s turn and burn.
- EVERGREEN:
CANADA: Canada took the title of a very American sport. Kawhi is the first player to win MVP in both conferences. Ujiri made an aggressive Kawhi move that gutted his team and was very controversial, and then kept making moves until he had the roster that took down the mighty Warriors. And injuries are part of sports, so let’s not go crying for the Warriors. It is a shame they were undermanned, but they just might have gotten beaten WITH their guys all on the floor. 1.5 million people showed up to the Raptors parade. It felt like 1.5 million people were in Jurassic Park every game. Sure, Drake irritated us, but he was part of the Canadian movement. That movement took home the title. It was so cool, that the Warriors even took out a full-page ad in the Toronto newspaper. Classy. Congrats, Canada. You beat the U.S. at their own game. You deserved it. Now, just make sure your hockey and curling teams continue to hold the torch, OK?2.
2. NFL: Pat Bowlen died this week. It wasn’t the Pat Bowlen everyone know, as he has been fighting Alzheimer’s Disease for years, and he was a shell of himself, but he will be missed when he was the person we all remember him as. I really enjoyed listening this week to the local guys tell stories themselves, have people call in with random run-in stories with Mr. Bowlen, and have past players chime in with their memories. Mr. Bowlen clearly had a positive impact on everyone he came in contact with. Plus, he did one thing you were not supposed to do to optimize your money as an owner. He dropped everything else that had got him his money and made the Broncos his only passion. He was a fan who happened to be an owner. He embraced Denver in his actions and they embraced him back with their love. And, with more winning seasons and second most playoff appearances during his tenure than other teams in the league, how can you argue with his methodology? Seven Super Bowls, and they won three of them. But, take away all of those stats, because the stories that surround him from janitor to other executives are more than all of those stats. He will be missed.
3. NBA: The Anthony Davis trade finally happened, after all of the rumblings and all of this time. Suddenly, the Lakers are predicted in Vegas to be at the top of the world, and the trade shouldn’t be broken down with every piece being examined. The Lakers HAD to do something aggressive. They have arguably the best player in the league on their team, with a short amount of years to utilize his talents. Batman needed a Robin, as a bunch of youngsters were not maturing as fast as people hoped. They needed LaVar out of the mix. They could risk young talent that hadn’t shown more than flashes yet. And somehow they needed to keep Kyle Kuzma. They did all of the above. If they take home a title or two, we can talk about future first round picks. It is a loss if you break down each part of the trade, but a win if you just know what the Lakers need now, and what LeBron might do with this trade when the first tipped ball goes live. I think with Durant down for the year, the Warriors now beaten, Kawhi being cryptic as he always is, and the league’s balance in question, the rest of the league should be frightened by a LeBron-AD team-up.
4. NHL: What if the Blues hadn’t won the title this year? Think about it. They were created in 1967 and were in the Stanley Cup Finals that season. Now, true, there was the asterisk of the league inviting an expansion team to the playoffs per rules at that time. But, what if the Golden Knights go 50 or so years without winning one? The Blues, like the Knights, would have been in the Finals the very first chance, and then been outed for another year. I hope the Knights knock one out before year 50, because those years were painful for Blues fans, I am sure. My final notes in run-on fashion. Game 7’s in hockey are better than all other sports. Hockey announcers are the best announcers by far. Hockey players and coaches give the best interviews by far. The Blues fans were in their home arena (not where the game was) AND their stadium. A rookie goaltender standing on his head is a thing to behold, especially with a short memory after bad, bad losses throughout the playoffs. The Blues can look like they are on their heels for entire period, not allow a goal, and then totally turn things around in the same game-amazing they can do that. The Blues had the worst record in hockey in December. That fan, Scott Berry, who bet on them during that time didn’t even hedge on this final bet to win his money. The Blues had the first defenseman Captain since…2011 and the Bruins and Chara. The handshake line is the best thing ever, and were actually invented before the NHL was. The only downer about them winning in Boston was that we got no Gloria, the random 80’s song chosen by the Philly players on St. Louis in December. The Bruins fans should have either left or not booed, but not cool to stick around and boo. They had to cut it eventually, but the couple guys cussing when they got the Cup was genuine and not too over the top. It is the Stanley Cup after all, the greatest award in team sports.
5. MLB: Please change the All-Star Game voting. We have to. There are too many stories of players having a great year, but because they weren’t put on the ballot, which is already MADE early on, they aren’t eligible. WHY? Why do they not allow breakout players? Why must everything be “in the system” so early? In this year of resources and technology, why is the ballot locked before we even hit June? None of this makes sense, and I am tired of these stories. Not everyone will have a jersey that will eventually sell for $5.64 million like Babe Ruth, but they deserve their chance to at least try by getting into the ASG rightfully.
6. GOLF: My US Open notes. Fans at Pebble Beach cheer at every swing, whether good or bad, and I saw a lot of swings where the crowd went crazy, and the ball ended up in the bunker. The scores were better than usual at a US Open, but that was mainly because the ocean wind was very nice to players overall for four days. The wind gives that course its teeth. Rickie had the first day start he needed, and the conditions to press that into a lead the second day, but he used the day before “moving day” to totally blow his position, and that won’t win Majors. People ran right by him. I think I might be done betting small amounts of money on him to win a Major. I like the excitement, but still will say I do NOT like Par 5’s on the final hole of a Major, as it has too much unknown when a player has played championship golf up to that point. I think it is too much in play score-wise for a player who has played 71 great holes. Tiger did what he has done every Major except at Augusta. He pained us with almost progress, and then sank back to over par when everyone else was making moves in the red. I really thought that two people we would see in the mix this time around were Justin Thomas and Jason Day, and I was very surprised to see them fade quickly (JT didn’t even make the cut). Finally, Gary Woodland had Brooks Koepka breathing down his neck. If Gary was a normal golfer, he might have folded. But, his caddie kept telling him to go for the green, he played aggressive, and he basically out Brooks-ed Brooks (as I read somewhere). Gary was a hoops player at Washburn University, and a baseball player was trying to catch him. He was not the typical golfer in the lead, and kept doing what both his sports call for. He just kept putting it in the hole. Congrats, Gary. You had the most feared guy chasing you down near the end, and you just hit your free throws calmly.
7. THIS AND THAT: The Lifeguard, Anthony, at work, had a busy week last week. He is the lifeguard because he blows his whistle and flags you down if, while at work, you make a movie or TV show reference in any way.
- 8. THE FILLERBUSTER: Linds and I ordered a Ring Doorbell. We wanted to have a warning for possible thieves, we wanted visuals of our front yard when we weren’t there, and we wanted a guardian for our delivered packages. But, as fate would have it, our FIRST stolen package WAS the Ring Doorbell. Ironic, and they took care of a replacement, but of all the times to have a package stolen.
- 9. TWEET OF THE WEEK https://twitter.com/randyjcruz/status/1139380280211333122
- 10. SOCCER: Copa America and the Gold Cup are starting up. I have said it before and will say it again. It is just my personal preference, but I don’t follow league at all, and only love non-friendly real country championships where players are doing it for their country. I love World Cup, EURO, World Cup qualifying, Copa, Gold Cup, etc. Watching players play for keeps for their country is unparalleled in the sport.
- 11. JIMMY V: Think you have had a productive day or are complaining about a mildly bad day, then maybe read about Rob Mendez first. This is not one of those pick me up tweets with a baby or a giraffe in it. This is real life. He will receive the Jimmy V Award this year for his perseverance. Born with no arms and no legs, he is a high school football coach. I feel so freaking underachieving. https://www.espn.com/espys/story/_/id/26974520/espys-2019-high-school-football-coach-rob-mendez-receive-jimmy-v-award-perseverance
Rob Mendez. woke up and followed the lyrics of My Name. He woke up one day with the world telling him that he should just walk away. But, he can’t, he won’t break. He will make the world know his name.
ALTERNATE CATEGORIES NOT USED TODAY
- THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK (because the best song this week IS the best song ever…for now):
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK
- LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE
- TRAVEL
- THIS WEEK’S LIST
- MY NUMBERS
- GONE FISHING (the riddle for money):
- PICS BY MY PIXEL (pictures from my phone):
- COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- MISCELLANEOUS
The theme? Harder to come up with them since I usually use one of the 100 things in my Fillerbuster or This and That section. We are not streamlined. So, I had to think a little. But, that IS what just happened. In life recently and in this blog, I kind of just vanished a bit like the devil in Usual Suspects. Plus, it is one of my top movies ever. So, what exactly is gone? The old format is gone-the dribble, the need to tell you everything. MLB ASG players who aren’t on the ballot…gone before they appeared. Kawhi is probably gone cryptically. Gary Woodland fended off challengers and was gone. The handshake line came and went. Big Four sports for the summer are gone. The Brow is gone to LaLa Land. The U.S.’s dominance over Canada is gone. Ralph, a former favorite colleague and poker buddy, just stopped by today to get his folding chair and he is gone too to Austin. And, sadly, Pat Bowlen is gone also.
131703.
That’s it for today. Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed. Took me 30 minutes in three 10 minute segments to write as opposed to hours. Remember two things. First, feed yourself, feed your family, but always, always remember to…feed the wolf. Second, if you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker. Will I blog again? That is a CLOWN question, bro. As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let’s get the flock out of here.
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