Thursday 10/26/23
Didn't think much of that Celtics performance last night. All of this talk about how good you are, how complete you are, how ready you are, and you come out in the season opener and barely beat the Knicks? There is so much buzz about Tatum and becoming the best player in the league at some point and an MVP. I just don't think of him as that kind of player. Those kind of players have separated themselves from everyone else. I don't think he'll ever do that. I could be wrong, of course.
I have this nagging feeling that Tatum and Brown will never get it done in Boston. I guess I don't view them as championship type players/leaders either on their own or together. The Celtics bring in these other stars, the mid-level stars, and they became backseat guys and kind of glorified role guys and that's not who they are and it just never ends up working. The franchise is always kissing the ass of Tatum and Brown, too, in this fake way like they're scared of both of them--or scared of either of them feeling like they're not being worshiped enough. On social media I see all of these posts about how they're true Bostonians, they embrace Boston, and it's like, "You're lying. You're forcing this."
My sense is this is an attempt by the team and all of the hack journalists who might as well be drawing a paycheck from the team--and who all write the exact same shit, blandly--to say, "See! They don't think Boston is racist!" You don't need to do that. Let them prove what they are. If they're something great, cool. If not, move on. They haven't won anything and they haven't really shown at any point that they have what it takes to win. They seem to like All-Star game MVP trophies, though, and shoe deals, and being worshiped. I don't think winners are principally oriented that way. I think winners like winning above all else. This year should tell you what you need to know one way or the other. There are no excuses with the people they've brought in, and the ages of everyone, including Tatum and Brown.
The Bruins are 6-0. They're an impressive regular season hockey team. Nothing new about that. A word of caution: they've only scored 18 goals. Three goals a game isn't going to be enough. Worth watching.
I don't like Charlie McAvoy's game at all. I just don't. I don't think I ever will. Career high in goals is 10? That's not close to good enough. People love to overrate this player. He's not a number one defenseman. If he was capable of making a jump he would have made it by now. This is who he is.
Connor Bedard: Struggling. The NHL is hard.
Is this what the Bruins are going to do? Rotate goalies with each game? That's lame. Trade one of these guys. I see the same playoff issue already rearing its head here in October. If you have two guys and neither is the guy, you don't have a guy. Someone has to be that goalie.
I thought it very likely the Bruins were going to lose the other night in LA. They had that five-day layoff, went to the West Coast, beat a bad Ducks team, then had the Kings. Almost a penciled-in loss. But no. There's even more of one tonight at the Garden after getting in at 3 AM or whatever it was Wednesday morning. If things hold, Ullmark will be in net.
The schedule is weird. The season is six games old and the Bruins have played the Blackhawks twice and won't play them again. A schedule weighted to rivalries is better. I don't get the sense that there are rivalries anymore in a sport which always had the best rivalries and to which rivalries meant the most.
How can you not be impressed with the Texas Rangers? And the Diamondbacks, too. Looked like we were going to have a repeat of last year's World Series and those teams showed real grit and moxie. I still believe the MLB playoff format creates false positives in that a team that is not the best team has a better chance to advance and even win it all, which I don't like. I much prefer only a few teams making the playoffs and I know it can't be this way again, but I thought it was pretty cool when there was just a World Series. There are too many teams now anyway for that. But a 90 win team vs. an 84 win team? You really could have a team that barely finished about .500 win the World Series. Yes, I know the 1987 Twins weren't a lot better record-wise (but look at that roster: Puckett, Hrbek, Gaetti, Brunansky, Blyleven, Viola, Reardon) and the 1973 Mets nearly pulled it off, but this playoff format is more about luck and timing than how good you really are. Do you want that? Should a baseball fan want that?
Do you know who the best big game pitcher in all of baseball has been over the last five years? Nathan Eovaldi. By far. He's starting Game 1 of the World Series so we'll see how that goes, but here's what he's done in the postseason since 2018 (which is also the whole of his postseason career): 8-3, 2.87 ERA, .971 WHIP. And his best appearance was a loss, when Alex Cora hung him out there after over-managing and being recklessly, mindlessly aggressive in the 2018 World Series.
Cora has this reputation as this in-game mastermind, which is BS. He bullies his way into getting what he wants, and for some reason management types are scared of him. The Red Sox are basing their future on Cora as not just the manager but possibly the eventual GM and I don't think you want this guy around. Talk about a false positive. You get this reputation, though, and it sticks to you, no matter how inaccurate it may be. I don't like that guy's act, his cheating, his arrogance, his lack of an even keel, his bad body language, his cattiness, his in-game moves. Would much prefer the Red Sox to start anew. You can start anew in baseball and be good the next year with the right moves.
I went out to Chestnut Hill on Saturday night to see the #3 ranked BC men's hockey team play the #2 ranked Denver team, with the latter winning 4-3. BC could have won and should have if they played a smart game, but they were in the box too much in the third and it cost them. Checked the poll last night and each squad remained where they were. It's important now for BC to string some wins together and assert how legit they are. Too often a loss dashes hopes and you'll see a team deflate with that loss. You lost to a really good team you could have beat in what was your first loss of the season. Build on it and render it a blip. Those two teams could meet later in the spring. Strong squads. BC should be able to improve as the season goes along, given that they have a number of young players, including an all freshman line.
You know what I saw from Mac Jones the other day? Same thing I always see. "What? You can't say that, Colin, he was great! He led his team to an improbably victory over the Bills!"
First of all, that game was more about the disarray of the Bills than anything else. Josh Allen is not a quarterback who has separated himself from the other good quarterbacks and may never be. He's too consistent and he'll often play at the level of the opposition, and he does stupid things. He's good for a dumb play or two, most games.
Jones was 25 for 30. You know what I think when I see a quarterback who is 25 for 30? Either he was amazing, making remarkable throws at a level that others cannot, with zip on the ball and precision; or, I think he was throwing the ball sideways and three yards over the line of scrimmage. Which is exactly what Jones was doing. Why? Because he doesn't have the arm to play in the NFL as a starting--let alone frontline--quarterback. That's what I saw. Again. That's what I always see with Jones. Look at that completion rate, and he was still under 300 yards. Their big passing play was that thirty plus yard scamper after Jones threw the ball...sideways. He can't throw the ball down the damn field. He can put it up there with air under it, but that's not the normal throw. You have to be able to throw the ball on a line, down the field, with velocity. And I didn't like his immature antics after the game, too, with his "I'm a little kid high on sugar" dance. You're 2-5. Be professional. Be aware. Be a leader. I don't think he gets it at all in terms of a bigger picture. I think he's focused on his own plight, because he's always been a rich kid who's just focused on himself.
If you're good enough to make it to the NFL, you're going to have some days where things go your way, probably for a host of factors. Timing, where the opposition is at, the breaks, some calls. You'll have days where it comes together for you. But you won't have that many of them. And that's the thing with professional athletes. Most of them are good enough to have some days. A goalie who belongs in the AHL can get himself an NHL shutout. But it's the consistency. That's where your ability really reveals itself. Rather, the ability that the top performers at that level have and need to have to be the top performers. Or an above average performer. An average performer.
I saw where Greg Bedard--a beefy, belligerent, angry, arrogant moron--said that Jones answered all the questions about him with his virtuosic performance. This guy is congruously fat-brained. So dumb. And terrible on the radio, too. The man can't go three words without sticking a "you know" in there. If you can't talk, you shouldn't be on the radio. But, basically no one can talk, and there are zero standards. There's no expectation of quality in anything, and certainly not in media. He answered all the questions, though? Really? That's great. He must be the guy. Franchise guy. Super Bowls should follow. Or at least annual contention, right?
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