The Bum's NHL Best Bets-Trends-News Etc. !

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

— Celtics 123, Wizards 101—Home team is now 5-0 in this series.

— Penguins 2, Capitals 0—Pittsburgh-Ottawa is the Eastern Conference final.

— There will be 40 bowl games this fall; national title game is in Atlanta’s new stadium. Looks like the first bowls are slated for December 16.

— Dodgers’ OF Andrew Toles tore his ACL Tuesday, is out for the year.

— adidas sold its golf business for $425M; in 2016, their revenue was 30% of what it was five years ago.

— Rams, Browns aren’t favored right now in any of their games this coming season. New England is favored in all of its games.

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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud……

13) Serious question; what does this guy James Comey do now? I mean, he gets fired as FBI Director, does he collect unemployment? Write a book? Drink himself silly? Consult with his lawyer to make sure he isn’t in trouble? Hang out at home and watch NBA playoff games? Coach his kid’s Little League team?

I’m guessing he could write a very interesting book; doubt he has done anything horrible enough that would make coaching Little League a suitable punishment.

Seriously, I was a Little League coach for four years. Never again.

12) To get a lot of RBI, it helps to have a lot of men on base when you bat. Here are the guys who’ve come to bat with the most men on base this season:

Daniel Murphy 115, Rizzo/Cano 113, Maikel Franco 109.

11) Here are the players who’ve driven in the highest %age of runners who were on base when they hit (minimum 100 PA): Charlie Blackmon 25.3%, Nomar Mazara 25.0%, Chris Owings 24.6%.

10) A fairly tall guy went to the A’s game in Oakland Wednesday afternoon dressed as an elf; no idea why, but he got himself a decent amount of TV time and he seemed to be enjoying himself on a sunny day in the Bay Area.

9) A’s 2, Angels 1—Andrew Triggs has five wins and a 2.21 ERA, 9th-best in the AL. Muy bueno!!! .

Yonder Alonso is batting .444 with runners in scoring position; rest of the A’s are hitting .175 with RISP.

8) Tampa Bay Rays are 17-19, but if games ended after the 5th inning, they’d be 23-8-5. Rays are 4-11 in games when winning run scores after the 6th inning- they’re 2-6 in one-run games.

7) Our fantasy league has 25-man rosters; you add a 26th guy if someone goes on the DL, then after the season, you cut a guy to get back to 25.

Last winter, it was an easy choice for me to get back to 25. Colorado signed Ian Desmond, had David Dahl and Manny Parra to play LF or 1B, so I sent Mark Reynolds packing, since it was unsure if he was even going to be on the 25-man roster. No bueno.

Dahl is hurt, Desmond was also hurt but is back now, while Reynolds is batting .333 and appears headed to the freakin’ All-Star Game. Wow. I can’t even call myself an idiot for this one; nobody saw it coming.

6) Cubs’ OF Kyle Schwarber played college baseball at Indiana; only two other colleges offered him a baseball scholarship: Miami OH and Cincinnati. Scouting really is an inexact science.

5) San Antonio Spurs drafted Manu Ginobili when James Harden was 10 years old.

4) Still wish they’d let kids jump right from high school to the NBA; if they don’t get drafted, then they can go to college, but for at least two years. Seems like a better idea.

3) Adam Wilk, who was an emergency starting pitcher for the Mets Sunday when Matt Harvey was suspended, was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins, so he is still in the major leagues and is having a very good week.

2) Our thoughts/prayers to Chris Berman, who lost his wife in a car accident this week. From reading Twitter, it is obvious that Berman is very well-liked by co-workers, past and present. Cathy Berman was a school teacher; she is survived by her husband and two children. RIP, ma’am.

1) Over the last three years at PLAYERS Championship, Freddie Jacobson has the best score on par 5’s: -24. Chappell, McIlroy and Garcia are all next at -23.

[StarDust Bum]

Preds' postseason run has turned Music City into Smashville
May 11, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The place known as Smashville is ready for its close-up.

The Nashville Predators have reached their first Western Conference final in franchise history and that has spread hockey fever far beyond their arena and the team's loyal legion of fans. Stars from Carrie Underwood to Lady Antebellum are lining up to sing the national anthem and the likes of John Hiatt to Lee Greenwood are singing with the house band during intermissions.

Not only do Predators' flags and banners drape Nashville's famous honkytonks, they now hang from front porches in the suburbs of Music City.

''You can't drive through a neighborhood without seeing a flag,'' Predators president Sean Henry said. ''So it's fun to tap into a passion that this community has for sports, and right now it's all about the Nashville Predators.''

College football may be king in the South and NASCAR remains popular, but hockey certainly has a foothold. It's not unusual anymore for a Southern team to be in the mix for a Stanley Cup championship - this just happens to be the first time that Nashville has made it this far.

The Predators are on their best run postseason yet and the longest by either of Nashville's two major league franchises in 14 years. Shoot, the NFL's Tennessee Titans haven't reached the playoffs since 2008 and last reached the AFC championship in 2003.

That's why most TVs were tuned to hockey at a local barbecue joint after the Predators ousted St. Louis in six games . People wanted to watch Nashville's next opponent - Anaheim beat Edmonton in a Game 7 on Wednesday to advance.

Nashville native and PGA golfer Brandt Snedeker said he's never seen so much yellow walking around downtown before Game 4 against the Blues. Everyone in his child's class at school has Predators' gear, too.

''To feel the energy on the ice was unlike anything I've felt in sports before,'' said Snedeker, who brought the Ryder Cup with him to the game. ''It was such a dynamic, electric atmosphere to see all that energy in one place pulling for one team and doing something only Nashville would do in the right way ... it was awesome to watch.''

The Titans have been very supportive. Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray stirred up fans waving a rally flag for one game, while coach Mike Mularkey and general manager Jon Robinson regularly wear Predators' gear. During a rain delay, the Triple-A Nashville Sounds showed the Predators' playoff game a few blocks away on their guitar-shaped video board. The Vanderbilt Commodores watched the end of Sunday's clincher on their own video board after their own game.

Former Bills and Jets coach Rex Ryan is a season-ticket holder who attended playoff games in St. Louis and Nashville. Former Titans coach Jeff Fisher also was at a recent playoff game.

''People just want to be with this team, and we just love this fan base,'' Henry said.

The Predators also are benefiting from youth hockey programs in this non-traditional market, and now former skaters are buying their own tickets. They've now sold out 55 consecutive games, including every luxury suite this season.

About 70 percent of the Predators' tickets are sold outside the city's home county, with up to 20 percent of those coming from outside of Tennessee.

Matt Clark, a 30-year-old human resources manager, drives down from Louisville, Kentucky, for two to three games per month for the past three years. He grew up playing hockey in Roanoke, Virginia, where his favorite ECHL player was Terence Tootoo whose brother, Jordin, played for Nashville. Clark said the Chicago and Detroit jerseys he used to see in the stands are gone now, replaced by Predator gold.

''I've been to a lot of hockey stadiums, and it's definitely up there at the top,'' Clark said. ''Every time I go the atmosphere's pretty electric. Definitely one of my favorite things about it is during the TV timeouts when everybody stands and cheers at the top of their lungs to encourage the team.''

Fans make Bridgestone Arena so loud that a radio engineer measured the decibel level at 121.7 late in Nashville's last home game . The NHL may have bigger buildings than Nashville, whose official capacity is 17,113. The Predators insist none is louder.

''They're on their feet the entire game,'' defenseman Ryan Ellis said. ''You don't see that at a lot of hockey games. It almost feels like a college football game of some kind.''

Tapping Underwood for the national anthem this postseason was pretty easy since her husband, Mike Fisher, is team captain. Who's singing the anthem now is a closely guarded secret with artists offering to help out as the good times roll in Smashville.

''It's great to see that the whole hockey world realizes how big of a hockey city this is,'' defenseman Roman Josi said.

[StarDust Bum]

Ducks' reward is date with Rinne, Preds
May 11, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) The Anaheim Ducks finally cleared a major psychological hurdle with their gritty Game 7 victory over Edmonton on Wednesday night. After four consecutive years of failure in winner-take-all showdowns, they stood up to an upstart opponent and finished a series strong.

''I wouldn't say it's a relief, but the fact we don't have to talk about it anymore, that's a good thing,'' captain Ryan Getzlaf said.

Getzlaf also said this particular party is already over, however.

Anaheim has just two days to prepare to face another daunting obstacle from its playoff past: a 6-foot-5 Finnish goalie with a knack for stopping the Ducks in their playoff tracks.

Nashville's Pekka Rinne ran Anaheim out of the first round last season for the second time in his career, and he returns with the surging Predators for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Friday.

The Ducks have been the hapless foils for some of the best moments in Nashville franchise history - and for Rinne, who always seems to find his inimitable top form against Anaheim.

Rinne and the Predators ousted the Ducks in six games in 2011 for their first ever playoff series victory. Five years later, Nashville stole the first two games of the clubs' first-round series at Honda Center before winning the final two, including a nail-biting 2-1 victory in a Game 7 dominated by Rinne.

''They're a great team, and they've done a really good job in the playoffs this season and against us in the past,'' said Anaheim forward Andrew Cogliano, who scored the tying goal in Game 7. ''It's going to be another big challenge going forward.''

Both of the West finalists are perhaps overdue to be rewarded for years of patient progress with a Stanley Cup Final trip. Anaheim hasn't made the final round in a decade despite icing one of the NHL's most consistently strong teams, while the Predators are in their first conference finals in the club's 10th trip to the postseason since 2004.

Nobody gets anything in the Stanley Cup playoffs without a grind, and these two teams are on it. They've combined for the best two records in this postseason, losing only five combined games.

The Ducks should feel a swell of confidence after outlasting the Oilers. Anaheim had lost five straight Game 7 appearances overall since 2006, but the Ducks played a stellar defensive game against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl before winning it on power forward Nick Ritchie's third-period goal.

And the way the Ducks rallied was even more impressive. They fell behind the Oilers just 3:31 into this seventh game, but the rest of the night largely belonged to Anaheim, which finally showed some veteran mettle in the playoffs' biggest crucible.

''We were down 1-0 for a little bit, and we didn't panic,'' Ritchie said. ''We actually started to play better once they scored, and we got another one and then we kind of brought it home with good defensive hockey.''

Big-game resilience hasn't always been Anaheim's strength during the past half-decade. Despite having home-ice advantage to start 10 straight playoff series since 2009, the five-time defending Pacific Division champions had blown a 3-2 series lead four straight times before holding off Edmonton.

The Ducks aren't willing to say they've found new playoff toughness, but their renewed vigor in this particular postseason is exemplified by Getzlaf, whose first two rounds were among the best of the 2007 Stanley Cup champion's long playoff career.

Getzlaf, who turned 32 years old on Wednesday, has eight goals and seven assists in 11 playoff games, already setting a new career high for goals in a single postseason. The consummate playmaker has been looking for his shot with urgency, and he has cemented his role as a steadying presence in Anaheim's dressing room.

Even his longtime linemate, Corey Perry, has picked up on the vibe.

The 2011 NHL MVP managed only 19 goals during the lowest-scoring full regular season of his career, but he has surged while reunited with Getzlaf in the playoffs. Perry has six points in the last four games, capped by an assist on Ritchie's series-winning goal.

Rinne is the biggest obstacle yet - literally and figuratively - to this Stanley Cup push in Anaheim, but the Ducks are ready for any challenge.

''The way we've played the last half of the season where we've learned to deal with adversity, we needed that again tonight,'' Getzlaf said after Game 7. ''That's what we need going forward into the next round.''

[StarDust Bum]

Nhl playoffs record: ( as in baseball dogs and totals only)
All picks for the day:

05/10/2017....................... 1-3-0.................... 25.00%............... -7.75
05/09/2017....................... 2-0-0....................100.00%............. +12.50
05/08/2017....................... 0-1-0...................... 0.00%............... -5.50
05/07/2017....................... 1-3-0..................... 25.00%.............. -10.50
05/06/2017....................... 1-2-0..................... 33.33%............... -5.50
05/05/2017....................... 2-1-0..................... 66.67%............... +5.00
05/04/2017....................... 0-1-1...................... 0.00%................ -5.00
05/03/2017....................... 1-2-0......................33.33%................ -5.00
05/02/2017....................... 0-2-1....................... 0.00%............... -10.50
05/01/2017....................... 2-0-0..................... 100.00%............. +10.00


Totals:..............................10 - 15 - 1..................40.00%...............- 22.25


Best Bets............ Sides...............................Totals

05/10/2017...........1 - 1..........50.00%...........+0.50........0 - 2..........00.00%.....-2.20
05/09/2017...........1 - 0 .......100.00%...........+1.50........1 - 0.........100.00%.....+1.00
05/08/2017...........N O P L A Y......................................0 - 1..........00.00%......- 1.10
05/07/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........1 - 1.........50.00%......-0.10
05/06/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........1 - 1..........50.00%......-0.10
05/05/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........2 - 0.........100%.........+2.00
05/04/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........0 - 1.........0.00%........- 1.10
05/03/2017...........1 - 0...........100%............+1.20........0 - 2.........0.00%........- 2.20
05/02/2017...........0 - 1---------0.00%...........- 1.00.........0 - 1 - 1....0.00%.........-1.10
05/01/2017...........1 - 0 ..........100%...........+ 1.00........1 - 0 ........100%.........+1.00


Totals..................4 - 6............40.00%.........-0.80........6 - 9...........40.00%.......-3.70

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s six-pack

Some interesting pointspreads for NFL games this season:

— Week 8: Broncos @ Chiefs (-3)

— Week 9: Rams @ Giants (-8.5)

— Week 10: Seahawks (-1.5) @ Cardinals

— Week 11: Patriots (-1.5) vs Raiders (@ Mexico City)

— Week 12: Packers @ Steelers (-3)

— Week 13: Eagles @ Seahawks (-7)

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Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here…….

13) We talked the other day about Sabres-Rangers playing at Citi Field on New Years’ Day; Buffalo will be the “home” team for that game, meaning they give up a home game in Buffalo for this game to be played in NYC. It is the Rangers’ third outdoor game in NYC- they were the “visitor” in all three.

Why? Because if the Rangers play a home game outside of Madison Square Garden, it costs them a tax exemption that could be worth as much as $40M—that’s million, with an M.

Oy.

12) More bad news for the New York Mets; closer Jeurys Familia has an arterial clot in his shoulder and might need surgery.

11) This is one I’ve never heard before; Yale has a really good guard named Makai Mason, who helped the Bulldogs make the NCAA’s in 2016, where they upset Baylor in a first-round game. Mason broke his foot last year and missed the whole season.

Mason is going to graduate from Yale at this time next year; he is going to play for the Bulldogs this coming winter, then he is going to be a graduate transfer at (ironically) Baylor in 2018-19.

I’ve never heard of a player announcing where he will transfer to a full year before he actually transfers. Ivy League players can’t take a redshirt season like most D-I players can, but still it is odd that he got the suspense out of the way and now everyone knows he will be in Waco in the fall of 2018.

10) If you’re looking for a good TV series to follow, I’d recommend Billions on Showtime; it is about a rich hedge-fund trader and a US Prosecutor who despise each other- the prosecutor’s wife works for the hedge fund guy, which complicates the whole story tremendously. It is really well done with lot of twists and turns. I’m a little disappointed that Season 3 won’t be on until 2018.

They’ve had 24 episodes over two seasons; you can stream them on Showtimeanytime.com

9) Pittsburgh Penguins have played ten playoff series against Washington and won nine of them.

8) Washington’s Alex Ovechkin is a great player, but he’s played 12 years in the NHL and has never been past the second round of the playoffs.

7) The guy who went to the A’s game in Oakland Wednesday dressed as an elf did that because he was the last place finisher in his office’s March Madness pool and that was his penalty for finishing last.

6) A senior media relations guy for the Milwaukee Brewers had a cool job Thursday; he was the ball boy down the leftfield line at Miller Park. He took a decent amount of grief on Brewers’ TV but seemed to be enjoying himself.

5) Arizona Cardinals signed Blaine Gabbert as a backup QB, unwittingly igniting a controversy, since Colin Kaepernick is still unemployed. Supposedly, three teams have inquired about Kaepernick, but ain’t no one signed him and off-season workouts have already begun.

Fact of the matter is this: Whomever convinced Kaepernick to take his political stand last fall screwed him over and greatly hindered his NFL career, costing him millions. Hope it was worth it.

4) Rookies pitchers started the Colorado Rockies’ last four games; kid from North Colonie (I live in South Colonie) pitched for Colorado last night. He is winning 10-1 as I type this, so good for him.

3) Steve Stone was just saying on the White Sox game that the ideal difference in speed between a fastball and change-up is 11 miles an hour. Interesting thing to monitor while watching a game.

2) Teams ask players weird stuff at these draft combines; an NBA team asked Kansas’ Frank Mason III this week “……how he would prefer to die?” What does that have to do with basketball

Apparently, Kawhi Leonard was so nervous at his Combine interview with the Phoenix Suns that he sweated thru his suit. Because of that, the Suns took him off their draft board. Brilliant!!!!

1) Spurs 114, Rockets 75—Leonard didn’t play in this game, so of course the Spurs won by 39. Bookmakers in Las Vegas had to enjoy this outcome. This, from David Payne Purdum on Twitter: “(A bettor in Nevada) placed 3 six-figure money-line bets on Rockets to beat Spurs tonight, totaling $386,000, to win $120,000.”

Yikes.

[StarDust Bum]

Third Round Cheat Sheet
May 11, 2017

Key:
A – Atlantic
M – Metropolitan
C – Central
P – Pacific
W – Wild Card

Eastern Conference

2A Ottawa vs. 2M Pittsburgh

Senators: 44-28-10, 98 points
Penguins: 50-21-11, 111 points

Season series: The Senators grabbed two of three meetings from the Penguins with both victories coming as a home underdog. Pittsburgh outlasted Ottawa in its first matchup at PPG Paints Arena, 8-5 on December 5 as the Penguins outscored the Senators, 6-1 over the final 32 minutes. In Ottawa's two wins over Pittsburgh, the Senators allowed one goal each time, including a 2-1 shootout victory in the final meeting on March 23.

Pittsburgh and Ottawa are hooking up in the playoffs for the fifth time in the last 11 seasons, as the Penguins have knocked out the Senators in three of the past four postseason series.

Previous playoff outcome: The Penguins are seeking their second straight Stanley Cup title after sneaking past the Capitals in seven games of the conference finals. Pittsburgh is looking to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time since 2008 as the Pens have won six consecutive playoff series after eliminating Columbus and Washington.

The Senators needed six games to knock out the Bruins and Rangers in the first two rounds, while posting a 4-2 record both at home and on the road. Ottawa is back in the conference finals for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2007, while qualifying for the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in franchise history.

Series Price at Sportsbook.ag
Pittsburgh -300
Ottawa +250

Western Conference

2W Nashville vs. 1P Anaheim

Predators: 41-29-12, 94 points
Ducks: 46-23-13, 105 points

Season series: The home team captured all three matchups between the Ducks and Predators this season. Anaheim dominated Nashville at the Honda Center on October 26 by a 6-1 score as a +115 underdog. The Predators picked up revenge two weeks later at home in a 5-0 shutout of the Ducks, but Anaheim picked up the final victory in the series in a 4-3 shootout triumph on March 7.

This is the second straight postseason that these two squads have hooked up as Nashville knocked out Anaheim in seven games of the 2016 conference quarterfinals. The road team won each of the four matchups before Anaheim grabbed a 3-2 series lead at home. Nashville captured the final two meetings, including a 2-1 road triumph in Game 7.

Previous playoff outcome: The Predators have reached their first conference finals in franchise history after eliminating the Blackhawks and Blues in the first two rounds. Nashville surprisingly swept top-seeded Chicago in the quarterfinals, followed by beating St. Louis, 4-2 in the semifinals.

Anaheim swept Calgary in the first round, while the Ducks snapped a five-game skid in Game 7's by edging the Oilers, 2-1 in the conference semifinals. Anaheim has never beaten Nashville in a playoff series (0-2), as the Ducks are trying to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 2007, when they beat the Senators in five games.

Series Price at Sportsbook.ag
Nashville -125
Anaheim +105

[StarDust Bum]

Ducks eager for rematch with Rinne's Predators in West final
May 11, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Among the numerous hurdles and obstacles that have blocked the Anaheim Ducks' path to a Stanley Cup title this decade, Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne might be the biggest - and not just because he's 6-foot-5.

After beating Anaheim in two previous playoff series, the fantastic Finn and his Predators are looming again in front of the Ducks in the Western Conference finals. Game 1 is Friday night in Anaheim.

The Ducks and the Predators were the class of the first two rounds, taking just five combined losses and earning a rematch of last season's first-round series for considerably higher stakes.

''It's really hard to get here, and you put in a ton of work to give yourself a chance to play for the Stanley Cup,'' Nashville forward James Neal said. ''So just take advantage of it. Know what's at stake. Know what kind of chance you have to do something special and to win.''

Rinne and the wild-card Predators beat the Ducks in seven games last spring, prompting coach Randy Carlyle's return to Anaheim and a renewed focus on playoff mental strength. The Ducks are in the conference finals for the second time in three years after winning five straight Pacific Division titles, but they still haven't made a Stanley Cup Final since 2007.

In the rematch, the Ducks hope to show the Predators what they learned last spring.

''Obviously, it's a new year, new teams, (but) for some of us, it means a little bit more,'' Anaheim center Ryan Kesler said. ''But we're all playing for the same thing, and right now it's about getting four wins before they do. It's going to be a tough road, but we're up to it.''

Rinne and the Predators also beat the Ducks in 2011 for the first playoff series victory in franchise history. Heading into the franchise's first conference finals appearance , Nashville is putting little reliance on its previous successes against the Ducks.

''I feel like for years, they've been one of the top teams in the Western Conference,'' Rinne said after the Predators arrived in Orange County. ''Any time you have a chance to play against them, you know it's going to be a battle. Both times I've played them, it's been a six-game series and a seven-game series. I have nothing but good things to say about this team.''

Here are some more things to watch when the clubs meet for a trip to the Stanley Cup Final:

DUELING D

The Predators have advanced largely on the strength of their stellar corps of defensemen in front of Rinne. Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm form one of the NHL's best top-four groups, even contributing a combined 27 points in these playoffs - just one point fewer than the Predators' four highest-scoring forwards.

The Ducks have excelled with youth on the blue line. For the final six games against Edmonton, Anaheim used a six-man group with nobody over 26 and averaging just 23.6 years old - the youngest group among the NHL's 16 playoff teams.

QUICK TURNAROUND

The Ducks will be back on ice two days after finishing off Edmonton in Game 7 . At least Anaheim didn't have to travel, but the Predators have been resting since their clincher over St. Louis last Sunday. Carlyle would have preferred an extra day off, but Honda Center is booked for the Stars on Ice touring show Saturday night.

''Having the clinching game last night and then being - I don't know if it's called forced - to play the next game in less than 48 hours is kind of a surprise,'' Carlyle said. ''From a scheduling standpoint, that we're playing on Friday night and we just finished on Wednesday, you don't get a lot of time.''

SURVIVING RINNE

Rinne is huge, but his mobility and puck-handling skills make him even more daunting. Carlyle has warned his players to think of Rinne as a third defenseman on the ice capable of starting a rush with a breakout pass. The Predators also know what they've got in Rinne, who leads the postseason in save percentage while allowing only 14 goals in 10 games.

''He gives us that confidence,'' Josi said. ''I think every game, he's been our best player.''

GIBBY IN GOAL

While Rinne appears to be at the peak of his skills again, his counterpart still has something to prove. With one of the playoffs' worst save percentages and goals-against averages, John Gibson hadn't really distinguished himself this spring until Game 7 against Edmonton, when he was outstanding in a 2-1 win.

CHECKING LINE

Kesler and linemates Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano did a stellar defensive job against Connor McDavid in the second round. The Selke Trophy finalist's next shutdown assignment is likely to be Ryan Johansen , Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson, the Predators' dynamic top line.

''We've got one line that's very good, but we have other lines that can chip in, and that will be even more important,'' Nashville captain Mike Fisher said. ''Our (defensemen) are a huge part of our offense, too.''

[StarDust Bum]

Sullivan guides Penguins back to finals
May 11, 2017

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins looked like they needed a day off. Maybe more than one.

And yet there the defending Stanley Cup champions were on Tuesday morning, dressed and skating barely 12 hours removed from a listless Game 6 loss to Washington that put Pittsburgh's bid for a repeat in serious peril.

The Penguins weren't there to get loose. They weren't there as punishment. Mike Sullivan had a point to make. Several actually. And the coach owner Mario Lemieux hired nearly 18 months ago to be the voice that cut through the noise figured it was time to remind his players of a few things.

Namely, to stop being passive bystanders while the Capitals attacked and attacked some more. So for more than half an hour Sullivan zipped around the ice at the rink named after his boss, whistle at the ready. Intermittently he'd head to the whiteboard hanging against the glass then call his players over to join him so he could loudly - and repeatedly - make a point, his thick Boston accent ping-ponging off the walls and over the din.

''There's times where you need rest, there's time where you've got to work on some things and try and get better,'' forward Bryan Rust said. ''And that was our goal (Tuesday) and we accomplished it.''

The proof came in Game 7 on Wednesday night, a clinical 2-0 victory over the Capitals that sent Pittsburgh to the Eastern Conference finals against Ottawa. While Sullivan deflected any praise in the aftermath - preferring instead to pepper his answers with words like ''leadership'' and ''character'' and noting the spectacular play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury - the Penguins understand their ability to summon their best when they absolutely need it is due in no small part to the guy with the immaculate suits, blunt demeanor and knack for saying the right thing at the right time.

''Xs and Os, he's one of the very best coaches I've played for,'' said 40-year-old forward Matt Cullen, who has bounced between seven teams during his 19-year career. ''(As for) motivation, he does a heck of a job. He's got a real feel for the pulse of our group.''

One that was visible at his first practice after taking over for Mike Johnston in December 2015. The Penguins and their star-powered lineup led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were treading water. Sullivan wanted them to play faster. He wanted them to play smarter. He wanted them to be more accountable to each other. While general manager Jim Rutherford went about getting Sullivan the pieces he needed to - as Sullivan is so fond of saying - ''play the right way,'' the coach turned the focus from the big picture to a smaller one.

Just worry about today. Not about winning the Cup that won't be determined in six months. Not about their place in the standings. Not about the outside pressures that come when you happen to have two of the best players in the league on your roster. Just today.

It's a message he hasn't wavered from. Not after Pittsburgh brilliantly sprinted to the franchise's fourth Cup last June. Not during what could have been a difficult regular season as injuries devastated the blue line. Not after a 3-1 series lead against Washington fell apart amid a smattering of boos inside PPG Paints Arena.

Sullivan didn't panic. It's not his thing. While Washington took Tuesday off after its win, Sullivan put his players back to work.

''His ability to stay calm and refocus us is something I think our team feeds off of,'' defenseman Ian Cole said.

There were noticeable adjustments before Game 7. Carter Rowney and Scott Wilson in the lineup in place of Carl Hagelin and Tom Kuhnhackl. It was more than that, however. After spending the better part of six games letting Washington dictate the terms, Sullivan challenged the Penguins to get back to what made them nearly unstoppable last summer. Put the puck in deep. Forecheck. Take educated gambles.

''It wasn't one big thing,'' Cole said. ''It's little things all over the ice. It's chipping bodies. It's being physical and being tough to play against. Taking away their ice.''

Pittsburgh did more than that. The Penguins sapped Washington's will. Rust's goal near the midway point gave the Penguins the lead. Hornqvist's backhand flip by Braden Holtby following a sloppy play by Capitals star Alex Ovechkin pushed the advantage to two. And Pittsburgh kept on coming, outshooting the Capitals over the final 20 minutes, playing with desperation and precision while Washington watched the clock tick away one last time.

''It's about compete level, a mindset,'' Sullivan said. ''It's about heart and soul.''

And the steady hand behind the bench, too.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s six-pack

Some interesting pointspreads for NFL games this season:

— Week 8: Broncos @ Chiefs (-3)

— Week 9: Rams @ Giants (-8.5)

— Week 10: Seahawks (-1.5) @ Cardinals

— Week 11: Patriots (-1.5) vs Raiders (@ Mexico City)

— Week 12: Packers @ Steelers (-3)

— Week 13: Eagles @ Seahawks (-7)

***************************************

Friday’s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here…….

13) We talked the other day about Sabres-Rangers playing at Citi Field on New Years’ Day; Buffalo will be the “home” team for that game, meaning they give up a home game in Buffalo for this game to be played in NYC. It is the Rangers’ third outdoor game in NYC- they were the “visitor” in all three.

Why? Because if the Rangers play a home game outside of Madison Square Garden, it costs them a tax exemption that could be worth as much as $40M—that’s million, with an M.

Oy.

12) More bad news for the New York Mets; closer Jeurys Familia has an arterial clot in his shoulder and might need surgery.

11) This is one I’ve never heard before; Yale has a really good guard named Makai Mason, who helped the Bulldogs make the NCAA’s in 2016, where they upset Baylor in a first-round game. Mason broke his foot last year and missed the whole season.

Mason is going to graduate from Yale at this time next year; he is going to play for the Bulldogs this coming winter, then he is going to be a graduate transfer at (ironically) Baylor in 2018-19.

I’ve never heard of a player announcing where he will transfer to a full year before he actually transfers. Ivy League players can’t take a redshirt season like most D-I players can, but still it is odd that he got the suspense out of the way and now everyone knows he will be in Waco in the fall of 2018.

10) If you’re looking for a good TV series to follow, I’d recommend Billions on Showtime; it is about a rich hedge-fund trader and a US Prosecutor who despise each other- the prosecutor’s wife works for the hedge fund guy, which complicates the whole story tremendously. It is really well done with lot of twists and turns. I’m a little disappointed that Season 3 won’t be on until 2018.

They’ve had 24 episodes over two seasons; you can stream them on Showtimeanytime.com

9) Pittsburgh Penguins have played ten playoff series against Washington and won nine of them.

8) Washington’s Alex Ovechkin is a great player, but he’s played 12 years in the NHL and has never been past the second round of the playoffs.

7) The guy who went to the A’s game in Oakland Wednesday dressed as an elf did that because he was the last place finisher in his office’s March Madness pool and that was his penalty for finishing last.

6) A senior media relations guy for the Milwaukee Brewers had a cool job Thursday; he was the ball boy down the leftfield line at Miller Park. He took a decent amount of grief on Brewers’ TV but seemed to be enjoying himself.

5) Arizona Cardinals signed Blaine Gabbert as a backup QB, unwittingly igniting a controversy, since Colin Kaepernick is still unemployed. Supposedly, three teams have inquired about Kaepernick, but ain’t no one signed him and off-season workouts have already begun.

Fact of the matter is this: Whomever convinced Kaepernick to take his political stand last fall screwed him over and greatly hindered his NFL career, costing him millions. Hope it was worth it.

4) Rookies pitchers started the Colorado Rockies’ last four games; kid from North Colonie (I live in South Colonie) pitched for Colorado last night. He is winning 10-1 as I type this, so good for him.

3) Steve Stone was just saying on the White Sox game that the ideal difference in speed between a fastball and change-up is 11 miles an hour. Interesting thing to monitor while watching a game.

2) Teams ask players weird stuff at these draft combines; an NBA team asked Kansas’ Frank Mason III this week “……how he would prefer to die?” What does that have to do with basketball

Apparently, Kawhi Leonard was so nervous at his Combine interview with the Phoenix Suns that he sweated thru his suit. Because of that, the Suns took him off their draft board. Brilliant!!!!

1) Spurs 114, Rockets 75—Leonard didn’t play in this game, so of course the Spurs won by 39. Bookmakers in Las Vegas had to enjoy this outcome. This, from David Payne Purdum on Twitter: “(A bettor in Nevada) placed 3 six-figure money-line bets on Rockets to beat Spurs tonight, totaling $386,000, to win $120,000.”

Yikes.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Mets' Harvey returns; Cards go for 7th in a row
May 11, 2017

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday:

HARVEY'S RETURN

Matt Harvey is scheduled to make his first start for the New York Mets since serving a three-day suspension for skipping a game last weekend following a late night on the town. The 28-year-old right-hander acknowledged on Tuesday that he was out after last Friday night's game ''past curfew'' and then played golf Saturday morning. He did not show up at Citi Field for that night's game against Miami and took ''full blame'' for that. Harvey was scheduled to start Sunday afternoon, but when he arrived at the ballpark he was sent home by the team. Harvey (2-2), who apologized to his teammates, the fans and the organization, will face the Brewers and Matt Garza (1-0) in Milwaukee.

GOING FOR LUCKY No. 7

St. Louis erased a four-run deficit on Wednesday night and rallied to beat Miami 7-5 for the Cardinals' sixth straight victory. They'll be going for No. 7 in a row on Friday night to kick off an eight-game homestand when right-hander Mike Leake (4-1) takes the mound against the Chicago Cubs. Leake is looking to extend a personal four-game win streak and he'll be opposed by Eddie Butler, who'll be making his Cubs debut after spending the last three seasons with Colorado.

LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK

Minnesota Twins ace right-hander Ervin Santana (5-1, 1.72) will try to rebound from his first loss this season when he faces Indians righty Josh Tomlin (2-3, 7.12) in the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Friday night. Santana allowed a season-high six runs in six innings to Boston last Sunday.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

After Washington's home game against Baltimore was rained out Thursday night, the Nationals announced that they will skip Thursday starter A.J. Cole and keep the same pitching lineup they set in place for their next series against visiting Philadelphia: Tanner Roark, Gio Gonzalez, Max Scherzer. Meanwhile, the Orioles pushed back their starting rotation. Dylan Bundy, Thursday's scheduled starter, will go Friday at Kansas City, followed by Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman.

AIMING FOR YAZ

Albert Pujols will enter the Angels' game against the Detroit Tigers needing two RBIs to tie Carl Yastrzemski for 13th on baseball's career list. Pujols has 1,842 RBIs, including 25 this season for Los Angeles.

ROLLIN' RICK

After ending a four-game losing skid in his last outing, Rick Porcello (2-4) will take the mound for Boston in the opener of a three-game homestand against Tampa Bay, which will start Alex Cobb (2-3). Porcello, the AL Cy Young winner last year, has a 1.69 ERA in his last four starts.

[StarDust Bum]

Friday’s Stanley Cup Playoffs betting preview: Predators at Ducks

Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks (-115, 5)

Having finally put an end to their demonizing streak of Game 7 postseason failures on their home ice, the Anaheim Ducks will host the upstart Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Nashville has won both playoff matchups against the Ducks, including a seven-game series in the 2016 postseason.

The eighth-seeded Predators are in the conference finals for the first time in franchise history, pulling off a stunning sweep of Chicago in the first round before dispatching St. Louis in six games. Nashville won Game 7 in Anaheim a year ago, which eliminated the Ducks from the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season in a Game 7 on their home ice and led to the dismissal of coach Bruce Boudreau. Pacific Division champion Anaheim, making its fifth appearance overall in the conference finals and second since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, swept Calgary in the opening round before overcoming the Game 7 albatross with a 2-1 victory over Edmonton on Wednesday to earn a rematch against the Predators. “It’s, obviously, a team that’s playing outstanding in the playoffs,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf following the close-out win over the Oilers. “We’re going to have to be prepared, and we’ll start that process tonight and tomorrow morning.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVAS

LINE HISTORY: The home team Ducks opened as -115 favorites for Game 1 and that moneyline has not moved. The total hit the betting board at 5.5 and was reduced to 5 on Thursday.

INJURY REPORT:

Predators - LW Pontus Aberg (Questionable, upper body), LW Kevin Fail (Out For Season, leg)

Ducks - D Kevin Bieksa (Questionable, lower body), RW Patrick Eaves (Questionable, lower body), RW Logan Shaw (Questionable, lower body), D Simon Despres (Out Indefinitely, concussion), D Clayton Stoner (Out Indefinitely, abdominal).

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (49-31-8-4 42-40 O/U): Nashville's surprising playoff run is due to large part to the remarkable renaissance of veteran goaltender Pekka Rinne. The 34-year-old Finland native overcame an uneven regular season by allowing 14 goals in 10 playoff games, including a pair of shutouts in the sweep of top-seeded Chicago. The Predators' defensemen, despite the blockbuster offseason trade of longtime captain Shea Weber for fellow blue-liner P.K. Subban, are getting it done at both ends of the ice by amassing nine goals and 27 points in the postseason. The offensive burden up front will fall on the No. 1 line of center Ryan Johansen and 31-goal scorers Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson, who were fairly quiet against St. Louis before combining for four points in the series-clinching victory.

ABOUT THE DUCKS (54-26-10-3 34-39 O/U): Getzlaf got off to a miserable start to the season with only two goals in his first 26 games, but he has been superb in the playoffs with eight goals and seven assists. Linemate Corey Perry also has come alive after a pedestrian regular season with a goal and five assists in the last four games versus Edmonton while 33-goal scorer Rickard Rakell tallied in four straight games against the Oilers. Anaheim's defense, despite the absence of Cam Fowler in the first-round win over Calgary, is providing healthy offensive production with a combined three goals and 20 assists. Perhaps the biggest question marks in net, where John Gibson has surrendered at least three goals in six of his last nine appearances and lost both playoff starts against the Predators a year ago.

TRENDS:

* Predators are 8-2 in their last 10 overall.

* Ducks are 13-3 in their last 16 games following a win.

* Under is 10-2-5 in Predators last 17 vs. a team with a winning record.

* Over is 4-1 in Ducks last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.

* Home team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Friday, May 12


Nashville @ Anaheim

Game 3-4
May 12, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Nashville
12.262
Anaheim
11.488
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1
3
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Anaheim
-115
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-105); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, May 12

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NASHVILLE (49-31-0-12, 110 pts.) at ANAHEIM (54-26-0-13, 121 pts.) - 5/12/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 2-11 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
ANAHEIM is 54-39 ATS (+13.9 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 56-26 ATS (+20.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 36-19 ATS (+6.1 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 19-6 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home games after a division game this season.
ANAHEIM is 29-18 ATS (+29.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 19-10 ATS (+8.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 239-193 ATS (+30.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 29-17 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 21-10 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 9-7 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 9-7-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.3 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, May 12

Quick turnaround for Anaheim squad that won Game 7 over Edmonton 48 hours ago. Home side won five of last six Anaheim-Nashville games; Predators lost three of last four games in the Pond. Over is 2-0-1 in last three series games. Predators are 8-2 in playoffs, 3-2 on road; their last four games stayed under the total- they allowed five goals in last four games. Anaheim won four of last five games after losing Games 1-2 at home to Edmonton; over is 4-1 in their last five games. Ducks are 0-16 on power play in their last five games.

Conference finals
Ottawa-Pittsburgh

Nashville-Anaheim




NHL

Friday, May 12

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. ANAHEIM
Nashville is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 5 games
Anaheim is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

Nhl playoffs record: ( as in baseball dogs and totals only)
All picks for the day:

05/10/2017....................... 1-3-0.................... 25.00%............... -7.75
05/09/2017....................... 2-0-0....................100.00%............. +12.50
05/08/2017....................... 0-1-0...................... 0.00%............... -5.50
05/07/2017....................... 1-3-0..................... 25.00%.............. -10.50
05/06/2017....................... 1-2-0..................... 33.33%............... -5.50
05/05/2017....................... 2-1-0..................... 66.67%............... +5.00
05/04/2017....................... 0-1-1...................... 0.00%................ -5.00
05/03/2017....................... 1-2-0......................33.33%................ -5.00
05/02/2017....................... 0-2-1....................... 0.00%............... -10.50
05/01/2017....................... 2-0-0..................... 100.00%............. +10.00

Totals:..............................10 - 15 - 1..................40.00%...............- 22.25

Best Bets............ Sides...............................Totals

05/10/2017...........1 - 1..........50.00%...........+0.50........0 - 2..........00.00%.....-2.20
05/09/2017...........1 - 0 .......100.00%...........+1.50........1 - 0.........100.00%.....+1.00
05/08/2017...........N O P L A Y......................................0 - 1..........00.00%......- 1.10
05/07/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........1 - 1.........50.00%......-0.10
05/06/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........1 - 1..........50.00%......-0.10
05/05/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........2 - 0.........100%.........+2.00
05/04/2017...........0 - 1...........0.00%............-1.00.........0 - 1.........0.00%........- 1.10
05/03/2017...........1 - 0...........100%............+1.20........0 - 2.........0.00%........- 2.20
05/02/2017...........0 - 1---------0.00%...........- 1.00.........0 - 1 - 1....0.00%.........-1.10
05/01/2017...........1 - 0 ..........100%...........+ 1.00........1 - 0 ........100%.........+1.00

Totals..................4 - 6............40.00%.........-0.80........6 - 9...........40.00%.......-3.70


FRIDAY, MAY 12

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NAS at ANA 09:00 PM

NAS -105

U 5.0

[StarDust Bum]

Am back from a family emergency the last 4 days........Hope you all have done well since i've been gone....Now time to make some $$$$ as we are winding the down to the finals.....

Penguins knot series with 1-0 win
May 15, 2017

PITTSBURGH (AP) Mike Sullivan calls the energetic back-and-forth on the Pittsburgh Penguins bench ''a man's argument.''

If his players have something to say, Sullivan wants them to get it out. Enter Phil Kessel, the mercurial forward with the blistering shot and occasionally blistering tongue.

Frustrated by an inability to get anything by Ottawa's Craig Anderson, cameras caught Kessel pounding his fists and ordering his teammates to look for him.

Consider the message delivered. Kessel took a feed from Evgeni Malkin and zipped a wrist shot by Anderson 13:05 into the third period as the Penguins evened the Eastern Conference final with a 1-0 victory in Game 2 on Monday night. Game 3 is Wednesday in Ottawa.

''To be honest I think I yelled more than once tonight, so I don't remember that time,'' Kessel said with a laugh.

That's just Kessel being Kessel. If anything, his outburst was simply the physical manifestation of Sullivan's order to stop looking for the perfect shot and just start peppering Anderson looking for a sliver of space. The moment came with just less than 7 minutes remaining when Malkin gained the zone and found Kessel in the slot.

Kessel's first shot smacked off Jean Gabriel Pagueau and came right back to him. It happened so quickly Anderson didn't have enough time to reset, his left pad flailing as Pittsburgh's game-long domination finally resulted in something tangible: a lead and a tie series.

''I caught an edge, simple as that,'' said Anderson, who finished with 28 saves. ''A defenseman or forward catches an edge, he falls down, nothing happens. I catch an edge, it's in the net.''

That was enough for Marc-Andre Fleury, who stopped 23 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs and 10th of his postseason career. Fleury's 62nd playoff win moved him ahead of Henrik Lundqvist for the most by an active goaltender, heady territory for a guy who lost his starting job to Matt Murray during the course of the season. Now Fleury is the main reason the Penguins are three wins from a return trip to the Cup finals.

This victory, however, wasn't the byproduct of 60 minutes of brilliance. Fleury spent long stretches with nothing to do as the Penguins hemmed Ottawa in its own end. The Senators went nearly 19 minutes between the second and third period without recording a single shot, a testament to Pittsburgh's ability to play keepaway on the other end of the ice.

''We were pleased with the way we dictated the terms out there,'' Sullivan said.

A marked departure from Game 1, as Pittsburgh struggled to generate any sort of extended pressure in a 2-1 overtime loss. The Stanley Cup champions responded by heavily tilting the ice at times, remarkable considering they spent most of the night down two men after forward Bryan Rust and defenseman Justin Schultz left in the first period with injuries.

Rust was on the losing end of a clean check by Ottawa's Dion Phaneuf 4:58 into the game. Schultz, who has become Pittsburgh's most important blue liner with Kris Letang and Trevor Daley out, slid awkwardly into the end boards after getting bumped off the puck by Senators forward Mike Hoffman about midway through the first.

Sullivan offered no updates on either player.

Somehow, the Penguins found a way to make it work. The five remaining defensemen all played at least 20 minutes, including 24:49 from 37-year-old Ron Hainsey, who is in the playoffs for the first time in his career.

''After a while the rotation is kind of set and away you go,'' Hainsey said. ''You don't have time to really mentally think about any mistakes good or bad, because you're going right back out there. You don't have any other choice.''

Pittsburgh's ability to hog the puck hardly seemed to bother the Senators, who have proven repeatedly during their deepest playoff run in a decade they're just fine sitting back and waiting for an opening to counter. It's a style that produced both goals in Game 1.

This time, it eventually caught up to them.

''The third period they stepped it up a notch and we didn't,'' Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. ''They were surging. They were aggressive. We didn't manage it as well.''

NOTES: Malkin's assist gives him 20 points in the playoffs, tops in the NHL. ... Both teams went 0 for 1 on the power play. ... Penguins F Patric Hornqvist skated during pregame warmups but was scratched. Hornqvist has been dealing with a series of bumps and bruises incurred while blocking shots during the opening two rounds of the playoffs. ... Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger made a rare appearance at PPG Paints Arena. Roethlisberger, who announced last month he's returning for a 14th season, and the rest of the Steelers begin organized team activities next week.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

— Miami Marlin pitchers have hit a batter in 10 consecutive games, tied with ’09 Phillies for longest such streak since 1913.

— DL update: Outfielders AJ Pollock, Carlos Gomez, Hunter Pence all hit the shelf Monday.

— Arizona 7, NY Mets 3– Over last four games, Mets were outscored 16-7 from 7th inning on.

— Giants 8, Dodgers 4– San Francisco won five of its last six games.

— Indians 8, Rays 7– Chris Archer gave up five runs in the first inning.

— Celtics 115, Wizards 105– Home team won all seven series games. Boston plays the Cavaliers next.

***************************

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but………

13) Week 1 of the NFL season, ESPN has a Monday night doubleheader; this year, one of the announce teams that night will be Beth Mowins/Rex Ryan, an unusual pairing.

Mowins has done college football on ESPN for years; she is highly competent but she isn’t getting this gig because she is good, she is getting it because she’s a woman- that’s the world we live in now.

Look at the people ESPN fired this month; they’re working on evening out the demographics of their workforce.

This will be Ryan’s first-ever NFL game behind a microphone and he gets it in primetime, which is odd. If he is outspoken he should be good– he acted in an Adam Sandler movie couple years ago and was very good at it. Thing is, he has to be outspoken and not hold back on criticizing people he knows. We’ll see.

12) Someone on Twitter (a media professional) was critical of Kenny Albert getting national TV gigs, which is ridiculous, but again typical of the world we live in. If you prepare really well, set up your partner to look good and have no shtick, then some people won’t like you, because they care more about style than substance. Albert is everything a play-by-play guy should be.

11) For a good part of this weekend, the Cubs’ outfield was Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez and Ian Happ, a catcher and two infielders. At some point, this will hurt you defensively.

10) Mets blew a 7-1 lead Sunday, lost 11-9 in Miller Park; Neil Walker’s baserunning didn’t help them any.

When the Mets were up big, they had a half-inning end on a first-to-second double play, when Walker was a runner on third base. He coasted towards the plate; had he sprinted, he would’ve scored before the third out was made on a tag at second base. But he didn’t, the run didn’t count and it turned out to be a run the Mets really needed later on.

9) Texas Rangers are 6-0 when AJ Griffin starts; they scored 52 runs in the six games.

8) Kyle Stanley birdied the 17th hole island green at the PLAYERS Championship all four days this past weekend, just the second person ever to do that (Paul Azinger).

7) Former big league catcher David Ross makes his ESPN analyst debut on Wednesday night’s Boston-St Louis game, with Jon Sciambi and Aaron Boone.

6) Duke landed PG recruit Trevon Duval, a 5-star recruit. He’ll be in college from Labor Day until the Blue Devils get KO’d from the NCAA tournament. Duke will be a very young team next season.

5) There are now 58 billionaires living in Los Angeles County; hope they all buy suites in the Rams’ new stadium.

4) To people who are complaining about Colin Kaepernick being a free agent, what about Jay Cutler? You don’t think Cutler is better than Kaepernick? If a team had shown interest in signing Cutler, no way would he be working on TV this fall.

3) New idea in marketing: Florists were running ads Monday to sell Mother’s Day stuff to people who forgot to send flowers/gifts on Sunday. Balloons with “I’m really sorry!!!” on them?

2) Toronto Blue Jays have 14 pitchers, 11 position players right now; that means they have only one bench player, other than the backup catcher. Nobody better get ejected.

1) Would Gregg Popovich make a good President? Our country needs someone who is respected by most everyone– there is too much hatred/divisiveness these days. We need someone who can do the right thing without a political agenda. Hard to find people like that nowadays.