(Photo: Getty Images)
First of all, many thanks to my friends (including Games Mistress and various members of Red Sox Nation) for pulling me out of my Pinstriped Spiral of Gloom last Friday morning after receiving word that Mariano Rivera suffered a season-and-possibly-career-ending torn ACL last Thursday while shagging fly balls in Kansas City. Honestly, there is nothing like a devastating injury to a beloved future Hall of Famer to remind you who your truest friends in baseball are. Red Sox fans and I may be bitter frenemies when wins are on the line, but when something like this happens, we all feel for the biggest fans of the affected team and athlete. So thanks you guys – you are the best!
And what a difference a day made. It wasn’t long until Rivera’s competitive nature bounced back as he declared to reporters “I’m coming back. Write it down in big letters. I’m not going out like this.” So it won’t be long until you can go back to hating my kind again, Red Sox Nation (know that I say this with love). It’s been reported that three doctors at two hospitals examined his knee today, so hopefully surgery and rehab go smoothly enough to get him back on the mound in 2013. Until then, it’s the Soriano-Robertson Show from here on out.
(Photo: Getty Images)
So while I was purposely ignoring hockey, Drew Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings became a thing. They soundly swept the 2nd seeded Blues and are now awaiting the outcome of the Coyotes/Preds series. They made a little history along the way: it was the first time the Kings have swept a Best-of-Seven series. That’s right, something Gretzky’s Kings couldn’t accomplish (though to be fair, Gretzky did a whole lot of other stuff.) Meanwhile Philly’s Claude Giroux was rewarded a one game suspension for his hit on the Devils’ Dainius Zubrus. It couldn’t have come at a worse time: the Flyers are facing elimination as they return home Tuesday night for Game 5. But then again, unlike the series against the Pens, Giroux hasn’t exactly been a dominant scoring factor in this series. We blame Old Man Brodeur. And on that note, let us pause a moment and reflect on Marty in a sweater:
Sigh…
Today’s Favourite? This feature from SB Nation’s Jon Bois on the worst MLB slogans ever: “What do you do when you have to write a slogan for the worst team in the history of the American League? Write something that is technically accurate. Other prospective slogans included “WE ARE A BASEBALL TEAM” and “HI I AM WRITING A SLOGAN.”
We also extend our love to the family of Adam Yauch from across the interwebs, some of us having been longtime fans of the Beastie Boys. I have some great memories tied to their music, and it’s hard to believe that the gravelly voice of MCA has been silenced. So I’ll close out my post with this track from my fave Beasties album. One verse in particular hit home for many of us fans, and given recent events I found it rather timely.
I want to say a little something that’s long overdue
The disrespect to women has got to be through
To all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and friends
I want to offer my love and respect to the end
Our love and respect to you as well, MCA. You will forever keep it on and on in our hearts.
Ladies... 