Jerry Reinsdorf has McConnell in Chicago’s half
I and many other Chicagoans used to sit in our simple Midwestern homes, huddled by the coal stove or whatever people imagine us doing in the winter (it’s not that far away, it’s is just huddled at the bar), and we had a good laugh about how The New Yorkers got a life sentence with James Dolan. Here was a guy who proudly drove two teams into the ground, even though he at least had the convenience of doing it from one building. It was easy to portray Madison Square Garden as a den of imbecility and disorientation. Did much of this lakeside town ever think it would get to a point where they would trade for Dolan if it meant sending Jerry Reindsdorf to the utility closet of the nearest Russian space station? Learn more
The NHL is going to make fun of OT again, even if it’s already a joke
Whenever we discuss changes the NHL wants to make to its ranking system or its points system, we must remember that the league has no interest in finding ways to separate the good teams from the bad . The league likes that very few teams are below .500 (only 10 of 32 have records that look below .500 now). He likes it when any casual fan sees a team just three or four points away from a playoff spot or a division lead and concludes that they must be close even though three or four points is incredibly difficult to make up in the standings . They think it sells tickets and gets people to watch. General managers like it because it keeps them from looking as stupid as they probably are. They really have to do everything possible not to be “in it”. Learn more
The USMNT shows courage and lacks depth
The scoresheet will show that the USMNT took a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. And since it is the Nations League, and especially the qualifying round for next summer’s Copa America, the result dominates everything. Coach Gregg Berhalter will likely say something about the patience and courage the United States showed in being persistent enough to break through a determined and tenacious defense after the 80th minute. And then he’ll probably say something about how difficult it is to play against a team down to 10 men. Learn more
Nobody self-destructs like the Buffalo Bills
If Chris Berman was indeed still alive, and not just a hologram or rejected animatronic figure from Chuck E. Cheese at this point, he probably wouldn’t go on air and say, “NOBODY BLOWS THEIR OWN DICK LIKE THE BUFFALO BILLS! Not because it’s not true, but because he hasn’t updated any of his slogans since the Clinton administration. Learn more
The Oilers season is already over
A month into an NHL season, it’s probably not the time to panic – unless you’re the Edmonton Oilers and the pressure cooker started a few years ago. A 3-9-1 start has already left oil with something close to a Sisyphic rise. Sure, there are 69 games left, but we’re only a week away from Thanksgiving, when teams are typically locked into their playoff spots with only a small amount of variance over the next four months of the season. Learn more