Monday, October 26, 2020
Late Summer Sports-2020
There was plenty of action in the sporting world to keep us occupied, over the past few days. Mind you, it did not require a trip to a rink, nor to a baseball field, nor to a basketball court to catch the action. We are still in the holding pattern dictated by Covid 19, and that is simply the way it is.
Dustin Johnson made the best shots last weekend to dominate the Professional Golfers' Association tournament. He was 11 strokes ahead of the rest of the field, a phenomenal accomplishment. Four Canadians participated. Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin missed the cut, but Corey Connors tied for 28th, and Mackenzie Hughes tied for 13th.
They raced the cars around the oval at the Indiannapolis 500. NASCAR held its event. I heard someone say that there were 250 000 empty seats at the 500. Very strange.
The Raptors stormed out of the gate, and decimated the Brooklyn Nets in four straight games. They were able to use their bench players much of the time, which should bode well in their next series against the Boston Celtics. The Bostonians trimmed the Philadelphia 76ers, also in four straight. It was the first time that the Toronto squad had ever swept a playoff series. The Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers are tied at two games each. Coach “Doc” Rivers was not too happy with his Clippers. “I though we were very emotionally weak tonight. If I knew why, I would be Sigmund Freud”.
Vancouver remains the last Canadian team in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs. They were overpowered by the Vegas Golden Knights 5-0 in the first playoff game on Sunday. Robin Lehner earned the shutout. Dallas trimmed Colorado 5-3, with Alexander Radulov chipping in two goals. In the East, at Toronto, The Boston Bruins hung on to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2, to open their best of seven series.As a bit of a surprise, the New York Islanders continue to impress, topping the Flyers 4-0 in their first game.
The Tampa Bay Rays moved into first place in the East in the baseball world, just ahead of the New York Yankees. For some reason, the Rays simply have the Blue Jays' number. They completed their series on Monday night, two games apiece. When you watch the Rays, you must wait until the conclusion of the game. They have come from behind so many times this year, to steal victories. The Jays are now one game over .500, and the season is at the half way point. If you happen to run into Buck Martinez, would you please ask him to stop managing from the broadcast booth? As a former manager and catcher, he is constantly predicting the best pitch for the Jays' pitcher to throw.
The hockey world lost a really good guy last week. Dale Hawerchuk, a memember of the Hockey Hall of Fame, passed away. He went from a brilliant junior career to a selection as the first overall draft choice by the Winnipeg Jets. A well-respected coach for several years in the junior ranks.
Despite all of that, it has been the most wonderful summer, weather-wise. Lake Ontario continues to draw folks from around the country, and Prince Edward County has benefited from its charm. Enjoy the rest of the summer. The score I would like to see posted is: Science 1 COVID 0. End of match. Always an optimist.
James Hurst
August 24, 2020
