Sunday, November 08, 2020
Keep the Ball Rolling 2020
The Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup on Monday night in Edmonton. They managed to put two goals in the Dallas Stars net, and played brilliant defence to stifle the Dallas attack. Victor Hedman, who played spectacular hockey throughout the playoffs, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable player.
Due to the fact that the arena in Edmonton was virtually empty, league Commissioner Gary Bettman was able to present the Cup without the usuual catcalls and verbal abuse from fans. There was a great sigh of relief, more than anything, as players and management from both teams dragged themselves from the ice area, and prepared to leave “the bubble”. In order to complete the season, they had to quarantine themselves, for the most part, away from families and friends. They had not been able to celebrate their children's birthdays, and special events.
Eugenie Bouchard won her first round match at the French Open last weekend. She is on the comeback trail, after several disappointing seasons on the tennis courts. She appears to be ready to make a statement, following recent successes in Europe. There are several other Canadians in the tournament. I suspect Rafael Nadal will work his magic once again to reach the finals. He has raised the trophy there 11 times.
The Toronto Blue Jays began their quest to win the World Series yesterday. They are playing the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East Division championships. The Yankees face the Cleveland Indians. The Minnesota Twins play the Houston Astros, and the Oakland Athletics play the Chicago white Sox in the other American League games. Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo decided to start Matt Shoemaker on the mound in the opening game and Hyun Jin Ryu will pitch the second game. All series are the best of three; therefore, starting pitching is critical.
The National League opens its playoff season on Wednesday with the following games: Los Angeles Dodgers against the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Diego Padres against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago Cubs against the Florida Marlins, and the Atlanta Braves against the Cincinnatti Reds. All 16 teams will be in action on Thursday, tying up many of the television networks.
The Miami Heat knocked off the Boston Celtics to earn the right to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball finals this year. All teams have been sequestered in a basketball bubble in Orlando. As was the case with the hockey guys, I am sure that most of the players can't wait to get out of Dodge. The Lakers are led by LeBron James, and he is determined to win another title.
An abbreviated schedule for National Football teams got under way a couple of weeks ago. Buffalo Bills' fans got a nasty scare last Sunday when their team gave up a 25 point advantage, then managed to survive in the dying minutes of the game. They won their third game with no losses, the first time that has happened since Noah began his work on the ark, I believe.
It will be a topsy-turvy season for many fans this year. Tom Brady snuck out of New England to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and coaxed his pal Rob Gronkowski to join him there. Teams are trying to figure out ways to get fans into their buildings, but with recent increases in the numbers of COVID 19 cases, that will not happen.
Oh that the magic wand could wave above the Earth and rid us of this pandemic! Soon, hopefully.
James Hurst
September 29, 2020.
