I think we’re all a little scared of Miami.
I think it intimidates us.
I think we look at whatever happens on South Beach, recognize people capable of bullying us, and refuse to launch a preemptive strike.
I think we also know they don’t care about hockey. Or baseball. Or football. Or even college football. Not anymore. Miami’s an NBA town, and their NBA team rocks, and if the Panthers blow a 3–0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals and you try to make fun of someone from South Florida because of it, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to first inform that someone of the fact the Panthers blew a 3–0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. They don’t know that!
We’re still a long ways from this becoming reality. But the Oilers look like they might have broken Sergei Bobrovsky, Connor McDavid is the best hockey player in the world right now, and Leon Draisaitl will scalp a man with his stick if he thinks there’s a chance to get away with it.
A friend’s wife accused me this week of cheering for the Panthers, and it was an accusation I couldn’t take lightly. We don’t need to address the question directly—that will go poorly for me, as a guy who has repeatedly criticized the existence of successful Southern hockey and openly cheered for a Canadian takeover of America’s coldest league—but I will say this: If I followed hockey closely, I think I’d dislike both these teams? Thankfully, I don’t follow it that closely, and I can wash my mind in the beautiful concept that is Edmonton, but it’s a tough situation. They’re both dirty, and neither owns it anymore. There’s a Stu on one of them, but he often stinks. Neither team is my beloved Ottawa Senators.
I guess that when it comes to Alberta, I’m a Calgary guy. Have I been to Alberta? Again, I struggle to see why I should answer that. I’m a Calgary guy.
Etc.
- It’s impressive that the U.S. has maintained naming rights over Copa América. America Cup! That’s ours! We’ve never won—nobody from North América has ever won Copa América—but we still get to call it the name our parents, Amerigo Vespucci and Prince Madoc, gave to us. Games started last night. The U.S. men’s national team (that’s long for “USMNT”) plays its first game Sunday. If this reminds you about that cricket world cup, you’re not alone. Super Eight game vs. the West Indies tonight. Super Eight is basically a second round of pool play. No idea why the West Indies get to combine for cricket. Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago and a lot of the others are on their own for soccer. I don’t get the impression I should complain about the West Indies’ lot in life, though. Yet another question that would not end well for me.
- For those of you very into the NCAA T*urnament expansion discourse: Ken Pomeroy was sharing facts yesterday on Twitter. Not spitting them. Just sharing. The best.
