Your “Merciful Heaven, It’s A Game 7!” Wednesday Night Open Thread

NFL News:

  • Norv news! Norv Turner resigned from the Vikings this morning. No reason has officially been given, so speculate away!
  • Wade Phillips is back at work.
  • The PA may be pushing the NFL to tolerate Mary Jane as an alternative to chemical painkillers, especially if/once Proposition 64 passes in California,
    • There are marijuana ballot initiatives in other NFL-friendly states like Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts & Nevada.
      •  Adding in Colorado & Washington, that’s 6 states with (currently) 10 franchises.
    • If they look to licence official suppliers, they don’t need to go further than Ricky Williams, blunt brother #1.
  • It’ll be the Nick Foles show for the Chiefs versus the Jaguras this week, as Alex Smith’s 13 concussions last Sunday will have him on the sidelines.
  • Seriously, Tom Brady – shut the fuck up!
  • Should have shut up sooner? Brian Baldinger, who has been suspended by NFL Network for 6 months for advocating the Eagles put a bounty on Ezekiel Elliott

    He swears he won't do it again.
    He swears he won’t do it again. Scout’s honor.

There’s nothing more fun, or nerve-wracking, than a Game 7 for the championship. (Or, y’know, the Super Bowl.) Add in whatever historical factoids that give extra weight/incentive to a team and a fanbase, and you’ve got instant ratings.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have been to  three NFC Championship games and one NHL Stanley Cup Game 7 in my lifetime. The NFC championships were:

  • 2007 – Giants at Green Bay
  • 2013 – Niners at Seahawks
  • 2014 – Packers at Seahawks

Each one was fantastic in their own way. Giants-Packers was going to be on “the frozen tundra”. I spent the night before trying to drink Titletown Brewing dry. The game ended the way most Favre seasons did – with an interception leading to the other team’s winning field goal, followed by 6 months of retirement rumours.

Plus, I got to see a guy wearing a deer.

Having grown up a Packers fan – yes, I have one of those shares; the Seahawks didn’t exist until 1976 – it was bittersweet, because I thrilled at the fact of going to my first Lambeau game but cheated that I wasn’t rewarded for having spent all that money to get there. I’d like to think it would’ve felt the same had I lived there.

The Niners-Seahawks was great from both a season ticket-holder perspective and a fan’s perspective. Having gotten my season’s tickets in 2010, I hadn’t been there for long, but had been there for the whole Pete Carroll era, and it seemed like the culmination of an actual plan, something fans rarely see work through to fruition. My wife didn’t cotton to all the “FUCK THE NINERS!” yells and chants, but the celebration at the end was a sports feeling I’d never had.

She's got a valid opinion on this as well.
She’s got a valid opinion on this as well.

The 2014 game, therefore, was full of mixed emotions: Packers fan but Seahawks season ticket-holder. It was one of those situations where I had two dogs in the fight, so I couldn’t lose. But a significant part of my sports fandom wanted a different outcome, even though Mike McCarthy’s goal-line decision-making in that game eerily foreshadowed the circumstances of Super Bowl 49.

The 2011 Stanley Cup Game 7 had the same circumstance. Growing up as a kid, and Atom-level hockey player, I wanted to be a Bruin, either Bobby Orr or Gerry Cheevers. I had their cards, posters and knock-off jerseys. I suffered them losing to the Habs and the Oilers, and then losing Ray Bourque to the Avs, so he could finally win one. I know the Red Sox had a longer drought, but as I’ve often said – I don’t give a crap about the Red Sox.

I grew up in Vancouver. The Canucks have been a consistently bad franchise for most of their 46 years, so the few triumphs really stick out in people’s minds. (And, unfortunately, turn casual fans into complete assholes – Patriots fans, but without any trophies.) I became a Bruins fan partly because my younger hockey-playing self needed a hero, and there wasn’t one locally. Both the 1982 and 1994 Cup Finals teams were unexpected surprises, which made cheering for them fun. The 2011 team was expected to make the Finals, so that was different.

Once again, the 2011 Game 7 was a case of having two dogs in the fight.

I got what I wanted, and took its picture too.

Given that the youngest curse ending tonight is 78 years, expect lots of interviews with old people just before the meteor hits.

“CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!…Ahh, shit…”

Tonight’s sports:

  • MLB: Game 7 – Chicago at Cleveland – 8:00 | FOX/Sportsnet
  • College Football: Toledo at Akron – 7:30 PM | ESPN2
  • NBA Basketball:
    • Raptors at Wizards – 7:00 | TSN
    • Bulls at Celtics – 8:00 PM | ESPN
    • Thunder at Clippers – 10:30 PM | ESPN/TSN
  • NHL Hockey:
    • Canucks at Canadiens – 7:30 | Sportsnet1/360
    • Red Wings at Flyers – 8:00 PM | NBCSN
    • Penguins at Ducks – 10:30 | Sportsnet1/360

I have friends who support both teams, so I want a good game. DON’T BE A BLOWOUT!

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Beerguyrob
A Canadian man-child of indeterminate age, he stays young by selling alcohol at sporting events and yelling at the patrons he serves. Their rage nourishes his soul, and their tips pay for his numerous trips to various sporting events.
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Marc Trestmans Windowless Van

I got really drunk as the Cubs almost gave it away. They did win right? I am not gonna wake up to they somehow lost it

Senor Weaselo

The lack of image also seems correct.

Senor Weaselo

Oh, there we go.

Old School Zero

YESSSSSSSS

blackroseMD1

Grew up in small town Arkansas, so the only baseball I got to see was Cubs on WGN and Braves on TBS. Saw plenty of Braves titles and now it’s pretty damn awesome to see a Cubs one.

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ballsofsteelandfury

I had a similar experience living near Arizona when I was young. I’m happy.

Doktor Zymm

I love high fiving strangers

Senor Weaselo

Has there been singing?

Marc Trestmans Windowless Van

I shouldn’t care about this win, because I haven’t really cared about the Cubs since my parents were taking me to games with $15 outfield seats where they overserved the guy next to me and he spilled his last 4 beers on me, Mark Grace was going 0 for 4 and Sammy Sosa was shooting up steriods in the batters box.. But I am actually enjoying it.

Senor Weaselo

Dok, you’re writing about the parade, right?

laserguru

I just want to say that I love every one of you.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Oh, and the Ricketts family can still go fuck themselves for supporting Trump

/shows self out

BrettFavresColonoscopy

CAREFUL, YOU’LL BREAK HIS HIP

Brocky

Grown men crying. People I didn’t know who cared about baseball sharing stories.

Right now, more than ever from the bottom of my heart…..

THAT’S GOOD FUCKING HUSTLE

Old School Zero

Fuck it. I’m gonna take a shot and then buy a hat.

Sep

Chicago hasn’t been this lit since the Great Chicago Fire

ThePirateSloth

I can’t wait to see if Pornhub puts up its site traffic stats during and after the series

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Things really turned around when I switched to booze.

/you’re welcome

Brick Meathook

THE GREAT FIRE OF CHICAGO PART 2

Doktor Zymm

Looking out the window…everyone is walking wrigley, and not away. This crowd ain’t gonna break up for a while, police horses or no. I…might have to go out.

Senor Weaselo

DO IT DO IT DO IT. And give field report!

ballsofsteelandfury

Good luck. We’re all counting on you!

ThePirateSloth

Wear sensible shoes!

Brick Meathook

Stay on the fringes and always be aware of your escape routes.

Brocky

Do it. If you don’t you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.

I’m not saying that to be sarcastic

Duchess
Doktor Zymm

I’m east of Wrigley and this is loud. Clark must be total SHITSHOW.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

FUCK YOU, LEBRON

Gratliff

I have a 4 hour meeting tomorrow. I don’t even like these teams. Stupid, stupid me.

Marc Trestmans Windowless Van

Someone needs to check on Zymm, she said she lived on the third floor and should be safe. I don’t trust Cubs fans

Spur

comment image

Sep

THANK YOU BASED GOD!!!

ballsofsteelandfury

All I know is that W flag better be flying in El Segundo and an awesome fucker with shit knees better not go to work tomorrow

Senor Weaselo

Something tells me it will.

Doktor Zymm

It took a second, but the WOOOOOOOOs and fireworks are now in full effect. I mean…they are fireworks, right?

Low Commander of the Super Soldiers

It’s that, or the dead have risen.

nomonkeyfun

I would recommend sleeping in your tib tonight.

indieguy

I knew the browns were the rosemary Kennedy of Cleveland but I didn’t know the Indians where John Kennedy jr

ThePirateSloth

There’s gonna be a shit ton of babies born in Chi in 9 months

Croooow

Holy Cow!

blackroseMD1

+1 thick rimmed glasses

Brick Meathook

THIS IS LEBRON’S FAULT

Low Commander of the Super Soldiers

Where was the reaction shot? I feel cheated.

Spur

Chicago at dawn, November 3, 2016
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BrettFavresColonoscopy

Woooooooo

Senor Weaselo

Man, that was a really long commercial for MLB 12 The Show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_qNFjJn3No

blackroseMD1

I can’t believe that actually happened.

Also, Theo Epstein is some kind of baseball demigod, isn’t he?

Senor Weaselo

Rebuttal: Fuck him. That’s the main anti-Cubs thing I had though.

blackroseMD1

I can get behind the “fuck him”. He’s worked with 4 teams, including my Padres, and won titles with two of them, neither of them being the Padres.

Duchess

WRITE IN THEO EPSTIEN FOR PRESIDENT!!!

Brick Meathook

FUCK YOU WRITE ME IN FOR PREZ

Sep

Year of Cleveland Sports FranchAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Spur

Its over! Its fucking over! They did it! This baseball game is finally over!

PKesque factoid, each team only won one game at home this series.

Marc Trestmans Windowless Van
Marc Trestmans Windowless Van

As a Chicago fan I just had that one ready

Horatio Cornblower

“This is gonna be a tough play!!!!” Joe Buck screamed, as a professional athlete cleanly fielded a 2 hopper and lined-up a 70′ throw.

Old School Zero

AMAZING!

The Maestro

THEY FUCKING DID IT

ThePirateSloth

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Brick Meathook

WELL WE’RE ALL FUCKED NOW

SEE YA IN HELL

ballsofsteelandfury

Amazing

Doktor Zymm

Is that airhorn on the TV or outside?

ThePirateSloth

Both

Sep

FUCKIN A

Doktor Zymm

Oh hey! It’s Cubbies!

Doktor Zymm

Quick poll : At your elementary school, which did you say?
We want a pitcher, not a
a) glass of water
b) belly itcher