NFL News: It’s a holiday, so it’s pretty quiet.

• Cassius Marsh let loose on his feelings about “The Patriot Way”:
  • “They don’t have fun there. There’s nothing fun about it. There’s nothing happy about it. I didn’t enjoy any of my time there.”
  • “It made me for the first time in my life think about not playing football because I hated it that much.”
  • And he had a message for the Barstool-types flooding his twitter with comments:
    • “I just want to address all you Patriots fans who don’t like this new article. I’m sorry to hurt your feelings. Seems to be breaking your heart. But if you can’t handle the truth, stay off my page. Don’t read articles. That’s how I felt. That’s how I still feel and I’m grateful to be away from there, grateful to be where I’m at.”

• Being relegated to the bottom of the Alouettes’ depth chart has provoked Josh Freeman to retire from the CFL.
  • He had signed a two-year contract in January, but will now await a mid-November phone call from a team trying to avoid Colin Kaepernick.

Finally, as it’s Memorial Day, and after the announcement of the anthem policy last week, teams tripped all over their dicks in attempts to shore up their patriotism bona fides. You’ll find some examples below; it seems less sad/pathetic/craven when it comes from successful organizations.

• As opposed to the Browns, the Austro-Hungarian Empire of NFL teams.
• Of course, you can find MAGA chuds on any page, but that’s the internet for you.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1001079138675970048

To all the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to serve and protect our country, we thank you and we remember you.#MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/xPi72qdE7i

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 28, 2018

We honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/cuXLIsvzvi

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) May 28, 2018

We remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Thank you. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/jLEweYaoSe

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 28, 2018

Stanley Cup Finals Preview:

It’s the Capitals versus the Golden Knights, two separate teams of destiny – only one of which will have it fulfilled. And despite how hard they tried to avoid the NBA playoffs, the NHL still managed to step on its dick in terms of scheduling and run up against a NBA Game 7 that will attract more casual fans than their tilt. So, Fuck Gary Bettman.

Washington:

• Been in the NHL since 1974.
  • Joined the same year as the Kansas City Scouts, who became the Colorado Rockies (’76), who became the New Jersey Devils (’82), who won three Stanley Cups (’95, ’00, ’03) once they drafted Martin Brodeur.
• Used to hold the league records for fewest wins in a season.
• Were a laughing stock for much of their existence, until they drafted Alexander Ovechkin.

• For the most part, the Capitals under Ovechkin have been a team of unfulfilled potential.
  • In that they have the jaw-dropping stats that make you think they should have won the Cup at least twice by now, but they’ve managed to step on their own dicks every time they’ve been a favourite, resulting in shots like this virtually every season.

• This series, for the Caps, will come down to the effectiveness of Braeden Holtby & Nicklas Backstrom.
  • Holtby sat out the first two games of the opening round, because head coach Barry Trotz, a sentient hemorrhoid, thought it would be wiser to start a hot rookie than an experienced Vezina trophy candidate.
    • After consecutive overtime losses, the error of his way was seen & corrected, and Holtby has started every game since.
  • Nick Backstrom is key because he is the lynchpin of the second-line.
    • Ovi’s going to get his looks, but if Backstrom is out, then the combinations don’t line up as favourably for the Caps, and an opponent can work on strangling Washington’s top line.
      • TJ Oshie needs his usual centerman in order to produce at the level the team needs.
    • If the top-two lines are working, then Washington can roll four solid lines; if Backstrom is out, then all Washington has is Ovi’s line and the power play.

Las Vegas:

• The best idea with the most horrific execution the NHL have ever imagined.
  • Best idea because expansion brings fresh blood & matchups, and juggles enough rosters that it will allow team dynamics to improve or – if they’re the Canucks – get way worse.
    • Also, by being the only team to enter, they got the best choices of available players, versus having to divvy them up with another candidate.
    • Right out of the chute, the team was fantastic, which served to increase home attendance throughout the season.
      • “Home” attendance in that locals kept more of their own tickets & didn’t StubHub as many.
  • Horrific execution because:
    1. Teams that were already bad – like the Canucks – look worse when a team that didn’t exist a year ago is playing for the Cup, and that team – like the Canucks – looks at least four years away from even making the playoffs.
       • guaranteeing terrible attendance & poor performance.
    2. When Seattle joins the league in 2020, they’re going to expect the same deal Vegas got with the expansion draft
       • which other teams won’t allow since they don’t want to disappoint their fan base again.
    3. If Vegas doesn’t win, it sets a standard of expectation for the fan base.
       • The longer they go without winning, the worse attendance will become.
    4. If Vegas does win, there’s nowhere for expectations to go but down.
       • Attendance will still look god for 3-4 years, but unless they succeed consistently they’ll soon become the Florida Panthers.

• That being said, Vegas has four solid #2 lines.
  • They don’t really have a “Top line”, but can roll four consistent line combinations, which has the effect of making them a team hard to match up with.
    • This is why the health of Nick Backstrom is key for the Caps.
      • Vegas is much, much better at line-juggling than Washington.
• And “Playoff Fleury” hasn’t shown up yet.
  • He hasn’t had that stretch where bad shots go in, and he gets rattled to the point of having to be benched.
    • Probably because there’s far-less pressure in Vegas, so a rocky outing isn’t getting a dose of the boos like he would have gotten in Pittsburgh.

Prediction: Caps in six.

• I like the idea of Ovi finally getting off the schneid. Plus – as someone mentioned in an Open Thread – he can bring Putin as his +1 to the White House.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL:
  • Capitals at Golden Knights – 8:00PM | NBC / CBC, Sportsnet
• NBA:
  • Warriors at Rockets – 9:00PM | TNT / Sportsnet1
    • Game 7, BAY-BAY!
• MLB:
  • Giants at Rockies – 7:00PM | ESPN / TSN
• WWE:
  • Monday Night RAW – 8:00PM | USA / Sportsnet360
• Futbol:
  • International Friendly Soccer:
    • Mexico vs. Wales – 8:50PM | FS1

Hope you’re enjoying the holiday. IF YOU DO GET POISONING, I HOPE IT’S ALCOHOL, NOT FOOD!