Your Anti-Toronto Saturday Evening Open Thread

I’ve said it before – I’m not a basketball fan. I don’t “hate it”; I just don’t find watching a whole game enjoyable. I can handle a few minutes near the end of a half or game, but – even during the Madness – you’re going to be hard-pressed to make me sit through an entire half. Especially sober.

I’m also not a fan of most modern hip-hop, or “the rap music” as it’s called around Tipper Gore’s house.

^{The 80s really were a special time.}

No one is forcing me to listen to it. But I get the appeal of the genre. And as a Canadian, I’m supposed to take pride in Drake’s accomplishments, because he went to the States & made it big. But since I’m not from “The Six” & I don’t listen to the genre, I also – Mr. Cutler?

Now add in the majesty of the Canadian sports media FILLING the public airwaves with assertions that all Canadians deeply care about the Raptors and their playoff run. Every sportscast is fifteen straight minutes of the Raptors, Drake & their (other, plebeian) fans. My passive disinterest has been turned into actual hate.

I am now openly hoping the Raptors somehow lose out & don’t make the finals. If that makes me a bad Canadian, then so be it. I’m already rooting for the Bruins – how much worse can it get?

Tonight’s sports:

• NBA: Game 6 – Raptors up 3-2
  • Bucks at Raptors – 8:30PM | TNT / Sportsnet
• MLB:
  • 7:00PM | FOX – Geography determines your game:
    • Red Sox at Astros
    • Atlanta at St. Louis
    • Dodgers at Pirates
• Futbol:
  • MLS:
    • Whitecaps FC vs. FC Dallas – 7:00PM | TSN
    • Colorado vs. Columbus – 9:00PM | TSN
• Australian Rules Football:
  • Melbourne vs. GWS – 11:00PM | TSN2
• Fights:
  • PBC Fight Night: Trout-Gausha (super welterweights)
    • Prelims – 7:00PM | FS1
    • Main card – 8:00PM | FS1
  • Top Rank Boxing on ESPN:
    • Main Event: Ito-Herring (super featherweights) – 10:00PM | ESPN / TSN5

Just two more days until Game 1 of the Cup Final. Mr. Scott?

***

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

This is your friendly neighborhood Balls of Steel here reminding you that if you wake up super early tomorrow morning,  you can catch the beginning of the Greatest Day In Motor Sports: The Monaco Grand Prix!

BeerGuyRob is, in his words,  oot and aboot, so he asked me to write a little bit about the race.

If you’ve been watching any F1 this year,  you know that Ferrari has,  in British terms,  lost the plot and that every other team is chasing Mercedes for a place on the podium.

Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton have swapped first and second in every race this year and the only real intrigue this season has been whether Bottas will be allowed to win the championship this year ahead of his teammate.

For Monaco,  Hamilton has the pole and Bottas lines up right next to him.  The race may come down to a drag race to see who is ahead at the first turn.

FWIW, my sentimental choice to win the race is Daniel Riccardo because he’s Australian,  hilarious,  and a dang good driver.  Unfortunately,  he’s stuck on bad teams with bad equipment.

So, won’t you join me after the last AFL game of the evening for the race?

You can do like I do and enjoy watching the crowd and playing the “which Countess/ Duchess takes it up the ass?” game!