BRIEFLY TOLD

CONSIDER THE SOURCE: According to a New York tabloid, Tiki Barber wants to be the Big Apple’s most influential media personality and, with that in mind, they’ve started a computer-generated “Bad Tiki” segment on his daily radio show. Come again? We kid you not. Actually, the first “Bad Tiki” was borderline funny … that is, if you’re into New York-style putdown humor/nastiness, otherwise it was … OK, b-a-d. “Where did you come up with this?” the former UVA and NY Giants’ star running back asked co-host Evan Roberts, who took most of the abuse. Let it be noted “Good Tiki” was laughing. AT LEAST HE WON’T BE SENT DOWN: That should have been small consolation for Zac Jones, who opened the season the NY Rangers’ No. 7 defenseman. From Richmond, first player born and bred in Virginia to suit up in the NHL, he apparently never had a real chance … to make the No. 3 defensive pairing with the arrival of free agent Erik Gustafsson. The Rangers gave Jones, coming off two outstanding seasons with AHL Hartford, a new (two-year) contract, knowing he would have to clear waivers before being shipped back to their top farm again. Still, much was made about having to adjust to new coach Peter Laviolette’s … and Gustafsson apparently had the advantage because he played for Laviolette last year in Washington. In the season-opener Thursday (Oct. 12) in Buffalo, Jones was a healthy scratch along with veteran forward Jimmy Vesey … Rangers won 5-1. Chris Krieder had a pair of goals, one short-handed. PICK ‘EM: Carolina Hurricanes win Stanley Cup over Minnesota Wild … Rangers are voted league’s most disappointing team, failing to make playoffs after going over 100 points in each of two seasons under coach Gerard Gallant (fired) … Washington and Pittsburgh return to post-season play … Bruins’ Matthew Poitras Rookie of the Year after sure-fire Connor Bedard doesn’t make it to February because of injuries … Carolina has third-best record (behind New Jersey and Boston) in East then runs table under best coach Rod Brind’amour. In the West, Edmonton was the fashionable choice to go all the way, forgetting the Oilers don’t have championship-worthy goaltending. Las Vegas should contend but history has not been kind to defending champions. An injury-ravaged disappointment last year, Colorado should be much improved … and don’t be surprised if Calgary, rid of disliked coach Darryl Sutter, makes a major comeback … So why the Wild? Well, the tough bunch from Minnesota has Kirill Kaprizov, a left winger who could finish ahead of Edmonton’s all-world Connor MacDavid for player of the year. And … why not? ON SECOND THOUGHT: We might be a little harsh about the Rangers. For one thing Laviolette always seems to get the most out of his team in their first season together. Even more important NY has the NHL’s best goaltender in Igor Shesterkin who won 37 games a year ago but probably will have to be even better … say like 2021-22 when he backstopped the Rangers to within a game of the Stanley Cup finals and won the Vezina Trophy … Backup Jonathan Quick, a former Cup winner with Los Angeles, had a terrible preseason. In the season-opener, Shesterkin had to make big saves after two giveaways in the Ranger end by Gustafsson.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOUGHTS WHILE THINKING

Big-time college football has become more professional than the NFL. Think about it: With few  exceptions, ALL players are free agents … and can go to the highest bidder … with no salary cap  impeding deep-pocket alumni and other … uh, friends of the university from signing whoever they  want. Louisville of your ACC landed 25 newcomers via the transfer portal this year. I dare say no  NFL team signed as many free agents … not even close. ….  I know, I know … Deion Sanders brought in what had to be a record-number of new faces to  Colorado including Shedeur Sanders, the quarterback, who threw for 510 yards in the father-son  debut, a 45-42 victory over 21-point-favorite TCU. Pretty impressive, right? Before you get too  carried away … understand the Horned Frogs had a total of three starters from last year’s national  runnerup team … and Colorado still needed a short-pitch-then-run of 49 yards for a late touchdown  to pull this one out. Clearly, the Buffaloe
Read more

VRC PLEASED ... WHICH EXPLAINS RUBBER-STAMP MEETING

  Oh, for the good, old days when every meeting of the Virginia Racing Commission was guaranteed to have plenty of fireworks, thanks to a cast of characters who didn’t mind going off script and expressing opinions that were sure to bring instant rebuttal. Wednesday, at the VRC’s fall meeting, we were reminded of that time  not all that long ago … when VRC chairman  Robin Williams  didn’t  like  Jeff Jacobs , absentee owner of Colonial Downs – and the feeling  was mutual … when  Frank Petramalo , representing the horsemen,  would engage Jacobs’ lawyer  Jim Weinberg  with fiery exchanges that  would rock the place … when  Tad Berman  could be counted on to  make the public comment portion lively, to say the least … etc., etc.,  etc. By comparison the latest gathering of the state’s equine intelligensa  was a snooze fest. In fact, during one … shall we say, very long albeit  interesting presentation, a commissioner nodded off. It was Rubber Stamp City, something Berman, now serving in a s
Read more

LOTS OF STUFF

  Welcome to my world. Won’t you come on in … and sit a spell: ..... WE'VE BEEN SAYING  for a while now that NASCAR will pull one of Richmond’s two Cup races and move the event elsewhere (to be determined). The signs have been unmistakable. First, Dennis Bickmeier , the speedway’s man in charge since 2011, unexpectedly resigned to become executive director of Henrico County’s sports and entertainment authority – which, among other things, plans to build a 17,000-seat indoor facility that ostensibly will be a much-needed replacement for the Richmond Coliseum (R.I.P.) by 2026. He knew what was coming and got out while he could … on his own terms … and not become the designated fall guy (sorry, person) in the face of declining interest. To replace Bickmeier, NASCAR installed the speedway’s first female president, Lori Collier Waran , who had no experience running a race track. Her claim to fame was editor of Style Weekly, a newspaper. At that point all warning flags were up and flying
Read more