The other sports thread

[I-90 W]

2 hours ago, Thwomp! said:

I'm a Mets fan and I hate this ***** team.  What a bunch of underachieving babies.  They deserve to be booed.

Agreed and I also blame MLB to an extend. Their “let the kids play” mantra is having some negative results. They want the players to be sassy and it’s not a good look.

[Hoss]

2 hours ago, I-90 W said:

Agreed and I also blame MLB to an extend. Their “let the kids play” mantra is having some negative results. They want the players to be sassy and it’s not a good look.

The Mets look stupid here but this is not the reason. Baseball NEEDS a transformation and all these new players going out there with energy and passion is helping a ton. This has nothing to do with the “let the kids play” stuff.

[I-90 W]

2 minutes ago, Hoss said:

The Mets look stupid here but this is not the reason. Baseball NEEDS a transformation and all these new players going out there with energy and passion is helping a ton. This has nothing to do with the “let the kids play” stuff.

Baseball does not NEED a transformation; it is second only to NFL and CFB. Alienating existing fans by changing the landscape and traditions out of greed (wanting new fans) is a risky endeavor. Turning baseball into a circus in order to get new fans is foolish.

[Hoss]

Just now, I-90 W said:

Baseball does not NEED a transformation; it is second only to NFL and CFB. Alienating existing fans by changing the landscape and traditions out of greed (wanting new fans) is a risky endeavor. Turning baseball into a circus in order to get new fans is foolish.

The entire industry recognizes the need for change. It’s being surpassed by basketball (college and pro) and is continuing to lose viewership. Adding personality to the game of baseball is the best thing to happen to the game in a long time.

[ubkev]

Players back in the day wound NEVER, EVER  flip the bat and show up the pitcher! Never! No way, no how!

 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by ubkev
Edit to add: He'd show up the umpire too.

[Eleven]

On 8/26/2021 at 10:21 PM, Ogre said:

Mrs. iT and I have been glued to the Paralympics. 
All of these people are unbelievable and so freaking inspiring!

There has been some really good stuff on NBC.

1 hour ago, Hoss said:

The Mets look stupid here but this is not the reason. Baseball NEEDS a transformation and all these new players going out there with energy and passion is helping a ton. This has nothing to do with the “let the kids play” stuff.

The Mets need a transformation, not baseball.

[Hoss]

Leagues make changes all the time to keep up with adjusted desires as times and generations change. The NFL and NBA have done it. The NHL and MLB are trying but aren’t quite there.

[Thorner]

Playoff hopes already slim, Jays really need to take all three from the A's this weekend. They'd catch Oakland in that case, but making up 5 on Boston in only 30 remaining games seems unlikely. But you never know - team is ridiculously fun either way, would love see Vladdy hit #40 today. Runaway MVP if not for Ohtani

[Sabres Fan in NS]

26 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Playoff hopes already slim, Jays really need to take all three from the A's this weekend. They'd catch Oakland in that case, but making up 5 on Boston in only 30 remaining games seems unlikely. But you never know - team is ridiculously fun either way, would love see Vladdy hit #40 today. Runaway MVP if not for Ohtani

Vladdy will be in consideration and is deserving.

My $ would be on a Cy Young for Ray.  He has been lights out all year, but especially in August.  On a good, but not great, team he has be fabulous.

Edited September 3, 2021 by New Scotland (NS)
with all the letters it's more goodly ...

[Hoss]

3 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Vaddy will be in consideration and is deserving.

My $ would be on a Cy Young for Ray.  He has been lights out all year, but especially in August.  On a good, but not great, team he has be fabulous.

This is definitely the year to steal a Cy Young. Not a lot of great competition in the AL for pitchers right now. If he finishes strong he could steal it.

[Thorner]

7 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Vaddy will be in consideration and is deserving.

My $ would be on a Cy Young for Ray.  He has been lights out all year, but especially in August.  On a good, but not great, team he has be fabulous.

Yup, he's been absolutely lights out. He had something like 30+ strike outs and 2 walks in his last 3 starts

[Eleven]

26 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Playoff hopes already slim, Jays really need to take all three from the A's this weekend. They'd catch Oakland in that case, but making up 5 on Boston in only 30 remaining games seems unlikely. But you never know - team is ridiculously fun either way, would love see Vladdy hit #40 today. Runaway MVP if not for Ohtani

Ohtani's gonna take it.

[Hoss]

30 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Ohtani's gonna take it.

Yea he’s got that in the bag. Could probably suck down the stretch and still walk away with the MVP. If he performs like this for the rest of his career I honestly don’t know how he isn’t MVP every year.

[Thorner]

47 minutes ago, Hoss said:

Yea he’s got that in the bag. Could probably suck down the stretch and still walk away with the MVP. If he performs like this for the rest of his career I honestly don’t know how he isn’t MVP every year.

If someone wins the Triple Crown and Ohtani already has 1 or 2 MVPs locked up. Vladdy sitting in 2nd for HR, 3rd for RBI, and 3rd for Batting Average is actually pretty incredible. 

Also, if LA continues to squander its stars by never making the playoffs

Edited September 3, 2021 by Thorny

[Eleven]

17 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Also, if LA continues to squander its stars by never making the playoffs

Same can be said of the Jays, though.  They have a nice window of opportunity opening right now and I am afraid they're going to waste it.

Edited September 3, 2021 by Eleven

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Same can be said of the Jays, though.  They have a nice window of opportunity opening right now and I am afraid they're going to waste it.

Well, they made the playoffs last season. 

Vladdy is only 22. Bichette 23. The window is merely just opening for most of their big pieces. Definitely don't want to waste what Springer is bringing to the table, to your point.

But the Angels are a whole other conversation. Mike Trout could be the best baseball player.....ever? He's already 30. And he's been to the playoffs the same amount of times as Vladdy. Once. 

- - - 

Ohtani even has 5 years on Guerrero. What Jr. is doing at his age is actually somehow underplayed. He's special. 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Thorny

[Thorner]

Vladdy could still realistically win the triple crown this season. At his age that would be unheard of. Last triple crown winner was Miggy in 2012, 9 years ago, and before that, when the Leafs last won the Cup, over 50 years ago. 

[Hoss]

2 hours ago, Eleven said:

Same can be said of the Jays, though.  They have a nice window of opportunity opening right now and I am afraid they're going to waste it.

Berrios was a questionable move (not him specifically, just the haul they gave up for him) but they did a whole lot of nothing else and had a chance to swing bigger there.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

3 hours ago, Thorny said:

If someone wins the Triple Crown and Ohtani already has 1 or 2 MVPs locked up. Vladdy sitting in 2nd for HR, 3rd for RBI, and 3rd for Batting Average is actually pretty incredible. 

Also, if LA continues to squander its stars by never making the playoffs

Vladdy is a star in this league.  Just like his papa.

[Curt]

US Open tennis.

Im try to catch what I can of it.  Interested to see a couple of the matches tonight and tomorrow.  Canada has several nice young players.

Tonight’s Interesting Matches:  (Starting now)

L. Fernandez (CAN)   
vs.  
N. Osaka (JPN) [3]

-Young Canadian vs Japanese-American Osaka who is elite.

A. Rublev (RUS) [5]  
vs.  
F. Tiafoe (USA)

-Rublev is usually fun to watch and Tiafoe is a young guy I really like who has a really nice backstory for how he got to where he is.

R. Bautista Agut (ESP) [18]  
vs.  
F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN) [12]

-Auger-Aliassime is young Canadian who I think has potential to be best in the world some day.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Man, the BJs never make it easy.

Boom and Boomer!!

[Curt]

12 hours ago, Curt said:

US Open tennis.

Im try to catch what I can of it.  Interested to see a couple of the matches tonight and tomorrow.  Canada has several nice young players.

Tonight’s Interesting Matches:  (Starting now)

L. Fernandez (CAN)   
vs.  
N. Osaka (JPN) [3]

-Young Canadian vs Japanese-American Osaka who is elite.

A. Rublev (RUS) [5]  
vs.  
F. Tiafoe (USA)

-Rublev is usually fun to watch and Tiafoe is a young guy I really like who has a really nice backstory for how he got to where he is.

R. Bautista Agut (ESP) [18]  
vs.  
F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN) [12]

-Auger-Aliassime is young Canadian who I think has potential to be best in the world some day.

Wow, Naomi Osaka really crumbled under pressure of the crowd and the moment last night.  For her part, the 18 year old from Montreal, Leylah Fernandez played great and earned the win.

Auger-Aliassime beat Bautista Agut in a 4+ hour match that went the full 5 sets.  It was very competitive throughout.

It was a good night for the pair of young Montreal natives.

Tiafoe with the big upset over Rublev.  Both these guys were going for big shots, lots of baseline winners.  Another 5 setter.  Tiafoe came out on top by getting to the net more, feeding off the crowd, and winning the points when they really mattered.

Tiafoe and Auger-Aliassime will face off on Sunday in the next round.

[Eleven]

5 hours ago, Curt said:

Naomi Osaka really crumbled under pressure of the crowd and the moment last night.

Waiting for how the international tennis community can blame this on Serena.

[Curt]

46 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Waiting for how the international tennis community can blame this on Serena.

Oh I dare say that Osaka has become the “target” de jure herself recently.

Also, I’m not entirely sure who the international tennis community is.

Edited September 4, 2021 by Curt

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Hey @Eleven, I thought that you didn't allow tennis in here?

Maybe I have that all wrong.