- 02:24 PM
- 08/22/19
| Location: | Canada |
|---|---|
| Member since: | February 21, 2002 |
| Last visit: | July 31, 2019 |
grum@work has posted 226 links and 9,267 comments to SportsFilter and 15 links and 920 comments to the Locker Room and 1 column.
First of all, a trivia question. What are the 11 different ways for a baseball player to reach 1st base safely? Answer at bottom of page. I'm the saddest fan of them all: Toronto Maple Leafs Buffalo Bills (but not so much since the Holy Trinity retired...Kelly, Thomas, Reed) It could be worse...I could be a Boston or Chicago baseball fan. The most memorable sporting event was a hockey game back in the late 80's (not sure exactly when). A friend of the family got me really nice Leaf tickets during the Xmas holidays. They were playing the Bruins, so I took my friend Joe who was a big Boston fan. After two periods, the Leafs were getting killed, 5-1. My friend was really laying on the taunting thick, and I was contemplating how I could kill him on the way home. Then, to start the 3rd period, Wendel Clark scored a quick goal. Hey, at least they'll make it respectable, is what I figured. And then another goal is scored. And another. Well, lo and behold, the Leafs tie it up and send the game into overtime (the last goal was scored with an extra attacker, by Wendel again). Then, with about a minute left in the overtime, Wendel Clark blows one past the goalie and the place EXPLODES with noise. I must have gone hoarse from the shouting. The stunned/saddened look on Joe's face the entire ride home was like icing on the cake. ... Trivia Answer: 1. Hit 2. Base on balls 3. Hit by pitch 4. Catcher interference 5. Dropped third strike 6. Error 7. Fielder's choice 8. Hitting a baserunner with the batted ball 9. A ball, pitched to the batter or thrown by the pitcher from his position on the pitcher's plate to a base to catch a runner, goes into a stand, or player's bench, or over or through a field fence or backstop, or is touched by a spectator. (Obscure rule 7.05(h)) 10. The third strike becomes lodged in the umpires equipment (not touched by the catcher). (Obscure rule 7.05(i)) 11. Pinch Runner
Pirates broadcaster complains about Reds player and goes too far.:
“I heard of him because of his grandfather (Steve Demeter) who used to be a minor league coach for the Pirates. He was the nicest, sweetest guy in the world. He’s rolling in his grave every time this guy hits a home run. He’s embarrassed of his grandson.”
posted by grum@work to baseball at 03:27 PM on May 30, 2019 - 6 comments
Mom, don't read this! - Seth Jones:
"Oh man, she’s gonna read this. She’s going to be all over this. Players’ Tribune, you should talk to her about all this, because she’s going to say I’m lying."
Editor’s’ Note from The Players’ Tribune:
No problem, Seth. Please welcome your special guest editor, Amy Jones.
posted by grum@work to hockey at 12:40 PM on February 27, 2019 - 7 comments
Ryan Reeves visits the barbershop to talk about hockey in the black community.:
"If you ever see a playoff hockey game, it's better than any other sport."
posted by grum@work to hockey at 12:15 PM on February 11, 2019 - 2 comments
"My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley":
posted by grum@work to basketball at 10:45 PM on December 26, 2018 - 3 comments
Plays of The Year?:
So what is everyone's play of the year?
posted by grum@work to other at 07:10 PM on December 26, 2018 - 10 comments
As a Raptors fan, I'm sad to see Kawhi leave, but I definitely don't have any ill feelings towards him. He came to a place he wasn't expecting to play, helped win the first championship for the city, and then left to play where he wanted to in the first place.
When he returns with the Clippers, he'll get his ring and a HUGE standing ovation.
I wish him well.
Now Masai has his work cut out for him (but he's got almost infinite leeway from the fans at this point).
posted by grum@work at 10:41 AM on July 06, 2019
The Monkey Paw is working over time this off-season:
Knicks: I want KD and Irving to play in New York.
/monkey paw closes two fingers
Lebron: I want Kawhi and PG to join me in LA.
/monkey paw closes two more fingers
posted by grum@work at 10:38 AM on July 06, 2019
Also points out that the NHL salary cap really amounts to lipstick on a pig
Well, the total amount still counts against the salary cap. There isn't any circumvention going on here.
The reason the money (like the one for Tavares and Matthews) is structured that way is to guarantee them money if/when there is a lockout/strike at the end of next season.
Salaries aren't paid during labour disputes, but signing bonuses were agreed upon before that happened and are guaranteed.
Teams like Toronto/Montreal can afford to pay large sums of money to players during a lockout/strike. Less affluent/stable teams might balk at that kind of pay structure.
posted by grum@work at 07:24 PM on July 03, 2019
This is the last one:
Time lapse at the corner of University & Adelaide in Toronto.
posted by grum@work at 10:46 AM on June 18, 2019
This was only about 500 meters into the parade. The crowd was pretty thin there.
This was in the heart of the city. The wall of humanity just stretches out to the horizon.
posted by grum@work at 11:52 PM on June 17, 2019
There are so many people on Toronto parade route that the mass of bodies has made it difficult to get all the buses and cars through the route. They are running over 2 hours behind.
I feel for the people that camped overnight in the final location.
It was supposed to be over by now, but the buses haven't even arrived at Nathan Phillips Square.
The party is going to include a four-song set by Drake.
It's been a sunny (but not oppressively hot) day, so that's been a bonus.
The estimate is 2 million along the parade route.
On a work day.
posted by grum@work at 02:36 PM on June 17, 2019
You want to see Toronto's reaction summed up in just one gif?
posted by grum@work at 02:23 PM on June 15, 2019
1967: Leafs Win
1993: Blue Jays Win
2019: Raptors Win
2045: Leafs Win?
(I hope it isn't a real pattern...)
posted by grum@work at 07:56 PM on June 14, 2019
I'm here.
(As a man in his late 40s and a father, there really isn't much celebration I can do during the week. I also live too far from Toronto to go to the parade on Monday, but I work from home that day so I'll have it on TV for sure.)
It's quite amazing. To give you an idea of what it is like to be a Toronto sports fan and to have lived through so much close-but-no-cigar moments (Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays, even TFC once)...
When there was 0.9 seconds on the clock, the Raptors were up by 1, and Kawhi Leonard (career 83.5% FT shooter in the playoffs) is lining up to take a technical foul shot, and Toronto was going to get the ball back to inbound it, I was STILL not ready to start celebrating.
All I could do was run through the minuscule possibilities of it going horribly wrong.
EVEN when he sunk that free throw (2 point lead) and then was fouled, I STILL wasn't ready to jump around.
It wasn't until he sunk both of the free throws (4 point lead, 0.9 second left) that I started celebrating. Even then I watched the screen to see the inbound play...
I stayed up until 2:30am going over every video/article of post-game celebrations, interviews, fan reactions, pundit responses (suck it hard, Skip Bayless!)...I didn't want to go to sleep.
There are lots of little videos that made me giggle with glee to watch.
Canadian Parliament Finally Agrees On Something
VanVleet's Last Question (Jump to 366 seconds in...)
Raptors Prepares His "Kawhi Stays" Pitch
posted by grum@work at 07:15 PM on June 14, 2019
Baseball has the greatest advantage without taking into account stadium/location/fans/home-cooking/whatever.
Having the ability to bat in the bottom of the last inning is huge. The winning percentage for all teams in every game averages out to .500 (obviously). The home team winning percentage in MLB is .550 (and therefore the visiting team winning percentage is .450).
That 100 point difference in winning percentage is like comparing an 89 win team with a 73 win team.
Batting last is more advantageous than any other rules difference in any other sport.
posted by grum@work at 11:45 PM on June 03, 2019
Drake wearing the Dell Curry Raptors jersey is *miming chef's kiss*.
posted by grum@work at 08:33 PM on May 30, 2019
I'm pretty sure Dietrich is in his rights to slap Wehner's stupid face for invoking his dead grandfather like that.
It should be pointed out that Derek Dietrich has now hit as many home runs in the last three days as John Wehner hit in his entire 11 year MLB career as a 3B/OF.
posted by grum@work at 03:30 PM on May 30, 2019
Baseball won't do it until somebody dies.
posted by grum@work at 03:22 PM on May 30, 2019
My picks:
Raptors in 7
Top point scorer: Leonard
Top rebounder: Green
Game 1 winner: Raptors
Most points single game: Warriors
Go Raptors!
There is more hope than belief in my picks.
posted by grum@work at 03:21 PM on May 30, 2019
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
Time for a MASSIVE ban hammer wielding across ALL of the threads.