Perfect timing for hockey in Florida
The class of 2018. MLB owners dug in
Good morning, all! I hope your weekend is going well!
I guarantee you the NHL did not imagine this, when it scheduled another one of its outdoor hockey games for Feb. 1 in Florida. The Tampa Bay Lightening and Boston Bruins were slated to do battle at Raymond James Stadium - home of the NFL’s Bucs - with an expected temperature in the 70s. That is why the NHL planned for a climate-controlled tent, to keep the ice up to its standards, until the day of game, when the tent would be removed.
Well, Feb. 1 has arrived - happy New Month, by the way - and the temperature in Tampa will struggle to reach 45 degrees. Perfect weather for an outdoor hockey game, be it in Florida, Canada or anywhere in between. You don’t even need a tent. Timing is everything.
Here are some other thoughts as the Super Bowl week countdown begins:
Four quarterbacks were selected among the top 10 picks in the 2018 NFL draft, beginning with the overall first pick, Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma), drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Sam Darnold (USC) was chosen third by the New York Jets, Josh Allen (Wyoming) seventh by the Buffalo Bills and Josh Rosen (UCLA) was picked tenth by the Arizona Cardinals. Darnold will be the first of the bunch to make it to the Super Bowl, when he calls the signals for the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Lavelle E. Neal III has been covering the Minnesota Twins for the Star Tribune since forever, so when he writes, you pay attention. He posted on X Saturday “MLB seems ready to burn 2027 season to get salary cap.” His reasoning - and it makes some sense - even if the owners lose a lot of money with a baseball nuclear winter, they will make it all back and a ton more. His logic is if the owners break the union and get their salary cap, once the games resume, their franchise values will skyrocket much like franchises in other professional sports where salary caps already exist. When a salary cap is in place, it will serve as a license for these owners to print money, even in small markets. There might be some truth to this but…
Owners are taking a gamble the fans will return. Remember, baseball fans felt they were screwed big time when the second half of the regular season and the postseason were cancelled in 1994. Only after the owners turned a blind eye to steroid usage by players and fans stormed back to the ballpark to watch new home run records being established, did the game regain its following. Going to the mattresses to get a salary cap vehemently opposed by the MLBPA is taking a big chance.
By the way, received an email from my cable operator, Optimum, that it failed to come to an agreement with the MLB network and will no longer carry it as of today. My cable package includes the MLB network. Does that mean my monthly bill will go down? Guess I will have to make a call to find out, but I am not holding my breath, especially since the cable outlets are famous for packaging these sports channels. After pushing ten buttons and finally reaching a live voice you get the line, “Well sir, if you cancel the MLB network, you will also lose ESPN, YES, SNY, NESN…” You get the idea.
UConn-St. John’s men’s basketball at Madison Square Garden this coming Friday night is must-watch TV. Just sayin.’
I can guarantee you television’s constant focus - including putting him on air to provide commentary - of golfer Brooks Koepka, during Saturday’s coverage of the Farmers Insurance Open had nothing to do with him being 18 shots off the lead and everything to do with his abandoning LIV Golf and returning to the PGA Tour. It’s the tour’s way of giving LIV the finger, as it seems those two entities are nowhere near a peace deal, as was hinted at a bit over a year ago.
That is going to do it for today’s newsletter. As always, thank you for subscribing and enjoy your Sunday.
DAN