Trump-Biden Shit Show – CSPAN

To be clear…I’m not a huge fan of Donald Trump and Joe Biden was not one of my choices from the starting field of Democratic candidates. I very much consider myself a reasonable centrist.

I tried watching last night’s first presidential shit show which was advertised as a presidential debate.

I was born in 1957…so I’m somewhat old. Last night’s presidential debate for me was the lowest point I’ve witnessed as a human living as an American in my lifetime. There was nothing even remotely presidential about this debate-shit show.

It turned me off completely. This performance by Donald Trump showed how little respect he actually has for the office of the U.S. presidency. It shows how little concern he has for the 330 million humans who like me call themselves Americans.

It was a disgrace of historical proportions.

Even Nixon in his latter days or at the least other Republican leaders never subjected the nation to a perfromance like the one witnessed last night.

It is simply stunning how far the Republican Party has fallen off the cliff to keep power. I would assume not one of the current fifty-three Republican senators agree with me this morning.

This is why I’ve been hiding as much as possible in the NHL and NBA bubbles…so I wouldn’t have to face the truth about how far our country has fallen in the past four years.

How low the bar is in relation to the level of our national discourse.

I actually have a history degree and could teach if I wanted to. Can you imagine me in a classroom with all these Trump progeny in Oklahoma? I wouldn’t last a month. I’d be removed for throwing an eraser at one of my students for calling WWII fake news. It would be worse than me being on the Daily Thunder messageboard.

This is how far we’ve fallen. Nixon seems like Bambi compared to the grifter Trump. Senators Barry Goldwater and Howard Baker went in person to require that Nixon resign. Then RNC chairman Bush 41 also sent a private letter to Nixon telling Nixon he had to leave office.

Anybody see three Republicans like that around circa 2020?

Tampa Bay Lightning Wins the Stanley Cup

The Tampa Bay Lightning are champions of the hockey world after winning a workmanlike Game 6 over the Dallas Stars by a 2-0 count on Monday night inside the Edmonton bubble.

It was a game in which you never felt the Lightning were going to lose after they took a 1-0 lead on Braden Pointe’s powerplay goal. Tampa dominated play throughout the game and play was primarily in front of Stars’ netminderAnton Khudobin for most of the game.

The powerplay was huge in these Stanley Cup Finals. Tampa scored seven powerplay goals during the series while Dallas scored only one powerplay goal. At even strength the Stars outscored the Lightning by a 12-11 margin in the six games.

The Conn Smythe Trophy for the outstanding player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs went to Tampa defenseman Victor Hedmon. Hedmon’s ten goals were the most scored by a defenseman since Brian Leetch scored ten goals in 94′ for the NY Rangers.

Tampa Bay is a deserving champion and this is redemption for one of the league’s most talented teams being swept in the first round last year by the Columbus Bluekackets.

Tampa’s path to the Finals went through Columbus, Boston, and the NY Islanders as they clearly looked the part of the best team in hockey after the season was rebooted on August 1 in both Toronto and Edmonton.

In those fifty-nine days inside the Bubble a total of 130 hockey games were played as the NHL successfully went through the process of concluding perhaps the most memorable Stanley Cup tournament of all-time.

But clearly it wasn’t the same without fans in arenas throughout the league in both the U.S. and Canada. As is the cas ein the NBA…the fans of the NHL make the league truly great for those who follow the game.

A great run for the Dallas Stars who nobody picked to get to the Finals. Most hockey fans either had St. Louis, Vegas, or Colorado to advance in the West. Perhaps interim coach Rick Bowness will be given the Stars’ job on a full time basis and we see if Dallas can get back to the Finals.

For me as a hockey fan..it was great. I watched intently and for the first time in the pandemic ingnored the nonsense coming out of Donald Trump’s mouth.

Congrats to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Miami Heat Eliminates Boston to Advance to NBA Finals

Quietly and with little fanfare the Miami Heat have run through the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Boston Celtics to win their fifth Eastern Conference championship in the Erik Spoelstra era.

Erik Spoelstra is four games way from winning his third NBA championship as head coach of the Heat.

How fitting it is in these Finals he will be facing LeBron James who won Spoelstra his two rings in 2012 and 2013.

This Heat team isn’t a put together Dream Team, but rather a brilliantly crafted team by Pat Riley which has gone 12-3 as it has run through the East to earn the right to play the Lakers.

Riley has put together a team of veterans like Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic, and Andre Iguodala and paired them with young stars like Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson.

You could say the Heat are built for the future or you could say the Heat are built for the present tense to give the Lakers all they can handle in the Finals which will start on Wednesday night.

The Heat possess toughness, swagger, and two outside sharp-shooters in Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson who give this team a perimeter outside arsenal even possibly more lethal than say Mike Miller from the 2012 Heat team.

Nobody is picking the Heat to win this series yet because LeBron is paired with Anthony while Rajon Rondo is playing oustanding basketball at the point guard position.

I think Rondo is the key to the series. That may sound crazy, but I think this series will go as Rajon Rondo goes in getting the Lakers in up tempo offensive transition.

I’m genuinely excited about the matchup. Given the Clippers went poof into the night—this is probaably the second most intriguing matchup we could witness LeBron’s Lakers take on Pat Riley’s Heat with the NBA world all set to to finally enjoy a coastal Finals played inside a bubble.

Corey Perry Scores Game Winner for Dallas Stars in Game 5 Classic

For real hockey fans the last two nights have been special. On Friday night Tampa’s Kevin Shattenkirk scored his own game winner in OT to propel the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-4 win and a 3-1 series lead.

With a back to back scheduled one could have thought these Stars would fold their tents and head for the golf courses.

Not so quick.

These Stars are all in…especially veteran free agents Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry. Each have scored three goals in the last two games and if not for Pavelski and Perry this series would be over.

Pavelski’s goal on Saturday night moved him into first place all-time for American born players scoring goals in post season. Joey Mullen now ranks second and former Dallas Star captain Mike Modano ranks third.

Corey Perry is traveling another journey. One which has spanned from his days with the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Mighty Ducks thirteen years ago to being relevant again on the brightest stage his sport has to offer. None except maybe his wife thought he was capable of still playing at this level.

Coming into Game 4…Perry had gone 19 straight games without a goal, But now heading into Game 6 on Monday night he’s a primary storyline as the Stars refuse to surrender to the more talented Tampa team.

It kind of reminds me of the two old guys on the Washington Nationals last fall…Howie Kendrick and Ryan Zimmerman.

I’m loving the NHL bubble as it’s keeping me from wasting my time watching Big 12 football.

It is amazing Dallas won this Game 5 because the full twenty minutes of the first overtime were played in front of Stars’ netminder Anton Khudobin’s crease.

But to the Stars’ credit they hung tough. They collectively staggered to the first overtime intermission like a punch drunk boxer then came out and won a Game 5 on Corey Perry’s second goal of the game.

LeBron and his Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals..yawn. OU found a way to lose to Kansas State for the second straight year…yawn. Looks like Mike Gundy trimmed his mullet…yawn.

I’m good. We who love hockey get a night off on Sunday then will hunker down for Game 6 inside the Bubble to see if Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry have a little more magic left in their hockey sticks.

Corey Perry’s thirteen year journey to get from being Stanley Cup champion to being two wins away from winning another ring.

After Dark…A One Night Break From the Bubbles

Even I can only absorb so much NHL and NBA bubble activity in a condensed period of time. I did peek here and there to make sure the Lakers did beat the Nuggets, but I needed a night away from the grind of the bubbles.

I’ve still not watched a college or pro football game. Maybe when the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA Finals are over my football appetite will return. But for now…I’m not missing it.

This video is awesome. Jewel doing undercover karaoke. Maybe Jewel should go into the locker room of the Dallas Stars and sing a song to wake their asses up before Game 4.

This is what I play when I hide away in the Bubbles hidden from the stupidity of Donald Trump.

Tampa Bay Runs Away From Dallas Stars in Game 3

It was not a good night for the Dallas Stars as the Tampa Bay Lightning cruised to an easy 5-2 win in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Steven Stamkos returned for Tampa and scored a goal. Braden Pointe scored his 11th goal of this post season. Victor Hedman had a three point night and Stars’ goalie Anton Khudobin was pulled after trailing 5-1.

Tampa got its game in full gear and made Game 3 look easy.

Dallas cannot win making the mistakes they made in Game 3.

There were intervals when the Stars moved the puck, but for the most part they were not good. Trailing 5-2 in the third period they went on the powerplay with a chance to get back into the game somewhat. The Stars pretty much responded with the worst powerplay I’ve seen yet in these 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was two minutes of pure hell. I could see Mike McEwen in my mind screaming….”Make a f–king pass!”

Then the Stars best player Jamie Benn allowed himself to be removed from the ice for ten minutes by losing his composure in a scrum.

I would think Game 4 is pretty much a must if the Stars hope to hoist the most glorious cup in sports at the end of these Finals.

Billy Donovan the New Coach of the Chicago Bulls

Once one of the truly great sports franchises in American history is an interesting landing spot for Billy Donovan. I honestly can’t remember the last time the Bulls made the playoffs or were relevant as contenders.

They do have few nice young players and one would assume their front office is going to be very agressive pursuing players in free agency. Much easier to attract veteran black players to a great city like Chicago versus the Trump Hee Haw attitude in Oklahoma.

If I were a black free agent there’s no way in hell I’d play in Oklahoma. No way. If I were a white free agent stud hoss there’s no way I’d play in Oklahoma either.

I’m like Pau Gasol…I need the opera, culture,and great restaurants. Although I will say this the food in Oklahoma City is getting pretty good. I might do my top ten Oklahoma County restaurant list later this week.

Does this mean Chris Paul ends up in Chicago?

I don’t know.

I don’t consider Billy Donovan an elite NBA coach, but he’s okay.

Super nice person and someone who will represent his city in a class manner.

I’m happy for him and his family.

Class guy and Mike Gundy wishes he had Billy Donovan’s hair. BTW..it appears Breitbart Boy has shaved his mullet of late.

Tampa Takes Game 2 to Even Stanley Cup Finals, 3-2

Dallas didn’t come out ready to play in the first period. They weren’t skating. That’s a problem for a hockey team.

Within a nine minute span the Stars took three bad penalties, gave up two power play goals, and three goals in total as the Tampa Bay Lightning led 3-0 after one period of lopsided play.

To the Stars’ credit they came back from the first intermission and turned Game 2 into a barnburner which went down the last seconds of the final period.

The ice evened out and the play was fast and furious on both ends of the ice.

On the night the Lightning outshot the Stars by a slim 31-29 margin.

Tampa was 0-15 in the power play in its last three games heading into Game 2. The Lightning went 2-4 on the power and that probably was the difference in Game 2. Dallas cannot send Tampa on the power play as they did in this first period.

Dallas was 1-4 on the PP and had multiple high quality looks in both the second and third periods.

The glass half full take for Dallas is that they hope to build on the last two periods and stay out of the penalty box in Game 3.

Little things add up in a hockey game bewteen two evenly matched teams. Staying out of the box, winning face-offs, and and executing on specialty teams just to name three come to mind.

The Dallas Stars have to be that hockey team in the first period the next game.

Game 3 on Wednesday night from the NHL Bubble.

Dallas Stars Take Game 1 in Stanley Cup Finals

In last year’s playoffs the Dallas Stars pushed the eventual champion St. Louis to a Game 7 before losing in overtime to the Cinderella Blues. Perhaps it was a harbinger of things to come for the North Dallas hockey club.

Don’t look now but the Dallas Stars are three wins away from winning their second Stanley Cup in Dallas hockey history. The first coming in 2000 when the Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres in a Game 6 overtime thriller when if my memory serves me correct Brett Hull scored the game winner.

It’s all about goaltending in playoff hockey. Does your guy in net get hot and make the players in front of him feel invinceable. It’s a beautiful thing to witness when a hockey team feels it can’t lose with their goalie playing out of his mind.

Such was the case again for the opportunistic Stars as Anton Khudobin made 35 saves with 22 of them coming in the third period as the Stars iced Game 1 by a 4-1 count over Tampa.

The Stars first two goals and game winner were scored by defensemen jumping into the play. Every one on this team is chipping in and making plays at just the right time. Every guy at some point pulling his link on the chain.

It’s fun to watch.

Maybe nobody saw this coming, but maybe we who follow hockey should have considering how close the Dallas Stars came to beating the St. Louis Blues in last year’s Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Game 2 tomorrow night inside the Bubble.