On this day in 1912 the White Star liner Titanic struck an iceberg and sank taking nearly 1500 lives with it to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Did the Flyers strike an iceberg last night?
So, as many of you know I am not a fan of the game of hockey. It isn't just because in their infinite wisdom those in America-Lite (Canada) who invented the game forgot to put a 4th quarter into the mix, but rather I just don't like watching a group of thugs skating for an hour and showing no offense for their efforts. They may not all be thugs, but don't most of them quit school when they are 12 to begin playing junior hockey? When interviewed, they sound like thugs, especially when they try and pronounce the word out - saying ooot, or about which they pronounce aboot.
So believe it or not the long suffering fan watched the final 8 minutes of the Flyers 1-0 loss to Buffalo. It wasn't my idea to watch the thing, but my friend Bob called and told me that I was missing a great game - so I turned it on. Duh! The Flyers had a myriad of chances to score (I mean they seemed to take a lot of shots) all of which were denied by the Sabre goalie and defense. Even though I don't enjoy the game, I do usually root for Philly teams so I was hoping that the guys in the Orange & Black could find a way to tie the game up, but as you all know - that wasn't to happen. OK, I thought, maybe I'll at least get to see a drop-the-gloves-to-the-ice brawl where some guy from Moose Balls Ontario would leave the ice bloodied and requiring 328 stitches to close the gash opened by his face meeting up with a stick. Didn't happen and even I knew that, when the Flyers pulled their goalie, the game was over. Shit, back in the day, Dave Schultz would have bloodied somebody. Not these guys.
A bit about my friend Bob. Bob is a super guy who thinks about sports every minute he is awake. He drinks all of the different flavors of Philly Kool-Aid that are made, and owns about a hundred different team shirts, jackets, and other such stuff which he always wears. Bob gets very angry with me when I try to present my views of the local teams, especially when I speak to the deficiencies of our Superstar first baseman. Bob, who did not watch the Cliff Lee complete game last night so he could watch the guys who talk funny lose game one told me that his guy Ryan Howard is the best in the game. (Bob has a Ryan Howard jersey.) When I mention a certain guy in St. Louis, he always tells me that he would take Ryan over Albert, despite Pujols being considered the best by most observers. Bob drinks Phillies Kool-Aid all the time - no matter what.
Bob is also a fantasy person. Last football season Bob was involved in no fewer than 10 fantasy leagues. He also was in a hockey fantasy league; a basketball fantasy league, and is now involved in at least 7 baseball fantasy leagues. His lovely wife doesn't mind because she does a major fantasy league herself. They fight constantly over computer time.
Facts are not always important to my super fan friend Bob. When I asked him the other day which team would eliminate the Flyers in the first round he went ballistic on me. They played in the finals last year he screamed. That was last year I said - adding that my impression was that they lose more opening rounds than they win. No he said, look at all the cups they have won. I told him that they have only won 2 of them - back to back in '74 & '75. You are wrong he screamed - what about the teams of the '80's and what they did. He then made the biggest mistake he could have made by suggesting that we make a wager. How much I said? Let's do it big and make it for $1.00. Since we normally only bet pennies, I had to give this one some time, but finally I said, why not make it for $5.00 if you are so certain you are right? He swallowed the bait, and we looked it up. He wasn't happy with what he learned, but he now owes me $5.00. Bob is probably sipping some orange Kool-Aid as I write. He'll feel better today when he puts his Phillies windbreaker over his Flyers "sweater" and wears his Sixers hat.
With Lee's complete game last night, the Phillies have extended their series winning streak to four, and sit atop the NL East with a 9-3 record and a two and a half game lead over the Marlins. The LSF is of course pleased with this early season record as I await the good guys falling into one of their swoons which will allow a team to sweep them that on paper should be playing in the Sally League (Is there still a Sally League?). Lee was simply awesome last night. He struck out 12 Nats, and his curve ball was absolutely unhittable. It truly acted like it was falling off a table. He struck out Worthless twice making him look seriously stupid the second time.
Now, Jayson Worthless did light up Blanton in game one of the series, but Doc and Lee made him look like the overpaid player that he is.
Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmerman held the Phils in check until Chootz decided to hit a home run. The good guys did score three more runs, but Lee only needed the one run to get the win and redeem his last start where he looked like Blanton who is now looking for a condo at 3rd & Indiana.
So, up next for the candystripers are the Brewers. It would be nice if we didn't spot them the first game like we have against the Madoffs, Braves, & Nats, especially since after Oswalt opens up the series we send Hamels and Blanton to the mound for games two & three - and you wonder why the long suffering fan is not drinking the Kool-Aid yet. I warn all of you that now is not the time to drink the shit. Get a case of Genessee if you have to drink something, and if you have the funds, go to Joe Banks where they are having another one of their super sales. This time if you buy one suit at regular price you get to back up your truck and take every suit, sportcoat, and jacket in your size home for free! What a country.
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