NBC got what it wanted as American Pharoah eased to victory on a wet track in The Preakness Stakes. Now NBC ratings and advertising revenue goes up, as the horse bids for the “Triple Crown” 3 weeks hence in New York.
Speaking of New York: which market do you think NBC wants for its NHL Final series? New York or Tampa Bay?!!
The one they want, New York (Rangers) won their semi-final series opener (2-1) vs Tampa Bay (Lightning).
If the schedule for the finals is the same as last year and if the Rangers win the series vs Tampa Bay (they are pretty big favorites and NBC supported), three weeks hence on a Saturday, New York will have a triple crown bid at its Belmont Park (give yourself three hours to get out of the parking lot after the race) and then game two at the Rangers home, Madison Square Garden.
On top of that, NBC is assured a big market as the Western Conference winner will be either Chicago (Blackhawks) or the L.A. area Anaheim Ducks. Trust me, there is not much Don Quixote or others like him can do about it.
Both of this season’s surprising conference top seeds, the Golden State Warriors of the West and the Atlanta Hawks of the East, advanced to the conference finals with wins on the road in “game six” victories last night.
The Hawks ended a streak of 15 straight quarterfinal series losses by overcoming a (2-1) series deficit, and eliminating the Washington Wizards.
The last time the Hawks made it this far was 1970 when they lost to the L.A. Lakers in the Western finals. Yes, Atlanta, a city far to the east of this country, was in the West Conference/Division at that time.
The Warriors also overcame a (2-1) series deficit and advanced to their first Western Conference Final since 1976, eliminating the Memphis Grizzlies.
In glancing at the cover of today’s Wall Street Journal, I noticed there was a tribute to talk show host David Letterman in its pages.
Letterman is retiring and as someone whose late night talk show days ended around this time 23 years ago when Johnny Carson retired, this news moves me, not at all.
Other than the fact Mr. Letterman impressed me with limited if any extra takes or mistakes the two times I attended a taping of his show, I have little good to say about him.
Not only that, but I witnessed first hand a bit of Letterman rage on the road. The episode occurred as I sat in the passenger seat of my cousin’s car.
Letterman, thinking my cousin had denied his chances of “making a red light without extra waiting time,” (it was not my cousin’s driving but that of another car/driver that forced Letterman to wait) drove to the right of the cousin’s car yelling. Next, albeit safely and without any danger, he pulled to the driver’s side, again yelling before driving off in his car.
So help me and this “sign” tipped the scales to write this, as I thought of this, the television voice transmitted information about car crashes at the Indianapolis 500 practice sessions this week.
One can mull over that those crashes took place in Letterman’s state (Indiana) and his state of mind, while driving.
No matter what the outcome is of Sunday’s game seven of the quarterfinal series between the L.A. Clippers and Houston Rockets, surely the criticism of Dwight Howard and the Rockets has been far too severe.
Almost as if they were a team again, both Mike Francesa of Fox Sports One TV and WFAN radio and Chris Russo of Sirius Radio have really impugned Howard’s play.
My take is while Howard is nowhere near as great as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, an obvious point made in a rant by Russo, he is not a “losing player” as Francesa has stated.
Additionally, while Howard’s epic salary offends me greatly, it is nowhere near as offensive as the market dictated fortunes both Russo and Francesa bring home.
I know I can’t play basketball but to paraphrase the great comedian Pat Cooper–pay me a twentieth of what either Russo or Francesa make, and I will be just as bad (save the fact I will make less, if even a handful of factual errors).
Dwight Howard
An overtime goal by Derek Stepan lifted the New York Rangers to a (2-1) victory vs the Washington Capitals in game seven and into their third Eastern Conference Final series in four seasons.
In this their 40th completed season (1975-2015, with no season in 2005) the Capitals suffered another heartbreaking loss, a fifth time they have dissipated a three games to one series lead.
The Rangers now face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference final, beginning Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Rangers home arena, Madison Square Garden.
The last time the Lightning made the Eastern Conference Final they lost to the Boston Bruins, a team their colorful radio game analyst Phil Esposito helped win two Stanley Cups and make three Stanley Cup Final series.
“Espo” also played on the 1979 New York Rangers, who made the Stanley Cup finals.
Also in the upcoming Lightning vs Rangers series, Martin St. Louis, now with the Rangers, will be playing against a Lightning franchise he helped win the Stanley Cup in 2004.
I enjoyed watching two very diverse TV shows yesterday: an over 50 year old “Bonanza” episode and the fine David Steinberg Showtime series ” Inside Comedy.” I must point out a double coincidence.
On “Inside Comedy,” comedian and actor Mike Myers was one of the guests interviewed.
He talked of how his “Austin Powers” movies were a spoof of the James Bond spoofs, such as “In Like Flint.”
Later on the old “Bonanza” episode, James Coburn, early in his fine acting career was the guest star. He later starred in “In Like Flint.”
However, the real coincidence was Pernell Roberts’ “Adam” character on Bonanza greeting Coburn’s character as “You Old Skin FLINT, you.”
Some say coincidences are God’s way of being anonymous and/or telling me to get out of the house, even on a very hot day.
Three of the four NBA quarterfinal series are tied at two games apiece.
In the one that is not, the slight series underdog Los Angeles Clippers have a three games to one lead vs the Houston Rockets, in a bid to make the NBA semi-finals for the first time in their history.
The Clippers, once the Buffalo Braves, have lost in all 6 of their previous quarterfinal series, three each in Buffalo and Los Angeles.
The winner of the Clippers/Rockets series will face the winner of the quarterfinal series between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, which is tied at two games apiece.
The Atlanta Hawks hoping to end a streak of 15 consecutive quarterfinal series losses are tied at two games apiece with the Washington Wizards.
The winner of the Hawks/Wizards series will face the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls series. That quarterfinal series is also tied at two games apiece.
One NHL semi-final series is set: the Anaheim Ducks vs the Chicago Blackhawks.
Corey Perry of the Ducks scored in overtime to clinch the Ducks’ 5 game quarterfinal series win vs the Calgary Flames. Perry has 7 goals in this year’s playoffs.
The Chicago Blackhawks will be their semi-final round opponent, as Patrick Kane had 5 goals, at least 1 in each of the 4 games as “Chi” swept the Minnesota Wild in the quarterfinals.
In the Eastern Conference, Chris Kreider’s heroics, (the all important tying goal with the Rangers less than two minutes away from a series loss in game 5 and two goals in game 6 at Washington), have led the New York Rangers to a home seventh game Wednesday night vs the Washington Capitals. They were trailing 3 games to 1 in their quarterfinal series.
In the other quarterfinal/Eastern Conference “semi,” the Tampa Bay Lightning have a (3-2) series lead vs the Montreal Canadiens with a home game six tomorrow, however, the series lead was once 3 games to none.
The latest incarnation of “Cool Hand Luke,” is a great and powerful theatrical one, now playing at the “59E59” Theater in New York City.
A classic novel by Donn Pearce and later a superb movie starring Paul Newman with great performances by George Kennedy and Jo Van Fleet, “Cool Hand Luke” hits hard regarding conformity, horrible conditions and those elements of society that keep so many people down.
This stage version adapted by Emma Reeves and directed by Joe Tantolo was equally powerful.
Lawrence Jansen, whose performance reminded me of the superb actor, Matthew McConaughey, stars as “Luke Jackson.”
He grasps and performs the physical and emotional components of “Luke,” railing for God/”The Big Guy” to come forth and help. That portion of Mr. Jansen’s work was truly mesmerizing and meaningful.
The rest of the ensemble, Mike Jansen, Nick Paglino, Lars Drew, Brett Warnke, Jason Bragg Stanley, Jarrod Zayas, Ken King, Kirstina Doelling and Julia Torres all deserve high praise for making the great novel, then movie, fall into that category in this stage production.
For ticket info, click here.
Lawrence Jansen as Luke
It was exactly 45 years ago today, on a Mother’s Day, that Bobby Orr, the great hockey player and even greater person, scored in overtime to give the Boston Bruins their first Stanley Cup win in 29 years.
Their victory came in 4 straight games against the third year expansion team St. Louis Blues, after series wins vs the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks.
Though there was little mystery as to the series outcome with the Bruins leading (3-0), the drama was there, as the Bruins really wanted to win the Stanley Cup at home.
In the overtime, Orr took a pass from Derek Sanderson, a truly fine two way player, and scored against the great veteran goaltender Glenn Hall.
Orr dove or some say “flew” across the ice as he scored. It was an iconic moment, one chosen for the cover of Mr. Orr’s book, “Orr My Story.”
Andy B Sports 