March Madness just isn’t the same

By Michael Cusden in Sports

Watching college basketball in March is one of my favourite things to do. Every year (except for the first COVID year), the last few weeks of March and start of April are all about buzzer beaters, heartaches and watching a new batch of college kids shine or crumble under the pressures of the craziest sports tournament on the planet.

Just this past weekend I watched teams both steal and hand away games with under 10 minutes to go. While it’s hard to watch when a team messes up your bracket, it makes sense. These are essentially kids playing in front of millions of viewers. They are not professional athletes (yet) and with so few stars sticking around for more than a year, of course there will be meltdowns and brain farts.

But even with the unexpected teams moving on.

Despite the buzzer beaters and feel good stories.

To me, the tournament just isn’t the same. Maybe I am just getting old and after ## years of watching this tourney I am just getting crusty.

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Early NBA thoughts

By Michael Cusden in Sports, Toronto

A few weeks in and the NBA is on fire for all the wrong reasons.

Here is a random list of thoughts as we near 10 games.

  • The bad teams are good and the good teams are bad. Utah doesn’t look like it wants to tank and the Nets, well they are a legit dumpster fire.
  • Pascal Siakam looks like a Top 10 guy. Unstoppable.
  • Scoring is out of control.
  • Scandals are grabbing all the headlines.
  • Kawhi sadly I think is done. His knee is not bouncing back. He should have never left TO.
  • Giannis is without a doubt the best player in the NBA.
  • Cleveland is legit. I bet they could pull a 14/15 Atlanta Hawks and win 60.
  • Trouble is brewing in NYC. TT is going to be fired.
  • The Sixers stink. Which is amazing.
  • Where is SGA going to end up? He needs to be let loose from OKC.
  • The West standings are very backwards.
  • O.G. making a case to be all-defense.
  • Who is Anfernee Simons man.
  • The Timberwolves look bad. Edwards isn’t happy.
  • Luka looking like MVP, but Dallas needs more wins.
  • Happy that Steve Nash got out of Brooklyn.

Touch ’em all Joe!

By Michael Cusden in Sports, Toronto

Last week I watched Edwin EncarnaciĆ³n destroy Rogers Centre on loop for a good five minutes. But that isn’t even the greatest walk off in Jays history. You know where I am going with this.

Joe Carter.

While you can’t get any better than winning the World Series with one swing, the fog horn would have been a nice add back in 93.

Where was I? I was at a family wedding and had just walked away from the bar where the game was on the smallest of TVs. I quickly snapped back as people lost their minds screaming.

As the 2022 version of the Blue Jays set to navigate the high seas searching for gold and other bounties, I can only imagine how fans would react to another dramatic walk off like Joe or Edwin. I am ready for it.

Random things heading in the Wild Card

  • Finally we can move away from that 5th starter hell.
  • Danny Jansen and Whit Merrifield are my two X-Factors.
  • I don’t know much about the Seattle Mariners other than that’s where Robbie Ray is.
  • People are unhappy about 4:07pm starts. Not me. Working from home for the win.
  • Praying we don’t have to see Aaron Paul throughout the playoffs.
  • While I’m happy Sportsnet has it’s own broadcast, I hope to watch the USA feed.
  • BUT if I do end up watching Sportsnet, I hope Aaron Paul is replaced with more footage of George and Vlade being silly.
  • Does anyone else think Tampa kind of took the pedal off to avoid the Jays? I do.
  • Thanks to home field in Wild Card and being in Houston’s bracket, the Jays don’t have to play outside for awhile. I think this is a huge advantage considering it’s getting October chilly.
  • I can’t stand Houston. I can’t believe Springer used to be on that team.
  • Cleveland will beat Tampa.

#TBT