I’m not sure if there’s a hockey game tonight, ot not. I know Montreal and Washington play tomorrow night in game seven of their first round series (go Caps!). And pretty soon after that, the second round will finally get going.
Yeah, I know there’s been some decent series so far — a few upsets, some high-scoring games, plenty of overtime. But, I mean, come on. If the Stanley Cup Final goes seven games, the season won’t end until June 12. Hockey in June? Sounds like the name of a Northern Pikes album. But that’s what we’re faced with.
Most people, I suspect, will keep an eye on the second round. It still is April, after all. And while the weather’s been pretty decent so far, it’s still kind of iffy. But after that, how many people want to be stuck inside on a warm early summer evening watching hockey? Less than two months from now, June 21 to be exact, the days start getting shorter. They won’t start getting colder. At least not for a couple months. But they inevitably will.
If I had my druthers, hockey would start in late October and end by mid-May. And while I’m on the subject of sports leagues that need to give their head a shake, if Major League baseball doesn’t institute some sort of salary cap it’s dead outside the major markets. Attendance so far this year has been horrendous. There are teams that are capable of playing some exciting ball. But realistically, how many have a shot at the World Series?
Yeah, a Yankee vs. Phillies rematch of last year’s World Series will be interesting. Last year, the Yankees won handily. But the Phillies have Roy Halliday this year, and he’s always enjoyed success against the Yankees. So theoretically, it would be a great series. It’s just too bad that other teams don’t have a legit shot at competing because of the salary discrepancy, especially where the Yankees are concerned.
At $207 million, their payroll is by far the largest in the league. The Jays payroll, in comparison, is $61 million. And Pittsburgh’s is $34 million. Kind of lame if you ask me.
