Trying To Understand People Who Don’t Like Sports

Okay, so I am starting this off by saying that this isn’t a shot at anyone who does not embrace in the world of sports in any kind, but it is just trying to get and understand of what are you doing if they aren’t in your life.

Listen up people, sports make the world go round. I truly feel that way. Every single day, there is some sport going on that thousands, probably millions are witnessing live on TV, streaming, or in person. Every day there can be a unique storyline that involves your favorite sport. Look at the NBA recently, Anthony Davis going from being apart of the Pelicans future plans to wanting to be traded has been in the news for days it feels. And that isn’t even the game part, that is the front office aspect. There is so many layers in sports to appreciate, which is why I just want to understand.

“I don’t like sports.” A definition – Sports: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. So you are trying to tell me, there isn’t one single form of a sport that you enjoy? It literally can be a game of hockey, a swimming meet, a car driving around the track, a dance competition, a wrestling match, or a simple baseball game. If you like none of these, good on you I guess.

I feel bad really, I do. Think of the best moments in sports. I know from experience that they can give you the absolute best emotions in the world – where you jump up, hug everyone in the room, scream from the rooftops – and the worst – where you’re angry, sad, miserable, collapse onto the floor. Those emotions can all be reached within seconds when it comes to the sports world. Look back at the Patriots-Chiefs AFC Conference Championship Game. When CB Jonathan Jones almost picked of Patrick Mahomes, I rose to my feet and collapsed within a second span. It all hits you, the stress, the sadness, the hopelessness, the excitement, and the pure happiness.

So really, if you hate sports, how do you not experience a reaction when you see this:

In these five videos, I can tell you first hand I felt both excitement and pain. When Malcolm Butler picked the ball off on the one yard line, I can’t say I had ever been happier in a single moment in my life to truly be honest. The Sale strikeout, just absolutely awesome. Another jump to your feet after your heart was pounding even though there should have been doubt at that point. Michael Phelps breaking a world record? Witnessing that? He is the greatest Olympian of all time, and in cheering for him, you may have been jumping up and down as the record was in sight. Ronda Rousey losing for the first time and getting knocked out to do so. Devastation. Heart sinking defeat for me personally and I can’t even explain why. It’s just tough. The Blackhawks coming back and winning in game six of the Stanley Cup Final in 2013 in 17 seconds. That feeling will never be topped because it is the weirdest of them all. Your heart drops when they tie it up with a minute to go, and somehow they score again and you can’t accept or stomach the fact that the Bruins just lost the Stanley Cup because it all happened faster than you could say “At least there may be overtime.”

Yes, I had all these emotions. Because Sports are beautiful people. Sure, maybe someone doesn’t want to work in sports and just keep them in your heart somewhere special, I totally get that. But not having this excitement for any sport in the world ever in your life? I just don’t get it.

What I’m asking for is for this to be shared, get the question out there and give me an answer how people go on in their lives without sports. Please, there are people truly missing out and lying to themselves.

And for the people who understand the feelings that I have, the Super Bowl is Sunday. Here goes another live changing experience of fear, anger, (hopefully) happiness, and more.

– Scott Edwards, Creator

 

Bruins Recap 11/14: League Scoring Leaders trade blows in Denver

Avs top unit outpaces B’s top line as win fast paced thriller

 

The Bruins faced off against the Avalanche in Wednesday Night. Both teams have one of the top two best lines in the NHL. Boston has Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak who have combined for 68 points, while Colorado have Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen and their 69 points. From the opening puck drop til 14:10 of the first period there was no whistle, just back and forth, end to end from both teams. The Bruins had the best chance to score first when Pastrnak hit iron around 13:20. He was set up alone in front of Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov, and cleanly beat him but hit the crossbar. The Avs top line struck first when a miscommunication behind the net between defenseman Zdeno Chara and goalie Jaroslav Halak led to a Chara turnover that Rantanen fed to Landeskog who buried it past Halak. 1-0 Avalanche. The Bruins would hit the post 3 more times before a Power Play goal by Pastrnak would tie it at 1-1 @ 16:43. Boston forward Jake DeBrusk would catch an errant MacKinnon pass at the red line and race in alone and beat Varlamov with :37.9 left to go in the first. 2-1 Bruins after 1. 

 

The 2nd was just as frantic as the 1st. The Bruins Power Play was called on again @ 1:17 when Colin Wilson was called for Hooking. The red hot PP connected again on some tic tac toe passing when DeBrusk scored again on a tip of a Pastrnak shot from the point. 3-1 Bruins @ 3:05. The back and forth pace caught up to the B’s when Pastrnak was whistled for Hooking Mark Barbiero @ 7:52. This gave the Avs a chance to get moving. MacKinnon would fed Rantanen on a cross ice pass, Rantanen would walk in and snipe one past Halak from the right face off dot. 3-2 Bruins. Bergeron would be called for Hooking on Rantanen who would also be called for Embellishment on the play @ 19:11. The 2nd would close out with the teams in a 4 on 4. Shots were tied at 14 a piece for the two periods. 

 

The 3rd started with the carried over 4 on 4, which had a chance for each team, but to no avail. An Avalanche 2-1 with Matt Grzelcyk defending had Halak make the initial stop on a Matt Calvert wrist shot. A funny bounce and a head’s up play by Calvert, who spun around and swiped the lose puck past Halak tied the game at 3-3 @ 2:11. Defenseman Ian Cole broke up the Bruins forecheck at his blueline, Rantanen picked it up and raced into the Bruins offensive zone with a 3 on 2. He slid the pass over to MacKinnon on his right who blasted the go ahead goal past Halak @ 9:02. 4-3 Avs for their 2nd lead of the night. Colorado’s PP did the trick again, with Krecji off for Holding Tyson Jost @ 13:40. Jost would backhand the puck through Halak’s pads giving the Avs a 2 goal cushion @ 15:39. The Bruins would pull Halak with more than 3 minutes remaining. Good pressure by the Bruins with the extra skater but Colorado was up to it. Bergeron was called for Hooking @ 18:57 negating the man advantage from the empty net. Colorado’s Alexander Kerfoot would tip a Carl Soderberg shot past Halak making it 6-3 Avs with :15 remaining. 

 

Zdeno Chara left the game in the first period with a lower body injury, the B’s weren’t quite the same after that despite having the led early into the 2nd period. The league’s top line showed why tonight as Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Rantanen combined for 6 points. The Bruins seemed to run out of gas as the 3rd period went along, whether the infamous altitude of the Mile High City took the wind out of their sails or shaky defensive play combined with penalties did the B’s in. Overall the Avs outshot the B’s 25-23 and won the face-off battle 59% to 41%. Both teams had exceptional Power Plays with Boston going 2 for 3 and Colorado going 3 for 3. This one was as billed, with both squads getting production from their 2nd lines. The Avs just had a little more left in the tank on this one.

 

– Jason Scales, WTF Sports Contributor

 

 

Edited by Scott Edwards

The Case for splitting up the Bruins Top Line

The Case for splitting up the Bruins Top Line

 

It is obvious to everyone with a pair of eyes that the Bruins’ line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand is the best line in the NHL. It has been this way since last season, and before that they were at least in the upper tier regarding production. They all bring something different to the table. They all compliment each other well. So why do they need to be split up?

 

Depth scoring is incredibly valuable to a hockey team, let alone a hockey team that competes at the highest level of the game. Look at recent Stanley Cup champions and you will notice a trend: you need production from your top three lines.

 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a great case study. They were so deep for their back-to-back cup runs that they were able to use Phil Kessel on the third line….let that sink in. Phil Kessel is an elite scorer. Since he joined the Penguins in 2015-16, he’s averaged 27 goals a year. He would be a first liner on any team, as he often is for the Penguins, but they recognized the need for depth scoring. Two cups in a row is a pretty good result.

 

The Bruins have none of this. Last season, when they won 50 games in overtime or regulation, advanced to the second round of the playoffs, and looked dominant for long stretches of time, they struggled at times with depth scoring. However, they had massive contributions from their second and third lines, even if it was not consistent. This season the top line either scores three goals and the team wins, or the team gets shut out.

 

This season the top line has scored 25 of the team’s 44 goals, good for 55%. It speaks to the lines’ acumen, but that means 45% of the scoring is divided between three additional lines. In other words, it is not enough.

 

Change is hard. Ignoring your eyes is even harder. The mere thought of breaking up a dominant scoring trio is maniacal, but there is a twist. There are 82 games in an NHL season, so what is the harm with experimenting for a week or so? If it pays off then Bruce Cassidy looks like a genius. All of a sudden you have scoring from different lines and can exploit matchups. Teams cannot simply roll out their best triplets of defensive forwards and dictate the game. If it doesn’t work, you take a couple losses and then group them back together. Oh how simple coaching can be.

 

Now it is easy for me to say this from behind a keyboard while a coach has a job to keep, but Cassidy is playing with house money. He brought Boston its best season since 2013-14 a year ahead of schedule. Prior to last season the Bruins were pegged as a team that can make some noise in the regular season and then get bounced in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Instead, they were one of three juggernaut teams in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. He is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

 

Switching up these lines to help even the scoring may be the key to boost the Bruins this season. If it doesn’t work, so be it. If it does, you may have just found the secret formula for continued success.

 

– Trevor Brumm, WTF Sports Contributor

 

Edited by Scott Edwards

Bruins Top Priority: Move on from David Krejci

I feel this should have been their top priority for the past 5 years but it seems no one has truly made it heard in writing. So I am here to do so now! If the Bruins were to move on from David Krejci, the team would be able to better themselves largely moving forward.

I don’t know what it is about Krejci and why he seems to be a continuous favorite of the front office, but if he wasn’t a Bruin tomorrow, I would be like the reindeers and misfit toys and elves from Rudolph and celebrate with glee. I am thankful for all he did in effort to help bring the Cup to Boston in 2011, but I have grown sick more and more hearing the excuses everyone gives him.

“Well if we give him a winger that can score he would be back to the same old Krejci.” How many wingers do we have to give this guy to continuously be let down? I hear that Debrusk guy is pretty good. And the amount of times they put Pastrnak on that line just to realize maybe Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic made Krejci what he was, not the other way around. He needed the too rough and tough bodies to protect him. If you remember, we didn’t have to be be accustomed to “David Krejci will be out with an undisclosed injury”. Maybe it’s because those two beat the snot out of everyone and got in perfect position to score on a Krejci pass.

Now I’m not saying Krejci has zero skill or anything. He has great offensive abilities, mostly passing since his dumb ass never takes a shot when he’s wide open, but the man gets paid too much to be hurt and never put it all together every god forsaken year. The fact that he will be getting paid 7.5, 7.0, and 7.0 for the next three years irks me to no end. His point totals are not nearly close to what the should and could be. His injuries continue to rack up, and that is what scares me more and more when thinking we have to pay him the next three years. Everyone use to celebrate how he was so good in the playoffs, well guess what, 27 games, 14 points since the end of the 2013 Playoff run. If there is an opportunity to move on, DO IT.

Especially with the fact that earlier in the summer, there was very quiet rumors that someone may be interested in this overpaid, underperforming, sensitive Czech. I have come to the point that if we could get any value, I’d be happy. The Panthers have given interest, if somehow we could steal C Vincent Trocheck and they’d take on his contract, you can make me the number one fan on that bandwagon. I think we have hit the point where no one will disagree with me, and if they do, please explain.

Getting to the point where you are not shocked or concerned of a Krejci injury because they happen all the time should be the boiling point. Or maybe the fact that during the playoffs this past year, he made the top line do everything. Clearly I am just sick of Krejci, the one that should have been moved at his highest five years ago instead of got signed to a contract that he probably was like “you kidding? No? Okay deal 100%.” Sorry for the rant, but it is time to move on from Krejci. P.S. While I think he contains value, I’ve considered pushing for the buyout. I just don’t like this guy.

So, I ask, what are your feelings toward Krejci? Are you able to accept his underperformance on a yearly basis for the amount he’s paid? Or are you on the wagon that hopefully sends him to somewhere that isn’t Boston like I am?

Let me know!!!

– Scott Edwards, Creator of WTF Sports

Something Bruin? – Possible Offseason Moves for the B’s

So far this offseason, teams in the Atlantic Division has been making all the moves including the big signing of John Tavares and the Maple Leafs, the Lightning being all in on acquiring Erik Karlsson, and the Sabres drafting Rasmus Dahlin with the first pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. And while teams in the Atlantic continue to improve, the Boston Bruins remain quiet and don’t seem imminent to make a move any time soon. However, as a writer, it is fun to think of possible moves that the Bruins could/should make before next season. Let us dig in:

 

Bruins acquire F Wayne Simmonds, Flyers acquire C David Backes, D Jakub Zboril, and a draft pick.

Why: The Bruins have been missing the Power Forward winger that they have possessed for such a long time on a lot of winning teams. Names like Milan Lucic and Cam Neely come to mind as dominant power forwards who grabbed the hearts of the Bruins faithful. Simmonds has been known for his gritty play and ability to also light the lamp while throwing fists around. Five times Simmonds has scored 25+ goals in a season, making him a possible solid edition and almost too good to be true for the Bruins roster. However, he will be approaching his age 30 season and that may not be something the Bruins can fully accept. But if they were able to send Backes’ contract, sweetening the deal with former first round pick Zboril, and possibly a draft pick, this deal may be the perfect one for the Bruins to make.

 

Bruins acquire D Oscar Klefbom and F Milan Lucic, Oilers acquire D Torey Krug

Why: It seems more and more obvious that Torey Krug will not be a Bruin come the 2018-19 season. He seems to be the main trade target in almost any deal possibility, and the Oilers have been the team most connected to Krug, offering Klefbom in a lot of prospective deals. Klefbom, 24, still has potential to grow if he was acquired by the Bruins in a deal involving Krug. This would not only free up money, but also bring back an old friend that the Oilers are looking to move on from in Milan Lucic. Of course, the Oilers would have to take most of the money if they want to just move on from Lucic and acquire a puck moving D-Man like Krug. Lucic coming back to Boston could firmly be in the cards, and a welcoming one to prove he still has something left in the tank. This deal may be the most likely to occur.

 

Bruins acquire F Artemi Panarin, Blue Jackets acquire D Torey Krug, F Danton Heinen, and a draft pick

Why: This deal would bring the Bruins the best offensive player on the market, while moving on from an underperforming, inconsistent player in Heinen and move on from Krug like they have been waiting to do for a while now. The Bruins have seemingly chosen D Matt Grzelcyk as the lefty, shifty defenseman for their future. Simply because he is cheaper and simply may be a better defensive defenseman in the future, while having the offensive prowess as well. Trading for Artemi Panarin brings everything to the team while keeping most of the young talent on your roster. You could slot Panarin in with Krejci and Debrusk to finally make another line that can do some damage this season. In three seasons, Panarin’s scoring totals have been 77, 74, and 82. He proved that he can be a game changer no matter where he plays and has a talent to score in any situation. He would come to Boston on the last year of his contract, making the only problem him resigning or not. He should be in line to sign a big contract as he is just 26 right now, but this is the best counter to Tavares and make the Bruins a serious threat for this season especially.

 

What do you guys think? Would you be interested in any of these deals? Or do you see another possible target that you can see as a legitimate chance of being in black and gold next season. Hopefully the Bruins are not done this offseason, and as a Bruins fan, these deals would 100% be acceptable to me.

 

Let me know what you are thinking!!

 

– Scott Edwards, Creator of WTF Sports

Stanley Cup First Round: Maple Leafs @ Bruins – Game 7

The first Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are here, and it comes in the form of the Toronto Maple Leafs heading to Boston to take on the Bruins.

Nerves begin to rise all day for not only the players, but the fans really begin to feel it as well. There is nothing like a Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 7. Every faceoff, every shot, every save… matters. In one instance you could be all amped up for your team and lose every bit of hope on a deflected puck that finds its way in. Every. Moment. Counts.

How We Got Here: The Bruins won the first two games of the series in convincing fashion, winning 5-1 and 7-3. David Pastrnak was the player of the series in those games, accumulating nine points in just those games. However, since then, the Maple Leafs have played excellent hockey under coach Mike Babcock, winning three of four games including fighting off elimination now twice. Leafs G Freddy Anderson has been masterful after two bad games to start off the series, being the main reason that the Maple Leafs are still alive.   All of this leads to tonight.

If you are fans of either team, you have a rush of emotions going through your head. If you are a Maple Leaf fan right now, you are probably amped out of your minds to be here and have all the confidence that your team is going to the next round. And as a Bruins fan, you do not know what to feel. All season long, this Bruins team has had that special feel to it, yet they are here now in just the first round on the brink of elimination. You have that hope, yet scared feel in your heart that this thing could all end just like that.

Game 7 is here. We are ready for the rollercoaster of a game this will be. Buckle your seat belts.

Bruins fans, Let’s GO!

– Scott Edwards, The Creator

Believe in the Bruins

February 7th, 2017, the Boston Bruins finally went a new direction and fired Head Coach Claude Julien. In stepped then interim, now Head Coach Bruce Cassidy. And in the 77 games coached with the Bruins, Cassidy has helped get his team to a 49-19-9 record. That is 107 points in not even a full season. The Boston Bruins have, in a short amount of time, went from a team that people didn’t expect much from to a serious contender for the Stanley Cup when playoffs come around. This team has begun to gel together so well and quite possibly has the most chemistry in hockey, a story overlooked by the Patriots success and other team’s success in the NHL. Well, I have come here to inform you that you need to stop overlooking the Boston Bruins, because they are now the team you must shift your faith and beliefs in while you get over the Patriots’ devastating loss. Why? Because it is exactly what I am doing, so should the wagon when its hot.

Yes, I have been paying attention to the Bruins while football season has gone on, but that is because I’m a die-hard Boston sports fan and a hockey fan, but I will even admit that I have overlooked some of their success. It feels as though the Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox have continued to take the headlines due to either playoff success, an undeniable winning streak, or a terrible offseason filled with no signings. And while this has continued on, the Boston Bruins have continued to roll on as an underdog and the cream rising to the top of the crop. They have embodied the spirit of Boston in all of their games, never giving up and playing to the final horn. So, now it is time for us to give them our appreciation and get ready for the last half of the season, with 32 games remaining, nothing is promised, but they have that something special this season. What is that something special? I don’t know exactly but let us look at why they are so good.

As the standings stand right now, the Bruins have the second-best record in the Atlantic Division and in all of the Eastern Conference at 31-11-8 and have three games in hand on the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. And with games tonight and tomorrow, they could be within one point of the league lead as they take on the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers, both teams underperforming this season. The play of the Bruins this season is remarkable and gets me excited for a potential deep run into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But you ask, why do you think they can get there? Simple, what this team is made up of:

The first line of the Bruins quite possibly has become the best line in all of hockey. Led by the heart and soul of what the Bruins are, Patrice Bergeron, and two of the most dynamic wingers in all of hockey in 2018 All-Star Brad Marchand and young stud David Pastrnak. These three players lead the Bruins in points, with Marchand having 50 in just 38 games, Pasta having 49 in 50 games, and Bergeron having 44 in 45 games. It has been just a dominant season for this line, and this team is simply at best when they are all playing. They are the heartbeat of this hockey team.

But after them, it becomes a matter of who for fans. The 4th leading scorer on the Bruins is rookie winger Danton Heinen. And he really is a who when you don’t follow the Bruins day after day. Heinen has become one of the players to really step up this season, having 11 goals and 24 assists while being on the 3rd line all season long. Bruins have had to have almost everyone after the top line to step up, and players like Jake Debrusk, Ryan Spooner, and Riley Nash have also been huge assets for the team. David Krejci is quietly having a good season as well for the Bruins, being the rock that helps the young guys on the second line.

It is time to look at the strongest part of the team excluding the first line, and that is the incredible defense that the Bruins have managed to create. Led by Captain, 40-year-old Zdeno Chara, who is having one of his best seasons in a long time with a +27 plus/minus and being an amazing leader and teacher for the backend. The biggest part of Chara’s success comes from Cassidy not overplaying Chara but keeping him fresh for when they need him most. Chara is also paired with what I believe may already be their best defenseman in rookie D Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy is more than likely the best rookie D-Man in all of hockey, and he has shown it all season. Sure, while he has had his struggles like any young player, he has become such a good, dynamic player in such a short time. With a plus/minus of +19 and adding on 25 points, McAvoy has been everything the Bruins have hoped for and more. But after the top line of defense, you come the question of then what.

It seems as though that any time people need players to fill in on defense, they step up in a huge way. Torey Krug is the leading scorer for the defense with 31 points, but he struggled early on in the season after the set back with an injury in Training Camp, but the more he plays, the more electric and true to form he gets. Players like Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller have had good seasons as well, playing defensively sound and being great role players who do their job. I would also love to give Matt Grzelcyk some love, as he was thrown into a situation of an every day player with injuries to Miller and McQuaid and has real become a respectable good defenseman. I have always liked his game dating back to his BU days. He was overlooked and no one thought he could deliver due to his size, but with a +15 plus/minus, he has proven to be a key cog in the defense.

And finally, giving my respects to the goaltending of the Bruins. Tuukka Rask has played out of his mind this season after struggling early on, as he has 21 wins, a 2.09 GAA and a Save Percentage of .925%. He has made haters believers once again, playing his best overall hockey since the year he won the Vezina in the 2013-2014 season. He has helped steal a lot of games that the Bruins may have deserved to lose at times, and that’s how you know someone is an elite goaltender. His backup Anton Khudobin as also played extremely well in relief. Winning 10 games, posting a 2.36 GAA and a .924% save percentage so far this season.

This team has a whole lot to be excited about, and they are serious contenders to take home the Stanley Cup. Yep, I said it. They are a special team, who kind of remind me of the 2013 World Series winning Boston Red Sox. They just have a vibe that not all teams have. I have my hopes for them the rest of the season and I am happy to be covering them and the entire NHL the rest of the season.

Please give us a share, like and all that good stuff.

If you have any topics you’d like to hear about, comment below!

Let’s Go Bruins

 

– Scott Edwards, The Creator of WTF Sports Nation