Random Thoughts From Motown Mitch: May 20

Mitch Kasprick is the “Motown Curmudgeon” aka “Motown Mitch”

Odds and Ends, Thoughts and Questions, from this past week in sports –

Just so there’s no confusion when I’m spewing my bias, I am a fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes, Manitoba Moose, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Winnipeg Goldeyes, Toronto Raptors, all curlers from Manitoba, and all Canadian athletes competing on the international stage.

I am NOT a fan of Gary Bettman or as I call him, Count Chocula. I am a big believer in the 7Ps. You’ve been warned.

1. NHL: After missing a week due to travel I’m back at it this week and I see I haven’t missed much, the Bruins are still playing, the Blues and Sharks are still battling it out, and the NHL officials are still blowing obvious calls and deciding games.

2. Jets: I have to admit I’m all Jets out right now. I’m at a point where I don’t want to hear about Jacob Trouba and speculation on him signing, not signing or wanting a trade. Just let me know when something happens.

3. PGA: Brooks Koepka went wire to wire in winning the PGA Championship this past weekend at the tough Bethpage Black Course on Long Island. Koepka has now won back to back PGA titles along with back to back US Open titles and four majors out of the past eight. The late-blooming, 29-year-old Koepka is turning into a major winning machine.

4. WHC: I always enjoy the World Hockey Championships and I like Team Canada’s entry but based on some of the players on this team I’m left wondering how deep they had to go to fill this roster? Where is Scheifele, Marner, Giroux, McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, Crosby, Huberdeau, Morrissey, Letang, Weber, Price, etc, etc? I’m sure injuries had a lot to do with it but I suspect the location wasn’t sexy enough for some players.

5. PGA: Back to the PGA. I was left wondering why New York sports fans get a free pass with their ignorant and boorish behavior? A lot of those idiots in the gallery need a good tuning up.

6. Raptors: The Raptors are trailing the Milwaukee Bucks 2 games to 1 in the Eastern Final and they have a chance to even this series on Tuesday night. If this series gets to 2-2 it will be fun. Kawhi Leonard has been a beast in this post-season and better than advertised. He has carried this team on his back for the most part but if he doesn’t get some help they could be done in five games. Milwaukee is very good.

7. NBA: Is it just me or have NBA games just turned into glorified three-point shooting contests?

8. Jays: The Jays just finished a 6-game road trip with a modest 3-3 record BUT the big news coming out of the trip was Vladdy Jr. hitting his first home run and adding three more and batting around .350. To put things in perspective, most players his age (20) are in “A ball”.

9. NHL: I’m tired of hearing “we have the best fans in the league” from every NHL team.

10. Jets: If you want a good read about the 1978-79 Winnipeg Jets check this out from my friend Patti Dawn Swansson. >>>> READ HERE

The WHA Winnipeg Jets brought me and my friends a lot of pleasure back in the day but this final WHA Championship win was extra special because we weren’t expected to win and the Jets beat the cocky Glen Sather and his Oilers. I remember my friends and I celebrating at the Nor-Villa Hotel after the game like we were players on that team. Those were good times.

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Thanks, Mitch