John Rooke - Thinking Out Loud

Saturday, June 18, 2011

John Rooke, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Thinking out loud…while still wondering why Daniel Sedin let Brad Marchand pound his face without retaliating…

• Ok, I’m with you. The Bruins winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years is fantastic, and really seems to fit as the final piece of our collective sports trophy case in New England. But if you’re not at least 25 years old, you really don’t have an idea what this past decade has meant around here, do you?

• I do like the “wolling wally” as Boston Mayor Tom Menino says…but is there anyone else that thinks we’ve “been there, done that?”

• I truly believe the signature moment that turned the Vancouver series around for the Bruins was the hit on Nathan Horton. There’s got to be some “pirate” audio out there of what was said in the first intermission locker room during Game 3…

• And Horton was playing with a separated shoulder, even before he took the hit from the Canucks’ Aaron Rome. That’s tough. But he does have a Playboy bunny for a wife to console him…oh, and the Stanley Cup…

• Not for nuthin’…but I’m not paying for Stanley Cup t-shirts just yet…I do think the hats are sweet, however…

• Lost in the glare of the Stanley Cup spotlight…the Red Sox just completed their most successful road trip in 34 years, going 8-1, and outscoring the Yankees, Jays and Rays 90-42. And Josh Beckett threw a one-hitter on Wednesday night…didja miss it?

• The Sox should be thanking – really thanking – the Bruins (and even the Celtics) for their playoff escapades. Did anyone notice their 2-10 start out of the gate?

• Is it possible that Adrian Gonzalez is actually BETTER than anyone thought? If you’re not down with that, I’ve got two words for you – Triple. Crown. (Get your mind out of the gutter, WWE fans)…

• As far as I’m concerned, after the Cubs left Fenway, you could call off the rest of the interleague schedule…

• I am NOT looking forward to next January 1. The traditional date to play college football bowl games, there are NO games scheduled for 1/1/12, because it is a Sunday. Sunday’s are reserved for the NFL. You hear that NFL??? We need you! I need you!

• The latest word from the NFL negotiations is that some AFC owners still believe they’re giving up too much of the farm to their employees, the players…really? Do these guys have a death-wish? I want names…

• Chuckle of the week…comes from the NCAA, which sent a letter to the University of Kentucky, chastising them for honoring basketball coach John Calipari’s 500 career wins…42 of which were vacated by the NCAA for violations committed while coaching at UMass and Memphis…

• Also got a chuckle from ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb – a one time radio show partner of mine – who opined on ESPN.com that college athletes should not be paid. Really? Did Doug forget his illegal credit card usage while a student at Notre Dame?

• Did you see where North Carolina football players ran up a total of more than $13,000 in parking tickets over a 3 ½ year period? The school says all but 30 of the tickets have been paid. Sure…by whom?

• The rich keep getting richer…the Big Ten and CBS Sports announced a new multi-year college basketball deal this week. The Big East, it seems, is on the clock…

• Comings and goings in the Big East…St. John’s guard Dwayne Polee is transferring to San Diego State…DePaul forward Devin Hill is moving across town to Loyola of Chicago, where former PC assistant Rodell Davis has moved…former UConn guard/forward Jamal Coombs-McDaniel is signing with Hofstra, to play for former PC assistant Steve DeMeo…

• Is there any doubt that Ed Cooley and Nate Leaman are serious about their jobs at PC? They’re inviting media to join with their student-athletes in a voluntary strength and conditioning session coming up next month. Starting at 8:00 am. What’s the over-under on participants for this one?

• Here’s a beauty…a New Mexico football player tried to board a flight from San Francisco to Albuquerque this week, with his pants below his buttocks, showing his boxer shorts. An airline employee asked him to pull them up – he refused – so he was asked to leave the plane for indecent exposure and inappropriate attire. After 15 minutes of arguing, the player left the plane, and was charged with trespassing, battery, and resisting arrest. They forgot to charge him with assault of the eyes…

• Patriots’ lineman Rich Ohrnberger, linebacker Jermaine Cunningham and 15 members of the Patriots’ Alumni group (including NFL Hall-of-Famer Andre Tippett) will be sharing their expertise with RI kids at a free football clinic Saturday…1:00 pm…at Classical High School’s Al Morro Stadium…

• Just days after former NY Giants defensive end (and current Fox analyst) Michael Strahan came out in support of marriage equality in New York, Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree blasted same-sex marriage, saying it will lead to “anarchy.” I suppose Tyree is simply tired of being known as a one-hit (or one-catch) wonder…

• Wasn’t it Daniel Sedin who “guaranteed” the Canucks would win Game 7 against the Bruins? Guess that was his way of retaliating for the pot shots to the kisser during Game 6 that Brad Marchand laid on him…oops…

• Interested in having your questions on local RI sports (including the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send ‘em to me! It’s your chance to “think out loud,” so send your questions and comments to [email protected]. We’ll share mailbag comments right here!