Just about, almost, hockey season is over. Sure, there will still be the NHL draft, and some hockey camps, but, for about six weeks, there won’t be any actual hockey for anyone to report upon.
That doesn’t mean there will not be gigabytes online and reams of print media concerning hockey the business, streamed and printed every day, and it doesn’t mean the talking heads of hockey will shut the heck up, even for a second. But, it means most can, should and will turn away from the game for minutes, even hours, at a time.
The above is true for basketball, as well. Good thing, because even though basketball is a, “Summer Games,” sport to the nonsensical IOC, it, too, is supposed to be done before summer actually arrives.
So, here’s a tip. Go outside. (That was easy).
Their are parks and golf courses and playing fields galore around here, and local ball parks are still showcasing the greatest game ever invented.
Case in point, this weekend at Butler Park. Tonight the Babe Ruth league top Trail Jays take on the Nelson top Nelson Jays - nice to see the name isn’t actually becoming an expletive. Games are at 5:30 and 7:30.
Tomorrow and Sunday, the senior Trail Orioles will try to get on track against the Kamloops Sun Devils - start times are 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m, Sunday.
Nice little ball park, local and regional talent hosting the games, and I am seldom disappointed in the entertainment value provided well below cost. You should drop by.
• One cherry topping of the NHL and NBA dropping off the radar, sort of, will be a slowdown in the pace of play in the Trump versus The World rhetorical contest.
The latest salvo, which generated a barrage of warring wordplay on line, came from, of all people, Devante Smith-Pelly, a mostly fringe player on his third hockey team in the past three seasons who is having a bit more than his expected impact on the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Because the Washington Capitals are close to winning their first Stanley Cup, and Smith-Pelly is black, of course some reporter asked him if he wanted to go to the White House (just up the street from the team’s home base) to celebrate if/when the Caps prevail.
He said, no. The comment threads have been blowing up ever since.
Now probably a no comment would have sufficed and been preferred by an organization straining to get over the finish line, but, he answered honestly.
That’s good enough for me, but everybody is a critic or supporter in Trump World, and it is not pretty on the internet.
It is really too bad the total focus is not on the final series, which has so many strong and colourfull story lines and has been highly entertaining - an ending merited by one of the most unusual and entertaining playoff seasons in a long time.
Watch the games (if there are any more after Thursday, of course), enjoy the play. Time enough next weekend to jump back on whichever political horse (or donkey, or elephant) you prefer to ride through the political morass American politics has created.
And go to the ballpark. Everything about it is Canadian this weekend, and about the sport.
As it should be.