It’s Tuesday, if you’re reading this on the day of publication. (If you’re not, there’s a 1-in-7 chance it’s Tuesday anyway, and a 100% chance almost none of this will hold up in the long run.)
It’s also the day after a three-day weekend, and normally that would mean a lot to catch up on, but this Memorial Day weekend was weirdly quiet. Not having any NBA games will do that.
So let’s talk about what happened yesterday, because that’s what’s interesting.
Penguins blow 3-0 lead, come back to life for 5-3 victory
The Penguins opened up a quick 3-0 lead in the first period, and then sustained an incredibly lengthy shot-on-goal drought (37 minutes!) during which Nashville rebounded to tie the game in the third period.
Via our own Matt Clapp:
The Penguins had literally zero shots on goal in the second period.
NO shots on goal for ENTIRE second period for #Penguins.. 9-0 #Predators 3-1 Penguins lead after two
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) May 30, 2017
The issues continued into the third period, and the Predators took advantage.
The Penguins went being up 3-0 and seemingly in full control of the game, to being tied 3-3 with ZERO SHOTS ON GOAL IN 37 MINUTES.
Yes, the Penguins went 37 minutes without a shot on goal. But they at least made their first shot in 37 minutes count, on this goal from Jake Guentzel with 3:17 remaining.
Jake Guentzel gets the Penguins’ first shot in 37 minutes, scores to take a late lead pic.twitter.com/J7ymHcT0Mc
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 30, 2017
Game 2 is Wednesday night, and maybe hockey is seeping into the consciousness of other sports, because from the world of baseball on Monday…
Hunter Strickland hits Bryce Harper, donnybrook erupts
Hunter Strickland is a moron. Throwing baseballs at people intentionally is stupid, but as retribution for something that happened years ago, it’s incredibly stupid, and he deserved every flailing, aimless, poorly leveraged fist Bryce Harper threw his way.
Via our Phillip Bupp:
Apart from the ridiculously hilarious helmet throw by Harper, the entire scene was really tense. Before the fight got any worse between Harper and Strickland, the benches cleared and all hell broke loose. Strickland was so pissed off at Harper that it took multiple teammates to restrain him. Both players were ejected and will likely result in a suspension.
And two of my favorite gifs:
YOU'RE ON THE SAME TEAM pic.twitter.com/3OK1qMh4HQ
— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) May 29, 2017
(That both teams were wearing the silly camo uniforms for Memorial Day definitely plays a role in watching the giant scrum.
*goes to get his dirt bike* pic.twitter.com/OETdAjM2cf
— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) May 29, 2017
Still, that’s a solid baseball fight, all things considered. There are worse things to have happen on a Monday. Like, for example…
Quick hits
-Getting busted for a DUI at 3 AM in Florida, like Tiger Woods yesterday. He’s already blaming it on a prescription medication reaction, which may be true, but that doesn’t really excuse the behavior at all. Also, is Tiger’s story a sad story overall yet? It’s got to be getting close, right?
-Oh, and ESPN photoshopped the mug shot for SportsCenter usage, which is a staunch commitment to journalism.
-In cheerier news, here’s some fun science:
-Theo Epstein gave a great commencement address at Yale.
-Mike Trout tore a ligament in his thumb and is out for 6-8 weeks, which is awful for everyone, but worst for the Angels. (Well, worst for Trout, maybe, but he’s part of the Angels, so it works.)
-An f-bomb snuck onto the live hockey broadcast, and Doc Emrick was forced to apologize for it.
-The actor who plays The Mountain on Game of Thrones came really close to winning World’s Strongest Man, which I believe by law must be aired on ESPN2 at random hours of the night and morning, preferably right as you flip the channel on hoping for some actual sports.
-Some big-ass crystals:
-Legendary sportswriter Frank DeFord died at the age of 78, and the tributes poured out from all over. (And people pointed out the less-flattering aspects of DeFord’s legacy as well, which is fair game for an obituary. We shouldn’t whitewash things just because someone passed away, and we should be capable of judging both sides of the ledger accordingly.
-And now for something completely different:
Fake news headline I wish was real
Area Man Found Memorial Day Cookout To Be A Bit Too Labor Day For His Tastes
One final moment of procrastination
These guys are better at this than I’ll ever be at anything:
