Darren DuPont’s Moose Droppings!
Welcome back. I’ve got a show to prepare for this morning so let’s get right to it.
1. In the hot seat – I’m hosting the RP Show today while Rod travels back to Saskatchewan for the summer so I’ll keep this brief today. It’s fun to host these shows here and there, and today will be a fun one. Hope you all tune in at 12pm ET!
2. Tuesday – The remote was getting a workout Tuesday night! It was hard to stay on top of everything but I kept up as I was actually interested in all of it. What was I flipping between? The Oilers/Stars game four, Tigers/Knights at the Memorial Cup and Knicks/Pacers game four. Yes, seriously.
3. Oilers knocking at the door – The conference finals have been largely underwhelming and the ratings reflect that. Yes, market size is a factor but the games haven’t exactly been nail-biting stuff this round but that’s ok. The Stanley Cup will be must-see TV as it always is and no matter what the match-up is it will be good. Either way, we will know the two remaining teams long before I’m back writing in this space in a week.
4. Panthers/Oilers Part 2? – That’s the way it’s heading. Count me in favour of it! The way last year ended with an anxious Panthers team on the ropes finding a way to get it back on track just in time for a game seven win is one I won’t soon forget. We all fell in love with Paul Maurice over the years and seeing him win it was one of hockey’s greatest moments. How has he followed it up? By being even more likeable at the podium this postseason. Maurice is one of the best quotes in sports history. What stands in their way of a repeat? An Oilers team that is better than the one that lost in seven games last summer. I love a shot at redemption!
5. Memorial Cup – I mentioned on the RP Show Tuesday that London was the best team in the country as we previewed the heavyweight tilt at the Memorial Cup. If it’s true, nobody told the Medicine Hat Tigers! On Tuesday we saw that the margin between these two teams is very small and that perhaps London has met their match. I anticipate a rematch in the final and while I fully believe that will be the case, I wouldn’t be counting out Moncton and coach Gardiner MacDougall. He might be the best coach in hockey, all he does is win! Thoughts are with the Buckley and MacDougall families after he announced that his son’s father-in-law tragically passed away. He got the call just five minutes before their game on Monday night and said it was the hardest game he’s ever had to coach.
6. NBA – I mentioned that the Knicks/Pacers was part of my channel flipping Tuesday night and I wasn’t lying. The biggest winner with the NHL conference finals downturn has been the NBA. I’ve seen more coverage of the Knicks/Pacers series than anything else and it’s got me hooked. On the other side, Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA MVP, is looking to book OKC’s spot in the final. The multiple double-digit comebacks in these NBA playoffs has been something.
7. Roland Garros – Good news/bad news for Canadians in Paris at the Grand Slam. Felix Auger-Aliassime fell Tuesday in five sets while Leylah Annie Fernandez is out in the first round on the women’s side. For Aliassime it was the second-straight Grand Slam where he lost a match in five sets after leading two sets to love. It’s a real head-scratcher! Meanwhile, Denis Shapovalov did advance to the second round and so did 18-year-old Victoria Mboko. It continues this week and next.
8. Adversity – Tuesday was an ugly weather day in Paris as the opening round of the French Open continued. Watching Novak Djokovic and American Mackenzie McDonald battle the weather (and each other) was only part of the story. They were also battling officials, as arguing over delays and whether the roof should be closed dominated the match. It was a great lesson in adversity and all the different elements that come into play in both sports and life.
9. The Lesson – Are you willing to change your strategy when things are going the wrong way or will you keep doing things the same way and and fade into the night? Do you blame the weather, the roof, the officials, etc or do you change up your game and battle back? The Carolina Hurricanes were able to adjust on Monday night and force game five. The Oilers made adjustments after being down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final last year and forced game seven (and being down 2-0 to LA in the opening round). Heck, Florida made adjustments after dropping three straight and won the Stanley Cup. Aren’t sports great?
10. Randoms – Not.. scratch that.. no football talk this week and I guess that means that it’s not on my mind today. It’s true. While workouts are firing up in the NFL and the CFL preseason picks up I’m just not full in yet. I will be tho, and it will be awesome … A ruling was upheld this week that will keep Russia OUT of the Olympic hockey tournament in February. I’m on the side in favour of why they’ve been kept out but also on the side that international hockey tournaments are so much better when they’re there. Here’s hoping that day comes again soon … I’m rewatching the Mission Impossible movies before going to the final installment later this week. They really hold up! … Next week I’ll be out at beautiful TPC Toronto for the Canadian Open. I’ll be hosting the pro-am Wednesday and on course throughout the week. I love being out at golf events and this one will be a lot of fun…
Until next week,
DD
