#2018 postseason

[whirlpool-blogs]

Matthew Tkachuk Daddy Issues primer

1) https://floridahockeynow.com/keith-tkachuk-rips-the-florida-panthers-calls-them-a-soft-team/

“This is do-or-die for the Panthers right now,’’ Keith told First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo. “I watched them the other night and I know I am staying at Brady’s house and Brady’s team played really well. They have some jam and, you know, I am a little disappointed with the Panthers.

“They are a soft team and they are getting everything they deserve right now.” To continue on that point, Keith Tkachuk said for the Panthers to snap their losing streak in Toronto, they need to bring a little more toughness to their game.

“Instead of trying to get autographs on the ice from Matthews and Marner,” he said, “they probably should check them a little harder. Whatever it is, it is disappointing. I know I sound like a frustrated person, but I know every time I come and watch Ottawa, they may not be the most talented team but they’re going to play hard. Perhaps Florida could take a page out of their book.”

2) https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/senators-brady-wins-tkachuk-battle-bettman-hints-lebreton-flats-a-little-small/

There was a “Brady is Better” chant at a game when the two brothers played each other, and Keith was at that game. Some speculate that Keith started it.

3) https://www.bladeofsteel.com/Keith-Tkachuk-explains-why-he-would-not-throw-his-hat-for-his-son-hat-trick-goal-126638

Keith refusing to throw his hat for Matthew’s hat trick, even when Taryn and Brady were also at that game.

4) https://theathletic.com/351173/2018/05/13/in-the-tkachuk-family-its-chantal-who-is-the-captain-of-the-house/

[On the family chalkboard in the kitchen] “It’s always like, ‘Happy birthday’ or ‘Welcome home, Brady!’ or ‘Can’t wait for you to leave, Matthew,’” said a chuckling Keith Tkachuk.

xxx

[A little insight into Matthew being the intense one and Brady being easier to get along with]

It’s an interesting snapshot because Matthew, a fiery competitor who was twice suspended by the NHL last season, is smiling, while Brady, a happy-go-lucky personality, is scowling.

“This picture is great because now it’s the opposite,” Keith said.

“That’s so true, so true,” Chantal said.

xxx

Chantal reads everything about her boys, too, noting that she is a subscriber to The Athletic.

“I like it,” she said.

“Except when they gave Brady a bad draft rating,” Keith said.

xxx

Keith then reminded his kids, “You guys better get your butts to the store and get some cards for your mom.”

“Actually, Matthew bought me a Mother’s Day gift this year,” she said.

“He had to have gotten you something that benefited him,” Keith responded. “What did he buy you, like eight beers or something?”

“No, Lululemon shoes,” Chantal answered. “He’s a great gift giver now that he has his own money.”

“It’s the least I could do,” Matthew said.

5) https://theathletic.com/229963/2018/02/02/he-has-that-face-you-just-want-to-punch-matthew-tkachuk-isnt-about-to-change-the-way-he-plays/

“He has that face you just want to punch, according to other players,” said his father Keith.

“I’m sure if I played against him, I’d go after him, too.”

“This kid, I find a lot of flaws in his game because I’m his dad, and that’s what dads do.”

“I love the fact that he plays with an edge,” said Dad. “I told him that I’d rather see him sit out a game for being too aggressive than sit out a game because he’s soft.”

6) https://www.bardown.com/brady-matthew-tkachuk-s-parents-explain-why-they-re-happy-their-kids-aren-t-in-the-same-conference-1.1121784

Chantal, by the way, told me she is happy Matthew and Brady are not in the same conference. Keith said: “I’m glad too. I don’t trust Matthew.”

7) https://theathletic.com/1984477/2020/08/10/its-distinctly-matthew-tkachuks-postseason-presence-drawing-rave-reviews/

“Keith wanted Matthew’s coaches to push him as hard they could. He would tell me, ‘You can be more demanding,'” said Granato. “It’s delicate because, as a coach, you have to consider how hard you can push a guy. And you love the guys you can push harder. Those are the guys you fall in love with as a coach. With Matthew? There was no limit.”

8) https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/tkachuk-brothers-vibrant-personalities-stem-from-colourful-st-louis-roots/

Keith said he remembered watching Matthew on the After Hours segment on Hockey Night in Canada as a rookie, conducting the whole interview with his head down.

“I said, ‘What are you doing? Get your head up and talk,’” said Keith.

“But now it’s like this (as he snaps his fingers).

“I watched Matthew interviewed last night and he was pretty good. He adds some normal stuff to it that people like. It’s not about the same answers. He does a good job.”

9) https://theathletic.com/4503016/2023/05/10/matthew-tkachuk-florida-panthers-nhl-playoffs/

From his father, Keith Tkachuk, he learned to accept responsibility: "You didn't win? Play better."

10) https://www.tumblr.com/matthewtkafuck/190505229656?source=share

Keith: “Matthew’s in love, but with himself.”

11) https://www.tumblr.com/raliegh/680996428961726464/lettucemakar-matthew-daddy-issues-tkachuk?source=share

Q: "What sort of text message do you think you'll get after getting five points against the team your dad works for?"

MT: "Um, I'm not sure, I'm sure he would have, I don't know maybe I'm putting words in his mouth--I'm not even going to say it, what I was about to--but he probably wanted it to be an OT game but for us to play well. Um, I don't know who he wanted to win the OT game but uh, no he, he, it doesn't matter what team he works for but he's obviously my [and] my brother's biggest fan and great mentor and obviously not only him but my linemates and teammates know how much I want to win against those guys, hometown team lots of people watching, same as, we got a lot of guys from Toronto, its like when we go to Toronto we want to win that game for the guys that are from there, tons of people watching so, I don't know exactly what he'll text me. Maybe he went to bed early and I won't even get a text I don't know."

[cellythefloshie]

;; A Seasons End Chapter One of Cool for the Summer

Table of Contents Playlist «« 🤍 »» Chapter Two

Summary: The Carolina Hurricane's season comes to an unexpected end as the New York Rangers move on to the Eastern Conference Finals and when star forward Andrei Svechnikov cannot return home for the offseason he is left to determine where exactly he will be spending his summer. TW: Mentions of the international conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Word Count: 1k+

Game 7. It was the final game played in the series that would send the Carolina Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time since Andrei Svechnikov was drafted in 2018. It was a game that the team should have laid it out on the line - his only contribution? A 2-minute penalty for tripping against Barclay Goodrow. And while the Hurricanes killed the penalty, the Rangers went on to win the series in a winner-takes-all game. The score was 2-6, a complete and utter blowout of a game in the series after 6 games with nothing more than a 3-goal differential. 

It left a sour taste in the back of his mouth as he walked back into the locker room with his head hanging low on his shoulders. Andrei didn’t look up, not once, as he stripped off his gear for the last time that season. He didn’t hear the last, tired speech given by Rob as he commended the team for their season. Nor did he hear the murmurs between his teammates as they shared brief sentiments on their way out the door. One by one, they left him until he was the only one to remain. 

Andrei sat in the silence, his head in his calloused palms as a heavy breath trembled through him. For the first time in months, he could feel the ach of his tired body, and it brewed with his disappointment that his season was over. There was nothing to look forward to now except 3 things: Exit interviews, training to be better come the next season and going home. 

It had taken the Hurricanes organization 6 days to close out their exit interviews. One by one, they face management and the media, all singing the same tune. This was not how they wanted their season to end. They wanted to be the ones to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. They wanted to go on to play the champions of the West for the Stanley Cup, but they came up short. Every one of them expressed their own shortcomings and held themselves accountable, including Andrei. It was his fourth playoff appearance, but it had been the first time injuries hadn’t kept him from playing every game. Yet, he failed to bring his regular-season success into the postseason with him. So he did the only thing he could do, promise that he would come back next season and be better and with that, he was free to leave. 

With his bag packed, Andrei was ready to leave the city of Raleigh behind him. He couldn’t wait to return home, to see his family and to train with his brother, but the vibration of his phone in his pocket against his hip was insistent. It had been buzzing there all morning, through each of his interviews, and it had grown more frequent the more he ignored it. It must be important. 

Pausing out in the parking lot, Andrei eased two fingers into his pocket and pressed them firmly to his phone screen. With the pressure, he guided the phone from his pocket and into his grasp. It continued to vibrate with urgency even as he held it, and when he saw just who the messages were from, he was left sighing. It was his mother. 

There was no one Andrei loved more than his mother, but he didn’t like what she had to say. Ever since the end of game 7, she had been messaging him to tell him one thing: Do not go home, Andrei. It was the last thing he had wanted to hear, even if it was the reality of it all. With Russia’s military advancement in Ukraine, they had fallen under heavy scrutiny. Travel into the country was heavily restricted - even if he could book a flight to a nearby country with the intention of making the drive home there - there was no telling if he could return to America come the beginning of the next season. And so, he would heed his mother’s cautious warning. He would not go home to Russia, but where would he go?

The clamour of the door opening and closing shut behind him broke Andrei’s attention from his phone screen, and from his bag that he had dropped down to his feet. Behind him, rookie Seth Jarvis had ended his season by walking out the doors. However, one could argue it had ended the moment he had taken a bad hit from Trouba after playing nothing more than two minutes in what would be their final game of the season. The kid had been concussed so badly that he was still feeling the after-effects of the hit seven days later - and yet he was still wearing a smile as his dark eyes had come to find Andrei in the parking lot. 

“You got a ride coming?” Andrei spoke slowly, his hand raising up to block the sun from his eyes as he called out for his teammate. There was no way he was driving when his head was in such a state. 

“Taxi,” Seth answered simply, carefully struggling his shoulders as he tossed a single bag over it. 

“No, no, my car. Get in,” Andrei pointed back with his thumb back towards his sports car that was parked in the lot. It wasn’t the most practical of things when you were trying to lug your equipment around, but Andrei loved the exhilaration and sex appeal of a fast car. 

“You sure?” Seth perked up in place, but it didn’t take much more than a wave before the rookie was falling into stride. 

The hollow shut of the door had Andrei melting into his seat, his head leaning back against the leather seat as he let out a sigh. “Home?” “Airport,” Seth corrected, his tone jovial. 

Andrei’s heart panged with jealousy. The kid was getting to fly off, while he was still unsure of where his summer would take him. “Big vacation?”

Andrei did his best to keep the casual conversation as he began the drive and listened to Seth as he talked about going home to Winnipeg to spend the summer with his parents. But his envy was clearly written all across his features as his face fell into a frown he couldn’t contain, and Seth noticed. 

“You don’t get to go home, do you?” Seth spoke slowly, his tone a little more concerned than a guy would have liked to let on. But the whole world knew of the conflict and the strain it was putting on the players from those regions. 

“No,” Andrei spoke bluntly, his gaze cast out the driver’s side window. It was the last thing he wanted to talk about. 

“I’m sorry man-” Seth sighed out, but then he was jolting in his seat. An idea had struck him like a bolt of lightning. “Your brother, he plays in Winnipeg!” He was almost laughing, as if he had just come up with the most brilliant solution to Andrei’s problems. “Catch the flight with me, hell, you can stay with me, if you want, and spend the summer in Winnipeg with your family.”

Andrei eased his foot onto the brake as he came to a red light, his head turning to look at Jarvis as he was beaming from the passenger’s side. He was right. Evgeny played for Winnipeg - and while he was at the end of his contract, he and his girlfriend were more than likely stuck in a very similar situation as himself. 

As the light went green, Andrei’s foot remained on the brakes, causing a symphony of honking behind him, but he was in no rush. Not when his plans were so quickly changing. “In Winnipeg, I can train?” Andrei spoke slowly. 

“Train, travel, whatever you want. It’s a great city, really.”

But Andrei had already heard everything he needed to hear, his foot easing off the brake and turning toward his apartment. They would make one quick stop before the airport. He needed to pick up his bags. In the small Canadian city, he would have no distractions beyond those he would allow: Seth and his family. Then, she could focus on doing the one thing that had been on his mind since the final seconds of game 7 against the New York Rangers. He could train and become the player the team needed him to be, even if that meant having to spend the summer in Winnipeg. 

Taglist: @starshine-hockey-girl , @wingedwheelprxncess , @mp0625 , @misunderstoodwerewolf , @callsign-denmark , @puckmaidens , @xciciix , @cixrosie

[hockeyreport]

Sheldon Keefe Named Devils Head Coach

The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has hired Sheldon Keefe as its 22nd head coach in team history. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.  Keefe, 43, joins New Jersey after spending the last five seasons as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs since 2019-20, when he took over the head coaching job in Toronto on Nov. 20, 2019. He recorded a 212-97-40 career record (.665 pts%) during his tenure with the Maple Leafs and his regular season win total ranks fifth all-time in Toronto’s franchise history. His points percentage places him first among all head coaches in Toronto’s franchise history. Keefe was the second fastest coach in NHL history (tie, B. Boudreau) to accumulate 200 wins in an NHL career, behind Dan Bylsma with Pittsburgh. He led Toronto to five consecutive postseason appearances and earned a 16-21 record in 37 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Before joining the Maple Leafs, Keefe was head coach for Toronto’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Marlies from 2015-16 until his promotion to the NHL in November 2019. Keefe earned a career 199-89-22-9 regular-season record in the AHL with the Marlies and led the team to its first-ever Calder Cup Championship in 2018. The Marlies also won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as AHL regular season champions on two occasions (2016 & 2018). As a player, Keefe was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round, 47th overall, in the 1999 NHL Draft. The right wing played in 125 career NHL games with Tampa Bay from 2000-01 to 2002-03. Keefe totaled 120 career games at the AHL level (2001-02 to 2004-05) with Springfield, Hershey, and Utah. He also played in 13 games during the 2000-01 season with Detroit of the International Hockey League (IHL).

[zoeology31]

Decided to mess around on Baseball Reference the other day to practice my... data sifting skills, I guess? Anyway, this is an exercise to find every time Nick Castellanos of the Tigers/Cubs/Reds/Phillies has hit a drive into deep left field to make it a 4-0 ballgame.

As great as the extended "Castellanos has an Absol-like ability to homer when something unfortunate happens" meme is, I'm not compiling a list of all his home runs, there's 220 of those counting the postseason. Instead I'd like to find every career home run of his that fits the criteria of the original meme (deep left field, 4-0 ballgame). There's a couple video compilations out there that do this, but they're all a few years out of date and I'd like to look through the data myself to see if anything interesting was missed.

Unfortunately there's not a good way to search a baseball database via the score before or after a particular play, so I have to manually go through all 12 years of Castellanos's B-Ref game logs. Here's my heuristics for this process:

For a given season, sort the game logs by HR to reduce scrolling, since we only care about games he homered in.

Check the final score. If Castellanos's team scored less than 4 runs, no need to even check the box score.

Otherwise, click through and look at the linescore to see if Castellanos's team scored at least 4 runs before the other team scored any, thus enabling a midgame 4-0 score.

If so, scroll down to the play-by-play to find Castellanos's home run(s) and confirm the score and direction.

Here is an initial list of every home run hit by Castellanos to drive in the 4-0 run, even if the total runs scored on the play made the score greater than 4-0, in chronological order:

6/7/2014: 3rd inning solo homer, LF, 4-0.

7/30/2014: 1st inning 3-run homer, RF, 6-0.

4/10/2015: 5th inning 2-run homer, RF, 5-0.

7/22/2015: 3rd inning grand slam, LF-CF, 5-0.

8/19/2015: 3rd inning grand slam, LF, 7-0.

8/24/2015: 1st inning solo homer, LF, 4-0.

7/17/2017: 2nd inning 2-run homer, CF, 4-0.

9/8/2017: 3rd inning grand slam, CF-RF, 4-0.

6/16/2018: 5th inning 2-run homer, LF, 5-0.

8/30/2019: 2nd inning 2-run homer, LF, 5-0.

9/3/2019: 5th inning 3-run homer, RF, 5-0.

8/19/2020: 5th inning solo homer, LF, 4-0.

8/13/2021: 6th inning solo homer, LF, 4-0.

9/11/2021: 3rd inning 2-run homer, LF, 4-0.

6/28/2023: 2nd inning 3-run homer, LF, 5-0.

9/15/2023: 1st inning 3-run homer, LF, 4-0.

9/20/2023: 4th inning 2-run homer, RF, 4-0.

9/24/2023: 4th inning 2-run homer, LF, 4-0.

And narrowing down specifically to drives to deep left field to make it a 4-0 ballgame, we are left with:

6/7/2014: 3rd inning solo homer, LF, 4-0.

8/24/2015: 1st inning solo homer, LF, 4-0.

8/19/2020: 5th inning solo homer, LF, 4-0. (Bonus: the extremely normal call from the opposing broadcast)

8/13/2021: 6th inning solo homer, LF, 4-0.

9/11/2021: 3rd inning 2-run homer, LF, 4-0.

9/15/2023: 1st inning 3-run homer, LF, 4-0.

9/24/2023: 4th inning 2-run homer, LF, 4-0.

That's two with the Tigers, a nearly five-year gap between occurrences, three with the Reds, and two with the Phillies, for a total of seven times. Yes, he's done it four times in three full seasons since the initial meme incident, after only doing it twice in six full seasons before that.

There's no real rhyme or reason to this distribution; Castellanos has hit more home runs on a rate basis since 2020, but had a long enough career before that to accumulate more total home runs. Intuitively, factors like team quality and ballpark affect the frequency of opportunities to hit a 4-0 home run, but as we can see from the larger list above, Castellanos's overall homers to drive in the 4-0 run (18 total over 10 seasons) are distributed roughly equally throughout his career. Those homers have just happened to match the exact meme factors more frequently since 2020. Baseball magic?

Also of note, that first qualifying home run after the meme one happened the at-bat after Castellanos got plunked in the shoulder, and the second one was, as you can see, on the anniversary of 9/11. Featured on both those videos is the Reds play-by-play announcer who replaced Brennaman, John Sadak, aka the guy losing his mind on every Elly De La Cruz highlight video (here's some good examples). Blessing in disguise, honestly, he makes Reds games fun to tune into.

This is an Elly De La Cruz post now, actually. Watch those highlights. He's so cool. Baseball is the best.

Bonus: In his young career, De La Cruz has hit one (1) deep drive to make it a 4-0 ballgame, on 7/30/23, though it was to right field. As a switch-hitter who therefore bats lefty the majority of the time, he will homer to left field much less frequently than the righty Castellanos, but of course he'll do lots of other stuff too.

[baseballupdates]

"In an otherworldly game in which he went 6-for-6 and set career highs with three homers and 10 RBIs, Ohtani proved he’s in a class of his own once again in the Dodgers' 20-4 rout of the Marlins at loanDepot park, becoming the first player to hit 50 or more homers and steal 50 or more bases in a single season in Major League history. The 10 RBIs in a single game are a Dodgers franchise record and helped Los Angeles secure its 12th straight postseason berth."

[dnowit41]

Dirk Nowitzki's journey from Germany to Dallas to the Hall of Fame

By Steve Aschburner

His shot became his signature, that signature became a statue. It’s planted there now for the long term, emblematic of Dirk Nowitzki himself, who came to the Dallas Mavericks a quarter century ago and never left.

Resplendent in white bronze, 24 feet high, over on the right wing of Victory Plaza outside the American Airlines Center, Nowitzki is immortalized in the shooting form that earned him so many of his 35,223 points (regular and postseason). It earned him a bevy of admirers, too, among peers and rivals like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James who adopted the big German sharpshooter’s one-legged fadeaway as both a tactic and an homage.

“The Dirk,” as that shot has been dubbed, is here to stay. Both as a weapon – “the equivalent of what Abdul-Jabbar did with his sky hook,” one opposing coach said the other day, both awed and irritated by its effectiveness – and as a tribute, frozen in time, the distillation of 21 seasons and 1,667 games logged with the only NBA team for which he ever played.

One city, one franchise? Only Utah Hall of Famer John Stockton (1,686) ever played more.

It’s funny, though, how a player celebrated for staying planted in one place for more than two decades could have traveled so far and covered such ground in the process. It showed in his game, the way he developed, refined and tweaked his unique style until he had dragged the whole position with him.

“Watching him play, I remember thinking, he’s just getting better and better and better,” said Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, one of the NBA’s greatest power forwards. “And he really changed things around the way the position is played.”

It showed in Nowitzki’s influence, a European prospect who came over younger than most of the imports who preceded him and shined so brightly that, well before he was done, he was regarded as the best player ever from that continent. Fifty-one Most Valuable Player trophies had been handed out in NBA history before Nowitzki won the 52nd as the first Euro. Now guys from Greece and Serbia have taken home four of the past five.

“Every tall kid around the world saw Dirk,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said, “and realized they could play basketball and not have to be a back-to-the-basket center. Dirk paved the way for players of any size to be multi-positional and have a variety of in-game skills.”

Certainly Nowitzki, 45, moved geographically in a career that spanned half his life, from Wurzburg, Germany, to Dallas and now to Springfield, Mass., where he will be inducted Aug. 12 into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the Class of 2023. He has been there once before, in 2018 when a pair of his point guards – Steve Nash and Jason Kidd – were both enshrined. This time, those two will be official Hall presenters for their tall teammate. Nowitzki’s guest list for the weekend – after wife Jessica and their kids Malaika (10), Max (8) and Morris (6) – ran “a couple hundred, I think” at least in invitees, if not attendees.

His speech is pretty much done. “It’s been fun,” Nowitzki told NBA.com recently by phone from Germany. “Really what you’re doing, you’re reflecting on the whole journey. Who’s meant the most, who’s done what. I’ve actually found it cool to sit down in the evening after everyone’s in bed and I sit here for an hour and think about that stuff.

“There will be a little nervousness. But I’m also going to enjoy standing up there and looking out at this amazing crowd of family and friends and great athletes. I’m going to try to enjoy it as much as I can.”

From Germany To Dallas

His father, Jörg-Werner, competed internationally in team handball. His mother Helga and his older sister Silke played basketball.

“Growing up I was always in gyms,” said Nowitzki, who mostly played handball and tennis. “I was tall, and I played basketball in school. I had a cousin who was with a club team, so I went one time to practice and I got hooked. I wasn’t very good but I could move pretty well for a big guy and I had decent touch for my size. It didn’t come that hard for me, and I loved it from Day 1.”

After joining DJK Wurzburg, Nowitzki was spotted by Holger Gerschwindner, a former national team player turned physicist, trainer and coach. Gerschwindner offered to work with the lanky lad, got the family’s permission, then began to hone every aspect of Nowitzki’s game.

One part guru, one part Svengali to Nowitzki’s Trilby, Gerschwindner favored unorthodox techniques and drills to coax out his players’ abilities. For instance, he would invite an old friend who played the saxophone to the gym, then instruct Nowitzki and other teen players to dribble and move in rhythm with the music (“dance the game,” he termed it). He gave them books and swapped out weight training with morning rowing on a local lake.

“Holger was a little bit mystical figure in Dirk’s orbit who thought completely out of the box,” said Golden State assistant coach Ron Adams, an international scout for Portland in 1998. “He’s a little full of himself and some people look sideways at him, but they let Holger do his thing for the most part in Dallas.”

At 19, Nowitzki had developed enough to be invited to the Nike Hoop Summit, an All-Star event pitting the top international prospects against a squad of U.S. high schoolers. The game was held in San Antonio, but the foreign players convened and practiced in Dallas.

Donnie Nelson, son of Mavericks coach Don Nelson, served as a volunteer assistant coach for the overseas team. A stint with Athletes in Action playing internationally during his time at Wheaton College piqued the younger Nelson’s interest in the NBA potential of foreign-bred players.

“We scouted Europe more than anybody, really,” Don Nelson told NBA.com last week, calling from his home in Maui. “Donnie got the international team to work out at the YMCA in downtown Dallas. So for a full week, I’m watching Dirk work out. He was the most unbelievable young player I’d ever seen.”

Other teams perked up after Nowitzki scored 33 points with 14 rebounds to spark his team’s upset of the Americans, including Al Harrington, Quentin Richardson and Rashard Lewis. But as the 1998 NBA Draft approached, the Nelsons were ready.

“We hid Dirk for several weeks before the draft,” Nelson said. “We made a commitment that we were going to draft him. We just wanted to keep him from going anywhere else to work out. He was going to be ours. He was happy with that. So he hid for a week in Donnie’s basement.”

The Mavericks held the No. 6 pick that year but had more ambitious plans than simply taking Nowitzki at that spot. They arranged a deal with Milwaukee at No. 9, in which Dallas picked Michigan’s Robert (Tractor) Traylor and the Bucks took Nowitzki. They knew Boston had interest, leaving the Celtics to draft Paul Pierce at No. 10.

The Bucks also sent the No. 19 selection, Pat Garrity, to Dallas, which promptly packaged Garrity to Phoenix for a young point guard named Steve Nash.

The Early Years

The 1998-99 NBA season is one that lots of folks would like to forget. First of all, there was no 1998; a labor lockout wiped out training camps and the season’s first two-plus months. The new CBA that was wrangled in January was followed by a frenzied 50-game schedule that began in February. Summer leagues, orientation, September individual work and scrimmages, everything an incoming rookie needs for that first difficult season was off the table.

Then there was Nowitzki, who had just turned 20 and, by his and Gerschwindner’s admission, was probably one or two years ahead of schedule in trying the NBA.

“It was right after they drafted me,” Nowitzki said, “that I had the doubts. Should I go to the NBA? I was skinny, I had played second division in Germany. Can I make this jump?

“I talked to Nellie and Donnie. I got to meet Steve and Mike [Finley], and they all assured me, being a young team, we could grow together. So before I left from home, I said I’d come. But I wasn’t able to sign a contract because of the lockout, and that worked out kind of perfect for me.

“I got to stay home. I got to train with Holger. I got to play first division in Germany for a couple more months and really developed my body a little more, my game. Then I got the call in late January from Donnie. ‘Hey, the season is on. Get your butt to Dallas!'”

Let the record show, in his NBA debut on Feb. 5, 1999, Nowitzki shot 0-for-5, made two free throws, got no rebounds and passed for four assists in 16:20 of an overtime loss to Seattle. That first season, he averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 40.5% overall and 20.6% on 3s. The Mavericks finished 19-31 but the Nelsons made good on their commitment, using Nowitzki in 47 games and starting him in 24, including the final 14 when his minutes doubled to 32.9 per game.

“Super nervous and anxious,” he recalled. “I didn’t know what to expect. We had a week of training camp maybe. I didn’t know all the plays or the defensive calls. Then we had five or six games in a week? It was insane. Looking back, it was good for me to get adjusted and learning. But it was tough to go through.”

There was one bright side: Nash. The unheralded playmaker from British Columbia by way of Santa Clara had been buried in the Suns backcourt his first two seasons. He and the German rookie clicked instantly.

“Well, they both loved to drink beer, so I’d say they clicked,” Nelson said, laughing. “They hung out. They both were single at the time.”

It was a lot more than that, Nowitzki said.

“We came to Dallas on the same day,” he said. “We didn’t have any friends. We lived in the same apartment complex. His family is from Europe, and he loved soccer. So we had that and we completely bonded. We went to dinners. I was feeling homesick so he’d take me to movies, out to eat.

“On free nights, we’d go back to the gym, train, lift, run, shoot, play 1-on-1. We just worked our way to be better and better every year. Steve knew the league, the routines and how to get ready. So I learned a lot from him.”

In his second season, during which Cuban bought the franchise, Nowitzki doubled his output to 17.5 points and 6.5 boards while shooting 46.1% overall and 37.9% from range. He averaged 21.8 in 2000-01 as he and Nash became a devastating pick-and-pop combo, and the Mavericks won 53 games in the first of 11 consecutive years of 50-plus victories. The next season, the guard and the forward were All-Stars.

“The crazy part still is, when he got to the NBA, people were upset that he didn’t play like a traditional center,” Cuban said. “They asked why he wasn’t a rim protector. It’s insane to look back at that now.”

Nash went back to Phoenix in free agency in 2004. Finley was gone a year later. Jason Terry came in, and later Kidd. Their coaches changed, from Nelson to Avery Johnson to Rick Carlisle. But Nowitzki was the cornerstone and he was on a roll. He went to 11 All-Star games in a row and 14 overall. He was a 12-time All-NBA selection. In 2006 he led Dallas to the Finals for the first time. The next season, the Mavs won 67 games and Nowitzki won his MVP award.

The coaching changes, never easy, panned out for him. Nelson tapped into Nowitzki’s rare combo of size and ball skills, using him as a lengthy small forward. He was 26 when Johnson took over, demanding more toughness, post work and even defense from his offensive star. Carlisle, who coached him from 2008 until Nowitzki retired in 2019, was a combination, wanting “a lot of free-flow offense and a lot of structured, detail-oriented defense.”

“I always thought, what if I had gone someplace else? Bulked me up and just put me under the basket and made a center out of me. With Nellie, that never happened,” Nowitzki said.

Johnson perfected Dallas’ use of Nowitzki at the “nail,” the center of the free-throw line where he posed the maximum threat to opposing defenses. It enabled him to punish smaller defenders that would switch onto him, without the time and grind to work into the low post, and likely draw a doubling big man.

“The spacing was good,” he said. “I wasn’t the greatest passer, but at least this way, I knew where my spot-up shooters were. I knew the big guy was in the dunker spot underneath. And if nobody came to double, I was going to just shoot over the little guy.”

As for Carlisle, that partnership produced the highlight of their careers and Cuban’s tenure, Maverick fans’ warmest memories, one of the city’s happiest sports celebrations and a reason so many junior-high kids named Dirk are running around.

“I came in the fall of 2008,” Carlisle said last week, “and the main thing was, ‘Dirk’s got about 4-5 years in his prime. We’ve got to figure out a way to win a championship."

‘Now I’m The Old Guy’

Nowitzki was 14 years old when Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and the rest of the Dream Team colonized the basketball world during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

“I was already an NBA fan and with Jordan winning his first championship in 1991, I became a huge Bulls fan,” Nowitzki said. “Then obviously ’92 happened. I had posters in my room of [Charles] Barkley, Shaq later on, Jordan of course, Bird.”

He had a poster, too, of Detlef Schrempf, the native of Leverkusen, Germany who was drafted eighth overall in 1985 by an earlier Dallas regime. Schrempf, a 6-foot-10 forward, grew up in Centralia, Wash., and spent four years at the University of Washington. He played 16 seasons, averaging 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Later playing for Indiana, Seattle and Portland, Schrempf made three All-Star teams, one All-NBA squad and twice was named the NBA’s top Sixth Man.

Of the 27 NBA players born in Germany, Schrempf is the closest precursor to Nowitzki.

“Of course, Detlef was also one of my favorites. Everybody in Germany knew how good he was,” Nowitzki said. “And then my first game in the league, it was against Seattle and Detlef. The way he treated me there, introduced me to his family, he couldn’t have been nicer. He gave me his phone number and told me to call if I ever had any questions.”

Other notable European players have made their marks before or since. Players such as Sarunas Marciulionis, Drazen Petrovic, Vlade Divac, Andre Kirilenko, Rik Smits, Toni Kukoc and Tony Parker right on to Domantas Sabonis, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.

Now Nowitzki is their flag bearer, a role that makes him almost as proud as when he carried Germany’s flag in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“I got to play with [Mavs forward] Maxi Kleber my last two years. How special is that, a kid from my hometown comes to us? We spent a lot of time together, before the season we trained together and he had a lot of questions,” Nowitzki said.

“And [Toronto guard] Dennis Schröder, when he got in the league, he actually worked out in Dallas before the Draft. I went there, got to see him, got to meet him and gave him my number. Told him when he had any questions to call me up. So we’ve basically been in contact his entire career.

“Now I’m the old guy. It changes so fast. Twenty years have flown by.”

Dirk Stays With Dallas, Wins 2011 Title

This bond of Nowitzki with Dallas, Dallas with Nowitzki, is something to savor now, full of giddy moments and fuzzy nostalgia. But it was forged in hard times, ordeals that are only appreciated in retrospect and even then with a wince. The early days with the Mavericks had been a challenge for Nowitzki, but nowhere close to what he and the team’s fan base endured a few years later.

In 2005-2006, Dallas won 60 games. Nowitzki averaged a career-best 26.6 points, finished third in MVP balloting and – with teammates such as Terry, Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse – once again was the lone All-Star.

“Dirk played with Jason Kidd near the end of his career and Jason was still a great player, but he did not play with a bunch of Hall of Fame players in their prime,” Carlisle said. “Nash left before he really hit his stride. Dirk carried an amazing load with the Dallas Mavericks over a period of two-plus decades that may never be rivaled again.”

Nowitzki was his usual stellar self in leading the Mavs in the 2006 playoffs to series victories over Memphis, San Antonio and Phoenix, with his Game 7 work to beat the Spurs overtime in the West semis most remarkable. He and the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead over Miami in the Finals. Then Dwyane Wade happened, the young Heat star binging at 39.3 points and shooting 73 free throws over the final four games.

The Mavericks regrouped to win 67 games in 2006-07. They were so good, with Nowitzki as MVP, they dragged Howard to his only All-Star selection. Heavily favored against small-ball, eighth-seeded Golden State, Dallas was upset in six games, including defeats by 12, 18 and 25 points. Their old mastermind Nelson was working the Warriors’ sideline at that point, and his insider defense on Nowitzki saw the Mavs star score just eight points on 2-of-13 shooting in the elimination game.

“It would have been unbelievable to win in ’06,” he said. “And then losing in the first round in ’07 to the Warriors, those were some tough, tough losses. Gut-wrenching, to the point where I was embarrassed and disappointed and didn’t want to leave the house for a couple weeks.”

In fact, the only thing that blocked him from a hasty retreat to Germany that spring was the NBA, asking him to stick stateside for a couple of weeks until the MVP presentation.

Another first-round loss in 2008, to New Orleans this time, cost Johnson his job. Carlisle came in but two more abrupt exits followed, to Denver in the 2009 semis and to San Antonio in 2010.

Nowitzki was 32 and, for the first time in his career, a free agent. Three years earlier, a perennial All-NBA forward had accepted a trade in hopes of winning a championship elsewhere: Kevin Garnett left Minnesota after 12 years and insufficient help to finally win in Boston. Was Nowitzki next?

“I always wanted to make it happen,” Nowitzki said. “I met with Mark [Cuban] and we both got a little emotional about what we’d been through together. And he said, ‘Let’s finish this together,’ and I was like, ‘I don’t want to be anywhere else.’ I ended up signing a four-year deal and we won a championship in the first year.”

The 2010-11 Mavericks did more than that. They delayed and possibly altered the trajectory of LeBron James’ grandiose Super Team plans in Miami. The “not one, not two, not three…” hubris of that initial public appearance of James, Wade and Chris Bosh became the thud of “not one” when Dallas and Nowitzki beat the Heat in six games.

Said McHale: “Kidd was really, really smart. Just knew how to play. Some of the guys were older, too. They had a blend of guys who just played so well together. They would do this 2-3 zone when I was [visiting Carlisle] in camp and I told Rick, ‘Your zone sucks. You’ve got to stop using that.’ Hell, they played that zone in the Finals. They had a bunch of high-IQ guys. And pro’s pros. They were not going to beat themselves.

“But the thing I remember the most was Dirk making these unbelievable shots down the stretches of games. He’d make a crazy shot to give them breathing room all the time.”

At this point, Nowitzki believes the elation of 2011 never happens if not for the heartbreaks that came before.

“In 2011, I was the finisher I needed to be in the final moments,” he said. “In ’06 and ’07 I just wasn’t quite there yet to make the big baskets. It wasn’t fun to go through those years when we were favorites but it’s part of my journey and it made me a better player and person for sure.”

Nobody quibbles with that last part. Nowitzki’s lack of drama and pretense drew mentions time and again from people contacted for this story.

“He was the greatest superstar teammate that I’ve ever seen,” Carlisle said. “He had a really humble demeanor, he knew who he was, he knew what his responsibility was.”

Shawn Marion, the 2011 teammate who refers to Nowitzki as the “7-Foot Rainbow Assassin,” also said: “His ego never got in the way of what the biggest goal was. He’s a quiet leader. And he had a bit of a joker side to him too.”

And over the years, with Nowitzki now focused on family, a low-demand Mavericks consultancy and a relaxed TBD future, those close to him have reconciled the global icon vs. Mavericks fixture split.

“Dirk became very Americanized,” Carlisle said, “where Germany and Europe could feel like he was theirs, and the people of Dallas could feel like he was theirs. And no one needed to fight about it.”

[powerplayunit]

What kind of captain is Jamie Benn?

Mar 26, 2018 (x) 

Jamie Benn has been a key topic of conversation as the Dallas Stars have fallen from a strong playoff contender to the fringes, likely missing the postseason for the third time in the past five seasons.

While the Stars have lost eight straight games, a franchise record in Texas, Benn’s numbers have been fine. He has nine points in his past eight games, and in three straight games, he scored goals that served as a reminder of why he was considered one of the best players in the world and finished third in the MVP voting two seasons ago.

But when you have a “C” stitched on your chest, wins and losses trump personal triumphs.

Instead of reveling at Benn’s goal against Winnipeg, a wrist shot that Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck said was “the best he’s seen in his career,” more time was spent discussing his curt postgame responses to the media. He scored a glorious shorthanded goal against the Boston Bruins, but in the end was also on the ice for all three goals against as the Stars watched their playoff hopes take a deeper plunge.

Right or wrong, this has brought Benn’s leadership into question. There’s a sentiment, especially on social media, that a good captain wouldn’t let this happen. If Benn were a good captain this team would have followed his example, depth scoring wouldn’t have been an issue and Dallas would still likely be a playoff team.

In the past week, some fans have called for a change in the captaincy — not a good idea, by the way — while others have asked the very fair question — what type of captain is Jamie Benn?

I don’t know the exact answer to that question, but let’s add some valuable context to the discussion.

I look at Benn as a captain who needs to lead by example. He’s not overly talkative, especially toward the public, and when he plays well his performance can speak for itself.

But that’s a theory formed from watching him in games and practice. It’s based off my interactions with Benn, which for the most part have always been positive. I don’t personally know what he is like behind closed doors, what he’s like on the team plane during a rough losing streak, or how he reacts in the locker room when the Stars are trailing heading into a third period.

So I asked his troops.

“He is an action-first leader that’s gotten more vocal as the year’s gone on now,” Tyler Seguin said. “He talks, but he puts his actions first, and leads in that regard. As of the last few years, he’s also gotten more vocal, so definitely becoming the ultimate leader.”

“He isn’t the guy that says the most in the locker room, even if he does – when he says something it has 100 percent meaning,” John Klingberg said. “He’s just showing whatever he wants to be done, and that’s the way on the ice, in my four years he stepped into more of a locker room guy as well. Still, he’s not the guy who talks the most, but when he says something it always has 100-percent meaning.”

Every player interviewed for this story echoed a sentiment that aligns with the Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy from the early 1900s: “Speak softly, and carry a big stick.”

The other key theme was accountability.

“For me, he’s the best captain I’ve ever had,” Tyler Pitlick said. “I mean he does everything he can to get the guys together and get that team bond. Whenever we need a kick he’ll give it to us, and he’s not afraid if he thinks we need to get going or if we need to pick it up, himself included. He’s not afraid to include himself in anything and for me, he’s a great captain, leads in the locker room and on the ice, he does it all.”

“He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever played for, no question,” Devin Shore said. “What makes him a great captain is he doesn’t hold anyone accountable to do stuff that he wouldn’t do himself. Like he can play any type of game and lead by example in that way, he can play the tough game and be the toughest guy on the ice and he can also be our best player skill-wise.”

Benn’s toughness was also a key point that players brought up in my conversations. It’s easy to follow a player that is willing to fight for his team, willing to go after the other team’s captain and set a tone as the alpha male on the ice.

“True leader by example,” Antoine Roussel said. “Puts the heart on the table and gives it everything you’ve got and top of that he keeps you accountable, he doesn’t back down from anyone.”

“He’s fantastic, he just gets it. He’s extremely well-respected amongst his peers here. And what more can you ask for?” Marc Methot said. “He hits, he fights, he scores clutch goals, he’s a fantastic human being off the ice. He’s always very positive off the ice, he takes care of the guys. I mean he’s got to be one of the best captains I played for, really.”

When asking around, I got a few quizzical looks in return. Some players immediately had an answer, while others took a moment and responded by asking why that was even under question.

There’s an interesting dynamic in dealing with today’s NHL players. Some are well-versed and well-read on the coverage of their own team, but they tend to be the minority. Most don’t read the news clippings, and I had a player ask me the other week, “Do you ever use the stuff we talk about?” On top of that, most players completely ignore social media – so it makes sense that there was some surprise that Benn’s leadership would even be a topic of discussion.

That being said, each player was quick to defend their leader. And a couple went further, to say what comes off on a broadcast or on the ice is just the tip of a larger leadership iceberg.

“I think there is definitely a way you are in the general public and the way you are around your teammates, I think that’s what people don’t see,” Greg Pateryn said. “That’s something special we get to have as a team, you know everybody’s personality when they are around a group of guys. He’s been great all year since I’ve been here, he’s awesome.”

“I think that’s natural, I think that’s to be expected of any captain,” Shore said. “The bond hockey players share is pretty special, not a lot of people see that unless you are a part of it. And I think that’s what makes it so special and so when we’re just with the guys he opens up a little bit. But he’s not the loudest guy; when he speaks up, everybody listens. He has that quiet confidence about him, but he’s also not afraid to speak his mind. The way he is with us and the way he is with you guys is different.”

If this exercise proved anything, and I’m still not sure if it did, it sends a message that Benn is the leader in the Stars locker room. And no matter the recent results on the scoreboard, he has the respect of his troops.

“He does everything on the ice so it’s easy to follow him there,” Klingberg said. “He plays PK, PP, he blocks shots, physical, can make moves with the puck, he shoots the puck good. He’s an easy guy to follow, you always have trust from a guy that doesn’t BS too much, always has 100 percent meaning, he’s a leader for sure.”

For better or worse, the Stars have made it clear they are following Benn’s lead.

[ledenews]

Wheeling Nailers Re-Sign Jared Westcott

The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are excited to announce their seventh player signing of the 2024 offseason. Wheeling has re-signed forward Jared Westcott to an ECHL contract. Westcott, 25, joined the Nailers this past spring, after completing his NCAA playing career. Jared got an immediate taste of success at the professional level, as he scored a goal in his debut at Toledo on March 29th. One of the biggest games of his young career came on April 7th against Indy, when he netted the go-ahead and eventual game winning goals as part of a three-point performance in a 5-3 triumph. Westcott also found the back of the net in Wheeling's playoff clinching win over Cincinnati on April 13th. Jared carried that success into the postseason, as he tallied in the game two victory over the Fuel. Prior to turning pro, the native of Imperial, Missouri played four seasons of college hockey - one at Penn State University, then three at Lake Superior State University. Westcott put a huge exclamation point on his college career as a senior last year, as he led the Lakers in scoring with 18 goals, 18 assists, and 36 points in 38 games. That earned him a selection to the All-CCHA First Team, in addition to a nomination for the Hobey Baker Award. Jared also brings championship experience to the Nailers, as he won the USHL's Clark Cup with the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2018-19. Westcott scored twice in the three-game sweep over Chicago in the final, including the game winning goal with less than six minutes left to snap a 2-2 tie in game one. A fun personal fact about Jared is that he plays organized roller hockey during the summer, and on July 20th, his Carshield team won the North American Roller Hockey Championship in Irvine, California. Jared Westcott and the Wheeling Nailers will open the 2024-25 season on the road against the Maine Mariners on Friday, October 18th. The team's home opener is Saturday, November 2nd against the Bloomington Bison at 7:10. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley. Read the full article

[myownsportsblog]

Zolo! We are the Boys who Lose

I've been a supporter (fan) of the Philadelphia Union MLS soccer team since their inception in 2010. I attended my first match in 2015 after responding to a flash sale on tickets. I really enjoyed it and I attended a second game that season as the Philadelphia 76ers had an event there for their season ticket holders, which I am one. I purchased a 5 plan in 2016 and 2017 before upgrading in 2018 and finally full season in 2019.

During this time, I've seen a lot of ups and downs with this club however I remained faithful. This is a team that doesn't spend money however they have a world class academy to help develop youth players. Sports Director Ernst Tanner and his predecessor Ernie Stewart have done a good job bringing in talent to compete and change the culture of the team. Seasons tend to end in a disappointing way however overall progress had been made. In 2020 they won the Supporters Shield and followed that up with making it to the final 4 of CONCACAF Champions League in their first trip in the tournament. In 2021 a badly depleted team held their own in the conference finals against eventual champ NYCFC. In 2022 they won the Eastern Conference and lost in penalty kicks to LAFC. Last season they went backwards in many ways and while they made the postseason, they caught a few breaks to get in. I don't see that happening this year and the problems with the club go back to last season. Defense, which previously had been a strength has become virtually non-existent. Despite having a roster that can compete with just about anybody in the league can't score. In addition, this team has a problem playing the entire game. Coach Curtin has become complacent, which is unfortunate, because I think he's a good coach. The sad truth and I hate to say it is that this team has no heart. I chose not to renew for this season for personal reasons however this team is becoming an embarrassment.

[i-am-church-the-cat]

church what beef do you have with tennessee’s coach

Okay so what i'm about to say does not leave this website agreed? cool

so let's say that hypothetically, there's this guy that was the head coach of a football team. one of the guys coaching under him was a college football player, a professional football player, and was now trying out coaching but it wasn't going the best. now this guy - let's call him CD, for no particular reason - has a wife and four kids, so he and his wife decide that they're only going to do this coaching thing for three years from 2017-2020 to see if it'll work. CD starts working for this head coach - let's call him JH, again, for no particular reason - in 2018, right?

for the first couple of seasons, it's going cool. CD loves it here, CD's family (🙋🏽) loves it there, and the team isn't doing that badly. but, they're not doing that great 2019 season, and THEN, a pandemic hits

now let me tell you a bit about American football schedules, if you don't already know. games are played from late august to november, with preseason games in july/early august and postseason in december. conditioning happens during the summer so recruiting and all preseason planning happens in the march-april gap. most of the time, football teams have their coaching staff in place by february at the latest

why is this important? well, at the end of the 2020 season, JH and the team management are no longer meshing and there's talks about him leaving. his entire staff, including CD, is like "hey, if you're leaving let us know so we can start looking for new jobs". JH is like "ofc nbd will do"

well post-season ends and there's no news. the dawn of 2021 comes and there's no news. january AND february pass, and there's no news

huh, that's so weird, i wonder what's happening-

*ESPN BREAKING NEWS ALERT* [redacted] University's head coach, JH, has signed with the Tennessee Volunteers!

hypothetically, let's say that your boss avoids and lies to you for MONTHS, puts your job security, your family's financial security, and the security of all of your coworkers' at risk, and then you find out from a ESPN. not even from the man himself but E. S. P. N.

would you be upset? maybe just a little?

and then after that, let's say JH now gets to choose whoever he wants to come with him to Tennessee. what if he then, took only half of the organization (the offensive half cause go figure, he was an offensive coach) and left the other half (the defensive half, aka the half CD works on) to fend for themselves

and then, what if you, watching this all happen to your father, now have to pack up and move in the middle of a GLOBAL PANDEMIC bc your dad had to go back to the job he got his degree for bc it was more financially stable? would you be upset? would you blame someone for that happening maybe?

also he took Mackenzie Milton from me and I will never forgive him. so yeah, that's my beef with the Tennessee head coach

[tourporlaindiaseo]

Rangers

Based in Arlington, Texas, the Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team. They play Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) West Division. The Rangers have made a name for themselves in MLB thanks to their fierce fan following and competitive performance.

History and Accomplishments: Founding: The team was originally founded in 1961 as the Washington Senators, a D.C.-based expansion squad. The team changed their name to the Texas Rangers and moved to Arlington, Texas in 1972.

Ballpark: From 1994 to 2019, Globe Life Park in Arlington hosted the Rangers. They relocated to Globe Life Field, a cutting-edge ballpark featuring a retractable roof, in 2020.

Notable Seasons: The Rangers have seen a number of prosperous seasons, including a few memorable postseason trips. They missed winning the championship both times, but they made it to the World Series for the first time in 2010 and again in 2011.

Important Players: Ryan Nolan: Ryan, a Hall of Famer and renowned pitcher, was a member of the Rangers from 1989 to 1993. He later held the positions of president and CEO for the franchise. He was well-known for his strong fastball and multiple strikeout records.

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez: One of the all-time finest catchers in baseball history, Rodriguez is a Hall of Fame catcher. He was renowned for his outstanding hitting and defense abilities and played much of his career with the Rangers.

Adrián Beltré: From 2011 to 2018, Beltré, a future Hall of Famer and fan favorite, played third base for the Rangers. He was well-known for his strong hitting, excellent defense, and endearing demeanor.

Recent Performance: Playoff Runs: The Rangers have made multiple postseason berths in the last few years as they have remained competitive in the AL West. For future success, they are committed to assembling a formidable team. Community Involvement: Texas Rangers Foundation: The team supports numerous philanthropic causes and youth activities as part of its active community involvement through the Texas Rangers Foundation. The foundation works to improve the Dallas-Fort Worth region through focusing on health, education, and community assistance. Fan Interaction: Globe Life Field: With a retractable roof that guarantees ideal playing conditions in all weather situations, the Rangers' new home, Globe Life Field, provides a contemporary and comfortable fan experience. Modern amenities, a wide variety of food options, and great game views are all characteristics of the ballpark.

Fan Interaction: The Rangers have a devoted following and communicate with them frequently via social media, events, and neighborhood initiatives. The group's dedication to offering a fun-filled, family-friendly experience has helped them develop a devoted fan base.

In conclusion, the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball have a bright future and a rich history. They remain a formidable force in the league, combining youthful, exciting potential with the experience of seasoned veterans. They are a cherished and esteemed franchise because of their dedication to playing at the highest level and their involvement in the community off the field.

The Texas Rangers provide an entertaining and thrilling baseball experience that exemplifies the spirit of community and competitiveness, whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the game.

ALSO READ-

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[hockeyreport]

Canes GM Waddell Steps Down, Tulsky Named Interim GM

Tom Dundon, Owner and Governor of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that President and General Manager Don Waddell has resigned from his position with the organization. Additionally, Eric Tulsky has been named interim general manager, and a full search has begun for a permanent general manager. Darren Yorke will support Tulsky with managerial duties while continuing in his role as assistant general manager. Waddell joined the Hurricanes as president on July 1, 2014, and oversaw team business operations for each of the last 10 seasons. He was then named the ninth general manager in franchise history on May 8, 2018, and Carolina won at least one round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs during each of his six seasons in charge of hockey operations. The Hurricanes have sold out each of their last 67 games at PNC Arena, including regular season and postseason, marking the longest sellout streak in franchise history. The Detroit, Mich., native previously served as general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers from 1998-2010 and won the Stanley Cup as an assistant general manager with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. Tulsky has spent 10 seasons with the Hurricanes, originally joining the organization as a consultant in 2014, and then becoming a hockey analyst in 2015. He was named manager of hockey analytics in 2017, before being promoted to vice president of hockey management and strategy in 2018. Since being named assistant general manager in 2020, Tulsky has been involved in all player personnel decisions, overseen pro scouting and the team’s hockey information department, and assisted with player contract negotiations, salary cap compliance, and other hockey-related matters. The Philadelphia, Pa., native holds a B.A. in chemistry and physics from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

[larsnicklas]

when i curse the r.angers this postseason i barely even mean it. like fuck them i hate them and i do mean that but it’s just for fun honestly. in 2018 the caps winning…. i would have done heinous things to ensure a capitals win. tonya harding would have NOTHING on me

[illbeatsfashion]

Kat Go-Bear ant Wolves big three shirt

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA over the past few years. After making the playoffs in 2018, they have missed the postseason in each of the past three seasons. However, there is hope for the future in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves have a young and talented roster, led by Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell. These three players are all under the age of 25 and have already shown flashes of brilliance.

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[lboogie1906]

Atiim Kiambu “Tiki” Barber (born April 7, 1975) is a former football player who was a running back for the New York Giants for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft and played his entire professional career for the team. He retired from the NFL at the end of the 2006 NFL postseason as the Giants’ all-time rushing and reception leader. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

He became a national media presence, notably joining NBC’s The Today Show as a correspondent in 2007 and Football Night in America/Sunday Night Football. He has published multiple books.

He is the identical twin brother of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback and safety Ronde Barber.

He is pursuing business and investment opportunities, reportedly inking a contract to serve as a partner and investor in O Beverages LLC, the maker of fruit-infused bottled water as well as opening a high-tech cycling gym in NYC. He is the co-chairman and co-founder of Thuzio, which provides an online marketplace for athletes to be booked for local speaking appearances, coaching, and personal events.

In 2018 he co-founded Grove Group Management, a cannabis-focused investment firm that provides various forms of expertise (finance, marketing, operations, retail, legal issues, and product development)/

He is the son of Geraldine Barber and James Barber. James was a star running back at Virginia Tech and later played in the World Football League. He married his University of Virginia sweetheart Virginia Cha Barber (1999-2012) and they have four children. He married Tracy Lynn Johnson (2012) and they have two children.

On September 18, 2007, his book, Tiki: My Life and the Game Beyond was published. His second book, Tiki Barber’s Pure Hard Workout, was released on November 13, 2008.

He has authored nine illustrated children’s books with his brother.

By My Brother’s Side (2004)

Game Day (2005)

Teammates (2006)

Kickoff! (2007)

Go Long! (2008)

Wild Card (2009)

Red Zone (2010)

Goal Line (2011)

End Zone (2012) #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[collectingall]

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