EVANDER KANE AND JAKOB CHYCHRUN
I’m surprised that there was more than 10% of the people I interacted with that liked the idea of trading for Evander Kane. In a vacuum he is what they need, a goal scoring power winger. I do not see the Flyers targeting him but the point stands.
Another fake trade idea, go out and get left-handed defenseman, Jakob Chychrun from Arizona. His father Jeff was a former Flyer and he is having an extremely rough year with Arizona. Chychrun is signed for a very reasonable $4.6 million per year for the next 4 years. He had a career year last year with 18 goals in 56 games. The downside is that the cost is going to be enormous. Sure, he’s having a bad year but just about everyone is on Arizona. It would probably take Cam York, Samu Tuomaala and a first-round pick to acquire Chychrun but having Provorov, Sanheim and Chychrun down the left side for perhaps the next half of a decade-plus would be very tempting. Plus, if we’ve learned anything, prospects don’t matter.
SCHILLING, THE HALL OF FAME, AND STEROIDS
Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame. He was one of the best pitchers in his generation. His political beliefs should hold no sway on his contributions as a player. 6-time All-Star, 3-time World Series winner. World Series MVP. He finished 2nd in the Cy Young Award voting in three different years. Schilling has more wins than current Baseball Hall of Famers Don Drysdale, Roy Halladay, and John Smoltz. His ERA is better than Jack Morris, Mike Mussina, and Tom Glavine. His win total would be much greater if he didn’t play for such a poor Phillies team for the better part of a decade. (whispers…so should Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Pete Rose…ducks).
Speaking about baseball. Make steroids not only legal but encouraged. Remember how exciting baseball was when those beefy guys were hitting the ball to the moon every 8th at bat? Now we have a different shift for each player, no plays at the plate (which became the most exciting play in sports when the NHL introduced the skills competition to settle games), and pitchers getting suspended for almost hitting the batter.
TORTORELLA AND THE ELF ON THE SHELF
John Tortorella with the take of the century about Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras’ flip-assist. Tortorella said he would have a talk with Zegras if he was his coach. Isn’t the point of the game to score more than the other team? Tortorella is a snowflake with bravado. Get out of here with that weak sauce.
So whatever you do as a parent or guardian with your child is up to your discretion, but a coworker asked if I do the elf on the shelf for my children and I said no. The idea that it’s okay for someone or something to spy on your behavior which normalizes the government or any other entity doing so is a bad precedent.
CHRISTMASTIME
Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
Christmas Eve/Feast of the Seven Fishes is the best meal of the year and a hilarious movie with Joe Pantoliano.
LOCAL EATS
We are keeping one thought per week to the food/beer scene of the Greater Philadelphia area. One of mine and my family’s favorite outings is going to Hammonton, New Jersey. They have plenty of good family-run restaurants like Fiesta Mexicana (the best enchiladas de mole) or Baglani’s Italian Market plus Hammonton is home to three great breweries in almost walking distance from each other. Vinyl Brewing is known for their sours (one of the best in the state), Three 3’s and Chimney Rustic Ales has a beer for all tastes. In addition, there is now a distillery in Hammonton called the Blue Rascal Distillery which I hear good things about but have never been. Support small business.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
