Tonight, the Stanley Cup playoffs start. At the end of the playoffs, when the new champs (or the old, if the Penguins repeat once more) hoist the Cup – probably the most famous trophy in North America – it will be different. A layer (or ring) of the trophy has been removed for the third time to make way for a new one. Unlike other trophies, there is just the one, and unlike others, the players from the winning team have their names added to the Cup every year. Meaning either adding rings forever, making the Cup too big and heavy. Or removing a ring every 12 or so seasons. So the ring containing the names from 1954 to 1965 is gone, and the winners this season will be the first added to a new layer. Good luck to everyone as they seek to literally make their marks on the Cup.
Elsewhere…
- The NBA playoffs start Saturday, though the last night of the season brings us a play-in game between the Wolves and the Nuggets and a lot of the seeding up in the air, so tonight should be a good finale.
- Baseball season, week two – don’t forget there is also a weekly thread devoted to MLB and to the Avocado fantasy league: https://the-avocado.org/2018/04/09/avocado-fantasy-baseball-mlb-talk-week-oneish/
- Congrats to Patrick Reed, easily the least beloved winner of the Masters in a long time.
- Condolences to those connected with the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey league team following the horrific crash last weekend.
- Momentum keeps building against the US/Mexico/Canada World Cup bid. Is the world punishing us for Trump, or is FIFA just punishing us for daring to investigate FIFA?
- Eight days till the NFL Draft (correction: 15 days. )
As ever, all sports topics welcome.