Catching Up + Random Sports Thoughts
Reflecting on the new site launch, plus a bunch of sports musings from this week...
This week has been a whirlwind.
I’ve spent the past few days charging around and trying to get everything in place for the website rebrand.
That culminated in the launch of The Steele Sports Bar on Thursday, and I really do hope that you are all enjoying the new look.
There was a brief moment last night where I thought I had pulled off the ultimate cruel magic trick by making this site vanish into thin air. Thankfully, the panic lasted all of 10 minutes and we were able to get it back and proceed with the launch.
Although, let me tell you, I aged about 30 years in those exact 10 minutes. I think I also broke the world record for most curse words uttered in a 10-minute span. It wasn’t pretty.
Anyway…
We’ve got so many exciting things planned and my mission is to create an online sports bar for the everyman sports fanatic. Think of it as the ultimate online gathering place and community for all sports fans.
You can read more about our mission HERE.
However, as a negative byproduct of getting everything lined up ready to pull the trigger on the remodel / makeover - I feel I’ve been a little absent on the site this week in terms of talking about actual sports.
Because, I don’t need to tell you this, but there is a lot going on right now.
The World Series starts on Friday - I’ll have more on the Diamondbacks - Rangers matchup we all predicted at the start of the year (sarcasm, folks) - the NBA made its return this week, the new NHL season is hitting its stride and, of course, the NFL season is in full swing.
So, I thought it might be a good idea to hop on and share some quick sports thoughts I’ve seen sitting on over the past couple of days.
Plus, as you’ve probably noticed, it looks like a leprechaun has indulged in too many pints of the good stuff (you can’t beat a nice cold Guinness) and puked his little gold and green guts out all over my website.
It is a gold and green rainbow right now out here.
Let’s change that up a little bit. Here’s my random sports thoughts of the week…
Diamond Dame
No, I’m not talking about the main protagonist from Creed III, but rather Damian Lillard. Man, his debut for the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t have been scripted any better. “Dame Time” was in full swing as Lillard set a franchise record for points in a debut with 39, with the Bucks beating the Philadelphia 76ers to get the new season off to a winning start.
Look, when this blockbuster of a trade went down during the offseason, we all knew that Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo together could be a pretty special pairing. We also suspected that ending up on a true contender with one of the best players on the planet would add more juice to Lillard’s game, too.
While a very small sample size, the early returns look incredibly promising in Milwaukee. Lillard played with an absurd amount of swagger, putting on a breathtaking, electric show that should put the rest of the NBA on notice. Giannis now has legit help, and that was on full display down the stretch as Lillard went on an absolute tear, scoring 14 of the Bucks’ final 16 points in an 118-117 victory.
While the narrative remains that Lillard really wanted to end up in Miami with the Heat, you can’t argue that he’s ended up in a really, really good situation. I mean, he gets to play with a Top 5 player in the league in Giannis on a nightly basis, and Dame has never, ever had a teammate that uber-talented before. We know Antetokounmpo is only interested in winning, as is Lillard, so that should be a partnership made in absolute heaven. Plus, don’t sleep on Milwaukee as a great sports destination. Those fans are passionate about their team, and Lillard is going to be absolutely loved there.
This was one of those trades that was just a really fun outcome for the NBA in general and, if Game 1 is anything to go by, then the Bucks are going to be that team everyone rushes to watch on NBA Game Pass on a night-to-night basis.
I don’t get to watch as much basketball as I would like, but I made damn sure my butt was parked in front of the TV for Dame’s first game as a member of the Bucks. And it didn’t disappoint.
I have a feeling I’ll be watching a lot more Milwaukee games than usual this year…
Wemby Mania
Now, as I mentioned above, when it comes to the four major sports, the NBA is the one I watch the least. Not necessarily out of choice, but there are only so many hours in any given day and only so much time I can dedicate to certain sports. As a result, basketball does tend to slip off my radar at points.
I don’t think that’s going to be the case this year, however.
As Bill Simmons said on one of his recent podcasts - and who is anyone to argue with Bill when it comes to the NBA, he’s an absolute basketball savant - the NBA has never been in a better place talent wise.
There’s so much elite talent oozing out of the NBA right now, and it all starts and ends with Victor Wembanyama.
Now, we’ve seen players enter the league with an insane amount of hype before - LeBron James, Zion Williams are two obvious examples that spring to mind immediately - but there is just something different about Wembanyama. And I can’t really put my finger on it.
I mean, the obvious thing that stands out is that Wembanyama is just a different beast on the court. We haven’t seen anything like it ever before, physically, visually, we just haven’t. The San Antonio Spurs phenom looks like he’s been dropped on earth from some strange alien planet that just happens to breed freakishly athletic and truly gifted basketball players.
With an 8-foot wingspan, a lanky, rangy, razor-thin, 7-foot-4 frame, Wembanyama really is a sporting marvel from another universe. He’s different and in all the good ways. And what I really liked about his NBA debut was his mental fortitude and toughness. His first three quarters were pretty nondescript - 6 points, 2-of-4 shooting - and there was a lot of foul trouble. I mean, given all the hype and the expectation engulfing him, I couldn’t blame the kid for needing a minute to adjust and gather himself on the big stage. However, then the fourth quarter happened. In the blink of an eye, the breathtaking, jaw-dropping version of Victor Wembanyama we’ve all been losing our minds over made a tantalizing appearance. He was the best player on the court in the fourth quarter, erupting for nine points in a dizzying, awe-inspiring three-minute span, flashing the un-human-like talent that could make him the face of the league over the next few years.
There’s going to be ups and downs - that’s the case with any rookie no matter how uber-talented they are - but Victor Wembanyama is going to be must-watch TV every single night. And it has been a minute since we’ve been able to say that about a Spurs player.
Hot Mess
What a dumpster fire the Edmonton Oilers are right now.
Man, that is a franchise that just can’t get out of its own way.
With Connor McDavid - the best player on the planet - and Leon Draisaitl - arguably the second-best player on the planet - the Oilers entered this season as legit Stanley Cup contenders.
Or, at least that’s what we all thought.
Instead, they have looked like the very definition of bottom feeders, a team on the cusp of becoming a lottery team yet again. And you’d think the Oilers would have had enough of winning the lottery given that they won the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, 2012 and 2015.
But, despite boasting the second coming of Wayne Gretzky and his uber-talented running mate, the Oilers have fumbled the bag at every turn and this year is looking like an absolute car crash of epic proportions already.
I mean, McDavid is currently hurt with an upper-body injury and, although I’m no doctor, my guess would be that it is a back injury from all the years the generational talent has had to carry this team. He was bound to break under all the weight, burden and riddiclous pressure eventually. The Oilers are 1-5-1 to start the year, they are currently on a four-game skid, their vaunted power play has been a gun without any bullets (2-for-13, 15.3 percent clip), and something just seems off in Edmonton right now. I’m not sure what, but something stinks and I’m not convinced this roster as currently constituted is good enough to win. Yes, they finished second in the Pacific Division last year with a 50-23-9 record and 109 points, but I’m still not sold on the goaltending, the bottom six is an absolute below-average mess, there’s a real need for a legit top-six forward to help out McDavid and Draisaitl and, when you have Cody Ceci averaging just under 20 minutes of total ice time a night, I mean give me a freaking break. That alone should tell you that the front office needs to add more high-end talent to this team, and quick.
Cody Ceci should not be playing top-4 minutes in 2023. I’m sorry, but he shouldn’t.
McDavid, now in his ninth year, has recorded six seasons of 100 or more points, yet hasn’t even come close to sniffing the Stanley Cup Final. Talk about wasting the prime years of a potentially all-time great’s career. If the Oilers don’t come out of this tailspin and this season continues to implode at an alarming rate, I would not blame McDavid one bit for wanting out of town. And, hey, normally I hate that whole player power crap. It drives me nuts when players in the NBA throw their toys out of the pram and force their way out of town. However, McDavid has consistently been the best player in the entire National Hockey League since 2016, yet he’s been failed time and time again by his front office. I hope Edmonton can turn this around quick, or else things could escalate even further.
A Tale Of Two Quarterbacks
I’m going to make this one quick, but I bet the Cleveland Browns wish they could trade for Kirk Cousins right now.
As anyone who follows me on social media will know, I am the fully-fledged President of the Kirk Cousins Fan Club. And a very proud lifelong member, too. Cousins, in my humble opinion at least, has always taken an unfair amount of slings and arrows over the years and a lot of it has been just people jumping on an unfair and untrue bandwagon.
Scan his Football-Reference page, pop open the hood and dive deep into all the underlying metrics and, frankly, just study the eye test and you will know that Cousins is a damn good productive quarterback in the NFL. That’s certainly been the case in 2023. Through seven games, Cousins has a 68.9 completion percentage, he’s thrown for 2,057 yards (7.3 ypa), he has 16 pass TD, 5 INT, 16 rush yds and 7 fumbles. But, more importantly, everyone’s favorite QB Dad has dragged the Minnesota Vikings from the brink of death back to life again. He produced a real statement game on Monday Night Football against the 49ers, and it is about damn time the wider football world gives Cousins the flowers he so deserves.
He’s playing like a top-10 QB in the NFL right now. And, come at me all you want, there is no arguing that.
Now, the reason I brought the Browns up at the top was because they are trapped in all-time quarterback hell right now. After mortgaging their future and selling their soul to the devil in order to acquire Deshaun Watson, the Karma for getting involved with a character with a murky past is starting to play out. Watson played like hot garbage to begin the year, and now he continues to crap on the team that gave up EVERYTHING for him by holding out with a shoulder injury that is draped in more mystery and more mind-fucking craziness than an episode of Black Mirror. Watson hasn’t been seen since Week 4, and the fact he has been medically cleared to play but continues to be absent from the field adds to what is increasingly becoming a vile, disgusting bowl of miserable soup. We obviously don’t know all the facts but, if this is Watson holding out, then that is a real slap in the face to the Browns who continue to be cursed when it comes to the QB position. This whole situation is a big steaming pile of poo, and it continues to snowball out of control.
The Browns may have their Come To Jesus Moment soon when it comes to Watson’s future with the franchise, but it will be too late. The damage is already done.
If I were the Browns, I would have traded for Cousins while I had the chance. Because, if you inject me with truth serum right now, I’ll take Cousins over this version of Watson all day and all night long.
And it isn’t even close…
Right, some quick ones before I get you out of here…
I’m pretty happy with how the New York Rangers have started the season. Jonathan Quick earned a shutout against the Oilers on Thursday, Alexis Lafrenière is really showing a lot of tangible progress and this team just seems to be clicking. A lot to like from a 5-2-0 start.
I knew that Kristaps Porzingis would come back and haunt the New York Knicks one day. I just knew it. I mean, it is nearly Halloween so seeing the ghost of KP return to MSG and erupt for 30 points in his Celtics debut felt pretty apt.
I have a horrible feeling about the Jets this week. I just do. They are historically awful coming off a bye week and the Giants, without Daniel Jones again, seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulder. I smell a stinking bad day at the office coming up on Sunday.
It makes perfect sense for new Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns to go all out for Craig Counsell. It is still no forgone conclusion that Counsell will turn his back on the Brewers, but you’d think the chance to reunite with his former GM in The Big Apple and manage a big-market team with far bigger resources than the Brewers would be at least half-tempting. If I’m Steve Cohen, I’m flexing my financial might to bring Counsell to Queens and bring some much-needed stability to that organization.
Jack Hughes has 17 points (4 G, 13 A) through six games this season. Yeah, he’s legit good and this will be the year where he will take that next giant leap to become an elite star in the NHL.
Final thought. I love this World Series matchup between the Rangers and the Diamondbacks and I think it could go the full seven. Texas has been an unstoppable force all year, and the D-Backs just refuse to go away. Parity is good in all sports, and just because something is different doesn’t mean it is bad. These two teams deserve a lot more respect from everybody.
Sorry, one more. And, yes, I know this isn’t sports, but I watched the new Get Gotti limited series on Netflix the other night and it just reminded me of how big a freaking rock star John Gotti was. Man, the Teflon Don just oozed swag and he put the Kardashians to shame in terms of how he had the press drooling at his every move. I mean, just soak up how cool this freaking scene is. Look at the absolute swagger on that man:
The Dapper Don in all his glory Okay, so the Dapper Don’s lust for the celebrity life was hardly in keeping with the code of Cosa Nostra, and it ended up screwing him big time in the end (and the entire Mafia as we once knew it), but there is no denying that there was no bigger celebrity in New York in the 80’s than Gotti. I could watch documentaries on him, and indeed on the Mafia, all day long. Now go home and get your shinebox.
Okay, so I said some quick thoughts but I ended up going on way longer than first intended. Hey, there’s a lot going on and I just have a lot to say (as always).
Anyway, I’ll be back later with some World Series stuff.
Until then.