ARE ROCHESTER PRO HOCKEY FANS ENVIOUS OF SYRACUSE FANS?
The Syracuse Crunch begin pursuit of their first Calder Cup Friday night in Grand Rapids, Mich.
This season’s Rochester Amerks traded their hockey sticks for golf clubs a long time ago. That’s happened far too often in recent years.
Rochester’s hockey fans used to be accustomed to watching the Amerks make the playoffs.
Sadly, making the playoffs has become a rarity instead of a habit.
Rochester is a college sports Division III paradise. But we envy Syracuse for that city’s big-time college basketball and football.
We shouldn’t have to play second fiddle to Syracuse in the AHL.
The Crunch coach is Benoit Groulx. Sound familiar.
Groulx coached the Ameks in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 AHL seasons.
He was among the least popular coaches in Amerks history. He spoke French and had some problems communicating with some players and management. He often turned off fans with questionable strategic and player personnel decisions. He was serenaded by jeering fans at home games.
Groulx’s 2008-09 Amerks were 29-43-0-8 and missed the playoffs. The 2009-10 roster was considerably stronger and posted a 44-33-2-1 record to make the playoffs. But they lost Game 7 of the first round to Abbotsford after he inexplicably scratched mainstay Graham Mink.
Groulx resigned after thatrseason. Amerks management and fans shed few tears.
Groulx has an outstanding record in hockey – everywhere except Rochester.
He was an extremely successful coach/general manager of the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL before and after his unfortunate two seasons in Rochester.
In the 2015 under-20 World Championships, he coached Canada (featuring Conor McDavid) to a gold medal, outscoring opponents 39-9 in the process.
Groulx won three QMJHL championship with Hull/Gatineau. This would be his first Calder Cup – and the first for Syracuse. The Crunch reached the Calder Cup Finals once before, losing to Grand Rapids 4-2 in 2013.
KEVIN DURANT MADE A STATEMENT IN NBA FINALS GAME 1
The Golden State Warriors arguably were the NBA’s best team before they added Kevin Durant.
How great are they now?
Am I going overboard here? I think they have a chance to be recalled as one of the NBA’s all-time teams. That’s assuming they win the Finals and that appears likely after Thursday night’s 113-91 home romp over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1.
The Warriors are a tremendous offensive team because (1) they have so many great shooters and (2) they share the ball and wind up with an extraordinary number of open looks at the basket.
Durant was brilliant in Game 1: 38 points; 14-for-26, including 3-for-6 from three-point range); 8 rebounds; 8 assists.
Durant and point guard Stephen Curry are the perfect 1-2 punch on offense. When they’re both clicking, they don’t need much help. Curry had 28 points Thursday night, including 6-for-11 from long range.
The Warriors also are a underrated defensive team. Cleveland had been torching opponents from three-point range in these playoffs, but Golden State held the Cavaliers to 11-for-31 (35.5 percent) from long range in Game 1.
The Warriors won easily despite another poor shooting performance by Klay Thompson (3-for-16, including 0-for-5 from three-point range). In true Golden State fashion, he continued to play tenacious defense. If he ever regains his shooting eye and touch, this could be a very short series.
AARON HICKS HAS BEEN THE UNSUNG HERO FOR THE YANKEES
Former Rochester Red Wings outfielder Aaron Hicks has been a huge surprise for the New York Yankees this season.
Hicks was acquired from Minnesota by the Yankees Nov. 11, 2015, for current Red Wings catcher John Ryan Murphy. Here are Hicks’ performance lines in his first two seasons with New York:
2016 – 123 games; .217 batting average (71-for-327); 32 runs; 13 doubles; 1 triple; 8 HRs; 31 RBI; 4 stolen bases in 4 attempts.
2017 – 41 gamers; .317 batting average (40-for-126); 29 runs; 9 doubles; 8 HRs; 30 RBI; 7 stolen bases in 10 attempts.
He is a switch-hitter, He can play all three spots in the outfield. And he’s only 27 years old.
Good for Hicks and the Yankees. Not so good for the Twins.
The Twins selected Hicks in the first round of the 2008 entry draft and made the mistake of rushing him to the majors too soon. He had a big season in Double-A in 2012 and Minnesota handed him the starting job in center field in 2013. He wasn’t ready. He batted .192 in 81 games and never regained his confidence. He should’ve spent the full 2013 season in Rochester.
I wonder if the Twins made the same mistake with Byron Buxton, who still looks lost at the plate in the majors.
For the record, Hicks played in 84 games for Rochester in the 2013-14-15 seasons as be bounced between the Twins and the Red Wings. He batted .297 (87-for-293 with 22 doubles, 6 triples, 4 HRs and 33 RBI.
OVERZEALOUS CUBS FANS ARE STUFFING THE ALL-STAR GAME BALLOT BOX
The Chicago Cubs lost their sixth straight game Wednesday to drop to 25-27 this season and are looking nothing like a defending world champion.
But Cubs fans are doing a fine job stuffing the ballot box for National League starters for the All-Star Game. If this continues, the All-Star Game will be a joke.
In the NL balloting announced Tuesday, the Cubs have the voting leaders at first base (Anthony Rizzo), third base (Kris Bryant) and one of the three outfield spots (Jason Hayward). As if that isn’t bad enough, the Cubs rank second at second base (Javier Baez), shortstop (Addison Russell) and catcher (Willson Contreras), and fourth and fifth among outfielders (Ben Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber).
BOLTUS MLL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEEK...WOLF NEAR SCORING LEAD
The Major League Rochester Rattlers have at least three excellent attackmen – Jordon Wolf, Jeremy Boltus and Buffalo Bandits indoor superstar Dhane Smith.
Boltus, the 27-year-old U.S. Army captain stationed at Fort Drum, earned Major League Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week honors for his four goals in last week’s 16-15 road victory over the previously undefeated Denver Outlaws. He scored the game-tying goal with two minutes to go and the game-winning goal 43 seconds later on a spectacular shot from between his legs with his back to the net.
Former Duke superstar Jordon Wolf, arguably the best attackman in the league, had five goals and four assists against Denver. He was returning from a broken hand injury that kept him out of three games.
The list of the MLL’s three top scorers this season suggests how dominant Wolf has been:
1--Ryan Brown (Charlotte) – 22 points (16 goals, including a 2-pointer + 15 assists in six games
2—Michael Bocklet (Denver) – 22 points (18 goals + 4 assists) in five games
3—Jordan Wolf (Rochester) – 20 points (134 goals +7 assists) in only three games.
SHORT SHOTS
New York-based jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will replace Corey Lanerie aboard Lookin At Lee in the June 10 Belmont Stakes. Lookin At Lee was second in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness Stakes. As many as 14 horses could start in the 1 ½-mile race.
Pro wrestling returns to Rochester Tuesday night at Blue Cross Arena with the first Smackdown show here in six years. Rochester is sandwiched between Atlanta and New Orleans as host cities for Smackdown. That’s impressive company. The Smackdown roster includes Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Jinder Mahal, Shinsuke Nakamura, Charlotte Flair and Dolph Ziggler.
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is expected to be at Frontier Field Sunday afternoon to participate in the LeSean McCoy charity softball game.
Lee Corso survived the purge at ESPON and remain with College Game Day with a multi-year contract extension. He’s 81.
Chicago White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson’s 34th and final season on the job will be next year. He’s scheduled to work 20 Sunday home games.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Friday, June 2 – Eddie Lacy (27)...Curtis Lofton )31)...Abby Wambach (37)...A. J. Styles (40)...Earl Boykins (41)...Raul Ibanez (45)...Mike Stanton (50)...Adam Creighton (52)...Kyle Petty (57)...Charlie Huddy (58)...Lex Lugar/Larry Pfohl (59)...Dan Frawley (55)...Craig Stadler (64)...Horace Clarke (77)...Gene Michael (79).
Saturday, June 3 – Otto Porter (24)...Rafael Nadal (31)...Al Horford (31)...Arthur Jones (31)...Jamie Nails (42)...Carl Everett (46)...Doug Houda (51)...Deb Richard (54; the 1987 Rochester International was her first LPGA victory)...Barry Beck (60)..Wally Weir (63; he played in 7 games for the 1980-81 Amerks, with 1 goal, 1 assist and 79 penalty minutes, including a team-record 54 PIM in one game)...Hale Irwin (72)...Billy Cunningham (74)...Steve Dalkowski (78). Anderson Cooper (50) is invited to the birthday party.
NBA’s Greg Monroe (27)...Darin Erstad (43)...Derian Hatcher (45)...Andrea Jaeger (52)...Xavier McDaniel (54)...Jim Lachey (54)...Laurie Boschman (57)...Tony Pena (60)...Sandra Post (69)...Phil Linz (78). Angelia Jolie (42) is invited to the birthday party. Bobby Wanzer was born on this dater 96 years ago and died last year.