Winston

Gotta love GMTM.. I just wish we had provided him with a mic that he could have dropped after his selection. Missed opportunity if you ask me, as hosts we could have skipped the mounted mic just for Murray :P

He's got the hands and stick handling ability to just make goalies look silly. Watching some of his shootout highlights, I think: Patrick Kane.

Scouting report from The Hockey Writers. I particularly like the bolded analogy.

Jack is obviously the big recruiting tool here. But at the end of the day, he can't promise Vesey a roster spot or playing time, etc. That's gotta come straight from the horse's mouth. Luckily, we've got a pretty bold horse running the show that's not afraid to buck up one of our many thirds to open up that commutation without tampering. If Vesey plays on Eichel's wing all summer, Murray can straight up say, "So you like flanking Jack on the break, finding pass after beautiful pass on your stick, and finding the back of the net so regularly? That LW spot is yours. Sign on the dotted line." It'll probably help that Jack is most likely a man among boys in any summer league. They could put up video game numbers together if these games are high scoring. Did our chances go up drastically because we've got his rights? I don't think so, but I think our chances were already pretty good. And I t sure can't hurt to have Murray and other coaches/players allowed to sweet talk Jimmy. At the very least, we don'tt getting fined for tampering.

https://twitter.com/real_espnlebrun/status/744999049216962560 Frederik Andersen reportedly traded to the Leafs for pick 30 in this year's draft.

I would be pretty happy with this, actually. I think Pearson would be a sneaky good fit next to Jack and Sam. I think he's got the speed to keep up, and the scouting report is quite kind to him: "Oozes hockey sense, in particular in the offensive zone. Is a good goal-scorer and shoots the puck with aplomb. Can also play responsibly in his own end, when needed. He's not the physical presence, stand-up-for-Jack-and-Sam type LW some envision. But I honestly think this would be an under the radar pickup if LA were actually looking to move him for D help. I haven't heard it elsewhere that they'd be willing to, but they do have a bunch of big contracts on the books. Toffoli is an RFA at the end of 16-17, and Pearson could be a casualty of that contract. I'd gladly part with Pysyk to acquire him if LA doesn't think they can retain him and want some return.

This video edit is comical: https://twitter.com/BallUpNBA/status/744734929125253120 Is embedding tweets possible here? Can't find a BBCode that worked, but that's not exactly my forte.

I have a feeling that Lue will find a way to fix this and make Love a very useful player this offseason. It was pretty brutal at times when they used him strictly as a stretch 4 off the ball. If he's constantly sitting in the corner spectating/waiting for a kickout as LeBron or Kyrie drive, then he's not able to get those big offensive boards. And in this series, he was always going to be guarding an opposing stretch "4" (4 in quotations because GS plays so small, it's really a wing at the 4 usually) or he'll be switched onto a wing. Either way, he's out on the perimeter again, not banging for defensive boards like he needs to be. And we know he doesn't play a lick of defense, so his value is really post-shot on the defensive end. Props to denying Curry that late three though, he really held his own there. They did a much better job of keeping him involved down low today it seemed. He doesn't need offensive touches to be an impactful player, he just needs to be positioned better if you ask me. Seemed like before they were trying to use him like Miami Ray Allen or something. He's not that, not even a little bit. Today they got back to positioning him a little better, getting him post-up looks, or at least have him positioned tighter to the paint. I'm not a big Xs and Os guy when it comes to basketball, but those are my fan-observations. I'm confident that real NBA minds will find a way to work a guy of his talent in before they pursue a trade. Cavs were +19 with him on the floor today. -15 without him. In a game where TT really flopped (3 DReb, 0 OReb), Love stepped up with 4 OReb and 14 total boards. He took a lot of flak this post season, and deserved a lot of it. But as LeBron said, no one reads yesterday's newspaper, only tomorrow's. Tomorrow's says Love is a champ, and I'm happy for him.

Yeah, Boston lost A LOT in the late 80s. I wish I was alive to hear them whine :nana: 86- Patriots lose 86- Red Sox lose 87- Celtics lose 88- Bruins lose There was a Celtics win in 86 thrown in there, but still.

Any of you locals doing The Ride for Roswell this Saturday? I've been so into biking recently, and it's a cause close to heart (as I'm sure nearly everyone here can say) so I signed up for the early 20 mile ride. Saturday looks HOT, but should be a great time. Just today I acquired a second water bottle rack to add onto my bike. My ride starts at 8:00am, so I'm hoping to beat some of the heat. Then I'll be heading downtown to catch some of the draft afterwards. Not there so much to see the picks or anything, just take in the atmosphere since I've never been to a draft. Then, at night I'll be loading everything I own onto a trailer as we move out of our apartment in Buffalo. Gotta move everything from Buffalo to Rochester, then Rochester to Columbus a few weeks later. I will absolutely break a sweat doing that!!

In the same calendar year: 2003: Yankees and Nets both lost. Nets still played in Jersey at the time, of course, but probably lots of crossover fans. The Devils won the Cup that year though, so they all got over it. We won't really count this one though... 2001: The Yankees and NY Giants both lost. The NJ Devils also lost in the Cup finals that year. Tons of fans that root for the Yankees/Giants combo in NYC, and probably a lot of fans in NJ that rooted for all three that year. 1999: The Atlanta Falcons and Braves both lost. 1986: The Patriots and Red Sox both lost, but the Celtics won it all that year. 1980: The 76ers and Flyers both lost, but the Phillies won it all that year. Strange theme! I gave up at 1980 :P

Like I said before the game, I think this title makes LeBron the clear cut #2 behind MJ. If LeBron wins another title or two (or hell, why not three?), then I think he can achieve 1B status to Jordan's 1A.

I am beside myself with excitement. The Cavs don't mean quite as much to me as the Bills or Sabres do. But they're damn near close. LeBron is the reason I started watching basketball at 9 years old. He's been my favorite athlete in any sport ever since (although Jack sure is staking a claim!). Make fun of me for the LeBron lovefest lol, I'll gladly take it :) My love for the Cavs will probably only grow when I move to Columbus in 2 weeks. The city seems pretty split between Indians/Reds and Browns/Bengals, but there's only one basketball team that matters. It'll be fun. Glad they announced MVP immediately. The suspense was killing me :P

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say this might be the biggest basketball game we ever see. In any given season, it obviously doesn't get any bigger than game 7 of the Finals. Tack on all that's on the line, and this one is enormous. Either the Dubs stake their claim as greatest single season team of all time, or the Cavs deliver Cleveland their long overdue title as LeBron cements his legacy. The first team to come down from 3-1? First player to lead a series in every major statistical category? If he wins, I think it takes him from "in the discussion to top 5 ever" to #2 behind MJ. So much on the line.

I've never done any climbing myself, but I know the guy that runs UB's Outdoor Adventure Club. I thought he might have some good suggestions, and this is what he sent my way:

Hope it brought back some nice memories! I'm very excited for the move and to start work, but at the same time I will really miss this place. Sorry I didn't get a chance to respond yesterday.. Awesome input, this is just the type of thing I was hoping for. Thanks! I do prefer a more upright position, and I will definitely get fitted AND test drive before I buy anything. This bike I'm riding now is a bit too small and I have been feeling the repercussions in my lower back. I like the idea of getting something in the "cross-country" territory. Like I said, I'll do mostly street and paved trail riding, but I wouldn't mind the versatility if I found some cool trails off-road or ever had to do serious gravel biking, that sort of thing. I think I'll end up going hybrid or unaggressive mountain, somewhere in there based on fit and value. I'm much less concerned with getting from point A to point B as fast as possible. I'm in it for the exercise and the fun of exploring new trails, biking to places I'd normally drive on a sunny day, etc. So something practical and versatile sounds just right. Interesting suggestion on the brakes.. As an inexperienced rider, it's not something I would have immediately thought of. I looked into it a bit after reading your suggestion, and I definitely see the value in that upgrade. If there's room in the budget, perhaps that's something I will pursue. I kind of thought that mechanical bike brakes were what they were. Cool that you can upgrade them! Also interesting that you recommend a seat over padded shorts. I went to Dick's yesterday and browsed a few pairs of shorts. They had all of the replacement seats right next to them, and I thought to myself, "that's a much better idea." Comfort-wise and laundry-wise, seems like a winner over the shorts. Dick's carried only the Selle Royal line, so those are what I saw. You've obviously gotta sit on the seat to know you like it, so I'm thinking I should just buy one or two, give them each a shot, and return anything I don't like until I find the right one.

All of the cool biking pics in this thread inspired me to take a few of my own. This is my favorite shot, overlooking UB north campus from the other side of Lake LaSalle. I'm just now getting back into biking, and I deeply regret not riding more during my four years here. However, I'll be moving down to Columbus next month, and I hear great things about the paths around the city and suburbs. I plan to start biking much more once there, which leads me to a few questions for you serious bikers.... The Diamondback you see in this picture isn't coming with me (it's my dad's old bike, nearly as old as I am). I'm looking to buy a new one once I'm down there. I'll be doing mostly paved path and street riding, trips probably topping out at 40 miles and usually closer to 15 miles on average. I'll never be riding competitively, just for exercise and recreation. I don't envision that I'll go off-roading too often, but maybe the occasional cuts through the grass/gravel, that sort of thing. I'm a bigger guy (6'1", 250lbs. right now, although my goal is 200lbs. before my wedding next year :) ). Not sure if that matters, but thought it might come into play regarding getting a sturdier frame... So my questions: Should I look to get a road bike or a hybrid? I'm strongly leading hybrid, but don't have much experience purchasing bikes. What do you guys ride? Any recommendations for padded biking shorts? Those seem like a necessity. For locals: Is Bert's the best local bike shop to go and get fitted? I'm not buying until down in Cbus, but I'd like to have some idea before I go. Any places you've had good experiences?

Some pretty funny satire here if you ask me: https://medium.com/sportspickle/phil-kessel-places-full-page-ad-in-toronto-star-thanking-toronto-fans-for-driving-him-out-of-town-74b0021f092#.btp3k5d59

Well they all became fans in 2013, so forgive them for not knowing how to act :P What a game by LeBron and Kyrie last night. For those that missed this tidbit, they were the first pair of teammates to score 40+ in the same finals game. Another interesting note: Klay was absolutely on fire in the first half. Like stuff you don't even do in video games. But he finished the game -21 despite his 37 points. +/- can be pretty flukey (not as bad a stat as it is in hockey, but still pretty bogus way to judge guys), but still pretty interesting. Curry and Barnes were only -6 for comparison. Igoudala also played big minutes and was -13. If you need proof that +/- is more interesting than telling, well, Kevin Love was second only to Kyrie in +/- with a +18. Go figure!

Vesey would have to buy :P It's really crazy to stop and think that Eichel is 3.5 years younger than Vesey. Here are some of the top UFA defensmen (listed based on points scored last season) LHD Keith Yandle Alex Goligoski Brian Campbell John-Michael Liles Kris Russell David Schlemko Matt Bartkowski Dan Hamhuis Yevgeny Medvedev Christian Ehrhoff Jordie Benn Kyle Quincey RHD Jason Demers Luke Schenn Roman Polak Marek Zidlicky Michal Rozsival Ben Lovejoy

Taken on an iPhone with too much light, so excuse the quality... But I thought it was a cool angle!

Same thought process here.. I was hoping some people would have extra tickets in their carts that would eventually time out. Website says it's officially sold out now though. I too grabbed tickets to Day 2. Usually not something I'd get excited enough about to go, but I'm moving to Columbus in July and I've never been to a draft. Columbus got one in 2007, so I'm not sure if they'll get another one soon. The way the city is growing, maybe, but I'd love to see this one in Buffalo before I head off. I'm guessing a lot of the Leafs fans will head back north after the Day 1 Matthews-fest, so hopefully Day 2 is flooded with fellow Buffalonians.

Well, I should have known... My fiancee only watches bits and pieces of the occasional Sabres game. She tunes all other hockey out. But who did she have in the finals? Penguins over Sharks, of course. Next year, she's making my picks for me.