This Is Kraken ME Up

It has happened. Baseball. Sports is back. I better get Kraken.

Okay, I went there. The newly-released nickname of the Seattle NHL franchise is the Kraken. While the uniforms are fairly sharp with two shades of blue and a small patch of red, the name choice was baffling. And it sent a whole lot of people to Google to see what the name meant. 

Some people ascribe the name to the mythical sea creature film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a part owner of the team, displayed in Pirates of the Caribbean. Public opinion favored more regional, culturally-appropriate name like the Sockeyes or Totems. In this case, public option be damned. 

A kraken is a sea monster borne from Scandinavjan folklore, a gigantic monster that lived in the North Atlantic and terrorized Norse mariners. It had huge tentacles like an octopus. The beast could grow to 40 to 50 feet in size. Whales and ships were swallowed whole. No one wanted to encounter a kraken. More likely, the sailors observed giant squid and then fantasized about them. 

The marketing branch of the Seattle franchise has a very descriptive explanation for its creature nickname. Their catch phrase is “Release the Kraken.” NHL executives were in favor of the choice. The outcry of the public and the ridicule  of sportswriters came naturally with this selection. Some said that the team was “Kraken me up.”

The onus is squarely on management to put together a product that will remove the laughter associated with the nickname. This isn’t the first time in the NHL that a nickname was inappropriate and originated in a movie—ergo, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, named after Disney’s fictional hockey film. 

Winning will erase any stigma attached to the nickname. If the success of the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ rookie campaign can be duplicated, Kraken jerseys will become a hot item. Ownership and GM Ron Francis are on the hot seat to deliver. 

Speaking of nicknames, the former Washington Redskins will be known as the Washington Football Team for 2020. Owner Daniel Snyder has outdone himself by cowardly deciding not to give his franchise a real moniker that D.C. area fans can appreciate. If it is marketing that drives the bus here, there still is no reason, with over a month to go before the scheduled start to the NFL season, that new jerseys and paraphernalia couldn’t be made and sold. 

Whatever the reason, if I were a Washington football fan, where winning is all but forgotten, I wouldn’t be very happy with this latest development. Then again, would I be very surprised how this is turning out?

Speaking of the NFL, the league gave the NFLPA its request—no pre-season games this year. But what they want is to impose a salary cap and defer the losses incurred this year through 2030. Which is something the NFLPA is not buying into. Nor should they. The NFL seemingly is capitulating on most everything the players want—the owners need to have a 2020 season to profit financially. 

Which leaves the NFL with a dilemma. Should the league postpone the opening of training camps, already pushed back to next week, even further, until this is resolved? It’s always about the money. 

One of my West Coast readers sharply criticized me for not taking a stand about the New York Jets and how they continually make very bad managerial decisions on players and how to properly utilize the salary cap. I don’t disagree with him. It’s probably more than I am so desensitized by the Jets being so mediocre year after year that I haven’t taken umbrage with the fact that they are talent-poor. When All Pro DB Jamal Adams continued his campaign to be traded by singling out Head Coach Adam Gase as not the right coach for the team (he may not be wrong), I thought trade Adams now. Then I thought that Adams should remain with the team and be punished for his outbursts by continuing to be a Jet rather than a Dallas Cowboy. Is wearing the green and white something a football player really wants?

I am glad that New Jersey has said no fans can attend football games at Met Life Stadium or at Rutgers for 2020. Safety is paramount and the pandemic isn’t over. 

But I am also relieved that I won’t sit in the stands and get aggravated in the early season heat, at night on a chilly October Monday, or in the cold when the team is on the verge of blowing another shot at the playoffs in a seemingly wide open AFC East. Too many years I have suffered through the heartaches associated with the team’s failures. 

I don’t need to risk my life to see the Jets play. Especially the perpetually mediocre Jets. But I would say that goes for the Vikings, Cowboys, Rams, Eagles and every one of the NFL franchises. It simply is not worth it.

One more Jets-related item. Woody Johnson, team owner of the Jets and U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, is in a bit of hot water these days. Between racially-insensitive remarks and sexist rhetoric, Johnson behaved unethically when he attempted to promote, after speaking with President Trump, the attractiveness of Trump’s Scotland golf courses for future British Opens. Just a little bit more positive news associated with the franchise.

The NBA has started to play scrimmages between teams in the Florida bubble. The most riveting thing thus far are the patches of gray on Lebron James’ beard and the play of Denver’s Bol Bol, son of former NBA player Manute Bol. Bol, a 7 foot giant, is scoring and shooting with abandon, perhaps making the Nuggets a more legitimate threat in the upcoming playoffs. I love that the league gave Bol a drug test after his breakout game. 

Pity the poor Toronto Blue Jays. Homeless as the season begins. No place to nest. What an embarrassment.

Canadian authorities did not give the Jays the green light to play games at the Rogers Centre, largely due to the visiting teams all coming from the United States and the Jays’ own frequent trips outside of Canada. Considering that there are serious border restrictions in place between the two countries, the reluctance of the Canadian officials to okay the Jays playing in Toronto should not be surprising. Canada has flattened the curve. The U.S. hasn’t.

Except that MLB and the Jays seemingly were unprepared for this eventuality. Perhaps they were complacent, thinking that the NHL secured 2 Canadian hubs in Edmonton and Toronto. But the way that is structured, there is no travel and the participating American team would be sequestered in both cities. 

The Jays set their sights on Pittsburgh and PNC Park, to share the venue with the Pirates. Local and Commonwealth officials wanted no part of the Jays coming in, bringing in double the amount of teams which the Bucs would face. Those officials said this plan would create too many health risks and vetoed the idea. 

This has created a real dilemma for the Blue Jays. The team says it had 5 contingency plans. Negotiations with the Orioles and the State of Maryland had been confirmed. Yet this option was far from secure. 

There were two other choices—to head to Buffalo, where the team has its AAA team and use that stadium. However, there was not sufficient lighting nor were the clubhouse facilities at major league levels. And the team’s Dunedin, Florida spring training site is in a state where the COVID-19 infection rate is soaring. That was not enlightening.

Hartford, Connecticut offered its AA ballpark as an option, since the Jays were trying to remain in the designated geographical area which encompasses the AL East and NL East. I doubt that was a realistic consideration. 

This underscores the effect that the coronavirus has had on sports. For awhile it was entirely possible that the Blue Jays would be a road team for all of its games. That was not a great situation. Ultimately opting for Buffalo was a weak fallback position—but necessarily the only one to choose. I believe a good number of players will be glad to remain in their hotel during a 3 game series in Buffalo, although an excursion to Niagara Falls might be tempting. 

The Yankees opened in Washington against the defending World Champion Nationals. Take a moment to reflect on that. A classic matchup of stellar right handers—multiple Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer for the Nats against Gerrit Cole, coming off the incredible season in Houston and now the richest pitcher on the planet. 

Prior to the game, the teams lined up along the fouls lines, social distanced. The starting lineups were announced. Then a video was shown narrated by Morgan Freeman. The words, along with the long black ribbon held by the players, were the brainchild of former NL MVP Andrew McCutcheon, currently with the Phillies, and his wife, Maria, to tastefully and forcefully acknowledge where race and caring stand in players’ minds. 

In contrast, enter super Washington fan and our expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Given the honor of throwing out the first pitch, Dr. Fauci confidently strode to the mound, only to uncork a very awkward and wild throw allegedly headed to the vicinity of home plate. I immediately thought that this better not be a metaphor for the 2020 season.

As for the game, Giancarlo Stanton took care of the outcome early. After Aaron Judge singled hard to left and Gleyber Torres moved Judge to second with a weak roller, Stanton took a Scherzer fastball and deposited almost 450 feet away from home plate. 2-0 New York. Stanton collected 2 hits and drove in 3 runs. Judge also had 2 hits.

Cole gave up a homer to Adam Eaton. Period. Nothing else. He looked like an ace. Scherzer struck out 11 Yankees during his time on the mound. A fierce thunderstorm deposited buckets of rain and flooded the dugouts, finally causing the umpires to call the contest after a 1 hour, 58 minute stoppage, Final score was 4-1 New York with one out in the 6th inning. 

Juan Soto, the emerging star outfielder for the Nationals was diagnosed with COVID-19. His loss was felt last night and will hamper Washington as they seek to repeat as champions. Moreover, the Atlanta Braves, last season’s NL East champs, have two top catchers out with COVID-19 symptoms. Just a reminder of the potency of the disease.

ESPN televised the Giants and Dodgers on a beautiful Thursday night in Southern California. Future Hall of Fame Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw was scratched from the opening night start due to back stiffness as a result of lifting weights. The ESPN announcers talked about how badly Kershaw must be feeling missing the start—while the screen showed Kershaw enjoying himself greatly, with a big smile while teasing teammates. 

Rookie Dustin May filled in against veteran Giants hurler Johnny Cueto, who has the third lowest N.L. E.R.A. on Opening Day. Both only allowed 1 run while in the game, May left after 4 2/3 innings and 60 pitches. 

Los Angeles opened the game up with a big 8th inning, keyed by Mookie Betts. Betts, a former A.L. M.V.P., this week scored a huge 12 year deal to stay with LA. The Dodgers lineup is formidable—2019 N.L. M.V.P. Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Max Muncy, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and A.J. Pollock are potent hitters. The pitching is solid. LA is the team to beat in the N.L.

Sticking with baseball, the players and owners agreed to a 16 team playoffs for 2020. The opening rounds would be best of 3 before resuming the normal best of 5, then the best of 7 formats.  The higher seeds would host the 3 game series. Is this a preview of the future?

Finally, in the panicked world of big-time college football, the ACC and its partner, Notre Dame, may have reached a deal to play a 10 game conference schedule plus one more non-conference foe. To diehard Irish fans, losing their cherished independent status, and becoming eligible for the ACC playoff, is something hard to swallow, even if necessitated by the coronavirus. It is a big win for the ACC and a nice compromise for Notre Dame. Yet not surprising in this year of the pandemic, when avoiding monumental financial losses is paramount. 

Within the fabric of what is happening in the sports world, everything is still up in the air regarding how far sports will go from here on. COVID is firmly in control. 

With so much going on right now, it is what Fan X texted on Thursday that got me. He proclaimed, in a tirade, that he is “…a legend in my own mind.” 

I say stop it now, Fan X. With your rantings, a pandemic and sports at this juncture, this is kraken ME up.