As you all probably know by now, I’m numero uno on the John Tavares Lover’s Bangwagon. I’ve been groveling at his feet for nearly a year now, well before the Islanders ever had the first round pick. So, when I’m telling someone they’re giving Tavares a little too much of a BJ, you know they’re crazy.
Here’s the background. The Islanders have that lovely exhibition game in Kansas City today — you know, the town in the midwest that thinks it is America’s version of Hamilton, Ontario except that, well, they’re not — and one Mr. John Tavares is not going to be in attendance. He’s supposedly being protected from Dion Phaneuf who may be in the stands with a machete/saved for Wednesday’s home preseason game on Long Island. And with all of 5,000 expected to attend tonight, they’re heartbroken that the love child of Gretzky and Crosby (their words, not mine) won’t be in attendance. Per the Kansas City Star:
Unfortunately for Kansas City, Tavares, a forward expected to be the next Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby rolled into one, won’t be part of a split squad when the Islanders face the AEG-owned Los Angeles Kings at 7 tonight at the Sprint Center.
Yeah, that’s… Um… Whew. OK.
Their enthusiasm is cute but that scouting report sure is off-center. I guess this is probably just a case of a newspaper/tabloid trying to turn public sentiment into a fervor for a new hockey team out there. And then there’s this:
“This is part of the deal,” McGannon said. “Preseason games … they’ll set a roster, and we have no control who the management decides to bring in. This is like when the Royals had a road exhibition game, and George Brett didn’t make the trip.
I guess that’s a fair comparison. Except that was probably more than 20 years ago — Brett retired in 1993 — and the Royals are from Kansas City.
And lastly, a bit of self pimping. Is it just me or is it hilarious that this image is the fourth one that comes up when you search “Kansas City” in Google Images?
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