A tradition like no other
For as long as sports leaders have held draft lotteries, fans have accused them of rigging the results. The best known example of such a collusion theory is the idea that the Knicks’ envelope was frozen in the 1985 lottery so that David Stern knew which one to get out of the pole. The NHL has its own urban legend that the 2005 lottery was rigged to hand over Sidney Crosby to the Penguins, a once proud franchise that was the subject of threats of relocation. But the drawing for the 2005 lottery was held behind closed doors. All Gary Bettman did on TV was open some envelopes to reveal the results, so there was never anything to recommend how the process was rigged in Pittsburgh’s favor.
This year’s NHL lottery was different, though. The ping pong balls were caught right in the open on national TV, allowing fans to start wildly speculating when the Rangers won.
This is the smoking gun moment.
Ah ha! Ernst & Young’s proven impersonator Therefore, it must be different weight from the rest!
If you’re on Twitter looking for fans who accuse the league of tilt the scale in favor of New York, you will find many, results (of varying severity). That’s not because they all believe the fix was in for the Rangers. A league is accused of favoring every team, but you guys (and especially big city teams like the Rangers) are just part of being a sports fan.
The reason people in this case are primarily focused on screaming conspiracy is that the presumptive no. 1-pick, Alexis LaFrenière, is a total slam dunk. He had 42 goals in his first season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – as a 16-year-old – and he has 217 points in 113 games in the past two seasons. He seems to be a slot a long star in the NHL.
Only players like LaFrenière are worthy to develop conspiracy theories about. You hear no one say the NBA rigged the lottery in favor of the Cavs in 2013 so they could take on Anthony Bennett. Conspiracy theories are ridiculous on their face, but when they involve stars like Ewing or Crosby, they become part of a player’s lore. Rangers fans should hope that LaFrenière is the kind of player who has warrants with speculation about a ping pong ball following him for the rest of his career.
What makes this example particularly exciting from a collusion point of view is the added intrigue of the Ernst & Young man’s butterflyers. If LaFrenière lives up to the hype, you will see clips from that moment everywhere for what new social media platform we will all be using in 2038 when the Rangers end their third Stanley Cup.
The best of SI
What does it mean for baseball that pitchers stop throwing so many fastballs? … Analyzing the NBA Bubble Breakout Stars. … Players who were eager to give their marching orders, their manager will not be happy. … What Tom Brady can learn from Joe Montana’s short time with the Chiefs.
Around the sports world
Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver spoke of the feeling of being “violated” because he was arrested on charges of drunk driving despite extinguishing a 0.0 on the breathalyzer. … MLB is probably considering a bubble format for their postseason. … As the Big Ten crumbled around him, Jim Harbaugh called for college football to roll forward by arguing, “This virus can be controlled.” … Ramón Laureano says he regrets charging Alex Cintrón “because he’s a loser.” … Andre Iguodala explains why he decided to wear “Group Economics” on the back of his jersey. … Disney is making a movie about the childhood of Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brother Thanasis.
If the NHL really directed it, this would not have happened
LeBron blocking a shot is the best
Clutch shot from Kuzma
I’m pretty sure Bol Bol has a longer wing than Jesus
Scott Frost of Nebraska wants to find a way to play, even if the Big Ten football is canceled
Devin Booker is doing Steph Curry things now
Just stay in the hotel!
Do not play sports
Disney is restarting Tron starring Jared Leto. … A man who used a metal detector in Scotland found what appears to be the remains of a Bronze Age horse. … James Gandolfini was apparently a big fan of the album Green Day Dookie.
Extremely good pun
NBC makes Will Forte’s MacGruber into a TV series
Sulfuric acid vs. sugar
A good song
Email [email protected] with all feedback or follow me on Twitter for about half a decent baseball joke a week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and to find the latest edition every day. By popular request I made a Spotify playlist of the music shown here. Visit us Extra Mustard page all day long for more offbeat sports stories.
.
