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Rangers’ Win Sparks Conspiracy Theories About Rigged Draft Lottery – Sports Illustrated

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In Tuesday’s Hot Clicks: NHL fans start conspiracy theories about the draft lottery, Kyle Kuzma gives a great quote after nailing a game-winner and more.

A tradition unlike any other

For as long as sports leagues have been holding draft lotteries, fans have been accusing them of rigging the results. The most famous example of such a conspiracy theory is the idea that the Knicks’ envelope in the 1985 lottery was frozen so that David Stern knew which one to pick out of the pile. The NHL has its own urban legend that the 2005 lottery was rigged to hand Sidney Crosby to the Penguins, a formerly proud franchise that was the subject of relocation threats. But the drawing for the 2005 lottery was conducted behind closed doors. All Gary Bettman did on TV was open some envelopes to reveal the results, so there was never any guess as to how the process had been rigged in Pittsburgh’s favor. 

This year’s NHL lottery was different, though. The ping pong balls were picked right out in the open on national TV, allowing fans to start speculating wildly when the Rangers won

This is the smoking gun moment. 

Ah ha! The allegedly impartial arbiter from Ernst & Young dropped the Rangers’ ball! Therefore, it must be weighted differently from the rest!

If you search Twitter for fans accusing the league of tilting the scales in New York’s favor, you’ll find many, may results (of varying degrees of seriousness). That’s not because they all believe the fix was in for the Rangers. Accusing a league of favoring any team but yours (and especially big city teams like the Rangers) is just part of being a sports fan. 

The reason people are especially geared up to cry conspiracy in this case 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 over the past two seasons. He seems like a lock to be a star in the NHL for a long time. 

Only players like LaFrenière are worthy of developing conspiracy theories about. You don’t hear anyone saying the NBA rigged the lottery in favor of the Cavs in 2013 so they could take Anthony Bennett. Conspiracy theories are ludicrous on their face, but when they involve stars like Ewing or Crosby, they become part of a player’s lore. Rangers fans should hope LaFrenière turns out to be the kind of player who warrants having speculation about a ping pong ball follow him around for the rest of his career. 

What makes this example particularly exciting from a conspiracy standpoint is the added intrigue of the Ernst & Young guy’s butterfingers. If LaFrenière lives up to the hype, you’ll be seeing clips of that moment all over whichever new social media platform we’re all using in 2038 when the Rangers hoist their third Stanley Cup. 

The best of SI

What does it mean for baseball that pitchers have stopped throwing as many fastballs? … Analyzing the NBA bubble’s breakout stars. … Players pushing to organize was the perfect capper for a wild weekend of college football news. … What Tom Brady can learn from Joe Montana’s brief time with the Chiefs

Around the sports world

Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver spoke about feeling “violated” for being arrested on drunk driving charges despite blowing a 0.0 on the breathalyzer. … MLB is reportedly considering a bubble format for its postseason. … As the Big Ten was crumbling around him, Jim Harbaugh called for college football to roll ahead by arguing, “This virus can be controlled.” … Ramón Laureano says he regrets charging at 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 childhoods of Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brother Thanasis.

If the NHL really wanted to rig it, this wouldn’t have happened

LeBron blocking a shot is the best

Clutch shot from Kuzma

I’m pretty sure Bol Bol has a longer wingspan than Jesus

Nebraska’s Scott Frost wants to find a way to play even if the Big Ten cancels football

Devin Booker is doing Steph Curry things now

Just stay in the hotel!

Not sports

Disney is rebooting Tron with Jared Leto starring. … A guy using a metal detector in Scotland found what appears to be the remnants of a Bronze Age horse harness. … James Gandolfini was apparently a big fan of the Green Day album Dookie

Extremely good pun

NBC is turning Will Forte’s MacGruber into a TV series

Sulfuric acid vs. sugar

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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