The Yard has relocated to the Pacific Northwest for the summer. Our usual cadence of publishing has been delayed during this transition. Yard cadence is random at best. There was a unique opportunity to assist the first cousin of the Yard launching a new wine shop in Roche Harbor, WA. Several have argued that my placement at the helm of a wine outlet was unwise. I am quick to point out that I have decades of tireless field work while retiring by 8:30 most nights. The wife is pleased when I bring work home. If you find your travels out to San Juan Island, stop in for a glass.
The biggest miss of our travels besides the birth of the first granddaughter of the Yard Annie, was the Vegas Golden Knights record run to the title. Annie’s arrival is a blessing and we are thrilled that she has safely arrived. Annie’s Dodger indoctrinations do not start until 18 months following a full moon. She had her first experience with the Yard on Father’s day. We shared a knowing wink, gurgle, and coo and I think she started the wave.
The VGK run to the Stanley cup was completely unexpected. The Knights did not even make the playoffs last year. The team expected improvement, but Lord Stanley’s cup was not anticipated. In the PNW, we found kindred spirits at the resort bar but not the same hang as being in LV. Owner Bill Foley projected a title within the first six years, and the Knights delivered right on time. Many still scoff that VGK got a favorable first draft and that led to all their success. That draft was seven years ago and much has happened. What the Knights did in six years, Canada has not done in thirty. For a nation that prides itself on its hockey, three decades is generational. For Las Vegas to be playing Florida in the finals must be surreal for Canadians and their drought. It seems like they would burn the place down, oh wait strike that.
The news cycle on the island is 7-10 days, not 24 hours. The Dodgers are still playing well and in first place, right? It appears that the 2024 Presidential campaign has raised its sails and straight into choppy waters. Trump’s witches had a successful hunt. At least the DOJ is on board and brought charges against the ginger Fuhrer for his handling of classified documents. It is great TV to compare Trump’s comments about Hillary’s use of a private email server in 2016 to his 2023 comments about his storing of highly classified printed documents in a Mar a Lago bathroom. Kevin McCarthy did clarify that it was a special bathroom, so we feel safer tonight. Trump’s assertion that he can declassify documents in his mind is hilariously scary. When is he opening his library?
And who is that rising above a nearby McDonalds but Chris Christie emerging like a submarine surfacing. Where has it been, what was it doing? Last we saw Christie he was standing like a bloated potted plant in the first Trump cacophony news cycle. Ron De Santis plowed his public announcement for president like blunt force trauma. Taking on Disney was a good opening illustration. Bob Iger has been running Disney since DeSantis was in Harvard Law school. Iger is a savvy, political independent who has created more jobs, market value and iconic content than exists in Florida if you exclude Disney. The Yard will challenge DeSantis to use “Woke” less than four times in any campaign speech. His policy for educational books sounds like the basis for Fahrenheit 451.
It has taken some time to unpack the Laker season. For most of the season, the team was awful. They lingered far from the playoffs. Rob Pelinka made some aggressive moves at the trading deadline and the team woke up. Their race from the play-in round to the conference finals was exciting. The second coming of D’Angelo Russell was a better version of the former first-round pick. He was more mature and did not have a Swaggy P in the locker room to clown him. He was a non-factor in the Western Finals. No Laker was a factor in those finals. Denver had never beaten the Lakers in a conference final previously. They never did had the Joker either. He is a special tub of athletes. He looks like he could pass out or be stopping for a slice, but he keeps nailing the most ridiculous of shots. He extends so many plays just banging away on anything in his way. Miami had no answer either. Lebron mused that it was a tough loss, and he might retire. Lebron is owed more than $90 million for the next two seasons. He is not going anywhere. He had one of his best seasons while becoming the All-time NBA scoring leader. At 38, he is still among the very best in the league. He wants another title and so do the Lakers. The Warriors series was such a battle, and the Lakers took down the champs. They shot their last silver bullet in that series. Golden State has an aging roster and Draymond is opting. They must decide their future. The Lakers already have and if AD and King James are healthy, another title is possible.
And in the end: We missed the coronation of King Charles. We would have missed it had we been at home. The Netflix show is better than the real thing. England wonders why they are falling behind as a world power. They might start looking at the return-on-investment funding the monarchy. The Firm is more of a tourist attraction than a business model from our perspective. How do you find the best to lead when the historical first male DNA is all that matters? Charles was destined to be king from the time of his birth. He did his best not to screw that up. Andrew and Fergie have secretly degraded the brand for decades without morals. Harry and Megan have shilled it shamelessly without substance. William and Kate are publicly trying to keep it together for their future while suffering through Charles and Camilla. The House of Windsor has survived for centuries before social media and awakenings. This could be the end.
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