Friday’s Hot Clicks: Alex Ovechkin Proves There’s No Better Place to Win the Stanley Cup Than Las Vegas

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Friday’s Hot Clicks: Alex Ovechkin Proves There’s No Better Place to Win the Stanley Cup Than Las Vegas
Friday’s Hot Clicks: Alex Ovechkin Proves There’s No Better Place to Win the Stanley Cup Than Las Vegas /

This is how you celebrate a Stanley Cup win

Capitals fans from coast to coast went totally nuts celebrating their teams first ever championship. In D.C., the streets were flooded with people in red, some climbing up the street poles. In the arena in Vegas, a woman flashed the players as Alex Ovechkin skated around the rink with the Cup, much to the delight of Andre Burakovsky.

It was clear from the moment the horn sounded that Ovechkin was going to celebrate harder than any Cup-winning captain had before. You could tell how much it meant to him. 

After the initial shock wore off a bit, you could tell Ovi was in party mode because he broadcast a message to all Caps fans to “go get some beers.” (As if they weren’t already.)

And then the real celebration began. Ovi was spotted walking the Cup through a hotel lobby as a throng of fans cheered him on. Then he brought it on stage at a Tiesto concert. 

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I think every athlete wants to win a championship at home so they can share it with their own fans (and so they don’t have to take an extremely hungover plane ride) but Vegas seems like a perfectly good alternative. It’s certainly better than if the Jets had won the West and the Caps had to celebrate in Winnipeg. 

An awesome way to get your Caps Stanley Cup merch

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This is a really cool thing sports apparel company Fanatics is doing today. Beginning at 10 a.m. this morning, Caps fans who just can’t wait to get their hands on commemorative Stanley Cup merchandise can order it through the Uber Eats app. The only catch is that delivery is limited to the D.C. metro area. (If you’re a displaced Caps fan living outside Washington, you can also get Stanley Cup shirts and hats here.)

But how cool is that? If you’re able to go into work just a little bit late, you can be the first person in the office wearing the official Stanley Cup champs gear. 

A more honorable man than me

Ryan Gates is a producer and host at Buffalo radio station WGR-550‚ or at least, he was. Gates said before the NFL draft that he’d quit his job if the Bills took Josh Allen before Baker Mayfield or Josh Rosen. The Browns took Mayfield with the first pick but Rosen was still on the board when the Bills picked Allen at No. 7. And so Gates is actually quitting his job. Seriously. He’ll remain a part-time contributor to the station but he’s giving up his full-time gig. Man, that could never be me. I’m convinced if I lost my job I’d never find another one. I’d have to back to carrying golf bags like I did in high school and college. 

Bits & Pieces

Justin Bieber is being sued over the fight he allegedly sparked after Game 3 of the 2016 NBA Finals. ... This was an interesting piece about why the U.S. probably won’t qualify for 3-on-3 basketball when it debuts at the next Olympics. ... A New Jersey state trooper just happened to pull over the retired cop who delivered him when his mom unexpectedly went into labor 27 years ago. ... These are the 10 upcoming college football games that no one wants to see. ... This Cincinnati teacher is aiming to be the first American to row across the North Atlantic unassisted. ... The Mets drafted the son of the guy who played Biff Tannen in Back to the Future

Now you’re picturing Nick Saban naked in a lake

Legend

Summer of Giannis update

I’m looking forward to seeing what he goes for next. My vote is for Pringles. I’ve never been as dehydrated as the morning after I absent-mindedly at three-quarters of a tube of buffalo ranch Pringles. 

Probably my favorite fan reaction from last night

The best player reaction is definitely T.J. Oshie talking about his father’s struggle with dementia and what it meant for him to see him win the Cup. 

That’s what you get for trying to run up the score

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Papi doesn’t have time for first names

Jose Iglesias is a wizard

A perfect spoof

A good song

Thanks to Patrick in California for the recommendation. 

Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or ping me on Twitter. Click here for previous editions of Hot Clicks. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.


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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).