Wednesday’s Hot Clicks: The Lightning Sent the Most Melodramatic Tweet After Their Choke
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Honestly one of the biggest chokes in sports history
The Lightning were far and away the best team in the NHL this year, finishing 21 points ahead of the Flames for the best record in the league with the fourth-highest point total in league history. And they didn’t just lose to the Blue Jackets, the worst team in the Eastern Conference playoffs—they got swept. They’re the first President’s Trophy winner to ever fall victim to a first-round sweep.
That’s frustrating and embarrassing, no doubt. But is it frustrating and embarrassing enough to send a totally overwrought message to your fans on Twitter after the final horn that reads like the social media manager swiped it from a draft of a breakup text he was planning on sending to his girlfriend?
We don’t have any words and we know you don’t want to hear them.
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 17, 2019
We understand your anger, your frustration, your sadness. Everything you’re feeling – we get it.
This isn’t the ending we imagined, and certainly not the one we wanted. Thank you for being there the entire way.
Seriously, they’re giving the fans the old “it’s not you, it’s me.” The only thing that could have made it more absurd is if they tweeted it as a screenshot of the iPhone notes app.
The response to the tweet was quick and hilarious.
I mean honestly you could've just written "I'm sorry / I can't / Don't hate me" on a post-it note and it would have communicated the same vibe https://t.co/CCoufZoMfU
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) April 17, 2019
CLIPPY: It looks like you're filing for divorce! Open legal templates? https://t.co/fWHXg3AmTC
— Ryan Nanni (@celebrityhottub) April 17, 2019
I can’t wait for the inevitable parodies from other teams as the playoffs continue.
A night to forget for Steven Matz
Mets pitcher Steven Matz had about as bad an outing as you can ever have, allowing eight runs against the Phillies and not recording a single out.
Sup, Scotty? #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/Ey1Y7LCfSB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 16, 2019
Watch it go, Franc🎱.#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/9PauHkUivq
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 16, 2019
You don’t have to be a baseball expert to realize that’s not something a lot of people have done before.
Steven Matz is only the 9th pitcher since 1908 to go 0 innings and allow at least 8 runs
— Corey Seidman (@CSeidmanNBCS) April 16, 2019
Starting pitchers to face 8 batters and retire none, MLB history:
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) April 16, 2019
Steven Matz (NYM), tonight
Paul Wilson (CIN), 5/6/05
Paul Wilson (CIN), 7/10/03
Blake Stein (OAK), 8/31/98
Bobby Jones (NYM), 9/17/97
Bill Kreuger (OAK), 6/25/84
The Mets’ Twitter account started off the night so hopeful, but that changed quickly.
Fired up and ready to go. 👏 👏 👏 #PlayBall #LGM pic.twitter.com/bOF52SdGWa
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 16, 2019
We are perhaps not as fired up as we were 30 minute ago
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 16, 2019
Who wants free stuff?
UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who entered. Sorry if you missed out. I got over 200 entries in an hour.
It’s almost summer, so how about we do a beach-themed giveaway?
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That’s the folding cooler from Kelty, 45L edition. It’s a collapsible but sturdy cooler that can fit up to 70 cans and keep things cold for up to 36 hours. They sent me a sample and it looks pretty cool. Lightweight when empty and easy to set up and collapse again.
We’re giving away three of them to the 10th, 50th and 100th person to email me following these exact directions:
Go back to yesterday’s Hot Clicks. Find the number of points the Sixers scored in the third quarter against the Nets. Send me an email (dan.gartland@simail.com) with the subject line cooler giveaway (no quotes, no punctuation, no caps) and the correct answer. One entry per person. If you’re the 10th, 50th or 100th entrant to follow those instructions, you’ll get a Kelty folding cooler (retail price $79.95) sent right to your door.
The best of SI
Robert Klemko profiles Kyler Murray, whose two-sport potential left people on both sides a little perplexed. ... The secret to college football success is getting a good strength coach. ... A Marquette lacrosse player was arrested after he and a female athlete were caught having sex in a locker room at 3 a.m.
Around the sports world
The former general managers of the Chargers and Giants go behind the scenes of the 2004 Eli Manning-Phillip Rivers trade. ... J.J. Watt is giving the commencement address at Wisconsin and was shocked to learn he had to write a speech ahead of time.
How did Collin McHugh do this?
Ryan Fitzpatrick says birthday cake made him fat
Ryan Fitzpatrick was asked about looking thicker in pictures & says he’s in “peak offseason form.” Fitzpatrick said he has 7 kids and a lot of birthday parties with plenty of cake. He said birthdays are over and he plans to get in more football shape as offseason goes on. pic.twitter.com/HzfGHUt5ET
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) April 16, 2019
That’s how you circumvent a ban
Friendly reminder...
— Nationwide Arena (@NationwideArena) April 16, 2019
Security has asked us to remind you that due to safety concerns, you can not bring a broom into the arena tonight. #CBJ
Blue Jackets fans were irate that they couldn’t bring brooms to the arena as they attempted to close out the Lightning in a sweep.
But leave it to fans to find a way around that.
No brooms ... but they said nothing of broom heads!!! #CBJ pic.twitter.com/9q1xn87RJ9
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) April 17, 2019
Cristiano Ronaldo’s team got knocked out of the Champions League by a scrappy little Dutch team
That’s Ajax’s first Champions League semi-final in 22 years.
Just a brutal Tinder opener
Do I ruin this guys morning? pic.twitter.com/EIWuiERHeh
— bran huess (@Bran_John99) April 16, 2019
Better safe than sorry
The entire @Braves dugout is laughing because Ronald Acuña Jr. decided to slide in the grass about 25 feet shy of second base... 🙃 pic.twitter.com/e3eojXv79O
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) April 16, 2019
Acuña also did this
RONALD ACUÑA JR. JUST GOLFED A BASEBALL TO THE MOON.
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) April 17, 2019
That's a 448-foot home run for the 21-year-old star. pic.twitter.com/2BtoT20AE9
Lionel Messi does it again
Another one for the collection. Messi delivers a stunner
— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) April 16, 2019
(via @UnivisionSports)pic.twitter.com/nyddv5Yyev
No arguments here
Was also considering this map... pic.twitter.com/coL38h5NDQ
— 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚 (@Chris_Grosse) April 16, 2019
Not sports
These bugs repair their homes by killing themselves and letting their guts patch up holes. ... A New Jersey dentist’s sexy mannequin lawn display is tearing his neighborhood apart, but he keeps bringing it back. ... The video game Assassin’s Creedcould be used to help rebuild Notre Dame. ... A Florida man is accused of filling a water gun with urine and shooting his neighbor with it. ... When a Broadway play calls for Ethan Hawke to trash a kitchen, someone has to put it all back together.
AWWW YEAAAHH
Therapist: The cicada that shouts "AWW YEAAAH" isn't real, he can't hurt you
— David (@Beabosaur) April 14, 2019
The cicada that shouts "AWW YEAAAH": pic.twitter.com/3MOyJo78Xm
Just a kangaroo causing havoc at a millionaire tobacco tycoon’s mansion
Extremely relatable
A good song
Email dan.gartland@simail.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.