Mostly Sports

LA Dodgers Are the World Champs

POSTED OCTOBER 31, 2024

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Yankees and won the 2024 World Series in five games.  Bleacher Report called the Yankees' fifth game performance an "all-time collapse in the Bronx".  Entering the fifth inning with a 5 run lead, the second highest payroll team in MLB became the first team to allow 5 unearned runs in a World Series elimination game.  Game 5 takeaways are linked below left.

This is the Dodgers' eighth world championship — having won titles in 2024, 2020, 1988, 1981, 1965, 1963, 1959, and 1955. They are now tied for fifth on the all-time World Series titles list with the San Francisco Giants.  For the Yankees, who had the best winning percentage in the American League, it was another ultimately disappointing year.  Although they have 27 World Series titles, they have not won since 2009, when they defeated the Phillies.

The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman was the Series MVP.  Freeman homered in each of the first four games of the Series, then drove in two runs with a clutch two-out single during the Dodgers' 7-6 clinching win in Game 5 on Wednesday night.  His dramatic Game 1 homer set the tone for L.A.'s victory.  With two outs in the 10th inning and the Dodgers trailing 3-2, Freeman pulled a Nestor Cortes fastball into the right-field seats at Dodger Stadium for the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history. [link below right]

NY Liberty win their first WNBA title (and first for NYC basketball since 1973)

POSTED OCTOBER 21, 2024

One of my early memories of the subway trips to Greenwich Village with my Dad to visit my grandmother is the sight of the basketball courts as we emerged from the West 4th Street station.  Constantly in use throughout the year, the West 4th Street courts are iconic representatives of the more than 500 outdoor basketball courts throughout the five boroughs.  Basketball is the perfect school yard sport for the city.  You can enjoy it with just 2 players or as many as 10. You can even practice it alone, shooting hoops from a distance or driving for a layup or fine-tuning your foul shot until someone else shows up and challenges you to a game.  The Basketball Reference website lists 300 current and former NBA and ABA players who came from New York City, including Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar), Mark Jackson, Ron Artest and "Tiny" Archibald.  

In spite of the popularity of the sport, New York City had not seen a college or professional basketball championship since the 1972-1973 Knicks.  That all changed Sunday night when the New York Liberty, one of the original franchises of the WNBA, took home its first  championship with an overtime Game 5 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.  The final game capped a remarkable series that saw four of the five games decided in overtime or by a single basket.  ESPN declared it "a fitting end to a 2024 WNBA season that catapulted the WNBA into a new era of growth and cultural relevance, one that commissioner Cathy Engelbert called "the most transformational year in the WNBA's history." 

Recaps from ESPN and CNN linked below left and right, respectively.

Mets and Yankees move on to their League Championship Series

POSTED OCTOBER 11, 2024

The Mets and the Yankees have both closed out their Division Series and now move on to the League Championship Series. where they await the winners of the Dodgers-Padres and Tigers-Guardians games this weekend.

Francisco Lindor’s sixth-inning grand slam sent Citi Field into a frenzy and propelled the New York Mets to a 4-1 NLDS-clinching win over the rival Philadelphia Phillies. New York advances to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2015. [link below left]

Yankee ace Gerrit Cole stifled the Royals for seven innings, allowing one run in a Game 4 victory that resembled their win the previous night: excellent pitching, strong defense and enough hitting to advance to their 19th ALCS. The best team in the AL during the regular season nearly stumbled in its division series, stealing a pair of game in Kansas City to secure its spot in the ALCS. [link below right]

MLB Division Series begin Saturday

POSTED OCTOBER 4, 2024

The wild card games are over and the American and National League Division Series begin this Saturday.  The wild card winners - Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and New York Mets  - will meet the "bye teams" - New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively, in best-of-five series.

As a New York sports fan, I am looking forward to a "subway series" between the Mets and the Yankees - something that has not happened since 2000.  Long way still to go but fingers crossed it could happen.  Below left is a post on the Mets Game 3 win on the road against the Atlanta Braves, described by Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns as “one of the greatest games in Mets history.  Below right is a Royals-Yankees position-by-position breakdown.

Catching up with baseball 

POSTED SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

MLB's long regular season is in its final weeks. Although the playoff picture is still taking shape, here are a few of the stories that have shaped the season.

Shohei Ohtani's historic season is helping the Dodgers to the division lead in the NL West.  This year, Ohtani became the sixth player in MLB history to achieve a 40-40 season (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases).  Currently at 48 home runs and 48 stolen bases with 11 games remaining, he has a chance at a 50-50 season.  This would be the first time anyone has achieved that.  His LA Dodgers currently enjoy a 2.5 game lead over the Padres in the NL West.

Sep 20 Update: Takeaways and Fallout of Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani's Historic 50/50 Season| Bleacher Report 

Aaron Judge is back and the Yankees are on top of the AL East. In 2023 with Judge missing 56 games, the Yankees went 82–80, their worst record since 1992.  This year, Judge has played in all but three of the Yankees' games and leads the majors with 53 home runs - this in spite of a recent 16 game streak in which he hit just .207 with no home runs.  As of Wednesday Sep 18, Judge is batting .323 with an 1.149 OPS (On Base Plus Slugging) and 9.8 WAR (Wins Above Replacement), the latter two of which top the MLB leaderboards as well. 

The Philadelphia Phillies have a major league leading .603 winning percentage and lead the NL East by 8 games.  This year they set a franchise record by sending 8 players to the All-Star game: Alec Bohm (3B), Bryce Harper (1B), Jeff Hoffman (P), Cristopher Sánchez (P), Matt Strahm (P), Ranger Suárez (P), Trea Turner (SS), Zack Wheeler (P).

TIME magazine's reviewer writes of the concluding chapter of the 2o+ film franchise, "Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and their team of writers have ensured...that each Avenger gets his or her proper allotment of sensitive moments, as well as heroic ones" and calling "the discreet, wistful coda they give Steve Rogers/Captain America...the movie’s single most gorgeous element, perfectly fitting for a guy who entered a 70-year sleep right after finding the love of his life."

But is Avengers: Endgame really the highest grossing film of all-time?  After all, the cumulative rate of inflation in the United States since films were first shown in theaters is over 3000%.  Looking at the figures for all films in 2019 dollars, the Avengers film, which grossed $2.8 billion in 2019, actually comes in at #5 on the all-time list.  It didn't win an Academy Award but is a favorite with fans of the Avengers saga.  IMDb's user rating is 8.4/10.  Below left is the official trailer; below right is the TIME review.

#4 on the all-time list is Star Wars (1977) - The original Star Wars movie, also known as Episode IV – A New Hope, has grossed approximately $3.0 billion in 2019 dollars.  The first, and, for me, still the best Star Wars movie features, as we all know, "Luke Skywalker joining forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookie and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader."  Renowned film critic Roger Ebert reviewed the film in glowing terms describing his total immersion in the film ("my imagination has forgotten it is actually present in a movie theater and thinks it’s up there on the screen. In a curious sense, the events in the movie seem real, and I seem to be a part of them") and pointing to the source of its appeal..."[The movie succeeds on the] "strength of pure narrative, in the most basic storytelling form known to man, the Journey. All of the best tales we remember from our childhoods had to do with heroes setting out to travel down roads filled with danger, and hoping to find treasure or heroism at the journey’s end."

The IMDb user's rating is 8.6/10.  It was nominated for 11 Oscars and came away the winners of 7.  The Star Wars trailer is below left and Roger Ebert's four-star review is below right.  

Coming in at #3 is Titanic (1997).  This film has earned about $3.1 billion in 2019 dollars.  Titanic won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.  Reviewer Nicole Ackman [below right] writes, "...what [director James Cameron] was doing with this film...was epic on a scale that non-franchise films rarely rose to, even by the late 1990s. The production would also test the limits of both technology and film budgeting...But what makes Titanic work so well – aside from James Cameron’s meticulous attention to detail and ability to make a three-hour runtime fly – is that it’s not just a period drama romance or a survival film. It’s both those and a scathing class commentary and, perhaps most importantly, a beautiful coming-of-age film."  The film garnered an IMDb rating of 7.9/10.  The trailer is below left.

Another James Cameron film, Avatar, comes in at number 2.  With its original release and subsequent re-releases, it has grossed around $3.3 billion in 2019 dollars.  The film was first conceived by Cameron a decade before the means to realize his vision even existed.  Four years in production, it is set on the lush alien world of Pandora where the primitive-looking but highly evolved Na'vi live. Because the planet's environment is poisonous, human/Na'vi hybrids, called Avatars, must link to human minds to move freely and survive.  A paralyzed former Marine, becomes mobile again through one such Avatar and falls in love with a Na'vi woman.  As his bond with her grows, he is drawn into a battle for the survival of her world. 

Roger Ebert introduces his review [below right] with "Avatar is not simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It’s a technical breakthrough. It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message. It is predestined to launch a cult. It contains such visual detailing that it would reward repeated viewings. It invents a new language, Na’vi, as “Lord of the Rings” did, although mercifully I doubt this one can be spoken by humans, even teenage humans. It creates new movie stars. It is an Event, one of those films you feel you must see..."

The film took home three Oscars and has IMDb rating of 7.9/10.  The trailer is below left.

You've probably guessed by now that the highest grossing film of all-time is Gone With the Wind (1939).   A sentimental look at the post Civil War south, set new standards in color, scene design, and cinematography, won eight Oscars, and has earned $3.7 billion in 2019 dollars.  Filmed in the "glorious Technicolor", it has been re-released several times over the years and remains one of the most popular films of all-time (IMDb rating: 8.2/10).

A story of survival with a strong hint of feminism, the film based on Margaret Mitchell's novel features "a sheltered and manipulative Southern belle and a roguish profiteer, [who] face off in a turbulent romance as the society around them crumbles with the end of slavery and is rebuilt during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods."  In his 1998 review, Roger Ebert notes that it was "still a towering landmark of film, quite simply because it tells a good story, and tells it wonderfully well." 

From Roger Ebert's 1998 review:

Remember that when “GWTW” was made, segregation was still the law in the South and the reality in the North...The movie comes from a world with values and assumptions fundamentally different from our own...As an example of filmmaking craft, “GWTW” is still astonishing...[The] producer, David O. Selznick,...understood that the key to mass appeal was the linking of melodrama with state-of-the-art production values.  Some of the individual shots in “GWTW” still have the power to leave us breathless, including the burning of Atlanta, the flight to Tara and the “street of dying men” shot.

From Time Out's 2013 review of that year's re-release: 

It’s a good job they’re putting this ravishing new print of ‘Gone with the Wind’ in cinemas now – before Steve McQueen’s ‘12 Years a Slave’ arrives in January to show us what American slavery really looked like. Its stereotype of happy slaves and kindly masters has never been more wince-inducing... But no one watches ‘Gone with the Wind’ for historical accuracy. What keeps us coming back is four-hours of epic romance in gorgeous Technicolor.

The trailer is below left and Roger Ebert's review is below right.

Sources: nscreenmedia.com, IMDb, New Georgia Encyclopedia 

Euro 2024 Quarterfinals: Spain, France, England, Netherlands prevail

POSTED JULY 6, 2024

The quarterfinals of Euro 2024 have concluded with Spain, France, England and Netherlands moving on to the semifinals.  Nailbiters all - two of the matches were decided on penalty kicks; one, in extra time; and one in regulation time.

Highlights clockwise from the top left: Portugal v France, Spain v Germany, England v Switzerland, Netherlands vs. Türkiye.

Semifinal matches feature Spain vs. France in Munich, Germany, on Tuesday July 9 and Netherlands vs. England in Dortmund, Germany, on Wednesday July 10.  Matches start at 3 pm Eastern time and will be broadcast on Fox and Fox Sports 1 .  The semifinal winners meet Sunday July 14 to determine the Euro 2024 champions.

Say Hey Willie Mays

POSTED JUNE 21, 2024

Willie Mays was my childhood hero.  He was one of the greatest, perhaps the greatest, all-around baseball player the game has ever seen and one of the most beloved sports figures of all time.  I followed his exploits daily on our black-and-white TV and on the back pages of the New York Daily News when the Giants played in New York.  And when they deserted the city after the 1957 season and moved to San Francisco, I remained a follower as best I could.  Willie Mays passed away Tuesday at the age of 93. [link below right]

I loved baseball.  My earliest career choice, circa second grade at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School in Bayside, was "baseball player".  Summers were spent playing stickball* in the street from dawn to dusk.  Often we would be joined by our friend's Dad, a fireman off for the day shift, who had played in the St. Louis Browns' organization.  Unlike most of us young players, he could get the ball over the plate and so he was the designated pitcher, kindly lobbing "meatballs" for us to smash.  On rare occasions, when we had enough players and a not-too-beat-up hardball, we'd go to a field that had been recently cleared for the construction of the Throgs Neck Bridge, move some rocks out of the way, and play on a crude diamond.  If nothing else, it taught us how to handle "bad hop" ground balls as a simple matter of self-defense.

New York City in the '50s was a treat for baseball fans.  Three of the sixteen major league teams played there.  We rooted for the Giants, the Dodgers, or the Yankees based on some unknown logic or emotion, and endless arguments ensued over whether Mickey Mantle or Duke Snider or Willie Mays was the best centerfielder** and which was the best team of the three that season.  In the span from 1950 through 1958, one and sometimes two New York baseball teams appeared in every World Series and won eight of these nine Series!  

When the Say Hey kid was signed by the New York Giants in 1951, he was one of less than 20 African-Americans playing in the Major Leagues.  He moved into a Harlem neighborhood near the Polo Grounds, the home field of the Giants.  On summer days, he could be seen playing stickball with the neighborhood kids.  

I saw "The Catch" on TV.  Better described as "The Catch and Throw", it remains one of the most memorable plays in baseball history.  It was a play that could only be made in the Polo Grounds where the deepest part of center field is 483 feet from home plate. [link below left]

His enthusiasm and love for baseball were second to none, and his talent made him the idol of many a young baseball fan.  And, as a good friend said, Willie Mays was "a giant in the African-American community, especially with the youth."

Mays finished his career with a .302 batting average, 3,283 hits, 660 home runs, 1,903 runs batted in, and 338 stolen bases. One of the greatest all-around players the sport has ever seen, Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.  Standing out as much as the statistics was his ebullient personality and the "electricity" you felt watching him play.  Following are some quotes from contemporaries and other admirers that round out our picture of this amazing human being. 

“I’m not sure what the hell ‘charisma’ is but I get the feeling it’s Willie Mays.” - Cincinnati Reds slugger Ted Kluszewski

"Willie Mays was the happiest guy in the world to be Willie Mays.  That’s what he wanted to be: He wanted to be Willie Mays.” - Broadcaster Lon Simmons

"...his incredible achievements and statistics do not begin to describe the awe that came with watching Willie Mays dominate the game in every way imaginable." - MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred

“Willie Mays wasn’t just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power. He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person — and an inspiration to an entire generation.” - Barack Obama

I'll close with a quote from Willie himself.  Reflecting on the taunts and prejudice he encountered while playing in the segregated South, he once said, “Positive thinking allowed me to look past whatever was happening.  If you can overcome your pain and do your job, the pain disappears the next day.”

Thank you , Willie.  R.I.P.

Notes:

*"Stickball was a quintessential street game during the mid-20th century, especially in urban areas like New York. Kids would use broomsticks as bats and high-bouncing spaldeen balls to play pick-up games. The streets served as their playground, with manhole covers as home plates, fire hydrants as bases, and buildings as foul lines." (source unknown)  In our version of the game on 206th St, we used real bats.

**Mickey Mantle once quipped, “We don’t mind being second, do we, Duke?”

Sources: East Bay Times, NBC News, Fox 10 Phoenix, AP News

Boston Celtics take home 18th NBA title 

POSTED JUNE 18, 2024

The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 1o6-88, in Game 5 of the NBA championship series to capture the NBA title.  It was the 18th title for the Celtics, the most of any team in the NBA.  

It was another dominating playoff performance by the Celtics who went 13-2 in the post season with an average margin of victory of 11.3 points, the fifth highest in the NBA's 77 year history.  Jaylen Brown [link below left] took home the Bill Russell trophy as the finals MVP, just one week after he had captured the Eastern Conference Larry Byrd MVP trophy.

The Celtics are one of three franchises from the NBA's first season still playing today.  The others are the Warriors (then in Philadelphia,  now dba Golden State) and the Knicks.  A storied franchise, the Celtics have seen many legendary players [link below right] take the court at Boston Garden and TD Garden.  

The Celtics coach during my youth was Red Auerbach, who guided the Boston Celtics through their dynasty, the greatest in NBA history. With Auerbach at the helm as coach or in the front office, the Celtics won 16 championships. They captured nine titles during his last 10 years as coach, including a record eight straight from 1959 to 1966.  ESPN Classic has a great article on Auerbach, who was the first to draft an African-American, the first to start five Black players, and the first to hire a Black coach.

Real Madrid takes home 15th Champions League title

POSTED JUNE 2, 2024

In the end it just seemed inevitable.  Real Madrid emerged from the Champions League final with a 2-0 victory over Dortmund.  Dominated by Dortmund for the first thirty minutes, taking 74 minutes to break through the Yellow Wall, and then...32-year-old, 5'8" right back Dani Carvajal scores with a perfectly placed header off a corner kick.  Nine minutes later Vinicius Junior doubles Real's lead.  

As they had so many times over so many years*, Real Madrid, on the ropes, responded and won a Champions League match.   Their 15th Champions League title came for the first time with no losses during the entire campaign.   They needed four comebacks along the way, including their last-gasp turnaround against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals and a penalty shootout victory over last season's winners Manchester City in the quarter-finals, but the Spanish champions wouldn't be denied.  They took home their 15th Champions League trophy and their 6th in 11 years.  When Real reaches the UEFA Champions League final, their history has been unparalleled.  They have won 15 of their 18 UCL finals - their last final loss coming forty three years ago in 1981.  

Dani Carvajal was awarded Man of the Match. For Carvajal and team-mates Toni Kroos, Nacho and Luka Modric it was a remarkable sixth Champions League win with Real Madrid.  Carlo Ancelotti has now won the coveted prize a record five times as a head coach.

Dortmund had a remarkable UCL 2023-2024 campaign, winning 7, losing 2, and drawing 3.  Their victories included road wins against Atletico Madrid and PSG in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.  The underdog squad gave Real all they could handle - threatening an upset with 3 clear chances to score in the early going.  But in the end, the Real Madrid juggernaut guided by the best head coach in the game rolled along and secured the title.  Inevitable.

Links clockwise from the top left: Sky Sports match report, New York Times article on Dortmund's superb performance, CBS Sports extended game highlights, and iNews article on Carlo Ancelotti.

NHL Playoffs

POSTED MAY 31, 2024

Trivia question:  What do the years 1988, 1994, 1999 and the word "never" have in common?

They are the last time the four teams remaining in the NHL playoffs won the Stanley Cup - respectively the Edmonton Oilers, the New York Rangers, the Dallas Stars, and the Florida Panthers.  The teams have been giving their fans some exciting hockey and all have a shot at the Cup.  

The NHL conference finals will be decided by June 4, and both conferences have close series that could go to 7 games.   In the Eastern Conference, the Panthers lead the Rangers 3 games to 2.  Highlights of the Panthers' victory last night are below left.  In the West, Dallas and Edmonton are knotted at 2 games apiece.  Highlights of their game 4 are below right.

Champions League Final

POSTED MAY 30, 2024

All-time Champions League leader Real Madrid takes on surprise finalist Borussia Dortmund in the final at 3pm EDT on Saturday June 1 in London's Wembley Stadium.  Real Madrid will be vying for their 15th Champions League title and first since 2022.  Borussia Dortmund could win their first Champions League title since 1997. Real Madrid is favored in the match which will be broadcast by CBS.

Links below from the left: UEFA's key match-ups, Real Champs post on who should start for Real Madrid, and Associated Press' post on Borussia Dortmund.

Champions League Semifinals: Dortmund and Real Madrid prevail, move to final

POSTED MAY 9. 2o24

The Champions Leagues' all-time leader will play the semifinals underdog for the title by way of their victories over Bayern Munich and Pari Saint-Germain.  Real Madrid hold the record for the most victories, having won the competition fourteen times, including the inaugural edition. They have also won the competition the most consecutive times, with five straight titles from 1956 to 1960.  Dortmund, which has one Champions League title, will be making its third appearance.  The Final will be held at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1. CBS will broadcast the match at 3pm.

Links clockwise from the top left: highlights of the Dortmund-PSG second leg; Bayern-Real second leg; UEFA's "meet the teams"; CBS Sports post on Dortmund as "the most unlikely Champion's League finalist ever".

Champions League Semifinals: First Leg

POSTED MAY 2, 2024

Bayern and Real Madrid battled to a 2-2 draw and Dortmund defeated PSG 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League Semifinals.  The second half of Dortmund-PSG match was one of the most exciting halves of soccer I've ever seen - even though neither team scored a goal.  End to end action with numerous shots on goal...both teams putting in a spectacular effort, leaving it all on the field...Dortmund, the "surprise" semifinalist, comes out on top. [Full disclosure: I am rooting for Dortmund. Not only are they the underdogs in the semifinals, I have a German friend who is a Dortmund fan.]

Highlights below.

The second leg matches, which will determine the finalists, are broadcast on CBS next Tuesday and Wednesday 3pm Eastern time.  Meet the final four teams in this post on the UEFA website.

Real Madrid, Bayern, Dortmund, and Paris St. Germain in Champions League Semifinals

POSTED APRIL 18, 2024

The second leg matches of the Champions League Quarterfinals are complete.  Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Paris St. Germain moved on the Semifinals with victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.   

Real Madrid played Manchester City to a draw in the second leg of their matchup and then won the aggregate on penalty kicks. The past two Champions League victors settled things in a penalty shootout after playing to a 1-1 draw. There Real Madrid scored a 4-3 shootout victory to stun the reigning Champions League victors.  With the shootout tied at 3-3 after two saves by Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and a save by Man City's Ederson Moraes, the fate of the match rested on the leg of Real's Antonio Rüdiger. He sent the ball to the left side of the net past Ederson to secure victory.  The loss also snapped a remarkable stretch of home dominance for Man City, which last lost at Etihad Stadium in Champions League play on Sept. 18, 2018, to Lyons. Until Wednesday, it had since gone 27-0-2 at home in Champions league matches.  [below left]

In the other quarterfinal Wednesday, Bayern Munich advanced past Arsenal with a 1-0 victory. The two sides entered Wednesday tied in the aggregate score after a 2-2 draw in the first leg last week in London. [below left]

In Tuesday's games

• Borussia Dortmund stormed into the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-2 home win over Atlético Madrid that saw them fight back from a 2-1 defeat in the first leg to win the tie 5-4 on aggregate. [highlights below right]

• Barcelona's wait for a first Champions League semifinal appearance since 2019 goes on after Xavi Hernández's side imploded against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday following Ronald Araújo's first half sending off at the Olympic Stadium.  Barça were leading 1-0 on the night, 4-2 on aggregate after last week's first leg win in Paris, when Araujo lightly bundled Bradley Barcola down just outside the area in the 29th minute. The referee quickly branded a red card, and with it Barça's hopes of reaching the last four disappeared as quickly as Barcola had dropped to the deck, with the game ending 6-4 on aggregate.

The Semifinal matches:

First leg: Bayern at Real Madrid April 30    Dortmund at Paris May 1

Second leg: Paris at Dortmund May 7           Real Madrid at Bayern  May 8

All matches kickoff at 3 PM Eastern Time.

South Carolina wins Women's Title; U Conn repeats as Men's Champion

POSTED APRIL 9, 2024

March Madness is over and the two #1 overall seeds in both the Men's and Women's Tournament have come away with their respective national championships.  

For the second time in two seasons, an SEC team stopped Iowa in the Women's championship game.  Last year, LSU pasted a 17 point, 102 - 85 defeat, on Caitlin Clarke and the Hawkeyes.  This year, South Carolina handed Iowa a 12 point, 87-75 loss, and denied Clarke, the best player in women's college basketball, the national title. South Carolina finished its incredible season 37-0.  Three takeaways from  the game are below left.

In the Men's Tournament U Conn repeated as national champions, the first time that's happened since 2007 when Florida did it. U Conn finished with a 37-3 record after a contest featuring two seven-footers as the marquee attraction. For the Huskies, that meant 7-foot-2-inch Donovan Clingan, a two-way terror for UConn who imposes himself at both ends of the court.  For Purdue, that meant 7-foot-4-inch Zach Edey, a back-to-back winner of the Naismith Men's Player of the Year Award, the first player to do so since former Virginia star Ralph Sampson in the early 1980s. Postgame analysis from Fox Sports is below right.

The NCAA Tournaments' Final Fours are set

POSTED APRIL 2, 2024

The Sweet Sixteen/Elite Eight weekend is over, and the Final Four matchups are set.  

• Two #1 seeds in both the Men's (U Conn and Purdue) and Women's tournaments (South Carolina and Iowa) made it through to their Final Fours.  This sets up the possibility of two number 1 seeds meeting in the title game for the first time since 2021 , in the Men's Tournament (Baylor 86, Gonzaga 70); and for the first time since 2019 (Baylor 82, Notre Dame 81)in the Women's Tournament.

• Both NC State teams, a #11 men's seed and a #3 women's seed, made it to their respective Final Fours.  Both U Conn teams, a #1 men's seed and a #3 women's seed, it to their respective Final Fours. This is the first time that two schools have both teams in the Final Four in the same season. In other words, it's possible that NC State or U Conn will win both titles.

• In the Women's Tournament, South Carolina's 4 point victory over Indiana  in the Sweet 16 kept the Gamecocks, the #1 overall seed, alive.  In a rematch of last year's title game, # 1 seed Iowa came away with a 7 point victory over LSU. The score was knotted at 45 at the half before the unstoppable Caitlin Clarke erupted to seal the victory. [highlights below right] The Final Four in the Women's Tournament has NC State playing 36-0 South Carolina and U Conn playing Iowa.

• In the Men's Tournament, #1 seed Purdue came away with a 6 point victory over  #2 seed Tennessee in an epic battle between two great teams.  #1 seed U Conn sailed through its bracket with victories of 39, 17, 30 and 25 points. The Final Four in the Men's Tournament will see Purdue playing NC State and 35-3 U Conn playing Alabama.

Women's Final Four

Preview NCAA Women’s Final Four preview and predictions: Iowa vs. UConn, South Carolina vs. NC State - The Athletic 

 7:00 pm Friday April 5: NC State v South Carolina (ESPN) 

9:30 pm Friday April 5: Iowa v U Conn at 9:30 pm (ESPN)

3:00 pm Sunday April 7: Title Game (ABC)

Men's Final Four

Preview Men's Final Four 2024: Full Breakdown, Predictions and Stars to Watch - Bleacher Report 

6:09 pm Saturday April 6: NC State v Purdue (TBS)

8:49 pm Saturday April 6: Alabama v U Conn (TBS)

9:20 pm Monday April 8: Title Game (TBS)

NCAA Tournaments' Sweet Sixteen match-ups are set

POSTED MARCH 26, 2024

The Men's Sweet Sixteen games were finalized Sunday.  The first round saw all four # 1 seeds (U Conn, Houston, UNC, Purdue) move on.  Blowouts were the order of the day for the top seeds, with only Houston having even a slight scare in its 100-95 victory over Texas A&M. [highlights below left].  Lowest seed still alive is #11 NC State.  Biggest upset of the opening week was #14 Oakland's 4 point victory over #3 seed Kentucky.

The field for the Women's Sweet Sixteen was completed Monday.  The four #1 seeds (South Carolina, Iowa, USC and Texas) all went through with little difficulty.  Lowest seed still in the dance is #7 seed Duke, who rallied from a 16 point early first half deficit to upset #2 seed Ohio State 75-63. [recap below right]

Champions League moves to quarterfinals

POSTED MARCH 14, 2024

The UEFA Champions League pits the best soccer clubs in Europe against each other annually.  Some of the best play you will ever see happens during the tournament because, unlike the national teams, these teams have been playing together all season and often for several seasons.  The 2023-2024 Champions League is now going to the quarterfinals.

Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern, Manchester City, Paris, Real Madrid, Dortmund, and Atletico Madrid have secured their places in the last eight of this season's  Champion's League competition.  The quarter-finals will be played across two legs on April 9/10 and April 16/17. After that, the semi-finals will be played across two legs on April 30/May 1 and May 7/8.

Recaps and analyses from Tuesday's and Wednesday's matches are below.

• 16-year-old Lamine Yamal and 17-year-old Pau Cubarsí made history for Barcelona as they were the first side in Champions League history to start two players ages 17 or under in a knockout round match. The gamble paid off with a 3-1 victory over Napoli.

• Supporters and pundits were asking some questions when Arsenal signed David Raya this summer. Consider them answered.  The Arsenal goalkeeper stopped two shots in the penalty shootout, propelling his team into the quarterfinals.

• The last Italian team still standing was eliminated in overtime. Up 2-0 after the first leg, Inter Milan fell to Atletico in the second leg shootout that featured an outstanding performance by keeper Atletico Jan Oblak. 

• Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus scored goals as Borussia Dortmund secured a  2-0 win against PSV Eindhoven and a Champions League quarterfinals place for the first time in three years with a 3-1 aggregate victory.  

Chiefs Defeat Forty-Niners in OT, Repeat as Super Bowl Champions

POSTED FEBRUARY 13, 2024

A half dozen post-Super Bowl musings:

1.  Patrick Mahomes is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.  On Sunday, Mahomes, who was the game's MVP, became the third QB in NFL history to notch 15-plus playoff wins and just the fifth ever to win three Super Bowls.  He's just 28 years old.

2.  The San Francisco Forty-Niners had another disappointing Super Bowl loss.  A punt that bounced off the foot of a San Francisco player, a blocked PAT, and a call for holding in overtime with the ball 2nd and 2 at the KC 18 sealed their fate.  Had any one of these not happened, Patrick Mahomes might not have had a chance at that game-winning drive in OT.

3. Am I the only one who got really tired of seeing Taylor Swift's reactions to the game and really lost trying to follow Tony Romo's play explanations? Maybe I'm just getting old.

4. The Chiefs have earned the right to the "Dynasty" designation. (link below left)

5. Usher gave us a spectacular half-time show.

6. My favorite commercials were "Like a Good Neighbaaa" and the Clydesdales.  (No. 1 and No. 8 on the USA Today list linked below right.)

Conference Championships: KC v Baltimore, SF v Detroit

POSTED JANUARY 23, 2024

Divisional Round Highlights

This Sunday, the NFL's Conference Championships will be decided.  In the AFC, Kansas City by virtue of a 24-21 victory over Buffalo visits Baltimore, who defeated Houston 34-10.  In the NFC, San Francisco by virtue of a 24-21 victory over Green Bay hosts Detroit who defeated Tampa Bay  31-23.  Highlights from the Kansas City - Buffalo game are below left; from the San Francisco - Green Bay game are below right.

Underdogs' Keys to Victory

Baltimore (-3.5) and San Francisco (-7) are favored to win.  

Bookmakers Review [link below left] point to 3 keys for the underdog Kansas City Chiefs to beat the Baltimore Ravens.

1. Survive the first 35 minutes.

2. Contain Baltimore's running game.

3. Limit mistakes and don't allow the Ravens to get great field position.

As for the other underdog, the Lions need to [link below right]

1. Have a massive game from QB Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

2. Wake up their defense to stop a potent 49er offense.

3. Use their energy and enthusiasm to overcome the 49ers  edge in playoff experience.

Michigan overpowers Washington to capture college football's national championship

POSTED JANUARY 9, 2024

Michigan defeated Washington 34-13 to capture its first national title since 1997.  Michigan dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage, amassing an historic 303 rushing yards while holding Washington to just 46 yards on the ground.  Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards led the way for Michigan with 134 and 106 yards, respectively, and quarterback J. J. McCarthy finished his college career with a 27-1 record as a starter.  

One of the most talented Michigan teams in decades overcame a 3-game suspension of head coach Jim Harbaugh earlier this season, and "Michigan Against Everybody" became a rallying cry for the team and their fans.  It was Harbaugh's first national championship and he joked, "I can now sit at the big person's table in the family".  Dad Jack Harbaugh led Western Kentucky to an NCAA Division I Football Championship in 2002, and brother John Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl win in the 2013 Super Bowl.

Highlights and analysis from CBS Sports are below left.  ESPN analysis and recap can be found here.  Full game video highlights from the  ESPN broadcast are below right.

Washington to play Michigan for the College Football National Championship

POSTED JANUARY 3, 2024

The last year of the 4 team format of the College Football Playoffs ended with a flourish with two down-to-the-final-whistle matches between four great teams.  

The Rose Bowl matchup between Michigan and Alabama went to overtime after J. J. McCarthy led his team down the field for the tying touchdown with 94 seconds left in regulation.  Michigan scored in OT, 'Bama didn't.  Michigan 27, Alabama 20.  Highlights below left.

In the Sugar Bowl, Texas, trailing by 6, marched down the field in the last minute and had a first down at the Washington 12 with 15 ticks left on the clock.  Washington held on four straight passing plays including a sensational breakup in the end zone as time ran out. Highlights below right.

The rest of the Bowl games featured some spectacular blowouts but little excitement.  Just 3 of the 22 other Bowl games of the past week were decided by less than one touchdown - Wyoming 16, Toledo 15; Clemson 38, Kentucky 35; LSU 35, Wisconsin 31.  (Click on the links for highlights of these games.)

College Football Playoffs are set

POSTED DECEMBER 6, 2023

The CFP Selection Committee announced its decision on Sunday, tapping Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama as the four contenders for the national championship.  Notably missing was Florida State, the first undefeated Power Five conference champion to be denied a place in the CFP playoffs.  The apparent "thinking" was that since Florida State's star quarterback was injured and not available, FSU would not be playing as well as the selected teams.  SI's Dan Gartland notes that the four-team Playoff era ended with the most controversial decision the committee has ever made. (link below left)

Florida State gets to play Georgia in the Orange Bowl on December 30 in what might have been the playoff matchup had Georgia not been defeated by Alabama in the SEC conference championship.  Other top "must see" non-playoff bowls are defensive powerhouse Penn State against offensive powerhouse "Ole Miss" (Peach Bowl, Dec 30), and Ohio State v Missouri (Cotton Bowl, Dec 29).  (link below center)

You may not see lead Heisman Trophy candidate Jayden Daniels play in LSU's matchup against unranked Wisconsin, but below right is a highlight "reel" of his record setting season.  

Texas Rangers Crowned World Champions for First Time in Franchise History

POSTED NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Entering this season, the Rangers' five-year winning percentage (.417, or 67.5 wins per 162 games) was the franchise's worst since 1974, its third season after the move from Washington.  In its combined 63 years in Washington D.C. and Arlington (20 miles from Dallas), they had never won a World Series.  An aggressive free agent acquisition spree over the past two winters took them from a paltry 68-94 in 2022 to a first place tie with the dynasty-in-the-making Houston Astros in the AL West. 

On Wednesday night, the Rangers' long wait to be crowned World Champions ended with a fifth game 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.  It was a game that might have ended differently had the Diamondbacks converted oppotunities into runs in the early innings.  Arizona left nine men on base through five innings and went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.  

Game 5 highlights are below left.

Corey Seager was named World Series MVP, becoming just the fourth player to win that honor multiple times [link below right], and winning pitcher, left-handed reliever Will Smith, became the first player in MLB history to win three World Series in a row with three different teams. 

The World Series

POSTED OCTOBER 25, 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks will face the Texas Rangers in the 2023 World Series.  Both leagues' Championship Series went the distance with the Rangers trouncing the Astros 11-4 in Game 7 of the ALCS and the Diamondbacks eking out a 4-2 victory over the Phillies in the NLCS Game 7.  [links below]

The Diamondbacks left Arizona down 3 games to 2 and had to win the final two games in Philadelphia.  It marks their first appearance in the World Series since 2001, which they won for their only WS title.  

The Rangers likewise had to win Games 6 and 7 at their opponent's ballpark, traveling to Houston after a bench-clearing brawl in Game 5 in Dallas.  In the 62 years of the franchise's existence, which includes 11 seasons as the Washington Senators before their move to Dallas, the Rangers have never won a World Series.  Their last appearance was in 2011 where they were one strike away from the title before a St. Louis Cardinals Game 6 rally crushed their hopes.

What does each team need to do to win?

POSTED OCTOBER 27, 2023

ESPN's analysis is linked below left.  News5 in Dallas and the bookmakers have the Rangers as early favorites [link below right] in spite of this season's head-to-head's - Arizona won 3 of the 4 games.

MLB Postseason

POSTED OCTOBER 15, 2023

The American League Championship Series begins today with interstate rivals Texas Rangers and Houston Astros playing at Houston.  The NLCS starts Monday with the Phillies hosting the Diamondbacks.  Bleacher Report (link below) gives us its take on biggest surprises and disappointments of the postseason, which they've dubbed "The Postseason of the Rookie." 

POSTED OCTOBER 19, 2023

The ALCS and NLCS just got tighter and we are in for two good series.  Thursday night, Arizona came back with a 2-1 win over Philadelphia to pick up their first victory in the NLCS.  Dynasty-in-the-making Houston trounced Texas 10-3 to even the ALCS at 2 games apiece. [links below]

POSTED OCTOBER 21, 2023

On Friday, baseball fans were treated to two thrilling games both decided in the last at-bats of the victors.  

A three-run homer in the top of the ninth lifted Houston over Texas 5-4.  Jose Altuve has the second-most postseason home runs in MLB history, and he delivered one of his biggest yet with ALCS Game 5 on the line. The Astros trailed the Rangers by two entering the final frame, but a three-run blast from Altuve put Houston ahead 5-4. Houston now leads the series 3 games to 2.  [link below left]

Rallying from a three-run deficit, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies.  Alek Thomas hit a tying, two-run homer in a three-run eighth inning, Gabriel Moreno followed with a go-ahead single,  and the Arizona Diamondbacks stunned the Philadelphia Phillies with a 6-5 victory on Friday night that tied the NL Championship Series at two games apiece. [link below right]

Women's World Cup

Spain Defeats England 1-0 for Women's World Cup Championship

POSTED AUGUST 20, 2023

Spain bested England 1-0 to take home the 2023 Women's World Cup.  Spain survived 13 minutes of stoppage time to secure the victory. A left-footed strike from fullback Olga Carmona in the 29th minute was part of a dominant first half for Spain that proved to be just enough to hold off England. (Fox Sports)  Spain became the first country to win both the Men's and Women's World Cups.

Highlights are in the link below left.  The tournament's Golden Ball, Boot and Glove winners are featured in the link below right.

Finals preview

Lauren James, England's top scorer, returns after being suspended for two matches as England takes on Spain and its teenage phenom Salma Paralluelo. (Link below left)  Fox Sports will broadcast the championship game starting at 6 a.m. on Sunday August 20.  Oddsmakers give Spain a slight edge (-110 to -106) but London's Evening Standard is predicting a 2-0 victory for their nation's womend's team.

Semifinals

On Tuesday, Spain defeated Sweden 2-1 with all three goals coming in the last 10 minutes of play - two of them in the last 3 minutes.  On Wednesday, England defeated an overmatched Australia 3-1.  The victors will play for the World Cup on Sunday, and Sweden will face Australia in the game for third place on Saturday.  Highlights and recaps below.  

Quarterfinals

The USWNT has already exited, and the knockout rounds proceed without the pre-tournament presumptive favorite.  

Meet the last 8 teams in the running for the Women's World Cup (NPR, Aug 9)

Meet the breakout stars of the 2023 Women's World Cup (Fox Sports, Aug 10)

Recaps of the quarterfinal matches and highlights of England's 2-1 comeback victory over Colombia.  Spain takes on Sweden and England faces Australia in the semifinals. 

Goliath defeats David 1-0 in Champion's League final

POSTED JUNE 12, 2023

Heavily-favored Manchester City, the world's third highest salaried soccer squad, defeated Inter Milan, whose financial struggles continue despite their run in the Champions League.  A 68th minute goal by midfielder Rodri, who was named Champion League Player of the Season, put Man City up 1-0.    Man City goal keeper Ederson turned away a barrage of Inter shots in the closing minutes of regular time and extra time, to preserve the win.  By virtue of their victory, Man City became just the second English club to win Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles in the same season, joining Manchester United, which accomplished the treble in 1999.

Highlights are below left; analysis, below right.

Inter Milan takes on Manchester City in Champion's League final this Saturday

POSTED JUNE 6, 2023

The Champions League season draws to a close this coming Saturday as Inter Milan takes on Manchester City. The final will be played on Saturday June 10 in Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium at 3 pm Eastern time.  CBS Sports will broadcast the match.

Newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City are unbeaten in this season's UEFA Champions League, winning seven of their 12 contests on the way to Istanbul and knocking out Bayern München and last season's title holders Real Madrid. They could become the eighth side to lift the trophy without losing a game in the UEFA Champions League era.

Inter, the 2022/23 Coppa Italia winners but currently in third place in Serie A, have suffered two defeats on their way to this final, both against Bayern at the start and end of their group stage campaign. They have won four of their six knockout games, keeping five clean sheets.

Links below from the left: the UEFA web page on the Champions League final, the Manchester Evening News' "Man City FC" web page, and Corriere Della Sera's Champions League page.  On the last: it's in Italian.  You will have to use your browser's translator to read it in English.

Source: UEFA

Jim Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, and Vinícius Júnior

POSTED MAY 25, 2023

Recent news and reflections on the life and times of the "greatest football player ever", the NBA's Sixth Man Award winner, and an international superstar's encounter with racism.

Jim Brown

“I crave only the rights I’m entitled to as a human being. The acceptance of the Negro in sports is really an insignificant development that warms the heart of the Negro less than it does that of the white man. … The problem is a little bigger than a ball game.” - Jim Brown

The great Jim Brown passed away last week at age 87.  A first-round draft pick out of Syracuse, Brown played nine seasons for the Cleveland Browns (1957-65) and led the league in rushing eight of those years. He rushed for 12,312 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry over his career. Many consider him the greatest running back of all-time.  Patriots' head coach Bill Belichik went further, calling Brown "the greatest football player ever".  

Jim Brown's football career spanned the Civil Rights Era,  and he was among the first athletes to use his talent and fame to advance racial justice.  When he entered Syracuse as a freshmen in 1953, schools were still segregated.  Brown lived in a separate dorm and ate on a different meal plan from the rest of the team.  When he retired from professional football, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had become laws of the land.  During his career and in retirement he was a tireless advocate for racial justice.  A Sports Illustrated article from 1994 noted: 

"He has lived in the same house, driven the same car, had the same telephone number since 1968. That was the spring when the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. A framed portrait of King hangs in Brown's foyer. But nowhere on display in the house is a single personal memento of Brown's own varied careers -- as a football superstar, as a film actor, as an activist in what he calls 'the movement for dignity, equality and justice.'

Among his formidable accomplishments off the field

• Brown helped start the Negro Industrial Economic Union (later renamed the Black Economic Union), which would provide financial assistance to more than 400 Black businesses. 

• He launched a movie career in ’64 that would span five decades and 43 movies, and help expand the breadth of roles offered to Black actors. 

• In the early ’90s, dispirited by gang violence in the inner cities, Brown founded the Amer-I-Can program, whose fundamental purpose was teaching life management skills to young Black men, both on the street and in prisons.  Reflecting on his own remarkable life, Jim Brown is "paying it forward." Without the support of the many adults who helped him in his youth, "...it would've been impossible...These people actually saved my life, man. I would never, ever have been anything without them. And it was so pure. If kids can see honesty and interest from people of that age, that's what builds, man...You wanna see what goodness is? I look at those people. I know what love is. I know what patience is. I know what consistency is. I know what honesty is.'' 

Jim Brown embraced his role as a champion of civil rights, a role that would define much of his adult life.  "When Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army in ’65, Brown was among the athletes who organized a civil rights summit in Cleveland. At a historic press conference, Brown sat next to Ali, flanked by Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Brown became a strident voice on race in America, a powerful presence that often made white audiences uncomfortable, which is exactly how Brown would have it." [link below left]

Malcolm Brogdon

"All of us have elders and ancestors that have been marching for us and for our people for hundreds of years.  They laid the groundwork for us." - Malcolm Brogdon

Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award* this season.   TNT's interview with the unassuming point guard shortly after he won the award is linked below center. In it, Brogdon talks about his transition from a starter at Indiana to the sixth man at Boston, how he "checked his ego at the door" when he came to Boston and how he came to understand the role he was being asked to play.  Prompted by Charles Barkley, he also speaks about his nonprofit that for several years has been building wells in Tanzania and Kenya and will soon expand to other parts of Africa.  

Family service trips to Ghana and Malawi during his youth had sparked an interest in clean-water projects and began a dedication to public service that goes back generations.  His great-grandfather helped launch the first civil rights organization in segregated South Carolina in the 1920's.  In the 1950's his grandfather, then President of Paul Quinn College in Waco, Texas backed student sit-ins and in the 1960's, as a bishop in the AME church  marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Named for Malcolm X, Brogdon was more influenced on a daily basis during his childhood by MLK, like Brogdon a native of Atlanta and whose Center for Nonviolent Social Change was within walking distance of Malcolm's childhood home.  Quiet and a private person by nature, Malcolm Brogdon nonetheless will speak out about the things that he is passionate about as he has on mass incarceration, which he calls "the new slavery...the new Jim Crow," and on the killing of George Floyd.

Vinicius Jr.

“Today has been a sad day..., where a group of fans have shown their worst version. It is time to stop talking and act forcefully. Racism has no place in football or in society. NO TO RACISM ANYWHERE.” - Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Real Madrid

Twenty-two year old Brazilian Vinícius Júnior is one of the best soccer players in the world.  Signed by Real Madrid as a 17-year-old, his speed, dribbling abilities and playmaking skills make him a scoring threat every time he touches the ball.  But life in La Liga, Spain's top tier league, has not been simple for Vini Jr. who is black.  Last weekend, he was again the target of racist chants - this time from a group of Valencia fans.  

The Spanish league had previously lodged complaints of racist chanting or insults against Vinícius Júnior, the latest of which was a claim before a court in Mallorca after fans were filmed racially abusing the forward. Spanish police are also investigating a possible hate crime against him after a mannequin wearing his No 20 shirt was hung from a bridge outside Real Madrid’s training ground in January.

The latest incident prompted a massive outpouring of support from around the world and from his teammates.  The lights of the Christ the Redeemer statue, which overlooks Rio de Janeiro, were turned off for an hour “in solidarity with the player and with all who suffer prejudice around the world.”  At this Wednesday's match, his Real Madrid teammates walked onto the pitch wearing his number 20 shirt in a show of solidarity.  Sports giant Nike also posted an image of Vinícius on Instagram alongside the words: “Stop looking the other way.”

Soccer's racism problem is not confined to Spain., and one must wonder what is it about the game that, here in the 21st century, brings out racial slurs not heard in professional American stadiums since the 1940's and 1950's.  According to Raúl Martínez-Corcuera, a professor who researches hate speech in the media at Spain’s University of Vic, racism in sports, especially soccer, “is a reflection” of society. “In the Spanish case, we have been criticizing for a long time the fact that football has normalized hate speech,” including racism, sexism and anti-LGBTQ sentiments. Other academics have long recognized soccer “as a space for heteronormative white men, and everything that does not respond to these characteristics is attacked," adding that hate speech and other forms of prejudice are acts that are rarely censored or sanctioned by sports institutions or the media.”

*The trophy honors Celtics Hall of Famer John Havlicek, who excelled off the bench like no player before him. Havlicek came off the bench for the first seven seasons of his career and was an All-Star in four of those seasons. 

Sources: ESPN, Sports Illustrated - 1, Sports Illustrated - 2, Andscape, Sports Illustrated-3 ("The Education of Malcom Brogdon", Sports Illustrated, April 2021 issue), Washington Post, Clutch Points

Champions League: Inter and Man City going to the Final after defeating Milan and Real

POSTED MAY 18, 2023

Inter Milan is going to the Champions League Final for the first time in more than a decade after defeating its intracity rival AC Milan 1-0 on Tuesday (3-0 aggregate).  Manchester City continued its phenomenal home streak in international play trouncing Real Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday (5-1 aggregate).  Man City returns to the Champions League Final after a one season absence.  They are still seeking their first ever title. In 2021, they lost to Chelsea 1-0 in an all-English Final.  

The Final will be played on Saturday June 10 in Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium at 3 pm Eastern time.  Posts on the two teams along with highlights of the second leg matches are below.

Champions League Semifinals: Real and Man City tie, Inter defeats Milan in first leg

POSTED MAY 10, 2023

Inter Milan took a commanding 2-0 lead over AC Milan while Real Madrid and Manchester City played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Champions League Semifinals.  Real has its work cut out for them when they visit Man City next week.  Man City's last defeat in a European match at their Etihad Stadium came way back in September 2018, when Lyon were the visitors for a group stage fixture.  Since then, they have won 23 and drawn two of their Champions League games in Manchester.

Game highlights and analyses are linked below.

Champions League Semifinals begin next week

POSTED MAY 3, 2023

The first leg of the UEFA Champions League Semifinals begins next week with Manchester City taking on Madrid and Inter Milan taking on AC Milan.  CBS will broadcast the first leg games at 3pm Eastern on May 9 (Real Madrid- Man City) and May 10 (Milan-Inter).

A half-dozen interesting facts about the teams, managers and players who will be bringing us the best that the world of soccer has to offer along with UEFA's "all you need to know" post [link below right] and ESPN's key player match ups and predictions. [link below left]:

1. The Champions League began life as the European Cup in 1955 with 16 sides taking part. It changed into the Champions League in 1992.  

2. The 2022/23 Champions League began play last September with a group stage of 32 sides in 8 groups.  The UEFA Champions League final will take place at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium on Saturday June 10. 

3. The teams meeting in the semifinals have brought home the championship 24 times with Real Madrid winning 14 times, more than any other club.  AC Milan has won 7 finals (they are #2 on the all-time list), and Inter Milan has won 3. Manchester City, which has won four English Premier League titles over the last 5 seasons, is looking to take home its first Champions League title.

4. As do all top tier European clubs, the four remaining contenders feature an international cast of players and managers.  At least 24 nations have players competing in the Semifinals. "Pep" Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, is from Spain, and Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, is from Italy. 

5. The oldest of the clubs is Manchester City, founded in 1880 as St. Marks (West Groton).  AC Milan was founded by a British expat in 1899 as the Milan Foot-ball and Cricket Club.  Inter Milan was founded in 1908 as Football Club Internazionale following a split with AC Milan.  Real Madrid was founded in 1902.

6. The 2022-2023 regular season is drawing to a close in May.  With about 85% of the matches played, the only one of the four teams with a chance at a title in its nation's top league is Manchester City, currently 2 points behind Arsenal in the English Premier League.

Real Madrid, Milan, Man City, and Inter advance to Champions League Semifinals

POSTED APRIL 20, 2023

Real Madrid, Milan, Man City, and Inter advanced to the Champions League Semifinals this week after their two-leg victories over Chelsea (4-0 aggregate), Napoli (2-1 aggregate), Bayern (4-1 aggregate), and Benfica Lisbon (5-3 aggregate), respectively. The first leg of the semifinals sees Manchester City at Madrid on May 9 and Inter at their crosstown rivals Milan on May 10. The games are being broadcast on CBS at 3 pm Eastern.  

Highlights and analysis of the second leg match between Napoli and AC Milan are below left; extended highlights of Inter Milan v Benfica, below right.

Champions: LSU and UConn sit atop the college basketball world

POSTED APRIL 4, 2023

After closely contested games and upset-filled runs in the earlier rounds, March Madness ended with two seventeen-point blowouts.  On Sunday, LSU defeated Iowa 102-85 to take home the Women's Tournament trophy for the first time. On Monday, UConn picked up its 5th national title, overwhelming San Diego State 76-59.

LSU 102 - Iowa 85

UConn 76 - San Diego State 59

Super Bowl LVII was one of the best ever

POSTED FEBRUARY 13. 2023

On Sunday night, we football fans were treated to an instantly classic Super Bowl.  The two best teams in the NFL met, and the resulting game ranks easily in the top 5 ever.  The epic contest ended with a flourish as fans saw:

• Kansas City rally from a 10 point halftime deficit to take an 8 point lead with 9:22 left in the game on a touchdown set up by Kadarius Toney's 65 yard punt return

• The Eagles respond with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game at the 5:15 mark, 

• And Patrick Mahomes take the Chiefs the length of the field for a game-winning field goal with 8 seconds left.  

Both Mahomes, the game MVP, and Hurts had stellar performances with QBR's of 131.8 and 103.4, respectively.  Hurts also had 3 rushing TD's and a 2 point conversion.  Game recap video can be found here.

Rihanna delivered a dynamic half-time performance, which "required the participation of some 800 people, from camera operators to stage crews, to Rihanna and her 80 dancers and seven band members. The most technically-advanced Super Bowl halftime show that’s ever been done."  You can find her full performance here.

As for the best and worst commercials, it's all  a matter of taste as the two competing lists linked below show [athletic.com's link left; NPR link right].  My personal favorites were the Binky Dad (#13 in athletic.com's list), the Rock Star (under Mehsville in athletic.com), the Dave Grohl thanks Canada (#7b in athletic.com's list), and the Premature Electrification (#8 in athletic.com's list).

Super Bowl LVII Weekend

POSTED FEBRUARY 9, 2023

America's most watched sporting event takes place this coming weekend. Of course, the game is the focus but there are plenty of other things to enjoy in this annual spectacle.  Super Bowl LVII pits AFC's #1 seed, the Kansas City Chiefs, against the NFC's #1 seed. the Philadelphia Eagles.  They meet in Arizona on Sunday at 6:30 pm Eastern Time.  The game is broadcast on Fox.

They have two of the top three offenses, two of the top three defenses, and their quarterbacks are two of the three finalists for NFL MVP.  So Super Bowl LVII has all the ingredients to be a classic.  There have been some incredible Super Bowls over the past 57 years [link below], and the Chiefs-Eagles matchup will hopefully be just as entertaining.

The Game

The last time the Eagles were the top seed in the NFC, they won the Super Bowl in the 2017 season. The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII. This also marked the last time two No. 1 seeds faced off in the NFL's championship game. This will be the fourth Super Bowl appearance for the Eagles - with previous appearances in 1981, 2005, and 2018. Their only victory came in Super Bowl LII.

This will be the fifth appearance for the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Chiefs appeared in Super Bowl I, losing to Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.  Their record in Super Bowls is 2-2 with their last victory being against the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 (Super Bowl LIV)

According to the oddsmakers, the Eagles are a 1.5 point favorite to win this year. 

Jason Burgos at Sportsnaut gives us three reasons why the Eagles to win (below left) and Ben Arthur at Fox Sports gives us three keys to victory for the Chiefs (below right).  

The Commercials

Newly released commercials have been a part of Super Bowl Sunday for decades.  Opinions as to what are the best of all-time vary according to personal taste, although there are several that are on everybody's favorites list.  My personal favorite is still the "Mean Joe" Coke commercial from 1979 [link left].  Yardbarker's list of the top 25, posted today is in the link right.

This year, a Super Bowl advertiser will pay $6-7 million for a 30 second commercial.  Brands that have already released teasers for their Super Bowl 2023 commercials include Bud Light, Budweiser, Booking.com, Doritos, General Motors, Heineken, Hellmann’s, Kia, Michelob ULTRA, Mars’ M&Ms, Oikos, Pepsi, Planters, Pringles, PopCorners, Rémy Martin, Tubi, Uber, and Workday, just to name a few.  Some of those teasers are in the link below left and some full Super Bowl LVII commercials are in the link below right.

The Halftime Show

The Halftime Show is another part of the spectacle.  The greatest names in entertainment go on stage for a viewing audience of 100 million.  As with the commercials, "best-of" lists vary according to personal taste.  NBC Sports put together a list before Super Bowl LVI in link left. And wouldn't you know it - the 2022 halftime show makes the Yahoo! Sports list for 2023 [link right]  Spoiler alert: my favorite, Prince's 2007 set, is at the top of both lists.

This year's headliner is Rihanna, who turned down an invite to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl after the outrage following the NFL's blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick.  You can find Time's list of Rihanna's 10 best live performances here and USA Today's take on what to expect in the halftime show here. 

Georgia demolishes TCU 65-7 as SEC continues domination of the BCS/CFP era

POSTED JANUARY 10, 2023

Georgia won its second consecutive national championship, demolishing TCU 65-7 last night at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium.  Recap of the game is linked below left.

As has been the case since the start of the BCS and CFP eras, the best teams in the SEC just play at an entirely different level than most of college football.  

• Nine of the sixteen BCS championship games were won by teams from the SEC.  

• Six of the nine CFP championship games, including the last four. 

• This year, ranked SEC teams went 6-1 against their opponents in their bowl games, outscoring them 303-144- an average margin of victory of more than 3 touchdowns.

Why is the SEC so dominant?  Sportswriters have been asking that question for more than a decade.  Bleacher Report's analyses from 2012 and from 2013 list a number of factors.  They are just as relevant today as they were then.

• Recruiting ("the SEC has led the nation in recruiting since 2002"), aided by the SEC's big and loud stadiums ("When recruits visit colleges in the fall to see the big games, they are many times drawn to the bigger, louder and crazier stadium atmospheres"), the greater potential for being drafted into the NFL (nearly 20% of the active players in NFL are from SEC schools), and the SEC's winning tradition

• Coaching (SEC's top money attracts the nation's top coaches)

• Defense - SEC consistently leads other conferences in lowest points allowed per game

• BCS era bias (BCS computers and human voters like the SEC better and they believe, wholeheartedly, in the theory of the SEC’s strength of schedule carrying the highest level of difficulty)

• Geography ("Most of the top recruits in the country come from the South.  The weather is more conducive to the sport, and the focus on football is greater in the Deep South than it is anywhere else in the country...Not to mention, if you were an elite recruit, would you rather spend a recruiting visit in October in Nebraska, Minnesota or Maryland, or in sunny Florida or Louisiana?)   

• The Money - ("The SEC makes up six of the top eight programs that are spending the most on recruiting in the entire country.
  Furthermore, seven of the top 11 most profitable football programs in the nation reside in the Southeastern Conference.
  That money gives the SEC programs the ability to build things like impressive weight rooms, better locker rooms, luxury recruiting centers and big fancy recruiting weekends.") 

And the SEC's dominance will be getting even greater over the next few years.

• Texas and Oklahoma are about to leave the Big 12 for the SEC. Today, 10 of the 20 biggest revenue producers in college athletics come from the SEC. When Texas and Oklahoma join, it'll be 12 of 20. 

• The Conference signed a $300 million deal with ESPN to broadcast all their games starting in 2024.

Does this dominance really matter? SEC haters will say yes, but the college experience is much more than football.  And for die-hard college football fans, there will always be a conference championship to aspire to and talented athletes doing amazing things to watch every Saturday.

Georgia takes on TCU for the College Football Championship

POSTED JANUARY 6, 2023

In two of the most exciting games since the four-team CFP format was instituted, Georgia and TCU defeated Ohio State and Michigan [highlights below right and left] to reach the championship game, which will be played at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.  

In spite of the Horned Frogs' 51-45 victory over favored #2 Michigan, TCU enters as a 12.5 point underdog against the Georgia Bulldogs.  Most analysts don't give TCU a chance to win, and much of the discussion is whether you should bet Georgia to cover or not.  Topping the nonsense off: ESPN's computer ranking of the post Bowl Game Top 25 incredibly slotted the Horned Frogs at the No. 11 position !

But consider this: Georgia beat Ohio State by just 1 point while Michigan, who lost to TCU by 6, beat Ohio State by 22 points.   And before you count TCU out, take a look at Saturday Down South's post "10 things you need to know about the Horned Frogs" [link below center]  Maybe they won't win - especially given the "questionable" status of star running back Kendre Miller who sat out the second half against Michigan with an injury.  But TCU takes a 13-1 record into the Championship Game and certainly deserve some respect.