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Archives for May 2021

Bruins Close Season with Loss at DC

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WASH DC – Capitals forward Michael Raffl scored with 1.8 seconds remaining as host Washington defeated the shorthanded Boston Bruins, 2-1, Tuesday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.

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The NHL clubs will meet in the opening round of the NHL’s East Division Stanley Cup playoffs.

Carl Hagelin also scored for the Capitals (36-15-5, 77 points), who finished second in the division. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 24 saves. Curtis Lazar scored for third-place Boston (33-16-7, 73 points), and reserve goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman stopped 30 of 32 shots for the Bruins.

The teams, who were already locked into their playoff positions, took much different lineup approaches in the warmup act before Game 1 on Saturday in Washington. The Capitals played most of their regulars, including forward Alex Ovechkin, who had missed seven of the previous eight games with a lower-body injury and needed some ice time.

The Bruins, locked to the No. 3 playoff slot, employed a lineup that would’ve been more likely to play at their American Hockey League affiliate in Providence. Eight of Boston’s top nine forwards didn’t make the trip, nor did its top six defensemen and starting goaltender Tuukka Rask.

On the winning goal, Raffl took a pass from Justin Schultz and drove to the goal line on the left wing before firing a sharp-angle shot that sailed just behind Swayman’s head and into the top far corner of the net.

The Bruins and Capitals begin their NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series on Saturday night in Washington.

 

 

PGA Tour: AT&T Byron Nelson First Look

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THIS WEEK on the PGA TOUR: AT&T Byron Nelson Classic

COURSE: TPC Craig Ranch (McKinney, Texas)

ARCHITECT: Tom Weiskopf

YARDS/PAR: 7,468 yards/Par 72

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $8,100,000/$1,458,000

DEFENDING Champion (March 2019) – Sung Kang – (2019 Leaderboard)

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points Available/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @attbyronnelson

OFFICIAL SITE: (AT&T Byron Nelson) – (Official Tournament Site)

TV COVERAGE: Thursday and Friday, May 13 and 14: 3:30pm to 6:30pm (EDT) on Golf Channel. On Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16 – Golf Channel’s TV coverage will air from 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT), then CBS takes over coverage from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: PGA Tour Live will offer streaming coverage of Featured Groups Thursday and on Friday from 7:45am to 6:30pm (EDT). On Saturday and Sunday, PGA Live Featured Groups runs from 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) with Featured Holes streaming from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Streaming Radio coverage Thursday and Friday from 1:00pm to 6:30pm (EDT); then Saturday and Sunday, 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com.

How to Watch: (PGATourCom)

Welcome to PGA Tour Brunch’s 1st Look at AT&T Byron Nelson

The AT&T Byron Nelson has moved to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, after two years at Trinity Forest Golf Club. Due to COVID-19, the Byron Nelson was not contested in 2020. Looking back, Sung Kang was the last winner and is set to defend his 2019 title.

Did You Know: The AT&T Byron Nelson was the first Tour event to be named in honor of a professional golfer.

Hideki Matsuyama will make his first start since winning the 2021 Masters Tournament. Additional headliners include AT&T ambassador Jordan Spieth, FedExCup leader Bryson DeChambeau, four-time major champion Brooks Koepka and World No. 3 Jon Rahm who is making his tournament debut.

Pierceson Coody, Cole Hammer and Tyler Strafaci are participating after leading the United States to victory in last week’s Walker Cup. Strafaci is making his professional debut.

The field is “medium rare,” in terms of the usual high level, as the PGA Championship awaits next week and some golfers chose to go from Charlotte to Kiawah Island and ease travel. That stated, there are 82 PGA Tour winners combining for 269 total victories, led by Jason Day and Jordan Spieth (12 each). Eight major championship winners combining for 15 major victories will tee-it-up, including past PGA Championship winners Padraig Harrington(2008), Jason Day (2015), Jimmy Walker (2016) and Brooks Koepka(2018, 2019).

Five past champions of the AT&T Byron Nelson will compete. They are: RorySabbatini (2009), Jason Day (2010), Sergio Garcia (2004, 2016), Aaron Wise (2018), defending champ Sung Kang (2019), who is currently No. 184 in the FedExCup standings.

Tournament Tee Times begin Thursday at 6:50am (local)/7:50am (EDT) through 2:12pm (local)/3:12pm (EDT).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast calls for Partly Cloudy skies and 64-degrees with 10 mph winds. There’s a 10% chance of rain both Thursday and Friday. Lon-range forecast is calling for Thunderstorms on Sunday with an 80% chance of rain and 80% humidity.

Red Sox Drop 3-2 Decision to A’s

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox lost for just the second time when their starter lasted at least 6.0 innings and last night that designation went to Nathan Eovaldi  who allowed only one run over 6.0 innings for the second time in his last three starts but the Oakland A’s outlasted Boston 3-2 at Fenway Park.

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The Athletics are 22-9 over their last 31 games, after starting the year 0-6. A’s starter Chris Bassitt went 7.0 innings, and allowed two runs on three hits. Bassitt recorded his third career game with 10+ strike-outs and his second with 10+ strike-outs and no walks.

A’s 3B slugger Matt Chapman went 1-for-3, and hit an RBI single in the 7th inning to put the A’s ahead, 2-1. Chapman has reached base safely in five of his last seven plate appearances. A’s SS Elvis Andrus added an RBI single in the seventh to extend the A’s lead to 3-1. Andrus has a hit in four straight games after going hitless in seven of his previous 10 outings.

For the Sox, Eovaldi threw a season-high 102 pitches and has tossed at least 6.0 innings in four of his eight starts, the most by a Red Sox pitcher this season. Eovaldi has not allowed a home run in his last 58.0 innings, MLB’s longest active streak.

Sox 3B Rafael Devers hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.

Bassitt was credited with the win and relieve Jake Diekman earned the save.

Both clubs are (22-15) on the year. The Red Sox are 10-10 at Fenway Park.

 

 

Patriots Open at Home vs Dolphins

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FOXBORO – The NFL trickled out just a few of their 2021 schedule and among the items released were each team’s season opening games. Just as they did a year ago, the New England Patriots will play the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro for each team’s first game of the 2021 NFL regular season.

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Kickoff for the Patriots vs Miami game at Gillette Stadium is scheduled or 4:25 EDT on Sunday, September 12 and will be broadcast by CBS. The game marks the fourth time in the past 10 years that the division rival Patriots-Dolphins will meet in the regular season opener.  A year ago, New England opened their season with a 21-11 victory over Miami at Gillette Stadium.

A-Rod Still Working on T-Wolves

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MINNEAPOLIS – Former Major League Baseball MVP and World Champion Alex Rodriguez and his billionaire financial backer Marc Lore have yet to complete their deal to purchase the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves following a 30-day exclusive negotiating window. The potential ownership group has reportedly continued to negotiate with Timberwolves’ current owner Glen Taylor.

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The Athletic originally reported an agreement was reached on a $1.5 billion price and that the team would remain in Minneapolis — a requirement from Taylor, who has owned the team for almost 30 years.

Rodriguez and Lore would first become minority owners, according to The Athletic, and in 2023, would gain full control. The deal would also include the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.

Jalen Brown Out for Season, Playoffs

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BOSTON – Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was diagnosed with a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. Brown is expected to have the torn ligament surgically repaired this week, and will be out for the remainder of the 2020-21 regular season and playoffs.

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Brown had recently been sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Further updates will be provided as appropriate.

McIlroy Ends Drought on PGA Tour

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PGA Tour Brunch’s Wrap-Up of Wells Fargo Championship

CHARLOTTE – Rory McIlroy won his 19th career title and first in more than a year (1 year, 6 months, 6 days) while taking the Wells Fargo Championship for the third time (2010, 2015, 2021).

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Third-round leader Keith Mitchell finished T-3 after holding a 54-hole lead/co-lead for the first time. He closed with a (72) and (-8), two strokes off the lead.

In search of his first-ever PGA Tour title, Abraham Ancer recorded his fourth career runner-up in his 115th start of his career. Ancer shot as (66) in the final round and finished only one back of McIlroy.

After losing the FedExCup points lead to Justin Thomas following last week’s Valspar Championship, Bryson DeChambeau returned to the No. 1 spot in the FedExCup standings with a T-9 finish. DeChambeau thought he had missed the cut on Friday and returned to Dallas before refueling his charter and returning to Dallas for Saturday’s third round.

First-round leader Phil Mickelson followed an opening (64) with rounds of (75-76-76) to finish 69th and has yet to finish inside the Top 10 in 14 starts this season.

PGATourBrunch will be posting at 12:00 Noon (EDT) Wednesday with a look at the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic.

This Week: The AT&T Byron Nelson Classic (McKinney, Texas) – (First Look)

2021 Wells Fargo – Final Leaderboard

Rory McIlroy 72-66-68-68—274 (-10)

Abraham Ancer 69-70-70-66—275 (-9)

Viktor Hovland 69-72-68-67—276 (-8)

Keith Mitchell 67-71-66-72—276 (-8)

Gary Woodland 67-69-70-71—277 (-7)

Final Leaderboard: (link)

Third-round leader Keith Mitchell finished T-3 after holding a 54-hole lead/co-lead for the first time. He closed with a (72) and (-8), two strokes off the lead.

In search of his first-ever PGA Tour title, Abraham Ancer recorded his fourth career runner-up in his 115th start of his career. Ancer shot as (66) in the final round and finished only one back of McIlroy.

After losing the FedExCup points lead to Justin Thomas following last week’s Valspar Championship, Bryson DeChambeau returned to the No. 1 spot in the FedExCup standings with a T-9 finish. DeChambeau thought he had missed the cut on Friday and returned to Dallas before refueling his charter and returning to Dallas for Saturday’s third round.

First-round leader Phil Mickelson followed an opening (64) with rounds of (75-76-76) to finish 69th and has yet to finish inside the Top 10 in 14 starts this season.

PGATourBrunch will be posting at 12:00 Noon (EDT) Wednesday with a look at the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic.

This Week: The AT&T Byron Nelson Classic (McKinney, Texas)

 

2021 Wells Fargo – Final Leaderboard

Rory McIlroy 72-66-68-68—274 (-10)

Abraham Ancer 69-70-70-66—275 (-9)

Viktor Hovland 69-72-68-67—276 (-8)

Keith Mitchell 67-71-66-72—276 (-8)

Gary Woodland 67-69-70-71—277 (-7)

Final Leaderboard: (link)

While We’re Young (Ideas) – Our Sunday Sports Notebook on the IVY League

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The IVY League led the way back in March 2020. Hopefully, the Presidents of the IVY League schools knew something back then and know something once again. Something more than the rest of us because the IVY League is coming back for Fall Football.

“Given the current steady decline of Covid-19 infections in this country, and the broad availability and uptake of vaccinations, we are optimistic that our campuses will be back to something close to normal by this fall, including in-person learning with students in residence,” the Council of presidents said in their statement. “And this includes our expectation for the resumption of regular competitive schedules for Ivy League athletics across all sports beginning in fall 2021.

 

Here in the Greater Boston area, Harvard announced its plans in March to have invite all undergraduates back to campus to live and attend in-person classes for the 2021 fall semester. University President Lawrence S. Bacowalso wrote to affiliates this week that Harvard will require all undergraduates living on campus in the fall to get inoculated against the coronavirus.

While most major football conferences returned to some on-field activity last fall, the schools in the IVY League sat on the sidelines. As time passed, most Division I conferences permitted conference play for the Winter 2020-21 and Spring 2021 seasons. A handful of Ivy League schools permitted teams to hold local scrimmages this spring, but Ivy League teams were unable to compete against one another.

Specifics for various school graduations and other large gatherings are being scrutinized at campuses all across America, and pro sports are gradually increasing the percentage of capacity allowing fans to watch their favorite teams. The Ivy League decision, for some reason or another, forecasts better times ahead.

Here’s hoping Harvard visits Yale for “The Game,” this coming November and a significant crowd assembles at the 64,000+ capacity Yale Bowl. One thing is for sure, whatever the percentage of capacity is allowed to watch the football game inside, there will be an equal or larger number of alum assembled in the parking lots, tailgating away and reminiscing about “Glory Days” of the past.

For the FULL Notebook – sent to your inbox each weekend, sign-up HERE

PGA Tour: Final Round Preview from Wells Fargo

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THIS WEEK on the PGA TOUR: Wells Fargo Championship

COURSE: Quail Hollow Country Club (Charlotte, NC)

FEDEx CUP Points Available/Winner: 2,989/500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @WellsFargoGolf

OFFICIAL SITE: (Wells Fargo Championship) – (Official Tournament Site)

TV COVERAGE: Today, May 9 – Golf Channel’s TV coverage will air from 1:00pm to 3:00pm (EDT), then CBS takes over coverage from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

STREAMING: PGA Tour Live will offer streaming coverage of Featured Groups today from 8:00am to 3:00pm (EDT) with Featured Holes streaming from 3:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT).

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Streaming Radio coverage today, 1:00pm to 6:00pm (EDT) on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com.

How to Watch: (PGATourCom)

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Wells Fargo Championship Notes:

Keith Mitchell holds a two-stroke lead in search of only his second PGA Tour title and a win today would mark 798 days since his first Tour title at the 2019 Honda Classic.

Mitchell leads the field by in birdies with (18) through 54 holes trailed by Jason Dufner and Harris English (15).

Rory McIlroy is seeking his third win at the Wells Fargo Championship (others were 2010, 2015).

Gary Woodland is back atop the leaderboard and seeks his fifth career PGA Tour victory and first since the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Luke List is seeking his first PGA Tour win in his 188th start as this tournament marks his sixth start at the Wells Fargo Championship. List’s best finish was T-9 (2018).

After opening rounds of (69-67), 36-hole co-leader Matt Wallace fell to T-7 after posting a third-round 2-over (73).

Since 2003, only five players have earned their first PGA Tour win at the Wells Fargo Championship.

After making the cut by one stroke, Bryson DeChambeau (T-23) made a six-stroke improvement in round three with a 3-under 68, capped by a double bogey on the par-4 18th hole. On Friday evening, figuring he had missed the cut, DeChambeau headed back to Dallas but was informed mid-flight that the wind had kicked-up at Quail Hollow and the cut-line was changing. Needing to re-fuel anyways, DeChambeau’s charter landed in Dallas, took on jet fuel and took a few hours break, and returned to Charlotte.

Wells Fargo Championship Leaderboard After 54-Holes

Keith Mitchell 67-71-66 —204 (-9)

Rory McIlroy 72-66-68 —206 (-7)

Gary Woodland 67-69-70—206 (-7)

Luke List 67-72-68 —207 (-6)

Bruins Lose to NY Rangers

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BOSTON – After winning four straight and clinching a spot in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins have now lost two-of-three to drop to 6-3-1 over their last 10 games. The Bruins have two games remaining in the regular season, Monday against the New York Islanders, at home and Tuesday at Washington.

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On Saturday, Mika Zibanejad scored two of New York’s four third-period goals, and the Rangers finished their 2021 season with a 5-4 victory over Boston. The Rangers ended on a high note and broke a five-game losing streak.

For Boston, forward David Pastrnak scored his 200th career goal, Brad Marchand put in his team-leading 28th, and Patrice Bergeron and Nick Ritchie also scored for the Bruins, who had earned at least a point in their previous six games (5-0-1). Bruins goalkeeper Tuukka Rask stopped 18 shots but allowed the four third period goals.

The Rangers ended a tumultuous week as team owner James Dolan unexpectedly fired team president John Davidson and General Manager Jeff Gorton on Wednesday.