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Archives for April 2024

Irish Eyes Are a Smilin’ in NOLA

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NEW ORLEANS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Irish eyes smiled upon TPC Louisiana this weekend as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry prevailed in a playoff to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in McIlroy’s debut at the team tournament in Louisiana.

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McIlroy, the four-time major champ from Northern Ireland, and Lowry, his Irish friend, fellow major winner and onetime Ryder Cup teammate, put the Zurich on their schedule hoping to jump up the FedEx Cup standings. They’ll each receive 400 FedEx Cup points after defeating Chad Ramey and France’s Martin Trainer on the first playoff hole.

After starting the day seven shots off the lead, Ramey and Trainer fired a 9-under 63 in Sunday’s round of foursomes (alternate shot) to head to the clubhouse at 25-under 263. Other teams in the 25-under range soon wobbled and fell back — including McIlroy and Lowry, for a brief time, before they rebounded from a bogey at No. 17 with a birdie at the par-5 18th hole to force the playoff.

They returned to the 18th tee to begin the playoff, and Ramey’s second shot hooked left over the gallery. Trainer couldn’t hit his third shot hard enough onto the green. Meanwhile, Lowry put his team in the bunker on the second shot but McIlroy made a nice recovery shot — similar to his pitch shot on the 72nd hole to set up Lowry’s 5-foot birdie that forced the playoff.

Lowry’s birdie try in the playoff came to rest inches right of the cup, but Trainer pushed his short par putt that would have extended the playoff.

It marked McIlroy’s 25th PGA Tour win and Lowry’s third. Lowry had not won on U.S. soil since August 2015.

Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard shot a 69 and finished one shot out of the playoff after finishing with four straight pars. Brehm missed a must-have birdie at No. 18.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 28th

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While We’re Young (Ideas) | On Howie Schwab

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – I first met Howie Schwab in September of 1977, long before he would become the ESPN cult hero, nicknamed Stump the Schwab – a must-watch TV show that aired from July 8, 2004 to September 29, 2006. Schwab was a classmate at St. John’s University in New York and from that very first day when freshman orientation at the Queens campus of St. John’s called for the playing of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop,”from the Rumours album, Howie Schwab was a friend while being an encyclopedia in the “Never Stop” world of college and pro sports.

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With the guidance from upper classmen Frank Racaniello and Bill Rodriguez, the two sports editors of the student newspaper, The Torch, we all tried to find our niche in the sports industry. Whether it be as writers, researchers, CBS Sports loggers, sports information directors, we tried and sought out opportunities. Schwab and StanGoldstein (one-time front office man for the New York Knicks and guru of all things Bruce Springsteen). Schwab and Goldstein split the St J men’s basketball beat and did a terrific job. (I had the baseball beat which included a 1980 College World Series team).

Goldstein told a story for all on Facebook: “Funny story,” Stan began, “at the height of ‘Stump the Schwab.’ Howie and I went to a San Francisco Giants-Red Sox game at Fenway Park. I felt like I was at the game with Bruce Springsteen. Everyone recognized Howie and wanted a picture and an autograph. Howie made sure to accommodate everyone. I felt like I had to be his security guard. We went to Legal Seafood for dinner and there was a line. They recognized Howie and seated us immediately. People kept coming up to the table to get Howie’s autograph. It was something.”

Kindness, hard work, treating others with respect and volunteerism was key. Everyone in our class, at the encouragement of the late St. John’s Athletic Administration Dean Bernie Beglane, volunteered to help at any and all New York area sporting events. Schwab, as knowledgeable as anyone in the Felt Forum (a part of New York’s Madison Square Garden), helped out at the NBA Draft by running the draft cards from the team tables up to Matt Winick of NBA Operations seated up on the dais. Let’s just say, Ralph Sampson (No. 1 in ‘83), Steve Stepanovich (No. 2 in ‘83) Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 1 in ‘84), Sam Bowie (No. 2 in ‘84), Michael Jordan (No. 3 in ‘84), Patrick Ewing (No. 1 in ‘85) and even St. John’s own Chris Mullin (No. 7 in ‘85) would not have made it to the NBA if they didn’t go through Howie and his work on the trading floor that is the NBA Draft, handing the official card from team to league so the players could be selected.

Schwab was the head of research for ESPN and settled into Bristol, Connecticut for much of his career, feeding nuggets of information to the on-air talent, making them and ESPN look better and smarter everyday. He was particularly close with the great Dick Vitale and they both settled in Florida as the sunset on their ESPN careers, each fighting health issues.

The praise from his fellow ESPNers was amazing: “So sad to learn of the passing of my loyal dedicated buddy ⁦Howie Schwab,” wrote Vitale, who had Schwab as part of his own internal team after Schwab was let go from ESPN in a massive corporate cutback years ago. “He was recently at my home,“ Vitale wrote, “(and) had various health issues but was feeling good when he visited.May he please RIP.”

“Honored to have been one of the many handed a bit of research, often on a card, from the great Howie Schwab,” said Mike Tirico. “So glad the audience eventually got to see his brilliance and personality on tv. An original and one of the best you could ever meet. He made so many of us better. Holding his family and friends in our hearts,” concluded the classy Tirico who now anchors for NBC Sports.

Doug Gottlieb, who was a basketball analyst for ESPN before branching off to his own sports world, wrote: “My second day at ESPN, fall of 2003, I met Howie Schwab,” remembered Gottlieb. “I was walking into Building 4 and a fairly frumpy man stopped me, (and said) “Doug Gottlieb, 943 assists 7th all time – played at Notre Dame and Oklahoma State, lost to Duke in ‘98, Auburn in ‘99 & Florida in ‘00. A great passer who couldn’t shoot … Howie Schwab, nice to meet you.”

The dean of delight for many of us who interacted with ESPN is Dan Patrick who hosts the best sports talk show in the business. Patrick opened his show, stating: “Before we get started, I want to say goodbye to a lifelong friend who just passed away over the weekend, Howie Schwab,” Patrick said emotionally. “I’ve known Howie for probably over 30 years … Howie was sports Google before sports Google. Google would have Googled Howie Schwab. He’s the smartest guy that I ever met when it comes to sports knowledge, trivia, information.

“When I first started at SportsCenter, I was lucky to have Howie Schwab there, because he made us all better,” Patrick continued. “He loved the bottom line, and that is getting the information from wherever he is finding it, to you while you’re still on the air.”

Patrick concluded his tribute by calling Schwab, “A generous, wonderful person.”

And that’s where I can pick it right up.

Aside from out mutual love, understanding and misery following St. John’s basketball, Howie was such a great guy that he honestly took pride – not in his own successes, but of others. We often spoke about the NBA, Chris Mullin and I always asked about his parents (who sat adjacent to us in the St. John’s basketball season ticket layout).

Howie’s Dad passed away a couple years back, but his Mom is still doing well and had the saddest of assignments for a parent in burying a son. The service for Schwab, held in Baldwin, Long Island – his hometown – was dignified and very well attended. Plenty of his peers spoke so fondly of him and the many memories he’s left behind, especially in “Stump the Schwab,” the great ESPN show that was once anchored by the late, great Stuart Scott. (Note: Link above for an archive of the service).

My personal memory of Howie is from a message left on my (private) home number answering machine, the one dominated by political calls, robo calls, and messages from our town weather/flood/storm notification system.”

“Terry,” he said, not identifying himself and knowing that I would know his voice. “I have a crazy situation and I know you’re a “Marriott guy.” I bought a time share in Aruba and there’s no way we can use it. The bad news, it starts later this week.

“All you have to do if fly down to Aruba, and I’ll take care of everything else. It’s all paid for and I’d love for you to use it for a little break.”

Surely, Howie had called others before leaving that wonderful, kind, thoughtful message for me, and I was thrilled to call him back to thank him for the offer, which so sadly, we could not take advantage of at the time.

It was, however, Howie Schwab in all his glory – trying to help others while never asking for a thing back.

Howie was not a text message guy. He was not an email guy, unless he was forwarding good information. He was a “call you on your home phone number” kind of guy and that’s what I loved about him.”

Go Johnnies. For Howie.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Another all-time great passed this week, in NHL broadcaster The NHL sent out a statement from Commissioner Gary Bettman which said it all, “Bob Cole’s voice was the iconic and incomparable soundtrack of ice hockey across Canada for more than 50 years,” said Bettman. “From countless winter Saturday nights on Hockey Night in Canada to the 1972 Summit Series to multiple Olympic Games to dozens of Stanley Cup Finals, his distinctive, infectious play-by-play made every game he called sound bigger.

“Over a legendary career that began in local radio in his beloved home province of Newfoundland and inevitably went national beginning in 1969, Bob transcended generations by sharing his obvious passion for our game and his stunning talent for conveying hockey’s excitement and majesty with both eloquence and enthusiasm.

“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of one of the true greats of our game, who long ago joined his idol Foster Hewitt in the pantheon of hockey broadcasters. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends and the millions across Canada for whom the sound of Bob Cole’s voice was the sound of hockey.”

To this columnist, there are only six other non-playing ice hockey people held on a such a high pedestal and they are:

Roger Doucet (1919-1981) – (link)

“The Big Whistle,” Bill Chadwick (1915-2009) – (link)

Bill Torrey (1934-2018) – (link)

Al Arbour (1932-2015) – (link)

Frank J. Zamboni (1901-1988) – (link)

And, thankfully and importantly – still with us at age 77 – Mike “Doc” Emrick, the voice of hockey to the fans of the USA (link).

INFORMAL POLL: This wasn’t a poll conducted by Quinnipiac and it won’t be reported by MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki, but a Digital Sports Desk poll of favorite Boston Red Sox players is heavy on retired players or those who’ve moved along and very short on the current crew.

The poll is conducted on a short walk from the Fenway T Station to the ballpark. Every single Red Sox uniform is noted, and the results show a love for the past and not so much love of the present. Here are the results:

  1. David Ortiz
  2. Mookie Betts
  3. Yaz
  4. Xander Bogaerts
  5. Dustin Pedroia
  6. Chris Sale (with the replicas purchased before they were on Sale)
  7. Rafael Devers*
  8. Jarren Duran*
  9. Enrique “Kiki” Hernandez
  10. Brayan Bello*

* for current roster player

COLLEGE PROPS: According to the D-1 Ticker, the New York State Gaming Commission’s Chairman Brian O’Dwyer went on record with NCAA President Charlie Baker as they both endorsed a nationwide ban on prop bets on college athletes. O’Dwyer wrote: “With the commencement of legal sports wagering in our state, the New York State Gaming Commission made a policy determination to prohibit individual athletic-based proposition betting within any collegiate event, as we shared the same desire to insulate student-athletes from potential harassment regarding their performance. We are pleased that many states have followed our lead and have since adopted such a similar restriction. As regulators of the largest sports betting market in the United States, we continue to believe the prohibition of college proposition betting on student-athletes is appropriate. New York State appreciates your efforts to help implement this important protective measure nationwide.” … The obvious issue was well documented within the case of the NBA banning x Porter for life for his gambling activities. He was investigated and proved to have meddled with prop bet lines on his own game, asking out and pretending to be injured in order to stay under the prop bet line.

NUGGETS AND TIDBITS: The 2024 Hall of Fame Awards Presentation will paint Cooperstown with a decidedly historic shade of red during Hall of Fame Weekend, as in Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox radio voice Joe Castiglione will be presented with the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters and the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox will be recognized on the 20th anniversary of their historic victory at the July 20 Awards Presentation, which will be held at the Glimmerglass Festival, located just north of the Village of Cooperstown.

The special tribute is scheduled to include Castiglione, as well as appearances by Hall of Famers Pedro Martínez and David Ortiz, two Sox heroes of that reverse-the-curse Red Sox team. The late Gerry Fraley will be honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for writers at the event, which takes place in the Alice Busch Opera Theater. A limited number of tickets for the public are now available for the Awards Presentation at baseballhall.org/hofwknd.

Castiglione, who has called Red Sox games on the radio for a record 41 seasons, was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Castiglione is the longest tenured broadcaster in Red Sox history and has called historic moments that have included both of Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout games and four no-hitters as well as the Red Sox’s four World Series titles in a 15-year span from 2004-2018.

Fraley formed relationships with players, coaches, scouts, executives, and umpires that made him one of the most trusted voices in the industry. Fraley, who died in 2019 at the age of 64, covered the Phillies, Braves and Rangers and was a pioneer in the advent of daily notebooks as part of beat coverage. Longtime columnist for the Southern California News Group, Mark Whicker, will speak on behalf of Fraley at the Awards Presentation.

Hall of Fame Weekend will feature the 2024 Induction Ceremony when Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland and Joe Mauer will be inducted as the Class of 2024 on Sunday, July 21, on the grounds of Cooperstown’s Clark Sports Center. The 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be broadcast live exclusively on MLB Network and more than 50 Hall of Famers are expected to return for Hall of Fame Weekend, with the full list of returnees to be announced in early July, to honor the Class of 2024.

Cubs Look to Win (Again) at Fenway

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Chicago Cubs will look to win the first series they have played at Fenway Park since 2017 and extend their winning streak to five games in a Saturday rematch against the Boston Red Sox.

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However, with Kyle Hendricks and Justin Steele both injured, the Cubs did not name a starter for Saturday’s game until manager Craig Counsell gave the nod to rookie right-hander Ben Brown (0-0, 3.72 ERA) following the series opener.

Hendricks officially was sidelined on Monday due to a lower back strain.

“What’s clear for me in this stretch is that we’re going to have to push our starting pitching a little farther in games,” Counsell said after Hendricks was shelved. “I think we’re equipped to do that and in a good spot to do that, but it’s definitely going to be part of the next two weeks.”

Shota Imanaga helped the Cubs achieve that goal in Friday’s series opener in Boston, tossing 6 1/3 solid innings on 88 pitches in a 7-1 win.

A 14-hit attack supported Imanaga. Michael Busch was 3-for-4 with a double, and Pete Crow-Armstrong was 2-for-3 and drove in two RBIs for the second consecutive game following an 0-for-16 streak to begin his career.

“It’s kind of even hard to put into words,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said of Crow-Armstrong. “He cares so much. He works so hard. He wants to do so well and has got a great heart.”

Two of Brown’s six appearances have been starts, and he has allowed just one run on four hits over a combined 10 2/3 innings in those games.

Brown, who made his MLB debut on March 30, has thrown three scoreless frames in two relief outings since his last start on April 15 at Arizona.

The Red Sox are 3-8 this season at Fenway, where they have lost four straight series openers and allowed opponents to score seven or more runs six times.

On Friday, Tyler O’Neill’s solo home run in the fourth inning produced Boston’s only run against Imanaga.

O’Neill, however, has not hit any of his eight home runs this season with a runner on base.

“Us as a unit, where we’re at right now, we have to be better … understanding what we have to do to have traffic for the big boys,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Along with O’Neill, Rafael Devers is 7-for-13 over his last three games following a five-game injury absence. Cora expects him to return defensively to third base on Saturday.

Boston right-hander Josh Winckowski (1-1, 4.20 ERA) will make his second start of the season and only his third since the beginning of 2023. He dealt 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball last Sunday at Pittsburgh but did not factor into the decision.

Winckowski has been pressed into a starting role with Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Nick Pivetta on the 15-day injured list.

Winckowski, 25, is excited for another opportunity to prove himself out of a Red Sox rotation that has the best starters’ ERA in the American League (2.15).

“Specifically, people were saying we needed help in the rotation and that the rotation (stunk). So I’m really happy for all the guys to be proving everyone wrong,” Winckowski said. “I think the team definitely carries a chip on its shoulder to go win as many games as we can.”

–Field Level Media

WINNERS & LOSERS in the NFL DRAFT

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Instant reaction to NFL draft selections is dangerous territory, but we’re running with the Bears while we have the chance.

Chicago comes out of Thursday with two of the top seven players in the Field Level Media Top 100 rankings. The Bears drafted quarterback Caleb Williams first overall and paired him with polished pass catcher Rome Odunze, the Washington wide receiver picked ninth overall.

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Not every team was blessed with the same great fortune on Thursday night but have a chance to shift the narrative around the following flash reactions Friday and Saturday.

WINNERS
Minnesota Vikings
–Drafted QB J.J. McCarthy 10th, DE Dallas Turner 17th
When the offseason began with Kirk Cousins waving goodbye, the Vikings were left reeling for only a moment. Minnesota struck early and often in free agency and acquired a second first-round pick from the Houston Texans to be in position to attempt a 1-2 punch in the first round capable of setting the foundation for the franchise for years to come.

“As excited as our fans are, they can know that J.J. McCarthy really wanted to be a Minnesota Viking and he can’t wait to get here and get to work,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said.

Seattle Seahawks
–Drafted DT Byron Murphy II 16th overall
As Aaron Donald is ushered out of the NFC West, the Seahawks sit tight and let one of the top players on their draft board fall into their laps. Murphy is a freakish athlete and fits at multiple positions in the varied fronts of new head coach Mike Macdonald.

“It’s a dream come true. I don’t know too much about Seattle, but I heard it rains a lot,” Murphy said Thursday night from his draft party in Dallas.

Arizona Cardinals
–Drafted Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. 4th, Missouri DE Darius Robinson 27th
Twenty years and a day since Arizona selected Larry Fitzgerald Jr. No. 3 overall, they hit it big again.

Harrison Jr. might be the best player in the draft — he was ranked No. 1 by multiple teams — but QB need was undeniable for the teams at the top in 2024. Harrison Jr. is bigger and faster than most expect, and Ohio State felt he was elite in other areas — work ethic and leadership.

Robinson was a defensive end but his skill set projects well to multiple positions on the defensive line, a major need for the Cardinals. He’ll help the overall defense and upgrade the pass rush.

Jacksonville Jaguars
–Drafted LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. 23rd
Thomas runs pristine routes and led the nation in touchdowns, representing a well-played mulligan for Jacksonville following the botched free agency negotiations with Calvin Ridley.

Detroit Lions
–Drafted CB Terrion Arnold 24th
One of the most maligned draft picks of the first round last year? Easily the Lions selecting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who turned into an ideal playmaker after a slow start. And second-round safety Brian Branch was described as the “heartbeat of the defense” by Dan Campbell. So why not take a swing for a No. 1 corner from the Crimson Tide? It took a trade up in a swap with the Cowboys. But Arnold is legit, ranked as high as No. 10 and projected to be the first cornerback off the board far earlier than this point in the draft.

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LOSERS
Atlanta Falcons
–Drafted Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. 8th
Penix was a fringe first-round pick and the Falcons spent serious capital — $180 million over four years — to lure Kirk Cousins in free agency and fix their QB concerns. Now they’ve created friction without addressing major needs on the roster, including almost every defensive position.

“I feel like there’s definitely something special going on over there in Atlanta,” Penix said.

Cousins leaned on Aaron Rodgers for advice and benchmarks to check in his recovery from a torn Achilles this season. Now Cousins finds himself in a situation eerily similar to the position Rodgers was in when the Packers drafted Jordan Love 26th overall in 2020.

Denver Broncos
–Drafted Oregon QB Bo Nix 12th
The sixth of six first-round quarterbacks selected, Denver bought the end of the run rather than taking better value with their choice of the top edge, cornerback, safety, linebacker and one remaining blue-chip talent — Georgia tight end Brock Bowers — a boom-or-bust roll of the dice brings Nix to a QB room in Denver that includes Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham.

–Field Level Media

NBA Playoff Round-Up

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Pacers’ guard Tyrese Haliburton converted a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 121-118 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Haliburton gained separation after using a nifty crossover on Patrick Beverley before sinking a shot from the foul line. He added a free throw to complete his 18-point, 16-assist, 10-rebound performance and overcome a scintillating 42-point effort by Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton.

Myles Turner collected 29 points and nine rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 17 points and nine rebounds to help the sixth-seeded Pacers seize a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Sunday in Indianapolis.

Damian Lillard, slowed by an ailing Achilles tendon, overcame an apparent left leg injury late in the first quarter to finish with 28 points, eight assists and three steals. Bobby Portis collected 17 points and 18 rebounds for the third-seeded Bucks, who played their sixth straight game without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain).

Mavericks 101, Clippers 90

Dallas all-star Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help Dallas beat visiting Los Angeles in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Kyrie Irving scored 19 of his 21 points in the final 14 minutes for the Mavericks, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is set for Sunday in Dallas.

Norman Powell and James Harden each had 21 points for the Clippers, who committed 19 turnovers. Ivica Zubac added 19 points and eight rebounds.

Timberwolves 126, Suns 109

Anthony Edwards recorded 36 points and nine rebounds as Minnesota beat host Phoenix to take a 3-0 playoff series lead for the first time in franchise history.

The Timberwolves will aim for a sweep in Game 4 of the best-of-seven, first-round Western Conference series on Sunday night at Phoenix. Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points and 13 boards for third-seeded Minnesota.

Bradley Beal scored 28 points, Kevin Durant added 25 and Devin Booker registered 23 points and eight assists for the sixth-seeded Suns.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 21

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on Caitlin Clark and the WNBA

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Every decade or so, an issue comes down the pike, and it’s so complex it can only be played out on the sports pages – specifically the NBA section. The complexities have ranged from public health to race relations to geopolitical crisis to labor law. You name it, the NBA has played it.

In the late ‘70s, the NBA was considered too Black and too druggie. The San Diego edition of the Los Angeles Times went so far as to call out the NBA for having 75% of its players using illegal drugs. (It was not a coincidence, the league had playing rosters of some 75% Black players, as well).

The NBA countered with the first and most significant Anti-Drug Agreement in professional sports, and the concept was championed by NBA Players Association President Bob Lanier (RIP 1948-2022) and signed by Big Bob and then Commissioner Larry O’Brien.

Early 1980s? The NBA was embarrassed by having only a handful of games on national TV and the championship games being tape delayed, all while salaries were soaring with no end in sight.

Up stepped the NBA with a new concept in Collective Bargaining that placed player salaries in line with the overall (monetary) success of the league. The new ‘83 CBA introduced maximum (Salary Cap) and minimum team salaries along with an improved Anti-Drug Agreement. The deal was a first for pro sports, and it was lauded by New York Times labor writer A.H. Raskin as a model, not just for sports but for all of labor law. Over the years, the league and NBA Players Association worked on the CBA and improved its rules/agreements, which govern the league’s player movement to this day.

The 1990s came along, and so did the public health crisis of the HIV/AIDS virus, a decade-plus old and raging out of control around the world. Just how could the NBA intersect with such a medical crisis?

Instead of hiding or being shunned by the league, fellow players and society, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard and NBA champion Earvin “Magic” Johnson stepped up to a podium at the Fabulous Forum in LA and announced to the world that he had tested positive with the HIV virus and would have to retire from the NBA. Johnson stated his intention to help educate the youth of the world, stressing healthy living and teaching literally everyone the intricacies of and how to live with the virus, stressing safe sex and calling for much-needed research dollars to perfect prescription drug cocktails that were life-saving.

Johnson’s message was front page news in every publication in the world and he furthered his teachings by participating in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game where he won MVP honors in a truly magical manner. Johnson went on to play on the one and only USA Basketball “Dream Team” that took the gold medal at the ‘92 Barcelona Olympic Games.

Fast forward to 2020, and another virus ran rampant throughout the globe. It wasn’t until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver abruptly stopped the league from playing games that the general public realized just how serious COVID-19 was going to be. Only the IVY League was exercising full caution ahead of the NBA, but no one was listening until the NBA made its decisive move.

Now that’s a long introduction – we call it background in the biz – to introduce the topic of the day – maybe of the 2024-2030s – and that is the impact of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, drafted this week into the WNBA by the Indiana Fever. In one season, Clark sold more Iowa jerseys than Jersey Mike sells subs. While doing so, and now officially licensed Indiana replica uniforms and WNBA orange hoodies are flying off the shelves, the issue of “women in sports” has been raised by every media outlet in the land, from CNBC business to an Indiana-based columnist inappropriately making a “heart-shaped” sign to Clark while she was in the middle of meeting the WNBA media for the very first time.

Clark, who handled the press conference incident with grace and dignity, has done more to advance women’s basketball in one season than the WNBA has done since its inception on Memorial Day weekend in 1997. Clark led her Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA women’s Final Four, losing to national champion South Carolina in the championship game just weeks ago.

The coolest thing about Clark is she made the difference with her “game,” as in “She’s Got Game.” Her impact made all her teammates better and helped drive television ratings to all-time highs (According to Nielsen: 18.88 million people watched South Carolina clinch their undefeated season by beating Iowa, 87-75). The game marked the third all-time TV ratings high for the women’s game, and a 289% increase over the previous year’s NCAA championship. Only the ‘96 USA Basketball women’s national team win at the Atlanta Olympics can claim a higher ratings number (19.7 viewers).

The men’s final drew 14.8 million viewers on Turner (cable) and with that, let the comparisons begin, as media watchers noted that Clark’s Iowa team rated higher than any basketball game (men’s or women’s and college or professional) since 2019, according to ESPN, and the most viewership ever for a women’s college basketball game, as the broadcast peaked at a stunning 24 million viewers.

To put this in perspective. The games topped…

  • Every World Series game last year.
  • Every NBA Finals game last year.
  • Every Daytona 500 since 2013.
  • Every Masters final round viewership since 2013.
  • All but five College Football Bowl games in 2023.

As the WNBA Draft took place, the next (semi)-logical comparison was made as Clark’s WNBA rookie scale salary calls for her base salary to be:

  • 2024: $76,535
  • 2025: $78,066
  • 2026: $85,873
  • 2027: (option year) at $97,582

Quickly, the media pointed out that the NBA’s No. 1 draft choice, Victor Wembanyama signed a No. 1 pick NBA scale contract of $55,174,766 or some $13.7 million a year.

Knee jerk reactions were a combination of disbelief and horror by many who knew next to nothing of the NBA’s vast collective bargaining history since the maximum and minimum team salaries were introduced in 1983 and the number of years, ticket sales, and new global television deals it took to grow the NBA “pie” to its record levels of today.

For instance:

  • The NBA will generate about $13B in revenues this year. The WNBA will not approach that number. For additional background, the NBA’s (USA/Canada-based) national media deals pay the NBA and its teams $2.8 billion with a “b” for 2023-24. The WNBA and its teams will net $65M total for media rights.
  • The NBA is finishing its 78th season in business. The WNBA is enjoying its 28th season. The comparison in years would make it 1973 for the NBA.
  • In 1973, NBA players were making $15,000 (minimum), the median was $25,000 and the average was $40,000. The “key salary” figure at time was $65,000. If you were making $65,000, you were pretty good.
  • In ’73, the NBA had 45 players making $100,000, and keep in mind at the time there was a bidding war factor with ABA to sign and/or entice players between the years 1967 and ’76) – (Source: New York Times: Leonard Koppett).
  • Remember, the NBA plays from October to April with an 82-game season with 30 clubs and for successful playoff teams it could be some 100+ games all the way to late June. WNBA players compete in a 40-game, four-month season with 12 teams.
  • In addition to her base salary, Clark can make another $500,000 or more in WNBA-related earnings (coming from league activated marketing deals) this coming season.
  • Without a doubt, the marketing strength and vast WNBA TV deals will help her gain significant income through new endorsements and via existing business partnerships. Recent reports have that dollar amount exceeding $3 million and potentially jumping to an eight-figure Nike shoe and apparel deal worth $20,000,000 itself. (Be Like Mike and take the stock options).

The differences far outweigh the similarities, so it’s quite disingenuous to compare Clark’s salary to Wembanyama’s. But, if Clark were to be drafted in the first round by an NBA team this June, which is within reason, she would be slotted into the NBA’s rookie pay scale. Period. There’s no gender issue in the NBA’s CBA. Rookies selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft will make roughly $2m (for the 30th selection) to $10,504,800 for the No. 1 pick in the draft.

If Clark were to be selected with, say, the 20th overall pick of the draft, she’d make $2,780,000 for her first season, with bump-ups to $2.9m and $3.05m for the following two years. A four-year option salary would come in at 54% of her salary in 2026-27.

Now, the question of the day: Is Clark good enough to command an NBA salary? And, play it out: is the most talented musician at the Berklee School of Music good enough to gross the $2 billion Taylor Swift made in 2023? Or, we can get real serious across the entire socio-economic chart and start comparing the salaries of school teachers, bus drivers, nurses, first responders and the like to entertainers and athletes.

The point is that it’s not a fair comparison to knee-jerk and compare salaries unless you’re putting it all in context. That is the attempt in this column.

One last point: In 2020, the likes of Sue Bird and the (WNBA/NBA) Players Association heads were lauding their new CBA, and rightfully so. Said Bird, a member of the WNBA Players Association executive committee: “The deal represents moving forward both from a WNBA perspective, but also in general, for women in sports and society. We continue to push forward and there’s a lot of aspects of this deal that mark that.

“When you look at things like what we’re able to do with maternity leave and family planning … We’re going to be looked at as – I think – pioneers in the sports world.”

The players called the deal “historic,” due to its potential to change the financial landscape of women’s professional sports. “We’re betting on ourselves,” they said. “We’re betting on our ability as a league to bring to our American culture what people say they want.”

Just like Julius “Doctor J” Erving, Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the new member of the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark, can be the game changer and put the WNBA on a path to incredible heights.

And guess what? Someday soon, while Clark and her 2024 Draft Class join up with the incredibly talented veteran stars of the league – A’ja Wilson and the entire Vegas Aces roster for one, Sabrina Ionescu and the NY Liberty, along with Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year and Clark’s new teammate Aliyah Boston, and all the other fabulous players in the W – they’ll all marvel when yet another unique, amazing, hard-working and game-changing athlete comes along, Just Like Mike came along to build on the foundation set by Doc, Larry and Magic, and Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and George Mikan before him.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On a personal note: Some of my media brethren are trying to manufacture a “Bird vs Magic” style rivalry in the WNBA between Clark and former LSU star Angel Reese, drafted by the Chicago Sky. Let’s see what happens if the rivalry manifests itself or not in the years to come, but, putting that aside, this columnist thinks the proper comparison for Clark is the great Doctor J.

While playing for UMass, the Virginia Squires, New York Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, Doc did things that we’d never seen before, and he did it pretty much every game he played. Yes, Erving operated far above the rim and had mitts the size of Montana, while Clark “operates” from the center court logo zone, a zip code away from the rim, and makes every player on her team better. She does something we haven’t seen before almost every night, sometimes astonishing Golden State’s Steph Curry. Again, it’s tough – maybe impossible – to make the comparisons.

WAYBACK: Looking in the wayback machine for the NYT story cited above, it also quoted the great Pat Williams (former GM at Orlando and Philadelphia) and noted his P.O.V. on the late Commissioner David Stern’s ability to “sell” the NBA. Said Williams: “Now, the 47-year-old Mr. Stern is embarking on his next big gambit: peddling the sport abroad. And he likes nothing better than hustling. ”We had people in this league who would have trouble selling Blue Cross to Humpty Dumpty,” said Pat Williams, the general manager of the Orlando Magic. ”David Stern can sell an anvil to a drowning man. He can sell a pogo stick to a kangaroo. You ready for this? David Stern could sell a stethoscope to a tree surgeon.

“That’s the ultimate tribute I can pay the man,” said Williams.

NUGGETS AND TIDBITS: This might come as a shock, but the Boston Red Sox rank No. 2 in MLB with 28 Home Runs, trailing only the Baltimore Orioles with 30. This fast April start for the Sox in the HR Dept. is their most through 21 games since 2002 (30) and it ties for fifth most in franchise history. … The Red Sox 17 HRs on the road ties the San Francisco Giants for most in MLB (as of April 20-AM). … Heading into Saturday’s games, OF Tyler O’Neill ranked second in the American League with seven HRs while 1B Triston Casas is tied for third with six dingers.

SURPRISE, SUPRISE: Scottie Scheffler is atop the PGA leaderboard at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Course in South Carolina. Scheffler shot an acceptable two-under (69) on Thursday but amped it up to go 69-65-63 heading into the Sunday (April 21) finale. Five golfers are within three strokes.

SAD NOTE: It was very sad to get a text message from former St John’s coach Fran Fraschilla with the terrible news of (former St. John’s classmate) Howie Schwab passing away on the morning of April 20. Known to many sports fans as the “Stump the Schwab” ESPN personality, his friends knew him as the sports editor of “The Torch” at St. John’s and the kindest and most thoughtful guy you’d ever want to know. The WWYI column will delve deeper into “The Schwab” next week, but please say a prayer for Howie, his wife and family. Simply put, he was a very good man and the most loyal (to St. John’s and his ESPN employer) that you’d ever meet.

DeBrusk Opening For Bruins

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jake DeBrusk logged a three-point game to lead the Bruins to a 5-1 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series on Saturday. DeBrusk factored into all three of Boston’s second-period goals, scoring twice in 2:32 after assisting Brandon Carlo.

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John Beecher, who was making his playoff debut, and Trent Frederic also scored, while Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy each had two assists for Boston, which won all four head-to-head meetings between the teams in the regular season.

Bruins’ goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman finished with 35 saves, stopping all 24 shots he faced over the first two periods.

David Kampf scored the lone goal and Ilya Samsonov made 19 saves on 23 shots for Toronto.

Toronto had a 36-24 shot advantage but went scoreless in three power plays while Boston went 2-for-5.

Shortly after Swayman made his second of two key early stops on a Nicholas Robertson point-blank rebound, Beecher buried Jesper Boqvist’s two-on-one pass to the left circle at 2:26 of the first period.

Boston could have extended its lead if Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha hadn’t hit posts within a 2:05 span in the first period.

The Bruins began their second-period scoring onslaught at 5:47 as Carlo buried a drive from the top of the right circle off DeBrusk’s feed.

DeBrusk scored on the last two of Boston’s three power plays in the middle frame to increase the lead to 4-0, including a snapshot from the right circle at 15:02.

The third goal on Boston’s nine second-period shots occurred when DeBrusk redirected Brad Marchand’s centering pass off Samsonov and over the goal line.
The Maple Leafs broke the shutout quickly in the third. At 1:39, Kampf glided down the slot and buried Connor Dewar’s slick backhand feed.

Frederic’s empty-net goal with 2:08 left sealed the win.

Toronto forward William Nylander (undisclosed) was out of the lineup.

–Field Level Media

Kutter Crawford Gets It Done for Sox

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston DH Masataka Yoshida collected three hits, including a two-run home run, to propel the visiting Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

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Yoshida hit his second home run of the season to give Boston a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning. The home run came against Pittsburgh starting pitcher Mitch Keller and was Boston’s 29th homer in 22 games. Pablo Reyes, who drew a one-out walk, also scored on the play.

Yoshida also singled during Boston’s two-run first inning, and was credited with a double in the eighth on a ball that Pittsburgh left fielder appeared to lose in the sun.

Sox SP Kutter Crawford (1-0) limited the Pirates to one run on seven hits in six innings to collect the win. He struck out six and walked three. Crawford lowered his ERA to 0.66.

Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth to earn his fifth save. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton was ejected after Mchael A. Taylor struck out on a pitch clock violation with one out in the ninth.

Boston’s victory extended Pittsburgh’s losing streak to five games. The Red Sox improved their road record to 9-3.

Keller (2-2) pitched six innings. He gave up four runs on five hits, walked four and struck out four.

Connor Joe had a pinch-hit home run for the Pirates, who received three hits from Bryan Reynolds. Joe’s home run was his second of the season.

The Red Sox took an early 1-0 lead when Jarren Duran opened the game with a triple and scored on Wilyer Abreu’s infield single. Boston loaded the bases later in the inning and led 2-0 after Rob Refsnyder scored on Bobby Dalbec’s fielder’s choice.

Pittsburgh made it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the fourth. Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the inning with a double and scored on Jared Triolo’s two-out single.

The Pirates had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, but failed to score. Then Yoshida’s homer with one out gave Boston a three-run lead in the next inning.

Joe’s home run cut Boston’s lead to 4-2 in the eighth.

–Field Level Media

Longballs Back Sox, Bello vs Pirates

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu went 3-for-5 and was one of three players to hit their first home runs of the season for the Red Sox in an 8-1 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

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Boston’s offense pounded out 12 hits en route to its second win in a three-game span.

Rob Refsnyder and Ceddanne Rafaela each drove in a pair with the help of their first homers of 2024, while Triston Casas also left the yard for the Red Sox. Enmanuel Valdez added a two-run double.

Refsnyder and Connor Wong were each 2-for-5.

Brayan Bello (3-1) earned his second consecutive win in dominant fashion, allowing only one hit — Jack Suwinski’s leadoff double to left in the second — and two walks while striking out seven over six innings.

Chase Anderson and Cam Booser worked in relief of Bello. Booser, who allowed Pittsburgh’s only run, was making his MLB debut.

The Red Sox jumped out to a quick lead against Pittsburgh starter Quinn Priester (0-1), socking a pair of first-inning solo homers before scoring another run in the second. The opening run came just one out into the game as Abreu’s 421-foot blast nearly left the ballpark in right.

Casas doubled the Boston lead two batters later with two outs, clearing the fences in left-center field.

After Bello worked around two baserunners in Pittsburgh’s half of the first, Ceddanne Rafaela’s RBI fielder’s choice upped Boston’s lead to 3-0. Bobby Dalbec crossed the plate following a leadoff double, his first hit of the season.

FedEx To Play NIL Game in Memphis

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MEMPHIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – FedEx is entering into a five-year, $25 million name, image and likeness commitment that will benefit student-athletes at Memphis, particularly in the Tigers’ football and men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as additional women’s sports.

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The shipping giant, which launched its operations in Memphis in 1973, has annual revenues of $88 billion.

As part of the initiative, Memphis athletes receiving NIL funding will participate in FedEx initiatives via social media and in person around the city. The company supports events that include the FedEx/St. Jude Championships, the Southern Heritage Classic and the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, all in Memphis.

“We evaluated the evolving NIL landscape, exploring how we can best deliver positive impact to student-athletes and connect them to meaningful opportunities for both themselves and the community and made the decision to reallocate marketing funds to an NIL platform,” said Brian Philips, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at FedEx, in a news release. “This gives us an opportunity to invest in bright, young athletes in our great hometown of Memphis, strengthening our connection to the next generation of leaders.”