Digital Sports Desk

NFL DESK: Patriots Downed by Ravens

September 25, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Lamar Jackson threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another as the Baltimore Ravens held off a late comeback attempt to defeat the New England Patriots 37-26 on Sunday at Foxboro.

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Jackson completed 18 of 29 passes for 218 yards and had 107 yards on the ground on just 11 carries. Mark Andrews had eight receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns for Baltimore (2-1).

New England cut its deficit to 31-26 after Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard rushing touchdown with 12:39 left to play but the Patriots failed to convert a two-point conversion.

New England (1-2) then turned the ball over on its next three possessions. After throwing an interception on the last drive of the game, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones limped off the field with an apparent left leg injury.

Jones threw for 321 yards and three interceptions on 22-of-32 passing. He rushed for one touchdown. DeVante Parker led all receivers with five catches for 156 yards for New England, while Stevenson and Damien Harris each rushed for one score.

The Patriots burst out of halftime, driving 75 yards in seven plays in just under three minutes to go up 20-14. Harris finished off the march with a 2-yard rushing TD.

Baltimore’s Justice Hill rushed 34 yards to the New England 6 on the ensuing drive, setting up Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver for a 21-20 Ravens lead. It was Oliver’s first career touchdown.

In the first half, Jonathan Jones intercepted Jackson’s pass intended for Rashod Bateman with 8:12 left in the second quarter and returned it to the Baltimore 32. The Patriots took advantage of the short field as Jones walked untouched into the end zone from 3 yards out for a 10-7 lead.

However, Jackson’s 16-yard scoring strike to Andrews with 30 seconds left in the first half put the Ravens back on top. The Patriots pulled within 14-13 before the break, on Nick Folk’s 50-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.

Jackson also connected with Andrews in the first quarter on a 5-yard shovel pass to get Baltimore on the board.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sports Desk: Bills at Dolphins

September 25, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

Buffalo Travels to Miami for 4:25pm Start

MIAMI GARDENS – As NFL proving grounds go, Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins might not get a more tailor-made opportunity to legitimize their fast start than this one.

Undefeated AFC East rivals collide in Miami when the Buffalo Bills roll into Hard Rock Stadium after wrecking the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans in primetime pummelings by a combined score of 72-17.

The Dolphins are also 2-0, averaging 31 points per game with an offensive arsenal that believes it could be ready to measure up with Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

“We’ve all been witnesses to, he’s steadily become one of the best players in the National Football League,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said of Allen. “(You could) easily argue he’s the best one. And it’s not because he’s God’s gift. It’s because he’s unbelievably talented. But it’s because you can tell more than that, it’s because he works at his craft. He’s developing every time he’s on the field. He’s a really, really good player that you’ll never, I don’t think, see him stopped necessarily. It’s about minimizing and containing all together.”

The Dolphins have a seven-game home winning streak and enter with one of the more improbable wins in recent memory, rallying from a 35-14 deficit entering the fourth quarter at Baltimore to beat the Ravens 42-38.

Tagovailoa, who threw a pair of first-half interceptions, finished with six touchdown passes and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle each had 11 receptions and two touchdowns with a combined 361 yards through the air.

Checking Hill, the NFL’s leading receiver, and Waddle could fall largely to a pair of rookies for the Bills because Dane Jackson (neck) is out and Tre’Davious White is on the PUP list.

“They do a great job — their receivers — with yards after catch. So our ability to be able to tackle and get guys running to the football is going to be very, very important,” Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said.

McDaniel said he’ll mention keeping emotions in check with Tagovailoa but not dwell on it. He said they re-lived his second interception against the Ravens and boiled it down to pressing. The critical test in McDaniel’s mind is how quickly a quarterback rebounds from errors.

“If he feels himself pressing, like he did when he threw that second pick, how fast can you get out of that yourself and utilize that whole experience for confidence moving forward,” McDaniel said.

Buffalo packs a streak of its own for the trip to Florida. The Bills have won the past seven meetings with the Dolphins and have surrendered just 8.5 points per game this season.

Lost in the blazing start by Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs — 20 receptions, four touchdowns — has been the smothering defense that Miami knows all too well. With pass rusher Von Miller added to the mix, Buffalo can squeeze teams shoved into comeback mode by the Bills’ high-octane offense.

“Regardless if it works or not, you’re going see outside zone. They’re going to play unbelievable strenuous defense,” McDaniel said. “They’re going to play hard and run to the ball. And they’re going to force you into mistakes because they can get home with their four-man rush.”

In addition to Jackson, the Bills also ruled out safety Micah Hyde (neck) and defensive tackles Jordan Phillips (hamstring) and Ed Oliver (ankle) for Sunday’s game.

Tight end Dawson Knox (foot), wide receiver Gabe Davis (ankle), safety Jordan Poyer (foot), center Mitch Morse (elbow) and defensive tackle Tim Settle (calf) were limited in practice Friday. Those five players were listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.

Miami left tackle Terron Armstead (toe), cornerback Xavien Howard (groin), defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (knee) and wide receiver Cedric Wilson Jr. (ribs) are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Tight ends Cethan Carter (concussion) and Hunter Long (ankle) have been ruled out for the contest.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sports Desk: Browns Defeat Steelers

September 23, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jacoby Brissett passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns to help the Cleveland Browns record a 29-17 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday night.

Browns running back Nick Chubb rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns and Amari Cooper had 101 yards and one score on seven catches for the Browns (2-1). Cleveland’s David Njoku had nine receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown.

Mitchell Trubisky passed for 207 yards and rushed for a touchdown for the Steelers (1-2), who lost their second straight game. Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Brissett made his third start of the season in place of Deshaun Watson, who is serving an 11-game suspension for alleged sexual misconduct involving massage therapists. The fill-in QB helped the Browns play turnover-free football while outgaining Pittsburgh 376 yards to 308.

Trubisky completed 20 of 32 passes in his third start after the offseason retirement of Ben Roethlisberger.

Cleveland moved ahead 16-14 on Cade York’s 34-yard field goal with 2:31 left in the third quarter.

The next time the Browns had the ball, they moved 80 yards on 11 plays with Chubb scoring from the 1 to make it a nine-point margin with 9:29 remaining in the game.

Chris Boswell kicked a 34-yard field goal with 1:48 left to bring Pittsburgh within 23-17. The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds.

The Steelers got the ball back for one final play that included laterals. Harris eventually fumbled the ball, and Cleveland’s Denzel Ward recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

The Browns struck first on Brissett’s 11-yard scoring pass to Cooper with 2:54 left in the opening quarter. The Steelers tied the score on Harris’ 5-yard run on the first play of the second quarter.

Cleveland moved ahead 13-7 on Brissett’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Njoku with 8:58 left, but Ward’s point-after clanked off the right upright. Trubisky scored on a 1-yard keeper with 3:50 left to put Pittsburgh ahead.

Browns linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. was carted off the field due to a left knee injury in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Sept. 18

September 18, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – This week’s column goes out to the many readers/subscribers who work in the sports industry. They often read this weekly missive seeking sports business news, tidbits from industry conferences and behind-the-scenes insights into newsworthy happenings ripped from the headlines.

Instead of providing 100% sports business news from this week, it’s important to take a step back and realize the real reason many of us dedicate our lives to working in sports and to enhance our love for the game(s). Here’s the real life example and my personal schedule for the weekend:

Friday:

7:10pm – Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox: Instead of a usual view of the game from the press box, Friday night was enjoyed with visiting friends from the center field bleachers at Fenway Park, the exact 180-degree turn-around. The Red Sox won, 2-1, despite registering just two hits through seven innings and trailing 1-0 heading into the 8th. In that situation, the Red Sox won for just the fourth time this year and are 4-57. J.D. Martinez hit a two-out, bases-loaded RBI single in the 8th to give the Red Sox their 2-1 lead, much to the delight of the 33,180 fans still standing with me for the come-from-behind Boston victory.

Saturday:

The full day of “Sports for the Fun of It” schedule is provided as this column is being written as the temperatures dip into the high 40s early Saturday morning to accommodate:

9am: Cambridge: Meet-up with the friends to prep for a 10am tailgate in Somerville, Massachusetts leading into the first of three events for the day.

Noon: Trinity College at Tufts in a New England Small College Athletic Conference Division III game, featuring senior TE, No. 85 Thomas Walsh, son of dear friends Nancy and Tom Walsh who made the short trek from New York to watch their son play college football. As a junior, No. 85 led Trinity in yards per reception and was fifth on his team in pass receptions and receiving yards. He opened the game with a 22-yard catch that set-up his teammate William Kirby’s 53-yard run to make it 7-0, Trinity. The Bantams took a 26-3 halftime lead before allowing 20 unanswered second half points to win 26-23. The game was the opener for both the Jumbos and the visiting Bantams.

4:10pm – Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox: The Royals and Sox played the second of their three-game set at Fenway. The (70-75) Sox lost to the (58-88) Royals, in a (9-0) ear-slapping, as Boston’s disappointing season creeps towards a close with Boston in the 5th place cellar of the American League East. Kansas City has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention while Boston is 17 games back from the division-leading New York Yankees. The Sox are 10 games out of a wild card berth, a gap too far to mend.

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7:30pm – Maine Black Bears at Boston College: The (0-2) Bears – losses at New Mexico (41-0) and to visiting Colgate (21-18) – visit The Heights to play the (0-2) Eagles. BC’s suffered through a home loss to Rutgers, 22-21, and on the road at Blacksburg, Virginia where Virginia Tech won the Atlantic Coast Conference battle. Boston College can not afford a loss to Maine and we’ll be in the stands Saturday night as this column is sent to its loyal and fast-growing following. (BC won 38-17).

Sunday:

Early AM: After the temps dipped to the high 40s Saturday, seasonal last weekend of summer weather will return, sending temperature to the low 80s for a day of rest. That means:

Noon: The NFL Today will be on for a good hour or so as the NFL kicks-off its Week Two schedule.

1:00pm: The NFL RedZone will dominate the TV screen, an addictive, all-encompassing look at every NFL game. For those not in the know, the RedZone is the reason NFL game ratings have dipped a bit as fans can watch every single score by every team in the league, sometimes on split screen and sometimes in a ridiculous “OctoBox,” where eight games are on in near postage stamp-sized screens. It’s a fabulous way to keep an eye on every game, rather than the three or four OTA (over-the-air) games assigned to Boston which include New England at Pittsburgh.

8:20pm: Sunday Night Football, Dick Ebersol’s gift to American sports fans who can tune-in this week to the Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers game. There’s nothing like an NFL “Black & Blue” division game to finish my weekend of “Sports for the Fun of It,” shared here to underline the importance of – sometimes – stepping back to enjoy the games we cover,

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As you return to our regularly scheduled programming, the subject of the Phoenix Suns and team governor Robert Sarver must be addressed. This week NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a press conference to announce the findings of an independent investigation into workplace issues in the front office and arena operations for the Phoenix Suns. Formerly a model franchise of the NBA, the investigation by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz found that during his time with the Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury, Sarver used the N-word at least five times “when recounting the statements of others.” … The investigation also uncovered “instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees,” including “sex-related comments” and inappropriate comments on employees’ appearances, among other violations of proper workplace culture.

Silver announced a one-year ban and $10 million fine levied on Sarver. The ban requires the franchise owner to refrain from attending any games, practices, meetings and involvement in any basketball decisions for the Suns. Silver made the announcement as the NBA convened a Board of Governors meeting, a regular occurrence in the NBA’s yearly business calendar.

The NBA’s suspension and hefty fine were met with significant backlash by many of the rank and file players and the NBA players association, among others involved with the league. Saturday, the players’ union called for a lifetime ban and Suns sponsor – PayPal – which issued a statement that read: “PayPal is a values-driven company and has a strong record of combatting racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination,” PayPal CEO and president Dan Schulman. “We have reviewed the report of the NBA league’s independent investigation into Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and have found his conduct unacceptable and in conflict with our values.”… “In light of the findings of the NBA’s investigation, we will not renew our sponsorship should Robert Sarver remain involved with the Suns organization, after serving his suspension.”

SportsBetting.ag set odds on whether or not Sarver will be the Suns team owner in 2024, and the outlook isn’t good for the disgraced businessman.

Will Robert Sarver be the Suns franchise owner in 2024?

Yes +200

No -300

This story is in the second quarter, heading downhill. The first quarter was a disaster.

FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL: Believe it or not, NBA training camps open this week for teams traveling overseas in the preseason. Here’s a list of key dates for the NBA for the rest of the year:

September 23: First allowable date for players participating in preseason games outside North America to report to their teams (no earlier than 11am local time).

September 24: Training camps open for all teams participating in preseason games outside North America.

September 26: First allowable date for all other veteran players to report to their teams (no earlier than 11am local time).

September 27: NBA training camps open.

September 30: NBA preseason games begin.

September 30 & Oct. 2: NBA Japan Games, Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Wizards (Tokyo, Japan).

October 6 & 8: NBA Abu Dhabi Games, Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Abu Dhabi, UAE).

October 14: NBA preseason ends.

October 17: Rosters set for start of 2022-23 NBA regular season (5pm ET).

October 18: Start of 2022-23 NBA regular season.

October 22: NBA G League Draft.

October 24: NBA G League training camps open.

December 17: NBA Mexico City Game, Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (Mexico City, Mexico).

December 27: NBA G League regular season begins (32 games per team).

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: First reported by Sportico, the business arm of Major League Baseball is dividing international markets for its franchises, giving baseball clubs new commercial rights in specific areas around the world, according to multiple people familiar with the plan. … Baseball and softball are played by an estimated 65 million people around the world, according to the sport’s international governing body. Large concentrations for baseball exist in parts of Asia, Australia, Europe and South/Central America.

BREAKING – as in REALLY BREAKING NEWS: One of baseball’s best – Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies – left Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies with a fractured right pinky finger, the team announced.

Albies was injured as he slid into second base in the fourth inning and the most recent setback occurred one day after he was activated from the 60-day injured list. Albies was sidelined because of a broken left foot suffered in June after making an awkward swing.

BY THE WAY: The countdown clock is on its last two weeks for most Fantasy Baseball Leagues. The MLB regular season will come to a close Wednesday, October 5.

LIV SHADE: The LIV Golf circuit displayed quite a bit of cockiness as they gained traction after the PGA Tour Championship and a few more players jumped to the Saudi-funded rival to the PGA Tour. That said, this weekend’s LIV Tournament in Chicago showed one of two major flaws in the new golf entity.

Lack of a Network television deal
Low attendance at events

Those two factors equal a tainted business model for LIV in 2022, but the endless stack of bucks allow for years of “runway” for LIV to land a deal and gradually build an audience.

Phil Mickelson, longtime fan favorite and multi Major champion expressed his views in a Friday interview in Chicago:

“The PGA Tour, for the last 20 or 30 years have had all the best players in the world,” Mickelson said at a Chicago LIV event Friday, reported both Reuters and ESPN. “That will never be the case again. LIV Golf is here to stay.

“The best solution is for us to come together. I think that the world of professional golf has a need for the old historical ‘history of the game’ product that the PGA Tour provides. I think that LIV provides a really cool, updated feel that is attracting a lot of younger crowds,” Mickelson added.

“Both are good for the game of golf and the inclusion of LIV Golf in the ecosystem of the golf world is necessary. As soon as that happens, we all start working together. It’s going to be a really positive thing for everyone.”

Cameron Smith (-10) leads Dustin Johnson (-8) heading into Sunday’s final 18 holes. Johnson won the previous tournament in a sudden death playoff here in Boston. In Chicago, the purse is $20 mil.

This weekend, the PGA Tour was in Napa. So no whining.

NCAA FOOTBALL POWER 12: Now, three weeks into the NCAA college football season, the popular TL Power 12 is back. This list simulates what we’ll see by 2026 when the College Football Playoff system expands.

Alabama
Georgia
Ohio State
Michigan
Clemson
Oklahoma
USC
Oklahoma State
Kentucky
Tennessee
Arkansas
NC State

*Some results not final

NFL POWER 10: Here’s the WWYI power ten for the NFL heading into Week 2:

Buffalo
Kansas City
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
Baltimore
Green Bay
Philadelphia
Indianapolis
LA Rams
LA Chargers

THE SPORTS PROFESSOR: When Rick Horrow, known in sports business industry circles as “The Sports Professor,” first released The Sports Business Handbook at a joint Harvard Law/Harvard Business conference two years ago, it was heralded as the most unique collection of commentary and advice from industry leaders in the $1.3 trillion business of sports.

Digital Sports Desk was at HBS for the launch.

This October, the newly revised and expanded edition of Horrow’s book, The Sports Business Handbook: Insights from 100+ Leaders who Shaped 50 Years of the Industry will be on sale and available for order online. It will have more insights skimmed from many of the sports industry’s brightest minds and influential executives. It will include guidance for the sports business in a post-pandemic world.

Villanova Excels for BIG EAST

September 15, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIA – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Villanova University was named winner of the BIG EAST Presidents’ Award for the 2021-22 academic year. The conference honor, which was established by the league’s Presidents in 2015, is awarded to the BIG EAST institution that has excelled at the highest levels in academics, athletics and citizenship during the preceding academic year.

A selection committee of athletic and academic administrators from each BIG EAST institution selected Villanova for the award. Each institution provides the selection committee with comprehensive information that highlights its accomplishments in all three areas.

“Academic and athletic success along with active involvement in local communities are trademarks of BIG EAST institutions, and we congratulate Villanova’s student-athletes for their exceptional performance in all of these areas during the 2021-22 school year,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. “We commend Father Peter Donohue, Mark Jackson, and Villanova’s outstanding coaches and administrators for their leadership and commitment to develop all sides of Wildcat athletes and to equip these extraordinary young people for success in the adult world.”

“On behalf of the entire Villanova community, congratulations to our student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators on being recognized once again with the BIG EAST Presidents’ Award,” said University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. “You continue to be remarkable ambassadors for Villanova by exemplifying our University values in all you do academically, athletically and in the community. Congratulations on this deserving honor.”

“We are incredibly humbled to once again be presented with the Presidents’ Award from the BIG EAST Conference, one of the nation’s premier conferences,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Mark Jackson. “This honor is shared by our entire campus community, from the unwavering support of President Father Peter Donohue, who steadfastly champions our success to the tireless work of the Villanova Athletics coaches, athletic administration and support staff. However, first and foremost, this award was made possible by our student-athletes, who consistently excel in athletic competition and in the classroom, while also remaining committed to serving the community.”

The following are the highlights of Villanova’s excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship.

Academics – The 2021-22 academic year marked the 18^th consecutive year in which the Wildcats’ student-athletes posted a combined grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The overall student-athlete GPA for BIG EAST teams was 3.44 in the 2021 fall semester 3.47 in the 2022 spring. The Wildcats’ graduation success rate was 98 percent.

In all, 228 BIG EAST student-athletes made the Villanova Dean’s List (semester GPA 3.5 or above) in the fall semester and 227 in the spring.

The Villanova Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes with a 3.2 GPA or above, had 300 student-athletes in the fall and 308 in the spring.

Individually, the 2021-22 senior student-athlete awards presented to the top male and female student-athletes were Matt Campbell in men’s lacrosse and Maddy Siegrist in women’s basketball.

Collin Gillespie was named BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year in men’s basketball. A total of 45 student-athletes in BIG EAST sports graduated with honors.

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Other individual BIG EAST academic award recipients by sport in 2021-22 included: Maddy Siegrist in women’s basketball, Matt Campbell in men’s lacrosse and McKenna Keegan in women’s cross country/track and field.

Millicent Routledge of women’s swimming and diving won the BIG EAST’s Michael Tranghese Leadership Award.

Softball standout Paige Rauch earned Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America. She is a repeat winner of the accolade.

Team Athletic Accomplishments – In the final year of coach Jay Wright’s tenure, the men’s basketball team made their third NCAA Final Four appearance in the last six seasons while posting a 30-8 record. The Wildcats were also BIG EAST Tournament champions.

The women’s swimming team won its ninth consecutive BIG EAST Championship behind Kelly Montesi, who was named Most Outstanding Swimmer for the third time in her career. Coach Rick Simpson and his staff were chosen BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year for the ninth season in a row.

The men’s soccer team earned an NCAA Championship invitation for only the second time in program history and reached the second round.

Women’s basketball coach Denise Dillon was tabbed BIG EAST Coach of the Year as she led the Wildcats to a 24-9 record. The Wildcats were the runner-up in the BIG EAST Tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship.

The softball team captured its second straight BIG EAST Championship crown and made the program’s second trip to the NCAA Championship.

The women’s cross country team picked up its sixth BIG EAST title in the last seven years. The men’s and women’s teams featured seven runners who earned all-America honors. The women’s outdoor track & field team posted a top-20 finish at the NCAAs.

In all, 136 Villanova competitors were recognized with All-BIG EAST honors.

Citizenship –- During the 2021-22 academic year, Villanova’s community outreach efforts were a blend of in-person activities along with some performed virtually as the region adjusted to the changing COVID-19 landscape.

Villanova’s Signature Day of Service brought together 4,000 students, including student-athletes, coaches and staff on September 16 in the 16^th year of the event. Among the notable contributions by student-athletes were: the women’s tennis team helped make memories with the residents of Divine Providence Village for persons with intellectual disabilities.

Villanova bolstered its educational programs in the areas of diversity and gender equity with a focus on student-athlete belonging and building community. UNITAS sponsored or co-sponsored events with the purpose of Creating a Culture of Belonging, Building Partnerships and Awareness and Education.

Villanova student-athletes participated in 2021 Fall Inclusion Week and co-sponsored DE&I programming with Villanova’s Campus Ministry, the Office of Disability Services and the University Counseling Center. It helped celebrate Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March.

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were gardeners at the Skunk Hallow Community Gardens while men’s and women’s basketball led the charge in packing hundreds of items for the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia.

The Special Olympics Pennsylvania Fall Festival is a signature event on the Villanova calendar. After over a year and a half pause for in-person activities for COVID, Villanova students, staff and administrators hosted the Special Olympics athletes for competition on campus.

In December, Villanova organized its annual Toy Drive and Adopt-a-Child program. Spearheaded by its SAAC, student-athletes sponsored holiday gifts for 30 children through the North Light Community Center. Toys also were collected at a women’s basketball home game and donated to North Light and other area organizations.

Although COVID-19 impacted some aspects of the annual Martin Luther King Day celebration, Villanova Athletics UNITAS leadership hosted a Winter Apparel and Toiletries Drive at a men’s basketball game. Those items were packaged on MLK Day by the women’s lacrosse team, UNITAS leadership and the MLK Day of Service Committee for a YMCA in Philadelphia that services the homeless population.

In June, Villanova took part in its second annual celebration of Juneteenth. More than 50 student-athletes, coaches and administrators performed service work at Vaux Big Picture High School in Philadelphia.

Villanova added to its programming with “Every Mind Matters,” a group of student-athletes and staff guided by Sports Psychologist Dr. Rick Neff. The meetings focused on all aspects of mental health awareness and education.

Ready Sports Signs Pitt’s Kenny Pickett

September 15, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

PITTSBURGH – Ready, one of the fastest growing sports nutrition brands in America co-owned by the NFL’s All Pro Aaron Donald and NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, signed NFL first round draft pick and Pittsburgh Steeler rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett as the latest “Ready athlete.”

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Pickett was already quite familiar with Ready having used its products while at Pitt, so the partnership was a logical extension. “Kenny already knew the fueling and recovery benefits of our products from his own experience. We really focus on our mentality and mission; and it became obvious he was a great fit to be a member of the Ready team,” said company founder and CEO Pat Cavanaugh.

Pickett will only promote products he uses during training, its Sports Drink and a few other select products in his various online and non-digital platforms. He joins NFL world champion Aaron Donald, NBA superstar and global basketball icon Giannis Antetokounmpo, and popular American female tennis player Jessica Pegula as Ready brand champions and ambassadors.

Pickett was the 2022 first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers after a stellar senior season when he was a Heisman Trophy finalist, first team All-American, and voted ACC Football Player and co-Athlete of the Year while leading Pitt to an ACC Championship.

“Kenny is a great example of continuing to work hard and remembering it’s not where you start it’s where you finish, which is a pillar of the Ready mentality that defines our brand,” said Cavanaugh. “Throughout his career and breakout senior season, he continued to get better and better achieving one goal after the next. He’s just getting started.”

Horrow’s Updated Sports Biz Handbook

September 15, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – When Rick Horrow, popularly known in sports business industry circles as “The Sports Professor,” first released The Sports Business Handbook at a joint Harvard Law/Harvard Business conference two years ago, it was heralded as the most unique collection of commentary and advice from industry leaders in the $1.3 trillion business of sports.

Digital Sports Desk was there for the book launch at HBS.

Then came COVID-19, changing not only the sports world but the world at large.

Horrow will co-host a special book launch event – “Sports Business @ 50 Lessons & Leadership from Legends of the Game” – in New York City on Thursday, September 22nd, with former Major League Baseball president and book contributor Bob DuPuy at the offices of Foley & Lardner LLP (90 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016) from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Featured speakers at the book launch include Horrow and DuPuy, as well as National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, and Zack Leonsis, top executive at Monumental Sports (RSN), the Washington Wizards (NBA) and Washington Capitals (NHL).

“Within three months of our first edition’s publication, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and sports, as we knew it, shut its doors,” said Horrow. “That gave us the opportunity to solicit additional contributions, advice, and guidance from 16 other sports business leaders who provided unique post-pandemic insight to complement and reinforce the original 28 chapters.”

The revised and expanded second edition, published by Human Kinetics, features an introduction from Hall of Fame Duke Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski, and is organized into five parts, revealing the personal insights of prominent sport business leaders and recognized subject matter experts in the field.

Part I identifies skills needed to be successful in the sports industry with contributions from Boston Red Sox exec Larry Lucchino, ESPN personality Jay Bilas, NBA Hall of Famer Shane Battier, and race car driver Lyn St. James.

Part II focuses on selling and branding, with commentary from Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, and Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, while Part III discusses tech, media, and activation with NBC Sports exec Mark Lazarus, Washington Capitals/Wizards team owners Ted Leonsis and his talented son, Zack, Sports Innovation Lab founder Angela Ruggiero, and Reebok President Matt O’Toole.

Part IV of the book covers sponsorships and deal making with IMG founder Bob Kain, Anheuser-Busch CMO Tony Ponturo, Basketball Hall of Fame Chairman and former USA Basketball chair Jerry Colangelo, and Dallas Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, while Part V explores the qualities and attributes desired in a leader with commentary from former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Women’s basketball coaching legend Debbie Yow, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

The new essays featured in The Sports Business Handbook’s second edition are themed around the core business principles learned from the post-Covid business comeback: creativity born out of necessity; best practices born out of “natural selection;” and “cooperation born out of urgency.” Contributors to this special section include DuPuy, NASCAR Chief Executive Lesa France Kennedy, Opendorse founder Blake Lawrence, and other industry leaders focused on eSports, new media, NIL, and other critical business concepts.

In addition, the revised edition now includes a “Breakthrough Moments” list of the 50 most significant sport-related moments that changed the industry over the past 50 years.

As CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures, Horrow has been the architect of more than 100 deals worth more than $20 billion in sports, performing arts, and other urban infrastructure projects. Horrow pioneered the public/private partnership and infrastructure branding concepts that, to date, has enticed more than $4 billion in corporate funding to cities and development projects. Besides developing stadia and arenas, Horrow’s ability to put together multiple urban initiatives into one package for voter approval has resulted in the building of new performing arts and convention centers, schools, libraries, transit projects, and tourist destinations.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Sept. 11

September 11, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

Sunshine daydream

Walking in the tall trees

Going where the wind goes

Blooming like a red rose

Breathing more freely

Ride out singing, I’ll walk you in the morning sunshine

Sunshine daydream

Walking in the sunshine

– Music by Bob Weir, Words by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir

The Foundation of the Basketball Hall of Fame = Family

By TERRY LYONS

UNCASVILLE – Dreams can be both wonderful or frightening. To the contrary – daydreams are delightful, like walking in the sunshine or walking through the woods as sunshine drips through the trees to the point where you can see the beams of light breaking through.

Picture yourself as a child growing up in Bahía Blanca (White Bay), Argentina, a city of 300,000 southwest of Buenos Aires and the futbol crazy country. While the masses are happily playing their favorite game, you’ve taken a road less travelled, following your family ties to the sport of basketball.

You dream of making the local pro team – Club Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca – maybe hitting the winning shot in the Asociación Bahiense de Básquetbol local league. Your first stop, however, is with Andino Sport Club of La Rioja in the 1995–96 season. Your dream might now travel as far as making the Argentine national team and competing in the Suda-America world qualifiers, or the Olympic Games or the FIBA Worlds.

You’ve heard of the National Basketball Association and have watched a few highlight tapes, maybe the NBA Finals but your dreams are realistic. You don’t go so far as to daydream about winning an Olympic Gold Medal or an NBA Championship. You’ve never even heard of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the game.

The game, like the song, takes you where the wind blows.

After two years with your local pro team, in 1998 you make your way to Europe to play for Reggio Calabria in Italy where the magnolia and palms are as wonderful as you’ve ever seen. Instead of the Atlantic Ocean views of Bahía Blanca, you’re playing ball at the tip of the toe of italy, ready to drop-kick the futbol, still prevalent over the basketball, right through the uprights to the Island of Sicily.

You’ve made it big, but the daydreams continue.

It’s off to the EuroLeague and in the year 2000, you sign with Virtus Bologna, a championship contender in Italy’s Lega A and in the EuroLeague.

Now, the dreams are so good you feel as though you can sell them, they’re all coming true, in two-year cycles, as in 2002, after San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich and team GM R.C. Buford have seen you play dozens of times, including a first glimpse in 1998-99 when you played for Reggio Calabria while their Spurs were competing in the McDonald’s Championship in Milan. The Spurs laid claim with a second round NBA draft selection in 1999, the 57th overall pick of the NBA Draft.

It’s off to San Antonio where you’ll meet the son of a guy from Chicago who played some ball at Loyola Chicago and in France became a TV commentator for the NBA on FR-1. As the sport goes global, you realize you’ll join forces with a kid named Tony Parker, Jr., born to a model in Bruges, Belgium and brought up by a basketball-loving Dad to play with a taller kid named Tim Duncan who grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and played some college ball at Wake Forest. There will be an Admiral in your dreams. His name is David Robinson who played his ball for Navy, sat-out a couple years and then was joined by Duncan.

Daydreams often include good fortune and you’re about to experience it.

Meanwhile, when you start to count your blessings, you realize that your original group of players from Argentina toiled on the courts for 18 years, all together and good enough to win the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. You and your buds upset the great American teams at the 2002 Worlds and again in Athens. The top row of the podium awaited as your Spurs teammate stood, annoyed, on the bronze medal level while your Spurs coach, Coach “Pop,” watch from the sidelines assisting Larry Brown in his agony of defeat.

Your name is Manu Ginobili and to a great extent, all your dreams came true. Except, you never-ever dreamt of being inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Ginobili also became only the second player, joining Bill Bradley, to win an NBA title, a Euroleague Championship and an Olympic gold medal.

Argentina’s win in Athens was the greatest basketball accomplishment ever, but this weekend, Manu Ginobili’s induction to the HoopHall is a solid No. 2 moment and all of Argentina, all of San Antonio, all of Bologna and all of Reggio Calabria will celebrate his success. They were all along for the ride – the dream of dreams – and through Manu’s outgoing personality, his game and his simple smile welcomed all of his many fans around the world onboard. Even Charles Barkley loved SCREAMING his name.

GINOBILI! – a Hall of Famer and rightfully so.

BREAKING NEWS: The USA AmeriCup team lost Saturday in the semifinals to Argentina, 82-73 at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup tournament at Geraldo Arena in Recife, Brazil. Since 1992, Team USA had won 10 of their previous 12 matchups.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While Ginobili headlined a large and diverse Class of 2022 for the Basketball Hall, all enshrined Saturday evening, there were others honored on Friday night when the powers-that-be, the trustees of Dr. Naismith’s joint in Springfield, drove down CT-Route 2 to the land of the Mohegan Sun in basketball-crazy Connecticut. … The new Hall of Famers were quizzed by the media and later presented with their Hall jackets while honors were bestowed upon others, such as College Basketball Coach Reggie Minton, former coach at Dartmouth and Air Force and the longtime head of the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches). … Additionally, the Hall honored early African-America pioneers, and Manny Jackson Basketball Human Spirit award winners who, in turn, were paying tribute to the work of Hall of Famer in Coach John McClendon and his foundation.

The evening took a turn to the skies for the final honoree. Surprisingly, the great Charles Barkley, Hall of Fame player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and even better commentator for Turner Sports, asked for the honor to introduce Dick Ebersol, former Chairman of NBC, architect of NBC’s longtime partnership and coverage of the Olympic Games and the man behind the glorious years of the NBA on NBC.

Barkley began his remarks, delivered in a speedy six minutes, with special thanks to all of the black players who played ahead of him and did the “heavy lifting” in terms of fighting racial bias and paving the way for the players of today. He also recognized Sue Bird and Silvia Fowles who are both retiring from the WNBA this season after illustrious careers on the college and pro level. Then, Charles got serious.

“I want to thank every Hall of Famer and every contributor who is in this thing tonight because we are a family,” said Barkley. “We all do something that’s important to the game, whether you play the game, talk about it on radio or TV or newspapers. We’re all part of the same family, so a thank you to everybody who plays a part in it.

“So why am I here now,” asked Barkley, proposing the question to a packed auditorium and to himself. “Dick Ebersol, I love you,” said Charles as he drifted into a slight tangent.

(Hall of Fame Coach) “Rudy Tomjanovich, I always have to say thank-you because my last couple years in Houston, Rudy treated me great. I couldn’t “Play Dead” but Rudy treated me GREAT. And, the reason I knew I couldn’t “Play Dead” was because Dick Ebersol came up to me and said, ‘Hey, what are you going to do after you retire? I think you should go into television.”

“I was like, ‘Damn, I thought I could still play,’ and clearly, I couldn’t.

“He said, ‘I think you should really think about going into television,’ but I said, ‘I don’t really know what I’m going to do when I retire.’ He said, let’s get together and we did, but he said, ‘I think you’re going to be in trouble all the time because you’re honest, but I think you’re going to be good on television.’

“People say they want to hear the truth but they really don’t want that,” noted Ebersol at the time. “They want to hear that they’re team is great and their favorite player is great. That’s all the fans want.”

“I said, ‘I’m gonna come work for you.’ I’m going to NBC.”

But then, there was a change of heart.

Barkley explained in detail, “A friend of mine, Michael Jackson (then an exec with Turner Sports just out of Georgetown) said he needed a favor. ‘I need you to meet with the people at Turner.’

I said, ‘Mike, I’m going to go work with the people at NBC.’

He said, “Just do me a favor. It’ll make me look good that I could get Charles Barkley to come down and interview at Turner.”

“So I go down, and we end up smoking cigars and drinking,” explained Barkley, adding, “I know that’s gonna shock y’all. About 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, I’m telling them about what my game-plan is, what I want to do on television. I want to talk about social issues and everything.”

“They said, ‘You can do whatever you want.’

“So I called my agent at 2:30 in the morning and said, ‘I got a problem. I think I want to sign with Turner. They were really awesome tonight. NBC just does the games on weekends, I think I want to sign with Turner.”

My agent says, ‘Think about it and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“I go to bed but woke-up about three hours later and said, ‘You know, I can’t sleep, I’m so nervous.’

He said, “What do you want to do?”

“I want to sign with Turner,” recalled Barkley. “And, my agent said, ‘Do you want me to call Mr. Ebersol?”

I said, “I’ve got to be a man and do it, and this is the reason I’m here tonight and why I love this guy,” Barkley cut to the chase, as Ebersol’s wife, Susan Saint James began to tear-up with emotion at Ebersol’s side while Barkley’s voice quivered.

“Mr Ebersol, can I talk to you? I need to really talk to you, I’ve got something going on.”

“I want to thank-you for talking me into going into television, and I don’t know how to say this, but I think I’m going to go to Turner.

“You know what he said to me? He said, ‘Charles, I think you’re going to be great on television. Those guys at Turner are awesome and if you ever need me, just pick-up the phone.’”

“I was … I had cried, getting ready to make that call,” recalled Barkley. “When he said that to me, it just lifted such a weight off my shoulders. So, I want to thank you for making me feel better because I was so devastated. You are the reason I’m in television and television has been great.

“I love working with Turner. I love Ernie (Johnson), Kenny (Smith) and Shaq (O’Neal), but it’s all because of you.”

NBA ON NBC/DICK EBERSOL DRILLED THE GAME-WINNER: “Nothing is more important to me in the whole world than relationships, said Dick Ebersol as he began his speech accepting the Curt Gowdy Transformative Media award Friday night. “Relationships with your own family, relationships with the people you work with or the people you go to school with.

“Then you meet people who don’t exactly fit in the mold and you’re blown away by them and you stick at it – over and over again – and then you come to a night like tonight and this awesome human being gets up here and says all these wonderful things.

“I know we have people here from all over the world of basketball, but I want to say, as a resident of Connecticut, how proud I am of the basketball fans of this State. This State, along with Tennessee, has made women’s basketball the icon it is in all sports in America, and you’re all to be congratulated and thanks for all the passion you’ve brought in supporting these Connecticut teams.

“I also would like to talk about two of the people I miss most in the world and I want to talk about both of them for just a little while,” said Ebersol. “One was Bill Russell who was a great, great, great friend. A year ago, he was up here on this stage and I was watching at home, on television, in Litchfield, Connecticut.

“I think now, this giant, this man who set the standard for how African-American athletes in this country would be treated. He stopped at nothing to keep pushing it and pushing it. He encouraged so many other athletes whether they were still in college or others who followed in his footsteps.

“We were just at his funeral, and I feel fortunate to have been there because it was such a small gathering, but here tonight, I’d like everyone in this room to stand-up for five seconds and salute William Felton Russell.

“The other person I’d like to talk about, I’m sure many of you in this room are aware of his legend, his unbelievable imagination and as much as anybody in the professional game, has shaped-up what has made the NBA second only to the National Football League. Five years ago, maybe ten years ago, that, too, might have been unimaginable, except to David Stern.

“I’d like to ask everyone to stand again for David Stern who made our sport the highlight of American sport.”

“There are so many others to say thank you too, in my family, in this glorious State, in these United States of America, but let me send you home tonight by saying thank you for supporting this great game the way you do, from pee-wee to high school to college and to all the people, many seated over here, who coach these young people to become the champions they are, not only on the court but how they become great examples for the youth of our country.”

LEGENDS OF SPORTS: The previously featured Legend of Sports podcast (LOS) has been on a slight hiatus this summer but was at the Basketball Hall of Fame activities to compile a wealth of big time guests. Click below for a sampling:

LOS on KOBE

LAY-UPS, JUMP SHOTS AND SUGGESTION BOXES: The Halls of Fame of the three major American sports need to work together to make August “Hall of Fame Month.” … The month could begin with the sport of Baseball paying tribute to their class of Hall of Famers in Cooperstown, NY on the first weekend of the month. … From there, the National Football League can host the first exhibition game of the year and conduct ceremonies for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on the second weekend of the month. … Passing the baton for the third weekend of the month, the legends of basketball would gather in Springfield, Mass for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction, before they head-off to the Mohegan Sun Resort in Connecticut for some golf and additional festivities. … The Hockey Hall of Fame has traditionally conducted their induction in November at the Hockey Hall in Toronto.

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BLUE RIBBON: College basketball fans, don’t let too much time pass in ordering this year’s edition of the Blue Ribbon College Yearbook. While the hard copy edition is at the printer and will be ready to ship in about a month, you can order the digital edition at blueribbonyearbook.com

NBA, Players Team-Up with Sorare

September 7, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The National Basketball Association and its Players Association (NBPA) together with Sorare struck a multiyear partnership that makes Sorare the Official NFT Fantasy Partner of the NBA. Sorare will launch the first officially licensed, free-to-play digital collectible-based fantasy basketball game, which will be released this fall for the NBA’s 2022-23 season.

The game will provide fans a new opportunity to interact with the league and compete through a unique fantasy gaming experience that offers users the ability to create a lineup of NFT-based digital collectibles representing their favorite players and teams to earn points based on the real-life performance of NBA players. As part of the partnership, Sorare will have the rights to utilize official NBA league and team logos across its products.

“Our partnership with Sorare will give NBA fans an entirely new way to engage with our teams and players,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “With Sorare’s emerging NFT fantasy platform, we see significant opportunities to broaden our community of fans and grow NBA basketball around the world.”

“Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world and we are excited to bring fans even closer to their favorite teams and players through Sorare: NBA,” said Nicholas Julia, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Sorare. “The NBA has been at the forefront of digital experiences and collectibles and our game gives basketball fans the ultimate sports entertainment experience, where they can play like a general manager, own their game, and foster real-world connections.”

“Sorare has built an innovative gaming experience that creates a whole new way for fans worldwide to interact with and learn more about our players,” said Tamika Tremaglio, NBPA Executive Director. “We are very excited about this partnership and the effect Sorare will have on the growth of the players and the game globally.”

The new gameplay experience builds upon Sorare’s two million registered users across 185 countries, including markets across Europe and Asia where the company is seeing rapid growth in its soccer game. The partnership marks Sorare’s third with a U.S. sports league, cementing the company’s expansion in America.

Dustin Johnson Loving LIV

September 4, 2022 by Digital Sports Desk

BOLTON – (Staff Report from LIV Recap) – Dustin Johnson was ready for a $4 million dollar weekend. He was in hot pursuit of his first victory on the LIV Golf circuit after leaving the PGA Tour behind. What he received was $4,750,000 for his 54-hole effort in the heat of the Boston suburbs and in addition to celebrating his team’s third consecutive victory, the 4 Aces GC captain raised LIV Golf’s individual trophy for the first time.

It all came down to his lengthy, 60-foot putt to win a three-player playoff at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston Sunday.

Johnson’s eagle putt on the first playoff hole gave him the victory over Anirban Lahiri and Joaquin Niemann, two of the six players making their LIV Golf debut this week at The International golf course. All three players finished regulation at 15 under par. The playoff was the first in either the individual or team competition in this inaugural LIV mini-season.

The former world No. 1 had chances to win previous LIV Golf events – he has finished inside the top 5 in the previous two events and was playing in the final group for the third straight tournament. He was happy to finally get the job done individually in Boston while also moving to the top of the individual season-long point standings.

“I wanted to finally get my first victory out here,” said Johnson, who earned $4 million for the individual win and an additional $750,000 for his quarter share of the $3 million team prize. “I feel like I’ve had a really good chance to win every single week, just haven’t played as well on Sunday as I’d like to. But played really nicely today.”

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Johnson’s winning putt had plenty of pace on it, and would’ve rolled several feet beyond the hole had it not bounced into the cup. Lahiri was in position to make a birdie, while Niemann had already made par.

“I felt like we had a really good read on it,” Johnson said. “I might have hit it a little harder than I wanted to, but as soon as I hit it, I’m like, whoa, and then it was on a good line, and I’m like, hit the hole, hit the hole, hit the hole, and it went in somehow. I think the hole is indented for sure.”

Johnson’s final-round 5-under 65 was one of three counting scores for 4 Aces GC to go along with Patrick Reed’s 66 and Talor Gooch’s 69.

After winning the previous two LIV Golf team competitions by a combined 15 strokes, Sunday’s team race was much tighter, with 4 Aces GC (32 under) winning by two shots over Crushers GC, while Majesticks GC claimed a tight battle for the third-place prize over Iron Heads GC and Torque GC.

At one point, 4 Aces GC were five strokes off the lead. But just like in their previous win in Bedminster, they closed fast. “I think that’s what’s so impressive about our team is it seems like every week, we seem to close,” said Reed. “… Even if it’s the wrong direction on us, we seem to close it off and get going towards the end. It just shows kind of how important it is for us to go out and play well.”

Lahiri, playing for Crushers GC, shot a 6-under 64. Lahiri had a chance to reach 16 under with a brilliant second shot into the par-5 18th hole, but his eagle putt lipped out.

“I knew I had to come in hot, both in terms of trying to contend and also for the team,” Lahiri said. “It was really nice to just buckle down on that back nine and play some golf. Really proud of the shots I hit. A little unlucky but sometimes it goes that way.”

Niemann, the 23-year-old from Chile who is ranked world No. 19, shot 66 while playing with Johnson and Gooch in the final group. He suffered his only bogey of the round at the par-4 14th, the most difficult hole this week. In the playoff, his errant drive forced him to lay up, and he was unable to convert a lengthy birdie putt.

“I did everything that I could,” Niemann said. “Hit a few good putts at the end but they didn’t go in. It’s the way it is. I think it’s going to pay me back one day.”

Two big names fell just short in making the playoff at 14 under.

Former world No. 1 Lee Westwood shot the lowest round in any of the first four events with an 8-under 62 but bogeyed two of his last three holes and finished at 14 under. “It’s a sickening way to finish, but I played good all day,” said the Majesticks GC captain, whose team finished in the top three for the third time this season.

New LIV Golf member Cameron Smith, the world No. 2 and reigning Open champion, shot 64 but also suffered a late bogey. “Really thought I was out of it after yesterday, but I played really solid today,” the Punch GC captain said. “Gave myself plenty of looks, which I needed to do.”