Terry Lyons

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | Sept 10

September 10, 2023 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In 1975, cable television was not available in our town, but was available one town to the north as CableVision and other wanna-be providers fought over territorial rights for pseudo-monopolies in a lucrative business to wire-up the five boroughs of New York City and all of Long Island.

On September 1 of this year, Benjamin Mullin, writing in The New York Times, shared his views from a shareholder’s meeting of Charter Communications. Mullin informed his readers: “One of the biggest cable companies in the United States has a message for media companies, its major partners in a decades-old business: The traditional cable-TV model is broken, and it needs to be fixed or abandoned. Cable TV has become too expensive for consumers and providers, Charter Communications said in an 11-page presentation to investors on Friday, adding that cord-cutters and rising fees are contributing to a “vicious video cycle.”

No shit, Sherlock.

A group of 14-and-15-year olds could’ve predicted that back in 1975.

A look-back into CableVision’s past beckons back to the 1960s when Charles Dolan, father of Madison Square Garden Center, and the New York Knicks and New York Rangers franchise owner, James Dolan, created Sterling Manhattan Cable for Manhattan Island tv viewers and launched Home Box Office as the first of many cable-only content purveyors.

Knicks and Rangers games quickly disappeared from “over-the-air” WOR-TV 9 and fans were quick to find good friends with cable. Just ask former New York Islanders forward – J.P. Parise – who, on April 11, 1975, scored the series-winning goal to eliminate the favored New York Rangers and begin a magical run for the Islanders in the ‘75 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs – all to be seen on Cable TV.

CableVision became Cablevision and it was sold, along with HBO, to Time-Life Inc. A few mergers and acquisitions later, Warner Communications got into the act and Time-Warner Cable accepted monthly checks from most of us Manhattanites. For the most part, Cablevision operated in New York and Boston until it purchased Cable TV systems in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming to enter the fray as Optimum West. The three year venture from 2010 to 2013 upped the ante on Optimum from $1.37 billion to $1.63 billion. The new system’s owners?

You guessed it – Charter Communications.

Looking back at Mullins and the paper of record – The New York Times informed readers: “Charter and the Walt Disney Company, owner of popular cable channels including ESPN and FX, which will not be available to Charter’s nearly 15 million pay-TV subscribers until both sides agree on how much Charter will pay Disney to carry its channels. Subscribers to Charter’s Spectrum TV service will be without access to the U.S. Open tennis tournament and college football games during (the Labor Day) holiday weekend.

“These so-called carriage fights are commonplace in the media industry, with channels going dark for days or weeks on cable systems while the two sides — cable providers and content creators — haggle over how much the channels are worth and how to bundle them. But Charter’s suggestion that parts of its own business model are in disrepair adds a new wrinkle to the crisis facing the cable-TV business.

“The fight comes at a time of declining subscriptions: More than five million Americans end their cable-TV subscriptions annually, according to research from SVB Moffett-Nathanson.

“Almost every traditional media company is trying to hold on to its cash-rich cable partnerships while building streaming businesses that will eventually replace those alliances. But investors in traditional media companies have also grown impatient with attempts to build new streaming businesses, saying they are not as profitable as cable TV used to be.”

Again – the NYT with the MONSTER revelations!

Mullin continued: “The pressure is forcing traditional media companies to wring cash from their businesses in other ways, including teaming up with competitors to bundle their streaming services.

“Adding to the challenges, tech companies like Apple and Amazon are willing to pay top dollar to acquire live sports rights, further driving up programming costs. Cable companies, for their part, have weaned themselves off depending wholly on traditional TV revenue, by offering services like wireless internet.”

Round and round it goes, and where it will stop? Nobody knows.

CableVision to Cablevision to Rainbow – add some adult programming, ahem. Then HBO, HBO West, and then SportsChannel to begin the trend of Regional Sports Networks the nation around.

In 2017, Cablevision went for a whopping $17.7 billion (including debt) to European telecom conglomerate Altice.

During the many transitions, there were carriage disputes du jour. From WABC-TV (NY) to the Food Network to FOX to the MSG Network (then owned by Gulf & Western) to YES Network to the NFL Network and Tennis Channel – all had their greedy fights to squeeze cash from every subscriber, one household at a time. Over decades, the services bundled programming to force subscribers to pony up one set for a multitude of sports even though they might only want Tennis or NBA TV.

The Cable TV companies had you by the billboards with their take it or leave it programming offers – never served a la carte.

Then came the cord-cutters!

YouTube, Sling Box, Hulu, FuboTV, and DIRECTV satellite dishes. They multiplied and content providers shifted strategies to look for the broadest of broadcasting opportunities. Sporting leagues, with the NBA taking the lead, embraced the new generational viewing habits – away from traditional TV, traditional cable and on to short highlights fit for mobile consumption. And, along came TikTok riding a wave of new programmers from Twitter (X), Tencent, Facebook, Amazon, Apple and every other content provider on the face of the earth – all able to go global with the flip of a switch.

Where does it leave us?

Nowhere Land.

Instead of studying the lay of the land, researching and grasping their future, television programmers, sports league properties, big-time communications conglomerates – shopping broadband – and even hardware providers – see Samsung TV – are all GUESSING what comes next, never KNOWINGwhat’s next.

The sports properties simply cash-in via the highest bidders and are rock-solid as the only real DVR-proof programming with live sports.

Marketers are utilizing newcomers, such as Samsung TV, to launch 24/7 FAST Channels like the deluge of infomercials being aired by DRAFT Kingsthis week, all in an effort to acquire sports gamblers.

Even Conan O’Brien found a new home.

In 1992, Bruce Springsteen performed his rock song, “57 Channels )and Nothin’ On),” but the truth is, the Boss is somewhere around 2,000 channels off in his pronouncement, but correct in his summation.

Everyday, it gets worse for the consumer, as it becomes more lucrative for the greedy cable and telecommunications companies – all with no resolution and no end in sight.

For those of us going month-to-month and pay check to pay check, the mounting expenses from a monthly cable-broadband-phone bundles are being supplemented by added offerings, like Netflix, Peacock TV (with its lure of Premiership soccer and PGA Tour event coverage amongst many other sports and original programming). Add ESPN+ or Paramount+, MAX(with original programming and motion pictures garnered from HBO) and a few others – you’re looking at a $200-a-month cable bill.

That’s a lotta boxes of pasta.

Today, they’ve got me at 1:00pm (ET) as I scream, “Give me my NFL RedZone or give me death!” And, the NFL Sunday Ticket is available to one and all on YouTube TV.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s only fitting to kick-off this first weekend of the NFL regular season with a column-full of football notes, lists, and even some predictions.

THE GUYS YOU WISH YOUR DRAFTED IN YOUR FANTASY LEAGUES: Otherwise known as the best of the best at each position for 2023:

QBs:

Patrick Mahomes
Jalen Hurts
Josh Allen
Joe Burrow
Lamar Jackson

RBs

Christian McCaffrey
Austin Ekeler
Saquon Barkley
Derrick Henry
Bijon Robinson

WRs

Justin Jefferson
Tyreek Hill
Ja’Marr Chase
Stefon Diggs
Garrett Williams
- Cooper Kupp – injured

TEs

Travis Kelce (injury or not)
Mark Andrews
George Kittle
Tyler Higbee
Darren Waller

NOTE: Although they decide almost each and every game, for sake of this column, screw the Kickers and Team Defense/Speical Teams listings.

Orioles Overpower Red Sox, 13-12

September 10, 2023 by Terry Lyons

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore catcher James McCann hit two home runs to help the visiting Orioles stretch their winning streak to seven games by beating the Boston Red Sox 13-12 on Saturday. McCann belted a two-run home run in the fourth inning and hit a solo shot in the sixth. The homers were his fifth and sixth of the season.

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Justin Turner

Aaron Hicks hit his eighth homer, Jordan Westburg added his third and Gunnar Henderson belted his 24th for the Orioles (90-51), who maintained a four-game lead over Tampa Bay at the top of the American League East standings. Tampa Bay defeated Seattle 7-5 on Saturday.

Baltimore’s seven consecutive victories have all come on the road.

The Red Sox scored three runs against Yennier Cano in the bottom of the ninth but stranded the tying run on third base.

Shintaro Fujinami (7-8) earned the win after pitching 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Boston (72-70) has lost four in a row overall and has dropped its last six home games. Wilyer Abreu collected five of Boston’s 23 hits in the loss.

It was 2-2 in the top of the third when Hicks hit a three-run home run against Boston starting pitcher Chris Sale (6-4), who allowed seven runs (six earned) in four innings. Earlier in the third, Jorge Mateo scored Baltimore’s second run on an Anthony Santander double.

McCann followed with the first of his two homers, which extended Baltimore’s lead to 7-2 in the fourth inning.

Justin Turner’s 23rd home run handed the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Orioles sliced that deficit in half in the second when Hicks scored on Trevor Story’s throwing error.

Boston added four runs in the fourth. Connor Wong got things going with an RBI single before Alex Verdugo hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Enmanuel Valdez. Wong scored on Henderson’s fielding error, and Rafael Devers made it 7-6 when he scored on a Triston Casas groundout.

Westburg and McCann added solo home runs in the sixth to extend the lead to 9-6, and Henderson’s three-run homer in the seventh pushed the lead to 12-6.

Boston answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Abreu hit a two-run double and then scored on a Devers single.

Ramon Urias drove in Austin Hays with a single in the ninth to give Baltimore a 13-9 lead before Story’s two-run double and Abreu’s RBI single pulled Boston within a run in the bottom of the inning.

–Field Level Media

Patriots: Zappe Back

September 9, 2023 by Terry Lyons

FOXBORO – (Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots re-signed quarterback Bailey Zappe from their practice squad to the 53-man roster and releasing QB Matt Corral, NFL Network reported Saturday. Zappe will be the backup to Patriots starter Mac Jones for the season opener against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles.

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Patriots coach Bill Belichick had said Friday morning that he was still deciding between the two quarterbacks. Corral did not practice Friday.

New England released Zappe, 24, on Aug. 29 and, after he cleared waivers, signed him to the practice squad a day later.

A fourth-round 2022 draft pick out of Western Kentucky, Zappe was 2-0 as a starter last season and played in four games. He completed 65 of 92 passes for 781 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

Corral, 24, was a third-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He spent the season on injured reserve due to a left foot injury. After Carolina selected Bryce Young first in the 2023 draft and signed veteran Andy Dalton, Corral was waived on Aug. 30. The Patriots claimed him off waivers the next day.

–Field Level Media

Glasnow Mows Down Red Sox

September 7, 2023 by Terry Lyons

TAMPA – ST PETE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Tamps starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow matched his career high with 14 strikeouts as the Tampa Bay Rays topped the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Wednesday in the rubber game of a three-game series.

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Across six innings in a 103-pitch outing, Glasnow (8-5) yielded one run on three hits and one walk.

The 6-foot-8 right-hander rounded out his start by fanning six consecutive batters in the fifth and sixth innings. Glasnow’s only previous 14-K game came against the Texas Rangers on April 12, 2021.

Brandon Lowe and Isaac Paredes both homered and Harold Ramirez doubled home a run as Tampa Bay (85-55) improved to 9-2 this season against the Red Sox (72-68).

Pete Fairbanks struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his 20th save in 22 chances.

The Rays added to their sterling home record against Boston, beating their division rival for the 15th time in the past 16 matchups in the dome.

For the Red Sox, Connor Wong had an RBI triple, but the visitors produced only five hits and fanned 17 times, including seven straight midgame.

Injured on Sunday, Boston outfielder Alex Verdugo (left hamstring tightness) did not play and missed the entire series.

In the third inning, Boston went up 1-0 with no outs on Wong’s triple, a high shot into the right field corner that plated Enmanuel Valdez, who had singled.

Glasnow, who had recorded five strikeouts in the first two frames, left Wong stranded at third after a diving stop by shortstop Osleivis Basabe was surrounded by Wilyer Abreu and Justin Turner both looking at third strikes.

Lowe, the hero on Tuesday with a walk-off homer in a 8-6, 11-inning win, went deep on a four-seam fastball from Nick Pivetta (9-8) with two outs in the bottom of the first on Wednesday.

He ripped his game-tying 19th long ball out to right-center at 109.2 mph at 416 feet, giving him 18 homers in 53 career games against Boston.

Paredes took Pivetta deep with two outs in the fourth, hammering a 3-2 four-seamer for his 28th homer and 87th RBI for a 2-1 lead.

The Rays made Pivetta pay for wildness in the fifth. After two walks, Ramirez’s two-out double off the center field wall sent home Yandy Diaz and chased Pivetta after 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander yielded three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Win On the Road

September 5, 2023 by Terry Lyons

TAMPA-ST. PETE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – In their longshot push for a wild-card spot, the Boston Red Sox did something Monday afternoon they have not been able to accomplish in more than a year — win on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Having snapped a 13-game losing streak at the dome with a 7-3 win in the series opener, Boston will try to clinch the three-game set Tuesday night in its second matchup with the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Desperately needing a victory, Boston (72-66) got a career-high four-RBI game from Triston Casas and a strong start from Brayan Bello to win for the third consecutive outing and first time in the bayside ballpark since April 22, 2022.

“I think he’s going to keep hitting fourth in this lineup,” Boston manager Alex Cora said after Casas produced a two-hit game that included a 419-foot homer — his 23rd — to put Boston up for good in the sixth inning.

The Rays (83-55) started fast with three runs on three hits in the first inning, but they managed only two more hits over the next eight frames.

Regular Tampa Bay starters Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes and Jose Siri were given the day off, but manager Kevin Cash gave credit to Bello for shutting down his squad. The Red Sox right-hander gave up three runs and struck out seven in six innings.

“We had good at-bats early on, but I felt like Bello settled in,” said Cash, whose club is 7-2 against the Red Sox this year. “He threw a good ballgame. He had a lot of late movement between the sinker and changeup going in one direction and the big sweeping slider going in the other direction. He made it tough for us.”

The pitching matchup Tuesday night will feature a pair of native Floridians, Boston’s Kutter Crawford and Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin.

A product of the lakeside town of Okeechobee, Crawford (6-7, 4.08 ERA) will appear in his 27th game and make his 19th start of the year.

The right-hander surrendered six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings and absorbed a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

Before the start, Cora said Crawford had progressed tremendously from 2022 (3-6, 5.47 in 21 games).

“Since day one, he’s been one of our best pitchers,” the manager said. “Whenever he pitches, he gives us a chance to win. He’s grown so much from last year.”

Crawford is 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA in five appearances (two starts) against the Rays, 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two games (one start) this year.

Eflin (13-8, 3.40 ERA) went 2-2 in August with his best monthly ERA this season — 2.62 — but had tough no-decisions against the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins.

In those two starts, the Orlando native allowed a total of one run and nine hits in 13 1/3 innings — a 0.68 ERA.

Tied for the AL lead in victories (13) with Toronto’s Chris Bassitt and Baltimore’s Kyle Gibson, Eflin also has two no-decisions in his pair of career starts against Boston to go along with a 7.00 ERA over nine innings. Both of those outings occurred in 2020.

–Field Level Media

BC Loses Opener to Northern Illinois

September 2, 2023 by Terry Lyons

CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Rocky Lombardi’s 1-yard quarterback sneak in overtime lifted visiting Northern Illinois to a 27-24 victory over Boston College in the season opener for both teams Saturday.

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Liam Connor’s 39-yard field goal put Boston College ahead after the first series of the extra session, but Lombardi led the winning four-play drive to give the Huskies (1-0) their second Week 1 win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in three years. Northern Illinois defeated Georgia Tech in 2021

Lombardi ended the game 13-of-29 passing for 165 yards.

Antario Brown accounted for the first two Northern Illinois touchdowns, catching one and throwing for the other as the Huskies led 14-0 with 10:33 remaining in the third quarter.

Quarterback Thomas Castellanos led a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives to help Boston College (0-1) overcome a 21-7 deficit and force overtime. Castellanos hit J Williams on a 30-yard scoring pass with 1:44 remaining in the game to forge a 21-21 tie.

The UCF transfer was 12 of 28 for 138 yards and rushed for 67 yards on nine carries, taking over for Emmett Morehead for the majority of the game after the first quarter.

After JaVaughn Byrd intercepted Castellanos’ final pass of the third quarter, Brock Lampe broke through for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:24 remaining in regulation to put NIU up 21-7. The 12-play drive, aided by a pass interference call on a fourth-down attempt, took 7:04 off the clock.

A 2-yard Castellanos run with 5:59 left brought BC back within 21-14 before Williams’ TD capped a 6-play, 83-yard drive in only 1:39.

Ten penalties for 95 yards hurt BC in its second straight season-opening loss.

NIU scored the game’s first points with 2:44 left before halftime. Justin Lynch’s 7-yard screen pass to Brown got the Huskies in the end zone to cap an 8-play, 60-yard drive that also included Chris Carter catching a 32-yard pass over the middle from Lombardi.

The visitors doubled their lead at the end of a 10-play drive in the first 4:27 of the third quarter. Brown’s 2-yard run to the right resulted in the touchdown.

A big defensive play helped set the Eagles up to make it 14-7 with 4:58 left in the third. Khris Banks recovered a Lombardi fumble, leading to a five-play series that ended with Castellanos and Bond connecting on an 11-yard pass.

–Field Level Media

Hovland Takes the ’23 FedEx Cup

August 27, 2023 by Terry Lyons

ATLANTA – Viktor Hovland of Norway earned his sixth PGA TOUR victory in his 98th start at the age of 25 years, 11 months, 9 days and became only the fourth player in history to win the BMW Championship and FedExCup in the same season, joining Tiger Woods (2007, 2009), Billy Horschel (2014) and Patrick Cantlay (2021). He became the eighth player to win consecutive FedEx Cup Playoffs events.

For his efforts the past two weeks and for the regular season work before, Hovland pocketed $18,000,000 and won the FedEx Cup.

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With apologies to Lionel Messi of Argentina, it is safe to say the best 1500 and 5000m runner (Jakob Ingebrigtsen), the best futbol player (Erling Haaland) and the best pro golfer (Viktor Hovland) all hail from Norway.

Hovland’s 68-64-66-63 (-19) – and (-8 start) = (-27) five stroke victory over Xander Schauffele (-22) marked the largest margin of victory in the FedEx Cup starting strokes era. The difference was the FedEx Cup starting strokes – (-8) to (-3).

In his first TOUR Championship start, Wyndham Clark finished solo-third, the best performance among the five first-time participants in the field and the best finish of a player making their TOUR Championship debut since Schauffele won in 2017.

With a fourth-place finish, three-time FedEx Cup Champion Rory McIlroy (2016, 2019, 2022) earned his 10th consecutive Top 10 finish on TOUR, the longest streak of his career.

TOUR Championship | Final Round Highlights

TOUR Championship | Final Standings

1 Viktor Hovland $18,000,000

2 Xander Schauffele $6,500,000

3 Wyndham Clark $5,000,000

4 Rory McIlroy $4,000,000

5 Patrick Cantlay $3,000,000

T6 Tommy Fleetwood $2,000,000

T6 Scottie Scheffler $2,000,000

T6 Collin Morikawa $2,000,000

Full Leaderboard: (link)

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @FedExChamp @TourChampionship

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug 27

August 27, 2023 by Terry Lyons

While We’re Young (Ideas) | A Look at the NE Patriots’ Tough Road

By TERRY LYONS

FOXBORO – After missing a few concert dates in Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band came back as strong as ever on Thursday night and they’ll be icing the guitar strings by the time you read this (on Saturday night or Sunday morning) after their second of two shows in New England.

The rock show stage and equipment trucks will head to Met Life Stadium on Sunday but the real question is whether the New England Patriots can bounce back as quickly as Springsteen did.

In two of three preseason games, the Patriots couldn’t break 10 points, the last coming Friday night, a 23-7 loss at Tennessee (hardly the strength of the AFC). New England previously fell, 20-7, to Houston and – in between – they managed a 21-17 victory at Green Bay, hardly the Pack of old. Only the Houston Texans game was at Gillette Stadium.

The old adage is to never put much stock in NFL preseason games, as second stringers battle for roster positions and veterans sit-out for health reasons and load management, but the main issue facing the Patriots as summer preseason games fade to opening day is a dose of reality – a reality speech you won;t hear on Boston sports talk radio or on WBZ-TV.

The fact of the matter is New England has a very tough schedule over the first eight weeks of the NFL regular season.

The Patriots open with two home games, against Philadelphia and Miami. A split would be an admirable outcome. From there, it gets dicey, especially with the fact four of the next six games are on the road. Here’s a quick look at the opening eight:

Sept. 10 – vs Philadelphia
Sept. 17 – vs. Miami
Sept. 24 – at NY Jets
Oct. 1 – at Dallas
Oct. 8 – vs New Orleans
Oct. 15 – at Las Vegas
Oct. 22 – vs Buffalo
Oct. 29 – at Miami

It’s entirely within reason that the New England Patriots start the year (1-7) or, ahem, (0-8) and with their highest hopes of being – (4-4) after eight weeks.

At the tail-end of the regular season, it doesn’t look any better, as the Patriots will face the two toughest teams in the AFC and two teams on the rise. Their “final four” schedule is as follows:

Dec. 18 – vs Kansas City
Dec. 24 – at Denver
Dec. 31 – at Buffalo
Jan. 7 – vs NY Jets

Two of the huge unknowns of this NFL season are within the AFC East.

Will QB Aaron Rodgers and an improved NYJ offense warrant a playoff spot?
Will the Miami Dolphins continue to improve and can oft-injured QB Tua Tagovailoa stay healthy, take the next step and compete with Buffalo and New York for the AFC East Divsional title?

The prediction here is for Buffalo to dominate the division but for the NY Jets to step-up to No. 2 and a playoff berth. The Dolphins and Patriots are likely to be (8-8, at best) and receive the home version of the game by New Year’s Eve.

Rodgers’ impact – as seen in this year’s HARD KNOCKS – is clearly evident. His throws remain effortless and his tutelage to young NYJ QB Zach Wilson might put the J-E-T-S’ quarterback situation amongst the NFL elite for a decade to come. Meanwhile, New England’s QB Mac Jones will face increasing pressure – both on and off the field – as the New England faithful long for the halcyon days of Tom Brady. Even the wizardry of Patriots coach Bill Belichick can’t team poise and performance under pressure. He’ll have to rely on defensive techniques and let the man who wears the “Mac” in the pouring rain, be very strained.

TID-BITS: Doesn’t the career arc of Phil Mickelson reflect the career arc of Rudy Giuliani (minus the recent State of Georgia indictment)? … A bad night on Chicago’s South Side has given a whole new meaning to the phrase “Bloody Sox.” Police in Chicago are investigating a shooting that left two women with non-life-threatening injuries Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field as the White Sox lost to the Oakland Athletics. In a statement issued early Saturday, the White Sox confirmed the incident and said it was unclear whether the women, who were in outfield seats in left field, were struck by bullets that came from inside or outside the park. Chicago police said one woman, 42, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, listed in fair condition. The other woman, 26, was grazed by a bullet to the abdomen but declined medical attention. In its statement, the team implied the incident was unprovoked. “While the police continue to investigate, White Sox security confirms that this incident did not involve an altercation of any kind,” the team said. “The White Sox are thinking of the victims at this time and wishing them a speedy recovery.”

BC OPENER: The Notre Dame v Navy (in Ireland) score will be in the books by the time you read this, but the bulk of College Football games will be played next weekend with games beginning Thursday night. On Saturday, September 2, the Boston College Eagles will open their 2023 season at home against an always tough Northern Illinois Huskies squad. BC opens with three home games, the third against potential ACC champion Florida State. That said, the September 16 (Noon) game on ABC will be the annual “Red Bandana” game. Look out Seminoles!

WHEN YOU THINK OF IT: The next few weeks will include some of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. Here’s a quick list – top of mind:

FIBA World Cup of Basketball
TOUR Championship/FedEx Cup Playoffs Finale
Opening of NCAA College Football
Opening of NFL regular season
US Open Tennis
Rugby World Cup
Conclusion of 2023 MLB Season
MLB Post Season
MLB World Series
Solheim Cup
Ryder Cup Golf
Pan American Games (Chile)

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes – August 20

August 21, 2023 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Yes, the dateline is Boston – not Liberty Park, NJ and not Olympia Fields (the site of this weekend’s semifinal tournament), nor Atlanta (the site of next week’s TOUR Championship) nor the old fave of Norton, Massachusetts where the TPC Boston hosted the Deutsche Bank Championship/Dell Technologies/Northern Trust Championship, once hailed as a MUST stop for the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs and a gem of a sporting event held every Labor Day weekend of yesteryear.

There was nothing better in the summer sports world than Labor Day Weekend datelines of FENWAY – CHESTNUT HILL – NORTON and FLUSHING MEADOW when a relatively easy step in time management – combined with some swift driving – could parlay an MLB game hosted by the Red Sox with a college Football game hosted by Boston College with a round of professional golf at TPC Boston then a drive to the Billie Jean King/United States Tennis Center for the annual U.S. Open – the raucous finale to tennis’ Grand Slams.

One year, an “all of the above” was coupled with a flight to Philadelphia and a Saturday at the AND1 Summer JAM, held at Temple U’s Liacouras Center to mix some tape and hoops as AND1 re-launched its brand only to be bought-up by yet another distressed brand gold-digger.

The finish that year and others was the Labor Day Monday conclusion to the PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoff event, a tournament then hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

In 2003, the DBC replaced the Air Canada Championship when the authorities of the PGA Tour collaborated with the sponsors at FedEx to conjure-up a way to tie each PGA Tour season into a nice, neat bow. The players loved the risk v. reward aspects of the TPC Boston and the crowds poured through the gates, giving the Tour a signature event to rival tennis’ grand slam event in Flushing and frequently compete for eyeballs with the opening weekend of college football and the NFL.

Those suits at the PGA Tour and FedEx learned their lessons, though, and eventually streamlined the regular season and playoff schedule to conclude BEFORE the start of college footy and the NFL alike. When the music stopped, no one was playing “Shipping Up to Boston,” and the DBC/Dell Technologies/Northern Trust was no more.

Some of the great PGA Tour golfers who won at the DBC:

2003 Adam Scott

2004 Vijay Singh

2005 Olin Browne

2006 Tiger woods

2007 Phil Mickelson

2008 Vijay Singh

2009 Steve Stricker

2010 Charlie Hoffman

2011 Webb Simpson

2012 Rory McIlroy

2013 Henrik Stenson

2014 Chris Kirk

2015 Rickie Fowler

2016 Rory McIlroy

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Last week, the column touched on the issues facing NCAA athletic administrators around the country.

Sports lawyer Darren Heitner took a look at the happenings surfacing this past week.

“It appears that Georgia high school athletes will soon be able to enter into NIL deals,” wrote Heitner.

“Robin Hines, executive director of the Georgia High School Association, said that he will have a proposal ready for the Association’s Executive Committee meeting this Fall. The expectation is that the Executive Committee will approve the proposal if one reads through the lines on Hines’ overall commentary.

Looking back, Heitner recalled: “Julian “JuJu” Lewis” is a perfect example. As Pete Thamel highlighted for ESPN in a February 17, 2023 article titled, “The prep QB phenom and a million-dollar NIL question,” Lewis, a 15-year-old at the time the article was written, is already being compared to Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. You would think that Lewis can start cashing in on his fame right now, but Georgia’s high school athletic association doesn’t allow for it . . . yet.

“While more than half of the states in the country have legalized name, image and likeness (NIL) deals in some form for high school athletes, the state of Georgia sits at a compelling crossroads. It is home to one of the richest recruiting bases in the country, the back-to-back national champions of college football and a generational prospect in Lewis, who could command well over a million dollars on the open market over the next three seasons,” wrote Thamel.

“As of now, a total of 31 states (as well as Washington D.C.) already allow or are soon to allow high school athletes to enter into NIL deals. Not on that list are states like the aforementioned Georgia, along with Florida, and Alabama, as well as Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, North Carolina, and Mississippi, which tend to produce a lot of talent for the next level. One would think that these states are closely monitoring what happens in Georgia and if as expected the state does decide to start allowing for NIL transactions to take place, they will likely follow suit.

Info From A Joint Survey By Sportico And The Harris Poll

Makes it seem like America at large is warming up to college athletes being compensated and perhaps to a greater degree. From the article:

67% of U.S. adults believe college athletes should be able to receive direct compensation from their schools.
64% support athletes’ rights to obtain employee status.
59% believe athletes should be able to collectively bargain as a labor union.
More Americans today (74%) support athletes’ right of publicity than they did in November 2020 (62%).

The Collective Association Grows To 17 Strong

The trade association that advocates for athletes, shares best practices, and acts as a unified voice to shape the development of the NIL market has added 10 collectives to the fold.

As a reminder, the initial seven founding members were:

Classic City Collective (University of Georgia)
Spyre Sports Group (University of Tennessee)
The Grove Collective (University of Mississippi)
The Battle’s End (Florida State University)
House of Victory (University of Southern California)
Champions Circle (University of Michigan)
Happy Valley United (Penn State University)

The 10 new Collectives are:

Wildcat NIL (Kansas State University)
Garnet Trust (University of South Carolina)
Mass St. Collec)ve (University of Kansas)
The 1870 Society (Ohio State University)
The 5430 Foundation (University of Colorado)
Desert Takeover Collective (University of Arizona)
Every True Tiger (University of Missouri)
The Royal Blue (BYU)
Sun Angel Collective (Arizona State University)
502 Circle (University of Louisville)

Says WWYI, “Let the NIL Be with Us.”

Krejci Retires from NHL, Bruins

August 14, 2023 by Terry Lyons

BOSTON – Boston Bruins veteran forward David Krejci took it upon himself to make the formal announcement.

“After 15 full NHL seasons I have decided to retire from the best league in the world,” he wrote and posted to social media accounts the world over.

Embed from Getty Images

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cam Neely and Don Sweeney for allowing me to take my time with my decision and announcement.

I also want to thank the Jacobs family and the entire Bruins organization for believing in me over and over again and giving me the opportunity to be part of this amazing family for so many years,” Krejci concluded.

Gone, now, from the Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup champion team are goalkeepers Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, defenseman and captain Zeno Chara, and legendary forward Patrice Bergeron – all sure-shot Hall of Famers.

Back into the Black and Gold is Milan Lucic, but he’ll be the lonely torch bearer.