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Terry Lyons

NBA Round-Up; Celtics Fall

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics were the last team to fall from the ranks of the undefeated and James Harden made his debut with the LA Clippers on a busy Monday night in the NBA.

Timberwolves 114, Celtics 109 (OT)

Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 38 points in as Minnesota prevailed in overtime to hand Boston its first loss of the season.

Edwards, who also had nine rebounds and seven assists, came through in OT by making jump shots on three consecutive possessions. Jaden McDaniels had a 20-point performance for the Timberwolves, who received 14 points and 12 rebounds from Rudy Gobert.

Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 32 points for the Celtics, who got 26 points from Jaylen Brown and 20 from Kristaps Porzingis.

Knicks 111, Clippers 97

RJ Barrett, returning from a two-game absence caused by a sore left knee, scored 11 points during a fourth-quarter surge as the host New York Knicks broke open a tie game and cruised to a 111-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

The Knicks outscored the Clippers 35-21 in the fourth quarter and 69-51 in the second half, spoiling the debut of new Los Angeles acquisition James Harden.

Barrett finished with 26 points while Julius Randle posted a season-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who won at home for the first time in three tries this season. Mitchell Robinson (13 points, 15 rebounds) also had a double-double for New York.

Kawhi Leonard scored 18 points while Harden finished with 17 points in 31-plus minutes in his first action since the Philadelphia 76ers dealt him to the Clippers on Oct. 31.

Nuggets 134, Pelicans 116

Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, rookie Julian Strawther scored a career-best 21 points and host Denver rallied from a 20-point deficit to rout New Orleans.

It was Jokic’s 108th career triple-double, fourth most on the all-time list. Rookie Jordan Hawkins scored a career-high 31 points and Brandon Ingram added 22 for the Pelicans.

New Orleans guard CJ McCollum was out after an MRI on Sunday revealed he had a collapsed lung and would likely miss multiple games. The Nuggets were missing guard Jamal Murray, who will be out for an extended period of time due to a hamstring injury.

Warriors 120, Pistons 109

Stephen Curry had 34 points and visiting Golden State defeated slumping Detroit.

Chris Paul finished with 17 points, six assists and five rebounds off the bench, and Klay Thompson had 17 points. Dario Saric added 12 points, while Jonathan Kuminga and Kevon Looney chipped in 10 apiece.

Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes each had 21 points and combined for 12 assists for Detroit, which has lost five straight games. Isaiah Stewart contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Ausar Thompson had 16 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Pacers 152, Spurs 111

Tyrese Haliburton scored 23 points, 20 of them in a dominating first half, and Myles Turner added 15 points and 11 rebounds as Indiana rolled past San Antonio in Indianapolis.

Indiana has won two of the first three games on its current homestand and ran the Spurs and rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama out of the building while forging a 25-point lead by halftime and a 39-point advantage late in the third quarter. Indiana finished with its highest-scoring game of the season.

Doug McDermott led San Antonio with 17 points off the bench. Keldon Johnson added 16, Zach Collins had 14, Wembanyama produced 13 points and 10 rebounds and Charles Bassey scored 10 points for the Spurs, who were playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back.

Mavericks 117, Magic 102

Luka Doncic poured in 29 points and Kyrie Irving scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half as Dallas improved to 6-1 with a big comeback win over host Orlando.

Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points for Dallas, which trailed by as many as 15 points in the second quarter before outscoring Orlando 64-36 in the second half.

Paolo Banchero scored 22 points to lead Orlando. Moe Wagner and Cole Anthony had 19 points apiece off the bench for the Magic, who missed their first 13 3-point attempts in the second half.

76ers 146, Wizards 128

Joel Embiid had 48 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lift host Philadelphia over Washington.

Tyrese Maxey added 22 points and a career-high 11 assists, Tobias Harris contributed 18 points and De’Anthony Melton had 14 for the Sixers, who won their fifth game in a row after a season-opening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kyle Kuzma led the struggling Wizards with 28 points, while Jordan Poole added 23 and Deni Avdija followed with 16.

Heat 108, Lakers 107

Bam Adebayo recorded a triple-double of 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 28 points and Miami survived a late-game surge to beat visiting Los Angeles.

Tyler Herro finished with 22 points despite going just 2-for-10 from 3-point range on a night when the Heat collectively went just 12-for-37 from beyond the arc. The Miami defense forced Los Angeles into an even worse shooting performance from deep, however, limiting the Lakers to 8 of 26 from long range.

LeBron James scored seven of his game-high 30 points in a 1:19 stretch late in the fourth quarter, helping trim a 10-point Miami lead to one. His last points of the burst, a three-point play with 2:39 remaining, capped the game’s scoring.

Bucks 129, Nets 125

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points and hit the tiebreaking basket with 71 seconds remaining as Milwaukee outlasted Brooklyn in New York.

Antetokounmpo shot 15 of 27 from the field and scored nine points in the final six-plus minutes to help the Bucks get their second straight win. Damian Lillard added 21 points and seven assists for Milwaukee.

Cam Thomas led all scorers with 45 points and Mikal Bridges added 31 in the loss. Ben Simmons grabbed 15 rebounds for the Nets.

Bulls 130, Jazz 113

Zach LaVine scored 24 points and DeMar DeRozan added 21 as Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over visiting Utah.

Coby White hit 7 of 9 shots to finish with 18 points and had seven assists for the Bulls, who had eight players score in double figures as they successfully opened a three-game homestand with their top offensive output of the season.

Lauri Markkanen had a game-high 29 points, including five 3-pointers, but the Jazz posted a third consecutive loss.

Rockets 122, Kings 97

Jalen Green scored a game-high 23 points while Alperen Sengun posted a double-double as Houston dismantled visiting Sacramento for the second time in three days.

Green needed only nine shot attempts to pace the Rockets in scoring, doing most of his damage at the free-throw line, where he finished 10 of 12. Sengun, meanwhile, was the offensive linchpin, pairing a career-high 12 assists with 17 points to help Houston to its third consecutive victory.

The Kings, playing their third straight game without guard De’Aaron Fox (ankle), lost for the third straight time. They fell 107-89 at Houston on Saturday.

Thunder 126, Hawks 117

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to lead Oklahoma City past visiting Atlanta, ending the Thunder’s two-game skid while also ending the Hawks’ four-game winning streak.

Gilgeous-Alexander missed Friday’s loss to Golden State with a sprained left knee. Trailing by 19 entering the fourth quarter, the Hawks didn’t go away quietly and steadily cut into the Thunder’s lead, eventually getting it down to six with a minute remaining.

But rookie center Chet Holmgren grabbed a rebound of Gilgeous-Alexander’s miss and laid it in, then was fouled by Onyeka Okongwu and made the free throw to finally put the game away.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov. 5

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“Good Night, Bad Knight”

By TERRY LYONS

NEW YORK – We’re here on earth for such a short time, it’s hard and it’s wrong to write someone off for eternity just for their shortcomings on earth. But, in the situation of Coach Bobby Knight’s death, I’ll make an exception.

Forever the optimist, this columnist always tries to seek-out the best in any one person, and maybe – in the case of Bobby Knight – it was to seek-out the guy who loved to fish in Montana or hunt in his native Ohio. I hoped to uncover some speck of good in Knight but the only universe of judgement in my playbook was the guy who coached basketball at West Point, Indiana and, after finally being fired at IU, Texas Tech in Lubbock.

Let’s be clear: My opinion on Knight is culled from experience, some firsthand but mostly from live television or well-reported stories from his own players or those who covered him. Knight had an amazing friendship with Indiana sportswriter Bob Hammel, a man who had the Inside Stuff on Knight’s controversial career at IU. His friendship was a rare hit amongst the many media members he berated, often crossing the line of decency of one human being to another.

For a man who was a bully or tried to act like one, often intimidating an unsuspecting questioner, Knight had very thin skin in terms of accepting criticism. Of the media he once said, “All of us learn to write in the second grade … most of us go on to greater things.” That was in response to the late curmudgeon Andy Rooney’s column criticizing IU for not firing Knight after one of his major transgressions, of which he had many. Most were born of his “my way or else” attitude towards anyone who wasn’t within his inner circle.

Interestingly, there was a memorable time when Knight tried to intimidate a former IU coaching colleague who was jogging in the gymnasium during basketball practice. That fellow coach was Doug Blubaugh, a gold medalist as a welterweight wrestler at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Upon being cursed out and told to leave the gym, Blubaugh pinned Knight up against a wall. Legend has it from firsthand accounts, “In seconds, Blubaugh had wrenched “The General” by the collar and slammed him, sputtering and squirming, against the far wall of Assembly Hall. Calmly, Blubaugh explained he was IU’s wrestling coach and that Knight would never address him that way again.

Knight never challenged him again.

It gets much worse: “I think if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it,” said Knight to Connie Chung of NBC News in an awkward 1988 interview. According to Associated Press, Knight contended the quote was taken out of context, later saying: “The word rape can be used in several ways. One is in something that has gone out of control or over which you have no control. It obviously was in that context that I was using the word.”

I believe, at that point in time, Knight should’ve been fired from IU, never to be within 100 miles of educating the youth of America ever again – at any school …anywhere.

Aside from the boorish behavior, childish rants, one other incident crossed the line and that was Knight’s treatment of Rance Pugmire, a volunteer SID who worked an NCAA tourney as the moderator of press conferences. Let the video tape tell the story for itself, but I must say, as a fellow PR guy, this just burned me up.

Yet, the enablers – enabled. His peers spoke glowingly of him and stepped up to support him back then. All of the same stories of Knight’s “greatness” resurfaced this week on talk radio.

They spoke of Knight with reverence and his place amongst basketball victories, some 902 career victories to go along with three NCAA titles and five trips to the NCAA Final Four. They spoke of his many charitable efforts and contributions. They spoke of his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame and coaching the 1984 USA men’s basketball team to the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

To be fair, his accomplishments, his X’s and O’s (replicated by coaches around the world and even in playgrounds by astute players with high basketball IQs, and his contributions to and love of the game are second to none. My friend, Andy Jasner, son of the great Philly basketball writer, Phil Jasner, shared this story:

“Bobby Knight was a polarizing figure,” wrote Andy on Thursday. “You never knew what you were going to get. When I was assigned to write a feature on him as a young reporter, I did what I was taught to do. I did my homework and then tried to set up an interview. Never received a phone call back despite numerous attempts. Then I went after it again using knowledge taught by Phil Jasner. I left a message with a bit of my background about Dad and Coach Chaney. About a week later the phone rings. It’s Coach Knight. He said and I’m paraphrasing — “you got me with Coach Chaney.” “Coach Knight and I talked for about 45 minutes. The interview was maybe 15 minutes. Everyone has their story. This is mine. Before we hung up, he told me to call him anytime. I ran into him years later and he called me by name. Asked if I needed anything. I know he was polarizing. This is my personal memory. RIP,” concluded Andy, finishing up his tribute.

Stories like Andy’s abound and I was so glad he shared his experience.

Then, why do I fall on the critical side of Knight’s fence?

It was his modus operandi that set the coach back and that is the focus of my criticism. Simply put: An examination of Knight’s full body of work makes him a person who should NOT have been anywhere NEAR an institution educating our youth.

My personal interaction with Knight came only once and was in preparation of the ‘84 Olympics, back when the NBA helped ABA/USA by gathering some players to scrimmage against the Olympic team.

With only three years of NBA experience under my belt, I flew from LaGuardia Airport in Queens to Providence for the first of those scrimmages. It was an early Sunday morning when I arrived at the (then) Providence Civic Center to find an empty building with the exception of the late Bill Wall – the executive director of ABA/USA – who was struggling to hang a wrinkled ABA/USA banner on the center court scorer’s table. ABC Sports had the TV rights to game and their tech crew and talent were nowhere to be found.

Within 30 minutes, there were a few more building workers, a few more TV techs – laying wires to their cameras and then a buzz of activity when the men’s Olympic team rolled in. NBA players strolled in as well, all coming from different locations and most driving themselves to the arena. The NBA “All-Stars” all had a New England connection. I can remember Boston College’s Michael Adams and a few others dressing for the game. Most hadn’t touched a basketball since April and Adams’ BC classmate, John Bagley, asked me if I had some sneakers in my bag and what size I wore.

“Eleven and 1/2,” was the reply.

“Oh, I need some 15s,” said Bagley sadly. “But, let me try your shoes on.”

Next thing I knew, Bagley was in the NBA lay-up line with his 15s jammed into my red and white, size 11 1/2 PONY low-cuts.

I threw together our roster and the players grabbed jerseys and we recorded each player’s uniform number as things settled down with some 59:00 on the countdown clock.

All good.

With a few minutes to myself, I strolled down the Civic Center corridor to pay a visit to my St. John’s University bud, Chris Mullin, who had earned a spot on the ‘84 Olympic team. Mo was getting dressed and he perked up with that great Brooklyn accent upon seeing a friendly face. I wished him well, made note we’d see each other another time or three on the road to Los Angeles.

It was time to leave the locker, giving some respect to our “opponents,” but upon exit, I bumped into the head coach of the United States’ team – yes, Bobby Knight. I extended a hand, which he shook as I introduced myself, stating, “I’m here from the NBA league office and will be helping out with our players.” Straight, short and to the point. “If I can do anything to help you guys, please let me know.”

Knight nodded and said rather politely, “Well, if we need any help from you, we’re in big trouble.”

I laughed out loud, didn’t say another word but did the best pivot move he’d ever seen – the kind ARMY cadets do in drills – as I walked out of the locker – never to utter another word nor be in the same room with the great Bobby Knight ever again. That said, I never held a grudge but DID thoroughly enjoy a 1999 NCAA second round tournament game when my Johnnies drilled Knight’s No. 19 Hoosiers by 25 points – (St. John’s 86, Indiana 61).

Payback’s a bitch.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: One minute Boston College football fans were calling for the firing of head coach Jeff Hafley, the next they’re making plans for a Bowl Game or even a longshot at the ACC Conference Championship game … The various investment funds originating in Saudi Arabia have, to date, invested in LIV Golf, Formula 1, Premier League club Newcastle United, and Mixed Martial Arts. … According to Front Office Sports, “Saudi Arabia just secured the 2034 FIFA World Cup — but its aggressive ambition to be involved in as much of professional sports as possible shows no sign of slowing.” … That includes the sports of cricket and involvement with the ATP and WTA along with ownership of at least two major tennis tournaments. … Boston-based DraftKings (NYSE: DKNG) banked $790 million in revenue for the quarter, a 57% jump compared to third-quarter 2022. The increase due to strong customer retention and growth, the company said. … Boston Common Golf players Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott, and Tyrrell Hatton will join Boston Common Golf President & CEO Mark Lev (a former Celtics front office man) for a press conference this Monday to share details of their new venture. … ESPN will televise the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Show on Baseball Tonight Sunday, November 5, from 7:30-8:30pm EST. The show will emanate from ESPN’s Bristol studios. Karl Ravech will host the telecast with analyst Doug Glanville. … There’s been no reputable confirmation on the rumor the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament home basketball courts were built in Chernobyl.

NBA ZONE: As promised as the NBA’s In-Season Tournament began Friday, here’s one viewpoint of how the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season will shape-up. (Look for my In-Season tourney predictions but the 2024 NBA Playoff Predictions will await another week or two).

EASTERN Conference: It’s a 1 and 1-A race between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, and Celtics backers are simply thrilled Nick Nurse (former Toronto head coach) is with Philadelphia and newbie Adrian Griffin (sans asst. Terry Stotts) is heading-up the Buckaroos.

The race for the Cs and Bucks will be determined on which team indoctrinates its new star acquisition the best, the quickest and stays the healthiest.

As of November 1, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and his merry band of assistants (including the surprising but brilliant employment of Jeff Van Gundy to the staff, has newcomers Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis indoctrinated to the Celtics’ offense and the shares of the Celtics’ way have been fully purchased and deposited for safety. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is maxed-out on potential league MVP and man for all seasons Giannis Antetokounmpo and former Portland Trail Blazer great Damian Lillard, both banking 45.6m for their efforts.

That leads us to insert the 2023-24 list of highest team salaries in the NBA, according to HoopsHype (USA Today), before we survey other grounds in the league – East and West:

TOP TEN NBA TEAM SALARIES for 2023-24:

  1. Golden State Warriors = $208,923,886
  2. Los Angeles Clippers = $198,182,527
  3. Phoenix Suns = $187,933,275
  4. Milwaukee Bucks = $185,264,014
  5. Boston Celtics = $185,232,476
  6. Miami Heat = $181,726,509
  7. Denver Nuggets = $179,569,508
  8. Philadelphia 76ers = $171,559,536
  9. New Orleans Pelicans = $169,909,579
  10. Los Angeles Lakers = $168,238,712

Quick Notes: Please take note that the “large market” New York Knicks (14), Brooklyn Nets (18) and Chicago Bulls (13) are not amongst the Top Ten. Also note, the acquisition of James Harden took the LA Clippers to No. 2, behind only the Golden State Warriors who are paying Steph Curry a cool $51,915,615, Klay Thompson $43,219,440 and newly acquired guard Chris Paul $30,800,000. … And, I still can’t believe there’s a team in the NBA named the Pelicans.

Back to the League-wide look: The Philadelphia 76ers remain the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 pick by consensus. Joel Embiid is the reigning league MVP and a force to be reckoned with, but the 76ers’ depth remains iffy. Oft-injured and divisive guard James Harden was banished to the LA Clippers, stating 76ers coach Doc Rivers had him “on a leash” but the fact he doesn’t need to play or run a system, because “he is a system,” were parting shots and spoke volumes of Harden’s new place in the NBA.

The East’s next-best team is either the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat or the New York Knicks. Only the Heat can be considered dangerous and contenders. ‘Nuff said?

WESTERN Conference: The NBA’s West is a party of one – the Denver Nuggets, the defending champions who are quite likely to repeat as long as center Nikola Jokic remains healthy.

After the Nuggets, there’s a significant drop to the No. 2 club, probably the Phoenix Suns but possibly the LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors or LA Lakers. Everyone outside of the Rockies has flaws the size of boulders, not diamonds.

The Sacramento Kings could improve (again) and would be a nice surprise for the Western Conference finals.

TIDBITS: Let’s take a quick look at the new NBA “In-Season” Tournament and predictions for the right to play for the first NBA Cup.

West: Group A:

  • Phoenix Suns*
  • L.A. Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Utah Jazz
  • Portland Trail Blazers

West: Group B

  • Denver Nuggets*
  • LA Clippers**
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Houston Rockets

West: Group C

  • Sacramento Kings*
  • Golden State Warriors
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • MinnesotaTimberwolves
  • Oklahoma City Thunder

East: Group A

  • Philadelphia 76ers*
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Detroit Pistons

East: Group B

  • Milwaukee Bucks*
  • Miami Heat**
  • New York Knicks
  • Washington Wizards
  • Charlotte Hornets

East: Group C

  • Boston Celtics*
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Orlando Magic
  • Chicago Bulls

West Quarterfinals: Denver v. LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns v. Sacramento Kings

East Quarterfinals: Boston Celtics v. Miami Heat and Milwaukee v. Philadelphia

On to Las Vegas:

Semis: Denver v. Sacramento and Boston v. Milwaukee

Finals: Denver over Boston

MVP: Nikola Jokic

QUARTERLY REPORT: MORE REALLY BAD INVESTMENTS: A look at some bad investments made in the past few months. This follows a previous list of doozies.

  • Platelet-Poor Plasma Co.
  • The Whole Seven and a Half Yards Co.
  • Mike Pence University
  • Theranos II
  • Chernobyl Mike’s Sub Shop
  • Cryptocurrency Exchange FIX
  • You Can NOT Be Sirius XM Radio (Investors should’ve known when every channel was DJ’d by John McEnroe)
  • Actual Intelligence

*All of the companies above seem to be solid investments as time goes by, as WWYI explores all and lists its batch of sure-fire hits at the market. Please note: “The investments and services offered by us may not be suitable for all investors. If you have any doubts as to the merits of an investment, you should seek advice from an independent financial advisor.”

NFL: Week 9 Player Props

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With eight weeks of the regular season in the books, we have a mature player props market with plentiful data points. Finding winners will become increasingly difficult as the bookmakers sharpen their lines. As a result, this is the time of year when exercising discipline can save your bankroll.

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When studying player props, we typically skew more toward playing under this time of year. However, after beginning with an overall handicap of the Week 9 games, I noticed that quite a few overs piqued my interest.

That can sometimes be a red flag, so we will be a bit cautious in adding more plays. As a result, these are three most intriguing player props heading into Week 9.

–Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke over 10.5 rushing yards (-115 at BetMGM)
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith announced they’re turning to Heinicke after the veteran backup replaced Desmond Ridder last week in the third quarter against the Titans.

Ridder underwent a concussion evaluation at halftime and, despite being cleared, did not check back into the game. He’s been turnover-prone and Heinicke was very productive, albeit against a Titans’ defense clearly playing it safe with a big lead.

Heinicke orchestrated four scoring drives for 20 points and 253 total yards compared to one scoring drive for three points in the first half for Ridder. And while Smith doesn’t view this change as permanent, Heinicke is clearly auditioning for the job.

Opportunities for Heinicke to run the ball against a Minnesota defense that forces opposing quarterbacks to step up in the pocket.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Vikings lead the league with a 52.7 percent blitz rate. That’s almost 10 percent higher than the Giants, who rank second at 43.1.

The Vikings have also allowed the sixth-most rushing yards (170) to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Based on these factors, we have enough to play Heinicke over his rushing prop.

–Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa over 22.5 pass attempts (-130 at FanDuel)

There are plenty of storylines in Germany as two of the AFC’s top teams take part of the NFL’s International Series.

The Dolphins and Chiefs have matching 6-2 records. But Miami has yet to beat a team with a record over .500. In comparison, the Chiefs have three wins over .500 teams.

There’s also the Tyreek Hill angle, as the dynamic wide receiver will line up against his former team after spending five years in Kansas City before he was traded during contract talks with the Chiefs.

Even before playing his first game with the Dolphins, Hill drew some criticism after commenting that Tagovailoa was a more accurate passer than Mahomes.

While some in the media interpreted Hill’s comments as a slight towards Mahomes, he never said Tagovailoa was the better quarterback. Hill praised Mahomes for having the stronger arm between the two.

Nonetheless, we have a revenge angle here with Hill facing the Chiefs.

This game will take place at Deutsche Bank Park, which has a retractable roof. The total remains steady at 50.5, the highest of the week.

Given the subplots with Tagovailoa vs. Mahomes and Hill facing his former team, it wouldn’t surprise me if this game turns into a track meet.

–Tyson Bagent over 18.5 completions (-110 at DraftKings)
With Justin Fields still nursing a right thumb injury, Bagent will make his third straight start. While the rookie has only 80 passes this season, he’s completing 70 percent of his attempts.

It also doesn’t hurt that his average intended air yards (5.6) puts him dead last among quarterbacks with at least 68 pass attempts.

It’s not a stretch to think that the Bears’ passing offense is somewhat risk-averse with Bagent under center.

If the Bears continue with this conservative approach, Bagent should be able to pick up some easy completions against the Saints with this prop going over the number.

–Field Level Media

NFL Super Odds Post-Deadline

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – (For Information Only) – The NFL landscape has rarely been so uncertain as the season nears its halfway point, and the Tuesday afternoon trade deadline did little to help.

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The injury-ravaged Buffalo Bills defense found some help in defensive back Rasul Douglas via trade with Green Bay. The Washington Commanders dealt the heart of their defense, sending Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears and Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers, and the Detroit Lions boosted their receiving talent by acquiring Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns.

The Bears could finish the season owning the first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They have their own as well as the Carolina Panthers’ first-rounder.

But Young is perhaps the biggest catch among contenders, giving San Francisco another massive boost on defense.

THE SNAPSHOT

The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs put in a pedestrian performance last Sunday in a loss to the Denver Broncos, the Philadelphia Eagles have shown vulnerabilities while winning seven of their eight games, and the 49ers have seen the wheels come off over the past three weeks in losses to Cleveland, Minnesota and Cincinnati.

SUPER BOWL WINNER
Top 15 NFL teams per Betting Hero Sources
Chiefs +500
Eagles +500
49ers +600
Dolphins +900
Cowboys +1000
Ravens +1100
Bills +1200
Lions +1300
Bengals +1600
Jaguars +2000
Seahawks +3000
Browns +3300
Chargers +4000
Saints +5000
Jets +6600

San Francisco did itself a huge favor, dealing a third-round pick for Young. This Niners’ front is going to be a problem in December and January.

In the wake of the deal, the 49ers rate as a strong value pick among the top three — that is, if quarterback Brock Purdy solves his recent troubles in a timely manner.

Speaking of a monstrous defensive presence, the Eagles figure to improve as the weather cools. A bet on Philadelphia, which holds the inside track in the race for home-field advantage, could be considered high value at the current number.

The NFC is not overly strong, and the Eagles are a proven postseason commodity.

The Chiefs’ betting attractiveness would be more secure if sports-betting fans knew whether Taylor Swift will be in attendance during the last weeks of the season. (Check Travis Kelce’s “with Tay-Tay” and “without Tay-Tay” stats if you think we’re joking.)

The Bills have to remain under consideration for a play at +1200, if only for their ability to outscore opponents.

Buffalo dumped Miami 48-20 earlier this season.

Douglas, 28, heads to an AFC contender that lacked cornerback depth after Tre’Davious White sustained a torn Achilles and was lost for the season.

Douglas had one interception, one fumble recovery and 32 tackles in seven starts for the Packers (2-5) this season.

The Lions, a similar value to Buffalo at +1300, appear to have a nice path toward winning the NFC North title and picked up offensive depth by acquiring Peoples-Jones.

With Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie standout tight end Sam LaPorta, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has a wealth of targets — not to mention the tough one-two punch from running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

Peoples-Jones, 24, has eight catches for 97 yards in seven games this season for the Browns, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He hails from Detroit and played his college football at Michigan.

“We feel like he fits our style,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “He’s smart and he can play multiple positions. … We just felt like he’d be a good fit for the team and the room.”

In four seasons with Cleveland, Peoples-Jones amassed 117 catches for 1,837 yards and eight touchdowns. His best season was 2022, when he finished with 61 catches for 839 yards and three touchdowns.

DOWN-THE-LIST VALUE

The Cincinnati Bengals, now +1600, showed last Sunday that they might be ready to announce their presence once again. A convincing win at San Francisco was more in line with the dangerous team that dominated last season’s second half and reached the AFC title game.

Get the Bengals while they’re still at a high-value number.

The Seahawks are in first place in the NFC West, a half-game ahead of the 49ers. And they’re still +3000 to win it all.

Seattle is tucked away in the Northwest, away from a ton of national scrutiny, but is certainly a stealth contender.

The Seahawks stated their intention by acquiring New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, a real boost for the run-stopping prowess needed to win as the season winds down.

So, +3000? That’s quite a gap between the Seahawks and the +600 49ers.

ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE

Jump on the Bengals and Bills as a nice counter to heavy AFC favorite Kansas City. Catch the price while it still carries value.

–Field Level Media

Ketel, Kelly Power DBacks; Even Series

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Arizona SP Merrill Kelly went seven strong innings, while teammate Ketel Marte set a major league record by extending his playoff hitting streak to 18 games and the Arizona Diamondbacks got even in the World Series with a 9-1 victory over the Texas Rangers in Game 2 on Saturday at Arlington, Texas.

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Gabriel Moreno hit a home run, Tommy Pham had four hits and Corbin Carroll drove in a pair of runs on two hits for Arizona. Marte’s record-breaking hit was a two-run single in the eighth inning that gave Arizona a five-run lead.

Kelly (3-1) gave up one run on three hits with no walks and nine strikeouts and lowered his postseason ERA to 2.25 across 24 innings.

Arizona bounced back after a heartbreaking defeat in Game 1 when Texas’ Corey Seager hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning and Adolis Garcia hit a game-winning homer in the 11th.

After giving up two runs over six innings, Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery (3-1) was allowed to start the seventh, where he was charged with two more runs.

Mitch Garver hit a home run for the Rangers, who fell to 2-4 at home in the playoffs.

The series now shifts to Phoenix for Games 3, 4 and 5 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Arizona is 3-1 at home in the playoffs.

Moreno broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a solo shot to center field, his fourth home run of the playoffs. Christian Walker followed by grounding out to third base on a spectacular diving stop by Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, which failed to shift the momentum.

Pham then doubled for Arizona and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

Kelly was rolling early, not giving up his first hit until the Rangers’ Evan Carter smacked a single with two outs in the fourth inning. Garver brought Texas within a run at 2-1 with his homer in the fifth inning, his third of the playoffs.

The D-backs got to Montgomery quickly in the seventh with an Alek Thomas leadoff double and an RBI single from Evan Longoria. Left-hander Andrew Heaney replaced Montgomery, with Carroll delivering a two-out RBI single for a 4-1 advantage.

Marte’s two-run single in the eighth scored Pham and Emmanuel Rivera to give him 11 RBIs in the playoffs. Carroll added an RBI single in the inning for his 10th postseason RBI. Rivera plated two more with a single in the ninth.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox: Breslow is the One

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official New Release) – The Boston Red Sox named Craig Breslow as the club’s Chief Baseball Officer. In this role, he will be responsible for all of the team’s baseball operations.

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A 2013 World Series champion with Boston, Breslow becomes only the fourth former Red Sox player to lead the club’s baseball operations efforts, the first since Haywood Sullivan served as General Manager from 1978-83.

“Each year, one baseball club emerges with a championship,” said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. “Our organization continues to have significantly high standards and expectations with a goal of being able to compete annually for that coveted privilege. After the 2018 World Series, we sought to build a future that would avoid the ups and downs normally associated with winning. That plainly hasn’t happened. Despite the results, over the past few years, substantial efforts have been made and considerable organizational progress has occurred behind the scenes, but not at the major league level. We feel strongly that Craig is the right person at the right time to lead our baseball department. Craig’s understanding of the game is remarkable. What convinced us to bring him aboard in this capacity was his highly strategic philosophy and his grasp of what it takes operationally in today’s evolving game to excel at the highest level in player acquisition, development, and execution at the major league level. We are excited to welcome him back.”

“We met a number of extremely qualified candidates and Craig’s vision for how to bring another World Series Championship to Boston was extremely thoughtful, compelling, and inspiring,” said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. “He not only has deep experience as a front office executive, but he’s also a former player who knows the market extremely well. And while his baseball expertise remains the dominant factor, his genuine aspiration to create a better world sets him apart as an extraordinary leader. I’m eager to welcome him to the Red Sox and look forward to the impact he will have on our operation.”

“Craig was a standout candidate,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “The praise from fellow baseball executives was impressive, but what truly distinguished him were the resounding character references from former teammates, including David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, David Ross, Brock Holt, and Kevin Youkilis. Craig knows what it takes to be successful in Boston and he’s up for the challenge.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to return to the Boston Red Sox, an organization that means so much to my family and to me,” said Breslow. “I am humbled by the opportunity to lead baseball operations and to work alongside so many talented people. I’d like to thank John Henry, Tom Werner, Mike Gordon, and Sam Kennedy for entrusting me with executing the vision we share for this organization. I know firsthand how special winning in Boston is, and I look forward to once again experiencing that passion and success with our fans.”

“I’d also like to thank Tom Ricketts, Crane Kenney, Jed Hoyer, Carter Hawkins, and the Chicago Cubs for giving me my first opportunity in a Major League front office,” added Breslow.

Breslow, 43, spent the past five seasons in the Chicago Cubs organization, most recently as Assistant General Manager/Senior Vice President, Pitching in 2023. His front office career began in 2019 with the Cubs as Director of Strategic Initiatives, evaluating and implementing data-based processes throughout all facets of Baseball Operations while also supporting the pitching infrastructure in the farm system. In 2020 he was named Director of Pitching/Special Assistant to the President and General Manager, then spent the 2021-22 seasons as Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Pitching.

Selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 26th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Breslow pitched 12 Major League seasons and recorded a 3.45 ERA over 576 appearances for San Diego (2005), Boston (2006, ’12-15), Cleveland (2008, ’17), Minnesota (2008-09, ’17), Oakland (2009-11), Arizona (2012), and Miami (2016). He appeared in 202 games for the Red Sox, notably posting a 1.81 ERA in 61 outings in the 2013 regular season to help Boston capture the American League East title en route to a World Series championship. Breslow allowed zero earned runs in nine of his 10 Postseason outings in 2013, earning the win in Boston’s ALDS-clinching victory over the Rays before securing a hold in the club’s ALCS-clinching win over the Tigers.

Breslow graduated in 2002 from Yale University with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. He was named the “Smartest Man in Baseball” by The Wall Street Journal in 2009, and in 2010 he ranked No. 1 on The Sporting News list of Top 20 Smartest Athletes.

In 2008, Breslow founded the Strike 3 Foundation, which aims to heighten awareness, mobilize support, and raise funding for childhood cancer research. In 2013, he earned the Red Sox’ Tim Wakefield Community Service Award and was named the BoSox Club’s “Man of the Year.” Breslow was nominated for Major League Baseball’s prestigious Roberto Clemente Award three times, including in 2010 with the Oakland A’s and in 2013 and 2014 with the Red Sox.

Born in New Haven, CT, Breslow resides in Newton, MA, with his wife, Kelly; daughter, Livia; and twin boys, Mason and Carter.

OVER THE YEARS AT FENWAY

RED SOX BASEBALL OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP

1933-47: Eddie Collins*

1948-58: Joe Cronin*^

1959-60: Bucky Harris*

1961-62: Dick O’Connell (1)

1963-65: Mike Higgins^ (2)

1965-77: Dick O’Connell* (3)

1978-83: Haywood Sullivan*^

1984-93: Lou Gorman*

1994-2002: Dan Duquette*

2002: Mike Port* (4)

2002-05: Theo Epstein*

2005-06: Ben Cherington/Jed Hoyer* (5)

2006-11: Theo Epstein*

2011-15: Ben Cherington*

2015-19: Dave Dombrowski (6)

2019-23: Chaim Bloom (7)

2023-present: Craig Breslow^ (8)

 

^Played for the Red Sox

 

*Held title of General Manager

 

(1) The General Manager position was eliminated for the 1961-62 seasons; Executive Vice President of Business and Baseball Operations Dick O’Connell assumed the role.

 

(2) Mike Higgins was Executive Vice President in charge of baseball operations while Dick O’Connell maintained oversight of business operations.

 

(3) Dick O’Connell was named General Manager on September 16, 1965 when Mike Higgins resigned.

 

(4) Mike Port was named interim General Manager on February 28, 2002.

 

(5) Theo Epstein left the Red Sox from October 21, 2005-January 19, 2006. Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer were named co-General Managers on December 12, 2005 and served in that capacity until Epstein’s return.

 

(6) Dave Dombrowski was hired as President of Baseball Operations on August 18, 2015.

 

(7) Chaim Bloom was hired as Chief Baseball Officer on October 28, 2019.

 

(8) Craig Breslow was hired as Chief Baseball Officer on October 25, 2023.

DeChambeau, Crushers Take LIV

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Bryson DeChambeau rolled in eight birdies on his way to a 5-under 67, powering his Crushers GC to the LIV Golf Team Championship title at Trump National Doral on Sunday in South Florida.

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DeChambeau’s top teammate was Anirban Lahiri of India, who posted the round of the day with a 7-under 65 that featured an eagle, five birdies and no bogeys. Charles Howell III (even-par 72) and Englishman Paul Casey (1-over 73) rounded out the Crushers’ final score of 11-under 277.

That was two better than RangeGoats GC, who finished second at 9-under 279 behind captain Bubba Watson’s 5-under 67.

“We’ve been wanting to win this for a long time,” DeChambeau told the TV broadcast. “Last year really left us a sour taste in our mouth and I can’t be happier with this team of mine. … They worked their butts off.”

The top four seeds — 4Aces GC, Crushers GC, Torque GC and RangeGoats GC — won in Saturday’s match-play semifinals to advance to the final round. Every player’s score counted in the final round as the four squads faced off in stroke play.

Torque, captained by Joaquin Niemann of Chile, finished third at 6-under 282. Niemann did the heavy lifting with a 6-under 66, but his three teammates averaged out to even par.

Defending champion 4Aces fell flat with a team score of even-par 288 to finish fourth. Captain Dustin Johnson had five bogeys and just two birdies for his team’s highest score, a 3-over 75. Peter Uihlein led the 4Aces with a 3-under 69.

Lahiri had an early birdie-birdie-eagle stretch at Nos. 4-6 to kickstart his round.

“I wasn’t tense at all,” Lahiri said. “I was actually really pumped up. I had a couple of Sundays (this season) where I let myself down, but I wasn’t going let them down today.”

Watson concluded his first season with LIV by going bogey-free with three birdies and an eagle for his round.

“The RangeGoats came out of nowhere,” Watson said of his team. “We played great. We gotta improve a little bit, but gosh, (to) finish second for the year, it’s a great place.”

The Team Championship concluded the second season of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit. LIV’s future entering 2024 remains unclear amid the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s framework agreement with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Oct 22nd

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Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor in Chief of Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – The Dog Day Afternoons of the NFL season are fast upon us. The anticipation of early September pro football and the heat of the Summer of 2023 are long gone. They’re in the rearview, optimism be damned, as 38% of the 2023 NFL regular season is in the books. In their place, reality has set in for the New England Patriots’ and the cruel dose of reality is accompanied by a 1-5 record, a last place position in the AFC East, a three-game losing streak and a (-80) score differential in the six games gone by.

In Week Seven, the Buffalo Bills travel to New England while the NFL schedule-makers provide the Patriots with a road trip to play the Miami Dolphins in Week Eight. New England’s one-and-five record of the morning of October 22 can easily be one-and-seven by the time All Saints Day rolls around and the only Saint you’ll need to know is St. Jude – the patron saint of lost causes as it’s ugly and it could get really ugly.

New England Coach Bill Belichick, waxing reminiscent like his famous, “On to Cincinnati” monotone retort of late September, 2014, had only a “We’re getting ready for Buffalo” message for the media and fans of the Patriots.

Belichick delivered his plan this week in much the same manner as he did when his 2-2 Patriots team of 2014 went on to Cincinnati and won seven straight and 10 of 11 games en route to a Super Bowl win over Seattle that February, his fourth of six Super Bowl titles in the 21st Century.

Except, this season, the “We’re getting ready for Buffalo” isn’t flying with the fans in Foxboro, nor Fitchburg, nor Fall River. It’s not flying in Falmouth (Mass. or Maine) and it’s not flying with fans or players anywhere near the six States encompassing New England. Rumors of Belichick’s future are flying in every direction – mostly South – and they include a report from Monday Morning QB’s Albert Breer that stated Patriots team owner Robert Kraft has been in discussion of what a “post Belichick” world would look like “for a while,” (as in weeks/months or years) he wrote.

The Dog Days will do that to coaches in the NFL, but never before to Belichick, certainly since he took over the Patriots in late January of 2000.

The Dog Days also wreak havoc on NFL players from coast-to-coast. Let us count the ways as we peruse NFL Injury Reports leading up to Sunday, Oct. 22nd.

The Buffalo Bills have been decimated by injuries decimating their defense, including defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (torn pectoral muscle), cornerback Tre’Davious White (Achilles’)-out for season, and defensive tackle Ed Oliverruled out of the game this weekend because of a toe injury. The Buffalo Bills are also missing RB Damien Harris – neck, on the injured reserve list, and leaving the rushing duties to RB James Cook.

ALSO OUT – are QB Jimmy Garoppolo – back injury (LV Raiders), QB DeShawn Watson – strained right rotor cuff (Cleveland Browns), QB Justin Fields – thumb injury (Chicago Bears).

Injured with game-time decisions to play or not to play are the SF 49ers duo of RB Christian McCaffrey – oblique and WR Deebo Samuels – shoulder. Listed as questionable is NY Giants QB Daniel Jones – neck; New England RB Rhamondre Stevenson – ankle remains questionable on a lengthy Patriots injury listing; GB Packers RB Aaron Jones – hamstring; and Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf – hip.

Meanwhile, injured RB David Montgomery -ribs (Detroit Lions); RB Kyren Williams – ankle, (LA Rams); TE Pat Freiermuth – hamstring (Pittsburgh Steelers) are doubtful.

Let’s not overlook the big-name injuries earlier this season, including NY Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles’ – out for season), Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb (severe knee – out for season), NY Giants RB Saquon Barkley (knee – questionable after missing a month), LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp – (returned last week after missing six weeks with hamstring injury), and Cincy Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) has been nursing his injury all season and just getting into form in mid-October.

What does it all mean?

Injuries are a huge part of the NFL season and each club has the “next man up” mentality to replace its fallen soldiers. Often, the opportunity supplied to a reserve or practice player is enough motivation to fill the hole admirably, but more frequently on offense rather than defense. The injuries to the defensive unit of the Buffalo Bills might’ve side-tracked a Super Bowl season. In the Bills’ AFC, Kansas City remains the favorite while the Miami Dolphins continue to impress. In the NFC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Detroit all stand at 5-1 and will all will fight-it-out for the right to represent their conference come February. May the healthiest team advance.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The World Golf Hall of Fame recently announced that NBA All-Star and champion Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors will receive The Charlie Sifford Award presented by Southern Company, which honors recipients for their spirit in advancing diversity in golf. Curry receive the award on June 10, 2024, at the World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by CME Group held during the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst – not far from Curry’s alma mater – Davidson College in North Carolina. The Charlie Sifford Award was created in 2021 to honor an individual who personifies Sifford’s groundbreaking achievements through perseverance, confidence, respect, and adaptability.

MOST MARKETABLE ATHLETES: SportsPro, a sports marketing e-News and event company with a decidedly European tone, named its 50 most marketable athletes of 2023. Not surprisingly, Lionel Messi – the great Argentine striker who “wowed” the MLS crowds backing the Inter Miami CF club this year.

Here’s the Top 20:

  1. Lionel Messi, soccer, MLS Miami
  2. Lebron James, NBA, LA Lakers
  3. Alex Morgan, USWNT
  4. Giannis Antetokounpo, NBA, Milwaukee Bucks
  5. Megan Rapinoe, USWNT (recently retired)
  6. Mikaela Shiffren, USA Alpine Ski Team
  7. Lewis Hamilton, F-1 motorsports, British/Mercedes
  8. Simone Biles, USA Gymnastics
  9. Kylian Mbappe, soccer, PSG France
  10. Max Verstrappen, F-1, Belgium/Dutch, Red Bull
  11. Novak Djokovic, tennis, Serbia
  12. Coco Gauff, tennis, USA
  13. Stephen Curry, NBA, Golden State Warriors
  14. Naomi Osaka, tennis, Japan
  15. Lucy Bronze, soccer, Britain, FC Barcelona
  16. Robert Lewandowski, soccer, Poland, FC Barcelona
  17. Leah Williamson, soccer, Britain, Arsenal
  18. Aryna Sabalenka, tennis Belarussia
  19. Angel Reese, USA, college basketball, LSU
  20. Alphonso Davies, soccer, Ghana/Canada, Bayern Munich

Some Notes Worth Considering: Eight of the Top 20 were soccer players, marketable worldwide but limited in a great degree in the USA; Three of the Top 13 were NBA players; Angel Reese is the lone American basketball player; A total of “Zero” NFL, MLB, NHL nor PGA Tour players are in Top 20 and you had to dig to No. 29 for golfer Rory McIlroy and to No. 35 to come up with KC Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (and, no, he was not pictured with pop star Taylor Swift) and the Top 50 revealed no MLB nor NHL players.

SILVER SCREEN: Two motion pictures featuring endurance sports will entertain us from now through the Christmas holidays. Starring Annette Bening and Jodi Foster, NYAD dives into the story of Diana Nyad and her triumphs, friendships, and her will to dig deep into the human spirit. The movie is available via Netflix. … With a promotional lift in Boston via The Head of the Charles Regatta, another spectacular endurance story, entitled, “The Boys in the Boat” is an inspirational drama based on The New York Times’ No. 1 best selling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown in 2013. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the ‘36 Summer Olympics in Berlin. The movie reflects the true story of a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world as Nazi Germany surfaces beneath the Olympic flame. The movie rights were once owned by the Weinstein Group, but with Harvey Weinstein serving a life sentence behind bars, the rights were eventually acquired by Lantern Entertainment of Dallas who chose Clooney to direct. You heard it here first, watch NYAD on Netflix and find time to head to a movie theatre near you to see “The Boys in the Boat.” … Get the “Inside Look.”

Then, maybe, head out to Las Vegas and catch U2 performing at The Sphere where Van den Berg is filling-in for Larry Mullen, Jr. while the longtime U2 drummer, 61, recovers from undisclosed surgery with plans to return to the band. The price of a floor ticket for U2 is averaging $956.

TIDBITS: Former Celtics champion and basketball HOFer Kevin Garnett’s Big Ticket Sports is planning a joint-venture with Pro League Network to create str33t, a new 3×3 pro streetball-style basketball league. Str33t’s first series is expected to launch in early 2024, ahead of the Paris Games, which marks the second Olympics 3×3 basketball will be contested as an Olympic sport. … The league and USA Basketball’s efforts toward the Paris Olympics are not connected.

BREAKING GOOD? – Breaking is the only sport making its debut at Paris 2024. At the Paris 2024 Games, the breaking competition will comprise two events – one for men and one for women – where 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls will go face to face in solo battles. Athletes will use a combination of moves and improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks. Breaking made its Youth Olympic debut at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018. … Sport climbing, surfing, and skateboarding were also selected by the IOC as demonstration sports for the 2024 Olympic Games.

PITINO EXHIBITION “W”in DOUBLE OT: St. John’s defeated Rutgers, 89-78, in double-overtime of the charity exhibition game, the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at the V Foundation. … St. John’s Nahiem Alleyne buried a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to force double-overtime. He led all scorers with 19 points on Saturday at Carnesecca Arena. It was new coach Rick Pitino’s first game as St John’s head coach, but the “W” won’t count in the record books.

NFL: Week Five Previews

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NFL Week 5

Falcons (2-2) vs. Texans (2-2): Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has not thrown an interception in his first 151 career pass attempts, an NFL rookie record. He combined with an improving Houston defense to help the Texans outscore Jacksonville and Pittsburgh 67-23 during a two-game winning streak. The Falcons have lost two straight games and scored six and seven points, respectively. Dynamic rookie tailback Bijan Robinson has been sensational as a rusher (318 rushing yards) and receiver (19 receptions for 134 yards and a score) in the Falcons’ offense, but he has yet to score a TD on the ground. Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder hasn’t gotten help from his offensive line, as he’s been sacked 11 times over the past two games. For the Texans, linebacker Henry To’oTo’o leads all rookies with 27 tackles this season.

Lions (3-1) vs. Panthers (0-4): While rookie quarterback Bryce Young hasn’t been able to lead Carolina to a victory yet, he has completed at least 20 passes in each of the first three games of his career. Adam Thielen has emerged as the Panthers’ top target and will be looking to bring in at least seven receptions for the fourth straight game. Meanwhile, the NFC North appears to be Detroit’s to lose, and now Jared Goff gets to face a Carolina team that he threw for 355 yards and three TDs against last season. David Montgomery rushed for a career-high three scores last week, but his emergence as RB1 has taken away opportunities from rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who is averaging 9.8 carries per game. Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson attempts to record at least 1.5 sacks for the third consecutive game, while LB Alex Anzalone has at least five tackles in 21 straight contests, the fourth-longest active streak in the league.

Colts (2-2) vs. Titans (2-2): Indianapolis should get a boost with the return of star running back Jonathan Taylor, who will be up against a firm Titans front that has surrendered only 70 yards per game on the ground. At the very least, Taylor should take some pressure off rookie signal-caller Anthony Richardson. Richardson has four rushing TDs and has the chance to become the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to score on the ground in each of the first four games of a season. Speaking of the run game, Tennessee’s Derrick Henry went for over 100 yards rushing for the first time this season last week. However, the Titans need to open up the airways, as high-end offseason acquisition DeAndre Hopkins has yet to top 65 yards in a game. Tennessee owns a five-game winning streak against the Colts dating back to Nov. 29, 2020.

Dolphins (3-1) vs. Giants (1-3): Whether New York has standout running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) available might not matter, as this game has potential blowout written all over it. Even if Barkley does suit up, he might end up being pushed out of the spotlight by Miami’s De’Von Achane, who has scored six total touchdowns over the past two weeks. Since 1970, only three other rookies have found the end zone six times in a two-game stretch — Doug Martin (2012), Mike Anderson (2000) and Randy Moss (1998). Through four weeks, the Giants have the worst point differential in the NFL (minus-76) while Miami has the sixth-best at plus-31. New York quarterback Daniel Jones has already been sacked 22 times this season as he heads to Hard Rock Stadium, where Miami is 13-2 over its past 15 games. The Dolphins are averaging a whopping 511 yards of total offense per game. Meanwhile, the Giants have eclipsed the 250-yard mark just once.

Patriots (1-3) vs. Saints (2-2): The sky is seemingly falling in New England. The Patriots’ feeble offense is averaging just 13.8 points per game, third-fewest in the league. Bill Belichick is coming off the worst loss of his head-coaching career — a 38-3 setback against Dallas — and Mac Jones is hitting on just 63.7 percent of his passes with five touchdowns to four interceptions. Things won’t get any easier against a New Orleans defense that has held three of four opponents under 20 points. The Saints’ offense is also trending in the right direction, with star running back Alvin Kamara looking to build off a season debut in which he went for 84 yards (51 rushing, 33 receiving) and had 13 catches. Kamara will look to take advantage of a New England front seven without Matt Judon, who is out indefinitely with a lower bicep tendon tear. The Patriots bolstered their secondary, though, trading for cornerback J.C. Jackson in the wake of what will likely be a season-ending shoulder injury for rookie Christian Gonzalez.

Steelers (2-2) vs. Ravens (3-1): The Ravens lead the AFC North through a quarter of the season, but the Steelers have gotten the better of their rivals in recent years, having won five of the past six matchups between the teams. Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett insists he will play against the Ravens despite sustaining a bone bruise in his left knee during last weekend’s 30-6 loss to the Texans. The Steelers are 29th in total offense (263 yards per game) and tied for 29th in scoring (15.5 points per game). Two of their six touchdowns were scored by linebackers — one apiece from Alex Highsmith (pick-6) and T.J. Watt (fumble return). For the Ravens, Lamar Jackson is coming off a four-touchdown game (two rushing, two passing) in a 28-3 win over Cleveland. Baltimore wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman are trending toward returning from injury absences.

Cardinals (1-3) vs. Bengals (1-3): Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow hasn’t thrown a TD pass in three of four games this season. He could be without one of his favorite targets against Arizona, as Tee Higgins has a broken rib. Shockingly, the Bengals average the fewest total yards of offense in the NFL (236), but the Cardinals’ generous defense has surrendered an average of 374.5. Cincinnati will have to be wary of LB Dennis Gardeck, who already has four sacks and is one of three players in the NFC to record a tackle for loss in each of the first four weeks of the season. Arizona QB Kyler Murray won’t be coming off the physically unable to perform list, leaving Josh Dobbs under center. Dobbs hasn’t thrown a pick this season and has completed 70.7 percent of his passes, good for the seventh-highest percentage in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks.

Rams (2-2) vs. Eagles (4-0): One of two undefeated teams left in the NFL, the Eagles are powered by Jalen Hurts, who’s joined Patrick Mahomes as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with two winning streaks of 10-plus games in the first four seasons of their careers. While Philadelphia ranks No. 2 in rushing offense and No. 5 in total offense, the Rams are No. 2 in passing offense and No. 4 in total yards. Rams QB Matthew Stafford is expected to play through a bruised hip suffered in last week’s 29-23 overtime win over Indianapolis, while star receiver Cooper Kupp could make his season debut after returning to practice this week. Stafford, Kupp and standout rookie receiver Puka Nacua could test a Philadelphia secondary that ranks 27th in passing defense and has given up nine touchdowns through the air.

Broncos (1-3) vs. Jets (1-3): Denver QB Russell Wilson tossed three touchdown passes for the second time in three weeks to help the Broncos overcome a 21-point second-half deficit and beat the winless Chicago Bears 31-28 — Sean Payton’s first victory as the Broncos’ coach. Rookie Jaleel McLaughlin stepped up in place of injured Javonte Williams (quad), totaling 104 scrimmage yards (72 rushing, 32 receiving) and a touchdown. The Jets got a season-high game from Zach Wilson (28 completions, 245 yards, two touchdowns) in a 23-20 primetime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Star running back Breece Hall, averaging a robust 6.6 yards per carry, is no longer on a “pitch count” for the Jets. He returns to Denver, where his promising rookie season was cut short by an ACL tear on Oct. 23, 2022. The Jets won that game 16-9 after losing the previous two meetings with Denver.

Vikings (1-3) vs. Chiefs (3-1): Patrick Mahomes shouldered the blame for throwing two interceptions at the New York Jets, but the Chiefs still won their third straight game and will try for their fourth on another road trip. Travis Kelce is going for his third straight game with six-plus catches and 60-plus receiving yards. This serves as a homecoming game for Vikings-turned-Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon, but it’s Isiah Pacheco who has tightened his hold on Kansas City’s No. 1 running back position. He had a career-high 158 yards from scrimmage and a long rushing touchdown against the Jets. Minnesota earned its first win of the season, 21-13, over another winless club, the Carolina Panthers, as Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson connected for two touchdowns to help erase a halftime deficit. Jefferson has gained at least 120 receiving yards in each of his past four homes games.

Sunday Night Football Preview

49ers (4-0) vs. Cowboys (3-1): Everything is going right for San Francisco, which is one of two undefeated teams still standing along with Philadelphia. Running back Christian McCaffery is coming off a four-touchdown performance (three rushing, one receiving) and leads the NFL with 459 yards on the ground. QB Brock Purdy is still undefeated in the regular season, carrying a 9-0 record into the meeting with Dallas. But if any defense is equipped to contain the 49ers, it’s the Cowboys’. Dallas leads the league with three defensive TDs, holds the best turnover differential (plus-9) and is tied for the fifth-most sacks (14). The Cowboys haven’t been slouches on offense, either, averaging 360 total yards of offense per game and winning by at least 20 points in all three of their victories. While the Niners have eliminated Dallas from the postseason in each of the past two seasons, the Cowboys have taken seven of the last nine regular-season meetings between the teams.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Oct 8

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While We’re Young (Ideas) – On Baseball

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – No New York Yankees. No New York Mets. No Boston Red Sox. No San Diego Padres.

But, yes, the Mets, Yankees and Padres, with a combined $876.4 million tab for player salaries this season, all missed the postseason.

The Mets fired GM Billy Eppler and their skipper Buck Showalter while the Red Sox gave the trap-door approach to their head of Baseball Ops and defacto team GM Chaim Bloom. If you add expectations of the LA Angeles to the mix, add to the carnage with Angels Manager Phil Nevin hitting the unemployment line. The SF Giants fired manager Gabe Kapler and the Winter Meetings are two months away.

The 2023 Postseason started slowly with less-than-compelling Wild Card match-ups all ending in a short series (2-0).

The MLB Divisional Playoffs are expected to bring increased interest and batter baseball. In the National League, the Atlanta Braves – baseball’s best – are facing a tough, playoff-tested Philadelphia Phillies team while the winner of the LA Dodgers vs AZ Diamondbacks awaits (think Dodgers).

In the American League, the State of Texas planted two franchises in the divisional playoff bracket – the defending World Series champion Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. They can meet if the Astros dispose of the Minnesota Twins and the Rangers can defeat upstart and entertaining Baltimore.

Regardless of the results this year, the Baltimore Orioles will be “here to stay” in MLB Postseasons to come.

As postseason progresses, an examination of Baseball’s vital signs shows a very healthy patient. Major League Baseball attendance experienced its largest growth in 30 years in 2023, said the league in a regular season-end statement. Total attendance of 70,747,365 was up 9.6 percent over 2022 (64,556,636) and the average attendance of 29,295 was up 9.1 percent.

Seventeen of the 30 MLB teams drew more than 2.5 million fans, matching the most in MLB history, and eight attracted more than 3 million. Eleven weekends drew more than 1.5 million fans, compared to a total of five such weekends over the previous four full seasons (2018-19, 2021-22) combined.

Factoring into the sport’s increased “watchability” waas a decrease in the average length of the games, thanks in large part to pitch clocks. The regular season games of 2023 averaged 2 hours, 39 minutes and 49 seconds, the shortest since 1985 and a decrease of 24 minutes from last season.

Only nine games lasted 3 1/2 hours or longer, down from 390 such games back in 2021.

3×3 champion Vienna (Photo by FIBA)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The USA Basketball Men’s World Cup team settled for a 4th Place finish this summer in Manila with Germany, Serbia and Canada gaining the top three spots. The groomsmen instead of the groom approach continued this weekend in Amsterdam where the USA Basketball 3×3 entry from Miami took 2nd Place behind a squad from Vienna, Austria. … The second-place finish marks Team Miami’s sixth straight Top 4 finish on the World Tour, including their second runner-up finish of the campaign.

In a rematch of their Saturday “pool play” game, Vienna sought revenge vs. Miami in the Tournament Finals, winning the tightly contested battle, 21-19. Jimmer Fredetteput Miami into the lead, 8-7, with a two-pointer with just under seven minutes remaining. Vienna tried to pull away multiple times, but Miami hung-on and grabbed a 19-18 lead with 3:28 remaining after the Americans went on a 6-1 run. Both teams had empty possessions before Vienna scored the game’s final three points. Fredette led Miami with 10 points. Dylan Travis pulled down a team-high five boards. … The Miami 3×3 entry will next compete at the Doha Challenger on Oct 10-11.

NWSL VALUATIONS: Fresh off a newly reported four-year deal for game rights, divvying up coverage between ESPN, CBS, Amazon and Scripps, the sports business publications – Sportico – released valuations for the National Women’s Soccer League. Here are the Top 10:

  1. Angel City FC – – $180 million
  2. San Diego Wave – – $90m
  3. Kansas City Courant – – $75m
  4. Portland Thorns – – $65m
  5. Washington Spirit – – $54
  6. North Carolina Courage $52m
  7. Houston Dash – – $50m
  8. OL Reign – – $49m (Olympique Lyonnais)
  9. NJ/NY Gotham FC – – $48m
  10. Racing Louisville FC – – $47m

Two other clubs, Orlando and Chicago rated at $47 million or less.

The WNBA just awarded a franchise the the Golden State Warriors’ organization at the value of $50 million.

TIDBITS: The Minnesota Twins snapped an 18-game postseason losing streak with a win in their best-of-three Wild Card series vs. Toronto. It marked the longest losing streak in any major North American sports league. Minny’s 3-1 Game 1 win over the Blue Jays, was dominated by a player who was five years old the last time the Twins won a playoff game. Twins DH Royce Lewis drove in all three runs with a two-run home run in the first inning and a solo shot in the third. …

RIVALRY WEEK: Dare you to say that three times and fast! With No. 12 Oklahoma’s 34-30 upset over No. 3 Texas in Saturday’s Red River Rivalry, it’s time to wax philosophic on the greatness of college football, something city-folk in New York don’t understand.

Here’s my non-comprehensive list of the best rivalries in college football:

  1. Army vs. Navy This year to be played in Foxboro, Mass
  2. The Game – Harvard vs. Yale
  3. The Iron Bowl – Auburn vs. Alabama
  4. Michigan vs Ohio State – Usually, it settles the Big 10 championship)
  5. USC vs. Notre Dame – a rivalry based in great games, every year)
  6. Georgia vs. Florida – aka “the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”
  7. Miami vs. Florida State – ‘Canes vs. ‘Noles
  8. California vs. Stanford – Public vs. Private
  9. UCLA vs. USC – West Coast elite, in the Rose Bowl
  10. Lafayette vs. Lehigh – The Rivalry which dates back to 1897

And, don’t forget the Catholics vs the Convicts (ND vs. Miami) of yesteryear.

THINGS TO PONDER ON A SLOW DAY: Back by popular demand are a listing of a few things I think about.

Ready?

  • For years and years we’ve all been shaken by the sound of the Emergency Broadcast System … Repeat after me: “Station XYZ is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test. If this had been an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message.” … “This concludes the test of the Emergency Broadcast System.” … Okay, I get it. … It’s an important function and it grew from a directive from President John F. Kennedy in the very early ‘60s during the Cold War. … Now! Tell me this? During the damn GLOBAL PANDEMIC of 2019-2020 did you hear one peep from the Emergency Broadcast System? … That said, they tested an upgraded version this week.
  • Why are there three different ways to describe the exact same thing?
  1. In New York, it’s a car ACCIDENT
  2. In Boston, it’s a CRASH
  3. In Texas, it’s a WRECK

There’s “Fender-Benders,” “Pile-Ups,” “Collisions,” and “Smash-Ups.” Can anyone explain the origin of all of these descriptions and tell is why we need so many different ways to tag the same disasterous thing? Maybe we should slow down and drive safely, especially in the local neighborhood where the speed limit states “20 mph,” and not double nickels.