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Terry Lyons

Celtics Close-Out Hawks; 76ers Up Next

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It was ‘winning time” in Atlanta in Game 6 and the veteran NBA Playoff team in the Boston proved their worth in the final minutes with a dominant display of offense and defense.

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With the score tied at 113 with 3:50 remaining in the final quarter, Boston’s center Al Horford secured a defense rebound, then hit a corner three-pointer to put Boston ahead for good. With 3:00 left, Horford grabbed another rebound and forward Jayson Tatum hit from three-point land to extend the lead to six.

Tatum took over from there, as he grabbed a defensive rebound, fed Horford who missed a three-pointer but Tatum grabbed the rebound and dunked for two points all in one motion to make the score 121-113.

With 1:30 remaining, guard Marcus Smart hit a three-pointer and then scored on a driving lay-up to give Boston a 126-119 lead with a minute remaining. Smart made a pair of free throws with :15 seconds to finish the job, 128-120.

All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown led Boston with 32 points and Tatum added 30 to give the visiting Celtics an impressive win over the Hawks on Thursday, ending their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The second-seeded Celtics will play the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the playoffs, with Game 1 on Monday in Boston.

 

Trae Young Stuns Celtics

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta guard Trae Young’s step-back three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left in regulation capped his 38-point performance as the Atlanta Hawks stayed alive in the NBA Playoffs by rallying to beat the host Boston Celtics 119-117 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Tuesday. Boston now has a 3-2 lead in the series. Game 6 will be played tonight in Atlanta.

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Young scored the final 14 points of the game for Atlanta, which was playing without the suspended Dejounte Murray who was docked a game by the NBA after he made contact with an official at the end of Game 4. Young added 13 assists and a pair of steals. Swingman John Collins contributed 22 points and reserve guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had 18 for the visiting Hawks.

Boston’s all-star forward Jaylen Brown (35 points) posted his second straight 30-plus-point game and teammate Jayson Tatum had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on a seemingly off-night for the MVP candidate.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | April 23

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Is there The Curse of John Zeigler and the NHL President’s Trophy?

If so where did it originate and what the deal? Can the Boston Bruins endure such a curse and outlast the Florida Panthers?

Ziegler was the last President of the National Hockey League. Upon Gary B. Bettman’s hiring to the top spot in the league, aka the CEO/CMO/CFO/and/Chief Legal Officer gig, Bettman accepted the job with the condition he be named Commissioner just as the other three major North American Sports Leagues employed.

For Zeigler, there was a bit of a trap door effect and he vanished – no, not a shower curtain or table cloth was needed – Goodfellas or Sopranos style. He was simply gone.

But to its credit, the NHL has advanced mightily since Bettman’s 1992 hiring and the league has more history and more glorious hardware than the guys at True Value, and those clunky old awards – Conn Smythe or Vezina and right on down the line – are the best sports have to offer, especially the crown jewel, the Stanley Cup itself.

The President’s Trophy goes to the team with the most points in the regular season. This season, the Boston Bruins set an all-time high mark of 135 points which equated to a 65-12-5 (OTL) record over 82 games. The Bruins went 34-4-3 at TD Garden in Boston and 31-8-2 on the road. They finished the season with an eight-game winning streak and were 9-1-0 over their final 10 games.

Those numbers placed the President’s Trophy in the hands of the Bruins and no one was sure they wanted to touch it.

Since the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2013 as the President’s Trophy winner, no team has advanced to the Finals. One regular season champ lost in the 2015 Conference Finals and one team – the 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning went so low as to lose in the very first round, ousted in four-straight by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Seven President’s Trophy winner’s went “bye-bye” in the second round of Lord Stanley’s springtime grinder. Some were eliminated by a hot team with a very hot goalkeeper, others were felled by a slew of late season injuries. Maybe some due to the Curse?

Damn the curse, as three out of four President’s Trophy winners – the ‘99 Dallas Stars, the ‘01 Colorado Avalanche and the ‘02 Detroit Red Wings – went on to the win the Cup. But, for some reason right around the 2013-14 NHL season, the curse rose to ice level. John Ziegler passed away on October 25, 2018 at the age of 84, so there’s no direct connection.

This season, the President Trophy winners in the NHL Bruins drew a tough first round opponent in their current match-up vs the Florida Panthers (Bruins currently lead the best-of-seven series (2-games-to-1) with today’s TNT nationally televised Game 4 a real series-swaying game at 3:30pm (ET).

BOSTON BREWIN’ – Although the Bruins regain home-ice advantage with their Friday victory, they’re still playing with out frontline stars Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Bergeron didn’t travel to Florida for Games 3-4 and Krejci was a late scratch in Game 3 and is “50-50” for Game 4, sidelined by the know-all, tell-all NHL accepted injury report of an “upper body” injury.

Without a doubt, the never-stated key to success in the Playoffs – any sport – is to avoid injuries and illness. In addition to injuries to the two key Boston players, the flu-bug or call it the “really bad, achy cold” bug was making its way around the B’s locker.

VALUATIONS vs the RESULTS: Before the 2022-23 National Hockey League season began, Sportico listed the valuations of the current NHL franchises. They were as follows:

Here’s the Top Five:

1. Toronto Maple Leafs: $2B

2. New York Rangers: $1.87B

3. Montreal Canadiens: $1.58B

4. Chicago Blackhawks: $1.36B

5. Boston Bruins: $1.31B

While the leaders are in the billions, if you are seeking a bargain via the clubs at bottom of the NHL barrel with valuations under $525 million, you’ll find:

30. Columbus Blue Jackets: $525M

31. Florida Panthers: $520M

32. Arizona Coyotes: $410M

The RESULTS: The NHL’s final regular season standings saw these clubs as top and bottom of the ladder:

Team, Points

Boston Bruins – 135
Carolina Hurricanes – 113
New Jersey Devils – 112
Toronto Maple Leafs – 111
Vegas Golden Knights – 111
At the bottom were:

Anaheim Ducks – 58
Columbus Blue Jackets – 59
Chicago Blackhawks – 59
San Jose Sharks – 60

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Speaking of, but not dwelling on injuries, the 2023 NBA Playoffs are suffering from multiple stars being injured (and out) in the first round. In no particular order: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for the second straight game after playing only 11 minutes in Game 1 in the Bucks first round series against the Miami Heat. … On Friday night, Joel Embiid suffered a right knee sprain in Thursday night’s victory over Brooklyn and is listed with a 50% chance of playing Game 1 in Philly’s next series, assuming they advance. Memphis superstar Ja Morant went down to a wrist/hand injury on April 16th, a date that also saw Miami’s sharpshooting guard Tyler Herro go down with a broken hand. Herro is out for the season but Morant returned to play hurt on Saturday night and plunked down 45 points on the LAL … The LA Clippers were hit with injuries to their two top players. Paul George (knee) was declared out before Game 1 of the series and then Kawhi Leonard was sidelined for Thursday’s Clippers loss to the Phoenix Suns. Leonard also had to bear the pain of his sister being sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder. … Both Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury) and LeBron James (right foot soreness) are listed as probable for their game which tipped at 10pm ET Saturday. They answered the bell and scored 31 and 25 points, respectively. … Add these injuries to a slew of others, many limiting or completely stopping players – cold – in the regular season and leading into these Playoffs and you’ve got a major issue.

The team that stays 100% healthy has a MUCH better chance of surviving and advancing in the NBA Playoffs.

TIDBITS: Rafael Devers and Mr. Jordan Furniture man are hawking a promo that calls for all purchases to be deemed free of charge if (any) Red Sox player hits for the cycle between July 31 and the end of the regular season. Purchases have to be made between March 27-April 30th.

WORLD TEAM GOLF: No one from LIV Golf asked WWYI for the perfect solution to their desire to differentiate from the PGA Tour but, if they did, the suggestion would’ve been to form “LIV World Team Golf,” and have teams of two compete together in Foursomes and Fourball each week of the season, just like the PGA Tour is doing this weekend at NOLA’s Zurich Classic. … LIV Golf attempted to name and form teams and they’ve even thought about franchising the team out, but the confusing scoring system and the individual vs team aspects of the scorecards toss viewers for a spin. … A simple two-man team, representing any nation, would’ve done the trick and created continuity in a game that’s easy to follow.

NETWORK: On April 12, NYVC Sports held its first business get-together in three years. Boston VC Sports hopes to be back-in-action in late Spring as the weather warms in New England. Since its last meeting, when start-up WHOOP was introduced by CEO Will Ahmed, the WHOOP valuation rose to $3.6b after a raise of $200,000. The latest valuation included participating investors VP, Cavu Ventures, Thursday Ventures, GP Bullhound, Accomplice, NextView Ventures, and Animal Capital.

BASEBALL BITS: As of Saturday night, 16 of the Sox’ first 22 games have been decided by three runs or fewer, including Boston’s 5-4 loss to Milwaukee. The only team in the Majors with more is Cleveland (17).

OTHER: Banished former Celtics coach, Ime Udoka, has emerged as a 2-1 favorite to be the new coach of the Toronto Raptors after dismissed coach Nick Nurse was relieved of his duties on Friday (April 21). Nurse took the Raptors to the promised land and the 2019 NBA title. Nurse is the frontrunner for the open Houston job.

Red Sox Walk to Victory Over Brewers

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MILWAUKEE – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Boston outfielder Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer and starter Nick Pivetta pitched effectively into the sixth inning to pace the visiting Red Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night in the opener of the three-game series.

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Pivetta (1-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven with one walk. Josh Winckowski followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, fanning four, and Kenley Jansen finished with a perfect ninth, including two more strikeouts, for his fifth save.

Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (2-2) allowed four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out five with two costly walks.

Boston converted those walks into two runs in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Peralta was within a strike of finishing a 1-2-3 inning before walking Enrique Hernandez and Triston Casas. The Brew Crew’s Hoby Milner relieved and pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder punched the tying-RBI single to right, sending Casas to third. Jarren Duran then lined an RBI single off the glove of third baseman Owen Miller, who knocked the drive down, but had no play.

The Red Sox made it 5-3 in the seventh when Justin Turner walked with two outs and Masataka Yoshida doubled to left center.

Milwaukee had gone up 3-2 with two runs in the fourth. Rowdy Tellez tied the game with his sixth homer, a one-out line drive to right. William Contreras followed with a double and scored on Brice Turang’s single to right, sliding around the tag attempt at home.

Verdugo staked the Red Sox to a 2-0 lead in the third with his third homer. Duran singled to open the inning and advanced on a sacrifice. Verdugo then jerked a 2-1 pitch 366 feet down the right-field line.

Miller hustled up a run in the bottom half to make it 2-1. Miller singled with one out, stole second, and came home on Christian Yelich’s single to left.

–Field Level Media

Twins, Gallo Take Down Red Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Minnesota’s Joey Gallo made an immediate impact when he returned to the Minnesota lineup Wednesday night, and the Twins hope he will continue to swing a hot bat when they wrap up a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox this afternoon.

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Gallo came off the injured list Wednesday and went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run during Minnesota’s 10-4 victory over Boston later that night. His long ball came against Corey Kluber and handed the Twins a 7-0 lead in the third inning. It was his team-high fourth home run of the season.

Gallo, a 29-year-old outfielder/first baseman, missed Minnesota’s previous 10 games due to a right intercostal strain, an injury he sustained in an April 7 game against the Houston Astros. He was hitting .278 with three home runs and seven RBIs in seven games with the Twins before he was injured.

“He’ll be at first base a lot for us going forward,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He feels good, significantly better than when he left us. It’s good to have his type of at-bats back in there. Someone that can do some damage and someone that can have a good, deep at-bat.”

Minnesota signed Gallo to a one-year deal after he split the 2022 season between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit 19 home runs last year but batted .160 and had a 39.8 percent strikeout rate.

“He’s been one of the guys that’s been hurt the most by the way that the game has progressed over the last five or 10 years (with defensive shifts),” Baldelli said. “His numbers, and a few of these left-handed hitters’ numbers, look less than where they simply would have at any other time in the history of baseball.”

The Red Sox will be looking for more offense from the top of their order on Thursday after the first four batters in their lineup — Alex Verdugo, Ramiel Tapia, Justin Turner and Rafael Devers — went 0-for-16 in the Wednesday loss. Boston hitters were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Second baseman Enmanuel Valdez was one bright spot in the Boston lineup on Wednesday. Although he was shaky in the field, Valdez collected two hits in his major league debut.

“Like we said, this guy can hit,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He can hit … the ball hard. Even his last at-bat he stayed with the pitch and went the other way under control. Interesting night on the other side (defensively).”

Valdez was originally charged with two errors, but one was changed to a hit.

Right-hander Kenta Maeda (0-2, 4.09 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Minnesota on Thursday. The Red Sox will counter with right-hander Tanner Houck (2-0, 4.50 ERA).

Maeda exited his first start of the season due to arm fatigue, and then allowed eight hits and four runs in six innings during latest outing, on April 10 against the Chicago White Sox. Maeda skipped his next turn in the rotation and will enter the Thursday game with extra rest.

He is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox.

Houck won his first two starts of the year, then gave up two runs on four hits in four innings against the Los Angeles Angels during a no-decision on Friday.

Houck has a 1-0 record with a 2.61 ERA two career starts vs. the Twins. In his most recent meeting with Minnesota, he threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings en route to a victory on April 16, 2022.

–Field Level Media

Bet You Can’t Play Just Once?

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Global Program Expands and Soccer Stars Mia Hamm and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández join Lay’s to Dedicate New Field in Santa Ana, California.

SANTA ANA – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Lay’s division of PepsiCo is helping communities in the USA and around the world through its global program, Lay’s RePlay, which creates sustainable soccer fields from disposed Lay’s Potato Chip bags.

Lay’s unveiled its latest efforts with the Lay’s RePlay field in Santa Ana, California. The U.S. Lay’s RePlay field is made with recycled Lay’s chip bags and packaging materials that are washed, shredded and converted into an underlying layer that is designed to be recycled at the end of its 10-year lifespan The field, located at Cesar Chavez Campesino Park in Santa Ana was selected by Lay’s and its global partners UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal as part of its rich Hispanic heritage. The program’s goal is to provide affordable access to the sport of Futbol (soccer) via programming and education about the sport.

“As a UEFA ambassador, I am proud to be a voice for Lay’s RePlay,” said Mia Hamm, FIFA World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. “Having access to community gathering spaces and safe playing fields must be a top priority for young people across the world. Soccer continues to see incredible growth, and with the Hispanic community being the fastest growing segment of our population – and arguably the most passionate about the game – beginning the Lay’s RePlay U.S. expansion in a key area like Santa Ana is a powerful moment.”

“The pipeline for healthy lives in the Hispanic community expands greatly when you have access to quality fields and equipment, and the Lay’s RePlay program is a game-changer,” said Major League Soccer player and LA Galaxy striker Javier Chicharito. “As someone who lives and plays in Southern California, I’m looking forward to seeing the joy this field brings to families across the area.”

The Santa Ana field opens in partnership with the City of Santa Ana and Pure Game, a local non-profit that teaches children life skills through mentorship and sports-based character education.

“Since 2021, Lay’s RePlay has had the privilege of creating beautiful soccer fields and programming to share with deserving communities across the globe. From South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico to the United Kingdom, we’ve been able to see the tremendous impact this program brings to aspiring athletes and families around the world – uniting people through a common love of soccer, providing a safe space to foster togetherness and minimizing our impact on the earth,” said Ciara Dilley, PepsiCo’s vice president of marketing for global food brands. “We are so honored to be able to play such a significant role in furthering the soccer journeys of young people here in the community of Santa Ana with the launch of our first Lay’s RePlay soccer field in the U.S.!”

The new Lay’s RePlay field marks the sixth to open around the world, with others in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Mexico, which have been utilized over 25,000 times to provide underserved communities with access to the beloved sport and state-of-the-art soccer fields since the program’s launch. Lay’s RePlay builds on work done by Lay’s and the UEFA Foundation for Children that delivered three artificial soccer fields in the Za’atari and Azraq Refugee Camps in 2017 and 2018 and have since provided 35,000 people access to the sport.

“Lay’s has been such an incredible partner to work with over the years and we are thrilled to support bringing the Lay’s RePlay program into the U.S.,” said Urs Kluser, general secretary for UEFA Foundation for Children. “Through our partnership, we are able to put our best resources forward and work together to gather communities around the world through the joy of the sport.”

Citius – Altius – Fortius – Ranius – Bucketius

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Citius – Altius – Fortius – Ranius – Bucketius.

The weather forecasters tried to ruin the best day of the year in Boston. They couldn’t. When they threw a misty mountain top of a morning at us, Boston answered with the 9:00am start of the men’s wheelchair race and Swiss racer Marcel Hug primed to win his sixth Boston Marathon.

Workers lay down a Boston Marathon decal on Boylston Street with sponsor John Hancock logo, the final time they will sponsor the race. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

When they threw some headwinds at the racers, Boston countered with women’s wheelchair racer Susannah Scaroni, who finished in the Top 5 on five previous marathons, and she finally broke through for the win this year.

They threw dangerous cells of rain and some lightning at the runners and Boston countered with former NHL Bruins captain Zdeno Chara at ’em, and then doubled-down with Boston College and pro football legend Doug Flutie running the marathon yet again. It was Flutie’s fifth Boston Marathon and he raised $350,000 for autism research while he ran his 26.2 with a tweaked hamstring that kept him away from his final training runs for the past six weeks.

If that weren’t enough, Flutie was also nursing a pulled groin, suffered in a recent ice hockey game.

As the Marathoners got serious and the weather cleared, Evans Chebet and Hellen Obiri took honors in the men’s and women’s elite/professional categories for the 127th running of the Carnegie Hall of Marathons.

The New England weather got tough and Boston got tougher until late afternoon when the novice marathoners saw only slight drizzles as they took a right on Hereford Street and a left to Boylston.

While the marathoners ran to Boston from the starting line out in Hopkinton, the Los Angeles Angels were throwing the great Shohei Ohtani against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Sox won the first three games of their series against the Angels, but Boston chose to throw Brayan Bello back at ’em, and that proved disastrous as former Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe plopped a 3-run homer into the lap of some Green Monster seat ticket holder in the very first inning of a game that was to be delayed for 56 minutes to start and a total of 2:21 on the day before Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida popped up to LA’s Gio Urshela at third base to end the 5-4 Boston loss.

 

Can Sox Keep It Running?

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Wire Service) – Following a four-game losing streak, the Boston Red Sox found a way to win back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Angels to get back on track.

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Boston will look to keep rolling on Sunday when it plays host to the Angels in the third game of the teams’ four-game series.

With Saturday’s 9-7 win, the Red Sox have come from behind in five of their first seven victories this season, while the team has yet to have a starting pitcher record an out in the sixth inning.

“It’s been tough,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We were able to survive, but it’s kind of too soon to survive, to be honest with you. We’ve got to be better early on. We will be.”

Garrett Whitlock (0-1, 9.00 ERA) hopes to shake off a tough Tuesday start at Tampa Bay with some home cooking at Fenway Park, where he is 7-2 with a 2.84 ERA in 41 career games (five starts).

The Red Sox have averaged 6.1 runs per game at home this season, but it took a pair of catcher’s interference calls loading the bases and a two-run single by Yu Chang in the eighth inning to nab Saturday’s game.

Chang, who also homered and finished the game with four RBIs, was 0-for-16 this season entering Saturday.

“I’m so happy that the team gave me the opportunity to play every day,” Chang said through a translator. “I didn’t do well in the beginning, but (Saturday), I just got the chance, and with that homer, I was so happy.”

Whitlock, who made nine starts while also working in a relief role last season, allowed five runs on a career-high three homers in five innings in his last outing.

Two of his 2022 starts came against the Angels. He allowed six runs and struck out 14 across nine combined innings.

While the Red Sox have shown the ability to come back, it’s been a different story for the Angels, who have led in six of their first seven losses.

“We were in position to win a game when our starter wasn’t at his best, and we just didn’t finish it,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said of Saturday’s setback.

Tyler Anderson lasted four innings and allowed six runs, but four Angels relievers combined to allow three, only one of which was earned.

Reid Detmers (0-0, 5.59) will be tasked with trying to get Los Angeles’ pitching staff in a rhythm.

Detmers is seeking his first career win against the Red Sox in his third-ever start against the team, though he worked 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a home outing against Boston on June 8 of last season.

Despite logging 12 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings, Detmers has yet to record a decision this season. He fanned five across five innings last Sunday against Toronto, a game Los Angeles lost 12-11 in 10 innings.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | April 16

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Looks at The Week That Was, the 127th Boston Marathon, and Trying to Move On; Recognizing and Respecting our Mortality | And, The Boss!

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – It’s the pipes. Much like the playing of Taps at a military funeral honor ceremony, the bagpipers tear your heart and soul out as they led the procession down Boylston Street in the Back Bay to honor the victims of the senseless 2013 Boston Marathon bombing – now a full decade in the past.

The Finish Line

On Saturday morning, the pipes played and time stood still. The memorial services hurt more than they ever can help. We try to move on, but with every running of the Marathon, from here to eternity, we’ll close our eyes and see eight-year old Martin Richard’s face. Then, we see his family photo with his surviving siblings at his side. One is Martin’s sister, Jane, who lost a leg standing alongside her little brother – both innocently watching the 2013 race and the mid-range runners all crossing the finish line on a beautiful afternoon in Boston.

It all ended in 14 seconds and 200+ yards apart. It was sheer terror, smoke and carnage.

There were others who perished nearby. Lingzi Lu of China was here in Boston studying. She went home in a body bag after being torn to bits, dying from blood loss because of massive injuries from shrapnel, plastic bits and pellets, nails and other deadly propellents stuffed into a pressure cooker and concealed in a backpack. Lu will forever be a 23-year old in our mind’s eye.

Bostonian Krystle Campbell was killed by one of the two explosions purposely set-off in the areas where innocent people were enjoying one of America’s finest and longest standing sporting events. Campbell will forever be 29 years old, smiling that wonderful, endearing smile. She was the best of friends to those lucky enough to be within her inner circle.

Sean Collier, an MIT police officer and Boston Police Sergeant Dennis “DJ” Simmonds died in the aftermath of the terrorist bombing. Collier was assassinated by the two morons, shot at point blank range as he sat in his squad car on patrol on university grounds in Cambridge. He had no chance. They wanted his gun. They didn’t get it and the manhunt was on.

The final victim, Simmonds, was injured during a firestorm shootout in nearby Watertown after police identified the bombers and began the manhunt, the largest and most organized police detail every undertaken in one of America’s oldest, most beautiful and symbolic cities. Simmonds died of his wounds a year after that terrible day when the entire city of Boston was shut down as its citizens were instructed to shelter in place.

One of the terrorists was killed in the shootout in Watertown. He was then run over by the very S.U.V. being driven by his younger brother who was trying to escape but was later found bleeding and cowering in a winterized pleasure boat parked right in our backyards. The younger of the two domestic terrorist, the guy who chose to lay his backpack right next to the Richards family, was tried by his peers, convicted and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He awaits, sleeping on the USA’s dime on death row in a SuperMax prison in Colorado. I am very much against the Death Penalty. I do not think it acts as a deterrent to the criminal mind. However, there are exceptions. Regardless, I never want to see or hear about this guy ever again.

This Saturday afternoon, the bells tolled at the Old South Church in Copley Square at precisely at 2:49 p.m. to mark the time of the first explosion ten years ago. The cold, cruel facts of the domestic terrorist event and names of the victims are spoken and written today, over-and-over again to be sure we never forget. We have to remember their faces, those family smiles from the images. We have to recognize the overall importance of the victims to us all. Their diversity in age, occupation and nationality, symbolize what all that is great about Boston, a small college town with a huge heart and an extraordinary love of sports – from the Marathon to the Head of the Charles. The citizens of New England and all who come to run, visit and study here, will be out in force on Monday. After all – paraphrasing what David “Big Papi” Ortiz once said, “This is our F’ing city,” and we’ll all agree, “It’s our F’ing Marathon, too.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While the lead-up to the 2023 Boston Marathon has taken on a somber note as the 10-year anniversary is marked this weekend, there was a certain complexity to the entire week just concluding.

This week began on Easter Sunday – and for those who believe – it was a day to reflect on death, resurrection and eternal life. The week continued – for this writer – with attendance at one of the most moving rock shows ever staged. It was a week when abortion rights were turned upside down by courts throughout the land, only to have the Supreme Court call a temporary “time out” for the very issue they tossed into the air last June 24th after 50 years of law settled the issue.

It was a week of extreme weather, deadly tornadoes in the Midwest and South and floods in Ft. Lauderdale while thousands of acres remained underwater from equally terrible flooding in California. It was a week when one of our own national air guardsman leaked classified documents and put the United States’ national security at risk, once again.

But, with all the upheaval and all the trouble lurking, we must endure and move forward as that is the only solution. “Survive and advance,” we said so confidently during March Madness. Now, we have to live by that saying. Yes, we will.

This week, the entire City of Boston will rally and move forward, as it must do to make any sense of the mental anguish of a monumental event in the city’s history now a full decade ago.

What might be a personal salve for the challenge as the anniversary comes along? Boston’s Sports will get the job done. The Celticws, the Bruins and the Red Sox will remember the best of times as they pay respect to the worst of times with ONE Boston Day celebration and day of service. After all, the Boston Bruins just completed the most successful regular season in National Hockey League history and one of its stars, David Pastrnak, netted 61 goals in his 82 games played. Things are looking good in 2023.

The Bruins and the NBA’s Boston Celtics (57-25) will embark on an every-other-day playoff march and it will be coupled with the Boston Red Sox attempt to compete in the ultra-tough AL East. Just 14-games into the 2023 season, the Sox (7-8) find themselves in last place in their division and trailing the first place Tampa Bay Rays by 6.0 games. Nevertheless, Fenway Park will be filled with hopefuls, especially Monday with the traditional 11:10am first pitch.

Here’s a sampling of what we’re up to, if the beer-guzzling, Sam Adams-loving, 26.2 chugging crowds can endure and the word “upset” isn’t uttered in this town until June:

Saturday April 15th:

  • 2:30pm – Boston Marathon Opening Ceremony
  • 3:30pm – NBA Playoffs, first round, Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics (112-99)
  • 4:10pm – MLB, LA Angels and Shoehei Ohtani at Boston Red Sox (9-7)

Sunday, April 16th:

  • 1:35pm – LA Angels at Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park
  • Eve of Pasta and Pastrnak!

Monday, April 17th:

  • 8:30am – The running of the 127th Boston Marathon
  • 11:10am – LA Angeles at Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park
  • 7:30pm – NHL Playoffs, Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins

Tuesday, April 18th:

  • 7:00pm – Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, Game 2
  • 7:10pm – Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park

Wednesday, April 19th:

  • 7:10pm – Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
  • 7:30pm – Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins at TD Garden

And, on we’ll go.

OHTANI’S IN TOWN: As noted, Major League Baseball’s two-way (pitcher and batter) sensation and most talented player, Shohei Ohtani, is in town this weekend and is scheduled to be the starting pitcher when the Angeles face the Sox on Patriots’ Day and that 11:10am (ET) start. (That’s eight in the morning for the Southern California crew).

The Sho is a fantasy baseball player’s dream and nightmare, especially in weekly leagues. Do you start him as a batter or a pitcher? Will he get two starts this week, with the first coming Monday morning?

A lefty batter, can he wrap a shot around the Pesky Pole or will he go with his picture-perfect stroke and line one out into left center field for a single? Will he steal a base or two? Will MLB superstar, but oft-injured OF Mike Trout be on base for Ohtani to knock-in, like a pinball wizard?

Friday night saw the Angels draw the devilish imprint of the game of baseball. They committed three costly errors, tossed wild pitches and allowed passed balls, all resulting in a 5-3 Boston victory. The Angels left 11 runners on base. The great Ohtani went 1-for-4 with two strike-outs. Boston only had five hits to produce the five runs needed to win. Saturday, the Angels were felled by consecutive catcher interference botch-ups. LA was winning 7-6 in the 8th and lost, 9-7. The Angeles are 2-for-2 in handing away wins.

LAST MAN STANDING:

“Faded pictures in an old scrapbook

Faded pictures that somebody took

When you were hard and young and proud

Backed against the wall running raw and loud”

BRUCE AND THE E STREET BAND: “It was 1965 and I was 15 years old,” began Bruce Springsteen this past Tuesday at the New York Islanders brand-new UBS Arena situated alongside the greatness of Belmont Park Race Track. Springsteen was doing an intro to the key song of his latest LP, the most important and telling song on the album. “I’d been playing guitar for about six months when one summer afternoon I heard a knock on my front door. It was George Theiss (The Castiles). “He was an old friend of mine and he was dating my sister at the time. She told him I was playing some guitar and he asked me to audition for his band. So that weekend, I followed him to a small shotgun shack of a house, just one block from the town’s road mill. It was there at that little house that I embarked on the greatest adventure of my life. I joined my first real rock ‘n roll band. And, we lasted for three years! That’s a lifetime for teenagers. We lasted from 1965-66-67, an explosive time in American history and an incredible moment to be in a rock band.

“Now, if you cut forward – cut forward 50 years from that summer afternoon – on another summer day, I found myself standing at the side of George’s deathbed. George had been in a terrible battle with lung cancer in the last years of his life and he only had a few days left to live.

“I realized with his passing, it would leave me as the last surviving member of that small group of guys that got together in that little corner house that afternoon. It will give you pause to think. It’s like you are standing on the tracks with the white, hot light of an oncoming train, bearing down upon you. It just brings a certain clarity of thought. Death’s final and lasting gift to the living is an expanded vision of life itself.

“It gives you another chance to look at life – to look at your life – to look at the lives you and your friends are leading.

“It was shortly after that afternoon when George passed away, just a little while later, I wrote this song. It’s just about the passions you follow as children, not knowing where they’re going to lead you. And, how at 15, it’s all tomorrow and tomorrow and hello and hello. And, later on, there’s a lot more yesterdays and good-byes.

“It made me realize how important living every moment is. So, be good to yourself. Be good to those you love and to this world we live in.

“This is Last Man Standing”

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During the many years (48 for yours truly), watching Springsteen evolve into the man he is today, he told many a short story as he introduced new songs and gave listeners deep insight into his song-writing processes. But, never have I witnessed a very deep introspective viewpoint such as what he chose to share this past Tuesday night in Elmont, New York. While he reached into his soul every night as he performed Springsteen on Broadway, this week, he paused in the middle of his two hour, fifty minute rock show to lay his mortal soul on the line, warning us all of the fact death is inevitable.

Put simply and very clearly: “It kicked my ass.”

To the many aging, gray haired, gray bearded faithful in the audience, it was as much an awakening as it was a death knell. After all, that train is coming – for some of us sooner than later – for some – unexpected and quick – while others might suffer the fate that George Theiss suffered, fighting dreaded lung cancer for years to the end.

“Rock of ages lift me somehow

Somewhere high and hard and loud

Somewhere deep into the heart of the crowd

I’m the last man standing now”

SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND’S SET LIST: The April 11, 2023 concert’s set list for the Boss & his E Street Band reflected his journey since that summer day in ‘65 and guided him through a lifetime of great success coupled with personal challenges which included immediate family issues and a very public break-up and divorce.

Unlike most concert trails, Springsteen has stuck with a core of meaningful songs which all tell of the journey he’s been on with his Band. The dedication of his passion and belief in his music via “No Surrender,” to the pursuits of the “Promised Land.” The April 11th show was not a “Farewell Tour” of all the greats in chronological order. No, it was a life lesson.

He remembered some of our darkest days of “The Rising,” and performed a version – like always – that provided inspiration if not relief. A first time in a LONG time was the insertion of “Born in the USA,” which reminded us of the tough times in these United States when a country was divided and George Theiss’ Castiles were performing during the heat of the Viet Nam war.

In a Michael Jordan “Last Dance” timeline kind of way, the concert waves (or was it sways) back and forth, to insert the glorious rock anthem of “Because the Night” intertwined with memories of New Jersey days gone by “Wrecking Ball” or additional Springsteen anthems like “Badlands,” “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run.”

Just when you’d think he had performed the greatest song of all-time in “Because the Night,” you were reminded of the iconic lyrics and ass-kicking rock of “the night bustin’ open and two lanes will take us anyplace.” When Springsteen was ready, he brought forth the greatest of ‘em all.

“Born to Run” reminded us of that fact, “The amusement park rises bold and stark, Kids are huddled on the beach in the mist, I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the street tonight, In an everlasting kiss.”

But, there was still time for a little “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” a purposeful look back again via “Glory Days,” a vision of Courtney Cox “Dancin’ in the Dark,” and a tribute to The Big Man himself, Clarence Clemons via his nephew, Jake, playing “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” as a contemporary and equal of Springsteen, not a fill-in any more.

When it was time to close it down, Springsteen did so with an acoustic guitar and a good-bye (for now, as he heads to Europe from April 28 to June 28 for a 20 concert, 13 city, 11 country tour segment) with a message of “I’ll See You in My Dreams.”

Here’s hoping it’s not a dream with a locomotive and a single bright light bearing down upon him.

To end this column of deep thinking … How about some SUN.

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: From the morning weather reports not more than 10-days ago, we awoke to hear it was 19-degrees on The Vineyard. Twenty-five degrees in Boston with the wind blowing. It was not pretty, as March came in like a lion and went out like old T-Rex.

Now, the 10-day forecast had smiley sun faces after smiley sun faces, temperatures in the 60s, 70s and maybe 80s. Sadly for tomorrow, Marathon Monday – more commonly known as Patriots’ Day in these parts – we’re looking at 45-to-67-degree temps and a 51% chance of rain in the morning but 14 mph SxSW winds which can provide a tailwind for the runners.

Generally, it’s Springtime in Boston and the Sun is King. It’s a great time of year. We’ll leave this column with an upside of inspiration, written by the great George Harrison and performed here by bass player extraordinaire Will Lee and The Fab Faux.

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While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook & Column, written by Terry Lyons. Each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city newsstand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips. TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | April 9

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By TERRY LYONS

Can you imagine plotting and planning, scheming and teaming-up with some buddies to score tickets and attend The Masters at Augusta National only to have it rain? Worse that rain, it’s raw, damp and unpleasant … a.k.a “inclement weather,” which has suspended play in the mid-afternoon or both Friday and Saturday’s rounds.

The Masters is the jewel of professional golf’s Major tournaments, outclassing the PGA Championship, The Open and The U.S. Open. It is to golf what Wimbledon is to tennis or what the Boston Marathon is to long distance racing. It is the best.

With that tag, it is a very tough ticket.

That’s the way current Augusta National head honcho Fred Ridley and his predecessors – all good olde boys from the South – in Clifford Roberts (1931-76), Bill Lane (1977-80), Hord Hardin (1980-1991) – it was under Hardin’s era when the first black member of Augusta was approved – Jack Stephens (1991-98). Hootie Johnson (1998-2006) and Billy Payne(2006)-2017) – all wanted it.

The Masters evolved and improved with age. It awkwardly navigated the prejudicial ways of the past regarding African-American members and membership for women, as it wasn’t until Billy Payne’s watch when the first female members were introduced.

Despite it’s flaws, and its old-school policies all fighting modern technology and 24/7 sports coverage, the Masters remains pure and has proven-out the “less is more” theory of sports broadcasting.

Nowadays, there’s streaming coverage of the Amen Corner and Featured Groups, but the TV right are only in the pocket of CBS Sports. They’ll be on at 8:30am this morning and 2:00pm this afternoon to cover a rain-soaked tournament and hopefully tuck it in before “60 Minutes” starts at 7:00pm in the east.

Thankfully, unlike college basketball, CBS sports anchor Jim Nantz will stay on with his coverage of The Masters.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The Masters – as stated above – is truly one of the “Bucket List” events for any sports fan. What are the others? Here’s a list facing this reporter and a list of Bucket List items already checked-off.

BUCKET LIST EVENTS to COME (Hopefully):

  1. The Masters
  2. Winter Olympic Games
  3. Super Bowl
  4. Pebble Beach golf
  5. Kentucky Derby
  6. French Open and Australian Open

FIVE BUCKET LIST EVENTS CHECKED OFF:

  1. Summer Olympic Games (Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens)
  2. NCAA Final Four
  3. World Series and Stanley Cup Final
  4. U.S. Open (golf and tennis)
  5. NHL Winter Classic

(Note: The BIG EAST Tournament in New York and the ACC Tournament (1990 in Charlotte) are high on the list, as was a UCLA vs USC game at The Rose Bowl). There are far too many NBA events to list, but I might place the 1992 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando with Earvin Magic Johnson’s return to play as No. 1 and the 2004 NBA China Games in Shanghai and Beijing with Yao Ming as No. 2).

LIV vs PGA TOUR: The playing of the 2023 Masters re-united the best golfers in the world as members of the upstart LIV Golf tour were permitted to compete alongside their former colleagues on the PGA Tour. “It’s good to be back,” said Phil Mickelson on his return as he’s currently T-8 with 71-69 in the books and EVEN par.

Off the course, LIV and the PGA Tour will still do battle in the court of law, as this past Friday, Judge Beth Labson Freeman of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California vacated a Jan. 11, 2024, trial date and pushed back the start of the trial at least four months, citing reasons of the need for more time for discovery stemming from the coffers of the Saudi Public Investment Fund which has bankrolled LIV golf to absurd lengths of signing bonuses and payoffs for 54-hole tournaments.

The disputes involve eleven LIV Golf players who filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour on Aug. 3, 2022, accusing the tour of using its monopoly powers to squash competition.

On Sept. 29, the PGA Tour filed a countersuit against LIV Golf, accusing it of interfering with its contracts with players. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan suspended more than 30 players for competing in LIV Golf tournaments without conflicting-event releases.

Meanwhile with LIV golfer Brooks Koepka at the top of the Masters leaderboard, it bodes well for the rival tour and its competitive business model.