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Terry Lyons

NFL Sports Desk: SNF Marquee Matchup

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Field Level Media Report) – Dallas oft-injured quarterback Dak Prescott participated in individual drills and was more involved in Thursday’s practice than the Dallas Cowboys anticipated, making enough improvement that he’s officially questionable for tonight’s game at Philadelphia.

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Lead receiver CeeDee Lamb missed Friday’s practice with a hip injury, but Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones signaled the absence was more precaution than panic.

“He’s just working through a couple things there. Just felt like it was best for him not to practice today. We feel like he’ll get all that sorted out for the game,” Jones said Friday to 105.3 FM in Dallas.

Prescott was upgraded to limited participation Thursday, his first practice in more than four weeks, from being listed as DNP on Wednesday.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said the result of the uptick in throwing is a sore surgically repaired right thumb. That prompted the Cowboys to rest Prescott and keep him out of Friday’s team work. McCarthy said the Cowboys consider Prescott in “regeneration” mode.

Prescott is nearly five weeks removed from fracturing the thumb on his throwing hand in the Sept. 11 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McCarthy said the big picture remains entirely positive with Prescott, who will resume throwing Saturday and before Sunday’s game at Philadelphia.

“The last two days he hit the target. (Friday) will be a recovery day for him,” McCarthy said. “We’re on schedule. He’s getting better.”

Dallas’ Reserve QB Cooper Rush is in line to start his fifth consecutive game since Prescott went down.

The Cowboys (4-1) do expect linebacker Micah Parsons (groin) and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (chest) to be on the field for the NFC East showdown with the Eagles (5-0).

Rush said it’s important to note Prescott hasn’t been on the field, but he has impacted the end result.

“I’ve said before he’s helped tremendously with our room, myself, and everyone else on the sidelines,” Rush said. “He’s bringing energy, that’s just who he is as a person or a leader.”

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | October 16th

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Examines the Upcoming 2022-23 NHL Season

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The weekly notebook has listed sports franchise valuations, underrated rock bands, NFL Power Rankings, and NCAA College Football Playoff possibilities week-by-week.

Next Up?

The TL Sunday Sports Notes a.k.a. “While We’re Young (Ideas)” will take a crack at the brand new National Hockey League season and list the best of the best and as the list goes, the bottom-feeder “hosers” will be left to the age-old chore (before the great Zamboni was invented) to hose down the ice for the next period.

For the ultimate face-off, “While We’re Young (Ideas)” is picking the Colorado Avalanche to play the New York Rangers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. The Avs dominated the Edmonton Oilers in the 2022 Western Conference Finals, winning the series in four straight. There is nothing on the radar screen to spark another western winner, although Edmonton, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Nashville and Calgary remain as contenders for a Cup Finals appearance.

In the East, the New York Rangers behind goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin have stepped-up as the team to beat. To advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Rangers will have to reverse the outcome of last season’s Eastern Finals when the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated New York, 4-games-to-2.

Last season’s contenders in the East – Carolina, Florida, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Boston – can all challenge the NYR and TB with a combination of goaltending, luck, avoiding injury and playoff positioning determining who might face the West (Colorado) in the final.

While Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nikita Kucherov and Shesterkin are top-rated players and most frequently listed as favorites for NHL Most Valuable Player (Hart Trophy) winners, the player who led the Avs to their third Stanley Cup title, Nathan MacKinnon, is the player to watch. He will determine the success of the Avs and can will the club to a championship, just as he did a year ago. In recent memory, only Mark Messier’s efforts for the 1994 New York Rangers can compare.

Jack Eichel, the local Boston favorite out of BU, left Buffalo and landed in Vegas where he finished the 2022-23 season strong. Orlando-born and Toronto-bred Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, is another player to watch this season.

NHL POWER RANKINGS – (As of start of the 2022-23 NHL regular season)

  1. Colorado Avalanche
  2. New York Rangers
  3. Tampa Bay Lightning
  4. Carolina Hurricanes
  5. Edmonton Oilers
  6. Toronto Maple Leafs
  7. Calgary Flames
  8. Florida Panthers
  9. St. Louis Blues
  10. Pittsburgh Penguins
  11. Nashville Predators
  12. Minnesota Wild
  13. Boston Bruins
  14. Los Angeles Kings
  15. Las Vegas Knights
  16. Washington Capitals
  17. Dallas Stars
  18. Winnipeg Jets
  19. New York Islanders
  20. Vancouver Canucks
  21. New Jersey Devils
  22. Ottawa Senators
  23. Columbus Blue Jackets
  24. Philadelphia Flyers
  25. Buffalo Sabres
  26. Detroit Red Wings
  27. Anaheim Ducks
  28. San Jose Sharks
  29. Seattle Kraken
  30. Montreal Canadiens
  31. Chicago Blackhawks
  32. Arizona Coyotes

East: New York Rangers over Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-games-to-3

West: Colorado Avalanche over Edmonton Oilers, 4-games-to-1

Cup: Colorado Avalanche over New York Rangers, 4-games-to-2

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: In the world of sports, you learn something new everyday. A Premier League peep whispered to drop everything and tune-in to the USA Network at about 2:45pm (ET) Friday for the Brentford v. Brighton match.

The pre-game commentators for USA Net were touting their Soccer Showcase at Dilworth Park on Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia by comparing the “biggest weekend” they’ve ever televised,’ with all the “big” games in the Philly. This weekend, MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies host, and defeated the Atlanta Braves at Citizen Bank Park a couple hours ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers facing the Vancouver Canucks at the Wells Fargo Center, right across the soft pretzel-packed street. Of course, the “biggest game” of the weekend will feature the Philadelphia Eagles playing host to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field, a 9-iron from the basketball/hockey arena and an easy wedge away from the baseball field. By the way, the Sixers open the NBA regular season on Tuesday here in Boston and then return to the “City of Brotherly Love” to host the Milwaukee Bucks this Thursday.

Working backwards to what was learned this week, my surprise was teed-up by Rebecca Lowe, host of NBC’s English Premier League coverage, as her Philly-based introduction to the game in London was done just as the Brentford players took to the pitch:

BRENTFORD has a great tradition, far better than the tired, old Red Sox playing of “Sweet Caroline” in the middle of the 8th inning. During pregame introductions, seemingly every one of the 18,000+ Brentford fans raises their red & white team scarf and belts out The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” … If the team wins, the song is sung – once again – in the postgame.

The good times came to a halt postgame, however, as sadly, after the 2-nil Brentford victory and the postgame “Hey Jude II.” Striker Ivan Toney, who notched the two Brentford goals, was “subjected to disgusting, racist abuse via a direct message received on social media,” according to the club statement issued after the game.

“We condemn this discriminatory behaviour in the strongest possible terms. An attack on one of our players is an attack on all of us. Ivan will receive the full backing from the Club and from the Brentford fans who we have already seen condemning the abuse.

“We expect strong support from the police, legal authorities and from Instagram’s parent company, Meta, to ensure that the individual involved faces the full force of the law for this despicable hate crime.”

[Read more…] about TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | October 16th

Patriots’ Harris to Miss Games

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report / Field Level Media) – New England Patriots starting running back Damien Harris is expected to miss multiple games with a hamstring injury. Harris is still undergoing tests to determine the severity, per the report.

Harris sustained the injury early New England’s 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He played just six snaps, rushing the ball four times for 11 yards.

Harris has 257 yards rushing and three touchdowns in five starts this season. He has rushed for 1,889 yards and 20 TDs in 32 career games (30 starts), all with the Patriots, who selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft.

Second-year RB Rhamondre Stevenson likely would start in Harris’ absence. He has 372 yards rushing and a TD, having played 59 percent of the snap counts in five combined games this season.

Rookie Pierre Strong Jr. is also on the active roster.

The Patriots (2-3) visit the Cleveland Browns (2-3) on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Ackerman and BIG EAST Visit Vatican

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ROME – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – BIG EAST Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman was joined by representatives from four BIG EAST member schools at the recent International “Sport for All” summit held on September 29-30 in Vatican City.  More than 250 participants from 40 countries participated in the event, which brought together international federations, professional sports leagues, governmental officials, faith-based organizations, non-profits, media companies, corporations, and educational institutions.   The purpose of the Summit was to promote the social and inclusive dimensions of sport in society and to encourage sports programs that foster human, educational and spiritual growth.

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The Summit featured remarks by His Holiness Pope Francis and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, both of whom spoke to the power of sports to promote solidarity, global peace and positive social change.  In prepared remarks, Pope Francis encouraged the participants to “make sport a home for everyone, something open and welcoming” and noted that “the Church supports you in this educational and social commitment.”

The Summit concluded with the release of a “Declaration of Sport,” which outlined the goals of developing sports programs that are cohesive, accessible and tailored to each person, including the socioeconomically disadvantaged, young people, refugees and migrants, women and girls, and persons with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Ackerman, who moderated two of the Summit’s working group sessions, was joined by Marquette’s Kate Braasch (Chief of Presidential Affairs), Sarah Bobert (Executive Associate Athletic Director – Internal Operations/SWA) and Matt Mitten (Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute); Seton Hall’s Renee Robinson (Interim Dean, College of Communication and the Arts) and Jane McManus (Executive Director, Center for Sports Media); Georgetown’s Debora Tonelli (the university’s representative in Rome); and Creighton’s Max Engel (Associate Professor, Department of Theology).

The Summit was an outgrowth of “Sport at the Service of Humanity: The First Global Conference on Faith and Sport” held at the Vatican in October 2016, for which Ackerman served as an advisory member.  That event was followed by three U.S.- based, invitation-only, Sport at the Service of Humanity (SSH) conferences exploring similar themes, held at Villanova University (2017), Loyola Marymount University (2018) and Georgetown University (2019).

“The BIG EAST was honored to be included in the Vatican’s Sport For All Summit, the goals of which align perfectly with the mission of our schools to develop the athletic, academic and spiritual dimensions of our student-athletes and to bring the many societal benefits of sports to our greater campus communities,” said Ackerman.

Vikings Hold Off Saints in London

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LONDON – (Staff with Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Greg Joseph kicked five field goals, including a game-winning 47-yarder with 24 seconds left, as the Minnesota Vikings held off the New Orleans Saints 28-25 on Sunday in the NFL’s International Series in Britain.

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Wil Lutz, whose 60-yard field goal tied the score for the Saints moments earlier, tried a 61-yarder on the final play of the game, but the ball hit the left upright and the crossbar before falling short in the end zone.

Kirk Cousins completed 25 of 38 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (3-1).

Andy Dalton, starting in place of injured Jameis Winston, completed 20 of 28 for 236 yards and a touchdown for the Saints (1-3), who lost their third straight.

After Lutz tied the score with 1:51 left, Cousins and Justin Jefferson connected on a 39-yard completion to set up Joseph.

Joseph’s 24-yard field goal increased Minnesota’s lead to 16-7 early in the third quarter.

Dalton and Marquez Callaway teamed on a 33-yard completion, leading to Latavius Murray’s 1-yard touchdown run that trimmed the lead to 16-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Minnesota used a fake punt to convert a fourth-and-2, leading to Joseph’s 46-yard field goal and a 19-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Taysom Hill ran 2 yards for a touchdown and Dalton’s two-point conversion pass to Jarvis Landry gave the Saints their first lead, 22-19 with 9:29 left.

The Vikings converted four third downs — three on defensive penalties — on their way to Jefferson’s 3-yard touchdown run. But Joseph missed the extra point, leaving Minnesota with a 25-22 lead.

That made a difference when Lutz tied the score with his 60-yarder.

Cousins’ 15-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Mattison on the first possession of the game gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Saints converted three third downs, the last of which came on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to rookie Chris Olave to tie the score.

Joseph made 28- and 36-yard field goals to increase the lead to 13-7 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sports Desk: Thurs Night Preview

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CINCINNATI – (Staff and Field Level Media Wire Service Report) – The streaking Miami Dolphins are seeking their first 4-0 start since 1995 when they visit the Cincinnati Bengals Thursday night. Miami is fresh off a 21-19 victory over the powerful Buffalo Bills and now looks to tame the defending AFC champion Bengals.

Cincinnati (1-2) dropped its first two games before bidding farewell to their Super Bowl hangover with a solid 27-12 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is impressed with the Dolphins, who are one of two remaining unbeaten teams along with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“They’ve beaten three really good opponents — New England, Baltimore and Buffalo,” Taylor said. “They are three teams with a lot of talent, good coaches. They’re doing a lot of good things right now in all three phases. I know that our guys are really excited for the challenge.”

What’s unknown is if Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be available. He was limited in practice Tuesday, with the team saying he has both back and ankle injuries.

Tagovailoa said Tuesday that he will play but the Dolphins haven’t yet reached that conclusion.

“I’ve been up here, getting treatment, doing everything I can to get as close to 100 percent as possible,” Tagovailoa said. “That means, after all of this, staying as long as I have to until these (training staffers) have to go home.”

Tagovailoa said he doesn’t have a head injury. During Sunday’s game against the Bills, he was examined for a head injury and passed the concussion protocol. The swiftness in which he passed resulted in the NFL Players Association asking the NFL to investigate the situation.

[Read more…] about NFL Sports Desk: Thurs Night Preview

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | Sept. 25

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The window for winning was wide open, the carpet plush with – not a playoff caliber team – but a club with true NBA championship aspirations and a real opportunity in 2022-23. The talent remains fully in place as this offseason, the Boston Celtics added true point guard Malcolm Brogdon and veteran internationally renowned shooter and three-point FG threat Danilo Galinari (suffered ACL injury) to a deep roster. Continuity would be in place as the first year coaching staff that managed to take the Celtics past Brooklyn, past the highly talented, defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks (sans NBA All-Star Khris Middleton) and then past the Miami Heat (53-29, and best record in the East) before being eliminated (4-2) by a better Golden State Warriors team.

Aside from talent and continuity, there’s not an NBA champion in the books that can claim they didn’t have some good luck along the way to their title. Maybe they avoided injury. Maybe they were able to pull-off a last minute trade deadline deal that filled a hole. Maybe a couple last second buzzer-beater helped claim home court advantage. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

But then, the hammer came down. Injuries and very poor judgement.

Luck is not on Boston’s team bus right now, even though their team mascot is a Leprechaun named “Lucky.” The first setback, noted above, was an ACL injury suffered by the newly acquired Galinari while he was playing for his native Italy in a European World Cup qualifying tournament this summer.

On Friday, Gallinari underwent left knee revision ACL repair. The surgery was performed by Celtics’ team physician Dr. Tony Schena at New England Baptist Hospital. Dr. Schena was assisted by Dr. Paul Weitzel, with Dr. Brian Cole consulting on the case. A timetable for Gallinari’s return was not mentioned, as he is expected to miss the entire 2022-23 NBA season.

“Yesterday I had successful ACL surgery. Now the focus is on my rehab and return to the game I love,” Gallinari wrote in a social media statement. “I want to thank the Celtics organization and the medical staff at the New England Baptist Hospital. I also want to thank Dr. Antonio Orgiani and Dr. Rodolfo Rocchi for the support they gave me in Italy before surgery. And of course thank you to all of my fans for their continued support and well wishes. See you soon on the court.”

The bad luck didn’t end with Gallinari, a reserve. Dr. Schena had to earn his keep operating on a starter, too.

Breakout starting center Robert Williams underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies and address swelling in his left knee,” said the Celtics in a Friday news release. “The surgery was performed by Celtics’ team physician Dr. Tony Schena at New England Baptist Hospital. Williams is expected to return to basketball activities in 8-12 weeks.”

The eight to 12 weeks is longer than the Celtics and their fans expected and it will set the club back as Training Camp opens this Monday, with a Noon broadcast on NBA TV (and nba.com) sure to be quite savage.

The key factor with the absence of Williams will be the added weight of playing time on 36-year old center-forward Al Horford. Horford will be required to hold down the frontcourt as Williams recuperates and rehabs and he will only be backed by 7-2 Luke Kornet, as departed centerman Daniel Theis was traded to Indiana in the deal for Brogdon. It might not take its toll in November and December, but can the veteran leader perform like he did in May and June, including a strong NBA Finals.

Horford possesses the ability to keep the team together, to bond the rank and file via his locker room presence and the respect he’s earned from the entire roster and coaching staff. Horford’s presence is surely a large part of former Cs head coach and now head of basketball operations Brad Stevens’ decision to promote Joe Mazzulla who will serve as the interim head coach for the Celtics until the team sorts things out during the season-long suspension to Ime Udoka. Mazzulla won three state titles as a player at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island, then played four seasons at West Virginia University under head coaches John Beilein and recently inducted Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Huggins.

Mazzulla began his coaching career as an assistant for the Glenville State University men’s basketball team, a NCAA Division II program, and assisted for two seasons after graduating from WVU in 2011. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Fairmont State. His first head coaching experience came in 2017 at Fairmont State University. In his two seasons as coach of the Fighting Falcons, he racked up a 43-17 record and took his team to the NCAA tournament once.

Mazzulla joined the Celtics’ coaching staff as an assistant in 2019 and was quickly named as the right man for the job by Stevens. Mazzula’s opportunity arose mainly because Judoka’s No. 2 man, Will Hardy, accepted the head coaching job from the Utah Jazz this past June. Mazzula and the remaining Celtics basketball staff will utilize the same system Udoka installed in his first season with the club, a system honed by the ultra-successful San Antonio Spurs where Udoka assisted under Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich.

In other words, it’s not as if the Celtics will need to start over again. They need to do it for Al.

ONE GIGANTIC MESS MAKES WAY FOR ANOTHER: “Robert Sarver, meet Ime Udoka.”

NBA Training camps are about to open and the talk of two towns in the league is anything but basketball. In Phoenix, a club with a 64-18 record which was great enough to lead the 2021-22 Western Conference standings, is now on the market after an independent investigation found Suns team governor and principle owner (35%) was alleged to foster a toxic and inappropriate atmosphere in the organization led by his own words and actions. The league doled out a significant fine of $10m and a one-year suspension. In the aftermath of that fine and suspension, public and NBA player opinion was not buying the punishment for the NBA Constitutional crimes and a tsunami of pushback, even from the NBA Players Association called for Sarver’s all-out dismissal from the league. That pressure forced him to decide to sell the two franchises (the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury) as his limited stake in the franchise allows. Reports have the Suns’ value ranging $1.92b with a chance to fetch as much as $3 billion.

“In our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past,” Sarver’s statement read. “For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.”

Seemingly, Sarver pointed his finger in every direction but inward as he plotted his exit statement, very obviously dismissing his past track record at the helm of the once model franchise.

The attention on Sarver’s decision to sell the Suns vanished a quick news cycle later as the Boston Celtics announced the one-year suspension of their coach, Ime Udoka. The (51-31) and 2022 NBA Finalists issued a terse statement on Thursday:

“The Boston Celtics announced (Sept 22) that the team has suspended Head Coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for violations of team policies. A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date. The suspension takes effect immediately.”

The suspension was also reported as being accompanied by no pay for the season, and to conclude on June 30, 2023.

In a Friday press conference, conducted by Celtics’ managing partner and team governor Wyc Grousbeck and head of basketball operations and former team coach Brad Stevens, few details were provided – citing privacy issues – but the essence of the decision came after “months-long” third party and internal investigation. The investigation concluded Wednesday, the same day the fiasco was first reported by ESPN.

“I personally feel that this is well-warranted and appropriate, backed by substantial research and evidence and facts,” Grousbeck said at the press conference, “and so I’m standing by the decision, and Ime has accepted it.” The team’s statement as well as Grousbeck said the team will revisit Udoka’s future with the club at a later date.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals smacked home runs No. 699 and No. 700 on Friday night to join a very short list of MLBers to hit 700+ career homers. Only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth have membership in that club.

While Bonds is frequently chastised for hitting the bulk of his home runs during the uncertainty of the so-called “Steroid Era,” the others have earned immortality which will include first-ballot Hall of Fame enshrinement honors for Pujols.

DIAMOND DUST-UPs and POWER RANKINGS: In 2018, the Boston Red Sox surprised Major League Baseball and even themselves by winning 108 games en route to winning the World Series. The season was astonishing, as the (108-54) regular season record was only enhanced by their (11-3) postseason mark. The incredible fact was that in every single postseason game at Fenway Park, when it came time for manager Alex Cora to bring in the closer, Craig Kimbrel, the general crowd reaction was, “No!” … It happens every September, it seems, as a usually reliable closer burns-out and becomes a liability for his club. Kimbrel earned 42 saves that year and has 22 saves for the LA Dodgers this season. Yet, as of this weekend, he’s lost his job as lead closer for the (104-47*) Dodgers. Kimbrel has a 4.14 ERA and a 1.34 whip, hardly mediocre, and rather poor for a 100+ win club.

* As of games heading into Saturday, September 24th

POWER: In past weeks, WWYI brought you power ranking for both college and pro football. They’ll be back next Sunday, but first there’s about nine games left in the MLB regular season so HERE NOW, are the MLB POWER 12 RANKINGS heading into Postseason, with six teams in each of the American and National League, then an MLB-wide listing:

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

  1. Houston Astros
  2. New York Yankees
  3. Toronto Blue Jays
  4. Cleveland Guardians
  5. Tampa Bay Rays
  6. Seattle Mariners

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers
  2. New York Mets
  3. Atlanta Braves
  4. St. Louis Cardinals
  5. Philadelphia Phillies
  6. San Diego Padres

MLB COMBINED:

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers
  2. Houston Astros
  3. New York Mets
  4. New York Yankees

Wild Card Sleeper: Toronto Blue Jays

See You in September

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“I’ll be alone each and every night
While you’re away, don’t forget to write,

“Bye-bye, so long, farewell
Bye-bye, so long

“See you in September
See you when the summer’s through.”

– The Happenings but written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards for The Tempos

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – August, just like its namesake Caesar Augustus, is in the rearview mirror. We’ll See you in September.

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It will be a September without 2021 U.S. Open women’s tennis champion Emma Raducanu who lost her first round match to France’s Alize Cornet (6-3, 6-3) on the evening of August 30. It will be a September without two-time U.S. Open champions and multi-Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka who lost her first round match at Flushing Meadows to No. 19 seed Danielle Collins of America.

We’ll start September’s college football schedule with St. Francis of Pennsylvania at Akron (6pm, ET) but progress to match-ups like Central Michigan at No. 12 Oklahoma State, West Virginia at No. 17 Pittsburgh, and a tough B1G Ten opener for Penn State at Purdue. That’s just Thursday’s schedule.

We’ve already witnessed a Week Zero of college football with Northwestern upsetting Nebraska, 31-28, in Ireland, Illinois spanking Wyoming in similar style to Liz Cheney‘s recent primary defeat, 38-6.

We’ll have a lot to look forward to this weekend when college football really begins. On the local scene, Boston College opens with a “must win” at home vs the B1G Ten’s usual doormat, Rutgers. No. 11 Oregon will travel to play No. 3 Georgia in Atlanta, not Athens and No. 5 Notre Dame is getting (+17) when they play No. 2 Ohio St. before 102,780 fans at Columbus (7:30pm ET, September 3)

We’ll have to wait until Thursday, September 8 for the NFL to begin, but thankfully the NFL preseason is in the books and the regular season Week 1 awaits, complete with the AFC’s Buffalo Bills heading west to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to face the defending Super Bowl champion Rams.

The NFL will start without Jon Gruden coaching in Las Vegas but with Jimmy Garrapolo quarterbacking in San Francisco (really Santa Clara). Gruden’s coaching career went up in flames when an NFL investigation into then-Washington football executive Bruce Allen unearthed a slew of racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language in emails which first came to light in a Wall Street Journal article last Oct. 8. Strangely, of the 650,000 emails collected in the NFL internal  investigation, the lawsuit contends, Gruden’s were the only ones made public. Go figure?

The New England Patriots leave training camp behind but face a tough September schedule that just might leave them 0-3, or maybe 1-2. Anything better than that and the team is improved over that of last season and might have a chance. Both the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins stand in the way in the AFC East. The toughest thing many overlook, the Patriots close-out the regular season with games vs. Cincinnati and Miami and at Buffalo on a sure-to-be ice COLD January 8th. Those August days will be a long lost dream when the Bills and Pats tee-up the kick-off that day.

The Red Sox are happy to leave August (and July) in the past, but doubt the month of September will treat the club much better. In Rich Hill they trust.

With Rory McIlroy coming back from six strokes down to defeat Scottie Scheffler and company at the TOUR Championship last weekend, the 2021-22 PGA Tour season is behind us with only a few Fall tournaments, the President’s Cup and a few silly season events (think Skins Game) awaiting until the January 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions starts off the PGA Tour schedule. In the meantime, we have a LIV Golf on-going in Boston (Bolton, Mass) where dozens of former PGA Tour golfers have jumped ship in an attempt to earn fortunes of Saudi Arabian bucks to the tune of some $4 million for the tournament winner, plus team bonuses.

Golf will never be the same, as the two Tours duke it out for best players, key dates, qualification to the Majors and Ryder Cup teams and just about everything else worth fighting for … or should it be “fore?”

One thing is for sure as the days grow shorter and the sun sets earlier, come September 1 or, maybe on Labor Day in the USA, everyone seems to think the Season of Summer is over but like so much in the world these days, that is “misinformation.” Summer in the USA lasts until September 21, or the end of Week 2 for you NFL fans, Week 3 for NCAA football fans. In fact, in the northeastern USA, the weekend of October 1-2 is often one of the most beautiful of the entire year.

See you in October.

Musical Note: “See You in September” is a song written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards. It was first recorded by the Pittsburgh vocal group The Tempos. This first version peaked at No. 23 in the summer of 1959. The most popular take on “See You In September,” by The Happenings in 1966, reached No. 3.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug 28

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Who are you guys and what did you do with the Boston Red Sox?

After losing six-of-seven games and dropping to (60-65) and fifth place in the American League East Division on August 25th, the Boston Red Sox somehow bounced back this weekend and won two important games from their AL East rival, Tampa Bay Rays.

Realistically, the Red Sox (62-65) still remain some 17 games out of first place, trail the first-place New York Yankees (78-48), and have no shot at catching the Yanks, but the two-game winning streak injected some life into the Red Sox team and sent the fans at Fenway Park home quite happy. In the Wild Card, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Toronto hold the three slots in the AL and Boston is seven games back, with the upstart Baltimore Orioles, the solid Minnesota Twins and the surprising Chicago White Sox in between. The Red Sox possibilities are slim but not none with only 35 games left in the regular season.

Coincidentally, it was back on July 4th when the Red Sox defeated the same Tampa Bay Rays, (4-0), to peak at 10 games over the .500 mark (45-35) and place second in the division as they held the top Wild Card spot in the AL. Then, the slide began. Two consecutive losses to the same Rays, then two straight to the Yankees. A two game bounce-back preceded the Sox losing 9-of-10 between July 11 and July 27 to drop to the AL East cellar.

The return of Trevor Story was a good omen for Boston Saturday but an 11 strike-out effort and three-hitter over seven innings pitched by Rich Hill was the brightest sign of hope for the Sox who play one more game against Tampa this homestand before the Fenway Faithful sing “See You in September” as their club travels to Minnesota for a three-game set against the mighty tough Twins this Monday to Wednesday.

The MLB/AL schedule-maker has the Red Sox returning from the Land of 10,000 Lakes to face the Texas Rangers in a four-game set at Fenway Park, September 1-4, before yet another road trip (three games each at Tampa and Baltimore) which will determine the fate of the 2022 baseball season by September 11th.

The New England Patriots take center stage that same weekend as the seasons begin to change and a chill takes the air in New England.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: We’re quickly approaching the most sports-centric time of the year. … The U.S. Open tennis tournament begins this Monday, August 29th at the Billie Jean National Tennis Center where Daniil Medvedev will defend his 2021 crown while both Roger Federer(injured/rehabbing) and No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic (unvaccinated vs COVID) is ineligible to compete. … Keep in mind, Medvedev was blocked from competing at Wimbledon earlier this summer because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Spain’s Rafa Nadal will be poised for a run to the men’s final.

On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek of Poland is the No. 1 seed in a draw that will feature both Serena Williams and Coco Gauff surely to have the boisterous New York crowds solidly behind them throughout the two-week test. … Williams will team with her sister, Venus in women’s doubles. … U.S. Open tickets on the nights Serena or Serena and Venus play will become the toughest tennis ticket in town since Jimmy Conners made his run in 1991.

College football kicked-off Saturday with Northwestern’s 31-28, come-from-behind victory over Nebraska in the B1G Ten opener in Ireland. The local New England college football schedule is highlighted by the Boston College Eagles taking on a big-time B1G Ten challenger in Rutgers for their very first game of the season on September 3 at Noon. BC head coach Jeff Hafleybegins his third season and does so without an “auto win” opening opponent such as UConn, Howard or the likes of past season openers in The Heights.

The National Football League starts for real on Thursday, September 8 when the Buffalo Bills travel to Los Angeles to face the defending Super Bowl champion Rams before the rest of the league opens on September 11-12.

About a month later, the National Hockey League will face-off with their regular season openers (October 11) before the National Basketball Association begins their 76th regular season campaign on October 18th which marks the times of the pro sports equinox when on any given day, all four major North American sports can be playing on the same day – Major League Baseball, by then, fully into the Postseason.

CIRCLE SEPTEMBER 9-10TH: Not only does the NFL kick-off their season on the 8th, and the US Open tennis stage the men’s semi-finals and women’s finals on the 9th/10th, but the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will induct its Class of ‘22 with opening festivities at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut Friday and the Enshrinement Ceremony staged September 10th in Springfield, Mass from 7-10pm on Saturday.

BREAKING NEWS: Italy’s Sportando Basketball reporter Emiliano Carchiawas the first to report of Danillo Gallinari’s injury.

GALLINARI INJURED: Newly acquired Boston Celtics shooting specialist Danillo Gallinari injured his knee in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game in Brescia, Italy on Saturday. There was no official confirmation of the injury but Sportando Basketball reported the injury with quotes, video and photos and FIBA.com made reference in its brief game story, noting Gallinari took over the game in the third quarter scoring 15 of his 17 points. Other game stories speculated an injured MCL ligament for the NBA veteran who was playing against Georgia in the FIBA qualifier, a 91-84 meaningless Italy victory. After the injury, the games were called-off.  … The injury was the third NBA off-season setback this week as Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and will undergo further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury and need for treatment or surgery. … Earlier this week, Oklahoma City rookie first-rounder Chet Holmgren was injured and deemed out for the 2022-23 season with a devastating Lisfranc injury. The No. 2 overall pick of last June’s NBA Draft was playing in Jamal Crawford CrawsOver Pro-Am league at Seattle Pacific University on a court that was reportedly very slippery. … In other games at Crawford’s ProAm, LA Lakers’ Lebron James and Boston’s Jayson Tatum were among the players working out.

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: Front Office Sports is reporting Washington’s Monumental Sports and team governor Ted Leonsis along with Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein are interested in buying the Baltimore Orioles or possibly the Washington Nationals of MLB, if and when either team hits the market, as expected.

BOSTON’s Alex Cora won his 345th game with the Red Sox on Friday night and his 346th Saturday, making him the ninth-winningest manager in franchise history, one ahead of Eddie Casko. Among the 10 club managers with 600+ games at the helm of the Sox, Cora ranks third in winning percentage (.564/ 346-267) behind:

  1. Don Zimmer (.575/ 411-305)
  2. Terry Francona (.574/ 744-552)

Cora has a 17-8 postseason record (.680) with the Sox, including the 2018 World Series title and an American League Championship appearance in 2021.

TOUR Championship: The 2021-22 PGA Tour season will come to its conclusion today (Sunday, August 28) with the FedEx Cup champion to be crowned at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. To the winner? A cool $18 million from a $75 million prize pool. … The PGA Tour will pick-up the 2022-23 season with the Fortinet Championship on the weekend of September 15-18th, but the full Tour will start in earnest in the first week of January 2023 with the annual Sentry Tournament of Champions, a.k.a primetime golf from Maui. … Our sister publication – PGA Tour Brunch – will publish its final 2022 missive on Monday, August 29th with a recap of the TOUR Championship and then re-start publication in January. … The LIV golf circuit will visit Boston September 2-4 with its 12 teams, 48 players, 54 (LIV for you Roman Numeral fans) holes. The site is The International Golf Club in Bolton, Massachusetts, north of Boston. … No cut. … For those unfamiliar with the pro golf scene, the average PGA Tour event has some 125 players, a cutdown after 36 holes and a total of four rounds or 72 holes to win. There is no team concept. … The LIV is considering selling franchises and establishing the teams more definitively for the 2023 season. … Digital Sports Desk is scheduled to cover the LIV event. … September 21-25 will mark the dates of the 2022 President’s Cup with the USA golfers pitted against a team of world golf pros. The competition is scheduled for the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. The more popular Ryder Cup is USA vs. European golfers. The 2023 Ryder Cup will be played at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy.

METS DO the RIGHT THING: The New York Mets held their “Old-Timer’s Day” on Saturday and surprised the great Willie Mays by retiring his uniform No. 24. Mays, at age 41 and 42, only played two seasons with the Mets in 1972 and ‘73 but was beloved by the New York fans because of his start with the New York Giants. Mays and the Giants moved from the Polo Grounds (1891-1957) to Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1958 after six seasons in New York. He missed a season because of necessary military service in 1953. Mays, born May 6, 1931, is now 91 years old and carries the mantle as the greatest living baseball player. His rivals, Hank Aaron (1934-2021), Micky Mantle (1931-1995), Duke Snider (1926-2011), and Joe DiMaggio(1914-1999) have all passed away. … The retirement of Mays’ number comes a year after the Mets “Did the Right Thing” by retiring Jerry Koosman’s No. 36.

Embed from Getty Images

JIMMY FUND: According to Radio Ink, the 20th anniversary of the ‘WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon’, raised $3.517 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The radio-telethon was launched by WEEI-FM, The Jimmy Fund and the Boston Red Sox in 2002. New England Sports Network (NESN) joined the effort in 2003.

“This was the 20th anniversary of the Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, and our listeners and sponsors came through like never before,” said Mike Thomas, SVP/MM Audacy Boston. “To hear the doctors talk about the progress that is being made, the clinical trials that are ongoing and to hear from patients about how Dana-Farber saved their lives will forever be in our hearts and minds. There really is nothing like the two days of this fundraiser.”

The event was part of a 36-hour live broadcast during WEEI weekday programming on August 23 and 24. To date the radio/telethon has raised more than $65 million for cancer research at Dana-Farber.

TID-BITS: The MLB Network has been airing a series of promotional spots, entitled Baseball Zen. In relative silence, the super-slow motion photography catches some of the subtle nuances of the game of baseball … a grounds crew slowly raking the infield dirt, or watering the infield … Shohei Ohtani delivering a strike, but shot in super-slow motion in order to pick-up the spin of the baseball.

The spots are good. They air on the MLB Network and MLB Extra Innings OTT and are far better than a billboard that states the “game will return.” Yet, the slow, methodical nature of the spots are a 180 from the popular and original “NBA Action … It’s Fantastic” bloopers and superstar highlights with incredible action footage, depth defying acts of NBA players before a well-known actor, musician or comedian delivered the iconic “I Love This Game” tagline. … Two very different takes on league promotional theory.

The MLB Zen spots make you think about the wonderful things you experience when you attend a baseball game, many times far away from the in-game cameras. Coincidentally, this reporter was listing a few just this week. Here’s what was scribbled down on a notebook page:

  • The home plate ump with the timeless cleaning of home plate with his brush
  • Rafa Devers’ tradition of his pre-At Bat greeting to the Red Sox ballboys
  • The announcement of the game attendance in the press box
  • Bubble gum and sunflower seeds in the dug-outs
  • Breaking-in a new baseball glove
  • Dodgertown at Vero Beach
  • Tossing a rosin bag directly behind the pitcher’s mound
  • The “W” flown at Wrigley Field to signal a Cubs’ victory that day
  • Old traditions, gone-by, like the bullpen carts with team helmets
  • The San Diego (a.k.a.) The Original Chicken setting the high bar for mascots
  • The proper placing and lime for the batter’s box, tap-tap with a hammer
  • An impromptu sharpie signature on Fenway’s right field “Pesky Pole”
  • Twi-Nighters at Shea Stadium
  • Banner Day

I could go on-and-on, but will come back for more next week with football in mind.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 14

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The NBA wasted no time in paying the ultimate tribute to the great Celtics center, Bill Russell, who passed away July 31 at the age of 88. On the day of his private funeral, Russell’s No. 6 uniform was retired across the entire league, a gesture that Major League Baseball reserved for the great Jackie Robinson and the NHL for the “Great One,” Wayne Gretzky

In the major North American sports, that’s it. A group of three.

While living athletes might gain lofty honors, such as being inducted to their sports Hall of Fame or making an NBA@50 or NBA-75/76, or an NFL or NHL All-Century team. Maybe the highest honor is to carry the flag of your birth nation into the Olympic Games, with the real treat of doing it on your native soil (Andrew Gaze, Sydney 2000, Australia; Yao Ming 2008, Beijing, China; Bruce Baumgartner, Atlanta ‘96, USA; Sir Chris Hoy, London 2012, UK); Yane Márcia Campos, Rio, Brazil 2016 ) and so on.

Lighting the Olympic cauldron on your home turf is pretty cool, too, but the retirement of a number across the entire league is the subject matter for today. That is a lofty group of three, although I’m a bit partial to Katherine Switizer’s bib No. 261 being retired by the Boston Athletic Association.

What about sports that don’t assign numbers? Are there a few players in those sports who might be so honored?

I’ll start!

  • Jack Nicklaus
  • Tiger Woods

Swimming

  • Mark Spitz
  • Michael Phelps
  • Krisztina Egerszegi
  • Katie Ledecky

Men’s Tennis

  • Novak Djokovic
  • Rafa Nadal
  • Roger Federer

Women’s Tennis

  • Billie Jean King
  • Margaret Court
  • Martina Navratilova
  • Serena Williams

Yes, Serena Williams – definitely the greatest women’s tennis player of our time – announced her plans to retire after this year’s U.S. Open, scheduled August 29-September 11th at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing, NY.

They’ll need to build a new court to properly honor her, alongside King and the great Arthur Ashe.

Unless we get some “Jimmy Connors-like” miracle on center court in Flushing Meadows, Williams is likely to retire with 23 Grand Slam singles championships, one shy of Ms. Court. She was the winner of the “Serena Slam” – four consecutive Grand Slam tournaments but not in the same calendar year.

In 2015, Williams won her 19th Grand Slam at the Australian Open, her 20th at the French and her 21st at Wimbledon. (Serena lost in the U.S. Open semis to Roberta Vinci).

Williams’ 23rd Grand Slam, her last, was the 2017 Australian, when at age 35 and two months pregnant with her daughter Olympia, Serena defeated her talented sister, Venus, in straight sets to gain her victory.

Just this week, “The Atlantic” wrote of Williams’ desire to focus on her family, possibly give birth to a sibling for her daughter. To do what she wants to do with her life. Caira Conner of The Atlantic skillfully wrote, “Williams’s name is synonymous with the thing she helped revolutionize. Even when she finally puts down her racquet, Williams won’t really leave us. She may not be able to dually serve the gods of tennis and motherhood, but generations of young athletes will continue to pick up racquets of their own because she inspired them to do so. A legacy like that is more than numbers.”

Twenty-three is a great number.

I wonder if the NBA will retire it league-wide someday?

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s been 30 years since the USA Basketball Dream Team came home from the ‘92 Barcelona Olympics with the gold medal and having changed the world of basketball forever. The impact resonates like the ripples of water from a pebble tossed into the center of a Great Lake. While the NBA and Michael Jordan were soaring to new heights in the early ‘90s, boys and girls growing up all over the world took a serious look at basketball for the very first time. … The first real impact came in about 2000-02 when Houston Rockets center Yao Ming came along from China, all 7-foot-5 of him, joined with Argentina’s Manu Ginobili, a soon-to-be-inducted Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. NBA Finals MVPs Tim Duncanof the USVI and teammate Tony Parker of France led the San Antonio Spurs to five titles (1999, 2003, ‘05, ‘07 and 2014). Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA championship in 2011 after 15 playoff appearances and a Finals MVP. … There were more, thousands more in the international leagues around the world, and in USA colleges. Now, 30 years later, the sport is seeing and enjoying the ripples from the first stone cast. … It’s happening all over the globe – both men’s and women’s programs. While the impact has been quite evident on the court, the true value has been the social impact off-the-court, as evidenced by the NBA’s Basketball w/o Borders program and hundreds, if not thousands, of player appearances and goodwill trips to not only help the growth of awareness in the sport but to convey important life messages to youth living all around the world. Thirty years! Can you believe it? It’s been a hell of a Dream.

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: Nothing like waiting until August 12 for the key indicator of success in a baseball season. Friday night’s 3-2 Boston win over New York marked the Red Sox first win of the season when trailing after eight innings (1-45). … That stated and heading into Saturday night’s game on FOX, the Sox have come from behind in five of their last seven wins and in eight of their last 11.

TID-BITS: College basketball teams are starting their international endeavors. Just this week, Auburn was off to Israel to play a selection of the Israel’s U-20, a national Select All-Star team and then a 95-86 loss to Israel’s senior national team. … Meanwhile, St. John’s was off to the Dominican Republic and took a hard-fought 89-87 victory over DR’s U-22 national team. … St, John’s center Joel Soriano, a transfer out of Fordham who once played for the DR’s U-18 team at the FIBA U18 Tournament of the Americas. … Three weeks until College Football. … Saturday, September 3 at 12 Noon, Big 10 Rutgers Scarlet Knights visit Chestnut Hill for Boston College’s home opener. … As you’re getting ready for some football, the PGA Tour will be exiting ahead of the NFL season to avoid any sort of TV ratings clash. … After this weekend’s FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, the Top 70 eligible players will qualify for next week’s BMW Championship at Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club, with the Top 30 after the BMW earning spots in the field for the season-ending TOUR Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club from August 25-28th, clearing the way for September football. Smart move for the Tour. … We’ll see how the Administrative/PR/Media/TV/Site Protest/9-11 Families/Time Zone-challenged LIVers have tournaments planned for:

  • September 2-4 near Boston
  • September 16-18 in Chicago
  • October 7-9 in Bankok, Thailand
  • October 14-16 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • October 29-20 in Miami (Trump venue, right before Election Day)

Smartly, LIV Golf is avoiding the September 21-25 President’s Cup at Quail Hollow, in North Carolina, but the rest of the schedule goes head-to-head against the PGA Tour, LPGA and college and NFL football, all on a USA television outlet to be determined.

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