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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 19

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@WhileYoungIdeas @DigSportsDesk Look at NBA, LIV, PGA

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – This week, the 2022 NBA Finals ended here in Boston with a thud, the hometown Celtics drubbed and scrubbed by the team they call the Dubs, as in “W,” as in “Warriors,” as in “Ws,” as in “Winners.”

The Boston Celtics fell victim to:

  • Steph Curry and a better team
  • Golden State’s very good team defense, often overlooked when examining a high octane team
  • Fatigue brought on by a tough playoff road via:
    • Brooklyn
    • Milwaukee (also a better team, but were short Kris Middleton).
    • Miami (also a better team, record-wise, but no Lowry-Herro, as point guard Kyle Lowry was terribly out of NBA game shape and timing and Tyler Herro was injured).

We still wonder? Were the Celtics one last second, wonderful, sweeping turn-around, spin and game winning lay-up away from being in a real, long series instead of a surprising sweep of the Brooklyn Nets?

Would the Celtics have advanced past the Milwaukee Bucks if the Great Place on a Great Lake had their all-star forward and an extra offensive and defensive weapon?

And in the case of the seven-game, knock down, drag-out NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics skillfully, painfully and willfully outlasted the Heat to rightfully earn their place in The NBA Finals.

Many of the Celtics players stepped-up big time to advance the cause and the team. Specifically:

  • Robert Williams III – Played with soreness in his knees, but excelled.
  • Al Horford – He was just incredible the whole way.
  • Jaylen Brown – Provided consistent, big game scoring and rebounding throughout the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
  • Jayson Tatum – Led the Celtics throughout the postseason but came to a screeching halt in The NBA Finals, final Game 6.

Going forward, the Celtics will need – at least one or two more pieces to be strong and talented enough to win a championship. Next season, advancing to The NBA Finals will not be enough. It’s either the rings or failure.

To do that, the Celtics will need to decrease Horford’s minutes played. Daniel Theis is a big part of that remedy but the Celtics will need another rim protector and rebounder that can play meaningful minutes from November through June.

Robert Williams III is the other piece of that puzzle. Can he take it up a notch, stay healthy and be in the discussion of becoming an NBA All-Star? If he does, the Celtics will have their third “Big 3,” with Williams, Tatum and Brown.

The key issue might be the role of “true point guard.” While Marcus Smartwon NBA Defensive Player of the Year and brought the Celtics right to the brink, the team is best served when he plays the “2” (shooting guard). Reserve guard Derrick White might be able to rise to the starting point guard role. White is two years into his $73m rookie extension and 2022-23 will be crunch time for the 27-year old, 6-4 guard. His presence after a Feb 10, 2022 (trading deadline) deal with San Antonio coincided with the departure of Dennis Schroder (traded with Enes “Freedom” Kanter and BrunoFernando to Houston for Theis). The team cleansing moves set the current Celtics roster on a course for success. Yet, when the playoffs rolled around, Celtics first-year head coach Ime Udoka went with a seven or eight-man rotation with the starters aided by White, three-year veteran Grant Williamsand second-year man Payton Pritchard who played well.

Certainly the 40+ minutes per game drag, the physical nature of the Celtics’ road to The NBA Finals and the outstanding two-way efforts of the Golden State Warriors placed the Larry O’Brien Trophy on a shelf in San Francisco. At the end, the Warriors were beating the Celtics to every 50-50 ball, first tips on most rebounds and even smacking the previously tougher Celts around. Udoka had no answer.

Golden State was not the Vegas favorite in the West as the postseason rolled around. The Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies finished with better regular-season records and on April 1, a team that started the season 18-2 and enjoyed a nine-game winning streak lost 16 of 23 post trade deadline games and was 48-29.

The Dubs won their final five regular season games and hit full stride after that, defeating Denver in five games, the tough Grizz in six and Dallas in five before meeting the Celtics.

Team GM and former head coach Brad Stevens worked some serious magic at the trade deadline. This off-season, he needs to work two more acts before the curtain rises this Fall. The championship window is open but in the NBA, it shuts quickly and like a guillotine.

By the way, it’s important to note, the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets will be awaiting the Celtics next season, too.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As promised a week ago, let’s delve into golf’s new, rival, upstart LIV, the Car 54 of Golf (for you Roman numeral fans out there). At this point of the LIV season, with only one event in the books – the controversial and inaugural 54-hole London broil, there are more answers but still many questions for the Saudi-based and funded rival to the PGA TOUR.

Using the Car 54 analogy (youngsters better google it), Officers Gunther Toody and Francis Muldoon must be played by Phil Mickelson and LIV Commissioner Greg Norman, rather than original cast members Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynn.

The sitcom enjoyed two 30-episode seasons. From September 17, 1961 to April 22, 1962, season one aired 8:30pm (ET) to 9:00pm (ET), right smack in the middle of two all-time TV greats, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color and Bonanza. That would be a little like LIV Golf airing after the Super Bowl.

The second and final season aired from September 16, 1962 to its completion, totaling 60 episodes, on April 14, 1963. Two seasons? Prime-time between Disney and Bonanza? How could it be cancelled?

You get where we’re going, right?

The business model of LIV is not sustainable, no matter how many Saudi dollars pour into the endeavor. Reports call for some $2 to $4 billion to be invested before they check the balance sheets.

The LIV, previously and throughly reported, paid upfront acquisition costs to attract Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and first event winner Charl Schwartzel.

Schwartzel pocketed a cool $4,475,000 for his efforts, banking the $4m first prize and sharing in the $1,900,000 team prize for first. Relatively unknown (in the USA), Hennie Du Plessis had to settle for second place leftovers of $2,125,000 and his $475,000 for being No. 2 on Schwartzel’s “Stinger GC” team.

By comparison, Rory McIlroy, an outspoken critic of the LIV and staunch backer of the legacy of the PGA Tour, made a hefty $1,566,000 for winning the RBC Canadian Open, one of the lower purse outings on the Tour. This week’s winner of the USGA’s U.S. Open will pocket $3,150,000 an all-time high purse of $17,500,000. In other words, the Price of Purses “JUST WENT UP!”

But can the LIV make it?

Worldwide TV syndication can provide significant dollars, but the USA TV market might be slow to pony-up major dollars. The PGA TOUR has the Golf Channel and the interested networks (CBS, NBC and ESPN) locked with multi-year deals, especially the new ESPN+ streaming pact a much-improved version over previous offerings via NBC Gold via the defunct cable NBC Sports Network.

Streaming on YouTube might attract a few eyeballs, but the European start times of the London event hurt American interest and viewership. The LIV will next tee-it-up at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon on June 30th and then wait nearly a month before the July 29-31 third event at, get this, Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey.

The challenges are daunting and let’s count the ways:

  • The lack of week-to-week continuity will be troublesome.
  • Lack of a bigtime USA Network TV deal a drain on revenue and publicity
  • The strength of the PGA Tour is a hill too far to climb, especially come FedEx Cup playoff time which ends, appropriately, just before the NFL begins and college and pro football dominate the USA TV schedule, every day of the week.
  • The LIV will stage two events in September and three in October (Hello, Baseball?) One event, October 7-9, will be played in Bangkok, Thailand, while another, October 14-16, to be staged in … you guessed it … Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  • The LIV 2022 season concludes October 27-30 at yet another Trump facility, the Trump National in Doral (Miami).
  • 48 golfers will be playing in a no-cut format, the low man pocketing $120,000 per event, as Andy Ogletree did in London for shooting 82-77-75 (+24).

Like Car LIV, after some 60 episodes, it just won’t add up, and the decision to lose another $1 billion or two will be a difficult pill to swallow.

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: Going into Saturday night’s Game of the Week on FOX, the Boston Red Sox are 12-3 over 15 games in June, outscoring opponents 74-36 over that span. After a very rough start to the season, the Red Sox found themselves at 23-27 as May 31 passed with a loss to the Cincinnati Reds. After a win at Fenway Park Friday night, the Sox are 35-30 – five games over .500 – for the first time in 2022. Over the last 16 games, Red Sox starting pitchers posted a 1.87 ERA (19 ER/91.1 IP) with 81 strike-outs and only 17 Base-on-Balls. Starter Michael Wacha has allowed only two runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts, with the Red Sox going 7-2 in those nine starts. Sox SP Nick Pivetta has won six of his last seven starts to increase his ‘22 record to (6-5) after an (0-4) start. The Red Sox lost all six of Pivetta’s first six outings before the turn-around. … Reports have ace Chris Saleupping his efforts in the rehabilitation process. He threw his first simulated game on June 16. … The Milwaukee Brewers designated veteran offensive threat Lorenzo Cain for assignment.

A Happy Father’s Day to all the fatherly figures out there and a meaningful Juneteenth for our nation and the African-American community.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 12

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The 2022 NBA Finals Boston’s TD Garden (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In the 2007-08 college basketball season, I watched from afar and in amazement as Davidson College in North Carolina plowed through their Southern Conference schedule with a 20-0 record. Davidson coach Bob McKillop told me all about a sophomore guard and miracle worker, Stephen Curry, right from the first time he set eyes on him.

McKillop, born in Queens and a real Long Islander in the way rock and roll star Billy Joel loves his Downeaster’ Alexa, was once the head varsity coach at Holy Trinity High School on Long Island. He was also my history teacher and the instructor of the very first sports administration course I was fortunate to take, “Sports in Society.” From 1977 and onward ‘til this day, McKillop is a mentor for many of us and the common denominator as the great sport of basketball forged a lifelong friendship and deep bond. We speak often. We text less.

When a TV viewer watches Davidson play a game, one sees a coach, hair turned Irish white, calmly coaxing the very best from his team. He is known by anyone and everyone in college basketball as perhaps the best coach in the whole shooting match. Just this week, Jeff Goodman – the highly respected college basketball reporter from Stadium – ranked McKillop as the No. 2 most under-rated coach in the game. I shook my head in wonder why he listed Kelvin Sampson, coach of the University of Houston (via Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana (see five year show cause penalty), via Milwaukee Bucks assistant, via Houston Rockets assistant) as the No. 1 underrated.

All that time, as Sampson bounced around, McKillop was coaching and teaching his players at Davison College, first in obscurity down in the Southern Conference but then with brighter lights as his Wildcats joined the Atlantic 10.

This Fall, McKillop (71), will coach his 34th season and he’ll begin the year with a prior Basketball Hall of Fame nomination in his portfolio. But, in all that time and all the success (he’s one of only nine coaches in history to coach 1,000 games at one school), McKillop is no longer referred to as “Coach McKillop.” He’s been upgraded to become “Steph Curry’s coach,” and it’s a tag he wears proudly. The two men remain incredibly close, but McKillop has a knack of keeping in touch, forging that bond that he built with all of his past players and students who – over the years – become friends rather than pupils. In that area, McKillop works more 1,000 more miracles than Curry.

McKillop will be at the pivotal Game 5 of The Finals in San Francisco Monday night, watching live what he sees often on TV or DVR – Steph Curry dominating a basketball game, as that’s what happened on Friday night when his student of the game dropped 43 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists on the Boston Celtics in a 107-97 Golden State Warriors win at the TD Garden. The game tied the NBA Finals at 2-all, setting up a best-of-three to decide the 2022 NBA champion.

Curry shot 14-of-26, with 14-of-26 field goal shooting including 7-of-14 from downtown and an easy 8-for-9 at the line. Curry was nursing a sore foot, a condition suffered in Golden State’s Game 3 loss to the Celtics. Yet, at this time of the season, anyone and everyone still standing in the NBA postseason in banged-up.

“The heart on that man is incredible,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said of Curry post Game 4. “The things he does, we kind of take for granted at times, to go out there and put us on his back.”

“He wasn’t letting us lose. That’s all it boils down to,” said Warriors veteran and mix-it-up man Draymond Green. “I could tell in his demeanor, last couple of days, even after Game 3 that he was going to come out with that kind of fire.”

That’s what McKillop saw when he first set eyes on Curry, in a game when Curry didn’t play well but kept his composure, looked his coach in the eyes and never complained or pointed a finger at another.

I was told in 2006 what McKillop told everyone. “Steph is something special.” That was out of ordinary for Coach McKillop as he rarely gushes over one single player and he never exaggerates.

When we sat in the Players’ Lounge area at the 2009 NBA Draft, McKillop wasn’t his coach anymore. Steph was joining the rest of us in having a trusted mentor in his corner, one that will tell you the truth, tell you how to be a better player, better person. Maybe, he’ll tell you something funny or a good story about something or someone he reconnected with on a recent scouting trip.

At the NBA Draft that year, and ever the worrier, I was concerned if Curry’s lack of size would catch-up with him in the big time NBA, where players are much bigger and stronger than at any college program. “Can he get his shot? Can he defend? Can he adjust? Can he handle the physical nature of the NBA?”

When the No. 5 and No. 6 pick came up that June 25, 2009 night at Madison Square Garden, and the Minnesota Timberwolves had not one but the next two selections in the NBA Draft, I was sure Curry would be packing his winter coat for Minneapolis.

Nope.

The Timberwolves selected Spain’s Ricky Rubio who came with legendary status and stories dating back to his teenage years, scoring and entertaining fans with a Pete Maravich-type flair. The Timberwolves’ need for a scoring guard was filled and Curry dropped from what many thought would be a Top 5 selection. But, then the shocker, with the No. 6 pick, Minnesota selected Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn. Incredible!

Stephen Curry fell right into the lap of the Golden State Warriors at No. 7. It was perfect for the Warriors, perfect for Curry and it became the cornerstone of a rare air dynasty in the NBA, anchored by Curry and built by GM Bob Myers, team president Rick Welts, all-star players Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and a host of others from the front office, to Ray Ridder and the PR department to the athletic training room. Add a strong collection of complimentary players and other stars like Kevin Durant and Andre Iguadola, and the wins began to flow, some 73 Dubs in the 2015-16 season when they fell short in the Finals (Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-games-to-3).

The architect who placed the cornerstone will remain his under-rated self when he sits in the stands for Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals at the brand new Chase Center in downtown San Francisco this Monday. It will mark the sixth time the Golden State Warriors will compete in the NBA Finals in an eight-year span. People will point in McKillop’s direction, and say, “That’s Steph Curry’s Coach.”

SOUTHERN MEN: The Tampa Bay Lightning are a home win away from advancing to the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final where they’d face the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs advanced via a 4-0 sweep of Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

Only the hopes of an Original Six New York Rangers team stands between a Final between the Avs and the Bolts – certainly not a bad match-up.

The Final will be fine, but the earlier rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, arguably the greatest event for live viewing in all of sport, had a strange vibe to it for traditional ice hockey fans.

No Montreal Canadiens. Out went the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. No Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks to be found. In their place were the Carolina Hurricanes, the Florida Panthers, and the Nashville Predators.

The ice has tilted to the South and it’s an issue for the NHL as the times change.

TID-BITS: The Boston Red Sox own MLB’s best record since May 18th at 17-6 (.739) They’re 21-9 (.700) over their last 30 games and stand 12-4 (.750) in 16 road games since May 10th. … After a terrible start to the 2022 MLB season, the Red Sox have won eight of their last nine games, outscoring opponents 41-18 over that span.

Front Office Sports reports what might seem obvious to sports fans, sports organizations and TV executives, but the numbers remain impressive and worth a good look: The NFL is the most dominant property in television, leaving news, dramas, comedies and reality shows in its dust. Live NFL games accounted for 75 of the Top 100 most-watched TV programs in 2021. … With an average audience of 19.3 million across linear/digital platforms, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” has reigned as prime time’s No. 1 TV show for a record 11 straight years.

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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 5

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In the spring of 2007, Al Horford capped two NCAA Final Four basketball championships by being the third overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, selected by the Atlanta Hawks. Together with Florida Gators frontcourt-mate and fellow rim protector, Joakim Noah, and impressive collegiate scorer, Corey Brewer, Horford thought a trip to the Final Four was his birthright. After all, his father, “Tito” Horford had made it to the NBA, playing four years with a combination of the Milwaukee and Washington. Surely. there’d be plenty of success in the future.

Life in the NBA can have a cruel side. The money’s great but the competition is pretty tough. You’ve got the pay your dues if you wanna play the Bulls, and playoff shares for NBA Finalists don’t come easy.

Horford toiled for nine years with the Hawks and his team made the playoffs every year sans one, 2013-14, when he was injured. He bounced right back and played in 76 of 82 regular season games and all 16 of Atlanta’s playoff games as the East’s No. 1 seed that won enough to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Not quite enough, as the Hawks were swept away, 4-0, by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

No NBA Finals for Big Al.

In the summer of 2016, Horford’s fortunes increased when he was signed to a multi-year contract by the Boston Celtics. In the spring of 2017, he played in 18 NBA Playoff games, again with the No. 1 seed in the East, but fell victim to James and the Cavaliers once again.

No NBA Finals for Big Al.

That cruel side of NBA life moved on and Horford signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019 and later traded to Oklahoma City in 2020.

No Finals.

On June 18, 2021 Horford’s NBA destiny and legacy would change for the better once again. He was packaged by Oklahoma City in a deal for Kemba Walker and returned to Boston to anchor the front court.

On Friday night, June 3, Horford celebrated his 36th birthday a day after playing his 142nd playoff game and doing so in a “Star of the Game” role in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals, a 120-108 Celtics road win against the Golden state Warriors.

Big Al led the Celtics in scoring with (26), including a 6-for-8 performance from three-point FG range. No NBA player had ever gone 141 playoff games without reaching the Finals and those six ‘threes’ were the most for any NBA player making his Finals debut. Two of the “threes” put the Celtics up 106-103 and 109-103 with about five minutes remaining in the game, and his 17-foot jumper at 3:40 in the fourth quarter made it 111-103 Boston, bolstering a 40-16 Celtics run in the final 12 minutes of the game. That’s not bad for a team that trailed by 15 late in the third quarter.

Horford’s eight important points keyed the Game 1 victory, but his offense is not what makes him such a valuable player for his team. Ask any Celtics player, coach or front office worker what Al Horford provides for the club and you’re likely to get the same answer.

“Phenomenal,” said Jaylen Brown of the Celtics. “That’s what we need. That’s what we want. We want that veteran leadership to carry us over. He came out for his first Finals game and played amazing. He carried us and led to a victory.

“His energy, his demeanor, coming in every day, being a professional, taking care of his body, being a leader, I’m proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford, man,” added Brown after defeating Miami and earning g the Finals appearance for Horford. “He’s been great all season, really my whole career. I’m happy to be able to share this moment with somebody like him.”

What did Horford think?

It wasn’t about an offensive role, it was all about defense.

“Coach Udoka was very clear what he wanted us to be as a team, our identity, defensively, hang our hat on the defensive end,” said Big Al. “And on offense, play freely, use Jaylen and Jayson and just kind of just go. (Our team) understanding and buying into that – it took us a while – but I feel like once we started to understand how we needed to play, we became more consistent.

“This journey is not easy. We had a hard path. Brooklyn, Milwaukee, the defending champs, and Miami’s s a team that – look what they did – they took us to the brink.

“For our group it’s resiliency, it’s switching the page, moving on to the next thing, and we did that all season. I really noticed it, and I was telling this to JB (Brown), but it was like February, early February, that I just noticed how we started to click.

“People were like, ‘Well, you guys are beating teams that have guys out, guys are hurt and all these things,” and I was like, “It doesn’t matter, I’m seeing something different in how we’re playing. That’s how we’re just going to carry it on, and that’s what we’ve been doing.’”

Up 1-0 in The NBA Finals, the Celtics’ journey continues Sunday but there’s a long, long way to go. If you don’t believe that’s true, just ask Al Horford.
Al Horford (center) in his leadership role with Celtics (USA Today photo)

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Chelsea went for some $3 billion, the Denver Broncos are on the market, valued at $3.8 billion, and attracting a list of buyers a mile high. Nike founder Phil Knight tossed his $2 billion into a pair of basketball shoes in an attempt to acquire the Portland Trail Blazers, on the market as part of the estate of the late Paul Allen of Microsoft fame.

The piggy bank broke when Los Angeles Clippers team owner, Donald Sterling, was banned from The NBA for racist remarks and conduct unbecoming an NBA franchise governor and his $12.5 million purchase in 1981 turned into a $2 billion sale of the Clippers in 2014.

Professional franchise valuations soared and in 2022, it’s a matter of what someone will pay to join an exclusive club of team owners for any sport.

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: With those incredible franchise valuations comes payroll, too, and Major League Baseball payrolls and the subsequent tax levied against clubs above the $230 million salary threshold have hit record numbers.

The Los Angeles Dodgers might as well change nicknames to the Los Angeles Dollars as the club’s Opening Day salary was an all-time high $310.6 million,. That resulted in a $47 million tax according to figures compiled by Major League Baseball and obtained by The Associated Press on Friday.

The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox rounded-out the Top 5 of MLB teams over the threshold. The Phillies fired Joe Girardi, their manager of two years, as the club is mired in third place in the National League East, playing sub-.500 baseball at 23-29 (.442).

The Payroll Tax List: (Team, Opening Day Payroll, MLB Luxury Tax)

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers, $310.6m, $47m
  2. New York Mets, $289.3m, $22.5m
  3. New York Yankees, $261.4m, $7.6m
  4. Philadelphia Phillies, $233.1m, $629k
  5. Boston Red Sox, $232.3m, $466k

Meanwhile, Nashville is actively pursuing a Major League Baseball and a WNBA franchise, if and when they become available, most likely through expansion. The Tennessee city already has the NFL Titans and the NHL Predators.

We all used to love the Major League Baseball’s Game of the Week, one game on national TV (NBC) with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek on the broadcast. In the ‘60s, NBC paid some $6.1 million for 25 broadcasts and MLB tossed in some holidays, like Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. … Joe Garagiola took over for Gowdy at some point in the mid-60s. … On Saturday, June 4, there were four national “Games of the Week,” and that excludes the regular Boston broadcast of the Red Sox by regional sports network, NESN.

NBA IN SEATTLE? VEGAS? – As far as The NBA is concerned, the league has a franchise in Memphis and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver denied any active maneuvering to expand with a media inquiry about possible expansion to Seattle and/or Las Vegas coming Thursday night in Silver’s bi-annual State of the NBA address.

“Just to answer the first part of your question directly, that talk is not true,” said Silver of rumors of Seattle and Las Vegas. “At least maybe there are people talking who are not at the league office about us potentially expanding after the 2024 season.

“We are not discussing that at this time.

“As I said before, at some point, this league invariably will expand, but it’s not at this moment that we are discussing it. But one of the factors in expanding is the potential dilution of talent. … I find it remarkable that when you have the second-most-played sport in the world after soccer, tens of millions — now just talking on the NBA side — of young men playing in this game, and then you have the 450 best in the world in this league, that there’s a few of them who separate themselves even among those 450 as the very best of the best, but there is then a fall-off, a drop-off in talent after that.

“So expansion does create a certain amount of dilution. And even sort of adding another 30 players or so that are roughly comparable, there still are only so many of the truly top-tier super talents to go around. That is something on the mind of the other teams as we think about expansion.

“But those (Seattle/Vegas) are wonderful markets. Again, as I’ve said before, we were in Seattle. I’m sorry we are no longer there. We have a WNBA team in Seattle in an almost brand-new building that’s doing spectacular. And Las Vegas, where we will be at our Summer League in July, has shown itself to be a great sports market as well.

“We’ll be looking at it at some point, but there’s no specific timeline right now.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 29

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Ode to the Wiffle Ball

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – There is a Hall of Fame toy company based at 275 Bridgeport Avenue in Shelton, Connecticut. Without a doubt, the company is responsible for keeping youngsters all across the United States of America off the streets and on their driveways or in a school yard for hundreds of thousands of hours. Yes, the Wiffle Ball, Inc. company is an American Dream, a religion, a sports industry icon and relic of our youth and the long gone days of summer.

Baseball claims to be the national pastime. Truth be told, Wiffle Ball is the REAL national pastime. Everyone has a Wiffle Ball story, a league, a tournament, a rivalry and backstory for their particular games, their field, their driveway or alleyway. There is no right or wrong, because every great Wiffle Ball player grew-up with their own big league imagination for such a great game.

Let’s delve into the nuances of the real, true, Wiffle Ball.

First the sporting equipment:

There is one and only one real Wiffle Ball. And, there is only one official hard yellow plastic Wiffle Ball bat (picture above at a display that fills grocery and sporting goods stores nation-wide. Most Wiffle Ball aficionados also prefer the Franklin Pitchback as the preferred backstop, strike zone and umpire.

The official Wiffle Ball was designed by David N. Mullany at his home in Fairfield, Connecticut in 1953 when he sought-out a ball that curved easily for his 12-year-old son. Perfectly placed oval holes on only one side of the sturdy, plastic ball did the trick. A pitcher, holding the ball upright with the holes on the right, allowed for a pretty wicked curveball. The more difficult pitch, the screwball or slider, was executed with the holes on the left. The release-point had to be perfect for the screwball, while the regular curve allowed for a more lenient release point and pitch velocity.

More advanced players enjoyed the fact a pitch could be thrown at high speeds with the holes straight down, to create a riser effect. If one were to toss the ball with the holes up, pandemonium could occur, trust me.

A seasoned Wiffle Ball pitcher can easily throw the ball at 80-90 mph, sometimes clocking in a bit higher, depending on the physics of the day. Windy days are not great for high speed, but wonderful for curves, sliders and screwballs. The Atlantic studied all sorts of physics to properly frame the perfect pitch of a Wiffle Ball. There is such a thing as a professional Wiffle Ball player and some YouTube videos depict Wiffle Ball pitching velocity up to 150 mph, a feat I have not seen by man, beast or batting range/pitching machine. A change-up can fool a batter, much the same way as in hardball.

Next, the set-up and ground rules:

Wiffle Ball games are played on open fields, in small, make-shift stadiums specifically designed for the games (some with Green Monster walls). Most often they are played on the driveways and backyards of America.

For purposes of this notebook, the explanations will come from the firsthand set-up utilized from about 1968-1983 on a Long Island-based Wiffle Ball field right on our home driveway. Some of the details will illustrate the real charm of the game.

  1. The Pitchback (back-stop) was set-up about two feet ahead of the driveway hoop and backboard, so to not interfere with pop-ups or any batted ball, or incredible fall-off-the-cliff, Barry Zito-like curveball.
  2. The pitchers mound was not a mound at all, just the end of the driveway, adjacent to the cement curb. There was no rubber to push from, so a Wiffle Ball pitcher in our neck of the woods relied solely on arm strength, good sneakers, and solid leg/thigh strength, cultivated from years of watching the Mets Hall of Famer, Tom Seaver, who would bear down and release the baseball with his knee nearly touching the mound. when Seaver’s knee was scraped with the clay from the mound at Shea Stadium, you knew he was in a groove. We felt the same way if our knee was bleeding.
  3. The Rules (for singles): 1B (single base hit) was a grounder or line drive that made its way past the pitcher. … 2B (double) landed two-thirds of the way across the street which was marked by a line on the street from cars which passed by over time. … 3B (triple) had to land across the street completely, past the curb and up to the sidewalk. … HR (homers) were tough, as they had to clear the 36-inch and neatly manicured hedges on our neighbors, The Gehrings, front yard. A shorter option was available towards right-center field where The Thomas’ had no hedges and a ball landing on their front yard was gone. … There were variations if playing doubles (2-on-2). … Any fielded ground ball of fly ball was an out, no matter where it went.
  4. Amazement: There were a few shots hit to the Thomas’ front doorstep, and maybe only one or two to the rooftop. Blasts.
  5. Ground Rules were plentiful, but for purposes of this notebook, we’ll simply point-out that fair balls were hit between the lamp post in right field to a car which seemed to be permanently parked across the street but in a place that worked perfectly to mark the left field foul pole.
  6. Issues? Somehow or another with Wiffle Balls being tossed at 75-to-maybe-90 mph and frequent foul-tips flying straight back to the garage door which had five panes of glass windows, we rarely broke a window. … That said, the Thunder Clap-like sounds of a foul ball hitting the garage door could wake up the dead, and until this day, I can NOT understand how our parents put-up with the constant BANG for hours on end.
  7. Supplies: At the start of summer and maybe once every two or three weeks on-going, we’d load up with the official Wiffle Balls, purchasing as few as two or three from the local Five & Dime Store to ordering a case of the baseballs. … The brand new balls had to be treated by rubbing the base and side of the Wiffle Ball some 100-200 times on the rough concrete to create some beat-up ridges on the ball to aid its flight. … A brand new Wiffle Ball, right out of the box, did nothing. A properly conditioned ball, would break 10-feet, at least. … Lastly, in the supply department, after breaking just a few window panes, we wised-up, went to the store with exact measurements and bought about 12 spare windows to make replacements quite easy. My guess is that there are still – at least – four or five spare panes on the ledge of the garage door, stored safely.
  8. Umpires for Balls & Strikes: Simply hitting the pinchbeck was a strike, as long as it was above the bottom strike zone weaved into the middle of the spring back mesh. That responsibility was up to the hitter to call. All others were left to the pitcher, especially the trickiest of strikes, the fastballs that sailed through the upper left and right corners of the pinchbeck which had open spaces between the netting and the steel frame. … Everything else? Playground rules and I can’t remember a single argument.
  9. Other equipment? That was made it “Oh, so simple then.” All we needed were our Micky Mantle pseudo autographed Rawlings brand baseball mitts, secured with five Dutch Masters cigar bands and a couple bucks for two damn-good, but small leather mitts which came by mail and lasted a lifetime. Until this day, I’m 100% sure the mitts are still someplace in the house. I only wish I could find them.

Details of specific and memorable games are plentiful, still locked in our minds, but one summer stands out with the fact we methodically travelled to Shea Stadium for Mets games and each trip allowed us to purchase the plastic helmet for nearly every National League team. Every now and then, especially when the Yankees played two seasons at Shea in the mid-70s, we were able to find a number of American League plastic helmets. Trips to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx supplied others and a trip to Fenway Park in Boston was a goldmine to purchase all kinds of great head gear, useless for protection, but GREAT for being the backbone of a multi-team, summer-long competition when each pairing chose “their team” and acquired those helmets to wear.

It was the BiCentennial Celebration for the USA – 1776 to 1976 for you math wizards out there – and we had special BiCentennial hats, team uniforms, t-shirts and other gear. The best? Team uniforms for the Swingin’ A’s, the funky Houston Astros, classic St, Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, our New York Mets, of course, the Hank Aaron-led Atlanta Braves and a few years later, the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates were all represented.

My team? The early ‘70s ‘Stros with the Toy Cannon (Jimmy Wynn), Cesar Cedeno, Bob Watson, Roger Metzger among the batters while J.R. Richard, Joaquin Andujar, Joe Niekro and local favorite in Bethpage’s Joe Sambito put out the fires.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Last week we previewed the 2022 Basketball Africa League Playoffs and Finals. This week, we bring you the results. Tunisia’s US Monastir defeated Angola’s Petro de Luanda, 83-72, to win the 2022 Basketball Africa League title. The event was staged at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda and was broadcast to NBA and BAL fans in 215 countries and territories as part of the NBA’s TV packages.

Following the game, BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall presented US Monastir with the BAL Finals Trophy and US Monastir guard Michael Dixonwith the Hakeem Olajuwon BAL Most Valuable Player award. Dixon recorded per game averages of 16.5 points and 4.1 assists and a team-high 21.3 points per game during the playoffs.

2022 BAL Champion US Monastir went 7-1 during the Sahara Conference group phase and playoffs, defeating South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers and Egypt’s Zamalek in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the Finals. Zamalek defeated Cameroon’s F.A.P 97-74 in the third-place game.

U-18: USA Basketball selected 17 finalists for the 2022 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team following three days of training camp in Houston, Texas. The players, selected from 27 training camp invitees, will vie for one of 12 spots on the U18 National Team that will compete at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Tijuana, Mexico, from June 6-12. The final roster will be determined early next week before the team begins Group Play June 6 vs. the Dominican Republic. … Finalists were selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee and represent the high school graduating classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024.

The 2022 USA Basketball Men’s U-18 National Team players to clear the bar thus far: Mark Armstrong Jr., Anthony Black, Xavier Booker, Kanaan Carlyle, Stephon Castle, Eric Dailey Jr., Caleb Foster, Brandon Garrison, Gregory ‘GG’ Jackson, Jared McCain, Derik Queen, Ty Rodgers, Seth Trimble, Jordan Walsh, Kel’el Ware, Bryson Warren and Cam Whitmore.

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: It’s just a Fantasy! MLB suspended Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham for three games for “inappropriate conduct” and also issued an undisclosed fine. The light suspension was retroactive to Friday and runs through May 29, but will cost Pham $111,111 in salary, according to published reports.

Pham slapped San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Peterson over a season-old disagreement in their Fantasy Football league, apparently over a simple fantasy free agent move on their fictional team rosters.

“I slapped Joc,” Pham told reporters. “He said some s— I don’t condone. I had to address it,” Pham added while Peterson declined comment. “It was regarding my former team [the San Diego Padres]. I didn’t like that and I didn’t like the sketchy s— going on in the fantasy. We had too much money on the line, so I look at it like there’s a code.”

You must wonder what Pete Rose thinks?

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 22

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Examines: Trevor Story

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The marketing mavens and mindless media will overuse the buzzword so much, they’ll be calling him Trevor Narrative.

Embed from Getty Images

Back in the non-buzzword real world, Boston Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story is no longer hearing the boos of Brookline Avenue. He had a fabulous Thursday and Friday this week, homering three times on Thursday night against the Seattle Mariners and hitting a Grand Slam on Friday night against those same Embarrassments Under the Sea.

Narrative, err, Story became only the fifth Sox player with 4+ HRs and 11+ RBI in any two-game span, joining Nomar Garciaparra (5/9-10/1999, 7/21-23/2002), Ken Harrelson (6/13-14/1968), Bobby Doerr (6/8-9/1950), and Jim Tabor (doubleheader on 7/4/1939). Story scored six runs in his Thursday-Friday, while Tabor (7) and Doerr (6) were the only others to score 6+ runs over two days.

After a brutal start to the 2022 season and hearing it from the crowds, as Marv Albert would say, Story leads the Red Sox this season in RBI (27), walks (15), and stolen bases (5) and ranks 2nd in HRs (6), and that includes 22 RBI in his last 17 games leading into Saturday.

On Saturday, Story hit a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fifth, his 12th RBI in the last three games as he leads the Sox in RBI (28). Story is one of 12 Red Sox hitters (21st time) to record 12+ RBI in any three-game span. Prior to Story, the most recent occurrences were in 2016, when Mookie Betts recorded 13 RBI from 8/14-16 and Jackie Bradley Jr. did so from 5/9-11 (13 RBI).

Story’s batting average dipped as low as .194 on May 8 and Boston Manager Alex Cora dropped him from hitting second in the lineup to sixth.

Looking back to 2018, Story hit 37 homers and had 111 RBI for the Colorado Rockies while playing shortstop. This year, he’s a second base as Red Sox great Xander Bogaerts commands the shortstop position, at least until the trading deadline. In 2021, while with the Rockies, he had 24 HRs and 34 two-base hits.

Those numbers were sure to rise in hitter-friendly Fenway Park, but the game at sea level proved harder than the thin air of the Mile High City and Story struggled in the cold weather of the USA northeast. But, as the weather has warmed in late May, so, too has Story and that seems to be the latest narrative coming from Fenway Park. Ahem.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The 15th annual Sports Business Awards were held this week in New York, hosted by the good people at Sports Business Journal/and/Daily. Abe Madkour and his staff have seen stiff competition in the world of sports business trade news, most notably from Sportico andFront Office Sports (FOS), but the SBJ/SBD still remains the standard, especially in the daily reporting of news from every corner of the sports industry.

Here’s a list of just some of the winners in this year’s Sports Business award categories:

  1. Sports Event of the Year – MLB Field of Dreams game
  2. Best in Digital Sports Media – ESPN+
  3. Sports Facility of the Year – Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle)
  4. Athletic Director of Year – Sandy Barbour, Penn State (retired)
  5. Sports Break-through of Year – Crypto.com
  6. Best in Sports Media – ESPN
  7. Team of the Year – Tampa Bay Lightening
  8. League of the Year – UFC
  9. Sports Executive of the Year – Michael Rubin, Fanatics
  10. Lifetime Achievement – Robert Kraft, New England Patriots

COMMENCEMENT WORDS of WISDOM: While contemplating this week’s Parting Words & Music section (see below), I was very close to shunning another selection of music and sharing an incredibly important address given by Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to the Class of 2019 at Johns Hopkins University. In doing so, it was decided that this is far too important a speech and I list it here as a MUST WATCH, a very rare and the highest recommendation I ever list when creating content for this e-News, or for Facebook, Twitter, or Digital Sports Desk. … Jeffrey Goldberg grew up in Malverne, Long Island and attended the University of Pennsylvania where he began his career in journalism. From Penn to the Washington Post to The Jerusalem Times to The New Yorker to The Atlantic, where he now stands as Editor-in-Chief, all he’s done is to report, investigate, dig for the truth, sometimes at great personal risk, travel to dangerous sites and report the news. He is famous in the world of top-notch journalism to us all, but some might simply remember him as the writer to broke the controversial “Trump: Americans Who Died in Wars are ‘Losers and Suckers’ story.” … It shook the USA, especially the Armed Forces as the Commander in Chief of the US military could somehow have such a viewpoint. … Three years ago, almost to the date, Goldberg gave the commencement address at Johns Hopkins University and he was fabulous, much to the credit of one of his opening salvos that “there is no such good thing as a 20-minute commencement address and no such bad thing as a 10-minute commencement address.” … He also noted that by lunchtime, the very next day, no one in attendance would remember what he said. … That is wrong and I share his (15 minutes) and do so at a time when we can look back at the astonishing disinformation that we’ve been subjected to since May, 2019. … By the way, there is a connection to sports in this section, as the address was given at Baltimore Arena, the site of many a New York Knicks vs. Baltimore (then) Bullets games, and I could remember the days of Earl “The Pearl” Monroe lighting up the Knicks in the tiny but wonderfully renovated Arena in downtown Baltimore, a mere 10-15 minutes from the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins. I give it to you for free on YouTube, noting that we, as a family received every single cent worth of some $250,000+ for the right to view this in person with thanks for a lending hand from “Daddy Bloomberg.” … Best wishes to all the 2019-to-2022 graduates at all the schools across the USA. You all faced difficult times, the most difficult since the Classes of 1918-19-20.

In seriousness, I can say this address is well worth 15-minutes of your Sunday morning:

TID-BITS: Where does the time go? It was 50 years ago the Indiana Pacers won their second of three ABA titles (1970, ‘72 and ‘73). … Do you remember some of the names/players, like Mel Daniels, Roger Brown, Rick Mount, George McGinnis, Bob Netolicky and Freddie Lewis? … They were coached by Bob “Slick” Leonard, one of the all-time greats. … Big time rivals, the New York Nets, went on to win in 1974 and ‘76. … J.J. Redick played 139 games over four years at Duke University and then enjoyed a 15-year career in the NBA. Now, he should probably do two things: 1). Go back to school. 2). Head to NBAE Entertainment and watch as much old NBA game film as he can get his hands on. … Redick made the colossally stupid remark when discussing the talents of Hall of Fame guard Bob Cousy and his opponents on “First Take.” … “He was being guarded by plumbers and firemen,” Redick retorted, claiming players from the 1950s-60s era can’t be compared with those of today. … Cousy decided to speak softly on a reply: “People with less talent will always try to make a name for themselves by criticizing other people and hopefully getting some attention and perhaps increasing their credibility,” Cousy said. “So when you respond to something like this, you play into their hands. I won’t do that, but I will defend the firemen and the plumbers that he referenced. And I’ll just give you a few of the names of these firemen that I played with and against during those years. … “How about Bill Russell, the aforementioned, not too bad a player,” Cousy added. “Wilt Chamberlain, remember that guy? He wasn’t bad. I guess he must have fought fires as well. … Cousy is 100% correct of course but he might’ve mentioned a few of the guards or small forwards who would’ve shut Redick and nearly every player of his era down, cold. Here are just a few: Oscar Robertson, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bobby Jones, and Norm Van Lier, just to name a few. Certainly, Van Lier’s teammate, the late Jerry Sloan, might’ve broken Redick in half. … During his appearance, Cousy also noted the greatness of Elgin Baylor and how it is oft overlooked. … Cousy said, “In (his) judgement, Elgin Baylor is still the greatest small forward to ever play the game.” … Note to J.J. – Baylor was not a plumber or a fireman and your NBA chops/credibility is now shot. … More importantly, Get Well Soon wishes go out to Boston sports tv legend Mike Lynch (WCVB-Channel 5/ABC) who suffered a stroke earlier this week but is expected to make a full recovery after a rehab sting at Spaulding in Boston. … It’s the same country in summertime, right? It’s 39-degrees and snowing in Denver, 55-degrees, windy with 78% humidity at Southern Hills for the PGA Championship in Tulsa, OK, and temperatures will be soaring to 95-degrees over the next 24 hours in the northeast (Boston). Meanwhile, the NHL is playing an ice-hockey series in Tampa and Sunrise, Florida where temperatures will be a comfortable 75-80 degrees at game time. … Early Voting won The Preakness Stakes in Maryland. The headlines will write themselves! Just wish they would’ve named the horse 11,780 Votes. … Kentucky Derby long shot winner Rich Strike will be back for a run at The Belmont. … Edmonton’s Connor McDavid recorded his NHL-leading 20th point in the ninth Oilers game of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs and is producing at a pace last seen 30 years ago. Mario Lemieux had 22 points in the first nine games of the 1992 NHL Playoffs.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 15

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – If the great Jerry West is “The Logo,” and Julius Erving is “The Doctor,” the late, great Bob Lanier was “The Ambassador,” possibly the loftiest of all titles in the National Basketball Association.

Lanier passed away this week at the age of 73. The NBA noted his death came after a brief illness, but Lanier had battled bladder cancer, according to reports in The Athletic.

The 6-11 center was born in Buffalo, New York on September 10, 1948 and he became famous playing for St. Bonaventure University and leading the Bonnies to the 1970 NCAA Final Four when an injury sidelined him for a match-up against Jacksonville and 7-footer Artis Gilmore in an age of the great centers.

Once “Big Bob” made it to the NBA as the No. 1 pick in the talent-heavy 1970 NBA Draft, he faced a bevy of big men who would all become Basketball Hall of Famers. From Philadelphia/Los Angeles Lakers’ center Wilt Chamberlain to Portland’s Bill Walton and Milwaukee/Los Angeles Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lanier held his own or better while playing for the lowly Detroit Pistons. An “easier” night found Lanier battling shorter but stronger centers like Willis Reed of the New York Knicks or Wes Unseld of the Washington (then Bullets). A day or two later, he was facing Elvin Hayes of the Houston Rockets/Washington Bullets or Alvin Adams of the Phoenix Suns. After Cowens, the Celtics brought along Robert Parish and the Sixers re-loaded and acquired Moses Malone. Lanier fought against them all. And so on, and so on until he retired in 1984 as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, completing a 14-year NBA career as a “20 & 10” man, an eight-time NBA All-Star with one All-Star Game MVP. After his career, he was an assistant coach and brief interim head coach for the Golden State Warriors. He was enshrined as a player at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and his uniform number “16” was retired by both the Bucks and the Pistons.

That chronicles Bob Lanier – The Player.

I’m here to tell you about Bob Lanier – The PERSON, the colleague, the office-mate, the rally leader, the Stay-in-School headmaster, the Don’t Foul Out advisor, the NBA Cares Ambassador extraordinaire.

The outpouring of love and admiration by his NBA League Office and NBA team peers this week was as extraordinary as Lanier, and those words and tears flowed like fine wine in Bordeaux.

“R.I.P. Big Bob,” wrote Andre Aldridge, a lifelong fan and admirer of Lanier. “There has never been a basketball player born in Buffalo who was greater. The same can be said after his time at St. Bonaventure University, before becoming the #1 overall pick of the 1970 NBA Draft by Detroit. … “Big Bob was so much more. He was a former President of the NBA Players Association. He was active in civil rights and charitible endeavors while putting up Hall of Fame numbers as a player.

“I’ve been blessed to have many of the heroes I admired growing up watching on TV, become friends,” added Aldridge, once a commentator for NBA TV and now a broadcaster for the Atlanta Hawks. “His friendship will be missed, and he was a friend to tons of people all over the world. There are many great stories and highlights from on the court, however my best memories will be of the times I worked with him through “NBA Cares” events. For that he was an (NBA) Ambassador and he attacked that role as he did everything else, with excellence.”

The NBA’s Commissioner, Adam Silver, wrote in a league statement: “Bob Lanier was a Hall of Fame player and one of the most talented centers in the history of the NBA, but his impact on the league went far beyond what he accomplished on the court. For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to [former commissioner] David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the game’s values, and make a positive impact on young people everywhere.

“It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around. His enormous influence on the NBA was also seen in his time as President of the National Basketball Players Association, where he played a key role in the negotiation of a game-changing collective bargaining agreement.

“I learned so much from Bob by simply watching how he connected with people. He was a close friend who I will miss dearly, as will so many of his colleagues across the NBA who were inspired by his generosity. We send our deepest condolences to Bob’s family and friends,” said Silver.

Somehow, someway, Lanier connected with every single person on the NBA staff, not just “the basketball people” or those in his department, but everyone. He knew every name, every detail of every life. It made me think about the power within his 6-11 tower of a body.

There is a real, concrete “Force” that wraps around the NBA like the double helix of the very DNA that binds the League and game. It stirs when something goes wrong. It sends shivers up your spine when you sense the disturbance. That happened as we learned of the death of Bob Lanier. From St Bonnies to Detroit to Milwaukee to NBA Legend to Hall of Famer to NBA Ambassador to Don’t Foul Out to NBA Stay in School and Basketball w/o Borders. Lanier was always available to give advice and provide deep and accurate perspective for his NBA colleagues and to the players.

He was ALWAYS UPBEAT.

He will be missed.

Buffalo’s and St. Bonnie’s Best.

Forever.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s a bit tough to follow a tribute to Bob Lanier with some general sports notes. Let’s try.

First, a quick personal note. At the NBA’s offices at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York, I was fortunate enough to share an adjacent and common wall with Boston Celtics legend Tom “Satch” Sanders and Lanier was just a few doors down. Not a day went by when we didn’t see each other or say a quick hello.

Most days, there was a need to “bounce something off” either “Satch” or “Big Bob,” and great resources like Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik, head of basketball Rod Thorn and his chief lieutenants Matt Winick and Stu Jackson were equally available to those of us in the league’s Communications Department who needed some advice. I found their influences an important tent pole of keeping the sport of basketball as the center and ultimate factor in every decision we made throughout the years.

Lanier went the furthest in his influencing hundreds of thousands of youngsters during rallies held by NBA Cares, rallies he led with a call for “TWO CLAPS,” as he brought the large groups at the rally to pay attention to his messages forthcoming.

👏🏼 👏🏼

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: The Boston Red Sox began their Saturday night game against the Texas Rangers in the basement of the competitive American League East Division. The Sox own a (12-20) record (.375) and find themselves 12 games back of their rivals, the division leading New York Yankees (24-8).

The knee-jerk decision is to blame the Boston starting rotation, but Sox starters rank fourth in the AL and seventh in the Majors in ERA (3.35). They also rank among the Top 5 in the AL in opponent avg (3rd, .222), opponent SLG (3rd, .356), opponent OPS (3rd, .647), and WHIP – (walks, hits vs Innings Pitched) (5th, 1.15). Sox starters have allowed two runs or fewer in 15 of their last 20 games (2.44 ERA, 27 ER/99.2 IP) and in that span, they’ve held opponents to a .198 avg (71-for-358).

Those stats put the focus on the Red Sox bullpen and its league-leading nine blown saves.

AMERICAN SKIN: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson was forced to declare a state of emergency and issue a curfew for downtown Milwaukee after he said at least 21 people were shot and injured after the Milwaukee Bucks playoff game Friday night.

The shootings were not connected to the game, the crowd in attendance nor did they take place within the Bucks famed “Deer District,” an area where some 11,000 fans held a watch party.

In a prepared statement, the Milwaukee Bucks organization said, “The shootings that happened in downtown Milwaukee (Friday) night were horrific and we condemn this devastating violence. We are grateful to local law enforcement for its valiant efforts to try to contain what was a dangerous and fluid situation. While these incidents took place outside of Deer District property, it clearly resonated with fans coming out of the arena and leaving the plaza. Security, health and welfare are always our top priorities for our guests and employees and we appreciate the hard work of our security team to keep our fans safe.

“In order to allow law enforcement to devote needed resources to the continued investigation of (Friday) night’s events, we have decided to cancel (Sunday – May 15th’s) planned watch party on the plaza.

Milwaukee police reported three separate incidents, one when three victims were shot and a 20-year old male was taken into custody, a second when one person was shot and then a third incident when 17 people were shot and injured just after 11:00pm, just blocks away from Fiserv Forum and Milwaukee’s Deer District, according to a media release. No victims suffered life-threatening injuries, according to reports and 10 people with nine fire-arms were taken into custody after the 11pm shootings. Milwaukee police reported a total of 11 arrests.

Johnson’s curfew for the downtown area requires everyone age 20 or younger to be off the street by 11pm for both Saturday and Sunday. Extra police patrols will be on the job.

TID-BITS: The NFL dribbled-out its 2022 schedule in a way that would’ve made both the late Curly Neal and Marques Haynes proud. In doing so over multiple days, the league announced they’ll be going head-to-head against the NBA on Christmas Day, December 25, 2022. … The New England Patriots were dealt a tough hand, certainly for their first four games. The Patriots start the season on the road with a Sept. 11th game at Miami, then head to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers on Sept. 18. New England’s first home game comes in Week 3 when the always tough Baltimore Ravens travel to Gillette Stadium on September 25. Those three tough assignments are followed with a Week 4 road game to Green Bay for an Oct. 2 afternoon game starting at 4:25pm (ET). The schedule eases up a bit with the Detroit Lions visiting Foxboro for Week 5, an October 9, 1pm (ET) kick-off. … It is not a reach to think the Patriots could find themselves 1-4 after the first five weeks of the season. … PGA Tour pro Brice Garnett could say: “I shot a 68-68-69 through 54-holes.” … “Brice, you’re only 10 strokes back.”

LARRY’S GOT STYLE: The NBA unveiled a set of six re-imagined trophies, modernizing and providing a sense of uniformity for the postseason hardware. The centerpiece remains the Larry O’Brien Trophy, awarded to the NBA champion.

In addition to the Conference Finals trophies for each team qualifying for the NBA Finals, there will now be Conference Final MVP trophies, which are named after Magic Johnson (Western Conference) and Larry Bird (Eastern Conference), both credited with boosting the league in the early 1980s and raising the profile of the NBA at a time when the league’s popularity was wavering and TV coverage was tape-delayed. Those trophies raise a sterling silver ball, similar to the conference champion trophies.

The Conference Finals trophies have been named “The Bob Cousy Trophy” for the Eastern Conference champion and “The Oscar Robertson Trophy” for the Western Conference champ.

“We wanted to explore and start a new 75 years and bring some aesthetic consistency to that and have some meaning behind all the trophies we had,” said the NBA’s Christopher Arena, who heads up the league’s on-court brand and partnerships.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 8

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BOSTON – The NBA Playoffs are well into the Conference Semi-Finals stage and the intensity of play has risen with each game, just as it normally does come playoff time. In the most physical of series, the Milwaukee Bucks took a 2-games-to-1 lead over the Boston Celtics Saturday with an exciting 103-101 last second victory.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo bounced back from a Game 2 subpar performance by scoring 42 points and making the go-ahead basket with 44.3 seconds left in regulation as the Bucks defended their home court. Boston’s star forward Jason Tatum shot only 4-for-19 and 0-for-6 from three-point range in scoring 10 points for the Celtics in the losing effort. Center Al Horford had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the C’s

Milwaukee has put up a defensive wall at the rim, anchored by 7-footer Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo, forcing the Celtics to shoot 37% from the floor. The Celtics were down 14 points in the 4th quarter and managed to claw back but a final minute frenzy saw the Bucks prevail as a Celtics basket came after the final buzzer

In the other Eastern Semi, the Miami Heat took care of business in Florida but lost Game 3 in Philly to set the series at 2-games-to-1 going into Sunday’s Game 4. The 76ers were fined $50,000 for violating league injury reporting rules as the club failed to disclose center Joel Embiid’s playing status for Game 3.

Similarly in the West semi, league-leader Phoenix took care of home court but lost Game 3 in Dallas while the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies split the first two games in Tennessee.

The NBA could be looking at a schedule with, at least, three series going the full seven games with the exception being a Miami edge over Philadelphia.

In-series coaching, scouting and adjustments will become the dividing factors, along with staying healthy. Milwaukee’s loss of 6-7 forward Khris Middleton looms large, but the Bucks are getting the “next man up” from 6-10 Bobby Portis who scored 15 points with 11 rebounds in helping the Bucks steal home court advantage in Game 1.

Predictions here believe Milwaukee will defeat Boston in six games but Miami will outlast the defending champion Bucks and the Heat will head to the NBA Finals.

Out West, the Phoenix Suns will prevail over the Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies will knock-off the strong and mighty Golden State Warriors. The Suns go the Finals vs The Heat in a very hotly contested seven-game series. Edge: Suns.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES – If you’re $10 million in the hole, you’re in big trouble and might think of settling up and calling it a day. For a professional golfer, like Phil Mickelson, your career winnings are covering most of it, right? … Ole “Lefty” would surely make it back with an appearance or 10 at golf tournaments around the world. Hell, he might even do some speaking engagements for his loyal sponsors or PGA Tour connections. … At $20 million, it was time to get some serious help. At a reported $40 million, you’ve made a deal with the Devil and it’s getting hotter and hotter.

Mickelson’s vice is noted in a new, unauthorized biography completed by author Alan Shipnuck. It’s the same book that plopped Mickelson into very hot water with his comments on the Greg Norman-led LIV golf venture, backed by Saudi money. … Shipnuck dropped some more scuttlebutt on May 5 when he posted excerpts of his book on the Fire Pit Collective site he participates in regularly. … You must wonder if, aside from its concerns about Mickelson applying to play in the LIV Tour (undoubtedly to raise some cash to help cover his 2010-14 parlays and shortcomings, the PGA Tour might come down on “Lefty” to discipline the rampant gambling problem?

Tell-all books seem to be the common denominator for old gambling stories of long, long ago. It was 1992-93 when “Michael and Me: Our Gambling Addiction … My Cry for Help,” was published by associates of a publisher and investor from San Diego, California – the site of the USA Basketball Dream Team mini-camp of the Summer of ‘92. The over-reaction was predictable and terrible.

Considering the hullabaloo created by Michael Jordan’s reported $1m (settled for $300,000) short falling to Richard Esquinas in 1993, where speculation had the NBA suspending Jordan or the most ridiculous and unfounded/unfair claims that MJ’s golf losses had something to do with his late father’s murder, the PGA Tour might get further involved to secure the integrity of the sport, a sport where gambling is very much a part of the culture.

SPEAKING OF USA BASKETBALL – Back in late September of 2021, USA Basketball’s Chief Communications Officer Craig Miller announced he was stepping down from his post after 31 years of service to the USA’s governing body for basketball. Miller’s USA career spanned from 1990 through 2021 and included service on every level of the USA program, both men’s and women’s. of course that time period included eight Olympic Games for USAB, including the 1992 Dream Team and the amazing 1996 USA Women’s national team – I called them “The Supreme Team,” but no one else liked that moniker.

In the past month, Miller’s cohort in hoops, Caroline Williams, decided to step-down as well, ending her incredible 27 years working for USA Basketball and helping the likes of Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, Theresa Edwards, Sheryl Swoopes and dozens of others win gold medals and – in many cases – reach the pinnacle of induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame. … All the while, whenever she had a second to spare, she was right in the thick of it, assisting the Men’s team and Miller to take USA Basketball all over the world, building relationships and goodwill.

From the “Ups” of ‘92 to the “Downs” of 2002 and everything in between, USA Basketball counted on an incredibly dedicated and professional PR team. They were second to none and both While We’re Young (Ideas) and TLwish Craig and Caroline much personal happiness and professional success in whatever they choose to do in the near future.

“A month ago, after 27 years of working for USA Basketball, I made the difficult decision to resign and begin to look ahead to new challenges in life,” wrote Williams. “I have enjoyed my long tenure here (at the Colorado Springs HQ of USA Basketball) and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with the best of the best in the basketball world for nearly three decades.”

DI💎MOND DUST-UPs – During a two-game stretch against the Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins infielder Carlos Correa was hit by a pitch on the hand and it was feared he’d broken a bone in his right middle finger. X-Rays showed no broken bones and Correa and the Twins dodged what could have been a six-to-eight week setback. Correa was hitting stride with his new club, with a .412 batting average (14-for-34) and eight RBIs in his past eight games.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes – May 1

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on the New No-No

By TERRY LYONS

NEW YORK – On April 13th, Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw was removed from a perfect game bid against the Minnesota Twins. Kershaw, in his season debut on a Wednesday afternoon, struck out 13 batters through seven perfect innings. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Kershaw to begin the eighth inning, inserting lefty reliever Alex Vesia who later surrendered a single to Minnesota’s Gary Sánchez to break-up the no-hitter.

The no-hitter was foiled and there was a significant controversy surrounding Roberts’ decision.

Friday night, New York Mets starter Tylor Megill threw five innings and 88 pitches of no-hit baseball against the Philadelphia Phillies. Four relievers and 71 more pitches later, the Mets had their second no-hitter in franchise history and the team celebrated as if they’d won a World Series game.

Upon Megill’s exit, the Mets entire bullpen took over, with Drew Smith, JoelyRodríguez, Seth Lugo and closer Edwin Díaz completing the second no-hitter in Mets history. Diaz mowed down the Phillies and struck-out the side to secure the no-no.

The 159 pitches thrown by the Mets’ pitchers were the most for any no-hitter since pitch counts have been tracked (since 1988).

Thus is the new no-no. The no-hitter of the roaring ‘2020s when starters only go five or six (maybe seven) innings, then the set-up guy(s), then the closer for the ninth. That’s the way it’s going to be as Major League Baseball, the various team analytics, the protection of pitchers vs rising pitch counts.

Yes, there might be a rare occasion when a big league manager feels comfortable leaving his un-hittable pitcher in the game past the , maybe on a hot summer night when the pitch count is low and the crowd is roaring. But, the game has changed and the combined team no-hitter is going to be just as acceptable to the team, the pitchers, the media and the fans as we all get used to the new era of baseball.
Phil Mickelson

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: We haven’t seen defending PGA Champion Phil Mickelson since he missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January, but we heard a bit more than anyone would prefer when a segment of his unauthorized biography by author Alan Shipnuck was released and “Lefty’s” pushback against the PGA Tour and his (supposed) plans to join-up with Greg Normanand the LIV (Saudi-based) golf tour were made known. This week came news of Mickelson registering to play the PGA and U.S. Open while requesting release from the Tour to participate in the June 9-to-11) inaugural LIV event. … The Mickelson revelation of the Saudi venture being “scary” and his willingness to look past human right violations and the like brought on severe criticism from fans and fellow Tour pros to which Mickelson offered-up apologies days after the controversy broke and his reputation and sponsorships went south. … KMPG and Workday each ended their relationships with Mickelson while golf club maker Callaway “paused” its association with him. … The inaugural LIV event is planned for the Centurion Golf Club on the outskirts of London, England while the fourth scheduled event is planned for the International, located in Bolton, Massachusetts and not far from Boston. … The PGA Tour has threatened suspension (possibly a permanent suspension) for its tour pros who defect to the upstart, rival golf tour. … The LIV is offering huge tournament purses and prize money, team concepts and 54-hole, no-cut tournaments.

NBA IN SINGAPORE: According to a report in The Straits Times, and confirmed by Scott Levy of the NBA’s Asia regional office, the NBA is opening yet another regional satellite office, that being in Singapore, long a mainstay of basketball popularity. With the opening of the new office, the NBA stakes tentpoles in 15 markets worldwide: Beijing, Dakar, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lagos, London, Madrid, Manila, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York/New Jersey, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Singapore and Toronto. … Singapore will host the fifth edition of the FIBA’s 3×3 Asia Cup from July 6 to 10 this summer.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 24

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In 2019, the Grim Reaper was coming after our Rock Stars with death falling upon such a diverse group of rock legends, from Long Island’s Eddie Money to Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, each passing away within two days of each other. Within a month, Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and legendary Cream drummer Ginger Baker were dead. … One of my personal favorites passed as Kofi Burbridge, who mastered the keyboards and flute with the Tedeschi Trucks Band from its founding in 2010 until his death on Feb. 15, 2019, at age 57. Kofi was fighting heart disease for the last years of his life. … Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack, widely known as “Dr. John,”was one of New Orleans’ most beloved musicians who died in 2019. Sadly, the list is long and I could go on-and-on.

In 2020-21, it was a nightmare, of course, as COVID took 6.2 million and counting.

Now, in 2022, they’re coming after our NHL favorites and goal scorers. This column has already documented the deaths of New York Islanders mainstay in Clark Gillies and the team’s best goal scorer in Michel ‘Mike” Bossy, the 50-in-50 sniper who went down to lung cancer after a career as the most efficient goal scorer in NHL history.

This week, Montreal’s Guy Lafleur, 70, was taken, passing from a battle against lung cancer. From 1976 to 1979, the Canadiens were invincible. Lafleur was scoring 50 goals and 100 points, winning a couple scoring titles in what seemed to be an effortless style of play. He was THAT good.

On one occasion, I had the pleasure to watch Lafleur play at The Forum in Montreal, a two-game weekend set against the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. In 1977-78, Lafleur was battling Islanders’ center Bryan Trottier for the NHL scoring title. The Forum crowd would chant, “Guy, Guy, Guy” every time he was on the ice. In one instance, Lafleur’s linemate, Steve Shutt, scored a goal and the announcement was made (en Francais, of course) and there was polite applause for Shutt and then a thunderous reaction when it was announced, “assist, Guy Lafleur!”

Lafleur won the Art Ross Trophy as NHL points-leader in 1976-77-78, scoring 125-136-132 points, respectively, in each of those three seasons.

“You didn’t need to see Guy Lafleur’s name and number on his sweater when ‘The Flower’ had the puck on his stick. As distinctively stylish as he was remarkably talented, Lafleur cut a dashing and unmistakable figure whenever he blazed down the ice of the Montreal Forum, his long blond locks flowing in his wake as he prepared to rifle another puck past a helpless goaltender – or set up a linemate for a goal,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

“A native of Thurso, Quebec, selected first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1971 NHL Draft, Lafleur joined the organization with the daunting task of following in the footsteps of franchise legends Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau. He somehow met those expectations, becoming the Canadiens’ all-time leading point scorer and one of the most beloved players in franchise history – the torch was passed to him and he held it high.

“In 1974-75, his fourth year in the NHL, Lafleur transformed from productive to prolific, recording the first of his six straight seasons of at least 50 goals and 119 points. He won back-to-back Hart Trophies as League MVP in 1976-77 and 1977-78, three straight Art Ross Trophies as NHL scoring leader from 1975-76 to 1977-78, and led the playoffs in scoring three straight seasons (1977, ’78 and ’79), winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1977. On one of the most star-studded teams in hockey history, he was the marquee performer, lifting fans out of their seats chanting, ‘Guy! Guy! Guy!’ as he dazzled en route to six straight selections as NHL First-Team All-Star right winger and five Stanley Cups.

“Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, Lafleur was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players during the League’s Centennial celebration in 2017.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills received the Joe Dumars Trophy for winning the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award. The annual award is designed to honor a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. … Each NBA team nominated one of its players for the NBA Sportsmanship Award. From the list of 30 team nominees, a panel of league executives selected one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions. Current NBA players selected the winner from the list of six finalists, with nearly 300 players submitting their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office. … In addition to Mills (Atlantic Division), the finalists were Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo (Southeast Division), Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges (Pacific Division), Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (Central Division), Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green (Northwest Division) and Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (Southwest Division).

Mills received 1,975 total points (58 first-place votes) in balloting of NBA players. Green finished in second place with 1,841 points (60 first-place votes). The six finalists were awarded 11 points for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for each third-place vote, five points for each fourth-place vote, three points for each fifth-place vote and one point for each sixth-place vote.

A 13-year NBA veteran from Australia, Mills won the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the first time.

STORM: According to Sporttechie and the Sports Business Journal, Amazon Prime Video renewed its streaming deal with the WNBA to show 17 nationally broadcast league games, including the WNBA’s Commissioner’s Cup. The streaming service also added a regional carriage agreement to stream Seattle Storm games throughout Washington State. … Approximately 30 of the Storm’s 36 regular season games will be streamed state-wide. The team’s longtime commentators, Dick Fain and Elise Woodward, will be behind the mic while Rush Media will produce the broadcasts.

59: PGATourBrunch noted in its 6-days-a-week e-News this Friday: With a magic number – 13-under (59) – Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele set the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 18-hole scoring record on Thursday. The team’s bogey-free round included 11 birdies (including Nos. 16-18) and an eagle on the par-5 second hole when Cantlay made a 27-foot, 1-inch putt. … Despite the first-round (59), there’s room for caution as no 18-hole leaders/co-leaders have converted for the win at the Zurich. That said, the duo leads by five strokes heading into Sunday’s final round at the TPC Louisiana in Avondale after shooting (59)-(68)-(60) in the first three rounds. … The format of the Zurich Classic is intriguing enough that the PGA Tour could stage a mid-season, three-weekend, three-site “May Madness”tournament with 64 two-player teams competing until they concluded with a “Final Four.” … It’d be great for bringing attention to pro golf between the Masters and the summertime majors or late summer FedEx Cup Playoffs.

TID-BITS: Why has Father Time caught up with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony but has left Chris Paul to flourish, even though the speed needed to excel as an NBA point guard is much more precious than the ability to shoot jumpers? … Did the Tampa Judge – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle – issue a ruling on washing our hands and singing Happy Birthday twice? … Before the NBA Playoffs and Play-In started, I didn’t realize that Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant couldn’t play or care less about playing defense. He is, probably, the most gifted offensive player in the league. … Speaking of the Nyets, you know the old adage: “A playoff series doesn’t start until a team wins on the road?” Peter Vecsey‘s esteemed column contributor Frank Drucker wrote: The Boston vs. Nets series doesn’t start until Nets lose a game in Teaneck, Commack, Hempstead, Uniondale, Piscataway, East Rutherford or Newark. … When Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Al Horford all play and the Celtics score ≥ 100 points, the Cs are (21-0, 1.000) in their last 21 games says Boston Sports Info. … Best wishes to retiring Villanova head coach Jay Wright, one of the very best of all-time. Wright, 60, decided to step down from his post while “on top,” and will be able to spend more time with his family. Wishing him much personal happiness and future professional success with a guess he’ll be taking the Acela to the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City quite often. … Thoughts on studio shows? … While watching Saturday night’s ESPN Countdown show before Game 3 of Celtics vs. Nets, I had to dive for the remote and hit mute. … ‘Til this day, I can NOT believe how great TNT’s studio, pregame, and postgame Sports EMMY award-winning “Inside the NBA” show is and how ESPN just can’t get it right. It’s been a total mess since 2002. … Also, Thank God for ESPN/ABC’s Mike Breen on the big-game NBA play-by-play. (Lisa Salters is pretty good, too).

DIAMOND DUST-UPs: Welcome to MiLB and our coverage of the Portland Sea Dogs vs the Birmingham Rumble Ponies – yes, the Rumble Ponies. Check-out the HBP that led to the all-out brawl at Portland, then the commentary on video. Meet me on the flip side.

SO MUCH TO DELVE INTO: First, the franchise history of the Ponies: In 1976, the franchise played as the Williamsport Bills in Williamsport, Pennsylvania but soon moved to Jersey City, in 1977 and 1978, then Buffalo, New York, from 1979 through 1984.

The club returned to Williamsport in 1987 when they were an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians in 1987 and 1988, but changed affiliations to the Seattle Mariners during the 1989 and 1990 seasons. During that time, the Bills franchise was actually two separate franchises. After the 1988 season, the original owners moved the Bills to Hagerstown, Maryland, while the Eastern League franchise – based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts – moved back to Williamsport before the 1989 season.

Security fell upon the club when it was purchased by the New York Mets in 1991, and moved to Binghamton in 1992 to be crowned the Binghamton Mets.

That’s when it got interesting. In 2016, the franchise announced a plan to stay in Binghamton for the foreseeable future, but to change the team’s nickname.

The club held a “Name-the-team” contest on its website from May 17 to June 1, 2016 and the finalists were the Bullheads (for the bullhead catfish abundant in the nearby Susquehanna River), the Gobblers (for the rich hunting culture of the area, as well as the turkeys in Binghamton), the Rocking Horses (for the Triple Cities’ nickname as the “Carousel Capital of The World”), the Rumble Ponies (also a carousel tribute), the Stud Muffins(for the collections of carousel horses in Binghamton), and Timber Jockeys (for everyone who rides the carousels).

On November 3, 2016, the team announced that it would be rebranding as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, and released a new logo.

Secondly, let’s dig deeper into this unique team nickname, The Rumble Ponies, as you just can’t make this stuff up: Upon announcement of the new name and branding, the club issued media information that noted the Rumble Ponies are a “fierce horse that no carousel can contain.” “The aggression and fighting spirit in the horse represents the fighting spirit of Binghamton,” team owner and President John Hughes said. “Ready to do battle. Ready to take on the world.”

They were talking about a wooden rocking horse on a merry-go-round! Not surprisingly, soon after, there were personnel changes at the GM spot.

In 2017, Hughes accepted the resignation of team GM – get this – Jim Weed. Yes, Weed quit a position he’d held since 2010 to “pursue other opportunities.” Editor’s Note: Insert wise-crack about the air quality in Jim Weed’s office when they chose “Rumble Ponies” over “Stud Muffins” righthere.

On the other side of the brawl, Sox 1B prospect Tyreque Reed was hit by the pitch and tossed the first haymaker to start the brawl. Keep in mind, if his name was Ron Artest or Jermaine O’Neal, the brawl would be playing in loops on CNN and every newscast all weekend and Reed would be met at the clubhouse door by the men in blue, a la the Hanson Brothers in Slap Shot scene.

But, in baseball, dugout/bench-clearing, bullpen-clearing, assistant equipment manager-clearing brawls – like in ice-hockey – are “a part of the game” and no one bats an eyelash.

I’ve written it before: When I’m Commish, this rule change in the first 100 days – You leave your position during an altercation: FIVE game suspension (if multiple players leave position, tough luck and the AAA team better be ready). If players are on bench and they cross the warning track during an altercation: 10 game suspension. If players leave the BULLPEN during an altercation: 50-game suspension. That’ll nip bench-clearing brawls right in the bud and do wonders for pace of game stats, too.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: Fisticuffs in baseball ranged from the MiLB game in Portland, Maine all the way to central Texas as a Junior College team’s pitcher, Owen Woodward, put the hi jinx on the batter that just took him downtown for a two-run homer. Check out the video from Dallas FOX 4 News closely and you’ll note the umpire was beginning to take action, so there must’ve been some trash talking going on as Josh Phillips rounded the bases.

Woodward was given a four-game suspension by the umpires and league, but the school took it further to kick the pitcher off the team. Phillips was given a two-game suspension for taunting. As Warner Wolf used to say on WABC-TV 7, “Let’s go to the video tape.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | April 17

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Enjoys the Pageantry of Baseball

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – This weekend, we’ll delve into the wonderful pageantry of the game of Baseball and its place in the sporting fabric of the City of Boston and the United States of America. There’s nothing quite like it as we work towards a return to our normal lives of pre-COVID virus amidst constantly threatening variants.

First and foremost: Happy Easter and a thoughtful and peaceful Passover to those who celebrate. Our simple wish of peace to people of all faiths as Spring 2022 “Springs Eternal” in the Northeast, USA.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: The Boston Red Sox lost their home opener against the Minnesota Twins, 8-4, on Friday. Aside from some early season/limited Spring Training grumbles (see below), nearly every fan left Fenway Park as happy as could be.

First, because of the fact the home opener came six games into the season, on a 65-degree Boston Friday, the assembled fans at Fenway were downright giddy. It seemed as though the entire City of Boston and Commonwealth of Massachusetts shunned their work obligations and their Tax Man duties and will rely on the fact the true income tax deadline is Tuesday, April 19 (because of Passover and Easter). Even the Pope, the Cardinals (Roman Catholic, not St. Louis) and every Monsignor this side of the Berkshires turned their heads and offered some magical Good Friday dispensation to fans guzzling Sam Wicked Easy by the keg full.

Secondly, there was an indescribable air of normalcy at the park, certainly for the first time since September 29, 2019 which fell – get this – 929 days, as in 9/29 – since that 2019 season finale against the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox defeated the hapless O’s on the final day of the regular season but only after the bullpen blew what could’ve been SP Eduardo Rodriguez’ 20th win of the season. BTW, then-Boston OF Mookie Betts went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to finish his career with the Red Sox.

Maybe things aren’t all that normal, again, as Betts is LONG gone and OF Jackie Bradley Jr. was here-gone-and came back again. But, Friday afternoon certainly beat an Opening Day a year ago with only 4,500 fans in the building.

Of course not to be overlooked, the Red Sox played quite well last season and filled the joint for Postseason games, including a Wild Card win over the rival New York Yankees, a 3-games-to-1 series win over a very good Tampa Bay Rays team, but an ALCS loss to the Houston Astros last October.

At Friday’s opener, the ballpark was packed (36,266) with the sellout crowd enjoying previously mentioned Sam Adams on one outfield deck or some concoction named TRULY on another deck. Progress in marketing, and changing tastes, changing societal norms, changing team personnel amidst this damn global pandemic that just won’t quit, as evidenced by the current lock-down in major cities in China, including Shanghai.

ON SATURDAY: Boston and its Fenway faithful were treated to yet another seasonably-warm late afternoon date – a 4:11pm (ET) first pitch to start the second game of the four-game set between the Sox and Minnesota Twins. The series will conclude Monday, Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth, with the traditional 11:10am (ET) start as the Boston Marathon runs its way from the suburbs of Hopkinton all the way to Copley.

To celebrate the weekend, the Red Sox are wearing their “City” uniforms, depicted ⬇️.

Many fans, outside of Boston, might wonder about the colors, but they are the official colors of the Boston Marathon and Boston Athletic Association. Those colors became the foundation of the “Boston Strong” civic campaign to help the city and the victims of the senseless 2013 marathon bombing incident begin the road to recovery after some severe post Traumatic Stress. As you might recall, the initial blast killed three people Krystle Marie Campbell, 29; Lü Lingzi, a 23-year old Boston University student and 8-year old Martin Richard who were all in direct proximity of the two blasts. An MIT security man, Sean Collier, was shot three days after the bombing when the two suspects tried to rob him and flee the scene and Dennis Simmonds, a local police officer, died almost a year later from wounds suffered during a shoot-out in Watertown, Mass. … We remember them all every year – FOREVER.

PANIC BUTTON: A glance to the Green Monster and the AL East standings show Boston is “next to last” place in the division (3-4) as Saturday’s game was on-going. Only the poor Baltimore Orioles (2-5) trail. … Yes, it is FAR too early to scoreboard watch and the usual frenzy and negative buzz of Boston sports talk radio and thus the fans is palpable, even if it’s eight games into the season. … The bulk of the reasoning is the lack of trust in the Red Sox starting rotation and bullpen, as evidenced in Friday’s home opener when the Twins knocked Boston SP Nick Pivetta off the mound in two innings and the bullpen coughed up another four runs in the Sox 8-4 loss. … With star SP Chris Sale out indefinitely, the likes of Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, and relievers Garrett Whitlock, Matt Barnes and Jake Diekman (L) are under immediate pressure to perform. That pressure comes without a proper MLB Spring Training period and stretch-out time for pitchers. The Red Sox will need a resurgence from RP Ryan Brasier and their current ace SP Nathan Eovaldi who finished fourth in the 2021 AL Cy Young Award voting. … Time will tell on both the basic situation and the possible return of Sale and SP Jim Paxton (2021 Tommy John surgery) who was acquired in the off-season. By the way, Paxton will pocket a cool $10m for his rehab efforts in ‘22 … It seems a bit early in the Spring to be hopefully awaiting the MLB All-Star break.

HOUCK TO THE RESCUE: Continuing the news from Saturday afternoon, Red Sox SP Tanner Houck walked off the mound, hopped over the first base lines in a superstitious kind-of-way and departed the game with a 4-0 lead. Houck went 5.2 innings, tossing two-hit baseball with three walks, four Ks on 89 pitches/50 strikes. He left only two runners on base and only Nick Gordonof the Twins reached third base, harmlessly.

The Red Sox won their Saturday game, 4-0, behind the pitching of Houck and Garrett Whitlock’s tidy work out of the bullpen. All is not lost in the Fens.

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