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While We're Young Ideas

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | 8/31

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

NORTON (Mass) – The stars are aligning in the game of golf. Let us count the ways:

  • The PGA Tour concluded with a very entertaining FedEx Cup Playoffs (won by England’s Tommy Fleetwood in grand Fashion).
  • The LPGA tour is cruising through Massachusetts during this great Labor Day weekend as the best female golfers in the world compete in the FM Championship at TPC Boston – formerly the site of a PGA Tour/FedEx Cup Playoff round.
  • The Ryder Cup is on the horizon and United States Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, had a very difficult decision this week as he made is choices for Captain’s picks to round out the 12-player USA team. England’s Luke Donald will do the same and make his Captain’s selections on Monday (September 1). The Ryder Cup will be contested between Europe and the USA from September 26-28 at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY.
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While readers of WWYI might’ve expected a full column on the Baseball home stretch, the start of college football or a preview of the NFL season ahead, you’ll be keen to know that an amazing connection to the PGA Tour-LPGA Tour-and-Ryder Cup walked right into the path of your intrepid columnist earlier this week. Thus, footy can wait a week or so and WWYI will educate you on the great Pat Bradley, aunt of Keegan, and one of the classiest athletes in history – any sport, anywhere. Ms. Bradley was publicizing the 2025 FM Championship when WWYI ran into her and reminisced about rainy summer days on Long Island.

From this observer’s point of view, the FM Championship at TPC Boston is the LPGA equivalent of the Traveller’s Championship, held each June at TPC River Highlands near Hartford.

Why?

They are both the best run, organized, challenging but reward for risk golf tournaments on the circuit. The Traveller’s is a Signature Event (elevated purse) and it comes at a challenging time, usually right after the U.S. Open. Nevertheless, the pro golfers all turn up, as the tournament has the best reputation of taking good care of the golfers and their families.

So it says for the (relatively) new FM Championship for the LPGA. Raised purse, great course in a great place (players stay in locales near either Boston or Providence). The sponsors have dedicated time, hard work, money and Human Resources (volunteers as good as they get) to staging what will surely be the model for all future LPGA events in the years to come.

Bradley was on hand as the media met the powers that be in staging this weekend’s FM Championship in Norton. She was fabulous and this columnist remembers watching her play on Long Island at the Meadowbrook Golf Course in the Western Union International (1979-1982). Pat Bradley was often high on the leaderboard and came from the Commonwealth and was quite accustomed to golf in the Northeast.

“I remember playing the LPGA Championship at Pleasant Valley in 1975 when I was on tour, so the history of professional golf has always been strong in Massachusetts,” said Bradley. “To be back here at TPC (Boston) is a huge treat. The talented athletes are great ambassadors, not only to the game of golf, but to the world of golf. It’s a joy to walk the fairways and watch them do their thing.

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“I am celebrating my 50th year on the LPGA Tour, and when I think back, gee wiz, when I joined the tour in ‘74, the LPGA was about 25 years and here we’re celebrating 75 years. It’s been a tremendous organization and it gets stronger and stronger every year. And, when you have sponsors like FM believing in you as an organization, as athletes, as golfers, it just makes your heart grow and full. You just can’t wait to play these fairways.”

Bradley was joined by Brockton, Massachusetts native Megan Khang who proudly noted she winters in Boston, although it’s a short break with the fact the LPGA Tour runs from about January 18 to November 24. This weekend, Khang sits T-18 after a (-3) score of 69 on Saturday.

“I love being around Massachusetts,” said Khang. “It’s where my family is. For me, being from Massachusetts and playing MassGolf growing up, it’s cool to say, you don’t have to move somewhere warm full-time.’

Bringing it back to Pat Bradley, the 1981 U.S. Open champion, she’ll always have eyes on the LPGA, but this week she was watching her nephew on television, first at the TOUR Championship where he finished T-7 and pocketed a cool $1,121,667 for his efforts after shooting 70-64-63-70 on the championship weekend. Despite his No. 11 ranking on Tour, (No. 8 if you only look at USA golfers), Keegan did not pick himself to play on the Ryder Cup and his aunt had faith in his decision.

“If I said anything to Keegan, it was whatever decision you make, it will be the right decision,” noted Aunt Pat, keeping the family business as close as a Corleone might practice. “I know he’s been dealing with it (Ryder Cup pressure) and he’ll be dealing with it for a little more time. Keegan is the right guy for Bethpage Black, and he and his team will bring the Cup home. He’ll let the fellas know to keep their focus, because otherwise Bethpage Black will let them know.

“It’s been a tremendous moment for Keegan and his family,” added Ms. Bradley. “I’m so proud of all that he has done. I’ve never been so proud of him than the day he took that phone call (to be the US Ryder Cup captain) a couple years ago.

“When a young man goes into Yankee Stadium with a Red Sox baseball cap, you know he’s got guts,” she concluded in her sum-up of the USA’s captain.

FOR THE RECORD: These United States pro golfers made the Ryder Cup team by points earned during the past season:

  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. J.J. Spaun
  3. Xander Schauffele
  4. Russell Henley
  5. Harris English
  6. Bryson DeChambeau

Then to round out the team, Bradley’s Captain’s picks were: (in alphabetical order)

Sam Burns

Patrick Cantlay

Ben Griffin

Collin Morakawa

Justin Thomas

Cameron Young

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s been no better moment for the college football season than watching the retiring ESPN commentator and former coach, Lee Corso,make his final pick of the week in front of 100,000 Ohio State fans on Saturday at Noon. ESPN College Game Day ranks neck and neck with the Inside the NBA crew of Turner Sports as the best two wrap-around shows in the business. Game Day might have the edge, as it’s always a live remote on a pumped-up college campus, always the “biggest” game of the week, the best match-up, the most important game. It was no surprise to see Corso pick Ohio State to please the hometown fans. Corso donned the head piece of Brutas the Buckeye mascot to a standing ovation, possibly the loudest in college sports. Second to the Lee Corso tribute, was the college football pageantry on display at the legendary “Horseshoe” in Columbus. Saturday proved to be a perfect, 70-degree, 44% humidity, deep blue postcard blue sky day. Can you imagine being a first-year student just enrolled at The Ohio State University and on campus for a week or two? (Corso was correct, by the3 way, as Ohio State defeated No. 1 ranked Texas, 14-7).

On the other hand, the vaunted Army Black Knights football team suffered one of its most stunning defeats in history, falling 30-27 in double overtime to the Tarleton State Texans football team, an FCS program.

PREDICTIONS: Making these College Football Playoff prediction with the benefit of seeing the Ohio State win over Texas, here are the WWYI thoughts for CFB Playoffs 2025-26:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Clemson
  3. Penn State
  4. Georgia
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Texas (lost Saturday)
  7. Oregon
  8. LSU
  9. Alabama (lost Saturday)
  10. Miami (Florida)
  11. Texas Tech
  12. Arizona State

TL’S – In the Hunt: Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Ole Miss and SMU.

NFL Predictions will come next week.

THIS JEST IN: The bat tossed in the air by a New Jersey Little Leaguer to celebrate a home run which earned him a suspension (lifted by a judge in appeal) was sold Friday for nearly $10,000 at auction. The proceeds from the sale of 12-year-old Marco Rocco‘s autographed bat will be donated to the program he plays for, Haddonfield Little League. The auction was conducted by the reputable firm of Goldin Auctions and it drew 68 bids. The winning bid was $9,882, but the name of the winning bidder was not announced. Marco’s bat flip on July 16 in the final of the NJ Little League sectional tournament resulted in an ejection, a one-game suspension and a legal fight won by the flipper.

THIS JUST IN: In Saturday’s semifinal of the AmeriCup men’s basketball tournament, the United States (3-2) fell to Brazil (4-1), 92-77, in Managua, Nicaragua. Canada and Argentina were playing in the other semifinal at press time. The USA will face the loser of that game for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup bronze medal.

Over in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, the Group stage is just being completed and the tournament will advance to the Final phase this week. See the STANDINGS.

Celtics fans want to know: Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 16.7 points per game while playing 26.8 minutes per game for Latvia. The Celtics traded Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks this past June in a three-team deal that sent TeranceMann and the No. 22 pick (Drake Powell) in the 2025 NBA Draft to the Nets, while Georges Niang and a second-round pick headed to Boston. In another move to clear additional salary off the books, the Celtics subsequently sent Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie wing RJ Luis Jr., out of St. John’s.

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CAN’T MAKE IT UP: As reported annually by the Associated Press with a dateline of BUÑOL (Spain), thousands of people from all around the world seeking a challenging date for their Tide detergent skills and a messy thrill to boot, spent one fun-filled hour flinging bushels of overripe tomatoes at each other during Spain’s “Tomatina”celebration this week. It was dubbed, “the mother of all food fights” as a packed street in the town of Buñol went deep red as revelers squished, smashed and hurled 120 tons of the overripe garden favorite. Tarps covered building fronts as an estimated 20,000 people let loose amid screams and laughter. The gazpacho didn’t stand a chance, but it beats getting gored by an angry Bull.

STREAKING: Heading into today’s (Sunday) series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, arguably the worst hitting team in MLB, the Boston Red Sox have lost five home games in a row. That’s after the Sox won nine of the previous ten (July 26-August 16). Adding to the woes of inconsistency for this hometown team, the Sox have lost four of their last seven series after winning four straight series from July 25-August 6. … Boston has scored three or fewer runs in 11 of their last 16 games. Boston is now (75-62) and are positioned as the American League’s 2nd World Card team, trailing the New York Yankees by one game. Boston is 3.5 games back of AL East division leader Toronto (78-58) … The Seattle Mariners are the 3rd Wild Card team and trail the Red Sox by 2.0 games.

IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY: Here’s the way the teams would match-up if the MLB postseason began today.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

(1) Blue Jays vs. winner of (4) Red Sox vs. (5) Yankees

(2) Tigers vs. winner of (3) Astros vs. (6) Mariners

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

(1) Brewers vs. winner of (4) Cubs vs. (5) Padres

(2) Phillies vs. winner of (3) Dodgers vs. (6) Mets

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug. 24

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on the Worldwide Leader/D.T.C.

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

“Friends, Roman Anthony, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come not to bury ESPN, but to praise it.

But, the evil that TV types do, lives long after them;

The good is oft interred with their bones in the vast, growing cemetery that are the aging trends of sports, technology and television”

BRISTOL – We are in the age of constantly changing and ever evolving technology. Our iPhones number 16. Our Chicago (Transit Authority) albums have unpleasantly reached Chicago XXXVIII (38). The iPhones have improved over the years. Not so much for Chicago.

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Change is good, but often, change is difficult.

Take the launch of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) offerings unveiled this week; the product is good but the pre-launch instructions to the consumer (we call ‘em fans) was not so good.

Case in point: The new and improved ESPN launched just as the PGA Tour was ready to tee-off its Super Bowl Weekend – a la the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. For you non-Tour fans, pro golf’s season draws to a close with the annual FedEx Cup Playoffs. This year, 70 golfers qualified and played the FedEx St. Jude Championship three weekends ago. Fifty golfers moved on to last week’s BMW Championship and only the Top 30 PGA Tour pros qualified for the TOUR Championship (held this Thursday through Sunday).

For those of us who follow the TOUR in religious fashion (see PGATourBrunch.com), we purchased ESPN+ to watch the early rounds each week from January to September with full coverage, especially in the 6am-2:00pm range before Golf Channel airs its excellent coverage. ESPN/Disney bought what used to be known as PGA Tour Live and transitioned it to the paywalled ESPN+ platform.

When the editors of PGATourBrunch woke up on Thursday, we had no idea if ESPN’s new app was going to automatically recognize those who had purchased ESPN+. It certainly wasn’t made clear (by communication or call-outs from the ESPN.com site) whether our hefty payment(s) for add ons, or sports tiers with our Cable TV provider would qualify us for the new ESPN App unlimited levels of coverage.

Those levels of coverage are:

  • Disney+, HULU, ESPN Unlimited Bundle ($29.99 a month)
  • ESPN Unlimited ($29.99 a month)
  • ESPN’s Unlimited plan subscribers have access to all ESPN networks and services, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SECN, ACCN, ESPN+, ESPN on ABC, SECN+, ACCNX, and ESPN3.
  • ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan.
  • All of these details were hard to find and not on the home page to subscribe or log-in if you already have a Cable TV provider, such as Verizon FIOS)

Now, it really gets confusing:

If you’re changing from the Select plan to the Unlimited plan, the change takes effect immediately. You will be charged a pro-rated amount for the first month or year of your new plan. Moving forward, you will remain on your new plan for the life of your subscription and will be charged in accordance with the then applicable price of this plan. If you’re changing to the Select plan, the change takes effect on your next billing date.
Note: Once you’ve been charged for an annual plan, you will not be able to immediately change to monthly billing for the same plan.

Now, let’s dig-in some more:

Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV (streaming only), Fubo TV, and Spectrum TV customers may already get ESPN Unlimited as part of their pay-TV package. You will need to activate your ESPN plan and connect your MyDisney login. To activate your ESPN plan or to learn more, please visit the links below. Keep in mind that if you cancel or switch out of an eligible TV provider plan, your ESPN subscription will also be canceled in accordance with your provider’s terms, conditions, and policies.
So, let’s get that straight: If you already have Hulu+ Live, then you already get ESPN Unlimited but you need to activate an ESPN Plan by connecting to MyDisney.

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Got it? It’s almost as tough as ‘Person, woman, man, camera, TV.’

If you own a business (a la Sports Bar), it is rather simple but still very expensive.

There is no change to the “ESPN+ for Business” product.
Now, what if you’re a subscriber to Verizon FIOS and you’ve paid a steep price for their Sports Tier?

They have:

  • The MOST Fios TV: 425 channels at $139 a month
  • More Fios TV: 325 channels at $119 a month
  • Fios TV Test Drive: Watch for 60 days and they’ll recommend best plan ($95)
  • YouTube TV: 100+ channels, usually $82.99 but on sale for $72.99 for new subscribers for one year (and, if you ask, they’ll toss in the NFL Sunday Ticket).
  • Sports Packages can be ordered semi-a la carte (but on the Verizon page, they do not tell you how much each channel costs, so you have to click Order Now and go into the rabbit hole of signing in, username and password, verifying and sending in your first born child as collateral:
  • NBA TV
  • NHL Center Ice (wow, ICE has a whole new meaning these days, doesn’t it?)
  • MLB Extra Innings
  • MLB TV Premium
  • FOX Soccer Plus (as opposed to +)
  • NFL RedZone (recently purchased by ESPN, and I have no idea whether it’s going to be on my system/service tier and will only find out on Sunday, September 7th at 1:00pm – when there’s a chance for “seven hours of commercial free, un-interrupted football.”
  • Looking back this past week, the ESPN home page was amazingly unchanged, except for the fact my little ESPN+ call-out on the top of my home page was gone. Aside from that, there was no indication that anything was changed or updated. No instructions. No nothing.

I did see the word – Verizon – in the upper right hand corner of the ESPN home page, and I thought that was good. It was there from a previous log-in – (see above with name/pass/first born child).

That was good for my Chrome browser which had been previously used for ESPN+’s PGA TOUR coverage for the BMW the week before. My Safari Browser? – No. My quite popular DuckDuckGo browser? – Nope. And, Firefox? – Nada.

Let’s dig a little deeper and step aside from the new ESPN DTC streaming to see how to stack your sports viewing needs:

  • Peacock Network – If I want to watch English Premier League and the Olympics
  • Paramount+ – If you want to watch English Championship, Leagues One & Two
  • Apple TV+ – If I want to watch MLB Friday Night – including the hometown team
  • Apple TV+ – If you want to watch MLS Futbol
  • ESPN+ (or new service) – If you like Premier Lacrosse
  • Paramount+ or DAZN – If you like Serie A futbol
  • YouTube TV – If you want the NFL’s Sunday Ticket
  • UFC Fight Pass – UFC Fight Pass and soon on ESPN’s new service
  • UFC 319 – Pay-per-View via ESPN+
  • FOX ONE – Some UEFA offerings; LIV Golf; some NASCAR and IndyCar

Suffice to say: It’s all a damn mess, and it seems to be getting messier by the day.

To fix it? That’s a tough question unless you’re in the room where it’s been happening for the last few years. The rights acquisitions and overall planning has been plentiful, but the basic instructions and a “What to Expect” section online would’ve helped this week.

Yes, there are lists of the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), but the question most sports fans were asking was, “What the hell are you guys doing?”

ESPN, to its credit, is attempting to place everything it offers under one roof. In other words, “ESPN is going anywhere sports fans are,” according to ESPN head honcho Jimmy Pitaro.

That was the strategy employed by the NBA under the late Commissioner David Stern and it still remains true today, under Commissioner Adam Silver. Go where the fans are and be ubiquitous in terms of offerings via every platform on earth. That strategy is a must for every broadcaster and sports property.

ESPN is blending the lines between rights holder/broadcaster and rights seller/sports property. In recent times, ESPN (Disney) has bought out PGA Tour Live, Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), aka BAMTech, NFL Network and RedZone, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC Net), Southeast Conference (SEC Network) while FOX Sports has a piece of the Big Ten Network, among others.

The more the lines are blurred, the more expensive the platforms will become for sports fans.

Yes, the leagues and networks will go where sports fans are, but they’ll charge them a fortune to gain admission to the party. And, standing outside, listening to the party on radio is nice, a throwback, but it’s not as much fun.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s been quite a bit of bickering and arguing about the recent $325m bid by Steve Pagliuca (former Celtics minority owner) to bring the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun to play at TD Boston Garden in 2027. Pagliuca promised to build a $100m “State of the Art” practice facility for the WNBA team, as well.

The offer was leaked to the Boston Globe and positioned as if it were a “done deal.” Wow, $325 million to relocate a team while WNBA expansion teams were going for a cool $250 million

Boston rejoiced. The WNBA fans, some who trekked to beautiful Uncasville, Connecticut to see the Sun play at the Mohegan Sun’s wonderful arena – adjacent to a beautiful casino resort, all applauded the effort of Pagliuca. Those fans had just convened as a sellout crowd at TD Garden on July 15th for a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever 85-77 win over the Sun. A year ago was much the same for a Sun vs Los Angeles Sparks game that made fans think of Sam Jones vs. Jerry West or Paul Pierce vs. Kobe Bryant.

Sellouts are great, especially when you only have to sell out one game of an entire season.

But, that’s not the point.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey took the leaked bait hook, line, and sinker. The Guv’nah attended the Sun vs Fever game and was championing Boston’s loyal support of women’s sports, calling for Boston to get a WNBA team as soon as possible.

There was a catch that Healey seemed to either ignore or not even be aware of: Boston hadn’t even applied to the WNBA for an expansion franchise. The WNBA was on an expansion quest, awarding teams to the Bay Area’s Golden State (Valkyries) playing now, in 2025, the Portland (Fire) and Toronto (Tempo) to begin play in 2026, and future expansion to three cities with new teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The Cleveland team will begin play in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030.

It’s a full-scale WNBA nationwide roll-out, carefully planned, and not encouraging relocation of a franchise as part of the plan.

That means the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun are in a bit of a bind, since their own arena is the home venue. A sale of the franchise is one thing, but relocating it goes under a whole other set of league rules, even with a $325m offer on the table.

Another suitor, Marc Lasry, sought a similar deal but to simply drive down New England’s I-91, I-95, or I-84 corridors to Hartford to play home games at the vaunted XL Center. The Mohegan Tribe liked Pagliuca’s green better than Lasry’s and stood aside as the false alarm announcement was leaked. The WNBA slapped some ears of those involved:

“Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the WNBA said in a statement to the Globe’s Gary Washburn. “As part of our most recent expansion process, in which three new franchises were awarded to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on June 30, 2025, nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration. No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Celtics’ prospective owner Bill Chisholm has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.”

While Boston media and the Guv’nah hemmed and hawed about Boston being a great city for sports, about the relationship of the WNBA with the NBA, and even Governor Healey going as far as trying to broker a new deal between brand new franchise owner Bill Chisolm (just closed on the $6.1 billion deal) and Pagliuca, everyone in the room seemed to miss a major elephant in that room.

The venue.

Would the WNBA want to place a franchise in a place where the arena is owned by a hockey team, i.e. Delaware North – much like the unfortunate deal the Celtics have been operating under for decades of championships? Would the WNBA award a franchise that might be forced to play at Boston University’s Agganis Arena – light on premium hospitality, suites, parking and all the money-makers of sports property ownership? Might Boston College’s Conte Forum be an option? See the same problems.

Nope.

And, while extending the discussion on a slight tangent, let’s keep in mind that Boston totally punted on a 2014 bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics – a bid the USOC accepted and put forth to the IOC, only to revoke and place Los Angeles’ successful bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics in its place. A major mistake on the world sports scene.

By the way, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts also botched a D-League franchise. Who can forget the 2009 Springfield Armor, banished in 2014 to become the Grand Rapids Drive (and Gold). Another D-League (now G-League) team – the Maine Red Claws – crawled to Portland, Maine rather than navigate the Worcester DCU Center.

For baseball? The City of Worcester reportedly footed 55% of $159 million Polar Park as part of a $240 million redevelopment of Worcester’s Kelley Square and Canal District. That’s $87,450,000 for those scoring at home. It’s not like Governor Healey was ready to commit to building a new venue for the Setting Sun.

If that’s not enough past history proof, how about the fact the great and powerful NFL Oz, Bob Kraft and his New England Patriots, threatened to move to Hartford before settling on building Gillette Stadium out in the middle of nowhere, Massachusetts (Foxboro).

And lastly, Kraft and his mayoral candidate son, Josh, are hammering current Boston Mayor Michele Wu over squashed plans to build a 25,000 seat stadium in Everett, Mass. – not far from the Encore (Wynn) Casino campus. Wu, in turn, championed a refurbishment of White Stadium in Boston’s Franklin Park at a reported cost of $172 million. That venue would become the home of a NWSL expansion franchise for women’s soccer as the Boston Legacy FC plans to open up shop in 2026.

With all the building, the lack of engagement by Massachusetts or Boston for a new basketball venue is notable and should not be overlooked in the WNBA discussions. Boston Garden/Shawmut Center/Fleet Center/TD Garden was built in 1993-95 and is now one of the oldest arenas in the land. It has next to no parking, and – again, is owned by the Bruins’ parent, Delaware North. Despite massive renovations in 2006-07 and again in 2021-22, the building is nowhere close to the new $1.4 billion Chase Center in San Francisco, now the model for mixed-use arenas and home of the WNBA’s Valkyries.

For Boston and the Honorable WNBA fan and former Harvard point guard Guv’nah, let’s not point fingers at the WNBA and NBA before looking in the very mirror of sports venues aging in the Commonwealth.

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Ron Turcotte riding Secretariat at the ‘73 Belmont Stakes (file photo)

THIS JEST IN: So sadly, we lost legendary jockey and horseman Ron Turcotte this week. It’s been stated by WWYI that Turcotte and his ride, the great Secretariat, are the first part of the two answer question to: “When was perfection reached in the upper echelon of sports?” … Secretariat’s run at The Belmont Stakes (1973) and Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series are the only times true perfection was reached. (And, no, a 300 game in Bowling doesn’t count).

Turcotte passed away Friday in Drummond, New Brunswick. He was 84.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: “We have to reschedule because there’s an Osprey nest in our stadium. You can’t make this type of stuff up, right,” asked Cory Hanson, the athletic director at the school in the Minneapolis suburbs? … Seems the majestic Ospreys built a huge nest to raise their chicks, high up on a light pole at the Apple Valley High School football field. Because of it, the migratory raptors that are protected under State and Federal law, forced the school, known as the Eagles, to rearrange their football and soccer schedules, switching to day games instead of night. Turning on the hot stadium lights might burn the birds or start a fire. Maybe the school might consider a rename to the Apple Valley Ospreys?

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TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The PGA TOUR’s finale, the TOUR Championship will conclude today (Sunday) at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. There’s a crowded leaderboard competing for the $40 million purse/$10 million prize to the winner of the Tour’s most lucrative tournament. Weather wreaked a bit of havoc during Friday’s round and some stiff winds hindered play on Saturday. England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who’s been waving the hottest of sticks during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, has a chance to capture $10mil and the FedEx Cup for 2025.

KEEGAN: United States Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, of St. John’s University by way of New England, will name the remaining players for his 2025 team on Wednesday. The Ryder Cup “Captain’s Picks” will be a tough choice. A can’t win unless you win choice. “I know this is the biggest decision of my life,” said Bradley at the TOUR Championship, of which he qualified as one of the Top 30 players on the tour. On Saturday, Bradley was climbing the leaderboard and he’s a legitimate choice to be a Captain’s pick, himself.

“I think we have to get together as captain and vice-captains and look at the data, look at what’s going on and make a decision based on what’s best for the team. So that certainly feels nice to me,” said Bradley, a member of the Boston Common TGL Team. “But when we look at me as a player… we look at the stats, we look at everything, and I’m Player X, basically. Certainly strange, but I’ve wanted them to, if there’s negatives about me playing, I want to hear those things. I would be more upset if they didn’t express those feelings,” he said.

Note: We’ll have more on Keegan Bradley, his aunt, Pat Bradley, and the LPGA next week.

BROWNS: The 2025 NFL schedule maker was not too kind to the Cleveland Browns. Consider the first six games on Cleveland’s schedule this year:

  • September 7 vs Cincinnati
  • September 14 at Baltimore
  • September 21 vs Green Bay
  • September 28 at Detroit
  • October 5 vs Minnesota
  • October 12 at Pittsburgh

That’s 0-6, thank you very much, NFL. A glimmer of light might shine on October 19th, vs. Miami, the first day the Browns might have a chance for a “Dub” and that’ll open a three-game stretch (at New England and at New York Jets) when Cleveland might put a few wins on the ledger.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug 17

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – HBO’s “HARD KNOCKS” is the best sports television show in history. It’s not even close. While Ernie (Johnson, Jr.), Charles (Barkley), Kenny (Smith) and Shaq (O’Neal) of Turner Sports fame can make you laugh out loud every time, not one of the “Inside the NBA” shows has ever made me feel like running through a wall after watching the show. Hard Knocks does that. Every episode.

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Just hearing the Hard Knocks theme song gets me revved-up and there’s been no highlight show or team documentary that has ever come close to unearthing such emotion. Hard Knocks often features a team I couldn’t care less about in the fixtures of the NFL, yet each summer I, along with legions of sports fans, come away from a few episodes of a weekly TV show rooting like hell for the team that’s been featured.

That is happening this year as the Buffalo Bills are featured and Tuesday night marked just the second episode of the 2025 version of the show which debuted in the “Way Back Machine” with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001.

The NFL and HBO have called Hard Knocks “the first sports-based reality series” in television history. That’s B.S. because long before 2001, anyone and everyone in the sports industry realized we had the best reality programming in history, and it was our games themselves.

CBS reality series – Survivor – premiered on May 31, 2000. Executive Producer Mark Burnett hatched an idea that – somehow – has lasted 25 years, with the property gaining and keeping its loyal audience while also spinning out other reality shows on everything from cooking/chefs to swamp people.

Facing facts, reality shows can easily be taped and watched at a later date, although office water cooler talk might spoil a surprise ending. Sports, on the other hand, has to be watched live. Every sports fan knows it and it’s impossible to steer clear of the score of a game unless you’re asleep and watch the game before leaving your bed or touching your phone device.

Hard Knocks married the two and has become must see TV, especially as avid NFL fans countdown the days to the opening weekend of football. The Hard Knocks theme song prompts the visceral reaction of the human mind and body.

The theme was written for NFL Films by David Robidoux, a music composer who hails from the tough town of Reading, Pennsylvania. Robidoux is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with degrees in audio engineering and film scoring. He began working for NFL Films in 1991 and is a 40-time EMMY nominee and 15-time EMMY Award winner. He’s created nearly 3,000 compositions for the NFL alone but has done everything from a Dressage routine for US Olympian Laura Graves in the Rio 2016 Olympics, featuring “Man Of War” to a “40 Years of NFL Films Music” 10 CD Box Set.

If the theme doesn’t cement you in your armchair for an hour, then the voice of narrator Liev Schreiber will provide you with chills throughout every episode. Schreiber, best known for his acting role as Marty Baron – editor-in-chief of the Boston Globe in the Academy Award winning movie, Spotlight, was so perfectly cast to be the voice of Hard Knocks. Back in 2023, when Hard Knocks was featuring the New York Jets, then-Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers referred to Schreiber as “the voice of God” for his efforts in the series, and rightfully so, as the actor has been with the docuseries each and every episode – all but one season. In 2007, he didn’t narrate and turned the duties to Kansas City Chiefs fan Paul Rudd.

Schreiber’s only on screen performance came in that J-E-T-S season when he choppered over to NYJ training camp for a look-see and meet & greet with the Jets players and coaches. This year, with the Bills, Schreiber is back in the familiar place of narration – Thank God.

That brings us to the content (and buzzword 🚨 alert) storytelling. Hard Knocks covers training camp of NFL teams, but its secret sauce is the character development created on each and every episode. Sure, a fixed camera in the GM’s office secretly filming a player being cut from the team has been the type of behind the scenes access NFL fans dreamt they watch, but the more compelling storylines are the deep dives into the off field lives of the players. Often depicted with their families or pictured in everyday life, shopping or mixing up a breakfast smoothie for a roommate/teammate, the bond created by Hard Knocks with the rank and file players of each team, create that magical fan to player love affair that is the very root of all sports.

Yes, sometimes, that player/character who became the unexpected star of an episode is later cut from the team and it draws on a fans raw emotions, fully understanding what a player and his wife/family have gone through during camp.

One such player was John Connor, aka “The Terminator.” Then-New York Jets coach Rex Ryan tagged the nickname on Connor (not to be confused with Arizona Cardinals running back, James Conner). Fans of the J-E-T-S fell head over heels for Connor when, as a fullback, he was assigned to be a lead blocker and clear a hole for his running backs. Connor didn’t make a block, he often hit defenders so hard, they’d drop to their knees and be carted off the field, dazed and confused by the alien that just ran them over – thus, the nickname, “The Terminator.”

Of course, the reality of NFL camp took over when Connor was sidelined with an MCL sprain and hamstring injury and was released by the Jets a month into the 2012 season. He bounced from New York to Cincinnati, back to New York for a short stint with the Giants and Jets (again), before playing his final NFL camp with the Buffalo Bills where he was among the final cuts on September 4, 2015.

Connor’s career stat line in the NFL consists of 108 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 12 receptions and a pass receiving TD. His game did not stand out for NFL teams, but, through Hard Knocks, his name will live on forever.

Embed from Getty Images

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Boston University is facing a lawsuit from Baylor University over a logo battle. The complaint was filed this week in Waco, Texas – where Baylor is located – and it seeks to prevent Boston University from using an “a specific interlocking BU design that is identical or strikingly similar to Baylor’s federally registered marks.” Baylor University noted it’s been using the interlocking BU letters since, at least, 1912 and the school registered for a trademark in 1987. The lawsuit says Boston University initially opposed the application, but the schools reached an agreement and Boston University has been using the letters side-by-side in its logo.

But the settlement went South, the lawsuit alleges, as Baylor found out – back in 2018 – that Boston University was using the interlocking BU on different hat styles in its campus store. Baylor asked Boston University to cease and desist in 2021, but the request was ignored. “Rather, its use has continued to expand, and a very large number of such goods now appears on the Defendant’s website,” Baylor said in the complaint.

A spokesperson for Boston University told WBZ-TV in Boston that the school does not comment on pending litigation. Meanwhile, Baylor is asking a judge to permanently stop Boston University from using the interlocking BU, and to destroy any products or signs with that specific logo.

WWYI wonders if Baylor would settle the case by playing an ice hockey game, with the winner getting rights to the BU. Surely, Baylor would rather play football.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Close to the old homestead, and alma mater is fact St. John’s President, Reverend Brian J. Shanley, OP, has been named Chair of the Big East Conference Board of Directors. This prestigious role is a testament to his leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to both academics and athletics. … In other words, St. John’s better get all the close calls on the court this coming season. … Former PGA Tour TV guru and WNBA Commissioner (2005-11) Donna Orender is trying hoops again. Orender is Commissioner of The UpShot League, a development league for women’s basketball (a la WNBA). The league is scheduled to play in May 2026. The UPSHOT League’s regular-season schedule will consist of 40 games, including 20 at home and 20 on the road for only four teams. Currently, the clubs are:

  • UpShot Charlotte
  • UpShot Greensboro
  • UpShot Jacksonville
  • UpShot Savannah – (Might they be named the Savannah Roseannadannas)?

The new league is being organized by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, a firm that owns, manages, and operates the Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates, Greensboro Gargoyles, 32 Degrees Marketing, Community First Igloo, Charlotte Checkers, and Gastonia Ghost Peppers. Zawyer Sports is in the business of hosting family based entertainment. Investors include, Cheryl Miller and Anne Meyers Drysdale, among others.

SOX STUFF: Aside from the hot, hot, hot Milwaukee Brewers (NL), the Boston Red Sox are second-best in the majors and an AL-best 26-12 since July 1. … At Fenway Park, the Sox are a scorching 16-2 in their last 18 games, 18-3 in their last 21 home games, and 25-6 in their last 31. … Not surprisingly, the Red Sox have sold out for their last 13 games, with Saturday’s crowd of 36,192 the most recent crowd. … The Red Sox starting pitchers lead the American League with 57 quality starts. … Boston ace Garrett Crochet will take to the mound vs the Marlins on Sunday (1:35pm).

JIMMY FUND: Monday, Aug 18 and Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 mark the annual WEEI-Radio/NESN Radio Telethon to benefit The Jimmy Fund (Dana Farber Cancer Institute). Since 2002, the generous support of Sox fans and WEEI listeners/NESN viewers has raised more than $74 million to support pediatric and adult cancer care and research at Dana Farber. Tune-in and contribute, if you can: Visit HERE

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug 3

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The Wyndham Championship being contested in Greensboro, North Carolina this weekend is the final tournament of the 2025 PGA Tour regular season. Next week starts the three tournament FedEx Cup Playoffs when the best golfers in the world must qualify amongst the Top 70 for the FedEx St. Jude Championship (August 7-10), then the Top 50 for the BMW Championship (August 14-17) and then the Top 30 to compete in the final tournament of the season, the TOUR Championship (August 21-24) at East Lake in Atlanta.

Over the many years of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the PGA Tour and its players have constantly defended the ever-changing format. While the gradual cut-down (elimination of 20 golfers per tourney to send the best 30 golfers to the TOUR Championship), the various proposals to allow the top golfer to begin the final leg at (-10), counting down (-9), etc for the start.

It just didn’t work.

This year, the TOUR Championship will be played as a 72-hole stroke-play event, with all players starting the tournament at even par. The best performer over the course of four rounds at the TOUR Championship will win the FedEx Cup and the FedEx Cup bonus distribution total of cash is $100 million, with the FedEx Cup champion earning $10 million.

Not bad.

But, the tour still seeks a way to reward the players who score the most FedEx Cup points leading into East Lake and that brings us to No. 2 in the world, Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy decided to forego participation in the the FedEx St. Jude next week, the lone golfer among the 69 others who have qualified to take a week off.

You see, McIlroy is guaranteed to make the Tour Championship at East Lake regardless of his results in Memphis or the following week’s BMW Championship in Owings Mills, Maryland. McIlroy is second in the standings after three wins this season, including the Masters, and he’s some 850 points ahead of Sepp Straka who stands in third place leading into this week in Carolina.

Coming off the two or three week stint in Europe (Scottish Open and The Open), McIlroy will rest and practice for a big push in the grand finale, and that’s completely within the current rules.

After years of wrestling with the format which – at times – forced the players to participate each week, the PGA Tour seems to have thrown up its hands in surrender on the issue.

This column thought and thought of ways to correct the un-correctable, and then decided to consult with column contributor and avid PGA Tour fan, Chris Gallivan. The maven of mulligans thought long and hard and came up with the idea of a “Tiered System” to revert back to the gifted strokes method of operation and allow the No. 1 player top billing, but then to group players (maybe in fours) to trail the No. 1 by only a stroke, then another four to trail by only two, and so on.

The increase in the number of players in the hunt puts much more pressure on the No. 1 while it also forces players (No. 2 through 20+) to play each week of the Playoffs or else slip downward in the placings. A worthy idea for consideration, and an idea that will require more study by WWYI in crunching numbers from previous years’ play and playoffs.

Meanwhile, it’s Happy Trails for Rory McIlroy this week and we’ll see you in Atlanta where he’ll surely have plenty of practice rounds while the others are toiling away in the heat of Maryland.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The Boston Red Sox organization received significant blowback when they chose not to make any major trades before this past Thursday’s MLB trading deadline. The Sox made two smaller, less impressive deals, acquiring pitchers Steve Matz and Dustin May, both contributors but not the No. 2 starter Red Sox management was striving to obtain in a last minute deal. Matz pitched one inning of relief (the sixth inning) of Saturday’s 7-3 Boston win over the Houston Astros. May has yet to pitch for Boston.

The “inactivity” was widely criticized by media and fans, and even some MLB GM-types accused Boston’s head of baseball ops and GM Craig Breslow of being “difficult to deal with,” fueling the firestorm of more criticism on sports talk radio city-wide.

Digital Sports Desk believes the best trade made was the trade that wasn’t made, as Minnesota ace Joe Ryan was reportedly on the block, but at a high cost. Surely, the Twins were asking for the moon of Boston rookies and prospects and there was no long-term contract in sight if Breslow pulled the trigger on a deal.

Additionally, Boston OF Jarren Duran has been long rumored to be the fodder in place for a major deal, but slow down Trader Joes. Duran has proven to be the key piece of a Boston clubhouse that has evolved as the year progressed. Time after time, Red Sox players have spoken of the closeness that developed as the team struggled but then reeled off a 10-game winning streak before the MLB All-Star break and now have won six of their last seven games, including two over the LA Dodgers, two over the Minnesota Twins and two vs. the Astros – with a series finale scheduled for Sunday.

Boston is now (61-51), ten games over the .500 mark and in second place in the tough as nails American League East. The Red Sox are also in the driver’s seat for the two AL Wild Card slots, 1.5 games ahead of the floundering New York Yankees, losers of their last two games and 4-6 over the last 10 games. Consider this: New York was 9.5 games ahead of Boston on June 12th.

The key issue for Breslow and the Sox so-called inactivity was not even considering a trade involving any of Boston’s “Class of ‘25, in OF Roman Anthony, and INF Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell, nevermind Duran or utility man Ceddanne Rafaela – all serious commodities as the trade winds of hope blew hard for other clubs.

The trading deadline passed, and yes, the Red Sox must now rely on starters Walker Buehler (6-6) and Lucas Giolito (7-2) who go No. 2 & 3 behind All-Star Garrett Crochet(12-4).

The Red Sox are 19-7 since July 1, tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in the majors during that timespan. That said, the Red Sox are in the midst of the toughest portion of their 2025 schedule, with the next 10 games against clubs with .500 records or better. Another key factor since the beginning of July for Boston is the fact they are 11-5 in games decided by three runs or fewer and that includes eight one-run games.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Cooper Flagg or Cooper Criswell? Take your pick. Interesting note on Boston Red Sox pitcher Cooper Criswell. On Friday night, Criswell went (7.0 IP, seven hits, a run, two walks, four strikeouts) allowed a solo HR in the second inning but did not allow a run in the other 6.0 innings pitched. Criswell tied the longest start of his career and also recording his second career quality start (also 7.0 IP and 0 ER on 7/23/24 at Colorado). … The key factor: In his last seven starts, beginning 7/23/24, Criswell is 2-0 with a 1.49 ERA (6 ER/36.1 IP) and he’s allowed three earned runs or fewer in 17 of his last 19 starts, including two earned runs or fewer in 15 starts.

THE DISTRICT: Looks like the Washington Commanders will be based in The District, not Maryland, for many years to come. The D.C. Council voted to approve development of the RFK Stadium site in DC, which is the first step toward the Commanders building a new $3.7 billion stadium in the city. A second reading of the proposal to redevelop RFK and its campus and the subsequent vote on the project will occur on Sept. 17. If the plan passes that second vote, it would then go to D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser for approval. The plans call for a domed stadium and development of the entire area. More to come as the votes near.

THIS JEST IN: Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca did not get his NBA team when the Grousbeck family put the majority of the legendary C’s franchise up for sale. In multiple reports on Saturday, Pagliuca changed gears and investment strategy as he reportedly reached a deal to buy the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun for a record $325 million and move the team to Boston in 2027.

The news of the Pagliuca bid came on the same day Sportico reported that billionaire Marc Lasry is considering a bid to buy the Sun.

The WNBA league office issued a terse statement in reaction to the leak of the sale, noting, “Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.”

The statement reviewed its history of expansion – past and present day – The league has announced five expansion teams that will begin play over the next five seasons with Portland (2026), Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) joining the WNBA. Each paid a then-record $250 million expansion fee. The most recent expansion team is the Golden State Valkyries, a team founded this season and currently playing in the Chase Center in San Francisco, home of the Warriors.

In the process of expanding, nine other cities bid for start-up teams, including Houston, which the league singled out as getting a team in the future when it announced Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia in June. Boston did not bid, but continuous talk of Boston becoming a WNBA host city surfaced each of the past two years when the Sun played single regular season games at TD Boston Garden.

The WNBA continued, “Those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Soon-to-be Celtics team owner Bill Chisholm has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.”

With the relocation reports and the WNBA statement at odds, one must remember the fact the W’s big brother had a number of clubs move over the years, including a very unpopular relocation from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008-09. The Sonics/Thunder were the third team in a string of relocat (Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis-2001) and a (Charlotte to New Orleans-2002) dance that resulted in Charlotte receiving a new expansion franchise. That doesn’t count the mysterious San Diego Clippers to Los Angeles move in 1984, a relocation without league permission, and the New Jersey Nets slide from East Rutherford, NJ to Brooklyn in 2012).

In 2021, the Atlanta Dream sold for $10 million and in 2020, the Las Vegas Aces went for $2m.

It seems the WNBA will have some accounting to do between the $250m and $350m now on the table.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: “Paging Joey Chestnut. Paging Joey Chestnut,” as the Associated Press reported from Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania that a truckload of raw hot dogs spilled across a Pennsylvania interstate Friday after a crash that briefly clogged heavily traveled arteries in both directions. They caused a traffic jam, too.

Work crews were stuck with a job they did not relish — rolling up the scattered tube steaks for disposal. “Once those frankfurters leave the truck and hit the road, that’s all garbage, and it’s still pretty warm,” Shrewsbury Fire Company Chief Brad Daubermansaid, suffering in 85-95-degree temps which engulfed the East Coast.

State police said the tractor trailer had an unspecified mechanical problem on Interstate 83 a few miles north of the Maryland line as morning rush hour was wrapping up, causing the truck to push into a passenger vehicle. When the truck scraped along a concrete divider, its trailer was ripped open and the contents scattered all over the roads.

Four people required medical attention, Dauberman said, for injuries that police said were not life-threatening. Dauberman added, that emergency crews couldn’t help but see the humor in the situation, and his daughter texted him a photo of a hot dog-themed T-shirt.

“I can tell you personally, hot dogs are very slippery,” the fire chief said. “I did not know that.”

Obviously, no one thought of the one, guaranteed solution, as a call to five or 10 local dog pounds and turning a few dozen furry friends loose would’ve scooped up the raw dogs in a matter of minutes. Of course, the next morning might’ve been a bigger issue.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 27

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House of Horrors (File Photo)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There’s a load of confusion and a ton of mixed messages being strown about the streets of Washington DC in regard to the future of college athletics, name, image and likeness (NIL) parameters, outside (Private Equity) investments into the Athletics Departments of colleges and universities throughout the land.

The House v. NCAA settlement, which took effect on July 1, 2025, allows for direct payments to college athletes by their schools. This landmark agreement, approved by Judge Claudia Wilken, also includes revenue sharing and roster limits. A key aspect is the $2.8 billion in back damages to be paid to athletes over the next decade (2025-2035). Power 5 NCAA conferences (plus Notre Dame) must follow the new rules, while other Division I schools can choose to opt-in

The settlement also addresses potential future issues with revenue sharing, roster sizes, and NIL regulations. It’s expected to reshape the landscape of college athletics and how athletes are compensated.

This week, between a dump of thousands of previously classified documents on the life and assassination of the legendary Martin Luther King Jr., blatant lies in front of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the suggestion of a new recipe for Coca-Cola – the (NSFW descriptive term deleted) administration decided to issue an executive order to “prop up” college sports by limiting collegiate athletic programs’ ability to steer money toward specific sports like football and basketball at the expense of other sports. The order, which came amid lawmakers’ heightened interest in having Washington play a role in regulating sports and student athletes, “cast the current state of college sports in apocalyptic terms,” according to Politico.

“Absent guardrails to stop the madness and ensure a reasonable, balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental benefits, many college sports will soon cease to exist,” the executive order stated.

The order requires athletic departments with more than $125 million in revenue during the 2024-2025 season to offer more scholarships in “non-revenue sports” this year than they did the prior year. Programs with less revenue are instructed to maintain or avoid disproportionately reducing such scholarships, or eliminate roster spots. (Sort of a DOGE for scholarships).

Instead of fewer regulations, the United States’ government seems to be “reversing fields” and positioning itself for more regulations to police the business of college sports which – with recent and self-inflicted rule changes – has entered into an era of pay for play and other professional sports-like day-to-day/season-to-season financial operations.

The new executive order calls for the prohibition of the “third-party market of pay-for-play inducements,” but allows athletes to get paid “fair market value” for endorsements or other services. That largely duplicates part of the NCAA/House legal settlement which governs most college sports programs.

Playing it out – instead of the old way of slipping some cash in an envelope for a FedEx delivery or the new way of having billionaire alums directly paying players for their commitment (read transfer via the portal) and at least one year of service – now the billionaire alums must – instead – pay the players to endorse their business, or consumer products.

Surely, the House nor the administration consulted with the various Compliance Officers at each school or the principal’s office (Charlie Baker’s joint) in Indianapolis. Clearly, the early outlines of the proposals seem to be impossible to enforce and quite easy for school boosters to circumvent, especially in the worlds of collegiate football and basketball. And, regardless, those freight trains have already left the station and are chugging their crafty ways toward title contention in the 2025 College Football Playoffs or 2026 NCAA national basketball championship(s) … aka … March Madness.

For Congress, the West Wing and the colleges, Madness is the perfect term.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Long thought of as a nice game for retirement communities or, maybe, Asian and Jewish grandparents, “Mah-jongg” is making a comeback. That trend is being reported via an in-depth story in this weekend’s edition of The Washington Post. It’s gone so far that one group of young mothers in their 30s – looking for a nighttime activity complete with take-out and cocktails – created a make-shift play group they call “Momjong.” DC has its start-up groups while New York hotels including the Ace and the Standard have hosted mah-jongg nights. While the game was played regularly in China in the 1800s, the resurgence in the USA decades ago weent so far that a group of Jewish-American women who were fans of the game, created the National Mah Jongg League in 1937, developing an American style of the game. How long will it take for some investment group to fund the World Pro Mah Jongg League? The line starts to the left.

CALLING COMMISSIONER GORDON: Sports teams in the Big Apple are increasingly fighting over the nickname “Gotham City,” made famous by the popular Batman comic book, 1960s television series and highly successful motion pictures. Most recently, the J-E-T-S of the National Football League placed a claim by revamping their team locker and the phrase “Gotham City Football” was hung over player nameplates in the home team room. In legal action taken on June 12, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the team’s request to trademark “Gotham City Football” for apparel such as T-shirts, hoodies and caps, according to Sportico. … The dismissal by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office noted that “Gotham City” is geographically descriptive of a physical location that the wider public already knows—in this case, New York City—and physical locations cannot be trademarked. Keep in mind, the Jets represent New York but the team is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, some 38 miles west of the city, and the Jets play their home games 12 miles from NYC in East Rutherford, New Jersey where the club shares the MetLife Stadium facility with the “New York” football Giants. The Jets’ legal team argued that “Gotham City” is not geographically descriptive, but it originated from the iconic DC Comics franchise Batman. However, the USPTO refuted that claim, saying that the “Gotham City” connection to New York City predates the Dark Knight, when writer Washington Irving first coined the nickname of the city in 1807 in a literary magazine. The Jets franchise was founded in 1959 as the New York Titans and became the J-E-T-S in 1963 when they joined the New York Metropolitans (Mets) at the then-brand spanking new Shea Stadium. Sportico noted, “Gotham has become an increasingly crowded territory for sports IP. Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League’s rebranded as NJ/NY Gotham FC—nickname: the Bats—in 2021. The club’s governor, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, is from the family that co-owns the Giants.” And, adding to the confusion, last year, the YES Network and MSG Networks announced a new streaming team-up, Gotham Advanced Media and Entertainment (GAME). Tri-State dwellers can now watch the Knicks and Yankees via the Gotham Sports App on their mobile devices where they can also watch Batman, Robin and Commissioner Jim Gordon fight crime in Gotham City. To resolve the confusion, maybe it’s time to grab an Alfred App, unless someone wants to resurrect the Cape Crusaders, a soccer team that played in the USL Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid from 1994 to 2008 before the franchise folded.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The next time you question the call of a Major League Baseball umpire, you might want to look up his full record. To do so, visit Umpire Scorecards online where the site checks the calls – accurate and not – for every MLB umpire, including balls and strikes. …

THIS JEST IN: Nick Kurtz, a rookie for MLB’s Athletics, hit four home runs on Friday night, an all-time record for major league rookies. Going a perfect 6-for-6 with the four HRs, Kurtz became the first A’s player in franchise history with a four-homer game, the first rookie in MLB history with a four-homer game, and the 20th major league player, overall, to accomplish the feat.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Ripped from the pages of Variety, or maybe an episode of Law & Order, here’s this week’s edition of YCMIU:

On July 19th, Rapper GloRilla was arrested on felony drug charges after a burglary occurred at her home near Atlanta, Georgia, according to Atlanta’s WSB-TV and TMZ. She then performed at the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis that night. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Atlanta-based media outlet that authorities were called to a home owned by GloRilla, whose real name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, at 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The rapper then performed at the WNBA All-Star game in Indianapolis that evening, playing a medley of her songs “Let Her Cook,” “Typa” and “TGIF” at the Gainsbridge Fieldhouse. She surrendered to authorities at the Forsyth County Jail on Tuesday and was released shortly afterward, posting a $22,260 bond.

Investigators said three suspects went into the home when Woods was not present and were robbing the residence when an unidentified individual inside the building fired a gun at them. The burglars escaped and investigators do not believe they were injured. During the investigation, officers smelled drugs and found a “significant amount of marijuana” in a bedroom closet. Woods was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance. “The homeowner is a victim of a serious crime, and we are committed to bringing the suspects to justice,” Sheriff Ron Freeman told WSB-TV. “At the same time, we must continue to uphold and enforce the law in all aspects of this case.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 20

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – With Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game played this past Tuesday night, there were all kinds of discussions and arguments behind-the-scenes of the game. The rosters were scrutinized and the drop-outs were criticized. There was quite a bit of negative skepticism on the fact 23-year-old Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski made the National League all-Star roster after being in the Big Leagues for just a month.

On the other side of the coin, fans were thrilled to see the All-Star players back in their team uniforms, as opposed to some contrived “AL” and “NL uniforms. (the exact opposite was the case for the NBA). Upon the 6-6 tie in the game after nine full innings, there was the first-ever tie breaking “Swing Off” to determine the result of the game.

When Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber stole the show and sealed the NL victory with back-to-back-to-back home runs, everyone went home happy. It was quite exciting.

If the presentation of the stunning, silver Stanley Cup is the most celebrated moment in all of sports, then the “I Stand Up to Cancer” moment is certainly the most poignant. At the conclusion of the 4th inning at this week’s MLB All-Star Game, the FOX TV audience returned from a commercial break with 42,702 fans and all the players and coaches, umpires and media – everyone – yes, everyone in the building holding a sign of which they penciled-in the name of a person close to them that was battling of, sadly, already lost to cancer. It’s a silent, emotional moment in time, supported by SU2C and Mastercard, and it’s taken place at every MLB All-Star Game and World Series since 2009.

It’s a simple process as Braves staff and MLB volunteers placed pre-printed SU2C placards behind every seat in Truist Park for fans to write-in the name of the person they wanted to support. Each one of the cards was pre-inscribed with the simple message “I Stand Up For,” while a section underneath was left blank for a name.

MLB.com noted, National League manager Dave Roberts honored longtime baseball writer Scott Miller, who passed away just a few weeks ago from pancreatic cancer. American League manager Aaron Boone’s placard read, “Jake.” Braves pitcher Chris Sale wrote “Dad” on his sign, while Reds star Elly De La Cruz honored “La Familia” and “Los Enfermos.”

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge honored “Uncle Frank,” and FOX commentator and Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz wrote, “Mi Viejo – Leo Ortiz.” Phillies All-Star Kyle Schwarber’s placard read, simply, “Everyone!” And Brewers All-Star Freddy Peralta honored Mr. Baseball – the late, great Bob Uecker, who passed away from cancer in January.

While all the college and pro sports do a tremendous job supporting very important causes – for example, the local home team, the Boston Red Sox efforts for The JIMMY Fund – there is no moment at any time of the year in sports which just stops you COLD. Every single person in that All-Star crowd had a direct connection with one or more people who have been stricken or died from cancer.

There will be some $50,000,000 raised by MLB and its 30 clubs and it’ll be targeted for clinical trials and other research efforts. In about two weeks, the Pan Mass Challenge will attempt to top last year’s record-breaking number of raising $75,000,000 over the Aug 2-3 weekend and that dollar figure was added to the bottom line of the Pan Mass bicycle ride vs Cancer to reach an extraordinary $1.047 billion in lifetime fundraising since Pan Mass Challenge’s founding in 1980.

That money goes directly to research efforts at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute here in Boston. If you’d like to donate, Click HERE.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: This week, two of the world’s greatest players opined on what drives them, what they do to compete at such a high level, but the real message was that they stay in the present and that helps. It’s called perspective and the PGA Tour’s Scottie Scheffler and the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark shared some of their innermost thoughts on keeping it real.

Scheffler: “I don’t look at wins and losses or stuff like that,” he said at a pre-tournament press availability for The Open at Royal Portrush. “I don’t sit down at the beginning of the year and say I want to win “x” number of times; I want to win this many majors; I want to win this many tournament events. That’s not something I do. That’s not something that works for me.

“I have some dreams and aspirations that I’m always striving towards, but at the end of the day, I try to stay present. I try to practice hard each and every day. I feel like for me, when I start looking too far into the future, I think I’m a bit of a procrastinator. That’s how I was in school.

“If I want to look at my career and say I want to win, let’s say, five majors, I think sometimes when you’re a human, you just have that invincibility where you’re just like, I’m going to play professional golf my whole life; this stage is never going to end.

“Ultimately, it’s not, and I’m only going to be doing this for a finite amount of time. What works best for me is just to stay present, continue to put in the work, which I would argue that’s the most fun part for me. I love being able to practice, and that’s what I enjoy doing, and just try to get the most out of myself each day.

“I think the rankings are — being No. 1 in the world is a great accomplishment, I think, as a golfer. As a professional, to be ranked as the best in the world, I think, is a huge career accomplishment. I don’t think it should be taken lightly. But you don’t become No. 1 in the world by thinking about rankings. You don’t stay No. 1 in the world thinking about rankings. Each tournament is its own challenge.

“It’s funny, it’s like, look at this week for example. What’s the best-case scenario? I win this golf tournament, and then I’m going to show up in Memphis, and it’s like, okay, listen, you won two majors this year; what are you going to do this week? That’s the question you’re going to get asked.

“If I come in second this week or if I finish dead last, no matter what happens, we’re always on to the next week. That’s one of the beautiful things about golf, and it’s also one of the frustrating things because you can have such great accomplishments, but the show goes on. That’s just how it is.

“It’s great to win tournaments. It’s a lot of fun. Sometimes the feeling only lasts about two minutes, it seems like, when you’re celebrating, and then it’s like, okay, now you’ve got to go do all this other stuff, which is great, but sometimes the feeling of winning only lasts a few seconds. It’s pretty exciting and fun, but it just doesn’t last that long.

“I think I said something after the Byron this year about like it feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling.

“To win the Byron Nelson Championship at home, I literally worked my entire life to become good at golf to have an opportunity to win that tournament. You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family, my sister’s there, it’s such an amazing moment. Then it’s like, okay, what are we going to eat for dinner? Life goes on.”

“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport. To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what’s the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.

“There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they’re like what’s the point? I really do believe that because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad?

“That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.

“I’m kind of sicko,” he admitted. “I love putting in the work. I love getting to practice. I love getting to live out my dreams. But at the end of the day, sometimes I just don’t understand the point.

I don’t know if I’m making any sense or not. Am I not? It’s just one of those deals. I love the challenge. I love being able to play this game for a living. It’s one of the greatest joys of my life, but does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart?

“Absolutely not.”

“I love playing golf. I love being able to compete. I love living out my dreams. I love being a father. I love being able to take care of my son. I love being able to provide for my family out here playing golf.

“Every day when I wake up early to go put in the work, my wife thanks me for going out and working so hard. When I get home, I try and thank her every day for taking care of our son. That’s why I talk about family being my priority because it really is.

“This is not the be all, end all. This is not the most important thing in my life. That’s why I wrestle with, why is this so important to me? Because I’d much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer. At the end of the day, that’s what’s more important to me.”

ON CLARK: (As told to Boston-based reporter Gethin Coolbaugh when the WNBA Connecticut Sun hosted Caitlan Clark and the Indiana Fever at Boston’s TD Garden).

“I feel like, over the course, of whether it’s been my professional career or college career, you kind of take it as it goes and you learn from it as things come,” Clark said. “I feel like the attention – whatever that is, I don’t want to say that I get used to it, but to an extent, you do. You just accept that’s how it’s going to be.

“People are going to criticize you. People are going to praise you, no matter what it is when you play on this level and you have this type of spotlight whether it’s me, whether it’s any professional athlete that’s at the top of their game.

“That’s just how it’s going to be, so I think you kind of build on what you want to get better at. I think that’s probably the greatest challenge at times, is, everyone else has expectations. at the end of the day, there’s no higher expectations than what I have of myself and I feel like that can be lost at times.

“So I think just giving yourself a bit of grace and just having a lot of fun out there, too, is what I try to remind myself.”

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Respected sports writer Christine Brennan has been making the rounds to promote her new book, “On Her Game.” While being interviewed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Brennan expounds a belief that “the WNBA wasn’t ready for Caitlin Clark.” … In numerous interviews, Brennan has stated the same stock statement, criticising the WNBA organization for falling short. “I think it’s because they had always gotten short shrift from the national media, the male-dominated mainstream media,” Brennan said. “It was an unfathomable thought, that someone could break through wearing the jersey of a WNBA team and become the biggest name in sports. I think it was beyond comprehension for WNBA officials, and therefore they didn’t prepare. They didn’t help their players understand the magnitude of the moment. “But how can you not know when you’re looking at what was going on around the country in Big Ten arenas and others. And you look at the TV ratings. When the NCAA women’s final beats the men by 4 million (viewers) in 2024, how on earth could you not see this and say something extraordinary is coming to the WNBA?”

In the CNN interview, Brennan cited interviews with WNBA officials and others in the sports industry to support her claim. One thing this column can guarantee is that no one who worked for former NBA Commissioner David Stern nor employees of current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver would be unprepared for ANYTHING. Starting long before he became the NBA’s fourth Commissioner, Stern drilled it into the NBA culture to stay well ahead of the curve, to read everything and anything that might intersect with sports and the NBA, to spot issues long before they would ever surface, to know the players, the prospects, the international prospects, the standings in Lithuania – you name it, Stern wanted the information and the intel on EVERYTHING. Being caught short was never an option.

Now, I can not speak on behalf of the current WNBA vibes and Brennan cited WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert by name, charging the leader of the women’s league with failing to prepare.

Anyone worth a pair of the late Bill Walton’s basketball shoes and his coach, John Wooden’s “pyramid of success,” knows that “Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.”

Of course, Wooden is often credited with the quote but it was used as far back as 1919 by The Reverend H. K. Williams. Regardless, it is very difficult for a former NBA employee to even fathom that the league didn’t see the storm of an opportunity like Caitlin Clark coming, long before Clark broke Pete Maravich’s record for all-time scoring in NCAA basketball (men or women – 3,667 points) back in March of 2024.

HAPPY: 85th to CBS’ Verne Lundquist … Fans of the Twitter (X) account @Funhouse (aka @BackAftaThis) might celebrate Saturday’s David Wright Day a little bit differently than others as they remember a called to Mike Francessa at WFAN. When there’s time to listen to the whole strand of comedy acts, go fot it, but today you can settle for a dream of hearing, “Mike, when the Mets honor David Wright Day, do you think they’ll do something special for Ed Charles and Felix Millán?”

 

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 13

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – In the span of one week in this glorious summer of 2025, Boston experienced the (Savannah) Bananas playing two games at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark and the Fenway Faithful going bananas over a Boston Red Sox come from behind victory in a Major League Baseball game played Friday night at Fenway. These are their stories.

If comparing the two? The Red Sox victory over the Tampa Bay Rays wins – every day of the week.

Let us compare the two in more detail, and then I’ll turn the column over to a third party observer who did a tremendous job describing the scene – much better than I can do from a press seat in the Fenway “Bresh Box.”

We’ll use the simple “good” and “not good” method of comparative analysis.

Savannah Bananas:

Good:

  • The Build-up – On a very hot weekend afternoon (3pm start), there was a lot of excitement and revelry going on outside of the ballpark. The Bananas took over (bought out) adjacent parking lots and created mini carnivals and merch sales sites, with admission for anyone and not just ticket holders.
  • On Jersey Street – There were bands playing and players making appearances, signing autographs on jerseys and inflatable plastic bananas. It was quite festive.
  • The Fenway Concourse Scene: Fans jammed the concourse level and stood in line for Banana replica uniforms and every kind of “merch” you could imagine. It did not take a genius to realize the whole carnival was a “merch sale” play, somewhat like the sale of popcorn and circus lights at the old Ringling Bros. Circus at Madison Square Garden.
  • Atmosphere Leading Up to Game: The pregame buzz was fantastic and much of it was generated by very excited children. The Game Operations staff for the Bananas organization should get some combination of an Oscar, an Emmy, a TONY, or a Grammy. The music and activity was pre-programmed and non-stop.
  • Intros: The Banana Players were introduced with much fanfare, and they took the field, not from a dugout, but, instead, from the Green Monster. The players took the field doing flips, back-flips and other tricks, all choreographed to music which was pumping – non-stop – all night long.

Not Good:

  • Once the Game Started: Although there were 18 talented baseball players competing, and some great celebrity (honorary) first pitches (Doug Flutie, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Brock Holt, Johnny Damon), the game itself didn’t excite anyone. No one cared who won. Bananas vs Firemen? No villain.
  • Rules: The Bananas pride themselves on a two-hour show, so they actually set a countdown clock. Nice idea. There’s the normal score of runs produced, but there’s also a side show for trick play points, like a toss of a ball between the legs before throwing a batter put at first. You can even “steal” first if the catcher bobbles a pitch or allows for a passed ball or can’t stop a wild pitch. Nice idea.
  • Music: While the musical selections were good and the Fenway Faithful can sing a tune or two, the constant barrage of music just got to be too much. The dancing and cheerleading umpires were a sight to be seen at first, but it got to be a little much by the late innings. And, how could the Bananas NOT do “Sweet Caroline?”
  • No Player Recognition: After the initial introductions, there was very limited fanfare over the Bananas’ players. If comparing the Bananas to the Harlem Globetrotters, there was no Meadowlark Lemon, and no Curly Neal. As the event moved along, there was no character development – no one player to root for in a big way. The Bananas were hawking one brand and one brand only. Money.
  • Merch Sales, Good, Beer Sales Not Good: Only the Mormon Tabernacle Choir shows might sell less beer than the Bananas. Even on a hot day, the concession lines for hot dogs and soft drinks were quite long but the beer sales were non-existent.
Midway through the Savannah Bananas Game, the beer bartenders were bored.

Boston Red Sox

Good:

  • Maxing Out Fenway Park: On the sports business and marketing side, the Boston Red Sox absolutely “max-out” tiny Fenway Park. From the “Green Monster Seats” in left field to the “Sam Adams Deck” in right field, every inch of the ballpark is packed with seats, fans, ads and revenue generating magic. Seemingly every season, the Fenway Sports Group figures out another way to make an extra buck, and that means booking acts like the Bananas and a whole schedule of Summer Concerts.
  • Atmosphere: From carnival-like activities (all game long) on Jersey Street to good food all around the stadium to the best Game Ops, pre-game ceremonies, honorary first pitches, customer services and everything outside the lines, the Red Sox team (organization) is second to none in sports. They’ve carried that torch with pride for a couple decades. The buzz and excitement on Friday night was as good as its been since the 2018 World Series.
  • The ballpark, itself, is an American treasure.
    • The crowd at a Sox game adds so much to the experience. Of course, it’s magnified when the team carries a nine-game winning streak, but Saturday’s sell out crowd of 36,453 made a 1-0 shutout and complete game by Sox SP Garrett Crochet seem like an event worthy of the Duck Boats being fired up.;
  • As wonderful as the Savannah Bananas spectacle is and can be for fans all across the USA, there’s nothing like a real Major League Baseball game that matters in the standings.

Not Good:

  • Inconsistency, trades, cold weather, errors, poor base-running can frustrate any home team fan anywhere in MLB. In Boston, the crowds take it a bit more serious than they should, but that is the price a franchise pays for playing in a city that only counts championships as a success.
  • That’s about it in this category.
  • Draw your own conclusions.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES AND A THIRD PARTY POINT OF VIEW: As promised, it’s time to turn the column over to a budding, young sports marketer. Here’s the viewpoint of James Gumina, a Yale University student who played baseball, learned Japanese and used to watch Red Sox games in the morning in Tokyo, as we experienced the game the “prior’“ evening in Boston. Gumina is co-founder of Yale’s Media Entertainment and Sports Business Association and he even has Theo Epstein on speed dial. Here’s his look-see:

By JAMES GUMINA

This weekend I watched the Savannah Bananas bring “Banana Ball” to a sold out crowd at Fenway Park. The game started at 3:30, but the show began on Jersey Street well over an hour before first pitch, with music, dancing, and a parade of players and characters. Once inside the stadium, on-field festivities began around 3, and nearly every seat was already occupied, a rarity for October Red Sox games, let alone a game in early July. Not only was it a packed house, it was chock full of yellow Bananas jerseys. The lines outside the stadium for merchandise stretched and snaked all over the concourse, and nearly every fan in the building under the age of 16 was wearing a replica jersey; the majority of which were sporting autographs from the players, a testament to the “Fans First” ethos behind the Bananas’ brand.

Once the game started a raucous crowd was treated to two hours of entertainment, including local Boston legends, like Doug Flutie and Bill Lee. “Banana Ball” is more of an event than a game, with action happening nonstop, both on the field and in the stands. From the dancing umpires and coaches, to the “Man-ana” cheerleading squad, there was not a moment of dead air from when I sat down at 3 to when it was over around 5:30. As a veteran of many Red Sox games, I cannot remember a crowd as engaged in a game since some of the playoff contests I have been to, especially given the brutal 90+ degree temperature. While it is easy to compare the product to that of Major League Baseball, “Banana Ball” is a fundamentally different experience. The Bananas make baseball the backdrop for unique, fun, and innovative ideas, and from the size of the crowd it is obviously working. I was also at the Red Sox game the following day, and it could not have been a more different experience. While the crowd was solid for a weeknight game, it still paled in comparison to the Bananas’ crowd in both size and energy. Based on my experience in the stadium I would almost describe the two as separate sports, the experience was that different. From the constant musical cues, to the dancing, to the backflips on the field, the Bananas drew your attention to a million different places at once, while MLB funnels your attention directly to the battle between the pitcher and the hitter.

If you have heard of the Bananas, and at this point most people have, chances are you first encountered them on social media. Their meteoric rise in recent years has been, in large part, due to constant viral attention on social platforms like TikTok, both from the team and from individual players (The Bananas have 2 million more followers on TikTok than MLB). This growth strategy is clearly at the forefront of the games, with camera crews all over the field. While some of the made for social media moments fell a little flat in-person, the vast majority still played well to the in-stadium experience, and clearly work very well for the social media and TV audience. These videos, and their focus on specific players like Jackson Olson, have allowed the Banana’s to not only turn the team into a must see event, they have also grown many of the players’ individual brands. For instance, Olson, the star of the Bananas, has more followers on Instagram than Red Sox star players Alex Bregman and Jarren Duran, let alone Tik Tok followers. With reach that large, it is no wonder that the Bananas are able to sell out some of the largest football stadiums in the world.

While I do not think the Savannah Bananas’ version of baseball is going to dethrone that of Major League Baseball anytime soon, the Bananas have clearly established the brand and team as more than a gimmick offshoot of baseball. With a recently added fourth team, and no signs of that growth slowing down, the Bananas are looking to form their own style of independent league, one that could attract far more attention and fans than any traditional baseball independent league ever could. Often compared to the Globetrotters, through expansion and their social media dominance, the Bananas have a road map toward much more growth than the age-old Globetrotters. It is not clear exactly where that map will take them, but it is clear that the Savannah Bananas are here to stay.

Editor’s Note: When the Savannah Banana equipment trucks were packing up at Fenway on the evening of July 6, this reporter ask one of the technicians – okay, call ‘em roadies – what his next stop would be. “St. Louis,” he said. Yes, while the franchise played easy games in Savannah and Salem, Virginia this weekend, the big show was on its way to St. Louis for a July 18-19 pair of games at Busch Stadium. On July 26-27, they travel to Philadelphia for a pair of sold out games at Citizens Bank Park, and so on. The Banana Schedule for their 2025 “World Tour” is relentless.

It must get tiresome at some point?

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: If you’ve been following along via WWYI, you surely remember this space applauding the game of – James Wood – of the Washington Nationals. Remember that you heard it first as Wood was named to the 2025 National League All-Star team this week. … Wood will also participate in the HR festivities. In addition to Wood, the full list of participants for the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby include Ronald Acuña Jr., Byron Buxton, Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Cal Raleigh, Brent Rooker and Jazz Chisholm Jr. … The event will take place on July 14, 2025, at Truist Park in Atlanta, with the All-Star Game on July 15 … Look out!

PREZ VANVLEET: The National Basketball Players Association announced that Fred VanVleet was elected President of the NBPA during the annual summer meeting of the Board of Player Representatives. VanVleet’s four-year term begins immediately. “It’s truly an honor to be elected as President of the NBPA by my peers and I look forward to continuing to advocate for the best interest of all the members,” said VanVleet. “With a deep appreciation for the complexities and challenges players face on all levels of their NBA journeys, I am committed to approaching this role with the passion, dignity, and dedication every player deserves.” … VanVleet, a nine-year NBA veteran and current Houston Rockets guard, began his professional career un-drafted in 2016.

U-19 = ONE-SIDED: The USA women’s U-19 team (1-0) tipped off the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup this weekend. The USA is looking for its 11th overall and fourth consecutive gold medal at the event, and they began in high gear and grand style with a 134-53 win against Korea (0-1) in Brno, Czechia. The 134 points set a single-game U19 record, besting the USA’s own marks of 129 set in 2005 and 2021.

RED SOX: The Boston Red Sox won their season-high ninth straight game on Saturday. It’s the club’s longest winning streak since also winning nine consecutive from April 5-14th, 2019. … The victory also placed the Sox a game and a half above the AL East fourth place Tampa Bay Rays and set a 2025 season-high mark of seven games above .500 for the first time since August 21, 2024 when they were (67-60). … Boston won 11 of their last 12 games going into Sunday’s MLB first half finale against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. … Boston’s Saturday (1-0) win ensured the club’s fourth consecutive series win as ace starting pitcher Garrett Crochet tossed a three-hit complete game, the first CG of his career and the second CG of Boston’s ‘25 campaign (Bryan Bello there the other). … Bello faces Tampa’s Ryan Pepiot in Sunday’s series and first half/ All-Star break curtain call. … The game will be on NESN and the MLB Network.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 6

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on the Caitlin Clark Effect

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Aside from Olga Korbut’s phenomenal acrobatics in women’s gymnastics when the Belarusian pixie did a back flip off the uneven parallel bars at the 1972 Olympic Games, basketball’s Caitlin Clark has made more impact on a sport than any women’s athlete in history.

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Korbut’s three gold medals and a silver in ‘72 encouraged a generation of young female athletes to join gymnastics teams and clubs all around the world. Her impact, however, was limited to participation – which is not bad. Clark’s impact has a much wider ranging global effect on the sport of basketball, as it crosses previously perceived notions in place for casual vs core fans, gender, technology and ticket sales. Clark brings people to her games – in person or via television/streaming – and she does so in bigger numbers than any performer on earth.

“In my lifetime, we had Muhammad Ali, we had Michael Jordan, we had Tiger Woods, and to me, it’s early, but we have Caitlin Clark,” said John Kosner, a former ESPN, NBA and CBS Sports executive turned industry consultant, to The Athletic. “People who don’t care and don’t follow the sport that she plays (in) have been driven not just to watch, but to watch avidly.”

Since her collegiate basketball days at Iowa, Clark has drawn both male and female viewers to the screen like only Jordan did. But, consider the fact Jordan was “just another guy” on Dean Smith’s great North Carolina teams but was the fourth freshman to start his first college game for head coach Smith, following Phil Ford, Mike O’Koren and James Worthy. Jordan scored 12 points against Kansas in Charlotte on Nov. 28, 1981, in his first game as a Tar Heel and it was often joked that Coach Smith was the only guy to hold MJ under 20 points a game.

Jordan’s fame grew upon hitting the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA national championship game against Georgetown and blossomed when he led Team USA to a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics after his junior season at Carolina. He led the USA in scoring with 137 points in eight games (17.1 ppg), including a game-high 20 points in the gold medal game against Spain.

He entered the pros as the No. 3 pick in the 1984 NBA Draft and gradually built his following and his game to now legendary status. It did take Jordan seven years to win his first NBA title.

Clark entered the WNBA on another stratosphere. She mirrored the career of the great Hall of Famer, shooter, scorer and showman Pete Maravich, and broke his record to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history (men’s or women’s game). Although her Iowa team won three consecutive Big Ten championships, an NCAA title eluded her as her Iowa teams lost two consecutive national championship games, first to LSU (2022-23), then to South Carolina (2023-24).

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Not only did Clark put up record-breaking numbers in points, three-pointers and assists, she also was directly responsible for the 2023 national championship game becoming the most-viewed women’s college basketball game in history (9.9 million). In 2024, the number grew to 18.9 million viewers, more than the men’s Final Four.

Although she had a fifth year of eligibility remaining (because of the COVID-19 pandemic), Clark chose to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft and was the No. 1 overall pick by the Indiana Fever. The record-breaking numbers continued. The Fever set a franchise single-season attendance record, and their regular season finale set the league’s all-time attendance record (20,711), that coming after she drew 55,646 to a game against DePaul in college.

With that incredible but partial career in the history books, the more current narrative seems to be growing in scope and that is the fact Clark is playing under her collectively bargained WNBA rookie contract salary of $78,066 (part of a four-year contract worth $338,056). As recently as June 30th, The Athletic asked if Clark was worth $1 billion to the WNBA, and they made comparisons to a 1997 economic study of Jordan’s value to the NBA by MIT and Cambridge academics.

Sports business publications, such as Sportico, estimate that Clark earns as much as $11 million a year in off-court sponsorships. She awaits a signature shoe (2026) to be made and marketed by Nike and, until then, wears a Kobe Bryant Nike shoe. In addition, the WNBA and its players are working on a new collective bargaining agreement which will surely increase player salaries overall, but until the new deal is struck, Clark can only dream of the $249,244 supermax salary earned by only a handful of WNBA stars.

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The WNBA comparisons to the more established NBA league/player salaries become shockingly inadequate, but consider this fact: The WNBA is in its 28th season, starting in 1997. The NBA’s 28th season of 1974 produced salaries that were well under the WNBA numbers of today. Even if you spin the clock to 1983 when the NBA first introduced the maximum team salary concept, the league set the 1984-85 team limit at $3.6 million and had to grandfather five teams already over that cap. In the 1972-74 range, the average NBA salary was about $90,000 and the superstars, like Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made $250,000. Of course, the average household income back then might’ve been about $6,500 and a gallon of gasoline was .36 cents, but I digress.

The larger point, which I made in this space once before when Clark was drafted, is that it’s not fair to draw comparisons in salaries, expansion, nor league health between the WNBA of 2025 with the NBA of 2025. In those comparison, pundits seem to forget about the growing pains the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL) plunged through in the ‘40s and ‘50s, never mind the 1960s when the likes of Bob Cousy and Tommy Heinsohn fought for unionization of the players.

In 1974, there were three broadcast networks which aired sports programming primarily on weekend afternoons. Cable TV and regional sports networks were in their infancy. North American based sports leagues barely televised a minute of their programming internationally. The WNBA of 1997 entered the marketplace with a globally polished big brother quite advanced in the worldwide marketing of its stars.

The NBA of 1976 watched collegiate players compete for the USA in the Olympic Games of Montreal. The WNBA rode into existence on the cusp of the USA Basketball women’s national team winning the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games while drawing sellout crowds of 32,997 at the Georgia Dome. The final game was the culmination of a 100,000 mile, 6-game world tour where the US went undefeated. In ‘96, the total attendance for men’s and women’s basketball games, 1,093,388, established an Olympic record. The 16 sessions of women’s basketball games attracted 478,061, an average of 29,879 – that’s with or without the United States playing.

The 1992 Olympics were all about the Dream Team. The ‘96 Olympics were all women’s sports, including athletics (track & field), basketball, gymnastics, softball, swimming, synchronized swimming, tennis and soccer.

Caitlin Clark, born January 22, 2002, might not’ve picked up a basketball if it weren’t for Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swooper, Theresa Edwards and the ‘96 USA Basketball women, in the same manner as Michael Jordan would never have been Michael Jordan if it weren’t for Julius Erving, Connie Hawkins and Elgin Baylor coming before his day.

The message?

  • Ease up – Let Caitlin be Caitlin and give her some time and space.
  • Lay off – Stop with the salary comparisons and the unfair weight being placed on Clark’s shoulders.
  • Understand the fact – The foundation for women’s sports is rock solid, established firmly by Title IX in 1972 but gradually built upon.
  • The future is bright – Clark will do her part, yes, but others will come along. Relish in the moment and look forward to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles where women’s basketball might be the toughest ticket in town.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters will be hosting the club’s first-ever open tryouts to help select athletes for their Centennial season in 2026. The Globetrotters’ tryouts will take place in the early fall with the final team being assembled and announced in November. The organization’s goal is to expand and elevate the talent within its ranks and to act as competitive offering for men and women hoopers around the globe for 2026

The Globies continue to add athletic team members, which has been reflected in recent years in the signing of former LSU captain Alexis Morris and this past year with the addition of 6-5 rookie forward Asanti “Cash” Price (Columbia, SC), who signed a contract with the NBA G League’s Texas Legends, the affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. Price was one of six rookies signed to the Globetrotters this past November and had the option to return to the club when his G League time ended, which he did.

“We are creating one of the most unique, once in a lifetime opportunities for talented athletes and entertainers,” said Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios. “The (opportunity is) to be part of the Centennial of the most iconic global sports and entertainment property. The right athletes will have that special element of ‘showpersonship’ that the Globetrotters have been known for. It should make for a fun and exciting way to uncover our next group of stars.”

This past year, Globetrotter athletes set a high bar for excellence on and off the court, bringing their talents to 50 locations around the world and an additional 46 cities in North America. The Globetrotters anticipate bringing in approximately 30 athletes to the tryout. It will be the first step of a months-long process in selecting the athletes for the Centennial team. Over the many years, the Globetrotters legacy has seen athletes ranging from Wilt Chamberlain to Connie Hawkins to to Lynette Woodward create lasting memories in the basketball world.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Nothing says PAC-12 like Texas State … Novak Djokovic, who has won seven of his 24 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, added another incredible milestone Saturday as he became just the third player in the history of the grass-court tournament to reach 100 victories, joining nine-time winner Martina Navratilova and eight-time champion Roger Federer as the only players to have reached the century mark in victories at Wimbledon.

AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE: As teased back in March, the NBA Melbourne Games 2025 will mark the first time an NBA team will play official exhibition games in Australia. The New Orleans Pelicans will open the 2025 preseason with two friendly games against the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix. The games will be played Friday, Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park, with the NBL serving as the official promoter and organizer of the NBA x NBL Melbourne Series. … In 2000, USA Basketball faced the Australian national team in a friendly at the Laver Arena before the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

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RED SOX STARTER: Lucas Giolito recorded his fifth consecutive outing of at least 6.0 innings pitched (IP) with two or fewer earned runs allowed. It’s the longest such streak of his career, and longest by a Red Sox pitcher since Brayan Bello also tossed five straight from 6/11-7/5/23 … Since June 10, Giolito’s gone 4-0 while posting a 0.83 ERA (3 ER/32.2 IP) with 31 strikeouts. The last Red Sox pitcher to throw 30.0+ IP with an ERA that low over a five game span was Chris Sale in 2018.

USA! USA! Care to spend your 4th of July in Switzerland? That’s what the USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team did and they’ll have one more game for the gold medal. The US advanced to the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup Final after a 120-64 semifinals drubbing of New Zealand in Lausanne. The Americans will face Germany, winners over Slovenia, 84-72, in the other semifinal. The game for the Gold will be Sunday, July 6, at 2:00pm (ET). (See USAB.com)

WHAT WILL DAME DO? The Milwaukee Bucks waived injured guard Damian Lillard to pave the way to sign former Indiana Pacers bigman Myles Turner. The Bucks will be responsible for some $113 million owed to the injured sharpshooter. Once Lillard recuperates from his Achilles injury, he’s likely to play one or two more NBA seasons, as long as the rehabilitation goes well.

The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag have opened lines for Lillard’s next team and they are as follows:

  • Miami Heat 4/1
  • Denver Nuggets 5/1
  • Portland Trail Blazers 6/1
  • Los Angeles Lakers 7/1
  • Minnesota Timberwolves 8/1
  • Boston Celtics 9/1
  • San Antonio Spurs 9/1
  • New York Knicks 12/1
  • Houston Rockets 14/1
  • Indiana Pacers 16/1
  • Sacramento Kings 16/1
  • Orlando Magic 22/1
  • Detroit Pistons 25/1
  • Golden State Warriors 25/1
  • Toronto Raptors 28/1
  • Dallas Mavericks 33/1
  • Los Angeles Clippers 33/1
  • Memphis Grizzlies 33/1
  • Oklahoma City Thunder 33/1
  • Phoenix Suns 33/1
  • Atlanta Hawks 40/1
  • Chicago Bulls 40/1
  • Cleveland Cavaliers 40/1
  • Brooklyn Nets 45/1
  • Charlotte Hornets 45/1
  • New Orleans Pelicans 45/1
  • Philadelphia 76ers 50/1
  • Utah Jazz 50/1
  • Washington Wizards 50/1

THIS JEST IN: The regular season DOES matter. The PGA Tour has restructured the distribution of playoff bonuses, including the FedEx Cup champion this season earning $10 million in prize money instead of $25 million as in the past two years.

The new payouts from the $100 million total in bonus money were revealed weeks after an announcement in May that the Tour Championship’s “starting strokes” format will be eliminated, according to the PGATourCom site. The season-ending tournament in August where the Top 30 players compete, following two previous playoff events, will be a standard 72-hole stroke-play tournament held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

The new three-tier system will reward golfers based on the FedEx Cup points standings after the regular-season finale at the Wyndham Championship (the top 10 splitting $20 million, with No. 1 getting $10 million), and after the second playoff event, the BMW Championship (top 30 splitting $23.93 million, with No. 1 getting $5 million).

The Tour Championship winner will get $10 million of the remaining prize money ($57.08 million), with the rest will be paid out to the other 29 players based on their finishes. Players ranked Nos. 31-150, eliminated from the Tour Championship round, will divide $17.08 million.

The PGA Tour cited its reasoning, noting, “To account for the increased volatility of the final event, reward season-long performance and recognize the significance of the FedEx Cup, the FedEx Cup bonus distributions for the Top 30 positions were rebalanced,” the PGA Tour posted on its website.

It almost goes without stating, the TOUR needs to set its rules and stick to them. The constant changing and experimenting with the postseason, including eliminating the “quarterfinal” event in Boston, has cost the circuit incredibly. But, the decision to finish before the NFL regular season began was justification for the tightening of the overall schedule which begins each January.

TL’s Sports Notes | June 29

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Back in the ‘80s, NBA teams suffered through tougher than tough road trips when traveling into the Western Conference’s Southwest, Pacific and Northwest Divisions. Sometimes, it was a Utah-Portland-Seattle run, other times it might be a trip to LA to play the Lakers, followed by a stop in Phoenix and then a get-away game at Denver in the Mile High city.

Possibly the toughest road trip was the very challenging three games in four night through the “Texas Triangle,” visiting the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.

At different intervals throughout the decade, a stop in Dallas meant a match-up with Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman and Derek Harper, and later in the decade, the guards were backed-up by a young and efficient Roy Tarpley – Coach Dick Motta’s orJohn MacLeod’s first experimentation with the “stretch four and stretch five.”

In San Antonio, you might battle the great center Artis Gilmore, George “The Iceman” Gervin, and point guard Johnny Moore backed by the Baseline Bums and bigs like Dave Corzine, Mark Olberding and George T. Johnson.

In the early ‘80s, a trip to Houston would require a match-up vs MVP-level center Moses Malone, but soon after, the Rockets fell into fortune via the NBA Draft’s “coin-flip,” rather than the NBA Lottery of today. That luck of Jim Foley, Charlie Thomasand their map of Ireland taken from the walls of Jimmy Weston’s bar in midtown resulted in a Rockets roster of 7-4 Ralph Sampson, 6-9 center Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon – The Twin Towers – and a supporting cast of forwards Otis Thorpe, Robert Horry, Carl Herrera, Rodney McCray, and guards like G-F Clyde Drexler, point guard Kenny Smith, along with Mario Elie, Sam Cassell and a host of others.

Put all together, it was the vaunted “Texas Triangle” and it just might be returning “to a theatre near you” this Fall.

With the Dallas Mavericks selecting consensus college player of the year, Cooper Flagg of Duke, with No. 1 pick in this week’s NBA Draft, the franchise which was under fire from fans and media, alike, has now been rejuvenated. Tickets are flying off the shelves. That said, the state of the Mavericks will depend largely on the injury status of point guard Kyrie Irving (torn ACL in March) who is not expected to play until January 2026.

Meanwhile, NBA All-Star center Anthony Davis battled back at seasons’ end from a left adductor strain suffered just after his trade from the LA Lakers to Dallas in exchange for Mavs’ franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić – a deal that shook the NBA for months.

If Flagg can perform to his highest standards and both Irving and Davis are healthy come the eve of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, Dallas could be a force out West, but chances are, it will take another year or two for the Mavericks to be in full contention.

That leads us to the Houston Rockets, the Southwest Division champion of 2024-25 and the No. 2 seed in the 2025 NBA Playoffs because of their 50-32 record. Houston was upset in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs this past April/May, losing a seven game series to the Golden State Warriors. Of the three Texas teams, however, Houston has the best chance to advance in the 2026 NBA Playoffs and they will depend of budding NBA All-Star in Turkish center Alperen Sengun who averaged 20.9 points and 11.9 rebounds last season.

Next?

The San Antonio Spurs might be a 12-for-12 roster flip wish for every team in the NBA, sans the OKC Thunder. The duo of the past two NBA Rookies of the Year (7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama and tough-as-nails guard Stephon Castle will be joined this coming season by Spurs’ first-round, No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, a 6-foot-6 scorer out of Rutgers. Depending on Flagg’s development with the Mavericks, theoretically, the Spurs could roster the last three NBA ROY winners. (NBA teams have had two in a row, but never three consecutive ROY).

As your self the question, ‘If you were GM of Indiana, Cleveland, New York, Boston, or the LA Lakers or Clippers, would you trade rosters with the San Antonio Spurs?’

I would, after all, everything in Texas is BIG.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Writing from Fenway Park on a Saturday afternoon, one has to wonder if the Boston Red Sox switched “babies” overnight and fielded a new team? Friday night saw the Toronto Blue Jays shutout the Sox 9-0 and the score could’ve been worse. Despite a halfway decent outing by Sox SP Brayan Bello (three earned runs on eight hits over six innings), the Boston bullpen gave up another six runs to the Jays. On Saturday, the roles were reversed and Boston jumped on Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt for nine runs (eight earned), on eight hits over two innings pitched. … The Saturday afternoon Boston victory snapped a a season high losing streak of six games with much of the recent damage done on a Sox 9-game road trip to the West Coast. Prior to departing on that trip (which coincided with the day Boston shipped Rafael Devers off to San Francisco), Boston had won eight of the nine previous games, dating back to June 10. On Saturday, with a 15-1 win, the Red Sox scored more runs in one game than they scored in their previous five.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The NHL Draft was held on Friday night and the New York Islanders selected No. 1 for the fifth time in franchise history and first since 2009. The Isles made highly touted defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters the top pick. Schaefer became the first OHL player to go first overall in the Draft since Connor McDavid in 2015 (also out of Erie) and the first OHL defenseman to be picked at No. 1 in more than a decade, with Aaron Ekblad (2014) the last before him.

An emotional moment for any top pick of a major league sports draft, the dream-fulfilling night had added meaning for Schaefer who lost his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer in February 2024.

EMOTIONS RAN HIGH: The emotions of the first-rounders and their families at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn Wednesday night were flowing. ESPN anchor Malika Andrews did a great job putting those lifelong dreams into perspective as each player had his name announced. It started with Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks and his entire family embracing for several minutes and continued throughout the first round.

The best reaction, by far, was that of Duke center Khaman Maluach who stayed at his table for an extra 30 seconds to gather his emotions. There certainly wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he lifted his head, stood up and embraced his family and friends before walking to shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Maluach, who was selected by the Houston Rockets but traded, will have an opportunity to play immediately as a member of the Phoenix Suns, a club overhauling its roster.

While there might not be crying in baseball, there was a fair share of crying at the NBA Draft and it was nothing other than great. Each year, the sound of their names being called by Commissioner Silver sends shivers up and down the spines of the players and their families.

(Personal note: Back when I worked with the league, we used to try (and I stress try) preparing the rookies for the rush of emotion upon being drafted. The day before each draft, the rookies would be playing it cool, and stating, ‘They’d be alright when the time came.’ We’d warn them, and even go to the length of slipping a roster of the team they were picked by into their hands after they shook the Commissioner’s hand and were welcomed into the League.

Players would forget their names, never mind the names of new teammates or the head coach, and quite a few players came to us after things calmed down to say, ‘You were right. I couldn’t think of a thing.’

THIS JEST IN: A few picks after the Islanders, the Boston Bruins selected forward James Hagens in the first round (7th overall) of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Hagens, 18, appeared in 37 games for Boston College during the 2024-25 season, recording 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points, with a plus-21 rating. The 5-foot-11, 177-pound forward ranked third among Boston skaters and fourth among NCAA freshmen in points, earning a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

In 2023-24, Hagens appeared in 58 games for the U.S. National U18 Team, as part of the National Team Development Program, totaling 39 goals and 63 assists for 102 points. The Hauppauge, Long Island, NY native was part of the United States’ gold medal-winning team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, ranking second among U.S. skaters in points (nine). Hagens was named most valuable player after leading tournament scoring at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship, recording 22 points in seven games to help Team USA win the silver medal.

He also won gold at both the 2023 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

SAD, BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Louisiana’s Supreme Court this week ruled that former LSU coach Ed Orgeron owes his ex-wife Kelly nearly half of the buyout he received from the school … In a 5-2 ruling, the court said Kelly Orgeron should receive $8.13 million from the buyout since the two were married when Ed signed his extension to coach football for the LSU Tigers in January 2020. Coach Orgeron filed for divorce six weeks after he signed the extension, though the contract was not approved by the school’s board of directors until divorce proceedings had already begun. Orgeron received nearly $17 million from the school when he was fired in 2021 with an agreement to finish the season. In November of 2021, former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was named LSU’s 33rd head coach … In 2018 Ms. Orgeron underwent surgery to correct the back condition, “scoliosis.” After complications from the surgery, she fully recovered. She maintained a social media presence until 2021 at Twitter.

TL’s Sunday Notebook | June 22

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While We’re Young (Ideas) at TPC River Highlands

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CROMWELL (Connecticut) – As your trusty columnist plunges in a pool of “Coppertone,” (that’s OG for sun block), blows in the wind gusts that made Friday’s round at the 2025 Travelers Championship golf tournament hit a low average a 70.68, and while we agonize over the Moving Day results for tournament leaders – Justin Thomas, and Scottie Scheffler – there’s no better time than today to set golf aside for a paragraph or three and a review great Game 7s in NBA history.

Game 7s

Here’s a look at all of the Game 7s in NBA history:

Year, Result

2016 Cleveland Cavaliers def. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 93-89

2013 MIAMI HEAT defeat San Antonio Spurs 95-88

2010 LOS ANGELES LAKERS def. Boston Celtics 83-79

2005 SAN ANTONIO SPURS def. Detroit Pistons 81-74

1994 HOUSTON ROCKETS def. New York Knicks 90-84

1988 LOS ANGELES LAKERS def. Detroit Pistons 108-105

1984 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 111-102

1978 Washington Bullets def. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS 105-99

1974 Boston Celtics defeat MILWAUKEE BUCKS 102-87

1970 NEW YORK KNICKS def. Los Angeles Lakers 113-99

1969 Boston Celtics def. LOS ANGELES LAKERS 108-106

1966 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 95-93

1962 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 110-107 (OT)

1960 BOSTON CELTICS def. St. Louis Hawks 122-103

1957 BOSTON CELTICS def. St. Louis Hawks 125-123 (2 OT)

1955 SYRACUSE NATIONALS def. Fort Wayne Pistons 92-81

1954 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS def. Syracuse Nationals 87-80

1952 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS def. New York Knicks 82-65

1951 ROCHESTER ROYALS def. New York Knicks 79-75

That’s a total of 19 Game 7s with the home team going 15-4. Not too shabby for the home squads.

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TL TENURE: In my tenure at NBA HQ, there were only three Game 7s over the 26 years. They came in 1984, ‘88 and 1994. (Look who is in far right corner of the photo above from ’84)

Without a doubt, the 1984 “NBA World Championship Series” (that’s pre-NBA Finals lingo), was the best game and the best series I’ve ever seen in person. I worked a then-record 135 consecutive Finals games with Game 1 of the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers sweep over the LA Lakers – Moses Malone called it “Fo, fo, and Fo,” but it went “Fo, Five and Fo” – in a disappointing quick series that Moses, Dr. J and Company just dominated. That next year – 1984 – were were primed for greatness.

The Celtics and LA Lakers delivered with the Cs taking Game 7 on the parquet in the old Boston Garden, 111-102. It was an epic series with Hall of Famers deep on each team’s roster.

LA Lakers:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Michael Cooper

Earvin “Magic Johnson

Bob McAdoo

Jamaal Wilkes

James Worthy

Boston Celtics:

Larry Bird

Dennis Johnson

Kevin McHale

Robert Parish

Both team coaches, KC Jones of the Celtics (enshrined as a player) and Pat Riley of the Lakers (enshrined as a coach) were at the respective helms of their legendary clubs.

In Game 7 back in ‘84, the Boston Garden indoor temperature that was an issue in Game 5 was not as bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91°F rather than 97 during the game, due to additional fans brought in to attempt to cool the air). The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Larry Bird (Indiana State) avenged the 1979 NCAA Final Four loss to Magic Johnson (Michigan State) and Bird won the MVP honors for the series.

Earlier Celtics teams lived by the motto, “No rebounds, no rings.” The great Bill Russell ecelled in Game 7s, snagging 40 rebounds in 1962, 35 rebounds in 1960 and 32 rebounds in 1966.

In 1988, “Big Game” James Worthy has 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the LA Lakers to a 108-105 Game 7 victory. In the 2-3-2 format for home games, the series switched back to LA with the Lakers trailing the Pistons 2-games-3, but the Lakers prevailed, taking the last two games of the series. Game 6 is remembered for Detroit’s Isiah Thomas spraining his ankle, badly, but still scoring 25 of his 43 points in the third quarter, gimping on the ankle. Worthy won the MVP of the series.

One item of note: The 2025 NBA Finals are a turning point for the league. An age of parity in the league has brought about two incredibly talented teams, one the model for the other. Get ready for more of these type match-ups, as the strong, long, fast, deep, versatile NBA clubs will outlast the traditional types. Since the 2018 NBA Finals, there’s been a different champion each and every year, including 2025. That defines a new era in NBA basketball and it’s … FAN-tastic.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Seattle Mariner’s catcher Cal Raleigh is on his way to a record-breaking season. Raleigh broke Hall of Famer Johnny Bench‘s 1970 record for home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break, hitting his major-league-leading 28th and 29th in the Seattle Mariners’ 9-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Looking ahead, Raleigh will attempt to break these numbers for a single season:

2021 – Sal Perez (Kansas City Royals) – (48)

1970 – Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds) – (45)

2003 – Javy Lopez (Atlanta Braves) – (43)

Mike Piazza (Dodgers and Mets) is the all-time leader for career home runs with 427 (396 hit as a catcher). Raleigh has 122 dingers on his career.

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AT THE TRAVELERS: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a rough round on Friday, playing in wind gusts of 30 mph. After shooting a scorching (62) on Thursday, Scheffler followed with a (69) on Friday, including a double-bogey on No. 17 as he came in at 35. Scheffler began the third round with a triple bogey on Saturday and later experienced a double bogey on No. 8. He had five birdies on the day but shot a 2-over, 72, and will tee-off Sunday as a player T-8.

Thomas was worse. He had a bogey on No. 2 and a dreaded quadruple bogey (9) on No. 13 and finished 3-over, 73 and enters Sunday play T-14.

Between the two leaders, they hit for the cycle with bogey – double bogey – triple bogey and quadruple bogey.

On the other hand, Tommy Fleetwood did some moving on “Moving Day,” shooting a 7-under, 63, and leads Russell Henley by three strokes. Henley shot a best-of-week (61) on Saturday to sit T-2 and three back.

New England native Keegan Bradley – captain of the USA Ryder Cup team this Fall – shot a (63) with seven birdies and a bogey free round.

Digital Sports Desk and sister e-news PGA Tour Brunch will be on site at TPC River Highlands, just south of Hartford, Connecticut where we write from on Saturday and Sunday.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Sam Coffey, daughter of former NY Daily News columnist Wayne Coffey, was named to the active roster for the upcoming threesome of friendlies for the US Women’s National Team. The product of The Masters School in Westchester County, Boston College and Penn State will take her place against No. 25 Ireland (June 26 & 29) and No. 8 Canada (July 2). … Those games will be broadcast on Turner (TNT/TruTV).

The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be staged on Friday, June 27 (7:00pm ET, ESPN) and Saturday, June 28 (12 Noon ET, NHL Net). The event will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

RAFA and RAFAEL: When Rafael Devers was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants, it broke up a strong bond between teammates – CeddanneRafaela and the discarded Devers. The MLB scheduling gods brought them back together on Friday night.

“He’s like my big brother. I really looked up to him when I was coming up,” said Rafaela. “So it’s always a pleasure for me to watch him play and watch him perform. I think, yeah, it was fun.”

Yes, it was fun for Rafaela and Boston as the Red Sox took a 7-5 victory at SF’s Oracle Park. Rafaela came through with a rally-starting double, an RBI single and a towering solo homer while Devers had a rough 0-for-5 night at the plate. Devers enjoyed some revenge on Saturday when he homered off former teammate Brayan Bello in the third inning of his SF Giants’ 3-2 win over the Sox.

PHIL STEELE and COLLEGE FOOTBALL: WWYI has written of the great College Basketball preview publication called Blue Ribbon Basketball. For College Football, it’s Phil Steele’s 2025 College Football Preview. The 75-page bible for college footy is already in mailboxes all around the nation and it’s available for purchase by clicking HERE.

Boston College fans can read about the fact their football team will face a Top 25 of toughest schedule in 2025. BC comes in at No. 11 in the country for that tough schedule dictating the chance to have a drop-off from their (7-6) 2024 record when they lost to Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl.

THIS JEST IN: The Stanley Cup got a little “banged up” this week, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ celebration of back-to-back titles. The greatest trophy in all the world is cracked and the bottom is dented, but it’s not the first time and likely not the last.

The Panthers won their second consecutive championship on home ice Tuesday night, beating Edmonton in six games. The team, following decades of tradition, partied with the Cup into the wee hours and kept the revelry going in Fort Lauderdale well into Wednesday afternoon. After the damage was done, a spokesperson for the Hockey Hall of Fame said the keepers of the Cup are taking appropriate measures and plan to have it repaired by the city-wide celebration parade today. Made of silver and a nickel alloy, the 37-pound Cup is relatively malleable, and has a history of dealing with the reckless abandon days of lore.

In 1906, a year after being drop-kicked into a canal in Ottawa, Canada, the Montreal Wanderers took possession of The Cup by defeating Ottawa in a rematch. After a night of revelry, the players decided to take the Cup for an official picture at JimmyRice’s photography shop. Pleased with their photo, the players then exited Rice’s and crossed the street for a cold beer, but they did so without Lord Stanley’s Cup.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: The University of Wisconsin sued the University of Miami on Friday, formally accusing the Florida school of tampering with a football player under a “financial contract” with the Badgers.

The decision to sue could become a watershed moment in the current era of college athletics. Never before has a university accused another of tampering with one of its athletes, who did not have contracts before the dawn of name, image and likeness rights this decade.

“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” the school said in a statement.

Though Wisconsin’s lawsuit only refers to the player as Student Athlete A, the subject of the case is cornerback Xavier Lucas, who left Wisconsin and enrolled at Miami over the winter without ever entering the transfer portal.

There was no word on college basketball coaches walking across the gym during conference games and handing an opponent a check for $1.2 million.