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TL’s Super Sunday Notes | Feb 11

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Let’s have a Super Day. First and foremost, let’s hope for a great NFL championship game between the San Francisco 49ers (representing the National Football Conference) and the Kansas City Chiefs (representing the American Football Conference). Let’s hope for game played at the highest level, a game that is close to the final minutes and one that goes from kickoff to the final seconds without any player being seriously injured.

After that? We can get a little greedy in the things we’d like to see.

Back on September 3, 2023, I went with the favorites and predicted a San Fran vs KC Super Bowl with the Niners winning and RB Christian McCaffrey taking home the Most Valuable Player award. Aside from just about every pundit predicting a Kansas City victory and a Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes MVP performance, I see no reason to change my preseason prediction.

Throughout this week’s game analysis, much of the focus on the Niners’ success was placed upon the shoulders of young Brock Purdy, the third team quarterback now starting and proving he belongs amongst the elite QBs in the NFL. Remember, Purdy suffered torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in January 2023 but rehabbed after an “InternalBrace” surgery was performed, saving him the lengthy rehab after undergoing a more involved “Tommy John” surgery needed by so many MLB pitchers.

The successful surgery allowed the 2022 seventh round draft choice (No. 262) out of Iowa State to return to action. Keep in mind, the 49ers were 7-1 with Purdy before his injury occurred and they went 12-5 this season, good enough for the NFC West division title and victories in the two NFC playoff games, thus earning this trip to Las Vegas and Super Bowl LVIII. By the way, that Roman numeral stands for 58, not Las Vegas 3.

Combining McCaffrey, Purdy, an elite receiving corp, a Pro Bowl Tight End (George Kittle) and one of the NFL’s best defensive units (top three in holding opponents in rushing yards and points, but middle of the pack vs the pass), should be enough to outlast the Chiefs, although KC can boast much of the same.

Yes, QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Isiah Pacheco and all everything TE Travis Kelce provide the power numbers in passing rushing and receiving, but the KC defense ranks slightly ahead of SF in most categories.

Here are some fun facts to consider as you watch the Super Bowl Sunday night:

  • The two teams are a combined 5-0 at Allegiant Stadium since it opened in 2020.
  • It’s tough to pick against KC QB Patrick Mahomes as the 28 year old will become the youngest QB in NFL history to start a fourth Super Bowl. Previously, at age 30, New England’s Tom Brady held the honor. With a win, Mahomes would join Brady and Hall of Famer and former Dallas Cowboys QB Troy Aikman as the only quarterbacks to win three Super Bowl rings prior to their 30th birthdays.
  • KC TE Travis Kelce is likely to work the middle of the field vs. the 49ers as Kelce led all NFL tight ends in yards receiving (393) when the closest defender is a linebacker.
  • Since head coach Andy Reid was hired by Kansas City on January 7, 2013, (11 seasons), the Chiefs have not experienced a losing season. No other NFL team can say they have more than five consecutive winning seasons. KC has been to the Super Bowl in four of the last five years. That impressive mark comes after the Chiefs went 49 years without a trip to the Super Bowl.
  • There is some (unfounded) speculation that Reid might “go out on top” and retire if KC is victorious. Further logic would place – now head coaching free agent – Bill Belichick as a possible replacement for KC to consider.
  • As previously noted, SF QB Brock Purdy entered the NFL as the final choice of the 2022 NFL Draft which “just happened to be held” in Las Vegas. Since his draft day, Purdy has an .808 winning percentage as a starter, is passing at 9.2 yards per attempt, and owns an 111.2 pass rating – all top marks for NFL quarterbacks with a minimum of 20 starts.
  • Niners RB Christian McCaffrey (yes, the son of former Denver Broncos’ receiver Ed) has joined Hall of Famer and Denver RB Terrell Davis as the only players in league history to average 110 scrimmage yards per game in both the regular season and postseason.
  • To tie a bow on the stats and factoids/nuggets section of your Super Notebook, this year’s game features the best defensive matchup in Super Bowl history. During the regular season, Kansas City allowed 17.3 points per game while San Francisco allowed 17.5 ppg. Only Baltimore, at 16.5 ppg, had a better “D” and you saw what KC did to them.

HONOR ROLL: This week, the National Football League recognized its award-winning players in the annual NFL HONORS ceremony, traditionally held the Thursday evening before Super Bowl Sunday. Here are a few of the top honorees:

  • Most Valuable Player: Lamar Jackson (Baltimore)
  • Coach of the Year: Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland)
  • Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco)
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett (Cleveland)
  • Comeback Player of the Year: Joe Flacco (Cleveland)
  • Offensive Rookie of the Year: C. J. Stroud (Houston)
  • Defensive Rookie of the Year: Will Anderson (Houston)
  • Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year: Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh)
  • Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award: Bobby Wagner (Seattle)
  • Deacon Jones (Sack Leader): T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh)
  • Jim Brown Award: Christian McCaffrey (SF 49ers)

WALTER PAYTON MAN of the YEAR: Here’s an award that deserves further ,mention, as it is named for one of the greatest players in NFL history. In the late Walter Payton, running back for the Chicago Bears, the NFL honors “a player who excels on the field but demonstrates a passion for creating a lasting positive impact beyond the game.” … Pittsburgh defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, the 2023-24 honoree, has played 13 seasons in the NFL and is known as a leading voice in the Steelers’ locker room. Heyward’s 78.5 career sacks are the most for a Pittsburgh defensive lineman since 1982. Heyward is a six-time Pro Bowl player, a three-time first team All Pro. Heyward’s contributions off the field are far too numerous to list in this column. Suffice to say, he’s done it all in the Pittsburgh community. He’s helped fun libraries, school systems, worked and donated to food banks and works to assist the patients and families of those suffering from brain tumors and cancer. This year was the sixth time he was nominated as the Pittsburgh Steelers contender for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

SALUTE TO SERVICE AWARD: Believe it or not, there’s a New England connection to Super Bowl LVIII. The NFL and sponsor USAA named Joe Cardona, the long snapper for the New England Patriots as recipient of the Salute to Service Award. It is presented annually to a member of the NFL for “exceptional efforts to honor and support the military community.” Cardona graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served the United States when stationed at the Naval Academy Prep School in Rhode Island. He has dedicated his time and support to the military serving on the Korean Peninsula.

THE WWYI SUPER BOWL MENU – With the weather unsettled – up and down, meaning NO GRILLING – we went for the sure fire specialties which are all set and ready to go. Here’s the Super Sunday menu:

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While we must applaud New England’s Joe Cardona for his award, I always thought a long snapper was something caught off the Florida coast. … All indication thus far has Las Vegas as the all-time greatest site for the Super Bowl. By contrast, the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend was duly noted as the worst All-Star event since the league went to a full weekend of activities (1984). Why?

IT WAS 60 YEARS AGO: This week, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of The Beatles landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and their subsequent appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (two days after thier Pan American Flight 101 from London). The good folks of Pan American public relations staff pulled off – possibly – the greatest PR Photo Op of all-time, complete with backdrop and product placement – the Pan Am Boeing 707 Clipper Ship. … Everyone seems to agree, Rock ‘n Roll was never the same after the lads played “I Want to Hold Your Hand” on the Ed Sullivan Show.

CLIPPED: Just when you thought it was safe to re-enter the sports docuseries waters after “Winning Time” was rightfully cancelled, the general public learned about a new documentary series today, entitled, CLIPPED.

The press release goes something like this: “If you pay even the slightest attention to professional basketball, you’ve heard about former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling — and the scandal that led to his lifetime ban from the NBA.

In 2014, during the Clippers’ playoff run, Sterling was caught on tape spewing racist remarks. The news blew open his marriage, drew attention to his personal assistant V. Stiviano, and revealed deep problems within the Clippers organization. In 2019, the scandal became the subject of an ESPN 30 for 30 podcast titled The Sterling Affairs, reported and hosted by Ramona Shelburne. This summer, 10 years after the tapes were released, The Sterling Affairs gets the small screen treatment, coming to FX on Hulu as the six-episode miniseries Clipped. … Ramona Shelburne is a fabulous reporter and has contributed mightily to the world of sports journalism, BUT, why on Earth do we need to revisit Donald Sterling and the Clippers debacle of 2014? … Give us a mini-series on the life of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his new impact as a gifted writer. Give us a mini-series on Elgin Baylor and Julius Erving, two of the greatest skywalkers who ever touched a basketball. Remember, if there were no Elgin and Doc, there’s no chance we would’ve had Michael and Kobe.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | February 4

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on St. John’s and the BIG EAST

Maybe it’s the Red Storm Mascot and Nickname That’s Cursed The Johnnies?

 

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – You have to turn the calendar back to Sunday, August 13 (NFL preseason) or Sunday, September 10 (NFL regular season openers) to mark a Sunday when there wasn’t an NFL game to tune into and that discards today’s flag football version of the NFL Pro Bowl.

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In place of hard-hitting NFL action, the sports calendar offered up a couple gems, including the NHL All-Star Weekend (to be mentioned later), the first of two Duke vs North Carolina regular season contests – the best rivalry in NCAA College Basketball. Or, you could’ve opted for Caitlin Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes were live, against the BIG 10 Maryland Terps, in primetime women’s NCAA Basketball on (regular) FOX, Saturday night at 8pm (ET). (Note: FOX Sports deployed a Caitlin Cam for those who wanted to view 100% of the broadcast focused on Ms. Clark, available only on the FOX Sports app).

The Boston Red Sox used the slow sports news weekend to bring back Theo Epstein to the mother ship, as the one-time GM of the Sox returned for a senior Advisory role for all of the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) properties, including the Red Sox. That no worry to newly hired Boston GM Craig Breslow who was hired by Epstein back when Theo the Miracle Worker was orchestrating the first MLB Championship for the Chicago Cubs (2016) which came not long after Epstein broke the 1918 “Curse of the Bambino” with a 2004 Red Sox World Series pennant.

It’s not clear whether Epstein will place more of his attention on FSG’s new investment into the PGA Tour, their efforts with Liverpool in the English Premier League or maybe the new entry – The Boston Common – in the one-year delayed TGL Golf entity.

Regardless, Epstein was welcomed back to New England with open arms of fans hoping his experiences at the Cubs and Major League Baseball might shore-up a baseball team that’s destined for another last place finish in the competitive AL EAST.

Last place? Yes, as in:

AL EAST Prediction:

  1. Baltimore Orioles
  2. New York Yankees
  3. Tampa Bay Rays
  4. Toronto Blue Jays
  5. Boston Red Sox

Remember, the Orioles won 101 games last season and they’ve improved while the NY Yankees signed free agent slugger Juan Soto and starters Marcus Stroman and Luke Weaver, all questionable moves with the aging stars.

Rain-drenched Pebble Beach and Spyglass golf courses were of no help to the PGA Tour which threw us another curve ball – let’s call it a flop shot – when they announced a new but long talked-about entity – SSG (Strategic Sports Group) – invested a cool $3 billion into the tour via PGA Tour Enterprises, an investment and marketing arm for the Tour which will be valued at $12 billion to start but will hold a huge open chunk of equity7 for an eventual investment by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) with the pot of new dough “subject to all necessary regulatory approvals” by the United States’ Treasury, State and Justice departments.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: This brings us to today’s BIG TOPIC – the BIG EAST Conference, a highly competitive basketball focused conference now deep into the 2024 regular season with a post season tournament scheduled March 8-12 that is second to none.

The reason it is second to none? It’s an easy answer. It’s The Garden.

Madison Square Garden brings out the best in sports, in music, in everything.

Bono, of U2, said his band “has had our best nights in this building.” That was particularly true when U2 played one of the first rock shows after 9/11 and decided to scroll the names of every person (crews/passengers/everyone) murdered on the three flights and those on the ground at The Pentagon.

The Concert for New York was another magical night, not long after the Trade Towers fell, as was 12/12/12 – The Concert for Sandy Relief. They followed many others, from No Nukes to George Harrison.

But basketball is king at The Garden and St. John’s – which boasts as New York’s Team – is the only college that calls Madison Square Garden its home. Tjhat should be a HUGE advantage when teams visit during the regular season, for the Holiday Festival or for the BIG EAST Conference Tournament.

Sadly of late, it hasn’t mattered one bit.

Truth be told, this columnist owns a handful of seasons tickets for St John’s, dating back to 1977-78. This year, because of the preseason hype and ticket demand – much of it because of the hiring of Coach Rick Pitino – the number of seats was upped to eight – all in the hope of reliving a season as a Top 10 team, one that held court at The Garden and spit out any opponent daring to venture towards Penn Plaza.

That is no longer the case. Other schools waltz into MSG and sell out the joint – like a Baylor vs Duke game earlier this season. Duke even closed down most of the bars and restaurants on 7th Avenue with alumni gatherings and fund raisers. Duke made more money in one night than they do for a whole season at the Cameron Indoor Center on the bucolic campus in Durham, Carolina.

St. John’s lowered its appearances at MSG to four last season but Pitino is planning to schedule more games in the city and leave only some exhibitions, some patsys, and one BIG GAME at Carnesecca Arena, and that being UConn – a college with 10,000 of more ticket-scalping fans. At Saturday’s 77-64 drubbing of the Johnnies in front of 10,000 UConn fans and, maybe, 9,000 St. John’s fans – who were mostly quiet anyway.

As St. John’s center Joel Soriano said quite well, when he said, “There’s a little bit more meaning to it (the games) now just because we have been losing some games that we haven’t been closing out. Our backs are kind of plastered against the wall.

“We’ve got to finish out the season strong if we are going to make the NCAA Tournament,” Soriano added. “We all know that, the coaching staff knows that, our teammates know that and really we are just beating ourselves at the end of the day. We just got to finish our games.”

The fingers could not be pointed elsewhere. Soriano indicated he knew his game was nowhere near where it should be at this point in the season. His honesty and maturity was evident. His game? Invisible.

Thirty-three minutes, 2-of-6 from the field, 2-of-5 from the FT line, a lowly four rebounds and only two assists with one blocked shot. It was one of only four shots blocked by the team – a club which shot 4-of-14 from 3 Pt. FG range (29%) and 14-of-21 from the FT line (67%).

UConn, their opponent, shot 20-of-22 from the line (91%) and drained 47% of their 3 Pt. FGs – all on an unfamiliar rim in The Garden of Eden.

St. John’s hasn’t won the BIG EAST tournament since 2000, and 1986 before that. They haven’t won a Sweet 16 game since that ‘99 season and in 1991 before that. Only 1985 brought the modern day Johnnies to the Final Four where they were smoked by Georgetown.

For the 21st Century, St, John’s has been the FYRE Festival of Fashion Avenue.

Meanwhile their opponents in the BIG EAST have loaded and re-loaded their programs with talent and determination. Only Chicago’s DePaul University can claim to have less success.

In many a year, a typical BIG EAST basketball schedule made it damn near impossible to win a road game. That remains the case for most UConn, Seton Hall, Marquette, Creighton and Providence homers. Not so much for St. John’s as they’ve slipped to a 5-6 BIG EAST record (.455) with an 0-4 record against any team ranked.

UConn coach Danny Hurley and his No. 1 ranked Huskies remain the team to beat. No. 9/10 Marquette is trending upward while No. 13 Creighton – toughest at home – will be a very tough out at the conference tournament or in the NCAAs.

Pitino has nine regular season games to right the ship. Five of the nine are winnable games while four (@Marquette, @Providence, vs. Seton Hall and vs. Creighton) will be tuffies, as the Aussies say.

Pitino seems to have one player he can count on in guard Danis Jenkins, a transfer who followed Pitino from Iona. Other scorers, highly touted in their recruiting nes releases, but overmatched in a step-up (from IVY League types) to BIG EAST level competition.

At this point of the season, it’s really not on Coach Pitino to pull off a miracle, as he’s done in the past at Louisville or in the Wayback machine at Providence. It’s squarely on the players to plant their feet and make a stand. They need to do it on New York city hardwood, at The Garden, the Garden of Eden where they once dominated.

NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND: The NHL proved something that most hockey fans already knew coming into this weekend’s NHL All-Star Weekend and NHL Skills Competition.

That fact? Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers is the best player in the NHL.

The National Hockey League has fast become a game of speed and McDavid was on display in the fastest skating competition on Friday night. In fact, McDavid was the leader all the way through the Skills competition thanks to finishing first in the previously mentioned NHL Fastest Skater (13.408 seconds), best in the NHL Stickhandling contest (25.755 seconds) and his display in the NHL Accuracy Shooting contest, when he went 4-for-4 on the targets in 9.158 seconds. His only drawback was in the (seemingly impossible) Passing Contest.

The revamped format for the Skills competition featured 12 skaters and eight goalies, leading to one overall winner. McDavid spoke with Steve Mayer, the NHL’s executive vice president and chief content officer, to give his opinion on what could work.

“I thought it was entertaining,” McDavid said. “From a competitive side, it definitely got competitive out there. I was huffing and puffing. Guys were working hard trying to put on a good show, and I feel like we did that and we can feel good about it. Ultimately, it’s up to the fans, and I hope they enjoyed it.”

For his efforts in the Skills contest, McDavid took home a cool $1 million in a “winner-take-all” scenario.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | January 28

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While We’re Young (Ideas) | Best Weekend of NFL Season

It’s KC’s Patrick Mahomes vs B’more’s Lamar Jackson for the AFC title (file photo)

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Screw Super Bowl Sunday. The best weekend of the year for a tried and true NFL fan is THIS weekend, the home of the AFC & NFC Championship games.

It’s pretty simple math. Two is greater than one.

First, the opener. The Kansas City Chiefs travel East to the Charm City of Baltimore, but please don’t expect Baltimore Ravens fans of extending the warm and wonderful, faithful and friendly hospitality known of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Chiefs might get more WIRE or House of Cards than The Social Network.

With full disclosure in mind, I adore Baltimore. It’s one of the gems of the I-95 corridor from Washington DC to Portland, Maine. (The other gems include Philadelphia (PA), Mystic (CT), Providence (RI), Portland (Maine) and a not-too-far off “95” Portsmouth (New Hampshire). There is more to be written on the nuances of these Mid-Atlantic to Northeast corridor gems, but let’s get back to the NFL.

With the upstart and impressive Detroit Lions traveling to Santa Clara, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, we have the possibility of a new rivalry in the making. Th Lions and Niners might see a lot of each other down the road. The SF 49ers are the best in the business with a healthy RB Christian McCaffrey – my choice for league MVP over Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson. And, while all four teams possess potent offenses, it’ll be the defense that wins the respective championships. (Now, who was the first to say that poignant phrase)?

They’ll be playing for a chance to compete for the Vince (file photo)

LET’S DIG IN: Here’s some background and some good juice on the two games being played for the right to compete at Super Bowl LVIII (that’s 58 for you non-Romans).

3PM (ET) – KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at BALTIMORE RAVENS

As many a media outlets are reporting, the Chiefs are playing in their sixth consecutive AFC Conference Championship game, the second longest streak in NFL history (New England: (8) from 2011-2018).

The Chiefs, with a win, can become the third team ever to advance to four Super Bowls in a five year span. (Buffalo 1990-1993) and New England (2014, 2016-18). With another win, KC head coach Andy Reid can become the fourth head coach in NFL history to head-up a team in five or more Super Bowls. (Bill Belichick, Don Shula and Tom Landry).

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (2018 and 2022) has two league MVPs while Lamar Jackson (2019) has one league MVP with a strong possibility of another one coming for this season. Mahomes is (13-3) in his 16 NFL Playoff starts and has 38 TD passes, 4,561 yards passing with a 106.7 passer rating. He needs a victory to tie Terry Bradshaw, John Elway and Peyton Manning – all with 14 playoff wins. Tom Brady (35) and Joe Montana (15) lead the NFL in playoff victories as QBs.

Since the start of last year’s playoffs, Mahomes has 10 touchdown passes with no interceptions over five games. He can become the first QB in NFL history to go six playoff games without an interception (minimum of 20 attempts per game).

Mahomes’ cohort, Travis Kelce will begin his day with 145 receptions, 1,694 yards and 18 TD receptions in his postseason career. With seven receptions against the Ravens, Kelce can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most receptions in NFL Playoff history with (151) the magic number.

On the other side of the field, the Baltimore Ravens are seeking their third franchise Super Bowl appearance (they won in 2013).

Baltimore boasts the NFL’s best rushing attack, averaging 156.5 yards per game but their claim to fame this season is the fact they led the NFL in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 16.5 ppg. They also led in sacks with 60.

Kansas City was second in scoring defense (17.3 ppg) and the Chiefs defense claimed 57 sacks.

Will it be offense or the defense that wins an AFC Championship on Sunday?

6:30PM (ET) – DETROIT LIONS at SAN FRANCISCO 49ers

The Lions are playing in only their second NFC title game, the last coming in 1991. A victory would propel Detroit to its first ever Super Bowl appearance.

Detroit’s Jared Goff can become the fifth QB to advance to the Super Bowl with multiple franchises (LA Rams). He’d join Tom Brady (New England and Tampa Bay), Peyton Manning (Indianapolis and Denver), Craig Morton (Dallas and Denver) and Kurt Warner (St. Louis and Arizona).

Detroit’s rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs recorded 63 scrimmage yards and a rushing TD in the Wild Card game, then 114 scrimmage yards and a rushing TD in the divisional round. On Sunday, he can become the fourth rookie in NFL history to record a TD in three playoff games.

Detroit wide-out Amon-ra St.Brown recorded seven catches in the wild card game and eight in the divisional playoff game and he can join Michael Thomas and Wes Welker as players to grab at least seven catches in their first three NFL Playoff games.

The team to beat, however, is the San Francisco 49ers who’ve played in four of the past five NFC championship games (2019, 2021-23) and the franchise has 19 championship game appearances.

The Niners can become the fifth NFL franchise with eight Super Bowl appearances. They’d join:

  • 11 – New England
  • 8 – Dallas
  • 8 – Denver
  • 8 – Pittsburgh

SF QB Brock Purdy can become the fourth quarterback to win four playoff games in his first two NFL seasons.

Saving the best for last, Niners amazing RB Christian McCaffrey totaled 128 scrimmage yards (98 rushing, 30 receiving) and two rushing TDs last week in the divisional round.

McCaffrey can become the third player in NFL history with at least 50 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in each of his six career playoff games. He would join Marcus Allen and Terrell Davis.

What does it all mean? May the best team win and – to all teams and players, stay safe and healthy so we can see the best of the best.

January 27th’s Boston Globe told the story of Game 1 (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The NBA told us, it’s “Rivalry Week.” Oh yeah? Wrong sport. There is no better rivalry than the “Battle of Commonwealth,” two epic college ice hockey games – played back-to-back this weekend – featuring the No. 1 Boston University Terriers vs the No. 2 ranked Boston College Eagles.

The 30 minutes before the annual men’s basketball tournament (Final Four) is on the list of the greatest moments in sports, yes, but the 30 minutes before Boston College (BC) hosted Boston U. (BU) resembled the college hockey version of college basketball’s Duke vs Carolina. At the Conte Forum on Friday, January 26th, there were a few things missing – as in BU fans. All the tickets in the crowd of 7,884 went to the BC faithful and the students. – let’s call ‘em kids – gobbled them up.

No. 1 BU skated out to see a sea of white shirted co-eds, all dancing in the aisles to a combination of recorded pop music blasted by the Game Ops to the sound of the BC Band belting out Led Zep’s “Kashmir.” There might’ve been 250 BU fans in the building.

It had to be intimidating, but maybe not as intimidating as 7,200 fans at a sold out Agganis Arena all rooting for the Terriers on January 27 (Boston College took the second game 4-3). It’s not a long run between 28 and 925 Commonwealth Ave but it’s a continent away for fans dressed in Red hockey sweaters emblazoned with BOSTON as compared to Maroon and Gold uniforms with either BOSTON COLLEGE or EAGLES across the front. The tickets must be guarded like the very goals they will defend.

It’s ONLY happening this weekend, at least unto February 5th in the nightcap of the semis to the annual Beanpot when they meet again. BC will be ranked No. 1 in the USA when the Beanpot begins.

TIDBITS: If I ever owned a thoroughbred race horse, I think I’d name it “Rivalry Week,” just to drive racetrack announcers around the country a little WILD. … Go ahead, say Rivalry Week three times – FAST. … Maybe I’d spell the horse’s name “Wivalry Week?” … There was a warm welcome back to Boston to Coach Don Casey this weekend as he traveled east from his San Diego digs to visit Boston and take in the Los Angeles Clippers at Boston Celtics game Saturday night. The Clippers and Celtics, along with the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets were the NBA clubs Casey spent the most time with on the bench as an assistant and head coach (for LAC and NJN). A defensive (read: zone) specialist who coached Temple University from 1973 to 1982 spent seven seasons at the (Boston Garden, Fleet Center, TD Garden) as an assistant coach under (the late) Chris Ford and popular franchise man, M.L. Carr. And, yes Case and his son, Michael, stopped into West End Johnnies for a bite before Saturday’s game.

THINGS I THINK ABOUT: Why don’t dogs get poked in the eye more often, if ever? … And, what ever happened to the “original” National Floors Direct actress, Adrienne LaValley, and why was she replaced by Worcester native and current Boston North End resident, Samantha Valletta. If you have no idea what this is about, you haven’t watch a morning news show in Greater Boston. … Wouldn’t you just like to ask Chicago’s Robert Lamm what Question 66 was? And, speaking of Chicago, if you haven’t watched “The Terry Kath Experience,” you’re missing out on a vital story on the evolution of Rock ‘n Roll in these United States. As the cover says, “The Terry Kath Experience” is a documentary about a daughter discovering the legacy of her father – the late Terry Kath. Kath was one of the founding members of the band Chicago whose powerful guitar playing and husky, melodic voice has been praised by such icons as Jimi Hendrix, Joe Walsh and Eric Clapton. … Everyone forgets, Chicago – first known as Chicago Transit Authority – played a brand of rock that had never been played before (or since). Ass-kicking guitars blended with a horn section played by classically trained musicians became the headline band for the early to mid-70s. … That said, I find it bothersome that the band is still touring under the name, “Chicago.” Maybe they should play under the name “Sheboygan.” … It amazes me how all decent content on NFL.com is now only available if you pay for NFL+ at $6.99 a month. For that rate, they’d have to send a car to pick-up at home and drive back-and-forth to Gillette Stadium every Sunday. … While on the tangent, the same goes true of dishwasher soap. Cascade Platinium gets all the dishes cleaner than clean. Why didn;t they make regular Cascade that way to start? … SF QB Brock Purdy “don’t get no respect.” Look for a big day from Purdy. … And, one more item on the AFC Championship game and beyond: Can’t we all leave pop star Taylor Swift and Chiefs All Pro TE Travis Kelce alone for a while (like a year or more)? Maybe limit it to one cut-away a game?

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 21

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While We’re Young (Ideas) | On Midyear in the NBA

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Twenty and one. The Boston Celtics are no longer undefeated at home where 17 NBA Championship banners hang in the rafters of TD (Boston) Garden, high above a parquet floor that many of us remember from viewing on a Black and White television set when the Celtics were positioning nine of those 17 banners during the 1960s. Only the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers (once voted the NBA’s Greatest Team of All-Time) broke the streak for the full decade.

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At the halfway mark of the NBA season, the Celtics are atop the league-wide ladder, and they’ll face the Houston Rockets who will be coming off a game against the Utah Jazz – a back-to-back the Rockets could live without. Boston’s 32-10 (.762) record was blemished when the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets earned a had-fought victory on the parquet and under Boston’s revered 17 banners.

Denver (29-14) is two games behind Midwest Division leader, the Minnesota Timberwolves, surprise leaders in the NBA’s Western Conference. At the Half, the West is full of surprises as the Los Angeles Clippers lead the Pacific and New Orleans Pelicans lead the Southwest Division.

If the NBA Playoffs were to start this weekend, Sacramento, Utah, Phoenix and the Los Angeles Lakers would all be competing as “Play-In” teams, ranked No. 7-10 out West. All four of those clubs were preseason favorites. In the East, the standings have proven-out as many predicted with the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers leading the pack. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers, winners of a league-leading six straight as they faced the (18-23) Atlanta Hawks, can be considered a surprise contender.

The midyear layout of the NBA standings call-out one question at this point of the season: Why?

In the EAST:

BOSTON: The deepest and most talented of the NBA’s 30 teams. The Celtics boast a starting five who could all be considered NBA All-Stars. Jayson Tatum (27, 8 and 4) leads the team, but is backed-up by Jaylen Brown (23, 5 and 4), newly acquired center Kristaps Porzingis (19, 7 and 2) while the backcourt of Derrick White (16, 4 and 5) and Jrue Holiday (13, 6 and 5) round out the talented starters. Depth and defense remain plentiful and the Celtics’ main concern to to start the month of May healthy, especially at the center (“bigs”) position with Porzingis and 37-year old Al Horford needing to guard rivals such as Philly’s Joel Embiid and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

MILWAUKEE AND PHILADELPHIA: There are no big surprises with the fact both Milwaukee (Central) and Philly (Four games behind the Celtics in the Atlantic) will all strive for the top spot and home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference Playoffs. If Boston holds on to the No. 1 spot, it will force a very difficult and physical Eastern Conference Semifinal match-up between the Bucks and 76ers.

Out WEST:

The West is much more complicated and volatile. Only 3.5 games separate the Timberewolves from the Clippers (No. 1-4) and the fact the Nuggets and Finals MVP Nicola Jovic are ranked third, poses potential Playoff match-up nightmares for every round. Add to the turmoil, the NBA’s first “In-Season Tournament” champion LA Lakers hover in the dangerous No. 10 slot, only a half game ahead of the Rockets.

Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Sacramento New Orleans, Dallas and Phoenix are all formidable opponents and will all meet one or the other in the early rounds come April and May.

Good luck predicting the Western Conference bracket.

MVP: The logical recipients of the 2023-24 NBA Most Valuable Player are (possible repeat) Joel Embiid (who has only played in 30 of the club’s 40 games thus far); Giannis Antetokounmpo; and Nikola Jovic.

Coach of the Year: The media always seeks out the underdog, rather than the league leader, so that bodes well for Minnesota’s Chis Finch or Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault ahead of Denver’s Michael Malone, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla or Philly’s Nick Nurse.

Rookie of the Year: With all the very well deserved hype and praise for San Antonio’s amazing center Victor Wembanyama (team-leading 19, 10 and 3.1 blocks), the midyear favorite for RofY is Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City. Holmgren who is averaging 17 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per game while averaging 30 minutes in all 41 of OKC’s games. The Thunder are 28-13 and in serious contention in the West while Wembanyama’s Spurs are in the West basement with only seven wins and 34 losses. With two viable candidates, usually the one on the winningest team gets the vote. Holmgren is also considered an elite defender.

Most Improved: Houston’s Alperen Sengun, who has raised his scoring averages from a rookie year of 2021-22 (9.6 ppg), to 2022-23 (14.8) to this season at (21.5), seems to be the most deserving candidate. That noted, sometimes voters go for players drafted in the NBA Lottery positions instead of someone like Sengun who was picked 16th and only played 20 minutes a game as a rookie.

Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey is considered the favorite for Most Improved, and again, he’s playing for a real contender. Since being drafted in R-1, No. 21 in 2020, Maxey has steadily increased his PT and scoring averages (8.0, 17.5, 20.3 and this season, 26.2 ppg).

Defense Wins Championships: If you are one to focus on defense rather than any offensive statistics or current place in the standings, the Minnesota Timberwolves (with Defensive Player of the Year favorite C Rudy Gobert) are the league-leaders. Minnesota has the league-leading defensive rating of 108.6. Here are the Top 10:

  1. Minnesota 108.6
  2. Boston 110.6
  3. Cleveland 111.2
  4. Orlando 111.5
  5. Philadelphia 111.6
  6. Oklahoma City 112.0
  7. Houston 112.5
  8. New Orleans 112.6
  9. New York 112.8
  10. Miami 113.0

BOLD PREDICTION: It’s January 21 and the Super Bowl has yet to be played, never mind the NBA All-Star Game. In the second half of the NBA regular season, a team’s fortunes can turn upside down with one season-ending injury to a key player. That can happen to any team, any night.

Forsaking any major injury to any NBA All-Star or key rotation player, there’s absolutely nothing going on in the Association that makes me think the Denver Nuggets can not repeat as NBA champions. Miracle worker, center and 2023 NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic is the best player in the game and Michael Malone just might be the best head coach in the NBA. The deep, experienced Nuggets roster – starters and reserves – can play with the best of ‘em. The Nuggets have a tremendous home-court advantage, even when they don’t have the extra home game in a seven game series. Playing at altitude in the Mile High City is worth a game. On Friday night, the Nuggets proved they could win at TD Boston Garden, albeit a slim 102-100 victory with Jamal Murray scoring 35 points while Jokic had a 34, 12 and nine performance against the defensive-minded Celtics.

No matter which team comes out of the East, they’ll have played a very demanding Eastern Conference Finals.

Yes, a Minnesota, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers, Sacramento or New Orleans are capable of upsetting the defending champions, but it’s not likely. Take Denver as your 2024 NBA Champion.

STRAT-O-MATIC: The folks at Strat-0-Matic frequently use their software to predict the results of “real-life” sports. Before the 2023-24 NBA season played a game, Strat-O-Matic predicted the Boston Celtics would take home the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy as winners of the NBA Finals. The Celtics were tapped to finish with a 64-18 record, and they were named as winners over the Minnesota Timberwolves (nice pick, eh?).

The Strat-O-Matic technicians thought they’d give it another run at the NBA’s halfway mark, simulating the season thousands of times and guess what? The Celtics finished with the same record of 64-18 and advanced to the NBA Finals once again.

Let’s wait and see if the Strat-O-Matics have properly scouted Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Pete Rose (l) and Bud Harrelson squared off behind second base, leading to a bench-clearing brawl between the Reds and Mets in Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS. (file photo).

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On January 11th, the Harrelson family, the New York Mets and Major League Baseball lost one of the great players and ambassadors of the game of baseball in Derrel McKinley “Bud” Harrelson.

Harrelson died at the age of 79 as a result of the complications of Alzheimer’s disease of which he was diagnosed in 2018. Harrelson played shortstop for the Mets from (1965 to 1977) and later managed the club for a portion of the 1990 season. He was the only person to be on the roster for both the 1969 Mets World Championship (as a player) and the 1986 Mets World Championship club (as a coach). Harrelson coached and managed in both the major league and minor league levels, and, in 2000, he settled in as part owner and manager of the Long Island Ducks independent league team. Harrelson made Long Island his home, living in Hauppauge and East Northport.

The outpouring of love and appreciation of Harrelson by nearly all New Yorkers was evident in the week after his death, especially by his Long Island Ducks franchise.

There’s a personal story to be told about Buddy Harrelson and it stems from the tussle he had with Cincinnati Reds all-star Pete Rose in Game 3 of the 1973 National League Championship Series (NLCS).

It was some nine or ten years after that October ‘73 day, and my story took place on an off-day of the NBA Playoffs in Philadelphia. My Hall-of-Fame level boss, Brian, and I finished up our NBA duties for the afternoon and decided to catch a couple innings at the Vet. We walked directly across the street from The Spectrum, and bought two upper level tickets – HIGH – behind the plate – section 503, if I remember. We grabbed a cold beer and a hot dog and settled in alongside a rather sparse crowd.

Minutes later – beers yet to kick in – Pete Rose (playing for the Phillies) – gets up to bat and I stood up and just start screaming at the guy. Keep in mind at that time, there wasn’t any inkling of gambling controversies and he is the all-time hits leader for MLB.

“YOU SUCK Rose. YOU SUCK!”

“You should retire. You’re washed UP.”

Brian looked at me as though I was Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair). His jaw dropped and he had no idea what the hell I was doing, except being quite likely to provoke a fight with the CRAZY Phillies fans.

Rose grounded out, and I lit into Rose all over again. “You see, a weak ground-out, YOU BUM!

“ROSE – YOU SUCK”

All the Phillies fans moved a row or two away from us until the inning ended, and a brave soul walked over and said something like, “You two seem like nice guys,” in that GREAT South Jersey/Philadelphia accent.

“Why did you yell at Pete Rose like that? He’s one of the best players ever.”

I just dead-panned, “Well, this is the first time I’ve seen him since the fight with Buddy Harrelson and I thought I’d give him a piece of my mind.”

Rest in Peace, Bud.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 14, 2024

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January 14, 2024

By TERRY LYONS

FOXBOROUGH – Sunrise, sunset. Cold running water, direct from your home faucet. The unconditional love of a puppy. The U.S. Mail. The dial tone (remember those?).

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

What are the things we count on but always take for granted?

For two dozen years, at 1:00pm or 4:00pm on an NFL Football Sunday (or Sunday Night, Monday Night or Thursday night), we could count on seeing Bill Belichick run out to a football field to coach the New England Patriots.

During the week, leading up to the game, we could count of Belichick to say nothing about his game plan. He’d complement the opposing team and say absolutely nothing else. He sometimes answered media questions with one word or even one syllable answers.

It’s something we could count on.

Patented answers to basic, softball questions: “Good, solid contributions from the players – all three phases of the game.”

On an excellent contribution by any one player: “Well, some good things and again, a lot of things we can improve on.”

We heard it week-after-week, year-after-year for 24 years. In the twenty-four years of postgame press conferences and Monday morning reviews, Belichick gave up nothing. Often expressionless, he dead-panned one short answer after another. Print, radio, TV all got the same – nothing.

Then, an appearance on an NFL at 100 special or a guest appearance for ESPN’s College Game Day before the Army vs. Navy game, and Belichick would turn into a quote machine. He’d tell stories, provide anecdotes, remember everything from his childhood to his first coaching job to yesterday afternoon – as long as it wasn’t about the New England Patriots.

He’d delve deeply into the history of the NFL, the great coaches, the Top 100 players of all-time. All tremendous, meaningful commentary. But, a question about the Patriots’ recent loss?

“It’s on to Cincinnati.”

After 333 wins, 31 postseason wins and six Super Bowl titles, he’s gone – “a mutual decision,” said team guidance counselor and franchise owner Robert Kraft. Yes, he’s gone – like the lyrics in a Hall and Oates song. He’s gone, surely to coach somewhere else and set the NFL’s all-time record for coaching wins. He’s gone, but he’s only 27 NFL wins away from passing the great Don Shula as the winningest coach the game has ever seen.

In a town where the Celtics’ Red Auerbach was the greatest coach of all-time, Boston might have to commission a statue of Belichick to sit right down on the bench with Red.

There are fond memories, of course. Belichick with Tom Brady. Belichick dressed up as a pirate to go roller skating at a Halloween Party at the request of Randy Moss. Belichick focused for the win even though the NFC’s Atlanta Falcons led Super Bowl LI, 28-3, midway through the third quarter.

But, just like the 6:00am train from South Station, Belichick was there, on time, ready to “Do His Job,” as he encouraged his every player to do the same.

Off the field, he’s delightful. A summertime gathering for the Bill Belichick Foundation would produce stories, smiles and hundreds of photos with the fans. At the press conference (with no Q&A), Belichick’s voice broke when he paid tribute to the fans. Somehow, he made it through speaking about the organization, the team owners, the coaches, the players and he even named his “right hand man,” Berj Najarian with a voice as solid as his successor, Jerod Mayo. But, the fans … it was the thought of the fans that made the toughest guy in pro football crack, for just a second.

It revealed one thing about a guy who would do anything for his players, his coaches, his staff. It revealed he doesn’t coach for the money or the fame. He’s got enough of both. It revealed he does what he does, he does his job and asks others to do their job all for the benefit of the fans of the New England Patriots.

The fans might count on him to be there for a 1:00pm game next Fall, but he’ll be on the other sideline and he’ll be coaching for the fans of another team.

It will be the New England Patriots’ biggest loss in franchise history. They let the greatest coach in all of sports walk out the door in the stupidest “mutual decision” in the history of American sports.

WINNINGEST COACHES IN NFL HISTORY

(Name, Regular Season Victories)

  1. Don Shula – 328
  2. George Hallas – 318
  3. Bill Belichick – 302
  4. Andy Reid – 258
  5. Tom Landry – 250
  6. Curly Lambeau – 226
  7. Marty Schottenheimer – 200
  8. Chuck Noll – 193
  9. Dan Reeves – 190
  10. Chuck Knox – 186
Here’s what “Seat Club” looked like for this week’s CFB Playoff Championship

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: You’ve heard of Sam’s Club, Lions Club, Lending Club, or Boys & Girls Clubs. Get ready for the “Seat Club.” Sports industry veteran and serial entrepreneur Cole Rubin recently launched “Seat Club,” a new marketplace designed to help consumers avoid all hidden fees and markups when purchasing tickets for live events at the lowest possible price on the secondary market. The marketplace, which sells tickets to its members at its cost without any markups or fees, officially launched this week and can be found at https://seatclub.com

“The biggest complaint consumers have in the event space, are fees and markups,” said Rubin. “Fees and markups make the ticket buying process frustrating and more expensive than necessary, so we built Seat Club as the pathway to solve these problems.

“We have spent a great deal of time talking to fans and event producers, and can now deliver this unique value proposition, where our members know they are getting the best pricing, and will save countless hours comparing ticket prices online. The price you see listed on our platform is the price you pay, with no fees added on later in the checkout process.

“There are no hidden markups, unlike other platforms who claim they don’t charge fees, but bake profits into the listed cost of tickets. Seat Club’s pricing may be as much as 35% less than competitors for the same exact tickets, which is significant, especially on high profile events. We believe in transparency, and our sole source of revenue comes from our membership fee,” added Rubin.

Seat Club’s $99/year membership includes:

  • Access to the same ticket inventory as the top secondary sites
  • No fees or markups, members buy tickets AT OUR COST
  • There is no cap of the number of tickets that can be purchased. Subscribers are entitled to unlimited ticket purchases annually.
  • Fan Protect Guarantee on tickets purchased (24/7 support staff)

(At this point in time, WWYI is not in position to vouch for Seat Club but we’ll check it out for the Celtics, Bruins, College Hoops, the NY Rangers/Islanders and NY Knicks and let you know in the near future).

TIDBITS: Every four years, we’re lucky enough to drop one of the greatest one-liners of all-time into the column. The scenario was a mid-January NBA on NBC game and the legendary play by play man, Marv Albert, opened the broadcast with Mike “The Czar of the Telestrator” Fratello. After the opening “scene setter,” Marv threw oit to NBA courtside reporter extraordinaire, Ahmad Rashad, with the following introduction: “Now it’s down to Ahmad Rashad, the man who thinks the Iowa Caucus is a CBA team.” … Of course, the line is dated as the CBA (Continental Basketball Association) was the predecessor of the NBA D-League which was the predecessor of the current NBA G-League. … Not to make light of such a potentially dangerous situation, but I think I saw the Houthis at CBGBs in 1980 … The New England Patriots wasted no time in naming Jerod Mayo as the club’s new head coach. What about the rest of the NFL as it stands on January 12? … Does former Seattle head coach Pete Carroll head for the opening at NCAA No. 2 Washington? Or, does he toss his name into one of the growing number of NFL head coaching jobs? … Wouldn’t the dream be for Bill Belichick, Carroll and recently retired Alabama Coach Nick Saban to all hook-up and share the helm as scouts, college draft prep, training camp, and then coaching together as one? … Wouldn’t Saban be the very best at drafting players from all the SEC schools?

That said, SportsBetting.ag provided a listing of predictions for the landing places for all the revolving NFL coaches. Here it is:

  • Chargers – Jim Harbaugh
  • Commanders – Ben Johnson
  • Falcons – Bill Belichick
  • Panthers – Kellen Moore
  • Raiders – Antonio Pierce
  • Seahawks – Dan Quinn
  • Titans – Bobby Slowik

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 7th

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While We’re Young (Ideas) on the PGA Tour and Happy 2024

BOSTON – The holidays are a busy time of year, but post holidays might be busier for sports fans. Here at WWYI, you might expect this column to be topped by predictions on the upcoming NFL Playoffs (I like SF and Baltimore – chalk city). Or, maybe a look at the College Football Championship finale between Washington and Michigan (I like Michigan (chalk city II).

Maybe it’s time to dig in deeper to the College Basketball season since the silly season is completed and team are already three or four games into their Conference schedules. St. John’s is (3-1) in the BIG EAST after a nice 10-point upset win at Villanova Saturday – more on that later.

We also have the exciting start of the all new Women’s Professional Hockey League with our hometown Boston entry – known as PWHL Boston instead of some catchy name like the Boston Koalas. (Bruin, by the way, is the Dutch word for brown). The new team and league have opened to much fanfare and full-page coverage in the local paper, even though the club is playing out in Lowell, Massachusetts at the University’s Tsongas Arena – a wonderful venue and good choice for the fledgling PWHL.

But, instead of more coverage of the English Premier League (EPL) or stoking the coals on the Hot Stove season of “The” Major League Baseball, or even talk and typewriting on the NBA or the NHL, I give you the start of the PGA Tour season, a.k.a. the “Opening Drive.”

The professional golfers, those who haven’t cashed checks in LIV Golf, all teed-it up at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on the Island of Maui in Hawaii. The course is several miles north of Lahaina which was devastated by wild fires but the PGA Tour and its significant charity wing will be dedicating money, time and additional resources to assist in the rebuilding and comeback for the town of Lahaina and also Maui as a hole.

On the Tour, 21 of the top 25 players in the world are playing at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, a tournament that expanded its field and increased its purse to $20m to go with 700 FedEx Cup points and full elevated designation by the PGA Tour.

While the Nor’easter bears down on the east coast, viewers can stream ESPN+ for a look at the 81-degree sunshine of paradise by the golf cart lights. At press time, the Sentry Tournament of Champions leaderboard was packed with big name PGA Tour players with the final round on NBC and The Golf Channel this afternoon and evening. Yes, evening as in primetime golf as the time zones help the Tour office open up in the best of times.

It’ll be the same thing next weekend as The Opening Drive’s second event is the SONY Open from Honolulu.

There’s plenty of news on the Tour, so this weekend, I’d urge readers to click HERE for a look at sister-publication – PGA Tour Brunch – as you enjoy your breakfast brunch, lunch or dinner – maybe even a late night snack, depending on where you’ll be watching from for the start of the golf season.

The PGA Tour dignitaries and the powers that be of LIV Golf were not able to complete a deal by their self-imposed December 31 deadline, but they’ve expanded the window and a settlement is expected soon (by April). PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is under intense pressure to make good on a deal but also work the PR lines as the Saudi Investment Fund (often referred to as the PIF, as in Public Investment Fund or Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund) who combined might sink a whopping $3 billion into the PGA Tour and the sport of golf.

“Our goal for 2024 is to reach agreements with SSG (Strategic Sports Group, consisting of individual investors in sports like the Fenway Sports Group and Boston Celtics team managing partner Wyc Grousbeck), PIF and the DP World Tour, bringing them on board as minority co-investors in PGA Tour Enterprises. These partnerships will allow us to unify, innovate and invest in the game for the benefit of players, fans and sponsors,” said Monahan in a memo to the PGA Tour membership, a memo Tour star Collin Morakawa later called “fluff.”

With all the intrigue and drama, the expected deal by the time the entire golfing world tees-off at The Masters, the morning line sees two competing golf leagues on tour in ‘24, one playing four days and 72 holes to determine a champ for each tournament and the other playing three days and 54 (LIV) holes to crown a champ who might clear as much as $3 or $4 million for a single tournament title. (Thus, the increased purse of the PGA Tour’s elevated events – the winner at the Sentry will bank $3.6 million).

When the dust settles, the average golf fan might be left with a bad taste in their mouth as the gentlemen’s game – like seemingly everything else – is screwed up and in flux. Only time will tell if professional golf will settle down and maybe join forces to bring the best players in the world back together each week.

PGA TOUR COM’s Top Tour Players: Rob Bolton of PGATour.com went 223 players deep on his PGA Tour membership rankings chart, more-or-less a Golf Fantasy Cheat Sheet. For the sake of space on your mobile phone, we’ll pass along the Top 20:

Embed from Getty Images
  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. Rory McIlroy
  3. Viktor Hovland
  4. Collin Morakawa
  5. Justin Thomas
  6. Xander Schauffele
  7. Patrick Cantlay
  8. Max Homa
  9. Jordan Spieth
  10. Sam Burns
  11. Matt Fitzpatrick
  12. Ludvig Aberg
  13. Min Woo Lee
  14. Rickie Fowler
  15. Tom Kim
  16. Tony Finau
  17. Sahith Theegala
  18. SungJai Im
  19. Wyndham Clark
  20. Hideki Matsuyama

Chris Kirk Won at The Sentry AFTER a TL prediction:

Embed from Getty Images

TL’s Two Cents for the Top PGA Tour Pros: Taking the Bolton Top 20 a little further, yours truly thinks the following golfers will break through in 2024:

  1. Tyrrell Hatton (Simply one of the best; could strike on a Major)
  2. Jason Day (Returns to form)
  3. J.T. Poston (That’s Boston, not Boston)
  4. Eric Cole (Rookie of Year takes the next step)
  5. Akshay Bhatia (Showed strong signs last year)
  6. Chris Kirk (Just get him to East Lake)
  7. Lucas Glover (Veteran returns to form)
  8. Harris English (Will battle back)
  9. Shane Lowry (Never count him out; Even at Augusta)
  10. Cameron Young, Cam Davis, Cam Anyone (They’re all good)

HERE NOW THE NOTES: Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was reinstated by the NBA following his suspension for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić on Dec. 12, 2023. Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations, made the statement official and will be the man at the NBA keeping a close eye on Green, much the way his predecessor Rod Thorn had his watchful eyes on Dumars’ former teammates, Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s – when the Pistons were known as the “Bad Boys.”

During the period of his suspension, which began on Dec. 14 and resulted in him missing 12 games, Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players. He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors, and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.

Green re-joins a team in disarray as indications are that coach Steve Kerr has “lost the locker,” or at least temporarily lost the respect of 2021 draft choice Jonathan Kuminga, who vented his frustration to reporters after he played only 18 minutes in a game, indicating he had “lost faith” in Kerr. A day later, Kuminga backed off his comments and in a media session Kerr tried to defuse the issue.

Kerr spoke with Kuminga and made it clear he wished any displeasure remained in-house. “You have an issue, I’m here. I’m the most accessible coach in the league probably. My door is always open,” said Kerr.

TID-BITS: The final weekend of the NFL brings a couple of games where it’s win or go home – in other words football at its best. Still others (like Pittsburgh at Baltimore) saw the Ravens sit MVP candidate and front runner in QB Lamar Jackson as a precaution since the Ravens had already locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFL’s AFC Conference. … Some teams are playing for their Playoff lives while others (see NY Jets and New England Patriots) have meaningless games, unless you think the Patriots should tank for a better draft choice. … Speaking of which, any player who tanks might see his club draft a player at his position, and that veteran player might be out of a job to a newcomer, so don’t think tanking is all that easy to do. … The Carolina Panthers clinched the slot as the worst team in the NFL, but the Chicago Bears have Carolina’s pick. … Of position players in the NFL in 2023, SF RB Christian McCaffrey outperformed all of his peers while Dallas WR Cee Dee Lamb paced the WRs. Miami wide-out Tyreek Hill wasn’t far behind Lamb, and Hill was nursing injuries late in the year. Amongst the higher scoring QBs, here are the Top 10:

  1. Josh Allen – Buffalo
  2. Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia
  3. Lamar Jackson – Baltimore
  4. Dak Prescott – Dallas
  5. Jordan Love – Green Bay
  6. Brock Purdy – SF
  7. Patrick Mahomes – KC
  8. Jared Goff – Detroit
  9. Tua Tagovailia – Miami
  10. Baker Mayfield – Tampa Bay
  11. C.J. Stroud – Houston

NCAA INKS a BIG DEAL: The NCAA signed a landmark eight-year media deal with ESPN for 40 championships domestically. Maybe that’s an indication that the sky is not falling within the ranks of the NCAA as bickering over NIL, college football playoffs (hear that, Florida State?) and dozens of other issues the NCAA is facing. (Relatively) new NCAA head honcho Charlie Baker, the former Guv’nah of Massachusetts, is settling issues one at a time.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec 31

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There are “No Days Off” for WWYI and Digital Sports Desk. Last week, we had our January to June 2023 (Half) Year in Review. This week, we’ll feature July to December 2023, all reminders of what was covered by this Sunday Notes column during the so-so Year of 2023.

Let’s hope for better things to come in 2024.

First, a look at some NBA news generated by the one-and-only Steve Kerr. In case you missed it, take a look/listen on what he said last week after Golden State’s 120-114 Christmas Day loss to the Denver Nuggets, and I’ll comment on the other side.

First, the Golden State head coach has a decent point. It’s fair to state that the NBA – as a whole, and via the league’s Competition Committee and Officiating supervisors and staff – have always molded the NBA rules to return a slight edge to the offense. Yet, the defense always adjusts and catches up.

Look back to major reform, back when the late Commissioner David Stern and then-NBA Senior VP for Basketball Operations Rod Thorn called for a summit to discuss the fact teams had clamped down on the game to limit opponents to 84.3 to 88.9 points per game. Defenders locked down their opponents with stifling, firm hand-checks and made it damn near impossible to cut through the lane without being roughed-up. Thus, there was little movement on offense.

The first meeting resulted in a set of rule changes designed to even the playing court for the 1994-95 season. Hand-checking rules already on the books were more strictly enforced both on the perimeter and in the paint. The NBA also moved the three-point FG line in to a uniform 22 feet all around the arc. Previously, it was 22 feet in the corners but 23.9 around the top of the arc.

Although the three-point FG line was changed in order to help FIBA conform to one set of rules for all of basketball, the shortening of the distance allowed the superior NBA defenders to pack in around the lane but quickly get to the 22-foot line to defend three-point FG attempts. In other words, the move backfired on the NBA, and the rule was soon scrubbed and the line returned to 23.9.

For the entire decade, the NBA examined the game with input from some of the great basketball minds – a few that were actually the cause of the grind-it-down NBA. Pat Riley’s New York Knicks and Mike Fratello’s Cleveland Cavaliers limited possessions and played ultra-physical defense, but they joined in for the betterment of the game. Much of the trend was mirroring the success of Chuck Daly’s championship teams with the Detroit Pistons.

For every inch the league gave the offensive side of the ball, the defensive side always counted and quickly caught-up. Stern was a stickler for following the rules that were ALREADY in the NBA rule book and thus the officials were instructed (and new refs taught) to keep the offense free-flowing and enforce the very rules in the book.

Kerr was making a point of offensive players being smart and knowing how to draw contact and get to the free throw line. Back in the ‘90s, Utah’s Karl Malone was exceptional, and he led the league in free throw attempts eight seasons in a row. Interestingly, the Malones – Karl (9,787) and Moses (9,018) – are one-two in the all-time free throws made column.

Getting to the line to score is nothing new.

During the Christmas Day GS vs Denver game, reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokić scored 26 points and went 18-for-18 from the line. Kerr was insinuating Jokić was a master chef in cooking up reasons the refs should call a shooting foul, and, as noted above, Kerr has a legitimate point. But, then again, Kerr’s best defensive player – Draymond Green – is serving an indefinite suspension for clocking Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkić in the face – earning a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection, then the suspension since it was a repeated violation and a potential harm to fellow players. (We’ve yet to hear why the NBA Players Association doesn’t reprimand Green for potentially injuring fellow union members).

That leaves us with the dilemma the NBA is facing in terms of Kerr’s criticism of the league – via its Competition and Rules Committee and the enforcement of the rules via the officials. Does Kerr’s view have serious enough merit to call for additional rule changes, or are we being cajoled by a head coach witnessing his best offensive players shooting (Steph Curry – 3-for-13) and (Klay Thompson – 3-for-10) an abysmal six-for-23 from three point range while the Warriors were outshot (26-for-32 to 20-for-23) at the stripe.

Play the game: Aging jump shooters vs. the league’s best at drawing fouls with the ability to “B.S” his way to the foul line” (Kerr’s words, not mine). Who is going to get the best result?

One important thing in Kerr’s defense is that he has a track record of integrity, honesty and very direct answers to media questions. He noted the Warriors didn’t play well enough – in “bringing the ‘A’ game vs. the NBA defending champs.”

Give the man credit.

Maybe it’s time for Kerr and current league Basketball Ops guru Joe Dumars to convene yet another summit to legislate some more physical play and defense back into the league?

We can call the new legislative agenda “The Jokić Rules.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: During the past two weeks, WWYI took time to stop and think of the amazing things in our lives that we are truly thankful for as Christmas brings joy to many, but pain and sorrow for some of our dear friends. Let us never forget those lost, this year, last year and the years before. A very special intention for my father, Timothy Francis Lyons (December 22) and his first son, my brother Timothy Francis Lyons III (December 16) and one other, for Mr Albert Nittoly, our loyal neighbor for so many years before he was taken by COVID-19.

As a lead off, this might surprise some as my favorite Christmas song is Luciano Pavarotti singing “O Holy Night,” … I love the original Spode Christmas Tree place settings. …Memories of three Matchbox cars under the Christmas Tree, a real evergreen complete with lighted village and running HO train set, the greatest machines ever build – Big Bruiser Tow Truck, the Flexible Flyer sled, my neighbor’s Easy Bake Oven, Hula Hoops, Whiffel Balls, the Hess Truck, a 45 rpm RCA Victrola, and tickets to the annual Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden in New York City when St. John’s, Manhattan (Billy Campion) and Fordham (Charlie Yelverton) were all tough outs.

You’ve gotta love meeting interesting people. … People that know that Springsteen’s “The Rising” just might be the saddest song you’ve ever heard but it’s also so inspirational that it ROCKS.

Puppy Fur and Puppy Barks … U2 doing “Walk On,” … Christmas tree lights glowing in a dark living room … Turntables … Artwork of Paris by Constantin Kluge (1912-2003) … Johnny Winter … a well-done cheeseburger … Dowses Beach on East Bay in Osterville … Ditch Plains Beach at Montauk … the Chatham Light established 1808 … Chuck Leavell’s piano on Jessica by the Allman Brothers Band. …. Hello Old Friend by Eric Clapton with backing vocals by Yvonne Elliman … Corner Bistro West Village … the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in the underrated City of Baltimore … the 1,000 acre Vassar College campus in the City of Poughkeepsie, another underrated joint with great restaurants stemming from the nearby Culinary Institute of America Center for Research and Innovation.

Freihofer’s Chocolate Chip Cookies … good news from a Facebook post … Tannoy Speakers … a full tank of gasoline … discovering a new great jukebox … cleaning up on Trivia Night … old Saturday Night Live skits, before it was known as SNL … Ditka and ‘Da Bears … Bears 96, Lions 3 … halftime score … Camelback Inn – Where Time Stands Still (Suite 159) … thick, green grass … seeing it’s Curly and not Shemp when a Three Stooges episode airs … Football weather. … Late afternoon winter sun in Southern California. … Refreshing thunderstorms … Seeing Louie Carnesecca at a St. John’s game. … Bass guitar … Original hot Dunkin Donuts coffee. … The smell of freshly cut grass or freshly painted walls. … Red Tulips. …a new Zildjian 20 inch S Series Medium Ride Cymbal. … the Pressbox at Fenway Park. … the Theme from The Last Waltz. … the patter of dog paws on a hard wood floor. … a good haircut. … St. Patrick’s Day. … Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. … Bruce Hornsby taking a hard turn in the middle of a hit song and it’s a tangent to heaven. … new Subway cars, we call it the T… Coast-to-Cost in First Class. … Late night Baseball on SIRIUS XM.

Frampton Comes Alive. … Earle Bailey on WLIR-FM 92.5. … Plenty of kindling and dry hardwood for the Fireplace. … F Troop re-runs. … The Turntable and listening to an album start to finish. … Christmas Tree smell until January 1st. … The late Christine McVie’s voice. … Replays of the ’69 Baltimore Orioles’ third-baseman, the Human Vacuum Cleaner, Brooks Robinson. … the sound of a golf ball hitting the bottom of the Cup. … See a red door and I want it painted black. … TOMMY’s back on Broadway. … A good clock, a good watch, a good time. … Joining a werewolf drinkin’ a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect. … toast. … Top 1,000 Countdowns for Rock songs. … The guitar instrumental on ELO’s Fire on High. … Putt Putt golf. … Penny & Max. … Special ❤️ to CMM, VJL and AGL.

THE OLDEST RIVALRIES: College football is coming to a close for the 2023-’24 season. Here’s a quick look at the oldest rivalries in college footy:

  1. Princeton vs. Yale (1873)
  2. Harvard vs. Yale (1875)
  3. Harvard vs. Princeton (1877)
  4. Harvard vs. Penn (1881)
  5. Dartmouth vs. Harvard (1882)
  6. Lafayette vs. Lehigh (1884)
  7. Amherst vs. Williams (1884)
  8. Michigan vs. Notre Dame (1887)
  9. North Carolina vs. Wake Forest (1888)

OLDEST BOWL GAMES: It’s Bowl Game week(s) and we must salute the Taxslayer, the Pop-Tarts and other fine sponsors. An analysis of the Pop-Tart Bowl said there was $12.1 million in coverage generated for the sponsor. Okay.

  1. The ROSE BOWL – (Established 1902) but Played Year-after-Year (1916) – (Pasadena)
  2. ORANGE BOWL – (1935) – (Miami)
  3. SUGAR BOWL – (1935) – (New Orleans)
  4. SUN BOWL – (1935) – (El Paso)
  5. COTTON BOWL – (1937) – (Dallas)
  6. GATOR BOWL – (1946) – (Jacksonville)
  7. CITRUS BOWL – (1947) – (Orlando)
  8. LIBERTY BOWL – (1959) – (Memphis)
  9. PEACH BOWL – (1968) – (Atlanta)
  10. FIESTA BOWL – (1971) – (Phoenix/Glendale)

Oh, how we miss the Astro Blue Bonnet Bowl in Houston’s AstroDome!

2023: HALF YEAR IN REVIEW – Part Two (July to December)

July

2

  • Harrison Ford Tribute
  • Media in the Arts, Religion, Sports and Investigative Journalism
  • Professional Women’s Ice Hockey Future
  • SlamBall

9

  • FTX cryptocurrency collapse and sports
  • USA Basketball Named 2023 USA World Cup team
  • Nikki McCray-Penson RIP
  • Middle East new influence on global sport
  • NBA In-Season Tournament announcement

16

  • The Open
  • AI on The Open (Oops)
  • Gambling on the Special Olympics
  • USA Under-19 Women’s team – Kiki Rice
  • SlamBall Takes Shape for ESPN

23

  • Maureen Madill at The Open
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  • The New York Times folds Sports Section
  • NHL Players Assn (Marty Walsh) on the Winter Olympics

30

  • Congress on Name, Image, Likeness
  • Messi and Mbappe
  • UMass coaching money tree
  • NBA Basketball w/o Borders

August

6

  • NFL and the Sunday Ticket
  • FIBA World Cup
  • Tubby Smith on the Transfer Portal
  • Demise of Pac-12 Conference

13

  • Pac-12 – Tournament of Posers
  • HBO HARD KNOCKS
  • NFL Team Valuations
  • PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs

20

  • PGA Tour – No Boston Stop
  • Fallout on NIL and Collectives
  • USA Basketball Showcase tour
  • SlamBall Championship

27

  • Springsteen at Gillette Stadium
  • College Football ’23 Kick-off
  • Patriots Tough Start? (0-7) or (1-6) – How about (2-10)

September

3

  • College vs Pro Football Towns
  • Ten Best Colleges for Sports
  • The Un-Retirement Commercial
  • Sports Biz: Amy Latimer Promotion

10

  • Cable TV history lesson
  • The NFL Players You Wished You’d Drafted
  • USA Basketball World Cup Upended by Germany
  • Jimmy Buffett Memorial

17

  • Load Management in the NBA
  • 8.040 Days Since Sept. 11, 2001
  • Boston College and the Red Bandana – For Welles
  • Boston Bruins @ 100
  • NLL Lacrosse Entry Draft
  • Bruni

24

  • Ryder Cup Golf
  • Baseball Season Turns in to Football Season
  • The Worst Fans in the NFL
  • First Sighting: Travis Kelce Meets Taylor Swift
  • RIP: Dennis D’Agostino

October

1st

  • More on the 2023 Ryder Cup
  • Solutions for the USA Ryder Cup team prep
  • WNBA Finals
  • Stones, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen Released Songs on Same Day

8

  • No High Payroll Teams Left in MLB Postseason
  • World 3×3
  • NWSL (Women’s Pro Soccer) Valuations
  • The Great Rivalries in College Football
  • Health in the USA
  • BIG EAST Predictions

15

  • Britney Griner/WNBA
  • College Basketball Blue Ribbon
  • Top 25 Predictions for CBB in ’23-24
  • ESPN’s Top 10 NBA Players (Active)

22

  • Dog Days of the NFL Season
  • Bill Belichick-Gate (Watch) Begins
  • Most Marketable Athletes
  • Sports Motion Pictures to Come
  • The Sphere

29

  • Improbable MLB World Series
  • NBA In-Season Tourney Spots
  • NBA Franchise Valuations
  • NBA on TNT
  • LPGA to Boston in 2024

November

5

  • RIP Coach Bobby Knight
  • Top NBA Team Salaries
  • More Really Bad Investments

12

  • Boston Common Golf
  • NHL and NBA Global Games
  • TL Sports Entrepreneur Podcast
  • Bill Hancock to Retire

19

  • Pardon My Take:  Charissa Thompson
  • Ben Bradlee
  • The Fall of Milan Lucic
  • TGL / Boston Common Golf: One Year Delay

27 – Thanksgiving Edition

  • Giving Thanks When Due
  • Pan Mass Challenge – Cancer Research
  • Mighty Max Joins the Family
  • World Basketball Day Approaching

December

3

  • Aaron Rodgers
  • The Fall of Sports Illustrated
  • NFL Power or Parity Ratings
  • MLB’s 2024 Look-Ahead

10

  • Army vs Navy Game (New England Style)
  • Bucket Lists for Sporting Events
  • Dodgers Land Ohtani
  • College Gameday
  • Imagine

17

  • Dodgers Have Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the Crosshairs
  • Need for MLB Salary Cap system
  • Draymond Green Indefinite Suspension
  • Get Well Soon: Kareem

24

  • Special Christmas Column
  • 2023: Year in Review (Jan to June)

31

  • Special Year End Column
  • 2023: Year in Review (July to Dec 31)
  • Special Thanks

PARTING WORDS and a TRIBUTE: Popular comedian of the ‘60s and ‘70s Tommy Smothers passed away December 26th. Tommy, together with his younger brother, Dick, formed one of the great TV comedy acts and earned a primetime show from 1965 to 1966 and then their “Comedy Hour” with more free-wheeling creative control on CBS in 1967. After the TV show was cancelled, the Smothers Brothers continued a successful comedy career, but in ‘67. Tommy bought a vineyard in Sonoma County, California which he kept through 2023 when he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Here’s a classic scene from The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook and news column written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.

Last Chance for the Special Holiday Sale of While We’re Young (Ideas)

Special Holiday Offer: Visit —> HERE

TL’s Christmas Notebook | Dec 25th

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Wishes You a Merry Christmas

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Merry Christmas 2023 to all who celebrate the day. To others, this columnist wishes you sincere best wishes and joy for 2024 with peace in the holiday(s) you celebrate.

May we all wish for Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men (and women)!

As in years past, this Christmas-themed column carries the torch of the legendary writings of the late, great Shelby Strother. It also takes a look back at 2023 with a week-by-week listing of what was covered by While We’re Young (Ideas). Also in years past, there’s been some details written about Shelby and his family. Check it out HERE, from this antique December 2013 column.

Let’s get to it.

Each Christmas Day Contains the Past, Present and Future

By SHELBY STROTHER

It did not matter that the wind-chill was life threatening. It was Christmas morning, and a bright sun stabbed the frozen land. And children were playing.

The decision over which to play with – the official World Cup soccer ball or the Turbo Football – never materialized. With all the snow, a soccer match was out of the question. So spirals of pink and black performed in the most sincere imitations of Rodney Peete and Joe Montana floated back and forth in the yard.

What a nice sight.

The Annual Second Chance is near – it’s called New Year’s Eve. It is the window of opportunity where the hopes and fears of all the year (not to mention the mistakes) can be erased.

But Christmas Day is a time of reinforcement and the essence of tomorrow. And children playing with toys are the finest examples of what that tomorrow looks like.

I look out the window. I’ve been in that yard. All young boys have. Sports become such a part of childhood. Santa is aware of all of this, naturally.

This particular day is exquisite, I think to myself. I take personal inventory, not only of blessings and personal satisfaction, but of the presents of Christmas past. Still the kid, I suppose.

I got my first basketball when I was six. I made my first basket a year later. There was a tetherball set; I must have been eight. And a football helmet when I was ten. A Carl Furillo-model baseball mitt at eleven. There were tennis rackets and fishing poles and boxing gloves and shrimp nets and a Mickey Mantle 32-inch Little League bat and one time, even a badminton set.

Every Christmas, I’d play out my dreams and my mind would fly over the rainbow, imagining my propulsion. Of course, I would become a major-leaguer, an All-Star, an all-time great, a Hall of Famer. We all would. My vision extended well beyond the day.

My athletic ability, alas, never kept stride. It was not the worst realization I would ever make.

But I have noticed a direct correlation between Christmas gifts and sporting dreams. The dreams are for the young. So are the gifts. Usually, the two disappear in unison. The rare few who project into greatness discover they do not need imagination to make those lofty flights of fantasy. Hope is not the co-pilot. Expectation is.

It must be a wonderful view.

I was thinking about all of this when another memory nudged me. My 17th Christmas I got a typewriter.

It was about the same time that I’d maneuvered my fantasy a few extra miles. I’d received a baseball scholarship to pitch at a small school in Florida. There were other opportunities, other colleges available. But none that would allow my athletic vision to continue.

I had expected a Christmas of more games in the yard. More dreams to celebrate. I got a typewriter instead.

“What am I going to do with a typewriter?” I asked.

My mother said I’d need it for college. But she also said, “Sometimes you get too old to play games. But you never get too old that you can’t use your imagination.”

Sometimes Christmas is taken for granted. Almost always, in fact. I think Christmas music, and I hear bells. I turn on the radio and I hear someone named Elmo and Patsy lamenting their grandmother’s head-on collision with a reindeer. I think of the meaning of Christmas, and I think of the most special birthday in the history of the world. But I turn on the TV and there are all these Claymation raisins doing Doo-Wop homages to the joys of buying machines wherein a microchip can seize command of entire generations.

Christmas (will soon) be gone, 364 days to go. But children still play. They chase the wonderful image of themselves as they would like to be seen. Christmas is their favorite arena. But they settle for lesser stadia.

But remember this – the present is sometimes confused with the package it comes wrapped in. Sometimes the gift is simply the freedom to imagine. There may be no greater one.

It was a great typewriter. I still play with it.

– A column by Shelby Strother

Digital Sports Desk was founded on January 1, 2012 and was redesigned October 1, 2016. For Sunday Sports Notes columns posted on Christmas or Christmas Eve over the many years, I’ve alternated by posting memorable columns from a few of my all-time favorite writers. This column is, by far, my favorite column of all-time so read on my friends and “followers.” Here is to Shelby Strother and a Peaceful Christmas to his widow, Kim, and to all.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Let’s take a look back at 2023 with Part One to follow and Part Two to come in next week’s missive. Here’s January to June 2023:

Part One – January

1st

  • New Year’s wish for World Peace – the difficulties of today and tomorrow
  • Sentry Tournament of Champions Preview
  • Salute to David Bowie

8th

  • Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin Injury
  • Hamlin’s Toys for Kids charity went from $3,900 to $8,327,000 in four days
  • Duke vs BC at Chestnut Hill
  • College Football Playoff
  • NFL Tanking

14th

  • MSG – World’s Most Famous Arena
  • Favorite Moments/Events at The Garden
  • KC Chiefs Top NFL Power Rankings
  • Salute in Memory of Jeff Beck

22nd

  • Prediction: Red Sox = Cellar Dwellers
  • Boston Bruins = Leading the NHL
  • Major League Pickleball
  • LIV Golf Schedule

29th

  • Pointing fingers at Bill Belichick
  • AFC/NFC Championship Preview
  • Chef of ‘da Future
  • EPL Franchise Valuations

February

5th

  • Dog Days of Winter; 19 NBA Ts in five Days
  • Marty Walsh to NHL Players Association
  • Charlie Baker to NCAA
  • Sports Catch Phrases – “Just Like That”

12th

  • Super Bowl LVII Preview (KC vs Phila)
  • PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open – LODR than LOUD
  • World Baseball Classic
  • Tennis Player Younes Rachidi Banned for Life

19th

  • Mass shooting and murder on campus of Michigan State
  • Coach Ed Cooley Feature
  • 40th Anniversary – Marvin Gaye National Anthem at ’83 NBA ASG

26th

  • PGA Tour Load Management
  • NBA Load Management Issue
  • Ideas for a Better NBA All-Star Weekend – None
  • Music: One Hit Wonders

March

5th

  • Memorial Tribute to David Benner

12th

  • Timeline of the 2023 BIG East Basketball Tournament

19th

  • St. Patrick’s Day Salute
  • March Madness Upsets
  • World Baseball Classic

26th

  • Willis Reed Memorial Tribute
  • Rick Pitino Hired by St. John’s
  • National Lacrosse League Playoffs
  • MLB Opening Day

April

2nd

  • Opening Day at Fenway Park
  • Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Jim Nantz’ Last NCAA Final 4 Broadcast

9th

  • The Masters
  • LIV vs. PGA Tour Golf
  • MLB and Austin Meadows’ Mental Health

16th

  • Boston Marathon
  • Amazing Shohei Ohtani
  • Bruce Springsteen and Last Man Standing

23rd

  • The Curse of the NHL President’s Cup
  • NHL Team Valuations
  • NBA Playoffs and Injuries
  • Suggestion: LIV World Team Golf

30th

  • Sports Gambling in Massachusetts
  • NBA Moves Up Finals Start Times
  • QB Aaron Rodgers to J-E-T-S
  • NCAA, Committees and Charlie Baker
  • Death of Boston Celtics’ veep Heather Walker

May

7th

  • Future Days for Saudi Basketball
  • Euro Soccer Team Valuations
  • Kentucky Derby Review

14th

  • Michael Jordan Barcelona Olympics Jacket Auction
  • Buzzword Bingo
  • MLB’s Oldest Ball Parks

21st

  • World’s 10 Highest Paid Athletes
  • Troubles of NBA’s Ja Morant
  • Beginning of the End for the PAC-12
  • Baseball Buzzword Bingo
  • Set Tribute to Meatloaf (RIP)

28th

  • Send-off to TNT’s Very Best (Tara, TK)
  • Brandel and Brooksie Mix It Up for PGA Tour/LIV
  • Busy Summer of ’23 Listings
  • SBJ Awards
  • TNT’s “Yes” Man

June

4th

  • Connor McDavid, Jack Michael and Nikola Jokic
  • Stanley Cup Final or NBA Finals – “s” or no “s”
  • Sox Chris Sale Out Again
  • NHL Stadium Series – NY/NJ Style

11th

  • Surprise of Potential PGA Tour/LIV Merger
  • Most Beloved USA Athletes
  • Harvard’s/WCVB-5 Mike Lynch Inducted Mass Broadcasters Hall of Fame

18th

  • NYC Father’s Day Fire
  • Ja Morant More Trouble – 25-game suspension (ended 12-19)
  • The Four’s is Closed
  • Bradley Beal shipped to PHX
  • Sports Hall of Fame Line-ups

25th

  • PGA Tour: The Traveler’s Championship
  • 2023 NBA Draft
  • No. 1 Pick: France’s Victor WembanyamaSlamBall is Back (and on ESPN)

(Tune-In Next Week for the rest of 2023 Look Back – July 1st through December 31st)

TIDBITS: You’ve heard of World Team Tennis which debuted in 1974 with Billie Jean King leading the way as player-coach of the Philadelphia Freedom, runners-up to the champion Denver Racquets, coached by Tony Roche. The league had talented stars such as Jimmy Connors who led the Baltimore Banners. Here in Beantown, we had the Boston Lobsters. The team played at the Walter Brown Arena and lost about $300,000 in its first year of operation … Fast forward to the conclusion of the 2021 WTT season and you’ll note the tennis league vanished. The following July, the WTT announced it was seeking expansion franchises at $1 million a clip. That news release was the last we heard of World Team Tennis. “World TeamTennis, the nation’s only professional, mixed-gender team tennis league, has announced that it is accepting expansion proposals from prospective ownership groups and markets that are interested in acquiring a WTT franchise.” … With WTT in the history books, tennis fans now have the World Tennis League, based in Abu Dhabi. Saturday morning, the Tennis Channel aired Taylor Fritz’ extra time match vs Daniil Medvedev and the new version of team tennis, featuring the Kites and Hawks, the Falcons and Eagles. The new league is big on entertainment and concerts, but short on match results and realtime stats. … Sports Business Journal’s media mind John Ourand announced he’s leaving the post he’s held since 2006 to join Puck.

MLB: A week ago we wrote of the urgent need for Major League Baseball to enact a form of maximum team salary after the LA Dodgers broke the bank and the concept of deferred compensation with a $700 million deal to pay for the services of Shohei Ohtani. This week, the Dodgers landed prized free agent in Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto who scored a 12-year, $325 million deal Thursday, per multiple media reports. Yamamato’s deal out-distanced New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s deal by $1 million, making it the largest contract for a pitcher in major league history. The Dodgers will also pay $50.6 million in a posting fee for Yamamoto. … A posting fee is MLB terminology for a transfer fee.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook

by

While We’re Young (Ideas) – On Baseball Free Agency

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Los Angeles Dodgers recent free agent signee, Shohei Ohtani, will collect seven hundred million over 10 years but only $2m a year in compensation with the rest – some $68m a year – to come in a record-setting deferral deal that might make former New York Mets and MLB journeyman Bobby Bonilla blush.

Of course, Bonilla “only” collects $1.19m a year, but does so until 2035. That’s not bad for a guy who hasn’t played an inning since 2001, but it signified a system gone mad in 2001. Now, 23 years later Major League Baseball has a full scale systematic player contract crisis on its hands.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have three of the top five hitters in baseball – none of them home grown – but still with a farm system often considered the envy of baseball clubs everywhere. Mookie Betts (2B/OF) was acquired through a trade with the Boston Red Sox. He promptly signed an extension with the Dodgers and will pocket $392m over 13 years. Meanwhile, Freddie Freeman (1B) signed a paltry six year, $162m deal with the Dodgers in 2022, a year after leading his only other team, the Atlanta Braves, to an MLB championship and two years after receiving the Most Valuable Player award for the National League.

That leads us to Shohei Ohtani – a generational two-way superstar – who signed as a free agent just after the Baseball Winter Meetings and set the salary scale on fire with the reported $700m deal. But just this week, The Athletic reported Ohtani’s deal was a smoke and mirrors cash-deferment deal of a lifetime, with the deferred money to be paid out without interest from 2034 to 2043. That’s quite a retirement plan for a guy who reportedly earns $50m a year in off-field endorsements, a number sure to rise.

With another generational player, Dodgers longtime starter Clayton Kershaw recovering from shoulder surgery and technically a free agent himself, the Ohtani deal is structured to provide salary flexibility to the Dodgers with free-agent Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the crosshairs. Former Tampa ace Tyler Glasnow fell in the Dodgers’ blue line, signing a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers that makes official the trade of Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot from the Tampa Bay Rays to Los Angeles, the Dodgers announced Saturday.

The LA-Tampa deal ends right-handed starter Ryan Pepiot and outfield prospect Jonny Deluca to the Rays. it was contingent upon Glasnow signing an extension. The window to do so opened Thursday morning, and the parties quickly came together with the framework of a deal that will tack four years and $111.5 million in new money onto the $25 million Glasnow was owed for the 2024 season.

There is no deferred money in Glasnow’s deal.

Wrote The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal this week, “The usual howls are coming. The large-market teams end up with all the best players. A $700 million contract is outrageous. Baseball needs a salary cap.

“We’ve been hearing this talk for years. The small-market frustration, to a degree, is understandable. But the most expensive teams — see the 2023 Mets, Yankees and Padres — do not always win.”

Yes, Ken, Baseball DOES need a better salary structure system – aka – a Collective Bargaining agreement that allows all major league teams to deal from the same deck of cards. But, as we know, Baseball’s super-agent Marvin Miller-esque Players Association will have no part of a structured system similar to the NBA, NHL or NFL. Baseball wants to be the wild west just they way Miller, the late architect of Baseball’s free agency and unlimited team salary operating system, wanted it to be before he passed away in 2012, but face it – the system is broken.

The only recourse for MLB teams is to draft wisely, build the farm system and strike it rich with a dozen home grown players, all playing under their original contracts.

IDEAS FOR A BETTER TEAM SALARY CAP SYSTEMS: Is it within reason for Baseball to solve its rich team/poor team issue of team salary with a league-wide system that can finally place all 30 MLB teams on even ground. Baseball would need to have 40 “Salary Slots” to spread across each 40-man roster to distribute the average team salary of $122,724,208 or $3.068m per man? Of course, paying all players the average would not fly, nor would it be right.

In general, this entire idea wouldn’t fly with the tight knit MLB Players Association. They pride themselves on total free agency and arbitration for players who can’t agree with their teams on fair terms.

But, for argument sake, take the $122,724,208 average team salary figure and place 10 of the 40 players on the current MLB minimum salary of $720,000 per year. That would subtract $7,200,000. from the team salary figure, and rounding off it would leave $115,524,000 to be distributed to 30 “slots” for players. The slots would begin at 18% of team salary and wind down gradually.

If the best player – Slot #1 took 18% of the team salary, he would earn $20,794,320. That would leave $94,729,680 for 29 others. If Slot #2 took 15%, he would earn $14,209,452 per year, leaving $80,520,228 for the remaining players. … The percentages would lessen, as would the salary of players decreased and the slots would diminish from #3 to #30. nFor ownership, salary and cost certainty for payroll would be determined and team looking to make trades would have a simple mechanism to trade slot-for-slot or slot for a combination of slots. The trading of future Draft Picks for a player would be an exception and the team receiving the draft pick(s) would need to slot in the respective proposed salary of the player from the slots they have open. They would be given three years to do that. This system might result in difficult team decisions to trade away one of their current players or cut a player to fit someone new into their hierarchy. In some cases, it might force another trade.

Injury exceptions would need to be reviewed by independent doctors and a player might need to be replaced with a free agent assuming his spot or a minimum wage player coming on board and subjecting his team to bump everyone up one “slot.”

Two-way players who can go up and down from the minors to the majors would be limited to three call-ups in a given year, or the player would earn minimum.

Reducing length of contracts to five years would be a must, maybe negotiate for four.

When recruiting free agents, a club GM could say, “I have an expiring contract at “Slot 3” and it might be a “take it or leave it” situation. Some veteran players might take a lower slot in order to play as the sixth man or seventh man on a championship contender.

The salary structure and full team salary would increase with increases in revenue and In-Season Tournament and NBA Playoff shares would be in addition to the regular season system.

Let the negotiating begin.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: What have we heard in Foxboro all week? “We’re getting ready for Kansas City.” … In San Antonio, the Spurs snapped a 17-game losing streak on Friday night, that’s (0-16 in a row) and (4-20 for the season) for longtime coach Gregg Popovich who is undergoing a total rebuild around 2023 No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama. Yes, Bill Belichick is (3-10), coming off a miracle win in Pittsburgh and going into a tough match-up this weekend against the KC Chiefs (8-5) at Gillette Stadium. Pop won the NBA Lottery last season after going (22-60) and the forecast doesn’t look very good for this season with only the Detroit Pistons rivaling the lowly Spurs.

Two of the most decorated coaches in the history of their respective sports are feeling the pressure that comes from losing. In Boston, rumors surfaced midweek that Patriots team owner Robert Kraft had already made up his mind to part ways with Belichick, with that decision coming after a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany.

The problem with that report? No sources were cited and Belichick did not comment or directly answer any questions, defaulting to his usual monotone response about his next NFL opponent.

Last weekend, both Belichick and Kraft appeared on ESPN’s College Gameday prior to the Army/Navy Gam played at Gillette. With Kraft situated front and center on the Gameday set, ESPN radio host Pat McAfee put Kraft in an awkward position, stating: “I don’t envy your position, what’s about to happen. We all know, we don’t have to ask.”

The lack of a reply from Kraft, call it the silence, was deafening.

In San Antonio, the waters are much calmer and all indication is that Popovich will make any and all career decisions on his own.

Don’t expect changes in Foxboro or on the Riverwalk anytime soon.

DRAY: Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green earned an indefinite suspension this past week when he clocked Jusuf Nurkić, center of the Phoenix Suns, after the two were tangled up on an in-bounds play. Green was hit with an indefinite suspension by the NBA less than 24 hours after the incident and the NBA noted, “This outcome takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” … “Green’s suspension will begin immediately. He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.” … An indefinite suspension. That’s a five alarm fire in the NBA. Rightfully so for such a cheap shot and it coming in a play of tangled-up arms that happens three or four times a game, easily. Green’s most recent suspension, a five-gamer, came after he entered the fray of an altercation with the up and coming Minnesota Timberwolves and placed opposing center Rudy Gobert in a blind-side head-lock as he walked Gobert away. … While I’d love to see the NBA Players Association volley-in with an opinion on proper discipline for one union member cold cocking another union member, we’d all wait until the ghost of the deceased former executive director Larry Fleisher to appear before that would ever happen. It will be left for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA senior-veep of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars to opine the length of a suspension that will surely approach 10-games. That would put Green in the sin bin until a January 4, 2024 game against the Denver Nuggets. That length of suspension is reasonable, considering the situation, but it will come after the NBA and the Warriors consult on a plan going forward. We’re unlikely to hear a syllable from Green’s former teammate, Andre Iguodala, now serving as Acting Executive Director for the NBPA. Iguadola, a class act to be sure, replaced Tamika Tremaglio, who had served in the role of Executive Director since January 2021.

Prince = The Greatest (Photo by Getty Images)

TIDBITS: Who decided that just because “Up With People” was joined by the Southeast Missouri Marching Band and Anita Bryant at Super Bowl V (1971) that every damn sports event needs to include a miniature rock show at halftime or, in the case of the NHL Stadium Series (Met Life Stadium – February 17), a pregame concert? On Wednesday, the NHL thrilled all by announcing the Jonas Brothers would play before the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers face off in New Jersey. The Jonas Brothers hit The Disney Channel in 2005 right out of Wyckoff, NJ and it took three years for them to be nominated as “Best New Artist” at the 2008 GRAMMYs.

Honestly, do you think the Jonas Brothers are going to sell a single ticket to the grizzled fans of the Philadelphia Flyers or New Jersey Devils? The NHL would be far better off by offering cold Philly pretzels and a packet of mustard for every fan paying for parking at Met Life.

The last time a musical act tipped the scales of entertainment at a sporting event was 2017 when Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, DJ Jazzy Jeff, actor Michael B. Jordan, Jidenna, and Run D.M.C.‘s Darryl McDaniels joined The Roots for the NBA All-Star Game and the introduction of the stars.

Before that, roll the calendar back to 2007 when Prince did the halftime act of all-time at Super Bowl XLI in Miami (in the rain, no less). The NFL should’ve retired the tradition right then and there. Prince will never be topped, and that’s coming from a big fan of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009), The Rolling Stones (2006), The Who (2010), Tom Petty (2008), and even Beyoncé (2013).

But, the Jonas Brothers?

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec. 10th

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – Surely, you’ve heard the question before. Everyone has. Everyone thinks and dreams, but very few can check them off the list.

The Bucket List.

The question: Can you name your Top 10 Bucket List of Sports Destinations and Events?

It’s a tough one.

Those of us lucky enough to call New York and Boston as home base can check off a few by jumping on the “4” Train or the Green Line T to arrive within minutes at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, respectively.

To delve into this topic, there will be three sets of 10 Bucket List choices. First will be a very typical list of all the obvious “bests.” Second, will be my good friend Mark’s choices and lastly, the WWYI columnist will list the ultimate Sports Bucket List, with an attempt to be more obscure. The lists will be in order of preference.

Here we go:

Top 10 Sports Destination/Event Bucket List

  1. The Super Bowl (any location)
  2. The Summer Olympic Games (any location)
  3. The Kentucky Derby
  4. The World Series (any location)
  5. The Masters
  6. Ryder Cup (in Europe)
  7. The Winter Olympics (any location, but Europe ideal)
  8. World Cup Final (any location)
  9. Wimbledon
  10. The Final Four (any location, any four basketball teams)

Mark’s list, and it’s a good one:

  1. Buffalo Bills home opener (annually, said the die-hard Bills fan)
  2. Wimbledon (Men’s and Women’s Semis
  3. The Winter Olympics (anywhere)
  4. Monaco Grand Prix – Formula One
  5. The Super Bowl (anywhere, especially if the Bills make it)
  6. Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  7. Green Bay Packers home game at Lambeau Field
  8. The Masters
  9. Army vs Navy Football Game
  10. The Kentucky Derby

The TL Bucket List of Sports (WWYI edition) – Not Your Average List

  1. The Army vs Navy Game – But, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  2. The Little League World Series
  3. The Travers and The Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course
  4. The French Open
  5. The Ryder Cup (Bethpage, Long Island, NY)
  6. Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  7. Monaco Grand Prix – Formula One (Monte Carlo)
  8. The BIG EAST Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden
  9. Wrigley Field – any Cubs home game
  10. The Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston, Massachusetts)

Do any of the events and destinations on this final list need an explanation? I doubt it, but for posterity’s sake, here’s a line on a few of the events selected by yours truly.

Embed from Getty Images

Army v Navy – The impact of this event doesn’t hit you until you are there, in other words, until you’ve attended one … especially if it’s in Philadelphia. The pomp and rivalry is unmatched, but the ceremonies also stress the camaraderie of the cadets and midshipmen, often standing with alternating uniforms of the officers to be. … The game goes on, and the intensity builds (depending on the score), but as a civilian looking at the players – and more notably, the sections of cadets and midshipmen in dress gear – you can’t help but think that the young men and women will soon be putting their lives on the line, whether they are in training or deployed in war times. Some of those you gaze at – in respect – might not be around in another five years. It’s a daunting feeling, and because of it, the Army vs Navy game tops my list.

The Travers – The setting at the Saratoga Race Course is delightful, especially if you catch a nice summer day. The Travers brings the crowds, and the tiny town (and the bars) remains packed. The food is good, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Sure, the Kentucky Derby is more famous, the Belmont could determine a Triple Crown, and Delmar is unmatched, but I’ll take Saratoga, and the last Monday Hopeful was always a get-away day. It’s a favorite of my favorite Railbird, too.

The Ryder Cup at Bethpage (Black Course) is a driver and a long iron away from the hometown of WWYI’s author. Combine the familiar grounds with golf’s best event, and you’ve got something very special. It edged out a trip to Augusta, Georgia for The Masters.

The BIG EAST Championship/Tournament is a longtime favorite. The setting is the key at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Other college conference/teams can only dream of playing at The Garden.

The Boston Marathon, staged on Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth (new hometown) is the best day of the year. The event is inspiring to all who run and spectate. Friend of the column, 1967 Boston Marathon champion, Amby Burfoot, calls the race “the Carnegie Hall of Marathons,” citing New York’s prestigious Music Hall constructed between 1889 and 1891. And don’t forget, the Boston Red Sox play at historic Fenway Park at 11:00am on the holiday, and guess what? The bars are OPEN!

A FEW HONORABLE MENTIONS: (In no particular order) are: The Travellers(Cromwell, Connecticut) near Hartford. Once the Greater Hartford Open, the Travellers has fast become a favorite of the players on the PGA Tour because of the great TPC River Highlands golf course and the hospitality put forth by the organizers; the Frozen Four is NCAA ice hockey’s version of the Big Dance. It’s a must for college ice hockey fans. Similarly, the Beanpot Tournament in Boston pits Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern on consecutive Mondays in February. The winners get the famed Beanpot. It’s just a great event. Of course, there are hundreds of others, such as the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, the Rose Bowl, the NHL Winter Classic or simply a game at Montreal or Toronto.

FEEL FREE to post your own top 10 in comments on Substack or the Digital Sports Desk Twitter (‘X’) page or on Face Book. So, go ahead! Name yours.

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