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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 14

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By TERRY LYONS

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

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

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

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

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

I’ll start!

  • Jack Nicklaus
  • Tiger Woods

Swimming

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

Men’s Tennis

  • Novak Djokovic
  • Rafa Nadal
  • Roger Federer

Women’s Tennis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twenty-three is a great number.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Spaun One-Up After 54 Holes at St. Jude

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MEMPHIS – In search of his second win this season, J.J. Spaun takes his third career 54-hole lead/co-lead on Tour in his first start at TPC Southwind.

Embed from Getty Images

Sepp Straka seeks to advance to the BMW Championship for the first time in his fourth FedEx Cup Playoffs appearance

With eight Top-10 finishes this season, Will Zalatoris seeks his first PGA Tour win to join Camilo Villegas as the only player(s) to win a maiden Tour title at a FedEx Cup Playoffs event.

With a win, Cameron Smith – two strokes back – would overtake Scottie Scheffler as World No. 1.

Tony Finau (T-8) seeks to become first player to successfully defend a title in a FedEx Cup Playoffs event. A win would mark three consecutive tournament victories.

After 54 holes at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, five players are currently projected to move inside the Top 70 and qualify for the BMW Championship

In:

Tyler Duncan ; Wyndham Clark ; Andrew Putnam; Hayden Buckley; Adam Scott

Out:

Brendon Todd; Alex Smalley; Anirban Lahiri; John Huh; Lanto Griffin

South Korea’s Sungjae Im (T-8) at (-7) posted the low score of the day (63).

FedEx St. Jude Leaderboard | After 54 Holes

J.J. Spaun 62-67-68—197 (-13)

Sepp Straka 64-66-68—198 (-12)

Will Zalatoris 71-63-65—199 (-11)

Trey Mullinax 66-67-66—199 (-11)

Cameron Smith 67-65-67—199 (-11)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Si Woo Kim and J.J. Spaun Lead at FedEx St Jude Championship

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MEMPHIS – Si Woo Kim and J.J. Spaun each shot eight-under (62s) in the opening round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, to lead the first leg of the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs. Si Woo Kim holed out for eagle on his final hole (No. 18) for career-low nine-hole score (28)

There are 15 other players within three strokes of the lead going into Friday’s second round at TPC Southwind. Another dozen players are four strokes off the lead. Even par (70) was good for only a T-77.

Rickie Fowler, the last man in at No. 125, shot a five-under (65) and is contention not only for a possible tournament win, but also to qualify for the Top 70 and advance to the BMW Championship next weekend in Delaware.

Rookie Sahith Theegala carded a bogey-free (63) in first FedExCup Playoffs appearance.

FedEx St. Jude Leaderboard | After 18 Holes

Si Woo Kim 62 (-8)

J.J. Spaun 62 (-8)

Sahith Theegala 63 (-7)

J.T. Poston 64 (-6)

Tony Finau 64 (-6)

K.H. Lee 64 (-6)

Sepp Straka 64 (-6)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

NBA to Retire “No. 6” for Bill Russell

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The NBA is not waiting until the annual All-Star Weekend to honor the late, great Bill Russell.

The National Basketball Association and National Basketball Players Association will immediately pay tribute to the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer by permanently retiring his uniform No. 6, throughout the league.  The iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will be the first player to have his number retired across the NBA.

“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.  “Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”

“This is a momentous honor reserved for one of the greatest champions to ever play the game,” said NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio.  “Bill’s actions on and off the court throughout the course of his life helped to shape generations of players for the better and for that, we are forever grateful.  We are proud to continue the celebration of his life and legacy alongside the league.”

In addition to retiring Russell’s number, the NBA will pay tribute to the Boston Celtics’ legend throughout the 2022-23 season.  All NBA players will wear a commemorative patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys, and every NBA court will display a clover-shaped logo with the No. 6 on the sideline near the scorer’s table.  The Celtics, for whom Russell played his entire career and coached, will have a separate and unique recognition for him on their uniforms, to be announced soon.

Russell’s jersey number, which he wore for his entire 13-season career from 1956-69, will not be issued again by any NBA team to any player.  Players who currently wear No. 6 will be grandfathered.

Regarded as the ultimate winner and model teammate, Russell transformed the game with his dominant defense and graceful athleticism at the center position.  He won a record 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, which followed back-to-back national championships at the University of San Francisco (1955 and 1956) and a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team (1956).  Russell, who led Boston to eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959-66, was so synonymous with success that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award was named for him in 2009.

His myriad accomplishments included five NBA Most Valuable Player awards, 12 NBA All-Star selections and 11 All-NBA Team honors.  Russell was named to all four NBA anniversary teams (25th, 35th, 50th and 75th) and inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.  A four-time NBA rebounding champion, he ranks second in league history in total rebounds (21,620) and rebounds per game (22.5) in the regular season.  The Celtics retired his No. 6 jersey in 1972.

Russell’s impact on the NBA extended far beyond his playing achievements.  In 1966, he was hired by the Celtics as the first Black head coach in the history of the NBA and major U.S. professional sports.  As a player-head coach, he guided Boston to back-to-back NBA championships in 1968 and 1969.

During and after his extraordinary basketball career, Russell passionately advocated for the values of equality, respect and inclusion.  He marched for civil rights with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and was steadfast in his belief that all people should be treated with dignity.  Russell was awarded the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his athletic feats and lifelong commitment to social justice.

USA Basketball can not retire uniform No. 6, as FIBA rules call for only uniform number 4-15 be utilized.

PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Preview

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FedEx Cup Playoffs Begin This Weekend in Memphis

MEMPHIS – The FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first event of the 2022 FedEx Cup Playoffs, will be held at TPC Southwind. The club as hosted PGA Tour events (FedEx St. Jude Classic), a World Golf Championship (WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational) and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

At the conclusion of the three-week playoff, the 2022 FedEx Cup Champion will receive a bonus of $18 million.

World No. 1 and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler is making his third appearance in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, advancing to the Tour Championship in each of his first two seasons (No. 5 in 2019-20, No. 22 in 2020-21). Scheffler will make his fifth start at TPC Southwind, having played the FedEx St. Jude Classic twice on a sponsor exemption (MC/2014, T43/2018). Scheffler has won four times this season, including the Masters Tournament, and looks to become the second player to win the Masters and the FedEx Cup in the same season (Jordan Spieth, 2014-15). Scheffler received a $4 million bonus via the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 for holding the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings at the end of the regular season and a $1 million bonus for winning the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. The bonuses do not count towards his official money total of $13,176,910 million, the largest in a single season earnings in Tour history.

Tony Finau has won each of his last two starts on the PGA TOUR and is also the defending champion this week, winning the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in 2021 at Liberty National Golf Club. Finau is one of three players this season to win in back-to-back starts, along with Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. The last player to win in three consecutive starts on Tour was Dustin Johnson during the 2016-17 season (The Genesis Invitational, WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play).

FedEx St. Jude Championship | Tournament Facts

COURSE: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.

YARDS/PAR: 7,243 yards/Par 70

ARCHITECT: Ron Pritchard

PRIZE Money – Purse: $15,000,000/$2,700,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Tony Finau

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour#FedExCup @FedExChamp

Bruins Sign Krejci; Await Pastrnak

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BOSTON – The Boston Bruins signed forward David Krejci to a one-year contract through the 2022-23 season worth $1 million, plus an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives. The announcement was made by Bruins GM Don Sweeney on the same day the club re-signed forward Patrice Bergeron.

Sweeney has one other key free agent that remains unsigned in David Pastrnak. On his conversations with Pastrnak, Sweeney would not elaborate but indicated talks were on-going through-out the off-season.

“Ongoing would probably be the best way to describe it,” said Sweeney.  “We’ve been in regular communication. Obviously, David’s still over in Europe and the likelihood is he’ll come back and we’ll talk between now and then. When he gets back, we’ll maybe have a better idea of a deal timeline. But I don’t have one today and you guys know me well enough, I’m not going to comment publicly on ongoing negotiations, but we’ve been in regular contact with JP.”

Krejci, 36, played the 2021-22 season in the Czechia league for HC Olomouc. In 51 games, Krejci led his team in goals (20), assists (26) and points (46). The Sternberk, Czech Republic native also represented his country at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China and at the IIHF World Championship in Finland. In four Olympic Games, Krejci recorded one goal and three assists. At the World Championships, he finished second on his team in scoring with three goals and nine assists for 12 points to help his team win a bronze medal.

Prior to his season with HC Olomouc, Krejci played 15 seasons in the NHL, all with the Bruins. In 2020-21, the 6-foot, 188-pound forward appeared in 51 games, tallying eight goals and 36 assists for 44 points and plus-16 rating. In 11 playoff games, he recorded two goals and seven assists for nine points.

Krejci has appeared in 962 career NHL games with Boston, totaling 215 goals and 515 assists for 730 points. In 156 career playoff games with the Bruins, he’s totaled 42 goals and 82 assists for 124 points. He led Boston in postseason scoring in 2011 en route to winning the Stanley Cup. Krejci ranks seventh in Bruins history in games played (962), assists (515), eighth in points (730) and 10th in game-winning goals (41).

Krejci was originally selected by Boston in the second round (63rd overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Bruins Sign Patrice Bergeron for a Year

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Bruins signed forward Patrice Bergeron to a one-year contract through the 2022-23 season worth $2.5 million, plus an additional $2.5 million in performance-based incentives.  The announcement was made by Bruins GM Don Sweeney.

Bergeron, 37, is entering his 19th NHL season, all with the Bruins. The L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec native ranks third in Bruins history in games played (1,216) and game-winning goals (74), fourth in goals (400), assists (582) and points (982). The 6-foot-1, 195-pound centerman also ranks second in Bruins history in playoff games played (167), playoff points (127), third in playoff assists (78) and tied for third in playoff goals (49).

Among active NHL players, Bergeron ranks third in plus/minus (plus-254), ninth in points and games played, 10th in assists and 12th in goals. Bergeron also ranks seventh among active players in playoff points and playoff assists, eighth in playoff games played and tied for eighth in playoff goals.

In 2021-22, the Bruins captain appeared in 73 games, tallying 25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points with a plus-16 rating. In seven playoff games, Bergeron recorded three goals and four assists for seven points.

Following the season, Bergeron was named the winner of the 2022 Frank J. Selke Trophy, given annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game as judged by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. It was the fifth time in his career that Bergeron has won the Selke Trophy, the most ever by a player in NHL history. Bergeron previously won the award in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.

Bergeron was originally selected by Boston in the second round (45th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Kim Earns First PGA Tour Title

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Kim’s Win at the Wyndham Marks End of Regular Season

GREENSBORO – Joohyung “Tom” Kim earned his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship, gaining full-time membership on the Tour for 2023 and qualifying for the upcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs. He will enter the Playoffs at No. 34 in the FedEx Cup standings.

At age 20 years, 1 month, 17 days, Kim is the second-youngest winner on the PGA TOUR since World War II, the youngest being Jordan Spieth, 2013 John Deere Classic). Kim is the first player born in the 2000s to win on Tour.

Kim made a quadruple bogey on his first hole of the tournament (No. 1 in R-1). He is the first player on record (since 1983) to make a quadruple bogey on the first hole of an event and go on to win and the fifth to record such a score on any hole and go on to win.

Kim joined the PGA Tour as a Special Temporary Member after The Open Championship and is the first Special Temporary Member to win on Tour since Collin Morikawa at the 2019 Barracuda Championship.

Kim’s front-nine (27) tied the second-lowest nine-hole score in PGA Tour history (15th instance of (27) or lower) and his final round (61) tied the fifth-lowest final-round score by a winner on record (since 1983).

Sungjae Im finished in a two-way tie for second place and moved to No. 10 in the FedExCup standings, earning $1 million through the Comcast Business Tour Top 10.

As has been a bit of a tradition, two players who didn’t enter the week in the Top 125 in the FedExCup standings moved-up to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs:

  • Joohyung “Tom” Kim (entered the week as a Special Temporary Member)
  • Max McGreevy (entered the week at No. 126)

As CBS Sports signed-off the air yesterday so came an end to Sir Nick Faldo’s 16-year stint as the network’s lead golf analyst and commentator. Here is the final segment:

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 7

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – For those growing up in the New York-Metropolitan area in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, it was an amazing time for the newspaper industry, somewhat driven by ultra-competitive sports sections that did the one thing that newspapers can no longer do. They sold papers. With a price tag of a quarter, they sold stacks and stacks of newspapers – everyday and especially Sundays, but for a buck.

The New York Times, the lofty Old Gray Lady, had all the news that was fit to print topping sections of interesting topics. The sports section had the best writing, including columnists like Dave Anderson, George Vecsey, Bill Rhoden, Ira Berkow, Robin Herman, Jane Gross, all following and being influenced by the legendary Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith.

The tabloids – the New York Daily News and New York Post – competed like prize fighters, the beat reporters driving a 24/7 watch but only printing once (or maybe a few editions) a day. The Post did an afternoon edition and you could even read about the daily double run that afternoon at Belmont.

There were others before, printed in the glory years of journalism and reporting. The Brooklyn Eagle, The Evening World, The Brooklyn Times-Union, The Daily Mirror, The New York Herald, The Sun and off-shoots like the Herald-Tribune, and Journal-American. There were dozens of others, some from nearby boroughs, like the Staten Island Advance and Staten Island Register, The Amsterdam News, and those from nearby Newark NJ, with the Star-Ledger. Long Island had Newsday and the Long Island Press. There were dozens of others.

I had my personal copy of The New York Times delivered to me at a student rate and all the teachers and front office people used to give me “the look” as I picked up my paper in my little mailbox at high school.

For the most part, The New York Times, NY Daily News, NY Post and Newsday were ever-present and to obtain a copy of The Washington Post or the Boston Globe was heaven on earth.

During that time, the New York Daily News featured sports cartoonist Bill Gallo (1922-2011) who drew the best sports cartoons this side of Bugs Bunny and the Gashouse Gorillas. At World Series time, Gallo drew-up a small cartoon box with “The Hero” and “The Goat” for each game. The “Goat” was not the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) as we know it today. Instead, it was the player who struck-out three times or made the costly error or the pitcher or reliever who threw the late-inning home run ball to his opponent who was likely to be “The Hero” of that particular game.

Of course, these days, there’s the constant arguments for players who are the GOAT of their sports. That senseless and endless stream of arguments about opinions is only surpassed by the personal list of “Mt. Rushmore” players to be fictitiously carved into some mountain top rock formation for eternity, never to be challenged again. For the “GOAT,” there is only ONE. For “Mt. Rushmore,” there are four.

This week, we lost two “GOATS” and two permanent residents of the “Mt. Rushmore” of their professions.

Sadly from this end, there’s no “personal” or “behind the scenes” story to share for either Russell or Scully. They were certainly on opposite ends of the spectrum on approachability. That said, I saw Russell more often – usually at the NBA All-Star Weekend or Finals.

Russell was quite happy in dealing with the NBA’s Brian McIntyre, in charge of PR, or Charlie Rosensweig, in charge or player and talent relations and a trustee of the Basketball Hall of Fame. For players, like Russell or Michael Jordan, who didn’t like adding to their inner circle, the smart move was always to consolidate requests and go to McIntyre or Rosensweig with “the ask.” Russell was very fond of the late David Stern and it was always great to see the mutual admiration society of Stern with Russell and Boston Celtics icon, Red Auerbach, all now passed away.

One anecdote sticks with me. Early on in his NBA career, maybe it was 1997 at the NBA@50 celebrations, Adam Silver – now Commissioner, then Special Assistant to Stern, glanced at all of the NBA legends being feted in a simple weekend ceremony in Cleveland and said, “All of our Babe Ruths are still alive,” noting the likes of Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Elgin Baylor and many others.

For a league, born in 1946, the legendary players were aging but still very much alive with a few big-time exceptions. Father Time, counting the 25 years since the NBA@50 to last year’s NBA75 festivities, has made his inevitable impact on the league and its early pioneers.

A growing number of media and NBA-types are calling for the league to retire No. 6 at every franchise in tribute to Russell’s winning ways on-court and huge impact off-court as an activist. The gesture would be the highest possible honor, much like Major League Baseball’s majestic tribute to Jackie Robinson and his No. 42.

As for Scully, a proud Fordham ‘49 man, was undoubtedly the voice for a generation of baseball fans, more specifically in Brooklyn for a short time (1954-57) before “Dem Bums” moved to Southern California and with them they took a voice and storyteller made from, and now, for heaven.

Although there were countless sports functions at Fordham where Scully was honored and a number of times when I was in the Dodgers’ or Mets’ press box when he was calling a game, I never even met the legend and feel very sad about that fact. But, like hundreds of thousands, maybe 100s of millions of baseball fans, we all knew him so well. He introduced all of Southern California to the Dodgers as he called hundreds of World Series, All-Star Games, Playoff games, and Games of the Week – on television and radio. Even before the magic of MLB Extra Innings and the Internet, all baseball fans were very familiar with the voice of Vin Scully.

At the Dodgers Stadium memorial tribute to Scully Friday night, the team unveiled a banner, “Vin – We’ll Miss You! ❤️ Dodger Fans”

For complete access to the full Sunday notebook, usually sent to your inbox for a late-night Saturday “get the papers, get the papers” read, click HERE.

Wu, Im Lead in Rain-Delayed Wyndham

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GREENSBORO – There are delays at the airport, delays on the highways, delays for deliveries and a delay, once again, at the Wyndham Championship.

The cause? Inclement weather and then darkness on the edge of Sedgefield.

Play was suspended for the day at the Wyndham Championship with only 12 of 86 players completing the third round. The third round will resume this morning at 7:30am (ET).

At 12-under thru 11 holes, Sungjae Im and Brandon Wu share the lead at the weather-delayed Wyndham with this weekend marking the third straight season experiencing weather delays at the championship.

Two past recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award sit T-3 or better as Im is (T-1) and John Huh at (T-3). Meanwhile, five players within two shots of the lead are seeking their first PGA TOUR victory: Wu (T-1), Joohyung Kim (T-3), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (T-5), Anirban Lahiri (T-5), Davis Riley (T-5).

Wyndham Leaderboard

Sungjae Im 63-69 (-12 thru 11 holes)

Brandon Wu 64-67 (-12 thru 11 holes)

John Huh 61-71 (-11 thru 11 holes)

Joohyung Kim 67-64 (-11 thru 10 holes)

Full Leaderboard: (link)