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

Editor’s Note: This is an all-out plea for the readers of the column to stick with this one. It weaves some Lyons family history, memories of the ‘60s and early ‘70s, the golden age of airplane travel, and then goes full circle to the NBA and many a wonderful travel experience all over the world.

Saturday night readers might park this one for Sunday morning and a cup of coffee to take time to read it in full. My thanks for indulging the glorious TL reminiscing.

LOGAN AIRPORT (Boston) – The various airline advertising slogans remain clear in my mind. Maybe the most memorable was New York Knicks announcer Marv Albertproclaiming Eastern Airlines as – “The Wings of Man.” Another great one was, “Fly the Friendly Skies of United.” or you could “Fly the American Way.” or later “We’re American Airlines Doing What We Do Best.”

A good seat behind home plate at Shea Stadium gave fans a view of the “Serval Zippers” sign and about 100 yards away was a flashing Delta Airlines sign that proclaimed “FLY DELTA ATLANTA” and “FLY DELTA CHICAGO” or a few other great American cities. Of course, you might remember a catchy slogan that reminded travelers, “Delta Is Ready When You Are.”

My father worked for Pan American World Airways, as did my older brother years later. Pan American was known as the “World’s Most Experienced Airline” and later stated “Pan Am Makes the Going Great.”

There’s no doubt, the Madison Avenue ad agencies did a great job in a highly competitive industry. At that point in time, Pan Am and Trans World Airways (TWA) were the two USA-based airlines flying worldwide routes. Pan Am did not have any domestic routes until it flew to Los Angeles in the 1980s as a way of serving the South Pacific and Pacific Rim.

I can vividly remember going down to JFK to either drop my Dad off or pick him up from an international business trip (often to/from Frankfurt, Germany, a major inventory control hub for the airline, servicing aircraft in Europe.

On those trips to the Pan Am Worldport – a brand new terminal at JFK, away from the fray of the International Arrivals Building – we had our way exploring the place and covering every inch of the circular, space age, flying saucer of an airline terminal stacked with 747s as far as the eye could see.

Security was not as extensive as it is today, so a 12 year old boy could stroll through the entire terminal, gazing at all the destinations Pan Am served, and because of the flying privileges provided to immediate family of a Pan Am employee, we could grab our U.S. Passports and fly to every city across the globe. You name it: Mexico City, London, Paris, Cologne, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, Calcutta, Prague, Nairobi, Moscow, Beirut, Tehran or Istanbul. (I’ve been to 14 of the 20 listed).

But, wait? Did you say Istanbul?

Yes, late Sunday night I’ll be boarding Turkish Air Flight 82 from Boston to Istanbul to assist with a week’s worth of work for the NBA Basketball School – Türkiye which will coincide (and run side-by-side) with Basketball Without Borders, an incredible joint-venture with the NBA and FIBA.

The details of this specific Basketball w/o Borders can be found in the league’s official press announcement – HERE. There is a major difference between this camp and many of the others conducted as far back as 2001. Rather than staging camps continent by continent, the 2026 version will bring approximately 80 players from all around the world to one location – Basketbol Gelişim Merkezi – in Istanbul. NBA and FIBA players do one-to-one training, and the 17-year old prospects are instructed with shooting drills, movement efficiency, skill development stations, 3-on-3 competitions, life-skills seminars, and 5-on-5 game competition.

The NBA Basketball School – Türkiye – which runs 365 days a year throughout the entire country, shows campers (boys/girls – ages 6+) the NBA way of training and skill development.

Next week’s column will underline some of the highlights from the camps, which begin Wednesday, August 26.

To tie this column opener in a bow, it is very important to me to show appreciation for the privilege of traveling to countries and experiencing cultures all around the world. Those less fortunate sometimes are unable to leave their town, county or state. But, as part of a wonderful family, complete with unlimited Pan Am flight benefits, I was able to travel the world.

Then, at the NBA, came some serious traveling – and I don’t mean the kind called by recent Hall of Fame inductee Joe Crawford. Yes, that little round basketball brought us all to places we’d never even dreamt of seeing. Friendships were built, right on the hardwood, and they all seem to be everlasting.

So, indulge me for a second as I list a few things stream of consciousness style. These are all things I never dreamt of seeing and visited them because of the NBA, Basketball w/o Borders, USA Basketball, and the FIBA Worlds and Olympic Games. Here’s just a few:

1. The site of the road into Jerusalem on a ride from Tel Aviv.
2. Standing in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 2004 and 2005 having experienced the very first NBA China Games and the first NBA Basketball w/o Borders – Asia with Yao Ming but thinking of what took place right there, 15 years prior in a 1989 uprising. I could visualize the never-identified protestor staring down four tanks in the middle of Chang’an Avenue.
3. First glimpse of the Acropolis at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
4. Anytime and every time riding through the streets of London, Paris or Rome and seeing Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, or the Colosseum.
5. Prior to NBA travel, setting foot just barely across the border from West Germany to East Germany where barbed wire fences lined the perimeter of East Germany as far as the eye could see.
6. That first step into Red Square and the sight of a stunning St. Basil’s Cathedral (The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed).
7. Cruising Sydney Harbor with the sight of the Olympic Rings adorning Sydney Harbour Bridge, the famous Sydney Opera House right there in living color.
8. The all-out beauty of Bruges in Belgium.
9. And, personal favorites before my BIG favorite: Montjuïc in Barcelona, the beaches of Maui, Montauk and Chatham, Massachusetts, Wrigley Field in Chicago, the Gold Coast along the shore in Australia, not far from Brisbane, the beauty of Prague, the tremendous dinners in Milan and Bologna, catching NHL games in Toronto and Montreal, the airport approach with the city of Vancouver glistening to your side, holding theatre tickets to a show and walking to the West End of London, the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean, the sight of freshly picked cucumbers and tomatoes in Suhumi, Russia, or Tiblisi, Republic of Georgia, or Vilnius, Lithuania, walking the entirety of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, seeing Mount Fuji in the distance in Japan, the glaciers of Alaska upon landing on a one-stop to Asia, the views from a hotel room window staring out at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, visting a U.S. Army base on the North Korean border, standing in Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Square and walking into St. Peter’s Basilica, the site of The Last Supper painting in Milan, standing on The Great Wall of China, a walk through Mexico City’s historic district and Zócalo Square, which leads me to my favorite, to be experienced this week …
10. A boat ride up the Bosphorus River in Istanbul from Europe into Asia … last experienced with Bill and Lori Walton in the Summer of 2004 on the way to the Athens Olympics. There’s nothing like seeing the Blue Mosque, then the Bosphorus Bridge, now known as 15 July Martyrs Bridge.

I’ll be thinking about Bill, Rest in Grateful Peace.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: After that lengthy stroll around the globe, there’s a nice surprise awaiting the readers of “The Column,” also known as “While We’re Young (Ideas).

Last weekend, there was quite a tribute to the NBA’s Leah Wilcox in this space, as Ms. Wilcox – we’ll call her Leah – was the very worthy recipient of the John Bunn Award – the Basketball Hall of Fame’s highest honor, just this side of enshrinment.

There are several other people who deserve mention and equal tribute in the column. I mentioned Joey Crawford, but how about Mike “The Czar of the Telestrator” Fratello, a dear friend and traveling companion to all parts of Russia and Lithuania.

There was one inductee who deserves special mention. He was inducted as a contributor, but he could’ve been honored for his pro playing career for Olimpia Milano or his European coaching achievements or – maybe most importantly – for changing the game of basketball forever when he coached in the NBA.

Yes, Mike D’Antoni, a very close friend along with his wife, Laurel, was honored in Springfield, and I was lucky enough to catch up with them at the Mohegan Sun (Connecticut) the night before at the Hall’s family “gala,” a much less formal event.

This columnist was all geared up to pay tribute to Mike, then along came an outstanding piece from NBA great (GM, Asst GM, PR man, USOC rep and all around wonderful guy) Tommy Sheppard, and with his permission I’m passing it along.

He wrote: “Some people win in the game. A rare few actually change the game. Mike D’Antoni did both.

Congratulations to the entire Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026:

Joey Crawford

Mark Few

Doc Rivers

Amar’e Stoudemire

Elena Delle Donne

Chamique Holdsclaw

Candace Parker

Mike D’Antoni

and the 1996 United States Women’s National Team.

Every one of them has a story worthy of Springfield.

This class is especially meaningful to me because of Mike D’Antoni and his family.

Mike and I first crossed paths when he came to work with the Denver Nuggets. More than 25 years later, I am fortunate to count him as a very close friend. Knowing Mike and his family for all these years has given me an even greater appreciation for everything he has accomplished — and for the person he is away from the court.

Long before “pace and space” became part of basketball’s everyday vocabulary, Mike saw the game differently.

And he had the courage to coach it differently.

His Phoenix Suns teams changed basketball.

“Seven Seconds or Less” was about pace, spacing, shooting and decision-making. Steve Nash pushed the ball, Amar’e Stoudemire attacked the rim, and Mike trusted his players to play fast, make reads, and share the ball.

The results speak for themselves: 253–136 (.650) in Phoenix, four straight seasons with at least 54 wins, two Western Conference Finals appearances, and NBA Coach of the Year in 2005. He won the award again with Houston in 2017.

Spanning 16 seasons as an NBA head coach, Mike won 672 regular-season games and another 54 in the playoffs.

But his basketball story is so much bigger than his NBA coaching record.

Mike played professionally in the NBA and ABA before becoming a legend with Olimpia Milano, winning five Italian championships and two European Cups during a remarkable 13-year playing career.

He also represented his country as an assistant coach with USA Basketball, helping Team USA bring home the gold at the 2008 Olympics, 2010 FIBA World Championship, and 2012 Olympics.

That is quite a basketball journey.

NBA. ABA. Italy. USA Basketball. Player. Coach. Innovator, and now: Hall of Famer.

And yet, for those of us who know Mike and his family, the wins and awards only tell part of the story.

Mike has always been generous with his time, his knowledge, and his friendship. He loves the game, loves talking about the game and has never stopped looking for a better way to play it.

That curiosity helped change basketball.

Look around the game today — pace, space, early offense, shooting, smaller lineups and giving players the freedom to make decisions — and Mike D’Antoni’s fingerprints are everywhere.

Congratulations to Mike, Laurel and the entire D’Antoni family. I could not be happier for all of you.

And congratulations to every member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

What a well-deserved honor.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: This column and its sister-pub, “PGA Tour Brunch” follow the game of professional golf as close as anyone not traveling every stop on the Tour. That said, if you can figure out and share what the PGA TOUR office and – for that matter – the LIV Golf conglomerate – have in mind for the 2027 season, please let us all know.

There once was a promise to return to the Greater Boston area with a tournament every other year. After the Deutsche Bank Championship became the Dell Technologies Championship became The Northern Trust and moved to Liberty National in New Jersey for a year, men’s pro golf returned to TPC Boston for its last go ‘round.

Now, thankfully, the LPGA makes a stop at TPC Boston for the FM Championship – No Static at All – from August 27-30th.

But, as the Tour re-shuffled its priorities, its Playoffs, its Signature events, and a new system to get to the ever-changing FedEx Cup Playoffs, the Greater Boston area was left off the list. New England’s lone Tour event remains at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut – a stone’s throw from Hartford.

That is a wonderful event, but Boston deserves better as the Labor Day weekend tournament of yesteryear has faded away, like a Cape Cod sunset in late September.

By the way, two tournaments in the great State of Hawaii are gone, too.

It’s a cryin’ shame – a quadruple bogey.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes – August 23 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

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

UNCASVILLE (Conn) – Every now and then a day comes along and you know it’s a great day before it even starts. You awake with a terrific outlook. The sun is shining. All is well.

Then, you realize that day is today.

We flew, we drove, we booked hotels, and we were all convening (first at Mohegan Sun, then Springfield) to celebrate the wonderful life, and unequalled professional career of a colleague and dear, lifelong friend.

Friday night, at an exquisite banquet at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino, we honored Leah Wilcox for her endless contributions to the NBA and to the sport of basketball overall. For that, Leah received the highest honor the game and the Basketball Hall of Fame can bestow to someone not enshrined as a player/coach/ref/contributor. Leah was the recipient of the John Bunn Award and we were all there to witness it.

Let’s let Leah take it from here, and I STRESS this is a MUST WATCH.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: To describe the impact of Leah Wilcox to someone who doesn’t know her is a monumental task, and to simply describe her sense of being is even harder. Don Sperling, former Executive Producer of NBA Entertainment and the person who hired Leah, described her as “the best person I’ve ever met.” If you polled the people in attendance at the Basketball Hall of Fame Gala on Friday, that would be a unanimous declaration.

The Hall and NBA show producers did a great job of framing Leah’s career with an introductory film clip, introduced by ESPN (and former NBA on NBC) personality Hannah Storm in a style like boxing’s Michael Buffer. It was THAT big.

As I watched the clips, my immediate thoughts drifted to seeing Leah’s ever-present, tremendous smile in all the video and still photos at hundreds of NBA events – NBA Cares, Rookie Orientations, NBA All-Star Games, and on the set of NBA Inside Stuff. My thoughts wandered to think of how many years (41), seasons, off-seasons, global trips and simply how much time she spent dedicated to the NBA.

At those events, Leah would be building and renewing relationships with the players and their families, but also with the NBA staff. She set quite an example. It seemed she never had a bad day. She was never cranky or sad, but always upbeat and inspiring to all she came in contact with on any given day. Energy would abound.

At the rookie orientation/training seminar, we’d stress to the new NBA players to “be themselves,” and never to stray from that. They had to be authentic, but at the same time be able to tell interesting stories about their lives and how they made it to the NBA. Looking back at those situations, “authentic” was the key word and Leah was always herself. She is the ultimate in “authentic.”

STORYTELLING: After the Mohegan Sun side of the Hall’s schedule was over, I recalled all the days, months, years, seasons, and events we staged together – from Madrid in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992 to 20+ year’s of hectic NBA All-Star Games and NBA Cares events.

But one specific moment in time came to mind: It was at an NBA Christmas party, a gathering of the NBA family where the guests of honor were really the families of the employees – former NBA Commissioner, the late David Stern, would emphasize that the party was a thank-you to the families and support group of the NBA staffers who were often working late nights, weekends, long events, long playoff series, or summertime events, such as Basketball without Borders or a USA Basketball tournament when said employee might be gone for weeks at a time.

As the party was winding down, I found myself in line waiting to gather our winter coats and hit the NYC streets for a cab ride home. Both Leah and I realized, at the same time, that there was a considerable amount of buffet-style (good) food left over. I thought it was a shame. Leah went into action.

She found the head of catering, asked a few questions, prodded a few servers, and the next thing I knew, the two of us were loading large catering trays of food into a taxi cab. There were probably 10 large trays, some good bread, and even some desserts.

Leah knew right where to go, and it seemed to me she had done this type of good deed before. The two of us – side-by-side in a taxi, holding on to the trays to keep them upright, pulled up next to a homeless shelter near Times Square on a cold winter night and explained the situation to the volunteers. They were very happy to see the scope of our donation and it was – in fact – much needed that particular night.

I was in total awe of Leah. It was the way about her, as Billy Joel might sing. She eased through the situation with grace and friendliness. The same person who was comfortable in front of the Commissioner, a classroom of players and their families was equally comfortable at a homeless shelter, being sure everyone had a plate of the food.

It was just another day, another night in the life of Leah Wilcox. Selfless. Generous with her time and wallet. Friendly. Outgoing. Funny – even entertaining. She was simply being herself, just like we were teaching the rookies. It was “Authentic Leah Wilcox,” and it was on display for 41 years in the halls of the NBA, in the studios of NBA Entertainment, and in the back corridors of sports arenas the world around.

That’s Leah – the 2026 John Bunn Award winner.

I love her so much.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: A real (personal) treat at this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame ceremonies was the fact the Class of ‘26 contained some personal friends as much as incredible icons in the world of basketball.

Doc Rivers was a member of the Atlanta Hawks when we traveled to the (former) Soviet Union in 1988. Every single person on that trip made lifelong bond, but Rivers stands out even more. First, I was fortunate enough to get to know him a little better when he played for the New York Knicks, and as fate would have it, he was very friendly with our next door neighbors and friends. Later, we worked together when Rivers did his TV commentator gig with Turner. Even later in the career timelines, we intersected at the Goodwill Games (2001) trip to Brisbane (Australia) when Doc was an assistant coach (along with Oliver Purnell and Tom Izzo as they backed up the late, great Flip Saunders).

Joey Crawford: There were a bunch of refs you were glad to see at an arena when it was game time in the Playoffs. In fact, Crawford worked more than 50 NBA Finals games with most coming in the 1985-2015 range of time. When Joey worked a game, you just knew it was going to be a well-officiated, high level, yet still intense contest. Postgame, it was always a pleasure to stop in and see him. Crawford comes from a long line of “officials” but his father, Shag, was an “official” working as one of the most respected umpires in Major League Baseball history.

Crawford also heads up a long list of great referees from the Philadelphia area. He graduated from Cardinal O’Hara High School. He began his NBA career in 1977 and announced his retirement (because of a nagging knee injury) on January 2, 2016 and tried to hold on until that March 16 when it became a fact after officiating 2,561 games (2nd most all-time to Dick Bavetta (2,635) and 374 NBA Playoff games (ranks No. 1).

And, lastly Mike D’Antoni: We all (NBA staffers) met Mike as he captained the Tracer Milan Italian and European basketball championship team at the 1987 McDonald’s Open in Milwaukee. Mike played the point for Milan from 1977 to 1990. He went into coaching, first for Milan (1990-94) and then at Benneton Treviso (1994-97) before heading back to the USA to begin a long NBA coaching career.

Mike’s No. 10 was retired by his alma mater, Marshall University. His No. 8 was retired by Milano, and he was named one of the 50 Greatest contributors in European basketball in 2008.

The bonding zone, however, was with USA Basketball where Mike was named an assistant coach to the men’s senior team for the 2006 FIBA Worlds in Tokyo and the 2012 Olympics in London.

There’s a long list of players who should send a Christmas card to Mike and his wonderful wife, Laurel, each December, as D’Antoni’s high octane offense created opportunities for players who often would “cash-in” elsewhere.

A short list of those players includes:

• Joe Johnson
• Amar’e Stoudemire
• Shawn Marion
• Steve Nash
• James Harden

And, maybe the most astonishing of Mike’s star-making career was:

• Jeremy Lin

Yes, Lin-sanity was orchestrated by D’Antoni after a series of injuries befell the majority of the New York Knicks’ backcourt. Lin got his chance and has Mike D’Antoni to thank for it.

In 2012, Lin opted for free agency and signed a three-year, $25 million contract with Houston. After taking a lesser salary cap exception with Charlotte, Lin later banked $38m for a three-year deal with Brooklyn.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | August 16 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

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

BOSTON – As the clock struck Midnight – Pacific Coast time – July 31st, the Boston Red Sox looked at their July record of 24-2 and realized it was the best month in franchise history. It wasn’t just the best month this year or this century, but they recorded the best month in the 125 year history of the club.

The final victory came against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Sox showed their resilience. The Red Sox led 3-0, trailed 4-3, then broke open the very important game with a five run seventh inning which included a Ceddanne Rafaela bullet HR to left field. Boston finished the game with nine runs and 12 hits in their 9-4 victory.

The Red Sox were hoping the month of July never ended.

But, the news of the week was not all wine and roses. Despite going 4-1 in their first five games of this important West Coast road trip, newly acquired infielder Curtis Mead’s first game for the Red Sox ended abruptly and caused considerable pain when he was drilled on the left hand with a 94.9 mph fastball from Athletics’ righty Jack Perkins in the top of the fourth inning of Monday’s 4-2 Sox victory at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, the temporary home of the Swingin’ A’s.

Mead initially stayed in the game, but was replaced on defense by Anthony Seigler to open the bottom of the fifth inning. Mead was diagnosed with a left wrist contusion and X-rays came back negative on the night of the game, but Tuesday morning told a different story.

The infielder, expected to provide additional offense for Boston, had a more revealing MRI performed and it found a wrist fracture which will require significant treatment and rehabilitation time. It will not require surgery, which is a good sign.

Not to be overlooked, Mead came at a considerable price with the fact Boston traded one of its three best pitching prospects, Connelly Early, for the infielder. As was said, but now amplified, “Well, at least it wasn’t the worst trade of the Summer of ‘26 in the Boston sports world.”

Wrist injuries are a tricky bunch, as there are several bones within the wrist and each provide the amazing appendage with the ability to do different things – up & down, side-to-side, rotate, twist, snap and the ability to use strength to move the wrist at warp speed, allowing a baseball player to crack a 95 mph baseball to great lengths.

Treatment and rehabilitation can take 6-8 weeks, depending on the individual and the exact location of the bone break. Those figures sound normal and within reason. But, the aftermath of a significant break of a bone in the wrist can take three months to resolve, and in many cases, it’s never the same.

Why is your favorite columnist so interested in one Major Leaguer’s wrist injury?

It harkens back to memories of July, 1981 and a summer league Dek hockey game in Elmont, NY – not far from Belmont Park. My short-staffed Keswick Americans team allowed yours truly with some regular double-shifts and considerable playing time against a mediocre but semi-physical opponent. Yes, we were drilling them, and I had already celebrated a hat trick (three goals), but with the extra time, it made sense to go for four, and a pretty feed resulted in a bullet “one-timer,” to net the fourth on a shot the goalkeeper never saw coming. However, it came simultaneously with a sliding tackle which upended a rather off-balance shooter and it was head over heels and an awkward fall, using my left hand to try to “break the fall.”

Instead, my left wrist ended up looking like the old horse in the Three Stooges films.

It was smashed.

How bad was it? It was so bad, it took two orderlies and a doctor to prod and pull and finally set it, and then a cast (over the elbow) for four weeks. (Nothing like a cast in mid-summer).

Why do I mention this old tale? It is this: Once the cast came off and I had a full month of rehab, rolling a weight up and down with a string and lever, squeezing anything and everything, and using assorted other medieval torture devices, my pin-point, considerably quick and hard wrist shot was gone. Not a little slower.

Gone.

I tried to adjust to quick snap shots, but the wrist was never the same.

That’s enough of one writer’s medical history.

On the pro or amateur side, I’m afraid any major wrist injury, no matter what combo of the eight bones, has a major impact on the rotation, speed and strength of the wrist, and it can not be corrected.

So says Medical Daily: “Returning from a wrist fracture can be especially difficult for baseball players because the wrist plays a critical role in gripping the bat, generating bat speed, and controlling the swing through contact. Rehabilitation focuses on restoring pain-free range of motion, rebuilding grip and forearm strength, and gradually reintroducing batting activities without aggravating the healing bone.”

A number of Major League ballplayers are currently on the IL because of wrist injuries, mostly the result of being hit by a pitch. A few to note:

Nick Kurtz, A’s (rehabbing and returned to action on Thursday night)

Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals

Blaze Alexander, Orioles

Esmerlyn Valdez, Pirates

Junior Caminero, Rays (hit by pitch at MLB All-Star Game, but returned to action)

Jackson Chourio, Brewers (early in Spring Training. has returned to action)

As MLB hits the dog days of August, a high number of star players are sitting due to injury. That’s nothing new, as the MLB season is a long grind. The teams to surface to the top of the standings must endure … or else.

LAST WEEK: In columns here and on Digital Sports Desk last week, after the Sox 15-game winning streak came to an end, the topic came down a more realistic goal of “winning series by series.” The Sunday Night Baseball game between the LA Dodgers and Red Sox (depending on the result of the Saturday, August 1 late night game), can provide Boston with its eighth consecutive series win, dating back to July 3. Only a loss of 2-of-3 to the Washington Nationals is in the way of what could’ve been a 10 consecutive series win streak as Boston swept the NY Yankees from June 25-28th.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: When the St. John’s University men’s basketball team suits up for home games at Madison Square Garden, the home gate split between MSG and the Johnnies is now – officially – out of control. According to research performed by The Athletic, St. John’s basketball is worth some $588 million if they were to be placed on the commodities market, a la an NBA franchise. The Wall Street Journal and ESPN disputed the numbers and rated North Carolina at $388m, more in line with The Athletic’s portrayal. The WSJ report also listed Duke and Indiana at the exact same numbers as The Athletic chart above. So, the question comes? Just how much is coach Rick Pitino (and his good friend and team booster Mike Repole) worth? … One area to keep an eye on, St. John’s might look to jump to a mega-bucks streaming deal with DAZN now that all the Gotham App pro teams have changed their streaming plans. DAZN will stream all non-national game broadcasts for MSG Network’s Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils and Sabres and YES Network’s Yankees and Nets — effectively a takeover of the entire Gotham Sports direct-to-consumer app.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: My “adopted” BC Eagles made a major announcement this week. Boston College A.D. Blake James wrote to the school community and announced the 2026 Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame Class, with eight outstanding Eagles set to be inducted on Sunday, October 18. This year’s class includes Asiya Dair (Women’s Tennis), Chris Hovan (Football), Sarah Mannelly (Women’s Lacrosse), Jillian Mastroianni (Women’s Soccer), Tyler Pruett (Sailing), Duane Woodward (Men’s Basketball), Randy Thomas (Track & Field Head Coach), and Fr. Tony Penna (Athletics Chaplain). The honorees will be recognized during the BC football game against Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 17, as part of Homecoming Weekend on the Heights. … The annual “Red Bandana” game will take place on September 11th. Each year, Boston College honors fallen son Welles Crowther who gave his life saving others on that terrible day in lower Manhattan … This season is special as September 11, 2026, marks the solemn 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States. … The ESPN piece on Welles is possibly the best and most emotionally provocative feature ever produced in sports or entertainment. Here is the LINK and come September, there will be more about BC, Welles and the Red Bandana. Be prepared to cry.

Now, to lighten it up a bit …

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: This week’s “You Can’t Make It Up” segment is simply going to play word/phrase association and allow you to go and Google the ugly details of the following sports stories:

• FIFA scraps World Cup investment Sell-Off
• Department of Justice drops case vs. former Olympian
• SF Giants suspend pay from OF Harrison Bader after scooter crashes into firetruck
• WNBA’s Sophie Cunningham unconcerned by rallies against transgender participation in women’s sports
• Announcer-free stream debuts on ESPN+ PGA Tour coverage (no whispering!)
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent discovered a set of stolen Civil War-era cannonballs in a passenger’s suitcase in Alabama
• Three new women’s world records were set at the Lumberjack World Championships competition held in the small Wisconsin town of Hayward. Karolina Urbanová from the Czech Republic set world records in two events.
• Book from a bricked-up fireplace returned to Australian library, but it was 150 years over-due.
• Prosecutors and attorneys spar over a text in the Terry Rozier (gambling) case – “Don’t tell chum ‘bout the bet,” it read.
• Federal court dealt a chaos-inducing verdict vs. the NCAA’s new eligibility rule. The court ruled that all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this past spring are eligible for a fifth season in 2026-27. … Ready? Go!
• For the first time in five years, the NBA will not play any preseason games in the Middle East, with planned games in Abu Dhabi an obvious casualty of war.
• Formula 1 announced that its previously postponed Grand Prix in Bahrain will now take place in Malaysia in October. The racing series is still waiting to decide on its planned races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi later this year.

MEDIA COMPANY vs. MEDIA COMPANY: The folks at Puck introduced the Morgan-Stanley MS Media Matrix scorecard, pitting the attention seeking (and getting) media companies now dominating the scene. Surprisingly, F-1 ranks up top and the TKO Group – which owns UFC (Ultimate Fight Championship) and WWE (Wrestling Show), and PBR (Pro Bull Riders) and also oversees the joint venture Zuffa Boxing which combined stage some 500 events a year. TKO Group also delves heavily in the athlete and talent representation world with IMG and the premiere event staging group, On Location. The remainder of Puck’s listing falls into line quite nicely, although the NBA and the PGA TOUR plant a significant stake in the worldwide grounds.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July Ends appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

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

“Don’t Call Me Chief” – Perry White

BOSTON – Do you wonder if the “Tartan Army” checks their bagpipes at the curb or carries them on board, and if so, do they fit in the overhead compartments?

The Rise of the Tartan Army was well documented here in Boston during the recently concluded World Cup. While Spain took home the glorious cup, Boston was rewarded with something even more special; that being a connection with Scotland that just might last forever and a day.

The sports fans of Boston – a passionate bunch – were not going to see Team USA here in the Commonwealth. Of course, they adopted a team to root for. Enter Scotland, sort of the Sandman of the Futbol types, coming out of the streets like Yankees’ reliever Mariano Rivera used to exit the bullpen, ready to annihilate and and all batters.

There’s a difference, though. Boston fans were not happy with the routine Rivera put forth for the hated Yanks, while Bostonians immediately fell in love with some 50,000 Scottish fans, with bagpipes leading the march straight to the local Sam Adams Brewery to drink all of the beer – and we do mean ALL of the beer.

The Tartan Army of Scots injected more than $1b – with a b – into the Greater Boston – Foxborough – Providence economy, but left much more in the tip jar. They departed with a vibe of the love of sports, the love of people, the love of Boston and they imparted true friendship that will last a lifetime or more.

The Scots visited Fenway Park on the off-nights of the soccer games and marched their way in with 5,000 fans following the bagpipes. For the bars and restaurants in the Fens, it was finding buckets of gold coins in the cash registers. It kept coming and coming and coming.

The Tartan Army also left something money can’t buy and the Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau has no way to measure. They left smiles and positive vibes – dotting local monuments with orange traffic cones to mark their place. The mantra, “No Boston, No Party,” became the rallying cry and it provided young men with confidence to go full Tarps Off in the right field grandstands. (The “Tarps Off” movement started with a small group of fans deciding to remove their shirts in the right-field stands and wave them around like rally towels. The swarm of shirtless spectators continued to grow until almost the entire section was filled with men with hats but no shirts. It’s a GROWING phenomenon, surely to make its way to a cold October evening at Fenway.

All of it together worked miracles – to the tune of 15 straight victories for the local baseball team, a teams mired in last place, and they had to dig-out after falling 11 games under the .500 mark. They’re risen from the dead and this week occupied a Wild Card berth in the American League ladder.

Before the streak, they ranked 27th in scoring (4.0 runs per game), 25th in home runs (0.9), 28th in RBI (3.8), 27th in walks (2.9), and 25th in total bases (12.8).

Since the streak began, they’re fourth in runs (5.9 per game), extra-base hits (3.5), and RBI (5.6). They’re also fifth in home runs (1.6 per game) and seventh in total bases (15.4).

Like the Scots, the Long Ball has been the friend of the Red Sox.

Come next April (2027), Boston Mayor Michele Wu already signed document will begin a formalized international partnership with the City of Glasgow, Scotland, to strengthen economic, cultural and institutional ties. Building on shared values and the collaboration during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the two cities will consider opportunities for cooperation in innovation, education, sustainability and tourism.Orange traffic cones will be in demand.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There are a few things in sports that never get old. For instance, when the San Diego Chicken used to dance backwards with one leg up, it was hysterical. But, then he’d go walking towards the basket and bump his beak into the basket stanchion and turn it inside out. It was Slapstick City, but he’d get the laughs every time he did it. … How about the Olympics? We’ve all seen the scene of any athlete from any country in the world totally losing it on the medal stand when they hear their country’s National Anthem as the flag is raised in the classy medal ceremonies. It’s the best. … Want another tear-jerker? How about the “on the court” surprise family reunion of a member of the military with his/her loved ones after a long deployment always puts a lump the size of a golf ball in my throat. It never fails. … The Red Panda performing is an act seen a million times, but it’s always great. She never fails (although a bad fall sidelined her for a while this year). … There’s another: It NEVER gets old when you hear the story of a minor league baseball player getting the call to join the “Big Leagues,” the “Show,” the “Majors.” It’s just a great story to see a guy rewarded for all the years of hard work; All the batting practice, all the doubleheaders in the park on hot summer days. Then, the time in the minors – Rookie ball, Single A, High A, Double AA, and, usually the final stop, Triple AAA. … The phone call came to Tommy “Tommy Tanks” White this week and he happened to be at his hometown on a break. Let him tell it: “I was on the golf cart just going to get some stuff for the boat,” White said. “It was just me driving the golf cart. Fran called me from Las Vegas and said, ‘You’re going up to the big leagues.’ It was, like, a ‘drop everything’ moment. I was at home, so I got to tell my parents in person. They broke down crying. It was really cool. … This is something I’ve dreamed of and talked about since I was a little kid.”

“Tommy Tanks” – an extra base hit machine for the A’s – has a new fan in Boston.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Some might call it a “hockey assist.” Others, like Bill Bradley, United States Senator of New Jersey, Princeton man, and Basketball Hall of Famer plus two-time champion with the New York Knickerbockers, put it as “the pass that led to the pass that led to the basket.” Bradley had his share, dishing perimeter passes to teammates like Dave DeBusschere, Walt “Clyde” Frazier or two-guard Dick Barnett, never mind a cutting Willis Reed. Bradley made a living of it.

Well, Celtics team GM and head of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens might get credited with one of Bradley’s specialties. Stevens made the trade that led to deal that led to the Philadelphia 76ers signing coveted free agent Lebron James.

James worked with the Sixers and Topps to make his “final NBA decision” of signing with Philadelphia utilizing a TOPPS trading card and social media post to break the news.

He’ll join former NBA MVP Joel Embiid (healthy or not), all-stars Tyrese Maxey and newly acquired Jaylen Brown (from the Celtics) and V.J. Edgecombe to create the best starting five in the league, assuming Embiid reports to training camp in condition and ready to go.

Truthfully, the Sixers could allow Embiid to work his way back to 100% throughout the Fall and report to play after the NBA All-Star break. As long as Embiid is ready to go and healthy for April-May-June, 2027, the 76ers are Eastern Conference title favorites, edging the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks.

Regardless, the Sixers are likely to play positionless basketball and giddy-up unless they need to pull up and go into half-court sets when Embiid makes his way to the paint. Add. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, too, as he agreed to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to sign a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the 76ers.

“This (was) my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?” James wrote on his social media post. “I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”

You’ve got to wonder why Stevens traded Brown to an Atlantic division rival, never mind one who knocked the Celtics out of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Certainly, the unintended circumstance was making Philly good enough to attract FA James.

Oddsmakers still have the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks as future favorite to win their divisional title. The ESPN odds read:

1. New York +170
2. Philly +200
3. Boston +240
4. Toronto +600

A MONTH OF FUN-DAYS: Since June 25, the Red Sox are 21-4, best since 2004. Sunday, they’ll have a chance to win their sixth consecutive series. That would be a first since June, 2022. The Sox won 16 of their last 18 games and goes into the final game of a ten-game home stand with a 7-2 record. Of course, that’s all a part of the team’s 15-game winning streak (July 3-22). … Boston closer Aroldis Chaapman earned his 391st save on Friday night, passing Dennis Eckersley for ninth on the MLB all-time saves list. Billy Wagner is eighth with 422 close-outs.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 26 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

PHILADELPHIA – (Reported at this week’s MLB ASG) – Each summer, Major League Baseball takes a little break for the annual All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. This season, the Midsummer Classic, as they love to call it, was here in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Phillies were the hosts and their fans – those with a terrible reputation as being just a tad too passionate – were out in force.

Yes, the same people who threw snowballs at Santa Claus (Eagles) and outwardly boo’d Saint Nick were dressed in Phillies red this week and they were rooting hard for their hometown heroes. The Philly fanatics were especially proud of starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez and sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, although ace Zack “I’m not going to be disrespected” Wheeler declined his late invite to the game when Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns came up lame.

The Philly fans were vocal on Monday night when the MLB Home Run Derby (rumored to be on Netflix) took over the stadium and 43,863 spectators jammed their way into gorgeous Citizens Bank Ballpark 41 years to the day when Sir Bob Geldorfstaged the greatest rock concert of all-time right down the block at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

That concert – coupled with a simultaneously staged show at Wembley in London – raised money in relief of the famine in Ethiopia and what stands as proof from that incredible 1985 rock show and this week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game is that sports and music are two international languages, each with the power to change the world for the better.

Case in point for the All-Star Game; at the end of the 5^th inning, all those mean and nasty Philly fans stood as one. They grabbed ‘sharpies’ or whatever marker was handy and scribbled the name of someone they love, loved or maybe someone losing a battle against cancer and they participated in utter silence when the FOX Sports television cameras came back from a very brief break.

On a brighter note, some saluted survivors while others thanked doctors and nurses, surgeons and oncologists who cured their special someone of the dreaded diseases that all form one, terribly tagged as Cancer.

MLB’s “Stand Up to Cancer” is, by far, the most amazing community event any sports or entertainment entity undertakes. While the JIMMY Fund in Boston is doing its thing every summer by raising some $1 billion at a $75 million clip each year with thePan Mass Challenge (PMC) with every cent going to cancer research at Dana Farberand some of the other great research institutions of the USA (thank-you Johns Hopkins), MLB takes a broader approach and simply asks everyone in attendance to “Stand Up” in the fight against cancer.

It is an incredibly powerful moment in time for, as once, everything in the world of baseball – STOPPED .

How often does that happen? (No labor jokes are allowed).

Philly faves Boyz to Men sang Michael Jackson’s “I’ll be there,” as the players, umpires and, most importantly, 43,000+ fans stood in a silent tribute.

The moment is so powerful on site at the game that it actually travels through time and space and into the living rooms, TV rooms, bars and saloons to every single fan watching the game come the break between the home (National League) 5^th and the visitor’s (American League) top of the 6^th inning.

Names are displayed. Everyone has a direct connection.

Everyone.

Memories are etched into a small 8 1/2 x 11 placard and tears begin to flow.

Put simply, it’s impossible not to cry, to weep, to bawl unrestrainedly as you recall a loved one lost to cancer.

Personally, I was thanking my lucky stars and the very research money being collected to have had a Johns Hopkins and Harvard trained surgeon work his magic to use an incredible robotic device and his masterful, steady hands to literally “zip out” what he later told me was “quite a bit of it” from my innards.

My thanks to Dr. Douglas M. Dahl of Mass General.

And to his colleague Dr. Anthony Zeitman of Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology and his capable team who brought in the cavalry to be sure the cancer was gone for good. Side note: The cocky MD said, “Listen, you’re going to die … pause … but you’re not dying from this!”

Dr. Zeitman learned his craft at the Imperial College London School of Medicine and is always recognized amongst America’s top doctors. I’ll second the motion and will be thinking of him tonight as I do of him, and Dr. Dahl, almost every day of my life.

I was thinking of Heather Walker of the Boston Celtics who was diagnosed with the rare brain cancer, glioblastoma, in January 2021 and passed away on April 26, 2023 after undergoing several clinical trials but also raising more than $644,000 in her #Move4Heather campaign to raise money for very specific cancer glioblastoma research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston where she had been treated.

Heather was a force of nature and she performed her job with the utmost professionalism, as the Celtics noted in a news release when she passed and later when they dedicated the pressroom at TD Garden to her, “Displaying exceptional courage, she made a point of raising awareness for glioblastoma through the Move4Heather movement, wanting to use her situation to help the lives of others, which was entirely consistent with her character,” the Celtics said. “Through her illness, she was resolute and extraordinary in boosting the spirits of those around her, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and essential awareness in hopes of easing the suffering and saving the lives of others.”

Sadly, I’ve had a few other NBA PR colleagues pass away from various forms of cancer and we remember them all, naming press rooms and celebrating their memories each basketball season. One, “A.T,” has been fighting for what he calls a long journey, fighting the disease in hospitals and cancer centers from Atlanta to Houston.

Tuesday night, after the 5^th inning, I was thinking of my high school friend, “J.J.”

He played third base for the Holy Trinity Titans, so an “H.T. (or Titans) for J.J. will be on my placard at Citizens Bank Park and I’ll be thinking of his decade-plus more fight against several different forms of cancer. With some, just as we thought he had it licked, another form of the disease would surface.

Most recently, J.J. has been making monthly trips from New York to Los Angeles, California to see Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong – the man who saved his life two times over. In fact, they have a little saying, “I’m one day closer to being cured and I hope that those you love are one day closer, too.”

Readers of WWYI can still participate in any way you choose. Visit StandUpToCancer.org and make a donation of any dollar figure you can afford.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to shed a tear when you donate, but do so knowing “we’re one day closer to a cure.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Oh my, the D-R-A-M-A in the W-N-B-A continues. Just this week, we had …

• Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello disparaged Atlanta Dream center-forward Angel Reese
• Brondello apologized
• Caitlin Clark put up a record 45-points, 10-assists outing vs. Seattle Storm
• That performance included a key 3-pt FG to give Indy a 105-102 lead at :39.2
• On Thursday, in answer to a question on a CNBC Roundtable broadcast, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Clark was being used as a “political football”
• Going back to a June 24 game between the Indiana Fever and Mercury, Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with her fist to Clark’s throat in the second quarter.
• Thomas was not called for a foul on the play during the game, but the league subsequently upgraded the play to a flagrant foul and suspended her one game for “recklessly making contact with her fist.”

Here are some basic thoughts on the big picture issues:

The league is – always was and will be – VERY physical. It’s nothing new. Right from ‘97, we used to say, ‘these girls are NASTY.” At Olympic level, our bigs would BANG with Aussies, Russians like it was football.

Thus, it’s impossible to officiate. – if you replaced WNBA staff with best BIG EAST officials or even the NBA officiating staff, they’d struggle. It’s war under there, and a lot of contact at top of key and perimeter – “Jordan Rules kinda stuff”

Caitlin gets it x2. (racial and/or jealous players). 4). Commish should’ve resigned day after last season as she lost players

And, my opinion – which is not widely agreed upon by the experts – Caitlin Clark was GREAT in college, and she played at such a high confidence level, but no one defended her. Zippo. S

She’s still GREAT – easily one of the Top 10 in WNBA – but she gets bullied and bounced. She’s young, and a bit slight (weight/body strength). Every night, she’s facing more physically gifted players. Think John Wall, Trae Young, or Jeremy Lin as NBA type comparisons.

Now, think of the way the great Allen Iverson dealt with all the pressure, the attention, the tag as “The Franchise and The Answer,” as he was getting decked every time he drove the lane. Iverson kept his mouth shut, barely, maybe never showed aggression after he got clobbered. Iverson just walked to the free throw line and drained two shots.

In my opinion, and I totally agree it might not be fair, but I think Clark needs to watch a lot of Iverson footage.

HALL ESCORTS: Each year, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame indictees are asked to choose another (or more than one other) Hall of Famer to present them to the masses at the hallowed Hall in Springfield and accompany them on-stage at the ceremony. It is quite an honor.

The 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees and Presenters:

Joey Crawford – Danny Crawford (Class of 2025), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Mike D’Antoni – Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Bob McAdoo (‘00), Steve Nash (‘18), Amar’e Stoudemire (‘26), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Elena Delle Donne – Sylvia Fowles (‘25), Marianne Stanley (‘22)

Mark Few – John Calipari (‘15), Grant Hill (‘18), John Stockton (‘09)

Chamique Holdsclaw – Tamika Catchings (‘20), Tina Thompson (‘18), Teresa Weatherspoon (‘19)

Candace Parker – Tamika Catchings (‘20), Allen Iverson (‘16), Cheryl Miller (‘95), Dwyane Wade (‘23)

Doc Rivers – Kevin Garnett (‘20), Paul Pierce (‘21)

Amar’e Stoudemire – Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Mike D’Antoni (‘26), Grant Hill (‘18), Tracy McGrady (‘17), Steve Nash (‘18), Rick Welts (‘18)

1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team – Teresa Edwards (‘11), Lisa Leslie (‘15), Rebecca Lobo (‘17), Katrina McClain (‘12), Dawn Staley (‘13), Sheryl Swoopes (‘16), Tara VanDerveer (‘11)

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 19 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of PGA Tour Brunch & Digital Sports Desk

CROMWELL (Conn) – After prepping at Hamden Hall Day School and playing the very best golf courses at every chance, Ben James decided to attend the University of Virginia to play golf. James grew up in Milford, Connecticut, developing his game at Great River Golf Club, where his grandfather, Donald James Sr., worked part-time after retirement and his father, Donald James Jr., played in his youth.

They might’ve dreamt of great things to come for Ben, but little did they know just how far those dreams would take their grandson/son.

James played four seasons at Virginia (2022-26), where he earned seven individual victories, tying Ben Kohles‘ school record for career wins and one of his victories included the 2024 Valero Texas Collegiate, which earned him an exemption for the 2025 Valero Texas Open on the PGA TOUR.

One outing and one experience after another, led James to the next level.

James became only the fifth collegiate golfer in history to earn four All-America First Team honors, following Gary Hallberg (1977-80 at Wake Forest University), Phil Mickelson (1989-92 at Arizona State University), David Duval (1990-93 at Georgia Tech), and Bryce Molder (1998-2001 at Georgia Tech).

James earned his PGA TOUR membership as the No. 1 player from the 2026 PGA TOUR University Ranking after those four amazing seasons four seasons in Charlottesville. Now, there’s no turning back.

Actually, this wonderful tournament at the TPC River Highlands, just south of Hartford, was James’ first rodeo. He made his PGA TOUR debut as a sponsor exemption at the 2022 Travelers Championship, playing in a field which also featured Chris Gotterup, Cole Hammer, and Michael Thorbjornsen as a few other sponsor exemptions. James was keeping good company, all along.

When James teed-off at the Travelers Championship on Thursday, he had $204,170 in winnings to his name and a 4-for-11 record in making the cut at his events on Tour. Home course advantage would help him get a good – but not great – start.

James’ bogey-free (64) on Friday placed him in a tie for 14th place amongst a crowded and star-studded leaderboard, but for a PGA Tour signature event, he’s in good shape for this weekend.

Maybe today, on Sunday, the hometown crowds from Milford to Cromwell, Connecticut will spur-on their proud Hamden Hall and Virginia Cavalier product to his best finish as a professional at the ripe age of 23..

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: When the FIFA World Cup draw and then full schedule was announced long ago, every soccer fan in New England circled the Friday afternoon, June 26 match featuring Norway and France. Norway boasts the best player in the world in Erling Haaland and he was named as a substitute only hours before gametime. Both France and Norway had secured placed in the Knockout Round so the national team coaches decided to sit their best players for rest or to protect them from possible yellow card or red card suspensions. The ultimate in load management. … Fans had plunked down $2,500 per seat. Even at game time, after the announcement of load management, “get-in” upper deck seats were over $1,000.

It looks like boxing champ Oleksandr Usyk watched Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” tv documentary. Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion, announced that he is vacating his WBA, IBF and WBC heavyweight titles, but he is not retiring. In a social media post, he wrote that he has one “Last Dance” before he bags it. The boxer is 39 years old and defeated a kick boxer in his last match (25-0, 16 KOs).

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Kenny Klein was an accomplished and respected member of the College Sports Information community, mostly for his four+ decades at the University of Louisville and recently for his second-career pitch-in to help former Louisville basketball coach, now head coach of St. John’s, being Rick Pitino. Klein answered Pitino’s call for added help in Queens and it was answered. WWYI did not know Klein, sadly never met him, but have been reading column after column of love and pride for the man who was the ultimate “behind the scenes” guy. Klein passed away at the young age of 66, suddenly gone after having a terrible incident while dining at a Louisville restaurant. May God Bless him and may we all offer condolences to his dear friends (he has so many) and family. … To get some real insight from someone who knew him very well for most of the 40+ years via a column by Louisville’s Eric Crawford, click HERE.

PINK: Yes, Pink did a great job hosting the TONYs, but the pink being discussed here points to the vast number of players wearing pink cleats at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s being driven by competing sportswear brands independently using color forecasting to maximize product visibility and broadcast impact. While many fans initially assumed the bright footwear was tied to a “breast cancer awareness campaign,” this summer, it’s strictly a commercial marketing ploy. Even Google dedicated its home page of June 26th to the Pretty in Pink trend.

As the preliminary round of the FIFA World Cup comes to its conclusion, the event has made major in-roads to the American-Mexican-Canadian sports societies hosting the event(s). A job well done by the organizers and venue chiefs, even as ridiculous amounts of price-gouging take place. Ticket prices are keeping many an average fan away, and thus, the sport of football/Futbol/Soccer sees little to no growth of the casual sports fan. A recent ticket offer to the France vs Norway game (little meaning as both teams had secured their place in the Knock-out round) came with a price tag of $2,500 per seat. C’mon now?

Because of that fact, the MLS is not likely to see much of a bump when it comes to the ticket-buying public attending MLS games in the second half of their split season.

WILD WEST: Take a look at the run differential numbers for the National League West (as of games completed June 25).

• Los Angeles Dodgers – (+144)
• San Diego Padres – (-5)
• Arizona Diamondbacks – (-20)
• San Francisco Giants – (-54)
• Colorado Rockies – (-90) – (and that was after they beat-up the Mets)

Only the New York Mets (-47) are in negative figures in the National League East

Only the Seattle Mariners (+4) are in positive figures in the AL West

No teams are in positive figures in the AL Central

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: The promo reads: “Experience the raw intensity of bare-knuckle fighting up close with the ultimate Ringside Seat experience. This premium ticket puts you right in the action, complete with a selection of beer, wine, liquor, and assorted soft drinks. Skip the lines and enjoy a dedicated grab-and-go buffet featuring ballpark favorites like Fenway Franks, fresh lobster rolls, and sizzling Italian sausages. You’ll also take home an exclusive miniature replica BKFC championship belt to commemorate an unforgettable night. Don’t just attend the event—own it. Secure your Ringside experience today and witness every jaw-dropping moment in style.” … Yes, the people at Fenway Sports are bringing fans “Bare-knuckle fighting.” … How could we ever live without it? … The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) will make its Massachusetts debut at Fenway Park on Saturday, August 29, marking the first time a sanctioned bare-knuckle fighting event has ever been held in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.. The matches will take place directly on the field, and will be headlined by BKFC Featherweight World Champion and #3 Ranked pound-for-pound fighter ‘King’ Kai Stewart (9-0) of Great Falls, Montana, who defends his world title for a record sixth time against New England combat sports standout Harry ‘The Hitman’ Gigliotti (6-0, 5 KOs) of Haverhill. Additional fights and details for this world class evening of bare-knuckle fighting will be announced in the coming weeks. … Bare Knuckle fighting claims to be the “fastest growing combat sport.” But, honestly, I can not think of any other “combat sport,” other than the recent hijinx of the WNBA. … Will the matches be the most physical confrontation related to the Sox since Pedro Martinez tossed coach Don Zimmer aside at Yankee Stadium? … You can make reservations for private suites. Or, you can purchase seats for either $51 or $157. I also know of a few places in Chicago or New York where you can get your ass kicked with bare knuckles for free.

IF THAT’S NOT ENOUGH: If you happen to be a restaurant/bar/tavern/saloon owner, you can pay $250 (per quarter, they say) to be an official Bare Knuckles Fighting home base. You really can’t make this up! … “BKFC will provide your establishment with items to give out during the fights. These items will range from pens and lanyards to posters and T-shirts. This arrangement will also give your establishment the authority to use BKFC-approved logos in your advertising.” … Apparently, the events are broadcast regularly on BKFC TV via FUBO streaming.

OR, ALL NEW MEANING TO THE TERM “KNUCKLE-HEADS” – How about a three-day cruise from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas aboard the BKFSea? Can you imagine the mayhem? It’s January 22-25, 2027. Before you book, you better ask if they’re carrying the CFP National Championship on TV on the night of Jan. 25th. Not all ships at sea have full broadcasting rights.

SKRATCH: Reporter Alan Shipnuck did a full expose by compiling all of Phil Mickelson’s misdeeds and adding some new dirt and information. The story is best read directly – HERE. … If you’re wondering about it, this is the final paragraph: “It’s a very sad story,” says Mickelson’s former golf buddy. “He should have been Arnold Palmer. Phil had the same charisma, the same star power. People loved him everywhere he went. My take is that he came to believe his own bullshit. He thought he was bulletproof, because his whole life he had always skated on everything. But, in the end, he had too many demons. He got consumed by his own darkness.” … Keep in mind, Tiger Woods held the World No. 1 ranking for 661 weeks, and in the midst of that run, Phil Mickelson held the No. 2 slot for 270 weeks. (Between 2001-2010+). Now, both players will have scandals in the second paragraphs of their death notices.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 28 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Over the many years of WWYI and maybe a column or two on Digital Sports Desk, I’ve written a lot of different angles on Father’s Day. Some upbeat and noting fond memories, while others a bit sad.

It’s hard to write this, but when I think of Father’s Day, I think of my Dad very late in his life. He fell ill when I was very young (8th Grade), and passed away in the summer between my Freshman and Sophomore years at St. John’s. I looked at a picture just the other day, and instead of just seeing my Dad – as I did when I looked at the picture back in 1977 at my high school graduation – I looked at a relatively young man (60) appearing very old and fragile, barely able to walk past the Trinity baseball field and out another 100 yards to our football field – Jay Kutner Field. He did everything he could just to be there for me.

Of course, I think of a million happier and more meaningful thoughts. At the risk of repeating some things I might’ve written in the past, I’ll list a just a few things that pop into my mind:

• My Dad pulling out colored (red and blue) markers from his work shirt pocket – complete with the plastic protector to not allow the ink to stain his white shirt – and drawing the red and blue lines of a hockey rink to properly teach the NHL ice hockey “off-sides” rules to me while watching Jim Godon and Bill “The Big Whistle” Chadwick call the New York Rangers games on WOR-TV-9. He also illustrated the more intricate “two-line pass” rule, using a black marker and dotted lines of the passes.
• My Dad taking me to special Pan American World Airways functions when the New York Nets were sending players to ramp-up ticket sales. One function stands out as Ollie Taylor was the guest and took pictures with all of us (mine ended up in the Long Island Press) and the great Olympic swimmer, Donna deVerona, was being honored.
• My Dad taking me to see “Patton” in the movie theatre near Salisbury Park (which eventually became Eisenhower Park).
• Great “Pan Am” vacations in Montego Bay, Jamaica; St. Thomas (USVI); and Frankfurt, Germany. We always had to fly in a suit or sport jacket, hoping for an upgrade to First Class but also not to have to pack the bulky jackets. I still do it ‘til this day.
• My Dad – somehow, someway – putting up with us (my brothers and entire neighborhood) playing Wiffel Ball on our front driveway. As we aged, those Wiffel Balls would sound like M-80s hitting our garage door on a foul back. (We only broke two or three windows, and actually purchased them in half-dozens to be sure we could replace any broken windows. We bought Wiffel Balls by the CASE!
• My Dad taking me to dozens of Nets games at the Island Garden in the York Larese and Lavern Tart era.
• Harlem Globetrotters at the Commack Arena
• Long Island Ducks (minor league ice hockey) at Commack, too.

I could go on and on and on.

Anyway, for this Father’s Day, I thought I’d jot down some REALLY random but not very important in the grand scheme of life notes for my daughters to know. Some of the “trivial items in the key of life.”

• As much as I admired Gregg Allman singing “Melissa,” my favorite ABB song is “Jessica,” an instrumental written by Dickie Betts with organ pieces by Gregg Allman, of course, double drums (former ABB, the late Butch Trucks; with Jaimoe), then an incredible piano solo by Check Leavell. As you’ll note from the clip below, Betts wrote the song with the influence of jazz legend Django Reinhardt but inspiration from his two-year old daughter, Jessica,” bouncing around the house. Here it is, in all its glory, being taught by Chuck Leavell himself.

My favorite motion pictures, in real order of preference, but I always reserve the right to change my mind, add and subtract shows, and I don’t include legendary motion pictures that EVERYONE lists and loves, such as The Godfather and Godfather II, Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz or the great “action” movies in the James Bond or Mission Impossible category.

1. Casablanca
2. The Sting
3. Almost Famous
4. The Way We Were
5. STAR WARS to The Return of the Jedi (old school)
6. All the President’s Men
7. The Purple Rose of Cairo
8. Cinema Paradiso
9. The Maltese Falcon
10. The Big Chill

There are hundreds of “also rans” on my list, including a ton of great sports (Slap Shot), War Movies (Saving Private Ryan), Baseball Movies (It Happens Every Spring and the original Angeles in the Outfield) plus plenty more, like the silly set of “My Cousin Vinnie,” “STRIPES,” and “Airplane.”

KESWICK AMERICANS SPECIAL for FATHER’S DAY

By the way, here’s an extra bonus “Father’s Day Gift,” dedicated to all of those who wore the uniform of the Keswick Americans. This clip is from an ‘84 Dickie Betts concert, a few years after our heydays of 1978-79-80-81. Of course, Chuck Leavell is featured, but it is one of Betts’ best performances ever.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: A few friends and former NBA colleagues pointed out that this year’s NBA Draft will mark 40 years since we lost Len Bias. For those who don’t know the Len Bias story, please clock HERE. For everyone else, Bias’ death marks a terrible tragedy when we know exactly where we were when we heard the terrible news. There were several points of anguish that late night/ear;y morning in June 1986, a few hours after we saw Bias at the Draft in New York, then watched as he met the media in Boston a couple hours after we said good-bye and good luck. The most serious place was with Bias’ family, especially his mother, Dr. Lonise Bias. Then, there was the shock of the Boston Celtics, and then the point of the most media attention and all out shock – was the crime scene on the campus of the University of Maryland at College Park. Lastly, was with us, the people of the NBA who had staged the draft and saw a young, vibrant, can’t miss talent shake hands with Commissioner David Stern and get his Celtics’ hat, conduct his press conferences then head off to Boston for a same day event. … Dr. Lonise Bias passed away a couple years back. She had to endure the death of two sons. … I can share this brief snippet: After a very late night at the 1986 NBA Draft and the proverbial “End of the Season gathering of sorts,” even though it was really the start of the new season, I got about four hours of sleep, sucked it up and went to the office at 645 Fifth Avenue to edit film shot at the Draft the night before. Upon entering the office at about 8:35am, (15th floor), our receptionist Rhea Williams said, “Thank God, someone’s here.” I had no idea what she was talking about but glanced at the “old fashioned” switchboard and every single line was lit or blinking. … I CAN NOT think of a day worse than that day and that covers over 25 years of fielding calls for the NBA. I’m sure it was even harder, more emotional and just terrible at U of Maryland. May God Bless Len and his family.

JUNGLELAND: “They’ll meet ‘neath that CITGO sign that brings this fair city light.” No! … They’re coming after the CITGO sign.

According to multiple media accounts, the iconic CITGO sign in Boston is moving, but only slightly. The sign will be moved 30 feet higher and 120 feet to the east on the roof of 660 Beacon St, which is being redeveloped. This will “restore and preserve the original viewshed corridor” for the sign, developers say. The project will be done in two phases over six months. The first was taking the sign apart, which included removing the letters and the logo.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: A time out in any sporting event is often a horse of a different color. In some sports, the timeouts seem excessive. In the World Cup, they are infrequent, but this year there seems to be a new moniker for a timeout. Let’s look at the evolution of mandatory timeouts:

1. An “automatic” timeout
2. A “TV” timeout
3. A media timeout
4. A “hydration break”

Maybe all the leagues should change their stripes (rules) and everyone can call it a “hydration break?” Seems like it’s all for the benefit of over-heated players, on the edge of dehydration. Then, a miracle. A “hydration break” fixes everything.

SCOTLAND YARD: Boston says “Thank-You” to our guests from Scotland. The cities of Boston (and Providence, RI) were graced with two World Cup preliminary round games played at “Boston Stadium,” a.k.a. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The Scottish fans made quite an impression. Last Sunday night, they organized and staged a parade of some 5,000 fans who marched to Fenway Park. The parade was led by bagpipers and Scottish flags, and a massive group who carried tunes with the best of ‘em. The city fell in love with the Scots and rooted their team on. When Scotland flew off to Miami for their third game, the editors of The Boston Globe took it upon themselves to do a full page formal “Thank You,” which read:

Dear Tartan Army,

You came for the World Cup, but gave us something more.

“For a week, you turned train stations into singalongs, Fenway into a football ground and an ordinary June into something we’ll be talking about for years.

“Boston has hosted championships, parades and celebrations of every kind. But we’ve never hosted guests quite like you all.

“Thank you for the laughter, the bagpipes and the memories. The World Cup will move on. So will the songs, but we’ll never forget the joy you brought to our city.”

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Olympiakos and Panathinaikos squared-off for the Greek League basketball finals and, as per usual, there were some serious sparks. This year, however, it went above and beyond. The sports commission of Greece imposed a six-month ban (from attending games) and a fine on Panathinaikos team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos during Game 4 of the Finals. The fine of $50,000 (Euros) was doubled when the basketball club was also fined for the same amount, with the commission stating Giannakopoulos was penalized for “repeated defamation of the sport.” … The Game 4 fine was stiffer as Giannakopoulos was previously penalized with a one-month ban and a $30,000 (euros) fine from Game 1 of the Finals with the ban obviously ignored. … It got worse. … Following Game 2, Giannakopoulos was handed another one-month ban. Game officials reported that he stepped onto the court to aggressively protest and threaten referees, explicitly demanding a technical foul be given to Olympiacos coach Georgios Bartzokas. Olympiacos won the championship series. They defeated Panathinaikos 3-2 in the best-of-five.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 21 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

HOUSTON – Welcome to the entertainment and revenue producing portion of Digital Sports Desk and PGA Tour Brunch. It’s a pleasure to toss out a whole new discussion on some of sports greatest happenings.

It’s been in fashion – of late – to discuss the “best” sports by virtue of their Playoffs. Yes … it gets written in the papers and discussed on the sports radio talk shows every single year, even though it’s impossible to determine a definitive answer.

In the local paper, a columnist listed her best to worst as:

• NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
• The NCAA Tournament … a.k.a. “March Madness”
• The NFL Playoffs (including the Super Bowl)
• MLB Postseason
• The NBA Playoffs (including the NBA Finals)
• World Cup (soccer) and MLS

That’s one writer’s opinion and its a worthy list.

But just after the column ran, on Monday, May 18, the San Antonio Spurs victory over Oklahoma City in 2-OTs of the NBA Western Conference finals game became Exhibit 1-A that the list written up in the Globe was flawed – the NBA Playoffs far exceed the NCAA’s.

Another key factor in list making, a lot of sports were overlooked, including College Football and its National Championship coming from the CFP Playoffs. That’s been a welcome addition to the postseason smorgasbord

While the annual PGA TOUR FedEx Cup Playoffs aren’t great, the even equivalent to the Playoffs are golf’s Majors – never mind the Ryder Cup. Those golf outings can be pretty exciting. Same thing with tennis, as a five set tie-break to win the U.S. Open in front of a raucous crowd in Flushing Meadow can be amongst the greatest things in sport.

What about horse racing? The Breeders’ Cup is like having seven World Series games on one afternoon. But, maybe, the better comparison is the Kentucky Derby – known as the greatest two minutes in sports. Go ahead and Google “Affirmed” and “Alydar”and tell everyone who will listen that those races aren’t on a list of the greatest and most exciting moments in sports.

Now – full disclosure – I do think that a Game 7 “sudden death” overtime of the NHL Stanley Cup Final is the most exciting thing sports has to offer. So a high five to our local columnist, Tara Sullivan of the Boston Globe.

SPEAKING OF SUDDEN DEATH: The term “Sudden Death” is quite a descriptive phrase to say what has to be said to decide a playoff game or, in some cases, a series or championship. It’s brutal. The pressure is off-the-charts. But, upon further review, here’s a dozen of other very descriptive terms from the world of sports that each carry some weight.

1. The Suicide Squeeze
2. The Blitz
3. Crackback Block
4. Student Body right
5. The Two Minute Warning
6. The Baltimore chop
7. Defensive indifference
8. The NHL’s “Original Six”
9. The alley-oop
10. One of the great, descriptive monikers to pay proper respect to one of – if not the – greatest rivalies in sports is “El Classico.” Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona stop the entire nation of Spain when they face each other (at least) twice a year.
11. As “classic” as “El Classico” sounds in this category of greatness, the MLS might have one moniker just as wonderful. When the LA Galaxy face LAFC in a rivalry for all of Los Angeles to see, the matchup is referred to as “El Traffico.” – Beat that!

Darkness on the Edge of Causeway

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The house is dark. The Garden’s ghostlight is on, but Bruce Springsteen is coming. The Celtics were up three-games-to-one against a Philadelphia 76ers team that hadn’t beaten the Boston in a NBA Playoff series since Billy Cunningham coached a 1982 Sixers’ team, and the Cs blew it. The hometown team– once invincible in Game 7s – has left the TD Garden dark. The Sixers moved on to meet the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals and were mowed down by a superior team. The Knicks will face Cleveland for the right to play in the NBA Finals.

The Celtics “Owe Us One.”

But, it gets worse.

The TD Garden was witness to a suspect Boston Bruins team losing to the once-lowly Buffalo Sabres a night before the Celtics were sent to see St. Peter. The Sabres hadn’t won a Stanley Cup playoff series in 19 years, while the Sixers hadn’t beaten the Celtics in the playoffs since 1982, a mere 44 years. The Sabres lost to Montreal who are now playing Carolina for right to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

It’s understandable how the Bs lost, but how could the Celtics collapse in such epic fashion?

Let us count the ways:

o Live by chucking 3s; Die by chucking 3s: In their four losses to Philadelphia, the Boston Celtics shot 49-for-191, or 25.7%.

• Game 5 (April 28): Shot 28.2% (11-of-39) from three in a 113-97 home loss.
• Game 6 (April 30): Shot 29.3% (12-of-41) from three in a 106-93 loss in Philadelphia.
• Game 7 (May 2): Shot 26.5% (13-of-49) from three in a 109-100 series-clinching loss at home.

o Nick Nurse, the head coach of the Sixers and a champ when he coached at every level, including an NBA Finals title with the Toronto Raptors, can flat-out coach. Yes, he was graced with a resurgence from one-time NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, but Nurse guided the Sixers masterfully. Expected NBA Coach of the Year, Joe Mazulla of the Celtics, was out-coached.

o Face facts: A starting five of: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Ron Harper Jr., Luka Garza, and Baylor Scheierman could not cut it in a decisive NBA Playoff game. That group will never be compared to Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. The team of Celtics so many NBA pundits expected for 2025-26 finally showed up. The absence of true “bigs” caught up with the team of green. Remember Al Horford? He was pretty good.

Two Boston pro teams were whooped on their home turf. They’re gone by May 2 and only Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band can bring life to the backstreets of the West End (May 24th), because on Saturday night, it seemed you could hear the whole damn city crying. Springsteen might say, “Blame it on the lies that killed us, blame it on the truth that ran us down.”

The truth was the fact the Celtics could not endure a full season without their best player, Jayson Tatum.

While Tatum orchestrated a miraculous (and quick) return from the devastating right Achilles’ injury he suffered in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and performed quite well from his March 6 return to active duty right on through to an incredible Game 3 shooting performance against the Sixers in Philadelphia, a sore left knee and discomfort that forced him to leave Game 6, also ruled him out just hours before Game 7.

Nine years into his NBA career, the 28-year-old Tatum is feeling the effects of 729 NBA regular season and playoff games.

Boston’s wonderkid GM, Brad Stevens, cannot be blamed for inactivity.

Stevens was faced with a choice of trading one of his “Big Two” of Tatum or Jaylen Brown, and possibly dismantling the 2024 NBA championship team somewhere short of a total rebuild. Instead, being faced with an aging Celtics team and a double secret probation by far exceeding the NBA’s agreed upon maximum team salary zones – the Cs – via Stevens’ surgical strike on salaries – dipped under both the First and Second Aprons of the NBA’s salary cap structure by reducing the team payroll for the 2025-26 season to a mere $187,885,254.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors are all over $200 million and face limitations in their wheeling and dealing. Stevens and the Celtics do not.

The cost (saving) came when the Celtics jettisoned veteran bigs Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis. Both players contributed mightily in the 2024 NBA Finals with Porzingis’ astonishing Game 1 performance which won the most important game of the series at Boston. If you remember, with Porzingis coming off the bench for just the second time in his career and playing in his first game (June 6) since he had sustained a calf injury in late April, Porzingis scored 20 points, including 18 in the first half, and added six rebounds and three blocks as the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 to send a statement to the Texans.

Horford provided even more. The veteran center was an influential presence in the locker room, an intangible for NBA teams destined for good things to come, for chemistry, for facing and conquering adversity, and for winning championships. Horford was the whole package, plus, he hit three-pointer after three-pointer, drawing opposing centers away from the basket and allowing Tatum and Brown to operate inside.

Horford was traded to the Golden State Warriors in September 2025, signing a multi-year deal, and continuing into his 19th NBA season.

Boston’s other cost-saving move was to send multi-talented guard Jrue Holiday and his $32.4 million contract to the NBA outskirts of Portland, Oregon (not Maine). Holiday was another veteran, positive influence and key contributor to the 2024 championship, especially on the defensive end of the basketball court.

All of those moves put together allowed the Celtics to avoid the NBA’s punitive luxury taxes. The more stable payroll paved the way for new ownership as the franchise was sold by the longtime ownership group headed by Wyc Grousbeck for a then-record $6.1 billion. The new group, led by Bill Chisholm, paid an amazing amount of cash considering Grousbeck bought the team for $360 million in 2002. Brad Stevens should be a longtime fixture in the Celtics’ front office, at the top of basketball operations.

A look over to the Fens, just past the Longwood Medical Center, and the prognosis isn’t much better. The Red Sox are floundering in the AL East basement. The offense is anemic and the middle relievers count runs against, ERA and Whip as though they were all MIT graduates. The brown paper bags are making a fashion statement and Jason Veritek’s wife is pouring on the sarcastic quips aimed at Sox GM, head of baseball Craig Breslow. Veritek “is being re-assigned” within the organization after Breslow leveled the coaching staff, including manager Alex Cora. There’s no AC and no DC in the Sox bats. No static at all.

But, there’s one thing worse than a dark June at the TD Boston Garden, and that was a dark May. Only Bruce Springsteen’s rock show on May 24th will bring some “glory days” back to Boston.

The memories of 2018 and a club record of 108 wins is long gone. Those were, indeed, the glory days.

And, one thing’s sure of the glory days.

They’ll pass you by.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Get this? The Detroit PWHL team named former ice hockey goalkeepeer Manon Rheume as General Manager. Back in 1992, Rheaume became the first woman to appear in an NHL exhibition game when she started in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The great goal scorer Phil Esposito NHL Bruins and Rangers) was the head of hockey ops. It was the first time an entire crowd at an NHL game concentrated 100% of their attention on defense! It was fabuloius (and I can attest, because your fave columnist (and his wife) were there. Rheaume joins the PWHL team after four years with the LA Kings in hockey operations and an 11-year tenure with the Little Caesars AAA hockey programs. … And, for you Pink Panther fans out there, Detroit can answer to the affirmative if asked, “Do you have a Rheaume?”

WWYI doesn’t want to leave anyone hanging after a report. Last week, the column included the fact the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft after repeated violations of the league’s media relations policies. The NHL’s statement last week left open the possibility of a Golden Knights appeal of the decision. They did appeal, and the NHL shot it down. Fast.

Twin Bill: The NBA announced that the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs will play regular season games at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2027, and at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2027, as part of the league’s multiyear slate of regular season games in Europe.

The NBA Paris Game 2027 presented by Tissot will mark the 16th game featuring an NBA team in France since 1991 and the league’s sixth regular-season game in Paris. The NBA Manchester Game 2027 will mark the 20th game featuring an NBA team in England since 1993, the league’s second game in Manchester and first regular-season game in the city.

NBA Finals Schedule: In case you’re wondering, these dates are locked.

NBA Finals – All games are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Finals will stat in the West as both OKC and San Antonio have better records than Cleveland and New York.

Game 1: Wednesday, June 3

Game 2: Friday, June 5

Game 3: Monday, June 8

Game 4: Wednesday, June 10

Game 5: Saturday, June 13*

Game 6: Tuesday, June 16*

Game 7: Friday, June 19*

SPEAKING OF THE 2026 NBA Finals: For the historians in the group, this year will mark the 40th year of the league switching from the “NBA World Championship” to “The NBA Finals.” – Cap “F” – and that takes us back to 1986.

At one point in 1983, the NBA went for “Showdown ‘83” as the moniker for the Playoffs and Finals, but everyone – pretty much – just called it The Finals. And, it worked. Loook for a major US publication to do a blow-out feature on this topic.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 24 appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

By TERRY LYONS

HEARTBREAK HILL, NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS – Twenty miles into the Boston Marathon, the runners enter “my kinda town.” Yes, Newton, Massachusetts is the location of the world famous “Heartbreak Hill,” and for those not familiar with the area, it’s really a series of four hills along Commonwealth Avenue which runs diagonally through the center of Waban, Newton, Newton Centre and Chestnut Hill. Normally, it’s quite nice and scenic.

But, on Marathon Monday, the tree-lined and bucolic streets of Newton turn into the most challenging obstacle of the race course for this past Monday’s 130th Boston Marathon.

Runner’s World accurately describes it like this:

“Heartbreak Hill is located between mile 20 and mile 21 of the Boston Marathon. As the last and most famous of the four Newton hills, this roughly half-mile incline begins around mile 20.3 and peaks near the 20.4-mile marker, specifically notorious for testing runners after 20 miles of racing.

Quick Facts

o Starting Point: Just past the 20-mile marker on Commonwealth Avenue (what the locals call “Comm Ave”).

o Summit Point: It ends roughly at mile 21, near Hammond Street and the Boston College campus of Chestnut Hill.

o The Incline: The hill is about 0.4 to 0.5 miles long with a vertical rise of approximately 88–91 feet.

o Difficulty: While not the steepest hill on the course, it is notorious because it occurs at a point where runners’ glycogen stores are often depleted—the point where many “hit the wall.” The kicker (or ass-kicker) comes when runners shift from climbing the uphill to the quite steep downhill from Boston College all the way to the finish line in Copley.

Heartbreak Hill earned its name during the 1936 race when defending championJohnny Kelley caught up to and patted leader Ellison “Tarzan” Brown on the back. The gesture motivated Brown to surge ahead and win, “breaking Kelley’s heart”. A statue of Kelley, titled “Young at Heart,” stands at the base of the hill near mile 20.

Like that of Johnny Kelley and Tarzan Brown in 1936, the Boston Marathon, each and every year, has about 30,000 incredible stories to tell. Data from race organizer – the Boston Athletic Association – showed 33,267 applications for this year’s race. A total of 29,025 finished the race this year. And, by the way, 12,579 of those runners were female.

That’s a lot of runners.

While it’s not as many participants as New York’s record 59,662 runners for last November’s New York City Marathon, Boston is known as the most prestigious race to run (and finish). I often cite 1968 Boston Marathon champion Amby Burfoot who famously describes the Boston Marathon as “the Carnegie Hall” of marathons. This analogy highlights the race as the premier, ultimate venue for runners—a place of prestige where one has to earn the right to perform, similar to performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City.”

I’m lucky enough to call Amby Burfoot a friend.

I met him as a colleague/co-worker when he was the Editor-at-Large for Runner’s World magazine. I was asked by the Runner’s World’s PR team (Chris Brienza, DavidTratner and Laura Beachy) to help out with their work – both preparing and then executing efforts to publicize the wonderful and informative magazine, a product of Rodale publishing. To say it was a marvelous experience would be the understatement of my current century.

After nearly 30 years at the NBA, you think you would’ve experienced just about everything sports has to offer. Well, running marathons is a whole different story. Quite frankly, I learned more from a three minute talk with Amby than I ever learned in school.

As Editor-at-Large, Burfoot could unearth the stories of the champions and the everyday, weekend warriors. When in Boston (from his Mystic, Connecticut home), he was the “people’s champion” for sure, taking pictures and interacting with thousands of runners and fans. It was quite amazing to see any everyday guy turn into this incredible celebrity champion for a couple of weeks, leading up to race day.

Instead of paraphrasing one of Amby’s great stories, I’ll simply turn the column over to him to tell you this one. To frame it, this is what Amby wrote on August 21, 2011 of the death of “young” John Kelley, his friend and idol.

John J. Kelley, RIP, 1930-2011: 1957 Boston Marathon Winner; America’s First Modern Road Runner

Nineteen fifty-seven Boston Marathon winner John J. Kelley “The Younger” crossed the final finish line early this morning in North Stonington, CT, just a few miles from Mystic, where he had lived most his adult life. Kelley died with few more possessions than he began with 80 years ago on Christmas Eve, 1930. But he ran his heart out every step of the way. And those of us lucky enough to have shared a few miles at his side will forever remember his vigor, his encompassing warmth, and the way he loved all creatures great, and especially the small and powerless.

Kelley, whom I first met in 1962, was the most sincere, humble, gentle, and authentic human being I have ever known. He was the first person I ever saw stop his car to help a turtle across the road, and he never ever, without exception, said a word about himself and his considerable accomplishments. He also never uttered a negative word about anyone else, with the possible exceptions of Joseph McCarthy and Richard Nixon.

Kelley was an extraordinary gentleman, yet also a radical free thinker. A friend, writer and marathoner Gail Kislevitz, called Kelley “the last rebellious man standing.” The phrase fits.

In his final days Kelley was surrounded by his three daughters–Julie, Kathleen, andEileen–and a number of his grandchildren. He died from a melanoma that eventually spread to his lungs. Kelley’s wife Jacintha passed away in 2003.

Kelley’s athletic record is unparalleled among American distance runners. In 1957 he became the first and only member of the BAA running club to win the BAA Boston Marathon. In addition to his win, Kelley finished second at Boston five times. He won the 1959 Pan American Games Marathon, and captured eight consecutive USA National Marathon titles even though this event took place on the hot, hilly Yonkers course just four to five weeks after Boston. Kelley represented the U.S. in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Marathons, with a best finish of 19th in the Rome Olympic race famously won by barefoot Abebe Bikila.

“Kelley didn’t like the limelight, and people don’t even know about him today,” saysBill Rodgers, four time Boston and New York City Marathon winner, “But his eight straight wins at Yonkers stand second only to Grete’s nine wins in New York, and it’s better in some ways. Grete’s longest streak was five straight.

“Kelley was at the epicenter of American marathoning. He was in the trenches doing the spade work for the likes of Frank Shorter and me and everyone who has come along since. Marathoning wasn’t a business then. There wasn’t any money, and it wasn’t entertainment. The runners had to put up with a public and sports media who basically knew nothing. Marathoners were treated as second-class athletes. But Kelley didn’t let that stop him. He was quiet but had tremendous drive. He was tough as nails.”

In many ways, Kelley was the first modern American road runner. The generations before him–including greats like Clarence DeMar and “Old John” A. Kelley (no relation, despite the similar name and similar Boston Marathon histories)–came from working-class roots. So did Kelley, but he loved books and learning, and ultimately received a masters degree from Boston University.

Another big difference: Where his predecessors were relatively slow plodders, Kelley was fast. A high school prodigy in the mile in New London, CT, he was recruited to B.U. by an ambitious track coach who aimed to turn him into the next Glenn Cunningham. The plan didn’t work. Kelley had no taste for endless track repeats and races on a small oval. He yearned for greater adventure, less coaching, and more personal exploration. Midway through his college years, he was rising at 4:30 a.m. to run a dark, lonely 16-mile loop around the Charles River. He spent more time listening to Boston Marathon organizer/masseur/running-team coach Jock Semple than to his college coach, and ran his first two Bostons while still a college student.

“Kelley argued with his college coach Doug Raymond about the value of long, slow runs vs endless, gasping 440-yard sprints around the track,” notes Boston Marathon historian and author Tom Derderian. “Kelley’s fight against the conventional wisdom lifted him to the crest of the new wave of American distance running that led to Frank Shorter’s Olympic gold medal.”

The Boston Marathon’s former executive director Tom Grilk observed: “John J. Kelley’s victory in the Boston Marathon wearing the unicorn of the BAA has been an inspiration to all of us at the BAA, as well as to generations of Boston and American runners. He ran and won at a time when there was no money to be won; a time when victory was sufficient unto itself. His legacy is that of striving for excellence for its own sake, and for the quiet satisfaction that it brings to those with a deep sense of personal values. I hope we will all continue to learn from that. It remains John’s gift to us all.”

That’s just one story – a pretty amazing backstory coming from the ‘68 champion who happens to be running Boston again – today! Today, Amby Burfoot’s experiences will create 100 stories of their own, and so on.

What strikes me the most every Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts (it’s celebrated in Maine, Florida, Wisconsin, Connecticut, North Dakota, and Utah, too) is that the whole Commonwealth STOPS. At some point in the day, every person that is able gets out to cheer on a friend or a random runner passing by. Some families create their makeshift tailgate parties while those fortunate enough to own a house on the course throw the party of the year (rain or shine, in all degrees of temperature). The estimates are some 500,000 people are spectators for the Boston Marathon, not counting the audience that tuned in on local broadcast (now on WCVB-5 Boston, after decades on WBZ-TV Boston). The national broadcast was anchored by Hannah Storm on ESPN2 and a host of international broadcasters, many who sent their commentators to cover the race live and in person were here in Boston for the festivities.

Others, like your favorite columnist, detoured over to Fenway Park for the traditional Major League Baseball game pitting the hometown Red Sox vs. the Detroit Tigers. First pitch was at 11:10am. (The Red Sox won, 8-6).

Regardless of where you spent the day, the spirit and pure inspiration of the race permeates the very cold air we breath on the wonderful day, called Patriots’ Day, the best day of the year in Boston.

I’ll provide links to a couple of columns from year’s past. They are amongst my personal, all-time favorites.

• Switzer is “261” and Fearless in Boston
• Join Us in Boston – (Year After the Marathon Bombing)

I highly recommend you take a stroll through those two columns which both provide incredible backstories of experiences from much earlier this century, noting that we moved to Newton, Mass in 2008.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Ones Basketball League (OBL), the re-envisioning of the premier 1 v 1 basketball league founded by basketball Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Tracy McGrady, unveiled the 32 athletes–four for each city–that have been selected by team GM/Owners for the first round of “OBL: Battle of The Cities,” which will be held on Friday, May 15 in Orlando, Florida.

In addition to McGrady who provided input, the GMs who directly picked the athletes with their designated team captain are:

• Team Orlando- Vince Carter, Basketball Hall of Famer
• Team Washington, DC – Quinn Cook, two-time NBA Champion
• Team Miami – Tim Hardaway Sr., five-time NBA All-Star
• Team New York – Jadakiss, recording star and basketball insider
• Team Chicago – Larenz Tate, actor, film producer, basketball aficionado
• Team Raleigh – John Wall, five-time NBA All-Star
• Team Atlanta – Jaylen Brown, star of the Boston Celtics
• Team Baltimore – Muggsy Bogues, 14 year NBA veteran

One problem, proven-out as long ago as Pepsi Hot-Shot of the ‘70s and eraly ‘80s, is the fact one-on-one basketball is not viewer-friendly (very exciting). Full court one-on-one, witnessed at practices at the 2000 Sydney Olympics USA team practices were another story! Jason Kidd vs. Steve Smith games (after practice when they were exhausted) were a sight to be seen.

TID BITS & NUGGETS: The Los Angeles Lakers comeback and overtime win vs. the Houston Rockets definitely was the must-watch event of the NBA Playoffs. Condolences to all those ML fans on Draft Kings, if you had the Rockets, who were up by six points with 30 seconds left in regulation — and Houston had the ball. NBA teams were 1,713-1 in the playoffs over the last 29 years when leading by six or more in the final 30 seconds of regulation.

The one game? The Lakers joined the Philadelphia 76ers and their win over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the first round in 2024, (according to ESPN Research).

Reggie Miller? The difference was five points at the :29 second mark.

In that game, an April 7, 1995 Eastern Conference first-round Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, Indiana trailed 105–100 with 18.7 seconds remaining after Patrick Ewing hit a hook shot at the 18.7-second mark. Then, Miller worked his magic.

IS THERE … anything worse than local media types giving “grades” for the NFL Draft about a minute after the first, second and third rounds of the annual selection soiree? The NY (Jersey, really) Giants even earned an “A+” for their selection of Edge Rusher Arvell Reese. Not an “A,” but an “A+.”

How about waiting – at least a year or two – befopre assessing the ups & downs of a pro draft?

THIS JEST IN: For all you longtime NBA conspiracy theorists out there, especially the ones who always tweet their belief that the NBA (via its officials) favors specific teams located in the large TV markets – here’s a new thought!

This year, the NBA wants all the small market teams to move on, so the likes of reigning champion Oklahoma City, or small time San Antonio to advance. This comes off the Indiana Pacers vs OKC NBA Finals series from last season – two of the smallest TV markets in the USA.

Wink.

VIVA LA FRANCE: Long live France, yes, but long live all of us when we’re talking about the site of the 2031 FIBA World Cup. The FIBA Central Board picked France as the host of the 2031 FIBA Basketball World Cup, with Japan getting the Women’s World Cup in 2030. The French cities of Lille, Lyon, and Paris will co-host the event from Aug. 29 to Sept. 14, with the final taking place in Paris.

The women’s tournament will be held in Tokyo from Nov. 26 to Dec.8, 2031.

I wonder how many grads of the NBA Basketball Schools will compete in that event, never mind all the Basketball without Borders stars.

ON YOUR DIAL: At about 3:30pm (EDT) on Saturday (April 25), your columnists settled down after a busy morning and flipped on the television to watch some sports.

The NFL Draft was on ABC and ESPN – but both were in commercial. Checked FS-1 for a MLB game – commercial. Checked the CW for the WNBA – commercial. Over to NBC as Showtime concluded before the Phoenix Suns vs OKC Thunder – commercial.

The post TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | On Boston appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

Brazil’s Oscar Schmidt – (1958-2026)

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

BOSTON – The City of Boston is such a great place, especially this weekend when the sports side of Boston rises to the highest tide. On one weekend, we get to experience:

• Red Sox Major League Baseball, vs Detroit, leading into a series vs. the New York Yankees – all at Fenway Park
• Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Playoff ice hockey, @ the Buffalo Sabres
• Boston Celtics NBA Playoff basketball, vs the Philadelphia 76ers, at TD Garden
• And, the single best day of the year in this town – Patriots’ Day – when the 130th running of the Boston Marathon is staged from Hopkinton to Copley, while the Red Sox play a day game with the first pitch at 11:10am

All that sporting juice, there’s only one other place I’d rather be this weekend and that’s to pay my respects in SAO PAULO, Brazil, the hometown of the late Oscar Schmidt, nicknamed by his compatriots as “The Holy Hand.” ( “Mão Santa”). Yes, his ability to shoot a basketball was that good.

Let NBA legend, Hall of Famer, the great Larry Bird explain:

“I always admired Oscar (Schmidt) and considered him a friend. He was, without a doubt, one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” said Bird in the statement. “It was an honor of a lifetime when Oscar asked me to present him at his well deserved induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. My sincere condolences to Oscar’s family.”

So sadly, Oscar Schmidt passed away on Friday, at the age of 68, after what his family said was a 15-year battle against brain cancer. His battle began, then, about two years before his 2013 induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It was in Springfield when I last saw him, and enjoyed some brief moments recalling times gone by and so many fond memories all those years ago.

I first learned of Oscar when he lit up the scoreboard for 46 points in Brazil’s win over the United States in the 1987 Pan American Game, held at Market Square Arena in downtown Indianapolis. Schmidt’s performance came in the finals of the tournament as he led Brazil to a 120-115 win over an ABA-USA team that included then-college superstars and eventual No. 1 NBA Draft picks David Robinson and Danny Manning as well as then-Indiana University stars Keith Smart and Dean Garrett.

Fast forward to the 1992 Basketball Tournament of the Americas in Portland, Oregon where Brazil went (6-1) and qualified for the ‘92 Olympics in Barcelona, the first when NBA players were eligible to compete. Keep in mind, Schmidt had been drafted in 1984, a sixth round choice by the New Jersey Nets, but he chose not to sign an NBA contract as it would’ve ended his national team career with his teammates in Brazil.

Of course, Oscar was allowed to play pro ball in Europe where led the Italian top division in scoring six times while a member of Juve Caserta (1983–84, 1984–85, 1985-86, 1986–87, 1988–89, and 1989–90 seasons). A double-standard vs. the NBA players?

Yes.

Regardless of the unfair sports eligibility rules which kept him out of an NBA uniform, Schmidt played with pleasure for his country, and I always respected that fact. I can remember him celebrating with his Brazilian teammates in the back halls of the Portland Memorial Coliseum when they qualified. Like a small handful of the international players (count Yao Ming (China), Sasha Volkov and Sarunas Marciulionis (USSR) – (Ukraine) (Lithuania), Drazen Petrovic (Croatia), Jose “Piculin” Ortiz (Puerto Rico) or other NBA superstars like Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Tony Parker (France) or Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Oscar was always very friendly, professional and cordial with our dozens of requests. Quite frankly, I think he “batted” 1.000 with fulfilling the interview requests we thrust upon him. Only Andrew Gaze of Australia can be compared.

Schmidt was the same true pro in 2013 when I helped out at the BHofF with the Enshrinement as he joined Gary Payton, Richie Guerin, Bernard King and a handful of others in the festivities. In fact, I remember Oscar’s induction speech as being the very best of the night, delivered with a beret to cover his bald head, coming two years after his brain surgery and subsequent treatments.

MUST WATCH!

It was at or around the Hall Enshrinement when Schmidt uttered one of the great quotes in sports history.

Asked how he could explain his “Holy Hand,” and ability to shoot and score – at will – while others could barely manage to play alongside him or attempt to guard him, Schmidt replied simply, “Some people play the piano, and some people … They move the piano.”

God Bless the great Oscar Schmidt. He will rest in peace but his defenders can now, finally, rest on earth.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As mentioned at the top of this missive, it’s a special holiday weekend, here in Boston, Massachusetts. The NBA and NHL Playoffs were mentioned, as was the Boston Marathon and the 11am Red Sox game to coincide with the Patriots’ Day celebrations and the timing of the race.

Paraphrasing the advice Doc Rivers gave to me when we moved here in 2008, you just don’t fully understand Boston until you’ve lived here,” said Doc, who stepped down from his duties as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks this week.

Exhibit 1-A of that statement is the full understanding of the Boston Marathon, a spectacle that draws more than 500,000 spectators along the race route, all cheering, screaming, sign-waving and, yes, drinking to their pleasure, mostly on front lawns and porches along the way.

Wellesley College gets a lot of props for the screaming and kissing that goes on as the runners zip past the gorgeous, suburban campus, as does Heartbreak Hill(s) – it’s really a series of three hills in Newton Centre, leading towards Boston College and the town of Chestnut Hill. The gradual, steep climb is one thing, but as the runners pass BC (Mile 21), the terrain turns to a downhill as the race enters its final 5.2 miles, and those calves and hamstrings which were working hard to climb all of a sudden are asked to switch gears.

In medical terms, in the sudden transition to the final downhill stretch, the runners all experience a significant shift in physical strain and mechanical demand. While the descent feels metabolically “easier,” it often causes more muscle damage than the uphills – due to the mechanics of eccentric loading.

As runners descend on the streets of Brighton, their quadriceps must act as “brakes” to control momentum and absorb impact. This requires the muscle to contract while it is simultaneously lengthening—a process called eccentric contraction that is more mechanically stressful than the concentric (shortening) contractions that were just used on Heartbreak Hill(s). The downhill running at this stage can result in up to 54% greater impact forces on the legs compared to running on a flat surface. Peak braking forces can increase by as much as 74%, leading to “shredded” quads and micro-tears in the muscle fibers.

First time runners have been told about this phenomenon, but, until they experience it, there’s nothing that can help.

It’s a metaphor for actually living in Boston. You can live in New York City or Tokyo and experience all of the overcrowded aspects of city life, the noise, the joys, the culture and the pressure, but – come to Boston – and you’ll experience an entirely different vibe, largely fueled by the successes or failures of the local professional sports teams. Boston is a small town – maybe call it a whole bunch of small towns all rolled into one.

The Boston Marathon unifies those eight towns and the running world into one – like no other day of the year.

The pure inspiration of the runners, gutting it for 26.2 in the most important marathon in the world, fuels the human spirit like no other event. The amateurs run the same course as the professionals and the amateurs receive the vast majority of the cheers and encouragement, especially in the afternoon.

The great Amby Burfoot, the 1968 Boston Marathon champion, calls Boston, “the Carnegie Hall” of marathons.

I might take it a step up from there.

“The Boston Marathon is to a runner as Red Rocks is to a Rock n’ Roll band.” – TL

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Georgia Tech announced that their head basketball coach Scott Cross is adding Harvard assistant coach Matt Fraschilla to his staff. Matt is the son of former head coach Fran Fraschilla, now a popular television commentator on ESPN. “I have known Coach Matt Fraschilla for quite some time now,” Cross said. “I remember watching him play at Highland Park High School (Dallas) where he led the state in assists. On his coaching journey, Matt was part of Coach Jay Wright’s staff at Villanova that won a National Championship! I have watched him recruit in person and I know that he is one of the brightest, up-and-coming coaches in the country. He will instantly make our program better.” … FANZO, a tech platform that links brands, rights holders and broadcasters with fans who aren’t watching games in arenas or stadiums, announced that it will begin partnerships in North America after test-runs and scaling in Europe and the Pacific Rim. The new tech effort will support the millions of fans following the FIFA World Cup, being staged in North America this summer. … Speaking of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, the bars in Providence are petitioning the city to allow their establishments to stay open all night long, figuring many of their patrons might be adjusting to time zone changes, or just flat-out thirsty. The Boston leg of the World Cup will be played at nearby Foxborough, MA.

OF LOCAL INTEREST: The Boston Red Sox moved the start time of their Sunday, April 19th game against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park from 1:35 p.m. to 4:35 p.m. The change was made in consultation with Major League Baseball due to a forecast for an extended period of rain from mid-day into the afternoon.

LIV GOLF: What’s up with the LIV Golf Tour? There was a lot of speculation and some non-denial denials from LIV Golf execs in the USA and in Saudi Arabia where the PIF issued a new business plan, stating they’d be cutting down on funding of non-essential business outside of the country. WWYI will do some digging to see what’s in store for LIV Golf, Newcastle futbol, and some of the other sports the PIF has invested in over the past four years.

The Saudi PIF Plan is HERE.

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil agreed to do an interview on this weekend’s broadcast from the LIV Golf tournament in Mexico. Here it is: HERE

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